"I'll take that under consideration. No promises."
"I'd like to be alone now if you don't mind."
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She sighed. "Yeah, a couple of things. Some of both of our teams have gone rogue after being promised knowledge by some highly suspicious outsiders. I think I know what they are, and they are beyond bad news. Like, against these guys we should all be on the same side kind of bad news. I can deal with the crew on my side, but you're going to have to contact your side to get things sorted there. There's a mentally challenged young woman who really needs this to be over so she can be allowed to just live in peace. I'm afraid that some of yours are...He leaned his head against the wall behind him. "You said that there was something else you needed to talk to me about.""Yeah, well, technically we're supposed to be enemies. I'm already being way too helpful to you as it is. You can't expect me to be good at the emotional stuff, too," she said, a little sarcastically.He tried to laugh and cry at the same time. "That is like the worst attempt at comfort I think I have ever heard.""I didn't think it was going to be this hard. When I came here....it was all noble self-sacrifice and it seemed like such a small price to pay. I never expected...""To fall in love? To have a child? Yeah. Life tends to be unpredictable like that. And it's harder now that you have things to give up. And easier too. Because now you have a stake in it. We're not just an academic exercise to you anymore. It's going to cost you everything, protecting this place. If you hadn't met Rena, if things had been different, at the end, I'm not sure you could have gone through with it. But you did. And it worked. So you can at least know that it will be worth the sacrifice. Of course, technically the future is still fluid and that one is just one of many possibilities. But the probabilities are closing up pretty fast. That one's still the most likely." He snorted. "You are the weirdest demon lord ever." "Alright, I'll pass on the message. But that's all I can promise right now."
"Yeah, well, technically we're supposed to be enemies. I'm already being way too helpful to you as it is. You can't expect me to be good at the emotional stuff, too," she said, a little sarcastically.He tried to laugh and cry at the same time. "That is like the worst attempt at comfort I think I have ever heard.""I didn't think it was going to be this hard. When I came here....it was all noble self-sacrifice and it seemed like such a small price to pay. I never expected...""To fall in love? To have a child? Yeah. Life tends to be unpredictable like that. And it's harder now that you have things to give up. And easier too. Because now you have a stake in it. We're not just an academic exercise to you anymore. It's going to cost you everything, protecting this place. If you hadn't met Rena, if things had been different, at the end, I'm not sure you could have gone through with it. But you did. And it worked. So you can at least know that it will be worth the sacrifice. Of course, technically the future is still fluid and that one is just one of many possibilities. But the probabilities are closing up pretty fast. That one's still the most likely." He leaned his head against the wall behind him. "You said that there was something else you needed to talk to me about."
"I didn't think it was going to be this hard. When I came here....it was all noble self-sacrifice and it seemed like such a small price to pay. I never expected...""To fall in love? To have a child? Yeah. Life tends to be unpredictable like that. And it's harder now that you have things to give up. And easier too. Because now you have a stake in it. We're not just an academic exercise to you anymore. It's going to cost you everything, protecting this place. If you hadn't met Rena, if things had been different, at the end, I'm not sure you could have gone through with it. But you did. And it worked. So you can at least know that it will be worth the sacrifice. Of course, technically the future is still fluid and that one is just one of many possibilities. But the probabilities are closing up pretty fast. That one's still the most likely." He tried to laugh and cry at the same time. "That is like the worst attempt at comfort I think I have ever heard."
"I didn't think it was going to be this hard. When I came here....it was all noble self-sacrifice and it seemed like such a small price to pay. I never expected..."
