| The Eagle, The Butterfly and The Owl | ||
|---|---|---|
| |
Another day as usual for Silencia. She has fallen back into her routine of training for hours on end in the park, though her training seems to be more focused around her newly acquired wings. She seems to have gotten used to them now, even able to fold them back and keep them down. Her wings drag behind her like a fancy cloak, the only way to keep them from knocking things over. Silencia contemplates going into the kitchen. It has been awhile since she last baked. A quick glance at her wings make her decide not to, she's not sure how strong her control over the appendages is and she does not want to find that out by destroying the kitchen. It is then that she hears odd sounds coming from the dining room and she decides to peek in. "Oh, hey Minu! What are you doing?" Silencia looks the same as usual, except for her hair being tied up in a low , somewhat messy bun, her bangs framing her face. A low grinding crunch and scrape sound is coming from the pestle as the mortar and ground into it, smashing what looks to be fine glitter or maybe glass into powder. As Sil comes in and speaks the little elf lady pauses and looks up. "pulverizing glass." She states then checks the contents of the pestle and decides the pulverization is complete. Very carefully she spills the contents into a plastic bag. She seems even to be holding her breath so not to stir up the fine powder to much "please don't move for a moment" she whispers under her breath. The glass dust falls into the bag and it is quickly zip-locked shut so none of the powder gets into the air. Once done she sits the pestle down again and looks up at Sil. "Bob is not yet finished building my lab and I needed somewhere that was quiet and had little chance of a wind being stirred up. I take it your done with practice for the day?" It would seem the little elf is aware of Sil's habits. Odd that for folks that simply work together, but then, Minu is very observant about a lot of things others may not notice. Silencia freezes in place and watches as Minu pours the pulverized glass into the bag. It was oddly pretty. Once she's done, Silencia lets out a sigh. Oh, she didn't even notice she was holding her breath there! Minu's question earns a nod and a smile from Silencia. "Yeah, trying to learn how to use these wings is a bit more tiring than expected." Silencia stretches one wing, the delicate-looking appendage trembling slightly with the movement before folding back behind her. The glass powder in the bag gets an uncertain look from Silencia. "Are you sure that is safe? How would you use that in practice? I can try and find some plants that might help with subduing people..." It seems Silencia has been paying attention as well! She is aware of the little elf's research and actually wants to help. She would need to do some research of her own for that though. She can't grow a plant she doesn't know! The little elf takes a moment to lay some plastic wrap over her pestle, just a precaution to makes sure any left over particles are not made airborne by a stray breeze. And right on cue of course comes the stirring of Sil's wing. Yep, all buttoned up tight and all is well and safe. "Well safe is rather a relative term Silencia. No weapon is safe if used improperly. I would not use the glass powder in practice any more then I would use live grenades in mixed combat sparing or practice. It is one more weapon to be used should it be needed. How ever. You thoughts are valid and your offer appreciated. I have not done any research on usable plants. It might be night to have some sort of sleeping dust, or even, hmmm supper itching dust? Something to drive a subject nuts on the field and make them unable to battle? My concern with that though is dermatological contact spreading it from the subject to our troops." Minu's words make Silencia hum thoughtfully. "I'll see what I can find... I'm pretty sure that the sleeping dust would be possible. I know a couple of plants that could be used for that already. The itching dust is a bit more difficult, especially considering the safety of our own troops, like you said." Silencia shrugs smilingly. "Oh well, I'll see what I can do! You've been a great help to me and I'd like to return the favour." Silencia pauses and peeks at all the equipment around. "Speaking of helping out, is there anything I can help with?" The tiny lady looks up at the fae woman and her big golden eyes blink behind her glasses as she takes the goggles off. "I haven't done much for you Silencia." She says as she looks the other lady over briefly then blushes a little and busies herself with her tidying up. "help with here..no..umm no offense but these are fine powders and your still getting the hang of your wings. We so do not need a wind kicked up at an inopportune moment. Thank you though. How have you been feeling? I was, sorta worried about you when you were away. I did pop by to check on you but, there was nothing any of us could do but wait and hope you were gonna be alright." Silencia blinks at Minu's comment. "Seriously? You flew into battle and helped me escape from monsters while being a tiny owl and you've been nothing but kind to me while you could've hated me... Don't think I forget those kinds of things, sweety." Silencia gives Minu a warm smile that quickly changes into an awkward look as the topic turns to her wings. "Oh yeah, I see how that might not be a good idea... I've been feeling rather well. I think my magic had been building up for a while without me noticing, because it feels a bit like i'm in balance now, if that makes sence." Another sheepish smile. "I'm sorry for worrying you though. I only knew what was happening while it was happening, so I couldn't really warn people about my 'cocooning'. That's the bad part of not knowing exactly what you are..." Silencia shrugs, it appears she has found peace with not knowing her background. "How about you, Minu? How have you been? I feel like I haven't been able to talk to you properly in quite a while..." Minu blushes briliantly right up to the tips of her ears at Sil's words. She bites her lower lip and looks down and away shyly. As sensible and logical as the little elf usually are, sometimes she does things that no sensible person would, like throwing her most vulnerable form into the face of a raging xenomorph. Its not lost on her that some folks would have seen Sil getting munched by the monsters as a good thing, taking an opponent out of commision and all that. But as much as she has strong feelings for Kotal and it still stings a little to see Kotal and Silencia all lovey dovey together, she couldn't do such a thing to someone who had always been kind to her and oddly, more then a rival, a real friend. Minu bites her lip and nods a little "you weren't able to protect yourself and there were to many of them and, if I had just gone for help they might have gotten you..." her voice trails off weakly and she fidgits. "I am glad you came through the change safe. The wings are lovely and you seem more, well...yourself...if that makes sense. I can't quantify what I mean only that, for a while you just seemed, out of step with your own person." This time, Silencia does notice the blush. She had to be blind not to! She moves closer to have a better look, giggling as she gently pushes Minu's chin up with her finger to have a better look. She just looked so adorable, all shy and embarrassed! "Because you naturally think like that, it makes me want to help you out in whichever way I can." The comment about her being out of sorts before makes the fae pause. "Hmm... I didn't even notice that myself, to be honest. It makes sense though. I feel lighter and in balance, so I probably was out of balance before." Silencia grins wide. "You're so perceptive, Minu!" It seems Silencia really is in a very good mood, the girl even grabbing Minu's hands and dragging her away from the delicate equipments. "Is everything alright with you though, Minu? You seem a bit fidgety today..." When the taller fae lifted her chin, Minu resisted a little then allowed the movement, even lifting her golden eyes to meet Silencia's violet ones. The little elfling lady flushed deeper and made a tiny sound in her throat. Her voice is a slightly squeaked whisper "I left my people when I was young but wood elves are comfortable with the ways of nature, so, maybe thats why I noticed." The comment about her fidgeting makes the little lady bite on her lower lip. "I'm fine...its just...spring I guess. I have been trying to focus on work and my research. Its..a little distracting I guess." Silencia tilts her head slightly and watches the blushing little elf with a smile. "Well then, that means you need a little distraction from your work. You've been cooped up inside for too long, time for some fresh air!" Yup, Silencia is dragging Minu away, fully intending on bringing the little elf to the park so she can frolick about in the nature. "It's not good to fight against your instincts, Minu. You might be fine now, but it will become very bad very quickly, trust me." Silencia gives Minu a cheerful wink. "I know how that feels... Just allow yourself to follow your instincts and resume your work afterwards. You'll be more comfortable and less distracted!" Sometimes, just sometimes, Silencia is as dense as Kotal and today is (yet another) day in which Silencia proves that. She isn't aware of what effect the spring has on poor little Minu. Minu squeaks as she taken in hand and pulled