Counting Cards

"Cheating?" grinned Tyki, "Is it really still cheating when neither side is following the rules? No, then it becomes a game of using your wits and skills against one another."

Counting Cards

Playing games was one of the Noah of Pleasure's favorite past times. Particularly if he had an opponent that could play at his level. That was a rare find, however. Sadly, all the people of such such caliber generally fell into two categories; on the wrong side(as people that he was supposed to kill) or completely uninterested. It was rather unfortunate if he did say so himself. The other day, in an unusual display of responsibility, the Earl had gathered the Noah to tell them that they were nearing the final stages of the war and he would no longer be tolerating any playing around. They were to focus on the war, if only for the next little while. One might think this was not a very high demand, however, most of the Noah's life consisted 85% of messing around.

Tyki was sure Road would have had a tantrum if she'd been around.

Tyki chewed on his cigaret until it was useless. There was still no news of Tyki's favorite little sister. None on the cheating boy either. They'd both disappeared off the face of the earth. Though Tyki was sure that neither were dead, and that neither had been captured (and he was fairly certain that they weren't together as well) he could not repress the uncomfortable gnawing feeling within him. Sighing, Tyki causally flicked the smoldering (and slightly demolished) cigarette away and reached into his pocket for another. 

"Yuck! watch where you're throwing you cancer sticks a*****e!" Tyki glanced up and then down to his left where sat an unfortunate boy that had been hit by his cigarette... and who was positively snarling at him now. How cute.

"Sorry kiddo, didn't see you down there." grinned Tyki apologetically.

"Tall b*****d." muttered the boy flushing and marching off. Tyki felt a slight itch in the tips of his fingers much like the feeling he would get right before a difficult poker game. He was the Noah of Pleasure, he could practically taste when a good game was about to begin. A slightly insane smile spread across his face as he pushed off the wall to follow the kid-

"Noah-sama! we are here just as you ordered." squeaked the over excited level 2 akuma rushing over to him. Ah... right, no playing around.

"Go gather all of your brethren in the area. We have a damn mission to complete." sighed Tyki raking his fingers through his hair and casting one last regretful glance in the direction where the boy had disappeared. What a shame.

****

What. a. ****. Siana fumed silently. She quickened her pace and put as much space between her and the discourteous-giant as possible. Din't see her down here? ha! Well next time she might "just not see him up there" and run him over with a carriage or something. 

Such thoughts were always so soothing.

"I am home!" called Siana carelessly as she trudged up the stairs to her room. 

"Welcome back." said the landlord distractedly. Once securely in her room Siana made sure all the blinds were closed and double checked that no one had been snooping in her room and everything was in place. Satisfied, Siana pulled out a ornate key from her pocket and quickly opened a door and slipped into the closet behind locking it behind her. Greenish seals, that had previously been invisible, immediately began to glow. Siana reached up above her head and tugged on the hanging light switch three times and the small compartment began to silently descend. Standing on a stool Siana browsed the books kept in the small space until a slight jerk of the room informed her that she had arrived at her destination. 

"Did you bring food?!" was the question asked as soon as Siana stepped out of the door with a book tucked under her arm locking it carefully behind her.

"Of course." said Siana rolling her eyes, "You guys would drive me insane if I didn't."

"Thank you!" sang her two friends scrambling over the furniture to her eagerly.

"How was market?" asked Rachel once she taken a few bites and calmed down a bit.

"Awful. The baker thought I had stolen the money and wouldn't take it until someone who new me backed me up and told him that I had a job n'all." groaned Siana dropping into a chair.

"Is that how you got all that ash in your hair?" asked Yasmine through a mouthful of food.

"@#$%^&...! are you serious? No, that's from some rude giant being an eyesore on the corner where he was smoking." snarled Siana madly batting at her short hair.

