Midnight, Blue Velvet VIP Room

[Peter Emile]

Your eyes open in a haze, with a soft ringing sound in your ears. There’s a sense of nausea that is … mostly easily shaken off as some kind of nerves. Your last memories are your own, but your location does not match those memories at all… You find yourself resting on a lounge chair, your legs comfortably arranged to support their weight off the floor. The lounge chair is covered in a plush, blue velvet material. The room you find yourself in is long, more like a observation deck then a room. One wall has a window (one way mirror) that covers the entire length of the room and wall, showing dancers below. A grandfather clock to one end of the room near the door leading in and out, shows the time as just past midnight. The music from below vibrates distantly along the floor and windows, but it is distant enough that it can be written off- until of course you exit the room, which will increase it’s volume. 

“Through fire and darkness indeed. It would seem I am...” He raised a hand. And staring at it, he remembered everything from that moment. “Still pressing on. Killing me is much harder than that, Endymion. I look forward to next time.” He formed a gauntleted fist, and felt the knuckles crack. That felt... Different. “My flesh... Ahh, it removed much of the corruption. 'twould seem I am healthy for a mortal man. Not a god anymore, but Godhood can wait. I have more than enough patience. I ran into those... People... Where I had...” Peter checked over his shoulders. “Ahh, they are gone. Good. I would be rather sore if I had been sleeping on them. I am sure I will reclaim them in time.” He slowly set his hand by his side. He was still laying, relaxed. It was warm, and frankly, he considered napping again. “Mmm... I must remember to give the interior designer my compliments, they are quite good at what they do... But for now... I do need to get up. If I remain languid, it will be too soon to fall back into bad habits...” He scanned the room. The music did not concern him for the moment. It was distant enough, and frankly, it was no worse than listening to the terrible pop trash that the green haired harlot who never put out listened too. He mentally corrected himself. Succubus, not Kasumi. Kasumi was not nearly old enough for that to be a factor. Also, he never did get to take her out for Ice Cream. “Pity.”

Chairs, another few lounge chairs, and tables dot the room. At one end is a mini bar with glasses and bottles of a variety of different liquids, all with clear labels except three, dark green glasses with thick glass, tainting the liquid inside to look nearly black in color. There is no label on these bottles and they are tucked, somewhat back in the cabinet. On a small table beside you are a small array of different delicacies and things to tempt a hungry stomach- small sandwiches, some Christmas cookies decorated to look like Christmas trees- professionally done, these aren’t someone’s homemade cookies.

It would have only been more obvious that the food was what had his attention, if there had been a giant flash of white lightning in foront of his eyes, going straight to them. He had not eaten for almost two days before that fight with the Senshi and Endymion. He was on his feet, limped a bit to get his bearings on his feet, and then sank into a crouch. That was new. He was feeling vertigo. It must be his body acclimating to the wakefulness. He would have to get some coffee into himself. “<Blessed Ma... Emperor's Teeth, I could eat a horse.>” - Latin

He groaned, shaking his head. This headache was going to be a bother, and a nuisance. “I really must see to inventing a panacea. I can invent anything else. And it would mean no more headaches. I am sure people around the world would praise me as the second coming of Serenity. Or at least shower me in more money. Speaking of.” He checked for his wallet. Bupkis. No ID, no Cell phone. Must have been destroyed in the battle. “Son of a protestant whore. Endymion owes me a new car if someone steals my Aznable special. I paid damn good money to restore it.”

You have everything you left the other world in. For Peter, of course, this is a world of difference, and he has overcome great change to get there. In his right hand lay a card, black with white writing “751 N. State Street, Chicago.” It was slightly warm to the touch, like it was just coming off a printing press. When he acknowledged it, it cooled down rapidly and appeared to become just a regular old business card. But he was a man of magic and wisdom- he’d know it was something just a bit.. different.. wouldn’t he.

