Castle Hydra: Next Generation

[lycrawaterz14]

"'Death, someone I have no particular desire to meet just yet.'... I think you would care what I'd turn into." he grumbled. "I refused, yes, but there is conditions... I have to have a kid with someone who isn't a reaper..." he mumbled incoherently, turning the weird ashen color. "Um... just... don't worry about it. I have about... a month until I really need to be concerned with it."

[sairi123]

Lorelei looked down at her belly with a loving smile and poked at it gently, silently willing the two growing beings inside to hurry up. How she missed the ocean, and the rush of leaping off the cliff to meet the waves. The sea nymph looked up as Zeke took her hand and his tattoos swirled around them. Before she had time to marvel at the blending of colors, rain droplets began to fall from the sky and she greeted the refreshing feeling with a smile. The woman was soaked within seconds. Almost immediately, however, Lorelei kept the rain from hitting Zeke, thus keeping him dry.

 

They came up to a house and the skinwalker stopped. Lorelei looked at him with slight surprise when he said they were going to see his mother, and she followed him hesitantly at first. When they reached the covering of the porch she dried herself, removing the water from her hair and dress with a mere thought, leaving a rather large puddle at her feet. "Well," she said, turning to her mate, "Will we politely knock, or barge right on in, my love?" There was a playful smile on her lips as she spoke.

[frostmourne]

"Okay, now I'm really worried. Is it that bad?" Aza asked. She moved over a little as she noticed a shoot pushing up out of the thin rock. It grew until it was a full grown Japanese rowan. "Yes?" "Your father, he-" "What happened? Is he dead? Injured?" "He sent the duke on his way and picked out another fiancé." "So? Who is it?" she questioned impatiently. The rowan remained silent and shook its branches. "No one is telling me anything today. Well, let's get back to land." she sighed. The rowan swayed and fell into the ocean and emerged as a gigantic lily pad. Aza jumped on and sat down with her arms wrapped around her knees. She found a tiny purple orchid, the blossom barely the size of a fingernail floating in the water surrounding the lily pad. "The orchid is a proud, vain flower. What are you trying to say Jared?" she murmured, sounding hurt. "I wish I could tell you. He won't let me." The orchid withered away and an azalea bloomed in its place. She smiled at the delicate pink blossom. "I will."

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan looked depressed, and didn't follow. He'd arrive later.

 

He sat cross-legged, holding his knees, a bit unhappy. Well, more than a bit. "I'll eventually have to tell her..." he mumbled.

[frostmourne]

Aza cast a backwards glance as the lily pad floated away. "Do you think he will be forced to accept? Whatever the condition was, it must be near impossible." "I think that he wouldn't willingly take Death's place. As for the condition, I think I know what it is, but I don't want to jump to conclusions." he replied quietly. They reached to shoreline and Aza stepped off. The lily pad sunk and disappeared below the surface. She still held the azalea bloom in her cupped hands and smiled like she had a secret. "What's up with the Mona Lisa look? I'd expect you'd be upset with Kenan. Unless Jared visited. How come he always makes you smile and I always make you frown?" Adrian said. "No reason." Aza breezed past him and sat on a flat grey rock, waiting for Kenan to come back. "So what now?"

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan blurred off the gray rock and reappeared at Aza's side, just over her shoulder so he wouldn't startle her. His head was down and his eyes closed, although he looked awake. He more had the appearance of an injured animal than sleepy.

 

He nodded as a greeting to Adrian.

[padfoot]

Zeke knocked three times on the wooden door and waited for an answer. After a few seconds, a relization hit him, "this is going to freaky her out, her dead son and a fish woman showing up at her front door", he said nervously. Before he could say another word, the door opened and an old woman stood squinting up at them, "yes. What is it?", she asked in a frail voice. Zeke cleared his throat, "hello miss. Warr. Do you mind if we come in and have a word with you?", he asked, gently pushing her answer with his mezmer. "yes. Come in out of the rain and have a warm drink. You will catch a cold", she said walking back into the house. Zeke took Lorelei's hand and followed after her. He could navigate the house blindfolded but allowed his mother to lead him to the living room, "take a seat and i'll make some coffee", she said before walking into the kitchen. Zeke looked around at the familiar decor of the room. He remembered everything down to the family pictures on the end table showing him playing football with his dad and brother. He took a shakey breath and looked at Lorelei "Im actually really nervous", he admitted sheepishly.

