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Achieved dreamies: Mutant Lupe, Desert Lupe, Halloween Bori, Pirate Lupe, Desert Kyrii, Maraquan Cybunny
Ayri:
Please note that Laxoch and Fyrlee are siblings, and I'd love them in the same picture, if you could! The top of Laxoch's head should reach to about Fyrlee's mid-face. c:
Fyrlee (the fur on her coat is white - forgot to put that on the ref! :U) :
Quin:
Ikiere:
Liyine:
Roleplay~!
The two siblings were seated next to the window of the Cup n Spoon, watching life go by outside the -blocked- It was particularly hot out, a perfectly miserable day in Hal's opinion. Of coarse, Nepheelah was all but glowing, humming under her breath between sips of her iced coffee. They couldn't be more different in that regard.
The shop wasn't particularly busy, the morning rush was over, and Leblao was down on the floor with the petpets at the back of the shop, feeding them ice chips from his fingers. He seemed happy. Of coarse, Leblao was rarely not happy, but today he seemed happier than usual. Hal had to resist the urge to take a psychic peek inside his mind to see what was up. He didn't read his friends if he could help it.
Though he'd come to the Lost Desert in order to enjoy himself, Threeve's mood was far from one of pleasure. Sure, he had known it was a desert before disembarking... but no one had informed him that it would be so hot. And muggy. And... sandy. That was a big one. Temperatures in Neopia Central occasionally rose to quite an unpleasant mark, but he'd never had to deal with billowing sand before.
Adjusting the protective cloth shawl he'd bought at a stall a little further back (at a ridiculously over-inflated price, no doubt), the Bori tried his best to protect his face as he made his way out of the city. He'd had enough of the bustling crowds and commotion... which was why a pleased ex pression crossed his face as he spotted what looked to be a small coffee shop up ahead. This is a little more like home, he thought upon arriving at the building, reaching for the door's handle and stepping inside.
The bell on the front door chimed cheerfully as it opened and admitted a blast of hot air and a Bori who looked very much like he could use a cold drink. Hal levered himself to his feet and grabbed his apron from the back of his chair. "Afternoon, pal, how ya doin'?" He asked, making his way behind the counter.
Leblao was already up and moving toward the counter, drying his newly washed hands on a red towel. "Hey dere, Mon Ami. 'Ave a seat, lemme get you somethin' ta drink." He flipped a mug down from the shelf with a graceful motion of his hand and gestured behind him to the menu. "What c'n I get f'r ya?
Glancing upward as the bell tinkled, Threeve closed the door behind him and took a look around. The shop resembled most of the ones back home... but what he noticed most was, much to his relief, the significantly cooler temperature within the building. "Hello," he greeted, voice muffled by the cowl hiding his face. His scarlet eyes drifted to each of the shop's occupants, and he gave a light smile to Nepheelah, only to realize that she couldn't see it.
Pulling the face cover down to drape around his neck, he made his way up to the counter and nodded to Leblao. "I usually come to these places for hot stuff, but..." Trailing off, he turned to gesture vaguely outside, glowering at the sun's rays shining down. "What have you got for cold drinks?" he asked, turning back to peruse the menu. "Got something that's particularly good?"
Leblao grinned wide and happy, "Mon Ami, ev'rythin' we sell 'ere is partic'l'rly good, but I recc'mend de Sutek Smoothie, fer a taste of de desert, wit' out de sand." His hooves clip-clomped in lightly across the wood of the floor as he went to retrieve a cold glass from the fridge.
Nepheelah shot the Bori a small, secretive smile, flashing short feline fangs. "Come sit over here with me, Threeve. Tell this gypsy about your adventures in our desert and She'll see if she can't set you up with something that'll keep the sand out a little better than that cowl." It wasn't normal for Nephee to be so friendly with strangers, it made Hal a little suspicious. She clearly knew something that she wasn't telling him. He growled lightly under his breath, and she glanced over at him. /Wait and see, Brother./ Her voice echoed in his mind, /Wait and see, you'll understand soon enough./
Threeve was about to nod and thank Leblao when Nephee's voice caught him by surprise. Spinning around to face her, he studied her with knitted eyebrows. "...Have we met?" he asked after a moment, finding himself shuffling over to the table where she sat. She didn't seem familiar, and he certainly hadn't ever been to this part of the desert before... but then how did she know his name? /I must have said it without realizing,/ he concluded, taking a seat across from the Eyrie. He paused for a moment before speaking again; a strange feeling had suddenly come over him. The brief look he'd caught from Hal hadn't helped either, but he decided to ignore it.
