PopeAlessandros

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The little angel goes into deep thought over the idea of looking into the future, and Kuro gives him a thoughtful look. 'I know he worries a lot for his future, and it probably scares him a lot to think about never getting to go home. . .' The thought of “home” pains Kuro slightly, his protective possessiveness flaring as he worries over heaven trying to take his Aoba back. He pushes the thought aside however and lets out a curious sigh. “A lot of people are interested in what will happen in the future, and having even a rough guide can help one win battles, find things, save lives, among other things. Knowing the most likely path can give the indication of how unlikely something is once the time you looked into has passed and can show how strong an influence certain people and their decisions will have on the future. . .” Smiling faintly, Kuro finishes his food and begins cleaning up his dishes.

“It is quite a bit to consider.” he calls out to a distracted Aoba, and tilts his head at the following question. He's glad Aoba clarifies however, because he has indeed seen several angels “relived” of their wings on the battlefield, and telling Aoba that didn't seem like something the young angel would actually want to know. Coming back, he makes sure Aoba is done eating before stacking up his dishes to bring to the kitchen. “I can't say I've ever seen an angel retract their wings the way we do. . . I mean, I've seen a few guardian angels without them showing, so I'd imagine it can be done for special circumstances. I think, however, that most keep their wings out to make themselves appear bigger.” Looking over to Aoba, plucking at his feathers, a wicked thought crosses his mind.

Leaving the dishes on the table, Kuro slips over to Aoba with a concerned look on his face and reaches out gently towards the Little Mouse's wings. “Here, let me see how they are doing. I may not have feathers myself, but I've seen a lot of them, and I can see the ones on your back. . .” Very gently, he begins to stroke his hands over the glossy gray surface of the soft, smooth feathers that cover the bend in the wing, following them to the tip, where he follows them back along the flight feathers, counting each one softly to himself. Reaching Aoba's back, he brushes a gentle hand over the sensitive flesh there under the guise of trying to see the feathers around there better, then moves around to the next wing.

Each touch is gentle, but firm, putting just enough in be felt, but not enough to hurt or frighten. He is indeed getting a bit of a thrill from the somewhat intimate touch, but he keeps his desires in check behind faintly glowing eyes. “I don't see any major missing patches.” he murmurs softly, bringing his hands back to Aoba's back at the conclusion of his inspection. “You have the same number of flight feathers on both sides, and they seem. . . Firm. . .” He gives the angel's back another gentle rub, his demon flickering strongly as he recalls how nice this feels for the other. His willpower is stronger however, and his eyes are only slightly glowing when he moves back around to face Aoba with a kind smile on his lips. “I think you're doing fine. You may be losing a bit more, but they are growing back just fine it seems!”

Not pushing his luck, Kuro shifts over and stands, grabbing up the dirty dishes and heading to the kitchen to clean up after the meal. “You go ahead and head up for now. Today was stressful, and you should get some good sleep.” He smiles slyly over his shoulder. “Don't want to make a real issue of feather loss due to stress, eh?” Making sure Aoba heads up, Kuro finishes cleaning and forces his feelings down before drying off and heading up to the room they share. Peeking in he smiles at Aoba and heads to the bed to get comfy against the wall so Aoba can have his wings relaxed out if he wishes. Yawning wide, he pats the bed, gazing up at his Little Mouse through half lidded, sleepy eyes.

Who Will Break? ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

Chuckling at the young man's description of tea, Kiel settles more comfortably into the stiff old kitchen chair and just relaxes a little, letting Zach work peacefully on the tea without his nagging behind him. 'I know I coddle and nag a bit, but a lot of the Little Ones need that kind of care. I should work on letting him be a bit more independent. He has my acceptance, but I get the feeling he wants something else from me than someone like, say, Sarah. . .' His thoughts trail off as the girl herself appears and runs into his waiting arms. Kiel shushes her softly, petting her hair and humming softly to soothe her. Her shaking is not something that is going to pass quickly however, and he thanks Zach softly when he provides a little distraction for her.

