Blue Fire [Jezebel]

[Anonymous]

The tavern was crowded, and loud, and hot, and smoky. Julius just wanted to leave. They'd landed here a few days ago, and it didn't look ike his crew intended on leaving any time soon. He could see some of them, the closest one to him had his arm wrapped around some half-naked woman. Julius promptly looked away when he met his gaze, throwing a wink in his direction.

Bottom line - the tavern was too small for his liking. He'd already had a few mugs of lager, and he felt he couldn't take anymore if he wished to wake up tomorrow with memory of what happened tonight. Plus he wasn't too keen on going home with one of them whores his crewmates seemed so fond of. He didn't like the looks they were giving him either, he was smart enough to know when they were planning something for him.

So he pushed himself from his barstool, abandoning his half-finished drink, and turned to leave. He wove through the jostling crowd and reached the door. Shoving it open with his forearms, the cold night air hit him, and he felt like he'd just been doused in a bucket of cold water.

He shivered a little. Perhaps he ought to have worn a little more clothing.. With a shrug, he pulled at one of his belts as he walked. His stance a little shaky from the drinks he'd had. He was already getting a headache. He strode down the rickety, wooden staircase and reached the beach. Sighing with content - already at ease. He strode closer to the shoreline, watching the water lick at the toes of his boots, he fell back. The sand cushioning his weight.

The sky was clear tonight, a few clouds on the horizon, but that was all. The full moon gave a pretty glow over the water, and the stars came in dozens. Julius threaded his fingers through the sand, letting his eyes dip shut. He could hear no-one around him, and so he began to sing. If not.. loudly. Softly - for himself. His dry lips moved around the words, some song he'd learned at the orphanage. The ladies used to sing it.. he didn't know what language it was in, but he liked it.

[Anonymous]

Qui sat quietly on the beach's rocky shore, looking out silently at the water. The moon was out – a clear night – just as he liked. He looked at the rippling waves, and his fingers danced softly over his violin's strings; there were no ships out tonight, he had no reason to play, no sailors to catch the eye of, but tonight he couldn't rest.

He closed his eyes and smiled as a wave crashed onto the rocks, sending icy mist darting at his pale skin. He let out a sigh of relief and shivered at the sensation. Qui had no problems with nights where he had no duties, but the thought simmered in his mind that there were humans on the island, enjoying themselves, free to do as they pleased. Humans, filthy – they do not deserve life.

His mind had escaped him, and somehow Qui's violin had found its way to his chin, and nestled itself into the crook of his neck in which it now rested. Qui sighed, though he let out a small smile; he delicately lifted his bow and made gentle contact with the violin's strings. He played a soft chord and smiled at the sound, and began to play more. He only played softly, because he played for only himself.

Suddenly, Qui heard another gentle noise, not of his own. He paused and lowered the bow, his ear catching the sound. A voice. It was beautiful... Qui listened to the soft sound, coming from further down the beach. He nodded slowly at the tone, the pitch...it was a human. Qui's lip twitched into a small twisted smirk, his mind turning instinctual. He lifted his bow once again, and it made contact with his instrument, bringing forth beautiful chords. He played along in time with the voice, louder than before, for now he was not playing for himself. He was playing for his duties.

He listened to the voice, and continued encouragingly.

[Anonymous]

The gentle sound of violin strings caused Julius to open his eyes, a slight frown tilted his brow down, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. The melody fit his song so perfectly - he'd never had anyone accompany him when he sang. It was a nice change, not to mention it sounded absolutely wonderful. The next thing he knew he was standing.

His feet stumbling clumsily over the sand, and his belts clicked together as he went. His voice wavered and then came to a stop, as his boot caught in a raised part of one of the rocks, and he stumbled a little, catching himself by extending a hand to what appeared to be a fallen log. But he looked up, emerald eyes wide.

A few feet away sat a man. If Julius could call him that. He was beautiful, brown hair and all. His skin almost seemed luminescent beneath the full moon. A violin beneath his chin, the peaceful look on his face drew Julius in further, and the pirate knew right away that this man was not human. He looked like some kind of god.

Julius swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. His boat wasn't to far from here, and his instincts were telling him to run. But he couldn't. Strode closer, and fell onto his knees beside the man, watching him with impossibly wide eyes. The way his elegant fingers shifted over the strings truly caught Julius' gaze, and held them.

