Spirits of the Earth

She moved on the cusp of silence, her softly booted feet barely making a sound as she drifted from the shadows of the corridor, jade tones flickering in the soft glow of the candlelight. Raine's graceful figure danced between the pews in the vaguely lit chapel as she made her way to the large, ebon piano resting untouched and dormant in the corner. Suckling her lower lip into her mouth, she worried up on it, thoughts fluttering through her mind as to if she weren't alone. Her chest rose and fell with each gentle breath as slowly pulled the bench away from the piano, taking her seat quietly. The cream tones of the ivory and the glossy polished black keys glittered in the dim light, beckoning Raine's slender fingers to them. She hadn't played in years but somehow she knew the melody to the song that had played in the back of her mind since her father had passed...Or had been taken from her.

Her back gently arched as her fingers caressed the keys...a deep rich tone emerged from the instrument in the first striking chord of Fantaise Impromptu, then another, bringing her right hand to the piano as well, delicately playing each notes with elegance, precision,  and speed.

Suddenly, Raine's eyes shot to the cathedral doors, the elaborate wood and iron details seemed to move...The door was opening.

A young man pushed open the large doors upon hearing the soothing melody inside.  Peeking down toward the piano, he stepped inside slowly, closing the doors behind him.  There stood the man, innocent in appearance, listening happily.  He wore a fine black trench coat, buttoned up, showing only his matching boots out the bottom.  He was slender, yet with broad shoulders and fine proportions of a fit body.  His clean cut face was guised by a pair of metallic sunglasses that wrapped around his eyes.  His hair was jet black as well, and shaved short, spiked softly at the top.  The light skin of his face stood out from his dark accessories, leading into a soft smile as the music played.  His attention fixed on the girl and he applauded lightly with his black-gloved hands.  The calm noise of his boots was heard as he walked slowly up to her.  "Very nice.  Indeed."  His gentle voice replied kindly.  He seemed a very tender person, one who had a heart for music.

Raine's delicate fingers ceased their song when the shadowed figure enetered the doorway. Her body shuddered as the chilling wind seeped in through the open door,  but she wondered if it were truly from the fear of the unknown. Raine had drifted into this new town knowing nothing of it's heritage like her previous villages. She was now dismayed about not looking into this town as she had done the others. But alas, the backdrop to this slender figure seemed as though the pastels of the sunset has been ripped away to reveal the ebon canvas peppered with shimmering diamonds, the sky was fresh and lovely as this beautiful stranger entered the room with his gentle applause. Raine's back straightened and she remained still, her muscles tensing to leap at any moment incase this ecounter were to be hostile. She ran her tongue over her lips slowly, wetting them before parting her supple lips to speak.

"I apologize for any disturbance I may have caused you..." Her jade tones skimmed his figure and his face for any signs of familiarity.

Slowly, she swung her toned legs around the bench to fully face her company, making sure that her hands were readied for an attack, leaving her daggers in plain access. The deerskin leggings that donned her lower half clung fast to her slender muscles, her chest gently heaving beneath her ivory tunic. How could she be this nervous, she thought to herself. This is just another villager passing through during their midnight walk, nothing out of the ordinary. Raine's cheeks flushed a light sahde of scarlet and she lowered her eyes to the strangers booted feet. The candlelight set a beautiful aura-like glow upon her skin, setting off amber tones in a delicate shimmer. Suddenly an urge to stand took her over and she mustered up the strength to bring herself to her feet, her legs a little wobbly at first from sitting and using the diminish pedal on the piano.

He paused silently as he watched.  His gentle hidden eyes looked her over and again made contact with her face.  "It is all right.  There is no disturbance here." He assured the young elf kindly.  "You do not have to be nervous with me." He replied softly, reading her like a book.  He placed his hands out in front of him to show peace and continued to approach her.  He gazed down at her smoothly, his movements very appropriate and natural.  Ever so carefully, he placed his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to comfort her with his calm smile.  He was a very unusual person.  He found it okay to touch her, being a very close individual.  He could plainly tell that the girl was fully capable of defending herself, yet he proceeded with his warm actions nevertheless.  "You are new here?" he guessed in his tender voice.  "I am William.  I overheard your playing and I could not resist."

Raine felt his eyes devouring her every move, something seemed different about him...his speech was almost sequential and routine. His stature had given her an allusion of his personality, she could usual read people very well, but this one she was having difficulty with. Maybe it was the sudden change of scenery and that fact that she had been caught off guard. Ha, there's something...Raine D'Elavige caught off guard. Since when is that tangible? A thought struck a chord in her ever-flowing mind...It had to be the song. Raine's thoughts emerged one by one when that song filled the air. Her father, her childhood, that terrible pain...It all had come back to her and placed her far beyond conciousness and into her throughts themselves. Perhaps that's why she didn't hear the footsteps before the door had opened, and perhaps she wouldn't have known the presence of the man that stood behind her now unless the cold draft hadn't startled her from her reverie.

His hands were somewhat calming, and his smile was contagious, bringing a soft smirk to her lips as well. Her eyes fluttered closed and she drew in a slow, deep breath in means to calm herself, relieving the tension in her shoulders. She had sensed that he meant no harm to her and also released her fists letting her palms rest upon the tops of her thighs. Letting the breath escape from her lips, she opened her emerald orbs to gaze at him while she spoke.

"I've traveled from a distant country...many of my friends and family were sl..." Her voice cut off as she caught herself mixing her memories in with her conversation. A stranger had no wares to know about her past, and should have no interest in such a petty individual.

"I'm neither peasant nor royalty, and my name is of no importance..." Her voice was soft and sultry, it had a velvety quality to it. She then shrugged his hands from her shoulders and turned to face the piano once more, her heart pounding in her chest as she placed a hand delicately above her bossom.

Her smile made him happier until she spoke.  "I see..." he replied sadly.  "...Well, it is polite to introduce oneself.  And I would like to know the name of this fine young pianist." He made an attempt to cheer her up, pulling his hands away as she turned around.  "And...if you would like someone to talk to, I would like to listen." He spoke so mature and intelligent, placing a single hand on her shoulder.  He took note of the abrupt stop in her information and assumed it to be emotional.  He loved to comfort people and he loved to listen.  Quietly making his way over, he sat on the bench beside her, the leather coat stretching as he sat.  A small scent could be picked up of a fragrant, but light cologne.  Still with that kind smile, he lowered his head to face his hands and began to leisurely unbutton and remove his gloves.  Finger by finger, he pulled them off, revealing something unusual.  His right hand was littered with the most horrid of scars laced up and down, distorting the color and texture of his flesh.  And the left...his left hand was bare.  A mere skeleton was his left hand, but this skeleton was metal.  Small pieces, from gears to parts, formed a mechanical structure that was his hand.  Setting his gloves in his lap, his fingers now grazed the keys of the instrument.  It was amazing...such intricacy.  The two unfathomable hands then began to play the piano so delicately, and with such precision.  At that moment, his eyes closed beneath his reflective glasses, which shielded them from vision.  A slight flush of pink covered his cheeks as well, realizing there was another with him as he played.

Her eyes skimmed his hands inconpicously as he removed his gloves, careful not to gawk or show any more attention that necessary. She hadn't seen much cyborg technology in her years but she knew that this man wasn't human...fully anyway. Raine noted the tone in his voice in his response. William's attemp to bring her spirits up was quite refreshing. She hadn't had human contact in weeks as she was traveling alone in the wilderness trying to find a new refuge and she almost liked the physical attention he was willingly handing over. It wasn't a negative approach, he wasn't expecting anything from her as far as she had noticed. He was just a kind gentleman looking for someone to have a late night chat with.

"How quaint..." She thought aloud to herself, but quickly correcting her sudden outburst by placing her fingers to her lips. "I'm sorry, I just...well..." She began but quickly swallowed her words, for it wasn't doing any good to mumble and stutter her way through a conversation.

This was odd indeed. Never was she at a loss for words like this. Uncanny and unorthodox for such a woman as Raine. She closed her eyes slowly, taking in the gentle scent of his cologne and the soft touch of his hand on her shoulder, when suddenly it moved again. Raine's eyes opened quickly to see the reason that he had moved was to grace the piano with his talents.

And he truly had talent. The remarkable arpeggios and symphonic tones coursed through her body and she was silently stolen away into his haunting melody. The jade tones of her eyes skimmed his features and she smiled softly as his cheeks gently flushed. She placed a hand delicately upon his thigh and leaned closer to speak to him.

"I'm Raine...."

Still playing the piano, his attention turned to her as she spoke.  After she rambled on, he chuckled softly.  "Sorry for what? " he asked curiously.  He nudged her shoulder gently with his usual smile and breathed deeply.  "Just relax.  And speak freely.  There is northing wrong with stumbling over your own words." His smile grew.  "I find it natural and relaxing.  Much better than forcing out complete sentences.  Just let it flow and it will come eventually." His voice was soft and sweet as he coaxed her.  Then he missed a key, sending the whole smooth motion into an abrupt halt as he stopped.  He frowned suddenly and glanced at his hands as the left one twitched.  He pulled them back immediately and held his bad hand.  "I-I apologize.  My hands aren’t what they used to be..." he said sadly, staring at the keys.  "Y-you can play...if you like." He offered.  "And if there is anything you wish to ask me, then go ahead.  I do not mind." His smile perked a little from his saddened expression earlier.

