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Post by Mya on Aug 10, 2022 16:55:46 GMT -6
Mya stood outside the door to the bar, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. She could hear her brother inside, and a few voices. It didn’t sound like Helena was in there, but she did catch Keaira’s voice. She brought her hand to her mouth and began biting at her thumbnail. She hadn’t seen Keaira in ages and she wondered if the demoness would be upset with her. Last time she spoke to Helena about her, Kea sounded… not pleased. Great.
A voice from down the hall said her name. Mya spun around and her eyes widened. Was it a ghost from the past? Yuko stood further down the hall, looking like she did all those years ago. For a moment, Mya assumed she was hallucinating. “Yuko…” Mya whispered as she started making her way over. A few steps later and Mya broke into a sprint. She jumped onto Yuko, making both of them crash to the floor. “Yuko! You’re back!” She simply wrapped her arms around her friend and nuzzled her face into Yuko’s neck as if that would somehow hide the few tears that slipped out. “I missed you… you were gone for so long… I’m so happy you’re home,” Mya then realized the two of them were on the floor. “Oh dear, I am so sorry! I hope you didn’t hit your head…” She put her hands on either side of Yuko and propped herself up. “Look at you! You look great! Maybe just need to feed you some good meals…Gosh you look amazing with long hair...”
Mya could smell the honeymead on Yuko, and she caught a whiff of sulfur that everyone picked up when they were in Hell. She had been worried sick over Yuko for months now, hoping she would return in one piece. The scent of the mead tipped her off that it may not have been all fun and games for Yuko. Mya was there when Yuko and Seth had been gifted that mead and knew that Yuko would have only gone for it if the situation was dire… but then again it was something meant to be shared with a partner on a wedding night. Yuko had been in hell, where her husband resided. Still, that wasn’t any of her business. Yuko would tell her in due time if she felt like it.
For now, Mya was just thrilled to have her back. She peeled herself off Yuko’s body and helped her get up. Once they were on their feet, Mya grabbed Yuko's hand. "Would you like a drink? I could use a drink. Asher is sleeping for now so we have some time before we gotta go back." At least with Yuko by her side, Mya didn't feel so alone. Perhaps it would be fine to stay for a few hours...
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Post by Fina on Aug 11, 2022 18:03:41 GMT -6
Aesira beamed a grin at the genuine surprise that rocked Helena. She wasn't in the habit of casually ambushing strangers with her transformation abilities. However, she had to admit it was rather fun in this scenario. She helped herself to a few berries off of the laden bush as her new acquaintance studied her. No doubt she was contemplating all of life's mysteries given the intensity of her stare..
"I'm still here so I suppose he's not that scary." She replied simply with a half shrug as Helena enjoyed her snack. She feigned a wince, "Sorry about the bar, by the way." She told her, "I hope we didn't cause too much damage." She then collected a few more berries before she laid herself back in the grass with Helena. "A room for just the night?" She asked, frowning thoughtfully as she considered this new offer. Aside from a plush bed and a chance at hot bath she wasn't all that tempted to accept.. She would enjoy her snack as she consider it further.
As she lay there in the grass, Aesira studied the star filled night sky above. She searched out the familiar constellations with a content smile on her lips. She glanced over at Helena and arched a brow fussed over proper manners. She then was left stunned by the rapid fire of her questions post introduction. She chuckled, "Thank you for the kind welcome, Helena. It's nice to meet you and your lovely garden." She said with ease. "My name is Aesira Farren, I hail from Brighthaven." She added. She squashed the rise of homesickness that caught her off guard. It'd been some time since she had last seen the black crown steeples of her ancestral home.. She didn't realize she missed it so.
Helena's comment on the evening pulled Aesira from her reminiscing. She nodded her agreement, "That it is, indeed." She said. She frowned as a thought then occurred to her. She turned her gaze upon the fair featured woman, "Weren't you entertaining company in the bar? I didn't pull you from your friends, did I?" She asked quickly as she had recalled seeing the woman behind the bar during her chaotic flight. "Please, don't let me keep you if you're needed elsewhere.."
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Post by Mya on Aug 15, 2022 19:24:10 GMT -6
Keaira basked in the compliments Kodaka and the others gave her. It gave her great joy to be the centre of attention. Modeling was an obvious choice for Kea, she reveled in the attention she never received as a human. It was superficial of her. She knew that, but didn’t care. The lady demon felt that it was only fair that she flaunted her assets and be praised for them. If she didn’t, what was the point of good looks?
When Kodaka hopped over the bar to the other side, she pouted for a moment. Now she couldn’t return to his lap! Her attention drifted once she noticed that Nightfire had shrunk himself even smaller to fit more comfortably on the stool. No matter what size he was, Keaira found him absolutely charming and adorable. She gave Nighty a nod of approval, glad that he was taking full advantage of their deal.
At Dante’s comment about keeping her out of trouble, Keaira feigned being hurt. “Dante dearest, since when am I ever trouble?” She did her best to give her most innocent look. Everyone knew she was full of shit.
