[Feint]

Lolita flinched, almost recoiled, in reaction to Kasumi's shrill cry and outburst. Her ears flattened and her wings lifted from her sides in reflex, it startled her so. She recovered and tried to relax her shocked heart, but Kasumi's yelling was making it difficult. She was confused by his shouts, and quickly distracted herself with her wings to keep from fleeing in terror. Her wings were a decent distraction, for she was forced to spread them in full to refold them since they were so large. Just as she started, she had an idea. She thrust her half-folded wings downwards as if she were trying to fly across a downdraft. At the same time, she spread them completely. The huge amount of air she thrust below her was blocked by the street, so when the gust hit the ground it made a loud boom that echoed off the buildings. Lolita then calmly folded her wings, her outer appearance completely peaceful. Inside, she was praying Kasumi would calm down a bit, or at least stop snarling so from the surprise of such a loud and sudden sound. Her heart was starting to ache from the pounding.

[Rebel_the_Proud]

Kasumi shied his head at the sudden sound, but his thoughts were only faltered for a moment. He snorted, his angry eyes hiding his hurt feelings. Hooves clattered as the equine stepped backwards, allowing the darkness of the night to cloak him entirely, except for his peircing red eyes. The bored through her as if trying to see what she was hiding on the inside. In a cold, tempered voice, he spoke from the darkness.

"Why do you lie to me? You fear me. I've seen enough fear to know when it crosses into the eyes, and I saw it in you. What trick are planning for me? What game are you playing?"

(9)

[Feint]

Lolita frowned angrily. She had no idea how anger could bubble so relentlessly from her heart after such a shock. "What tricks am I planning? Why, I should be asking you that question. I have my rights to be suspicious. Who walks around alone at night in a foreign city far from their own home? How am I to know you're not running from the law, or preying on people? Tell me. How should I know?" she said forcefully, trying hard not to yell, "I trust people on sight, and that's my weakness. I've been assaulted before by strangers who walk alone at night, and yes, I escaped unscathed. But only by luck. I'm sorry if I've judged you poorly, but this is my only point of view!" She sniffed indignantly, ears back.

[Rebel_the_Proud]

Kasumi snorted angrily at her rebuttle, but he did not answer right away. He stayed hidden in the darkness watching her with hard eyes. It was strange how things had escalated, but the fear he saw struck fear through him, forcing him to push away what he was afraid would come eventually. But it all had begun with a simple question; a true question with no motive behind it except a cuiriosity, and yet it opened up an old wound that stung like a knife through flesh. Nostrils flared as eyes tried to figure this one out.

"I have no tricks I wish to play. You ask me why I wander the streets at night. Well, you want to know? Because if someone were to see me during the day they would have the fear you showed! I cannot walk in the daylight else I be persecuted for what I am though that does not make who I am! They judge me because I am a Nyghtmare; the 'evil' form that walks the night, haunting dreams as creatures sleep. The only thing I am running from is the shunning of others and I have not been to any home in years. I am tired of seeing that fear directed towards me. I am tired of being shunned away like a peice of garbage!"

Kasumi's legs shook, most likely by the anger that had built up, but he was no longer threatening her with his hooves. He stood in the darkness watching her, tail whisping lightly in the wind.

(10/Level up!)

[Feint]

Lolita was taken aback, and stumbled backwards. She had completely forgotten the pain she had heard in Kasumi's voice at their meeting barely ten minutes ago. She had hardly remembered the likeness and pity she's felt in favor of the 'what if' game. Guilt hit her like a punch to the gut, and it swallowed her corrupt emotions completely. "I'm sorry," she stammered. It took her a few seconds more to recover, mouth agape.

She coughed softly, and blushed at his reasoning. She felt like a fool, but not because of her accusations. "W-what's a Nyghtmare. . . ?" she whispered in a hardly audible voice. He said that as if she should perfectly know exactly what that meant, but she was only about when everyone was asleep, so she never learned such things. She wanted to shrink into a mouse and crawl away to the sewers, or die.

ooc--just to be clear, I know what a Nyghtmare is. Lolita just doesn't.

[Rebel_the_Proud]

ooc // ^-^ Okie dokies.  

BIC:

Nostrils flared out in response to her bizarre question. She didn't even know what he was. He stood quietly, watching her, still trying to study her, while also trying to figure an answer. In doing so, he was able to cool his anger quite quickly. She really didn't know. The Nyghtmare sighed, preparing to speak again.

"Nyghtmares' wander the nights, casting horrible nightmares into the peaceful dreams of others. They find it to be a funny game, enjoying to watch the creature toss and turn at the painful dream. I... don't wish to do that to others. Dreams are meant to be peaceful and enjoyable, not terrifying..."

