& butterfly kisses

[Scarlett Oyasumi]

"Oooh... humm." Softly her voice streamed like the melody of a flute from her mouth, brushing lightly against her crimson lips. The sound droned quietly, mingling with the lake's breath before becoming nothing but a sweet memory of what once was. The rays of a two o'clock sun fluttered to the ground like falling, golden snow. The light fell through the white whisps of cloud against the baby blue sky, trickling through the crisp air. With it came a deep warmth that opposed the chilly breeze. When it landed on the water's surface, it glittered like the diamond scales of a giant azure serpant, softly hissing at the sandy banks. Any normal person would have found today to be beautiful. Any normal person that is, except Scarlett.

Actually, she was so partial to this type of weather, in her own mind she considered it a phobia. The chirping birds and whispering breeze irked her so; nails against a chalk board would be a more pleasant sound to her than the latter. Regardless, today was her one day off from the FBI, and she had exhausted her entire collection of books and DVD's. She'd considered for a second that maybe it would be worthwhile to walk around town, do some shopping for once. That consideration was quickly executed. Instead, she was choosing to spend her afternoon by the lake.

She couldn't complain too much though. The bed of soft marsh grass molded her body. She lay back in it, her bare arms and legs relishing the soft jade leaves. Pupils narrowed within her muddy crimson iris, staring at the clouds that tugged along. Her slender fingers spread as she held her palm to the sky, letting the light leak around them. "And this one looks liiike... a duck," she murmured boredly, blinking her half lidded eyes as she let her arm rest back into the grass. A small yawn escaped her and she closed her eyes, rolling to her side.

note: meow :3 open

[/size][/color]

[Rozen Sariko]

Rolling her eyes, a strange frown was placed upon her pale face. Deep pink eyes looked to the world below, watching everything slowly passing her by. It was quite a lonely place, the sky. Or at least that was what she thought of it. Never meeting a soul in the vast expanse of air made her life a quiet one. Oh sure, she wasn’t one to complain, but there was no fun in being alone with her thoughts. Sighing in annoyance, she crossed her arms over her chest. Large feathered wings bought her to the lake, a fair bit of distance from the city itself. The water was shimmering in the light. Truth be told, it was enough to make the girl gag. Tilting her body to one side, something caught her attention. There was a shadow, in the reeds. It wasn’t animal shaped, so it must be a human, or a Shifter at least. “Great…just what I need. Some stupid person’s going to gawp at me.” Letting her arms loosen around her chest a little, she decided to get out of the sky, before drawing attention to herself. Dipping her body, she soared down to the ground, lightly landing on her heels. It was probably one of her more…graceful landings. Letting her wings get smaller, she looked on to the lake.

‘Ugh, what a sickly sweet sight…’

Her eyes fell to the lake, but more specifically, a group of reeds. It was where the other person was. Unfolding her arms, she flattened out her purple and white dress, making sure everything was down. Tall heeled boots carried her slowly over towards the other person, the same frown still placed on her face as before. Normally, she never ventured over to others, but felt a sudden urge to do so. Perhaps she could torment the poor soul or something. She just about caught the other speaking, taking the voice to be female. Something about…cloud shapes, she didn’t quite grasp her words. The tall girl watched as the other rolled onto her side, eyes closing. How peaceful she looked, lying in the reed clumps. Too bad her day was about to be spoilt. “Hmm, what a lovely sight to behold; someone sleeping in reeds.” Her voice was very delicate and smooth, but held a very bitter edge to it, her frown turning into a very small smirk.

[Scarlett Oyasumi]

Her body absorbed the warmth of the sun. It was like laying in a giant pit of fire, the reeds like the tips of flames licking her skin. Her paleness presented a challenge though, and today she'd chosen to wear shorts and a tank top. Soon she'd have to leave, or else face a sunburn that would probably bother her for weeks. She sighed, inhaling the sweet scent of the salty air. She let her arms weave into the grass, burying herself in her blanket of life. It was these moments that Scarlett could lose herself. It was that inner animal, the wolf within that she kept secret, that yearned to roll in these grasses forever. The canine in her blood wanted to howl at the breeze, run through the river and roll in the mud. However, the human part of her was far too sensible. She was not an animal. That behavior was forbidden.