."An... acquaintance suggested Sakhmet as a nice place for a little vacation," he began his explanation, glancing at Hal for only a moment more before turning his attention back to Nepheelah. "So I followed the advice and ended up in the market." Frowning, the Bori recalled his stroll throughout the stalls and crowds disdainfully. "It wasn't quite as pleasant as I'd hoped, so I wandered away and ended up here," he finished, then added as an afterthought, "though I'm not quite sure what to do now."
Nepheelah smiled again, knowingly, then turned to Leblao. "He'll have the smoothie, Lebs, and he wanted to thank you." She called, then slouched over her coffee and slurped up the last few sips, "And can I get another iced Cinnamon Mocha?" After a moment, she glanced back at Threeve. "Sakhmet is only a good place for gamblers and thieves, friend. The real adventures are to be had in Qasala, or out here on the outskirts. So tell me, where do you come from, what are you trying to get away from?"
There was a brief silence, broken only by the sound of Leblao's hooves as he walked swiftly to the table, bearing the requested drinks, plus a pumpkin shake for Hal and a strawberry-blueberry smoothie for himself. The Uni lowered himself onto a bench to observe, but otherwise didn't interfere. The Eyrie siblings' dealings were their own.
Eventually, even Hal wandered back over, lured by the promise of a milkshake and the gambler's company, and took his own seat at the edge of Leblao's bench. "It seems like you're all caught up in Fate's twisted web, friend." He commented, gesturing to Threeve with his spoon.
/What am I trying to get away from?/ Threeve repeated silently, considering the question. Back in Neopia Central, there really wasn't much to concern him with; life was slow and relatively casual, and he told Nepheelah this. "Not much to run from, but nothing really to return to, either," he concluded, turning in Leblao's direction as the Uni delivered the drinks.
Muttering a small 'thanks', Threeve took the smoothie and swirled the straw around a few times before taking a taste. "It's good," he praised the barista with a smile. The Bori took another sip as he eyed Hal, considering the Eyrie's comment. "Tangled like a caught Spyder, am I?" he asked with a grin. Shifting his gaze back to Nephee, he raised his eyebrows expectantly. "So what does fate have in store for me?"
Leblao tipped his head in acknowledgment of the complement, "Merci beaucoup, Mon Ami." There were two things that the uni took real pride in; his ability to cheat at cards, and his shop. "It's on de house."
Nepheelah nodded, "So you're running from your boredom, then. Don't worry, things are about to get very interesting for you." She tilted her head, as if considering something important, then finally nodded again. "Someone is going to come through that door." She gestured, "And you're going to get tangled up in what they're about to tell me. You can get away if you leave now, or you can choose to stay and help me. You might just find what you're looking for along the way."
Perplexed, Hal glanced toward the door and reached out with his gift. He caught on a strange mind, different from the thieves and gamblers of the area. Whoever it was had a very clear image of the Cup n' Spoon in their mind's eye, a clear purpose.
Threeve listened intently as Nepheelah continued, wondering what to make of what she was telling him. Part of him was amused by this little attraction the coffee shop had set up for their customers. Another (less certain) part of him wondered if it was really an attraction at all. Could this strange Eyrie really have a notion of what was to come?
Regardless of the answer, the decision was an easy one. It would be silly for him to leave now; his boredom was gone at the moment... not to mention he'd have to go back out into that awful sun and sand. "I'll stay, then," he confirmed, following Hal's line of sight to survey the door. /We'll just see who comes through,/ he thought silently, challenging someone to approach.
There was a sudden rush, a sound of running feet and displaced air like a sail unfurling and then the door was shoved inward to bang against the wall with a loud thump. Leblao's shoulders hunched, and he winced, upset by the mistreatment of his beloved Shop, no doubt.
There was a man leaning in the door way, panting heavily like he'd just run a very long way. His wings, all three pairs of them, were drooping, the lowest set, attached at his waist, were practically touching the ground, and his serpentine tail fins dragged through the dirt as he took a step into the room. Then his eyes locked onto Nepheelah, and he rushed forward once again.
