She nodded, greatful that Korif was still in fact alive. She held him closer as she felt his breaths wrack his luchgs and he swayed, whatever was down there had scared him more than she had first thought. She brough her right arm about his shoulders and looked up at him. He really was too good for this place, though not looking innocent out on the streets he seemed so voulnerable at that moment in time. She nuzzled the crook of his neck all the while telling her slight craving to shut up and leave. She felt his breathing slow somewhat, a tad more relaxed though not quite at ease. Se shifted her head and moved so that she was eye level with him. She pressed her lips against his, but only for a moment before she pulled back.
She did it again. Korif still had no idea why she was doing it, but it showed how much she cared. Every time, it confused him more and more. That sense of sadness for all the things he left behind returned. Why did it confuse him? Korif once more created a mind barrier as the voice in his head spoke. <span style='color:red'>She's toying with you. Throw her into the sunlight and have done with her... or maybe she'd prefer the tunnels?</span> Korif clenched his fist in disgust and anger. He always knew that little voice had some weird and sometimes demented ideas, but that was just plain sick. The anger was very quickly quelled as he seemed to return to his physical surroundings.
She was confused, possibly even the slightest bit hurt, when she felt Korif's muscles tense up in anger. What had she done this time that was so wrong? She severly hoped that he didn't think she was fooling with him. She wouldn't let herself get that close to anyone without wanting something of theirs. She didn't want anything of his, just him. It was one of the oddest feelings she'd ever felt. She sighed and shifted a lock of her hair behind her ear. <span style='color:purple'>Korif I... I...</span> She couldn't say it, all the times she'd said it for her own gain it had been simple, bt now that she felt it really mattered she was left without the courage to say it.
Korif looked at Leah with a concerned look. <span style='color:red'>What?</span> Oh, that was it. She was going to say it, and then Korif wouldn't have a clue what to say, and then his whole life would change. Frankly, he didn't like change in his life. He'd become so accustomed to the whole routine. <span style='color:red'>What's up, Leah?</span> His attention returned once more to the Vampdragon sat opposite him. He could tell there was something she wanted to say, but she didn't seem to know how to say it.
She sighed. <span style='color:purple'>I.. uhm... Oh god you're going to think i sound foolish, but Korif I care. More than that, I... love you.</span> She said, her last words barely audible. This was definitely going down as one of her most uncomfotable and awkward moments as she waited for him to answer her. As she felt the eternity of seconds tick on she became more anxious. <span style='color:purple'>Just answer me... say something... do something... anything</span> She thought, her eyes sliently giving her plea for an answer of any kind.
Korif pulled her in close and gripped onto her tightly. <span style='color:red'>You wouldn't believe how mutual the feeling is... but I don't feel as thought it'll work... I feel too different to you, and it really tears at me.</span> It pained him to say it, and he didn't want to say it at all, but it was the truth. <span style='color:red'>You don't know how sorry I am that it came out like that, but I wanted to get it said and done with.</span> Korif felt slightly determined not to let go of her, and his grip showed it. It was just a damn shame that he had to be blunt about almost everything.
<span style='color:purple'>What do you mean 'feel too different'?</span> She asked. She had a pretty good idea of what he meant, but at the same time she didn't know what he meant at all. Leah could tell that she meant at least something to him as he held onto her tightly. She clung to him, not as tightly as before, but she rested herhead on his shoulder, looking away. So this was what it was like. She didn't feel all that great, like something was missing, she put up the fist laer of her emotional mask, keeping her facial expression neutral and her eyes clear.
<span style='color:red'>I don't know, it just seems like we come from two different worlds... please don't hide it. If you're upset, just let it out.</span> Korif didn't want her bottling her emotions up again. It mad him feel bad, as if he'd done something wrong. He wanted it to work, he really did, but it just didn't look as if it could. There was no way that they could, as Korif travelled around too much, and never normally tended to keep friends. It was just his way, it wasn't anything those around him had done.
<span style='color:purple'>Remeber how i told you that you didn't know the half of it last night? You really don't, there's no way i could tell you everything in one day or even one week, but I've lived every kind of life at one point or another. I've been a nomad in the Pua desert, I've been a con artist, I've been an outcast, I've been a soldier. Whatever it is I've probably gone through it.</span> She said. It was true, when you had 8,000 some years you had a tendency to let your tastes of adventure and such things slide around because you could afford to try out different methods of life. She couldn't just show her emotions at the moment, she was too far gone over, already locking them away. She just sighed sadly.
<span style='color:red'>I know, but it just doesn't feel right. I'm sorry.</span> Korif struggled with it, but he was actually able to come out with it. He didn't want to accept it, but he had to. He didn't feel he could be with Leah, but for better reasons that were beyond his grasp. <span style='color:red'>Why is this happening to me... why do I feel as if I can't be with her...</span> he thought to himself.
