RPG Shinigami Dance

[Horendithas]

Memories

If there was one thing Adrian knew more than anything, it was how vulnerable both he and Astera really were. It was why he kept the nature of their relationship a secret, letting others, even fellow Shinigami, think they were nothing more than a normal pair assigned to work together. Even the knowing looks and jokes he had gotten from other Shinigami who knew him from the war, were something he merely took in stride. He didn't give a damn if they thought he had a soft spot for some of the races that were most affected by the humans. So long as it kept them in the dark, he was fine with it.

At first he had been confused by his mentor Gavrie?s advise to take a week off, just as he had been equally surprised by his serious expression when he had warned him to tell no one about what had happened. Gavrie was never serious about anything, always light hearted and seemingly laid back. It had been startling enough that he had done as asked, taking a week off in the home of the Shingami while saying nothing to the news that he was merely adjusting to having found a familiar.

As the week had gone by, he had slowly began to understand why Gavrie had suggested that they take it. For one thing, the longer they were bonded, the more profound the connection became. It was alarming and unsettling to get use to feeling someone else?s presence inside your own mind. And even more unsettling to realize that on some level you couldn't keep them out, at all, even if it was just a simple feeling of them being there. He had at first resented it, as had Astera, both of them on some level blaming the other - that is until the bond had settled into place well enough for both of them to know the truth of what the other one was thinking.

It was hard to blame someone when you knew they weren?t lying about not doing it on purpose. In just a few days, both of them had found that you couldn?t lie mind to mind. It just wasn?t possible since it was far to easy to sense the truth of what the other was thinking. Plus, once the bond resulted in them knowing more about each other than anyone else, it had slowly settled into an acceptance of a situation that neither one of them could change. It quickly became apparent that in many ways they were alike and though it was annoying to admit it, even to themselves, it was clear that as Gavrie had said, they suited one another.

The meeting with Gavrie after a week had gone by was something Adrian would never forget. Not only had he taken the time to explain the basics of how to channel a familiar?s abilities, but the dangers of doing so. Adrian had gotten the feeling that he had told him to keep them from finding out on their own and using it without fully understanding the danger involved. It was not something to do lightly since the strain was enough to kill them if they weren't careful.

By the time he was finished teaching them everything he knew about bonding, both Adrian and Astera understood better why he had taken the time to tell them, just as why he had told them to keep it to themselves. The biggest drawback to bonding was that so long as a bond was active, if the other one was killed, the backlash of their death through the bond would kill the other one. Instantly. It was something that had been found out the hard way when the ability to form a bond was first discovered. Just as it had also been found that too much distance between a bonded pair, especially a dimensional barrier was enough to cause the bond to snap violently, killing both partners.

Simply moving to the Shinigami world and leaving Astera behind would have killed them both, something that they were lucky she had known about. According to Gavrie, it was during the wars between the Shingami and the Vampires that they had learned how dangerous the bonds truly were. After some had been killed when their partner had either been killed or forced through a dimensional rift, resulting in both of them dying, they had searched for a way to dissolve the bonds until one was found, except for a few rare cases like Adrian and Astera. Bonds that had formed on their own could not be broken.

According to Gavrie, there weren't a lot of bonded pairs to begin with and after seeing the consequences, they had stopped teaching the new Shinigami how to form one. And then once he had finished teaching him everything he knew, he had sent them both back to the human world. Both Adrian and Astera had gone back from time to time for some additional training, but nothing more than honing his skills for using two scythes instead of one. In time, even that had stopped and life had continued. It had never been an issue, that is not until now?

---------------------

Adrian didn't know what had happened, or rather it was safe to say that in his current condition, not only could he not fight, but he couldn?t think clearly either. And what should have been a simple act of summoning his scythe had undone him completely, leaving him even more helpless than he had been before as waves of nausea reminded him that he lacked the strength to do anything. He was no where close to being healed enough for a real fight and in no time at all, that harsh reality was brought home. Even with their hands on him, keeping him in place, he still could not discern that they were vampires. He had been reduced to relying more on vision and sound. The only thing he could still sense clearly was the bond with Astera, and all that told him was that whatever was in the bag with her had sent her back into a full slumber.

He was too caught up in sheer panic and terror over being unable to stop them to even realize what was happening when things got chaotic, all he could think about was Astera when he realized that he was no longer being held in place. But he didn't get that far before he was shoved violently into the floor next to the bed. He tried to struggle up to figure out what was going on but his vision threatened to black out on him entirely and he found himself unable to get up off the floor.

Adrian could hear the sounds of what had to be a fight, but it made no sense to him whatsoever, at least not until he managed to look sideways from his position on the floor and realize that he was looking at? Nathan? What the? But his order to the other Vampires as he kept one of them pinned in place? Move and die? Seemed real enough. But Adrian couldn't even sense Nathan's aura to determine if he was seeing things or not. But then it didn't matter as he lost it like he had in the mansion after fighting with the Count. Coughing violently as the nausea caught up to him, resulting in more blood coming up. Hell!

Edited April 12, 2016 by Allamorph

[Allamorph]

See What I'm Sayin'

Not willing to test the shinigami's threat, the two standing vampires obeyed instantly, visibly quailing under Nathan's furious glare. A heavy tension settled over the motionless room, the silence broken only by Adrian's violent retching, his blood spewing through his hand onto the white carpet, falling in foul stains. Nathan eyed his injured companion from the corner of his vision, his fierce countenance deepening, his lip curling ever so slightly. The thug under him began to struggle for air, clawing frantically at Nathan's leg. His efforts earned him only more pressure, and his eyes bugged from their sockets, his mouth gasping fruitlessly.

The shinigami abruptly stood and dropped his arms; the suffocating vampire gulped a massive lungful of air, wheezing and clutching at his throat as he rolled onto his side.

"Get out." Nathan's voice was quiet, strained. The two standing men looked uncertainly at each other and at Nathan, but neither shifted so much as a muscle. Their leader, still fighting desperately for breath, could only manage to bring himself to his knees.

Nathan's teeth ground audibly.

"I. Said. OUT!!" The word exploded from him, its fury almost shaking the furniture. He strode to the coughing vampire and delivered a brutal kick to his ribcage, hurling the man through the shattered door; a few shards of the remaining glass broke off as he flew into them, others tearing at his clothes and skin.

"And take your trash with you."

Now the men jumped to flee, practically stumbling over themselves and each other in their haste to escape. Nathan watched them grab their leader and leap from the balcony; he stared after them a few seconds before returning to his tormented ally. Adrian?s retching had had subsided, and he now merely lay weakly at the foot of the bed drawing labored breaths, his eyes closed in obvious pain.

Nathan's eyes shifted to the bag on the edge of the bed?the one Adrian had been striving for. They narrowed as it gave an almost imperceptible twitch, then another. He stepped quickly to the bed, catching it delicately up and loosing the drawstring. He pulled back the opening and Astera fluttered drunkenly out, flopping gracelessly onto the comforter. Her glazed eyes met his briefly, and her brow furrowed.

"Nathan...?" she asked, confused and half-aware. Her gaze lost focus and her eyelids fell shut, her body going limp, unable to sustain her any longer.

The shinigami's gaze drifted back to Adrian. His breathing had stilled and his tense limbs had relaxed; he had succumbed to the strain as well, and slept again.

The patter of small feet sounded behind him. Nathan turned to see Isen trotting calmly in through the broken door, carefully sidestepping the sharp splinters of glass on the carpet, his blue hat clutched securely in her teeth. She halted at his feet, and he stooped to retrieve his accessory, not wishing her to jump to the bed. The two stood quietly for a moment.

"You're welcome," offered Isen sardonically, flicking her tail. Nathan said nothing. The familiar looked at him a moment, then let him be.

After a brief silence, Nathan sighed.

"They're bonded," he said.

"So?" Isen returned. "It's not uncommon, you know."

Nathan shook his head. "No, Isen. They're bonded."

Isen considered his statement, concern lining her expression as she grasped his meaning. "...oh," she said simply.

Nathan picked up the unconscious fairy and took her to the head of the bed. "I should have seen it sooner," he self-chastised, laying her on her miniature nest. He pulled a silk handkerchief from his breast pocket and, after checking to make certain it was clean, laid it over her slumbering form. "The signs are so obvious."

"You were distracted," Isen countered.

"No excuse," he dismissed, moving Adrian back onto the bed. "Not for me." He sank wearily into a chair near the back wall. "They could have died. Twice now."

"Blaming yourself is stupid, Nathan." Isen jumped lightly to his lap.

"I place blame with whom the blame lies," he said. He placed an elbow on the plush arm of the chair, resting his head sideways on his palm, and Isen leaped to his back and curled herself behind his neck, both of them watching the sleeping pair.

---------------------------

Adrian awoke some time later feeling extremely disoriented; hadn't he been on the floor not a moment ago? He sat up and his head throbbed, reminding him of his current unhealed condition. Pressing a hand to his forehead, he looked slowly around the room. At first, he wasn't sure of the terrifying event that filled his fuzzy memory, but when he saw the shattered door his breath caught in his throat, and he looked wildly for Astera.

She was beside him, safe on the pillow. A slight smile crossed his face as she stirred sleepily. The cloth covering her was new, though, he thought; when did she get a new one?

Abruptly he noticed a large splotch of blue near the top of his vision. He glanced up sharply and almost jumped at the sight of Nathan and his familiar coolly observing him.

"What happened?" Adrian asked, flustered. Nathan didn't answer; Adrian looked to the broken glass door and back to Nathan.

"Who were they?"

Still nothing.

"What did they want? Why did they attack me?" he rushed, confused by the shinigami's silence. "Nathan! Tell me what's going on!!"

The blue reaper fixed Adrian with a cold stare. "You disobeyed a direct order," he said slowly. On the silk, Astera sat groggily up; she snapped into focus when she saw her partner's agitation.

"What?" exclaimed Adrian, incredulous. "What are you talking about?"

"What's happening?" she queried. "Nathan...?"

Nathan ignored her.

"You disobeyed a direct order," he repeated.

"This is ridiculous; I don't even–"

"I told you specifically not to do anything stupid," the veteran cut him off. "I told you specifically. And what do you do?" He snorted. "You go off and beat up on somebody while we're in neutral territory. You throw flames in somebody's face just like an immature, undisciplined child having a temper fit."

Adrian stared at him. "You mean those were Victor's men?"

"Yes. He saw it as 'necessary measures', so you wouldn't 'make the same mistake' again."

"Mistake?!" Adrian shouted. "You saw them ganging up on us! They were asking for it!"

"They were under orders not to interfere. Victor said nothing about intimidation. Neutral parties are granted free passage in and out."

"You said nothing about 'neutral'!"

"And you didn't figure it out when we were received?"

"You could have told me!!"

"Don't you dare shift attention off yourself!" Nathan snarled. "I know where my faults lay, but you remain blissfully ignorant of yours."

"My faults?" demanded Adrian. "So what, I screwed up someplace else, too?"

"Yes. You were the one that led us into the mansion, straight into the first trap." Nathan uttered a short bark of a laugh. "You're lucky the moron wasn't intelligent enough to separate our familiars from us."

"None of you had to follow me in!"

"The hell we didn't!" Nathan shot back. "You know bloody well the other two are nowhere near as good as either of us, and none of you had the slightest clue what you were getting into! Of course we had to stay together!"

"I don't work with other people!" Adrian said heatedly. "Besides, I thought–"

"No, you didn't," said Nathan harshly. "Not once did you think. You rushed into every new situation with anger flaring and both blades flying, and you're goddamn lucky this was the worst backfire you got!

"And you're right, you don't work with other people," he continued mercilessly. "Maybe if you did on occasion, you'd have an idea of what teamwork means! Maybe then you'd have been a bit more than just a battering ram!."

Astera took off. "Stop it, Nathan," she cried, defending her partner. "You said yourself that nobody knew what they were getting into! Leave Adrian alone!"

"Back off, faerie girl," retorted Isen.

"Shut up, alley *****!" She made as if to attack; Isen hissed, back arched, her fur rising.

"Isen!" snapped Nathan, eyes blazing. His aura pulsed against the air.  Shocked silence fell over the room; the two females settled down, eyeing each other mistrustfully and Adrian fumed to himself, while Nathan stared at the wall on his right.

He spoke again a few minutes later.

"You're not ready yet."

"I know that!" Adrian rejoined. Nathan gave him a sideways look, raising a laconic eyebrow.  Adrian sobered instantly.

"You're not ready yet," Nathan repeated. "You need more training."

"I know," agreed Adrian quietly, after a moment. "I was planning on paying my old mentor a visit, the one who taught me about...." He trailed off.

"...the life bond?" Nathan provided. Adrian nodded; Nathan did the same, musing quietly. "Who is he?" he inquired finally.

"Gavrie," answered the tired shinigami. "He's been there since I started; he taught me how to survive after I found Astera, how to fight with two scythes."

"Mmm," said Nathan, musing again. He stroked Isen's head, letting more silence fall.

Just as the stillness was starting to make Adrian edgy, Nathan sighed.

"Isen?" he started. "Can you do me a favor?"

Her ears perked up.

"Go tell Alex I'll want to see him soon. Tell him to wait for me, and to lay low for a while." He smiled. "All right?"

The cat nodded assent and leapt lightly down, trotting quickly back out the door.

"So then," he said to Adrian. "This 'Gavrie'...." He grinned. "You wouldn't be willing to introduce us, would you?"

Edited April 12, 2016 by Allamorph

[Rachmaninoff]

Alex had intended to go back to sleep since Nall was correct in that he still needed some rest, but he had healed enough that he couldn?t seem to settle down and actually rest. After a while he finally gave up, picking up Nall and setting him aside, ignoring how he protested a bit before finally moving to settle down on the sofa where Alex had placed him. He cast a sleepy eye towards Alex and then yawned a bit and stretched when it became apparent that Alex was considering going somewhere.

"Let's go Nall," He said, confirming Nall's observation. "It's not like I'm going to be fighting anyone, I can heal just as easily while talking to Nathan as I can sleeping."

Nall just stretched even more before he flew over and settled down on Alex's left shoulder, giving off a tiny grunt of displeasure when Alex took off, ghosting through the walls in the direction of Nathan?s apartment.

"Why the hurry Alex?" Nall finally asked; feeling disgruntled at having his nap interrupted. Unlike Alex, even if he didn't need to sleep, he liked to.

"I don't know - it's just that I hate feeling like this? Like I can't even take care of myself or you for that matter." He frowned a bit as they flew towards Nathan's apartment, his eyes going to the left as Adrian's place was in that direction. He toyed briefly with the idea of checking on Adrian and then changed his mind, it hadn't been that long since he left him there.

"I can take care of myself thank you very much." Nall said disdainfully.

Alex just ignored the comment, Nall had always been slightly snobbish in the sense that he was better equipped to take care of himself than Alex was. It was true, but it didn't mean that Alex had to like it. Besides, from the teasing glint in Nall's eyes and the flippant tone in his voice, it was clear that he was only ribbing him. Something that just made Alex smile a little.

A smile that as he quickly zoomed in on Nathan's apartment and ghosted through the walls into his place faded into concern and a good amount of alarm as the unmistakable aura of a Vampire washed over him. What the hell?

Instantly he called forth his scythe as he came to a sudden halt, just outside the main living room, nearly causing Nall to go tumbling off of his shoulder. "What's the matter Alex–" Nall started; he tensed, standing up and then arched his back, digging his claws into Alex's shoulder; spreading his wings. "Vampires." He hissed softly. "What are they doing here? In Nathan's place?"

"I... I don't know." Alex was torn, on the one hand, he wanted nothing to do with Vampires, at least not until he had a chance to talk to Nathan about it. But on the other hand... What in the world is a Vampire doing in Nathan's apartment? He stood there racked with indecision until his curiosity got the better of him; he moved forward until he was standing in the doorway leading in to the main living room, giving him a clear view of the rest of Nathan's place. He cast his view from one side of the place to another, coming to a startled halt when a pair of blue eyes met his.

Chagrined he started to pull back to leave the place but the stranger broke out in what could only be a charming smile, his body language one of ease as he was currently seated in a plush chair, his left arm resting along the back. He was facing Nathan's odd version of chess that was set up on a small table. Confused by the disarming smile Alex hesitated, and then tensed when the stranger stood up, grasping his scythe tightly, even though the stranger's body language was that of one who was relaxed, as if he belonged in Nathan's apartment. The Vampire reached up and tucked a bit of his blond hair that flowed to his shoulders behind his right ear.

