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Tuesday, November 17th, 2009
10:51 pm
The building of a raft ended up being much more complicated than some had thought, though they got through it swifter than expected with the expertise of both princes and Kami, along with Midnight and Matteo's innovation and natural ability. It was an inconspicuous raft, built of fallen and torn off tree limbs, lashed together with Quovan ropes.

"If only one of you had glamour magic," Rinkullo said pleasantly, guiding them onto the raft, the picture of calm confidence. He graciously accepted Kazi's assisting hand before watching the stockier prince push the raft into the lake, wading a few steps before elegantly pulling himself aboard. "It's a shame we didn't get an opportunity to get to the docks. My family owns a few... more charming vessels we could have borrowed to cross the lake."

"How long will this take?" asked Midnight shortly, taking advantage of the break to wring out his bandana.

"It shouldn't take more than two days," replied Rin lightly. "Do not worry about food and drink. This is a freshwater lake, and we can fashion fishing poles easily. Prince Kazi can handle the cooking."

Kami snorted. "Don't worry about the fishing poles. I have the fish catching covered." Her grin was decidedly wolfish as the two princes looked at her curiously and Iliana and Erik stifled laughter. "By the way," she added inquiringly, "if Prince Kazi will be cooking, who's gonna be steering? Prince Rinkullo?"

The dark-haired prince nodded in affirmation. "My father used to take me rafting at least three times a fortnight. Do not worry; I am a professional." He smiled disarmingly, spreading the infectious expression to the others on the raft.

"This is a pretty intense raft," Kamiko remarked. "It's holding lots of weight. I'm kinda surprised."

"Yes, well, we should be careful. Since it was constructed so large, a large enough wave could rip it apart. Let's also try not to roughhouse unnecessarily." Rin glanced up at the sky. "Let's pray to the Goddess that she does not send a storm."

Kamiko shuddered a little, following Rinkullo's gaze up to the sky burnt with dusk. "Well, if we have two days, we should be fine..." She bit her lip, however, an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she did pray.

current mood: listless
current music: "a little pain" - OLIVIA

(1 dream | find your home)

Sunday, December 30th, 2007
2:19 pm - SKIP
"It's about damn time," panted Erik, perspiration glistening on his flushed face. The group was hidden among the brush, taking a much-needed respite after a desperate flight. They had let the current carry them as far south as they dared before getting out and running for their lives, still hotly pursued. Somehow, miraculously, they had managed to slip out of the mob's sight and take cover.

Iliana was sitting with her back against a small tree, knees drawn up to her chin, breath coming in shallow gasps.

"That will make it worse," Midnight snapped quietly, roughly seizing the young girl by the shoulders and easily hefting her upright. Light-headed and faint, she clutched at him for balance, trembling slightly. Deftly he eluded her hands and spun her around so that she could lean against him, raising her arms above her head so that she could breathe easier. "It is not necessary to alert and townsfolk of our presence with your loud breathing," he grumbled.

"Erik, would you look at Kami, please?" Matteo asked softly. He gave her his best teacher's glare when she defensively opened her mouth to protest. Erik obligingly eased himself close to her, examining her wounded side.

"I'm surprised you haven't passed out yet from all this exertion combined with blood loss," he remarked dryly. She merely flashed him a wolfish grin.

"I've had worse."

Sighing, he pulled a clean cloth and waterskin from his bag, using it to clean the wound as best he could. Then he set to healing it. Kami shuddered a little at the strange sensation, biting her lower lip to keep from giggling. At Erik's pointed stare, she shrugged. "It tickles," she whispered.

The two princes had dared to step cautiously outside the sheltering trees. "I think the townsfolk have either lost our trail or given up," noted Rinkullo quietly, his green eyes glittering in alert watchfulness. "Just to be safe..." He trailed off as a thin mist began to rise from the ground, steadily spreading and thickening. Not until the mist was almost solid did they all venture out into the open. "Well," Rinkullo began thoughtfully, "it seems the mountain trail is out. If we go farther south and loop around the lake, we will be running straight into the villages and towns, which is more trouble than it is worth. Our only option seems to be to cross the lake."

"And how do you propose we do that?" asked Jyo, her lips pursed in irritation. It had been apparent in their flight down the lake that Jyotika was not the greatest swimmer, as she and Iliana had to be practically carried in the water by Kazi and Midnight.

Rinkullo gave his most dazzling smile, hardly visible through the thick fog. "Why, we build a raft, of course!"

The majority of the group stared at him as though he had just proposed to surf on shark-back.

"Oh," said Jyo somewhat faintly. "I see."

current mood: bouncy
current music: "Runaway" - Avril Lavigne

(find your home)

Friday, November 16th, 2007
6:43 am
Everything was still for the longest split-second of Matteo's life, and then the men crumpled to the ground, clutching desperately at their wounds. Spurred into action by a sudden rush of adrenaline, he tore after Kami, somehow keeping on her heels as she practically flew through the stunned crowd.

But their luck was not to last. Matteo had no time to shout out a warning as a broad, towering man firmly seized Kami as she shot by him. Her enraged shriek echoed through the camp as she thrashed wildly, her feet coming completely off the ground in her struggles.

Matteo flinched as he felt the inevitable pair of strong arms encircle him, wrenching him back and holding him still.

"Let me go, you ill-bred, incestuous, mother-loving, cow-raping son of the nastiest, disease-ridden whore on this side of the world!" she snarled madly. "Don't touch me with your filthy, worm-infested hands, selfsame hands that you touch little boys and animals with, you sick, inhuman insect!"

But the man was completely unfazed as he carried off the still-struggling girl, followed by the man who carried Matteo. He could hear her scathing insults get worse by the second, to the point where he didn't even recognize the vulgar terms she was using.

However, as they returned to the centre of camp, his ears began to automatically pick out certain words in her rantings, words that just didn't fit. "... Midnight ... has ... you ..." she was saying, amidst the string of spat curses and insults, though her struggling had lessened as she tired. Confused, Matteo tried to gather any more from the message, but that was all that was forthcoming.

Then, he noticed the strangely out-of-place midnight blue bandana tied around the wrist of the man holding him. His eyes snapping wide open, it took all of his self-control not to gasp and fall limp in relief. As Kami's shouts rose in volume, Midnight hissed a quiet command in Matteo's ear.

"I let you go, we fight for south."

Reflexively Matteo's gaze flickered to the sky, making note of the sun's position and fixing in his head which way was south. Nodding almost imperceptibly, he met Kami's eyes and tried to nonverbally pass along the message. Though he didn't have much of an idea how to do it, she seemed to get it.

"...A COWBELL UP YOUR MOTHER'S ON THREE ONE TWO THREE!"

Matteo almost didn't react in time, though the jolt of panic that shot through his body as Midnight released him got his adrenaline back. He and Midnight bolted right, Kami hot on their heels. Midnight drew his sword, its black blade gleaming in the early morning sun. He led them to where their weapons had been kept and held off the townsfolk as they re-equipped themselves.

"Hurry up!" he snapped furiously, his words almost overwhelmed by the metallic clash of steel on steel. They were ready in seconds, sprinting once more, swinging their weapons almost without thought to clear the way. Once or twice Midnight was forced to stop and incapacitate one who refused to be intimidated, though soon the sight of their own group running towards them gave them a final boost of spirit.

The smaller group able to travel faster than the mob, they sprinted all-out for the lake, following Kazi's example as he dove unreservedly into the gleaming water, striking out as far as they could in one breath.

(find your home)

Wednesday, November 14th, 2007
10:00 pm - NEXT
Cold... When Matteo began to stir, the cold was all he could think of, the chill biting into his arms and legs. His head was pounding violently, the pain far too great for him to attempt opening his eyes. The throbbing ache in the back of his head sufficiently drowned out anything else he might have felt, even making the cold somehow withstandable. Biting his tongue so as to not groan aloud, he tried to open his eyes slowly, blinded by pain as bright pinpricks of light stabbed straight through his skull. Whimpering, he noticed that there was something in his mouth, preventing him from speaking. He worked at it with his tongue, but it refused to budge, so he gave up and tried to concentrate on ignoring the pain in his head.

Something roughly jostled him, causing him to fall awkwardly on his side. For a moment he was confused as to why he didn't move his arms to brace his fall or catch himself, thinking that it was impossible that the cold had hindered him that much. It was then he realized that his arms and legs were bound as well, which probably contributed to the cold sensation, as the ropes were probably cutting off his circulation.

By then, the pain had lessened by a fraction. He made another effort to open his eyes, and this time resisted the instinct to squeeze them shut again when the light met his eyes. Breathing heavily, trying to focus, the world soon unblurred. The sun was just beginning to rise, which was the bright light that had blinded him the first time. All around were sleeping men and women, garbed in simple vestments. He realized, with a pang of fright, that they were most likely the villagers they had spotted the previous night. Somehow he'd been captured.

Yes, he could vaguely recall hearing soft footsteps behind him before... nothing.

He rolled over onto his side, trying to see where the cold was coming from, and what had jostled him. A stray dog, it seemed, had pushed him over. The scruffy mutt was digging through a bag of provisions somewhere in front of him. The cold was coming from the large block of ice he'd been propped against. He was slightly surprised, as well as relieved and frightened, to see Kami lying unconscious against it as well, similarly bound and gagged. Her side was stained with blood, though at a second glance, the wound didn't actually seem to be that bad. Ignominiously crawling and wriggling his way closer to her, trying to be as tenuous as possible while scraping along the ground, he tried to nudge her into wakefulness.

Determined, he scrambled closer and did a weak sort of headbutt against her wounded side, which sure enough made her wiry body tense and her jaw clench. There are her reflexes, he thought desperately. If only I could just get her to wake up... Grunting with effort, Matteo braced himself and smacked his head once more against her. He then completely lost focus as the world exploded into stars and swirls around him. Panting with nausea and exhaustion, he tried to steady himself and look up.

He was overjoyed to see a pair of grey eyes, albeit unfocused ones, staring back at him. Within moments, though, she was staring steadily at him, if a little less alertly than usual. She tried weakly to speak, but soon realized her predicament. A spasm of irritation flickered across her face and she began to struggle viciously against her bonds. Matteo sat back in slight exasperation. There was no way.

It wasn't long before Kami came to the same conclusion. She slumped against the block of ice in defeat, then quickly wriggled away from it as she noticed what exactly it was. Huffing angrily, she began to fight with the gag in her mouth. Matteo watched in some amusement as she seemed to try to eat it, chew it, spit it out, snag it on something on the ground, and multiple other methods.

Matteo closed his eyes for a brief moment, exhausted and sore all over his body, wondering what would become of them. He was ridiculously out of his comfort zone as it was, in a completely different world. But to be kidnapped and separated from the people he had grown used to, forcibly placed in a hostile environment, it was too much. Frustrated, he opened his eyes, and was shocked to see that Kami had somehow managed to remove her gag. She sat with an absurdly self-satisfied grin on her face, basking in her triumph for a few seconds. Then she crawled over to Matteo and thrust her face extremely close to his.

