Indeed, while his partner was out and about, Tracker slipped towards that singular bot, recalling the short discussion he had had with Eva earlier. So what would this thing do, exactly? He was glad his peculiar talent offered safety from, say, falling rubble. Just in case. There it stood, just as Eva had said, and there was the button she'd specified. He wondered what she'd be cabable of once this deed was done; it seemed vitally important to her. Interesting.
Getting here had not been an easy task, as the security was incredible, and they seemed to have had something that negated his natural (or unnatural..) gifts of invisibility and intangibility. So he just got to practice his more mundane skills. Luckily, well lucky for him anyway, his instincts and stealth were just as sharp as they ever had been. So now, standing before his target, he wondered if this had been too easy. It was almost as though they let him in... Or maybe they just hadn't expected anyone to attempt to break in here, Tracker berrated himself; he was too paranoid. And he thougt too much. Best just get this done and get out as fast as possible. He reached out and touched the button.

Changeling, meanwhile, had managed to find herself another meal, and one that even didn't stink too badly at that. She was so intent on not being heard herself that she truely didn't notice the stealthy Eva following her every move.

Posted by Eva and the other on 5/2/2006, 4:51 pm

When Eva dropped to the next windowsill, slightly ahead of the vampire, it was almost too easy to knock over the plant with just the right amount of force to send the vampire sprawling into memory lane. The robot smirked, showing off her perfect, white teeth.

Then a distant awareness perked her attention as she felt the robot connect to their semantic web.

Indeed, the robot, once still as death before Tracker, now flashed open her eyes and leapt from her cell with incredible agility and speed. A human would have been too stiff to react so well. The robot herself was homely, her features carefully average, perhaps to be able to blend in without being noticed at all, for who would care to give a second glance to those features? Even her eyes, whirling back and forth as they came to focus on Tracker, were barely recognizable as anything different: they were murky brown.

"Leave," she said. Her voice, however, even in that simple word was completely devoid of all humanity. Evidently her makers had never intended her to blend in by speaking. "Go now. Your work is finished here."

Then she walked past him without even a glance further in his direction, heading towards the back of the room. It was an unnatural sight--dismembered robot arms and body parts were strewn over countless tables and cardboard boxes.

Posted by Tracker on 5/2/2006, 5:36 pm

When the bot started up so quickly, Tracker slid back, giving her space. He hadn't exactly expected the thing to come to life so quickly, but since he hadn't really had any expectations at all, he wasn't terribly surprised. As soon as her inhuman betrayed her normal appearance and gave the order to leave, he tilted his head and gave a jaunty salute. No need to tell him twice. If this thing was supposed to rain down some heavy destruction, or even mild destruction for that matter, there was no way he'd be anywhere within range. It was a good way of avoiding suspicion, and injury, if nothing else.
Needless to say, he beat a hasty retreat. Not too hasty to get himself caught, but still, pretty darn quick. He was out of the building and safe inside his protective shield of invisibility within a matter of moments. He did wish he could've stayed to see what happened. Oh well.

Posted by the destructo-bot on 5/2/2006, 7:18 pm

The robot moved quickly, but where she went, no one was there to see. Nobody saw her lips twitch up into a smile. Nobody heard her ticking softly, either.

Everyone in the nearby vicinity of the MTHS complex felt the rumble, however. Everyone heard the noise of concrete and iron exploding out with unnatural, sudden force, as well as first one building then the next shattered outward with the ease of dynamite, blowing out dust and debris like shrapnel from a cannon.

One building, apart from the relatively minor damage sustained from the explosions around it, remained curiously silent and untoutched. Yet, by the time the dust had settled around it, all of its guards were dead, its scientists no more intelligent than corpses.

Then, with a soft click, all of its doors swung open, freeing to the world a myriad of creatures mutant, human, and otherwise.

Posted by Changeling and Tracker on 5/3/2006, 11:40 am

It was the strangest thing... One moment, Changeling was stalking her next meal, and apparently not aware enough of her surroundings, if the pain in her head was any indication, and the next she found herself in an uncomfortable situation; the smell of death surrounding her still form, lying on a cold, hard steel table. In the morgue.

What had happened? She remembered stalking the woman in the alley (who seemed to have called the police when she found a 'dead woman' in her alley), and then there had been a noise above her, so she started to look up, and then...

Changeling opened her eyes with a faint gasp of both surprise and horror. She did remember. She remembered everything. Some of her memory was fuzzy and vague, like her time with Juan, but she connected what dots there were to connect. And then she was a dangerous vampire. She never really was in the past, but now... now she was out for blood.

"Tracker," she snarled softly, then went silent. Her senses weren't exactly as strong as they'd ever been, but she could hear someone moving around outside the door to her room. She could hear their heartbeat, and it called to her, but she wasn't interested. Oh, Tracker would pay for this. She might've forgiven him if it had just been her own life she'd tampered with, but in erasing her memories and humanity, he had hurt Joey. And worse, he had made her hurt the boy. And that was unforgivable.

The sounds outside became louder, and she heard footsteps bringing the person closer to the door. It could've been interesting to see how a person reacted to the dead rising, but she didn't have time for that; not only did she need to see Tracker torn to shreds, but dawn was on it's way.

When the man who had been scheduled to work on Changeling entered the room, a small black mouse exited, unseen, leaving the man to an empty room and apologetic looking, empty table where a dead woman once lay. Needless to say, he was very confused.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tracker never had liked the wee hours of the morning, as his partner sometimes referred to them. He especially didn't like them when said partner was still out, and the sun was scheduled to rise at any moment. Had she faced some trouble hunting? Or maybe it had been another angel encounter, and she was taking precautions against being followed. Whatever the case, it made Tracker nervous.

Not that he particularly worried (or cared) for her safety, but it would be difficult to find another partner. Maybe. His thoughts drifted back to Eva; she'd be interesting to work with. Not quite so... versatile as Changeling, but unquestionably less of a handful. Maybe.
His 'job' tonight had gone interestingly. The explosion's rumblings could be felt even where he was in his apartment, almost on the opposite side of the city, and every police car and fire engine had responded. Somewhat slowly, as it had been the dead of night, but responded nevertheless.

So now he waited for his partner's return, and then maybe they two could leave this city for good. It was far too risky to stay here; she'd gotten to know too many people in her time as a human, and they would certainly keep trying to cure her amnesia.

"Well speak of the devil," he murmured as a familiar form swooped through the open window.

"Tracker," she said, and he stopped. Something about her soft, dangerous voice was different. He didn't like it, but he didn't want to risk anything, so he played it cool.

"How was hunting?" he asked, making an effort to sound normal.

Changeling almost snarled derisively at his attempt. She could hear his pulse quicken, and she could practically smell the kick of adrenaline. Her eyes, normally dark and dispassionate, had a definite reddish cast to them, and her vision sharpened. She wasn't very strong right now, since she hadn't fed in almost a week, but she'd be strong enough. And fast enough. She made a lunge for her one time partner, silent and fast, like the killing swoop of a huntng bird. Her teeth met the flesh of his throat and she bit hard, making both upper and lower canine punctures in her fury.

Tracker froze, but only for an instant. Just long enough to realize he was under attack, and then his defense mechanism kicked in and he went invisible to sight and sense.

Changeling snarled, but didn't move. She couldn't feel her teeth in contact with him any more, but she knew... There were certain things he could escape from instantly, she wasn't one of them. Since she'd been in contact with him when he'd used his talent, she should still be.

Sure enough, mere moments later, his invisibility faded and she could once again taste and feel his warm blood in her mouth. It was at that point that she hesitated. What good would it do her, or Joey, if she killed him this way? She winced, and her grip on him loosened. Not much, but enough for him to twist free, which he did, and held his neck with one hand, looking at once wary and disappointed.

He didn't give her another chance to catch him. She'd gotten enough of his blood, thank you very much. With a faint non-noise, he was gone. And so was her chance at vengeance.

Changeling roared her frustration, venting to the empty room, her breath steaming in the early morning air from the warmth of his blood. She was practically covered in it, her dark clothing shining crimson in the pre-dawn. Not one of her cleaner attacks. She would have to leave, and soon. The only place she could think of to hide in was their old hideout. Maybe he'd think the same and she'd have another chance at him. If not, at least she could rest knowing she'd wounded him deeply. He'd need some help with that bite, she thought, only a little smug.

So she left on silent wings, and arrived a little while later in the old warehouse, too tired now to do much more than curl up in her corner and fall into a light sleep. Very light. She would wake at the slightest disturbance.

CONTINUED IN EVA AND TRACKER

Posted by Changeling on 5/5/2006, 9:14 pm

Thankfully, her rest was undisturbed for the entire day. When she finally awoke, she realized that maybe that wasn't such a good thing. The last thing she remembered of this place was Joey and Sky using it as their home base, sort of. Maybe that meant that what Tracker and whoever he was working for had actually managed to capture Joey. The thought made her shudder, and she refused to dwell on why anyone would want to capture an angel, and what they'd do with him after he was in custody.

