It's All Just A Game ... Promise

[Kitty Love]

Loki was thrilled to have such an unexpected playmate. Seriously though, who woulda thought Jiaro could be coaxed into a game with a son who had so openly defied him just moments ago? Whatever it was, Loki was pleased to have someone what... four, five times larger then him? to play with. He'd been hoping Jalin would've been a worthwhile plaything, but he was disappointed, but that disappointment was being washed away.

At the paw flick, Loki flew. however, he used his feline agility to twist midair and land on his paws, digging his claws in the earth to make the slide minimal. He lowered his head, pawing at the earth with one clawed paw, rump in the air, wiggling slightly as a soft growl was emitted from his throat, then he bounced forward, acting as if his intention was to stab at the God with his horns, but it wasn't and this was obvious as he lept to the side last minute and started a bouncy little circle around his father.

Vash's ears went back slightly at Kyva's warning glare, but nothing further was done about it. He was quite content to sit here and use her foot as a pillow all afternoon, but he was well aware of the fact that she'd have places to go and people to see.

He was, however, listening to her entire conversation with what appeared to be her brother, and when the hint was given that they might be leaving, he released her ankle with his tail and lifted his head from it's pillow, casting his blank gaze up at her. He hadn't said a word yet all afternoon, and continued to sit in silence.

[Vyn]

Kaejalin moved silently, occasionally leaning on his Figment abilities to give himself a lightness to his steps that he was losing with each step onward. However, so long as he kept moving then all would be well. Or so he hoped. The gash hadn't punctured anything, but it was long enough to cause plenty of bleeding, and while the pressure of Sethe's body against his helped...Jalin's thoughts were still becoming more and more muddled.

"Steps?"

The question confused him more than he expected it to, something which worried him greatly. Shaking his head in an attempt to regain his thoughts, Jalin nodded.

"Yes. I can manage steps."

The young feline's long tail flicked slowly, his eyes focusing ahead of him with dogged determination. He hoped they were close, he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this false strength going.

---

Zoku watched his father from the corner of his eye, unsure if he was disgusted or amused. It didn't seem like something Jiaro would dapple into regularly, but Zoku's tendency to stalk others had revealed Jiaro's amusement with Insanities more than once. They were a game to him, Tiketsibi especially.

And then Kyva was speaking to him, and Zoku flicked his half-interest away from his father and the odd little Pandemonium to focus upon Kyva. His lips quirked upward into another one of his cynical little grins, thinking of the way the kitten had been purring a moment ago. Purring was just not very Kyva like. "Perhaps...though, at very least, you're encouraging him to get a spine." The word was spoken with sadistic amusement, his mind dancing back to the mauled Puppet that he was forced to consider a 'brother'.

Speaking of spineless siblings.

Zoku tilted his gaze toward where he'd last seen Kaejalin and Sethe, but they were long gone. Once more the Patchwork child was forced to bare his mixed emotions: bitter, for someone was stealing Jalin's attention, and thankful, for he did not have to deal with Jalin's wounds if someone else was. It was a disgusting dilemma, but Zoku refused to show even a glimmer of it outwardly. He would not soil his reputation before Kyva.

Cursing his thoughts inwardly, Zoku tilted his gaze up to his sister once she had returned her attention from their father's odd actions. "A change of scenery and a bit of privacy might actually be nice." Zoku purred the words out, the sound completely defying the inner turmoil in his mind. What a pleasure it was, to be so good at lying. Following her glance downward, he lifted a fine black brow in curiosity. Would her pet follow them?

---

Jiaro watched his son with a mixed of interest and growing boredom in his hollow eyes, following the felinistic movements as Loki twisted midair to land smoothly. This boy's game could have easily been turned into a training session, with Jiaro pummeling him in a playful manner...if only he wasn't becoming bored already. After all, Jiaro could only entertain himself with the uncharacteristic actions for so long before it became simply uninteresting.

He wasn't a kitten, he was a God.

