Aircar KTTY pulls into the celestial plane station, and the few other passengers begin to unload. 

"Home sweet home, Felina. You live right next to the mountain, and it's a pretty short walk, so let's go quickly." Yue gets up and stretches, waiting for her.

Felina stands and follows suit, and nods. She looks around at their surroundings, and is struck by how...clean everything is. "Clean" isn't a fair word..."glistening," "gleaming," and "pristine," would all do the job better.

"In the shadow of that mountain, you'll stay cooler than most of the houses here. Yours is also one of the few that is all natural," Yue points to a sizable tower that honestly looks like a tree that has grown into the body of a massive, gleaming crystal of soft blue. Branches serve as hallways, towers split off from the main body of the structure in a perfectly aligned crescent of architectural genius and sorcerous dumb luck. "That's yours."

Felina had been looking over the landscape, absolutely stunned at the beauty, before Yue's voice takes her eyes to the tower. It's...gorgeous. She blinks. "Which part?"

Yue pats her on top of the head, tutting softly. "The whole tower is yours. I would be lying if I said that I hadn't nudged Ansendul about it when I found out that you were coming, but I think your reputation was what got you this. It's even furnished inside." He chuckles just a bit. "You can start a new life here, Felina. Live for yourself for a while. Obviously you have earned it."

For once in her life, Felina's speechless. She does start to open her mouth, expecting some wry or pseudo-witty observation to pop out like usual, but that reflex seems to be as stunned as the rest of her. "Yue..." she manages finally. "This is way too much for me. I've had my own house once, a long time ago...and it had two little rooms, and a hanger." Okay, so it's one of the lesser concerns. Not the least. But lesser. But it beats dwelling on the larger implications of this.

"Well... would it help if I told you that you've got a roommate?" Yue smirks. The place is big enough for thirty people to live comfortably, of course it's too much. But she's still earned it. "Actually, I think he's already there. Just don't be too off-put by him, eh?" Yue starts walking towards the gates of the place, motioning for her to follow.

Okay...actually, not really what she wanted to hear. She hesitates, but takes a few quick steps to catch up and falls into step beside him, quietly.

There's no obvious door guard, and Yue just walks right in... no security, no locks, nothing. It's not necessary in this place.

"There he is," Yue notes, "I'll just excuse myself while you two get acquainted." 

In the main foyer of the tower, there is quite a bit of furniture and three walls full of books, some ancient, some new. Sitting quietly in one of the chairs is man of upper-middle-age, greying black of hair, a distinctly Asian fellow and dressed more or less as such in green with a golden sash. He looks up at Felina, studying her, but doesn't speak.

Felina is...absolutely, totally stunned, slack-jawed before correcting that. She doesn't even hear Yue, much less acknowedge him, pulse in her throat.

Tel-tiono smiles a very subdued smile at her, and looks back to his book. "Take your time, Nightshade," he softly says, a gentle light dancing in his own eyes.

Felina's breath is quite short...but she does manage to shut her mouth and mostly blank her face. "How...I thought that I wasn't dead?"

Yue is so amused at her reaction, but... his heart aches for her in a way. He can't claim to understand the way she feels now, but is certainly sympathetic.

"You are not dead," answers the old wizard, still looking into his book, "and the way you speak suggests that I was, at some point." He turns a page, waiting for her to figure out the right questions to ask. He really is overjoyed to see her, but practicing subtlety for her sake.

Felina's head is spinning, going a thousand different ways, even considering ways this could all be some elaborate hoax. But...could anyone, anywhere, mimic her father's energy signature so perfectly. "But you were. I...the fight, I died in your arms, but you didn't just let that sit, and I never saw you after that, I just...Saea told me that you'd brought me back, but by trading out your own soul and...I see your grave almost every day!" She's almost hysterical, really.

The old wizard turns another page. "Nightshade, when I finish this book I would like for you to read it," he calmly says, even as the air begins to soften with calming spells too numerous to distinguish from one another. "The writer isn't even named, but the history of this place is captivating." He finally looks at her again, still smiling that subdued smile. "A place born of time distortion."

Felina sputters a moment, absolutely livid at the seeming change of subject, and is quick to shove away calming magic as soon as she senses it. This gives her pause...it's really much more like it slaps her with a stop sign, really. How many times had she been through exactly this ritual with her father...how many dozens of times.

She's absolutely quiet for a few long seconds, closing her eyes and looking down, trying to slow her breathing. "How?" she finally asks, quietly. "If you're not dead, then how am I alive?" Starting at the beginning.

"Um, Felina," Yue sets his hand on Felina's shoulder to get her attention, "I can answer that, if master Ono doesn't mind."

Tel-tiono gives a barely discernable nod, and looks back to the book.

"Felina, there are a few beings in the universe who are more powerful than any wizard, or demon. Not out of sheer strength or ageless wisdom, but... sort of a technicality." Yue squeezes her shoulder a bit. "The Malufel is one. Ansendul is another, as is Abyss. The one thing that they all have in common is the ability to genuinely manipulate the concept that people know as 'time'." He looks at the wizard, then back at the construct. "This Inverse Time is sort of like the funnel for every single one of their time distortions. The results very often end up here, though never in duplicate. Since your father did not exist in your timeline, your father from another timeline was allowed to exist here." Yue shrugs his narrow shoulders. "One of Ansendul's experiments created a parallel universe, where things did not run quite as they did in yours."

Felina doesn't look up from the ground as he explains...finally nods. She does understand, for the most part. So it's like in the parallel she'd been to with Kaies. Like her father...in almost all ways. And yet, in a way, not. "You said that things didn't run 'quite as they did in mine,'" she ventures finally... "where was the divergence?"

"Most of it ended up evening itself out. One of about six things that changed was..."

"Yue. Allow me," the wizard interrupts, closing the book at last. Yue nods, and steps back.

"When you defended me, Felina, I wanted nothing more than to have died in your place," the old wizard adds. "But I could not bring myself to dishonor your sacrifice in such a way. And so I did not revive you." He looks aside, still smiling that little smile. "I have regretted it every moment since."

Felina smiles a tight little smiles. "I've wished at least as long...that you had." She closes her eyes. "I need to sit down." She doesn't trust herself to step without help. She's shaking too badly.

The wizard's eyes drop to the book cover again, though the air is again thick with calming spells. Yue offers his help to Felina, guiding her towards a very comfy-looking black leather chair. "Sit, relax. You have a lot on your mind, certainly, but hyperventilating isn't going to help you."

"No...I'm sure not." Felina smiles wanly at Yue as she sits, wincing when she leans back against the slash Aliema had left on her back.

Yue tuts softly. "And I'll bet you told top hat that you weren't hurt." 

The wizard remains quiet. But again, the air begins to alter with spells of healing, none of which require him to actually move all that much. "Better?"

Felina lets out her breath when the pain fades, and nods. "Yes...thank you." She looks up at Yue with the faintest shadow of her usual smirk. "I told him 'nothing serious.' No major arteries were gushing, so I didn't lie."

"Just like a Guardian. And it is such a pity. I'll bet that all of that beautiful skin is marred with scars from such 'accidents' and such a waste that is..." Yue sighs a little dreamily. "Listen, I know you have a lot to say. So, I am going to take care of Momo."

Felina nods. "Hey...let my brother know where I am, and that I'm okay. Look after him for me?" She doesn't know how long this will be.

Yue nods. "Of course. Now, if you have questions about this place still, you should go ask your case worker." That said, the effeminate Yue walks away, leaving them to their nostalgia.

"So, Nightshade. If I could trouble you to regale me with the part of your life that I missed," the wizard turns his eyes back to her, "I should be quite grateful."

Felina watches Yue leave as long as possible, and then looks over to...her father. She can only meet his eyes for a few moments before looking down. "There's...a lot of it," she cautions.

"We both have time, child," he answers, but... he's actually shaking a little bit. She's grown up so much since they 'parted' so long ago, and despite his reticence, it is all he can do to keep from exploding with joy.

A little smile tugs at the edges of Felina's lips despite herself. Except for maybe an unusual though hidden level of agitation...he feels so very much like her father. Acts like him. Smells like him. He really does. And...he is. On a very, very real level.

