Abysmal Souls Chapter 5

[CT075]

Ormis

Ormis didn't know what to make of this. Grant was just being a smug bastard, but the kid's every instinct was to let it play out. Something told him that Grant wouldn't take favorably to someone interfering. So Ormis followed quietly, watching the tension stretch.

Wait for it...

The second the soldier's hand touched Carrion's throat, though, that was enough. Ormis drew his sword, tapping his sheath against the wall for attention. Neither Grant nor Carrion seemed to notice it, though, which just made the kid mad. Carrion had backed up a few steps, giving Ormis room to plant himself between Grant (that sonofabitch) and the rest of the group. From the looks of it, he wasn't the only one with his weapon drawn.

The kid knew that he'd never be able to take the soldier in a one-on-one fight, but Gideon was there, and Amera. Quietly, he placed the tip of his sword on the floor.

"That's enough."

Rina

The book was about legendary mages and sorcerers, nothing really interesting. Rina was about to put it away and get a new one when a name caught her eye.

"The Crimson Witch?"

Therese had said something about that earlier. Oh well. Can't hurt to look.

The Devourer, sometimes referred to as the Crimson Witch, is a... specializing in powerful fire magicks. She is also rumored to have the ability to use necromancy... ...is rumored to be at large once more.

A bit of newspaper was stuck inside, at the same page.

The Crimson Witch has been reported sighted in the Shuthran capital of Pravna... ...traveling with a large knight, two Anri, a huge, axe-wielding brute and two possibly teenaged boys. Additional rumors speak of a fancily-dressed horseman, but these have yet to be...

...a fancily dressed horseman, a knight...?

Those were the two in the inn. Therese had shot one of them. Rina was sure of it.

"...you're a sick fuck! Don't touch me again, or I swear to the GODDESS HERSELF, I will incinerate you, and..."

Curious, the girl followed the voice.

In front of her was an Anri, a huge axe-wielding brute and two possibly teenaged boys. One of which had his sword out. On second glance, there was a short girl with pink hair, the girl from the bush, and that one-legged soldier from earlier. From the looks of it, the larger group was confronting the soldier. None of them had noticed her, standing behind them, which was proooobably a good thing.

The dark haired boy with the sword was saying something softly that she couldn't make out.

She strung her bow and notched an arrow. Rina didn't like to shoot anyone if she could help it, but this is too much. A gang this size, attacking a cripple? No way.

Rina tightened her lips, and let fly.

Edited September 6, 2011 by Cam

[Jaybee]

Cyrus

Was this where he was supposed to be? It looked about right - low mountain, not too barren, a place where the wolves would probably be. He took a quick, sweeping look around, and found his target - a pack of wolves, around 10 or so, chasing down a herd of yaks. Too easy.

He calmly walked down to where the animals where, both his gloved hands gripping his sword tightly. As the wolves began to devour the few yaks they had caught, Cyrus continued to walk towards them. As he stood watching them eat, a pale, blue light began to slide its way up from the hilt of the sword to its tip. When the wolves had finished their meal, Cyrus sighed and swung his sword through the air from his left shoulder to his right side.

A line of ice spikes erupted from the ground towards the wolves, instantly killing some and popping the rest up in the air, severely wounding them. The few remaining wolves left were helpless as Cyrus raised his sword for a second time, and a second beam shone, encasing them in blocks of ice.

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon

As Mel ranted, Amera came next to Gideon and whispered in his ear. "d'you think now would be a good time to just... get Mel out of here? I don't think she needs any of this, really..." She's probably right... "Let her vent a bit," he replied softly, watching the little girl warily. "It'll calm her down some, then we can get the whole story out of her." Amera seemed really uncomfortable with this situation - she must have really hated Grant. That wasn't something Gideon understood, but he wasn't about to object to it. He didn't know the whole situation anyway.

Then an arrow whizzed towards them. Gideon didn't have much time to react, and he didn't see exactly where it was going, so he just grabbed Amera and pushed her up the stairs a bit, where he knew she was out of range. When he looked up, through the disarray he saw that the arrow landed a bit to the left of Ormis, at Mel's feet. Wrong person to almost hit with an arrow...wait, who even shot that? "You okay?" he asked Amera, concerning himself with her safety first. "Sorry about that, I panicked." They had landed rather heavily, but not so much that they'd break anything; still, he didn't want her anywhere near flying arrows.

Melanie

Grant stared at her like an idiot as she yelled at him. Say something! For fuck's sake, I look like an idiot! Say something, damn you! "Look, Melanie... You want an honest answer? I. Don't. Know." Mel's eyes went wide, and she scoffed. You're shitting me. He went on and on with some bullshit about not knowing, or some moral struggle or something - she didn't listen, it sounded like an excuse - and then he turned to look at Carrion. She shook her head and groaned. Like talking to a fucking tree... "No, you know what? Go ahead. Figure it out for yourself. Come talk to me when you aren't..." Then Grant asked the question Mel wanted answered.

"Are the legends and the tales... are they true? Have you eaten corpses, murdered innocents, tortured children... Is any of that true?" Mel shut right up at that, and looked at Carrion expectantly. If she said yes, Mel would have a lot of backtracking and forgiving to do. "And if I lie? How would you know? It doesn't matter what my answer is to that, because if you're going to simply take it at face value, you're not really thinking it through well enough. Ask another question, that one isn't going to do anything for you." What the fuck? What kind of answer is that? Why can't you just admit it, instead of this cryptic bullshit? 'Nyeh nyeh nyeh I'm Carrion I'm mysterious I'm gonna confuse you!' Give him a fucking answer!

The rest of their exchange went over her head. She was just mad at them both, since apparently neither of them knew how to answer a simple question. Besides, every now and then they just spewed more rhetoric at one another, so it didn't concern her one bit. She didn't even hear the whistling over her inner monologue, and it was only after she heard the monkey and Amera hitting the stairs behind them that she looked down and saw the arrow at her feet. That was all it took. Her hands balled into fists, and her face reddened. Looking right up, her eyes blazing with raw, unbridled rage, she searched fiercely from where she stood. "Who the FUCK shot that!?" she near-screamed, glaring at everyone in her field of vision. "GET OUT HERE! WHO SHOT THAT!?" You best thank your lucky stars I don't have my wrench, whoever you are! Shooting arrows in a library! Is your brain a fucking potato?! "Ten seconds. You have ten FUCKING seconds to get out here before I come after you!" She stomped her foot, her breathing becoming hysterical. "ONE!" Nothing. "TWO!"

