[Isabella]

The first rays of dawn flooded through the trees of the secluded shore on which sat Isabella, not feeling sleep-deprived matterless of the fact she'd been up all night. A gentle breeze ruffled her grey-feathered wings and red hair, as her eyes darted up to the mountains she could see from the position she was sitting in with her arms around her knees. How small she felt compared to those mighty pieces of rock that protruded from the Earth. The Anyeli felt stronger now, as if she had grown out of being a fledgling..... As if she was growing up too quickly for her to keep up with. But still, it made her feel proud.... Proud of how much she had developed during her time in Elysia.Isabella jumped to her feet, and picked up a nearby rock. She ran her thumb down it, it was cool, and smooth. Perfect for skipping across the lake from the bank she was standing on. A strong flick of her wrist, and it was thrown across the water, bouncing..... one.... two..... three times, before it finally dropped into the water with a small plop. Ripples disturbed the lake's surface, creating gentle waves that came back to lap gently on the shore. It was a mesmerizing sound, like soft notes into her ears. A smile crossed Isabella's face, something that had not happened for quite a long time, after all that had happened to her.The Anyeli contemplated trying to fly, but the strong determination that she had felt earlier had diminished, leaving her calm and collected. Still, she could do it any time. For now, she had to enjoy Lake Geneva while she could. After coming to Elysia, to her delight, she had found that she could go anywhere on Earth by simply going through a portal. Lake Geneva had been one of the places she had always wanted to go to, and now, she could go anywhere. Life seemed to be looking up for Isabella.[ Piper's Boutique ~ Aethereality ~ DA ]

[Taliera]

Taliera stumbled forward as she crossed through the portal into the inky darkness that she found to be slowly dispelled by the daring fingers of the tender dawn. Gaining her balance again, the young woman stood straight, wrapping her arms around herself to hold together the pieces. No more tears came, the ache dulled to a subconscious buzz. Instead she let the silence on dewy air of the early morning envelope her, wrap her in the velvety feel as she hardly dared breathe for fear of shattering it. This was a place she had once heard talked about in passing, though she failed to quite recall what who had spoken of it or why they had. It was not really important anyhow; not much mattered right now. When one had fallen so far they looked up and saw no light, when one had fled so deep a strange path that when they turned around and saw not even their own footsteps, that was when the heart faltered. It was for that reason that Taliera desired to run with a burning passion, a passion that had brought her to the spot she stood. The anyeli's head snapped up as the silence was broken by a splashing. As her emerald eyes lowered to the lake, she saw another young woman with wings to match her own. Taliera was discomforted, ruffling the gray feathers. She was not alone, but the presence was not a comfortable one. She needed no more ridicule, though she failed to see how any more words might bring her further down. Instead she chose to stand there, wings partially opened as the stare followed the other anyeli. She said not a word, not caring for such commodity. Her eyes might as well have burnt a hole straight through their focus.

[Ilire]

'Take me somewhere peaceful," he had whispered to the portal, a lump in his throat.

A flash of light and swirl of neon colors later, Ilire was dumped unceremoniously along a coastline that stretched from east to west as far as the eye could see. He promptly got up, brushed a few specks of dust and sand from his pants, and looked around. It certainly appeared peaceful. The lake was beautiful, quite clean by Earth standards. A red banner flapped in the distance.

Curious, he took a few tenative steps toward the strange sight and soon realized it was no banner, and in fact vibrantly colored hair fluttering in the wind. Ilire's breath caught in his throat as he noted her feathery wings. Still grey. An angel? The girl seemed roughly his age; perhaps older. That should've been old enough to know better than to reveal her wings on Earth so carelessly.

On the other hand, the entire beach seemed quite deserted, save the two of them... Still looking around, Ilire took the clumsy human-hat off his head, giving his small horns some breathing room. Up close, the flame-haired girl was quite attractive. His lips curled upward a little. Gesturing to the horizon, he murmered,

"I've always loved sunrises."