“... Oh. <Shit.>” - German

Magic. Always magic. And he could feel it through his gauntlet. That meant it was powerful magic. He sighed, and pocketed it, only to brush against something. He at first thought it was his staff. But that had been shattered into fine powder... Multitool, check, Lighter, check, Gem the size of a man's fist... And that warranted closer inspection. Pulling it out, he let out a low whistle. “I did not predict that about you. You are ever the resourceful one...” It was gleaming a midnight purple in the light of the room. “Amethyst... And... Well.” He quietly pocketed it. His clothing was different. The armouring was gone. And when did he have a blue coat. “Well, Goddesses are entitled to look at me in all my glory, if they are so inclined. I suppose the White Mage cloak was a little out of fashion. Just so long as my virtue was un...” He snickered to himself. “Nope, could not say that with a straight face. Virginity, then, was untouched. Since I would rather like to remember having intercourse with something that otherworldly.” He checked the sandwiches carefully, ensuring that there were none of his enemies in it, before nibbling at one. Hunger would bend to manners. He was not the Clown.

The Grandfather clock began to chime midnight, rolling in the sounds like some dirge. The door to the room opened, just as the music shifted from a ballad to something more bass-driven. A figure, dressed in black walked into the room. It was only the vaguest hint of slender wrists, bare feet and slender ankles- painted toenails of a cheerful red- that gave away the figure’s gender. She was fully clothed, from head to foot in a somewhat old fashioned Victorian gown with Muslim like veils over her face, revealing only she had emerald eyes and pale- blue veined skin.

“My apologies” her voice was soft as she broke the silence between them. “I was delayed in my duties to miss greeting you when you first woke up. You are different than the others.” She tucked her gloved fingertips into the nooks of her arms, crossing them before her on her hips. She kept her body language non-threatening, though that meant nothing if he leapt at her. “I have a message for you, Ferryman.” 

“You can’t go home. While I can’t say this will be your home- it is all that you have unless you find a way to break the geas put upon you.” She lowered her eyelashes, painted ebony with kohl and mascara. “There is nothing I can do to break it, so please never ask me.” She stepped farther into the room, giving him plenty of space as she moved. She walked over toward the bar, not ever quite turning her back fully to him. “Offer you a drink before you go explore this new world you find yourself in? Crossing the dimensional boundaries is exhausting to most.”

“I recovered, thanks to your deft maneuvering of my body, with minimal ill effect. You have my gratitiude, milady. But I am not... Charon anymore. I was the Void Dragon for a time, driven to damn the world in my pride. But it would seem the Lord has other plans for me.” He smiled gently to her. “If I may have the courtesy of seeing your face? You see me without my mask, the one I wore as a Dragon... And while others may be terrified of Angels, even ones who favour the Night, I was one who offered proper respect when it was due.”

He paused, she mentioned a geas. “I was offered succor, for my foolishness. If the Lord wills me to this... new realm, I will not gainsay him until I have completed my duties... Coffee, without milk, please. And I would like to have a chat with you about this new world before I head off. I served as the Strategos for too long to charge blindly. And you have a most fetching voice.” Honestly, he owed her a hug. She was helping him, and it was generally what those... Good... People seemed to like. "For the time being, I do not have much to pay... But I will assume you are an enchantress of a sort. Perhaps you can answer me something I have wanted to know for a time... Are Darkness and Shadow the same? Or is there a difference? I could not find one in Science, so perhaps other powers would know the answer."

[Deleted]

Emerald eyes fluttered behind the dark lashes as she looked away... Coffee? ... Oh... Coffee. Odd that the kine have such a need... She slipped back toward the door, her bare feet whispering along the blue velvet of the floor. She openned it to murmur at the man who waited outside. He scattered like a frightened rabbit, bounding down toward the kitchens to fetch her a pot of this.. coffee. How curious, she wondered what it'd be like. this.. Coffee... and how wonderful for her guest she could offer it. He might of asked for something exotic that not even her staff could provide.

Charming really.... And though the veils blocked her face from being seen, a small smile curved upon her lips. She closed the door once more, letting the music that had blasted through fade. "My man will return soon with your... coffee." She tasted the word, it sounded round didn't it? Coff-fee. Hmm. Something else to try one day when she could 'taste' again. She leaned against the wall. Why go deeper when she'd merely have to open the door in a few minutes anyway to allow entry to the one who brings the Coffee.

