Welcome to the CIC

[Talon StarDrifter]

||Ahhh... Gotcha. :] I'll just pretend I never said anything about clothing then. :3 I am too lazy to edit my post.||

Lyra watched in disgust as the creature caught sight of her, salty water streaming down its surprisingly clean face. It had the look of a alarmed deer on its visage, not endearing itself to her at all. Lyra studied the thing carefully, noting the fact that it wore nothing but the skin it had been born in. That meant there were no weapons for it to hide. And even if it could command magic, the human would be no match for her, a goddess.

Deciding to break the silence, Lyra approached the human. She would have been able to hear the human from hundred feet or so distance between them, but she knew humans did not have the same sense of hearing as flihva.

Her knee-length breeches made no sound as she walked, testament to their quality. The fabric was soft and thin and tight, providing for easy walking and quick flying. Around her breasts was simply a strip of cloth the width of two hands that encircled her entire torso. It was made of the same fabric as her breeches, matching its black color.

When Lyra was within the human's hearing range, she stopped. She did not wish to get any closer than she needed to.

"How did you get here?" Lyra asked frostily. "And what are you doing here?"
 

[SpunkyOtaku]

((Ah, that's alright, so am I, that's why I'm gonna not bother editing my own posts. xD))

Strider slowly blinked at his touching toes, then slowly slid his pupils over to the amused flihva. The furred ridge above his eye twitched before closing his eyes and letting his legs flop back onto the hard shelf. He surpressed a grunt of pain and straightened.

"I shall let that one slide," he responded coolly as he sat up, managing not to add a 'foolish ruffians.' at the end. It would do well to not let the poor, pitiful fools realize the grave error they made in insulting his person. What with their perfect streamlined bodies and natural endowments... "Very well then. Since we are a bit under a time budget, it would be more convenient to have me carried. But just this once."

The insane gleam in his eye twinkled in his warning. They would soon rue the day, The baby tabby swore in his mind.

((... I am having too much fun with this.))  

[SpunkyOtaku]

((Just to warn you, Lyra is quickly making a very frosty impression on me, and when I come across people like that, I get a very sore temptation to mess with them. Which is why I thought of another character I'm working on. It's someone who- as a realize as I keep working- I don't really focus on much. And he's someone important, but I don't feel a ground for him just yet.
I say this to warn you: Miren's quiet, and I want to bug Lyra. So Deron will probably pop up soon to lend a helping hand in testing her patience. Probably just before she teleports Miren, just to annoy her more. (Because I get the vibe that she will do something like that soon) So yeah, just thought you ought to know. I want to avoid something like this, but ya know, never miss a good oppurtunity...))

What was she doing? She should move, she should do something.

But Miren could only stare as the woman approached closer.

Say something.

She's not very modest. Then again, Miren was blaringly stark naked. Not by choice, but it still left her unable to criticize. Maybe that was why she was frozen. That this perfectly shaped gorgeous woman actually had the luxary of clothes, while her own dowdy and flawed body was in full view. The mere thought was enough to make her close in on herself, clenching her arms and legs together and hunching her body.

"How did you get here?"

She glanced up uncertainly before loweirng her eyes again. Where was here?

"And what are you doing here?"

She... hadn't she died? But then, this was supposed to be happy, yet still she was frozen solid, paralyzed because of her fear...Or maybe it was just that merciless glare that made her insides cringe, that made her feel less then dirt, like scum or an animal, like she was...

Ugly.

Ugly...

This was how everyone treated Berry. So long ago... even now, she was forced to take all this humiliation, with Strider right beside her. She only wished she had his strength, her endurance, their...
But... Miren had done a lot too.
How much had she faced? How long had she fought and struggled? and for how long? Only to be silently abused by a woman when she was supposed to have reached paradise. Granted, a breathtakingly beautiful, sharply commanding, and somehow awe inspiring and otherwordly woman, but they still spoke to each other, they could communicate with each other. That was enough.

This was not what she needed. She deserved better.

"I got here by fighting." She countered softly, too humiliated and angry to look at the woman. Her righteous fury stirred, threatening to turn her words into screams, but they remained calm and plain. "I've been fighting for my life, and a friend's. I came here to finally rest."  

