Castle Hydra: Next Generation

[lycrawaterz14]

"I knew I loved you." He shrugged simply. He glared at the two. "I'm still scary." Kenan bristled, before he pouted, "Right? I'm still scary!" he scooted closer to her and ran a hand through her hair.

Edited September 6, 2012 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

Aza leaned close enough so that her lips brushed his ear with every word. "I'm absolutely terrified." she said sweetly. She brushed a light kiss against his neck and then drew back. She giggled, seeming delighted but a little embarassed still. "Giggling schoolgirls are definitely not scary." Skulni muttered, glancing through the door. "You want to see scary?" she asked innocently. Aza's eyes turned into glassy black orbs in a fraction of a second. She morphed into a black lioness and pounced on Skulni, knocking him to the ground. She gave a feral roar that made the panes of glass vibrate. She released Skulni, who raced off the monent she did, and she pranced back towards Kenan as tame as a kitten. Her eyes remained black although she seemed perfectly in control. "Scary enough?" she said rather smugly. She suddenly whipped her head around to look at where the blanket had fallen when she had transformed. She touched her cloak and it simply seemed to meld into the black fur.

[lycrawaterz14]

He shivered at her being that close, but seemed to enjoy it. "You're terrifying too." he smiled at her. Then she left to pounce in Skulni. "Why do you still have the door open if you're going to attack people for checking on you?" he asked, sincerely asking a question. "If you're afraid I'll do something there is no need to worry. I can leave if you're uncomfortable... I wouldn't try anything though. Promise." he suddenly was serious. "That's a big deal to both me and my people."

Edited September 7, 2012 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

"Kenan, you aren't that kind of scary." Aza chuckled. "You're right though, I should have locked the door." She glanced at the door which swung shut. There was a series of clicks like there were multiple locks and a small beep as a steel wall descended over the door. The panes on the windows slid into the wall and a differen type of glass replaced it. It was extraordinarily quiet once all the adjustments had been made. "Jasper, aren't the security measures a tad...extreme?" "On the contrary madam, they may not be sufficient." a distinctly feminine voice said cheerfully. "Well, I certainly do not need soundproof windows and bulletproof doors right now. Oh, and if you don't mind, could you return your voice settings to the way it was before?" "Of course, madam." The steel wall rose into the wall and a few of the locks opened. She transformed, now fully dressed, and put a hand on Kenan's cheek. "Now what was I doing before being so rudely interrupted?" she mused.

 

Jared opened his eyes and pulled away from Arachne. He rose and started to move around the room gathering vials and crystalline computer chips while muttering somehing under his breath. There was an odd maniac gleam in his eyes. "He's doing it again. Arachne, you should really leave now." Adrian groaned. The vines on the door seemed to gradually fall away as Jared became more distracted. He darted out the door the moment the vines were clear.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan shrugged. "I don't know. We were just talking." He laid his face in her hand, holding it on the other side. "Why did you change? And why did that spirit become female?" he asked. Arachne started hovering. "How can I help?"

[frostmourne]

"Change how? And Jasper isn't a spirit. He- no...she?" Aza said hesitantly. "'It' is fine, madam." the A.I said politely, its voice returning to one that resembled Jared's. Aza shook her head vehemently. "You aren't a 'it'. You're a-" Aza began. "Computer." Adrian said coldly. He was on the other side of the door, evidently struggling with the one lock he couldn't manage to get the shadow to open. "When do you plan to get me out of this cube anyway? It's hard maintaining a shadow that's several times bigger than me. I'm certainly not asking Jared for help in his...current emotional state." Aza shifted uneasily, as if she were about to break out at a dead run any moment. "I'm just glad I can't tell how anyone is feeling when I'm in the cube. He's gone a little crazy." Aza's expression suggested that she was having her fingers cut off and she started to blink rapidly.