As the sun set, she paced in the unlit sections of her room, wondering if she should wait until she had fed and was strong again before attempting a rescue, or just rush in as soon as possible. The former was appealing, but that might have only been because she was very hungry. The latter pulled at her heart and, though she usually didn't just rush into things unprepared, decided that as soon as the sun set, she'd be on her way. Besides, she thought, wincing slightly, she was trying to get away from her vampiric habits, not use them to further her own cause.

She sat then, trying to conserve energy, waiting as the last rays of the sun vanished from the sky. Sky. She wondered where that little blue feathered entity had gone. Maybe she was trying to free Joey as well, but she knew all to well those two had restraints that could hinder their actions. What if she had tried and failed and gotten captured as well?

Then again, she thought as she moved to the window, the last light from the setting sun disappearing, this is all hypothetical. If Tracker had just been playing with her emotions in order to wipe her memory, Joey might not have been in danger at all. In that case, what if they had just stopped comming here after they'd seen her recently?

That memory made her wince yet again, and she vowed to make it up to both Joey, and the others. Kat and Sky needed an explanation, and Kanga could probably come up with one, she thought amusedly. The wrong one, but one all the same. She'd need to tell them all herself.

As the sky darkened, Changeling took to the air, flying being the fastest and least tiring mode of travel for the tired vampire. Her wings beat bore her all the way to the building where she thought the could hold him, but she was surprised and dismayed to see so many people, policemen and the like, in the near vicinity. She smelled death. Something had happened here recently. That would explain the people, at least.

As she hovered and circled overhead, she began to worry that they would never go home, but with the setting of the sun, they all started to leave, and soon the building was vacant. Relieved, Changeling landed and peered through the windows. All seemed quiet, which bothered her.

Oh well, there was really nothing for it. The agitated vampire circled around to a side window and smashed it in, hoping the sound didn't make enough noise to alert anyone, inside or out. It worried her that there was no movement inside.

She checked one room after another, her search becomming more and more frenzied as she continued. She could smell him, he must have been here recently! As recently as this morning, she estimated, and searched harder. All in vain. She practically turned the place inside out, to no avail.

By this time, the sun was threatening to rise again, and she was near tears of frustration. Reluctantly, she left the building and headed back to the warehouse for another day of waiting out the sun.

Maybe she could find him tomorrow night... or maybe he'd escaped on his own... She didn't want to think of the alternative. So she didn't. She put all her concentration into getting back home before the sun rose. What a night.

Posted by Joey on 5/5/2006, 9:15 pm

There hadn't been much point in returning to reality recently for Joey. Staring at the same sterile walls for the last few months had been more then enough. Better to spend his days in the hazy realm between worlds, floating half in and half out of reality. In truth, he didn't have enough energy to do support himself in reality for more then a few minutes any longer. Although the female robot allowed him access to sunlight from a near-by window on occasion, it wasn't nearly enough. Either way, he'd long since given up on the pretense that he was entirely a normal mutant. They probably wondered why he remained when he had the ability not to be here.

Thus, even with such chaos as the majority of the lab he was trapped in exploding, Joey hardly noticed. When he finally does drift close enough to reality to become aware of his surroundings, it takes him even longer to realize what seemed so different.

One thing hits him, the silence. Although his cell was relatively quiet, it wasn't the complete and consuming lack of sound that blanketed the area now. If he didn't know better, he'd swear the place was abandoned. His sudden curiosity over this unusual observation is enough to bring him all the way into reality. For the first time in days, the decidedly ill looking angel opens his eyes in his cell in the lab... and spots the open door.

He sits, completely confused by this new and unexpected revelation. Was it some new, twisted trick?

~*~

Eventually he pulls himself upright, and stumbles towards the door. If thinking didn't take so much effort, he might have laughed at how stiff he was. A heavenly messenger, stiff. He wasn't even mortal any more, how could he be stiff?

But stiff he was, so it takes him awhile to drag himself from the cell. Once out, he makes a bee-line straight for the closest window. He collapses there, soaking up sunlight.

Posted by Sky on 5/5/2006, 10:38 pm

Later the next day, Sky flutters into the warehouse's upper window shortly before the sun sets, and sighs. It was so lonely here now. Well, now was really a relative term. It'd been ages since she'd had company, at least for any length of time. Kat still showed up occasionally to visit, but it wasn't often.

The little angel settles herself on the back of the chair, fluffling her wings as she pulls them around herself. Another day done, another hundred good deeds. At least there was some satisfaction in what she was doing.

Posted by Changeling on 5/5/2006, 10:54 pm

It took her a while to realize it, but something was different in the room where Changeling slept. She woke quickly, but remained still, until she knew what had awakened her. At which point, the vampire opened her eyes and leapt to her feet, a look of almost disbelieving joy on her face.

"SKY!"

Posted by Sky on 5/5/2006, 11:07 pm

Not easily startled usually, Sky nearly goes through the roof when Changeling shouts, she's so surprised. Having someone, who she'd thought was still very much a vampire, shout at her while she was just drifting off, was not something she expected.

It takes a moment for her to put it together. Changeling knew her, and greeted her with joy. Had the woman that existed before the vampire finally returned? Still, she expresses caution, hovering new the roof as she studies the former vampire.

"Eliza?" The responce to that would be all she needed to be certain.

Posted by Changeling on 5/5/2006, 11:16 pm

Cangeling registered the caution, and smiled sheepishly, calming down, but only marginally. She was so glad to see Sky, she could have scooped the little ball of feathers up into a hug, but thought better of it at the last moment.

When Sky said her name, her real name, it made her even happier. She nodded, a huge grin on her face, and took another step forward. Had Sky been looking, however, she would have noticed the pair of sharp canines still present. Yes, she was still a vampire, but only half, as she had ever been, except for that brief, shining week with Joey.

That, and she might still have some of Tracker's blood on her clothing. Blood was so unhelpfully difficult to get out of one's clothing.

Posted by Sky on 5/5/2006, 11:31 pm

The little angel settles onto the back of the chair with a grin. "Well, welcome back. Kat and I were worried about you. You'll have to tell us the entire story at some point. "

There's a slight twitch of Sky's upturned noise as she spots the blood. Evidently Changeling hadn't entirely reverted to Eliza again... Either that or she'd discovered Tracker.

Posted by Changeling on 5/5/2006, 11:42 pm,

At first, Changeling didn't notice the distinctly missing name from the list of people that had been worried about her. Then, sort of suddenly, she blinked and her smile faltered. "What.. what about Joey?" Had he not been worried about her? Or had she been right in her suspicion that something had happened to him? Both options sort of frightened her, no matter how she tried to accept either as a possibility.

Posted by Sky on 5/5/2006, 11:45 pm

Sky's expressions, usually so animated, go still.

"He was frantic," Sky states, wondering if Changeling would notice the distinctive use of past tense. Then, realizing that her love of drama was unfair, she continues. "Somehow, one of those mutant studying labs managed to capture him. It's been..." She trails off in thought, trying to sum up the days, " A very long time since I've seen him."

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 12:00 am

Having also caught Sky's (somewhat alarming, actually) pause in facial expressions, Changeling did indeed catch the past tense, and twitched slightly. When Sky confirmed her assumption, though not the worst case scenario, the vampire was confused. "I just visited that building," she said slowly, looking worried. "Last night. I knew he'd been there recently, but I couldn't find him anywhere. I thought he'd gotten out..." her worries doubling now, she almost doesn't want to imagine what could have happened to him. "But.. if you havn't seen him..." she trails off, looking decidedly, helplessly forlorn.

Posted by Sky on 5/6/2006, 12:05 am

Sky blinks in surprise, " Did you?" She pauses again, thinking hard. "I would have thought that he would have come back here too, if he was freed. I haven't seen him though... And if he was going to return tonight, he would have done so already."

This was puzzling, and she didn't know what to say to improve Changeling's outlook.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 12:15 am

Changeling fidgeted, then sat down heavily, looking out the window at the deepening sunset sky. "I don't suppose there's any way for you to find him, is there?" She asked hopefully, not trusting herself to look away from the window.

Posted by Sky on 5/6/2006, 12:16 am

The little angel sighs, "If he makes an appearance sometime tomorrow, yes. There's little I can do to find him now, however."

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 12:23 am

Changeling sighed, but it was no more than she'd expected, really. Hope was something she'd had to live without before, she could do it again if Joey didn't show up soon. That last shred of hope was all that held her sanity together, at the moment, though she knew if she needed to, she could simply exist in a state of emotionlessness. She'd done it before. She just... she'd never... Changeling mentally berrated herself. Say it, she thought fiercely, you've never loved anyone before. Not since your family died. Centuries ago.

She sighed again and pulled her knees up to her chest, hugging them tightly. There was still hope, right?

Posted by Sky on 5/6/2006, 12:37 am

The angel's face lights up as she thinks of something, then darkens again as she studies Changeling through her eyelashes. Suggesting that would be more then a bit unfair... but Changeling would probably welcome any hint of hope.