[Isabella]

Isabella stared over the clear, cool liquid, in a daydreaming reverie. She felt out of the world now, as if she her body was frozen there, but her mind were elsewhere. A voice snapped her out of the waking dream, and she spun around, breath catching for a moment. In her line of sight was a male, and her cheeks flushed a little upon revealing the speaker. Her eyes darted upward nervously, to the two horns protruding from his head, to eyeing him up and down. She smoothed down a crease in the skirt that hung around her waist, and silently swallowed, before speaking. "Consider that a love we both share, then," she said, a small smile flashing across her face.Isabella coolly leaned against a tree, eyes fixed on the demon (she had simply assumed this, what else could he be?) curiously. Was it necessary for her to introduce herself? Maybe only courteous. "I'm Isabella, by the way," she said in the calmest tone she could manage. Her brown eyes flashed with a small glint momentarily, meeting his own. She noted his differently coloured eyes, and raised an eyebrow. That was something she'd rarely seen, but on him, it seemed to fit. Still, she hastily folded her arms together, as if a little uneasy. The presence of a male was weird for her.[ Piper's Boutique ~ Aethereality ~ DA ]

[Taliera]

A male entered Taliera's line of sight, apparently talking to the anyeli. Taliera's eyes could make out the broader features of their faces, though finer points and colourations were lost upon her. Her ears could not make out the syllables of their speech, so she knew not what they spoke of, though she was not inspired to remedy that. She sat down on her knees, the gray feathers of her wings brushing the lush grass that brushed against her legs. The young woman just continued to watch, staring brazenly. It failed to bother her that once staring at strangers had not been polite, but manners seem to have faded in light of recent events. Eventually she did look away, though, her eyes drifting to the hands in her lap. She could almost feel that paper in her hands still, the light substance that still felt heavier than lead in her grasp. Clenching her fists, Taliera frowned deeply, fighting the tears that threatened to spill over again. With bloodshot eyes, she looked up again at the two strangers below. That was when the tears spilled over, but they were not of sorrow. They were of hatred, of complete and utter loathing.

[Ilire]

Ilire frowned at the sight of her small, but definate smile. For a moment, he could've sworn he had seen a little of someone else in her. He immediately caught himself and the crease in his brow smoothed itself out, replacing the scowl with a perfectly pleasant look. He crossed his arms too, containing himself; setting up just another barrier between them. Isabella looked terribly cute when she blushed.

"Aah. How fortunate that we've met, then." Ilire said in the cheery voice he reserved just for strangers. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Ilire."

The way that she looked at his eyes was a little unnerving though; made his wings flutter a little underneath his coat. In the long run, strange eyes were not nearly as strange as protruding fangs, or slitted pupils. Ilire couldn't understand her curiousity. He blinked and stared back at her, then abruptly turned his eyes towards the ground uncomfortably.

"Before you ask, they're not contacts."

[Taliera]

Taliera's fists shook with the absolute fury as she watched. The woman wasn't exactly angry with them specifically, she was angered by people in general. She was sick of them. What she did next was purely of the nature brought by blinding emotion, something that she would never be able to explain her exact reasoning for. Standing again, Taliera glared for a moment before turning to the nearest tree. Malice coated every nerve in her body and she reached out. Digging in with her fingernails, she wrenched the cone-shaped item from the branch, turning quickly. Pitching it as hard as she could, the beehive soared through the air towards the ones below. Bees were already swarming about at the foolish move, read to barrage the raven-haired girl. It took only a step and a useless flap of her wings to send Taliera tumbling backwards. Falling down the hill, a splash erupted in the lake a few yards from the others. Being completely soaked did not embarrass Taliera as it would have, it just increased her fuming attitude. It was easy to imagine smoke issuing from her ears as her hateful eyes turned to see what had happened from her toss.

[Ilire]

The next few moments were a blur. One moment, Ilire had been smiling at the flame haired girl; the next moment, a large beehive flew out of no where and smashed by his feet. In the distance, a large splash was heard. Ilire stared at the swarm of angry bees, then reached out a hand to push Isabella into the water, away from the bees. It only took a moment, then he too dove into the water. Pain shook him even as he hit the cool waves.