"Greetings young one!" He declared grandly. "Have you come to visit with Nassan? Hero of tse Shinigami?" He smiled even more broadly when Alex did not reply, behaving as if there was nothing wrong at all. "Nassan is gone for the moment," He elaborated, making a small noise of displeasure as he waved his right hand dismissively in Alex and Nall's direction.

"I suppose we will have to finiss our game later, since Nassan has left." The vampire sighed dramatically. "Such a terrible host! Completely abandoning a guest in tse middle of a tsimple game!  "I know not what to tsay!"

He favored Alex with another charming smile as he leaned back into the chair behind him, making himself comfortable. ?Please, do come in! Persaps Nassan will return shortly. It tis not like him to abandon a guest so rudely.?

Alex was speechless, uncertain what to think of the odd Vampire making himself comfortable in Nathan?s apartment. A part of him was so put off guard by his behavior that he didn?t know how to react. Since when were Vampires social or well behaved? He didn?t have much experience with Vampires but the Count had been anything but polite and courteous. And more importantly, how did he know Nathan? His demeanor gave the impression that the two of them were friends - since when was Nathan friends with Vampires?

?Goodness!? The vampire suddenly declared, slapping his forehead with his right hand. ?Where are my manners?? He bowed grandly in Alex?s direction with one arm in front of him, folded at the waist and the other tucked behind. He smiled as he straightened back up. ?I am Victor L?Envers; tell me, young tsir, who do I have tse honor of addretssing??

?Uh?? Alex stammered, confused as to what the hell was going on, relaxing in spite of himself as it was clear that other than the one in Nathan?s apartment there were no other Vampires around. Just as it was apparent that there was no hostility in Victor?s stance.

?Alex.? He finally answered.

?I am most pleased to meet one of Nassan?s friends, tsir Alex,? Victor said grandly as he sat back down, making himself comfortable. ?Now please, you tsimply must allow me to greet you on Nassan?s behalf, it is tse least I can do for an old friend.? He indicated the chair across from where he was sitting.

?Sit down! Make yourself comfortable - you won?t need tsat.? He indicated Alex?s scythe which he was still grasping firmly, held in front of him at a defensive angle. ?It tis certainly interesting - no? Why, never have I seen such sa beautiful design. Tis unusual for part of it to not be attacsed - yes??

Oddly self conscious over the direction of the conversation, Alex let go, sending his scythe back to it?s resting place as he took a few cautious steps into the main room. ?I suppose,? He finally agreed. ?Though I wouldn?t know if that?s unusual or not.?

Alex had never seen one like it before either. When he had become a Shinigami in the first place, he had been instructed on how to summon a scythe. The form was ultimately based on his own spiritual energy and personality, though he did not understand why the three spikes arched out from behind and stayed put without seeming to be connected? They just did.

He could imagine how it would seem odd to a Vampire though, after all, by the laws that governed their world, it?s very design should have fallen apart. The thin staff hardly adequate to support the massive blades and the unattached spikes should not have stayed put. But it was not of the human world and it worked because in a sense, his own will supported it; the scythe was a part of Alex. Or so his instructor had told him.

But still, they had never gotten into why he had those floating points along the back, or how they even worked or if they served a purpose. After a while, Alex had no longer given it any thought. He put it out of mind and glanced at Nall who had been oddly quiet the entire time, but when their eyes met, Nall shrugged in a manner indicating that he too sensed no hostility from Victor. He stretched his wings a bit before pulling them close against his body; finally sitting back down on Alex?s shoulder.

Victor?s eyes missed nothing as he watched Nall through slightly narrowed eyes, ?I am pleased to meet you as well young dragon.? A comment that caused Nall to start a bit.

?How?? Nall started to say and stopped himself though it was too late. What kind of Vampire is he? How does he know what I am? Though the moment that thought occurred he realized that obviously he had seen one before.

?How could I not know of tse noble dragons wso have served tse Shinigami so faithfully all these years?? Victor once again motioned for them to take a seat. ?Come now it tis such a great honor to meet one of Nassan?s friends!?

------------------

Alex had not intended to stick around, but Victor seemed to counter his every hesitation with what seemed like idle banter and harmless small talk. It was such a sharp contrast to what little he knew of the history surround the wars between the Vampires and the Shinigami from so long ago. Alex supposed it was because he had never thought about it, but he had not expected Vampires to behave in this fashion. Though upon reflection he realized just how silly that thought was. And Victor was nothing like the Vampires they had run into at the mansion. If not for the unmistakable aura of one who had cheated death, Alex would have found him to be nothing more than a rather polite and well mannered human. A rather charming one at that.

It was as if he knew exactly what to say and where to take the conversation to keep things from becoming awkward. And though Alex never did sit down, Victor carried on as if they had known each other for ages instead of having just met. It still had Alex feeling a bit of disquiet, and yet at the same time he didn?t quite know how to break it off without seeming rude. Though why it would matter if he was abrupt or rude with a vampire he didn?t know. He was wondering what to do when the conversation somehow moved to their encounter with the Count. How did we end up talking about this?

At that precise moment he felt Isen?s presence right before she ghosted into the apartment. The conversation came to a halt and for just the briefest of seconds Alex got the impression that Victor was annoyed by her appearance, but the feeling happened so quickly he couldn?t be sure if it was true or not. Still it gave him the excuse he needed to pull out of the conversation and turn to give Isen his attention instead.

?Alex,? Isen nodded at him as she came in to land on the counter looking into the main room. She sat down, her tail twitching slightly as she then shot an unreadable look at Victor.

Edited October 9, 2017 by Allamorph

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][B][I]-Adrian!- [/I][/B]Astera mental voice was terse.

[B][I]-I know.- [/I][/B]He shot back. [B][I]-But he?s already figured out that we?re bonded so it?s not like we ignored Gavrie?s advice to tell no one.-[/I][/B]

[B][I]-What about the Council?-[/I][/B]

He didn?t have an answer for that? Adrian took in a deep breath and then let it out. ?[B]Gavrie warned us not to tell anyone about the life bond.[/B]? He told him. ?[B]Not even the Council.[/B]?

Nathan just stared at Adrian, glancing briefly at Astera who was equally as serious as Adrian? Saying nothing to Adrian?s statement. [I]Hunh. [/I]

Adrian searched his expression and then shrugged it off, he had already decided before that on some level he trusted Nathan. He couldn?t change the fact that he knew, and he couldn?t stop him from telling someone else either. Nathan was smart enough to know from that statement alone that he would prefer that he tell no one about the bonding.

?[B]As soon as I rest a little more, I intend on returning, to visit Gavrie and to heal up.[/B]? Adrian looked away. ?[B]This place?[/B]? He trailed off. He didn?t have to say it. Nathan would know.

The human world was poisoned, forever altered and changed by their destructive nature. Where at home, things possessed a calm and harmony that humans were incapable of producing. It wouldn?t make a huge difference, but it would make his and Astera?s recovery easier. He looked at the shattered doors and the shards of glass on the floor. There would be no danger of additional surprises showing up either.

?[B]Why did no one tell me that Vampires still live?[/B]? It was a rhetorical question, he did not expect an answer and Nathan did not give him one. ?[B]I can see how they simply cloaked their presence but you knew they were still around. You are familiar with Vampires.[/B]? He accused.

He looked back at Nathan, still angry at what he felt was a deception on some level. ?[B]I can accept that I was [I]blissfully ignorant [/I]of my faults as you put it, but what I can?t accept is why the hell you said nothing when it was obvious that the rest of us knew nothing about Vampires![/B]?

?[B]Adrian.[/B]? Astera said warningly.

?[B]Yeah, I know.[/B]? He glanced briefly at her and then back at Nathan. Getting angry at this point was counter productive when they needed to figure things out.

?[B]You never asked.[/B]? Nathan said simply.

Adrian just looked at him incredulously and then had to resist the urge to laugh, his sides shaking a bit from the suppressed laughter just the same, a half smile played across his face. Still he stifled it, not wanting to trigger another bought of coughing. After all - Nathan had a point. He sighed and settled back down.

?[B]I don?t think I can handle the trip over to the other side yet.[/B]? He looked over at Astera who had settled back down on her own blankets. He grimaced a bit, hesitating to say what he was thinking.

[B][I]-I?ll ask him if you want me to Adrian.- [/I][/B]She knew how hard it was for him to ask for help of any kind. It wasn?t that he was above it, but more that he felt like he shouldn?t need it.

[B][I]-No. I?ll do it.-[/I][/B]

?[B]I want to rest before I introduce you to Gavrie, but?[/B]? Adrian trailed off, searching for how to put it.

?[B]You still can?t sense anything.[/B]? Nathan finished for him.

He nodded, after all, even Nathan's aura was barely discernible and to Adrian?s relief he didn?t seem amused but rather was simply waiting for him to finally get around to saying what he wanted to. It just wasn?t easy to say it.

?[B]Would you stick around?[/B]? He rushed it out, feeling self conscious. ?[B]I don?t remember if there?s anything here you would?[/B]? Nathan just held up his hand and Adrian hushed.

?[B]Rest. We?ll leave when you?re ready.[/B]?

Adrian just nodded and after making sure Astera was comfortable, closed his eyes. Even the short time spent talking with Nathan had him worn out. In no time, he was fast asleep.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"]Unlike the other Shinigami that Lucia knew of, she did not have an apartment, or rather one that was more normal by human standards. She really had no desire or need to talk to humans or other Shinigami for that matter either. So when she had first been assigned to work in the area, she had hunted until she found something more suited to her needs. If she could not use her own sanctuary where she had built a lab, then she had to make due with something similar.

It had taken a little bit of time, but finally along the shores of the lake the city was nestled up against, she had found an old dance studio that was in disuse. The four story building, with the studio on the bottom, completely underground other than the one side that faced the lake, was ideal. The top levels that were above ground were in use by various businesses who had set up offices there and the owner of the building was only too happy to find someone to lease out the lower floor to since it was impractical for a true office and newer dance buildings down the street had led to the floor becoming nothing more than a glorified storage area.

Lucia put that thought aside as she arrived and walked down the steps leading to the door that led inside. No one was around so she merely ghosted in instead of bothering to open the door that lead to the huge open room that had served as the dance floor. To the left there were floor to ceiling windows along that side of the building. The only side that was not underground as it faced the lake, two small glass doors leading out to a balcony overlooking the lake. Outside, one could see the buildings of the various businesses along the lake shore.

To the right was a set of double doors leading to the office and small kitchen area for the studio and further back, another set of doors leading to two storage rooms, rooms that Lucia had simply converted to a bedroom of sorts. It didn?t bother her that things were underground and it was like a cave back there. Ruby wasn?t fazed either since like all dragons, she liked enclosed spaces and if either one of them wanted more light, all they had to do was head back out to the main room.

Very little had been done to make it welcoming to guests. There were tables up against the wall opposite the main doors, all sorts of equipment set up, though Lucia had nothing that was truly from their world there. Only those few items from the human world that she would even consider using. Which wasn?t much really. There were a handful of assorted chairs and a sofa closer to the windows, nothing matched as Lucia choose things based on usability and comfort not appearance.

The moment they were in Ruby took off and landed in a rather battered chair with a plush comforter in the seat. The indention clearly her size as she settled down to take a nap while Lucia did the same in one of the recliners facing the windows, though she was not going to rest. She wasted no time as she started reconstructing the analysis program for the data she had gotten at the mansion. In particular the ribbons of flesh and the blood splatters. When she had scanned it before, the data was so much more complex than anything she had ever run before, it had resulted in the program spitting back anomalies or rather errors along the lines of - unable to complete analysis.

It made sense to her really, her program was rather basic since she had never needed to scan anything like that before. When a human died, she had no need of knowing exactly how they died. And her scanner was more advanced anyway so it had never been an issue those few times she had actually bothered to take a scan, but now? Even though she didn?t have the full details, she had to know if the speed was accurate since even though Shinigami were quick, they weren?t [I]that [/I]quick. At least not to the best of her knowledge, but after seeing how quickly Nathan could move...

How long she worked on it, she didn?t know, Lucia tended to lose track of time when she was focusing on something and today was no exception. When she was finally ready to run the data again, she did so, eager to see just what it would say. There were still some anomalies, something she could address later but one detail stood out that had her speechless for a moment as she found it hard to believe. The person who had been shredded? if the data was correct, it had happened so fast, their body never hit the ground, until it was in pieces.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Allamorph]

Do Ya

 

As Nathan watched the sleeping form of his companion, he was reminded again of his old partner from centuries ago. Nathan wasnâ??t exactly certain why he had made the connection; the two shinigami were almost complete opposites, except for their bond and their ferocity in combat. But if Adrian had indeed spent the past few centuries in fear of his gift being discovered, then perhaps....

Thinking too long on his friend brought back memories that Nathan would rather have had lain dormant, though, and one stood sentry better when one was relaxed, so the preoccupied shinigami rose, drew his scythe from the loop at his side and began a simple, flowing kata. And as his weapon sliced the air in familiar arcs and passes and his steps took him to the center of the open room, his frustration dropped away into peaceful silence, his senses extending far beyond the walls of his new ally's apartment.

 

 

--------------------

Alex brightened visibly at the familiar's entrance. "Hi, Isen!" he said, more enthusiastically than he'd meant to sound. "I was starting to—"

"My, what a pleasant tsurprisse!" the vampire beamed. "Tse lady of tse housse returns to grace uss wiss her presence!"

Isen held her cold gaze. "What are you doing, Victor?"

"Why, me?" Victor made an innocent gesture. "I was merely playing host while tse master of tse house wass away. Tsurely tsat iss not unreasonable? After all, as his closest friend, I—"

Isen sneezed violently.

"I'm sorry," she said, ignoring Victor's raised eyebrow. She shook her head. "I'm allergic to bullshit."

Victor threw a hand to his heart. "Oh! You injure me tso, my lady! And here I have never treated you wiss anytsing but respect. Tsurely your heart cannot be tso cruel."

The feline gave him a long stare. "Quite," she said evenly. She looked away.

"Alexander, Nall," she began, as if she'd just entered the room, "I think we should be going now; I have something to speak to you about."

"Oh?" inquired Victor. "But can you not tspeak on it here? It would be much more convenient, I tsink."

The silver cat shot him a hard look. "No." She turned back to the other two. "Let's go," she declared; immediately she lifted off the counter and vanished through the wall, and Alex rushed to follow, Nall quietly twitting him from his shoulder.

 

 

--------------------

When Adrian came to, Nathan was on the other side of him, facing the glass doors in silence. He felt Astera waking beside him, and he stood, joining the blue man.

"Your door's broken," Nathan decided.

"Yeah," Adrian agreed. "The bastard crashed right through it."

Nathan's brows knitted. "You should probably get that fixed."

"Sure," said Adrian, scratching his head, "but that's gonna take some time, and—"

"You might want to stand back," Nathan continued. Adrian complied, confused. As he began to formulate a question, Nathan raised his left hand and aimed it at the intact door; the glass blew violently apart, shattering outwards towards the balcony. Before Adrian could yell, they halted their flight and hovered in place.

"Now," said Nathan, "let me show you a little something."

As Adrian watched, blue fire began to play around the glass shards in the air and on the door frame. Nathan kept his hand in place, but his expression became more concentrated, and the pieces responded, floating backwards one by two by three into place in the door. With each dozen pieces that reset, blue fire raced along the cracks in the glass, and the fractures vanished, until the shinigami were looking at a whole glass door again.

"What the hell was that?" Adrian asked, half in respect.

"A little something I discovered while playing around one day," Nathan responded. "Reinforces it, too; I'd like to see a vampire come through that."

"So it's stronger now?"

"Well, yeah, but it also kept fire in it, so if anybody does break in...." He grinned. "Nasty surprise, that one."

Adrian nodded. "You're not kidding." He glanced at Nathan. "But why didn't you just fix the other door?"

"Well," Nathan replied, "That kinda thing doesn't do much good with just the one side. Besides, you should know how to do that sort of thing, so I thought I'd show you before you did it yourself."

Surprised, Adrian protested for a few minutes, but Nathan was set on the outcome, so Adrian finally agreed to attempt the feat. He listened to Nathan's quick instructions, then closed his eyes and raised his hand, concentrating.

At first, nothing happened. Adrian frowned and redoubled his efforts, and gradually glass splinters rose from the carpet and the balcony and began moving delicately back into place in the door frame. Behind him, Nathan watched the process with a careful eye, his fingers quivering as he provided the barest hint of assistance.

Eventually the door was finished, though one or two small cracks remained—which Nathan promptly smoothed out. Astera, who had by this time woken up completely, hovered silently behind her partner.

"Excellent," Nathan said. "Darn good for a first try." He grinned. "You two about ready to go?"  The reaper and his faerie said yes, and Nathan nodded. "All right then. Let's do it; I'll open the path.

