Apherion

OOC: Hey, here we are! We are going to start off in our own little worlds, and then our sides will begin to stick together. Any questions just PM me all right? IC: [COLOR=Purple]Alcina wove the amethyst like stone into a necklace that night after school. She was completely serious the whole time during dinner. Her parents had become worried. This wasn't their little girl. Though, when they had asked what was wrong she screamed at them. "I am [B]not[/B] a [B]child[/B]! I haven't been one since your jobs became too important." The last sentence wasn't spoke at the top of her lungs, but it cut just as if she had shrieked it. Alcina stormed into her room, where she tried her woven necklace around her neck. At school Alcina flirted as usual, wearing that blue and purple sailor outfit with black pumps and purple and blue striped stockings. Her glossy grape lip gloss shown with extra brilliance as the sun over head bore down upon them. It was unnatural for Chicago to be so lit with the sun, but everyone loved the attention. She strode softly on the pavement up to the school. [I]Florence High[/I], she thought snidely, holding the smug smile that was vain, yet alluring. She opened the double glass doors to the main building and walked purposefully to her locker. [I]9...27...36...[/I] [I]Click![/I] She stored her book bag into the locker and slammed it shut. She didn't need her books before school. All she needed was to just stand outside and talk. Talking was her favorite thing next to flirting. [B]Obviously.[/B] Taking several steps toward another part of school, she past by "The Girls". Alcina calls them "The Girls" because they always make a big deal about her flirting with their boyfriends. One time Alcina had to fight one of them, well...techniquely she didn't [I]have to[/I] as "The Girl" and her friends didn't show for the fight. At least three of "The Girls" were new students, had just moved here and were Fishes-Freshmans. They appeared a bit intimidated, [I]way[/I] out of their league. They actually looked like they would be better off flirting with guys and hanging out with the more wild crowd than the preps. Anyway, the other "Girls" had [B]no[/B] problem saying anything to her. "Wow, I didn't realize they were extending Halloween." A Senior by the name Jessica called out. Alcina stopped and looked at "The Girls". "I [I]know![/I]" Alcina said as fakey and preppy as she could. "The bitch outfit looks [I]great[/I] on you." "The Girls" 'ohed' and a brave Sophmore spoke with malice. "I like [I]yours[/I]." She said, trying to immitate Alcina's fake voice. "Were you going for prostitute or anime whore?" "You got told!" "The Girls" hollared together. Alcina just laughed. "If I were either one, I'd be you." She said sympathetically, clasping her hands together and giving them a mocking bow before leaving them to talk behind her back. She was used to it. That's how she came up with all these little 'punch' lines or 'comebacks'. "You go through that every day, don't you?" She looked around to see where the voice had come from, but she banned it from her thoughts; no one was there. However, she answered. "Yes, yes I do."[/COLOR]

Ok, it was a hard decision but Satori had a better post. I'm sorry cheese master! But I plan on getting this RPG up and running tonight so-be a little bit more patient please!

Ok great! Everyone's In, thank you so much for signing up! By the way, BlackTigerGurl, since you are playing the Blue Stone-you are able to access the other sides fears. Perfect way to get creative with that flute ;) We will start when we have someone occupying the role of the Gold Stone, or if someone would like to play 2 characters, PM me.

Yes, that's exactly what I was going for. Here's my post: [COLOR=Purple]Name: Alcina Ephraim Age: 16 Day Appearance: She has deep emerald green eyes, and long, strawberry-blond hair, normally worn down. She wears a sailor uniform to school. Out of school she wears emerald green tank tops and black mini-skirts. Her stone is her necklace that she wears everywhere. Is 5'4" and weighs 100lbs. Night Appearance/Costume: [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/azurasea/BubbleYum.jpg]Alcina?s Night Appearance[/url] She has a tattoo of a lilac rose divided diagonally with a black feather on her forehead. Personality: She is the most practical heartbreaker you?ll ever meet. Alcina keeps her secrets to herself, and no one dares to interfere in her life for some fear that has no explanation. She is very popular and very playful, everyone?s playing right into her hands. IC: Alcina had listened to the tour guide with apt interest. It was apart of her nature to be able to record mentally a summary of what the woman had said. She remembered looking at the gems inside those cases with utter jealousy. She could tell they were calling her, but she couldn?t retrieve one while with the group and the guards on high alert. She sighed and looked out the classroom window. She could feel people looking in her direction, intent and unrelenting. She shook herself from her stupor as the bell rang. She stood up, straightening her beige skirt. The teacher gave her this serious look, and she walked up to him. ?It is apparent you don?t pay attention in my class. I?ll have to-? She cut him off by giving him a mesmerizing look. ?You wouldn?t do that. I am your best student.? The teacher nodded, worse than spacey, and she strode from the room with a smug grin on her face. She spun the dial on her combination lock and opened her locker. A note was taped to the inside. She plucked it from its position and read it carefully. [b]Open your purse.[/b] As if she was being controlled, she followed the instructions immediately. She opened the small handbag and saw a glimmer of something purple. She picked up the thing and as it rolled out on her hand, she realized what it was. The amethyst that was stolen from the museum, she mused before her mind was taken over. Another note caught her eye and she read it with speed. [b]Welcome back, old ally.[/b][/COLOR] Hey, we still need people to join! C'mon!