The anger was gone, whisped away like the tips of his mane. He wasn't angry at her anymore, though his anger was more at himself for what he was. The Nyghtmare had gotten an answer, finally.

"That's why you didn't run from me... You didn't even know what I was..."

(11)

[Feint]

Now Lolita really wanted to die. She took a deep breath and said, "Oh." She glanced up at Kasumi to see if he was still angry, which he wasn't. At least not at her. Lolita tried to relax, but only felt more embarrassed. She had probably given him such hope, trying to connect with him like that. Then she went and crushed it! "I'm sorry," she said.

"Dreams are meant to be peaceful and enjoyable, not terrifying..."

Lolita found herself shaking her head. "Dreams are what they are. Sometimes they're peaceful, sometimes they're not. Nightmares are as natural and meant to be as sweet dreams. But dreams aren't to be tampered with." She glanced up at Kasumi to see his reaction. She didn't want him snapping at her again. "The nyghtmares you've described sound evil to me, messing with dreams in unnatural ways. In turn, that hurts the dreamsnares, who are made from dreams, like myself. I've always wondered about that cycle, thank you for giving me the last piece," she said, more to herself than anything else.

[Rebel_the_Proud]

Kasumi let out a soft sigh, the anger within him subsidding. Actually, he felt good after the outburst, not really that he had done it to her, but that he had told someone his story. She now knew what he had been suffering. Her words were true; just as Kasumi felt. Dreams were personal and private, not to be tampered with for fun. Lowering his head to where his neck was level to his back, Kasumi stepped back out in the light, his eyes looking at Lolita. After a moment of silence, and another soft sigh, he spoke.

"I'm sorry... for my outburst towards you... I just let what I have been needing to tell another for years. Though it is not an excuse, it does explain why I got so angry. Too long I have held that in... but, though it helped me, I'm afraid I have hurt you. I hope you understand... I do not wish... to loose another..."

Kasumi cocked his head to the side, offering his muzzle much like a human would offer a hand as a hand shake. Now of course, he didn't know how she would be able to respond to that, but it was the only way he knew to offer a chance for a friendship.

(12)

[Feint]

Lolita nodded. "That's fine, I understand," she said, and she did. Maybe not exactly the way Kasumi knew it, but she understood. Quiet people like herself tended to hold their frustrations until it got to be too much and exploded violently. Only quiet people could understand how the sad-looking, shy, and silent strait-A students could come to class one day with a gun in hand. Lolita smiled to herself; maybe that particular example was a bit too much to share. She wasn't quite sure what Kasumi wanted her to do in response to his gesture, so she sat comfortably on the street, and motioned for him to do the same. "Come, sit. I don't believe either of us has anything to do soon, so why not be more at ease?" she asked with a smile.

[Rebel_the_Proud]

And so it seemed, Lolita understood his outburst, though Kasumi still didn't feel at ease about bursting in front of her. But thoughts were soon pulled away from those when offered to sit in a more relaxed feeling. Now, an equine such as Kasumi didn't really know how to 'sit' in the way that a feline or canine could, but he could lay down. Doing so, Kasumi settled off his hooves, laying on his stomach, his neck arched a bit as he tried to relax his tense muscles. She had been right about Kasumi not having anything to do. He rarely did. As a matter of fact, most of the time, he could be found just walking aimlessly at night. This was quite a good change, indeed.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Lolita." He paused for a moment, thinking of something to say. "Well... I guess you know more about me now, but what about you? What is there I don't know about you?"

Kasumi knew he hadn't said everything that had happened in his life or that troubled him, but it what he had said was a good grasp on what his life was like. Now, if she wished to share, Kasumi was curious as to what her life had held.

(13)

[ShadowStitches]

(I hope its still okay if i jump in?)

Abraxas

He had rested here for a little sleep and peace. He was flying arround a lot lately,
most likely to keep him from thinking too much again. He sat on a roof, his
long tail wrapped arround him like a snake, head resting on the feathered tip.
A loud voice kicked him out of his slumber, and a suddent 'Boom' made him tense again.
He lifted his pale head and listened. After hearing enough of a rather interisting conversation
he hopped to the edge of the roof, glaring down at the two creatures below he raised one 'eyebrow'
So that Nyghtmare really thought that he could escape his species nature huh? He let out a little
snort. how Naive. The Malphas felt a little stitch in his heart. //you thought that too...a long time
ago// shaking his head at his own thoughts he hissed. jeah he THOUGHT so. he was stupid enough to
think he could be different then all other of his kind. But the world in all its facettes and pain showed him
how foolish he was. It took a lot and he had to see a lot of horror to make him the way he was now.
jes he was bitter, and jes he hated everyone, but he was confident that he had every right
to be that way. Everyone else was just stupid enough to think that the world was a great
place to live on. //oh how I hate those...filthy idiots. how can they be so blind?// Ruffling his feathers
he tilted his head to one side and lifted from the roof. He landet on a streetlamp, half
hoping that they would see him, half hoping that they would leave him alone. He had to
admit that he felt bad for that Nyghtmare. he knew the feeling of being shunned because he was
what he was. He glared down at them through hatefull eyes. If someone would have the
guts to glare into them for more then a few seconds and through the hate, one would see a
deep, terrible pain inside of him, paired with fear. But on the other hand he was pretty
good at hiding those secret feelings. He couldnt keep his mouth shut anymore as he
saw them both sit down. "How cute" he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt

