Memento Vivere ~Open~

[Saasha]

Saasha's eyes widened at the mention of his lineage and she nearly stopped her steady gait. The descendant of Fenrir... She didn't interrupt his statements but it was clear that she was still processing what he had just told her. The stories... were true? There was no way- was there? All the tales and legends she had heard, all the lore and places she had been in the Nordic lands, it was all true? Saasha's mind raced through all of the tales and legends she had heard as he spoke. To be certain, she was listening, but that did not mean that her mind was not working. Finally she scoffed at herself and pulled a hair tie out of her bag, putting her hair up to hide her smile behind her arm. It was all true... "I guess you learn something new every day. And I guess my fascination with mythology was well put after all." The last part her thought to herself as they continued to walk through the town. So anything really was possible in this world.

Now somewhat over her initial shock, she realized he had given her a compliment. "I do know what it is. And that is why I shall drop the subject for the time being." Yes, she did now what it was like to hurt, but she hadn't let that stop her from doing what she was brought up to do. Protect. Being a demon wasn't so bad once you got used to to it; she had been one for over thirty-two years now. "You will become that which you slay, that which you fear, in that form you will stay." Those were the words whispered into her ears that fateful day.

Saasha came back to the present day when she realized that he had caught onto how old she was. She couldn't help but chuckle, amused at his confusion. "All part of the bred of non-human I am. I am fifty-two by human year's standards. Yet another long story that is best left until we reach our destination. Until then, allow me to simply say that there are many things that are not what they appear. And not just with myself either."

[Morto Mente]

Alex nodded as he intently listened to Saasha. He stayed solemn while they continued their walk to their destination. All he knew at this moment in time, is that he had no choice but to put his trust in this girl, and hope for the best. "It's my belief that everyone is allowed one or two secrets of their own. Albeit I'm one to talk. Only people I knew were my blood." Alex scoffed to himself.

He realized that last remark may have left a slight distaste in Saasha's mouth, so he quickly reassured her that even though he was secluded, he still had a decently open life when it came to friends. Hoping to add to the reassurance, Alex grinned like he had earlier. Quickly, he stepped up his pace and began to walk abreast to his new.. "guardian?" perhaps? He wasn't sure what to think of her aside from the one who approached him and helped him.

"Fffuuuuaaaaaaahhhhhh"[/b] Alex released a great yawn from nowhere, thankfully it was before Saasha had started speaking again. That would have been rude, and Alex would have felt bad for doing so. His eyes glued to the ground as they walked, Alex snapped his head to Saasha when she revealed her age. "That's... well... And here I thought I was older than you!"

Alex released a boisterous laugh. He has no ill intentions for this girl. He still felt about her the way he did previously; she gave him that feeling of familiarity that the girls back home did. He saw her as a friendly passerby who had decided to help him.

[Saasha]

They pair walked in idle chit chat for another hour or so until they reached the edge of town and were now staring into the dense forest. It was here that Saasha jogged to the edge elegantly, her small soft laugh echoing behind her in excitement. So he was a good guy after all. Might as well take him to the destination like she had originally planned. She had been reserved up until now, but it was evident that her natural cheerfulness was coming out as she turned back to him and motioned for him to follow. "It is just through the woods. No tricks I promise. You are gonna love this place. At least I hope you do." She laughed good-naturedly and gave him an assuring smile.

[Morto Mente]

Alex felt slightly awkward, yet comfortable walking and talking with Saasha as he was. It was something he hadn't been able to do in a long time, so nostalgia hit him like a brick wall. All the while, he smiled in earnest. The time they spent walking seemed to have passed by rather quickly. Eventually they reached the edge of a forest, and a wave of memories hit Alex. Some were good, others.. not so much.

"It's not tricks I'm worried about.... And to be honest, any place would suit my tastes better than home." It took Alex a few moments but he briskly caught up to Saasha, matching his pace with her's. All he could smell was the greenery and lush vegitation of the woods. Sadly, it reminded him of home. "So nostalgic.. And I'm not even home sick!"/ Alex let out a hearty laugh.

