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Keira Grey

"From now onwards, only the price of pain will be repaid."

0 · 825 views · located in Aeval An Domhan

a character in “The Misguided”, as played by Renmiri

Description

Keira Grey
Malachite

Image
The malachite stone
Theme Song: Steven Sharp Nelson - Moonlight

Role: Malachite Tainted
Gender: Female
Nickname(s): K, Grey, Kei
Age: 20

Appearance:
As far as first impressions go, Keira's always been considered rather fragile; practically emitting the feeling of 'if you touch her, she'll break'. This feeling is strong enough that people generally see her lean, practiced figure as skinny and rather small, fostering their thoughts that she needs protection (which is to the contrary, since she's usually the one protecting others. Or she used to.). In reality, she has curves like those of a dancer (though she usually hides behind baggy shirts), and is every bit as durable as the next guy. Beyond that, though, is her strange, startlingly green eyes beneath an equally green, short mane of hair; which has, more than once, earned her the thoughts of being weird, otherwise untouchable. At first glance? You can see that Keira isn't normal, and most keep their distance that way. Like a pretty doll in a glass case, only to be looked at, sometimes admired, as you happen to pass by.

Keira's dark hair is nowadays usually cropped short; well-managed, free and the type that never really gets messy. Her eyes are almost always brooding, a little cold, uncharacteristically burdened. If anyone knows her well enough, they'd find that she always seems a bit sad; though, if they did, they'd know why. Besides that, she naturally has an aura of peace and calm; which takes an effect on others whenever they stand close by. On that note, Keira is generally a nice and friendly enough person towards others; even if she's following Chaos. It's hard to tell what kind of person she is, through her aloof and distant manner.

Keira's dark green malachite stone is embedded just over her hip on her right side, in a place where it could, fortunately, be hidden from view. The gem itself used to be brighter, a much more vivid shade of green, but that changed when she crossed the line between 'pure' and 'tainted'. Because of it's hard-to-see position, Keira hasn't been subjected to much ridicule for it as a child; certainly nothing beyond the usual insults towards her abnormal hair/eye colours.

Preferred Clothing:
Keira isn't the type to really care about appearances. She believes in practicality, as simple as that. Most of her wardrobe consists of either white, black, green, and the shades inbetween; usually in the loose, easy-to-move-about-in kind of style. The only coordinating she ever does is getting up in the morning and grabbing the first set of clothes she can reach; which actually end up matching well, because everything's practically the same. The only exception is that Keira always wears a red, plaid scarf around her neck. "What can I say? It's warm."

Keira is unreasonably against wearing things like dresses and skirts. She won't even go near them. Kind of like an allergy, actually.

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 100lbs
Hair Color: Sea Green
Eye Color: Dark Green (or at least darker than her hair)

Personality:
Despite her conflicting alliance, Keira has always had, and still does have, a protector-like mindset; albeit less than she used to. When she was a child, she was always the one standing up for other kids and treating the wounds of random strangers, but that's another story for another time. The root of her powerful, underlying drive to help others comes from an almost overwhelming sense of empathy; which, in reality, came from the stone embedded in her side. This sense, before she learned how to ignore it, was strong enough to make her feel the wounds of anybody she happened to look at as if they were her own. As you can imagine, it could've easily broken her, turned her insane; and it almost did. Now, though, the worst that it can inflict is the occasional hurt, pangs of sympathy and the rare breakdown; all of which no longer impede her judgement. This change happened only three years ago, as she crossed to become Tainted. She changed, from the innocent, needlessly giving child into a detached, isolated adult; by way of post-traumatic effects.

Presently, or at least to strangers/other people in general, Keira is a very well-grounded individual. She never gets angry, and rarely ever shows any extreme emotion. Peaceful calm is the unbroken status quo. So, really, she's always rather nice and easy enough to get along with; the dependable, down-to-earth adult, albeit distant and incredibly hard to read. She doesn't believe in first impressions nor sides, and is willing to get along; if only for the brief lapse before returning to the hunt. She's sympathetic enough and knows how to read the mood/situation. The only thing she seems to be is a bit sad, as if something always weighs and bears down on her from all sides. As a result of that, people generally find it hard to get to know her well, hardly enough to call a friend. Not that many try now, when she's on the side of Chaos.

To her fellow allies? Keira may not seem like it, but she's a bit overprotective. They may not be that close to her, but she kept enough empathy to rush, without a moment's hesitation, into the fray to help them out. She also tends to mother her allies, especially if they happen to be younger than her (and they usually are), unconsciously opening up to them. Rather than anything else, she's careful, the kind to plan and think before speaking; her ticket out of failure. Sarcasm and scolds for simple, reckless acts would usually come from her. Keira has only one bad habit, when confronted alone by an enemy. She tends to talk to them; drawing out a conversation to sate her curiosity. She wouldn't be the one taking the first hit, either. More like acting on a need-to basis.

She might not seem like it, but Keira's quite the skeptic; especially to those that are passionate. Even if she doesn't believe in what she's arguing for, she'll be disagreeable just for the sake of the debate. She's not particularly stubborn, rather more like she thinks the world would be a better place if others would listen to counter arguments. The only things that she's thoroughly disgusted by is the topic of religion, and when people judge her without knowing anything; if you leave her be, she'll never stop.

The underlying reason for a person such as Keira to follow destruction? Revenge. That's all it is. Revenge for all the abuse that she's went through in her past, every insult and hit she's taken for the sake of a stranger. It mounted up, until the innocent, helping child she was turned into one that was unable to care. She just couldn't take it anymore.

ImageOddities:
- The incredible dislike for dresses
- She's bisexual. Just saying. She fell in love with a girl, once.

Likes:
+ Classical music of any kind
+ Sunrise/sunsets
+ Freedom
+ Generally being warm
+ Those who think before they speak
+ The feeling of having no obligations
+ Playing any instrument of any kind

Dislikes:
- The mistreatment of an instrument
- Sensory overloads
- Overwork
- Being stared at
- People who 'judge the book by its cover'
- Loud, sudden noises

Hobbies:
+ Playing instruments (mainly the violin)
+ Lazing around
+ Helping out random strangers for no reason whatsoever
+ Sleeping

Phobia(s):
- Swimming, large bodies of water
- The mention of her past

Skills:
Keira is a musical prodigy, a genius; particularly for string instruments. Her ability to self-learn is amazing, up to the point that, within a couple weeks/months of forced practicing, would make her sound almost like a professional. Composing and playing is like second nature, though she only does it for a hobby (or to raise money on the streets). Anything else besides instruments? Keira's horrible at them. She's okay at physical exercise, but only to the average. "The price to pay for a gift, I suppose."

Power:
In accordance with her gem, malachite, Keira has purely only healing and protective abilities; making barriers. These barriers are created when she visualizes them in a shape, for example a dome, and are usually translucent green, thin 'walls'. She can set them for a set number of damage before they break, or focus on one to stay alive for as long as she needs it to (though, of course, she can't keep it up forever). Overextending herself will first result in a bad headache, then unconsciousness. When put under pressure, these barriers will crack and splinter in accordance with how strong they are. They can also keep things in rather than keeping things out; for simpler purposes like keeping warm.

Keira's healing powers aren't, admittedly, as good as they could be. She can only heal by directly touching the wound and her gem, at the same time. Things like repairing broken bones, impaled objects and the odd gash here and there are within her ability. Anything larger? She'll only be able to stop the bleeding, and perhaps speed up natural recovery. Healing is rather time consuming, it's not bound to work instantaneously, and wears her out faster than her barriers. Hence why she'd rather protect than to deal with the havoc afterwards.

ImageFighting style:
As you might have guessed from her powers, Keira's pretty much the pure defensive person in the group. Often times, she'll be able to see when a friend needs help and draw up a barrier around them. Her physical prowess isn't lacking, though not really fit to be constantly running everywhere. She thinks of herself more like a backup helper than anything else, part-timing as a strategist. One of Keira's few, useful aspects is her ability to carry herself without letting on a sound. But other than that, she isn't really trained in any kind of martial art; though it hardly requires technique to stab a dagger.

The last thing? Keira might not look it, but she can take hits. Lots of hits. Pain isn't a problem, but she'd prefer not being a punching bag.

Personal History:
When Keira was first conceived, her upper class parents didn't know what to think. Sure, they knew that such a strange child would raise suspicion and damage their reputation; but they weren't so bad that they could cast away a baby for the sake of that. So, as a compromise, they hid her away in a remote village while researching about people born with gems; hoping to find a 'cure' for what they thought of as a disease. A few years later, when they discovered the truth, they abandoned their attempts and left her with a paid, fake family; entrusting the knowledge of the gems to them so they could tell her when she was old enough. From then, Keira's real parents never tried to contact her again; and she herself never knew any truth until she was seventeen.

Her childhood years were relatively uneventful, the only upsides being the discovery of her musical talent and budding healing abilities. Many days were spent out in the streets (under parental supervision, though they never really understood her), helping out senior citizens, keeping people company or bandaging the odd wound. Keira's school life began with her being, strangely, popular and well-liked; as the weaker students found that she'd always stand up for them. It was never a secret when she came home covered in bruises under an innocently proud smile. However, kids who'd actually befriend her were an endangered species. There was only one, a girl named Rhea Bryant, a childhood pianist and friend she'd eventually fall in love with later.

Time went on in the usual, simple pace until she turned fifteen; where a random group of kids caught sight of her embedded stone by accident. The news spread like wildfire, and though the close-knit people around her knew she wasn't so special, rumors and lies poisoned the easy relationships she had. Within a month, Keira was completely alienated, besides her only best friend, who'd known all along.

The stress and peer-pressure from the ridicule around her began to build, often causing her to wonder why she'd even bothered to help the people around her. Negative emotions clouded over her feeling of empathy, making her far colder to those that threatened her than she used to be. Stages of minor depression had already begun. when her fake parents decided to finally tell her the complete truth, the week after her sixteenth birthday. And oh, was she bitter.

To admit, Keira had seen it coming. She'd been curious enough as a child to research the stone embedded within her; and had made the connection of similarities between its' folklore and her own personality. But the part about her true parents? Every child has their fantasies. This was just one that she'd rather not believe in. She was so completely furious that day that it triggered her barrier-making abilities, locking herself away and taking out her rage on everything around her like a temper tantrum. Whoever nearby was just unlucky.

The only reason she calmed down was because of her best friend; the one she'd fallen in love with. It didn't take much to let it all out, everything from her past, even a confession. This would probably be the only mental breakdown Keira's ever had, when the anger drained away to face cold, hard reality. In the hours that followed, she was comforted and accepted within Rhea's arms until she could smile again, though her outlook on humanity had dropped another couple notches on the way.

As it turned out, Keira's family had unanimously decided to relocate, without her vote. Instead of following, like how she was expected to, she and Rhea toured the country instead; stopping at cities and using their musical talents to collect quick money. They were close, more than friends could be, but happier than anyone would have ever known. For a year, anyway.

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, the two and their caravan were ambushed by a group of bandits. The first thing Keira did was erect a barrier around as many people as she could; though the effort remained futile as more and more attackers flocked around each friend. This went on until the only ones left were her, Rhea, and a couple other innocent children hiding out among the trees. Keira's mind was thoroughly exhausted at this point, and with a serious headache, plus the unconditioned feeling of being cut almost everywhere, it wasn't entirely surprising that her barrier was literally falling apart.

And from then, it can't be surprising that they were found while making a getaway. The only reason why she survived out of them all was because Keira had collapsed, thought as dead; just moments after Rhea had taken an arrow for her. When she woke up the next morning, revenge was the only filling her mind upon the sight of her loved one's corpse. Revenge not only from the bandits, but for every wrong that had been committed against her. And thus flew away the rest of her regards for humanity, crossing the line to the Tainted.

For the next three years, Keira wandered aimlessly through the countries, doing the same thing alone as she had done with Rhea. Her frame of mind grew more stable, and at one point the Chaos spirit spoke to her to find Nature; along with the other gemstones. Her protective abilities were polished, developed until they shone while her edge with healing diminished with time. She herself fell into a daily routine, her demeanor became so far distant and lonely; though she's never thought about it before, when she believes there isn't a need for anybody else. And that, my friend, continues to bring us to now.

Other:
Keira always carries around with her a violin, within a hard, black case. It's rather worn, since it's the same as the one she used to duet with Rhea, but rich nonetheless.

"Ever so long ago."
Image
All art belongs to their respective artists.

So begins...

Keira Grey's Story

Setting

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Character Portrait: Keira Grey
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#, as written by Renmiri
Keira Grey

In some remote corner of an inn, perhaps in the middle of nowhere, a soft, barely audible thump announced the awakening of a gemstone in an otherwise soundless, still-dark room. Said young adult lay face-first, almost biting the dust, instead seemingly hovering an inch off the floor against a momentarily invisible barrier. Quite frankly, rolling off the bed didn't feel any less painful. Just smashing into a cleaner, friendlier wall, really. It took an agonizing couple seconds before she could force herself awake from the nap, then push up to stand on previously neatly avoided floor. As it was, Keira was now, more or less, fit to head on down and earn her night's free board or meal; of course, by way of performance.

But who wants to go to work first thing in the morning night? Instead a candle, then a lamp, was quickly lit so she could face her dark room; potentially to waste time allowing a countdown of minutes usually given to prepare. It was then, as she held her hands over an obvious aged, dark instrument case, that a particular topic sprang to mind; like it always had for the past three years. And, in such accordance, did the memory of Chaos' voice leap forward too; an ominous shadow within her thoughts. But that had only started plaguing her two years ago; when the notion of cold, hard revenge had started it all.

