RPG: The Six Wizards

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Damien's affectionate hold stopped her in her tracks. She felt calmer. "Just breathe, right?" she laughed. She took Damien's hand, and together they descended the stairs.

********************************

Yuta had sent the message to Damien and Ouki, and had recieved a satisfactory response. They were there, ready or not. Inu had chosen the forest to enter by, and in the cover of darkness he was able to completely highten his senses. He took in every noise, every movement, every smell. It had been so long since he had hunted this way. He had surpressed it, even in the most densely populated places they had visited over the two months. Neko was somewhere out there with him, and he could sense her only as another animal could. He growled his content, and crouched when he saw the light turn on in the kitchen of the hideout. Then another light filled a window that was covered over by some kind of blind. It used to be his family's home, before they had set to the woods permanently. He wondered if any of them would choose tonight to come home? He looked up at the moon and shuttered. It would be full in just under two weeks. He continued his approach, moving through the forest with incredible stealth, agility and speed.

[Q.Araignee]

The darkness was wrapped about her like a second skin, as she wove the shadows to hide her from almost all senses- she hadn’t, after all, perfected the technique enough to completely hide from Inu and his heightened were-senses. But stalking through the thick forest pleased her, it had been too long since she had had the chance to get back to her roots. There may well have been things hidden amongst these trees that no sane person would wish to come across, but that didn’t even make her worry.

Neko paused when she reached the edge of the foliage, carefully examining the house in front of her. For all intents and purposes, it looked like a normal family home- and it had been, once upon a time. Now, of course, it was to be their hideaway from the authorities and the others who hunted them. The lights that came on surely signified someone was present: the scent would suggest Ouki and Damien; the odd tang that clung to both of their scents confirmed it.

Later, she promised herself as she approached the house at an angle so as to be nigh invisible in the gloom unless a light were to be shined directly at her, she would perhaps think on her recent dreams. Maybe even talk to Inu about them. But then, he only knew about her from when they had met...she had never divulged her past to anyone, and those who knew of it were unable to tell a word. But that was, probably, for later. Now was the time to Apparate into the room at the bottom of the stairs which Ouki and Damien were just now descending.

"I see you both managed to arrive with little trouble then?"

[salemboy]

Damien didn't release his arm from Ouki. Neko's appearance was rather startling, but not enough to scare him. "Yeah," Damien replied. "It's nice. We've already made ourselves comfy upstairs." Although they'd been comfier in the cave...

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Ouki moved away from Damien and looked past Neko. Inu was standing still as a ghost just outside the window. His gaze directly into her eyes, his hair was down, long and black. He smiled wickedly at her, making her heart jump. She knodded and walked toward the window slowly. Before she reached the window, Inu turned and then he was in front of her, almost nose to nose. He caught her by the shoulders. Ouki froze. He stared into her eyes, his lips curling into a smile. He let go of her shoulders and bowed, but at the same time gave her a once over glance. "Ouki san. It's so good to see you again." He met her face again. "I love your hair." He moved past Ouki and over to Neko. "Nagai my sweet." he bowed. Then he turned to Damien. "And Damien Nomare. Ko ban wa." He bowed deeply.

[salemboy]

Damien had promised to be cordial. So, he bowed deeply as well. "Genkidesuka, Inu-san?"

"It would seem that Ouki has taught you manners," Inu said, his cool voice completely in control.

"Yes. It would seem that she has."

[Q.Araignee]

Neko smiled knowingly, she had guessed about Ouki and Damien from the smell that clung to them both. But she kept a civil tongue as she spoke, and offered a small bow of her own. “It is good to know you two kept out of trouble, and a pleasure as always Inu.”

She turned from the now gathered company, they were waiting on but two of the others now. A stiff drink was required, she thought.
“If anyone cares to join me,” she said as she began walking, a hand waving in general acquiescence. “I am making some drinks. I’ll be in the kitchen.” Neko didn’t really want any company, but if they were drinking at least they would be less likely to ask awkward questions.

[FawkesthePhoenix]

Yuta waited quietly in the forest around Inu's home, having arrived just as Neko and Inu were leaving. Yuta had sent a message to Ouki and Damien that they would be coming, and it seemed it had gotten through well enough. Yuta would go in. Soon. She just need a little bit of time to face all of this. It would be hard seeing everyone again.... Going back to the way things were. Yuta had let go of some of her stiff discipline these past months, delighted at being the one Inu and Neko depended upon, if only for a litte while. Now, it was entirely likely that she'd be back to the position of the sneaker, the one nobody payed much attention to, who everyone underestimated and belittled. In a way, Yuta was happy to be going back to that; it was familiar, and being constantly watched was hard. Yes, it would be good to know her place again. But she would arrive in style, that much was for sure.
Darting up to the house, Yuta scaled the wall, knowing no one would see her. Once on the roof, Yuta crept into an attic window and descended the steps, until she was just outside the room where everyone had congregated. It was shadowy. Perfect. Slipping in unnoticed as Neko left, Yuta waited, bathed in shadows as she stood in a corner. The others continued their conversation, thinking nothing had happened, and eventually decided to join Neko for drinks. Joining the small clog-up at the door, Yuta managed to wedge herself in the exact middle of the group, then said to no one in particular, "Ah, good. I am a tad thirsty." The effect was absolutely delightful, as even Inu jumped slightly as they all realized her presence. "Long time, no see, huh?" Yuta smiled.