"I do know one person that could probably find him, but I don't think you're going to like the answer. That kangaroo mutant, Kanga, she could always find Joey, and chances are, Kat knows where she is."

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 1:09 am

Indeed, Changeling perked right up at the mention of a way to find Joey, any way. Especially if it involved Kat, as she was anxious to see one of her few friends again after so long an absence, and try to explain what had happened. The thought of confronting Kanga, however, made her wince. She had, after all, been completely right about the vampire's nature, in the time, both before and after that week with Joey, at any rate. She had tried to make a meal of him wen they'd first met. Oh well. If she could help in the search for Joey, she'd be forever grateful to the girl. If not... she'd be forever disappointed. Literally, forever.

"It's worth a shot," she said, trying to smile a little. "Is she still living with her sisters?"

Posted by Sky on 5/6/2006, 1:18 am

Sky nods, "Yes, as far as I know she's still living with her elder sister."

~*~*~

Sky flutters outside the apartment, studying the upper level that she knows is Vision's home. "Er, maybe I'd better go in and get Kat." She suggests, and wings upward. On a nice a night as this, chances were there was a window open somewhere.

~*~*~

A few minutes later Sky returns, this time through the front door. She's followed by Kat, who's looking faintly confused. "Why are you being all mysteriou..." The feline mutant doesn't even get it all out before she cuts it off with a startled, "Oh!"

She stops dead in the doorway, the memory of being slammed into a tree by this very same person extremely vivid in her mind.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 1:32 am

Changeling follows as they head to Vision's house, trying not to remember what had happened the last time she spoke to Kat and trying to figure out what she'd say to explain it at the same time. She didn't get very far by the time they reached apartment.

When Sky offered to go in and bring Kat out, Changeling was relieved. That meant she wouldn't have to risk comming in contact with Vision at all. She was sort of afraid of that eldest sister. Also, hopefully it would give her some more time to think of how to explain hereslf to Kat.

No such luck. By the time the two exited and Kat saw Changeling, she was no closer to an answer than she had been when she started. All she could do was keep her eyes down and mumble a timid "Hi, Kat... Um, I'm sorry.. about before..."

Posted by Kat on 5/6/2006, 1:37 am

"Oh my god! You're back!" Kat might have hugged Changeling, if she wasn't still just a little wary of the half-vampire, so settles for an odd, squiggly little bounce instead. " I knew that wasn't really you!"

Sky flutters in mid-air, a slight smile on her face. Even if Kat couldn't help them find Joey, perhaps she could cheer up Eliza a bit. Well, assuming Kanga didn't ruin it.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 1:45 am

When Kat suddenly burst out with what sounded like glee and started bouncing, Changeling knew the girl could forgive her. She lifted her head and her lips stretched into a tentatively hopeful smile. She only hoped Joey could. "I'm glad to see you," she said, then glanced at Sky, hoping the little blue angel would explain the situation.

Posted by Kat on 5/6/2006, 1:53 am

Sensing Changeling's reluctance to explain, Sky does so. "We were hoping you could tell us where Kanga is. Joey seems to have gone missing, and at the moment, she's the only one that's going to be able to find him for us."

Kat blinks, her gleeful expression fading. " Kanga's gone, " she states simply. "She left months ago to look for Joey herself. I'm not really sure why though. Before that she was upset because she couldn't find Joey at all. She thought he was..."

She pauses there, wondering if she should tell them that for awhile Kanga was under the impression that Joey was dead. Then she realizes exactly why Kanga thought Joey was dead, and decides against mentioning it. However, her expressive features probably give away the fact that she's reasonably sure something terrible had happened to the silver haired teen.

" So, yeah... She randomly decided that she'd go look herself. I haven't had so much as an e-mail from her in a long time..." Trailing off there Kat shrugs helplessly.

"Maybe I can help you look for him or something?" She offers, trying to help.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 2:07 am

The moment Kat's cheerfulness faltered, she knew Kanga wouldn't help, and of course, she was right. Her shoulders slumped a little at the news that Kanga had left town, but she refused to give up. Actually she refused quite a bit, right down to listening to or believing what Kat was trying so hard not to tell her.

"Sure," she said, attempting to sound hopeful and lighthearted when she could barely keep herself from despair. She thought it sounded pretty good, actually. "Do you remember any of the places Kanga used to find him? Maybe he's visiting an old haunt?" And that comment instantly made her recall of her out-of-body experiences, meeting him in the park. Maybe they would check there, just in case.

Posted by Kat on 5/6/2006, 2:09 am

Obviously thinking hard, Kat begins to list off places. "It seemed random a lot of the time... But sometimes it was..." The list is fairly extensive, ranging from the obvious home base, to the diner, to various other places around town.

"Sorry, that's all I can think of..." She finally finishes, looking vaguely embarassed. She wasn't being much help at all!

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 2:19 am

Quite the contrary, every place Kat listed, Changeling put a marker on her mental map of the city, until there were several places she could hopefully find Joey. It was a much brighter outlook than her few memorable spots had been. She hadn't realized just how short a time she'd known the boy, and already it was heartwrenching to be away from him. Still, she was more hopeful now than she had been since she'd regained her memories. Since she'd lost them, actually. Kat was definitely helping.

So close, and yet so far, she thought. Well, there was nothing left to do now but search. Changeling paused and looked at Kat. "Your sister won't mind that you're out so late?"

Posted by Kat on 5/6/2006, 2:22 am

She would, but that was hardly the point. Kat shrugs cheerfully, " I'm a big girl now, I can take care of myself. " She turns towards the door, pausing on the threshold. "Let me tell Mirage I'm going out, and I'll grab my bike."

~*~

The said "bike" rolls out of a side street with a rumble roughly ten minutes later. Balancing her helment on her knee, she inquires, "So, where to first?"

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 2:29 am

Changeling waited for Kat to get her bike, expecting something a bit different from what appeared moments later. That was good though. It went faster, and it meant that Vision did actually trust her youngest sister to take care of herself, at least mostly.

Changeling smiled. "Can we check the park first?" She didn't think he'd be there this late at night, but it was a chance. They'd hit various other spots later, unles Changeling or Sky picked up some sort of signal of him. She herself could sense him quite a ways away, when she was looking for him.

Posted by Kat on 5/6/2006, 2:35 am

"Did we want to split up? I can check some of the other places." She offers, then on hearing Changeling's decision, starts her bike.

~*~

It's a long search that goes long past Kat's bedtime. Every single place the feline mutant can think of is searched, or at the very least passed by. It's several hours from morning yet, and Kat has almost swallowed Sky at least once with her massive yawns. It'd been ages since she'd been out this late. Life had been so quiet recently, she hadn't any reason to wander around after midnight.

"Can anyone thing of...." There's a pause for a massive yawn. Having learned her lesson, Sky is fluttering well away from Kat's mouth. "... anyplace else to look?"

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 2:45 am

Changeling was also tired. Very tired. And hungry. She kept tearing her eyes away from Kat's throat at random intervals, and was glad the girl hadn't caught that yet. That would make for another interesting explanation.

"I can't think of any others," Changeling said, sounding as exhausted as she felt. "Maybe he'll show up tomorrow? He's a day bird, not a night owl like me," she smiled faintly. "Besides, We should all be getting some sleep, don't you think? I have to go when the sun rises, but you two have to be awake during the day tomorrow, don't you?"

Posted by Kat on 5/6/2006, 2:53 am

"Sleep is for..." Another yawn. "Mere mortals." With a slow blink, Kat realizes that particular joke was funnier when no one in the group was immortal. There's an awkward little pause from the feline mutant as this comes to her, before she surges on with the mindless determination of the seriously overtired.

"I'm sure there's somewhere I'm forgetting..." She states. This time she manages to hold off her yawn until she finishes the sentance, and even politely covers her mouth with one hand. Her other hand is occupied by keeping her upright, braced between her head and the bars of the bike as it is.

" Yes, there's a good chance he'll show up during daylight." Sky says, watching avidly to make sure Kat doesn't fall off her bike. Being up and moving tomorrow after being up all night meant relatively little to her... but she doubted Kat would be making an appearance before noon, if that.

" I think we've done all we can do." Sky says. "Did you want to check out the warehouse again, Changeling?" She intended to follow Kat home to make sure the young mutant actually got there.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 3:02 am

She couldn't help but smile at Kat's joke. And looked away again, telling herself that a heartbead did not equal a meal. "It's alright," Changeling said, rising from where she'd been seated on the curb and stretching. "You do need your sleep, and really, he should show up himself tomorrow. He was probably just... busy... or something." Yeah. Busy. All day.. and didn't come home at night. Not that the warehouse could actually be considered a home. The fact that Changeling could come and go as she pleased was proof enough of that. Then again, a home for mortals and one for immortals might have different rules... She shook her head. It was late, the sun was due to rise soon, and she was seriously over-stressed and under-nourished. A bad combination for any vampire.