 

Jared looked at her with an expression that made it clear he didn't know who she was and what she was doing there. He ignored her and started to tinker with an odd piece of metal. A mechanical arm emerged from hope in the wall that was concealed by a panel and restrained Jared's hands. "Sir, you should not be working with such hazardous materials wit-" There was a quiet crunching sound as a small microphone was crushed by a vine. Another one began speaking with the first was being repaired by what looked like tiny metal insects. "Without the correct protective-" Once that one was crushed, a third microphone started speaking. Had he been thinking straight, he probably would have been regretting installing so many hidden microphones.

[lycrawaterz14]

"...you changed clothes. And what is a computer exactly? I thought Jasper was a spirit." he said, very confused. He tried to avoid all of these modern things. Arachne set things in order, to make it easier for Jasper to find things. She held his wrists, making him stop as best she could. "What are you doing?" she asked quietly. "It won't help." she crushed him to her, making him immobile.

Edited September 10, 2012 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

His question met total silence for about a minute. Derisive laughter could be heard from the other side of the door. "Oh shut up Adrian. Or shall I remind you of the time when you burned your fingers off while making toast?" Aza snapped. The laughter stopped and there was a pause as if Adrian was remembering something painful."That was harsh." Adrian remarked. "Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. Want me to kiss and make boo-boo better?" Aza said in a voice that was practically dripping with honey. "Okay, okay! A computer is an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in a binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program. Jasper here is a computer advanced enough that it is self-aware and fortunately not bent on taking over the world. And she change clothes because normal people do not walk around in a blanket." Adrian said irritably. He wanted to ask if he liked her better that way, but he would probably get chewed out by Aza.

 

Jared blinked and stared fixedly at the piece of metal. He didn't struggle to get away from Arachne but simply acted as if she did not exist. The mechanical arm cleared everything off the table, neatly tucking everything away except the metal. "Sir, I would not recommend building this device." Jasper said quietly. A vine crushed yet another microphone.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan just blinked. "I do not understand. And Aza, why were you only wearing a blanket?"

 

Arachne leaned forward, kissing his cheek. "You're scaring me." She whispered in his ear, still holding him tight.

[frostmourne]

"Maybe because you barged in just before she was going to go to sleep?" Adrian suggested. "Adrian, why don't you go chase a ball of yarn or something?" Aza snapped. "You don't even care someone is building a bomb, do you?" "Just get rid of whoever it is then!" Aza said, impatient and increasingly upset. "You do realize you ordered me to execute Jared, right?" Aza whirled away from the door and leaned out the window as if fresh air would help clear her head. Adrian rolled his eyes with disgust and made his way as far away from the tower as he could manage. Aza had her eyes closed and looked like she would like to jump out the window. She half wished that she had never met Jared so she wouldn't have to go and speak to him eventually.

 

Jared froze, stiff and unyielding as a steel wall. Then he started struggling to free himself wih the ferocity of a tiger that had been put in boiling water. He faded into a patch of grass and reappeared out of reach of Arachne. The grass remained growing on a crack between the stone. He blinked at her with the same distant look and dashed out of the tower, all but flying down the spiral stairs. Solid, thorn covered wooden walls appeared behind him to prevent anyone from following. He finally stopped and seemed to realize where he was. He was in a abandoned room filled with old objects. They were all coated with a film of dust, as if no one had venture to clean this room for centuries. He glanced at a broken instrument lying in the corner, some of its strings broken. A small part of him thought he was just like that instrument, thrown away after breaking. He coouldn't really think clearly, nor remember how he had gotten to the room. He knew he had never been to the room before and he could not hear Jasper here.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan just held her shoulder with one hand, standing beside her. "Are you going to help him?" He asked quietly. "Do you want to?"

 

Arachen shadowstepped, following him to his destination. She simply stayed out of his way now... there was nothing should do.