Jiaro's tail began to absently flick from side to side, the careless motion displaying a growing restlessness within him. A heavy yawn rose from his dark maw and Jiaro swept his paw forward, aiming to knock the Pandemonium across the head (being careful of his horns, of course). This game wasn't going to last much longer.

[silverdust]

He noted the slight daze of the answer. Good thing they were there then, he didn't want to have to carry the boy. There were places that he had to draw the line, or else he's be as spineless (hah) as his siblings believed him to be. The Gargoyle leaned over them, beak pointed almost accusingly, as Sethe surveyed the spiraling steps. The shadows made them seem to go deeper than they really did. A theatre underground, one of Enakaejir's oddities.

"Do not fall on me then, we're here," he said, a little bit of reassurance and a tinge of apprehension. He guided the boy as well as he could down the steps, tricky in the dark. Ena's...doll-thing hadn't lit the torches yet, typical. The alchemist really needed an assistant...

They reached bottom, dwarfed in front of a large door carved with goblins and all kinds of twisted macabre creatures. Sethe raised a paw to knock but it opened before he had a chance. A girl stood there, wearing only ribbons and a mask with painted eyes. It might've served as some twisted fantasy, if the situation had not been so dire, and if not for telltale glint of a blade at her hip.

"Kaejalin, Seibhizion, and likewise," Sethe guided the Puppeteer in, not bothering with further niceties. At least the torches in here were lit, casting a flickering light but light nonetheless. It was more for his sake, he supposed. Seibhizion was blind.

Speaking of the marionette, she had been preparing. She knelt near them, setting down a tray of various surgical instruments, along with water and bandages. Her human hands were nimble, carefully sorting what she would need. Sethe abruptly removed himself from Kaejalin's side.

"You can pass out now if you'd like," he said lightly, his bitter humor vague returning.

[Vyn]

Kaejalin made it to the bottom of the stairs without incident, a feat which surprised even him, but he didn't have time to sit and wonder over that. Keeping up his steady and somewhat listless pace, Jalin was relieved to believe they were nearly at the end of their trek. His vision was dark, somewhat clouded and he was vaguely unsure if the girl was wearing a mask of many eyes, or if he just happened to be seeing things.

"A pleasure."

He was glad to have found his manners through the haze that was currently his mind, though he didn't go so far as to dip his head. Besides, he was rather sure he'd topple over if he tried something as dizzying as nodding.

Sethe's bitter humor brought a goofy and almost charmingly boyish smile to Kaejalin's face as the young feline collapsed to the floor.

"Gladly."

Finally he released his strangle hold on reality, allowing the shape of Sethe and the lovely Marionette to blur out of view. In the last moments before darkness took him, he found himself wishing he could apologize for being so terse and was silently quite happy he was unconscious before he could start babbling for forgiveness.

[silverdust]

"I suppose the anesthesia was not needed, then," came Seibhizion's soft monotone. Sethe smirked. One couldn't tell if the Marionette was joking or not, for her voice never changed in emotion or tone, which made it somewhat more humorous.

He gazed at the door, as if expecting his two siblings to burst in at any moment. So he was a little paranoid. Considering what he had been through, it was only natural. Shaking his head, partially at scorn with imself, he looked to Seibhizion. One could hardly tell she was blind, the eyes painted upon her mask as real as ever in the shifting light. She cleaned the wound deftly, careful to clean the blood from his siblings fine coat. She recognized him as one of Jiarokumo's, and though she didn't know of which strand, she had noticed that they all had a touch of their father's vanity.

Her slender fingers threaded the needle deftly. Seibhizion prided herself on being able to do things that even a person with sight would have difficulty with. It had taken her a month to learn that certain trick. She wiped the Puppeteer's side lightly with a numbing agent, one of Ena's newer concoctions, and started the stitching. Sethe watched her with a curious eye, watching the dance of fingers and thread.

"He is not one of your direct siblings, which one?" there was an underlying why in the straightforward question, but Sethe wouldn't answer her inquiry either.

