PopeAlessandros

Of Steam and Souls

Cracking several eggs into a bowl he whips them with one hand while dropping in spices with the other. Scooping up some leeks he chopped up into fine splinters he adds those too to the egg mix before moving over to the stove with a twirl. 'They had a nice selection for such a small village. This should turn out very good' Setting the egg mixture down he sets to work on the breading for the meat. 'A little of this, and some of that for a bite' His mind casts about as he works, recalling where he learned each move. Cooking became a passion for him some time ago when he came tot he realization that it is a way to stay connected. 'Though time may pass, and kingdoms fall, cooking is something that not even the harsh mistress of memory can erase. From the first man putting meat on a stick over an open flame, we have learned and grown by what we eat, and how it's prepared'

Feeling a little nostalgic he doesn't notice the young innkeeper right away. The breading finished he moves back to the prep table and picks up a filleting knife. The blade cuts through the meat like butter, separating the strips of gristle and such before cutting them into hunks about the size of his palm. “There should be one for each person, and that would make. . .” He casts about to make sure he remembers how many people are at the inn correctly but the boy's proximity makes him pause. Looking up at Shigetoshi he smiles. “Oh, forgive me, I didn't see you there.” His hands bend back to the task at hand and his gaze drops to the cutting board. “You told me that we may need extra. Did anyone else check in or should I make exactly eight?” He glances up for a moment. “Any extra is going into another dish, so I need to know when to stop slicing, and start dicing, heh.” Rolling his eyes at his own bad joke he picks up the tenderizing mallet and begins beating the one's he's already sliced into the right size.

We'll take the low road.

Heheheh, I felt the intense need to do a blow-by-blow :P

We'll take the low road.

All of his focus goes to the man in the window. His laugh seems to fill his head completely, the sound causing his stomach to churn. His eyes widen as the man seems to change before his very eyes into something dark and sinister. Something that hell itself could only dream up. 'Oh god, it can't be. He looks, like a monster. Bu-' He's startled out of his thoughts as the man's face returns to a normal human looking face. All save for his eyes. For an instant there seems to be something there, almost like a madness just waiting to be unleashed on the world. But in an instant, the too is gone and Amano can once again think, abet sluggishly. His tongue seems to fuse to the roof of his mouth as the figure stands. A fear begins rising from somewhere deep within his primal mind. Like a small animal being stalked by a great best all he can do is press shimself more firmly against the door and tremble as the other approaches.

"The how is simple, I carried you."

His voice causes the young man's body to quake slightly, his innards quivering with fear and unease. His eyelids slide a little lower as he tries desperately to get himself to flee from the figure stalking him.

"The What, why it is an inn room, I did not know where you lived so I carried you here."

Swallowing hard Amano's eyes remain locked in the others' gaze. The image of being carried through the streets by this man makes his heart race, his tongue turning to sandpaper. His tongue darts out to try and wet his lips but to no avail.

"What happened, oh now come come, you know that."

The stranger is so close to him now, and his mind begins to cast about, trying to figure out what he meant. 'How could I know, I was unconscious! This isn't, I don-' His mind goes numb, the heat coming of the man making him shiver. He flinches slightly as he spots the man's hand come up.

"As for who I am, well now. that is up to you, isn't it?"

For a moment Amano is dumbstruck, the taller man's following statement barely registering. Before he has time to think on it too hard though he lets out a yelp as the stranger grabs his hand and spins him around so he's back by the bed. A little off balance he grips the man's hand to keep from tipping over as the sheet flares around him for the spin then comes to settle back against his body. He takes a few moments, trying desperately to put everything together. When at last he finds his voice again the only thing that he can think about is what the man seems to want from him. Looking over into those sharp blue eyes he swallows thickly. “A name? You. . You want me, to give you a name? But, don't you already have one?” His voice drops a bit, “A-and it's not like such an honor should go to someone you just met, right? Someone like me. . .” His gaze falls and his sheet seems to droop a bit at the thought.

A Bloody Murder

Makes me giggle :P Sorry these are so short! He really isn't one to talk or do much when on the job, other than his job :P

A Bloody Murder

The young Fae watches the other closely. 'He clearly doesn't see me as a threat. Curt, dismissive, he must really be use to my kind' Shifting slowly to the edge of the bed so he isn't too far from the target Rei remains silent. His body remains faintly tense, ready for action, but he takes his eyes from the target's head to trail over his body. 'I've seen marks like this before, but never on one of such a high station as this. He is indeed not treated as well as other princes I've met' His eyes trail back to the young mans face as he takes a seat with his food and drink. When the sound of footsteps approaching reach his ears Rei's gaze doesn't waver. His body remains at the same level of awareness as before as the prince speaks with the one outside his door, sensing the young man has no intention of actually calling for help.

