[jobiehanna]

((Click image for human form))

Yakira gazed at the beautiful waterfalls and vegetation around her as she meandered through the Lover's Triangle. After days of flying to get out of the Whisper Forest, after a man she had found with another paragon mysteriously disappeared, Kira was dazed and confused, and wondered if all of it had just been an illusion caused by the mists of the forest. She had thought for sure there was a man there, she had even splashed him with water. But after speaking with him for a few minutes he just vanished. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memory. She told herself it was all a trick of her imagination, which it certainly was.

As the pastel paragon walked through the forest, the various twigs and leaves got stuck in her feathered wings and tail, making her look like she was some kind of wild beast. Kira shook her head and tried to find a clearing where she could be comfortable. Upon reaching such a clearing, the paragon stretched out her wings and let out a roar. It felt good to stretch her wings, but maybe it'd be best if she tried her human form instead. It was a burden to be so small after she had been so big, but it would be much better to navigate.

Within moments the large paragon transformed into a young woman with light gray eyes and bleach blonde hair that hung down to her behind. She wore a light blue sun dress with spaghetti straps that hung down to her knees. Her light brown sandals were on her feet and a light brown bag hung from her shoulder. Kira ran a hand through her hair to get it out of her face and smiled up at the bright sun that shone down on her. She just hoped no one was watching her, that would be embarrassing.

[Kitsumi]

"Blast it all." Storm ran his fingers through his hair in a rough, angry gesture. "How could I have gotten so lost? One minute, I'm talking to that blasted, wretched reaper, and the next she teleports me here! If only I had paid more attention in my geography class, perhaps this wouldn't be happening."

While an exceptionally nice guy, Storm had always been stereotyped as a 'punk'. He had goofed off during his classes, and even now, his hair was a light blue with darker blue streaks and a teal bit that hung in his eyes. Of course, he tried to tell people that it was his natural hair color, but no one believed him. Whether or not it was, natural, no one but he knew. And that's the way he liked it; it was foolish for people to put so much stock on the style or color of one's hair. So what if it wasn't natural? Dyeing one's hair didn't make one a criminal. And so what if it was? He wasn't some odd, alien-born freak just because his hair color was unnatural. Looks meant nothing to him. It was the heart and soul of a creature that truly counted.

Hearing footsteps, he peered through the various foliage that blocked his view, and caught sight of a young lady. She was pleasant to look at, that much was sure. And when she smiled up at the sun, Storm was fairly sure that she wasn't one of those stuck-up, self-absorbed cheerleader types that had followed him around his old high school, trying to figure him out.

"Perhaps she knows where I am..." Stepping out into the clearing - getting a rather nasty scrape across his cheek in the process, which he ignored, despite the blood - he gave a quick bow before the girl. "Hullo, I hope I didn't startle you, miss. My name is Stormshadow, but you can call me Storm, if it pleases you to do so. I was wondering if you, perchance, knew where we were?"

{Level 1, Post 1}

[jobiehanna]

Yakira was startled by the sound of a man's voice and twirled around to find a young man standing just inside the clearing. His hair was all kinds of shades of blue, and there was a streak of blood across his cheek. "Um, hello," she called to him, then moved closer so that they wouldn't have to yell. "My name is Yakira, but you may call me Kira if you'd like." She tilted her head up at him, "We are in Idalani," she said in response to his question.

Then she opened her bag and pulled out a bandage and a white cloth. "I hope you don't mind, but may I clean that cut of yours? I always have stuff with me, just in case, ya know." She felt a little odd asking him that, but she didn't want him to suffer with the cut on his face like that. If it got infected, it wouldn't be good at all. "There's a waterfall somewhere around here where I can get some water..." She glanced around, trying to figure out which way she had come from. She pointed to where she had come through as a paragon, where there were a few broken branches, but not many. "Over there, I think," she added. "How about it?"

[Kitsumi]

Moving slightly closer, Storm took her hand in his and kissed it softly, smiling gently at her to show that he meant her no harm. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kira. Idalani? Hmm...that blasted reaper. She knew I was unfamiliar with this place."

