Experiments Reborn

  • So many newbies lately! Here is a very important PSA about one of our most vital content policies! Read it even if you are an ancient member!
Status
Not open for further replies.
Jay was focusing on a particular shred of flame when she heard the door knock. It was only ever Chris who wanted to come in, and she said, "It's open." However, after she spoke, she realized she didn't want Chris to see the drawing. It was her first good one, and she wanted to give it to him as a gift. He'd been so helpful in teaching her, and she had no way to repay him. But it wasn't finished, and she didn't like it and so she didn't want him to find it.

Her movements were hasty as she flew up, grabbing the paper and shoving it in between the pages of an open book. She forgot about the pile of crumpled papers, but it didn't matter. What she didn't think about was that every drawing she made looked the same, minus some variations. She was always trying to draw Chris's back, the wings flared out in complete magnificence with his head slightly turned and just the hints of a smile on his face. It wasn't what he'd done, but it was what she often imagined. But Chris wouldn't see the drawings, even the failed ones, until she was ready, or she hoped so.

Jay tried to hide her rushed state by crossing her arms and lowering her head when he entered. "Do you need something?" she asked, eyes on the floor. It was a bad habit she'd picked up in the facility, one that wasn't so easily broken.

Layla was holding a tree position, eyes closed when she heard Aari speak her name. His presence wasn't enough to shake her lazy movements, but his voice was. Her bright blue eyes popped open and a grin crossed her face. "Good on you, Aari. One step at a time," she said, bringing her arms down and taking a deep breath. She balanced on one foot, sticking her other leg out behind her before bending it as far up as it would go, curling her limb toward her shoulder. "Was it so bad to say?" she asked, a genuine question, not filled with sarcasm, like she often spoke to Chris.
 
Chris could hear her scrambling around behind the door and he couldn't help but smile a little. She thought he didn't know what she was doing, but he'd seen the crumpled up paper, understood that frantic desire to make sure no one saw what you've were drawing and he hadn't. He had no idea WHAT she was drawing, but he knew she was and he sometimes wished she would acknowledge the talent she had because he had it as well. And he'd been drawing for a lot longer, knew things he could help her with, but the redhead also knew the intimacy of art, the heart that went into it and if she did not wish to share that, he understood and respected her decision.

There are very few who have seen his own drawings.

When he opened the door, it was only after she'd stilled and he entered to see her beautiful hazel-green eyes downcast. Every time he saw that, Chris wanted to tilt her chin up, to run his fingers over her cheek and back into her raven hair, to whisper to her that she was safe, that she was like no one he'd ever met, that he longed to always see her eyes looking into his. But he didn't. He couldn't.

He forced a smile now and stood in the doorway, feeling awkward. "Um, you remember how I said I'd find your parents? Well...I have. They are coming here now, Jay." She would be ecstatic. So why was he so sad?

--

Her smile and the praise she gave him made Aari's pale blue eyes light up like lanterns. He would have smiled if the expression had felt natural, but as it was he started to purr and at her sincere question, he remained silent for a long time, thinking that over. Or rather, whether he could answer it like he'd said her name. He knew that it hadn't been bad to speak her name. He liked her name and the way it felt on his tongue. He'd often said it silently to himself, getting a feel for in his mouth.

No, he liked saying her name very much. But the effort, the mental power to overcome the fear inside him had been hard. Still, she'd not asked about that and Aari had felt no pain from speaking. He'd been given praise, encouragement and he felt something vice-like loosen marginally from around his mind as he moved closer still and then sat, wrapping his arms around tail around his knees and resting his chin on them.

He risked another word, the sensation feeling strange in his mouth. "No."
 
Last edited:
Jay's head snapped up at the words, and there was surprise written on her face. "Now?" she asked, unsure of how to feel. That only lasted for a second before her lips broke into a smile and her eyes lit up with happiness. "Oh, thank you!" Jay leaped and flung her arms around his neck, squeezing him tightly. "Thank you, thank you!" Her voice was muffled in his neck, but she was too excited to care. She pulled back, and before she even thought about what she was doing, she kissed him on the cheek. The act was fleeting, and her mouth moved without lingering.

Her arms fell away and she whipped around, her wings flapping before she ran, leaping off the balcony in sheer joy. The wind she'd created from her wings had knocked the book off the desk, and almost in a strange, coincidental way, the drawing she'd pushed in between the pages fluttered out, swirling in the moving air until it came to rest at Chris's feet. The drawing was mostly a rough sketch, so he could clearly see the lines she'd made and the outline of what she wanted to fill in for later. The fire around his face was carefully drawn so it wouldn't obscure the penciled in features, and other sparks had been shaded lightly.

Jay didn't even notice as she flew up to the roof, nearly catching Aari in the air. "Aari, Mother and Father are here. They're here to take us home!" she said, voice full of delight. She turned to see Layla, watching with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and a smirk on her lips. "Well, seems like everyone's doing well today. Your brother spoke, and you get to go home." She'd been happy to hear him admit that talking wasn't so bad, and she would have continued to talk had it not been for Jay's interruption. "I think I'm goin' to check on Birdy." She flipped herself down from the roof, landing on the balcony and gracefully turning to look at Chris. He seemed so sad, so naturally, she was going to poke fun at him. She had nothing better to do.