When I still thought of Rhea every spare moment. But it's better not to think about it now. Instead, Keira remembered the deal she had made; the somewhat-verbal link that Chaos had established, which had realized her suspicions and given her a roundabout purpose. When Mr. Evil Spirit had found it evident that she wasn't quite so entranced at his idea of perfection (as she clearly wasn't so evil as he'd like to be, or perhaps it didn't have so much a connection to her as she'd like), a different proposal had been struck. In exchange for her help, Chaos would personally cripple, distort and altogether wipe the floor with the bandits; or those of which who'd aided in their killing of her caravan. Those from her past, such as her parents (who'd abandoned her) would be made to relive her experiences, repent, and then die. Or something along that line. Close enough.

That had been all nice and fluffy, but in reality, her part of the deal hadn't even come close to fulfilled; two years had already came and went. To be completely honest, Keira had never met anyone else with a real, actual gem attached anywhere. Those times she'd thought she'd seem someone? Let's just say that I now, quite formally, hate fashion trends, awkward jewelry and rock candy. And she knew, better than most (since she never stayed in one place longer than a week), that chances of finding anyone like that, when gems could be so easily covered, were little to nil. She'd tried. And now, tired of it. But, of course, we all know that's not true.

More than once, she'd caught herself wondering why she'd even had the misfortune of being born as a gem. Truly, life would've been different. Better, probably. Though it's not like I can say. I wouldn't have been abandoned, wouldn't have even met Rhea. I'd be living something suffocating, under rich people and their fantasies about needing a tutor for everything. And that was the end of that, as this discussion usually went.

Just in time, too. A sharp knock rapped on the door, followed by a summons to play as she'd promised. Like every night, really. It took Keira barely a moment to leave with nothing but her worn, dark case; while letting go of her personal musings for the night. An uncomfortable sense of weightlessness descended upon her as she walked down the stairs to the inn's main lobby, the cause being the fact that she was wearing a white, knee-length dress. I'm willing to bet I'll be irritable in ten minutes. At least my gem isn't big enough to be noticeable. A long, plaid red scarf tumbled around her neck; making her feel just a little bit better. She hated the thought of dresses, but she was mature enough to follow appearances.

The first thing Keira saw, as she made to pass through the lobby (and into the staged dining area)? A blue haired, blue eyed girl with, you guessed it, a blue, sparkly something under her eye. The coincidence is uncanny. However, as her mind played out, she found that it could be easily assumed to be the latest trend. Taking the traits of gems. Uncanny. The second thing she noticed was a white haired, grey eyed male staring at said female. Weird. Though I'm not one to say. The coincidence and sheer prospect that two gemstones could even possibly be right in front of her just couldn't be processed through her brain, at least not fast enough, and not when she'd spent so long searching. If this is actually true... The urge to plant a palm into her face would be far too strong.

So, in light of the fact that she couldn't believe it, Keira just walked right by between the two; as if it were the most normal thing in the world. What she did let on, though, was a simple comment to the guy as she passed him by. She smiled, waved a hand across his face, then kept going, calling behind her back. "It's rude to stare, you know? She's not going anywhere." And then, as an afterthought in the event that he might be what she thought he was: "Believe me, I probably know exactly how you feel, right now."

With all that said and done, Keira marched through the door to the dining area, and then onto the slightly raised, stage-like surface in the far corner. A smooth, black piano awaited her, as well as a pianist; whom she'd spoken to earlier for accompaniment. Then, with a well-practiced flourish, broke into a Violin Sonata, effortlessly attracting the attention of the diners within. Her thoughts, though, strayed from the violin to the two potential gems out in the lobby; staying there as she introduced herself and into the next Sonata, this one by Mozart. Well, from the looks of it, they'll be staying for the next little while. I can always go find them later. Shelter and food are more important right now. With nothing else in mind, Keira focused on her next song; making it all the more real as personal experiences flushed out to meet it. As it always was. Break is soon, I think..

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Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell
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'I don't believe it. A gemstone...! A real gemstone! Just like...'

Halley continued to stare open-mouthed with disbelief. After all this time, all the running around following his odd instincts - it had finally brought him to the right place. This was all supposed to happen. He continued to watch as the girl checked into a room.

She was young. Perhaps about his own age. Serene and graceful. But it was her hair that he admired most. It was brilliant. "Beautiful" just didn't seem to do her justice. Aqua-colored locks fell past her shoulders, the ends dipped in white. It was almost enchanting. Halley had never seen anyone with such an odd appearance as this girl. And then there was her gemstone...

...her gemstone. She had a pretty stone embedded in her body too, just like himself. She was...just like him? No. No, impossible! He was different - special. This wretched girl had the audacity to wear her gem out in the open? Right on her face for the world to see? How dare she!? And did that mean she had abilities like he did? Was she capable of extraordinary feats that Halley could only dream about? No, it couldn't be. She looked so weak, so...helpless. The stupid girl obviously didn't know how to use her gemstone. She didn't even deserve one!

'But she's just like me...'

Halley couldn't help but think about what the unnamed girl had been through. Surely she had endured her fair share of ridicule. The fact that she was here now proved that he was not truly alone in this world. In fact, it was likely that she understood what it was like to be born knowing you're different from everyone else. They were the same. They could talk...they could be...

Snapping back to reality, Halley looked about the room, his eyes frantically searching for the girl in blue, who was nowhere to be found.

"Damn it!"

The boy was enraged. How could he have let her just walk away while he was lost in his thoughts like that!? Trembling with anger, he grabbed ahold of an empty glass on the table and squeezed it with all his might.

Shatter!

Bits of broken glass fell across the table and landed on the floor, destroying the silence of the foyer. Looking down at his hand, Halley watched as fresh blood began to pool up in his palm.

'Ugh...how annoying!'

With that, he stormed out of the lobby and retired to his room.

As Halley went through the motions of bandaging up his hand, his mind was floundering every which way.

"I've found another person who bears a gemstone! Now what!?" He called out desperately hoping against hope that The Voice would hear him. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Finally, he heard it again. For the first time in weeks, Halley could hear the wonderous Voice again. How it filled his head with such delicious warmth!

~"They are closer than you know, boy. The wheel of fate is spinning. Follow your instincts."~

And that was it. Nothing more was said. Halley's face was flushed. He felt so high. He finally heard The Voice again. But again, it didn't stay long. But that didn't matter right now. The young man was already consumed with excitement for what was to come.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hours later, Halley had resumed his place at the corner table in the foyer. Waiting and waiting and waiting for the girl to show herself again. Twice he'd dozed off, if but for a moment. And twice he'd gouged his nails into his arm to keep himself awake.

Finally, the blue-haired girl made her appearance once more. She meandered about the lobby and practically stumbled over to the window where she began to gaze out at the night sky. Halley studied her form. She was oblivious. So pathetic, it seemed. Unworthy to wear a gemstone! Halley instantly knew he didn't like this girl. And yet he couldn't tear his eyes away.

It wasn't until a petite hand obscurred his vision, waving in front of his face. Eyes wide, Halley watched a young woman walk past him carrying a violin case. Her hair was the color of lush foliage.

"It's rude to stare, you know? She's not going anywhere. "Believe me, I probably know exactly how you feel, right now."

And just like that, she primly walked off in the direction of the dining hall.

'What in the hell...?'

What exactly was going on here? Was...was she a bearer of a gemstone as well!? It all seemed like too much to handle at once. That girl...she seemed to know something. A lot more than the ditz by the window, it seemed. His head flicking back and forth between the dining hall doors and the blue-haired girl, Halley finally decided to follow the other young lady. She was right. It looked like Blue would be there for a while. With that, Halley slipped inside the dining room. And he watched. And he listened.

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Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi
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#, as written by Renmiri
Keira Grey

As the song managed to play itself out, she couldn't help but engross herself within it; closing her eyes and blocking everything out but her violin. Halfway through, however, she caught a whisper of an angel's voice, so soft a melody that Keira could barely hear it; but there nonetheless. The shock of such talent, such beauty though altogether so quiet, was almost enough to suddenly cause a break in her song, had she not been so disciplined as she was. Magnificent. Like snow falling. Be that as it may, she could only roam the room with her eyes to find the culprit; only to find that said culprit was probably in the lobby. Well, I have a feeling I know who this person is, anyway.

Throughout what was left of her song, Keira diligently fought the urge to improvise and fit the magical voice in; although there were moments when she'd intentionally harmonize just for the sake of doing so. Not that it'd sound particularly different to untrained ears (and especially not when the vast majority of the audience probably couldn't hear the voice anyway), but it was the least she could do. After all, such chances shouldn't be passed by. I doubt there's another voice out there to match that, in all due respect. For her own, though, she focused so entirely on her parts where it counted; for the sake of perfecting that one moment, that memory.

Until, finally, she gently let the piece go. Like the end of a dream, hopefully. Some things are better short and sweet. A chorus of applause rang forth from the crowd as she bowed and excused herself for a moment, letting the pianist take over for a while after a general, short break in entertainment. With her instrument now safely returned to its case, she set down with it towards the lobby; almost instantly being mobbed by customers with compliments, job offers, or general conversation. It took much of her professional discipline not to shrug off and keep her appearances, as well as customers, happy. Which, incidentally, was part of her job description.

The fragrance of food all around made her stomach remind her of dinner, the reason she had played in the first place. It didn't entirely help either, when she was kept within that one place for minutes on end, sharing one-sided friendly chatter with those around her. But there's more pressing matters to deal with, first. Like wasting time and getting the heck out of this. That voice, for instance.

More than verifying the existence of other gems, the thought of meeting this much of a musically talented person was what brought Keira to so easily use up her (probably) only break into such a state of urgency. Rather than what others in her position would think, and although she wouldn't admit it, she probably valued a musician's talent the same as a gemstone. After all, they were both like finding a needle in a haystack. And even among musicians, singers were special. Probably because it's the only aspect of music that I'm not personally good at. The prospect of both a gem and talent together? It was hard to believe. But then again, she hadn't believed how she could find two gemstones without looking, either.

Finally free of the mob, Keira hefted a little sigh and resumed her way to the lobby; briskly keeping pace without making unnecessary eye contact for fear of getting mobbed again. That white-haired guy's probably out there already, anyway. Seems like the type. The uncomfortable feeling of far too much exposure, coming from the fact that she wore a dress and the eyes following her, began to settle over her short-lived feeling of contentment; involuntarily causing her to shudder. Thankfully, though, she was safely out of the danger zone (dining room) before the worst effects settled in. And by then, I'll be too preoccupied to notice. Hopefully.

From stepping out into the lobby, it was only a matter of seconds before she locked onto her victim presumed fellow gemstone/musician; the young adult clad in colours of the sea. The spacious foyer otherwise seemed quite empty, not surprising for the time of day. Funny. Now this will be all the more awkward. Oh well. Keira adjusted her grip on the dark handle of her violin case before somewhat confidently striding forward; coming to the side of the girl. As it was, thoughts of gemstones and the like hadn't occurred to her, much less spoken. Music was, for once, overriding her system so much that she actually took an initiative without an ulterior motive.

"Hey, was that you? The one who sang to my song?" She smiled and lifted up her violin just a little, verifying whatever unsaid question about 'my song', before returning a curious gaze. "I heard you, though most of them probably didn't. You were amazing!" Which actually means something, when I've practically been everywhere. By now, Keira was unusually flustered; though seemingly calm and collected in appearance. Today's full of surprises, isn't it? Damn dress. It's probably because she hasn't made a friend in a very, very long time.

Without (hopefully) further ado, she brought out her free hand to shake as she introduced herself, for the second time of the day. "I'm Keira, the violinist here for the night. Though, truth be told, I can play anything else here." Well, then. Let's all just hope that didn't sound unnecessarily awkward.

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Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell
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Music rang out from the violin as deft, feminine hands ran the bow along the strings. Music that brought both tears and a smile to those listening. Music that Halley could not hear. No, he was far too busy to enjoy it now. Far too overcome by feelings the boy didn't even know existed.

'Does she know? Does she know about the gemstones too? Of course she does! Just lookit her hair! She's probably one of them too! So many...just like me. Are there more? Is this what The Voice meant? Damn it, what is going on!?'

These people were...(dare he admit it?)...special. Different. Better.

'No, no, no, no, no, NO!'

Not better. Certainly not better than him.

'Do they have powers too? Can they do things like me? Can they do more!?'

Gemstones. Born with gemstone embedded in their flesh.

'They understand. They must understand! These...these are people who have lived with it! The knowledge that they're different from everybody else. I can talk to them. I can...I can be with them. I can laugh and cry and play and...and show them Pippin and -'

Singing. He heard singing. Looking up, Halley saw that the girl with green hair was still playing onstage. It wasn't anyone up there. No, someone else was singing softly. It was beautiful. Enchanting. It made Halley's heart tingle for a moment and he hunched over slightly, unaccustomed to the feeling. Where the hell was it coming from? He had to find out. Now.

Stepping around the back of the dining hall, Halley continued around a smaller corridor. His boots thud, thud, thudding ever so lightly on the thick carpeting. The singing was getting louder and louder. He could actually make out the words now. Rounding the corner, Halley came to the base of the stairs and found the source of that heavenly voice who -

'Her!?'

It was the blue-haired girl. Lost in her own little world and chirping away like a bird in a cage. She was the one with the voice of...of...!?

