Carried Away By..., A Moonlight Shadow(guard) (Names!)

It would be well into the night when the humanoids would be stirred from their slumbers. The sound that woke them wouldn't be obvious at first, but the more they woke up, the more they'd realize that there was some sort of music playing. But the music wasn't coming from some outside source; the quiet song playing was in their minds, on a wave that their shinies wouldn't hear. The lilting melody was as haunting as it was lovely, and should they decide to get out of bed to follow it, they'd more than likely be led right out of their homes and into the faintly chilly night. A bonding was to be held this night, but for once George wouldn't alert everyone to it; he was silent, allowing the bonding holder to call his fellow Whazzitians to him in his own way.

They'd be lead all the way to the rocky cliffs, the faint song growing louder. Once they reached a certain area, however, the cliffs would melt away and they'd step into a beautiful field of roses in at least twelve different colors. Oddly enough, every single stem was void of thorns, and the fragrant field was surrounded on three sides by water rushing down green cliffs. Rocky mountains could be seen around the area as well, and if one was to peer out into the horizon, they'd see a crystalline ocean. Something akin to water twisters circled on the surface, never getting any closer and looking like poles of water for the most part. The entire 'world' was bathed in faintly blue moonlight, casting a calm, serene glow on everything it touched. The moon itself was close enough to seem larger than usual, with a dark mist just behind it. Floating along almost lazily were little orbs of light, prismatic 'tails' trailing along behind them as they moved.

The water, hitting the uttermost edges of the field, would turn into a fine mist that crept out over the roses. It wouldn't get anyone wet or damp, and didn't seem to bother the ten pools of shadows settled around the source of the haunting noise. Altair sat in the center of the entire field, playing a strange instrument with his eyes closed. Settled on either side of him were a Shade and a Shifter, the proud parents of the pups sitting nearby. Just behind the man stood a lovely woman, though she was completely transparent and seemed intent on watching him play the ocarina. A sad smile graced her lips whenever he would hit sweeter notes, but she wouldn't - couldn't - say a thing to him. Since he seemed loathe to stop playing and was keener on playing the song, his Queen would be the one to greet the attendees, her dark turquoise eyes gentle. She gently nosed one of the 'sprites' gliding nearby before turning her gaze to her pups, ears pricked forward.

With luck they would find their bonds this night. And perhaps the attendees would find something more than just a new companion as well. After all, Altair already had...



Next Post~ In about a week. On the 4th.

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Rules/Things To Know
* This bonding is a nighttime bonding. ^^
* No shinies, please.
* One post between mine. Post all you want.
* Send in your preferences. I want personality, rank, accessories, dog breed (yes, I'm serious), anything you can think of. Heck, I even want a song or two you might like. These babies will be completely customized based on what you send me.
* This is basically the setting, though obviously it's at night. Clickie! And yes, the little orb things are flying around everywhere too. ;D Special reasons.
* Here is the song he was playing. Because I have a fascination with ocarinas and that song. >.>
* Have fun, and if you've got any questions, message me~

Shifter Surak -- T'Rae
Shifter Mav -- Da'Chetre
Crystal Tegan -- Geoffrey A-13
Silver Unir -- Alan
Shadow Anjel -- Ria
Platinum Sigsteinn -- Alan
Platinum Arlen -- Meliai
Platinum Eilian -- Professor
Platinum Vercopa -- Da'Chetre
Platinum Roman -- Ria

Attendees (8) Three missed posts and you're out, sorry. :<
Geoffrey A-13, The Professor, T'Rae, Elouise, Kythen, Da'chetre, Meliai, Alan, Ria

Posted (0/8)


Waiting On
Elouise, Geoffrey A-13, T'Rae, Ria, Da'chetre, Meliai, The Professor, Alan

Out
None~

Bond List: 10/10
0/0 Shade
0/0 Mist
0/0 Gold
0/2 Shifter
0/1 Crystal
0/1 Silver
0/1 Shadow
0/5 Platinum

In his bed, Geoffrey lay curled up, huddled against T'Rae unashamedly. Though he said nothing about it, he had been grateful not to be left alone in this form. It haunted him more than anything else, taunted him almost with the reminder of what once had been.

Tonight, he could've stayed that way throughout the night and slept, something else he would've been thankful for, had it not been for the music playing across his mind. The echoing emptiness that filled him most nights — most, no longer all — was slowly invaded by the distant release of known here, and him there, until gradually the fluid continuous melody emerged, stirring Geoffrey's mind into abrupt activity. What kept him from stirring outwardly was the fact the music continued.

He lay still, the only signed he was bothered the way his hackles raised slightly. He didn't like anything that messed with his mind, it had more than his share of that kind of thing in his lifetime, and even the pervasive voices of his specimens were barely acceptable. Once he woke up, the music should have stopped, which led him to wonder if he actually had woken up or if this was some very strange new form of dream. He hoped dearly for the former. There was no such thing as sweet dreams for Geoffrey.

Blinking his eye open, Geoffrey carefully shifted from side to his stomach and his head back down across T'Rae's arm. A single glance was all it took for him to tell if she was awake as well or not. "Do you hearr that?" Tell him he's not hearing things again.

For a few minutes he tried to lay there and let himself go back to sleep. Now that his mind was aware of the music, however, Geoffrey would not be content until he determined what the source of it was. It seemed T'Rae shared the sentiment, or at least shared enough sympathy for him to indulge him, for when he stirred to jump down from the bed she wasn't far behind in getting up. The cyborg wolf sat watching patiently, almost guiltily for having to watch and wait in this particular form, and also for insisting on depriving her of a chance to get much-needed sleep.

Once she was ready, Geoffrey silently led the way out of his house, deliberately ignoring any stirrings by his maternal specimens, and appreciating the fortune that the dead of night was when the Thieves Guild was most likely to be out about, and so they were, leaving him mostly undisturbed to leave alone. When transformed, he avoided the majority of his specimens, save for his Ikal'daka, and tonight he… He simply rather be alone other than T'Rae's hand on the scruff of his neck.

There wasn't much talking done. There wasn't much to say, not with his attention focused purely on tracking the sounds on what proved to be both a familiar and unfamiliar path. He knew the way to the rocky cliffs well, but when exactly the surroundings changed to florid fields of roses he couldn't say, nor did he remember ever being there before or hearing about such a place around the Weyrd. Such was the nature of the Weyrd, however.

Looking up around him, the blue glow of his ocular device was matched by the reflection of the moonlight, washing his white and dark fur with a paler tint of the same color. The ocean, the endless thread of water, the twister in water and cascading falls; it also has been such a beautiful sight, and all Geoffrey couldn't bring himself to feel was the distant longing and sadness deep in his heart. Even the close, full moon only made him hurt.

Come this far, however, after a moment to place his mind, Geoffrey stepped forward, and then continued to trace the source of the music which had grown softly louder as they walked. What he eventually saw caused his step to come up short and a quiet growl, a mixture of encountering the unexpected and a dislike for the other, trembled in his throat.

Ears standing sharp, it was clear his attention remained mostly on Altair even when his gaze slowly slid to the pair of Shadowguards positioned beside the raven shifter (not knowing that was no longer the man's form). He almost didn't notice the woman behind Altair until the movement of a brief smile caught his attention. A vague sense of confusion was slowly settling over Geoffrey, something strange about this place, and he turned his head up to look expectantly at T'Rae to see how she felt, if she had any idea what to do now, whether she thought the Shadowguards were worth approaching, anything else or anything at all from the Vulcan.

[ I Can See - Something Beautiful ]

The sleep that was surrounding his body was slowly slipping, not because he wanted it too, in fact he was trying with everything in him to hold onto it, but because of the melody that was playing. He pulled the blankets tighter around his body and shoved his face into his pillow to either push the melody that was playing out or suffocate himself so that it would fade away. Neither worked and he eventually awoke with a grumble, he looked towards the clock on the table next to his bed expecting to have to hit snooze but instead he realized that the clock wasn't what was humming at him. He gave another groan and slid out of bed, and stumbled to the closet, before throwing on the first things he got his hands it in place of his pajama pants. He wouldn't be able to tell you why but something about the music, though haunting, was familiar and he had this need to follow it.

He followed the song, to the cliffs and beyond, it grew in volume the entire time. The song had been his main focus for so long that when he finally came out of the haze he saw that he was standing at the edge of a rose field. Not just a normal rose field though, this one seemed more serene what with it being bathed in moonlight and surrounded by green cliffs and flowing waterfalls. Professor's eyes widened, his feet taking him deeper into the field involuntarily. He hadn't meant too but when he looked up he caught site of the water twisters floating above the ocean on the horizon. Though everything was rippling none of it was truly moving, it almost looked like a still frame. The moon was so big but that didn't draw his attention it was the orbs that seemed to swim through the air that pulled him in. What were those? When nothing immediately came to mind, he cast another look around. To put it simply everything was beautiful and this made him briefly forget his original reasons for being here.