"Aye..." He murmured, "Th.. you..." He couldn't find the right words, so he settled for nothing, his chest suddenly feeling tight, his hands gripping at the rock beneath him.

[Anonymous]

Qui continued to play, his eyes shut in a peaceful expression. His lip twitched again as he heard the scuffing of movement in the sand, along with a clinking sound of metal and the human's lyrical voice growing louder. He knew his human was approaching.
But Qui was no fool. He had played this game many times before; he continued his delicate playing, acting as if he were oblivious to the approaching human. His fingers danced swiftly across his violin's neck, leaping from chin to root in a flash.
 
He grew more and more aware of the human's presence as he continued to play, drawing him in like a fisherman with a bait-leafed net. Closer and closer, the human came. Qui heard the human lower himself right by his side, but continued to play a moment longer. His nostrils flared slightly as he took in the strong scent of this human. He smelt of the sea..and alcohol. A pirate? Qui's mind leapt at the thought, and he lowered his bow, his eyes still shut.

He put his violin gently on a crook in the rocks, and his lips lifted into a gentle, loving smile. The game begins. Qui opened his eyes and turned to the pirate, and his piercing blue eyes sparkled in the moonlight as they connected with the other's bright green emeralds. This human was handsome, though feminine.

Qui nimbly lifted his hand, and brushed a lock of the human's blond hair from his brow. He chuckled gently at the expression in which he responded with. This human seemed dumbstruck, an easy catch.

Slowly, he parted his lips, and spoke. "Hello, human..."

[Anonymous]

He watched the peaceful expression on the man's face, his eyelids flittered avery few moments, fingers dancing over the strings - and Julius was almost sad when he stopped playing. He nearly asked the man to keep going, for he felt his heart sink. But he shrank back when he turned his gaze onto the pirate - he felt his heart stutter.

He shifted back a little, eyes widening further when he felt the gentle touch on his brow. At least now his limbs were listening to him. His arm slid back to the rapier on the right side of his hip, gripping the hilt tightly. The look in those blue eyes - it frightened him a little.

Human? Julius tilted his head - this man was definitely not human. Now, this was very, very, clear. His throat was still impossibly dry, he forced himself to swallow, wincing a little at the pain. A million questions came to mind, yet he couldn't put his finger on one.

He scrambled back a little further, falling onto one knee this time, he half-drew the rapier, his gaze lowering to the violin now. But he forced words past his cracked lips.

"What.. what are you?"

[Anonymous]

Qui observed the pirate with feigned warm interest. He turned his built body towards the human and smiled, touching the offending hand gently. "You do not need that..." he firmly persuaded the rapier back into its case. Qui leaned closer, letting his luminescence grow in the moonlight.

"Tell me, human...what is your name?" he smiled softly as his eyes continued to shimmer. He stroked the blond hair off the human's face once again, letting the human fall slowly into his trap. He slowly traced his hand down onto the other's shoulder, unable to conceal the smallest of smirks. He breathed onto the other's skin as he spoke, his breath a warm contrast to the crisp air.

He lowered his head slightly, and made his expression more alluring. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the scent again; he did not love the smell, but he relished in it before a kill. He raised his head, his lips now closer to the other and tilted the pirate's chin up.

"Go on, human...what's your name...?"

[Anonymous]

Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to run. He didn't register to the touch when he felt his rapier being pushed back into it's sheath, the hand over his was warm, and soft. Julius trembled under that intense blue stare. He felt the warm breath on his skin, and he truly wanted to run - but he couldn't.

The man asked for his name, and Julius's lips trembled, he swallowed hard once, and tore his eyes away. Beginning to regret leaving the tavern - right now those women with no respect for themselves, the drinks, the noise.. sounded a lot more appealing. The night was dead silent now, aside from the gentle sound of the water as it licked the shoreline.

"Julius." He said, after a long silence. Then he frowned - when it came to meeting strangers, he'd more often than not give a fake name. He'd given his real one with out so much as a second thought. He was clamming up, but he was glad that this man wasn't speaking so fast, or using words that he would not understand.

"You didn't answer my question." He said after a moment. Finding it a lot easier to talk to this man without having those blue eyes pierce through to his soul. "What are ya'?" He asked again. The hand on his rapier didn't move, but he shifted his hips so that the man's hand fell from his.

