Galenassel Valentino's Story

Gale was happy that Lin was talking to Rikka, the shy neko. Gale could sense that her cousin was becoming wiser. Although she still had much to learn, she praised her cousin's maturity.

Through conversation between Lin and Rikka, Gale finally figured out who Spunk was. As Shinta and his other sister, Solar, came into the room, he mentioned her again, saying, "Oh... Gale? Would you...be able to teach Solar how to cook? Spunk, she never had gotten around to it...."
"Yes, definetely" Gale responded with a polite smile. She watched and laughed as Rikka transformed into her cat form and climbed up Shin's shirt. There was something in their family that Gale had never seemed to feel before. She felt as though the three nekos had something that the Valentinos were missing.

Meanwhile, Hunson was still talking to his sister.
"Dammit brother! Your suppposed to be searching for a mate, not eating an elf!" Dawn screamed. This comment made Hunson furious, and his eyes turned a fiery red color.
"SEARCHING FOR A MATE??? REALLY??? STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO, DAWN!!!! IT'S MY FREAKING LIFE, AND I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT!!! IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THAT STUFF, GO FIND YOUR OWN MATE!!! And by the way.....NESSIE IS MY FRIEND!!!!!!! I'M NOT EATING HER!!!!!!"
Once he was done ranting, Hunson noticed his sister run out into the forest
"AND GOOD RIDDENCE WITH YOU!!!!" he shouted. He slammed the window shut, and walked past the nekos and elves. He entered the kitchen, and sat alone at the table. What he was doing, who knew.

Gale glanced back over at Hunson. She would deal with him later. "Alright, so now that we're all settled in, would you three like to settle yourselves upstairs? We have three spare rooms that nobody is using. At least, not right now...." she said. Hopefully her siblings wouldn't come back soon, wherever they were...

Shinta:

He looked at Gale and smiled with Rikka in his hands. "We would love to, if you wouldn't mind." He watched Hunson warily, something obviously wasn't right with their family. He pursed his lips together, refusing to comment upon it. Nudging Solar he chuckled, "Now lets see you try and burn down a house." Of course he was just playing with his sister, but he couldn't help but feel grateful that she had burned it down. Seemed him and Gale would be able to get closer. Placing Rikka on his shoulder he'd smile and wait for her to lead the way. He gave a weak yawn and chuckled, "After transforming into my Bakeneko form, and running and climbing and swimming, I could sure use a nap." He said with a lazy sleepy smile upon his face.

"We would love to, if you wouldn't mind."
"Great. Follow me, please," Gale said, motioning for the nekos to come up the stairs with her. The beautiful and probably the most enchanted part about the tree house was that it was much bigger on the inside than on the outside. Walking through the long, narrow hallway, Gale stopped at the first corridor to the left. "Here is the first room," she said, opening the dark brown door. Around the room was many different wooden carvings as well as fireflies kept in small little jars. They provided a dim yet bright light.

Gale exited the room and walked down the hallway again. Before turning to the next room, she turned to Solar, saying, "oh, and to answer your question; yes, we do have clothes here. You can use them, as long as you don't mind looking a little fancy. Some of them are pretty....ancient, if you know what i mean." She opened the door to the room in the middle of the hallway. "This is the second room. My personal favorite" she said. Just like the first, fireflies were kept in jars. There were many books that lined the shelves. The shelves spread all across the room.

"And here's third room." she said as she entered through the doorway that was right next to the second room. The third room seemed to be the biggest and most colorful room of the three. Gale's parents had owned the room when they lived in the Abode.

"Well, that's the tour. I guess you three can decide where you wanna go. I'll be downstairs," she said. Gale departed through the hallway and walked down the staircase back to the living room.

"Didn't he just read a part of mom's favourite book?" Lin exclaimed with a wide smile. It wasn't clear why did he decide to come downstairs and read to the elven women.
Today was both a weird and a fun day. Lin was glad that the neko people were so friendly. She didn't know much about them, but she was about to become friends with them. The girl could relate to Solar's kitchen troubles. Lin herself has made many mistakes while cooking. Together they would learn more from Gale. Rikka seemed very timid for Lin, but also very sweet and kind. The moment when she turned into a cat with a sneeze was adorable. At first Lin was constantly mad at Shinta, but now she could see his good side.
Lin went upstairs holding a plate of cookies. She knocked on one of the doors and opened it. "Hey! Do you want some munchies?" Rikka was playing around Shin, who was thrown on the bed. The view seemed so adorable, Lin blushed and dropped the plate. "Aaah! Sorry!" She rushed to clear up the mess. "I'll bring you new ones, except you don't follow the five second rule! Uuuh, never mind!" She ran out of the room and slammed the door closed. "What the... I'm such a clutz..." she thought.

