Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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((@SinfulSkills and shylarah))
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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Cecilly was not afraid, walking home on her own after locking up her studio. The twilight did not bother her, and that part of town was fairly safe. In the event of something untoward, she had her self-defense training and a pocket knife for extreme cases. Besides, the woman knew to carry herself with the confident air that discouraged the average assailant. Most of them did not want to bother with a target that would be a hassle. They wanted easy prey.

A few nights each week, she was out past sundown. It happened more often in winter, when night fell early, but even in summer she occasionally end up walking home in the dark. Cecilly herself couldn't tell it was dark, as she had no way to observe such a thing, but there was a subtle change in the air once the sun slipped out of sight. It took her about twenty minutes to walk home, most of them along one of the major streets linking downtown to the closer subdivisions. There was at least a little traffic there during all but the very early hours of the morning, though it wasn't busy as it might have been, if she lived closer to Chicago. The rest of her walk consisted of a shortcut through the subdivisiion adjacent to her own, and there the only human sounds were those she made, and the muffled ones that came from the houses she past. Sometimes a car's engine disturbed the peaceful rhythm. More often it was just the wind and the crickets, and a few frogs when she passed the park during the warm months.

She reached her apartment building and a wave of her key fob unlocked the door for her to slip inside. A voice and the noise of a television greeted her.

"Hey Lee."

It belonged to another resident, a huge sports fan who as often as not could be found in the lounge at that hour. He always greeted her when she came in, and Cecilly smiled in his direction. "Hello, Ronnie. Who's winning?"

"Not the Cubs," he replied with a sigh. "They did great last game, though. How were the classes tonight? You just started a new session, didn't you?"

"I did. And not too badly," she responded, sitting on the arm of the couch and listening to the announcers on TV with half an ear. "Especially considering that two thirds of them have no clue what they're doing -- as usual."

"In other words, the average number of trampled toes, but nobody fell down?" Ronnie quipped, joining in when she laughed.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. Take care, Ronnie."

"You too, Lee."

She bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs. An enclosed space moving around her was always disconcerting, especially with that particular elevator's habit of lurching unexpectedly between the selection of a floor and when the doors slid shut. That was absolutely nervewracking, and she avoided the building's elevator whenever possible. It wasn't like two flights of stairs was any hardship, and her apartment was at the very end of the hall anyhow. An eager feline greeted her. "Yes, I know, you want your dinner. Give me just a minute, Freddie, let me get settled!"

An hour later the cat was fed, her own dinner was cooking, and she'd gone out on the balcony to enjoy the warm weather of late spring. The weather report called for rain the rest of the week, and she would be chased inside if that was the case. For the moment, though, it was perfect weather.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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The throne room of the king of the heavens held a mix of emotions; shouting and arguing, sadness and stillness and a silent curly haired, green eyes young man. “And until you find the end to your marks you will not return to the heavens. The answers you seek lie in the eyes of the goddess.” A noble man raised his hand into the air, the room filled with a great light and the six individuals in front of him vanished. The King slowly placed himself back onto his gallant throne, propped up his elbow and rested his chin in his hand. “Aw young one, will you continue to torment yourself or will you finally find peace?”

As the Gods fell from the sky the conversation began. “The answers you seek lie in the eyes of a goddess?” The youngest god repeated his voice solemn and depressed.

“Yes Axel, that is what he said; judging by the King’s demeanor, he must know much more than he’s telling us.” The elder of the gods said as he crossed his arms during their fall.

“That trickster of a King knows exactly what he’s doing. I’ll be back in the heavens in no time.” The smirking brunette said laying back as the people fell from the key.

The goddess with the dark violet hair who was falling among the gods clicked her tongue in rage towards the smirking man. “Shut your mouth you worthless lion. You know nothing of the King’s plans.”

“Scorpio be still.” The black haired man with a professional presence said in an authority tone. “Leon knows as much as the rest of us. He is just making a guess.”

“Director Stick in the Mud knows nothing; I at least know where I stand.” Leon said in a casual tone giving a shrug.

“I think we should split up.” The more mature looking one spoke up once again, “Finding the goddess that the king mentioned should be our number one priority.”

“I agree with Hue.” The silent one finally spoke up. “We’ll meet at the mansion and report anything that we have found. Despite the king’s rough treatment of us, he would never set us up to fail. The god we’re looking for must be in the city.”

“Curt is right.” Axel said speaking up, sounding much full of more hope than he had been when they first were summoned to the palace. “If we take the time to split up and search we’ll have a better shot at finding the person we need.”

“It’s nighttime Axel,” Scorpio said as they continued to fall. “The likeness of any disgusting human being awake right now is next to none. We should go to the manner and resume the hunt in the morning.” The other gods seemed to agree while the youngest looked disappointed.

“It doesn’t hurt to look…” He muttered under his breath as he eyed his supervisor. Scorpio and Axel looked at each other for a moment before she shrugged with a muttering of ‘be careful and stay calm’ before she turned and flew off towards the location of the mansion.

