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 Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 10:45 am
 Tangel slowly stepped over the ridge of a hill, now peering her violet eyes softly over the distantly familiar waters of the lake. This lake held memories for her. Not many, but enough.
Her blue fingers gently lifted to touch the pearls that had made their permanent mark within her fur. The necklace had never left her neck since the day he had granted her with the gift. And even to this day, babes that she cared for in her owner's place now slept to his song that she would hum to them before bed.
Things had been hectic for the Audio. Her owner had been in and out of the hospital as well as protecting their home and island from a bad omen that seemed to erupt out of nowhere right when things had begun to settle. It was Tangel's job to watch over the little babes alongside of the other adults that weren't equiped to fight in such circumstances.
Now that peace had settled back into their home and their owner was now confident of how things around the islands were to be, Tangel had been given permission to roam again, even off of the islands and away from home. As long as she told someone, of course.
Now here she was, allowing the shores of the lake to gently kiss her toes in greeting. The cool water being welcomed with a faint smile from the Techno Angel of Audio's as she sat down to wrap her arms about her legs.
Her purple eyes fell shut as she began to hum that tune of his once more, only now she was using it to comfort herself. So much time had passed since she had last seen him and she began to wonder if maybe he had moved on. She made up her mind, however. She'd wait all day... and all night. If he didn't show before morning, she would go back home and refuse to leave the islands ever again. She wouldn't care if one of the others were to come and get her before nightfall, she'd wait until morning.
Her mind had been made up...
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Posted: Thu May 10, 2007 8:36 pm
 Shunsui stopped just in view of the lake and the Audio who stood there. A slow smile crept over his face as he immediately recognized her from the description his reluctant brother had given him one evening as the two sat in front of the fire sharing a drink and talking of the past. They were doing that a lot lately, now that they had found a common ground.
The shinigami coughed into his paw.
"Excuse me, miss. Am I interrupting something?"
 Charlie sat beneath a tree outside the shop. It had been so long since he had chose to be alone. It seemed he was always with someone now. Shunsui talking about just things or teaching Charl or getting to know Summer, Ukitake, and Shunsui's girlfriend Artemis.
Girlfriend.
He almost envied Shunsui. His heart ached for missing Tangel, for not having her near him. How long had it been since he heard her voice? Or saw her face? Too long. But he hadn't forgotten. Oh, no, he hadn't forgotten. Her features were etched into the stone of his memory, timeless.
Slowly, his paw traveled to his lyre and his paw shook slightly as he softly played her song.
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 4:38 am
Tangel blinked, her head snapping up at the voice. Her violet gaze blinked up at the other Audio for a moment. Her hopes had risen in a sudden burst, but now they fell slowly. It wasn't him.
Still, company was company and she shook her head. "No, I... I was just... sitting here." she managed a smile, though her fingers habitually traced the pearls about her neck.
Looking about she noticed that a few hours had passed. It would be sunset before too long, but that was still an hour or two away. Looking back at the male she tilted her head, pushing all other thoughts away for the moment.
"Can I help you?"
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 5:25 pm
The tall male smiled and shook his head.
"No, not really," Shunsui said and walked over, sitting down next to her.
"I just saw you sitting there all by yourself and I thought, 'Now what is a lovely young lady sitting all alone?' And then I remembered something," he explained, taking out his sake and pouring himself a glass.
"I remembered seeing an Audio sitting just like you were, all by himself, looking like he hadn't a friend in the world," he paused and glanced sideways at her. But he shrugged and took a sip of his wine.
"Probably just coincidence. Is anything troubling you?"
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 6:09 pm
Tangel blinked up with a gentle gasp at this. Could Charlie be the one this one spoke about?
After a short moment, she shook her head softly. "There's plenty troubling me. But I wouldn't wish my troubles on anyone else..."
Her eyes closed softly as she tucked her knees closer to her chest. 'Not even him...'
Her ear gave a twitch as her curiosity won out against her will. "The one you were speaking of... Do you know his name?" she asked then continued before giving him a chance to answer. "You see... I met someone here, long ago. He said he would wait for me here, but..." she turned her head softly. "But now I'm afraid he's waited too long. I fear that he's moved on, but I came as soon as I could..."
