[Kioni]

Kioni was getting tired. When she left the group on their way to the hospital, she'd been running. Not jogging and certainly not pacing herself. She pretty much sprinted. And she hadn't stopped moving. All the while, she continued to repeat the man's request in her head.

Nets... tools. To fight plants and animals? Yes, that!

Remembering the things she needed to get had been the easy part. It was finding them that was giving Kioni trouble. There were so many stores and they were all scattered!! And she'd been really hoping she'd get all these things in a timely manner and be back at the hospital to see how he was doing. Now, it didn't look like that was happening.

But, Kioni reasoned, she'd still be able to see them eventually. He asked her to run this errand for him so no doubt he'd want all these items. So they'd meet again. But she needed it to be soon!!

3 bags stuffed with nets and what looked like giant shears in her hands, Kioni stopped in front of her next store and dropped to her knees, catching her breath. Well, that was half of the list. Now to finish the rest.

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Naava]

"Flit! Flit come back" Naava shrieked as she ran along the paths of the Elysian Underground. Her new little Cheefle she'd gotten from some exotic pets shop had managed to yank it's tiny leash out of her hands and was now making a mad dash through the bustling underground town. "Fliii-iiit!!" she whined as she chased her pet, her legs beginning to tire. soon, the little female Cheefle had reached a tree, scaled it, and was in the air gliding over Naava's head.

"Ok, Naava, you can do this! you know how to fly, you just don't know it!" Naava said as she chewed her lip nervously, not realizing the blatant contradiction in her statement. "Just beat your wings up and down, and jump, and you should be able to reach the handle of the leash!" she thought, trying to pump herself up as she nervously extended her wings. "one..." Oh Xanth, she felt so nervous she might throw up. "... Two..." Of course, it didn't help that people were staring... "... Two and a half..." Oh yes, people were definitely staring now. "... Three!" Naava half shouted, half shrieked as she threw herself into the air, reaching just high enough to grab the handle. "I did it!" she squealed as she felt her hands grasp the lead, not realizing that she wasn't still flapping her wings.

Suddenly, Naava began her decent, and so did her pet Cheefle that was now connected to her by a sturdy tether. Hitting the ground with quite a thud, there was quite a lot of shrieking and stray feathers flying everyone-though a bystander would be hard pressed to figured out which was coming from which creature. Yes, the Cheefle did not like being yanked out of the sky like a ripened apple. It didn't like it at all. And it was going to tell it new 'owner' that by chattering angrily and scurrying as quickly as it could as far away from Naava as she could.

The Anyelos had learned her lesson, though, and held on tightly to the cord that kept her new critter close by even as she rose from the ground and rubbed her bum tenderly, wincing at the prospective bruise that was likely to form. "You're such a little trouble maker!" the anyelos said as she scolded the critter and they walked away from the seen, the woman attempting to hide her face from the spectators who'd witnessed her fall.

The pair continued to walk along, headed towards who-knows-where, until Naava saw a girl running from one shop to another, to another, until she finally plopped to the ground in front of one more. "Uhm... uh... excuse me... is... everything OK?" Naava asked the other girl as she approached, unable to see her face from the angle she was at.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Piper]

Piper left the alley that dissected the buildings on one side of the main street, the plastic bag containing the crossbow, bolts and potion boxes heavy in her hand. As she skirted the advertising board - carefully keeping her gaze off the sign for her store - she pulled the sword's strap back onto her shoulder.

And stopped dead, lips parted in bemusement and mild surprise at the sight of a woman attempting to use a tiny squirrel like a hot air balloon. Didn't she know gravity would eat them both? Did she really think that poor little animal was strong enough to make them both fly?!

Watching the pair, Piper's head tilted. She was poised to go to the animal's rescue, but something about the situation didn't sit right. And then the critter made an escape attempt and the girl's reaction suggested it wasn't the first. Piper had suffered her own share of awkward, embarassing situations with her pets, and her reaction changed swiftly from a desire to rescue an abused pet to empathising with the Anyelos instead, flight attempt or not.

