Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lord_Gareth 02-27-07, 06:21 PM	This is a nexus, a gate between all the worlds, owned, run, and created by Kaylee Laythe. The Nexus links to every multiverse, every reality, and every plane therein, and believe you me, it took a lot of work for her to make it. Now she hires it out to others for their use, provided they let her and her band, the Phantasms, play for them. Kaylee herself is a seventeen year old girl with hair that flows like liquid night. Her eyes are a deep green, like shattered emeralds, and she has an air of undefinable beauty around her. She dresses in black denim; she really likes black denim. Her boots are like Tyler's in that they are metal soled, and she also carries an entirely nonmagical guitar on her at all times. Tyler and Inaya emerge into a forest, bright and green in the area between spring and summer. There is an eldritch, otherworldly quality about it that is both uplifting and strange. The wind in the trees is less like air and more like liquid song, playing melodies through the curiously placed branches and odd holes in the trees. The place is in a twilight, with the sun painting the sky a huge range of shades and hues. Tyler takes an astonished breath, overwhelmed. "Wow...she's done a lot with the place...." "TY!" Kaylee emerges from a path that was not there a few moments before, glomping Tyler at full speed. The Daemon Magus goes down with a look of surprise and resignation; he knew this was coming. She hugs him tight before lifting herself partially off the ground from him. She looks deep into his eyes, a playful smile on her face. "I thought you were never going to visit, Ty. This the friend you were telling me about over the phone?" Tyler is still half-dazed from Kaylee's sudden tackle, and he answers with a yes. Kaylee grins, giving him a quick, light kiss on the lips before getting up. "Heya. I'm Kaylee, and you must be Inaya. It's an honor to meet ya." She extends her hand to shake, her face open and friendly. Tyler, on the ground, now seems more stunned; he's probably not getting up any time soon.
Gideon_Gideonson 02-27-07, 06:41 PM	Inaya glances down, making sure Tyler is okay, before taking Kaylee's hand. "I am Inaya, and any friend of Tyler's is a friend of mine. Pleasure to meet you, Kaylee."
Lord_Gareth 02-27-07, 07:08 PM	"I don't s'pose Ty's told you anything about me? Probably not. He's too honorable and all that jazz. You'd think chivalry was dead until you saw Tyler Vici." She waves behind her, and three chairs scoot up. One slides behind Inaya, one behind Kaylee, and the other gently bumps Tyler in the head. Kaylee giggles a bit before sitting down. "He never knows what to do when he's around me. That's why it's so fun to mess with him. We used to date back in High School, you know. Good ol' L.A. But he broke it off. No hard feelings, an' we're still friends. To be quite honest, I think he's still attracted to me. But Ty's the perfect gentleman. Which, again, makes it fun to mess with him."
Gideon_Gideonson 02-27-07, 07:23 PM	"He is the paragon of chivalry. You're correct there. And he has never mentioned you...but why would his chivalry prohibit that?"
Lord_Gareth 02-27-07, 07:31 PM	"I'm an enigma to him. He doesn't know where to put me, an' so he won't say a word, in case he's insulting me. And he still holds our relationship as a private matter, only to be discussed with my consent. Since I kinda dropped off the face of his world after he died, I don't think he'd tell anyone." She waves a hand almost lazily, and a pair of portals open up above her hand and Inaya's. A Coke floats gently through each one to rest next to them before they shut. "You should hear how he goes on about you. Guy's head over heels in love. He may be attracted to me, but you're the real deal for him, hon. You're lucky too. There's a lot of girls that'd jump at the chance to meet such a nice guy, if he didn't look like an Infernalist. Scratch that, if he wasn't an Infernalist." Being hit by a chair allows Tyler to revive from his stupor, and he gets up sheepishly to sit. His cheeks blaze red with embarrassment, and he mumbles something neither of you quite catch. Kaylee flashes a smile and gets him a Coke, which he accepts gratefully. "Glad to see you up. I thought you might have passed out from your raging..'attraction'." He stuffs his head in his hands, the Coke still unopened. Kaylee just giggles again.
Gideon_Gideonson 02-27-07, 07:44 PM	Inaya looks at the Coke in confusion, before taking a dagger and punching through the top. Taking a sip, she jumps back in suprise at the carbonation, but soon regains her seat with dignity. "Hey, so he's an Infernalist. I could care less. Makes life more interesting...and makes him unique among all the men I've ever met. And I can't stand monotony." "Which is why I love him...well, not the only reason, cause he's also above and beyond anyone I've met. He doesn't try to be anything he's not, and what he is is pretty damn perfect for me." She looks over at the embarassed mage. "Right, Ty?"
Lord_Gareth 02-27-07, 07:49 PM	"Glad to hear it, 'cause if you were just yanking him around, I'd beat you to death with his guitar." "Hey!" "Oh, shut up. You know you like it. Now, I already know what you're going to ask, and the answer is no. I'm not allowed." "Why the hell not?!" Tyler looks confused and more than a little indignant, but he opens his Coke and takes a sip. "It's 'cause of the way you arrived, demon boy. That damn watch of yours is subject to rules of magic that I have no jurisdiction over, an' there's no loopholes for me to use. I already checked. 'Cause if there were, I woulda snagged one, changed the timestream, and married you by now." Tyler decides to ignore the last sentence, simply hanging his head. "Well, there's that out the window..." "Buuuuuuut, you're other request is doable. That I can get cracking on as soon as you leave."
Gideon_Gideonson 02-27-07, 07:53 PM	Inaya looks from one to the other. "Am I allowed to know what's going on here? Cause right now I'm either really dense, or you two have been plotting something."
Lord_Gareth 02-27-07, 07:59 PM	"Naaah, Ty just wants to invite some friends an' family over. Show 'em the place. Some of 'em found out about the whole 'mage' bit and tried to get him into the loony bin. Didn't go over well. After the first couple fireballs into the cars that were chasing him, they conceded. Nothing like explosions to make people believe things." "No one got hurt..." "Which is why I asked you out instead of beating you to death with my guitar. You seemed pretty eager then." Kaylee obviously knows how to dig Tyler. He slumps, defeated and highly embarassed. He sips his Coke to hide his face. "I jus' can't do it while the two o' ya are here. Just in case he makes a break for it. So scoot, both o' ya. Here, take this." She opens a portal. "An' get on with it." This whole thing was a very elaborate introduction. It is actually important to the event I have planned. And now I have a lot of PMs to send
Gideon_Gideonson 02-27-07, 08:04 PM	Looking suspiciously at the beautiful surroundings, as if suspecting something to jump out at her, Inaya walks through the portal. "Tyler, if its just some friends, we wouldn't have to leave. Something's going on, and you know you're going to have to explain this sometime, right?" Whatever this is, you sure put a lot of work into it. This is gonna be good...I can sense it...:D
Lord_Gareth 02-27-07, 08:08 PM	"It isn't quite that simple. Kaylee won this nexus in a contest with a magical being, and she's subject to certain responsibilities when she's running it. She can't open gates to worlds that certain people have been to or from certain ways. Because my method of arriving in Baator was not under her Jurisdiction, she can't send me home. Which was my first request; to show you my home first hand. If she opens portals to get my family, she has to be sure I'm out of the Nexus, or I could break her Jurisdiction and make her lose it. Which is why we have to leave."
Gideon_Gideonson 02-27-07, 08:11 PM	"Fair enough. If we can't go there, bringing them here is just as good. And I wouldn't want her to lose her job over it...she's a nice enough person." "Let's go."
Lord_Gareth 02-27-07, 08:13 PM	Kaylee waves as Tyler and Inaya step through the portal, before cracking her knuckles to get to work. The gate shuts behind them. "Lucky gal."
Lord_Gareth 02-28-07, 08:49 PM	Tyler, Inaya, Coin, and the two strangers step through the portal. And into breathtaking splendor. Every detail of the gardens Inaya described to Tyler has been lovingly recreated. The cool, pure wind brushes your face like the tender touch of a lover. Flowers are in glorious bloom, and birds sing sweet songs of purity. The heat is gentle, warm, like a mother's embrace. "You were right, Inaya. They're beautiful." A small crowd of people in modern Earth clothing stands behind a smiling Kaylee. Two, in particular, are right behind the young musician, a woman with Tyler's bony thiness and a man with his ice-blue eyes. They rush forward upon seeing their son, hugging him while weeping tears of joy. "We thought we'd lost you!" "The explosion at the docks..." "Killed me. Long story, but I'm here now." Tyler disengages from their embrace, more to breathe than anything. "Mom, Dad, this is Inaya, and this guy over here is Coin. The other two are some friends of mine." "How could this wondrous woman be anyone but Inaya? You go on and on about her, I'd think I knew her already!" "Moooooooom!"
Gideon_Gideonson 02-28-07, 08:57 PM	Inaya spins around in awe, her dress trailing about her as she takes in the sights. "Tyler...It's wonderful!" She seats herself on the ground, simply watching the world around her, until the voices next to her wake her from her observations. "Oh! I'm sorry...I was caught up in the moment. Pray forgive me." "And yes, I am Inaya. And you are Tyler's parents?"
Lord_Gareth 02-28-07, 09:05 PM	"I'd better be!" Tyler's father nudges his mother playfully, both still supported by the joy of finding their son alive. His hair is gray, but not the gray of the old; more of a natural gray that seems handsome on the man. His ice-blue eyes, like shattered glass, match Tyler's, and he wears a conservative business suit. "Jack Vici, at your service, milady. I'm sorry if we seem a bit..excited. This whole 'magic' thing is still new to us." "Erm..that reminds me...." Tyler's mother takes in an excited breath. "We never asked what kind of magic you do! Do tell us, son!" "Well....erm...." In the background, Kaylee is arranging guests into chairs, lined up facing a small stage. The stage is a pure white, decorated only with a small arch resembling interlocking trees, delicate and wonderful.
Gideon_Gideonson 02-28-07, 09:08 PM	"I understand completely, Mr. Vici. The same occurred with me when Tyler introduced me to...well, many things. Such as those odd drink containers you have on your world, and the library in a box." "I suppose we just all have things to learn in this world..." In the background, Coin begins to chuckle. "Now this is going to be interesting...let's see him explain that!"
Lord_Gareth 02-28-07, 09:13 PM	After seating the last guest, Kaylee waves to Coin. "Heeeeeeeey! Charlie! C'mon, I got something special for ya! Best seat in the whole damn house!" "Well....Dad, I never missed a day of church back home. Even after I left the house, I always went to confession and laid my soul bare, just like you taught me. I've been keeping the faith this whole time." "As if we could ever be concerned with that. Don't worry. After Kaylee explained magic to us, we knew that anything you did couldn't be evil. You're too faithful for all that." Tyler sighs in relief, his voice now more casual. "I'm an Infernalist." "WHAT?"
Gideon_Gideonson 02-28-07, 09:20 PM	Coin almost jumps out of his skin at Kaylee's voice, barely managing to grab the last remnants of his composure before hastening to answer her call, a wide smile plastered across his face. "He's right, Mr. Vici...that's what he's always said to me. But I don't see what the problem is...Demonology is a common type of magic. Why should Infernalism be any different? Sure, some churches oppose it, but not everyone has to use their powers for evil." "If Tyler does, which, by the way, I know he doesn't, he's never done it in front of me."
Lord_Gareth 02-28-07, 09:31 PM	"He's drawing on the power of the most evil being in the -" "Dad, calm down.." "-Universe, the very antithesis of our very faith! How could you do such base -" "Dad, SHUT UP!" Tyler looks angry now; sparks play at the corner of his eyes, which have darkened to a deep blue. "I. DIED, Dad. I have BEEN to Hell. Don't EVEN START ON THIS CRAP TO ME! I do this, with full knowledge of what I'm doing, knowing that the Lord will find it, in His infinite mercy, to forgive me." He abrubtly thrusts his left arm, covered in scars, to his father's field of view. "You see this? This is what I do for others. Not for myself, NEVER for myself. I have bled for others, toiled for others, and DIED, for others. I dedicate every spell cast to a better world, a world without sin or suffering. I think, after so much hate directed at me, that MY OWN PARENTS MIGHT HAVE A BIT OF SYMPATHY!" Kaylee smiles playfully as Coin approaches her, and looks him over appreciatively. "So, chaos magic, huh? I always liked a wild streak in my handsome men. And you've certainly become handsome, Charlie. Where've you been all this time?" She runs her finger slowly over Coin's chin, looking into his eyes. Her manner is outraegeously flirtacious.
Gideon_Gideonson 02-28-07, 09:43 PM	Inaya's eyes light up with barely hidden rage, and its obvious that she's itching to get her hands on her sword. Her fingers play about her waist, dying to grasp the hilt that isn't there. The gaze she fixes Mr. Vici with is smoldering. "Mr. Vici. Do NOT continue this discussion in that tone of voice. Your son is a good man, despite whatever feelings you might have to the contrary, and I for one will readily vouch for his integrity in the face of whatever odds you might care to suggest." "I would prefer not to have this reunion turn into chaos. Tyler is what he is, and you need to accept that. I wouldn't change him for the world, and I'm not about to allow you to." "I don't want you to hate me, but you need to know where I stand on this. I am behind Tyler's choice, and, if it come to that, in front of him if you should get overly emotional. And I would not advise attempting to mess with me." "Now. Am I understood, and are we ready to continue like the civilized people we are?"
Lord_Gareth 02-28-07, 09:54 PM	Tyler's mother had looked shocked, but at the words of both Inaya and Tyler, calms down. His father opens his mouth to say something more, but she places her hand on his shoulder. She smiles at her son. "If that's what you think is best. Come on, Jack. Let's take a seat." They walk off, taking a seat in the front row. Tyler calms down, letting his arm drop and the sparks fizzle out. "Thanks, Inaya. I didn't mean to blow up in his face, but so many people...they just don't understand, you know? C'mon, let's meet the rest of the family." He squints seeing someone among the guests. "Oh, great. My psychologist. I'm gonna...well, if she was a boy, I'd punch Kaylee like she owed me child support."
Gideon_Gideonson 02-28-07, 10:03 PM	Inaya punches Tyler lightly on the shoulder. "Come on Ty. It can't be that bad..." She smiles. "and if it is, I'm allowed to hit Kaylee for you." Meanwhile... Coin blushes a deep crimson, and his cool seems to desert him. He stutters a few times, flushes to the roots of his hair, and then finally swallows and composes himself. "I'm been pretty much everywhere, and only half of it on purpose. Spent a while at Sigil Prep, but that didn't go to well classwise. Had fun though." "Since then, I've just been going at life randomly. You know, just teleport about and hope you don't end up in a volcano. I've seen a lot of the multiverse with that method...and the inside of four volcanoes. How about you?"
Lord_Gareth 02-28-07, 10:09 PM	"Oh, I've been garnering fame back home. Me and my band are a smash hit in...everywhere. Kaylee and the Phantasms. The wonderful thing is -" She leans in close, her cheek brushing his. Coin can feel her breath on his ear as she whispers seductively. "They really are phantasms. They aren't real." She draws back, still smiling playfully. "Take a seat. You won't want to miss this. After all, you're the best man." As Tyler and Inaya walk through the chairs, greeting one family member or another, he grows increasingly nervous. Finally, they stop at the front of the chairs. Tyler is sweating slightly. "Inaya...." He gulps, and then steels himself. "I should have asked you this after that fight in the Arena." He goes down to one knee, clearly nervous, yet still continuing. "I love you. I can't imagine life without you anymore, and I don't want to. You're my world, my fire, and you mean more to me than any riches or god or magic ever could." "Inaya Elrissa, will you marry me?" He's holding a ring up to her in his right hand, a beautiful silver-and gold ring set with a single, flawless sapphire. He looks deep into Inaya's eyes, the fear gone, ready to accept her answer no matter what it may be. I have to go to bed now....curses! But, now you know what I've been leading up to!
Inaya_Elrissa 02-28-07, 11:41 PM	My mind reels in shock. I had expected this eventually and yet...and yet hearing it still sends shivers down my spine. "I love you. I can't imagine life without you anymore, and I don't want to. You're my world, my fire, and you mean more to me than any riches or god or magic ever could." I agree completely with Tyler’s sentiments. In fact I return them willingly. Yet hearing it spoken aloud is strange. Strange and almost uncomfortable…but then again, what Tyler said applies to me as well. Against my better judgment, I’ve fallen in love. I admit it. I never expected it to happen, and yet it has. There is nothing I can do…nothing I would change if I could do it over again. Odd though it may seem at this moment, I cannot abandon this. I cannot leave him. Yet I am frightened. I, who am afraid of nothing, frightened. Frightened of two things. Afraid to say yes, and afraid to lose him forever. But which is the greater fear? I cannot say. But my soul does not care about such fears. It burns with a fire that logic cannot quench, and it must remain with Tyler. My being is tied up with his, and I cannot escape him, even if I wanted to. But what can I say? How do I respond? How do I put words to how I feel? I do not know. All I can do is try. And hope. ------ Inaya slowly reaches out a hand to take Tyler's, and helps him to rise. "It is almost funny...try though I might, I cannot refuse. There is nothing I can do, no way I can convince myself otherwise. My very being rebels at the thought of leaving you now. I would wander the universe in torment for eternity if I chose such a path. I could not live in peace. There is only one way to avoid that fate. And I welcome it gladly." "Tyler Vici..." She embraces him, planting a gentle kiss on his lips before looking into his eyes. As if by some magical force, a spell falls over Tyler and Inaya, and the outside world becomes so much blurry mist. Their eyes meet. Inaya's gaze is strong and steady, and the deep blue of her eyes seems to extend forever. Tyler feels her gaze sink into his soul itself, and, through Inaya's eyes, he feels that he can see through to her's...and, for a fleeting second, both are as one being. Then Inaya speaks, a low whisper, heartfelt and breathless, filled with tones that reverberate gently throughout fabric of the universe. Her bell-like tones break the spell over them, yet they promise something even more beautiful...something that will last to the ends of time. "...I will. With all my heart."
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 05:15 PM	As he looks deep into her eyes, the world around forgotten, Tyler sees something deeper, even beyond love and devotion. Something he's been seeking for a long, long time. Acceptance. Of all the people in the multiverse, of anyone he'd ever known, Inaya accepted him for what he was. No second guesses, no accusations or stereotyping, just a simple acceptance. Even before he had come to love her, he realized, she'd done that simple, but incalculably valuable, service for him. And as the words, the glorious words he'd been aching to hear her say, escaped her lips, Tyler did what he thought most appropriate; kissed his love passionately, heedless and uncaring that his entire family, let alone old friends, was watching him. He holds the kiss, savors it, for a moment that seems both brief and eternal, before letting her go. "And I couldn't be happier to hear it." Kaylee looks away, for the first time since anyone knew her, uncomfortable. A small tear steams down her cheek, but she wipes it away. Tyler was happy. That's all that really mattered.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 06:28 PM	Coin looks with some concern at the girl next to him. "Hey, Kaylee...you okay? Something bothering...oh. Oh!" A look of sudden comprehension crosses his face. "Christ, I'm sorry. Must be a bit hard." "You need some alone time?"
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 06:34 PM	"No...I'm okay." She turns back to Coin, clearly not okay. Her face is a mixture of sadness and regret. "I still love him, you know...never stopped. He's..he's..." She breaks into tears, but silent ones, so that she does not disturb those around her. "He's too damn honorable! He broke it off because he couldn't love me back. I didn't care...I still don't..."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 06:37 PM	Coin looks awkwardly around, unsure about what to do in this situation. Finally, he places a consoling arm about her shoulders, although he has no clue what one says in a situation like this.
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 06:42 PM	She cries into Coin's chest, grateful for a friend. "Now, Inaya, when I asked that question, I meant it in a very immediate sense. I even brought a minister." Tyler makes a dramatic sweeping gesture toward's the golden-haired elf and his wife. "May I present Sorcen Anenooata, and his wife Aya, rulers of the Nine Hells of Baator. They've kindly agreed to officiate. But, before we get into that..well, there's a few last minute details." Tyler takes Inaya aside. "Well...I realize that springing this on you by surprise wasn't exactly fair, and a wedding is supposed to be about what the bride wants..but I couldn't pluck up the courage if I didn't to it all at once. But there is one thing I have to ask. Who do you want to be your Maid of Honor?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 06:49 PM	"Ty, I know about three people here! My few friends are god knows where, and maybe not even still alive. And I ostracized my family by running away, so there's no help from that corner." "So unless you've got someone hidden up your sleeve, which, after this, I wouldn't begin to doubt, I only know on person even mildly appropriate, and that's your friend Kaylee..." Inaya glances over at Kaylee and Coin, sadness etched in her brow. "And I think she needs some time to herself..."
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 06:55 PM	Tyler looks, with deep regret, at Kaylee. "She never really got over me. I had to, though. I couldn't honestly continue once I realized I didn't love her back. She cried a lot, back then. I'd thought...I'd thought she was okay, when she contacted me. She seemed fine..."
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 07:01 PM	I find it extremely appropriate that Show Me Love (http://youtube.com/watch?v=gW4DsEzH41s&playnext=1), by Tatu, is playing right now...
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 07:08 PM	"Apparently she hides her emotions well. But what can we DO about it? I hate causing people distress, unless they rightly deserve it...or they've aggrivated me, I suppose. Much as I hate to suggest it, maybe we should allow her time to recover before going through with this..." Inaya looks toward the ground, vaguely crestfallen and torn between two difficult choices. Gareth, can you PM me the contents of that block? I'm on a different comp, and it won't display it.
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 07:12 PM	Tyler's tone is firm and sure, but still gentle. "No. She has to confront this now, while she still can. If Kaylee tries to supress this again, she might always have to deal with that pain. And it will be pain, Inaya, because I'm all yours. She wouldn't be able to live with herself, and she'd go through living as an empty shell. She just needs to get over me. It sounds harsh, but it's that simple." He retrieves his pocket watch. "And Inaya, I'd go through time and space for you. But, let me ask you...do you want to be reconciled with your family? Because, beleive me, they deserve to be here. And if they don't want to meet with their daughter, trust me, they'll come out to meet the horde of demons at their gates. I can make them hear you."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 07:23 PM	Inaya sighs, but her expression is cheerful again. "Perhaps you're right...in fact, I know you are. It's just that...well...I hope she recovers quickly. I couldn't bear to be the cause of her dissappointment for long." "As to my family, if you think you can bring them here, then by all means try. Hopefully they'll have forgiven me...well, everyone but my father, that is. He's going to be quite, quite angry." "And if they choose not to come, go easy on the demons. They may not be pleased with me, but I wouldn't wish monsters on them. They can't handle themselves as well in such a situation as you or I."
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 07:25 PM	"Then off we go." Tyler grasps Inaya's hand, and the two are gated away, to the real gardens that she had described to him. "I'm afraid you'll have to lead me from here. And, uh, at any time, I can stop time. Just give the word."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 07:32 PM	Inaya and Tyler walk through the gardens, over delicate bridges and across bubbling streams. Finally, they reach what appears to be a solid wall of crumbling rock and crystal. "This is why these gardens were off limits. This is how we have to leave. Watch your step...the rubble isn't very secure, and the walkways are narrowest here." She flashes a wry smile. "Also, there's magma below, and I doubt that tuxedo is fireproof. And since I won't tolerate you dying now, don't even think about falling!" With that, Inaya begins to jump gracefully from stone to stone with the sure-footedness of a mountain goat. Her long dress does not hinder her in the slightest, and on the rare occasion that a rock trembles and falls beneath her feet, she is already long gone.
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 07:34 PM	Again, Tyler admires Inaya's grace and speed. Right before teleporting across. "You could have asked me for one of those, you know," he says with a sly, slightly tuanting little grin.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 07:40 PM	Inaya leaps from the top of the pile, pirouetting in midair before landing delicately next to Tyler. "True. But what's the fun of that?"
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 07:42 PM	"Oh, loads. It's like being streatched in every concievable direction at once." He suddenly remembers something, and touches a small earring that Inaya hadn't noticed him wearing before. His tux changes into his customary outfit. "Self-only, I'm afraid, but I'd hate to get that tux dirty. Lead on, milady. I'd kiss you...but I think I'll save that for in front of your family. It's a blast, watching their reactions when a person's daughter is openly kissed in front of them, let me tell you." His icy eyes are mischevious as he gestures gentlemanly for Inaya to take the lead.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 07:57 PM	Inaya's bubbling laugh rings out amongst the towers. "I look forward to seeing their faces. But if my father is there, have some defenses ready, just in case. He gets a bit...testy." With that, Inaya and Tyler walk on through what is now a crowded city, jammed with people from all walks of life. As they climb higher, the surrounding houses grow more and more spectacular, and the citizens' garb becomes equally elegant, until Inaya's attire actually seems to blend in to the crowd. Finally they arrive at the tip of a spire of the purest crystal. Sunlight blossoms up from within, highlighting the walls of the fantastic manor carved into the structure. Towers and minaretts rise up from the dwelling, reaching skywards and almost defying gravity. The doors are beautiful creations, wrought of silver and mithril, and more works of art than mere entry portals. It is to this entrance that Inaya leads Tyler, and, reaching out, she knocks boldly on the door. An sweetly echoing chime fills the air, and Inaya glances over at Tyler. "A little excessive, isn't it? I'm actually suprised they still own it...I was sure my, uh, activities would have rendered that a bit difficult."
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 08:02 PM	"Well, I'll be prepared. After that fight...any fight I've been in, actually, I'm prepared for anything. Including things that can kill me." The door opens, revealing a butler. Tyler immediately speaks, his voice layered with hypnosis. "We have an appointment with the Elrissa family. Please, assemble them and take us to them."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-01-07, 08:07 PM	The butler opens his mouth to speak, but Tyler's magic bypasses his years of training and habit. He merely bows his assent, waves the pair into the foyer, and walks off into the main house. That's probably it for tonight...I'm going to have to plan out Inaya's family a bit. So, hopefully, I'll have it by tomorrow.
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 08:22 PM	'Kay, just keep in mind that, to nobles, Tyler is gonna look outrageous. Which, of course, is his intention.
Sorcen_Anenooata 03-01-07, 08:36 PM	The golden haired and armored elf snaps his fingers and a wave of golden energy washes over his body, the gold quickly turning to a black and red energy as his form shifts to that of a quite handsome and well muscled half-elf dressed in metallic silver aristocratic clothing with silver eyes and long silver hair, he wears his short sword on his belt and he bows and smiles at the gathered beings as he is introduced. He speaks in a soft but deep tone, "Forgive our rouse Lady Inaya, we merely meant to keep you guessing for Tyler's surprise. Congratulations to both of you on your engagement."
FallenVampris 03-01-07, 08:49 PM	The young lady in purple robes nods to Tyler when he introduces her. She waves her hand over her face and body at a moderate speed causing her to form back into her natural human form. Her hair goes back to being the naturally reddish brown color and her eyes back to their electric green. She smiles showing her fangs, but doesn't show them threateningly. The robe then disappears, reveling her to be wearing a form fitting deep red gown. The gown has slits up to Aya's thighs showing throwing knives she has strapped to her leg, just incase of interruption. Aya steps forward and gently hugs Inaya, "I agree, congratulations my dear."
Lord_Gareth 03-01-07, 09:03 PM	There is a curious sound as Aya reveals herself. This sound resembles a hollow bone tube being hit, and it comes from a dozen wives smacking that many husbands in the backs of their heads as their jaws drop.
Sorcen_Anenooata 03-01-07, 09:51 PM	OOC: You must be psychic Gareth, she really does look that good. ;) Sorry couldnt resist the chance to score some more brownie points. :OOC BIC: Sorcen smiles at the reaction and offers his arm to Aya, "Shall we go mingle dear?" After she accepts his arm the two walk around the room and begin speaking with everyone and small-talking with the many guests.
FallenVampris 03-01-07, 09:58 PM	Aya looks around, startled at the repetitive sound of smacks. She accepts Sorcen's arm and smiles at him. "Sounds great to me dear." She walks off with him, among the guests.
Lord_Gareth 03-03-07, 11:12 PM	Inaya's gotta have one hell of a family, it's been, like, two days...
Gideon_Gideonson 03-03-07, 11:30 PM	After several minutes of waiting, the butler returns. "Sir and Madam, Lord and Lady Elrissa will see you now." Inaya looks hesitantly at Tyler, then smiles with grim determination and walks down the hallway. At the end of the passage is another grand doorway, which the butler pushes open. The room beyond is seeped in grandeur and extravagence. Priceless tapestries and artwork cover the walls, the floor is inlayed with gold and silver, and light shines through brilliant stained glass windows. And at the center of the room stand an elderly man and woman. Despite their white hair and aging forms, the resemblence is immediately obvious. These are Inaya's parents, Lord and Lady Baln Elrissa. "Mother! Father! How wonderful to see you after all these years!" Lady Elrissa looks at the newcomers with some confusion. "Who are...oh! Inaya?" "Yes! I've something important to tell you. This is Tyler Vici, and..." Lord Elrissa's strong voice cuts her off. His tone is fairly calm, but he does not even try to hide the menace behind it. "What are you doing back? Haven't you done enough already?" "Father, we've been over this before. It was horrific, and I couldn't simply stand by and let the people suffer. No human being could have done differently. Now let me finish. This is Tyler Vici. You don't know him, but I'd like you to think of him as a member of our...somewhat estranged...family." "Inaya, you realize this is impossible. He's obviously not a noble. And you shouldn't even be here. You've been declared an enemy of the state. Merely harboring you could cost us all we've rebuilt." "Gods mother, I'm not asking you to harbor us. Just to give us your blessings. Because noble or no, Tyler is my betrothed. I was hoping that..." Lord Elrissa's face turns crimson with fury, and veins throb angrily in his neck as he screams his response. "WHAT!?" [sblock=No, that wasn't the problem. I just had this sort of thrown at me (not complaining though...:D) at a bad time, and couldn't really think of stuff to do. I've had to basically craft up a backstory that I had originally intended to be somewhat obscured. So it took a while.[/sblock]
Lord_Gareth 03-04-07, 06:38 AM	There is no anger in Tyler's tone, no bluster or frustration. Rather, there is a chilling kind of perfect control, the tone of someone who considers you less than an annoyance, and it cuts through Lord Elrissa's next word's. "Lord Elrissa, I would like to respectfully request that you treat this like a civilized conversation, rather than a shouting match." Somewhere between where his sentence started and where it ended, Tyler's guitar appears in his waiting hands. While he makes sure not to play anything, his left hand twitches agitatedly on the neck. "Now, I'm going to be perfectly honest with you. I've been yanked up, down, and sideways on the emotional scale today, and what people laughably call my self-control is on the verge of shattering into several pieces. So would you please calm down?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-04-07, 11:37 PM	Lord Elrissa splutters and his eyes bulge, but he does not continue. Instead, he turns to Inaya. Flashing an angry stare in Tyler's direction, he speaks in a low, cold tone. "So. First you betray your family, now you betray you birthright. I will give you no blessings. Instead, I give you five minutes to leave this house." He turns to leave, and Inaya runs after him. "Father! Hear me out. I'm your daughter, at least give me the chance to explai..." Lord Elrissa spins around, lashing out and catching Inaya a brutal blow to her cheek. She topples slowly over, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Lord Elrissa barely glances at her. "My daughter died to me seven years ago. She betrayed herself and her own family. She fought to destroy everything they stood for. And because of her, my youngest also left me. The girl that idolized her, my youngest daughter, followed in this traitoress's footsteps. Those are the reasons I can never forgive her. Whatever she is now is her choice and her decision. If she lives or dies, so be it...she is nothing to me." Inaya watches helplessly from the floor as her father turns his back on her and walks from the room. Her mother looks at her sadly and opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Averting her eyes, Lady Elrissa runs from the room, her dress held up to cover her eyes. "Lord Elrissa...answer me one question. This youngest daughter of your's, the one who followed the traitoress...where is she?" Lord Elrissa pauses, his hand on the handle of the open door. His answer is strained and broken, almost to low for Tyler to hear. "Dead." And with that the door slams, and Tyler and Inaya are left alone in the grand room.
