PopeAlessandros

Of Steam and Souls

Heheh.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

“Shhhhh, shhhhhh, I'm okay Rue, shhhhh.” Seishu murmurs over and over as he pets Rue's hair, rubbing his back and trying to calm him down. Eventually the little fair does manage to relax and the Nightmare Guardian is able to relax a bit. He'd been siphoning off the negative feelings coming from Rue while he cried but had to be careful in containing them as he is not quite in complete control of his faculties at the moment. Smiling at the little minion when he looks up at him Seishu murmurs softly, “I am fine Rue. I'm doing better now than how I was when I first got here, and I survived that, right?” Rue nods, his eyes still full of tears, but as Crios begins speaking he contents himself with laying silently against Seishu's chest, listening intently to make sure Seishu's heart remains beating.

He nods slowly at the doctor's words. “I understand Doc. Kaila and Jentou will see it done.” Out of the corner of his eye he sees the both of them salute and his lips curl into a half smile. 'They are still my well trained little ones. . .' He lets out a sigh, the meds making him mallow and relaxed, a feeling he missed. It's not so much that he wants to feel drugged all the time, but the pain and sickness of the torture makes him long for something, anything that feels better than that. Feeling rather affectionate after his treatment, and having to Enasi to bestow his affection on, when Crios steps back Seishu lifts little Rue's head and gives him a kiss, making the little fairy light up like a Christmas light. Rasha, spotting the kiss, sits up expectantly for his own and sighs into it as Seishu chuckles, planting a soft kiss on his lips as well.

With the little dream denizens taken care of Seishu holds out his hands and without a word Kaila helps him to his feel. Crios eyes the Guardian warily, but before he can escape Seishu pulls him into a rather firm kiss before falling back against Kaila with a chuckle. Crios' tail is three sizes too big but the flush on his cheeks is clearly not an upset flush. He mumbles and kicks out towards Seishu but it's clear he starting to understand this affection thing when it comes to the Nightmare Guardian. 'He really is that affectionate with those he cares about. . .Meaning he cares about me. . . . .' Crios isn't quite sure how he feels about this, but as he watches the twins move in really close to their Guardian, their hands caressing him slightly in their worry, he lets himself relax a bit. 'How could we all have been so wrong? Was it all instinct? Indoctrination?' He lets out a sigh and motions for Rue and Rasha to join him.

The two side up next to him, Rasha elbowing him slightly in the ribs and mouthing the word 'jealous'. Crios rolls his eyes at this and shakes his head, but as Kaila and Jentou begin leading the Guardian towards the door he holds out a hand. “Wait.” he calls and chews his lip a little as the three turn to look at him curiously. He wonders for a moment if it's the right time, but as he feels Seishu can use all the good news he can right now he decides to fill him in on the serum he's created. “I'm not sure if you wanna hear about this right now Night, but I thought I'd let you know about a new discover and creation that will help with bringing peace between our people. . .”

Seishu raises an eye curiously, his heart jumping. “I'm gone for. . .” He looks over at Kaila.

“Ten days Master Seishu.” he replies promptly.

Seishu nods. “I'm gone just over a week and you find the time to do some major universe altering discovery?” He doesn't sound upset, or even skeptical. In fact, he seems almost excited.

The enthusiasm makes Crios a little happy and he goes from unsure to eager. “Yes. It was a shot in the dark really, but you know how Rue is able to tolerate your presence for the most part without getting sick?” Seishu nods. “Well, it turns out that the reason is that he now has negative energy running through his blood, like a natural thing, and it allows him to adapt to negative energy around him and keeps him from being overwhelmed by it, and in most cases, from even feeling ill.”

Seishu looks over at Rue, eyes a little wide. Rue clasps his hands behind his back, swaying shyly back and forth. The Guardian gently removes his arms from his underlings' shoulders and motions Rue over. Rue slips over without hesitation, holding out his hands as Seishu beckons for them. He does his best to stand still as the taller male leans in close, looking deep into his eyes. His wings tremble every so often but other than that he manages to stand completely still. Rue watches, a little envious, however he does his best to keep the feeling down least it distract the Guardian.

His gaze goes deep, looking for the truth of what Crios said, and when at last the flavor of negative energy races across his tongue as if he could taste it in the youth he smiles softly. “You are an amazing little creature Little Bite. . .” he murmurs, making Rue flush proudly, his wings twitching and fluttering happily. Kissing him on the forehead he lets the fairy's hands go and moves back to being held by the twins, giving Crios a nod. “You can tell me more about it later Doc. It's amazing, and you were brilliant for noticing it before anyone else.” He nods again. “Thank you. . .” Crios swells up proudly and nods back, smiling.

Lan and Ran, silent until now, move forward and greet their Guardian, warming at the sigh of his smile as he grins lazily at them. The moment is short lived however as they hear feet on the stairs. All eyes in the room go to the plant siblings as they walk in and explain why they are there. Seishu nods. “Good thinking.” With a look at the Duo he communicates silently that they should do the same and with final expressions of love and relief directed at their Guardian the two lead the way out of the basement, Kaila, Seishu, and Jentou pulling up the rear.

They pass through the room full of squealing and crying children without being seen, the little figures passing right through them, as they should, as they run about wildly in their zeal for fun. Once outside the two sets of siblings not attached to Seishu take off to make more thorough checks and Seishu looks over at the three remaining dream denizens. “I'm sorry to say this, but I need you three to stick around.” He motions to the minions on either side. “I have a couple fighters here, but they aren't at their best.” Jentou pouts but Kaila simply nods in agreement. “I don't see there being any real problems, but once I'm back on my feet properly I want to get back as soon as possible, and right now, the only one who has the power for that is you Doc.”

Crios looks around, just realizing for the first time that he's the most powerful force for good around right now and he feels a little intimidated by the idea of so much being on his shoulders. He is a very good doctor, powerful and smart, but a fighter he is not, and he's not used to being the strongest person around in the field. However, instead of openly showing his unease he simply brings his gaze back to Seishu and nods. Seishu smiles at the touch of nervousness in his stance, but he doesn't comment, instead directing Kaila off to go find him something tasty to munch on.