"Here, let me." said Rachel coming over and carefully began picking all the ash out. Siana sat patiently while Yasmine laughed before returning to her meal. Unlike the ladies of society these days all three of them had their hair cut short. That, coupled with the fact that they wore neither dresses or skirts, resulted in everyone they met assuming that they were young boys. "What simple minded people exist these day's" Rachel had scoffed one time when they had needed to vacate their home in a hurry and had no time to wrap their chests. People hadn't even noticed, they were still "lads" with every person they met. Still, it had been a good thing. The age they lived in was not a friendly place for girls. Especially not girls on the run.

Why were they on the run? Siana could barely suppress a snort thinking about it; because they really weren't sure themselves. All she had known was that they had been attacked by Akuma one day and the deadly virus that was supposed to kill on contact simply disappeared from their systems immediately. And the Akuma had simply turned off. Not destroyed, still in perfect condition, just... switched off. Like one of those fancy new lights that ran on ekel-trisity and all that s**t.

The girls hadn't even needed to talk much about it; they knew they weren't exorcists, and they also knew that they weren't a Noah or anything either (though who had ever heard of a Noah like that?) because it'd recently been announced that all the Noah were accounted for. The three of them had all known people who had chosen to help the order and others who had chosen the Earl. If either side discovered this odd (and somewhat useless in Siana's opinion) distinction among them the result would probably not be pleasant. So they'd packed their bags full of boys cloths and food, chopped off their hair, and left as quickly as possible. Siana knew Rachel was doing research as best as she could in her free hours, but they had talked it over and decided between them that unless Rachel found something that could be potentially dangerous for them not to know the less that they knew and were involved in this dangerous subject the better. Still, as Akuma were becoming more and more common in the streets these day's you could sometimes just bump into someone and have them simply collapse because the machine that had been wearing that skin had simply turned off. 

They moved towns a lot.

"I noticed the runes in elevator were different than usual." commented Siana idly flipping open her book once Rachel had finished cleaning up her hair.

"They are?!" asked Yasmine running to go check.

"Yeah, I discovered that the ones made by the order, while they do conceal and protect what is hidden, they also emit a certain... wavelength I guess you'd call it, that could probably be detected by a Noah or an Exorcist at general level. It's be a bit like having an invisible rock; just because you can't see it doesn't prevent it from tripping you." said Rachel dryly, "We're lucky nobody has noticed us yet."

"The runes are different!" announced Yasmine coming back in.

"So what are we using now?" asked Siana trying (and failing) not to laugh.

"They're my own invention. Actually they are more like the ones Earl uses to create an ark than anything the Order makes. Though of course lacking the dark matter." said Rachel shrugging.

"So we are, like, in a some sort of other dimension/mini-ark?" asked Yasmine excitedly.

"Erm, no. I don't have the power necessary to create something like that, I am just a human." laughed Rachel, "Nah, I guess you could say that if different dimensions are like different cards in a deck then I suppose we're like a piece of tape on one; not part of the card but not really separate." 

"And hopefully not easily pealed off and discarded like a piece of tape." commented Siana.

"Ha, maybe it wasn't the best analogy." said Rachel apologetically grinning.

"Too many analogies in general." Yasmine complained, "You could have just said the other one didn't work and this one is better."

"But I do so love analogies." laughed Rachel curling up contently on the couch.

"We know." Yasmine informed her. Siana laughed at Rachel's fake pout and settled into her reading letting her previous annoyances fade into insignificance. 

****

Just once... thought Tyki slipping into his white form and ditching his Akuma minions. His brother had just sent a message that he would be dropping in on him to say hello. Now all of a sudden seemed like an excellent time to hide- er - mingle with the human's and finally get that poker game that he'd been craving for a while now. He downed a few drinks at a few local bars on his way to the gambling den and felt the familiar foggy warmth that always accompanied. Swaggering confidentially, Tyki entered the smoke filled den that was filled with the sent of sweat, alcohol, and other questionable odors. Oh, how he'd missed this part of his life. 

Just then a loud exclamation was heard from the back corner of the room. Tyki looked and was met with the familiar sight of men throwing up their cards in frustration and cursing loudly as their winnings were drawn forward for probably not the first time that night judging by their expressions. In other words; a skilled cheater at work. Tyki grinned... usually it was him that caused those expressions. He caught sight of the winner and his fingers gave an involuntary twitch as that itch returned full force. 