"There was a war going on. Between good and evil. Yes, there have been many wars like this one. The reason behind this is because through the centuries the stones of mystical power have been caught between people just like you and me." The museum tour guide spoke softly to the group of young adults infront of her. "We have the stones, right here, in this museum. Many rumors say that they still have fight in them, biding their time to begin another war. But, as you can see, they look like normal, beautiful gemstones. Now back to the other exhibits, I'm sure you tire of listening to me drone about this dull history." The students were quite the contrary. Even the guys were wanting to hear more about this war. The tour guide caved and began the full lecture to the history of the stones of power. "These stones were once living people back in 1000 A.D. The people had different qualeties about them that made them different from their birth." She pointed to the two stones that were incased in two different glass boxes, but on the same plinth. "These two stones were the first born, they were twins. The pearl white stone resembles purity, innocence, and peace. The good child of Withren, one of the largest villages in the young earth." She took a breath and continued. "The deepest shade of black resembles hatred, sin, and chaos. The malice-filled child of Winguthrin, the black forest of Withren. "These two people were not born from the same mother, but of the same father. The father made the fault of having an affair with the witch of the mountains. The wife of the father did not find out about it. In nine months both females birthed the two children that would start the war between the mystical stones." "But what of the other stones, the ones on the lower pedestals?" One curious student asked. "They are the followers of which side they were on. Now we must move on, we're running out of time to see the other intresting exhibits, but you are welcome to come back anytime to check out this exhibit." The tour guide ushered the class of high school students in the other direction, away from the stones that glowed ominously in the museum's light. ----- "Hello, we're sorry to intterrupt you daily program to inform you that the legendary stones of power have been stolen from the Chicago museum. If you see any stones like these," a picture popped up in a little window of the TV screen, "contact the museums at 623-412-8455. Now back to your usual program." A dark laugh pierced the room as the man held the stone in his hand. He had the stones he wanted, he lost the other four. The Black, the gold, the red, and the purple stone were all he needed. The stone spoke through the man, "It has been a long time." ***** Ok, sorry for the long introduction part. Now that's over, we can get on with the fun part. The characters. I'm giving the colors and what they represent from Good to Evil. -Good Stones- White: Pure, Leader (gender prefrence: male) taken by - Galvatron Silver: Strength, Co-Leader, almost faultless (gender prefrence: male) taken by - Achilles Blue: Fear, likes White (gender prefrence: female) taken by - BlackTigerGurl Pink: Happiness, less serious of the four (gender prefrence: female) not taken -Evil Stones- Black: Dark, Leader (gender prefrence: male) taken by - silverwolf_fang Gold: Greed, Co-Leader (gender prefrence: female) taken by - Satori Red: Destruction (gender prefrence: male) taken by - indifference Purple: Lust (gender prefrence: female) taken by - Apherion -Character Sheet- Name: Age(14-18): Day Appearance(picture or a description): Night Appearance/Costume (picture or description): Personality: IC: How did you get your stone? Did you find it, or did someone give it to you? At least two paragraphs. I will post my character after I get a couple sign-ups. Please Join!

[COLOR=Red]Yubi held her digital in her hand as she saw a poke`mon completely tip the ship over. She clicked away, unsure of whether or not her pictures were going to be visible. Taking in a deep breath before she lost her balance, Yubi did the least impressive dive she had ever done or seen. She spun around underneath the water, letting her body become dead weight. She watched the surface of the water stream above her. A beautiful sight, but she wasn't about to be able to stay down here forever. She knew she wouldn't be able to. Even though it was a wonderful thought. Both a lover of water and fire, guess she was indecisive about it. The from out of nowhere, something slammed into her. She didn't gasp for she would have lost what little breath she had. The thing though, darted at her, colliding with Yubi's shoulder. Kicking her feet, she struck out with her hands to make her way through the bone-chilling water that was becoming warmer to her as she got used to it. She broke the surface of the water, breathing heavily. She'd have wagered that she had stayed down for about three minutes. She felt something scrap against her leg, but ignored it. "Moltres!" She called for him. She couldn't see his flames anywhere. "Moltre-" a waved washed over her, causing her to gulp down the unpleasent sea water. She coughed and spluttered for a period. It was taking her a while to regain herself. "MOL-TRES!" She screamed into the air, people looked around to see who was shouting so loudly and cruelly. "C-AWH!" Was her awaited answer, typically saying 'I'm here, keep your shirt on!' She gave her Moltres a look that burned. He then crowed at her again, tossing his head, beating his wings twice to emphasize. Yubi understood what he had said, 'It's not my fault you can't fly.' She scoffed at him, but patted his head all the same. Yubi looked at the others and swam over to Jo and Sakura. "You guys ok?" Both were treading water much like her. "If it weren't so deep I'd be just a little bit better, but other than that, I'm fine." Sakura said calmly. "I'll second that. Do you know what capsized the ship though?" Jo asked kindly. "Uh...yeah, I've seen it, but I have [B]no[/B] clue as to what it is. I think if we get to the town I can develop my pictures and see if any came out all right."[/COLOR]

[COLOR=Red]Yubi sat back on the ship watching her beautiful Moltres. Fire was one thing she had grown accustomed to. Not that she didn't already like fire to begin with. Moltres crowed, tossing his head in the direction of several of the passengers. "Yeah, I know. Lots and lots of people here." Yubi sighed, it was getting quite boring, [I]I am in desperate need of someone to talk to.[/I] "Oh, hold on a second, Moltres." She took off her poke`gear that was around her neck and pointed it at Moltres. [B]Poke`mon Computer Analysis: Moltres, a fire bird poke`mon. Moltres is the legendary bird of fire. With a flap of its wings a stunning array of fire and light is produced. It flees in a blaze of fire and flames from its foe. Moltres' fire power extends to that of the Sun. When angered, Moltres will attack with it's storgest technique: Fire Blast.[/B] Moltres crowed happily and took to the skies yet again. She looked around, duly glancing at Moltres to keep an eye on him every now and again, putting on her poke`gear so she wouldn't have to hold it consistantly. Sometimes she figured she was just a little too perceptive for her own good. She watched as Alex and the guy, Rorohiko she heard him say, talked, Alex growing more uncomfortable by the minute. She shook her head and looked at Rain and Reza talking seriously to each other, both intent and listening to what the other had to say. Both having trouble believing what the other was saying, then both began to laugh happily. Abruptly she was brought back to reality when she smelled something burning. She lept to her feet like someone had just stabbed her. Looking wildly around, she located a blazing poke`mon. "I can't take my eyes off you for a minute can I?" She scolded Moltres quietly. He looked up at her and grinned, crowing. "What do you mean you hit you're target?" He nodded and crowed again. Blinking twice, closing her eyes, then opening them wide, Yubi stared at her Moltres. "You what!" She asked astonished. "You do not do that unless I direct you to, and unless you want to go back into your poke`ball, I'd behave." Moltres nodded, still proud of himself. She and Moltres had these disagreements at the very least twice a week. He was still learning, so she had to teach him what he was and was not supposed to do. Even if it's fun. Standing up, she walked over to Rorohiko, who's hair had become an ashy mess, to apologize. "I'm sorry he did that. He just can't control himself sometimes. I just came to apologize for it, seeing as I am resposible for him." She grinned. "He should be a little more trained." Was the reply for her apology. "Have you had to raise a baby poke`mon?" She asked a bit surprised that she didn't say 'He should be a little more [I]careful[/I] next time' not 'He should be a little more trained'. "You know, like an actual baby, you have to teach it right from wrong. So, at the moment, he's just a child. He will be a poke`mon when I am able to battle with him. I'll talk to ya'll later." She turned around and waved back at them as she walked away. She decided that she'd take some pictures with her digital, [I]maybe I'll get some good shots of some of the poke`mon and people here.[/I] And with that thought, she took off her camera and began taking almost photographer quality photos.[/COLOR] OOC: I hope the singed hair thing is ok with Takuya...