[sairi123]

Lorelei sensed the unease from her mate and placed a reasuring hand on his arm. The door opened and Zeke lead her inside after his mother to the living room. Lorelei sat down carefully on the couch, which was surprisingly comfortable, and looked around the room. "There's no reason to be nervous, love," she said soothingly to Zeke. "Relax for now, and tell her when you're ready." She took his hand in hers and gently pulled him towards the space on the couch next to her.

[frostmourne]

Adrian opened his mouth to start his barrage of questions, but before he could, a vine wrapped around his wrists and ankles and pulled him away. Aza watched a black striped feather lazily spiral to the ground where it remained still. She turned away from it to look at Kenan. "You don't have to tell me if you're not ready. Just promise me to take care of yourself." She took his hand and placed the azalea bloom in it. It darkened to a soft lavender when it touched his skin. Adrian found himself in the middle of a small jungle when the vines finally let go. "Couldn't I have asked just one question?" "Your presence would only complicate things." "And yours wouldn't?" "I'm just as unaware of what they are discussing as you are. If they want to tell us, they will."

Edited October 4, 2011 by frostmourne

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan looked embarrassed. "I've been placed under the semitic clause..." he mumbled. His hands folded on the flower. "That's all I'm saying as of now. If you're that curious I'm sure that massive library has some sort of explanations of Death's various decrees and laws." He looked at anything but the people around him and grew quiet again.

[frostmourne]

Aza retained her composure, but her nails dug into the palm of her hand deep enough to draw blood. The cuts almost immediately healed. "I know what it is. I'd be mortified too." she muttered, not making eyes contact. She picked up a modest sized pebbled and bounced it in her palm a couple times. She closed her fingers around the white rock and opened them again. The rock had turned clear and glassy and black fog swirled around it. It shattered as she lost concentration. She sighed and tossed the sharp shards away. Adrian struggled a bit more against the tough vines. They glowed with a soft radiance. The light wasn't strong enough to hurt, but any lesser shadows Adrian created wouldn't be able to touch it. He glared at the patch of ivy vines sitting innocently in the corner. "Couldn't you just let me down?" "We've had this discussion several times already." Adrian laughed mockingly at that and stopped struggling.

[lycrawaterz14]

"Not mortified. Just..." Kenan grew quiet and cold. "An opportunity is an opportunity. Father was very kind for offering it." He said, blankly looking forward.

Edited October 6, 2011 by lycrawaterz14

[frostmourne]

((Adrian and Jared are in the middle of the forest, no where close to where Aza is.))

[lycrawaterz14]

(OHHH... I thought the jungle was brought to him... MY B... edited)

[frostmourne]

"Of course." There were hundreds of hidden implications in the simple phrase although it appeared perfectly innocent. There was an uncomfortable silence and she jumped as something cold and clammy touched her shoulder. "Adrian's going to go berserk if I don't let him go. I think you'd better finish your conversation. And no, I wasn't listening. Did you really think I would?" She gave a rather forced smile and waited for the strand of seaweed to return to a normal position. "You're right. At least you have a chance." she murmured. She seemed keen to distract herself and picked up another white pebble. It shattered the moment she unclenched her fingers again. The next one didn't even change, but darkened to a sullen gray. "Are you distracted or upset? Usually I'm the one who can't hold it for half a minute." Adrian reached for a pebble, but it shattered with much more force than Aza's before he even touched it. "You haven't improved much."

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan didn't look at her, like he considered himself unworthy. "Jared mentioned a fiancé?" Kenan asked, attempting to break the awkward silence.

[frostmourne]

"Yes, I did, but it's highly improbable that her father will go through with it." There was a slight edge to his tone. Adrian laughed with an odd malicious glee. "Just tell me already." she sighed. Adrian shook his head and cackled some more. "He'd rather jump into a pit of lava than have you find out." he chortled. There was a hint of impatience in his posture as Jared looked at Adrian. "Not here. Not now." He shot a pointed glance at Adrian. She suddenly smiled as if she remembered some happy memory long forgotten. "Do you remember the day we first met?" "Hard to forget. I never knew that a six year old could terrify me more than her father. You looked like you could snap me in half like a twig if you wanted to, and more importantly, you would if I put a toe out of line." he replied, ghost of a smile flitting across his face. "And you looked like a pipecleaner with eyes. Like a deer caught in the headlights. As a matter of fact, you still do." she said. "I won't argue with you on that. Your father, I knew what to do, but you...No, you were the real monster. A thunderstorm in a a quaint, sweet, petite bottle. A savage beauty under a civilized mask." If Adrian had said that about her, she would have responded with a sharp retort. She only smiled and playfully elbowed Jared.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan closed his eyes and tried not to let it get to him. He hummed to himself, a pretty, smooth sound contridictory to his gravelly voice.