Lord_Gareth 03-05-07, 04:25 PM	Tyler is shocked, caught somewhere between fury and sorrow. He walks slowly to Inaya, kneeling down to put a comforting hand on her back. "Inaya..." The silence is expressive, a hundred different questions. But Tyler breaks it, with the one he most wants to hear. "Are you going to be alright?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-05-07, 04:34 PM	Inaya stands up suddenly and abruptly, apparently ignoring Tyler's question. "Tyler, stop time NOW. I've got something I need to do, and not much time to do it in."
Lord_Gareth 03-05-07, 04:38 PM	"Alright, but I can't only send you. Not 'cause of anything I do, but because of the watch." Tyler takes Inaya's hand, then depresses the button on his stopwatch. "Tempus Fugit." A shining blue clock face springs into being in front of Tyler, and a look of horror crosses his face. "Oh, sh*t. Whatever you do, don't let go of me." The hands begin moving backwards, first slowly, and then speedily. The surroundings become a blur as time shifts at fantastic speeds. The clock stops at 12, and everything fades back into view. Tyler checks the watch, and groans. Luckily, the room is still empty. "You got plenty of time now...four years' worth."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-05-07, 04:47 PM	"You'll have to fix that in a minute. I can't change history here. It would accomplish nothing, and maybe ruin everything. Come with me." She leads him deeper into the house, past room after room, down twisting corriders, deeper and deeper into the spire. Eventually she comes to a simple wooden door, worn with age and carved with the following words: "Elrissa Family Mausoleum." Inaya draws her sword. "Tyler, I need that time back. This won't work otherwise. I know you can do it."
Lord_Gareth 03-05-07, 04:58 PM	Tyler looks doubtful. "Alright, I can try, but I need some tools. I can't fiddle with this thing using spells or I could freeze us both in time forever. Or, worse, I could send us further back in time, to the point where our mere existence changes the continum." He makes a small cut into his arm, and uses the blood to write a small list on the ground. The tools sound both strange and complicated. "I'll wait here. Hopefully, people don't come here often. And can you bring me back a band-aid?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-05-07, 09:44 PM	Inaya glances briefly at the list and then leaves at a breakneck sprint. About 15 minutes later she returns with almost everything on the list, in some form or other, and drops the whole lot at Tyler's feet. Kneeling down, she wraps a linen bandage around his injury. "All I could find. That's one nice thing about this city...there are artificers everywhere. Anyway, this'll hold back the bleeding. In fact, it's probably overkill...but at least I know you won't bleed to death." She smiles briefly at him, and then turns back to the door of the crypt. "Now...can you get us back, or do I need to stand here for four years? Because I swear to you I am not leaving here until I've made amends..."
Lord_Gareth 03-05-07, 09:51 PM	Tyler pops open the back of the watch, revealing the gears. That streatch for what looks like miles. "Erm....maybe?" Grabbing the tools, he gingerly tries inserting himself in the watch. He falls in, headfirst, barely managing to land on his feet on a gear that is horizontal in relation to him. He looks very small now. "Give me some time!" Doggedly, he begins fiddling with things from the inside, using a technical know-how that is half learning and half intuition.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 04:09 PM	"Ty...we're frozen in time. You have all the time you need." We still are frozen, right?
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 04:25 PM	No, you're four years in the past. Tyler, however, is now running on literal timelessness while he's in there. An hour for him is roughly a day and a half outside the watch. An hour. Two hours. Tyler wipes sweat off his brow as he continues working with the gears. Some have been re-arranged, others obliterated. He takes the wrench to a bolt and begins again... Three hours. Four. Five. He puts down his tools. The Daemon Magus is exhausted, and he needs some rest. Time wasn't going anywhere, so he looks up. Inaya is asleep...odd. Oh well. Using an arm as a pillow he falls asleep. He awakes and checks his watch, a clockwork device that would work anywhere. It's been six hours. Cursing his laziness, he begins again. Another hour. Two. Five. Eight. He sets the tool down, looking up at the entrance. He was done, but how to get out? Sighing, he begins the long climb up, emerging from the watch after what must be another hour. "It's done," he says as he climbs out of the tiny pocketwatch, "I just need to wind it."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 04:32 PM	Inaya ceases her vigil, taking up her sword once more. The edge gleams in the dim light of the corridor...her hours have not been spent in vain. A pale corona of violet light plays along the blade as the air itself tries to avoid the lethal edge. "Let's go. They're not keeping her here. They don't deserve it, and neither does she. Do it now."
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 04:41 PM	"Alright! Look, I'm sorry for taking so long, okay? Just..calm down, please. You're starting to scare me." Tyler winds the watch up, slinging Despair over his back. He takes Inaya's hand again. "If this screws up again...we're both dead. I love you." He hits the button and squeezes his eyes shut. The clock face appears again, spinning forward at fantastic speeds. It halts, leaving the two in the mausoleum. Tyler opens his eyes and lets out a sigh of relief. "I did something! Let's see, we're..." He checks his watch, and the blood drains from his face. "Erm..we're ten minutes before we arrive. Close enough."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 04:53 PM	Inaya's blade lashes out, its wicked edge shearing straight through the heavy hinges surrounding the door. The noise is deafening as steel grates on steel, and then the ruined door clangs harshly against the floor. Inaya runs through the open doorway into a vast series of catacombs, where generation upon generation of Elrissas lie buried. And at the end of the line is a fairly small tomb. It reads "Lilai Elrissa." Reaching the sarcophagus, Inaya strains to lift it, but it does not move.
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 04:57 PM	"Inaya, step back. This is gonna be loud...might bring the rest of the house here to see it..." Tyler unslings his guitar, and strums a few experimental notes. Establishing that his trip through time has not changed the spells amplifying the guitar's sound and magic, he breaks into a repeating tune that has a certain strength, a vibration, to it. It's easy to see why he thinks the rest of the house will hear it; it doesn't echo off the stone, rather floating through the walls. Slowly, but surely, the lid begins to move.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 05:11 PM	Inaya turns to Tyler, thanking him without words, tears streaming down her face. As the lid falls to the cold stone floor, Inaya gathers the figure inside in her arms. For a long time she stands there, unmoving. Then, finally, she turns once more to Tyler. "I had to get her. She's my sister, Ty, and it was my fault..." "But they can't have her. They can't. They hate us..." Falling to her knees, she looks beseechingly up at Tyler. "We can bring her back, can't we? Can't we?" A noise echoes around the passageway, and Inaya jumps up, her sorrow broken by the need for action. She thrusts the girl's body into Tyler's arms and leaps in front of him, her sword drawn. "Ty...I'm sorry I haven't been myself for the last few hours. And I'm sorry to rush you, after all you've done...but we need to get out of here, and I don't want to have to strike down my own family. Can you do this last thing for me?"
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 05:21 PM	"I can try. But...well, I..I mean no disrespect for the dead here. Just remember that. I have to be touching her to take her with us." He sets the girl down, placing one boot gently on her chest. "Grab by shoulder, and don't let go. Whatever the hell you do, don't make eye contact with anything." He rips into a song, a dark, throbbing melody that he has to fight from singing the words to. Simply hearing the music that goes to them is bad enough, and Tyler, Inaya ((Assuming she grabs on)) and Lilai vanish in a flash of flame. The three go hurtling through the dimensions until they stop at a place full of fire and brimstone. The scents of death and sin hang in the air. "I'm sorry..I panicked...I didn't mean to go here..." Quietly, Despair chuckles in its mental voice.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 05:24 PM	Inaya leans over and plants a light kiss on Tyler's lips. "You got us all out. That's what matters." Looking around her, she takes in the sights and frowns. "But, just as a point of interest...where are we?"
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 05:32 PM	"I believe the term, fair maiden, is Hell." Tyler turns to face a being in a crisp business suit. He has fair skin and dark hair, with deep brown eyes. He doesn't smile, though his voice is pleasant. He doesn't take his eyes off Tyler, and you get the feeling that they know each other. "Balthazarr. I should have known, you reached in through Despair and screwed me up. What do you want now?" "I believe, Tyler, that we have a deal to conclude. You ran using that watch of yours, last time." "Shut up!" Tyler stabs out with a streak of lightning, which Balthazarr almost lazily dodges. He raises his hand as Tyler begins another spell, and the energy snuffs out in the Daemon Magi's hand. "You'll need to do better than that." "Inaya...don't get involved. He can't hurt you if you don't hurt him. This fight is mine." "If you would only pay, Tyler, there would be no need for a fight." "No!"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 05:39 PM	"Ty, what the hell is going on here, and what does this man want?"
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 05:43 PM	"Only what is rightfully mine by contract forged and agreed upon by both sides." "Shut up!" Tyler grabs his guitar by the neck, swinging it at Balthazarr's chest level. The man blocks it with his arm, unfazed and unscratched. Though Tyler sends a pulse of electricity though the guitar, it has no effect. "The terms were quite clear, Tyler. If I brought Kaylee back to life, you would bring me her soul. I will have my payment." Tyler snarls and brings his gun to bear. Balthazarr's eyes widen slightly, recognizing a weapon that could wound him. He ducks as Tyler squeezes off a shot, and then backs away, drawing a longsword. "You have no choice, Tyler Hivarious Vici. You must abide by the terms of the contract."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 05:51 PM	A high-pitched whine of tensioned steel cuts through the air. Inaya's blade has just inched slightly out of its scabbard. "Ty, remember what I said about my not letting you die? It still applies. Can you get us out of here, or do we need to go through this creature?"
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 05:56 PM	Balthazarr chuckles, and Tyler starts towards Inaya, panicking. It is, however, too late, as black rings bind her. "Clearly, you didn't understand him when he told you not to get involved." "You bastard! Leave her out of this!" "Make your payment." Tyler's answer is to draw his other glock, sending a hail of bullets glowing with divine light. They seem to cut through the fabric of this place, and Balthazarr has to move quickly to dodge them. Yet, after unloading fully the seventeen bullets in each gun, the man is untouched. Tyler holsters the guns and draws the silver dagger Inaya gave him, all that time ago. "Man-to-man, then, is it? Too bad you never were a swordsman, Tyler. You could save your love so much grief just by paying. Of course, you may be conflicted as to which love you want to save, understandable, really.." "I SAID SHUT UP!" Tyler lashes out angrily with the knife, a blow that is easily parried by Balthazarr. His expression is still nuetral, his voice still pleasant. The man strikes back with a calculated jab, which Tyler barely turns aside. Now smiling slightly, Balthazarr breaks into the offensive, driving Tyler back as he desperately parries what he can and barely dodges what he cannot.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 06:09 PM	Balthazzar pulls back his hand, ready for a killing blow. As he strikes out faster than the eye can follow, Tyler realizes he cannot dodge in time. But just before the blow lands, the magus feels a ghostly chill pass through his body. Suddenly Inaya stands before him, her hands flung out before her, and there is a horrible grating of steel on bone. The demon's blade has passed through both her palms, pinning her hands together, but the point never reaches its intended target. Tears well up in her eyes as she pulls her bleeding hands off the sword, but she still reaches down and draws her own blade, its wicked edge gleaming in the abyssal fires. Ignoring the pain from her punctured hands, she crouches low and extends her blade slowly, ready to leap at the smallest opening. "I said that I wasn't going to let him die, demon!" Remember where I said she was a swash/ninja/swordsage style of thing? Etherealness FTW!
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 06:15 PM	Balthazarr looks more amused than anything, looking at Inaya like she's a small child. "Inaya, get away from -" Tyler never gets the chance to complete his sentence. Balthazarr, moving so fast it's akin to teleportation, strikes Inaya a hideous blow across the face with the back of his hand. No longer smiling, he grabs Tyler by the scruff of his neck. "You. Will. Pay. Now!" Tyler struggles, but he eventually gives up fighting. He slumps, defeated. Tears stream down his face. "We can't win here..he's too powerful....." To quote the Matrix, "Down here, I'm God."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 06:20 PM	"No. But what can we do but try?" Inaya's blade slices downward on the fiend's wrist in a desperate attempt to free Tyler.
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 06:24 PM	The arm moves, snapping out to catch Inaya by the throat. She is lifted up to be level with Tyler. "I'm feeling generous, Vici. I'll allow you a choice." "My soul over hers. Gladly, just let Inaya and her sister go free back to to the Nexus." Balthazarr chuckles slightly. "No, no, little mage. Not your soul. I'd never be able to keep something as firey as that. No, the choice I'm offering you is Inaya over Kaylee." Tyler's face is one of stricken horror as Balthazarr's grin widens. "No! Please, don't make me choose! I couldn't..I can't..." "I've made my offer. Choose, Vici." Tyler's cry of anguish is heart-rending, and he begins struggling futilely again. Balthazarr's grip on Inaya loosens from a chokehold to a mere pressure to hold her aloft. The Daemon Magus slumps again, his eyes dead. "No...I can't..." "Should I choose for you?" "NO!"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 06:42 PM	Inaya vanishes from sight, and the demon lord's hand closes on thin air. She appears again standing before the demon lord and looks up sadly at Tyler. "Ty, when I said I wasn't going to let you die, I meant it. But if you won't decide, he'll kill you, so someone has to choose. And I can't let this happen to someone if I could prevent it." "I'm sorry, Ty. I have no other choice. Just do me one favor...remember me, won't you? I couldn't bear it otherwise." She turns to Balthazzar. "Well demon, you're getting your soul. But I warn you...a fiery spirit will be as nothing to the wrath I'll throw against you. And if I ever succeed, I will make sure that you are banished from existance. You have my word on that."
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 06:47 PM	Balthazarr smiles, reaching for Inaya. And is blasted off his feet. "Hey, drop my boyfriend you demonic *******!" Kaylee, anger on her face and fire in her step, stands next to a bewildered Coin. She didn't know what had made her come here, what urge had made her go. She'd only known that Tyler was in trouble, and felt that this was the place. She rips her hand across the guitar again, slamming another streak of energy into the demon. Grabbing Inaya and Tyler, she drags them back to the body of Inaya's sister. Coin is rather suddenly and roughly grabbed, and they are transported back to the Nexus, into a small building erected for privacy. A bridal bed leaves no doubt as to what this privacy was intended for. Torn, Tyler looks at his surroundings. Quite suddenly, he grabs his guitar and flees the room, tears still streaking down his face. Yes, all that had a purpose. And yes, there is major story voodoo going on now.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 06:50 PM	Coin looks around at the disheveled group. Um...what the hell just happened there? Can someone clue me in?
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 06:54 PM	"I don't know. I just...knew, that Ty was in deep sh*t somehow. Inaya...what's wrong with him?" Kaylee's face is deeply concerned, almost desperate, as she looks into Inaya's eyes. Half-running, half teleporting, Tyler makes his way to the area of the Nexus outside of Kaylee's changes for the wedding. He sits on a rock by a river, one that he recognizes. Kaylee had modled the place after his favorite place on Earth; the woods outside his old family home. He wants, needs to release this feeling, and he feels the familiar weight of his guitar. The melody he plays is slow and sad, a song of betrayal and regret so profound that those who hear it in the wedding area burst into tears. He pours his soul into his music, losing himself, numbing the pain.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 07:03 PM	"Some demon we ran into in another Hell...Balthazzar, I think it was. It demanded something from him...something he didn't want to give up. And then it gave him a choice. Forfeit one of two things...two things he valued immensely...and he simply could not choose between them..." Inaya stops talking and sits silently on the side of the bed, apparently deep in thought. Finally she turns back to Kaylee. "Can we speak about something else please? It's a little hard to talk about..."
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 07:51 PM	Kaylee looks like she's about to say something, and her expression is a very confused one, but she is cut short by the sound of Tyler's song, his anguish, floating into the room through the walls. Her face falls into a quiet depression, and, wordlessly, she holds Coin for comfort. Hiiiiiiiiiint! Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiint!
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 08:04 PM	Coin looks confused for a brief second, but he soon recovers. Looking quite happy, he returns Kaylee's embrace. "You okay? Anything I can do?" Gareth...I'm not sure I know what you're aiming for... You're just to subtle for me. :P
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 08:07 PM	When they notice someone in pain, especially emotionally, they tend to try and comfort them. Hell, Inaya was there at the time. She heard a lot of things Tyler didn't want her to hear, as evidenced by his repeated cries of, "Shut up!". And I thought she'd at least be curious, if not concerned.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 08:10 PM	She is...but she respects Tyler's need for a bit of alone time. She'll go out there eventually, but she also has some stuff to think about first. I mean...poor girl's just agreed to give her soul to a demon. Sure they got away, but Balthazzar didn't look to forgiving on that account. Just give her time.
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 08:18 PM	"Not..not really. You've been a good friend, Coin, and I've been acting so selfish lately...I shouldn't have bothered you with my own problems...and what the hell?" Kaylee has finally registered the fact that Inaya's sister is, indeed, dead. "Inaya...who is that?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-06-07, 08:31 PM	Inaya breaks free from her thoughts and looks over at the girl's body. "Oh...that's my sister. She's in a bad state right now, but I have high hopes for her." "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go talk to Tyler for a while. We have some things to discuss, I imagine." So saying, she rises and walks over to the daemon magus. Quietly she sits down next to him and simply listens to him play, waiting for a chance to speak.
Lord_Gareth 03-06-07, 09:36 PM	Tyler's song stops slowly, and he simply lets the guitar fall from his fingers. He chokes on sobs, his head hanging low near his chest, before he notices that Inaya is there. "Inaya....I'm so sorry.."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-07-07, 10:18 AM	Inaya moves closer, wrapping her arms about Tyler and holding him closely. "Ty...you did what you could. No one could have asked any more of you. He put you in an impossible situation. It's what demons do best. Hell, had he asked me to choose between you and Lilai, I probably would have done the same. I love both of you...how could I decide?" "So there's no need to apologize. The only bad thing that happened I have only myself to blame for. It was through fault of yours."
Lord_Gareth 03-07-07, 03:57 PM	"You don't get it!" Tyler pulls away, jumping down from the rock. He doesn't mean to snap at Inaya; he's not angry at her. But he is angry. "I made the choice! I was about to tell him when..when you..." He clenches his fist tightly, punching the air violently. He's only a teenager, after all. Despite any maturity forced on him, he's still only a kid. "I was going to choose you! I betrayed your trust, everything I believe in, and for what? I don't even know why! I've kept all these secrets, told all these lies to everyone, for nothing! I didn't push Kaylee away because I stopped loving her. I pushed her away because of that deal, to protect her! I was getting ready to sell you out, and I'm sure that if she knew I did that, she'd never forgive me!" He quiets down, fist still clenched. He stares at the ground. "And here I am, telling all this to you, knowing full well it will cause you nothing but pain. I'm a horrible person." With that, with tears again brimming in his eyes, he turns and runs off, leaving his guitar there.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-07-07, 04:47 PM	:eek: :blink: :shocked: :OMG! Talk about out of the blue! Awesome twist! Inaya looks after Tyler, tears streaming down her face. But she does not get up, nor try to restrain him. She glances down at her still-bleeding hands, and then turns towards the river and stares quietly out over it, although it is plain that she does not see it. Finally she takes off Tyler's ring, and, casting one last wistful glance at it, drops it into the water. For a long time she watches it fall out of sight, until the dirt at the bottom of the river swirls up and covers it from sight. Then, carefully, she reaches for the guitar and hugs it to her breast, her tears sliding down its smooth exterior.
Lord_Gareth 03-07-07, 06:50 PM	"Charlie...I'm sorry, but I need..I need to see what's wrong. The last time he got like this...Ty tried to kill himself. Not all the scars on his arm are from spells." Kaylee takes a single step away from Coin, and vanishes. Being the owner of the Nexus, she could move about in it at will. There was one place she knew Tyler would go, where he always went to be alone. His rock by the river. She appears, and the first sound to reach her ears is Inaya's crying. "Inaya, what happened? Did he try..did he...slash his wrists?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-07-07, 07:39 PM	Inaya looks tearfully up at Kaylee. "No. He didn't slash his wrists...just something else...something of mine..." Gathering herself up, she rises, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "And I'm not letting him either. Maybe he's made a different choice, but I still love him, and I said I wasn't letting him die, and I'm not going to let him die. DO YOU HEAR ME?" Inaya stalks off in the direction that Tyler ran, concern, sadness and rage radiating off her in almost physical waves. Were she on a battlefield, whole armies would part before her.
Lord_Gareth 03-07-07, 07:55 PM	Kaylee almost protest, but, in the end, decides it is best to let Inaya go to him. Tyler, after all, didn't love her anymore. She takes a seat on the rock, to wait. Like she'd always waited, for news of him. It isn't hard to find Tyler. He's only about a hundred feet downstream, sitting against a tree. The Daemon Magus is sobbing, crying like he's never cried before. The guilt...the pain...it was his fault. All of it. And he'd hurt Inaya by telling her the truth. Shakily, he draws his silver dagger. He didn't deserve to live.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-07-07, 08:06 PM	Tyler raises his dagger, only to have it knocked from his hands. The blade spins into the air, where Inaya grabs it and hurls it to the ground. "Tyler, I told you I wasn't letting you die! Maybe you want to, but there are at least two people in this world who want you to live. Kaylee and I won't let you die, Ty. No matter what you do, or what you've done to me, I still love you, even if you don't return the sentiment. And I know Kaylee does as well. Neither of us wants to see you dead, Ty."
Lord_Gareth 03-07-07, 08:18 PM	Tyler's voice is strained, and it cracks. "Inaya...I do love you. And I betrayed you...and I don't even know why. I love her too..." He lies on his side, still facing Inaya, but hugging his knees like a scared child. Like the kid he still is. "I'm confused..and I'm afraid. And I feel so horrible...I hurt you. Don't deny it. I'm a terrible person, and I know it. I hurt Kaylee, I hurt you, and I hurt my parents. I hurt my friends, and everyone and everything I've ever loved." He takes a deep, shuddering breath. "Why me? Why all of you? What have we done to deserve this pain?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-07-07, 08:23 PM	Say...before I respond...how old is Tyler? I always imagined him being about 17-19.
Lord_Gareth 03-07-07, 08:25 PM	He is 17, but he missed a lot of things, growing up. He graduated at 13, remember? He missed a lot of the social environment of growing up, and, inside, he's still pretty immature. Sure, he's had to grow up a bit in order to deal with, you know, his life, but when things get down, when he's scared or angry, he's still just a kid.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-07-07, 09:29 PM	"Alright Ty, I'll admit it. You hurt me, yes. Quite deeply. But does that make you a terrible person? I say no, and I'm the one with the most reason to think so." "I did something similiar, seven years ago. I had to choose between my family or my people, and I picked my people. As you saw, my parents never accepted that. And it tore my father apart. He now refused to accept that I even exist." "But is was not for them that I did it. I simply couldn't accept the things my family stood for. I fought against the nobility, not for the common man, although our goals were similiar." "Does that make me a bad person? My family says yes, and I said yes. But my people said no. And they were the ones who had the right to say, for my hiding brought down hunters upon them, and many were slain to conceal me. My people forgave me, so I forgave myself. And I forgive you, Tyler. You do the same." "We all have choices to make, and some are harder than others. Sometimes we simply can't choose, even if we should. And sometimes the choice is hard, but we must make it anyway. Which you did. And that proves you are something special. Most people simply couldn't make that choice." "Do I approve of your decision? I can't say. It hurts, true. But it was your choice, and mine, if for different reasons. If it's what would make you the happiest, it's not to great a price to pay." "You ask what have we done to deserve this? We're human Ty. We're not perfect, life's not perfect. Pain and misery...they're all part of life. We might not like it, but it's there. In time, it vanishes, and we recover." "And in time you will. And whatever you decide in the end, I still love you. I offered my soul to save your friend, and that offer still stands. I want you to be happy, Ty. If that means my soul, well, so be it. It's a price I'm willing to pay."
Lord_Gareth 03-07-07, 09:51 PM	"Not one that I'll let you make. Ty, what did you do?" Quite suddenly, and quite surprisingly, Kaylee is there, about five feet from Tyler. Unlike Inaya, Kaylee isn't concerned anymore. She's angry. "WHAT DID YOU DO, DEMON BOY?" Her fists are clenched hard around her guitar, and the look on her face is one of pure accusation. "Kaylee! What're you -" "Quit lying, Ty! Enough! What have you been hiding from me? What have you and Inaya been hiding?" "Kaylee, you don't -" Kaylee lets go of her guitar, the instrument being suspended only by its strap now. She lifts Tyler up by the scruff of his neck, pressing him against the tree. "Tell me!" "You died! Kaylee, you died, four years ago. I told you you'd fainted, that it was just a passing thing, but you died. That witchunter killed you. I...I couldn't live without you. I struck a deal with Balthazarr to restore you to life. I tried...I tried offering him everything. My blood, my soul, my fealty...everything. But he wouldn't budge. He wanted your soul, so I bought you time...four years worth. He tried collecting on his debt today, four years to the day after our deal..." He bursts into tears again, and Kaylee drops him. She's still angry, but now she is confused, concerned, a hundred different things at once that are all conflicting with each other.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-07-07, 09:57 PM	Inaya kneels down, helping Tyler up. "I haven't been hiding anything from you, Kaylee. There was nothing to hide. The demon gave Tyler a choice...my soul, or yours, and he took to long making it. So I decided for him. And, luckily enough, we reached the same decision in the end. It's not your problem anymore. You're free."
Lord_Gareth 03-07-07, 10:03 PM	"Bull sh*t it isn't my problem! How could you, Ty? You know how I feel about trading souls, any souls, for anything! And then you lied to me about it! What the hell is wrong with you? And you, Inaya, you shouldn't have had anything to do with this. And now I'm gonna make sure you don't." Kaylee's hand moves in an angry slash, and a red mark appears on Inaya's forehead, then fades. "You've been Banned. You can't leave the Nexus, for any reason, by any method. Not my problem, I'll show you not my freakin' problem. I'm gonna kick his ass, and when I'm done, I might start on Ty." She snaps her fingers angrily, then vanishes.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-07-07, 10:08 PM	Inaya turns to Tyler, her face a mask of horror. "Tyler, that thing will rip her apart! Is there anything we can do? If she's right, I'm no help at all...but we can't just let her die!"
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 12:36 PM	Tyler seems ready to go after her when an angry red mark, identical to Inaya's, appears on his forehead. He lets out a scream of frustration before sitting back down, resting his head on his hand. "My family is no help. None of them are prepared to deal with this. Balthazarr is too powerf-" He looks up, comprehending. "I know who's strong enough. Inaya, don't touch me while I do this. It could be really embarassing for all three of us if you do." He speaks a single word and his face blanks out. Coin hears Tyler's voice in his head. "Coin? I know you're there. Pay. Very. Close. Attention. Kaylee has gone to the seventh circle of Earth's Hell. She has Banned Inaya and I from following her. If she does not get help, she will die. You need to focus, you need to discipline yourself, and you need to get there. I can help you channel the magic, but I can't do it for you. You need to be able to control yourself. Can you do that?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 01:14 PM	Sitting slightly confused on the side of the bed, Coin perks up upon Tyler's mental summons, but his face quickly falls. He jumps up, snaps his fingers, and appears tangled in the branches of the tree next to Tyler and Inaya. Dis-entangling himself, he springs lightly to his feet, his face grave. "I can do this. Show me where to go."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 01:23 PM	Tyler places one hand on Coin's forehead, and mutters a few phrases. A clear, sharp image of Balthazarr appears. "She will be with him. I can help you, but you're going to need to focus. You're going to need control. You have the power. Now you need the discipline."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 01:39 PM	Coins eyes begin to smolder, and his hair stands on end, as if charged with untold amounts of electricity. "Understood. Let's do this." Arcane energy swirls about him, and his form begins to fade. "Just help me get there, Tyler. I get one shot at this. It's a long way...to a dangerous enviroment. I can't afford to miss.
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 02:10 PM	"Alright. Visualize your destination very, very clearly. You need to want to be there. That gets the power moving in the right direction. Then you need to contain it. Lock out all other thoughts besides being there. All other thoughts, and all other feelings. Don't think about Kaylee, or how she's in trouble, or any of the dangers. If you do, you could screw it up for good. Lastly, let the power loose, and pray that it worked. She doesn't have much time, Coin. Go."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 02:17 PM	Coin vanishes from sight, leaving a sparkling in the air behind him. As he flies through the space between the planes, he tries to focus, tries to keep his mind clear, and almost suceeds. But flashes of all the bizzare things that have happened that day keep coming to him, try though he might to keep them away. That and concern for his friend fill his mind for a brief moment, and he throws his entire will against locking them out. Finally, just before his destination, he manages to clear his mind. The magic seizing him dies down, and reality returns. Pulling the power back into himself, Coin looks around at his surroundings, praying his spell worked. So...did it work? Where is he? What's going on?
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 02:31 PM	Coin arrives in a rather pleasant place, as hellscapes go. Kaylee is standing twelve feet from Balthazarr, staring daggers at him. Neither of them notice Coin. "You heard me right. Undo the previous deal." "If you are certain. I will take this in lieu of your debt." "Do it, Balthazarr. I shouldn't have made this deal in the first place." Balthazarr gestures offhandedly, and then turns to walk away. He simply vanishes.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 02:38 PM	Coin makes a small gesture with one finger, and invisible strands of magic creep out, surrounding Kaylee and slowly peeling back her defenses, exposing her thoughts. Something's not right. That went far to easily.
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 02:46 PM	A sheet of iron will clamps down on Coin's magic, and Kaylee whirls to face him, twin fireballs half-formed on her fists. Then she sees that it is Coin. "Charlie! What are you doing here? What did you hear? Why were you in my mind?" She's not angry. She's panicked, nervous. The fireballs die out, but her voice is almost pleading.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 02:49 PM	"I'm here to make sure you didn't get smeared across the plane. But obviously I won't be needed. And that struck me as a bit odd, so I decided to see what was up. Care to tell me?"
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 02:53 PM	"Charlie...it's complicated, you wouldn't understand..please don't tell Ty. Please?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 02:59 PM	Coin's tone is sarcastic and almost mocking. "Charlie, it's complicated, you wouldn't understand...Christ! Why wouldn't I? I'm not an idiot." "Kaylee, listen, whatever's going on isn't a small matter. It's a deal with a f*cking DEMON! Are you insane?" "Are you going to tell me what's going on, friend to friend, or am I going to have to force it out of you? I really, really don't want to have to do that. Please don't make me."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 03:03 PM	Kaylee bites her lip, torn with indecision. Finally, she speaks, slowly, tentatively. "Alright...I'll tell you. I shouldn't have done it....but don't tell Ty? Please? Can you promise me that?" Across the planes, Tyler stares at where Kaylee vanished, worriedly biting his nails. Though Inaya is there, she is almost forgotten; his feelings have intensified suddenly. Quite suddenly, he stiffens. The Daemon Magus grabs the tree he's leaning on for support, and his mouth opens. A red mist seeps out of his eyes and mouth, dissapating into the air. It takes about five seconds, but when it finishes, he is breathing hard. "Inaya...." His voice is distant, amazed. Something has changed, and his face reads it clearly.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 03:09 PM	"Fine. I won't tell him. You have my word." --Back in the Nexus-- Seeing Tyler stumble, Inaya rushes to his side. "Ty, what happened? Are you okay?
