Fantasy Silent Rapture - The Solomon Files

[andujarprime]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

Ayramis sighed in relief as he swam in the pool in his oasis of a room. He had healed in the common healing pool, but nothing beat the fresh water and hot sun of his oasis. He was much better now, much more relaxed and refueled. A hot breeze blew through his hair as he made his way into the shade. Eventually leaving the sand, and his feet stepping on the cool tiled floor of his entryway. He hung up the towel and pulled on a light shirt to match his kaki shorts and white canvas shoes. He could feel the souls in his head stirring. He could hear their voices murmuring. He was at 100% so he was easily able to push them to the back of his mind as a new feeling overtook him. Hunger...he couldn’t recall his last meal. But he was hungry, and he could use something to do. Cooking always helped with that. It helped to put his mind and his mood at ease. With a nod to himself he stepped out into the hallway, a light hum could be heard as he shut his door, then a yip and short bark as his Jackal popped out of a portal at his feet. It followed behind him loyally looking up at him and then at its surroundings.

It wasn’t long before the barking and yapping found its way into the kitchen, trailing behind Ayramis. He paused at the entry spotting the two current occupants. “Uh, hey guys.” He greeted as he walked in. He smiled to both of them as he made his way to the fridge. “I don’t know about you guys, but I am famished. Nothing works up an appetite quite like fighting for your life does it?” He asked jokingly without looking back. He sighed as he pulled out some fresh produce. Several peppers, onions, mushrooms. He then pulled out chicken that he had been thawing out from before. “Sorry, Inhope I’m not interrupting your silence.” He said sheepishly when he realized he was beginning to make noise.

KhazTheGiraffe GamerCarrot

 

[KhazTheGiraffe]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

It had only been a few minutes when Hayle had walked into the kitchen, shortly after Hino. However she appeared to be in her own world as she didn't even notice him. He stared at her boredly as she boiled the water and prepared her mug, waiting to see how long it would take for him to notice he was there. When she finally tunred around, she seemed a little startled at his presence and even offered him some coffee, though she was quite awkward about it. He responded by continuing to hold his lazy gaze and taking another bite of his apple. The music blasting from his headphones filled the silence while the woman turned around to finish making her drink. It was then that Hino witnessed the most redundant coffee ritual he had ever seen. Hayle had used her abilities to cool down the water she had just finished boiling to a refreshing temperature. His brows furrowed in confusion, but before he had been able to comment she had asked him a question about his music.

"Um...It's Falco... and it's German. That's probably why it sounds interesting." He said hesitantly. People tended not to ask Hino questions due to his intimidating appearance, dismissive personality, and his tendency to isolate himself, so he was a little taken aback. Hino knew that according to social etiquette, he should probably continue the conversation in some way, but he had no idea what to say. In hindsight, he probably could have elaborated on the song a bit more or even music in general, but he was quite out of practice when it came to small talk with other living, talking beings. Several seconds too long of silence passed, interrupted only by the occasional 'Amadeus, Amadeus' while Hino tried to think of something to say. Fortunately, he was saved when Ayramis walked through the door. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized he would not have to carry a conversation alone. The man made light of the fight they had just gotten into and even poked fun at the awkward silence that the pair had been sitting it.

"So... Hayle does a weird thing when she makes coffee." He said trying to contribute something to the lack of discussion, although he felt a little bad at throwing Hayle under the bus.

andujarprime GamerCarrot

 

[GamerCarrot]

Hayle sipped on her cold coffee as she listened to him talk about his music, since it was German that's probably why she couldn't understand it all too much. But as she was about to open her mouth to say something again Ayramis broke the silence which made her let out a sigh of relief, she was normally better at holding a conversation with people but since this was her first time really talking to Hino it was incredibly awkward. It felt like they were staring at each other trying to think of something to say. She watched Ayramis grab a few ingredients to make something which made her raise her eyebrow trying to think of what he was going to make, although her attention was immediately drawn to Hino literally throwing her under the bus. Turning red as he called her method weird she took another sip of her coffee "It's not weird... it's just a bad habit." She said whilst holding the mug closer to her face.