Reacting out of pure instinct, he immediately withdrew in alarm, staring at her in confusion. Looking annoyed, she tried again, and this time ended sprawled atop him. Of course, this also put him where she wanted him, and she put her mouth directly over his and used her teeth to pull the gag out of his mouth. Quite surprised but grateful, he mouthed a stuttering 'Thank-you.' She waved it off with a vague gesture and then set to chewing through the ropes around her wrists. Matteo glanced at the sleeping townsfolk in anxiety, wondering how long they would sleep, or how light sleepers they were.

Predictably, it took a lot longer for Kami to get through the ropes than it did to get out her gag, though she did manage it before the townspeople woke up. Stifling a victorious laugh, Kami reached down her tunic and pulled out a small knife, a knife that Matteo recognized as Midnight. He snorted in disbelief, then shrunk in embarrassment as Kami shot him a reproving stare. She easily sliced through the ropes around her ankles, and then slunk over to free Matteo. He bit his tongue to suppress the gasp of pain as blood rushed back into his extremities. Wincing as he stood up, they remained still for a few minutes as they regained their motor functions.

Then, Kami shot him a devilish grin and made a motion that Matteo took to mean 'let's go.' He nodded his agreement and, together, they carefully picked their way around the sleeping mob and headed towards freedom.

Of course, because nothing can ever be easy, they didn't make it past the first ring of sleeping townsfolk. A gruff voice suddenly shouted out, "The prisoners are free!" His yell immediately woke the others; they could see people stirring and leaping to their feet all around. Instinctively Kami braced for a fight, though Matteo heard her muttering hopeless curses under her breath. Their swords had, naturally, been taken from them, so the only weapons on them were Midnight's small knife, and any hidden powers that wanted to make themselves known. But the latter didn't seem to be forthcoming, and that knife was rather tiny when compared to the pick-axes and spears that the villagers were carrying.

So, Kami did something that neither the townsfolk nor Matteo were expecting. With a wildly feral cry, the long-haired girl flew at the sleepiest looking people and sliced them cleanly across the chests in one fluid motion.

current mood: contemplative
current music: "Mirror Mirror" - M2M

(find your home)

9:14 pm - INTERLUDE
Buzzers and bells exploded into sound throughout the hospital room, soon accompanied by the alarmed chattering of nurses and doctors, and the frenzied questions of a middle-aged man wringing his hands in anxiety. He didn't seem like a man that handled stress well, with a quickly receding hairline, a slightly stooped figure, and dark watery eyes.

The woman standing off to the side of the room sighed in exasperation. She was, unlike her father, calm and rational, though most would seem calm and rational compared to him at that moment. Brushing a short strand of dark brown hair from her face, she gently took his arm and led him out of the room. "Dad, he'll be okay. You know he'll make it," she said soothingly in the quiet of the hallway. He stared piteously at her.

"Laura, how can you be so calm? Out of nowhere, the back of his head started to bleed! How does that happen?" he asked desperately, in a high, anguished whisper. "Did the pillow monster get him? Explain this to me, Laura." Her frown grew more pronounced.

"Look, dad, I don't know how it happened. But it did. And the doctors are going to do their best to fix it, okay? We're not helping him by panicking, okay? Matteo will make it through this. We just have to believe in him. Is that so unreasonable?"

He gave her a glance full of doubt and uncertainty, though his gaze quickly returned to the floor. He took a deep breath and seemed to calm down some. "I suppose you're right. I'm just so worried... I don't know what I'd do if anything happens to him..." His voice broke and he turned away. Laura rested a comforting hand on his stooped, trembling shoulder.

"It'll be alright. He'll get through this. The doctors will figure out what's wrong with him, they'll give him some miracle panacea, and he'll be up and back to work before you even know it." She smiled encouragingly. "Don't worry so much. I don't know what I'd do if you put yourself in the hospital because of a stress overload. So calm down. It'll all work itself out." Gently squeezing his shoulder, she led him back into the room where the hubbub had died a bit. Matteo's head was wrapped neatly in bandages and the pillow had been replaced. Laura grimaced, thinking now he looked like some car accident victim.

But in a way it was better. Even though she knew this wasn't the case, it still gave the appearance of a cause for Matteo's sudden hospitalization. It gave her subconscious false answers, but at least they were some sort of answers. Sighing inwardly, a heavy sigh, she walked up to her brother's bedside and absently stroked his bristly jawline. "Any idea what happened?" she asked the nurse quietly. He only grimaced and shrugged helplessly as he checked over the various monitors.

"Sorry, we have no idea," he said sadly. "But we'll let you and your father know immediately if that changes, okay?" With an attempt at a reassuring smile, the nurse left the room.

I have to be strong for Dad, she thought resolutely as she took the seat by Matteo's bedside. Please, Matteo, wake up soon.

current mood: calm
current music: "philosophy" - AURORA

(find your home)

7:08 pm
/ Not knowing what else to do, he released Rin's legs and just stared at him for a minute, completely agape."

"And so Prince Rinkullo got up, dusted himself off, and gallantly offered his hand to help the dumbstruck Prince Kazi to his feet," said Rinkullo, demonstrating with much pomp. "The two warring Queens were rather surprised to find their sons so friendly, and there began the treaty negotiations." He smiled charmingly, staring at the thunderstruck group. "Does that answer your question?" he asked Kami gently. Rapidly recovering her equilibrium, she grinned and nodded.

"It was a very entertaining story," she remarked laughingly. Slowly, the rest of the group regained their composure and began to chatter absently among themselves of the princes' re-enactment, and Kazi's opening up. Of course, now that the story was over, he had fallen back into his impassive silence. Kami shook her head in somewhat mocking disbelief.

For the first two days, they travelled in this almost carefree manner, sharing stories, laughing and joking. They ran into surprisingly little difficulty, though once Midnight shot Kami in the ponytail with an arrow while hunting. He claimed it was an accident, though most of the group found his verity questionable.

Of course, once the sun had set, things took a turn for the worse. Rinkullo claimed to be able to see the lake coming up on the horizon, which he also claimed they would not need to cross, since they were talking the road around, by the mountains. Certainly he did not expect to run into the trouble that they did. Darkness had fallen, and they were all settling in to go to sleep. Midnight, however, sat bolt upright and squinted into the distance towards the lake.

"I think I see fire," he asserted gravely, placing his sunglasses delicately on his collar. All was silent for a few seconds, and then Kami spoke up.

"I hear angry voices and steel. No question."

Kazi and Rinkullo were both sitting up staring into the distance where, by now, all could see tiny flickering flames. "The townsfolk," breathed Rinkullo, his eyes narrow. "They are rebelling. We have been expecting it for years. Why now, when we have already worked out treaty agreements?" He shook his head angrily. Kazi placed a hand on his arm, giving him a solemn look.

"I will warn your parents," he said softly, and closed his eyes. Rinkullo gestured for the others to stand back, an order they quickly obeyed when they saw a faint white circle being drawn by seemingly nothing around the Jheryll prince. The challenging scream of an impassioned stallion rang through their ears, or perhaps just their minds, and a large, ghostly figure appeared before Kazi. It appeared to be a heavily armoured warrior, riding atop an immense destrier. The rider and the prince exchanged unintelligible words as the circle faded, and the warrior charged off, back to Shiresh. Kazi let out a deep sigh, his knees buckling slightly, leaning on Rinkullo for support. The Shiresh prince turned to the group, his expression serious.

"Kazi has summoned a spirit to warn my parents. Kazi and I, as princes, are both well-known among the townsfolk. Unless one of you is a skilled illusionist or hypnotist, they are sure to recognize us. Even if our skill was a match for their numbers, I would not fight my own people. It would be in our best interest to get off the road now." Promptly they packed their things and fled the road, ducking for cover in the shadow of a small grove of bushes. Unfortunately, it seemed they weren't inconspicuous enough, or perhaps they were just unlucky. As they peered through the brambles at the advancing mob, Kami's sharp hearing picked up a muffled thump somewhere behind her. Whirling around as quickly as she could, with multiple people leaning over her to see, she found it difficult to see past the body mass of her companions.

"I thought... I heard something..." she whispered, though no one heard her over the rustling of the bushes, and she managed to squirm her way a little farther into the open. Before she could really see anything, however, a sharp pain exploded in her side, and everything went black.

current mood: stressed
current music: "Kodoku no Kakera" - Angela Aki

(find your home)

6:19 pm
Matteo seemed to recover himself fairly quickly, never remaining completely thrown off when it came to people. As a teacher, he'd seen all types. His gaze wandered to Kamiko, who had swung out of her astonishment into a fit of excitement. "I've never met real royalty before," she was saying, practically glowing. Kazi was giving her a level stare, completely impassive. Matteo could now see that his eyes were a deep, royal violet.

It did not take all that much longer for Rin to return, preceded by a stoic pair of guards who looked more bored than threatening. "I am pleased to introduce my parents, King Sren and Queen Vera of Shiresh," he announced with a flourished bow. The monarchs drew stately into the hall, wearing their abundance of finery well, all things considered. Both had dark hair like their son, though the King's was cut very short, and the Queen's was piled up atop her head. His eyes were vivid green while hers were a soft silver. They waited patiently while the group introduced themselves.

Then, cutting through the unnecessary niceties like a knife, the King spoke. "I shall explain the circumstances in which we have suddenly found ourselves. Shiresh and Jheryll have been at war for countless years, and only recently have we composed a treaty, with many thanks to Prince Jheryll's initiative. Now, this treaty must be taken through the towns and across the river to the capital Jheryll for their king and queen to sign it. We summoned the well-travelled merchant Nevan Gershom to accompany Princes Rinkullo and Kazi with the treaty, however you have come bearing news that Nevan is unfit for travel. Before we propose our idea, let us know be aware of your situation."

Immediately, everyone in the group turned to Erik, who shot them all incredulous looks. When no one else spoke, of course, he supressed a grimace and stepped forward, relating their whole situation to the monarchs. They listened thoughtfully, smiling kindly when Erik was finished.

"Well, it seems everything has worked out for us," remarked Queen Vera. "While Sren and I do not have the knowledge to send you back to Earth, King and Queen Jheryll do. In Nevan's place, you shall accompany the princes. In return, we shall provide you with equipment and provisions, and King and Queen Jheryll, at their discretion, will offer you the knowledge to return to your homes."

Matteo blanched visibly. "How long will this journey take?" he asked meekly, trying to keep his tone respectful as possible. The king frowned, thinking.

"Anywhere between two weeks to a month," he said finally, "depending on the conditions." The group stared in shock.

"Well, it is our only option," murmured Iliana softly. Erik sighed in resignation.

"We will do it," he said, and the royal family burst into blinding smiles.

"That's wonderful," beamed the Queen. "You will leave in three days. That will give us all some time to prepare." Without further ado, they turned and left the hall, leaving a bemused group of Earthians behind with two radically different princes. Rinkullo clapped his hands, smiling broadly, and looked around at the group.

