Feed me! I'm hungry!

[Anonymous]

She ached from her toes to the tips of her hair - no lie! Her heart was thudding away in her chest, beating like a scared rabbit's heart while it stared its hunter in the face. It desperately sought freedom from her chest and Devi certainly didn't want that. But no matter how much she willed it, her heart stubbornly wouldn't stop its accelerated beatings. But She couldn't really blame it - she had been running for quite some time, and as sick as she was, it was hardly in her best interest. But when had she ever thought about what was in her own best interest? Well... actually, Devi wouldn't get in the technicalities of that.

She clutched at the large, billowing shirt, doubling over, wheezing, red-faced, her dog ears limp against her head right along with her tail. The color was beginning to fade, leaving her a ghastly pale [a sharp contrast to the rest of her, what with her dark tanned skin, black hair and dark brown ears and tails with white patches]. Air. Air was a necessity of life - she'd be damned if she could get a mouthful.

After the first few initial moments of not being able to breathe, the tide of unsettling panic, and then regaining the ability to breathe again, Devi simply.. well, slumped to the ground. She hardly registered that she was in the middle of the road, on the ground on a pretty busy day. Of course that changed a little when people didn't see her at first [she was never a tall girl, regardless that she's 23, she never really got past five foot two] and stepped on her. After she made a few startled squeaks, awkward laughter she scuttled away with a few apologies left to trail behind her.

And there she found herself. Quite lost. Hungry. And not at all bothered by her situation. Of course she still looked a little sick, what with the shadows beneath her eyes, her drawn face and the lack of color. However, it did little to conceal her curiosity and enthusiasm for the place around her. It was a simple place but she loved it all the same.

What was that noise? People were beginning to give her strange looks. She looked up with all the wide-eyed innocence of a child - and then looked slowly down to her stomach. It was grumbling - no, more like roaring - hungrily. Her expressive face went from shock, slight displeasure, to amused. Humiliation never once crossed her face.

Devi sniffed the air, and following her nose right up to a window. She pressed her face against the dirty, pitted glass, staring into the tavern. Sure, she was being a nuisance and detracting from the business, and sure she was drooling down the window and sure her tail was wagging a mile-a-minute, but did the bartender really have to look at her so meanly? It didn't deter her the slightest, however.

If anything, it only encouraged her further. She slid right into the bar, rubbing her face free of the dirt. The bar tender seemed a little annoyed at something - probably the twenty-three year old dog-eared and tailed sickly woman who looked more like a child except for some minor details. Yeah, the very same that had been slobbering over his windows leaving some lines through the filth. At least they were cleaner. Although the bartender might beg to differ.

As innocent as can by, grinning from ear to ear and seemingly more curious than afraid [not even a hint of that in her] of the scuzzy, run down little place. Sometimes it was the dirtiest, cheapest places that had the best food. And that was all Devi was concerned about - not the shady characters or the drunk men and women.

Night had begun to set, the last wisps of light streaming through the windows to glare of sweating glasses and bottles, casting gray shadows throughout the bar. Devi noticed nearly everything about her - the warped floorboards beneath her bare, dirty feet, the stifling, oppressive smell of sweat and cheap liquor, and every low murmur and buzz of fly with each twitch of her small ears. Impossibly sharper than she looked. Impossibly as single-minded as she looked.

"Hi! Could'ya spare me some food?" Devi asked with a sweet, childish smile as she crept up onto a stool, peering over the bar at the man.

"Please? My stomach might eat itself," she urged, the bartender beginning to look annoyed.

"Kid, just leave! This ain't no place fer ya," he snapped angrily, tending to a nearby customer. He didn't need to mention that she wasn't paying and thus really had no chances of getting squat from him.

"Ah, ah! I'm beggin' ya! I'm HUNGRY," Devi insisted, tail doing long sweeps behind her, ears perked forward. She began to pout, lower lip jutting out, quivering and all. "Pleaseee? I'll leave right after, I SWEAR," she added, her voice taking a whiney pitch. If she couldn't convince him by being sweet, she'd be as annoying as she could possibly be.

However, the bartender seemed to be catching on rather quickly to her game.

"Shut yer mouth! These are payin' customers and ya ain't go no right to be here," he told her flatly, irritated.

"HUNGRY," she groaned, resting her chin on the counter. She was hungry and she had no money. She could steal, but she wasn't very good at it. She didn't like taking advantage of others and she didn't really like being a nuisance to others. But she was hungry. She needed energy and this damned fool wasn't giving her shit.

"I'm HUNGRY, I said," she huffed, kicking her feet at the wood of the counter, forcing her eyes to tear up. Did he really want her to wail? To sob and beg and cry? She could and she really would.

She could feel the stares of the customers, all burning on her sensitive skin. Devi wondered, vaguely, what they thought of her. Did they think she was pitiful and pathetic? Did they think she was weak and highly annoying? But Devi never did care much for what other people thought. In the end, it was always what she thought and what she wanted. In all honesty, she tried to do what was in the best interest of those she cared for. But the only person she saw around here that she cared for was herself. And at the moment, she was looking out for numero uno. Regardless if she was getting irritated and disbelieving stares.

"Feed me!" Devi's voice got exceedingly louder. It was her against this bartender's sheer stubborn will. He didn't want to lose and neither did she. "I'm hungry!" Her voice rose again.

"Don't make me get even more annoying," she said, slightly exasperated as she grabbed the edge of the counter and threw back her head dramatically. She was ready to go into tantrum-mode.

[for anyone if anyone's interested. haha. sorry if it sucks. late at night.]

[Anonymous]

Naboro yawned into his mead and let his head droop slightly. He was tired from too long on the road, from fighting the crowds, and from general ennui. Even the strange city was no longer enough to rouse his attention, and he was afraid he would fall asleep at the table before he found a place with actual beds.

