[Dazadi]

Piper's Boutique : Mini Anden : Full Credit

Dazadi perched on a rocky outcropping a few hundred yards outside the Cloud Palace, her wings hanging loosely at her back and her long black travelling cloak billowing around her. Despite it being Spring in the mountains, it was a particularly blustery and chilly day, enough that even she wanted the extra layer of warmth.

A length of string dangled from her fist with the remains of a stuffed fish at the end, but she and Dante had both grown bored with the toy. He was a few yards away, play-stalking a butterfly (though not doing too great a job of it). Dazadi was trying to keep an eye on him while, well, pretty much stare at nothing, actually.

In the months since she's inherited the tiger cub, he'd grown a little bit and wasn't nearly so helpless. He still slept a lot, which could only be good news all things considered, but he liked to play and Dazadi found she enjoyed their games as well - though not the mess he made when he mistook things, like cushions, as toys.

He was good for her, forcing her to leave the apartment to make sure he got fresh air and the opportunity to play like he needed to. A couple of times, he'd gone for Comet or Fawn like he would his mother if she were around. It was his instinct, training himself to be a predator, but it was causing tension. They were natural rivals and Daz couldn't figure out why Xanth would put a tiger in an apartment with canines. Asking for trouble, that. She wouldn't mind so much, except Dante was still too small to stand a chance against Piper's mutt...

Glancing around, Daz frowned as Dante pounced at his butterfly and missed. Standing up on the outcropping, she tucked their fishy toy into her pocket - which Dante no longer fit into, unfortunately - and jumped, her knees bending slightly as she landed in the dirt six or seven feet below the rocks. She paused to shake off the leaf that had caught in a silver buckle, scowling at the dirt on her gorgeous boots. Her attention was dragged back by Dante's mewling. "Hey, brat, don't you run off too far."

She was aware, of course, that the tiger probably couldn't understand a word she said, but that didn't stop her from talking to him. And, feeling quite lazy today, she wasn't up for chasing him down the mountain as she'd had to before when his "prey" led him on a merry goose chase.

Still, she followed after him like a loyal puppy, not completely conscious of what she was doing.

[d=black]((OOC:[/d] GM of Comet and Fawn with permission from Piper.[d=black]))[/d]

[Daoine]

Her footsteps were hardly heard as Daoine carefully made her way through the rocky surface. Faint sunrays touched the grey surface, flooding a light over the first snowdrops that were emerging here and there as a sign of spring and the summer to follow. She had been on earth too long andc oming back to Elysia definately made her realize that. Aside from Badger being with her as always, and irregular contact with Cychwyn she had not been around anyone but humans. But as soon as she'd arrived she had felt her empathic connection with this world again. It all felt so familiar, almost as if she had never been away ... she'd come home. And this time for good.

Instead of going directly to Alexandria, Daoine had instead chosen to roam around a bit first. Badger following her every footstep with at least as much care and awareness as herself, he too enjoyed getting himself reacquainted with his surroundings. From time to time he stopped to sniff around but never stayed behind more then a few feet. As soon as he saw Daoine got too far ahead, he spurted to catch up with her. Daoine smiled, he was such a lovely companion. From the day she got him in Tom's petshop he had been a most loyal friend and she couldn't imagine her life without him.

Looking around, Daoine recognized the area where the Cloud Palace was located. The mountains seemed to be quite solitary now. Not a soul to be head or seen.

Ofcourse she had been thinking a lot about how it would be when she got back. How would her old friends react, and especially Zephyr. Afterall she had just taken off without giving him any notice. He never knew where she went or why she left, as she had not told anyone. She had thought about it a lot and realized all too well she had left Elysia when their relationship reached a critical point. In retrospect it had been a mistake maybe, or the best decision she ever took. Only time would tell which of the two. At this stage Daoine just hoped that neither Zeph or any of her other friends hated her for just leaving all behind. That was the one thought she could not bear.