Helping her settle into a chair beside his own, he offers her the drink and speaks softly about how things will be safe while she's here. How god is looking down on them and making sure his children stand together to keep her safe. He knows a lot of abused kids have a hard time with the abstract of “God” as a being that never actually reaches down to help, like a glowing hand or something, so he tries to remind her that there's an entire building full of men and women that will jump to her aid no matter what tries to assail her. She sniffles softly and sips at her tea, nodding as Kiel talks and slowly, ever so slowly, calming down enough to breath without huge hiccups threatening to spill her drink.

Out of the corner of his eye, as he speaks to her, he notices Zach making the couch up as a bed and for a fleeting instant he worries that he was wrong, and that Zach had been awake the night last. He mentally shakes the thought however, quite sure with Zach strong will, he would have had something to say about it and had more of an issue to deal with than just worry over him thinking less of the boy for his orientations. 'I just hope he's not worried about my reactions to finding out. I mean, it is better for him to have his own space. . . I'm sure DCS will come by soon, after this incident, and try to place Sarah somewhere, and if he's still here, he will be able to have the guest room. . . .' A true worry that Zach might leave before he's ready wells up in Kiel, but as Sarah looks at him with her haunted gaze, he turns all of his focus on to her until after the evening meal when she seems to be feeling a little better, if exhausted.

Once she's tucked in, Kiel once more turns his attention on to Zach. Still in pain, and having only had a brief look over from one of the brothers when he went to fetch the evening meal, he recruits Zach's help to clean up. He winds up letting the young man do most of it as his side has gotten rather stiff and forces him to move much more slowly now. He silently laughs a bit as his own hobble as he walks, letting himself favor the side now that Sarah's asleep, and double checks Zach's outfitting of the couch while the youth himself is finishing the last of the dishes.

As soon as he's satisfied, he asks for a little help getting on his nightgown, having Zach wait outside the room until he'd at least gotten on his sleeping pants before calling him in for assistance. He makes sure to show no sign of bother at the proximity and his own lack of decent dress, and smiles in thanks as he shoos Zach off to bed. Saying his prayers, Kiel waits to hear his ward settle in the next room before laying down himself, and despite the pain, he manages to find a comfortable position and drift off to sleep.

~The windy landscape or a wheat field embraces Kiel as he walks slowly among the waving grains. The whiskered tops tickle his elbows as he wanders aimlessly. The field is out of place, surrounded on all sides by forest, no civilization in view. A deep feeling of memory cuts through him, but he turns away from it, instead wandering in a new direction every time it hits him. The air is fresh, and the sky filled with drifting rainbow clouds and dandelion puffs the size of dump trucks. Despite the clear borders, the trees never seem to get closer, and he wanders on and on, enjoying the peace between the moments that force him to change directions.~

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

“Ah, yes, the old man chair. . .” Seishu mumbles, mock grumpy in his tone as he settles comfortably on the wooden surface. He wraps an arm around Inui as the minion settles next to him and smile softly as Enasi vanishes from view. “Now, Inui, there's some things we need to talk about.” Bright red eyes turn to look up at him as Seishu begins slowly rocking the chair. The creek of it travels about the area, immediately turning the place from peaceful, to a little creepy. “You're a good kid, and I know you were raised with only kindness inside you, but as a nightmare minion, you're going to have to learn that being nice, isn't always being kind.” he watches Inui's head cock curiously, but it's his balled hands that give away that he is upset but his Guardian's words.

“We've not had a lot of time to talk about it, but I think it's time you learn what nightmares are really for.” He keeps his face kind as he pulls Inui in close and begins going through how fear, disgust, terror, and tears can do more healing for people than leaving them to their own devices. Inui asks about dreams, and can't they do the same thing? He explains how dreams are used differently, and how it's the wrong tool for the job when it comes to deep seated issues. Inui still looks rather nervous and not completely convinced when Enasi reappears and Seishu lets it go for now, knowing they have a lot of work to do and he can spend however long training this new addition to his team as he needs.

Wrapping his arm around the other Guardian's shoulder, Seishu nods, letting himself feel out the house a bit himself as they move inside. His lips curl into a smile as Enasi expresses. . . Less than enthusiastic inflections when talking about their new temporary home, and Seishu takes care to give the place an appraising look without approval or disapproval. He honestly has a thing for old tastes, but he's not going to start this all off with teasing Enasi about his tastes. His eyes flash when he says that there are children heading to bed and with a squeeze, he uses a bit of his remaining energy to float to the back of the house to find the young, sleeping minds. More easy to manipulate than adults, and not as fragile as the elderly, he feels it's a good place to start.