"Yeah, I'm just gonna sleep there again. Just in case, you know?" Well, plus it was sort of her only safe haven at the moment.

Posted by Kat on 5/6/2006, 3:05 am

"Okay, if I run him over on the way home I'll know where to find you." Had Kat been more awake, she might not have been making such morbid jokes. "I'll pop by when I surface tomorrow, and see if there's any leads." With that Kat says her farewells, starts her bike, and roars off.

Sky nods, " I'll see you in a bit then." She flies off, following Kat without aparent difficulty.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 3:09 am

Changeling watches the pair go, and then makes herself take to the air and fly directly back to the warehouse, with no little pit stops along the way. She couldn't risk a meal tonight, especially if she'd see Joey tomorrow. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

As soon as she reached the warehouse she knew he wasn't there. Or at least, if he was there he was asleep and invisible. Either way, she curled up in her corner and drifted off, but again, only slept lightly. Just in case.

Posted by Joey on 5/6/2006, 3:29 am

It was several hours before Joey could bear drag himself from the glorious sunlight to venture further into the shadowy depths of the lab building. It's a sign of his sad state, that even while in a pool of sunlight, he's still half transparent and not terribly tangible.

It's slow going, but the angel eventually makes it outside. He stands in the sunlight, feeling strength returning with every moment. His mood, however, is at odds with his sudden freedom and the balmy day. What point was there in his freedom? Changeling was still a full vampire, and by this point Tracker had probably dragged her off to some distant corner of the world, well out of his reach. Eternity never seemed so long and pointless to the silver haired teen.

Joey begins walking, intent on no particular destination. He doesn't notice as he gets into more populated areas that people are edging away from him, crossing the street hurriedly rather then walk on the same side as him. If asked, they might be puzzled as to why the solitary figure evoked such wary caution. The silver hair was odd, true, and his clothing was rather tattered, and the black trench coat didn't exactly inspire confidence... but it wasn't any of that so much as the fact that this particular young man gave off extremely bad vibes. Even those that didn't believe in such things might consider reluctantly admitting it.

Once again, Joey's ability to affect the mood of the people around him is at work again.

He pauses every once and awhile, his angelic instincts at work again, to do some small act of kindness. However, when evening approaches he looks on the idea of finding someplace to rest with a grim expression. He couldn't bear to go back to either the warehouse or the park, there were far too many memories.

Then with a sort of detached amusement, the angel notes his current position. His wandering feet had brought him back to almost the very same place he'd fled earlier in the day. With a shrug, he decides 'why not'. Finding a reasonably sheltered spot he vanishes from reality once again.

~*~*~

The next day's events go in a very similar manner, but this time as evening approaches Joey finds himself near the park with so many memories. Too dispirited to consider ranging further abroad to find a resting place, the angel reluctantly settles himself down on the park bench. The moment no one is looking, he vanishes once again.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 3:52 am

As the next day's sun sets, Changeling wakes slowly, feeling vaguely disappointed but not being sure exactly why for the longest time. When she does figure it out, she wakes suddenly and looks around. No, no Joey. Or if he was there, he was sleeping. She didn't think he would have been able to sneak up on her during the day to get in, however, so that possibility is a slim one. No, he's likely elsewhere.

As a repeat of the night before, she starts to search, once again beginning with the park with the hope that something would have drawn him back there. Again it is disappointingly empty, and a saddened Changeling is about to leave, when she suddenly remembers why she wouldn't have been able to see him in the warehouse. If he was sleeping anywhere, she wouldn't see or sense him, and Sky might not be able to either. So how were they supposed to find him during the night?!

In despair, the vampire trudged over to a nearby park bench and flopped down on it, curling her feet up on the bench next to her. Why did he have to go an vanish like that? And why did that girl, who was always annoyingly present when she didn't want her to be there, have to skip town suddenly? It was almost as though the powers that be didn't actually want her to find him. Or possibly him to find her, she thought sadly. She was a bad influence on him. His dark wings and the fact that she'd been at least partially responsible for his capture, if only by proxy of her ex-partner, were proof enough of that. She sighed again. This was turning out to be another rough night.

Posted by Joey on 5/6/2006, 1:35 pm

The sun wasn't down long when Joey felt the stirring of his angelic senses. Someone, very close, was in a great deal of mental anguish. They must be practically right on top of him too, or else he wouldn't have been able to sense it once darkness fell. He's decidedly reluctant to venture from his comfy un-reality. He was content not to exist for a certain amount of time, why did he keep getting hauled back?

With a heavy sigh, he shifts over far enough that his sudden appearance would be hidden by a handy corpse of trees, then returns to reality. Stuffing his hands into his battered coat in an attempt to look casual, he steps out onto the path and heads towards the park bench. Now, who was this he was supposed to be helping?

A glance at the woman on the bench stops him dead.

Fate was playing terrible tricks on him.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 2:28 pm

She wasn't surprised when she sensed the angelic presence so near at hand suddenly, since she had been rather lost in her thoughts. However, she mistook Joey's signature for Sky's, and didn't bother to look up as she spoke, depression coloring her soft voice.

"Hey Sky," she greeted the angel, staring into nothingness directly in front of her. "I think I found a flaw in our..." the vampire trailed off suddely when she lifted her head to look at who she had assumed was the little blue angel. That was not Sky.

Changeling sat motionless in stunned silence, wondering if she had fallen asleep and was dreaming. It wasn't possibble... was it? She didn't move for a long time; she didn't want to break whatever spell had summoned this image of Joey to her, be it dream or illusion, she wanted to keep it there for as long as possible.

Posted by Joey on 5/6/2006, 8:44 pm

Was it his Eliza, or the vampire that Tracker was responsible for returning to the world? He didn't know, and he wouldn't be able to tell until she did something more telling then sit there lost in thought. All he wanted to do was scoop her up, and never let her go... but he couldn't do that until he knew. The mental image of what might happen if he did so and she was still vampire was enough to make him wince.

However, if she was indeed still a full vampire, allowing her to see him would likely only lead to another tense confrontation. She likely wouldn't react well to him appearing near her again, even after such a long time. The simple fact alone that she was back in the city was enough to bring a slight glow back to his aura, lightening the surrounding area by the slightest bit.

He could save her yet.

Would she talk to Sky if she was still a vampire? Judging from the way she had reacted to him in the times that they'd met, he didn't think she would. That meant...

Two big steps and he's scooped Changeling right off the park bench and pulled her into his arms. His big black wings make a sudden appearance, wrapping around them both like part of the night itself.

Posted by Changeling on 5/6/2006, 9:40 pm

At first, Changeling just stood there, shock warring with disbelief when the angel scooped her into his arms.

"J-Joey?" If this was an illusion, it was a darn good one! It was then that she finally let herself believe that he was the real thing, and she huged him back, clinging to him as thoug her life depended on it. Which it almost did.

She burried her face in his shoulder and wept silent tears of both joy and regret, wishing she could tell him all at once how glad she was to see him and how sorry she was for the way she acted towards him. But words wouldn't come. Her voice seemed as paralized now as her body had been moments earlier. So she simply hugged him as close as possible and wished she could get closer still.

When she finally found her voice, all she could think of to say was "I missed you." She couldn't bring herself to say what she really wanted him to know.

Posted by Joey on 5/7/2006, 12:03 am

He hugs her close, his mind a little too stunned to manage words yet, or perhaps too filled with apologies, and joyous exclamations to manage anything half decently sensible. He settles for a simple, "Eliza."

"I've missed you too, " he says brushing her cheek with one hand as if he still can't quite believe he's not just dreaming. Did angels dream? Even he couldn't answer that question.

Posted by Changeling on 5/7/2006, 1:13 am

Having gone through almost that exact frame of thought moments ago, Changeling might not be surprised that he was same general almost-disbelief. The moment couldn't have been more perfect if it had been planned, she thought dazedly.

However, when Joey's hand touched the skin of her cheek she winced slightly. She'd forgotten about that particular problem. Vampires weren't supposed to touch angels, apparently. Her eyes were still moist, but now they were filled with tears of regret. She hadn't been able to keep her humanity, Tracker had seen to that. Would Joey be able to cure her again? Would he be allowed to?

Posted by Joey on 5/7/2006, 11:33 am

The way Joey jumps when Changeling winces, you would have thought he'd gotten a fairly severe electric shock. He's reluctant to pull her close now, lest some small exposed piece of flesh meet and cause her pain. His wings flair back a bit too. If his touch was painful, he would have to remember to be very, very careful with his wings from now on.

Tracker had a lot to answer for, Joey thinks, his expression darkening. His Eliza was once again a full vampire, and it was all her former "partner's" fault.

That could wait however. Joey's attention returns to Changeling. He wanted to ask how, but wasn't sure this was the time. He couldn't offer any reassurance towards returning her humanity either. Even if he'd had the strength, he'd never tried to return a vampire to humanity twice. Simply doing it once was a strange enoug occurance.