He felt his hands clench into fists. How dare she flaunt herself like that! The girl's back was to him. He could destroy her right now. But...he would never again hear such a beautiful voice. A beautiful voice that she didn't deserve!

Halley continued to listen...unaware that his hands were now relaxed at his sides. The girl didn't seem to notice him. She was alone. Her voice was beautiful, yes...but the boy could hear an undertone of sadness in her words. Like she had seen and been through much more than her pathetic appearance suggested. And another emotion could be heard over her sorrow. A stronger one. One of hope.

The words permeated Halley's very being and he felt that strange twinge in his chest again. It startled the young man and again he felt his rage spike.

"Shut up!" He barked out to her.

Then, feeling as if he'd just shattered a pane of glass, Halley felt himself sink as he pulled at his hair in confusion. He suddenly felt out of breath.

"I...I dont...like...that song."

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Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi
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#, as written by Renmiri
Keira Grey

“I’m sorry to have disturbed you. I didn’t mean to sing loud enough for anyone to hear
 I’m glad you enjoyed my voice though. Your violin work was beautiful as well.” A sense of contentment drifted from the corners of Keira's mind as her attempt at conversation succeeded, quelling the unease and nervousness from before. But, as all good things come to an end, the momentary, prickling sensation she had ignored and subsequently forgotten before (of being stared at by a certain white-haired individual) bore fruit to an interruption, an enraged outburst.

"Hey! What's with that gem on your face!?" Had Keira not been still tuned to loud noises from the dining room, she might have cringed at the sound of a sudden yell. As it was, all she bothered to do was calmly turn around to face the culprit, unfazed, standing aside without a sound; watching as the younger girl beside her dealt with it. She wasn't in the least surprised, although the first half of his words sounded, obviously, unpleasantly familiar. Over the years, she'd grown accustomed to being questioned at length from those who'd seen her gem; though she'd never bothered to answer. But such attempts weren't quite so frequent nowadays, when she'd gotten so sick of it that she took more precautions than before.

I'm sure she's been through this before. If that's actually a real gem, anyway. In any case, it's not my place to butt in. Keira was a tad annoyed beneath her friendly, softly smiling face, though she perfectly understood why he'd asked (if he happened to be a gemstone as well). Which he probably is. Who else would blurt out a question like that? To be honest, I did forget. I should feel ashamed. But the singing had been enchanting.

Observing from the sidelines, Keira watched the white-haired guy like he had done to her just moments before; taking into account the details. But then again, like how it always went when she tried to make impressions, she couldn't really make much of it. People were usually something like grey blobs, monotone and the same, until she got to know them. The only thing she gathered was that he was probably a little mentally unstable or had anger issues, with the frequent yelling she'd heard as she'd entered. Not that that's much to go on. She also assumed that he was younger than her, just for the fact that they were so different; though it was impossible to tell when they both looked no older than eighteen.

Now on a roll, her gaze flicked to the girl in blue. I'd be lying if I thought she wasn't nice, though most of her impression probably comes from her singing. The girl seemed pure, sweet. A little like how Keira herself used to be, a long time ago. And although she didn't like the memory, it was refreshing to meet someone who knew music and didn't judge; towards the gems, mostly. It was strange to imagine not having to hide. All that put together? Friends would be nice. Shouldn't be too much to hope for, right? But a growing sense of indifference began to mount high, as if she was already imagining the worst and preparing for it. Oh well. I've been fine with it before, and I can deal with it now. No sweat.

All throughout these thoughts, Keira was silent, faintly observing the two in front of her. Expressions-wise, she hadn't changed from the almost carefree smile she'd worn before, a shallow thing that played across her lips just for the sake of doing so. She was calm with her mind racing on the topic of gems and what else, whether others could tell or not, and not exactly paying as much attention as the time slowly went by. In any case, she was finally shocked from her reverie when her stomach began complaining again; alerting her to the prospects of dinner and the remaining grains of time that her break still had. Well, then. We should probably move from this place anyway. Way too easy for other people to eavesdrop or something.

At the first opportunity she could (presumably after Lapis had settled the awkward question, for the time being), Keira pitched in her idea for dinner with a light, slightly amused and sarcastic tone. "That's all great with the gems, but I'd think we'd all appreciate it if we continued it with dinner. If it makes you feel any better-" She gave a little flourish with a miniature bow, dipping her head; convinced that they were who she thought they were (and even if they weren't, it wouldn't make so much of a deal). "-I'm the same as you two, if you get my drift. We can all happily talk about it with full stomachs, agreed?"

She gave a smile, waiting for mutual consent as she balanced the weight of her violin between her hands. Better to get introductions and whatever gemstone talk over and done with. No sense in dragging anything out, right? She wasn't altogether sure of the matter, but if worst came to worst, she probably wouldn't see them again anyway. The fact still remained that they were all strangers, and had absolutely nothing connecting them; no matter musical talent or suspicious stones on their bodies. That she knows of yet, anyway. We'd probably forget about this tomorrow morning, if it came to that. It's that easy.

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Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell
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Keira Grey

"And you. You come too - and y'can stop making it so damn obvious that you're one of us! Let's just go n' eat already!" In the whole of Grey-Haired's comments, Keira had an insistent eyebrow arched; an internal compromise reached in the exchange of rolling eyes. Haughty little guy, isn't he? It was just the obvious brightness of his eyes (and therefore happiness) that kept her from commenting at all, when it didn't particularly seem like he meant anything. That, though, didn't stop the flow of sarcasm from within the confines of her brain. Really, I'm the one being obvious? Pfft. I don't remember actually mentioning the word 'gem', thank you. By the way, how is the food any different if they're made by the same people?

And thus, the moment Grey Hair turned around and set up the stairs, Keira finally sated the itching desire to roll her eyes in exasperation; both for the boy's attitude and the idea of skipping free for otherwise just as free dinner. Because working for one and not the other meant all the difference. Oh well. Maybe I can get a raincheck with the chefs or something. This intelligent conversation better be worth it. She took one last glance at the clock in the middle of the lobby to check when she'd have to go back to work, before shrugging to follow into a stranger's room. Half an hour is probably more than enough. Whatever, nothing much I can do about it, anyway.

A few steps in, Keira glanced backwards to see if the other, blue-haired girl had decided to follow as well; pausing as she did so. "If you're worrying about it, I'm pretty sure Mr. Grey-Hair here is much too sweet to trick two unsuspecting, starving girls into his room with the offer of food. Mhmm, perfectly safe." Her tone was sarcastic, otherwise humorous, blatantly obvious that she was joking if not for the easy smile on her face. Setting back up the stairs without waiting for any reply, it finally occurred to her that she didn't know either gemstones' names; though she had taken the pains to introduce herself already.

Well, isn't that awkward? As they cleared the steps and closed in on Grey Hair's door, Keira renewed the jovial tone to her voice. "So, what're your names? I don't think you've ever mentioned. Don't tell me you actually are a slave driver or something." She fake-coughed a little, mentally sending out the vibes of: "Don't be rude, I told you mine. I'm almost offended." Or something along that line. I thought I was supposed to be the distant one. A cocked eyebrow, still, could be given the impression of 'I'm not quite so amused', if either of the two decided to glance that way.

Having given more than enough time for a response, Keira surveyed her surroundings in otherwise apparent boredom; keeping silent, but still listening, to the conversation (if it had continued). The walls and floor were wooden, as was the rest of the building, though decorated with rugs, and floral wallpaper; which seemed to give something of a clean, relaxed atmosphere. Or at least to me, anyway. The corridor was wide, the ceiling not particularly high or low, altogether spacious enough for it not to induce the claustrophobic. Every so often, a small stand stood in the spaces between each door; supporting small vases of flowers or other such things below the occasional landscape painting. As such, a pleasant aroma of spring wafted through the place in the midst of distant, busy noises; from both an open window and the inn just below.

For the moment, thankfully, the corridor was empty besides the gemstone trio. Because of dinner, no doubt. Silence wasn't so much of an issue, though, as the aforementioned remote sounds seeped into place. In any case, we shouldn't be overheard if we happen to talk about gems. Not that people would take us seriously, anyway. That brought her to thoughts of any other gems that she might be meeting on this lucky night, as she they seemed to be gathering rather quickly in any event. Two years without even a scent, and I just happen to meet two in a day? Practically screams 'strange', if not 'trap'. Can't deny that it is helpful.

They passed under the well-lit hallway to stop beside a polished, wooden door with a number plate and lock; otherwise identical to the ones around it. She stood to lean on the wall next to the door, shifting her violin and waiting as she did so. An internal grumbling from her stomach reminded her of dinner, causing Keira to almost sigh for no apparent reason. She pulled up the edge of the muffler-like red scarf around her neck, covering her chin, in boredom; watching Grey Hair unlock the door. Hurry up, would you?

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Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell
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Keira Grey

“I’m sorry
 I meant to tell you earlier
 My name is Aysu Dikeledi, but most people just call me Lapis
” "No, it's alright. I'm not offended. So,--" In an elongated pause that could easily be taken as intentional, Keira suddenly lost her train of thought in a quick, sudden lapse of confusion; given just as she turned her head to see a depressed, flushed Lapis. What in the world? She regained her composure, however, in less than a heartbeat; continuing where she left off so smoothly most wouldn't even notice the difference. Of course, her facial features and body language betrayed none of her missed step. Why so depressed? I hope she isn't comparing me to that guy. I wouldn't bash her for something like this!

"Lapis, was it?" Taken by a sudden rush of kindness, she lifted her right hand and lightly ruffled the slightly taller girls' blue hair; headband and all, though it didn't really work. "What happened to your self-confidence? Don't lose it over something like this. Or someone like him. I don't think he means his attempts at being mean anyway. Don't worry about it." Keira's hand lingered as she spoke, then dropped back to the handle of her violin case. An easy, almost sad smile played on her lips all the while; reminiscent to that of a mother's. "I wouldn't look down on a voice like yours in a billion years, even if you did deserve it." Uh-huh. Totally reminds me of myself. A small torrent of memories swam into her thoughts, giving her a slightly distant look in her eyes as she broke contact with the world for but a moment.

Which, of course, ended the moment Grey Hair introduced himself and left a hand to shake. She would've taken it, and was about to, if not for the incredibly disturbing sound of his voice a couple seconds later. It was so disturbing that she was forced into an involuntary shudder, complete with goosebumps and split second look of pure revulsion. A face that shouldn't have been noticed by it's reason, granted Halley was looking in another direction. Oh god that was wrong on so many levels. As it was, Keira didn't miss the look on his face either; and it was then that she labelled him something. A masochist. Though, of course, her opinion of him wasn't quite so bad when he encouraged Lapis the second later. Hm, would he happen to be bipolar too?

To prevent any future mistakes on her part, that is, to stop herself from outwardly showing disdain where he could actually see, Keira put herself on guard as she entered his room. Because it wouldn't be nice to accidentally insult him now, would it? The multitude of unpleasant surprises that would begin from that point on started with the state of Halley's room; though it wasn't entirely surprising or nearly as revolting as comedic. Her natural reaction was to, again, lift a single eyebrow as she surveyed the room without a word. Obviously wasn't expecting anyone. Is he the type to break things and run without paying? She winced for the vase, the mess, and later when she noticed the burn marks in several parts of the room. Either he's awfully destructive, likes playing with fire or has abilities like I do. I wouldn't be surprised if he was all three.

The next surprise was Halley's fluffy pet, Pippins. All Keira could do was stare, still without a sound, in disbelief. Is it me, or does that not fit his image at all? The unpleasantness wasn't so much the cute little bunny --which was pawing at Lapis' feet at the moment-- but rather the look on its owner's face when he cuddled it; or even his expression now. He's like a jealous little kid! What am hell? What happened to Mr. Arrogant Bastard? If I knew him longer, I swear the sky would be falling and cows would be jumping over the moon. At least then I would get my money back. She was still shaking her head in disbelief when Halley handed her a bowl of soup, or whatever it was supposed to be, before telling her he was the esteemed chef.

As Keira stared at it, all the while slowly lowering her violin case to the floor to delay the inevitable, making out the contents of her dinner because it didn't look like she could refuse. Why... why does it look like the unholy offspring of cream, beef and chicken soup? You can't be serious. The whole thing looked impossibly light brown, in her eyes. And even though it didn't smell particularly revolting, she was getting incredibly bad feelings about it; though it didn't show on her face in the least. I don't know a thing about cooking, but something about this just seems awfully wrong. He didn't actually poison this, did he? One quick glance to his beaming face gave the negative. Then I'll just have to suck it up, won't I?

With a somewhat forced smile, she lifted the bowl to something of a toast; facing Lapis. "Well. Uh. Dinner, I guess?" That was all she could manage before lifting a spoon, ever so carefully to her lips; standing nonchalantly so Halley, at least, wouldn't be able to see her full reaction. Which was all the better, because the tiny bit she'd consumed instantly made her feel like puking it back out the moment later. But, of course, being as self-disciplined as Keira was, she, again, managed to finish the spoonful before nonchalantly putting it down and turning away in an innocent bout of coughing. She was so disturbed that her ability to form complete sentences in her brain was completely shot.

Instead, a string of words containing incoherent adjectives, bits of sarcasm, and very, very bad curses/swears ran through her mind from then; until the aftertaste hit her, shocking her into a temporary state of calm. Oh god what the hell is that? Is this reverse poisoning? Can that even happen? That was all she managed before being sucked back into the swirling vortex of satan's soup. On the outward appearance, Keira was innocently, still turned and apparently pleasantly coughing. Or sneezing. Or choking the soup back up. If it were possible, she would be doing all three.

