[Tom Blanc]

Xander was still nursing a hurt arm, but it had mostly recovered. He no longer remembered if he had treated it properly, but putting that aside, he was getting rather anxious. He pulled out an empty water bottle and focused his power to condense moisture, which was scarce in the tundra. If he stopped it between water vapor and ice, he could produce drinking water at the expense of limiting the material for him to work his illusions. After much toil he produced enough for both himself and Mrs. Eni to drink.

[Kit Apparently]

Eni thanked him, taking a drink and watching the trees ahead of where she observed. “He’s coming.”she said, looking pleased. “Are you ready for a fight if it comes to it?” she asked, although the more she looked the less she was looking forward to fighting here. “Don’t attack right away, though. I’ll try convincing him without violence.”

[Xallacasor]

Dusty continued to run through the woods, the hawk telling him that he was close. But that didn’t bother Dusty none. He just wanted food. And so he continued to run, thinking about food, before bursting out of the forest and seeing a strange sight: a man and a woman in front of him. So Dusty found it logical to approach them, and question who they were, and more importantly (at least to him) if they had food. Screeching to a halt in front of the two, Dusty accidentally let go of Pumpernickel, who flew off of his shoulder and into the face of the girl who was there. Dusty was surprised by this, and rather sheepishly approached to pull Pumpernickel off of her face. “Sorry… He’s a bit excited.” he said, lowering his head somewhat. “Who are you guys anyway?”

[Kit Apparently]

“…Fuckin’…. ” Eni only uttered those two syllables before pulling herself together. “Come with me. You’re on the run, right? Well, I can help. Your… ah, friend can come with too.” She said, holding her hand out.

[Tom Blanc]

Xander didn’t flinch at the bird. He wasn’t quite angry, more surprised than anything else. He saw that she was okay, and undeniably composed. If anything, the guy in front of them didn’t mean any harm. Xander didn’t have anything to fear, but he didn’t say anything  and didn’t plan to unless Dusty said so first.

For the sake of politeness he smiled and nodded in his direction, although he was unsure what to make of it.

[MaraTwasHere]

Cold. She never remembered being this cold. It wasn’t the outside pressing into her that was cold, it was her. Just her being cold. Blaise stirred as she began to awake, but it was more of a thrash. I’m cold. They hate me. I’m cold. Pale skin, white hair, she tugged at the strand of silver. Her family had seen her, but not as her. Not as Blaise their hothead of a daughter, but as an enemy. A cold one. She ran into the bathroom away from where her father’s footsteps that were thudding behind her with the precision of catching her, wrestling her to the ground to either torture her for information as to why she was in his house or kill her quickly. The latter one seemed unlikely. She slammed the door shut to the bathroom she’d escaped to, twisting the lock behind her, breathing hard. What the hell is happening? Stepping back across the familiar gray tile she turned and looked up at herself in the wall-length mirror. Instead of seeing her facial features with pale skin and white hair she saw gold eyes glinting back at her. The Hybrid. Blaise shot forward in the bed, her breathing coming hard and a cold sweat on her brow. Her heart pounded. “Partner! About time you got up, you lazy bum.” Pyralis buzzed somewhere against her thigh. She ignored the sword, busy fighting down the urge to throw up. “Don’t sit up so quickly, you’ll-” “Shut up.” She croaked, her voice coming out cracked. The redhead ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back from her eyes which were once gold-red and beautiful. Now they looked like dull embers dying in a fire, more brown-red if anything. She flicked them around the room. “Where am I?” “The Hybrid’s headquarters, I suppose. And look. She left you a present on your wrist.” Blaise stood quickly, stomach twisting. That wasn’t what she had wanted to hear. “You have to be kidding me.” She muttered, glowering at her wrist so hard her eyes shined. The cuff of ice tightened around her wrist glinted back mockingly at her. “I don’t remember asking for a welcome present.” Her voice dragged tiredly, and she slammed the cuff of ice against the wall, flaring up her fire again to melt it off. When it didn’t melt away to a puddle on the floor she gritted her teeth and continued hitting the cuff against the wall, raising her temperature so that flames licked around it from her wrist. Still, the ice wouldn’t give in. “I think its safe to say that thing is enchanted.” “Shut up.”