~*~*~*~*~

And hour later the group is gathered behind a large apartment building, Seishu standing on his own but still a little wobbly. With his wounds from before not fully healed followed up by several days of weakening and torture he's actually kinda surprised that it didn't take all that long to reach this point. He says his good-byes to his minions, their eyes not betraying their sorrow to be leaving him but he knows they are all weeping inside. He takes Kaila aside and pulls him into a tight hug, making the little minion's eyes go wide before they close and with a long exhale he allows his energy to mix with Seishu's. The Guardian drops a small gift of energy inside him to make sure he will be able to do his job when he gets back and Kaila doesn't complain, the feeling of the energy swirling warmly inside his chest making him feel calm and delighted.

When they pull apart Jentou appears behind his brother and hugs him from behind, earning him a rolling of the eyes from his violet haired counterpart. The blond is a little glassy-eyed and calm again, but Seishu can see little bits of the spark returning to the youth, and he is very glad to see them together. The little exchange over he moves back over to where Crios is trying to open a portal and waits patiently. The doctor has had very little occasion to do this and it's giving him a little trouble. Out of the corner of his eyes Seishu spots Jentou moving away from his brother and he turns his head curiously.

Rasha, relaxed and happy now that everything's been put back on the right path, wanders closer to the slightly smaller male and has a shy expression on his face. Kaila looks completely confused, looking over his shoulder to see why his brother moved away. When he turns back he finds lips on his own, and unlike when his Guardian kisses him, he can feel his heart flutter in a completely different way. He doesn't really understand it, and when Rasha pulls back looking both shy and a little disappointed he murmurs, “Um, what?” The confusion makes Jentou and Rasha giggle slightly and Seishu hides his own sniggering behind a hand. No one has ever had the balls to try anything like that with his second and he's quite sure that Kaila still has no idea how Rasha feels about him.

Rue, hiding his face behind his hands, giggles silently, his ears bright red. With a sigh Seishu murmurs, “Rasha, you must be really good. I've never seen him speechless like this before.” Rasha turns several shades of red but is not deterred. Reaching forward he takes Kaila's hands gently and swings them back and forth slightly while swaying his own body.

Kaila is still very confused, but he does not object to the childishness and lets Rasha do what he wants with his arms. Shaking his head slightly however he asks a little clearer this time, “What's wrong? You looked sad. . .”

The dream giggles again and instead of answering, kisses Kaila again. This time letting his lips linger and Kaila relaxes slightly, this time at least understanding that he's being kissed. Rue moves over and hides behind Seishu, still trying desperately not to laugh out loud. Then the mood is broken as the portal crackles to life and Crios turns around. The scene that meets his eyes makes them go wide and he shakes his head and motions Rasha over. “Rasha, before you go trying to make babies, I think you'd better undergo some treatments so you don't die from it.” Rasha flushes deeper and gives Kaila's hands a squeeze before letting them go. Kaila stutters, trying to explain that he doesn't understand any of this and asking what he means by making babies.

Seishu waves a hand to indicate it's not important at the moment and after a final touch for each of his underlings the dream denizens and the Nightmare Guardian vanish into the far too bright portal back to the Dream Realm. Seishu closes his eyes and leans heavily on Crios as they pass through the swirling lights, his stomach quite empty but still ready to boot up bile should he get too dizzy. Once on the other side Crios orders the two smaller ones off for bed rest in pure positive energy so they can recover and so that he can continue monitoring the effects of negative energy inside Rue. Rue leaves only after getting the okay from Seishu, but Crios doesn't mind. “He really love you you know. . .” He murmurs, looking up at Seishu.

The Guardian nods, smiling softly. The pain killers have him very light feeling, but he's still conscious enough to look around, trying to find his lover as they move down the halls. Crios notices the head movements but decides against saying anything. Instead he keeps his eyes on the path they have to take and once they are at his room he quickly moves to stand behind Seishu as a head of jet black hair attached to what seem so be a rocket comes firing out of the room and straight at the two of them. He feels the hit and hears the groan from Seishu when Inui lands and he is careful to keep Seishu on his feet when he stumbles backwards from the force of it.

The minion is silent, his tears soaking quickly through the Guardian's tattered clothing as he presses as close to Seishu as is physically possible, and once he's sure that the white haired male won't topple over Crios takes his leave without a word and heads for his office. Despite his own exhaustion, he knows that there are things that need tending to before he goes to sleep. 'Not to mention, in the mod Inui's in, there isn't any being alive who would dare mess with Night right now' Letting out a sigh he vanishes around the corner, leaving the pair right outside the room the little nightmare minion has been using since Seishu was kidnapped.

The two simply stand there for several long minutes, Inui crying out all of his bad feelings, Seishu absorbing them and filtering them back to help soothe the little red eyed male. The Guardian is careful to keep their exchange contained, as best he can, and by the end he feels like they are surrounded by a nice, warm blanket. When at last Inui is able to breathe normally again – or at least without it sounding like each breath is his last – Seishu runs his fingers through his hair over and over as he pulls back slightly, his tear streaked face turned up towards his Guardian's. With a gentle smile Seishu says softly, “I'm back.” Inui nods, offering up a wet smile. Seishu gives him a little kiss, making him sigh and then with a slightly stealthy expression he asks, “Hey, can you help me with something?”

Inui nods rapidly, waiting to hear what Seishu wants. Leaning in close the Guardian whispers into his minion's ear and the boy's smile grows even wider. Nodding again he lets Seishu lean on him then together they head off down the hall, past the door to their room. Seishu feels extremely lucky that they don't run into anyone on the trip and once they are standing outside the room he'd been looking for he lets out a faint sigh of relief. Before he can push open the door however he spots a familiar white figure at the end of the hall. Pausing he stares at the long eared creature and they share a long moment before Harper nods and Seishu smiles.

The two slip into the room, Inui relaxed and calm enough to keep his energy in and Seishu in control enough to do the same. Upon entering he takes a moment to just stare at the sight before him. His lover, completely clothed, frumpy and filthy looking, laying face down mostly on his bed, looking like he'd been hit by a truck and sleeping away despite his space being invaded by two creatures bearing negative energy. Inui lets go of Seishu at the edge of the bed and goes around to the curtains, closing them as quietly as possible as Seishu climbs gently on to the bed. He winces with the pain of it but is careful to not jostle his lover too much as he carefully drags him a little further on to the bed. Carefully removing his shoes he waits until Inui is available to help to remove his shirt as well.