"Kaejalin. He is the Script Writer's son, I believe. Jiarokumo despises him, he is more a crusader than a ravager."

The Marionette nodded. If she was put off that her question was not fully answered, there was no sign. She and Sethe had an affable relation, and she was used to the Puppet's avoidance. Besides, it was no matter to her. If this was Jiarokumo's son, then it was likely that she would not see him again after tonight. She knew how the lofty family operated, and she wanted no ties. This was a favor to Sethe, already to estranged to be any harm to her personal interests, and nothing more. Scissors flashed into her hand as she finished the stitching, cutting off the loose end of the intricate closing knot, her own personal signature. She began with the bandages as Sethe's eyes continued to watch the door.

[Vyn]

Kaejalin slept through Seibhizion's blind stitching without once rousing, though at times he did raise to a level of consciousness that allowed him to hear flickers of voices and feel short knives of pain. It was never enough to wake fully, but just enough to have to force himself down into deep sleep or continue in that dreamy half-sleeping state.

However, his mind stayed heavily on three words: "...Jiarokumo despises him..."

His inner world was filled with flickering images of the dark God's face, of his wicked laughter and that deafening roar which meant you had pushed him too far. The images slipped finally, flickering back to his half siblings and the way they had mauled Sethe.

A soft groan, closer resembling a sigh, left Kaejalin's muzzle though his hollow eyes showed no signs of opening.

Jalin's thoughts had rolled to Zokumenoji, the sly Patchwork child. He was two-faced, full of quirks just like one would expect of a Patchwork. At times he could be just as cruel as his siblings, at others it seemed like that part of himself was just an act to keep others away. Zoku as consumed by pride as Jiaro's offspring typically were, and his inward slides were something he hid from everyone...well, everyone except Jalin. It was confusing, drawing out Jalin's pity where he usually held resentment.

Kaejalin had been still and silent for quite some time, his only movements consisting of twitches in his ears and tail. Yet, as peaceful as it was, Kaejalin could not sleep forever in Sethe's company. Slowly hollow eyes forced themselves open, white optics falling upon Sethe and Seibhizion. He was still tired, and his body ached in ways it had never ached before, but he was awake...and not at all dead.

^{Kaejalin: 12
Zokumenoji: 7}

[silverdust]

The rhythms of the Puppeteer's breathing brought her information about his waking states as smoothly as he realized them. Seibhizion had trained her auditories, and was only getting better as time went on. Though in this human form she was somewhat crippled, she read well enough. Dream to deep, deep to dream, he heard certain words she was sure, but she didn't bother to tell Sethe to curb his tongue. The Puppet probably wouldn't, to tell the truth. Eventually she heard his eyes open, just as she finished taping the bandages.

"You are going to hurt, for awhile after. Avoid fighting if you can," she turned to wash the vague film of blood on her hands away. Her voice was flat, toneless, emotionless, and she may have sounded cold or uncaring, but it was the way she spoke to everyone.

Sethe distracted himself from the door, flashing a vague smile in the Puppeteer's direction. "Feel any better?"

Of course not, Seibhizion had been stingy on the numbing agent, understandably so since it was difficult to make and Ena was still waiting on shipments from China or someplace. But he still had his father's sadistic streak, repressed as it was, and his siblings out there certainly weren't going to wait for his full recovery. He did not know Zoku and Kaejalin's strange relation, anyhow.

[Kitty Love]

Loki wasn't quite so willing to relinquish his current playmate, and saw the paw coming, whilst watching the tail from the corner of his eyes. He chose to leap over the paw, rather then duck it, and pounces upon it, knocking the tip of it silly for a few brief moments before, with a swish of his tail, he pounced again. This time he took himself up Jiaro's spine, lifting the front of his toes in a rather awkward looking walk to ensure his claws didn't wind up in the picture. It wasn't long before he was nestled in his father's mane and nipping at an ear. His tail swayed back and forth, touching one shoulder, then the other.