[Talon StarDrifter]

||XD I can tell!||

Aväris chuckled slightly while Maar laughed openly. Such "dignity" from so small a cat! He seemed nearly a different person, what with the sudden emphasis on "personal bubbles" and such. But neither flihva minded; it was quite entertaining. Aväris shook his head and turned, a smile still etched across his face. Maar did the honors, carefully scooping up the hostile kitten and avoiding its nether regions. It was rather hard, with such a small body, but Maar managed, what with his slim, strong fingers and dexterity.

Aväris led the other two to the shelf across the room, briefly fluttering over the gaping hole that was the method of traveling in the library. Maar leapt gently, wings open to glide over smoothly and quickly. He landed with nary a bump and practically glided over to Aväris who was leafing through a sizeable tome entitled Transformations and You. It seemed slightly promising, though he couldn't imagine it would hold any transformation knowledge that Aväris didn't already know. He studied the other books on the shelves nearby, absently placing the orange tabby on the top of the shelving unit.

Frowning, Aväris scanned the pages of the book, nothing catching his eye. He put the book back and took out the next book, Transforming History. He flipped open to the middle of the book and narrowed his eyes in concentration. Noticing Aväris's interest, Maar closed the book he had been reading and peered over Aväris's shoulder, slightly rising onto the balls of his slender feet to reach.

"Well, it does note several cases of mysterious transformations, but it doesn't really say anything about foreign magic. It offers solutions of different animal transformations or mind probes for the original form, but nothing concrete," Aväris stated, snapping the book shut. A thin plume of dust erupted from the book, slowly dissipating into the clear air. Aväris wrinkled his nose and Maar withdrew and leaned against Strider's shelf.

"Would that work?" Maar asked, brow furrowed.

Aväris shrugged.

"Maybe. It's up to Strider. Would you like another animal form or would you allow me into your mind?" Aväris asked Strider.  

[Talon StarDrifter]

||Ah, go for it. Lyra is rather frosty, I admit, but after thousands and thousands of years dealing with all of life, I can't really blame her. Too many disappointments, I should think. :3 I welcome the challenge. And before anything happens with Miren, I wanted to let you know she'll appear outside of a small frae village, due to Lyra's impatience and negligence. You'll be meeting my other main character's mother, though I dunno her name yet. >>;; But yeah. Just thought you should know.||

Lyra pursed her delicate lips. The human's body language spoke volumes of shame, anger, resentment, longing... The list went on but Lyra found, oddly, that she really didn't care. The human -she, by the looks of its body- spoke in a soft voice but Lyra had no problem hearing the reply. So unused to human voice was she that she nearly fried the girl on the spot. Human voices were not at all like those of flihvas. Perhaps the human couldn't tell, but the difference was so apparent to Lyra that she couldn't help but imagine some poor, unfortunate-sounding bird, like a crow or a vulture.

"To rest?" Lyra asked, incredulous. What human comes to Aleah'Cim to rest? Surely she knew she would not be welcomed! Perhaps... Perhaps the female didn't come from a god-fearing village. If that was so, then she would probably not be instructed in the ways of deference to one's god and such. "Humans are not welcome here to rest. In fact, you are probably the first human to come here in thousands of years." Of course, Lyra had no knowledge of Strider. "Where do you think you are, girl?"

Lyra knew her voice was laced with enough disdain to choke on, but she couldn't help it. Even in all her years, no human showed up on Aleah'Cim, not even to simply rest. The human had no idea what it was dealing with.
 

[SpunkyOtaku]

Strider said nothing at the openly laughing flihva. They obviously were not very sensitive to his plight. But as he was quickly learning, when one got through the imeasurable physical beauty, the breathtaking grace, the almost paralyzing hypnotizing voices, they were just a couple of regular guys. Joking, horny, and helpful, just like any regular person. (Well, maybe more sexual than most.) And thankfully, dark times in the village had taught him better than anything to look for the soul and personality, not the deceptive physical appearances.
He'd still have to get used to the idea of them together though... even if it made him uncomfortable.
But thankfully, Berry had prepared him for that too.
Which was why he said nothing as Maar picked him up.

He squeaked as they glided over the hole of the library to reach the other side of the floor. S-So high! And so many pretty colors...

Oh look, surface. And at the top too. Made him feel taller again. Heehee...

The little kitten watched as the flihva searched through the book shelves. Idly he tapped his tail on the shelf as he asked himself again if this was alright. After all, the goal was to get back. If they bothered with the transformation, what would happen if he went back? Would it hold? Maybe the wise thing to do was to forget about this whole thing and focus on magic to take him back...
But where was 'back' anyway? He wished he could help more.
I feel so useless...
The memory of the shadow beasts made him shudder. Useless.