"So," he began excitedly, "who here knows how to swordfight?"

Kazi snorted and turned away as Rinkullo's smile faltered at the blank look everyone was giving him. "Oh. Well then. Looks like we have some work to do."

The next three days were not in any sense easy, relaxed days. Kazi and Rinkullo taught them better and more efficient ways to acquire food, as well as the basics of swordplay and brawling. Some, of course, were better than others. Midnight had Kazi pinned to the ground as he attempted to teach him to properly brawl, and Jyotika managed to disarm Rinkullo during their first rapier duel. Iliana, of course, expressed great distaste in street brawling, and Matteo had cut himself with his own sword. Rinkullo had hardly managed to wave him off to go see Erik as he put all his effort into repressing his laughter.

By the day finally came for them to depart, however, they were all well prepared. They had travelsacks and good horses, with plentiful provisions. Each person was equipped with an adequate weapon and given appropriate travelling clothes. The only thing they lacked were, of course, answers. Though they had spent the past three days in the company of the royal family, their time had been so consumed by preparations that irrelevant questions were pushed to the side. So once they swept past the city gates, their horses following contently behind them, the first thing Kamiko did was turn to Rinkullo and smile winningly.

"Hey, do you mind answering some questions?" she asked innocently. Rinkullo gave her an amused glance, though he acquiesced with a slight nod of his head. "How do humans get to Quovo?"

The Shiresh prince thought for a moment. "Well, the worlds are connected by both the threads of Quovan magic and human dreams. In many places of Earth, there exists Quovan magic. When a human comes into contact with it, the residue triggers something in their soul. When they fall asleep, their mind arrives here. Sometimes, in the dead of night, one may see ghostly figures hovering about. These are the humans who have mere dreams of Quovo, who lack enough magic to materialize here fully, like the six of you. Those like you are humans who have come into contact with so much Quovan magic that their entire souls are transferred here. Of course, even you are not fully here."

Midnight immediately shot him a piercing stare. "What do you mean by 'not fully here'? I feel very solid," he said softly. But Rinkullo merely smiled and began to dig around his travelsack. Within moments, he procured a small mirror and showed it to the assassin. He was shocked to see that his reflection was, for the most part, almost completely transparent. It was as though he was staring at a barely-there ghost reflected in the mirror.

"Your shadows are also less solid than a normal Quovan's." He gestured to the ground where, indeed, the humans could see that their shadows were less substantial than either of the princes'. "When a soul journeys to Quovo such as yours did, it leaves the physical body behind on Earth. Your forms in Quovo will remain incomplete until that last tie to Earth dies. You may find that you are not as strong or your endurance lacks while you are here. This is because people are not meant to reside in two worlds at once."

"Does our body on Earth move around like we are right now?" asked Matteo in some alarm, thinking uneasily of his body moving zombie-like about his classroom. Rinkullo grinned and shook his head.

"Worry not, friends. Your physical bodies probably seem to be deeply unconscious," he explained calmly.

"What if we die here?" inquired Kami curiously, but Rinkullo could only shrug.

"I am fairly certain that you die. I personally have not heard of anyone being killed in Quovo and waking up on Earth," he mused pensively.

"Why didn't you teach us magic along with swordplay and fighting?" Kami asked, after a brief moment. Rinkullo's smile was almost condescending as he shook his head slightly.

"Magic is a thing that must be learned and cannot be taught. Your soul interacts with the raw power of Quovo to become your personal magics. It is different for everyone." He held out a slender hand and deeply inhaled, his eyes growing glossy and unfocused. A small tendril of silver smoke snaked around his fingers, swirling gently in his palm, licking ever-upwards, growing larger by the second. And then Rinkullo seemed to come back to himself, grinning like a child as the smoke danced over his palm and wrist. "That's one of my magics," he said brightly, then waved his hand through the smoke to make it dissipate.

"One?" prompted Midnight. Rinkullo nodded.

"All Quovans have two magics. Humans have one," he said lightly. "Though for Quovans one is usually greater than the other. I am unsure as to which of my magics is greater, though..." And he smiled enigmatically at their brazenly curious stares. "Perhaps you will see the other before our journey is complete," he said mysteriously, then lapsed into silence. The group could think of no more questions, so they too fell quiet, walking along the road as the sun rose.

After a good hour of walking, Kami leaned in conspiratorially to Rinkullo. "Is Prince Kazi always this quiet?" she asked softly, a grin lingering on her lips. Rin's expression mirrored hers.

"He can be quite loud, though not often around strangers. You could try to get him to open up a little, though I think you would be wasting your time."

Undeterred, Kami swung around, falling into step beside the taciturn prince. "So, Your Highness, how old are you?"

He didn't spare her even a half-glance. "19."

"How long have you been in Shiresh?"

"Fourteen months."

Kami frowned slightly, a little put-off by his terse answers. "How did you and Prince Rinkullo meet?"

She was pleased to see this question garnered some sort of reaction. His deep violet eyes flickered briefly to the other prince. "I am of the belief that Prince Rinkullo would prefer to tell this story," he said simply. Rinkullo grinned like a child.

"He is correct!" he said enthusiastically. "My mother took me to Jheryll on a diplomatic visit six years ago, when we were still at war. We were to negotiate terms. All the servants back at the castle spent the eve of my departure telling me gruesome tales of the cruelty and cunning in the castle of Jheryll. Naturally, I was quite... jumpy, when I arrived." He chuckled merrily with the memory, his bright green eyes far away. The group listened attentively, and even Kazi expressed some modicum of amusement.

"So, my mother was holding private audience with King and Queen Jheryll. Being the curious sort, I was trying to find a way to look in on the chambre. However, in my wanderings, I found a figure obscured in shadow, who also looked as though he were trying to get within. My natural penchant for heroism took over, thinking this mysterious figure some sort of spy or assassin, and I crept quietly behind him." With a wicked grin, he mimicked prowling slink, coming up behind Kazi, who frowned.

"Silent as a snake, I approached from behind, impressed by this mysterious figure's own stealth. But this did not distract me from my mission. Like a viper I seized his arm and disabled him, using my other hand to deftly draw my dagger and put it to his throat!" He exuberantly demonstrated, grabbing Kazi's wrist and pinning it to his back, while drawing his dagger.

Then Kazi picked up the story, a hint of laughter in his normally cool voice. "Rinkullo thought the battle was won, but he couldn't have been more wrong. The mysterious figure, actually just a boy a year younger than Prince Rinkullo, reacted violently in his alarm, using his other arm to grab the blade of the dagger, ignoring the sting as the edge sliced him. Using Rin's surprise to his advantage, he wrenched the weapon from his grip and expertly spun, managing to put the prince's dagger to his own throat." They all gasped appreciatively as Prince Kazi stood, pointing the dagger at Rinkullo's exposed throat.

"But Rinkullo wasn't as gape-jawed as he seemed!" exclaimed Rinkullo spiritedly. "He still held the mysterious figure's wrist in one hand, and little did this mysterious figure know how flexible Prince Rinkullo was! He yanked the mysterious figure to the side for some leverage and somehow managed to kick the dagger out of this figure's hand!" The dagger went flying and landed in the ground, blade first, a few feet away.

"But the fall was to the mysterious figure's advantage," recounted Kazi, lightning quick, even as he was falling, a grin on his face. "Using his superior weight and Prince Rinkullo's surrender of balance, the mysterious figure pulled them both to the ground, rolled so that he straddled the heroic prince, and aimed a hefty punch to his face." His fist stopped short centimetres away from Rinkullo's face.

"But Prince Rinkullo refused to be bested, and summoned his smoke magic to blind the mysterious figure. While he was incapacitated, Rinkullo managed to slither out from underneath him and lunged desperately for his dagger!" The translucent smoke hindered their vision only slightly, though Kazi pretended to be completely blinded.

"But this was fortunate for the mysterious figure also," he declared. "Prince Rinkullo had completely forgotten about the sword at his belt. The mysterious figure decided not to ponder the prince's stupidity and instead leapt blindly at him, managing to fasten onto his legs."

"Their brawling had taken them into the light of the corridor," explained Prince Rinkullo animatedly as he struggled against Kazi's tight grip. "So... when Rinkullo turned around to try and detach this mysterious figure from his legs... he was surprised by the curious familiarity in the mysterious figure's bright red hair and purple eyes."

"The mysterious figure was not so confused, thinking perhaps that the Shiresh prince had caught him at trying to spy and was trying to assassinate him."

"But then Rinkullo realized that he had seen this mysterious figure before. They had been introduced upon arrival. This was the prince of Jheryll, His Highness Prince Kazi." By then Prince Rinkullo was laughing hysterically, and even Kazi's face had broken into a full-fledged grin. "He was at a complete loss for how to rectify the situation... and so he did the only thing that occurred to him at the moment." Seizing Kazi's face, the Shiresh prince leaned in and gave him a lingering kiss.

Kazi waited til he pulled away to speak. "Of course, Prince Kazi was now quite confused.

current mood: amused
current music: "Why" - M2M

(find your home)

Sunday, November 11th, 2007
8:47 pm
The group journeyed swiftly, typically following the mountain road, though occasionally forced to consult the map as the road forked. Still they met no other travellers, an ominous sign in Midnight's opinion, though the others were somewhat less concerned. It was, as Nevan had predicted, almost two days before they could finally see the city gates. Their relief was great, and they rushed towards the city as the last rays of the sun sank into the horizon.

They stumbled through the gates, exhausted and ragged, attracting stares from the apparently high class nobles that were still walking about. Suddenly unsure as to what to do or where to go, they wandered about the city, attempting to remain inconspicuous, though their appearance made it difficult. Though they blended in more than they would have with their original clothes, everyone in Shiresh was finely dressed, adorned with typically silver jewellery and other expensive accessories.

"Hmm, what do we have here?" a sibilant tenor mused from behind them. As one, the group turned around to face the stranger.

It was a strikingly tall man, probably over six feet in height, with fine blue-black hair cut in layers around his thin, pale face, with a long ponytail hanging down his back. His eyes were a poisonous green, and a black lip ring adorned the right side of his bottom lip. He was perhaps the most finely dressed man they had seen in the city, which was saying a lot. "You don't seem to have the look of townsfolk, nor do you belong here; anyone can see that." A charming smile swept over his features. "Come with me," he ordered with the casual smoothness of one who is used to being obeyed. With long, confident strides, he sauntered away, leaving them surprised and confused, though they quickly followed him.

Much to their consternation, he took them to what was obviously the palace or castle of the city. They followed him into a spacious hall, with two empty thrones sitting at the end. The grand hall's only other occupant was another tall, princely man, built more broadly than the dark-haired one that had led them there, with straight, thick copper-coloured hair that hung simply to his chin. He stared out the window with distant, dark eyes. At the sound of their footsteps, however, he looked towards them, his sturdy face expressionless.