"So where's your gem, huh?" That, of all things, shook her back into a functioning state of mind. But that doesn't mean that she wasn't a little panicked; given her body thought she was being poisoned and her brain somewhere else entirely. So, just before her body reacted, she managed to choke out: "It's not accessible. Here's a demonstration." Not entirely of her free will, five paper-thin walls simultaneously winked into existence; each within each other to encase Keira, as well as her violin, in a perfectly rectangular, translucent green box. The bottom slide under her feet, causing her to hover perhaps a centimeter off the ground as she stood on her wall. It took a couple deep breaths, leaning against her creations, before she got everything internal back into control. Though, in reality, it seemed like all she was was just a little shaken.

Then, with the last pieces of her composure fit into the puzzle, Keira returned the easy smile to her face and turned around; letting the barriers disappear as she did so. "That should be proof enough for you, right? No more doubts?" Without a second thought or a wavering bright smile, she placed her bowl of unfinished soup back into his hands. "It was awesome. Delicious. I'm full now, thank you." She didn't wait for a response before picking her case back up; resting her hands on it as she leaned against the wall. Her unchanged expression almost seemed intimidating, menacing, as if threatening Halley or anyone else. Her fingers itched to put up a barrier, though she forced herself not to make one. Does he not have taste buds? I miss my high class free dinner.

Keira didn't say a word; just simply stood, thinking, for a moment. She was, just a little, mad; though dimming each passing second. In a halfhearted attempt at conversation, she returned a friendly tone to her voice for Lapis' sake. "Well, then. You've seen what I can do. How are you and yours?" Last batter: intelligent conversation.

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Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell
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Keira Grey

As Lapis described the extent of her abilities, Keira's annoyed soup-induced anger vanished; with no less dramatic effect than an angel disappearing in a 'poof' of white smoke. Curiosity makes the better, I suppose. Singing, water and healing, huh? For whatever reason, she wasn't the least surprised at what the younger girl could do, or the process she used to call her abilities forth. Well, all the blue she's wearing has practically been screaming 'water' in my subconscious for a while now. And, quite frankly, that voice of hers... It'd be an insult to call it 'given', but it surely doesn't seem quite so natural. Though it's not like Keira can say, when she's a musical genius herself (and with no connection to her abilities whatsoever).

Watching Lapis as she spoke was, although anticipated, a little more interesting. Well, it is awkward talking about this. I would've, if not for thinking that I was dying. Reflexes and all. And Rhea. In that personal respect, Keira probably would've been more guarded if she had to tell where her gem was; after all, it was all the difference between life and death (told by Chaos himself). But, as it was, that question could be, and had been, easily deflected. After all, showing her abilities was basically the same as showing her gem; if the motive for asking was just to confirm her existence as a gemstone. I'm guessing they don't know about the Achilles' Heel, being so ready to tell it to the world. Well, in any case, it's smarter on my part not to be the one to tell them now. They'd ask for mine.

Before reassuring a nervous Lapis, Keira turned to Halley for his explanation of abilities. Wouldn't be fair if he got away with it, yes? Better not a bad chef rather than a good one stab me in the back. He, of course, ran straight to the door; apparently giving a demonstration that began with staring at a man's eyes for an extended period of time. When he had first thrust his face into the other, bystander's face, she was just remotely surprised that the man hadn't jerked away. Because anyone would, if they could smell that soup aftertaste. But it's probably been too long. As the seconds ticked by, all she did was arch and eyebrow to approaching boredom. This seems to take an awfully long time. His ability isn't one of those faulty fifty-percent chance of working ones that you read in books, is it?

Her thoughts were thankfully answered in the next moment, when Halley's victim gradually went limp; dropping his expensive looking suitcase on the floor. By then, just because of the time needed in order to use the ability, Keira wasn't even close to being impressed. And it doesn't seem to be doing much more than making a random stranger look out of it. The expression on her face when he turned around was plaintively slightly disappointed, even a tad challenging; the typical 'that's it?' sort of front. But, as it always turned out to be, her trial-like provocation was called and answered. "There, now watch this.." His giggle, once again, brought upon her an unwilling round of internal shudders beneath a perfectly serene image. Guys shouldn't giggle. Ever. Or just him.

Keira crossed her arms as he licked his fingers; leaning against the wall to wait for the 'Wow' factor in his magic show. And it didn't take long when Halley proved the amount of control he had over the man with a sudden backhand across the face; the victim staying motionless and defenseless even after the strike. A couple moments later, said victim regained consciousness and raised a feeble, belated reaction; obviously awkwardly confused even as Halley practically slammed the door in his face. And then, as if he had just taken a casual walk through a park, he disturbingly cuddled his pet before summing up what he had just done in a few words. "And there you have it. In case you couldn't tell, I can hypnotize people and send 'em into some kinda trance."

Well. Can't say I saw that coming. Thought he'd be the type who'd have an ability that helped bash heads in. That gangster image is a total lie. Even though itwasan ability that helped bash heads in, albeit slowly. Through it all, Keira had been relatively unfazed; though a type of fascination shone in her eyes. Contrary to her earlier thoughts, she could fully see what Halley could do; and her mind as a strategist was racing at the possibilities. Because it's so much easier to get through whatever enemy lines if they can't even respond, right? She didn't say much, as she was busy thinking, though it's plain to see that she liked what she had seen.

Perhaps unlike the third gemstone in the room, she didn't really bother to think much of the demonstration's victim; not approving or disproving it as it wasn't like the man had much of a connection to her himself. All she felt was a little sympathy, a little sadness from the remains of her mostly severed empathy links. Though Keira, if asked, couldn't deny that it had been a little crude, but effective, way to describe his abilities. As it was, she would probably side with the sympathetic if ever prompted, just because she personally didn't like the idea of helping who occupied the other. Well, I'm usually neutral anyway. Just roll with it when it comes.

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“How could you just
 Not care?”

Lapis' face contorted into a look of painful horror. Her voice quivered with emotional overload.

"I'm sorry." And with that, the serene beauty ran from the hotel room, her footsteps echoing through the hallway until finally they faded altogether.

It was better than Halley could have imagined. The sorrow, the disgust, the horror she displayed! The boy's chest fluttered with delight.

But now she was gone.

His beautiful sea nymph had run away and now likely had her face buried in a pillow somewhere, staining it with her tears. For an instant, Halley wished she would come back. He stared at the door, almost expecting it to slowly open and for Lapis to poke her dopey head back inside the room to apologize again. Holding up his rabbit, Halley spoke to it in a childish voice...

"Enter our room, eat our food, and then leave. Some people are just so rude, Pippin."

Another giggle. Then Halley's grey eyes fell upon Keira. She'd been silent all through his demonstration and now appeared to be deep in thought. Was she disgusted too? Did she want to run away and cry like Lapis did?

Still carrying his rabbit, Halley walked to the center of the room before looking over his shoulder at Keira. His eyes were steel and his speech suddenly low and serious. Almost...hurt...

"You don't have to stay either, y'know. If you're horrified by me you can just run off and cry like that fool. Heh!" He scoffed loudly.

Lapis was just a failure. A reject. She couldn't possibly understand him and his abilities. She couldn't appreciate his power. She didn't deserve that gem. Not at all. Not one bit. Truth be told, Halley liked his abilities. He was proud of what he could do, especially now that he saw other gemstones who couldn't. It was his alone.

The boy even had dreams of perfecting his hypnotism. Every time he used it, his victim would enter a trance. He could hit them, scratch them, kick them, steal from them...hell, he could even steal all their clothes and leave them standing in the street if he truly wanted to! And that was a lot of fun...but his target always woke with no memory of the incident, as if they'd just finished a quick nap. Halley wanted to discover a way to send someone into a trance with full awareness. Paralyze them so that they felt -

Suddenly, the wind picked up, sending a cool draft through the open windows of Halley's hotel room. The curtains billowed outward violently before -

CRACK!!!

It sounded like an explosion of some sort - and it was close.

"What the hell!?" Halley ran over to the window and gazed out just as another sound pierced the air; one of splitting wood, followed by a thud that shook the ground slightly.

The night air smelled hot, like someone had just lit a fire. Not smoke, exactly...but just as stifling, like a humid summer day. Looking through the darkness, Halley's eyes focused in on several figures. A child lay on the ground, surrounded by three other people.

'What in the hell happened here? Did they -'

A glint of something shiny caught the boy's eye. It was something that caught the light...on the child's forehead it seemed. Halley squinted...

Red. A deep red.

'Another gemstone!?' Was it truly possible? That would certainly explain whatever created that loud crashing noise. Still...he was about three stories up, looking down on figures in the darkness. It could perhaps be a piece of jewelery or something. Still...they could have been drawn here the same way he had. Unsure of what to do, Halley merely watched the scene unfold before him.

Heart leaping with anticipation, Halley's finger traced the edges of the pearl gemstone on his stomach. Finally! Things were starting to happen around this gaudy joint!

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Well, she seemed like the type. It hadn't really come as much of a shock, when Lapis fled the room in apparent anguish over a stranger. Rather, Keira had kind of seen it coming. Innocent, wasn't she? Though I thought she'd stay and stand her ground, maybe start an argument over behavior. This only came as a lonely reminder that she had only just met the two new-found, fellow gemstones; and, as such, her strategic foresight couldn't be quite as accurate as she'd like it to be. For example, she probably would've said something if she had thought of the possibility that Lapis would run away; just to keep relationships between them fairly well. After all, nobody would want the years spent searching to be for naught, just over an insignificant, slightly repulsive act that could probably be put in a better light.

But people really shouldn't be so quick to judge. Keira's inner skeptic itched over the runaway jewel's presumed internal argument. For every good point that the runaway could have had, there was a counter-argument worth to cancel it. That guy could've just as easily been a slave dealer as a happy, doting parent. Or, if that were too exaggerated, there must have been a bad act that he had done to deserve Halley's demonstration. Because nobody's perfect. Just as it was a looked down upon to hit someone for no reason whatsoever, so was simply assuming that the victim was always undeserving of a punch. I would know, learning it the hard way. It's a dark, cruel place out there. But, as they usually were, these thoughts were probably only the musings of Keira, and she alone. As if free speech actually existed.

And, for the third time that day, she returned to reality just in time to hear a certain uncomfortable giggle before an equally awkward speech. It was only then that she realized that she had zoned out in her thoughts and subsequently missed the first giggle thank god. "You don't have to stay either, y'know. If you're horrified by me you can just run off and cry like that fool. Heh!" Run off and cry? Like any sane person would let a couple years worth of time searching go to waste. I'm offended. Seemingly unaware of Halley's tone of voice, she was just about to say so, when a loud thunder-like crack split the silence instead. The hell? Following the actions of said gemstone in the room, she cautiously made her way to the window; thoughts and fingers itching to produce a barrier at the slightest notion of danger.

The only hints Keira could see in the dark, however, were the faint silhouettes of a group of four; huddled quite the ways away. One of which seemed to be on the ground, with the others close around her. What in the world..? One quick glance at the empty sky was enough to tell her that life was just about to pick up the pace. When there's no sign of a thunderstorm, then there's really only one explanation. The meeting of two of her kind was, after all, quite the coincidence; and even though she never saw the red jewel on the kneeling silhouette's forehead, it was only right to assume she was to meet more. Seems pretty hectic for a night, doesn't it?

Rather satisfied that no apparent danger was afoot, Keira backed away from the window to her violin; answering Halley's previous, most likely already-forgotten question. "Horrified? Really, I'm not a kid anymore." Things aren't so easily divided into right and wrong. "I, for one, find your ability pretty awesome. Though your demonstration was kind of crude." Sarcasm rolled off her tongue at the last bit and perhaps the first, denoting that she wasn't entirely serious; though a certain weight lay behind her opening few words. Then, just as her 'allergy' of dresses became apparent once more, she glanced at the clock and headed for the door with her violin case; sending back a comment before leaving. "I need a place to stay tonight, and my break is almost over. Because sleeping is obviously more important, I'll be going now. Later."

Well, it's not like he'll be going anywhere. At the least, tomorrow morning. Besides, I need a proper dinner and a change of clothes. With that, Keira left the room; blissfully unaware that Halley was approached by another gemstone the moment later. Not that she would've really cared if she'd known. Not particularly hurrying (as she'd lied about her break being almost over), she let herself wander in thoughts as she changed into more comfortable, though still formal, clothes much like this; before heading back down in the general direction of the lobby. Which, of course, led her to see Lapis gazing out a window as she stepped from the stairs; apparently pleasantly in a so far one-sided conversation with another random stranger who also happened to have a gem on his head.

Meeting new people everywhere today, aren't we? If they aren't leaving, I won't be the one to disrupt the pair of stricken lovebirds. Token to her words, Keira seamlessly, nonchalantly continued on her way without a single glance towards the two; though a sense of familiarity lingered by from the first sight. A beeline was made to the dining room, besides the ever-so-often greeting with customers, where she sat down near the corner stage to eat a very much so delicious plate of spaghetti being too traumatized at the moment to have soup. Then, finishing within minutes, she stood again on the stage; this time on the piano rather than the violin. Well, it's hard to do a duet when the pianist is on break.

She began with simplicity, playing beneath the clamor of voices an easy melody for attention; not so overbearing to demand absolute silence. Then, in ascending accordance, Keira increased her tempo and brushed up her skills from song to song to even another song, playing mixtures of moods as a refresher in her piano skills. But even as she needed to remember, she was as flawless as she needed to be; even if she protested the otherwise in the moments between each piece. As the time wore on and the stalling for the pianist came to an end, she ended her little show with a short display of skill; smiling afterwards in a bow before retiring the piano for her violin.