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 03:18 PM	((Missed mah edit, Gid)) Kaylee looks relieved, but not by much. "Alright...ever since I saw him, I had a crush on Ty. First day of school, calculus...he was the one. I knew it then, from the moment I set my eyes on him. But..I was shy. I couldn't talk to him, couldn't even stay composed when he looked my way." She takes in a deep breath. "So I used my magic. I knew about it before he did, and he still thinks he's the one who got me into it. He didn't. I cast a spell to contact Balthazarr and struck a deal. He made Tyler love me, in exchange for......I refuse to say. And it worked. Tyler asked me out the next day...I couldn't beleive my luck..." Tears stand in her eyes, and her voice cracks. "I didn't know that Ty struck his own deal, to save my life. It would have destroyed him if Balthazarr took me...so I undid my previous deal. Ty doesn't love me anymore. And now I have to live without him, for good."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 03:49 PM	((fixed the missed edit. It's in my last post)) Coin's jaw drops, and he stares wide-eyed at Kaylee. "......That would explain a lot." "Be glad its over though. That's a horrible thing to spring on someone. Anyone trying that on me would be looking for their head in another plane right about now. I can see why you don't want me telling him." "But come on Kaylee...what was the point? Was it really worthwhile? Would it have been? Call me crazy, but I don't think so. You'll find someone else in time, or, if not, at least your conscious will be clean. Just let it go, and remember not to deal with demons in the future..." "Oh sh*t...wait...does that demon still have anything on you?" Coin's eyes begin to burn again with a vivid yellow flame. "Cause if he does, he's going down!"
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 03:59 PM	"I just wanted him to love me back...is that so hard to understand? To be willing to do anything for someone?" She shakes her head. "Don't answer. I shouldn't have done it. Now I've lost him forever..." She tries to snap her fingers and slips. It takes her a try or two, but the two eventually reappear in the bedroom that Kaylee had taken them to before, on the bed. Still crying, Kaylee puts her head on Coin's lap. Tyler hugs Inaya fiercely. He couldn't beleive that he'd ever, ever considered choosing her. How could he have been so blind? But it didn't matter. She'd forgiven him, and he would never, never do it again. Not for any reason.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 04:13 PM	Coin reaches down and runs his fingers through Kaylee's hair absent-mindedly. When he realizes what he's doing, he quicky draws his hand back in alarm, waiting to see if Kaylee takes his head off. And, in another portion of the Nexus, Inaya pulls slowly and reluctantly away from Tyler. She looks sideways at him, unsure as to the reason behind the sudden shift in attitude, although obviously not minding it at all. "Ty?"
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 04:20 PM	Kaylee doesn't even look up, but her voice, soft and timid, makes its way to Coin's ears. "It's okay...don't stop." Why couldn't she - oh, yes. Of course. Inaya couldn't read his mind, couldn't possibly comprehend the sheer joy he had right now. But...wait. He looks at Inaya, confused now. "Inaya...something's wrong. I just felt..amazingly happy. Free, even. I'm not torn anymore...but I was. I loved Kaylee and you, not even a minute ago...now she's gone. Like I never loved her at all."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 04:31 PM	Coin doesn't need to be told twice. ----- Inaya looks slightly puzzled at the news, but she smiles. "Well, that's very strange." Swinging Tyler around, she wraps her arms around him once more. "But I can't say I'm likely to be concerned as to how or why." Leaning forward, Inaya plants a teasing kiss on Tyler's lips and then pulls back, looking him in the eyes. "Are you?"
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 04:37 PM	Tyler returns the kiss, reveling in the moment, but Inaya's words stop him dead. "It's..just..not.....natural, is it? And..and she's still in trouble! Sh*t!" He calms down. "There's nothing we can do right now. Coin will tell us one way or another. In the meantime.." He takes Inaya's lips, a passionate kiss that can leave no doubt that his transformation is complete. If it hadn't been, if he wasn't feeling such radiant joy, his tongue would have stayed where it was supposed to until after the wedding.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 04:53 PM	Coin raises his head, suddenly realizing his mistake. Waving his free hand vaguely in the direction Inaya and Tyler, he watches just long enough to make sure they both survive his spell before returning his attention to Kaylee. ----- Inaya returns Tyler's kiss willingly, but is abruptly thrown backwards as a bright yellow sphere appears between the two. Two enormous eyes open on it, and Tyler recognizes it as the symbol known as a smiley-face. It spreads a brilliant red mouth and begins to speak. "Coin reporting...everythings cool on this end. Though you should know. Anyway, I'm busy right now, so, uh...see you soon, I guess." Laughing to herself, Inaya stands up, dusting dirt off her dress. "That Coin will be the death of us yet." "Now...where were we..."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 05:08 PM	"If you'll have me, I believe it was somewhere along the lines of breaking the tenants of my faith. Good thing my father brought a priest." He kisses Inaya again... ((Unless Gideon has an objection, we can assume that they have well and surely broken the Code of Conduct, aye?)) "Charlie....I can't believe I didn't notice before. You've always been there for me...in class, when I forgot my homework, you gave me yours, and..lately, you've been there, been such a good friend...I'm sorry for shutting you out."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 05:20 PM	No complaints from this half. Although you do realize we've had five, count 'em FIVE pages of this? Go us! :D Some time later... Inaya raises herself up on her elbows and looks over at Tyler. "Ty, I have a small confession to make. I'm afraid I, uh...threw your ring in the river. I was a bit, um, upset at the time, and, well...it's gone." ---- "Hey babe, no problem. That's what I'm here for." "Plus, don't be so sorry about it. After all, a lot of that homework was pretty damn wrong."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 05:32 PM	For continuity and awkwardness purposes, let's say the conversation in blue is AFTER the CoC violations, eh? "I've been such an idiot..ha. Valedictorian, and I've been such an idiot." She sits up, feeling Coin's fingers slip through her silky hair as she does. "Charlie....Ty said you had a crush on me in school. Is this true?" Tyler smiles in both understanding and happiness. He kisses Inaya gently on the neck before he speaks, savoring her scent while he's in close. It hadn't been anything like he had expected; much more wonderful, more magical, than he could have imagined. "I know you were upset. Don't worry. I can get it back. I'm just glad that, after all this, you'd still have me back. Maybe we should have that wedding before something else comes up..oh, yeah. About your sister. I think I know someone who can help."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 05:43 PM	Sorry bout that little blunder. You used the past tense "they have" and I was a little confused as to the timeline. I fixed it now." Coin tries to look innocent, but his facial expressions just aren't made for it. Instead, he merely manages a feigned suprise, which quickly fades away as he realizes he fools no one. "Um...well...you see, it..." "...yeah. That about sums it up." ------ "Wonderful. Because we still do need a bridesmaid. But let's do it quickly...with our luck, the apocalypse is on its way. And I'm not about to let the end of the world spoil our plans."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 05:48 PM	"Alright." Tyler stands up, pulling Inaya up after him. He'd been almost reluctant to get clothed again, but there was decency to consider. Standing up seemed to bring an end to the magic moment, though he knew that there would be more, a lifetime's worth, of the most magical moments with the love of his life. He laces his finger's with Inaya's. "I'm gonna need Despair. I can't preform a calling like this without him. Where'd you put him?" Kaylee smiles sadly. "I've been such a fool. Mooning after Ty, when..." Rather then finishing her sentence, she kisses Coin on the lips lightly. When she -reluctantly- breaks away, she looks deep into his eyes, her eyes like shattered ice as they peer deep into his.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 06:03 PM	Inaya stops tying off the back of her dress to point down the river. "Last I saw it it was sitting over there, where you were playing it earlier. It should still be there. If it's not, Kaylee would know. She was probably the last one to see it." ----- Coin matches Kaylee's gaze, and she can almost feel the power radiating off him. "Like I said...don't worry about it. I'm a patient guy...usually." He pulls her close and returns the kiss, and Kaylee feels a tingling shoot through her body as his magic courses through her. Noticing this, Coin breaks off once more. "Sorry. That wasn't intentional. You okay?"
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 06:22 PM	It's an electric thrill, and also a terror, as the power courses through Kaylee, but she feels it dissapate into the ground beneath her, absorbed by the Nexus. "Yeah..." she says breathlessly, "I'm fine." She leans over and kisses Coin again fiercly, feeling the same tingle but not caring as it passes through her harmlessly. Tyler walks in the direction Inaya indicated, trusting that she wouldn't want to miss this. Sure enough, Despair is there, along the bank of the river. He picks up his guitar, strangely clean. "Sorry about that." "No problem." "C'mon, let's get Altello." He begins playing, a wordless melody that radiates kindness, joy, and happiness. It seems almost strange, coming out of an axe guitar, but he plays it with a smile on his lips, his eyes closed as he pours himself into the song. A gate opens up, and through it, a figure steps through. At first, it is difficult to tell any species or gender, until you realize he is albino, as white as the robes he wears. His hair is distinctly white, but his eyes are a laughing green. He radiates kindness from himself, and as he steps through, the plants seem to lean towards him. "Tyler. How nice to see you." "Altello! You came, you great big cracker. How've ya been?" Altello laughs at Tyler's joke, eyes dancing. "White as ever, Tyler. Who is this?" He gestures to Inaya. To get an idea of Altello, think as nice as you can imagine, then go one step nicer. Then repeat.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 07:10 PM	Without breaking the kiss, Coin glances sideways at the walls of the building and flicks one finger upward. Outside the doors and windows appear to melt into the structure, leaving blank stone on all four sides. ------ Inaya ties off the last of her sashes and glides over, smoothing out her dress as she comes. "Inaya Elrissa, at your service sir." Sensing Altello's initial moment of confusion, she continues. "I'm Tyler's fiance. Pleasure to meet you."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 08:11 PM	Dude, it ain't a tent. When I said, "Building" I meant, "Large apartment room". Kaylee can control SPACE AND MATTER while she's in here, I think she could afford to give them a real room for the...post-wedding arrangements. "But, Tyler, aren't you -" "Nope." "But don't you -" "Not anymore." "Wh-" "No clue." "That-" "Makes no sense. But suffice it to say that I love Inaya with all my heart, and I'm not letting her go." "Well, aside from inviting me, what did you call me here for?" "Well, you see, the maid of honor is a bit...dead. If she's willing, can you bring her back?" Altello's face lights up. "Certianly! Gladly, gladly. Always glad to bring more life into the universe. Can you take me to the girl?" Tyler gestures to Inaya, an exaggerated, humorous gesture. "Lead on, milady."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 08:15 PM	Yay...another edit for me :rolleyes: Inaya leads Altello over to the building, and stares in suprise at the lack of any form of entrance to speak of. "Um...yes. Well. She's in there. But the door appears to have...well...vanished."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 08:17 PM	And also, no one moved her body. Which is part of my evil plan. She's still in the room where Kaylee and Coin are making out.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 08:19 PM	You evil knows no bounds, does it? :D Editted it.
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 08:34 PM	"No worries. We can get in." Tyler grabs Inaya's hand and then Altello's. He speaks a single word, and the three teleport inside, at the foot of the bed, without a sound. His expression is rather shocked to see Kaylee and Coin, but, though he knows he should be at some level, he isn't angry or jealous. Just accepting. But he still can't say anything for the sheer shock value of it. Altello, on the other hand, blushes. Or, at least, you assume he's blushing, because his face turns a normal human shade, though still very pale.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 08:47 PM	Coin quickly backs away, flushing to the roots of his hair. His entire face is a deep crimson, but he finally manages to get a grip on himself. "Uh...uh...Hi guys! Nice to see you again!" Inaya, on the other hand, ignores the pair and strides over to her sister's body. "Here she is. But I'm a bit worried...she's been dead for at least four years. Will that cause any problems?"
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 09:09 PM	Kaylee backs away next to Coin, not even managing to stammer coherently. Tyler simply looks away, at Inaya, in order to preserve what dignity they have. "Inaya, Altello has brought back dead worlds with a wave of his hand. I'm sure he can do your sister." "Tyler, you exaggerate. I did not simply wave my hand. There were verbal incantations and I needed some seeds." Altello kneels next to Inaya's sister, placing his hands on her head and over her heart. In a fluid, musical tongue, beyond beauty, beyond purity, he chants melodically. A light, somewhere between white and black, though not gray, flows between his hands and the girl. A second passes, and then two. Then, suddenly, she takes in a deep breath, and her eyes flutter open.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 09:16 PM	The girl sits up slowly, looking wonderingly around. "W...wh....ah...where?" Inaya almost runs to her sister's side, cradling her head and gently lowering her back down. "Hush. Lie back and rest a while. And welcome back to the world of the living." Almost immediately Lilai is fast asleep, although this rest is not the eternal one. Inaya turns to Altello and throws her arms around him. Her eyes are watery, filled with tears of joy. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 09:20 PM	"Inaya, don-" It is, however, too late. As Inaya throws her arms around Altello, he lets out a groan of pain and breaks from her grasp. "Inaya, I should have warned you. Altello has a condition commonly called 'glass bones'. You can't..do that kind of thing." "I-I'm fine. J-j-just a quick spell..." Light floods Altello, and he stands moer straightly. "See? No harm done. I was glad to be of help to you, Inaya. None who want life should be denied it."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 09:24 PM	"Would that there were more people like you in the world, Altello. Again, thank you. And I'm so sorry for causing you pain. You deserve nothing of the sort. May peace and happiness always surround you."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 09:30 PM	"They always do. It's quite literally impossible to get mad near him. And I've tried. Hell, I tried to hit him once. I couldn't even clench my fist." Tyler turns, amused, to Coin and Kaylee. "Now, last I checked, each other's faces weren't on the menu for the wedding dinner. What's up?" Kaylee turns a deep red and pulls down her bandanna to cover the lower half of her face like an old west bandanna.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 09:35 PM	Coin smiles rakishly, his embarassment finally defeated. "Apparently the menu changed. And I can't say that I disapprove of the new choices."
Lord_Gareth 03-08-07, 09:50 PM	"Alright, as long as you don't...erm..do it that intensely in public. Now, I would like to respectfully request that the three of you get the hell out of our room. I need to sleep, and I'm sure Inaya needs some rest too." Kaylee forms a door, dragging Coin after her as she leaves. Another building is nearby, and it is rather ambiguous as to whether it was there before or not. However, it has two rooms, and she takes Coin into one. There are two beds. "Here you go, Charlie. One for you and one for me. Altello gets the other room." Altello mumbles an agreement before walking out to what he assumes is his room. Seeing it empty, he walks inside and closes the door behind him, leaving Tyler and Inaya alone with Lilai.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-08-07, 09:55 PM	That's gonna have to be it for me for now...I'm kinda sick, and just can't think of anything to do at the moment. I'll fix this up tomorrow
Gideon_Gideonson 03-09-07, 03:26 PM	"Tyler...get your rest. I have some things to discuss with Lilai, and I'm not sure she would want them known. I'd have you join us, but the choice should be hers."
Lord_Gareth 03-09-07, 03:34 PM	Tyler nods. "I respect that. Here." He snaps his fingers, and a small can of Monster appears on the bedside table. "That should keep you awake long enough to do what you need to. Just..don't let your sister have any. It'd kill her. And, listen, about your father..." He takes a deep breath to steady himself. "I'm going to go back there. Alone. I can't continue without his blessing. We'll settle it, man-to-man, and that will be that."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-09-07, 03:40 PM	"Ty..." Inaya turns to look at him, her expression torn between concern and hesitance. "...Promise me one thing, Ty. Promise me you'll both come through this un-hurt. Can you do that for me?" "Even if he has forsaken me, I don't want him dead. And I don't want anything to happen to you. Okay?"
Lord_Gareth 03-09-07, 03:43 PM	"I promise. I won't raise a hand against him. Besides, by the code of host and guest, he cannot hurt me while I am a guest in his home. Now, I need some sleep." He wriggles under the covers, his clothing shifting to pajamas. "I love my hat of disguise...." He falls asleep hard. Alright, have your scene and then we can time-shift! Yay time-shift! Also, I'm leaving for the night, gotta go to my D20 Modern Campaign, so reply swiftly!
Gideon_Gideonson 03-09-07, 03:47 PM	Actually, we're having yours. Cause this is still a secret at the moment. (meaning I'm working on it as we speak, and probably won't have it done in time. So everyone's asleep for that little part...cause it would probably go on for hours. Four years of history to catch up on plus explanations takes a LONG time) :D As the first rays of light enter the room, Tyler awakes to find Inaya and Lalai fast asleep, both draped over the bed as if they had talked until they simply fell where they sat. The can of Monster sits almost untouched, although Inaya's limbs still twitch a bit even in her sleep. It is clear that neither will be woken easily.
Lord_Gareth 03-09-07, 11:53 PM	Tyler gently kisses Inaya's forehead, getting up carefully so as not to wake her. He leaves a small note, explaining that he has gone to meet with her father, and not to worry. As he stands, the red marks fade from both his and Inaya's foreheads. Silently, he thanks Kaylee for understanding him so well. A swift, quiet spell is cast, and Tyler hurtles across the dimensions, to arrive in Lord Elrissa's foyer. Coin wakes to the curious sensation of being held. Still fast asleep, Kaylee has crawled into his bed, holding him around the middle. Her head is on his pillow, and her light, steady breathing brushes against his neck. For once in recent times, she's peaceful.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-10-07, 05:11 PM	Tyler arrives to an empty room, the light of the rising sun just peeking through the stained glass windows. Voices can be faintly heard in the distance, and it sounds as though a meal is in progress. ----- Coin turns slowly around, careful not to wake her, and lies there watching her, putting one arm about the sleeping figure.
Lord_Gareth 03-10-07, 05:22 PM	Tyler begins walking towards the sounds he hears, moving confidently, as though he belongs there. Doors open for him, moved by minor cantrips, until he arrives at the source; the dining room. His metal-clad 'arcane punk' outfit clashes extraordinarily with the finery around him, and Despair, slung sideways against the small of his back, definitely stands out. "Lord Elrissa, we need to talk." His voice is polite, gentle, and he does his best to look nonthreatening.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-10-07, 05:29 PM	Lord Elrissa stands up angrily. "How did you get in here? Why haven't you left yet?" His voice drops to a low, menacing growl. "And what have you done with my daughter's body?"
Lord_Gareth 03-10-07, 05:36 PM	"I got in here by teleportation, Lord Elrissa. I did leave after my first visit, with Inaya. And Lilai has been returned to life, Lord Elrissa. I came here to talk. Nothing more, nothing less. And I will not leave until you hear me out." "Ty....don't go..." Her words are a murmur as she talks in her sleep. But, within mere seconds of speaking them, her eyes slowly flutter open. "Mornin' Charlie. I hope you don't mind...."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-10-07, 11:30 PM	Lord Elrissa pulls himself up regally, and looks for a second as if he is about to deny Tyler that privelage, but the look in the daemon magus's eyes convinces him to stand aside. "Speak your piece. But make it fast. I have things to do." ----- "Me? Mind? Hell no." "Actually...it's kinda nice. You won't find me complaining. Though I'm wondering...what's the reason? Get cold?" "Or..." Coin cuts off, looking at Kaylee hopefully, waiting for her response.
Lord_Gareth 03-10-07, 11:39 PM	"Lord Elrissa, I come openly, honestly, to ask for your daughter's hand in marriage. You may want to think otherwise, but your daughter lives. Inaya lives. And she still loves you, even though you've spurned her and shunned her. She still cares for you. All we want is your blessing." He pauses. "If I were a cruel man, I would hold Lilai's newfound life over you like a bribe. But I will not. Regardless of your answer, I swear to you that you will see her again." He pauses again, carefully considering his words. "I know I am not of noble blood. I am aware that, even if Inaya were a normal daughter, this would scandalize you and probably drag your family's reputation down. I am asking you to ignore all that. Isn't love worth it?" "I...I needed to hold someone. Ty always held me, when I was..when I was feeling bad. I guess..well, I guess I just...I guess that I needed you more than I need him. You can love me back, Charlie, and Ty never could. Even under the spell, he wouldn't kiss me, at all, and not like you did." "And, I think, I needed someone to cling to because I'm confused...I still love him, Charlie, but now...it's so complicated.."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-10-07, 11:55 PM	The elderly man stands in silence for several seconds, as if unsure of what to think. Finally he walks over to Tyler and places a hand on his shoulder. "I can't say I like you, boy. I can't say I approve of you at all. But you're the first man in years to stand up to me in that way, and I have to respect that." "And you have honor. Many would hold my daughter over me. You say you will not, and for some reason I feel you speak truly. So I feel I am obliged to you. You have my blessing. But I am not ready to forgive her. Inaya is no longer my concern...make her yours." "But do not return here again. Understood?" ------- "Don't know what to tell you, babe. Can't help there. Wish I could, but I got nothin'. All I can do is listen." "...Wait...Ty wouldn't kiss you even under the spell? Damn...guy musta been crazy! He really missed out on that one." "Course...not that I really mind that he didn't...kinda glad, actually."
Lord_Gareth 03-11-07, 11:46 AM	"Thank you, Lord Elrissa. Listen, about Lilai, Inaya has chosen her to be the Maid of Honor. I'm sure she wouldn't object if you came to the wedding. Tomorrow, I'll send you a note. If you decide to come, just read the word on it out loud and make sure that anyone you want to take with you is in the same room." He opens a small portal to step though, but pauses. "But, uh, don't drink anything unless Inaya or I hand it to you. Some things are not for beginners, and I don't mean liquor." He steps through, back into his room. Kaylee laughs a little. "No, I just...well, I intimidated him. He really did love me, but Ty's never really been good with people. And...well, I was too scared to kiss him. I was waiting for him to take the initiative."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-11-07, 01:57 PM	Inaya turns from her seat on the bed when she hears Tyler's footsteps. "Ty, what happened? Are you both alright?" ----- "Huh. Well, his loss." He squeezes Kaylee teasingly around the waist. "Initiative isn't something I've got a problem with."
Lord_Gareth 03-11-07, 02:13 PM	"Glad to see you're awake." The gate snaps shut behind the Daemon Magus, and a sly smile plays about his face. "Your father was a bit angry that I showed up unannouced, but we had our talk. He has given us his blessing, even if he hasn't given you his forgiveness. I promised him he would be able to see Lilai again. I know I didn't ask you, or her, but..I thought he deserved to see his daughter again. Especailly after we stole her away." Kaylee blushes slightly. "Now Charlie, none of that! We're on the eve of a wedding, we wouldn't want to steal their thunder. But..." She kisses him again, feeling that same electric thrill. "I don't think there's a rule against that."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-11-07, 02:35 PM	"Ty, as long as you're satisfied and neither of you is injured, I can agree to anything." ------ Reluctantly Coin breaks away. "Sadly, you're right though. There is a wedding tonight. We probably should be starting to get ready for it." "What do you need done?" I'm heading over to a friends now, so my posting will be a bit haphazard for the rest of the day. Just a heads up.
Lord_Gareth 03-11-07, 02:38 PM	"Actually, it's tomorrow. We're still rounding up some of the errant family members. Which reminds me.." Kaylee sits up in the bed, holding out her hand. A small notebook appears. "A couple people are still in the Arena, and they've been invited. Let's see..a shaman named Mzumu, and a group called Gareth and the Crew. Says here that Gareth and Brisinaria are Ty's absurdly great grandmother and grandfather." "I'm glad, 'cause your father scares the hell out of me. Is Lilai still asleep? I'd like to introduce myself, if I'm gonna end up being her in-law."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-11-07, 07:06 PM	"I can understand the family, but why the shaman? Seems a bit...well...odd." "Either way...want me to go get them?" ----- "Not at the moment, but I can easily wake her up. She's been out for hours."
Lord_Gareth 03-11-07, 07:13 PM	"I don't know why the shaman is invited. All Ty said about him was that he held a deep respect. But sure, if you can round them up, please do. Here." Kaylee opens a portal, letting the gate shimmer. "That'll lead you to the Taverne Cycine. I daresay you're familiar with it." "Sure thing. Besides, if she takes after you, I'm sure we'll get along famously."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-11-07, 10:55 PM	Coin turns around, his face a mask of mock horror. "Me? Familiar with a tavern? Surely you jest." Waving a hand lazily through the air, he summons up his clothes, dressing himself in his traditional white suit. "You know...if I could only get other spells to work that well, I'd be unstoppable. Anyway, see ya later babe!" With that, he turns, straightens his jacket, and strides off through the portal. ----- Inaya laughs. "Flatterer." Reaching down, she gently awakens the sleeping girl. Lilai sits up, rubbing her eyes, and looks around. Seeing Tyler, she waves shyly. "Hello. Are you Tyler? Inaya told me about you..."
Lord_Gareth 03-12-07, 03:40 PM	Tyler smiles slyly. "Did she now? And what did your sister have to say about me, hmm? I'm dying of curiosity."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-12-07, 04:03 PM	As Lilai answers, Inaya looks innocently up at the ceiling. "She said you'd say that. And she said that I'm not to tell you most of it. All I can say is that she told me what a wonderful person you are...and that I shouldn't ever get you angry, because it's often not pretty for anyone involved." "And you apparently play the..." She looks questioningly at Inaya. "Guitar." "Guitar quite well." "There's more, but it's a bit personal. Girl talk, you know?"
Lord_Gareth 03-12-07, 04:18 PM	Exactly how old is Lilai, anyway? "Ah. Girl talk. One of these days, I'll regret finding out exactly what that means. 'Till then, you two can keep your little secrets. She tell you we're engaged? Or did she not get around to it?" His tone is gentle and humorous as he glances at Inaya.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-12-07, 04:27 PM	Inaya looks a bit offended. "Ty!" "No, that she told me. Apparently I'm to be the bridesmaid. Right?" 13, almost 14. But pretty intelligent, and she comes from a world where people look at age with a more medieval view, so she's more self-sufficient than she would be if she came from earth, for example.
Lord_Gareth 03-12-07, 04:41 PM	"Yep, if you're willing." The Daemon Magus reaches to the nightstand, picking up his guitar where it leans against it. He strums a few experimental notes, then tunes it a bit. "Want to hear something? I've played a lot for Inaya, and I'm sure you're eager to hear if all her wild tales about this instrument are true."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-12-07, 04:47 PM	Lilai sits crosslegged on the bed, tilting her head sideways quizically as Tyler tunes up the instrument. "Sure."
Lord_Gareth 03-12-07, 04:55 PM	Tyler nods and waves his hand idly. A small band forms behind him, consisting of a drummer and another guitarist. "I am so glad Kaylee taught me that spell. Here we go." As always, Tyler pours himself into his song. While he plays, he is the music, and the song is a door into a fraction of his soul. He's playing Show me Love (http://youtube.com/watch?v=gW4DsEzH41s&playnext=1), by Tatu
Gideon_Gideonson 03-12-07, 05:02 PM	As he finishes the song, Lilai looks at him oddly. It is clear that she has no idea what to make of it. "That was...unusual." Inaya puts her arm around Tyler. "You'll have to forgive her. She's never heard anything like that before...it's pretty confusing the first time. And I suppose there's accounting for differences in taste..." "I liked it though."
Lord_Gareth 03-12-07, 05:14 PM	"Hmm..maybe your sister would go more for something like this. The darker songs may interest you, Inaya, but I think Lilai will rather enjoy this one." He strikes up the band, and begins playing again. Simple and Clean (http://youtube.com/watch?v=cov5u6uHQDE)
Gideon_Gideonson 03-13-07, 07:53 AM	Lilai perks up a bit as the tune starts, and it is obvious that she enjoys this one much more than the last. Tyler's last strains die away and she applauds him quietly, before beginning to stare at the instrument. Apparently confused by something, she turns to Inaya. "How does it work? It has no resonating chamber...aren't those required for sound?" "Um...I'll leave that one to Tyler. I've always been a bit curious of that myself. I just assumed it was some form of magic."
Lord_Gareth 03-13-07, 03:42 PM	Tyler sighs wearily. "For the last time Inaya, it isn't magic. It's science. This guitar uses things called amplifiers. They take in the sound, then make it louder. See this little dial, with the numbers? That's the volume. This thing goes to twenty-four. Don't ask to hear it at that volume. Humans can't take it. Kaylee plays one of these, but hers has to use external amps." He sits back down, dispelling the band. He takes a screwdriver out of his pocket and undoes some screws, showing the two the guts of the guitar. "Don't touch. My instrument is a machine, one that runs using electricity. The only magic in it, besides the soul in there, is the spell I use to power it." Tyler, I'm naked! "Shut up, you're an inanimate object. Anyway, though it looks pretty complex..and it is, the difference between technology and magic is that anyone can use technology. If I taught you how, you two could build one of these, or anything else I own. It's science, not magic."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-13-07, 04:07 PM	"Science, electricity, magic...it all seems the same. Where we come from, science and magic are intertwined and electricity is something mages employ. But I think I see how your world views it. I'll have to remember that. The differences are intriguing." "Tyler, Lilai, I'm going to leave you two alone for a while, okay? I have a ring to recover. I won't be long."
Lord_Gareth 03-13-07, 04:14 PM	"Alright. Maybe I can get one of you two to understand the difference between magic and science..." Tyler screws his guitar back together, and the instrument gives a satisfied snort in everyone's mind. The Daemon Magus pulls his laptop out of his backpack, setting it down. "Alright. Mages just conjure lightning, right? They speak some words, channel the spell, and it happens. But not everyone can do that, right? Can you? I bet not. But anyone can make electricity with science. Let me find the...here we go." Tyler pops up a picture of a small device. With some satisfied muttering, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out some copper wire. "I never leave home -or my own reality- without some copper wire. And-" He pulls out a magnet. "My magnet. Now, watch." Wrapping the wire around the magnet, Tyler begins moving the small lodestone around. There's a quiet hum, and he puts the resulting electromagnet near Lilai's arm, where a tiny bolt of electricity sparks and shocks her. "Wanna try?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-13-07, 04:20 PM	Lilai flinches at the spark, and rubs her arm where the electricity hit. When it becomes clear that she's actually fine, her face lights up with the childish joy of discovery. "Sure!"
Lord_Gareth 03-13-07, 04:25 PM	"All you have to do is rotate the magnet until you hear the humming. Then put it near something to discharge the bolt. Back home, there are plants with huge versions of these, that provide power to whole cities. Flameless lights, huge screens with moving pictures, all kinds of wonders, all accomplished without a drop of magic. Actually, there's so little magic in my world, that most people don't think it exists. It's like there's a limitation on eldritch power there." Tyler hands Lilai the little generator.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-13-07, 09:35 PM	Lilai plays happily with the generator for some time, crying out joyfully every time it zaps her. When she starts recieving odd looks from Tyler for this activity, she explains. "Sorry. It's a bit odd, I know. But I haven't been able to feel anything in over four years...it's nice to have senses again, even if it is a bit painful. Being dead was horrible. It's good to be back."