Suddenly Daoine was ripped away from her toughts as Badger started making a soft growling sound. He had stopped dead in his tracks and took a semi crouching position, Daoine kneeling beside him. Letting the emotional block disappear, Daoine tuned into her surroundings. She felt the presence of several lower lifeforms, small animals most likely, which she ignored. But there were two stronger ones, one an animal for sure and the other ... Daoine hesitated ... a person most likely although she could not pinpoint if it was someone she knew from the past. They were making their way towards Daoine and Badger, she could clearly sense them approaching.

One hand slid to her back where she was carrying her golden spear crossed over her back. If they were up to no good, she would be ready.

Credits

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from SparklingTea and Celestial Star.
Argor Man Scaqh font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris, Aethereality and Piper's Boutique.

[Dazadi]

Piper's Boutique : Mini Anden : Full Credit

Daz was miles away, barely conscious of her surroundings and trailing behind Dante absently. Her heavy boots were quiet against the forest floor, decades of stealth training embedded deeply into her subconscious. Though, she couldn't have said the same for Dante, the cub mewling in a fashion she thought was cute (but would never admit it). Sure-footed as she crossed the intermittent rocks that stuck out of the earth jaggedly, her wings spreading slightly when she needed extra balance, she passed between fir trees with the trudge trudge of someone not really paying attention to where they were going.

It wasn't that she was distracted by anything in particular. If asked what she was thinking about, Daz would have told them, quite honestly, "nothing". Her mind was an empty space and she didn't feel much at all beyond the "aw, cute" factor from watching Dante. It had been happening more and more, something that frustrated the crap out of her when she could be bothered to worry about it, but she figured that was her punishment for letting Kade con her into being his lifemate.

Actually, she probably ought to be dead, and that was something else that made her hate him. And she did, she'd realised eventually. She hated him, not just for leaving her, but for not considering what leaving would do to them. Selfish censored.

Okay, so now she was feeling something. Pity she didn't want to feel it.

And then, she was dragged back from her mindless staring by the sudden sense of a threat. By this time, Dante was several yards away, Daz having lagged behind without realising it. It wasn't like she could hush him up, anyway - if he did understand what she was saying to him, he usually chose to ignore it - but she didn't like being this far away. She could 'port, of course, but if the threat was a predator then there was no telling if she had time to grab the cub.

Dammit, she should have been paying attention.

Her hand snuck up to unfasten her coat and curl around the hilt of the dagger at her waist. Dazadi scanned the trees and shadows around them as she side-stepped towards Dante. The cub apparently sensed the danger too, or maybe he'd heard something he didn't like, because he was hunkered down with his ears flat and his tail curled around his rear end. His gaze was fixed in one direction and Daz went with his predator's instincts, focusing her own attention that way but not ignoring the rest of the mountain.

Then, sighing, she released her dagger and planted her hands on her hips under her coat, looking down at Dante who was still cowering. Something about the mountain's reaction to the threat just didn't sit right with it being a predator.

Her tone fairly neutral all things considered, she called out, "Unless you fancy a dagger between the eyes, you better get your ass out here!"

[Daoine]

"Unless you fancy a dagger between the eyes, you better get your ass out here!"
Daoine was still kneeling down next to Badger as she heard the voice. Although the voice sounded somewhat familiar, Dae was cautious because she could not completely get through to the person's feelings which was a natural warning to her to be on her guard. It could be either someone that was trying to trick her into feeling secure, or simply someone with much bigger skills that naturally bounded her empath-abilities. Either way, the tone of the voice seemed fairly neutral. And with her being an experienced fighter, she decided to take the risk and get out in the open.

Softly stroking Badger's back, Daoine sushed him to let go of his tention a bit. With one flexible move she got up on her feet again and padded some dirt of her jeans. One hand still on her back, ready to grasp her spear if necessary, she stepped forward. She quickly moved through some bushes and around a tree only to find herself eye in eye with Dazadi.

