(PAST)the search begins (Elly & Luex)

[Nayeli]

’introducing
{leilani richards*}
featuring--! Awiti Ekere Richards! Tasia Anna Georgios! Sunglow! Taeli Shealaes!
Come on closer, I wanna show you
What I'd like to do, You sit back now
Just relax now, I'll take care of you
Hot temptations, Sweet sensations
Infiltrating through, Sweet sensations
Hot temptations, Coming over you

Dear Count Genji Lantieri,
I hope your days are going well in the lovely port city of Teirm. I am sending this letter with Taeli Shealaes, to tell you that I will be arriving in your city in one week on orders from the Riders to search for a few young children or young adults to gain education in the city-state known as Illrea. Taeli does not need a room in the Citadel, as she can take care of herself in the city and outside the city. She will meet me at the western gate when I arrive and then we will begin out work. I will be in the city until I find at least two children because I do not want to burden my friends who will be with me. Have a lovely day, Genji.
Warm Regards,
Leilani Richards

The morning had come far too early in my opinion and as I woke, my eyes looked at the golden wing above me. Sunglow was so large and she had stretched out her wing rested it further from her body to make a large tent like area for me and the others. Her tail had wrapped around us to her nose and she was sleeping peacefully, as I could tell by her breathing. The entrance by her head was covered with a large wool cloth to give privacy in a way, and it hide the outside world slightly. I turned over slightly on my pallet and saw Tasia was holding her hand open and whispering words to cause a dim orb to turn a bit brighter. Awiti was already awake as well, pulling on her travel clothing which was a simple brown, wool dress that fit elegantly on her body. She had grown so much in the past few years and I was so happy about the fact that she had grown to love her freedom.

As she stood, she brushed her dress off and I sat up in bed. As I pulled myself over to my small bag, I grab a very simple dress that sit to my body and was brown as well. I did not want to wear too much color in the port city since I would be traveling and I could buy a new dress if I felt I needed something for something else. I looked at Tasia who wore her normal travel clothing, which showed more skin then I would ever show. The portion that covered her chest had only one sleeve and barely covered her chest at all. It showed all of her stomach and lower back. On her head was a green vined crown with a green emerald in the center of her head. Her black hair was braided down her back and touched the top of her skirt, which was whole around her butt and hip area, but once it got past that, it seemed to be torn all the way to her knees. She had great movement in it, but I didn’t understand why she showed so much skin. I tried not to judge as I knew she was from a much different culture and she did not care what other thought about her at all.

I stretched slightly after I put on my brown travel dress and then I realized our large friend was awake and as I packed up my things, I walked out and greeted her. ”Good Morning, Sunglow.”

[/color] The large dragon seemed to smile at me for a moment and lifted her had slightly to yawn and looked over at me again. ”Good Morning, Lady Leilani… Tasia, we should get packed and get going, Taeli will be waiting for us at the gate as soon as we get close enough to contact her.”[/color] Always on the point to get things done. I smiled and patted her cheek as I walked some to stretch my legs and pushed my hair back from my face before I looked to see Tasia packing the rest of her stuff up and Awiti loading it on the hip area of Sunglow.

It was not long before we were on our way. Tasia sat in her normal air, her hair flowing behind her and her bow on her shoulder and around her back as well as the arrow holder. On a strap that was connect to Sunglow was a sword with a golden blade that was beautiful. As we flew over the mountain known as the Spine, my held on tightly to Sunglow’s spike. I was on the left behind Tasia and she had fixed a thing where my feet, hips, and chest were being help up with a pallet like thing that were against Sunglow’s body. I knew Tasia’s mind was open to myself and Awiti and I looked at her. ”Tasia, this is the most amazing feeling… I wish I could become a rider.”[/color] I saw her look over at me for a moment and then returned to watching where we were going. ”It is amazing! I never thought I would one, but now I am.”[/color] I smiled at my friend for a moment and looked ahead as I saw the city come into view.

I did not hear anything come from Sunglow, but she tilted her body down and we were speeding towards the ground until we finally landed on the ground outside the southern gate. Many common people moved out of the way, the guards looked at us with awe and fear, and I felt Tasia helping me remove the straps and then felt the hand of another on my hips. I looked to see Taeli helping me down, her feline eyes and sharp teeth smiling at me. As I got down, I smiled and then walked around Sunglow to see Awiti was able to get down on her own. ”Someone has done this more than once.”[/color] She smiled widely at me, her dark skin caught many years, especially which such a nice travel dress. As we began towards the gates, Tasia walked beside me, Taeli and Awiti walked close behind, enjoy small talk as we got to the gates… Sunglow took off into the sky and I smiled up at her as she flew inwards towards the city. I was glad someone was there to watch over us.

