[Kiel]

(( Continued from An Underground Rainbow. ))

Kiel had arrived early, as per usual, and after circling the big, gold-painted statue outside the bank of the symbol for Elysian currency like a dog sniffing out a spot to pee, he'd totally hopped up onto the tail where it curved under (ζ) so he was, like, a head taller than everyone else.

It didn't quite work out like that, but it gave him a boost regardless, and he was now hanging off the symbol like a monkey, his gaze scanning the crowd for signs of Phenny and her pet snake.

“Look, mama, look! What's that man doing?” came a child's voice. Kiel glanced over and spotted a kid pointing and giggling at him, and grinned back at her. Like, kids were awesome, man, you know? Mothers not so much, apparently, since she took one look at him and from the look on her face judged him a delinquent.

“Nothing, Molly, let's go.”

Pulling a face at them, which made the kid giggle again and the mom totally give him the evil eye, Kiel lifted a hand to wave them off. “Wah!” Okay, so, like, using the hand that was gripping the statue to wave, since he had a carrot in the other, wasn't a great plan. Lesson learned.

Beep beep!

“Ooh, a tesht,” Kiel alerted himself, unnecessarily and around the carrot he stuck in his mouth to free up his hand, just so he could, like, pat himself down in search of his phone while also climbing back onto his height booster.

"Are. You. Stupid?"

“Wah, callin' me shtopid, mumble mumble raspberry,” he muttered around his carrot as he glared at his sister's reply. He'd only told her he was headed into the woods to camp with a friend, and, like, what? She thought he'd get himself eaten or something by, like, you know, whatever lived in the forest? He wasn't that dumb.

And Zeph trusted him, man! Like, right? The dude hadn't responded to his text yet, at any rate, although that probably just meant he'd ignored it. But still, like, Chlo was such a brat sometimes.

"No, you are." This would normally initiate a week-long text battle of nothing but "no, you are"s, so Kiel didn't bother re-pocketing his COM, instead just holding it in his fist as he hung off the statue by one arm, a carrot stuck in his craw and his backpack slung over his shoulder, watching out for PhenPhen.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

For once, Phen was on time. Sort of.

She'd arrived early as well, but then decided to venture into the bank itself and see what the fuss was all about. Naturally she'd taken Sanna with her, and that's where the trouble started. For some reason, the people in the bank weren't used to the sight of flying reptiles. They were even less pleased when the winged snake found one of their decorative fountains to be the perfect place to curl up and take a nap.

Phen had been distracted, talking over the possibilities of a savings account with one of the tellers, and so she didn't notice that her angel snake had flown off until it was far too late. Then the nyad had to spend the next fifteen minutes cajoling her pet into giving up her watery haven. When that didn't work, Phen resorted to fetching one of her gifts from Xanth, the gorgeous dark wood flute of Zanaryan design, and playing a somber tune.

The sweet but mournful music had a curious effect on the angel snake. Sanna rippled up, her wings guiding her aloft as water dripped from her supple gleaming body ... and she danced. It was only for about a minute, but it was a wondrous surprise. She weaved in the air, bobbing her head side to side. She was transformed for a time, changed from a nuisance to a creature of exotic beauty and grace. Sanna drifted closer and closer to Phen as she danced, and when the nyad believed her to be close enough she drew out a final sad note and then slowly held out her hands to Sanna. The angel snake settled upon Phen's palms as gently as a feather, and the winged nymph guided Sanna to be on her shoulder and then wrap her tail about the nyad's neck before the applause broke out. Blushing furiously, Phen briefly thanked whoever had a kind word about the performance, all while gathering up her things and escaping to the golden idol in front of the building.

So it was with burning cheeks and a content angel snake nuzzling the hollow of her throat that Phen looked up to witness her friend impersonating an over equipped spider monkey. "Kiel?" she asked, as if there was any doubt as to who was up there making a fool of himself. He looked ridiculous, but in a way that made the nyad believe that her friend was completely comfortable with who he was and having fun besides. Phen felt a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. The next few days were going to be very interesting. "Hello there! Looking for me?"

[Kiel]

“No, I'm just saying, people shouldn't be allowed to take animals into shops, it's a safety hazard.” The voice was coming from a blustering, portly man passing behind him, but Kiel had no idea what had prompted the topic of conversation and wasn't interested. It was just, like, one of those things a person's ears caught, random snippets of conversation that were taken out of context and seemed kinda weird, but that probably made sense in the course of whatever they were discussing.

Kiel kinda wondered what had prompted him to say something like that, images of rampaging wolf cubs or, like, you know, rhinos or something. Although, like, whoever had a rhino as a pet kinda deserved the rampaging, if you asked him, but then he wasn't sure how he'd gotten to that point anyway. Who the hell had a rhino as a pet?

“Kiel?”

She'd totally snuck up on him, man, and that was another lesson he learned: Trying pivot while precariously balanced a foot off the ground wasn't so cool, hahahahaha.

Having landed in an awkward, bent-over and twisted position, Kiel looked up but all he could see was the chick's midriff section. And was it inappropriate that he recognised it right away? Well, like, that and the voice, man.

