The Witching Hour (Ariadne & Kyrsa)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Exotic Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Ariadne on 09-01-2009, 04:51:14</h2>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 04:51:14</strong>
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				It was an unseasonably cool day for the City of Los Angeles, especially considering the city was currently experiencing a record setting heatwave. Taking advantage of the weather Paradise sat with her feet curled up under her in a rattan lounge chair on her balcony in a pair of cut off shorts and pink baseball tee reading Dante's Inferno; one of her favorite books. To keep her hair out of her face she wore it pulled back in a ponytail and to shade her brown eyes from the sun she wore a pair of sunglasses that had perhaps seen better days. Through the open balcony door she could hear the TV in the living room signifying her brother's return from where-ever it was he had wandered off to.<br><br>"Denver!" she yelled without turning her head, "Turn the TV down."&nbsp; From inside the apartment she could hear her brother get up off the couch and trip over the small coffee table to do as she asked. Paradise suppressed the smile that threatened to emerge. She returned her full attention to the book on her lap as she absently reached out to pet the Siamese cat curled up by her side.<br><br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 05:11:16</strong>
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				Constantine stepped silently into the office without being announced, the slight tingle that ran up his spine telling him that the occupant knew exactly who was coming through the door, and the only reason he made it through at all was the file sitting open on Barbra’s desk.<br><br>“Constantine,” the older woman said with a slight nod, her perfectly styled brown coif barely touched with grey, which in his opinion was probably from stress instead of age.&nbsp; She didn’t look a day over forty… if he hadn’t seen her file he would never have thought any different.<br><br>“Barbra,” he answered with a respectful nod, taking the seat across from her with another small nod towards the fairy perched on the potted plant hanging from the ceiling.&nbsp; “Besima.”<br><br>“Sorry to call you in on such short notice, but we have another oversight that has come to our attention,” she slipped a file across the desk, watching his face as he flipped through the pages with a slight frown on his face, his eyes widening for a moment before giving her an incredulous look. <br><br>“Are you sure?” he asked quietly.<br><br>“Quite… she did a good job of hiding the child from us… but we have no doubts that she’s Sarah’s granddaughter,” Besima said, her child like voice reminiscent of a spring shower.<br><br>“Is she considered a danger or do we have time to evaluate and train her?” he asked.<br><br>“That will be up to you Constantine, I’m putting her in your hands.&nbsp; Bring her in, get her behind some shields, and see what you make of her, we don’t need her burning down half of L.A. the demon-hounds are doing a good enough job of that this summer… why they put them on a reservation this close to civilization I will never understand…” Barbara said before settling back in her chair and going back to her paperwork, obviously dismissing him.<br><br>An hour later found him standing on a welcome mat that said ‘I’m really glad to see you… but then I lie like a mat’ He read it a second time and couldn’t help but laugh slightly before sobering and reaching out to knock on the door.<br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 05:33:03</strong>
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				"Paradise...get the door!" came Denver's voice from the living-room. Paradise ignored him and continued reading, she had just reached her favorite circle of hell -the second. A moment later she heard her brother cursing.<br><br>"Damnation...Paradise...." she heard before his sandy blonde head appeared in the doorway of the balcony. "Aren't you going to get that?" he asked.<br><br>Paradise looked up from her book, giving him a withering stare. "I'm out on the balcony, you were in the living-room. Who is closer? You have two feet and a pair of hands don't you? What's preventing you from answering the door?" she asked him as she unfolded her legs and stood up. "And don't give me that 'it's your apt' crap. You answer the door all the time."<br><br>Standing her full height of 5'9" she pushed past him and into the living-room. Spike, the cat, followed a few steps behind after hissing his displeasure at having his comfort disturbed. Inside she could actually hear that someone was still at the door.<br><br>"Seriously Denver...you could have answered the door." she said as she opened the door without looking through the peep-hole. "Yes?"
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 18:44:43</strong>
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				He had a moment as the door opened to look her over before she turned to see who was at her door.&nbsp; She was tall, not overly so, but taller than he had thought she would be... but that was really the only difference.&nbsp; She was almost a spitting image of her grandmother when she had been that age... it left him speechless for a moment, hopefully not long enough for her to notice.<br><br>He could smell the ozone around her... she was frustrated or upset about something, and once she turned to face him he found himself extremely glad that her expression hadn't been aimed at him.&nbsp; If there had been any doubt about her untrained abilities... they had just been answered. <br><br>He pulled out his identification, flipping open the black leather cover with a flick of his wrist and leaving it there so that she could examine it if she wished.&nbsp; "Miss Burns I assume?" he asked, though he already knew the answer to that question.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 20:12:06</strong>
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				Paradise lifted the sunglasses of her nose, settling them on the top of her head. Her eyes barely scanned the man standing in front of her as he asked who she was. <em>Of course it was. Who else would be answering the door?</em> she thought as her expression closed off as she began to focus on the official looking identification he flashed at her.<br><br>"Unfortunately." she mutters in response to his question. No doubt the man was from some agency wanting to ask questions regarding the 'incident' at her last job. Paradise frowned at the memory of the small explosion that occurred in the lab where she had been, up until three days&nbsp; ago, been gainfully employed to study the odd microbial. Shaking her head slightly at the memory she dragged her focus back to the present.<br><br>"Look I've already given all the state-" she started to say then stopped as her mind registered the identification the man held up for her. <em>What in the world? Why would they send someone here?</em>&nbsp; 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 20:19:45</strong>
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				He couldn't help but raise his eyebrow in response to her reaction, the sudden stillness and slight confusion in her eyes confirming that she knew nothing about who and what she really was.&nbsp; <br><br>"I will have to ask you to come with me.&nbsp; If you would like to pack a bag, you will likely be away from your apartment for a number of days," He ignored the sudden hissing coming from the cat beside the door with an effort, barely managing not to show recognition as he realized that somehow that... creature... was still alive.<br><br>"I will have to ask you to hurry please, the transport we need to be on will be leaving from LAX in approximately an hour." His lips curled just slightly in the corners as he waited to see how much spunk she actually had.&nbsp; Sarah would never have let him get away with that tone and that little explanation...
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 21:19:49</strong>
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				Paradise picked up the hissing Siamese to calm him and take a step back from the door without being obvious. Her eyebrow raised at the mans tone. She had to go with him? <em>Oh. Hell no.</em> Besides-Spike was hissing like mad and she'd learned to trust his instincts.<br><br>With a practice flick of her wrist she shut the door in the mans face, giving her answer without saying a word. <br><br>"Manners would be nice." she muttered as she walked away from the door back toward the balcony. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>09-01-2009, 23:28:06</strong>
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				He couldn't help it... as he stared at the now closed door he laughed.&nbsp; Oh... she was a spitfire just like her grandmother, there was no doubt of that. It gave him a little hope that she might have the stubbornness and willpower to keep herself under control while her powers were harnessed.<br><br>He waited for a moment then closed his eyes, feeling the ebb and flow of his power.&nbsp; He drew it to the surface, focusing it through the door on a narrow spear of thought and magic.&nbsp; <em>Paradise... there are two ways that we can do this, I am more than willing to explain everything on the way to the airport, but we don't have time for me to be polite at the moment.&nbsp; Missing the flight is not an option to the agency.&nbsp; Please allow me to explain and not use any form of force.&nbsp; I would really like to do this the easy way instead of the hard way.&nbsp; Please forgive my bluntness. </em>&nbsp; The spear of thought was directed towards Paradise alone, the thoughts running through her mind gently, subtly, leaving a faint taste of sulfur on the back of her tongue. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>10-01-2009, 00:15:27</strong>
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				"Gah!" Paradise gagged for a moment at the sudden taste of sulpher, her eyes widened at hearing a different voice in her head as if he were standing right next to her. She dropped Spike and turned on her heel toward the kitchen.<br><br>Denver watched her with curiosity as she picked up the water bottle next to the sink and took a swig of the warm liquid. She gargled for a moment then spit it into the sink then reached for the fountain soda her brother had apparently brought home and left in the kitchen.<br><br>"What's up?" Denver asked finally giving in to his curiosity. Paradise took a long drag from the straw wincing slightly when she realized it was RC-Cola.&nbsp; She gave her brother yet another withering stare, this time he stepped back as she moved toward the front door again.<br><br>"You open the door next time." she spit out at him and opened the door and turned her attention at the man standing in front of her. "Please do not do that again." she took another swig from the straw with a grimace. Without a word she left the door open.<br><br>"Denver can you please please take care of things here? I have a feeling I might be gone for a few days." she told her brother. In the small room she picked up the sweater her grandmother had made her and returned to the living-room.<br><br>"You going to tell me what's going on?" he asked. <br><br>Paradise shrugged. "Ask him." she said motioning her hand towards the front door.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>11-01-2009, 21:00:08</strong>
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				Constantine somehow managed to keep the satisfied smile off of his face, knowing that if she caught even a hint of it she would make his life as difficult as she possibly could for as long as they worked together.&nbsp; Instead he forced a bland expression onto his face, moving the sunglasses up to perch on top of his closely cropped midnight black hair as he leaned against the doorframe, following her movements with his steel grey eyes. <br><br>"Your sister is being escorted to the SRA's main facility, she will be able to contact you in a couple of days.&nbsp; While she is gone all bills and expenses will be covered by the SRA," he said, his voice taking on a silken quality that seemed to lower the temperature in the room by a few degrees.<br><br>He looked Denver over with a critical eye, probing slightly.&nbsp; He ran up against a small power reserve, but it was obviously untrained as well.&nbsp; It wasn't enough to worry about, it would most likely remain hidden without someone to ignite the magic and bring it to the fore of his mind.&nbsp; <br><br>He glanced down casually at his watch and then settled his gaze upon Paradise again.&nbsp; "We need to be going Miss Burns, if there is anything else you would like to bring with you I suggest that you get it now, we will need to leave in about five minutes."