One song later, though, Keira took another short intermission with a small glass of water; sitting beside the lonesome stage and piano as she did so. Has it been an hour already? Long breaks between songs work wonders. In any case, I wonder what's going on with the other gemstones?

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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#, as written by Renmiri
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Or not an hour. My sense of time is obviously messed up. She hadn't noticed it before, being caught in the midst of her own little musical world, but the mass confusion around her was nearing very well to the point of 'all hell breaking loose'. From what Keira could gather by adding the bits and pieces she could catch, a suicidal young adult had fallen out of a hotel window; accompanied with some sort of assumed rabid beast. Then, quoting the words of a panicking group of gossipers seated the table beside, 'I heard thunder --with clear skies, mind you!--, the devil's howl, and a young woman's scream, one after another! This has to be some sort of sign! I knew I shouldn't have eaten that steak!'

Hm. Suicidal young adult? I wonder who that could be. It's like he attracts trouble. Rather than what could normally be thought, Keira wasn't exactly incredibly worried. After all, a gemstone couldn't die by any other means than the destruction of their gem. And, if her earlier assumptions were true, a four-member group of such gemstones were very close by; not to mention the unseen gems that could possibly be gathered as well. Which means he has backup. And Lapis heals, doesn't she? But nevertheless, the talented musician got up in some version of being hurried, took hold of her violin (because she refuses to leave it alone) and bolted in a beeline to the door; the ends of her red scarf flying like a cape behind her as she dodged hysterical customers.

And, upon leaving, a bystander could probably tell that Keira left much the same way as a certain other, younger female just moments before her. With the exception of a fluffy white bunny. Although, of course, the thoughts running through their minds were probably very, incredibly different. Why the hell was a gigantic animal in Halley's room? When did it even get there? Did he make some sort of enemy, who'd target him with the use of hungry beasts? But attack him now, of all days? That soup was a death sentence already! Such speculation continued, between the source of this strange occurrence and motive, until she reached the scene itself. Needless to say, she wasn't --and hadn't been-- even the least concerned for the possibility that death could've come that night. Not when, in all fairness, there was one competent healer (plus one much less competent) that just happened to be around.

As it was, the first thing that she was compelled to do upon entering the field of an evident fight's aftermath was to stagger, while coughing almost uncontrollably. Both of which Keira didn't do, for appearance's sake, but by moonlight she could see the origin of the eye-watering stench that filled the air. I.. probably don't want to know what that thing really looks like. I'll just pretend it's a completely normal wolf and be done with it. The position that she happened to be in, at the moment, was slightly obscured to those standing farther in the clearing; as she happened to have come along a trail to be directly behind Lapis. Being covered by shadows also decreased the visible outline of her form; although the absence of sound of her footsteps and presence, all the while, probably contributed to the vague sense of her actually being there. And she took advantage of this viewpoint, settled to see all those around besides the beast's corpse, surveying the scene.

Three casualties? No deaths. Well, besides that thing. Nothing looks life-threatening yet. From the symptoms and stench in the air, Keira concluded that one casualty, the black-haired girl (or at least in the dark), had somehow shot a bolt of lightning at the wolf; killing it in one hit. Or that other guy. Halley didn't say he could shoot a couple million volts, so it couldn't be him. I don't even think he'd be the type not to brag if he could, anyway. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, when the incredibly disproportionate beast came back from the dead; slashing viciously at 'that other guy' before dashing away. Do necromancers exist? Because I'm pretty sure that was dead. A sense of adrenaline rushed through her veins are she watched the wolf stall in the middle of the clearing; her fingers twitching to react with a barrier at the slightest notion of more danger.

It was then that the just-injured male approached Lapis with a little bit of friendly conversation, ending with the blue healer proposing to.. well, heal. Perfect timing. Because, at that just moment, the wolf had caught sight of the girl --who, as Keira finally noticed, was carrying an overly large.. spear? It's hard to tell at night.-- and was promptly beginning a mindless charge. With no time to waste, a translucent green barrier (not quite as noticeable, in the dark) was erected first around the injured girl, coming into existence so suddenly that the wolf could only crash headlong into it. Then, with hardly any more time to waste, a semi-circle block of green barrier appeared; walls that encompassed all those in the clearing from the beast that stood just beyond. The targeted girl's barricade had been absorbed to become part of the large structure, so as the whole thing to be seamless and able to move around in without hindrance.

Expelling a pent-up breath, Keira pulled the edge of her red scarf to cover her chin as she moved to be able to be seen. Well, then. No time better than now. "Hey. It's safe, for now. Strategy-and-healing time, anyone? I can help her-" At this point, she pointed at Lapis. "-out with healing, if someone here has less-serious injuries." Her tone remained friendly, the same as the soft smile on her face; calm and not the least ruffled. Which was in complete contrast to the enraged wolf, who had recovered and was beginning to illogically ram into the barrier. And although her outer appearance didn't change much at all now, the gradual increase of the wolf's ramming strength would take a toll; as with strain that she only showed now, through clutching the handle of her violin case behind her back.

"Unfortunately, this barrier of mine won't last forever. So how about it? I'm Keira, by the way."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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#, as written by Esana
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Vega's voice, when she finally responded, was stronger, more determined and with a touch of something that Ariane normally classified as conceit, but on this girl, looked more like simple pride. Her grip when she took Ariane's hand was strong, but lasted for only a moment, before she let Ariane's hand go.

Ariane looked at her hand - it was tingling, little sparks flying lightly, although in reality, she knew, there were no sparks, only her imagination. She looked back up at Vega and opened her mouth -

Something foul was entering the air - Ariane's nose wrinkled in disgust, and then, as a shattering crack came from a distance, she realized that the scent was an emotional one. Something was not right.

Her eyes started to dart frantically around, searching for the source of the noise and fear. Her search was interrupted by Vega pulling out a long, slender pole with a blade attached to one end - a halberd. It was cut to fit Vega's size and yet, seeing the petite girl hold a weapon was still a shock for Ariane. She stepped back and then stopped as Vega turned and raced down the street, heading for the source of the noise - she was fast, something that surprised Ariane. She definitely didn't look it. Her little feet carried her quickly across the pavement and then, there was a slight pause as she turned the corner and vanished from sight.

Uh... was Ariane's first thought. ...Should I go after her? She looked at the young man - I still don't know his name. Inconvenient. Ariane pointed after Vega. "Do you...wanna go after her?"

Before he could answer, a terrible cry tore the air into shreds.

Something hit the back of Ariane's ankle and she tumbled backwards, landing hard on a combination of pebbles and dark grass - she had retreated so - so instinctively that she hadn't minded where she was going. There was a stinging pain in her heel now, where the Achilles' tendon lay, but it was quickly fading. Ariane had other concerns.

That - that sound - Ariane shuddered. There was blood and thirst and darkness and happiness in the cry - no anger. Whoever had made the sound was not angry, which meant that the bloodthirst she could feel was natural - natural.

How disturbing.

Run. Ariane scrambled to her feet and turned, taking a step back into the forest, back into the darkness. It's time to run. I've stayed way too long here. There's -

An image of a girl flashed in her mind - a girl with dark hair, reddish, and deep red eyes. She was small, slender, holding a halberd, her face turned away from Ariane's inner mind, moving away from her - heading towards the source of the cry.

How can you run away?

Nails dug into the skin of Ariane's palm as she clenched her fists, the pain making its way partway up to her brain before it got cut off by a twisted swirl that dominated Ariane's thoughts. A heavy feeling - guilt was it? - and something itchy - irritation, nervousness -

Dammit.

Furious with her stupidity, irritated at Vega for running towards the thing when it was so obviously dangerous, and terrified out of her mind, Ariane turned around and began to sprint for the corner where she had seen Vega turn. She could feel her heart starting to speed up again, and her amethyst was growing hot again - it had warmed at the scent and the crash and then again at the crazed howl, but now, it was rising again, and Ariane was fairly sure that if she had touched anything that temperature normally, she would have gotten some very nice third-degree burns.

Courage, she thought as she neared the corner. She took a deep breath and then let it out before jerking around the corner.

-

Nature help me, what is that smell? followed by, Is that a dog?

If it was, then Ariane was fairly sure that it would never make it as a popular house pet. Definitely not. It was too large, its fur standing up at ends, black and tufted and almost electrocuted-looking, something that was supported by the fried smelling coming from it. It had eyes that shifted - there were no pupils, only whiteness - a kind of sickly white, as if the moon had gotten a cold and tried to do its job despite the fact. And its limbs - almost human-like, with claws so sharp and polished that Ariane could seem them glittering in the moonlight - it was throwing itself at a pale green barrier, one that shimmered in the moonlight and one that Ariane knew, instinctively, came from another gemstone.

Wow, we're like guppies today.

But the faint bemusement and horror at the sight of the hellhound didn't have much time to sink in before the hellhound noticed her.

Every muscle in Ariane's body turned to ice as its head slowly moved on its neck and its pale, pupil-less eyes stared directly into hers.

Why did I come here? Cause she was brave? Who the hell cares if other people are brave? I don't need it. I don't need to be brave and die young. I don't want the glory. I can't - I won't - run, run, run, run, run, get out of here, get out before that - that thing -

It opened its gaping maul and roared at her, and the sound, this time, contained a whole heck of a lot of anger.

Oh, Nature, mother of us all, I'm going to die. Oh Nature - damn - damn - damn - damn -

The amethyst burned at the right side of her chest. There was a pulsation from it - almost like a heartbeat - and then heat streaked down Ariane's body, creating a small bonfire under her skin. The air around her actually started to hiss as she heated up so fast that she vaporized some of the oxygen around her - she coughed and the heat died down a little until it was at a manageable level. And with it had come a sense of strength, underlying everything, but still always, always there.

A long, deep shuddering breath racked Ariane's body, and before she had finished exhaling, the hellhound leaped at her.

She waited for several long moments, waited for it to get close and then ducked and kicked out at it fast, striking it at the place where its hind leg connected with its main body. It yelped and landed a bit awkwardly, although it wasn't a severe wound by any means. Still, the blow had been enough to make it just a bit wary and it approached more cautiously this time - no more random charging - not for this hellhound.

It paced nervously back and forth as Ariane waited, her heartbeat slower now, but the gem on the right side of her chest pulsating waves of warmth and power through her limbs - courage - she could do this.

Once again, the hellhound leapt forward. Again, Ariane dodged and kicked, although this time, she went for a continuous strike, hitting the hellhound's leg again followed by another, harder blow and then an elbow in the hellhound's unprotected stomach. Its claws tore at her, but Ariane managed to dodge the blow. She retreated for only a moment before rounding to the side and launching another serious of punches to the hellhound's back leg, trying to weaken it as much as possible. The hellhound lashed back at her, tiny cuts springing up every other moment on Ariane's arms. They were minor, superficial, and the adrenaline was running so high that it let Ariane ignore them for the moment.

And then the hellhound kicked backwards as Ariane was going in for another punch. The talons tore up her right arm, rending the skin into little shreds and slashed across Ariane's upper chest - right above the amethyst.

In her normal condition, an accident like this would have caused her to either fall over, screaming in pain or panic and then run for all she was worth - she was fast - she could probably have gotten far enough away to find a good hiding place before the thing she was running from had even realized that she was running.

Unfortunately, Ariane's amethyst didn't like that option - and it definitely didn't like being threatened.

A ripple of heat spun itself through Ariane's body, and the only thought in her mind was, That damn bastard.

She lunged forward again, mindless of the blood running all down her right side and grabbed the leg yanking it back as hard as possible. The pull along with the blows from before, were enough to dislocate the joint, pushing forward another tearing howl from the creature. While it screamed in pain, Ariane turned around, heading towards the pile of broken glass. There was a young man around - and Vega too - and she could feel the presence of more gemstones, mostly from the alley from she had seen the green barrier that the hellhound had been attacking before it had noticed her.

Without care, Ariane leaned down and picked up a large, sharp piece of glass, mindless of the fresh cuts that it scored down her already bleeding hand. Her mind was racing with purple heat, but even that couldn't make her look at her injuries - that was for later. It was only pain - just pain, the amethyst seemed to reassure her. She would not die from just pain. Being who she was, she wouldn't even want to die from the pain - she wouldn't die - she would be okay.

Turning, Ariane strolled back to the hellhound, anger, heat, boiling in her blood as she raised the piece of glass above the struggling beast and then stabbed down. It snapped at her - Ariane punched it with her left, unharmed hand. It was not a hard blow, but it was enough to distract the creature as she stabbed again, this time getting a good lodge in its black neck. She lifted the glass and then stabbed again - and again - and again - until she was holding a piece of even more broken glass, dripping blood onto the ground.

Slowly, she looked down at the hellhound - it was a bloody mess. The glass hadn't cut evenly, so the skin was torn and raggedly, with blood trickling in a small pool onto the ground. It rippled as Ariane dropped the glass into its depth, landing with a soft puh-lunk - and quickly becoming immersed in the liquid. She stared down at it for a long moment and then turned her head to look at her arm.

It looked much like the hellhound's leg - shredded, blood running down her arm - it had made the glass slippery to hold near the end, the blood, and it was still running, starting to drip. She could feel the energy of the amethyst running out with it - the amethyst's job was done. She was safe.

Safe.

Ariane collapsed, her eyes fluttering shut.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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#, as written by Eyeris
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Astounding. More and more living gemstones seemed to simply appear from thin air.