“Hahahahahaha, you snuck up on me, man, that's so not cool.” Straightening himself out, Kiel adjusted his pack on his shoulder and glanced at Sanna, then over the Nymph's shoulder to the bank where a couple more disgruntled looking folks were sort of edging around them. Two plus two made five, right? “Uh oh, man, who's been a naughty snake, huh? Huh? Hahahaha, hey, hey, she's not gonna, like, try to eat me or something when we're sleeping, right?” He knew better than that. Snakes may be able to do that whole dislocated-jaw thing, but angels were too small to swallow humanoids. She might get as far as his hand or something, but she looked too pretty to be a threat.

Uh, not that he was swayed by looks or anything. Well, he was dating Zeph, you know? Hahahahaha.

“Let's go, let's go,” he prompted, suddenly eager all over again. Then remembered to ask, “Are you ready, man?” But then switched right back to “Let's go, let's go, hahahaha!”

(( Do you want to skip a little time until they're in the forest close to Silas? Or play out the trip? ))

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

Barely resisting the urge to step forward and help Kiel stand up straight, Phen fidgeted as she overheard some of the comments about pets in shops and other randomness that she believed was influenced by Sanna's quick dip in the bank's fountain. How was she supposed to know that you weren't supposed to bring pets into places of business? Where she worked and where she volunteered were practically teeming with animals! A particularly snarky remark about snakes being better used as footwear brought a sudden shift in the colors of Phen's eyes, sending the royal blue and gray spiraling like a whirlpool with the violet gleaming brightly at its core. Euphenia rounded on the woman who made the comment. "How dare you," Phen murmured, glaring straight into the other woman's widening brown gaze, "Who are you to condemn an innocent creature to death, simply because she wanted to take a bath?"

Phen had studied music so diligently that she knew how to project her voice without straining it. She didn't have to yell and wave her arms about to make herself heard. Her anger filled words were dangerously low, yet their meaning was crystal clear. She stared the woman down, not caring who she was or even if she weren't talking about Sanna in particular. To kill an animal simply to have its skin and scales? Horrendous!

She may have said more, as her love of the Balance and her pet were screaming for her to show this dismisser of life what for, but she didn't want to involve Kiel. Had she been alone, she .. well, she wasn't sure what she would have done, but it probably would not have been pleasant for the offender. "Think about how you would feel if someone decided your flesh was perfect for their boots, then left your carcass laying out in the sun," she related while reaching slowly up to rub Sanna under her chin in an effort to keep the angel snake calm. She'd read that snakes were particularly "tuned in" to the emotions around them. The reptiles could taste them in the air. Phen still wasn't sure quite how they distinguished one emotion from another, but didn't doubt for a moment that Sanna could tell what kind of mood the nyad was in.

Sanna was starting to sway her upper body back and forth, though most of her was still perched upon Phen's shoulder. The bells tied to her tail tuft were chiming, as the angel snake instinctively had begun to rattle it, and Sanna's wings were fluffed and held wide open to make her look as menacing as possible. Sanna didn't care about her lack of size and stature, someone had agitated her nyad and she was going to do something about it! Then the angel snake felt the start of some very nice pettings under her chin. Before she could really think about it, Sanna was closing her mouth and nuzzling into the attention. The angel snake's tail stilled, and her wings tucked about her protectively. If a snake could purr, Sanna certainly would have given it a try.

Though it went against every fiber of her being to turn her back to someone she considered a potential threat, Phen did just that. The hair on the back of her neck felt as if it were standing on end, and her wings twitched with nervous energy. "Sorry about that," she apologized to Kiel with genuine feeling. It wasn't his fault that person was so rude. Somehow she managed to laugh, though it sounded forced even to her ears. "Only if you poke your fingers or toes outside of your blankets and wiggle them."

Then Kiel got an honest laugh out of her for his eagerness to get going. "Xanth bless him," she thought as she hurried to keep up with her 'vari friend. "To the portal!" she delighted in singing.

Sanna wasn't getting any more stroking while Phen followed after Kiel, since the winged nymph needed both hands to keep her satchels in line. The angel snake didn't seem to mind. She just found a place between Euphenia's collar and the nyad's neck and curled up for a nap, her tail tuft hanging down Phen's front like a necklace.

(( Sure, speeding up is good. ))

[NPC]

(( There are no NPCs being played here ... yet. This is Colleen, by the way. ))

Portal travel from New Alxendria to the the Fae Forest was free, unrestricted, and an adventure unto itself.

There's nothing quite like the hustle and bustle of the comings and goings of the many races trying to get here, there, and everywhere. At one moment you're trying to remember how to think while dealing with the noise of so many people around, and then the magnificence of the Fae Tree stole your very breath away. Well, it did for those who still weren't acclimated to the sight, anyway.

If one wanted, they could pay for a guide to take them wherever they needed to go within the Fae Forest's limits. The village of Silas wasn't one of the more popular destinations, but enough trade caravans traveled that way to keep some guides interested in remembering the route. Naturally, if someone had lived there such a guide wasn't needed, but that didn't stop some from offering their aid anyway. It was all in the name of good business, after all.

Once the means to get to Silas was secure, however, there was the long stretch to actually get there. The walk to Sequioa Village took about a day's travel if on foot, which was the common choice. Visitors not of the nymph race were encouraged to remain outside of the village proper, but the outer fringe was friendly enough. Folk usually just stopped there to gather supplies and information, as for outsiders to linger made the indigenous population a bit edgy.