"I'll have two of your strongest." said Tyki slapping his money on the counter of the bar keeping his eyes fixed on the young lad that was seated among the enraged men.

"Oh... I wouldn't go picking a game with that one." said the bartender warningly, "He's a little devil that one, never loses. Must be cheating, but if so he's damn good at it...can't nobody catch him." 

"Perfect." said Tyki, and he must have had that slightly insane, not human, look on his face for the bar tender backed away from him and quickly began to prepare his drinks and set them on the counter quickly before rushing away with a mumble of 'other customers to serve'. Tyki ignored him as he took the drinks. A new game was about to begin after all, and not just one with cards.

"Can I cut in?" slurred Tyki slightly elbowing his way into the booth. 

"Knock your self out." groaned the other men getting out of his way. Tyki looked at the lad (had his eyes ever left him?) and found keen brown eyes looking back at him. Examining. Tyki felt a tingle of excitement go up his spine.

"What do you say lad?" asked Tyki sliding a glass toward the boy, his eyes flashing gold behind his glasses. It truly had been too long.

"I am not a lad." said the boy looking away with boredom to shuffle the cards expertly, Tyki kept his eyes trained on those skilled fingers but could see no trick. Just as he suspected, the kid must be a pro.

"Alright then little man," laughed Tyki correcting himself, not at all miffed that he had been dismissed. The more the kid underestimated him the better. He nudged the drink closer to him, "May I tempt you?"

"I don't drink." said the boy flatly.

"Oh? and you say you're not a lad?" taunted Tyki though secretly surprised. Most boys his age would be more than eager to take a draft with the "men" as a sign they'd been accepted.

"I am not a lad." agreed the boy and this time he looked up at Tyki with the barest of a smirk lurking at the edge of his mouth and a wicked gleam in his eyes, "Which is why I am not going to be stupid and drink some hardcore alcohol that a complete stranger offers me."

"I see. Well then, you've got me, little man, how about a game?" said Tyki leaning back in his chair feeling an odd mixture of respect and curiosity, which was exceedingly rare for him.

"It would be my pleasure." said the boy this time not even bothering to conceal his grin. No, thought Tyki, it'll be my pleasure. 

****

Siana examined the man across from her over her cards. There was something familiar about him, though she couldn't decide what. All she knew is that she felt an instant annoyance at the sight of him and a strong desire to completely flatten him in a game of cards. Take him down several notches. That was probably it; his hight. All tall people were much to... well, tall. And cocky. So high and mighty. This one especially so. She quickly noticed that he was cheating too. Siana almost snorted. Counting cards? could he get any more boring? as if something that simple would be able to defeat her! He seemed to realize this too.

After four losses. 

Then it appeared he changed tactics and Siana was no longer sure quite what the b*****d was doing. Siana had a but of trouble defeating him the next round she NEARLY lost. She fumed silently, though she kept a straight face. She still won after all. 

"Enough. I'll end up bankrupting you if this continues much further." said Siana evenly sweeping her winning into the pouch that she kept hidden in a protected pouch Rachel had created in her jacket so that even if she was robbed the money would have already been put into a safe in Siana's room. 

"Aw... s'ings were jus' get'in interesting thou..." slurred the man across from her. As well he should, he'd drank more alcohol than she'd ever witnessed men twice his size drinking taking without collapsing. And yet, for all his slurring and swaying, Siana wasn't convinced he was truly drunk. She couldn't see his eyes because of those stupid thick glasses, but she could feel his gaze on her. It was steady, calculating, and slightly predatory. Siana repressed the urge to shiver. No, she didn't want to be another second in this man's company. 

"Maybe another time." said Siana insincerely. For though she'd flattened him, she fervently hoped she never saw him again. Ignoring the jeers and insults of the watching men Siana marched firmly out the door without another word, not even glancing back. 