~*~

Inui stays behind with Enasi and nods, then shrugs, unsure of what he wants to do. The parents can be hear din the kitchen still, and he gives a nervous look in the direction of the voices. “I've never. . . Heard a lot, about humans. . .” he murmurs softly. “I never thought I would come here, since I was so. . . Weird. . . So, I never learned. . . About them.” He looks up at Enasi curiously, clearly wanting to know more about the subject of “humans”.

~*~

~“Oh, how cute. . . . She totally has a crush on her. . . .” Silently cursing his luck at running into adolescent romance right off the bat, Seishu watches a kind of warped version of a school setting where it looks like some of the students are random animals, but the focus of the dream is a rather adorable girl with a pony tail. Her focus, is on a slightly taller girl with braids, and it's clear this dream is pure saccharine in nature. He lets himself watch the cuteness for a while, a faint longing growing inside, before turning the dram on it's head and having the girl's crush kidnapped. The sorrow, upset, and tears begin to slowly fill Seishu's waning reserves and he carefully begins weaving the right stuff into the dream to move things along for the girl now thrashing in her bed.~

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Still quite flush from the extended close proximity, Akito does his best to smile back, his ears burning a bit when Hiro expresses that he wants to keep him around. 'Well, if it winds up being my best trait, I guess I won't complain' He coughs slightly, rubbing the back of his head before grabbing up a wash rag and scrubbing his body. As Hiro moves to leave after both are thoroughly clean, the former soldier flushes a bit deeper as he is able to see even more of the man he's going to wed soon, and nods. “Sounds nice.” he manages to respond without squeaking. He averts his gaze a bit as servant file in, and he wonders if he's going to be able to convince himself to climb out of the tub, or if he'll have to wait/ask the servants to leave. 'No, idiot, you need to get used to this. You can't be selfish and make them do something special for you. They have seen the whole royal family naked regularly. You're not special'

Only half a minute behind his betrothed, Akito gets carefully out of the tub, covering up with the towel right away and scooting over to where his set of clothing is waiting. His brows furrow a bit as he sees no hakama with his nightwear, but once again, he has to remind himself that he needs to begin abiding by the palace way of things and doesn't complain. Keeping his back to Hiro, he works on drying himself quickly, only pausing at the sight of something white flying at him from out of the corner of his eye. Years of training and instinct cause his hand to snap up and he grabs the white thing out of the air. Looking at it, he realizes what it is, and turns slightly to give Kaede a smile of thanks.

Setting aside the hair tape, he finishes drying and dresses quickly. Hearing a yelp from the other room, he lets out a whistle and Hoko comes trotting into the room. Hiding behind one towel to keep his clothes dry, Akito works on his partner until he's at least not dripping any more, then stands and begins work on his hair. 'So, soup tonight. . . I like soup. . .' His insides twist. 'I hope his highness isn't still mad at me. . . .' He knows the man wasn't exactly mad before, but he still feels bad getting them trapped in the rain for so long. Once his hair is slicked up and tied in place, he pockets the tape to give back to her when he sees the serving roman again.

Slipping out of the room, Akito feels a bit naked without his hakama, but does his best to not look too uncomfortable. Sliding his sword into place, he looks to Hiro and nods. “Food sounds good.” he murmurs, trying once more to smile and relax in front of the man. Hoko follows him out, but when he whistles to see if he can climb in his partner's kimono, Akito lets out a sound to tell him that he'll have to walk for now, and after an unhappy grunt, Hoko begins winding his way back and forth across the hall while they walk to dinner. Hoko spooks a few of the servants, and he is ready to call him back, but then a small, quiet voice in his mind reminds him that Hoko, too, is becoming a part of this family, and the servants will learn to know his partner as well as him in the coming years, and calling him back could have the effect of making them think he's dangerous. So instead, he tries to just politely smile at all the bowing and nervous servants, to make them both seem more peaceful.