Gideon

Once again, Mel's reaction trumped reality. As if she hadn't just exploded, Mel basically screeched into the book-filled halls, her voice a pitch that Gideon was certain could be heard as far as Albion. He briefly found it funny that she was rampaging in a library, of all places, but the counting brought him back to earth. "Maybe now's the time to get her out of here," he suggested to Amera, desperately hoping she'd agree with him. "Before she burns down the city, yeah?"

[ReformBlade]

Carrion and Grant

Ducking the arrow, she was now flat on the ground, looking at where the arrow came from, spying a little girl with a bow quite near them. "What the hell, lady?! Who uses a weapon in public like this?!"

"Seriously!" Turning himself around, he spotted a little girl, the same one from before. Walking over to her with all the speed his one legged frame could muster, he simply glared at her. "Gimme that weapon and get the fuck out of here before I get the real authorities, little girl. Firing a weapon like that in here is beyond stupid, and just because you're young doesn't change that rule. So hand it over. Now."

Since when does he care about rules and regulations...? "Whatever... I'm out of here. Gideon, Amera, I'm heading out tomorrow morning if either of you are interested. Same goes to you as well Danyon... Y'all can do whatever you want, but I'm going hunting tomorrow..." Fed up with everything that happened today, she got herself up and dusted herself off, walking out of the library. A brisk walking pace brought her quickly in sight of Adrian, lifting her spirits up quite a bit and making her legs move that much faster, almost running at him. Before she knew it, she was hugging him from behind, "Hi there, sorry I'm late~!"

Pralken

"Good fucking riddance... You're not worth it, kid." It was a petty thought, but one he didn't remotely care to delve into further, simply spurring his horse on towards his ludicrous goal. Damnation or salvation... which is it gonna be, oh great Lushiris?

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

It took some doing for him to shake the worry of Carrion being back there with Grant, but he eventually did as he walked off to the inn. The fair was dying down, or at least the day time part of it was. The sun was setting as well. We didn't spend that long in the library, did we? I guess we did... though, I just want to sleep, right now... Oh, a bath would be amazing, right about now. Shower first, then bath. He smiled and trudged on, walking a little quicker as he really wanted to get this gross spread off of him. An unexpected impact shook that pleasant thought away, as he stumbled forward a few steps.

"Hi there, sorry I'm late~!" "Hey there to you, too... at least give me some warning next time, okay? You're really going to knock me over sometime, ha ha." He flashed a smile back at her, pulling her up beside him from her little hug. "So, done with the grumpy mercenary, are we?" he asked, rather passively, "I doubt you want to fill me in, and I don't really want to know what he just had to ask you, so how about... we go relax back at the inn? It's been a long day, we've learned a lot of things... and I need a shower." He could still smell the slime, wondering if it would be too much trouble to just wipe it off and let it rot on the street instead.

Amera

Grant and Carrion started their talk, Amera not really paying attention to either of them, now. She didn't want to hear Grant, and she already knew Carrion's side. "Let her vent a bit. It'll calm her down some, then we can get the whole story out of her." "Right... sorry, I really just wanted to get out of here, myself." She was getting more uncomfortable than she needed to be around Grant. As much as she hated to admit it, she understood why he did it, for the most part. So why are you this anxious, Amera? Really, what's an non-confrontational man with a stubbed leg going to do? Nothing, so... so just chill out. As much as she told herself to, she couldn't, and it was just getting on her nerves even more. She tried to listen in on what was going on, but it was just a bunch of roundabout questions that were passing over her head.

"Gideon, I'm not waiting anymore, let's ju-- Ah!" getting pushed up the stairs was more than enough to take her mind off of her problems and their conversation, tripping onto her behind as she hit a higher up step. "What the hell? Gideon, why'd you... whoa..." and then there was an arrow, sticking out of the floor. "You okay?" Gideon had fallen over as well, though he didn't seem as spooked as she did. She was just staring at the arrow, wondering if it would've hit had she not been pushed out of the way. "Sorry about that, I panicked." "Wha-- no, no, it's... it's fine. You've got to stop saving me like that! But... more importantly, who's shooting arrows in a library?" She was a tad stunned, not wanting to get hit with another arrow; the arrow from the week before had been enough. "Whatever... I'm out of here. Gideon, Amera, I'm heading out tomorrow morning if either of you are interested. Same goes to you as well Danyon... Y'all can do whatever you want, but I'm going hunting tomorrow..." "Right, sounds like fun." I dunno if Gideon'll want to go hunting after what happened last time, though. Before she could ask, something strange happened. As if getting shot at in a library wasn't strange enough.

Mel was much more vocal about this than Amera was, scaring her, once again, as she exploded into such a rage that Amera didn't even know if it was the same girl. "Maybe now's the time to get her out of here" She nodded, pulling herself off of the stairs. "Before she burns down the city, yeah?" "Right, before that happens, uh..." How do I even... might as well just try to talk to her. She carefully walked over to Mel, who might as well have been a time bomb at that point, and slowly placed a hand on her shoulder, "M-Mel? Let's just leave, alright? You seriously need to calm down... please, let's go, okay?" Please just say yes. I don't want to have to try to knock you out, or anything. People had begun to stare at them all, and she thought she saw a few guards making their way over. Please, Mel...

Edited September 8, 2011 by seph1212

[CT075]

Rina

That was a bad idea. "Uhh... uhhh..."

She dropped the bow and ran. The one-legged man seemed a lot scarier when he had a screaming crazy woman behind him. From the sound of it, they weren't actually fighting, regardless of what everyone outside said. She ran, and she ran, weaving through shelves, out doors, into alleyways, through buildings, just trying to get away from everything.

In the end, she found herself at the inn where Therese had originally dropped her off. It was a long shot (if they were searching for Therese, they'd definitely check here), but she went inside.

The room was trashed. Beyond the fact that the door was currently on the floor, in pieces (which would have been the bigger tip-off, one would think), small fires were in the wastebasket, there were darts all over the walls, smoke billowed from the bed. From the looks of it, there was a struggle of some sort. Underneath all the chaos, Rina spotted something.

Therese's hat was lying, trampled, on the floor near the doorway.

Ormis

"God-DAMMIT!"

Grant shoved Ormis aside, just in time for an arrow to almost nail him in the foot. He leaped backwards, cursing.