"What guests have you brought this time, Your Highness?" he asked in a husky baritone, his gaze penetrating without giving anything away. With that same charismatic smile, the dark-haired man offered him a formal bow before straightening and positively bounding to the centre of the hall.

"My I introduce His Highness, Prince Kazi Jheryll," he said loftily. Prince Kazi nodded stoically to the group, though his eyes were still fixed on the enigmatic man. "And I am Prince Rinkullo Shiresh, at your service." He offered them another deep bow.

The group stared uncomprehendingly for a moment, unable to fathom what was actually happening. Erik was the first to recover his composure, offering the two princes a bow in return. "Your Highnesses," he began hesitantly, unfamiliar with royal etiquette, "you were correct in your assumption before. We are neither nobles nor villagers. We come from Earth, and we have come here at the merchant Nevan's advice, seeking help and answers."

Kazi's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "If you indeed come under Nevan's advice, where is the merchant? Should he have not accompanied you? He was summoned here a few days prior."

"Nevan met some misfortune on the road," spoke up Iliana, her voice steady. "He was caught in a rock-slide and severely injured his leg. He was unable to accompany us, though he should arrive in a few days on his own, if his luck remains."

Prince Rinkullo laughed then, a carefree boyish sound that startled them. "Don't be so uptight," he chided gently. "I know Kazi can be rather intimidating, but do not worry. We understand that you are from Earth. We have no expectations as to your etiquette." The group exchanged mixed glances, unsure whether to be relieved or insulted. "So, you're from Earth," he continued merrily. "You're the first in a while, and such a large group! It must be the call of our Goddess. You see, the reason we summoned Nevan is to provide an escort for our journey to Jheryll. Of course, judging from your news, he seems unfit to travel. So, in his place, the Goddess sent you. How fortunate for us! We shall take you to see my parents immediately!"

Ignoring the askance looks from both the Earth group and Kazi, Rinkullo smiled buouyantly and made a gesture for them to stay while he whisked out of the hall to fetch his parents, presumably the king and queen.

current mood: optimistic
current music: "Kiss & Cry" - Utada

(1 dream | find your home)

7:28 pm
"Yes," replied Midnight slowly. "That satisfied me." The smile that graced over his features lacked warmth.

It seemed that was the last of the questions. Slowly, one by one, the companions dropped off to sleep, the answers to their questions buzzing in their heads like bees.

For once, Erik was the first to arise the next morning, his dim blue eyes fluttering open at the first hint of orange on the horizon. Yawning, he stood up and stretched, shaking the sleep out of his body and mind, surprised to find that there weren't people already up and about. Of course, as soon as Erik had begun to move about, Midnight's eyes flickered open, and he soundlessly sat up, carefully watching Erik fold up the blanket he'd been given.

"Erik," he said finally, quiet enough not to wake the others, but audible enough to make Erik jump and turn to him.

"Did I wake you? I apologize-"

"It is nothing. I am a very light sleeper," interrupted Midnight with an absent wave of his hand. "Come here."

Curious, slightly wary, Erik approached Midnight, who was reaching into the pockets of his trenchcoat. Erik halted abruptly when Midnight drew out one of his daggers. "Do not be silly," chided Midnight sharply, seeing Erik's expression. Without a word of explanation, Midnight rolled up his sleeve, put the gleaming blade to his pale arm, and sliced a smooth red cut through the skin. Complete bewilderment settled over Erik's features as Midnight turned his calculating gaze on his face, looking totally oblivious to the blood spilling out over his arm. "Can you heal this?" he asked softly.

"J'sais pas, I don't know how," breathed Erik, transfixed on the bleeding gash. Midnight sucked his teeth in irritation.

"I do not think staring at it is how it works, just a thought," he said curtly, prompting an angry scowl from Erik, who seized Midnight's wrist in a tight grip. Nothing happened for a long moment. Then, Erik realized what was probably wrong. He had no desire whatsoever to heal Midnight's cut. Grimacing, he tried to fix his attitude, concentrating on his desire for the cut to heal.

A sort of tingling sensation came over him, and he felt a sort of head rush. It was, in fact, similar to how he'd felt when doctoring Nevan, but he had dismissed it as just adrenaline. Hopeful, his gaze locked alertly on the wound, which had by now stopped bleeding, and did seem to be getting smaller. Within seconds, there was just a fine red line where the cut had been, barely a scar. Midnight drew his arm away, satisfied.

"Impressive, chouchou," he remarked airily, grinning wolfishly at the smattering of pink that stained Erik's cheeks, then mercilessly kicked Kami in the side. "Wake up, girl! We need to get moving!"

Cursing under her breath, Kami glared daggers at Midnight and got up, stretching. "Thank you for the wake-up call, Midnight," she said acidly. "It's much appreciated."

"Any time," he replied languorously, a frosty smile on his face. Erik shook his head as they glared at each other and went to wake Nevan.

It took about two hours for them to leave, though when they did they were much better off. Apparently in Quovo, there was no currency. Everything went by the barter system. They had traded their strange, Earth clothes for fine new Quovan clothes. Jyo had refused to trade in her costume, however, so instead Midnight traded a few of his weapons, and his keys for her clothes and shoes. They received a map and spoken directions for free, and Jyo bartered away a set of matches in exchange for a travelsack.

They set out significantly happier and more optimistic, the map in Matteo's capable hands, with Kami using the sun for direction. They had fortunately discovered from Nevan that the sun rose and set in the opposite direction in Quovo, rising in the west and setting in the east, a tidbit that saved them abundant time and effort.

current mood: blah
current music: "The Miracle" - Queen

(find your home)

5:33 pm
It must have been about an hour before the man showed signs of stirring. Cautiously, Erik moved closer to him, crouching down beside him, waiting for him to awaken fully.

Of course, the man's first instinct was to put a hand to his aching head. "Damned hangover," he groaned, squinting away from the falling sun. Then he seemed to notice Erik, still waiting patiently. His face instantly burst into a broad smile, and he quickly sat up to heartily shake Erik's hand. "Oh, boy, you have no idea what you've done for me. I thought I was a goner, but no, you come along and heal me! My name is Nevan Gershom, humble merchant, at your service. I am in your debt, good healer." At this point, he seemed to notice the rest of the group. "Oh, and you have companions? Travelling without so much as a lowly wagon? Please, allow me to offer you a meal and some shelter for the night."

Erik smiled slightly. "That would be very much appreciated. My name is Erik Malore. These are my companions." He introduced them one by one, letting them exchange pleasantries as Nevan dug through his cart to procure his provisions. Soon, they were all situated, questions burning on their tongues.

"Nevan, I don't know if you can tell, but we're not from around here," Erik began carefully, though Nevan's booming laugh interrupted him.

"I figured from the look of your clothing that you were foreigners in these parts," he remarked affably, plucking at his own outfit pointedly. The group exchanged uneasy glances at the strangeness of Nevan's clothes. They looked straight out of medieval times, a modest homespun tunic over dark green trousers. "So where are you from? Young Miss Jyotika looks from one of the Jheriah Forest gypsy tribes. You all from Jheryll? Their fashion style is very... unique." He grinned.

"Actually, Nevan, we're from Earth, if you know of it," Erik said dryly, only half-sarcastic. Instant comprehension dawned on Nevan's ruddy features, which threw the group off completely.

"Earth! You're all from Earth!" he exclaimed in utter amazement. "Well, in that case, may I be the first to welcome you to our fine world of Quovo. It probably won't mean much to you, but we're only about a score of miles from Shiresh, one of the two capitals of our world. I'll do my best to answer any questions you have, but any that I can't, you can find out there. I'd offer to take you there myself, but..." He looked down at his leg ruefully. "But I do have a map, which I'll offer you for free. And I'll trade you some more appropriate garments before you set off."

"What is Quovo?" Kami fired off, her eyes bright with curiosity. Nevan chuckled.

"Well, it's our world. It's parallel to Earth. Sometimes people from one world show up in the other. I don't know how it happens, or why, but it does. Sometimes just shadows of people appear here, and other times complete people."

"How do we get back?" asked Matteo quietly. But Nevan just shrugged.

"I'm sorry, good sir, but I don't know the answer to that."

"How is it possible that we have seen no one but you in five or six days of travelling?" Iliana inquired probingly, her heavy stare seeming to make the merchant uneasy.

"Well, you're on the east side of Shirethi Lake, close to Khrall Mountains. For one, on this side of the lake, you're in royal territory. Only the nobles will pass by here, and they'll stick to the roads, which are all south. The only roads that come up this close to the mountains are the one I was on, and a few closer to the city and farther from the lake. The villages and towns are all between the two royal capitals, and the common folk usually have no reason to come calling on the royal families' doorsteps."

There was a lull as no one else dared ask a question. They sat around and stared at the ground for a good few minutes before Erik finally broke the silence.

"What did I do to your leg?"

This provoked startled laughter from the merchant. "You don't know? That was magic, boy!" The group, as one, stared at Nevan in complete bafflement. He, in turn, just smiled. "Everyone in Quovo has magic, even if they're not from Quovo. Something about the air. And your soul. It may take a little while to develop to the point where you can control it, but everyone has some form of magic. I can speak in tongues. That's my magic. And you, young healer, can heal."

The group stared incredulously at Erik, who tried not to flush under their scrutiny. There was only one who was not staring at him was Midnight, who suddenly spoke up, his voice weighted with suspicion.

"¿Cuánto tiempo dure el viaje a Shiresh?*" he asked quickly.

"Casi dos días,**" replied Nevan without missing a beat.

"Alla vet spansk. Hur gammal är du?***"

"Jag är femtiosju år;**** are you happy now?" Slight irritation now coloured his expression as he met Midnight's glare, oblivious to the completely blank expressions of the rest of the group.

( Footnotes. )

current mood: complacent
current music: "Shrink the World" - Yellowcard

(find your home)

4:24 pm
/He seemed a little reluctant to speak at first, but soon acquiesced to the relentless prodding. "Well, I am currently 16 years old, and my birthday is coming up soon. My parents are both doctors, which is also the career I intend to pursue. I live in Toulon, France, but I was in America, specifically Maryland, as part of an exchange program for most of last year. I intended to continue attending school in America because I found it to my liking, but I recently decided to visit home because of my grand-père's sudden illness. My older brother Nicolas was home as well. We planned on visiting the hospital in the afternoon, though we had woken up early. We decided to go swimming in our pool. The dogs were restless, all barking and howling; they wanted to swim, too. Nicolas protested, but I decided they would enjoy it. So, I was about to get out of the pool to open the kennel when it started getting hard to breathe. My brother asked if I was alright, but I could not answer, and then I fell unconscious. I awoke and did not know where I was. I got up and wandered around for a little while when all of a sudden Kamiko grabs me from behind, demanding answers and threatening me with disembowelment and other unpleasant things. It took a little bit to recompose myself enough to get my English straight and convince her that I was as lost as she. And now, I am here." He concluded with a hint of a smile.