“Lady Jormungand, shall I bring out the list? I should have it right here…” Dante reached into the pocket on the inside of his jacket. “It appears that I left it in my room since it wouldn’t fit in my pocket.” Keaira laughed as she returned to Kodaka’s barstool. “Oi, Kodaka, you bartending tonight then? Gimmie a whiskey on the rocks. There should be an ice box back there somewhere…” Dante adjusted himself on his seat, resting his back against the table he sat. He was facing so he could see everyone at the bar.
"What kind of shenanigans are we getting into tonight? I might have to say playing pool is off limits as we just finally fixed the table Kodaka broke last time," Dante said with a chuckle. "Daniel, Nightfire, is there anything you two would like to do tonight since it's your first time in these halls? I can get one of the girls to bring out snacks later if you want."
"And here you say I'm the one that's trouble! Don't deny you're just as much trouble as me, Gatekeeper!"
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Post by Mya on Aug 16, 2022 15:21:28 GMT -6
“Oh don’t worry about the bar. Those that live here cause much more damage on the regular. It’s the way of life here, I suppose you could say. A lot of chaos. If you think you can handle the shitshow, you’re welcome to stay as long as you need. You seem friendly enough,” Helena propped herself up on her elbows and examined Aesira once more.
“Pleasure to meet you as well, Aesira. It’ll be nice to have some new blood around here. Brighthaven… I feel like I have heard of that place before. Hm, maybe I read it in a book somewhere? At any rate, the castle is home to a few of us. Quite a few demons live here. The Deimos family from hell made this place their home away from hell. They are quite friendly though so don’t be afraid.”
When Aesira asked if Helena needed to entertain, she sighed. “I…I don’t know if I want to go deal with that headache yet. They can entertain themselves,” Helena did feel bad about leaving the guests after the debacle with Yuko and her brother storming off. She was still angry at Aiden for how he spoke to her, but she could understand why he was upset. He wasn’t around as much so he wasn’t used to how things worked at the castle.
Now Helena was thinking of the best way to enter the castle and bypass the bar. She would go check on things later in the evening once she was ready. “Hmm,” Helena closed her eyes until an idea popped in her mind. “Well since you can fly, we can enter from up there.” Helena pointed to one of the windows that overlooked the garden. It was a couple floors up.
She sat up and got to her feet. “It won’t be graceful, but I’ll be up there in a minute!” Helena placed her hand on the vines that had grown up the side of the castle. Originally it had been climbing some lattice, but over the years it far outgrew where the lattice ended and reached almost to her window. She stood for a moment, staring up at the vines as if trying to determine how much of a dumb idea this would be. Before long, Helena started to climb. She wasn’t particularly fast as each step up she took she had to make sure the vines would hold her weight while remaining secure to the wall.
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Post by Admin on Aug 17, 2022 15:04:16 GMT -6
It really was a blast from the past only this outfit had seen better days. It was still in good condition because she had taken care of it well and stored it away for such a time when she just wanted a piece of home. She couldn't help but smile when she saw mya running towards her and happily allowed herself to be tackled by her. She happily returned the hug. When mya nuzzled her neck, she took in that scent and her entire body just seemed to finally relax. It finally cliked for her that she was home and this wasn't just her mind playing tricks with her. It finally clicked in her brain that she was indeed free and she was finally home.
"I'm sorry I was gone this long, I meant to be back that morning." When mya apologized for her possibly hitting her head, she just shook her head. " My head is fine " She didn't mind being on the floor with her, but then again it wasn't the most comfortable place. Perhaps if they where on one of the plush carpets or a bear skin rug it might of been a different story but this was cold marble and even then, She didn't mind the cold of it. If anything, it just proved to her she was alive and home. She chuckled when she commented on her needing some meals. " You are not wrong and I look forward to eating all the delicious food I can get my hands on." Yuko couldn't help but look down at her own hair. " Yeah.. It's been awhile since it's been this long. I didn't have the chance to cut it yet."
There would be a time and a place for that conversation of what she did in hell, but this wasn't the place, and it didn't feel like the right time. She knew mya wanted to know the details to it but she appreciated her giving her space about it. Without any hesitation she got up with mya and allowed her to lead her into the bar area that she had been in not to long ago. She hesitated for a moment when she saw dante in the bar area but then remembered why he was here and continued to follow mya. She had forgotten in all the chaos of things that dante was more then just a gatekeeper to hell, but that he was also mya's brother. He wasn't here on the orders of the council. He was here on hers and seth's orders.