[Saasha]

"Then keep up!" With that she bolted into the thick brush and dissapeared form sight. If he ran right after her, she wouldn't be that far ahead a she was keeping her pace somewhat slower than usual- she didn't know how fast he was and didn't want to lose him. So she kept her pace rather slow, the speed of a human track star. If he kept up well, she would step up her pace until she would be a blur to normal eyes.

The trees rushed past her in flashes and blurs of greens and yellows, lush bushes and fallen logs being easily leaped over as she went. The thick over head left the air beneath even cooler than usual, getting cooler and cooler as they left the warmth of the city. The odd ray of sunshine shone on her as she darted in and out of the trees playfully, revealing that her dark, smoky blue wolf-en ears had unfolded from her skull and now twisted this way and that to catch the sounds of the forest and of her- hopefully her pursuer. One other thing could be noticed. A long tail had sprouted behind her and now fell low to the ground, the tip curled to keep it from hitting the brush and sticks. The color the same smoked blue as her ears.

She spared a moment in mid leap over a tangle of fallen branches to look over her shoulder to see if Alex was following.

[Morto Mente]

"Hmph."[/b] With that, Saasha dashed into the woods. Alex's lips curled up at the ends. His closed eyes snapped open to reveal his cursed pair. He may not like it, but this did help him react faster to things moving towards him rapidly. "Go." Alex's words could still be heard in the air where he was standing, however he was not. His legs took him forward in Saasha's direction.

She was moving much slower than his is now, so he knew he'd have no problem with catching up to her. Yet, it was the terrain that was the problem with him. However fast he may be, he wasn't used to this natural forest. His body knew the one in which he lived, and his feet practically marked a trail within it, but this one was new. Alex's speed was about that of deer until he caught up to Saasha, which he then slowed his pace to match her's.

This much wasn't a problem for Alex, he was gradually getting used to the terrain and caught up to Saasha. The small amounts of sun that pierced through the canopy of the forest revealed Saasha's now shown body extensions. Letting out a hearty laugh, Alex could somewhat understand now how it is she was able to find him more clearly than he had before. "It goes against the rest of your hair, but that color seems to suit you."alex spoke with a sincere smile.

[Saasha]

She laughed outright. "Thanks. Hey let's speed this up a bit shall we? We will get there faster. It is about...oh... 10 minutes away at this pace." That said, and seeing that he obviously would have no trouble keeping up, she picked up the pace. With a joyous smile and something resembling a tribal yip, she launched herself over a bush and pressed into the ground harder. Saasha was having the time of her life. And now she had someone to share her joy with and that just made it all the better.

For the next few minutes they would keep running, dodging in and out of the thick brush and weaving through the trees with little effort on either's part. Finally, the brush thinned out and revealed their destination. A large estate. A high iron rod gated fence surrounded a field. A few thick trees dotted the inside of the fence along with a row of flowered bushes that marked the sides of a stone pathway from the gate to a rustic and old fountain. The path lead around this to a huge manor, that covered a good portion of the property. Out back, a waterfall could be heard and the scent of hundreds of flower beds wafted through the air towards the pair.

Saasha skidded to a stop a good ways away from the fence and placed a hand out to signal Alex to do the same. "Hang on a sec." She put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. After a few seconds, a shimmering shield materialized and became visible around the entire property, then vanished. This was followed by another and another and yet another, each one taking longer to dissipate. She turned to Alex with an embarrassed grin to explain, "We uh... heh heh, we don't like unexpected company." After the barriers dropped, the gate creaked open and she motioned for Alex to follow.

[Morto Mente]

Alex was almost geting ahead of himself when he saw Saasha's abrupt stop, which he followed suit. However, his wasn't as graceful as her's. He ended up skidding to a halt next to her, and fell face first into the ground with a magnificent grunt when his face planted the soil. He couldn't help but stare as the domes of energy around the building disappeared one after another while he tried to... "stop".

"Ouchie.." Alex whined as he slowly got to his feet. He looked the outside over once and took in the aroma of the flora that was the decor of the grounds. The scent slightly gave him the feeling of home at first. He closed his eyes upon remembering his "home". A light sigh escaped his lips before he opened his eyes again to reveal his normal pupils. His gaze made it's way to Saasha with a grin. The feeling that radiated from this place was that of hers, so he figured it to be fine with letting his guard down.

