Jylat - Starting Over

[Yolanda Riona]

Esmeralda cocked an eyebrow at Links but decided to dismiss his comment. Some things were just better left unasked. She watched him as he left before her attention drew back to Alindel. A pondering niche appeared in her expression before she just shrugged.

"Truthfully, hunny, I've never seen those two at it in my life before. Dromar's usually a good sport about things, but Jodie hit him pretty hard. If you really feel that you could help them though, I do not suppose it would hurt to try."

The green dragon slowly rose from her seat, a slumping posture evident in her shoulders. She nodded at Alindel before turning and making her exit, stage left.

"If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen. Supper should be on the table in another hour or so. Just waiting on those kids to get back here. You know? I really wonder where those three went."

[Links Tyrell]

Alindel was left on her own in the room to ponder. Essy's words hung on her mind but she was unsure if she'd be welcome in the sibling dispute. Still she was a curious creature and at the least she felt compelled to find out how things were going. Waiting for Essy to leave completely she made her own exit, wandering slowly back out into the entrance hall. She looked around, getting her bearings for a moment and then set off, stopping at each room she came across to place her ear against the door and listen.

Links meanwhile had made his way into the garden, finding a quiet spot beneath an apple tree. He placed his staff in the ground, pushing the pointed end into the earth so it stood upright, and then sat down under the tree and crossed his legs. He let out a small sigh and closed his eyes. As he did the gem set in the end of his staff began to lightly quiver and emit a sound much like a flute. Links sighed again and allowed a small smile to cross his lips.

[Yolanda Riona]

Suffice to say, the mansion for a home ended up as a bit of a hike for Alindel. In actuality, for one of its kind, it was rather humble. Even so, a minute or so passed before the feline could make out any distinct voices in the otherwise quiet hallway. As she pressed an ear at the most recent door, the voices became clear.

"Jocelyne, what were you thinking?"

"Look, I didn't mean to hide it from you all this time, okay? It just sort of... happened this way."

"'Just happened?' Don't you think this would be just a little bit important! How long have you known?"

"Only a couple... ...Five, six years...?"

"Six years? Six years? Jocelyne Takira! What is wrong with you? I thought the pup I knew had grown some! Don't you think I would have cared to know? What if something had happened?"

"I can handle this, Dromar! I don't see what the big deal is! I can use magic. Yes, I said it! The big 'm' word! It's just how I am! I can't change it! And if this will save my life, I don't want to!"

"But you're missing the point!"

"What point!"

There was an unsettling pause in the room.

"Jocie, when your folks died... You don't think you and Rios were the only ones affected, do you? They were my best friends. Good people, those two."

"...Yeah, I know..."

"So, I just want to do the best I can for their kids. It would mean a lot to them. And you guys. You mean a lot to me. Always have."

[Links Tyrell]

Alindel listened from outside the door, her ears flicking back and forth as she listened to the conversation. As the voices raised her hand went to turn the handle but she resisted and fell into thought. What was really for the best? Would her intervention be welcome or not? For the moment she stood outside the door, her hand outstretched towards the handle but her body still.

[Yolanda Riona]

I didn't know what to do. What to say.

...It came like a hot, wet rain. Alien but familiar all the same. I don't remember the last time I ever felt such a sensation. Sustaining from it had been easier than I thought. Turning shaking hands to clenched fists delayed the process. But I guess, in the end, everything tends to swing full circle, waiting for opportunity to knock at just the right time.

"Jocie..."

I locked my jaw, but my chin continued to quiver. I turned away. I had never wanted this... this soap opera. I hated feeling that noose of emotion tighten my throat. I fought for words and lost. The tears kept rolling, dampening my fur. I remembered again how much I disliked it.

"Dromar," I felt like I had a bad mix up and ended up with a frog's voice box. "I didn't mean to... cut you out. I didn't... mean what I said before. But it's just... it's hard. Sometimes I don't think I'll ever really be ready to take on the world."

"Growin' up. Gettin' older. It always is. New responsibilities. New people."