Yuko stepped behind the bar after mya found a seat at the counter. Yuko always knew where the good stuff was hiding especially after the drunken escapades with seth, chyna, pink and some of the other old patrons of the bar & residents of the castle. It was almost magical how she managed to find one of the good bottles of demon wine that had been squirreled away somewhere behind the bar and two wine glasses. She poured a glass for mya and when yuko poured a glass for herself, she was a bit more heavy handed with the wine, and took a long sip from it. "Soooooo I have something I need to tell you before it snowballs.. I.might.have.tramatized.aiden.and.helena." she took another sip from her drink. "You know how I have a tendency to show up after doing something impeccibly stupid?.. I did something very very stupid, and I paid very very dearly for it and they may have come across me in that state... and I didn't get a chance to really talk.. and I definitely got my ass chewed out and I might have caused a fight between helena and aiden too... and aiden won't talk to me.. " At this point yuko was rambling and she knew she was. She just looked down at her cup and didn't realize that she had drank the entire thing.. " oh.. I'm out of wine.." and started to pour herself another glass. As she was pouring the wine she sighed. " I didn't try to go talk to helena yet but I know she's pretty upset at me.. and I'm pretty sure she's really going to hate me after she finds something out that I did.."
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Post by Mya on Aug 17, 2022 22:35:53 GMT -6
Mya took a deep breath before she entered the bar area. She paused as she walked in with Yuko, holding her hand loosely. She spied Keaira who was staring at her intensely. Mya squeezed Yuko's hand for comfort. I can do this, Mya thought to herself, Yuko is here with me. A warm smile spread across her face as she got closer to the bar. Mya bypassed Dante and took a seat at the bar.
"Sorry I'm late! I found Yuko!" Mya arranged her dress so she could sit comfortably, letting her feet rest on the bar at the bottom of the stool. She gratefully accepted the glass of wine and took a sip. Gods, how long had it been since she last had a drink? She looked over at Yuko who was explaining the latest family drama. She sighed before offering Yuko a small smile.
"Hey, it'll be okay. I don't think we can make anything worse, really. We will get through it. I'd offer to talk to them for you, but I'm not sure how well that will go. At this point, all we can really do is go with the flow." While Yuko refilled her glass, Mya took a moment to acknowledge everyone at the bar.
"Nightfire, you got smaller! How charming," Mya was sitting on the stool next to him. "It's lovely that you could join us. I was worried you would have to be outside all alone..." She reached over to stroke his scales on the top of his head. To the men, they might see that Mya was holding herself much more confidently than when they first met on the old gravel road. She maintained eye contact and was sitting with posture that was befitting someone of royal heritage such as hers.
"I save you a seat at my table and you go sit over there! I see how it is!" Dante folded his arms and shook his head. "Good to see you home safe, Lady Yuko."
Keaira silently watched as the two newcomers entered the bar. While she had never met the queen of hell, Kea knew exactly who she was. Now the dark ha0ired woman felt familiar to her, but she couldn't quite put her finger on her identity. The moment the woman spoke, Kea felt her blood turn cold. It was her. "...Mya? Is that really you? So it's true, then. You did made a deal."
Mya wasn't sure how Kea would take the news of her new form. While she didn't return Kea's exact feelings, she appreciated her friendship. Now she wondered if Kea would perceive her as competition or a threat. Mya knew that demons often fought to establish a pecking order and she wasn't sure where she stood on that just yet. "Good evening, Keaira. It's been a while. You look just as dazzling as ever."
"Good evening, and that I look good? Really? Unbelievable," Keaira scoffed and held her glass up for Kodaka to refill. She had some choice words to express how she felt, but Yuko and Dante's presence kept her from going off. She didn't want to ruin her dress if she happened to start a fight from a poor choice of words.
"Kea, be nice," Dante piped up from his table. "You sound like a jealous ex."
Keaira shot Dante a dirty look and rolled her eyes. "Fine. It's nice to see you too, Mya. Why you couldn't have just made a deal with me instead... you know I could have made your troubles fade away..." Keaira said, almost wistfully.
"I'm sorry... I just... I had to do it. For me, for my family. I hope you can understand in time. I hope we can still be friends. I might look and feel different, but I can assure you I am still the same."
"We shall see about that," Keaira quickly slammed back the fresh drink Kodaka had poured for her. "Koda, my love, would you be a dear?" She slid her glass across the bar for Kodaka to top up once more.
Dante took a seat at the bar next to one of the others. "Well now that we got the whole group together, lets party! Let loose! Lets have some fun! You know, my sister here used to own a tavern way back in the day. She used to be a real party animal," he wiggled his eyebrows at Mya. "Maybe we can coax some of that out tonight!"
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Post by Kodaka on Aug 18, 2022 13:02:20 GMT -6
Kodaka would give Keaira all the attention she craved without any complaint, he would shower her with compliments if she had the ear for them. He was beginning to realize he admired her for more than just her physical attributes. There was a soreness in his heart whenever he held her gaze long enough that he acknowledged was probably not a heart problem. Despite rampant alcoholism on some of his nights off, Kodaka was healthy as an ox, and built like one as well. He would have to explore these feelings later, but deep down he had a hunch what they were. The man was dense when it came to this stuff but he had heard Daniel describe such feelings before. Maybe he would ask the masked man later or he would bring it up with Keaira herself. That idea was daunting in itself but he was a man of little fear.