"Well, aren't you just a little, flaming ball of happiness? You could convince her to stay, y'know. She likes you. She just doesn't know that she does. You're... smart, most of the time. Figure something out." She looked around the room that had been thrown into disarray from Jay's flying. "And clean up this room, you slob. What a poor state to leave the dragon girl in." She flipped her hand in a dismissive motion before she walked around Chris and out of the room.

Kain and Jami had been searching. They'd made a copy of the map and crossed off every Greenwater facility their children weren't at. After flying across the world to come to France, they'd heard that two dragon children were looking for their parents. Considering how Jay and Aari were the only dragon children in existence, they knew it was their children they'd found. After being directed to where Jay and Aari were, Kain made a rather extravagant entrance. He crashed down near the house with a roar, his wings flipping up dust and dirt into the air. The sound wasn't to play around. He wanted his children and he wanted them now. He released Jami, who he'd been carrying in his claws for most of the way, but he didn't change back into a human. Instead, he saw his daughter shoot from the sky and wrap her arms around his nose in a hug. He lowered her to the ground, nudging her shoulder. Jay was here, but where was Aari? They'd never strayed far from each other before, and there was no reason to do so now.
 
Chris watched her go with a bittersweet smile on his face. He'd kissed many women and they'd kissed him in the past, but just feeling that small peck from Jay....made his entire feel like it was catching fire in joy he didn't quite understand and he felt like he was flying up to greet the sun. The high faded as fast as it came, though, because she had left and he feared it was in more ways than one. He moved to leave the room then when the paper landed at his feet and unable to help himself, Chris bent down to pick it up, his eyes tracing over the features on the paper.

He felt a slight smile come to lips and his heart jumped in an odd way at realizing that he was looking at himself. She was drawing him and she was good. He looked at the way she'd gone and sighed, moving to the book and slipping the paper in before putting it back where it had fallen. The redhead looked up at hearing Layla enter and at her words, he frowned and looked after his friend with a shake of his head. Sometimes he loathed Layla more than he loved her. She was like a sister to him, but damn, she could be a royal pain in the arse.

Sure, she had her points, but she could try to be nicer about them and slob? This wasn't even his room! Chris rolled his eyes and left the room in the same state Jay had put it in, working his way downstairs. He froze at the bottom, hearing the roar and closed his eyes. Stars. He'd forgotten just how much he'd both missed and hated that sound.

--

Aari was slightly startled by his sister, but he didn't lash out against her, every instinct in him telling him Jay wasn't a threat. He caught her as she nearly slammed into him and looked at her, blinking, barely comprehending her words. For so long now they'd been wishing their parents would come, had spoken of it, prayed for it, had been hopeful for it....and then Aari had given up on it. Jay hadn't though, and now she was saying they were here.

Their parents were here. And they were going to take them home.

The hybrid looked lost about how to respond and he looked after Layla as she left, feeling the oddest desire to follow her while at the same time he wanted to go with his sister. He was torn, confused and the roar broke in on everything whirling through his mind. He looked up then, seeing the black dragon in the sky and memory stirred. His father. That was his father. So why did he feel so threatened? He looked back at Jay, watching as she took off and Aari followed after a moment of hesitation, taking great leaps down the roof levels and then to the ground, approaching much more slowly than his sister had.

--

Jami's heart had pounded the entire time she was in the air, her body abuzz with excitement and hope. She was going to see her children! Finally, after a year they were going to be in her arms again! She nearly leaped out of Kain's claws as he lowered her to the ground and upon seeing her daughter, Jami stilled, looking her over with amazement, sadness, relief, love...so many things she could not express. Her baby girl had grown. No longer was she the child they'd let go hunting that fateful day. She was a young woman with a woman's body and height, features. Jami felt tears spring to her eyes, both of sadness for the time and memories she'd never get to see and with so much joy she could barely contain it as she flew forward and enveloped her child in her arms, not caring that Jay was a bit taller than her.

She was still her precious daughter and the tears that Jami cried were ones of incredible relief at having her near again. She pulled back a bit and held Jay's face in her hands, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Oh, my baby girl!" she whispered, hugging Jay again, whispering how much she loved her, how sorry they were, how she was safe now and then Jami pulled back again, looking around as Kain had done.

"Where is your brother?"

Her green-hazel eyes looked around before spotting her son a short, cautious distance away and Jami's breath caught. He looked like his father, so much so that it was frightening because Jami not only saw the features, the height, the build....but also how Aari carried himself, the wariness that surrounded him, the fierceness in his pale blue eyes. Her little boy. Oh, stars, what had they done to her son?
 
Jay wanted to break down in tears, even in happiness, but dragons didn't cry. She held her mother tightly, though she was inches taller than her. She understood that they were sorry, that they couldn't get there in time. But now, they were here, ready to take them home. So when the sudden pang of sadness wrapped around her heart, it startled her. Why was she sad? This was what she'd wanted ever since they'd been taken away. To leave now would mean she got what she wanted. It would mean leaving Chris and Layla. Why did that make her sad seemingly out of nowhere?