Well, it does note several cases of mysterious transformations, but it doesn't really say anything about foreign magic. It offers solutions of different animal transformations or mind probes for the original form, but nothing concrete,

That caught his attention. Different animal transformations? Mind probes?
But didn't that mean...

Would that work?

That would mean letting him into his mind, maybe his memories.

Maybe. It's up to Strider.

But there were things in there he had to keep inside himself. If he let someone else see, even by chance-

Would you like another animal form or would you allow me into your mind?

"NO!"

He stopped at the force of his own adament refusal. The man was giving him a choice, not asking for just one option. "I mean, maybe another animal." he half whispered.

Sheesh, what was wrong with him? He was usually more level headed.

Then again, I'm usually under calmer circumstances.  

[SpunkyOtaku]

((Haha, I see why you need to work with her a bit. Alright. So, Deron will spring up from the very spot Miren teleports out of, just to give him that dramatic entrance he loves so much. And to confused Lyra even more... by the why, what color are her eyes?))

"To rest?" Miren flinched at the tone of the woman's voice. "Humans are not welcome here to rest."

It was so... condescending, so spiteful. How could such a lovely voice make her feel so shamed and small? She knew her voice was awful by comparison, she was parched and tired, but for some reason it still made her afraid to speak again. The feeling only made her more enraged.

"In fact, you are probably the first human to come here in thousands of years."

That information made her switch her gaze from the grass to the woman, her anger turning only into pue confusion. The first...?

"Where do you think you are, girl?"

Where... "You mean... this isn't the Afterworld?" she asked hesitantly, foregong her shame and hesitancy in search for an answer. She almost felt a semblance of hope, admidst confusion. "Aren't I dead?"  

[Talon StarDrifter]

Strider shouted with such ferocity and vehemence, Maar and Aväris could only stare at the tiny kitten. Who knew such a small kitten could make so loud a noise? Some of the feathers along the flihvas' backs stood up on end, courtesy of the sudden outburst. When their feathers had settled down, Maar stood up straight, studying Strider.

"Um... Another... animal, Aväris," Maar stammered, not sure whether or not to ask Strider about the sudden shout. He looked at Aväris questioningly, as if to ask Aväris, What was that? Aväris only shrugged a little, deciding not to probe the kitten.

"Another animal then," Aväris said. "Though perhaps you would just rather try to reach your home...? I'm sorry to say, I don't really think I could manage such a feat. I don't know where exactly you're from; therefore, I can't visualize it and as such, I can't send you there. And I don't know the time, the people, and such... If somehow we could find even a sketch of your homeland, I may be able to manage something. I..."

Maar yawned behind his hand, not really trying to hide his boredom. Aväris trailed off and gave him a deadpan stare. Shrugging, Maar grinned.

"You're getting too long-winded. Give Strider time to speak."  

[Talon StarDrifter]

||Ah, her eyes. Well, they change color every moment, so they have no definite color. They usually range from silver to gold to amber to crimson to black to green to white to icy blue to brown. Her eyes look like kaleidoscopes, and sometimes they are more than one color at once. It's rather confusing, but I like it.... >>;;||

If Lyra had been the type of flihva who snorted, she would have. However, she was not, so she did not. The Afterworld? What on Aleah'Cim was this human smoking? Lyra knew some humans had habits of inhaling hallucinogens lit afire and as such those humans acted strangely and believed strange things. Perhaps this girl was one such human...? But no, it didn't have red-rimmed eyes, nor did it stink of smoke, though it did stink in general. Lyra had to give the thing credit; it was spotlessly clean, but the smell of human still did not agree with her.

"No, you are not dead, though had you met any other of my associates, you certainly would be," Lyra said disdainfully. She almost sneered at the stupidity of the girl but after so many long years without changing her facial expression much, the effort seemed too great. Then the goddess was struck by sudden pity for the poor fool. It wasn't much, but she at least dropped the condescending attitude. Lyra couldn't blame the human for its stupidity; humans could actually be quite clever sometimes, but in general humanity reeked of intellectual decay.

"This is Aleah'Cim," Lyra continued in a slightly haughty tone. Her voice dropped all nuances of condescension and disdain, though the haughtiness remained. "This is home of all flihvas. How can you not know that? It's rather hard to miss from down there..." She was, of course, alluding to the human realm where inhabitants could clearly see the floating island. "I rather think you belong down there, for you do not belong here nor are you welcome."
 