Raine's eyes drifted in sync with his fingers as he played, listening in part to his words as well. A light smile played brightly across her lips as he softly reassured her. William really did have a charm to him, his debonair smile and his elegance. Most machine types didn't possess that type of smooth quality.

Raine's mind seemed to never stop moving...She'd be surprised if he couldn't actually hear it ticking, straying to and fro throughout various memories and emotions like a scattered pile of playing cards -- disorganized and frantically, trying to keep them all in check. She had never been a mess like this.

Abruptly, a rush of fear came over her...This chapel. She'd been here before, and just as that stunning revelation came over her William's missed note brought his song to and end.

"No need to apologize, William...B-but can you tell me what city this is?"  Raine brought a shaking hand to her brow as she asked him this, a worried expression painting her face.

William clearly felt Raine's fear and watched silently at her nervous figure.  "We are in no city.  We are just outside Serendipity Village." He informed lightly.  "Why?  Is there something bothering you?" he asked with concern for her, resting his right hand upon her shoulder.  "If there is something wrong, you can tell me..." he offered tenderly.  His right hand then lifted slowly and grasped the one on her face.  He held it softly, moving it from her pretty face and wondered about her sudden tension.  He definitely knew something bothered her and was curious as to what it was.  "Please do not take offense to this, but I can tell there is something troubling you.  And I will try to help if you let me..."  He was so kind and gentle.  It was hard to hate someone like him, butt there were people that did.

Raine's eyes widened as the words Serendipity flowed from his lips. This was in fact the same chapel in which the priest would hold his sunday masses just before Bolverk had pulled him to the shadows and convinced him to find her father, Raul. She hadn't given it much thought before a metallic clatter was heard in the blessing room in the back, someone or some thing was there and in her rash state she took William as being part of this. Her lithe fingers wrapped deftly around the handle of her dagger in her boot and pulled it quickly from it's sheath as she dove at him, tears filling her emerald eyes. Pinning him to the ground would have been a thick-skulled idea and she would have known this if her vision hadn't been blurred by memories. The chapel faded into daylight in her mind, projecting a faded smiliar image through her eyes, the man sitting next to her no longer William but the preist which had taken her father's life and had brought her here to explain. A mere child she was, no child should even have to hear news bearing their parents death, it shouldn't have been wished upon anyone and she begged it not to be true. A delicate and impressionable 7 years of age...

William was taken by surprise after hearing the unusual noise and was suddenly tackled to the ground by the confused Raine.  No gasp was heard as he hit the floor, but his sunglasses were knocked from his smooth face.  He just stared at her cluelessly as she held him down with a knife at his throat, his now visible eyes standing out clearly.  He paused calmly and sighed as a frown now came over his innocent face.  His eyes were a cool blue, metallic in tone and they glowed softly in the dim room.  But his right eye...it wasn’t normal.  The white of that eye was machine, revealing all the components that swiveled and moved for focus and light.  With lightning reflexes, his swift hands grabbed her wrists.   He extended his arms out at his sides, pulling hers with, forcing her down face to face with him.  He lay there, stretching her arms out effortlessly with a disappointed look in his very distinct eyes.  This time, he said nothing.  He felt he had nothing to say at this point and awaited her response only as their faces came close together.

OOC: *Sings along to Jason Mraz's 1000 Things "Fortunately you will kiss me...and I will, I will kiss you back..." Haha

BIC: A rather large rodent scurried from the back room, making it aware of what source had caused the sound in the blessing room. The pain in Raine's eyes diminished to guilt and embarassment as the dagger fell from her grip and clattered onto the marble floor beneathe them. She stared unbelievably into his eyes, surely disappointed in her lack of self control.

Her chest heaved against his, legs straddling his hips,  her toes digging into the ground readying herself to pull away when she lowered her head to the nape of his neck as tears began to stream down her flushed cheeks.

"I'm s-so... sorry...I-I..." Her voiced was muffled by her choclate locks and his shoulder before they trailed off. Raine let her body rest against his, somehow trusting that he meant her no harm after her sudden irrational behavior. She'd find words to apologize and explain herself when things had calmed down.

The disappointment in his eyes turned to compassion as she buried her face in his neck to cry.  His cheeks flushed red and he sighed, releasing her arms after the dagger fell from her grip.  His arms then slowly embraced her.  "It is all right..." he whispered in her ear softly, rubbing her back as he hugged her firmly.  He could feel the tears trickling down his skin and his blush thickened.  He was definitely not used to having a crying girl against him.  His look was saddened as he made an attempt to comfort the poor distressed Raine.  He shushed her softly as his hands rubbed her back up and down.  "I-if there is anything you would like to get off your chest...I'm right here..." he offered sweetly as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm her.

Bringing her hands to his chest, Raine closed her fists around the fabric of his jacket, her body wracking with her sobs as she just decided to let go. She hadn't simply let her emotions get the best of her in years,and perhaps this was what she needed. Either way, she completely succumbed to this stranger's comfort because she hadn't known compassion in the past few years in her solitude.

"This place has awakened many a demon inside my mind...F-forgive me if I've acted foolishly..."Her voice was meager and shaken with her tears.  She clung fast to him, feeling the safety of his arms close around her.

"Devastating past memories?" he guessed, his voice still soft and warm.  "Everyone acts foolish once and again.  Even me..." He continued talking, as his tone was smooth and relaxing to the nerves.  He felt her hands cling to him with extreme emotion and he shivered shyly.  He did not wish to disturb her.  If she wished to cry against him, he would allow her to, forcing away his timidness to ease her despair.  His eyes focused on her elf ear and his scarred hand began to play with it softly, gently tracing it with his finger.  His purity was unbelievable.  Like a curious child at times, he found amusement in uncommon things.  "Very pretty ears..." he spoke quietly to her without thinking.  He caressed it lightly, now rubbing her lobe.  Right now, all he could think about was soothing her.

Raine was amazed at his tenderness.

She nuzzled her cheek against his chest as she sniffled and tried to regain some form of her composure, save to mention her dignity. Her eyes fluttered open, blinking away the remaining tears from her sage tones and wiping the tear stains gently from her rosey cheeks. She shuddered softly as his fingertips grazed her ear, bringing her own hand to his. She drew in a sharp, shaking gulp of air before releasing it in a soft sigh, her breath fanning his shoulder.

Raine's cheeks flushed a deepened shade of crimson as he gently spoke to her and a soft smile caressed her lips. She lifted her head slowly to have her eyes meet his and parted her lips to speak.

"Thank you..." Simply, but gratefully put, she thought. Her eyes said more than her words did and she layed her head back down upon his chest and drew in another deep breath, he didn't seem to have anywhere to go...as did she.

He shivered more at her deep breaths on him, finding them a very new, but likable sensation.  Her haze met his and he smiled too, seeing her happy now.  "You are very welcome." He replied, distracted by her elf attributes.  He saw the greater explanation in her soft eyes and sighed in relief.  Then she rested her head back down.  Why was she doing that??  It felt soo nice...  No, he did not have anywhere to be and he refused to disturb her.  He was nervous about her supple body cuddled with his, but pushed it out of his mind for her...to let her relax.  His heart beat faster, which was very unusual.  Cyborgs were not usually that human.  But he was.  He actually enjoyed her company on top of him.  His attention dazed as he lay there with her and he stared at the ceiling with his soft smile.  His hand continued to mindlessly play with her ear as wished her happiness.

Raine drifted into a light daze as she listened to the rhythm of his heart beating within his chest and she noticed the sudden change in pace. Bracing her weight with her palms on either side of his head, she pressed her arms striaght to hoover above him as she skimmed his face with a worried look on her own.

"Is something wrong?" She wished she could withdraw her words when she saw the soft smile caressing his lips. He looked so peaceful just lying there and it brought a smile to her lips. She felt an immediate connection with William, pletonic or romantic she couldn't place her finger on yet, but she surely enjoyed his company thoroughly. Her mind drifted into an idea all of a sudden...

"What brought you here this evening?" A kind smile painted her lips as she spoke, her face glowing.

He gazed at her innocently as she propped herself up, still retaining his gentle smile.  "I am fine.  Why?" he replied gently, then listening to her second question.  His smile grew as she asked and he mmmed softly.  "I come down here to play the piano sometimes.  I do not have one of my own.  And this place is rather nice to play." He confessed in his soft voice.  His hand slid from her ear and grazed her cheek as he taped her on the nose lightly.  "And you?  What brings you to this little chapel at this hour?" he asked, wiping any remaining tears from her cheek.  He then began to play with her hair gently, twirling it around his finger lightly.  "And my I ask what makes you cry so?" he continued.  He was so nice.  Why can't real men be like this?  He stared into her eyes softly as he awaited her response.

Frowning slightly, she lowered her gaze to the floor and blinked slowly at his question. Before speaking a word, she shifted her weight to her left side, putting herself on her side.  Bringing her head to his chest once more, she placed an arm over his stomach and pressed herself close to him as she gripped his shirt in her fingers once more. Raine drew in a deep breath before bringing herself to speak.

"Years ago I received the dreaded news of my father on that very piano bench...though it was in that corner. Over there..." She lifted her chin a bit, gesturing towards the opposite end of the chapel.