[COLOR=DarkOrange]Day 1[/COLOR] [COLOR=Red]Yubi laughed cerimoniously at her Moltres. It had grown larger than it was when she first had it. If it got too big to fit through her door, she'd only be able to habor him in his poke' ball. "If I didn't know better that's what you'd like. Me holding you, rather than flying high in the sky." Moltres just gave her this look that was just too cute and she gave him a hug. Ever since she had found out that he was a Moltres, she had took to researching what he was about. Though, not that much information was to be known about the Moltres. Just some disturbing facts concerning a breech with Team Magma and Team Rocket, facts the a Moltres had been caught, then released, then almost destroyed the world, and some facts on how to care for fire poke'mon. "We had better go, Moltres. They'll leave us behind with no hesitation. All so hasty and anxious, but I have to admit that I can't wait!" She hugged her Moltres and ran inside to grab her pack. The 'belt pack' was perfect for her, a bag would be just too much. She came outside, almost in a furry, passing Moltres by. She turned around. "Are you just going to give up like that?" She asked taunting him, knowing he'd take the bait. She kept running, almost full out sprinting to the Old Oak Tree where they'd all meet. [I]We are so late![/I] She cried in her head. Moltres was flying beside her now. [I]How he had caught up so fast, but hey, he's going to beat me as soon as he's an adult so why am I worrying about it?[/I] And there they were. Alex, Rain, Reza, and Richard...but a new face was there too. She stopped, and Moltres flew in front of her. It turned back around to her, and Yubi walked faster over to him. He looked at her as if to say 'What's wrong?' "Nothing, the fifth person took me by surprise that's all." She smiled at Moltres and greeted the group. "Hey! Sorry I'm late. Moltres over here was to busy showing off how tall he is to realize we needed to go." She laughed a little. Moltres though batted her lightly with one of his wings, saying 'Yeah right! It's your fault we were almost late.' She giggled more and fell to the ground, trying to 'protect' herself from Moltres' 'attacks'.[/COLOR]

Name: Yubi Age: 13 Gender: Female Appearance: [url=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/azurasea/Yubi.jpg]Yubi[/url] Her hair is reddish-black and her eyes are a greenish-blue. She also carries a camera with her as well as a poke'gear. She's 5'3" and weighs 110lbs. Personality: Yubi has a firey spirit and a strong will. She tells it like it is and is not afraid to be critisized for what she does or says. She loves fire, but she also loves other elements as well. She finds things that are unique, beautiful and things unpredictable, sane. She is carefree, kind, and down to earth, while being completely unruly. Yubi is the definition of different. Bio: In Windsand, everyone has seen at least one legendary poke'mon. Yubi though, she had only seen pictures. Entei, Suicune, and Raikou were her favorite among the picture books. She had only seen Ho-oh and Lugia once during her search through the library. That was why she always carried her digital camera with her. If she was to see a legendary poke'mon she would take pictures of it. She would be rapidly clicking away until she ran out of room or the poke'mon was gone. It was one of the many reason why she wanted to be a photographer and a reporter for all poke'mon networks when she got older. But one day, she didn't even realize that she had seen a legendary pokemon. She didn't even know what type of poke'mon it was. She didn't even know it's name. She had just come upon it while delivering a parcel of special poke' treats to her neighbor, Professor Helena. The orangish-yellow bird was caught in some kind of metal device. It was crying for help and Yubi ran up to it. She opened the contraption and the bird hopped out, spreading its wings to stretch. It crowed, but it did not move from it's spot. The bird looked at Yubi expectantly. Yubi picked it up gingerly and took it to the professor. She didn't know what was wrong with it. Prof. Helena took both bird and canister of treats from Yubi when she got to the lab. Helena fed the bird a couple of the treats, and suddenly fire sprang up from the wings and head. Helena exclaimed excitedly that the bird was a Moltres. The Moltres in fact jumped onto Yubi's shoulder and nuzzled her cheek. Yubi said goodbye to Helena and walked home with the Moltres on her shoulder. Yubi told Moltres to stay on her bed until she came back. What Yubi had done was she rummaged through her parents things and found a poke'ball that was made of stained glass. Yubi rushed back into her room and opened the luxury ball. Moltres was gone in a flash of light. A loud noise came from the ball, signaling that the Moltres was caught. Immediately Yubi let the Moltres out. The Moltres crowed again, then fell asleep. Yubi thought that it was the most beautiful poke'mon she had ever seen. Starting pokémon: Moltres Eventual party (final evolutions): 1. Moltres(male) 2. Blaziken(male) 3. Rapidash(female) 4. Gardevoir-Rion(female) 5. Milotic-Icee(female) 6.Aggron-Aaron(female) OOC: In case you're wondering, the Moltres she found was a baby, making it off it's adult size by several feet, pounds, and wingspan, as well as power.

I'll join, I haven't participated in an RPG in a long time-or it seems like: Name: Nicone (pronunciation: ne-ko-nay, only called that when someone is really angry with her) Nickname: Nico Age: 15 Gender: Female Animal spirit: Cat Weapon: kunai - [IMG]http://narutofan.com/_content-images/kunai.jpg[/IMG] Appearance (pic or description): [IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v495/azurasea/Neko.jpg[/IMG] The ears and tail can only be seen in her reflection, otherwise, she has regular ears and no tail. Personality: Nico's personality follows hardly any rule, she just has fun with what she does. Free-spirited and fiery but down to earth, Nico takes her life as it comes. She doesn't give up easily and is known to be stubborn and slightly emotional, even though it takes a lot for her to cry. Bio: Her parents had kept the secret from her, she had know idea about her powers, until two days after they left for the next town-you know the type of town, gambling etc. Nico had to stay behind, thankfully without a sitter, so she could have fun without the 'rents. A dog howled outside that night and strangely, she hissed. She had never made a cat noise in all of her life, until then. They didn't even own a cat. She looked in a mirror and saw and illusion of large, light aburn ears. She had dropped the mirror in shock, and it had shattered. She did not tell her paretns that she had found out about the 'dirty little secret'. They have yet to find out. Spirit power: She can fly as long as there's a large light* is in the sky. large light: either the sun or a very bright moon

