BloodyKitsune? You're a perv.
(looks around shiftily)
...I might just do that...
Er-anyway.
Why the hell haven't I updated for about five months? Easy.
My hard drive decided to die. For what it's worth, I apologise.
I'm currently on another comp but it's not mine. So don't hold your breath for regular updates.
I feel I should also do some explaining for Loké, or at least his name. Loké is an old name for my 'main' male character in BGII, a fighter/mage/thief and alias of mine online. Pronounced like Loki, but with a short e for distinction. (Fanfiction . net doesn't support the é) . This isn't a self-insert though. I'm far too much a waste of space, and even if it were, I'd more likely be a bard. Maybe.
I originally wrote most of chapter one about three years ago and left it to ferment, which is why it may seem different in writing style to the other chapters, which were written in succession. When I came back to continue the story, I was going to change his name, but go through about 13,000 words (or so it felt)?
F£&k, no.
So I just didn't bother. Back to my HD, fortunately it was just after I'd uploaded the last chapter and I store most of my stuff (This story of being one of them) on an external HD I own... (Huggles it)
Oh yea, speaking of f£&k, I've written a lemon while thinking of something to advance the plot. It's been quite useful actually-it's pretty darned hard writing it so it flows well.
Also gave me an idea for the epilogue... (Evil grin)
Apart from HD failure, my muse just dried up. It's still pretty darn dry too.
...That's a hint to suggest stuff readers.
I bloody well mean it too!
I've also realised that I've forgotten a lot of detail of the BGII world due to the lack of BGII playing I can do. As a line in a certain film goes, 'This could be a setback...'
Chapter VI
She gave a sigh.
She'd started to give Loké the same looks Jaheira and Aerie had been giving him!
"Feck..." she whispered quietly.
Despite the storm, sleep managed to overcome Annah.
'A luxury that Aerie didn't apparently have,' she thought to herself as she sat at the table where she and the others were. Aerie looked as if she had a pair of black eyes whenever you looked at her-which wasn't that often because she kept resting her head on her folded arms, situated on the table. Loké still had faint eye bags under his eyes, but not as bad as she'd last seem him in a morning. Apparently those nightmares he had, had decided to be kind to him last night. The others were as normal, Minsc with Boo in one hand, the other feeding the furry rodent slivers of apple.
Loké, who'd been sitting opposite, gave a quiet sight.
"Where the hell is that stew...?" He thought aloud.
Keldorn gave a quiet grunt, his gaze not leaving his copy of the 'Umar Witch Project," of agreement to Lok's sentiment.
Annah cupped her head with her hands, leant forward and rested her elbows on the table. All six of them were getting increasingly annoyed at the delay of food. Annah gave a loud sigh.
About 23 minutes later...
"That's it, ahm gannae knock some heads abo'ot,' Annah suddenly declared as she stood up. Loké also rose and they both proceeded to the kitchen.
The innkeeper looked over his bar and saw the incoming danger immediately. The dagger Annah had unconsciously drawn was a dead giveaway. She tucked her dagger-armed arm underneath her breasts and leant forward onto the bar, the other with her head rested on it.
"Now, ah appreciate that yeh a busy man 'n al', but we're pretty blood'ey hungry noo," she said with smile that turned made Loké and the innkeeper feel weak at the knees.
"So," she said kindly, her eyes becoming the 'melt adamantine' glare, "Sort it. Now." The tone of voice spoke of no room for compromise.
The Innkeeper gave a timid nod.
"Good lad," she soothed, and made to return to the table.
Made to anyway.
Loké gently grabbed her arm just before they turned the corner to their table.
"Can I talk to you Annah?" he asked as he led her halfway up the stairs. As she followed she gave a sigh of annoyance.
"If yeh upset aboot theh innkeep, yeh know what ya can doo."
The half-elf chuckled. "Actually you did pretty much exactly what I was going to do." He looked into her eyes and did something between a chuckle, a giggle and a whimper. "You know, you're actually scary when you do that."
The smile he received can only be described in one word: evil.
"What I wanted to talk to you about w... was..." he cheeks turned pink slightly, 'you know..."
"Aboot yeh kissin' meh when yeh were utterly shite-faced?" He suddenly found his boots very interesting.
"Well... yea... I just wanted to say I was sorry." He looked up at her, waiting for a response nervously.
She gave him 'the glare' and smiled in her head as he squirmed under it. Her mental grin became one of evil at an idea. Aerie and Jaheira were making their moves-why not her...?
...why not indeed...
"Yeh jest seprised meh Loké," she spoke softly with a small smile. A slightly surprised look crossed his face. She almost always called him 'Laddie'.
"Ah dannae like seprises, 'specially those keends."
She turned and walked down the staircase, leaving a Loké with the same look on his face. About halfway down, she paused, turned her head and gave him a coy smile.
"That dannae mean ah dinnae like i't though," she purred, before continuing her descent.
A serving girl carrying bread and cheese rushed past in front of her as Annah came to the bottom of the stairs, which she followed to their table. Apparently Loké had seen the girl and ran down the stairs as he suddenly walked past Annah and sat down at the table, helping himself to a small loaf and taking the chunk of cheese, returning it to it's plate after cutting a chunk off.
Keldorn, whom had been reading the tale in the hope of any useful information, thanked the serving girl without even looking up as he took a small loaf and ate.
Jaheira examined him silently for a few mintes as she and the others ate in silence.
"Enjoying the book?"
Keldorn's nod was almost imperceptible. "True or not, it is a fascinating story-and not entirely useless it seems. Apparently there are some ruins north-west of the village."