And I thought Tabor's Repose was big, he thought wearily. The city of Arca made his homesystem look like simple bee's hive. And the people that filled it were strange and new; he couldn't turn his head without seeing some wondrous new creatures, it seemed. It made him feel like some country bumpkin, especially since they all seemed perfectly at ease with the spidery, four-armed snakeman. Perhaps they had seen Shalen'Dari before.

He jerked his head upright again as it threatened to hit the table, then smiled abashedly at his snickering neighbors. He sent a quiet thank you to Shalen for noisy children and turned to see the source of the squealing that had awakened him.

Did that girl have dog ears?

The tail, he didn't notice as much. It seemed more strange to him that there were people without them. She even sounded like a whining dog, begging for scraps from its master's table. And the chin against the bar was just too cute. Naboro liked dogs. He'd never seen them before his trip through the desert, but they appealed to him almost immediately. So loyal and happy...

"Give the girl some food!" he called out, laughing. The bartender shot him a venomous glare, which he pretended not to notice. "Some of that good stew you had during lunch; not the crap you've got now. Put it on my tab."

"You don't have a tab," the barkeep reminded him.

Naboro shrugged and, snagging a passing waitress by the wrist, dropped a few coins in her hand. "Stew for the girl and another mead for me, sweet domobala." The maid giggled at the percieved compliment, but hesitated until the barkeep threw up his hands in disgust and gave up.

[Anonymous]

[yay! personage! XD]

As soon as the good kind sir over there had spoke up on her behalf, she nodded incessantly. The bartender should just give her some food - it'd save him a lot of trouble. It always seemed very few people argued with her in won [it was nearly impossible because in the end she'd just declare she won either way].

And how kind he was! He was going to put in on his tab. Of course, she was already determined to pay him back. Her ears twitched occasionally, listening to the conversation while still managing to stay perched on the bar tool. By all means, she should have fallen off with the high-speed her tail was wagging at [the people nearby cleared the area, afraid they were going to get hit]. Not that her tail was particularly long - maybe a little past her knee, at most.

The bartender's stubborn will finally crumbled with that person's intervention. If anything, it was probably the coins that persuaded him. Either way, Devi gave her best smile, ears perked forward, tail still wagging so fast that it shook her entire body.

"Thank you," she said enthusiastically as, after a moment of waiting, a bowl was slammed in front of her. She took the bowl carefully, and the waitress and bartender held their breaths - she didn't really walk like a normal person. It was more of a skip, scramble, hopping thing, full of raw energy and enthusiasm that threatened to spill the stew. However, not a single drop spilled.

Devi twirled happily [almost as if she was worshiping] with the bowl of stew and hooked her foot around a chair across from Naboro and sat with a thud. She beamed at him.

"Thank you very much! I promise to pay you back," Devi told him earnestly.

It was hard to tell, but it was slightly noticeable. Her cheeks were slightly paled, right along with her lips, and there was this vague exhaustion about her. She glanced down at her food then back up at Naboro. Manners first.

"I'm Devi - it's very nice to meet you."

She didn't restrain herself any longer and dug into her stew - she ate fast, but she was neat. Within minutes, her food was gone and she leaned back, energy and color restored to her face. And there was not a single moment where she could sit still. Her ears would twitch or her tail would wag, occasionally thumping against the chair, or she'd tilt the chair bag or she'd look around with a wide-eyed, hyperactive interest. There was a startling sincerity about her, along with a childish innocence but a well-hidden, keen understanding of her surroundings.

Then her dark brown eyes flickered back to Naboro. She tilted her head, her ears perked and she leaned forward in her seat, looking at him curiously. She clearly wasn't afraid or showing any sign of dislike to what she saw. If anything, she was purely interested. She had never quite seen someone like him.

"When I was little I wanted four arms," she commented, nodding and sitting back in her chair. "They look like they could really be useful. But I've never actually seen someone with four arms!"

And then she calmed down a little, as if the energy burst the food had given her had proper time to register. Of course, she still managed to constantly move. Devi was someone who was all smiles and cheerfulness - usually.

She pulled up her legs to sit cross-legged on the seat, spinning her empty bowl around and sitting back with it. She licked the inside of the bowl and then her nose, catching some odd licks with her only response and bright, happy-as-a-puppy grin. She set the bowl back down and wiped off her face with her hand - all clean!

She glanced at the door as someone walked in - no one she knew. It'd be her luck someone she did know would walk in, and if that was the case, she'd probably be scolded. But at least in that way she'd probably be able to pay Naboro back.

[Anonymous]

"I'm Devi - it's very nice to meet you."

"Call me Naboro," he replied, though he couldn't tell if she heard. She seemed pretty focused on her food, as though she hadn't eaten in a long time. He idly wondered how long her kind could go without eating, then turned his mind to more important things.

She looked tired. She looked pale, too, but everyone looked pale to Naboro, used to the obsidian-black skin of his own people. He thought they had some skin eating disease when he first saw them. But she was definitely tired, and she seemed a bit hunted. Or perhaps simply haunted. He was no expert; the people he met usually didn't know he was hunting them until after his knife struck.

The girl - Devi, he caught himself - leaned back in her seat to stare at him. He wondered what she thought. That didn't seem to be the hateful expression he'd gotten in the hills, but it was definitely not the "look away before he notices" expression the other people in Arca used. He really needed to learn how to judge these people's expressions.

"When I was little I wanted four arms," she commented, rousting him from his train of thought again. "They look like they could really be useful. But I've never actually seen someone with four arms!"

Naboro grinned, showing off his pointed teeth. "When I was little," he began, trying not to laugh as she licked the bowl clean, "I thought everyone had four arms. Then I left home to go wandering a few months ago and learned otherwise."

