Lions and Tigers and... Monkeys? Oh My!

[Amber Eyes]

"You have got to be kidding me! What if I don't want to get to know the members of the nine?" Kyla whined to her 'father' as the three members of the Orlouge family gathered around a large oak table.

"Kyla these people will be sharing our home for a while. I think it's best you get to know each of them in turn."

"What do you expect me to do? Take him to the zoo or something?" Kyla said sarcastically.

"Oh! That sounds like so much fun! Me and Taka should go to the zoo!" Anita exclaimed excitedly in her seat.

" You and Taka will do no such thing!" Sei quickly put in. "Yes though, the zoo sounds like a wonderful idea Kyla"

"Why can't I take Jensen instead?" Kyla gave one last ditch effort.

" You know damn well why you can't go with Jensen." The mute said with a hint of anger in his tone.


"And your sure Anita can't come along?" Kyla asked sheepishly, as she began to stand to leave the room.

" Anita knows the members well enough, now it's your turn."

Kyla left the room, searching out the man she was about to ask to spend time with. This truly had to be one of the most embarrassing moments of her life. She found the tall dark-haired man, and approached him nervously.

"Mr....Arcus? Would you maybe..." Kyla mumbled, "Like to go to the zoo with me?"

[Revenant]

“What do you mean go to the zoo with you?” William asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

William had just finished another three day stint in Sei’s massive library, pulling book after book from the countless shelves and searching their contents for arcane translations. This latest attempt to gleam some insight into the nature of the soul-binding ritual that had bound his soul with the essence of a demonic entity had met with failure, as it seemed all of his research attempts did, and William was in no mood for games.

Seeing Kyla’s shifting nervousness, William deduced that the request to accompany her hadn’t been the young girl’s decision. Not surprising, given the fact that she and Anita, Kyla’s younger ‘sister’, made it a well known fact that they avoided the revenant as much as possible. Perhaps is was his gruff, unfriendly persona, perhaps it was the fact that he was nearly twice the girls’ age, or perhaps it was that they just couldn’t see the dour revenant joining in on their usual escapades. But their attitude was most likely caused by the fact that they were just uncomfortable around the demon host and his bloodthirsty temper.

“Who put you up to this, girl?” William asked curtly, knowing that Kyla must have had an accomplice in this farce. “Was it that idiot Jensen?”

William’s eyes scanned the shadows for any sign of the cocksure Knight of the Apocalypse, who seemed to make it a personal goal to make William as miserable as possible during his stay in Sei’s cavernous home. Jensen and Kyla had become … close … during the short time that he had been here, so it wasn’t completely unreasonable to believe that the man had something to do with this scenario.

William crossed his arms under his traveling cloak and waited for the youth’s reply.

[Amber Eyes]

"No." Kyla replied quickly, "He didn't put me up to anything! If you really want to know...."

"Kyla!" The stern voice in her head let her know she was being listened to.

She quickly rethought her statement, and continued as though rehearsed. "I just really thought I should get to know you since your staying in my house and all. Not to mention that Sei's really devoted to this 'nine awesome super cool warrior' stuff, so I figure if I want to stay in his good graces I better do something."

"Good Girl" The voice again filled her mind.

She opened her mouth to speak again when the voice interrupted her thought pattern once more.

"And I might think about that name"

Kyla smiled at her father's 'voice'.

For the first time Kyla realized that this was the first time she'd ever spoken with this man. The day he had arrived to Sei's home, Kyla had been locked away tightly in her room, before trying to execute another member of the Ixian Knights. After that she had a hard time approaching the men, which was obviously why Sei thought these outings necessary. William had been her first target simply because other than Taka, the man she tried to execute, he would be the hardest. She couldn't bring herself to go near Taka just yet, but wanted to do the harder ones first. She looked deep into the revenant's dark eyes before continuing.

"So, the question still stands. Would you like to go to the zoo with me?"

[Revenant]

William was honestly surprised that Jensen had nothing to do with Kyla’s odd request. He knew that the young knight was sweet on Sei’s adopted daughter and this seemed like the perfect opportunity for the man to rub some salt on his ire, but Kyla claimed it was not so and William was inclined to believe her. Not that she was telling him the entire truth. For one thing, her body language told him that spending a day at the zoo with him was not first on her list of things to look forward to and her hesitance, for another, spoke volumes about the real driving factor behind her request. Checking Jensen off his list of usual suspects left William with only one other person to suspect, the mute mystic himself, and if the Knight of the Apocalypse wasn’t in on it then William had no doubt that Sei’s telepathic words lurked somewhere in the back of Kyla’s mind, urging her forwards.