With a sigh Seishu vanishes his own clothing – making Inui blush slightly – before settling next to Enasi and draping an arm cross his body. Now that the red head is on his back Seishu can see his face more clearly and for a long while he simply lay there, admiring the man he loves with a soft expression on his face. Inui carefully crawls up behind Seishu and settles with his back against Seishu's and when eventually the Guardian settles down to rest the little minion snuggles in a little closer before nodding off. Seishu follows soon after, his head resting right next to Enasi's shoulder, his arm still resting across his lover's chest, one leg draped over Enasi's nearest one.

~*~

~As soon as he falls into the darkness, despite knowing it's not the best thing for him to do given his condition, Seishu flexes his desires and almost like a silent explosion the darkness ripples into a completely different scene, rushing outwards from the focal point, Seishu. Trees explode from the earth, the thick grass beneath his feet warm and springy, splitting to make room for the tall slender trunks. Here and there larger trees appear, their boughs thick and their branches broad.

Too plain

He stretches on the spot, feeling the world comply to his need and with a grin he watches as giant flowers appear. Nearly twice his height they bend and twist, beautiful music drifting out of them, bringing peace to the Guardian. They erupt all over the forest and with a smiles Seishu murmurs, “Getting there. . .”

Birds fill the air, adding their voices to the soft music as they flash their feathers and drift lazily on the gentle breeze. They are joined shortly by tiny little drakes, the scaly creatures about the size of macaws. He smiles at his work, hoping Enasi finds him soon, hoping that Enasi isn't sitting somewhere, blaming himself and avoiding him. That would make him very sad. The sky overhead is twilight and with a hum he brings forth a large pool of warm, clear water, filled with beautiful creatures whose voices can barely be heard, but seem to add to the song perfectly. He can feel his weakness growing, but he is unwilling to do anything short of what he wants, which is fill this place with so much beauty that Enasi's breath will be taken away.~

We'll take the low road.

Nodding vaguely at Illiendi's question about his family Amano smiles softly as he imagines the look on his father's face when he returns, all the glory and power he will build. The envy on his brothers' faces when he lives the life that he's always wanted to while they are stuck with their lots in life dictated by fate. 'I will live a grand, glorious life, happy and content, with anything and everything I could ever want, and all it costs me is my afterlife. . . .I know it is a great thing, I suppose, but. . .I have this life, and it is all I really have control over, so if I can live how I want now, nothing after matters to me. My life is precious to me, not my soul. . .'

Letting out a soft sigh he looks over at the beast as he speaks again, getting lost for a moment in that lovely face before the words register and he pulls himself out of his dream like state. He flushes a little at being called strange before answering softly. “Yes, I like them, the idea at least, and yes, I suppose I am strange but. . .” He looks up into Illiendi's eyes shyly. “I suppose also that there's something about that strangeness that delivered me to you, so I do not see it as a bad thing.” The light shiver passes without any real notice and after taking the last couple bites of his meal he towns his tea politely and stands, wiping his lips.

“I think it is time to head back home and begin working on more of the paperwork for this venture.” He gestures toward the map Illiendi carries. “I would like to see the exact route we will be taking as well, and perhaps you could begin instructing me in some of the skills you think will be useful. He says that last part a little quieter than the rest as they head out the door, knowing it's not the best thing to say in public when trying to build a reputation. He falls into the posture Illiendi has encouraged him to maintain as they walk town the street and he does his best to maintain it while winding his way through the busy streets. 'Maybe pretending to be confident is the first step to real confidence' He muses, rolling his shoulders hoping they adjust to the new posture quickly.

SBURB: My Take On It

Baker: As Tim promised, he began to build onto the top of Stithis' house. Fortunately, the top of the building was flat, making the first addition easier to create. "Like layering a cake really. Have to have a stable foundation. Make sure the sides are secure and then top it off. There! One section done. Oh." He added a ladder to the original roof in order to climb to the top. "Now it's accessible." However being ever so meticulous, he went ahead and connected the two together, giving Stithis a second floor instead of a random block on his house. It required removing the roof at one point as well, but it was put back. “There. Now it looks better.”

Charro rested on the desk right next to the computer, waiting for Tim's next move and listening to him talk to no one in particular. He was an odd one, but Charro still liked him.

"I don’t know if he expected anything super fancy, but it at least works.” He added a ladder-like staircase in the living room, though he was meticulous enough to leave the extra ladder outside just in case something went wrong in his building and Stithis couldn’t get into his new second- well third floor large open space. He could add the small details like windows in the room later.

“Remember not to use up all the grist at once.” Charro stretched and walked in front of the keyboard- unlike most cats who would simply walk on top of it, and sat in front of Tim.

“That’s a good idea. Especially if I want to avoid fighting or something.”

“You can’t avoid that silly. They get stronger. You’ll have no choice.”

“One can always dream.” Charro mewed and purred, hopping into Tim's lap in comfort. "Maybe Fire Lord had a good idea about rest. If we still need to eat, I suppose resting wouldn't be a bad idea either."

_+_+_+_+_+_

Stithis: Finally able to relax now that the fighting is over, Marcus continues working on the safe room at a leisurely pace, adding shelves and furniture to make it a little more comfortable to stay in. “I can't find anything to make a proper bed, but this block here in the corner could be done up as one, on- what the hell!?” his head snaps around as suddenly his roof vanishes, his hanging light fixtures crashing to the ground along with a few postes he'd hug up there fluttering down to join the mess. The roof comes back after a few seconds, a ladder appearing leading up to a hole in the new roof. Whipping back around to his phone he opens up the chat and spots Baker saying he will be doing some building on to his home and with a groan Marcus shakes his head, smacking himself in the forehead with the phone.

Stithis → Baker: Well, as they are already on the ground I guess there's not point in saying next time watch out for the light fixtures, however I will ask you to not touch the bathroom as a working toilet is not something as easily replaced as a ceiling lamp.

With a sigh he goes back to building the safe room, grabbing soft things from here and there to pile up on the makeshift bed so that Bubbles will be more comfortable once she decides to sleep.

_+_+_+_+_+_

Charrosprite: Purring gently the man sized – surprisingly light weight for his demensions – cat lizard sprite looks up at Tim and nods. “Sleep is very important in this game. It will take a long time to play, and sleep is an integral part of completeing all that needs to be done.”