Soon the other gods left as well and Axel was left on his own. His focus so hard on the fact that he wanted his sin erased that he didn’t realize he was falling a bit fast. “Whoa!” He called out before SPLAT he landed hard on the ground near the back of an apartment building. “Owwww….” He muttered as he stared up at the sky feeling as though he was seeing stars. Oh boy, that knocked the wind out of him.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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Whatever weather Cecilly was expecting, none of it involved large objects falling from the sky. And that shout -- that was a person, a young man by the tone. Whatever it was had moved far too swiftly for her to make out any details, but the thud that followed, and the soft groan, that was enough. Had someone fallen off the roof? Jumped, perhaps? She wasn't sure how they'd have gotten up there, with the door being locked for the evening, but perhaps the custodian had forgotten. It had happened before, though not often. It was a concern for later. Though she reached with her senses as far as she could, the ground was only a blurry smudge in her mind, not enough to make out fine details properly. She could tell it was there, and that was it. Anyone lying on it was not where she could discern them easily or well. "Stay put!" she called down over the railing of her balcony, leaning over so her head would be visible to whoever was below for a moment. She was already checking her pocket for her keys and phone. "I'll be right down, but if you're hurt you need to stay still." With that she vanished back into her apartment.

She took the stairs two at a time, cursing at the time it took her phone to turn on. She'd turned it off for the evening when she got home, leaving it in her pocket only because she'd made the habit of keeping it with her keys at all times. She dashed through the back door, slowing just long enough to adjust to the sudden change in environment, then hurrying toward the part of the lot her balcony looked down on. There! The lump on the pavement resolved into a person, a young man as she'd thought. He was lying on his back, but Cecilly could feel breathing as she came closer. She knelt by him, sighing in relief as her phone /finally/ gave the cheerful tune that meant she could actually use it. It was a flip phone, or she wouldn't be able to use it very well, but she paid for the convenience. She'd resisted upgrading to a smartphone for years, and hadn't ever regretted it until that night. Her fingers brushed over the raised keys as she picked out the numbers for 9-1-1. "Hey. Hey, I'm going to get you help, alright? Can you tell me who you are?" Her hazel eyes wandered aimlessly, but she seemed to know where he was, and if perhaps she was a degree or two off in the direction of her face, well, it was forgivable.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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Poor Axel. His head was pounding, his heart as thumping in his chest and now his back hurt. Something from a distance called out but he was too head-spinning to hear it. His large hand rose from his side and placed against his head as he let out a loud groan. “Uuuuggghhhhh……” The young man groaned again as he rubbed his head before the sound of crunching echoed in his ear. “Huh?”

His silver uniform, with black arm bands reflected in the fallen sun as he listened to the footsteps getting closer his location. Body tensing the young man slowly turned towards the noise to see a girl stumbling towards him. It wasn’t until she arrived to him that he realized he was found out. Oh Alexander was going to be mad at him for getting spotted by a human right away.

Her panic was understandable. Most humans wouldn’t fully understand what just happened and he could empathize with their shock. After all, he really liked humans despite his position and how the other gods in his line of work feel about humans. “Hey.” He said softly, his large hand moving from his face to her hand, gently placing it on hers. “Hey I’m okay, please calm down. I just fell.” Fell, that’s good enough right. “Now I have a massive headache and an achy back.” Doing his best to give a small laugh to the situation he slowly sat up.

A small groan left him as he did so but soon they were level with one another, “I’m sorry I disturbed your evening.” He said blinking a couple times as he pulled his hand from her and rubbed his face. His gaze turned to her before he stopped, freezing as he stared at her wondering hazel eyes. Stars… stars… STARS! He can see STARS in her eyes!! The king’s voice echoed in his mind, “ The answers you seek lie in the eyes of the goddess.”

“Your eyes are incredible…” He found himself saying as he stared at her before his face turned red with embarrassment and he looked away, the air around him changing to one of shyness and embarrassment. “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to stare.”
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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"You fell." She didn't sound completely convinced, but she didn't push him about it. "Hey, no, don't move!" Cecilly almost dropped her cell, in her rush to keep him from sitting up. Certainly she didn't quite finish dialing. "Whatever happened, that was three stories. You need to be taken to an emergency room -- and you shouldn't be moving. You don't know what you've banged or broken, and moving can make a minor thing much worse. Just sit tight, okay?"

He didn't listen. And really, he seemed to be more or less fine, so far as she could tell -- now wasn't /that/ crazy luck? Three stories, and she couldn't feel a broken bone in him. His laugh sounded uneasy, and she again wondered if he might have jumped. It didn't seem so unlikely. He'd grabbed the hand that held her phone, and though she tried to convince him to let her call an ambulance, he didn't seem to like the idea of going to a hospital. If he /was/ suicidal, forcing him to the hospital might make things worse. She knew that, in theory, they would keep him from hurting himself. But she also knew that in reality if he was determined to kill himself, he'd find away. Being at the hospital on suicide watch hadn't helped her one friend back in high school -- and he'd been utterly miserable while there, even worse than beforehand. She couldn't blame him for the last, either. The atmosphere there was oppressive.

And then came the inevitable stare, and the comment about her eyes. It wasn't like she tried to hide being blind, as a general rule, but damn if she didn't get tired of it. She turned her head away, but not quite fast enough to hide her grimace. At least he'd said something more or less positive, instead of the traditional "what's wrong with your eyes?" That was the one she truly dreaded, the comment that hurt the worst. No, there was nothing /wrong/ with her eyes. So she couldn't see. So what? It didn't keep her from doing things, it didn't hold her back.

Easy, 'Lee, he doesn't mean anything by it. He's probably not at his best right now -- and he does seem to regret it.