"I merely caught the falling. There is no need for gratitude. Indeed, one day you may find that the words of thanks are far from what you should offer me this eve." She raised her left hand and the left pointer finger- in it's glove, was nibbled on the very edge. "You had a mask? Hmm.. I had thought I had provided... Ah.. My apologies. I know how dear it is to have as mask to hide one's facade behind. I was not informed of as mask for any of those who come from the other places. I will have to attempt to be more... diligent in the future."

She flicked her fingers on the edge of the side of her face. "This... is not about respect. It's about ...simplifying details. I will happily answer your questions, but I have no need to become your friend. I am here to serve a function and that is all." She'd probably be alarmed if she had any thought he might... you know.. 'touch' her... As it was she relaxed a bit more against the wall. He was a Scholar then? How wonderful, someone ... No no no. Don't get attached!

"I am the Dimensional Witch. I am the" a pause "impartial witness and assistant to those who travel here. I suppose you could call me and enchantress though, I am quite limited in what assistance I can offer without requiring a price to be paid of equal value." She glanced toward the door then back to him. "That all depends. Shadow is a reflection of the light, a cast off of where it's been and where it is going, but Darkness? Darkness will steal your very soul." She smiled slightly. "I prefer the shadow."

[Peter Emile]

Peter rested his left wrist in his pocket, and nibbled at the sandwich in his right hand. “You were born before 1570 if you are Muslim, and quite a while before it I would wager. Coffee was originally cultivated in the middle east around that time. Your hesitance betrays you, Ma cherie. And my mask... Hmm. It may have been destroyed in my battle with the Earth Knight. Pity.” He took a second bite. He had his knife in his left hand, in case she tried something. “Payment was due none the less. Words are no price to a man. I have learned that in serving the Dark as long as I did. Unlike the wretches, I was forced to stomach an association with in the Chaos Organization, I am still honourable, be it Bushido, or Chivalry as needed. Shourido, comes with the territory, but that is Power, not Courage, that it offers.”

“Hmm. Something to hide then. I will have to remember that.” He chuckled, the joke being that he forgot nothing. “None the less, you have my friendship if you want it. It is only polite.” He was slowly slipping into old habits, a softer accent returning from the Japanese he had begun with. Undertones of his Latin thought processes... A warmth to his voice here and there, and a slight emphasis on his 's'. “You would do well to watch that you do not accidentally chew through the gloves. Those look well made." He smiled faintly, and took another bite of his sandwich. “<Darkness consumed me. If there is a difference, the fault was mine, as I had believed. And that means I can find the shadows again, and refuse the dark, with Vigilance.>” He cricked his neck, before he inhaled. “<If I am not presuming too much... Where am I? City, country, and streets. When am I? Year, Month, Day. Why was I summoned. Who summoned me. What is the state of the woman Kasumi Song from where I was, as well as Astra LeBlanc, and Celeste Emile if you can find that information... What is waiting for me when I get to the place the Card is dictating...>” He was speaking at an even pace, and it was in French that time. Beautiful, fluent, Parisian French. “And finally, the name, to go with the title you bear, Dimensional Sorceress. Circe was a Sorceress, as are you. Marjoly was a witch. And you are nothing like her, for better or worse.”

He had a devilish smile there. “And Shadows are... or were... My element.”

[Deleted]

Her lips curled into a small smile.. Before her era indeed… She shook off her amusement as if one might shake off a small rat or snake. She opened the door, snaked out a pale wrist between dress and glove, more of that mottled blue veined pale-ghost like skin showing in the gap. She brought in a somewhat modern coffee pot and a mug, singular. “Thank you.” She muttered, as almost an afterthought to the man.

