A Mug of Hot Cider

[zury]

[glow=red,3,000]~Sabir~[/glow]

“I shall hold you to your words, sir.” Sabir stated, his voice quiet thought his eyes were slightly narrowed. “I will not come along, but if I ever catch wind of something unfortunate befalling this lady here, I will track you down.” Sabir did not wish to follow along anymore, but rather pick up his things and go home. He wanted to be in the privacy of his own home for the moment. His legs were itching and knew that if he did not get home soon, he would not be able to conceal a white tail from the humans in this area.

When approached on the subject of names, Sabir only tightened his frown. “Well, Joseph, I do not believe my name or whether I live here is important for you to know at this moment.” With that he straightened up and picked up his bags. Looking on last time at the passed out Sequoia and then Joseph, he turned, walking away into the snow flurries that could not make up their minds in whether they wanted to come down fast or slow.

Sabir only glanced back once, his red eyes looking almost somewhat menacing as they glowed due to the white snow and his pale skin and hair. But he turned around quickly enough and continued forward. He did not enjoy the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach as he pushed past people and heading toward the outskirts of the city and toward the northern part of the coasts where his home near the shore awaited him.

[Relairah]

A slight sigh escaped Joseph's lips, he watching as Sabir would
simply pick up and walk off. He watched him for only a moment,
yet made no attempt to hold the man even further. If he didn't
want to come along, that was his business. Although, Joseph
had to admit he had sort of hoped the other would come along.
Giving it a mental shrug, he decided not to worry too much about
it. His gaze turned to the still unconscious Sequoia... he needn't
worry about Sabir, he had other things he had to do now that he
had taken up Sequoia. She had actually been a sort of excuse for
him to start talking to Sabir, as he wanted to find out about the
individual. Why? Because from his appearance, it was apparent
he was no normal human being but a half-breed- just like Joseph.

Still, this girl was a pretty one and he didn't want for any harm to
come to her, thus he continued on his way, his home not too far
from there. He half wanted to change forms, just to get there
faster, but he figured he'd never hear the end of it if someone
saw, or if Sequoia woke up on the way there. Thus he did not.
Little did Sabir, or Joseph, know their homes weren't all that
far from eachother. But they may or may not discover that later.

As he walked along, golden eyes would glance at the girl he
carried every now and then, making sure she was okay and still
out. A few of the people that passed by would murmer different
things about what the heck he was doing with this girl in his
arms, but he ignored them. At last they reached his little home,
quite near the beach on the coasts. It was a good-sized home,
not too fancy, but pleasurable - not too small, and not too large.
He huffed slightly as he shifted Sequoia's weight slightly so he
could reach to turn the handle and open the door. Taking her in,
careful not to bump her on anything, such as the doorway, he
laid her down on a couch that lay in the first room and turned,
going off into his kitchen.

He was a bit anxious for her to wake up... now that he was no
longer carrying her. He hadn't really intended to bring her to his
home, but neither had he wanted to just put her down on the
streets to watch her for a while. He grabbed a glass out of a
cabinet on the far wall, filling it with water and then went out
and sat in a chair opposite the couch. Being as he had never
been drunk before, he hardly knew what to expect of her. Thus
he simply watched and waited.

[zury]

[glow=red,3,000]~Sabir~[/glow]

When Sabir was home, he set his things inside a room that dedicated solely to his art. Fabrics lay strewn across a chair in front of a machine used for sewing in front of the window looking out across the ocean. As soon as the door was safely shut behind him, he allowed the luxury of donning his tail. The four foot long appendage stretched out across the floor as he sat down in the chair in front of the machine, his hands idly looking at the fabric that he had been working on. But he could not get Sequoia off his mind. Had he really made a wise choice by leaving her with that man? Well, he thought to himself, too late now.