The door opened to admit someone...no one he knew, but he didn't miss the sharp glance Devi gave it. She relaxed again almost immediately, and it might have been his imagination. Still...

"Are you all right?" he asked in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner. "You looked a little worried for a second."

And if she was being hunted by someone...well, Donga was always happy to recieve a sacrifice, and he could do the poor girl a good turn. Two birds with one stone, as the saying went.

[Anonymous]

Naturally, her skin was a deep bronze, deepened still by the ceaseless gaze of the sun. But no wear near an obsidian pitch. The otherwise could be said about her hair, which was messy in the way where it just never laid still, curling and sticking out randomly, and short that her bangs threatened her eyes and the longest lengths managed to fall to her chin. Her ears were rounded at the top and stood erect, at attention but constantly mobilized. They swiveled and turned, eager and listening for the slightest sound of interest. From the upper part of her left year to the tip was white, and in the front of her right ear was a white patch. The rest of her ears were a dark, velvety brown. Her tail was that same velvety brown, with only a small patch of white at its base and tip. Otherwise, she looked completely human, with the minor exception of sharp nails and more dog-like teeth.

Like her ears was programmed, they turned to him as he spoke, and her head soon swiveled around. Her dark eyes watched - a similar brown to her tail and ears - and a smile brightened her face. As soon as her lips stretched back and dimples formed on either side it was as if some internal light switched on. Instead of artificial and fake it generously spilled out a warmth that almost seemed... palpable.

There, she had been about to say something, then the minor distraction of the door and then he asked. Her tail wagged sluggishly behind her as she leaned forward, as if she had some secret to share.

"I sorta ran away from my babysitter. As soon as he finds me he'll start scolding me." As soon as the words left her lips the devious, amused grin sparked across them. She didn't mind if she was yelled it - if anything, she found it amusing.

"But if he does show up, I can pay you back," she added, leaning back into her chair.

"It'sa toss up. I shoulda really not have run off, but I don't need a baby-sitter. But now, if he does show up, he'll know I'm safe and I'll have not been sucha freeloader."

Devi, unlike a child, which is where she might have really shown she was older than her appearance [and actions] sometimes suggested, probably would've have said such a thing. Mostly, children didn't recognize as running off a bad thing - they didn't understand why it was wrong to begin with. They simply knew it as something their parents said not to do; leaving the rest quite unexplained. But Devi had long known the reason. She also showed her reluctance to not pay him back. It wasn't her fear of becoming in debt or owing someone something, but it was more or less her fear of not keeping a promise - even if it was one to herself. It was something she wanted to do because she'd feel better. Because it was the nice thing to do.

She touched the swirls of the wood, turning endlessly in on itself, her fingertips finding no beginnings and no ends. For a moment, she was simply transfixed in such a simple thing. It hovered wordlessly above her as she held her breath for a moment, her eyes peering into the wood's texture. Mesmerized. And then the spell broke, dissipating into the pale shadows of the bar.

"So, you're new. Where'd ya come from?" She asked curiously after prying her gaze from the table's surface. In itself, it had been a hassle. It had been exhausting - like her eyes were meant to be there, or had fallen into some rut. She didn't know how else to describe such a thing.

[Anonymous]

((Ack, it's still daylight, isn't it? Crap! I totally forgot Nabs' goggles.))

Oh, a babysitter. That explained everything, but he was even more confused as to her age. He had just come to the conclusion that she was older than she looked, but why did she need a babysitter, then? But she was speaking again; he filed his confusion away for the moment.

"Tabor'Baimuai," he replied, a sly smile at the corners of his lips. No one ever pronounced it right. They lingered too long on the 'm', making it sound like "Bay-muh-way." It was funny listening to them try. "That means Tabor's Repose in my language. It's south of the desert, beneath Kishahn. We Shalen'Dari are cave dwellers. That's why I wear these goggles; my eyes can't tolerate Kabor...er, the sun's light."

Yes, she definitely reminded him of a sheltie. She fidgeted constantly during the beginning of his story, and though he would normally have gone on with the tale of leaving his home and making his way across the light-blasted desert, he was afraid it would put her to sleep. With great reluctance, he cut himself off. "What about you, pup?" he asked. "Have you always lived in Arca?"

[Anonymous]

[haha, it's okay! they were ALWAYS there. -nods- none the wiser! XD]


It took a much needed moment of complete stillness and wide-eyed staring with ears perked forward, leaning towards him with all their might - then she was in motion again. Her tail wagged in long strokes, her head tilting as she grinned slightly. He had come from places she couldn't spell even if she had the world's best speller at her side. That's what she clearly knew.

"Tabor'Bahh..." she started out trying to pronounce, touching her chin until she realized that the word was turning into 'bah' rather than the word. "Eheh! Bahhh!" She laughed and then mimicked a sheep again.

He had lived in a cave. She knew people who had lived in a cave, but they were all gone now. Now, they were back to what they had been originally. They were humans and they no longer could get to that cave beneath the lake. In fact, they avoided it completely. Devi could sometimes feel those people about, some had traveled to Arca and she could feel her own energy crawling over those people. She sought them out subconsciously but she could hardly be sure they knew who she was.

Her ears twitched forward at the word 'pup' and she smiled. The immortal inside her called her and almost everyone pup. After awhile, in her youth when she had been first adjusting to the immortal, she had wound up calling babies and kids pups, too. Her speech had never changed since then.

In response to his question she shook her head, her hair shifting and standing up slightly as she shook it. Her dark brown eyes flickered up to where his eyes would be - instead, she found herself glancing at herself in reflection of the goggles.

"Nope. I was born on a community outside of Ketra and lived there a few years before I was brought to Cerenis. I've only lived here in Arca for two or three years," she lifted her shoulder with a shrug. His was much more interesting. Then again, most cave-dwellers seemed to be.