The tips of his fingers were teasing at the mist that danced over the roses when he spotted the center of everything, what and who was playing the music and where it was coming from. With a squint the Professor leaned his head to the side, this figure was familiar, in fact this was on of the first people he had ever come in contact with here in the Weyrd. It was Altair and he was playing the ocarina the Professor had been sent to this time with. A smile of both pride and happiness spread across his face. He had done good. When the young man had received the gift before, the Time Lord was sure he had done something wrong. But this was obviously not true now seeing as how the man looked utterly enthralled with his instrument. His brown eyes caught site of the foggy figure behind and his eyebrow raised. He had no idea who it was, just that she was a woman and that she was gazing down fondly at the player.

Because of the mood he was beyond hesitant to advance on the group, he didn't need to ruin it. After some time he made his way over to the queen, they were usually in charge in situations like this, when he reached her, he bowed his head before speaking. "Hello Amane, its very nice to see you again." His tone holding, kindness and a certain sense of admiration.

It was something of a bittersweet surprise when Geoffrey contacted her. She had already prepared herself to not be around that night, expecting that he would want nothing to do with her for a variety of reasons but mostly out of habit. She didn’t argue though, she tried not to give any kind of strong indication other than agreement. She wasn’t going to argue with being allowed to sleep with him, as unexpected as it may have been.

It was a strange arrangement, to be sure, it was not what she would ever have expected, but it still allowed her to get some rest and she didn’t think it was too farfetched to guess that he actually liked that she had stayed, the way he cuddled with her. Without question she had retreated into her sleep, she would take every advantage of a night without nightmares that she could. When she did manage to achieve that dreamless sleep that Geoffrey provided her, T’Rae was very hard to wake. It was not the music, by any means, that disturbed her, she was far too used to hearing music in her head for something as simple as that to wake her up.

What disturbed the sleeping Vulcan was Geoffrey moving against her and speaking, her sleep definitely disturbed by the strange twist to his voice until her groggy brain caught back up with the situation. “I hear a lot of things Geoffrey.” She grumbled sleepily, being woken up in the middle of the night was not exactly something she appreciated, being a woman of little sleep generally. She would be perfectly willing to sympathize in the morning. It didn’t stop her from listening, though, and it took her longer than she would be proud to admit to actually pick out the sound. Granted she had been listening for something in the room not inside her head. The song was lower, a different kind of noise from the ones she normally heard. “Yes.” She added after a minute, her brow furrowing in concern, she wasn’t sure if she should be comforted or not by the fact that she wasn’t the only one hearing it.

Geoffrey being concerned about it to get up was the only indication she needed that it was something worth examining. She did linger a moment, not wanting to leave her warm, comfortable spot, but only for a moment before she sighed faintly and got up. Dressing with mild urgency as the song continued through her head, and partly because Geoffrey was waiting for her, finally slipping her boots on and drawing the labcoat a little tighter around her, nodding for him to leave the way.

She stayed close, letting him lead the way since he could probably hear it and pinpoint it easier than she could with the myriad of other songs playing over it in her head. She couldn’t say when she gave in and rested her hand against him, though she was glad he didn’t reject it, and neither could she say when the scenery began to shift and change from the cliffs she was familiar with to something very different, even though she had been watching her surroundings intently. She couldn’t say she was quite uneasy about it, she realized that she probably should have been but something about the elaborate scene before her didn’t quite stir up that kind of emotion.

When her guide stopped she almost didn’t notice, almost kept walking, only barely managing to stop short. At first she followed his gaze across the setting, but it didn’t take long for it to settle back on him, the hand resting lightly over him tightening for just a moment in his fur. It seemed she wasn’t the only one that felt something off about tonight, though she did get the feeling that it was for distinctly different reasons. She hated to see him like this and know that there was nothing she could do about it, wishing for some way to make anything easier for him.

T’Rae was much more on her toes when Geoffrey started moving again, following diligently right up to Altair and the strange woman. Glancing over everything, dark eyes watching the strange orbs keenly, strange orbs very rarely indicated anything good in her experiences both on and off of Planet, before falling onto the Shadowguards. That was not so much of a surprise, though she would certainly like to have a word with Altair about how he went on calling people. If it weren’t for Geoffrey’s prompting she wouldn’t have come, the last time she’d followed a strange noise to a bonding she’d gotten a ghost and a lifetime of nightmares instead.

“Something is…off.” Was the best she had to offer when Geoffrey looked to her for some indication, aware that he had probably already come to the exact same conclusion. Not anything she thought it was worth leaving over, nothing had ever been threatening about the shifter and the situation itself did seem to hold an odd sense of peace about it. She didn't say as much though, one arm behind her back and the other resting firmly against his neck as the only indication that she would stay. She would be willing to stay and see what happened. And she didn’t get out of bed and come all this way to just not find out what was happening, she would stick it out at least until they received some kind of explanation. No sense making a decision without any information.

[I wish - 922 Words - Something I Could Do]

El was curled up in a chair near the fireplace in her sitting room, lulled to the sleep by the sound of the heavy breathing of the lump of rust colored fur that lay like a miniature mountain in front of the fireplace. She’d been working on her embroidery in shades of red and orange when she’d finally fallen asleep and the embroidery hoop in her lap. It was uncertain how long she was asleep for, but it seemed as though it must’ve been a while for she was slowly awakened by some strange yet beautiful sound. Lifting a hand to rub at her eyes as the sound became recognizable as music, the hoop fell from her lap and she bent over to retrieve it. All around her, scattered on the floor like snoring rocks were her assortment of canine friends, she found it odd that none of them stirred at the sound of the music for it was clear and enchanting to her.

Almost in a daze, she stood and stretched, rolling her head first to one side then the other, pulling her single braid over her shoulder to rest against the silk-linked brocade robe she wore over her night gown. It was made in shades of greens and teals with silver thread adding shimmering accents to the pristine white roses that bloomed across the heavy fabric. Stepping lightly she slipped into her sleeping chamber and into a pair of sturdy slippers before navigating the shiny strewn floor of the sitting room with the uncanny ease that sleepwalkers often had. From there is was only a matter of navigating the various stairs and corridors that would lead her to the backside of Cassanova’s manor; she left the door to the flagstone veranda ajar as she left, sweeping across the mottled green and brown lawn.

The music called to her, pulled her in a direction she’d never gone—though she was never truly keen on exploration for exploration’s sake, especially since there were dangerous beasties lurking just about everywhere, including the manor—completely unaware that she’d left behind all of her shinies and was left unprotected should anything come after her. Thankfully she made her way toward the rocky cliffs unmolested, the otherworldly music becoming more distinct as she reached a very strange spot amongst the cliffs. Compact dirt and rocks gave way to a lush field of roses in every shade imaginable. The smell was utterly intoxicating, intermingled as it was with the scent of fresh water. El lurched forward, eyes taking in the sight of a horseshoe of water cascading around the field of roses dissipating into a thick mist that seemed to dance in time to the ethereal music.

A smile curled on her lips as El closed her eyes and began to dip and sway to the hauntingly sweet music, unknowingly mimicking the movements of the dancing orbs of light amongst the roses. Opening her eyes again, she giggled softly to herself as she tipped her head back and looked up at the moon and twirled, her arms out in almost childish abandon. This place was so beautiful and calming that she hoped it was not a dream that would slip away when she woke in the morning. That she could stay here, for it seemed a very safe place for all that it was odd.

In time, she became aware of the faint sound of voices and in a curious and oddly playful mood, she wondered what might be about in this magical faerie field, for what else could have devised such a beautiful place or such a touching song. Slipping between thornless bushes of fragrant roses, these ones yellow and white and a shade of purple-blue, she followed the voices and the song, as both seemed to grow in volume as she drew closer. Finally she was treated to the sight of a strange man sitting with several dark pools that looked vaguely familiar playing a flute like instrument that she’d never seen before. To either side of him were two canines that she was certain were Shadowguards, given the presences of the dark spots on the ground. Behind the young man was a strangely transparent woman—while this usually would have alarmed Elouise, she was in such a tranquil state that all she could do was smile at the loveliness of the woman—who smiled almost sadly as the man played.

Gathered nearby were two familiar people and a wolf though of them she recognized the lone male that approached the Shade the most. And while normally she would regard him with caution as she thought him rather mad and perhaps a trifle dangerous because of it, she smiled and swayed in place to the music before twirling once more. Did the music make the others want to dance? Perhaps she was the only one silly enough to feel compelled to dance to such a hauntingly beautiful tune, and in her nightgown and robe no less, though she seemed far less aware of such things than usual.

Bouncing on the balls of her feet she very nearly danced her way toward The Professor, peeking around him at the Shadowguard he was speaking to and offering her a smile. She hovered behind the man for a moment before giggling and waving at the Shade. Of course that wasn’t the end of her antics, oh no. With another giggle she spun around on the ball of one foot and nimbly picked her way across the part of the field that was littered with pools of shadow and executed a half spin as she came to a stop in front of T’rae and her wolf as a long trailing note hovered in the air. During a brief rest in the song El smiled and swayed slightly. “Good evening, I have seen you around before, but not you.” And she had; it was the woman with the strange rainbow hair! Both she and the screaming Professor had been in the clearing where she’d met Raymond.