_+_+_+_+_+_

Skip: Laurra continues to work tirelessly, slaughtering as many of the imps as she can, knowing that this grist stuff is going to be one of the keys to winning this damn game. Every so often she looks over as the sprite in her brother's form and see feels a little twinge in her chest. Sometimes joy. Sometimes sorrow. Sometimes a feeling she can't identify. Every time however he seems to sense she's looking and his eyes find hers, that familiar smile on his lips and comforting glint in his eye. A part of her railes against the idea that this. . .This construct of the game has any relation to her dead, flesh and blood brother, but as one unwilling to fail in her mission she forces her way past it and continues doing what she knows. Getting the job done.

_+_+_+_+_+_

BubblegumcAndi: Andi considers allowing him to hang out with her while she sleeps for a grand total of two seconds before she dismisses the idea completely. No matter how well he knows her, she barely knows him, and having anyone hanging around while she sleeps is just a little...uncomfortable. “I appreciate the offer but I think I will boot you out in a bit. The idea of you hanging out while I sleep is just a little...weird.” She pauses for a moment and then shrugs lightly. “Besides, I already have one of you keeping an eye on me. I’m sure if he couldn’t handle it, then you would know.” Just the reminder that her Marcus will be able to keep an eye on her while she sleeps is a bit awkward, so having two would likely put her over the edge.

Granted, Shenanigans likely already knew whether or not she snored...or scratched herself in her sleep, but she preferred to think that he gave her a bit of privacy, like Marcus had initially proposed when they started this whole spying on each other thing. Andi took a little while longer to get things organized, and checked up on Fire Lord again, but he was still out like a light. When she found herself yawning between just about every task, she turned to Shenanigans again. “I think it is about time…” She said, pushing herself up from her position leaning against the table. “I guess I should head upstairs and see what my Marcus set up for me.”

Grabbing her bag, she lifts it over one shoulder. “And be grateful that I practically lived in this lab anyway.” she grins, pulling out the mouthwash she had kept stored there. True she could have someone send her a code for a toothbrush, and Shenanigans likely knew one off the top of his head but that was still a bit much for her. “Take care, Shenanigans.”

Keeping her crossbow handy, Andi moved out of the back room and went to the bathrooms to clean up a bit. She swishes the mouthwash around, trying to focus on the attainable things. Right now, it was a bit too much to think about all of the things she didn’t have, like comfortable pajamas, or a bed. Instead, she had to focus on the things she had gotten from the others, and the things she had on hand. After she slept, she was sure that she could figure out what else she needed--and hopefully not sound too demanding to the others, who seemed to require the group chat far less than she did.

Andi took care of two more imps on the way upstairs, and her sprite took care of another with his lazer eyes (cool, but still really freaky). The safe room had been ‘pillow-ified’ and looks a lot more comfortable than she had left it. The photography equipment was pushed to the side, or moved to the other room, and Andi nodded her approval before pulling out her phone and messaging her Marcus.

BubblegumcAndi → Stithis: Thanks so much for setting up a room for me. I’m going to try to get some sleep. You good?

When he confirms that she is, Andi settles into the room, laying out some of her things to keep them within reach--and still not 100% comfortable with storing them all on item cards-- and pulls out her ipod. She doesn’t have the alarm clock ipod doc so that she can wake with a song reaching the chorus at the perfect moment, but at least she has the headphones. She savors the small piece of normalcy as she puts the buds in her ears and curls up in the nest-like bed that was made. Within a few minutes she succumbs to sleep, her sprite hovering nearby to keep watch.

_+_+_+_+_+_

Shenanigans: The hoodie clad youth nods in understanding, pulling up his digital display to begin working on where he should spend his time while she sleeps. 'It's not like she's asked me to stay or anything. . .I guess I just feel a bit protective. . . .After all, in my time line, she's the last. . .' Shaking off his dark thoughts he sighs, going back to his calculations. While she's busy with getting ready Shenanigans gets a ping and he pulls up his chat box. Stretching across all the time lines he sees that it comes from his original one a few hours after he left and he lets out a long breath, the name flashing slightly. He speaks his words aloud in response, the program in his visor converting his voice into written words.

Shenanigans → ???: Yeah, yeah, I'm here. I'm not sure when I'm going back. . .No, no, I can't think about that now. That's not even a consideration. . .Listen Hiss, I'm not going to mess this up, so don't even think about contacting him, got it?

He receives replies each time he pauses, saying the word 'send' so the message goes through. He closes the chat after snapping at the contact, turning to Bubbles as she addresses him. He smiles, his whispered conversation set aside for now. “Sounds good Bubbles. I wish you a pleasant night.” Bowing in a rather grand fashion he turns, there is the sound of wind chimes, and with a puff of mist, he's gone.

_+_+_+_+_+_

Stithis: Once he spots Andi heading upstairs towards the room he's working on Marcus stops moving things around and instead just sits back to watch. He's kinda proud of himself over what he's come up with for her health and comfort, going so far as to put a mini fridge he found in a side room in the corner of the room for snacks if she wants them He knows it's silly but as he watches with an eager smile comes to his lips and he wiggles a little bit. He stills however as she walks in, watching her look around with a light smile. When the chat box pings he opens it quickly and feels a faint rush and nods, though she can't see it of course.

Stithis → BubblegumcAndi: Yeah, I'm fine, I'm glad you like it. I hope it'll be comfortable enough for you. I'll prolly be heading to sleep soon too. Sweet dreams!

He continues watching her just long enough to see that she's settling in before shrinking the window to give her some privacy. With his task now complete he can feel the exhaustion that's been nibbling at his brain for over an hour now and with a yawn and a stretch he looks over at his sprite and murmurs, “You keep an eye out, right?” Sephillsprite simply nods in reply and Marcus smiles. “So cool. . .” His voice is heavy with sleep. Without even bothering to go to his bedroom, he passes out, sprawled all over the couch.

_+_+_+_+_+_

GM → BubblegumcAndi: As you begin falling asleep, you get the strangest feeling. As if you are waking from a very long sleep. The feeling grows stronger and stronger until suddenly you wake up completely. The room you are in looks almost exactly like your room at home, but the walls and floor are purple, and the carpet is as well. Any windows you may have had are gone, replaced with one window that looks almost like a just a little too small doorway like an old timey pointed arch window. It's large enough to fit through and has no glass or covering of any kind. You are now clad in an outfit like this(The one on the right) - Derse Dreamers

_+_+_+_+_+_

Baker: “Oh!” Timothy facepalmed after reading Stithis’ message.