"I knew some cave-dwellers. They lived under a lake, though," Devi commented, nodding with a slightly wistful smile on her lips.

"So what brings you here?" She cocked her head - she was more interested in others than he'd probably ever know. Her tail flicked idly, with a slow-building excitement. Her ears tilted forward with her curiosity as she shifted to the edge of her seat, arms laying flat across the table surface.

[Anonymous]

Naboro hesitated a moment. She was so eager; no, she wouldn't get bored. Now, his hesitation was simply the risk of alienating her. He learned that lesson the first town he arrived in, having told them that he wandered the world performing blood sacrifice in the names of Donga and Shalen. He would not make that mistake again.

"I'm a priest," he said, hoping she wouldn't read overly much into the short pause. "I wander the world performing...very private ceremonies in very special places." Like darkened bedrooms and the occasional alleyway, he silently added. He may have been called an Assassin by his kind, but by the terms of the rest of the world, he was little more than a ritual murderer. He didn't feel like a common murderer, though. That implied that what he did was evil.

Humans just didn't understand what an honor it was to be chosen by the Corpse Worm, that was all. He was the second or third most powerful person in his culture. Certainly, the most revered since their leaders, the White Twins, were a pair of bratty children. But try telling that to a surface-dweller. It was like talking to a wall that shrieked and tried to kill you.

Naboro leaned back slightly and smiled. "Five years ago - it might have been six years now, in fact - the head priest of our order died. It was...quite the debacle. A cult dedicated to the destruction of life as we know it attacked the temple; many people died, Donga rest their souls.

"Oh, he's our god of death, by the way. I almost forgot you surface dwellers have never heard of our gods.

"Our leaders died, and their successors were too young to rule. We tried to rebuild, but it was difficult going without divine guidance. I firmly believe Shalen was testing us. But we must have passed because he sent our leaders, young though they were, a vision of what would come. I was named Naboro, as much title as name really, and sent into the world to perform my duties."

He paused again, this time for a drink of mead, and glanced expectantly at Devi. That was the story; would she be as full of questions as Shalen'Dari children?

She reminded him of the White Twins, he realized suddenly. Renala, the girl, especially. They had that same child-like demeanor, but their eyes saw so much more than he could possibly comprehend. They saw the will of Shalen. They saw what would be. And though they would never admit it, he thought they remembered who they were before they died. The Shalen'Dari language didn't have a word for reincarnation; they simply called it Before. Trust humans to coin a good word for a subject they didn't even believe in half the time.

Besides, she said she knew people who lived beneath a lake. It had been ages since mortalkind lived within the Mother rock. The only explanation he could think of was that she caught glimpses of a formal life from time to time. But he wouldn't press her. Not while she was more interested in him, at least.

[Anonymous]

Devi consulted her memory and the stored information on the word 'priest'. She instantly knew that he wasn't the typical priest, but she didn't suspect ritual killings. She understood, that him being non-human and having lived in a completely different culture [and level of land] that his belief system was vastly different from the ones she had become acquainted too. Of course, she believed in none. In all technicality, that wasn't quite fair to say of her. It wasn't that she didn't believe in it, but she found no reason to pray to things she couldn't see, sense, or feel. They weren't tangible, thus not things you could rely on in times of need. What she felt was more believable was the people that surrounded you - those that you could truly count on in times of crisis, rather than something mythical in the sky. Sure, maybe there was something there. If there was, there was. If there wasn't, there wasn't. She, however, wouldn't waste her time on mundane, trivial things such as praying. Hell, she probably couldn't sit still that long.

Her head cocked to the side when he mentioned that the ceremonies were, well, apparently very private. Then again, she didn't even know what a normal ceremony consisted of, so they might have been very private too. Who was to say, really?

On her face were the slightest changes with each word he said. The sentences would filter and process carefully, ears flicking forward, tail picking up speed, eyes widening or narrowing, head moving the slightest or her lips curling. Her face was clearly very expressive but it said little more than how interested she was in what he was saying. If it wasn't apparent by how she was seated at the edge of her seat, elbows propped on the table watching him with all the intensity of a pup its food.

It was almost immediate the changes in her face - when he said 'many people died' her lips curled downwards and her eyes darkened slightly, as if they were sad or worried about such a fiasco. It was true, mostly. Devi was compassionate, but not overly so. She could simply relate to loss and the desperate need not to lose anything and protect what was precious.

"Donga is the god of death," she repeated slowly, chin resting in her hand as her ear twitched, the little cogs in her brain turning round. "Is Shalen a god too?" She asked suddenly, recalling the name from before.

"Hm... I've never really met a person whose culture was so connected to something like that. It's kinda amazing," she commented bemusedly, but with only the most sincerity in her voice. She really did find it amazing - she hadn't met anyone else with a faith or something they believed in such as that. Devi found herself more inclined to do something about the problem rather than look for anything divine. There was no use in looking for something she wasn't sure she'd find. There was no use in asking for someone else to do it, or asking if it was fate. The only thing that'd work would be if she did it herself. That's the only kind of 'faith' Devi found she could hold.

[Anonymous]

Naboro couldn't resist a superior little smirk. Obviously, the girl was awed by his tale. It was only natural; Shalen'Dari were the chosen race, after all. Devi clearly had more intelligence and maturity than most surface dwellers to be able to recognize that.

"Shalen is a god, yes," he explained, pretending to have paid less attention to her last comment than he actually did. "Not like Donga, though. Donga is always there; he ate my home once when I lived to close to the Worm Tunnels. Shalen rules from the Spirit World and speaks to our hearts. He gave us our name. Shalen'Dari: Shalen's Children."

