The Hidden Game

[Helbaworshipper]

"The world is a bit crazy for all of us." She moved her arms back and moved back slowly. "Let's get back to the apartment before any angels decide to visit us again." She walked out of the room to finish up anything else she had to pack.

[Zorolo]

Zorlo sighed again and nodded. "REally dropped the ball there, Z," He muttered to himself as he looked into her room. "Anything you want me to carry before we start on back?"

[Helbaworshipper]

Cecile's eyes opened a little as she looked around. She was in... She was in Maes' house most likely. She moved her hand to the covers and slowly sat up. Her hands moved to her side as she pushed herself towards the edge of the bed. She probably looked terrible at the moment. Avoiding a look at her body, she began a search for the kitchen to hopefully make a coffee to wake her up. It had been awhile since she'd slept this well.

[Zorolo]

Exotic smells. Exotic smells indeed. Zorlo's cooking required some strange ingredients to make, but the smell was good. The only issue was that... well, the taste was somewhat bland. IN the search for seasoning, Zorlo had a nasty tendency of OVER seasoning food to the point that it lost its taste. A sigh left his mouth as he flipped over what, at one time, had been chocolate chip pancakes gone horribly wrong.

This isn't to say they were inedible... rather, that eating them was not so different from eating paper: Substance, but nothing else.

Still, the early morning knock at the door drew Zorlo to it. He hung his cooking apron on a coat hanger next to the door and opened the door with a smile. "Morn-" he half finished as fist met face and he found his way to a hard thud on the ground.

"Morning to yourself," Tamlin said as she entered and took a drag of her cigarette. She picked up a pancake and started eating it quietly as she observed Zorlo. "So, I heard you dropped the ball last night."

Zorlo sat up quickly and nodded. "Yeah... kinda dropped the ball on it. I'm just not-" he started saying as she pressed the heel of her shoe against the back of his head.

"Excuses, excuses. Just because you've never had anyone show interest in you... in a positive manner... doesn't mean you have to suck at talking to them. Anyway, I'm really here to give you the bad news?"

Z shifted out from her boot and looked at her as he rubbed the back of his head. "What 'bad news'?" he asked her.

The woman took another bite of her pancake before spitting out a small bit of it and staring at the green-haired man. "You overseasoned again, dip-sh*t. Oh, and they're onto you. You left a nice trail thanks to that young girl's power. They'll find you soon, and then you're boned. Best tell that girl in the next room so she can plan your funeral. Bye," Tamlin said as she stepped through the door and slammed it.

"Well there goes my morning," Zorlo said with a sigh as he returned to cooking.

[GamerKale]

The smell of already brewing coffee greeted Cecile as she entered the kitchen. A tall man with graying black hair and dressed in blue scrubs, sat at the table with a cup of coffee and across from him was the red haired woman from the other day wearing a red robe. They were talking about the concert last night. "Yeah, I was in the middle of a resection when Harry started banging on the door, I nearly dropped my scalpel when he tuned into the classical station and they said Maes was on the piano." "I know, I was with a client, just had the station on as background noise. I just wish I knew why he didn't let us know he was going to be performing. Ah, here's someone who might be able to shed some light on the matter. Good morning, Cecile was it? You want some coffee?" Mr. Dr. Schrodinger poured a cup of the Italian roast coffee for Cecile and gestured for her to sit down, there were deep dark circles under his blue eyes, but he seemed plenty alert in spite of his exhaustion.

[Helbaworshipper]

She listened with slight cognition with the smell waking up her brain a bit. She wondered vaguely if she should be dressed in something like a robe, but couldn't even recall when she had fallen asleep. Her eyes slowly moved to the cup, sitting down the best she could. She never took sugar or cream in her coffee anymore. More so because the effect required stuffing it full in the cup. She had had to get used to the side effects of her drug dealings fairly fast. She seemed to be meeting both of his parents now. "Good morning," She spoke, seeming to wake up quite a bit now as she took a sip. She could taste just how rich the coffee was from one sip.

----

Elsa would need to get used to this. She drew her body up from the bed and stood up. One hand reached for a robe she had taken and put it around her. It made her night gown look less revealing. She opened the door slowly and made sure that no one else was visiting at the moment.