She tilted her head slightly as she looked down at the wolf; there was something odd about him and before anyone could fathom what she might do next—including Loulou—she dropped to her knees, nightgown fluttering beneath her robe and at eye level with the creature she stared at his strange glowing blue eye. Oh good heavens but the ocarina did strange things to the usually timid and spookable woman. Perhaps because she thought this a dream? Or maybe there was some sort of fairy catnip in the field that affected young human women in brocade lounge robes?

Vel'bol zhah ol?

M'sig.

Usstan nym'uer naubol. Vel'bol m'sig ph'dos haska bauth?

The small pack of Kal'daka, two Kyorli and one Rahwenress, paused as the sole member of their group that was not a Kal'daka paused and turned his head this way and that to listen to the music that had suddenly invaded the jungle. Dos xun naut nym'uer ol? The wolf turned back to his three companions who all shared a long and a brief, but silent, conversation amongst themselves.

Nau. Xal ol zhah hass'len whol dos maglust. The three siblings seemed to be in agreement over this matter as the others nodded. Alu pholor. Udos orn thalra phor xuil dos gajak.

Deciding not to question the decision, Kythen broke off from the pack and....well he wasn't really sure what he was following. But he simply seemed to know where to go as his paws carried him to the cliffs. He hardly noticed when the scenery began to change. It was as if one moment he was there in the familiar cliffs and the next pawstep he was in the middle of a field of roses with music and floating orbs of light. He recognized everyone there with varying degrees of familiarity and took a moment to study the situation. Once he'd determined that there was nothing immediately threatening about what he was seeing, he strode calmly past the quartet of people that had arrived before him, pausing only long enough to dip his muzzle in greeting to Amane and the Shifter with her before circling around Altair, regarding the transparent woman for a heartbeat before flopping down and resting his head on the fox-shifter's knee.

Though he didn't appear to care about anyone else, his senses were alert and focused largely on Geoffrey. He did not trust the cyborg-turned-wolf not to try and attack Altair or some other such nonsense. Without even uttering a growl, he'd made it very clear whose side he would be on if it came to a fight. Not that Geoffrey needed the reminder. The pair were not on good terms anyway so even if Altair wasn't his best friend Kythen would side with him just to not have to ally with the cyborg.

Perhaps it was a little strange to be stalking music, especially music that seemed to be originating in your head, but that was what Chet was doing. He was forward-bound on all four of his paws, moving quickly and quietly through the trees, going where the music seemed to resonate most strongly in his mind. He had left the house on silent feet, realizing that none of his shinies seemed to hear the music as they did not stir as he did. He left them behind, feeling no wariness in his chest, just wonder.

So he came to the cliffs quickly, golden eyes alight in the night as his body radiated the unnatural heat that he sometimes seemed to possess. Every step was sure as the dark did nothing to deter him, but he did hesitate as he realized the field before him, instead of the cliff wall he'd been anticipating. The scent of roses was heavy on the air, almost to the point where he couldn't smell the trails of any of the other that had passed this way. Perhaps it was for the best--for if he realized that Geoffrey had passed before him, he might have turned back before he'd entered.

But he stepped foot in to the moonlit meadow and found himself momentarily in awe of the little twisters of water sparkling in the light and the sprites that whirled in the air as if with a will of their own. Where were they? Others were here, he realized now, spying Eloise and the Professor, both of whom he'd come to know on a passing basis in the last few months. T'Rae was here and... Geoffrey. The first show of aggression of tonight was shown in how his lips pulled back from his teeth at the realization of who Eloise was crouched in front of.

He'd only seen the wolf form of Geoffrey once before--that was at the bonfires themselves. He might not have realized or remembered this at all, of course, if not for the very faintly familiar (and hated) scent that was Geoffrey on the canine, just barely noticed over the heady scent of the flowers. And his presence with T'Rae only made it more obvious. If it weren't for her, Chet might have well taken his chance and attacked the Wolffrey, but he stayed his annoyance, ears simply pinning as he tore his half-luminous gaze from his enemy.

There, Altair, the source of the music. He knew the fox-shifter from the Blazemount bonding and was not displeased to see him again. Especially since it seemed he and Kythen--the wolf-formed shifter had his head on the lap of the former--were friends. The transparent woman behind Altair was a source of question for the Horansi, but he did understand one thing...

Shadowguards.

The former lip-pull of aggression was now a soft grin of pleasure. He loved 'guards. The four he had back at home were some of his dearest companions. A low dip of his head to the Shade was offered, though it could also be taken as a greeting to any of those in the immediate area around Altair--he had qualms with none of them after all.

And so he stepped forward on silent feet, now able to stare in wonder at the misty air and the things that swirled within it. How had he never seen such a place like this before?

((Excitement!! From Mononoke to FFX to 'Guards to EVERYTHING. So much love.))

Meliai woke gently, not with the start that most night disturbances brought, but with a gentle nudging somewhere in the back of her head. There was no lingering grogginess the minute her eyes opened and she listened closely to the sounds around her, eyes staring into the black as she attempted to find what out of place state had stole her from her slumber. The rise and fall of the chest of the Banoi beneath her head was juts as she had left it when she had left this world for the one of dreams. As well, her other shinies seemed not to be alerted to anything unusual. Even the most protective of her hoarde were still asleep, almost as if drugged. Even the change in her own status had not disturbed anyone, from Dragon to Aluna they slumbered peacefully.

But Meliai could no longer.

After a few more moments of gazing into the dark she caught the faintest hint of a tune. The sound was strange and dreamlike, but as she sat up it grew more solid in her mind. Again she checked the room around her, but no one else heard. Rising from her bed she slipped a simple dress over her body, it's length brushing the floor by her toes. The night air held a moist chill and so she wrapped a linen shawl around her shoulders and slipped out into the night.

The cool air was refreshing in her lungs and she breathed deeply. The music had grown a little louder and she thought she could hear it drifting from down the road. The night felt strange and she was not afraid. It didn't even cross her mind to rouse one of her companions to make the journey with her. Not far she felt the presence of a forest creature nearby and she summoned the spirit to her side. A white doe, delicate and lithe stepped out of the dark, eyes on Meliai but ears attuned to the song just like the dryad. It all felt so much like a dream, although the dryad somehow knew it was not.

Her bare feet whispered against the dirt and grass on the ground as she floated forward, her hand on her new friends shoulder. The scenery became increasingly rocky, the cliffs rising up beside her, making the night around her feel too close. She was glad, then, to have someone with her. But the music was growing louder and she was compelled. There was no retreating tonight. Something wonderful was ahead. She knew it.

With little indication suddenly the landscape blossomed. The cliffs gave way to a paradise she had never known even with all the Planet had to offer. She stopped, her breath taken away as she surveyed the scene before her. The perfume of the field wafted toward her and the rush of the waterfalls beckoned. And above all was the haunting melody. A slight nudge from the doe sent her forward once more, although she did not notice her companion had chosen to remain behind. Propelled by the beauty her small steps became a run as she burst into the field of flowers.

Her skirts floated on the mist around her, the colors of her dress mimicking the roses, almost as if the dryad herself had been born amongst the flowers. Arms outstretched she smiled in perfect contentment as she looked to the sky above. Sinking to one knee she buried her face in one of those perfect blossoms and breathed in the intoxicating scent. Whispering an apology to the plant she plucked the bloom up from the earth and tucked the stem behind one ear. Upon rising she noticed the small group gathering and stepped toward them, a happy bounce in her gait.

There was a polite nod to the parents and anyone else who happened to catch her eye, but for now Meliai was content to stand and watch the world around her and wait for what else the night would bring.

((I love everything here right now and I never want to leave. kthnx.))

Alan’s eyes fluttered open slowly, blinking unfocusedly as he pulled his head out of the tangled nest his bedding had become. He cast a sideways glance towards the door, then towards the window in confusion. The door stood slightly ajar, as it did every night, thin trickles of light seeping through the cracks, and the window had been pushed open to let in the crisp night air. But neither were the source of the distant notes drifting through his mind. They were beautiful and yet there was something sad about them, some indefinable longing in their soft, haunting tones.

His body seemed to move against his mind’s own will, and the detective sat up slowly, careful not to disturb the trio of Gryphettes nestled in a semicircle across his pillow or the Ailoa curled sound asleep at the foot of the bed. In his half-awake state he neglected to even change clothes, padding downstairs still clothed in thick, flannel plaid pajamas. Though he was not by any means the only individual awake at this hour, if any of them turned to watch none of them moved to interfere as the large oak doors creaked open and their bonded stepped silently into the night.

