Stories from RhyDin & The Rings

Mayflower let out a loud cry of surprise. Then she began to sing an indistinguishable tune in Kittish, her green eyes big. Icer grunted, trapped in a tangle of limbs, tail, wings, and Reiko as she watched the ball roll. And, what was Toby doing? He was just sitting there and watching whilst humming Yakety Sax to himself!

"Man down! Uh...woman down. Someone call the medics!" Andu called out. Icer's ears perked at the tune her niece was singing. Toby received an innocent grin before peeking to check on Reiko. The same fallen Reiko looked around for the ball that had caused all of this to begin with.

"Damn...ball..." she muttered. If she was conscious, then she wasn't feeling a thing! The woman wasn't moving, however, and shut her eyes for a moment. She really wasn't going anywhere right now, because Icer tackling her has rendered her temporarily immobile for maybe a few minutes. Icer shook herself as she slid off of Reiko, nudging her with the tip of her cold snout. Mayflower's singing in Kittish continued with plaintive mews, mers, and mewls.

There was a light pressure, and the silver ball made its presence known again. It was perched on Reiko's head.

"You okay, Reiko?" Andu asked just as Icer spotted the sphere again. Her wings fluttered.

Her eyes opened again when she felt something on her head again. If it was that sphere again..! "Damnit, Toby..." This time, she wasn't going to use her hands. Reiko shut her eyes once more, as if going to sleep or passing out. Neither was the case. Rather, she started to focus on the object on her head. If she was successful, then she was going to use her telekinesis to move that sphere right into her left hand! Toby watched as Reiko struggled to move the sphere off of her head. He also watched as Icer was left free and clear to go after it as well. Rosie watched the shiny ball. Icer could have pounced again, but she didn't! Her horned head canted. Mayflower finally stopped singing and flopped on her furry tummy.

Andu reached out to give Mayflower scritches. "You okay, Mayflower?"

"Damnit..." She was really trying hard this time. Three pounds was her limit, so why was this so hard to move? Unless...resistance, maybe? "...what could possibly go wrong, you said..." She had heard Andu asking about her moments ago. "I'm fine, Andu...once I get that sphere over to me, that is!" And not with her hands.

Slowly, the sphere did indeed start to move. It rolled down her forehead...and perched on the tip of her nose. It wasn't moving in the direction that Reiko was trying to move it in. Reiko's original trajectory for moving the sphere had been down the left side of her head and down her left side to her hand, of which her arm was slightly bent. However, it was moving towards her nose and seemed to stop at the tip of her small nose. Wasn't that amusing to a point. Surely, there must be some "assistance" from Toby here...Reiko kept trying anyways, focusing as she moved her left hand towards her nose.

Icer's tail tip twitched as she watched the ball roll on its own. With Reiko still sitting on the ground, and the silver ball perched on her nose tip, it was surely close to Rosie's range as well. Rosie's furry butt wiggle-wiggle-wiggled, and soon she leaped for that shiny ball. "Purrkour!" Icer might have giggled a bit at this.

Suddenly, Reiko found herself with a kitty on her head! "Meep?"

"Tadaa!" At least the kitten didn't tap dance whilst up there.

Toby mused to Andu, "I think Reiko's going to have tire tracks on her back when she gets home. Or cat and dragon tracks." This being said as Rosie was now holding onto the ball...which was still sitting on the top of Reiko's nose.

"I think you may be right, or at least on her front, since I believe she landed on her backside," Andu pointed out.

"What's a ghost's favorite fruit?" Wander asked.

Because it was hanging on top of her nose, Reiko now focused on trying to keep it from moving anymore. She could feel her limited senses closing in on the sphere, trying to halt its movement as her left hand closed in on the sphere itself. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed quietly, moving quickly to grab it. Rosie's pawhands were on the ball, so she got nabbed too. Her surprised cry let Reiko know of this. Both Rosie and the sphere had been grabbed. "Oops! I'm so sorry, Rosie!" the woman said with wide eyes.

"Uh...I have no idea what a ghost's favourite food is, Wander." Andu really didn?t know.