"Thank you, I suppose," she said, trying to act like it didn't bother her. She sighed heavily, flipped her phone shut, and slid it back in her pocket. "If you really don't want to go to the hospital, I won't make you," she continued, "But at least tell me your name, and where you are. Hitting your head like that, I wouldn't be surprised if you have a concussion. You sound like you're doing okay, but I'd like to make sure nothing got knocked loose." She gave the young man most of a smile, but some of it was lost to disapproval and regret. Just because she wouldn't force him didn't mean she agreed with his decision. "What were you doing up on the roof, anyhow? I don't believe I recognize you, and even if you did just move in, there's a sign posted that says the roof's off-limits at this time of day." Unless someone'd torn it down again. Cecilly was pretty sure she knew who was responsible for /that/, but unless she could catch him at it, there was nothing she could do about it, or any of the other problems he tended to cause. "As for ruining my evening, don't worry about it. Even if you had, I don't mind helping." He seemed like there was something he wasn't saying, perhaps something that bothered him, so Cecilly gave him a brief, almost playful smile. "But I'd hardly say having a handsome young man fall out of the sky to land just about on my doorstep counts as ruining the evening." It was a joke, nothing more, and she had no idea how close to the truth she'd come. She wasn't even serious about the flirt. Whoever this guy was, she pegged him as her junior, perhaps by as many as six or seven years, and quite probably dealing with serious issues. That would be just asking for trouble.

((just went with him preferring no hospital. And yay irony~))
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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Despite the fact that he was on earth, Axel still gave off a godly aura that changed based upon his mood and those humans with intellectual abilities could pick up on his mood changes. This is something that is both beneficial and dangerous.

“My name?” He felt a bit surprised that she would ask it so quickly but, then again their encounter wasn’t exactly a normal one. “My name is Axel and I’m in Chicago.” He said knowing that they were sent to this city was important. As long as she didn’t ask the exactly location than he would be in the clear for the most part. His large hand moved to his forehead as he held it with a small moan of pain. “My head hurts from my landing but outside of that I’m feeling fine. Again I’m sorry I’ve troubled you.”

Her comment, however, of a handsome man falling out of the sky made him laugh. “Oh you’re funny.” He said with a nod as he turned his gaze back to her. She didn’t seem to be looking directly at him and, that’s when he realized that she was actually blind! His eyes expanded in surprise but he still found himself entranced. Her eyes held a secret that humans couldn’t understand but the gods did and yet, he still found himself staring at her.

Still, his mind went back to her comment and he couldn’t help but beam at her. He wasn’t called handsome very often, actually he wasn’t called anything anymore. Most gods and goddesses in the heavens avoided him unless they worked in the department of punishments or wishes. Everyone considered him a bad person, a bad god, an… an evil god. And, and maybe he was.

“Outside of having a headache I believe I’m alright.” Pulling his hand from his head he slowly sat up before looking back at her again. “Who should I proclaim as my savor this evening?”
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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"Not from around here, are you Axel." The young lady seemed amused. Only someone who was from a considerable distance away would call the suburbs Chicago. Locals called them by name, unless identifying their home for someone out of state. Everyone knew where Chicago was, including a lot of people in other countries. Cecilly was glad that he appeared to have a sense of humor, answering his laugh with a smile of her own. If this really was an accident, he was taking it well, and if not, laughter was a hopeful sign. "Well, good enough. If you insist you're fine, I suppose I shall just have to take your word for it." She rose smoothly to her feet and held out a hand. "But you should still grab some ice for that head, and anything else you hit." She pulled him to his feet without real difficulty, strengthened by years of martial arts and dancing. Her grip was firm and her well-controlled motions were another indication of both kinds of training. "I'm Lee -- Cecilly, that is." She tilted her head, not really looking him up and down, but giving the impression of it nonetheless.

"Actually, let me loan you an ice pack before you go," she said abruptly, waving at him to follow her. "Is it far to where you're staying? Do you need to call someone to pick you up?" Upon further consideration, she'd know if someone had just moved, and it was unlikely there were out-of-town visitors she didn't know about. The rumormill in her building worked very rapidly indeed, and she spent enough time with other tenants that she knew most of what was going on. Instead of waving her keyfob past the detector she touched them together, using that to make sure she held it in the right position. She wasn't worried about letting him in. He was troubled, but not in a way that seemed dangerous, and he couldn't have faked falling. Besides, if he did try something, he'd find that she was not an easy target. She could feel him smiling behind her as she pulled the door open and let him inside.

Out of consideration for what was doubtless a number of bruises, she headed towards the elevator. She could manage taking it to spare Axel the stairs, regardless of whether he walked like he felt them or not. Her fingers brushed the braille by the buttons, but she'd gone for the one she wanted without needing to search, and pushed it. Even though she knew to expect it, Cecilly stumbled a step at the lurch that accompanied the doors starting to slide shut. "God, I hate this elevator," she grumbled. "'Nothing wrong' my foot." Most people didn't have so much trouble with it, but she was very dependent upon her ability to orient herself to the things immediately around her, and it threw her off every time. "So who're you staying with while you visit, Axel?" she asked, her questions a little bit prying but delivered in a conversational tone. She didn't want to let him go off alone if he had jumped off the roof, as she expected. She wanted to make sure he had somewhere, and more importantly, someone -- no matter how apparently cheerful his mood was on the surface. "You ever visited the Windy City before?"