Apparently, that moment was all it took for an enraged bee to sting him on the arm. He looked down at the red bump and shuddered. Dizziness and nausea swept through him and he frantically thrashed, only to sink again; a weakness overtaking his limbs. He gasped and choked and fought toward the surface, toward the shore.

Xanth must have been watching, for he somehow dragged himself to the far end of the coast, despite the pain that racked his body. One look at his arm had him groaning. Dozens of small red bumps had formed up and down his arms, and were itching quite a bit. Hives. He was allergic. No wonder he couldn't remember ever having been stung before. Dizziness swept over him again, and the world went fuzzy and out of focus. His had time for only one thought before his vision clouded and everything went dark.

I hope Isabella's alright.

[Isabella]

Isabella drew her eyes away from his, and studied him with apparent interest. She giggled a little to his comment, and smiled. “No, they seem to be too wonderful to be co-” she began, being broken off by what happened next. Soon Ilire shoved her in the chest, making her writhe with discomfort, and she blinked only to land in the cold water (it felt rather cold when all you were wearing was a skirt and a tee shirt). Her lungs filled with icy water, and she gasped for air, rising to the top. As she came to the surface, arms flailing (she was not a strong swimmer) she felt herself being pulled away by the current of the lake, head one moment above the water and the next under. She should have taken those swimming lessons while she’d had the chance. She could feel herself going deeper, and deeper under, vision fading…… However, she refused to give up and fought it harder, struggling to regain consciousness and rise to the top. The Anyeli sank repeatedly, until her feet touched the bottom. Her wings felt lifeless, when she gave them a flap they simply moved around in the water. Isabella’s feet touched the lake floor, and she gave one powerful kick, rising up rapidly. She was quite far out of the water now, and near to the bank. She seized a clump of grass and pulled herself up onto it, coughing and spluttering. Lungs cleared of water, she lay on her stomach for a moment, quite distressed by the incident.Time passed, and Isabella finally stood, shaking madly with the icy water dripping off her wings and clothes. Her hair was soaked, red hair seeming much darker and pulled back against her scalp. A thought hit her: where was Ilire? The Anyeli’s features darkened a little into a frown, and she put a finger to the soggy grey feathers. Great. She couldn’t even fly up a bit to look around. So instead, she began walking along, shouting his name until she saw a figure on the other side. She squinted to examine it more closely, and class it as Ilire. Yes, it has horns. she thought, then considered her options. So, she could either wait for her wings to dry, or swim back over. Maybe….. if she used something as a float, she could reach him. Yes, that was a better idea. Isabella looked around her, and tried to work with nature. A broken branch caught her attention, maybe it could act as driftwood? She picked it up, and dropped it into the water. It sunk a little, but still, maybe it could work. What was life without a little risk, after all? She swallowed hard, and closed her eyes, stepping into the lake. After struggling to the surface, Isabella caught hold of the makeshift driftwood, and gasped for the oxygen that came rushing into her lungs. She was unsure now, and slowly began kicking her way to the other side. Her wet clothes didn’t help, neither did her shoes. But still she continued, taking as least time as possible, but still trying as best she could. The journey felt long and oxygen, and by the time she reached Ilire, she simply pulled herself onto the bank and lay, panting next to him for a moment. When she had gathered her bearings once more, the Anyeli sat up and examined him for a moment, noting his apparent stage of unconsciousness and checking to see he was breathing. Luckily, he seemed okay. That was good. But what troubled Isabella now, was what had happened? She hadn’t even seen much, only Ilire pushing her into the water and a beehive. Maybe someone threw it at them. But who would do such a thing? Only a -squeal-, for sure. She shrugged, and looked once more at the male, smiling a little. The tee shirt that clung to her felt so cold, like icy water stuck to her permanently. The Anyeli couldn’t help but feel a little concerned for Ilire, and herself even. Surely the icy water couldn’t be good for her in the attire she was wearing, and Ilire didn’t exactly seem to be in a good state. She didn’t know what to do, should she take him to a hospital, or what? In her thoughts, she didn’t notice the sting until then, and gasped when she saw the red blotchy spot thing. She winced, but hastily considered what to do. Cover it? Maybe she should wait for him to wake up.(EDIT: Isabella's wings are now black )[ Piper's Boutique ~ Aethereality ~ DA ]