"Booberry!" She giggled. Andu chuckled softly. Icer's tail wiggled as she watched her niece and peeked back to Toby for a moment.

Now that she could feel some movement again, sans pain, Reiko sat up and released the kitten from her sudden grasp. "Ha ha, Toby..." Pink hues stared up at her therapist that doubled as her teacher. "...ha ha. Anything else I need to learn tonight whilst we're here?" Reiko asked. There were a couple of things, actually...

There was a smirk as Toby answered, "I'm still waiting for a three-headed collision train-wreck." He watched as Rosie nuzzled Reiko upon being released. "Let's see," he started, musing, "we covered dragon-dodging...need to work on that one. Kitten-baiting...hand-eye coordination...bit slow there." Toby grinned and tilted his head slightly as the silver ball came floating back over to him. Mayflower lapped up the rest of the ginger ale and flopped on her furry tummy.

"She did nae move in time," Icer purred as she watched that ball float. Her tail wiggled to Noah.

A soft kiss was landed on top of the pink-loving kitten's head as Reiko gently held her. She listened as the items were ticked off, and she lowered her head. "In other words...another failure times three." Yeah, Reiko was starting to get used to that. She stood slowly, rubbing one eye, and placed Rosie back onto the bar top before she reached to gently pick up Mayflower. She's not had the chance to give them all their gentle kisses yet tonight. "Just when I thought I was getting better!" Woosh! One napkin escaped from the dispenser and landed to Reiko's right whilst Mayflower purred.

"Learning stuff's hard," Rosie said.

"We have lessons every day," Wander added.

"Ehh." Toby gave an offhand wave. "It's a marathon, little steps. Trust me, you don't get better at this fast. If you think you are, it's an illusion."

The woman sighed. Rosie was right. Learning stuff was sometimes hard, and this was one of them. After softly kissing the top of Mayflower's head, she put her back down and picked up Wander to do the same thing. Wander purred when given attention. "I don't have lessons daily, just...a bunch of exercises. One of which is a new one nobody really added...I've started to chase a cat around the city two days ago." She looked to Toby. "That wouldn't be your doing, would it?" Then she looked to Andu. "Or yours, Big Brother?"

Toby blinked first. Then he snickered. "I don't recall telling you to go chase a cat, no," was his answer.

"Nope. Not me. But if it is a cat, One of the Katz or Kendra." Another negative.

"Was the cat in a truck?" Rosie asked.

The woman blinked. "It's black and white, but doesn't look like any of the Katz I've met...and it led me all around the city. No truck, though. It was alone and led me through a maze, and then another several kilometres...and back here, where I nearly passed out from exhaustion for hours!" After giving Wander her soft kiss, she put the kitten back down with a soft petting. "Whoever's idea it is? Genius..." Where did Reiko's bottle of water go..? She couldn't find it anywhere.

"I think that one's all you," Toby said.

*With that, the impromptu "lesson" dissolved into a casual conversation about a black and white cat that Reiko had recently started to chase around the city. Though without any reason in particular, the cat seemed to enjoy being followed around by the human. She still has yet to learn of the reason for this cat wanting her to follow it around the city, but it does like to sit a couple of blocks away from the Palazzo Estate and wait for her. In the meanwhile, Mayflower, Rosie, and Wander told Reiko and those still present at the Inn about a song that their grandmother Rachael sang to them...about a male yellow tabby cat who had "borrowed" various vehicles.

When Reiko spotted the bottle of Jameson on the scarred wooden bar top after a brief reminder that pain was part of being human (she had yet to reabsorb the stone into her), and was ultimately denied even a tiny sip of the alcohol, she recalled her sobriety. At this point, she's only been sober for three months. Much support and Antabuse has helped her with this, as well as plenty to do in order to make the temptation to drink difficult. As a reward for her progress with maintaining sobriety thus far, Toby has promised Reiko cookies from his wife. Little mishap stemming from the flashback to her abusive parents aside, the late hour and a few ginger cookies enjoyed brought an end to the night of "comedy of errors."