She didn't stop eyeing the girl, though, and her head was still tilted thoughtfully, because the Anyelos seemed familiar. Piper might have even though she was Nymphadora, except this girl's hair wasn't quite so dark as the Aide's and her wings were black. Still, the thought that she might have seen Dora gave her a pang; it seemed like she'd lost everyone she'd ever cared about this last couple of years.

No, that wasn't true. She still had Cal, and Vyon was waiting on her. She couldn't just stand here like a lemon staring at some strange girl, even if she was doing something weird. She had to find the redhead and get back to the portal. She wouldn't put it past Vyon to do something stupid if he thought only Cal and Isabel had stuck around to help.

Tugging the sword strap back up onto her shoulder again, Piper followed the girl and her strange little pet. Not because she wanted to follow them, but because they were headed in the same direction she wanted to go. She felt a bit weird, actually, as if she was stalking the woman, but it gave her a chance to eye the mysterious pet curiously. She hadn't a clue what it was. At first glance, it looked just like a chipmunk, maybe a brown squirrel, but she'd seen it fly. Absolutely astonishing.

She didn't see Kioni at first, because she was too intent on trying to figure out what the Anyeli's pet was. It was actually only because Naava herself spotted the Dracovarian and trotted off to see if she could help that Piper's attention was drawn to the redhead, and it was another second before the girl's features registered as belonging to the person she was looking for.

"Hey, hi!" Halting beside the two girls, Piper peered at the Dracovarian's bags as if she could see through them to the items inside. "I've got the weapons. I told them we'd meet them at the portal." Glancing at the Anyelos, Piper blinked dully as a good dose of manners clonked her over the head.

"I'm Piper." The introduction was meant for both girls, but up close, she was sure she'd met the Anyelos before. Why was she so bad with names?!

Unaware that she was repeating Naava's query, Piper turned to Kioni and asked, "Are you okay? You look a bit over-burdened there." Not that Piper was in much of a position to take any of the girl's bags but she had a hand free and was way stronger than she looked, so it wasn't just courtesy that made her ask.

"Did you manage to get everything?" As if Piper even knew what the shopping list was, besides something to fight with. She was an artist, a storekeeper, not a game warden. She didn't know the first thing about battling the forces of nature. Hopefully, Kioni did.

And maybe Piper could refrain from asking a hundred questions about the Anyeli's pet just long enough to help Vyon's friend.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Kioni]

Kioni was unable to speak quite yet, deciding to save her words for until she was able to properly talk to someone without worrying about suffocating again. Instead, she held up one finger, signaling the person to wait until she was better. It actually wasn't until she was feeling a little better did she suddenly realized that the voice sounded awfully familiar. That very thought made her snap her head up.

"Oh!" Kioni exclaimed, recognizing Naava.

Before she could respond anymore, she heard another familiar voice and turned in time to see one of the girls from earlier heading her way. What was she doing here? Upon learning that she got the weapons, Kioni blinked for a moment in surprise then let out a nice relieved sigh. Well, that was great! Two sets of hands were always better than one any day!

"Kioni." The girl responded. "I'm okay... just a little breathless." She paused. "I think so. I've got nets like he asked and a few shears and such for the plants." Kioni looked in Piper's bags. "And it looks like you've got the rest... so I think we're done!"

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Piper]

"Brilliant!" Piper beamed at the Dracovarian as she confirmed that she had the rest of the supplies they needed. Time was getting on and, not knowing how bad Vyon's injuries were or how long it would take for the doctor to help him, she was worried they'd be left behind. Cal had more sense than to go off into the wilderness without the supplies she and Kioni had trundled off for, but Vyon had seemed fairly desperate to get back to Chloris, his own health and safety be damned.