Baker → Stithis: Really sorry about that! I completely forgot!

“Uh huh, so we do need to sleep.” He responded, though now distracted by cleaning his mess. Tim scanned through the game room, searching for all the light fixtures that were now on the floor and neatly put them in a pile. He checked in each room to make sure things were fixed. “I wonder if I can fix these too. . .” Tim managed to figure out how to replace the broken light fixtures in order for Marcus to have some sort of light in his house. “...There, that should do it.” He spends some more time building, trying to reach goals that were set for the game. Of course he doesn’t finish, however he does do a decent job of building and refurbishing the parts he had already added. He wasn’t sure what Stithis would want in these spare rooms so he left them empty.

Charro’s pawing made him realize he had been in one spot for a little longer than he intended. “Okay, okay. No more for now. Can’t beat everything in a day, got it.” They didn’t have enough grist in order to just blow through it. Although, Skip was doing a good job at keeping a consistent amount with all the imps she had killed. “You win Charro. A quick nap won’t kill me- uh, keep watch just in case though.” He yawned and headed to his room. Hopefully, the doors would stay strong as they were.

Baker → Group: Just in case someone messages me, if I don’t answer, don’t worry I’m just resting. Fire Lord had the right idea about it.

_+_+_+_+_+_

Fire Lord: Shaking himself from his funk James slowly dismounts his bed. “Is this part of the game? Or just. . . .A really strange dream?” He speaks aloud, the sound of his voice comforting somehow. He walks slowly around the room, his eyes landing on a few instruments he's always wanted to learn to play, along with several book he's always wanted to read, mixed in with his normal collection of books and other possessions. The room is a bit messier than he recalls it being, and the bright gold of the floor and walls gives the whole place an alien feel, but over all he feels rather comfortable here.

_+_+_+_+_+_

Stithis: As he drifts off he gets the strange feeling like he's waking up. Like being unsure if you're swimming up or down when paddling around under water. However after a few seconds of this feeling he can feel himself “waking” and opens his eyes, wondering if the game simply does not allow for sleep to happen. What greets his gaze is not in any way what he was expecting to find whatsoever. The purple walls and ceiling greet his eyes, and what almost freaks him out the most is he's on a bed now. 'Was I moved!? Kidnapped!? Did the imps have their way with me!?' He sits up quickly, his eyes focusing on the room around him quickly and after a few seconds he realizes he recognizes where he is. “What the heck!?” It's his own room. Several feet from where he fell asleep, he wonders vaguely if his sprite brought him here for comfort – the momentary visual of being carried in Sephiroth's strong, muscular arms making him grin – but then the walls once more register and he shakes his head. “No, no, this is. . . .Different. . .”

Climbing slowly out of bed he hobbles about, eyes moving over all the shelves, wondering when the heck he acquired half the figurines now decorating the area. The walls have many posters he'd give his left leg to own and every which way he looks he gets the odd feeling that this must be his room, while being convinced that it's not. “Well, this is different, for one thing. . .” he murmurs, plucking at his clothes as soon as he notices them.

The one on the left – Outfit

“And for another. . . . .” His eyes go to the single door sized window that has replaced his small side sliding windows along one wall. He's hesitant to actually look out the window, a vague fear of heights giving him pause about approaching the glassless window. However, he has this gentle feeling behind the fear that seems to be telling him that everything's alright here. That there's nothing to fear from the wold around him.

_+_+_+_+_+_

GM → Baker: The sprite nods at you and as you begin drifting off to sleep you get the strangest feeling like you're waking up for a very long nap. When at last you feel completely awake you find yourself in what looks to be your bedroom, except the walls, floor, and ceiling are yellow/gold, and there are various items in your room that you've never seen before, but they follow your passions and interests. Any windows you may have had are gone and now one singular window has appears along one wall. It's like an old fashioned arched doorway, though perhaps a little smaller that an actual doorway, though one could pass through this glassless orifice easily. Your clothing has changed and you are now wearing garments of gold that match the walls and feel like comfy pajamas.

The one on the right – Outfit

The Power of The Fallen ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

The portal crackles closed behind the red head as he immediately takes to the skies of hell and makes for the palace. There aren't many other demons actually flying about and they scatter when they see Dani, his violent streak infamous and not limited to demons who've actually done anything. He's been known to simply attack demons on sight for no good reason, and as he looks like he's busy with something they are all very interested in not getting between him and his goal. One demon however does approach him and he glares towards the figure as she comes up to fly along side him. He refuses to be the first to speak and instead tries to break away from her, but her much larger wings create such a down draft when she flies over him that he ceases that idea least he fall into the pools of fire below.

With a snarl he turns over, forgetting his vow. “What do you want Maia!?” he hisses, carefully slipping out from beneath her so that he can fly properly again. She moves around him slowly, the small childish grin setting his teeth on edge and he cuffs her with his wing. She cuffs him right back, sending him tumbling slightly. Once he regains his balance he snarls, ready to knock her out of the sky, but before he can do so, she speaks.

“You stink.” Sticking out her tongue Maia cuffs him again, but this time catches him so she can carry him, getting a better look at his face. As a result, she can also smell him better in this position and she makes a face again. “You reek little brother.” she calls over his cursing. He thrashes himself free and drops to the ground just outside the palace. She lands right behind him. “You reek of grace. Not changing sides on us, are you little brother?” He staunchly ignores her, hoping she'll just go away, however half way to Homura's room he realizes she plans on following him no matter what.

Whipping around he snaps, “Don't you have anything better to do?” Down in hell his cute, childishness is reserved for those he actually likes, and Maia is not one he likes. She is his sister, true, but her perpetual need to know his business and to mess with his research has left her on his black list. More times than he can count she's messed up his breeding and other work, claiming that she was there first and should have every right to review his work. She is one who hardly ever leaves hell as well and she honestly spends more time actually working than he does, however he shares his things with no one. 'Aoba doesn't count. He's still Kurotama's technically. . . .'

She sticks out her tongue again. “Why would I have anything better to do than to find out why my dearest little brother smells like a filthy angel?” She leans in close, taking a sniff at his chest before dodging a swipe from him. “You smell like you were cuddling one, gross!” She covers her nose and steps back. Spotting the real revulsion on her face Dani smiles wickedly and quickly darts in, wrapping his arms around her. She gags as he rubs his body all over her, rubbing off Aoba's scent on to her, and giggles madly as she runs off with a squeal of disgust.