First, I am emphasizing the rating. THIS IS A MATURE THREAD AND WILL HOLD MATURE CONTENT AND SUCH. You are warned. On with the story :animesmil It's Sesshoumaru's 900th birthday and two friends are throwing him a party. He doesn't know about it, so he's pretty much going to kill the two friends when he finds out. The two friends have taken Jaken and Rin somewhere VERY far off so that nothing goes wrong with their little 'plot' for Sesshoumaru's perfect B-day. At the moment, Sesshoumaru's in his still in his Study, so you can imagine how the two girls have to be quiet. The girls are the hostesses of the little party, and there's loads to do. Here's a little list at how the line-up is: Cool Whip wars in the largest kitchen Spin the Bottle by one of the more roomier closets. Indoor pool/Outdoor pool Over 200 bedrooms Over 3,000 closets Baiscally the idea is to have fun, there is no such thing as too much fun though ;) . Rules: 1. Groping, whips, etc. allowed 2. Share the boys/girls 3. Nothing too explict, REMEMBER A KID COULD BE READING YOUR POSTS 4. Have fun and remember the 3nd rule. Here's the guest list-who you all play: The Masters of Cool Whip- Sesshoumaru-duh, he's the birthday boy-not taken Inuyasha-well, he's here to have fun-not taken InuTaisho-this old dog doesnt need new tricks, he still trying to teach you the old ones, and he's not that old either-not taken Miroku-lecher, gotta have him-not taken The Mistresses of Cool Whip- ViVian-innocently sexy-taken Kola-sexy and firey-taken Sango-can't touch this-not taken Kagome-she'll put a rosary on you, like she did Inuyasha -not taken Thank you all-have fun at the party!

Hitomi grabbed Orikal's hair and threw to the ground. "Omi! Leave it alone! I won't change!" "Ori! You are the one blinded!" Hitomi charged at her again, but Orikal dodged, kicking out at Hitomi, foot colliding with Hitomi's head. Hitomi fell to the ground holding the back of her head, looking wildly around. "Ow, my head...where am I?" The Orikal gaped at her sister. "Huh?" Hitomi shook her head and looked at the dazed others. Inuyasha, Kagome, and Heero were on their feet, shocked. Kitra and Riyuna were staring hard at Hitomi, then back at Orikal. Kobe's parents were watching with wide eyes. No one was trying to interfere with the family fued happening between the two girls. "What's going on? Orikal..." Orikal sat down beside her sister, breathing heavily. "What's wrong with you, Omi?" "Nothing's wrong, I just don't know how I got here." Orikal sighed and motioned for Kobe to sit beside her. He did so without question.

Orikal glared at Hitomi who was advancing with a quick, blurred pace. "I thought you dead." "As did I, dear sister. Kasa is very displeased with you." "Let her. Do I look like I am in agreeance with Kasa and Kagato?" Hitomi grinned, her stride increasing. "You should be caring, Ori." Hitomi's speed reached one of its highest levels as she flashed past Orikal and grasped Kobe's throat with a threatingly tight grip. Orikal whipped around, Kobe was defenseless seeing that Hitomi had pinned him completely to the ground. "Stop it!" Orikal cried as she attacked Hitomi, throwing her off of Kobe. "Your battle's with me!" She yelled at Hitomi, blocking her attempts to reach her mate. "Ori! You have been brainwashed!" "I have not, dammit! Omi! You are blinded! You will not touch what is mine!" She caught her sister in the stomach, pushing her back, knocked unconscience. She felt Kobe's arms wrap around her lovingly.

OOC: What happened to everyone else? Lol She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. It was bliss right there, in his arms. The sun rose quietly, but those in the camps that were restored rose rowdily. "Where the hell have you two been?" Inuyasha asked as they entered camp. "I wouldn't tell him anything...I would've said [I]some[/I]thing but I voted against it." Callisto spoke not too far away from the tree she was in that night. "Well, Callisto, we weren't doing anything that you were thinking of." Orikal said, starting to stand, with support from Kobe. Inuyasha sat down, not arguing with her, very uncharacteristacally. Kagome was also silent, along with Kitra and Callisto. Sango, Miroku, and Riyuna had not yet awoken. Orikal didn't move and felt Kobe's arms wrap around her shoulders. "Why did you save me?" She asked, wonderingly. "Why would you think that I wouldn't?" He didn't loosen nor tighten his grip on her. "Didn't you find me replusive?" "Why would I care?" "Because I wasn't the angel you wanted?" "You will always be the angel I want." She sighed, closing her eyes lightly.