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>11-01-2009, 22:32:03</strong>
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				"SRA...Paradise? What does SRA want with you?" Denver asked, his question held a note of surprise. Paradise shrugged her shoulders as she reached to pick up a battered leather messenger bag that hung on coat rack nailed to the wall next to the door.<br><br>"Beats the hell out of me." she said. <em>But I am pretty sure I'll find out.</em> "Take care of..." she paused watching the small Siamese cat climb into the messenger bag. "Nevermind. Guess he wants to come along." Lifting the flap she looked into the bag to make sure Spike wasn't being crushed. "You okay in there fella?" she asked him. The cat gave what sounded like a short bark.&nbsp; Letting the flap fall back into place Paradise slung the bag across her shoulder.<br><br>"I'm good to go providing I don't need to have a change of clothes." she said, "If I do then it will take a bit longer and from your demeanor I take it there really isn't time."<br><br>Paradise took one last swig from the straw. Wondering as she did so if her brother's taste-buds were completely fried. She would have preferred something else more palatable to wash the lingering taste of sulfur from her mouth but when you grab the first thing that's not water you can't be choosy. Paradise shoved the cup into Denver's hands. <br><br>"Don't go crazy while I'm gone." she told her brother half joking.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>13-01-2009, 20:48:28</strong>
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				Constantine frowned slightly as the cat made his intentions clear.&nbsp; He opened his mouth to tell her that she couldn't bring the creature along, but something stopped him.&nbsp; If bringing the creature along made her more comfortable and relaxed, then it would make his job infinitely easier. <br><br>"I can't guarantee that you will like them, but clothing can easily be provided for you on site," he said, stepping to the side of the door to allow her room to move through.&nbsp; "Now if we could go Miss Burns, I would appreciate it."<br><br>"Paradise... be careful..." Denver said, obvious concern in his voice.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>07-02-2009, 01:02:55</strong>
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				Paradise gave her brother a reassuring smile before settling her sunglasses back on her nose. Taking a breath she forced herself to turn around and head for the door. Every part of her was reluctant to go with this man…<em>what did he say his name was?</em> She really should have paid closer attention to the badge that he had flashed at her beyond the fact that he was a SRA agent.&nbsp; Truth be told, she barely noticed anything past the fact that he was tall, dark, and in strange way, handsome. Exactly the type of guy her grandmother would warn her about.&nbsp; Then again, her grandmother had warnings for everyone and everything. Most of the time she was simply rambling, but Paradise had a feeling that her grandmother wasn’t simply rambling on that particular occasion.<br><br>“Come on then agent –“ she said as stepped past him and started down the stairs. “I thought you said you were in a hurry. I swear you government types are always in a rush when all you do is wait."<br><br>At the bottom of the stairs she stepped a bit to the left so that they walked side by side and still be able to follow him. It wasn't difficult to figure out which car belonged to him. A black Lincoln Navigator in this area of town was just a tiny bit out of place, not to mention that there was a driver waiting. Paradise could well imagine that the few neighbors she had that were at home were watching from behind drapes and blinds wondering what on earth she had done...again.&nbsp; Tongues would be wagging tonight.&nbsp; The driver stepped forward and opened the car door for her as they came closer. Paradise let a sigh of resignation slip as she slid into the back seat. <br>
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>13-02-2009, 21:04:18</strong>
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				"Constantine," he supplied his last name when she paused, following her down the stairs with a small smile playing across his lips.<br><br>Constantine walked around to the other side of the car and slid into the seat next to her, trusting the driver to get them where they needed to be on time. "Ms. Burns, we are going to be working closely together for the foreseeable future, it would be helpful if you could attempt to keep our working relationship on a civil note.&nbsp; I understand that this isn't what you wanted, believe me it's not what I wanted either," he said as they pulled out of the apartment complex, moving quickly towards LAX.<br><br>"SRA has they nations best interests at heart, I give you my word that I will attempt to expedite these proceedings as much as possible and get you home quickly," he added as they drove into the tunnel, the bright light of a California afternoon replaced by the soft, dim lights spaced evenly along the tunnel walls. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>20-02-2009, 19:37:34</strong>
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				Paradise dared to roll her eyes as she listened to Agent Constantine go on about their working together and his hope that she would keep things civil. She had been civil, she insisted silently.<br><br>"Just what exactly are you and the SRA supposed to be expediting? You still haven't told me what this is all about." Paradise said as the sunlight disappeared behind them in the tunnel. Opening the messenger bag, she checked on Spike. Though a little cramped for space, he seemed to be just fine. She rubbed the bridge of his nose absently as if to calm his moving about in the bag.<br><br>"Why did you show up at my door Agent Constantine?" she asked looking up. Her brown eyes, behind the glasses she still wore, never wavered from his. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>28-04-2009, 03:43:05</strong>
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				He hesitated for a moment, wondering how she was going to take the news.&nbsp; He decided to leave her heritage out of the equation for the moment and stick with the bare essentials.&nbsp; <br><br>"I showed up at your door today because we have reason to believe that you are a latent talent.&nbsp; Our contract with the United States Government states that any talent no matter how small has to be documented and sufficient control over it has to be maintained.&nbsp; The witch or warlock, to use a simple title, has to exhibit full control of any talent and undergo full training before he or she can be licensed and intigrate back into society," he explained, keeping his voice even and calm.&nbsp; He didn't think she was the type of person to panic easily, but you could never tell until someone was actually put into a position that warranted worry and panic. 
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 05:25:41</strong>
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				"What? Wait. A latent talent?" Paradise said. Her nose wrinkling slightly as she started to frown. <em>What is he talking about?</em> She shook her head slowly in disbelief.<br><br>"I don't see how I could be a latent talent, let alone how in the world your Agency would know that about me." she said.&nbsp; The car suddenly felt cramped which was odd given the amount of room between the two of them.<br><br><em>"Nothing is ever what it seems Paradise. Remember that..."</em> she heard her grandmother's voice in her head, loud enough that she turned her head in the direction she thought it came from. All she saw was the dark glass of the Navigator.
