Disclaimer: see some other chapter.
Notes: First, I regret the delay. Can't quite apologize 'cause work first and all that, but believe me, I'm sorry about it! Wholehearted bleah from this corner. I'm feeling all unproductive, too. I've written maybe three pages in three months, and they all need a serious injection of purple. -Bleah.-
On the upside, I'm taking today not only to post but to update my site, including a new Slayers pic. And, btw, anyone (Kalis) who wants to see what Xellos is wearing should go here, omitting the spaces:
http: www. site-bg. com/nightfall /pics/couch .html
And Kaeru, I think Xel and Zel, in that order, would agree with your quotes. I -love- Shaw! Especially 'Man and Superman.' Thanks for sticking, and for telling me what you like.
VwV VwV VwV VwV VwV VwV
Holiday
by Nightfall Rising
part twelve
AwA AwA AwA AwA AwA AwA
Dynast looked at them blankly. Phibrizzo, sitting on his shoulder, allowed himself a puzzled expression for a moment before he turned cheerful again and announced, "I've never been up here before. It's very... um... eclectic, isn't it?"
"We like it," they all chorused.
He eyed them narrowly, but decided to ignore it. "Hey, Xelsie--"
"Xelsie?" Zel choked, aside to Zelas.
"Everybody should have a humiliating nickname," she nodded sedately, blowing a series of smoke rings that came together to form a bull's-eye. "In order to separate people who don't use it from future targets."
"--You know there's another party going on in this house, don't you?"
"That vulgar cathouse upstairs?" Xellos sniffed, and rose with languid, disdainful grace to move away. "Don't speak of it."
"Er," Zel said, realizing that someone had to say something. "Lina, Sylphiel, these are Dynast and Phibrizzo Rubyeye."
"Cousins," Zelas said reassuringly, leaving the 'just' unsaid, and Sylphiel breathed a sigh of relief. Lina's was more of a gust.
"Greyweir," Dynast said ponderously, lifting a reproving finger, "you fox." Zel blinked. "Uncle Gaav mentioned the Bible. Might have let the family in on it."
"There's time," Zel shrugged.
"Not likely."
Zel straightened. "Are you sure about that?"
"We have watchers on Milgazia. Read the message myself."
"That's it!" Zel announced, jubilant, and braced himself for Xellos's flying tackle-glomp (which, to his surprise, pulled up short just before it hit him, and how had he known to expect it anyway?) and Lina's solid back thwacks.
"Tuesday, lunch at Luna's," Dynast interjected, and Zel took a casual step forward in order to let Lina's instinctive dive behind him at the mention of her overbearing elder sister be less obvious. "Loan you some of my researchers. Could double your gain."
Knowing Zel wasn't in it for gold but had no objection to acquiring some, Sylphiel teased him, "My father made me promise to donate anything after my first million gold to the temples."
Dynast looked down his long, chiseled nose at her, and repressively intoned, "You're probably joking, professor." He turned back to Zel. "Make more than that within two years, with the right people's help."
"Which right people," Lina asked sweetly, "did you have in mind?"
"No freeze-feasts," Phibrizzo whined, yawning. "Come on, let's all go upstairs and trip the drunk people. It's a great party."
"I'm not going upstairs," Xellos enunciated flatly. He has crawled onto Fenris's back, and was sprawled with his cheek resting between the great black wolf's ears and one hand drifting down to scratch between the vicious green eyes.
"But Xelsie, Gaav is--"
"I thought he was," Xellos cut his shorter cousin off sharply. "But I'm not going up."
"Well, it's up to you, of--"
"But," he said, suddenly wide-eyed and earnest, "I wouldn't dream of keeping anyone who wants to!"
"Always been ill-mannered," Dynast sneered.
"Oh, no!" Xellos cried, dismayed. "Have I been remiss as a host? Well, in that case, let me make it up to you. I know! For old times' sake, how about we have a go on the old uneven bars?"
Icy annoyance met purple malice for a period just long enough to communicate displeasure, just brief enough not to turn into a staring contest. Dynast turned his heavy body around and swept out. From his shoulder, Phibrizzo called, "See you later, Professors Perverse."
"Funny, that," Sylphiel mused, a moment before Dynast tripped over Fenris's lazily beating tail and went stumbling out. "I thought your name was Inverse. I must be wrong."
Lina sighed happily at the retreating mazoku, then spun around and spread her arms wide. "Mr. Greyweir!" she sang.
Zel gulped, and peered at her with some concern.