"I found out that a lot can happen in thirteen years," she notes finally. "So...the beginning is a good place to start...though you were always the one to remind me of that, I guess." And that's where she starts. She tries not to dwell on the general heartbreak following his death, though she notes, occasionally, where Saea is in his grief at any given point of the story. She's given her sword, his sword...she named it after his hometown. She had her first bout of trouble with the Derrias, but some of his allies were able to come to her aid and had bailed her out for the time being. She'd met Radivishe Moorn, and details her first encounters with him. She'd met Kaies, she'd faced down the same fear elemental that he himself had banished. She'd gone to the nether realm and eventually gotten attached to people there, from Korliss to her own double. She'd faced down Ahmin Rei-ono. On a later occasion, she'd killed him with help. She'd been cursed with Da'sho'khov. That had been lifted. She'd been to a true, natural parallel dimension. She'd gotten back under her own power. She'd been used in another sociopath's science experiment. She'd dealt with a very homicidal Radivishe Moorn and her first irreversible possession only days later. Kaies died somewhat later. She'd lost her power, become one of the Golden and yet not, met Momo and Yue. Saea had restored her power with a good deal of research on his part. Through all of this, she'd stayed a Guardian and kept to that task. Gim is a self-supporting professional musician now. She'd gone willingly into Dothaven and had been through the temples twice, dealt with the Malufel and another damning possession, and the bits with Radivishe Moorn and Mi'ehna...and finally getting swallowed by the Malufel. This is in the most detail, of course...it's the most recent, and she's also very slowly relaxing into his presence, no doubt part of the reason he'd asked for the dissertation. It takes quite a long time, especially since she lacks the hyperactivity needed to move it along.

Felina pauses. "Oh..." she takes something from her belt...has to dig for it, and pulls out a neatly halved gauntlet. She sets it on the table...smiles just the tiniest bit. She's proud of it, and doesn't doubt that her father would be...that she'd defeated these gloves means she'd exceeded his skill in swordsmanship.

The wizard hesitates, but reaches out to touch the gloves with a gradually broadening smile. "Nightshade, how long did this require?" He looks at her, letting how pleased he is show in his features in a way that he might not have years ago. 

Felina looks down, cheeks a little warm...more pleased than she would like to admit at pleasing her father. Almost uncomfortably so, really,considering that she's still trying to acclimate to his existance. "About three months ago, so...twelve years and two months since your death." Two things to this. One: she's been working her furry ass off. And two...she can still track almost to the day how long it's been since...it had happened.

Tel-tiono sets his hands upon his lap, just... astounded. How badly he has missed her, missed watching her exceed his expectations for her...!

"Would you be aversed to showing me...?"

Felina looks up, and shakes her head. "Of course not, no." Whether she can repeat the intensity she had in that fight, when she'd been as pissed of as hell, at her current physical energy level is questionable...but still. No, of course not.

"Perhaps when you are better acclimated to this place," the wizard nods. "There are things which... I fear, you are not yet ready to know, Nightshade. I will find a suitable opponent for you." The weight of the statement should catch Felina's attention. 

Felina looks up quickly at that. So he's not going to fight her himself? Well. That's new. She looks down at the table again. "So. When will I be ready to know them?" The question has an entirely different quality than the impatience of yesteryear.

The old wizard shakes his head, a bit sadly. "When you have gotten used to the notion that I still live. And when you have come to terms with this." He reaches down beside the chair, retrieving a short cane, which he leans upon heavily as he gets to his feet. A sheepish sort of smile, quite rare for his face, emerges.

Felina stiffens, blinks. A good deal of worry crosses her face. "What happened?" She stands as well and, without pausing to think about it, is at his side quickly to help him.

"The Derrias never gave up, Nightshade. Not until I found myself here, in this place." He hobbles a bit closer to her, displaying to her that he can still carry himself fairly well on the cane. "You have nothing to worry about."

Felina's eyes sparkle at the sight...her infinitely powerful father, immortal. The one she'd always seen walking all throughout the garden, never hesitating to crouch or sit or climb here or there, wherever needed. Crippled. She looks down a few moments, then bck up. "Even so..." she finally manages to look really up to his face, for the first time. "It's...nice...to see you again. I've missed you. So much." There's a lump in her throat.

For him, there are no words. He could speak, certainly, but could never do justice to the feeling he has at seeing his dead daughter after thirteen years. His subdued, paternal smile returns, and Tel-tiono holds out his arm for her.

Felina hesitates. She's torn deeply...between him...and the fact that she's dead. The fact that she'd spent a decade working herself through grief at losing him. That she'd finally accepted that he was gone. That she might not even be here all that long...and yet that she might be.

Finally, she steps forward and hugs him, burying her face in his shoulder. She's dry-eyed. But that doesn't mean she feels like being that way. 

The old wizard lays his arm across Felina's back, understanding fully what she's thinking.

It is alright, Nightshade. This is something we both will come to accept, and then all will be well again. But this time it is all right for you to express how you feel.

But for how long? She looks up, eyes shining sadly. I have to try to get back to Saea. That is what you meant me to do, isn't it? She looks down and aside, though not releasing him. That's what took me so long to understand. That's the key thing I had to know before I could accept your death, though the hardest I've ever had to deal with.

Her mind's quiet.

It took a long time for me to accept that as much as I'd loved you, I was built for your death. Not your life. that's what I had to learn.

Nightshade, I will be here... more or less without end. I created you to protect Saea, yes. But... his eyes squeeze shut. ... as much as I treasured you during your life, it was only after death that I understood how much you meant to me. I regretted holding back my praise. I regretted the constant testing and schooling and teaching.

But why? Switching into this deep a form of true, wordless telepathy is almost too natural a shift for her to notice...and yet something that, on a deep level, is tugging on her heart. The psychic feel of her father again. Always what she had been most aware of. It made me strong. Strong enough to survive beyond you. It prepared me to serve my purpose. I loved you as my father, and my creator, and my teacher. She's really, truly internalized this.

Yes, it served its purpose. And yet... he hugs her a little bit more tightly, ... it meant that I had lost my opportunity to do this with you. To simply be your father.

Felina squeezes her eyes shut. She doesn't try to say...anything. She's far, far too overwhelmed for that. Just stays here, in his embrace. And never wants to leave.

"Right here, yes, this is the place." A soft knock sounds at the gate, along with that bassy, awfully familiar voice. "Has the lady arrived yet?"

Tel-tiono squeezes his 'daughter' gently, and releases her. "I believe you have a visitor."

Felina looks up, surprised, nods. Her ears are back at the similarity of the voice and energy signature...but her senses are still acclimating to this whole place, and she doesn't immediately place them except as naggingly familiar. She wipes her eyes carefully with the backs of her fingers to avoid claws, but doesn't bother with the rest of her still dirty, disheveled, bloodstained, and general "just fell down a rocky mountain nothing serious" appearance. It seems general knowledge that she just got here. She heads for the gate.

A gentleman, big in every sense of the word, stands waiting at the gate, clawed fingertips running gently through thick brown hair. He's perfectly babyfaced, but a hint of tattoes shows above the neckline of his rather basic brown shirt. He smiles at the sight of Felina, and bows his head a little. 

"You must be the famous Nightshade that Telian has spoken of," he notes.

Felina's absolutely taken aback a few moments. "...Kaies?" She shakes her head a moment. "No...different Kaies, right. Forgive me...I'm a bit disoriented still." She smiles sheepishly as she opens the gate for him, and returns the bowed head. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

The fellow blinks, slightly confused. "Ehm... forgive me, my lady. My name is Emshei. I... live across the way. Zurk contacted me and assigned me to your service."

"Of course. Natural claws." Felina's smile is on the quirky side. "So, did she tell you you'd be working with a delusional woman?"

"Oh, not at all. She said that you were pleasant, cynical, disbelieving," he ticks these points off on his claws , looking thoughtfully to the sky, "cooperative, mistrusting, cute, lacking in girlish curves, short, pleasant again, funny...." It doesn't look like he's planning to stop anytime soon. It's pretty apparent that Emshei, unlike his ether counterpart, isn't all that bright.

That smile is quite affixed to Felina's face by this point. Consciously so, actually. "Well, that's all lovely of her." Oh, good. Give people a place where time never passes, and they never stop talking.

Emshei looks down again, into her eyes. "You know," he notes, "Telian has told us a lot about his daughter. But the way he talked you were dead. I am glad that this is not the case. You remind me of someone I used to you know."

Felina smiles a little. "Mara-kuru, perchance?"

Emshei's eyes brighten up at that. "You knew her? Oh, you have to tell me about her!" He smiles, a little bit grimly. "I miss her so badly, since she died... I would give anything to see her again."

Felina smiles sadly at that. "Yeah...she's a friend of mine. I'm sorry. I know it's always tough losing people you care about." She avoids going into all the detail of who's really dead and alive and how. Something tells her that would take entirely too long. "So tell me, is there anything in particular you needed from me?"

"She... is?" Emshei just shakes his head. No, it was accidental wording. The Mara from his parralel is dead. She had protected him from her father's assassins, and died in his arms for it. "I just brought you this," he holds out a cute little amethyst crystal with a clear fitting, "to put into your pass. It is to let people know that I am your guide here. If you get in trouble, they will know to call me." He smiles, dopily, but prettily.