Posted by Changeling on 5/7/2006, 1:05 pm

Well, something would have to be done; that little shock of pain had startled her out of the hapy reverie she had been in, and reawakened her to her hunger. She had already put off eating twice, and exhusted herself both nights. Now she was nearly ravenous and almost faint from both relief and lack of nourishment.

She didn't want to mention it, however; she could tell he was weak, and it worried her. The thought of causing Joey more pain, by even mentioning her driving hunger, was a little too much.

Changeling had, of course, misinterpreted his dark look and reluctance to pull her close again. She shoudn't have winced, she berrated herself; now he knew she was fully vampiric, and probably wanted nothing to do with her.
"I'm sorry," she said, not trusting herself to look at his face, but instead just leaning into him. If he didn't want to be around her any more, she could leave. It would break her heart and probably kill her to do so, but if it would make him happy, she would. But only if she was sure he didn't want her arround. His reaction to seeing her again was a little more joyous to have been simply duty-inspired, so now she began to hope that maybe.. maybe she wasn't alone...

Posted by Joey on 5/7/2006, 7:50 pm

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he says, wishing he dared pull her close once again. Seeing her so obviously dispirited was almost causing him physical pain. The fact that she wouldn't look at him was also bothering him. Especially considering he didn't dare touch her to lift her chin so he could see her properly.

So many unanswered questions, he observes with a slight sigh. And so very few of them would be answered in the near future.

"When did you..." He trails off there, completely at a loss to find an euphemism for her particular form of food. Being tangible so late at night was already putting a strain on his limited strength, but he would help her even if it killed him.

Or would that be killed him again?

Posted by Changeling on 5/7/2006, 8:19 pm

Those exact words were probably the only answer that would have pulled her from her deep depression, and she did look at him now, a timid sort of hope in her eyes. However, when he asked, or tried to ask anyway, about her last meal, she smiled sheepishly and refused to answer, shaking her head 'no.' She could tell he was in bad shape, and she didn't want him to worry about her just now anyway.

"I'll be fine," she said, then added mentally 'for now.. as long as I don't do any strenuous excersize.' She wasn't quite as far gone as she had been when they'd first met, which was a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. It was good that she wasn't desperate for sustinance, but bad because she had eaten within the week, and now felt guilty about that.

She tried not to think about it. Instead, she leaned against his shoulder again. She didn't care if their skin touched. To be perfectly honest, she would rather feel something, anything, even if it was pain. Just as long as she was near him again.

Posted by Joey on 5/7/2006, 8:37 pm

"That I can do something about." He says, ignoring her reassurance in favor of his own instincts. She might not be as far gone as when they'd first met, but he wasn't about to lose her to bloodlust now. He was able to do so little, he just wanted to do something.

Soon he was going to have to fade out of reality. Maybe if they were lucky he'd collapse somewhere other then the park.

Posted by Changeling on 5/7/2006, 11:10 pm

Changeling fidgeted and pulled away a little, her instincts screaming at her to take him up on that offer, to drain him dry, but she fought, looking troubled. She looked up at him, her eyes rising to his hesitantly.

"I'd rather you not," she said, "I don't want to hurt you..." It might not work, but she really didn't want to hurt Joey, emotionally or physically, any more. Ever.

Something at the back of her mind made her nervous about being out in the open suddenly, and she told herself it wasn't because of her hunting instinct. "Maybe we should go back to the warehouse anyway, though," she said, glancing around. She could sense other people around, since it hadn't really been that long since sunset. Besides, she seemed to remember that he wasn't so good at staying up late. He'd be able to stay at the warehouse without having to worry about waking up in the middle of a croud of park-goers tomorrow.

She was only glad he'd come around when he did; she didn't know how she would've ever found him otherwize.

Posted by Joey on 5/7/2006, 11:51 pm

He shrugs, but thinks better of the words ' better me then someone that isn't immortal'. Even he had enough sense to recognize her rather delicate state of mind at the moment. All that had happened to her was definitely leaving it's mark.

"It's what I'm here for, " he settles on finally. The statement wasn't entirely accurate, but it would work for the moment.

Joey lets it slide in favor of getting someplace more hospitable. " Yeah, the warehouse." He blinks slowly, pondering the length of the walk to said warehouse.

Posted by Changeling on 5/8/2006, 4:08 am

Changeling smiles sheepishly at his reply. That may be true, but still. Especially during the night, she wasn't going to risk anything seperating them ever again. Well, almost. He still had a say in it, after all.

She watched him sleepily consider the distance to the warehouse, and smiled, sheepish. "If you don't want to walk, we can always fly," she offered timidly. Flying was often less straining for her, if only because it got her places quickly and she didn't need to use up as much energy as she would in a long walk.

"Or we could stay here..." she paused, looking a little embarassed, and amended mentally 'or you can stay here; I'd turn into a crispy critter when the sun rose if I stayed too long.' Would he be alarmed if he woke and she wasn't there? He'd know to check the warehouse, right? Whichever the decision, she'd stay with him until she was forced away. Nothing but the curse's restrictions or his own words would pry her from his side now that she had found him again.

Somewhere at the back of her mind, she wondered if Sky was out searching again tonight. Or Kat, for that matter.

Posted by Joey on 5/8/2006, 12:24 pm

Oh right, those appendages on his back weren't just there for show. It'd been an age since he'd actually flown anywhere. And as a bonus, if he fell out of the sky he would be able to reform from that splatter on the ground.

"Flying sounds good, " he says, pondering the sky. It was a bit of a pain to fly at night, no thermals to keep him up. However, it was a solution that did look a whole lot better then walking at the moment.

Posted by Changeling on 5/8/2006, 4:16 pm

Her own wings appeared then, once again pale gold, and she pulled back hesitantly. It would be difficult to fly holding onto him like that.

"It's not that far," she said, glancing in the direction of her safehouse. The sooner they got there, the sooner they could both rest. Maybe in the morning... no, she dare not hope that just yet.

Posted by Joey on 5/8/2006, 6:17 pm

He accepts the statement that it wasn't far as a suggestion they get going, and leaps into the air. As take-offs go, it's a bit awkward, but it gets him off the ground.
As they approach the warehouse, the steady beat of his wings begins to falter. He doesn't so much fly through the window of the warehouse as falls in a horizontal manner. The flight had taken more out of him then he'd thought.

Posted by Changeling on 5/8/2006, 7:38 pm

Changeling followed his semi-erratic flight worriedly, actually preparing to catch him should he begin to loose altitude. She hadn't thought he was that far gone. Now she was doubly glad she'd declined his offer. Maybe later. Maybe.

When he fell through the window, she was not far behind, landing quickly and rushing to his side. "Are you okay? Joey?" She hovered around him anxiously, trying to help, but probably not doing a very good job. If she wasn't so invested in the situation she may have laughed; they probably looked like a comic routine.

Posted by Joey on 5/8/2006, 7:49 pm

The angel sorts himself out, straightening ruffled feathers and righting himself with some effort. He was so very tired. Relucant to leave Changeling alone or not, he was going to have to "sleep" soon or face the consequences.

"I'm glad there's no real furniture, " he comments, as if this is an answer to everything.

Posted by Changeling on 5/8/2006, 8:18 pm

She could tell he was getting tired, bit it was alright; as long as she knew he was here, and safe, it was alright.

When he spoke, she couldn't help it. She was filled with relief and tired; Changeling laughed. She hadn't laughed for what felt like years, but then, she hadn't been this happy since that week with Joey, so long ago. Yes, they could sleep easy tonight.

Posted by Joey on 5/8/2006, 8:34 pm

He props himself up on the wall under the window, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. It's a nice offering of his throat, and completely un-intentional. The wall at the moment could do a better job of supporting his head then his neck could at the moment.

He's starting to become a little misty at the edges, as if he might flicker out of reality at any moment.

Posted by Changeling on 5/8/2006, 9:13 pm

She watched him settle himself, and managed to only barely twitch at his position. It would be so easy, a part of her mind told her inticingly, but she ignored it in favor of conserving energy. Maybe later, she told it, and sat down in her corner, the only part of the room she knew the sun never touched. If she'd felt a little safer, she would have curled up at his side and slept there, even though he disappeared while he slept.

"Goodnight," she said softly. Something told her she wouldn't be able to stop staring at his exposed jugular until he vanished. Maybe it was a good thing he was about to pass out, no matter how much she wished she could spend more time with him right now.

Posted by Joey on 5/8/2006, 9:26 pm

"Good... Night, " he almost doesn't get it out before he disappears entirely.

Posted by Changeling on 5/8/2006, 10:46 pm

Changeling slept shortly thereafter, though it was a struggle to keep herself from standing and pacing the room. Not only was she unused to sleeping during the night, she was still hungry, and the thousand hearts beating so nearby in the city beyond the four walls of her sanctuary called to her. Oh how they called.