Alchemy was walking determinedly, yet aimlessly, through the hideout. She was not familiar with the hideout, therefore she had no idea where little traps would be waiting or where the secret passages, if there were any, were. It was getting pretty annoying though, if there was anything that she could say. No one had yet to attack her, and she was getting pretty bored with the prceedings. "By now Gabriel's probably been transferred to another place. I should've known the Demons were low on sercurity too," she looked around, hoping that would have roused someone to come and attack, yet no one seemed to be around. She stopped moving. She was going to try a couple of snide remarks again. Get their attention again. "But of course, Gabriel wouldn't have been transferred, he would've killed whoever it was guarding him, allowing him to escape." Still nothing. [I]Fine, no one want's to 'play'. I'll just make it out of here unscathed then.[/I] She strode forward, turned the knob of the door at the end of the wide corridor, and entered. She shut the door, and walked on into the room. She pushed past something that was in front of her, and felt it grab her wrist, jerking her back. She just noticed how dark the room was. "Ah, so finally I get a challenger?" She asked, amused slightly. "You won't be feeling to happy about it after we're through with you." "Too lighthearted? Too carefree? I've been waiting for you idiots to try and pull this," she smirked, wrentching her wrist from his grasp. "I might have one arm that's in fighting condition, but I doubt I'll even break a sweat." "Then let us break your other arms, and leave you for dead," another voice spoke from the darkness. She whipped out her beautiful uzi and shot at something in the corner, it ignited from the blast of engery that was shot at it. "Ah, that's better I can see you," the two looked fearful for a second then the one that was furthest away spoke. "I'm glad I get to bring down the youngest of the crew, I heard that you scream for your mother when you're near death." "I don't, I good as killed my family without a regret," she spat. "What ashame to lose such fine Demon material to Gabriel," the one closest replied. "But I bet you and Lucifer would go round and round." "Yeah, she does seem to have an attitude on her didn't she? Let's make her obediant befor we kill her, what do you say Al?" "Go for it, I miss the screams of you torturing someone, Dakota." "If you were so good, why weren't you the one with Gabriel?" "I kill what I torture. Just to make it interesting, I'll give you a headstart, you run, and I'll chase after you in ten seconds." "Let's not and say we did," she taunted them, she was a master at mind games. "Attitude, best keep that in check." The one called Dakota seemed to be the enforcer out of the two. [I]Best not underestimate the big guy though.[/I] Alchemy put her gun in front of her, ready if one made any sudden movements. The doorknob rattled and turned, and Alchemy whipped around to see what was going to come through the door. [I]F***.[/I] Both her broken and useful arms were grabbed, her gun was rested from her hand. Al spoke first after her mistake. "Let her keep the other weapons, she won't be able to reach'em." [I]Oh how you are so wrong.[/I] "Yeah, ok." The steadily growing fire popped and creaked, emmitting heat. The big guy held her wrists behind her back, close to her other uzi. But they didn't know that her hollister could hold two small guns. She wouldn't have a hope of reaching her knives. She felt something cold enter her flesh of her useless arm, she bit her lip as she reached her hand into the little opening. "Hey, I could kill you easily," she said. [I]Sarcasm and snide points are your friend.[/I] "Really?" Dakota asked, ripping the knife out with harsh force that wasn't applied when he slid it into her arm. "How so?" She pulled out the gun swiftly and touched the hyper-sensitive trigger. Her captor relinquished his hold on her to tend to his now thoroughly bleeding leg. "Like this," she leaned her head to the right as she shot at his feet twice, missing on purpose, burning two decent sized holes in the ground. "Dance, baby, that's it. Don't stay put for a second." She hit his right foot, and his left sank through one of the holes. She made two more holes when she turned around to the other one, the floor started to crack ominously. She hopped over to the other side of the room after grabbing her other gun. She was pretty close to the fire that she had started. It hissed, popping and moving along the side of the walls. She looked to see what was feeding it, and smirked devillishly. She had shot a barrel of gun power, making that one tip over another one, and a line of barrels were next to the one that was tipped over. Apparently this was the explosives room. "Hey, guys, I know I was supposed to put that out, but I've gotta run. I have another engagement I have to be at. I have to say it sucks to be ya'll. I won't be seeing you!" She opened the door that lead to an iron bridge joining it to another building and shut the door, sprinting to the open door at the other side. She shut the door fast, and rushed down the hallway, and flew down the steps, crashing into the door on accident. She wrenched open the door and shut it quickly. She was still running when she heard a slightly muffled, but nonetheless loud boom. She grinned and started to walk. [I]Whatever happened to the guys in that room, they weren't there anymore, and I doubt that that whole side of the building is there anymore.[/I] She smiled widely as she continued down the narrow corridor she was now following.

Orikal was only vaguely aware of what was happening around her. Her body felt cold, until a prickling of warm began at her fingers, spreading through her body. Her eyes fell on peach colored skin, her skin. It was no longer gray and ugly. How was she regaining her powers? She lifted her head; it felt less dense than it was. She moved to a sitting position, balancing with ease. She tried her wings; they didn't budge. She looked up to watch Kobe and Mira battle; the sound had suddenly been turned up on her. The two weren't aware of her 'recovery'. "You're going to have to try harder than that little brother!" Mira shouted at Kobe. "Oh really? Is this better?" He called back, landing an extreme blow to her head. For a second Orikal thought Kobe had won, but Mira stood up quickly and attacked Kobe rather harshly. Kobe fell to the ground after a series of hits provided by Mira. [I]No, he can't...[/I] He blazed after her, throwing hits and blocking them. She would attack, and then he would attack. One would counter and the other would block, countering the other's counter. And on it went. Orikal went to push a lock of the dark hair behind her ear when she brushed an earring. One of the earrings she had 'borrowed' from the jailhouse. One of the three pieces to a matching set. She looked down at her necklace; it glowed auspiciously in the dark night. She thought, and then it hit her. [I]I have the Metal Jewel.[/I]

Alchemy was having the time of her life. Her opponent actually [I]had[/I] common sense. They were fighting close combat at the moment, and she was breathing a little harder than she was a while ago. Her muscles were burning and her mind was racing at the pace the were fighting at. She was adapting, breathing evening, begining to speed up the attack. He blocked her punch, she countered his kick. She grabbed one of her daggers as her boot came up, slicing swiftly across his offending leg. He let out a howl of pain, raging and pissed. "I seem to have [I]struck[/I] a nerve," she stated smiling wickedly. Her grip on the dagger was loose, and she was in mid-turn, dodging the ninja stars he was throwing her way. She whipped around and tossed the knife, which actually hit it's target, right into his shoulder, quite close to the neck with amazing speed. A star grazed her cheek and another whizzed past her ear, clipping it slightly. Her dagger was torn from his skin and plunged it in her thigh, where she had cut him a few minutes before. She bared her teeth, a screech coming from the closed mouth. "Sorry, did that hurt?" He asked, not sorry at all. She ran back, tripping and falling on her back, she felt something crack horribly. She had broken her elbow trying to break her fall. With her right hand she pulled out the modified gun and shot at him. It missed, breaking though the wall making a hole. [I]Right now I have to miss?[/I] "I hope you have insurance." She tried moving her arm and felt pain shoot though it like lightning. It was definatly broken, and she let it hang limp as her fight went on. She put her gun back into it's hollister, grabbing another jagged knife. [I]If I can just get him to back up a few more feet...[/I] She swayed this way and that, jabbing at him here and there, pushing him steadily back. She bent down and stabbed him nonmoving foot all the way through, making him nailed to the tile flooring. She drew her gun out before he could begin to unlatch his foot, she shot, aim true. His foot was wrentched from the floor by the mass of dead body weight falling backward, into the hole in the wall.