The door to the inn creaked open. Naboro shifted his eyes toward the newcomer; no one he knew. He, too, was waiting for someone. And like Devi, he wasn't particularly eager for the meeting. His last mark had not gone quietly, and the woman's husband had sworn eternal vengeance. He would probably give up before too much longer; they always did. Eternal vengeance seldom lasted past the start of harvest unless the survivor was particularly ill and/or driven.

Naboro was generally careful to choose those who would not leave anyone behind. The old hermits and cat ladies of the world, for whom people would mourn in passing and promptly forget. But Shalen had struck his heart upon seeing the farmer's wife. What he wanted her for, Naboro had no idea. It was not his place to ask. The farmer himself had probably given up and gone home already, but it wouldn't do to remain in one place. Besides, the burst of energy he'd gotten from curiosity was starting to fade again. He repressed a yawn.

"Sorry," he laughed, hoping she wouldn't think he was being rude. "I've been on the road for hours. Do you know a good inn in town? I thought this tavern would have beds, but apparently not."

[Anonymous]

"He ate your home?" Devi, at first, looked surprised, and then amused. She giggled at the thought of something eating a house. "I hope no one got hurt," she added softly, giving a slight, sheepish smile.

However, when he responded to her question of Shalen, she nodded. She understood what he meant. However, she still felt that she could not quite grasp the entire concept - it was possibly something she'd never quite be able to wrap her head around fully. But she supposed that was how most religions and beliefs were. You had to be born into it, enthusiastic about it, or something raised around it to really understand it. Then again, she knew a few people who had been raised around a particular religion but never understood it. To each his own, eh?

"Oh! Oh!" She hopped upwards suddenly, the chair sliding back and a few semi-drunk souls glanced her way. Devi bounced on the balls of her feet and then did a little circle, and then stopped, nodding her head up and down in an obvious gesture that meant 'yes'. Whether she was really that enthusiastic or just needed to do some kind of quick energy release wasn't really a clear thing.

"I'm staying at a good inn!" Her voice rose slightly with a bit too much enthusiasm but when someone glared at her she flashed a grin that was only marginally sheepish, her eyes splaying back quickly as a small hand touched her mouth. She lowered her voice as she turned back to Naboro.

"I probably have to get back anyway. Sieras probably told Kanna that he lost me again and if he did it'd make her upset," Devi spoke quickly, her voice picking up speed as she mentioned 'Kanna'. Her younger sister and probably the most precious thing in the world too her - but Devi was, well, Devi, and it often wound up hurting Kanna and then, in turn, hurting Devi. In the end, Devi always made up for her mistakes. She'd probably never forgive herself if she didn't.

"Follow me." She spoke brightly, walking in place and staring at the door. And then she caught a glimpse of a tall, dark haired, fair skinned boy. He peered in through the window as if something caught his attention. He then quietly creaked open the door and waggled his fingers at Devi.

"Ah! A friend!" She gasped and glanced at Naboro and gestured for him to follow.

Devi didn't walk - more like skipped and hopped out the door. She bounced around the boy's feet. He looked a little tired but smiled warmly nonetheless. He glanced at the door of the inn and then gently rested a hand on Devi's shoulder.

"You've really done it this time, y'know? Sieras is flying off the handle and Kanna is crying, y'know?" He spoke in a quiet, reserved voice but it didn't lack a warm tone, either.

Devi waved at him dismissively and wriggled from beneath his hand. "S'that's Naboro. This is Evane."

Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.

"Don't worry about a thing, Evane. Hey, hey," she wriggled up to Evane's side and poked him in the ribs and looked up at him - he was at least 5 foot 9, clearly towering over her mere five feet. "Coins for the poor?" She held out a hand and pouted. Evane almost instantly gave in, fishing in his pocket for a few coins and dropping them in gingerly.

"I'll pay you back, promise."

She jumped over at Naboro and proudly handed him the coins. "Thank you very much for that delicious stew, Naboro," she grinned cheerfully. She was clearly not made for the in-doors - she was much more lively and energetic then moments before.

"Devi, if you were hungry, why didn't you just come back to the inn? Sieras was out for three hours trying to hunt you down," Evane spoke a little firmer.

Devi was clearly unaffected. She suddenly threw up her hands and spun around Evane in a circle before stopping in front of him, all the while meandering a little further, heading in the direction of the inn. Evane began to follow as Devi began to skip. She turned, stopped and leaned forward.

"I'm twenty-three. I don't need a babysitter. I've never had one, why should I have one now? All four of you worry too much. Too much! Breathe!" She took in a large breath for emphasis, held it, bounced backwards and into someone in which she quickly hopped to the side, grinning broadly. "Why do you people tell Kanna when I'm gone anyway?" She suddenly said, her voice a little more her age. "I've told you how many times before! Be careful what you tell her or you'll upset her. She has her studies, y'know?" Her ears flattened for a moment and her tail bristled. And then, in a moment, it disappeared. She spun and skipped away, laughing as she dodged someone but tripped over another person, hitting the ground and rolling back up to her feet, completely unaffected.

"Ahaha... I agree," Evane muttered, glancing at Naboro. "Sorry about that," he said bashfully, rubbing the back of his head. "She wasn't a bother, was she?" He asked, his cheeks vaguely tinged. He wasn't embarrassed, but Devi was completely open [on most subjects but she was prone to lying, ironically enough]. Evane was completely the opposite.

[yo. sorry if its long. i just... went on and on. ahahahaha. >>]

[Anonymous]

((Sorry for disappearing. I forgot to warn you I have a tendency to do that on the weekends. I get to playing City of Heroes, and the world just goes away.))

Naboro cringed as he stepped back into the sun. Even with his goggles, the glare sent stabs of pain across the backs of his eyes. His black coloring protected him from the worst damage the sun could do, but it still burned his skin. Still, a few hours here and there wouldn't hurt him; he'd survived the desert, hadn't he?