[Vyn]

Kaejalin nodded slowly, taking in the hollow monotone of Seibhizion's voice. He hadn't really gotten a chance to appreciate her words before he had fallen into darkness. It had been nice to rest easily for once, to sleep without fear that Zoku or another one of his more aggressive siblings might come for him.

"I imagined I would." He murmured quietly, and then nodded once more. "Of course."

He moved slightly, testing his body for a moment before he pushed himself into a sitting position. Alas, moving the way he did sent a wave of vertigo through his mind and for a moment he still and silent, regaining his stability.

The corners of his mouth twitched upward into a smile, his eyes opening to fall upon Sethe. He liked the Puppet's vague humor.

"Well...I'm not dead."

_{Kaejalin: 13}

---

Jiarokumo blinked slightly, bobbing the kitten on the nose with the tip of his tail...only to find him on his back a moment later. An odd noise slid from his muzzle, a mixture of confusion and anger and maybe a hint of amusement.

How could children be so...bizarre?

Tilting his head slightly, he glanced at Loki with a lifted brow before a low rumble rose in his chest. "Off." The word was flat, commanding. He had humored Loki, but he was bored now and he wanted the kitten out of his mane and now.

[tigs]

Kyva lifted her head and took in a deep breath of night air to rid her mind of its poisonous thoughts. Zoku seemed awkward around her tonight, lost in his thoughts. Perhaps he was just reaching an age where he realized the importance of thinking every little thing through. She acted that way herself, so it would be easy for the lithe dark princess to understand.

"Yes, the gaining of a spine is generally a fun procedure... no matter what the method." She laughed aloud, letting the malicious words and sharp sound carry on the wind. She cared not who knew where she was now, for she was leaving anyway. Anyone would be a fool to toy with her at this state.

She moved towards the south, shifting out of Vash's grasp, and letting him choose whether he'd have the backbone to follow, or whether he'd wait to be called. It was one of many tests to come, and even if he failed now, she was a bit determined in her endeavours.

"Thank Zar." She groaned under her breath as her back turned towards the embarassing scene. It seemed her father was becoming more aggrivated, but even now it was too late for her personal tastes. Then again, he didn't despise the children like she did.

"I don't know where I'm headed, but you're welcome to follow and chat for as long as you wish." Not much of a conversationalist, she was giving him the opportunity of starting one if he so wished. They hadn't talked in a while, surely he had things worth saying. The sounds began to fade from behind her, and still her eyes remained neutral, bored almost.

[silverdust]

"Ever the optimist, are we?" Sethe's smile changed, whether it widened or softened or something, couldn't be sure for it was gone too soon. He hadn't much thought of what he would do after helping his half-brother, but he figured there would be time to figure that out.

There was sudden pause in the flicker of water that played from Seibhizion's hands. It would seem the Maironette was listening, something far away. Sethe's eyes flicked to her. He knew the aptitude of the girl's hearing, and also of her control. It was not like her to slip from her emotionless mask, and this pause, along with a near inaudible hiss of breath, it seemed almost...angry?

"What is it, Seibhizion?" he asked, sure to make his voice sound bored, uncaring. The Marionette snapped out of her listening, and resumed washing her hands with a little more force than before, even though the blood had dissolved.

"Your sister, Kyvabikuna, I could hear her laughing," hollow voice unchanging. The words could've been in spite, concern, sadism. Sethe shrugged it off, though something flashed in his eyes.

He looked to Kaejalin again, noticing the Figment's dizziness. Again the gaze narrowed, calculating, but the tone of voice remained the same offhanded coolness. "Do you plan on going back to them?"

The question was vague, but he would let the Puppeteer fill it out however he wished. Truth be told he liked having someone of his family talk to him in something that wasn't scorn, and not have to hate them. Hatred was something hard to maintain, though he would never admit that.

[Kitty Love]

Loki was having a grand old time amusing himself -on- the god, perhaps even having more fun then playing with him. However, that odd noise caught his attention and peered at Jiaro's blank eyes with his own, only upside down, his horns resting on either side of his father's muzzle as he peered at his up close inquisitively.