"Little bitch-"

The girl ran off. Mel (that was her name, according to the conversation he'd overheard) started screaming hysterically. Grant was shouting as well.

He did the first thing that came to mind. That is, swear loudly and run after her, if only because he wanted to get her back for shooting him in the foot. Every now and then he would catch a glimpse of her, but she'd throw something in his face, or he'd trip on something or other. The girl was... crying, from the look of it. Ormis redoubled his speed, determined to catch her. There was something very wrong here. He almost collided with a horse that was carrying a very familiar armored figure, an axe strapped to his back.

Teis

Teis had been asking about for the woman. The assassin he'd given up on finding, but the sniper. It was a gamble, but she probably didn't cover her tracks as well.

The trail led him to a larger inn on the outskirts of town. Skirting a small girl who ran past him in hysterics (probably looking for her mother), Ormis happened to run right into him.

"What the fu-"

Edited September 14, 2011 by Cam

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Lucretia

As Aurelio put his arm around her, she felt more content and safer in his arms. "Ever since I battled my mother you've been there for me..." her eyes began to close, and her head began to droop slightly. Her mumbling slowly became more and more inaudible as she drifted into sleep. "Aurelio, I love..." and she was out, nuzzled into Aurelio's chest.

Adano

"Yeah I think we can hold out here for a little while. Pravna won't go anywhere overnight."

"Pravna can wait until after this rain passes," Adano replied, "I just hope that it passes soon."

"Most of that stuff shouldn't be too bad. We weren't out there too long."

Adano looked through the dry things. "We've saved most of it; a lot of fruit and some of the grain is good. What do you want?" He asked, putting different things in Aurelio's direction.

Julius and Gabriel

With Cameron gone, the two were able to speak a bit more freely. Both took a more relaxed stance, and Gabriel closed the door to the room. "Want a seat?" He asked to Julius, offering one of the two luxury armchairs to him.

"I'm fine, Gabriel." Julius replied, remembering the many late night conversations that he and Gabriel had in those chairs. "I'll be leaving soon anyway."

Gabriel walked up to Julius and took his arm in his hand, holding it tightly. "I'm... I'm sorry."

"I don't care," Julius replied, pulling himself from Gabriel's grip, "you broke my heart and I'm done with you. I want one thing and one thing only."

"And I'm the one who can give you the yes or no; so please just hear me out, Julie." Julius shuddered, he remembered Gabriel calling him that name. "I love you. I have never stopped loving you. This was Cameron's idea, he told me everything. He wanted me for himself, and he wanted you gone."

"Well then why did I walk in on the two of you fucking in bed? That clearly wasn't just him." Julius returned fire, he wasn't letting Gabriel have his way.

"That..." Gabriel was pained by the memory; he knew that part of him was aware of the action, yet part of him was blind to it. "I admit, I was wrong there. I... I made a mistake, and I paid for it dearly. Please, Julius. Just come back to me."

[NagafenOfIlivikitty]

Fascinating. Breathtaking.

Oh goddess, oh goddess, oh goddess no.

Noel's eyes are wide and for a moment, she registers that she is flushing hard at the words Andy's saying. She speaks and with a slow effort to not stammer at the words, she speaks in a slightly calmer tone as well.

'It's... fine, Andy, I'm not... annoyed, just... don't leave Langley hanging, okay? If you... if you don't, then you can ask as much as you like, I... really won't mind.'

Course I won't mind. You called me breathtaking. You... why? I'm not... Her mind races silently and she stands there, her fur at her muzzle tinged harshly with red.

---

Langley's eyes are falling shut, slightly nodding out of consciousness. Her body is slipping slightly to the side and she's confused why she's so tired again, but maybe it's because she realises slowly that last night, her sleep had been infrequent, her eyes open silently at points as her body flashed in and out of the waking world and dreamless sleep.

So she mumbles, a boys name on her breath, a girls, her body curling into the chair, falling into slow rest.

---

I'm not thinking straight. That's what Carrie thinks as she see's his face become worried and her mind, her heart actually flickering. Too long alone she muses, to find a hint of worry this touching. She smiles as a result, a bright smile of kindness to the guy. He's been stand-up so far but... with his offer, she cannot ignore some hesitance.

'...I... don’t know, Horatio. It's... you've been funny in a few short moments, but.. I need some guarantee that you aren't gonna... you know, it's... I need to know I'd be safe around you, right?'

Carrie's brain flickers and a thought come into her mind, her smile soft too.

'..How about... you and I eat something and if I like how it goes, I'll rest up in your room if you prove a stand-up guy? Or...’

Her smile takes on a mischievous edge, even tired.

'Are you not man enough to try? ~'

[Nanami Touko]

Andy

Uh... she's blushing. Why is she blushing? Did I say something stupid again? Well you did just run your mouth. You really must've said something stupid... oh, now she's probably even more upset with me! Andy began to fidget, trying to think of a way to apologize and have her not annoyed with him before hearing her say surprising words, 'It's... fine, Andy, I'm not... annoyed, just...' He stopped his fidgets, looking at her finally. Really? You're not? '... don't leave Langley hanging, okay?' Huh? What does she mean? '... If you... if you don't, then you can ask as much as you like, I... really won't mind.' He had to ask, because he was completely confused at what she had meant, composing himself from his earlier outburst. "I-I'd love to ask you about... you, Noel, but, uhm... if you d-don't mind me asking something else, first?" He looked away again, unable to keep himself from staring at her without wanting to shout his thoughts at her, "wh-what do you mean by... don't leave her hanging? I'm afraid I don't understand..." I hope this doesn't annoy her further... I'm just asking for clarification, is all.

Horatio

Well, someone seems happy... I think. The reaction he was expecting her was exactly what he got, which made him smile again. '...I... don’t know, Horatio. It's... you've been funny in a few short moments, but.. I need some guarantee that you aren't gonna... you know, it's... I need to know I'd be safe around you, right?' "Right. Not surprised're offended, really. Can't just expect me to be a gentlemen when we've only known each other fer little over ten minutes, can ye? So, what d'you propose we do about that?" I'm sure she's already thought of somethin'... she's got that sort of look on 'er face. At least he assumed as such. Most women looked like that when they had an idea. Most women he knew. '..How about... you and I eat something and if I like how it goes, I'll rest up in your room if you prove a stand-up guy? Or...’ "Sounds like a good idea, an' I could use the food. But what's this 'or' about, eh?" Her smile was making him the slightest bit cautious, though he dropped that caution when she continued, 'Are you not man enough to try? ~' "Not man enough? Girl-- er, Carrie..." She's too tired t'really stop this, or protest it... and she doesn't look too heavy. He quickly scooped her up into his arms, chuckling a little, "there. Man enough for you?"

