Character Lounge

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha felt like she couldn't move...frozen on the ground, tears overcoming her face as she hid her eyes from the view of the world, in the enveloping prison of roots and branches too high to try climbing out of unscathed.  The voices however were calming to her nerves, keeping the stress of sorrow from adding more weight.  She trusted the voices somehow and lifted her head to the sky, still lying on the ground, waiting for Gareeku.  She heard footfalls down one path.

When she heard his voice call her name, for a moment she thought it was another illusion, another misleading deception.  Too many to count, too many to trust...but her wide wet eyes fell upon his form running towards her.  It was him...

She stood up quickly on shaky legs as he ran towards her.  "Gareeku!" she shouted, a loud sob released as she leaped into his arms with enough force to make them topple to the ground again.  She buried her face in his shoulder, tears still flowing.  "I thought you...but you didn't leave...I was so worried..." Aisha choked.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

"Teach you what? Gareeku's supposed to be teaching you manners. I admit we do have a certain skill set in common but..."  Mel paused, blushing herself, a strange pinkening of her scales.  She wouldn't look up from tossing her salad. "I think I need to apologize too. I've been pretty harsh because you scared me and hurt me and tried to make me hurt my friends. I should give you a chance. But I don't know if I would be the best one to teach behavior. By the standards of dragons I'm a very good girl, but I discovered long ago that others don't share our standards. Most people would consider me a rogue and manipulator at the least, a thief at the worst. If you wish to go amongst beings I wouldn't emulate my behavior."

Mel gripped the handle of the spoon tightly, waiting. There, she had admitted to it, with witnesses. She waited for the axe to fall.

[Joat]

*OOC: I think I might make May a permanent character. She could be interesting to have around.*

“Mel’s back in the party room and I have no idea where Gareeku is. Why do you ask?” May says.

I explain what happened earlier.

“Well, that’s interesting,” May says.

Suddenly, the cell phone in Valencia’s purse rings and she answers it. “Hello? Sorry, sir. Right away, sir. Okay, bye.” She puts the cell phone back into her purse. “Gotta go, guys. Big scoop I gotta get to.”

Valencia rushes out the gym door and, in a bout of phenominal luck and track-worthy sprinting, quickly finds the building’s exit.

[Stygian]

The chill lingered with Aisha and Gareeku for a while, and behind them, as the moonlight played shadows across the garden, for a second they seemed to take the shape of a tall figure, emerald eyes reflecting the light. But it quickly faded, a fanged smile still upon its face as it vanished, and the darkness seemed to lift from the place, the moonlight seemingly becoming clearer, shining down on them.
   Success. Though I'm a bit sorry for it... Call me when you want out... and for hell's sake kiss the girl!

   "Thief?" the girl asked. "You... steal?" She looked at Mel, then shook her head and turned a pair of pleading eyes to her. "Please! I want to learn things! I didn't want you to hurt your friends, just get them away! Please!"

[Boog]

Boogey watched the proceedings. He was good at it from all the practice at not involving himself in things; he could just sit there at the drop of a hat.
Wants to learn things, hm? Nah, I'll stay out of it. No giving her tips on effectively using her powers until it's certain that she can use them properly.

[Gareeku]

As Aisha leapt into his arms, Gareeku wrapped them around her in a tight loving embrace, holding her to him as he nuzzled softly.
"I would never leave, Aisha. I love you." Gareeku said softly in reply to her words, tears of happiness beginning to trickle down his cheeks as he was finally reunited with her. "I love you so much."

[Joat]

The three of us walk back to the room.

“Oh cool, a salad,” I say.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel picked up a cloth and began wiping fruit juice off the counter. "I don't consider myself a thief. My view is that I'm conferring a limited immortality on people I meet. I'm a dragon, I'm compelled to collect things. I collect memories. Once I have them they are stored magically. As long as a member of Icewing clan lives a portion of that person's life will live. Some people understand this and ask me to save their memories. Others become... upset." Mel finally looked up and appeared indignant, "They don't understand what I'm giving them. It doesn't hurt and they get to keep their memories. I don't steal them or change them." Then she spotted Stygian and Boogey and dropped her eyes again. "It is done by touch and I've touched no one without their request today. I'm carrying no one's memories but my own."

"Are you sure you want to learn from me?" she asked almost inaudibly.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha sniffed quietly as she hugged close, feeling more relief and happiness in this moment than she had ever felt in her life.  She nuzzled his face back, her tears drying while feeling his own on her cheek.  The panther felt warm in his arms, safer, no longer believing the maze to be a prison.

Her heart beat with ferocity when she heard his words, gentle and sincere.  She looked up at him with a face that held within its features exhaustion, a blush spreading across it.  He wasn't going to leave her...not forsake her for fear of his own troubles.

"I...love you too..." she whispered, almost in disbelief that she had admitted it as easily as she did...or that it was so strong.  Her hands brushed through his hair.  "No matter what happens, I truly do."