"My childhood was haunted by the images of this place, thus the unruly behavior..." Her cheeks flushed as she spoke of this, her past had always been bottled inside and she saw it as foolish and weak to dig up her history. Perhaps it wasn't worth her breath, so she cut it short and hoped to change the subject without too much notice.

Answering his questions out of order she lifted her face to gaze at him from her odd point of view, his jawline defined and his slender neck so graceful. She smiled yet again and responded.

"I'm seeking refuge for the night. I'm new to this city, in a sense I guess one could say, and I noticed the piano sitting there and decided that I might play a song or two." She chuckled in despite of herself and in no concious measure she gave his middle a gnetle squeeze and nuzzled her cheek against his side in an attemp to get comfortable.

He laid for her willingly as she cozied up to him with such trust.  He never really thought there were still people as trusting as she and itt made him feel so good inside.  His soft blue eyes followed her form as she changed her place upon him and now rested on his side, clinging to him.  He listened to her story with interest and understood her as she stopped.  She did not want to talk about it and he did not wish to force her.  "I see..." he responded quietly, gazing into her eyes as she stared up at him.  His smile came back as he watched her, happy that she was all right from her past happenings.  He sighed with a small chuckle at her later answer as she snuggled p to him.  "Are you sure you want to sleep here, on the chapel floor?" he hinted shyly.  "Wouldn’t you much rather prefer a nice warm bath...b-bed...?" she tripped over his words.  He did not know why that slipped out.  He was only thinking of her health, especially with the nights as cold as they were.  His cheeks turned a deep red with that thought suggested out loud and went quiet, unsure how to fix what he said.

Raine chuckled softly at his offer, she knew his intentions were purely innocent. She offered him a warm smile as she brought her hand to his cheek, patting him gently.

"I would love that, but I couldn't dare trouble you with myself. I'm sure after all these long months on my own in caves and in the catacombs of Serenity I can surely survive another night of discomfort." She joked lightheartedly and of course she would prefer to clean up and sleep in a nice comfortable bed. It's been, as she mentioned, months since she's been in the hospitality if an actualy household but she couldn't possibly bother such a nice young man with her troubles.

"Thank you for the offer, love, but I must respectfully decline. It'd be too much of a hassle for me to burden you with my care." She lowered her sage tones and sighed a bit, she knew that she needed it but couldn't bring herself to accept his generous offer. She snuggled close hoping that he wouldn't soon leave.

Her response saddened him a bit.  He did now want her to spend the night in some cold cave.  And for months she has been doing this??  That wasn’t right.  And guilt had nothing to do with it.  She should not have to make do in a cave when it was no problem at al for her to stay with him.  "No." he said rather firmly in his still kind voice.  "I cannot let you sleep out in some cave when I have the opportunity to help.  You should have somewhere nice to sleep." He decided.  "And it is no burden on me.  And I would enjoy the pleasure of your company." He smiled again.  With that, he sat up gently, holding her to him innocently and sighed.  "Please accept my offer.  I cannot and will not force it upon you.  I can only extend my hospitality and request your company." He continued with such a big heart.  He looked her in the eyes with his soft smile and blushing cheeks.

Raine smiled sweetly, her eyes skimming the floor as he spoke. His heart was truly pure, it's hard to find such kindness in the world these days.

"Well if you put it that way, I suppose I could consider..." She smiled as he held her to him. "I could really use a friend, and I surely enjoy your company as well..." Her eyes lowered once again, and a familiar saddened expression filled her eyes. She pondered a few things, thoughts drifting through her mind as willed.

"May I ask you a question, William?" Her tone suddenly leaned more towards a serious side as she spoke, maybe more of concern.

"Why yes, of course.  What would you like to know?" he answered happily.  He could sense the seriousness in her tone and held her hands gently with his own massacred ones.  "It is all right.  You can ask me anything.  I do not mind at all."  He then stood up and brought her to her feet with him gently.  Remembering something from earlier, he released her hands, turned and knelt down.  He retrieved her dagger and resumed standing.  He turned back to her and held it out.  "And here.  Do not forget this..." he reminded her, his tone somewhat sad.  He did not like weapons, but he believed in self-defense.  He would not want her to be hurt, but do defend by killing another was hard for him to accept.  He tried to smile and cheer up.  Why should he bother her with his opinions?  She was the one in need and he was too kind.

Raine sighed softly and took his hands gratefully as he offered to help her to her feet. She frowned a bit with his expression when he returned her dagger to her, remembering her rash actions, she noted the sorrow within his metallic eyes, something the tech based phenomenon usually didn't possess. He was truly different in more ways than met the eye.

"Why do you blush so when you speak to me?" She tilted her head to the side slightly, her chocolate locks cascading over her thinly framed shoulders. Olive hues skimming his features for a hint of his thoughts, she deftly replaced her dagger into it's sheath.

"Thanks by the way...for everything..." Her supple lips parted in a genuinly kind-hearted smile and she opened her arms offering him an embrace.

He stared down at her petite form innocently, his mechanical eyes adjusting to the tones more noticeably than normal ones.  His cheeks flushed more red at her sudden question.  "Um..." he was dumbfounded; his thoughts had suddenly left him.  Was he blushing??  Why was he blushing??  "I...uh...I do??" he asked curiously, not even realizing it himself. Then he relaxed more at her gratitude and he smiled, his cheeks still soft and rosy.  He gave her a big sweet hug, one of a teddy bear...far from anything machine and deadly.  He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he embraced her.  "You are welcome." he spoke softly against her, his voice vibrating to he skin through their touching bodies.  He was so human...it was hard to believe that he was actually completely cyborg.  Not a drop of a real person existed within him.  Everything he was...was all man-made...from his synthetic flesh to his super computer free willed brain.  He technically had no soul...right??  That question would have to remain unanswered.  He was far too human to tell...

Raine smiled sweetly at his embarassment, finding it humbling and kind. But a thought filled her mind of his hands...They showed that he was, atleast in some form cyborg. How can a technology based creation express human emotion so crisply? She thought a moment, pausing into his embrace. Her lips parted to speak...

"William...Are y-..." She shook her head as her cheeks burned softly with embarassment, thinking it silly to even think of asking such a question.

She mustered up the most believable smile she could and patted him on the shoulder before turning to the chapel doors to leave, her emerald hues glued to the floor.

He paused, listening to her.  He saw through her attempt at a smile and frowned a little.  "Am I what?" he asked curiously.  He was a little wary, bt her embarrassment relaxed him slightly.  It couldn’t be that bad if she was embarrassed about asking it.  It had to be something she was shy about asking, right?  He barely got his chance to ask that when she abruptly turned away from him and headed toward the doors.  What??  Wait...  Was she just leaving him??  A hand gently grasped her shoulder, so soft, yet so firm.  "P-please do not brush me off..." he retorted defensively and self-conciousncly.  His voice was soft and hurt and his scarred hand trembled on her shoulder.

Raine frowned slightly, her eyes cast downward. As his hand grazed her shoulder, she placed her own atop it. Slowly, she turned around, offering him a soft smile and taking his hand in her own.

"I'm sorry, love...I had no intention of leaving you here, I was just going to check to see if the snow had drifted in yet." She smiled sweetly once again and lowered her gaze to the floor.

"A-are you fully technical based?" Her cheeks flushed deeply as she asked him, then bringing her eyes to his own she gasped softly at what she had just said.

"I-I'm so sor-..." She lamented and turned away again.

He smiled a little at her question, yet it depress him thinking about that particular subject.  "Y-yes...yes I am." He sighed.  He too, dazed off at the floor for a moment before returning his eye contact to Raine.  And than, believe it or not, he relaxed even more when she apologized and his smile grew.  He swiftly and gently spun her toward him, his hands resting on her shoulders and then coasting up her neck to her cheeks ever so lightly.  "It is all right." His smile was warm and forgiving.  "As long as it does not bother you that I am, I do not mind." He coaxed, caressing her ears softly with his abnormal fingers.  "And I do like that you have the courage to ask such a question." His blush was noticeable and innocent.

Raine turned her head into his palm, nuzzling it gently. It was such an amazing feat for a tech based being to hold such compassion and emotion. This was quite out of the ordinary for Raine, being as that she had never had the pleasure of meeting a cyborg. The bar would now be considerably raised, she knew that much.

Suddenly, a thought came to her mind.

"William..." Her olive hues narrowed behind her delicate lids as she spoke, her voice almost trembling.

"Innocent enough you seem, but why do you hold such strong regard for someone you jsut only met?" She leaned back a bit, his hands sliding from her shoudlers as she put a foot or so between them.

"It's n-not as though I don't like it..." She stammered, slightly intrigued by his actions, but suddenly nervous by what she had encountered on a previous standard with a new race. That incident had risen while she resided- if that's what it could be called, maybe more of surviving or existing, barely - in the village of Velkshire, high in the mountains...