[Taliera]

Taliera drew herself to her feet, water dripping from her in torrents. Her clothes and hair were completely drenched, but her mind was focused on the scene before her. In both glee and agony the same she found her eyes resting on the pair. The soaked anyeli held Taliera's eyes for a long moment, allowing the gazer to fill with emotions. Her hatred and fury raged high only now tinted with slight remorse. The slight reprieve was nothing of notable relief, for the anyeli's conscious was minuscule enough to be dragged beneath the tide of action. They deserved what they got. They really did. Even with the light of the early morning, Taliera did not turn away and did not flee. She was not afraid of being seen. When one had nothing left, they have nothing to hide. It was for that reason that she did not care if her face was known and hated. It was for that reason that she did not scuffle back from responsibility of what she had done. She meant it, simple as that. Just as it is the thought that counts, intention plays a part in determining the outcome of an event. Taliera was so bold in intention as to wade a bit closer through the waters. Perhaps the man was dead. Maybe Taliera had yet again killed someone. A chill ran across Taliera's skin, though perhaps the feeling that accompanied it was not as dreading as it should have been. She failed to care. It was beyond her.

[Isabella]

Every now and then, Isabella put her ear to Ilire's chest, it was one of the basic things she knew about medical science. Other than that, she didn't know what to do, other than try to start a fire (failing) and move him into a more comfortable position. One thing did catch her attention, however. She saw the same Anyeli from the Courtyard who had taken a tumble down the hill, and frowned. Maybe.... she did it. Isabella's mind seemed to react, muscles twitching into a venomous glare. Still a fledgling. If need be, Isabella would be flying after her. She could fly a fair distance now, she was growing up. Bella had a very bad temper. Maybe that's why she dyed her hair red, flares of warning. If something really annoyed her, it would most likely mean she was ready to let her fists do the talking.Isabella's hands were already curling into tense fists, she stood up, still shooting daggers and not moving her eyes away. Her mouth twitched a little with anger, her body felt full of adrenaline mixed with the rage she still felt. Who else could it have been? There was no one else about, and she looked like the type of -squeal- to do such a thing. Isabella calmed herself down, but her temper was still smouldering in the five minutes that passed of her struggling to douse the burning fire inside of her. Her features reverted to normal, seeming calm and collected, a betrayal to her real self. Having an idea and hating the fact that she was alone with a female across the lake staring at her, she dipped her hands into the water and cupped them together, making a small basin. She quickly brought them out so as to keep the water that slowly seeped out from in between her fingers, and threw the icy water over Ilire's face. It was quite a bit, but still, it could be enough. "Oi. Ilire. Wake up," she simply said, kneeling next to him and watching him with an intent disposition and a small grin on her face.[ Piper's Boutique ~ Aethereality ~ DA ]

[Ilire]

Ilire was jolted awake by an entirely - in his opinion - unnecessary sensation not unlike being slapped in the face with a frozen tuna. The darkness cleared, and the demon found himself on his back looking up into the harsh glare of the sun. Wincing at the throbbing pain at his temples, he pulled himself into a hunched sitting position. The little incident from earlier had left his clothing soaked. Even with the warmth of the morning sun on his back, he felt numb.

He sighed in relief when he saw Isabella a small distance away, looking perfectly unharmed, if not a bit perturbed. There was no one else could could have doused him awake. As it was, he shot Isabella a half-hearted glare. It was rather difficult to be vicious when you felt as stable as a pool of jello.

"When I get home," he said with a shiver, "I'm sitting in the dryer until my hair frizzes and falls out."

The slight pain in his arm as he waggled a finger at her reminded him of what had happened. Events came sluggishly to him until the entire morning was recalled. Immediately, he sobered up. Although his lips felt chapped, and his tongue heavy, there was an edge in his voice as he spoke.