The Nephilim behind the bar smirked at Kea as she pouted at him and turned his back toward the liquor shevles, hoping to get a feel for what the castle’s stock of liquor he had at his gleeful disposal. Unbeknownst to Kodaka the musculature on his back made a show of things for Keaira. If the lady demon paid close enough attention to him, whether he be opening drawers or raising an arm to cradle the occasional bottle in his grasp, every movement he made emphasized the muscular structure in his upper and lower back as it flexed and relaxed with simple, totally unprovocative movements. Even with such self-destructive habits that alcohol brought, it was obvious that Kodaka took his physical fitness above many things. Meanwhile in Kodaka’s mind, he quite admired that he stood before an expansive array of poisons to say the very least. The would-be bartender had quite a lot to work with. The mercenary was starting to become absolutely enthralled by this new self-imposed job. Kodaka took a mental note of the shelf laden with extra glasses as well a small hand-washing sink directly below. Muttering something, he grabbed an apron, looped it over his head and with some effort due to his size, tightened it around his lower back with a lazy knot.
The man swung back around to face everyone, standing across from Kearia of course, flattening his apron and rolling up imaginary sleeves with a grin. He crouched to scan under the bar, finding the ice box Dante mentioned as well as a full collection of bar tools, martini shakers galore. This wasn’t his first rodeo. Any seasoned alcoholic should know the basics of running a bar, though this might be because Kodaka installed his own small bar areas to one or two of his safehouses dotted throughout the world.
He chuckled while listening to the banter between Keaira and Dante, grabbing a tumbler glass and opening the ice box. Kodaka picked up a pair of tongs and gingerly placed a few ice cubes in the glass before placing it on the bar top with a small paper coaster underneath. He turned around again to peruse the whiskey section with a thoughtful expression. He tapped his boot against the floor as his eyes searched until he gasped in satisfaction and grabbed one of his favorites off its resting place before turning back on his heel again toward the patrons. The nephilim twisted the cap off and with one fluid motion and tipped it over the glass. Satisfied the tumbler was full enough, he replaced the cap and returned the bottle to the shelf behind him.
Kodaka winked at Keaira slyly and leaned against the bar across from her, “ya mind handin’ this over to Dante, o’er there? I’ll give ya nice big tip if ya do. An’ more later if ya want.” He grinned with mischievous intentions, his eyes glittering like the surface of the sea.
“My gods, Kodaka,” Daniel groaned and hid his gaze behind his palm, “How can you speak like that… in front of Nightfire?” He gestured at the Labrador-sized dragon but hesitated at the delivery of his offense. Nightfire blinked audibly and looked between his two companions.
‘Speak like what?’ The dragon snorted. He looked up at Kodaka as he handed Keaira the glass of dark amber liquid, Nightfire’s tongue snaked out of his closed maw to taste the air as if to reel in some of the drink’s smell. He cast the nephilim with a knowing look in his ruby red eyes. ‘I never knew Koda for generous tips. His were always minuscule compared to his accumulative bar tab, to my understanding.’
There was silence for a second or two before Daniel let out an exasperated sigh. “You two are just trying to get me to drink now, aren’t you?” Kodaka guffawed and slapped a hand on the bar top a few times, keeling over the counter as his sides shook with mirth.
“Ancestors, that one almost went over me head,” he said as he wiped tears from his eyes, “good one, lad.” Dante had mentioned the pool table and the nephilim visibly winced, his cheery demeanor diminishing somewhat. He looked past everyone toward the pool table with a look of relief mixed with embarrassment. “Ahh I’m sorry ‘bout that. I told ya I’d pay for the damages. Jus’ let me know what I owe ya.” Kodaka hated owing people things as he was a man that made certain he possessed little to no debts owed to anyone. The pool table was tiny in the grand scheme of things but the mercenary was serious about paying them back for it.
At the mention of other bar activities, Kodaka scratched his chin thoughtfully and returned to his place perched in front of Keaira. He caught Nightfire’s eye and smiled at the little dragon as he lapped up the mead in his martini glass. “Dunno,” the nephilim said, “my drinking activities usually involve story-tellin’ and the occasional sparrin’ match.” He smiled and reached for his glass that was still next to Kea, then after swishing it around a little at his eye level, the merc downed the last few sips. He leaned a shoulder into the bar counter across from Keaira, turning his head her way and beaming at her before Nightfire let out a tiny rumble to get his attention.
‘Don’t you sing sometimes?’ Nightfire asked while giving the large, horned man an inquisitive look and a tilt of his spade-shaped head.
“Uhh,” Kodaka placed the glass back down on the bar top and looked away, his cheeks growing slightly pink. “Prob’ly.”
Daniel chuckled from his place beside Nightfire. “I could play you some piano tunes if you’d like, O’ bar master,” he said jokingly.
‘Is there such an instrument here?’ Nightfire suddenly looked around the room, his movements accidentally spinning his barstool around. Kodaka meanwhile grumbled something, placed a couple ice cubes in his empty glass, and filled it back up again to the brim with another round of whiskey. He noticed two more folks had entered the bar and it didn’t take long for Kodaka to realize one of them was Mya.