”Why would someone dress a slave like a woman?” The sound of a guard speaking to another guard caught my ears and I turned towards them. Tasia did as well and our eyes caught the men slightly off guard. Awiti stood up straight and I looked over at her. ”I am no slave you pompous fool… I am the sister of Lady Leilani Richards and ward to the Riders of Illrea… You watch your tongue before I cut it out of your fool mouth and leave Count Lantieri with one less annoying and arrogant guard.”[/color] I was surprised by my sister words, but happy she was willing to take up for herself. The rider, Tasia, placed her hand on her shoulder and smiled at her for a moment before turning back to me. ”Lady Leilani, I believe Count Lantieri is near, we should begin out walk through the streets to see what we see.”[/color] I nodded, but the sound of something caused me to turn back to the city and I swore I saw a small child, but I shook my head and the four of us began going into the city.

As I walked, I looked up to see Sunglow fly over fast and strong before heading into the sky and circling.
[/blockquote][/blockquote]

Gonna take it slow babe, Do it my way
Keep your eyes on me. Your reaction
To my action is what I want to see
Rhythmic motion, Raw emotion
Infiltrating through, Sweet sensations
Hot temptations, Coming over you

’word count 1.263
’tagged none has come
’song Come on Closer--! Jem
’post status done
’template creator nayeli

[/size]

[Elloria]

(OOC: Hope you don't mind the bit of power-playing near the end, Nay. I can change it if you need me to.)

Gregory sighed quietly as he walked behind and slightly to one side of Lord Lantieri as the count walked through the streets of Teirm with a small entourage. Gregory still didn’t understand why the count was being so nice to him. He had helped a criminal escape, even if he hadn’t meant to! That made him a criminal too! He would’ve understood if Lord Lantieri had stuck him in the dungeons or executed him or kept him under guard. Instead Gregory was kept even closer to the count and his bodyguards. He was basically Lord Lantieri’s personal slave now – a position once held by that kind man Devon, who had so suddenly disappeared without a single farewell.

This whole situation smacked of weirdness. But it was not Gregory’s place to question his lord’s decisions. The last time he had done so had resulted in betrayal and disaster. So the boy held his tongue as he followed the small group of Itasans. The count’s mother was in town with another woman who was much younger than the count. Gregory wasn’t quite sure why they were here, but the young woman – Lady Harumi – had been quite kind to him during her stay. She was probably just trying to get something out of him, like Teiris had. And while the mother didn’t really speak much to Gregory, it was obvious that Lady Tsukiko was very important to Lord Lantieri. Not that any of that mattered in the greater scheme of things for Gregory’s life. He existed to serve his lord’s wishes and that was all. And right now, his lord’s wish was for Gregory to tag along while the count gave his mother and guest a tour of Teirm. It had been kind of boring, to be perfectly honest. The boy had no interest in learning the lay of the city. His work was in the Citadel and he only needed to know how to get to and from the marketplace – and sometimes the docks. At the moment, they were near the southern gates of Teirm. “Gregory. Head over to the gates and see if there is anything…interesting occurring there. We shall be in this general area for a while longer, but try to not dawdle over the task.”

Gregory shook his head slightly. He had been staring at the sky, watching a dark figure fly by overhead. He wondered if it was a dragon and what it was doing near Teirm. The Riders tended to leave the port city to its own devices, though the city frequently saw trade and visitors from lands far beyond Alagaesia. Lord Lantieri was very careful in how he handled such matters, from what Gregory had seen at least. Lost in his thoughts, it took him a moment to realize that he had been given an order. He bowed low and said, “Of course, my lord.” He took off at a rapid pace, reaching the gates after perhaps a minute or two of running. It was pretty packed at the gates, but that wasn’t so unusual as far as Gregory knew. Teirm was a busy city. Lots of people came and went on business and pleasure. But if he wanted to see if “anything interesting” was occurring, he’d need a better vantage point than the ground. He was just too tiny for that. He found some boxes that he could safely clamber up, proceeded to clamber, and perched himself on the roof of one of the short barracks-style buildings that housed the guards. Once he was settled, he started scanning the crowd. He wasn’t sure what Lord Lantieri meant by interesting, but he would do his best to not disappoint the man any more than he already had with his ignorance and naiveté.

+++++++

“Why did you send the boy off, Son?”

“One of this empire’s princesses is supposed to be showing up today. The Leilani child. She is apparently seeking young human adults and children for some plot the Riders are embarking upon. As the Riders are the supreme authority in this land, I had little choice but to acquiesce.”

“You mean the same girl who sent that letter and whom this land’s ruler attempted to wed you to? Was she not supposed to arrive via the western gates?”