"Fair warning, though," he added. "We won't be using the Gate, so the trip might feel a little different. Hang on."

 

 

Edited October 7, 2017 by Allamorph

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]Enclose[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]
Lucia looked at the new results from her scan and finally, with a shake of her head she closed the program. She could work on improving it to eliminate more of the anomalies but even with the scans, it was unlikely she’d get too much more. To get a true picture of what happened, she just about needed to scan something like that while it was happening. She already had data indicating pieces of the attack pattern, but that wasn’t going to be enough to get the full picture.[I] I wonder if Nathan would be willing… [/I]There was only one way to find out, a moment later she had sent off a message to him. She put the communicator away once she was done.

“[B]I need to know more about Vampires.[/B]” She said to herself more than anything as she stood up, heading over to the tables set up against the far wall. In the corner farthest from the windows overlooking the lake she had one of the human versions of a computer set up. Not that she liked it, but rather because sometimes it was better to see how things worked in a real working environment that pertained to the human world.

Accessing the Internet that they used was easy enough when using their own protocols. She had her program, but she was not above using other methods to learn more. Even if the data the humans had was likely to be full of errors, having it on hand would be useful for comparison if she was to figure out just what they were capable of doing. That and doing simple work or rather projects for humans working with their primitive systems was an easy way to get a hold of their means for paying for things. It took so little time to do a quick assignment here and there. And the Council didn’t forbid it so long as they didn’t improve their technology or didn’t let it interfere with their real work.

She turned it on while also activating what appeared to be a thin sheet of paper hanging on the wall over the table. It went from being a six by six picture of some mountains to a computer screen, split into multiple windows depending on what Lucia decided to pull up. It was made of the same material of her Crystal Communicator and virtually undetectable by humans or other Shinigami as well, unless it was active. She didn’t like using the screens that humans made, they were just so limited in what they could do.

“[B]Lucia![/B]” Ruby came in to land on the table next to her, reaching over and turning the computer off without asking. “[B]You need to take a break.[/B]”

“[B]What for?[/B]”

“[B]Because I’m hungry! So lets go and get something to eat.[/B]” Ruby moved until she was practically sitting on the keyboard, matching Lucia’s stare with one of her own. It was written all over her small face,[I] go ahead, try me. I won’t move until you agree.[/I]

Lucia just sighed a bit and gave in. “[B]Alright.[/B]” She stood up, shifting to her more casual outfit of shorts, a shirt and shoes. She moved until she was fully in the human world, actually using the door instead of simply ghosting through it. She walked up the stairs and out onto the street with Ruby sitting on her right shoulder.

She had been there long enough that people were use to seeing her and the tiniest hint of energy was all it took to keep people from realizing that Ruby had wings, making her look more like a real cat. Lucia just walked down the street, oblivious to the looks she got from the humans, she always was. It didn’t take her long to reach a restaurant that had tables and spots facing the lake, the place was use to her bringing Ruby along and no fuss was made as the hostess simply took them out back. Seating them where they were farthest away from the people and closest to the lake.

“[B]Did you want the usual miss?[/B]” The hostess asked and then left after Lucia nodded. The usual meant fresh uncooked fillet fish for Ruby and for her a type of Caesar salad along with water for both of them. Ruby just hopped down onto the table, eagerly awaiting her meal, something that just made Lucia smile a little.

Once the food arrived she turned her attention to the view, taking her time to enjoy the meal. Being along the lake was one of the reasons she had chosen her location to begin with. Just spending time out on the balcony doing nothing but enjoying the view was very restful and calming, making it easier to refocus her thoughts when she was trying to solve a problem. She would visit other scenic spots on Earth for the same reasons, they quieted her mind, making it easier for her to focus later on. Something that Ruby was well aware of.

Lucia just stayed put for a little while once she was done and then frowned when she sensed someone approaching, someone from her world. For only the briefest of moments she was puzzled until she turned and saw who was coming her way. Her brow furrowed and Ruby tensed before hopping back up on her shoulder.

“[B]Jeez![/B]” She snarled in Lucia’s ear. “[B]You were barely in there! Why the hell do they have to check every tiny little move you make! That trip wasn’t enough time…[/B]”

“[B]Please Ruby.[/B]” Lucia said quietly, though she was less than thrilled to see the Shinigami approaching, saying nothing when he stopped at her table. With short brown hair and eyes and of medium build, he was dressed as casually as she was in simple jeans and a polo shirt.

“[B]Lucia,[/B]” he smiled a bit. “[B]May I join you?[/B]”

“[B]Like I have a choice?[/B]”

“[B]Now don’t be like that.[/B]” He sat down motioning for one of the waiters, ordering a drink before turning his attention back to Lucia and Ruby once the waiter had left.

“[B]It is my job after all - you did disappear off the radar for a very short time. Unlike the slight distortion from dealing with the [I]assignment[/I], only one place would result in a true loss of [I]data[/I].[/B]” He smiled at the waiter who had returned with his drink. Taking a sip before setting it down.

Lucia leaned back, trying to contain her irritation and failing. “[B]Short visits to my lab are allowed, or have you forgotten the terms of the agreement?[/B]” She said condescendingly, her voice cutting. “[B]I find this paranoia on the behalf of the Council tiring, I have always kept to the terms agreed upon since I was forced to become a Shinigami.[/B]”

“[B]Of course, no one is saying you haven’t, all I wish to know is why you went there. You didn’t stay long enough to do any real research after all.[/B]” He was trying to give the impression of merely being curious, but Lucia was use to the guarded look he always had, giving nothing away.

“[B]You know what my assignment was, how about you explain to me why I was never trained to deal with Vampires or even given any information as to what they were capable of?[/B]” She countered, glaring at him. “[B]One would think you were trying to get us killed.[/B]”

“[B]That’s most unkind of you Lucia - to say such a thing.[/B]” He chided her. “[B]If that were true, no one would have been sent to retrieve Aeru. If the information on vampires was necessary, it would have been given to you. Lucia dear, the Council only has your welfare in mind, you simply refuse to see it.[/B]”

Lucia snorted, holding up her left hand, palm facing towards herself as she touched her left wrist with her right forefinger, sending a tiny surge of energy out. Blue flames raced in a circular pattern around her left wrist, tracing what appeared to be some sort of language before the flames faded.

“[B]All I see is a first level seal.[/B]” She corrected him, lowering her hand once the flames faded. “[B]Hardly the actions of someone who really cares, more like someone who doesn't know the meaning of the word trust, so save the lies for someone who will actually believe them.[/B]”

“[B]You are being difficult when it’s not necessary Lucia, is it really so hard to answer the question? I’d hate to report that a new seal is required.[/B]” He narrowed his eyes at her sudden look of genuine anger.

“[B]You really are stupid.[/B]” She said flatly. “[B]I gave you the answer, but it seems you are too stupid to see it.[/B]” Lucia leaned forward just a tiny bit. “[B]I asked you why I was never trained on how to deal with vampires. Try using that tiny pathetic excuse for a brain that you have and think for a change.[/B]”

His expression turned cold, but Lucia did not care, she was tired of them checking every single time she went into her lab. She had promised to abandon pretty much all of her research, only keeping to stuff that was done outside of the void and yet, the damn Council had insisted on putting a first level seal on her anyway. Making it possible for them to track her every move, something she resented. Seals were only for Shingami who broke the law and she had, to her knowledge, broken no laws at all.

Every attempt to get an explanation as to why they had chosen her when there were so many others who actually wanted it, had gone unanswered. Her attempts to petition and have the assignment dismissed, ignored. She would accept, abandon her research and accept having the seal placed on her, or all of her work would be destroyed. Leaving her to face even greater consequences if she refused. Such as the second or third seal. Lucia still didn’t understand how they could do something that seemed contrary to their laws, but her objections had been overruled.

The second seal tracked one’s movements but was also more limiting, restricting where you were even allowed to go and if one crossed into an area they were not allowed to, the resulting punishment was far from kind. Shinigami were not immune to pain after all. The third, mainly for those few who could be considered criminals, not only tracked and limited one’s location, but suppressed the ability to tap into one’s spiritual energy, essentially making one unable to do anything, one couldn’t even perform the simple act of floating.

“[B]I am trying to gather information on what happened at the Count’s mansion, if not for Adrian and Nathan, the rest of us would have died.[/B]” She finally explained when it was clear that he wasn't going to attempt to figure out what she meant.

“[B]I don’t need another seal, all I did was retrieve one of my programs so I could better analyze the scans of what happened there.[/B]”

“[B]Now that wasn’t so hard after all was it?[/B]” He smiled knowingly at her.

Lucia just resisted the urge to smack the smile off of his face, pulling back when he stood up and reached over to grasp her left shoulder in a friendly fashion, he just smiled and instead placed enough money on the table to pay for everything as if that had been his intent to begin with. Lucia watched him leave and then took a deep breath, letting it out.

"[B]It's about time that jerk left.[/B]" Ruby said with a disdainful flip. "[B]Next time he should have the decency to wait until later so he doesn't spoil a perfectly good meal.[/B]"

Lucia just reached up and scratched Ruby behind the ears. If she had her way, there wouldn't be a next time, but after her last petition to be allowed to return to how things had been before had been answered with a warning to drop it, she had given up and focused on finding other ways to do research in the human world instead. It was clear that she was never going to get her old life back, ever.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][CENTER][B][SIZE="2"]Exposition[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]
[I]Wait? We won?t be using the gate? [/I] Unlike Adrian? Nathan was impossibly quick as he opened up a path for the trio. It happened so quickly, that the realization of what Nathan had just said, barely had time to properly register before they had shifted their existence fully back to that of a Shinigami as they entered the portal. Adrian was immediately struck by a wave of disorientation, causing him to pull back instinctively. But Nathan was clearly prepared for it and simply caught him by the shoulder, keeping him from falling back, helping him to slip through the turbulence of the trip. Then - a split second later - it was over and they were through.

Adrian wobbled a little bit, feeling dizzy as it took a moment for him to adjust. Nathan just waited patiently, removing his hand once it was clear Adrian was recovered enough to stand on his own. He looked around to see that instead of coming out at the main gate located in the city where all traffic was handled, they were instead off in the distance. Far enough that it wasn't even part of the actual city but rather what would be considered the countryside, a small gentle hill that overlooked the city proper.

It was a toss up as to who was the most surprised, Adrian or Astera. Neither one were aware that it was possible to bypass the gate. Regulations strictly required that anyone passing to the other side had to make use of the gate, no exceptions. Doing so was a sure way to get into trouble. [I]I wonder why he didn?t use the gate?[/I]

?[B]Sorry about that,[/B]? Nathan apologized, ?[B]The trip isn?t as smooth as the gate.[/B]?

Adrian cast his gaze about, looking for signs as to where he was, not wanting to expend the energy to do so, looking for landmarks instead. A moment later he saw what he was looking for and smiled a bit.

?[B]Well since you managed to land us on the road to where Gavrie lives? you?re forgiven.[/B]? He teased. Though it would have been better to say the road leading out to one of the smaller communities.

[CENTER]---------------------[/CENTER]
Gavrie was sitting lazily on the veranda to his home out in the country side with his familiar Karl; who was currently curled up along his shoulders sleeping. He was not surprised when the aura?s he felt approaching turned out to be Adrian and Astera. The third he couldn?t quite pin down, but that didn?t matter. He shook Karl awake.

?[B]Looks like we have company, so stop being lazy.[/B]?

Karl just stretched and moved off of Gavrie?s shoulders so he could stand up to greet the three who were coming up the few stairs to the veranda of his small abode, moving to simply sit and watch from the chair that had just been vacated.

?[B]Well, if it isn?t Sir?[/B]? Gavrie started.

?[B]Nathan.[/B]?

Gavrie just raised an eyebrow and shifted his gaze to Adrian and Astera instead, his eyes narrowing slightly as he got a good feel for their auras and thus current state of being. He just stared at the pair, saying nothing, the silence weighing heavily until Adrian finally snapped.

?[B]You can stop that! I didn?t have a choice![/B]?

The silence continued as Gavrie just raised an eyebrow and glanced briefly at Nathan and then back at Adrian and Astera again, the pair disconcerted by his quiet gaze.

?[B]I didn?t tell him,[/B]? Adrian hastily explained. ?[B]He figured it out on his own.[/B]?

?[B]I see,[/B]? Gavrie finally said. ?[B]So? What brings you here?[/B]?

?[B]It?s a long story.[/B]?

?[B]Take a seat then,[/B]? he indicated the assorted chairs on the veranda before making himself comfortable, Karl doing the same, curling back up on his shoulders once they were settled in.

Adrian started from when he had gotten the assignment in regards to Aeru being kidnapped, leaving nothing out, answering all of Gavrie?s questions, even when they made him look stupid for his actions. He didn?t miss Gavrie?s look when he explained how he had foolishly attacked Victor L?Envers men, something he was sure he?d get lectured over later on. Nor did he miss how Nathan just listened to what was being told, saying nothing.

It took a while before Adrian was finally finished with what had happened and answered Gavrie?s questions to his satisfaction. When he was done, more than anything Adrian wanted to get some answers about the vampires, but Gavrie?s thoughtful look as he mulled over all that he had been told was something Adrian was well acquainted with. He would talk when he was good and ready and not one moment sooner.

?[B]Well now,[/B]? Gavrie finally said, ?[B]I would imagine that you?re here for three reasons. The first being to finish healing. Then to get more information on vampires followed by further training.[/B]?

Adrian nodded shortly.

?[B]So that leaves only one question left.[/B]? He trailed off, looking over to Nathan.

?[B]I can?t answer that one, you?d have to ask Nathan why he wanted to meet you.[/B]?

Gavrie just stood up, prompting the others to do so as well. ?[B]Why don?t we go out back then? Though you and Astera might want to go and rest instead. By the looks of it, you?ll be here for a few days at the very least.[/B]?

?[B]I?d rather be outside,[/B]? Adrian stated. The fields behind the home were more open and the feel of sunlight on his skin would be soothing. Given a choice, he would always take open space over being inside, Astera was the same way.

?[B]Suit yourself,[/B]? Gavrie gave Karl a knowing look, resulting in the familiar staying behind on the veranda while the rest of them moved to the field behind the home, the same one where Adrian had found him when he came for help to get the bond between him and Astera removed. Though that was before he found out it couldn?t be undone.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

Alex had been beyond relieved that Isen had shown up, giving him the excuse he needed to get the hell out of Nathan?s apartment and incidentally away from Victor as well. Even if the vampire had been courteous, he had made him horribly uncomfortable and even Nall, other than that one short word had been oddly silent. It had surprised him to see her rather blunt manner in dealing with Victor as it was clear she held him in little regard, coldly cutting off his attempts to cut into what they had to talk about.

He certainly wasn?t going to argue, after all he had been floundering in his attempts to think of a good reason to cut things off and leave himself. So when Isen indicated they were to leave, he rushed to follow her, frowning a bit as Nall immediately started twitting him for not doing the same as they left Nathan?s apartment, closely behind Isen. Alex wasn?t sure what to expect but when she made off in the direction of his own abode, he turned his attention to what Nall was saying as he followed her.

?[B]Are you even listening to me?[/B]? He was saying. ?[B]Jeez Alex, you were practically letting that guy inside your head, carrying on like a ninny, telling him anything and everything he asked of you.[/B]?

?[B]You weren?t any better.[/B]? Alex countered, turning a little red in the face.

?[B]Me? I didn?t tell him anything![/B]?

Alex snorted. ?[B]That's my point, you said nothing at all. Hell, you didn?t even attempt to shut me up. So if I was such a [I]ninny[/I] as you put it, there was nothing stopping you from saying so. It?s not like you?ve ever held back in the past.[/B]?

Nall coughed rudely as he dug his claws into Alex?s tunic a bit when he turned away haughtily. ?[B]I made the mistake of giving you the benefit of the doubt, I certainly won?t make[I] that[/I] mistake again.[/B]?

?[B]Just admit it Nall, you didn?t know what to do either.[/B]?

?[B]Don?t be stupid Alex, even if I wasn?t a dragon and able to sense things about others, I?m still older than you are.[/B]?

?[B]What's that got to do with it? Besides, you?re not [I]that [/I]old Nall.[/B]? Alex pointed out and then smirked as a thought occurred to him.

?[B]Victor is older than you are.[/B]? It was a statement instead of a question.

He smiled at the startled snort that came from Nall. In all the time he had been partnered with him, the only thing that ever had him being reserved was dealing with someone who was older than he was and therefore potentially a lot more experienced. Nall had always been a little self conscious of the fact that for a dragon he was considered quite young.