It seemed but seconds more that she was alone, and then she heard a faint noise behind her. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest and her muddy crimson eyes burst open. Instinctively, her hands fled to her shorts. Her fingers caressed a buldge in her pocket, where her gun sat firmly in its case. Closing her eyes once more, she let the creature approach her. Calmly. Waiting. Then she heard the creature's voice, and she could immediately place it. This thing was a shifter.

"Watching people sleep, because that's not completely creepy..." She hissed the words through her pursed lips, sounding more serpant than human. It took effort for her to keep back her low growl that treatened to burst out. Slowly but surely, she rolled onto her back, her short black hair falling out of her eyes so they could gaze upon the girl. Scarlett couldn't identify her, but her wings were a whole different story. They were, frightening. Just from her appearance, Scarlett felt a sense of disgust. Shifters were freaks. She was a shifter, and as was this girl. The only difference between the two is that Scarlett worked for humans. She was rectifying her putrid existance. This, thing, had to be tracked. Termination.

She didn't bother to sit up, but every muscle in her body was tense. Her lips were pressed up in a snarl, and her hand never left her gun. She would have to be careful. Even her gun could not completely protect her, and turning into her wolf form was forbidden, even as a last resort. Nobody could know she was a shifter. "But I suppose I can't really expect much from a feathered freak... You'd better scram, or I'm going to rip those pretty little wings right out of their sockets."

[/size][/color]

[Rozen Sariko]

Deep pink eyes watched the woman shifting in the reeds, the smirk still placed firmly on her pale face. She found some child-like thrill in watching her sleeping, which she didn’t seem to find odd in and way at all. Quickly, her gaze fell to the pocket where the black haired woman’s hand travelled to. There was something there, something which was seemingly precious to her. The smirk widened on her face as her eyes then met the deep crimson ones of her ‘friend’. No normal person had those colour eyes, unless they were contacts. Or, she was a Shifter too. Small black wings twitched a little as she shook her head in mock disappointment. “Watching people sleeping is not a hobby of mine, because people don’t sleep during the day normally. But, I guess I was wrong.” Rolling her eyes, she turned away, pretending to be hurt by her hissed tone of voice. Though, the opposite was true. She was enjoying the display of aggression on show. The white haired teen was really surprised at how much emotion she had evoked from just uttering a few words. Normally, she would have had to start an argument to get such a reaction. She was starting to like the other woman intensely. She could have fun.

Sighing, she turned back to see that the other had rolled onto her back, taking in her appearance. Arms folded back over her chest, head tilting to one side in a very animal-like fashion. Fingers curled around her sleeves, fiddling with the bows down her arm, seeming uninterested in where the conversation was going. She continued to watch the strange snarl forming on the other woman’s face, and she couldn’t help but smile again, keeping the giggle in her throat. There was something very charming about her, and she was so easy to torment too. “A feathered freak you say? Well, that is very impolite of you darling.” Raising an eyebrow as she lent on one leg, she raised her head above her shoulders again, squaring her body up. She found it very amusing how the other’s personality was so aggressive. Could it be that the woman was indeed a shifter, of a very territorial animal perhaps? It was hard to tell from first glance.

‘Oh, this is going to be a great deal of fun. Just by speaking and existing, I have tapped a nerve. She will be easy to torment!’

Unfolding her arms and letting them hang loosely by her sides, she couldn’t help but let her giggle slip out of her mouth. “I doubt you’d even come near me, let alone use that shiny gun of yours.” Pausing for a moment, she smiled devilishly; “Oh yes, I can see it there in your pocket. Besides, even if you did use it, the chances of you actually hitting me would be…well, quite slim if I do say so myself.” She was having too much fun for her own good now, and it was starting to show in her cocky and arrogant attitude.

[Scarlett Oyasumi]

The feathered girl's expression was hardly satisfying. Scarlertt watched her every move. Her burgundy eyes never left the girl's pink ones, locking onto her oddly colored pools like the moth to the bug zapper, curiously. Everything about this girl irked Scarlett. It was in her nature to observe human behavior, and the attitude of this girl was so bold that it harldy took any thinking at all to decipher her personality. She was arrogant. She had no fears, just because of those wings on her back. Those were the people which disgusted Scarlett the most, those who flaunted their freakish forms. They were the people she wished most to take down. Her wolfish form squirmed beneath her skin; the sight of this callow mutant made her blood run red. It took every ounce of her effort to hold back the growl that rumbled in the back of her throat, quivering on the tip of her tounge. Yet, at the same time, she was... happy.