However, he momentarily forgot exactly -where- he was and went to move foreword, loosing his footing and slipping off of Jiaro's head at nearly the same time he was ordered to be off. He fell in a rather ungraceful heap at Jiaro's paws but didn't offer a whimper or any other such noise as his face had met the grass, instead he aloud a rather frustrated growl to be emitted as he got to his paws, circling the spot he landed on and snarling, baring his sharp kitten fangs and everything.

And that's when he went off on it, just like that. He let out an angered screech and pounced upon the doomed patched of grass, ripping at it with his claws, shredding it and pulling out clumps until that specific spot was reduced to nothing but a shallow hole. Once satisfied he stood there, staring at it and breathing heavily, the tip of his tail flicking rapidly.

[Vyn]

Zoku would have to apologize later for his distraction tonight. Usually he was far more attentive to his favorite sister, but Kaejalin being wounded had the young Puppet Master traveling off to his thoughts every few moments. He kept a tight hold on the Puppeteer's soul strings, making sure that he was safe...alive, but he could do nothing else yet. He would not risk such a blatant show of affection toward one whom many despised.

Her words and the sound of her laughter brought a low, sadistic chuckle from the young Patchwork, giving him the chance he needed to push Kaejalin fully from his thoughts. He'd worry on the state of his Crusader brother another time and Kyva would hold his interest aptly until that time came. "Indeed it is." His words were accompanied by a dark smirk, the first subtle hint to Kyva that Zoku's attention was for her alone once more.

His gaze flicked backward once, taking in the sight of Loki mauling the grass before his father's paws and little Vash still laying where they'd left him. What an odd family he was part of. Shaking his head slowly he picked up his pace, uncaring as to whether or not the Puppeteer kitten had begun to follow them by now. His hollow gaze slid to Kyva, his arms folding back behind his head as he gazed upward while keeping up his easy meandering gait.

"Thank you for gracing me with your prolonged attention." His expression twisted slightly, teasing and yet honest at the same time. For one who knew Zoku as well as Kyva did, it was quite common and much easier to deal with than Zoku's compulsive lying around certain strangers. "Nevertheless, it'd be nice to walk and talk a while, regardless of our destination." Offering up a careless shrug to whomever cared to be watching, Zoku slid his attention away from the starry heavens to his demonic sister. "So, how has life been treating you? Find any new toys since the last time we spoke?"

Zoku was sad to admit that he hadn't had much luck in the amusement department lately. Good entertainment was so hard to come by these days.

_{Zokumenoji: 9}

---

Kaejalin chuckled warmly, just barely catching the flicker of something more in Sethe's usual grin, but it was gone too quickly to really notice. Instead he simply grinned back, leaning against a wall of smiles and laughter in an attempt to ignore the pain in his side. "Oh, of course! There's no better way to be." His words were joking, but he easily quieted himself as he heard Sethe's bored yet curious questioning. He knew his place enough to keep from interrupting them.

Kyva... She was a demoness almost dark enough to rival her father, and easily the most aggressive child that Jiaro had produced so far. Kaejalin gave Kyva her space, though it was never to such a degree as to be considered avoidance. As Sethe's attention returned to him, Kaejalin was granted relief from his thoughts before they were given a chance to spiral back down into the source of his irritation. Jiaro...always Jiaro...but now was not the time to think on that.

"Eventually, yes...but not tonight. My attack on Loki was foolish enough, I don't need to risk my hide around them again." As weakened by his wound as he was, Jalin would be nothing more than a sitting duck among them all. Entirely vulnerable. No, for tonight he'd take shelter among those few he could consider allies and leave his fight for another day.