Silence fell on the group as their minds wandered to their pasts, what they were missing, what was happening in the world they had left. And they thought of each other, wondering at the secrets behind the stories, the mysteries hinted at between the lines, behind the fake smiles. Occasionally Kamiko and Midnight would steal quick glances at each other, she shuddering inwardly at having a killer in their midst, he speculating that there was much more she hadn't revealed. Soon they all bade each other a good night and went to sleep, or at least tried to.

The next morning came and went speedily, for it seemed Jyo was also an early-riser who had little tolerance for laziness. Breakfast was small and quick, consisting of a few apples and leftovers from a previous night. They hastily began moving once more.

The mountains were ridiculously close by then, and they expected to reach them before even night had fallen. Actually, they reached the mountains well before the sun was even close to the horizon, brought up short by what looked to be a broken cart, a thick-set, middle-aged man trapped underneath a misaligned wheel. Matteo and Erik started forward with no hesitation. When the others made as if to follow, however, Midnight stopped them. "More people will just be bothersome," he said succinctly. "We will wait for their return."

As Erik and Matteo drew close, the man's rubicund face lit with hope. Smiling reassuringly at him, Matteo helped Erik painstakingly lift the cart just a few centimetres up so that the man could scramble out, puffing and wheezing. "Thank you so much, kind sirs," the man huffed gratefully, though how he managed to smile was a mystery. Erik could see a bit of bone sticking out of the bruised, bloody, swollen leg. Matteo winced in sympathetic pain. "The king requested my presence, so I was in a hurry to get to the castle, but the rainstorm loosed some rocks, which upset the cart and the horses. I got out to calm 'em down, but that's when a few more rocks decided to fall and break the tethers and knock over my cart. I was caught underneath it. I'd've died here, if not for you two gentlemen. Thank you so much."

For the most part, Erik ignored the man's gushing, instead looking through the cart. The man looked to be some sort of old-fashioned merchant, with a wide assortment of wares in his cart. "Do you have any medical supplies in here that I could use for your leg?" he asked briskly, pushing aside a pile of books.

"Why, yes, in fact, I do. They're in that corner over-- yeah, you see 'em." Erik dubiously pulled out the bottle of corn whiskey, needle and thread, and roll of bandages, though he figured he could make do if he could find a sturdy, fairly straight stick. He asked Matteo to see if he could look for one, and then set to cleaning the man's injuries.

"This will hurt," he warned sharply, and poured the whiskey over the bloody gashes. Predictably, the man howled in pain, reflexively trying to jerk his leg away, then howled some more as a few bones grinded unpleasantly. Sighing, Erik handed the remaining half-bottle to the man. "Drink the rest of this," he said resignedly, and waited for the man to drink himself into a stupor.

By then, Matteo had returned with a suitable branch. "Merci," he said automatically. With a grimace and a prayer on his lips, he took firm hold of the man's broken leg and pushed and yanked it back into place.

The whiskey must have been a lot stronger than Erik had expected, for the man only whimpered a little. He thought it was this that prompted the incredulous look on Matteo's face, or perhaps the way Erik set the bone. Either way, when Erik looked back down at the man's leg, what he saw took him completely by surprise. The bruises had subsided slightly, but there was a dramatic decrease in the lacerations covering the leg. Whereas before it seemed the man would need numerous stitches, now they looked as though they'd be fine with just some bandaging.

"Should'a said yer a healer," the injured man slurred. "Lucky me, I'm just'a tongue speaker, 'n of all th'people I ran into... I found a healer. Goddesh blesh you, healer."

Neither Erik nor Matteo could find any words, so Erik silently bandaged the man's leg while Matteo watched. By the time he was finished, the man was asleep. Matteo covered him with a blanket and they headed back to the others.

"He seems like he's from here," said Matteo when they were rejoined. "He'll probably be out for a little while, though. We can talk to him when he wakes up."

The group set up camp next to the broken cart, waiting anxiously for the man to regain consciousness.

current mood: cold
current music: "I Want It All" - Queen

(find your home)

Saturday, November 10th, 2007
10:26 pm - RECAP
"Storytime!" Kami chirped brightly, her eyes lit by the crackling fire. She gently shook Iliana awake, who opened her luminous green eyes groggily. Jyo smiled once more. "First things first, meet Jyotika Vlora, fire dancer extraordinaire. She's a new addition to our little group. It's story time. You should be awake for it."

Iliana mumbled incoherently for a second, and then sat up. "Nice to meet you, Jyotika. I'm Iliana McCairn." Jyo smiled and shook her hand before launching into her story.

"Well, as you all know, I am a fire dancer in a circus. I am 24 years old. We were having a night performance, the best ones if you ask me, while our circus was visiting Paris," Erik perked up a little at this, "and it was my turn in the ring. I started with a basic dance, and then I did a little veil dancing. Naturally, I set the veils on fire. I did some acrobatics through a flaming hoop, then some gymnastics on a flaming wire. My accompanist, Jewel a violinist, hit some wrong notes. Of course, this off-sets me a little, but we are trained to work through it. I do not know why, but I begin to get dizzy. I think, maybe this bothered me more than usual somehow. But then I cannot catch my balance, and everything goes black. Then, I wake up in wet grass, in somewhere completely strange, so I start a fire and hope for the best. Then Kami appeared." She smiled at their incredulous expressions. "So now you know the reason for my... flamboyant dress. I do not normally dress so flagrantly."

Kami chuckled. "My story's a bit different, and a bit less exciting. Well, first, I'm barely 18 years old, and I work as a helper in a vet clinic. It was late at night, and I was feeling a little restless. I decided to go for a walk. It was pretty quiet, for once. Usually I've got crazies up at all hours in my little town in Cali, but not that night. So I was listening to a few of the nocturnal birds singing, just walking around. I live with a friend, Maria, she's a vet. She doesn't mind that I come and go when I please, as long as I don't wake her. Um, let's see. I walked around the block, visited a friend, spent some time there. Then I headed back home. I was just about to take off my shoes when my vision started to blur. It was pretty scary, because that never happens to me, and I started to feel really woozy, and then I woke up here. All I could see were crazy stars, so I freaked out. I was also alone, so I did pretty much the only thing I could have... I found some shelter and went to sleep." She grinned, her voice full of laughter. Iliana smiled and shook her head. Midnight was eyeing her oddly, though Kami determinedly avoided his gaze.

"I shall go next," he stated with a curious smile. "I am age 28, and I work for the government. Like that one, it was late at night. I had just finished work, and I was on my phone with my employer." Again his gaze locked on Kami, and she could feel it even through the sunglasses. "I was in Rome, Italy, and I was trying to go farther from the houses because their damn windchimes are too loud. My employer was giving me some details on my next assignment, and my paycheck, when suddenly his voice started to fade in and out. I was confused, thinking there is something wrong with my phone, but then I notice I am also swaying on my feet, and everything is getting dark. I pass out and wake up here, hearing voices. It is this group. I think they have done something to me, so I follow them. Maybe if I can kidnap one of them, I can use him as a ransom for information. So I get my chance, but wolf-girl here chokes me until I pass out again. I wake up, and all of my possessions are strewn on the ground and they have tied me up. Then, we become fast friends, yes?" He smiled chillingly. Jyo snorted in disbelief, triggering light laughter from Iliana.

"Me next," she declared. "I'm still in high school, 15 years old, and I model part time, though eventually I hope to become a singer. Um, I was getting dressed for a photo shoot that evening, humming and thinking about... school." Matteo gave her a curious look, which she pointedly ignored. "My foster mother was rushing me, and then I started getting dizzy. I thought I might be, I don't know, hungry or something, since I had missed lunch. But the dizziness got a lot worse and I collapsed, waking up here. Once I got myself up and re-oriented, Kami grabs me in a chokehold. Erik saved me." She laughed a little here, flashing a smile at said boy, who returned it. "We were introduced and have been together ever since."

Matteo smiled. "I guess I'll go next." Iliana gave him an encouraging smile. "I'm an English teacher at Iliana's school. I'm 27 years old. I was at work early, working on my lesson plans. Early morning band practice was going on right down the hall, so I was having a little trouble concentrating. At first I thought that was what was making me disoriented and woozy, combined with being a little tired. I sat down for a second, but then everything started going black and spinning. It was hard to breathe, and that's when I must've passed out. When I woke up, I was in a little patch of trees. I tried to figure out where I was, when all of a sudden, Iliana appears, I think right after washing in the lake." He blushed furiously, avoiding her gaze. A little red coloured her cheeks as well, though the others present grinned in amusement. "She saw me and screamed, which brought Kami running. We were introduced, and then Kami brought me to camp to meet Erik and Midnight. That's about it." He smiled self-consciously.

Then, it was Erik's turn.

current mood: OH CLIFFHANGER
current music: "Forgotten Days" - Suikoden

(1 dream | find your home)

9:11 pm
Kami, with her much more noticeable hair, slowed to an almost crawling prowl from behind the stranger. Midnight, clothed completely in darkness and silent as death, began his own slow, cautious approach from the front. As the distance between them lessened, he could make out some details of the person. For once, it was obviously a woman. For another, she was dressed strangely, which could mean anything. There was something familiar about her outfit, actually, a glinting assortment of flame-colours, adorned with beads, bells, and other gold jewellery. The firelight set her eyes aglitter, making their colour uncertain, though she obviously had black hair. From the looks of her clothes, she was not wet at all, which was extraordinarily strange. There was also an ornamental bindi set on her forehead, though culturally it clashed with her ensemble.

As he drew nearer, he could hear her grumbling angrily in what seemed to be English, though it was so quiet he could not distinguish what she was saying. She spoke with what sounded like a Hindi accent, and occasionally threw a small stick into the fire. Then, with sudden comprehension, he knew that she was not a native of the land. She was just like them, just like the group he'd been travelling with for days. Resisting the urge to sigh, he purposefully snapped a twig, making the woman jump. He could see the fright in her eyes, though the rest of her tensed defensively.

"Who is there?" she called challengingly, squinting into the undiscernable darkness beyond her bright fire.

"A friend," returned Kami, her tone indicating that Midnight should remain hidden. The woman whirled around, obviously confused. Kami strode easily into the circle of light provided by the fire, a cheerful smile resting on her face, her grey eyes warm. Midnight knew she saw what he did. Kami knew she was just another lost wanderer. "My name's Kamiko, but you can call me Kami," she said brightly.

"What do you want from me?" the woman snapped, taking a step back towards the fire. Kami's smile dampened slightly with concern.

"Well, for starters, your name would be nice. I'm not trying to hurt you," she said soothingly, sensing the woman's instinctive fright. Her gaze flickered quickly to Midnight hidden in the darkness and then back, a sharp warning to keep away.

I am not an idiot, he thought, annoyed, retreating farther into the shadows.

"Where am I?" demanded the woman, unconvinced by Kami's friendliness. Kami could only shrug helplessly.