She couldn't blame him, honestly. If her friend was in danger, she'd want desperately to help. The difference was, Piper had too many fears and insecurities to act as rashly as Vyon.

Staring unabashedly at the Anyeli's pet as she gave Kioni time to catch her breath, Piper repeated, "I said we'd meet them at the portal," and then blushed as she realised she'd already told them that. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her and she blurted, "What is that?" Her blush deepened. "I mean, it's just... I don't think I've ever seen anything like it." She'd seen something similar in the trees when she walked the streets of New Alexandria on her way to and from work but she'd always just assumed it was a common chipmunk or squirrel, and she'd never imagined one could be domesticated to such an extent it could be led around on a leash.

No more pets, Piper! She already had two of her own and was still caring for Wolf's coyote. Although the shy Serene was too frightened to leave the apartment, she did love to snuggle with Comet and Fawn under the coffee table, or sleep at the foot of that vast, empty bed. Her finger monkies were as close to cute and adorable as she was going to get and she really couldn't afford more pet food every week... not to mention Dazadi would have a fit.

Odd that she hadn't kicked Piper out yet, actually, or that she herself hadn't moved out. She just... hadn't gotten around to it...

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Piper]

"Okay, then, if you've got your breath back, I think we should get to the portal." Hefting the bag she carried, Piper smiled at Kioni. She didn't want to rush the poor girl but they couldn't stand here waiting forever, not with Vyon so urgent about his friend. She didn't know how long it would even take them to get to her after they left, so rushing now could only speed things along later.

Flashing another smile, as if she could reassure herself as well as the other girls by making a happy face, Piper clutched the bag tighter and glanced around at the familiar surroundings to fix her location and the direction of the portal.

As she set off, she tried not to imagine what kind of dangers they'd encounter in the forest. She'd only been to the safer parts before, back between leaving Tom and meeting Wolf, and it was strange to realise she was going back there, further into the darker parts. Oddly, she wasn't afraid of the beasts she'd heard about so much as returning to a place that would remind her of her Wolf, that would force her to think about him.

Hah, as if she needed the help! She already thought about him too often for comfort. Still, maybe that was better than worrying what they were walking into...

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Naava]

Naava felt rather odd asking someone she didn't know if they needed help, when she couldn't even remember what her life pertained of more than a month or so ago. Still... not helping seemed so wrong. She just couldn't have walked by without even at least offering, besides, the girl would probablyy... "Kioni?" she said, half to herself and half to the Dracovarian. Well, now she didn't feel odd at all. Just idiotic for not recognizing one of the few people she could actually remember having a conversation with.

Before proper re-acquaintance could occur, however, another girl came up to Kioni. She greeted them both kindly, but than began talking about things Naava new nothing about. Kioni proceeded to do this as well, utterly confusing Naava. Weapons? Nets? This all sounded highly illegal, or like it should at least be illegal. "Uhh..." Naava mumbled, bouncing uneasily from foot to foot. Enough that any oblivious person could tell she was uncomfortable, but not so much as to make them think she was a toddler needing to use the bathroom.

As the black haired girl, Piper? Spoke again, Naava looked at her evely, for the first time taking in her face. "Ohh..." she said silently, suddenly feeling uneasy. she actually looked familiar. at least Naava thought she did. That sort of passing familiarity. Like the kind where you may have had a brief conversation with the person at one point in time, so you vaguely recognize them. But it was the first time she'd really recognized anyone in a very long time. Suddenly Naava wondered if the girl new who she was as well, and was just acting as if she didn't due to the possible illegality oof their apparent objective.

Naava's thoughts brought her back to the underground about the time Piper started turning to leave. "Gah, wait!" Naava said, trying to stop her could be friend/family/loved one as she began to chase after her as well, forgetting about her offer to help Kioni. Flit, however, decided that the instant Naava went to run was the perfect time for him to try leaping off of her back, which she'd scurried up when Naava wasn't paying very much attention, and fly in the opposite direction. All of a sudden the leash yanked Naava's limp arm back, causing her sentence of balance to shift, and her to slam to the ground--pulling the poor Cheefle along for the ride. "GAH!!" Naava screamed as she flailed much like a cat being tossed into a bath tub full of icy water before being stopped oh-so-kindly by the ground. "Ughhhhh..."