She was distracted by the languages he chose to speak in. She could follow them… but it had been quite some time since anyone bothered to speak in them. Most were content with English. Modern, bastardized English. “I am… or was.. of the Church.” She moved to set the coffee down gently on the small table near him, surely the closest she had come toward him since she had entered the room. “The guise is merely to prevent unwanted questions. Ones I am not permitted to answer. This night has been a strain and my temperament… it is not what it should be.” She poured him a mug full of the Coffee. Inhaling the scent as she did so.

Odd.. this coffee. It had a very rich smell. She usually kept the sobering up of individuals to others more like the task. Still. She nudged the mug toward him then moved so she once again put furniture and distance between them. “Chaos Organization?” She tilted her head to one side, faintly she could hear Sobek’s sibilant voice calling her little bird for the action. Memories. Flashes. This man wasn’t Sobek though, he was color where Sobek had been shadows. She crinkled her nose and put another chair between them.

The memories were far to close tonight.

She switched her movements, doubling back to the bar as if that had been her original intent. She pulled one of the glass green bottles down and popped the lid. She drank, directly from the bottle, in a well practiced motion. She grimaced, as if the taste was not too pleasant. She used it to gather herself back into the present. He had said… “Chaos.. That sounds so much like Sailor Moon.” She gave a wistful sigh and recorked the bottle, placing it on the bar top. “Forgive me yes? I had a mind wander. I used to enjoy a t.v. show before modern technology became frusterating.”

She leaned her frame on the bar, more of an outline of a curvey figure- old world beautiful not the modern era beautiful. She had curves, lots of curves. She did the movement without thought, but then her kind had always used seduction to trap the unwary and such movements were as natural to them as breathing was the Kine. “You are in Chicago.” She chose to answer him in Japanese, one of the more modern acquisitions of hers. A desire to watch her beloved “Anime” in the original vernacular had drove her to learn their language. “ Specifically the Blue Velvet Club, my… place of operations… We are not far to the address on the card which you found in your possession, perhaps three.. four blocks in modern tongue.” She switched to English, his grasp of languages was good, but some information should be relayed in the most clear way possible. “The year is 1989, the universe… not your own… Though I only know that I caught you Between. Banished from your own world. Far more of used to this place then just lost in space though no?”

Latin.

“Everyone deserves a chance to live.”

She switched back to English. “Those who have organized this little…” she paused searching for a word… “Game… This little game… Believed you might offer some entertainment value…” Yes, let him believe that this was nothing more then another game. He another pawn. She tightened her fingers, going white knuckled on the bar. After all.. was she not also another pawn to be well rewarded in her tasks. Remember.

Focus. Perhaps it was the name he asked about. Astra Le Blanc. Astra the white… certainly it sounded like a name her childe might use… but no.. he came from somewhere else. Somewhere.. Different. Not her home. None of them came from Her home.

FOCUS.

“I do not know of the people of whom you inquire.” Oh, that was true enough, but the pause between thoughts would have been obvious to the most oblivious of people. She was loosing her touch. Having this most interesting of the Travelers come to her like this had been a foolish decision. Still. Entertaining.

“I believe that’s the location where you can find a safe place to bed for the night until you get your bearings properly.” She smiled in a thin line behind the veil… hidden perhaps in all but her voice. “It is rarely safe to sleep on the streets of Chicago.”

She loosened her grip on the bar. “A name is a tie. While you offer friendship I can no more take the offer then I can offer you a place to stay here. Neither are safe. For you, or for I. I serve a function, a cog in a greater wheel of whom has promised me a great boon should I do my job well.” She took up the green glass bottle again. She’ dhave to finish the entire thing to replace what she had lost in the moving of people… of finding things for them to not freeze to death in. Mortals. So damn fragile.

“I believe that coat will suffice for warmth…” She paused… How .. forgetful of her…

She set down the bottle and pulled the gloves off her hands. Pale, slender and small with the unnatural flesh that covered them. She offered them toward Peter. There was no warmth in them, no human warmth at all, just cool leather. “Here. I forget that people require gloves when it snows to protect their fingers. I would not have it said I did not properly equip my Travelers as they ventured forth…”

[Peter Emile]

Peter looked her over as she was retrieving the coffee. Her skin was paler than his, and he fled the sun like he was a... Peter's blood chilled the moment he came to that realization. Had he been a more righteous man in life, he would be offended, but for the time being, he was more than happy to play with his companion. And enjoy a second sandwich. He was grateful that she was not rushing him out the door. He slowly extended his arm, hands that were silvery-white clasping the coffee mug. He could feel warmth, and the faintest of pressures, but not much else. Inhaling, he sighed happily. “That, is very good coffee. Thank you.” Sipping at it, well used to burning hot tea, he nodded appreciatively.