He nodded his thanks as Devi shoved a few coins into his hand, and stowed them with the others in a hidden pocket in his loincloth. He put all four arms behind his back and stared, somewhat embarrased, at the ground while the two finished their argument.

Humans were giants, Naboro marvelled as Evane apologized. He wondered at what point in history they had occasion to grow that tall. Surely that height would have been a detriment when all mortalkind lived beneath the rock.

"No, no bother all," he chuckled, craning his neck to look in Evane's eyes. "Actually, she was quite the little lifesaver. I was about to fall asleep when she arrived." And let the boy think he meant the other patrons were the threat. No sense letting on that he was being chased when the man might have given up already. Then he glanced at Devi, still skipping ahead, and lowered his voice considerably, forcing Evane to lean down to hear. "But if you don't mind, why does she need a babysitter? She is all right in the head, isn't she?"

[Anonymous]

[don't worry about! i just got a job and i work weekends now, and, well, i didn't have time to post on sunday anway ^^]

Devi was a whirlwind of energy and enthusiasm about, well, nothing at all. She twirled carelessly and just managed to spin away from people she was very near crashing into. However, on more than one occasion she had to stop when a child took interest in her tail and yanked. She'd stop, ears and tail bristling with the sharp pain that'd follow the yank up her spine and then turn, smile and waggle her tail and move her ears and make funny faces to get the kids to laugh. Most adults looked at her and tugged her children away.

Evane couldn't help a relieved smile that Devi hadn't caused many problems. It did happen - although Devi's intentions were almost always beneficial to someone. She hadn't -really- done much damage in her life time, but there were quite a few people who hadn't liked her. Then again, those were entirely different stories.

He had leaned down to Naboro, finding himself absolutely intrigued with Naboro's... differences, to put it lightly. Having to lean down and be even nearer made his eyes widen involuntarily as he took in every peculiar detail about Naboro. So short, dark, four armed and.. reptilian. However, what Naboro said made Evane jerk back and straighten in surprise. And then he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, glancing at Devi who was crouched down, talking animatedly to a child.

"While some beg to differ, she's completely sane. We're not a blood-related family, but the seven of us care for her alot. She's become the pillar and the central figure. She can take care of herself to the point where she doesn't need us at all. Actually, she takes care of us more than we take care of her. It's a weak attempt to try to keep her safe. She doesn't need a babysitter. We just want to keep her from getting too involved with other people. She gets bored and tries to help others. And Devi is a rather reckless individual." Evane tried to explain it the best he could - Devi was certainly not crazy. She acted like a child but it was for their family's benefit - not because she was lacking in some mental capacity.

"Her sister gets upset when Devi comes back hurt. That used to be quite frequent when Devi was busy," Evane added thoughtfully, glancing up. Devi had turned around and had been watching them curiously. Her ears twitched and she watched, tail wagging idly behind her. She lifted her hand, waved, and spun around, hopping and skipping ahead before taking a sharp left.

[Anonymous]

Naboro lifted an eyeridge quizzically, but Evane's tone warned that a busy street might not be the best place to ask what "busy" meant. He glanced forward again to see that Devi had stopped to watch them. Perhaps she could hear; her canine attributes were clearly not just aesthetic. He should have thought of that before asking, and hoped she was not terribly insulted. He might have apologized, but she dashed off again and turned to enter a building, ostensibly the inn in question. Naboro made an undignified little scamper through the door after her and pulled up his goggles just long enough to rub his eyes before replacing them.

The inn was small, but clean, and that was all that mattered really. His eyes roved over the desk to note the stairs to its right. Sounds of laughter pulled his attention to the left; a small tavern area. Evane blocking the door directly behind him. No present threats. Relax. Yawn.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized. "I hate to be rude, but it's well past my bedtime. Thank you both for your kindness." He nodded to Evane and flashed Devi a toothy grin, then walked over to speak with the person behind the desk about a room.

((Okay, I'm going to fade out for a bit here and bring Nabs back out sometime around dark if you don't mind. He's kind of singlemindedly intent on bed right now.))

[Anonymous]

[no worries! sorry I didn't get much of chance or muse to post until now. stupid finals =[ anyway, teh nighttime thing is perfectly fine]



Insulting Devi was hard - extremely so. She took things lightly, and pushed it aside with laughter and grins. That's just who she was, as irritating as that could be. But she knew the effects it had on someone who wished a comment to be insulting - she knew that it'd just piss them off more. While Devi was certainly a highly compassionate individual, no one had said she didn't get angry or spiteful.

She had waved and nodded and said 'See ya later, Naboro' before spinning on her heels, her tail wagging eccentically behind her while she dashed down the hall, the echo of her soft thudding left in her wake. She had been shortly followed by Evane, who also waved politely at Naboro with a smile and drited after Devi, wincing slightly as raucaous, angry and joyous, yelps peaked from the direction Devi had disappeared into.



Her legs dangled over the edge of the porch behind the inn, kicking at the long blades of glass growing just at its edge. Devi reclined back onto her hands, her dark eyes darting up to the sky. It was dark and cool, sharp and brisk on her skin. She tugged at the long, loose and tattered sleeves of her shirt, as if she could stave off the cold. But she didn't move much else, her tail limp and her ears perked forward attentatively, her eyes focused solely on the milky orb and the thousands of silver flecks in the blue-black sky.

Only a few years older than Devi, but looking much of his age, simply very feminine, was Sieras. His robes fell around him in loose silk and sashes, silk brown hair tied in a gentle braid down his back, the ends of a black ribbon tailing. He was fair with striking green eyes considerably emphasized by thick lines of kohl. He, too, was staring at the sky, but he was much less enthused or taken by the sky than she was.

"You're really troublesome," he muttered under his breath before sighing and inspecting his fingernails.