"Do I have any choice in the matter?" he asked, resentfully."Only the one you already made when you came here. Sulariel has deserted you. In point of fact, she fell. Which Hell is dreadfully happy about, let me tell you. And without her here to help contain your powers, you're confined to this rooftop. Not exactly a baby-friendly environment, Ursiel. Even worse when you consider what a short time you haver left before you're called on to do what you came here for. And no, I'm not asking you out of order. From your point of view, Talysmyn won't be born for another two months give or take. I get a little fuzzy on relative time sometimes. Dream creatures have a remarkably short gestation time. Frankly, I'm rather jealous. And you know, as much as you love her, Rena isn't exactly the maternal type. It can't be that much of a shock that she's going to want to give the baby up for adoption. With you unable to raise her and Rena unwilling.... She had to go somewhere. And the only safe place to take her was the past. Plus this gives you the one thing you were never going to get a chance at otherwise. A chance to actually meet your daughter, see what she grows up to be. Well, a preview of it anyway. She can't be more than thirteen. Or maybe fourteen? I think thirteen. As I said, sometimes I struggle with relative time. Her adoptive mom is very caring and nurturing and a bit of a worrywart, although that's understandable. A half-celestial like Lyzzie does tend to draw trouble like a magnet. But she kept her safe, and made sure that she always knew that she was loved. And you saw for yourself how well-adjusted she is." Bradley slid down the wall, sitting down with his back to the stone, knees pulled up as he tried to hide the tears. "You already knew from the beginning what decision I was going to make," he said dully.
"Do I have any choice in the matter?" he asked, resentfully.
"That's why I'm here," she said calmly. "You're angry," she continued. It wasn't a question. "Of course I'm angry!" he shouted as he turned to face her. "You never even asked me!"
Bradley's head was spinning. Spending time with Lyzzie was mentally exhausting. She never stopped talking. Which wasn't a bad thing, but keeping up with the frequent subject changes took more attention than he was used to having to pay. She reminded him of...well, of course she did. Best not to think about that too closely just yet.
"Uh, no," Bradley stammered. "It's fine. I was just surprised. I don't get a lot of visitors up here anymore," he added sadly. "I'm Bradley. I...sort of suck up other people's bad luck, so I have to stay up here for my own safety. But it's fine! I mean, it's not like it's a punishment. I like staying up here with the pigeons and all. Er...and you're welcome to stay if you want."
Bradley was just finishing setting out food for the still sleepy pigeons when the trap door to the roof opened. He turned around hopefully, but the person was a stranger....sort of. He took a deep breath and stood very still as he temporarily corralled his racing thoughts. He had a lot of questions for someone later. If he could figure out who to ask.
So many shinies....so many new character ideas..... For now I shall settle for a new avvy for Bradley.
It takes until the end of the day before Bradley is able to be released from the infirmary for his own good. But he eventually ends up back in the pigeon loft, collapsing exhausted onto his cot.
Rena hurries frantically through the halls of the school, half-running and half-flying flapping her wing for extra speed, following to arrows towards Bradley. She had no idea what he could give, but he was the first person to come to mind when she started panicking after Tryko'Sam vanished. The arrows lead her to the infirmary where Bradley is having a particularly rough time of things as his ability just won't seem to shut off and he is subjected to one disaster after another. In an attempt to stop the cycle, he has been put in an isolation room.
He shuddered as he stoodlooking out over the walls. Something had gone very wrong just now. He could still feel the wrongness in the walls themselves. He sighed. This was going to hurt. Bradley slid off the ladder as he attempted to climb down and woke up in the infirmary.
Bradley tried not to laugh as Rena ate like a small child. He opened his box and slowly started eating, using his fork, just watching Rena appreciatively. When Rena was done with her food he stopped her before she could leave and used a napkin to clean off her face. "Okay, that's better. Now they can all see your beautiful face, unmarred by breakfast," he said, smiling. "I'm sure you'll have fun. You can tell me all about it later if you want," he added, giving her a quick kiss.
He returned the kiss eagerly. Reluctantly he pulled back, smiling at her. "I'm sorry I doubted you. You really are amazing, you know?" he added, brushing her cheek gently with the back of his knuckles. "But you're going to have to eat quickly now. You're already late to class."
Bradley looked up, surprised, interrupted in the middle of feeding the pigeons. He smiled brightly as soon as he saw Rena. "Rena! I.." he stopped and blushed, looking sheepish. "I thought you forgot."