A sigh escaped her mouth and a soft smile appeared on her face at the sight of the first familiar face in Elysia after all these months. She stared at the Anyeli for a few seconds, was then interrupted by another low growl from Badger. Looking what he was getting upset about, she saw a young tiger cub with Dazadi. That was a first ... back then she would never have imagined seeing the tough woman with a pet of any kind, not even one that could grow up to be a dangerous predator. But anyway, if the cub was with Dazadi there was no reason for Badger to take a defensive stance. So she order him to heel, sit down and stay.

Turning her attention back to Dazadi herself, Daoine smiled again and lightly swayed her head. There was something different about the Anyeli since she last saw her. She seemed less balanced, more emotional. Dae wondered what had happened to her to invoke this change. When she left Elysia Dazadi had been Xanth's main Aide, lifemate of Kade and mother to Wolf. Had the family-life changed her so much? Straightening her back Dae finally spoke "Hello Dazadi, long time no see. How have you been?" She remembered that the Anyeli was not one for much chitchat so a cordial greeting seemed the best approach.

Credits

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from SparklingTea and Celestial Star.
Argor Man Scaqh font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris, Aethereality and Piper's Boutique.

[Dazadi]

Piper's Boutique : Mini Anden : Full Credit

Dazadi moved slightly, a barely noticable tensing of her muscles that nevertheless shifted her into a better fighting stance, as a woman came into view. Her gaze flicking to the dog at the blonde's heels, Daz tensed further, her fingers flexing slightly. She'd never been particularly biased one way or the other with them, until that silly girl moved in with her pets. Since Comet and Fawn took up residency, and especially since the wolf started bullying her own pet, she'd been cultivating mild distaste towards all things canine. On certain days, she might even say she hated the damn things and had considered booting Comet off the balcony of their twenty-storey penthouse once or twice.

But that was neither here nor there, and it wasn't like she had to live with the mutt, so it wasn't her problem. As long as it didn't try anything and quit with the whole "protect my mistress from the scary black tiger" deal. Just to be safe, she maneuvered herself slowly towards Dante, the winged cub meeting her halfway and cowering behind the folds of her ankle-length coat.

"Hello Dazadi, long time no see. How have you been?"

Dazadi responded automatically, waving her hand dismissively. Her life had been pretty crappy lately, but she wasn't about to tell a stranger that, and wait - "Do I know you?" Not the most flattering of reactions, she imagined, but she couldn't help it. Maybe it was because her brain was fried by one too many blows to the head, or maybe it was just the way she was built, but she tended not to remember people unless they made a serious impact on her. Like Kade, her son, Olly... Suka. Piper, of all people.

But this one, no. She couldn't place the face, although the spear didn't go unnoticed, nor the 'Vari eyes, though she couldn't tell from this distance what colour they were. Didn't seem like one of Kade's type, though. Toned, sure, but not enough for the Reds, she wouldn't have thought.

She'd better not be poking around in Dazadi's head. She'd get a migraine for sure, so it wasn't like Daz cared about keeping Xanth's secrets tight to her chest, but it was the principle of the thing. Bad enough to have a telepathic son; at least he'd been too lazy to try invading places he shouldn't.

[Daoine]

Carefully Daoine explored the borders of Dazadi's emotions and she concluded that the strong confident Anyeli with a seemingly elephant's skin from a few months ago, was definately not the same. She thought she even noticed that Dazadi might actually care for the cub as an owner would for a beloved pet. But Dae quickly retracted as she didn't want to cross a line which would definately tick the woman off.

Watching as Dazadi made a nonchalant gesture with her hand, she heard her say "Do I know you?" Ah, so she didn't remember Daoine anymore. That was fine ofcourse. Dae had been away for months and even back when she still lived here, it was not like she and Dazadi had been best buds that spent a lot of time together. "You might remember me indeed. Daoine Sidheanta, gold dragon." she said as she took another step forward."I used to own the old Cosy Cafe. Although I don't think you were a frequent customer. But anyway, you might remember me from your rescue in the church when the Hind held you captive? Or from the fight against the Khimaira, and I was amongst those that got Namiko from Acantha, but I've been away from Elysia for quite some time..." Daoine stopped. She was babbling.

