[IC] Sanctuary

[Jealous Angel D]

They say that in the moments before your death, your life plays out before your eyes. They say that during death you see a light at the end of a tunnel, or you meet with a loved one that has passed on. But for Evelyn Kaiser, she had found that this was not the case. The moments before death were full of pain and regret.

She had left work in the evening to head to the local library to study. But the long project had caused her to lose track of time. Without a driver’s license and change on her person, she had been left with one option. The night stroll had started off pleasant. The streets had not been empty – in fact they were littered with groups looking for a party or some other form of amusement. The stars of the sky were just barely visible beyond the lights of the city, the moon only a fragment of the light which led her way. There was no sense of eminent danger, though in retrospective there probably should have been.

But it all happened so quickly. Shock had been her damnation – silencing her tongue as she was dragged into the alleyway. Teeth and claws tore into her flesh, her blood painting the walls. And then finally, a cloak of black fell over her.

But such solace did not last long. Pain - excruciating pain - called for her to return to the world that she knew. And above all, she could feel it. Evelyn could feel her body repairing itself ever so slowly. Her insides twisted and turned as they formed anew. A whimper escaped her lips, ever so quiet as she cursed the cruel hand of fate.

[MarshiestMallow]

Pakuna was walking down the streets in his human form, since, after all, he was in the human world. His mind was distracted, and yet his eyes darted everywhere. He distrusted humans. You could never tell what they wanted sometimes.

Granted, you couldn't with any of his kind either, really, but it all boiled down to power with them in any case. Power to rule, power to be, power simply over other races. Sometimes he hated the politics of it all, and yet, he was good at it.

He wasn't worried about being attacked, nor was he worried about encountering humans. He had long since learned how to blend in with them. And as for being attacked-who would dare attack a phoenix and expect to live?

Frowning, he heard something, and looked about. He followed the small sound, barely heard. What he came across was gruesome, and he sighed. The human never stood a chance, he thought, and turned to go, stopping suddenly as she whimpered.

"How are you alive?" He muttered to himself.

He thought on what to do, and then gently, ever so gently, he picked the human woman up, and to his home as a sanctuary. While he doubted he could heal her, or that she would leave, at least he could offer her peace and quite as she died, and comfort as he tried to figure out what the woman was, and somehow get word to any who knew her that she was gone.

[Jealous Angel D]

How much time had passed? What was real, and what had she hallucinated? All she knew was that the mattress between her felt like a marshmallow, and she was sure that she was sinking into the fabric. For her limbs felt heavy, as stones were weighing them down. She blinked several times, rolling her head to the side. Her senses felt hazed, as if someone had dunked her head in a bucket of water. But luckily, the more she moved her head, the more reality seemed to set in.

Her surroundings were strange, to say the least. She wasn’t hooked up to any machinery and there weren’t people in scrubs standing over her like she was their new science experience. In some ways, that brought her relief. She didn’t need her condition to appear on records, and she sure didn’t want to spend the next few days being poked with needles as they “tested” her to make sure she was healthy enough to leave the confinements of a hospital.

However, if she wasn’t in a hospital, and she wasn’t lying in the alleyway, then where in the world was she? Evelyn groaned as she ran her fingers through her hair. Nothing about this situation could be good. A quick glance down at her outfit let her know that she probably looked like she had just walked off of the set of a horror movie. The only problem was that there was no evidence that the blood was hers. Faint white scars were the only blemishes that remained to remind her of the attack.

A chill traveled down her spine. She wanted to believe she was hallucinating, that the near death experience hadn’t been what it was. But the experience was all too real. Leaving her to quietly wonder, “What was that thing?” But she quickly stilled as she realized that someone was watching her. She closed her eyes, desperately trying to rack her brain to come up with some excuse as to what happened. Sadly, all she could draw was a blank.

[MarshiestMallow]

Pakuna stood watch over the girl. He watched because that was the way of his people, to stand vigil as someone lay dying. And he felt that this girl deserved it. What he was expecting however was to see the wounds close, to hear her breathing return to normal, and her heart beat stronger.

Curious. He leaned close and watched for a moment, before returning to his standing vigil. What was this girl? He was sure she was just a human, but if so, how could she heal herself from the brink of death? And he suddenly knew that if any of his kind found out what she could do, they would do anything to either have her, or kill her.

He wondered if they had already tried. He went to a cupboard, and removed a great sword, that seemed made of flame, flame that was hardened. A phoenix blade. He strapped it to his back, and this time when he returned to the girl, it was a vigil of protection he made.

As she seemed to wake, he turned to her, noting the completely healed injuries, and didn't say anything for a few moments. He wanted to see her reaction, and she didn't seem at all shocked to be alive. Curiouser and curiouser. Did she knew about her ability?

he cleared his throat, "You are probably wondering where you are, and who I am. Well, I found you in the street. This is my place. And I am Pakuna"

[Jealous Angel D]

Evelyn was struck speechless – for he had of course easily guessed her most immediate questions. Of course it was easy for him to guess what she was wondering. However, he didn’t ask her any questions – which left her wondering exactly what he knew. Therefore in the silence that followed, she moved to sit up. As she moved, she felt less weighed down and a bit more normal.

“Evelyn,” she gave her name in return.

Her gaze drifted to the rest of the room, taking in the décor – and any escape routes she could take. He seemed like he wasn’t a threat. But he sure didn’t seem like your average person. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed something upon his back, but in the shadows it was a bit too difficult to tell what it was.