"I really don't know. I'm in the same position as you. I came to your fire hoping you'd know the answer to that question." She shook her head sadly, a little disheartened at the fact that days of travelling had not found even one person who could answer the questions. She did not look forward to returning to the group unable to provide any answers. "You're lucky you appeared when you did. It looks like you missed the ridiculous storm this place just had. I've been here for days. My friends are out there waiting for me to come back. We wouldn't mind helping you out, if you want."

At the mention of more people, the woman seemed to tense impossibly more, her eyes wild around the edges. "I do not need your help! Just leave me!"

Slowly, cautiously, unthreateningly Kami advanced towards the woman, a gentle smile on her face. "Look, you're all alone out here. I don't want anything to happen to you. You're in the same situation as we are, just as lost, just as confused, just as afraid. You don't have to be scared of me. I won't hurt you. None of us will hurt you. We'll protect you, keep you safe. Just calm down and let's get to know each other, sound good?" She spoke slowly, rhythmically, rationally, using a tone as if to soothe a hurt and frightened wolf, not paying too much attention to the words that were coming out of her mouth, but focusing instead on the woman's reaction, watching her relax ever so slowly, watching some of the fear subside from her eyes. By the time Kami was finished speaking, she was in arms length of the woman, carefully reaching out a hand to shake.

Hesitantly, the woman eyed Kami's slender hand, as if waiting for it to strike her. Then, holding her breath, she quickly grabbed it, shook it, and released it. "My name is Jyotika Vlora. I am a fire dancer at Le Cirque Mystique." She gave a slight bow. "You may... introduce me to your friends," she added half-heartedly. Grinning triumphantly, she motioned for Jyotika to extinguish her fire, which she did, and then led her back to the group, shooting Midnight a sideways glance as they left.

The assassin took the hint and raced back to the others, getting there a few minutes before Kami and Jyotika returned. "One of us," he explained shortly when they all crowded around them. "Do not look like you are expecting them. She is skittish."

The group dutifully looked surprised when Kami and Jyo strode into their midst, the former all smiles, the latter reluctant and withdrawn. "This is Jyotika Vlora," Kami introduced. "Please be nice. She's a fire dancer at, uh, Le Cirque Mystic." Erik snorted at her atrocious accent and approached Jyo with his hand extended. Warily, she took it.

"I am Erik Malore. Pleased to meet you," he said diplomatically. Matteo did similar, followed by Midnight. "Pardon Iliana," Erik added when they were done. "We have had a very trying day. She is asleep." Jyo nodded understandingly.

"We can meet in the morning then," she said, trying to smile.

"Can you do us a favour, Jyo?" asked Kami brightly. The fire dancer gave her a dubious look for the use of the nickname, but inclined her head slightly in what might have been interpreted as a nod. "I dunno how you did it, but you had a campfire. There's no way I can start a fire with all the wood wet. What'd you do?"

Jyo smiled enigmatically, the change in expression taking everyone by surprise. It darkened her features while lighting her deep amber eyes, exposing glinting white teeth. With one lithe hand, Jyo reached into her top. Matteo blushed slightly, but he was too curious to turn away. Indulgently, Jyo slowly drew out what looked like a small, unmarked black box. With a deft flick of her wrist and fingers, the box opened and fire emerged.

Midnight laughed aloud. "A Zippo," he said appreciatively.

But Kami shook her head. "But what did you use for tinder? Firewood?"

Again that smile. "The water does not penetrate wood all the way. I used strands of my hair and my belt to get it started."

Kami grinned in amazement. "Well, I'm sorry I can't offer you another belt, but I can offer you my sweater to get another fire started. It's probably dried off enough to catch." She stripped off the grey sweater without the slightest compunction and tossed it to Jyo, who caught it and flipped the lighter closed in one fluid motion.

Within the hour, a merry fire was burning.

current mood: contemplative
current music: "Redemption" - Gackt

(find your home)

6:54 pm - NEXT
The group was unpleasantly awoken in the middle of the night by a deep roar of thunder that shuddered through the ground, followed by a blinding spiderweb of lightning across the sky. Cursing their luck, they tried to sleep through it, knowing that the safest place was where they were.

The next morning the storm's violence had increased. The miserable group slogged along, doing their best to ignore the threatening rumbles of thunder and to resist flinching when lightning struck. Their progress was painfully slow. Kamiko refused their requests for a break, insisting that they must continue moving, a maxim that Midnight agreed with wholeheartedly. They travelled from what might have been a few hours before dawn til the mountains were clearly visible, even through the heavy rain. However, Kami was extremely chagrined to note that, as their proximity to the mountains decreased, the wooded patches grew thinner and scarcer. It would be hard to find a place to settle that night.

The rain slowly began to slacken, though by then the group was so despondent that only Midnight noticed. Wind still roared around them, buffetting them every which way, chilling their soaked skin. It was soon clear that the sun had long set as hopefully the last echoes of distant thunder whispered somewhere far off. Unfortunately, Kami could still see nowhere to make camp, and she made it very clear that it was far too dangerous to set up camp in the open, especially since everything was too wet to start a fire.

"We haven't run into any yet, but I'm not just being paranoid when I say there are wild animals out there, ready to rip us to pieces when they get a chance! They've been scared of our fire; that's why we haven't seen any!" she shouted over the deafening wind.

Surprisingly, it was Midnight who shouted back at her. "We need to stop!" he roared, and pointed firmly at Iliana. "She is beyond her limit. She will not make it through!" Indeed, the young girl's knees were trembling and her eyes were glassy. Her face was wan and pale, and even her hair hung lifelessly. It seemed she would break apart at any second.

"I'm fine; we can't stop for my sake," she protested. Though her voice was quiet, hardly audible over the violent gusts, it was surprisingly steady. "If it's unsafe, we must keep going."

"Don't be an idiot, girl!" Midnight hissed. "There is no shelter until we get to the mountains! Look around!"

But before she could protest again, Matteo cut in. "I'll carry her!" He looked between Midnight and Kami, a little unsure. "I'll carry her as far as we need to go." Midnight pursed his lips but said nothing. Kami nodded slowly.

Iliana's expression was blatantly doubtful, her posture hesitant. But then she looked at his pleading gaze, and her resistance crumbled. Sighing in resignation, she approached him from behind and was hoisted onto his back.

They advanced quite a ways like that. It was clear that Iliana really could not have gone on any longer, as she soon blacked out, her head resting limply on Matteo's shoulder. The rain had finally ceased completely, and even the wind seemed to have lost the heart to continue trying to knock them over. It must have been another couple of hours before Midnight suddenly thrust out a hand to stop them.

"Do you see that?" he asked quietly, staring into the distance. The group followed his gaze. Sure enough, what looked to be a fire flickered and danced in the distance. "It seems to be a campfire," he added, noting the size of it, and how something metal near it was erratically reflecting tiny pinpricks of light at them. It raised their hopes as they thought that perhaps it was a native to this strange land.

Midnight, of course, was ever-cautious. "I will go investigate, see if they are friendly or not," he stated, and made as if to run. Kami quickly snagged him by the sleeve of his trenchcoat.

"We're going together," she said, and her tone left no room for argument, though Midnight bristled. "We'll be back soon," she told the group. "If we don't come back, which I'm sure we will," she cast a meaningful look at Midnight, "then obviously don't go near that fire." Grinning good-naturedly, she waved as she and Midnight took off. Erik and Matteo exchanged worried glances as their two greatest chances for survival raced away from them.

Kami and Midnight sprinted wordlessly, her pale ponytail streaming out behind her like a ghostly ribbon in the dark, his dark trenchcoat billowing about his legs and behind him. Their strides matched instinctively, their breaths even, white fog trailing rhythmically out of their mouths. The campfire grew closer and closer, and they could see a silhouette, someone with long hair, decorated with an absurd amount of reflecting metal. Communicating wordlessly, they slowed and parted ways, Kami closing in from one direction, Midnight from the other.

current mood: rushed
current music: "Save Me" - Queen

(find your home)

Thursday, November 8th, 2007
7:20 pm - INTERLUDE
"AND NOW... INTRODUCING OUR LOVELY PYROMANIAC ACROBAT, THE FLAMING ROSE, MISS JYOTIKA VLORA!"

The crowd erupted into a deafening roar of cheering as the blinding spotlight flashed onto the centre ring, dazzlingly illuminating the young woman standing absolutely still, one hand poised elegantly over her head, the other resting gracefully against her hip. Her coffee complexion was accented by the lights throwing the gold glitter on her face into sharp relief, her black kohl-rimmed eyes glimmering like amber jewels. Her full wine-coloured lips were slightly pursed, and her jet black hair was secured in a high ponytail by a voluminous, translucent crimson ribbon, falling straight and thick to her shoulder blades. She was dressed in the garments of a gypsy-genie-belly dancer, with a burnt orange tube top wrapping seductively around her full breasts, cut-off to reveal her finely toned midriff, tiny gold bells hanging from the seam. Her pale gold off-the-shoulder sleeves were loose and comfortable, and numerous gold bangles decorated her wrists, one gold jingling anklet decorating her right leg. Her loose, deep scarlet harem pants were held securely to her waist by a burnt gold scarf bedecked with trails of gold beads and more tiny bells. To complete the exotic princess look, a small gleaming ruby bindi was set on her forehead.

Slowly, quietly, a violin began to play, sweet, hypnotizing music. Slowly, gracefully, her supple hands began to move. Her steadily increasing movements drew in the crowd, enthralled them, captured them with her ethereal beauty. She tossed her head from side to side with the music, her hair brushing one shoulder, then the other. Her feet pattered lightly on the soft ground as her hands wove intricate patterns in the air. Her eyes slowly closed as a blissful smile transformed her face, bells jingling in time with the violin's magical music.

Jyo loved this feeling, this rush of knowing she alone held the collective burning gazes of the whole crowd. She loved the adrenaline that rushed through her as she moved, the music thrumming within her being, the seamless motion as she drew an unlit match from seemingly nowhere. Her gorgeously complex steps carried her to the violinist in the shadows, turning her glistening back to the audience as she struck the match in the same motion she grabbed two deep red veils.

For a few seconds it seemed as though she were merely dancing and whirling with the veils as any practiced belly dancer would. However, a few experienced audience members held their breath in anticipation. Sure enough, within seconds, both veils were consumed in flames. The collective gasp from the crowd sent a shuddering thrill through Jyo's trembling body as she flung the veils around, tracing flaming circles in the air around her. The music's tempo had increased dramatically, and Jyo's wildly graceful steps were carrying her all around the circle. With a laughing gasp, she threw one of the fiery veils into the air, where it snagged on something the audience could not make out.

It was apparently a hoop. Flames raced from the caught veil all the way around, forming an upright ring of fire high above Jyo's head. With a practiced, casually beautiful sweep, the dancer extinguished her remaining veil in the sandy floor and glided to the ladder at the side of the centre ring. Grinning wildly, fire glinting off her brilliantly white teeth and gold glitter, she raced up the ladder and grabbed hold of a hidden trapeze. Taking a few steps back, she did an easy flip and secured her feet on the trapeze, pushing off the ledge with her hands and flying towards the flaming hoop.