The elevator stopped far more smoothly, and she lead him all the way to the end of the hall, pushing open the very last door. "Please, have a seat," she said waving towards the couch. "Don't mind Freddie, he'll probably want to say hello." The cat, a ginger tabby, did indeed come to the door within moments, and he seemed more curious than wary of the visitor. Cecilly's apartment was remarkably well coordinated for someone with no way to tell the colors of things, though various smaller items contrasted sharply with the cream/orangey/pale green color scheme. That wasn't the only sign, either. Most of the lights in what could be seen of the apartment were off, aside from a single lamp by the couch and the ones that had turned on when she hit the switch by the door on the way in. There were pieces of artwork and various knick-knacks around, but the majority were sculpture. The few pieces that came close to resembling paintings were actually done in relief, making pictures that could be seen by touch. There were books, but all had braille along their spines, and some had nothing printed in traditional ink at all. There was little in the way of typed papers anywhere to be found, and those there were likewise had braille instead of print. The most obvious difference, however, was that while there was a beautiful sound system it was set up around a computer desk, with no sign of a television anywhere.

Overall the place was very neat, which was perhaps to be expected from someone who wouldn't be easily able to locate something not in its proper place. The first thing the woman did upon entering was close the sliding door to the balcony. Then she vanished into the kitchen. It was a nice apartment, the living room and dining room having no real division between them, and the kitchen separated by one full wall and one wide doorway and half wall with a counter along it. A trio of doors at the end of a very short hallway lead to a darkened bathroom and what was probably her bedroom. The third was shut, but placement suggested it was nothing more than a closet.

"Can I get you something to drink? Water, or a can of soda?" she called across the room. She joined Axel a moment later, handing him the ice pack and putting any drink he might have requested on the small coffee table. Cecilly sat in the recliner next to the couch, and her cat took this as a signal, going to sit expectantly by her feet. She laughed. "Here, Axel, there should be a toy on the end of the stick, lying on the back of the couch behind you. Do you know how to use it for him?" She wanted to ask again how he'd gotten to the roof, but he'd neatly avoided that question the first time, and she couldn't see asking it again to be useful. Instead, she'd try to get a better read on him, while he iced his head.

((Considered letting him go for the evening, but that didn't feel right. If he wouldn't come with, I'll take everything after the offer out, and just add her bothered by it but letting him go, which shouldn't have much effect on your reply compared to the part of this that'd stay.))
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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Her grip was as firm as his when she helped him to his feet. He felt rather pathetic compared to his counterparts of gods. They were all so powerful and so talented compared to him and now he was making a fool out of himself in front of the only person who could even help them. How do you bring up the topic to someone, a human none-the-less, that she needs to assist him, a god, in getting back to the heavens? Axel was a young god, younger than the rest who were sent into exile so the idea of communicating something as important as their situation was probably something to be left up to the other gods.

But here he was and… well he might as well try right? “Pleasure to meet you Lee.” He responded, taking her hand and gently pressing a kiss to the back of it before letting it go. He followed her through the yard and to the building rubbing his head. It hurt; as in enough pain to make a god flinch and now he was more thankful than ever for an ice pack. Maybe allowing her to show him some kindness would make it easier for them to talk. He did have magic, he could just make one but making one out of thin air is a bit difficult to explain to humans. The elevator didn’t seem to be stab compared to what she was expecting and it threw both of them off as they stumbled toward on the jerking motion. He unintentionally reached out to give her a helping hand in stabilizing her but she caught her balance before he could touch her so he retracted his hand before he made contact. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was blind; it had everything to do with the fact that Axel was raised as a gentleman.

Her questions made him smile. “I’m staying with friends and this is my first visit.” He said with a nod before looking around the elevator. “I do wish I hadn’t come in at night though. I’ve been walking to walk the streets and experience the culture for a very long time.” Axel and the Vice President of the Department of Wishes each shared a passion for the human world and even though they were exiled, they were excited to see what it was like on earth.

Her home was well put together for someone who was blind and seemed peaceful and inviting. Exactly what you would expect from a former goddess. A smile moved across his face as he entered. Then his gaze moved down to his feet where he saw the tabby cat staring up at him curiously. How ironic that she would have an animal, much less a cat. She was the goddess of animals in her past life and she probably had more animals than she could imagine drawn to her.

The cat found its way onto the couch as he sat down waiting for his ice pack. “Water would be wonderful.” He called out answering her question as he stared at the cat. The cat and him seemed to stare at each other before the tabby let out a meow and began to rub against the black slacks he was wearing. A grin grew on his face as he extended out a large hand and offered it for a sniff from the cat. The cat didn’t bother with the sniff but instead rubbed his head towards the palm of his hand. Animals never really avoided him but the gods and goddesses in the heavens did; maybe it’s because animals didn’t know the truth about him, about his sin and the horrible crime he had committed.

The cat left him as soon as she sat down. He positioned the ice pack on the back of his head and let out a sigh. The chilliness felt good against the throbbing knot he now had on the back of his head. “Oh,” He said realizing he was being called to. “Yeah.” Reaching behind him, he began to play with the cat using the toy at the end of the stick before he decided to continue to talk to her.

“The cat seems to really enjoy you. Every time you made a noise in the kitchen it would stop and look in your direction. You seem like you’re popular with animals.”
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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Cecilly had brought his water, and some for herself. It was cold even without ice in it, but she'd put a few cubes in to keep it that way. She took a drink and chuckled as her unexpected guest pulled the feathery toy across the floor, with the cat trying to catch it. "I imagine he thought he might get an extra treat or something. Every so often he tries to insist I haven't fed him on a day I know I have. Silly cat." Her smile widened. "I rescued Freddie a few years ago. I don't know if he was abandoned or what, but he is surprisingly fond of people. Other animals, not so much." She stretched out her feet, tilting the recliner back for a moment so she didnt kick the coffee table. "So, your first time in Chicago? If you like culture, you're in for a treat. The Art Institute is one of my favorite places. And of course you'll have to visit the Sears Tower, and Navy Pier. I understand the view from the Ferris wheel there is amazing." She'd never been able to appreciate either herself, of course, but if the young lady minded she kept it well hidden.