“To the west lies the port, Mother. It would be foolish to travel south from Ilirea to the nearest port city, take a ship north and dock here in Teirm when she could simply travel across the land and reach here well within the week timeframe she mentioned. Alagaesians are quite stupid, but even they possess that much sense. Therefore, her most likely arrival destination would be the southern gate.”

“Why would she indicate that she would arrive via the western gates, then? I do not understand this…Alagaesian need for subterfuge. Lies are not the will of Yawata no Kami. Surely you never intended to wed her, Kazan-dono?”

Tsukiko chuckled at Harumi’s polite confusion as Genji led them through one of the seedier districts of Teirm. The past month had been composed of many moments like this. From having to wear more clothing (walking around in just your hair and a thin pair of pants was not the way to dress in Alagaesia; it was barely tolerated in Itasus) to the way Alagaesians spoke, everything was just baffling to the young Yawata no Kami no Chuushin-bu. It all conflicted so much with what the girl surely had come to understand about the will of Yawata no Kami and how it worked in the world. It always took a great deal of meditation and prayer before Harumi would come to grips with some new bit of information. Yawata no Kami no Chuushin-bu understood best what Yawata no Kami wanted of this world, but they did not always understand how the world truly was.

“To keep the favor of the king and his niece? I would have probably cut out my own heart and offered it to them. Perhaps not very willingly, but if it had proven necessary I would not have hesitated.” Genji patted Harumi’s hand comfortingly where it rested in the crook of his arm. “Fortunately, Yawata no Kami saw fit to send me a more appropriate bride. I must keep up some semblance of appearances, of course, but I assure you there will be no serious consideration about my wedding that woman.”

Harumi frowned slightly, but made no reply. Instead, she paused to look down an alleyway as something appeared to be running towards them. The alley was shadowed, but the figure looked like it might be the boy from earlier. It felt as though he had been gone only a few moments, but whatever he had seen was more than enough to put a fire into his heart.

+++++++

“Lord Lantieri!” Gregory skidded to a halt before the group, gasping for breath as he ignored the stiff stances of his lord’s bodyguards. As he was now, he was less of a threat to the count than a speck of dust. Taking a deep breath, he rushed on. “Lady Taeli is at the gates with Lady Leilani and some dark-skinned lady claiming to be her sister. The dark-skinned lady totally ripped the guards a new one without a moment’s hesitation. It was AMAZING.” Once his breath was spent in that rapid rush of words, he went back to regaining his breath and calming his racing heart. It took a few moments, but when he finally calmed down he looked back up at Lord Lantieri and his heart skipped a few beats. The count was smiling at him…as if genuinely pleased with Gregory.

“Thank you, Gregory. Do you remember the direction they were taking?”

The boy nodded mutely, still trying to grasp the fact that the count was actually smiling. When asked to lead the group towards Lady Leilani, he nodded again and spun around to march back the way he had come. The group swept along the streets and alleys as Gregory wound his way towards where he had last seen Lady Leilani headed. It was largely uneventful with Lady Harumi continuing to ask Lord Lantieri questions – at least, that’s what Gregory assumed she was doing since he couldn’t understand a word of their native language. Still, he really hoped he was headed in the right direction and that they ran into Lady Leilani soon. He didn’t want to be the center of anyone’s attention right now or ever again and this was the exact opposite of that new desire. It made him incredibly uncomfortable, so he was relieved when he finally caught sight of the lady and her entourage. Lady Leilani was paused beside one of the shops for the moment, but Gregory and Lord Lantieri’s company were about halfway through an alley and Lady Harumi was gingerly picking her way through it. They might not make it to Lady Leilani before she started moving again and was gone from sight.

“There she is, Lord Lantieri. I’ll run ahead and get her attention for you!” he said, taking off at a sprint to try and make it. He didn’t quite make it. He was almost clear of the alley when he tripped over somebody and went skidding across the filthy packed earth. He stopped just short of the exit with a quiet groan. That had been kind of painful – not the worst beating he’d ever taken, but it still hurt.

He heard a noise and looked back to see a boy smaller even than himself staring at him with bright green eyes and a mop of matted brown hair. The boy was grimy and pale where there wasn’t a layer or ten of dirt covering his skin. And in the moment their eyes met, Gregory felt a pang of empathy. He recognized the expression in those eyes – the fear and loneliness of a child who had no one, but refused to let the world realize it. Gregory’s mouth opened to ask if the boy was okay when Lord Lantieri appeared directly behind the boy, his brow slightly furrowed.

“Are you all right, Gregory?”