[frostmourne]

Aza relaxed slightly at his touch but will seemed troubled. "Yes, but what could I possibly say? Sorry?" she sighed, gripping the windowsill with both hands. "I'll be back in a moment. Saying sorry is better than saying nothing at all." She had a shadow search the rooms and followed it as it led her to an old storage room. She flinched at the bone thin figure running his fingers along a broken cello. "Jared, I'm s-" she began. "Don't you dare say you're sorry to me. You aren't sorry. You don't regret your choice and you will not just because I don't like it." Jared said with unusual harshness. He didn't as so much as glance back at her. Aza drew back with a wounded expression that quickly vanished behind a mask of indifference. "Would you like me to leave?" she said in a timid voice despite her neutral countenance. Every fiber of him wanted to scream no, but he recalled how happy Aza had looked with Kenan. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a broken squeak. He nodded sharply instead, still not looking in her direction. Aza fled the room, blinking back tears. She was soon lost without a shadow to guide her and sank down beside a marble pillar.

 

Jared glanced up as the strange old woman he had seen once before seemed to appear out of thin air. "Checkmate. Well, now how is your fire? Jealousy makes a fine flame. How does it feel to know you will never gain her heart?" she said almost gloatingly. A bitter smile pulled up the corners of Jared's lips. "Woman, if you think you've succeeded, then you have truly forgotten the meaning of love." he said quietly, turning around to face her. "Unlike a game of chess, life goes on after checkmate. And I'm afraid..." he said as the woman started to head for the door. "...that is an illegal move." A vine constricted her movements.

 

((I just realized that it has been more than ten months since someone besides the two of us posted anything. ))

Edited September 15, 2012 by frostmourne

[lycrawaterz14]

(Depressing, yes?)

 

Kenan sunk down beside her, airily holding her shoulders. "I'm so sorry." he murmured, kissing her cheek. "This is my fault."

[frostmourne]

((Of course not! You're great company. The lack of what should actually be the main storyline does make a rather confusing plot though.))

Aza shook her head, forcing herself to smile and brush it off. "Don't be silly. What else could I have expected from that?" she said with a touch of false cheer. "I need to start finding a way to stop you from saying 'my' and 'fault' in the same sentence. You blame yourself too much." She got up and knocked some dust from her cloak. She looked around the hall where they stood. The marble shot through with silver and priceless paintings might as well have been bare cement and prison walls to her. The empty mansion felt oppressive, too bright and perfect. She brushed open the curtains to reveal the sun starting to near the horizon. The sky was painted red by the sunset, as if dyed by blood.

 

The woman transformed into a rat in an attempt to free herself from the vines, but they tightened to adjust to the change immediately. There was a sharp snap as they broke her spine. The vines sunk into the ground as soon as it was over, and Jared waited for the woman to get back up again. "You really did lose it. Are you even slightly in control of yourself?" the rat snarled, getting back up despite its broken spine. Jared looked at her blankly before turning and leaving the room. None of it mattered anymore.

[lycrawaterz14]

(It is odd. It's too bad they left! D: But Kenan's too precious to leave )

 

Kenan bit his tongue. He knew it was his fault. He made her leave Jared, and it's been nothing but trouble since. He shouldn't have came back. He should have just left, let her be. He was just too selfish. He let her have her peace for a moment. It was nice to have a little peace anyway, with a near civil war brewing in his land.

[frostmourne]

Aza seemed to be lost in thought. The girl perched on his desk, looking gloomy as he entered the room. "What's wrong?" he asked, dropping the stack of papers on a wooden stool which squealed with protest. "Suitors." she said glumly. "You make it sound like they're descending in hordes. How many this time?" "The Duke of Beclaur." She shuddered at the thought of the morbidly obese dimwit. "Comparable to half a dozen at least. Do you plan to beat him off with a stick or shall we begin?" he said cheerfully, pulling out a blank sheet of paper. Aza grinned with a wicked glee, jumping off the desk to sidle up to Jared. "What would I do without you?" she snickered. Aza shook her head, knowing those times were long gone. "Well, enough about me. You have better things to worry about than my petty little problems. Anything you'd like to talk about?" she asked.