That last bit was spoken softer, more to himself than to her. It was a bad habit he had, speaking to himself when he was frustrated. No, he wasn't one of those people who spoke to himself constantly; only when he was angry would the words slip from his mouth. Perhaps it was his way of expressing his anger, letting out some steam. Either way, though, it was a dreadfully annoying habit, especially when it came in during the middle of a conversation. It was quite likely that the poor girl would be confused by his odd ramblings of a reaper, something that she surely knew nothing about.

"My cut?" For the moment, Storm had forgotten about the injury on his cheek. He was odd that way, not always noticing pain, letting it sort of fade into the back of his head. It proved to be quite troublesome when he had sustained a life-threatening injury, yet would not acknowledge that he had been injured. Luckily, Zeta, cursed reaper though she be, had practically tied him up and forced him to go to the hospital.

Touching his cheek lightly, and feeling the sticky substance that was blood, Storm looked back at Kira. "Why yes, that would be very nice of you. Thank you. If you will lead the way, I will follow you to the waterfall."

{Level 1, Post 2}

[jobiehanna]

Kira was a little concerned about this man's mention of a reaper. Was he totally sane? Well, it didn't really matter, she would help him none the less. After putting the supplies back in her bag, she smiled kindly and grabbed his arm to lead him to the waterfall. It was more impulse than anything, because she didn't want him to get lost in the forest.

When they reached the waterfall Kira let go of his arm and pulled out her supplies once more. She knelt by the water and got the cloth wet, then went back to where she had left Storm. "Here we go," she said softly as she gently touched the wet cloth to his cheek. She dabbed at the blood carefully and when it was all off she spread ointment over it to keep the germs and other bacteria out. "There, how that?" She looked up at the man with blue hair, and it finally struck her that blue was not a natural hair color.

[Kitsumi]

Noting Kira's confusion, Storm chuckled slightly. "I'm not crazy, if that's what you're thinking. I simply have a friend who refers to herself as a reaper. She likes to think that she has powers and such. She dropped me off here, in the middle of nowhere, saying that she was transporting me as revenge for something I had said." It was kinda true...Storm hated lying, he abhorred it more than anything else, save for the huge things like rape, murder, etc. But he didn't want to tell Kira the truth - that would really make her think he was crazy. Most people didn't know about reapers and bean sidhe, and he didn't want to bring them up now.

Grasping his arm gently, Kira began leading him, and Storm followed silently. When they got to the waterfall, she sat him down, pulled out her supplies, and started cleaning the wound. It hurt, but only a slight bit, and Storm didn't even flinch as she finished and began applying the ointment. "Ah, that feels much better, thank you, love." The word simply slipped out, as he often used endearments when speaking to friends. However, he knew the use of it on Kira at this time was totally inappropriate, and he blushed. "Ah, sorry. I'm used to calling people stuff like 'love' and 'darling' and 'dear'. I don't mean to offend you or anything, and I swear on my honor that I am not one of those guys who enjoys hitting on every girl they meet. I give you my vow that I am not like that."

He noticed her glancing at his hair, and he grinned. "It's natural, y'know." He said it with an odd expression on his face, one that could have implied that he was kidding, but one that could also have meant that he was totally and completely serious.

{Level 1, Post 3}

[jobiehanna]

"A reaper, huh?" She said softly with a small chuckle. "Why would you want to be a reaper? When I think reaper, I think death and all kinds of morbid things," she added. And she did, reaper's were bad things in her book, except for maybe when it was your time to go. Or maybe this was a different kind of reaper, though she couldn't imagine what other kinds of reapers there were.

She finished applying the ointment and placed everything back in her bag. The soiled rags where placed in a different plastic bag within her bag, of course. She knelt beside him, making sure she had everything back in her bag because she didn't want to leave any trash on the ground. "You're welcome," she said with a shy smile. "It's good to hear you're not one of those guys," she added. "They are simply repulsive some times," she said quietly.

She giggled at his last remark. "I'm sure it is," she said as she giggled. "Cause blue hair is just a common birth defect these days."

[Kitsumi]

"Reapers aren't all about death," Storm spoke softly, forgetting, for a moment, that he was sticking to the story that Zeta only 'pretended' to be a reaper. "My friend, she didn't choose to be a reaper. She...was given an ultimatum during an accident. She could either die, and give up her own soul, or she could remain alive forever, ageless, and harvest the souls of others. She doesn't bring death; everyone's death date is already decided. They simply take the souls and transport them to their end destination. In a way, she's simply a transporter of souls, the guide to the next life."