"Yes?" she replied softly with curiosity in his tone.  He easily picked up the trembling and had concern for her.  His soft smile faded slightly as memories hit his mind when Raine asked.  He looked away and sighed, trying to keep some form of smile as she stepped away from him.  His hands twitched a little as he pulled them away, but held them up to look at them.  "Hmmm..." he pondered.  "It's...uhm..." he put the words together in his head before explaining.  "Not many people trust someone like me..." his gaze was sad as he curled his fingers.  "When people try to rid their world of you...it makes it hard to find someone who will even consider me..." he informed her.  As his hands curled completely, another deep sigh escaped him.  Though what he said was so filled with hurt, he kept that bit of smile still.  His gaze met hers again and his hands dropped to his sides in despair.  Just what happened to him??  What could possibly have been done to do something like this to the poor guy?  And yet, he was still so happy about everything.  He stayed quiet and waited for Raine to absorb what he had said.  If she asked, he would tell.  He had nothing to hide from her.

Ah, home sweet home!
A slender figure entered the church without a sound, moving as though they had lived in the place all their life. But they did not enter through the door. Actually, the person entered into the atic, and then down through a secret passageway to the ceiling of the great hall where the two strangers now stood.
Waelin blinked baby blue eyes down at the two conversing, currently hanging upside down. Slender fingers were wrapped around one of the support beams that ran across the ceiling, sharp nails dug into the wooden surface to hold a very slender body up. Gargoylish feet were perched on the ceiling, so that he looked to be crouching in a gravity-defying way. Feathery blond hair, short and choppy, hung about his young face as he watched the two with interest.
He had been expecting Father, but since he wasn't here...

It was when the two were speaking some ways away from the old piano that Waelin noticed the man's dropped glasses. Their dark color intrigued him, for he had never seen a pair of sunglasses before. The lightly tanned figure grinned and suddenly dropped from his shadowed spot on the ceiling. Two creamy, bat-like wings unfolded and softened his landing considerably, clawed toes making a slight clack on the floor. Waelin's slightly thick tail, which when standing reached to about mid-calf, flicked as he scooped up the glasses. After a bit of puzzling, Waelin figured out how to put them on and was surprised as the already dark interior suddenly grew darker. "Woah!" The slender boy fell onto his rump as he blinked rapidly at the darkness, quickly taking the odd things off. Oh good, it wasn't permanent! What were these things anyway...?
Waelin continued to fiddle with the odd item, temporarily forgetting about the two others who by now would most definately know he was there.

William turned his head slowly as the noise clicked behind him.  He watched the creature silently and unnoticed.  He did not disturb them, for he wanted to see what they were doing before he interrupted.  A more of a happy smile came over his face as he saw what was happening.  The little gargoyle person was playing with his glasses.  A soft chuckle was then heard as the intruder reacted with surprise.  "Hello there." He called softly.  "Were you spying on us?" he teased lightly lowered his hands and hid them slightly as he turned fully around to see the person.

Waelin's head snapped up, and he quickly stood, sheepishly hiding the glasses behind his slender back. His clothing was loose and baggy, and worn from years of travel. "Uh, um...no, of course not!" He blushed lightly and looked down at his feet. "Ok, I was. I'm sorry though, I didn't mean to! It's just, this is my home, and I came to visit my father, actually."
He remembered the glasses, and quickly trotted up to the man. He was incredibly short compared to Will, and very slender, like the build of a young boy. He handed them up to the strange man with a cheerful grin. "Here ya go sir, you dropped them."

Waelin then rocked back on his heels, hooking both small hands behind his back. "You wouldn't have happened to see Father anywhere would you? Dark skin, pointed ears, white hair?" Well, he had to ask. Father was usually around at this time of night... It was odd that he was not here.
Unless...
Unless in  the years Waelin had been gone, Father had moved away!

William listened closely to what the boy had to say and then smiled down at him and reached out with his left hand to take the glasses, but he stopped.  He quickly hid that bare metal hand again and reached out with his flesh-covered one.  He took the glasses gently from the boy, smiling hesitantly as he rocked back and forth, his self-consciousness taking over with his appearance.  "Thank you, um..." but before he could ask the boy's name, he interrupted with his own question.  "Your father?  Hmm.  I'm sorry, but I have not seen anyone who matches your description." He replied gently.  "What is your name, by the way?  I'm William."  He pocketed his glasses and extended his hand in greeting.

The man may have pulled his hand back quickly, but Waelin's sharp blue eyes caught the glint of metal beforehand. As the glasses were taken from him, he leaned to the side, trying to get a better look without being too obvious. Of course, he was too obvious, but he didn't realize it just then.
He quickly snapped back to attention as the stranger spoke.
And his countenence immediately dropped. He looked away.
"Oh...alright...It's ok..."
Maybe Father really had moved away...
Drat.

Waelin suprisingly perked up again as introductions were made. He bowed, and came up grinning. "Nice to meet you William! William...I like your name alot. Mine's Waelin." He hooked his hands behind his back and continued grinning, tail flickering behind him. One would notice he wasn't one of the rough and tough boys, as his slender and short appearance, as well as his short angelicly yellow hair, made him seem slight and a bit feminine. It was all the more true when he noticed William's hand and reached out his own slender one to shake, his fingernails a slight bit pointier than most would have.
"So, what are you doing here anyway? Did you come to...um...what's it called...? Get...married? Or to...oh, oh, or to 'pray'?" He was proud of his remembering such human words, and it showed in his bright smile, pointed canines visable.

William could see his blatentness, but it couldn’t be helped.  He just smiled at Waelin as he looked up at him.  "Heh.  Nice to meet you too, Waelin." He shook the boy's hand, feeling his gentleness in his posture and shake.  William thought nothing of it, being different himself.  He had no right to be racist.  In fact, he condemned that word.  People were people and William was very open minded, wondering himself why other people would say certain things were wrong.  What was wrong with them?  Was there some law of the world that prohibited these things that he found no problem with?  "Hm?  Oh me?" he thought about Waelin's words.  "Yes.  I guess you could say I came here to pray." He spoke openly, felling saddened about the people that treated him so horribly when he did nothing but exist.  "I enjoy the sound of this instrument.  It relaxes me." He admitted softly.  He smiled again at Waelin's innocence, feeling comfortable around this child that thought of him as a normal person for the firs time.

"Ooh." Waelin nodded sagely, though truth be told, he had no idea what 'praying' actually was. Father had once tried to explain it to him but...well, he hadn't been paying much attention, and it had been such an abstract concept to him, that it just hadn't stuck. The young man turned and looked at the piano as it was addressed. His slender face screwed up a bit as he walked closer to the instrument.
"Father used to make me practice every day with my sister..." He reluctantly sat down on the bench and stared at the worn keys.
He then glanced at William
Well...he had said he liked the sound it made...

Waelin took a moment to place his fingers on the keys, and glanced under the piano to place his small, gargoylish feet on the peddals. "Ok, let's see if I remember how to play this thing for you." He grinned, then thought of one of the songs he had been taught. Picking his favorite, he began to play. The tune was almost melancholy, and its haunting sounds floated throughout the chapel. It was played slowly, but every tune flowed together seemlessly. Waelin was surprised at the ease by which he remembered how to play. "This is a drowish song my Father taught me. It's called "Ul'nusst d'lil Jallil", or "Cry of the Lady" in common." He wrapped up the song and sat back, rather proud of himself. "I'm surprised I even remembered how to play...I prefere my flute." He had always hated practicing piano...
"So um..." Waelin waved his legs back and forth over the edge of the bench. "Can I...watch you pray? I used to watch all the time from up in the rafters, but never up close before." He hadn't noticed William's saddness yet.

William watched curiously as Waelin made his way over to the piano and sat.  The boy looked at him and then began to play for him.  How thoughtful.  William smiled as Waelin played, listening to the beautiful song he played.  It was a very impressive song, and William would remember it well.  "Cry of the lady..." he repeated softly, continuing to listen to the sweet sound.  He memorized both names of Waelin's song as well as the notes.  "You play very well." He complimented after Waelin had finished and he clapped his hands freely, forgetting about his self-consciousness for that moment and showing his hands.  Then Waelin had asked to watch him pray and he had to think about that for a second.  "Um..." what was there to watch?  William didn’t exactly pray traditionally as people usually did.  Or rather, he didn’t believe you had to show anything to pray.  He believed, with his machine mind, that it was possible for even him to communicate to 'God'.  "...Sure, I don’t see why not." He smiled lightly.  "But, can I ask you something, Waelin?" he paused.  "Why would you like to watch me pray?" He asked curiously.

Waelin ducked his head with a blush as he was complimented. "Uh..heheh...thanks..." He mumbled, staring down at his clawed feet. William started to clap, and with a short laugh, Waelin bounced up and gave a play bow. "Thank you, thank you!" He giggled again, shaking his head and sitting once the applause had ceased.
A huge grin broke out as William agreed to let him watch. "Thank you! I promise I won't iterrupt or anything! At least, I'll try not to..." He wasn't particularly good at shutting up and watching...
Ask him something? "Sure, what is it?" Waelin actually cocked his head to the side, waiting for the question. When it came, he blushed lightly and scratched at his chin. "Um..well...I dunno...I guess I'm just...curious about it." He shrugged, again looking down at his feet, wiggling his toes.
"I just never thought to ask anybody else who came in..."
He peeked up through his feathery light hair. "You sure you don't mind...?"

