Beast'verse: still in rewrite
Miriam still belongs to ry_sabir - I'm just borrowing her
Miriam settled down in her chair, nursing a mug of replimat coffee [one of these days she was going to give in and actually have Ilona start brewing it for her the old fashioned way - thank the Celestial Dragon for Ilona being a traditionalist and maintaining that small garden of hers that grew the ingredients that the Old Earthers used to make their drinks prior to the Cataclysm] and read over the files that had been piling up on her desk. Six weeks worth of reports [ones she had only gotten around to start to reading - and in some cases reading over again before she compiled the master report for Aaron] following the rescue of Dragon Force One by her elder brother and Dram, and while the others had been easy [and even then it had been touch and go for awhile since their bodies had fought it] to restore, the only one that they hadn't been able to restore, let alone find at first, had been Z'neth.
She sipped her coffee, wincing a little at the taste and set it down on the table with a soft thunk. She picked up the newest report, her dark eyes skimming it ever so slowly. It had been close to a year following the rescue before Dragon Force One [temporarily under Summit's command] managed to capture the mutant calling himself Attor, Son of Lord Dread Wing, the quote true ruler of Old Earth - who it turned out to be Z'neth, only he didn't remember he was Z'neth, apparently believing the lies that Dread Wing and Gangryn had fed him. A soft knock on the door frame caught her attention and she glanced up, her lips curving up into a soft smile at the sight of the delicate figure standing there. "Enter," she called.
Ilona quietly slipped inside the office and offered the slightly older medic a shy, tentative smile. "A-aron said to tell you that you needed a break," she said softly, shyly [a slight stammer on using the founder of the Dragonator Corps' first name without proper title - something Miriam was trying to break her of. After all, the girl had known Aaron's family for how long now that she could get away with calling him simply Aaron?]. "I'll cover for you," she offered, playing with the hem of her sleeve of her jacket while she waited for Miriam's answer.
Miriam studied the younger woman, trying to come up with the proper answer. Well, Z'neth was asleep so she really could afford to leave for a bit and get some food and proper sleep herself. That and Dram was usually never too far away - he had taken over protecting Ilona [acting like a protective older brother for her - something that always embarrassed Ilona, making her blush to the roots of her hair], so if anything did happen, he'd be right there. She let out a soft sigh and nodded. "All right," she said, standing up slowly. "Z'neth's asleep right now so you should be fine, but Ilona, if you have to.."
"Summon Dram if Z'neth wakes up and is in a pissy mood," Ilona finished, smiling just a bit. "I'll be careful, Miriam. I promise."
Miriam pursed her lips for a moment and nodded. She walked by Ilona, pausing only long enough to ruffle Ilona's twilight colored hair, chuckling softly at the muted sound of protest from the younger girl. A few hours of uninterrupted sleep would be just the thing she needed - too many long hours were a drain on her system. Maybe she could even chance some time with Summit - something she hadn't had in the weeks following the return of Z'neth [well, the almost return of Z'neth - physically in theory, he was back, mentally, physically and genetically, he wasn't, not yet anyway].
-
Ilona quietly entered the private room that Z'neth was recovering in, smiling softly at his sleeping form. She moved a chair closer to the head of his bed and settled on it. She reached over and picked up the small book on the table and smiled softly. "Now, where were we?" she asked softly, flipping through the old, worn pages, her eyes searching for that dog-eared corner she had left the last time she had read from the book. "Ah, here we are," she said. She settled back and quietly began to read aloud the story she had begun the last time she had covered for Miriam. Her pale amethyst colored eyes would glance up every now and again, trying to see if there was any change, any sign of life from the slumbering human turned mutant. Nothing, she sighed, but she still held hope that today would be the day that he finally woke up.
Dram appeared in the doorway, his dark eyes studying the scene before him. Same scene as always when he took guard duty when Ilona was on duty [Ilona quietly reading something to his brother in all but blood and his brother sleeping quietly, apparently unaware of what was going outside his dreams] - something that was getting to be a familiar sight. He sighed softly, wishing there was some sort of change - this wait was starting to get to the family.
Ilona glanced up, pausing midsentence to spy Dram in the doorway and offered him a slight smile, before she returned to her reading. She paused midsentence again, yawning softly this time, before returning to reading aloud. She had given up on getting a decent night's sleep until Z'neth awoke - her sleep was currently plagued by nightmares, ones she wasn't sure of the origin [but there were things in it that she knew weren't things she had seen so..] A sudden weight on her shoulder had her freezing midsentence and glancing up slowly. "Dram," she breathed, slightly relieved. "Trying to scare me, big guy?"
Dram studied the young woman before him, his eyes taking in the slight glimmer of silver in her eyes. He nodded to himself, recognizing something he hadn't predicted seeing in another outside of his family's line. "His mind brushes yours, does it not?" he asked, ignoring Ilona's question for a moment.
Ilona blinked her eyes for a moment and glanced away. "Yeah," she offered softly. "I haven't told anyone," she admitted. "I didn't want them worrying." She glanced over at Z'neth, watching him sleep. A soft smile crossed her features as she watched his eyes start to slowly open. "Well," she began, looking up at Dram, relief clear in her gaze. "Looks like someone's gotten impatient to see how the story ended."