Orikal sat by the fire, knowing who he was picking a fight with. She felt something tug on her arm, she whipped around and saw that Kagome and Kitra had regained their ability to move. "What is it?" She asked Kagome, who was the one to tug on her arm. "What happened to Kobe?" Kagome said concerned. "Family quarrel," she whispered keeping her head down, not telling the whole truth. "Then why aren't you with him?" "Intermediate family quarrel," she corrected herself. "Then, you would be his intermediate family, seeing that you are mated-" "Look," she said shaking her head, "something's happened and now he wants to go and repair as much as he can." "But you're the only one to keep his mind intact." "He didn't want me to go!" Tears rolled down her face. SMACK! Callisto came up behind her and hit across the back of her head. "Get...a...grip," she said harshly. "I swear, they say time makes those you know change. I thought you would have." "I thought you said she was kind to you, Orikal," Kitra questioned her. "She was kind to help me out, she let me follow behind her like a mother does her child. She protected me more than my parents did." "Yeah, but I could have [I][B]sworn[/B][/I] that you were better than acting like a little wimp at all times. You fled from battle to bring the danger to us, you should be with him to [B][I]help[/I][/B] repair the damage." Orikal knew she was right but she just sat there. "I should hit you again, Orikal. But I won't." Callisto turned away to go and sit down to sleep. "Think aobut it will you?" Kagome and Kitra seemed to have gotten what the wanted; entertainment, and went back to sleep. "I see you're alone..." a voice echoed through the clearing, she only heard. "Huh?" She felt sharp pains at her shoulders and felt herself being lifted bodily from the ground. The voice whispered in her ear, "You're coming with me..." it echoed through her mind, as she felt her powers drained from her. Her wings were the only thing that weren't taken away from her. She was pressed hard against the man and flapped her wings feably as they headed in the direction Kobe went. "...Orikal, get ready, Mira." Kobe's voice was heard, but she couldn't move, let alone speak. She was so weak without her powers. She could only hold her eyes open. "Ah, now is the time to see what's become of your sweet Orikal." Mira spoke coldly to Kobe as the man holding Orikal captive turned around for Kobe to see her in the moonlight. She didn't need an expert to tell her she looked horrible. He wings drooped and her hair was heavy and black, bringing her head down. Her peach-white skin was graying and greenish blood was leaking out of her wounds in her shoulders. Her eyes were cold and gray and her clothes looked like they were falling off of her. "Orikal..." the words echoed again, worried this time, like a child talking to it's mother on her deathbed. "Yes..." she inhaled, her voice a bit croaky. "It's...me..." Tears prickled in her eyes, but it wasn't the normal tears though; they were sticky and when she looked at the ground when one fell, she saw that it was not clear, but red. Blood red, her blood, she was crying blood. She lifted her head to look at Kobe, but she was dropped immediatly. She lay there, not moving, just looking at everything that was slightly slanted because she was on her side. [I]He couldn't stand the replusive thing he was holding, I guess.[/I] Kobe rushed over to her, she knew that he was in a right state. Worried, yet she figured he would've been reluctant to touch her. "What's happened to you?" "See? This is what happens when all of their powers are drained from their body. We just look like humans, she looks like death." Mira spoke, replused at Orikal's body, which looked like it was rotting, though it didn't smell like it. "They're weak without their powers, Kobe, she probably will survive only till dawn...oh, yeah, she'll probably survive till sunset because she has your mark still. Get rid of it and end her suffering, I'm sure she'd want that." Mira said with a hint of cold laughted in her voice, malice still covering each word. The rage that she couldn't muster raced through her fading heart. [I]Kobe's rage. Kobe's mark. Kobe's mate.[/I] She felt sadness as well as the rage that was now burning, warming her lightly. [I]Kobe's sadness for me. He can't save me, that's why he's sad. He's angry at Mira because of the whole Naraku thing and because of what she just did. He's sad and angry because he couldn't protect what was his.[/I] "Don't give in to it, Orikal." Orikal's tears wearing still coming in flows down her face, [I]I won't get to say a proper goodbye if I die like this.[/I] Orikal tried not to get worked up, but it wasn't working. She had to focus on breathing, she had to, for Kobe. "I...won't..." her eyes were still open. And she could fight it. The tears of blood stopped coming down her face and she smiled as best she could to Kobe. He looked like he was going to cry, but he held back, glaring at Mira. "You will die," he said in a low, threating growl. "As will she, and after she dies. I don't care if I die because even if you do avenge her, killing me won't bring her back." [I]I'm not giving up without a fight though![/I]

OOC: It's ok, but if I were you I'd have check the sign up thread...I do that often because sometimes I forget what the other characters look like, etc. :animeswea My character made bombs-ok, so I like explosions and fire :animesmil IC: Alchemy took in the temporary hideout. Boxs and shreds of clothing were strewn across the whole place. "Well, finding make-shift bandages won't be hard," she smirked as she picked up a long poece of cloth. "Katrina, I think you should sit, you too Sakura. Like Kugo said we need to 'gauge' our injuries. As well as come up with a plan. It won't do us good if we show up and get ourselves killed running blindly around the Demons place." [I]Why not say it? I had to tell them Gabriel was missing in the first place, though I was only confirming that he was gone.[/I] "Are they sterile? I mean, who knows how long it's been since this place has seen a person," Sariel said aprehensively. "At this point we're just playing the 'Who wants to Survive' game," Alchemy said darkly, beginning to wrap Katrina's leg tightly with the cloth. "Really? Is it fun?" "No need to get sarcastic, Kugo," Katrina replied, wincing a little at the covering on her leg. Alchemy chuckled lightly, recieving annoyed looks. "Ironic, isn't it?" "What?" Sakura asked raising her eyebrows at her from her position beside Katrina. "What happened to us is ironic." Yet again, no one understood what she was saying. "Come again?" Kugo asked, clearly confused. "Sorry, I forget sometimes. The irony of the situation is that of what happens in most car accidents. The one who was DWI-ing is the one who usually survives while the ones that weren't are killed. Go figure huh?" Everyone was giving her this strange look like she was insane or she should've been in the crazy house. "What are you talking about?" Was the response she got. "Ok, I was thinking it through and picture it, the Demons and Gabriel were the only ones to come out of that explosion alive, Gabriel and the Demons equalling the drunk in the car. We were supposed to die, us the equal of the other car's inhabitants. But before the car crashed we jumped ship, leaving the other vehicle to collide with ours, thus hurting Gabriel in the process. I just thought of it as ironic." She tied the cloth around the wound one more time before knotting it tightly.