But her good mood was genuine. "In tribute to your stunning achievements in the fields of love and business and on the behalf of the Wolf Pack Island Anti-Stuffed Shirt and Lycanthropic Kennel Club, it's my intention to congratulate you." There was much polite applause, and Zel relaxed. "And!" she interrupted the clappers. "And to present you with this little token of their esteem and affection."
Zel snuck a quick, evaluating look at Xellos before accepting the theoretically harmless pink teddy bear, but its owner was smiling as though minding was the farthest thing from his thoughts since shaking Phibrizzo's hand. Cradling it like the priceless thing it was, he stepped cautiously onto the sofa cushions, hoping the couch wouldn't collapse beneath him.
It didn't, so he inclined his head and said, "Madame Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlething. As some of you would probably die of shock if I made the gracious speech which seems to be called for at this juncture, I think I'll pass in the interests of public health. Now, if you think that's just an excuse to get out of it, all I can say is, you're right. However, this gentlesomethingorother and I have been practicing a few displays of gymnastics and demonic -legardepied,- with which we are now prepared to entertain you."
He extended a hand which Xellos, beaming, accepted in order to lever himself to his feet and onto the back of the sofa where he stood, bowing and posing and making 'here is the great one' gestures towards Zel. The indicated chimera bowed once, and employed his demonic speed to race up the walls and to the ceiling.
As a general rule, he could only get halfway across a room this large before gravity caught up to him. Now, though, just as the laws of physics made their displeasure with him known, Xellos suddenly disappeared, emerging in midair with feet just on Zel's falling shoulders, and they both hovered there for a moment. Then Xellos let them fall and, when Zel's feet were about to touch the floor, leaned forward, pulling them off balance. They fell into a joint somersault and, sitting on the floor, indicated that the time for applause had come.
Then Gaav and Val walked in and, appalled, chorused, "Xellos!"
Zelas breathed out a smoke object shaped like a stop sign and droned, "Meeting adjourned."
AwA AwA AwA AwA AwA AwA
Pushing quickly to his feet, Zel turned to his intended with an excited, "Val, I've got a surprise for you. These are--"
"You may speak in a moment," Gaav stopped him. He was just as badly dressed as everyone else, but in his case it had only required a party hat on his crimson mane in addition to his customary trenchcoat. "You will all come upstairs. It's nearly twelve. It's time to honor the death of the year."
"Long Night comes down here as well, Father," Xellos said softly, still seated flat on his rump like a propped up doll, with his legs dandling in front of him.
"Someone who's caused as much trouble as you have," Gaav mentioned, "should be content with escaping retribution without giving in to the urge to make snide comments."
"If you, as a mazoku, aren't expected to offer consideration, honored Father, or to comply with my devout and very occasional requests, neither can I, as a mazoku, be expected to react well to being--"
"I think," Sylphiel interrupted hastily, "that we should go and, uh, make sure Lina's other boot got put away properly."
"Val," Zel said in the moment of slightly decreased tension, "these are Lina and Sylphiel. I told you about them." In an attempt to encourage the de-escalation, he smiled evilly and added, "I told them about you."
"Yo," Val said, without interest.
"And the big guy must be Mr. RubyEye," Lina guessed, cheerfully flashing him a victory sign.
A little taken aback and certainly not used to getting that kind of reaction, Gaav grudged, "Your friends are welcome here, of course, Mr. Greyweir."
"I'll see you upstairs, Lina," Zel said.
"Oh, no, Zel," Sylphiel disagreed, pretending not to be uncomfortable. "I really think we'd better be going. You see, I have the most awful run in my stocking."
"Why don't you go up to my room," Xellos didn't offer. "It's in the tower." He had a second thought, and added, "there could be some clear nail polish under my bed for your stocking. It might have dried up by now, but you can fight the dust bunny army for it if you get bored."
"Sounds like fun!" Lina beamed. "Well, congratulations on your engagement, Mr. R," she said, meaning Val, and nudged Zel playfully in the ribs. He swore she had brass elbows. "You're not getting much, but I'm sure you can improve him." She ignored all the raised eyebrows that Sylphiel was only pretending not to see, and strolled out confidently, dragging her partner by the wrist.
Zelas stood up, took a drag of her cigarette, and ambled over to the door, intoning, "Do not pass Starto. Do not collect two hundred gold." The door closed behind her.
"They're good people, really," Zel said, looking after her uncertainly. "In their own way. Don't you think so, Xellos?"
"Don't ask me," Xellos returned bitterly, and pulled his knees up to his chest.
"Don't sulk," Gaav reprimanded him heavily, "it's not attractive." Zel looked at him in surprise. Of all the reasons he might have expected to be behind that admonition, that was the least likely. "Now go upstairs. Valgaav and I are going to speak to Mr. Greyweir."