Finally, she managed to keep her eyes closed and her mind quiet long enough to drift off. She hopes Joey's feeling better tomorrow.

Posted by Joey on 5/9/2006, 11:06 am

The next morning, Sky crackes open one eye as she pops into reality, making sure that she isn't about to see something she shouldn't. With Changeling curled up in the corner, she felt reasonably sure that she wasn't about to embarass anyone and opens her eyes all the way.

She flutters to the window, and stands on the sil. A happy little trill, halfway between bird song and more human music, bursts into the morning air. She could distantly sense Joey's presence under the window. Everyone was more or less whole, even if Joey did feel half gone. It was a good day.

Posted by Changeling on 5/10/2006, 12:50 pm

It wasn't as though there would be anything embarassing to interrupt; Changeling was far too shy around Joey still to start anything (and besides, she didn't want to get him in trouble with the guys upstairs...), and Joey.. well, was still asleep. And probably wouldn't try anything himself anyway, if the way he'd been acting was any indication.

Changeling stirred at the trilling, and woke, pancking for a moment when she didn't see Joey, and then wondering if that whole thing had just been a dream. She wouldn't put it past her hungry, post-amnesia-confused mind to come up with something like that.

She hugged her knees to her, eyeing the morning light on the wall across from the window. What if it hadn't happened? What if Joey was still missing, or worse? It would be so easy to put an end to both of their miseries. All she had to do was stand in that glorious golden light for a moment... but she knew she couldn't. She'd tried before, centuries ago.

And besides, she still had hope that the angel cared for her as much as she did for him. If he did, and if she disappeared in a puff of dust, what would he suffer? No, she wouldn't chance it, even if she could.

Changeling had long since remembered that Joey usually slept in late, and that he was invsible to her until he did wake, so she sat in her corner and waited, her eyes so sensitive to the light streaming in through the open window, they burned and she had to blink often and sometimes resorted to hiding her face in her cloak. She didn't want to miss the moment Joey awoke, however, so she always kept comming out and watching the spot he'd chosen the night before. Or the spot she hoped he was in, rather, instead of the spot her mind had told her he was in. The difference between those two was important, and she'd wait here all day to discover which one it was.

Posted by Joey and Sky on 5/10/2006, 5:25 pm

Sky flutters out the window, and does a little circle in mid-air before returning to the sill. This time she lands facing Changeling. "Good morning!" She trills, her arms spread wide to catch the full light of morning on her wings. She stands there for a moment, before she actually, truly looks at Changeling. When she finally does, her concern is obvious. It saddened the little angel to see Changeling curled up in a ball, in the shadowy corner as far away from the window as she could get. It was obvious even looking at such brilliant sunlight was tough for the half-vampire.

There's an odd snort of some-sort from below the window, the sounds of a disgruntled teenage male awakening. Joey returns to reality looking mildly... well, hung-over might be the best description. His color is off, and there seem to be some pretty impressive dark circles under his eyes. Even his return to the physical world is mildly bizarre; a flicker, a flutter, and suddenly he snaps into full existence as if he'd been thrown through some cosmic door that's been slammed behind him.

Still used to the concept of freedom, he doesn't even bother to open his eyes. The sight of featureless walls was more then he could take, currently. One hand scrubs silver hair to possibly straighten it out. Unsurprisingly, it makes his hair stand in even odder spikes and whorls. If he was lucky he'd disappear again very shortly. His will turns to pushing himself out of existence once more.

" Ohmystars, Joey!" The exclamation starts out as a squeak, and ends in a shout. Sky leaps from the window sill, and growing as she falls, wraps her arms around his neck and hugs him hard.

Having Sky landing in his lap is more then enough to shake Joey out of his feeling of imprisonment. His eyes snap open in shock. Years ago, such antics from the little blue angel wouldn't have surprised him, but after such a long time in such isolation, the mere feel of another person's touch is enough to startle him. Being half throttled, with a feather or two perilously close to going up his nose, was such a contrast to his awakenings recently that he almost knocks himself out the window as he stands hurriedly. He's forced to brace one hand against the wall so as not to tumble backwards right out of the building.

Still clinging to his neck even as he stands and nearly falls, Sky bursts into laughter that sounds mildly unhinged. " Oh my stars, she actually found you!" This statement is punctuated by a peck on the cheek before she finally drops to the floor.

"Er, hi Sky."

Joey, the ever eloquent.

Posted by Changeling on 5/11/2006, 3:17 am

When Sky suddenly took to the air and sang so happily, Changeling wondered just how much she knew about what had happened last night. She wouldn't put it past the little blue feather-ball to have arranged the whole thing, if it had happened. She smiled faintly at the enthusiastic greeting, though her eyes were squinted almost shut against the bright morning sun.

Until Joey woke up. The moment he appeared again, she stared, eyes wide, then started to scramble to her feet to dash over, right into the sunlight. It was only Sky's enthused tackle of him that stoppped her, and she re-thought her own gleeful glomp. That might've been bad, she chided herself. But she was too happy at the sight of Joey where she had last seen him, alive and free, that she couldn't even muster up the anger to berrate herself too harshly.

So she simply stayed in her corner, eyes burning and watering with the effort she was putting into watching Joey in the full sunlight, but she wasn't about to look away. Not now. Maybe not ever again. She only wished she could sun with him again, as she had in that glorious week so, so long ago now that it seemed like a dream within a dream.

She smiled at his complete lack of words for Sky, other than 'hi,' and wondered if he'd remember her presence, curled up and almost hiden as she was in her corner.

Posted by Joey and Sky on 5/11/2006, 6:47 pm

Sky grins, and retreats so Joey can greet the person she was certain he'd far rather have wrapped around his neck. " You know I'll want the full story later, hrm?" She inquires as she shrinks again and hops to the window, still grinning.

Joey nods silently.

"Well, that'll have to do. Behave yourselves while I'm gone!" With that Sky drops from the window and wings away. They may have had time to themselves last evening, but she suspected they still had a lot to talk about.

Joey blinks, mildly surprised that Sky hadn't demanded the entire tale right then and there. Then, pushing that out of his mind, goes to settle down beside Changeling.

He gets right up again on seeing how much pain she's in, and closes the shutters enough that only a slim crack of brilliant daylight reaches inside.

"Better?" He asks, looking worried.

'Posted by Changeling on 5/14/2006, 1:18 pm

Changeling was also somewhat surprised with Sky's reserve, but thankful for it. Since they'd had so little time last night, and Joey had seemed to have been in such bad shape that she hadn't wanted to push her luck and lose him again, the two of them didn't actually have any time together, except for that brief hug in the park. Now, while her hunger hadn't actually gotten any better, she had a good enough reason not to go out and hunt, so she could fight it off a little better.

All that passed through her mind as she watched Sky leave, but when Joey settled beside her, all other thoughts were unimportant. He was alive, he was here. That was all that mattered for the moment. When he got up to shut out most of the light, she only watched him in silence. Changeling was grateful for the darkness, but she would have ignored the light if he'd just stayed put.

"Yes," she said softly, a small, grateful smile softening her careworn features. "Thank you."

It touched her to see the concern in the angel's eyes, but that wriggling little hook of doubt told her that he was only doing it to stop someone's suffering, not out of any particular care for her especially. She countered with the fact that he'd chosen to stay with her, while Sky had left to work their daily miracles. And he must need that sunlight, with how tired he looked.

Now it was her turn to look worried. "Are you alright?" Every morning that she'd known him, he had basked in the sunlight. She thought she remembered something about it being like a food to him, like recharging a battery, or something.

The truth was, however, no matter how much she worried about him and wanted him to do what he always did, she wanted him to be with her. Better yet, she wished she could join him. It was true that she'd never felt love before, not for someone other than her family, and this was different anyway. It made her sad to think that even if he did feel anything for her, nothing would ever come of it.

She cleared her mind suddenly. It would do no good to think about things like that too much. She had Joey here, and that was all that mattered right now.

Posted by Joey on 5/14/2006, 7:33 pm

"I'm... " he pauses, unable to finish the sentence. That whole angelic inability to lie thing. He couldn't say he was fine, because it just wasn't an accurate statement. It would be a very long time before he was completely fine again, even if Changeling's presence was going a long way towards getting him there.

"I'll survive." He says finally, with a wry smile. That, at least, was true. It would take a great deal more then that to kill him. However, he wasn't exactly back to normal either.

Was it too much to ask that she wouldn't notice the pause where he'd been forced to rethink his words?

Somehow, he's managed to shift himself so the hand supporting his weight is resting in the thin sliver of remaining light. It served the double purpose of blocking it from falling on Changeling, and gave him the slightest exposure.

He was almost afraid to do much more then sit there at the moment. The feeling that he would move the wrong way, or say something wrong, and everything would fade into the plain walls of his cell was just too strong to completely rid himself of.

He shakes it off, ignoring his sudden urge to run to the window, throw open the shutters, and flee into the sky just to prove he was indeed free. Changeling still needed him, and she couldn't follow into the brilliant morning light.