Lord_Gareth 03-13-07, 09:49 PM	"Well, I can't say I know what you mean precisely, but after having died once in my universe and going to Hell and once here and being stuck in an endless void, I can certainly sympathize. Actually..." Tyler glances over at the can of Monster, still mostly full. He shurgs and takes a long gulp, then begins sizing up Lilai. "Hmm...I think...yeah. Alrighty." He downs the rest of the Monster before incanting and snapping his hand out to catch a twenty-ounce bottle of Vault. "If you want a sensation, knock one of these back and be ready for a rush. Judging by your body weight and type, this will hit you like a truck without hurting you any. Just be prepared to expend a lot of energy."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 03:21 PM	"Thanks for the offer, but I'm going to have to decline. I saw what that drink you suggested last night did to Inaya...and that was just one sip. I don't think I'm ready for that sort of jolt just yet."
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 03:41 PM	"If you insist. But I'm feeling that Monster hit me now. Tell me, do you fight like Inaya? We could spar for a bit. I need to excercise more anyway. At least until your sister gets back."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 03:48 PM	"I do, a bit. But it's been four years, and I don't have any of my equipment on me..."
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 06:44 PM	"No problem, plenty else to do. We could chat for awhile. Anything you wanna know about me or anything you think I could tell you? Or anything you wanna explain about yourself? Or your home? Or anything?" Tyler is clearly feeling the effects of the Monster; his voice is speedy and jittery, and his eyeballs shake slightly from side to side. His fingers tap restlessly on the guitar and his feet bob up and down. "Man, been awhile since I had one of those. Forgot how that feels."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 08:10 PM	"Well...if you know where to find a whip and a pair of chakram, I'll gladly try a bit of a warm-up. I'd be grateful, actually...I don't want to die again so soon, and more practice is never a bad thing." "I would talk a bit, but Inaya really wore me out last night...she seemed to feel it necessary to tell me absolutely everything that's happened to her in the last seven years, and she expected me to do the same."
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 08:12 PM	"Chakram? Did you just say chakram?" Tyler looks at her, barely restraining laughter. Then he simply can't do it any longer, and breaks into it. Though he obviously can't speak, he pulls up a video of Kingdom Hearts 2, one of the fights with Axel, and just continues laughing.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 08:15 PM	Lilai simply looks at him in confusion. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Am I missing something? I take it there's a chakram in that video...but what's so funny about it?
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 08:25 PM	You've never played Kingdom Hearts 2 or Chain of Memories? YOU ARE NOT NERD ENOUGH! First, here's the video he's playing: The Second Axel boss fight (http://youtube.com/watch?v=vKyAFzrN4Hs&mode=related&search=) Tyler fights down his laughter, managing to speak normally. "It's not your fault..you wouldn't understand. Let's just say that the baddest badass to never exist also used Chakram, and it's a rather exotic choice. Then again, so is using a guitar as a blunt weapon. Yeah, I can get you those. I just need some time to hack reality." He turns his laptop back around to face him, cracking his knuckles before letting loose a furious stream of typing. "This could take a minute or two."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 08:30 PM	"Well, then I'm in good company, I suppose. And yes, it's a bit unexpected...which sometimes gives me the edge. That and my age. Everyone thinks I'm a push-over." "But if it hadn't been for the eleventh soldier, I probably wouldn't even have died in the first place."
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 08:36 PM	"If you don't have issues with it, I'm curious as to how you died. I could tell you how I bit it too. One death story for another." Tyler's fingers fly over the keyboard, and he doesn't turn his head as he talks. Images flash over the screen, accompanied by coding in both arcane and binary.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 08:52 PM	"Well, I don't know how much Inaya told you about her little revolt, but that's what started it. She was right, and I was the only other one who saw that, so when it became apparent that her reforms weren't holding, I decided to enforce them a bit on my own." "And it worked suprisingly well, considering my age was against me. No-one even knew who I was. Which, I suppose, was part of the problem. Cause apparently my father had sent out some enforcers to stop whoever this person was..." "I actually don't remember to much of the dying part. It was pretty fast. I'd been doing pretty well, and had incapacitated nine or ten of the men...not killed, mind you. I try to avoid that. But they were out of commission...and I just completely overlooked the last one. I just felt a slash across my neck, and a stinging sensation, and then it all went black." "I guess finding out what he had inadvertently ordered is what really threw my father over the edge. I'm supposing that he partly blames Inaya for influencing me and causing my death as well. Who knows."
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 09:03 PM	Tyler's face sobers a bit, but it's hard to supress the caffine rush. "Well...perhaps your father can begin recovery now that he knows you're alive. I mean, he even consented to give Inaya and I his blessing, even if he doesn't like me. Or her. Or anything either of us stand for. Damn, this is gonna be dysfunctional later." The clacking continues unabated. "Well, as to my first death..I just realized I never told Inaya this story, but oh well. I'll tell her later. Anyway, I was working a job for a guy I only knew as "L.S.W.", from notes tied to bricks that his employees threw through my windows. Me, my friend Vincent, a mage-hater called Adam Cross and some gun runner are at the docks, fighting for our lives against these displacer beasts. I get one of the things' attention when I shoot it in the side with my glock -Inaya told you about those, right?- and it pounces on me. I'm stuck to the ground when Adam goes all psychotic and starts raining fire from the sky. Next thing I know, I'm in Hell, in the middle of a bunch of demons. Never had so much fun as when I found out I still had my gun and saw the looks on their faces."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 09:07 PM	"Wow...you went down in a much more dramatic fashion...not that it really matters." "But I never saw Hell or any of the other planes...it was simply gray. Gray and horrible."
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 09:15 PM	"You think that was dramatic, ask Inaya about the second time. That one hurt like hell." All at once, the clacking stops. Tyler surveys his work, then hits Enter sharply. The code scrolls up rapidly before showing a page full of whips. He turns the screen to Lilai. "Pick one. Just one. I can't put it back if you mess up."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 09:27 PM	"Hmmm...let me see..." Scrolling through page after page, she finally pauses, looks critically at one of the images, and, after a long pause, points to it. The weapon her finger rests on is a reflective, segmented thing, more metal than rope, yet flexible and obviously a masterful creation. "That's close enough. Can we get that one?"
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 09:29 PM	Tyler reaches into the screen, his arm going in up to the shoulder. He has to scrabble blindly, but Lilai can see him eventually grab the correct whip, going on the feel of the metal. "I can garuntee you, this is gonna be lighter and stronger than it looks. It's my world's technology. Whatever you're used to, this will be better." He pulls his arm out, and the whip is there. He hands it to Lilai and begins coding again furiously. "Now...those chakram..."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 09:38 PM	As Tyler bends over his computer, there is a harsh snap from beside him and the sound of breaking wood. "NICE!" "Oh...that's not good..." The bed springs up as Lilai jumps off to inspect the damage. "Sorry! The endtable's not to badly damaged. The leg's still intact...someone can probably fix it." "Maybe I'd better wait to test this out more."
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 09:41 PM	A one-on-one scene, or is Inaya taking a very long time for an interesting reason? Through extreme force of will -and the knowledge that he could break the space-time continum with a missed colon- Tyler manages not to jump. "Please do. This is beyond delicate." He continues typing furiously. "So..what was Inaya's rebellion all about? I never really asked, you know."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 09:48 PM	Mainly 1-on-1. I mean...did you ever try finding a small metal object on the bottom of a river bed? Trust me...it takes forever once it's been covered. And that's just in a small pond, with no current to speak of. "Well, she probably said that she didn't approve of how the nobility was holding sway over the common people, and of the corruption within the government. Which is all true..." "But there's something much more personal...I'm not sure I should tell you, actually. It's the driving force behind her training in arms as well...but if she hasn't told you yet, she must not want to share it yet." "I'd tell you if I could...I think you should know...but..."
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 09:54 PM	"I understand completely, though I'm sure she'd tell me if I just asked. I never really did, before. Hmm...this will take longer. Reality doesn't like being hacked. Can't leave ya bored here..I know!" Tyler idly snaps his finger, and the area in the center of the bed fills with light. It coalesces... Into a celestial puppy. The tiny, angelic dog wags its tail before proceeding to heartily tackle Lilai and lick her. "I call 'im Spanky. Same puppy, every time. Never get a full-grown one."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 09:59 PM	"Awww..." That's all that was needed. Lilai is occupied for as long as her enthusiam lasts. And, after being dead for four years, she has a lot of enthusiam for life. Tyler's got all the time he needs.
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 10:12 PM	Tyler smiles and continues typing. Good old Spanky, always good to improve anyone's mood. He'd been Tyler's constant companion after he'd left Kaylee for a very long time. He turns back to his coding, his tongue in his teeth with concentration. Universal firewalls here meant universal. He checks his coding twice, then a third time. Finally satisfied, he presses Enter sharply, then whistles in appreciation. "Well, Lilai, I have good news and bad news. The good news is, the choice will be easy. The bad news is, that's because there's only one pair of chakram on sale. Check it out." He turns the laptop around, revealing two masterforged chakram. In the text below them, they state a new kind of alloy, diamond-hardened, as the material used. "You approve?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-14-07, 10:22 PM	Lilai sets the dog gently aside and peers over Tyler's shoulder. "They're circular and bladed. They'll do fine." "Actually, those are quite nice. Yes, I approve!"
Lord_Gareth 03-14-07, 10:29 PM	Gotta go to bed now.. Tyler repeats the shoulder routine, pulling out the pair of chakrams. Juding by the coating of diamond dust on the edges, the are already well-sharpened. "Well, won't you look the little deadly picture like this? Cutest little assasin-wannabe ever. How's Spanky treatin' ya?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-17-07, 07:07 PM	Still scratching the dog behind the ears, Lilai reaches out to take the chakram. "He's an adorable dog." Patting him one last time under the chin, she stands up and stretches, flexing her arms as it throwing imaginary frisbees. "However..." She runs a finger lightly along the edge of one of the sharpened disks, smiling appreciatively at the edge on the weapon. "I think it's time to warm-up a bit."
Lord_Gareth 03-17-07, 08:21 PM	"Alright. Keep in mind that I don't fight fair. Ever." Tyler stands up and streatches a little before grabbing his guitar and walking outside. He settles into a defensice stance, using the neck of the guitar as his handle. He holds it easy, and why shouldn't he? It is, after all, his signature weapon. "C'mon then, little lady. Show me what you got."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-18-07, 01:09 PM	"Play fair? Who-" Lilai drops from the bed, rolling along the ground, one arm scything around. The sharpened blades of her chakram slash out towards Tyler as she rises again, both weapons held before her. "-plays fair?"
Lord_Gareth 03-18-07, 08:45 PM	Tyler whips his guitar to intercept the chakram, the sharpened blades crashing and sparking against enchanted plasteel. He smiles as a shock travels up his arm from the impact. "You hit hard for a little girl. But how fast can you duck!" Tyler leaps back swinging the guitar at Lilai's head level, but as he does, a mirror image of the guitar scythes for her legs from behind, just real enough to be solid.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-18-07, 09:03 PM	Lilai flips backwards, and the guitars pass harmlessly over and under her as she twists in the air. Landing on her back, she somersaults again, righting herself, and her whip lashes out, seeking for Tyler's legs. "Fast enough. How about yourself?
Lord_Gareth 03-18-07, 09:06 PM	Tyler smirks and barks out a single word. The whip is swatted aside by a miniature lightning bolt. "When I said I don't right fair, I meant that in the most literal sense. Observe." Tyer's form blurs, and then he whips into the attack, magically fast. As he does, Lilai can see that his left leg glows briefly, the light forming the shape of a Nike sneaker, before it vanishes.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-18-07, 09:11 PM	Wait...exactly what just happened? He's attacking, right? But his leg is gone?
Lord_Gareth 03-18-07, 09:12 PM	No, the tattoo that was on his leg is gone. He has one on his other leg that stops arrows and bullets too :D
Gideon_Gideonson 03-18-07, 09:16 PM	Ah. Got it. Barely reacting in time, Lilai still manages to dodge fluidly sideways as Tyler attacks, bringing the butt of her whip down on the mage's neck as he passes. "You're faster than I expected...care to try again?"
Lord_Gareth 03-18-07, 09:28 PM	Tyler winces and ducks forward as the whip butt slams into his neck, but whips around, the guitar slashing at Lilai's chest level. He's overswinging wildly, but it's immediately apparant why as his left hand comes up, holding deep red light. The hand flashes like a stun grenade, and Tyler reverses the guitar to take advantage of what he hopes is Lilai's blindness. "Sure thing, I'll give it another shot."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-18-07, 09:33 PM	Lilai stands blinking wildly, trying to spot the attack. She ducks, hoping to avoid the unseen blow, but it catches her across the back and knocks her to the ground. "...Ow."
Lord_Gareth 03-18-07, 09:37 PM	Tyler takes five steps back and holds his guitar so the dangerous end is resting on his foot. "You alright? Would you like to stop? There is, after all, a wedding tomorrow that we don't want you all busted up for."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-18-07, 09:47 PM	As Tyler drops his gaurd slightly, Lilai's arm whips out, and a chakram streaks toward the magus's head. Before he can realize what's happening, her whip flicks out, wrapping around the projectile and flinging it aside, where it buries itself in the wall. Lilai jumps nimbly up, apparently completely fine. "Heh. Got you." "See...I don't play fair either. A lot of people get worried if they think they've injured a little girl...it works. Quite well." "But I guess you're right...we wouldn't want to-" The door to the room is thrown open, and Inaya walks in, looking quite pleased with herself. She's soaking wet and covered in mud, but Tyler's ring gleams once more on her finger. She glances over at Tyler and Lilai, then at the chakram embedded in the wall, and chuckles to herself. "I see you two have been amusing yourselves. No injuries, I hope?" "And Ty...I found it! Remind me never to throw anything in a river again, won't you?" "Anyway...anything important you need to tell me? Because if not, I could really use a bath right now. River mud isn't at all pleasant."
Lord_Gareth 03-18-07, 09:51 PM	"Yes, mind if I join you? Ol' Spanky could keep your sister busy, or-" He looks towards the door, then back at Lilai. "You could talk to Altello. He's the one that brought you back. He's resting in the apartment next to Kaylee's. The easy way to tell is to knock. If a girl answers, you have the wrong room." Tyler puts his hand around his fiance's shoulder, kissing her cheek where it is relatively mud free.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-18-07, 10:02 PM	"Lilai, run along. But if you go to Altello's room, don't touch him if you can help it. He's quite fragile." "K!" Pulling her chakram out of the wall and whistling gently for Spanky, Lalai runs cheerfully from the room, waving farewell to Tyler and Inaya. "Now...you don't mind if I bathe as we talk, do you? This stuff clings something awful."
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 07:24 PM	Tyler laughs a little. "You know, I asked if I could join you, milady. But allow me to introduce you to another modern convienience, the shower." Tyler bows half jokingly, opening the door to the bathroom. He turns on the showerhead, warm water pouring out. "See? We have shampoo too, it's a special kinda soap for hair. Once you use it, you will never, ever want to go back. Trust me."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 07:46 PM	"Ha! Water from above...what a novel idea! It's a waterfall indoors. Wonderful!" Inaya flicks a hand through the water spray in amazement. "This is incredible! I wonder why no one from my world has created such a thing." She disrobes quickly and steps into the stream of warm water. "And this...shampoo? you mentioned...where would one find this?"
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 07:51 PM	Tyler laughs slightly, shrugging off his clothing. You would think that, with all the metal, it would be difficult, but it turns out that with one or two straps, the baggy punk pants come off quick under their own weight, and the shirt is deceptively light. He steps in, and grabs a bottle off the side of the tub. "Right here. Allow me, milady." The Daemon Magus lathers her hair up, taking time to gently and thouroughly wash her hair. "Your sister is quite the fighter, and a sharp mind too. She'd make a credible magus. Did you teach her?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 07:58 PM	"Me? No, not at all. I've never really even seen her style at all. I had left the house by the time she truly began to train, and only heard stories of her...some of which were very impressive I think she was also self taught, but I'm not sure. It would be quite fitting to her personality to sneak out to lessons." "And actually, I think she did take a few lessons from the court magician when we visited the king. Of course, that was years ago, before...anyway, she probably doesn't remember much, since she was barely six at the time. I do recall seeing her overjoyed at a few simple illusions she managed though. You should ask her. I'm sure she'd be thrilled."
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 08:06 PM	"Really? I'll have to pester her about it then. Kaylee could teach her a thing or two about Technomagic, and then wouldn't we have a force to be reckoned with? She's got your inquisitive mind, you know. She wants to find things out. Hell, I just taught her how to forge lightning without a scrap of magic. By the way, you may not want to touch her if she's humming quietly." Tyler finally finishes, stepping back to do his own hair. He hated washing his hair while the water pounded it. It was just a pet peeve of his. As his arms raise, the dragon tattoo on his right arm lets loose a sibilant hiss and moves to cover his chest and torso, much bigger than before. Used to this happening, the Daemon Magus pays it no heed.
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 08:08 PM	Inaya flattens herself against the wall, looking somewhat alarmed. "Ty? Your tatoo is...uh......is it alive?"
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 08:15 PM	"Oh, forgot to tell you about her. That would explain the hiss, anyway. She doesn't know ya. Inaya, this is Kivilitratra. Kivi, this is Inaya. She's a friend." The dragon shimmers from red to white before nodding its head and completing its migration to Tyler's chest. The tattoo is extraordinarily lifelike, so much so that it seems it could simply leave. "Kivi's an old friend of mine. We freed each other in Hell, but I couldn't take her whole body out with me through the portal. So she turned herself into this tattoo. Kivi's a mite mad about the arrangement, but I've been trying to get her out. It's just very, very hard to convince a live white dragon to give up its immortal soul to free the daughter of one of the biggest traitors to chromatic dragonkind. She's the daughter of none other than Kovaliastraz himself, and that's some bad cred to have on you."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 08:20 PM	Inaya looks blank at the mention of the name. "Kovaliastraz? Never heard of him." "Interesting arrangement though. Uh...it...er...she doesn't attack, does she?" It's pretty clear that Inaya is still a bit shocked, and not quite ready to accept Kivi's existance quite yet.
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 08:24 PM	"Erm, actually, yes. She can temporarily manifest parts of her body. It's entirely under Kivi's control, so I may, say, sprout wings, or a tail, or a large draconic head out of my chest, or things like that. And she can still do the breath thing. And talk. She's just a bit shy...and passive aggresive. But she shouldn't bother you too much, right Kivi?" The tattoo sighs, "Yes, Tyler. Of course. Like you've told me not to bother anyone. I'm bored. You won't let me chomp anyone, and your horde doesn't shine or glitter." "Christ Kivi, I told ya that gold was hard to get on Earth! Do you think I'm made of-hey, wait a minute! Kivi, we ain't on Earth anymore! I can totally get you a hoard!" "Really?" "Damn straight. I just gotta get back to the arena, AFTER the wedding." "Yay!"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 08:41 PM	Hesitantly Inaya moves away from the wall, still a bit uncertain. "Well...if you say it's alright, I guess I'll accept it. Quite unusual though." "And the other important question...well, there are two. First...where is this hoard going to go? You don't intend to carry it around, do you?" "And secondly...is she always there? And if so, can she...uh...how do I put this...vanish when...uh..." Inaya blushes, trying not to look at the creature on Tyler's chest.
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 08:45 PM	"Erm..yeah, she's always there. Was when we...yeah." "You humans, always so awkward about completely natural-" "Now is NOT the time, Kivi, to discuss philosiphy. And as to the hoard, I have a backpack of holding. I can keep it there." "But then how will I see it?" "You can move your damn head onto my neck and look at it when I open the bag. And I suppose I can take it out every once in awhile when I don't think it'll be swiped and you can bask in the glory of your greed." "That's not fair. I'm not greedy..."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 08:58 PM	"Kivi...it is Kivi, isn't it? It's a fact of nature. Dragons are naturally greedy. It's nothing personal...although if you could not...well...nevermind." Inaya smiles at the creature. "Just making sure Tyler's not going to be lugging around several tons of gold. That would cause quite a few problems." Inaya slides out of the shower and picks up her dress, looking at it's stained and tattered appearance sadly. "Great...Ty, you got anything for this? I'm not that skilled at needlework...or cleaning."
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 09:14 PM	Tyler turns off the water after rinsing out his hair. He steps out, looking at the dress curiously. "Well...I can try. But I ain't exactly talented at this, so here goes nothin'!" He snaps his fingers, and the dress bursts into bloody flames. He looks horrified, but the leaping fire does not burn Inaya, the room, or even the dress itself. As it dies down, an amazed, "Wow.." escapes his lips, witnessing the dress's transformation. Feel free to dictate what it looks like, but there are a few things. The colors are black and red, with red being the trim/secondary color, and the sleeves and hem are now lace
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 09:32 PM	"Well, not what I expected...but it does have a certain appeal." She lifts the dress up to the light, and the silky black fabric gleams and ripples like oil on water, throwing a dark spectrum of colors across the walls. "I'm not sure what you've done to it, but it's definitely striking." Inaya slips the dress on, and becomes altogether another person. In her typical blues and whites she seemed airy and graceful, ready to almost float away in the breeze, but now the darkness of the fabric and of her hair along with the brilliant red trim of the dress give her the appearance of a queen of hell: regal, beautiful, firey, and dangerous. Turning to the mirror, Inaya glances at her reflection and stares. "Striking indeed! I almost don't recognize myself...and yet I love it."
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 09:39 PM	Tyler fights very hard to stop his jaw from dropping. He fails miserably. However, he manages to retain motor movement, and gets dressed with much grand buckling and strapping. "That's...amazing. Wow...Inaya, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but nowhere could I find a woman like you. Ever. Wow..." Voices float through the relatively thin walls, four of them in conversation. "You are not knocking on the door, Endeca." "I won't blow this one up, I promise!" "Like hell you won't." "Sorry, but I'm gonna have to go with Gareth on this one." "But I wanna meet him!" "We all want to meet him. Bris, the door please, while I'm restraining her." A series of polite knocks sounds at the front door. "Umm...who the hell is that?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 09:42 PM	"I have no idea...should I open it?"
Lord_Gareth 03-20-07, 09:46 PM	"C'mon folks, we're restraining an excited Chaos Magus here." Tyler gulps. "Yes, please do."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-20-07, 09:50 PM	Inaya glides over to the door and throws it open. "Hello! Whom do we have the pleasure of addressing?" That's all for me tonight...big test tomorrow.
Lord_Gareth 03-21-07, 03:48 PM	Jaden is standing behind Brisinaria and Gareth, holding Endeca in a firm headlock. The young mage looks up and smiles, face red from lack of air. "Lord Gareth the Cold. We were, apparantly, invited to the wedding of one Tyler Emeritus Vici and his bride, Lady Inaya Elrissa. As I don't know either of you, I'm a bit curious as to why." "Plus, some kid said we were related to him." "Hi Inaya...you...met...Jad..Jad..." Endeca finally passes out, and Jaden lets go of her. "Hello again, Lady Elrissa."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-21-07, 04:14 PM	"Ah! Jaden. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you for a minute. Do come in...although your friend there appears to be...well, unconscious." Standing aside to allow them entry, she calls to Tyler. "Tyler! It's someone named Lord Gareth the Cold. Apparently you're related to him?"
Lord_Gareth 03-26-07, 08:25 PM	"That was kinda the idea. According to this Kaylee girl, Chaos Magic is something we don't want in here." "Yeah, something about the end of several multiverses." The group steps inside, only to freeze as they look over Inaya's shoulder. "Gareth the Cold? I've heard about you. I don't know what Kaylee was playing at, but I'm not letting this butcher anywhere near my wedding." "Kid, you don't-" "Quiet! I know you know what these are. Shut up, or I'll use them."
Gideon_Gideonson 03-26-07, 08:57 PM	Inaya turns about at Tyler's voice. "Ty? Who is this guy? Lord Gareth the Cold...but where's the butcher part come fro..." She finishes her turn, coming face to face with Tyler...and with whatever he's holding.
Lord_Gareth 03-26-07, 09:04 PM	Tyler stands, his expression grim, with his glocks pointing over Inaya's shoulders at Gareth and Brisinaria's heads. The two Azerothians know better than to move with bullets so close at hand. "Kid, what the hell are those?" "Jaden, now is not the time." "Just calm down. There's no need for violence here..." "Yeah, sure. You're just saying that to save your hide. How, praytell, are you related to me?" "Well, apparantly Gareth and I are an absurd amount of great-grandparents." "Yeah, I was wondering about that, as Bris and I can't figure out how to...erm..." "Don't EVEN go there, alright?" Tyler backs away slightly as the floor begins to freeze over. "How the hell is a monster like you related to me?" "I've been trying to tell you, Gareth is a paladin now." "What the hell is a paladin?"
Gideon_Gideonson 03-27-07, 10:40 PM	Inaya's hands dart out and gently pull Tyler's weapons down to the ground. "Can we refrain from violence at the moment, Ty? He said he's a paladin. That's a holy knight. They go around doing good deeds, as a general rule. So he can't be that bad." "There's certainly no reason to hold him at gunpoint."
Lord_Gareth 04-04-07, 08:30 AM	"Inaya, you have no clue! This guy ended worlds with no mercy, no regret, and almost no effort! Entire planets, civilizations fallen, billions slaughtered, because of Gareth the Cold. I have a bit of a tough time believing h e or his friends are anything related to good." "Now you listen here you pompus little demonic brat, I'm going to turn you-" "Jaden, you are doing the OPPOSITE OF HELPING right now. Look kid, it boils down to this. You trust Kaylee?" Tyler's sneer softens as he ponders the question, before reluctantly coming to an answer. "Yes. Fine." The glocks go back in their hip holsters, and the newcomers let out a sigh of relief. "Alright. Let's start this again. I am Lord Gareth the Cold. This is my wife Brisinaria (call her that and she'll cold-**** you, shorten it), Jaden Kralis-" "Vlarion, thank you. Jezzin's a bit picky about that." "Jaden Kralis then, she manages my Arena when she's not hanging around Sorcen's. The unconcious elf is Endeca Kolgirat, who likes to call herself Endeca Spellweaver. Her familiar Snuggles should be around here somewhere, so if you see a brain with legs, it belongs to her." "Tyler Emeritus Vici, at your service. My fiancee, I daresay, can inntroduce herself and do it justice, because I do not have words for it."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-04-07, 09:09 PM	"Well, I'm not sure about that. But I'm Inaya Elrissam, and, like Tyler said, I'm his fiancee. Pleasure to meet you."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 11:12 AM	Kaylee, Tyler, Inaya and Gideon emerge from the shimmering gate to hear the sound of song. The other Kaylee is sitting on her bed, playing her guitar and singing, completely oblivious to their arrival. Aside from the paleness of the vampiric version, they are exactly alike. As her song comes to a close, her blue eyes open, and she freezes in shock. "Umm...........TYLER!" Her shout carries the relatively short distance into Tyler's room, and he, Gareth, and the rest perk up. "Um, we better check that out. I'd say to make yourselves at home, but somebody is freezing my room, so let's not and say we did. C'mon." He rushes out the door, pausing only long enough to grab his guitar.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 11:18 AM	Inaya quickly grabs her scimitar and runs after Tyler. "Never a dull moment..."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 11:24 AM	As Tyler bursts through the door, those who were in the room on his heels, Endeca's double steps through the portal. The Daemon Magus stops cold in his tracks as everyone in the room looks at each other and lets out an identical, "What the hell?" "Anything you weren't telling us?" "Your guess is as good as mine, frosty." "Wow, I look like a freakin' rockstar. Niiiiiiiiice." "Who the hell are you?" "Tyler Emeritus Vici, same as you. Well, except for the whole, "pulse" thing, but what's a working metabolism between friends?" Kaylee punches her fiancee in the arm. "Now is not the time for your macabre sense of humor, Ty." "Umm, Ty, you know these people?" Both Tylers say, "No." at the same time before looking at each other quizically. ((This is the new Endeca's color)) "Why am I unconcious?" "To prevent you from knocking out several universes, why are you radiating evil?" "Of all the rude things to-" "I wouldn't finish that sentence, missy. I can kick your other ass, and I'm certain I can kick yours too." "Alright, what the hell is going on here? Inaya, either one of you, can you shed any light on this?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 11:30 AM	"I've got nothing." "Hey! Don't look at me! How am I supposed to know?" "Okay. This is really wierd..." "You're telling me."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 11:37 AM	"Um, alright then. Well, welcome to the wedding, folks. Ah..are you still with Inaya?" "No! Until about ten minutes ago, she was trying to drive a crossbow bolt through my heart!" "Sweetheart, that was Gideon." "Whatever. The answer is no. Why the hell AREN'T you with Kaylee?" "Aw, man, why'd you have to go and-" Kaylee bursts into tears and steps through the wall. Tyler hangs his head low. "Just when I thought she was getting better. Where's Coin when you need him? Oh, yeah, absent. Like he always is." "Since when did the Neferandi care about other people?" Both Tylers let out an identical, "WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" and are subesquently restrained by the closest people to them, Jaden and Kaylee. "You pink-haired little brat, I'll kill you! YOU HEAR ME?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 11:45 AM	"Great. This is gonna be a problem. So let's get to the bottom of this...who's catching who up to speed first? Cause unless we do something, we're all gonna be really confused." "Neferandi? That's a new one. What's it mean?" "Actually, good point. Ty? Er...my Ty? It's obviously something you both have in common...what's it about?" "Geeze...this is strange. And crowded. Really, really-" Gideon is knocked into both Gareth and the wall as Coin rises up out of the floor directly beneath him in a cloud of thick dark smoke. Coughing and spluttering, the mage waves the smoke away irritably and looks around. "God that shaman was hard to......HOLY F*CKING SH*T! WHAT THE HELL!?" "Kaylee? Tyler? Inaya? WHAT IS GOING ON??! "Great...more people. Least there's just one of him."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 11:53 AM	Tyler manages to calm himself enough to speak, but just barely. The words are very forced. "A Neferandi is a Daemon Magus of the worst sort. They taint their own souls into demonic portals to act as harbringers of the apocalypse. They want to end EXISTENCE. To call anyone that is an insult that cannot be forgiven." "LET ME GO! I'LL KILL HER, I'LL KILL HER!" "Calm down Ty, she didn't mean it! Endeca, take that back!" "I can sense the demon magic on him from here. And there's something off about my double as well, it's like she's bending existence around her." "No freakin' duh, moron. She's a Chaos Magus. More accurately, she's the Chaos Magus. She invented the discipline. Or lack thereof." "You must be this Coin guy I've heard about. I can see why I was attracted to you." Tyler continues struggling in her arms while Endeca looks on impassively.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 12:29 PM	"Well try to forgive her. Both of you. You're not killing anyone here. Got it?" "And Endeca? Don't say that again. Or I'll throw you out myself. Do we understand each other? You three going to not rip each other's throats out?" "Thanks, babe. Course, that means you're some alternate Kaylee...so, uh, where'd she go? This is her room, so I'd expect here to be here."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 12:38 PM	"You can't tell me what to do, mortal. I'll do as I want." As lightning begins to crackle around the vampric version of Endeca, Jaden lets go of Tyler. "Get 'er, kid. This one's an ass." Tyler waves his hand almost idly, and Endeca's spell fizzles out, leaving her with a highly confused look. "Alright, let me set this straight for you. Unlike you, I am not some conjurer of cheap tricks and light shows. Your pathetic little blood magics aren't going to accomplish anything, especially when I already know them." "How the hell did you learn Thaumaturgy without being one of the Tremere?" "I have no clue what you're talking about, but if you need proof..." Tyler rolls up his left sleeve, revealing the scars that cover the entire arm like a tapestry. "Coin, Kaylee went through that wall. You should go see her." "Alright. Let's set this straight for everyone in the room. I'm marrying the Tyler I'm holding, that Inaya is marrying the other Tyler, this Inaya and Gideon have been trying to kill me, and 'Deca is arrogant. How'd you stop her spell, anyway?" "Easily. It's a rather simple trick. Any competant spellcaster knows how to do it, and how to prevent it." "You arrogant little worm-" Again, her electricity fizzles out. "I've got enough blood in this body to shut you down for hours, little magus. Do you have more?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 01:05 PM	"Endeca! Stop!" Bands of silver light wrap around Endeca, lifting her into the air. "I'm not letting you suck their blood, and I'm not letting you try to kill them either. Understand?" "Nice one, Inaya." "Thanks." "Oh, and Kaylee? That pretty much sums it up, I think. But honestly, I'm not sure anymore." "Well, I'm quitting this party. Gonna go check up on Kaylee. The other Kaylee." Coin strides towards the wall, bounces off it painfully, then stares angrily at it. The wall crumbles into dust before him, and he walks through, throwing up a solid wall of what appears to be frozen orange juice behind him. "Umm...do you think he intended that? Very...unusual...substance for a barricade."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 01:15 PM	"Coin never really intends anything. He can't control his magic. Endeca here just chooses not to." He indicates the still-unconcious elf. "Now, what's this I heard about bloodsucking?" "Umm...Surprise! The other you is a vampire!" "No Gareth! No hacking the undead into pieces!" Brisinaria is struggling to hold Gareth back. "You. Made. An. Agreement. No. Hacking. People. To. Bits. Without. A. Detect. Evil. First." "She's right." "How the hell did THAT happen?" The other Tyler opens his mouth to explain, but Kaylee stops him. "It's my fault. I...I love him. And he loves me back. I couldn't keep a secret like that from him, and he wanted to be with me. It was his choice, but I'm ultimately the reason for it." "And I'm perfectly happy with it." "Wow....the things we do for love. Inaya, kill me if I ever decide to do something that stupid." "I am not afraid to kick my own ass, you know." "Glad to hear it, but I got the Archbishop of Cantebury to bless these glocks. You'd last about three seconds." "Damn me. I've always got the best toys."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 01:35 PM	"I garuntee that if you ever tried something like that, I'd definitely restrain you. Kill you I'm not so sure about, but still." ----- "Kaylee? You okay?