The moment was ruined. The street boy spun about on his rear, stared up at Lord Lantieri for a moment and then scrambled to his feet before sprinting past Gregory to get away from the count. Gregory turned to watch him, gingerly picking himself up off the ground as Lord Lantieri came up beside him and looked him over. “It looks as though you have skinned your knees and hands. We will have these looked at when we return to the Citadel.”

Gregory shrugged, pulling his gaze from the boy as he left the alley. “I’m fine, Lord Lantieri. ‘S just a bit of skin. No big deal.”

The count looked at him with a strange expression as the rest of the Itasans joined them at a more sedate pace. Then the count shook his head and gestured for Gregory to keep going. Gregory nodded and exited the alley more slowly. He was surprised to see the boy from before standing beside Lady Leilani – and she seemed to be talking to him. The count’s hand settled on his shoulder, keeping him from approaching just yet. “Let us just watch and see what this is about, hm?” Gregory looked up at his lord, his own brow matching the count’s slight frown. Hadn’t Lord Lantieri wanted to find Lady Leilani as soon as possible? She was right there, so shouldn’t he be marching up to her to talk with her? Nobles were so confusing sometimes.

[Lyrt]

Rilcha had been having a nice dream, his head propped against his knees as his ind floated wistfully through endless fantasies. They were a waste of time, the reality far harsher than the pretty picture painted in the endless dreamscape. Even through his thoughts toward the were cynical the child had to admit that he did feel a slight drop of happiness whenever he dreamed.

The latest one that his mind had wrapped itself in was not filled with fields of flowers nor the ocean. The landscape about him was illuminated by a glowing moon, standing full out in the sky. Snow lay piled about, glittering faintly in the soft light, flakes drifting down even though there was not a cloud to be seen in the sky.

He felt...empty, a sorrow accompanying the vast landscape that spun about him. "A-allo?" he called out hesitantly, the child's high voice echoing eerily through the emptiness.

Silence answered him, and he shivered in the cold as a large shadow suddenly loomed over his huddled form. "Hello" a voice answered in a loud growl, the child jumping as he was jerked awake.

An odd squeak rose in the back of his throat and she stared in silent horror at what had woken him so harshly. Another boy lay sprawled a short distance away, staring at him with an odd expression that made his stomach curl in distaste. Somehow though the other's nutty brown eyes left him frozen like a deer in headlights, he just could not pull himself to get away.

It was the other's own fault for tripping over him, yet he would be blamed if he stayed much longer. A voice saved him, calling out to the other and breaking the moment in two. There was not a moment wasted when he scrambled to his feet and ran off in the other direction, all of his attention directed on making sure that he was not pursued.

A nervous chitter rose in his throat, and he focused behind him, not paying the slightest attention to what lay ahead of him. The boy slammed into the woman at full speed, angry tears of frustration and embarrassment rising in his eyes as he slammed back into the street. His day was becoming horrible so quickly, already two mistakes shining in his mind.

Firstly he had noticed someone else, secondly he had been noticed himself. Soft green eyes strayed anywhere but the woman he had slammed into, and he tried to make himself look as small as possible as he unsuccessfully tired to scurry away on his hands and knees while soft squeaks of terror slipped fro his lips.

[Nayeli]

’introducing
{leilani richards*}
featuring--! Awiti Ekere Richards! Tasia Anna Georgios! Sunglow! Taeli Shealaes!
Come on closer, I wanna show you
What I'd like to do, You sit back now
Just relax now, I'll take care of you
Hot temptations, Sweet sensations
Infiltrating through, Sweet sensations
Hot temptations, Coming over you

I moved through the streets, Tasia was quiet, which was not that normal but I figured she was speaking with her dragon mentally. I had kept my mind open to Tasia, she could come and speak to me whenever she wanted to do that. I looked over at her for a moment and then up into the sky as we stopped by a market area so Awiti could look at the things that were there. ”Oh, Leilani, isn’t this beautiful?”

[/color] I turned my eyes back to my dark skinned sister, touching the fabric with my fingers. It was heavy but smooth and beautiful. The woman selling the fabric was the color of me, but behind her were dark skinned slaves in clean dresses weaving the fabric. ”It comes from across the ocean, Mi’lady.” I looked at the woman who was speaking to me and Awiti looked at her for a moment. ”I was the one speaking, not my sister… Where did it come from?”[/color] I smiled at my sister and touched her shoulder with a gentle hand. The woman at first was not going to answer and my eyes turned cold.

”Answer my sister… Where did it come from?”[/color] The woman looked at her for a moment and then at Tasia who was speaking in the ancient language to Taeli and laughing about the whole outcome. ”It comes from a land far away… My slave make these garment for me to sell, that way I can take care of my family and my slaves.” Awiti nodded and pulled out a lovely brown sake and pulled out the gold pieces the woman wanted. ”This could of come from my people… Thank You.”[/color] She said, folding the fabric carefully and placing it into a back that was placed over her shoulder. I smiled and we continued down the street, watching the children running around her feet.