“There, now that that's taken care of. . .” he murmurs, turning and racing down the hall until he reaches Homura's door. Carefully he cracks open the door, sticking in a hand so that the fire bug doesn't think he's being invaded and set the place ablaze for no good reason. After a few seconds he feels breath on his hand and goes limp in preparation for what happens next. Without any real warning aside from having his hand sniffed he's suddenly pulled into the room, the door slammed closed behind him as he's pulled into a rough hug by a nude Homura. Thankfully the room has some light today and Dani's not left standing in complete darkness as Homura races back over to what he'd been doing before Dani arrived.

Taking an accurate guess the smaller demon calls out, “Put some clothes on. We're gonna go watch in person, okay?” Homura giggles happily and races around the room getting dressed, his pale skin making him look like a ghost as he flits about the room. Dani waits quietly, wishing he could see through that misty thing Homura uses to see earth with so he can catch the beginning of the fight between his siblings, however the taller male is rather quick and in no time the two are heading, arm in arm, out of the palace and towards a good portal spot.

~*~*~*~*~

A scream leaves Kuro's lips as he's once more thrown to the ground by a blow from the pummel of his brother's blade. The spot it struck throbs and he wonders if he'll be able to stand up this time. The question is swiftly answered when moments later he's airborne, the spot he'd been laying cracked open by a blow from his brother's sword. The ground below is filled with cracks and craters, like large scars running this way and that across the skin of the earth. Most of the grass in the area is gone now, Kuro's constant flame having licked the soil clean everywhere it touched. He knows he's a bloody mess right now, but he does not back down as Issho launches himself from the ground straight for his dark haired brother.

The blond could have taken his brother down from the very start with his first blow, but he didn't. Instead he held himself back, causing damage rather than disabling completely. This is a punishment after all, not a duel to the death. His sword whistles forward and takes a knick out of Kuro's wing making the smaller male scream again, but he feels a swell of pride as he dodges back away from a rather well placed swing from Kuro's scythe. 'Even through the pain, he fights on. I've not seen such tenacity since. . .' He dodges again, thoughts of his younger sister drifting from his mind as he's forced to pay more attention to the fight. He watches as a few strands of his hair drift away down towards the earth below and he smiles ever so slightly.

Even as damaged as he is, Kuro can still conduct himself with fair skill, though nothing compared to his brethren that actually fight arch angels. He knows that Issho is basically giving him every near miss he lands, the tattered cloth around his hems and missing strands of hair the only thing showing Issho is doing something other than having a casual flight above an empty field. He is knocked from the shy again however as he falls he notices where he'll land and with a cry pulls himself out of the fall and tumbles to the side. Issho watches the display curiously, watching with slight shock as the Dark Little Storm Cloud's flame goes out and he lands hard on the edge of a crater.

The area inside and around the crater is completely unmarred and at the center is what looks to be a sapling. The bowl is filled with white flowers and the grass is plush and thick, but not long like the rest of the grass in the area. Before he can take in much more than this Kuro is in his face, forcing him back and dragging the battle away from the spot best he can. It doesn't take a genius to realize what the crater is, but what surprises him most is Kurotama's reaction to it. 'He obviously wants the angel here, with him, and to forget heaven, and yet he's not reduced this little reminder to ash. . .It would make more sense to destroy anything that would create longing for. . .' His sword comes down, slicing deep into Kuro's arm and rendering it useless.

The smaller male cries out but rather than backing off he tosses his scythe aside and attacks bare handed. Since he can not wield his weapon effectively with only one arm it's a smart move, and as grappling is not something Issho is the best at it actually is more advantageous for Kuro to attack this way. Almost as if to honor Kuro's commitment to continue on Issho puts his blade away, his own flames erupting across his body as he prepares to take on his little brother's charge. The flames are almost a blinding white, the exact opposite of Kuro's pitch black flames, and as they come together the flames swirls around them looking almost like giant flaming yin yang symbols.

The heat of Kuro's flame allows him to land some actual blows on his eldest brother, a few burns appearing across his skin as they come together, but the shear volume and power of Issho's swiftly dwarfs Kuro's little inferno. The dark haired male doesn't give up however, slashing and throwing his brother when he manages to get a hold of him and keeping his flames burning strong.

~*~*~*~*~

The doctor has never seen anything like this before. He's seen a lot of combat in his time, but this is completely out of the realm of his experience. He's honestly never seen two demons fight – beyond a couple shoving one another out of the way to have access to a dying angel – and the epic power being displayed before him is something unheard of. The clashes between angel and demon have been tempered for a long time, to avoid being discovered by humans, so while battles like this may have been common before, no such clash as this has been seen in Fenrir's lifetime. The earth cracked and chard, the sky darkening under the press of energy, and he can't smell it but he's quite sure that the air itself is burning.

Worrying for Aoba's health at this thought he switches over to looking at him and is relived to see that the little demon is making use of himself and keeping all of the backlash from affecting the little angel. The animals are definitely unhappy, but don't seem to be in any danger. Some are even laying down as far from the fighting as they can get and seem to be trying to sleep. Zooming back out so he can watch the battle he watches Kuro tumble to the ground once more and his eyes are caught by the white off to his side. Zooming back a little bit more he realizes quickly what he's seeing and actually feels touched as he notices Kuro's lack of flame and immediate redirect of the fight. 'He's. . . .Protecting the spot. . .'

Letting out a soft sigh he notices the small figures of Dani and the silver haired one from before appearing through a portal beside Aoba and the weak demon. 'Well, at least there's that little additional protection. . .' He carefully disregards the fact that he just called more demons around an angel “protection” and goes back to watching the battle. He's seem some pretty determined demons in his time, but when Kuro tosses his weapon and begins attacking with only one working arm he can't help but admire his actions. 'The blond one could have killed Kuro many times over now, but he is humoring his little brother. . .He's even taking damage now. . .Why are they fighting!? Dani said something about punishment, but this seems to be. . .So much more than that. I don't see Kuro being so tenacious. He'd take his punishment. . . That's the kind of demon he is. . .'