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 01:46 PM	"Umm...Inayas, where's your sisters? Oh, wait, I know where yours is. Altello never has the heart to make anyone go away, no matter how much they talk. Which is how Houshi managed to find someone who tolerates her for a few hours at a time before she gets bored of the conversation." "Altello? We can't be talking about the same guy, even across dimensions. The one I know is...imagine as evil as you can go, and then go one step further. Then repeat." "Sounds like the exact opposite of Altello to me." Coin finds Kaylee a small distance away from the miniature apartment, sitting with her back to a tree. She's stopped crying, but the tearlines still streak down her face. She's staring at the ground. "No. Why couldn't I have ended up like that? Why doesn't anything ever work out for me? Even when things seem to go well, they don't. I get this fabulous Nexus, and then I'm stuck in it. I get Ty, but it's not real. I get you, but I can't appreciate it. If there's a God, he hates me dearly."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 02:02 PM	Coin sits down next to her. "Well? That's one way to look at it, yeah. But is that any way to think? Just sitting around feeling miserable? Come on Kaylee. Pull yourself together, and actually do something to make your life better. Sittin' around doesn't do shi...er...anything." "As for being stuck in this nexus, I'm sure we can find a way to fix that. Look at the people we've got here...even with just them, we could get you out." "But don't give up. Got that? I won't let you."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 02:09 PM	Kaylee doesn't say anything for awhile, but eventually reaches for the guitar at her side. As she begins tuning it, a pair of people materialize near her with instruments. Without a word of explanation, she begins singing. As the song floats in through the window, Tyler's expression softens. "C'mon, let's go introduce ya'll to Altello. I'm sure he'll have a blast. Just, uh, don't touch him. Aside from the fact that he may just reduce a few of you to ash by being that holy, he's breakable." "We'll pass. C'mon Gareth. COME ON!" Brisinaria drags her husband out of the room, Jaden following her with Endeca's unconcious form. She's singing Pain (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Jknjd6F-PJw&playnext=1)
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 02:48 PM	Well, my sound isn't working at the moment, so do you have the lyrics to that? So I have something to work with here? "Sure. Why not?" "Fine, fine. We'll go."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 02:56 PM	Pain, without love Pain, I can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all You're sick of feeling numb You're not the only one I'll take you by the hand And I'll show you a world that you can understand This life is filled with hurt When happiness doesn't work Trust me and take my hand When the lights go out you will understand Pain, without love Pain, I can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all Pain, without love Pain, I can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all Anger and agony Are better than misery Trust me I've got a plan When the lights go off you will understand Pain, without love Pain, I can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all Pain, without love Pain, I can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing Rather feel pain I know (I know I know I know I know) That you're wounded You know (You know you know you know you know) That I'm here to save you You know (You know you know you know you know) I'm always here for you I know (I know I know I know I know) That you'll thank me later Pain, without love Pain, can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all Pain, without love Pain, I can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all Pain, without love Pain, I can't get enough Pain, I like it rough 'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all Rather feel pain than nothing at all Rather feel pain "Righty." Tyler walks back out the door and down the little path that leads to Altello's mini-apartment. The door is unlocked, but Tyler knocks anyway. Hearing the call to come in, he opens the door and shows everyone inside. "Altello, this is me, Inaya, Kaylee, and Gideon, was it?" "Um..well, nice to meet you all. Again."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 03:18 PM	"Yep. I'm Gideon. Howdy." "Inaya Elrissa, at your service." ------ "No. That's not right, Kaylee. I don't think you're a masochist. I don't think you like the pain. Maybe you'd rather feel pain than nothing, but you dont have to ignore everything else. You don't have to! Life doesn't have to be terrible. You just have to push through the bad part. Just get over it. Please." "Just get over it."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 03:33 PM	The phantasmal band fades away, and Kaylee lets the guitar drop. Without warning, she turns and hugs Coin fiercely. "I don't think I can get through this without you, Charlie. Thank you. So very much." "I'm Altello. I never really managed to pick up a surname. Have you met Lilai here, and her adorable little puppy? I was just telling her about various priestly orders back on Earth. She's very inquisitive." "Glad to see that runs in Inaya's family. I'd hate for our kids to be disinterested in things." Tyler flashes Inaya a smile and punches her arm playfully. "I ever tell you that just being near you makes me feel better about life, Altello?" "Constantly. I'm glad to provide the service. So, how did this come about? As far as I was aware, people only had one version of themself." "Well, remember when we were talking about theoretical other realities, which have been proven by us being here? Theirs is REALLY far away. It must not have gotten the memo yet." Kaylee and the other Tyler look strange, subdued even. Something about them has changed, become less harsh somehow. Even how they hold themselves has become calmer, easier.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 05:34 PM	"What! Kids!? Ty!" She pushes him backwards lightly. "Thinking a bit too far ahead there, aren't you?" "Say...wait a minute...your double over there looks a bit out of it. Any ideas? Or is that just the whole undead/Altello thing?" ------- "How many times do I have to tell you? That's why I'm here. You need anything, anything at all, and I'll be there." He reaches down to her chin and raises her head. "So cheer up. Life ain't really all that bad. You just have to get out and experience it. Yeah we want hopes and dreams and all that crap, but when you live only in them, well, you're gonna have problems. Things didn't work out how you would have liked them, but there's still a world out there. Keep the dreams and the past if you want, but this is reality. This is now. And who knows...maybe something better is there for you." "For example, I have no idea what's about to happen tomorrow, but it's gonna be one hell of a ride. I wouldn't miss it for the world." Coin stands up and offers his hand to the kneeling Kaylee. "You coming?"
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 05:45 PM	"Can't be. Undead are just fine until he touches them." "Actually, I think it is. Your friend here is radiating peace. He's quelling our Beasts by his mere presence. I've only heard about this, and only among the Kindred. They call it Golconda." "It feels...peaceful. Like I'll never hunger again." "Excuse me, miss, but what are you talking about?" "Nothing, Altello, nothing. Just keep bein' holy out of touching distance for us." Kaylee takes his hand and stands. "Yeah, I think I am. What do you say we do something I haven't done in awhile - stupid and reckless?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 05:57 PM	"Well, sounds like a useful thing to know. It's not hurting you or anything?" "Don't look like it is, lady. But if it gets rid of the vampire hunger, I'm all for it!" "As am I. It's those that hunger for human blood that I am sworn to slay. I...I lost two of my sisters to them...I had to slay them both after they came for me..." "Amily and Cassiera." "What? How did you know?" "Just trust me on this. You got the better half of the reality." "Why? What happ-" She stops abruptly as Inaya lays a hand gracefully on her scimitar's handle. "I'm not discussing it. Ever. Just be thankful that what happened to me didn't happen to you." "Now...where were we?" ------- "Stupid? Reckless? Of course. What else did you expect?" Coin looks sideways at her, and his eyes glimmer with pure golden light as he smiles rakishly. "Got anything special in mind? Or should we just see where we end up?"
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 06:07 PM	"I beleive it was somewhere around you explaining that vampire comment. Tyler, why have you brought such creatures into my presence?" "Altello, I don't want to hurt you, so you keep the holy wrath back at least ten feet and leave my new friends alone." "Tyler, they are abominations in the eyes of-" "God, holy man?" The other Tyler holds up his right hand, where a golden crucifix, identical to his double's, hangs. "I'll admit, becoming a Kindred gets you on the heavenly sh*t list, but God is forgiving. He knows that we make mistakes like anyone else, and, with possible exception for the Nosferatu, he still loves us." "Inaya...I'm so sorry. Your sisters must have been forced by a bond or by their sire. I'm sorry that you had to experience the cruelty of our kind. Most mortals only see that side of us." "That reminds me...what are you going to do about blood while you're here?" "Well, I sort of intended on business as usual. We've already told you guys that the Kiss causes no pain, and is in fact pleasurable to mortal and Kindred alike. We can't accidentally turn anyone into a vampire. Hell, only Kaylee here knows how, and it's not something done lightly. And you have my solemn oath that no one would ever die from either Kaylee or I." "What about Endeca?" "We would stake her ourselves, but we made a blood oath to her Chantry that we'd keep her safe. She's about as black-hearted and hateful as they come." "I reccomend straightjackets and I.V's to feed that woman."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 06:12 PM	"So Endeca's dangerous. And yet you won't let us take her out. That about the size of it?" "God that's irritating. Anything we can do?" "Well, if she is a threat in any way, we have to find a means of restraining her. We can't have her running amok, especially here, and..." Inaya looks over at Tyler. "Especially now."
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 06:16 PM	"Especially not with her surprisingly Nazi-like views of superiority. The look on her face when I countered that lightning was priceless, and likely better for you two." "It's the gift that keeps on giving. I caught it on my camera phone." The two Tylers give each other a high five before returning to their respective fiancees. "Hey Altello, where'd Lilai go anyway?" "You know, I'm not quite sure."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 06:26 PM	"Knowing her she probably...oh...SH*T! Tyler, where's their Endeca? Where'd we leave her?" Unless I'm confused somewhere, their Endeca is gone. If I am confused, I'll simply edit.
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 06:29 PM	"Back in your bedroom, dangling from the ceiling. We'll deal with her." The other Tyler and Kaylee zip out of the room, much faster than they should be able to go. Tyler begins incanting before he closes his eyes and concentrates. Well, how long does the other Inaya's restraints last? And the spell Tyler cast is to locate people.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 06:32 PM	"Thank god. That could have been very bad." No idea. Just seemed like the thing to do at the moment :D Also, is Tyler's spell to find Lilai? Or someone else?
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 07:26 PM	Nah, he's looking for the ghost of Mahatma Ghandi. Of course he's lookin' for Lilai! I should really find a way to familiarize you with the World of Darkness gaming setting, where these guys all came from. Since you've said you don't know, the psycho wizard-imitation (I'll explain when I figure out how to explain the rest of the world to you) is now loose. "This isn't good." Endeca is no longer hanging by the cieling." Now where's the girl so we can rescue her about-to-be-bitten ass?
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 07:40 PM	Actually, I have some of the Vampire stuff, but just never really got around to looking through it. Although since a friend is starting a VtM game soon, I suppose I probably should...:D Also, as a side note...the Ghost of Mahatma Ghandi has to have been the funniest thing I've seen all day. :D Inaya unsheathes her sword in a fraction of a second, almost decapitating half the people in the room. "She better not even think of touching my sister. With that, she rushes out of the room. As she does so, Tyler's spell takes his mind's eye to Lilai, wandering around the gardens, apparently completely lost. As the spell travels about her, it becomes apparent that she is quite far away...none of the structures within the Nexus are visible at all. And the only person who knows these gardens like the back of her hand has just fled the room.
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 07:49 PM	"That isn't good. Spanky!" Tyler snaps his fingers, and the puppy appears in a flash of light, tail wagging. "Find Lilai, boy!" The dog goes streaking off, and Tyler after it. "I say we see where the first couple of ideas that pop into our head can - hey, is that Tyler chasing a puppy?" Tyler whizzes by, following the dog. "Huh. This'll be an interesting story later today." "We've got to find her before she gets any of the wedding guests." "I'm on it like white on rice. I wasn't joking when I said I had a G.P.S. unit implanted in her ass." The other Tyler opens his cell phone, and a steady beeping sounds. "Let's move!" The two streak out of Kaylee's room, seeking Endeca.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 07:54 PM	"It does seem to resemble Tyler chasing a puppy. Er...Tyler, followed by you and himself, and Inaya, and some other guy in a trenchcoat, chasing a puppy, which appears to be chasing..." He peers off into the distance. "Figures. Inaya...again." "Hmmm...well, the smart thing to do would be to stay here. But..." "Want to see what's up?"
Lord_Gareth 04-05-07, 08:18 PM	"I'm tempted to say no, but I think you and I both know we'll regret this to our dying day if we're not there to see this." Taking Coin by the hand, she runs after the little parade. I turn control of the chase over to you, Gideon.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-05-07, 11:26 PM	Inaya runs on and on, followed by the unexpected group of followers, until she suddenly comes to a jarring halt. She turns around, looking confused, and then sprints to Tyler. "Ty...I have no idea where she is! This place is enormous...how are we ever going to find her?" I would take over...but Inaya wasn't there for the location spell :D
Lord_Gareth 04-06-07, 09:06 AM	Tyler grabs Inaya by the arm and continues sprinting after Spanky. "I know where she is, and Spanky is leading us there. C'mon!"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-06-07, 10:13 AM	Inaya sprints after Tyler, soon passing. She does not stop until she is almost stepping of Spanky, trailing behind him by mere inches. Together they run through the gardens, tearing around corners and leaping over beds of flowers. The red glow of the lava streams below strikes the crystal structures around them, illuminating the entire labyrinthine gardens with crimson light. And then Inaya suddenly reaches out and grabs Spanky's tail, flinging him backwards. "Bridge out. Has been for years. She must have flown over. But she was lucky...the lavafall wasn't active then. It is now. He would've run right into it." "We need another way. Follow me." Backtracking, she starts up another slope and runs through more twisted passageways, muttering to herself the entire time. "So she jumped the falls, and went...where? Let's see...young kid, very interested in everything...she'd probably stop at...well, if she reached it. That's it!" Inaya stops abruptly, and charges toward a section of apparently solid wall, which suprisingly swivels as she hits it, revealing a narrow walkway along the side of a building, hundreds of feet above a lava river. "Shortcut. Come on!" [i]Inching along the causeway, they progress slowly, until a passageway opens before them. Inaya runs through, lets out a scream of rage, jumps, and drops from sight into the garden below.
Lord_Gareth 04-06-07, 10:22 AM	It's Spanky, Gid, not Sparky. Spanky. Tyler follows Inaya's leap, landing harshly on the ground below. Some twenty feet away, Endeca is holding Lilai by the scruff of her neck, the girl's weapons tossed to the side. "There she is!" "Endeca, soloniku graborono!" "No! This mortal is mine! I found her fair and square!" "Like hell. IGNIS DAEMONIA!" A lance of flame streaks into the pink-haired girl, smashing her aside and forcing her to let go of Lilai. But the fire catches hold. The woman's screams of pain and fear are short lived - she is consumed utterly in less than five seconds. "Endeca! You moron, now her Chantry is going to be after both our hides! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-06-07, 11:04 AM	"Nice shooting, Ty." Inaya hurries over to her sister and helps her up from the ground. "Come on. She's gone. We've got you." "So now you guys are gonna be hunted by other vampires. Hmmm...interesting." "Do we care? Are we supposed to care?" "Yes. They came along to help us, so we can't let them go on their own." "So...what exactly is going to happen to you? And how do we prevent it?"
Lord_Gareth 04-06-07, 11:41 AM	"This is ironic. We're safe as long as we're in this dimension. The Tremere can't pierce the Horizon like Endeca did. But we broke a Blood Oath. That means - urrk!" He clutches his stomach, as does his fiancee. "Erg, I'm feelin' it too, and I'm not sworn to anything. What the hell?" "Don't ask me, I didn't swear anything to my double." Both Tylers and both Kaylees are clutching their stomachs, groaning in pain. "We need to feed, or this could end badly....."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-06-07, 08:18 PM	"How bad is badly?" Coin holds Kaylee up, watching helplessly as she doubles over in pain. "Holy f*ck. This is not a good sign." "Wait a sec. By feed, you mean suck blood, right? Does someone have to die? Or would the 'victim' survive?"
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 07:29 AM	"We're going to need more than the human body holds, but there's no - urrk - no reason it all has to come from one person. We - gahh! - usually feed in small amounts from several people - urk - to prevent any problems for the mortals involved." "If feels like my blood is on fire. It burns." "That's what's happening. The Oath is taking hold, and it - urrrrrk - is going after the blood we have, which is the same as yours."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-07-07, 04:09 PM	"Then let's stop it. But I'm not being bitten." Inaya draws a slender dagger and gently slices open her forearm. "Will that work?" "Come on...there's two of them. The amount of blood lost would cripple you. Give me that." Coin grabs the blade and imitates Inaya, opening a wound on his own arm. "Ow. That stings a bit. Ah well." "One thing though...Tyler is not sucking on my arm. Got it?"
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 06:54 PM	"I-I-I-I'm honored. I won't forget this." Tentatively, Kaylee approaches Coin, unable to hide the thirst in her expression. She brings the arm up, but looks into Coin's eyes, almost as though asking permission. As her mouth clamps down on the wound, the Kiss takes hold, and pleasure like the mortal has never known overwhelms him. Tyler is either draining faster or has less blood to lose. Greedily, he clamps down on Inaya's wound. The Kiss likewise takes hold of the woman. The two vampires drink for what must be half a minute. Inaya and Coin are feeling woozy from blood loss, even though they are in absolute ecstacy from the Kiss. Sensing that they are near a critical threshold, the undead break off from their feeding, licking the wounds closed as if they were never there. "No mortal has ever done that for a Kindred, given Vitae knowing our true nature and our intentions. We won't forget this. We have enough to live - for now. But only just barely, we'll need to find more before the night is done." "Actually, it's day right now. We just don't have a real sun here." "Thank you. So very, very much. The Beast has been placated...for now."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-07-07, 07:06 PM	Inaya's face flushes a deep crimson and her entire body shudders, and, gracefully, she falls, hitting the ground with a thud. Coin, although he exhibits similiar symptoms, remains standing, although his eyes are slightly out of focus and he sways dangerously, as if completely drained of energy. "Yay. Now we've just postponed the attack of the bloodsucking menaces." The other Inaya kneels down and rolls her double over. "She appears to be out. Give me a minute and I'll being her round." "But Gideon's right. It's going to happen again, isn't it?" "It...it...itbetter not. Weneedto...find...awaytostop...it. I...don'tthinkthat I can...do...thatagain anytime...soon. Feelin'dizzy........Kaylee? Areyou...oka--" Coin to falls to the ground, dizzy from loss of blood. "By the way Tyler...thanks. That lady was a bit to powerful for me, and...well...she would have had me in another minute." Lilai blushes in embarassment. "So thanks."
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 07:25 PM	Gid, when I say pleasureable, I mean in that way. Side effect of V: TM system. "Normally, we don't need much, but our battle with you and Gideon took a lot out of us, and so did the Oath. It isn't really a problem if we keep on our feeding regularly. We're almost like normal people then." Tyler walks over to Lilai, making sure she's fine. "It was the right thing to do. I don't need thanks for it. The important thing is that you're safe."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-07-07, 07:43 PM	Ah. Well then...I'll go and fix that, won't I :D "So now we just need to find you all a consistant source of people, or Tyler and Kaylee...that is, the other Tyler and Kaylee, are going to suffer along with you?" "That's so stupid I can't even think of the words to describe it." "Gid, that is not helping. Much as I don't want to do this, we need to find a source for them. Otherwise the non-vampiric Tyler and Kaylee will have problems as well." "Which is exactly what I just said." "Well...yes. But better." "How so?" "I said it. And I actually think before I talk."
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 07:47 PM	"We can find a city or something. We've always been good at hiding." "Umm, it won't be that simple. There's a few thousand years of technology difference in your favor. You and Ty would stick out pretty damn well." "I know a place they can go." "Where?" The human Tyler and Kaylee look at each other slyly before saying, at the same time, "Sorcen's Arena."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-07-07, 07:51 PM	"Huh?" "Care to elaborate a bit?" Inaya's ministering gradually takes effect, and her double stands up a bit groggily, still flushed, and staggers a few steps before collasping onto Tyler's shoulder. "H...hi. Wha' going...on?" It's clear she's still a bit out of it.
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 08:01 PM	"Alright you two. If you can be discreet, and I mean REALLY discreet, because Altello is just waiting for a chance to waste your asses, you can take a bit from my family members. They have a mini-complex here while they get ready for the wedding. It should be simple, since you look like us." "We can explain after the wedding, and after we find out more about their condition. Agreed?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-07-07, 08:08 PM	"Fair enough. Though that's a horrible thing to do to your family, kid." Gideon smiles. "I knew I would like you!" "Gideon!" "What? It's hysterical!" "Well if that's all been settled, we'd better get Inaya and Coin back. Inaya looks a little confused...and Coin's still out cold." Lilai begins to giggle. "We should carry him back. He'd be sooooo angry at us."
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 09:41 PM	"Maybe, unlike you, he's realized that we don't cause that much harm. The only reason for this extreme effect was because we took so much. Three pints worth, actually, of the five the human body has at any given time." Tyler picks Inaya up off her feet. If she wasn't still confused, it would be a very romantic gesture. The human Kaylee likewise picks up Coin, but is unable to support his weight without slinging him over her shoulder. "Alright. Let's get some sleep for the wedding tomorrow. Or whatever passes as sleep for you two. Lilai, you can sleep with Inaya and me. I've got a proposition for ya anyway." Slowly and carefully, Tyler begins to carry his love back the way they came, up the hill they had jumped down.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-07-07, 09:47 PM	"Hmmm...well, we'll see." "Come on. Ignore her. She's a bit...well...testy sometimes. A lot of the time, actually." "GIDEON..." "Eh, shut it." Inaya's double looks shocked, but she lapses into sullen silence for the trek back. "Say, living Kaylee...need help with that? He looks a bit heavy for you."
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 10:12 PM	"No thanks," Kaylee says with a small smile, "I think he'd appreciate his girlfriend carrying him more than a total stranger. Oh, you guys are gonna need a room or rooms. Are you two together?" Tyler fights hard to supress a laugh at the simple question that could have such catastrphically funny answers. He manages to fight the mirth down as they continue their trek. "Hey Lilai, how would you like to learn magic? The real kind, that only a few people can do. You're a smart girl and you pick things up fast, and Kaylee and I would be more than glad to teach ya. And if you're interested, I can teach you m ore about technology too. I've already got your sister good enough with a gun that I might let her be seen in public with one." He smiles broadly at his own joke.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-07-07, 10:20 PM	Inaya stops dead in her tracks, her eyes wide with alarm and what appears to be fright. Gideon, however, doubles over, almost rolling on the ground with laughter. "Definitely NOT." "Oh man. That was amazing! The expression on your face alone was worth this whole trip, Inaya." His only response from Inaya is a dark, humorless glare. Shaking his head and still chuckling to himself, he turns to Kaylee, a wide grin plastered across his face. "Thanks for that. Best thing I've heard all day!" "Could you? Really? Lilai looks excitedly up at Tyler, her eyes wide, and a hopeful expression on her face.
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 10:26 PM	"Sure thing. But I have to tell you now - I will not teach you my brand of magic. It's bad enough that I'm mucking about in it, I don't need to expose you to that kind of stuff. But I can help Kaylee teach you Technomagic, which requires some knowledge of technology. Umm..do you play an instrument?" Kaylee lets out a girlish giggle when she sees Inaya's expresssion. "Two rooms then. By the way, Gideon, your self in this universe should be passing through here sometime in the future on his way back to Sorcen's. Or, rather, he'll be using extradimensional gates, and I can gank his path and make him come here. You wanna meet yourself sometime?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-07-07, 10:34 PM	"Hell, why not? Should be a blast." He smiles. "Either metaphorically, or, quite possibly, literally." "Not really. I never did like my lessons much..." Lilai looks slightly crestfallen. "Is that a problem?"
Lord_Gareth 04-07-07, 10:37 PM	"Nope," Tyler says cheerily as they squeeze through the narrow section that Inaya had taken to get around the lava, "just a minor difficulty. Kaylee and I both learned discipline and meditation using music. It's just a matter of finding what you like. And trust me, there's a lot to choose from. Hell, a pair of spoons can be both an instrument and a deadly weapon."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 11:14 AM	"So I just need to find a focus of some kind? That's all it is?"
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 11:34 AM	"Well, not quite. A focus is something else, you use it to enhance magic. Like I use music for mine, it makes all my spells stronger. Magic takes a certain state of mind, a way of organizing your thoughts so you can channel the energy safely." "What she said. And there's another reason besides trying to get ya to learn it - Kaylee and I are trying to start a Tradition, and as part of that, we have to teach new apprentices the same way. But don't worry overmuch, we're not gonna bug ya 'till after the wedding. Hey, there's our room!" Kaylee concentrates, and a pair of apartments pop up next to hers and Altello's. "There you go, Inaya, Gideon." Kaylee begins heading back to her room with Coin as Tyler goes to his with Inaya.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 11:45 AM	"Instant rooms. Nice idea. I wonder...would it be--" "That's wonderful. Think about it quietly." Inaya's double stalks off into her own room, leaving Gideon looking at a closed door. "Huh. Bit tetchy. Ah well." "Thanks for the room!" As Tyler enters the room, Inaya's eyes begin to refocus, and she raises her head slightly. "Gods. I feel really drowsy...how much blood did they take, anyway?"
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 11:55 AM	"Three pints. Incidentally, the maximum human limit before you die. You'll feel fine after a good night's sleep. That was really noble, what you did." Tyler gently lays Inaya on the bed, and then sits down on the bed. "Alrighty. Lilai, if you hear growling from me, that's just Kivi. I need to sleep, it's getting late." Kaylee lays Coin gently on his bed and goes to lay down on hers. After a few moments of indecision, she lays down next to him, wrapping her arms around him. In moments, she's asleep.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 11:59 AM	Inaya looks up sleepily and smiles. "What else could I have done? It wasn't just hurting them..." With that, her eyes close.
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 12:11 PM	Tyler strokes Inaya's hair gently. "Here, Lilai. Take the bed, I'll sleep on the couch." To make his words final, the Daemon Magus takes the couch, streatching out as his clothing changes into pajamas. "Love that hat.." He trails off into a yawn before allowing sleep to take him. I swear, no more twists, no more taking up your characters, we're time-skipping to morning, and I'm PMing Sorcen to tell him that the time has FINALLY come for him to do the ceremony.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 12:20 PM	HOLY SH*T! IT'S A SIGN OF THE APOCALYPSE! :D I guess eleven pages is enough of an intro :D The sun washes gently over the Nexus, and Tyler is rudely awakened by a pillow to his face, followed immediately by Lilai jumping onto the couch. "Wake up! No oversleeping!" "Lilai, get off him. Waking me up like that was bad enough. I'm going to be bruised for weeks."
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 12:34 PM	"Urrrrrrrk, Lilai! I have near-anorexia there, that hurt!" He rolls the girl off of him before sitting up. "Aw, geez. Your dad is gonna be ticked when I tell him about, ah, the other you. Which reminds me, I gotta do this real quick." He scrawls something on a piece of paper before folding it up and tossing it in the air. A flash of light indicates that is has appeared before Lord Elrissa. "Now that that's out of the way, the ceremony is at noon, so we've got some time beforehand. Oh, Inaya, can I ask you a favor?" He smiles mischeviously. "You mind wearing that red and black dress to the ceremony? I want to see the look on my father's face when I tell him you didn't qualify for white." I leave Coin to wake up Kaylee, because she'll keep sleeping right there as long as he'll let her.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 12:46 PM	"Gladly. Given his earlier reaction, I expect we'll want pictures." ---- Coin wakes groggily, and notices Kaylee still wrapped around him. He lays back, his hands behind his head, and closes his eyes happily. However, after a few minutes, he reluctently sits up and gently shakes her awake. "Kaylee...time to get up. We've got a busy day ahead of us."
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 01:13 PM	Kaylee's eyes flutter open slowly. "Morning Charlie. Sorry I took your bed again." Alright. Now, let's see..." Tyler walks over to the bed, turning on the laptop from its place on the bedside table. His fingers once again begin to fly across the keyboard. "Well Inaya, I daresay that we may just have enough people related to you in some way for bridesmaids. Aaand..here we are!" A program is up on the screen, titled at the top of the screen, Dressmaker. "I've got my homonculous on this, so he'll be able to help you with how to work it. You can make the dresses for them and Lilai, and then just tell it when you're happy with the dress. It'll create an example of what it looks like, and then ask if you wanna make more. Hey, Seabiscut, show yourself." A horse appears on the lower right-hand corner of the screen. "My homonculous, Seabiscut. If you have any questions, just ask him. I gotta take a shower and get ready. Wow...I can't believe the day's finally here." The Daemon Magus gets up and walks to the bathroom door, walking in and shutting it behind him. The shower is heard to turn on.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 01:26 PM	"No problem." He smiles. "That's always gonna be fine with me." Coin throws his legs over the side of the bed and pulls himself up, reaching for the headrest to steady himself. "Whoa...remind me not to let the suckers at me again...I'm think I'm still a bit light-headed." ------- "So...uh..." Inaya looks at the homonculous, and then taps lightly on the screen. "Hello? You there?"
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 01:30 PM	A speech bubble appears near the horse's mouth with words inside it, though it makes no noise. "Yes, Lady Elrissa. Please do not touch the screen, as it is bad for the laptop. There is a touch pad on the keyboard that can move the cursor, or I can move it for you. Observe." The cursor moves slowly about the screen before settling in the middle. "Tyler designed this program to be easy to learn on one's own. I reccomend experimentation."