With ease he stood up and slithered out onto his back porch, watching as the snow drifted down onto the sand below. Glancing around, he went down the ramp and into the sand, letting his tail curl into the soft grains that decorated the beach. He did not stray far from his house, however, in fear of being caught unawares by someone else. Shivering, he went back up the ramp and into the house and grabbed a throw blanket and took it outside with him and sat in one of the cushioned chairs on the porch and wrapped himself up in the blanket, thinking.

That man, he thought suddenly, had not looked normal. Perhaps it was just an instinct? Or a worry. Idly he flicked his tail back and forth, letting it get the exercise it so rightly deserved. It shivered then curled back under the fleece blanket.

[Aveilthé]

Sequoia was resting peacefully in God knows where. Yet she could
feel the comfort of the atmosphere, it was so warm and it gave
her an incredible, almost 'high' feeling. She could feel the sofa's
threadwork with her fingers, but she kept her eyes closed. It was
like a dream. Being in such a comfortable place, it was so unreal.
Please, don't ever let me wake up...

Her eyes fluttered open. For a moment, her eyes were blurred from
sleep. She snapped them wide open and sat up quickly. After
taking one good look at the man next to her and around the room,
she gave a quick intake of breath and screamed on the top of
her lungs. Still screaming, she took the pillow from the sofa
and threw it at the stranger, screaming, "RAPIST, RAPIST" and
running around the house, not bothering to calm down.

Absolutely freaked out by everything surrounding her, she tried
her best to smash everything that this stranger owned, throwing
glass at the man's head if she could try. "RAPIST!" she screeched,
her world turning all awry, but she didn't care.

[Relairah]

A smile came to the lips of the man who had taken Sequoia away
from the tavern previously, as she awoke, sitting up and looking
at him. However, the smile quickly turned to a frown as she
began screaming dramatically. 'I should've expected this...'
he thought with a sigh and a scowl. He knew a calming spell,
however he hesitated. There were so many bad things that
could result if he used it. And- he doubted he should grab her,
forcing her to be quiet. That'd make everything worse. He rose,
wondering if she would actually be able to hear him in all of her
screaming and flurry of throwing everything around, or if she'd
listen at all.

When she threw the glass vase, he easily caught it, placing it on
the table beside him. He swiftly moved to stand in her path,
though that perhaps really wouldn't do much, considering she
could turn or grab something next to her. He grabbed her wrist,
golden eyes watching her only for a moment. "Calm down! You
just got here barely. You friggin' passed out in the damn
tavern from getting drunk! If I hadn't taken you here, you
probably would have been raped. You weren't even out
that long!" His voice was raised slightly in frustration. He
figured she'd probably slap him, but he'd gotten worse before.
He frowned, his grip still on her wrist, but not tightly so that she
couldn't pull herself free if she wanted to.

[zury]

[glow=red,3,000]~Sabir~[/glow]

Screaming. He could hear screaming. Sabir, at that point, thanked the heavens above for blessing him with such great hearing. Without a second thought he threw off his blanket and changed back into his legs, running toward where he heard the screaming. This screaming did not sound like the good kind of screaming, but rather a troubled screaming. Sabir darted up the stairs that led to the house where the screaming was coming from. With one powerful blow, he kicked down the door, wincing lightly. That would probably be stiff in the morning.

“RAPIST! RAPIST!” that sounded like Sequoia. His heart rate sped up faster as he traveled through the house, skidding to the entrance to the room Joseph and Sequoia were. He growled, that man had tried to take advantage of Sequoia! Sabir hoped the man would remember that he would hurt him if he had taken advantage of a drunk and passed out lady.

“Let go of her!” he roared, not even noticing that Joseph was talking to Sequoia and trying to explain the situation. Already he could feel his poisonous fangs itching to drop from his gums and implant themselves in the man’s body.

[Aveilthé]

Sequoia scrambled in a frenzy manner toward a corner of the house,
holding a plate over her head. "Come any closer and I swear I will
kill you," she screamed, shaking all over. As he made a successful
grasp for her arm, she tried tugging away from his grip but she
was too powerless. In shock, she dropped the plate, but luckily
it did not break, it simply made a dull clatter upon the floor.
She shook her dark head as if blocking out his words, hissing
through her teeth, "Lies!"