"An.. a name for a name, right?" He still didn't look up. But there was a hand on his chin, turning his face upward. Julius' eyes went wide once more, and - unfortunately - met with those brilliant sapphires. He cursed inwardly. He was so close, it scared the pirate a little - what if someone saw?

Somehow, Julius managed to twitch away, falling back a step too far, his leg meeting with air, and then he fell to the sandy bank below with a heavy thud, the breath rushing from his lungs as the ground met his skin. He cursed out loud, and struggled to get back to his feet.

[Anonymous]

The long silence began to bore Qui. But when the pirate finally spoke, he couldn't help but quirk a smile. Julius. His name was Julius.

Qui blinked as the Julius fell backwards, and leapt down, landing directly above the blond, a hand on either side of his head.

"Julius. What a beautiful name...very much like Julia," he smiled again, verbally gesturing the boy's feminine appearance. He gently stroked Julius' cheek. The moon in combination with his to-be prize made the siren's skin glow more with excitement. He simply ignored the human's questions again, stroking his cheek softly, feeling the boy's nerves and clamminess, before replacing his hand on the cool sand.

"Or even like Juliet..." he chuckled softly, breathing onto the trembling human's lips, "Are you a Juliet, human...?" He felt the boy's nerves and couldn't help but move closer still, moving his arms down so he rested on his elbows, his sapphires connected  with the other's emeralds.

He felt his prize being reeled in, slowly, he raised his hand off the sand again, tracing it down the human's bare chest, and he kept his other arm on the cool sand, only raising his hand to play with the pirate's hair affectionately. He knew his job was nearly fulfilled, and then he would play his violin and reel in the next prize. He was a master fisher of men, he was.

Slowly, Qui traced his hand back up the pirate's chest, to his clean jaw. "You could be a Juliet..." he leaned in, his lips hovering millimetres from the human's, "And I could be your Romeo..." he grinned, keeping his lips in place. Qui could feel Julius giving in. Nearly there.

[Anonymous]

Goshdarnit! Why couldn't he move?!

He shifted back a little, but when he sat up on his elbows, the man was all over him again. Leaning over him - and Julius had to lean back into the sand to avoid being so close.. but he leaned further over him, covering Julius' body with his own. The pirate struggled vainly, his hand coming to rest on the man's chest as he tried to push him away, but... that didn't work.

But the man proceeded to speak, in a low purr of a voice. It sent a shiver right down Julius' spine, like someone had poured an icy droplet of water right down the line on his back. His breath hitched as that brown hair - so much like a waterfall at midnight - slid down like a curtain over his shoulder, pooling on either side of Julius' head.

He spoke, his words would have been alluring had they not angered Julius to this degree. He froze like a scared rabbit - Julia? He scowled, and his hand fisted in the man's shirt, scrunching the dark material. He was about to protest - but the man went on. Julius wanted to cut off his tongue. Too bad he couldn't reach his rapiers.

Juliet? Oh that was it! Julius wanted to throw him in the ocean back with whatever else was under there and have one of those giant octopuses drag him down, and strangle him! Mostly because Julius didn't feel he could do such a thing - despite how much he wanted to.

The touches were literally turning him to jelly. He couldn't move his arms, they stayed on the man's chest. Acutely aware of how his questions had been so plainly ignored like that. Julius did not like being ignored. Not one bit!

He maneuvered and shoved the man to the side, linking his legs under his knees, and dragging them upward so he now straddled the brown-haired man. He planted his hands on either side of his head. Tempted to pull on the brown locks - but he decided against it. His eyes darkened like emerald fireballs as he glared.

"I'm no Juliet!" He snapped. "I 'aint even a girl! Look!" He lifted his hands to run over his chest a few times, he narrowed his eyes further. "Jus' what the hell are ya', hm?" He scowled again, "f'yer not gonna answer then.. Sod off!" He finished, feeling quite proud of himself - that had been harder than he'd thought. It was like this man had some sort of power, drawing him in.

For he was very aware of the warmth radiating from the man's lower abdomen, along with his own. He shivered a little, and lifted his hips away. Though - whatever he was, he was succeeding. Julius wanted to get up, and he wanted to sprint home and fuck whatever moved, but.. he couldn't.

He couldn't even move.