Looking at Ayramis she sighed "Okay it's a bit weird... I boil water, add my coffee and sugar to my cup, pour the boiling water in with milk then I use my magic to cool it down to a temperature that I can handle." Since she didn't do well with extremely warm temperatures she always cooled down her environment or even the things she drinks and eats, sure she probably could drink a hot coffee but not at the expense of her own health. "I even offered to make Hino a coffee but now I don't think he wants anything to do with my coffee." She let out a small chuckle before returning her gaze to Hino. "If it makes you feel better I would've just made you a normal coffee not a strange cold one." She smiled at him.
andujarprime KhazTheGiraffe

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Restaurant "La Vache D'or"
Time: Sometime after the fight in Paris
Interaction: Falarion and Harian

"Stop being so tense Joph." Harian obliged happily.
Jophiel tried his best to give a sigh that was not steeped in exasperation. It wasn't a very good try.
Was this what he had resigned himself to?
"Kiyomi," He said her name earnestly. "I know you don't mean any harm, you are a lovely person, but this is quite an uncomfortable position for me. I'm sure you would understand if you thought about it."
He slid off the chair as he spoke, very slowly, until he could stand up. Not wanting her to fall, and seeing as she was not in a very robust state, he held onto he as he stood, making sure she had enough support.
"I think it's time we left. Come along. Harian, get the door for me please."
Jophiel put a steady arm about Kiyomi's waist, determined to put as much distance between the kitsune and more alcohol.
Harian swiped the card against the front door of the restaurant and opened it to their home. She was still smiling about poor Jophiel's predicament.
"You are forbidden to mention any of this in front of Gabriel."
Harian gave a laugh, and decided to help him out.
"Which one?" She could just as easily have said nothing, and interpreted his words to mean their Gabriel, leaving her free to crow about this to the archangel as much as she liked, but she figured Joph had been through enough.
"My boss Gabriel." Jophiel told her, trying not to sound irritated.
Harian shrugged, "oh, fine. You're no fun."

Crazy Trey-n The Velveteen Rabbit Feywild Lioness075

 

[andujarprime]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

Ayramis chuckled as he set his ingredients on the island in the middle of the kitchen. He rummaged through one of the lower cabinets pulled out a large cutting board, and a medium sized cutting board, and two different bowls. Next he went to the knife block and pulled out two different knives. He brought them back to the center island where the other two were sitting. “Iced coffee. It may sound weird to some, but it’s actually very popular in most metropolitan areas. Especially during the summer.” He informed them as he walked to the pantry opened it up and began pulling out various spices. Depositing the spices on the island he went to a rack in the corner of the kitchen and pulled off an apron. It was black with a gold Ankh on it.on either side of the Ankh was a salt and pepper shaker. Respectively labeled with a black P and S. At the foot of the Ankh a spoon and fork were crossed in gold. He chuckled as his Jackal tipped about the kitchen. Before he got back to the island he took a small bowl and filled it with water placing it at the floor beside him. “The only thing weird, would be the way you made it.” He reassured her with a smile and a light chuckle. He began to methodically cut the chicken first into small night sized chunks. “Are either of you allergic to anything? I hate eating alone, so I hope you enjoy food. Chicken Cacciatore is on the menu for tonight.” He said to them with a smile. He placed the pieces of chicken into one of the bowls. Nearly finishing the white meat. He began to debone some of the dark meat but thought better of it and just skin it then pulled some more white meat to him and cut it up. His fingers worked effortlessly, moving fluidly in short precise motions as he made quick work of the chicken. He washed his hands once more and rinsed the chicken with lemon juice and cold water. He seasoned it with copious amounts of salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano and basil. Then let it sit in the bowl while he got to work on the peppers and mushrooms. Diving them just as fluently. Meanwhile his Jackal just ran around the center island barking at him and his two companions. “Interesting song there. I haven’t heard it in a long time but I do enjoy it.” He said to Hino amidst his cutting task.

GamerCarrot KhazTheGiraffe

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Gabriel's room
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

As a general rule, Jophiel had made it so that the owners of each personal room in their house could only be opened by or with express permission from the person to whom they belonged. Harian knew this, but rather than it being a deterrent, the djinn had taken it as a great challenge.
She might have blamed the fact that Gabriel may not have minded her coming into the room, but she liked to believe that there was a certain skill to defying the angel's magic. It was morning, and light filtered in through the window, which would have overlooked anything that Gabriel wanted it to.
He was asleep, or looked that way, and Harian crept in to sit herself quietly, cross-legged on the edge of the bed.
"Hey, Gabriel." She hissed. "Psst. Gabe! Wake up!"

color: #ea3f68

Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Gabriel's room
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

For the first time in years, Gabriels recent dreams had been fairly pleasant. No horrifying monsters. No replaying memories of the people he couldn't save. He wasn't sure if it was the meds, the therapy, or his newfound closeness with....certain individuals. Whatever the case, he found himself sleeping in later than usual that morning enjoying a wonderful dream that he quickly forgot most of, but what he remembered was her smile. And something about red velvet cupcakes. He lay there, goofy smile plastered on his face, one leg poking out from under the cover and hanging half-way off the bed. A soft voice roused him from his otherwise wonderful slumber and he grumbled loudly.
"Didn't your parents ever teach you that you shouldn't be sneaking in to boys rooms alone? You realize Fal would A, take a picture to tease you with, or B, make very bad jokes about it. Though, not that I mind waking up and the first thing I see is you."
He sat up, stretching and yawning. His neck cracked, having slept on it wrong all night. His hair was a mess.
"Well, good morning. What's up? Did the Fire Nation attack?"