Storm nodded in agreement as he noted the way that Kira diligently took care of everything, putting it back in its place and leaving not a bit of garbage lying around. "Yes, guys like that are usually only after..." he cleared his throat in an embarrassed sort of way. "Physical things. I don't believe in that; I thing that physical things are only meant for two people who truly and honestly love each other, and want a lifelong commitment." Storm suddenly stopped, blushing. "But listen to me, babbling on like this. I'm quite sorry, I don't mean to bore you."

"Exactly!" Storm winked, grinning slyly. "Finally, someone who understands the odd quirks of genetics these days." He chuckled slightly. "But seriously...it is natural." He kept the same face he had kept before, revealing nothing. Then, before she could question him about it, he gently took a strand of her hair and rubbed it between his thumb and forefinger. "What about you? Are you naturally blonde, or artificially?"

{Level 1, Post 4}

[jobiehanna]

"Oh," Yakira said simply. "That must have been horrible for your friend. Why not choose death?" When she thought about it, it seemed the simpler idea. Everything would just be over then, unless you believed in an after life, or course. Which, she supposed she did, but she had never really thought about it.

Kira blushed slightly, "Yes, I know what you mean." She said the words softly, not entirely comfortable with that kind of talk with a stranger. "Oh, you're not boring me, I happen to agree. That kind of thing is... special." She offered him a shy smile. She thought back to her now deceased mate and how they had loved each other. It brought sadness to her eyes, but she pushed those thoughts away. She couldn't help what had happened to him.

"Oh," she exclaimed joyfully at his next comments. "If yours in natural, how can mine not be? It's more common than blue." She giggled softly. At first, she was a little startled that he had touched her hair so gently. She hadn't let anyone touch her since, well, her past mate, and her mother, of course. But both were dead now. She allowed the gesture, and looked up at the young man. "Mine is all natural," she said with a soft smile.

[Kitsumi]

"Well, death wasn't really an option, for her." Storm's eyes took on a gentle look. "See, she has three younger siblings, two sisters and a brother. She was the oldest, and although she was never really the 'leader' she still didn't want to lead them. Their mother and father were both dead, so she wanted to be alive to take care of them if needed." He smiled. "If nothing else, she's a good sister. She can be a pain in the ass at times, and she's not exactly the friendliest person, but she'd do anything to protect her sisters and brother."

Studying Kira's face, Storm noticed that there was a sadness within her eyes, one that she tried hard to push away and hide. For a moment, Storm was so close to asking her what had caused that sadness. But he knew that if anything, that would only push her away, and make her angry with him. He couldn't go around asking people he had just met what made them sad. That would have been totally rude and careless. Not to mention totally out of line. So instead, he simply nodded in agreement. "Exactly. It's a special occasion, a gift, reserved for one person and one person only.

Storm grinned and smiled slyly. "Oh, I'm not so sure." He joked, nudging her playfully. "Beautiful, perfect blonde hair like that doesn't just come naturally. Not that often, at least. Unless you're some sort of angel or something." He leaned close, letting his voice drop to a conspiratorial whisper. "You're not an angel, are you, Yakira?"

{Level Up - Level 2}

[jobiehanna]

Yakira's eyes softened at the mention of the person Storm was talking about having no other choice. It must have been sad to make such a decision. Her poor siblings... "I'm glad she's a good sister," she said with a nod. She wasn't really sure where to go with that part of the conversation from there, so she let the topic drop.

She pushed him playfully back. "Not exactly," she said with a grin of her own. "But my hair is natural." At this she conjured up the wind to toss it around playfully, but not too much. The gentle breeze that came in only seemed to touch her, nothing else. She then let it rest, a smile playing on her face. "I'm not fully human," she teased. Kira wasn't sure how much she could reveal to Storm, because her own mother had never really told her that it needed to be kept a secret that she wasn't entirely mortal. Her mother was gone anyway, and Kira was a grown woman. But Kira missed her mother's advice, even though she had nagged sometimes at the littlest things. Yakira was always a good child, and she always had a deep connection to her mother.