Naturally, she stopped a few metres short, eliciting a rippling sigh of disappointment from the crowd. Swinging her body to gain more momentum, Jyo had more luck the second time around. Laughing aloud, she perfectly timed her release from the trapeze, somersaulting in mid-air to catch a firm hold of the top of the blazing ring. The crowd's astonishment was almost palpable, which set Jyo's blood racing. Like a gymnast, she swung from the burning hoop to the second trapeze that the circus master, from the shadows, had pushed out towards her. This time she hooked it with an ankle and a hand, twisting and pulling herself up to stand triumphantly on the swing.

The audience released another gasp as she let go with her hands, balancing herself on the moving trapeze as she seemed to dust her hands off. Actually, as she had begun to move her hands, the circus master had tossed her a very thin pair of gloves, which she caught with practiced ease, slipping them on as she stepped casually onto the ledge. Then, grinning, she backflipped to catch the trapeze once more, under her knees. She reached out and managed to snag the hoop once more, slipping off the trapeze and hanging on to the burning hoop. She waited for a long second, suspended from the hoop, and then her hands erupted into flames. Laughter boiled within her at the crowd's stunned exclamations, and she swung herself around to land standing on the top of the hoop, just for a split-second before leaping quite a ways up and grabbing onto an invisible wire with her hands aflame.

Naturally, the entire wire began to blaze. Once more she swung around it to land standing on it, giving herself just a nanosecond to balance before doing double cartwheels and flips.

The crowd went wild with cheers, and Jyotika screamed exultantly along with them, the pure ecstasy of it burning through her veings, through her very being. And then, the violinist hit a wrong note, which in turn threw off the pattern that Jyo was used to hearing.

Normally, Jyo would just act as though everything were normal, though her inner rhythm would be irritatingly thrown, but somehow, this mistake seemed to affect her more than usual. She slipped on a landing, instinctively reaching to grab the wire with her hand as she fell. What's wrong with me? she thought woozily as the world began to sway and darken. She wasn't afraid of heights, nor was she afraid of falling. If she fell again, she could just grab onto the still-blazing hoop, and manage a landing dropping down from there.

But something was wrong. Her breath caught in her throat and she felt her fingers slipping.

The crowd fell silent in her ears as the world faded to black.

current mood: cold
current music: "Kimi Ni Aitakute" - Gackt

(find your home)

Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
4:36 pm
Kami, seemingly oblivious, whipped out a small knife that looked oddly like Midnight's and began to deftly de-bone the fish one by one. Matteo hesitantly added some wood to the fire to keep the heat going, then picked up a long, slender branch he could use as a spit for the fish.

Erik and Iliana returned fairly quickly, the latter looking quite amused, the former looking somewhat surly, and also shirtless. Together they carried Erik's burnt-gold shirt, which was soaked, of course, with water. "Makeshift waterskin," said Iliana, her eyes gleaming. Erik scowled.

Kami also repressed a laugh. "Alright, then, let's get to it. Rinse the fish off and give them to Matteo, okay?" Wordlessly the two obliged, taking the de-boned fish and getting to work.

It wasn't long before Midnight also came back, his face clouded by a violent storm. "Did you lift my knife, girl?" he growled at Kami, his gaze set intensely on the blade in her hand. With a brief flick of her wrist and a mischievous grin on her face, the knife vanished from sight.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Midnight," she said delicately, though the shadows in her deep grey eyes easily gave away her feigned innocence.

But before Midnight could work himself into a fit of rage, Erik turned an irritation glare onto the kleptomaniac girl. "Kamiko, return it," he said sternly. "We don't need this right now; it would be wise to get through this and get going."

Kami's smile faded into a moue of petulance. "You're no fun, Erik," she whined, and then turned to Midnight. "Sorry. But I'm gonna finish up with it before I give it back."

Still glaring, Midnight nodded slowly, and then set down a handful of plants. Taking out another of his knives, he began to finely shred them, making sure to catch all the little bits in his lap. When he was done, he offered them to Matteo, who rubbed over the fish with them. He set a few over the fire to cook, and the group waited patiently for their brunch to be ready.

Within the hour, they were all fed and sated, ready to get going. It was then that Matteo squinted into the distance, then stifled a small gasp. "Are those... mountains ahead of us?"

This cued all the others to begin intensely searching the horizon. Sure enough, though they were almost completely obscured by white clouds clinging stubbornly to the bottom of the sky, they could barely make out dark shapes in the distance. Kami was the first to break the stunned silence.

"Well, nothing to do but keep moving ahead, I suppose. I thought it was weird that we hadn't run into anyone after travelling so far along the lake. Maybe we'll get lucky and find someone trying to climb some mountains, hmm?" Grinning optimistically, she once more plunged ahead.

The day passed fairly quickly for them, Kami and Midnight both pushing the group to their limits before allowing short breaks. Midnight was a bit stricter than Kami was wont to be, though they seemed to balance each other out quite well. Matteo, Erik, and Iliana were afraid to say so, though, not wanting to risk the subsequent fued that would surely follow.

Thus far in their seemingly aimless journey, they had been lucky. The weather had been nice and mild, with clear skies and a gentle breeze. However, as they set up camp, Kami looked up anxiously into the darkening sky. Clouds were beginning to gather. Certain constellations she had begun to get used to were partially obscured. She smelled the tension in the air, the tautness of Mother Nature before she decided to wash away the impurities of the earth with a nasty rainstorm. Chewing nervously on her cheek, Kami was thankful that most of the others were too preoccupied with eating dinner and getting to sleep to notice her concern. Midnight, of course, was an entirely different matter. Once everyone else had fallen asleep, he crept up silently next to her, tapping her lightly on the shoulder.

She turned her head curiously towards him, her body tensing warily. "What?" she hissed defensively.

"You are worried. Why? What do you fear is coming?" he asked abruptly in a rough whisper. Kami grimaced, mainly at the thought of confiding in this crazy man.

"I sense a rainstorm," she finally said sharply. "It could turn out dangerous."

Midnight's cold gaze flickered to the other members of the group, who were all fast asleep. "You are different from them," he said finally, turning back to her. "What is it about you that you do not share with anyone else?"

Kami bristled, her eyes narrowing in deep suspicion, her lip curling over one white tooth in the makings of a snarl. "I will not expose myself to you," she seethed, her voice poisonous. Midnight merely inclined his head stoically.

"If we are to get through this, we must trust each other. I will tell you about myself if you will give me the same courtesy."

It was a hard bargain that Kami did not want to just let escape. Groaning softly, she laid restlessly on her back. "Fine," she acquiesced, shooting him a glare as if he were forcing her. "I was orphaned when I was five, so I ran away and lived in the woods, until someone found me when I was ten. They put me back into society. It was stifling. So I started stealing. That's it." Her gaze burned into the sky, daring God to condemn her.

But Midnight laughed softly, a sound that startled Kami for its smoothness. "I see," he said, his smile for once reflected in his voice. "I was also orphaned when I was young, but I grew up in the streets of Malta, where I learned how to steal and how to kill. Now I have become an assassin." He glanced down to meet her startled gaze, an eyebrow quirked. "You did not sense that I was a killer?"

At that, Kami sat bolt upright once again. "I thought I was just being paranoid," she growled softly. Midnight held up a hand in a placating gesture.

"I only kill for money and self-defence. I do not care enough about anyone in this group to kill them."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she hissed vehemently. Midnight shrugged.

"Take it as you will, wolf-girl. I am sleeping." Coolly Midnight laid down, removed his sunglasses, closed his eyes, and fell asleep. Kami glared daggers at him for a few minutes before sighing and looking up at the glittering stars.

current mood: calm
current music: "Kaze No Uta" - Tackey & Tsubasa

(1 dream | find your home)

Tuesday, November 6th, 2007
9:50 pm
Matteo nodded. "I have. And Kamiko left to go fishing. She said she'd be back soon. I'm curious; did she manage to fashion some sort of fishing poles?"

Iliana grinned, a glimmer of amusement in her luminous eyes. "Actually, Kami's method of fishing is rather... unconventional. She wades into the lake, stands still as a stone, and then will occasionally throw herself at a fish in the water. When I left, she'd collected maybe four fish." Matteo stared at her in disbelief.

"Really?" he asked, doubtfully.

"Of course. I watched her." The cool morning breeze gently swept past them, evoking a slight shudder from the still-damp girl.

"Are you cold?" Matteo asked worriedly, his eyes soft in concern, watching Iliana shake her head.

"No, just a little wet still. I'm not used to not having towels." She smiled slightly, a gesture he returned.

A crackling in the bushes behind them abruptly drew their attention, both of them tensing with a small tickle of paranoia. But it was only Midnight and Erik, returning to camp with some more firewood and tinder. Erik offered the two a brief smile in greeting, before dropping his load next to the fire circle. Midnight followed suit, then crouched down next to the fire and began to build it up again.

"Kamiko is almost done fishing," Erik said lightly, sitting down next to Midnight. "She has collected I think 15 fish."

"That girl is crazy," interjected Midnight. "She catches fish with her teeth. It is not natural." He poked sullenly at the fire with a long branch. A smile touched the corners of Iliana's lips.

Sure enough, within a minute, Kami had returned, carring an armload of fish, one of them still wriggling, clamped tightly between her teeth. She tried to speak, her words muffled and garbled by the squirming fish. With apparent irritation, Midnight got up and yanked the fish from her mouth.

"Thanks," she said, spitting. "Anyway, do any of you know anything about cooking?" she asked hopefully. "Like, spices and herbs and whatnot?"

"I can cook, but I don't know about spices and all that," said Matteo doubtfully.

"I am well-educated in herblore," stated Midnight coldly, meeting Kami's gaze squarely.

"I'm afraid you'll poison us," she replied scathingly, her icy tone quite a match for his.

Iliana frowned. "If we're going to be travelling together, the least we can do is trust each other. Midnight, if you go out and get some herbs and spices for the fish, it would be a great help. Mr. Azra, you can cook the fish while Kami de-bones them for us. Erik and I will get some water." Her gaze enfolded them one by one, waiting patiently. As one, they all got up and set to work. Smiling in some measure of self-satisfaction, Iliana went with Erik to the lake.

Before she could leave the camp, however, Matteo caught her sleeve. She turned curiously to look at him. "Here," he said quietly, "the line between teacher and student doesn't seem to matter as much. You can call me Matteo."

She flashed him a slight smile and a nod of affirmation before she left with Erik. Matteo's eyes followed her retreating back as she left, dropping quickly to the ground as he felt Midnight's sharp stare fixed on his back. The dark-haired foreigner glowered before getting up and heading in the opposite direction, into the trees to search around for different plants.

current mood: distressed
current music: "Sui Lung Nui" - Stephanie Cheng

(find your home)

Monday, November 5th, 2007
7:31 pm
Kami stared blankly at the two of them for a brief second before finally bursting into hysterical laughter, tears brimming in her eyes. "Oh, that's just classic," she exclaimed, helplessly clutching her sides, gasping for breath as she tried to stifle her giggles.