[Zorolo]

Zorlo slid a plate of food onto a small coffee table next to the couch across from the small television in the room but averted eye contact or looking at Elsa. "I made breakfast. It isn't very good, but it should at least partially fill you up," he said, sighing as he returned to cooking. "I was trying to cook you a nice breakfast this morning for how much of an idiot I felt like last night, but I kinda messed it up. Anyway, how're you this morning?" he asked her, glancing back just far enough he could see her face in his peripheral vision. He had to redouble his efforts, that was all there was to it.

[Helbaworshipper]

"I'm alright, even if it's still a bit new to me." Elsa's voice was soft as she sat down. "Did you manage to sleep?" She wasn't going to eat quite yet, considering the situation and the sort of feeling at the moment. It didn't matter if it tasted bad or anything like that, as long as it was edible enough to be consumed, she'd eat anything.

[Zorolo]

Zorlo shook his head. "No I didn't manage to sleep last night. I was... distracted," Zorlo stated as he kept his eyes turned towards the food. Part of him was still aching from his own incompetence, and another part of him was distracted by his current show if incapability. The world was just shatting all over him. "As I said before... if you want, I can live in the common room for the floor or whatever..." he said, sighing slightly. He didn't mind, but part of him felt somewhat sad about his powerlessness at the moment.

[GamerKale]

"Good morning." She looked over her shoulder at Maes room, "I realize it's early, but I have been trying to get him out of his shell ever since we got him back, do you know what got Maes to actually get out there and perform?" The front door opened and Claire, carrying a suitcase in one hand and a pink robe over her shoulder entered. "Oh, I didn't expect you two to still be up." "We wanted to congratulate Maes as soon as he got up. Here, let me help you with those." "It's no problem. It's just a few changes of clothes." Claire draped the robe over the back of Cecile's chair. "It's just some things that I had laying around in my spare closet. At least some of them should fit you." Claire said a little haltingly before she ducked into the guestroom and began hanging them. "Were those..." Malcolm started to ask. "Yeah, I think her birthday's this month too. I'll go see how Claire's holding up. You find out what trick this one pulled out of her hat." Margaret said with a smile at Cecile before she followed after Claire. "So, back to Maes. You've known him for less than a week and you've got him playing concerts. Next thing I know he'll probably be not only talking but singing. So, how did you do it?"

[Helbaworshipper]

"You don't have to be that considerate." Elsa answered, her eyes seeming to go into the food itself. "You've been honorable all this time. I think I can handle things being a little uncomfortable for awhile while I get used to it." Her voice was soft as she began eating. She didn't comment on the taste and simply ate the food without much of a complaint.

----

Cecile looked at Claire for a moment, her hands still around the cup of coffee. Once two of the people were out of the room, she looked slightly hesitant to say what it was. More so because Morgan's behavior had been almost too reckless and not very well understood to people who were... Who were a bit more into the normal realm she supposed. "Morgan was the key, really." She answered, taking a sip of the coffee again.

[GamerKale]

"Was he now?" Malcolm swirled his coffee. "I'm fine, Margaret." Claire argued as she exited the guestroom. "It's not up for discussion. You're taking a day. Don't make it a week." "Alright, alright. Cecile, if anything comes up, my number's in your phone." Claire raised her hands in surrender before leaving. Margaret returned to drinking her coffee at the table. Malcolm sipped his coffee before finally continuing. "Things are always connected, in some form or another and recent introductions to a person's system are more likely to be the cause of a change. That cat's been around ever since our Maes got back, but he's still never played in front of anyone but us. As far as I know, you're the only new thing in his life and you showed up just before his performance last night. So it probably has something to do with you."

[Helbaworshipper]

"I don't really know all that I did to help him. It's more that we've helped each other out." She spoke, her hand moving more securely around the mug. Part of her wondered all she had possibly done. If it had been more than simply being by his side, then what had possessed Morgan to kiss her like that? She shook her head with a blush to throw away the thoughts for now.

----

"Did I say I had an objection?" Elsa asked, looking a bit confused as she looked up at Tamlin. "I'd prefer to be dressed before we speak too long, if that's something you'll allow." She didn't seem to be too tense. Though the nickname bugged her a little inside.

[GamerKale]

Margaret smirked at the blush. "Oh, I see." Maes's door creaked open, drawing looks from both of his parents, and Morgan came sauntering out. He hopped up onto the table and picked up a container of cream. He deftly cut it open with a claw and drank out of it. "Well that's one son." Malcolm said amiably and scratched the cat behind the ears.