The apartment was starting to smell like food, namely pasta sauce. The woman paused to take a deep breath, but she didn't smell any burning, and the oven timer had yet to go off, so she ignored it for the moment. It probably wouldn't be ready for at least another quarter hour. As she talked, she was keeping track of Axel's disposition. She thought she could still pick up the faint undercurrent of a troubled mind, but he seemed to be relaxing, and she didn't think his smile was faked. "I might be able to suggest a few other places, but it'd help if you told me a little of what you enjoy." Another subtle nudge for him to open up. Despite Cecilly's warm disposition she was genuinely concerned about him. Perhaps the current episode had passed, but it was rarely a single episode.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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She was so much nicer than the gods in the heavens. Maybe it was just because she was a former goddess or maybe humans weren’t all bad like what he dealt with in his job. A smile moved across his face as he rubbed his head with the ice pack. Hearing her with animals didn’t surprise him; in fact he was more surprised that she didn’t have more cats. Not because she could be a ‘crazy cat human’ but because cats are drawn to her. Something inside of him knew that she was at a zoo the cats would probably press themselves up against a glass trying to get her to touch them. But you can’t exactly explain that to someone what he needed to explain to her.

Her explanations made him nod as he listened to her. “Sounds like fun.” Then she said she wanted to know what he would enjoy. His brows push together in the thought. He honestly didn’t know. Axel wasn’t sure how long he would be here and how much he needed to try to fit in. The problem of it would be that he would need to be able to see her again. “I… I really don’t know.” He said softly, his voice filled with sadness. To be honest, this is the most he’s been out and about since everything happened. “I enjoy sights, sounds and smells. Especially smells. Anything that smells good tends to get my attention. I have a keen nose for good scents.”

At that, his head jerked up sniffing the air, the scent of food filled the air of the house and his face flushed. “I’m really, sorry. I seemed to have shown up when you were making dinner. I apologize for the inconvenience I’ve caused you.” His voice was soft and almost fragile. He was the youngest one in the group, however he was much older than her if you were to ‘age’ him but he still had a lot of softness to him. “I don’t wish to take up too much of your time but I’ll be pretty lost without knowing where to go. Do you have any other suggestions that’s more based around smells?”
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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She chuckled at Axel's apology, and waved a hand. "I told you already, it's really not an inconvenience, and I don't mind. Relax. It's not even done yet -- I'm just waiting for now. Believe me, if I wanted you gone I'd say so." Cecilly shifted in her chair, expression thoughtful. "I'm afraid I can't help so much with the sights, beyond what I've already suggested. Sounds...hm. The beach is nice, though it doesn't have that ocean scent since it's just Lake Michigan. If you can catch something at the Old Town School, they have a variety of musicians perform there, though tickets aren't always available. I took some dance classes there, and the place is lovely. But smells...." She smiled. "That's not something I hear people comment on often. It's odd, really. Like sight somehow keeps them from noticing everything else."

She considered for a moment, then nodded. "Have your friends take you to a real Jewish deli. I love the smell of them, the sliced meat, the vinegar from the pickles, and a bit of whatever's cooking. My family swears by Kaufman's in Skokie, but there's other excellent ones closer to downtown. I think the best one I know there is Manny's, but your friends might know some others

"There's a tiny little store not to far from my studio, called the Popcorn Shop. When I say tiny, I mean...it was built in an alley. Little dinky place, but they have popcorn and five-cent candy, even older stuff, and the way it smells is just amazing. I love going there. I can give you directions if you like. Bakeries are everywhere, but this is a little different, and I've never found anywhere else quite like it.

"And lastly, I suppose it's a bit obvious, but a nature preserve or botanical garden. I know, they're all over, but it's still worth mentioning. Actually, the one here in town has one section where you're allowed to touch and even eat some of the plants. It's marked as a children's garden, but adults go there too. There's more than a few things chosen specifically for their aroma, either of the flowers or when you crush the leaves."

Cecilly got to her feet and the cat looked up from chewing on the lure long enough to determine she wasn't leaving the room, allowing Axel to tug it free. He immediately went back into hunt mode, hiding under the coffee table to wait for a good opportunity. Lee slid into the computer chair and nudged the mouse, bringing the screen to life. "Command: open Chrome," she said, holding down one of the extra buttons on her mouse. The browser opened and the computer softly dinged. It seemed she'd set it up to use voice commands; a far easier method when she was unable to see the screen. It didn't take her long to finish, and as she stood up she grabbed the papers she'd printed out. "This should be everything you need to find the stuff I mentioned. Names, addresses, websites. And that ice pack's probably close to melted. Shouldn't leave it on too long, either, fifteen or twenty minutes tops. If you're still hurting in an hour or so, you can use ice again, but not sooner." She smiled down at Axel. "Too much ice is not a good thing. Anyhow, do you need to--"

She was cut off by an insistent beeping from the kitchen, and excused herself. It didn't take her long to remove the lasagna from the oven and set it to cool. She grabbed the cordless phone from off the microwave on the way back to her guest and held it out. "Here. Go ahead and call your friends. I should have offered earlier, sorry."
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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She was so kind. Letting a complete stranger into her house and helping them despite he could be someone bad. But he wasn’t bad and neither was she. In fact, she didn’t seem familiar at all. Meaning he had never seen her on the punishment list. Cecilly must know a lot about the area considering she was able to give him a lot of information and to that he was grateful, however he didn’t quite reach his main goal and that was to convince her to come back to the other gods with him.