She released her mother as both Kain and Jami saw Aari. The cruel differences between their children's actions weighed on them. Aari wasn't like her anymore. She was the only one who had a hold on him, because he didn't trust anyone else. It was that thought that made her walk up to him, taking his hand. "You know them, Aari. It's Mother and Father... You can trust them. You don't have to go up to them right now if you don't want to. It's okay," she said, giving him a smile before wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"Where is the man who has housed you? I wish to know who he is."

"You want to meet Chris?" She couldn't hide the surprise in her voice, but Kain nodded all the same. "I... I can go find him." She squeezed Aari's hand before she said to him, "You can go find Layla if you want. I think they'll understand." With that, she went inside.

"Chris?" she called, not seeing him. She did find Layla perched on the counter, playing with a piece of a string, knotting it in odd ways. "Lookin' for Bird-Boy, are you?"

"Do you know where he is?"

"He's around. Come to say goodbye? I guess you're leavin' and all that."

"I... I don't know."

"You don't know? It's what you wanted, isn't it?"

"I said I don't know!" The snapping in the dragon's voice had Layla holding her hands up in surrender.

"Alright, I get it. I dunno where Chris is, but he's here." Jay only nodded and kept looking for him, searching all the rooms.

~

"I see now what they have done to our son... It is what happened to me, only in a shorter amount of time." His words rang true, but the thoughts were sour. The massive dragon took a seat before he nuzzled his nose to his wolf. He didn't want to believe it was the case, but there was no other explanation. Aarinthor had been conditioned into a killer who allowed no one near him. Jay was trustworthy to him, being family and the sole person who'd helped him during his time of torture, but his parents... It was not so for them.
 
Aari looked after his sister and then to his parents again, a war waging inside him. He wanted to follow her, to leave and escape the uncertainty he felt, the knotted feeling of both fear and longing within him. He wanted to find Layla because she always seemed to understand how to unravel what he was feeling, at least when he made those feelings known to her, but... He looked back, his pale blue eyes meeting his mother's gaze and the sheer hope and sadness in her eyes twisted something inside him painfully.

He found himself taking a step toward her and then stilling again, looking up at his father, feeling a growl erupt in his throat without thought. He knew, logically that he had nothing to fear from the black dragon, but he felt wary of the larger predator, instinctively wary and Aari stopped moving again, his body trembling before he bolted away back in the direction he'd come, not knowing where he was going, only that he was too confused and scared to stay.

What he didn't see was the tears that fell from his mother's eyes as Jami watched Aari leave and she felt her heart sink. She looked up at Kain and leaned into his nose, feeling her heart break for one child and soar with joy over the other, tearing her emotions in two. She took a deep breath, trying to remain steady because her children would need it. They needed her to be strong and she wanted to cradle each of them, stroke their hair and watch them go to sleep side by side as they'd done as little ones.

She would never get that back.

"Kain...Kain, I don't know what to do." she admitted to her dragon, looking up into his gold eyes.

--

Chris had thought to give the two siblings time with their parents without interruption and as it was, he was now taking a crap-load of phone calls from Mythies who'd seen the black dragon and were now ranting and raving about how their safety was compromised and how were they going to hide this from the humans and what the hell had he been thinking inviting such a creature here! Needless to say, the redhead had a headache and wasn't in the bet of moods as he paced his room.

But when his door opened and Jay was revealed, he froze, phone pressed to his ear and stared at her, almost in disbelief. She was here. Her parents were down there. And she was...here.

He clicked the phone shut and closed his mouth, stepping forward without thought like he might touch her, but not understanding why unless it be to reassure himself that he was seeing her. "What's wrong? What happened?" Why else would she be searching for him?
 
"It's because there is nothing to do. Aarinthor must deal with his issues on his own. He will find someone he trusts, but I fear it is no longer us. He knows who we are, but... our child is different, sia kaldaka, but he is still ours. We will care for him even if he changed." The dragon's tongue flicked out and pushed her tears from her face in an attempt to comfort her. His claws wrapped around her and pulled her against him, settling his paws in the sand, tail twitching. This man Jay was going to get... the dragon knew not to trust these types of people, but he had helped his children.

Layla was walking around as she often did, surveying the area when Aari nearly crashed into her. "Whoa, easy there," she said, holding her hands up. "Calm down. Somethin' botherin' you? Your parents are here. Don't want to see them? Or is it 'cause Jay's running around looking for Bird-Boy and she's not with you? One or two?" She held her fingers up in their hand-language, finding it was by far the easiest way to communicate with him. He couldn't growl all the time, now, could he?

Jay recollected herself before she answered. "I... No, nothing's wrong. My... My father wanted to meet you. He said he wants to know who you are." She paused before adding, "And... you probably shouldn't not want to meet him... He's got a habit of eating people." She took his hand, pulling him down the halls and back outside, even though it was his house. He knew where he was going, but she still managed to get him back outside where her parents sat. The black dragon looked up, glaring at the phoenix man before he sniffed. He couldn't burn this man, but there was a part of him tempted to cook him like a Thanksgiving turkey.