Attor's eyes opened slowly and found himself staring up at a maiden - a human maiden at that, which wasn't quite what he was expecting. There was something familiar about her - but only just familiar [it hurt too much to press the issue to find out why she seemed familiar]. His eyes drifted about the room, studying it. Clearly, this wasn't his room in his Father's lair, so somehow these pitiful humans [and that traitorous Draeman] had managed to capture him. He growled softly to himself - no matter, he'd escape soon enough and they'd pay dearly for this humiliation. Although, he frowned to himself, there was that voice in the back of his head that kept insisting that this was home, that he wasn't Dread Wing's son, that he was human, like them, like her.
"Welcome home, Z'neth," Ilona said softly, gently reaching over and resting her hand against his cheek. A small part of her missed his white hair, missed her ability to run her fingers through it, but she shook herself mentally - it was more important that he was awake, alive. Besides, with time, he'd be back to normal and she'd be able to play with his hair again [that is, if he let her]. "We missed you terribly."
Attor glanced up at the girl, no, the woman before him, wondering if she was even aware that he wasn't this Z'neth. No, it seemed she wasn't, well - he could always show her that he wasn't this pathetic human she thought him to be. Silently, he reached up, grabbing her by the throat and squeezed ever so slightly. "So sorry, little human," he sneered, "but Z'neth isn't here."
Ilona startled when his hand closed around her throat, but knew enough not to struggle. There had to be a way to reach him - somehow, somehow she had to reach him. Wait, what had Dram said before? Something about his mind brushing hers? Could that work? Could she reach him through this bond? It was worth a shot, she thought. /Z'neth? Please let me go. Z'neth, please! You're hurting me!/ she cried through their bond, her eyes glistening with a hint of silver.
Attor froze the moment he felt that voice in his head, that soft pleading voice. He couldn't make out what she had called him, but he could feel her fear, her terror and that disgusted him - disgusted him to know that he had been the one that caused it. His grip loosened enough that she could pull free without injuring herself.
Dram pulled her behind him, standing protectively in front of Ilona, his dark eyes narrowing at the sight of his one time brother, now a monster, a beast he didn't recognize. Was there anything left of his brother in that thing? "Ilona, are you all right?" he asked over his shoulder.
Ilona coughed a bit, rubbing her throat. She wasn't sure what made him stop, wasn't sure if it had been her pleas that had gotten through to him, but she wasn't going to complain if it was. She peered out from behind Dram, studying the mutant who in turn was studying her. "I will be," she rasped out, her throat tender.
Miriam settled down in her chair, nursing a mug of replimat coffee [one of these days she was going to give in and actually have Ilona start brewing it for her the old fashioned way - thank the Celestial Dragon for Ilona being a traditionalist and maintaining that small garden of hers that grew the ingredients that the Old Earthers used to make their drinks prior to the Cataclysm] and read over the files that had been piling up on her desk. Six weeks worth of reports [ones she had only gotten around to start to reading - and in some cases reading over again before she compiled the master report for Aaron] following the rescue of Dragon Force One by her elder brother and Dram, and while the others had been easy [and even then it had been touch and go for awhile since their bodies had fought it] to restore, the only one that they hadn't been able to restore, let alone find at first, had been Z'neth.
She sipped her coffee, wincing a little at the taste and set it down on the table with a soft thunk. She picked up the newest report, her dark eyes skimming it ever so slowly. It had been close to a year following the rescue before Dragon Force One [temporarily under Summit's command] managed to capture the mutant calling himself Attor, Son of Lord Dread Wing, the quote true ruler of Old Earth - who it turned out to be Z'neth, only he didn't remember he was Z'neth, apparently believing the lies that Dread Wing and Gangryn had fed him. A soft knock on the door frame caught her attention and she glanced up, her lips curving up into a soft smile at the sight of the delicate figure standing there. "Enter," she called.
Ilona quietly slipped inside the office and offered the slightly older medic a shy, tentative smile. "A-aron said to tell you that you needed a break," she said softly, shyly [a slight stammer on using the founder of the Dragonator Corps' first name without proper title - something Miriam was trying to break her of. After all, the girl had known Aaron's family for how long now that she could get away with calling him simply Aaron?]. "I'll cover for you," she offered, playing with the hem of her sleeve of her jacket while she waited for Miriam's answer.
Miriam studied the younger woman, trying to come up with the proper answer. Well, Z'neth was asleep so she really could afford to leave for a bit and get some food and proper sleep herself. That and Dram was usually never too far away - he had taken over protecting Ilona [acting like a protective older brother for her - something that always embarrassed Ilona, making her blush to the roots of her hair], so if anything did happen, he'd be right there. She let out a soft sigh and nodded. "All right," she said, standing up slowly. "Z'neth's asleep right now so you should be fine, but Ilona, if you have to.."
"Summon Dram if Z'neth wakes up and is in a pissy mood," Ilona finished, smiling just a bit. "I'll be careful, Miriam. I promise."