"Which reminds me," Loké interjected, "We've still gotta check out that ranger's hut.
Some investigating and travelling later...
"So-o... now wha't?" Annah piped up as yet again a shadow emerged from the hissing darkness to attack them, and yet again was annihilated by the bright light the crystal was emitting outside the desecrated temple. They'd followed that werewolf to the entrance of the temple, and... well.
Loké sighed. "Whatcha think we should do Keldorn?" He asked as he stared into the blackness and swarming of yellow eyes of the shades.
The inquisitor stood silently as he weighed his answer. He took so long the half-elf thought he was ignoring him, only to be proved wrong just as he opened his mouth to ask Jaheira.
"We should rest. Aerie and Jaheira have exhausted their healing spells, we still have several wounds," looking at a neat thin line of blood running from Lok's forehead, over an eyelid, down to his lower jaw.
A present, courtesy of some random shadow-wraith.
"The shadows don't seem to be able to pass the light," added Jaheira, "so rest would be best. Besides, I think the child here is tired," she finished, sneering slightly at Aerie.
Said girl looked up from her slumped sitting position against the crystal and opened her mouth to protest-eyes brimming with tears slightly-only for Annah of all people to comfort her.
"Och, dannay worry lass. She just bein' arseh 'cos she see's ya as a riva'l fer Loké."
I think it's enough to just say: 'reactions were varied'.
Aerie coloured violently.
Jaheira gave Annah her version of 'The Glare'.
Keldorn gave a quiet sigh of resignation as he thought 'So much for a close-nit, co-operative group...' as a loud argument erupted.
Minsc payed it no heed, as he was too busy trying to convince Boo that it would be better for them to rest-THEN attack the shadows,
Loké cringed as the women started yelling. He knew this had been coming for a while between Jaheira and Aerie and then just to make things even more precarious Annah'd thrown her hand in too...
Emotions that had been brewing for over a month finally became intolerable to keep inside and emotions boiled over as the feelings found an outlet.
"I am only interested in him as his guardian," Jaheira snapped at Annah, "I do not have romantic feelings for him!"
"Y-yes you do..." Aerie spoke quietly. "I've seen the looks you given him, when you think he's not looking."
The shades stopped hissing, apparently enjoying the unfolding show. The source of the argument wasn't though, looking to Keldorn with a pleading glance.
Said person simply shrugged as he leant against the crystal and gave a 'sooner or later' look.
Loké sat down heavily next to the crystal, leant against it, hung his head resignedly and awaited the fireworks.
"Even if I did, who did you think he would prefer? Someone as immature and pitiful as you? He wants someone to stand by him, not be carried!"
"At least she annae a dry shrivelled up ol' bag like yeh," Annah sniped.
"And unlike you," Aerie spoke up, looking directly at Annah, "I don't dress like-like-some cheap whore!"
Annah raised an eyebrow in amusement. "Ach, so ye doo have a backbone!"
"Bu' a' least ah dannae moan like one all the time," she sneered.
The avariel's eyes filled with tears-apparently lack of sleep had made her more emotional then normal. Without warning she unleashed a torrent of abuse, which if I repeated word for word would make me have to bump up the rating of this story to R. Suffice to say that after she was quite finished, everyone was looking at her with amazement. Annah recovered first.
"Ah never knew yeh had in yeh," she spoke admiringly.
"Shut up." Aerie snarled quietly.
Jaheira's gaze rested on Loké. "This childish bickering is no good. We cannot let our personal grudges risk affecting our actions in battle. Loké should decide."
Loké gave her a pleading look, to no avail.
"Now," she finished with a tone of finality.
He looked around nervously for anyone to support him. Everyone, even Minsc- especially Boo,judging by the hamster's glare-was not going to give it. The shaggy-haired half-elf gave a sigh of defeat. 'I better get this over with...'
"Jaheira... I'm sorry... but, I..." He took a deep breath. "...I've always seen you as a maternal figure... I'm sorry."
Aerie and Annah gave smug looks as Jaheira exhaled a quiet sigh of disappointed. "I was afraid you would say that." She nodded while she gave another small sigh. "Very well; I will respect your feelings."
"And I have no idea! I'll decide when I'm not trying to worry about shadows or wolves or shadow-wolves or any other kind of bloody monster that's six foot away and wanting to kill me!" Loké yelled before Aerie or Annah could speak. "We need to rest. So lets shut the fuck up and rest!" he whined
Apparently the two women didn't want to press their luck, as they sat against the pillar too-on opposite sides. Suddenly there was a grating, chain-saw-under-water like sound. Minsc had fallen asleep and was snoring. Loké, Keldorn and Jaheira simultaneously gave a deep sigh as the shadows resumed hissing, albeit not as eagerly
This was going to be a long night...
So that's Jaheira's out of it! I know I seem to be moving fast but, as I think I mentioned in a previous chapter, I intend to do the romance bit first and then 'flesh it out' if I feel the need. I'm focusing primarily on the interactions between Loké and Annah, though I'm actually tempted to do the story as a POV story as Annah. I seem to focus directly on her anyway.
I think I mentioned suggestions. And ones a bit more useful than BloodyKitsune's. Flirt ideas, plot ideas, ect.
I know it was a mean to Aerie having Annah say she moaned more like a whore, but it's the sort of catty, cruel thing I can see Annah saying to competition. I've also got a good idea of a plot to explain how Annah got 'here' too. Now I just have to iron out the finer points.
In other news, I'm looking at redoing 'After the End' and doing some lemons for it.I may not do the lemons though.
So there BloodyKitsune. (winks)