"Oh.  I see." He thought to himself for a moment, looking at the ground and then back at Waelin.  "No...its all right.  I'm just not sure what you would find interesting." William thought about it.  What was so interesting about watching him stand there with his eyes closed and speaking in his mind?  Well, he could play the piano while he prayed, but still.  This actually made poor William a little nervous.  He felt weird thinking about Waelin watching him stand there.  Oh well.  "All right, then."  William smiled and walked up to Waelin, sitting right beside him on the bench.  Slowly, he pulled out his hands and set them out on the keys, unsure of what to play.  Why was this affecting him so unusually?  A machine's mind acting like a human's again.  William sure was an interesting piece of technology all right.  William took a soothing breath and closed his eyes, beginning to play a song that came to mind.  Once again, his near perfect music filled the empty room, the soft sounds echoing, radiating the peaceful tone.  Though peaceful this one was, it sounded sad.  It seemed to be a very personal song for him, and since he was praying, he expressed what he felt through his music.

Waelin was relieved when William did not take back his invitation, so to speak, of letting Waelin watch him pray. He had been a bit worried there for a minute...
The little gargoylish boy scooted over a bit as William came to sit down, turning his slender body around and placing both feet up on the bench, knees hugged to his chest. Resting his chin on them, he watched William begin to play, listening to the practically flawless music that came out.
Wow...he was good...
And he prayed different than any other person had before.

The music at first sounded so soothing and peaceful, but he soon picked up on the real undertones of it.
Sad...
This man put off waves of someone who was sad...
And the music, which always showed the heart of a person, reflected it.
So sad...

Suddenly, there was a weight on William's lap. Waelin was curled up there, facing the piano, a surprising amount of his slender body able to fit, though his feet and most of his tail still lay out on the cool wooden surface of the bench.
Tears sat waveringly on the surface of his sky-blue eyes, and that surprised him. He had never gotten emotional over someone else's music before...
"William..." He whispered, "...why are you sad?"

There was a slight jump in William's playing as he was taken by surprise, but he continued playing nonetheless.  His eyes opened and he looked down at his lap, a slight blush filling his cheeks lightly.  He then relaxed, smiling a bit with somewhat sad eyes, and then veered his attention to the keys of the piano.  And then Waelin spoke.  William lowered his head at what Waelin had said, staying silent for a while as he spoke, his sweet music continuing to play its ever saddening tune.  "...Because I...I am not human..." he whispered sorrowfully.  He looked at his bare metal hand just then.  "...because...people...try to kill me..."  He continued, purely honest.  William then removed his bare hand from the keys, continuing the song with one hand, though the emotion still got through with the limited tones.  He placed that hand on Waelin's head and rubbed his hair lightly as he tried to smile a little, his eyes making their way back to Waelin.

Waelin noticed the jump in Will's music, and tried to mask his grin. The tears that had been sitting on the surface of his eyes had finally fallen, a single tear traveling slowly down each cheek. He continued to listen to the hauntingly sad music, unmoving in his spot on William's lap. But the answer to his question eventually came. Not human? Well, neither was he...
Oh...
People tried to kill him??? Who in their right mind would try and kill somebody so nice!?

Waelin was about to speak when William placed a hand on his head and gently rubbed his hair. He blushed lightly before he could help it. He had done it to comfort Will, but maybe crawling into his lap hadn't been such a great idea...
Of course, he would think of that now.
"Well, I still like you perfectly fine! I'm not human either, I'm an enchanted stone gargoyle." Oops...shouldn't have said that...
Dammit, another secret lost!
"A.anyway...I'll protect you from any mean, stupid people who try to hurt you, okay? You're way too nice to get killed!"
His logic may have been a bit childish, but he turned his head and grinned up at William, his pure intentions evident.
Waelin had just made himself another friend. Maybe this one would stick around a bit longer than the others...
He hated being lonely.

William smiled at Waelin's confession.  He'd believe just about anything was possible right now.  "Oh?" he smiled a little more, amused by Waelin's open honesty.  It's not everyday you find such a good kid like him.  His smile only grew as Waelin continued.  "Why...thank you, Waelin.  That's very kind of you." He continued brushing his incredibly intricate skeletal fingers through Waelin's soft hair.  Little did Waelin know that the near death experiences of his would have definitely killed a normal man.  But William wouldn’t die so easily.  Though he's wished it so many times, seeing the fear and hatred in peoples' eyes.  If he died, it would make them happy, but, he was always left for dead, waking later to find himself hurting even more inside.  "And...I...I am a machine...a piece of equipment given the appearance of human..." he confessed.  "I guess that makes us the same in some ways then, doesn’t it?" he kept his smile.  Finally, someone who William could relate to.  Maybe meeting this boy would help William for the better.

Well, as long Father didn't find out he had told anybody, his hide should escape a good whipping...
But little got by Father, so the chances of that happening were pretty slim...
Waelin grinned at William's thanks. It made him feel warm inside to be thanked...made him feel alive.
"You are very welcome William! I may not look like much, but I have my tricks!" And he stuck out his pink tongue playfully with a wink. He wouldn't be telling any of those tricks anytime soon, either!

All the gentle petting was sending shivers down his spine. He had never really had his hair pet or rubbed or...well anything aside from brushed really. It was quite nice...
Dammit, he was blushing again...

Waelin sat up in William's lap abruptly, grinning sheepishly. He still only reached under Will's chin, due to their extreme height difference. "Yep, I think that does make us similar!" His tail twitch about behind him, having had to shift when Waelin abruptly changed positions. His slender, pant-clothed legs had moved too, with one propped up on the bench (he was still sideways) and the other hanging off of William's own legs. He randomly poked at Will's chest. "I like your jacket. I need to get some new clothes...these ones are practically falling off..."
And so, again without warning, Waelin leaned over, under the piano. His tail partially wrapped around Will's waist to provide balance as he moved a few planks of wood under the instrument. He then popped back up again with a baggy white button-up shirt and tan pants that also looked like they wouldn't quite fit him. He grinned sheepishly again. "Father's stuff. It'll fit me ok though."
Still on Will's lap, Waelin startled to wrestle himself out of his old, tattered shirt, a bone-white flute falling out in the process and landing in Waelin's lap.
It was carved rather roughly with pictures of dragons curling up its sides.

William smiled at Waelin's young behavior.  He sure was nice company to be around.  He didn’t usually get to talk like this with anyone, so he was happy.  Waelin sat up and William blinked in surprise and when Waelin poked his chest, he looked down at his finger.  New clothes?  This caused William to look Waelin over from head to toe as the boy sat pleasantly in his lap.  He smiled lightly and gave a small heh at Waelin's comment.  And then the little rascal proved himself to be quite limber as he twisted about, sitting back in William's lap with his Father's clothes.  Waelin then began to change in front of him, but William didn’t say anything, assuming the boy was all right doing what he did.  So William too, thought there was nothing wrong with it.  He was pretty adaptable actually, willing to accept pretty much anything.

It wasn't until Waelin had fully wrestled the shirt off of his body that he realized what he was doing. GAH! He had been so comfortable around William he hadn't even thought about it first!
Waelin froze for a moment, the old shirt now discarded on the floor. His body was just as slender as one might expect it to be, petite but not skinny, and there was something else. From right below his armpits down to his abdomen, his chest was wrapped tightly in lengths of raggid cloth.
Crap!
He quickly went to work on Father's shirt, ripping two slits in the back for his leathery wings.
"I'm sorry....I wasn't thinking..." He was blushing furiously. "I'm pretty clutzy sometimes, and I tend to hurt myself..." He offered in explination of the wrappings, quickly covering them again with his father's shirt.
The front was buttoned up in record time, and he took a care to get off of William's lap and move to the other side of the piano, primarily out of view, to change pants. He finally came back around, now clothed in the baggy, but clean, articles. "Ok, much better!" He announced, quickly recovering from his previous embarrassment.
He then realized he had left his flute in Will's lap. "Oh, sorry. That's the flute I made."

William just watched innocently, even until Waelin froze, wondering what was wrong.  Waelin was suddenly in a rush and William kind of stepped in.  "Its all right.  You don’t have to rush." He rested his hands on Waelin's shoulders gently to calm him down, rubbing lightly.  "I've seen plenty of bandages before." He tried to reassure him, not wanting Waelin to panic and maybe hurt himself again.  Waelin then went to finish changing behind the piano after he got the shirt on and that’s when William noticed the flute he had left.  He picked it up and examined it.  His attention returned to Waelin after he declared he was finished and then commented on the flute.  "Its very nice." He complimented, looking at it again.

That had been close...and Waelin was nervous about the tingly sensation still in his shoulders from William's rubbing them. It was making it so the blush didn't fade as quickly as it should.
Drat drat drat!
Hopefully William didn't notice...
Yeah, right...

Waelin rubbed his head sheepishly. "Hehe, thanks..it's not near as nice as my sister's though. I'm not as good at carving as she is." He finally regained the courage to stop acting weird and again sit next to William on the bench. He allowed the other to look over the instrument as much as he liked. "I can play all sorts of things on that. I can even summon dragons. Not as many as my sister just yet. She's had more practice." He explained calmly, staring at his gargoylish feet as they swung back and forth just above the ground.