"I'll go," Xellos agreed in a low voice, which rose slowly. "I'll even go upstairs, to please you, Father. I just want one thing in exchange. I want to bring those people back afterwards, here, and have supper with them. Won't that be all right, if we don't cause a disturbance?"
"You belong upstairs," Gaav said, not bothering to say that he wasn't going to give any concessions for something that was a part of the order of things.
"I'd be very much obliged to you!" Xellos pressed, sounding as though his voice was about to crack. "I don't know why--it has something to do with my lady Mother--but please, just let me have tonight in this room!"
"What special value this room has I don't know." Gaav pinched his nose in an incipient-headachy way.
"What has yours? It's the only home I've got," Xellos retorted.
"Did I ask for an explanation? I believe that what I asked for was for you to absent yourself and join the party."
"I believe, if I may be so bold as to state my own opinion," Xellos 'ventured' with phony deference, "that your true belief is that once our respective horns are no longer so immediately interlocked, I'll come around and submit. I'm sorry to tell you that I won't. This means something to me, and for once you can't stop me, because whatever other powers you have, Honored Father, you can't stop me from giving me the very last thing you want: a scene. Tonight. Upstairs."
Gaav looked at him with disfavor. "Your presence here," he rumbled, "gives me no greater pleasure than you, and is to no purpose. I will determine where you may best serve the family. You may be prepared to leave with a company in perhaps three weeks."
"Perfect," his son returned coldly. "Except that I prefer to work alone."
"As you wish."
"It's all," Xellos burst out, "I've ever asked for, to be allowed to work for you, and to -leave this house!- I've been burning to get out for years, but it's never been so bad as tonight--I can't stand it anymore," he finished, lowering his cheek to rest on his knees, facing away from his father, his voice going ragged and his hands clenching, "it's doing terrible things to me..."
Zel took an impulsive step towards him, but Val looked at him curiously and he stopped.
"And now," Gaav sighed impatiently, rubbing at his temples, "that you have concluded your melodramatics, you will leave this room."
"Oh, as to that," Xellos said, after a moment, his voice suddenly dry, and he looked up with a face completely drained, and pulled himself to his feet, rather like a puppet. "As regards leaving the room, I have no objection. I know you won't be able to stand it in here for long. I'll come back when you're done." He bowed to his father, and phased away.
[end part twelve]
Notes: First, I regret the delay. Can't quite apologize 'cause work first and all that, but believe me, I'm sorry about it! Wholehearted bleah from this corner. I'm feeling all unproductive, too. I've written maybe three pages in three months, and they all need a serious injection of purple. -Bleah.-
On the upside, I'm taking today not only to post but to update my site, including a new Slayers pic. And, btw, anyone (Kalis) who wants to see what Xellos is wearing should go here, omitting the spaces:
http: www. site-bg. com/nightfall /pics/couch .html
And Kaeru, I think Xel and Zel, in that order, would agree with your quotes. I -love- Shaw! Especially 'Man and Superman.' Thanks for sticking, and for telling me what you like.
VwV VwV VwV VwV VwV VwV
Holiday
by Nightfall Rising
part twelve
AwA AwA AwA AwA AwA AwA
Dynast looked at them blankly. Phibrizzo, sitting on his shoulder, allowed himself a puzzled expression for a moment before he turned cheerful again and announced, "I've never been up here before. It's very... um... eclectic, isn't it?"
"We like it," they all chorused.
He eyed them narrowly, but decided to ignore it. "Hey, Xelsie--"
"Xelsie?" Zel choked, aside to Zelas.
"Everybody should have a humiliating nickname," she nodded sedately, blowing a series of smoke rings that came together to form a bull's-eye. "In order to separate people who don't use it from future targets."
"--You know there's another party going on in this house, don't you?"
"That vulgar cathouse upstairs?" Xellos sniffed, and rose with languid, disdainful grace to move away. "Don't speak of it."
"Er," Zel said, realizing that someone had to say something. "Lina, Sylphiel, these are Dynast and Phibrizzo Rubyeye."
"Cousins," Zelas said reassuringly, leaving the 'just' unsaid, and Sylphiel breathed a sigh of relief. Lina's was more of a gust.
"Greyweir," Dynast said ponderously, lifting a reproving finger, "you fox." Zel blinked. "Uncle Gaav mentioned the Bible. Might have let the family in on it."
"There's time," Zel shrugged.
"Not likely."
Zel straightened. "Are you sure about that?"
"We have watchers on Milgazia. Read the message myself."
"That's it!" Zel announced, jubilant, and braced himself for Xellos's flying tackle-glomp (which, to his surprise, pulled up short just before it hit him, and how had he known to expect it anyway?) and Lina's solid back thwacks.