The idea of how to convince her when he couldn’t actually ‘show her’ anything was something that he would have to find his way around. Pulling the ice pack from his head he gave a small sigh feeling the back of his head slightly damp from the water. After all that was said and done, he was already back to normal. Gods heal a lot faster than humans anyway. “Thank you for your hospitality, Lee.” He said softly as he played with the cat.

Taking the papers from her with his free hand, he gave her a pleasant smile. A soft aura reflecting the young god’s gentle nature expanded around his body and into the room. Giving the room a bubby and happy atmosphere as he put the toy back to where he found it.

It wasn’t until he was handed a phone that he realized he could easily be caught at this moment for not being human but… he was interested in the phone. He handled it much like a child would. He gave it a shake before examining it in his hands. After a moment he tossed it up into the air and caught it before letting out a little chuckle of joy. Turning the phone the wrong way, he put the microphone part next to ear and the speaker next to his mouth. Of course there was no volume or sound but he was still having fun. Pulling the phone from his ear he realized just how silly he must come across.

“It’s okay.” He said softly handing her back the phone and standing up. “I really appreciate this Lee but I probably should get going. I don’t want to interrupt your meal.” With that he took her hand in his large one and gently brought it up to his lips. His full lips pressed softly against the back of her hand. “Again, thank you for your kind heart and helpful nature. I can only hope we’ll run into each other again. Have a good night.” With that he left, the door shutting softly behind him.

--------

“So… you found her? But you didn’t bring her to the mansion?” Cal said as she and Axel walked down a street the following day.

“Yeah… well…” Axel said shyly… His large hands slid into the pockets of his blue jeans as they walked through the streets. He was dressed in jeans and a button up yellow shirt while his friend was in a bright red strapless dress and high heels climbing her closer to his height.

“Did you get shy?” Cal said teasingly as they walked. “Mmmmm popcorn, and candy!” She called out skipping in the direction of the scent.

Unlike the rest of the Gods, it was an act of caution that someone was with Axel at all times. The fact that he was on his own while he was with Lee last night was surprising that everyone made it out alive. A long troubled sigh left the curly haired young man as he walked towards the smells before stopping at an open bay window. “No way… Cal!” He called out to his friend who stopped in her skip and turned, his green gaze focused on the building he stopped at looking inside. “Cal, it’s her studio…” With that and his redheaded friend on his heels, he pulled open the door and entered into the quiet studio.

“Lee?” He called out softly.
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Freddie eventually had enough of the toy and just flopped down in the middle of the room, like a marionette with its strings cut. Lee just grinned down at him. "You're such a goof, aren't you?" she asked the cat. The room felt cheerful as she handed Axel the phone, and watching in bemusement as he treated it more as a toy. She didn't know what to think of that, and wasn't quite sure how to go about asking what the heck he was doing. She took it back with an uncertain smile, trying to phrase a question that wouldn't be too rude. Instead she was stunned as he kissed her hand and left before she could recover.

By the time she had the sense check the hallway, he was either out of earshot or not interested in answering her soft call. Either way, the result was the same. "What an unusual fellow," Lee said to her cat as he blinked lazily up at her. "I hope he gets back to his friends okay. ...I can't figure out if he jumped or not. I really do hope he'll be okay, whatever his story is." With a sigh she went to see if the lasagna had cooled enough to eat.

---

The next day was Wednesday, what Lee thought of as her "young adult day". When Axel spotted her studio that afternoon there were only a couple people present, mostly older teens and college students, talking softly. It was a nice place, though it had clearly been fixed up a handful of years earlier. Large windows covered most of the front, and a double set of doors kept the outside weather from getting in. Beyond the second set of doors lay the studio itself, with a small area for people to sit and watch to one side. The rest was wooden floor and mirrored walls complete with a barre. Lee was nowhere to be seen, but one of what were apparently early arrivals looked up at the two newcomers.

"Heya, you here for class? Miss Lee's in the office right now, but she should be out real soon. Changing rooms are thataway if you need 'em." The blonde girl looked from Axel to Calamity. "You guys ever swing before?"

"Axel?" Cecilly stepped out of a door into the sitting area, a trio of slim CD jewel cases in one hand. "Nikki, give these to Jareth to cue up. He knows how to do it." She held the discs out to the girl who took them with a grin and headed off. "I didn't expect to see you here. What brings you? Is this the friend you mentioned?" Lee offered the other woman a hand. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Lee Roseberg. I guess Axel must have mentioned dropping in yesterday." A hint of laughter played across her face at the subtle joke, but she said it partially in hopes of gauging just how much Axel's friend knew about what happened.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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“Swing?” Cal responded with a beaming smile. “Oh swing is wonderfully fun. Much better than the waltz but not as fun as salsa.” The red head began to ramble on to the young couple who had taken the time to speak to her as Axel gazed around the room in wonder.

It was small than he had originally imagined but the walls were covered with mirrors, giving the dancers a better idea of how their movements looked and what they were doing right/wrong. The floor was smoothed and a beautiful oak. It looked as though people were using the room for group dancing and solo dancing. Fascinating. Axel’s green eyes blinked a few times before a smile moved across his full lips. This was nice; it obviously had her feelings, her presence here; it was as peaceful as her home.