Her fur gave a ripple with her worry, but she held back her stronger emotions for the moment. "I'm sorry... I'm just... scared, I guess..."
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 6:24 pm
Shunsui smiled and finished his drink.
"You're just like him, I see. My brother, it takes a while to get things out of him, too, when he's troubled," he said and stood up. He looked sad for a moment.
"He mostly worries about how this affects you, Tangel. He'd do anything to keep your heart from aching, even if it means letting you go," he nodded and a small smile cracked his face.
"I'll go get Charlie, shall I?"
((Brb. Gotta go get milkshakes.))
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 6:33 pm
Tangel gasped. So it was Charlie! She jumped up, about ready to pummel the poor Audio with questions before her ear perked to a distant sound.
She couldn't hear it when she was sitting down. The soft hills surrounding the lake made sure of it, but she definately heard his song now, flitting gently through the air. She fell stiff for a second, letting the Audio's words sink in. 'Could he really want... to leave me?' Her chest gave off a twinge of pain at the thought, but she couldn't think anymore. She wrapped her arms about the stranger in a quick hug. "Thanks, but I hear him now!" she rushed then darted off around the lake. 'I'm coming Charlie...'
She ran swiftly, yet quietly. Something she had picked up from the others on her island home and she soon found herself looking down upon Charlie's figure, his back towards her. This is where she stopped. Her throat seemed to close up on her and refused to allow her the priveledge of calling out his name. And again, out of habit, her fingers reached up to touch the pearls as her tail wrapped itself about her leg in uncertainty. If anything, she'd wait til he was through playing. There was no need to interrupt him, not while she was able to watch him and take in more of him to memory.
((*I have to go to work now. I'll post back first thing in the morning when I get home. D:*))
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Posted: Fri May 11, 2007 7:06 pm
Shunsui smiled and folded his arms over his chest.
"Treat her well, brother. She really needs you right now," he murmured and went off in search of his own lovely lady.
Charlie finished her song with a shuddering sigh and let his head fall to rest in his left paw.
'What must she be going through?' he asked himself. He always thought she was so much kinder than him, so much more loving. If this separation was killing him, what could it be doing to her? He didn't want to think about her in pain. He should have done more, should have tried to see her when her Ky was ill, should have been with her. Sabine and Shunsui were the only ones he could talk to about this, the only ones who could even remotely fathom what he was going through. He knew it hurt them to see him as he was, so he couldn't be angry at Sabine for suggesting to end it for both their sakes. Shunsui had just stayed quiet then.
Later, however...
"You look like you could use a drink, brother," the flowery, pink monstrosity was missing that night from around the scruffy Audio's shoulders as he sat in front of the fireplace, Paisley dozing with his head in Shunsui's lap.
"I'm not your... Sure," Charlie had been about to start their old argument over Shunsui's insisting on calling him brother though they weren't related, but instead just sat down and took the offered glass.
"Let's drink to love," Shunsui said and Charlie sighed. Shunsui put his glass down, removed his hat, and put a paw on the black-and-blue male's shoulder.
"You shouldn't listen to Sabine. She's not you, my friend, and her fear of losing us has strengthened her will that she thinks she could do that herself. I doubt she could, but she thinks so. You're like me, Charlie. I could never give up Artemis, not when I've just found her light."
"But what if it's best? She's so kind and gentle and beautiful, she could have any male she wished, one who wouldn't hurt her like I must be..." Charlie mumbled and Shunsui shook him roughly.
"Stop that kind of talk! You love her, don't you?"
"More than life."
"You don't let something like that go. Don't smother it, but damn it Charlie, don't you dare let that go."
Charlie pressed his face into both paws.
"How can I live without her?" he softly asked himself, slowly shaking his head.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 4:54 am
Tangel smiled softly as a small tear of joy trickled down her cheek. She held her breath many times throughout his song, biting her lip from time to time to keep herself from singing along with him.