~*~*~*~*~

Dani walks swiftly over to Aoba and dumps Homura at his side before turning to the fight and beginning to hoot and holler like a sports fan at a game. “Get'em Kuro! Singe that perfect mope right off his head! Give it to'em Issho! Show him who's boss!” He continues to cheer like this as Homura sits shyly next to Aoba, watching him openly with his milky white eyes. Kyouku does his best impression of a statue as he tries to not catch the white haired male's attention. He's never seen this one before, but the portal stone gives him away as yet another spawn of Satan.

~*~*~*~*~

The flames obscure the combatants slightly but it's clear even with the obstruction that Issho is slowly wearing Kuro down. The battle comes to a head when Kuro is once more thrown to the earth and before he can respond Issho lands on top of him. There's a blood curdling shriek of pain and just like that, the battle is over. The white flame vanishes completely, as does the black flame, and Dani lets out one final whoop before plopping down behind Aoba to keep him from running over to the battlefield to see if Kuro's alright. Softly he whispers, “That land is soaked in demonic energy right now Aoba. Going over there could kill you. Don't worry, it will fade soon. Issho doesn't like leaving messes.”

Kyouku carefully becomes one with the ground at the base of the tree, looking very much like a cat trying not to be seen, and he watches with wide eyes as the eldest comes into view, hopping over the fence with a bundle in his arms. The bundle is very red but clearly some of the red has been covered, and Issho is now very topless. Dani giggles as he realizes that his big brother has wrapped their younger sibling in his own coat and rolls his eyes at the gesture. “Issho is such a softie. . .” he murmurs, nibbling at Aoba's clothing.

Once he's close enough to the little group Homura stands and moves towards the smell of blood more than anything else. He can see his little brother, but under the radiance of Issho he's a little hard to make out. Issho lays the wrapped bundle on to the ground and parts the coat so Homura can have direct access to his tattered form. Slipping around the body he takes a seat, drawing Kuro's head into his lap as he waits for Homura to get to work. Dani giggles again, rolling his eyes. “You're too nice to him Issho. That's why he turned out such a wimp.” Letting Aoba go Dani amuses himself by picking on Kyou, making him whimper and whine as he's poked and prodded playfully. He glances over his shoulder every so often though, hiding his worry for his brother carefully.

The Truth Behind The Blaze ~ PopeAlessandros x tenebrae16

*Giggles* *Points the right direction* Just watch out for sharks. They like to nibble undead flesh!

Never Ending Battle ~ PopeAlessandros x AkiBlue

Drawing Hiro up on to the horses back Akito remains completely still until his betrothed settles, not wanting to unseat him or come across as handsy should the prince be feeling less accepting of his presence all of a sudden. He doesn't quite know where the fear comes from, the flush on his cheeks from having such a beauty in his arms going completely unnoticed by the young soldier, but none the less it keeps him still, the faint smile one his lips resting there comfortably. “I am glad you enjoyed yourself high-. . . .Hiro.” He once more checks himself, remembering that the prince prefers his name over the reminder of his station. “You are most welcome.” he murmurs, turning the horse so they can be on their way.

The trip back to the palace is quite, Akito keeping the horse at a brisk but none too jostling a pace so the prince will be less sore after the ride. He's quite sure the young man has spent very little time atop an actual horse, and as such keeps an arm around his waist t make sure he doesn't topple off. Once they are back at the palace he watches a group of people rush forward to aid the prince and he wonders what it must have been like being raised like this. So many people always there, always ready to help, always worried about your safety and health. He may have had his father, and technically his fellow soldiers, to depend on, but that is nothing like what he sees before him now.

After helping Hiro off the horse a few of the guards look ready to help him as well but seem hesitant at the same time to approach. 'I am an unknown. I'm sure that rumors are already flying about on how I have behaved erratically. Not to mention I “stole” the prince away without permission. . .' He doesn't mind their hesitation, taking the moment of stillness to slide off the horse and hand over the reins to the nearest stable worker. Moving to follow Hiro he nods, forcing himself to accept that this. . . .Really is home, and there is no way to deny it now. He's making the effort, and will continue to do so. He will not give up.

At Hiro's next words however, Akito hesitates, unsure of what to do. He's about to speak up, telling the prince that he is as part of this discussion – as he is quite sure it's about them suddenly running off to town – as Hiro is, but is cut off by the prince bidding him to follow. So, he remains silent, his hands slipping into his sleeves as he follows the man around the edge of the building. He fights to keep his eyes up at the prince turns around to face him as he walks and nods slowly, wondering if he's doing this to be helpful, or to avoid his parents, or both. He doesn't really care the reason. Right now the idea of getting a better look at the grounds is appealing to the ever vigilant man and he smiles softly at his betrothed as he seems to retreat into his mind over the idea of playing board games.

As they come to the garden they slow, Hiro looking at a particular set of flowers and Akito simply enjoying the sights and scents. He recalls smelling these flowers the night before when he was trying to fall asleep and smiles at the idea of being so close to the garden. He lingers here and there, glancing at the man he is to marry every so often and taking in his features, committing this calm expression to memory so that in the future he can remind himself that the man really isn't that scary. 'Looks may be deceiving. Look at me. Unmarred for the most part, childish in appearance almost, and yet I have taken so many lives. . .' Shaking his head he follows as at last the prince moves on towards their destination.

The once more end up in the warm, slightly stuffy room with a few older men sitting around game boards, seemingly off in their own little worlds as they mutter softly to one another and more the little tiles around on the wooden surfaces. One of the men looks up at their entrance and smiles at the prince, giving him a little wive. The man across from him nods towards the pair entering and moves aside to watch a game on a nearby board while the first man motions for the prince and Akito to join him. The soldier hesitates, looking to Hiro for guidance.

A Bloody Murder

As soon as he is granted permission Rei is off into the shelves, searching for the book he had been reading before. He'd not seen it on the table and it takes every scrap of his concentration to relocate it as the old man seems to have a filing system that has everything in odd places and never in the same place twice. Once it's located however he slides it off the shelf and into his lap, curling around it as he begins reading. Each passage filters into his mind, filling it with images and scenes in a way only books have ever managed to do. It's not like Rei doesn't have an imagination but without the words before him it seems weak, and a little sad.