Once fully stocked, travelers headed for Silas would take a path leading into the Sunset Foothills. The rolling hills were mostly covered in green, and that was part of the trouble. The grass was tall, and made large areas of the foothills seem level when the actual ground could dip down without warning. Only experienced hikers could navigate the foothills without taking a tumble or two. There was a mostly dirt road that guided trade carvans through the foothills, but folk who weren't traveling with the advantage of numbers usually avoided it.

It was fairly obvious when one was nearing Lake Bethesda, the body of water by which Silas was in close proximity. Trees would become more and more frequent as the hills evened out, and eventually seekers of Silas would be within forest once more.

It is at this point in their journey that we rejoin our intrepid explorers, Euphenia Vallas and Ezekiel Taskel. One can only wonder how Kiel had taken to the trip. At least he had Phen for a guide?

[Kiel]

Kiel was starting to think the only reason he'd survived this trip was his excess in energy 'cause, like, dude, for sers. Despite living on a farm his whole life, with all the chores and the sheer size of his playground that that entailed, he was so out of shape.

Not, like, out of shape shape, you know? He was fit, man, and he oughta be with all the training and stuff. Zeph was a hard task-master, man. But, like, while he could run pell-mell across the city lugging parcels, that was a whole 'nother realm from walking up, down, up, down, across rolling hills. Ugh, he was starting to feel seasick just thinking about it.

“Dude, my calves hurt. And my thighs. And my knees. And my - hey, hey, that's a pretty bird, man, what is that? That's awesome, man, I want one.

...

And my back hurts, too, I think I slept on a rock or something last night. Ooh, look, rose hip. You hungry, man? I can pick some and we can be all - woah.”

He'd heard splashing for some time now, like, that faint sound of water lapping against stuff, but he hadn't really been paying attention. Like, he hadn't really shut up since they started out this morning, 'cause talking took his mind off the various aches that came from activity he wasn't used to. Took his mind off the fact that Zeph had never replied to his text, either, and that he was more and more feeling like the dude was bored with him or something.

But now, as he was walking without paying attention to where he was going, it seemed like they'd popped out of the forest to stand on a wide beach overlooking the lake. “Like, dude, man. That's so pretty, you know?” His tone was hushed and kinda reverent, just 'cause views like this commanded respect, man, for sers. “Xanth so knows what she's doing, man.”

A brief pause, to take it all in, and then, “Hey, hey, you wanna go for a swim? Hahahahahahaha, I haven't had a shower since, like, forever, man.” Well, the morning they set off, actually, but it felt like forever? Except he was starving, too, and he only had a couple of snacks left, so maybe it'd be better to press on, feast, then swim. “How far is it to Silas, man, maybe we can come back here to swim later or something, that'd be sweet.”

(( I can edit if you don't want the path to hit the lake. ))

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

"We're already here," Phen pointed out as she came to a halt beside Kiel. The nyad's eyes were bright as could be, and she seemed to have found a kind of inner peace or something, because she looked almost tranquil.

Euphenia took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Closing her eyes, she imagined the spiritual energies flowing around her filling her up as if she were an empty cup before arriving. She was home.

The trip had done her good. Phen had been missing the cool crisp air, the feel of grass between her toes, the sound of the water slapping against the shore, and so many other things she couldn't start to voice them all. Sure, she was sore in places she'd rather not have mentioned, and hadn't mentioned throughout the entire trip, but the end result was worth it.

She felt badly for Kiel, though she had warned him that they were going to do a lot of hiking. Phen had offered to massage his feet the night after they'd left Seqouia Village, and proved to him that she did in fact know how to use her hands to good effect in the easing of aches and pains. She'd kept it to just his feet and ankles that first time, despite Kiel's grumbling that he "hurt everywhere", then relented and included his shoulders the following evening. It was with promises that she'd massage Kiel when they camped that she'd kept him going at a reasonably steady pace, with allowances for rest stops now and then. Sanna had been responsible for slowing them down more than once, as the angel snake would spot something she deemed interesting and take off after it. Phen chuckled softly as she tried to picture just how they must have looked chasing after the tiny winged snake over hills and through forest, sidetracking their trip time and time again. "Poor Kiel. Chasing Sanna probably made him even more sore."

They'd had fun through it all, and Phen was grateful for Kiel's company. He had never failed to make her smile, and buoyed her spirit whenever she lapsed into worrying over how the other nymphs would react to him. Silas had enough travelers that came through to trade that she didn't feel she was breaking some kind of law in inviting Kiel to visit, but what if her grandparents didn't approve of her first real friend? And what of her rite of passage? Phen didn't remember there being any rule stating that she couldn't come back for short periods during her year intended to be spent in the city, but she was not sure if it wasn't some kind of taboo.

Well, there was no point in dwelling on it. They were in Silas, and that was that. Opening her eyes, Phen joined Kiel in admiring the shining waters of the lake she'd tried time and time again to swim in while growing up ... and spotted something. "Look! Do you see them?"

