~Myths and Magic~

(( *eyes narrow* Rue Key's?? I see what you did there ))
((Anyway here's a new character from my books for reasons))

Liyana was at her bar, humming along to the stereo behind the counter wiping down wet cups still hot from the dishwasher. Her eyes darted towards the kitchen, the backdoor closing snapping her out of her daydream. She stood eerie still, muscles tense and joints locked until the swinging door pushed open to reveal the intruder. Her body relaxed slightly when she realized who it was.

Liyana thought it odd that such a man would waltz into her territory like he owned the place. Said man would be Quinton, a very tall and muscular man what use to work as a bouncer for Liyana what seemed like eons. His hair was long and dreadlocked, pulled back into a ponytail. Quinton sat on a barstool near Liyana and stared forward like he was reading the bar's menu above the alpha's head. He propped his elbows on the table and pressed his interlaced fingers against his pursed lips.

Liyana cocked one eyebrow as she slowly continued to wipe down the glass in her hand. "What drags you in here Quin?" the alpha stared at the man as his eyes darted in her direction.

"Woe to the man who leads my flock astray..." Quinn spun on his stool to make eye contact with Liyana. His eyes were heavy and full of hurt. He simply shook his head. "My home... my pack... my mate..." the thumbed the rosary he wore around his neck. "He took everything. Everything but my faith." Quinn let out a hurt sigh. "My people felt abandoned...grew wary. Liyana, they needed my help--our help. I...I didn't listen, none of us did. Except him."

Liyana sat her glass and towel down as she leaned against the counter to listen.

"He told them exactly what the wanted--what they thought they needed--to hear. His lies--his poisons... it has driven them from my pasture. My pack... my pack as exiled me. They value the toxic falsehoods and temptations of an outside rather than me--their alpha, their proctor, their shepherd." Quinn's eyes hardened as they gazed deeply into Liyana's. "For if I am not their shepherd--"

"Then I must become the wolf." Liyana finished, eyes shimmering their lupine gold in a silent agreement to aid the exile however possible.

A faint smile appeared on Quinn's face as his eyes started to shimmer as well.

Oooooh, this is a really good post! I'm excited for this plot! )

Mark smiled at the two girls, scanning in the box of ice creams. Finally, some customers, feels like it's been more than a month! "Did you find everything you needed?" He asked, flashing another smile. His neck was itching; that sometimes happened if he didn't use his wings for too long. Or if something important was happening nearby. He would duck out for a quick stretch, he decided, after these three girls.

"Yup! Thanks for asking!" the curly haired woman beamed. As she subconsciously fingered the wing pendant at the end of her chain necklace, she looked over to her friend. "Hey, you have the cash, right Na-"

"I will kill you," the other woman interrupted with a fierce glare back. A small orb briefly flashed into existence beneath her left ear, glowing with the same hue as her eyes.

The young woman burst out laughing and pulled the cash she owed from her own pocket. "Here you go," she said between snickers as she exchanged the money for the box of ice creams. "Hey, remind me to save some of these for the others," she said as she left the counter.

The grump adjusted her leather jacket as she followed her friend. "Don't go through the entire box before we get back," was her snarky reply.

Dia stepped up to the counter once the women had moved. She flinched at the flash of golden light that appeared before the exit. When she looked over, the automatic doors were still sliding open, but both women were nowhere in sight.

"Huh." With a shrug, she handed the wrapped ham sandwich to the cashier.

((If some uncanny dorky soon-to-be-fired agent would show up to the bar I would really appreciate it.. *forceful cough*))

"Thanks for--" Mark paused, getting a weird feeling that he had just become reanimated after being frozen during that entire exchange. He blinked, shaking his head, and rang in the sandwich. "Will that be all?" he asked, "Or can I interest you in this generic 'super-exciting' keychain thing that I'm supposedly supposed to sell ten of before tomorrow?" he held up a lanyard colored to look like vines, with colorful flowers printed on it, attempting to hide a smirk.