A noise drew the attention of the two gods and their eyes landed on the teacher. Cal was the first one to react, leaving the side of the girl who was in mid-sentence talking to her to skip over to Lee. “Hello!” She said brightly as she came to a halt in front of her. Taking her hand, she shook it with excitement, “I’m Calamity, but you can call me Cal.” With that she let go of Lee’s hand. “Yes, Axel told me all about your fateful encounter but he didn’t tell me you worked around here. Sorry for dropping in. How long have you been teaching here? What is it like being a dance instructor? What kind of dances do you know? How long have you been dancing? Boy you have beautiful eyes. What’s your favorite dance? Why do you like it? Do you do private lessons? Can you…”

SMACK

During her endless chatter, Axel had stepped up behind Cal and smacked her on the back of her head. “Quit it, you’re asking too many questions and not giving someone time to respond.”

The young woman held the back of her head with both hands and mumbled something about Axel being mean before she stood upright and turned her gaze back to Lee. “He’s so mean…” She pouted before her hands fell to her side. “Can we join the class? I have money!”
1x Laugh Laugh
Hidden 7 yrs ago 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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Lee was taken aback by the enthusiastic greeting, but she just smiled and gently freed her hand. The barrage of questions made her take half a step back, but she laughed and shook her head when Axel stepped in. "Nice to meet you, Cal. And let's see...I've been teaching here a few years now. I love teaching dance. It's challenging but rewarding, and it keeps me active. I know a lot of different dances -- ballroom, popular, ballet, you name it. If I don't know one I always like to learn. I started with ballet as a little girl." Cecilly smiled at the memory. Ballet was technically demanding, and she'd never been a big fan of pointe shoes,but she had to admit there was something magical about a dancer en pointe.

She didn't respond to the question about her eyes, omitting it entirely as she went through the questions in her had. The uncertain smile she'd given at the time would have to do. "My favorite would have to be tap, although softshoe is pretty nice. I like it because it's not just a visual art. It incorporates sounds produced by the dancer as well as from the music. I do indeed give private lessons, though those are arranged on an individual basis. I don't usually allow drop-ins, but as this is less a lesson and more an informal session, you are welcome to participate." She smiled at the pair. "Thirty's the cutoff age, but I don't think--"

Whatever she'd been about to say was interrupted by music suddenly blaring over the sound system, loudly enough that a number of people in the room flinched and shouted at the pair by the console. Cecilly herself cringed, her face twisting in pain. "Nikki Wyatt, I told you to let Jareth do it."

"I didn't do it!"

"You did!" The youth next to her quickly stopped the playback, and then turned the volume /way/ down.

"I didn't, I gave you the cds to put in--"

"And then you hit play before I'd set the volume right!"

"Enough, both of you. There's a reason I've told you not to mess with that, Nikki. Not everyone likes their music loud. Some of us want to be still able to listen to it at ninety." A few people chuckled. Far more rolled their eyes. "At any rate, since I have your attention, I'd like you to meet Cal and Axel. They'll be joining us today, so please make them welcome." There was a chorus of greetings, and someone hollered an inquiry as to whether Calamity would be joining permanently. Cecilly frowned slightly at the comment. "Jareth, go ahead and start the music," she called. Under the general commotion as a room full of young people scrambled to partner up, Lee turned to Axel. "I think it was your friend that said something about knowing swing, before I came out of the office, but what about you? Are you good, or do you need a few pointers?"

Regardless of his answer, she intended to ask him for the first dance, unless he showed a decided preference for pairing up with Cal -- or if Cal asked him first. She was curious as to how he'd just happened to drop by.
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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It was surprising she was able to answer the questions that Cal fired off. Axel was pretty sure he would have had to ask the questions again or require Cal to slow down. They were an odd pair but were consistently found together in the heavens despite their difference in jobs. The reason they were found together is because they got along. While Cal was the older of the two, her free spirit tended to lean everyone into thinking was younger than she was; and her ability to provide Axel with positivity and happiness made her a good person to be around despite people’s fear of him. It was first thought that they were dating by the other gods of the heavens but, that was until people actually saw them together. That’s when the other gods realized, this was more of a sibling relationship then a romantic one and the idea that Cal had actually settled down became a thing of the past and their fear of her getting her was lessened a lot.

The sudden blaring of the music made both of the gods cover their ears along with the rest of the class and it truly was no surprise that Lee had to end all of the shenanigans before they became too crazy.

As they both breathed a sigh of relief, their gaze turned back to Lee as she announced they were going to begin. Before Axel could move to take Cal as his partner, his natural choice on instinct to take his best friend; he gained a moment of pause having Lee ask him a question. “Oh, Uh….” He began shyly, his large hand running along the back of his neck as his face flushed red. “I’m kind of required to for work. Traditionally it’s just the ballroom dances but on occasion they like us to participate in other forms.” A nod rose and fell his head as he looked over at Cal.

Cal had found herself a male and a female dance partner, coordinating between the two that she would dance with the female first and take the lead, then on the next song she would dance with the man. His eyes rolled rather hard at her before turning his attention back to Lee. “I do apologize for dropping in like this Lee. Cal is very… um… fluttery. When we were walking it was ‘popcorn’ then I happened to say that I thought this was your studio and she bolted right in. I'm very sorry...”
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by shylarah
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Cal proceeded to all but fling herself into the mix of people partnering off, leaving Axel high and dry. He didn't seem entirely at ease with it, but too late now. "Required, are you?" Lee echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Then might I have this dance?" She held out a hand, and smiled brightly. It was only a couple steps to a decent spot on the floor, and the woman had no difficulty taking the proper handhold, nor finding the beat. She made a reassuring comment if he was tense, but otherwise she was genuinely curious how good he was.