"You are the man who has taken care of my children?" His voice purposely boomed through the minds of Jay and Chris, but it was something Jay was used to. How else would the dragon be intimidating, outside of his massive and deadly appearance or the true legends of how he feasted upon flesh?
 
Chris swallowed at her words, not exactly wanting to go meet Maulkainthur - again - but he didn't protest and followed Jay out of the house. He was pretty sure she wasn't going to let him go anyway and he almost wished that she wouldn't as they exited the door. Gah, he hated meeting dragons and Maulkaithur was the worst...or best, depending on how you wanted to look at it...dragon around.

The phoenix was not sure this was going to go over well.

Jami didn't much like Kain's words, but she knew them to be true and she curled into him when he brought her closer, sighing and letting her tears dry for now. She would cry again, she was sure, but right now she needed to be stable for Jay and Aari's sake. She would speak to her son eventually. She would hug him again. Jami was determined that it be so and with that resolve in mind, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking up just in time to see Jay approaching with a red-haired male who looked somewhere torn between caution and resignation and it intrigued her.

Her daughter's hand in the male's own interested her as well, but Jami wasn't sure what she actually thought of it. Her daughter was two years old...and a woman....and a little girl she'd never got to see grow....it was confusing.

She watched as the redhead came closer and when Kain's voice boomed in his head, Chris grimaced a little, but didn't flinch and he looked up at the black dragon with a sigh. "Yep. That's me." he intoned simply and Jami put her hand on Kain's scales, cautioning him to be nice. This man had helped their children and made sure that Kain and Jami knew where they were. That shouldn't be rewarded with hostility even if they could still be cautious.

"What is your name?" the blond asked, a lot more quietly than her mate and the redhead looked to her. "Christopher Phoenix. You must be Jami."

--

Aari leaped back with a snarl as he crashed into someone, but upon hearing Layla's familiar voice, he calmed down slowly, snarl dying down. It took him a bit longer to think about her words and his body shook with tremors as he stood before her, finally answering with a one gesture and then a growl, shaking his head as he started to pace, looking back the way he'd come. He didn't want to go back, but he did.

He'd made his mother unhappy. His father wasn't his enemy. His sister was overjoyed to see them.

Why was he so scared? Why did he feel like crying and snarling at the same time. Why couldn't he just be happy like Jay was?
 
The dragon growled, releasing Jami from his claws and looking the man over. He didn't like Jay holding onto him, and with a quick slam of his tail, Jay jumped enough to release Chris's hand and bring hers back to her side. Satisfied that she might not get any ideas again, he turned his gaze back on Chris. In fact, he had something better. He rose in one fluid motion, one claw flashing out before he pinned Chris to the ground. Jay started forward to help, but a snarl from her father was enough to tell her that the harmful interaction was between the two males.

"Do not touch my daughter again," he snapped, keeping his mental voice to himself and Chris. "Or I will have your tail feathers, bird. I do not care if you rebirth yourself. I can kill you over and over until I find the most painful way."

He released Chris, turning his head to find his daughter staring at him with hard eyes. She had such a similar gaze to her mother, and he almost felt bad for threatening Chris. Almost. He would protect his daughter from whatever, and that included men like Chris.

Jay, however, didn't seem to like that so much. However, she didn't know how to defy her father. He was the dominant one. She didn't check on Chris, instead choosing to flutter up to her balcony, the glass door slamming shut as she twisted the handle. Maybe she should have asked if Chris was okay, but it would have gone against her father's wishes. She didn't know what he said to Chris, but it wasn't good. She sat on the bed, wings hanging limp on both sides of her, face hidden in her elbow as she pulled her legs up.

~

"Ah. Don't wanna be around 'em. I see. Well, you haven't seen 'em in a while, so that makes sense." Layla leaned on the wall behind her, watching the dragon hybrid pace. "Slow down, there. Don't wanna run yourself ragged." She paused, fingers drumming in thought on her arm.

"Y'know, if you think your parents won't like you or won't want to see you 'cause you changed, you're probably wrong. They'll love you even if you're different. Jay does it. She takes care of you, 'cause she loves you. If you let people love you for you, they will. I s'pose it's easy to get scared of that, if you think you're scary or not very nice." She peered under her fingernails, scratching at something before she shrugged. "That's just my thought. Do you think they won't love you anymore?" It was sort of a harsh question, but Layla wasn't one for beating around the bush.
 
Chris was pissed. Absolutely livid but many millenniums had taught him that to show ones anger right away was only foolish when ones opponent was bigger and more skilled than you. He rose from the ground, not much worse for wear and watched Jay disappear back into the house. He took no offense or anger at her because he knew dragon customs. She hadn't challenged her father yet, found her place and so she had to keep obeying him.

Which left his rage directed at Maulkainthur himself. Only, it wasn't the black dragon he'd used to know and that made some different to Chris. He was the elder in this situation whether this dragon liked it or not...but he wasn't going to bring that up either. No, outright defiance would work well enough. "Go ahead. You might as well start killing me now dragon because I think even getting to spend *one minute* with Jay would be enough to endure that for years if I have to. You lost your kids and you're pissed about it. Don't take it out on me, especially since you CAN'T kill me and keep me dead and I guarantee I know far more tricks than you do. I am older than you, dragon and I always will be."