”Mi’lady?”[/color] I turned to look at the woman beside me, her black hair, which now had feathers braided in and her eyes like that of a cat. ”Which children will we focus on more? Those of good families? Or those of the streets?”[/color] I thought about that for a moment and then smiled. ”Both… A rider could come of any of them. But, we have to remember, they must have a good heart…”[/color] She said, knowing that the younger, the better, as they would have been of innocent thoughts. Taeli nodded towards me and we continued walking, stopped at each shop to look at things, though in reality, we were trying to focus on the group of children in the area. I wondered when Genji would be near, knowing that they would be coming in their direction. The guards would have sent words to him, telling him that they were in the city. I had heard that Taeli had not stay in contact with the count, she had told him that I was coming and then returned to the near forest and stayed within’ true form. I doubted that Genji would enjoy that…

”Mi’Lady…”[/color] The voice came from above and myself, Awiti, Tasia, and Taeli turned our eyes to the sky, where Sunglow spun overhead, low enough for anyone to see. She was settled on a wind draft and was able to keep herself from rising up by angling herself a certain direction. ”Genji draws near, with two women and a young boy. The women are from his home country, I recognize their features are nearly the same as his owns.”[/color] I nodded, mentally thanking her before we continued across the street to the next shop. I knew that moving along slowly would only mean meeting with Genji sooner, but I did not care much, I was on a mission in his very city, he had a right to want to know what I was doing and he had a right to have my company.

As I thought about such matters, I remembered that I had told him I would be coming through the Western Gate, when instead I came through the southern gate. Though I had changed my mind, I hoped that it meant it would take a longer time to find us. I thought about it for a moment and then turned to Taeli. ”Taeli… Go and find Genji… I know you do not overly like him, but I need you to report to him that I had changed my mind this morning about which gate I would enter through, as the southern was much closer than the western.”[/color] I saw the look in Taeli’s eyes, it read that she did not want to do this, but she nodded and moved quietly through the crowd and soon was out of sight. I turned back to looking at some lovely crafts on the table we had stopped at, they were beautiful and very nice. As we stood, discussing the objects on the table, a few guards were whispering things about how they had just heard about my sister standing up for herself to the guard. It made me smile and Awiti did her best not to smile, as she did not want them to know were listening in on conversations.

Something caused Tasia to turn, though I did not as I was speaking with Awiti about something. I turned, Tasia’s hand was on my arm and I turned to see a young body had fallen and another was at his feet. One was a bit cleaner than the other. I took in the young boys features, he had green eyes and a brown hair that was matted. He looked like he had not had a good meal in a while and he was covered in thick layers of dirt. I leaned over to Tasia who nodded, knowing we had made our first choice in trying to pick a child to become a rider. I then looked at the other boy who also had brown hair, but I could not see his eyes. As I watched as the count came forward. “Are you all right, Gregory?” Genji asked the young man before the other scramble and then ran right into my own body. My hand tried to catch him, but there was no use. I knelt down and touched his head.

”Easy child, I’m not going to hurt you… Are you okay?”[/color] I looked at the young boy, who was avoiding my own eyes. Tasia had moved slightly to stand beside me and Awiti knelt down beside me as well. ”What are you running away from?”[/color] I asked once again, wondering what had forced him to run away. The count had not tried to hurt him, sure the boy had tripped over the young child, but he had not meant to. ”Are you hurt? My friend, Tasia, she can help if you are.”[/color] My voice was as soft as soft could be in the voice of an adult woman.

----- ----- ----- ----- -----
(POV TAELI)
I had been sent on a mission I did not want to be sent on, but with the help of Sunglow I had found the count and his friend with ease. I moved through the crowd and got to him as Leilani was speaking with a young child. ”Count Genji.”[/color] My voice was foreign to that of the people of this land and my eyes proved I was not human. My body said I was nothing more than a human woman, but I was not. My hair held feather in them and my skin was tanned from the sun. ”Lady Leilani sent me to find you… She said that she was sorry her letter deceived you… This morning on the flight to Teirm, they decided to change to the Southern Gate, as it was closer to where they were flying in from and they wanted to take Sunglow’s burden away.”[/color] The sound of a distance rumble could be heard as Sunglow protested that there was no burden, though no one would understand the rumbling of a dragon.