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Kioni]

Kioni had been daydreaming. It was probably ridiculously inappropriate considering the situation but it just sorta happened. Rather, she'd been still trying to get her energy back when her thoughts began to wander. It wasn't like the breathing was difficult. But her legs felt like rubber and she worried that they'd barely be able to help her stand. So she was using this time to rest some more.

Her mind wanderings didn't even have a specific thought in mind. They just revolved around things she'd thought about previously in her life. Lifemates and stuff. But she was also thinking about the male nymph and if he was doing all right. And maybe he'd be totally grateful to her for helping him!

It was Piper's voice that broke Kioni out of her daydreams and for a second, she was a tad disoriented. As Piper headed to the portal, Kioni felt incredibly sheepish for briefly forgetting about the seriousness of the situation that she hurriedly scrambled to her feet and snagged her bags so Piper wouldn't leave her behind.

And then Naava, who she completely forgot was there, tried to catch up to Piper much to the Dracovari's surprise. But the little animal Naava carried decided to be naughty and ended up knocking its owner and itself to the ground. Kioni gapsed and crouched to her side, bags in one hand.

"Naava! Are you all right?"

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Piper]

Piper had trotted off a bit too fast and her focus entirely on getting to the portal, so it took her a few moments to realise she was all alone. By the time she turned back to see if Kioni was following her with the rest of the supplies, it was to find Naava sprawled on the floor instead with Kioni hovering over her.

Biting her lip, Piper was momentarily tempted to dash for the portal anyway. There was an increasing sense of urgency drawing her on and making her feel like every second was vital but, in the end, she wasn't the type to just ignore someone who clearly needed help. Sharing the girl's clumsiness - and affection for pets who were often more trouble than they were worth - only made her that much more inclined to help the Anyelos.

Besides, Kioni had most of the supplies and Piper wasn't about to snatch the bags from the 'Vari while she stayed behind to help Naava. Still, it was a bit annoying to be delayed like this.

Racing back to the pair, Piper frowned and shook her head. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Piper]

Sympathy for the fallen Anyelos welled as Piper waited for a response, hoping the fall hadn't been too bad. Usually, when she fell, Piper didn't do much damage. A scraped knee, a bruised hip from walking into the corner of the cash desk - it mostly just her pride that was injured. But this girl seemed much more prone to accidents than Piper ever had, and perhaps even more of a wimp, if that was even possible!

Setting her bag down on the floor, Piper gave the girl a moment to collect herself and went after her pet, worried the strange creature would seize the opportunity to make a bid for freedom. Pinching the creature's leash against the ground between forefinger and thumb as she bobbed down, Piper lifted the lead carefully, gently trying to tug the animal loser. "Hey, there, you're a cutie, huh?" And it was true. As strange as the creature was, with its odd mix of squirrel and chipmunk and flying fox, there was an adorable quality to it she couldn't really put her finger on.

But then, Piper couldn't remember an animal she hadn't liked yet - not counting creepy crawlies, of course.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Dracos]

Dracos sat perched on top of a nearby shop roof, his brown hair had grown quite a bit since he had left Elysia 9 months ago. Raider atop his shoulder. Dracos still wore the armor he had left in, black studded leather, it was well worn now, and his dual blades no longer gleamed. Things had changed since he left. The Kuma tribe had disappeared and his Sister with them. He had spent a majority of his time away looking for them but to no avail. Final he gave up his search and just traveled for awhile, visited his parent graves, and avoided the task that was given to him by his Master Lord Ea. He would get scolded for sure when he finally completed that mission. Either that or he would die trying to complete it.