William did notice the blush, but he was clueless to assume.  "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you.  You just seemed so comfortable and I didn’t want to do anything wrong.  I just thought it might help when you hasted your pace.  And you said you get hurt a lot so I wanted you to slow down a little.  " He spoke honestly with an innocent smile.  "Hmm.  I think it's done quite well.  I've never made one before.  It looks hard."  He replied as Waelin sat next to him again.  Hard?  He could play the piano flawlessly and he called THAT hard?  "Dragons? Really?" he asked, truly curious as he looked it over some more before handing it back to its owner.  Waelin stared at his feet again and William noticed.  He placed his bare hand on Waelin' s head again, his self consciousness fading as he warmed up to Waelin.  William looked over Waelin's clothes just then and pondered.  "Um...Did you need some more clothes?  Or anything?  I mean...I could take you to get some if you like." He offered kindly.  Right now Waelin was his only friend and he really didn’t want to leave.  Maybe he was a little clingy without realizing it, but William didn’t want to leave this comforting feeling.

Waelin's gaze immediately snapped up to William as he tried to apologize. He quickly threw up slender hands. "Oh no no, don't be sorry! I just haven't been around anybody in awhile, so I'm a bit more twitchy than usual...it's not your fault, you didn't do anything wrong." He was quick to assure his new friend of this, not wanting him to have to feel sorry over something he didn't even understand. That hadn't been why he was blushing...
Well, not exactly anyway...

Waelin grinned and rubbed the back of his head, taking the flute from Will when it was handed to him. "Thanks...it's really not all that hard to make, but carving it nicely and making it seem perfect is difficult." He was then rubbed on the head yet again, and grinned before he could help it. He wasn't used to getting so much friendly attention!
"Yep, dragons, really..." He blinked up at Will as the strange offer was made. He then smiled warmly. "Thanks William! Actually, I'd like that alot. But we should do that tomorrow...it's late now." He bounced off the bench and stood next to William in all his 4' 1" glory. "Do you have a place to stay tonight? If not, you can stay here. Father's study is just behind a neat secret door, behind the alter. There's plenty of room." Well, especially now, seeing as how Father was gone...
He felt a bit nervous staying back there without at least some company. He wasn't used to that warm room being so empty...

"Oh...All right then.  We can go tomorrow then."  /William was happy that Waelin accepted his offer, feeling less weird now.  "Hmm?  Oh...no, I don’t really have a home or anything..." he admitted.  He could never really stay in one place long enough to.  He always ended up having to leave for some reason or another.  And then Waelin offered him a room.  "Th-that'd be great...uh...than you very much." William smiled grateful for Waelin's hospitality.  "I'd love to stay...uh... I mean..." he got excited and spoke before he could control himself.  He felt unusual being excited like this, and he didn’t want to lose this new friend he had, so he just wanted to be appreciative.

Waelin was sad to hear that William did not have a home. He may have run away, but at least he'd had a home to run away from. The thought of not having a home was actually rather frightening...
But things perked up soon enough.
The little gargoylish boy beamed at William when he finally answered. "Great! Then it's all set! Come on!" He grabbed William by the hand and quickly led him along, away from the piano and toward the very back of the church, where the alter stood. He marched right up to what appeared to be an ordinary wall, and then pushed with all of his meager body weight behind it, until the wall opened up to reveal itself as a door.
"Come on in!"

Not that William had a choice, as Waelin still hadn't released his hand, and was now leading him into a cozy, circular room. The wall closed behind them, and the warmth from what appeared to be a firplace with no wood in it enclosed them. There was a large leather-bound red chair next to the fireplace, with a small side table full of books next to it. The room was entirely made of gray stone, and most of the walls were lined with books. There was also a rug on the floor, large and circular, to give cushion to the wooden floor. A loft had been built overhanging the far wall, where a majority of the books were. "That's where the beds are." Waelin announced, pointing to said loft. There was a ladder leading up to it, made of light wood.

William was abruptly taken by Waelin and guided to the secret room, though he followed willingly so he wouldn't be dragged.  He walked int the room behind Waelin and took in the cozy sight before him.  "Wow.  This is...interesting." he said softly, taken by surprise.  He gazed about the round room after watching the door close behind them, examining the unusual quarters.  The wall of books caught the majority of his attention.  William loved books.  They contained so much entertainment.  Especially the ones that told stories.  He glanced at the beds as Waelin pointed them out and then continued looking over the names so of the books.  "Alright." He smiled, gazing about in amazement.  "Beautiful room." He complimented, returning his smile top Waelin after looking.  "Am...Am I allowed to read these books?" he asked curiously.  It didn’t matter what kind of book it was, William could read it.  He had an unusual ability when it came to that.  He picked up language almost immediately, just by reading.  It was almost as if he could decipher anything.  Could that be his purpose?  If it was, William had no idea.  He only read for his own enjoyment, occasionally picking up informational books from time to time.

As William stood admiring, Waelin was rembering the exquisite feel of home. He was also still loosely holding William's hand, and hadn't yet realized it. It was only William's words that snapped him out of his memories, and yet he still did not remember to let his guest's hand go.
"Thanks! I like it...it's home..."
Books? Oh! Duh, the huge bookshelves! Waelin grinned up at William.
"Of course you can! Read as many as you want! Just, don't touch the ones on Father's little table there," He pointed to the small side-table next to the chair. "Those he's not done with, and he'd be cross if they were touched while he was away."

Finally, reality clicked in, and Waelin quickly released William's hand, and then rushed over to the small ladder to hide his blush. Stupid...
He could have just flown up into the second, bed-level, but it was just so much more fun to climb up the smooth wooden ladder instead.
Once up, he bounded over to his bed (a pile of fluffy blankets, pillows, and soft sheets), to find it untouched and clean. Yes!!
Waelin leaned over the edge of the wooden platform, grinning. "Just come up when you're ready, ok? There's plenty of room up here for ya, and you can sleep in my sister's bed. It's really just a pile of blankets and stuff anyway."
And with that, he dissapeared back over the edge, and curled up happily in his bed, removing his pants without a care and snuggling in, warm and cozy.
It was good to be home...

He smiled down at little Waelin after he explained.  "All right." He acknowledged the forbidden books.  Then Waelin skipped away from Wiliam's hand rather nervously, but he didn’t think of it that way.  Waelin was just a sweet person to him.  Someone kind enough to hold his freakish hand.  And that meant a lot to him.  Normally, no one would set foot near him if they saw his body.  His eyes followed Waelin over to the ladder and then watched him climb up to his bed.  William did notice the blush; in fact, he saw it quite clearly.  But...he took no realization of it.  He was very open-minded.  And everything he saw was still a part of his learning experience.  "Oh...A-all right..." he smiled again.  Wow...such kindness.  He actually trusted William to such an extent??  William didn’t know what to say, but he was truly grateful.  In fact, William was so grateful that something ran down his cheek before he turned to look at the books again, though It was more to hide his face.  Was that a tear??  A machine crying??  William took a quiet breath and relaxed, trying not to let it show and began to unbutton his jacket.  Once he finished unbuttoning, he unzipped the zipper behind the buttons and opened the front, but then paused.  He stared in front of him for a moment, lowering his head a little.  He had just thought about what was underneath his coat and froze.  Crap...  Poor William...  He didn’t want Waelin to see him like that.  What would the boy's reaction be??  William was scared now...  

Underneath that dressy black coat, William had a skin-tight sleeveless black shirt on.  It was nearly ripped to shreds and his skin shoed right through it.  His body was definitely human looking, but then again...  From his neck down, horrid scars layered his still very soft and delicate skin.  The tissue was discolored from normal fleshy tones to unusually bray and metallic tones, though the skin was still soft and human to the touch.  Some areas were even semi-clear skin, as well as muscles, revealing some areas down to the cybernetic bones of gray.  His chest trembled as he took another shaky breath, the muscles flexing just as a human's would.  Scrolling down, the consistent pattern led down past his belted black pants.  There were tears in the upper legs of the pants and the belt was nearly cut through.  That beautiful coat his all this pain, covering all the way down to his ankles.  And just now, he had realized his body...finding himself unable to remove his coat...  So he stood there...struck by fear.  His eyes saddened as he paused, time still passing and Waelin probably noticing him standing there for a while now...

Waelin was never one to just pass out as soon as his head hit the pillow, and was awake when William thought to open his jacket. His sensitive ears could even pick up on the sounds of him unbuttoning it, though the sound that came after (that of the zipper) was foreign to him, and his sky blue eyes opened as he puzzled over it. But then there was an extended period of silence, where there should have been the ruffling of falling fabric.
Finally, it bothered Waelin enough to make him sit up in bed and crawl back to the edge of the platform to look back down at William.

Those innocent eyes widened considerably as they took in the carnage that was William's torso. "Gods!" He couldn't help but utter the cry before flinging himself off the platform, landing with bent knees on the ground. He hadn't bothered to put his pants back on, though the white, long-sleeved shirt was long enough to cover down to about his knees. Which was good...
Waelin quickly ran up to William, wanting to at least make sure none of the wounds were fresh and potentially life-threatening. Both slender hands were placed without thought on his stomach as blue eyes scanned worriedly over the strange scars. But then, he wasn't one to judge; he was a walking statue, for cripes sake.
Finally, those large eyes turned up to William. "Are you ok?? What happened? You're all torn up William! You should have said something...I can get you some new clothes..." He rushed, looking back down at William's scarred chest.