[Stygian]

That's when Stygian's voice came, without notice and uncomfortably close, from above the Boogeyman's shoulder. His shape had seemed... dim, and unreal, up until now. Sathariel jumped at it.
   "I've been called all those things too, Mel, and worse," he said, while striding around the Boog into the kitchen. "And with right. Now... I believe there is no one here in this house more suitable than you to teach this little one how to act," he continued, his eyes meeting the Boogeyman's head on for a second, carrying a dangerous gleam. "Because contrary to popular belief, those are skills to be valued. And any... unlikeable mannerisms you pass on to her, will be of no concern." He stood just before Sathariel, looking down at her. And then a vicious smile came across his face as he leaned down slightly and looked her in the eyes. "If I can take them out of a real dragon, I think she will be rather easy in comparison."
   To Mel's great surprise, the girl made a choking sound in her throat, and then backed up against her, wide and fearful eyes fixed on Stygian.

[Boog]

"We've all attracted our share of unpleasant names," Boogey said, stepping forward and giving Stygian a look, "It's best not to dwell on them, or simply endevor to prove them false."
The girl screwed up, but I will not sit here and watch her be bullied. It simply Is Not Done to mistreat children...

[Mel Dragonkitty]

Mel didn't know what to make of this turn of events. "I'm not sure I know how to start, but we'll see what happens." Then she heard Joat's comment about her culinary concoction. An impish look came over her. "You can have some if you think you'll like it. It's apple, pear, ametrine, orange, and grapes in dressing."

[Gareeku]

Hearing her words, Gareeku's heartbeat began to quicken. He couldn't help but smile as he knew she felt about him as he did about her, softly stroking her cheek softly with paw, gently wiping away the tears with a finger.

"I never thought I'd find someone like you..." he could not help but say softly. Subconsciously he had surprised himself at his own actions and words, but he didn't care. What he was feeling was pure love for the panthress in his arms.

"I love you..." he whispered once more, meaning every word of it. He then gently pressed his lips up against hers in a tender kiss, his eyes closing as he allowed the love he felt for Aisha to make itself known. He no longer cared about the surroundings. All he cared about was being with her; the woman he loved.

[KarlOmega1]

*Karl finishes setting up the consoles*

Karl: Alrighty then! Who wants to play some video games?!

[Stygian]

"You'll teach me? Please!" the girl said, seeming much more insistent in Stygian's presence. He just looked at her, with narrow eyes and a mysterious smile. Next, the Boogeyman felt utterly uncomfortable, as if things were crawling up his spine, and he heard Stygian's thoughts.
   She is no child. Not of mine, anyhow. But should this turn, she might become... At any rate, I hold her life in my hand. Not you. And I am not mistreating her. The thought was somehow specifically directed to the Boogeyman. He wasn't sure how he knew, or how that was possible. Perhaps it had something to do with that feeling...

[Boog]

Boogey replied with a quick message along the same wavelength.
Terrifying her counts. When you're causing choking noises without doing anything noticable, that's a bad sign. I don't want her life, I just don't like seeing others upset. Mild case of empathy. He did not add that he didn't take well to attempts at intimidation. Stygian would keep trying it, so it would be wise to simply wait until he realized he wasn't working. After all, it's outside his ability to permenantly kill me. You think therefor I am, Styggy-boy. Although his ability to desipher Boogey's thought processes was unnerving. That he didn't get.

[Aisha deCabre]

Aisha's sobbing had ceased, the last of her sorrow melting to be replaced with a tingle through her body as she recieved the kiss.  She couldn't feel the cold air of the outside...nor the pressing walls of the labyrinth...nor the darkness encompassing them in isolation.  The way he felt for her, she still couldn't believe, but it was hard not to, for she felt the same.

Memories flashed through her head of all the times they had been together...traveling, fighting, learning, then each going their own way only to meet again as if something kept bringing them back...several times she owed Gareeku more than her life.  As per the events of the last hours, it was almost...like she owed her very sanity.  They helped each other through quite a few situations and it seemed like they would for a long while.

Her eyes closed and her arms wrapped around Gareeku's neck, returning the kiss just as tenderly and fervently while the weight of her body leaned on him.  As far as Aisha knew, she and the one she loved were lost to the world.

[Joat]

“She’s just confused, that’s all. She’s a good girl inside and I can cast a Detect Alignment spell to prove it if I have to,” May says, “You don’t have to intimidate her to get her to behave. Just let us handle it.”

“I could probably teach her proper behavior in a way that is both effective and fun,” I say.

[Stygian]

For a moment, Stygian's look became completely serious, even a bit surprised. The crawling feeling started to recede.
   No. That may very well be true, although I wouldn't completely trust even to such a thing. But there are certain... things, that you do not wish to live through. He simply looked at the Boogeyman, his expression plain and with the slightest smile to his lips. It could have been taken for a friendly one. Almost.
   Then, he looked at Mel, more gladly this time.
   "I think she'll make an excellent student, should you choose to accept," he said. He made it sound as if it could mean anything.