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Gabriel's room
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"Thing about Djinn..." Harian tilted her head as she spoke, looking down at him with a gentle fondness. "We don't have parents. And I'd never teach Fal how to get into the other rooms. That'd be a disaster waiting to happen."
At his last comment she rolled her eyes but smiled at him with all the more fondness.
"Well, no, but if you want fire for your birthday, I could ignite something in here."
She had her hands behind her back, and when she brought them into view she seemed a little sheepish. Harian was holding a card, and it was obviously handmade. For all her ability to replicate forms with absolute detail, she was a lousy artist. The card was blue, and there was a figure on the front which could have been Gabriel, but, then again it could have been something not entirely human. It was hard to tell. The words read "Happy Birthday Gabriel" but she had run out of room with the letters and the ends were scrunched up against one side. Inside the card contained birthday wishes from the entire house, which the djinn had, to the detriment of her reputation, obtained from each of them.
She offered it without speaking and withdrew her hands quickly, looking thankful to be rid of it, and preparing for the teasing that would no doubt come.
"So, remember what I said? I have somewhere to take you. Get dressed."
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Gabriel's room
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

For a moment, Gabriel did nothing but sit there, completely dumbstruck. The card was so unexpected that for a moment he thought he was still asleep and having a very vivid dream. His expression flashed between surprise, excitement, joy, admiration and purest affection. He looked almost on the verge of tears after a few seconds had passed. Happy tears. No one had ever done something so thoughtful for him before. For the briefest moment, the world was perfect. They were just normal people, not a rebel group trying to fight back the forces of darkness.
"I hope you appreciate the absolutely herculean effort I have to summon up to not pick you up in a bear hug and spin you around like something out of a Disney movie. This world doesn't deserve you, Harian. And Neither do I."
He clambered over to where she sat, taking a spot right next to her, as close as he could. He sat in silence, letting his words sink in. Letting the perfect moment stretch on as long as it could.
"Thank you. It's perfect. Now, you can either wait outside for me to change or turn around. Up to you."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Gabriel's room
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

As Gabriel examined the card his eyes began to get misty. Harian looked alarmed.
"Hey, I know it's bad but it's not that bad is it?"
His words clarified, apparently tears could be a good thing? Who knew?
Harian brushed the back of her head with a hand, looking away for just one moment of embarrassment.
"Jeez, if you like that one piece of paper so much, just wait till you see your gift. And anyway, if you didn't deserve it, I'd never have gone through the trouble."
When he clambered over to sit beside her she nudged his shoulder affectionately with her own.
When given her options Harian heaved a dramatic sigh.
"You humans and your over-developed sense of modesty." She turned around to face the nearest wall, still sitting on the bed.
"You don't have anything to worry about," Harian called over one shoulder, "djinn don't find humans particularly attractive. Not really a physical entity, remember?"
While waiting, Harian had resigned herself to reviewing the plan in her mind when something occurred to her:
"Oh, dress light, maybe don't wear black? We're going somewhere hot."
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Gabriel's room
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

He stood up and walked over to his dresser, digging through it for a comfortable outfit that wouldn't be too hot.
"Sending a lot of mixed signals there, ya know. Giving me a card you made yourself, sneaking in to my bedroom, then calling me ugly while I try and change clothes?"
He teased her lightly while her back was turned, still smiling. He found it easier to joke with her now. He pulled off his sleepwear, a simple black tanktop and loose shorts, and put on jeans, a light blue tshirt, and a pair of comfortable walking shoes. He sat back down on the bed next to her before leaning back and laying down, staring up at her with his arms behind his head.
"So, where we going Captain? And should we eat first or are you going to let me take you out for lunch?"
He smiled then, only partly teasing.

SilverFlight
(If she looks back while he's getting dressed, his entire upper body is riddled with dozens of scars: Burn marks, cuts, knife wounds, gunshot wounds, claw marks, and bites.)