The gentle song from the bath comes back as they walk, and the sound helps Akito's smile and feel a bit less nervous as they make their way towards the smell of food. He lets out an honest chuckle when his intended scoops up the wet critter and lets him settle his cool, wet, furry body inside his night clothes. He knows the man will likely have to change again before bed, which is why he didn't do the same, but seeing him be so kind towards the beast who's saved his life several times fills Akito with warm appreciation for the man. Then, they are in a more well lit room, full of movement and smells. Akito gets a little stiff, but takes a seat beside Hiro and does his best to just eat like a normal human being. He's eyeing the soup, sniffing a spoonful when he gets asked about how he's doing, and with some grace he manages to not drop the spoon and put it back without spilling on himself.

“Me? Oh, I'm doing okay. Things got a lot worse on long marches before, so I have a rather hearty constitution.” he responds, smiling at the empress softly. Glancing over, he sees Hoko sniff at the soup before moving over to his lap. Finding only soup again, he scurries right on over to the empress for his nightly handout, to which the woman seems particularly pleased. Glancing at the emperor, he swallows slightly, and does his best to not straight up hang his head. “I know, we should have headed back sooner, but. . . But it was a nice, walk, besides the rain. . . I mean, the rain was pretty, but it was cold. . .” The last words come out as a bit of a mumble, and the empress' chuckle, though kind hearted, doesn't help.

When the Roar Falls ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

Flushed doesn't even come close to the depth of color now covering the beastman's cheeks. That deep voice, that intense gaze. . . Not to mention the words themselves. Looking meekly across the table at Aryx, Viltez feels the urge to vehemently deny that he is any such thing, but trapped under that gaze, Viltez can only swallow and smile back as his heart makes a valiant attempt to jump out of his chest. He sees a promise of desire behind those sharp eyes, and his tail tightens around his guest's arm as he feels his temperature rise. He doesn't know why just a few simple words and a look send him tumbling into a land of foolish fantasy, but as he tries to force his tail to relent he has to admit, he's become a bit lost in thought over what mister Aryx meant by calling him, 'extraordinary'.

The compliment to the food helps ground him a bit and he's able to pulls his tail back from trying to strangle Aryx's arm and give the man a calmer smile, rather than one there only to hide his erratic breathing. “Oh, thank you.” he says, smiling a little wider as his voice doesn't quite crack. “And yes! That would be great! I, um, wanted to take a bath after dinner, so, we could. . . I mean, if it's no trouble, and then we could both get ready for bed. . .” his face, still flushed, heats a bit once more, but he manages to not completely lose himself this time as he thinks of settling in for the night.

The meal comes to an end, and Viltez leaves Aryx with the dishes, showing him where the soap is, and how to get the water out, before apologizing that he probably already knew how to do that. Embarrassed with himself, Viltez hurries to the bath and begins heating the tub so he can bathe quickly. Once the water gets flowing, he disrobes and sets his clothes in the bin by the door. He is stopped from getting in right away by his tail, dragging at the edge of the door frame, and after a long moment looking at it twitching, he flushes yet again and quickly plunges into the water. 'Foolish tail! He already bathed, and we will see him soon! We'll get clean, get dry, go to the room, and. . . And. . .' Sinking beneath the surface, Viltez blows some bubbles as he finally lets his mind wander over what may happen when he's once more settled in bed with his guest.

'He was. . . So different, when we were. . . Exploring. Well, not super different, but. . . He's so curious, inquisitive normally, but when we were. . . Like that, I. . . He seemed almost, hungry. Hungry, and possessive' He shudders at the thought, remembering the look of “mine!” the man had for several seconds during their encounter. 'And not just that, but it was strange. The way he talked, it was like he'd never even considered those things before. . . I mean, I never considered doing them with anyone, because I mean, how could I hide my tail in that situation, but I at least. . .I kinda understood the basics. . .' Letting out a long sigh, Viltez works on rubbing the sweat from his body, ignoring any cries for attention from below his navel, and willing himself to calm down before having to go in front of the man.

Eventually, he is finished and spending the time to drain the tub and sprucing up the room, he's able to calm down before slipping on some sleeping pants and heading to his room. Peeking inside to make sure he's not being a bother, he smiles at the sight of Aryx and slips in, closing the door behind him. “Feeling all refreshed now!” he says with a warm smile, walking carefully over to the bed and taking a seat on the edge to stretch a bit. His tail, much to his embarrassment, immediately seeks out Aryx and begins wigging over his shoulders and brushing against his cheek, clearly happy to see the man after the brief separation. “Sorry.” he calls over his shoulder. “It's still a bit wet. I try to dry it, but you know. . It's a little sensitive and doesn't like my rough towels.” he laughs softly, trying to appear as casual as possible and let Aryx make the first move, if there is a move to be made.