He smiled at her and he redheaded friend, who looked quite familiar come to think of it. The mercenary gave each of them a quick once-over as Mya’s friend made a beeline for the area behind the bar. Startled, Kodaka started to approach the woman as she found a mystery bottle of something and two wine glasses behind them. “Oh, hey- What’re you- I can help y’know- well okay then.”
Totally caught off-guard, the Nephilim watched as the woman seated herself at the bar and tended to Mya. When Mya said she had found Yuko, Kodaka tilted his head. He knew he heard that name a couple of times but never had the opportunity to match the name with a face until now. Come to think of it, this was the same woman Daniel said was being patched up in the kitchen’s basement just a little while ago. Kodaka blinked several times and looked over at Keaira and the rest of the denizens exchange with them a quizzical look. Keaira looked absolutely livid at the whole situation. Brows raised, he tried to catch Dante’s eye during both lady demon’s first initial interactions. His expression to the gatekeeper clearly read: “What history do these three have?”
Daniel turned at the commotion of newcomers in the forms of Yuko and Mya. He nodded and smiled at them with startlingly white teeth despite the grey skin that was showing after removing the lower half of his mask. As Mya sat down and Yuko went behind the bar much to Kodaka’s surprise, Mr. Hawthorne stifled a chuckle. “Glad to see you are both doing well. Miss Yuko, I suspect you are mostly healed now?”
Nightfire hummed as Mya scratched the top of his head. He leaned forward into her pets and closed his eyes, noting how much softer of a touch she had compared to Kea’s. It was a reassuring touch, the kind he could fall asleep to. That wasn’t to say hers were better than Keaira’s just that he appreciated the variety. These two-legged womenfolk were excellent petters all around thus far. ‘I did, didn’t I?’ He acknowledged excitedly when she mentioned his size. ‘It is thanks to Lady Keaira for that. She struck a deal with me so that I may choose any size I wish while in the castle! All I have to do is think about what size I want to be and—‘ A puff of violet smoke materialized around Nightfire, obscuring him from view. It dissipated just as quick as it came, leaving a cat-sized black dragon sitting upon the barstool instead. ‘See?’
“Bloody hell,” Kodaka growled from his place behind the bar as Nightfire shrunk down nearly to the size of his hatchling self. “Now that takes me back a ways.” He folded his large arms over his chest as Keaira slid her empty glass yet again for him to refill. The nephilim could tell there was some bitterness about the lady demon toward Mya and though he dared not ask, he remembered Keaira was quite fond of the woman when the topic of Mya would occasionally come up during their conversations. “Always, love,” he said, his voice warm despite its gravelly pitch. He procured the ingredients he remembered seeing her use along with some ice inside a shaker. After making a show of it by lifting his arm and flexing his bicep while he mixed the concoction together before promptly dumping it in a fresh glass.
Kodaka walked the drink back over to Kea and placed it on the bar top for her before returning to his perch within reach of his redheaded she-demon. “Huh? Mya a party animal? No way, ya look way too sweet n’ innocent for dat,” he grinned and looked over Dante's direction, “that’d be like saying Daniel over here is the same kinda fella as me.”
“Here here,” Daniel grumbled while holding up his mug of spiked hot tea and finishing the last sip or two. Despite having known Kodaka a few years now, Mr. Hawthorne remained remarkably conservative and professional most of the time, opting quite often to be the voice of reason within their party. He turned in his barstool and spied a piano and small stage in the corner of the room. “Well now what’s a party without music, eh?” He chuckled as Dante joined them.
‘Ohoho.. a party?’ Nightfire said with glittering eyes. He looked up at his drink on the bar and realized it was further away now. With a small snort, he reared back on his hunches, tucked his tiny wings against his back and leapt onto the bartop with a squeak. There, he sat on his rear legs and nursed on the rest of his mead until there was nothing left. ‘How do those work? Are we supposed to dance?’
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Post by Fina on Aug 20, 2022 6:10:47 GMT -6
Aesira blinked audibly as her brow knit when Helena tried to soothe her concerns about damaging the bar. She glanced over at her new acquaintance with a thoughtful frown. She was sure Helena meant well by the statement, but she did find it a tad unsettling to know the residents did far worse.. Her chuckle bordered on nervous as she tired to shrug off her awkwardness. "Well, I suppose we'll see." She mumbled as Helena stirred beside her in the warm grass. When Helena studied her, she fought to not squirm under her appraisal. What was that look for? Did she say something wrong?
The smile Aesira offered Helena was polite, but brittle. Confusion battered her in the wake of the new blood remark. Would her presence at the castle for the night alter the dynamics that significantly? Before she could comment, however, Helena continued and mentioned being familiar with her home. She doubted that they were covering the floating isles she called home in earth's geography and the non disclosure wards typically took care of the rest.. "Really? If you find the book, I'd love to see it. There are few publications on my home, so I am curious to see what's been written." She replied tactfully. She chuckled softly, "I've encountered demon kind before, I won't be afraid, but that's good information to know. I look forward to meeting everyone in good time."