Hal knew he would stumble before he did, and reached an arm out casually to stop his fall. "Calm down there..." He paused, reaching for a name, "Castiyel. Relax a bit, catch your breath before you pass out."
Bright blue eyes locked on ice blue and Castiyel slumped in his hold. "I... A message... Nepheelah..." He panted, then blacked out.
Nepheelah stood and brushed a hand across Castiyel's forehead. "Carry him over there, Hal. Lay him down on the couch and get him some ice. He's badly overheated."
Everyone got caught up in the bustle after that, and soon they were standing over the newcomer, having all but forgotten their Bori guest... Well, all but Nepheelah. "Threeve," She said, "Meet Castiyel. He's a Keeper of Light... Or just a Keeper, if you prefer. He's got something to tell us when he comes around."
Threeve's head began to spin as the commotion played out before him. He watched the events unfold all too quickly, eyes widening as Castiyel stumbled through the door and into Hal's arms. Trying to process what the newcomer was saying, the words echoed through his mind: /Message for Nepheelah?/ It was just like she'd said earlier. What could be so important that he would have had to run all this way so desperately? And what had the Eyrie called him? /...Keeper of Light.../
Finally snapping out of the daze he'd found himself in, Threeve meandered over to where the others were standing over Castiyel. Blinking down at the Ixi, he marveled at the elegant wings; never before had he seen more than one pair per body. Resisting the urge to reach out and touch them, he instead looked up to Nepheelah. "Will he be alright?" he asked, trying to hold back the concern evident in his voice.
Nepheelah's expreshun softened at Threeve's tone. "He'll be just fine." She murmured, stroking her fingertips down the ixi's face, "He's cooling off, and he'll be waking up any moment now."
As if on cue, Castiyel's eyes flashed open and he whimpered piteously, then his hand came up and clutched at Nepheelah's shoulder. "Nepheelah, Gypsy Born, it's Maxemellion of Blackwood... He's... he's in danger."
Nepheelah jerked like she's been slapped. "Max..." She murmured, then turned to Threeve, "We have to go, Castiyel can catch up when he's well." She went around behind the counter and tossed the Bori a rolled up ball of fabric. "This'll keep out the sand. C'mon."
Once again, things were moving much faster than Threeve could comprehend. His gaze followed Nephee as she turned the corner of the counter, and he barely responded in time to clumsily catch what she'd thrown to him. Unrolling the garment, he quickly pulled it around his shoulders (and noted that this one was much higher quality than the one he'd purchased earlier).
With a last glance at the recovering Castiyel, he trailed after Nepheelah towards the door. "What is going on?" he asked, sounding almost like an overwhelmed child. "Who is Max?" /And how am I supposed to be able to help if I don't even know what's happening?/ he asked silently, suddenly feeling a bit helpless.
."Nepheelah." Castiyel's voice rang clear and sharp, bringing Nepheelah up short as her hand touched the door. "Patience with the young one, he should know what you're pulling him into."
Nephee looked suitably shamed, her shoulders drooping. "Forgive me, Threeve, and let me explain. Have you ever heard the story of Blackwood, the kingdom that once existed to the south of Meridell? Max is the one who burned it to the ground... He's also a good friend, and I won't let him be harmed."
Castiyel seemed satisfied that she'd at least attempted an explanation, and leaned back, closing his eyes. "I brought Zahre as far as the edge of the desert. He'll carry you where you need to go."
."Blackwood?" Threeve echoed, wracking his memory to no avail. It was no use; up until recently, he hadn't payed much attention to what went on beyond his home city. If something didn't concern him, he generally tried to stay out of it. He'd done a decent job so far... until now, that is. The Bori was clearly involved in this new situation, seemingly whether he wanted to be or not.
Not even bothering to ask why this Max would have needed to be so severe as to burn an entire kingdom down (or how that could be in any way justified), Threeve simply regarded Nepheelah with a level stare. "What do you expect me to do?" he asked. It wasn't a challenge; the question was genuine. He was starting to believe that Nephee had known all along that he'd wind up involved with this... whatever it was. If that were true, he figured she'd also know what part he'd have to play.
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