toward the door. She shakes her head "I ..I can't ..you don't..understand. I'm not...By the Scribe! Silencia...stop!" She sets her heels and scrunches her little face up in a hard frown. "This is the spring of my second century. In my people this is when we officially become adults.we spend the spring with others and, form bonds and ..you know." She blushes hard having to explain such things to the other woman. "Had I not ended up in Twisted, the Scribe would have sent me back to my people and I would have been with them for a while maybe even brought my bond mates with back to the Grand Archive to serve or been released if my bond mates didn't wish to serve. I can't do that here...and...well. I can't" Silencia pauses as Minu struggles to stop her from dragging Minu off into the wild. It takes her a moment, but eventually she does understand what Minu actually means. "Bond mate?... Oooohh..." Silencia's cheeks flush a bright red and she covers her mouth with her free hand. "Ahh... uhm... I'm sorry... I didn't realise..." She doesn't release Minu's hand. It's unclear if she simply forgot she was holding the adorable elf or if she didn't want to let go, but she's simply staring at Minu with a bright blush on her cheeks. "I..isn't there anything that can be done though? It cannot be good for you to surpress yourself like this..." Silencia is genuinely concerned about Minu, even though she is rather embarrassed by the subject. She knows very well how it feels to go against one's nature and she really doesn't want Minu to go through a similar fate. Her mind wanders off for a moment. If Silencia hadn't been there, would Minu now... with Kotal...? Her blush deepens and she shakes off those thoughts. It made her more upset than she would like to admit, though an odd feeling nagged at her, something that confused her. She shrugs off all those odd thoughts and feelings and focuses back on Minu. "Y..you really look like you're going to burst, Minu... Really, is there anything I can do?" Minu sighs and lowers her chin, looking at the floor. The tiny lady looking a little dejected and more then a little embarrassed. "I don't know Silencia. Until recently I hadn't much thought of it really. I was busy working in the Grand Archive and then I came here and well things have certainly not been restful, what with nearly dying when Joker blew up the DMC and the fog and the xeno and all the other happenings. I have given myself over to trying to be as much help as I could to Kotal and the people of Twisted. And now Spring is here and, there is no way to go home and no one to celebrate my coming of age and no one to bond with, well, no one who wants me any way,..and its Bond Mates, plural usually. My people are very long lived and well only having one person all your life is a problem should something happen to one of the pair. Its not a thing common among folks here I understand, not that I have asked many but I do tend to see only pairings and not other bonds." Silencia listens to Minu quietly, her expression showing her concern for the little elf. As soon as she's done speaking, Silencia pulls Minu close and gently hugs her. Even her wings unfold to envelop the little elf with her warmth. She stays like that for a moment, not saying a thing, simply hugging Minu. After a little while, Silencia speaks, her voice low and gentle, her arms not releasing Minu just yet. "I'll celebrate your coming of age with you. I know it's probably not what you mean and maybe you might not even want me to, but maybe it'll help in some way. What do you think?" Silencia doesn't mention anything about the Bond Mates though. If Silencia hadn't been around, Minu probably would have been bonded with Kotal by now and the whole problem wouldn't have existed. Silencia's hug tightens slightly, as if she's trying to keep Minu from being taken away. Wait... That doesn't seem right. Silencia quickly releases Minu, her cheeks a bright shade of red and her violet eyes clouded with confusion. What is getting into her? Again she shakes these odd thoughts off and tries to calm herself. It's okay, it's probably nothing. She's simply projecting, right? Minu gasps as she is enfolded first in Silencia's arms and then in the violet cocoon of those magnificent wings. The tiny elf lady flushes brightly from her chest to the tips of her ears and every where in between. For a moment she is utterly still and then the softest of floral scents teases her nose and the soft warmth of Silencia's body surrounds her and she sorta, melts a little into the other woman with a small breathy sound. "There are no Kala trees here in Twisted, Silencia. My folk are connected to the grove of Kala trees. Each child born is celebrated with the planting of a Kala seedling. When the child reaches its second century , so too does the Kala and both are fully mature. In the spring all the mature Kala trees flower and the pollen from the flowers dances on the winds like golden rain. It affects my folk and inspires.attachments. That is why our coming of age is celebrated in the spring, all of our young are born in the spring and forest awakens to new life in the spring. I don't know if its the same with out my tree..even though I can feel the spring calling, I know the trees are awake and active." All this is said while she is tucked into Silencia's embrace. The little lady blinking hard and looking a little bereft as the taller fae woman pulls away. Silencia smiles brightly and clasps her hands together, every trace of that earlier confusion gone. Her wings are upright and fluttering behind her, the girl unable to fold them down right now. "That won't stop us from trying, right? Even without your tree, we can still party!" Then she pauses, a thoughtful look passing over her face. She speaks slowly, every word tumbling out of her lips as soon as she thinks of them. "Maybe... but no... but it might actually work..." Silencia peeks at Minu and grins. "How good are you at drawing, sweety? And as a follow-up question, is there absolutely no replacement possible for the tree that was planted at your birth?" Silencia seems to be completely back to normal now. Her eyes were even twinkling with excitement, it appears that talking about trees does her well! "I can try, no promises, but maybe -just maybe- I can make one of those Kala trees grow if I can get an accurate enough description?" Silencia really wasn't sure if she would be able to, this tree was not something native to this place. But all her little experiments with her nature magic have succeeded so far, so maybe she could make this work as well? Minu bites her lip and dips her chin, looking painfully shy for a moment "No..It wont stop up from that...if you like." Her voice is small and breathy and one doll like hand lifts to push her glasses up onto her nose. The elfling blinks and takes a quarter step back as Sil suddenly animates and starts talking about the Kala tree and making one. "I don't think it has too be MY tree, but the Kala is just a symbol for us, my folk. A symbol and a...umm...well..." the small lady turns red, not just a blush but she actively looks like one could cook eggs on her skin she is so fiercely blushing. "the pollen is...there is something in it that stirs up desire for...bonding." She squirms and fidgets hard, wringing her little fingers together. "I could probably draw it well enough. I didn't spend much of my youth with my people , I was recruited young for the Archive but, I remember the Kala. Do you think you could make one Silencia? Even with out a seed or some start of one? And if you could start one, they take two centuries to grow to maturity so they can flower." The fae is getting excited by this challenge, that is the truth. Though there is a trace of a blush on her cheeks when Minu mentions the effect of those pollen. "Uhm... yeah..." It looks like she was about to say something, but the girl holds herself back. Instead she chooses to focus on the task at hand. Minu's question makes Silencia shrug lightly. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I've had a couple of successes in creating new plants, but I'm not sure if I could grow one of those Kala trees. But I can try, right?" Silencia grins brightly and even winks playfully at the little elf. "And once I start one, I can accellerate its growth." That all sounds way easier than it actually is. Silencia would probably end up exhausting herself very quickly, but of course, that isn't something she mentions. She's already glad she has found something to help Minu with. Silencia reaches out and gently pets Minu on the head, the little elf's squirming and blushing awoke her motherly side. "But before all that there is one important question. Do you want me to, Minu? Don't get caught up in my enthousiasm and give me an honest answer. Do you want me to grow you a Kala tree and throw you a party to celebrate your coming of age?" Minu closes her eyes as Silencia strokes her hair. She breaths in then out slowly. "as much as want to have these things Silencia, I'm not sure there is a point. Spring, the Kala trees, coming of age.its all supposed to lead to being able to find bond mates. Those that you share your long life with. Sometimes children, sometimes not. Not all my folk have children, we are long lived but slow in reproduction, like our grove. But if there are none to bond to, then all this is just useless. I don't want to awaken more desires that have no place to be full filled. Its hard enough trying not to focus on things with just the