Bradley waited, cheerful at first, then patiently. As breakfast time dragged on he began to fear that Rena had forgotten about him. Well, perhaps something happened that distracted her. His stomach growled. Maybe he could just wait until first period started. With the students in class he had at least a fifty fifty shot of actually making it to the cafeteria and getting some food before he ended up in trouble again.
This guy looks familiar!
"Wai-" he tried to say, but she was already gone. He blushed as he thought of her walking through the halls completely naked and tried to tamp down an unfamiliar feeling of jealousy. He didn't want other people looking at her like that and seeing how beautiful she was. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried to get past it. After all, it was pretty much a miracle that someone as wonderful as Rena would choose to share herself with him the way she had last night. Wanting more was just being greedy. He got up and put his clothes on before going to feed the pigeons. He had to admit the pavilion that had formed around his cot was a nice addition. It made it feel more like a room...and he could stop worrying about his things getting wet every time it rained.
"Ummm..." he said, trying to find a tactful way to tell her that her wings did not provide adequate coverage in certain strategic areas, made more difficult by the fact that his brain didn't seem to work right when she nuzzled his neck like that. "I could give you a T-shirt. Then you wouldn't have to keep your wings all wrapped up...I can just cut it down the back a bit to make room for your wings," he gasped. "And breakfast would be wonderful...bad things happen when I go downstairs to eat..."
"You are beautiful too." she coos, her body laying alongside his. She puts her nose into his neck and 'nuzzles' for a moment. "Hey... you haven't had any accidents all night. That's always a good thing." "I don't usually have accidents up here with the pigeons," he said, making a small sound of pleasure when she nuzzles his neck. "There's not a lot of suffering among pigeons. They don't need my ability. It makes them very relaxing to be around." "You should probably go and get some breakfast before class...uh...you'll need some clothes for that too," he said reluctantly.
He smiled. "I was about to say we could do this any time you wanted, but more accurately we can do this any time you want as long as its reasonably practical. There are some times when we're supposed to be doing other stuff after all." "You are so beautiful," he said, just staring at her.
"Good morning Bradley." comes a softly cooing voice, barely audible despite the fact that he could feel the breath on his ear. He opened his eyes, smiling. Last night had been...magical. She was like a dream, except she was actually here. He looked at Rena with wonder. "It's a very good morning," he murmured, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ear.
"I-it has to be real," he said, blushing fiercely. "My imagination isn't good enough to come up with this....it's just hard to believe someone as beautiful as you is interested in me," he blurted out and then put his hand over his face. "Ah, I said that out loud, didn't I?"
Fade to Black
"I-it has to be real," he said, blushing fiercely. "My imagination isn't good enough to come up with this....it's just hard to believe someone as beautiful as you is interested in me," he blurted out and then put his hand over his face. "Ah, I said that out loud, didn't I?"
Bradley forgot to breathe. Everything about her was so....soft. When the kiss ended he was panting hard from holding his breath so long. "Wow." Another small trickle of blood came from his nose and he had to adjust how he was sitting.
Bradley nodded emphatically, blushing, not trusting himself to try and speak. He'd made enough of an idiot of himself already.She smiles at that, actually fully blushing that time. She's deinitely not quite as touchy-feely as she was when she was under the demon's influence, especially since her arms are trapped by the wings hiding her modesty, but she does brush her wing tips against him slightly as she moves a little closer. "Um.. I want to say sorry for before, I was being really selfish about your reaction to how I looked, when you were already hurting. You already take on so much of the pain and suffering of othersa, you don't need me adding to it." He shivered when her wings touched him and blushed a little harder. He had to look away for a moment so he could remember how to talk. "It's okay, Rena. You had every right to be upset with me. I hurt your feelings. I'm sorry. I know I wasn't at my best, but that's no excuse. I was the one being selfish."
Bradley nodded emphatically, blushing, not trusting himself to try and speak. He'd made enough of an idiot of himself already.
Bradley tried to speak, but he didn't seem to be able to put words together at the moment. All that came out was a strangled series of nonsense words. He couldn't seem to think about anything other than the very beautiful and very naked girl standing in front of him. He had no idea what he was supposed to do about it, but he couldn't look away either.