[Anonymous]

Julius' explosion surprised Qui, but not hugely, the confusion was getting to the pirate, and Qui maintained a steady smirk because of this.
Something that however, did shock him was Julius' response. Never before had a human had the sheer will and mental strength to actually take control of a situation with this siren. It appeared that Qui had misanalysed his human, this was not going to be as easy as he had thought.

Oh well, more fun.

Qui took advantage of the implying position, slowly lifting his hands to touch Julius' arms, stroking them gently up to his shoulders. "Juliet...let me be your Romeo..." his smirk remained steady, "You appear alone, my Juliet, you need a Romeo..."

Qui saw his words boiling in Julius' mind. Good. The anger was delicious, and the human, he knew, would become more and more fascinated and obsessed with the siren. He moved his hands down to the human's chest, rubbing gently.

Qui studied Julius' face, shocked and...frightened? The boy's eyes glowed beautifully in the moonlight, standing out with his blond lashes framing the emeralds. His lips seemed full, was he...aroused?

Heh, wonderful.

"Your voice is stunning, my beauty..." he raised a warm hand to Julius' lips, a stark contrast to his cold skin and lips. "Sing for me, Juliet..." He rubbed Julius' lip with his thumb, moving his hand to cup the human's cheek.
 
The human was giving in, fast. Qui could sense it. He was doing his job, and doing it well.

[Anonymous]

"I-..."

He had no words. The anger had literally died as soon as the man's hands reached his biceps. The muscles twitched instinctively, and again - Julius' senses wanted him to run. But his words had frozen Julius to the spot. Alone. That was true, clearly - he had been out of the tavern for almost a full hour, yet none of his crewmates had come to look for him. He swallowed hard, his adams apple bobbed and he turned his head away.

"..Shut up.." He murmured, under his breath. Yet his words were laced with anger. "I don't.. I don't need no fuckin' Romeo.." If anything, he should be the Romeo, right?

But there were hands on his chest then, and Julius froze all over again. His breath quickening, the touch sent a ripple of pleasure all through his bloodstream, his head dropped back, and his breath hitched. What was happening? Urgh, he'd ignored Julius' question again. What the hell was up with him?

He wanted Julius to sing? The pirate made a sound like a whine as he rightened his head once more, aware of how those hands had stopped on his skin. One resting over the tattoo and the other just over his ribs. He was desperate for that feeling again, so he drew in a shaky breath - unsure of how his voice would sound after this.

But he did, he sang. In that same ancient language he didn't understand. A song he knew from when he was little, he didn't know where he'd heard it, but... it had sung him to sleep on one night when one could actually smell the terror in the air. But he sang, his voice weak, wavering every few words. He didn't know if he had accented the right words, but he sung on. Closing his eyes - unwilling to look into those brilliant sapphires below him.

[Anonymous]

Qui listened to the beautiful sound dripping from the pirate's mouth; every single lyrical word uttered from his full lips was a pure sound of deities. Qui was nearly addicted to the noise...wait- addicted? No, Qui was the siren...why was he being brought in by such a voice..?

"Juliet...your voice is that of a goddess..." he stroked the blonde's clean cheek with the back of his hand. "As well as the skin of Aphrodite...and the eyes of the ocean's freshest kelp. Truly, you cannot be human, but a goddess...a deity of beauty and love," he spoke gently, and played idly with the blond hair.

Qui mindset had switched as quickly as a mother blowing out a child's bedside candle. This pirate could be no human, but only something of higher stature, something not as filthy, something...godly. Qui traced his hand all along the blonde's jaw, lips, brow, hairline, and down to his chest once again.

This...being, Qui knew, could be of great use to him. Though he smelt like a human, he appeared to have been around them for a long time...which would probably explain it. This blonde was a deity, he had to be. The way his beauty radiated in the moonlight.

Qui's instinctual need to eliminate Julius had completely shattered now, and he wished to use this beautiful 'deity' to his advantage, he could gain much from this beauty. The waves crashed loudly, sending mist flying out towards the two on the ground – the mist crashed into Julius' chest and face, making him shimmer and even nearly sparkle. Qui was convinced.

No human holds that beauty...

Qui slowly raised himself to rest on his elbows, and looked up at the emerald-eyed magnificence straddling him. He wondered...if not human, what could Julius be? When Julius took a break in his song, Qui spoke.

"My goddess..." he began, "Tell me who you really are, you surely are not human...tell me, my beauty."