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The comment about souls as ripe fruit not sounding appetizing makes Kuro chuckle a little, glad that he didn't say something a bit harsher about the fact that he still has to consume them. “Yes, lower level demons are limited in their powers. A lot of them have powers that align with whatever sins gave birth to them. Eventually, most can earn wings, if they live long enough. The higher born ones come with wings, but have to hone their weapons themselves rather than being gifted ones from Papa.” He babbles on a bit more about weak demon powers, then falls silent, seeing Aoba wrapped up in whatever deep thoughts one can have about lettuce.

'He's really lost on something. . . I wish he'd just talk to me. . . Maybe when we're cuddled up in bed later, I can coax some answers out of him. . . Unless he just really needs some rest. . .' The thought is so enticing, teasing some answers out of the little angel, but he knows that rushing things would only hurt them both in the long run, so instead his head just perks up when Aoba asks a question. A chuckles finds it's way out as his Little Mouse finally responds to what he said earlier about going to town early, but he stifles the sound quickly.

“The Ocularus?” he asks, curious as to why Aoba doesn't know what it is. “I suppose, as a lower tier of angel, you would have needed to know about it hmm?” Realizing that comment could hurt a bit, Kuro reaches out and cups Aoba's cheek gently. “Not low tier to me of course, and that's all that matters.” He gives Aoba a wink, then goes on to explain, leaning back to nibble at his food. “The Ocularus is the eye of hell that sees all. Taken as a seed from the fruit of knowledge stolen in the garden of Eden by Eve, the Ocularus was taken by Papa before The Fall before God could destroy it completely. After The Fall, Papa planted the seed in hell and from it grew a great thorny mass of vines, that once it entangles you, it opens your eyes to whatever you want to know. Past, present, future, and everything one could ever want to know about earth and the people on it down to the second.”

Taking a few bites, he takes a moment to relish before going on. “However, since it was one seed and not a whole fruit full of them, the Ocularus can only see the future to the next minute near perfectly accurately, and anything beyond that is a string of possibilities, branching out, on forever and ever. So, useful, but not godly, and only me and my siblings and Papa can really use it without our heads exploding.” He shrugs, as if the Ocularus is no big deal. “I'm only allowed limited access to it. Like, one question every five hundred years or something. . . Not sure if I've used it yet for this five centuries. . .” he looks thoughtful for a moment, the shrugs again, smiling at Aoba.

Who Will Break? ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

The crack in Zach's voice twangs across Kiel's heart, and he can feel his emotions shifting. Zach has been hard, self sufficient, and strong. Hearing him let his emotions out, even a little bit like this, makes Kiel feel warm and happy. The happiness is tainted a bit as he knows the kind of suffering a boy like Zach may have gone though, especially with members of the church being how they tend to be. However, Kiel knows he can be here now, for Zach, and hopefully make up for the shortsightedness of his bothers under God.

Seeing the boy squirm a bit as he thanks him, Kiel smiles a little wider and stands carefully. Moving over to the youth, he wraps his ward in a gentle hug, petting his hair gently as he pulls Zach close against his chest. He knows he can't be so distant with his approval. Zach has made it clear that standing off, or standing away makes him feel rejected, so Kiel lets himself comfort the young man properly, like a big brother would, and gives him the best squeeze he can manage with his wounded ribs. “Yes, well. . . People take from the bible what they wish, and unfortunately the word from the top is now leaning more towards number than charity unfortunately. . .” He continues to pet Zach's hair softly. “But, we're not all like that. . . I want to help.”

Leaning back a bit and tilting his head to the side so he can look at Zach's face properly he grins a little. “I will always be here to talk to. I promise.” Patting his hair a little longer, Kiel gives Zach one last squeeze before hobbling back to his chair. Giving the young man a teasing half smile he asks, “So, have you ever made tea before?” He wants to give Zach the chance to contribute, and help, seeing as that's what the youth seems to want to do at the moment.