Bradley had been laying on his cot, relaxing and listening to the sounds of the pigeons as they settled in for the night. He sat up abruptly when Rena enters the aviary and his eyes went wide. A small trickle of blood started dripping from his nose. "R-rena!" he stammered, blushing.
"Wait....that was real? I....I thought I imagined it.....girls don't usually pay attention to me...especially not really pretty ones...that really happened?" he asked incredulously."It can happen again when I come back if you'd like." Rena says teasingly, bringing her tail forward and playfully brushing Bradley's chest. "As long as you promise you won't forget this time." "I didn't forget!" he protested. "I just didn't believe that something that good could happen to me," he added, blushing fiercely again.
Rena giggled slightly at that reaction, listening to Bradley stumble over himself. He really was over his head, but.. She felt somehow over her head too, with him. It was a strangle feeling. "Well, you kissed me earlier. Or I guess I kissed you, but I think it counts anyway. Right?" "Wait....that was real? I....I thought I imagined it.....girls don't usually pay attention to me...especially not really pretty ones...that really happened?" he asked incredulously.
Bradley spluttered. "Th-that's not...I mean...I...Y-you....Ummm...." "I...uh....I've n-never even k-k-kissed a girl...and I...j-just you're so....pretty in the other form...I mean, not that you're not pretty now...I mean...I just wouldn't want to...I mean...uhhhh.....I don't even know what I want!" he blurted out.
"I....I'm sorry about earlier...I didn't handle things as well as I should have and ....wait, what?" he said as the rest of her words finally caught up to him. He blushed a brilliant scarlet and stammered for a bit, trying to remember how to speak. "Uhhh......y-y-yeah.....th-that would be fine?"
Bradley hesitated. "Maybe if you stay very still about this far away until they get comfortable with your presence. If you keep doing that, but get just a little bit closer every day, they'll have a chance to get used to you and realize you aren't going to hurt them."
Very delicately, Rena pushes her way out of the window. Unlike her typically slithery movement, she's almost completely still as they glide into the dusk air, her wings not flapping in the slightest. Slowly, in a wide circle up towards the rooftop... Bradley stays as still as possible, afraid that any movement will cause him to slip off of Rena's back.
Rena is able to get Bradley safely back up to the roof.
"I can try. Hopefully it will work?" he said with a great deal of uncertainty. Bradley hesitated a moment, but then he climbed onto her back as she directed and hung on for dear life. "Okay, I'm as ready as I'm going to be."
"I...I don't know. But it can't be worse than trying to go through the school...I should never have left the roof in the first place.""Will... will you be able to hold on? I could only carry you in my mouth, and... well, that's a bad idea, right? Besides, you'll be all wet afterwards." Rena says worriedly, still slightly nuzzling her crush, wanting to steal away his pain like he did for others. "I can try. Hopefully it will work?" he said with a great deal of uncertainty.
He said something incomprehensible before he wiped his face with his sleeve, trying to hide the evidence of tears. "Pigeon coop," he muttered. "I need to get back to the roof. I don't think I can get there by myself.""Do you think you will be safe if I fly you outside and up to the pigeons?" Rena says, looking at the window and making sure she would be able to fit her girth through it. "I...I don't know. But it can't be worse than trying to go through the school...I should never have left the roof in the first place."
A little unsure of herself in that moment, with Bradley shaking in the midst of her coils, Rena tenatively nuzzles Bradley, curling back into him as she's able. "Bradley... what can I do to help?" she asks gently, soothingly. "Please." she adds, nuzzling him again gently. He said something incomprehensible before he wiped his face with his sleeve, trying to hide the evidence of tears. "Pigeon coop," he muttered. "I need to get back to the roof. I don't think I can get there by myself."
Bradley was shaking. It wasn't immediately clear whether he was scared or just crying. Either way he didn't lift his head from against his knees, and he didn't shrink away from Rena as she curled around him.