She thought about cutting through the back alleyways. After all, the house she stayed at was less than a block away. But no, ally's were dangerous places, especially given how much money people thought that she had with her. Not to mention she didn't want anyone following her home to take revenge on them later for some stupid loss. That decided, Siana walked down the road resigned to taking the long way home. 

She almost wished she'd taken the ally afterward.

Siana noticed the the two men following closely behind her just as she was about to take the turn to her home. Quickly, she took another turn instead. Carefully she started to plan a new rout, one that wouldn't allow her to get pinned in some forsaken dead end. She reached under her shirt to the pendent that she always wore and held her thumb down.

'Problems?' asked Rachel's quite voice. It sounded like it was right next to her, but Siana knew that it was only the vibrations going directly from her thumb to her cochlea making it understandable. 

'DO I NEED TO BEAT SOME PEOPLE UP?!' came Yasmine's voice.

"I am fine." whispered Siana, "But I think there are some angry gamblers trying to follow me home."

'We'll be there soon. Don't let them catch you in the mean time.' Rachel told her calmly.

"Thanks."  muttered Siana letting go of the pendent.

"Who you talking to, little scum mucking cheater." called a voice from in front of her. SIana stopped short as three large men stepped in front of her. She regonised them from the den vaguely.

"What does it matter to you? I wasn't even playing you, so why do you care?" said Siana trying to sound indifferent. Don't sound scared, don't sound proud, don't say anything even vaguely like a challenge or provocation Siana silently commanded herself.

"You cheated a lot of good people out of fair money today." said the man in the lead, a big gangly fellow with a large scar across his face. Siana took a step back and ran into someone. s**t she hadn't meant to let them creep up from behind too. Yasmine and Rachel were tracking her right now, but Siana didn't know how much time she could buy them. 

"Come on, you little dwarf. Why don't you be a good little boy and give us the money you won?" asked the leader.

"I don't have it any more." said Siana truthfully and let the honesty show on her face. That didn't make them happy.

"Little liar. I've learned never to believe a word that come out of a poker players mouth." snarled the man, he nodded to the man behind Siana and she felt him grab her by the shoulders. 

"Even if you search me you won't find anything. I told you I don't have the money." said Siana hoping that they wouldn't really search her... if they did, it wouldn't take them long to figure out that she was a girl and- and was that man leering at her the way that she thought he was?

"Truthfully, I don't really care much about the money." said the man running his eyes up and down her, "I hate little arrogant boy's like you... I think you need to be taught a lesson."

"You-you-! what do you think you're doing! I- I am a boy." Siana protested and she hoped she sounded convincing.

"I know." grinned the man, "and that's the funny part; little boys like you, they always think they're so safe from bad, bad men like us."

Laughter rang from all around and Siana realized they were trying to force her into the ally. Yasmine and Rachel weren't going to make it in time. There was nothing for it, she was going to have to try and fight her way out of this. As discreetly as possible she began taking stock of her opponents. Three drunk, one slightly blind in his left eye, the one holding her was big and mucky but that meant he was probably not wearing much protective garb relying on mostly brute force... probably weak around the feet, and the eager was clearly a talker and tormentor. He wasn't even armed, the fool, probably thought his mates could protect him. And what terrible posture these people had, dreadfully intimating and perverse? Definitely. Good for balance in a fight? not so much.

"Come on then," whispered the man in front of her, "Shall we begin?"

"Yes." answered Siana with a grin taking them off guard. She kicked backward with her foot and caught the big man holding her in-between the legs. He went down and she followed it up with two hard jabs of the elbow to the eye. She didn't want him to be regaining his senses any time soon. The others lunged for her when they saw her get free but she let her legs collapse beneath her and kicked the already poorly balanced drunkards feet out from under her. They went down with a yell but before she could kick them one of the others grabbed her short hair. Siana grimaced in pain but nearly reached up and sank her nails into the hand holding her like claws and used it a and anchor so she could swing her legs up and kick her attacker in the face. She felt the mans nose crunch under her foot and he let her go with a scream. More hands grabbed at her and she prepared to fight back but just as she was about to something violently purple flew past her face.