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				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 05:32:12</strong>
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				He watched her, the range of emotions... shock, disbelief... it was the normal reaction.&nbsp; A phrase that her grandmother had told him popped into his head.&nbsp; "Nothing is ever what it seems..." he said, repeating what he had been told over and over again. <br><br>"Things will be explained more fully once we reach our destination, I'm sorry that I don't have permission to discuss more details before our arrival.&nbsp; I do promise however that everything will be explained to you and all of your questions will be answered in due time.&nbsp; I know that's not comforting, but it's all I have to offer at the moment Paradise," he said sincerely. <br><br>He settled back into the plush leather seat, cocking his head slightly in an subconscious sign of his curiosity as he watched Paradise.&nbsp; He glanced down at the bag that held the... cat... and shook his head slightly, a bemused expression crossing his face fleetingly. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 14:54:23</strong>
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				Her skin bristled, an unconscious reaction to hearing her grandmother's words repeated back to her in Agent Constantine's voice. Had he eavesdropped in on her thoughts? Her mouth curved downward into a small frown.<br><br>Paradise took a steadying breath in an attempt to keep the coming tirade that wanted to jump from her tongue at bay. <br><br>"So what you're saying is that because someone higher up the food chain thinks that I might have some talent - latent or whatever - that they have a right to treat me like a guinea pig by poking and prodding to see what will happen. Document it and decide if I am safe to be around people before they "allow" me to go back to my life? If I hadn't come along willingly you would have dragged me kicking and screaming back to your labs." The words came out unbidden. Paradise wasn't the type to keep quiet when something didn't sit right with her.<br><br>As she voiced her thoughts, Paradise imagined looming walls covered in ivy, just as her grandmother had taught her when she was little, surrounding her.&nbsp; It surprised her to find how easily the image came to mind and settled around her like a protective blanket. <br><br>"Integrate my ass. It's a damned tagging program."&nbsp; &nbsp;
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 21:17:26</strong>
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				He was silent for a moment, staring at the window,&nbsp; unwilling to look at her while her eyes snapped with resentment and anger.&nbsp; He let the silence linger for a long moment, when he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, barely more than a whisper, old anguish coloring his voice.&nbsp; <br><br>"When I was first recruited... my second assignment was a young boy, only nine years old.&nbsp; He showed signs of latent talent... exceptional luck, seemed to be able to influence the way people saw him... other small signs that others would think nothing of.&nbsp; I was supposed to bring him in... without his parents.&nbsp; I watched him for days, noticed the small touches of magic that danced throughout his life.&nbsp; I watched him play, learn, and love.&nbsp; I watched him and his father play baseball, watched his mother help him with homework.&nbsp; The perfect family life... he was happy..." he trailed off for a moment.<br><br>When he continued a slightly chilled note crept in to his voice.&nbsp; "I decided not to bring him in, that he was happy.&nbsp; His magic only manifested in good ways... what harm could he possibly be?&nbsp; I was wrong... a few weeks after I walked away a report crossed my desk.&nbsp; His power had found it's final manifestation... fire.&nbsp; He was at school... it burned to the ground, killing him and 37 other students... children."<br><br>"What we do may seem wrong, like an invasion of your privacy, and it is.&nbsp; However, the alternative is unpalatable.&nbsp; We were given a choice by the government to try and curb the powers, train them, learn how to use them safely and control them, or eliminate those with powers as dangers to society.&nbsp; I didn't understand why such a drastic choice before... now I do."
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>07-05-2009, 21:49:35</strong>
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				It was a sad story, anyone would be sad at the loss of a child. She doubted that Agent Constantine could have known that something like that would happen. But even as sad as the story was and she recognized that he was trying to make a point, she still felt that the entire process was wrong. It reminded her of the concentration camps that she read about in school.<br><br>"Why were you supposed to bring the boy in without his parents?" she asked as she thought it over. "Isn't talent supposed to run in a family? Which brings me to my next question, why in the world would your agency think that I had latent abilities?" she asked.<br><br>The Navigator came to a smooth stop and the driver got out of the car. Paradise looked around. "Are we there already?" she asked. Surely they hadn't been in the car for that long. It didn't feel like they should be at the airport just yet.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>12-05-2009, 21:14:27</strong>
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				"Talent does usually run in a family, but it can skip generations.&nbsp; In this case the boys great grandfather was the last one to show any talent.&nbsp; The boys parents were members of a fairly large anti magic organization.&nbsp; It was decided that it would be better for the child if he were taken away and tested, and the parents were given an option to learn to live with what their child was, or he could be placed with a family that would understand and nurture him, instead of hate him for something that wasn't his fault," Constantine said quietly.<br><br>"There is some talent in your genelogical history," he said noncommittally.&nbsp; "We will go into that during your training and you will learn a complete family history, at least from the mystical aspect."<br><br>He paused as the car pulled to a stop.&nbsp; "It's a short drive the way we go," he said with an amused smile as the driver opened her car door.&nbsp; "Shall we?" he asked as he stepped out of the car onto the tarmac, a small private jet waiting nearby.
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>12-06-2009, 18:34:49</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise slid across the leather seat of Navigator, the messenger bag holding Spike trailing after her as she stepped onto the tarmac. Her brown eyes blinked behind the sunglasses in surprise.<br><br>"Quick is right...considering I don't live anywhere near the airport." she muttered as she looked around. The stairs leading up to the jet were being let down. Paradise swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. Once she stepped onto those steps there was no turning back.<br><br>Shaking the sudden trepidation away with a flick of her ponytail Paradise walked toward the jet without looking at Agent Constantine.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>16-06-2009, 05:30:49</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Constantine held the door for her,&nbsp; giving her time to step away from the SUV before he closed the door, nodding towards the driver as he did so.&nbsp; &nbsp;As soon as he stepped away from the vehicle to join Paradise the SUV made a U-turn and headed away from the runway.&nbsp; <br><br>“Nothing to worry about Paradise… I promise that the trip will be painless, and I will do everything in my power to make your stay at the facility as pleasant as possible,” he said as he motioned her towards the plane.&nbsp; He got a glimpse of sharply filed fingernails as the person who let down the stairs stepped back into the safe darkness of the plane, making sure that she couldn’t be seen by Paradise.&nbsp; It always astounded him how someone so dangerous, could be so unsure of herself around new people.&nbsp; <br><br>He turned his back to Paradise, trusting that she wouldn’t lose her nerve as he took the stairs two at a time before disappearing into the plane. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>16-06-2009, 15:46:28</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise bit back a potentially scathing remark regarding Agent Constantine's promise. Her feet continued to move across the tarmac and up the stairs. Following Agent Constantine at a slightly slower pace only because Paradise didn't take the stairs two at a time. <br><br>Paradise could never be faulted for lack of follow through. Once her mind was made up, she acted. In her current situation, her decision to move forward was all she needed to quell the wisp of doubt that surfaced. Instead of worrying, she was building her mental defenses. Her grandmothers voice rattled around her mind, the random ramblings suddenly making sense. <br><br>Hitching the strap of the messenger bag up on her shoulder she stepped into the dim confines of the plane. Her breath left her in a short whistle as she saw the interior. It was all dark leather and shiny chrome.&nbsp; "Nice." she said as she lifted her sunglasses off her nose and pushed them up onto her head, letting her brown skim over everything.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>18-06-2009, 23:08:40</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"... priority for placement," Paradise caught the last of Constantine's discussion with the pilot before he closed the door, joining her at the door to glance around.&nbsp; "First class," he said, amusement in his voice as he motioned for her to find a seat.&nbsp; <br><br>"We should be taking off momentarily, we have priority for takeoff," he said as he moved to the back of the plane, taking a seat in one of the plush leather chairs.&nbsp; A moment later a young woman with long blonde hair came from the back, setting a cup of tea on the table in front of Constantine.&nbsp; <br><br>"Would you like anything Misss?" she asked with what sounded like a slight lisp, keeping her eyes downcast, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>19-06-2009, 18:59:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The leather was cold against her legs as Paradise sat down, but quickly warmed.&nbsp; She gave a small nod acknowledging that she heard what Agent Constantine has said. As the young looking blonde set a cup of tea in front of the Agent Paradise opened the flap of the messenger bag and reached inside. There was no point in keeping the little guy in the bag the entire flight.<br><br>"Nothing for me, thank you." she said, "But Spike could use some water if you wouldn't mind." she added remembering her manners.<br><br>Spike poked his head up, blinked and yawned as Paradise shifted to put the bag on the floor next to her. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>19-06-2009, 22:00:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Spike seemed to freeze in mid blink, his ears going flat as a loud hiss issued forth from the small furry bundle.