It was these moments Scarlett lived for. The chase, her job, taking shifters down. And a shifter like this was like a diamond in a pile of coal. They were easy to control; manipulating a cocky shifter was as easy as pulling the trigger on her gun. Even as the bird shifter faced away, it was emberassingly obvious that she was overly confident. Her every action oozed a sort of hot headedness. The hair on the end of her arms stood up, however, her eyes became half lidded. If there was something Scarlett had mastered it was holding back her emotion over her animal instincts. Her dull red lips were the only sign of an emotion; the top lift arched to the left, sneering. The snarl revealed several of her perfect ivory teeth, glimmering like canine fangs. Her muscles loosened, and her frail body, like limp leaves, pushed up with a short breeze. She sat indian style, one hand on the gun and the other on her ankle. Piercing eyes glanced to the girl's hands. She watched her fix the ribbons on her sleeves, and a small smirk slipped onto her lips before her face became expressionless once more. Feigning uinterest, eh? However, it was quite obvious that, with the tenacity that intertwined her words, that she was certainly interested.

Her head lifted as the girl spoke, and her eyes opened slightly in interest. Darling? Pfft. Her nose wrinkled in disgust of the casual term, and her slender black brows furrowed delicately. Her tongue rolled along her lips for a moment as she took in the words, and again her body became tense. A sudden gust of chilly wind brushed up her spine, sending a shiver rippling through her body. Gritting her teeth, she slid her free hand beneath her, and lifted her body up. As she stood, she took in the words of the bird girl. Before she could even stand to her full height, she stopped. Her eyes widened, and her head turned slowly. Her lips, still snarled, quivered gently as she rose to her full height, arching a brow. "They say that arrogance diminishes wisdom.... so you must be pretty stupid." It was slightly out of character, but she let a long smile stretch across her features. Her eyes glittered like mischevious gems, her cheeks blushing slightly with the thrill of sarcasm. "And if this wasn't true, your previous statement immediately marked you as a fool in my book".

She slipped a hand into her pocket, and slowly brought out the little black pistol. Her hand fitted it perfectly, and she slipped a slender finger into the trigger. The smile vanished from her face, and a sudden look of gloom overcame her. Purely emotionless, she held the gun parallel to her chest. "But let's be honest... I'm not entirely sure that it would even be worth wasting a bullet on you. I mean, why would I bother killing you, when I could let you go along living your life being so hideous.... looking at yourself in the mirror each day most definetly must be a fate worse than death." With her free hand, she smoothed back her fine ebony hair. Her voice was soft, mellow. Nothing about it would denote her fervor, with the exception of those lips. "What are you anyway, a chicken shifter? How horridly pitiful."

[/size]

[Rozen Sariko]

‘This…girl is quite the interesting one indeed. I have never met someone with a personality to rival my own. How sickening. And here I thought I was the arrogant one. Hm, she had a lot to learn about rivalling with me. No-one will be stealing my glory, not even some…well, whatever she is. Stupid girl has coloured eyes of a strange crimson. That is an instant sign she is one of my own. And yet, she seems to hide it, keep it a secret. I wonder why that might be. No Shifter hides themselves these days, you can always see at least some form of sign they are one. Be it looks, or some animal personality trait. I myself keep my wings, because they are the perfect tool, even if I hate the wretched marks they have left all down my back. I also have my attitude, thank you. The Raven’s blood is strong in my mind, and compels me to be a b*tch. But, what fun it is! However, I must keep this girl amused, otherwise, well; I don’t particularly want to loose a part of me. Not yet anyway.’

She was starting to loose interest in the other, and it was clearly showing. She placed one of her hands on her hips, leaning to one side casually. Her black wings gave a small flap, one thick black feather falling to the ground. Not even the freezing wind really caught her attention, the bottom of her dress flapping around as it came over her. All it did was cause her eyes to waver to the water. It sparkled delicately, and she had to turn back. Those kinds of sighs actually made her feel sick. Many people were actually surprised by that. After all, she was in a dress and looked very girly, despite her tough attitude and sharp tongue. But, it was interesting to see others reactions to her. And, the black haired girl was no different. In fact, she was starting to enjoy herself again now she thought about it in more depth.