The walk to the cliffs was long a long one, but still Alan followed the rising music, steadily becoming more and more aware of his surroundings as the fog of sleep retreated. With no way to be sure that he would be able to find his way back, he kept going. As he walked, he marveled at his surroundings, amazed that he had never thought to wander outside at night simply for the sake of walking before. Normally he would be scared of the dark, but the moon was out in all its glory tonight, casting rays of pale moonlight here and there as it filtered through the canopy. All around him the calls of wild shinies rose in pitch to mingle with the lulling melody that was slowly gaining in intensity as the jungle gave way to the cliffs.

Alan had been to the cliffs on a few occasions and was familiar with them, so he was startled to full awareness when the cliffs blended suddenly into a landscape so dramatically dissimilar to the packed-dirt paths and rocky precipices that normally dotted the area, and he drew a sharp intake of breath despite himself. All physical control seemed to drain to the soles of his feet and he stepped gingerly into the otherworldly field, the fragrant roses and rushing water and dancing orbs of light mixing together and threatening to overwhelm his senses. The detective waved a hand playfully at one of the orbs as it passed, but it drifted just out of his reach as he caught sight of the one that had called them.

Seeing the others gathered there was comforting, and seeing Meliai for the first time since that night on the sands brought a timid smile to his face, whether the dryad caught it or not. The man sitting serenely at the center was familiar to him though they were not acquainted, but the ethereal woman that kept him company was no one he’d ever seen before. The canine forms on either side of him were recognizable as well, and Alan smiled warmly at the Shadowguards and their pups, offering a courteous bow to them and Altair before settling down into the flowers a few feet away, preferring not to speak lest he bother the tranquil instrumentalist or distract him from his melody.


*ooc* I didn't even know writing a post could be this relaxing. I opened that music in one tab and had jungle noises going in another and almost drifted to sleep a couple times, I was that chill.
Also, Alan's pajamas are HERE if anyone is actually that curious*

As of late, Ria spent most of her nights asleep in the stables. They began as dusky evenings when she threw open all of the exterior double doors and interior stall half-doors for her hooved shinies to wander through and find their buckets of feed. The Blazemounts and Hippogryphs she latched into their stalls as they rummaged for their favorite treats among the forage but her Sceltyr and, of course, Iggy were free to search out their own cozy nook to bed down in. It was with Ighyas that she often spent the next few hours, sprawled comfortably in straw and fragrant hay with her legs crossed over his back. Conversation drifted between them just as gently as sleep would eventually drift in--even if the Unicorn foal lowered his head first Ria would often stay by his side and close her eyes to the sound of his steady breathing.

It was from such a peaceful sleep that Altair's music would wake her. With hay in her hair and sleep still heavily in her eyes Ria pushed herself upwards. She'd meant only to sit upright but the music pulled gently at her limbs until she stood. It was muffled, not near. It didn't come from the stable nor her house and none of her shinies stirred in their sleep. They were missing out. It was okay; she'd just bring the sweet strains back to them in the morning. From the half-doors that faced the far woods the music came a little stronger. With a gentle stretching of her back Ria stared out into the night beyond the barrier and then ran towards it with light steps. She did not bother with stopping and yanking on the creaking handle--she leapt clear over the four foot doors and tucked herself into a little roll to land softly in the grasses outside.

Several feet away, Sera awoke with a startled whicker. She flicked her ears back at Ria's sudden appearance but curiosity got the best of the temperamental mare as Ria stood up, brushed the hay from her hair, and swished her way through the pasture. Quietly the Wind walked beside her bonded human, head tilted towards the woman. Ria glanced to Sera, noticed that her ears were not flicking at the music, and gently brushed the back of her hand against the mare's soft nose. She was approaching the back fence and Sera could not follow. With a look of sadness, Ria ducked between the second and third planks and left the perplexed mare behind to not hear the music, to fall asleep again amongst the noisy crickets and whistling breezes.

If there wasn't such a sweet song in her ears, Ria might have had reservations about being swept into the night, alone, to face the unknown again. But how could she have resisted such beauty, the sights and sounds and smells of this place? It wasn't long before she stood among roses and flickers of light with the rest of the enchanted audience, men and women and wolves and shadows. With bright eyes and halting steps she tiptoed closer to Altair and his companions, and while Elouise made friends with a wolven Geoffrey Ria was missing the connections between wolves and the men they actually were and the pools of shadow and the canines they would become. Instead Ria felt herself drawn to the lone cat. She crept close to Da'chetre's side and practically hid with him between her and Altair, his Shadowguards, and his ghostly attendant...not out of fear but out of a sudden desire not to disturb them. She did, however, have the overwhelming desire to reach up and pull on the jaguar's ears, wondering if she'd find his fur as soft and pleasant as the average housecat's. She stood on tiptoes and looked way up at him. "You'd be easier to pet if you weren't so tall," she whispered as she reached her hands up towards his ears and the great moon behind him. Ria didn't even consider the possibility that he wouldn't want to be pet. Petting was softness and joy. Thus far the night had given her nothing but softness and joy and sweet beauty; surely it wouldn't have given her a friendly catman who would instead disrupt the music with a snarl and pull away?

(Thanks for letting me slip in under the wire Alt! This post felt so good to write~)

The man didn't look up as the humanoids started to arrive, his elven ears flicked backwards as he continued to play his lilting melody. His vulpine tail flicked calmly every once in a while, and he leaned back just enough to be able to rest against the woman, his song hitching a bit when he could actually feel her. She turned her gaze away from the elven shifter and to the Cyborg and the Vulcan with him, her gaze unreadable. The look from the woman also grabbed the Shade's attention, and the growl she picked up from the male was dismissed with an ear flick. Since neither of them spoke to her or her little group, she said nothing, instead turning her dark turquoise gaze to the next to arrive.

Ah. The Professor. Amane's emotionless eyes brightened just for a moment, and she bowed her head in a return greeting. It's pleasant to see you again, Professor. The Shifter at Altair's other side peered at the man brightly as well, his tail wagging as his fur shifted to a mix between green and blue. He was happy to see people here, even if he was just a little bit sad that his pups would be leaving him soon. Feeling her mate's mild distress, the Shade leaned around her bond to touch her nose to Shaun's, her nub of a tail wagging slightly. It for best. They be happy where go. She murmured to him before peering at the area where the humanoids were entering from.

Amane's ears flicked back a bit at Elouise's arrival, and she gave a little chuff in greeting in return to the wave. One of the pools of shadow quivered a little, clearly curious about the girl though it wasn't his time to speak. Soon, but not yet... Shaun gave a quiet bark and got to his feet, glancing at the Queen for a moment before bounding over to the girl. Goods idea! Dance, dance~ He woofed, frolicking with her and leaving the Shade to greet the others. She merely shook her head a bit in amusement, her gaze brightening once more at the black wolf who made his appearance next. She dipped her muzzle in return before looking back at Saliha, whose gaze turned curious as she regarded the wolf shifter. When he put his head on the man's knee, the elven shifter opened an eye just enough to look at him, a small smile curving the corner of his mouth.

Since he had the one eye open, he took inventory of who was there already and who was just arriving before closing his eye again. He inhaled a bit and put more emotion into his playing, the notes getting not only higher but unbearingly sweet. Amane gave a quiet sigh at the change and closed her eyes briefly, listening to the music for a moment before turning her dark turquoise eyes on the Horansi as he approached. A similar greeting was given to him, the look she gave turning to one of amusement as one of the orbs started to swirl around him. Eager little thing, it was. Though the father of the pups was currently entertaining Elouise, the mother bowed her head to the Dryad, thanking her silently for coming. The mist around the humanoids thinned out just a bit for a moment, allowing more of the floating orbs to enter the rose field before getting just as thick as it was before. The starless sky seemed to twinkle with more of the things, though they were too far to interact with any of them.

The Shade turned her gaze to the last two to arrive, a small snout-parted smile given to the Detective and a kind look given to Ria. When she was sure no one else was going to come through, she stood, shaking out her fur and stepping just a bit in front of her bond. She gave a short bark to get the attention of the humanoids on her before raising her head, regarding them all one at a time before speaking. Welcome, Amane began, her eyes smiling at one of the orbs as it took to circling Alan. Thank you for coming. You no needs worry bout being hurts here - this place safe. She nosed another of the orbs as it floated by before turning back to them all, closing her eyes when the notes Altair played grew heartbreakingly sweet. This place for visiting thems who lost. Gone. Departed. Here she cast a sad gaze at the woman standing just behind her bond before looking back at the others. Think of person yous lose. Just one. My pups will be voice of the dead this night. Her eyes turned to a pumpkin color for a moment as Prince Nek took her over, and she looked back to Saliha once more. Make sure it's someone you're close with, or it won't work.