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Gabriel's room
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"I never called you ugly." Harian said in a matter-of-fact tone, there was a smile in that tone. "Anyway, just think how special you've got to be, despite it, to have me sitting right here, and about to take you where we're about to..."
She hadn't meant to look back, but she had. Her eyes trailed the forest of scars that littered his back before they vanished under the blue of his shirt.
Djinn did not scar. No matter what was done to them, their bodies could be made to look as perfect as they wished, though the memory of the pain was like a scar itself. Harian's memory looked like Gabriel's skin, and what was there in place of a heart contracted in an echo of the pain.
When he came to lie beside her, hands behind his head, easy smile playing on his lips she couldn't help reaching for the edge of his shirt, slowly pulling it back, giving him plenty of time to stop her if he wanted to. It was a small gesture, to let him know she had seen.
Her hand hovered there for just a moment, before she brought it to his skin, sliding under fabric, fingers grazing the first of the scars on his stomach. There was sympathy and sadness in that touch, but also comfort; a silent solidarity and concerned affection.
"Souvenirs from the job?" She asked and the bitterness on his behalf stained the edges of her question.
She had decided then, that she wasn't going to get angry. This day was for him, and damn it, she was determined to make it a good one. The goddess that held his chains could burn in Tartarus, and perhaps one day, Harian would see it done. But that day wasn't today. Today, there would be no anger. All of this could be read in the changes of her expression. It was perhaps surprising; had the Harian of several weeks before been angered in such a way, something would already have been set on fire.
"Do you like falafel?"
Naberius

 

[KhazTheGiraffe]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

"I don't like coffee, it tastes terrible. Besides, I still feel tired after I drink it and it makes me shake." He answered, "So I would have declined either way." Hino took the last bite of his apple before effortlessly throwing in the green-bin across the kitchen. He watched intently as Ayramis began methodically selecting spices and ingredients from around the kitchen along with an assortment of bowls. Truthfully, he had never seen most of the things he was pulling out of the cupboards, but it certainly smelled good when he began mixing them with the chicken he just sliced.

"Not that I'm aware of," He responded to Ayramis. He wasn't exactly sure what Chicken Catchatory was, but it was certainly looking very appetizing in its early stages. His attention was diverted away to the jackal barking at his feet. Hino dropped his hand down to its level so that it could learn his scent before petting his head and scratching behind its ears. Hino loved animals, far more than people, and if he had learned anything over the years was that behind the ear and chin scratches were universally adored by most animals.

The final chords of the song played out as Ayramis commented on it.

"Yes... It's from the 80's. The golden age of music." A small smile tugged at the left corner of his lips, "But the 60's and 70's were also pretty great. The next song on this tape is 'The Weight' by The Band. One of my favourites." Within only moments, the plucky intro to The Weight began playing. Hino had memorized every song order of every tape he had ever made. While he did enjoy knowing what song was coming up, he wished there was a way that he could listen to his music in a random order so that every song was a surprise.

Spoiler: Song: The Weight

andujarprime GamerCarrot

 

[Naberius]

Location: Gabriel's room
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

That gentle touch made his mind swim. His arm jerked out from under his head as he moved to stop her. But he didn't. Instead, he simply placed his hand on hers. A month ago, they would never have been sharing this moment together.
"I thought we weren't supposed to touch each other?"
He looked at her with a sad smile for a moment, briefly flashing back to a past that still haunted him some nights before coming back to the happy present he now enjoyed so much.
"Perks of healing so quickly. I don't regenerate the lost bits, it just scars over. Damn near any injury I get becomes a nasty scar. I...Well, it's why I don't go without a shirt, even in a pool. At least, not if other people are around. And it's the reason I asked you to turn around. I didn't want you to see it. Though, maybe it's better that you did. The scars are as much a part of me as my dumb jokes."
He watched her expression change minutely, seeing the worry and care in those eyes. It was nice knowing that someone cared about you. Cared what happened to you. It was one of the greatest feelings in the world. Never in his life had he ever needed something so much and never known until he received it. She couldn't say as much, and he knew better than to try and dance around her bonds. But he could see it in the small changes to her personality and how she carried herself. He would sometimes catch her looking at him out of the corner of his eye. And he was sure she saw him do the same rather frequently.
"Falafel? Absolutely. I tend to lean more towards being a meat eater, but I have a weak spot for certain things. That just happens to be one of them."

SilverFlight

 

[GamerCarrot]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

Hayle just took another sip of her coffee and smiled "It's an acquired taste and I never said I was normal." She smirked as she moved to one of the stools in the kitchen and sat down holding her mug. Although as she sat down she looked over at Ayramis and nervously smiled "What about you? Did you want a coffee I'd be happy to make you one whilst you cook?" she asked him, she was normally pretty good at making coffee for other people when they asked for one.