natural progression of the season. Thank you for the thought though. It was kind of you." She smiles a little and breaths in, working to center herself and brush away wild thoughts and wants that Silencia's enthusiasm awoke. There is was, the root of the problem. No parties or trees could solve this. "If I wasn't here, you wouldn't have these troubles..." It just slipped out without Silencia noticing until it was too late. The fae's reaction to her own words seems like it's in slow-motion. Her eyes wide, her lips part in a surprised little gasp and all the colour in her face drains. She really did not mean to say that. Sure, that same thought had distracted her plenty of times, but this time it managed to find its way out. "I..I'm sorry.. I've got to go..." Silencia quickly passes by the little elf, wanting to run from the awkward situation she created herself. Though no parties of trees could solve this situation, there was a party happening nonetheless. Kotal wouldn't simply quietly receive his wayward priestess after she had remained in stasis for so long. Silencia is a the priestess of a war god. More so than just that, she had been completely reborn! And that meant cause for celebration. Just as Silencia was turning to leave, the door - along with a good portion of the surrounding wall - exploded into debris as it gave way to the massive figure of Kotal Kahn "BEHOLD!!!" Cried the Aztec warrior who was carrying a large covered tray whilst he wore his apron and chef hat, on top of his helmet as he usually does. "A welcoming feast worthy of a Nature Goddess!!" The warrior god opened the tray and revealed a tall cake in the shape of a tree with very elaborate fruit decoration and frosting. It looks like he had spent the whole day baking the thing and had obsessed so much over it that he had failed to notice how everyone else had reacted to Silencia's return. Heck, he might have actually not noticed he smashed through a wall just as Silencia was making a run for that very same door that is now nothing but splinters. At this point the little elf is starting to suffer from a little emotional whiplash. All the highs and lows are starting to show wear on the little lady who usually is all business and doesn't entertain her feelings that much. When Silencia makes that comment about this all being her fault and tries to rush off the little elf feels as if she had been punched hard in the gut. She blinks after the fae woman and shakes her head, a small whine spilling from her. She had never faulted Sil for attracting Kotals attention. She, Silencia, was beautiful, she was magical, she was kind and loving and who wouldn't want her? Minu knew well enough that she, herself, was no match for that kind of glorious glamor. Not to mention that even though she and Kotal had been close enough before Silencia came, it wasn't as if the man had made even the slightest romantic move toward her in any way. It was more then likely he didn't even see her as a viable candidate for such, it was all just more of Twisted's cruel irony that she harbored her own undisclosed feelings for the man. The little elfs golden eyes tear up behind her glasses and one small hand stretches out in Silencia's direction. "Don't...go,..Silencia..wait. It's not your." The little elfs words are cut off by a big blue interruption, all decked out in chefs hat and lugging a cake that looked like a tree and he of course was going on about celebrating Silencia and her rebirth. The little lady just froze and closed her eyes and took a breath. Letting it out the elfling schooled her features, or at least tried to and one small hand snuck up to try and dash away any moisture that had escaped her eyes. A loud yelp escapes the already shaken Silencia when the door and surrounding wall literally explode to make room for her beloved and his creation. Her wings fold around herself, as if shielding her from the mini explosion. Her eyes are wide as she stares at Kotal. It takes a moment before she reacts, needing a moment to take in the situation. A twitch in a corner of her mouth is the only warning one may recieve before the girl bursts out in laughter. There was so much on her mind, the atmosphere had been so heavy and this odd confusion rattled her, but then Kotal burst in like that, dragging everyone involved into his own pace. Silencia can only laugh. She wipes away a stray tear while talking, the girl even holding her stomach. "I..it's beautiful, Kotal... Thank you..." That really pulled her out of that negative mindset! Silencia glances back at Minu, her eyes widening slightly at the hint of tears she can see. Oh no, she did it again. Silencia glances between Kotal and Minu before grabbing Minu's hand and dragging her to the front. She just drags Minu around alot lately! Again her smile is back to its usual brighness, it is odd how easily she seems to recover. "L..let's celebrate both our maturing together then... What do you think? I mean... Even though it's not exactly the same, there is a beautiful tree!" She gestures smilingly to the cake, all her words directed at Minu. She then smiles at Kotal "Minu is also maturing, Kotal. Isn't that a cause for celebration?" It appears Silencia can only deal with this situation in one of two ways; running or pretending everything's fine. Aaah! How good it is to hear his beloved laughter once more. Kotal's golden lines glow brightly as does his eyes, as if the very sound of Silencia's voice was enough to strengthen him. "The sun is brighter now that you've returned to us, my love." If Kotal weren't holding a huge cake that is nearly half his size and also happens to be in the shape of a tree, he would probably sweep Silencia into his arms and kiss her. For now, he settles for grasping her shoulder warmly just as she brings Minu over to partake on the celebrations. Naturally, Kotal is happy to invite her! Although he does furrow his eyebrows in confusion when Silencia mentions that Minu is maturing. "You mean.. Minu hadn't reached maturity already?? Is that why she's so small??" It seems that Kotal kontinues to be his ever dense self, though to be fair he had always seen Minu as one of the most mature people in TASK. Minu was seriously not good at the back and forth business. She barely had a handle on herself when Silencia reached out and drug her close, practically presenting her to Kotal. Kotals tender words of affection to Silencia make the little lady dip her chin and blush some, feeling distinctly uncomfortable and like she wished she was even smaller then she already was. "its a lovely tree cake" she says in a very small voice. "maybe you need alone time to celebrate..." Again she is cut off and she sighs hard at Kotals words. See proof the man doesn't see her as a man sees a woman he is interested in. "This is the Spring that marks the end of my second century. My people are very long lived and so I am finally coming of age." Her shoulder sag a little and she looks at the floor, wishing she were anywhere but here right now. "no, MR. Kahn, I will not be growing any larger. I will always be just what I am right now..." the tone of those last words clearly sounding like what she is right now is less then appreciated. Oh no, Kotal, not now! A part of Silencia wants to groan at Kotal and tell him to fix his dense nature. Of course this isn't his fault though, it's Silencia's fault. She knows this, but that doesn't lessen her frustration. Silencia watches as Minu seems to look more and more like she's about to break into a million little pieces. She reaches out and pulls Minu closer again, hugging to girl to her side in a one-armed embrace. One of her wings fold around her and shield her from the outside world, the little elf completely disappearing into the violet of her wing. "And you shouldn't grow any larger, look how perfectly you fit!" Silencia smiles down at Minu, trying to excude a gentle, comforting aura. She really wanted to help Minu, but everything she did seemed to make the elf feel even worse for some reason! So she simply does what Silencia does best; hug and comfort people. Kotal appears as though he will be forever dense in his mannerism. He is brutish, brash, brutal, just as how a War God should be. But he has learned much in his long existence. He is after all not Shao Kahn, and he knows that there are many other facets to life than mere violence. Even if all these emotions exist outside his domain, Kotal is still aware of them, and after enough exposure, he does begin to understand them. Evolving is how he learned how to cook and how he claimed Silencia as a lover as well. Eventually, even if its through much trial an error, even someone as thick headed as Kotal, can understand what is happening around him. The Aztec deity pauses whilst he watches Minu quiver and tremble, never having seen her as sad as that before. Then Silencia rushes to Minu's aid and gives her a warm embrace. Even though Kotal knows that Silencia's heart is big and she gives her affection freely, he recognizes that such an embrace is reserved to someone who is very dear to her heart. He places the large tree shaped cake on a nearby table and removes his hat, moving towards the two hugging girls. "Silencia is right." He says, "You are perfect just the way you are, Minu." At long last, it seems like it is getting through Kotal's head that Minu's heart ached due to her unrequited feelings. The warrior god goes on one knee next to Minu and Silencia and embraces the two girls, offering his warmth to the sniffling owlet as well.