How many of us are there? Lysander wondered. He blinked his azure eyes, envisioning an army of living gemstones. Each with superhuman powers and abilities beyond imagination. Together, as an invincible force, they tore through the world...

Lysander saw the woman waver, then faint. He dashed forth, rushing across the courtyard to where she and the beast lay.

He gathered the woman in his arms... she was smaller than he had expected... He made sure not to take his eyes from the wolf. He saw the gruesome work the girl had done to it’s bloody-shaggy-carcass.

The wolf had been fried by the littlest girl, crippled by himself, trapped by Keira, then cut to smithereens by this newest apparition. The body was truly a gruesome sight. It’s mouth hung open, rows of razor teeth shimmered, as if in denial of defeat, gilded by moonlight.

He hastened, retreating back to the others. He wondered that the fierce warrior who had the strength to face such a terrible beast seemed now not more than a rag-doll in his arms. Bloodlust made people look different, seem different. They were different.

Feather-light as she was, the effort was a strain upon Lysander’s wounds. His jacket sported long slashes on each shoulder where the claws had rendered them. His blood had seeped into the fabric, and now the girl and wolf blood spread over his sleeves and torso, redying his jacket a sickening deep red.

He reached Lapis, keeping the pain from his expression. (It was a Wonder that she had named herself for her stone.)

“Her firstly, but--” he turned his face to glance over his shoulder. The monster still lay where the girl had left it. “We need to be sure it is dead.” He recalled his own near-fatal mistake. “It is no ordianry beast.” He was lucky to only be wounded by its claws, not torn apart by it's teeth.

The boy, Hailey, still lay upon the ground amidst the glass, next he studied the frail-looking violinist that had raised the barriers. It seemed that Lysander himself or Vega would be the best to check on the thing. “Well done Keira. I am Lysander.” He introduced himself as quickly as possible, so that they could attend to the danger at hand. “How long can you keep the creature contained?”

He decided to keep hold of the purple haired warrior for the time being. The area was not yet secure. It was possible that Lapis required time to conduct such a serious healing. They may have to leave in a hurry should the wolf or some other danger suddenly present itself.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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The Great Pearl was surrounded by his shimmering stars at long last.

The little girl with the red gemstone in her forehead -

'What power!'

- assaulted the beast with a surge of electricity so strong Halley could feel the humidity in the air pick up. How on earth, he wondered, could such abilities be attained? Small and pathetic, she looked ridiculous holding a weapon that was much too large from her - like a kitten trying to be a tiger. But that power...As Halley took in her appearance, he couldn't decide if he found her to be threatening, intriguing, or dislikable...perhaps it was all three.

And then there was the blonde man, dressed in rags with a blue, sparkling gem upon his forehead as well. His sword cut through the beast, but he, himself, was injured -

'Fool. What was he thinking?'

He didn't show any abilities yet, but there was his gemstone stuck on his face. The color reminded him of Lapis' stone.

Keira had shown up and erected an impressive barrier around the group. Outside, another person - a girl with purple hair - was locked in a gruesome duel with the remains of the beast. Soon, both of them were lying lifelessly on the ground. Had she truly defeated the beast?

'Hmph. It was probably so weak from fighting me.'

Halley attempted to stand when a surge of pain coursed through his upper body, his breath catching in his throat.

"D...damn it..."

Not here. He couldn't let the pain get to him now, not when -

Lapis. Lapis was standing nearby, her eyes wide with empathy and concern, like pools of clear water...and Pippin was in her arms.

"Pippin!"

'Thank goodness!'

Halley gritted his teeth and wiped the trickle of blood from his chin. The pain seemed to dissipate as he jogged over the crunching broken glass to where Lapis stood. Standing before her, Halley clutched his side and looked straight into her eyes. His gaze was like steel and his voice was stern - tones of anger laced with worry...

"What do you think you're doing!? How did you get ahold of Pippin!?"

He grabbed the rabbit from Lapis' arms and cuddled it close to his chest.

Standing there, amidst a scene of chaos and surrounded by a motley league of gemstone-wielders, his shoulders soaked with blood and holding a pure white rabbit, Halley had to have been a ridiculous and amazing sight to behold. None of it mattered in the moment, however, as the boy rubbed his face into the bunny's soft fur. Tears welled up in the corner of Halley's eyes, but did not fall.

Pippin was safe. Hell had broken loose -

'A wolf in my hotel room for f**k's sake!'

- and he was definitely hurt, but he'd won. Pippin...the beast dared to go after the one thing he loved most - and paid with its life, may it rot in Hell.

Eventually, his pulse began to return to normal and Halley finally got a good look at the others surrounding him. Five gemstones, counting himself. Was that it? Was this the gathering of the world's finest that The Voice had foretold of? What now? Would he hear it again, at long last?

Life, for the moment, was good. A smile lit up the boy's face and he was about to turn and speak to the others when the sharp pains returned, making him shudder. The world around him spun and blurred and Halley's stomach lurched. Perhaps the blood loss was finally taking its toll? Halley took a deep breath to stabilize himself before turning back toward Lapis.

"Hey, you said you could heal, right? So what are you doin' just standing there? Let's see some healing, Lappy!"

A short huff of laughter escaped Halley's lips and he looked at the girl with a condescending smile.

"Don't tell me you're completely useless," he laughed playfully.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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Huh.

Edmund stood rooted in place for several moment after his company had abandoned him for whatever threat they perceived. And then, he walked after them.

Yes, he walked.

Not because he wasn't worried, but because he had to force himself with every ounce of his being to take a single step each time. It was a greater struggle for him to walk towards conflict than it was to simply run away from it. Which, in this case, is normally what he'd do. Sometimes he liked to observe, but that was only in situations where his life and other lives were not in danger. Basic scraps, fisticuffs, tussles, that sort. But nothing that involved scrawny girls wielding halberds going after some beast that made scrawny girls wielding halberds necessary.

One foot in front of the other, Edmund.

See, naturally people were instinctual and programmed with a little feature called 'Fight or Flight', which is the basic human response to any dangerous or life threatening situation. Do you run and cling to the life you treasure so highly like a coward, or do you stay and fight for it, ultimately putting your life in danger for the better good. Edmund didn't have that. He actually didn't believe it existed at first, because he had never felt it. He only learned about it through observation and reading. All Edmund had was Flight. Not because he was a coward, albeit, that is a slight factor. But because he was never programmed with the alternate option, Fight. Edmund recalled the term for a person that doesn't fight, and refuses to engage in anything dealing with it was called a 'pacifist'.

Yeah, pacifist. That's what I am, right? I'm sure they can handle it, I wouldn't be much help anyway...

Edmund stopped in his tracks, raising his eyes to gaze out from under his hood ahead of him. The others were in sight, and they would surely notice him run. He recognized only one of them at first, the Ariane female. And there was three others, which he almost immediately linked to being like himself. He had already met three like himself, and it suddenly didn't seem so far-fetched that four more stood before him. So that made five, but there should have been six.

Vega.

He did another quick take before following the gaze of some, and having his eyes find where she lay. He tilted his head slightly at first, as if it all was just some illusion. As if he had been under a spell and he was just hallucinating. He recalled a story he had been told when he was younger, about a young adventurer sent out to rescue some princess. It was a rather cliche fairy-tale, it even had a evil witch in it. Still, the adventurer had been placed under the evil witch's spell, and she allured him. What she had used was very similar to his mesmer, now that he thought about it. Anyway, it wasn't until the adventurer had seen the princess in peril that the spell was broken.

Before he knew it, Edmund was walking forward. As if he had lost all control of his body, and somebody else was moving him instead. He could only silently watch his feet as they picked up pace, the walk turning into a sprint, and then the sprint turning into a full on run. But it wasn't away. No, it was towards. Into the heart of the danger he didn't even know was quelled yet. Straight towards Vega.

Is this my spell being broken?

He stopped right in front of her, closest to a strangely familiar blue haired girl. Edmund realized that she had been the one he had seen running in such a fleeting passion, away from the night. The one he had seen prior to falling asleep and being tripped over by the girl that now lay at his feet. He lowered his hood, and even worked at taking off his coat before dropping it to the ground and crouching next to Vega. Her left shoulder appeared to have been bitten through by whatever beast she had set up against, and there was blood seeping through the wound, drenching both the front and back of her clothes. Her clavicle also appeared to be broken and Edmund offered a slight frown, eyes filling with a sense of pity.

"Hey, you said you could heal, right?"

Edmund turned his eyes towards the speaker at this, then his eyes to the girl the speaker was addressing. The blue-haired one again. She can heal? Edmund moved rather quickly, standing up and doing a sort of pivot towards the blue-haired girl, and then grabbing her gently by the wrist and pulling her down with him alongside Vega. As he dropped back to his knees, he held onto the girl firmly so she didn't fall flat onto her backside, and would come down in the same position as he did, but on the opposite side of Vega.

He held his hands over Vega's chest, hovering them about an inch above her left shoulder. He nodded his head frantically at them, motioning at the girl he just dragged down with him to place her hands upon his. His eyes were desperate, and his hands began to glow a bright green. They weren't doing any healing yet, but they were getting ready to mimic some.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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What pain; her shoulder. It hurt, it hurt so bad. . . . The hellhound, before she had managed to fire off the bolt of lightning she had worked at summoning, just before, the damned beast managed to get its wretched jaws around her shoulder, and bite into her with its all. Vega felt her bone snap in that quick instant, the pain withholding itself from her until after she had managed to strike the beast with her crimson electricity. As soon as all of that power left her small body, the pain washed through her in full force, nearly causing her knees to buckle out from underneath her, even with the cooked wolf’s jaws still clamped upon her body. The terrible burnt smell of the monster hit her, but it was one of the last things on her mind as every bit of her consciousness was devoted to her injured shoulder. Shaking, and breathing unevenly Vega haphazardly moved her right arm up and forced the beast’s mouth off her—she assumed it dead.

A whimper coming from her throat at this, Vega stumbled backward and away from the hellion before she fell to the ground on her bum, and resorted to clutching onto her wounded shoulder through her cloak. Her body still tingled with remnants of electricity, fingers and toes half numb from the power while the rest of her simply ached.

I was, I was a second too late. she thought, beginning to huff from the throbbing in her shoulder. Blood was beginning to seep from the wound, soaking her silk clothing and thick cloak, going right through the glove upon her left hand. Damned beast must have gotten its teeth through an artery. . . ! Vega realized, resorting to squeezing her hand on the wound tighter, in some strange effort to quell the bleeding, even though it hurt to do so, the pain from the broken bone was something terrible, but Vega did her best to power through it. It was after all, a broken bone . . . and they could be well mended. She herself had just taken a swipe to the side and a bite to the shoulder from that monster; those were injuries that could heal, no matter the pain. The one whom she had diverted the beast’s attention from before, what of their state?

With her eyes cast to the ground before her, a clear look of discomfort upon her features, Vega was ready to draw her eyes up and to the one who she had seen falling from the hotel building earlier when she happened to spot yet another person. His presence sent a jolt of worry through Vega’s body, not quite unlike what Akai had made her experience earlier, yet the sensation did not feel quite as severe, as terrible. Yet still, there was that sentiment of ever-present danger. . . . Though he was distanced from herself, Vega could very clearly make out his rather dilapidated state of dress and dirtied appearance, and the fact he was clearly brandishing a weapon all his own.

His vividly blue eyes were looking between the fried wolf-demon and herself, before giving her a curt nod. He is not expressing any trace of outward alarm for the fact that I just electrocuted this fiend. . . . It was so strange, tonight was just so bizarre. People like her, first she found out there were people like her, and nearly did them in, only for them to turn around and show her sympathy, then took on a monster for the sake of a stranger . . . only to cook it through and have someone acknowledge what she had done again without fear. Why? Why was it after so many lonely days that she would come to find this?

”There may be more.” she heard him warn, casting his gaze to the one who had plummeted down to the earth through a window earlier.

To his words, Vega’s crimson eyes fell back upon the supposed corpse of the fiend before her—the pyrope garnet had a sinking feeling in her gullet regarding his words, and why it sounded as if he knew more than he seemed to be letting on with the situation. There was also that sense within, that gnawing sentiment regarding him that bespoke of a certain sort of danger, a threat the likes of which she could not at all comprehend. So . . . who was he? Before Vega could speak even a word in response to this stranger’s observations, the thought dead hell-spawned hound suddenly moved again, seemingly resurrecting itself from death.

Adrenalin surged through the girl’s small body at this, seeing the damnable thing move at all, yet, before she could even react in the slightest, the wolf had lunged itself toward the new face upon the scene, the one who made Vega feel trepidation. It was upon him so quickly, the thing defied the very essence of all physical laws with its speed and ill-formed body. . . . Vega managed her body up to her knees by this point, still she clutched onto her injured and bleeding shoulder. But she was too late to act, as the beast had already been staved off at the cost of injury to the blue-eyed man. In a state of panic, the canine-like monster scrambled away from its attackers, off to who knew where.

Seeing it flounder off, Vega’s heart jumped into her throat, as she knew that beast could bring harm to an innocent soul if not taken care of. She let out an audible noise, as it seemed to get away, moving forward a bit in this effort without giving concern to her own injuries, Vega’s useless harm scraped against the ground; sending a jolt through her, causing her to freeze in place where she was as she remembered her physical state. Face going stark white, the girl could only stare forward with her eyes wide as the pain returned to her, becoming the foremost thing on her mind as it almost felt as if her soul had detached from her body for a moment.