She watched Ayramis prepare them all some food, when he asked her if she was allergic to anything she shook her head "Nope no allergies here either." She watched him cook, it was kind of interesting to see him cutting everything and working so methodically with his hands. She wasn't much of a chef but she did enjoy watching people cook and even liked cooking herself yet she wasn't that good at it. As her fingers run over the edge of her mug her eyes fell onto Ayramis's jackal who had been barking the entire time and had now found its way over to Hino and getting quite a few pats, she wanted to give it a pat but the last time she tried to get close to an animal it almost bit her hand just from her holding it out to sniff her "I've been meaning to ask you... Your jackal does it have a name? I see them around with you a lot and I thought I'd ask." she asked him with a smile on her face.

As the conversation moved to Hino's music she just sat there and listened to his music as they played through his headphones, tapping her foot against the stool she sat on she enjoyed his taste in music. "You have good taste in music Hino." She was slightly surprised how he knew which song was going to play after the other, but she figured that he must listen to the tape over and over so that he was used to hearing them play in the same order.

KhazTheGiraffe andujarprime

 

[Crazy Trey-n]

Location: Home Base
Time: After the 'Drunken Events'
Interaction: Nero, Jophiel, eventually Lucifer

Nero may have been naive, but he was no fool. As Jophiel began to connect the dots for him, his brows knitted together and he brought his feet up to sit cross-legged.

"There are stories and passages that say the nephilim were children of sons of heaven and daughters of men," Nero offered, his intrigue piquing. "I also talked to a priest in Athens about it a few weeks ago. He told me that supposedly, Goliath was a descendant of the nephilim, and that they were all giants capable of great things."
He was definitely losing some of the edge that he'd entered the room with. Their faith and the Bible were things that he could speak of at length about, considering the fact that he'd had nothing but those things to truly focus on back home.

"Are they real in the way that they are portrayed?" His eyes narrowed into a speculative squint. "After all... you may be real, but you don't seem to be entirely what the books make you out to be. For example-" he paused to gesture towards the angel opposite of him, as if it would make a point. "-no wings."

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Gabriel's room -> Cairo
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

There was the hint of a feline smile as his hand came to rest over top of hers. "Would you rather I didn't?"
Gabriel explained that the scars were why he was careful covering his body.
"Why hide them?" Harian asked, "I can't see anyone in this house caring that you have scars...I certainly don't."
She traced the line of one delicately before taking her hand back and standing up.
She offered him both hands to help pull him to his feet as the conversation turned back to food.
"Try being most of those animals, guaranteed you'll be rethinking that."
There was a hint of excitement in her tone now.
"Come on! Let's get going!"

*~*~*

The portal had put them out just on the edge of one of Cairo's busiest bazaars. Everywhere people hurried by in the blinding white light of a high noon sun. Harian had changed as well, though she had changed her entire form: Her skin was darker, her face rounded and her raven-black hair was captured tightly under a head covering, white with elegant red flowers. Her clothes were long and flowing and probably a little more traditional that the time called for, but, it was better to be more careful than less. She shot Gabriel a smile and her green eyes faded to deep brown as her disguise completed itself. She led him through the streets.
There were people hawking china-made souvenirs, and seeing Gabriel, they pushed their way towards the pair, but a few angry words from the djinn in Arabic shut them up quickly, and most just stared after her, gaping.
The sights and sounds and smells were all exotic to someone unfamiliar with life against the desert, but to Harian, this was as close to home as Earth ever got: The heat was near-tangible, the scent of jasmine, orange and amber all the more present in the sweltering day. The sound of Arabic was all around them, drowning even the local guides leading their groups of camera-sporting tourists about with little umbrellas.
Harian dragged Gabriel to a tiny hole-in-the-wall shop off one of the central squares. She ordered and brought him the promised falafel, still steaming, even in the day's heat.
"We're not stopping long. Our destination is North of here, I got us a flight."
She was about to tuck into her own food when she paused for a moment, "I was thinking...does this bother you? My looking like another person I mean."
Before, she would not have given her form a second thought, this one was one of the most practical forms for Cairo, but it had only just occurred to her that her human companion might find it strange, looking into a different face.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Gabriel's room -> Cairo
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel returned her smile, a mischievous glint in his eye that hadn't been there before made itself known.
"Well, I never said that now did I?"
He took her hands, getting to his feet and standing perhaps just a tad closer than was necessary.
"Before, it was because I'm very self-conscious. The mandatory therapy sessions with Castiel helped with that bit. Recently it's because...I didn't want to worry you..."
He merely snorted in amusement at her comment about being animals and followed close behind her, grabbing his wallet and key card on the way out.
------------------------------------------------------------
Gabriel had never been to Egypt before. It was not exactly where he had expected to be taken, but looking back she had said it would be hot and it certainly was. As luck would have it, though, he had been born and raised in Nevada, which while not as sweltering as Cairo, had a respectable amount of heat of its own. It was like walking around in a different world altogether. The sights, sounds and smells were unlike anything he had ever witnessed before in any of the tips he had taken in service to the gods. As he took in the sights and Harian led him through the streets, now adorned in her much less conspicuous form, Gabriel made a mental note to pick her up something nice from one of the stalls at some point. It may have been his birthday, but her smile was a gift all of its own. When she returned with food, he smiled warmly and accepted it graciously, thanking her quite readily.
It was when she asked about her new appearance bothering him that he stopped for a moment. He hadn't really thought about it, in the rush of being in a new place. He stared at her for a moment, looking contemplative. Then, his eyes brightened and his smile grew to match.
"Harian, it's not your physical appearance that I have feelings for, it's you. No matter what form you take or who you choose to look like, you're still you. And that's what matters. And before you ask, no, the gender doesn't matter either. I wouldn't have cared either way. You're the literal definition of gender fluidity and all that does is make you that much more interesting to me. So relax. Take whatever form you want. It doesn't bother me in the least."
He carefully chose a piece of his delightful meal and bit in, savoring the taste. He was already having an amazing day and didn't want to admit to being as excited as an 8 year old in a candy store, though the look in his eyes made that quite clear.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Gabriel's room -> Cairo
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian felt relieved when he answered, though it took her a moment to realize why. She had come to accept the form shifting as part of her. To hear someone that mattered didn't care what form she took made her happy. As she grinned back at him her eyes flashed their usual green.
"Don't worry, I'll always let you know it's me."