"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" Ravin was watching the events from above. "How come the elves and the nekos started getting along so much? Probably my dear wife decided to do what she wants! Well, I can play that game too!" He raised his hands. "I'll make them hate each other!" A lightning bolt formed and was shot at the tree house. "Yeees, yees!" Ravin yelled excited, but the bolt changed its course and went far, far away. "Oops..." Ravin murmured. "Still, it will hit someone and the war age will continue!" Ravin bursted in evil and hysterical laugh.

Rudolph has finally succeeded to kill a prey. Still, he didn't feel victorious, as he has never liked to hunt and kill. Only then his strenght and speed couldn't reach their widest limits.

Ravin grinned. "I just let them get along, the bolt missed them, but next time it won't! I know you want the glade to be all happy and have unicorns barfing rainbows, but face the cruel reality - life is a battle, dear! I'm not spoiling the land! I'm making it stronger! I won't let you babysit everyone in a baby cradle! Each of them needs to be independant. Even after years of battles, there are still weak people down there! You should support me about changing this! For example nekos and elves won't be stronger if they are together!" He charged another bolt.

Lin was taking a bubble bath. "Why did I act in such an awkward way? Now Gale's date will think that I'm weird! Oh, wait, he probably already does... I've never had a problem with people thinking I'm weird before. Now out of sudden I have... I think I'm getting even weirder..." The elf reached for her flute and started playing a melody made by her.

"L’amor che muove il sole e I’altre stelle."

Gale, a novid reader, knew that phrase like it was written on the back of her hand. It was the last verse from Dante Alhagieri's 'the Divine Comedy'. Translated, it meant, 'the love that moves the sun and the other stars'. From Shin's inflection, it was as though he was saying it specifically to her.

Gale's heart skipped a beat. She blushed. She couldn't tell whether or not she was embarassed, flattered, or just plain happy. As Shinta left the room, she desperately wished for him to come back. She wanted to say something to him, but she didn't know what. He had just said something so perfect, so divine, and yet Gale had nothing to offer back to him. For some reason, she felt as though she had switched places with Shinta. Before, when she thought nothing of the nekos, how she viewed them as simple creatures with no intelligence; stupid. That was how she felt.

From that moment on, Gale was in love.

Gale found herself sitting on the roof in the gentle moonlight, repeating that verse, L’amor che muove il sole e I’altre stelle, over and over again. Did Shinta Faith feel what she felt? She could only hope so. Of course, she knew they weren't the perfect match. He was charming, bubbly, playful, fun, and she was serious, boring, silent. It would never be easy to win his heart. Most importantly, was she even allowed to love him? This question was tested as Hunson silently sat next to Gale.

"Hey," he greeted her, softly.
"Hey," she replied. "you look depressed."
"Never mind that. I have to ask you something..." he said. He layed back into a stretching position and put his hands behind his head.
"You're leaving 3 days from now right?"
Gale felt as if a sword had just stabbed her in the chest. She had completely forgotten about the promise she had made to her parents.
"I'm leaving for what?" she asked, her eyes frantic.
"To go find other clans, remember? Your initiation rite? When elves are old enough to go find their soulmate and live with other clans and blah blah blah?"
The sword hit Gale even harder. It was pushing into her chest. "Uh.....yes...." she said, nervously.

The 'inition rite' happened to every female elf between the ages of 21-24. The rite would begin when the elvin parents send a letter to their children stating that they thought they were responsible, wise and strong. The elf would then leave their clan to search for another, no later than a week's time. The elf would mingle with the other clans, and find a mate. Then, after marrying their mate, they would stay with that clan forever. Gale had viewed the custom as very touching and beautiful, but now, with Shinta Faith in the picture, the inition rite felt momentous.

"I was gonna throw a farewell party for you," Hunson continued, "I know Dawn would hate it but....let's be honest...I'm gonna miss you, princess."
"That's very kind of you..." Gale said, miserably. The sword had pierced her heart.

The two sat on the roof for a moment, looking up at the stars.
"Hunson," Gale said, breaking the silence, "What does it feel like to be in love?"
"....Why do you ask?" he replied, completely bewildered.
"Well, i mean....with the whole initiation rite and everything....I want to know when i know i've found....y'know....'the one'. Also, i'd just like to know."
There was a moment of silence. Before the vampire spoke again, his eyes had faded with the color of the moonlight.
"I'm not the best one to answer that question, but i will say this; to be in love is perhaps finding the person that you'd do anything for. Maybe even risk your own life for. Something like that...."
Hunson suddenly stared at the stars, as if they were telling him something.
"Well, i have to go. Dawn's probably still mad at me...annoying little sister...." he said, as he picked himself up and levitated into the air. "See you around. Don't let those nekos cause too much trouble now..." he said as he waved goodbye, and drifted off.
Gale waved goodbye, and continued looking up at the stars. She wasn't asleep, but she closed her eyes as she layed down on the roof.