Of course that's Dorian. Who else could manage to sound sarcastic with such a sing-song note to his voice? That said, the smile on his face is genuine, if lopsided. He's leaning against the wall just inside the now-bigger door, his arms crossed over his chest. "Quite a bit of love going around, I see. Ah, yes. Spring must be in the air."
Silencia keeps her focus on Minu, that little sniffle made her heart ache for the little elf. She wanted to wrap her up and protect her from the big bad world (even though she actually was partly, if not all, to blame for Minu's troubled state of mind). As Kotal joins the hug, Silencia's smile grows even warmer. She's actually amazed and happy that Kotal managed to even think of doing something like this. He really has grown! The arrival of Dorian distracts Silencia, the fae peeking up to glance at the wizard. Her distraction is enough to provide Minu the opportunity to escape. She smiles and offers a wave at the wizard with her free arm, though it might not be that visible from behind the giant Kotal. She's about to greet Dorian when she notices something odd. "Hey... where's Minu?" Kotal stirs when he hears movement behind them. Though not exactly a private meeting, it was somewhat compromising for Kotal to be seen hugging these two girls like that. Even if he has indeed grown, he remains as ever the god of war, and he is not supposed to be touchy feely like this! To be fair though, Kotal ends up doing things like this more often than not.. but still! The warrior clears his throat when he hears Dorian approaching from behind and he slowly stands up, turning around to greet him. "Dorian! You are just in time to try the cake." He gesture to the 5 foot tall cake in the shape of a tree. "Is it not grand!?" This is a time for celebration after all, and -everyone- should be involved. Even Minu, who keeps trying to run off to be sad on her own. When Silencia mentions that the elf has somehow disappeared, the Aztec warrior looks around abruptly and tries to zone in to her chi. Sure enough, he spots her trying to hop away in owl form. "Oh no you do not!" Cries the Aztec and tries to snatch the little owl with his apron.
And then suddenly he's quieting down as Kotal is chasing a tiny owl with his apron. That quiet doesn't last long, though; Dorian is soon laughing at the sight. "Here, come quick, Minu!" he encourages, kneeling down to offer a hand to her. He has no idea why Minu changed, so he's basically playing. Well damn, she did not escape unseen. She is hopping toward the door as she is spotted and the little owl hisses and beak clacks as she is comically chased by Kotal. The little owl just wants to not be embarrassed. She doesn't want to expose feelings that have no hope of being returned. Were it not for the weight of feelings on her , the situation might well be funny. When Dorian calls to her she turns and makes a hop that way, a little out of sorts on her mode of escape and so its as she is just thinking of trying to fly, one flutter of her wings taken, that Kotal actually manages to cover her in that apron. Shocked she hoots scoldingly, another hiss and a bit of beaking happening under the apron. It wont be the first time Kotal has been bitten by the little owl. Silencia gasps as she watches Kotal chase Minu around the room. "Be careful!" Though the sight was hilarious and adorable at the same time, it also made Silencia nervous. Kotal was a big guy and Minu was tiny and vulnerable in her owl form. She sighs relievedly when Minu is caught, at least there is no more danger of squished Minu. "Kotal, stop smothering her. She'll end up hurting herself like that!" Silencia does smile while talking though, showing she finds the whole situation a bit funny. Kotal manages to not crash his head on Dorian when he snatches Minu. What he doesn't manage to do is keep Minu from flapping her wings like that. Rather than risk hurting her by applying more pressure, Kotal releases the tiny owl who ends up giving him a good peck on his nose.. and not the loving kind either. 'Hrg!' Grunts the warrior and watches Minu fly away, as he mumbles. "Lots of very precarious balancing." He answers Dorian while rubbing his nose. Having flown off and escaped the dining room and the chaos of the whole cake debacle the little elf couldn't escape the chaos of her own heart and mind. There was such an avalanche of thoughts and feeling going through the little ladies head and she just needed somewhere to go and hide for a while, some where quiet where she could sort it all out, figure out what to do. She was good at organizing facts and situations but she wasn't proving to be so good with feelings. At first the little elf had fluttered off to the sleeping quarters, specifically the specially designed dog house where the pups usually spent their nights. She had found them in residence and so she simply tucked in behind them in the darkness of the rear or their area. She spent several hours here sorting though her thoughts, at war with her heart and what she knew was logical and what most folks would deem right and sensible. The heart is never sensible though, and so when evening started approaching and she knew the habitation area of Task would soon be bustling with folks knocking off after a long day of work, the little elf decided to find somewhere else to go, somewhere no one would think to look for her, somewhere she could just sit quiet and deal with her busy mind and no one would think it odd that she wasn't feeling social and yet she was there and not alone. She would go to Urus. It was no secret to anyone that the little elf and the hyena were friends. A highly unlikely pair of friends maybe but they had been close since he spent the better part of a week looking over her and sitting at her bedside when she was in the hospital after the Jokers attack on the DMC. So after a bit of silent communication with the pups, she wiggled from their area and took wing again, right out an open window. By then of course it was evening and the sun was fully down and night was claiming the realm of Twisted. Now she could have flown to the roof and changed forms and walked down to Urus' place but she didn't want to talk and if she was in owl form no one would fault her for not bothering to say anything. And so the little owl flew around the apartment building to Urus' window and hover flapped there tapping the glass with her tiny talons. Urus had already hit the hay early due to the fact that he was still healing. Getting a good eighth of an inch of flesh back in such a large area takes time and is tiring work. It's lucky for Minu however that he has not started snoring or the tapping on the window would have gone unnoticed. "hunh What..." he mumbles as he slowly blinks, waking up. He shuffles out of bed to the window and looks out at a tiny owl. "hmmm" he slides the window up and pokes his head out. "You do know that it is late, and that I have a door." He pauses "Do you uhh want to come in? I am not dressed right now but I can do that if you want." This is not in the usual prevue of her actions to him, although he has not truly thought about it yet, he can tell something is horribly amiss. With a flutter of wings the tiny owl darts through the now open window and makes an arrow like trajectory for a shelf on the wall where a bowl is currently resting and lands there. The little owl doesn't seem particularly bothered by the naked hyena man, in fact its highly likely she doesn't even notice, her own thoughts to crowded for her to pay much attention to anything else. The tiny owl fluffs her feathers and gives herself an all over shake and the lowers her head, huddling there on the shelf silently. "Or we can do that." Urus continues to mumble. "let me guess, you are going to stay the night," with a brief moment of thinking he comes up with an idea. Over in the bathroom he starts filling up the sink, then comes over to the bowl next to minu and takes Ivan out. "sorry, we have company" he tells it. He, looking at minu to see how she is doing blindly empties the bowl out the window. "AGHH, hey watch what you are doing up there!" a familiar voice calls up. At that Urus sticks his head out and raises a single eyebrow. "Oh, Mr. Deravin, sorry did not know it was you, I will just be going now." The voice now apologizes "Cabbages, now 100% more xenomorph free!" the voice can be heard trailing off out the window. Urus shuts the window and shakes his head. "Idiot." Taking a towel from the smallest of the boxes in his room he pads the bowl and sets it back up there. "Here we go. Guest room." He says