((OOC: Alrighty then. |D First post go~ What I'm going to need you to do is message me -three- people your character was close with, or someone they knew who is dead. I don't need extreme details. If your character doesn't have anyone who would show up for them, PM me that too. xD; Joining is closed, and if you haven't sent me preferences, please do so as soon as possible. Otherwise I won't know what to do with your pup. :< Ah. Thanks for joining and I hope I can make this as fun as I pictured it to be! ^^;;; Posting in another week, so get your posts in loves~ ))

Watching them all filter in passively T'Rae could quite find it in her to actually be concerned, though a part of her realized that she probably should be, there was something distinctly wrong going on here, but it was peaceful enough and nothing bad had actually happened yet. She forced herself to stay just a little bit on edge about it though, one hand resting on Geoffrey as she watched each person filter in in their own strange ways. Da'chetre was given a sharp look when she caught him watching her, and more likely watching Geoffrey, she respected the Horansi to trust that he wouldn't try to start something tonight. She didn't think Geoffrey needed the added stress, she certainly didn't, and she certainly approved when he turned away. Meliai was also given a cursory glance, a note that she was there and little more, and the detective she recognized.

The only one that held her attention for more than a second was the strange woman she had seen perhaps once or twice, mostly in some form of fear or cowardice from what she remembered. So T'Rae was extremely interested when the woman apparently had the nerve to come right up to her with what was actually a fairly polite greeting from what T'Rae had come to expect around here lately, and even more shockingly drop down in front of Geoffrey. It was almost as though she legitimately thought he was some kind of dog, and if she was as unfamiliar with Planet as T'Rae thought she probably did. On edge as she may be it still brought something of a sly grin to the Vulcan's face, reaching forward slightly to scratch Geoffrey's ear. "Lieutenant T'Rae." She offered by way of a proper introduction to the woman that clearly wasn't quite in her right mind.

She couldn't say quite where it came from but an even better idea came to mind, brushing quickly across Geoffrey's mind before responding casually, "And this is Geoffrey. I would be careful, he's a very loyal guard. Sometimes he bites. Sometimes he even eats women." Quick and calm and casual, coupled with her best attempt at an unnerving smile. Nothing like what Geoffrey could ever accomplish if he currently had the capacity to do so, but that didn't mean she couldn't learn and observe from him. If this woman really was so foolish as to try and poke at Geoffrey she deserved some kind of warning, even if that warning wasn't entirely accurate and more for his benefit than Elouise's. She did let her gaze drift slightly to Shaun nearby, recognizing Ha'zehl's pup and glad to see him grown and happy. She would have to inform the Crystal that he was a father of his own.

When the Shade actually started speaking T'Rae turned her attention there. The reassurance that there was no danger here was not out of place, but not enough to calm the hairs standing at the back of her neck or the brush of goosebumps when one orb or another drifted closer. The dead. Visiting the dead. She had been offered this chance once before and it had been taken from her. For a moment she pressed her hand firmly against Geoffrey, nervous of how he would react. There was, after all, one dead person that T'Rae would like to see again, one person she had been very close with. The nervousness came from how Geoffrey would take that. She had told him already that she would choose to keep living for him, that he meant a good deal more to her, but that didn't mean that she didn't want some kind of closure after his sudden and violent death.

Charhael was the only one that she would give anything to see tonight, to ask why, to say a final goodbye, anything.

From T'Rae, Geoffrey turned back to simply watching the area, and mostly paying attention to what Altair was doing. It wasn't so much that he had a musical bent, but he simply wanted to know if anything changed suddenly. And the woman behind Altair made Geoffrey feel unsettled, for reasons he couldn't explain. What better way to keep an eye on her than to keep an eye on the one in front of her.

A sight he apparently would not be allowed to keep long, as he noticed a woman prancing in the way. As soon as he realized she was approaching them, he pressed against T'Rae, hackles raising. She should have known – T'Rae that is — that he was not remotely in the mood for being used to amuse idiots, but apparently what should have been was not always what was.

Before he could stop himself, his instincts kicked in when Elouise dropped in front of him, and he lunged forward slightly, just enough to hopefully startled her, and snapped at the empty air with a snarl. Tense, he turned his glare briefly on T'Rae as well, presumably enough to make it clear he didn't appreciate being the source of the joke to this foolish stranger, and then shifted his gaze back to Elouise. "I am a Gerrman soldierr, not herr pet. And I will kill you if you don't get out my face, now."

So much for staying close to T'Rae. He stepped back aside from both of them, although he also kept both in visual range. Tonight was far from a good night to start with. He just wanted to get lost in it in peace, but not even T'Rae could afford him that respect. Snorting in lingering displeasure, he glanced over at Amane as she spoke, though he had missed his Silver's son's merriment, alas.

The Shadowguard queen was saying this place was for... His hackles dropped and the silent snarl faded from his face. It wasn't very hard to think of for him, now was it. Of course his first reaction was Gatsby. It didn't take long to wipe that from his mind, however. Gatsby, filtered through these dogs. Fat chance. Besides, he would never take Gatsby out of whatever was beyond death. The goal was getting there, not leaving there.

Instantly, someone else replaced him in Geoffrey's mind. Another of the departed. A little boy who didn't even understand what happened probably. Josef.

Kythen remained where he was, not moving from his position at all except to shift a little and watch the others who were arriving. He knew most of them at least by sight and did have to wonder at how some of them knew Altair. Or at least knew Amane. But mentally shrugged it off as unimportant. Who the fox-shifter and his bonds knew was really none of his business. Instead, he merely relaxed and closed his eyes. Geoffrey was distracted well enough by others and Kythen had no worries that the werewolf-cyborg would attack or something of the sort. He got the distinct impression there was tension between Geoffrey and Chet and figured if it came down to a fight he, Chet and Altair could take on whatever Geoffrey and T'Rae could throw at them. The others were wild cards of a sort but they seemed mostly human and therefore wouldn't be much of a threat to a fire-weilding wolf-shifter, a Horansi and a fox-shifter.

But tonight, it seemed, would be a night of peace and Kythen opened his eyes to watch Amane as she started to speak. He did not, however, care much for the explanation she was giving them. This was a place to visit the departed and they were meant to summon them and let the pups speak for them? He shifted his head off Altair's knee with grumbling sigh, not quite a growl but certainly a displeased noise, and huffed at Amane. He rolled to his paws and stood next to Altair in his human form, the transition as quick and simple as blinking your eyes. One moment wolf, the next human. "No thank you Amane. These people have no right to pry into my past and know who I've lost." He indicated the group at large with a sweep of his hand. He hardly knew any of them so what right did they have to see the spirits of his parents appear before him? Only Altair knew they were even dead. And what right did any pup have to speak for those who were gone? None in his opinion. None at all. He wouldn't summon his parents here to be bound to some physical form like Amane's own departed spirit. "Let the dead rest in peace." He told her before turning his back on the group and, as quickly as he had become human, returned to his wolven form and prowled to the very outskirts of the group,

At the outer fringes of everything, the roar of the waterfalls that surrounded them were near deafening, loud enough to drown out all but mindspeech. He was surprised to find, however, that as he stepped into the mists given off by the falls the air did not grow moist like he would have expected. Droplets of water did not cling to his fur and he remained completely dry. Glancing over his shoulder, he found he could still make out the shapes of the others in the distance which meant that they, if they chose to look, could see him. But he was far enough away to make it clear he had no interest in taking part in whatever rituals they were performing. Satisfied that he had made his intentions clear, he flopped down on his belly and heaved a sigh, drinking in the scents of the roses and the fainter scent of salt water on the air. The place was peaceful, he'd give it that much, but he didn't trust any power that could drag a spirit from it's rightful resting place and make it appear to whomever thought about that person. He did have to wonder who the others might think of. What family or friend had they lost that they would wish to speak with again? He was sure the spirit that had been with Altair was his mother but he also didn't know if Altair had anyone else he was that close with that it could also have been. A close aunt perhaps?

But, as is usually the case when one is trying not to think of something, his thoughts turned to his own mother and he couldn't help the small whine that escaped him as memories of her flooded his mind. There was so much he wanted to tell her. And his father. For he could never think of one without the other. In his mind he saw them together, his mother leaning against his father who had his arms around her, loving and protective in one simple gesture. He had always wanted a love like theirs despite the tragic and painful deaths that it had brought them. That he had brought them. And before he could think twice about it, he lifted his muzzle and howled; a mournful sound that was lost in the thundering of the waterfalls that surrounded them.

This place was perfect. While a wolf laid his head on the knee of a shifter and a dryad plucked a rose for her hair Ria's skirts slid like silk against the thornless rose bushes as she stretched up onto her toes to pet the very tall jaguar. But apparently one of those present didn't have the decorum to keep to a whisper and unsurprisingly his name was Geoffrey. At his snarl Ria clenched her reaching hands and frowned. The stupid wolf was ruining prime kitty cuddle time. He'd probably go on to ruin plenty more if he was allowed to bite El's face off. "Elouise...come over here," Ria beckoned with one hand, the other resting comfortably on Da'chetre's arm. Yes, come play with catman instead of wolfborg. Ria didn't quite know if Chet was any safer but he seemed a pleasant fellow and hadn't threatened to kill her yet. Also he didn't approve of Geoffrey...so there was that too.