Leah heard his thoughts and realized that it wasn't all him... well it was... but at the same time it wasn't. <span style='color:purple'>{You can fix this you know. How? What have you been learning for the past 8 millenia? How heartless do you think i am? Enough to make it work.}</span> Leah thought to herself for a moment before realizing what had just happened. <span style='color:purple'>Thes.</span> She muttered, that was not supposed to have happened.
Korif looked at her, confused. It obviously wasn't meant to be said aloud, but he wondered why she said it. He didn't know what to say, any more. It seemed like everything around him had fallen to pieces, and it left him worried. However, Korif had learnt well enough to trust his instincts. His instincts told him that things may work out, after all.
<span style='color:purple'>Sorry, guess my telepathy went haywire, well you're not the only one here with voice problems</span> She said, smirking some. It was times like these when she sorely wished that she had chosen empathy as a trade. She had no idea what was running through Korif's mind and she wasn't about to go out of her way to pry. She couldn't now. She whispered something in the Anubian tongue, not quite sure what she had said or why she had been compeled to say anything at all. She closed her eyes and shook her head some. The day was just odd that way, nothing like the veiled truth of the night. Nothing at all like it.
Korif chuckled. <span style='color:red'>Have you ever gotten that feeling that your mind and your instinct are conflicting?</span> The recent input from his instinct had confused him even more, now. He tended to trust instinct more than brain, however, and so continued to ignore the voice in his head. He began to wonder whether Leah even had instinct. She seemed too... intelligent for it. Not that there was anything wrong with it, it just didn't seem an instinct would suit her. Korif didn't even know why he was saying this to himself.
Leah thought for a bit, well she now half-knew what Korif was thinking... kind of. At the question of her instinct and mind in conflict she had to think rather far back. She had a habit of ignoring logic and going with what she felt she ought to do. Occasionally reasoning with the voice on her rigid views. <span style='color:purple'>Well, I've had to reason with my mind... though last time i went along with what was logical I wound up on the streets. So I've kind of stopped going with what looks right when i think it over. I guess spontaneous or impulsive are better words, but if i have to look at consequences i go with what feels right, not with what looks right.</span> She said. She looked up at him and a slim smile crept up her muzzle. <span style='color:purple'>I'm assuming that's what's going on at the moment, isn't it?</span>
<span style='color:red'>Mm. Logic never really did anyone any good, huh?</span> Korif nodded. <span style='color:red'>You seem to know a fair bit about it? To be honest, I would never have thought you had instinct. You just seem too smart for one.</span> He wasn't sure whether she'd take it as a compliment or an insult, and he didn't know what he'd take it as if he was told the same.
A mischevious glint came into Leah's eyes. When Korif said he didn't think she had instinct. She decided on being rather neutral on the comment, he had somewhat balanced it out by saying she seemed too smart for instinct. <span style='color:purple'>I've been around for quite a while, I've picked up a few things here and there. Besides if your mind is out of commision you have to rely on something, no?</span> She said. She'd always had instinct, but when she had others to influence her and tell her what to do she hadn't used it. Having out-lived most of her contacts and friends she had to learn to rely on something other than the voice in her mind, which had a tendency of leaving her feeling very lost.
<span style='color:red'>Yeah, I suppose. I still listen to that little voice on occasion. It sometimes comes out with helpful and useful insight. Sometimes.</span> Korif awaited a retort from the voice, but he heard nothing. <span style='color:red'>Mehehe, victory is mine...</span> he chuckled to himself in his head. <span style='color:red'>So, are we gonna sit here all day or what, because my left leg's gone to sleep.</span> Korif smirked. It was true, though. He had a feeling the if he looked at the skin beneath his fur, it'd be a pale white. He got up and pulled Leah up with him.
<span style='color:purple'>Useful insight on occasion more often than not in my case I just get so screwed over that I look like some kind of fool.</span> She chuckled. When he asked if they were going to sit there all day and allowed herself to be pulled up to her feet by Korif. She stretched some and felt the places where her muscles had cramped loosen. <span style='color:purple'>Well, what do you propose we do?</span> She asked. It was barely noon and the sun was quite high and rather bright. She was open to do just about anything.
<span style='color:red'>I don't know. Suppose I could go out, but you get less toffs around, today. Meh, I'm sure on of us'll think of something.</span> Korif wandered back into the main room and jumped through the stone ceiling. He was perched on a rafter, waiting for Leah to try and follow him in again. This was his little... exercise area, although it was rather poorly lit. He thought of it as a way to keep his acrobatic skills practiced, as well as helping him utilise them better in dark areas. He sat and waited, paws gripping the rafter, and his feet beside them, seemingly frozen on the ball. <span style='width:100%;font-weight:bold; font-size:10px'>Out of Character</span> <table class='ooc'><tr><td>Gah, writer's block again.</td></tr></table>