Now that he thought about it, Nall had reacted like he always did around others who were a lot older than he was. Going into that watch mode of his, simply paying attention and saying next to nothing. Alex had been so caught of guard by Victor that he had failed to notice it. But as Nall continued to say nothing, he knew he was right. Nall could sense if someone was older than he was and by looking back at how utterly quiet he had been, it meant that Victor really was a lot older than either one of them.

He continued to smirk as Nall stayed silent. ?[B]The longer you keep quiet, the more convinced I am that I?m right.[/B]? He twitted him, smiling broadly at Nall?s sudden glance of irritation.

?[B]Fine! You?re right! So shut up already![/B]?

Alex laughed out loud, causing Isen to look back briefly to see what was so funny. He just offered her a shrug to which she turned her attention back to their intended destination. Alex got his laughter under control while Nall fumed silently on his shoulder. By the time they finally got to his place, they had both settled back down, turning their attention to Isen instead.

?[B]So, Isen.[/B]? Alex said once they were at his place. ?[B]What did you need to speak to us about?[/B]?

She gave both of them a measuring glance, ?[B]Nathan wants to see you.[/B]? Her ears flattened back a tiny bit. ?[B]You?re going to need to wait and keep out of sight for a bit first though.[/B]?

Her expression became a little terse as she finished coolly. ?[B]Especially from someone like Victor.[/B]?

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]Disquietude[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]
Lucia left the restaurant quickly as the quiet peaceful mood had been shattered by her visitor. At that point she saw no reason to stick around like she normally would have. Even the normally calm view of the lake was not enough to still the unrest in her mind. She knew, even as she headed for her abode, that research would be out of the question for the moment. Not when she was in this frame of mind. There were very few things that could put her off balance and a visit from her watchdog was one of them.

It was deliberate on the Council?s part of that she was sure, and she wondered if they knew just how much it annoyed her. She suspected that they did, why else would they bother to check when her visit had been so short? As Ruby said, she hadn?t been there long enough for anything. The whole thing had her feeling tired, more than she should have been. She hadn?t quite finished recovering from the fight but she wasn?t that far off, so the tired feeling had to be mental as well as physical.

?[B]What are you going to do now Lucia?[/B]? Ruby asked when they were finally back at her place, standing outside on the balcony overlooking the lake.

Lucia just leaned into the railing further, resting her elbows gently on the edge as she thought about what she should do next. She had hoped that perhaps her own view of the lake would calm her a little, but even the soothing breeze teasing her hair was not enough. With a sigh she turned around, leaning so her back was facing the view. She reached up and absent mindedly scratched Ruby?s ears.

?[B]I don?t know. I can?t really think at the moment.?[/B] Lucia finally admitted, though she imagined that Ruby had already figured that out.

?[B]Maybe you should sleep? You still haven?t completely healed yet.[/B]?

Lucia just went back inside, looking over all of her makeshift equipment that she had set up. As much as she would have preferred to work, if she couldn?t concentrate, the work would be shoddy and full of errors. She had made that mistake before, working when her mind was not in the proper frame for it. The time spent fixing the mistakes she had made was more work than if she had simply waited and done it later instead.

?[B]I suppose you?re right,[/B]? She finally agreed, moving to the innermost part of her dwelling. There was no point in forcing herself to work when the time could be better spent letting her body recover, and sleep would on some level put her mind at rest.

It took her little time to change into sleeping clothes and settle into the small room she had set up for just such an occasion. Ruby was already curled up at the top of the bed to the side of the pillow, making Lucia smile just a tiny bit as it was clear she was already falling asleep. In situations like this, being a Shinigami did have it?s advantages. Turmoil or not, she could put herself into a bit of a trance for healing.

Her state of mind would not keep her awake like it might for a human. It took her very little time to get ready and then she closed her eyes and drifted off. Her communicator was next to the bed should something important happen and if not, her own body would wake her up once the healing was finished. [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Allamorph]

â??So,â? mused Nathan, his hands thrust comfortably into his pockets again, while the foursome strolled across the yard behind the low, measured house. â??Nice place.â?

The man called Gavrie didnâ??t react.

â??Itâ??s enough,â? he said simply, his agreement needing no words. â??But what brings you to it?â?

â??Ah, we already covered that, didnâ??t we?â? the blue shinigami returned, raising his eyebrows slyly. â??Training and stuff. I mean, your boyâ??s good, but heâ??s not good enough.â? At that remark, Adrianâ??s shoulders made a slight movement that Nathan decided was his version of a cringe.

Adrianâ??s mentor nodded. â??I tried to make sure he didnâ??t turn out a washout like the other wastes.â?

â??Oi.â? Nathan grimaced. â??Yeah, that about sums it up. I swear I donâ??t know what the Council is thinking,â? he added, shaking his head. â??I mean, itâ??s almost like they were expecting a botched mission.â?

Feeling Gavrieâ??s eyes on him, Nathan looked up to find himself facing the same inquisitive stare Adrian had been subjected to inside. He laughed.

â??Fine,â? he said, â??but ask next time, eh?â? He grinned and squared himself.

â??Basically, we were sent to take down a rogue vampire in his stronghold with no intel and no preparation, as well as rescue a shinigami captured by that vampire, again with no intel. Also, the messages sent to the team members were allowed to be intercepted, putting us at an immediate disadvantage, especially given the level of training some of us had.â? His smile faded. â??They sure donâ??t teach â??em like they used to,â? he remarked.

Again Gavrie nodded. â??You should try having to teach by those standards.â?

Nathan shuddered.

â??Anyway,â? he continued, â??this vampire was only in his first decade, but he was already strong enough to force that actionâ??â? he jerked his left thumb at Adrian â??â??and he knew some pretty decent magic tricks. Iâ??m pretty sure he had some strong connections somewhere, but we couldnâ??t get anything out of him. But if thatâ??s a hint of what weâ??re supposed to be dealing with sometime soon, these guys need to brush up big time.â?

â??What makes you think thereâ??ll be more incidents like this?â?

â??The whole thing stunk,â? answered Nathan. â??Heavy financing plus an increase in strength that marked? For only ten years of being turned, he was too powerful.

â??And then this guy gets attacked while heâ??s recoveringâ??not without reasonâ??â? this remark earned him a glare from Adrian â??â??and after I make sure heâ??s not dead he tells me heâ??s coming back here for more training. So I wanted to check you out. Plus I wanted to find out why he seems to hate everything that lives,â? he quipped.

â??Well,â? said Gavrie, â??I did tell him to keep quiet about the bond.â? He raised an eyebrow. â??I guess he just took me literally.â?

â??No kidding,â? said Nathan. He thought for a moment. â??But still,â? he went on, â??keeping it even from his allies? Thatâ??s a bit of a big deal, especially where teamwork is concerned. I mean, Iâ??m sure you had your reasons, but....â?

He trailed off as Gavrie sent him entertained smirk, and he stood for a moment with his mouth not quite closed.

â??Wait,â? he said, pressing the air with his hand. He pointed at Adrian. â??You meanâ??â?

He paused again, a grin spreading slowly across his face. His eyes flicked back and forth between Gavrie and Adrian. â??â??heâ??â? His mouth opened wider, shocked realization battling intense humor for control of his features.

Finally he seemed to remember how to form thoughts.

â??Youâ??re telling me,â? he queried slowly, â??that was an accident?!â?

Gavrieâ??s smirk broadened; Nathan burst into wild laughter, and Adrian sent his mentor a venomous look.

â??Thanks. Youâ??re a real pal.â?

Gavrie shrugged. â??It is kind of funny,â? he said over Nathanâ??s rambunctious hooting.

Indignant, Astera darted from Adrianâ??s side and flew straight to the howling shinigami, hovering so her wings flapped directly in front of his face. â??Thatâ??s enough, Nathan,â? she snapped. She got nothing in return; by now he was almost shaking with mirth, and she began to fume. â??Nathan!â? she squawked.

Nathan sobered instantly, though he only appeared to be holding back the laughter.

â??Look at you,â? she said reprovingly. â??Two grown men, making fun of a younger kid like bullies on a playground. No wonder Adrian didnâ??t tell you anything.â?

Nathan wiped his eyes with his thumb. â??...hee hee,â? he said in falsetto. Gavrie stifled a guffaw.

Astera glared at the blue man. â??Come on, Adrian,â? she said disdainfully. â??Letâ??s go back inside. We donâ??t need to put up with this.â? She flew off towards the house. â??Iâ??m tired, anyway.â?

â??...oh, man,â? Nathan said, as Adrian stalked off behind his cranky familiar. â??That was a good one.â?

â??You liked that one, didnâ??t you?â?

â??Ohh, man,â? he repeated. He took a few second to breathe, surveying the surroundings as he did so. â??Heh.â? Farther off from where they stood, he noticed a structure bounded by four thick wooden posts and a low fence.

â??I take it thatâ??s your training area,â? he said, indicating it. He smiled happily at Gavrieâ??s nod. â??I imagine it must be aggravating teaching under the Councilâ??s altered regulations, hunh?â?

â??Yes,â? answered Gavrie. â??Very.â?

â??I bet.â? Nathan placed his hands on his hips and studied the homemade arena. â??Tell you what, Mister Gavrie,â? he began, deliberately ignoring the impending raised eyebrow. â??Iâ??m in good spirits right now, and Iâ??m sure you havenâ??t had a decent workout in a long time. How about I give you one?â? Edited November 25, 2013 by Allamorph

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][CENTER][SIZE="2"][B]Time To Fly[/B][/SIZE][/CENTER]
[B][I]“Tell you what, Mister Gavrie, I’m in good spirits right now, and I’m sure you haven’t had a decent workout in a long time. How about I give you one?”[/I][/B]

Gavrie’s eyebrows just climbed a little higher at the invitation. It wasn’t often he’d get the chance to face off with someone like Sir… He cast a glance back at the house but Adrian and Astera were already inside, it was a pity really. That impatience of Adrian's was bound to get him in further trouble, even if it wasn’t completely of his own making. But seeing what one could do… well he could drill that into him later once he was healed up enough for training.

Instead he glanced back out at the yard and field behind the house; indicated the training area by jutting his chin in that direction. “[B]Training boundaries, three-quarter plain?[/B]” He glanced sideways at Nathan who merely grinned in answer.

No explanation was needed as the two made their way to the inside of the four posts evenly placed and fenced off, the interior space approximately forty yards in each direction. The ground nothing more than well hardened earth. Gavrie just offered a lopsided grin as Nathan moved to the center of the training area, facing him; about four yards between them.

Nathan was already sporting his own scythe, waiting patiently for Gavrie who moments later called forth his own, a six foot long staff with a foot and a half long blades on each end, the joining point for the blades sporting blunt metal embellishments a few inches long that seemed nothing more than decorative trim running out and along the base of the blade where it met with the staff.

With a smile Gavrie grasped it with his right hand, giving a half twirl that brought one blade nearly touching the ground next to his left foot with the other up in the air and to the right, the staff held casually in front of him in both hands. Having been the one challenged to a spar, the first move was his and his eyes narrowed as he considered which approach to take first. At three quarter speed and no lethal techniques being used… that left him open to use whatever he wished.

He opted for a frontal assault, launching forward, sweeping the point along the ground and up only to whirl at the last second, bringing the other end down hard towards Nathan’s right shoulder; the move blocked by the blade being caught by the other’s scythe, pulling forward in a motion meant to unbalance. Gavrie couldn’t help but grin as he moved into the pull taking off as he twisted in midair as he sailed over Nathan, their heads nearly touching as he switched his hold on the staff of his scythe in a move that would have let him pin Nathan in place, had he not simply slipped out of it, spinning himself as he made a slash to knock Gavrie off balance before he even landed.

With a decisive clash the two scythes met as the attempt was blocked and both merely grinned as they practically flew apart, their movements, even at reduced speed impossibly quick. A mercurial strike as Nathan effortlessly switched to a reverse hold on his blade using the momentum to lash out; once again catching Gavrie’s staff. This time the pull forced the other Shinigami off his feet, stumbling forward a bit. With a sideways flip, his scythe changing hands in mid air, Nathan barely touched the ground and promptly launched himself at Gavrie’s unprotected back. The plain disable blow missing it’s target when Gavrie ducked under, bringing his staff up in a ramming motion towards his mid-section.

Back flipping out of range before it could hit, Nathan barely touched the ground before he was in flight again, his feet off the ground more often than they were on it as he moved to strike again. The two of them exchanging roles from strike to counter and back again, clearly enjoying themselves; Nathan practically grinning while Gavrie’s look was one of amusement. As if sensing the change in the atmosphere, the two paused for a long moment, looking at one another as they circled lazily, the same question mirrored in their eyes.

“[B]Full?”[/B] Gavrie queried in response to the look, certain he saw correctly.

A short nod and the two were off once more, the moves becoming more intricate with the increase of speed. Gavrie starting to pull out those moves that to the untrained eye made it look as if he had two scythes instead of just one. Advancing on Nathan with a figure-eight pattern that at the end of each spin was met with a lightening quick thrust to each side; though it was parried with ease.

With the tiniest of smirks Gavrie stepped backwards while doing a vertical figure-eight at one side, blocking a strike from Nathan even as the staff was spinning parallel with his body. Back pedaling; his left hand behind his back as his scythe switched hands and he pulled it around and outwards on the other side into a vertical figure-eight spin, the blade moving towards Nathan’s right side with frightening speed at the end of the exchange.

Even if the two were pulling their punches, a missed block at this point would be a painful experience. Considering who he was sparring with, Gavrie moved without hesitation, figuring that if he failed to block, Nathan deserved the whack. [/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Allamorph]

Fast Company

He had been right, Nathan realized as he tore across the training field; he had forgotten how good this felt. Feverish exhilaration raced through his veins and his mind raced, his body executing every command the instant the thought sprang to being.

Nathan hadnâ??t fought like this in ages. He could barely remember the last time heâ??d had any decent opposition; the chamber in the center of the Countâ??s keep had been almost nothing; he had merely been running through form after form, years of practice virtually eliminating any need for thought at all. And the vampires at Adrianâ??s apartment? Childâ??s play. Heâ??d been showing off, then, like he usually did when he was aggravated.

But this. This was different. This was thrilling. This was an opponent who knew his craft, who had spent almost as many years as himself engaged in mastering it. No predictable blows or common mistakes here; Nathan was improvising constantly, shifting from one pattern to the next to the next to keep up with or outpace Gavrie, who was doubtlessly doing the exact same merely a spilt second apart.

Nathanâ??s strike was blocked up, positioning his arm perfectly across his body for a defensive slashâ??but Gavrie was retreating; Nathan finished the slash as he darted forward, spinning the handle around his fingers to reverse his grip, preparing for a lunge as Gavrieâ??s staff spun behind him, his front wide open.

He saw the hand switch, and knew he had neither the time nor the correct positioning for an adequate block, for the blow would be as deceptively weak as it was quick, and would merely slide past his defense while striking it just hard enough to shift it, opening his body for the follow-through. Acting solely on instinct, he pushed off mid-stride and spun horizontally over the staff, his momentum carrying him to the right, the trailing hem of his blazer barely clearing the blade. Tucking his scythe to himself, he hit the ground and continued the roll, the potent second strike slicing harmlessly over him. His left hand planted as he finished the roll, becoming a pivot for his body; he rose smoothly, still spinning, and leapt forward as he came around.

Gavrie had seen the last-second evasion and was stepping around, still keeping his power in the rear blade, in perfect position for either a deadly thrust or the defensive sweep he moved into as he saw Nathan come at him. Nathanâ??s grip was still reversed; a strike now would only pull the rear of the staff up, allowing the front to slide down and in at his gut.

It took Gavrie a split second to realize that Nathanâ??s left foot was standing on his staff. And then the right foot connected with his skull, and his vision exploded with stars; Gavrie reeled and stumbled, dropping to one knee as he fought to regain his defense.

He looked up to see Nathan bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet, several yards away, where he must have landed after the kick. The blue veteran shook his head and rolled his right shoulder around.

â??Dang, Iâ??m rusty,â? he exulted. â??I need to watch my landings better; I think I hit my shoulder a bit hard on that one.â? He eyed Gavrie, barely containing his grin. â??We good?â?

Gavrie wiped his hand across his jaw and studied it. No blood; Nathan had pulled the kick.

â??A bit hard for a spar, donâ??t you think?â?

Now Nathan really grinned. â??You said â??fullâ??,â? he retorted playfully. â??We gonna continue, or what?â?