Posted by Changeling on 5/14/2006, 8:55 pm

Now she did stand and cross the room to him on silent feet, suddenly timid, raising a hand to almost touch his face. Oh what she'd give to be able to touch his skin without pain, or even join him in the sunlight. She would rest her hand on his cheek anyway, if she didn't think he'd react badly again, as he had last night. She really shouldn't have winced.

Her gleeful glomp had turned into a sort of hesitant hug, but she couldn't help herself. She needed to be near him.

"I missed you," she said, her voice soft and almost inaudible. It was all she could think to say.

Posted by Joey on 5/14/2006, 9:03 pm

Joey blinks, concerned that even with him blocking the light, Changeling might catch a sunbeam. Concerned with studying the pattern of light, he almost misses her advance, and completely misses the hand venturing towards his face until she's almost touched him. When he finally notices, this action earns another blink of surprise.

"I've missed you too." He says simply, and risks wrapping an arm around her.

Posted by Changeling on 5/15/2006, 5:29 pm

Changeling sighed almost imperceptably. What had she expected? Nothing, really. At least he hadn't fogotten her. She had drawn a little closer when his arm wrapped around her, and now lay her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said again, and closed her eyes. After a moment's pause, she smiled ruefully, eyes still closed. "Here I am, selfisly keeping you all to myself when you could be out in the sun, helping people, being free." She hadn't read his thoughts, but the vampire knew about the desire for freedom after being kept somewhere. Still.

She didn't move away, but she didn't cling to him either. She wouldn't keep him anywhere. On the one hand, she worried about him and wanted him to be able to regain his strength in the sun. On the other, she wanted to keep him here with her as long as possible; she didn't want to ever lose sight of him again. She would have clung to him in his sleep if she could. But she had no right to keep him from his divine duties.

Torn, unable to bring herself to either send him off or keep him here, she could only stand silently, her head still lightly resting on his shoulder, and let him decide.

Posted by Joey on 5/15/2006, 6:23 pm

"For what?" Joey's confusion is obvious.

He simply blinks at her explanation, then shrugs. " I won't be sent out just yet..." He admits, avoiding saying straight out that he was too weak to do much as of yet.

It isn't much a decision for Joey. Even with the sunlight calling him, Changeling's presence was far more important.

Posted by Changeling on 5/15/2006, 6:53 pm

Her smile broadened ever so slightly and she relaxed a little, leaning more of her weight on his shoulder. She could hear his heartbeat, and it stirred something at the back of her mind. She was all at once aware of the sharpness of her fangs, the burning hunger that had been building for the past few days, and especially as she'd searched for Joey and passed up opportunities to feed. The vampire raised her head a little, until she was looking at the pale skin at his throat, imagining the warm rush...

Changeling pulled away suddenly, hugging herself. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and after a quick, frightened glance at Joey's face, she wouldn't look at the angel directly.

Changeling berrated herself, mentally, in a sort of shocked silence. She'd hoped she would nevere lose herself again, even if it meant starving to death, but just then she had realized that unless something drastic happened, she'd be lost in her hunting half as soon as she grew weak enough. She'd return to the hunt, because of the curse. She could never starve to death that way, and she didn't think she could get Joey to chain her to a wall to pevent it.

Posted by Joey on 5/15/2006, 7:03 pm

Joey frowns at the suddenly flare of a vampiric presence, concerned. He wasn't strong enough to try to reverse the process again, but he couldn't just leave her like that. Especially if she insisted on being stubborn. Feeding on him wouldn't cause any permanent harm, but she didn't seem at all comfortable with the idea.

It might have solved their problems if she had lost control just now, he observes with a sort of mental sigh.

Searching for some way to open that topic, he comes up with only, " Well, maybe I can do something about that now." His angelic limits wouldn't allow him to make that statement any more convincing.

She'd just have to open a window and drag him into the sunlight or something after.

Posted by Changeling on 5/15/2006, 7:30 pm,

She retained her distance from him, but looked up as Joey spoke. Could he really? She wasn't sure she wanted him to try in his obviously weakened state. What would happen if he did and failed?

Another surge of hunger distracted her contemplation, and she nodded hesitantly, hugging herself still tighter. Her eyes were still frigtened, haunted, but there was a touch of desperate hope around the edges. She only wished it could've waited until Joey was a little more recovered from his recent ordeal.

Posted by Joey on 5/15/2006, 7:47 pm

He nods silently, more to himself then Changeling, and closes his eyes. There was a very good chance this was going to hurt. On the plus side, he was already sitting, so it was unlikely he'd hit the floor with any real force. And, of course, Changeling would be back to normal.

The brilliant white glow begins to form around him, almost blinding in intensity. His hair is also standing in even odder spikes then it normally does. However, as the light strengthens, Joey is obviously weakening. His already pale coloring takes a startling turn, as if all the color is being sapped from his body.

The familiar jolt of pain would strike Changeling, followed by a cry from Joey. All he has time to think before the world goes black is, ' Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...'

The silver haired teen manages to fall over, even from a sitting position. However, new to this little process, is the fact that he's twitching. His breathing isn't all that steady either.

Posted by Changeling on 5/15/2006, 8:05 pm

Changeling, her eyes squinted almost shut against his brilliant light, winced at the flash of pain, but opened her eyes wide, even against the light, when she heard Joey's cry. The first thought racing through her stunned mind was 'what have I done?'

She rushed to his side and, heedless of whether or not she was actually human again, threw the window open and let in as much direct sunlight as possible. That done, she fell to Joey's side and put his head in her lap, holding it still in hopes that she was actually helping. For all her centuries of living, she had neglected to learn basic medicine, so she had no idea what to do in a case like this. Could she do anything? A tear fell onto Joey's forehead from where Changeling leaned over his fallen form.

For the first time in what must have been centuries, she uttered a silent prayer. Joey was too precious to her, and she was sure there was still good for him to do. He needed to stay here, and in one piece. Please...

Posted by Joey on 5/15/2006, 8:13 pm

Even the tear on his face doesn't wake the unconcious Joey. He stops twitching once he reaches the sunlight, however. His breathing also eases a bit.

Posted by Changeling on 5/15/2006, 8:48 pm

Her own breathing came ragged as she watched him. At least the sun had helped, and she wasn't a pile of ashes.. yet. But she blamed herself. If she hadn't agreed to let him help her, when she knew he was weak, he would be just fine now. Maybe she should have insisted that he open the window again and bask instead, so she wouldn't have the urge to attack him again.

It didn't register until some time later that she was touching his skin, and sitting in full sunlight. But it didn't matter at the moment.

A thougt occurred to her, and she shut her eyes tightly and mentally called Sky's name as loudly as she could. It had worked with Joey, maybe if the little blue feathered angel was still close, it would work for her too?

Posted by Joey on 5/15/2006, 8:52 pm

The silver haired teen moans once, then tries to turn over before falling back to his previous position.

~*~

There's no news from Sky for a very long time. Several hours pass with no little, feathery blue form appearing at the window.

As the afternoon wears on, Joey's status remains the same. He shifts restlessly every once and awhile, but doesn't wake.

Then Sky comes bolting through the window.

"What happened? I came as soon as I could!" She pauses in her frantic circling of the room long enough to land on Joey's chest.

Posted by Changeling on 5/15/2006, 10:29 pm

It was a tense few hours for Changeling. Every time Joey so much as twitched, her heart raced with a combination of hope and concern, and then quieted once again when he did.

The moment Sky appeared, Changeling jumped and felt a jolt of adrenaline race through her system, making her fingertips tingle.

"Sky!" Caught halfway between 'what took you so long?!' and 'thank goodness you're here!', Changeling could only watch until the little angel came in for a landing on Joey's chest. At which point, she burst out with a basic outline of what had happened, ending with a tearful "..and it's all my fault!!" If only she had just waited!

Posted by Sky on 5/15/2006, 11:00 pm

The little angel frowns concernedly down at Joey, feeling out his status. It wasn't good. What on earth had he done to put himself in such a state?

Suddenly the significance of Changeling sitting in a pool of sunlight hits her, and barely holds back a groan. That fool! He couldn't have waited until he'd recovered, could he?

"I don't think you had much to do with it." Sky states when Changeling finishes her tale. Would it improve the half vampire's state of mind to know how intent Joey had been on helping her? She didn't know, so she didn't dare say anything until she did. Getting them both in trouble wouldn't do anyone any good. "You did well, sunlight's the best thing for him at the moment."

She kneels to rest both her palms on Joey's chest. There's a little flash of light, and the silver haired teen jerks. Sky watches Joey intently for any sign of change, her expression tightening as there's no effect.

Then Joey's eyes pop open, and Sky visibly relaxes.

Joey looks a tad freaked out, and tries to sit up. It doesn't go very well, however, and he soon falls back into Changeling's lap. The contact with something soft, rather then the hard floor he was expecting, is enough to inform him of Changeling's proximity. He smiles then, an expression of absolute contentment. Changeling was able to walk in sunlight again, that's all that mattered. Even if he did feel like he'd been run over by a semi. Heck, he'd been hit by semis and hadn't felt this badly afterwards. He hadn't failed her.