[Kit Apparently]

Eni winced and her hand moved to her forehead as if she had a terrible headache coming on. “Still fighting, huh?” she murmured, looking to the far west. Back in her house, the ice began creeping up Blaise’s wrist, moving further and further each time she tried to smash it.

“You can make a decision when we get back to my house,” she said, grabbing all and leaping into the air, landing roughly on the ground in front of said house. “Blaise, please calm down, you’ll only hurt yourself!” she called, picking herself up off the ground.

[MaraTwasHere]

“Now look! You’re making it worse!” Shouted Pyralis as she was attempting to wedge his blade between her and the bracelet. It hadn’t worked, so now she was attempting to try and cut it off from the outside in, by the time Eni had came it was creeping up to her elbow. “The hybrid.” She said quietly, standing up. “How did she…Oh. She must be able to feel me tamper with this.” She flicked the bracelet…well, more of a arm warmer now, as she stood up. She brought Pyralis into her sheath before moving out the house with depth in her step. “Well, well, I guess you didn’t kill me in the end.” She said once she saw the silver haired gold eyed girl. She inwardly winced at the relation to her dream, and gritted her teeth.

[Kit Apparently]

“I never wanted to kill you,” Eni said, breathless. “Just temporarily disable you.” she gestured to the houses, and Gekido, ignoring Nuri’s lazy self on the couch. “Didn’t you see the other firekin?”

[MaraTwasHere]

Other firekin? She let out a wave of energy and felt other energies holding their ground. Firekin energies that melded with her heat. “…I hadn’t noticed.” She murmured aloud, and Pyralis tsked, shaking in his sheath, <i>”You were too busy being foolish.”</i> Blaise frowned, irritated, and shoved him back into his sheath roughly. “So,” She returned her attention to the hybrid. “What are you up to? Why so many firekin?” That’s right, she thought, <i>that was my original curiosity all along.</i>

[Kit Apparently]

“I am trying to bring peace…” Eni replied, sliding down against the wall. Xander and Gekido felt her hold slip, saw their bracelets break and vanish, but Nuri and Blaise’s held strong, although mentally Eni disconnected herself. “Maybe too ambitiously..”

[MaraTwasHere]

“Peace?” Her brows raised as momentarily shock came across her face. She composed herself. “It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that word.” She noted how the hybrid was becoming sluggish, her strength seeming to give away in her body so she slid down the side of the wall. But the force holding her bracelet steady hadn’t changed at all, so she was skeptical about if it were an act or not. “So your idea of peace is kidnapping firekin…and some cold ones…and have us just drink coke and party?” She rose a brow as Xander’s bracelet snapped in half. Maybe she was drained from fire…or was it frost? How would that even work in one body?

[Kit Apparently]

“No! No, that was never the plan… I want to teach you how to live among each other again..” to help you….

[MaraTwasHere]

“Learn to live among each other again?” Was there ever such a time? Maybe in the distant past, when Firekin and Cold-ones were just being formed… Blaise sighed. The words the hybrid spoke were jumbled and did not make sense to her, everything the girl said should have been a flat out lie, but there was no indication on her face that said that she was lying. And why should she lie? It still didn’t mean that Blaise would want anything to do with it. “…You realize there are better people out there for this. Firekin and Cold-Ones who preach about peace all the time…” But that was further North, and in uncharted territory. Blaise rubbed her eyes, then fixed her eyes back on the hybrid. She felt guilt wave over her, a terrible thing it was for her to feel guilty so easily. She healed my wounds. “Here, do you need help getting inside?” She moved forward tentaviely and held out a hand. She was the daughter of a general, but still it was rude just to talk down to someone who needed help after they aided you first. We wouldn’t need aid if she hadn’t gotten into a fight with us. Something reminded her nastily, but she pushed it down.

[Tom Blanc]

Peace. What is peace? It would have allowed Xander to continue as a prompt young man. Already the world known to him had been divided and catalyzed, and peace was the only option left. Otherwise, what was left of society would assuredly self-destruct. There is no need to argue for peace, for it is not a matter of logic, but rather of pride, so Xander knew nothing he could say would calm her down and he remained silent. However, he was truly skeptical if it was possible, but nonetheless, he hoped people like Eni would make it possible. He simply wiped his brow and sat down peacefully, and showed his true eyes, because there was no one who didn’t already know he was a cold one.