Iliana waited patiently for Kami to calm down. Finally, when the laughter had subsided, Iliana posed a question. "Kami, would it be alright for Mr. Azra to travel with us? As you've said, it's only sensible."

Grinning, Kami nodded her assent, her eyes trailing over him from top to bottom, taking in his conservatively cut chestnut hair, his light blue dress shirt and dark blue tie, his black slacks and dress shoes. "Tell me your name first. You may be her teacher, but we're on equal footing here."

Mr. Azra coughed in embarrassment. "Matteo," he said hesitantly. Kami beamed and grabbed his hand to shake it.

"Nice to meet you. Let's get you back to the camp so Iliana can change, okay?" Without waiting for a response, she took his wrist in a firm grip and dragged him back to camp. Their arrival was met by a baleful stare coming from Midnight. "Sleeping beauty over there is Erik," said Kami, gesturing towards him. "Grumpy face right here is Midnight. Don't mind him; his face is always scary like that," she added in a carrying whisper, a mischievous grin on her face. Matteo attempted a half-smile.

"Nice to meet you, uh, Midnight. I'm Matteo."

Midnight slightly inclined his head. "A pleasure," he said, his tone belying his words. The beginnings of Matteo's smile faltered at Midnight's cold stare.

Without any sign of advanced warning, Kami leapt onto Erik, shaking him vigorously. "Time to wake up, sleepy head!" she yelled happily in his ear. He groaned and half-heartedly attempted to push her off to no avail. "Come on, you've slept way long enough! Get up and meet our new companion!"

"I-It's okay; you don't have to wake him on my account," Matteo stuttered, surprised.

Kami shook her head. "No, he has to wake up anyway. Come on, Erik, UP!" With a great heave, she pulled him into a half sitting position and gently slapped his cheeks. He growled incoherently in some strange mixture of French and English before finally opening his eyes, pale blue with exhaustion. "Good morning, Erik. Meet Matteo, our new companion. He's Iliana's teacher."

Erik stared blankly at Matteo for a moment, then muttered a monotone, "Enchante."

Kami was already addressing Midnight. "Iliana has your trenchcoat. She'll probably return it when she gets back. Sorry in advance if it's a little wet..."

Midnight made an unintelligible noise of disgust and got to his feet. Kami made a face at him before heading back towards the lake. "I'll be back soon; I'm going fishing for brunch. We woke up late, so we're gonna combine breakfast and lunch to save time. Don't worry, though, I'll catch lotsa fish for you guys!" Whistling a cheerful, tuneless ditty, she pranced out of sight.

By then, Erik had awakened fully, a shake of his head clearing the few remaining cobwebs. "I don't suppose you have any idea as to what is happening to us here," he said to Matteo with a frown. The teacher sadly shook his head.

"I was preparing my lesson plans, listening to the early morning band rehearsal down the hall. Then, everything starting spinning, and then it all went black. I woke up here, wherever here is, and as soon as I managed to orient myself, I..." he trailed off, blushing again. "I saw Iliana, and she screamed. Kamiko came running, and we were introduced. Then she, Kamiko, brought me back here and introduced me to you two. That's basically it." He fixed Erik with slightly hopeless caramel eyes. "Judging from, well, everything, I assume you have as much of an idea of what's going on as I do."

Erik simply nodded. "We are all in the same situation."

Suddenly, Midnight spoke up. "Matteo, you were married once, yes?" Matteo stared at him in astonishment for a brief moment before slightly inclining his head.

"How... how did you guess?"

A lazy wolf-like smile swept over Midnight's features. "You can see much about a man when you look at his jewellery," he stated simply. Confused, Matteo glanced down at himself, then caught the glint of the sun on the gold band around his right ring finger. He fingered it self-consciously, unable to meet Midnight's eyes. The man scared him, his cold gaze chilling Matteo all over. With his thick, wavy, dark hair falling about his handsome face, he reminded Matteo of old-fashioned vampire movies. His perfect white smile looked as though it belonged to a killer.

Suppressing a shudder, Matteo looked away, though he could still feel Midnight's gaze burning into him. Erik, meanwhile, was fidgeting with the small glass globe on his necklace. He glanced up, looking at something over Matteo's shoulder, prompting Matteo to turn around and follow the boy's gaze.

Iliana had returned to the camp, her hair still rather damp, dressed once more in her pink sweater and black skirt. Midnight's trenchcoat was draped over her arm, and she graciously returned it to him. He frowned at its dampness, but did not comment.

"Sorry for screaming, sir. You just surprised me," she said lightly to Matteo, who felt his face begin to heat up once more.

"No, it's okay, it was my fault anyway. You don't need to be sorry." Iliana smiled shyly in response, looking at her feet.

"So, I see you've met Erik and Midnight," she said, as though trying to speak purely for the sake of conversation.

current mood: drained
current music: "Pieces" - L'Arc~en~Ciel

(2 dreams | find your home)

Sunday, November 4th, 2007
9:07 pm - NEXT
The four wanderers had covered a lot of ground the previous day, despite the mistreatment Midnight and Erik had suffered. Kami and, surprisingly, Midnight had pushed the other two past their comfort zone of physical endurance. Iliana was unquestionably the worst off, not even bothering to eat dinner with the others. Once they had stopped to make camp, she had lain down and instantly fallen asleep. Neither Kami nor Erik had the heart to wake her, and Midnight just did not care enough.

Erik was finding it a little troubling to focus with the nearly palpable tension and dislike exuding from Kami and Midnight. They were determinedly civil to each other when they were forced to speak, though they pointedly ignored each other for most of the journey. They had taken spots on exact opposite sides of the fire to fall asleep. Sighing, Erik picked somewhere in between and lay down.

The next morning found Iliana to be the first one to awaken, though her stirrings caused Kami to open one sleepy eye and abruptly sit up. "Morning," Kami whispered with a grin. "Woke up a little late, today," she added, with a nod up to the sun. "It's probably after seven." Indeed, the sun had already risen, hardly touching the horizon.

"Good morning," replied Iliana with a small smile. "Do you mind if I take a bath in the lake? I feel ridiculously disgusting. I'll make it quick."

Kami giggled. "I don't mind in the slightest. I'll make sure none of these boys try to peek, okay?" Iliana smiled her gratitude and walked out of the camp, choosing a place by the river that was obscured by trees. Somewhat self-consciously, she quickly stripped off her clothes and waded into the lake. The cold water burned instantly burned away any last vestiges of sleep and she gasped, feeling goosebumps appear over her whole body. Gritting her teeth in determination, she continued until she was submerged to her waist, then took a deep breath and ducked under water.

When she stood back up a few seconds later, her pale gold hair plastered to her body, the cold was much easier to bear. Blinking water out of her eyes, she set to trying to rinse off the two-day build-up of dirt and other unpleasantness. Sighing and shivering slightly, she went farther in, until the water lapped at her shoulders. Holding her breath again, she put her head under the water and scrubbed at her hair, hoping that the soak would clean it at least a little.

Humming softly to herself, it wasn't until she had almost reached the shore again that she realized that she had no towel, or really anything to dry herself off with. Frowning in concern, she took her hair in her hands and wrung it out as she stepped back onto dry land. A cool breeze assaulted her bare skin, leaving her shuddering and somewhat irritated at her lack of forethought. She supposed that despite the discomfort, the breeze would be good to dry her off. She progressed deeper into the shelter of the small patch of trees in self-conscious impulse.

Of course, she didn't expect to come face-to-face with someone unexpectedly familiar.

Her shriek of surprise brought a baffled Kami running, fearing the worst, for Erik and Midnight were both still asleep. She ducked past a large tree to find a furiously blushing Iliana trying vainly to cover herself with the clothes in her hands, a strange man just as red staring deliberately in the opposite direction. Disguising her amusement in a cough, Kami suppressed a grin. "Hang on a sec," she said, and ran back to the camp. Laughing now, she seized Midnight's trenchcoat and attempted to divest him of it.

"Girl!" he exclaimed, instantly awake. "What are you doing?!"

"I need this for a bit," she explained glibly, finally managing to yank it off him. She hurried back to where Iliana and the stranger were still standing, in the exact same position she had left them in. Grinning unabashedly now, Kami offered the trenchcoat to Iliana, who hastily put it on, quickly buttoning it up all the way. "You can turn around now," Kami addressed the still-blushing man.

"Iliana, I'm so sorry. I- I didn't mean to, it just sort of... You just kind of... And I didn't really get that much of a look, you know, I turned around-- I'm really sorry, Iliana. Oh, my goodness, I am so sorry," he babbled, seemingly unable to meet her gaze. Kami gave them a curious look.

"You two know each other?" she asked inquisitively. Iliana nodded, her blush finally beginning to fade.

"He's my English teacher, Mr. Azra. Sir, this is my friend Kamiko."

current mood: amused
current music: "Mata Ashita!" - Ouran High School Host Club

(find your home)

8:27 pm - INTERLUDE
"What's going on?" Anthony asked frantically, staring wildly at the racing heart monitor, as the boy laying in the white hospital bed ceased breathing. Doctors and nurses bustled anxiously around him, checking his airways, giving him an oxygen mask, all babbling incomprehensibly in French. Nicolas put a comforting hand on Anthony's shoulder, though his own face was dark with worry. Tension mounted every second as Erik's heartbeat grew steadily faster, not breathing despite the doctors' best efforts. Anthony clutched desperately at Nicolas's sleeve, his own breathing shallow and uneven. The seconds passed slowly... slowly...

And finally, Erik drew a deep breath, his heart slowly returning to normal, his breathing beginning to steady. Anthony stifled a relieved sob as he sunk to his knees beside Erik's bedside. Nicolas breathed a sigh of relief, then caught a doctor by the sleeve.

"S'il vous plaît, permettez le chien dans le chambre*," he said pleadingly. The doctor gave him a withering look, but faltered in his refusal when Nicolas's face hardened and his hand wandered to the cell phone on his belt. Grimacing, the doctor acquiesced. He quickly gave the order, a deep look of unease on his face. Within a minute, Mimi padded regally into the room. The red merle Australian shepherd gave Nicolas and Anthony a quick glance before turning her bright blue gaze onto the unconscious face of her owner. A slight whimper escaped her, and her fluffy tail swept across the floor just once before she gracefully leapt onto his legs, settling herself comfortably on top of him. Anthony took a step or two back out of habit. He'd never really gotten over his fear of dogs.

"When do you think he'll wake up?" Anthony asked Nicolas quietly. Erik's older brother shook his head sadly.

"Je ne sais pas,**" he murmured. "But my brother is strong. He will wake up soon."

Anthony forced a smile, forcing himself to believe those words. Turning back to the comatose boy, he repressed a sigh. "I sure hope so," he whispered, almost inaudibly. "Please, Erik, wake up soon."

( Footnotes )

current mood: content
current music: "Yappari Megumi ga Suki - Dokusou-" - Miyavi

(find your home)

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