Edited September 9, 2011 by seph1212

[Shin]

Aurelio

"Aurelio, I love..."

And she was out. He lay her down on a blanket. Well, that certainly caught me by surprise. Did it really happen that quickly? Before he could ponder too much, Adano had offered him something to eat.

"We've saved most of it; a lot of fruit and some of the grain is good. What do you want?"

"Well, if we've got enough fruit, it'd be better if we got through some of that first. Worst comes to worst, we can get a little hunting done."

Oshea

All he could think about was that strange man. How dare he treat me like I'm worthless! I'll wow him so bad, he'll be begging to work for me! People can't always grasp my greatness, but I shall display unto the world my power! Laughing maniacally as he rode, he would have been a strange sight if any traveller had seen him.

[Jaybee]

Danyon

The little girl whom had been crying behind him was suddenly right up in Grant's face, screaming at him to explain things Danyon didn't understand. Grant and Carrion then proceeded to have a little "chat", and Carrion didn't really answer any of Grant's questions.

Then, an arrow landed at the girl's feet, and both her and Grant ended up raining hell on the poor soul who'd fired the arrow. Danyon knew he couldn't stop Grant, but he sure as hell could stop the girl from continuing her tirade, in a library no less.

He ran forward and clasped his hand over her mouth, pulling her back. "Damn it, girl, it's a library you're screaming in!" When he pulled her sufficiently away from the archer, whom by now had made her escape, he let go and noticed the bow on the floor, picking it up.

This is a strong bow. Light, strong, the wood is good. Easily worth 15 pieces if I can sell it, and I'm low on money.

He turned back to the enraged girl, and firmly said, "Quieten down in here, at least. If you want to yell, get the hell out of the city and do so."

[ReformBlade]

Carrion

"Hmmmmm... Resting does sound good." A large yawn found its way out of Carrion, the witch stretching and arching her back. "A nice, soft and cushiony bed sounds soooo goood right now." Her arm around Adrian's, she dragged him onwards towards the inn, up the stairs and finally back to their room where she promptly threw herself on the bed, arms and legs akimbo. "Aaaaah~..." kicking off her shoes, she let her feet dangle off the edge of the bed. "Go on, hurry up and shower you lazy son of a bitch and get your ass over here, pronto!" A smile accompanied her command as she let her eyelids finally close, sighing in a content fashion.

Grant

He was about to confiscate the weapon, but it seemed the man who was openly threatening him earlier had taken it upon himself to keep it on his person. This infuriated Grant but he didn't want to start up another incident. "Sir, I won't ask you to hand it over, but don't cause a scene." And with that, Grant went and found Liam, discussing what all he needed to do for the night.

Aiduen and Arcen

"Stupid tournament, stupid Arc, stupid world, stupid running, stupid..." It went on for a long time, her complaining becoming more and more incoherent as she walked away from Arcen as quickly as she could.

When he caught up to her, he was greeted by something he thought he'd never see. "Sis... why are you so upset? I didn't MEAN to knock you over?"

"I'll bet there's a ton of crap you never meant, Arc. Still doesn't mean a darn thing. You never learn, you never change, you think only of yourself and only think of what you're doing after you get in trouble. You're a selfish child! Go ahead, try and deny it! When's the last time you dropped everything you were doing just to help me out, hmm?"

"Well, uh... I..." He scratched his head and looked away, completely embarrassed by the realization. "Look, sis I di-"

"SHUT UP. I'm sick of hearing your dumb excuses, alright?! I just want some ME time, something YOU don't give a crap about. Just... go away. Don't bother talking to me or looking for me." And in an instant, she was gone, searching for a place to cool herself off and relax.

Arcen, on the other hand, was simply confused and felt guilty. Who said i don't care about you...?

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Melanie

Grant walked over to the archer (who was a girl - how did she even draw the bow!? This makes no sense!) and got in her face, growling at her to get out. Mel was about to direct her rage onto him, but then she saw how scared the girl looked. At least she looks sorry...wait. Wait, wait, wait. Bush girl!? No fucking- She groaned aloud as bush-girl began to make for the exit. "Yeah, get outta here!" she snapped after the girl. "Stupid! That was fucking stupid, you know that!?" Of course, now that she was gone, Mel had nothing to be mad at - she was just mad.

"M-Mel? Let's just leave, alright? You seriously need to calm down... please, let's go, okay?" Calm down? Why would I - She looked around for a moment, seeing the suddenly crowded space more or less empty. Then she noticed the guards, and the fact that, of the very few people left besides the monkey and Amera, one was mad at her. The other was...well, Grant. Crap. Um...okay, think, girl. How can you get around this? Ammie and monkey boy like you best, and they already offered, so...yeah, okay. She took a deep breath and looked at Amera, her emotions still haywire despite her best attempts to calm herself down. "I...can we just go?" she asked, her voice suddenly very small. "It's late, and I'm too tired to deal with all this and I'm hungry and - " A light went on. That's right! Free food! "Let's just go," she said quickly, half-smiling. Before she could get far, though, the angry guy pulled her back, causing her to flail instinctively. What now? I'm not gonna get raped, am I!?

"Damn it, girl, it's a library you're screaming in!" She was still a bit panicked, but apparently this guy didn't want to rape her, so she tried to control herself. It didn't work too well. "So you cover my mouth and drag me away!?" she snapped incredulously. "Quieten down in here, at least. If you want to yell, get the hell out of the city and do so." She arched an eyebrow. " 'Scuse me for being upset that someone just tried to kill me," she shot back, hands on her hips now. "And who died and made you noise warden? Ain't your damn business whether or not I'm loud!"

Gideon

You're shitting me. How had she suddenly changed the way she felt like that? Gideon could tell already that he'd hate having this girl around. Hopefully she'd take a liking to someone else and bother him instead. It didn't help that Danyon tried to shut her up, too, so he walked over to the re-ignited Mel (it amazed him that she could flick that on and off so easily) and stepped between her and Danyon. "Let it go," he said to Danyon, too tired to hide his irritation with this girl anymore. "And you," he said to Mel, "shut up. You aren't helping. If you keep acting like this, do you expect me to feed you later?"

