Re: So it begins...

[Raven]

Onyx looked at her, then seemed to like shake his head. If he spoke, he was not letting on that was for sure. He playfully swatted her shoulder, well playfully for him. It would have been like being hit by a wrecking ball, but at least there where no claws right.

He let out a playful grow, almost as if he was chuckling. If Seleen was observant enough, she would notice that his fur actually had many wicked looking black barbs in it. They looked like they were ones that slide easy into the skin and tore it to hell as they came out. Were some of them even smoking?

Meanwhile Raven was to busy looking at his room. He darted from here to there with a speed one would not think was possible from his build. He was looking at everything wide eyed and was acting like a kid who just got his allowance and was set loose in a candy store for the first time.

Before he knew it was hugging DeRyanna and then was jumping on the bed. He asked a question and each word was followed by a bounce. "You sure this is for me?"

He then came back and brought out his bag of 'money', spilling it on the table. "What do I owe you? Do I owe extra for Onyx?"

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

Now, De'Ryanna had been standing aside as Raven reached his room, and she smiled seeing how he delighted in it, glad that she had done a fair job in giving him something that he wanted. If she had more time she could have done a better job. In fact, she was just about to say as much when he suddenly hugged her.

That took her by surprise, as evident by the wide-eyed expression. Sometimes shock was too much to cover up. Not many people hugged her - she could count the number of people on one hand - and when Raven did it instantly made her heat up and blush. Maybe she could blame it on the chill if he ever asked about it. The night was cold.

After she was released she worked to gain back her composure by brushing her hands down the front of her skirt and clearing her throat. "It is for you, yes. Improvements can be made on it, if you like." Watching him bounce up and down on the bed and them followed when she went to spread out his money.

"We will talk about payment when you check out. All pay when they leave." Offering him a smile. "Your companion, Onyx?" Taking a glance out the 'door' before back to him. "All I ask is that you keep him from harming the horses. The last thing we need is a stampede." She was trying to be funny.

[Guest]

Seleen was getting no response from the bear. That was until his massive paw came crashing into her shoulder, knocking her sideways. She stumbled over crashing against the wall with a thud. She shook her head for a moment, then stood erect again. Then she chuckled. His growl didn't scare her either. How does one scare a vampire? She smiled as she advanced upon the bear, still no fang in her smile. "Strong but silent type hmm, well save for that ferocious growl." Her comment was followed by a wink to show she was trying to be playful as well.

She stopped in her advancement, she was just getting ready to reach out and pet him, but then she noticed the barbs. The wicked looking barbs in his fur, that was something she had never seen before. Of course, she had never seen a rhinoceros sized bear before either. She tilted her head to the side as she looked at the barbs. And yes, she did think she saw smoke coming from some of them. She tilted her head to the other side as well. She was examining him. She was almost as curious as a cat at this point.

She reached out, but it wasn't to touch them. No, she was too smart for that. She was feeling for heat. She ran her hands over him, not touching. And as long as he was still, and she was quick of he wasn't, she would be ok. "Don't suppose you're going to tell me the interesting story of these barbs, are you? You know, you are a truly magnificent animal, so beautiful." She was watching closely making sure that she didn't accidentally impale her hand on one of those barbs.

[Raven]

Raven looked at DeRyanna and grinned. "No worries. Onyx does not like horses. Says they taste like dog food and glue. But will keep him away just the same. He is a great friend. I do not have many. "

He looked around the room, "This place is HUUUUUUUUUUUGE." The excitement still on his face. "But how can it be improved? Where can I cook what I hunt? Stream or brook or river near by for me to bathe in?"

He looks at his quiver. "I need to get more arrow heads if I am going to try and afford this place. Guy once told me that it took five of these," he picks up a washer," to get a hay loft for an hour. It took twenty of these. "he picks up the gold coin he had," just to get a meal. Lots of work to do."

He nodded then smiled, did mean he was going to be eating well. He wondered what there was to hunt in this area.


Meanwhile...

Onyx just shook his massive head and gave a grin like 'What? I am suppose to tell you all my secrets?' She would feel a cold coming from him and brimstone. As massive as he was, he was definitely unique and a creature that seemed to be built for fighting. Maybe that was his secret he was built.

He looked at her again and swatted her other shoulder this time. Obviously playing some. he then seemed to look at the way Raven went and then back to Seleen, almost asking whether she thought he would be alright. A bird happen to try and land on the hell bear, the barbs stood up and there was suddenly robin kabobs. As the barbs not only skewered, but pulled the bird apart. Onyx seemed to actually chuckle at this.