&nbsp; The girl jerked as if she had been struck, her hand reaching out so fast that no one else in the plane could follow the movement.&nbsp; <br><br>Spike's hiss turned into a yowl as he was suddenly hoisted into the air by his scruff, the girl looking at the cat, giving Paradise a clear look at her for the first time.&nbsp; Her eyes were an odd mixture of green and amber, her skin slightly iridescent, like it was actually tiny shimmering scales.&nbsp; She hissed back at the cat, her fangs showing as her unusual eyes sparked with anger.&nbsp; "Why did you allow her to bring thiss creature?" she hissed at Constantine.&nbsp; <br><br>"Put him down Tisi, he's harmless," Constantine said quietly, trying to use his voice to calm her down.&nbsp; "If the creature is a comfort to her while she is in a strange place, who are we to deny her that familiarity?" he asked, watching as Tisi started to relax, lowering the cat back towards the bag with a wary expression.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>19-06-2009, 23:20:51</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise barely had time to blink things happened so quickly. One moment she was helping Spike out of the messenger bag, the next her hands were empty and Spike was howling.<br><br>"Hey!" she snapped. Before she could say anything else, the woman was lowering Spike back.&nbsp; Paradise glared at the woman. Settling Spike on her lap and holding him there to keep him from moving she turned her brown eyes toward the man sitting across from her.<br><br>"What's her deal?"<em> Besides having scales and reminding me of a snake...</em> "All I asked for was water and she freaks?"&nbsp; she asked. "It's a cat." <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>19-06-2009, 23:33:25</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Yess... jusst a cat..." Tisi said after Constantine's warning look before turning to go back through the door in the rear of the plane, muttering under her breath.<br><br>"Her people have an instinctive dislike of cats, it's a natural imperative for survival that translates from non sentient snakes to Lycanthropes of the same disposition," he said as he watched her comfort the still shaking cat.&nbsp; "I didn't think to warn her, it's my fault."<br><br>He wasn't looking forward to explaining Spike to Paradise, and he wasn't willing to do it until they were under the appropriate shielding.&nbsp; The last thing he wanted was to have her fry the all to human pilot in a fit of surprise or rage.&nbsp; <br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>23-06-2009, 21:41:29</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise sat back into the chair. It no longer offered the comfort that leather seating normally held. She would have much rather stood up, but as she debated the merits of walking up and down the center of the jet, she felt the sudden movement of the plane as it began to taxi.<br><br>Instead she focused on calming Spike and removing the not so tiny claws that speared through the tops of her shorts and into her legs.<br><br>Something in the way Agent Constantine spoke told her that there was more than the snake lady being startled. She would have asked if she thought that there was a straight answer to be had. But nothing seemed to be straightforward.<br><br>"How long will the flight be?" Paradise asked instead. She wasn't really sure where they were going to begin with.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>24-06-2009, 01:21:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Only about forty-five minutes or so.&nbsp; We will be landing at a private strip, so we don't have to wait for clearance," he explained as he leaned back in the chair and took a sip of his drink.<br><br>Tisi came back into the main cabin and set a bowl of water down on the floor beside Paradise, obviously trying to keep a little distance between her and the cat.&nbsp; This close she could tell that Tisi's scales were actually a light blue color, giving her skin that almost too pale look, though the flesh underneath appeared to be of a more normal olive complexion.&nbsp; <br><br>"I thought you might like thiss ass well..." she said, giving Paradise a slightly apologetic look as she set a bottle of water in the holder on the arm of the chair.&nbsp; "I'm ssorry I overreacted..."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>24-06-2009, 20:14:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise held her tongue, but nodded to Tisi. Her grandmother had always told her that if she couldn't say something polite after an altercation she should keep her mouth shut. And it was solid advice. It kept many a situation going from bad to worse.<br><br>"Would there be a problem if I let Spike wander in the cabin?" she asked Agent Constantine. Her voice was even without inflection. "I would rather he not have to spend the entire flight in the bag."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>24-06-2009, 22:40:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Constantine hesitated for a moment, wondering how much trouble spike could make in his current form.&nbsp; "Go ahead and let him wander, just make sure he doesn't leave the cabin," he said.&nbsp; The worst thing he could do in here was shred a leather seat, and it wasn't his plane after all.<br><br><br>He watched as she placed the cat down, Spike giving him a dirty look before he began to stretch and went for the bowl of water with what Constantine could have sworn was a look of distaste. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>24-06-2009, 23:53:21</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise watched Spike move toward the bowl of water. Taking a deep breath she tried to relax.&nbsp; It wasn't easy. <br><br>The jet tilted as it sped down the taxi lane and took off. Paradise leaned over the armrest to look out of the window at the receding ground.&nbsp; She watched with interest as the earth fell away and the jet banked left.&nbsp; Her hand moved in a small wave as she thought she could see her apartment and imagined her brother sitting in the living room watching the television.<br><br>When she turned her attention back to the cabin, she spotted Spike nosing around one of the other chairs looking for a place to curl up. <br><br>"So tell me about this place you're taking me." she said after a moment.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>26-06-2009, 20:56:31</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He considered what all he should tell her, some of it really needed to be seen instead of described.&nbsp; It lost something in translation.&nbsp; He thought for long enough that it might have been considered an attempt to ignore the request for information, but that wasn't the case at all.&nbsp; <br><br>"Where to start... The facility itself is in the desert, pretty much as far from civilization as we can get it and still be on American soil.&nbsp; The upper levels are actually at ground level, the rest of the facility is underground.&nbsp; We have a number of reasons for that design, not the least of which is that with more earth between the uncontrolled talents and the sky the better the wards seem to work.&nbsp; There are a number of theories on why this is, my personal guess is that the witches who are best at creating the wards are more tuned to the earth itself, but that's only an opinion, no one really knows for sure," he paused considering what he wanted to tell her next.<br><br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>30-06-2009, 02:49:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise listened to the Agent describe what he called the facility. It sounded more like a compound to her with the way he talked about.&nbsp; Especially the part about it being mostly underground. Sighing, she leaned over to look out the window as she waited for him to continue. She couldn't imagine spending all of her time underground without seeing the sun. <br><br>"Sounds lovely." she said, her tone a little more than sarcastic.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-07-2009, 23:28:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He chuckled, highly amused by her tone of voice.&nbsp; “It isn’t nearly as bad as you think,” he said, the amusement carrying over into his voice.&nbsp; <br><br>“There are recreational facilities of almost every kind available to you should you wish to socialize or get out of your rooms for something besides tests or training.&nbsp; The food is excellent and they serve a decent variety daily.&nbsp; There are some above ground gardens as well so that you can get out into the sunshine, though some our trainee’s aren’t allowed above ground until they can demonstrate control of their abilities,” he continued.&nbsp; <br><br>“While some of the testing is rather boring and fatiguing, there really isn’t anything physically painful,” he added, trying to make her feel more secure and amiable to the idea. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:34:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise nodded thoughtfully. It actually didn't sound half bad, except for the part about it still being a tagging system. "You make it sound like a week at the Spa." she said turning her head to look out the small window. She couldn't see the ground anymore. Wispy clouds moved past the window.<br><br>"How does it all work?" she asked opening the bottle of water Tsi had given her. Taking a sip she hoped the liquid would remove the last remaining traces of sulfur and RC cola away.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:35:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He chuckled to himself, careful not to let it spill over, not wanting her to think that he was laughing at her in any way. It definitely wasn’t a week at the Spa... and he wasn’t exactly sure where she had gotten the idea that it would only be a week. He didn’t remember giving her that impression. It was far more likely to be months of hard work before she could go back out into society.<br><br>“First we will confirm the fact that you have abilities by performing a few minor tests. Nothing painful, unless you consider boredom to be painful. Once that’s confirmed we will figure out exactly what you are capable of and figure out what your power rating is. You probably haven’t heard of the rating system before. Most normal humans think that if you have some form of magical ability that’s as far as it goes... but there are distinct power levels. Then according to how your power chooses to manifest we will teach you accordingly,” he finished just as the fasten seatbelt light went on.<br><br>“Please buckle up and remain seated, we will be landing in approximately fifteen minutes,” a voice issued from the overhead speakers.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:35:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Fifteen minutes...Paradise mulled over the information she was given.<br><br>"Spike. You might want make your self comfortable in the messenger bag again." she said leaning down to open the bag. She'd never flown with a cat, or any other animal for that matter, but she was pretty sure that it would be safer for everyone involved if Spike was confined for the landing. Decompression and all that jazz.