*Note: Due to the loss of the chat log for this point of the story line, everything in this post is being typed up from memory. Apologies in advance for anybody whose character(s) might be inadvertently omitted.

It could have gone better. Anything and everything could always go better in life. To have it one's way all the time would just be making life too easy, though. In a perfect world, this would be a non-issue. Everybody would be engulfed in their own little bubbles of happiness, feeling an eternal sense of ecstasy and a high unlike anything they've ever experienced before in their lives, and without any chance of interruption. What a life that would be. Yes, that perfect utopia.

Surprise plot twist, Rhy'din isn't the perfect world that everyone can consistently enjoy the time of their lives in. A number of the locals here, human and nonhuman alike, already know this. They've learnt this harsh lesson at various points in their lives. Even a number of the imports from other worlds (or galaxies, even) learnt this at some point after their arrival in Rhy'din. Unfortunately, not everybody has come to this realisation with a much harsher lesson deserved.

To the surprise of maybe nobody whatsoever, Reiko happens to be the one to require such a reality check of this nature. Starting at the Inn on the cusp of the spring season, the bubblegum pink-haired woman was already having her own troubles. In the words of one she considered a very close heart-relative of hers, "Every time she seems to be making progress, something happens that takes her several steps backwards instead." That night was of no exception. She was full of irritation and just felt this combination of emotions bubbling up within her. Irritation was just one of those bubbles in the mix.

Sitting at the Inn's bar with Andu, Icer, and a few others in their company, Reiko was on the verge of blowing her sobriety once again. Her duelling desires had started to blend with her military combat experience and, in turn, the risk of others being injured or killed (including Reiko) spiked to a dangerous level. It was at the point where it seemed like not even Toby could reach her anymore. Could anybody reach her anymore? The answer seemed to be in the ultimate negative.

Toby wasn't whistling when he came walking right inside of the Inn. His eyes were set when he passed right by those who greeted him and approached the bar. There was nothing pleasant about this visit tonight, and Reiko knew it. It showed in her teacher's eyes. In fact, the temperature seemed to drop by a considerable amount just now. All it took was the fedora-wearing man pointing directly at her, saying, "You. Come with me. Now," and turning on his heel to exit the Inn through the back door to the Back Alley.

Yeah, that was cold.

Reiko froze where she sat. Although the atmosphere seemed to regain its usual cozy temperature, the woman herself was still frigid inside. Ever see the look on a deer's face once it's been caught in the headlights of a car? Photoshop a human's face over it, and that's how she looked. Reiko was in Trouble, and she knew it. Why else would she be told to meet Toby outside without any opportunity to object? The lady may be stubborn, but she wasn't stupid; thus her slow rise from the stool and almost slower departure into the Back Alley through the Inn's back door.

To say that Toby was angry could be considered an understatement. Pissed-off and fed up were perhaps more accurate; he was having a hard time trying to stay still as it was. Seeing Reiko, he took a moment to shut his eyes. Then he opened them and asked, in a pitch too low for anyone who might be present to hear at first, "Do you remember the warning that I gave you about misusing your gifts? Abusing them for your own purpose instead of listening to someone who actually gives a damn about you, do you remember that at all?"

Reiko couldn't answer. Not right away, anyways. Dare she nod her head or to even speak? Her voice seemed to become caught in her throat as she debated this. Azalean pink eyes froze in place as eye contact was made with the man she so dearly respected and looked up to as her teacher...what a joke that seemed to be now. Had she really held such a high amount of respect for the man, they probably wouldn't even be here in the first place. Not under these circumstances, anyways.

"Yes," she finally answered, her voice no louder than a whisper.

Had she answered with the opposite, there would have been more to ream the woman out over. Instead, she had been smart enough to answer honestly. Perhaps that was the redeeming factor for her. Honesty. Sincerity. Those two were never sacrifised when it came to the woman...

...but she was still very much in deep shit with Toby.