 

He strode quickly through the gardens, the flowers holding no beauty for him. He had spent years worth of time in this garden. Building it, maintaining it and adding to it until it stretched to the size of a large city with the mansion in the center. Never saying a word of complaint as it was destroyed, time and time again. Only rebuilding it with patient hands. And all for what? To see it in ruins at the end of the day? For Aza's sake? The gardens were alive, full of light and vibrancy. They thrived in the world of sunlight and color. She was the dark, coveting the light and hating all who had what she could never have. He knew part of her liked the flowers, but in the end they were nothing to her but a decoration. She could not hear the secrets they whispered to the wind. She could not hear the laughter of the trees as the birds sang in them. She did not know or treasure them as he did. Now they were nothing to him either. He could not look at a flower without feeling like something inside him was being crushed.

[lycrawaterz14]

Let's see. My country's already attempted a mutiny, my sister's demon lover is my worst enemy, the stupid demon could kidnap you at any moment thanks to stupid Mara setting him out of his abyss, plus my sister's child could overthrow me the second it's born unless I can scramble up something. Plus my country is under the impression you're a cheating wench that I'm hiding out of shame.

 

He smiled a bit, just enough to assure she would be convinced. "Nothing. Nothing you need to worry about." He held her hand and kissed the back.

 

"Jared?" Arachne warned, walking beside him. She didn't need anything, she just wanted to mourn too.

Edited September 16, 2012 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

Aza's eyes narrowed with suspicion. As if people haven't smiled and lied to my face before. "If you say so." she said, giving a feathery sigh before wrapping her arms around his neck. A soft smile danced on her lips. "I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but if you're not saying because you think it might upset me, then stop being such an angel. You're making me feel guilty." she said lightly. She did not press the issue any further. She wouldn't force him to discuss anything if he didn't want to.

 

Jared did not respond except to walk faster. It would take him to better part of two hours just to walk out of the gardens and last thing he wanted was someone else walking with him. He kept moving straight ahead without really watching where he was going. He only stopped when he stumbled and fell into a small pond. He scrambled out and sat on the edge of the pond. "You look like a drowned rat. Aza deserves better than that." a koi called out in a singsong voice. "Her place is in the shadows and out of sight. You're the one who can't live without the light." another chimed in. Jared wished that he had never included the pond into the garden. "My friends, soon it will grow too cold. Can't you see the day grows old?" Adrian said cheerfully. The koi suddenly fell silent at his voice. He all but dragged Jared upright and peered at him critically."Honestly, you are waaaay too sensitive." He started to tow him towards the mansion.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan looked like he was dying to talk about it. He held her close. "I just... Mara's pregnant. And her baby's father is Thantos. Thantos is the demon that has always been the enemy of death. Well, all demons are our enemies, they always want the souls we collect. But this one is different. He's ancient, and always been the bane of my people. He is actively trying to take my throne, and he thinks by intermarrying it will work. And legally, it can. I don't have an heir to come after me. Once I relinquish my throne, Mara's son will take it. And if Thantos has his way, now the demons will have all of the souls they want. And my people only exiled you because they think you won't bear an heir, and you've cheated on me with Jared. But I don't own you. They just don't get that. And you didn't cheat on me! But... I just..." He looked like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

 

"And Thantos has left a... well, while I was in the throne room, a demon walked in, blew himself up, and his ashes spelled out that he would take you whenever he pleased. I know he can't, but I'm so worried. I jsut don't want to lose you, or my sister. She freed Thantos from his prison, he convinced her that he loved her. Mara freed him of her own will. She betrayed us all." He sighed. His sister had always been his only family. She taught him how to listen to the wind, for fabric moving, how to tell where things were with his ears. She was more of a parent than anyone.