[Feint]

"How cute."

Lolita flicked an ear in the voice's direction, but refused to honor the speaker with so much as a glance. She answered Kasumi's question with no trace of anger or annoyance in her voice. "About me? There is only a little. I live down the block, as I mentioned earlier, in a medium-sized apartment owned by my master. She is very rarely "home", as a matter of fact I believe she has a house of her own, just for herself." She eased herself down and crossed her front paws the way a human would cross their legs at the ankles. She had to refold her great wings all over again just from that small motion. "I'm alone all the time, with the year-long solitude interrupted only once with maybe an hour-long visit from Master. It can be hard, seeing her again, for she did raise me. When I was young, I never left her side. . ." her voice trailed away, and she cast her gaze at the ground. After only a short silence Lolita raised her head to speak. "Naturally, it drew attention. I've begun taking my walks at night, just to avoid all of the people here. It can be nice, there's room to dance late at night, but there's also no one to see it. Ah yes, I used to be a performer." She smiled at the memories. "I only had talent, and that hindered me. I never became anything famous since I never had a teacher. Teachers are more valuable than any non-vital thing I can think of. Don't you agree?" she asked.

[Rebel_the_Proud]

OOC// Absolutely! ^-^

Ears pricked to another voice, and Kasumi's head drawed up to see a strange creature, of whom he did not know what he was or who he was, perched above them, watching them with a hateful gaze. Kasumi had seen gazes much like this thrown at him, so it was nothing new to him. At this moment, he was quite content that he was sitting here talking with Lolita, so the hatred of another would not bother him now that he had someone to converse with.

Looking back to Lolita, he listened to her, taking in her every word, only know he seemed much more comfortable and safe, as if he was no longer expecting her to run away. She seemed to speak quite fondly of her owner, something Kasumi knew very little about. Honestly, he could not speak fondly of anyone he had ever met or knew... except for Lolita, now. Hearing about her dancing, Kasumi drew a soft smile, finding it a rather interesting thing to learn. He wondered if he would ever get to see her dance... just seeing her now, he knew she would be good at it. A question directed to him made him process his thoughts a bit, but he nodded his head in agreement.

"Yes. I would believe that a teacher can be valuable... but I also believe that even without a teacher, you can become great... or even... something you weren't meant to be...."

Kasumi's words ended with his own self on his mind. He had been raised to be a Nyghtmare, but that was not what he wanted. His teachers were Nyghtmares, but he taught himself not to be one. Kasumi was his own teacher, as he was just know realizing. Red eyes averted to see if the strange creature was still hovering over them, watching them. It felt strange to have those eyes upon him, and though Lolita had not adressed the strange being, Kasumi half-way wanted to. Not to have a conversation or anything, but to ask him to stop staring as it was quite rude... though Kasumi was used to such actions by now.

(14)

[ShadowStitches]

It amused him that Lolita tried to ignore him, and Kasumi did not seem to like him staring at them.
he listened to the Story of the Yonyuu, and without being asked for his opinion, after the Nyghtmares answer, said: "That horse there is right, child. Teachers are horribly over valued, if you can't teach yourself what you want to learn, no one will be able to." He never needet any mentors or teachers
or something. On the other hand, he never needed anyone. at least he liked to think so...
He wondered how they would react tho. would they try to chase him of or let him be?
He shiftet his weight on the streetlamp, still looking down at them without blinking.

/2/

[Feint]

Lolita again refused to honor the malphas. "Without a teacher, you can go far, that is true. That all depends on how skilled you are at teaching yourself. Good teachers of self are rare, but they exist and are very well-ranked in our society. Sometimes, they are so good that they have movies made about them," she said with a smile. The last part was meant to be a joke, but she didn't quite feel like laughing with that ugly bird glaring down at them. "Most people can only go so far being self-taught. That's why teachers are so expensive for certain things, like playing an instrument. Or dancing," she continued, carefully placing her words. She had long since guessed that he was trying to teach himself to live the way he wanted, and she wasn't quite sure there was a teacher for that.