"Oh, good. Lucky you." Felina grins sweetly at him, showing fangs. Actually, she'd picked it up from Mara, but that particular "bad timing" bit doesn't occur to her just now as she takes the crystal.

Emshei bows his head just a little bit, gazing at her, then turning away. "You really are just like her. I mean... you look different. But she had your spirit. I think I will enjoy being your guide, my lady."

"The pleasure's all mine. It's been nice meeting you."

"Likewise. I live over there," he points a clawed finger at a shrine down the way, purely of crystal unlike Felina's tree-crystal tower. It's quite a bit smaller, too. "Don't be afraid to visit. I will cook for you and your father someday!" And he turns his broad back, walking off that way, whistling to himself.

Felina smiles as he leaves...and that vanishes as soon as she turns away from the gate. She closes her eyes as she walks back towards what she considers Tel-tiono's house...tower. Everything about this place creeps the hell out of her. Her emotions have been torn every way possible in the last twenty minutes, she's dirty, she's tired, and she just wants to make it all go away.

The wizard is still waiting for her, though he has sat down again. He smiles as she walks in. Nightshade, what is wrong? Was that the gentleman from across the way?

Yes. He seemed nice. Felina snaps the amethyst into her pass, again reluctant to look up at the wizard. This will take time. He's Kaies's nether double's parallel self, actually.

How intriguing... I hope this does not cause trouble for you. He is a good man, but he is not your friend, or even your friend's double. The wizard knows exactly troubling this is for her. That is why he chooses not to dwell upon it. It appears rustic, but the technology in this place is obscene. Just past this foyer you will find the lift to the upper floors. You will find a bath chamber there. I trust you can handle your own clothes.

Felina looks up. Smiles a little, and nods. She definitely never has to say what it is she wants or needs. I understand. And thank you, I could use that, to be sure. She's hesitant to leave. She doesn't want to, really, despite how uncomfortable she is...she finally forces herself to, after a few moments, though, excusing herself quietly with a slight, polite bow, and heading off towards the lift.

The old wizard takes his book back up and continues to read, pleasantly, but in no particular hurry. He's just glad to have her, despite... deep down, knowing that she probably won't stay.

Even Felina isn't sure of that, really, on anything more than an intellectual level. She keeps trying to tell herself this. But...it's hard to convince her heart that leaving this is the right thing to do. It had been pretty gut-wrenching even before her father had gotten involved.

Not my father. Any more than that Emshei is Kaies. She sighs as she figures out the lift and heads up. No, that's not true. Far from it, actually. This man is pretty much her father in every sense...except he hadn't died for her. How she feels about that, she's trying not to think. That would be a years-long process.

Felina's chambers are fairly obvious... there's a huge 'Guardian Topaz' mural up there with her face on it. The innards of the bath chambers are actually dominated by the wooden part of the tower, and look a lot like a hot spring hidden in the trunk of a gigantic redwood or something. A rackful of towels, a robe, various soaps and shampoos... its quite well stocked.

Felina raises an eyebrow at the mural. That...is creepy as hell. And would be starkly out of character for her father's utilitarian, subtle sense of aesthetics as she'd known them. The bath, though...that's more than welcome. Her possessions are sorted this way and that, and the clothes set in another pile a foot or so off the ground...that ignites and has consumed itself into nothing in a few seconds. She loses more suits that way. She literally dives into the deep tub before swimming to the surface. She lets out a slow breath as she surfaces. This...is just what she needs. One of the many. But still just what she needs.

For once in perhaps the entire course of her life, there is no interruption while Felina bathes.

She's just...too tired to move. Too tired to think. And mostly, too tired to consider...all of this. She dries off before long and is clad in a long, white nightgown, and then tracks down what she's sure is her bed. She curls up under the covers and is asleep within the minute.

Downstairs, a little while later, another visitor shows up without herald.

"Master Tel-tiono," Top Hat greets the old wizard with a bow and a flourish. "Is she settled?"

The wizard nods. 

"Oh good. Abyss is practically itching to meet her. I didn't have to convince him or anything, in fact, he asked me." Top Hat sits in the chair next to the wizard, leans back. "She's a good one, your daughter. One of few who really deserve to come here. But we knew that, otherwise lord Grakhast wouldn't have built this tower for her. Or brought you here. Not that you don't belong here, you really do, but... most people come here by accident."

The wizard just smiles and nods, and reads.

"Ever the eloquent speaker. Please let her know, once she's settled a little more, that Abyss will see her at her convenience.  It's not like he is going anywhere." 

A little nod.

"Right. Well. What are you reading?"

In this manner, they pass quite a bit of time. Once the wizard starts explaining, Top Hat can barely get a word in edgewise.

After a few hours of this, Felina senses Top Hat and awakens. Shockingly rested, really, consider the reasons for her fatigue and how little time she'd slept. A little smile touches her lips. Tel-tiono. Of course. She conjours some new clothes, dresses, and grooms quickly, and is looking a good deal more like her usual self when she heads back..."downstairs." "Hello again."

Hello Nightshade, the wizard greets her beneath Top Hat's notice. 

"Oh, hello Felina. You're just in time," he notes.

Hello. Thank you for helping me sleep. "In time for what, praytell?"

Top hat grins. "I was just telling you where you are. You asked, remember?" He bows a little bit to the both of them. "Abyss wants to see you, Felina. When you're ready to see him. I advise against it, at least for a while. He's a handful."

Felina smirks a little and bows in return, or starts to. She stops when he says that, though. "That was...very quick. You work fast. When would you advise that I do, though?"

Top Hat shrugs. "Just... live." He tips the hat. "I must go now. Master wizard, thank you for your hospitality.

Tel-tiono nods again. 

"Hey...come on. Don't just walk away from ears this cute. If you don't think I should talk to Abyss now, what is it that you think I need to attain first?" Felina's pushing the matter, yes, but hiding agitation at least somewhat.

"Some semblance of inner peace would be good," Top Hat answers, "cutie." 

"Eh-heh..." Felina runs some claws through her hair. "Great. I don't suppose you have an 'almost as good' choice?"

"Not quite. He probably won't see if you aren't ready. Just... be calm, be strong, but know just what it is that you'll be trying to decide before you make your choice." 

Nightshade. Be patient. You have not forgotten patience so soon?

Felina nods, not without hesitation, and doesn't respond to Tel-tiono just yet, face warming slightly. "Right...thanks." She half-smiles.

Top Hat grins again. "By the way. I hope you like Emshei. Just remember that he's a different person, and he'll probably treat you like Mara-Kuru for a bit. Until he grows accustomed to you."

Felina nods. "I don't think it will be a problem from my side. He's as different from Kaies as I am from Mara."

A soft laugh. "Oh, my poor ignorant Guardian. The Mara-Kuru of his world was very much like you. In fact, she died the same way that the parallel you did." He tips his hat. "It is good the way time works. Ta." He turns, and heads out, wondering if she'll stop him again.

Felina sighs inwardly. She meant, she won't confuse Emshei and Kaies, not the other way around. She doesn't stop him. She looks back to Tel-tiono when Top Hat's gone. "I'm just worried about Saea being there alone. I could stay here...a long, long time, and be happy. But Saea wouldn't be."

Tel-tiono's face suddenly lights up in question. "The Saea in your world lives?" The connotations behind the question are fairly obvious.

Felina blinks. "Of course. I've done everything to keep him safe."

The wizard looks down at his book, shuts it, then back up to her. "How... wonderful. I should very much like to see her..." he blinks. "Him?"

"Him." She's almost amused at that.

The wizard nods, as if it all makes sense. "Saea... in my world, was a daughter. She was lost, though... taken from me by a man named Gabriel."

Felina's smile fades to truly nothing. It's replaced by a wry, humorless smirk. "Yeah...that 'Radivishe Moorn' fellow I kept mentioning? His name used to be 'Gabriel Orr'."

The wizard nods. "Feminine, with black eyes, hateful beyond comprehension? Sit, Nightshade. We should talk about this."

Felina nods, and sits. Actually, all told...he's a lot of the reason I've gained so much strength, so fast considering that I didn't have you to instruct me. It's because I have to be able to fight him every two years or so, at the most.

It has been crucial, then. In my world, without you, here the wizard pauses, feeling a familiar pang in his heart. Without you, Nightshade, he walked into a place called Jeildenon, and seized a piece of the dimensional barrier without contest. With it he was somehow able to tap into the vast power entailed by the barrier itself. Without his own real body, he was free to manipulate it as he saw fit, and his power became swiftly enormous. In my absence, he located the gardens. Searching for me, and further control over the barrier, he ended her.

Felina's eyes have widened despite herself through this. She closes them a few moments later, then opens them to look aside, brow creased lightly. To think that her brother had come so close to death. "I...was there." At Jeildenon...it was the first time we met. Heh...he introduced himself to me by saying he wanted to murder me. She swallows hard, deeply disturbed to think Saea had come so close to... he did force me to show him to your library, but...I got help from old acquaintences of his to pitch him back into his own old fortress, Moren Aiga, currently inhabited by a bunch of 'trawlers' who did their piece.