with a smirk as he takes Ivan and floats him in the sink for the night. He sits on the edge of his bed before asking "Is there something you want to say?" The tiny owls golden eyes follow the hyena now and then but its clear that she is distracted to say the least. When Urus puts the bowl back up onto the shelf, now filled with a towel so that it looks like a make shift nest, the tiny owl hops up onto the edge of the bowl and then down into its center and wiggles into the warm softness. When Urus speaks she lifts her head and eyes to look at him for a long silent moment then tucks her beak under her wing and closes her eyes. "Anything... anything at all?" he waits a few seconds but only gets wing. Very well, see you in the morning I guess." As he goes back to bed. In about 2 hours, there is going to be snoring, hope she can sleep through that. After Minu left, the chaos in the dining room calmed down. Silencia tried to be patient, tried to allow Minu some space, but she couldn't. She even tried to distract herself by cleaning up the mess in the dining room, caused when Kotal had been too enthousiastic about his cake, but her mind kept going to the distressed owlette. The fae was too worried about the elf to just leave her alone like that. Silencia contemplated looking for Minu on her own for a moment, but decided find Kotal first. Even though she feels like this is her fault, Kotal was just as much a part of this situation as she is. Once she finds him, she grabs his arm and glances up at the war god, a fairy with puppy dog eyes, a dangerous combination indeed. "Kotal... I'm worried about Minu. We should find her..." Kotal can't help but feel a little miffed. He had spent /all day/ working on that cake for Silencia and everyone else to share. But noo, the girls had to go and have an emotional spat that left Minu in tears and running away. Sure, after a while he realized /just why/ exactly Minu was feeling like that. But would it have killed her to confess her feelings for him before? Leaving them bottled up like that was sure to lead to disaster. And guess what? It did! Now the party was ruined as Silencia went to clear her mind by cleaning leaving Kotal alone with a huge cake. "Blast it all." By the time Silencia returns to look for him, she'll find the Aztec warrior sitting in a chair silently munching on a piece of cake all by his lonesome. He looks pretty pathetic.. like a boy who's disappointed because no one came to his birthday party. "Hm? What?" He perks up as Silencia tugs on his arms and sighs at her request. "Very well, let us go look for her." Says he standing and putting his helmet back on. "Reptile." He snaps his fingers and sure enough the green clad ninja breaks invisibility revealing that he's been there the whole time. He also has a piece of cake on his hand. "Lead us to Minu." Orders Kotal. "Yesss." Hisses Reptile and motions for them to follow. With Reptile leading the way, they are sure to find her soon. Silencia can't help but give Kotal a warm smile when she sees the look on his face. Before leaving, she grabs a bite of the cake and smiles to her beloved. "The cake is delicious, Kotal. I'm sorry things went like this, but I promise we'll have a proper celebration, okay? Don't be sad..." Her tone is soothing and calm, the girl once again channeling her motherly side. She grasps Kotal's hand and follows after Reptile, her thoughts soon occupied with her worries for Minu. "I am not saddened, my love." Kotal reassures Silencia and grasps her hand in return, pulling her close to him so they can share a warm, sideways embrace. Its almost kind of a silly picture. Silencia is dotting on Kotal all motherly as if he was indeed a sad boy with a ruined party. It was true, he had spent a lot of time on that cake and wanted everyone to enjoy it. "I simply wish for all of us to be happy. Our family has grown vast in our stay here in Twisted. I would be remiss if I let something like this break us apart." He snuggles Silencia a bit more and places a kiss on the top of her head. "Come. Let us find our wayward owlette, so that we may all partake on the cake." "I found the trail, Kahn." Hisses Reptile and guides the pair towards Integra Arms Inn. Specifically, Urus apartment. "Hm.. so she's with the hyena." Mutters the war god and rubs his chin. "This could be problematic." No time to hesitate though as Kotal moves forward and knocks on the door. Hey, at least this time he didn't bash it down. Urus is in his apartment reading an instruction manual. "Still nothing? I got ya." He mentions to Minu who is sitting on the shelf still. He flips through a few pages before having an epiphany and starts working at taking apart his MP5 on his "table" as he cracks it open the delayed blowback spring flies out toward the wall. "HEADS UP" he shouts as it pings against the wall and falls on the floor. He gets up to get it "Sorry." He mentions. When he picks it up there is a small piece of face hugger tail lodged in it. As he clears out the piece of alien he tosses it casually into a waste bin that already holds quite a few similar pieces. Sliding the spring back into place, he closes the weapon and cycles a few rounds through it just by pulling the charging handle a handful of times. "there we go." It's finally operational again. Then there is a knocking at the door. There is a raise of an eyebrow as he walks over and holds up a finger to Minu to give him a second. As he opens it however it is one of the last things he needed to see, a massive blue wall in front of him flanked by his pet lizard and Silencia. He hopes this is not about getting healed. We had a deal already. The little owl had spent the night in the little bowl nest Urus had made for her. She slept some but most the night was spent mulling things over. When the morning came the owlet rose from the nest and simply roosted on the shelf. She wasn't feeling chatty and so she held her shape and simply watched Urus work on his weapons. When Urus spoke she dipped her head and looked away. The knock on the door brings a blink from the owl and she simply sits as Urus goes to the door. Silencia steps forward to speak to Urus. She was aware that Kotal and Urus weren't exactly on good terms, so she figured that she should do the talking instead. "Urus, I'm sorry for disturbing you but... is Minu here?" Straight to the point, no time wasted on pleasantries. It seems like Kotal has influenced the girl a bit! The girl looks tired, mainly from worrying, but that does not stop her from doing what she needs to do. Her worry for the owlette was stronger than the worry for Urus' wounds, so that's why Silencia did not ask about them for now. Like mentioned before; they had a deal about that already. Silencia is wise to step forward and do the talking! Had either Kotal or Reptile tried to say anything at all it would had definitely come out as threatening. For all they know, Urus had gone and kidnapped their owl! Its been long since they've seen the mercenary, and though he is partially responsible for bringing down the Xeno's nest, TASK and the hyena aren't exactly in good terms either. For now, Kotal crosses his arms and lets the fairy do the talking. Meanwhile, Reptile sticks his tongue out to taste the air and try and catch Minu's scent. Urus pokes his head back in the room and tells minu. "I will be back shortly." As he walks out to them closing the door behind him. As he does so he turns back to them slightly cross as well as curious. "OK, what is going on." He keeps quiet as to make sure it does not penetrate the door. "She comes in middle of night tapping on my window. Flies in without word and sleeps for night and continues to say nothing. She is like Sister I never had and therefore know her well. She is usualy talkative and in face. But right now is silent and shy. Very unlike her." He pauses for a second before immediately throwing the blame towards the blue behemoth. "Did you mention her birthday? All women, whether they live 100 or 1000 years never want to heat that. What did you do?" Minu spies the group in the hall as Urus pokes his head back in briefly. A long sigh spills from the tiny elf and when the door closes she flutters down from the shelf and shifts. Dressed in the medieval style dress she first arrived in the little lady pushes her glasses up onto her nose. It was her fault that the others came to Urus' door. She is more then aware that Kotal and Urus don't get along and though she cares for them both she is not feeling strong enough to deal with them fighting. If they use her to fight she won't forgive either of them.