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 01:40 PM	"Ah. Got it." "Lilai? Will you come over here a minute? This looks like something you'd be better at." "Sure!" A few minutes later, both women are happily fiddling with the program, Lilai having rapidly accustomed herself to the new technology.
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 05:56 PM	Kaylee goes over to steady Coin, holding him a little closer than absolutely necessary. "Whatever you say. But that was noble what you did -" She stops midsentence to kiss the young man. "My knight in shining armor. We've got things to do, but," she kisses him again, teasingly, "why rush?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 06:17 PM	"Wellll...when you put it like that..." In an ill-though out move, Coin stands up and sweeps Kaylee up into his arms...and almost immediately sits heavily back onto the bed, the added weight to much for his still weakened frame. He looks down at the girl sprawled next to him and smiles apologetically. "There you are. The first recorded case of a knight failing to sweep away the damsel in distress."
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 06:33 PM	Kaylee laughs for the first time in a few days, her lilting, bell-like laugh, "Yeah, I believe it is. C'mon, it's time for the damsel to drag the wounded knight back onto the battlefield." Kaylee gets up and slings Coin over her shoulder again, "The other me must have taken more out of you than she thought. The human body makes blood pretty fast, what with needing it to live and all. Now, can you shower on your own, or do you need me to help?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 06:45 PM	Coin twists, falling from Kaylee's grasp and landing slightly awkwardly on his feet. "Apparently my body didn't get the memo. Still, it's clearing up, and I think I'm more than capable of taking a shower my..." He pauses in midsentence, thinking, then laughs and begins again. "Actually, you're right. The dizzyness is beginning to come back." Holding a hand to his forehead, he stumbles dramatically against the nearest wall, and just barely misses being killed on the spot by the God of Overacting. "I'll probably end up accidently drowning myself. Want to give me a hand?"
Lord_Gareth 04-08-07, 06:57 PM	"That's what I thought, but don't think you're getting any farther than second base, Charlie, if that. This is Inaya's special day, 'cause we all know the wedding is all about the woman. C'mon." Kaylee takes Coin and drags him into the bathroom. Alright, the next thing that's gonna happen is the ceremony. I'm gonna time-skip when I finish writing it up and then we'll get on with it. You might finally get to use your characters again :P
Gideon_Gideonson 04-08-07, 08:35 PM	Coin's voice can be heard feigning innocence as the door clicks shut behind them. "Kaylee, I swear I have no idea what you're talking about." I await your move, Lord Gareth.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-24-07, 03:47 PM	A cold draft of wind sweeps across the sleeping form of Coin, and the young man rolls over, reaching for the blankets only to grab at empty air. Groaning slightly in annoyance, he unwillingly opens his eyes and is momentarily dazzled by the bright sunlight flowing in through the windows. “Aw crap…” Levering himself up onto his elbows, Coin waves a hand and sits back to wait. Within a few seconds, a miniature grandfather clock appears out of nowhere and hits him squarely between the eyes. Feeling slightly dizzy from the impact, Coin picks it up, and stares cross-eyed at it until he regains his senses. Then he drops it in alarm and leaps from the bed, pulling his clothes on as quickly as humanly possible. “Damn, Damn, DAMN! Why the HELL did she let me sleep?” Snapping his fingers, Coin manages to set himself on fire and promptly screams in pain. Rushing into the bathroom, he turns on all the taps and steps into the shower. A billowing cloud of steam rises from him as he runs back to his dresser. Plucking another pristinely white suit from the drawer, he pulls in on as he rushes from the room, before he vanishes in a puff of smoke.
Gideon_Gideonson 04-29-07, 12:48 AM	There is an old saying that nothing is more useless than a bridegroom on the day of a wedding, and Tyler Vici is living up to expectations. Since waking, he has wandered the Nexus lost in his own little world, being unable to see Inaya at the woman’s own insistence. And of course it does not do to arrive at the wedding to early, so talking to the guests is impossible. Tyler sighs. Inaya’s one insistence on tradition had to be this… Still, it wouldn’t be long now. Tyler glances down at his watch for what must be the hundredth time. 15 minutes to go. **** In another part of the Nexus, Lilai knocks on the door to Inaya’s room. When there is no answer, she opens it and shouts into the room. ”15 minutes to go! Are you ever coming out? Or have you decided to live in there?” A wet towel flies out of the room, wrapping itself about Lilai’s head with a damp thump. ”Are you calling me every two minutes now, or do I get a break sometime? I’ll be ready. Just give me five more minutes...”
Gideon_Gideonson 04-29-07, 02:13 AM	As the designated hour approaches, the crowd begins to settle into the seats conjured for the occasion. It is a motley assortment of people, from the shaman Mzumu Kagunda to Lord Gareth the Cold to the duplicate Tyler and Kaylee, sitting side-by-side, but all are united this day by a common purpose. The chatter begins to die down as a portal opens at the front of the assembly, and all conversation cuts off as Lord Sorcen and Lady Aya step through and take their place. The regal Lord of Hell is the picture of fiendish nobility, decked in his finest raiment, and Aya’s mere presence causes many of the men in the audience to stare slightly more than is necessary under the circumstance…although everyone is staring, because of what the Lady of Hell gently sets down on the pedestal next to her: two rings, thin bands of gold, forged in the fires of Hell itself. They shimmer with otherworldly light in a way no mere metal could possibly dream of, and each is a perfect reflection of the other, except for a single defining touch…one carries a brilliant ruby, and the other is embellished with a sapphire of unsurpassed purity. And then Tyler Vici walks out before the guests, and takes his place in front of Lord Sorcen. There is silence for a moment, and then a small explosion as Coin finally finds the correct destination for his arrival. He stands up, flushing slightly, and dusts the dirt from his suit before snapping his fingers and watching his magic clean him up. Satisfied, he takes his place at Tyler’s side, whisper to the bridegroom out of the corner of his mouth. ”Sorry…bit of trouble finding the place.” Suddenly a haunting tune fills the air: a wedding march, but with something more, some deeper harmonic that touches the very soul. As the rest of the audience sits in momentary shock, Coin glances sideways at Kaylee and flashes her a smile as her band begins to weave the melody. As one, the audience turns around to watch the back of the aisle, for a figure has appeared at the far end of the crowd. Tall and graceful, her lithe form draped in flowing folds of black silk, her face obscured by a thin black veil, and a bouquet of red flowers in her hands, Inaya walks slowly forward, Lilai at her side. As she steps out of the shadows of the surrounding crystal buildings and into the light of the gardens, a black line splits the air at her side, and opens into a large rift. And through it steps Lady Kaaris Elrissa, followed by her five daughters. As they move to stand behind Inaya, a final figure steps regally out of the portal, which snaps shut behind him. Lord Baln Elrissa bows low, and, standing tall once again, offers his arm to Inaya. ”If you don’t mind, my daughter…regardless of what the past may be, there are times when a father must be a father.” Inaya says nothing, but her face brightens as she weaves her arm through that of her father, and, together, the two start down the aisle. In the crowd of assembled guests, Mzumu Kagunda smiles to himself, and whispers a few words to a well-chosen spirit. The sun slowly begins to set, although it is far from time, until the sunset washes throughout the gardens, illuminating everything with a spectrum of colors. The crystal structures seem to glow with an inner light, and the entire nexus is awash with the beautiful reflection of the setting sun. Inaya’s dress shines with an unearthly radiance, glistening black silk and flaming red falling like water around her as she steps forward, her long dark hair trailing gently in the breeze; a beautiful spectre, a Queen of Hell to rival Aya herself. The music rises to a crescendo, and slowly begins to die away as Inaya and her retinue reach the end of the aisle. Lord Elrissa walks his daughter up to Tyler and drops his arm, embracing her briefly and stepping back, leaving Tyler to walk Inaya up to the Lord of Hell. As the pair walk up to Sorcen, the devil lord speaks, his rich voice rolling gently across the gathering. ”We are gathered here today to celebrate the end of a long journey…and the beginning of a new and joyous one. Today we unite in marriage two people from different worlds, and different times, thrown together by the winds of chance and tied together by the bonds of love. Today we celebrate the union of one Tyler Vici and one Lady Inaya Elrissa. They have each overcome much in their lives, and will have many more challenges to face together. But here and now we are fortunate to share in their joy as they exchange their vows and join in matrimony.” The Lord of Hell steps back as Tyler turns to face his bride. ”I, Tyler Vici, take you, Inaya Elrissa, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children, and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.” “And I, Inaya Elrissa, take you, Tyler Vici, to be to be my friend, my lover, the father of my children, and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and stay with you, for all eternity.” Tyler steps up to Lady Aya and gently lifts the sapphire ring from her hand. He raises it to the gathering as he steps back, and, turning, takes Inaya’s hand, sliding the ring onto her finger. ”I, Tyler Vici, give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity.” Inaya, in turn, steps up to the Queen of Hell and carefully takes the ruby ring from her hand. She glides over to Tyler once more, encircling his finger with the golden band. ”And I, Inaya Elrissa, give you this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity.” ”Tyler Vici, do you take Inaya Elrissa to be your lawfully wedded wife?” Tyler breaks his gaze away from Inaya to face Lord Sorcen, and speaks with great composure. ”I do.” Inaya Elrissa, do you take Tyler Vici to be your lawfully wedded husband?” Inaya reaches out and slowly turns Tyler around to face her once more. Looking into his eyes, she gently nods her head. ”I do.” ”Then in the name of Lucifer, Satan, and the Spirit of Asmodeus, and by the power invested in me by the fires of Hell itself, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride” And, as the last rays of sunlight wash over the gardens, and as Inaya flings her bouquet out into the crowd, Tyler lifts aside the veil and embraces his bride. They don’t need to be told twice.
Lord_Gareth 04-29-07, 11:58 AM	There is some coughing from the guests, likely on purpose, as the kiss is held much longer than public courtesy should allow. But eventually, Tyler breaks it off, staring deep into Inaya's eyes. "Now you're stuck with me. Care to dance, milady?" The wedding march is brough to an end as Kaylee picks up the microphone. She's smiling happily and on the verge of tears, but her voice is one of the professional - Kaylee Laythe knows how to work a crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the after-wedding party. For those of you who want to go home, you know where the portal is. For those of you who don't, remember that we don't serve alchohol to minors." The guests stand hurriedly as the seats vanish, replaced by a large dance floor with a buffet table on one side. "Let's start things off with something slow." The band begins to play, and Tyler offers his hand to Inaya. "I never really learned to dance, but now would be a wonderful time to start." Kaylee is playing Dance with the Devil (http://youtube.com/watch?v=49lYdplwPe8)
Khael 04-29-07, 05:01 PM	As from the portal bursts a swarm of black robed beings, great and small, who swiftly spread out, claws tearing across the floor and walls, as the things walk and climb out by every point leaving devastation in their wake, as they move, roaring and hissing for living prey, forms swathed in thick cloth... "Errr, I'm going to guess none of you know what four-legged grunty things with lances are, right?", calls out a dishevelled looked figure who steps into the garden, peering out from under a wide-brimmed hat. From under the hat, and between his coat can be a growth of dirty blonde hair, both from head and face, and a sparkle of some crystaline stuff from right beneath the hat. "Don't mind me, I'll be going soon, but any of you know?"
Gideon_Gideonson 04-30-07, 09:49 PM	As her ears pick up the sounds of the destruction, Inaya turns quickly around and gestures to Lilai, who reaches beneath her dress and tosses over a long, thin parcel. Inaya's hand darts out, grabbing the package from the air, and she deftly draws the scimitar from within, looking apologetically over at Tyler. "I thought it best to be prepared..." So saying she reaches once more into the fabric wrapping and draws out two pistols, which she holds out for Tyler. "We've got company, and, unfortunately, it appears that they have no common courtesy at all. So I'm afraid I have to say..." Inaya's blade flashes in the light of the setting sun as she unsheaths her blade, and she whirls it around herself, spinning gracefully about to stand once more at Tyler's side. "May I have this dance, my lord?"
Khael 05-02-07, 05:47 PM	As they begint heir march, from the midst of the pack, one figure stands lone as from its cloak it draws forth a cystalline form as darkest jet, as its revelation, those about begin first to hum, then to chant a long eerie dirge, as the grounds about the bearer's feet begin to singe and blacken, even as the skies on high, curdle and twist, a dark fog rising to fill the air with night... While below, from the pack issue forth first one, then more, of the dark kin, bourne on leathen wings, and blackened pinions, as they rise to seek their prey, the others marching by foot, the beaer in their midst, leaving the mark of their passage in the very surface they walk upon, and scar. ***** As the stranger treks into view of the pavilion, he first drops, then seems to disappear, his voice calling out from whatever hiding place, "If'en I come out, y'all promise not to shoot, Right? This time at least..."
Lord_Gareth 05-02-07, 08:14 PM	Kaylee's voice, cold with anger, sounds out. The summoned beings freeze, angry red marks emblazoned on their foreheads, as the other intruder appears in the middle of the dance floor. "I don't appreciate gate crashers. So, here's how this is gonna go down." The mark appears on the stranger's forehead as well, freezing them. The summoned things bubble and hiss before dissolving into nothingness. "This is my realm. So go back to wherever you came from and tell them not to bother me." An idle gesture, and the stranger winks out, hurled back to the Taverne.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-02-07, 09:26 PM	Inaya stops dead, turning to stare in wonder at Kaylee before dropping her blade. "...That was quite impressive. And unexpected." She turns back to Tyler, and takes his hands in hers. "Ty, my offer still stands. May I have this dance?"
Khael 05-03-07, 08:07 AM	"At least no-one tried shooting me this time... Hell, when am I ever gonna see a wedding this peaceful again?" With an echoing thud the behatted stranger appears in their midst, planting a kiss on Inaya, before vanishing again, a big cheesy grin on his face, leaving the words: "Arribly derzci!" For the record the last bit is only Really applicable if cameras are in use there. And that is the very garbled misprenounciation of 'arrivederci' at the end, if anyone wondered. And yes, there is a reason he overrode her banishment. And how he can avoid being presumedly shot/castrated by the happy couple, that doesn't involve the rather weak ones of shock, high dex scores or the like.. I'm just not really going to explain them as they'll likely never come up again, since any such move in the arena is technically a DQ. But if it helps, the 'monk' Smoke, the Ensigerum, two or three spells out of the SRD and T. Pratchett's Thief of time, should as least partially explain all of this aspect of his moves if ever used in the arena. And what he did there.
Lord_Gareth 05-04-07, 06:40 AM	Tyler looks at Inaya in shock, his jaw hanging open and clearly unable to think of something to say. A camera goes off in the crowd as a grinning Jack Vici takes a picture of his son. Finally, the Daemon Magus makes up his mind and takes his bride's hand. "I'm gonna need to buy a very large stick to keep the men off ya during our honeymoon. Gotta have some time with you, milady." His tone becomes more serious, but he's still smiling. "Of course you can have this dance. I wouldn't have my first dance with anyone but you, married or no. Lead on, milady, and hopefully I won't mess up too much."
Lord_Gareth 05-12-07, 07:25 PM	By the power of Greyskull, I declare a :bump:!
Gideon_Gideonson 05-13-07, 08:01 PM	Inaya smiles. "Only a large stick? I must be slipping." With that, Inaya takes Tyler's hands in her own and glides onto the dance floor. The Daemon Magus may not know all the steps perfectly, but his few errors are invisible as Inaya expertly adjusts the pace and rhythm of the moves to compensate. She is the melody, the beat, and she moves as if she and the music were one and the same. Together the two fly across the floor, eliciting cheers from the surrounding crowd, until Tyler feels a gentle tap on his shoulder.
Lord_Gareth 05-13-07, 09:02 PM	As the other guests begin to take up the spirit of the party and Kaylee's band picks up the beat with something faster and definitely more punk - Kaylee's specialty - Tyler turns to face the tap on his shoulder, smiling and full of happiness.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-13-07, 09:12 PM	Lord Elrissa stands behind him, smiling for once. "Mr. Vici...I believe it is customary for the father to get a chance to dance with his daughter...do you mind?"
Lord_Gareth 05-13-07, 09:16 PM	"Not at all, Lord Elrissa. Besides, I need to talk with your other daughter - oh, almost forgot. LILAI! GRAB ALTELLO AND BRING HIM OVER HERE!" Tyler's sudden enthusastic yell makes a few of the guests pause curiously, but a couple of them - notably Brisinaria and Jaden - simply laugh and continue dancing as Tyler gently disengages from Inaya's grasp.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-13-07, 09:22 PM	Lilai turns around, nods, and rushes off into the crowd. "Altello! Come on! Tyler wants you!" Finding the albino, she reaches out to grab his arm, barely managing to stop herself in time. "Sorry! Won't happen again...but come on!" Gently pushing the older man before her, she fights her way back to Tyler's side.
Lord_Gareth 05-13-07, 09:34 PM	"Lord Elrissa, this is Altello. Altello, this is Lord Elrissa, the father of the girl you ressurected. Lilai, I think your father wanted to see you. Actually, I know. Just, erm, don't touch Altello. Please." "A pleasure, milord. I was glad to help."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-13-07, 09:44 PM	Lord Elrissa drops Inaya's hands and steps forward to Altello, embracing him as gently as humanly possible. He doesn't say anything, but a single tear slides slowly down his cheek.
Lord_Gareth 05-13-07, 09:54 PM	"Lord Elrissa, I hate to sweep away your youngest daughter, but she and I have some things to talk about. You can catch her at the dinner after the dance - in the meantime, Kaylee and I have some business with her. Inaya...you've got to give me lessons later. Without further ado, milord, I leave you with the bride." Taking her slim hands, Tyler begins to dance away with Lilai towards Kaylee, already having picked up a few things from his bride.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-15-07, 08:38 PM	As Inaya blows a farewell kiss to Tyler, Lord Elrissa backs slowly away from Altello and nods somberly to the albino. "If there is every anything, ANYTHING you need, just say the word, my friend. If it within my power to do so, I will do whatever you require instantly and without hesitation. You have my eternal gratitude." With that, Inaya and Lord Elrissa sweep away into the press of dancers. ****** Lilai looks up at Tyler with some puzzlement, but soon picks up the dance with enthusiam. As she dances circles around the magus, she quietly pesters him. "So Tyler, what do you and Kaylee want with me? Hmmm? Come on...tell me! Please?"
Lord_Gareth 05-16-07, 08:36 PM	"Well," Tyler whispers back, smiling, "if you're still interested in learning more about magic and science, Kaylee would have to be your future master. And it's best to make the arrangement official as early as possible. Kaylee is smart in ways I can't comprehend sometimes, and she can work in lessons into the weirdest things." As Tyler and his new sister-in-law move slowly towards where Kaylee is playing, he frowns slightly, his face getting a more serious look. "And...Kaylee is going through a tough time in her life right now. She didn't really have friends once...once we split up, and she'll need the people who care about her near her. I can't be there, because...because...I can't tell you. That's for her to say. But I'd be more harm than good. Do you understand?"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-16-07, 08:52 PM	"I think so...but I'm suprised...she seems so lively whenever I see her..."
Lord_Gareth 05-16-07, 09:09 PM	"One of Kaylee's many talents is dissembling. She's good at hiding what she really feels, what she really thinks, so that she doesn't bother anyone near her with her problems. But she keeps it all in and never lets anyone see the real her - only me, and only in little glimpses. Someone, sometime, hurt her very badly, and she's been afraid ever since." Tyler sighs and leads his smaller partner through a gap in the dance. "And I'm afraid I've hurt her again, by trying to help her. I can't give her what she wants..." Tyler looks like he is about to continue, but they reach the band, only to see another Kaylee wave at them from behind the stage. Guessing what has happened, Tyler leads Lilai, no longer dancing, behind the stage. "Hey Ty, I see you brought our little mage-to-be. I-" "Kay, I've known you too long for you to dissemble in front of me. What's wrong?" Kaylee tries very hard to maintain her composure in front of Lilai, but she simply can't hold it together. Desperate tears stand out in the techno magus' eyes. Tyler's face softens in a look both of pity and resignation as she begins to speak. "Please...couldn't you just try? For me?" For a moment, the Daemon Magus is torn, but his expression sets, and his next words are cold. "No, I can't. Get on with your life, Kaylee. There are others who care about you besides me, if you'd just look and see them. Quit blinding yourself. Until you can pull yourself together, I'm afraid I can't stay in touch with you. I'm sorry." Harshly, Tyler turns and walks away, seeking his bride and leaving Lilai with his former girlfriend. He doesn't turn back. He wouldn't want Kaylee to see the tears in his eyes.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-17-07, 09:30 PM	Lilai stares after Tyler, her mouth hanging open, aghast at his sudden abruptness. She tries to speak several times, but simply cannot form the words. Finally, giving up completely, she turns to Kaylee, hugging the woman around the middle as tightly as she can.
Lord_Gareth 05-17-07, 09:42 PM	Kaylee hugs her new apprentice tightly, weeping silently into Lilai's shoulder. Above them, the song changes, and hearing the first lyrics makes the techno magus cry all the harder. Dancers avoid Tyler as the Daemon Magus seems to project an aura of regret and emotional negativity. His eyes scan the crowd, no longer looking for Inaya, but for Coin. Finally, the boy gives up and snaps his fingers, calling up a stored location spell that he'd been saving for a situation much more important than this. With Coin's location fixed in his mind, Tyler Vici moves with determination and purpose. The band is playing Show me Love (http://youtube.com/watch?v=gW4DsEzH41s)
Gideon_Gideonson 05-17-07, 09:55 PM	Typically, Coin is standing by the buffet table, surrounded by a small crowd. The mage is drinking, chatting with the guests and generally enjoying himself, and, as Tyler approaches, Coin turns and gestures him over enthusiastically, but stops suddenly when he glimpses Tyler's face. Slightly concerned, the young man shoos off his companions and walks quickly to intercept the Daemon Magus. "Ty? You don't look so good...you need a drink...and don't give me any of that age sh*t. We're not in the United States any more, and you, my friend, need a pick-me-up." Coin pours our a generous measure of wine and hands the glass to Tyler. "Not having second thoughts, are you?"
Lord_Gareth 05-18-07, 06:45 AM	Tyler doesn't take the glass - he simply stares Coin right in the eye, his gaze serious as death. Finally, he points towards the stage. "Kaylee needs you. Check under the stage." With that simple statement, the Daemon Magus walks away, seeking, yet again, for his bride.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-18-07, 03:53 PM	I'm going to let Tyler and Inaya go for the moment, and focus instead on Coin for this post...here's hoping that's okay. :D Coin stares after Tyler, and then shakes himself, drains the wineglass, and begins forcing his way back through the crowd. People stop and stare in confusion as the young man shoulders dancers aside in a peaceable yet forceful manner. Finally he reaches the stage and, not wasting any time, simply walks through the front, the solid surface rippling aside to allow him entry, and sealing up behind him. He pauses, seeing Kaylee and Lalai standing with their backs to him, and then steps forward, wrapping an arm gently around Kaylee's shoulders. And for once Coin realizes that it's not really a time for him to say anything.
Lord_Gareth 05-18-07, 04:08 PM	The look of desperate hope on Kaylee's face as she turns around is sad and pitiful, and the look of loss as she realizes it's Coin even more so. But she throws her arms around him nonetheless, crying all the harder. She tries to say something, but the sobs choke her words in the air until the words are indecipherable, and so she lets herself cry on Coin's suit, tears staining the white tuxedo.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-19-07, 03:40 PM	Coin holds Kaylee close for a long time, either oblivious to Lilai or simply ignoring her. Finally he pulls gently away and lifts Kaylee's head up to his own. "Kaylee? What happened?"
Lord_Gareth 05-19-07, 05:01 PM	Coin can immediately see two things. One is that this is the absolute worst Kaylee has ever let herself be seen, the bottom pit of emotion. The second is that she doesn't wear makeup, or else it would have smeared by now - she is a natural beauty, even when marred by sorrow. "I..I couldn't let go, and it hurts Charlie, it hurts so bad...he wouldn't even try for me." She barely manages to choke the words out before breaking into tears again, silent sobs that rock her shoulders.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-20-07, 09:22 PM	"Kaylee..." Coin pauses, trying to find anything helpful to say before realizing that it's hopeless. He's simply not the type. "I never know what you're thinking, Kaylee. You seemed so cheerful lately...you knew Tyler didn't think of you in that way...I thought you were getting over him..." "There's something I don't know, isn't there? What happened?"
Lord_Gareth 05-20-07, 09:26 PM	"I gave...I gave...I gave up something very precious to me for him. I gave it to Balthazar to get him, and I did, for awhile. And....I told you Tyler never kissed me. He didn't. But we...we made..I.." The technomagus cannot or will not continue, breaking into tears yet again.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-20-07, 09:40 PM	"Right. I think I'm beginning to understand..." Time stops. Coin steps away from the frozen Kaylee and strides out from behind the stage. He seems to crackle with yellow light, and the still forms of guests are flung aside as he advances, seeking out the only other still-moving person in the unmoving world. "TYLER VICI! I NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THIS WHOLE F***ED UP SITUATION!"
Lord_Gareth 05-20-07, 09:42 PM	Still looking for his bride, Tyler almost immediately notices the timestop. He turns and sees Coin striding forth in anger, and decides, quite wisely, to go and meet him rather than risk the destruction of several universes. The Daemon Magus steps in front of his friend, trying to remain calm. "What...what do you need to hear?"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-20-07, 09:47 PM	"What happened just now betwee...no. Start from the beginning. What's going on with you and Kaylee, and how does her breaking down in tears figure into it? I'm confused, irritated, and quite possibly angry...at who, I don't know yet. So don't even THINK of trying to fool me."
Lord_Gareth 05-21-07, 06:45 AM	Tyler's expression is torn, but he looks at the frozen figure of teh still-weeping Kaylee, hugged tight around Lilai now, and makes his decision. "It was the third week of school. I went to pass her a pencil and...she'd never seemed so beautiful before. Kaylee was always pretty, you and I both know that, but right then, she was Aphrodite, Sune, Venus. I...well, I fell head over heels for her. I asked her out the next day, and I was ecstatic when she accepted." The Daemon Magus sighs, his face a mask of regret and sorrow. "It was a wonderful time of my life. Nothing could go wrong, no evil could fall on us. We were happy. And I could still use my magic to help people. Kaylee found out about it one day, but wasn't too shocked or anything. I guess she managed to make a connection from my clothing or something. But I taught her some basics and she learned technomagic from there on her own. She always was the smarter of the two of us...which is frightening, when I think about it." "Then one day it happened. I was doing a job for a guy I only knew as L.S.W. from bricks in my window with lots of money and reports of supernatural criminals. I went to the docks to stop a pair of displacer beasts when one of my friends went berserk somehow. He burned me to death." The sorrow deepens, the regret etching itself onto Tyler's face. "It destroyed Kaylee. Minute after minute in hell, I was shown her misery, her anguish, until I couldn't take it anymore. I fought my way out with Kivi's help, fought my way out to her. I'm not proud of what happened then....it was a very emotionally confused and excited time, and we were so happy and relieved to be with each other again..." He trails off, not wanting to continue on that line of history. But he picks up after a pause of a moment, two at the most. "Shortly after that, a witch hunter killed Kaylee, right in front of me. I didn't just kill her murderer. I obliterated him, without thought or mercy. I was desperate, confused, willing to do anything to get her back. So I contacted Balthazarr. You know that part of the story. I couldn't stay with Kaylee, for her own safety, so I....I told her I didn't love her anymore, and I left her in tears, begging for me to come back." "After that, I was searching for a way out of Balthazarr's deal. It was during that search that I ended up in Sorcen's, and met Inaya. I fell in love...while I still loved Kaylee. But in the excitement and emotion I forgot about Kaylee for a little while, until she contacted me. She seemed like she'd gotten over me, seemed so rational...I guess I was wrong. But Coin...I don't love her anymore. I don't know why, I don't know how, but ever since...two or three days ago, it's like I never loved her at all. Kaylee wants me to love her back, wants me to take her back, and I can't." Tyler sighs heavily, seeming for all the world like an old man wearied of the universe's woes. "Do you understand now?"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-21-07, 03:07 PM	"Yes I do. And someone's got a lot to answer for. And I'm going to be the one to tell her." Coin turns abruptly and strides back to the stage, waving a hand as he does so. Tyler stops breathing, falling motionless like everyone else in the Nexus, and Kaylee and Coin stand alone, the technomancer now sobbing once more. Coin, however, does not run to her side. Instead he merely stands there, waiting. Huh. What do you know? I found out who Coin's ****** at...and it actually suprised me.
Lord_Gareth 05-21-07, 03:14 PM	Even faster than Tyler, Kaylee picks up on the time stop, looking up with tear-filled eyes and letting go of Lilai. She realizes quickly, too, that Coin is the only other person not frozen. "Charlie?"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-21-07, 03:22 PM	Coin's voice is cold...not cruel, but distant and emotionless. "Tell me, Kaylee. Why? Why would you do that to someone?"
Lord_Gareth 05-21-07, 03:36 PM	"Charlie, I..I never..I didn't...It wasn't supposed to happen like this! We were supposed to live happily ever after..he wasn't supposed to die. I wasn't supposed to die. I love him...is that so wrong? That I'd do anything for him?"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-21-07, 04:12 PM	"You're deluded, Kaylee. If you truly loved him, this never would have happened. Coin turns his back to the technomancer, and his voice levels out somewhat. "Love is an unusual thing, Kaylee. Trust me on this...I know what I'm talking about. You get it, only to find out it's not what you wanted, or how you wanted it to be. But life is like that, and nothing we can do will change that...or rather, nothing we should do will change that. To force the world into a course it does not want to take is a terrible thing, but to force a person to go against himself is far, far worse. Only those not deserving of the word humanity would dare to do such a thing. It's something those who consider reality their playthings would do, at the expense of their fellow beings. Coin spins around, his eyes burning like molten gold. "You can play god if you want, Kaylee. You can sit here in your little world, creating and destroying as much as you desire. But you know something? I've walked around this place, and I have seen many wonderful things...what I haven't seen is anything with a soul. It's beautiful, but desolate. No fish, no birds...not even insects live here." "Oh, I have no doubt you could create the flesh, but the part that is alive...you can't manage that, can you? There's something about it that can't be recreated, can't be regained, and can't be altered. Some indefinable quality that is, in fact, life." "But you don't believe in that, do you? I think you don't. In fact, I know it. Tyler is living proof of that. Do you know what your little Faustian bargain did to him? Do you know what sort of trouble you put him through? How confused he is? And did he have a choice? NO!" "You made that choice for him. You altered his being...changed his soul. Whoever it was you had in those weeks, or months, or years...it wasn't Tyler Vici. It was Tyler Vici as you wanted him to be...and that is someone completely different. You can't do that to people and expect them to be the same. WHY DID YOU THINK YOU HAD THE RIGHT TO CHANGE WHO HE WAS?" "Don't answer that. Just think about it...about what you've done to him. You said you'd do anything for him...you don't mean that. You wouldn't do anything for him...you'd do anything to get him. And that's something completely different. Otherwise you'd accept that what he wants is not you. You'd learn to deal, learn to get over it. But no...you wanted your 'happy ending.' YOUR happy ending, not Tyler's." Coin's eyes flare, and a figure materializes before Kaylee. It's Tyler Vici, except it's eyes are empty pits...nothing lives in this shell. "There. That's what you want, isn't it? It's Tyler...impart on him whatever instructions you will. You can change him to be whatever you want. He's but an empty shell. " Coin gestures to the empty body, now lying peacefully on the ground. "Make him your Prince Charming...your Knight in Shining Armor. If you want one of those now, create it yourself. You can't shape people...we have to choose to change. You need your Knight now? Fine. Go and find him. Tyler won't be there for you now." Coin turns away again and starts off, then pauses and half-turns back. His voice is quiet "One last thing for you to think on...who's been there for you these past few days...when you were feeling down, when you couldn't get over Tyler abandoning you...who went to Hell to make sure you were alright...who tried his best to cheer you up and comfort you, and to get your mind off of the things that were bothering you? And who did you treat like nothing but a shoulder to cry on...when you weren't busy deceiving him into thinking you were getting over your disappointment, or busy lamenting Tyler's OWN decision?" "I may be no knight in shining armor, but I was ready to be. I was ready to be whatever you needed me to be...not for myself, but because you needed someone there for you. Think about that." And with that he is gone, suddenly and without a trace. A few beats later, time starts up again, leaving Kaylee alone with an empty body and a young girl.