Tel-tiono lowers his eyes, then. So. By honoring your sacrifice, I had inadvertently condemned Saea to death. He looks at her, his mind quivering a little. But you stood up to him. Nightshade, I have never been more proud of you.

Felina reaches out to put a hand on his shoulder, her eyes steadier. "You didn't know. You did what was right at the time." So he'd lost both his children. That...just kills her inside.

"The irony is that Gabriel saved me...in a sense. His rise of power inevitably led him into confrontation with the Derrias. It was... brutal, Nightshade." He looks at her again, pride still showing in his face. "I am glad that future was not yours."

She smiles at his expression, however wanly, and looks down again. "I'm...sorry that you lost both of your children. I can't imagine how hard that was. But...I'm doing my best to make sure that won't happen in our parallel." There's a steady look in her downturned eyes at this.

"But here we are, lamenting," he reaches out, touches her hand. "When we should be joyful. Nightshade, I have been given a second chance. As have you." He looks down again.

I believe that you should learn this place, Nightshade. Go out, and discover what this inverse time has to offer for you.

Felina smiles, and nods. She's a bit more comfortable now...now that it's out in the open that she's not his "real" daughter, and he's not her "real" father...they just...may as well be. I'll do that. Thank you. She stands up.

"I will be here, reading, most likely." Take care of yourself. And... speak with me again, before you speak with Abyss.

Of course. I wouldn't dream of doign otherwise. Felina nods, and--though all told, is reluctant to leave his side--heads for the gate again.

Nightshade.

Felina stops gladly, and looks back to him.

It may be a bit odd, coming from me. But... I have never ceased to love you. The old wizard looks at the book, opens it. Reads.

Felina's heart warms at that. She looks down. Turns again to go. I love you too. One of my biggest worries in being stuck here...was being separated from your grave and spirit. And she takes her leave.

Outside, it's more or less a normal cityscape. Well, normal aside from impossible architecture and assorted freaks trotting around in broad daylight. Probably the most interesting one of them is a sizable creature with a predominantly female build, humanoid, but with two heads, one obviously male. This creature is, at the moment, engaged in buying something from a street vendor, and even the other freaks seem amused when its heads kiss each other now and again.

Wow...this place makes the nether plane look like suburbia, Felina observes wryly. She's quiet as she walks along, eyeing this and that tower or other structure...each more interesting and impossible than the last.

For the moment, no one Felina's dealt with previously shows up... which may signify the end of a trend.

Really, there are all sorts of things to do here. Clearly marked libraries, an honest to goodness video arcade, a hangar for civillian transports, a theatre, two music houses, restaurants, a race track... all sorts of things. No danger rears its head, no looming threat stands over Felina's shoulders.

And, without something about to kill her...Felina quite honestly doesn't know what to do with herself. She watches people go this way and that...is tempted by the libraries, but doesn't quite go inside. She's really wondering if there's a sparring ground or something.

"Of course there is," a very soft, soprano voice speaks from quite close to her left shoulder. A little fairy hovers there, her little hands clasped together at the waist and a sparkle in her unusually large eyes. "It's right down the street, on your right."

Felina looks over quickly, though she's not quite truly startled. She smiles after a moment. "Right. Thanks." She heads off in that direction.

The little fairy follows along, humming musically. "You're new here? Where's your guide?"

"I am." Felina nods. "And I'm not sure...I was talking to someone. He didn't want to interrupt long and just let me to it after introductions." As she prefers.

"Oh, well, okay, so long as you got your fitting with his information. Sorry, I'm kind of a police officer, and I had to check." The fairy flutters, grins. "New faces make us nervous, you know."

The arena is just ahead of Felina, a titanic tower not unlike her own, except... harder, more metallic. There's a very obvious pit, surrounded by satellite chambers for quartering, training, and storage.

"Not a problem." Her eyes travel up the tower as she approaches it. Well. at least this promises to be interesting.

The obligatory massive freak is waiting at the door, though a furry and cuddly freak he is. He looks sort of like a sasquatch, only shorter, and broader, and decidedly red of fur.

"Come to enter the games, miss?" he asks in a gravelly voice. "May I see your pass?"

"I'd actually just intended to watch...but it's right here," Felina notes a hair softly, and holds it out.

The sasquatch holds out a scanning device - which looks ridiculously small in his huge hands - and runs a green beam over the pass. Light emits from the pass, displaying holographic images in the air where both Felina, fairy cop, and sasquatch can see them. Felina's picture, her vital statistics, and her assigned area appear in bright blue. To the sides of this information, Emshei's name and picture, and Zurk's name and picture, appear in smaller, dimmer shades of green.

Felina observes this somewhat bemusedly...it's been a long time since she's been tagged and tracked this way. She'd kind of stopped caring about all of it and gradually stopped facilitating it in her thirties...but then, that particular group wasn't exactly high enough to be in her spectrum of concern by the end, either. A rough transition time.

"Oh, Emshei's your guide? He's my drinking buddy," the fairy notes, blinking when the sasquatch gives her a funny look. "What? I can drink your furry ass under the table any day, hairball."

"It sounds like you already have," the sasquatch notes. "Miss Ono, you have been cleared for the VIP section of the pit boxes. Go inside, take the third lift to your right. There are seven lifts. Third to your right as you enter. Press the button marked 'HR' and present your pass. The lift will take you to the right place."

Felina blinks. She's still trying to figure out what in the heck had entitled her to all this special treatment. She's blaming it on being Tel-tiono's daughter for now, that's what it's been most of her life. She bows a little in acknowledgement and thanks, and heads that way. One lift ride later, she steps out into what she hopes is the right section, and looks around.

There are a few other people in the box, well-dressed, foofy looking types. None of them really pay her any mind, though, except the obvious usher.

"Miss, please have a seat. The second match is about to begin."

Felina nods, smiling at him a little politely, and does as bidden. Her ears perk as she looks down, though...she does enjoy a good fight.

The usher, who is actually a Sendiran Serinian, hands a looking glass to Felina. "Is this your first time here, ma'am?" he asks looking down into the pit where a well dressed fellow in black pants and a ruffled white shirt stands across from an obvious wizard, whose staff glows black with dark energy.

Felina actually hadn't noticed his race at first...hadn't been paying close enough attention...but does now. Serinians are fairly rare, so it's definitely interesting. She nods, accepting the glasses with a smile. "Yes, it is."

The Sendiran sits upon the rail of the balcony. "Well, my name's Kurpre, but pretty much everyone calls me Creeper. If you need anything, let me know." He grins. "Most of the people here know their way around, so my job is kind of dull."

Felina grins back, glad that he doesn't seem as stuffy and formal as everyone else in this little area. "I don't. Promise. I'm Felina...Kurpre? Creeper? Any preference?" She doesn't introduce herself as "Nightshade" or even "Felina Deyono," choosing to go by just the Sentlin name.

"Well, I'll probably answer to both, but my friends prefer Creeper, so I hope you prefer Creeper." He grins at her. "The fight'll start when the bell rings twice. One ring is the warning bell, so fighters aren't late to their own beatings." The bell rings, just as he finishes that sentence. "What do you think about the fighters?"

The mage's energy level is high... not quite Kaies Metsaf's level at the peak of his power, when he lived. The other fellow doesn't really have a signature, exactly. Just an empty spot where a signature should be, as if it's intentionally blacked out.

"I think I have a handle on the mage...I'm more curious about the ruffly one, though."

Creeper looks down into the pit. "Oh. That's Daimord Di. He's one of the favorites in this particular set of games... the odds suck out loud, though, so betting on him isn't that hot of an idea. He hasn't lost yet." He grins, ears twitching. "I bet on him every week, win a little bit of gold, enough to make my meager salary a little less meager. Actually, there's a Sentlin in this tournament too. You'll probably see him in the fourth match. Card's always set up so that..."

Bing... bing...

The fight begins with a spectacular flash of lightning from the wizard's staff charring the spot where Daimord Di had stood about a quarter second before. The ruffled fellow moves like a scent on the wind, flowing without moving his feet, and evading a half-dozen powerful sorcerous attacks without putting a whole lot of effort into it.

Creeper grins. "Looks like Creeper's about to win enough money for take-out!"

Felina chuckles softly, though she's watching with fair attention, analyzing this Daimord fellow's tactics. She thinks she knows what technique he's using...tough to say for sure with his cloaks, though. She doesn't want to poke at them, it could distract him from a fight.

"He's flashy. He'll signal before he ends the fight. I think he grew up watching pro wrestling, or something. Honestly, a name like Daimord, changing one letter in 'diamond'." Creeper's ears flatten a little bit. "Here it comes."