The thought of Sei sending him off for a relaxing day at the zoo brought a wry smile to William’s face. By taking a position as one of the nine leaders of the Ixian Knights, William made himself beholden to the mute’s whims, something that meant that he would have to follow through with odd requests from time to time. But William knew Sei and knew that the mute’s reason for sending Kyla to him was more than just a bonding experience. Sei had made it a personal mission to help William recover the humanity that the revenant had lost through years of murderous rage and this was just another way to bring William’s softer side out.

“Well, my studies here have been keeping me pretty busy,” William responded as if he had a choice in the matter and then offered Kyla his best attempt at a smile, “but since I’ve just finished wasting another round of time in your father’s library I was planning on heading out anyways. I suppose the zoo would be as nice a place to stretch my legs as any other.”

[Amber Eyes]

“Cool, don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back!” Kyla said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. She ran back to her room to try and find something to change into for the day. By the time she had settled on a pink tank top and blue jeans, Anita had come in and told her she needed to completely redo the outfit. Anita placed her in a different pair of jeans and a white tank top. The girls giggled with one another after realizing how similar yet entirely different the changes of clothes were.

Kyla rushed back to her chaperone for the day and locked his arm in hers. If she was being forced to do this, she was going to try and have the most fun possible doing it. The two walked the entire way to the zoo arm and arm, Kyla trying to convince the older man to break out into a skip like her on occasion. She would momentarily stop doing her own skip when realizing William did not ‘skip’. Then, she would be right back at it, giggles filling her mind at the thought of wearing William down until he finally conceded.

They got to the ticket booth and Kyla paid for the tickets. William was supposed to be the one guiding her through everything and spending the day with her, the least she could do was buy the tickets. Food would probably cost around the same amount later anyways. When the two walked through the turnstile and into the actual inside of the zoo, Kyla looked to William Arcus with a very polite smile.

“So is there anything you want to see first?”

[Revenant]

William grunted noncommittally and made a vague half-gesture indicating that they should take the path that would take the two of them towards the Fallien exhibits. He tried his best not to show the wince that he felt as the overly enthusiastic youth put her arm in his again and led them towards the gritty, sand-covered archway that would turn the streets of Radasanth into the desert wastes of Fallien.
The feeling of her arm in his, the closeness, was discomforting to the revenant, and as much as he tried to hide it, he was certain Kyla could feel the tenseness that ran through him like a corded wire.

I’ll bet we look ridiculous like this, William thought, dark thunderclouds of negativity clouding his mind. He nodded absentmindedly as Kyla pulled him towards a craggy rock enclosure to point out the flock of thick tufted buzzards that roosted amid the man-made earth embankments. He only half listened as Kyla read from the information plaque outside the enclosure, finding his attention more drawn to the tight jeans and loose jiggle of the white tank top that she wore.

That seems somewhat inappropriate, he thought, I wonder what Sei would think about her dressing like that around me? But William knew that the mystic was a push-over when it came to his adopted daughters and would likely do little more than flash William that subtle, mocking smirk of his before sending Kyla and he off to play. William, after all, was certainly no threat to his daughter.

But if not Sei, then what do the other people here think? William wondered, looking from where Kyla was reading to him about how the Fallien Sand Vulture could sense a spilled capful of water from over two miles away. His own attire was much more conservative. The heavy wool and denim that he wore was more suited to rough outdoor living than to a casual walk through downtown Radasanth. There was no fanciness of comfort in the way he dressed, not like Kyla’s relaxed attire. It was then, as he was looking at his dusty boots, that William realized exactly what people must have thought of the two of them. He was certainly old enough to be her father, and with the youthful exuberance that Sei’s daughter displayed, coupled with the stoic, dour demeanor he showed, people must certainly have thought that William was Kyla’s father.