"Tuesday, lunch at Luna's," Dynast interjected, and Zel took a casual step forward in order to let Lina's instinctive dive behind him at the mention of her overbearing elder sister be less obvious. "Loan you some of my researchers. Could double your gain."
Knowing Zel wasn't in it for gold but had no objection to acquiring some, Sylphiel teased him, "My father made me promise to donate anything after my first million gold to the temples."
Dynast looked down his long, chiseled nose at her, and repressively intoned, "You're probably joking, professor." He turned back to Zel. "Make more than that within two years, with the right people's help."
"Which right people," Lina asked sweetly, "did you have in mind?"
"No freeze-feasts," Phibrizzo whined, yawning. "Come on, let's all go upstairs and trip the drunk people. It's a great party."
"I'm not going upstairs," Xellos enunciated flatly. He has crawled onto Fenris's back, and was sprawled with his cheek resting between the great black wolf's ears and one hand drifting down to scratch between the vicious green eyes.
"But Xelsie, Gaav is--"
"I thought he was," Xellos cut his shorter cousin off sharply. "But I'm not going up."
"Well, it's up to you, of--"
"But," he said, suddenly wide-eyed and earnest, "I wouldn't dream of keeping anyone who wants to!"
"Always been ill-mannered," Dynast sneered.
"Oh, no!" Xellos cried, dismayed. "Have I been remiss as a host? Well, in that case, let me make it up to you. I know! For old times' sake, how about we have a go on the old uneven bars?"
Icy annoyance met purple malice for a period just long enough to communicate displeasure, just brief enough not to turn into a staring contest. Dynast turned his heavy body around and swept out. From his shoulder, Phibrizzo called, "See you later, Professors Perverse."
"Funny, that," Sylphiel mused, a moment before Dynast tripped over Fenris's lazily beating tail and went stumbling out. "I thought your name was Inverse. I must be wrong."
Lina sighed happily at the retreating mazoku, then spun around and spread her arms wide. "Mr. Greyweir!" she sang.
Zel gulped, and peered at her with some concern.
But her good mood was genuine. "In tribute to your stunning achievements in the fields of love and business and on the behalf of the Wolf Pack Island Anti-Stuffed Shirt and Lycanthropic Kennel Club, it's my intention to congratulate you." There was much polite applause, and Zel relaxed. "And!" she interrupted the clappers. "And to present you with this little token of their esteem and affection."
Zel snuck a quick, evaluating look at Xellos before accepting the theoretically harmless pink teddy bear, but its owner was smiling as though minding was the farthest thing from his thoughts since shaking Phibrizzo's hand. Cradling it like the priceless thing it was, he stepped cautiously onto the sofa cushions, hoping the couch wouldn't collapse beneath him.
It didn't, so he inclined his head and said, "Madame Toastmaster, Ladies and Gentlething. As some of you would probably die of shock if I made the gracious speech which seems to be called for at this juncture, I think I'll pass in the interests of public health. Now, if you think that's just an excuse to get out of it, all I can say is, you're right. However, this gentlesomethingorother and I have been practicing a few displays of gymnastics and demonic -legardepied,- with which we are now prepared to entertain you."
He extended a hand which Xellos, beaming, accepted in order to lever himself to his feet and onto the back of the sofa where he stood, bowing and posing and making 'here is the great one' gestures towards Zel. The indicated chimera bowed once, and employed his demonic speed to race up the walls and to the ceiling.
As a general rule, he could only get halfway across a room this large before gravity caught up to him. Now, though, just as the laws of physics made their displeasure with him known, Xellos suddenly disappeared, emerging in midair with feet just on Zel's falling shoulders, and they both hovered there for a moment. Then Xellos let them fall and, when Zel's feet were about to touch the floor, leaned forward, pulling them off balance. They fell into a joint somersault and, sitting on the floor, indicated that the time for applause had come.
Then Gaav and Val walked in and, appalled, chorused, "Xellos!"
Zelas breathed out a smoke object shaped like a stop sign and droned, "Meeting adjourned."
AwA AwA AwA AwA AwA AwA
Pushing quickly to his feet, Zel turned to his intended with an excited, "Val, I've got a surprise for you. These are--"
"You may speak in a moment," Gaav stopped him. He was just as badly dressed as everyone else, but in his case it had only required a party hat on his crimson mane in addition to his customary trenchcoat. "You will all come upstairs. It's nearly twelve. It's time to honor the death of the year."
"Long Night comes down here as well, Father," Xellos said softly, still seated flat on his rump like a propped up doll, with his legs dandling in front of him.