Mel, part deux

Oops. Mel's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth, nodding. "Sorry," she said softly. "Sort of...freaked out. He did grab me, so..." Probably not helping myself right now. Ape-man looks pissed... "I'll shut up now, 'kay?" Silently she waved to Danyon and turned away, grabbing Amera by the arm as she near-dashed out of the library. I made a huge scene, didn't I? I shouldn't even be here...fuck, I hate this place now.

Gideon, part deux

He sighed as the girl dragged Amera out of the library, then looked at Danyon. "You don't know how lucky you are that you're done with her," he said, shaking his head as he trudged after them.

Edited September 11, 2011 by Anti-Social Kitty

[Jaybee]

Danyon

" 'Scuse me for being upset that someone just tried to kill me, and who died and made you noise warden? Ain't your damn business whether or not I'm loud!"

What the hell? "It's a library you're in, there's still many people here, and you ought to at least have the decency to shut up!"

He would have continued further, but thankfully Gideon stopped him. "Let it go," Gideon then ended up telling the girl off, and Danyon couldn't be assed to care about what they were saying.

As the girl left, Gideon turned back to Danyon and muttered, "You don't know how lucky you are that you're done with her,"

"I... can tell." With such a terror like that, it wasn't something he'd be able to deal with without losing his sanity.

With that, the only person left was Danyon. It was too much for him in one day, and he didn't get how so much... craziness could occur so quickly.

He needed a break.

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

Tired as well, are we? She seemed compliant, which was surprising to him. He'd have figured she'd want to spend the rest of the evening out on the town. But as she spoke, "Hmmmmm... Resting does sound good." and yawned, he knew she was in about the same mood as him. "A nice, soft and cushiony bed sounds soooo goood right now." "Yeah, it really does-- whoa!" He wasn't expecting her to start dragging him off like she had, not entirely opposed, just surprised. Looks like someone really wants to get back to the inn... I wonder how good that is for me? She didn't say anything else as they rushed back to the inn, which was... enjoyable. It was the first time the day had been really quiet, and it was calming to him. She went right back to talking as they entered their room, though. "Go on, hurry up and shower you lazy son of a bitch and get your ass over here, pronto!" "Ya know, if this stuff didn't smell as bad as it does, I wouldn't be listening to you right now," he scoffed as he took off his shirt, smiling back at her. "But, mistress, as you so command, I will shower for you. I'll be back in a few moments... maybe." He pulled a mocking tone as he closed the bathroom door behind him.

Clothes hitting the floor, he shot into the shower and turned it on, not caring for the temperature, he just wanted the sludge off of him. And off it went, the water removing it quickly, which left him standing there, watching it swirl its way down the drain. Just get down there so I can have a bath, would you? As if the grime had read his mind, it slid down the drain, and left him smiling. His foot knocked the stopper into place, and he sat down, letting the now warm water fill the bath and rain down onto his head. "Geez, long day... wonder how long I can sit in here before Carrion gets impatient."

Amera

It was all a bit too much for her to keep up with, Mel yelling at the person who had shot at them, and then proceeding to calm down to zero on her rage scale. It was almost as frightening as the actual outburst, and it left Amera seriously worried about Mel. She's been through way too much today, really... Danyon had to be himself and pull her away, though, Amera almost grabbing him by his neck to pull him away before Gideon stepped in. "Geez, just leave her alone, would ya? She's been through enough..." But Gideon surprised her, and not in a good way, "And you, shut up. You aren't helping. If you keep acting like this, do you expect me to feed you later?" "Gideon!" What the hell was that about?! I know she's shooting off, but still! Can you blame her? But Mel obliged, and Amera didn't want to have to fight with anyone else today, especially not Gideon. And it didn't seem like he was going to be able to try arguing either, as Mel shot out of the library with her in tow, causing a small yelp before they left the doors.

"Uh, Mel, stop stop!" She wrenched her hand out of Mel's grip, stopping outside the doors. "Are... are you sure that you're alright? That was a pretty big blow up, there. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine... I just don't want you to erupt later because this comes back to you, okay?" I really don't want that to happen... Gideon seriously looks like he's at the end of his patience with you. She leaned back against the library wall as she waited for Gideon, wondering if Mel would be hanging around them for very long. Amera didn't mind, but... Gideon. I really, really don't know how he feels about having her around. Maybe he'll warm up to her? It's not like she's got anyone else to hang around...

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Melanie

As soon as they were out of the library, Amera pulled her hand from Mel's. "Are... are you sure that you're alright? That was a pretty big blow up, there. If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine... I just don't want you to erupt later because this comes back to you, okay?" Mel looked right at Amera, smiling brightly. "I'm confused, frustrated, miles from home, broke, hungry, probably a little sick, and really, really, really tired," she said, taking a deep breath. "But I think I'll be okay. I just need something to be normal right now, 'kay?" She stretched her left arm and yawned loudly. " 'sides, yelling like that's actually really therapeutic! I should do that more often..." Oh, Pravna's gonna HATE me if I start screaming like that regularly. "So is he gonna stay in there forever or what?" she asked, glancing up at the doors. The monkey-guy had been in there for a while...

Gideon and Melanie

He left the library to find Amera and Mel standing there, waiting for him - and he wasn't terribly happy to see either of them. It wasn't that Amera annoyed him; he just didn't want to hear the inevitable telling-off he'd receive for yelling at the kid. "Well, that's over," he said as he trudged down the stairs, doing his best not to look fed up with today's happenings. "You doing any better, kid? That was quite the explosion you had in there. Probably let off a bit of steam, huh?"

Mel sighed heavily, nodding. "You have NO idea," she shot back. Might as well capitalize while they aren't sick of me... "So, um, not to be a bother, but..." she began.

"Food? Yeah, we're still going," Gideon cut her off, cracking a smile. Maybe it was the sudden quiet moment she had - he didn't mind when Mel was more docile, even if it was unnerving that she could just change like that. "You two decide among yourselves where we're going. Long as I can sit down, it's fine with me." The sooner I feed you and get you a blanket for our floor, the sooner you'll go away, and the sooner I can forget this whole episode. Just...please don't explode before then, yeah?

The monkey was being surprisingly nice to her, and her face lit up as a result. "So there's a gentleman in there after all," she said appreciatively, although not without her usual snark. "You heard 'im, Ammie. Whatcha feel like?" Her earlier indiscretions were starting to fade in her mind; hopefully they weren't that worried about them either.