Rena's eyes fall, and she tucks her head down a bit, sensing Bradley's disappointment but perhaps not quite understanding why. "I'll... I'll try not to show you my teeth." she answered quietly, unsure how to act now, though she unconsciously flapped her wings when he mentioned them. At least Bradley was being honest with her, and not trying to hide his fear. "I... there's another healing potion there, if you're still sore." she added, trying to keep the slight tremble out of her silken voice. For some reason, she had thought he would've been overjoyed with her true form, but time and again her appearance had only brought fear to those whom she wanted to befriend. She should ask Vare tonight to change her back into a humanoid. It would be better for everyone. "No...it...it's my problem, not yours," he said, dejected. "I'm sorry. I don't want to be like Ursula....I....just I'm sorry....it's....been a really bad day and....that's not a good excuse....I'm trying to get used to it, really I am....I'm sorry." He put his head down on his knees and tried very hard not to cry. Mostly he just wanted to go home, but they didn't want him there either. And the pigeon coop seemed like it was miles away. He had no idea how he was going to make it. He knew he should just drink the healing potion and make a run for it, but he just didn't have enough faith that he'd actually make it in anything resembling one piece. The school was so full of suffering after last night's attack. And now he was adding to it instead of making it better. So much for being a hero. He really couldn't do anything right.
"R-Rena?" Bradley's face showed a mix of emotions, most of them confusion. "W-why are you a...a....what you are now?" he finished lamely. "Is this a dream?" he added suspiciously. "Because weird stuff happens in dreams all the time and that would totally make sense....especially after I hit my head falling down the stairs.....""Well, I am a creature from the Plane of Dreams Bradley, so... maybe?" she tries to keep her voice light-hearted, but she was still a little worried about him. She nudged the droll-covered potion a little closer to him, just be sure. "But this is the real me." she says, and inches just a little closer to him where he is laying on the bed. Her head is down just slightly. "I'm not too scary am I?" she adds on, just a little selfishly considered Bradley's state. [blink, blink] "Oh," he said, disappointed and trying unsuccessfully to hide it. For a little bit he'd thought a beautiful girl might actually be interested in him.....it figures she'd turn out to be a giant snake creature. "Ummm....I....I think that the teeth take some getting used to....but your wings are still real pretty," he said, trying to be brave and not unkind....it was just hard.
"R-Rena?" Bradley's face showed a mix of emotions, most of them confusion. "W-why are you a...a....what you are now?" he finished lamely. "Is this a dream?" he added suspiciously. "Because weird stuff happens in dreams all the time and that would totally make sense....especially after I hit my head falling down the stairs....."
Bradley coughs and sputters as the potion trickles down his throat. He looks at the blurry form of a large winged serpent with very sharp teeth looking at him anxiously. [blink, blink] "You....you aren't going to eat me, are you?" he asked nervously, looking at the very sharp teeth right in front of his face.
"Bradley are you alright?" Rena asks worriedly. She couldn't exactly lift him out of the pile without using her teeth, and she knew from earlier that Bradley was afraid of things with big teeth. Instead she was trying to gently move him out of the compost pile with her snout. "How can I help?" she asks, panic beginning to creep into her words. "T-t-t-teeth!" he stammered, his brain trying to catch up, but his eyes rather caught up in the sight right before him. ".....Rena? What? How?.....Ungh," he grunts in pain as she tries to nudge him out of the compost heap. "No, don't.....think I might have broken a rib or three....just don't let them take me back to the infirmary. No more. I can't take any more. Too much pain there....I think it might kill me to go back," he said, his vision starting to blur. He wasn't even sure if the big snake with Rena's voice was real. He wouldn't be shocked if he was having hallucinations as a side effect of one of Dr Wuxn's 'treatments'. On that cheerful note, Bradley passed out.
After bidding an affectionate farewell to her friends, Rena heads through the halls in search of Bradley. The arrows lead her to a small courtyard off of the kitchens where there was a compost heap. Bradley appears to be sleeping in the compost. He looks to be hurt or sick or some combination of the two.
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