[Guest]

The cold she was feeling from the bear was cold enough that she could feel it in her bones. And as soon as she saw that massive paw move she moved her hand. She wasn't sure that he would see her move. Sometimes she moved too fast for most beings to see, but she wasn't sure if Onyx would be one of those beings.

Either way she was still in awe of the magnificent beast. And when his paw smashed into her shoulder she laughed as she hobbled to the side to keep from falling over. She looked behind herself for a moment and then turned around to face Onyx again. "He'll be fine, he's with De'Ryanna, even I trust her." That was saying a lot for her.

She saw the robin get skewered and laughed. Not just a chuckle, not this was full scale laughter. She thought it was hilarious. "Would you like some help getting that off of you?" A question asked through laughter. Why was such a thing so funny to the vampire? Who knows, maybe she was getting low on her med's.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

De'Ryanna couldn't help but chuckle and she did so in a polite manner - as she could anyway - to keep it from being taken the wrong way. She was glad that he was enjoying the room. As he spoke about money she looked over the things he presented.

One washer and one gold. Granted that in some places that may have been considered hardly anything at all, she believed that the people whom he had spoken with lied. "I think those people were trying to con you, Raven." Saying what she had been thinking. "Our prices are no so step here, a gold will surely be enough to provide you three modest meals a day at the bar for..." here she paused as she ran quick calculations in her head over the prices of the meals. "Four days." Maybe that will help to settle some fear he may have had about money.

"As for the other items..." Did she dare tell him that the garden had a pond for fear of him using it to bathe? "You can use the public showers on the first floor for your bathing needs and I.. suppose you could build a fire here, unless you would rather I provide you with a small stove." Even as she said that she was a bit doubtful and she twiddled her thumbs as she held her hands together and down in front of her skirt.

"Although, if you are looking for arrowheads, I don't know too much about hunting or that sort of thing, but there is a forge in town. Perhaps you could buy some there. " She was trying to be helpful.

[Raven]

He did see her move and kind of nodded. It had been a long time since had seen something move like that. That kind of locked it in what se was. So he sent an image. Not words. That image was of a bat with long teeth.

He seemed to shake his head at the idea of getting help and instead, shook like a dog getting water off. The bits of bird being shredded and sent flying to cover her and him. He gave a chuckle, in his way, at the sight. He still seemed worried about Raven. Especially since he was off with a lass.

Meanwhile....

Looked at DeRyanna and raised a brow. "What do you mean con? You saying I am not as well off as I thoguht?" His mood seem to dampen and he sat down hard. Only thing he forgot was there was nothign under him.

He looked at his belongings and then threw them outside, muttering about people and such. He heard what she said about the gold feeding him and went and picked it up. He pressed it into her hand and nodded.

"Guessing a fire in here works. You have already done to much as is. Yeah a fire in here. Be best I just stayed away from people. Maybe find somewhere up the road to bather and such. Maybe whileout hunting. Will just make these arrows last. Hate being lied to, but seems to happen to much."

He looked around the room once more. It was a masion to him and he knew he was going to have to work his butt off to pay for it. Now knowing that people lied to him and looked back at her. Would she? Maybe he was as rich as he thought and she did nto want him to think so. Then again maybe he was not.

His head hurt from it all, and his stomach gave way that he had not eaten in awhile. But he had to set things up. He moved around the room, setting a knife here and there. His bow near by with arrows right by it. He also stuck some in the ground near the doors and windows.

That left him five good arrows to go hunting with. That meant it had to be small game he went after to make them last. He muttered to himself, "Think it best to avoid a forge."

Meanwhile....

Onyx sensed something was not right. He raised up on his hind legs to his full height. A good fifteen feet in the air. It would give Seleen a good look at how sharp this claws were and how massive he was. The cold would seem to grom colder around him, yet his eyes were full of fire. The smell of brimstone and suphlur rising.

He came down on his front paws hard, sending little shock waves all around him. Then took off to find Raven. He charged on, moving faster then many thought one his size could, and yet leaving little trace he had been there.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

An internal sigh, though she didn't let it show on her face, a practiced habit. He hhad given her the coin and, truthfully, she felt a bit guilty. Not fully because she took his money, but that he was paying for things up front. She managed to get out a small "Thank you" before he started talking about fire and staying away from people. De'Ryanna turned her eyes away from him and down to her hand and the coin. When she looked back up she saw that he was setting things up around the room.