The thought struck William as quirky and for the first time that day, William offered a genuine smile.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla rattled on about each animal they passed. She was rather enjoying herself no matter what she'd originally thought. The revenant was actually a kind man, though he could afford to let loose a bit more, and Kyla was beginning to think of him more as a distant uncle than Sei's business partner. The Ixian knights were Sei's baby at the moment, and neither Kyla nor Anita had let the attention he paid to them go unnoticed. Sei had always been a busy man, but Anita especially was used to much more attention than she'd been given. The girls had taken to going out a bit more than Sei liked, and he'd made no effort to hide his rising frustration. Kyla knew that though he'd never say it aloud, he felt as though she were responsible for Anita's actions.

Kyla truly never meant to cause trouble, but she had little social graces. The bulk of her childhood had been spent surrounded by thieves, not exactly the most poised of humans. Now she spent her days locked in Sei's tomb, watching everyone go about their busy schedules. She needed an outlet. Jensen had proved a worthy distraction, but Sei wasn't about to let that one go on. Kyla sometimes wondered if her affections for him were real, or if she only liked the idea of him.

Kyla shook the thoughts of the immortal from her mind as she and William approached her least favorite exhibit. The snake den. Kyla shivered at the thought. How the heck did we get here? Kyla had never cared for snakes, something about the way they slithered across the ground, or their piercing eyes. They just freaked her out, but she wasn't about to let Mr. Arcus know that. If word got back to the cave, Rehtul, Aislinn, or Anita would one put a snake in her bed for sure. No, she had to be brave.

"Okay, let's look at this one next." Kyla squeezed her eyes shut as she entered the dark hallways lined with tanks.

[Revenant]

William was a man accustomed to spotting the slight shifts of posture and tell-tale signs of emotion that dictated spilt second, life or death reactions in midst of chaotic battlefields, and try as Kyla might, there was no hiding her discomfort from him.

What’s this? he asked himself, questioning the sudden shift in the normally perky girl’s behavior. Did I do something wrong? Seeing fear in others was a facet of life that William had learned well. Few but the most hardened could look upon the charred, twisted form of the man-demon without giving off a veritable tidal wave of fear. But Kyla had never even shown the slightest hint of fear towards William and he was extremely confused as to why she should be so rocked by it now. His bafflement progressed until the two of them were in the shadow of the snake exhibit. Ah, he thought, the daughter of the great Sei Orlouge is afraid of snakes.

Forever after, William found that he was unable to explain just what is was that made him do what he did, but there, in that exact moment, he didn’t see Kyla as a shadow mystic, or as Sei Orlouge’s daughter, but as a frightened little girl in need of comfort.

William stopped just outside the entrance to the building, dropping his burning gaze to the floor at his feet. “My wife,” he whispered in a voice so low that it was almost inaudible, “Rebecca, used to tease me. I’ve never liked snakes and she would laugh and laugh every time I brought it up.” The pain in William’s voice as he spoke of his long dead wife was heart-wrenching. “Would you mind if we… skipped this exhibit?”

It was an absolute lie, of course, and utterly debasing. But right now there was a frightened little girl who needed the pride more than he did.

[Amber Eyes]

Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! Kyla tried to hide her delight at her companion's admission. Not only was she safe from entering the terrifying place, but she also realized that even someone as brave as the revenant had fear. This was something Kyla had never thought of up until now, perhaps even her uncle Sei had a few secret phobias. Surely men who were great warriors like those two didn't cower under the covers in fear, instead they held them deep within. I could do that.

Kyla again thanked the mercy of Mr. Arcus as they walked on towards another exhibit. They quickly came upon the cages of cats. Tigers stretched lazily in the warm sunlight, surrounded by nothing but rich green grass and the occasional drinking hole. The scene took Kyla's breath away, a slight glimpse into a world human and mystics alike were never meant to see. Even here in captivity these wild creatures did not hide their true selves. A lion in a jungle behaves much like a lion in captivity. Kyla had expected to spend a boring day at the zoo with a member of the nine, but she was learning much more than just the names of a few animals.

"Do you ever wish you could be a part of that Mr. Arcus? I mean, do you think it's easier for them? No questioning who you are or which team you’re on, just a part of nature plain and simple?”

[Revenant]

The burning orbs that were William’s eyes narrowed as he watched the great cats prance about their cage. “It’s not as simple as you think,” he replied without looking at the young Orlouge. “You don’t know about living like a beast, moving only with instinct to hunt and kill and survive. You don’t know about being hunted like a rabid animal, constantly moving to be one step ahead of the baying hounds.” William’s hands clenched into white-knuckled fists as he spoke. “Nature isn’t plain and simple, girl, it’s brutal and unforgiving.”