Pain; it wasn’t something to which Vega was very accustom, even after her times of travel. Loneliness, self-imposed isolation . . . those sorts of things were what she had become conditioned to, not physical injury. Breath hitching in her throat, Vega’s form stilled and she stopped breathing for a moment before her vision blurred and her muscles began to loosen in her legs as something warm began to trickle down her side. . . . I’m . . . losing too much blood. . . . she realized, eyes dulling as a rather passive expression overtook her face, her mind going vacant. She heard more words, that stranger who set off alarm bells in her head, speaking to someone, but the words simply would not register in her brain. Nothing was coherent.

Body growing limp, Vega was no longer able to support herself upon her bony knees and her small form swayed, and lolled until finally it gave way to gravity and she fell backward to the cold cement below. The jewel-adorned girl grunted when she made impact and continued holding onto her bleeding shoulder. Was she going to die from this? Had . . . had the wolf’s bite been severe enough to have been fatal without her knowing? No . . . no, Vega was sure she wasn’t going to die; she knew enough about human anatomy to know that the thing’s teeth shouldn’t have given her an injury bad enough to kill her. Yet still, she wasn’t fairing well. Every second she lay there upon the ground, Vega was fighting to remain conscious.

Her body continued to lose blood, and continually was trying to force her into the depths of forced sleep so she may recover. But that was not something she could allow, no. Going unconscious was not something she could afford to do now, not as things were. The monster, that monster was still roaming around and there was someone. . . . Vega’s thoughts were shattered when there was a sound of a body smashing up into something nearby. And for the first time, the girl noticed the translucence around her form, the light green, almost glass-like dome that encased her, keeping her safe from the returned fiend. The thing seemed to not know when to give up. . . .

As much as Vega wanted to finish it off for good this time—the best she could muster up was simply looking at its disgusting form as it crashed into whatever it was that encased her from it. A look of discomfort upon her features, pain glinting through her crimson eyes, Vega’s only thoughts bounded between keeping herself conscious and the fact that the monster before her did not seem to know how to die. Where the barrier had come from did not even cross her mind in the state she remained in, the amount of blood she had lost had made it hard to think. Breathing harshly though, the teenager’s consciousness finally relented and began to fade away. Eyes rolling back into her skull, Vega’s small body relaxed, and she stopped gripping onto her shoulder so firmly. Blood still leaked from the wound as things occurred around her without her knowledge.

A new gemstone arriving onto the scene, well, new to Vega, who offered to heal people as well by the name of Keira, the apparent death of the beast at Ariane’s hand, and the taunting words of the one who had fallen from the hotel room earlier. She missed it all, only to begin coming back around seconds after the last of the man’s words had been laughed from his throat. Breaths coming around shakily now, Vega’s eyes half opened again, though it was clear that she didn’t quite grasp all that was going on around her, simply that she could acknowledge it.

Without making even a noise, the girl simply stared up at the dark, star-littered sky above, mind blank, devoid of thought. Her body felt numb, her head felt light . . . she couldn’t even really remember anything. What had happened to her before? And what was she doing? She just didn’t know at all. Bite mark still bleeding, Vega simply drew her hand away from it and allowed the soaked hand to drop back to its intended place—her right side. I feel warm and wet. she thought idly, realizing that her front was sodden while her back lay in some sort of puddle. With no rhyme or reason, she attempted to move her arm some, only managing to twitch a finger as her whole form felt heavy. So, it seemed she couldn’t even move.

Silently, the dark-haired girl continued to look to the stars above her without knowing why, not knowing anything at that moment. Only when she heard a set of footsteps approaching her, getting closer to her than anyone else, did she manage to react to anything besides what was above her. In a rather lax fashion, Vega’s head turned with her dull eyes, looking to see who it was. It took a few moments for her brain to register the familiar figure, to get her to realize it was someone she owed a certain debt to in the way of having almost taken his life earlier. Mirror . . . followed me? Vega thought slowly, feeling weak surprise at this. Why did he follow her? He had no reason to; after all, he and she only exchanged names and well, the incident with the lightning.

Vega blinked, very slowly, and by the time she had opened her eyes again, Mirror was kneeling above her, no longer alone, as there was yet another unfamiliar face above her. A beautiful woman with marine colored hair, fair skin, eyes of gold and a tear-shaped marking under her eye. She was someone the pyrope garnet did not recognize either, yet this was a fact that only occurred to her after several moments of looking at her face. So many people, so many people she didn’t know, and several of them were like her. . . .

Why was all of this happening now? After so long. . . ? Why?

A harsh breath came from the teenager’s lungs as she rolled her head back to the other side and looked at Mirror, her hair ornament jingling, confusion playing over her pallor features. What . . . what are they doing? she thought quietly, her eyes only half open. Thought was a rather inoperative process for her now; even the simplest of things were puzzling for her. She watched as Mirror placed his hands just above her form, near her wound. Nothing passed through her mind at this, not before his hands began to take on a gentle sort of radiance to them, aptly green. Vega saw him motioning to the other girl to do something, of what, Vega wasn’t sure. The only thing that was passing through her was a dreary sort of shock at seeing Mirror’s hands sort of just light up like they had.

So . . . she had been right about him. There was no doubt about the fact that he had his own oddness about him as well, he was like her; one-hundred percent. Sure, she had assumed him strange in his own special way before, but she couldn’t have been completely certain. Still, Vega’s body was rather numb to the pain from her wound, so she managed up a rather diluted laugh at this thought and turned her eyes up to Mirror’s.

A weak smile played over her lips as she opened her mouth to speak, “Hah . . . so, you are like me in a way. Though, I can’t quite say I was expecting your strangeness to manifest itself in the form of you turning into a festive light.” She half joked, her voice strained and quiet. “So . . . I fire fatal bolts of lightning and you light up,” Vega sighed softly, and looked back to the sky, “I wonder what it is others like ourselves can do. . . .” Her voice trailed off as her eyes shut, once more she lost herself to unconsciousness.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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In five minutes, I've found more gemstones than in the past three years. Fate, you're a horrible person. From the time Keira had acted out her part to Lapis' healing song, she had --quite simply-- just stood there; watching the scenes run by. In any case, there wasn't much she could do or really hear; in the midst of god's most useful and brilliant idea for a creation: the golden, heart-pounding headache (literally). On several occasions, she had the vague recollection that she was asked a question, although it probably wasn't particularly important when the asking-end completely flipped out two minutes later. And, quite frankly, she hadn't even been in a conscious-enough state to know why. Goddamn wolf. Throw a rock at my head, why don't you?

Honestly, it hadn't been so bad at first. A little blunt trauma, here and there, she could take; no problem. Oh wait, I take that back. Ram a brick wall into my skull, why don't you? Repeatedly! But then again, it was a tad hard to gauge how strong a misshapen wolf --if it even belonged to the species (and if it did, the common wolf would be dragging it's reputation through the mud)-- could possibly be. After the beast had regained it's composure and continued to ram, Keira was so surprised at the sudden increase in strength that it was a miracle itself that the barrier hadn't broken down altogether. And it was even more of a wonder that it had remained intact until a certain purple-haired girl caught the attacker's attention.

I must be more composed than I thought. By that point in time, though, she was already mentally exhausted. The worst migraine in history was beating it's devilish heart behind dull, emerald eyes; and spots were practically flying all over the place. At one point, Keira was almost certain that she saw a cow jumping over the moon. The offended part of her barrier was showing the damage, and one could only describe it to be dented, almost crushed beyond repair (much like how a car would look after being punched by a train). It couldn't be a surprise, then, that as soon as she could see that the wolf wasn't coming back her defenses went tumbling down. And, accordingly, new people arrived at the scene.

Not that Keira noticed. While the dispute over bunnies, manners and healing went around she was busy clutching her head; curled in some sort of ball, kneeling on the stone floor. In her little private corner, away from the preoccupied rest (although she never moved from her starting position), she was trying to think over the thundering racket that was her heartbeat; not to mention the shouts of an angry gemstone. She didn't care then, but it was lucky that there probably hadn't been anyone who had seen her in such a undignified, vulnerable state. Her brain couldn't decide whether to throw up, shut down or register more pain; and the indecision only made everything all the worse.

Just as she was about to keel over and go unconscious, an angel's voice seemed to cut through the foggy, slightly delirious state of Keira's mind. At first, of course, she thought it was an hallucination, brought within a brief span of ice-cold calm. That's definitely not the story of my life. What happened to the mental-replay of memories? The light at the end of the tunnel? Such thoughts, half delusion and half sarcastic, continued until she finally noticed that she was actually thinking. And, of course, that the pain was going away; along with the hallucinations. Hey, what happened to the flying cows? I want my money!

It was, then, just a little while later until Keira returned to a fit, comfortable and pain-free condition. The first thing she did was jump back to her full height, immediately (and hopefully nonchalantly) erasing the evidence of her previous pained state. After all, it couldn't do for any new potential allies or enemies to witness an unstable Malachite; even less something so trivially embarrassing. After taking a few, awkward seconds to brush herself off, she re-analyzed the situation around her; making herself scarce until she didn't need to be. First, though, she gave a thankful thought to Lapis, for returning Keira to her composure was (in her opinion) something to be hailed and worshiped for.

Then, through her ever-systematic way of thinking, the green-haired violinist surveyed the clearing. Two down, though healing, huh? Looks like I never really had to offer my help with healing in the first place. Considering how nobody else got any new wounds, I'll just assume Purple-Hair there actually ended up killing the beast; with the latter putting up quite the fight. A few newcomers had entered the scene, making two including the unconscious purple female, and looking at the other almost gave Keira a feeling of familiarity. Like.. He's similar to me..? Well, whatever. Better to deal with things like that later. A blonde boy was looking quite miffed, though it wasn't hard to see why with the walking disaster that was Halley. Lapis was, as per usual, supplying the most inspiration a musician could ever need.

It was then, that Keira suddenly remembered that she wasn't entirely fulfilling her part for 'protection'. Being smarter than the first time around, she erected the same barrier; then stored in it a supply of energy before severing it's link with her own, personal pool. It should do. If another wolf comes along, it'd stall for at least half a minute. By then, we'd be ready for it. The whole process took only a few seconds, and with that done, she dutifully picked up her violin case and walked straight into the fray. Or, in other words, walked forwards about a dozen steps before rounding on the blonde-haired boy; though rather, to be more precise, the bloodied bundle in his arms.

At the least, I can help speed healing up. That looks pretty bad. Without a word Keira set her violin down and, while her left hand touched her gem under her shirt, held her right in direct contact with the shredded, healing arm. A wince in sympathy later, both (right) hand and hidden gem began to glow a ethereal green; just as the wounded tissue wound back together with sudden, vigorous speed. Concentrating on nothing else but that, it was only a little while later that she stepped back; retreating a bloody palm and deep emerald glow. To anyone who might have looked her way, she gave a relaxed shrug before taking her case and leaning on the still-translucent barrier wall beside her. Because I'm sure as hell not playing leader.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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"In-gracious cretin! Your rude manner is ill-befitting your precious gemstone. She will see to the women. Care. You should see to the wolf instead. It may not be dead. We are all venerable here."

The blonde young man's eyes were frosty with indignation, set into a seething red face. His words were sharp. Harsh, but not acidic. No...it was more akin to the way a king might chide a servant, his voice lofty and just.

For an instant, Halley looked like he'd been slapped across the face. Grey eyes shot open wide for but a brief instant as the boy's fragile mind processed what had just occurred. His mouth hung slightly open and he silently stared at the young man for a moment. Then, slowly, his lips closed and melted into an unsettling smile.

Halley's newly cool gaze sized the blonde man up, traveling down his front, all the way to his drab footwear...before making its way back up to meet his eyes once more. Then, he turned to face his newfound interest fully.

"Awwwe. I'm so sorryyy," Halley mocked the man in a drawn out, childish voice, "Did I upset you? How rude of me! Here you are, so taken with Lappy's beauty and trying to play Prince Charming and then I come and just..."

- He ran a finger over the open wound on his shoulder, coating it with blood. Bringing his finger to his mouth, the boy then sucked the blood off it -

"...bleed all over everything."

Then, Halley's expression changed, morphing into a disgusted scowl. With one last look at the arrogant young man, he turned his back to him, unable to stand the sight a moment longer. Putting a hand to his forehead, Halley was puzzled to find it coated with a thin layer of sweat. It was then that the boy realized just how hot he felt.

Truth be told, his body was in pain. His wounds screamed in agony with each movement he made. The boy felt only a dull ache, however, as the brunt of the pain was burning only in some distant recess of his mind. Halley was only vaguely aware of this, but he knew that his body was in rough shape regardless.

Keira stood some distance away, maintaining a barrier to protect the group -

'Hm. Didn't seem the type.'

- meanwhile two other girls, the little lightning rod and the feisty one with purple hair now lay on the pavement with wounds from the mystery beast -

'Gemstones...both of them.'

- while the quiet boy with green hair and odd face markings knelt down beside them, glowing with a ethereal jade-colored aura.

'Even that clown-faced one...'

Halley knew this was exactly what The Voice had meant. Exactly what it had wanted. His excitement pushing the pain back even further into his subconscious, Halley decided to help in any way he could. For now, they needed to go somewhere safe. Someplace where there weren't any ignorant human fools who would get in their way...

...and then he heard that angelic voice again.

Lapis.