“Though I think... You might be used to a depressant. Or something else. Prior to the Enlightenment, Beers and Gins were the primary fair, due to the water sanitation of the time... It's actually due to Coffee that we had the Enlightenment... Ahh! Another Church Goer! Michael smiles on me. In Tokyo, they were far too few between.” He showed a warmth in his smile not entirely due to the caffine.

“That is because I served the Goddess Chaos, having been seduced with a promise. I nearly killed Sailor Senshi Pluto, Sailor Senshi Mars, and Sailor Senshi Moon, in my pride, and my rage. The Void Dragon... Was the corruption of the Guardian Knight Pluto.” He stared at her. “The Endymion, to Sailor Pluto, if it makes sense. But that tells me I do not need to fear running afoul more of those damn Sailor Scouts here. And that makes me a happy man.” Melancholy, but that was for another time. He finished the second sandwich, and drained the mug. It restored much of his lost strength. He felt the heat of it returning to his blood, icy cold so long.

Peter absorbed the information she gave him. “I desired to self-destruct.... In the end, because I could not make them happy... I tried to make them kill me. It seems I failed Chaos and myself in that moment.” His response to her chance to live was darker than normal. “If I am part of another game... It means I simply need to win. My victory will not be my freedom, but my redemption... And a chance to settle things with the Gods...”

He smiled warmly to her none the less, taking the gloves in hand, before his thumb, covered in metal as it was, found itself on the back of he hand. Before he kissed her hand gently, the Knight in him alive for a brief spark. “If you have a need for blood, my dear Carmilla, you only need ask it of me. Blood is the configuration of the five elements, existing in harmony within the body. And I know a Vampiress must sustain herself upon it.” His eyes were staring right into where he estimated hers were. “You arm me for a crusade well, Mademoiselle. I feel indebted, even if you refuse to call upon it.”

He was so calm, staring at her. “I will see your face one day. Who knows, I might even kiss it.” This was a tactic he had not tried on the Senshi, to put them off guard. Let's see how it worked on the Vampiress. “Until then, I suppose I will need to settle for that.” And a faintly fiendish smile. “But I think I am wearing even your nerves a little thin~ Michael knows I rubbed the nerves of all the Senshi raw. Shall I be going, or do you want to keep me for a time yet?~”

[Deleted]

She must of been distracted.. her thoughts.. trying to follow his... His brain jumped around almost as much as her's did. One subject to the next with scarce a pause between. Myste smiled behind the veil... Surely then this was her temptation? A sign of proof she would not work against her Master's in this game? That she would be so tempted, so early on with the overtures of friendship of someone who had a brain that thought past "Ugh Smash?"

... She had to have been distracted.. Did he just speak of Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi like they were.. real? People? She was floundered with the very thought of meeting the people who gave her comfort and hope in her dark tim---- wait a second.

He took her hand.

He... kissed it...

She shivered with the touch. But it was what he did next that floored her.

She snatched her hand back like he just announced he was a wolf in sheeps clothing. Her hand raised, as if to remove the veil and meet him eye to eye, unmasked to unmasked... Then he broke the masquerade.. worse.. he did it like it was child's play to figure it out. There was no hesitation, no pause in his manner, just a simple announcement. She was Kindred, a vampire.. and he would happily donate his blood. First he speaks of Astra, a name not so common in most lands, then he speaks of Sailor Moon, truly one of her joys and the rare ray of hope and light in her life... and now he offers to give himself to her? To offer what is most precious...