Maes walked out of the room a moment later, dressed in a long sleeved white turtle neck and black pants to a round of cheering and applause from his parents. He blinked at them all, he waved and stated, "M-morning." The room went silent, the doctors stared at him while he started some eggs. "The usual?" He asked without looking up. Chairs and eggs clattered to the ground and Maes suddenly found himself being slightly crushed by his parents, a slight wind erupted out from Maes but without his coat it wasn't anything dangerous. "I don't know what they're getting so worked up about. He talks all of the time." Morgan purred as he opened a second container of cream. Margaret eventually disentangled herself from Maes and gave Cecile a crushing hug sobbing, "Thank you. I don't know what you did, but you brought him back to us. Thank you so much."

[Zorolo]

Zorlo sat down as he cracked his neck. He sighed and looked at the woman with a smile. "I'm gonna start on cleaning duties... if you need me... I'll be somewhere. If I mess up too badly, I'll be hanging by my neck in a closet somewhere," the green-haired man said with a smile as he headed out of the room and got to work.

As soon as ZOrlo was gone, Tamlin entered into the room and moved towards Elsa. "We need to talk," she said as the door closed silently behind her. "If you have any objections to that, sweet cheeks, too bad. I'm the super here, and that gives me total rule over you," the woman said with a smirk as she took a drag of her cigarette.

[Helbaworshipper]

Cecile felt a bit stiff at the hug. She wasn't used to that much affection or someone being in a sense grateful for her intervention. "Your welcome," She answered the best she could while trying to understand if this type of hug was from a mother or just someone like a friend. Her hands slightly raised, but her arms remained where they were.

[GamerKale]

Malcolm pulled away from Maes and looked at his son questioningly as the boy took a deep calming breath and the breeze died down. "Maes, was that wind you?" Maes nodded slowly and rubbed his arms, "Yeah. Why?" Malcolm looked around behind Maes, glanced at the alarm system panel, and then back to Maes. "How did you do that?" He thought about it for a second and then shrugged, "Magic." "When did you learn stage magic?" "It's not a trick. It's real magic. Here I'll show you something you can actually see." He turned on the water faucet, took a deep breath and pulled a glob of it out of the stream and caused it to fly over to within arm's reach of his father so that he could touch it. Another deep breath and with furrowed brows and some of the water crystallized into ice and then Maes stopped concentrating and the water fell. Maes leaned back against the counter breathing heavily.

"Oh my-" Margaret slumped down against Cecile, fainting from the shock. Malcolm rushed over and picked his wife up. Maes looked at his parents and cocked his head, "You're taking this surprisingly well dad." "It could just be the sleep deprivation. We'll discuss this further later tonight, once I've gotten some sleep. It was very nice to meet you, Cecile." Maes started cleaning up the mess that had been eggs off the floor. "Would you like some Fruit Loops?"

[nekoryuuha]

(Sorry for not posting. Distracted by things.)


Zorlo wasn't the only one up early that morning in the apartment building. He'd barely gotten a floor down when a quiet voice hailed him from that floor. Arianna seemingly jumped the railing, sapphire sundress fluttering in the breeze of her passage, as she focused on her new gliding powers to carry her over and slow her fall to the landing Zorlo was standing on. "I'm getting better at this..." she murmured to herself before turning her crimson, one-eyed gaze on Zorlo. She looked, surprisingly serious. "Zorlo, I... need to talk to you about something important," she said to him, trying to speak up from her normal volume to be sure she was heard clearly. "It's about your family."

[Zorolo]

Zorlo looked at the girl and shook his head. "There is nothing to discuss, my young friend. They are my problem, and mine alone. Aside from there, how're you this morning?" the green-haired man asked her with a smile as he patted her on the head. "And have you eaten yet? If not... I'd say I'd make you breakfast... but that's not a good idea, so I'll go get something for you?"

[nekoryuuha]

"I'm okay, but... don't change the subject..." Arianna replied. She tensed under his touch as he pat her on the head, but she held herself still without cowering or retreating. She felt that if she did, she never get the chance to try again. "...I... want to help you. And I know, ...or at least, I'm incredibly sure, they're coming to kill you," she finished trying to stand firm in front of him like her big sister would. "Please, tell me what's going on."