<br><br>As she straightened up, her thoughts settled. "You mis-led me." she said, her tone flat and even. She didn't like being lied to - and she suspected that Agent Constantine didn't even realize that he had done so. "From what you are describing it would take months."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:36:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Spike glanced over, and flicked his ears, settling them down flat on his head as he sulked, walking back over towards the bag in a show of intelligence that would have shocked most people, though Constantine didn’t even seem to notice. He paused beside the bag, glancing from it to Paradise for a moment before climbing in and settling down with an audible exhalation of breath. The cat actually sighed.<br><br>“I’m sorry you see it that way. I don’t know how long you will have to be there. Sometimes the training takes mere weeks; sometimes it can take much longer. Once you have a semblance of control you can go on accompanied trips to visit family, hopefully that won’t take too long. Of course if we are incorrect and you don’t have any powers or they are so minor that they aren’t a concern you won’t be here long at all,” he said, buckling his belt as he felt the landing gear drop.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:36:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Really. “ Paradise said watching him check the buckle on his chair. “So the whole ‘we don’t have time to waist’ deal was just to get me out the door. Then again, I suppose letting me actually pack up clothing for a month, might actually set your precious timetable back.” Not that she had much, really. Everything she owned clothing wise could fit into an old duffel bag stashed under her bed, she groused silently to herself.<br><br>Paradise leaned over her seat to make sure Spike was settled in the messenger bag before she picked it up and placed it on her lap. Clamping her mouth shut she tried very hard to remember her Grandmother’s advice on being civil. It was becoming increasingly difficult the more Constantine told her about the SRA.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:36:33</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He refrained from commenting, she was nervous, upset and if he had to guess more than a little frightened. He wouldn’t get anything even approaching reasonable from her for the rest of the day if he was to guess. He watched her settle the cat in her lap and rested his head against the back of the seat, closing his eyes as he felt the plane start its final decent.<br><br>He could understand why she was unhappy, and perhaps she would have been one of the rare individuals who would have reacted better to a more evenhanded approach, but he wasn’t willing to bet on it. Better to get her used to things being out of her control than to give her a false impression of how things were going to be. He wondered vaguely if they would have him train her.<br><br>He was still contemplating that possibility when the plane landed, inertia pushing them towards the front of the plane as the brakes squealed on the asphalt. He unbuckled his seat and stood, stretching as the plane came to a stop. “Ready?” he asked.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:36:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Without saying a word Paradise unbuckled her seat and stood up. Shouldering her messenger bag she followed Agent Constantine as he moved toward the front of the plane where the stewardess was unlocking and opening the door.<br><br>She wished that she were back home sitting on her chair reading her favorite book instead of stepping off a jet and heading into some unknown facility that was partially buried underground. Paradise felt a shiver run down her spine as she thought about spending time there. It was not something she was going to like and she wasn’t positive that she would be able to do it. She’d always been a bit claustrophobic. Her grandmother had told her long ago that it was something that they had in common.<br><br>Shaking away her doubts Paradise stopped a moment at the top of the stairs and stared out into the brilliant sunlight. Settling her sunglasses on her nose she sighed resigned to the fact that she had set herself on this course.<br><br>“You owe me a new wardrobe.” She told Agent Constantine as she watched him walk down the steps with appreciation in her brown eyes hidden behind the sunglasses.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:37:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He could feel the wave of heat behind him, almost pushing him down the stairs as she stepped out of the plane. He needed to get her into the building before she set everything around her on fire… or it all simply melted. He had seen a man melt once, it was not something that he wanted to witness again, let alone experience firsthand.<br><br>Constantine led the way across the tarmac towards an understated building with a solar panel field in the distance. To the right of the building was what appeared to be a park of some kind, beautiful trees with walking paths and exotic flowers. It had to take up a couple of acres by itself. The entire structure looked completely out of place. If it hadn’t been for the towers with armed personnel scattered around the area it could easily have been mistaken for a vacation resort.<br><br>“Don’t worry about a wardrobe, everything you need will be provided while you are here,” he said when they reached the building. He paused with one hand on the door and glanced back at her. “When we pass through the second set of doors we will be passing through a series of complex wards that are meant to protect the facility. If you have any talent at all you will feel it like a pressure on your spine. It will be uncomfortable for a moment, but fade quickly,” he warned before holding the first door open for her. It closed behind with an almost silent thud, the only sound their own footsteps and the struggling whine of the air conditioner as it tried to cool the building.<br><br>He stopped at the next set of doors, passing his hand over a blank silver pad beside the door. A click echoed as he reached out and opened the door. “After you.”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:37:44</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise followed Constantine because there simply was nowhere else for her to go. Even with her casual glance around, she had no idea where she was. And she imagined that the armed guards patrolling the towers were pretty good shots.&nbsp; Paradise tried not to think about how much it felt like she was being escorted to one of the many camps she used to read about in school.&nbsp; It was hard not to.<br><br>Paradise paused as Constantine stepped aside to let her go through the door first. <em>If you have any talent at all…&nbsp; </em> The words hung in the air as if daring her to prove them wrong. Lifting her glasses from her nose she gave the door a once over before shifting her shoulder to keep the messenger bag from falling. She could feel the small ball that was Spike curled up next to her bare thigh. She had come this far. <em>What’s a couple of more steps,</em> she mused.<br><br>Stepping through the door she felt a sudden pressure run down her spine. Spike hissed from inside the messenger bag.&nbsp; She stopped on the other side of the doorway waiting for Agent Constantine to follow.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:39:18</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Constantine followed her through the door, taking note of the way her body tensed in response to the wards.&nbsp; Well, that confirmed her power without a doubt, though he’d had no questions about whether or not she had talent. <br><br>The door clicked shut behind them, bolts sliding into place with barely audible clicks as it sealed shut.&nbsp; In the short time it had taken them to walk across the grounds to the building he had managed to build up a layer of sweat, which quickly chilled him as the air conditioner blew across his back.&nbsp; They stood in what looked like a foyer of an expensive hotel, large plush seating areas dotted the expansive area.&nbsp; A large round desk was the center of the room, sunlight streaming down from the skylight above to envelope the four people sitting there in a circle of light.<br><br>He moved in front of her, leading the way to the desk as a group of first tier trainees walked past them heading towards the hydroponics deck.&nbsp; “Paradise Burns,” Constantine said when they reached the counter. <br><br>The grey haired woman behind the desk nodded and graced Paradise with a warm, friendly smile.&nbsp; “If you would place your palm on the pad in front of you Miss Burns,” she said.&nbsp; “I’ll need a list of your personal belongings before Agent Constantine takes you to your quarters, and if you will read over and sign this release form please.”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:39:55</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise followed Agent Constantine through the open lobby without saying a word.&nbsp; Only pausing as a group of people crossed their path. Watching them, Paradise had the thought that she was watching cadets on their way to some training. It became apparent that they were indeed expecting her as she heard Agent Constantine simply say her name and nothing more; expecting the woman at the desk to know what was needed.<br>As much as she would have liked to return the woman’s smile, Paradise simply couldn’t bring herself to do so.&nbsp; She looked at the pad the woman indicated she should place her hand on with wariness. “What does it do?” she asked without making a move.<br><br>“It scans your palm print to be attached to your identification.” The woman explained patiently.<br><br>Paradise stepped forward and placed her hand on the pad. A blue light moved up the pad much like a Xerox machine does when it scans a document.<br><br>“I have the clothes that I am wearing, sun glasses, the messenger bag, and Spike.” Paradise rattled off the list of her possessions.<br><br>“A spike?” the woman asked unable to keep her curiosity to herself as she wrote down the items on a form.<br><br>“No. I said Spike. As in Spike my cat. See?” Paradise said opening the messenger bag and holding it up for the woman to see. Inside the bag, Spike growled. “Don’t be fussy, Spike.” Paradise told the cat.<br><br>The woman was silent a moment, shuffling through the papers. “Alright.” She said after a moment. “I’ll need to know the cat’s history – breed, age, shots up-to-date, is he collared or micro-chipped?” she rattled off.<br><br>Paradise ticked her answers off on her fingers, “He’s a Siamese. I am not sure how old he is, but my grandmother had him before I did. Yes, his shots are up-to-date, and he has a collar.”<br><br>The woman nodded absently as she wrote everything down. “Now, if you would read over the release form.” She reminded Paradise as she pointed to a small sheaf of papers on the counter.<br><br>Paradise picked up the pages.&nbsp; Flipping through them quickly to count how many there were. She counted five of them.&nbsp; Five pages filled with small type.