Phen pointed in the direction where she could make out a couple of humanoid heads starting to poke out of the water. In her excitement she waved to the presumed nyads, completely forgetting about the angel snake napping on the corresponding arm's shoulder. Jolted awake, Sanna went into high gear. With a wild flapping of wings and a flash of pearl and peach, the angel snake darted off into the trees.

"Sanna, wait! Wait, my Lily!" Phen anxiously sang, already running after the suprisingly fast reptile, "You don't know what's out here!"

"Kiel, we have to catch her!" she tossed over her shoulder, pausing only briefly to gesture for him to follow, "There are too many creatures in this area that eat snakes."

(( GM permission for Kiel granted by Emma. ))

[Kiel]

“Oh, man. Dude, Phenny, man, you gotta get that thing a leash or something!” Kiel called as he gave chase after the pair, giggling despite what he'd said. Except for the "things that eat snakes" part, chasing through the forest every time Sanna went native or something was totally fun. Like, he hurt, man, but he had too much energy to wallow in it, you know?

Except, like, for when he thought wallowing would get him a foot rub. Like, he couldn't exactly be called manipulative or anything like that 'cause he just didn't have the brainpower or the malice for that kind of finagling, but as Zeph had discovered, Kiel totally reverted to his childhood when he was sick and stuff, which kinda involved him wanting a lot of sympathy. But, like, at the same time, he pushed through it 'cause he couldn't stand to be still long enough to not.

“Hey, hey, Sanna, man, get back here, already, sheesh! Like, I didn't get a chance to ogle the pretty Nymphs!” The second Phenny pointed them out, his first thought had been "ooh, I can text Zeph and be all "nyah, hahahaha, I see pretty chicks, are you jealous?", but he'd barely glimpsed them before Sanna took off. Total meanie.

And, like, dude! When did telling Zeph about stuff he'd done take priority over actually doing stuff?

“Hey, hey, dude, wait! Wait, slow down, I'm a cripple!” In Kiel terms, at least. He couldn't run nearly as fast as he was used to, and his muscles kept cramping so he was sort of hobble-skip-hopping rather than flat-out speeding.

“Oh yeah. And there's stuff out here that eat snakes!” Well. If the snake hadn't heard PhenPhen say as much, maybe she'd pay attention to him. You know, 'cause he totally had the voice of authority and everything.

Right?

[NPC]

(( The shadowkin NPCs are being played by Colleen ))

It was early. The Bright had not neared the height of Its journey, still lingering near the tops of the Old Ones. The softness underneath was moist. The wet had yet to be taken by the Bright, so there was still time to hunt. Time to explore. Time to teach.

"Come," she growled, spreading the digits of an impressive paw in the soft wet. The air was damp and full of promise. Silence followed her and her young, the Shadow lending them part of Itself to keep them hidden. She moved in a black and gray world, cautiously stalking between the Old Ones of the rough fur and rustling manes that swayed high over her head. How the Old Ones could withstand the Bright, even seem to earn for It, had never ceased to puzzle her. Even the Others would bask in the Bright's rays. Those of feather and talon, fur and claw, skin and nails, they all sought the Bright. She knew better.

"Respect the Bright, for It is what casts Shadow," she began as she padded near a cluster of smooth edged sliders. She almost paused to test them, for sliders often hid crunchy six or eight leggers, or sometimes pink squishy squirmers, but she let them be. "But do not seek It. The Bright burns. The Bright kills."

Bored with the lesson but resigned to listen anyway, a smaller version of the first creature followed after her as closely as it could without bumping its nose into its mother's rump. Whereas she was a magnificent feline of sleek taupe gray fur mottled with black spots in an almost mesmerizing pattern, the smaller, and likely younger, of the two seemed to be awkward by comparison. Oh, the fur was of similiar colors and quality with its own near indesphirable pattern, to be sure, but the cat's poportions weren't quite right. The paws were a bit too big, the tail was too long with a definite puff of black fluff about the last few inches, and it didn't move with the same amount of confidence as the larger cat.

Then something came flying overhead, under the canopy of the Old Ones' manes, that attracted both cats' attention. They went eerily still as the sun flashed off of pearly scales, and white wings radiated in the light as if belonging to an angel sent from Xanth. The cats did not register the significance of color, but the sound and movement were enough to keep them riveted. The younger crouched down low, its rear set to wriggling with the tail bobbing side to side. The larger didn't catch on in time to stop the other's leap up into the air. The over-sized paws flailed, and a yeowl burst from its maw. The flying serpent hissed in alarm, then flew off even faster than it had arrived. The younger feline chased after it, barely hearing its mother's warning growl.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

"Listen to us, Sanna!" Phen tried in Sylvan, tucking her wings in tighter than ever to keep them from colliding with tree branches and other clingy plants, "This forest is dangerous for the unwary!"

"Dear Goddess, please don't let me fail her," she pleaded in her head as she tried to keep her pet in sight, "You brought her to me for a reason, I'm sure of it. She needs me, and I ... I need her. Please keep her safe."

