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 Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 8:44 am
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((You're welcome. 3nodding ))
And to think we were so hostile towards him earlier... Kei thought. This Nektaro wasn't such a bad guy, after all. And, though his companions had perished and there wasn't any other reason to go on adhering to his vows as a knight - if there were any - and follow orders, even those given by someone he didn't know; it was an admirable trait.
"Well, I was planning on going back to Rathke...that is, if I knew where he was," the brunette said in reply to Nektaro's question. "And...okay, you're going to think me crazy for suggesting this, but...maybe if you came along, I could explain everything to him - leaving out any parts you don't want me to share - and...you guys could start off on the right foot this time?"
She glanced down at the cave floor. "I mean...I used to think that being with others...making friends...I thought it to be...meaningless, a waste of time. But..." - she took a deep breath - "I don't think anyone is meant to be alone." She smiled again, glancing up to look the red-haired shapeshifting vampire in the eye. "Maybe once you get to know Rathke...well, we'll conquer that when - and if - we get there. Besides, I don't think all lycans are bloodthirsty, killing machines; some may be just as lonely, and hurting inside, like you and me."
Kei couldn't explain why, but she felt...calm. At ease. Was this the life-changing event she'd felt was coming her way? If it was...it wasn't off to a bad start. She held out one hand, willing once more to be trusted by others...and to trust them in return. "Well? It won't hurt to try, will it?"
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 8:48 am
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 9:09 am
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Kei raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Are you sure about that? Not the attacking thing, the 'running around the forest as a tiger' thing." She had to admit, though, the idea appealed to her. She'd never ridden a tiger before, let alone get close to one.
Before she could think it over, however, she'd opened her mouth and said, "All right; I'm game. But please give me time to explain to him before the two of you go at each other again, okay?"
"Roren, come on!" Rathke called to his furred companion. "You've eaten your fill already; I don't want you nodding off to sleep while we look for the half-vampire girl, all right?"
There was a sharp yip, and a second later, Roren was at the lycan's side.
They were at the edge of the forest, back to searching for Kei - though Rathke didn't know yet that that was her name. Even while hunting, he couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt at leaving even when they spotted the dragon rising into the air once more. For all he knew, that could have been the half-breed in the creature's claws again.
He sniffed the air, just like Roren. The scent was very faint now; he doubted they'd be able to follow it for very long; besides, the shapeshifter could be far away by now.
Still... Rathke told himself. If the half-vampire was in trouble, and that other vampire had left already, then...he felt he had the obligation to help her.
I just need some sort of clue...
((Okay, others can jump in now. Everyone's back out. I think. ))
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 9:14 am
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 9:37 am
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((blackmagic5: Are we the only two online right now? Just wondering...))
"Eep!" Kei let out a tiny yelp as the cold air hit her in the face. A shocking feeling, really; she nearly forgot to hold on and, as a result, almost fell off. She grabbed onto the tiger's fur as tightly but as gently as she could.
"I'm not...heavy, am I?" she asked, knowing Nektaro could speak even when in some form of fauna - that is, animal. "I know you've carried me before, but you were a dragon that time..." She leaned forward, closer to the tiger's body. They were running at top speed - well, it felt like that to Kei - and the wind temperature at that speed was...less than comfortably cold. All the while, she kept an eye out for the silver-haired lycan.
Rathke, are you even here anymore? she wondered.
((Hey, maybe you'd like to check out my RP thread? Almost no one's joined yet. It's titled 'Hearts of Fate: Orb of Balance'. The original title was Japanese, so I just translated it for you guys... 3nodding ))
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2007 6:50 pm
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 1:08 am
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((Songi-san, no offense, all right, but more often than not, I can't understand what your character is doing and/or saying. Try using a spell-checker or something, okay? 3nodding ))
Kei heard someone shouting behind her and Nektaro; she glanced over her shoulder.
Hey! It's that guy who was on the, uh...mechanical bicycle thing... she thought. She leaned closer to Nektaro's head and whispered. "Uhh...Nektaro? I think you should stop first. Looks like someone wants to ask you something..."
Whine
Rathke stopped short when he heard that; he turned to his beloved pet. "What is it, Roren?"
Two barks, another whine.
"You heard something? Where?"
The gray wolf bounded off into some nearby bushes, and the silver-haired lycan followed close behind.
Soon they came to a small clearing; Roren stopped just at the edge, Rathke standing beside him. A...tiger?! the lycan thought, a bit surprised. A few feet behind the black-and-orange striped creature was the other being from a while back, the one who'd also attacked the shapeshifter in defense of the other vampire who'd rescued Kei. And, riding on top of the tiger, was...
It's her! The half-vampire! Rathke realized. And then, he also realized that he recognized the tiger's scent. That tiger...it's the shapeshifter! The silver-haired young man called out.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing, riding that shapeshifter?"
All too suddenly, a familiar voice reached her ears, and Kei glanced towards the source of the noise. "Rathke!" she called in reply. She hopped off of Nektaro's back and made her way over to the lycan.
"You were looking for me all this time?"