She looked around and let her eyes rest on Badger again sitting next to her. She lay her hand on his head and scratched gently between his ears. She was feeling a bit uneasy with the situation. She was curious about all she had missed while she was gone, but wasn't exactly sure if Dazadi was the right person to talk to catch up on everything. "So how are Kade, Wolf and Piper these days?" she hesitantly asked.

Credits

Layout from Piper's Boutique.
Texture from SparklingTea and Celestial Star.
Argor Man Scaqh font from Dafont.
Brushes from and Ca-pris, Aethereality and Piper's Boutique.

[Dazadi]

Piper's Boutique : Mini Anden : Full Credit

[d=black]((OOC:[/d] Hey, Es, just so you know: Dracovari are rarely referred to by the old names now, and most of them take pride in their official names, so they're more likely to refer to themselves as Rutilus or Aurumus, etc, than the old "Red Dragon". [d=black]))[/d]

Dazadi's eyes began to glaze over as the woman reeled off a bunch of possibilities for them having met. She barely went out to eat, and wouldn't have paid much attention to the people serving her when she did. Actually, she barely remembered to eat by herself, period. She wasn't even conscious during her "rescue" (and even now, all this time later, she couldn't bear to admit she'd needed rescuing in the first place), and hadn't bothered to ask Xanth for specifics after the fact. The khimaira incident... huh. Daz had been too angry with Kade for his overprotective crap and yelling, out of the blue, that she was pregnant, to have really paid much attention to anyone else.

Actually, that was pretty much the story of her life. She'd literally only had eyes for him. Gods, she was going to be sick.

Completely distracted by now, Daz stared blankly at the 'Varian. It was only when she mentioned that censored of an ex-lifemate that her attention was recaptured, and the change was enormous. Every part of her tensed, her weight evenly distributed across both legs instead of cocked to one side, her fists clenching at her sides. Her gaze fixed on Daoine like a shot, hard and unforgiving. Her lips thinned, her mouth pursing with obvious distaste, her chin lowering so she stared through her blue-tipped bangs.

But deep down, there was a glimmer of hope, and she couldn't help but ask... "I don't suppose you've seen him in the last few months?" She told herself she only wanted to know so she could track him down and assassinate him in his sleep, but that tiny spark, buried under months of anger and bitterness, just wanted to know he was all right.

[Daoine]

Dae noticed the change in Dazadi's posture as she mentioned the names of her family-members. The tension was considerable, and then she fixed her eyes on her. Dae stared back for a second or two, then quickly lowering her look like a dog that submitted to a more dominant one. What had caused this reaction from the Anyelos' side? Clearly Dae had missed some essential information while she was gone. However this was probably not the time, place or right person to be getting that info from.

Just as she was to take a cautious step back -because she wasn't sure what Dazadi was up to next- she heard her ask a question. What a strange turnover. From the tension and bitterness she sensed a minute ago, she now caught a glimpse of a softer feeling. Was Daz actually worried?

The question did make it clear to Daoine that obviously Daz had not heard from Kade in a while. How strange, she thought the Anyelos and Dracovari were lifemates. And normally that would mean they wouldn't be out of contact unless something really terrible had happened.

Daoine looked up again "Kade? No I haven't seen or heard from him since I left Elysia. " with a short pause and small hesistant sigh she added "Are you not in contact anymore then? I thought you were lifemates?" . She was just too curious about this to keep the question to herself. She realized she was taking a risk in annoying the Anyelos with this question, but the situation was tensed already and if Daz would decide to disappear on her, or start a fight, there was no stopping her anyway. Dae figured she might as well be bold then and see what happens next.