"Sanna! Nooo-ooo!" Phen cried, still in Sylvan, when she heard the faint yowl of a large feline in the direction her angel snake had flown. With her heart thudding in her chest, the nyad lowered her head and pumped her arms harder, willing her aching legs to go faster. Faster. So fast that she couldn't stop herself when something big and furry got in her way. "Eee-eeek!" she shrieked, her voice rising close to the point where it would shatter glass. All too soon she was tumbling head over heels and landing hard on her bottom in a patch of moss. Stunned, she stayed put and tried to remember how to breathe and move at the same time. For a while, it was all she could do to drag in oxygen and let it out again.

That was how the cat found her.

Euphenia watched, wide-eyed and unable to move, as a dark shape seemed to ripple from a patch of darkness between two thick tree trunks. It was coming closer. The edges of its shape were blurry, as if something was wrong with Phen's vision, but she thought it was feline. A big feline. Diffused light fell upon the creature's face as it came within four feet of the panicked nymph, and Phen looked deep into eyes as black as the darkest night.

For some, fear would have then choked up their throats, blocking off both air and clarity of thought. Really, such was the expected reaction, as the nyad was only a few feet from an animal that could kill her. Phen had no illusions that she could escape if the beast before her saw her as prey. Yet the nyad understood their nature, and fear did not come. Instead, as that dark face came still nearer, Euphenia's muscles gradually relaxed. The winged nymph's right arm raised, slowly but surely, and she offered her rock scraped palm to the cat. "So it is you, Aingeal. It is an honor to be in your presence."

Phen waited for a moment, looking around the area with a peculiar expression on her face, then asked, "Where is your kitten?"

She may have inquired further, or at least waited for Kiel to arrive so she could talk him down from making an attempt to defend her from the dark creature sniffing politely at her extended limb, but Phen didn't have the chance to do either before she was suddenly in the middle of a life and death struggle.

Sanna's wings had finally tired, and so she'd sought refuge with the only scent that she recognized as being safe, and that involved her diving headfirst into Phen's hair. The angel snake had hustled to coil herself securely in the pale blond strands, entangling her body thoroughly before Aingeal's kitten could pounce on nyad and angel snake both and send them all tumbling. "Bad kitten!" Phen sputtered, having caught the colors of the creature that had rammed into her side out of the corner of her eye. Swiftly the nyad wrapped her wings tight about herself as she curled into a ball to protect her middle, remembering how the young cat "played" the last time she'd seen it. Unfortunately, while that certainly helped to keep her vitals from getting slashed, it also enhanced her body's rolling speed. Phen prayed that her wings and her pet would survive the whole ordeal unscathed. "Leave us alone! Go back to your mother!"

Oh yeah, she was telling it. If only she could calm down and try to speak softly, maybe then she'd have half a chance to influence the excitable youngster to back down from its prize. After spinning for several feet, Phen felt herself slow down and eventually come to a stop. Catching her breath, she then untucked her head to peer through her hair. The kitten was crouched down a short distance away and looked ready to pounce again, complete with "butt wiggle". Groaning softly, Phen patted at her chest and felt a familiar bump between her breasts. Right, she thought she'd felt Sanna slither in there while they were in motion. "I have to get her some kind of carrier," she decided for certain, then struggled to her knees, keeping her body low to the ground so as to not invite a sudden leap from the cat. "There, there, little one," she crooned, making sure to not look it in the eyes. She didn't want to challenge it, and no matter what she might have called it, it wasn't exactly a kitten anymore. No, that one was nearly an adult, at least in size. "Please be calm."

Would her voice be enough to keep the playful beast from trying again?

[Kiel]

“Waugh!”

Kiel didn't think. He saw Phenny go down under a ball of fur again, and that was that.

Even at half speed, it hadn't taken him much to keep up since he was so fast anyhow, so launching himself down the hill right after them wasn't much of a stretch. Although damn, man, that hurt. He'd already been dashing towards her to protect her against the creature, not sure what it was 'cause he was moving too fast to get a good look, but pretty convinced it was trying to eat her, but then the smaller one had attacked too.

And then he'd only meant to grab Phenny and stop her from her roll before she could hit something hard - or sharp - but the group had already settled, and then the weird shape made like it was gonna pounce all over again, and he just reacted.

“PhenPhen!”

Kiel launched himself at the feline, all thought of his own safety gone like the wind. He had no plan past getting it away from his friend, utterly intent on grabbing it around the middle as he dove and taking it into the dirt with him. He'd probably come out with a crazy ton of scratches, and he knew he'd need to throw up his arms to defend his jugular, but, like, dude. This had probably been a bad idea.

“Phenny, run!”

[NPC]

(( The shadowkin NPC is being played by Colleen ))

It was a game. A fun game.

Lessons had been so dull that day, and the young cat was finally having a good time. First there was the fast shiny thing. It had feathers and scales! And, this was the best part, a dangly tail with feathers on the end! "What is it? What is it? What is it?" she had chanted inside her curious mind as she'd chased after it, "Does it taste good? Can I play with it? What is it?"

The shiny thing had eluded her, no matter how high she jumped, but she didn't give up. Oh no, not even when the feathery shiny snagged a tree branch with its tail and flipped itself to head back the way they had came. She'd almost gotten it that time, but her teeth had closed on air instead of the thing's feather tufted tail.

So she had followed it, again, picking up speed the further she went. "I'll get you ... I'll get you ... I got you!" she thought triumphantly with a final leap. She was so close, it was practically in her paws.