Hopefully Amane's bark and greeting would provide enough of a distraction for the tension to dissolve and give the uncharacteristically bold Ms. Parker enough of a window to slip away. Ria realized that so far she hadn't paid as much attention to Altair and his 'Guards as she perhaps should have and leaned herself to give the Shade her full attention. A smile brightened her face as she assured them of their safety--this place had convinced her of that immediately, peaceful and serene as it was--but stalled slightly as Amane revealed that this otherwordly place could touch the spirits of the dead. She followed the queen's eyes to the spirit of the woman behind Altair before looking quickly away. It felt...indecent, and far too intimate, to gaze upon her and see nothing but a beautiful girl when she must mean so much to the shifter.

Kythen seemed to have similar thoughts and Ria watched him find a more secluded place with a quiet and uncertain look on her face. Not even his sudden shifting (twice, even) had distracted her from following Amane's simple instructions. She thought of a single person and inadvertently tightened her grip on Da'chetre's arm; Ria didn't feel up to facing this alone, not yet at least, and she wondered if this Mando that she barely knew would choose to stay or choose to go. Besides. Tia Romani always had a cat in her gypsy wagon. She kept one as a pet for the tourists who thought any good fortune teller should have a mysterious feline companion, and even though that mean gray beast had nothing but needling death glares for the common rubes Ria had spent many hours in the old woman's tent with that cat curled up on her lap. Already she'd be speaking to her without the heavy perfume of incense smoke, stale bread, and simmering stew hanging in the air...it'd be stranger still to hear her voice without the familiar feel of plush cat fur beneath her fingertips.

She wanted to ask how it was even possible but couldn't. Ria found herself waiting too intently for it to actually happen.

The little sprite that whirled around Da’chetre received a sniff of curiosity, the golden-eyed cat wondering what it was. It seemed to have no scent, or at least none he could detect among the waft of flowers. It didn’t seem hostile, though, merely curious, which was fair as it was mutual.

There was a woman at Chet’s side, one he had never talked to though he did recognize her face and her scent from the time he’d helped some lovely little Kachir find a home. She peered intently up at him and he allowed himself to be distracted by her reaching hand, her intention not clear to him at first, and perhaps confusing. With the growls directed at Eloise, she dropped her hand to his arm—contact that the felinoid did not protest—and called to the girl that Chet only remembered as one who was prone to fainting. Yes, come over here little aruetii, the Mandalorian will protect you from the mean cyberwolf.

Then the Shadowguard was welcoming them and his attention moved to her once more, her explanation of this place more strange to him than it might have been for others. Mandalorian views on death were different than typical ideas. Loss was not a true part of their thoughts on the matter—so long as a Mando went down in glorious battle, there was nothing to mourn, nothing to regret. Death was simply another step on the path, and all would join their dead vod in time. The only regret a Mando might have is if those they care for died without a fight.

Ria’s hand tightened on him and he noticed the sudden slight stress in her posture and the way she clung to his arm. He did not push her away, instead removing his arm from her grip only so he could put said arm around her shoulders. He pulled her tight into his side—he was already a soft hearted cat when he chose to be, but the air this night had taken a lot of his usual fight out of him, and not in a bad way. He had simply turned thoughtful himself.

When he thought of loss, he thought of his mother, or Erisi, or any of his Clanmates he’d left behind when he’d come here. But so far as he was aware, none of them were dead, and so they did not count for this particular task. He mourned them more than he ever had anyone who had actually died, but…

“Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la.” The phrase ‘Not gone, merely marching far away,’ came unbidden to his lips and he huffed a soft laugh to himself. Perhaps it would not be so farfetched to have one of the eternal marchers march up to him now to say hello. He could only think of one who might be interested, though. Erisi’s husband. Honestly, Chet didn’t even remember the man’s name—he was terrible with names and over time that bit of information had faded, as Erisi did not speak of him—but he did remember the look of him, and his scent. He could recall the dark face and the lightly scarred visage, prone to grim smiles and soft laughter. He had been a good man.

Chet wouldn’t mind seeing him again. It had been a couple of decades since then, and while he did not mourn the man, in some ways he did miss having the man who had made Erisi so happy around. Still, if he chose not to come… he would understand.

The night had started out serene enough and while the scenery hadn't changed it seemed as if things weren't going to stay so smooth. The first of the small ripples began with Geoffrey. Although the dryad wasn't quick to blame him. It was simply who he was. There were those that would wish him dead, but in Meliai's eyes he had just as much right to take his place here at the weyrd as anyone. Sure, his demeanor was rough, but that did not mean he gave nothing to this place. Strictly speaking of how his life had changed her, the dryad could probably say she wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for him. As little good as it would do, if it came down to a fight she would be on his side.

As the last of the guests began to trickle in Mel took a quick look around her to see who else had arrived. Her eyes caught Alan's for a brief moment, and the smile was returned shyly, but even that sort of thing seemed too intimate for the evening. Whatever this place was it seeded a feeling of quiet reflection and Mel was basking in it. And in a moment she would find out exactly why.

The small bark was enough to cut through her thoughts, but not enough to truly disturb them. Her eyes gazed up at Amane as the guard spoke. At mention of those that had passed she brushed her hand along one of the floating spheres. So they were spirits. Meliai gazed into the center, wondering what soul this ball of light could possibly hold. Who were they? How did they die? How had they lived? But they were questions she would receive no answer to.

Before she could turn her thoughts inward Kythen stepped up to speak. Meliai was an open book. Not only was there nothing to hide, she had little ability to do so even if she had wanted to. It never occurred to her that the people around her held secrets locked up tight, to vulnerable to even show to anyone else. Her eyes darted back to Geoffrey, an in turn to each and every one of them. Everyone was a stranger tonight. A moment later the wolf shifter bounded off into the twilight to be swallowed by the heavy mist. Would he remain the only one lost this night?

Having found stillness, Meliai tried to do as the Guard bade, but her mind came up with the thing that scared Mel the most... nothing. Her life was so short, and even with the catastrophe of the old weyrd behind her, she could find no one missing from her life. Pressing harder she tried to imagine a face or a name or something that had left her life that she grieved for, but it was to no avail. Her cheeks burned red suddenly. It was a silly reaction to such a conundrum, but Meliai was ashamed and embarrassed. The night had a sudden chill to it and she wrapped her shawl tighter, wishing she wasn't alone with this nothingness in her mind.

The words the shade had spoken brought up a similar weakness in Mel as the others here, but for completely different reasons. It was a great fear of hers that as much as she had done to be a part of the weyrd and as hard as she had tried that there would always be this huge gap between her and everyone else. They would always be a mile ahead of her and all her strength and wit could not bring her close to them. Her world was so small that she grabbed frantically at every little piece of it. Blinking away the tears in her eyes she wiped the back of her hand across an eye, as if she could rub away the feelings.

What if, after all this, she was still only half of a person?

The brightening of Amane's eyes caused brightening of his own in return. His eyes followed hers to the other side of Altair and the Time Lord beamed, giving a small wave to Shaun. He was pleased that they both received him so well, and that he could be here for the pups present. This was his first, and he was excited. After the greeting was done, he gave her muzzle a stroke with a single finger and stepped back to line up with the others. The step back gave him appropriate space to view the others that had arrived. There were many faces he recognized from passing, on several occasions, and some he wasn't quite used to seeing.

Now that he got a better look at the woman behind Altair he realized exactly who she was. The realization brought wideness to his eyes and a hitch in his breath. That was impossible, she wasn't alive, Altair's mother was not alive. But this didn't make sense, when people die, because they all do for something or another, they do not come back. They are placed in wooden boxes and buried in the earth or burned on a pile of wood, but never do they come back.

Nothing happened for awhile besides the greetings of the others and the Professor stayed quiet, looking at everyone and everything but not really retaining information. The only thing that really stuck out was the changes in the music that was being played, it was becoming harder and harder to listen to it. Not because it was bad, simply because it was becoming too sweet and too heartbreaking. He was stuck in the tune of the music until the Shade's words called his attention.

She welcomed all of them again, he smiled in another thank you. She eased his mind on whether or not something would happen to him here. In the middle of the night with music pulling you to strange places usually that all means bad things were going to happen. He had proof that took up more then just one had, but this place was safe. Though he next statement made him somewhat weary. The tune being played became more sickening and he closed his eyes and gave his head a shake to clear the thoughts that were sure to come from the probing music.

Right now there were more pressing matters then the dark corners of his brain being pulled alive by sad music. This place is for visiting those who are gone. That kept repeating in his mind. Everyone he had contact with before this planet was gone. He was completely unsure on whether any of them were even alive anymore. Everyone who was close to him was gone, everyone he had ever had the absurd idea that loving them was okay was gone. His parents, his people, his human companions, his former faces even. All gone.

Suddenly this place didn't seem so safe. He had become his own worst enemy in seconds and he was not safe from himself or the people he had lost, even the people that he had been the cause of death of. This would probably not end well for the Time Lords mind, or his hearts. Things were sure to mess with him. He only needed to think of one? That wasn't good, one was still too much. But it would be worse if ALL of his people showed up. Sanity would be lost to him then.

