she just might save your soul [/open]

[Kairi]

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Kairi was certain of several things that she hadn't wanted to believe at first. The first thing she knew was there was no rabbit. The second was there was no strange hole in the ground, just in front of the tree she stood in front of. There was supposed to be. Had there been, she would have jumped in without hesitation. Even knowing these things, the forest still held allure because a bunny took the place of the rabbit from the story. No, it didn't have the obvious sign of a watch or a fancy vest, but there it was staring at her beseeching her to follow.

Kairi couldn't resist the temptation. Her first step toward the bunny sent it hopping away, so she followed carefully, her steps measured as she walked to account for her attire. Despite the rather mundane nature of the day thus far, Kairi was dressed elegantly. She was wearing red lace tights, a black skirt cut off just above her knees, a tight fitting dress shirt, and a red silk tie tying it all together. The fact that Capri pants and a t-shirt would have made her life a whole lot easier right then didn't escape her but it was too late to turn back now so Kai progressed onward. She only glanced over her shoulder once before she found herself immersed in a grove of trees with no bunny in sight. Awesome. Instead of worrying, Kai took this time to climb atop a fallen log, balancing with her arms out at her sides as she moved. When in Rome, do as Hollywood portrays.... or something like that.

The most alarming thing about the seemingly vacant forest Kai was surrounded by wasn't that she was lost like some might anticipate. Kai was convinced that if she just walked in one direction long enough, she'd end up in some sort of civilization so clearly there was nothing to fear. If one thought maybe she'd dislike being alone (which she generally did), she would explain with ease that there were furry little creatures to keep her company just like Cinderella had. Truthfully, the worse part of this was how eerily quiet it was. Who knew? Sure, there was a bird call or two which helped a little, but even a glimpse of a ground dwelling creature would have eased her considerably. So she focused on putting one foot in front of the other on the uneven surface of the bark. Not a word was uttered just in case a creature came to investigate the area- she didn't want to scare it.

✘kai

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[Devon]

Devon had been out here for hours now, laying on a large tree branch above the ground. He had been enjoying the silence out in the woods. The small animals that wandered the woods made little difference to him. A few chirps here and there was nothing compared to the noise that could overwhelm a person at the school. Not only that, but out here he didn't have to be mindful of any rules. Hell, he could use his powers out here without consequence.

But that wasn't why he was out here. He had finished his work for the day and came out here to relax. Those he called friends were just pestering him too much today. They wanted to do this or that for the night. One of them wanted to sneak out to go into the city. It was a fine idea but he had no desire to travel that far. He had plans to relax in one form or another.

This was just the start of it. Golden silence that was allowing him to start to doze off. For a moment or two. Noises drew his attention. Emerald eyes opened lazily, glancing down to see a young girl with blond hair moving closer. She actually passed right under him. It looked like she had lost something. He wondered what anyone could be looking for out here. Well, maybe one of the witches gathering weeds for their spells but this didn't look like simple herb gathering.

Now, here came a rare opportunity. It wasn't often that a devil like him had a student like himself alone. She hadn't even seen him. This was the perfect scare moment since she wouldn't be looking for another person. Well, not him anyway if she were trying to meet up with someone. Could he allow this sweet looking girl to pass by?

Perhaps.

Was he going to? Of course not! He smirked as he slowly shifted on the branch so he could properly jump down. Devon leaped gracefully down despite his intention. He gave a loud yell, on his way down. He fell into a defensive crouch upon landing behind the blond. He wanted to be mildly safe should his unexpected appearance cause a ... physical reaction other than what should be a satisfying freak out.

[Kairi]

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Kairi loathed loud noises. It caused an automatic response, an automatic sense of terror that she couldn't wish away no matter how hard she tried (she did try, as sill as that was). But this? This was just cruel.

After a sudden piercing scream Kai felt her breath catch in her chest. It didn't matter much because there wasn't anything to say. But she did react by instantly dropping down to her knees against the hard bark of the tree beneath her. It certainly left a mark, if she wasn't bleeding but she wasn't risking a moment to check. When this brief moment didn't seem to bring any immediate reaction from the threat (she had no idea he was crouching, too) she realized she had to be brave enough to turn.

Kai rose up slightly before turning on her heels to face the boy, a glare in her eyes, a frown at her lips. He looked a little frightening crouched like that, so she rose up farther so she was standing again. This gave her a false sense of superiority and, if she was lucky, would encourage him to stand up too.

"You're so mean!

[/color]"Kai announced, her tone laced with her anger. She marched toward him, still hoping to seem intimidating, before she attempted to place a hand atop his head, against his spiky red hair. See, she could prove she was fearless, right?