[SpunkyOtaku]

Strider smiled easily; a simple expression to slip on to make up for his questionable outburst. He was glad they did not ask. Not because it made him uncomfortable, just that he would feel bad lying to them more.

"Don't worry about it. It's kinda nice to find someone who can talk as much as me."

He was just glad that his voice had not caught any unwanted attention. In very serious thought he stood and started pacing within a foot of distance, a shrunken representation of what he would do in his normal form.

"But you're onto something there. These books are filled with 'Sky Writing,' something I'm only slightly familiar with and haven't had the chance to study. It's only a recently discovered subject as it is. Maybe though you may call yourselves ‘flihva,’ you’re known to us as the Oocca. After all, you’re magic wielders and an obviously very advanced civilization riding in the clouds. The only problem is that the Oocca were thought to be much more birdlike than human in appearance, forgoing your perfect ethereal features." He finally stopped to look at them. “Then again, no one’s seen a real Oocca for centuries. Maybe that is what it is.”

He shook his head and started pacing again. “But if that were true, then you might have had more familiarity when I mentioned ‘hylian.’ But you seem familiar enough with humans. Maybe it’s the same way for you: knowing the same races, just by different names.” He stopped again and looked to them both seriously. “I need a map of the land, a log of the races here and in the distant lands, languages, ancient histories and timelines, anything to give us a connection we need that would explain my appearance here.” He frowned as he considered their problem. “And see how to get me back.”

The little kitten stopped and blinked when his stomach growled. He whined as his empty stomach made it's needs known. now witht he shock of transporting to a different realm and the excitement of flight fading, he could see that he truly was starving. The thought almost... awed him, actually.  

[SpunkyOtaku]

((Hm, That’s… fascinating actually. Seem like a lot of work... if you're gonna bother with mentioning the changing colors. xD))

"No, you are not dead, though had …"

Not dead. She wasn’t dead. Her hand squeezed her arm as though to investigate the truth for herself. She was alive. She was still breathing. If she was alive, then what was she doing here? Why wasn’t she with Ilia, with the woman? They were in danger, they could not be left alone.

“This is Aleah'Cim,”

Ale-seem? What was that?

“This is home of all flihvas. How can you not know that? It's rather hard to miss from down there…”

Miren did not appreciate that cocky, self-boasting tone. Strange, from Deron it was amusing, but from this woman she knew nothing about, it was just still… humiliating. How was she supposed to know what place this was? And she knew people referred to it as 'down South,' but 'down there' just sounded insulting, like it was not worth the effort to say. How should they see anything but woods from there? Of course, this was not the first time people had looked down on the southern folk. In that way they were more ignorant than her beloved little village. Strider gave those words of comfort, and she would hold onto them now. Hold onto them desperately in the face of this otherworldly woman in this strange and unknown land. This otherworldly winged woman.

"I rather think you belong down there, for you do not belong here nor are you welcome."

Welcome? Her anger burned again. Belong? She felt like she was talking to the others again, that time so long ago. Why should she be forbidden anywhere? She was tired, she was hurt… at least, she was supposed to be.

“I’m not doing any harm.” Her tone was still soft, but that angry fire made her, by comparison, course and crude voice steady, and supported by a precarious edge. “I have as much right as anyone else to ask for help.” This was not her original intention. She thought she was dead after all. But now that she knew she was alive, that two of the closest people she had to friends right now were still struggling for their lives… “They can’t live for much longer, I can’t leave them. Please, they need someone to help them, isn’t there anyone I can ask? Fighters, guards, someone, please. Those beasts could just as easily come here next!”  

[Talon StarDrifter]

What Strider said about the "oocca" did not ring any bells in Aväris's or Maar's minds, but what he proposed about different names for each other was perfectly plausible. Still, Aväris could not think of any beings down on the realm below that were born with three hearts. However, Aväris was the first to admit that even he did not know everything. Strider's proposal and plan made a lot of sense and Aväris was already conjuring images of the books he knew of that would help them greatly in this endeavor.

Maar naturally tuned out after Striders first three sentences. There was no such thing as a stupid flihva that was averse to learning, but Maar nearly put such a being into existence. Not that Maar was stupid; quite the opposite, in fact. He just didn't put his smarts to use and rather spent his time preparing for his future as... No, don't even think it, Maar told himself sternly. Aväris always just knows.