*~*~*

They took a bus out to the edge of the desert, where the pyramids stood, sandy points against a field of dry blue. They got off the bus at a run-down old airfield nestled into the first of the dunes and red rock.
The "Flight" was in actual fact, a rusty old Cessna that barely looked capable of getting airborne, let alone flying an hour. Leaning on the pilot's door, a dark-haired woman was reading a Scandinavian thriller, and, to the trained eye, she was not entirely human. She looked up as Harian approached. The woman narrowed her eyes and then she beamed broadly.
"'Ahlaan bik, Harian. You are finally going to make use of that token you have!"
Harian smiled back and clasped the woman's hands as she would have an old friend. "Keh'wet, you know I can't use it, so not me, him. This is Gabriel."
Keh'wet looked over as if finally spotting the man trailing her friend.
She looked back at Harian, mouthing "him?" Harian nodded with an amused grin.
"Keh'wet is a Ba-bird." Harian explained. "Egyptian spirits made from the souls of humans."
"Technically we're not supposed to stay Ba, but I quite like it here." She gave them both an up-and-down glance.
"You made sure you weren't followed from Cairo? Last time you brought that unbound token to Egypt, you brought a lot of trouble with you. There people who would trade lives for what you're handing to this boy."
"It'll be safe with him," Harian assured her, "besides, it's his birthday."
Keh'wet looked skeptical, but shurgged in the end. "Well? There's a lot of sky between us and our destination! You know we can't fly over the delta with the amount of magic you're carrying. We'll have every thief and lowlife with a scrap of magical talent trying to catch us. Hop in!"
Harian opened the passenger door and offered Gabriel a mock bow, holding it for him.
Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Gabriel's room -> Cairo
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

"Your dazzling emeralds will always tell me where you are."
Gabriel hadn't stopped smiling since she woke him that morning, and was in a particularly fantastic mood. The first birthday he had celebrated in years and he got to spend it with the most important person in his life. Just the two of them, having a great day together.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
The ride to their flight was mostly occupied by Gabriel gawking at the pyramids. At one point he leaned over and whispered into her ear that they should sneak up to the top of one and take a picture.
When they arrived, he found himself walking with her rather closely, his hand occasionally bushing against hers. The strange woman that awaited them had the look of someone who had seen much and more beyond the usual scope of the more mundane side of the wold. Everyone who knew about what was behind the curtain had the same look in their eye. Because they had all seen things that were best left unseen.
"If we were followed, I would know. One does not sneak up on a shinobi with ease. Names Gabriel by the way. Not the boring, stick-up-his-ass angel either. Met him. Not a fan. And I've never met one of you before. I've met my fair share of denizens of the wilder side of our big blue marble but this is a first. Pleasure is mine."
When she hopped in to get the plane started and Harian opened the door for him, he stepped up beside her and leaned in close.
"Harian, if this is something important, I would rather you not use it on me. What if you need it some day? Just being here with you is enough of a gift. If this is eally what you want, I'll go along with it. It's your call. But are you sure you want to trade something like this away? I don't exactly know what it is you two are talking about but it sounds like an artifact of some sort. You don't have to make a big deal out of my birthday. Though I appreciate it greatly. You've already done more for me today than anyone ever has. It means a lot. And some day, I'll show you just how much."
There was a bit of a sparkle in his eye, something both mischievous and full of affection and care.