"Kanna is doing well in her studies. Reine helps her whenever she needs it. Even with you as a distraction she's dedicated," Sieras spoke in the flat, monotonous tone of someone giving a report.

"Good, good," she retorted after a short pause.

"Are you taking your medicine?" Sieras asked her rather abruptly with a hint of authority.

"Hn? Oh, no. I gave it away," she responded breezily, yawning.

"Why?" He demanded angrily, leaning towards her and grabbing her shirt.

"How can you constantly work and yet constantly be broke? How can you always get medicine but never actually take it?" He snarled, brows drawn down low over his ferocious green eyes.

"Ohh. Look at those flowers. They're beautiful, arn't they? I think they're moon flowers or somethin'. One of the ladies here told me. See? They bloom when the moon comes up. They weren't nothing but buds before," she spoke with the enthusiasm of a child, tail wagging as she ignored Sieras, pointing at the plant. She broke away from him, jumped up and off the porch, twirling around on the path that wound through the garden.

"It's so nice out," she giggled, her bare feet twisting her round and round.

[Anonymous]

((No worries. Mine are next week. While we're OOC, though, Nabs wears bracers on his wrists. I've got it in his profile, but I wanted to point it out now because I'm about to mention them. The two on his top arms contain hidden wire spools, and the lower set hide two very small knives.))

Naboro yawned and rolled over, wincing as his hands struck something hard. The leg of the bed, he realized after a moment. He crawled out from beneath it and spent a few moments tidying the covers. They were undisturbed from the position he had arrainged them in, but he hadn't really expected anyone to try and disturb him anyway. Humans were as tense as he in the light when it came to committing crimes.

He opened the window a crack, then, seeing that it was dark enough, slid his goggles on over his forehead and headed for the tavern. The hall was deserted, most of the patrons spending their evening in the bar. The clerk, as well, seemed to be missing, which would save time otherwise spent explaining that no one had offended him, really, he just slept during the day.

By the time he had rounded up breakfast that didn't consist of whatever was burned in the bottom of the pot and finished eating, Tabor was high in the sky, shining her glorious moonlight on the undeserving earth. Another day or two, and it would be time to praise her properly, he thought, roaming around outside. He would have to stay in Arca until then; he had no idea how far the next town was, or if there would even be a suitable sacrifice there. Best to remain where there were plenty of people to choose from.

And to that end, he needed a tour of the city. It wouldn't do to get lost when one was running away from the scene of a murder, especially if someone happened to walk in on it and called the local law enforcement. Did the city even have a sewage system? He hadn't been paying proper attention on the way in, exhausted as he was.

Perhaps Devi had been sent by Shalen, he realized suddenly. He needed a guide, and here was girl who, at the least, might know where to find one. At best, maybe she'd been living in the city long enough to fulfill that role herself. Not to mention, she seemed to be for her family what the White Twins were to the Shalen'Dari, from what he had gleaned from Evane.

Yes, it must have been a sign. Shalen was smiling on him. Something truly wonderful was going to happen in Arca.

Or maybe not. He smacked himself out of the romantic nonsense. More likely, it would just be another sacrifice. Chuckling at his own childish wimsy, he stretched and started walking. Towards the back of the inn, he stopped. Voices; was that Devi's? Oh yes, a sign indeed. He stepped around the corner into the shadow of a tree and stopped short, hoping he would only be glowing green eyes in a blackened void.

"Miss Devi," he said, affecting surprise along with his most courtly manner. His eyes quickly roved over her companion: male or female, he couldn't tell; he had hard enough time distinguishing them when it was meant to be obvious. Too many clothes for his taste, though; a weapon could be hidden anywhere in such loose robes, and he wouldn't see until it was too late.

The inspection took place in the space of a breath. He fingered the dangly bobble on one of his bracers in what he hoped was a nervous gesture and continued, "I do hope I'm not interupting. I was just looking for someone to show me around the city and...well, another time perhaps. I see you're busy." He inclined his head to them both, but hesitated before he turned.

[Anonymous]

Before Devi could even speak, Sieras was already on his feet, floating upwards with all the grace of a king and all the attitude of one as well. His eyes narrowed slightly, head inclining as he examined the eyes - he was pure human and he couldn't see what he knew Devi saw. She saw the person she had brought along with her - all he saw was a thick shadow that melded, fused with others around it. Except for those eyes that glowed. He disliked Naboro almost instantly.

"This is the stray you picked up?" His voice was mild, without much of a question in it.

Devi glanced at Sieras, noticing how he stiffened beneath his robes, how he fixed his loose clothing and adjusted his braid. She noticed the way his eyes narrowed and how he stared down his nose in a disapproving way. Her tail lifted slightly behind her before she took off into a dead run. Pushing up off the path and leaping onto the porch with a thud she wriggled and danced around Sieras' feet and talked energetically.


"I can show you around!" She said, tail wagging and ears twitching.

"Devi," Sieras spoke with a clearly irritated tone, as if he was talking to a child rather than someone who was only five years younger than him, "You haven't slept all day, nor have you had your medicine in two days. You're going to run yourself ragged. And then Kanna will be upset and have a fit," he talked slowly, carefully, as if Devi had a learning disability - or ADHD.

"Don't worry, don't worry!" Devi replied, laughing at his worry. She spun around again. "Just tell Kanna I'll be back soon and that I'm just showing my friend around, okay?" She said, her tone changing slightly to something older, to something a little more serious and devious than her usual childish mischief.

"I hope you're not lying," Sieras said dryly.

"Haha! Just make sure Kanna eats and attends her studies. I'll be back no matter what. You all know that," Devi told him lightly before glancing at Naboro. She could see him quite clearly in what little light there was.

"Naboro, this is Sieras," she said quickly with an abashed giggle - she had entirely forgot to introduce them!