Aesira astutely noted the shift in Helena as she raised the topic of her currently hosting company. It seemed to her that this was a sore subject, with more to it then Helena being unwilling to socialize, so Aesira would let it drop. Engaging a room full of intoxicated strangers held little appeal to her anyway, if she was being honest.
Aesira raised her arms up and under to pillow her head in the grass as their conversation found a natural lull. Helena seemed occupied in thought as she was making herself more comfortable. Her intrigue was piqued as Helena pointed out a high window, a couple of floors up. "What's up there?" She wondered aloud as her friend sat up. "Wait, what about you?" She asked as she rose to her feet to follow. "I thought we were staying in the garden."
As she trailed behind Helena, Aesira made a soft sound of understanding upon noting the vines growing up the lattice to the castle wall above. She crossed her arms comfortably as she took a moment to assess the situation. She frowned as she decided she had more confidence in a brown paper bag then the growth, but she respected Helena's choice. For all she knew, her talent with green plants and such would give her a unforeseen advantage. "You go ahead." She told her, "I think I will spot you until I am certain you reach the window." She promised.
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Post by Admin on Aug 22, 2022 21:29:36 GMT -6
Of course, yuko would be there for her, Forever and always, they would be friends. Yuko could not think of a single reason why she wouldn't call mya a friend anymore. If anything, she would get to be called other things but that was a conversation for a different day. Yuko was on auto piolit and really hadn't noticed anyone else and truly had acted on auto pilot when she stepped behind the bar. It took her longer than it really should have to realize that someone else was standing behind the bar with her. Yuko was the hunter for the castle, Not the bar tender. This had been one of the duties that she had picked up over the years, but hell be damned if she was going to wait or reveal all of the hidden caches of the good stuff hiding behind the bar. She had acted on auto pilot when she walked behind the bar and served her and mya. She gave a shake of her head but focused on what mya was talking about and realized there was an adorable pint-sized dragon sitting at the bar. To her he was pint sized right now only because she knew dragons to be much larger. She got distracted when she heard of something that had been broken but hadn't entirely tuned into the conversation. "Was something damaged?... If someone show's it to me, I can fix it fairly quickly. "
Yuko was distracted when nightfire transformed but when she turned back and saw that he was cat sized. "Oh lord. That is painfully adorable." She leaned across the bar so that she could offer her outstretched hand to pet him. She wouldn't start petting him immediately but would wait. Afterall, She knew better then to just roll up on someone and start betting them. Even she could be a bit of a attention whore for some good scratches when she was in her wolf form. Not that she would just openly admit that to anyone, She had a image to maintain as a big scary black wolf. Behind closed doors? Giant fluffly puppy who turned into a drolling thing on the floor if you found the right spot to scratch.
Yuko couldn't help as they poked a little fun at mya. " If I do recall, The last time we all got quite drunk, I do believe someone started singing and dancing on tables.. And it wasn't me." ---- In a place far far away, In a kingdom always half bathed in light and half bathed in darkness, An alarm had been set off. Someone had disturbed something in a room somewhere and now everyone knew. They had obviously helped mya to the best of their abilities to find yuko but when it looked like she had simply disappeared, It wasn't that they had stopped looking but they were less motivated to go and look. They knew if she wanted to be found, that she would be found. If she didn't want to be found, then she wouldn't be and it had started to look like the latter to them but not a single one of her children could even try and speak those words to mya. There was no way they could break her heart like that to tell her that yuko might intentionally had just disappeared and left them all on their own without saying anything.
They all had been hard at work, doing different things and using their strengths to their benefits. Night and his control of the shadows, Shane and his newfound powers of light. Lukana with her Indepth knowledge of magic, forgotten lore and dead languages, Mika with her smith work and Shikira simply being their adorable morale mascot. Things would probably get done faster if she wasn't running around the place all the time, but they couldn't say no to her. He stood up from his work and put the tools down before he wiped the sweat off and walked off to get cleaned up. Rebuilding a kingdom was hard work and they were doing the best they could. They had strength and stamina that others did not, so they always did their best to take the lion's share of work. They needed a break, and checking a activated tracking spell was more than a good enough excuse for the two of them to slink off from work for a little while.
Two cloaked figures appeared in a swirl of purple and silver smoke at the end of the trail leading towards the castle. They walked leisurely, bantering with one another in a language foreign to many denizens of these lands except possibly 4 people. It seemed the one would say something, the voice sounded feminine and the other was a male voice who would try and repeat what it was she was saying / or respond appropriately in the language. Sometimes they would switch back to common for the woman to explain to the man how he messed up. It seemed that the woman was trying to teach the man, The language she was speaking in. The man stood taller than the woman but despite that, it seemed he was more submissive towards the woman and respected her quite a bit. They were both wearing matching white and silver cloaks, and despite the dirt road they were walking on, they seemed resistant to dirt and absolutely in pristine condition.