Belatedly she realized that her target that burrowed into the soft fluff on a two legger's head. She'd smelled the creature just before slamming into it, but she'd been so focused on the elusive winged thing that she hadn't the time to react to the new presence. "Mama is going to be mad," she mentally whimpered as she fell end over end, wincing her eyes and ears closed as she hung on for dear life to the soft two legger. Why did she smell feathers on that one, too? It must have been the feathery thing she was smelling. Yes, that must have been it.

With a thump, she landed on her back, then scrambled to her paws in a hurry, embarassed that she hadn't landed on her feet. Where had her shiny gone? Testing the air, she focused her eyes on the pile of skin, feathers, and that weird stuff the two leggers wore because they didn't have fur. Hey, wait! There was the fluffy stuff the shiny went into. It could still be in there! Immediately she had crouched, rumbling a mock growl. The fall hadn't been so great, but there was still fun to be had!

Huh. The two legger was making noises. They were pretty noises. Soothing noises. She pricked her ears up higher, listening. She heard something approaching, and fast. The kitten turned her head to see what was coming, since it sounded close. She hadn't expected what came next. Not at all.

Her mama had described to her what it was to be like when she found her Chosen. It was the ultimate goal for her kind, and it was supposed to be wonderful. Your body felt light, your soul soared, and everything would be right in the world. But her mama had never had a Chosen, and neither did her mama, so what did they know?

What she saw in that moment changed her mind. Time slowed down. Fingers grasped her fur as black and gray eyes stared into red. For the first time, she found herself caring about what gender a two legger was, because this one ... this one was hers. "Male. He is male. He is mine," she thought as she didn't resist the arms that tackled her to the ground. She was still, even her tail didn't twitch. It wasn't in her kind's nature to defy their Chosen. She couldn't have moved if she wanted to, really, because the initial part of the Bond had flooded her mind with her Chosen's emotions. With her paws planted on the grass, she digested Kiel's feelings, then purred as loudly as she could the moment they faded into the background.

Dark eyes opened, and she peeked up with ears perked, trying to find her Chosen's face. Not happy with just looking, she rubbed whatever she could reach of him with the sides of her muzzle. "Mine. Mine, mine, mine."

(( There is no empathic link yet, that's just how the Bond makes itself known, especially for the less "in tune" humanoids. ))

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

Phen's jaw might as well have unhinged itself and fallen off her face, she was so flabbergasted. Staring at the odd pair conveniently pressed together in her direct field of vision, Phen couldn't help but wonder how the last few minutes had built up to ... well, that!

It had happened so fast.

"PhenPhen!"

Kiel's voice echoed in her mind, the expression she'd glimpsed on his face repeating with the nickname she'd never heard him utter before. Soren called her Phen-phen, not Kiel. Kiel called her ...

"Phenny, run!"

Yes, Phenny. To him, she was Phenny. That sounded right.

Yet it wasn't the nickname that had her frozen, nor that her heart was full to bursting with gratitude that Kiel would sacrifice himself in what he believed to be a hostile situation to save her.

No, it was because her friend was being nuzzled by a purring, contented shadowkin that just a moment ago had been about to pounce on Phen and likely do a search-n-sniff for Sanna. Kiel had its complete attention, and it looked like it had just finished wallowing in a huge pile of catnip.

Euphenia knew the stories about the shadowkin. They had been passed down from generation to generation in Silas, and the winged nymph was no exception. Amazement held her still. Was it possible that her friend had just bonded with a shadowkin? She couldn't remember right then precisely how long ago there had been a known bonded pair, but if her fuzzy recollections were correct, such hadn't happened in at least four decades.

Shaking her head, Phen decided to sit down and see what happened next. Maybe it was as simple as the cat liking Kiel, a lot. There being an actual bonding happening before her very eyes was so far fetched that such a remote possibility seemed more likely.

Remembering why she'd taken off running in the first place, the nyad checked where Sanna was coiled, and brushed the angel snake's scales with seeking fingers. Phen felt a bit strange sticking her hand down the front of her shirt, but she was pretty sure that Kiel wasn't paying her actions any mind. Carefully, she slowly stretched out her wings, wanting to be sure nothing was broken. Phen was in luck, her clothing had gotten more roughed up than she had.

"Sanna and I are safe and whole, thanks to you, Kiel," she stated softly, shifting her gaze up to once again take in both 'vari and shadowkin, "It seems to have been pacified. I didn't know you had it in you. I'm impressed."

[Kiel]

Kiel had thrown up his arms in anticipation of sharp teeth ripping for his throat, waiting for an opportunity to fight back. The attack never came, but, like, in that moment between thoughts, he was totally overwhelmed by a wave of emotion and the sense that the warm, fuzzy body pressed against him was utterly familiar.

Speechless for once in his life, Kiel slowly lowered his arm to peer at the shadowkin with a mixture of suspicion and awe. Oh yes, he knew what it was. Like, if the sheer size of the feline hadn't given the game away, then the way its form kind of melted into the shadows at the edges would have, for sers. And, like, he would have giggled at the way the cat's purring tickled up his ribcage if he wasn't so totally dumbfounded. Like, that wave of emotion he'd felt, it was over just as fast as it started, but he'd felt totally possessive, and possessed, and chosen, man. And, like, it was kinda of deja vu or something, you know? Like, that familiarity, like he'd done this before or something. So weird, man, and he wasn't sure he liked it all that much.