Pink eyes watched as the other rose, snarling again and raising an eyebrow to her comment. Her reply only made the smile on her face grow larger. Evidently, this was going to be quite a good match of wits. “Whoever thought of that comment must be pretty lacking in the brains department then. Because they have never met me. But, taking pride in ones self is not arrogance now is it? Besides; you would be surprised how…calculated I am, away from this façade.” It was her turn now to raise an eyebrow in slight confusion. And awe as it turned out. The next statement hit her instantly, causing her to giggle. The other girl’s expression was just…amazing to her. She could see that there was a hidden thrill the other was taking from joining in the match, and all it did was make her smile more to join in.

‘Evidently, this one isn’t as slow-witted as I first imagined. She actually has some backbone and nerve to challenge me back. Well, what a shock. This will be very interesting indeed now.’

Eyes narrowed slightly, as she saw the gun at the other’s chest. She inspected it for a moment, taking in the deadly black object. It had come to this. Rolling her eyes casually, she crossed her arms again, still leaning to one side. It was odd how expressions kept on changing in their short ‘conversation’. “Trust me, I am no fool. I’m smart enough to know that you my dear are one of those FBI agents. Normal people do not carry guns for no reason.” The smile shrank on her pale face, free hand rising to shift a large amount of hair from the side of her face. Wings flapped lightly again, a million different thoughts running through her head. Taking a step closer, she continued to inspect the gun, until her eyes locked onto the crimson gaze of her ‘friend’.

“Wasting a bullet on me would not be wise, unless you want your bosses chasing after you. I doubt they would be glad to hear you just killed one of their experiments.” Her words were still soft with a harsh edge, but she seemed to hiss out the word experiment, as if it caused her some pain. Of course, it did. It was mostly to blame for her current state of mind, and form. She wasn’t really paying much attention to the rest of the words, but managed to catch something about being hideous. All it did was make her giggle again, shaking her head slightly. “You have no idea. Sure, your stupid organisation made me who I am, with these wings and the masses of black scars down my back. But, at least I was a success in their eyes. Going on to your next comment. Tell me, can you not notice a Raven when you see one? If these wings were not evidence enough, surely this arrogance as you called it, is fitting of a Raven. And, for the record, the name’s Rozen. I’m sure you can do something creative with that, since we have now entered a war of words.”

[Scarlett Oyasumi]

Hand on the gun. The chill of cold metal sent tiny shocks all through her body, like an electric eel in her palm. The currents of adrenaline brought her form to life, igniting a thousand fireworks in the pupils of her eyes. They sparkled, more maginificently than rubies in sunlight. Had the girl noticed yet? It was far more obvious to a shifter, that she was in fact a shifter herself, than it would be to any human she worked with. When she went to the FBI, they merely looked at her eyes with dull curiosity that quickely faded. How easy it was to manipulate humans, to make them think that the color was purely derived from some silly contacts. But Scarlett knew too well, how easy it was to spot a shifter if you were one yourself. One did not need wings or ears or even a tail to mark them a freak. Scarlett’s eyes were enough, and as she gazed into the pink orbs of her cousin, she realized that perhaps her façade was not so convincing. Her lips parted to let out a small sigh, and her body’s musckles relaxed. She listened intently to the bird girl’s words.

Scarlett only half listened to the words. Her eyes were set on the girl, but her mind drifted. As this conversation of sorts went on, it became easier for her. Easier, that is, to reign in that wolfish temper. In the middle of the raven girl’s words, Scarlett brought her hand up to her head, pressing on her temples and squinting her eyes. This was absurd. How could she have let the wolf come out so easily? How could she let herself become so, aggressive, so fast? She was the one who was foolish, for letting herself become a puppet of the other’s will. This meeting had gone entirely wrong, and as the girl began to speak once more, Scarlett looked up to her with eyes that were purely human.