When the Roar Falls ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

Viltez gives his guest an understanding, slightly sad look, hearing about the shrine basically being abandoned. The sureness in his voice however makes him feel like he must have seen the dragon at some point, or simply truly believes, so he holds no doubt that this god figure is still alive, and real. His tail slides forward to rub against Aryx' arm as he speaks of the world changing and Viltez shiver a little at the feeling. His words about going back some day gives a sting to his heart, a touch of sympathy stained by his sorrow at thinking of his guest leaving him, but the bigger pang comes from Aryx' clear desire to “See the world beyond the lake”. He knows how close the lake he spoke of is, relatively speaking, and there is so much more world to see and take in.

'And here I am, keeping him in one place rather than encouraging him in his dream to see more. . . I truly am a selfish being. . .' His heart threatens to drop, but with a slow breath, he pushes his thoughts on. 'But, we're both young. It's okay, to take a little while with him, right? He still has plenty of time to see the world. . . A small slice of that life he wants to live isn't horrible right? And. . . And he seems happy here. . . He seems, happy, to stay for now. . .' He gives Aryx a gentle smile, fighting though his warring thoughts.

Coming out of his thoughts, a small voice in the back of his mind tries to draw his attention to how odd Aryx had sounded when he talked about the world long ago, a kind of knowing that normally he saw in old men talking about 'the good old days'. It tries to point this out to him, but he doesn't hear it, his mind distracted by his tail's activity mixed with his own deeper thoughts about making sure that Aryx stays happy for however long he's going to stay. “I am sure the time is not over so much as it's moved from a roar to a whisper.” he says softly, not wanting Aryx to mourn the master of his shrine's absence. “A whisper that carries across the land, on every strand of breeze, and into the hearts of those willing to believe.” He flushes, knowing he's getting a bit poetic, and turns his attention on to his food so he can finish eating quickly.

He knows he wants to wash up after the meal, since he will be sharing a bed with his guest once more, and doesn't want to stink horribly. He doesn't let his mind linger too long on the actual sharing part however as he's still rather unable to quickly accept that Mister Aryx likes him like that. It's still so new, so strange, and so unexpected, but despite the dream like thought not settling fully, he knows he wants to at least not be a filthy mess when sharing such a small space.

Who Will Break? ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

Shaking his head, Kiel stays silent instead of verbally reinforcing that he is, indeed, not “fucking with” the young man. He can tell Zach is thinking hard, and lets the youth think rather than rushing past the issue and possibly hurting him further. He listens close as Zach reveals it's not he himself that may be causing the issue, but past interactions with men of the cloth. He knows many of his brothers under God can be very extreme, and he worries that perhaps Zach has run into the less understanding kind. He keeps his expression kind, and neutral, showing that he's listening, and not judging, willing the youth to keep speaking.

It makes his heart ache to hear Zach speaking of going to hell, especially with such certainty. It takes some will power to keep from comforting the young man right away, assuring him that it's not true. He can feel them on the cusp of what's bothering the teen, and doesn't want to derail his outpouring.

And then the secret falls, and Kiel. . . Shows no reaction. He can feel a bit of relief passing behind his heart, but doesn't respond immediately. He knows that responding too quickly sound insincere, even if he means what he's saying, so instead he just smiles a little wider and sits carefully on the nearest chair, lowing himself so he doesn't loom over the young man. 'So, he is like that. . . Not surprising. I've had a lot of youth like him pass under this roof, but each one is different. I need to figure out, what route is best, for Zach. . .' Letting out a small hum, he tilts his head slightly to the side, showing no signs of rejection.

“Zach. . .” he begins softly. “I do not condemn you, know that. Nor am I disgusted by you. . .” He smiles softly. “You are not the first who's passed through that door with such a past, with such. . . Desires. And I doubt you will be the last. If I were such a judgmental person as to reject youth like you, do you really think I would have the reputation I do?” Shifting to relieve some weight on his ribs once more, he winces as they throb a little. “I have read the words of our lord, and heard the teachings, but. . . But I can not see the loving God I worship condemning people for things they can not help” He smiles a little wider. “I've heard enough from poor children thrown from their homes by cruel parents, for so many years now, to know that if it were not natural, they would renounce such feelings in a hot minute.” Looking towards the wall, behind which lays the church, he lets out a sigh. “Just. . . Don't tell my brothers. Such enlightenment still eludes them.”