Rathke nodded. "After Roren and I ate a bit, we...came back here. But you didn't answer my question: what are you doing with that shapeshifter?!"
"It's all right, Rathke; there's no cause for worry," the brunette replied, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder at the still-transformed Nektaro, and then started explaining as best as she could.
"Nektaro - he's the shapeshifter - was ordered to protect me. He was part of a group called the Vampire Knights. The kingdom they served was under oppression from a neighboring lycan kingdom, and all the Knights were killed; Nektaro was the only one who survived. And as for why he attacked you...well, you're lycan, and he's got something against lycans because of what happened to him. Plus, as a Vampire Knight, he'd recieved orders to protect me - and others like me - so...he probably thought you were bothering me or something..."
"...Bothering you?" A slim brow shot up questioningly. "I didn't even know you back then. But whatever..." he shot a scrutinizing glance at tiger-Nektaro, and then back to Kei. "Are you sure he's trustworthy? That he isn't...lying or something?"
"Yes, I'm sure, Rathke. Just like I'm sure you're trustworthy, even if I don't know you that well." Kei gave a small, sad smile. She'd asked herself that self-same question back in the cave; she knew how that felt. "Sometimes, you just have to take that...leap of faith, you know?" And then, the sad grin turned to a genuine one, and she glanced back up at Rathke.
"By the way, I do have a name, you know. It's Kei. But 'Hey', is pretty close, too."
"...Kei..." Rathke played with the name in his head. "It was short, easy to remember...and it had a nice ring to it. He returned the half-vampire's gaze. "All right, I'll take your word for it. As regards the shapeshifting...vampire, that is."
"Thank you." Kei mouthed, and then she turned back to the shapeshifter.
"Nektaro, it's all right. I've explained what happened to Rathke, and he's promised not to attack you." Okay, he didn't exactly say that, but what he said was just as good... Now, they had to figure out how to calm the 'mechanical bicycle-riding' person...
((Gaaah! Now this post was super long! sweatdrop I think I overdid it...))
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 6:42 am
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 8:31 am
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((Uh...blackmagic5, Kei had already gotten off Nektaro's back... sweatdrop ))
The halfling was a bit miffed that Nektaro didn't trust Rathke not to attack him.
Oh, well...it's not like he can just change overnight... Kei thought understandingly. After all, lycans were part of the reason why his friends and comrades were killed...
She glanced over at the silver-haired lycan. Please, Rathke, just don't do anything stupid... she pleaded with him silently, trying to convey the message with her eyes. Because I don't think I can bring myself to stop him this time around, now that I know where he's coming from...
Rathke watched as the shapeshifter morphed back into his human form.
I hope Kei knows what she's talking about, let alone what she's doing...
Meanwhile, he noticed that Roren still had his eye on the other person, who until now had remained silent. What's he doing just standing over there? Rathke wondered. Then he shrugged. It's none of my business, anyway...
But now that I know Kei is safe for the time being...what am I still doing here? the lycan questioned himself. Strangely enough, he didn't have a ready answer. Guess I'll just have to see...
((Okay, running out of stuff for the characters to do... sweatdrop ))
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 8:47 am
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 9:42 am
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Crap! Rathke cursed silently. Just what I was hoping would NOThappen...
He quickly jumped up into the branches up above, while Roren bounded to safety in several bushes a few feet away.
Dammit! the lycan glared at the vampire-turned-rhino. "What are you thinking, just attacking me like that?!" he yelled.
"Oh, no..." Kei groaned. "Nektaro, please, stop!" she called. She'd no idea why the former Vampire Knight had suddenly charged Rathke, but she had an inkling of an idea that it had something to do with the massacre on the kingdom he'd vowed to protect.
She spread her bat wings for what seemed the umpteenth time that night and flew over to the seething lycan. "Rathke, c'mon, I'll keep you out of reach while I try to get him to stop. And no, I haven't forgotten about Roren..."
Rathke half-glared at the brunette. "I thought you said I could trust him!" he ground out. "People I can trust don't just come at me like that!"
"I'm sorry, Rathke, but even I don't know what made him do that!" Kei almost yelled back. She was...miffed, to say the least, that what she'd been trying to avoid - another face-off - had happened...and for no apparent reason. "But I think it might have something to do with what happened to him before. Whatever it is, I'll try to find out...or failing that, just calm him down enough so he won't attack you anymore..."
She then grasped the lycan around the chest, taking care not to make her grip so tight as to hurt him, at the same time, not too loose so as to drop him accidentally. Afterwards, she went towards where Roren had hidden and picked him up, too, allowing the gray wolf to ride on her back. Yes, it would make flying a bit difficult - two other weights to carry plus her own, and an obstruction in her wing's motion paths - but as long as it would keep Nektaro from harming the two, she would do it.
"Nektaro!" she called again, landing in another tree and setting the wolf on a much thicker branch, Rathke crouched beside her. She flew back down, closer to the rhino. "Nektaro, why did you attack Rathke again? You said you'd only fight back if he attacked you first, didn't you?"
((I'm RPing with myself in this post. LOL! xd ))
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 9:48 am
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 9:55 am
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:08 am
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 10:19 am
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