And Reptile too for that matter. "Don't speak to the Kahn like that!" Hisses the ninja lizard. Fortunately for everyone involved. This is not a normal occasion. This is about Minu and she deserves more respect than being used as an excuse to start a brawl. Kotal holds a hand up to keep Reptile at bay and glares down at Urus. "This is no one's fault, Urus. All this is a mere misunderstanding from a lack of communication. Please, move aside so that we may talk to Minu. I am certain all of this will be resolved shortly." A very uncharacteristic response from Kotal to be sure. Normally he would have just burned Urus' mouth off and thrown him aside before bashing his door down to talk to Minu. Leave it to the fae to step between all the warriors without even blinking. "He didn't do anything, Urus. It's my fault she's like this..." Silencia glances at the door with a worried frown. She then returns her attention to Urus and she does something unexpected. She bows, gaze directed at the floor and her wings folded back. "I'm sorry for causing this trouble. Could you please let us talk to Minu so we can straighten this out?" She straightens and nibbles her lower lip. "I'm worried about her..." Silencia is a bit impressed by Kotal's ability to hold his distaste for the hyna man at bay and speak politely. Nontheless, the fae felt responsible and she was not about to hide behind Kotal explaining this as 'no one's fault'. Urus points at Reptile and calmly says "It is statements like that which make it hard for me to be nice to you people." He crosses his arms and shifts his weight to one side. "No ones fault you say. People do not suddenly have emotional breakdowns for no reason." Then Silencia takes blame. "you, well that is surprise." The fairy is the cause of this? Well first times for everything. As she bows to him, he bows back and opens the door for her. "See Kotal, mutual respect. Maybe she can teach you a thing or two. I am still not sure what Minu sees in you. None the less, you have my blessing." Urus decides to take the high road this time as he can sense the wishes to make him into a punching bag, and he is not yet capable of even evading correctly, though every day makes him stronger. He makes a come here finger wiggle to Kotal, to whisper in his ear. "And if your break Minu's heart, I will make sure to find a way to rip out yours like you are so fond of doing." And gives him a stern look before walking inside. "Minu, we have guests, Kotal watch your head. I do not need to buy a new door frame. Bob is busy a lot as it is." The little elf lady is standing with her hands folded before her , right in the middle of the living space. She is perfectly framed by the door way when Urus opens it, her hair is loose around her shoulders, head bowed. As Urus announces the others Minu nods. "I have heard Urus. For future reference, an owl can hear a mouse fart at a hundred yards. Neither you nor Kotal will ever be able to whisper softly enough that I can't hear you in owl form. Thank You though for allowing me to spend the night here and have a place of thought with out being alone. I appreciate it. Would you mind if we borrowed your apartment for a bit to talk? It would assure that the rest of TASK isn't privy to what is said. Maybe some breakfast at the UR? Tell Steve to put set you up with the day old beef ribs on me." She lifts her eyes to Urus. "I promise Ivan will get back to his bowl before I leave and that I lock up." She waits briefly and a rather cold and determined look crosses her features. The tiny woman stands straighter for a moment and pins Reptile with her golden gaze. "Reptile, you may return to your duties at TASK, Mr. Kahn will not be needing you here." The little ladies tone is all business. The tone she uses when she is handing out orders as Kotal's third in command. Silencia sighs relievedly when Urus accepts her words and allows them through. She gives Kotal a look that pleads with him to stay polite when she sees the stern looks Urus is throwing him. She doesn't allow that to take too long of her time though, because as the door opens; she finally sees Minu! Her first instinct is to rush over to the elf and give her a hug, but the stern and cold look on the girl's face prevents her from doing so just yet. She peeks at Urus and Reptile, an apologetic look passing over her features for a moment before she offers a polite little bow of the head. Kotal continues to maintain things civil. Even when Urus continues to pass judgment over him and Silencia, the Aztec really restrains the urge to back hand the uppity hyena. Then again, Kotal really has no reason to do so as Silencia was simply confessing the truth. He'll let it slide for now as they all have more important business to take care of anyway. That is, until Urus decides to be his ever jester self and whisper to Kotal Kahn's ear and threaten him to tread carefully. Kotal straightens up and simply gives a slight chuckle. "Fear not, Urus. The only thing I could possibly intend to break tonight.. is your face." A thinly veiled threat that Urus should really stop pushing Kotal's buttons. But yes, time to confront the matter at hand. Reptile nods to Minu and disappears from view deciding its best to leave the trio to their lonesome. They looked like they needed to talk certain things out. Urus nods to Minu smiling. He sort of knew he could not get away with anything getting by Minu but it's always worth the shot. As she asks for alone time, he begins to speak up "Well make sure that..." and she says to get food on her too boot as well as taking care of things. She knows him too well. "Leave the towel laying on the seat" as he points to the box he uses as a chair. "I have plans for it later." As for Kotal, his threat is simply responded with, "If you were not planning that, I would be insulted." He knows he gets on the god's nerves and this is was as good a time as any to get those little jabs in. The Kotal loving reptile is going to find a leg in his path in 3, 2, 1, yep. And whether it hits its mark or not, it's time to hit the town. Since the nest destruction he has been feeling a bit like a celebrity. Minu holds herself still and firmly in place until Reptile and Urus have departed and the door is closed behind them. Once they are gone and She, Sil and Kotal are alone, the little lady lets out a long breath and her head dips and she looks hard at the floor. She had been thinking so hard, for so long she isn't quite sure what to say now. The door closes and Minu's demeanor changes. This was Silencia's cue to rush over to Minu and grasp her hands. She actually wanted to hug her, but the confusing feelings she had earlier made her a bit reluctant to do that now. She gently strokes the top of Minu's head, the look in her eyes gentle, but worried. "Minu... I'm so glad you're okay... I was so worried..." She allows herself one quick hug, being careful not to let the embrace linger on for too long. She then glances between Kotal and Minu, a soft sigh escaping her. "Minu... I think it is time you tell him the truth... If you keep hiding and surpressing it, you'll only end up hurting yourself even more..." Silencia nibbles her lower lip. "I.. don't want that to happen..." Although it may look like all this started the day Kotal was baking that cake, the Aztec is now aware this is in reality the culmination of a problem that had been brewing for months. He was also to blame for how things turned out. If weren't so blind and deaf to the emotions of others, then perhaps he could have done something to not let Minu suffers as she had for all this time. That said, Kotal always encourages others to face their fears so that they may become stronger in the eyes