Without saying a word, the teen falls back into unconcious. However, now he's got this goofy little smile on his face.

Sky sighs in relief.

Posted by Changeling on 5/15/2006, 11:55 pm

Changeling waited anxiously while Sky did whatever she needed to do for Joey, holding his head in her lap as though it would help keep him still or something. She blinked and squinted at the sudden flash, then looked back and forth between his face and Sky's, noting the one's lack of reaction and the other's grim expression. She was about to speak when Joey opened his eyes and tried to sit up, managing only a faint squeak of surprise and relief. When his head falls back into her lap and he falls back asleep, she hugs him tight, noticing the little smile.

Sky's relief also registered, and she took that as a good sign. So, now that one crisis had been averted, she realized anew that she wasn't a small pile of ash swirling around Joey's head. She stroked his cheek with gentle fingertips and hugged him close, sliding his head up sligtly from her lap until it rested on her stomach, so she could rest a bit as well while still curled around his shoulders. She'd slept last night, but since she was still hungry, her body decided that it needed to preserve energy, and sleeping was as good a way as any, especially when she was so content at the moment. Joey may not be better yet, and she still blamed herself for what had happened, but now maybe she could help him get better, rather than huddle helplessly in the darkness.

She looked up at Sky from where she lay on the floor, still cradling Joey, and smiled. "Thankyou for comming," she said softly, then tilted her head a little. "Where were you? Did you hear me, or did you know something had happened to him?"

Posted by Joey on 5/16/2006, 12:09 am

" Bit of both, " Sky replies with a slight smile. " I felt him go out, then your call. I could still feel my next angelic summons though, so I hoped it wasn't that serious."

After sensing Joey flick out like a light, Changeling's call had been enough to send her winging across town. However, when the next call took precedence over her fellow angel's plight, she had relaxed enough to tend to it. If she was being called to other things, it couldn't have been that serious, even if the panic in Eliza's call was enough to set her feathers on end. It was understandable, considering how Changeling felt about him.

"There's not much I can do now but leave him in the sunlight to soak." She says, studying the pair thoughtfully. Probably the best thing she could do now would be to find Changeling some human food. That wouldn't be terribly difficult. And with Changeling here, she didn't have to worry about any harm coming to Joey.

Posted by Changeling on 5/16/2006, 12:50 am

Changeling nodded. She'd rather hoped she wasn't the only thing calling Sky to the rescue, but at least it had been heard. That was comforting. Comforting enough to let her slip into a catlike half doze. She nodded slightly to Sky's comment about the sun, and opened her eyes, once again tracing her fingertips down his cheek and smiling at his silly grin. He was so cute while he slept; she wished he didn't vanish every night.

Wait, why was he visible now? Was it because it was during the daytime? Or maybe the fact that he needed sunlight was enough to override his 'disappearing act'?

Oh yes, he was safe in Changeling's care. Even while she slept, her senses were alert to any threat. That was something useful left over from her centuries of fending for herself, even while she slept. She hadn't always had a partner. No harm would come anywhere near Joey while she stood guard.

Posted by Sky on 5/16/2006, 12:53 am

The little blue angel waits awhile to make certain Joey's okay, before jumping to the window again. " I'll see if I can find you some real food, " she says, before winging out into the daylight once again.

She returns awhile later, actually entering through the door this time, as she's lugging two bags of groceries. She probably could have hauled them in flight, but she would have had to have returned to her full size. The attention a bright blue, five foot tall winged being flying through the air lugging a couple of bags of groceries was not worth the trouble. Not when she could simply don her human disguise and stroll into the market unnoticed.

Well, not entirely unnoticed. It'd been awhile since she'd wandered around fully human sized. Even the attention her silver hair received was a tad startling. She hadn't realized how much the mutant situation had degraded in the last year or so.

"Here you go, " she says, plunking the simple food down beside Changeling. Sky sticks around awhile longer before returning to her calling.

~*~

Joey remains unconscious for the rest of the day, only to vanish as he normally would at twilight.

Posted by Changeling on 5/16/2006, 1:28 am

When sky returned with the groceries, Changeling rummaged through them, ate her fill, and then returned to being curled up around Joey. She was not leaving his side until he was at least able to move around again.

~~~~~~~~

The next morning found her in exactly the same position, having stayed almost perfectly still throughout the entire night. She wondered how long he'd remain invisible if he was still sleeping, or if he'd be 'shoved' out of it like it had looked yesterday. It would do him good to bask some more today, she was certain. Would it work if he was invisible?

Posted by Joey on 5/16/2006, 11:31 am

Joey too, remains exactly where he'd collapsed the previous day. When morning dawns he appears, far, far earlier then he normally would. His appearance, far from the celestial shove of yesterday, is more a slow fade into reality.

He remains asleep for a very long time, only shifting on occasion to snuggle a little closer to Changeling. When he finally does wake up, it's well into morning.

His eyes open, and he looks around, not entirely sure where he is. His head was on something soft... oh. A blink, as he tries to put the previous days event into order. This awakening wasn't the least objectionable... but how did he end up here?

Oh.

As he attempts to sit up, he figures it out as a little spasm of pain flashes through his body. The silver haired teen doesn't get very far before deciding he was better off not moving. He was technically dead, why did he hurt this much? Evidently he'd really overdone it.

On the plus side, he had no reason to move. Sunlight and Changeling, all was good in the world!

Posted by Changeling on 5/18/2006, 12:16 am

Changeling dozed in the sun like a sleepy cat, waking every once in a while when Joey shifted, but otherwize just enjoying the feel of the morning sun on her skin. Even if she was already sunburned from yesterday while she waited for Sky. She stayed with Joey all morning, only fully waking when he did.

"Are you alright?" she wanted to know, worry staining her voice as she half rose. She didn't want to move, but she needed to get a good look at him. He didn't look so good. She didn't expect an affirmative answer.

If only there was something she could do to help... had he been something like the curse she'd just escaped from, she would have offered her very life to help him. She didn't think that would work at all in his case. Time had never been her friend, even when she had been immortal. She wanted things to happen right now, and in this case, she wanted Joey to be well and right as rain yesterday.

Posted by Joey on 5/18/2006, 5:06 pm

He grins broadly, and doesn't answer. The goofy expression on his face only fades slightly when she moves away. Who cared what state he was in when she was walking in full daylight? If he wasn't completely certain he wouldn't be able to get to his feet, let alone fall over once he got to them, he'd jump up and dance. What else he might do is swept away before he grabs full hold of the idea.

"You've got a sunburn again." He points out, fingers twitching slightly with the urge to heal the sun damage. Unfortunately, at this point even something so simple was well beyond his abilities.

Now that Changeling had moved, his position slumped half against the wall wasn't terribly comfortable. He squirms a bit, and manages to worm himself down so he's completely on the floor. That was much better.

So there he lies, looking up at Changeling with that grin on his face. As far as he was concerned, he was right as rain. Well, maybe not entirely, but what he was seeing had him feeling pretty good.

Now if she would only come sit down beside him again life would be perfect. Well, and being able to move. That would be cool too.

Posted by Changeling on 5/19/2006, 1:42 am

Well no answer wasn't a bad answer, was it? She laughed at the silly grin he wore and shook her head. He really was just too much. But, well, at least he was happy. That counted for something, actually, it counted for quite alot in her mind. Perhaps not quite as much as having him completely revived, but enough to take the edge off her worry, if only somewhat.

In answer to his comment about her sunburn, Changeling smiled and touched her flaming cheek. "I know," she said, still grinning "Isn't it wonderful?" Obviously they both had different ideas of what a sunburn meant.

When he slid to the floor, she first tried to help Joey get comfortable, and then, after grinning at and falling for that goofy smile of his, she snuggled up against him and got comfortable herself. She wished they could stay there forever. And while she was at it, she wished for Joey's recovery, and then tossed world peace in there too, just in case anyone was about granting wishes today.

Changeling closed her eyes and wondered where Sky was. She couldn't have thanked her enough for what she'd done yesterday.

Posted by Joey on 5/19/2006, 12:59 pm

Joey smiles at her smile over her sunburn, slightly bemused. Pain was bad, right? And as crispy as she was, that had to be hurting.

He goes slightly spacy for a bit, pondering this. Eventually he decides that he could sort of see where she was coming from. He was a little sun-mad himself, after being trapped in the lab for so long. How would he feel if he hadn't gotten out while the sun was shining at all?

Even with her glee, his fingers still twitched with the urge to fix the damage. There was very little he saw that didn't give him that urge if he knew he could fix it.

He grins as she settles down with him. Now just that moving thing, and perhaps sneakily sapping the strength of that sunburn.

Sky had flown out at dawn. Who knew whether she would pop in during the day or merely leave them to their own devices?