She showed no reaction when the bird girl spoke of the FBI. It wasn’t shocking or anything; and Scarlett was already realizing how genuinely intelligent this girl was. It was always her first instinct to think of all shifters as unintelligent pieces of mutation. By the way this girl spoke, she was finding her more witty by the second. However, even as she continued to speak, Scarlett was only half there. Her brain was quickly contempltating, busy working. Her eyes had even dropped down several inches, no longer holding that tense eye contacts.

But like some huge punc to the face, Scarlett reacted to the final statement of the girl. Her eyes shot up, widened just slightly, and her head tilted to the side. Stupid organization…. Made me who I am? Was there, regret in her words? The way she formed her sentence betrayed her confidence. Behind those words, somehow, Scarlett felt like the girl saw herself as an, abomination. They were so much more alike than she ever realized.

Slowly, the hand with the gun dropped. She slipped it back into her pocket slowly, andwithdrew the hand and placed it at her side. A slow breeze brushed past her, tossling her short black locks. Her lip was no longer in a snarl; everything about her was disconnected, indifferent to any emotion. Her voice was calm as the sun was bright. Sadly, I cannot.” She refused to make eye contact, and she turned away from the raven girl. She approached the lake, putting her hands behind her head. Te reflection of the water rippled across her face.

“I’m sorry. Sometimes I lose myself to, some strange instincts. They’re almost animalistic….” He rlips creased into a shallow frown, and she glanced back at the raven girl. ”You are quite intelligent, even for a shifter. However, you must also realize that with my job, I am obligated to… track your kind.” Letting out another short breath, she crouched by the lake, and put her finger tips just below the surface of the water. The crystal clear liquid whirled around her limbs. ”Rozen. This is a war you can’t possibly win. The only hope there is for your kind is to run. With that said, I suggest you leave. Leave now, because if you don’t, I can’t gauruntee that you’ll make it out alive..”

[/size]

[Rozen Sariko]

Noticing the thrill that the other got from the gun in her hand only made Rozen smile more. It made a change from all of the boring old people she had challenged before. Locking her fingers together, she tapped her two index fingers together in an odd pulse of a rhythm, much like a strange heartbeat. She was slowly loosing interesting, but let her mind wander for a moment, to clear her head.

‘What an interesting predicament I have landed into. It seems as if this agent for the FBI has some vendetta against Shifters, a personal one at that. It is very unusual for me to see such a thing, especially from one who seems to possess unique Shifter traits herself. Then again, I myself cannot talk. There have been many items where I have hated myself. Many times I wish those jerks had never got their sticky mitts on me. Still, I cannot change the past. Even if I could, I probably wouldn’t, there isn’t much point. Constantly dwelling on what could have been, and what might have been; it is all stupid and pointless. Nobody is happy with themselves. If they were; there would be no plastic surgery, no crazy new found creams and such which say they can alter how you look, shave of the years, all stupid little things like that. If I was able to, I would fly away from this god d*mn city. But, I can’t. Why? Because no other place on the entire planet knows what a Shifter is. I’d probably be killed by some nuclear missile, be called an alien or worse, a good for nothing cosplayer.’

Shaking her head slightly, she reigned her thoughts in and let her smirkish smile fade ever so slightly into her pale face. Deep pink eyes watched as the other began to rub her temples, as if she had a head-ache. Could she have caused such a reaction? Oh, she did hope so. If she did, it would surely make her day. Then, she noticed that the sparks of ecstasy had faded from the other woman’s eyes, making her look…well, look human if that was how you would describe it. Taking a step back to relieve the evident tension in the air, Rozen continued to watch, evidently very interested in the other she was conversing with. The way she handled herself, the way her eyes shifted, her constant mood alterations…all of it was interesting the winged girl.

And then, the other woman’s eyes widened ever so slightly, in reaction to her words. At least it was a reaction, but Rozen couldn’t tell if it was good or bad. That reaction was followed by another; the lowering of the black pistol as it was placed snugly back into the pocket where it came from. For the first time ever, she was confused. What had caused her to lower her guard further? The only words which followed snapped the winged girl back from her thoughts, eyes following as the other woman as she turned away and walked over to the lake, seemingly relaxing.