[ReformBlade]

"Yeah yeah, shoo." She grinned stupidly, waiting for the sound of the bathroom door closing, which finally happened. Her hand almost involuntarily shot to her chest, feeling her wound again, her hand rubbing over its roughness and her grin turning into a grimace. After what seemed to be some of the longest minutes of her life, she spoke out loud. "Why... why me? I didn't do anything to deserve this... did I?" I just want to fix what I accidentally screwed up, why does everything have to go wrong almost on principle for me? And... "Is it just a matter of time before he... leaves... me?" Her eyes opened up, welling up a bit before she wiped her face on the blanket, "N-no, h-he wouldn't leave me like that... I'm sure of it..." Am I? After all, he thinks I'm pretty... maybe he just... he just wants me for my body, and once he... once... he gets bored, he'll just... leave. "No." A sudden outburst from her like that shook her slightly, flopping onto her stomach and burying her face into a pillow. I can't believe I'm being so petty about this. Why am I worrying? He sounds and seems genuine, you like him, and like it or not, I do hold his life in my hands... So just stop it Carrion. "Just stop worrying." speaking out loud to herself made her calm down quite a lot. "Just... calm down, breath in and out. In... and out... In... out..." As her breathing became more regular and less forced, she smiled again, rolling right onto her back again. Oh Goddess, what I would give for a back rub right now...

[NagafenOfIlivikitty]

With a slow glance across to the boy whose flustering is causing her no end of worry and sighs, she slightly folds her own arms, gaze watching Andy with a rather quiet gaze as she seems to consider what it is she seems to want to say. Langley is her friend, her best friend. She would do anything to keep her safe, she feels that in her heart, why seeing her leave without her hurt so much. So she won't let another leave Langley, make her feel such anger and pain.

'By hang, I mean don't let her go. She clearly likes you, you know? You're the first guy she's remotely taken any interest in, Andy.'

Her eyes watch his and for a moment she wonders what he will think, or if he'll even just get it, her words, her meaning. So she just waits for his reply, his thoughts. And ignores the fact he'd actually love to ask her about herself. Kinda.

---

Langley's eyes drift shut after a while, the need to sleep pressing gently at the corners of her consciousness. A clock ticks in the distance but she doesn't really pay much attention. It just continues its metronomic music, her mind falling slowly into rest. No figures of ghostly white or angst over romance. She just feels darkness, and then she's gone, atop the dreamer's ocean.

---

!!!

Carrie's eyes shoot open and in his arms, she goes a bit red. No guys ever actually just done this before, swept her into their arms and carried her off. She goes all romantic in her head for a moment before returning herself to the reality of the situation, slightly red still in her cheeks yet smiling a bit too, a nervous reply to the surprisingly trong seeming guy.

'Ye… yeah, not bad at all, Horatio. Now, do you… well, you know a good place to sit and eat?'

She wonders if he knows the area well and has some idea of what to get. If not, a random place to sit and dine wouldn't cause to much harm, maybe. Though she has not tried Pravna's delicacies yet, with another person, maybe she'll feel less paranoid of food poisoning.

---

Where now?

Zwool's eyes trail the street, his feet carrying him with a sense of purpose that defies his, well, actual lack of purpose. He has no need to be here, nothing is tying him here either. But he realises after a moment where he's heading for.

He trails the streets, making sure this is the same path, the same one Ellandra took. The same that leads to her house.

Find someone. Ellandra had taken him here, so now he is wondering on why? What made her want to be that kind to him out of nowhere? He seeks her to apologise for how he acted, his look nervous. It wasn't fair to use her in any way to gain one up over Carrion and Adrian and he needs her to know that, wings twitching nervously as he heads to her home, to seek something he's unsure of.

Edited September 11, 2011 by NagafenOfIlivikitty

[Nanami Touko]

Adrian

He sat there in the bath. The shower had filled it full of water, so he'd turned it off, the only noise in the room now the sound of water dripping from the faucet. He was so calm, that he could stay there for the rest of the day. It was soothing, it was refreshing, and it was almost making him forget that Carrion was in the bedroom waiting for him. But, as he relaxed back into the water, his mind suddenly shot to Carrion, reminding him that he couldn't stay there as long as he wanted to. "Fine, fine... I can do this tomorrow morning, or something. Though, does she even mind me relaxing in here for a bit? Ahhhh, not gonna chance it..." He got out of the now full tub, grabbing one of the towels and pulling it around himself. He took one more glance back at the bath before sighing. It was sad that he couldn't stay in there for longer.

Grabbing his clothes in one hand, the other on the towel to make sure it stayed up. He left the bathroom, spying Carrion still sprawled on the bed. "So, d'you want a turn in there? It'd probably be refreshing. Not to mention relaxing after how shitty your day's been..." He was a tad uncomfortable in just the towel, quickly putting his underwear back on underneath it while he waited for a response.

Amera

"I'm confused, frustrated, miles from home, broke, hungry, probably a little sick, and really, really, really tired," Oh, geez... "But I think I'll be okay. I just need something to be normal right now, 'kay?" Amera couldn't do anything but sigh in response, trying her best to smile back. Normal... right. I can be normal, I think. Just put on a smile. And so she did, smiling back at Mel. "Normal it is, then. And that means food." She was getting pretty hungry herself, and Mel kept bringing food up. " 'sides, yelling like that's actually really therapeutic! I should do that more often..." "Please, please don't, Mel. Those guards didn't look very happy in there. I'd hate to see what would've happened if we'd stayed any longer." Seriously, Mel, if you're going to scream, get a pillow and wait until you're in your own room... or something. Not in public. "And I really hate having people stare at me, so... if you could do me a favor and try to keep the screaming to a minimum around us, that'd be amazing." She hoped Mel would try her best to do that, chuckling a little bit. "So is he gonna stay in there forever or what?" "Now that you mention it..." she looked over at the doors, "he has been in there longer than expected. But, it's not like we can't wait, right?"

As if on cue, Gideon walked out right after Amera said that. It was almost frightening how on time he was, but Amera was tired of being frightened by things for the day, just shaking her head and smiling it off. Gideon and Mel had a little chat, and Mel, once again, asked about food. Instead of getting annoyed, she actually chimed in with her. "Yeah, I'm getting pretty hungry too." "Food? Yeah, we're still going" And Gideon seemed chipper again, even smiling. That's good... I was afraid he was going to be annoyed, still. At least, he seemed annoyed inside. "You two decide among yourselves where we're going. Long as I can sit down, it's fine with me." "We've got to pick, now? Don't complain if you don't like where we choose, then~" She giggled, glad to be back in this mind frame. She was so much happier, in fact, that she felt like trying something a bit devious. She did as she had before, and climbed onto Gideon's back, laughing now as Mel asked her, "You heard 'im, Ammie. Whatcha feel like?" Answering down to Mel from atop her platform, she said, "steak! Or something tasty like that. Just something rare that I can tear into." She laughed a bit more, hoping that her antics would cheer the both of them up a bit more.