Okay, so maybe he would mention that.

Chris glared at Kain, his gray eyes hard and Jami looked between them with worry, but no confusion. She knew what Kain had done and while she didn't approve, she hadn't stopped him either because she was unsure how she felt about he situation herself, but....things were escalating and the werewolf hybrid looked up at her mate, voice entering his mind only.

"Kain, tir ti ouith jacion usv wux geou ouith dout hianag sva wer diieson tairais. Yth filki itrewica hesi vraktor spical. Si tir ti tuor ekess hawg astahi tenamalo. Si tir ti tuor ekess banri astahi mojka. Petranas, sia darastrix, xoal ekess qe d'nag, ihk ve."

--

He ignored her words about stilling. He didn't feel like he could when all he wanted to do was shift down to his wolf form and just run until he couldn't move anymore. He didn't because he wasn't allowed to shift...no...no he was allowed, but... Aari snarled deeply and his claws came up to grip his head as his own thoughts, Layla's words, emotions all ran through him at the same time and he didn't know how to function with them.

The hybrid finally roared, his head hurting, his heart hurting and his tail lashed out, sending a lamp crashing to the floor and creating a dented-hole in the wall. It was the first damage he'd done in this place and Aari didn't care as he slumped against the wall, curling his knees up in the exact same way his sister's were right now, though, he didn't know it. Aari held his head as he started crying. He hadn't cried in four months, but he was too overwhelmed to care.

Layla was right. He was terrified that they wouldn't love him anymore, that he was too different, too broken now for them to want him and in the end he'd only be the savage animal the scientists told him he was.
 
Last edited:
The dragon didn't want to hurt Jay. He couldn't do that to the daughter he just got back after a year. He growled at Chris again before he settled in the sand, pulling his mate close to his chest with his claws. His mental voice was silent for some time before he finally worked up something to say.

"Ask the bird... Chris... to check on Jayveleme. I did not like the way she left." Well, it was sort of his fault, but he wasn't willing to admit that to anyone, not even Jami. He kept his voice to her mind only, making sure Chris wouldn't hear him. The bird didn't deserve to touch his daughter, but he'd cared for her and Aari for some time, and he could at least try and respect that.

~

Jay was hiding from everyone when she heard the crash. Flying down the stairs with lightning speed, she found Aari curled up in a corner, and her ears caught the sound of crying from him. Aari hadn't cried in a year, and Jay turned on Layla. "What did you do?" she snapped, glaring at the werecat.

"I didn't do nothin'. We were just talkin' and--"

"No, you did something!" she growled, looking back at her brother. He was so hurt, and she couldn't believe Layla would have done anything to him. "Go away!"

"I--"

"I said go!" she roared, fingers curling into claws with bright green scales dotting her hands. Her eyes blazed and her wings flared, and Layla fled, not wanting to anger the dragon further. Once she was gone, Jay turned to Aari, kneeling down in front of him.

"Aari? What's wrong? Did she do something to you?" she asked, cautiously wrapping her arms around him. Her wings followed, and she cradled her brother in an embrace, deciding that she wouldn't leave him alone so much. She had spent too much time with Chris, and she wanted to blame him for making her leave Aari, but it wasn't his fault. Still, she would keep a closer eye on her brother, because she didn't want to see him cry.
 
Jami frowned and gave her mate a look - and it wasn't because she was being manhandled, she was more than used to that - but because of his words, though, she said nothing of it at the moment, instead looking to Chris who was watching the black dragon with a wary and hard gaze. He looked young, but Jami had to remind herself that he was a creature that didn't die. Could he die? It was an interesting thought.

"Chris, would you check on Jay for us?"

The redhead looked at her like she might be crazy and Jami bristled at that, but she didn't react but to growl softly was the male spoke, sarcasm and anger dripping from his voice. "If I do and she's upset, am I am going to get my arse chewed by him for daring to be near her or, heaven forbid, talk to her?" Okay, so Kain kinda deserved that as Chris glared at him and Jami set a hand on her mate's scale, cautioning him to patience as she sighed. "You will not be harmed, Chris. Please. Jay trusts you, that much is clear and I would be greatly appreciative if you looked in on her."

The male looked exasperated, but he WAS worried about Jay so without another word, he ran back to the house and Jami watched him go before looking back at Kain and crossing her arms. "You could shift down easily enough, my dragon, and check on her yourself. You'll have to face her ire eventually and don't even think of telling me that you don't care. She's your daughter and dragon or not, pride or not, you care."

And with that, the mother headed toward the house because she needed to be near her children for now.

--

Aari had covered his ears, trying to block out the world, his own thoughts, just trying to escape the roiling emotions and pain he felt. So it was that he didn't realize Layla was gone until Jay was wrapping her arms and wings around him and he curled into her, sobs wracking his body despite how he tried to stop them. He hadn't wanted Layla to leave. He knew that now because she was gone, but he wasn't upset with Jay for making her leave; because that was what the noise had been he now understood; Jay driving the werecat away.