Orikal didn't want to tell him, he would freak out. [I]I thought you said she was killed, murdered.[/I] [I]Orikal, who? You need to tell me![/I] Orikal felt the angst of the situation, and it would increase. [I]Your sister was supposed to have been killed by Naraku.[/I] [I]What does she have to do with it?[/I] [I]She's the one controling us, Kobe.[/I] Orikal cringed as she felt what went through her heart. It was between hurt and anger, but she couldn't place it completely. [I]Why?[/I] He asked her as they tried to regain sainity. [I]I don't know...[/I] Then a voice called out through the cloud of poison. [B]I'm letting you go for now, give you back what wits you have. Let you remorse over what you have done. Maybe you'll give a better fight, I expected more from you little brother...an angel I ask you?[/B] She felt the clutching feeling release her and breathed in air the smelled of blood. She became aware of her own and the empty feeling that she had gotten used to while they were attacking their friends. She felt the tears on her face and she ran over to Riyuna, she didn't want to talk with Kobe, she felt somewhat ashamed of herself for some odd reason. Everyone was bandaged heavily by nightfall and Orikal was sitting in Kobe's lap by the fire. "Are you ok?" She asked him quietly, his grip on her increased on her. She felt his claws prick her skin and she desisted on making conversation. "Why'd she fake her death?" He said finally. [I]Retorical question.[/I] "I can't believe her! Why'd she say that she expected more from me, and then that snide remark about you..." Orikal sighed heavily as his hands loosened their hold on her. She took his right in her left and his left in her right. "It's ok, really. My parents will think the same thing." [I]Whoops. Wrong thing to say.[/I] "Then why did you even bother?" Orikal laid her head back onto his shoulder, sighing again. "Because I don't care what my parents think, they've practically disowned me as it is. I'm the black sheep of the whole world of Gaia, save for Callisto, she's the only one who knew what it was like to be an outcast. But I'll be more of an outcast because of this, but I don't give a-" "Shh, yeah, ok." "Glad you feel that way too, I'm not what you'd call perfection, but I'm close with you in the picture." She kissed his lips softly.

Orikal felt only her senses, like she could see and hear for the first time. She felt intense anger, but she wasn't [B]that[/B] mad, and knew immediately where it was coming from. She knew that Naraku was going to put them under a spell to make them obey. They lashed out at Naraku with the sword, but Naraku blocked, swaying unnessesarily. As if taunting them to attack again. She heard Kobe growl in annoyance. [I]He's like a fly,[/I] Kobe told her. [I]Ah, yes, but a conniving fly he is. Not to mention strange for him to move from side to side.[/I] They striked again, but Naraku blocked it, thowing it back at them. It collided with them and set them flying into the ground. Their speed was amazing, sprinting, then ducking, throwing a powerful punch here and there, it went on like that for a while. "What are you thinking? You will win? Not likely, I will kill you if I have two," Naraku laughed meniacally. Yet again the surge of anger that was stronger than hers and a growl met her spirit's ears. "Keep growling, it's not going to help you." Orikal felt something slam hard into their stomach, and the poison was clouding her mind. A stone went inside the wound, and she felt something extremely painful. Her mind seemed to split into two. She couldn't move on her own now. [I]The poison's imobilizing us.[/I] [I]No, it's controling us.[/I] He was right, they were standing straight up, when they should've been on the ground. Naraku's voice filled their ears. [B]Kill Callisto, and everyone who stands in your way. We wouldn't want them to ruin everything now?[/B] "No, Master," they chanted, as they turned without the help of their minds moving the limbs. "Good job, Naraku, know, go on and don't interfere, I have it all under control." The stranger's voice was familiar and they heard Naraku leave. They couldn't turn around to see who it was though. They heard the voice again. "It's always good to have reinforcements, and this body shall sufise. Here body is perfect, the protector of the Metal Jewel and powerful, who can say body with benifits?" Orikal thought hard and realized who it was with a jolt. [I]I thought you said she was dead.[/I] [I]What? Who did I say was dead?[/I] Orikal shut her eyes as they approached one of their friends. "Move," they said in a deadly voice. Orikal knew the impact was coming but it didn't prepare her for the shrill scream that followed. Riyuna was the first to fall in a bloody heap on the ground. Extended nails had sliced through her small form as if she were bread, and the others were coming to fend them off.

"Nah, Sariel, I like you not only 'cause you make good drinks, but because you're real helpful at times, and funny at others. But then again, I'm just easily amused." She smiled at Sariel, even though she was being kind of rude in evesdropping in on the conversation, but hey, when she drinks she doesn't become tone deaf. "Yeah, all right, want one?" Sariel asked her as Alchemy had finished seven shots in a minute. "One, I'm trying not to drink too much," she said trying to act like she knew what she was doing. "Right, Alchemy, cut back on drinks, that'll be when hell freezes over," Kugo said. "One of these days it will, like I said before a couple months ago, I'm right eventually," she emphasized 'eventually' to give it the dramatic effect. "Whatever you say," Sariel sighed, handing her the drink. "Thanks," Alchemy said and downed it. She smirked at Sariel and replied quickly, "the strongest yet, I'd have to say." "You always say that after your normal seven shots," Gabriel replied exasperatedly. "Yeah, but I mean this time, besides, all those other times, I was drunk out fo my mind." Alchemy stood up on pretty straight legs for having seven regular shots and one extreme. She walked around in a circle before starting to sit down. "See, not too drunk." They all laughed because she had missed the stool and landed hard on the ground. [I]I guess I am a bit drunk.[/I] She stood up and was laughing with the crew as she sat down at the bar. "Good going," Kugo said and patted her on the back. "Yep, I've got skills like that."