So he closed his eyes and thought, thought so hard lines formed in his forehead. After so much thinking the only someone that constantly popped into his head his first companion. Di, though it wasn't her real name it was all he ever called her. She had been his first, and if loneliness hadn't swallowed him so easily she would have been his last. He had made the mistake everyone always told him not to make, he felt something for her, and if he were human he would have stayed with her forever.

But as his luck had it, he couldn't and after a decade she became ill and left him. Though even as she died she didn't wish to part from him, she had, and he could do nothing. He was never the same after that. But if she showed up all of the progress he made would be gone, he would revert right back to the mad man he was before. And there was really no telling if he would come back from it a second time.

Alan sat peacefully and watched those around him with almost childish curiosity. There was something about this place that felt so safe to him, so reassuring that he could just sit all night and forget all of the world’s little troubles, all of the daily worries were nothing anymore. He leaned back and breathed deep; the air was different here than in the jungle. It was crisper, less humid, and thick with the heady scent of roses and mist.

He was close enough to the group to observe the scene between the woman he knew as T’Rae and her wereborg fiancé, and the straight-faced comment about Geoffrey eating women made him chuckle. Although really, how would he know that the irritable cyborg-turned-wolf wasn’t foul-tempered enough to devour hapless maidens? The detective was relieved when Ria called Elouise over to her and Chet; she might have actually found herself in a fair bit of peril had she continued her pestering of large, angry wereborgs that could easily take her face off.

A quick bark caught his attention well enough and he turned to listen to Amane’s welcome. Another of the little wisp-like orbs floated slowly around him and he reached out to brush his fingers against it, smiling happily as it circled him like a little moon that had found a planet to orbit. Amane’s words confused him a bit though; why would they possibly worry that this place wasn’t safe? This was the safest he’d ever felt outside of his home full of companions, why would he trouble himself with such unpleasant thoughts?

The next sentence she spoke dropped his heart into his stomach.

Those that were gone, departed. This was a place for the dead.

Kythen’s sudden outburst startled Alan from his thoughts, and he shrunk back minutely when he waved an arm across the group that had gathered. He watched wordlessly as the wolf-shifter stalked away, wondering briefly if perhaps there was some truth in his words after all; maybe the dead should stay as they were, undisturbed. But the more he thought on it, the sadder he became.

As far as he knew, there would be no one for him tonight, and somehow that thought all by itself made him feel more alone than anything. The one he wished would come for him wasn’t even dead. Though the woman his sister had once been was long gone, her heart still beat, somewhere on the planet he had once called home.

His next thoughts were of his parents, and that left him wondering. Where were they now? They had been early into their fifth decade at the time of his disappearance, long lived for their generation. If he set his mind to it, he could still remember their faces just as they had been when he was just a child, sitting curled in his mum’s lap while she sang to him and Anna, who was only an infant then, or his dad picking him up below the arms and swinging him ‘round until he was dizzy and laughing so hard he could hardly stand. Even the last time he had seen them, they had seemed in good health, but who knew the whims of time, or what had happened since.

As far as he knew, nobody was coming for him, but someone was coming for him all the same.

((OOC!: Alright, no more posting. :3 My post will be up soon, lovies~ Thanks for being patient with me. <3 ))

Shaun reminded her so much of Pounce when he pranced over and began to dance with it that El couldn’t help but to laugh. And of course she complied with his wishes, dancing and twirling around him as she giggled like some sort of fae sprite. But she was nothing of the sort, just a silly girl who was far too trusting when it came to canine creatures. Though in her defense, since coming to the Weyrd, she’d found that it was the canine shinies that seemed to be the nicest so far. Obviously she’d yet to meet a Fisi. So when she plopped down in front of T’rae after their rather abrupt exchange of names (El thought her first name was Lieutenant) she wasn’t expecting either the woman with the strange color-changing hair to warn her off with rather startling words nor for the wolf with the strange eye to behave so strangely. She scrambled back, falling on her rump several times as she put her hand on her robe or night gown, yelping as the wolf lunged at her.

Eyes wide, she finally managed to scramble to her feet and stumbled first towards Shaun and then, when a familiar voice called her name, she lurched toward Ria and Da’chetre without actually seeing who the large person was as her gaze was drawn to a strange movement near the man playing the music. She stumbled again as where the black wolf that had been there a minute before became a familiar looking young man. With another yelp she stopped abruptly when she bumped into Ria and whipped her head around, almost too fast as she nearly became unbalanced. Instinctively she reached out and clutched at the woman’s arm, aware that someone was speaking but her eyes had strayed once more, her attention span nearly non-existent as her dream-like state persisted. Giant spotted cat wearing clothes…She’d seen him somewhere…

Luckily for everyone, she didn’t faint as she had the last time she’d seen the Mando; instead she just stared at him wide-eyed as Amane’s words sunk in. A place for the dead. Though the world she’d come from was a place filled with death, El had remained rather sheltered from the experience as she was from the rest of the world. Though the thought of death seemed to cast a shadow over her earlier display of frivolity and she pressed closer to Ria and wondered what the fate of her loved ones was. Had anything happened to her brothers? Were her sisters well? She even thought of her Irish lady’s maid and her father’s grumpy chamberlain. Surely they thought her dead by now, but what of them? The somber blanket that settled over the gathered crowd was inescapable and El shivered.

Once she'd given them the instructions that she was supposed to, the Shade stepped back with a nod, settling next to her bond though keeping an eye on the attendees. Her gaze flickered to the ten pools of shadows lurking nearby, and gave a small chuff to them. One or two seemed to bob to their mother and zoomed off, while the others seemed to be more hesitant. Hopefully they'd set out soon. Kythen's word weren't missed by her, and she merely dipped her muzzle respectfully as he turned to move away. If he didn't want anyone to show up for him, if he truly had nothing to say to anyone he'd lost, then that was his decision.

Altair continued to play the ocarina, though at times the notes would faulter a bit. The reason would be because he was crying, and some of his breaths wanted to come out as sobs though he was fighting rather valiantly to keep his emotions under control. It wasn't going well though, and the ghostly woman's look grew even sadder than it was before. Her hand lifted to rest on his shoulder, and his eyes closed tightly. How he wished he could have gone back to spend more time with her, but alas, this was as close as he could get to an apology. He didn't miss the snapping from the wolf in their midst, and though his playing continued, it hitched as a soft whine escaped him. He didn't want things to get out of hand this night, but maybe they would...

T'Rae
One of the shadows that had bounded off earlier was quickly making its way towards the woman, and after it seemed to study Geoffrey for a moment, materialized into a handsome Platinum. His ears pricked forward as he studied the woman, and for a long moment it didn't look as if he was going to say anything to her. His almost topaz-shaded eyes studied her for a long moment before he took another step forward, his tail swishing thoughtfully between his legs. Why here? His voice was low, and despite how blunt his question was, he was genuinely curious about her reasons for showing her face here when it seemed as if she had better things to be doing.

Geoffrey
Shaun paused in his bounding and leaping to flatten his ears against his head, peering from Geoffrey to the girl and back again. The Shifter slowly stopped and lifted his snout a bit, stepping between the Wolfborg and the girl. Night for good time. Peacefuls. No fighting. His attention was drawn to one of the orbs as it circled above one of the pools of shadow, giving a quiet woof in greeting to the pup as he took his form. The young Shifter blinked a few times, looking around the place in a state of awe. A smile parted his snout as he continued looking around, though once they settled on the Wolfborg, he all but pranced over, his coat swirling from blue to green and back again as his delight and his excitement fought to be felt strongest. As he got closer, the orb from before glided out of him and took to floating slowly closer to the Wolf. Your person come soon? His voice was light and he seemed unaware of the somber setting that had been created.

Kythen
The Queen's gaze lingered on the wolf shifter for a long while before she gazed at her young, seemingly sending them all a thought. They seemed to understand, as they claimed their physical forms much quicker, one in particular bounding after the black wolf. The Silver was an ubber fluffy thing, and he seemed concerned as he made his way closer. You 'kay? He asked, settling down nearby but not close enough impede in his personal space. His gaze flickered to the area near the waterfall, two orbs making their way towards the man. Mama says this place be close like heaven. Where spirit rest. He wasn't sure how to go about cheering the man up, but at least he was trying. That's what counted, right? Back by the Queen 'Guard, the man's bestfriend's ear twitched a bit as the sound reached him, and he turned a bit to be able to look in the direction the other had gone. Altair shook his head a bit and closed his eyes again, resuming his crying/playing in peace.

Ria
Luckily for the girl, she wouldn't be facing it alone at all. One of the pools of shadows had made her way over to the humanoid, claiming her solid form and shaking off. The Crystal's white fur was so pure it almost seemed to have a faintly power blue tinge to it, like the color of untouched snow. She lifted her snout to the woman before looking towards an orb that began to float around her. She come soon. She spoke quietly, settling down near the Feline man and the lady. How she knew that whomever would come for Ria would be female is a mystery, but the pretty female wasn't about to let on any time soon. She glanced around once before getting a bit closer, shaking her head a bit as she watched her brother frolic off to bother the wolf-shifter from earlier. Hopefully he wouldn't get snapped at all that badly.