"She seems nice, if rather exuberant," she commented, easily following Axel's lead. She'd had to teach so many students that had no idea how to signal anything that she was very adept at reading even the smallest change in stance and responded smoothly. The running joke was that she might not be able to see whoever was her partner, but she'd know what he intended almost before he did it.

"It's not a problem, really." She dismissed Axel's concerns about interrupting her class with a small shrug. "I've thought about having drop in sessions, but I can't always tell when people come in, and I really don't want to put bells on it. That'd be disruptive. And unfortunately I really do need the fee to keep this place going. If I opened the doors and didn't keep track, I know there'd be people who took advantage." For a moment her expression clouded. "That's just how it is, y'know? I intend to be here for a good long while, though, and as soon as I'm not on such a shoestring budget, I'd love to let just anyone come.

She chuckled self-consciously. "You don't really need to know all that, though. I have to admit, I'm actually glad you came by. I was worried you might run into more trouble after you left, and it's a relief to know you found your friend alright. So tell me. Not many jobs list dancing in the requirements. What exactly is it you do?"
Hidden 7 yrs ago Post by EasilyAmused
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Her question about if she could have this dance caused him to stare at her hand in confusion. Despite his position, most people in the heaven avoid him entirely and even at royal functions he would be alone in the corner until some of the other members of the departments dance with him. Now her, a mere human, is willing to dance with him. He… he liked to dance. A smile moved across his face as he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Of course!” His voice filled with more excitement than could have been expected.

Axel followed her out on the dance floor and took up position as the people around them began to dance. He took the lead with a natural and graceful action. A nod rose and fell his head as she talked about possibly doing open lessons but needing to keep track of the people who arrive. “Maybe a sign in sheet with contact information and a little machine that will take the payments; it was just an idea, I’m not much of a technology person but that could help.” He said with an innocent smile as he pushed her out and spun her back in.

Her question about his job caused a paused as he dropped her other hand and spun her out the other way. His face crunched in thought as he considered the proper way to explain his job. “My job is hard to explain…” He began as they fell back into step, “I don’t even think you’d believe me if I told you.” He said with a soft laugh as he gave her a spin under his arm and fell back into step. “I guess you could say I work for a higher branch of justice than the government and my job in my industry is to help people come to their senses. But because of my position I am required to attend parties.” He said with a nod as he pulled her in a gave her a gentle dip.

“Getting close and comfy???” Cal teased from a distance which caused Axel to pull Lee up rather quickly.

His face was bright red and his body spread out heat due to embarrassment. “I’m sorry…” He whispered softly to Lee.
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His enthusiastic acceptance made Lee's smile widen, and she returned the squeeze of her hand. "It's not so much no system as it is I'm too cynical to trust everyone to sign in and pay." She smiled self-deprecatingly but without much concern, twirling easily around and returning to the standard position with ease, Axel catching her free hand again automatically. He was good, she could tell. Not only familiar enough to converse while dancing, but also moving with the confidence and poise of one who knew what he was doing and enjoyed it.

With a skilled partner, Lee didn't feel a need to limit herself to the basics so she wouldn't throw him off. With a grin she started adding things on, the little extra flourishes that could be used on turns and other things, and she switched to the triple step for beats one and two. Her face lit up when he not only matched her but started picking more advanced moves himself. She had plenty of patience for teaching, but it was a real treat to find a partner who not only could keep up but actually pushed her. Not needing to worry about holding back, she moved to the fancier versions of certain things, though nothing too flashy. She didn't want to make him self-conscious by attracting attention. Still, the wide smile didn't leave her face for the entire dance.

Higher than the government? It must be some UN court or something, with how he described it. She could see why that might require dancing. The dip was not something she would have expected from him, but she went along willingly.

Cal's unsolicited comment left him embarrassed and fumbling, and Lee had to chuckle. "Sorry for what, for knowing what you're doing? Relax -- it's nice when I don't need to worry about my partner's steps in addition to my own. If I thought you would drop me I wouldn't have let you try that move." She grinned, trying to reassure him that it was fine and that his friend wasn't going to get under her skin with silly comments. God knew if that was an issue she would never have been able to handle some of her pupils. "You're an excellent dancer. In fact...."

Turning away for a moment, she called to a young lady a few couples over as the song ended. "Sofia. Come here, I want you to partner with Axel for a bit." Pointing her face at Axel again, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Sofia is one of my best, but that means she usually ends up helping the others instead of getting to improve herself. I hope you don't mind. And she can point you at others at a similar level when you wish to switch again. But if you'll excuse me, I have a class to teach." With a last smile Lee turned away to catch the young man Sofia had been dancing with, and they squared off in time for the start of the next song. From there she kept moving around the room, switching partners every couple minutes to make sure she spread her attention out.

Sofia was a willing counterpart, and she was pleased to find someone who could lead her through a few fancier moves. Neither of the drop-ins lacked for hopeful partners, if they cared to accept the offers. Some were curious, and all were friendly. Couples switched every song or two, though most eventually made their way over to the water fountain briefly, or sat a song out. Few stayed down for long, and by the time the class was over it was a room full of flushed and happy faces. Lee dismissed them, saying she'd see them next week, and went to the edge of the floor near the door as they started to disperse.

((that'll hafta do. x.x I can't remember what I'm forgetting.))
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