Dia was about to say no to the key chain, but when she actually looked at Mark's face, she realized that she recognized him.
"Oh hey! I know you!" she exclaimed. And then, looking at the key chain again, she realized it was actually perfect for her, considering the powers she had, which Mark had seen her use the day before. She burst out laughing.
"Oh my goodness, yes I would love that key chain too," she laughed, "Anyway, Max-no, Mark, right?"

Mark grinned and gave a salute with two fingers. "At your service!" He scanned in the keychain with a chuckle, "I figured you'd like it... 3 dollars and 47 cents," he said. "Are you feeling better after yesterday?" he asked, a hint of concern on his face. She HAD nearly been bitten by a werewolf, after all.

"Thanks!" Dia laughed as she handed Mark a 5 dollar bill. "Hmm? Oh! Ya! I'm good! Still a little scratched up, but at least I'm not werewolf chow!" she grinned brightly, "It was scary, but I met a bunch of new and interesting people because of it! You, Lee, and...let's see, I already knew Josh and Jacob since they work with my mom, and there was that agent dude... Crud, I talked to him the longest! I know his name but it's on the tip of my tongue! Seriously, what was his face?"

Wildwing wrote:"Thanks!" Dia laughed as she handed Mark a 5 dollar bill. "Hmm? Oh! Ya! I'm good! Still a little scratched up, but at least I'm not werewolf chow!" she grinned brightly, "It was scary, but I met a bunch of new and interesting people because of it! You, Lee, and...let's see, I already knew Josh and Jacob since they work with my mom, and there was that agent dude... Crud, I talked to him the longest! I know his name but it's on the tip of my tongue! Seriously, what was his face?"

And that face, that glorious face, had just slammed into the glass window nearby with a very satisfying BUNK and was now squished beyond recognition. With his cheek half covering his eyes, he still seemed delighted on seeing the two people inside the store "... OH HEY GUYTH!"

James unstuck his face and did a little wave with his hand barely moving before the loud crackle of gunfire shattered a car's side mirror somewhere behind him. With a yelp/screech James hopped a foot in the air like a cat and took off running down the street again...

...Only to run right back by the window and to through the automatic doors, "Oh yeah run by the way!" He snatched a candy bar off the display by the door and bolted again. His manly war-cries of girlish terror echoing through the panicking street.

Dia whirled around at the BUNK and stared at James with rounded eyes.

"...Uuhh..."

With the squished mess that it was against the glass, she did not recognize that glorious face. But she only knew who he was because of that glorious T-Rex shirt he was still wearing. And it was then that she remembered his name.

"Oh right. That was his face," she stated out loud. And then immediately after, a car window got shot out.

Dia screamed in surprise and hurdled over the counter, pulling Mark down to the ground with her.

"ARE YOU SERIOUSLY SHOPLIFTING RIGHT NOW?!" she screeched when she managed a peak over the counter. And then she ducked again when a bullet tore through the snacks and shelves behind James.

Mark gave a strangled grunt as he fell back, pinned awkwardly against the cabinet behind as Dia tackled him. Although his brain was still trying to figure out what was happening and why there was gunfire, he was pretty sure he was managing to keep from yelling and screaming. No need for more chaos...

More bullets now, both near and far. There was more than one after them. Mark's breathing came in ragged gasps as he stumbled through the dark alley, half unconscious Dia slung over his shoulder. His wings drooped, the pale shimmer that usually cloaked them now a dull sheen, and one wing was mangled and bloody. Even if he'd had enough magic left to phase them out of sight, he couldn't fold them shut right now. A bullet ricocheted on a fire escape to his left, and Mark let out a yelp, half leaping, half falling into a gap between a dumpster and a ragged chainlink fence. He'd get away. He'd get them both to safety. He knew it.
---
Mark burst through the doors of Lyanna's bar, stumbling to the ground, Dia's limp form clutched in his arms. There hadn't been a gunshot for the past seven minutes maybe, but he had no clue if he'd managed to lose the pursuit. His face lifted in a grimace of pain towards Lyanna, a tourniquet of vines wrapped about his leg just above an ugly looking gash.
"Help us."