He paused.

"Change. It's always there. Always happenin'. So, question is. What'll you do about it, lil' Jocie?"

[Side note: Jodie caught a lot of her dialect from Dromar. =B He really is like a big father figure to her.]

[Links Tyrell]

Alindel gave a small smile, her hand finally landing on the door handle. The conversation seemed to have settled down but from Jodie's tone she appeared to be getting overwhelmed. Raising her second hand to the door she paused a moment and then gave a firm rap on the door before twisting the handle and opening the door.

For a moment she simply stood and waiting in the doorway before casting a glance at Dromar. "I'm sorry to interupt but we've finished our discussions and I thought I might try and make myself useful in another way." She shifts her glance to Jodie and gives a small sigh. "Perhaps it would be best to take a small break for now? Jodie sweetie, you should rest."

[Yolanda Riona]

I immediately composed myself as I heard Alindel enter. I could handle Dromar seeing me in the state I was in, but this was definitely the last thing I wanted her or Links to walk into. Taking a quick huff of breath and scratching my ear, I glanced at Dromar from under my mop top of hair and then Alindel from the corner of my eye. I could see the tension building in my godfather's stature. His face became contorted.

"...Yeah. I guess I should. You guys probably have things to sort out, too, anyway. ...Right, Dromar?"

I promptly left the room. He wouldn't like it, but this was something I knew I couldn't settle myself.

"Jocie, Wait a danged minute..."

His weak reply came to late. He stood in the middle of the warm, rich red room. Broad bookshelves stretched across the walls and a large desk sat near the curved window. Dromar sighed and sank back into one of the old cushioned seats; he motioned for Alindel to do the same.

[Links Tyrell]

Alindel gave a small nod and settled herself into a seat next to Dromar. For a moment she remained quiet, studying him with a curious expression. "I hope you aren't mad at me," she spoke at length, "I heard Jodie's croaking voice from outside and thought things had gone far enough. She needs rest with her condition after all."

Outside Links opened his eyes and looked up. A small sparkle of fine particles was cascading from the tip of his staff, the fox knowing the sigh very well. That said he didn't have to look at his staff to understand, his energies had recovered. He stood slowly, glancing to his left and then to his right. "Release seal, level 1, keyword serenity."

As if in response to his command a larger shower of coloured sparkles fell from the gem at the tip of his staff. He quickly swung it to the right, looking in the same direction, and then repeated it to the left. Closing his eyes he stepped forwards, his first footstep touching the green beneath him...but his second touching nothing but thin air.

He took another step, this one again touching nothing. By the third step Links was seemingly floating about 6" about the ground. He rose his staff high, a visible swirl of magical particles shooting up around him like a tornado. For the moment he simply stood and help the pose, so to speak.

[Yolanda Riona]

"Interesting trick of yours."

Crosis appeared out from behind a shrubbery. He had a small-hand gardening hoe in one hand and a weed in the other. He promptly tossed the offending clover in the collecting pile that was now in Links' view as was the rest of the elderly dragon's progress. If he'd been out there all that time, he didn't make hint of it. Instead, he just smiled and slowly took a stand, rubbing his hindquarters.

"I can't say it wouldn't come in handy at times. I'd like to just float my way back to my feet. I guess this old body would be worse off though."

[Links Tyrell]

Links slowly looked to his side as Crosis spoke. His expression didn't change much, although his brow did rise in some slight show of surprise. He lowered his staff and let himself fall back slightly. His fall wasn't with gravity though, cushioned as it was the the swirling mass of air around him. He sunk down slowly, eventually stopping in a cross legged position a little below Crosis' eye level.

Once seated Links placed his staff across his lap and looked down at the ground below him. "It is surprisingly tiring to be truthful. I don't tend to do this at a larger scale unless I really need to...although I have found it is a good way to keep my stamina at a reasonable level." Links paused, looking up fully at Crosis and giving what could be called a smile for Links, a very slightly turning of the corner of his mouth.[/color]