Looking to the sidewalk below Dracos spotted a familiar face. Naava had tested him to get into a local "gang" called Shadowbreed, which he still needed to see if they were still around. Having just returned to Elysia he was still getting used to the new things that seemed to have developed while he was away. Watching as Naava was dragged into the ground by the cheefle attached at her wrist by a leash, he began to laugh so hard that raider took flight with an indignant squawk. Still observing the situation he watched the other two girls that Naava was speaking to moments before look down as she lay on the ground. Finally one moved but instead of helping out the Anyeli she picked up the leash to the tiny creature. Finally, having enough of a good laugh at Naava's misfortune, Dracos glided down to the street level and walked over to where Naava lay stretching out a hand for her to take. "You know you're still quite as clumsy as you were the day I met you in the ring. Let me help you up." Choosing to ignore the other girls for a moment Dracos stared at Naava straight in the eyes and smirked.

· · · · --=~*~=-- · · · ·

..:: Piper's Boutique :: Dafont :: Google :: Shoegal Icons ::..

[Kioni]

Kioni looked Naava over, frantic. The anyelos still looked a little bit dazed, at least that's what the Dracovari figured since the female had yet to answer any questions as of yet. Could she have gotten a concussion? Maybe she hit her head really hard! Kioni couldn't really know this for sure because she hadn't seen the fall at all. She only heard it. But it did little to make her feel better. If only there was a visible sign of the conditions Naava was in.

From that point, everything just grew terribly startling after that when a mysterious looking guy came from practically nowhere and approached Naava. Completely ignoring Kioni and Piper in the process. Kioni bristled a little and found herself feeling a little peeved. How rude was that? He could at least say hi! The jerk...

Still, since they seemed to know each other, maybe her anyelos friend would be in good hands. Getting to her feet, Kioni nodded to Piper and gathered her stuff.

"Guess we'll be off. Take care of yourself, Naava!"

Piper's Boutique · Dafont · Keymoon · Aethereality

[Naava]

Ow.... my head... Naava thought as she stared upwards into the sky, her body not wanting to move. Why did she seem to be falling all of the time, lately? Even just maybe 15 minutes ago she'd fallen to the ground just a few blocks back. As Kioni spoke, Naava slowly moved her hand to her head. Why was the world spinning? Or was it? Looking over at the Varians... yes.. all two... four... six of them, Naava stared blankly before resting her head back on the ground again. It seemed she would be spending most of today lying face up in the dirt.

Still, she was a bit more dazed from this second fall and couldn't get herself to focus on what her friend was trying to say. That Piper girl who seemed so familiar before came back towards Naava as well, but Naava was to busy realizing that there was quite a large pain in her back to respond to any of the posed questions. As Piper went toward the squirming Flit, Naava attempted to move herself upwards to no avail until a rather masculine hand came into view. Finally regaining her bearings, Naava reach out and took a firm hold on the hand, pulling herself up onto her rather wobbly feet as she slowly processed what the man was saying.

Met him? what/ Quickly looking to his face, Naava froze for a moment. "D-..." she paused for a moment, a bit scared to speak, "do I know you?" she finshed, her free hand subconsciously finding it's way to her mouth where she gently bit own on her forefinger. Her other hand, however, remained in his, for the time being at least. "Guess we'll be off. Take care of yourself, Naava!" The Anyelos heard behind her. "Wh--wait, what?" she said slightly stunned, whipping her head around as she stretched her throbbing wings and Flit scurried about the tiny space that she had on the ground. "Wait, Kioni!" She said, not wanting to be left behind from wherever the two girls were going. She wanted to figure out what was happening, as it all seemed very urgent and important.

Forgetting that her other hand was still in the unknown Zanaryan's, Naava continued talking as she turned herself towards the 'Varian. "Where are you two going? And why do you need... weapons?" she said, a slight gulp happening at the end as she thought of actually having to fight anything with the cornucopia of metallic objects she now stored in a box in her room, claiming to have lost them every single day her 'Combat instructor" called her room to try and get her to come to "Training."