She was singing. It was quiet - toned down from what he'd heard before, but it still reached his ears. The melody seemed to soak into his very body, the words wrapping themselves around his wounds like a maternal blanket. Halley stared in awe as he watched the deep gashes on his shoulders begin to close. It was rather unsettling at first, seeing his body heal so rapidly. It was unlike anything the boy had ever witnessed before. In just a few moments, fresh, pink skin covered what used to be brutal claw markings. Moving his arms around as if testing them out, Halley realized he was free of that dull, persistant ache. He smiled slightly as he watched Lapis continue to sing. She became absorbed in her hymn, despite the fact that she was holding back for some unknown reason. It truly was a remarkable thing.

But that was the gemstone. The Lapis Lazuli. Not her. Halley wondered how someone so pathetic could ever be blessed with such an admirable gemstone.

'She doesn't deserve it.'

And suddenly, he wanted her to shut the hell up.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Halley realized he and the others didn't have much more time to waste. Raising his voice so that the others could hear, Halley called out,

"Hey! I've been here for a while and I know the place. There's an abandoned storehouse at the edge of town. I doubt anyone will bother us there."

He turned back to the blonde young man, his words suddenly low and rough...

"If that's okay with our knight in" - Halley looked upon the man's ragged appearance with humored disdain - "shining armor."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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Edmund worked hard to concentrate on what everybody was saying, despite the bickering, and then the girl he had dragged down with him began to sing. Instead of being confused as to how he was going to mimic it, he instead moved his hands slightly and the glow grew brighter, working to hone and strengthen the healing properties of the song rather than mimic it. As soon as he saw she was better, he removed his hands from over her torso and let them drop to his side, standing up from his crouch. His hands were still glowing as he looked around the group, one could even describe the glow as violent. Edmund knew why, despite him never using this ability before. It was because he hadn't mimicked the song magic yet, and so it was building up.

He chose to ignore it for now, slipping his hands into his pockets and somewhat masking the light that was still building up. He positioned himself slightly so he was standing in front of Vega's feet, still assuming a solid stance if anything were to happen. But he only held it for so long, and began to pace back and forth, locking eyes with everybody else as he did so. His eyes met the the girl who had held the barrier's first, and he held the gaze intensely, recognizing what she was before he moved his gazed to the one who had last spoke. He was only slightly taller than Edmund, and he had mentioned moving once everybody was in a stable condition, to which Edmund promptly shook his head.

"Where would we go? Hm? Do you have a plan? Please tell me you do, because we're just a loosely knitted group, and I don't want you speaking just because you want to assume a leader role. So you have better have a reasonable area for us to go to, and a reason for us all to trust you and follow you in the first place. People who are all talk annoy me. Speaking of which, you,"

Edmund directed this last word at Halley, whom had specifically been getting on his nerves whilst he was trying to listen to whatever the singing one had been saying. He moved towards him and snugly fitted a hand over the man's mouth. "You need to shut up." And with those words, the glow in his hand seemingly shot out in all directions, phasing through everything and then disappearing. He had used both a combination of his calming power and the song magic for that, and dropped his hand once the light had disappeared.

"Now," He began, turning back to the boy who had either innocently picked up role for leader, or had a reason for it. "You. Tell me three things right now." He said, holding up three fingers. "Where are we going? Why should we follow you there? Why do you want us to follow you there?" With every question asked he lowered a finger, and once they were all lowered, he blinked several times, apparently snapping out of whatever had come over him.

His shoulder sagged slightly and all traces of anger left his eyes, he was the original Edmund now. There was a reason Edmund didn't talk much, and that was because if he did, his bad side would eventually be voiced. Everybody had just gotten a piece of it now, the two other boys getting the brunt of it. His eyes darted between everybody once more before he moved over next to Vega and sat down. "Sorry." He murmured, throwing his hood up and beginning to drift into his own little world.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Keira Grey Character Portrait: Aysu Muirgen Dikeledi Character Portrait: Halley Raynehell Character Portrait: Ariane Valois Character Portrait: Vega Sterre Delacroix Character Portrait: Lysander
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She almost lost herself in the blackness; the spell of unconsciousness nearly consumed her wholly. There was just nothing there—no sensations of anything. And that was sort of comforting to her, it was almost enough to lull her into its clutches, for her to follow after it willingly. That nothingness, it was sort of inviting, so nice. . . . So simple and easy; there was not a thing to worry about in it, no aching loneliness, no dreading that she might hurt someone again by accident, no having to avoid others for the sake of their safety. There was no pain there, in that murkiness. Nothing that would make her heart ache, and make her wake up at night in tears because she missed her mom and dad, and because she was so lonesome. If she followed, and allowed it to fully consume her into its midst, she wouldn’t ever have to worry about anything again. Her powers, her friendlessness, wondering about her place in the world and the curiosity about the other she had just found who possessed strangeness like herself. . . . In that dim world of nonexistence, none of it would matter, and she wouldn’t have to worry anymore. It would be so easy . . . so easy.

So, why didn’t she turn herself over to it, and just let that void absorb her?

She owed nothing to those she had just met who were like her, and there was so very much she could just forget. In the void, she wouldn’t have to worry about hurting them or anyone ever again. In there, she wouldn’t have any power, no strangeness anymore. Peace, peace would be all she had—serenity, that which she most wanted. Eternal contentment. . . . Failing to protect people, hurting others, guilt, pain, sorrow, isolation; all of it, she could just let it all go.

Yes, that would have been the easiest way to go. Even if she wasn’t going to die from her wounds, that didn’t mean she had to go and wake up . . . she could have allowed herself to sleep forever if it were really what she most desired. Had Vega truly wished to lock the world out, she could have gone and slept everlastingly. But, in a heart and mind ruled by humanity, nothing could ever be so simple. Even if the tranquility she so desired could be obtained by never waking, there were the second thoughts which plagued her. The questions that came with the curiosity of not knowing anything about those who seemed to share in her unexplained strangeness. Why? Why was it now that she was finding out that she was not so alone, after those years of isolation?

And why was it that she was still a danger to them, even though they seemed to be as her in a manner of speaking? Why did some of them make her feel a sense of trepidation, that more than simple caution was needed in regards to them? What danger did they present to those who did not give her that sentiment?

These unanswered questions gnawed at her bones, and kept her from forgetting, from turning herself over to sleep eternally. Even if she had failed in protecting people in the past, even if she were a danger to the whole waking world, Vega could never simply lock herself into a void like this, not knowing or understanding that sense of dread. My place . . . my place is to shield those who need it, I am meant to be a protector. she reminded herself. That thought was what did it, what made a sense of heaviness return to her. It almost felt like she were kicked in the stomach and knocked down to the ground, the air escaped her lungs and her body felt strange, foreign, as if she didn’t necessarily belong in it.

Her body ebbed between numbness and tingling, feeling gradually washing back into her as she was unaware of the events around her, only being able to recover the sensations in that which anchored her to the physical world. Slowly, the coolness of the night air came to be known to the bare skin upon her legs, as a throbbing returned to her shoulder, coupled by an uncomfortable warmth which consumed the throbbing and left her with a new sort of ache. It felt as if all the heat in her body were being rushed to that one spot, leaving the rest of her cold and anesthetized. What is this? she thought, as she began to remember.

Reality returned to her, and Vega managed to remember that which had been taken from her mind, as she was tempted to be swallowed into the darkness. The hellion canine, the people like her; Mirror and Ariane, her injured shoulder. . . . Mirror lighting up like a festive light while another stranger had been over her. And that was when her hearing returned to her. The uncomfortable heat in her shoulder remained—but the ache of it was quelled and her mind soothed by a voice unlike any other Vega had ever had the pleasure of hearing in her existence. What creature could conceivably be capable of such sound? Certainly, it was not human.

She trembled with a soft moan as full control of her body returned to her, and she opened her tired crimson eyes. Still hearing the song of a seraphic diva, Vega breathed out softly and came to realize that the seraph was sitting above her—the woman with the cerulean hair that melted into a soft white. Eyes only half open, Vega turned her head rather limply and looked up at her as it took her a moment to realize that the woman was shining a delicate, yet vivid, blue, Does everyone but me turn into some festive light when they manifest their oddness? Mirror turns olive and she’s cerulean. . . .

Thinking about the Charades Wizard, Vega found herself turning her head to the side, only to see that he wasn’t there. What had she missed while being so tempted to fall forever into the clutches of sleep?

It still felt as if all the heat in her body was rushing into her injured shoulder as the diva next to her continued her song, and though her mind felt subdued and serene, those sentiments were not long enough lived. They were not deeply impacting enough to erase what Vega began to feel as everything came back to her, and she regained her sound mind. Her thoughts began to rush back and forth, memories began to stir, and a sickly feeling of dread began to creep into her bones again. It chilled her, and made her skin go gooseflesh as she shivered with its unnatural effects. So soon, she was awake, and already it returned. . . . Her body warning her against a threat she didn’t understand.

Though Vega deemed herself someone who wished to protect, there was a part of her back in the depths of her mind that urged her to get to her feet and to haul ass out of there, lest she endanger someone else. That sense of peril she felt in the core of her very bones, she didn’t want it getting the better of her again. No . . . I don’t want to almost kill someone again. They’re too nice, too nice for me to put in harm’s way. Vega thought, shutting her eyes as tears prickled at them. She let out a shaky breath and looked up to the sky before a tear ran down her cheek. She had to leave, even if part of her was telling her she needed to stay, she had to go, now, before it was too late and something happened she would regret forever. For someone as small as she, Vega bore enough guilt for one lifetime.

"Where would we go? Hm? Do you have a plan? Please tell me you do, because we're just a loosely knitted group, and I don't want you speaking just because you want to assume a leader role. So you have better have a reasonable area for us to go to, and a reason for us all to trust you and follow you in the first place. People who are all talk annoy me. Speaking of which, you," there was a pause, ”You need to shut up.”

Mirror? she thought questioningly, hearing the self-titled Mute going on a tangent in regards to something she obviously had failed to hear. With a groan, Vega forced her arms under her, and used them to prop her body up from the cold stone below, looking up with confused eyes at the man she had managed to trip over earlier. The one she had titled ‘Charades Wizard’ thanks to his rather unnerving display upon their meeting. No sooner did she look up, did that festively colored lighting on his hands sort of magically span out from him in all directions. What just happened. . . ? Vega thought, uncertain. Was that suppose to do something? If it was, she felt nothing from it—as before, she felt like she needed to leave, and puzzled as Hell.

”Now, you. Tell me three things right now.” Mirror began again, he was looking at the man she had seen before, after she had bolted the hellion wolf and nearly passed out the first time. "Where are we going? Why should we follow you there? Why do you want us to follow you there?" The man went quiet all of a sudden, seeming as a different person without warning.

The Hell did I miss when I passed out? Vega questioned, arching an eyebrow.

She watched quietly as Mirror went on ahead and gazed about at everyone in a rather weary manner. Vega herself remained quiet, looking confused and uncertain as he moved back to her side and dropped down, sitting there. Blankly, the girl laxly looked over at him without saying anything. ”Sorry.” she heard him murmur rather quickly before he threw his hood back up over his head, like he was hiding himself from the world. It . . . sort of reminded Vega of a turtle.

A part of Vega was now screaming at her to leave, while she still was not too deep into all of this, and could cut the ties with these people without feeling much regret. Before she could hurt anyone by accident because of that dread she felt inside of her. . . . But, she didn’t. The small girl sort of went ahead and quietly forced those two sentiments deep down into her soul as she pushed herself up and into a seated position with a quiet sigh, an expression of future regret upon her face for the fact she wasn’t listening to her gut and getting the Hell out of there now. She wasn’t making this any easier for herself, nor was she sparing her soul the guilt that was to come if she lost control of herself again, and managed to hurt someone.

The hole in her clothing and cloak caused the night air to chill the reformed flesh upon her shoulder as the hair ornament around her ponytail clinked with the movements she made. With a rather simple expression on her young looking face, Vega simply looked at Mirror before opening her mouth to speak, “You know something Mirror? You remind me of a turtle. You seem passive, quiet and like nothing gets to you, but when something does threaten you, suddenly you start hissing and making noise, and when you get to safety, you hide in your shell.” With this said, she leaned over to the side slightly, raised her arm up, revealing the clothing underneath her cloak, and lightly grabbed onto the coat’s hood and tugged down on it a bit. “Your coat being your shell.” Sighing quietly, Vega released her grip on the thing and brought her hand back to her side before she looked over to the diva next to her, offering up no at ease expression as she simply looked upon the woman.

“You have a magnificent voice, Miss Diva,” she commented, before ascending to her feet with a grunt, feeling her clothing sticking onto her torso from the now drying blood within it from her earlier wound. Vega moved away from the two, retrieving her discarded halberd from the earlier battle site, moving to fold it back up into its portable state, she secured it upon her back once more, hidden from view by her cloak.

A stern look left upon her face, Vega turned back on her heel and looked upon the gathered grouping of people, noting the very unsettling fact that half of them left her with a rather unpleasant sensation within her bones. She stood there for a moment, taking in the lot of them with her crimson eyes, before beginning to move across the pavement again, back to the Diva and Mirror. It occurred to Vega in the back of her mind that out of all of these people . . . she looked like she was the youngest of the bunch, physically speaking. Everyone around her looked as if they were at least eighteen, if not older.

And even if it were not the most important of things to be concerned about right now, Vega could not help but feeling irked by this, by the simple fact that she was sixteen years old, and that she looked like she was still thirteen. The heels of her boots clicking on the cement below her, the ornaments upon Vega’s outfit jingled and clinked as she mentally grumbled about her appearance to herself, before she returned to the Diva and to Mirror, and promptly seated herself back down in a manner which bespoke of her irked state, not even bothering to question what was going on around her.