[Dazadi]

Piper's Boutique : Mini Anden : Full Credit

Dazadi wasn't honestly sure how to react. Had she hoped this woman, Daoine, knew where Kade was? Had she been - dare she say it - afraid she did? Had she hoped the miserable censored was suffering worse than Dazadi, that he was getting everything he deserved? And what would she have done if Daoine had told her, right here and now, Kade's new address?

"Are you not in contact anymore then? I thought you were lifemates?"

Daz jerked like she'd been sucker-punched, all the air leaving her in a rush. Her eyes widened, then narrowed, her whole body seething with anger. Her weight shifted - left, right, left, right, left again - as her fists squeezed tighter until her fingers were white and she'd have cut her palms if her nails weren't so short. She opened her mouth to respond in a huff, but didn't have the words. And then, her body erupting into motion, a hand slashed through the air as if to sever any connection between her and the wretch Daoine was talking about.

"None of your business," she finally snapped. She'd been so tempted to rant about the whole sorry thing, but she'd done that once, breaking down on Piper's shoulder, and the chit was still holding it over her. She wasn't giving anyone ammunition against her like that ever again. Although, she probably already had.

Breathing harder than usual, she planted her hands on her hips and glowered at the blonde as if she could wipe all memory of her weakness from the 'Varian's mind. Dragging her Aidely duties over her like a defensive cloak, she muttered something along the lines of "be careful... dangerous... eaten alive..." and turned away to leave. Only to stand there with her back to the woman and her arms crossed, glowering at a hapless tree as Dante's curiosity got the better of him, the cub cautiously leaving the safety of her ankle-length coat to mewl at Badger and Daoine.

[Daoine]

<center><div style="background: transparent url(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/Esseke/Elysian/daoinebg.gif); width: 500px; border: 2px solid #2e507d;" align="center"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v422/Esseke/Elysian/daoineban.png"><div style="width: 450px; font: 10px verdana, sans-serif; color: #2e507d; text-align: justify;">
Daoine's eyes flicked quickly from left to right as if she was looking for an escape route the second she noticed from Dazadi's body language alone that she might have crossed the line there. The anger was impossible to ignore even if Dae was not fixated at sensing Dazadi's emotions. Carefully Daoine watched Dazadi to see how the reaction would unfold, ready to flee if necessary. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that she was nowhere near a match for the powerful Anyelos.

As the hand slashed through the air, Daoine stumbled backwards a few steps. Her eyes still fixed at Dazadi, she came to a halt as the Anyelos spoke again. So it was none of her business? Interesting reaction, Daoine thought. Something had definately not worked out as it was supposed to, otherwise Dazadi would never have reacted this way. Dae couldn't help but wonder what, but decided it better not to ask any further. She might find out from someone else later in time, but Dazadi herself was surely not the person that was going to enlighten her.

Daoine was still on her guard, every muscle in her body tensed to react to whatever might happen next. As Dazadi glowered at her, Daoine tilted her head slightly as a few more words passed Daz's lips, not sure what she was saying exactly but understanding just enough to know that this was the end of their conversation.

But then as Daz turned away her cub apparently found the courage it had been lacking earlier and it mewled at Dae and Badger. Badger immediately jumped up on all 4 feet and barked at the cub. Dae quickly reacted by putting Badger back in his place, her commands were short, quick and clear. But luckily the dog had been trained well enough to listen without questioning. So he sat down again, glaring at the cub.
"Sorry about that," she apologized to Dazadi whose back was still turned to her "I guess I'll leave you be then. I need to be on my way to New Alexandria anyway."

</div></div></center>

[Dazadi]

Piper's Boutique : Mini Anden : Full Credit

Now that the woman was talking about leaving, Dazadi didn't want her to go. What the hell? She wasn't the confidante type, and even if she were, she had one in Olly. Granted, he wasn't so much the comforting kind of guy as some people might want a friend to be, but he'd seen Daz through more crap than most people went through in a lifetime and she valued his frankness.