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Post by Fina on Aug 27, 2022 7:43:53 GMT -6
At the boundary of the wild woods, the shadows cast by the trees shuddered and shifted. Hissing softly, the inky forms slithered and pooled upon the forest floor quietly. It was from this void that Serephina emerged in all her radiant glory. She had shed her clinic attire in exchange for a black jacket of supple leather, a pristine white linen top underneath, and blue jeans which accented her curves. She stepped forward to shake off the shadows in her iconic black boots.
The underbrush rustled as Serephina crossed the delineation between the wilderness and the maintained estate. It was with the castle looming overhead that she refocused on her goal and began her search. She noted bark sheered from the tree trunks, the trampled grass, some residual tracks accented by claws.. And that scent? She was delightfully surprised that a dragon would be in this region.
A soft smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she crouched. Her fingers collected a light pink bloom sprinkled amid the grass. "Larkspur." She murmured before scenting the sweet bloom. She knew its symbolism was often lost on this generation, but she enjoyed that personal touch. As she tucked the bloom behind her ear she would then rise to stand and regarded the castle. Now, she had a raven to find.. "Aesira." Whispered the master to her familiar through their bond, "Where do you roost, raven?" She prompted as she strolled across the grass, following the castle wall towards the road. Sooner or later, she knew she'd find the gate..
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Post by Fina on Aug 28, 2022 11:25:07 GMT -6
Aesira crossed her arms comfortably over her chest as she observed Helena's slow and steady ascent. She remained ever the skeptic there on the ground while her new companion choose her hand holds every so carefully. She had to hand it to Helena, she certainly had some fortitude.. Nevertheless, Aesira still found herself contemplating expediting this venture. She tilted her head as she tried to envision how well Helena could wear a pair of spelled wings. She tensed subtly as Serephina's call snapped her from her train of thought. "Magnus." She acknowledged smoothly before drawing up short of bowing. Some habits were just so ingrained, it was just second nature.. It was with a infinitesimal measure of concentration that Aesira shared her current view. "The rookery here didn't quite go as planned, thanks to a keen guard." She confided before recapped her escapade in brief. Through their shared bond, Aesira received the impression of Serephina's amusement as she detailed the chaos of the bar. "I'll find you once you're roomed then." Came Fina's reply. This left Aesira to wonder at her master's plan as their connection went quite.
Smoothly shifting, the raven peered up at Helena. She blinked she judged the distance from ground to the window above. Hopping a pace and then two, the midnight feathered raven beat her wings to lift into the evening air. She hesitated, however, to land in the window Helena indicated. She didn't wish to obstruct her access and the notion of waiting in the unknown room beyond seemed rather rude without a proper invite. Thankfully, she spied another option.. Her claws clicked as she landed in the open window ledge neighboring Helena's. She peered into the darkened room briefly and, seeing no one, she assumed it was vacant before she turned tail to continue her vigil over Helena.
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Post by Kix on Sept 2, 2022 16:51:33 GMT -6
Having shooed Yuko away with his antics, Aiden had went back to the bathroom to finish settling in for the night. With his room having not been used often, it had been stuffy, so he had left a window open next to his desk. Taking his towel with him, he hung it on one of the towel bars next to the stall style shower in the bathroom before turning to brush his teeth. After brushing his teeth, Aiden felt fresh and somewhat rejuvenated. Sighing contently, he ran a brush through his short hair briefly to slick it back before walking back into his bedroom. Still in nothing but his boxer briefs, he moved to turn on his desk light, but something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. Was that...? Furrowing his brow, his bare feet made next to no noise as he snuck over to the window sill. When the raven didn't notice him, he had a moment where he thought that perhaps somebody had placed a stuffed bird there to mess with him... Still, it seemed real. "What in the Edgar Allen Poe bullshit...?" He mumbled, poking at the large bird's back to make sure he wasn't imagining things. When he poked it between it's wings, the bird felt warm and alive, but that confused him more. What was a raven doing sitting in his window sill? At this time of night none the less...
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Post by Fina on Sept 3, 2022 6:00:57 GMT -6
Occupied with her task, Aesira was diligent and patient waited as Helena accended the vine growth. It was a slow climb and, under these circumstances, the best approach. She tried to quell her rising anxiousness as Helena put more distance between herself and the ground. She knew she must respect her new friend's wishes.. However, she would not be foolish enough to ignore the risks either. If the vines were not securely anchored, she would wadger it would be near the top. She noted the fresh green leaves and the potential of this growth possibly being poorly established.
As she fretted, the raven was clueless to the stealthy approach in the room at her back. She was riveted to the window ledge until.. She tensed as her feathers mid back were brushed by a digit, but realization came to when she was soundly poked. Her startled croak drowned Aiden's muttering and she began flapping her wings frantically. "A ghost! The castle's haunted!" Her brain concluded hastily. Her flight competed with her fright instincts, however, and made her efforts were uncoordinated. She ended up pitching back off the sill and tumbling clumsily toward the floor. With the floor rushed up at her, the raven acted to protect her hollow bones from fracture..