Miriam pursed her lips for a moment and nodded. She walked by Ilona, pausing only long enough to ruffle Ilona's twilight colored hair, chuckling softly at the muted sound of protest from the younger girl. A few hours of uninterrupted sleep would be just the thing she needed - too many long hours were a drain on her system. Maybe she could even chance some time with Summit - something she hadn't had in the weeks following the return of Z'neth [well, the almost return of Z'neth - physically in theory, he was back, mentally, physically and genetically, he wasn't, not yet anyway].
-
Ilona quietly entered the private room that Z'neth was recovering in, smiling softly at his sleeping form. She moved a chair closer to the head of his bed and settled on it. She reached over and picked up the small book on the table and smiled softly. "Now, where were we?" she asked softly, flipping through the old, worn pages, her eyes searching for that dog-eared corner she had left the last time she had read from the book. "Ah, here we are," she said. She settled back and quietly began to read aloud the story she had begun the last time she had covered for Miriam. Her pale amethyst colored eyes would glance up every now and again, trying to see if there was any change, any sign of life from the slumbering human turned mutant. Nothing, she sighed, but she still held hope that today would be the day that he finally woke up.
Dram appeared in the doorway, his dark eyes studying the scene before him. Same scene as always when he took guard duty when Ilona was on duty [Ilona quietly reading something to his brother in all but blood and his brother sleeping quietly, apparently unaware of what was going outside his dreams] - something that was getting to be a familiar sight. He sighed softly, wishing there was some sort of change - this wait was starting to get to the family.
Ilona glanced up, pausing midsentence to spy Dram in the doorway and offered him a slight smile, before she returned to her reading. She paused midsentence again, yawning softly this time, before returning to reading aloud. She had given up on getting a decent night's sleep until Z'neth awoke - her sleep was currently plagued by nightmares, ones she wasn't sure of the origin [but there were things in it that she knew weren't things she had seen so..] A sudden weight on her shoulder had her freezing midsentence and glancing up slowly. "Dram," she breathed, slightly relieved. "Trying to scare me, big guy?"
Dram studied the young woman before him, his eyes taking in the slight glimmer of silver in her eyes. He nodded to himself, recognizing something he hadn't predicted seeing in another outside of his family's line. "His mind brushes yours, does it not?" he asked, ignoring Ilona's question for a moment.
Ilona blinked her eyes for a moment and glanced away. "Yeah," she offered softly. "I haven't told anyone," she admitted. "I didn't want them worrying." She glanced over at Z'neth, watching him sleep. A soft smile crossed her features as she watched his eyes start to slowly open. "Well," she began, looking up at Dram, relief clear in her gaze. "Looks like someone's gotten impatient to see how the story ended."
Attor's eyes opened slowly and found himself staring up at a maiden - a human maiden at that, which wasn't quite what he was expecting. There was something familiar about her - but only just familiar [it hurt too much to press the issue to find out why she seemed familiar]. His eyes drifted about the room, studying it. Clearly, this wasn't his room in his Father's lair, so somehow these pitiful humans [and that traitorous Draeman] had managed to capture him. He growled softly to himself - no matter, he'd escape soon enough and they'd pay dearly for this humiliation. Although, he frowned to himself, there was that voice in the back of his head that kept insisting that this was home, that he wasn't Dread Wing's son, that he was human, like them, like her.
"Welcome home, Z'neth," Ilona said softly, gently reaching over and resting her hand against his cheek. A small part of her missed his white hair, missed her ability to run her fingers through it, but she shook herself mentally - it was more important that he was awake, alive. Besides, with time, he'd be back to normal and she'd be able to play with his hair again [that is, if he let her]. "We missed you terribly."
Attor glanced up at the girl, no, the woman before him, wondering if she was even aware that he wasn't this Z'neth. No, it seemed she wasn't, well - he could always show her that he wasn't this pathetic human she thought him to be. Silently, he reached up, grabbing her by the throat and squeezed ever so slightly. "So sorry, little human," he sneered, "but Z'neth isn't here."
Ilona startled when his hand closed around her throat, but knew enough not to struggle. There had to be a way to reach him - somehow, somehow she had to reach him. Wait, what had Dram said before? Something about his mind brushing hers? Could that work? Could she reach him through this bond? It was worth a shot, she thought. /Z'neth? Please let me go. Z'neth, please! You're hurting me!/ she cried through their bond, her eyes glistening with a hint of silver.
Attor froze the moment he felt that voice in his head, that soft pleading voice. He couldn't make out what she had called him, but he could feel her fear, her terror and that disgusted him - disgusted him to know that he had been the one that caused it. His grip loosened enough that she could pull free without injuring herself.
Dram pulled her behind him, standing protectively in front of Ilona, his dark eyes narrowing at the sight of his one time brother, now a monster, a beast he didn't recognize. Was there anything left of his brother in that thing? "Ilona, are you all right?" he asked over his shoulder.
Ilona coughed a bit, rubbing her throat. She wasn't sure what made him stop, wasn't sure if it had been her pleas that had gotten through to him, but she wasn't going to complain if it was. She peered out from behind Dram, studying the mutant who in turn was studying her. "I will be," she rasped out, her throat tender.