"A mansion in the woods... Somehow, I feel it fits you."[/b] Alex chuckled lightly and stood next to the girl before him. He hadn't really taken it into consideration, but the top of her head was around where his chin is. This height difference is going to make something difficult for him, so he voiced his problem. "I'm sorry, but I can't see you as being much older than me, purely because of the height. I haven't met a short person before, so this is sort of throwing me off guard..."[/b]

[Saasha]

Saasha gasped when Alex ate the dirt, slightly afraid that he had been hurt. But to be fair she was also half chuckling in her mind. Seeing he was ok, went along with her work to open the gates but kept an eye on him just in case. She would have hated for him to be injured now. She also kept an eye on the woods, watching the shadows and blocked area's for movement. One could never be too careful in these parts... "Sorry for the sudden stop but I didn't realize the barriers were still up. Usually my housemate takes them down when he feels me coming. I suppose he wasn't paying attention this time. If you had run into them, you would have been disintegrated along with other things... Like I said, we don't like unexpected guests." She paced into the gates and would shut them once he was inside, re-locking the gate's mechanisms with the grinding of gears and a series of hisses and clacks. The barriers would also reengage with a whir and encase the area in a silent and invisible shield.

"I will take that as a compliment... I think." Oh if only he knew the truth of his words. "Guess I still fit the stereotype," she thought to herself idly. Now that he was next to her and she was looking up at him, she realized how tall he really was. She had seen how big he was in the city, but then again she hadn't really been paying much attention to his height back then. Mostly whether or not she should really bring him here. Now that she had a more relaxed atmosphere, she took a moment to study him. A lean figure to be sure, perfect for speed- as was evidenced just a few moments ago. Maybe some work on stopping but still. As for his build, it was obvious he had hidden strength in his muscles. He was still pretty leanly bulked, but appearances could be deceiving. She was going to comment on his eyes- something, being a canine, she notice right off of the bat. However she opted not to as they seemed to be overly fond of. Either way they were nice though. Overall a good speedy build. He would no doubt need that later on the road- or sooner.

She giggled at his comment on her age, "To be completely honest with you, I don't consider myself that old either. I don't age like humans do so technically I am physically twenty-one. But let's not get into technicalities shall we? Consider me whatever age you like." By this time they had reached the heavy, tall double front doors. "Well," she said, pushing them open and letting him in first, "Welcome to 'Hunter's Manor.'"

[Morto Mente]

"Disintegrate...?" Alex let out a nervous chuckle while giving a half hearted smile. He stepped over the threshold of the grounds and began to look around while Saasha shut and locked the gate, followed by putting the magical barriers back in place. He had noticed her staring around outside, but considering she never reacted from it, she didn't spot anything malicious.

The air here was fresh, regardless of the barriers there. Alex placed his hands on his hips and took a few steps forward. Grinning brightly, he nodded his head and turned back to Saasha. "I like the way this place looks. Just like that city... Hallowton, was it? I've always liked the Victorian style.[/b] His eye met Saasha, who was intently staring at him. His smiled morphed into a nervous one while looking at her. "Hey, I won't be on tonight's menu or anything, will I? Ha ha..."[/b]

Alex jested with her. After a brief talk, Saasha walked to the doors of the place and opened them, welcoming him in. "What ever age I like, huh? Hmm.. Alright. I'll take that into consideration!"[/b] Letting out another gracious laugh, Alex walked through the doors after giving Saasha a slight bow. His eyes widened at the amazing interior modeling of the place. Albeit Victorian stylized, the woodwork with marble accenting was something to adore. Alex nodded again in affirmation while placing his right hand on his hip.

[Saasha]

The blond wolf narrowed her eyes at that comment. "I have a feeling that I am going to regret giving you the option." she sighed but continued to take a few more steps inside and pointed to the single staircase along on of the walls of a hallway that connected with the main level. "I stay on the first level, and my house mate stays on the third. You are free to pick any room you like on the second or third levels. The stair to the forth level is hidden by a door. It goes to a portion of the roof. The kitchen on the first level as well as the main living room, recreation room, and a few others. The floor below us is accessible through a pair of doors on the side panel of the stairs. That is the training room and another room. But please, try to avoid that one please?" She shrugged coyly before continuing,"Other than that, I will leave the rest for you to explore if you wish."