"There is only so much that someone can do to help someone. When I took you on as my student, it was because I saw a reflection of myself from the past in you. Someone who was on a path to destruction and would only continue to venture down that path unless someone intervened. What I did for you, someone else once did for me. Only now, you have time and again refused not only to listen to me, but to those who care enough to give a crap about you." This entire time, his voice never raised in volume. Nor did it decrease any. It maintained a constant volume the entire time that he spoke. "You made a fool out of me yet again. You made me look absolutely stupid, and for that reason, I can only deem myself a failure as your teacher."

Out came his silver sphere. Toby held it in his hand, only for it to float above the open hand soon after. Reiko's eyes were wider than platters at this point. She found herself standing, absolutely frozen in place where she stood, as if her feet were cement blocks. The woman wasn't just afraid now. She was petrified. The silver sphere floating above Toby's hand? It only multiplied her level of fear.

"You recall what I told you about what would happen if there was a next time." It wasn't a matter of asking. An answer wasn't exactly required, although it kind of was as well. Reiko nodded anyways, her terrified eyes still not moving away from him. Things would get serious if there was a next time; there was a next time. It was now.

Suddenly, the sphere shot forth, flying past Reiko's head. The intent wasn't to harm her. It was to give her more of a scare, at least for now. He was still very much pissed as the sphere made contact with a brick wall behind her. With her eyelash-less eyes still wide with utter terror, the woman let out a yelp. Those who were present in the shadows of the Back Alley could only watch silently as this unfolded. As it was, it was only Icer and Andu watching from near the door. They remained out of sight and out of involvement in the meanwhile.

After one more speedy flight into the wall of another brick building, the sphere made its way back to Toby. He caught it in his hand without looking at it, where it would then be pocketed and stay there. "Not even that would be enough to knock some sense into your head at this point." Taking a few steps forward, he closed in on the woman again. This time, he gave the news that she had been dreading for so long now. "Because you continue to regress every time we want to believe you're improving, and you've made a fool of me too many times as it is, I can no longer be your teacher. I've failed you, Reiko."

There was no voluntary movement from the woman as she at first remained absolutely silent for what seemed like an eternity. It was only moments, but she neither spoke nor moved during that time. Finally, she could feel herself starting to fall backwards towards the ground. Her eyes gazed straight ahead of her, seeing what little view of the night sky that was visible. Then, the movement seemed to stop. Yet she didn't feel the filth of the cobblestone ground beneath her. Toby had stilled her movement with a single gesture; there Reiko remained frozen in place as Andu finally approached with Icer perched on his shoulder in hatchling form.

Reiko was in shock. She wasn't budging and had to be guided inside. Eventually, Rachael Blackthorne - simply referred to by the bubblegum pink-haired woman as "Ma Tante" - stepped outside to assist. Toby had to leave then, needing to return home to his family, but he did make himself clear that he wouldn't stop being Reiko's friend just because he had stopped being her teacher. He would be happy to maintain their friendship, but the lessons were as of now terminated.

Only time would tell as to whether or not this was permanent.

*This isn't a lesson, but don't get your hopes up about anything being permanent. -nyah-

Today was looking to be a day of optimism. Pleasantries were abounding with a festive spirit that was contagious. A cake has been brought out, but why so? As it turned out, tonight's bartender was celebrating another year of her life. How wonderful was that! Such a happy occasion just had to call for a happy entrance. Happy, as well as special. Special, and unique. Unique was exactly what was in store for Murelle Greymantle, only she and the rest of the Inn's occupants just didn't know it yet.

After dropping down from the rafters and letting multi-coloured confetti snow down upon the Inn's bar section to announce her arrival, Reiko has settled herself in with some cake and ice cream. Two of her feline relatives, Butch and Wander, were recovering from their misadventures of eating Pepper's specially-cultivated ghost peppers when she watched a rather interesting sight develop on the scarred wooden bar top in front of her. It was a birthday gift to Murelle from Toby and his family, an eagle's feather made entirely out of fragments of chocolate. An impressed Reiko hoped to pull off such a feat someday.