Blast after blast rocks the entire pit, to the tune of thousands of cheering voices, but it's plain that the wizard is wearing himself out. The foofy guy finally raises an arm and, from across the pit, the Wizard's staff is ripped from its owners hands and sent flying across the sandy floor, where sticks in an artificial dune. A sphere of energy, unlike anything that even occurs in the ether plane, burns into existence in front of Daimord at the same moment. 

Felina stiffens...blinks. Leans forward, ears perked with interest. What the hell is that?

"Oooh... void essence," Creeper notes, eyes shining. "He loves this trick."

The wizard raises his hands and casts a shield that very near matches some of Felina's upper-mid-grade shields, ready to intercept the attack. Daimord turns, facing away from the ball as if to run, and he does; however in mid-step he vanishes, reapperaing directly behind the shielded wizard. A potent anti-gravity spell surrounds the unprepared caster. 

"I can't look!" Creeper looks away, then peeks back.

With the anti-gravity spell attached, Daimord has only to give the wizard a harsh shove to send him hurtling directly into the pulsating white/blue/yellow/green sphere. The entire spell construct bursts outward, bathing the arena in light that, when it fades, reveals a fallen and thoroughly defeated wizard.

"Take out! Take out!"

Felina laughs softly at Creeper's reactions, but is intensely interested in the fight, and it shows. She really wants to see more.

About this time, a holographic image beams up in front of each seat, displaying the winner's profile picture and won/loss record. Daimord Di is a blonde man with very pretty boy hair, and stunning violet eyes. His skin is without flaw or scar, which is supported the numbers below.

118 - 0 - 2

Creeper looks at the numbers. "You probably already know this, but that's wins, losses, and draws."

"Impressive numbers. Or fixed matches, but that mage seemed to be going all-out." Felina smiles to herself, sits back and folds her arms. She's so intensely curious. "Very intriguing."

"Fixed matches are a veritable impossibility here. Did you know that Ansendul is a patron of these games?" Creeper reaches down, presses a blue button next on Felina's armrest that clears the display. "He loves this sort of thing. Doesn't show up all that often, but... if someone cheated, he'd find out. Then he'd throw them into a vortex and toss rocks at them for the next hundred years." Creeper grins at Felina, obviously enjoying himself. He doesn't get to do this job often.

A single toll of the bell sounds, and the usher turns back to the ring. "Oh, lookie that. Two star fights in a row!"

Down in the pit, a very large man, proportioned similarly to Eleris, though not quite as tall, and sporting a deep purple hair color, has entered from the wizard's side. His opponent doesn't seem to have arrived yet.

Felina tilts her head, looking at the man thoughtfully. Something feels vaguely familiar about him. Probably a relative of someone with a distinct signature, or someone she knows well...

The bell dings again. Still, no opponent. The fellow in the ring taps his foot impatiently, but a guy in a black shirt comes running out from the side side which he'd used a minute before. The guy says something inaudible to him, and the purple-haired fellow just shrugs.

The holographic display pops up again, showing the profile of the purple haired fighter. Drianis of Dothaven: 58 - 1 - 2

Creeper blinks. "It's a forfeit."

"Huh. Also interesting." But not nearly as much as his name. Her eyes linger on the word for a few long moments and then travel back to the man. So that's your father, Mi'ehna. I see what you meant about the ass.

Drianis leaves the field, shaking his head. Soon enough, the bell for the next fight tolls. This is relatively uninteresting.

"Bah. These two will just throw every spell they know at each other until one gets lucky." Creeper sticks out his tongue. "I bet on both of these guys once and still lost. And they were in the same match." He looks at her, tilting his head and perking his ears. "Hey, after the games you want to meet the fighters? I know they'd be happy to meet with Felina Deyono." He grins. Of course he knows who she is. He knew as soon as sasquatch had sent up her information.

"Bah...everyone knows who I am here. It's creepy." She laughs softly. "But certainly...I'd love to." She smiles, actually almost approaching "relaxed."

"Well, word gets around. You are a heroine. You fuckin' rock." Creeper blinks, covers his mouth. "Heh... sorry." He grins at one of the other patrons, a stuffy-looking woman who gives him a funny look. "The fights down there, ma'am."

Felina smirks. "Tsk." She snickers, though, amused at his response to the woman.

A display flashes up about then, and creeper grins. Double knockout.

"Those guys suck. Now, the next fight, you're going to like."

The first gate opens, and hyper Sentlin female comes rushing out, bedecked in all sorts of shiny clothes and jewelry. She runs from one end of the pit to the other, cheering and pumping her fists in the air.

Felina has to snicker, covering her mouth. "Well. I have to say I'm the only serious female sentlin fighter I've ever known of. She seems...enthusiastic."

Creeper grins. "She's something else. And cute. She's maybe your age," Creeper doesn't know that Felina isn't quite a natural Serinian, so he just assumes she's fairly young, "maybe. But she's got spirit. And spunk. People love her, and they bet on her... even though her record isn't spotless."

Her opponent enters at exactly the tone of the first bell. A dark, literally black demon easily three Felinas in height, and with a power level that is practically obscene. The Sentlin fighter stops running around, her ears drooping at the sight of him.

"Hey... that's not right. That guy is a superheavyweight. She's a lightweight." Creeper reaches down, clicks a few buttons on a wall display, and brings up the night's schedule. "Oops versus Norengar-sagoshen. No.. it's there. Huh."

"Erf...poor thing. Hopefully she has an ace to play that the fight planners knew about. By the way, I'm ninety-six." The last bit is absent, her attention back on the fight-to-be.

Creeper blinks. "No kidding?"

The second bell tolls, and the fight begins. The demon lurches forward, flame and gas issuing from it's mouth and filling Oops's side of the field. The Sentlin, though, moves like the absolute wind and avoids most of the fire.  Her charge carries her directly underneath the demon, and she's does what any smart fighter would do: backflip kicks the demon square in his thankfully bound groin. The smack echoes over the entire pit, followed by a collection of "ooooooh's" from the crowd.

Creeper groans. "Oh, god, that hurts me."

It's a very short fight, as the demon quite literally passes out. Oops scramble to run, but the demon's belly land on her outstretched ankle as he falls. The Sentlin screams, but can't pull away.

A moment later, the holographic display comes up again, showing the profile of a very happy-looking Sentlin. 

Oselyn Orin Palla: 23 - 18 - 0

Felina's happy for the woman in a way, thinks she did a damned good job...but she's largely concerned about her still being pinned.

The display goes red after a moment, flashing. Creeper looks at it, shakes his head. "It means she's got an injury. She'll have to forfeit her next match... broken foot, broken ankle. Hey Felina. Do girls like get well cards?"

"Yes, especially from guys they want to be interested in them...erf. Poor thing."

About two dozen trainers are down there, trying to push the immense demon off of Oops's ankle, but the demon doesn't budge. The Sentlin is beating her fists against the ground, stirring up sand, but she's not yowling or crying out. 

The entry gates open again, and both Drianis and Daimord Di enter the pit from opposite sides. Creeper wipes his brow. "Oh, good." 

Daimord hesitates at the sight of the other man, but Drianis simply shooes the trainers away, lowers himself, and hefts. The demon's enormous bulk lifts about two feet, enough for the trainers to pull the wounded fighter out from beneath him.

Creeper looks at Felina. "You could do that, right?"

She nods. "I'm just glad they got it off of her, though. That hurt just to watch."

"I need to do something nice for her. She's very sweet."

About this time, Drianis and Daimord Di have succeeded in slapping the demon awake and shoving him back through the gate. The ring is clear, now, and three bells sound.

"Intermission," Creeper notes. "You can visit the refreshment stands, if you want, or... whatever you want, actually."

"No money." Felina grins. "I may walk around a bit, though. Anything interesting around this place for a newbie?"

"No money? You?" Creeper blinks. "Well... I'll buy you a drink, then, if you want one. I was going to go down and see about Oops anyway. Um... interesting..." he tilts his head in thought. "Besides me, this place is dull." He grins, and makes a face at that pompous woman when she tuts.

"That's very kind of you, but I'm all right." Felina smiles. Let him have his take out later. "I just want to be moving. Watching fights is great fun, but it makes me ansy."

"Okay. No money, so gift shop is out. The restrooms are great after a long fight. " Creeper looks down into the ring, where the old sand is being recycled by dusty robots. No one likes to see too much blood on the ground. "Well... want to come with me to see Oops, then? I'll bet she'd be tickled pink to meet you. She's a friend of Emshei's, too."

"Sure. That could be interesting."

Creeper beams. "'kay. Everyone else, do your thing." He keys in an area code for the lift, and gestures for Felina to go ahead. "This way, ma'am."