A shiver ran up William's spine as Waelin yelled out.  His head shot over and up to Waelin in shock.  He hadn’t realized he was standing so blatantly out in the open.  But before William could react, Waelin was all ready praying and then rushed over to him.  All William, could do was watch in complete surprise, his body not responding to his mind telling him to quickly close his shirt.  And right when he was able to, Waelin touched him.  William froze again, a small gasp escaping him as he stood there like a statue, unable to move.  The skin was sealed.  Scar tissue could be felt, but other than appearance, it all felt human, and quite soft for such a skinny, yet muscular person.  Willam's stomach sucked in as Waelin toughed it gently and his hands dropped the edges of his coat and they fell, still holding open.  His hands slowly lowered, still trembling as William watched what Waelin was doing.  Waelin's eyes then met his and his hands froze again and he couldn’t speak.  Waelin's word were rushed and filled with so much worry.  After Waelin looked back down, Williams hands fell completely to his sides and another tear rolled down his cheek as he closed his eyes and sighed, his muscles relaxing.  His head was lowered and he still couldn’t move.  All he could do was let Waelin touch.  William was caught in plain sight, like a deer in the headlights.  What would happen now??  What he was so afraid to let Waelin see, Waelin just saw...  He felt horrible...  The feeling was like his heart was racing and his stomach turned...a nauseating feeling...like he was making himself sick by worrying so much.

Waelin ran finger tips over the scars closest to his reach, just to make sure. They felt strange to him, but then, he didn't normally rub on someone's scars either. But it looked like nothing was new...
Thank the gods for that, he had been worried William was really hurt!
But then, Will was really hurt...
Again his worried gaze was turned up toward the face of his new friend. "Will...?" He spoke softly, then noticed the tear. A small frown pulled on his fair face. Why was William crying? Was there something wrong that he didn't know about...?
"William?" He spoke even softer, leaning forward a bit and taking one of William's trembling hands with his own gently.
"Are you ok? Will, please say something. Why are you crying?" He said it all gently, trying to coax William into speaking, his worry unable to fade until he knew what was bothering William.
Creamy white wings flickered behind him as he awaited an answer, still staring up into William's face with innocent eyes.

William stayed where he was, his eyes opening after Waelin took is hand.  He made eye contact with Waelin, unsure of what to do.  Waelin was still there...  And worried too...  Why??  Why would Waelin not be appalled by what he saw?  William couldn’t believe it.  With his free hand, William finally moved, reaching up and wiping the tear that fell.  Waelin held his skinless hand as the other was used to wipe the tear.  Strange...  That hand...it was bare...  There was nothing covering the metal bones like his chest.  Just was hidden in William's sleeve?  William's arms were still hidden by the coat's sleeves.  His hand then clasped Waelin's, and he finally spoke.  "I-I'm all right..." he tried to reassure Waelin, though it wasn’t really convincing.  His free hand then came over and cupped Waelin's cheek.  "You...are not afraid...?" he asked warily.  "I am sorry...I did not mean for you to see this..." his hand slid from Waelin's cheek and closed his coat as his other hand was still held.  He held that hand on his chest, holding his coat closed as he thought about Waelin's behavior.

Waelin watched William's face intently, hoping for a clue as the silence dragged on. All that transpired was the whiping away of that stray tear. It never occurred to him that a machine shouldn't be able to cry. But then, he didn't look at William like a machine, even as he held that naked metal hand in his own. And the thought of what may be wrong with the rest of that arm also did not cross his mind. It was irrelevant. And perhaps that was also why Waelin could not understand William's pain.

Finally, his hand was held back, and a new spring of hope bubbled up. Finally William spoke, but it was not convincing, and the light frown stayed upon Waelin's lips. That wasn't true...and he was about to tell him so too, but was interrupted before he could start. His cheek was gently cupped and he blinked at Will, listening. The frown then deepened. "No, of course not! Why would I be afraid?" But Will continued, and it finally clicked. The scars...he didn't want anybody to see the scars...
Waelin withdrew his hand from Will's stomach as the coat was held closed, but did not release his friend's hand. What was he supposed to say now? Waelin tilted his head, still frowning slightly, and continued to stare up at Will's face. What was he supposed to say...?

Finally, Waelin looked down, at the old rug under his feet. "I understand...it was your secret, something you didn't want anybody to know about. I do understand, I really do...I have a secret like that as well." He paused for a moment, then raised his head, a small smile back on his usually cheerful features. He gave William's hand a squeaze. "Don't worry, it doesn't bother me at all! I was just afraid some of them were fresh and that you were hurt. I'll make sure nobody else gets to hurt you, ok? I'll sic my dragons on them and make them leave, and you won't get anymore scars."
It sounded childish, and he realized this, but he didn't know how to say it any other way. He'd make sure William would be safe. He was his friend now, and you never let a friend get hurt by other people. He calmed a bit, but still refused to let go of William's hand. He wanted him to feel better...
"Do you want me to get you a shirt to sleep in, or some pants or something? You'll fit into Father's clothes much better than me, and I can't imagine that coat will be very comfortable to sleep in." He didn't want Will to be awkward around him because of those scars...they didn't bother him at all...
And if worst came to worst, he could always let Will in on his own secret...

William was now totally impressed by Waelin now.  Waelin wouldn’t leave him alone...  He wouldn't let William keep to himself...  And William was moved by this.  A soft smile finally came back on his face and Waelin continued to reassure him.  He couldn’t help but smile more as Waelin went on.  "You would do that?" he spoke in reply to being protected by the small gargoyle, amused by Waelin's innocence, but also happy that he would say such a thing.  It really made him feel better.  And then clothes.  "Oh...N-no, its all right.  I can sleep in these... I don't mind."  William let go of his hand and forced himself to take off that coat.  The coat had finally come of and William folded it over and set it on the chair's back.  His arms and back were now completely revealed.  He moved slowly, still nervous being bare like this in front of Waelin, but he would deal with it.  His back was the same way.  A long area near the base of his spine was transparent as well, showing off his metal spinal chord.  His arms were scarred as well, but that left one...it was...  That bare hand led up to a bare wrist and half way up the arms, black scorched metal plated itself between the bare metal and the rest of the flesh leading up to his elbow.  What was that??  It seemed to be stopping his flesh from finishing his arm. Like a metal viral scab.  What could have attacked him like that??  The metal of his wrist was scratched, leaving deep grooves like something with immense jaws bit him.  He turned back to Waelin and stood there before him, almost as if awaiting his reaction.  His body was very slender and tone, not too muscular.  In some ways it almost even looked fragile.  It was almost like it asked why it was tortured so.  Afraid of pain...

Waelin grinned a bit brighter now, his usual personality resurfacing. "Of course I would! They'll protect me and anybody else that I ask them to. And what better protector can you have than a dragon??" In his opinion, there was no greater bodyguard. It was finally time for Waelin to let go of Will, and he did so, stepping back a bit as his friend went to take off the jacket. Wow...was he sure...? He could get him a shirt or something...if he was still nervous about the scars...
Waelin waited, skipping back and forth from one foot to the other. This was very nearly suspensful...

Blue eyes scanned over his back and arms, surprised at the continuing damage. He had to quell his intrigue over all the metal he could see beneath transparent skin, like glass. He was angry at himself for thinking some parts of it actually rather beautiful. They were scars, there was nothing pretty about them!
And then he really got a good look at the left arm. He bit his lip to keep from gasping. It was like something had skinned his arm down from the elbow. And what was with the black stuff? It was like a big gnarly scab of some sort. What could have possibly attacked Will like that? The damage was so much worse than he had originally thought...
He was frowning lightly as he looked over the scars with yet more worry, but when his gaze finally returned to Will's face, he smiled lightly. "The only thing that bothers me is that somebody would be cruel enough to do that to you." He said softly, still not at all turned away by the strangeness of William's fragile body.
He held out his small hand again.
"Come on, let's get some rest, okay?" His smile was soft but true.

"I already told you that I would buy YOU new clothes." he smiled a little again.  He gently placed his hand on Waelin's head and rubbed lightly.  "I couldn’t have you go out of your way to buy me clothes." He said, overly kind.  William was so selfless, it was sad.  He would put just about anyone before him.  William then gave his metal hand to Waelin and nodded his head sadly, though smiling still.  Even though he said no, William WOULD like a shirt to sleep in, but he wouldn’t take it.  "You don’t have to worry about me...I haven't died yet..." he tried to reassure him, but that didn’t sound real comforting.  God...he was too nice...

Waelin just rolled his eyes, but was grinning. Yeah yeah, clothes for him...but he was bound and determined to make Will comfortable. Even if he had to make him uncomfortable to do it.
And he had just the plan...
He blinked at Will's last words, then smiled softly. "I won't let you die, don't worry." He then took that metal hand with his, and quickly led him back over to the wooden ladder. He scurried up first, again forgetting about his pantlessness. He was wearing an undergarment, thankfully. That could have been bad...
And there were many more chances for it to turn bad yet.

While William was coming up, Waelin was digging around a small, squat set of drawers hurriedly. He yanked out a shirt practically identical to his own, only it was black. He then threw it among his blankets and sat on it just as William peeked over the edge. He grinned, and pointed to the pile of blankets right in front of Will. "You can sleep there tonight." He announced, his own bed just a few feet over. He waited for William to get up all the way, and then to sit on what was usually his sister's bed.
Welp, time for action!