He growled, choked words coming through his tears. "Thric. Layla ui... bensvelk." He tensed then, body going rigid and breathing hitching as he expected pain to follow the words. Logically he knew it would not, but his body remembered far different than his thinking mind and psychologically it didn't matter that he was now safe. He still feared what the scientists had done and the control they still seemed to have over him.

Nothing happened, though. Only his sister's touch, her soothing smell and Aari risked more words, whispering them as she looked up at her with wet, haunted pale blue eyes. "Si mi jikmadator, shilta ti qe itova."
 
Last edited:
The dragon growled, but he released her. He would face his daughter when they were both ready. He dug his claws into the sand and curled his tail around his paws. His massive head rested on the ground, and his eyes closed. The flight, and searching for his children across the states and then the world, had made him tired. He and Jami had hardly rested because every moment they slept, their children were potentially being moved. With a snarl, the dragon fell asleep, not eager to wake in the morning and speak to his daughter about his behavior.

~

"No, you're wrong, Aari. We love you. You aren't broken. They hurt you, and that doesn't mean anything," she said, kissing the top of his head. Her hands curled into his hair, rubbing around his horns and stroking his locks down. "I'm here for you, and I love you. You can be loved. There are some people who want to love you. You just have to let them, but it's okay if you don't. It'll be alright." She couldn't leave him alone now.

They sat like that for several minutes until Jay felt eyes on her. She found Chris and Jami watching them, and her gaze hardened. She couldn't let anyone see Aari in his saddened state. Turning back to her brother, she kissed his temple before her wings flew out, blocking them from view for a few seconds. "Come on. Why don't we go upstairs and you can get cleaned up? You can use all the hot water you want." Pulling him to his feet, Jay passed by her mother and Chris, keeping her eyes down as she and Aari left and went back upstairs.

She couldn't look at Chris and apologize for not helping him earlier. She should have, and instead, she'd run away. Her mother... she didn't know what to say. There was so much to tell her, and yet, nothing came out.

And so she had to avoid them as best as possible.
 
Aari calmed under her touch and her words, believing her...at least that she loved him, and the hybrid's tears had slowed and stopped by the time Jay looked at something he didn't immediately see. He looked at her in confusion when she mentioned getting him clean. He wasn't dirty. Why did he need to be cleaned? He didn't understand why she was pulling him up until he saw Chris and his mother. The former he was used to, even if the sight of the male made him bare his fangs with a soft growl, but his mother...

The hybrid would have faltered and frozen if it hadn't been for Jay and as it was he simply followed her, simultaneously curling further into himself and bristling - he was a porcupine! - when they drew close to the two and then Jay was leading him up the stairs and Aari stopped growling when they entered the room. He looked down at his sister then and pulled her into a hug. He was glad she was with him and this was the only human-like way he knew how to show it.

He released her after a moment and went to the bathroom because she was right; he did like the shower and when he had stripped and was letting the water run over him, the hybrid started to feel a little better and soon enough, he was curled in the bottom of the tub, just letting the water pour on him and block out everything else.

--

Jami had come upon Christ listening to the two siblings talking and judging by the almost pained expression that flitted across the redhead's face, the mother was becoming more and more sure that this phoenix was very fond of her children indeed. Even Aari, and Chris himself didn't understand THAT one. It's not like the hybrid did anything more than growl and glare at him when he was near. Maybe it was just because they were kin?

But no, he felt something much more for Jay...and that scared him if he was honest. And seeing both siblings hurting saddened him in a way he didn't expect and the redhead leaned against the wall, not interrupting them, but putting a hand to his lips when Jami came forward. The mother only nodded and she listened to Jay talk with a sad sort of smile on her face, so incredibly proud of her considerate, brave, loving daughter and so very sad for her hurting son. And yet, Jay was hurting, too, just in a different way...and the mother just hoped that she could help even one of them in some way. She only smiled a little when Jay growled at them, recognizing that protective fire as coming from Kain and her alike and she felt like chuckling a little. She'd seen both children squall their fool heads off as infants. Tears were nothing new to Jami, but she understood from Kain why dragons didn't like to show them.

So she let the two be as they went past, eyes following their retreat and the blond looked at Chris. "How long have they been here with you?"

"A month. They're actually doing really well. Jay's learning a lot and drawing and Aari...well, he hasn't attacked anyone and he seems fond of Layla." The redhead was hoping to reassure the mother a little and Jami appreciated even if the fact that she had to be updated at all hurt her heart. "Layla?"

"Werecat. She's taken a shine to Aari and he seems to be all right with it." Chris informed and Jami nodded slowly, more than tempted to ask about his own relationship with her daughter, but Jami decided she'd rather speak to Jay about that first and she thanked Chris, but moved toward the stairs, following her nose. She found the twin's room - glad they were together - and she knocked gently.

"Jay? Sweetie, can I come in?"
 
Last edited:
Jay hugged her brother with a tight grip. It was hard for him to do, and she treasured each moment she spent embracing him. She made sure he settled in before the shower flicked on and she retreated to her bed. However, she found that she'd left the room in disarray when she'd flown out earlier. Slowly, she began to pick things up and place them in their previous positions. The last think she moved was the book containing her drawing. The page was bent, a way she hadn't left it before. Had someone else seen the art? She looked around, fearful of something not in view, but after a few seconds, she sat down on the bed, cradling the book to her chest.

