Rain Dance

"Gone into nesting mode," said Adair with a amused smile, watching Belle prance around. "Gathering random bits of sticks and cloth and pebbles and things to decorate our room with. She'll be doing that for hours, so there's no point in waiting on her."

"Do you know where the spectators are staying at?" asked Voltaire.

At this point Caleb the wolf shifted to Caleb the human, a older teenage boy with semi-long chestnut hair and blue eyes. The dark fur of his wolf form had become a cloak around him. At least mostly; Voltaire noticed some of the fur still clinging to his skin.

"Spectator's are full up," he said. "Apparently there are a lot of them this time, and this place isn't that big. Most are staying somewhere outside."

"Crap," Voltaire groaned. "Kimi was supposed to stay here."

"She's staying?" asked Adair.

"Well, you could probably let her stay in your room or something," said Caleb. "Housing rules aren't that strict."

"I could stay outside" Kimi mumbled shyly. "Its not that big of a deal"

Trevor growled at Caleb.

Caleb noticed Trevor and growled back, more in amusement than actual threat. Belle had worn herself out and was lying stretched-out nearby.

"The point of staying inside is that's there's more protection," said Voltaire, letting out a huff. "Being outside would defeat the purpose. Stay with us."

"But who'll protect her from you guys?" Caleb asked with a smirk.

"Him," said Voltaire, pointing to Trevor. "He'll make a good meal out of you too."

Caleb eyed the feline creature skeptically but warily.

Trevor opened his mouth and a feline growl was emitted. His claws were digging into the stone floor and his ears were tilted back.

"Trevor is poisonous. Deathly so" Kimi stated, more as a warning than a threat.

Caleb quickly scrambled back. Belle gave Trevor an alert look, before she turned to Adair and whined.

"Ah, anyway, we've got our first match against you guys tomorrow," the wolf-boy added. "And we're gonna win this time too!"

"Pfft. In your dreams," Voltaire answered with a smirk. "Well, I still have to give some blood and get a check-up and all that crap. Where's the doc's place?"

"Over at the next left tunnel," said Adair.

"Alright, see you guys later then," said Voltaire, continuing his walk.

Kimi felt awkward just standing around while Adair was talking to his friends. "Um... Adair? Where did you say Ava was again? I'll just go and stay with her for the time being."

"Our room's way down near the central cavern. That's where the fights are going to take place," explained Adair. "Like I said, Ava's probably going in to going in and out for awhile, but you can set up somewhere for yourself. You can follow me whenever you're ready."

There was a long, deep howl that reverberated throughout the cave. Belle and Caleb immediately snapped to attention and ran toward the howl's location ahead. Caleb, unable to keep up in human form, reverted to canine form as he rushed away.

"Must be Fenrir calling them. He's their familiar," Adair explained.

"Oh." Kimi mumbled. "Well, I guess I can follow you to Ava then"

Adair nodded and walked ahead.

The main cavern ahead was full of demons and changelings. He spotted the Ravens and the Spiders, as well as the Knights. There were some changelings he didn't recognize, like a pair of blond twins. There were several demons gathered around a stone table, probably placing bets on which changelings were going to win. Others casually talked or feasted on meals of god-knows-what (he hoped it wasn't human).

All in all, the typical chaos.

----

Voltaire was beginning to regret coming to the doctor's area. He had already gotten three shots and they still weren't done yet. He was already a bit tired from donating blood earlier. Voltaire suspected that as soon as he was getting to their room he was going to take a long nap. Then it occurred to him that he didn't know where Ava and the others were staying at. He grumbled.

Kimi followed Adair silently. Trevor stayed at her heels and growled at anyone that got too close. Kimi kept her head down and her eyes trained on Adair's boots, lest she loose him.

Kimi wasn't very talkative around him, Adair noticed. Or in general, for that matter. The only person she seemed to speak more than a couple words to was Voltaire of all people. Not that Voltaire was bad, besides occasionally angering the wrong person or demon. It was just Voltaire's blunt and brash attitude usually scared off girls like Kimi.

"Okay, we're here," he said to Kimi upon arriving. From the outside it was just another cave passage connected to the main cavern. Adair saw Ava rush into the cavern, carrying what looked like a bunch of sticks in her beak. She was too busy even to notice them. She was definitely in nesting mode.