[Anonymous]

Julius' voice melted away as soon as the man below him began speaking once more. Again, comparing him to goddesses and other deities. He swallowed hard, doing his best not to tilt his head into the hand by his head. But the ocean decided then that it would intervene, the water crashed over the shoreline, and landed over both he and the man below him.

Julius turned his face away to avoid the salt spray in his eyes. But when he looked down again, the man was watching him, his eyes never leaving Julius' face. But the pirate knew the look in his eye - curiosity? It wasn't.. whatever it was he had seen in there before. It confused him, and he was now horribly aware of the hand resting just above his navel.

He wanted more answers? This made Julius smile a little, looping his thumbs back around his original mind-frame, before all the confusion and.. haze this man had caused. If he wasn't going to answer Julius.. then Julius was not going to answer him. His words were angering the pirate still - he'd been getting called girl names his entire life, he didn't understand why this man had caught on so fast.

"Tell me what you are," He breathed, another wave crashed over him, and he turned his face away once again, planting his hands on either side of the man below him, looking at him. "Tell me an' I'll tell ya what I am... -savy?" He added, before he cleared his throat and scrambled back, disentangling his legs from the other man, and falling back on his elbows. Realizing how suggestive that position had been maybe a few moments too late.

"Jus' what's your name, then?" He asked, shifting once again to stand.

[Anonymous]

Julius' body was irresistible. He couldn't be human, Qui was certain. His skin glistened as if from working up an exhausted sweat, which Qui couldn't help but quirk a smile at considering the position. However, Qui frowned as the blonde moved off his toned body.


His name, the pirate had asked his name. Qui knew for certain now that he was not human. "Qui," he said softly, moving forward and caressing the blonde's cheek before he stood. "My name is Qui..."


Qui looked into the other's eyes, searching for any form of information as to what Julius could be. A shapeshifter? A goddess? ..an angel? Qui didn't know, and he couldn't find anything, all he knew is that those emerald eyes were boring into his in return to the gaze.


Qui felt something low in his gut that he had never felt before...like thousands of tiny bats were in his stomach as the blonde returned the gaze. It felt odd...uncomfortable, Qui wanted it to stop. His gaze faltered slightly from the newfound sensation, it was very intimidating...what was this feeling inside him?


Slowly, he neared himself to the blonde's face. "Please, my goddess...my Juliet... Tell me what you are..." he cupped Julius' cheek and neared his lips to the others, breathing softly onto them like earlier. He did not need to eliminate this being, but he felt the need to continue his seducing act.

[Anonymous]

"...Qui..." He said the name hesitantly, testing how it sounded coming from him. He mouthed it a few times, trying to get the pronunciation right. It took him a while, he repeated the name like his own little mantra, until he said it the way Qui himself had. He shook his head, and looked back at him.

What was he.. He was human! But.. he felt Qui's advances and his tone had changed since a few moments earlier. Julius cleared his throat, lifting a hand to scratch his nose to hide his uncertainty. He didn't know his father, he didn't know his mother -... He listed off several immortal creatures in his mind, before settling on;

"Angel." He blinked rapidly, trying to figure out if he'd really said it or not. "M-my m-ma.. s-she was.. an angel." He frowned, running the hand that had paused on his nose through his hair, looking away as his cheeks heated up. Angel, wonderful. What if Qui didn't believe him?

He could use his magic.. but what if it decided it didn't want to work? Then Julius took a step backward - away from Qui. He had to leave, he had to leave before things got any worse because he did not like where this was going. His left hand rested on the hilt of his silver rapier, still unsure of what Qui would do next - the man had proven to be rather unpredictable.

"W-what are ya'? Last.. Last time I'm askin'." He shifted forward a little, narrowing his eyes at Qui. Once he got this answer, he was going. The ship wasn't so far from here, Windbreaker was safe. Someone would be on board, and they could.. they could help Julius.

He didn't move from where he was, his heel dug into the sand, and he bit his lower lip harshly.

[Anonymous]

Qui smirked to himself as soon as the words left the blonde's quivering mouth, and he grasped Julius' hand tight as he stood. "An angel...but of course, milady." He bowed low and kissed Julius' calloused hand. He said, "My most beautiful Juliet...only from a heavenly being could such a stunning face be carried down by deities to this Earth. My Juliet..." he kissed the blonde's hand once more before straightening himself.