She flipped it open to the page with the drawing, her eyes grazing over Chris's etched features. One finger trailed along the fire before she heard a knock at the door. The book snapped shut and Jay was quick to hide it under her pillow before she said anything. "Y-yeah, you can," she answered, voice wavering slightly.

When her mother entered, Jay was almost disappointed to not see Chris with her. Didn't he want to see how she was? She supposed he already had when she was helping Aari, and he probably didn't need to see more of her. The thought made her head turn away and her legs to curl up. "Do you need something?" she asked, keeping her eyes away from her mother's.
 
Jami came into the room slowly, looking around briefly before her eyes settled back on her daughter and she smiled just a little at Jay's question even as she recognized that pose. Oh, she knew that posed very well, had taken it many times with Kain when she'd been upset with him or just plain upset. The mother didn't respond right away, moving to the bed itself and sitting down before Jay, reaching out without hesitation to brush her daughter's hair back from her face.

She looked so grown up to the blond, but in Jami's heart, she'd always be her child.

"I need to know my children are all right," she answered softly, tilting her head to try and meet Jay's eyes, remembering so many times of having to do it with Kain. If there was anything Jami knew how to do, it was draw a dragon out of it's shell. Her hand was now smoothing down her daughter's hair. "Jay, you know you can tell me anything. I love you and I will always listen. I know your father was harsh with Chris, but is there anything else bothering you?"

Oh, there must be a great deal and Jami was sure Jay didn't know where to start, but she'd given her child an opening.

--

Chris wanted to go upstairs after Jami, but he refrained. The twins needed time with their parents, with their mother and he could respect that. So he went in search of an elusive werecat instead because as blunt as Layla was, he needed to talk to someone about this and she was the only friend he had. He found her in the kitchen, somewhere they both usually retreated to - if not the roof for Layla and the ocean for him - and he sat in a stool across from her without a word at first, putting his head in his hands.

He rubbed his face after a moment and looked at her through his fingers.

"My life just got infinitely more complicated. Any words of advice?" He frowned and dropped his hands, looking at her with a flicker of worry. "You okay?" Yeah, Layla was tough and it wasn't the first time she'd been yelled at, but he'd never seen her try so much with anyone like she was Aari. Well, no one but him, but that had been years ago.
 
Jay shook slightly with her mother's touch, but she was just that: her mother. She couldn't be afraid of her mother. She only wanted to know if Jay was alright, and that was a fine question to have. She looked up, her eyes similar to that of Jami's. She was like her mother, but Jami hadn't grown up in a facility like they had. "I... I'm okay. Aari likes the hot water, so he's able to kinda calm down when he takes a shower."

She looked away again, thinking about what to say next. Jami wanted her to talk, and she didn't know what to say. Instead of talking about what had happened, she only said, "Where's Chris?" It seemed like the strangest question coming from her, someone who had actively avoided conversation and interaction with him on more than one occasion. "Does he not want to see me?" She seemed crestfallen by the thought of the phoenix turning the tables on her and not seeing her.

~

Layla was pacing on the counter, something most people wouldn't have allowed. However, she knew Chris wasn't most people. When he came into the room, she sat down, legs curled up. She shrugged at his first question, for once at a loss for words. Her blue eyes locked with his at the second question, but only another shrug came out of her. "Your dragon girl is vicious, y'know? She thought I did somethin' to Aari, and damn, I was outta there. I wasn't tryin' to make her upset, but Aari just... didn't like what I was sayin', I guess." It was an educated guess, but as a person who hated to be wrong, Layla disliked admitting not knowing something.

"What's got you all twisted up? You piss off a dragon too?"
 
Hearing that something was able to sooth her son, still making him happy...and that it was something Kain had always enjoyed - when he wasn't too big for it - too brought a small warmth to Jami's heart and she looked toward the bathroom, but didn't leave Jay, turning her attention back to her daughter. She ignored the shaking as Jay had not pulled away and continued on as if each tremor didn't stab a needle into her heart, a pinprick of pain over and over again.

She would kill the scientists for the damaged they'd done.

Chris? Jami had to work to keep a grin off her face and a chuckle out of her throat. Oh, so that's what was wrong. Well, it was good to know where her daughter stood on the matter, even if Jay didn't realize it herself. And Jami wasn't too anxious that her little girl figure it out all at once either...because that was the trouble, she still wanted to see Jay as a child...and in a technical sense she was. But she couldn't be like Kain about this either.

The blond smiled softly and touched Jay's cheek with the back of her fingers. "Oh, my sweet girl, he wants to see you very much. He even stood up to your father about the matter, but I think he is trying to be nice and let you spend time with your family." She met Jay's young hazel-green eyes, her own green-hazel holding a bit more wisdom than the younger female. "Most people, males especially, are not mind-readers, Jay. If you avoid someone, they will believe you want to be alone. Communication runs both ways, baby girl."

--

Well....that was new. He'd rarely known Layla not to have an answer to something. And then to GUESS about something else without being certain if she was right? He was slightly flabbergasted to be completely honest and Chris stared at his friend for a moment before grinning. "Yeah, I did. Dragon of Death, actually and the twin's father. Kinda ironic since there's only one way I can die and ain't gonna be by his hand." the phoenix mused.

