• More Afterthoughts: Catherine's letter.
    Things had changed again in the past few weeks for Neshira Namea, and she pondered them as she sat in the window sill of the Knife Edge room, a piece of parchment once more clutched in her hand. "Why is everyone always writing me bloody notes.." she muttered before turning to make sure her companions still slept. Satisfied that they did she once more watched the rain through crimson eyes.

    Sevvy had rejected her, her past getting in the way. Later he'd explained to her that he was afraid, if he were to be with Namea, and she died in the fight with her father...what would he do? Thus, she had remained his good friend, and content with that.

    Meanwhile her friendship with the woman Tam had deepened almost to sisterhood, cinching with the marraige between Tam and Cryo, at which Namea was the matron of Honour. Namea had never felt such joy. Beyond that, her friendship with Mylar had grown and a familiar face had begun showing at the bloodlust, that of her brother Rhyushi. All in all, this was a good thing in Namea's mind, or the mind of the new, softer Namea. She'd begun to smile, to laugh, and was almost always friendly to everyone, a huge change from the cold being that had entered the bloodlust the first time years ago.

    One night, many had returned to the bar, old friends Ivan, Max, Kenji, Ikaru, Khaoz, Shinya and others who had not been seen for months, or longer. In that time she'd been courted slightly by Khaoz, but had refused his attentions for the most part, having felt her heart begin beating for another. Ivan Von Gaunt, the fallen saint, had won her heart this time. A giant of a man, Ivan was quiet by nature, a tortured soul with a past to bear almost as heavy as the giant cross he carried on his back. In a night of gentlness and concern she'd helped him, talked him through the rain both literally and figuratively and somewhow, ended up in love. He had been stricken too, it would seem, and it did not take long for Namea and Ivan to become a pair. Valentines day came, bringing with it two additions to her little family. The pup Urufu, given by an exhausted Ivan, had the appearance of a golden retriever crossed with a wolf, and was obviously going to be huge someday. And Ookami, a being from the realm of Shadows, much like Liekt, but to a lesser degree, was a gift from that shade himself. Pure black, Ookami's eyes had a strange resemblance to his mistress' with their slit pupiled crimson beauty. His powers were limited to mindspeech it seemed, but that was fine with Namea, and he was as intelligent as any human. Namea loved them both, and Loved Ivan dearly, as well as her friends.

    Love had a funny way of Making Namea think, however, and soon, her own mortality lingered in her mind. In a fit of resentment and bitterness she had stalked out and challenged her father once and for all, telling no one of the fight, yet Tam, Sylph, and Sevvy had followed unbeknownst to her. The fight had been relatively short, and in the end, Namea was thought dead until her weak, short haired form had fallen from the sky, caught in gentle arms by Sevvy. She healed in the springs and was her old self again..minus four feet of very beloved hair. Life had returned to normal..or as normal as it could be in the bloodlust, but both Khaoz and she sensed something coming...something that would take more than the pair alone to defeat.

    Namea cared not for anything but life as normal, and perhaps a nice shot of pineapple juice for her morning start as she pulled her braid back over her shoulder, blessing her beloved friend Ikaru for returning it to her last night and standing, Ivan's huge shirt falling to nearly her ankles as she lightly leaned over and kissed his sleeping lips. She looked back down to Catherine's letter with a sigh, praying that her shinigami friend would return someday. Pushing sad thoughts aside she shook them from her head and looked over to the other soul in the room who wasn't asleep. Smiling she beckoned to Ookami, whose eyes glowed in the darkness of predawn, obviously awake, and he jumped to a chair at her side. Urufu slept soundly at the feet of the man who'd given him to Namea and she smiled at both of them before Dressing in her usual assassin's garb. Once fully attired with weapons and all, she beckoned to Ookami again, and he leapt onto his perch aboard her left shoulder as she walked from her room and closed the door, the bloodlust waited for her, and so, as always, she'd answer its call.