"How can I live without her?"
Hearing this alone, made her tail twitch in unexplained excitement. He still loved her, she could tell by that outward thought alone. Taking a few silent steps forward, she managed to make words form from her lips.
"You don't have to if you don't want to, Charlie..." she half whispered, then bit her lip, freezing again in her tracks.
Boy, what a sight she must be. Biting her lips, with tears of joy begging to erupt from her eyes. Nervous, coiled once more in fear that his moment of solitude would erupt into pain-filled shouts just at her presence. Though, in Tangel's mind, she probably deserved it.
There had been many times when she asked herself the same question about him. Could she live without him? Not once, did she answer herself with a yes to that. She couldn't. Living on the islands for that long without him proved such.
She waited in silence, mere steps behind him... preparing herself for whatever he might do...
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 3:21 pm
Charlie's head shot up and whipped around to see her standing there. His green eyes widened and then quickly shut. He shook his head a few times, then opened them, not sure if he was really seeing her there or if he had finally cracked.
"T-Tangel?" he choked out, stood, and walked slowly to her. He placed his paw on her cheek, reassuring himself that she was indeed there. When his paw touched soft fur, a short laugh escaped as he pulled her close in a shakey hug.
"For a moment I thought I was imagining you there," he whispered, pressing his face to the side of her head. "God, I thought I might never see you again."
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 4:15 pm
Tangel smiled amidst her tears as she wrapped her arms tightly around his middle and shook her head. "You aren't imagining anything, Charlie. It's me, I promise it is!" she giggled then burried her face in the crook of his neck.
"I thought that too. So many times I thought that I'd never see you again..." She trembled softly within his arms. "I've missed you, Charlie. I've missed you so much!" Every word of it was true too.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 4:31 pm
So many things he could have said to her right then as he held her in his arms. I love you, How I missed you, I'm so glad you're back were all very good ones. Charlie never expected to say what he did.
"I'm never letting you go, Tangel. I can't."
Well, now that it was out there, he just had to go with it. He pulled back slightly so that he could look down into her eyes, her beautiful eyes. Then he saw it, around her neck. His paw went to the pearls, his heart swelling at the thought that she still had them, still wore them.
"You kept them..."
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 4:39 pm
Tangel blushed brightly as she brought a paw up to clear her eyes. "I never took them off." she admitted then giggled despite her sniffling. "And..." she blushed brighter still. "I'll have to admit... Half of Ky's children know your song's tune by heart now. I hummed it to them everynight before bed."
Thinking back on it, that was probably something he didn't want to hear, but Tangel had already thrown it out there as well. So why not? "Both your song and your necklace kept me strong, Charlie." She looked up, her lilac eyes meeting his bright green. "I honestly don't know where I'd be right now without them..." Her paw lifted as she broke out into another smile. She touched his face softly then cradled his cheek in her palm. "... and the memory of you..."
((*keels over from tooth decay* So many cavities! X333 *loves pet fluff* <3*))
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 4:51 pm
Charlie's eyes closed at her touch and he pressed his paw to hers.
"Your face never left my mind. But seeing you here, now, I can tell I hadn't looked upon you enough," he said and opened his eyes. He cupped her face in his paws and leaned foreward to kiss the star on her forehead.
"I couldn't remember how soft your fur was." He kissed her nose. "Or how adorable your nose." He kissed her cheek, just below her right eye. "How your eyes sparkled brighter than even the stars in the heavens. Or how kissing you made me feel happier than I've ever been," he paused, just holding her face, his thumbs tracing slow circles on her cheeks.
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 5:00 pm
Tangel could only blush and smile at these words. Her own voice had left her for the moment - too much excitement all at once.
She did find a solution to the silence and she quickly acted upon it. Her arms flung themselves about his neck as her lips pressed firmly to him with a fluttering close of her eyes. All of her worry had disappeared. He hadn't moved on. He still loved her. And she never stopped loving him.
This was what felt so wonderful to her. She was happier in his presence. Everything just felt so... perfect! She only prayed that it would never end.
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