Aesira hit the floor with a grunt and a solid thump which forced the air from her lungs. She lay on her back a moment before she coughed as rolled to her side with a wheeze. She fought for breath with her eyes watering as she rested on the cool floor. When she recovered, she cleared moisture from her eyes with a soft groan. It was once her sight was clear that she spied bare human feet before her and she froze.
Her brow furrowed as she scrabbled to clarify the situation. "I didn't hit my head, right?" She wondered as she combed her midnight waves back from her face. She was sure this room had been empty. The lights were out, the air had been stale.. She wanted to groan there on the floor with her embarrassment, but instead she slowly lifted her gaze to the man looming over her. Her brow lifted at the choice of attire or rather the lack thereof.. Here she thought that humans were ever so modest. She gave Aiden an awkward smile, "Uh, hi?" She managed to mumble, her voice was raw.
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Post by Kix on Sept 3, 2022 6:47:03 GMT -6
Not immediately noticing his sister scaling the side of the castle via vines, Aiden was a little surprised when the raven on his window sill suddenly disappeared in a flurry of feathers with a croak. Stepping back a bit, he waved the feathers away from his face as Aesira shifted and landed with a heavy thunk on his bedroom floor. Making a pftpftpft noise, he stuck out his tongue to remove a small black feather from it before he assessed the situation. "Ah shit..." He muttered, quickly moving to assist the woman on his floor how he could. Seeing her trying to roll over, he knelt down for a moment to help her, making sure to keep a respectable distance between them at her side. Wondering what she had been staring at so intently from his window, he stood back up and craned his head to look outside only to spy Helena scaling the side of the castle. "What in the actual fuck...?" He whispered to himself as his brow furrowed. Shaking his head, he firmly decided that he would never understand his sister's thinking. Why was she climbing the vines rather than just simply growing them up to where she wanted to go like an elevator? Was she trying to impress somebody? Looking back to the woman coughing and catching her breath on his floor, he was more confused. He knew Helena had a boyfriend, and somehow doubted she even swung both ways, so why would she try to impress this woman? Turning his blue-green gaze back to Helena, he scoffed and rolled his eyes a bit. "Who do you think you are? Laura Croft?! I hope you slip and fall on your ass you idiot!" He shouted at her before he slammed his window shut. As the stranger caught her breath, he took half a step back to make sure to give her plenty of space.
When she brushed her hair to the side to look up at him and smile, Aiden simply sighed lightly as he knelt to offer her a hand. When he knelt down, he got a closer look at the woman, noting her beauty with a small smirk. He didn't seem any bit shy about his lack of clothing... "Hey, sorry. I didn't mean to scare you. I thought somebody was playing a prank on me." He explained. "Don't worry about my sister. She's stupid sometimes, but she won't get hurt. She's a big, bad goddess now." He said sarcastically, making a face and extending his hands and fingers out to emphasize his sass. Clearly he wasn't as happy about his sister being a goddess as a bother should be. "I'm Aiden by the way... I'm actively avoiding my sister at the moment, but I'll let you out into the hall if you want to rejoin her."
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Post by Fina on Sept 3, 2022 8:32:40 GMT -6
In the commotion of her coughing fit, Aesira was aware of little else. The primitive part of her brain pumped adrenaline as she struggled to drag a breath in. Her cheeks flushed with every heave of her diaphragm and her heart beat loudly in her ears, but she rallied as she rolled to her side with the assistance. She gulped down air as she was left to lay in a heap on the floor. The cool floor felt good against her heated cheek she decided and so she was in no hurry to move yet. Faintly, over the sound of her slowing heart rate, she thought she heard yelling. Why did he calling her Laura Croft? She thought she had said her name was Helena..
Now fully recovered, Aesira faced a new crisis.. Her embarrassment mounted as Aiden just sighed at her, turning her smile sheepish. As he knelt down, she braced her hands upon the floor and pushed herself upright. If she was bothered by his state of undress, she didn't let on as they regarded one another. She was a shifter, after all. If not for the transformation of her feathers to clothing she would be in a similar state too.
Her brow furrowed at his explanation, "..They'd prank you with stuffed raven?" She asked, genuinely concerned. If that was the case, that would explain why he approached instead of respecting her distance as some wild creature. She sighed, "It wasn't all your fault, I'm sorry for intruding.. I thought this room was vacant." She told him. She arched a brow as he expressed his sentiments about his sister. She just nodded along, definitely sensing some sibling rivalry there. She chuckled, "Nice to meet you, Aiden." She said, offering him her hand. "I'm Aesira. I was keeping your sister company in the garden when a room as offered instead." She explained. At the notion of reuniting with Helena in the hall, she glanced over her shoulder at the closed window and then over Aiden's shoulder to the door. "That's mighty kind of you, but I suppose it depends.." She told him, "She's not going to taxidermy me now, is she?" She asked, feigned skepticism.
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