Andy

Noel took her time in responding to Andy's question, which only made him worry more, but he had wished it had taken her longer to answer. He might've had time to prepare himself for what she had to say, 'By hang, I mean don't let her go. She clearly likes you, you know? You're the first guy she's remotely taken any interest in, Andy.' What? What?! She-- no, too soon, and she's too old, and... "N-Noel, th-th-there's no way she does. I'm w-w-way too y-young for her, I think, and and... we've only just met, p-plus she's not... not really m-my type, you know?" Andy, be careful, this is her best friend you're talking to. He shied away from Noel a bit, taking a step back, "Th-That's not to say it'd never work between us, I-I just don't really know. It's really t-too soon for any of that, it really is..." and in all honesty, he began to think, surprising even himself, you're... more my type, Noel. He was redder than a tomato at this point, wondering if it'd be too much trouble to just quit discussing it and go get some food.

Horatio

Seeing this girl blush in his arms was making Horatio chuckle, and hearing her nervous speech almost made him laugh out loud. 'Ye… yeah, not bad at all, Horatio. Now, do you… well, you know a good place to sit and eat?' "Now, Carrie, where'd all that bravado go, eh? You were talkin' a big game just a few seconds ago. Don't tell me that gettin' lifted off your feat has rendered y'speechless, has it?" He continued to chuckle, looking around for somewhere for them to eat. He noticed some people gawking at him carrying her like he was, but her reaction was worth a few unnecessary eyes. Continuing on ignoring them, he noticed a quaint looking place that seemed rather lively. Of course, his version of lively meant that there were just people there, eating and enjoying themselves. "There. We can get something good, hopefully." Walking over with her still in his arms, he let her down at the door, waving a hand to let her in first, "ladies first, of course."

Edited September 12, 2011 by seph1212

[NagafenOfIlivikitty]

Noel's eyes flicker dangerously at the mention of how he thinks Noel is too old. She coughs once and with a firm gaze, glances to the guy rather calmly.

'I'm the same age, Andy. Does that make me less, as you put it, 'breathtaking?'

She says it with that same firmness, even as the word makes her feel a bit shy. She glances to his face and seeing his own hesitance, his glance to her; she pauses and offers him a soft glare.

'What? If that's how you feel, you have to tell her. Knowing or not... you're a nice kid, Andy. You don't tell her you feel different, that's gonna lead her on, thinking... they'll still be a chance.'

She seems quite quiet then, as while Langley sleeps, she feels quiet guilt at wanting to hug the nervous guy, for how much he's trying not to just panic.

---

'F... Feh. Maybe being carried my one weakness. Which considering my name, is an irony indeed...'

‘She grumbles at his accusation of lost bravado, a slow huff as she curls, though rather snuggling, into his arms. It feels quiet warm here. She doesn't really pay much attention to the place, bar an odd smugness she is surprised she possesses. Being glanced at being held like this, that's a new feeling she has had yet to experience. So much so, as she is set down, she grumbles as if annoyed it stopped. But she does smile at the low-key nature of the place; she smiles and softly bows her head to him.

'Well, seeing as how they aren't any real ladies about, guess you'll have to make do with me~' She moves inside, happy too. This feels... relaxed.

.

[ReformBlade]

At the mention of taking a bath, her face lit up a bit. "Yeah... I think I will." Fixing her gaze at the door, the sight of a nearly naked Adrian caught her off guard. A blush crept up her face, but she was far from embarrassed. "You know, you CAN get changed before you come out of there... I mean you just got all cleaned up, I'd hate to dirty you up again so soon." A smile as she propped herself up on the bed, "But I gotta say, I can really get used to that." And her smile turned to a grin as she couldn't help but eye the kid's body, not even trying to cover up the lust in her eyes. "Although..." She turned away a bit, "Ugh, this isn't helping me..." Her mind jarred by Adrian, she got up, taking a set of spare clothes with her, and went into the shower. "I'll be done fairly quickly, sorry for that." Closing the door, she sighed, setting her clothes on the floor for the moment and taking her current ones off.

Starting up the shower, she stepped in and let the hot water wash all over her, letting out a comforting sigh. "So goooood." Her shoulders weren't so tensed up and she could finally relax for once in the day. Taking longer than she intended, she simply stood in the shower for a few minutes before turning it off and getting out of it. Drying herself off, she put on the shirt and skirt (and yes underwear as well. Come on, people...) sighing once again. Dang it... now all I can think of his him in that towel... I hope this doesn't degenerate into anything like that...

[Anti-Social Meta Knight]

Gideon, Melanie

Gideon staggered a bit as Amera hopped onto his back. As much as he wanted to complain, at least she was back to normal. Or close. "Steak! Or something tasty like that. Just something rare that I can tear into." Gideon nodded - that sounded damn good. Mel, you'd better be on board with that... Judging by the awed expression on Mel's face - and the bit of drool on the corner of her mouth - she was. "You look like you're fine with that."

Mel nodded slowly. "That could be the best idea I've heard all day." She looked down at Gideon, grinning widely - he looked so stupid with her on his back like that, even if it was a little cute. That's actually a good idea...note to self. Next boyfriend needs to be big enough to carry me places. Maybe I should build a saddle...nah, that'd be weird. "So you just gonna stand there? She ain't too heavy for ya, is she?" Mel knew it was a tricky, potentially mean question. She didn't care too much; she was having fun.

If Amera weren't on his back, Gideon would have given Mel a look that could kill. "I think I'll be okay," he shot back quickly before Amera could properly get mad at either of them. "So we're just looking for steak? I think that should be pretty easy." With that, he began to descend the stairs, the first few steps giving him a bit of trouble before he was up to speed. Light as Amera was, Gideon could never quite control her weight as he moved - for the first few steps, anyway. "First place that catches your eye is where we're going, alright?"