His gaze returns to Zach, looking at peace, and not at all repelled by the youth. He is silently delighted that Zach has brought this fact into the open so they can discuss it. Knowing it will help him be a better guide for the youth, and will keep him from being cruel unintentionally.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

Their arrival back at camp is met with a lot of curious voices and faces. Kaila looks around at all the interested, worried faces around him and as if channeling his Guardian a bit he gives them a calming smile and tells them all softly that everything's going to be alright, and how his brother is doing something important for all of them. 'And it will be. . . Jentou is strong. He's always been strong. Even when he got lost under Gin's hand before, he was a strong individual. It took Master Seishu's power itself to re-write his mind, so I know that Jentou will stay strong and keep to the plan. . .' Walking around a bit, he reassures several nightmares and minions as he moves to the spot Jentou had marked off as “his” with several furs and skins. The fight and the shock of losing his brother has left him worn, but he knows he can't sleep just yet. So instead, he simply settles on the furs in a seated position and closes his eyes to try and regain balance in his mind and heart. 'If I let me feelings sway too much, I will fall into despair. I may be our Master's right hand, but I, like any of us, am not greater than what I was born to be. I can fall into despair and be lost just as badly as any other minion around me. . .'

~*~*~*~*~

“Thank you.” Seishu murmurs, falling silent a moment later to let Crios do his work. 'I have to get better. I need to stop being so selfish, and focus on recovery. I can deal with my own wants later. I have to. . . I have to let myself recover. I need to get back to them. I need to see them. . .' Breathing slowly, the nightmare Guardian hisses slightly at the little pains against his wounds, but otherwise shows no response to what's happening around him. Inui clings in close when he can, pouring everything he can manage into his Guardian while trying to keep his own feelings from falling too low. Seishu warned him that feeling too badly could be fatal, and the last thing he wants is to lose out on this new life being presented to him with more happiness than he's ever known.

When it's at last time for them to get up and go, Seishu contemplates trying to move around on his own, using the slight distance from Enasi to keep him focused, but as he looks up at the red head he knows that doing so would only cause more hurt than help, for the both of them. Reaching up, he lets the Dram Guardian help him to his feet, and leans heavily against the other man as he leads his way to the portal waiting to take them to their new “base”. He can feel a numbness in his feet as he shuffles along and forces his focus into staying upright as they approach that sickening swirl of light and colors that will take them to the human realm.

Looking over his shoulder, he gives those who are staying behind a calm, 'Don't worry, be happy!' smile before giving Enasi a nod and doing his best to hold down his stomach as they pass through the vomit inducing mass. They arrive on the other side in what Seishu has to say far too much time, but he looks first to check on Inui before dealing with his own ill feeling. The minion looks a bit green, but as soon as he notices Seishu looking, he stands up a little straighter and looks ready to endure through the feeling. Seishu gives him an approving smile, then looks to the “base” they will call home for however long it takes for him to recover.

~*~*~*~*~

Those left behind watch as the Guardians leave them. They know it needs to happen, but they can all feel the emptiness of not having their Guardian in the realm. After a minute, Harper barks out softly that they should get to work with what they know Enasi would want of them, and slowly they peel away from the spot and hurry to their individual duties. Harper himself begins a sweep of the realm, needing to once again see every corner, paying close attention to the barrier between the realms so he can feel peace of mind that the land is safe.

Crios returns to his patients, his own changes from treating the Nightmare Guardian earning him a few odd shifts, but his caring smile and gentle hands soon put them at peace. He knows that having Seishu around has changed so much about the realm, but over all, those living within it's boarders have noticed nothing. All the subtle but crucial shifts in their Guardian, in those running the palace, they are all still so removed from the every day minion or dream he's not surprised that those laying wounded under his care feel less than pure peace under his altered eye.

Drifting through the clouds high above the sunlit lands below, Rue drifts back and forth, his mind rather blank. He knows that he needs to do something, to get busy helping out where he can, but in these moments, he has no idea what “help” he can provide. He misses Inui already, and Seishu's pained face passes behind his eyes every minute or so. He's been so close to them, been so involved in helping them personally, that he almost can't recall what it was he did before they came into his life. For now, he lets the clouds take him, their white fluffy surfaces providing pure backdrops for his longing thoughts.