"Oh, please. I get enough 'ma'am' around here without you adding to the fray." She steps in, though, amused.

Creeper taps keys, and the lift begins to move. Fast.

"Oh okay. Can I call you sweetpants, then? I figure, if you want to kick my ass, that'll be like bonding."

"Didn't you learn anything from that last fight? There are better places to kick." Felina smiles sweetly.

Creeper's eyes widen a bit. "Such a beautiful smile, tempered by the devil's kicking instinct."

The lift, meanwhile, slows to a stop, and opens into a hallway clearly marked as an infirmary.  Oops's signature is in the first room to the left, along with what can only be Drianis's... which is truly massive, though dense and tightly contained.

Felina doesn't fail to note how developed the energy signature is...having a naturally intense one and a well-developed one are very different things, and she knows full well that developed can mean a whole hell of a lot. Still, she's quiet, her own signature demurely cloaked as usual, and just follows along.

"She's right here... like usual. She's named Oops for a reason, though she'd been doing very well." Creeper knocks on the door, looking in. A sports physician and Drianis stand just beside the bed upon which the unlucky Serinian lays, though neither of them look up. Both of them are familiar with Creeper.

"Oh, hi Creepy..." Oops mutters, slurring her words so badly that it's painfully obvious she's drugged. "I had an accident again."

"I have a surprise for you, Oops," Creeper says, grinning and blushing a bit at Creepy. 

"Is it candy?"

"Nope."

"Bottle caps?"

"Nuh uh."

"A get well card?"

"It's in the mail."

"I give up." 

Creeper turns and looks at Felina. "Say hi!"

Felina blinks, ears reddening a bit. Should have expected it. But didn't. Damned grand entrances. This whole place sucks for someone who likes being in the background. She manages a slight smile that hides at least most of that, though. "Ehm...hello, miss. It's a pleasure to meet you." She bows slightly.

Oops looks at Felina for a long moment, studying her. "Hey... you must be Tel-Tiono's daughter! Hey, when I get a cast would you sign it? It is so nice to meet you!"

Drianis favors Felina with a studious look, his expression more or less unchanging, and then looks back to Oops, who is wriggling.

"You are such an inspiration. Sentlins can't fight, my pretty tattooed butt!" 

Creeper's ears perk up. "I think she likes you>"

One corner of Felina's lips twitch. "Well, speed and agility count for something, anyway." Not a lot of you get caught. But hell. "You seem to do well enough, yourself."

"Yeah," Oops nods, "I do pretty good. I just... I have very bad luck. One time I kicked a guy so hard that his armor broke and cut my foot! I had his cuirass stuck on there for hours."

"She had to forfeit that one, too. See, Felina, most of her losses are forfeits... when she would get hurt winning, she couldn't continue in the tournaments," Creeper explains. 

A bell sounds.

"Oh, hell," Creeper notes, "sounds like the house band is hammered again. Intermission always gets cut short when those guys are drunk."

Felina smirks a little. "Well, at least they have fun."

"Thank you for coming to see me," Oops smiles at Felina, her eyes glazed now from the medication. "Creepy, you should come back later. I wanna hug."

Creeper just beams.

"Miss... Felina, is it?" Drianis speaks in a very low, very quiet voice, looking directly at her. "Are you competing?"

"I hadn't intended to, no." She looks back up to him. "I haven't fought in a tournament for a very, very long time."

His eyes, the same dark wells of violet as his hair, gaze unblinking at her. "Pity," he notes. "I must go and prepare. If you will excuse me."

Creeper steps aside. "Felina, we should get back. The second round will start soon."

Felina bows to Drianis as he leaves. "I certainly wish you well in the next fight." She looks at Creeper. "Sure. I look forward to it."

Creeper bids Oops farewell and heads back to the lift, punching in keys. "Felina, you are amazing. He almost never speaks, you know."

"I didn't do a thing." She laughs softly. "But he strikes me as that sort, yes. He seems an interesting fellow."

"Lots of stories about him," Creeper notes as the lift rises. "They say that he went insane and killed his own daughter. They also say he killed his daughter and then went insane. Disappeared for a while, then got sent to Dothaven... picked a fight with the Malufel, and ended up here."

"I see...and yet, the fact remains that he's on the Celestial Plane. Isn't this place supposed to be for the good kids?" It's just an observation. She's keeping any previous knowledge of who he is to herself, and completely reserving judgement. She wants very much to ask her father which Drianis he is...if he's from her parallel.

Creeper grins at her. "You're sharp. The best kids. Good kids go to The Exalted Plane. It makes me wonder though, because I've never see him be anything but polite... if a little quiet. He's got the 'thousand yard stare' though." 

The lift door opens, revealing the same VIP box from which they'd left a moment ago. "Have a seat. I'll get your looking glass. Sure about not needing a drink?"

"Thanks...and I'm fine, thank you." Felina does as bidden, looking out attentively over the arena. She's more than curious to see what comes next.

"Let's see..." Creeper hands Felina her looking glass, and then presses a few keys on the wall-mounted pad. His ears twitch. "There are two semi-final matches. The first one is... sweet!" His ears perk up, and he grins at Felina. "Daimord Di vs. Drianis. And then the second match is... well, since Oops is hurt, her opponent gets a pass. You missed the first fight, right?"

Hmmmm...that should be a really interesting matchup. She hadn't missed Daimord's reaction to Drianis earlier, on top of their power and styles. She nods in response to Creeper's question. "Yes, I did."

"It was kind of a rip off," Creeper nods. "The winner, Leilia, just shot her opponent in the foot. No one had ever bothered to see about making guns illegal... I guess everyone just assumed that they were, and it was never written down. A council is deliberating on it right now, but they took her weapons from her in the meantime. I'm pretty sure she's just a human, so... if they let her into the last round, especially without a gun, she's liable to get killed."

"Sheesh. For her sake, she'd better have an ace to play. Feel bad for her opponent, though...potentially crippling injuries really shouldn't be thrown around fully intentionally in a setting like this."

"I do," Creeper nods, "but then, we've got a crack team of doctors and healers. Heh..." he grins, "... don't tell anyone, but we had to hire three new guys just for Oops."

The bell tolls, and the others in the box edge forward in their seats. This is the fight they'd all come to see.

Felina smirks at the bit about Oops's doctors...but her ears are perked and her face fades into dutiful, intense interest.

Even Creeper shuts up at this. He sits by the rail as usual, looking out.

The two fighters enter the ring to respective chants and cheers from the stands. Daimord Di grandstands, waving to the people and at one point even climbing up to sit on a woman's lap in the front row. Drianis simply watches, a little smile tugging at his lips. Stoic or not, even he thinks Di is pretty funny.

The second bell tolls. Daimord hops back down, all business now that the fight is on. He begins to circle the ring in his moving-without-walking way, bizarre spheres of that unusual energy forming from his outstretched hands and slowly converging towards the waiting Drianis.

"Calculating," Creeper notes. "They both know better than to rush in. What would you do?"

She's quiet a few moments. "Considering how little familiarity I have with their abilities, I would try to figure out as much as possible, and have them show me as much as possible. Would rather they make the first move, especially since it would be so unlikely to attempt a takedown without them knowing me well...whether by waiting, feinting convincingly enough to force a defense or counteroffense, or outright attacking."

Creeper nods, digesting all of that. "Brassy."

Down below, Daimord begins to move in closer and faster, whirling around a patient Drianis and lacing the entire area with those energy spheres. The purple haired fighter keeps his eyes upon Di, turning along with him, but not making any obvious moves. 

Then, with a flick of Daimord's fingers, the dozens of spheres converge upon Drianis. He, and a large area around him, vanishes in the glow of the exploding sphere, each white-hot burst rocking the entire arena.

"... ouch," Creeper expertly observes.

To Felina, though, it should be pretty obivious what is happening here. A shield so precise it barely stands above Drianis's skin has enveloped him, and though the power behind the blasts is immense he receives not even a scratch. 

The corners of her mouth twitch. Not bad. Damned good. This...will be interesting to watch.

A cheer goes up when the smoke clears, and Drianis is still standing there. Since the shield isn't very obvious to the eye, it was almost as if the blast had simply never touched him.

Now it's his turn. With a speed belying his size, he rushes Daimord Di and lays into him with a straight-up physical attack reminiscent of Mi'ehna's fighting style, only without the heavy use of the legs. Di responds in kind, void essence flashing at the end of every punch thrown. Blows land with harsh crackles of light and flash.

"You could whip them, though," Creeper notes, "right?"

Felina smirks amusedly at that, though her eyes and attention stay on the fight. "I don't know. There's a lot of skill flowing around down there."