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

((ooc: GM of Dracos with assumed permission, PM me if i need to edit))

[Piper]

As long as she lived here, Piper didn't think she'd ever get used to certain things. Having people drift to the ground, seemingly out of thin air, was probably one of them. In full battle gear, he really did look like a demon and Piper found herself staring at the horns half-hidden in his shaggy hair.

"You know you're still quite as clumsy as you were the day I met you in the ring. Let me help you up."

His smirk suggested he was actually enjoying the poor girl's humiliation and Piper bristled on her behalf, still trying to coax her pet into calming down. The Anyelos seemed to be way more dazed than she probably should be from a simple fall like that and she seemed rather confused by the Zanaryan's teasing, making Piper wonder if she'd hit her head or if there was something more than clumsiness wrong with her. What had even caused her to fall in the first place?

"Guess we'll be off. Take care of yourself, Naava!"

About to suggest Naava pay a visit to a healer, Piper blinked in surprise at Kioni's goodbye. Though she completely understood the 'Varian's desire to get back to Vyon and the urgency she was apparently feeling, Piper'd figured she'd want to stay with her friend. Maybe the Zanaryan's rudeness had irked her, too.

Giving up on the squirrel-chipmunk creature, Piper stood and backed off, starting to follow Kioni but torn now. The Anyelos clearly needed help and Piper wasn't convinced the Zanaryan would offer it, but Vyon's friend's situation was much more urgent. Honestly, it was times like this she really wished she could clone herself.

"Wait, Kioni! Where are you two going? And why do you need... weapons?"

Naava's gulp made Piper think she shouldn't tag along. Piper herself was leery of weapons because they usually meant a painful death - quite often for her - but even she didn't hesitate like that. Confused as she seemed to be, she'd probably just hold them up, but Piper still found herself responding. "There's a Nymph in trouble, a group of us are going to help." Hoping this wouldn't sound as rude as if felt, Piper added: "We're really in kind of a rush, though, so if you're okay..." As she spoke, Piper took a few steps backwards in the general direction of the portal, an uncomfortable smile on her face as she glanced from Naava to Dracos and back again.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Dracos]

As Dracos waited for Naava to pull herself back up he turned his attention away from her and to the other two women one of them looked vaguely familiar, the other he had never seen before but from the way her eyes were shaped he could tell that she was a 'Varian. Smiling at both in greeting he turned his attention back to the Anyelos, who had still not gotten up."Hey Naava are you okay? Do we need to get you to a healer or something?" Finally Naava pulled herself up and he put his other hand out for her just in case she needed support since she was kinda wobbly in the first place. What Dracos heard from her next was kind of a shock, that showed on his usually very composed and calm face. "D-...do I know you?", "Dear Xanth did she hit her head to hard?". He was still in shock and trying to process why she would not have recognized him that he didn't realize her hand was still in his. The 'Varian spoke up in, what seemed to him, a rushed tone "Guess we'll be off. Take care of yourself, Naava!" he half frowned wondering what was going on. The whole time Naava was talking to Piper he was in thought. Until the word weapons caught his attention, hearing the audible gulp that came from Naava afterward he knew something was wrong but decided to give it no further thought and focus more at the task at hand.

"There's a Nymph in trouble, a group of us are going to help. We're really in kind of a rush, though, so if you're okay..." Watching the woman talk he caught a glimpse of fangs and knew instantly she was a vampire. For a moment he hesitated in offering his help, knowing that he had other things to attend to including a quest from Lord Ea which he had long put off. But if the matter they were attending too was urgent enough for them to leave this quickly it may have be worth his time. "Wait, perhaps I can be of some assistance to you. I'm skilled with a blade and I'm sure this ability, " he removed his hand from Naava's and created a fireball the size of two fists, before putting it out again. "will come in handy for you."

