Succession: Rebellion

Ana was back in the trees. She knew that her movements there were quite obvious to the elves, which irritated her to no end, but still she felt safer among the bark and the leaves. But still... She had been trained to never be seen, to kill before the target knew she was there. It felt wrong on so many levels, for her movements of stealth to be seen so clearly.

But why was she staying? Kegan and his family were with the elves now. She could take off right now, without them knowing. The elves would see her leave, of course, but they didn't think highly of her at all. Wouldn't they let her go, rather than have her in their midst? And it wasn't like Hazuki could kill her here and now.

It would be so easy, to just slip away.

((Hm. So, timeskip to resting at an inn, or something? For Kegan's group.))

C.C.

After fixing her hair for the last time, C.C. gazed intently at herself in a mirror before she turned to Katie.

"How do I look? Do I look my best? Do you think Nebi would like it?"

(Whoa. I am so sorry that I have been gone. College took over my life and well yeah. But I am back if you'll take me.)

(Of course, Toko. Nothing much has changed. Nebi's in the inn to "exchange information" with C.C. and Kegan and the others have met the Elven Scouts. Caesar has also had Garnet make her first murder).

Katie couldn't help but giggle at how her usually brass and confident friend was nervous about reuniting with her lover whom she hadn't seen in who-knows-how-long. She smiled, "You look beautiful, C.C., as always, and I think Nebi will like it. The way you two go at it... It's sickening."

(Awesome)

Nell was half-listening to Katie and C.C.'s conversation from outside the room. He didn't particularlly care for the man Nebi or his relationship with C.C. mainly because he felt it was known of his business. At the end of the day he was still a servant in the palace.

(I'm good with a skip.)

(I am also good with a time-skip)

Jewels walked into the cabin and was about to speak when he saw that Rhys was not alone. After comfirming that the woman wasn't coming onto Rhys, Jewels put a hand on his dagger.

"Well hello. I didn't realize we would be getting guests. I'm sorry that I wasn't around. I had things to do." Jewels grinned at the woman. "I trust that everything is ok."

(I'm good with a skip if everyone else is. How about you, Magus?)

((I suggested the time-skip for Kegan's group in the first place.))

"Hardly. It's politics," he replied and that was that conversation.

--------------------------------

Twilight had setteled over the forest as they reached the Wayward's Vantage, a inn-house well known to Ulqora and he rangers. It's single glowing lantern was visible from far away once the light of the sun dimmed, but as the party drew closer Ulqora was plesatly surprissed to see the lantern had been exchanged for a hanging bowl filled with flowers which attracted a small swarm of fireflies.

The all-natural lantern was hanging over an archway on the side of a great tree several hundred feet across, though the archway was barely tall enough for the rangers to go through without crouching. Past the archway, Ulqora lead the group up in a spiral hallway fashioned inside the mighty tree untill they emerged onto a terrace on the side of a tall building that seemed like it had grown out of the giant tree whose crown it was sitting on.

Everything about the inn at the top of the tree was gentle. The wood in the building was gently curving, not a single right corner to be seen. The light comming from it was the gentle orange-green of a cozy fire as seen through tinted glass. The soft harp music floating from a window ajar floated gently upon the gentle freeze fluttering through the leaves. Not a rowdy tavern for drink, merryment and a late night brawl, but a refuge for the tired traveler to lay his feet high and contemplate the journey.

Ulqora stayed on the terrace, leaning on the railing and loocking out over his forrest, while he waited for the others to reach the top of the spiral tunnel.
"A nice place with a better view," he muttered gently to himself in elvish as the last ones emerged from the tree.

(Since everyone agreed to skip, I hope no one will mind that I did it^^')

(I know. And I'm not in the Kegan group....*headdesk* I am sorry. I misread that name or thought of a different group.)

(Oh. Right. Sorry Magus. Sometimes forget to read back.)

Despite his troubled, or more like nonexistent, history with his people, Kegan had to admit that the inn looked peaceful. He smiled softly and picked up Atiya.

"It's time for bed, darling. Would you like a snack before going to sleep?" he asked gently.

Within a minute of Garnet's killing, Caesar opened the door to the room she was located in and strolled in. The Humage smirked at the sight of the child's blood-covered face and hands.

"Good. You actually did it. I half expected you to chicken out, at the last minute. But it seems you proved me wrong. Good job."

Garnet faced him with empty eyes. It was time to leave. She wanted to be out of there, never to return, never to do this again. But there was something disturbing about this. He had hurt her... it almost didn't feel like murder. But simply defending herself. She hadn't been there as an assassin... she was hurt by the man, in ways she didn't want to recall... people got punished for their actions...

And yet, the whole thing seemed wrong... every last bit of it.

"What... will we do... now?" she mumbled, shifting her gaze to the floor. The blood dripped from her hands, leaving bright scarlet spots upon the floor and her feet.

Caesar

"Get the hell out of here, of course. What else? But we'd best clean that blood off of you, first." Caesar replied.