I looked at the woman who were with Genji and then moved away from him back to Leilani and the others, standing behind the body as I looked at Tasia. If he were to back up, he would run into my feet. ”Your message was delivered Mi’lady.”[/color] Leilani’s eyes returned to my own and she nodded before focusing back on the young boy.
[/blockquote][/blockquote]

Gonna take it slow babe, Do it my way
Keep your eyes on me. Your reaction
To my action is what I want to see
Rhythmic motion, Raw emotion
Infiltrating through, Sweet sensations
Hot temptations, Coming over you

’word count 1.388
’tagged Genji Lantieri, Rilcha Winter, Gregory, Tsukiko, Harumi
’song Come on Closer--! Jem
’post status done
’template creator nayeli

[/size]

[Elloria]

Genji did not deign to look at the Taeli-creature, much less give her a proper answer. He merely waved off the excuses she was giving for her lady’s deception – he was not even slightly interested. The other Itasans looked disinterestedly at Taeli, save for Harumi. The young woman’s head was slightly tilted to the right as she steadily met Taeli’s gaze. She continued to observe the foreign one long after it had turned back to Leilani-hime. “She is not human. But at least she is not ruled by her animalistic side. Zhayu yet hovers near her, though.”

“Zhayu hovers near most of them,” Genji murmured, his tone filled with disdain. “My concern lies with the large dragon-kin flying overhead.”

“Yawata no Kami will let no real harm come to you,” Harumi said with confidence. Genji snorted and turned his attention back to Leilani.

“He is a street urchin, Leilani. He probably thinks I will punish him for sprawling in the alley and thereby inadvertently tripping young Gregory here.”

Gregory shifted uncomfortably. “I wasn’t lookin’ where I was goin’,” he protested quietly. “It wasn’t his fault at all.” He looked up at his lord, a frown on his face. “You wouldn’ hurt him…would you, Lord Lantieri?”

Genji quirked an eyebrow at his young slave. He shook his head and ruffled Gregory’s hair fondly. “Not if you feel otherwise, Gregory. I trust your judgment.”

There was a quiet snort from one of the four Itasan guards – Genji suspected he knew which one – and Gregory flushed. The boy shrank in on himself a little. His judgment was terrible and Lord Lantieri knew that! Why did his lord insist on trying to reassure him?! But Gregory didn’t say that. He just kept his eyes downcast, chewing the inside of his cheek nervously.

Genji frowned slightly, but said nothing. He simply moved his hand to the boy’s shoulder and squeezed it gently before turning back to Leilani and company. Looking curiously at the terrified little boy, the count said, “So. What now, Leilani-hime?”

[Lyrt]

Rilcha flinched as the hand touched his head, expecting it to strike him at any moment. He shifted to scramble away once again only to be barred in by two more woman. He didn't know what to do, he just wanted to leave and go back to hiding away from such people. Emerald eyes stayed trained on the ground as he waited for his opportunity to break away from these people. Her voice seemed so kind, so gentle, yet h was sure her eyes would be different, dark and cold just like the rest of the people wandering about.

The child did not answer the woman's questions, no matter how soft and sincere her voice seemed. If he accepted her help she would drag him off to work to pay off a debt and he would never see the light of day again! His small shoulders shook as he attempted to get to his feet, feeling unsteady and already knowing in the back of his mind that something was wrong. For a moment it was fine, and he was just about to shove past them and run, yet the shaking began again and he fell back onto his rear, all strength leaving his legs as they turned to jelly.

"N-nah!" he threw his arms up over his head protectively and stayed in place, making sure to keep a stiff lip and not let on just how much fear he was feeling. Crying was not an option, if he cried it would show he was weak. Only little girls cried anyways, and he was most certainly not one of those. "M-...move..." his voice was thick with the slurs and accents of the streets, his soft voice not making his words any more understandable.

[Nayeli]

’introducing
{leilani richards*}
featuring--! Awiti Ekere Richards! Tasia Anna Georgios! Sunglow! Taeli Shealaes!
Come on closer, I wanna show you
What I'd like to do, You sit back now
Just relax now, I'll take care of you
Hot temptations, Sweet sensations
Infiltrating through, Sweet sensations
Hot temptations, Coming over you

Looking at the child flinch away from my delicate hand, I watched the child avoid my eyes and I let out a sigh. It was such a sad sight to see children scared and hiding in the shadows. This would change for a few select few. My werecat and rider friends spoke between each other secretly. ”The foreign being is rude… It is such a sad thing to see that from other countries.”