She rubbed her hands together and stretched. So good to be home. She looked satisfactorily around, everything in it's place and cleaned. Just as she left it. That meant that Joshua hadn't lost anything yet. 'Yet' being the keyword. Speaking of which, where was he?

[Morto Mente]

Alex nodded thoughtfully as Saasha spoke. Once she finished and gave him permission to explore and choose a room as he desired, he placed his right hand over his heart and bowed to her deeply. He was truly gracious for the kindness she has shown him. He knew this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and he wasn't going to let her regret it. He told himself he would do everything he could to make his stay to not be a burden on her.

"I vow that you will not regret showing me kindness, and I would dare not to betray that kindness. I will not get in the way of anything or be a burden during my stay here."[/b] Alex waited for Saasha to leave the room before ascending the stairs. She said she lives on the first floor, and the other one whom lives here dorms on the third floor. With this in mind, Alex went only to the second floor and headed towards the back of the manor. He met a split in the hallway after some time, figuring it to be the back of the building. Knowing what kind of room he was looking for, he began his search on the right side of the house. He continued down the hall and opened the first door on his left.

Alex was greeted with a room that was nigh picture perfect. Directly to his right was a varnished dresser three drawers high, two across, with a moderate sized chest adorning the top. The chest had a few drawers in it as well. On the right wall of the room was a large Victorian bed with veiled drapes along the top rim of the frame, all creme colored. On the wall to Alex's left was a wardrobe matching the woodwork of the dresser. And finally on the furthest wall was a large glass door leading to a balcony. Alex slowly walked to the balcony door and gently turned the handles. Upon stepping onto the balcony, Alex noticed he was over looking the garden and a water structure with a waterfall that was nearly as high as the house.

Alex walked back into the room and closed the door to the room and removed his jacket, revealing a sleeveless, thin black shirt that hugged his skin. On his arms were many faint scars he had acquired over the course of his life in training. After laying his jacket on the bed, Alex stepped back onto the balcony to bask in the light while inhaling through his nose deeply. "... I feel free here, compared to that place." His words seemed to have to crawl from his lips. They were barely audible. Repressing that feeling of loneliness and emptiness, Alex folded his arms and took in all that was before him.

[Saasha]

Saasha left Alex for his wanderings for the time being and went into the kitchen to start preparing for dinner. She removed her jacket and hooked it upon the coat rack as she passed and paced noiselessly past the living room and into the marbled wood dining room and into the kitchen. Ever since her late master passed away, she had become more and more fond of the manor. So much had happened within these walls that with every side door she passed, she remembered at least three events that had taken place behind each one. It had become more than her place of residence- it had become her home.

She had only live there for nine or ten months, but this place had already earned a place in her heart. And now? Now she had two people to share it with. And since her recent master didn't frequent the manor all that much, she had become rather lonely. Joshua was a wonderful housemate and companion, but every canine that has a master wishes to be around them; Saasha was no exception to this. She missed her master terribly even though she had only known him for a brief four months. She had been placed under his charge and she would serve him as her late master ordered- even if he wasn't near her, she would answer his call. And she had been listening intently for the past few weeks, hoping that all of the calamities would be cause for him to call upon her. But alas, it was not so. She had come to love the man and not just as one under his direction.

Truly, since he had assisted in merging her consciousnesses and she had gained her human side back, she was no longer under that strict pet mentality. But that is not to saw that the mentality did not surface every now and then. She only really saw him as her 'master' when the time called for it. Otherwise, he was her friend, her companion. But at the core of things, if he gave an order that was crucial to be followed, she was under his direction.

Saasha realized that she had already reached the kitchen and was leaning over the sink. She straightened and shook her head to clear it of the depressing thoughts. It would not be good for her new guest to see her in a tizzy. True she missed him greatly- even Joshua had noticed that right off the bat and she had known him for only two or so months- but she couldn't let her loneliness get in the way of her duties. Perhaps when Alex was settled in, she would try and find him. Wherever he was...