With a sneer, Gavrie rushed at him, spinning his war scythe wildly through air. Nathan leapt back as the scythe crashed into the ground where heâ??d stood, but Gavrie was already charging forward, unleashing a barrage of whirling strikes, leaving Nathan no chance to change direction, forcing him to retreat and parry furiously.

A short hop gave Nathan a half-second to spare, and on reflex he struck with Gavrieâ??s next blow, his arm back across his body, but Gavrie stepped in at once, driving his shaft into Nathanâ??s back. Nathan stumbled and rolled; anticipating the reaction, Gavrie had already swung his weapon up and behind him and slid his hands down the staff, and he brought both arms down over his head to strike with the full length of his weapon as Nathan threw up his own in a kneeling defense.

â??Natai!!â?

Blue fire flared outward, revealing another staff weapon holding Gavrieâ??s own at bay. Approximately the same in length, this polearm instead bore on one end a large, flat blade shaped like a cross between a bell and a shovel, and on the other a deadly-looking crescent.

In one motion Nathan rose and threw Gavrie off, spinning his reformed scythe to the left and right with one hand and whipping it behind him as his opponent stepped away and returned to his beginning defense.

â??Nice,â? said Gavrie.

â??Thanks,â? said Nathan.

â??Howâ??d you learn that trick?â?

â??Very carefully.â?

The two shinigami circled each other once more.

â??Your back holding up?â?asked Gavrie.

â??I know how to take a hit,â? Nathan grinned. â??At least you got serious; I really am rusty. Had to go and up the ante.â?

Now it was Gavrieâ??s turn to grin. â??Not a bad idea,â? he agreed. He rolled his staff quickly through the fingers of one hand and snapped it down again, two blue blades of spiritual energy flaring to life on either end.

â??Oh, very nice,â? remarked Nathan appreciatively, pulling his weapon beside him in a pikemanâ??s stance. He cocked his head to one side. â??Can I get those to come standard, or do they cost extra?â?

Gavrie snorted and pressed forward again with another volley of harrowing blows. This time, Nathan parried easily with simple thrusts and bats; he still retreated, but the ground he gave was measured, allowing him to move in curves instead of frantic lines.

The combat instructor turned to his left, his staff trailing behind him, a spinning defense; coming about, he pulled his whirling weapon over his shoulder and slashed down. Again Nathan struck with Gavrieâ??s blow, but before Gavrie could prepare for the follow-up strike, Nathanâ??s back hand had already switched grips, and his scythe was pulled back and over as his left arm slipped safely against his chest, his weapon slamming down in an ugly arc and swatting aside the other weapon. Still using only his right hand, Nathan repeated the backhanded blow to the other side, and again, and again; he was the advancing one now, while Gavrie attempted to find a way to disrupt the pattern without his staff being ripped from his grasp.

With a final twist, Nathan finished his assault, the staff smacking against his forward hand. Without hesitation, Gavrie struck with his right, but Nathanâ??s returning grip let him match the blow, and he shoved the staff away, stabbing forward with the butt of his weapon. Gavrie quickly thrust forward, catching the crescent blade with the center of his weapon; as the two scythes contacted, Nathanâ??s expression changed.

In an instant Gavrie had spun away, returning fluidly to his balanced defense. Instead of pressing closer, though, Nathan merely dropped his guard, the hint of a knowing smile creeping into the corners of his mouth.

â??Lucky shot, hunh?â? he said drily. â??Well, come on,â? he continued when Gavrie didnâ??t respond. â??Letâ??s see it.â?

Abruptly, both men were aware of a presence to the side. Simultaneously glancing towards the house, they spotted a stunned Adrian staring at them from halfway across the yard.

â??...I think thatâ??s enough for now,â? Gavrie commented, â??donâ??t you?â?

â??Yeah,â? Nathan agreed slowly. â??Weâ??ll call it a draw.â? He raised his hand to his mouth. â??Close your trap, eh, boy?â? he called jokingly. â??Thereâ??s nothing to lose your jaw over around here!â? He turned back to the other reaper. â??Youâ??d think heâ??d never seen a real fight before.â?

â??No comment,â? said Gavrie.

Nathan grinned. Edited November 25, 2013 by Allamorph

[Rachmaninoff]

[CENTER][B]Do You Play?[/B][/CENTER]
Alex was relieved to finally be away from that vampire at Nathan?s place and yet even now, he wasn?t sure what to do. In a way he didn?t really know Isen all that well and he didn?t know what to say either. [I]Now what? [/I]It wasn?t like he could offer her tea or any of the normal things he did to occupy his time when he was between assignments, or could he?

Nall seemed unruffled by her presence, which also made no sense. Alex was certain that at one time Nall had commented on the fact that she knew far more than he did. And usually that made him more quiet and reserved.

"[B]So, uh, Isen... What do you like to do with your spare time?[/B]" He finally ventured.

Isen just looked up from where she was sitting on the chair opposite the sofa that Alex and Nall were on, tilting her head to the side slightly as if considering what to say.

"[B]It depends.[/B]"

"[B]Well Nathan likes that tri-chess game right? I don't have that but I do have the other version. Do you like to play?[/B]"

"[B]Sometimes.[/B]"

"[B]Well if you don't mind an easy win, you should play him Isen.[/B]" Nall quipped, giving Alex an amused grin when he turned towards him in protest.

"[B]Hey![/B]"

Nall just laughed, turning back to Isen. "[B]He hasn't managed to beat me yet.[/B]"

"[B]Sounds like he needs lessons then.[/B]"

"[B]Not really, I'm not very good either. I find it boring.[/B]" Nall explained.

"[B]That's too bad.[/B]"

"[B]Oh I know, maybe if I had someone more challenging to play with it would be more fun.[/B]" He looked meaningfully over to Alex. "[B]But... oh well.[/B]"

Alex sighed inwardly, there was no stopping Nall when he was in one of his twitting moods. No the only way to end that was to counter him and he knew just the thing for that. He suppressed the smile that threatened to show itself, though it wasn't easy on account of the desire he felt to laugh. He mock sighed instead.

"[B]Yeah, I know what you mean Nall, after all, it's [I]so[/I] hard to find someone who can get past the first boss in Lunar Silver Star Story.[/B]"

Now it was his turn to grin at Nall's indignant snort. "[B]It's not a matter of being able to get past it, I refuse to play that stupid game.[/B]"

"[B]Sure Nall, you keep telling yourself that.[/B]" He laughed and then stopped at the sound of his cell going off.

[I]Who could that be?[/I] He opened it up, surprised to see that it was from the other side.[I] What? But I told them I would call them when I was ready.[/I] Sure he was mostly healed, but his spiritual energy indicated that the process wasn't quite finished yet.

"[B]An assignment already?[/B]" Nall asked upon landing on his shoulder and looking at the message that had been sent. "[B]They're impatient. What happened to the call us when you're ready bit?[/B]"

"[B]It's Shaula, she's not returning to the city. They've moved her elsewhere.[/B]" Alex explained. "[B]They want us to pick up what she would have been assigned since she was not involved in the fight with the Count and didn't get hurt.[/B]"

Alex closed his cell phone. "[B]It's an easy job, an infant, so I don't see a problem.[/B]" He stood up. "[B]We'll be right back once we're done Isen.[/B]"

"[B]Alright, just be sure to avoid any vampires.[/B]" She cautioned him. "[B]I'll be waiting for you here.[/B]"

"[B]Okay. Rest assured I want nothing to do with them, at least not until I get some more training first.[/B]" He looked to Nall sitting on his shoulder and then turned and took off. It wouldn't take him long to deal with the work. [I]I just hope Nathan is back once we're finished.[/I] He still felt uncomfortable at the thought of running into a vampire on his own.

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][CENTER][SIZE="3"][B]Why?[/B][/SIZE][/CENTER]
The word why was the first thing that Lucia could clearly remember thinking. It didn?t matter what the deal was or what the situation, her thoughts always leaned towards that one word. Or rather it was the forerunner for how her line of thinking worked. Why did they oversee the human world? Why did they live forever? Why could they control their spiritual energy with ease? At first those questions were rather simple and the answers could be found, but as time went by they became more complex and the answers harder to be found, if at all.

It did not concern her though, after all they lived forever, or so she had been told. She could keep looking for the answers until she found them; or so she had believed. Now her time for looking was pretty much gone, taken from her. Ruby was correct in that she was eternal, but what was the point when a mere fraction of that time was spent doing what she wanted to do? According to her calculations, the time needed to get anywhere with her research was so exponentially out of whack compared to the time she actually got to spend on it, that it almost made trying pointless. Especially since she no longer had access to her lab.

For her, it was pointless, her time and her energy was wasted here. She felt useless as if her existence itself was redundant. She knew she was not needed on Earth, there were plenty of others who wanted it, so why? It was the one time, the one instance of that thought that frustrated her more than anything. Why? Why had she been given no choice? Why had she been forced to practically live in exile? It was the one question that she wanted to know with an intensity that almost made life unbearable.
[B]
[I]-Why do you continue to fight it?-[/I][/B]

The voice was her own, the darkness hers. With those words Lucia recognized where she was, in that dream state caused by sleeping, but her mind was lacking the tranquility needed to do more than simply drift. Floating in a state as if disconnected from everything and everyone. Lucia hated that, since it brought out what she was experiencing, though forcing it into a dream sequence had side effects that she didn?t like either.

[B][I]-Just pick a scene already. How about the lake?-[/I][/B]

No, that was tainted by her recent encounter, she had no desire to see her ?keeper? again. [I]I don?t care if this is a dream, I don?t have to chose to move it to a visual image, a mockery of reality that doesn?t exist beyond my own mind. [/I] Though how did one go about stopping their own mind?

[B][I]-If you don?t, I will.- [/I][/B]

The threat was real, no matter that it was her own mind, in this state, it was almost as if she were two people in one body. It was also the reason that she rarely slept. If her state of mind was in turmoil, she would have these jarring? The darkness lurched and then as if fading into existence she found herself standing on the sandy beach that she had visited over a week ago. The sun high in the air, the breeze soft and calm, the sand gritty and yet warm under her bare feet.

?[B]I said no.[/B]? She complained, not bothering to turn around - [I]she[/I] would be there...

[B][I]-Why do you blame me? This state of mind is your own doing after all. I don?t control this, you do. You wanted something peaceful, something to bring your thoughts back into focus.- [/I][/B]The voice was her own.

?[B]No. You?re nothing more than a dream, an annoying one at that.[/B]? Though she wondered about that at times, did humans have similar dreams as well?

[B][I]-Then wake, and leave. If you dislike it so much, why do you stay?-[/I][/B]

Indeed, why did she? Was it because on some level it fascinated her? A familiar chime sounded, causing her to lurch mentally and then her eyes were open and she was staring at the ceiling to her makeshift bedroom. A moment later, the chime noise she had heard sounded again - someone was attempting to contact her. Without hesitation she picked up her communicator, turning on the lights as she did so.

She sent out the trace of spiritual energy necessary and the tiny screen activated, the message clear. Her hands gripped the edges of the crystal material tightly upon realizing what it was. [I]I think not.[/I] She activated the connection, calling back directly to speak to the sender of the message.

?[B]What is it Lucia?[/B]? The voice sounded hurried, barely giving her the time of day.

?[B]This assignment is not acceptable.[/B]?

?[B]Oh? Why not?[/B]? The other voice seemed puzzled.

?[B]I am not done healing.[/B]?

?[B]Ah, but this is an easy?[/B]?

Lucia cut them off. ?[B]I said no. Reassign it as I will not do it, nor will I accept another assignment until I am done healing.[/B]?

?[B]Lucia?[/B]?

She did not wait, closing the connection with a sigh and then ignoring her communicator when it chimed again, indicating that they were attempting to call her back. Most likely to argue with her. Well if they really wanted to do that, they?d have to come in person. She looked over to see Ruby who was lazily stretching on the bed, watching her to see what she would do next.

?[B]Lets go and get some fresh air.[/B]? She left her communicator sitting on the small table next to her bed, she would retrieve it later.

Ruby just took off and landed on her right shoulder, saying nothing to the exchange she had overheard. It was now night out as the pair walked out onto the deck and the lights from the city reflecting on the water along with the cool breeze was pleasant enough. She wasn?t entirely sure why she had given them grief over the assignment, she was close enough to being healed that it shouldn?t have mattered.

Lucia sighed a bit, making herself comfortable in one of the lounging chairs on the deck. Ruby following suit as she settled into her lap. Lucia closed her eyes, intending to simply relax a bit, but instead, a few minutes later, she fell asleep.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][SIZE="1"][CENTER][SIZE="2"][B]Recollections of...[/B][/SIZE][/CENTER]
Gavrie couldn?t help but grin widely at Adrian?s stunned expression. Having him come out and stumble upon them sparring would be far more effective than him insisting on it. Plus, the two of them had been using full speed; well full speed without any of the various tricks and techniques one could employ to alter that. Just as he had his own tricks to increase his speed or to counter someone moving quicker if needed, he was sure that Nathan did as well. As he watched Adrian stiffen at the comments indicating he had never seen a real fight; Gavrie was already sorry that the spar was over.

He calmly watched as Adrian beat a hasty retreat back into the house, and resisted the urge to sigh a little. Nathan was right, he hadn't had a decent workout in a long time. There were special training sessions he was required to attend to, but much like training new Reapers, it was hardly a challenge at all. At least not for someone like him. And lucky shot or not with that last hit, that particular technique probably hadn't been needed or even used in centuries; if not longer. Much like his spiritual blades, one did not waste the energy on a technique if it was not needed. Though in that case, he had just been showing off a little, in response to Nathan's trick with his scythe.

[I]I wonder,[/I] he thought as he turned to look at Nathan. ?[B]Care for some tea before you head back? I?ve got Earl Gray and Green tea.[/B]?

Not that he needed it, but Gavrie liked the stuff and usually had some a couple times a day. He had picked up the habit from some of his trips to Earth, something that Karl would just sigh and shake his head over. He was wondering if Nathan would even like it when he answered.

"[B]Earl Gray. Hot.[/B]"

"[B]This way then.[/B]" He lead the way back into the house, heading straight for the little niche he had just for making the stuff, but not before seeing to offering Nathan a seat in the little version of a kitchen he had set up, the sliding doors open to the back yard of his place.

It took him very little time to make some for both of them and then the two of them were engaging in small talk. Moving from deceptively simple topics until it finally moved to a discussion of what had been going on in the world of the Shinigami in the past couple of centuries. To Gavrie it seemed as if Nathan had been on the outside for quite some time and thusly out of the loop as far as current events went.

It wasn't so much in words but rather the careful way Nathan had of probing around different aspects of their way of life. And since he saw no harm in it, he obliged him, taking care to elaborate more than was necessary, making sure he got a clear picture of what was going on, including any rumors running around. Though he took care that Nathan knew what information was rumor and which was fact.

Regretfully the conversation started coming to a close, something else he realized he missed almost as much as sparring with someone who was as good as Nathan. It wasn't often he got to talk to someone who's thought process was as sharp as his fighting skills. Sure he often worked with Council members, but some of them had been sitting behind a desk for far to long. Smart yes, but the wit and senses dulled in many ways.

"[B]You're welcome to stop by again if you're ever in the area,[/B]" Gavrie offered in parting as Nathan and he made their way to the front of his dwelling. He grinned. "[B]I might even be willing to expand on that lucky shot of yours.[/B]"

Nathan just smiled faintly in return, "[B]I'll hold you to that.[/B]" And then, he was gone, heading back along the path he and Adrian and Astera had used when they arrived.

"[B]You like him.[/B]" It was a statement of fact, an observation. Gavrie just gave Karl a long measuring glance before he finally answered it.

"[B]Maybe.[/B]"

Karl just snorted and then settled down on Gavrie's shoulders once he had taken a seat. He lazily stretched a bit before he mischievously quipped again, getting the last word in like he was fond of doing. Something Gavrie was well acquainted with.

"[B]No maybe about it.[/B]"

Gavrie said nothing as he merely watched the landscape in front of his house, his mind on all the unanswered questions he had on account of the visit. It was going to require some careful prying on his part, not in regards to Nathan himself, but a few other things that were now troubling him. He was going to need to take a leave, he was due one after all. He hadn't taken one in centuries, but now, he was going to need the time, for more than training Adrian and Astera.

Though training those two, especially Adrian would take up the bulk of his time, it meant he was going to have to come up with a reason for them to even allow it in the first place. It was one thing to sneak in training sessions every now and then, but to take over in a full out dive into tactics and other techniques? That was another story altogether as such a thing would not go unnoticed.