Creeper looks back the field. "oops... shield up, folks." He pushes a button by the rail, twice. A translucent blue glow rolls along the opening just as a bolt of Daimord Di's energy smashes into it, followed by a shower of sand. Energy bursts burn dark black marks into the walls all over the pit, as Daimord Di fires them and Drianis deflects them with the shields. 

"This could go all night," Creeper notes, then he grins as an afterthought strikes him. He pulls on strand of hair down over his face, and looks at Felina. "Kinda like me!"

Felina smirks at him sidelong. "Yeah, yeah...save it for Oops." The shield makes sense. She'd wondered how that would work. If it goes on "all night"...that's just fine with her. She's enjoying watching. A good deal, actually.

Creeper grins, and looks back to the fight. 

As the fight continues, it becomes increasingly obvious that Daimord Di is wearing himself out with his light show. When he moves he actually uses his legs, and energy bursts come more slowly, better aimed. Drianis, on the other hand, seems none the worse for the time... his patience, it seems, may just pay off.

Then, Di stops moving, his pretty boy face drawn in a snarl. Before one outstretch hand a ball of the 'void essence' begins to form, growing immense within a moment's time.

Creeper looks down. "Looks like I might luck out again," he says, grinning.

Felina doesn't answer or look away from the fight, intent expression unchanging. She's not so sure.

Just like before, Di turns to run, vanishing in midstride and reappearing with an anti-gravity attack aimed for his oppenent's back. Unlike before, this time his opponent has the move well scouted. The second Daimord Di turns his back Drianis leaps, flipping backward over the head of his teleporting enemy. Di adjusts his attack, too late... Drianis lands in the 'three point stance' and charges, slamming his powerful shoulder into the small of his enemy's back and carrying him, football-style, until both men vanish into the swirl of the void essence.

Felina stiffens slightly, ears raised and intent, senses poised, feeling for them.

Creeper covers his eyes, but spreads his fingers so he can see. The blast is quick, rocking the arena floor, and when it is over, Daimord Di lays prone in the sand. Drianis stands over him, burned in several places where his shield had actually faltered in the face of the void essence spell. 

The holographic data sheet pops up again. Drianis of Dothaven: 59 - 1 - 2

Creeper just stares. Then... "yes! Hello pay day!"

Felina just smiles, eyes sparkling...what a fantastic fight this was! She's rather glad Drianis had won, too. From limited contact with both--and just watching Daimord--she likes him a bit better.

Creeper grins, and clears the holograms. "People, there'll be a brief intermission now. Since Oops is hurt again, Leilia Bairen gets a by, pending... heh... whether she's allowed or not. Then we should have our final round." He looks at Felina. "I always bet a fair amount on Daimord. But today I bet a small purse on Drianis, too... the odds against him were ridiculous. See, it's a dream match, those two... their only draws were against each other, and Drianis's only loss was against Di. So... Creeper gets paid!"

Felina smiles, still quite obviously excited and having a good time though very contained about it. "Good for you, congratulations. It really was a fantastic fight to watch." She looks back down at the field, and stands up. "And a good note to end on, I think, if it will just wind down from here. I've certainly enjoyed your company, a pleasure meeting you."

"It's been a privelege," Creeper nods, but looks down at the field again. "Not staying for the final round, though?"

"What's the final round?"

"Well, Leilia will advance. There's no questioning that, it's just whether she's allowed her guns or not." Creeper reaches to his wall pad, taps a few keys. "We'll be informed in a few minutes. Are you sure I can't buy you a drink? I'm a lot richer after that fight, and they aren't that much."

Felina pauses at this a few moments. He has offered what, three times now? "Eh...sure. I'd appreciate that, thanks." She smiles.

Creeper actually headbangs at that. "Great! Then, I'll show you to the refreshment stand." He all but leaps into the lift, pressing the buttons, and motioning for her to come with him.

Felina chuckles inwardly, and follows. He seems like a nice kid. Enthusiastic. But nice.

The lift moves, in its inimitable way, and opens quickly upon a sizable foyer where a throng of well-to-dos is moving about, buying fancy food and old wine, and the like. 

Creeper looks at Felina. "Slap me if I'm wrong. But I doubt you have tastes this rich."

Felina grins at him. "You're learning. Is there a place us poor types can get something normal to drink?"

"My place?" Creeper snickers. "You're going to hit me before you leave, I think." He taps more buttons on the list, and the lift drops down a few floors, opening up at a more typical sporting even refreshment area. Relatively packed, loud, and sporting beer, sandwiches, beer, water, soda, chips, and beer. And beer. 

"How about this?" Creeper asks. "Water's good here, and I'm fond of soda."

"Water would be lovely, thank you."

"Any food? The rice balls are pretty good." Creeper leads her around to the back of the area, marked 'employees only' and taps on the countertop. A decidedly cute mer-guy-thing stands there, big round eyes seeming to smile at them.

"Hiya Petey."

"Hello Creeper. You know you aren't supposed to bring people back here."

"Oh, well yeah, but this is F... Fiona, my aunt." Creeper nods. 

"Oh. Okay, then. If she's special enough for you to lie about, she's good enough for me." Petey looks at Felina, grinning at Creeper, who just chuckles. "Miss? Can I get you something?"

Felina's both amused and grateful, and just smiles at the vendor, not confirming anything. "Water would be fantastic, thank you."

Petey grins, and turns to the fountain dispenser. It takes him a second, but after banging on the machine with a tentacle, he fills an ogre-sized cup with ice and water, fits it with a cap and straw, and sets it in front of Felina.  "There you go. That'll be..."

"I've got it, Petey," Creeper interrupts, setting a coin and what honestly looks like a salt-lick in front of the mer. Petey's eyes light up.

"Creeper, if you weren't a man... and ugly... I'd kiss you."

"Ugly by the standards of a fish? Of course, I look like a cat, you nit."

"Right. Wanna make out then?"

"Nah. I have a headache." Creeper snickers, and looks to Felina. "Can you carry that thing okay?"

Felina's laughing softly at their interaction. "I think I can handle it. Thanks for the drink."

"Oh, it's his pleasure," Petey notes as Creeper leads Fel back to the lift, snickering in his bubbling way. 

"You know," Creeper notes, "to this day I don't know if he's just goofing off or really gay. If you're wondering, that was a sugar cube I gave him. Petey's a Wenovi, and their kind just *adores* sugar. But their sense of taste is wonky, so they usually can't taste it mixed into food." He opens the lift, looking around quite abruptly. His face creases a bit. "Do you feel cold? I just got a chill."

"You're asking a girl holding a cup of ice that's half as big as she is?" Her senses slip into attentiveness, though.

The refreshment area crowd parts slowly, growing quiet in a hurry. 

Creeper blinks. "Holy hell. That's Ansendul!" 

The man-sized fae walks slowly, looking around through prismatic butterly-eyes that strand out against the pure black of his skin. It's obvious that he's looking for someone, and after a moment, he homes in on Felina.

"I think Creeper needs to change pants. I've never seen him this close!"

Ansendul regards Felina with a quiet gaze, not yet speaking.

Felina lets out a slow breath, though is far from obvious about it, and holds the water out to Creeper. "Here, hold this," she notes softly. Then she turns back to Ansendul and walks up to him, a respectful distance away. Her demeanor is entirely different from before, hands holded in front of her. "Well. I've heard a good deal about you. Mostly from Yue. It's an honor to finally meet you."

Ansendul bows his head a little bit. 

"Yue is quite fond of you," says the fae, his voice impossibly deep, and yet, somehow, soft and warm. "I sought you with a request, lady Nightshade. Would you hear it?"

Felina nods. "Certainly."

"Word of your strength travels far, even into the endless torrent that is the millenium maze. I have seen your courage and resourcefulness play out as I skimmed the pages of time, seeking amusement." Ansendul blinks, his lids closing vertically instead of horizontally. "The arena is my passion. So it is that I ask you. Would you consider entering my tournament, in the near future?"

Felina's quiet at this, for several long seconds, actually, considering. "I know," she starts finally, "that there's a very good chance you know why I tend to avoid tournaments. But, that was a long time ago, I also know that you're done a good deal for my friends, as well as for me. If it is what you wish, I would be happy to."

The fae smiles... or it looks like it, anyway. It's hard to see his lips. "Then I offer you this gift, lady Nightshade." In his outstretched hand there is a sparkling, ornate... hairbrush. Embedded within the handle is a long gem whose colors whirl about much like Ansendul's own eyes. "It is one of a set of two. Yue has the other."

Felina's somewhat taken aback...she accepts it gingerly with fingers that are, all told, entirely too delicate-looking for her profession and, yes, reputation. She looks it over a few moments with intently curious eyes. "It's...quite lovely." She smiles at him, bows a bit. "Thank you very much."

The fae bows again. "I thank you. I must return to the maze, now. If you find yourself in trouble here, please, do not hesitate to seek out my counsel." With that, he turns, and simply fades away, headed home, to the center of the millenium maze.