Shinta:

As if on command he woke up, and looked around. Rikka and Solar were both asleep. Slowly, he rose out of bed and walked out of the hallway, sniffing, he picked up Gales scent and followed it to the roof. There under the moonlight, she looked peaceful and beautiful, but also sad. He gave a soft sigh and continued whispering in French, "Mon amour pour toi comme une flame eternelle, brillant de mille feux qui passe au dela du plasir charnel! Mon amour, tu est ma dulcine.. ma muse et mon ame soeur. Je t'aime et je t'adorerai jusqu'a la fin des temps." A smile formed on his face, he didn't know why or how, but it felt good to say something like that to her, even if she were sleeping. He would be too embaressed to say that to her face. He was just a cat. He wasn't sure of elven customs, but he knew that Elves rarely dated outside of their race. His ears flicked back sadly as he looked back up at the moon. "Ele xun dos morfeth uns'aa ssinssrigg biu darthirii? Vel'bol zhah dosst inth?" He adressed in Spunk's native tongue, Drow. He went and sat next to Gale, though she was asleep he stared up at the stars, lost in his own thoughts and memories.

Dawn:

She smiled as the werewolves noticed her presence. She wasn't going to say nothing though. She would wait until Rudolph addressed her, or her brother whisked her away.

Raziel:

Pursing his lips he nodded slowly. "The Sun is a brutal warrior...how he won the Moon's heart, I'll never know." He'd make a mental note to ask her about that. He waited at the doorway to be invited in, not bothering showing his "Avenging" Angel look. The bright white wings, the fierce blue eyes, the dangerous golden hair. The flaming sword full of Heaven's Wrath. He looked just like the Archangel he was.


((OOC: The translation for what I said in French is :My love for you as an eternal flame, gleaming which passes beyond the carnal jamboree! My love, you are my Dulcin .. my muse and my soulmate. I love you and I adore you till the end of time, and what I said in Drow is:Why do you make me love an elf? What is your plan? :D))

Gale

Although Gale knew someone was coming, she continued to close her eyes. The person sat next to her, and whispered into the night. It was Shin.
"Mon amour pour toi comme une flame eternelle, brillant de mille feux qui passe au dela du plasir charnel! Mon amour, tu est ma dulcine.. ma muse et mon ame soeur. Je t'aime et je t'adorerai jusqu'a la fin des temps."

Gale almost thought she was dreaming. He had called her his muse, his soulmate. This had to have been a dream. Shinta Faith felt the same way, as if her dreams had been listened to. She continued to listen to his voice...

"Ele xun dos morfeth uns'aa ssinssrigg biu darthirii? Vel'bol zhah dosst inth?" he said in Drow. Although Drow was an elvin language, Gale did not speak it with complete fluency. However, she did know that his phrase translated to 'Why do you make me love an elf? What is your plan?'

Gale finally knew what to say.

Before she got the courage to speak to him, she reminded herself that it was all a dream, although she knew without a doubt it was reality. Her eyes closed, she whispered,
"On n'aime que ce qu'on ne possède pas tout entier." in french. She hoped it could answer his question.
"L'amour fait les plus grandes douceurs et les plus sensibles infortunes de la vie." she whispered again, this time with her eyes open. She looked at Shinta with a concerned face, as if she was crying. It hurt her to see him sad.

Hunson

"I'm baaaaaaack!" the vampire said in a sing-songy tone as he levitated next to his sister. "Whatcha been up to while i was gone? Chasing wolves I suppose?"
He chuckled to himself and looked up at the moon. "I might just have to join you. I'm getting quite thirsty myself..."

(ooc: french translates into "We love only what we do not wholly possess" and "Love makes life's sweetest pleasures and worst misfortunes"

Ravin sighed. "Now, Elune, don't be a drama queen. Besides, I don't know how can you remember how things used to be so long ago. You shouldn't expect from me to spoil the people like you do. They're supposed to be able to take out my guts in a snap, but they aren't. Seriously, you bring them too many short cuts. Take a look at the Faith clan for example. Solar burned down the house, she'll never learn not to do it if you restore their home every time. And what's with the matchmaking things? Elves and nekos are together only because of magic. Your magic. If you undo it, everything will be like before. I didn't hurt you, Elune... You have hurt yourself. Oh! The brother from the Runner clan had this." Ravin showed the ring. "He's so slow, I was able to take it away from him like taking candy from a baby." He put the ring on Elune's finger. "It feels like we're getting married again." He smiled. "I've heard that this thingy has healing effects."

"Where's the ring?" Lin asked. "The Sun god stole it from you, didn't he? It doesn't matter, I'm glad you're fine. Now let's see how's Solar.
For some reason the name "Solar" didn't sound pleasant to Rudolph.