But that could have something to do with having an obvious predator lying half on top of him, you know? Except, like, Kiel was pretty sure the thing would have eaten him by now if it was going to, even if the stories that shadowkin were nice to folk weren't true.

“Um. Like. Hi?”

Despite the faint thrill of lingering fear that the creature might attack any second now, Kiel was totally in awe, man. Like, how many people could honestly say they'd ever seen a shadowkin? Hahahahaha, he'd bet Zeph couldn't! And, like, dude, this was so awesome, man. And scary. But mostly awesome. And he was so glad this part of the forest was shaded, man, or, like, wouldn't the cat go up in flames or something?

“Sanna and I are safe and whole, thanks to you.”

“Like, dude.” Confused, about a lot of things but mostly why she hadn't run when he'd yelled it so seriously at her, Kiel blinked dumbly at Phenny, then found himself staring into swirling dark eyes all over again. Like, he couldn't look away, man. “Are you hypnotising me or something, man? 'Cause, like, I'm pretty sure that's not fair, you know?” He couldn't bring himself to even consider the stories about shadowkin chosen, man. Like, that'd be so sweet, but the chances were astronomical, you know? And yet, looking at the shadowkin now, he felt like he couldn't let go.

“And by the way, man,” he continued, struggling a little to sit up under the oversized cat's weight. “You kinda weigh a ton.”

[NPC]

(( The shadowkin NPCs are being played by Colleen ))

Her Chosen was making sounds, and she was pretty sure they were meant for her. Tilting her head, the shadowkin studied Kiel's mouth, watching his lips move. Why didn't he talk right, like mama? Wasn't she supposed to be able to communicate with her Chosen?

Frustrated, she bent her head back down and tried to rub the underside of her chin against Kiel's right cheek, effectively marking him while mreowling deep and low, "I don't understand, Chosen. What are you saying?"

Then he was pushing back and sitting up. She got the hint and scooted off of him, then reconsidered. Maybe he wanted to play? Was that what he was saying? She didn't need much encouragement for that! Crouching down, she kneaded at the ground with both front paws with renewed excitement. Her Chosen wanted to play! Kicking her purr into high gear, she strategically wriggled her bottom, getting ready for the pounce of all pounces. She'd have to make sure that she didn't hurt him. That would be really, really bad. She'd be gentle. "No teeth, no claws," she promised inside her head. Two leggers were delicate creatures. She needed to remember that.

Off in the shadow of a great oak knelt the larger of the shadowkin. She wasn't that far away from all the commotion, and from there she had a good vantage point to watch over her young. She suspected that something significant had occurred between her little one and the male two legger, so she had yet to interfere. If her young had found her Chosen One so early in life, why, it would be a miracle! So she waited, as still and silent as any statue. Only if her young's life were to be endangered would she move.

[Euphenia]

PB · DaFont · Aethereality · rcr · Obsidian Dawn· Beyond Tonight · Dreams Time

Sanna was a quivery wreck, and her tail had since poked out the bottom of Euphenia's top to shake its bells like crazy. She refused to leave the perceived safety of being tucked against Phen's skin between the nyad's ...

Well, Phen had thought only whomever she ended up being romantically involved with would be anywhere near those for such a long period of time. Men did pay a lot of attention to such parts, so she figured it was because they wanted to do something with them, though she had no idea what. Right then she had an angel snake hiding between them, and she wasn't sure how to get her out, not while the cause of her pet's panic was still closeby.

"Be careful, Kiel," Phen warned while she folded her wings about herself like a feathery cloak to further hide the view, and hopefully the smell, of the feline from poor Sanna, "If I'm not mistaken, it thinks you want to play."

It bothered Phen that she kept referring to the shadowkin kitten as an "it", but she didn't want to call it the wrong gender and look foolish. She didn't know enough about shadowkin to tell a female from a male without getting a little too up close and personal for her own good. Aingeal was obviously female, though, since only the females of the species looked after their young according to the tales.

"Any chance you could check its gender while you're down there?" she half joked, drawing in her legs so her wings were between her and the tussle she saw developing. She was certain the shadowkin wouldn't intentionally hurt Kiel. Aingeal had always been friendly with the people of Silas for as long as Phen had known her, so she was assuming that such traits had been taught or at least passed down from mother to kitten. "Xanth, please don't let me be wrong about this."

[Kiel]

Kiel didn't need telling twice to watch out, the way the 'kin was wiggling its butt in the air, like, dude. He may not have had pets as a kid, but he'd seen pre-pouncing action before, you know? “Like, wah.”

Scrambling into a crouch so he could, like, take a dive out of her way if she did attack, Kiel stayed where he was otherwise, a huge grin on his face. Like, he wasn't even aware of it, you know? But, like, he'd wanted a pet so long, and he loved playing with animals, man. He didn't mind a bit of rough-and-tumble either, you know, 'cause he'd scrapped a ton with his brothers and cousins as a kid. Actually, like, he still scrapped with his nephew and cousins at family get-togethers, so it wasn't like he wasn't used to a few scrapes and bumps. But, like, that kinda assumed the shadowkin was only interested in play-fighting and not ripping him to shreds, but Kiel was willing to take that chance.