'He is indeed different, it's vaguely entertaining' When the prince threatens him he slides carefully off the bed so he can rest his feet on the ground, leaning back against the poster at the closest corner to the prince. 'He cares for that one. It must be the one I see most often around him' Slipping his arms behind his back so that he's holding his opposite elbows Rei blinks slowly. “I am no killer. I take the life I am paid to take, no more, no less.” His voice is low but easily heard in the quiet room. His eyes examine the princes as he speaks. “For you to think another is in danger from me then you have met very poor assassins in you time.” His gaze passes to the door for a moment. 'There is no harm in speaking one's mind to one who will not live to repeat it' With that thought in mind he adds, “Though I do find your worry for his life over your own either very insulting, or rather endearing.” His tone is even and completely lacking of any real emotional notes.

Looking back to the prince he blinks slowly again. “I can tell you find me little to no threat, so it is pointless to try and convince you of the fact you are still well within my grace to either kill or let you live for a little longer.” Tilting his head to the side he continues. “However I will reply to your question with one that you should get from any good assassin. Their name shall not pass my lips even upon my death,” He pauses with a nod, “Least they bid me reveal it, or I receive a better offer.”

Who Will Break? ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

~The quavering of the boy's voice causes his heart to sink. “Yes.” He murmurs at the boy's question. When the boy speaks again a shot of pain fires through his chest and his face contorts slightly in pain. Around them the beat of the rain on the gazebo grows louder and louder. He tries to reassure the boy, but his voice is gone. Around him the garden fades, and in it's place cold stone and cement. The boy slips from beneath his fingers and seems to fade from his eyes. All he can see is coldness, the dampness, he's all alone. He can hear his voice again but all it does is cry out to the night. The darkness closes in, the gray sky fading from view, the world escaping his sight. He falls to his knees, his gaze dropping to the ground beneath hm. So cold, lifeless, the icy rain pools around his legs and his eyes open wide in horror as a faint stream of red joins the clear waters around him~

With a sharp gasp Kiel sits up, his heart racing in his chest. Gasping for breath over and over his hand comes to his chest and he squeezes out tears as he clamps his eyes shut. The images fade quickly from his mind and after a moment the memory of them fades too. Again the rain outside brings him peace rather than terror and he lets out a very wet sounding chuckle through the tears. “I really wish I knew what this meant.” He mutters to the empty room. Glancing at the clock he lets out a long sigh. “Little early, but I guess it's close enough.” The sound if the rain is much fainter than it was when he went to bed, signifying that it may be letting up soon. Tossing the covers aside the priest stretches and throws his legs over the side with a grunt. Many mornings have for him like this over the years. It use to happen a lot more when he was younger. He would wake early, sobbing into the darkness over some pain that soon leaves him with this feeling. Somewhere deep inside, he can't quite figure out where, is the answer to his questions.

Shaking his head he slips out of bed and begins getting dressed. Starting some tea he pulls out a frying pan and some pancake mix that he'd prepared the night before. Shaking the bottle he looks at the amount and nods. “Should be enough for both of us. Just in case I'll make extra eggs.” Use to being alone Kiel doesn't think twice about talking to himself with the boy in the next room. Shifting some books aside he opens his mini refrigerator and pulls out half a dozen eggs for breakfast along with some cheese to melt into them. Tucking the cheese in the crook of his arm he grabs a plate of bacon strips before closing the door and setting it all out on the table next to the frying pan. Settling the bacon in the pan he smiles as it begins to sizzle. The smell permeates the entire house as he hums happily and continues to cook breakfast.

When the Roar Falls ~ PopeAlessandros x Raafling

His house is the furthest from the center of town, so it takes a while to reach his house walking against the chilled breeze. Looking up at the clouds now rolling in Viltez shivers and wraps his arms around his middle as he quickens his pace. 'This is going to be a good one. I know the farmers have been complaining of not enough rain as of late, and this should help greatly' His bottom lip slips between his teeth and he nibbles it slightly. 'I hope he's indoors by now. His clothes are not going to keep him warm in this weather for long if he's outdoors' With a sigh he rolls his eyes at himself for still thinking about the stranger. His thoughts freeze though as his home comes into view and a figure on the porch snares his attention. 'Speak. . .of the devil' is all he can think as his eyes pick out the features of the stranger sitting outside his home.

He keeps a steady pace for a few seconds, trying to figure out what he's doing. 'It looks like he's trying to get something out of his hair. . . But as I recall, he's got a lot of stuff in there. But I think that stuff is on purpose. Maybe he's just brushing it?' Shaking his head he breaks into a run just as the first large drops begin to herald the arrival of the storm. “Yo!” He calls out to the man, closing in on the house quickly. Without pausing he gracefully vaults the small stairs leading up to his porch and slides into place beside his door. Placing a hand on the handle he smiles over at the stranger and says, “It's good to see you again, and I'd be delighted if we could talk a bit, however I think we should relocate before we both get washed away.” With that he opens the door to his home, and in the same instant the heavens open.