<br><br>“It takes you five pages to cover your ass?” Paradise asked turning to look at Constantine. “I’m not signing this until I’ve read it all.” She said. She could well imagine the number of people that would simply sign the form to get it over with, without realizing what they were in actually signing. “I’ll be over there.” She said pointing to a grouping of chairs that were empty.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:40:07</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“It used to be over thirty pages,” he called after her, leaning against the countertop with a wide grin.&nbsp; “Let’s just hope nothing in the agreement pisses her off, the paperwork for burning a chair would be horrendous.”<br><br>“A cat Constantine?” the woman asked, arching an eyebrow as she entered the information she had gathered from Paradise into the system.<br><br>&nbsp;If he were to look over the counter he knew he wouldn’t find a keyboard, all of the Guardians who manned the desk were neuromancers, witches and warlocks capable of controlling sophisticated computers with only their minds.&nbsp; It was an extra security precaution that they used, after all no-one could download or even pull up any sensitive material from one of these computers unless they were able to jack in mentally like the neuromancers did.<br><br>“Yes, a cat, though that’s only part of what he is.&nbsp; Just let me handle the backlash Mary, the creature will make her more comfortable, and keep her temper in check while she’s learning to control her abilities,” he said with a sigh, not looking forwards to the inquisition that bringing Spike into the facility was likely to create.<br><br>“One day your soft heart is going to get you into more trouble than you can handle son,” she said with a stern look.&nbsp; “What do you think of her power level?” she asked.<br><br>“I haven’t been able to do a full range of tests, but I would say minimum she’s probably a strong F4, but that’s only a guess, she could easily be a sixth or seventh tier F once she’s had some training.&nbsp; She might also have other latent talents, though I think Fire is going to be her main form of magical expression,” he said, knowing that everything he said was going into the report that would be forwarded up the chain of command.&nbsp; Witches whose power manifested with fire and heat were luckily rare, they were usually the hardest to control, and the most destructive if something went wrong.<br><br>He frowned slightly and pushed away from the desk when Spike poked his head out of the bag at Paradise’s feet, even from across the room he could tell that the creature was up to no good.&nbsp; The cat’s ears were half back as he watched one of the more interesting members of the SRA walk by.&nbsp; The man’s sharply pointed ears and pitch black eyes a sharp contrast to those around him. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:40:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise plopped herself down into one of the chairs, setting the messenger bag down on the floor. Pulling her long legs up underneath her, Paradise began to read the five page document.&nbsp; Her brown eyes moved slowly making certain that she missed nothing as she read.<br><br>It was for all she could see, a standard contract release form. Delineating the level of training and control required in order for her to do various things such as going into certain parts of the facility and going outside.&nbsp; Just as Constantine had said, there was a section regarding covering outside expenses for the duration of her stay. There was even a section on compensation pay, something that she hadn’t expected to see;&nbsp; even with the unexpected bonus Paradise still felt as if she was about to be incarcerated.&nbsp; It went against everything she felt was right.<br><br>Tucking a strand of hair that came loose from her ponytail, Paradise continued to go through the contract never noticing that Spike had poked his head out of the bag and wriggled his way out onto the floor. Spike’s nose wrinkled as he watched the group of people pass by. Sniffing the air as if scenting for something he began to slink towards the group. His tail twitching as he moved across the lobby.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:40:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“This should be interesting,” Constantine mumbled to no one in particular, though Mary evidently heard him because she stood, leaning across the counter so that she could see what was going on.<br><br>“Oh my…” the woman said as she watched Spike slowly slink across the ground.&nbsp; “Aren’t you going to do something?” she asked sharply.<br><br>“No, he needs to learn his lesson, and Miss Burns needs to learn it as well.&nbsp; She’s not at home any longer, she can’t avoid what she is, and she can’t allow her attention to be off of those she is in charge of.&nbsp; She may not every join SRA, but that’s a lesson that she needs to learn anyway, it will teach her just how dangerous magic can be,” he said, confident that Timriel wouldn’t actually kill Spike, only incapacitate him.<br><br>They continued to watch as Spike snuck up behind the man, the cat’s claws scraping the floor lightly just before he leapt at the Fae with a yowl that drew the attention of everyone in the room, ensuring that Paradise wouldn’t miss the display of power that followed. <br><br>The Fae turned just in time, one hand going up instinctively to capture the cat even as his other instincts kicked in.&nbsp; The air seemed to shimmer, to those near him it became thicker, almost difficult to breathe.&nbsp; The cat seemed to hang in mid air for a split second before Timriel made a sharp gesture with his hand, sending the cat flying across the room to land in one of the large potted plants had enough to tip it over.&nbsp; He stalked across to the cat, who was more shaken than anything and leaned down, grabbing it by the scruff with a slightly disgusted look.&nbsp; He glanced around the room, holding the cat as far away from himself as he could while Spike spit and hissed, trying to claw the Fae’s arm.&nbsp; “Does this belong to anyone?”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:41:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise looked up from the form on her lap in time to see Spike being picked up out of the debris of a potted plant. Drawing attention away from the Fae for a moment as she stood up, Paradise was proud that she kept her voice as level as she did.<br><br>“He’s mine.” She said taking the few steps to stand in front of the Fae.&nbsp; Her eyes narrowed slightly as she took Spike from the Fae.&nbsp; The cat seemed to take one look at her and immediately stopped hissing. His ears flattened and he looked for the entire world to be afraid of her.&nbsp; “I should have paid more attention, my apologies. He won’t bother you again.” She said as civilly as possible before turning back toward her chair.<br><br>“If you make things difficult for me Spike, so help me, I will send you back to Denver.” She muttered as she sat down. Spike settled on her lap without so much as a meow, his ears twitching nervously. <br><br>About to put pen to paper to sign the release a startled yell caught her attention again.&nbsp; Paradise looked up again in exasperation. The curtains on the far side of the room had caught fire somehow.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:41:10</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Constantine winced, wondering for a moment if he had been wrong when the feline sailed across the room, tumbling into a potted plant.&nbsp; &nbsp;He took a couple of steps forward, but managed to stop when he saw Paradise rise and approach Timriel.&nbsp; The exchange was more pleasant than he had assumed it would be, though he could feel the waves of energy and heat moving through the rooms even from well over twenty five feet away.<br><br>As Paradise settled onto the chair again people began to move, conversation resume, only to be shattered by the frightened scream of one of the first tier students.&nbsp; Flames erupted violently along the curtains, swiftly engulfing the cloth and leaping to the next source of fuel it could find.&nbsp; Unfortunately that was the student’s clothing. <br><br>“Alert containment,” Constantine muttered to Mary as he jogged across the room towards the growing fire. <br><br>He spared a glance for the student, relieved to see that the fire had been put out, her arm didn’t even appear to have any burn marks on it.&nbsp; He quickly centered himself and exhaled.&nbsp; The air seemed to shiver for a moment, the rest of the students quickly backing away from the wall, trying to get as far away from him and the fire as they could before he released his power.&nbsp; The sudden drop in air pressure made more than one person stumble as he released his power, creating an oxygen void that had the few lingering humans stumbling out of the radius of his spell gasping for breath.&nbsp; A moment later the fire dwindled and died, the smoke dissipating into the air.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:41:23</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise was duly impressed. While there wasn't much to see, she could certainly feel the amount of power that Agent Constantine released. It made chill bumps rise on her skin. She looked down to make sure Spike was still in the bag as she returned her attention to the papers in front of her. Her pen hovered over the paper as she tried to read the final paragraph one last time. Making sure that she understood every word. Finally she put pen to paper and added her name.<br><br>"Don't give me that look Spike, you're in trouble as it is." she said without glancing at the cat, she could feel him staring at her the way most cats do with a disapproving eye as he sat at her feet.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:41:39</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Constantine released his power, letting it sink back down into the ground, dissipate into the air.&nbsp; He glanced around quickly to make sure that no one had been hurt, satisfied when he noticed everyone else breathing, some gasping for breathe, but breathing none the less.&nbsp; He signaled Containment as they jogged through the security doors on the other side of the Atrium, leaving them to clean up the mess as he walked back towards the security desk.&nbsp; He resumed his position against the counter again as if nothing had happened.<br><br>He watched as Paradise signed the papers with a satisfied nod.&nbsp; "And now the interesting part begins," he muttered to no one in particular, surprised when the cat turned to glare at him, anger seething behind the creatures eyes.&nbsp; "Interesting indeed..."<br><br>He nodded towards another agent he knew as Paradise began to rise, the other man turning to head back into the compound to make sure that Paradise's room would be ready before Constantine finished the small tour he planned to take her on. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:41:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise stepped past Agent Constantine to the counter where Mary sat, barely acknowledging his existence in that moment. The papers slid across the counter coming to a stop precariously at the edge of the counter closest to Mary.<br><br>"I'd like copies of these if you wouldn't mind." she told the woman.