[Kitsumi]

Storm smiled and nodded. "Yes, me too. Her siblings would have been lost without her, I think." He could tell that Kira wasn't able to think of a way to continue the conversation, so Storm didn't pursue it. Besides, he suddenly realized, it was probably rude to be talking so much about someone when you were just now meeting someone else. He should probably have been asking about her...which he was soon to do.

"Oh?" Storm's eyebrows raised. "And what do you mean by, 'not exactly'? Are you some sort of fallen angel or something?" He had been teasing, but the moment the wind began blowing through her hair, causing it to toss to and fro playfully, his eyes widened in shock and he suddenly wondered if being a fallen angel, or a half-angel, or any type of angel was possible. And then what she said about not being fully human...was she just messing with him, as he had been with her? Or was she actually telling the truth? She smiled like she was teasing, but the way the wind had just appeared like that, and only around her...

"What are you, then?" Storm's words were barely more than a whisper, as he leaned closer to her, examining her, gazing into her eyes as if he would find all the answers within them.

{Level 2, Post 1}

[jobiehanna]

Yakira smiled and twirled her hair in her fingers. "You can't tell anyone," she said in a whisper as she released her hair and looked up at him. Her hands now rested in her lap, but she leaned forward anxiously with a small smile playing on her lips. She appeared as a girl who wanted to tell a secret, but also wanted to keep it to herself. She wasn't entirely sure if she could trust storm with her secret, but he didn't seem like the kind o tell someone.

She glanced around, then back at Storm. Their eyes met, and she couldn't let those pretty golden eyes go. Within them she could see that he was trustworthy. She just knew it. She leaned forward so that her mouth was beside his ear. The thought of telling someone that she was part goddess seemed like she was bragging, but it really wasn't that amazing, was it? "My father was a wind god, and my mother was a human," she whispered the words as if they were a greatly kept secret.

Then she leaned backwards once more. "I inherited control of the wind from my father, but other than that I'm just, well, me." She tilted her head at him, then smiled. She hoped this secret wouldn't turn him away from her. She hadn't told many people, but the few she had told before seemed to accept it just fine.



((hehe, I almost wrote about Nephele XD I'm not entirely sure what color his eyes are, but they are goldenish in his lucain form, so I just stole that. Sorry if I'm wrong.   ))

[Kitsumi]

"I won't tell anyone, I promise." Storm intercepted one of her hands on the way to her lap, holding it gently. "I give you my honor, as a gentleman, and as your friend." He smiled reasuringly, while at the same time relaying seriousness. Now wasn't the time to act silly or little kid-ish. Looking her straight in the eye, his gaze never wavering and his eyes open and unguarded, he raised his other hand so that he was now holding her hand between both of his. "You can trust me, Kira."

When she leaned close, Storm felt a sense of excitement. He could tell that this was obviously pretty big, and part of him was nervous, while the larger part was waiting in extreme anticipation. And then her lips were right next to his ear, and he could feel her soft hair tickling him. He shivered slightly, hoping that she wouldn't notice. Inhaling the sweet scent of her hair, he almost missed the words she said. Luckily, though he caught them, and his jaw dropped.

"You're father was a god?" He stared at her incredulously. "That's...well that's amazing!" He shook his head in amazement, grinning. "So you can control the wind? That must be pretty helpful at times!" He chuckled. "Do you know if you're immortal, or anything like that? If you're father was a god, and you're mother was a human, would that make you a demigod?"

He suddenly felt bad about asking all these questions, and looked down sheepishly. "I'm sorry. Forget I asked all those questions, you don't have to answer if you don't want to."

{2-2}

[jobiehanna]

Yakira felt Storm grab her hands and a shiver ran through her body at his warm touch. She placed her other hand on top of his other hand so that there was a pile of hands between them. She smiled sweetly at him, glad she could share her secret with this man. And she felt fine doing so.

She blushed slightly and looked down at their hands. She had yet to move them, but his hands were so warm within hers she didn't want to anyway. "I don't mind your questions," she said softly. "I don't know the answers myself," she admitted shyly. "My mother never gave me any details about it, just who he was, but even that was hard to gt out of her," she continued. "She passed away before I could find out anything else," she finished with tears in her eyes as she glanced back up at storm. She blinked them back the best she could, "I'd like to learn more, but there isn't much I can do." She offered a sad smile.