Lord_Gareth 05-21-07, 04:34 PM	The technomancer is rendered speechless, unable to move or do anything other than stare at the shell that Coin has left behind. Thankfully, people aren't looking her way, aren't bothering to check behind the stage. Moving slowly, as though in a fugue, she banishes the shell, sending it to the Positive Energy Plane. Without explanation, the technomage vanishes, reappearing in front of Coin. The tears are gone, but her throat is still tight. "I..I....I never wanted to play god. I made this place a forest because Ty always liked the woods best...always loved the redwoods..." Kaylee throws her arms around Coin, face buried in his shoulder, still holding back tears. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...for everything. You're right, I'm a monster, I'm a monster and I did something horrible and I'm selfish and cruel and..." She can't hold back the tears anymore, but Kaylee lets go of Coin, steps back and lets them fall onto the ground. "I'm not...I'm not going to treat you like that anymore. I never wanted a knight....I never wanted a savior...I just wanted...someone who understands. I thought Ty did. And you've been right in front of me the whole damn time. F*** me." She turns and blinks away, leaving only the faint sound of her sobs behind.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-21-07, 04:47 PM	Now it is Coin's turn to stand in shock, for the response is nothing like what he anticipated. Sitting down at the edge of the river, he waves a hand and an image of himself appears opposite him as he carries on a brief conversation with himself. "So...what now?" "No idea." Coin sighs and banishes the illusion with a snap of his fingers. "Great...thanks for all the help, Coin." Standing up, he shoves his hands deep into his pockets and begins to walk up the riverbank, kicking pebbles into the stream as he goes.
Lord_Gareth 05-21-07, 10:04 PM	A muffled, choked-back cry of pain catches Coin's attention. Kaylee is sitting on a rock by the riverbank, and a rosebush is growing in front of her. As he watches, one of the roses continues to grow its way around her arm, blood dripping down it as thorns force their way into her flesh and dig into bone. "I'm sorry," she whispers to no one, "so very sorry."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-21-07, 10:17 PM	"NO! Coin barely has time to register the sight before he moves, and he has no time to plan or focus. Thrusting a hand before him, he grimaces and hopes for the best. The bush ignites instantly, burning with a brilliance somewhat comparable to burning magnesium. The vines and thorns turn to heated ash, and the greasy smoke spirals up into the air, leaving nothing but charred ruin behind it. The heated vines burn deeply into Kaylee's arm, leaving behind large, winding burns and scorching the bone itself, but Coin's ill-advised spell has an unseen advantage...the heat is sufficient to cauterize the wounds almost instantly. As the smoke clears, Coin rushes forward, looking with dismay at the wreckage caused by his magic, but more focused on the technomancer lying in pain on the ground. He kneels down next to her to examine the damage to her arm. "Kaylee, what the hell were you thinking?
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 06:36 AM	Kaylee's eyes are unfocused in pain and her voice is choked with it as she coughs from the smoke. The technomagus is obviously going into shock. "I don't....deserve...to..." She barely manages to force the word out before she groans and passes out, slender frame unable to bear that kind of injury. And immediately, Coin is struck by a sense of presence. "She's finally tried to kill herself. A rose bush....she would try that. I'm sorry about that, Charles." The voice is distinctly male, and as Coin looks up, he realizes it is one of Kaylee's illusionary band members. "Reality is a funny thing," it continues, "If you try to convince someone of it for long enough, hard enough, it can come true. Kaylee doesn't know I exist. Now you do. You can call me Michael. I've been her...guardian angel for quite some time." Michael sighs, staring down at the girl, beautiful even in pain. "Kaylee has had a lot of hurt in her life. Before I even existed as illusion, before she met Tyler or you, someone hurt her very deeply, broke her heart in a way that you never really recover from. She reached out to Tyler years and years later to try and heal that hurt, to learn to trust again, to love again. But she reached too far and loved too much, and this happened. She's terrified that she might have hurt Tyler like she was hurt, might have hurt you that way." Michael's tone becomes much more solemn, more serious. "But what she's really afraid of has already happened. She loves you, Charles, she just won't accept it yet. She's scared and confused and still loves Tyler. She's afraid that she's doing wrong by loving you, afraid of getting hurt and afraid of hurting the both of you again. Most of her life is spent in fear, Charles. She says she doesn't want a Knight in Shining Armor. The problem is, she needs one. Be her knight. Please." With that, the phantom turns and walks across the river before fading away.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 03:39 PM	Coin stands blinking in surprise, then leans forward, squinting against the sun, trying to catch another glimpse of the ghostly figure...but to no avail. The phantasm is gone. Shaking his head in wonderment, Coin turns back to Kaylee's still form. The young man kneels once more next to his friend, gently reaching out and rotating her blackened arm, grimacing at the damage. He sighs. It is beyond his ability to remedy. Coin takes off his jacket, setting the white garment carefully aside before removing his undershirt. With a single quick motion he rips it in two, loosely wrapping the soft fabric around Kaylee's ruined arm. Then, throwing his jacket over his shoulder, Coin scoops up Kaylee and starts back toward the reception...before thinking better of walking half-naked into a party, carrying an unconscious girl. He turns around and starts off again in a different direction, carrying her back to her room. With Kaylee safely deposited on the bed, Coin reaches into his pocket and pulls out a slim silver object...it appears to be a cellular phone. But he presses a button on the side and a thin silver rod extends from the top, the metal inscribed with bizzare runes and scripts. Dialing quickly, Coin lifts the phone to his mouth and begins to speak. "Tammy? You there? Amazing. Yeah, it's Coin. No! Really? Huh...time flies, doesn't it? Anyway, I'd love to chat, but I've got a little crisis on my hands. Gee...thanks. Come on Tammy, it's not THAT common. Fine. But I need your help. It's some sort of burn...but it doesn't seem exactly normal. You doing anything? Awesome. I'm at...uh...just a sec." Coin glances at his device's screen momentarily, then returns to the conversation. "7712, Xv7a, 99 gamma 163...if Travis told me how to read this correctly. Is Reg with you? Fantastic. Any time you guys want...the sooner, the better. Anyway, I have to go. Thanks for the assist. I'll catch you in a minute." Coin turns the device off and pockets it once more before sitting down at Kaylee's side, attempting to gently rouse her.
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 03:48 PM	The girl groans, and her eyes flutter open slowly. The first thing she sees is Coin's face, and despite herself, Kaylee smiles. "Why?" The simple question is all she can say before she coughs violently, her breathing coming haggard and irregular as she pants in pain.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 03:56 PM	"Simple. I'm not letting you do something that stupid." "No offense meant, of course."
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 04:02 PM	"You were right Charlie...you've been right the whole time and I've been blind. I didn't want to see anything you were showing me. I'm a monster and I've used you and I've hurt everyone around me....why should I live? Everyone I love either abandons me or...or I'm just using them."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 04:12 PM	"Good. You realize that. First step accomplished. Step two? Step two is NOT killing yourself. Killing yourself is another selfish move. I mean, come on! Even with what you've done, there are still people here who care about you. I know both Tyler and myself would never forgive ourselves if you killed yourself...after all...we could have been there to stop you." "So make amends. Not to me...you're alive, that's good enough...but to everyone else. To Tyler especially...he deserves to hear from YOU what happened. And I think you have something you need to get back for yourself..." Coin pauses, then continues. "What exactly did you give that demon, Kaylee?"
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 04:16 PM	A minute passes in silence, then two. The air seems tense, bracing as if for a blow, until it seems like it must snap in two. And then Kaylee says two words. "My brother."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 04:23 PM	WHAT? Coin's eyes flash with pure fury, and his hair ignites, burning with an intense blue flame. His entire body seems to be brimming with electricity, and lines of golden fire run through his skin. The air about him feels hot and unbearable, crackling with arcane potential, and the floor beneath his feet cracks and buckles as he advances. WHAT?
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 04:29 PM	"Charlie, you don't...no. I'm done with excuses. I went to Balthazarr and tried offering almost everything. The only things I wasn't ready to give up were my soul and...my brother. He was newborn, and I already loved him. He wouldn't budge, and he named his price. He wanted my brother. I wasn't gonna let it happen, but he was so persuasive, so gentle, and the way he moved his....wait a minute." Kaylee's expression now changes to fury, Coin's presence forgotten entirely. "THAT GNOLL-SPAWNED SON OF AN OGRE WHELP MIND-FOGGED ME! HE CHARMED ME! I'M GONNA KILL HIM!"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 05:14 PM	If anything, Coin's fury intensifies. DID YOU THINK HE WOULDN'T? DID YOU THINK A DEMON WOULD BE HONORABLE? ARE YOU INSANE? HE'S A F***ING--" A gentle tap on the door shatters Coin's train of thought, and his wrath dies instantly away, replaced with accute embarassment. "Alright...how much did you hear?" "Enough." "And you didn't knock earlier because...?" "Well...honestly...you're pretty funny when you're angry, Coin. Can we come in?" Coin turns to the furious technomancer and lays a hand on her shoulder. "Kaylee? Can you calm down a moment? I've brought someone to take care of your arm."
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 05:16 PM	Almost instantly, Kaylee's fury simmers down - more than that, her expression carefully nuetralizes, the technomagus unwilling to show her emotion to these...newcomers. "Alright. Let them in."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 06:26 PM	"Good." Coin strides up to the door and flings it open, revealing two figures who can't be anything but twins. Running forward, he catches the two in a bear hug. "Tammy! Reg! It's been to long!" The black girl smiles widely and mischievously. "To true. But please continue...we wouldn't want to interrupt a lover's quarrel" "Tammy, what the hell are you going on about?" Her brother taps Coin's bare chest, grinning good-naturedly. "Little blatant, even for you, isn't it?" "Both of you shut up. Alright? I can still beat the pants off of both of you...if Reg is unconscious, that is." Coin disentangles himself from the siblings and steps back, allowing Kaylee her first good look at the pair. The girl is a little below average height, but muscular and tough in a attractive way. Her black hair hangs in tight braids about her face as if in dreadlocks, her ears each sport several small rings, and her attire seems quite at odds with Coin's spotless suits. She wears a ragged top with cut-off sleeves, which barely comes down to her midriff, and torn and baggy black cargo pants adorned with chains. Her shoes, however, are bright and new, giving the impression that this appearance isn't careless, but instead planned down to the last tear. Her brother is equally out of place. Like her, he wears tattered cargo pants, but he tops it off with a skin-tight muscle shirt, showing off his impressive stature. To say Reginald Scott is built like an ox would be accurate...if oxen could stand on two legs and bench-press 400lbs. His hair is pulled back in corn-rows, and his strong facial structure gives him the appearance of having been carved from living stone. As he stands up, he towers a good five inches above the already tall Coin. Coin, however, seems not to notice. Turning to Kaylee, he gestures at the pair behind him. "Kaylee, allow me to introduce two of my best friends: Tamora and Reginald Scott." "Hi." "Same. Anyway...care to tell us all the little dirty bits between you and---" Coin playfully shoves the grinning Tamora backwards into the wall. "...ow."
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 06:29 PM	"Charlie," Kaylee begins in a warning tone, "As much as I hate to look like a b*tch in front of your friends, you may want to tell them that now is not the TIME!" The last word is shouted, the technomagus unable to keep her fury in check as the door disintegrates in a flash of light - taken apart, atom by atom, and scattered across existence. "I need to go. Balthazarr has a lot to answer for. I hate to sound ungrateful, but I need to be patched and then run."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 06:46 PM	Suddenly Tamora is all business. "Right. Sorry about that...I just never pass up the opportunity to poke fun at Coin. I take it you're the crisis?" "That's her. Burn or something on her arm...my fault though. I meant to restrain her, and blasted fire instead. Be careful...it's not good. I've set myself on fire enough to know burns, and there's something odd about that one. Tamora gently unwraps the binding and examines the burn marks, frowning to herself. "Coin, you are a freakin' genius. How'd you manage to top yourself this badly?" "...that doesn't sound promising. "No, it's not. Whatever you used, it wasn't just fire. Somehow you got magnesium in the wound...and it's spreading. Another hour might have been fatal. But it's gone to far...I can't remove it now. Your magic always messes things up a bit, and it's part of her now. No magic I know of can undo this effectively. We'd have to amputate, and I don't think she wants that. I'll do my best to patch it up, but it's not going to be pretty." The girl leans in close, pulling a knife out of one of her numerous pockets. "Hope you don't mind a little pain...I have to get to the wound itself." In a practiced motion Tamora cuts into Kaylee's arm, neatly slicing off the burned skin. As the wound begins to bleed she places her hands on it and presses hard. Her veins begin to glow white as her healing magic takes effect, and Kaylee's wound slowly begins to seal...although the skin is no longer the color of human flesh. Instead it is a burnished, metallic sheen. "Well, it's fixed. Best I can do on the field, so to speak. Does it feel okay? Can you move it?"
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 06:53 PM	"I'd," the sentence is punctuated with a painful hiss, "rather not find out." A small, shimmering blue oval opens in the air, then passes over Kaylee's injured arm. Where it goes, the metal falls out, clattering to the floor and leaving normal skin behind. After about a minute, the girl's arm is back to normal. "I can filter out essences here. If I'd known that was the problem, I could have done that to begin with. Now I have someone very important to get back." She snaps her fingers, and one of her signature violet portals opens up. She stands to step through - And falls over backwards. "Ugh...vertigo..."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 06:57 PM	"Huh...and you didn't simply heal yourself because...?" Coin hastens over to help Kaylee up off the ground. "Kaylee? You need back-up? I can't volunteer anyone else, but I'm not really doing anything at the moment...
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 07:00 PM	"If you must know," Kaylee snaps, "I was trying to die at the time. Charlie...yes, please. I can't walk right now - I'm too weak, and I can't focus enough to fix myself up the rest of the way. I probably shouldn't be facing down Balthazar like this...but I have to get him back. I can't let that bastard keep him."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 07:09 PM	"Right. Let's go..." "Oh! Reg...a moment of your time?" "Sure thing." "I hate to have to do this, but can I ask you to be on call? I have no idea exactly what we're in for...and I think Kaylee isn't exactly in the mood to deal with new people just now." The big man's bass voice is reassuring. "No prob, Coin. Just give us a call...we'll be around." With that, he throws an arm about his sister, waves a hand lazily through the air, and vanishes without a trace. Coin moves to Kaylee's side and bend down a bit, allowing the technomancer to use him as a crutch. "Well? Let's do this. With that, he walks through the portal, carrying the injured girl with him.
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 07:13 PM	As the two arrive, Balthazarr is ready and waiting, sitting on the opposite side of a polished wooden desk in a crisp business suit. "I'm here for Jason back, you lying, cheating -" "There is no need for names, girl. I do not offer refunds. However, for a small fee, I can tell you where he is. Your brother, you see, is no longer in my care. I bartered him away some time ago." Kaylee growls, but doesn't attack - her sibling is the important thing. "Price?" "Three pints of mortal blood, as is standard for information transactions."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 07:17 PM	Coin pratically spits his next word at the demon. "Fine." Raising an arm, he gestures once, and a storm of blades slash down towards his wrist, which begins gushing blood. Oddly, Coin doesn't seem to care...or even notice. "Where do you want it?"
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 07:19 PM	The demon lord raises his hand nonchalantly and the blood siphons away into a container that appears on the desk. In a gesture of politeness, he seals the wounds Coin opened on himself. "You'll find Jason in the Taverne Cycine. I'm afraid he never found out his birth name of Jason Laythe. He goes by Kyle Killigan now."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 07:24 PM	Coin stares at Kaylee in confusion and suprise. "...Is that even possible?"
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 07:28 PM	"Theoretically, yes. I mean, I can manipulate time when I'm really feeling up to it. Ty's watch - not to mention superior hacking skills, though I know a few tricks he doesn't - can also warp reality and reach through time. It's perfectly possible that Balthazarr had a client in the past willing to pay a price he couldn't pass up for a newborn child." "That is correct. Mrs. Killigan paid half her soul for a child, because she was barren. So I gave her Jason. A bargain fair and true with property owned by both sides. You'll find him in the Taverne with his murderer, one Gideon Gideonson. You've met his double. He seems to be enjoying himself."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 07:34 PM	"...right..." "However, I think the time has come to tell you, Balthazarr, that I'm not going to let you get away with anything like that EVER again. No more tricks, no more bargains...it's over. And if you won't stop it...I will."
Lord_Gareth 05-22-07, 07:38 PM	Balthazarr merely smiles, and the impression Coin gets is of sheer power - power that might even dwarf his own. "I doubt you can stop me here, Charles. I know you. You are one of mine, an Earthling just like your friend. I know your weaknesses and your fears. And besides, I don't seek my clients. My clients come to me. They beg me for help. I cannot refuse them - in more ways than one. There are laws binding me greater than you or I. I cannot stop myself even if I tried. Now be off - I tire of you mortals polluting my domain."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-22-07, 08:25 PM	Coin sits quietly, seething and obviously straining not to flip out. "Come on, Kaylee. We're leaving." Coin turns and waves a hand, opening a portal quite similiar to Kaylee's...but leading to the tavern. Helping Kaylee through the opening, he closes it quickly behind her, leaving himself alone with the devil. "Don't think I'm letting this slide, demon. I've never liked your kind...but now it's personal. Anything, and I mean ANYTHING that you do to Kaylee EVER again will result in an interesting experiment...and think on this...which of us is stronger...and are you willing to bet your existance on it?" With that, Coin vanishes.
Lord_Gareth 05-24-07, 06:39 AM	The four emerge in Kaylee's bedroom, and the technomancer proptly flops onto the bed and lies down. It takes her a moment or two to muster the willpower to turn over. She looks very, very tired. "I can't...I can't leave home for more than a few minutes at a time. Someone...someone grab me a Monster from the buffet table, please. I need to be...be awake to...to tell Jason....Kyle..everything. Gid..you're....out on the dance floor." It has taken almost ten minutes of searching, but Tyler has finally managed to find his bride and her father. Gently, he taps Lord Elrissa's shoulder. "Excuse me," he says wearily, "But may I cut in?" For those of us who may have forgotten, Ty is looking tired, sad, and regretful right now...in the middle of the dance floor.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-24-07, 07:17 PM	Lord Elrissa steps graciously away from his daughter and bows somewhat stiffly. "Of course." As he turns away, Inaya takes Tyler's hands in hers, looking quite concerned. "Ty? What's wrong?" ******** "Right. One monster, coming right up!" Coins gestures enthusiastically, and a large chicken materializes in front of him. Growling menacingly, the creature flies toward him, opening its beak to reveal row after row of shark-like teeth and spitting tongues of flame. Grabbing the bedside table, Coin beats it to the ground and points at it, and the creature vanishes in a glowing burst of arcane energy. Looking up again, he smiles sheepishly. "Wrong monster. Guess I'll suck it up and walk. And whatever your name is...coming with me? We might run into you on the way. "Sure thing kid. And the name's Gideon. Gideon Gideonson." Together the two depart the room, Coin returning a few minutes later with the requested drink.
Lord_Gareth 05-24-07, 07:32 PM	"It's....Kaylee. I think I've hurt her again...it was for her own good. Wasn't it?" Slowly, Tyler dances with his bride, his face a mask of concern and now confusion. "I didn't want to hurt her again...I've already caused her enough pain, but she didn't give me a choice..." Kaylee accepts the drink with a weak grin and chugs down the near-fatal level of energy. Charlie..I'm really sorry to ask this, but can you leave us alone for a bit? While I catch Jason...Kyle, up?"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-25-07, 06:35 AM	"I don't know...I don't think I know enough about your friendship to tell you. But whatever happened, Kaylee seems good at pulling through...I think she'll come out on top again soon enough." Coin sighs to himself, but stands up and heads for the door. "No problem...I'll be outside somewhere. Not sure where yet. If you need me, just give me a call."
Lord_Gareth 05-25-07, 06:41 AM	As the door shuts, Coin can hear the muffles sounds of Kaylee talking and the soft scrape of Kyle pulling up a chair. "I suppose...I suppose you're right. God, here I am, dragging down our wedding with my worries. 'Scuse me a second." Tyler lets go of one of Inaya's hands to reach over to the nearby table and snatch something highly caffinated. He takes a good long swig before vanishing the can. "That should improve my mood. And it looks like the music is picking up..." Indeed, as he talks, the band breaks into something wild and fast, confusing some of the dancers. With an impish smile, Tyler looks back over to his bride. "Now, I told you I couldn't dance. I lied. I know how to dance one kind. Go with the flow, and let's show these people how to salsa." And with that, the Daemon Magus begins moving.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-25-07, 04:25 PM	Coin shoves his hands in his pockets and ambles off down the hallway. Suddenly he stops, his head perking up as if he had heard something. For he has...someone has said his name. Hello, Charles. I see you're as close-minded as ever. Nice to see you again. "What's that supposed to mean? Who's there? Hello?...wait...Dorian?" But there is only silence. ********* And his bride follows, in a fashion that reminds the Magus of the salsa dancers in Los Angeles...theatrical, acrobatic, and sensuous. It's not pure salsa, but something similiar...steps not seen in Tyler's world, yet the two styles seem to mesh perfectly. Eyes turn in wonderment to the pair, for the motions they go through seem barely humanly possible. As the song winds towards it's close, Inaya spins to a stop next to Tyler, panting a little bit. "And you said you didn't dance. HA! I had no little trouble keeping up with you." She laughs, and then turns to the band. "Can you play that one again? Only...maybe a little...faster!"
Lord_Gareth 05-26-07, 10:25 AM	The other Tyler smiles and looks at his fiancee. The grins they display show just a hint of their enlongated canines as they pick up the pace with a wild tune, full of zeal and fire. "Well milady, I believe it's time I showed up some of my relatives. I owe my sister a good 'wtf' moment anyway." Tyler grins broadly and sweeps his bride up in the wild dance.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-27-07, 11:47 AM	...Gareth...got anything planned, or should I edit this to skip ahead a bit to an idea I had? (it would skip to Kaylee's discussion being finished).
Lord_Gareth 05-27-07, 11:49 AM	Go ahead and skip it - though later, we have to have the moment when Tyler informs his parents just why Inaya wasn't wearing white :evillaugh
Gideon_Gideonson 05-27-07, 12:04 PM	As Kaylee and Jason finish up their discussion, the technomancer thoughts are suddenly derailed. Try as she might, she can think of nothing but Coin for a fraction of a second, and then the image fades as a voice speaks in her mind. "I'm sorry about this, Kaylee Laythe, but I have very little time left to me. With those words, something unknown gently forces its way into her thoughts, hiding somewhere deep inside her consciousness. Something that, for some bizzare reason, seems almost human...
Lord_Gareth 05-27-07, 12:19 PM	Kaylee grabs her head for an instant and then lowers it. Kyle doesn't seem to notice anything as she stands up, telling him to make himself comfortable while she finishes something. What do you want in my head? she says gently, though accusingly, letting whatever presence there is know that she is master of this realm and is fully capable of ending him in horrible ways.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-27-07, 12:38 PM	Just so you know...very few people actually know of the existence of the parts of the mind he's in, and even fewer are capable of controlling it. You know those memories you have but can't remember no matter how hard you try? That's where he is...unless Kaylee is a psychomancer or something like Wresh, she probably can't do anything to him. The tone of the voice clearly states that the speaker does not believe her one bit. "I want nothing. I need a place to stay...believe me, being bound to you does not humor me in the least...but it is necessary. I would have preferred one Charles Anstron, for I at least know him...but it is not safe for me there, and I had little time left. I took the first avenue of thought in his mind, and ended up here. Your defenses were nearly negligible, which was a boon, for I doubt I could have gathered the energy for another attempt. Emotional confusion always opens pathways, for which I am grateful. But I digress. It would be rude of me not to introduce myself to my host. I am called Dorian Rike.
Lord_Gareth 05-28-07, 09:42 PM	More like she'd wipe his Pattern from the Nexus and drop it off in the Negative Energy. Huh. New question - what do you want with Charlie? I'll let you bunk in my head for awhile, but try any weird **** and you leave the Nexus in various pieces. And you're about to see some very...personal business go down. I'd object, but I don't doubt that you've already picked through my mind. So just hang around and enjoy the show. Kaylee leaves her room, looking over at Coin meaningfully. "I'm going...I'm going to go tell him. Are you coming with me?"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-29-07, 03:22 PM	"I don't want Charles. He would merely have been preferable, since he and I know each other very well. But his mind is a bit...dangerous...to me in my present form. No one survives there long...even I, who know more about him than he knows about himself. He thinks in strange ways... So, unfortunately, I am forced upon you. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I value my existence somewhat higher than your temporary discomfort. I hope you understand. And before you think of removing me...understand something. In the time it would take you to think of doing such an action, I could wrest control of your body and mind from you and command your every thought and action. The fact that I do not is proof of my harmless intentions. "Do you want me along?"
Lord_Gareth 05-31-07, 08:58 PM	......I'm more popular than you. Nyah. Kaylee takes Coin's hand in hers, letting her fear and nervousness show. "Charlie, I don't think I can do it without you. I owe this to more than Tyler - I owe it to Inaya too. Her more than anyone else. And she scares me. But I only want you there if you want to be there. After...how I've treated you, I understand if you don't. I was an ass in school, and I'm worse now. At least all I did then was ignore you."
Gideon_Gideonson 05-31-07, 09:25 PM	"Probably true." Coin doesn't say anything for a while, but he gently squeezes Kaylee's hand. "Let's get going."
Lord_Gareth 05-31-07, 09:31 PM	Several times, it seems as if Kaylee is going to turn back, afraid of going through with it. But Coin's presence bolsters her, lets her turn back to her goal, and the two find their way to Tyler and his bride, sweating and panting with smiles at the edge of the dance floor. Kaylee and Coin approach from behind them, and the technomagus has to open her mouth several times before sound comes out. "Ty? Inaya? Can I talk to you in private...well, in private with Charlie too. It's important." Tyler turns around slowly, the smile dimming slightly, and looks meaningfully at Inaya. "Kaylee, I already-" "Not like that, Ty. It's just...I....I don't want to say it where people could get hurt. Just me. In private, please." The Daemon Magus gains a curious look and glances at Inaya, the look asking her opinion.
Gideon_Gideonson 05-31-07, 09:41 PM	Inaya glances over at Kaylee's expression, reading the emotions in her face and nodding slowly.
Lord_Gareth 05-31-07, 10:00 PM	Kaylee waves her hand, and the surroundings shimmer and change into something familiar, even if it is a bit burnt - Tyler's rock by the river. The rose bush has regrown, wild and beautiful, in Kaylee's absence. "Sit down. This will take awhile." Slowly, haltingly at first, Kaylee begins to tell them. She squeezes Coin's hand almost painfully hard, arm shaking and voice jittery. But as it progresses, her tone deadens, flattens into a monotone that expresses her shame far more than anything ever could. She almost chokes as she gets to the part about Jason, starting to sob, but Coin's hand in hers keeps the mage going, and she tells the entire story as it happened. As the whole messed-up tale comes to a close, she hangs her head, sobbing openly now. Harshly, she whispers, "Can you ever forgive me?"
Gideon_Gideonson 05-31-07, 10:11 PM	During Kaylee's story, Inaya's face darkens, and her hand clenches tightly on the handle of her scimitar. But somehow she manages to simply sit, silently fuming, until Kaylee stops speaking. It is clear that she is struggling not to draw her blade, but Coin's silent gaze is slightly unnerving, and his eyes spell out quite plainly that it would be a possibly terminal decision to do anything to rash.
Lord_Gareth 06-01-07, 05:50 PM	Tyler's hands clench hard until his fingers break skin and his knuckles turn bone-white. Anger etches itself onto his face and darkens his eyes until his normally blue orbs are a deep, bloody red. As Kaylee's last words float onto the air, he stands up, full of fury, the air heating around him. "You are INSANE! Do you have any idea, the tiniest little inclination what you've done? How much you've hurt me, hurt Inaya? ANY IDEA? You-" He catches sight of the look in Coin's eyes, and for once in his life, Tyler Vici balks. Containing himself, he seethes harshly, "You are dead to me." Angrily, the boy turns and stalks away, back towards the party. Grass smolders under his feet and dies, and his arm snaps out in furious frustration, igniting a tree in bloody flames as he walks away.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-01-07, 11:05 PM	That did it. Coin's p*ssed. Coin rises slowly, unfolding like some great leviathan rearing out of the depths. "Tyler Vici, get back here!" As Tyler turns around, Coin is somehow suddenly before him, grabbing him by his collar and lifting him into the air. Coin doesn't even seem to notice Tyler's weight. His voice is level and calm...dangerously so. "Congratulations, Tyler. You've just made one of the worst moves you possibly could have. Do you want to know why?" The chaos mage leans close, dropping his voice so much that Inaya and Kaylee can only make out a low hiss. "Did you think she didn't know what she did? She is all to aware...I've made sure of that. But think about this! She came to YOU, not the other way around. She told you the whole story! Do you have ANY idea how much resolve that requires? ANY idea how hard that was for her?" "And what do you do...Tyler, you're as bad as she is. She sought forgiveness...which you did not give. And that I understand completely. But she still loves you, regardless of what she says. Are you so heartless, so selfish, as to pull a stunt like that? People have ended their lives over less than that. But of course, it's never someone you know, is it?" "But you know something? Nonetheless, she tried to kill herself today. She almost succeeded. That's something that I WILL NOT allow to happen, DO YOU UNDERSTAND? You, who cast her sincere apologies aside like so much worthless garbage? I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO JEOPARDIZE HER LIFE!" Coin's eyes go nova, tiny golden suns exploding inside his gaze. "Remember history class, Tyler? Remember the middle ages, back in the time of knights and lords? There was chivalry then...not so much anymore. You may have lost it, Tyler, but I haven't. And as far as I'm concerned, you've just issued a challenge. After all...a knight is expected to defend his lady. Kaylee's got no champion to defend her...not since she gave you up. Which, by the way, was a CHOICE she made HERSELF." "So I'm stepping in." There is a blur of motion, and Tyler falls to the ground, his head spinning and a large bruise darkening on his face. Coin looks down at him, massaging his fist. "And I can't let that affront slide." ...Interesting. That's not something I would have expected from Charles...there's something hidden there...but I can't quite grasp it...