He smiled to himself since the answer was clear. It would satisfy the idiots in charge and yet keep things from being too complicated. That was the last thing Adrian and Astera needed after all, more complications. [I]I should get that taken care of while those two heal. [/I] Though he stayed put on the porch for the moment, still musing over the other things on his mind. The day was still young.[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[CENTER][B]Live to Tell the Tale[/B][/CENTER]
Alex was wondering as he went to take care of his next assignment, why he was actually picking up on the presence of vampires in the city. Was it because they no longer felt the need to hide from a Shinigami who knew about their presence? Or from finally being close enough to actually sense the aura of one who had cheated death? That exposure to such a thing had made him more aware of it in general?

He wished he knew which it was, for some reason the idea that they were no longer hiding was something he found a bit intimidating. He'd much rather it be a case of him being more in tune with sensing them. He didn't like the other thought since he knew all to well how much he needed further training. About the only good thing from it was he could at least make a point of avoiding those he could sense.

A short while later, when he was finishing up with the infant he got another call. Something that he just sighed and accepted since it too was an easy assignment.[I] If they keep throwing things my way like this, I won't have time to get any training done, even if Nathan is willing to help me.[/I] He did not voice his concern to Nall, but instead immediately went to take care of the next assignment. It was still nighttime but dawn was fast approaching and by the time he was done, the sun was already starting to rise.

"[B]I wonder if Nathan is back yet.[/B]" Nall mused as they headed back to Alex's apartment. "[B]Though if they keep giving you assignments, you won't have time for anything else.[/B]"

"[B]I know and with Adrian still recovering, that means we're down by two for doing assignments.[/B]" Alex sighed a bit. "[B]That's going to mean extra work for everyone.[/B]"

Normally he wouldn't care, but with what had happened, he really didn't want to continue without some form of training. Alex was almost back to his place when he picked up a familiar aura heading in his direction. [I]What? But... what is he doing here?[/I] He came to a halt in midair, hovering above the city a mere block from his apartment.

"[B]Alex![/B]" Nall started to say and stopped when Alex responded.

"[B]I know, I wonder why though?[/B]" Both of them looked to the sky and then a moment later they could see the other Shinigami approaching their position rapidly, finally coming to a halt before the pair, a grin on his face, the two sea dragons on his shoulders equally as pleased to see Alex and Nall. Like Nall they were in a smaller form not much bigger than a common house cat, only transforming into their full size at need. Though unlike other sea dragons, being paired to a Shinigami had given them the ability to move through the air as if it were water.

The Shinigami they were paired with was just as Alex remembered with his dark black outfit and gauntlets, blue belt, cape and bandanna. With his brown hair and green eyes, he looked to be no more than twenty earth years old. Though seeing that Reapers were eternal, Alex wasn't sure why he was surprised that his mentor was unchanged. Perhaps it was simply due to seeing him on Earth since he knew that Patrick did not like working Earth side as it was often called. Preferring to stay on their side and teaching new Shinigami as needed.

"[B]Alex! Nall![/B]" Patrick spoke up the moment he came to a halt. "[B]You're looking well. So, were you informed of my arrival?[/B]"

"[B]No sir. We were not.[/B]"

Patrick just laughed, "[B]None of that sir nonsense Alex, I'm no longer your mentor remember?[/B]"

"[B]Why are you here then?[/B]" Alex couldn't think of a reason for him to have been sent there. Sure they needed help but he was an instructor, not a regular Reaper.

"[B]I'll be here on a temporary basis, to fill in until they get you a replacement. You are going to be short by two Shinigami.[/B]" Patrick explained, even as he absent mindedly reached up and scratched the blue sea dragon Terry along the back of his head, the red one, Fiero, objecting a bit until he did the same for him.

"[B]Two?[/B]" Alex wondered who the second was since he knew that Shaula had asked to be sent else where but who else was he talking about? Even if Adrian was recovering, it shouldn't take him long enough to need a replacement while he was healing.

"[B]Yes, two. Shaula asked to be reassigned and Aeru quit.[/B]" Patrick explained. "[B]Now unless you've a thing for hanging outside, how about we go inside? Unless you object I was planning on staying with you for the time being.[/B]"

"[B]Uh... That would be fine.[/B]" Alex finally answered, preoccupied with the news that Aeru had quit. He had never heard of a Shinigami quitting before. It took them little time to enter his place, Isen still waiting there patiently for his return.

"[B]Isen,[/B]" Alex nodded once they were all inside. "[B]This is my mentor, Patrick and his familiars Trey and Fiero.[/B]" They had barely gotten a chance to politely say hello when with a shot Trey and Fiero were off over to hover in front of Isen.

"[B]Oh! You're a werecat aren't you?[/B]" The blue one Terry was saying excitedly.

"[B]Of course she is stupid.[/B]" Fiero corrected Terry.

"[B]Don't go acting all superior! You've never seen one either Fiero![/B]"

Alex just groaned inwardly at the pair who in a matter of moments were bombarding Isen with questions left and right even as they argued among themselves at the same time. Completely oblivious to how Isen was ignoring them. [I]Those two haven't changed at all.[/I] He thought. Alex was about to intervene when Isen fixed Patrick with a glance and spoke.

"[B]Do you mind?[/B]" She said calmly.

"[B]Fiero! Terry![/B]" The two instantly shot back to Patrick, looking abashed as they settled back onto his shoulders. Mumbling and apology as they did so.

"[B]I'm terribly sorry Isen, they tend to get a bit excited at times.[/B]" Patrick apologized, but Isen just went back to calmly grooming herself.

[I]Well this is going to get interesting,[/I] Alex thought.[I] I hope Nathan shows up soon.[/I] Though he wondered how well that would go over. Attempting to get training when his own mentor was there. Not that he didn't like Patrick, but unless he was hiding something, Alex was pretty certain he didn't know much beyond what he had taught him. Patrick had told him so himself, that he had nothing else to teach him. It was part of why Nathan's, Adrian's and the Count's speed had surprised him so much. He really hadn't known it was possible.

[Allamorph]

Resources

The blue man followed the dirt trail until it turned to angle back towards the Capitol. He couldnâ??t use the same entrance he had taken Adrian through to return, he knew, so he began to mull over which other alternate was best, folding his arms over his chest and rising to hover a few inches off the ground, in lieu of walking, while he retraced his path.

Even though Nathan was certain that none of his alternate routes were known, pulling three people through that last one would have caused a much larger energy fluctuation than they were intended for; he doubted that the variation would show up as much more than a small tic to any of the Monitors, but even so, two tics in the same location within a very short time span was too risky to Nathanâ??s mind. Ideally he should cross back either very close to the first entrance or as far away as time permitted, but if he used a portal too close, the chance was too great that the Monitor watching that sector might call for an equipment check, and if nothing was discovered....

Farther was better, this time, he decided as he reached the outskirts of the city. He had a gate set up a few klicks to the southwest that he hadnâ??t used in almost two and a half millennia. It would do nicelyâ??but doing so meant he had to cross through the city itself.

Nathan hated the Capitol. Every time he came he felt the same discomfiture, the same out-of-placeness that he hadnâ??t been able to shake since the end of the War. Back on Earth he still felt it to some small degree, but never as acutely as when he was among members of his own kind. He walked the streets with his gaze turned inward and his aura wrapped tightly about him, willing the Reapers he passed to look through him, to see him without seeing, and he navigated the path to the other side from sense and memory rather than sight.

His goal lay in the center of a stand of deciduous trees outside the Capitol, close to the edge of the forest that marked the Capitolâ??s southern boundary. Once clear of the streets, he reached it quickly, opening the gateway with practiced ease and sliding through.

He emerged in an alley near the center of the city where he worked. A residual shiver ran through him, left over from the shock of dimensional travelâ??and his pocket vibrated with him. Curious, he drew out his device and examined it; apparently Lucia wished to see him about something involving their recent experience with the Count. She had said nothing further, nor had she included any sense of urgency, so Nathan added her place to his list of stops to make and, after checking to make certain he was invisible, set off for Alexâ??s residence.

----------------------

He liked Alexander Maâ??Shala, Victor decided. He was a very pleasant and courteous young boy, and engaging to talk to, though perhaps a bit on the nervous sideâ??a trait Victor was more than willing to ascribe to naïveté and inexperience. Victor counted himself fortunate to have met the boy so quickly after his initial exposure to vampires. It made dispelling all that nonsense about blood-sucking, vicious, maniacal fiends with delusions of grandeur so much easier.

A pity that heâ??d had to deal with this Count person, though. Victor had been watching him for several years now, and had been growing more and more suspicious that the arrogant bastard was planning on trying something stupid. He hadnâ??t expected such a bizarre play as actively kidnapping a shinigami and using her as a trap; hadnâ??t the fool known the War had been over for more than three thousand years? And besides, taking on the shinigami openly was one of the most foolhardy decisions a single individual could make. In Victorâ??s opinion, the idiot had deserved to die. He only wished Nathan had administered the coup de grâce himself.

Still, despite Alexanderâ??s inexperience, it was plain heâ??d been invaluable to the defeat of the moron. Nathan had been right to trust his comrades, it seemed; all of them had their unique talents, whether they realized it or not. And of course that meant that they each merited a deeper looking at, for posterityâ??s sake.

Later, of course. Victor had something else he wished to look into.

The vampire had left his friendâ??s apartment only a few minutes after the boy had departed in the custody of that impertinent werecat that Nathan insisted on hanging about with. All these millennia, and Victor still couldnâ??t fathom why someone so completely and delightfully ridiculous would desire a companion almost the exact opposite to himself. The fact that she harbored a distinct and unshakable antipathy towards the vampire made her presence even more aggravating; despite all his efforts, Victor had been utterly incapable of bringing her around.

Victor had had an appointment to keep, as well, and since it had been obvious that Nathan would not be returning forthwith, the vampire had taken his leave. Once back at his keep, heâ??d enjoyed a pleasant salad for lunch, with a few strips of tender chicken; his chef, at least, was to be counted among the few good hired hands he still possessed.

After lunch, he had dismissed his aide and retired to his bedroom. Once alone, he stood a moment in front of the full length mirror on the left wall, close to the rear of the room, and made a quick sign in the air. The glass shimmered in response, and Victor stepped quickly through, closing off the tesseract behind him.

He now stood in a small room about the size of a washroom; what appeared to be communication equipment of some kind stood out from one of the long walls, complete with multiple panels of touchpads and several screens above that displayed a steady stream of lights, charts, and rotating shapes.

Pulling out a rolling chair from in front of the consoleâ??s center, Victor sat, a stroke from his hand bringing the console to life. He touched a quick pattern into a pad to his left, tweaked a dial, and waited.

He was rewarded a few seconds later.

â??Hello, Victor.â? A screen near the bottom of the array pulsed as the words were spoken, evidently displaying sound vibrations. â??Itâ??s been a while.â?

â??Yess, it hass,â? the vampire agreed. â??But tsen, tsings have been tsomewhat quiet on tsis side of mortality.â?

â??I usually find that to be an ill omen.â?

Victor smiled. â??You would be right tsis time, Iâ??m afraid.â? He leaned back in his chair. â??Iâ??m tsure you have heard of tse little fiasco tsat happened not a day past?â?

â??Iâ??ve been informed that someone got ideas.â?

â??Yess...in a manner of speaking.â? Victor laughed. â??Tse fool had tse audacity to openly shallenge tse shinigami. Needless to tsay, he did not tsurvive for long.â?

â??A brazen move,â? replied the voice. The speaker paused briefly. â??Did he have any important connections, anyone who might be more cause for concern?â?

â??Tse tsought had occurred to me. I will be looking into it myself; anotser war would be disastrous, espetsially now.â?

â??Indeed.â?

Again there was silence.

â??This might be unrelated,â? the speaker continued, â??but there were some interesting anomalies in the Monitorsâ?? data today. Nothing that would be considered important, of course, but I thought themâ??well, see for yourself.â?

A screen to Victorâ??s right flickered and altered, changing to display a stream of peculiar symbols. They scrolled rapidly down the screen, then froze, and three or four of the symbols around the screen began flashing.

â??You donâ??t tsay,â? murmured Victor, studying the screen with fascination. â??I wondered why tse data had stopped transmitting.â?

â??I thought it a little big for our friend.â?

â??No,â? the vampire answered, â??he was bringing guests wiss him, I tsink. Iâ??m tsertain youâ??ll find out eventually, but it is not tsomting to be overly contserned about.â?

â??Iâ??ll take your words for it, then.â?

â??Very good. Now,â? Victor began, â??I believe you tsaid you had tsometing important to tell me?â?

â??Yes, I did. You might want this on record....â?

----------------------

As Nathan approached Alexâ??s place, he began to notice a few unfamiliar presences around the boy and the two familiars. He wasnâ??t concerned at allâ??the aura of another shinigami was unmistakableâ??but his curiosity was aroused, and he landed at the door instead of ghosting straight in.

His knock was answered quickly, and the door was opened by a very calm, very friendly, and very strange shinigami with two little dragon-like creatures hovering by his shoulders. The two reapers stared at each other for a short moment.

â??Alex?â? they called in unison. Edited November 25, 2013 by Allamorph

[Horendithas]

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="Indigo"][CENTER][B][SIZE="2"]So, where were we?[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]
When he woke up from resting yet again, Adrian was still thinking about what he had seen when he found Gavrie and Nathan sparring in the back. Or perhaps it was better to say he was thinking about what he [I]couldn?t[/I] see; because that was exactly what had happened. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to follow their moves. Other than the more obvious ones where Nathan had somehow altered his scythe into something different and Gavrie twirling his for what looked like spiritual blades to deploy at each end; he had struggled to keep up with the rest.

Adrian didn?t know how in the world he was going to manage to learn how to move like those two could. It was so quick that by the time he managed to follow one strike in his mind, Gavrie and Nathan were past that, several moves beyond his ability to follow them. The Count, in comparison, was so slow that it was pitiful. The realization that he had needed to channel Astera?s ability to stop the Count, was both painful and humiliating. He had always known Gavrie was a lot better than he was, but until now, he hadn?t realized just how big that gap really was.

[I]There?s no way the Council will allow me to stay here long enough for real training. [/I]Adrian sat up slowly, careful to not disturb Astera who was curled up in silk blankets next to his pillow, fast asleep. He looked to the window to see that it was light out, he had either slept the day away, or the night as well, making it morning of the next day. It didn?t matter though, what did was that by not having to waste any spiritual energy to ward himself and Astera, the healing process was well underway. In another day, two at most, he would be fully healed.

Silently Adrian got up, heading over to the window to gaze out at the field and training area, feeling defeated. He leaned out a bit, both hands resting on the open window sill, his thoughts in turmoil. He had made so many mistakes, endangering not only himself but Astera too. If not for Nathan, both of them would have died. With a sigh, Adrian turned back to the bed when he felt that Astera was starting to wake up. He smiled at the sight of her stretching a bit as she truly woke up, sitting up sleepily. He didn?t know how, but if he couldn?t get training here, he?d find a way, somehow.

[CENTER]-------------------------[/CENTER]
Gavrie had gotten what he wanted, it hadn?t been too hard to convince them that he should train Adrian, he wasn?t going to explain it to the boy though. That too was part of the deal and though he would have rather left it alone, it had been the best route to ensure that they got the training they needed without too many complications. By now he was certain the pair would be healed enough to start and as he landed on the front veranda to his home, the feel of their auras as they slept confirmed his thoughts.

He sat down in his usual spot, Karl choosing to sit in the chair opposite instead of curling up on his shoulders like he often did. The two merely stared at one another and only the tiniest hint of a twitch in Karl's tail from time to time betrayed the irritation that he seemed to be feeling.

?[B]You got permission.[/B]? He stated flatly.

?[B]Yes.[/B]?

?[B]Why? You know what that will mean.[/B]?

?[B]I know what it will mean if I don?t.[/B]? Gavrie crossed his legs, sitting up a little straighter. ?[B]Do you have a better solution?[/B]? It was obvious from Karl?s flattened ears that he did not.

?[B]Would you have me turn them down?[/B]? He asked softly, even though he knew the answer already.

?[B]Of course not![/B]? Karl snapped. ?[B]It?s just that?[/B]? He looked to the side, his tail twitching even more. ?[B]I hate my other form.[/B]?

?[B]All the more reason to use it.[/B]? He kept a straight face when Karl looked back to see if he was being serious. ?[B]He won?t understand anyway.[/B]?

?[B]I know.[/B]? Karl sighed, turning his attention towards the back of the home as both of them could feel that Adrian had woken up, the change in his aura unmistakable.

?[B]Besides,[/B]? Gavrie quipped. ?[B]You?re getting rusty.[/B]? He grinned at the irritated glance Karl shot in his direction before hopping down with a look of disgust to head into the home to retrieve the two. With a negligible sigh of his own Gavrie got up to head for the training area.