However, Aväris was too busy thinking and listening to notice Maar's guilty expression. He did not even hear the kitten's whine or wambling.

Maar did. Glad to be of some use to the other two, Maar grinned.

"Sounds like you need more fuel," Maar said. Aväris blinked and listened to the conversation. "Perhaps we need a quick break. I'm sure you'd enjoy flihva food... Or kitten food, if that's what you need," he added, brow furrowed, scarlet eyes narrowing in thought.

"That's fine," Aväris replied before Strider. "The books I need are in my room, actually, so we can return to the palace." The mischievous flihva turned to Strider. "We will not carry you back. Rather, we shall meet you there, alright?" He grinned, and Maar stifled a laugh.  

[Talon StarDrifter]

||Wow, really? I just pulled it out of my... er, you know. In fact, I never even thought about what Lyra looked like before I introduced her here even though I started my story and introduced her there. XD I think I'll have the colors match her moods, since that will keep the color range simpler. Also... It's "Uh-lay-uh-sim." Weird, I know, but... XD Also, I don't know the name of the human realm yet. emo ||

Her alabaster eyebrows pulled down in a glare over her cyan-crimson-ebony kaleidoscope eyes, Lyra felt her anger swell within her. The feeling was rather surprising because there was so little to get angry at nowadays what with all the power... But the level of black anger seemed to remember how to seep into the very marrow of her bones for Lyra could feel her reason slip out of reach into the black fire within her.

"Impertinence is not the way to request aid, not even in the human realm!" Lyra said coldly. The grass swayed all around them, though there was no wind to be felt. Although the sun remained bright and the clouds sparse, the temperature dropped noticeably within moments. "You claim you do no harm, but by being here you threaten the balance of peace between the flihva and the humans! If my people knew of your presence here, they would not hesitate to cry war and assume treachery! If you want help, seek it with your own kind!" With that last shouted word, Lyra's graceful hands flew up in a flurry of movement, producing twenty glowing, floating runes in the air, all with sharp, quick edges and angry strokes.

"And fear not any bestial attacks here," Lyra continued as the runes pulsated and flowed away from her toward the human to encircle her. "And fear not any on your person. There is nothing a human or frae can't handle down where you're going."
 

[SpunkyOtaku]

Strider's eyes popped open and his jaw dropped. What did they expect him to do, walk? He didn't even know how to get there from the ground!

"Wha!? What do you mean 'meet me there'?" he squeaked indignantly, abusing his sore little throat just a bit more. "Exactly how the heck am I..."

Then he noticed Maar trying to stifle laughter and Avaris's grin. Strider wanted to smack his against a wall for not seeing it sooner. How could he possibly be duped by something like that? He was supposed to be the master of that. Granted he was retired now, but still.

"Oh, haha, very funny." He said flatly. He walked to the edge, deciding on whether to go with the man who pulled the stunt in the first place, or the one laughing at him. "C'mon, let's go back, I'm starving."

And the phrase felt so good to say aloud.  

[SpunkyOtaku]

((No, I don't know, could you explain? xD Kidding. But really, see? That's why something like this is fun and beneficial.... you really don't know the name yet? Well, this will make you think of it soon.))

Miren kept her desperately angered gaze steady, even if slowly but surely she started to shake deep inside. Going against authority was not in her nature, not for a second, she kept that rebellion to the others. And the disposition of this woman was not helping matters at all. Her eyes terrified her now for a reason she could not understand, and gave her a strange chill.

Her tone only made it worse. If Miren had not been living in a nightmare for the past days, she would have shuddered in terror. As it was, she could only remain frozen on the spot. Talk of peace fell deaf to her ears. This woman was not listening! How could she be so heartless as to not hear of someone's plight for the sake of crying war? They were already under siege!

...

Oh Sweet Dome Mercy of the Heavens above.
...

This woman was a sorceress.
Miren really wished Strider was here.

But she found her voice as the magic threatened to encircle her with whatever it's purpose- "where you're going."? Send her away? She was sending her away?!

"NO!" she called desperately, and her eyes filled with fresh tears as her terror and frustration surged. "We're under attack by horrible monsters! If you can't help me, if you can't help us, then everyone's going to-!"

And her message cut short from the spell's effect, taking her away to the peaceful human realm to where the peaceful human and frea rested.