of the god of war. Kotal may be partially to blame for all this, but in the end the confession is entirely Minu's battle. Not his own, nor Silencia. Kotal Kahn walks up close to the girls and glances down at Minu, waiting for her to speak her piece. When Silencia rushes to her, golden eyes lift to the fae womans violet ones. The small hug that is bestowed on her is ended to fast for the little lady to melt into. She takes a huge breath and lets it out in a long rush. Silencia's words are met with a little nod and she scrunches up her little nose as Kotal comes closer, the man is near 7 foot tall and the elf is a scant 4 and that leaves the elf a sense of being towered over. With a small grump of sound she puts a hand up and pushes the big man back a little so that she can step from between the two for a moment. She is not one of stillness usually, unless she is reading or deep in thought. Other wises the little lady is often moving and now is no different. Turning away she starts to pace, chewing her lower lip. "I don't know how to say what needs saying. I feel lost for words, to many thoughts in my head and heart. I think the first think I have to say is to you Silencia," She turns and looks at Sil, golden eyes intense as she faces the other woman. "Never have I held ill will toward you, never have I seen any of this as your fault. You have been nothing but good to me, nothing but kind and gentle. You have been my friend, a true friend and if I am being honest , truly honest, more then any friend I have ever had before. I can not fault Kotal for loving you, you are beautiful inside and out. You are graceful, and magical and powerful. You are a good match for him. Far better then I could hope to be." She pauses and frowns hard, her eyes welling some and she almost angrily scrubs her hand under her glasses. She breaths deep and lets it out then turns her eyes to Kotal. "By the Scribe, this is hard, no matter how hard I try I can't seem to be strong enough to be worthy of you. Your a god. Look at you, you breath glory, always trying to noblely protect Twisted and its people. Since I arrived here all I have wanted to do was to be of help to you. To do those things that were benieth you, things you shouldn't have to do. I know I am small and plain and that you don't see me as a man sees a woman. If you had you would have made such known. Your certainly not a man to be shy about your desires. When Silencia came, and you claimed her I tried not to let my feelings for you get in the way. I didn't want to make things weird but the harder I tried the worse it got. I care for you Kotal, not like a boss, or a brother but,..as a man. I don't expect you to feel the same for me. I know I am not magical, or a warrior but.Silencia is right. I need to at least say it so that I am not living with it inside any more." Silencia blinks surprisedly when Minu adresses her first. She did not expect that. Wasn't this supposed to be about her feelings for Kotal? Minu's words cause Silencia to gaze upon the little elf with a look in her eyes that is a mixture of various confusing feelings. She does not say a thing, not wanting to interrupt the girl now she finally worked up the courage to confess her feelings. Her eyes do shimmer with unshed tears. She wanted to tell Minu that she was wrong, wanted to hug her and assure her that she was worthy of everything she wanted and so much more, but she held herself back. Don't interfere, Silencia, this is not your battle. As Minu rubs her eyes to dry her tears, Silencia reaches out, but quickly pulls her hand back when Minu turns her attention to Kotal. Even though she might not realise it herself, Silencia has started to care for Minu in a way that went beyond the boundaries of 'friends'. This much shows in the way she gazes at the brave little elf. Silencia glances between Minu and Kotal, nibbling her lower lip in worry. It has finally come to this. The fae does not even know what she should feel right now, her worry for Minu and confusion about her own feelings left no room for anything else.
For the first time in perhaps the entirety of his long existence, Kotal Kahn, Huitzilopotchli, the God of War, allows himself to be pushed without resistance. Impressive that the one who does that is no fellow god or universe eating demon, but a small elven librarian with wide eyes. A testament to how much power she has acquired over the Aztec god. Kotal Kahn's domain is warfare, it always has been, and just as he was caught unprepared when Silencia confessed to him, so is he unprepared when Minu reveals her true feelings at last. Come monsters from the fog, horrors from under the sea, or devouring aliens, Kotal has faced them all and prevailed. But he still can't seem to know how to deal with women and emotions in general. The Aztec warrior remains silent. It is as he suspected, Minu had feelings for him as well, and now he is caught int the precarious position of figuring what to do when he has already claimed a lover. He takes a breath as well, lips pursing in thought, and then glances at Minu again, glowing eyes meeting hers. "Minu." He begins softly, "Never think that you are beneath my attentions in any way." "From the time I've known you, you have grown from a trembling lost librarian, to a mighty warrior in your own right. You've braved all manners of dangers when most hardened fighters would fear to tread. You are dear and precious to me as well, in more ways than one." "But you must forgive me for my callousness. Long ago had I relinquished ever having a mate again, had Silencia not laid her feelings for me bare, I would have likely continued on this way." "Had you sought me first, I would have undoubtedly returned your feelings."
There it was, her fears confirmed. Silencia really did get lucky with her confession. She nibbles her lower lip and sighs softly. Time to speak up. "Minu... you really overestimate Kotal." Whoa, that was unexpected. "When I told him of my feelings, he didn't realise the meaning behind my words. I had to force a kiss to make him realise that I loved him as a woman. What I mean to say is... I got lucky. I happened to be first and that's why Kotal accepted me..." The fae's wings droop down before she folds them back, trying to hide her inner turmoil. "I was aware of this, that's why I wanted you to tell him as well." Silencia glances at Kotal and gives him a sweet smile, one that shows her peace and resignation. "If you wish to have Minu as your love instead of me, I do not mind, Kotal. I cannot help but feel like I've stolen her opportunity by confessing my feelings to you. I actually gained the courage to confess because I learned Minu also harboured feelings for you. I... didn't want be left behind... I mean, she has been by your side for a longer time and thus knows you better than I..." Her attention returns to Minu momentarily and the girl feels that odd feeling again, as if she doesn't want to let go of either Kotal or Minu. "I care deeply for you, Minu. You truly underestimate yourself and your worth." Silencia reaches out and cups Minu's head with her hands, making the little elf look her in the eye. "You are truly beautiful and sweet and your intelligence is enough to astound anyone, god or not. Never think of yourself as unworthy." She then slowly lets go of Minu and sighs before peeking at Kotal. "Do not mind me or my feelings, Kotal. What do you wish to do?" Silencia feels her heartrate speed up. She felt nervous and scared. But she had known it would have come to this eventually. She felt like she had no right to hold anyone back from what they truly wish, so she decided to allow Kotal to choose, even if that meant she would have to lose her beloved.