... to turn her, truly, into the monster she fought against in the mirror? Did he not see how close her beast was to the surface. How close she came to actually.. taking him up on the offer? She stepped back. He would of shocked her no less if he had hauled up and smacked her with a conjured frying pan.

Some test in deed... And just like that he offered to take himself away. She tightened her fingers into fists and hung them at her sides. To not act, to not out burst like a child and demand answers.. to not take from which was freely offered...

Oh but the Beast howled with the restraints. But for now. Tonight. She remained in control.

"I do not lower myself to mingle with the players of this game. Go. Find some other toy to play with, one who might appreciate that which you offer."

She kept her voice cool, clear with dismissal.

[Peter Emile]

“As you wish, my Carmilla. But... The omniverse is infinite. You can not hide forever from me. I will have those lips against mine, and your hand within mine. And your body encircled in my arms. There is no escaping my friendship, nor my curiosity~” For such a frankly possessive comment... It truly was warm, and meant with the best of intentions. “The rules stopping you be hanged. The Gods know my name, and so do you~ Peter Emile, The Inquisitor.” He bowed to her, pocketing the gloves, and letting her back away. “You will find that you lower nothing in associating with me, my Carmilla.”

With that, he gave her such a warm smile, one filled with the sincerity of a paladin. And then he went for the door. “Astra was Sailor Moon, in Crystal Tokyo...” He paused. "If you ever find my cloak, white and black, monochrome flames borne upon it. You will find my journals. I kept precise accounts of the last month I spent there. Including meeting Astra. It might interest you...” He gave such a soft laugh. “Or it might torment you. But you are not prone to mingling with us, now are you?” He was out the door with the celerity of a man who wished flight. From there, he took in his surroundings, and began planning his next move.

[EXIT SCENE]

[Deleted]

A portion of the back wall shifted out of place and then slid to the side to reveal a handsome looking man. He had short, disheveled brown hair and an intense look in his milk chocolate eyes as he stared across the room at the lovely vampiress. His hands were shoved into the pockets of his navy blue suit over which he wore a billowing tan overcoat. The man might have looked like any other business man, if it weren’t for his red and white Converse tennis shoes.

“They’re not going to be happy about this.” He warned Myste sternly, stepping into the VIP Lounge and strolled casually towards her with his hand still in his pockets. “It changes the odds, I'll have to recalculate. It might have been better for him if you had just left him where he was.” The man stopped a respectful distance away from Myste and stared at the door if Peter Emile was still standing there. “Such flourish!” He said, his voice taking a cheerful, talkative tone, “A bit foolish though. What did he call you, Carmilla? Well, to his credit, at least he’s a fan of Le Fanu.”

[Deleted]

His.

Myste waited, unmoving and unbreathing until Peter left the room. Her hands rose after the door shut behind him with a final click. She took off the black veils that kept her face hidden. Their removal meant her unnatural beauty was in full array. Her ‘beyond’ floor length fire-colored hair (also unnatural in its ability to mimic fire) was tightly pinned in braids around her head in a “crown”. She had just begun unpinning them, as she walked back toward the bar when the hidden door slid open. This didn’t stop her from unpinning her hair so the braids fell in two plaits down her back, nor did it stop her from, after but a moment’s pause, to finish grabbing the brandy bottle.

She needed something far stiffer then her usual fare after all that.

“Mm.” She made a non-committal noise in the back of her throat. It wasn’t until the green bottle’s contents and the brandy began to swirl together under a finger in a glass did she bother to make more than the female equivalent of a grunt. “They asked for Champions. He needed someone as well.” She moved from the bar, new glass in hand to the one-way mirrors that looked out over the seething masses of dancers. She watched Peter’s back as he exited the club. “They never said I had to be kind. Indeed, was I not specifically chosen because I can no longer truly be kind?”

She sipped the glass, this time, while there was a small grimace, it was replaced by the slow burn of the brandy. “Call it a favor to a God I no longer follow. Or perhaps, call it a desire to have another one of the forsaken with me. We all really do deserve a second chance.” There was something in her voice though, a note of.. worry…

She downed the rest of the drink and turned away from the window. “Carmilla.” She snorted and moved back to the bar. “Not all of us are so base in our desires.” She poured another glass from the two bottles. She raised her glass and played with it on the edge of her lips. Then she shrugged and put it down without drinking.