Lord_Gareth 06-02-07, 10:54 AM	With the bruise darkening on his face and anger etched onto his expression, Tyler rolls back to his feet. The Daemon Magus is now engulfed in his own fire, plants burning around him and the air soaring to a blistering heat. He goes to throw his own punch - And freezes. "Enough!" Kaylee is between them, slender arms outstreached. Tyler's flames snuff out, the boy frozen in place. Coin finds a similar effect on himself - the mistress of the Nexus has had enough. "Charlie, that's enough. You don't need to defend my honor. I don't...I don't deserve it. I'm sorry, Ty, Inaya." Kaylee touches the immobile Coin, and the two fade away to her room. The Daemon Magus unfreezes and topples over from pent-up momentum. He lies there for a moment or two before picking himself up and sitting down next to Inaya, anger still on his face - but it's more hesitant now, as if he doesn't know if he should be angry or not. Wordlessly, he looks at her, seeking answers to questions he doesn't even know.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-02-07, 04:41 PM	Inaya sits in silence for a few minutes, staring out over the river. "Tyler?" In the blossoming silence that follows, she begins to speak. "I don't know for sure what he told you, but I think he's right. I...I know that you probably don't want to hear this...but look at my father and I. For the longest time I was dead to him...and I think it tore him apart a bit. He's not the same man anymore...more stoic, more despairing when he does express emotion...I can't let that happen to someone else, be it you or Kaylee. Not after what I've been through." "I...well, I can't say I'm to happy with Kaylee at the moment. Hells...if Coin hadn't been there, I probably would have struck her. But looking back on it...maybe it's now that she most needs people around her. Maybe we both need to swallow our pride..."
Lord_Gareth 06-02-07, 05:01 PM	Tyler is silent for a long time after Inaya finishes speaking, pensieve. His eyes slowly fade back to blue as he stares at the calm waters of the river. The heat streaming off of him fades, and an air of exhaustion from the expendature of his eldritch energies seems to flow out from him. "Maybe...maybe you're right. But..she..it's...." He sighs in exasperation. "I don't even know how to express it. She forced me into something no one should be forced into, ruined countless lives, hurt me and, by extension, you deeply. She's done things that won't heal for a long, long time, and she just wants us to forgive her? Like saying she's sorry will fix everything?" He hangs his head. "Maybe I'm just not being objective enough. I need to analyze this..yeah."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-02-07, 05:06 PM	"Ty...I know. Believe me...I know. But...haven't we all done things like that? I know I have...and for, if not the same reason, than one close enough. It's selfishness...it's something we all possess...and sometimes it gets the better of us."
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 12:39 PM	A gust of wind kicks up dirt and leaves, an half an instant later, Kyle is standing there, looking over his shoulder and panting slightly. "Geez, that's one determined ghost. I heard fire and explosions so - oh, you must be Tyler. And...Inaya, it was. She just told you, didn't she?" With a sigh, he looks over his shoulder and sits on the edge of a log. He looks right at Tyler with wisdom beyond his years. "Kid, trust me when I tell you that being angry at her won't help anything. She can't undo what she's done. No one can. Dwelling on it will just eat away at you until it's all you can think about, and once that happens, there's no turning back. Don't let that happen to you." He stands, hearing something and cursing under his breath. "I knew someone once who let his anger consume him. He almost ended the universe, but he's better now. Don't become like he was. Um..bye." With a rush of wind, he sprints off, and moments later, a panting Michael stumbles into the clearing, clutching his chest and wheezing.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 01:13 PM	As the figure approaches, Inaya's hand flies instinctively to her blade. "Who are you?"
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 01:19 PM	"Come...on...let...me..catch...my...breat h." The phantom pants, holding his knees as Tyler and Inaya glare at him. "That guy is way too fast. I don't even have breath to lose. You can call me Michael. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to convince him that I'm not a ghost." The phantom begins running again, straight through Tyler in an effort to cut Kyle off. "Huh. He looked like one of Kaylee's band members." Tyler stands up, still looking confused and torn, but determined. "Alright. I'm going to go apologize..but I still can't forgive her. I don't know if I ever will."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 01:28 PM	"I wish I could help..." Inaya stands up, waiting for Tyler to follow her. "At least I can be there though...coming?"
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 01:33 PM	"Yeah," the boy says, somewhat listlessly, as he follows his bride. It's a short distance to Kaylee's room, and the sobbing can be heard from outside the room. Kaylee sits in her bed, knees hugged to her chest and sobbing. Her hair hangs down to hide her face, but her back is to the door anyway as a small knock sounds from Tyler. She doesn't even notice.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 01:36 PM	Coin leans against the other wall, his hands in his pockets, his expression dour. When the knock comes, he looks up angrily. "What?"
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 01:38 PM	"Can we come in?" The voice is almost pleading, but still tinged with anger. The boy on the other side of the door is still trying to control himself, and he takes Inaya's hand for support.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 01:42 PM	"Fine." Coin gestures at the door, which shatters into sawdust. "I, however, am heading out. Otherwise Ty might need some new teeth. He shoulders his way past the couple and into the hall, where he rounds the corner and vanishes from sight.
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 01:47 PM	Tyler sits down on Coin's bed in the room, waiting for Kaylee to notice him. When the technomagus finally does, she turns her head and back away. "Kaylee," Tyler begins gently, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that...I was...I was angry and more than a little shocked. I shouldn't have treated you like that. I hope..." He pauses, hesitant. The look he gives to Inaya clearly says, I can't friggin' believe I'm about to say this. "You can forgive me. I'll see you later." Tyler stands to leave, looking to his bride. A mental message in her mind says that there is nothing to do now but wait - and go find Tyler's father to mess with him. Kaylee needs time to recover.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 02:01 PM	As the two walk from the room, Inaya throws an arm around Tyler. "We've been missing from our own party for quite a while...Think anyone missed us?"
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 02:04 PM	"Yeah, I'd wager." As the two step back into the party, Jack Vici greets them. "Tyler, Inaya, finally. We were starting to get worried. Now, if I may ask, why weren't you resplendant in white, milady? The dark outfit most certainly is.." The man blushes. "But white is rather traditional. Tyler, what are you doing?" "Pulling out my camera." Tyler holds up a Kodak disposable before nodding to Inaya, smiling broadly. After a minute or two, Kaylee gets up and walks down the hall after Coin, searching for him.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 03:03 PM	You're not going to find him, Kaylee. I don't think he wants to be found... ***** Inaya smiles demurely at Mr. Vici. "Well, you know...I suppose we're just not traditional people. After all...we were married by the Lord of Hell. Some would consider that slightly more unusual."
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 03:08 PM	"That, and my lady here didn't qualify as of two days ago." Tyler begins snapping pictures as Jack Vici's face goes through the Five Stages of Loss - Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. The teenager laughs out loud and holds his bride tight, mostly for support because his legs are now weak. "Oh...that was priceless." The girl stiffens slightly - Coin has left, and something makes her wary about simply following him. Instead, she focuses on the tenuous link that connects it to the Nexus, sending a thought down the line. "Charlie...come back. Please. I have...something I want to say."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 03:42 PM	Coin's reply is slightly abrupt, as if he was interrupted in the middle of something. "Well, we've established communication. Why not just tell me now?"
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 03:51 PM	"It's something...something I need to say in person. Something I want to say in person. Please Charlie."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 04:10 PM	A fraction of a second later the walls of Kaylee's room melt away, revealing a enormous, sprawling city of white marble. The buildings, pathways, skyline...everything is pristine and orderly...except for a single structure that dominates the scene. Tall and imposing, the spire of white stone shoots skyward up to the clouds, and around it flickers a flashing, strobing net of dancing colors, revealing image after image, disjointed and chaotic. Kaylee turns to see someone standing next to her...and it's not Coin. "Ah...he brought us here. Or brought YOU here, rather. I am what you would call an unintentional stowaway." As Dorian Rike speaks, the great doors of the city start to glow, lines of shining gold running through them. Then, slowly, ponderously, they swing open and Coin walks through. "What is it, Ka--Dorian! What the HELL are you doing HERE? Not that it's not great to see you, but get the f**k out of my head! I warned you the first time!" "Coin, I can't leave. I no longer have a mind to return to...some dream creature shattered it completely. I've been staying with Kaylee here...that's how I was dragged along." Coin looks from Dorian to Kaylee, and back again. "We'll discuss this later. For now I want you to...to...God damn it! You're going to know what's going on wherever you are. Just...just...go away, will you? As a personal favor?" As the seer wanders off into the city, smiling to himself, Coin turns to Kaylee. "Yes?"
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 04:23 PM	Kaylee looks with wonder at the mindscape around her, pleasant awe on her face before she looks back at Coin. She has eye contact for a moment before looking down demurely and approaching him, stepping close, very close - their bodies are only just not touching. Her expession changes, becoming curiously like how she used to look at Tyler. "Charlie...you've been right the whole time. What I've done is terrible, but what I've done to you is just as bad. I've been toying with you, trying to use you to get over Ty. I've yanked your emotions around and all for nothing more than my own selfishness." The girl's breathing gets a bit heavier, and she gently wraps her arms around Coin's back. "Not any more. I finally realized it, when you've been here the whole time. This is the real thing." Raising herself up on her toes, the Technomagus kisses Coin, hesistantly as though waiting for his response.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 05:09 PM	Coin stands unmoving for several seconds, his eyes closed, his head bowed. Behind him, the flickering light of the tower stops, every flickering image now showing Kaylee's face. And then the tower ignites, black and gold fire burning up it's length, splitting it down the middle. The two colors of flame leap and dance against each other, neither making headway against the onslaught facing it. And then the black slowly begins to creep across, engulfing the other side, overpowering the shining flames, until there is almost nothing left. Coin shakes his head slowly, and takes a step backwards. As he does so, his eyes open...
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 05:22 PM	Kaylee's eyes open, looking at Coin. The emotions are more than merely etched onto her face - the woman is projecting hopelessness and resignation, a desperate and pitiful hope that even as she tries to cling to it, dies. She sinks slowly to the flats of her feet, and one arm - the one so recently seared by Coin - half reaches for him. But she slowly, listlessly, puts it back down. Mechanically, the girl turns around, head hanging low. Everything seems so dull now - her hair less glossy, her clothing less flashy, her stride less graceful. The girl is utterly broken. The first step of her metal-soled boot against the mindscape's floor echoes dully, and the girl half-whispers, "I understand," as she begins to walk away.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-03-07, 06:11 PM	Coin turns about abruptly, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. Slowly he begins to walk away, deeper into the city surrounding him...and, for the first time in years, a single tear runs down his face. He pauses, looking over his shoulder at the retreating girl, poised on the brink of exiting the white gates... ...and in his eyes, a single golden flame flickers to life. ******* As Kaylee reaches the massive doors, the sky brightens, and the world explodes in golden flame. The entire city is consumed, every building robed in shining flames, lined with traces of gold. As the technomancer turns, the central tower erupts, flame spewing from every window, every doorway, every minute crack in the flawless masonry. The raging black fire flares once and is drowned out by the golden inferno. And through the flames strides a figure encased in a suit of golden armor. The firelight shines off burnished metal as the being steps forward, and the clang of metal on the polished flagstones rings in the still air as the figure's armored boot strikes the ground. lifting a gauntleted hand, the phantasm raises the visor of its great helm, and, as it does so, golden flames engulf it completely. Golden flames clinging to him and shining out through his eyes, Coin steps from the inferno and catches Kaylee in his arms. As he embraces her, the fires rise to a peak, catching the two in a wave of golden light, framing them against the sky. Nothing moves, nothing stirrs, and yet Coin and Kaylee are suddenly on the city wall, looking out over an ocean of crystal water. Coin looks quietly down at the girl in his arms and hugs her to him. "Is it to late to say I was wrong?" He swings her around, pulling her in close, and presses his lips against hers. Breaking away, he gazes at her for some time, then kisses her again, lightly at first, but, feeling no resistance, he wraps his arms around her and lets his passions take over. And behind them the city burns.
Lord_Gareth 06-03-07, 06:23 PM	With passion and a sense of desperation, Kaylee returns the kiss, crushing herself against her knight in shining armor. Her eyes shimmer gently with tears of happiness and she melts under Coin. Everything, finally, is going well. They hold the kiss for a very long time before Kaylee finally breaks it off, reluctant and hesitant. "Charlie...it's never too late. I love you, and I mean that."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-05-07, 04:20 PM	******** In the middle of the wedding dinner, Lord Elrissa pushes himself up from his seat and turns to the bride. "I'm truly sorry, but I must depart. I promised Lord Rillius I would dine with him this evening as part of a political matter of no little importance. But before I go, he asked me to give you this, as a wedding gift from him to you." He withdraws a small, slim package from within his sleeve and passes it to Inaya, before kissing her lightly on the hand, calling his family to him, and walking back through his portal. Inaya looks at Tyler in some confusion, before carefully unwrapping the gift. Within is a slim dirk, rust and grime coating its foot long blade, its handle tarnished and caked with dirt. Inaya stares at it in what appears to be horror, before she wraps it up again and secrets it away. Smiling in a strained fashion, she turns to her husband. "Odd gift, don't you think?"
Lord_Gareth 06-05-07, 04:23 PM	Tyler looks askance at the rocking and shaking box from Endeca and turns back to his bride, "Yeah, I suppose so. Let's not open that one until later." Though trying to restrain it, Tyler's parents crack a yawn one after another. Most of the guests seem rather tired, and the food is winding away. "Perhaps its time we let them all go home, huh?"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-05-07, 08:20 PM	Inaya gazes around the guests, although her mind is clearly elsewhere. "Maybe you're right. It's been a long, complicated day..."
Lord_Gareth 06-05-07, 09:15 PM	The guests are guided out with the help of Tyler, Kyle, the other Tyler, the other Kaylee and anyone who knows where the portal is. Goodbyes are said as people are sent back to their homes. Tyler bids his mother farewell, and those remaining - Gideon and his double, both Tylers, both Kaylees, the two Inayas, Coin, and Kyle, are left sitting around the table. "Ty, Inaya, I have something for you. Something I think you'll appreciate." Kaylee takes a small token out from her *ahem* bust, flicking it across the table to spring into a portal behind the husband and wife. "I pulled a couple strings with the Knights Templar, the Vatican, and the Big Guy Upstairs. Ty - you can take Inaya to your home. Two weeks, mind you, but you can. Happy honeymoon." The slack-jawed look of wonder on the boy's face is more than enough to send both Kaylees, Kyle, and his double into fits of laughter as the magus loses all composure.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-05-07, 09:36 PM	Gideon and Gideon, both completely drunk by this point, both fall into hysterics...not for anything humorous, but simply because everyone else is laughing. It must be the right thing to do. Inaya, however, turns in excitement, all concerns suddenly gone from her face. "REALLY!? But I thought that...isn't...Tyler said that that..." She stops, apparently lost for words. "You two lovebirds have a ball, okay?"
Lord_Gareth 06-05-07, 09:43 PM	"Wait, wait, wait, you pulled strings with GOD?" At the mention of the Big Man Upstairs, the vampires shut up instantly. Kaylee wipes a tear of laughter from her eye and looks back at Tyler. "Who do you think I won this place from? I asked him as a favor, really, really nicely, and he gave you two weeks starting the moment you step through that portal. You get to show Inaya your home. I can keep Lilai safe with me. I need to start her lessons anyway. Poor kid is asleep in my room, out cold before I could get any caffine in her." Tyler hugs Inaya in unrestrained joy. "I can't wait! There's so much I want you to see, the old redwoods back home, L.A., Vegas, New York, oh, TOKYO! YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE TOKYO!"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-05-07, 09:57 PM	Coin steps back a bit, looking sideways at Kaylee. "So the big guy's REAL? Jesus Chri-" Coin stops abruptly, looking around nervously. "What's his stance on the whole 'non-believer' thing?"
Lord_Gareth 06-05-07, 10:04 PM	Kaylee merely smiles as an excited Tyler almost drags his bride through, magically scooping up possessions after them. With a casual wave of her hand, she summons another portal. "Other me, other Ty, that'll take you someplace safe...safe enough. A city called Sigil. You can live in..relative peace. A friend of mine will meet you there and help you get your bearings. Gideon and Gideon, you can take the other portal back to the Taverne. Jason - you're welcome to stay as long as you like. I, however, need some sleep. G'night everyone." She give Coin a quick peck on the cheek and heads for her room for some rest.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-05-07, 10:19 PM	The two Gideon's leave, leaning on each other's shoulders and telling each other obviously fake stories as they stumble into the taverne portal and vanish from sight. Soon Kyle and Coin are left alone. "Well, it's been interesting, that's for sure. When Kaylee gets up, tell her I left, will you? If she needs me, she knows how to get ahold of me." With that, Coin stands up, takes one last look at the distant building where Kaylee sleeps, and turns away, snapping his fingers. A second later he is gone.
Lord_Gareth 06-06-07, 06:38 AM	AAAAAND I declare our use of the thread for this event to be brought to a CLOSE! It only took what, sixteen pages? :P. I hope ya'll enjoyed reading it. Feel free to schedule/host other events in the Nexus, even if it looks like Gid and I are using it - we still have to for a couple things - and have a ball!
Gideon_Gideonson 06-06-07, 11:05 AM	16 pages, and roughly 458 posts. :D It was (and may continue to be) most enjoyable.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 12:37 AM	***** Kaylee and Lilai sit in Kaylee's room, engaged in conversation. Soon, however, they are interrupted by the sudden and abrupt appearance of Gideon crashing through the portal to the tavern. The man stands up angrily, shaking his fist in the direction of the offending portal. "Damn *****, sending me through that ****ing worthless--" He notices the other two people in the room and glares at them. "Well?"
Lord_Gareth 06-14-07, 10:15 AM	"I'm gonna ask," Kaylee says calmly while she shuts her laptop, "that you not swear in front of Lilai, thank you. What can I do you for?"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 10:18 AM	"Don't ask ME! Do you think I wanted to come here?"
Lord_Gareth 06-14-07, 10:21 AM	"Just calm down a bit. No one here's your enemy. Why do you think you were sent?"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 10:24 AM	"Because some people don't know when to leave well enough alone!"
Lord_Gareth 06-14-07, 10:28 AM	Kaylee sighs and mutters something under her breath. The girl opens her cell phone and dials a number - Coin's. "Give me a second," she says to Gideon, "So I can find someone to give me a straight answer for you."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 10:34 AM	"Kaylee! Hi! What's--OH SH*T! Damn damn damn... There is the sound of a large quantity of falling water, and a sigh of relief, followed once more by Coin's voice. "--going on?
Lord_Gareth 06-14-07, 10:36 AM	"You sound busy," Kaylee says teasingly, "So I'll make this one short. I need to borrow Dorian for a little bit, can you send him my way? I'm pretty sure I can cyberport him if he's willing to come."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 10:45 AM	"Yeah, just give me..." Coin's voice is momentarily drowned out in a loud trumpetting noise, as if a herd of some great animal were in the room with him. "...along. Okay?"
Lord_Gareth 06-14-07, 10:48 AM	"I'm sorry Charlie, there was a really loud animal noise about halway through your sentence. Should I just get him myself?" Kaylee's voice is still friendly and happy, and the technomancer is all smiles as she talks to Coin.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 10:51 AM	"Perfect-just-give-me-one-second-to-make-sure-he's-somewhere-where-I-won't-get-dragged-along." "HA! Yes! No interup--oh sh*t." The line goes completely dead, and Kaylee's phone begins to crackle with a slight electrical charge.
Lord_Gareth 06-14-07, 10:53 AM	Kaylee sighs. "Good thing I only need to have called him in the past hour. Lilai, watch the phone. I need you to hit the talk button when you hear me yelling at you." Kaylee speaks a few words and vanishes into the phone, hurtling through cyberspace toward's Coin's phone. The moment she's embedded in its memory - or the shattered remnants thereof - the technomancer casts something else to step into Coin's mind, making certain he knows it's her.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 10:56 AM	WELL HELLO, KAYLEE! Coin's thoughts echo around the white city. DORIAN'S WAITING FOR YOU JUST INSIDE THE GATES
Lord_Gareth 06-14-07, 10:59 AM	"Ow. Turn down the volume, eh Charlie?" Kaylee beams a smile at the city, seeing as Coin is not directly within, before stepping in through the gate to grab Dorian by the shoulder gently. "I've got someone I need some help with. He's not giving me a straight answer, but somebody sent him to me to get help. Know what I mean? C'mon, let's get you in my head." The woman snaps her fingers, and they go hurtling through cyberspace straight back to Kaylee's phone, where the technomancer sticks herself in the speaker and yells out to Lilai, "Hit the button!"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 11:01 AM	Lilai does so, and Kaylee appears in the room before her. Ah...Gideon. Give me a second.
Lord_Gareth 06-14-07, 11:06 AM	Gladly. He's got a mouth on him, though. "Well, make yourself comfortable, you ain't leaving anytime soon. This is Lilai, my apprentice. We where just going over string theory...if I haven't fried her brain." Incidentally, what instrument did Lilai decide on (taking in mind that her voice counts as an instrument)?
Gideon_Gideonson 06-14-07, 11:12 PM	That will not be a problem. I aim to bypass all physical barriers. I only require that you touch him, as it will make the jump much easier. I'm not sure yet...I'll get back to you on that one.
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 12:06 PM	Can do. Thanks for the favor, by the way. I owe ya. Kaylee clapped a hand on Gideon's shoulder, "Seriously, what's botherin' ya? I just wanna help out, you know."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 12:13 PM	Gideon opens his mouth to respond in a testy manner, but stops short as his eyes widen and he stands frozen. Within seconds Dorian is back inside Kaylee's mind. Right. He was sent by someone named Brisinaria. He was infused with Love by the avatar of Love, couldn't handle it, and went ballistic. Now his mind's in turmoil, and I can see why.
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 12:15 PM	Uh. Huh. See now, I might need your advice on this one, I'm not so good with people unless I'm teasing them to get my way. "You okay?" Kaylee says in her best 'innocent concern' voice.
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 12:18 PM	"No. No I'm not. What the hell was that?" It's odd...there's nothing ALIVE in there...nothing organic. It's all gears and cogs and metal...
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 12:24 PM	That *is* weird. "My friend Dorian. Since you wouldn't tell me what was wrong, I had him find out. That's what you get."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 12:37 PM	Gideon glares daggers at Kaylee. "So now YOU'RE messing with my mind to, eh?"
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 12:41 PM	"Nope," Kaylee says with perfect innocence, "Just in and out and on with life. Apparantly you have a bit of a problem...with love. I'm probably the last person you should be talking to, but since the cosmos has a sense of poetic justice, here you are, so tell me. I'll do my best. Lilai, you might want to leave the room."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 12:47 PM	"Right...come on, I barely know you. And I'm in no mood to talk right now. Try again later." With that, Gideon begins to walk back to the portal.
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 12:48 PM	Which promptly snaps shut. "No can do, friend. You're in no state to be in public right now. That, and I'm curious as to why you don't have a shred of organic material in you. Care to discuss things now?"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 12:50 PM	"What do you mean, no organic material? What the hells are you talking about?" As Gideon talks, Lilai slowly eases out the door, shutting it quietly behind her.
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 12:53 PM	"Dorian says he didn't find anything organic while he was surfin' through your brain - just mechanics. And I also honestly want to help you. Just calm down and talk it out. I'm not about to judge you, trust me."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 12:55 PM	Gideon simply stares at Kaylee in confusion. "Girl, I don't know WHAT you're talking about. The human mind is entirely, 100% organic."
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 12:57 PM	Dorian, you can borrow my mouth. What the hell am I talking about?
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 01:00 PM	"What I'm trying to say is that your thought patterns aren't human. There's no living part to them. You think in the manner of machines: it's a way of thinking, but it's a logical, emotionless manner." "Based on this observation, I'm inclined to believe you drink heavily, and enjoy being drunk. While drunk, you act oddly around people, and you don't know how to carry yourself in company when sober. Am I correct?" Gideon stares at Kaylee again, this time in suprise and shock. "..." "How...?"
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 01:02 PM	Kaylee cracks her jaw slightly - men had different speech patterns than women, and it wasn't exactly comfortable. "That, friend, was Dorian. I let him borrow my mouth for a bit. I told you he was just in your head, didn't I? Now...is what he just said part of the problem you're having? You can't process the emotions?"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 05:50 PM	"No...it's just...odd, you know? Not something that I associate with myself. It feels wrong...like a stranger in your house, or whatever that expression is."
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 06:02 PM	"You must be very lonely," Kaylee says with a hint of sadness in her voice, "If love is strange to you." The technomancer sits down on her bed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. "Why did it make you so angry?"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 06:05 PM	"You think it's pleasant, having something shoved into who you are? That's NOT me. It's like domination magic...it tears who you are away and replaces it with what someone WANTS you to be. It's horrible." Low blow, Gideon. Low blow. :D
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 06:15 PM	Kaylee stiffens, and her eyes look at the floor rather than Gideon. Her whole body seems to slump. "Yes...yes it is. It's probably the worst thing anyone could ever do to someone else. Did...did whoever did this to you make you love someone else?"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 06:23 PM	"No, but I bet she could if she wanted to. For her sake, she'd better not try. Ever."
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 06:27 PM	"Then what did she do? Who or what did she make you love? Help me understand."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 06:31 PM	"It's not that...if there's one thing I'm good at, it's keeping things inside. But it's...ever seen something about to explode from pressure? It's like that. Part of me wants to run out amongst the majesty of creation and watch all of it, to be a part of things, to love everything and everyone...and part of me knows that that's not who I am." "I can't deal with it. I'm going to explode. I can feel it. It's stronger than I am."
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 06:32 PM	"Then stop fighting it. I don't think I can reverse what has been done, but I'm willing to bet you money that it's temporary. Let it run its course and then, when it's over, I can take you back here." "And who knows, maybe you won't be so lonely anymore if you do."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-15-07, 06:35 PM	Gideon looks at Kaylee suspiciously. "Maybe. I'll think about it." He stands up, stretching. "And now may I leave?"
Lord_Gareth 06-15-07, 06:37 PM	"Not without some insurance. You'll hurt someone, likely yourself, if you keep bottling things up like this." Dorian, you willing to watch him for me? I can get you an amplifier that can let you swap between my mind and his until he recovers. "And I'm NOT sending you back where you came from. I've got some eyes and ears there, and lemme tell ya, it's turning uglier than Mr. Hyde."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-16-07, 12:08 AM	I'd love to, but I'm afraid that's not going to be possible. It's to alien in there...he almost managed to resist me. The man's strongwilled, whatever else he is, and I'm not strong enough to hold him off for long. "Fine. Where are you sending me?"
Lord_Gareth 06-16-07, 10:37 AM	"Well, if you're gonna love the whole world anyway, why not send you to the place where the whole world loves you back?" A shimmering green portal opens up, and Kaylee smiles a broad, genuine smile. "Arboria, my friend, the realm of both chaos and good. I garuntee you, you can love anyone and anything there in absolute safety...and probably get laid while you're at it."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-16-07, 09:49 PM	Gideon glances at the portal, then shakes his head. "Thanks, but no thanks. It's not where I belong. But maybe it's a place I can begin." With that, he walks through the portal and suddenly vanishes from sight.
Lord_Gareth 06-16-07, 09:51 PM	How long will that love last, do you think? About what time should I yank him back? "Lilai, you can come back in now."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-16-07, 09:58 PM	With him? As long as he wants it to, I'd imagine. Depends on what it does to him. Don't pull him back though...let him work his own way back. The door opens once more, allowing Lilai into the room. She walks over to Kaylee and sits down on the bed next to her. "What was that all about?"
Lord_Gareth 06-16-07, 10:01 PM	"Love, if you're willing to believe it. I had to help him with a love problem he had. Now, I know I've been frying your brain with all this science - not to mention the music practice - but it's all been for a reason." Kaylee smiles mischeviously. "Ready to learn some magic?"
Gideon_Gideonson 06-16-07, 10:05 PM	Lilai doesn't speak, but her entire face lights up. It's as clear as if she had shouted.
Lord_Gareth 06-16-07, 10:10 PM	Kaylee smiles broadly, showing each and every one of her perfect teeth. "Get your instrument, and I'll show ya a favorite trick from back home. Instant fake ID."
Gideon_Gideonson 06-16-07, 10:16 PM	Lilai runs from the room and returns, slightly breathless, a few seconds later, holding an oval object of painted clay: an Ocarina. "Ready. Just one question...what's an ID?"
Lord_Gareth 06-16-07, 10:33 PM	"I'll have Coin explain it when I make him take you to Earth. Alright, I haven't taught you any songs, and that's on purpose. Remember everything I taught you about letting the music flow, letting it glide over itself and just wash over the audience. What you need to do is simple - summon the power, focus on your intent, and then unleash the power while playing the music. Watch carefully, and make sure to play the notes I play." Kaylee strums her guitar to make sure it's in tune, then slowly plays a brief, fluid selection of notes. As she does, a small, phantasmal card forms in her lap, until it becomes solid - a driver's liscence. "You try."
technomagi 06-19-07, 09:39 PM	A thri-kreen gates in looking around. I bet none of these fine folks have ever seen a thri-kreen do the macarena. he says more to himself than to anyone in particular. He goes in search of a drink.
Lord_Gareth 06-19-07, 09:42 PM	An irritated Kaylee appears in front of the insect, hand on her hip and the other one dangling loosely at her side. "Yo, what the hell're you doin' in my place? You got an appointment, Psycho Mantis?"
technomagi 06-20-07, 07:58 PM	He holds up a flyer that says Big party at the Nexus. Hey, no need to come across like a bigot or be rude. Someone gave this to me. They were handing them out near the arena. As he says this other beings begin popping up all over the place holding similar flyers. So where are the kegs. The flyer says there are free drinks.
Lord_Gareth 06-20-07, 10:49 PM	"Interesting. I wasn't contacted about a party in my joint. Tell ya what, I'll get ya something and investigate this." Kaylee waves her hand idly and a keg, some mugs, and a table appears, warping in from some unfortunate bar. The technomancer then fades from view.
technomagi 06-22-07, 06:24 PM	Awesome The Thri-Kreen offers a hand. I am Killikuuk She fades from view before taking the offered hand so he goes and helps himself to a beer. Other beings spot the keg and head that way helping themselves to some brew. A halfling, an elf, and a couple of humans and a bugbear pop in with instruments in hand. One of them warps in a stage and they start playing some music.
technomagi 07-01-07, 04:18 PM	The thri-kreen drinks for a while and finally planeshifts out. He can't believe how little excitement there is in the planes these days. Maybe he will go visit Celestia
Shiv_Aiba 07-08-07, 11:36 PM	"Thueen sagat..." The words came quietly... rasped as if through rustling leaves. Vogogmor suddenly appeared, looking about his surroundings with no discernable glint in his many eyes. he spoke again in his same strange language, his voice sounding reflective, if any quality can be discerned from the grating baritone (much different from the voice that had sounded just before he arrived). "Thueen sagat, borkof." He eventually sat, as if waiting to be adressed. If one could read the alien expression on his... maw, it was one of wonderlust. He seemed quite content to remain lost and motionless, muttering to himself now and then. However this doesn't last long. Eventually he stands, his massive weight rising gracefully to totter for a moment, swaying in the wind until he reaches a firm stance. He then walks, slowly but surely, evaporating from whence he came, purposeful as his stride might be