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian had laughed when he proposed climbing the pyramids, if mostly to cover the deeper feelings when he leaned close to whisper in her ear.
"If you ask really nice," She had whispered back, "I might choose not to turn into a bird, and climb them beside you instead."

Keh'wet listened to Gabriel and grinned at the djinn when he'd finished his introduction.
"He's pretty charming. I should give him that."

Before they got in, Gabriel expressed his concern about what they had spoken of. As she listened to him her eyes softened noticeably, betraying the feelings she had for him.
"Gabriel." She said his name like it was her favourite thing in the world. "I really can't use it, and even if I could, I think you'd find a lot more use for it than I would. Besides, with what this brings, you'll be able to help so many more people...maybe even me."
She brought her hands up slowly and placed them on either side of his head as she stepped close. "For this specific treasure, I can't think of better hands than yours, and I also know you'll really really like it...now get in the plane, you impossible idiot."

When Keh'wet finally got the engine started and the propeller whined to life, Harian jumped into the back seat with Gabriel. It was a tight fit, and the djinn pressed right up against him.
The plane made it's way into a slow taxi, only just picking up enough speed before the end of the runway to bound skyward.
The dunes shrank beneath them, and the pyramids, though they took much longer than anything else, also became smaller with the height the gained. The desert stretched out before them as Keh'wet angled the little plane in an arc for their destination.

There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, and the sands stretched like a yellow ocean beneath them. Despite the roar of the propeller, Harian settled into peaceful thought, leaning on Gabriel's arm, she had a look of complete contentment.

Something had appeared in the sky behind them. And archaic plane, looking not unlike the wood and canvas fighters from World War One. It was a biplane, and once it got a little closer, the gun turrets mounted on the front were plainly visible.

Naberius

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

A shiver ran down his spin when she cupped his face. A bolt of electric excitement, like peering over the edge of a massive cavern into a bottomless pit. Exciting, adventerous and dangerous. He rested his forehead against hers, pulling her in just a little closer and placing a gentle hand on her cheek.
"An idiot, huh? Yeah I suppose that's true. But I guess that makes me your idiot."
He held there, just gazing into her eyes for a few moments before sliding into the plane. The back seat was cramped and Harian had to squeeze in very close against him, though he suspected not quite as close as she pressed herself. But he most certainly didn't mind. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her as close as he could. He looked down at her with a relaxed smile.
Honestly a way better birthday than I could ever come up with in my wildest dreams.
Gabriel divided his time between watching the beautiful scenery below them, and admittedly more so, staring at Harian with a look of absolute bliss. If he had died and gone to heaven, even that would not be half as rapturous and wonderful as the feeling of having her pressed against him, and just holding her like that. He leaned his head against hers, and settled in for the ride.
When the other aircraft made its sudden appearance, he didn't know what to think. Several thoughts ran through his head at once. An air show? A vintage collector taking one of his prized possessions out for a spin?
"Uh. Is it normal for the Red Baron to be chasing us?"

SilverFlight

 

[SilverFlight]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Harian knew she was enjoying herself too much. She was getting too close. It was too risky, but dammit it was so hard to keep her distance. Gabriel's comment drew her out of her torn thoughts. She glanced out of the window just in time to see the double wing tips vanish into their blind spot.
The sound of the guns exploded behind them and the metal over their heads sang when the bullets collided.
"Shit! Hold on!" Keh'wet yanked up on the stick hard and the plane reared, sweeping out of the other craft's firing lines. Harian had the seat belt on but was still clinging to the back seat as the plane went completely vertical. The weightlessness quickly took over as, without lift, gravity claimed the little vessel and it went hurtling back earthwards.
"I thought you said you weren't followed?!" The Ba put the little plane into a spiral dive straight down, a move only an excellent pilot could perform in a leisure aircraft like this one. The fighter plane tried to follow but couldn't quite manage the straight plummet. They weren't out of danger yet though. Keh'wet pulled up just before they hit the dunes and changed direction as she tried to climb again. The other plane, now a good distance ahead banked as well, but ti would be a while before they could line up another shot.
"We weren't! Did you tell anyone you were flying out?"
"Of course not!"
"Well just shut it and fly then! We can point fingers if we have any left to point!"
"Not very likely I'm afraid, the fuel canisters are in the wings if we take even a single solid hit we're going up like a Roman Candle!"
Harian swore. She looked at Gabriel.
"See if you can spot a tail gunner, if they don't have one then we can get behind them and maybe we can take them out."
All Harian had was her hand gun though. They would have to get pretty damn close for that to be useful.
"Gabe put that parachute on, and take this." She handed him her gun before going to the door and taking hold of the latch. It was clear what her intention was. She was going to fly out and try to harass them as best she could while Keh'wet got into position.
Naberius