· · · · --=~*~=-- · · · ·

..:: Piper's Boutique :: Dafont :: Google :: Shoegal Icons ::..

[Naava]

This was all to much for Naava. Too much drama, and too much stress. Far too much stress. Everyone was just in such a rush it was a bit worrying. Though, now that she knew the cause, Naava felt a few of her butterflies flap away into non-existence. "Is there any way... that I can help, too?" she said, a bit timidly as she watched the Zanaryan conjure a ball of fire in his hands. Her instructor had told her of such abilities, but Naava had yet to see them first hand, that is, unless you count the times she'd probably seen it before losing her prior memories.

"I might not be able to control fire... but..." Naava paused in her speaking as she leaned over and grabbed for her purse which was still on the ground, pulling out a moderately sized steel dagger as she stood upright. "But I can... I can fight," she said, half doubting the words as she said them. "I've got more weapons... and armor, too, back at my apartment in the Cloud Palace," she explained as she struggled to hold on to Flit's leash and unsheathe the blade at the same time. "And maybe this ability might be useful, as well?" she said as she caused wispy shadows to cover the blade causing it to almost disappear while it rested in the Anyeli's own natural shadow.

"I... I want to help." Naava said, searching the other two girl's faces for approval and almost entirely forgetting about the masculine presence in the group. She needed to do something to make herself feel useful, and as enjoyable as it was, Drawing all the time simply wasn't fulfilling the void she felt in her life right now. Between living alone, working alone, and not being able to remember much more than a month or two, Naava was beginning to feel very secluded and just wanted... to do something. Besides... this was beginning to feel a little bit fun.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Piper]

Piper's eyes widened as the demon - uh, Zanaryan, she corrected herself, thinking it was little wonder they'd gained such a devilish reputation in Earth mythology given their appearance - set fire to his hand. Well, no, actually, it was a fireball, but it really had looked at first like his hand was on fire. And again, she couldn't help but wonder just how much of the myths about them were true. She'd learned first-hand that the Anyeli were nothing like the angel myths (appearance of the Apali aside) but this guy had already matched up to the appearance and relation to fire, and his attitude sure seemed... less than benevolent, at least towards Naava.

It made her nervous, and she was wondering how to reject his offer of help without being rude when Naava offered her help too. Well, they probably needed as much help as they could get, but the demon made her nervous and the Apalos didn't seem to know whether she wanted to help out or not. Piper hadn't realised it was possible for anyone to be even more timid than she was herself, and it strangely gave her a bit more confidence.

Shaking her head as Naava offered her weapons, Piper started to explain, "We don't have time to go get them." Vyon was probably going stir crazy now, waiting for them. The girl's display of shadow, however, made Piper bite her lip hesitantly. Maybe it, and the demon's fire, would come in handy after all. Although... setting fire to the forest probably wasn't a great idea, and she didn't know how much control he could exert over his flames once lit. Still, it was worth taking them along, right?

"Okay, we have to meet the others at the portal. Um..." Glancing at the cheefle dubiously, Piper wondered if there was anywhere they could drop it off. Taking it along, as much trouble as it seemed inclined to give, would no doubt slow them down. Rather than saying anything about it, Piper introduced herself, backing away in an effort to get them to follow her. "My name's Piper."

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Naava]

Naava frowned slightly as Piper sadi they wouldn't be able to get her weapons. Part of her wanted to use them, plus, getting to her house would let her drop Flit off at home. Oh how she regretted taking the little creature out with her today, but still... Naava really wanted to go on this adventure. It was beginning to sound so exciting!

Setting her jaw slightly as the vampire girl-Piper, she said-agreed that she could go along, Naava sheathed her Dagger and slid it back in her bag. Unclipping the strap of her bag on one end, Naava slung it over her other shoulder and clipped it between her wings. She was very glad she'd listened to that lovely sales woman at the clothing store to get this adjustable bag rather than the basic one.