While the wolf-en woman set about fixing dinner, Joshua found himself wandering about outside in the flowerbeds in his kitten form, watching the butterflies that fluttered about the flowers with a lightly twitching tale and a furrowed brow. He was aware that their knew guest was standing out on his new balcony but he payed him no attention for now, he was in the middle of something important. He focused on one butterfly in particular: a bright little fellow. Yellow and black accented wings, spots of pink flashing here and there as they beat against the air. His prey had been spotted. True it was not the demons he was used to hunting, but in this form it would be a treat to catch. Saasha would love the color- maybe she would even keep the wings if he brought it to her as a gift.

The thought of giving Saasha such a wonderful gift fresh in his mind, he crouched low in the soft grasses, his black body hidden by an overhanging bush and his long ears tucked close to his body. Joshua's hunches shifted as he prepared himself for this attack. That butterfly was his. The only issue was how to grab it without harming the wings... After a pause, a plan formulated and he now just had to wait for the right time. He waited... and waited... and waited until the little creature was within reach theeeen... POUNCE! He sprung from his shelter with paws outstretched. But the insect was too swift as his soft paws fell past it harmlessly. Joshua landed and doubled over himself to try again.

The chase continued for a few more moments as Joshua swung and batted at the bug, attempting to pull it form the skies without harming the wings. Finally he managed to catch the thing and pin it to the ground. Good thing too, if his lord heard that he couldn't even catch an insignificant insect he would be very displeased. Remembering the guest on the balcony, he turned his attention to his audience and mewed in greeting. Now that his task was done, he could afford to be sociable.

[Morto Mente]

((This little bit in italics is from Alex's perspective))

Darkness. All I saw was darkness after opening my eyes. It isn't the normal pitch black darkness one would expect. No, this is different. I could still make out the shapes of the trees around me, and even the very top of the canopy. I could see the sky too. It wasn't as dark as everything else. Where am I? I'm not really sure.. but... it looks like the forest back home. Wait, why am I here?

I remember that world I awoke in. Genesis. I remember the sights, sounds, and smells of that city I was in. I remember pushing myself along the cold stone. Yet... why? Why did I do that? What was it that made me even want to continue? I had no real reason to live after I was forced into seclusion. I didn't have my friends with me. Was it... was it because something told me I had to meet her? I don't know who she is. I know nothing about her. Yet... Why did I end up talking to her? Why did I follow her? Will she lead me to what I've been raised to believe? .. I don't want that. I don't want to fight for my world... Tch.. Some kind of world that is. Forcing me to be alone. Beating some stupid idea into me.

I'd rather forget about it all.[/i]

Alex slowly opened his lifeless eyes. He was still standing on the balcony of Hunter's Manor. The sun's light beat down into his eyes, so he raised his left arm to shield them. His gaze prowled across the garden in front of him. That is, until he came across something that seemed out of place.

Large black ears? Alex racked his brain trying to think of an animal that has such ears, but stopped when he saw the rest of the body. A cat? That's no normal house cat, Alex thought to himself. There was certainly something off about this feline. He couldn't help but stare down at this creature, that is until it made a sound after looking in his direction.

Did that thing just say hello? Alex contemplated this thought for a short moment before he decided to wave at the thing. He had no rational reason to do so. He figured he would just entertain the thought that the small creature was cognizant.

[Saasha]

Joshua's left ear twitched as he watched the newcomer wave at him. First a vampire and demon hybrid, now a wolf. The manor was going to get crowded if this kept up. He wouldn't have minded it if weren't for the fact that that meant that he would not have to fight for his Mastress's attention. Nevertheless, she would be very unhappy if he was rude. As such, he picked up his quarry in his mouth and took a few steps back, waggling his haunches a bit before taking a flying leap at the vine scrawled wall. For such a small creature he was rather talented. His claws dug in between the stones easily and he scaled it in little time. Upon reaching the balcony ledge, he climbed a bit higher to the rim of the handrail and stepped delicately down from the wall. He lighted the edge of the balcony with nary a sound save for a small mew of effort, taking a seat next to the newcomer and wrapping his tail around his thin legs to examine him with detached interest. He placed the butterfly carefully under his paw to hold it in place.

It wasn't that he disliked Alex right off, it was simply that he had always been more comfortable around the opposite sex for various reasons. For all he knew, this man could end up being agreeable company, but that remained to be seen. And so he took a rather stoic approach to him for the time being. Save for the small lick he gave the deep crimson bow on the tip of his tail before returning his attention to the wolf.