[frostmourne]

Aza tipped her head to one side and listened to the humming. Adrian snickered and slunk away, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He had gone about half a mile before getting completely entangled in a huge, thick plant that looked like a cross between cedar and rosewood. Jared seemed to be preoccupied making a nearby sapling age a few years in a few minutes. Aza looked annoyed the seventh time she had to pick cherry blossoms and dead leaves from her hair. She didn't complain, although she did look rather disgruntled. Jared stopped once he realized what he had been doing. Aza looked like someone had dumped a florist shop on her and was almost entirely buried in the velevty petals. The bright flowers looked garish on her silky black hair and pale skin. She stepped out of the pile of blossoms and poked Jared in the ribs before beginningto pick the flowers out of her hair.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan glared and the flower petals in her hair abruptly died. "Jared." he grumbled.

[frostmourne]

As the petals began to fall apart, it only got harder for her to get them out. Jared thought for a while to guess if it would work and lightly touched the closest strand of hair. The dead petals congregated there and fell into a neat pile. "It never worked before. I wonder if I can do it with wood..." He turned to the nearest fallen tree branch, which looked tremendously heavy and knocked on it lightly. The wood began molding itself as easily as soft metal and settled in the shape of a comb. The smaller details came next. Every square inch was covered with an incredibly intricate pattern that no one could ever make by hand. He picked it up but almost immediately dropped it. A symbol had been scorched into the light wood. It looked like a rhododendron beside a striped carnation. "You didn't do that. Rhododendron means to beware and the striped carnation means refusal. Couldn't whoever it was be a little less melodramatic?" Aza picked up the comb and threw it into the ocean.

[lycrawaterz14]

"Don't look at me." Kenan shrugged. "I didn't do it." he said quietly. He seemed more distant than usual.

Edited October 8, 2011 by lycrawaterz14

[lycrawaterz14]

(Bump)

[frostmourne]

((Where did everyone else go?))

"I know." she smiled at him and poked him. "If you get anymore distant you'll be outside this solar system." Jared seemed more disturbed by the comb than Aza. He had a thoughtful, far away expression on his face. His expression abruptly darkened and he grabbed her wrist. He began to pull her away. "Not you too. Wha-Where are we going? Jared? Jared!" She sounded a bit surprised, but not afraid. "He won't take no for an answer." he murmured. "I'm sorry." "For what?" "For this and for not going with you." Ivy vines formed a cage around her and squeezed tight. The leaves obscured whatever was going on inside and when the vines sank back into the ground she was gone. "I hope Kenan doesn't have to see them meet." He bowed his head for a moment, feeling guilty and worried, and was gone, leaving a birch tree swaying gently in his place.

Aza blinked for a moment, disoriented, and looked at her surroundings. A richly decorated hallway, with only one door open at the end. She warily stepped in, and found herself in a throne room. A spidery young man was perched on the throne. "I'm as solitary as a pulled tooth, lonely as an unwelcome truth, lost as a minnow out of school; a genius in a crop of fools." He had an oily voice, like a spider inviting a fly to tea. "But you aren't a fool, are you Aza? Neither is your friend. He would never have let you go unless you would get hurt otherwise." He rose and walked over, spindly fingers pressed together. She was expressionless as she flitted outside like a strange dark bird. He didn't bother follow, but smiler wanly. "Goodbye for now." he called. She halted at entrance and looked at him. He flinched slightly at the cold rage in her empty gray eyes.

[lycrawaterz14]

Kenan stepped beside the birch tree and sliced it in half with a sword he had assembled for Aza a while ago, the one that Mary had sliced her with. He sheathed it and shadowstepped beside Aza. "Aza?" he asked. ((Dunno... >_>))