It took William a moment to realize that his passion was rising, and with it his power. It would not do to lose control of himself in the middle of the crowded locale, and definitely not around Kyla. Wistfully, he released the delightful, destructive tension that had built within him. No matter how much he wanted it to be otherwise, it seemed that he would always house a primal, destructive rage within him.

“Sorry,” he muttered, turning away from the tiger enclosure. Unsure of how his momentary lapse of control would be taken and whether or not Kyla would even follow him, William walked on towards the next building down the line, the monkey enclosure.

[Amber Eyes]

The anger in Mr. Arcus' voice frightened Kyla a bit, and she had to put in a lot of effort to hide it. His clenched fists drew in Kyla's gaze, reminding her of Zander the day her rescued her from Talarni in the forest. As the revenant began to walk away she followed him quickly. She planted herself firmly in front of the man, determined to not let this moment pass without explaining herself.

"I know I'm young Mr. Arcus, but I'm not simple minded. I may know nothing of the wild, but I assure you I know that mankind can be just as brutal and unforgiving. I don't know what Sei has told you of my past, but I know a bit of the cruelty of men. For ten years I had to hide my race from the very men who took care of me just because my blood ran blue. The loyalty of men is fickle Mr. Arcus, you can spend your entire life as one of the group, and one cut can take it all away. Yes, a lioness will hunt and kill with no thought of the other animal, but that is far better than pretending to care for someone only to turn at the first sight of trouble. The brutality of animals is at least honest Mr. Arcus." Kyla looked around, realizing that people were stopping to stare at her. The girls face flushed with embarrassment and she quickly rushed off to sit on a bench next to the monkey cages.

[Revenant]

What the hell? William thought. It suddenly dawned on him that he knew nothing about Kyla or her life prior to being adopted by Sei. You damned fool, he snarled, first at himself and then at the nearest group of young girls standing nearby and whispering scandalously at the scene between the revenant and the young mystic girl. The flighty popinjays scattered before the sound he made, more akin to something that should have come from a creature behind the zoo’s barred enclosures and not a man.

The look on Kyla’s face utterly flustered William. He wanted to assist the child, to comfort her. But he was no longer human, and the intricacies of human emotion and nuances of subtlety often escaped him.

“Listen,” he had to stop himself from calling her ‘kid’, “uh… Kyla.” William settled down on the bench next to the girl. “Call me William, not Mr. Arcus, okay?”

Uh, this is awkward, he thought.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to trivialize anything that you’ve been through.”

Oh look, monkeys.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla stared at the cage, pretending to be extremely engrossed in the monkey's activities. Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment as she waited for the lecture she was sure was coming. Sei and his buddies loved lectures. The revenant approached quietly, as if deep in thought. Kyla held her gaze straight ahead as he apologized, afraid to make eye contact.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. Anita says I need to work on my people skills. Jensen says I'm a bitc...never mind. Either way, I probably should hold my tongue a bit more. I know what I've been through doesn't even compare to what others have seen, but I can't help but see things the way I do. Anyways, Mr. Arc... I mean...William...What do you know about Monkeys?"
Kyla looked at the plaque and began to read the random facts aloud.

[Revenant]

“Jensen,” William spat the word as if it left a foul taste in his mouth, forgetting Kyla’s relations with the man for a moment. He recovered quickly, sensing the young mystic’s discomfort as if it were his own. He was a living weapon, created with no purpose other than death, and yet here he was trying his best to comfort a woman who was barely more than a child. Briefly he felt remorse over the history that forced him to abandon his humanity, thoughts of children with it.

“Is that so?” William mused, listening to Kyla’s random train of monkey facts. He watched the furry little creatures scampering about playfully, tails held high. Perhaps there was something to the carefree attitude that Kyla spoke about. It was a life that he could never hope to attain, something too far for his war torn soul to recognize. But perhaps he could still do some good. Perhaps he could help this young woman to find a hint of peace in this savage world.

“Listen Kyla,” William said, hesitantly laying a hand on her shoulder. “I know I’m no peace keeper like Sei or as composed as Taka, but I’ve seen enough and I understand the horrors of the world. I’ve got an open ear if you ever need someone to talk to.”