The downpour is like a thick blanket, covering the ground almost instantly making everything a few shades darker. Viltez stands aside so his visitor can enter first and get out of the rain. He casts a glance inside and silently thanks the gods that he's not a messy person. The front room is fairly large, but sparsely furnished with just a small table set between a cushioned bench and the fireplace on the opposite wall. Back to the left is his small kitchen area with a stove and a little pantry, and tot he right are his indoor outhouse and his bedroom. 'If he's stuck here all night, the bench should be more than enough to rest on. I could even give him the bed and I can sleep on the bench. I've fallen asleep there before' He chuckles to himself at the thought, reminding himself to light the fireplace as soon as possible.

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

I kinda fergot that Enasi had stopped moving, so sorry if it looks like I was trying to control him!

When Realms Collide {AkiBlue & PopeAlessandros}

The darkness clad minions take a moment to let their eyes adjust as they reach the other side of the tunnel. As one they notice the approaching figure and turn to look at it. The two in the back, taller than the others, draw their weapons simultaneously. The naginata blades gleam brightly in the sunlight but their wielders simply stand at the ready, weapons pointed at the hoodie clad figure. Kaila's gaze travels past the human looking one to a rabbit looking fellow who seems more than ready to attack the small group. 'Seems like that one is ready for a fight' His eyes travel back to the plain clothes man and his brows furrow ever so slightly. 'This one looks familiar. From his dress, I'd say human, but that energy coming off of him. It's as strong as Master Seishu, but completely different' He feels his jaw tighten as he whispers “Enasi.” to his men. They all tense but none draw on the Dream Guardian. They had agreed before coming to find their Master with as little loss of life as possible.

'That is how Master Seishu would have wanted it' Kaila thinks fondly, his eyes locked now with all the others' upon the approaching Guardian. The party chosen to pass through the gate were hand picked years ago by Kaila to be his own personal unit, so not only will they follow orders from him without question, he can control all their movements with barely perceptible signals. At a tilt of his head he orders them to stay put, and with his hands in his pockets he takes a few slow paces towards Enasi. 'From his speed and stance, he's not coming to attack. However if he just orders us away it will take all of my men to distract him so I can go look for Master Seishu' coming to a halt he casts his senses about, being careful to make sure the energies are non hostile. 'Master Seishu is here, but just out of sight I can also sense an entire host of these sparklers. I don't think I could make it through all of them. . .' Relaxing his demeanor he waits patiently for the hoodie clad man to approach as far as he wishes. His eyes remain locked on the man's face and he uses all his willpower not to gag at the amount of positive energy coming off of him.

____*____

Seishu pauses in his description of his favorite lake in the Nightmare realm and the little dream minion stares openly at his face with a quizzical look creasing his features. “What's wrong mister? You hurting again? I ca-”

“Shush!” the Nightmare Guardian snaps more harshly than he intended. Rue falls back into his chair and clamps a hand almost shamefully over his mouth. His eyebrows draw in close as he concentrates on the feeling of a sudden shift in the dream realm energies. 'They're here, I can feel them. If I wasn’t so weak I could even pick out just who came through!' He lets out a growl of frustration, but the growl turns to a smirk as he realizes he has a pretty good idea of the size of the group. 'It's small, contained, close. It hasn't scattered, so most likely not a raiding party. That's good' Relaxing he looks over at the little minion and rolls his eyes as he is now comically grasping his face with both hands. “You can talk now Little Bite. I just wanted to get a feel for my guys who just managed to make their way through the veil.”

Rue lets out an exaggerated gush of air before drawing in a real gasp. “You mean they're here already? Didn't Enasi say that it could take a long time? And even you said you couldn't be sure.” He pauses as Seishu holds up a hand for a pause. Rue learns quickly and it actually makes him happy that the Nightmare Guardian shushes him with a raised hand rather than telling him outright, or overriding him like most do.

With a nod the Guardian draws into a look of contemplation. “It's true, it could have taken a while, but I think the expedience of their breakthrough coupled with what I sense as a very small group means that they are very likely not here to attack, but to rescue me.”

Rue perks up happily for a moment. “That's good right, 'cause it'd be better for you over there! And. . .” His voice dies and his wings droop as a crestfallen look comes over the little dream minion. “But, you can't go back. It's too dangerous over there. . . .” He perks up again, but only slightly and with a honest grin he concludes, “But I guess it's good this way too because I can hear more about the nightmare realm and spend more time with you mister!” Seishu remains silent and just stares blankly back at his grinning face.

Of Steam and Souls

Aww, the Yaoi fan girl in my wishes he took a bit more of the bait, but I will survive :P Anyways, sorry if mine's kinda short. I really need to kill my roommate. I can't write with her in the room, and she goes to bed so late. . .(My computer is in the living room, and it's the only place to reliably get wireless, and she seems to think she'll die if she doesn't spend 8 hours a night chatting with her girlfriend. . . . .Leaves me very little time for responses before I need to get ready for work in the morning, and by then my brain is a bit drained from spending time around her. I'm an introvert, being with people drains my batteries.)