Time passes around the fae, the world inside the book growing dimmer and dimmer until he realizes that it's not the images, it the lack of light from the real world darkening his vision. His head comes up, rotating this way and that until he spots the glow of a candle in the distance. He's almost finished with the book, only a few pages left, and he really wants to reach the end before it's time to leave. Standing he walks over to the source of the light, a candle resting in the middle of the table where the old man is sitting beside the prince. Without even looking at the two he sends out his magic to make sure both are okay as he approaches before plopping down into a free seat, settling the large tome gently on to the table.

Diving back in he ignores the conversation taking place across the table and only looks up when he senses someone coming up the stairs of the tower. He pauses mid sentence and his eyes snap to the door, glaring. “Someone is here.” he murmurs, rising and coming around the table just so that he'll be at the ready should it be a threat to the prince. He doesn't recognize the body approaching, so it's not anyone he's had direct contact with before like the princess or Alessandro's manservant so he remain generally alert until the identity of the person is confirmed. The old man looks at him curiously, looking almost ready to chuckle at his hyper alertness on the palace grounds. He refrains however, seeing as Rei himself made it on to the grounds, and it is in the dark hours.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

The shift is slow and Seishu can tell that, at first, Enasi doesn't even recognize him. However, the chance does come, and the Nightmare Guardian waits on unsteady feet for his lover to calm and return to normal. The anger would, under other circumstances, perhaps be exciting for the guardian, but as it is, here, in this way, he realizes that this is not something that should be happening. Enasi needs to be calmed and his ire soothed. Seishu has to work hard to keep his feet, his words having taken almost all his strength, but despite this Jentou and Kaila still hold Crios back, his doctoring instinct once more urging him to try and lunge forward to help the poor man.

Harper tries his hand, and Seishu can't help but smirk slightly as the rabbit man uses him as a focal point. 'Yeah yeah, remind him of his lover. Good little bunny. . .' Hearing his name from Enasi's lips makes his smirk become a smile and he carefully looks up, trying to keep his eyes on the smaller man's face. Then, without warning, Enasi is holding him. He wants to be happy about this, and all the pain and sorrow inside the man is soothing, however the sheer agony of being in contact with someone in this state steals his breath. It's all he can do to not cry out, his arms hanging limply at his sides. As he rambles on however, Seishu can feel his strength returning, but before he has enough energy to return the hug, Enasi is pulling away from him.

He wants desperately to just grab the other male, take him off to somewhere beautiful and secluded to shower him with love and affection, to love away all his pain, but in his current state the best he can manage is to remind himself that he will see the other man in Their World when at last they return home to rest. More pain travels to him from his lover and he calls out softly, “It's okay, Enasi, it's. . ..It's okay. . .” Still feeling very weak however his words are almost too soft to hear. Before he can collapse Kaila and Jentou are at his sides, carefully leading him over to a wall where they help him settle into a seated position. Like children they settle down next to him, each one taking and arm into their own, their heads settling on his shoulders.

Jentou has never shared with his master before, but he's seen Kaila do it a million times. He knows the need for the close connection, the loving positioning, the open heart now shinning in his brother's eyes. He wants to help, he really does, and he's determined to do exactly that. “Give us a few minutes, Doctor.” Kaila murmurs softly, casting his gaze up to Seishu's face as once hand slides up to settle over the guardian's heart. Crios hovers several feet away, Rue landing beside him to wait until he can approach. Jentou's hand slides up to join his brother's over Seishu's heart and with a slow exhale they both open themselves up to the guardian.

There is a sound like a storm, air rushing about and loud crackling. Bolts of black energy rush around the bodies settle on the ground, their clothes and hair whipping around with the sheer power concentrated in this one spot. Rasha leaps into Enasi's arms for protection and the siblings blanch at the feeling of it. Even as contained as it is, the waves coming off the three of them is very strong. Seishu looks almost blissful for several seconds as the energy lashes about, his face looking almost relaxed for several seconds as his wounds seem to slowly begin closing and the color to fade from his cheeks. The unhealthy flush of red slowly dies away leaving his skin the normal healthy shade of pale they are suppose to be.

Unfortunately, the battle from before, and the constant searching for over a week has left the two minions not at their full power and they are unable to give him as much as he needs. They both try but with a sudden snap he breaks the connection, making sure they have enough to get home. They both let out a whine as the energy stops flowing, but he gives them both a pat on the head and a kiss before smiling gently. “Thank you, but you need that.” They nod without question and help the guardian to his feet. The prisoners are gone now and Seishu is a little sad to see that so is Enasi. He understands though, his pout more for show than anything else.

Before he can go anywhere however he finds himself being placed back on the floor and a very disgruntled looking Crios kneeling in front of him. Glaring at Seishu he murmurs, “My turn.” before opening his bag and rummaging around. Seishu can feel his irritation flickering in the back of his mind and he knows that Crios needs to do what he needs to do, but the sight of the needle makes him flinch as he pulls the relaxant slash painkiller from his bag. Crios freezes at the sight of the flinch and a pained expression flashes past his eyes. On impulse he reaches up and cup the white haired man's cheek and murmurs, “I am so sorry Night. . .” The pet name, so long from his ears, brings a faint smile to his lips and Seishu reaches up and takes the hand in his own, giving it a kiss before squeezing it gently.

“Just do what you need to Doc. I'll recover just fine. . .” Crios nods and focuses on treating Seishu quickly while Rue and Rasha gather at his sides to snuggle him. Rasha slips into his humanoid for for this and the twins stand back to watch these two bestowing such fervent affection on to their guardian. Jentou isn't really sure what to make of it, the whole thing looking, just, so strange, but Kaila feels a faint swelling of joy at the sight.

'At least while he's there he receives the love and adoration of those who admire him. . .' Without warning Rasha hops up, plants a kiss on Kaila, gives him a big hug, then with a sigh returns to Seishu's side. Jentou just stands there, trying not to laugh out loud as his brother stares, stunned, at the dream creature that's obviously overflowing with love for the other side. Seishu sits quietly, rubbing Rue's back, trying to soothe the little fairy as he cries into the guardian's chest and petting Rasha's head as he lays across his leather clad lap. Shredded leather now, but still enough to “keep his dignity”.

A Bloody Murder

Yays, glad you like. I like too. Maybe we talk about later. No need feel rushed. I on pain meds after all the ow from the tooth extraction(Only thing they didn't use was a hammer to get it out) so I'ma spend tomorrow doing replies. Hopefully I get to this one! I luvs our RPs. . . .I loopy :P