"How long have I been sleeping? And by any chance did you see who threw that hive?"

[Taliera]

As her anger and hatred looped around, it came full circle and the feeling in Taliera's stomach made her want to be sick. Curling her arms around her, like trying to hold on to anything she may have had left of herself, her fierce green eyes softened and dropped away. She did not run nor hide, however. Whereas minutes before she had held the vindictive belief that the two on the shore not so far away deserved whatever it was that befell them, she now held the horrible feeling that she deserved whatever it was that happened to her. She was turning into those she hated, those that had done her wrong. What was wrong with her so much that one single day could alter her very morality? Had it not been her goal, her job, to do what was in good spirit and not the poorer? Perhaps the years were simply an upstage, a setup for a pitfall like what she had just done. Occasionally, ripples in the lake would spread out from where her toes almost touched it. Every so often one could hear the soft plip of a tear falling into the lake. Now was when the guilt and remorse settled in, getting comfortable for a nice long stay. Taliera considered for a moment going over and apologizing, but she was quick to decide that was pointless. What would she say? I'm sorry that I threw a beehive of swarming stingers at you; isn't this lovely weather? That failed to seem very logical. The woman stayed put, letting her ebony hair fall forward the shield her face from view as she tried to will the tears to a stop. Had she not cried enough recently? Still, the glistening drops came forth unbeckoned, and she squeezed her sides in battle against the looming feelings that filled her insides, turning them rotten. She would wait. Surely the sentence for what she had done would come to her soon enough.

[Isabella]

Isabella's grin faded, but she instead rose an an eyebrow and snorted to his comment. "I don't know. But during the time you have, I was nearly drowned because I can't swim, landed on the other side, came over to this side and found you. Simple, no?" her tone was sarcastic and blunt, to the point with stung pride. "Well... I might know. I don't know, but I'm rather suspicious." She gestured to the Anyeli with the grey wings on the other side of the lake, and shrugged. "But you can't know for sure, can you?" She stood to her feet, and said nothing more, longing for something warm. Now she'd learned something: never be quick to assume something won't happen and take precautions. Maybe she should remember that.The Anyeli slumped down against a tree and sighed, sending a soft black feather drifting off on a slight breeze. She'd planned to have tranquility when she came here, but when she'd came to Elysia, so many things had been happening. Jade unwell, Suka, now this. Wherever she went, she felt that danger lurked not far behind, plotting which way that it could make her miserable next. And what had just happened was a brilliant way to make her feel shaken up and frightened. Maybe she should start expecting stuff instead of living like she was still in England. She slowly got to her feet, trembling, and wobbled dangerously on the spot. "I'm.... going home," she murmured to him, holding onto the tree for support. "I'll see you around, Ilire." With that, she flashed him a small grin, and hurried off to the nearest portal, hoping for a hot bath once she returned to Elysia.[ Piper's Boutique ~ Aethereality ~ DA ]

[Taliera]

The rather unsettling fact was that Taliera's mind was not so much to be called a mind at that moment, for it was jumbled and unorganized, not really thinking at all. When a simple piece of paper had shown might enough to bring the woman to hit the floor, Taliera's mind had come to a grinding halt. No longer did she carefully consider things or stick to what seemed "right", she simply followed the whims of her heart. It was then that her heart screamed against her head that she was being foolish. What point was there in letting tortuous things lash against her voluntarily? Why should she stand here in tears of what was happening? Her heart steeled again as the previous thought returned. They had deserved it. They deserved all that happened to them. Taliera had known more misery than delight at others' hands, and now that they should have their debt repaid. Gone just as suddenly as it had come, the remorse fell away. Taliera's eyes shifted angrily to the two. As the other anyeli disappeared through the portal, Taliera waited. Then, just when she was sure she could make it, her feet raced off and she followed, barely even noting where it was that she asked the portal to take her. It didn't matter. There were no ties to hold her down. There was nothing to return to or flee from. Right now she was mindless to consequence.