[/color] Looking up at the two for a moment, I smiled. ”Get used to it. From what Leilani says, he is not pleasant to be around.”[/color] I smiled at their words and focused on the child for a moment. Above, I could hear the sound of Sunglow as she roared loudly, catching the ears and eyes of many as they looked into the skies. As many voices sounded at the sight of a yellow dragon flying high above the city, myself and the others did not pay attention to her. ”Tasia, my friend… What do you think?”[/color] The elf knelt down and looked at the child for a moment. ”Well, from what I can see… Right now, his fear out weights his confidence… It could be brought out with a few lessons that we can bring to him… I have seen elves in his place before. But he is much younger than the elves who begin training.”[/color] I smiled at her and then heard the voice of the count of the city.

How wonderful… ”He is a street urchin, Leilani. He probably thinks I will punish him for sprawling in the alley and thereby inadvertently tripping young Gregory here.” My eyes looked at him and then at the woman beside him. Oh, how wonderful, he found his own woman to marry. ”Well, he will not be punished… He is a child… I thought you were bring this city around, Genji? What, do you punish children for sleeping in the alleys and being in the way when they have been abandoned?”[/color] My own emeralds eyes looked at his own eyes and I glanced at the other child beside him.

“I wasn’t lookin’ where I was goin’. It wasn’t his fault at all.” Well, at least the boy had spoken up, that was better than not speaking up. ”You wouldn’ hurt him…would you, Lord Lantieri?” I returned my gaze to Genji. ”Not if you feel otherwise, Gregory. I trust your judgment.” I gave a slight smile before returning my eyes to the boy as he shook away from me. As he threw his arms over his head, his words were so soft, I could barely understand him say the word ”Nah”, but it was there. I was not going to allow him to leave. I felt a strong pull to him. ”M-...move..." I looked at Tasia and she nodded before leaning down and picking the boy of gentle and smiling at him. Helping him to his feet, but keeping her hands on his shoulder. voice was thick with the slurs and accents of the streets, his soft voice not making his words any more understandable.

”So. What now, Leilani-hime?” My emerald eyes landed on him and I looked back at the boy. ”Food. The child needs to be feed and I am hungry myself.”[/color] The dragon above seemed to agree as another roar could be heard from above and I looked up to see the beast zoom over and go towards the mountains above. ”Taeli? Are you hungry my friend?”[/color] The feline creature smiled at me, her sharp teeth showing ever so slightly as she looked towards the east herself. ”I think it be best if I go to the forest, Mi’Lady. Your food is never good for my stomach, I need something fresher.”[/color] I smiled and nodded at her. ”But I will stay with you until we reach wherever you wish to go.”[/color] [/blockquote][/blockquote]

Gonna take it slow babe, Do it my way
Keep your eyes on me. Your reaction
To my action is what I want to see
Rhythmic motion, Raw emotion
Infiltrating through, Sweet sensations
Hot temptations, Coming over you

’word count 0.641
’tagged Genji Lantieri, Rilcha Winter, Gregory, Tsukiko, Harumi
’song Come on Closer--! Jem
’post status done
’template creator nayeli

[/size]

[Elloria]

Genji scoffed at Leilani’s response. “I did not say I would punish him, merely that he assumed I would.” His tone remained polite and even, though it was clear he was lecturing her at least slightly. “Please do not pass judgment upon my city or my governance when you have spent so little time here. This city has come a long way since my father’s death. A child like him would have been lucky to last this long under his rule. But unfortunately, I cannot spend every minute of every day seeking out the shiqu haizi of my city so that they may be taken care of.” He glanced up at the dragon circling overhead. Though Leilani continued speaking to him, he seemed to pay her no mind as his eyes followed the dragon closely. Its presence would only be more disruptive to the smooth operation of his city if it decided to swoop down and set fire to the buildings and people. He wanted it gone – or at the very least out of sight. His brow furrowed slightly as he watched it. He hadn’t even been able to inform his city ahead of time about the arrival of a Rider and dragon. Did all Riders simply revel in terrifying the local populace with the looming monstrosities they called companions? The audacity and arrogance annoyed him to no end. He would have to speak with them about this. It was just plain rude.

It was several moments before he was pulled back from his musing by a gentle tug on his sleeve. Glancing down, he saw Gregory looking pointedly at him. Flicking his eyes back to Leilani and her companions, he realized that the princess had said something about food. Blinking a few times, he inclined his head slightly. “My apologies, princess. I was distracted by your…flying companion. If you wish, your company and the boy may join us at the Citadel for luncheon. We were just about to return when we came across you.”

[Lyrt]

Rilcha was...stunned to say the least, the boy's emerald eyes wide as he stared blankly at the cracks in the stone beneath his feet. Ants slipped silently out of it in hoards, free to snatch up whatever crumbs they could find about. Though, he himself simply wanted to turn to water and seep in through the cracks, yet...that would hurt the poor Ant's home wouldn't it? That would sadden them greatly, and it would be cruel to take their home like that just to get away from oth-...He was just making himself confused and his head hurt, thinking was getting hard so he started to cock his head about, trying to find an exit to his situation.