“I do not understand why so many came from the Other realms and Not from the core worlds. Having Charles Xavier here- I thought the pull would be strong enough… yet the only one who responded true was the one who was reborn.” She crinkled her nose and looked toward the Bookie. “That above all else should change the odds. I had thought there’d be more…”

She motioned her hands. “More more. As it is, the elementalists have awoken far quicker then their counterparts. At this rate the game will be decided before it has begun.”

[Deleted]

“…Was I not specifically chosen because I can no longer truly be kind?”



The man’s brows knit together at these words, his eyes filling with concern, regret. “Now, you know that’s not what I meant. I…” He sighed and let Myste continue speaking. Second chances, he nodded, turning away from her to look through the window at the dancers below. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even further. Myste would be able to see face through the reflection in the glass. He was thinking, calculating. His thumbs pressed against the tips of each of his fingers as if he were using them like an abacus.



“A mere sprint,” He replied, turning to face her again, smiling. “Remember, a quick start does not necessarily mean a fast finish; and, I must admit that I was incorrect. By bringing in that player you may have actually evened the odds a bit.” His smile faltered and he spoke sincerely, “Myste, don’t let him get to you. We knew from the get-go that there were going to be a few… odd ones.”

[Deleted]

She left the drink at the counter and moved to stand next to him again. She gently let her shoulder brush his. A small sign of physical connection. "I'm sorry. He did get to me. Perhaps because there is so much of myself I see in his eyes from.. before." She leaned into his side, just a bit, just a brush of pressure... Then she straightened. "It's fine. I can handle it." She rubbed a pale, blue veined hand on her temple. "I forgot how exhausting it was to drag people every which direction, even with Their help it was still... so many pieces..."

She moved, and pointed down below at a figure still unmoving on a table. "See? That one hasn't even woken up yet... I'm starting to wonder if I drugged them a bit too much." Her lips crinkled in a parody of impish delight. At least she had started "breathing" for the sake of breathing and not just for talking. A sign she was getting her composure back.

[Deleted]

The man inhaled slowly from Myste’s momentary touch. He turned to face her and give her his full attention, concern still shining through his chocolate brown eyes. When she moved to the window, he followed and stared down at the one still sleeping at the table below. “Give them time,” he assured her, “they’ll wake up eventually. Until then, why don’t you take some time to relax?”



He met her eyes and smiled warmly, “You most certainly deserve it after everything you’ve had to do…” The man paused, and then reluctantly broke his gaze. “I really should get going,” he admitted, “I’ve got my own work to do; but, before I go…” He reached into his coat and pulled out a small leather bound book and a pen. “There’s nothing in the books that says that you can’t have a little fun yourself. Care to make a wager?”

[Deleted]

Myste gave him a small smile and motioned her hand. "I am supposed to be impartial Am I not...?" A heart beat. "Unofficially I think the Naturalists while slow to start may be a surprising competition." 

Myste turned and kept her face on the crowd. "Yes.... I think the Naturalists will be the most interesting to watch- if slow to start. Thank you. You'll see yourself out won't you?" 

[Deleted]

“Impartial in your actions, yes,” the man agreed as he flipped through the book. “That doesn’t mean you can’t put in a little wager… Naturalists? Well, let’s see… naturalists… naturalists… ah here we go!" He scratched something in the book and said, “Naturalists for the lovely Myste.” Then, he snapped the book close and nodded at the long-haired enchantress. “Yes, I really should be going now…” He turned on his heel and headed towards the back wall where a full length mirror stood.

The man touched his chest and the mirror began to shimmer. He took a step into the mirror, causing it to ripple like water and paused, “Oh, and Myste?” He looked over to her, “Once this whole thing is done and we've both been paid, I’d like to take you out to dinner, just to celebrate. Ta.” The man didn’t bother to wait for an answer and disappeared complete.