The brat was too used to city life, she did not quite comphrehend
that this area was a more peaceful city than that of Thor.
Countless of times, young (and older) men tried to rape her, for
she was a street rat most of the time, so who could blame her?

"You don't just pick up someone from the floor," she growled
loudly, tugging her arm away forcefully but to no avail. "For all
you know, I could be some derranged maniac!" And with that,
her pub companion burst in, and she screamed in happiness
that there was finally a familiar, kind face to help her. Yet in her
heart she was bubbling with anger, for she hated the role of
'Damsel in distress'.

[Relairah]

Obviously, talking and reasoning with her was getting nowhere.
Oh, if only he had just left matters to that other fellow. But then
again, he didn't want to find out whether or not she would have
accused him of rape as well. He had a slight curiosity as to
what sort of life she'd been having, but then again, he had been
to every human place he knew of in these areas and had seen
much. Head turned, slightly surprised when Sabir came bursting
in. "Ah, damn, you broke the door. Now I gotta replace it," he
mummbled with a scowl.

He frowned, pausing a moment, then released Sequoia rather
gently, stepping back from her slightly. "As you wish," he said
simply, glancing at Sequoia, then at Sabir once again. "You don't
know anything. You simply assumed from her ridiculous screams.
You know as well as I that people in this town don't do that so
often. And anyway, you don't know what you're getting into." He
spoke rather coldly toward Sabir, yet if Sabir would not listen to
him, he wasn't quite sure of what he should do. If he and this
other should get in a fight over this, he hoped desperately that
he would not have to use his phoenix form. It would further
disturb Sequoia which he hardly wanted to do. However,
knowing the other to be a half-breed like himself, he had a gut
feeling that's where it could lead.

Glancing every now and then at Sequoia, he waited for Sabir's
response, wondering what the other would say in response.
Would he listen and convince Sequoia he was no liar? Or would
he side with Sequoia and accuse him based on what he'd heard
from the girl's mouth.

[zury]

[glow=red,3,000]~Sabir~[/glow]

Sabir relaxed lightly as Sequoia was released.
"Come over here Sequoia." he asked gently, stretching out his hand to take hers. When and if she came over to him, he would ask her if she was all right.
Sabir wanted nothing more than to change into his Naga form and sink his poisonous fangs into Joseph's neck. He was sure Sequoia would not mind. But he couldn't kill the man.

Not yet anyways, he added.

A thought suddenly entered his head. What would Sequoia say when he told her that he had let Joseph take her? Joseph had vouched for being her friend, his mind told him. Which was true. Perhaps she would not hate him that much.

"You went back on your word, Mister Joseph. I trusted you to take care of this young lady whom you said was your friend. I do hope you remember what I said." If nothing else, perhaps engaging him in a fight would teach him a lesson. With that idea, he began to shift into his Naga form. Soon, a white tail was coiled under him, a forked tongue flicking out as his eyes narrowed.

[Aveilthé]

Sequoia, merely a simple human girl, fell back away from the two of
them. Her mind was addled greatly now with confusion. How come
Sabir wanted to help her? Bar-buddies or not, she never had
a real heart-to-heart conversation with the guy, and besides, she
knew him for just only a split moment. Why was he so keen
to help her?

And this other guy, desperate to help her also. She seethed
through her teeth as she fell back upon the couch, holding her
legs up to her chin as she shouted, "Wierdos! I don't trust
either of you! I would really much like to get out of here now!"
She made to get up, but she felt too weak. As she tried standing
up, she merely fell back again. Her legs felt like lead, and she
was exhausted. It was late.

Desperate to find power through voice, she spoke aloud once
more. "I'm not afraid of both of you. And... and... you..." she
shook her head vigorously. "S-Sabir, you just left me there!
Yes, yes! I can't trust you either! Nobody! I hardly know you!
I don't even know this country! And you," she pointed at the
man that carried her there, "you shoulda just left me there!"
It was obvious that at this point she was hysterical.