[CENTER]-------------------------[/CENTER]
Adrian was confused. Instead of the lecture he had expected and felt he deserved to receive, he was standing inside the fences surrounding the training area, baffled by having been fetched by Karl. In the past, other than to watch a little and to offer cutting remarks, Karl had never given him the time of day, and he had never entered the fenced off area. Gavrie, along with Astera was sitting on one of the larger wooden posts, his look unreadable.

[I]What is going on here? [/I]Adrian looked to Karl who was calmly sitting about ten feet from where he stood, grooming himself as if he didn?t have a care in the world. He looked back to Gavrie who had an amused grin on his face, wondering what the deal was since other than to tell him he would be staying until he said he was done, he had refused to explain how he had gotten the Council to agree to his training.

It was perplexing since unless things had changed, he knew from before that extensive training beyond what one got when they became a Shinigami, was not allowed. Though Gavrie had still found the time to slip in some additional training after he found Astera anyway. [I]How did he get permission?[/I] It was a question that by the look in Gavrie?s eyes, he was certain he would not get an answer to.

Before he could do more than frown slightly a shift in energy, coming from Karl?s direction, caught his attention, something he had never sensed before. It was spiritual energy, but different from that of a Reaper. Startled he looked back in time to see what, to his eyes, looked like some form of mist surrounding Karl. With a mental twist it flared and then settled into the shape of a human. Without thinking, Adrian took an involuntary step backwards in surprise. Not because he didn?t know that werecats could change into a human form, but because he had never seen Karl do so before.

Dressed all in black with brown boots, gauntlets and belt, the shirt open a few buttons in the front; he was just under six feet tall, his frame a medium build. Dark chocolate brown hair, the same color of his fur, fell about six inches past his shoulders. Green eyes met his and Adrian noticed what looked like a decorative tattoo framing his right eye, the blue color standing out sharply.

The greatest shock came next when yet another stirring of power could be felt and twin scimitars materialized in Karl?s hands. A few practice twirls and swings made it clear he was no stranger to the blades either. Adrian was stunned; doing nothing but staring in shock. [i]Familiars can summon weapons?[/i] He couldn?t help but glance at Astera even though he knew through the bond that she was just as surprised as he was.

Gavrie snickered at his dumbfounded look. "[B]Surely you don't need me to spell things out for you?[/B]"

Adrian opened his mouth but nothing came out. [I]Surely he's kidding... isn't he?[/I]

"[B]Did you really think this dimwit would get it?[/B]" Karl sighed.

Adrian's gaze shot back to Karl who was giving him a look of disgust. [I]What the hell?[/I] He knew he should say something, but for the life of him, his mind was going utterly blank.

"[B]Summon your scythes Adrian,[/B]" Gavrie explained patiently. "[B]For now you will be working with Karl for combat training.[/B]"

"[B]But...[/B]" He started to protest but Gavrie cut him off.

"[B]No buts.[/B]" He said firmly.

"[B]Don't worry, I'll go easy on you.[/B]" Karl snidely quipped.

Snarling inwardly Adrian summoned his scythes, wondering what the hell to expect as he moved into the first basic defensive stance that he had learned, the left scythe angled in front to block, the right loosely to the side and ready to strike. Karl just gave him a tiny half smile, something that only served to increase the feelings of uneasiness that Adrian was experiencing.[/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]When you're busy...[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]
When Lucia woke up the next morning it was clear what she needed to do. She was going to have to take on more work in the human world to do it, but that was irrelevant since unless she got hurt again, sleep was unnecessary. The only potential issue would be the reaction of her ?keeper? once they realized what she was up to. Technically what she was going to do did not violate her agreement, but it could be taken in the wrong light by the Council. If she did it, there was the possibility that it would lead to harsher measures being used, such as the second seal.

However, if she didn?t, there was also the possibility that another assignment like the Count could result in her and the others getting killed. In her mind, that was an unacceptable risk, to continue blindly in the dark when knowing more about Vampires was essential. She was certain there were others far more powerful than he had been. For one who was immortal, so long as they were around, it was only a matter of time until she ran into them again.

?[B]You?re up to something.[/B]? Ruby was sitting on the makeshift desk next to Lucia who was checking her messages while pulling up information on work that was available.

Lucia smiled a little, feeling oddly pleased with her decision to do something instead of blindly accepting what she had been told. Or perhaps it was because even if it would be primitive, the idea of building her own computer lab and security for the studio, was something she was looking forward to doing. It had been far too long since she had done any form of real research.

?[B]What gives you that idea?[/B]?

?[B]You have that look you get when you?re going to do something that will annoy the Council.[/B]?

Lucia smiled even more. ?[B]I am, though technically what I intend to do is within my agreement. I may have agreed to give up the research in my original lab, I did not give up the right to do research outside the void. And what I have in mind isn?t the same type of research anyway.[/B]?

?[B]They won?t see it that way.[/B]? Ruby cautioned.

?[B]That?s too bad.[/B]? Lucia?s voice was flat. ?[B]I?m going to build a computer lab here so I can track down information on the Vampires, what I have now just isn?t up to that kind of work.[/B]?

?[B]Lucia.[/B]?

?[B]I know what you?re thinking Ruby, but it?s clear they aren?t going to give us the information we want. I?d rather risk another seal than continue and end up with another assignment that could end with our deaths. I find it unlikely that the Count was the only rouge Vampire, just as I?m sure there are others who are far more powerful.[/B]?

?[B]Well yeah,[/B]? Ruby hedged. ?[B]But I don?t want to see you get into trouble either.[/B]?

She reached over to scratch Ruby behind the ears for a moment. ?[B]I know, but I think we are already.[/B]? She went back to what she was doing, which was logging into the network of one of the major companies she had done work for in the past. It didn?t take her long to request a quick conference with her contact there, she never had to wait for long and a few minutes later she had him on screen, a blonde haired human male in his mid thirties.

?[B]It?s been a while Lucia, what can I do for you?[/B]? He was being polite of course, since Lucia never called him unless she was looking for work.

?[B]I?m looking for an assignment, only this time, I need something that will pay a lot more.[/B]?

?[B]As blunt as always Lucia,[/B]? He laughed a bit. ?[B]I do have several projects that would most likely fit, but they wouldn?t suit your terms.[/B]?

?[B]Then I?ll look elsewhere,[/B]? She started to close the connection only to halt when he moved to stop her, speaking quickly.

?[B]Whoa! I?m not finished![/B]? Once he had her attention again he continued. ?[B]What I was going to explain is that you?d need to come in and meet with the director of the projects.[/B]? He ran his right hand through his hair in a nervous gesture that he seemed to be unaware of.

?[B]You see, he doesn?t believe me that you?re as good as I tell him you are. These guys are use to setting the rules, not the other way around.[/B]? He smirked just a bit. ?[B]It would be a simple matter for you to convince them otherwise I?m sure.[/B]?

Lucia sighed inwardly, even if she sort of understood the nature of how humans thought, it still annoyed her at times that she had to prove to them that she was more than capable of doing the work. If what he said was true, she?d run into the same problem no matter where she went. And there was no getting around the fact that she was going to need more than just a light cash flow for what she had in mind. Plus, even if it was a simple matter to get money if she wanted to, it was best to not disrupt the human world by doing it in what they would consider an illegal fashion.

?[B]Very well then, what time should I stop by?[/B]?

?[B]How quickly do you need to? Because normally, they?ll make you wait for weeks, but I intend to skip all that.[/B]?

?[B]This afternoon. That?s not a problem for you is it?[/B]? Not that she really cared, but again, it went along the lines of not creating unnecessary ripples for the humans.

?[B]Are you kidding? Of course it is.[/B]? His expression wasn?t serious though. ?[B]But, like I said, they?re use to calling the shots and my job is to make sure they don?t miss out on opportunities; even if that means butting in when I see fit.[/B]?

He paused to look at another screen before he turned back to the one with her. ?[B]I can clear my schedule for two this afternoon, how?s that?[/B]?

Lucia had already checked her communicator after waking up, the messages going from an insistence that she call back to a final one of we?ll wait for you to contact us for work again. She was healed, but that could wait until after she got this taken care of.

?[B]Two o?clock then.[/B]? She barely waited for him to nod before she ended the call. It was sort of annoying to have to deal with what she was sure would be pigheaded humans who had an overinflated opinion of themselves.

Her contact was right though, she would have no trouble proving them wrong. After all, their kind of work or rather projects were so utterly primitive that it was almost no work at all. The only challenge and even it wasn't much of one, was to make sure she didn't actually improve it more than what was currently out in the human world.[/FONT][/COLOR]

[Rachmaninoff]

[CENTER][B]Restlessness[/B][/CENTER]
?[B]So Alex,[/B]? Patrick was saying after the group had settled down in the living room to his apartment, though Isen was keeping off to herself, something that considering how Terry and Fiero were a bit too friendly at times, did not surprise him.

?[B]Let me get this straight. You?re short handed because of dealing with a vampire?[/B]? Alex started to reply but Patrick just held his hand up from where he was sitting on the other end of the sofa, facing Alex. ?[B]It?s not necessary to explain it again. The problem was dealt with and there?s nothing else to worry about.[/B]?

[I]Is he actually serious?[/I] Alex just stared at him in confusion. [I]How can he say that? Did he not listen to a word I just said?[/I] Alex had spent the past hour explaining all that had happened, even how the others could move so quickly, how he had gotten hurt, and yet - Patrick seemed unconcerned by what he had just heard. Alex hadn?t even gotten to the part where he ran into Victor L?Envers, nor how he could sense other vampires throughout the city. [I]Is he unable to sense them?[/I] He shook his head a bit.

[I]Why am I surprised?[/I] He sighed inwardly, this reaction was why he hadn?t planned on asking Patrick for help in the first place. He had already been pretty certain that he couldn?t help him. As well as the fact that further training wasn?t really allowed. It was something that made no sense at all, no matter how he ran it through his mind. It just seemed hard to believe that the higher ups would be unaware of the problem of vampires still being around.

?[B]Patrick, doesn?t it bother you that this Count was around and yet no one seemed to be aware of it until Aeru was kidnapped?[/B]? He insisted, trying on some level to get Patrick to take him more seriously.

?[B]I?m sure if there was a real problem the Council would have dealt with it.[/B]? A sort of scoffing noise was heard and the group turned towards Isen, but she was looking out the window, her attention elsewhere.

What would have been said next was interrupted by the unmistakable feel of another Shinigami approaching, something that Alex recognized immediately as Nathan. Patrick picked up on it as well, getting up at the same time Alex did; both of them turning to face the direction it was coming from.

?[B]I wonder who that could be.[/B]? A moment later a sharp knock was heard and Patrick instantly moved to answer it. It was of course Nathan and as Alex took the time to introduce the pair, explaining why Patrick was there; he couldn?t help but groan inwardly.

[I]How am I suppose to talk to Nathan with Patrick here?[/I] He looked back and forth between the two and then glanced to Nall who was sitting on his left shoulder; but all he did was give him a shrug. [I]This is going to be awkward, especially if Patrick stays at my place instead of getting his own.[/I] Plus he didn?t know why Nathan wanted to talk to him either.

The two were waiting patiently on him to say something, anything, but he didn?t know where to begin. ?[B]Uh?[/B]?

The moment was interrupted by Patrick getting a call, something that he took a brief moment to answer before turning to offer his apologies to the group with a smile. ?[B]I?m sure I don?t need to explain that.[/B]? He nodded politely to Nathan, ?[B]Till next time.[/B]? Moments later, he was gone.

[B]?So that?s your mentor,[/B]? Nathan trailed off, still looking in the direction that Patrick had ghosted out of the apartment, looking thoughtful.

?[B]Yes,[/B]? Alex cringed inwardly a bit. [I]How am I suppose to ask him for help now?[/I] He took a deep breath, determined to do so anyway. ?[B]I have something I wish to ask you.[/B]?

?[B]Oh?[/B]? Nathan looked back to Alex.

?[B]Well? you see? I was wondering if you could show me how to move quickly like you, the Count and Adrian can.[/B]? He asked, forgetting momentarily in his nervousness that Isen had told him Nathan wished to speak to him.

?[B]So you?re looking for training.[/B]? Nathan stated.

?[B]Yes.[/B]?

There was silence between the two for a moment and then Nathan took on that usual amused grin that he often had.

"[B]How about we go somewhere else to discuss it?[/B]"

"[B]Okay.[/B]"

Nathan turned, giving Isen a brief glance and then the pair ghosted out of the apartment with Alex and Nall close behind. Alex was wondering where they were headed and then he was even more puzzled when it became apparent that their destination was one of the large open parks on the outskirts of the city.

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][CENTER][B]Earth-side Assignment[/B][/CENTER]
Phaidra had always liked the capitol. Or was it the market that she liked best? Half a millennia ago, for her studies, she had tested the theory that food could possibly boost one?s magical reserves. It had proven to be something that made no difference, but she had developed a liking to making desserts as a result. She and Sarvel were on the path overlooking the Capitol from the west side, pausing to take in the view. The capitol was similar to the rest of the Shinigami?s world with one major exception. The massive gate leading to the human world. It along with what were the buildings that housed their form of government, was seated along the north edge of the city, overlooking the rest like some massive sentinel.

The city itself was plain, the buildings no more than a story or two high, the streets pathways of green. Trees, flowers, grass and artistically placed bodies of water, all of it giving the capitol an air of serenity that Sarvel had once commented on as being soothing. The rolling hills carefully cultivated so that the sound of gentle waterfalls could be heard from almost any location. The mass of winding paths one could take gave the illusion of privacy when going about one?s business. Like so many abodes in their world, it was designed to flow with nature instead of obstructing it.

Wasting no time, the pair continued on their way, angling for the closest entrance that would lead to the gate to the human world. It was easy to find their way, the gate was impossible to miss. Most buildings in the Shinigami world were no more than three stories tall, the Council buildings being one of the few that was. The massive gate was another story, it was easily eight to ten stories tall, towering over everything in the surrounding area. The portal at the top visible from far beyond the city limits.

The closer Phaidra and Sarvel got, the more they could feel it?s presence. It was like a beacon of spiritual energy, that of those who used it; surrounded by what had to be seals of magic meant to detect and monitor passage back and forth between the two worlds. It was possible that others did not feel it, but to her and Sarvel, it was as plain as day. She put it out of mind as they entered the building at the base and in front of the structure.

There were only a handful of Shinigami present, wearing plain clothing of blue with tiny little symbols etched into front of their tunics; clearly stating they were gate personnel. The flow of traffic was far lighter than Phaidra was expecting as well, no more than a dozen Shinigami waiting to get clearance to pass through.

?[B]Your name please?[/B]? The blond woman quick and to the point with no hint of a smile.

?[B]Phaidra and Sarvel.[/B]? She waited for her to check the records for her arrival.

?[B]New assignment.?[/B] The woman indicated another one of the Shinigami standing over and to the side, behind what looked like a type of desk. ?[B]Jeff will get you outfitted.[/B]?

[I]Outfitted?[/I] Puzzled the pair took themselves over to the one indicated. Smiling hesitantly she approached him; Sarvel hopping up on the counter to take a look for herself.

?[B]What does she mean by outfitted?[/B]? Sarvel asked immediately.

Jeff smiled. ?[B]You must be Phaidra and Sarvel.[/B]? He pulled out a small bag that was sitting under the counter, handing it over to the two once Phaidra had nodded indicating that they were.

?[B]Correct. What did she mean though?[/B]? Phaidra ignored the bag, leaving it to Sarvel who was already getting into it.

?[B]Your cell phone of course. The one you have now isn't allowed on the other side.[/B]?

"[B]Oh, right.[/B]" Phaidra pulled hers out handing it over, now that he mentioned it, she remembered being told that she would be given something different to use. She took the new one being pushed her way by Sarvel, opening it up to take a look.

"[B]Your contact is listed there. Once you're on the other side they'll get you settled in and answer any questions that might come up.[/B]"

Phaidra pulled up the messages and short contact list of those who were assigned to the city she would be working in. One was tagged as being her contact; someone by the name Lucia. She looked back up when Jeff spoke again.

"[B]Lucia has already been informed of your arrival. Now unless you have more questions, this way please.[/B]" He got up and lead the way to one of the doors leading to the back of the building and front of the gate structure.

Once outside, Phaidra and Sarvel hesitated at the feel of the system designed to monitor those who came to enter the gate. It was like feeling sunlight on her skin, probing and searching. The sensation was brief, but there was no mistaking it. It had identified both her and Sarvel. Her guide stopped and pointed up.