His eyes fell upon the feline creature above himself and he fell silent, not even noticing that he had been helped to his feet. It was a cat, one like the other cats that roamed through the streets and roosted on rooftops ready to pounce on a nearby bird. This one though...was different, it was blatantly clear to him that it was. How though...he had no idea. "C-...cuh...cat!" he mumbled, completely entranced by the other creature, having completely forgotten his predicament for the moment. Slowly he raised his hand and reached out with a finger, prodding it's nose curiously until the mention of food caught his attention.

His stomach slowly rumbled in recognition, the small little bugger purring at the mention of what it craved, Rilcha on the other hand felt a speck of hatred flare up towards the traitor. He stared to lightly hit it, cracked and bruised lips pulled down into a frown. It was rather aggravating to start up when he was trying to put up a brave front. There was no need for him to be fed! He was just fine on his own without the women bothering him. At that moment though his stomach decided once again to disprove the point he had been trying to prove to himself, letting out another loud rumble of hunger and displeasure that caused the boy to squirm uncomfortably where he stood.

After a few moments he tried to bolt again, the nimble yet grimy fingers trying to dislodge the hand on his shoulder for a for a little bit before declaring it a lost cause. He stood stiffly and turned his gaze back to the ants, glaring at them angrily for no reason in particular.

[Nayeli]

’introducing
{leilani richards*}
featuring--! Awiti Ekere Richards! Tasia Anna Georgios! Sunglow! Taeli Shealaes!
Come on closer, I wanna show you
What I'd like to do, You sit back now
Just relax now, I'll take care of you
Hot temptations, Sweet sensations
Infiltrating through, Sweet sensations
Hot temptations, Coming over you

As the child looked down completely at the ground, I knew his confidence would have to be worked on at least. The child was atleast standing up now and Tasia was not going to let the child go. Once he was calmed down enough and would at least speak to them in a better manner, then we could ask him about being a part of the first human riders. I could not ask him here in the streets… It was best to ask this in private. As I stood and waited to hear would Genji was to say, or more like, lecture me like normal, I looked at him.

“I did not say I would punish him, merely that he assumed I would.” Lifting my nose, somehow, I had a hard time believe him. The way the boy coward after everything, it was a shame. ”Please do not pass judgment upon my city or my governance when you have spent so little time here. This city has come a long way since my father’s death. A child like him would have been lucky to last this long under his rule. But unfortunately, I cannot spend every minute of every day seeking out the shiqu haizi of my city so that they may be taken care of.” The dragon that flew overhead seemed to have caught his attention. Our conversation ended and I chose not to speak further on the matter. As Tasia watched his growing concern, I felt her mind reach out and then her voice speak. ”She won’t harm your city, Lord Genji… The rider dragons protect the land, not harm it… So, you have nothing to fear from my sister.”

[/color] The yellow dragon seemed to be having fun going high into the air and weaving between the clouds above. As I smiled at her, I looked back down at the child whom seemed to have gained interest in the were-tiger… Though she was in her human form, her feline appearance showed through some… With the feline like eyes as well as teeth, it was very apparent she was not human.

”C-...cuh...cat!" I smiled at the child, as well as Taeli who gave him a grin and pulled out a hand carved feline version of herself. The painted tiger stripes were very beautiful. As I turned my head, I noticed the man was looking down at the young boy who had come with them. Why was a child traveling with the count of Teirm. I knew the man held no children, so this confused me. ”My apologies, princess. I was distracted by your…flying companion. If you wish, your company and the boy may join us at the Citadel for luncheon. We were just about to return when we came across you.” I glared at him at the mention of Princess. ”If I must tell you one more time, I am no princess, Genji… And thank you for the invitation, that would be lovely.”[/color] Looking back, Tasia’s hand was firmly on the boy’s shoulder, though she did not hurt him, she was not letting going and that I was pleased about. I looked to Awiti who was constantly getting stairs from the many people of Teirm. Having been here once before, she knew this was where she had been brought to be sold, but I had decided otherwise. With her darkened skin, she set out like a sore thumb and her clothing was the only thing that set her apart from the slaves of this city. [/blockquote][/blockquote]

Gonna take it slow babe, Do it my way
Keep your eyes on me. Your reaction
To my action is what I want to see
Rhythmic motion, Raw emotion
Infiltrating through, Sweet sensations
Hot temptations, Coming over you

’word count 0.585
’tagged Genji Lantieri, Rilcha Winter, Gregory, Tsukiko, Harumi
’song Come on Closer--! Jem
’post status done
’template creator nayeli

[/size]