Da'chetre
The one who would come up to the kitty man wouldn't do so with the grace that his sister had; no the male's stride had purpose as he made his way over, already out of his two-dimensional form. The Shifter glanced at his sister before looking up at the towering man, cocking his head to the side as he flicked his tail. Whats you think of place? He asked curiously, his fur staying a lovely shade of blue to match his curiosity and interest. It quiets here. I's like. He gazed around more and nosed one of the orbs that floated past, his eyes bright as he turned back to the humanoid. I wants to know yous thoughts. True thoughts. He was upfront about what he wanted; could you blame him?

Meliai
Was she crying? The dark pool moving towards the Dryad paused for a moment, his shadows quivering a bit as he tried to determined what to do. Should he keep his distance? Should he go closer and try to make her feel better? The Platinum sighed, momentarily cursing his lack of social skills. After a moment of watching her, he decided he couldn't exactly not do something, so he claimed his physical form and wandered over to her and sat down as close as he could without touching her. What wrong? He asked her, lifting his gaze to look at her. Tell. I listen. If there was anything the male was good at, it was listening. He heard everything that went on around him, and his memory was the best out of the group. Let him try to help you a little, Meliai.

Professor
The man wouldn't be allowed the peace of his thoughts for very long. One of the two shadowy creatures who'd set out earlier had made her way over to him, and with a leap she claimed her solid form and stopped just in front of him. The Shadow tilted her head, eyes thoughtful as she began to circle him. Yous not like others. She announced, coming to a stop in front of him before looking to the sides, looking puzzled. Hiding things, yes. The smallish female canted her head to the side, trailing off into another train of thought before snapping her gaze back to him. Do fishies have fingers? Always wonders that, me. Clearly fish didn't have feelings, but this was Whazzit after all. Perhaps fish were missing their fingers because people kept taking them to make fish fingers (aka fish sticks) with.

Alan
Someone was coming for him indeed. The male's voice would be heard before he was visible, calling out to the man before he got closer. Theys like you! He was, of course, referring to the five or so little orbs that were circling him. One was confident enough to float close and brush past his cheek, which made the Platinum smirk as he took his solid form. He didn't settle down, instead bowing his front half a bit as he peered at the man. Come. Wanna shows you something. He tossed his head a bit, almost as if making a 'follow me' motion, and turned on his tail to start trotting away. The male paused only long enough to look back at the humanoid, raising a brow in a clear 'aren't you coming?' sort of look. Might be a good idea to follow him.

Elouise
The girl who was now so frightened had scrambled away from the pups' father, and Shaun watched her all but cling to the woman and the cat-man with a saddened expression. Amane, though not exactly pleased with Geoffrey's actions, wasn't about to get in the middle of that. Another was going to take care of it anyway. With a confident stride that in no way matched his rank, the Platinum all but strutted his way over to the woman, tilting his head and closing one eye to look at her. Yous scared? As if that wasn't obvious. His gaze flickered to the wolfborg and back to the girl, opening his eye and partially narrowing his eyes at her. Now she was upset. No have someone come? That seemed to be the only conclusion he could draw from her without her actually opening her mouth to say anything.


((OOC: Allllrighty. |D; I had to change this up a little bit because of...reasons. If you would like someone departed to visit your character, you can have them manifest - the pups won't talk for them, and they'll be entirely under your control. <3 This, with luck, will continue to be mostly relaxing and...hell. I'm feeling confident. Post as often as you'd like, though I will only be replying for the pups once a week. Speaking of week, that's when my next post will be - on the 4th of April.

If you think of anything else that you didn't send in your prefs, please feel free to send it. Thanks, lovies~ ))

El, eyes still wide and her mind still muddled with worries over her family—the one she’d left behind and in all honesty had probably counted her dead and were well on their way to reaching the acceptable mourning period—watched as the pools dispersed and approached those present. Several of them took the form of young canines and a faint smile curled on her lips. It was strange that this was what true Shadowguards were supposed to be like and it made far more sense than the balls of insanely bright light that Pounce and Belle turned into.

As a pure white ‘Guard approached Ria and spoke rather enigmatically El studied her for a moment as she settled herself down to wait then to a smaller version of the ‘Guard she’d danced with; his coat was blue. Slowly she loosened her grip on Ria’s arm and looked around once more, finding Shaun in the cluster and was about to try and beckon over for a good ear rub when one of the pools of darkness formed into a young pup and strutted over to her, distracting her. Despite her recent encounter with Geoffrey, she sunk to her knees so that she was level with the pup as he tilted his head in that adorable way that pups had. Was she scared? She was always scared! Slowly she nodded and glanced over at the wereborg. “He—Geoffrey I think—startled me. And then the wolf by the man with the flute…”

She blushed as she admitted that she’d been momentarily terrified. She glanced up at Ria then, wondering how she could be so strong and bold. There was no way she would ever exude that much…whatever the opposite of pathetic was. Then the Platinum spoke again and for a moment El was confused. When her mind finally wrapped around what he’d said her heart sank. She shook her head and clasped her hands in her lap. “I do not know anyone who has died. Well that is not true, my Uncle George died but I did not know him well.”

She thought for a moment then her shoulders slumped and she sat almost perfectly still for several minutes before finally speaking again. “I miss my family and my maid. I hope they are not dead; I do not think I would wish for them to show up here.”

Kythen would have been more than content to contemplate things in peace and leave the others to do whatever it was they wanted to do. If they wanted to showcase those they'd lost they were free to do so. He didn't want anyone to come for him. He had so much he wanted to say but he feared hearing the answers. He didn't want to know if his parents regretted anything or if they blamed him for their deaths. He blamed himself quite enough thank you. With the thunder of the waterfall drowning out other noises, he didn't hear the approach of the Shadowguard until it spoke up. "I'm fine." He huffed, shifting so his back was to the Silver. He didn't want to talk to the pup right then. A soft growl left him when the Silver continued and he turned to glare at him. "My people do not believe in a heaven. The spirits are all around us. The dead watch over the rest of us though the never show themselves to us except in dreams. Only the truly dark spirits are sent back in more humble forms to learn the lessons they never learned before." His parents would not be sent back. At least he hoped not. Maybe they would though, for protecting him when they knew what he was; what he was capable of becoming. Though, thinking about it now, perhaps he was the rebirth of one of the darker spirits sent to learn from a new life. He'd never thought of it like that before but it made a certain sort of sense.

He settled back down with his head on his forepaws and closed his eyes, trying to indicate to the pup that he was not interested in talking without obviously sending him away. He would if he had to but he hoped the Silver would just take a hint and go on his own. Of course, while he'd been talking he failed to notice the two orbs drawing nearer. So when he felt the light brush of fingers in his fur he scrambled to his paws with a startled growl, turning with fangs bared to tell off whomever had touched him only to have the growl die in his throat and turn to a whine when he saw whose hand he'd nearly bit. The figure before him smiled gently and withdrew he hand while the other gave a stern, yet amused, shake of his head. Kythen closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to shake the illusion of the people standing before him but when he opened his eyes again they were still there, still smiling gently and seemingly waiting for him to do something more than panic. "They shouldn't be here. Send them away. I don't want their spirits trapped in this place. If they get stuck so help me I'll-" He was cut off by the pair moving forward and the woman kneeling before him, taking his head in her hands and looking him in the eye.

Though she said nothing, he knew she was trying to tell him to calm down and that it would be okay. It took several moments and a lot of deep breaths but the wolf-shifter managed to calm down enough that the woman stepped away and he took his human shape, glancing carefully toward the others where they were gathered. None of them seemed to be paying any attention to him and he was perfectly alright with that. But there was someone else nearby he needed to worry about. "What I said before is still true. If they get trapped here and you or yours had something to do with it you will pay. My parents are not meant to be in this place." Hopefully the pup would understand that there were no hard feelings toward him....unless, of course, he had somehow orchestrated this little meeting. Somehow Ky doubted it but it made him feel a little less like panicking. Not sure what else to say, he looked back at his parents and studied them.

They were the same as he remembered them, his father tall and muscular, with darker hair and brilliantly blue eyes. His mother, slighter and blonde with pale green eyes. Looking at the three of them it wouldn't be hard to guess who they were. Kythen himself was only slightly taller than his mother with her blond hair (though Kythen's was slightly darker than hers) and his father's blue eyes (though they possessed his mother's paleness) and build. He looked too much like them not to be their son. Both had the same wolf ears and tail as their son though his father's were a ruddy brown and his mothers a pale silver where his were black. He'd oft wondered what his parents would look like if they had wolf forms. He pictured his father as a large and muscular brown wolf with a white underbelly and his mother, he figured, would look a lot like Kira in her wolf form. All silvers and whites, maybe a hint of black along her back but not much. But the images he conjured of them were just the fanciful imaginings of a young boy who hadn't really understood what his power had meant for him and his family.