"Someone who's caused as much trouble as you have," Gaav mentioned, "should be content with escaping retribution without giving in to the urge to make snide comments."
"If you, as a mazoku, aren't expected to offer consideration, honored Father, or to comply with my devout and very occasional requests, neither can I, as a mazoku, be expected to react well to being--"
"I think," Sylphiel interrupted hastily, "that we should go and, uh, make sure Lina's other boot got put away properly."
"Val," Zel said in the moment of slightly decreased tension, "these are Lina and Sylphiel. I told you about them." In an attempt to encourage the de-escalation, he smiled evilly and added, "I told them about you."
"Yo," Val said, without interest.
"And the big guy must be Mr. RubyEye," Lina guessed, cheerfully flashing him a victory sign.
A little taken aback and certainly not used to getting that kind of reaction, Gaav grudged, "Your friends are welcome here, of course, Mr. Greyweir."
"I'll see you upstairs, Lina," Zel said.
"Oh, no, Zel," Sylphiel disagreed, pretending not to be uncomfortable. "I really think we'd better be going. You see, I have the most awful run in my stocking."
"Why don't you go up to my room," Xellos didn't offer. "It's in the tower." He had a second thought, and added, "there could be some clear nail polish under my bed for your stocking. It might have dried up by now, but you can fight the dust bunny army for it if you get bored."
"Sounds like fun!" Lina beamed. "Well, congratulations on your engagement, Mr. R," she said, meaning Val, and nudged Zel playfully in the ribs. He swore she had brass elbows. "You're not getting much, but I'm sure you can improve him." She ignored all the raised eyebrows that Sylphiel was only pretending not to see, and strolled out confidently, dragging her partner by the wrist.
Zelas stood up, took a drag of her cigarette, and ambled over to the door, intoning, "Do not pass Starto. Do not collect two hundred gold." The door closed behind her.
"They're good people, really," Zel said, looking after her uncertainly. "In their own way. Don't you think so, Xellos?"
"Don't ask me," Xellos returned bitterly, and pulled his knees up to his chest.
"Don't sulk," Gaav reprimanded him heavily, "it's not attractive." Zel looked at him in surprise. Of all the reasons he might have expected to be behind that admonition, that was the least likely. "Now go upstairs. Valgaav and I are going to speak to Mr. Greyweir."
"I'll go," Xellos agreed in a low voice, which rose slowly. "I'll even go upstairs, to please you, Father. I just want one thing in exchange. I want to bring those people back afterwards, here, and have supper with them. Won't that be all right, if we don't cause a disturbance?"
"You belong upstairs," Gaav said, not bothering to say that he wasn't going to give any concessions for something that was a part of the order of things.
"I'd be very much obliged to you!" Xellos pressed, sounding as though his voice was about to crack. "I don't know why--it has something to do with my lady Mother--but please, just let me have tonight in this room!"
"What special value this room has I don't know." Gaav pinched his nose in an incipient-headachy way.
"What has yours? It's the only home I've got," Xellos retorted.
"Did I ask for an explanation? I believe that what I asked for was for you to absent yourself and join the party."
"I believe, if I may be so bold as to state my own opinion," Xellos 'ventured' with phony deference, "that your true belief is that once our respective horns are no longer so immediately interlocked, I'll come around and submit. I'm sorry to tell you that I won't. This means something to me, and for once you can't stop me, because whatever other powers you have, Honored Father, you can't stop me from giving me the very last thing you want: a scene. Tonight. Upstairs."
Gaav looked at him with disfavor. "Your presence here," he rumbled, "gives me no greater pleasure than you, and is to no purpose. I will determine where you may best serve the family. You may be prepared to leave with a company in perhaps three weeks."
"Perfect," his son returned coldly. "Except that I prefer to work alone."
"As you wish."
"It's all," Xellos burst out, "I've ever asked for, to be allowed to work for you, and to -leave this house!- I've been burning to get out for years, but it's never been so bad as tonight--I can't stand it anymore," he finished, lowering his cheek to rest on his knees, facing away from his father, his voice going ragged and his hands clenching, "it's doing terrible things to me..."
Zel took an impulsive step towards him, but Val looked at him curiously and he stopped.
"And now," Gaav sighed impatiently, rubbing at his temples, "that you have concluded your melodramatics, you will leave this room."
"Oh, as to that," Xellos said, after a moment, his voice suddenly dry, and he looked up with a face completely drained, and pulled himself to his feet, rather like a puppet. "As regards leaving the room, I have no objection. I know you won't be able to stand it in here for long. I'll come back when you're done." He bowed to his father, and phased away.
[end part twelve]