Or, like, more like he just didn't dwell too much on the possible dangers, hahahahaha.

“Hahaha, you're kinda cute, man.”

He would have been utterly disappointed if he realised what he'd been missing by not looking at Phenny, man. He may be involved with another dude, but, like, dude. You know? Not only did he have the hormones of a young male, but also the humour of one, so, like, he'd have been either drooling or laughing his head off. Either way, he probably woulda regretted it. He didn't think Phenny was the type to stand there and act like an identity-less model or something, you know?

“Any chance you could check its gender while you're down there?”

He'd been wondering himself. It felt kinda weird referring to living beings as 'it' anyway, but there was something bigger here. Like, the shadowkin was kinda cute, you know, and he sort of felt... kinda weird. You know? Like, he didn't know, it was just, like, weird. Duh.

“Like, I'm pretty sure it's a chick, you know?” He jerked his head slightly, twice, in the direction of the shadowkin's hind quarters, figuring she was too pretty to be a dude, anyhow. “You gonna catch me, man? You think you can catch me, huh, huh? Hahahahahaha, you're it!” Thrusting out a hand to tap the shadowkin's side, Kiel shoved himself sideways to his feet and took off around a tree. Like, he'd make sure to stay clear of Phenny just in case this turned bad, man, but this was gonna be awesome. “Can't catch meeeeeeeeeeee!”

[NPC]

(( The shadowkin NPC is being played by Colleen ))

Okay, so she didn't understand exactly what her Chosen said that time either, but to her it seemed close enough to, "Nyah, nyah, nyah, nyaaah nyaaaaah!" to catch her interest. Mreowling good and loud in her delight, she shoved off the ground in a leap of epic poportions (according to her) with her paws outstretched, ready to overtake her Chosen.

She missed him by a mile. "Uh oh," she thought as she rolled into a ball of black and gray to avoid colliding into a sturdy looking tree. "Hey!" she yowled before kicking off of the tree she'd almost become painfully intimate with to get a burst of speed, "I'll get you!"

She felt invigorated and oh so alive! Mama played with her, of course, but this was her first game with her Chosen! She went silent, like mama taught her, and changed course to no longer be going directly after Kiel. She would show him what she could do. He would be so proud of her. Yes, he would be proud to be bonded with so talented a shadowkin! Almost hopping in her eagerness, she dove into a thick bush to access the thick shadow it cast, then seemed to disappear.

A few feet in front of wherever Kiel was headed in a hurry, a mostly blurred shape of a very familiar feline emerged from the shady side of a tree's trunk in mid-leap. "Surprise!" she growl-meowed, with paws again at the ready to try and connect with Kiel's chest.

[Kiel]

Kiel chased full tilt through the trees, exhilerated. Like, dude, there was just something about running fast, the wind ruffling his hair, a hand planted against the top of his head to keep his hat on, that just, like, “WOAH!”

He'd clearly been thinking too linear, man, 'cause, like, “DUDE, that's awesome!” He wasn't going down that easy, though, so the second he saw the shadowkin phase out of the tree, he planted his feet and let the momentum of his skid turn him one-eighty before chasing off again. “Hey, hey, Phenny, man, check this out!”

He'd lost sight of the Nymph, so he hoped she was okay. Like, in the excitement, he'd kind of forgotten all about the larger feline, which would totally earn a clout around the ears from his dad if this was a hunting trip 'cause, like, fatal mistake in the woods, you know?

Skidding under a gap where a tree root had been exposed and kinda made a little bridge, Kiel slapped his back to the bark and held his breath. See if you can find me now, man, hahahahaha.

It wouldn't be long before he started turning red, then purple, though, and then, like, his gasp for air would probably give him away, but maybe the 'kin woulda found him by then, hahahaha.

[NPC]

(( The shadowkin NPC is being played by Colleen ))

Wow! Her Chosen was fast and good at manuvering! Maybe he could teach her how to do that, too? Whenever she had tried to turn around when going that quick, she ended up in a heap with matted fur and brambles in all sorts of uncomfy places.

Wait, she was supposed to be the one impressing him! By how his eyes got all wide, his teeth flashing as he made those loud noises, he obviously didn't think much of her performance. Little wonder, really, since he'd gotten away again without even a pat of a paw.

Forcing herself to be quiet again, she ran on while going over a list of what forms she'd learned that might be useful. Her Chosen was expecting a feline, so maybe .. No, she wouldn't resort to that. Not yet. To use all of her best tricks would be silly.

So, where did he go? She skidded to a halt, sniffing at the air as her ears twitched. She smelled and heard the forest around her, all passing for her kind of "normal", but didn't pick up anything just-that-second fresh of his.

Then she heard a sharp intake of breath. It was more like a gasp, really, and sprang into motion. Gamboling down the springy green grass, she darted around a well rounded tree trunk to sproing into the air the moment she recognized the sight and smell of her Chosen. "Found you, found you, found yoooou!" she mreowled, trying to flatten him to the ground again.

Apparently victory could only be truly declared if she got him good and pounced.