Qui allowed the tanned hand to drop gently as he released it, and he smiled at the blond with a soft, loving smile, much unlike how he would to a human. Slowly, he came closer to Julius and placed his hand over the other's left, over the rapier. "My angel...you and I are alike... I, too am not human. Therefore fear me not..." he smiled and lowered his head respectfully, as if to royalty.

Once again, he stepped closer still, his chest's heat radiating to the blonde's, spreading his warmth between the miniscule gap, invitingly. Julius had asked what he was...

You are not a human...you are trustworthy...

Slowly, Qui smiled again. He finally stepped back, liberating Julius of his alluring warmth; and once again, he bowed as if to royalty. "My beautiful, elegant angel... I am humbled, and honoured to meet such a being..." slowly, he tilted his head so the blonde could see him, and his growing smile, "I...am but a lonesome, humble..." his smile twisted into something extraordinary, "...Grim."

[Anonymous]

"Uh.." Any word Julius had died on his tongue at the change in Qui's demeanor. At the word 'angel' his mere expression had changed - softened. The pirate couldn't find it in him to pull away when his hand was taken by the man before him, and lifted to those soft lips. He just blinked, dumbfounded as the hand was kissed. Qui's words didn't even register, for when they did, Julius' anger was doused again by the second kiss.

He had a seriously short fuse, but it was surprising how easily Qui was drawing it out. It seemed Qui's temper was as long as Julius' was short. When his hand was released, Julius brought it back to his side - flexing his fingers like something moist had just touched them. But Qui continued on, stepping closer again, to which Julius attempted to retreat, but his heel connected with what felt like a rock - but he didn't fall.

"m'not a lady." He repeated, leaning his head forward a little in defiance, but it seemed as though Qui hadn't heard him, they were standing so close - too close for comfort. His heart was beating so loud, he wondered if Qui could hear it. But he looked up into those eyes before him, they seemed to be gentle - unthreatening. Yet still, if he wasn't human, then Julius wouldn't trust him.

But he backed off, and Julius immediately relaxed, his tense muscles relieving. but when he bowed, Julius' brows lifted. He had never been treated like this, never had his hand kissed nor been bowed to, or even kissed someone's hand. He blinked again, and remained silent for a time. Just watching Qui with somewhat narrowed eyes. The look he was giving the pirate seemed almost.. frightening.

"Stop callin' me a lady, then." He puffed out his chest, suddenly feeling a wave of confidence, "It's Julius, not Juliet." He wrinkled his nose in distaste as he spoke the name. "I aint' no lady, and I aint' no Juliet." But he stepped back even as he said those words, as if fearing he'd give himself away. But the rock kept him there, and to prevent himself from falling, he sank to his knees in the sand, lowering his hand to rest on the rock. "I never once seen you before, what's someone like me got that ya' want?" He said, a frown crossing his lips.

[Anonymous]

Qui straightened himself and then stopped moving completely when Julius began to talk, why was the blond angel so insistent upon being referred to as a male? Qui did not understand, though he thought it best to simply do as the angel wishes. Slowly, he nodded and spoke softly, with the utmost respect, "My apologies, Julius...do forgive me for this, your beauty was just so..hypnotic, so...supernatural. It had be fooled..." he smiled lightly, though his expression had a slight lacing of guilt.

He is not very vengeful for an angel...
   
Qui studied the smaller male's body, and suddenly craved his voice again, and his violin. He wanted to sit on the rocks with this being and play beautiful sonnets and ballads, and attract human sailors, and bring them to their demise, together.

Qui watched as Julius stumbled to the sand, looking up on his knees. Quickly, the Grim bent forward and lowered himself to the pirate's eye-level. "Most gentle Julius, would you like a hand up?" he smiled ever-so softly. He presented a strong hand in an offering gesture, holding it before Julius with a patient expression.

He studied the blond pirate's soft face, and his eyes traced down to the revealed navel. He tilted his head slightly.

He looks so..feminine, so beautiful... Surely he is not really a he. Surely...

Qui shook his head, ridding it of his thoughts, and returned to smiling warmly at Julius. As he stood there, bent and poised, his eyes made contact with the other's, and those bats in his stomach returned, it felt like aggressive salmon were slapping their way upstream inside of him. What was that damnable feeling!? Qui was getting frustrated with the slightly nauseating sensation, but did his best to ignore it.

He smiled once more, and urged his hand forward, "Please, my angel...allow me to help you stand."