"Who the bloody hell are you people?"

[Relairah]

Joseph frowned slightly when Sabir sent Sequoia the gentle
beckon, yet smirked when Sabir spoke to him. "Well now, I do
indeed remember what you said. And you have no reason to
carry it out." He glanced at Sequoia when she preceeded to call
them weirdos and say all sorts of things he really didn't care to
listen to, yet somehow did. He sighed slightly, "If you don't know
the country, why bother coming here?" he questioned her, rather
annoyed. "And.. we should've just left you there? No, that would
have been even more wrong, because then you could
have been raped, and it would be on our hands for just leaving
you. Is concern for someone a crime?" Turning his attention more
to Sabir now, he continued, "and for god's sake! I did not do
anything to her! Her clothes are exactly the same, for one
thing." He folded his arms across his chest, trying to hide the
flickers of flames that bounced on his fingertips at the frustration
that flooded through him.

[zury]

[glow=red,3,000]~Sabir~[/glow]

When Sequoia started to freak out, Sabir immediately ignored Joseph. He shifted back into his human form, a pained look on his face. He had not meant to upset her. “Sequoia, please, calm down.” he stated gently, inching close to her. “I never meant to hurt you or make up upset. You sounded like you were in danger, and I came to help. Should you hate me for trying to do the right thing and possibly save you from something that would scar you for the rest of your mortal life?” he questioned gently, hoping he could reach her with his words. When she talked about him leaving her there, he winced, then spoke. “I was going to take you home and let you rest there until you woke up from your hangover. Yet he came in, picked you up, and claimed to be a friend of yours. I am deeply sorry that I let him take you. Had I known what would’ve happened, I would’ve never let you leave my sight. Please, forgive me Sequoia.”

When Joseph spoke, Sabir turned his eyes back to the phoenix in disguise. “That may be true that her clothes are intact, but they might not have been if I had not gotten here in time. You are not to be trusted in my eyes, you so called friend of Sequoia. I bet you hardly know the girl at all!” this sent anger boiling through the normally placid Naga male. Already his fangs were growing back, though he retained his human legs. He forced himself to stop changing; it would do no good to frighten Sequoia anymore than she had been. He stepped from before the door, leaving a clear exit for the human female.

“I am deeply sorry for what happened here today for you Sequoia,” Sabir stated softly, honestly. The Naga hadn’t meant to cause all this damage. He gave a slight smile. “It was nice talking to you, however.” he acted as if he would probably never see her again. Which at this rate , he thought, I won’t.

[Aveilthé]

Finding strength in her legs, she rose up. "Oh damn...," she spoke
softly, clutching a pillow to her stomach. She didn't feel so well,
but she tried ignoring the pain. As she heard Sabir, she held her
breath. Slowly, she walked toward him. Grabbing his clothes
delicately, she spoke. "I-I'm sorry," she cried, "I've no friends
anywhere here, and I find it hard to trust anyone. I trust you,
and I think it was a mistake to drink so much. That's a fault on
my part, and I never usually do that anyway!" She looked on
the verge of tears. Though young and independent, she had
her insecurities. She really liked this Sabir and didn't want to lose
anymore friends.

As she let go of his clothes, she began pacing in small circles,
though she was breathing rather hard. After a moment she spoke.
"I'm not in pain or anything...," she began, "I feel fine actually,
except my belly feels really screwed. Sorry for breaking your things,
Sir," she mumbled, looking toward the man she hardly knew.
"I panicked because I woke up in a place I didn't know, but now
I understand your true intentions... oh please forgive me...
Sabir, I think this man meant well..." Upon finishing this
statement, she sighed heavily, still clutching the pillow, and wiped
a tear from her face. She still felt a bit jittery, much like a trapped
squirrel. Sabir had moved aside as if allowing her to leave if
she wanted. At this point though, she felt nothing more than
a child, not knowing what to do.