<br><br>Paradise glanced at the tall Agent standing just off to the side waiting for her. For a second she thought he looked amused by something before he realized she was looking at him and his features fell into a neutral look.<br><br>"Here you are." Mary said drawing Paradise's attention back. Paradise took the sheaf of papers from the woman, shuffled through them to make certain that everything was there; it wasn't that she didn't trust Mary, it was simply prudent to make certain that everything was in order.<br><br>"Thank you." she said folding the pages in half and slipping them inside the bag next to Spike. Spike swiped at Paradise's fingers and growled. Paradise ignored it turning to face Agent Constantine. "So lead the way..." she said figuring that the next task he had was to show her around. At least that would have been what she would have done.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:42:03</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He let her see his amused smile for a moment before he turned towards the bank of elevators against the far wall and motioned for her to walk beside him.&nbsp; They received a number of curious glances from other residents who were starting to come out of the woodwork to see what all the commotion had been about. They were mostly around her age, but she also saw a number of children with a teacher or caregiver, the youngest of which couldn't have been more than five years old.<br><br>They were almost to the elevators when one of the children, a young girl in a plain tan jumpsuit just like all the rest piped up. "Agent Sir? Is she Incendia?" she asked, pointing back towards the charred remains of the curtains across the room.<br><br>Constantine paused and pressed the button, holding the elevator for Paradise to proceed him while he answered.&nbsp; "Yes, you may see more of her in a few days when she has a little more control," he said with a gentle smile for the girl, who nodded and smiled back, turning back to the rest of the children as the elevator door closed.<br><br>"Communal Floor please..." he said.&nbsp; There were no buttons of any kind on the inside of the elevator.<br><br>"Welcome back Agent Constantine, please let me know if you need anything while you are here," A female voice came from somewhere in the elevator.<br><br>"Thank you AMI, it's good to be back."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:42:16</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise looked around idly as the elevator began to move, the initial movement of the cables holding the box in the air causing her to momentarily loose balance. She couldn't see any buttons or lights to indicate which direction they were going in, though she could clearly feel that they were descending. Paradise supposed that it was probably a security precaution on the facilities part. Leaning against the back wall of the elevator Paradise studied Agent Constantine. He seemed more relaxed now that she had signed away her life.<br><br>"Is the elevator the only way up? Or are there emergency exits?" she asked suddenly. She was surprised to find her voice didn't echo in the metal box. "What's the set-up here?" she continued. Spike shifted in her bag and she absently reached in to scratch him behind the ear.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:42:27</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				"Identify..." The voice said.<br><br>"Paradise Burns, novice, restriction level Alpha," Constantine said without hesitation.&nbsp; "I would have brought her to meet you AMI," he chided slightly. <br><br>"A likely story Agent Constantine." If she hadn't known better she would have thought the computer had actually chided him back.<br><br>Constantine turned his attention back to Paradise.&nbsp; "There are four emergency exits, heavily guarded of course.&nbsp; All of them are quite a walk to the surface, but if things are bad enough to use them then I don't suppose any of us would care.&nbsp; There are also a number of safe rooms scattered throughout the facility. They are always marked on the maps which you can find in every corridor," he explained.&nbsp; "I'll show you everything your security clearance will allow."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:42:53</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				She realized that he was only telling her what she wanted to know, but the way he said it set her on edge.&nbsp; She nodded not trusting herself to respond with a civil tongue.&nbsp; It didn’t matter that she had just signed away her life as she knew it and agreed to the whole shebang.&nbsp; This AMI person sounded interesting though.<br>&nbsp;<br>The elevator came to a stop and the door slid open revealing a long hallway.&nbsp; Before she stepped out of the elevator she looked around one last time. “Uh…I look forward to meeting you…at some point.” She said to the empty elevator as Agent Constantine motioned for her to follow him. With more than a little reluctance she stepped out into the hall. <em>You signed the paper...made a promise. You keep your promises, Paradise. </em><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:43:08</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Constantine tilted his head slightly as if he was listening to something.&nbsp; “This way,” he said, turning down the second hallway from the elevator.&nbsp; “This will be your floor, for the time being you are confined to it unless you are with a senior agent or trainer,” he explained as the passed doors on either side of the hallway. <br><br>Stopping in front of a solid white metal door at the end of the hall he motioned towards the small pad.&nbsp; “Place your palm on the pad.&nbsp; You’ll feel a wave of energy, it will probably make your body tingle slightly, but it’s harmless.&nbsp; The only people who will have access to this room, and by extension the ability to open this door, will be the senior staff and yourself.&nbsp; Unless there is an emergency no one will enter without your permission, this is your room.&nbsp; You’ll have a stipend of course, so if there is anything else you might want as far as furniture or décor while you’re here just let me know and we’ll see what we can do.&nbsp; It’s fairly sparse at the moment…”<br><br>He waited patiently for her to place her palm on the pad for the security check, not rushing her in any way.&nbsp; He did notice the cat glaring out of the top of her bag in his direction, his ears flat, teeth bared in a silent hiss of discontent. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:43:32</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise couldn't say she liked the stark hallway and the multitude of doors that lined it. It really did have a penitentiary feel to them. Giving the door a once over, she raised her hand and placed it on the pad.<br><br>Just as Agent Constantine said she felt something, a tingling of sorts, run through her fingertips all the way down to her toes as something scanned her hand. If she hadn't been told to expect it she would have thought she had just gotten shocked. Letting her hand drop back to her side she watched the door slide open revealing a very sparsely furnished room just beyond its threshold. An over head light flickered activated by the opening door.<br><br>The entire room was mono-chromatic white. Almost blindingly so. Paradise blinked. "Wow." she muttered. "Talk about blinding." It looked quite like something out of a sci-fi movie. "Something other than white would be good." she said taking a step into the room. She cocked her head at Agent Constantine. "You sure this isn't part of a movie set?" she asked. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:43:52</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He chuckled softly and shook his head as he walked further into the room.&nbsp; It was actually more like a large efficiency apartment, the only room that was separate was the bathroom, but overall it was actually quite spacious… if a tad bright.&nbsp; “It’s not a set, and as I said you can add color as you like to make it more comfortable for you.&nbsp; They decided to leave each room a blank slate that could be personalized.”<br><br>The small but serviceable kitchen area was directly to her left, along with a small two person table with comfortable looking chairs in the dining area.&nbsp; The rest of the apartment consisted of a queen sized bed, a night stand, a bookshelf and an entertainment area that provided the only contrast in the room.&nbsp; The television was a large flat screen affair that hung on the wall, right next to a panel that looked like it was right out of star trek or some other science fiction show. <br><br>“The fridge should be stocked with the basics, anything else you need you will be able to order of course.&nbsp; I doubt you’ll have much time for the television but it is there if you do get bored,” I glanced around and nodded slightly.&nbsp; “Now… about your cat. He will be confined to this space for the time being, everything you might need for him will arrive before we have completed the tour, and we will need to have him microchiped so that he can be found if he gets out of the room at any point…”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:44:04</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise shook her head as soon as Constantine began to mention something about micro-chipping Spike. And just like a cat, Spike seemed to know he was being discussed because his pointed ears peaked over the edge of the bag and then his head popped up and he looked around curiously.<br><br>"You won't need to bother with chipping him. I can give you the number to the chip he already has." she said. "And as long as there's a scratching post he should be alright." she added. Paradise didn't mention that Spike liked to look out the window from said scratching post at all the cars going by below as he lay in the sunlight. She looked around at the blank walls. Since there were no windows to speak of it was practically a moot point.<br><br>"I'll need a leash." she said finally. When the agent gave her an odd look at the request she sighed, "I trained Spike to walk on a leash. I can take him for walks...providing it isn't against the rules. There aren't any windows down here." she said pointing towards the walls.<br><br>Spike sniffed the air and pawed at bag to be let down. Paradise set the bag down and Spike immediately bolted for the bed, his sleek form disappearing under the frame to hide in the darkness. "And he'll probably stay under there until he gets hungry." she said watching the cat bolt. Turning her attention back to Agent Constantine she nodded. "Shall we continue the tour?" she asked.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:44:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Excellent, I will get the code from you once the tour is done, and I’m sure we can find a leash somewhere,” Constantine said with an internal smirk.&nbsp; <em>I will have to make it a point to join her for these walks, watching him forced to heel and follow in the woman’s footsteps will be a highlight of my days…</em><br><br>He watched the creature scamper underneath the bed, for all the world like a typical housecat, though he knew that Spike was anything but typical.