C.C.

"Oh hush," C.C. admonished, lightly swatting Katie's arm. She giggled a moment later and took one last look at herself in the mirror.

"Alright....you can show him in...."

Atiya, Rein

"Yes, Daddy! Please!" Atiya giggled. A second later she gave Kegan an exicted look.

"Ooh, am I gonna get to sleep with you and Mommy tonight, Daddy?"

"I, um, don't think so, Atiya. If we can find you a spare room, that is..." Rein told her hesitantly, the idea having not occured to her, before. Hm. Would Atiya have to sleep with them in their room, if she perhaps couldn't share one with Alain? Hm...that would make things....hard, here, in their stay at the Elven Tribes...

Katie couldn't help but giggle, opening the door to let a Nebi, who had his ear pressed to it, stumble in. He grinned happily at the sight of C.C. She looked so beautiful... So otherworldly.

"So, did you miss me as much as I missed you?" he asked charmingly.

*

Kegan looked at his daughter, as though debating it. That would mean no... maritial relations, but then, he wasn't sure he was comfortable having sex with the possibility that strangers or their companions might hear so he nodded.

"Of course. But I thought you were a big girl, Atiya," he told her mock-severely.

C.C.

In response to his query, C.C. rushed over to Nebi and brought him into a bone-crushing embrace.

"What do you think, moron? Of course I missed you!"

Atiya

"I am a big girl!" Atiya replied, frowning at her Daddy. "I just like sleeping with you and Mommy..."

"And I missed you! Those Rebels have such big sticks up their arses!" Nebi exclaimed, returning the embrace and bring C.C. in a big, deep kiss.

*

"Right. I know, honey," Kegan told her as if not believing her, smiling happily at his little girl. Sometimes, he couldn't believe he had someone so precious, so pure. He could tell he was going to be tearing his hair out when she discovered boys but, for now, she was his perfect little girl.

Magus1108 wrote:

Caesar

"Get the hell out of here, of course. What else? But we'd best clean that blood off of you, first." Caesar replied.

Garnet followed Caesar to where she would clean off the blood of the man. Even when all of it had been rinsed from her skin, she still felt it there, thick and matting the small hairs of her arms. She hoped to leave as quickly as possible.

Ana was the last to reach the terrace. Her head was slightly bowed, but her eyes flickered from side-to-side and her ears were open. How dangerous was this place? Was she overreacting, or not alert enough? It was times like this that Ana wished she knew more about this land and what was going on here.

And if she chose to flee during the night, would the elves let her be?

So many uncertainties, and uncertainties were what she hated the most.


(I thought that they left Alain behind. Of course, now that I'm thinking about it, I don't remember really deciding either way...)

((Hm, no, Alain should be with them. Rein wouldn't want to leave him behind. If she had to, Rein would claim Alain as her own adopted child, so he could techincally be apart of Kegan's family and allowed into the Tribes. While Kegan might just view Alain as a young friend of Alain's, Rein is starting to care about the young lad, and wouldn't want to separate him and Atiya if at all possible.))

Caesar

"Here we go." Caesar smirked, and snapped his fingers. A second later, he and Garnet appeared back in the shabby motel Caesar had claimed as their hideout.

"Welcome home!" Caesar stated with mock joy.

Rein, Atiya

"I am, Daddy!" Atiya protested, puffing out her cheeks as she crossed her small arms. "I am a big girl!"

"Of course you are, Sweety." Rein replied, smiling at her daughter as she held back a giggle.

C.C.

C.C. eagerly returned the kiss, but soon broke it after she remembered they had an audience. She gave Katie an imploring look and gestured with her head toward the door.

"You can....go, now, Katie. Please."

Katie flushed, shaking her head at her mentor's antics. She darted away, murmuring, "Not soon enough."

Such was her hurry that she didn't notice the woman she almost ran into. She smiled at her apologetically, "Sorry, Miss."

Nebi, for his part, smirked over at C.C. as he wrapped an arm around here waist, "I've been chaste for months, C.C.! Months! This commitment stuff is hard work!"

Nell smiled as Katie left the room and he walked over to her as she walked into something.

"Do you want to do something Katie since we have time?"

Magus1108 wrote:

Caesar

"Here we go." Caesar smirked, and snapped his fingers. A second later, he and Garnet appeared back in the shabby motel Caesar had claimed as their hideout.

"Welcome home!" Caesar stated with mock joy.

Garnet paced the room, as Caesar expressed his mock joy. She was so far removed from any emotion of the sort. She no longer felt like a child, moreso than she ever had.

"What are you going to do now?" she inquired, her voice quiet and weary.

Katie couldn't help but smile at Nell. At least she had him to spend time with why C.C. and Nebi got "reacquainted".

"Of course. I'd rather not be within earshot of C.C. and her guest," she told him, saying the last part in a deadpan tone.

Nell smiled at her, his ears twitching.

"Coming from someone with better ears than most, I agree." He started to walk down the hall. "What shall we do?"