She realized suddenly how odd the situation was. Shifting her
eyes around hastily, she looked back at the man. "I wonder if
I could stay here for just tonight," she inquired, "and maybe
Sabir. It would probably be a good idea," she added, glancing
at her Naga companion. "Just imagine how cold it is outside right
now! And uh... err... I don't mean to impose either, if you want
pay I have just a bit of money for both of us..." Now Sequoia
was quite desperate to ease the thickness in the air, hoping to
start all over again between the three of them.

[Relairah]

Joseph scowled when Sabir began to speak to Sequoia in such a
gentle manner, his golden eyes seeming to flicker when Sabir turned
on him and began to transform slightly again. "Damn it," he
muttered under his breath. He had half a nerve to just transform
then and attack the other half-breed. Except, suddenly his attention
was turned toward Sequoia. It seemed her whole demeanor had
changed. It sort of surprised him, yet he was flooded with relief. He
glanced at Sabir with a glance of, 'Ha, told you so...' yet turned
his gaze back to Sequoia and sighed, "'Tis understandable, guess I
risked it with taking you up like that." He took a quick glance around
the room, now realizing how much she'd actually destroyed. It
would take a bit of work and time to fix stuff or clean up, but he'd
handle it.

He glanced at Sabir, wondering what his reaction would be now.
"Uhm, sure, I wouldn't mind." He knew she'd probably want some
place where she knew she'd be secure, and with Sabir in the house,
he figured she'd probably know for sure, at least enough. He smiled
faintly, "No money will be necessary. There's a couple rooms in the
back. Er, just follow me." With that he began to walk across the
large room, turning down a small hallway with two doors on either
side. He had picked up Sequoia's name in all the mess and thus he
entered the room on the left and gestured for her to follow.
"Sequoia, you can stay in here if you wish." He gestured to the room
across from it. "And, Sabir, you can stay in that one. Of course no
one has to, but those rooms are available if you wish."

He paused, then moved back up the hallway. "Oh yea, uhm,
Sequoia... if your stomach decides it wants to unload, the bathroom
is right here." He gave a faint smile and showed her to the first door
on the right. Of course, the last door on the hallway, being the first
door on the left was Joseph's room, but he did not go in it or
anything. There was no need. "So, uh, either of you need
anything?" He was rather tense still, but tried not to show it. He
wanted to make it comfortable for the two, but they both had
destroyed a lot in his house. He resolved to be nice and all, being as
he couldn't really blame either of them, yet it was still
difficult.

[zury]

[glow=red,3,000]~Sabir~[/glow]

“Sequoia, there is no need to stay in this house any longer than we have to. I live mere seconds away from here. Wouldn’t you be much more comfortable there?” he questioned. He, to be honest, did not want to stay at Joseph’s home. But this time he would not pick up his items and leave. If he had to stay here, so be it. But he wouldn’t go down without a fighting chance and convince Sequoia that it would be much better if she stayed at his home.

Sabir still felt as if the male was untrustworthy, good intentions or not. His eyes followed the phoenix in disguise’s every move, and his shoulders did not relax. Unconsciously he shifted back to his tail, the tip flicking restlessly across the floor as if it were some sort of broom. He took a perch on the arm of the couch, letting his four foot appendage stretch onto the floor like a great dog’s lolling tongue, the end still flicking back and forth. As hard as he might try, Sabir could not force his fangs to go back up into his mouth, so the tips rested on his lower lip, glinting with a amber colored tint that was poison. He’d have to milk his fangs soon at this rate, he thought.

When his body went into the fight or flight response, his fangs became very overactive and produced great amounts of poison. That was the case here. And as much as he wished to be a further pain to Joseph and let his poison drip across the male’s floor, he would not. And that was only because Sequoia was in the room and he wanted to continue to be in her good graces. So with the back of his sleeve, he wiped the amber colored liquid away from his teeth, the fluid somewhat sticky.