"Mhm." Mel hadn't heard him, but she didn't want to seem stupid, so she just agreed. It was probably something like 'keep your eyes peeled' or 'don't yell any more today' or something easy like that. Not a problem. She was more focused on Amera, who seemed to be enjoying herself. Will she get offended if I ask for a turn? Maybe she's the jealous type... "So, like, does he let you do that whenever you want?" she ventured, thinking it a bit more prudent than just asking for a turn. That'd be cool if, like, he was just her pack mule and stuff. I should get a boyfriend...I have too much stuff to carry as it is anyway.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Anti-Social Kitty

[Caliban of Sycorax]

Lucretia

(Nighty Night)

Adano

He handed a fruit to Aurelio and sat down with his apple. Lucretia was asleep next to the fire. She looked cold. Adano could only hope that the fire would warm all three of them up. He ate in silence, not saying anything to Aurelio. Not that he didn't want to, but he just couldn't think of anything to say. He figured Aurelio would be able to break the ice anyway.

Ellandra (Hey, a post for Ellandra? What is this madness?)

The festival was enjoyable, but Ellandra was tired enough where she could afford a nap. She wondered briefly where everyone was, but she figured there would be time to search later. She headed home and laid on her bed, preparing to sleep.

[Shin]

Aurelio

Adano had handed him a fruit (a pear to be exact), the pair both began eating. Being the loudmouth he was, he decided to spark up some conversation;

"So, Adano. I take it you've been all over looking for Lucretia. Been to Pravna before? I haven't been there during festival time, but they seem pretty clever over there. The librarian must've thought I was a caveman or something, well, I can just-about read but that's probably it."

[Nanami Touko]

Andy

Noel's gaze became a bit more harsh at his words, and he flinched back a bit. 'I'm the same age, Andy. Does that make me less, as you put it, 'breathtaking?' Her question calmed him down, as he was expecting some sort of berating. "Uhm, w-well, no, not really. You're still quite impressive to behold, and I don't think your age detracts from that..." Maybe I'm not interpreting her question right? I mean... she's still beautiful. So is Langley... I hope that doesn't upset her more... Her glaring was seriously beginning to worry him, as he contemplated how to just get past her and to the kitchen. 'What? If that's how you feel, you have to tell her. Knowing or not... you're a nice kid, Andy. You don't tell her you feel different, that's gonna lead her on, thinking... they'll still be a chance.' "R-Right... I'll tell her, okay? I just... hope she doesn't h-hurt me, or anything because of it..." Oh, you know she will. Or at least you think she will. Agh... "A-Anyway! Uhm... what a-about breakfast?"

Horatio

Grumbling? Well... I didn't think you'd get that attached t'me, girlie. Don't get too attached, though... He didn't mind her hanging around, but she was... young. Not that he'd never been with anyone that young, it just never ended well for the younger side. He'd never gotten close, they had, and they always ended up upset for it. Shaking the thought from his head, he was only focused on today. Where that went, well, it was yet to be seen. 'Well, seeing as how they aren't any real ladies about, guess you'll have to make do with me~' "Ha. You're a pretty really lady, Carrie. Don't sell yerself short, yeah? Anyway, waiter!" he called out as he followed her inside, "table fer two, please."

"Ah, right this way, sir, miss."

Nice service. I think I like this place... He smirked and took Carrie's hand, leading her along, and sitting at the table provided. It was next to a window, so if nothing else, he could watch the town. They were left two menus to look at, but he was more interesting in talking with her. "So, Carrie, tell me about yerself..."

Adrian

"Yeah... I think I will." "Good, 'cause if you don't, I will. It's way too comfortable in there..." He sat down on the bed, shaking his shirt out. It had some blood on it, and a nice cut where Grant had slashed. Great... gonna have to get some more new clothes here, are we? Whatever, once I get the blood washed out, it should be fine. It's not like it's cold enough to worry about a hole. About to throw the rest of his clothes on, Carrion spoke up again. "You know, you CAN get changed before you come out of there... Well, of course I can, but-- "... I mean you just got all cleaned up, I'd hate to dirty you up again so soon." ... exactly, heh. He blushed in turn, smiling over his shoulder at her. "But I gotta say, I can really get used to that." "I don't think I could get used to walking around in just a towel, sorry. Maybe some days, though. Just for you, ha ha." He lost the towel and slipped into his pants, falling back against the bed as Carrion got up, staring up at her. That look she was giving him was something he wasn't used to, but he really did love it.

"Although... Ugh, this isn't helping me..." "Huh? Something the matter, Carrion?" "I'll be done fairly quickly, sorry for that." And off she went into the bathroom, a rather confused Adrian laying there on the bed. "Well, that was... confusing, I guess. Maybe I should... but this bed is so comfortable, ahhhhh..." He was about to sit up and grab his shirt, but having pants on was good enough for him. The bed being too soft for him to want to lean over and grab his shirt, he simply closed his eyes and let himself relax. Just... just don't... fall asleee...

Amera

"That could be the best idea I've heard all day." "You'd bet it is! So, Gideon, you lead. I can't really point out where to go on your back." And now, I get to relax~ Finally... today has been too long. She would've relaxed against his back and left it at that, but Mel said something that could've been taken the wrong way. Luckily, Amera was there to take it that way. "So you just gonna stand there? She ain't too heavy for ya, is she?" She growled a bit, more unnerved than angry, "just because my chest is big, d-doesn't mean I'm that heavy, okay?" She became a bit red at that and looked away, acting indignant. It was a fairly obvious act, but she was hoping Mel would notice that, and get a good laugh out of it. "I think I'll be okay" If Gideon didn't ruin the fun. Dang it...

"So we're just looking for steak? I think that should be pretty easy." Yes, it shou-- whoooaaaa, whoa... y-yeah, it should." She almost fell off when he started, clinging to his back to make sure she didn't. And her balance returned, sighing and leaning forward to give Gideon a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks~ I really do appreciate you carrying me, Gideon..." And then he was off talking to Mel, who... she seems out of it. Or... why is she staring at me, again? "First place that catches your eye is where we're going, alright?" "So now Mel's gonna lead us? Well, this'll take ages." "Mhm." Absent Mel was focusing on Amera, which was unnerving the cat just a bit, as it had earlier. "So, like, does he let you do that whenever you want?" Oh! Oh, that's what it is... phew. Relieved, she chuckled and answered, "I... guess so. He's never said no, so far. Of course, if he did, I wouldn't do it, but until then, this is so much nicer than walking~" She rubbed up against his back and sighed, with a smile.