"And you're not as furry as I hoped.[/color]"Kai added. She didn't bother to admit she was terrified right now, or that each breath was a conscious effort at this point. Fear was weakness. But if he moved in a threatening way or yelled again, she was fairly certain she would be left with no choice but to run as fast and as far as she possibly could.

✘kai

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[Devon]

Devon should have felt bad for this. He had scared a poor girl that just happened out into the woods near him. He shouldn't have scared her the way he did. But it was always fun to pull a little trick on people. It was just in a demon's nature. If nothing else, the red head certainly embraced that.

He smirked at the girl as she slowly got to her feet. A mischievous light in his eyes matched the smirk and said that he was rarely safe to be around. Everyone was victim to his pranks when he was in the mood. This was a rare moment today, giving that it took minimal effort and no planning. He just decided to jump and here they were.

He now had a blond glaring at him and moving towards him. And calling him mean. Well, that wasn't new but he hardly found this mean. You should see me when I really try to be mean, He said, voice low as he tilted his head back a little to look up at her from his crouch. Such a position was going to start hurting in a moment. Yet, he remained low, planning on getting up slowly so not to startle her again.

He let her hand touch his hair before he rose, smoothing the lines of his white dress shirt. Now that he took notice, his shirt was like a messy negative of hers. He had a white button down with the sleeves rolled up and a black tie at half mast around his neck. Interesting. But unimportant after being called fuzzy. Not fuzzy now. I am a red fox though, He purred, finding a new prank to play if she believed he could actually shape shift. Or she could take it as he meant it, putting stock behind his dashingly good looks.

Devon thought he looked good, tall, lean, eyes that were the envy of any cat. A conceited way of thinking but at least he didn't say that all out loud. The demon opted to go a very different route than talk about him. What are you doing way out here? Haven't you heard that students get lost all the time in the forest? He asked, actually wondering if no one had told her the stories of missing children that wandered too far from the school. How responsible of the older students if so. The upperclassmen were always trying to find ways to put a little fear into the younger kids.

[Kairi]

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"I'd rather not, thanks.

[/color]"Kai replied, her tone short at the suggestion that she see him when he was really mean. She assumed he was just making a point, but still. She wasn't even going to humor the notion for a moment.

Kai shouldn't have been scared when Devon rose. She knew she wanted him to stand up, she knew this was better. But he was taller than her and her sense of power was diminished. Kai moved her hands behind her back, clutching the one that had touched him with her other hand as if it would help her calm down. It didn't. She took a careful step back, subtly providing a little bit of distance for her own comfort, as if the small less-than-a-foot move could somehow be the difference between making an escape and being harmed by him. It obviously wouldn't. She didn't seem to mind this logic, though, as she listened quietly to him telling her he wasn't fuzzy. Kai meant he wasn't as fuzzy as a forest creature, which was precisely what she hoped would greet her. Kai didn't bother to explain.

"A red fox?[/color]"Kai grinned, her eyes lit with amusement as she momentarily seemed to forget that she was scared of him. "That'll do.[/color]" At least he implied he was a creature other than human. He certainly did look the part, if not only because of his striking red hair.

"Well. My day wasn't going so well, so I decided to put some distance between myself and the building.[/color]"Kai explained to him as if it made perfect sense. "I even found a bunny! Which, you know, is enough like a rabbit to count as a Wonderland guide. So I was following it before you showed up to mess with me.[/color]" Though her tone was accusing, she was lying. She lost the bunny long before he showed up. He didn't need to know that, did he?

"I haven't heard anything of the sort. Well, nothing I deemed credible. A few whining students may have mentioned some ghost stories, but they're the type of kids to whine about anything as far as I can gather.[/color]"Kai added. Which was true. She hadn't yet met too many kids older than her, but she'd sure met ones that were her age. Most seemed rather annoying thus far, providing little real conversation. Anyway, this strange boy was the last one she was going to let scare her... in theory. He wouldn't have to try hard, but she would do her best to remain brave even if he attempted it again.

✘kai

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[Devon]

Devon hadn't planned on being truly mean to the young girl before him. She clearly didn't like that he had scared her so he understood. Really, no one would want anyone to be truly mean to them. He let the comment pass by without further retort and focused more on her interest in the wild creatures of the woods.

By her lack of comment, he guessed that she thought he might be able to turn into an actual fox. Might as well run with that. So sorry to run your rabbit off, blondie. But you know the deal with rabbits and foxes, He replied with a shrug. I'm sure another will wander by if you stand around long enough. He ignored the fact that the likelihood of Wonderland actually existing was a very small one. Given that demons and angels ran around, why couldn't there be some upside down world down a hole somewhere?