Creeper is positively jiggling by the time she gets back. "You really do rock!" He observes, expertly, as he opens up the lift.

Felina laughs softly, somewhat relieved at how simple that had been. "I hope so, since apparently I am fighting now. May I have that water back?"

"Oh yeah," Creeper grins, handing the big cup back to her. "Near future, eh? The next tournament's in two weeks. There are tryouts, and physicals... but you'll be let in, I"m sure. Ansendul asked, so... yeah." He keys in the code for their booth, smiling brightly. "I can't believe he came all the way here just to see you! How wonderful. I think I may faint. Promise that you won't not touch me when I'm unconscious?"

"Only in your fondest dreams, my dear," Felina notes as she pops the lid off of the water and sips at it that way. She doesn't care overmuch for straws.

The lift opens again, to the VIP booth, and Creeper trots ahead to do the work part of his job. He taps keys on the wall pad, frowns. Not working. Taps some more. Beeps. Still not working. Kicks the wall.

"There we go," he grins as the display flickers into life. "Okay. Looks like... we get a final round after all. Leilia Bairen vs. Drianis." Creeper narrows his eyes a little bit. "And they took her guns away. Ladies, gentlemen, don't expect a long fight."

Hmph. Whatever she gets, she had coming...imagine intentionally doing that much damage in pride fighting. Particularly since she doubts Drianis will do much damage. Incapacitating a much weaker fighter is ridiculously easy to do...part of the reason she's always struggling to expand her power is that the stronger she is, the less often she has to actually hurt people. Still, Felina has to acknowledge that she'd only heard about the first match second hand...and, for that matter, doesn't know anything about this Leila woman. She certainly can't say beyond any shadow of a doubt that this will be a simple matter...the grapevie just suggests that it will be.

The first bell rings, and creeper looks out over the rail, shaking his head. "I hope this is really quick," he muses, "for her sake. Hey, Felina, have you ever seen anyone with hair that blue?"

Drianis has entered the ring, and is engaged in a heated argument with one of the officials, pointing across the pit, and shaking his head. I am not going to fight someone who cannot fight back, is what he says, though whether Felina can read lips is anyone's guess.

The woman on the other side of the ring is well-toned, perhaps a bit on the muscular side, and dressed in the obvious uniform of a starship captain. Her hair really is a sky blue color, and she has a melancholic, dreadfully serious face. She doesn't *look* like a bad person. Her energy signature certainly doesn't indicate anything more than human power.

"They should call this off right now," Creeper notes, his ears drooping a bit. 

Felina frowns. "She has the option of forfeiting," she observes softly. "She's just not. It's a no-win situation...but Drianis is really the one getting hte short end of the stick." Still...that blue...could that be a power infusion like Mi'ehna's, or Drianis's? Or just dye? The construct's face is intently serious.

"Well, she could. Wanna hear a rumor, before the second bell?" Creeper looks down into the ring, where Leilia has lowere to her knees, and seems to be... either praying, or meditating. Drianis is still trying to convince the trainers that the fight is too risky for her.

"Okay."

"She's never fought before. No one's ever seen her before this week. The speculation is that she's being blackmailed into competing, since even an idiot knows that a plain old human is in serious danger in there." Creeper looks down again. "I spoke to her, actually, some time yesterday, but she was really quiet, and didn't say much. She looked sad. I didn't even ask her for a date or anything."

Felina frowns...just nods. Why? is the obvious question...this woman's now a wildcard. Or someone else is. And here she'd thought this place was all sugar.

The second bell rings, and Creeper immediately looks inside. Leilia springs to her feet and charges across the field, fast, but no faster than her good shape would allow. Drianis looks at her, his expression suddenly alive with worry.

"She's nuts," someone else in the box remarks, and Creeper nods.

Her hand reaches down to her belt, fist balling up and flailing out just before she reaches him. Her forearm raises up to her eyes just before the tiny grenade flares into a blinding flash. 

Creeper squeals. That hurts!

"You have got to be fucking kidding me..." Felina quite inadvertantly says aloud, softly, half rising to her feet and trying and senses straining to know the results. Drianis probably hadn't been ready to defend against that, he'd had no reason to! And what about her? Suicide bombing?

When Creeper's eyes clear, he's amazed by the sight in front of his eyes. Leilia is still standing, unfazed, while Drianis's hands are pressed to his eyes. 

"What do you know," Creeper notices, "it was a flashbang."

While Drianis is dazed, Leilia lays into him with some very professional, very military offense. The big man reels, but his eyes clear in moments. The shield snaps into place just as Leilia throws another vicious punch, and the only sound that rises up from the pit is the sounds of the bones in her hand breaking. She groans and backs off, reaching for another grenade, her arm dangling at her side.

Felina sits back down. Well. The woman's resourceful, and she's got to give her credit for guts. Hope you're ready for this one, Drianis dear, she ponders quietly.

There's no questioning that. He rushes the woundes Leilia and snags her grenade-hand just as she slips the pin, wrenching the thing from her grip and flinging it across the arena. Leilia struggles against his grip, but... it's a waste of time. She kicks him, aiming squarely for his groin, but the impact does nothing but draw a cry of pain from her own lips.

Drianis stares at her, as if unsure of what to do.

Felina just shakes her head. She goes through this probably far more often than he does. Come on...just do a blood choke or something. She'll only be down a few seconds....

Of course, then there are questions about the win's honor and all that. Fun.

"They're talking now," Creeper points out. "Something's wrong. He never hesitates."

A few more moments pass. Finally, Drianis simply lets her down and steps back. Leilia drops down, cradling her hand agianst herself.

The bell rings, and the display, once again, pops up.

Drianis of Dothaven: 60 - 1 - 2 (Win via no contest)

There's a general booing from the crowd as the trainers surround Leilia to help her out of the arena, and an apparently displeased Drians storms out of the pit.

Felina closes her eyes. "Good for him. This crowd...needs to back the hell off. Most of them have never been in that situation."

"Well..." Creeper shakes his head. "It's so strange for someone to be pushed into fighting. I mean, here, of all places." He looks at Felina. "I'm just an usher, so I shouldn't snoop, I guess. But I wonder. Drianis got a by in the first round, then the dream match, and basically a freebie in the final round. But he would never cheat, I know it." He shrugs, and smiles. "Sorry. Private musings. Ladies and gentleman, this concludes this weeks dueling tournament. The next event is at noon tomorrow, when the skirmish games will take place, so retain your stubs if you have them."

Felina frowns, but says nothing as she stands. Interesting. Some paradise this is...she's curious to talk to Leila. But she really shouldn't snoop either...she doesn't need to get involved in a conspiracy here, not when she needs to get back to her brother.

Some of the people file into the lift, and creeper punches the keys that bring up a metal shutter over the viewing area. He glances at Felina as he does so.

"You can, you know." He grins at her, pointing to his name badge. "Pit right. I know I'm going back to see Oops pretty soon... Leilia will probably be in the infirmary if that crack sound was what I think it was." His smile widens a bit. "Should I bring her flowers? You're both Sentli, right? Do Sentli like flowers?"

Felina smirks a little, though still feeling serious. "Don't ask me...I've spent all of eight years on Sentile in my entire life." She glances back down at the field...she reall isn't sure. Shouldn't get involved.

Creeper shrugs. "Could have fooled me. Ah well. Thanks for coming bye, it was a lot of fun! I'll just leave this visitor's pass here, where I won't forget it." From his pocket he withdraws a small gem, fitted like the ones that were given to Felina for her necklace. "Just an arena pass, after all, all access. I'll just leave it here and walk this way." Creeper winks, sets it down on the arm of the chair where Felina had been sitting, and heads for the lift.

Felina smiles back at him. "Thanks...appreciated. The pleasure was mine." She looks back down to the arena, face somewhat serious again. Nah...don't go suspecting conspiracy theories. It's probably nothing. She does take the visitor's pass, though, and clip it into a card she's beginning to believe must contain her soul or something like that. She's not sure where she's going, really...to see the training facilities, or see how the injured are, or see about getting registered for the next tournament...whatever. She has no idea, just walks either randomly or where pychic instinct nudges her.

No one really goes out of their way to meet or avoid Felina. A few smile, some wave, but most just go on about their business. Until she reaches the more held-back areas, that is, when a uniformed security guard stops her and asks for her pass.

She presents it quietly, absently hoping it will work though not really expecting it not to.

The same scan process as before confirms to the fellow that she is, indeed, capable of monkeystomping his ass. 

"Go ahead. It's weird... I think they're expecting you in the infirmary. Felina Deyono, yeah?" The guard nods, and points. "That way."

Felina blinks. "News to me. But yes, the name's right...thanks." She heads off in that direction, quiet but paying moderately interested attention to her surroundings.