_{Kaejalin: 15}

---

Jiaro was not sure how to react to Loki at the moment, and simply peered back into his son's hollow orbs with growing frustration. However, Jiaro would not have to wait long for Loki to remove himself, as the boy had promptly forgotten where he was and toppled to the earth. Shaking his head, Jiaro let out a short snort and moved a step or two back, absently brushing his mane back into place as he watched Loki's bizarre actions.

He couldn't possibly be taking his anger out on the grass? And yet...he was.

Were Jiaro not already bored, Loki's actions might've rekindled his amusement but instead the dark God simply yawned widely and rose to his paws. The games of children could only preoccupy him for so long. With his long tail flicking idly, Jiaro turned and took a pace or two away, moving in a direction isolated from the other paths his children had taken. He would prefer not to encounter anymore of his offspring tonight, he'd had his fill of playing father...it was time for a more mature brand of fun.

Without further comment, Jiaro had simply drifted away...vanishing as promptly as he'd arrived among his offspring.

(Heh, sorry for having Jiaro poof so suddenly. He got bored. [pets her fickle boy] If you'd like though, Kitty, I could bring in another of Loki's siblings or any of my other bebes/adults for that matter. ^_^)

[Kitty Love]

[] Tis quite alright, figured he would anyhow, lol. And yah, a sibling or another half sibling would do just fine, or someone to stroke his ego XD..... Which = Whoever you want to post as go ahead since I need... 3 posts! n.n []

His temper was settled as soon as it had appeared and Loki was once more grinning like a fool, but still staring at the spot he'd just mutilated. Blasted foliage, always causing some sort of trouble. He noticed his generally perfectly white paws were tinted green by the grass, it's final revenge, and he flopped over and began to groom his front paws furiously. This, however, soon turned into a game for him and it sent his tail to swishing and a light growl to be emitted from his throat. soon enough his hind paws began to be involved and he bit, kicked and swatted at all his limbs, including his tail at some points. Loki was completely unaware of the fact that all of his company had left him and he was now rolling around in the grass by himself. Oh the simple delights of those kissed by the Insanity type.

Vash, however, found himself completely alone as well, but wasn't to keen on this fact. He was, however, scared to follow Kyva and zoku because his untrusting mind believed it to be some sort of a trap. They both wore the bones of their weakest sibling, so what would keep them from doing something like that again? He was certainly weaker then either one alone, much less both of them together, so he wouldn't stand a chance.

However, this is when his misguided imaginary friend decided to show himself. At Lovar's proposition Vash's eyes widened and he shook his head. "But I don't wanna go, I do... but... I don't. what if..?" And the figment of his imagination cut him off, urging him to follow no matter how frightening it seemed. Lovar was quite certain Kyva wasn't going to hurt him, nor let Zoku. Vash, having been ordered by his only friend, now slunk after Kyva and Zoku, keeping himself low and not bothering to hide his hesitation about this whole thing.

[Vyn]

Moonlight filtered through blue-tipped wings as Njambi drifted lazily over the Verboten Copse, high above the chaotic scene hidden beneath the trees, and utterly bored. Well, that is, until he heard the shrill scream of a rather enraged Pandemonium that could be none other than his brother, Loki.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." He purred to himself, rolling over in mid-air and then grinning viciously. "Someone's in need of anger management." The Patchwork spoke to no one but himself, a bemused grin upon his muzzle. "Well, I suppose I should go settle things, now shouldn't I? Wouldn't be a very good Director if I didn't."

Altering his course toward the sound, Njambi began a low circle toward the canopy of trees until at last the clearing came into view. Loki was there, alone now though the Sin/Annihilation mix could easily smell his father in the near distance. Best to tread lightly for now. Slowly he swooped downward, keeping himself at a gracefully smooth glide until his paws touched to the earth once more.

For a moment he did not acknowledge Loki, but instead began to stretch and to readjust himself to walking upon solid ground. A slow smile finally spread upon his maw and he strode forward easily, his gait filled with a casual arrogance and tempered seduction.

"Good evening, brother." He glanced downward, peering at the mutilated grass. "Has the grass been causing you offense?"

_{Njambi: 1}