What was he doing? In an effort to stay out of the way, she made sure to move aside whenever he came near or it seemed that she was a bother. Maybe she was making him uncomfortable and now that he had his room she should simply leave him to his business. With her heightened hearing she heard his stomach grumble and she thought again about the gold coin he had given her. "Would you like something to eat? It's easy for me to get to the kitchen from here. I can bring you something and, and some timber to start a fire."

She smiled then and took a step closer. "I may not know a lot about hunting or woodsman survival, but I do know how to start a fire."

[Guest]

Seleen watched Onyx as he nodded. She saw the image he flashed in her mind, she knew it had to come from him. A bat, with fangs. Yes, he had it right, almost. In bat form there were not fangs. Not many vampires actually turned into bats. Some turned into wolves or rats or snakes or a few other creatures. And then some couldn't shape shift at all. Would she give away which she was, never.

Onyx shook and the pieces of the little bird flew everywhere. Some even getting on her cheek bone right under her eye. She wiped at the little chunk with her finger and stuck it in her mouth. "Mmm, tastes like chicken." She laughed.

But then Onyx was rising up on his hind legs. She took a step back as she watched him in awe. He was even bigger than he looked. And so were his claws. She crossed her arms over her chest and rubbed them with her hands, a definite sign she was cold. She could smell the sulfurous scent of brimstone and stopped breathing so she didn't have to smell it.

But just as Onyx had rose up, he again slammed down. The ground shook beneath her feet and she stepped to the side to keep from falling. But as soon as his front paws hit the ground he was off and running. Luckily for Seleen, she was faster than any other vampire she had ever met, any other being for that matter, save for her boyfriend. She took off after Onyx and was even able to keep up with him. He moved way faster than she had thought he would.

[Raven]

He looked at DeRyanna and said, "Food would be good. Could not afford any in town." He looked back around at his preparations. He nodded as he thought he was ready this time.

He was turning around to answer DeRyanna about the fire, when he noticed Onyx. That bear did not look happy. especially as he was rearing up behind DeRyanna.

raven started waving his hands like mad. "Easy grumpy bear. Easy. She did nothing. She told me we were being cheated in town is all. Easy."

He was trying to calm that big old bear down. This was not the time for them to see what he could do. raven did not even want to see it ever again for that matter.

Onyx had reared up, as the entered their room. he could smell horses and knew he was going to have to stay away. But with one look at the defensive measures Raven was taking, he knew something was up. Was the woman praying on the boy's innocence?

He did not know. what he did know was something was not right. He saw raven waving his hands and heard his words. They had been cheated? He let out a roar, which would have reverberated around the room. It was the roar of a daemon. How could that come out of this bear?

He looked at raven and then at the woman. His eyes seemingly to stare into her soul. To those that were able to do it an image of a wolf going behind a tree and coming out human was seen.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

She held her pose for longer than she should have, not moving when she heard - and felt - the approach from behind. It wasn't until Raven moved and started talking to the creature that she turned, slowly, to face the Hell Bear. The trick was to not show fear or nerves, maybe then it wouldn't see her as a threat? At least, that's what she had read in books, who's to say what it was really like?

Going on that knowledge she tried to keep herself as composed as possible as Raven explained the situation to his animal companion. Hopefully he would understand. She didn't try to come off as hounding or that she was trying to take advantage of the young man. Perhaps she had stood too close and it would have been better had she stayed on the other side of the room. Or even outside.

Her eyes were on this creature and his were on hers, even as Raven was trying to get his attention and calm him down. The fact that they had been cheated before had struck a cord with the bear....Onyx she remembered Raven calling him. He had cause to be upset and the roar he emitted caused De'Ryanna to stand straighter with her shoulders back. She wasn't use to having anyone roar at her (except her father), at least he wasn't he wasn't roaring at her....right?

Then that mental image came across, something that she was not expecting, and it caused her jaw to tighten. It took a lot of will power on her part to not react in a negative way, chalking it up to the bears way of communication. So he could see what part of her was, fortunately that was all he saw.

Calmly, she spoke and kept her hands visible, down in front of her. "I fear my presence may be upsetting your companion. I should leave now and get your food."

[Guest]

Seleen had stepped up to the area not two steps behind Onyx. She watched as he reared up and growled at De'Ryanna. She seemed rather calm given what she was facing. She stood less than a foot from them as she watched. She didn't want to aggravate the situation, so she just watched. But she was at the ready just in case.

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