 

[andujarprime]

Location: Home--- Kitchen
Timing: Sometime after returning from Paris
Interaction: Hino, Hayle, and Ayramis

Ayramis listened closely as the music from Hino's headphones played. He turned to Hayle " No, actually I never gave him a name. Kind of just communicate telepathically, so he never really needed one." He explained as he turned to the stove with a large pan on one burner, and a shallow smaller pan in another. He polled several garlic cloves from the pantry and some oil. Filling the shallow pan halfway with oil and the large pan only a splash. He let the pans heat up then turned back to the island. "He might actually like a name, I just am not very good with that." He confessed as he peeled the cloves. He looked to Hino then "You must have a good memory, or very good at guessing knowing what song comes next. Pretty impressive I think." He said with a smile before turning to the stove. He took several single cloves of garlic and tossed them into the frying oil, let them cook for a few minutes until they were all a golden brown then fished them out with a wide spoon with small holes in it. He placed the bits of garlic on paper towel and repeated the process until almost all the garlic was fried. "Fried garlic anyone? It's actually pretty good." He told them as he placed a piece in his mouth and ate it. He began taking the chicken and dropping it into the now seasoned oil. Watching the pieces float and cook, and change color. He placed the remaining cloves of raw garlic beneath the flat of the knife blade and pressed down, splitting the cloves, then dropping them into the larger pan. It was a slightly deeper pan, once the garlic began to sizzle he dropped all the veggies he had cut and let them caramelize. "Smells good doesn't it?" He teased as the aroma from the cooked foods took over the kitchen. As the chicken cooked he pulled it out and placed it in a covered bowl. "Sshh, I'm going to cheat a bit, because I don't want to deal with anymore cutting" He said to them as he ran to the pantry and pulled out two cans of diced tomatoes, and two packs of spaghetti. He set the spaghetti water to boil as he opened the cans and poured the contents with the peppers and such. After they cooked up and the sauce was reduced he added some red cooking wine, then placed all of the chicken into the pan, covered it and let it simmer.

"Now that that's done, we just wait." He sat at the island on an extra stool while the Jackal sat between Hino and Hayle. He smiled at them both before proceeding. "How about we get to know our little group a bit better eh?" He teased as he lifted a hand, His scarf, which seemed to always be present raised from his shoulders and made it's way to the liquor cabinet in a corner of the kitchen. Pulling out an expensive looking bottle of red wine, then going back to pull 3 wine glasses. "Drinks? Or no?" He asked curiously before pouring any for himself. "I will start with me, you all know me as Ayramis. I can imagine if you've been watching closely enough you may have guessed the truth of my identity though right? I'm not one for secrets so I haven't exactly kept it hidden, but being associated with death doesn't exactly earn me any brownie points with the world at large you can imagine." He explained to them as he poured 3 glasses anyway and handed them out.

KhazTheGiraffe GamerCarrot

 

[Naberius]

Location: Over the Western Desert, Egypt
Timing: After the clue that lead to Moscow
Interaction: Harian & Gabriel

Gabriel quickly did as he was instructed, slinging the parachute onto his shoulders and taking the gun, checking the chamber and making sure the safety was off. It was when Harian opened the door that he began to worry. He knew instantly what her intentions were and he panicked. He stepped up close to her and threw his arms around her, speaking into her ear.
"Don't you dare get hurt out there. I...I can't lose you."
He drew back, his face a mask of worry, panic, and fear. But not for himself. For her. He cared far more for her safety than for his own and it showed very plainly. But he had to have faith in her abilities. After all, she had been doing crazy, dangerous things for longer than he could even guess at.
"Go give'em hell, and let's get back to our peaceful trip as soon as we can, yeah? Cuddling in the back of a plane isn't such a bad way to spend the day."
He winked at her and began setting about trying to get a good look at the other plane and trying to see if they had more than one unwanted guest.

SilverFlight