What the- she must be going crazy. Was that a butterfly? 

"Tease... いて炊きます..." said a cold voice. Before her eyes Siana saw hundreds of butterflies swarm her attackers and begin devouring them alive. Even though they'd tried to do unspeakable things to her Siana could only feel absolute horror as she heard their screams of agony. A butterfly landed on her arm and icy panic seemed to set in.

"Not this one, my pet's. He's mine." said the voice none too calmly and Siana felt long, cold, arms wrap around her and lift her off of her feet and out of the bloody mess. A blood covered hand cupped her cheek and she found herself being cradled in the arms of someone very tall.

"Are you alright? did they do anything to you?" growled the voice and Siana found herself staring at the rude gentleman from before only this time he was not wearing a hat and she could see...Noah... oh God save her...

"No!" Siana shouted shoving hard against his chest with all her might. Not her smartest move in retrospect but her mind was a muddle of panic. But strangely enough it worked. Siana felt something swoop in her stomach as if she had suddenly fallen out of a tree or something and her hands felt abruptly hot as they made contact with the man. He gave a gasp of surpass and fell backwards and Siana was stabling to her feet and running as fast as she could away. 

Two blocks away she ran smack into Yasmine and Rachel. Quite literally actually. They all landed in a heap in the street.

"What the- Siana? FUDGE! YOU'RE COVERED IN BLOOD!"

"Siana what happened?! are you alright?!"

Siana could barely hear her friends fanatic words. Scenes of screaming men getting devoured by butterflies, blood and guts every where, ash colored hands smearing blood all over her face... Siana touched her face and found it still sticky from the blood on the Noah's hands. Ignoring both her friends Siana stubbled over to the side of the road and emptied the contents of her stomach. 

****

"Maninho? are you feeling better?" asked Tyki's brother for the hundredth time in ten minutes. Tyki groaned and buried him face in rich pillows. As predicted, his brother hovered over him uncertainly before flitting away again. He would probably be back in another minute. 

It had been a long time since he'd simply lost control of his rage. Tyki wasn't very easily angered; it wasn't a very pleasant feeling. And why had he been angry in the first place? Oh yeah, those creeps had been trying to molest his new found poker partner. Tyki had to suppress a growl at the thought. He'd never really liked people who played around by pushing their desires on others in the form of sex. So boring and unimaginative. That was more his brother's expertise.... probably the reason he didn't like it much. 

The boy, Tyki frowned when he realized he still didn't know his name, had actually been doing surprisingly well fending off his attackers. In fact, his help had probably not been necessary (he wondered idly if the boy was used to fending off such advances, he was rather cute Tyki supposed... rather like a girl. The thought was quickly scoffed at and discarded) but Tyki had never been particularly tolerant when other people played with his toys. It was a Noah trait he'd been told. But even after he'd saved the kid, the boy had rejected him. He supposed spilling someones guts all over someone was not exactly a good way to win fair lady's heart- Erm, boy's. 

Tyki berated him self again for not simply letting the boy's shove pass through him. But it was almost like... he couldn't. Not that he'd really tried. However there had been something like an electric shock when they had touched and Tyki had found himself switching back to his white form as an ridiculous migraine came over him along with a nasty wave of nausea. It was probably just a result of drinking too much back at the bars and then having a little kriel shove him in the stomach. Yeah that was probably it. 

"Maniho~ are you feeling any better now?"

"I told you Cheryl, I will be just fine once I get some rest. Something that you have been preventing by popping in every two seconds. Now go away." growled Tyki at his over protective brother.

"But Tyki-pon! I feel so anxious knowing my little brother is in such a state of distress!" whined the Noah of Desires.

"Brother!" groaned Tyki as his head pounded from his annoying voice.

"You know... the Earl won't be happy to know that you've been playing around with human's when he specifically asked you not to." mused Cheryl.

"Oh don't even, as if you haven't played around as well since he told us that." scoffed Tyki into his pillow.