&nbsp; As soon as they left the room Spike would explore, trying to find a way out of the enclosed space, trying to do anything he could to leave.&nbsp; A small kernel of delight raced through Constantine at the thought of how disconcerting it must be for the creature to find himself in the Compound of all places.&nbsp; Irony at its best.<br><br>“Of course,” he motioned towards the door, following her out, the door closing behind him and locking automatically.&nbsp; &nbsp;Turning down another hallway he headed towards the Community rooms, Dining, entertainment and recreational areas available to all of the residents on this floor. <br><br>“If you don’t wish to cook for yourself you can take your meals here,” he said as they entered the huge cafeteria, people scattered about the room in small groups.&nbsp; “The food is surprisingly good, and they provide a decent selection that rotates daily.” 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:44:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise laughed at the mention of cooking herself. Yeah. Right. The closest to cooking she really ever got was a tv dinner in a microwave. No matter how many times she tried to learn it just wasn't something she came naturally to and she accepted that for the most part. Sometimes however, she wanted to have one of those good old fashioned meals that her Grandmother used to make and lament over the fact that her renditions of those meals never matched up to her memory of them.<br><br>"I suppose that there is some sort of schedule to be adhered to?" she asked as they continued to walk through the cafeteria.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:44:58</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Constantine nodded in response to her question and waved to one of the older students across the way, not stopping to make small talk with Paradise in tow.&nbsp; He could just imagine her reaction if he did that, the affronted look and annoyed roll of her eyes.&nbsp; It would almost have been worth it.&nbsp; Then again even if she was annoyed, she was at least cooperating at the moment.&nbsp; Best not to jinx that arrangement at this point.<br><br>“We will find out what works for you in the next few days.&nbsp; Let you settle into a sleeping schedule and such.&nbsp; For now we just want to concentrate on testing you and seeing what you can do naturally without training, then we will work on control.&nbsp; Most of that will be done by me or another senior operative, though under the circumstances it’s more likely to be me at the moment.&nbsp; Most of the others with any ability to control your power are out on one assignment or another at the moment.”<br><br>As he spoke they left the cafeteria and she found herself on a promenade, for all the world like a little self contained mall.&nbsp; “This is where you’ll be able to do most of your shopping, either that or at the panel I showed you in your room.&nbsp; It’s really up to how you’d like to handle it.”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>08-12-2010, 01:45:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise pursed her lips as she listened to Agent Constantine. He rambled a bit in her opinion but kept the observation to herself.&nbsp; His mention of her ‘power’ didn’t sit well with her in the slightest. She still had issues believing that she had any abilities at all. And he didn’t have to sound so put out that he might have to spend a little more time with her because of it. All of these thoughts fled for a single solitary moment when she saw all the shops.<br>&nbsp;<br>“Huh.” She said after a second or two of silence.&nbsp; She shook her head and turned her eyes toward her tall companion. “If you are trying to impress me with this, you will be sorely disappointed. I may have grown up in L.A. but I am not a Cali girl.” She replied referring to the plethora of her gender that live only to spend money and shopping.&nbsp; 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>10-12-2010, 23:55:57</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				“Believe me; I wouldn’t thing such a thing in regards to you.&nbsp; I think I would be hard pressed to find someone further from the typical woman than you,” he left it at that, neither insult or compliment but simply a statement of fact that he at least felt was irrefutable.&nbsp; <br><br>He led her through the shops, nodding at the men and women who greeted him with raised hands or even by name, each of them obviously happy to see him around.&nbsp; It gave the impression that he spent little time in the facility itself, and that some at least viewed it as a treat when he was there at all.&nbsp; He was obviously well liked by his colleagues, both those in positions of power and those with the more menial tasks.&nbsp; <br><br>“Now I think perhaps I’ll show you the training rooms you’ll be using and then we will call it a day.&nbsp; I’d like to give you some time to settle in and perhaps look into personalizing your room a bit before tomorrow.&nbsp; We’ll be working hard for the first week or two, until you can get your power harnessed enough to be around the others without supervision.&nbsp; The last thing we need is you burning one of the others for saying something you don’t particularly like,” he said with a smile that was supposed to take the sting off of the words.&nbsp; <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>27-01-2011, 04:11:17</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Again there was the reminder that she was likely going to be here a while instead of the "couple of days" he initially told her. And though he clearly was trying to be polite about her apparent lack of control regarding her abilities -whatever they might be - it still rankled. Paradise bit her tongue to keep from saying something she would regret.<br><br>"Are you going to be supervising this shindig then?" she asked as they continued toward what Constantine referred to as training rooms. There were more people in this area. Most were dressed in the same overalls that she had seen upstairs though there were several dressed in much the same manner as Constantine. "Please tell me I don't have to wear one of those jumpsuit things." Paradise said after they passed a dozen or more "trainees".<br><br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>29-01-2011, 22:36:46</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The rooms were sparse, only the carved ruins around every doorway giving testament to what the smaller rooms were for.&nbsp; As they continued down the hall he nodded to anyone he recognized, and some that he didn’t.&nbsp; “Yes, I’ll be in charge of your initial training since you show an affinity for fire, which is one of the more dangerous ones until it is under firm control,” he said, pointing to one of the rooms in particular.&nbsp; “That one is the one we will be using, with the heaviest wards to protect the others as well as you.”<br><br>“Yes, you’ll need to wear them at first, It’s not anything about controlling what you wear specifically, but they are rather heavily fortified against outbursts of magic, I don’t expect you to have that much trouble learning the basics of control once you accept what you are, but until then I would prefer to play it safe if you don’t mind.&nbsp; While you wouldn’t be able to harm me with a random outburst, I would hate to be wrong,” he said with an amused smile.&nbsp; <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>29-03-2011, 18:06:35</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				<em>"I don’t expect you to have that much trouble learning the basics of control once you accept what you are..."</em><br><br>Paradise bristled a bit at his words. She was here wasn't she? Didn't that mean she was giving them the benefit of doubt? Nodding to show the agent that she was listening, she bit her tongue. Reminding herself of her Grandmother's advice. Though truthfully it was getting harder to do. <br><br>So she would have to wear drab clothing for a while. Paradise watched as another set of trainees walked past her. <em>Really Really drab clothing.</em> Trying to find the bright spot she supposed it was better than wearing a gunny sack.&nbsp; While the thought of wearing a gunny sack made her stomach flip-flop a bit, she couldn't help but imagine Agent Constantine in one and how he might have looked. The image was more than enough to bring her spirits back. It did make her wonder if he had ever gone through a similar "training".<br><br>"Did you ever have to wear those jumpsuit things?" she asked.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Kye</strong> on <strong>07-04-2011, 21:09:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				He barely noticed the trainees walking by as he turned them back towards the rooms she had been given for the duration of her stay.&nbsp; Her question though gave him pause, though it did not show on his face as he continued walking, fully expecting her to keep up with him.&nbsp; He was not sure how much to tell her, how much she could handle.&nbsp; The truth about the world they lived in and the beings they shared it with would be a shock to her; even with modern media they knew so little about the truth.<br><br>“No I didn’t,” he said with a rueful grin.&nbsp; “I learned to control my powers outside of the SRA’s influence and well before they had the resources to collect and train sensitives.&nbsp; First lesson.&nbsp; Nothing is as it appears.&nbsp; A person is not necessarily human, and a wall is not necessarily a wall,” he said as they passed down a long narrow hallway.&nbsp; Reaching out he ran his hand alone one until the tips of his fingers disappeared into the illusion, most likely scaring whoever was on the other side. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: The Witching Hour (Ariadne &amp; Kyrsa)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Ariadne</strong> on <strong>14-12-2013, 04:06:05</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Paradise nodded. She was mildly disappointed that he hadn't had to wear the drab uniform. It was an amusing vision to imagine him wearing the ill fitting garment. She glanced at him briefly as they walked. <em>Strike that, even an ill fitting garment would probably look great on him.</em> Agent Constantine's first lesson sounded very much like something her grandmother would tell her. A lot. Well all except the part about humans not being humans. As Paradise watched his hand disappear she paused.<br><br><em>Woah.</em> "Your hand just vanished." she said stating the obvious. "Great. I'm living an labyrinth. Next you're going to tell me that it changes every day..." she said with a note of sarcasm.<br>t<br><em>Nothing is ever what it seems. When you can't trust your senses, who or what can you trust?</em> Paradise didn't like the idea of not being able to trust her senses. She examined the spot where Constantine's hand had disappeared. Searching for signs that would tell her how to "see" these spaces. She stepped closer to the wall and ran her fingers against it. It was smooth, almost unnaturally so. She expected to feel some sort of texture but there was none. It was also cold. Her finger tips trailed along the same path as her guide's.
			</dd>
		</dl>
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