Waelin grabbed up the shirt, stuck it in his teeth, and scuttled over to William. With a pounce he latched onto the poor man, and took to pulling off the raggid remains of the black tee he had been wearing. And he was surprisingly quick at it too.
He then took the long-sleeved, button-up from his mouth and took to wrestling William into it, and then bouncing away.
It was done in about 15 seconds flat, and Waelin stood proudly over William, grinning. "If you can't do it the easy way, then there's always a hard way. And don't even think of taking it off, or I'll just put it back on again!" He waved his finger at Will threateningly, though nothing with him was ever threatening because he was just too small and cute. But he did try, at least.

William followed up the ladder obediently, and when his eyes came across Waelin's bottom, something inside him said it was rude and his eyes shied away for the rest of the way up.  William peeked over the edge after Waelin had gotten settled and smiled in return, finishing his climb and sitting on the bed beside Waelin's.  "All right" he replied.  Before William knew it, he was attacked by the cute Waelin and blinked in confusion at the playing.  With no intention to fight back at all, William was suddenly stripped of his rags and a new shirt was fitted on him.  After all the assaulting had finished, William stared at Waelin in complete and innocent surprise, his hand reaching up to pull at the collar when Waelin spoke.  His hand froze.  "Heh..." he smiled sheepishly at Waelin's intimidation.  "Okay, Okay." He submitted softly, raising his hands in surrender, amused by little Waelin.  His mood was happier now that Waelin had cheered him up.  "I wont try anything." He assured Waelin.  But then William's smile became more like a smirk as his hands reached for his shirt once more.  For some reason, he had this uncontrollable urge to 'tease' Waelin.  Something told him it was all right and that it was a good kind of fun.  So he did.  He reached for his shirt and began unbuttoning it as he grinned at Waelin.  "But...for some reason, I want to see you try that again." He said cheerfully, waiting to see if Waelin could stop him when he was fully prepared.

Waelin continued to stand over William, though not by much, and tapped his clawed foot against the ground, arms crossed still. "Well good!" He announced as Will submitted. But that submission apparently did not last long, and his friend's smile became a smirk.
Wait...uh oh...
The little gargoyle blinked as William began to take off the shirt. "T-try it again...?" For some reason, this made him blush a bit. But, stubborn as always, Waelin drew himself up and puffed out his chest. "Fine. Maybe I will."
And then, without warning, he threw himself on William again, determined to put those buttons back in order before his nimble fingers could be stopped.
He rose to the challenge, and was determined to beat it. Of course, if he had only stopped to realize what might happen with their horse play, he wouldn't have attempted it.
But sudden challenge calls for sudden action, and he didn't have a chance to think things threw.
And he might very well regret it.

William fell back on the bed as Waelin plopped on top of him and fiddled with the buttons.  William's equally nimble fingers worked their way down the shirt just ahead of Waelin re buttoning them.  He laughed softly as Waelin sat upon him, his fingers at a faster pace than Waelin's, and soon coming back to the top to unbuttoned what was re buttoned.  William fidgeted slightly, to make it an effort for little Waelin, to see what he would do.  "This is fun." He said softly through laughs, having never done something like this before.  He fussed about, letting his hands get in the way of Waelin's working fingers in between his unbuttoning.  Wow, Waelin was pretty good at this.  He then poked at Waelin's tummy a few times to distract him innocently, and he wondered how he knew some oh the things he knew.  

For some reason, he knew that poking him would bring about a distracting reaction.  William then began to die down, letting Waelin finally win the battle, and sighed, letting out the last of his laughs.  And then, without thinking, he placed his hands on Waelin's hips and then sat up, causing him to be sat up with him.  This would cause Waelin to slide down where he straddled William's stomach, and now land in William's upright lap.  Waelin was now up against him and William smiled.  "I've never done that before.  I liked it." William said timidly in his soft voice, still obliviously holding Waelin in his lap.  He looked at Waelin sweetly and innocently smiled a little, not even thinking anything was wrong with what he did.

Perched atop Will, Waelin furiously tried buttoning the shirt despite his victim's attempts at interrupting him. He grinned as Will's fingers got in the way, and as a retort Waelin gently bit the intruding hands. He was still losing though! Sticking his tongue out of the side of his mouth, Waelin made perhaps one of the cutest concentration faces ever in history. It just made you want to pinch his cheeks...
A high-pitched squeak escaped as his tender little stomach was poked, and he squeaked again despite himself as it was poked again. "Heeeey, cheater!!" Waelin accused with a giggle, trying to shield his sensitive tummy with his thick little tail.

In the end, Waelin won, but only because Will let him. "Aww, you're not supposed to let me win. I wasn't doing that badly...was I?" He whined, but couldn't help the childish grin on his face, pointy little canines flashing. A surprised look came over that smooth facade, eyebrows arched over wide blue eyes as Will took his slender hips in his hands and then sat up, causing Waelin to find himself firmly planted in Will's lap. His slender arms lay against Will's chest where they had been during the button race, and he stared nervously up at Will, another blush quickly blossoming on his pale cheeks. Darnit! Stop blushing!!!
"Um..heheh. Neither have I. But it was fun, I agree..." Waelin responded, trying to keep from pressing against Will lest a certain something be noticed missing.
"Uh...are you ready to go to bed now...?" He asked, trying to move the conversation along and get out of this potentially disasterous situation as quickly as possible. A watery grin was all that made it to his young face as he attempted not to look too terribly distraught.
Which he obviously was.

William was oblivious to the missing hardware, but he DID notice the blush.  He smiled at Waelin still, his innocent hands holding the boy in his lap.  What was an awkward feeling for Waelin was something happy and new for William.  He felt a warm tingle travel down his hands with Waelin against him.  It was tremendously relaxing. A feeling William dad never felt before.  Nobody had ever warmed up to him I the least.  The sensation that traveled through him was unbelievable.  

Bed?  William thought about it for a moment.  His mind was completely distracted by the overwhelming calm that resonated.  He craved this feeling.  He took a while to answer Waelin, not wanting to put any more distance between them.  But how would he be able to say that??  He didn’t want to scare Waelin.  But wait, Waelin had been so nice to him and he was soo understanding too.  Maybe he wouldn't mind in the least!  "Um...  Y-yeah...but... " he paused, his smile becoming noticeably more wary.  "I..." his hands began to tremble on Waelin's hips. "I...um...  c-can I h-hug you...??" he asked, feeling VERY nervious.

Waelin felt himself becoming more and more nervous as William thought about what he had said. This was one of those positions he usually tried very hard to avoid...
Still, he didn't want to just jump off of Will's lap. That would have been rude.
And even through all his nervousness, he could sense that Will was enjoying the contact.
Gah gah gah...

The poor little gargoyle blinked rapidly at Will's request. Oh no! What should he say?? He supposed it was possible to hug him without pressing his lower half into him anymore than necessary...
And Will seemed to want to so badly...
Gah...
"U-um...alright."
He managed a small grin, and leaned forward, putting his arms around Will's neck and hugging him close, though he kept his little bum planted firmly where it was.
Aw man, please let this turn out alright...!

William smiled happily when Waelin agreed, feeling very relieved and excited. As soon as Waelin's little arms were around his neck, he embraced Waelin firmly, pulling him close. He was enjoying it so much the he couldn’t control himself and literally pulled Waelin tight against him, of course sliding little Waelin's crotch into his own. He had no reaction to it though. It wasn’t something he really knew about. "Thank you..." he whispered softly, nuzzling Waelin's cheek with his. Was this warmth? It felt soo good! William took a soft breath and exhaled slowly as he rubbed Waelin's back just under the wings. "You're warm..." he nuzzled closer, not wanting to let go. And he was soo gentle with little Waelin too. Though he clung to the little gargoyle, he made sure not to harm him in the least, keeping the boy safe in his synthetic arms.

Waelin squeaked as he was pulled in tight against William. Ah, oh no!!
The poor little gargoyle closed his eyes, waiting for William to call him on his little secret.
...
...
There was nothing. Did Will not notice it?? Was that possible...??
Blushing hard, Waelin said nothing, and just let his new friend hug him close.
"U-um, you-you're welcome..." He mumbled, shivering and hunching alittle as Will softly rubbed against his cheek.
Gah, gah, gah...this couldn't end well...
Could it...?

Little Waelin just blushed alittle harder at Will's next words. "Oh, uh...hehe...thanks...." He supposed it was true...especially with him blushing as hard as he was!
He could practically feel the heat leaving his cheeks!

William felt little Waelin's body shiver and held him closer for warmth. He smiled softly at Waelin's words and continued to embrace him for a little longer before finally releasing him. He let go slowly, letting his fingers trail softly across Waelin's back as he pulled away to look at him sweetly. He was grateful and wanted to express it somehow. His hands still on Waelin's sides gently, he pondered. As he though, he gazed into Waelin's eyes, getting lost in them almost, finding his concentration level dropping drastically. Why couldn’t he think straight?? Strange. "I...want to do something for you..." he finally spoke. "Something...special..." he said softly, not even having a clue what it would be. "You are...very special to me..." he admitted innocently. William was just too sweet. He had no idea where he was going with this. All he knew was that he had to do something great for Waelin. Something extremely special and valuable.