"Hahaha very true! well then, I'll see you later than Maninho." laughed Cheryl leaving. Tyki groaned and wished to sink into the fluffy pillows of his bed... actually that sounded very nice. He decided to shift back into his Noah side and do so- Tyki choked slightly in pain and retreated back into his white form. It wasn't as if the pain was unbearable or that he couldn't go into his black form if he really tried, but rather that because Tyki had always been able to choose what touched and did not touch him he shied away from any uncomfortable or painful sensations. It was  a strange sort of ache that he felt right now. He had thought it was nausea but now he wondered... it almost felt like the ache that sometimes came his innocence scars given to him by Allen Walker. 

Frowning at a sudden thought, Tyki rolled out of bed. He swayed where he stood for a moment as a wave of dizziness came over him but he grit his teeth and doubled over to the bathroom pulling off his shirt as he went. Tyki examined his reflection in the full length mirror. At first he didn't see anything wrong. Just his lanky and slightly muscular form with their crisscrossing of scars. But staring a little harder Tyki saw that there was a bit of skin on his stomach where he'd been shoved  that was almost... shiny. Tyki reached up to touch the spot and his fingers and they came a ways with a strange glittery substance like sand or something. A tingly feeling was in his fingers now. Tyki couldn't quite decide whether he liked the sensation. It was a bit like the feeling when fingernails were dragged down your skin. It could be painful or pleasant depending on the situation. 

Had the dust come from the boy? or had Tyki already gotten it on him some how and the shove had just pushed it onto his skin. And was the stupid stuff anyway. It couldn't be dark matter because that wouldn't affect him like this and it definitely couldn't be innocence because other wise he would be intense pain right now instead of simply feeling a little dizzy. Tyki grimaced as he realized that this escapade would have to be reported to the Earl. 

But first he would try and gather a little more information.

****

Siana awoke with a start breathing as if she'd run a race. She'd had that dream again. It had been that scene in the ally with the butterflies only Siana in the dream the Noah had known that she was a girl. And when he had cupped her face almost lovingly he had turned her face to watch the death of all others, only it wasn't the vile men that she was watching be devoured but her friends and loved one. She had wanted to run to them and try and beat away the butterflies but she couldn't move. She was trapped within the Noah's arms as he whispered words in her ear in that devastatingly silky voice of his.

"You okay Siana?" asked Yasmine drowsily from across the room. 

"I am fine. Just- bad dream. I am going to get a drink." Siana assured her not bothering to whisper since she knew Rachel would wake up either way.

"M'kay... call me if you need anything..." said Yasmine going back to sleep. Siana made a sound of affirmation before kicking back her blankets and wandering out to the kitchen in her night cloths to get a cup of water. She leaned against the counter and gazed idly out the window with her glass. They had moved again right after the incident with the Noah. Not only was it incredibly dangerous to stay in a town where there were sure to be Noah and Akuma  about (not to mention that the Noah definitely had recognized her) but also Siana had been so freaked out by the incident that they had agreed it wouldn't do any good to linger anyway. Even in this new town Siana had yet to venture into the gambling dens. She hoped she got over her anxiety soon because she certainly missed having the extra cash. 

'Don't be such a 'faidy cat' Siana reprimand herself. She went to the other room and slipped into a pair of pants and jacket before quickly scribbling a note for her friends if they wondered where she went. She was not going to the gambling dens, it was much too late for that. But she did need a walk to clear her head of that dream... and to prove to herself that she wasn't afraid. Tying her hair up and out of her face Siana marched out the door. Instead of going further into town she decided that she didn't want to see anyone tonight and headed to the forest where at least she knew that she could maneuver any person who came her way. Her feet carried her off the road and down an animal trail to a quite creek where she settled down to think. 

Before they had left the last town they had taken a chance to make contact with their friends and family since they'd be vacating the spot soon anyway. It had made a good change to be able to connect with all the people that she missed. Though it certainly made the dreams even more distressing. 