"My name's Naava, Naava Makani," the anyelos said pleaseantly to the group. "It's nice to meet you, Piper," she said, before turning herself more to face Kioni. "Of course we've already met," she continued as she fiddled with Flit's leash, awkwardly looping it through the belt loops of her dress in an effort to get the cord out of her hands. She didn't need to worry about Flit escaping her harness ever since that lovely visit she'd made to Xanth's grotto a while back, and clipping it around her waist was the easiest way to force the creature to follow her without worrying about losing her. She'd seen others do it as well, But Naava preferred actually holding the critter's lead unless she really wasn't going to be able to.

"and... you are?" she said to the man as she began walking in the direction Piper was headed, trying not to show the fact that she obviously didn't recognize him on her face. Obviously she'd already made known the fact that she didn't remember him when he'd helped her up, but perhaps he'd not noticed and she'd be able to pass it off as a simple mistake. Unless of course he actually new her very well, then she would just be making this worse.

~~~Credit

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from Aethereality.
Angelina font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris and Aethereality.
Image from Photobucket.

[Piper]

[d=black]OOC:[/d] Hey, Russ, if we finish this thread before Vyon and the others finish "Lead", Naava could probably drop Flit off with Aunt Jane.

Makani? Wait, wasn't that...?

Piper's back-stepping faltered and her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the Anyelos again, this time with new eyes. Dora had never mentioned her family, but then, neither had Piper. She'd called the Aide a friend, but she'd be hard-pressed to find any Elysian who actually knew the slightest bit about her life before she was turned. Even Wolf didn't know about her family, so she shouldn't be all that surprised that Dora had relatives she'd never talked about.

The truth was, though, that it did surprise her and it did hurt. It always hurt to realise she knew so little about people, and served as a reminder that anyone could turn on her in the blink of an eye the way Kaida had. Or leave her, without a second thought, the way Wolf had, and so many friends before him. Instead of making her suspicious or wary, it only made her more determined to make friends, because she understood better now that there were no guarantees. There was no forever. And she, a girl who couldn't get through a day without surrounding herself with people, couldn't imagine eternity without friends to share it with.

"It's nice to meet you, too," she responded faintly, taking up her awkward back-stepping again as the other girl began to follow. She wasn't sure if the Zanaryan or Kioni were going to follow, but she couldn't afford to wait any longer either, so it would be up to them to keep pace. "Are you any relation to Nymphadora Makani? We were friends but then she just kind of... disappeared..."

[d=black]OOC:[/d] Piper's left the thread. Russ, if you want to drop Flit off at Aunt Jane's, then we can join the "Lead" thread, otherwise, I think a new thread for us to wait for the rendezvous at the portal.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Kioni]

Kioni wasn't saying much. At first, she wasn't sure it would be wise to do so. Not that she knew anything personally to give her that reason. She just seemed somewhat cautious.

Which is why the girl was pretty much lapsed into silence as Piper gave all the explanations and did all the talking. It was just as well. It wasn't like Kioni knew what was really going on. Heck, she didn't even know the guy that was injured was a Nymph! There was a lot that she was pretty clueless about.

But that wasn't the only thing that surprised her. The rude man who'd been only focused on Naava got into the conversation... and offered his help. Then he formed a fireball! Actually, the fireball wasn't that shocking by itself. She just couldn't believe this guy wanted to assist them.

When Naava also asked if she could aid them, Kioni found herself smiling. This was great! Surprising as hell but great just the same! Besides, she felt that the Nymph male could certainly use it.

Kioni was able to tune it fully when everyone started introducing themselves and the girl giggled a little when Naava pointed out that they already met. Once it came time for the man to say who he was, Kioni focused attentively curious herself. And just barely realized that Piper had already gone! With Naava close behind.

"Hey!!!" The Dracovari female protested, then sulked a little. She supposed it was her own fault but still... a little warning might have been nice. Oh well. "Wait for me, you guys!!"

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