Orikal felt the sword in their hand lash out at Naraku. Orikal was touched that he wouldn't transform for her sake. But he was going to ruin their lives if they didn't kill him. [I]Kobe, let your beast out, I promise. I know what I'm doing.[/I] She thought desperetely as Naraku came back at them with tenticles beating their sides. [I]What? No, we can-[/I] [I]Kobe, please, I know what I'm doing. Trust me, please.[/I] She felt him release his beast spirit and the rage tore at her own spirit. She concentrated at ridding herself of all emotion and she felt her spirit sepatate from Kobe's and enter into the bending sword. The beast spirit threw her at Naraku and she purified as much as she could in that connection. She reentered the body that still held Kobe. [I]Kobe, fight the beast and regain control. We must defuse.[/I] She then felt a pain at the base of her neck. A bite mark remained, and blood was falling from it.The clawing stopped and she felt the similar hug from the one she loved. She felt him let go and felt herself in her own body. Without missing a beat she picked Kobe up and they flew over the skies of Gaia, Orikal destorying their scent so not to be followed. "What happened?" Kobe asked. "You transformed and I left to purify enough of Naraku to give us time to get away." She heard Kobe sigh as they landed on the ground where Inuyasha and the others were, Callisto in their mists. "Are you two ok?" Itshui asked worriedly. "Yeah, Mom, we're fine." Itshui wasn't givng up so easily. "Why are you bleeding then, Orikal?" Orikal remember the bite on her neck. "I don't know..." Itshui was followed by Kyo in examining it. "Inuyasha, could you come here for a second?" Kyo exclaimed. "Feh, what is it?" Inuyasha walked up and looked at the bite mark on the connecting point of Orikal's neck and shoulder. Inuyasha didn't say anything. "What's wrong?" She asked Inuyasha, [I]what's wrong with the bite mark?[/I] "Uh, when did you get that?" Inuyasha asked her. "Just a few minutes ago while Kobe was transformed for a little while and we were both spirits." Itshui nearly fainted. "What's wrong?" Orikal asked more persistantly. "Are you sure you want to know?" Callisto asked her, who appeared suddenly. "Yeah, Cal, I want to know." She looked around to see where Kobe was and saw that he was wide-eyed and staring at her. "You're officially his," Callisto said pointing at Kobe. Orikal's heart skipped several beats and her stomach dropped several notches before leaping. Orikal blinked, "What?" She was just making sure she was hearing correctly. "You...are...his," Callisto repeated speaking slowly. Orikal looked at the mark and noticed that it had stopped bleeding, but the grooves of where his teeth had sunk in were still there. She felt a second heatbeat with her as fainted on the spot.

[I]Kobe, what's happening?[/I] Orikal knew without him to answer but still, you sometimes want to make sure it's not just your imagination. [I]Relax, I've got it all under control.[/I] "Ah, I was hoping you would transform. Kobe, [I]pure[/I] Orikal, I will now take you as you are to be my slaves, or since you are both one person now, slave." Instead of Kobe being the one snarling, both voices could be heard growling menicingly at Naraku. Orikal then felt a burning like she had never felt, and a poisonous green from Naraku's hand was dripping inside of their body. [I]It's poison, Kobe![/I] [I]I know, I know, but it burns so bad.[/I] [I]I know, I feel it too. [/I] With that, red seemed to cloud over her vision, this was Kobe transforming, not her. [I]No, Kobe no![/I] Her thoughts hissed at him, [I]stop! Don't transform, we need to be able to know what is happening![/I] Orikal was screaming at him to not transform. She could hear the others cries of fright as they transformed. "Kobe!" Both of his parents were shouting his name. "Orikal!" Kagome and Sango were screaming in her favor. "Naraku!" This, of course, came from Miroku, Inuyasha, and Heero. Kitra and Riyuna were frozen to the spot with fear. Orikal then became aware of her body, inside the shell she was in. Kobe was in front of her, angrier than she had ever seen. She blinked and noticed that they were both glowing white inside the fitted body. She was able to move without moving whatever was on the outside. Her spirit seemed as thin as paper as she removed her small hands from the hands of the body she was in. She knew her spirit was crying in fear for what Kobe might do. [I]Kobe, please, don't transform![/I] She encircled his spirit momentarily before hearing him begin to think rapidly inside their head. Or rather, his beast was thinking for him. [I]Must, to protect Angel. I must protect what is mine.[/I] If Orikal was in her own body, she would be blushing. She couldn't believe he called her, his. Her white spirit hands moved from his waist up to his chest. [I]Having you here is protecting me. Don't transform, please.[/I] Strangely enough, the beast seemed to listen to her. As odd as it may seem, Kobe's spirit moved behind hers. [I]Did that frighten you?[/I] She heard him in his normal voice. [I]A little, but you called me yours.[/I] He seemed to pause at this. [I]Well, yeah, you are...sort of.[/I] [I]What do you mean 'sort of'?[/I] [I]Because for you to be mine officially, I have to-Orikal![/I] He screamed out her name when they both felt the immense pain around their stomach. [I]It's hurts so bad, but do you have to do?[/I] [I]We demons place mark on what is ours, Orikal.[/I] [I]I know that you do that, but how do you...[/I] Her mind seemed to freeze. She couldn't hear the others screams. She then heard another voice then, but it wasn't Kobe's. [B]Orikal. Kobe. Say good-bye to freedom. You are now my slaves. Kill the others. Now.[/B] It was Naraku's.

"Yeah!" Alchemy couldn't help but smile. She was one who's actions would cause someone to flinch a lot. She can't help herself though. Between what happened to her in her younger years-anything below her age now-and the things that happened just a couple of days ago; she takes to anything with liquor in it. It's pretty funny though, she used to only drink wine, now it's a wide rage. "Alchemy, how much do you drink?" Came Kugo's voice as they all walked in convoy to the bar. "Uh, how much is legal?" She asked in a thoughtful voice. "Like .5% or less, I think," Sakura answered. "More than that then!" She stated laughing. Katrina just shook her head. "Hey, there's nothing wrong with that, it's Gabriel you should worry about. Smoking all the time," Sariel said giving Gabriel a piercing look. "You try and quit, I've given up on quitting now." Alchemy laughed as Sariel playfully pushed Gabriel over out of the line. [I]Yep, it's great to have people surrounding you that like to attack, but are still funny.[/I] "You know what?" Alchemy started, thinking about something. "What?" Said the group instinctively. "I'm the youngest here. I just realized that," she watched their reactions, trying not to laugh. It was expected to see everyone roll their eyes in response, but the funniest, by far, was Katrina's because she not only rolled her eyes she seemed to hit herself in the head. "I thought they said you were smart," came her nice little sarcastic response. "Ok, I'm twenty-two and have developed over fifty bombs for the USA alone, I've done even more in Russia. Tell me that you've met someone with book smart, but no common sense." "I can name two," Sariel jumped in, very bubbly, "Gabriel and you." Everyone was now laughing. "Hey, that was uncalled for," came Gabriel as they entered the bar. "I was joking, you know that," Sariel called back to him. "Yeah, yeah, who else is with me in saying shots are in order?" Alchemy was already at the bar, and not waiting for answer, she began to down two at a time.