He shook his head a moment later and gave the black-white haired werecat a look that was more sympathetic than anything...even if he did risk a tongue lashing or worse for giving it to her. "Hey, he likes you. Or at least as much as a feral dragon can like anyone. He said you were 'good'. He's just...truly believes no one but Jay can love him, like him."

Chris frowned, the thought sitting restlessly within him and he shook his head again, looking up to the ceiling. "I think she's mad at me...but I can't tell, not for sure." he admitted, thinking about Jay once more.
 
If Chris wanted to see her, he should come up and see her. At least, that was the thought drilling itself into her mind when Jami interrupted it. Chris couldn't know what she wanted unless she told him, except that she didn't know how to tell him. She could always hang around him more often, since he never seemed to mind when she did so. A deep sigh escaped her as she twisted, hand pushing under the pillow to grab the book. Jami wouldn't tell Chris about the drawing. "I... I drew this of him, but... It's not very good, and I'm not done... but... I don't know if he'll like it. Would it be a good way to talk to him?" she asked, opening the book and pushing it toward her mother.

She wanted Chris to like her and befriend her, but her communication skills were obviously lacking. "Mother... we... Aari and I were taken... She... That woman... Dr. Naris, she... she said she knew you and Father. She said you were friends. But... they did horrible things to us. I wanted them all to die. Aari killed a lot of them when we got out, but they tried to follow. We thought you were coming for us... Was that why they moved us?" Jay wanted to cry, but her hands clasped her knees and dug her nails into her skin. Pain was better than crying.

~

Layla lifted an eyebrow at the mention of the dragon. While she was far younger than the phoenix, she knew enough stories. "Well, fine situation you've gotten us into," she said, dry sarcasm pooling into her voice. However, she saw the look in his eye, the one that wrote pity, and she deadpanned. "Don't gimme that look, Bird-Boy. No one's ever goin' to love him as much as she does. He'll get somewhere someday." She didn't confirm or deny her hand in his slow recovery, even if Chris thought he knew.

The flat expression switched to a smirk as he talked about Jay. "Damn, Birdy. You just gotta tell her. She's not goin' to come around unless you do. She's young, you're not. She doesn't know a lot, and you do." She paused, shaking her head at Chris. "She hasn't even done anything and she's got you wrapped around her finger like a ring." The thought made her snicker. She was clearly enjoying the suffering he was going through, even if it was a front. Aari's crying had hurt her to listen to, and she'd been given no chance to comfort him because of Jay. In fact, she'd only been talking to him since Jay hadn't been around because of Chris. He was doing her a favor, even if he didn't realize it.
 
Jami took the picture in gentle hands and she found herself smiling at the beautiful moment captured by her daughter. Jay had a gift and the mother looked up with pride shining in her eyes. "He will like it and if he does not, he is a fool." she declared before setting the picture down carefully, continuing to speak...or she would have if Jay had not started on a completely different train of thought.

The werewolf hybrid watched her daughter carefully as she stuttered through her words and when Jay started to hurt herself, Jami intervened because dammit, she had to watch Kain do that all the time and she was not going to watch her children do the same without at least trying to help them! She reached out, taking Jay's hands in her own and then, with the care only a mother could show, she moved closer to the younger female and pulled her coaxingly into her arms. "Shh, it's all right, Jay. It's all right, sweetie." she soothed first before doing anything else and then Jami sighed and addressed the harder issues.

"Dr. Naris is not our friend, but our enemy as I am sure you well know by now. She took you father from your grandparents when he was only a child, too, but he stayed with her for thirteen years. I met him when I came to work at Greenwater, the place Dr. Naris took you to, and they captured me and turned me into a hybrid. We escaped together and eventually fell in love and had you and Aari. Dr. Naris is an evil woman, but she is smart and she knew if she took our children, we would come after her, we would kill her. So yes, that is why you were moved and why it took so long for us to find you."

Jami took a shuddering breath, pressing a kiss to the top of Jay's head. "I am so sorry we were not quicker. I am so sorry, Jay."

--

Hmph. Sure, Jay was going to love her brother more than anyone, but not all loves were the same. Chris didn't mention as much, though, because Layla was already going off on him about HIS relationship and he wanted nothing more than for the earth to swallow him whole as he avoided her eyes and groaned at her words, glaring at her through one eye. "I may be old, but that doesn't mean I am...all-knowing." he countered before sighing, running a hand through his red hair.

"Stop your chortling. I'm freaking out here, okay? I don't know what this girl has over me, but....damn if I don't want to want to ruin it. She IS young, that's part of why I am so damn worried. I don't want to...hurt her. That's what I do to women, Layla, I hurt them, you know that. I can't love them, not like they want me to, but with Jay...I feel different and it scares the living s*** out of me."

He knew what was happening. He wasn't dense, but the speed and surety of it worried him. And what worried him more was the fact that if he was falling for Jay, she was in a lot more danger than she'd know...because the only way to kill a phoenix was to kill it's heart and he had a lot more enemies than he wanted to think about.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back