Ah, yes, the cake. It seems that it was the breaking point which caused all of this to spiral out of proportion. "Right?" Kotal says in agreement to Minu when she mentions how well it was made. He had spent so much time on it that it felt like every second spent here suffering over unrequited feelings and not eating the case was pure agony. For all his grandeur, Kotal is very simple minded like that. War can be brilliant, complex, innovative, but at its core its simple, brutal, even kind of stupid. Kotal may be capable of doing great things, and yet the smaller, simple and more subtle aspects of life continue to elude him. Such as Minu actually revealing her feelings for him in other ways. "What?" He blinks in genuine confusion. "I thought the petting and the closeness were normal for you." Indeed, he had no idea that was Minu's idea of flirting with the war god. Then he sighs and gives a somewhat tired chuckle as he agrees with Silencia. "It is true. I fully admit that the matters of affection are not my forte." Even though Silencia might argue that he can very affectionate when he feels it is warranted. "I had no idea Silencia sought my affections until she revealed it to me in a very forward way." It seems that things are finally settled until the fairy girl suggests that she would be find with the idea of Kotal renouncing her for Minu. "You wound me with such words, Silencia. Has our bond been meaningless to you? Do you renounce me as my priestess as well?" "No, I cannot forsake you my fae one. I could not even if I tried, for the link that binds us transcends mere feelings. My light is your light as yours is mine." It seems that changing his mind about Minu is futile.. and yet.. he shakes his head. "To make me make a choice between the two of you is a trial too great to bear even for me. To choose one of you over the other would be a disservice to you both." Clearly, despite what Silencia says about not minding it, either choice Kotal takes would leave someone in tears. "But I am a god." He says finally, eyes glowing a faint golden color. "And we deities do not perceive unions in the same way as mortals." "If you both wish to be my companions, then do so."
Silencia's eyes widen at Kotal telling her that she hurt him with her words. She shakes her head softly. "I do not mean it in that way, Kotal. You chose to allow me by your side without knowing about Minu's feelings. My heart and soul belong to you, but if you were to desire another, I cannot stop you... I do not want to hold you back from what might make you happier." And then the suggestion of both girls being his companion comes up. Minu's explanation about such things being common with her kind adds to Silencia's thoughts. She blushes as she glances between Minu and Kotal, her wings trembling. "You... care for me?" Again those confusing feelings rise up in Silencia's chest and the girl feels an undeniable bond between herself and Minu. A bond that was so very similar to that between her and Kotal. Her eyes widen and she hesitates. She couldn't... right? "I..I...I don't understand." Silencia then looks into Minu's eyes, her expression showing her inner confusion. She needed something definite, just one last push to show that these odd feelings of hers were permitted and accepted.
But she didn't. Quite the contrary, she sang the fairy's praises and helped her in so many other ways. She fought claw and beak when the Xenomorphs attacked Silencia, and kept watch at her cocoon. One does not do these things for a love rival. One does those things for someone they love. "Blast it all, Silencia." Even in these delicate moments, Kotal Kahn has no time for posturing. He can be like a bull in a china shop if he feels like there is needless time being wasted, and he is ready to put this issue to rest once and for all. "Can you not see? Minu loves you as well. She wishes you to be her mate as she wishes to be mine." This is normal amongst such long lived creatures, be them elves or gods, spending an eternity with just one individual just won't do. "Your heart is vast, Silencia. I know this much. Surely you are capable of accepting both are loves."
Kotal's sudden declaration makes the fae perk up in surprise. Before she can react to his words, Minu steps forward and grasps her face, demanding all of her attention. Her words make Silencia's cheeks flush and her lips part slightly to speak. Yet again, she is not given the opportunity to though, because Minu chooses that moment to kiss her. Silencia's wings unfold and perk up, her focus on keeping them folded completely gone. Silencia simply stares at Minu, cheeks bright red and her lips slightly apart. After what seems an eternity, she straightens and reaches out, pulling Minu in an intimate embrace. She really did love her. She did not know when it started, but she did. Just like Kotal and Minu said, she was capable of loving them both and she should accept that. "I... guess I was as dense as Kotal was..." She glances at Kotal and gives him a shy little smile before reaching out to him too, inviting him to join the embrace.
Minu receives none of these things when she kisses Silencia's lips, a place that once was reserved for Kotal and Kotal only. Instead, the Aztec looks on to the two women with approval. As much as he enjoys konflict, and how much it strengthens him.. just like there can be no light without darkness, there can be no war without peace. The warrior closes his eyes and lets out a breath when Silencia accepts the embrace. At long last, it seems this debacle was come to an end, with all parties satisfied. More than satisfied actually. Kotal opens his eyes and offers a sly smile at the two girls who are now his lovers. Even better than they share that love with each other as well. As Silencia extends her arm to offer him a place in their embrace, Kotal moves forward and falls upon one knee to hug both women tightly, just as he did was trying to do before at the TASK building. It'll be interesting to keep the company of lovers that are roughly half his size, but.. if that is his biggest problem with this relationship then he can safely say they will all be all right. "Now can we please go finish the cake I made?" Yes, he is -not- letting that go. "That cake is pure art I tell you." Minu was scared of how Silencia would react and she was just a little embarrassed knowing she had no skill in the loving arts yet, seeing as she had no experience. When Silencia embraced her instead of rebuffing her the little elf sighed and melted into the fae womans arms. There is the softest little sniffle as Minu clings to Silencia. She knows this is gonna be a new an unusual thing for all of them. But if they truly want it, they can make it happen and make it good. A hot blush stains her cheeks and ears As Kotal once more goes to one knee and enfolds both she and Silencia in his strong arms. This time she does not try to escape by shifting form, this time a small soft breathy little sound spills from her as his face draws near enough to her that she can brush her cheek against his then shyly brushes the corner of his mouth with her lips. When Kotal mentions cake, a tiny laugh spills from her and she nods "I think, I could eat cake...if we can talk about trees maybe?"
Nevertheless, he smiles when Silencia kisses his cheek in delight and begins to stand up once the fairy releases them. The talk of trees is noted, though Kotal doesn't actually know what its the meaning behind that particular conversation. He just decided to make the cake in the shape of a tree because Silencia liked them. He is still unaware of the great irony that he brought to bear. However, there is one time that remains undone. "But before all that." He grins and glances down to Minu. "It would be unfair if Silencia were the only one to partake on you tonight, my little owl." That's right, Minu better not think that he's going to let Silencia have all the fun here! Kotal soon leans down and does something he should have done a long time ago. He scoops Minu upwards, wrapping a muscled arm around the small of her back to dip her gently and kisses her lips as lovers do.
Silencia smiles warmly when she sees the cheerful look on Minu's face. She was happy that the tension and the sadness were gone. As Kotal sweeps Minu off of her feet and kisses her, Silencia can't help but feel just a little bit left out. So, after giving them a moment or two to enjoy their kiss, Silencia walks up to the lovebirds and places a gentle kiss on Minu's cheek and then on Kotal's cheek. She's blushing, but smiling. "Don't forget we're in Urus' apartment. I don't think he'll like it if you get too carried away here..." She gives Minu a little wink before walking off, the sound of her laughter dancing around the room. The fae is already planning how she'll make a Kala tree grow for Minu!
Indeed, though he wishes for that kiss to linger, he retracts and releases Minu to then watch as Silencia moves away, reminding them all where they happen to be. "Just as well, this place has the smell of dog." Well, it is Urus' place after all. "Shall we then, my owl?" He asks of Minu offering his arm for her to take.
| |
Enable comment auto-refresher