[Amber Eyes]

“That road runs both ways, William,” Kyla said with a smile. The girl began to forget all of her worries for a little while during her time at the zoo with the revenant. Kyla had begun to realize that Sei wasn’t just putting Kyla on this trip for anti-Jensen purposes, but because he was trying to establish something between all of his warriors. He wanted his Ixian Knights to fight as if they were defending their brother or sister, because in Sei’s kind eyes, they were.

Kyla giggled a little while watching two monkeys groom one another from the outside of their cages. The girl could see that this particular exhibit had brightened William’s day as well. The two of them continued to watch the simians until darkness began to fall on the zoo. They were quickly ushered out by attendants who needed to feed and clean cages, and began to make their way back to Sei’s Tomb, Kyla having a much better attitude about the journey than she had started with.

As the two approached Sei’s tomb, they saw the form of Sei Orlouge standing outside the cave, even in the darkness, the mute’s orange hair stood out to anybody who was passing by. The fact that Kyla and William were now walking side by side, new feelings of friendship surfacing, brought a smile to the mystic’s lips.

“I’m assuming it wasn’t as bad as you thought then, Kyla?” Sei asked the girl in a private message. Kyla’s only reply was swinging both of her arms around her adoptive father and planting a small kiss on his cheek before walking off into the cavern to find Anita and tell her what an awesome day she had.

“I’ll assume that’s a yes,” Sei said, rubbing his cheek and turning towards William.

[Revenant]

William watched Kyla give her affections to her adopted father and bound away into Sei’s Tomb. He briefly wondered just how much of the bounce in her step was real and how much was an act to hide her darkness from the rest of the world. What would become of the budding mystic? And just how well she would manage to keep her inner darkness in check? That is, if she could even do so.

That’s not too likely, William thought, turning his eyes to meet Sei. The mute was the type of person who would put himself in harm’s way to save a stranger, a fact William himself could vouch for, he wasn’t about to let his own flesh and blood fall away from him without a fight.

“We saw monkeys,” he said, his face a straight mask. It certainly wasn’t the answer that Sei was looking for, but it was the only answer that the mystic would get from him. Part of Kyla’s issues were how overbearing her adopted father could be sometimes, and William wasn’t going to risk the slightest of bridges that he and the young girl had built in the whisper of a moment when their inner animals had gone docile.

“Unless you want me to take Anita out for ice cream next,” William said, holding up a hand when Sei began his protest of innocence, “and I know it was you who put her up to this, I’ve got some research I have to get back to.”

Knowing that he had waited long enough for Kyla to make it back inside without the shadow of the revenant following her, William walked around Sei and headed back to his place in the Tomb’s library.

[MetalDrago]

STORY ~

Continuity (6/10) ~ This story ties in pretty easily with the rest of the Orlouges’ “slice of life” threads that you guys make from time to time. This story lacked in an overall history, but as this story could fit in anywhere in your story, and probably takes place at no specific time, it didn’t count too badly against you.

Setting (3/10) ~ Very minimal setting. I know you two are better than this, so I won’t bother whining about it. Since this thread was more or less for fun (from what I’m seeing, anyway), I can understand why the posts lacked in setting, so if you want more information, just contact me about it.

Pacing (5/10) ~ Despite being a pretty simple thread, the pacing was decent. It moved along at a very smooth pace. Not much else to say here.

CHARACTER ~

Dialogue (7/10) ~ The dialogue believable. Overall, good job.

Action (6/10) ~ William’s actions were very good, and Kyla’s were believable. Again, good job.

Persona (6/10) ~ I got to see a side of William that I must say I rather enjoyed. I got a good look at how Kyla’s underlying vulnerability shows through in her everyday life.

WRITING STYLE ~

Mechanics (6/10) ~ A few basic errors here and there, but nothing that detracted from the overall read of the thread.

Technique (5/10) ~ Standard, but nothing too stand out.

Clarity (7/10) ~ Exceedingly clear and easy to read. Overall, an extremely good job.

Wild Card (7/10) ~ I love these little slice of life threads. It’s a great break from the epic battles and quest that show up so often on Althanas. Thanks for an awesome read.

Overall score: 58

Amber Eyes receives 1275 EXP and 150 GP
Revenant receives 1475 EXP and 150 GP

[Silence Sei]

exp- GP added.