Something buzzed in her face and Siana nearly had a heart attack swatting madly at it until she realized it was just a beetle. She scowled at her own jumpiness.  Now she looked she saw that this place seemed to be insect central. Moths fluttered in the moonlight, water striders skated across still patches of the creek, fireflies winked in the darkness. Siana willed her heart to slow down and closed her eyes. Something fluttered by her face and Siana  swatted it away. It bit her sharply in response. Siana  smashed what ever it was blindly her eyes snapping over to see her finger bleeding profusely dripping onto the twitching body of... a purple butterfly.

Siana screamed.

****

Tyki paused in his evening walk as he heard the high pitched scream of a girl followed by a splash of water. His Tease chattered unhappily meaning one of their own must have just been killed.  Curiously Tyki sifted his way though the branches toward the sound and soon saw the scene of the young cheating boy that he had been searching for relentlessly for the past few weeks batting madly at the Tease that swarmed around his head in the creek where the water was causing his cloths to cling to his- no way....

Tyki grinned, well this would be interesting.

He shifted into his white form and approached the girl masquerading as a boy. If she truly had the capabilities to affect him like last time then he did not what to be in his Noah form. She looked so cute stumbling around on the edge of one the deeper pools in the creek screaming and taking swipes at the Tease with an impressive sized branch. But then Tyki had know that she was strong since he'd seen her hold her own against that gang of full grown men. She looked really cute in fact, Tyki decided. A wicked idea crept into his mind and Tyki grinned. 

"Careful! these things bite!" called Tyki dramatically running in and grabbing her around the waist.

"I noticed!" she snarled in frustration. Tyki saw that her eyes were wide and her pupils pinpricks of fear. But of course, she had seen, afar all, what these things could do to a human body. What did surprise him was the determination he also saw in her eyes. The Tease started to retreat slightly when they saw their Master wrapped around the little lady. Tyki frowned, though he did plan to reveal himself as a Noah to her eventually, now was probably not the greatest time. 

"Quick! under the water where they can't get us!" called Tyki drag gin her further back into the depths. This was actually a lie; Tease could actually go underwater, but she didn't need to know that. The girl thrashed slightly in his grip but Tyki pulled them both firmly under the surface. The moment their heads were below the water Tyki willed the Tease away with his thoughts and felt them immediately retreat. Tyki realized that the girl was starting to go limp in his arms and cursed his stupidity. Just because he could choose to breath in the oxygen in the water and not the other components didn't mean that she could. Tyki quickly kicked his way back to shore. 

"Damn Butterlies...!" She spluttered as she spat out water. Tyki realized that the water running off of her onto him stung a little bit. He looked closer and saw the tell tale sheen in the liquid. Seeing that she still had little rivers of blood coming from bite of the Tease Tyki decided to test out an idea that he'd had.

"Ah! you're hurt!" said Tyki in mock concern grabbing her hand and pressing his lips to the wound there. She looked immensely startled and Tyki had to stop himself from grinning keeping his eyes fixed on her as flicked his tongue over the wound to taste the blood. Her face went and interesting shade somewhere between red and purple and she jerked her hand away and slapped him before taking off into the forest. Tyki couldn't have stopped her even if he wanted to. The moment her blood touched his tongue something seemed to explode inside his brain. Like a white hot volt of electricity; both painful and exhilarating in equal measures. Her slap had stung too with that tingly sensation that he was beginning to become familiar with. 

No, last time had not been a fluke. This girl he had found was special.

Author's Note

いて炊きます - time to eat
maninho - little brother
kriel - runt

Yeah so I had thought I was finished the chapter and I was going to end it right as Tyki stepped in to save Siana but then I figured that was rather a terrible spot to leave it so I wrote some more. Thus this chap is freaking long. I don't think Siana will mind though :)

Reviews

[Sarah H. (Shadow Mage)]

Loved this~
Siâna was very cute in this story ^w^

[StillShorterThanYou]

yay~~ !!! POKER ! I'm actually getting decent that's to this one game that has you play a hand of poker at the beginning *grins* and NEW POWERS! COOL BEANS!

[Imagination-mage]

OMG this was so cuteXD!!!! i loved it! lol siana in this book is hilarious!