[Ms. Elsewhere]

"Yuta! You have more stealth than a shadow!" gasped Ouki, and couldn't contain herself. She reached out and hugged her. "Welcome back! It has been such a long time." She smiled into Yuta's face. Ouki felt like her family was coming together again, and it made her heart swell with happiness. She picked up a drink and held it up. "Cheers everyone! I'm sure Buta will be pleased to jump into a gathering such as this! " Ouki drank deeply.

[FawkesthePhoenix]

Yuta was surprised at how happy she felt to be seeing Ouki again. "It's been too long." She smiled and returned Ouki's hug. After raising her own glass and giving it a quick clink with a few of the others, Yuta merely gave her drink a small sip. Old habits die hard, she supposed, and the good ones should be kept, despite it being neither the time nor the place to be stingy with the drink.

[salemboy]

Just when Damien had thought all the sneakers had come, Yuta had decided to scare him. Clutching his chest, he barely managed to say through breaths, "Dang, Yuta. And I thought Neko was sneaky." Smiling, he shook the girl's hand after Ouki relinquished her. He did not drink, though. He remembered how he got when he was drunk. "So, have you three been?" Damien asked, mostly Yuta in particular.

[Q.Araignee]

Only Buta missing now, everyone was actually being punctual for once. Slightly unusual, but perhaps it was just because they’d been apart for months. She’d made herself a cup of tea at first, but by the time the others joined her she had finished that and was rummaging in the cupboards for something a little stronger that appealed to her. Like that bottle of red wine in the corner, covered in dust and with the seal unbroken. Perfect. Neko found a small wine glass, and after rinsing it poured herself a glass of the wine. That was knocked back probably far too quickly, and another was poured.

Neko turned her head at Damien’s question, but didn’t care to answer him. She wasn’t in the mood to be satisfying someone’s curiosity, she was restless there in the kitchen. She tried to catch Inu’s eye, to let him know she desired to go running through the forest for a while now that they had met up again- if only to clear her head and relieve some of the tension she was feeling. It wouldn't do to keep throwing away this lovely wine just because she was tense.

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Ouki walked over to Neko. "I'll have some of that." She reached up and grabbed a wine glass from the cupboard and held it out for Neko. She saw Neko look past her at Inu, and Ouki turned to follow the look. Inu was looking at Neko like she was something he very much wanted to eat. Ouki looked back at Neko, who's eyes back to Ouki as quickly as her expression changed. Ouki smiled at her as she poured the wine into her glass. "You and Inu, huh? I have to say, I'm so glad. I've known about how he feels about you, even before he did." She looked back at Inu, who was coming over. Inu reached across the girls and took the wine glass out of Neko's hands.
"it's a dangerous thing, mixing girls and alcohol. Neko. Come with me. I want to show you the forest and the surrounds of this place. Call us when Buta arrives, would you Yuta?" Inu asked, resting his hand on Yuta's shoulder.

[Q.Araignee]

Neko offered a small smile to Ouki, had Inu really been so obviously smitten? Perhaps, though she should have noticed. Unless she was purposefully leaving herself in denial, it would be difficult to admit closeness to anyone...

She looked up when Inu took the glass from her hand; she had been procrastinating and hadn’t noticed him come closer. She knew he was giving her what she had silently asked for, what she hadn’t expected was for him to join her. Neko nodded slowly, “I’ll join you, Inu. Now, I assume?”

[salemboy]

Wow... Damien had seen it coming, but it still struck him as weird that Inu and Neko were together. They were just... so... strange. He had never thought of them as humans. He had simply assumed that one day, they would just split into two of themselves to reproduce... But he guessed it fit.

Damien smiled. "Don't you two want to get your rooms sorted out first, though? Ouki and I already have ours."

[Ms. Elsewhere]

Inu laughed heartily. "My room here you wouldn't be able to find. It is in perfect order. Yuki, will you bring mine and Neko's things to our room." No sooner had Inu spoken, that there was loud crack.
"Master! I did not hear you come. You move so silently. I was preparing a meal..." Yuk the house elf squeaked. Inu put his hand up and she stopped talking.
"No excuses. Just do what you are told. And I am going out to the forest. Have you seen my parents?" To this the others paused to listen. Yuki looked over at them, and back at Inu, trying to decide what to say.
"They are out for the month, as usual, master." She said softly.
"Very well. I wll leave them a message in the forest. You may go." he waved his hand and the little house elf scurried off to get his things from outside. Their personal items were still at the base of the driveway, a few miles out. Inu smiled. Always good to keep the help busy. He took Neko's hand. "Shall we go?" he said, pullingh her roughly to him, wrapping his arm around her possessivley. He loved being able to catch her off guard, because the breath that caught in her throat send a chill through him. He looked down into her eyes. As much as it was 'nice' to be back with the others, he really couldn't get enough of Neko. He looked forward to bedtime, and showing her his room.