Smirking again and smiling wider, Rozen listened to her words carefully before making her reply to them. “No need to say sorry dear. We all get that from time to time, Shifter or not. Besides, humans are animals, so it’s no surprise really. Shifters just get…more of a boost from their animal-selves, it’s what sets us apart in a strange way.” Deciding it was safe again, Rozen took a few steps closer, still keeping enough of a distance incase something went horribly wrong. Eyes locking again, her smirk faded, seeing the blank expression on the other’s face. “Oh, I know you’re supposed to track us, I’ve heard the stories on the wind. I won’t repeat them; you probably already know them, even caused some of them. Jobs have to be done…somehow…” Her voice trailed off to the wind as she looked up to the sky and sighed, hearing the water shifting. “Since when did this become a war? I thought the FBI were proud of their experiments. Guess I’m not as smart as I make out then, huh? But, why run? Where’s the fun in that! Those who run deserve to be terminated. Those who fight, well…I guess they’ll die proud. So, yeah, I’m not running away, ever. Sure, I hate it and all…but at least my life will have been bloody good fun.” Lowering her head again, she tilted it to one side in the bird-like fashion again, unlocking her fingers and letting arms fall gently to her side, swaying a little. There were a few questions she wanted to ask, out of character for her. “So, tell me…uhh, whoever you are; why’d you get into the whole FBI war thing? Don’t have to answer you know.”

‘But, trust me; I will get it out of you.’

[Scarlett Oyasumi]

Maybe being an animal would just be easier. Sometimes, Scarlett just wanted to scream at the top of her lungs ‘look at me. I’m a shifter.’ But that would all be easier if she were proud of what she was. What she was doing, it was not so much a crime really. People always tried to hide what they weren’t proud of. They made creams, they made makeup, they had plastic. Flattering clothes, expensive cars. It was just what humans did. She wasn’t human. So was it right? Was it just for her to hide what she was? Something that completed her so wholly? She wasn’t born a freak, things weren’t meant to happen the way they did. But they did. Everything happened for a reason. She couldn’t find a reason.

She had lost herself for a few seconds there. Without realizing it, her fingers had become numb from the water. She pulled them out, frowning lightly before standing. Her entire body rippled in the water. Her reflection was, bland. Skinny girl, pale as snow with hair as dark as coal. It was only her eyes that seemed out of place, the blood red wanting to spill from those hazel contacts like blood collecting near the surface of a scab. She wanted to take a scalpel to them, and dig them out of their sockets. Glaring at her reflection for a moment, she shot herself a bitter glare. Her ears twitched; she could hear Rozen’s footsteps against the ground. Sometimes having animal sense came in handy.

Giving her reflection a quick playful snarl, she spun around to face the opposite shifter. She’d come closer, but she noticed that there was still a considerable distance between the two. Maybe that was safe. Scarlett wasn’t obligated to take any action, not unless the shifter threatened her first, or did something so insanely dangerous that it was considered a hazard to the city. In that case, she would have to bring her in, take her down. But for now, this was fine. However, the amount of talking that was going on scared her. The more that was said, the more the raven girl knew about her. That was dangerous in and of itself. Scarlett was secretive towards the FBI alone, and when it came to shifters, she tried to avoid contact at all costs unless it had to do with her job. And now, she was conversing with one. Oh, and it only got more dangerous from there.

Her words were true. She knew the FBI quite well, but not well enough. Only so much information could be gathered from gossip; the rest could be obtained through talking to the source. Scarlett practically was the source. Her eyes reddened a bit, her lip snarling just a tiny bit. She could feel the tiny hairs on the back of her neck rise, even with the absence of a breeze to cause it. Shaking her head lightly, she put her hands behind her back. ”Maybe it’s not yet evident, but this is a war. Don’t you see? Shifters are doomed to a meaningless life… your only two options are to fight or flee… and both are just pathetic ways to live. But if you want to die, like some animal, that’s fine. But not me…” Well then. Better not get too heated, or she’d word vomit. She shook her head once more, squeezing her eyes shut, and opening just one of them to glance at Rozen. ”I can’t tell you. It’s complicated enough. Your life is already hard enough, I wouldn’t want to jeopardize it in any way by associating us together. You’re best off flying away, if you know what I mean- pretend you never even met me.” Scarlett needed to end this meeting. She could tell this girl any more, and Rozen was already delving into personal matters. Scarlett wore a brick wall in front of her emotions and her past, one that even Rozen wouldn’t be able to break. And, if she didn’t leave, Scarlett would

[/size]