Kimi blinked in surprise At the sight of Ava. She couldn't help but give a small giggle. "Thank you Adair." She smiled. She stepped inside and sat on the opposite side of the room from where Ava was working.

Adair also entered. Ava had things lying everywhere in various small piles. One stack was full of sticks, another was full of strips of cloth, yet another was made up of colorful stones, and on and on. Adair just smiled and shook his head, knowing Ava would spend another good hour arranging the gathered materials in the room as she saw fit. When she was done collecting, that is.

Knowing that Ava decorated as she saw fit and not how anyone else suggested, Adair sighed and sat down. He wondered if he should go back out to see who else had arrived or if he should just sleep.

Kimi just sat and watched Ava come and go. Trevor curled by her feet and settled like he was going to sleep.

Ava had gathered all the objects she wanted as was beginning to arrange them just so when Voltaire came in. He was groggy from all the shots and blood-loss and plopped down on the floor.

"Hi, Volty!" Ava chirped, weaving the sticks and cloth strips into a very large nest. "Fiery went out to explore and greet others. He should be back later.

"Fine," Voltaire replied, before seeing Kimi nearby. "Hey Kimi. Doctor visits suck."

Carefully, Kimi got up and walked over to take a seat near him. "Would you like to rest?" She asked "You can rest your head in my lap so it isn't on the floor. I don't mind"

Voltaire momentarily stiffened and turned red at the proposal. Ava remained oblivious, happily crooning away as she weaved her nest together in the corner.

"I don't..." he began, before a slight dizzy spell hit him. Just what had been in those shots? This is what hated about injections; not the slight sting, but the unknown substances being forced into his blood.

"...Fine," he answered, as if he had to, as he laid himself down.

Kimi blushed slightly but smiled. "I used to do this for my brother." She admitted. "He never wanted to sleep, always taking watch and making me rest." She stroked his hair lightly, trying to help him relax, and leaned back against the wall. "but its always nice to have someone with you. I envy you a little."

"Eh, there's not too much to envy. We do all this because we have to," Voltaire replied, already starting to drift off. "If you're by yourself you just have to worry about yourself. If you're with others then you have to look after everybody else as well as yourself. And if you can't help them, or can't do much..."

"Well I envy you anyway. You have people that care about you and you know you're not alone." Kimi sighed, internally wishing she could be apart of it. Wishing that there was somewhere where she could feel welcome.

Voltaire also sighed, but for a different reason. Sometimes he wished he could be closer to people. It wasn't like he was anti-social or hated everybody (though there were quite a few people he did hate). But he had witnessed time and time again that if he got too close to people, bad things happened to them. The nurse was right, always right.

He really felt uneasy about being this close to Adair, but Adair's weakened heart demanded that. If they didn't have the heart system set up where Voltaire's heart could support Adair's during Chiaroscuro, the Hero would die. No, worse than die. He would be alive but without his heart, emotionless, merciless, just like all the other Gales. Voltaire couldn't let that happen. But he also dreaded it, because he knew what happened when he got too close.

Would Kimi be alright?

Kimi continued to gently stroke Voltaire's head. It was an absent gesture, something she had become accustomed to doing to help her brother drift off when she managed to get him to rest. She stared into space, her mind wandering.

Trevor finally got up and moved over to them. He curled up close to Voltaire's side, close enough to keep an eye on the both of them.

(btw, I posted a story on Voltaire in the fiction section if you're interested. Basically explains why he's in his current situation, though it doesn't get into the tournaments)

The hair strokes gradually relaxed Voltaire, and his thoughts drifted into a calm mindlessness. Eventually he fell asleep, shutting out the world.

(I know. I'm trying to read it and keep up on posting)

Kimi closed her eyes and eventually dozed off as well, still gently stroking Voltaire's hair in her sleep.

Trevor didn't see any harm in the two of them being so close, so he let it pass.

Ava was just finishing up her decorating, placing the pretty stones at the sides of the nest to support it, when Adair walked back in. He noticed Voltaire and Kimi and smiled.

Good for them

Ava had just seen the two sleepers as well, as was coming up to groom them when Adair stopped her.

"Leave them."

The golden phoenix seemed to understand and went to her newly finished nest. Adair waited for her to get settled in, and then went under her wing. There was a battle to be fought tomorrow, and they needed to rest up.

(fast-forward to next day)