[frostmourne]

Aza blinked repeatedly and then fixed her stare on the ceiling. Her fingers were flexing like she wanted to strangle something. She looked like she was counting to ten under her breath. Aza looked a bit steadier when she looked back at Kenan, although her irises were still a darker gray than they should have been. "It seems that I'm nothing but a liability to you. I think-" she began. "Can we go after him? Please? Pleasepleasepleaseplease?" Skulni interrupted, looking like a puppy begging to go on a walk. "Do you send sheep to kill a wolf?" Aza said impatiently. Skulni seemed to deflate but quickly regained his enthusiasm. "Sheep can break bones and cause severe head injuries. Oh, c'mon! You don't care if I die! You don't even like me!" he said, still raring to go. Aza frowned at him and he slumped, subdued. Aza kissed Kenan's cheek and drew back. "Don't worry about me. What could be possibly do that hasn't been done to me before? As for Mara, I don't think he'll do anything to her just yet. And the cheating bit...Would it convince them otherwise if I tried to kill him in public? We've done that before to stop the rumors. He didn't particularly enjoy being torn apart the last time, but I don't think the only thing I'll have on hand is a chainsaw this time around. Or-" she mused. "Or you could just give him an h-" he chimed in. A shadow knocked him to the ground before he could continue. It wrapped around him and dragged him away. "I apologize from letting him interrupt, mistress." a voice hissed. Aza didn't reply, looking like she was thinking about something. Skulni is right. The most simple and effective way of disproving the rumors and foiling that demon's plot would be proof that Kenan had an heir. But... Kenan would never force her to do anything. She knew that. It felt like she had come up against a wall. She opened her mouth as if she were going to speak, but instead of making a graceful leap over the wall, she crashed into it. She closed her mouth and bowed her head, a profound sense of failure and cowardliness wash over her. "I'm sorry. I..." she trailed off.

[Shapeshifting dragon Cyrus]

(( The lack of what should actually be the main storyline does make a rather confusing plot though.))

((You can say that again! I've been stalking this thread since, like, page fifteen or something, and I still don't get it! It's very entertaining though.))

[frostmourne]

((That would be because you haven't seen the beginning of the story. The first seventeen pages of this thread is part two. The rest is just lycra and me. ))

[lycrawaterz14]

(What? You had to have read the old thread! Kenan was a total butthead then! He killed people and slaughtered one of the charachter's wife and children! He's not half as endearing if you hadn't known the old him D:

 

And what plot?! It's either rescuing Aza or Kenan acting like a woman! )

 

He frowned. "Don't even try to act like that will help, Aza." Kenan grew cold. "I can't. That's not an option. Heirs are out of the picture. I told you that." He was quiet, before leaning on her shoulder a bit.

 

"The best option would be to display Adrian and Jared's power, but you see their etiquette. Adrian is either a fool or a stoic ruler and Jared's... well. Unstable at the moment. That is entirely my fault. I made this mess Aza. There's nothing you can do and that's why I haven't told you. And I've kept my people in the dark. They've made so many assumptions because of that..." He sighed, infinitely tired.

[frostmourne]

Aza was silent for a moment and then held out her hand, palm up. A shadow gathered in it and slowly turned its gaze on her. "I have a preposition for you." she said, her voice a touch shaky. "Don't you know better than to try to make deals with the devil?" the shadow chuckled. "And I'm not in the mood to play nice." "I'll give it up." she said, wincing as if saying the words pained her. The shadow did not speak for a long time. "Well, that changes matters drastically. I'll do it." Aza seemed displeased but resigned. Adrian would be furious with her for using him as a puppet. "Now, you want a display of power? What would be best?" the shadow asked, directing its question towards Kenan.

 

Jared winced slightly when Adrian abruptly stopped and he crashed into him. He got up and waved a hand in front of his face. As he did, something black wrapped around his hand and made a tiny incision on his wrist. He couldn't break away as a droplet of the shadow slipped into the cut.

[lycrawaterz14]

"I'm not quite sure. It would have to be something drastic, but not directed at harming my people." He growled, not liking the thing.

 

Arachne fought the shadow as best she could, wrapping her hand around his wrist and hissing at it. She didn't like all of this.