"Someday, you will." Was it any surprise to anybody that she was now flashing a little bit of a smirk as her eyes seemed to light up with traces of hope within them? She wanted her chance to show what she's been up to, and now seemed like the perfect time to do so. Suddenly, she was plucking daisies from the tops of David's and Andu's heads. Six of them sat in the palms of her cupped hands. She had summoned them with telepathy somehow. Both Toby and Murelle had pansies sitting on top of their heads and, after several minutes of tuning out Daved before the walking brooder left the Inn towards the end of Murelle's birthday celebration, Reiko was able to get the fedora-wearing man?s attention for a somewhat private conversation. Thus the following transpired in the comforts of one of the Inn's booths:

Right. The floor was hers. First, a long sip was taken from the bottle of cold water. A whispered sigh parted Reiko as she tried to not stumble on her words before they even converted from her thoughts. "Ah...well, first. Thank you, Toby, for giving me as many chances as you've given. As a friend, person, and...as my teacher, when I was your student." Was, the operative word. "And...I'm sorry. Not just for failing you, but for causing you to fail me. I...I've had a lot of time to think about. Everything, really." So much for sounding like her typical confident self. If she had to describe herself in one word, then floundering would be that word.

There was a lull as the woman paused. Not only did she pause to give Toby a chance to speak if he had something to say, which was nothing but a nod given as he listened, she needed another drink of water. When that was taken, she had collected herself just enough to continue. Azalean pink eyes managed to seek eye contact with who she spoke to as her fingers met around the water bottle. "It was either I continue to screw up whilst trying to feel sorry for myself after all of my screw-ups, or I do something to reverse that disturbing trend before I really get myself killed." Reiko pointed her thumb to her chest. "I chose to try my hardest to do the right thing with the motivation that I can prove myself deserving or a second chance...or at least being worthy of the right to make such a request." She drew in a breath. As she exhaled, she said, "I've been facing my demons and winning against them. How else will I master myself if I'm losing to my worst enemy in that fashion?"

"Not too far off the point that was being hammered into your skull quite a lot prior to everything going pear-shaped," he observed dryly.

Reiko blinked and paused. She was trying to think of where she had gone astray. "I screwed up more times than I want to remember, Toby," she flat-out admitted. The woman was suddenly spilling out every way that she had messed up. "I got hammered so carelessly and almost killed myself, got myself killed, or killed someone. And, actually. I abused what I have in all three scenarios at least once, and I shouldn't have."

"Yes, you did." Toby nodded. "Exuberantly. Magnificently. Excessively, even. It's good to see you're taking responsibility for that."

"It's something I should have done right away...or, better yet, prevented the screw ups to begin with." She didn't look away. "But no...I had my head so far up my damn arse with my mind stupidly set on doing whatever I want, that I completely ignored wise advice like the dumbarse I was. I ignored Big Brother-" Reiko pointed her thumb in Andu's direction, "-and almost got locked up. I ignored you and almost got killed in multiple ways. I ignored everyone else and almost lost my boyfriend, who I love more than I could ever love my late husband...who I was trying to divorce when I witnessed his murder." Reiko shook her head at that. "My point is, I'm really sorry for not listening to you or anybody the first time. And, if you're willing to consider it...I want to ask for a second chance as your student. If I haven't burned that bridge permanently, that is."

There was just the slightest lean forward as Toby stared at her. When he did, Reiko maintained her position. She neither looked away nor flinched, simply letting the man stare at her. At the same time, she was ready to open up her mind and give Toby full permission to access it as a test of her sincerity. "You haven't." When he spoke just two words, the combination implying a possible chance of hope, her face seemed to light up without her ever looking away. "That said, I am going to reserve my answer for now. I'm going to have to think about it. More to the point, I'm going to wait until I'm fully convinced." Then again, there was no definite answer. Yet, anyways. That to her meant that she still had to show in some way that she really wanted this second chance, that she wouldn't screw up even a bit if such was granted to her. "I will be watching. And I mean I will be watching," he said mildly, "You're best served if you can assume there's very little I don't find out about. It'll depend in large part how you change your views on self-control and common sense. And respect for others." This was said whilst he mused over his water.

However long it would take, Reiko wasn't about to give up when she felt that she had already made progress. Even more, with Toby watching in some form (and Reiko knew this for sure...that mechanical bird, for example), she knew better than to slack off at all.