"Take care of her. I'd hate to think of what we'd have to do if she came back harmed," Sieras spoke lowly, a smoldering anger in his voice. He just couldn't bring it in himself to even pretend to like Naboro.

"Sieras!" Devi's voice was sharp as a knife, surprising for someone's whose tone was always light and gentle, like a subtle summer breeze.

"That's rude," her voice softened playfully and she twirled, tugging on his sleeve. "I don't need to be taken care of. So don't even think of something like that," she added, patting Sieras' arm. He made a discontented noise but didn't say anything.

[Anonymous]

Sieras sounded just like a mother threatening her daughter's suitor. Naboro stepped into the light and flashed a flirtatious grin, though that voice had him fairly certain it was man. Flirting was always the most appropriate response to threats, anyway. It was so much fun to watch their reactions.

"Don't worry, love. Devi's more than safe with me." He looked at Devi and gestured toward the road, then crooked his arm for her to take just like the foppish noblemen he saw. "Did I mention I'm a student of subterranean architecture?" he lied. "Mines, sewers, tunnels of all types are just endlessly fascinating."

She struck him as eager to please, and he was counting on her to take the hint. But if she didn't, he would ask to see the library. Just a few nearby landmarks and back in an hour; that was his plan. Afterward, when she was asleep, he would go out for a more thorough reconnaissance of the less savory areas.

[Anonymous]

As much as Sieras sounded like a 'mother', and while he took it upon himself to care for all the younger people of the 'family', he certainly needed a lot of care himself. While reserved and quiet on his opinions of Devi, he sincerely felt she deserved the title of 'Family Head'. While she acted childish, something that had frustrated him for years, she had a decent head on her shoulders. At least, she had gotten her through every situation that her family had ever been in. And safely. That was something extremely important to them. Devi had done a lot, and Sieras felt guilty for it. He wanted to take care of her and everyone else in their small family - he wanted to help make everything better. But how could he when he never got the chance?

His eyes narrowed to emerald slits. Flirting? That freak-thing was completely inappropriate - and so not his type. But Sieras was far from the type to get flustered at ugly creatures batting their ugly eyelashes at him. Afterall, this was the same man who vainly thought he was fit for the gods themselves.

"Devi would be more safe alone than with you," Sieras said, frowning disapprovingly at the... thing. He didn't even know what to think of Naboro.

Devi, not one to let good play go to waste, slipped her small hand onto his his arm just above his elbow as she had seen many upperclass woman do. She then curstied a little clumsily, ears twitching, tail wagging. She straightened and flashed her broad, bright smile at Sieras and waved. She lightly tugged on Naboro's arm before pulling away from him. Before she could take a step she heard a heavy sigh.

"Don't forget your medicine. And shoes and a coat would be nice," Sieras gave in - because, ultimately, that was his only option. It was a reoccuring fact that he didn't much care for.

He walked past Devi and grabbed her hand, giving her a medium-sized vial filled with a dark amber-liquid. He looked at her sternly for a moment before walking away. He knew she wouldn't wear shoes or even a jacket. It was something he would've liked, but that would be against Devi's nature. She didn't want to take the time to do something silly like that when she could be exploring something or running or walking around, now could she?

She shook up the vial, more in a playing manner than one of purpose, and beckoned Naboro as she started walking.

"Hm? Subterranean architecture...?" She tilted her head, confused, before her ear twitched. "Referring to mines, sewers and tunnels... and how they're built and they're structure?" She mumbled, pursing her lips slightly.

Devi hadn't gone to school her entire life. She couldn't read, and could just barely write her own name. She couldn't spell. Words and letters and their meanings didn't always make sense. Kanna tried to teach her and fill her in occasionally, usually when she thought she was being 'discreet' and that Devi was none the wiser. But Devi always knew what Kanna was up too.

"Charon would probably be best for this job," she thought, touching her chin. Charon investigated everything possible.

"Let's go see him, hm?" Devi smiled, giggled and flounced down an alley way beside the inn.

Dark, narrow, and damp. It wound between the fence of the inn and the neighboring building. It was long and grew more narrow, pitching sharply to the left and then about twenty feet into the startling darkness until an end. Devi leaned forward against the haggard stone wall and pushed on the bricks experimentally before finding the simple stone with a plain notched corner. She hooked her fingers and nails to it andlifted her one foot against the wall. She wrenched backwards and the stone tumbled heavily [and rather loudly] to the ground.

"Good thing you're small," Devi flashed Naboro a brilliant grin - she could see him perfectly, just as she was sure he could see her. She reached into the compartment and thunked her hand against something. A tiny door opened and she wriggled in smoothly - feet first. Bending awkwardly was something she was quite capable of, as she displayed. She landed about five feet down.

"Be careful - it comes into a five foot drop," she warned him while moving to the side.

"Oi. Devi? What brings you here? And with a guest?" A low voice called, a torch flaring in the darkness, casting light in a rather spacious environment. It was a room with a wide collection of books, antique bookcases, scrolls, maps and perhaps one of the finest furnishings you'd ever see. Rich maroon, gold, and black silks, and satins - it was luxurious. The man seemed to fit the room, handsome with a sleek face and smooth bronze skin and dark brown eyes. His hair tumbled down in brown waves and curls. He, however, wore only a pair of fine trousers.

"Well, I haven't visited you in awhile. And Naboro wants to know about the mines and the sewers and the tunnels and stuff," she told him childishly as she dove into a pile of silk and satin pillows.

"So you say. I think you're just here for the pillows," he spoke with a vaguely amused voice as he glanced at Naboro.

"Hello.. Naboro, was it? I'm Charon. Pleased to meet you," he spoke elegantly, but with the slightest hint of something feral. His overall appearance was comely and elegant but something... something simply hinted at something more feral, primitive, something distinctly not human but something that distinctly was. Something that was once human, then once not, and then once more was human.