And she might have actually left, instead of just turning her back on the woman, if Dante hadn't decided now would be a good time to test his hunting skills. Unlike Daoine, who seemed to have a tight leash on her mutt, Dazadi hadn't even tried training Dante to obey commands. For one, he was feline and they were more the ruling type than the following. And for two, Daz was just too damned lazy. Although, she did want to start battle training with him when he was old enough to not get hurt.

Still, Dazadi was surprisingly interested in the way the dog came to heel like that, and she twisted to stare at him in fascination. She'd never been the doggy type and had begun to like them even less when Piper moved in, and she didn't recognise the breed. Not that it mattered, because they were all smelly creatures that drooled on pillows and tore up furniture.

Dante found him fascinating, though, and was now in a semi-crouch with his butt in the air, barely a foot away from the dog and making high-pitched growls. Daz took a step towards them, a little worried that the cub was getting himself into trouble he couldn't handle until he was older and bigger, but was also interested in seeing how this panned out. From observing him with Comet and Fawn, she'd learned that tiger cubs liked to play-fight as their way of learning the skills they needed to hunt, so it couldn't hurt for him to have another playmate if the mutt behaved itself. As for Daoine... Honestly, Daz didn't have a clue what to say to the woman. She'd never been a fan of small talk. It didn't help that she didn't know what the hell she wanted, a conversation or to be alone.

In the end, she just stared at her with her arms crossed and her feet braced apart.

[Dazadi]

Piper's Boutique : Mini Anden : Full Credit

Maybe staring at people wasn't the best way to ease the loneliness, because not long after that, the tall blonde took her leave and her dog, passing Daz on the way to the portal.

Dante was upset to lose what he apparently thought was his new toy. Much longer, and Daz suspected the tiger cub would have been play-hunting on the mutt's tail, which likely wouldn't have ended well. Mama tigers may be tolerant of that kind of behaviour, but she doubted a dog would enjoy having tiny teeth sunk into its flesh, so it was probably a good thing the 'conversation' didn't last long.

Except it had left her with an odd feeling in the pit of her stomach, like she wasn't satisfied with the outcome. She didn't like it, and it was becoming all too familiar. Olly had semi-joked that it was about time she mellowed, that in her old age she was softening and beginning to like and even need people more. She'd smacked him square in the jaw, he'd punched her in the gut, and they'd settled into the same pattern all their other conversations tended to follow. Her, ranting about Kade and missing her son. Him, lamenting the quality of his new "stock" and how they just didn't make trainees like they used to. Watching the fledglings at flight practise and a distant griffin wheeling through the clouds.

But he'd also made her think. She'd already begun to suspect she was going soft. Piper's still being alive and well and living in her apartment attested to that because, as much as she loved her son, she would never have put up with the silly little tripe nearly as long as she had if she didn't already feel a need for companionship. They might have reached a status quo, and Daz had to admit she liked having a live-in maid, but the fact was that living with someone not her blood and kin went against every instinct in her whole being. Even Kade, a man she'd loved and grieved for two centuries, had had to fight every day for the right to live with her; that was what many of their squabbles had been about.

What had she been thinking about?

Daz sighed. She'd gone off on a tangent and was too impatient to work her way back. Well, if the issue was bad enough, it'd bug her again. Until then...

“C'mon, mongrel, I think you've had enough excitement for today.”

Dante disagreed, of course. He forced her to chase him, almost toppling off a rock high enough to kill him in the process. Fortunately, she grabbed him at the last second, and pursed her lips at the realisation that she'd miss the little guy if he'd killed himself.

She really, really, really was turning soft. And oh, yeah, that's what she'd been thinking about. And what she thought about the whole trip back to the penthouse.

[d=black]((OOC:[/d] Daz has left the thread. GM with blanket permission.[d=black]))[/d]