[Mel Dragonkitty]

"I don't know about anything so formal as teaching, especially since the traditional dragon reinforcement methods I know are contraindicated for someone um..." Mel floundered for a moment, "less sturdy than a hatchling. But I guess I can answer questions and complain about any more socially unacceptable behavior she exhibits."

Mel spooned some of the glistening salad onto a plate. "I guess I need to know your name."

[Boog]

Boogey simply retorted with a You shouldn't be reading people's minds without permission either, and closed off the link, focusing on as many things as he could at once. His normal thought processes were confusing enough for someone experienced with psychic abilities, and the overall effect of this was distorting his thoughts even more to the outside viewer. Think of it like having someone staring at a lamp without a lampshade in a pitch black room, and then turning the lamp on.

[e_voyager]

e quickly catches up on his buffer and realized he'd been zoned off for some time. he watched the outcome the the  discussions and saw the emotion changing and turmoil stirring with out his frame and at the same time saw similar turmoil stirring inside of him. "sorry i was gone so long guys. i had some thing to deal with... something personal"

[Joat]

I say to Stygian, “I guess that’s settled. We’ll teach her proper behavior and you won’t need to do anything drastic. Everybody wins.”

Sylver wakes up. “Mornin’, guys. Sorry to just conk out on you like that. I usually don’t sleep that hard. Anyway, I saw everything that happened. I saw it as if it were a dream and I saw it through your eyes, Joat. A lot of interesting things happening.”

“Hey, I know how to start these manner lessons off. Super Smash Brothers!” May says.

“I don’t know how video games would teach her behavior, May,” I say.

“Awww, but I wanna play Smash Brothers,” May says.

[Gareeku]

As Aisha returned the kiss, Gareeku knew then, in that moment, that he was her's; always and forever. Wrapping his arms around her, he deepened the kiss; passion and love filling his heart and he growled softly with happiness, letting the panther lean her body onto him as he held her close to him. He was indeed lost to the world; he was hers.

[Joat]

“I’ll bet you do,” I say.

“Oh, fine. Then maybe we can start her training off with some Soul Calibur, instead,” May says playfully.

[e_voyager]

E smiled glad was awake to see the kiss. the buffer was okay and all but it was like living you life through that ancient  invention Tivo. still watching the romance bloom reminded him that regardless of his taste in books he was something of a romantic at heart.

[Aisha deCabre]

Caught up in the moment, Aisha felt like she was melting from the inside out while locked in the passionate kiss.  As if involuntarily, contrasting Gareeku's canid growl, the panther released an affectionate symphony of purrs that was a little louder in the quiet outside air rather than back in the music-filled dance hall.  It reverberated to halfway down her body, creating the illusion that the sound was coming from her heart.

For a brief moment, she broke from the kiss to release a long and quiet sigh, a sound of happiness and comfort at being with him, where she wanted to be...accepting the idea that she was his just as much as vice-versa.

Her eyes, open halfway, briefly glimpsed what she hadn't noticed before; his hands were bandaged, the gauze just slightly bloodstained.  "Your hands..." she whispered with concern, touching them gingerly.  "Are you okay?"

[Gareeku]

Hearing and feeling the vibrations of Aisha's purrs, Gareeku's heart beat faster for a few moments; to him, hearing her purrs was one of the most wonderful sounds he could hear.

Noticing Aisha look at his hands and hearing her words, the wolf smiled softly.
"I'm okay. It doesn't hurt now that you're here." Gareeku replied, gazing into those beautiful eyes of hers. No pain could possibly reach him in that moment. The love in his heart would see to that.

[e_voyager]

e feels a sense of relief as he watched the two. aww isn't that cute  pots peels. the voice falls silent. no. there would be not distractions this time. this time he would life life for a bit not coordinate it or strategies a battle plan he would live.

[Stygian]

Stygian blinked a single time, yet his expression did not change. But he did take a step back and looked at them all, gently rubbing his temple with a pair of long fingers.
   "Her name is... Sathariel, as I said earlier," he said, and the girl eyed him, still looking afraid but also a bit angry. Then she spoke up in an unintelligible tongue.
   "אני לא אוהב את השם הזה!"* she said to him, angrily. He merely looked annoyed and retorted in a similar fashion.
   "טוב, היתה לך יותר טוב מתרגל לזה, כי זה מי אתה."** he stated, sounding final. "And I don't believe that you'll have any problems teaching her. I think it's in her nature not just to learn, but to adopt and emulate..." He turned around and walked back toward the main lounge, still rubbing his temple. "I'm going to have a drink and clear up."
   A dozen or so seconds later there was a loud bang, and the walls shook a bit.

((Translation:

*I don't like that name!
**Well, you had better get used to it, because it is who you are.

))