"[B]Just head through the gate, it's already set to send you to the proper location.[/B]" He waited patiently for the pair to head up and then through the gate before turning and heading back inside the building.

It was an odd sensation; interdimensional travel. For both Phaidra and Sarvel, it was their first time and the feeling of being immersed in liquid glass so cold as to take one's breath away was startling. It was sudden and quick, making her stumble a tiny bit upon arriving in the human world. The sensation was quickly gone and she opened up her cell phone to look up the information telling her how to locate Lucia's abode. [/FONT]

[Horendithas]

[SIZE="1"][COLOR="Indigo"][CENTER][SIZE="2"][B]Distractions...[/B][/SIZE][/CENTER]
Adrian picked himself up for the third time off the hard ground of the training area, ignoring the taste of dirt in his mouth while resisting the urge to dust his clothing off. He got the feeling that it wouldn?t be the last time that he would be sent sprawling. It was certainly one of the few times he found himself unable to recover before he hit the ground though. [I]What in the world is the Council thinking?[/I] He called his scythes once again, having lost them when he was sent flying.
[I]
Why is standard training so pathetic?[/I] What Karl had been running him through was far more grueling than anything he had ever done before. He didn?t have much time to think about it, Karl saw to that. Every time Adrian did something that Karl considered stupid, he would deliver a corrective measure in the form of a painful slap or in the case of something truly dumb, he would send him flying. Not before he explained to him why a move or behavior was dumb, but after Karl had taken the time to explain and correct him when he made a mistake. It was only when he fell back on it out of instinct that Karl reminded him by taking advantage of it to correct him. [I]Painfully. [/I]

At this rate he was going to be black and blue by the time they got done, making him glad that Shinigami healed quickly. Still, he was already getting sore and Gavrie was making it harder by calmly sitting to the side and running Astera through all sorts of questions. With their tight bond, it was the same as if he was sitting there talking to Gavrie. All her thoughts, questions and answers were foremost in his mind; just as his attempts to follow what Karl was doing was in hers.

The effect was one of utter confusion for both of them as they tried unsuccessfully to keep their minds separate from what the other was doing. Adrian had been tempted to ask Gavrie to shut up and leave Astera alone. The only thing holding him back was that he got the feeling it would make him look even more stupid if he actually said something. He only wished he knew why Gavrie was doing it since he had to know what a terrible distraction it would be for him.

Too late he realized that he had done it again, allowed his attention to wander. He only got a split second to realize it before Karl?s left foot slammed into his chest, sending him flying to land hard on his back again.[I] How many times am I going to get hit?[/I] It was starting to really frustrate him. Adrian started to get up and halted half-way when Karl came over, stopping when he was only a few feet away.

?[B]Stop being distracted by what Astera is doing idiot.[/B]? He surprised Adrian by offering his hand and pulling him up.

?[B]It?s not that simple.[/B]? Adrian protested. ?[B]I can?t shut her out.[/B]?

?[B]Who said anything about shutting her out?[/B]? Karl sighed as he let go of his own weapons, sending them to where a familiar kept them before folding his arms across his chest.

?[B]Bond?s were originally formed with the intent of developing a tactical advantage in battle; to give a Reaper a secondary set of eyes. Any Shinigami capable of forming a bond was given additional training to in order to better utilize their new ability.[/B]? He started walking over to where Gavrie and Astera were still sitting, not bothering to see if Adrian was following or not.

?[B]It was quickly learned that there were two types of bonds, the first enables the ability to communicate telepathically. However, its only capable of simple speech where the other type of bond does far more, in addition to being able to talk mind-to-mind, the pair also feels what the other is thinking; sees what the other is seeing.[/B]?

Adrian took a seat next to Gavrie, secretly grateful for the break. He was sure that Gavrie and Karl knew he was sore and exasperated from the extended sparring session. Though to him, it had felt more like a slaughter than a spar since he was nowhere close to being able to keep up with Karl. Most of the time had been spent getting lectured on his obvious mistakes, and then shown how to correct the mistake followed by more facing off as Karl ran him through everything he knew.

Karl looked to him and Astera who had moved to sitting on his shoulder, ?[B]You?re not going to learn to shut her out; even if that were possible it wouldn?t do you any good. What you [I]are[/I] going to do is learn to have more than one thought at a time in that head of yours.[/B]?

Adrian could feel Astera stiffen at the insult but quickly moved to head it off, something that after giving him a mental snort, she accepted. [B][I]?There was no need for him to be rude about it.-[/I][/B]

[I][B]-Yes there was. My stupidity nearly got both of us killed, more than once.- [/B][/I] He could feel that she did not agree, but that she was not going to argue with him over it. [B][I]?I just hope we?re done soon for today, at this rate, I?m going to be too sore to move.-[/I][/B]

?[B]Both of you have a lot to learn,[/B]? Karl finished. ?[B]Now go and do something else for a while, doesn?t matter what.[/B]? He smirked. ?[B]I?m sure by now you must be feeling it Adrian.[/B]? He smiled knowingly at Adrian?s look of barely concealed irritation before turning back into his usual feline form and lazily sauntering back to the home. [/COLOR][/SIZE]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="RoyalBlue"][FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][CENTER][SIZE="3"][B]Do As I Say[/B][/SIZE][/CENTER]
Lucia did not want to go to her appointment with the company she intended to work for. There were several reasons of course, all of them quite valid in her mind. The first one was the obvious irritation of having to explain to someone just how stupid they really were. That one never failed to annoy her, having to constantly prove that she knew what she was doing when she had already done work that proved it. Did they really have such short term memories? It was something that she often wondered about since their behavior usually indicated it was posturing, a belief that they were somehow superior over her and not a real need for her to prove it yet again.

The second one was different and yet equally annoying, something that as she walked into the building in question was brought to the surface by the receptionist objecting to Ruby?s presence. Lucia knew the humans didn?t allow animals into their workplaces except under special circumstances, but that was something she wasn?t going to budge on. Ruby was always to be allowed with her. No matter what or where, it was her rules and she expected them to be followed. Like always she ignored the woman?s protests and then followed her after a quick check by the woman showed that she was expected. Of course the protests over Ruby?s presence ended as well, which was good, Lucia was in no mood to put up with it.

?[B]Lucia, thank you for coming as requested.[/B]? The blonde human, her contact, smiled as the receptionist showed her into his office before leaving.

?[B]No thanks are needed Jason.[/B]? She was about to continue when the soft chime of her Crystal communicator sounded. [I]Who could that be?[/I]

She had not contacted the one responsible for giving her assignments to let them know she was ready yet. Puzzled she ignored Jason in favor of pulling it out, oblivious to his curious look over what she was holding. The message was short and to the point and only served to irritate her even further. The language was clear; there would be no objection to this assignment.[I] Of all the times to?! Why the hell did they assign her to me? [/I]

?[B]Lucia, is everything alright?[/B]?

She forced herself to smile reassuringly as she put the communicator away, ?[B]It?s nothing, and I?m ready to meet this director of yours.[/B]? She made herself relax as much as possible, getting upset would change nothing after all.

?[B]This way then,[/B]? he took her back out into the hallway and further into the building. It took him little time to reach their destination a set of fancy double doors with an equally fancy plaque on the door, something Lucia did not bother to read. She had no interest in knowing the name of the person she would be talking to. She just waited patiently for the inevitable stupid conversation of [I]tell me why you are interrupting me[/I] and so forth to finish, only turning to face the man when he called her name.

?[B]So you?re Lucia,[/B]? the taller dark haired human had a bit of a sneer on his face. ?[B]And I?m supposed to believe that you really are capable of what Jason tells me?[/B]?

?[B]That depends on what you?ve been told,[/B]? Lucia answered.

His eyebrow shot up at that reply while Jason who was standing to the side was giving her an odd look. ?[B]You do have to tell me what you?ve been told if you want an answer, I do not read minds.[/B]? Lucia explained patiently.

?[B]Cute, that's [I]really[/I] cute.[/B]? The director said snidely.

The sarcasm was not lost on Lucia; she just sighed inwardly and answered. ?[B]I am going to assume you are referring to my ability to write and understand computer programs. It?s simple; there is nothing here that I cannot do.[/B]?

?[B]Nothing, are you sure about that?[/B]?

?[B]Why would I lie?[/B]? Lucia was genuinely puzzled. ?[B]If you wish for me to prove this, then chose something that you think I could not do and I?ll do it right now.[/B]?

?[B]Or you?ll just tell me it would take too long.[/B]?

?[B]Only if you?re stupid enough to pick a task that requires time.[/B]? She ignored his look of anger over the insult. ?[B]You are the Director of the project I am interesting in working on, so I?m assuming you can think of a good test.[/B]?

His eyes narrowed in anger but Lucia was unfazed, she knew her ability was in demand. Just as she knew that many human programmers were rather arrogant about their ability as well. It was something she had run into in the past, others who saw her as a threat to their job. She did not care, after all their threats to get her fired had been rather amusing, like the attempts to sabotage her work had been. It was possible that her terms were considered arrogant as well, but she did not care about that. Her priority was not to her job as a programmer but as a Shinigami, something they could not understand nor could she explain.

?[B]And what if I were to tell you to just leave?[/B]? He finally replied.

?[B]What if I were to tell you that you?re an idiot?[/B]? Lucia countered. ?[B]Either you wish to have me working for you or you don?t. Or is this your way of saying you need me to think of a test for you?[/B]? She sighed, not bothering to hide it.

?[B]You?re all the same and I find it tiresome really,[/B]? She brushed past him and took a seat at his desk, pulling out the keyboard to his personal system there. ?[B]Watch and learn fool.[/B]?

?[B]There?s nothing to watch, you?re to leave immediately before I call security.[/B]? He finally demanded after watching Lucia doing something to his terminal.

Lucia just raised an eyebrow and fixed him with a side glance while she proceeded to hack into his personal network. ?[B]Go right ahead, though I?ve already activated the locks to your office.[/B]? A fact that was reinforced by them hearing the sound of them clicking in place as the electronic locks snapped on.

?[B]Now you listen here,[/B]? the Director sputtered as he moved to force her to get up, something Lucia beat him to by standing up, leaving everything she had done up on his screen.

?[B]No, you listen here,[/B]? she echoed his words. ?[B]I demand certain conditions and if that?s a problem then I?ll go elsewhere. I don?t need you or anyone else for that matter. I choose to work because it?s quicker, not because I actually need to.[/B]? Lucia moved to leave, intending to contact the next company instead.

?[B]Sir?[/B]?

?[B]How do I know you won?t just vanish? That you?ll finish what you start?[/B]?

Lucia?s hand was about to touch the keypad next to the door, she stopped and turned back to face the man. ?[B]I have always finished everything I start, check the records of what I?ve done. I did pull them up for you so they?re right there on your screen.[/B]? She folded her arms and waited for him to take a look.

It would be interesting since not only did she always finish, but in spite of her odd hours and conditions, she did things in less than half the time other programmers did. But then for her, it was easy. Human programs were primitive and very simple. [I]If this idiot doesn?t make up his mind and soon?[/I] She couldn?t stick around for long, her message had seen to that, though it wouldn?t hurt if the one indicated in the message had to wait a bit.

?[B]Fine,[/B]? the director finally finished, looking up to meet her gaze. ?[B]I?ll have Jason contact you shortly with the details.[/B]?

Lucia just nodded in answer and let herself out, not bothering to stick around to talk to Jason. She, unfortunately, had another appointment, one that by now was probably waiting outside her apartment. [I]I?m going to have to help them find their own place to stay.[/I] She certainly wasn?t going to have them staying at her place any longer than was necessary.

The moment she was free of the building Lucia moved to an invisible state and took to the air, heading towards her own abode with haste. In all honesty she didn?t know whether to be glad they would have a replacement since that would in the long run make things easier, but in the immediate picture, it would require time helping them settle in that she would rather spend doing other things.

Sure enough as she approached her place she could feel the unmistakable aura of another Shinigami, one she had never felt before. The woman was standing on the street next to the stairs leading down to her studio. A moment later she looked up in Lucia?s direction, probably picking up on her approach. The moment she had landed the woman stuck her right hand out with the intent to shake hers, grasping it firmly before letting go.

?[B]You must be Lucia,[/B]? she seemed polite enough. ?[B]I?m Phaidra and this,[/B]? she indicated a tan colored fox sitting on the ground next to her, ?[B]is Sarvel.[/B]? [/FONT][/COLOR]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][CENTER][B]Tea Anyone?[/B][/CENTER]
Phaidra along with Lucia was sitting on the edge of the lowest building on the street where her abode was located, watching the humans as they went about their business. Lucia had insisted, taking them to the spot after briefly taking them to see the inside of where she lived. She was to the point about everything, enough that Phaidra wasn?t sure if she was irritated with her presence or not. It was too soon to tell. [I]Maybe she takes time to warm up to people? [/I]She had given her permission to make herself at home, other than what had appeared to be a type of lab set up against the far wall. That she had been instructed to leave alone.

But the rest of the place, as mismatched and dusty as it was, appeared to be fair game and though it looked unused, she did have a nice small business kitchen. [I]I wonder if I would have time to go and get what I would need to?[/I] Phaidra pulled her attention back to listening to what Lucia was saying.

?[B]Now, you see it correct?[/B]? She was telling her, having instructed her to do what she had been taught in theory but had yet to actually try since there were no humans back home.

?[B]Yes, I can.[/B]? It was just as her mentor had explained, by focusing on looking beyond the surface; one could sense and see the spiritual energy of all living things. One could also see the connection their souls had to their physical bodies.

It was fascinating to realize that on some level she could tell how close to death they were, the bonds between their bodies continually changing, slowly fading as their bodies wore out. She could also sense if that bond was going to be broken abruptly instead of simply fading beyond the physical body's ability to sustain it. It was an odd sensation to be frank and kind of puzzling, if the bonds were fading, why they were needed to? [I]Ah! I see![/I] It was faint, but that final tie required energy to break lose, energy that by then was lacking.

[I]But if that?s the case then why sudden death?doesn?t? Oh![/I] The answer for that was clear too, they didn?t know how to manipulate their own spiritual energy, most of them completely unaware of the connection in the first place, between their souls and their bodies. [I]So we have to make that cut for them so they can continue onto the next plane of existence. [/I]

?[B]Good, when the time comes, all you have to do is use your scythe to severe that connection.[/B]? Lucia stated as she stood up. ?[B]Just as you were given directions that enabled you to find where I am located, each time you receive an assignment you?ll be given the same thing. In time, you?ll find yourself able to simply locate them by sensing that it?s time for that connection to be dissolved.[/B]?

Phaidra got up as well, wondering what they were going to do next since she had no assignments just yet. She looked to Sarvel who had nothing to say. [I]Do I ask her about finding my own place yet?[/I] It was if Lucia read her thoughts when she spoke again.

?[B]Finding you a place will take some time so in the meantime, feel free to look around, we?ll discuss what you?d like a little later since I have something I need to take care of first.[/B]? Lucia turned to leave but halted and turned back when Phaidra called for her to wait.

?[B]Uh, where?s the nearest market?[/B]? If she had nothing to do? that kitchen of hers could be put in order. But to do that she would need supplies.

Lucia just pointed in the direction of a large building several streets over. ?[B]There?s one there that if I remember correctly carries a good variety, though if you just want something to eat, there are several restaurants down the street that will do as well.[/B]?

Phaidra nodded, ?[B]Thank you.[/B]?

As soon as Lucia and Ruby were gone she left with Sarvel to get what she wanted after briefly checking the kitchen again. It didn?t take them long since the place was clearly never used, but there was at least the necessary stuff for cooking. [I]I wonder if this came with the place since I doubt any of it has even been used.[/I] Phaidra set some of the stuff she found back down on the counter and left with Sarvel in tow.

?[B]Are you sure about this? She did say make yourself at home, but she might object to you cleaning up and making stuff.[/B]?

?[B]Well there?s only one way to find out.[/B]? Phaidra said as they returned to the apartment, the supplies held in her hands. ?[B]She was clear about not bothering her computer equipment so I?m sure it?s okay. And if it?s not, we?ll just wait until I have my own place.[/B]?

With a smile to herself Phaidra got started, first with the cleaning since the place was horribly dusty and totally unsuitable for cooking in that one did not want dust or other dirt to get into the actual food, it ruined the flavor and taste. In no time she had the kitchen cleaned from top to bottom, it wasn?t that hard really, and she?d been doing it for a very long time.

Before long the little strawberry, raspberry and chocolate cakes were done and the tea ready.[I] I wonder if Lucia and Ruby even like tea and cakes.[/I] She put it out of mind as she went to set things up on the balcony overlooking the lake outside. [/FONT]