In the silence, her stomach let out a growl of hungry. Embarrassment fluttered across her cheeks as she looked away. It was no surprise that she was hungry. How much energy had it taken to repair the damage done? And her stomach was sure empty after what happened. She rested her hand upon her stomach, as if that would silence it from speaking again. After all, she had questions to ask.

“Thank you, for taking me in. But… why am I here? You don’t even know who I am – just a stranger. Wouldn’t it make sense to drop me off at a hospital or something?”

[MarshiestMallow]

Pakuna stepped closer into the light, "it is a pleasure to meet you Evelyn, although I did not expect to even speak to you" he said quite honestly. He studied her, trying to figure her out. Which is what she was probably trying to do with him. "While I doubt i have any female clothes, I do have some pants which will fit you, and a shirt that while it may be slightly big for you will nevertheless serve to cover you" He said

When her stomach growled, he realised she must be hungry, and went over to his small kitchen, where he began to prepare a meal that would be satisfying, filling and, he hoped, necessary for her. He cooked pasta, sauce, and some meat together, chucking in a few spices.

"Well" He said when she had finished asking her questions, "I merely found you, and saw the damage that had been done to you. I recognised it. I decided I couldn't just leave you there to die, so I brought you back here. I stood the death watch that is customary for my kind, and yet you did not die. So then I stood as a protector over you while you seemingly came back from the dead"

He finished cooking, and returned to her, offering her the simple meal in a bowl, with a fork, setting it down by her, he stepped back, trying not to be intimidating. He placed his hands at his side. "I believe you are in danger, Evelyn. When my kind finds out what you, a human, can do...they will stop at nothing to either have you, or kill you. Which I image in quite hard to do"

Pakuna wasn't normally a talkative person, but felt, right then, that it was needed. The poor girl was probably shocked, although from her reaction it was clear this had happened to her before.

[Jealous Angel D]

She graciously accepted the food he offered and pondered his words. He was different from her. The words he used made that clear. For it seemed that rushing her to a hospital hadn't ever crossed his mind. He was strange - unique. And she wanted to know more about who this strange man was.

"You're an excellent cook," she complimented him. She shrugged about how to ask her question and somehow she managed to form her thoughts into words. "What do you mean by 'your kind'?"

The words made her think of herself. Could she consider herself normal? Or human? But the words also made her think of the thing that had attacked her. Another shiver ran through her at the memory of the claws in her skin.

[MarshiestMallow]

"I have had a few years to perfect the craft of cooking" Pakuna replied, "thank you for the compliment though" He studied her, still trying to figure out what she was. Clearly human, yet how could she do what she could? He took a few moments to answer her question about his kind.

"You humans are taught that things of myth aren't real, things like werewolves, vampires, faeries, daemons, Angels, dragons, aren't real" He said carefully. "We leave in your world, as well as our own. I am a Phoenix. I have a human, and a Phoenix form. I chose to go between the both, depending on which world I am in, and who I am with"

He shifted the great sword on his back, and sighed. "I brought you here because I believe some of my kind attacked you, and because of that, I believed you deserved our, or my customs at least. I was prepared to give you the death watch, standing silent over you until you passed, and then I saw your wounds healing" He trailed off, and stared at her, before saying, "How long have you been able to do this?"

[Jealous Angel D]

A part of her wanted to reject the words she heard. She wants to leave - to runaway and return to her normal life. After all that's what she had had just some time ago. She was different but it was something she could easily hide. The new knowledge upset this. It left her with the option to accept the truth or probably end up in a serious mess if she didn't.

His honesty got to her however and she found herself honestly answering his question. "I've always healed quickly - tended to be the only kid to come home without a scratch. Most people just told me that I was blessed, that my guardian angel had to be working overtime to keep me safe. Six years ago, I was involved in a serious car accident. That was the first time I ended up on Death's door - only to be rejected. But by the time the paramedics arrived I was far better off than I should have been. In short, I became a little reckless after that. Two years ago I had an experience with a bullet that confirmed my belief that nothing was going to manage to keep me dead. So instead of ending up buried alive I've been trying to live just a normal life." A small laugh escaped her then. It seemed too simple explaining her situation in just a few amount t of words. And what possessed her from telling him more than just the first sentence.

"As to how or why I can do what I can, I don't know. And I don't wish to know," Evelyn finished. "Sorry I can't give you more information. But... why would your people attack someone me?"

[MarshiestMallow]

Pakuna shifted, and moved to sit down, shifting the great sword off his back. He set it down beside him, listening as she spoke. "First of, Evelyn, normal is over rated" he offered her a smile. He stare d down at the ground as he pondered how to answer her question. Such a difficult question to answer.

He took a deep breath, "well. I do not know how to answer that. There are some intense politics of my people. Ifeven one of my kind found out what you could do, they would either want you, or want you gone. You are either an amazing miricle, or a vulnerability to us." He frowned, wishing he could describe it better.

"However, if you do not believe me, you are free to go, although I advise against that. You are safe with me, I promise" he looked up, to meet her eyes. He really did mean it, but he wouldn't keep her here against her will."I wish I could explain to you better how this works here, yet I have lived in my worlds politics my whole life, and I do not even understand it completely"

He offered her a smile, and shrugged, as if it were just a joke, but it was actually true. The politics of his kind was immensely complicated, with all the different races, the different needs, and then factoring in humans, it was just a complete and utter mess.