He moved passed the girl to sit himself on the log that she had been standing on. He leaned back, bracing himself with his hands on the rough bark. The demon listened in silence as she discredited what her peers had said. Whining, huh? He gave a small chuckle and shook his head. Take it from me, people get lost. In my first year a witch in my class got lost out here. Still never heard anything about her, He said calmly, as if it were no big deal. No one had known her well so few actually had true feelings about the incident. He did recall the girl's parents coming here in hysterics to get her things.

It was odd considering that everyone here was a supernatural being in someway or another. Now that he really thought about it, they should have been able to track her down. Hmmm ... There might be some magic eating beastie out here or a mystic nexus that swallows up the lost students, He said aloud, seeming distracted as he weighed such possibilities.

He shook himself out of his reverie and refocused on the girl. Or maybe not. Perhaps they just ran away, He offered in a lighter tone with a smile. You're a brave girl though. I'm sure you'll be fine, right?

[Kairi]

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"That's okay. You'll just have to entertain me instead. A fox is less prey-like, anyway.

[/color]"Kai relented, taking this to be a sort of forgiveness for scaring the bunny away (even though she'd rather not forgive him that easily). At least there really was some truth to it- he really was less like a creature of prey, so she really would be a bit safer than if she'd been in the forest carrying the bunny she'd chased.

When he went on about a witch getting lost and about her still being missing, Kai wasn't impressed. She couldn't believe that. She tried to convince herself silly things like 'if it was true, he'd use her name', or, 'no way the principal would allow that, the school'd be closed down!'. But even with those logical assessments, she still found herself glancing around their surroundings, absently trying to find any sign of this witch girl or what could have happened to her. It was almost subconscious. She was drawn away from this task when he spoke again.


"What?![/color]"Kai wanted to sound brave then, but it wasn't going so well. Her tone revealed her anxiety as she considered the possibility. For the same reason that he thought Wonderland could exist, she couldn't discredit the idea of a creature out here. The world was strange, such a thing wouldn't make it much stranger to her.

"Of course I'll be just fine! If a creature comes looking, I'll feed you to him and run.[/color]"Kai announced, crossing her arms over her chest as she seemed to size him up. She really did feel tough again as she stood there with him sitting down.

✘kai

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[Devon]

The demon looked up at the blond, an incredulous look on his face. Him? Entertain? He wasn't good at simple entertainment. Flirting, pranking, general trouble making, sure. Those were multiple people things. He didn't think anything he could think of would be of much interesting to the girl in front of him. I don't sing or dance or anything, He said, still trying to think of anything mildly interesting they could do out here.

If they were still little, that had options, but they were too old for silly kids games in the woods. Not to mention they might end up lost. Devon could find his way back from here, but he didn't fancy having to find himself lost and work out a way to get them back. If his random musings had any credit to them, then it was a good idea to keep them in a familiar area.

He definitely didn't want her to get her skirt in a twist if they got lost. Her reaction to his scenarios told him that he really didn't want her to end up feeling lost. She would end up hysterical. I'm sure there are wards out here to keep anything bad getting too close to the school. We just have to make sure not to wander too far, He said, trying to sound reassuring.

His good intentions might not be worth much if she planned on feeding him to a monster. Well, aren't you feeling awfully tough, He commented with a laugh. He grinned at her, amused by such a notion. I think I can toss you over my shoulder easier than you can feed me to anything. Devon laughed again and laid back on the log. Given his taller frame that would be an easy task for him. Silly little blond. Younger students were so funny sometimes.

[Kairi]

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"Hm. Pity.

[/color]"Came Kai's curt reply. But honestly, she hadn't anticipated that he actually entertain her. The very fact that he was here now and in her mind a forest creature was enough for now. Besides, Kai was easy to please if she wasn't ignored.

"Right. Of course. Then I'm staying right here.[/color]"Kai agreed with a nod, taking this opportunity to sit beside him. She wouldn't admit it, but she was still considering both the option of a ghost witch girl from years past and now a creepy creature out to eat her alive. Neither were appealing, obviously.

"Of course I am![/color]"Kairi sounded absolutely delighted that he'd noticed. It didn't seem to bother her that he laughed after saying she was tough- it was better than nothing. His second statement gave her reason to pause. She tried to hide her confusion, but it didn't get her far at all. Why in the world would he ... suddenly her face lit up as she realized (or at least thought she realized) that he was implying he'd take her with him. She didn't want to believe the other option, which was that he'd throw her to the beast himself. It did cross her mind though.

"Ohh! You can be sweet.[/color]"She giggled, her gaze not leaving him as he laid down. She didn't follow his lead this time, but she was mildly satisfied by the fact that she was again taller than him. Call it luck, but she was certainly in favor of thinking it was just him trying to be nice- again. Did that mean he felt bad for scaring her? If it did, she certainly couldn't be mad about it. It wouldn't be fair of her, would it? Of course not.

"I've changed my mind. I promise, I won't feed you to any monsters.[/color]"Kai offered this statement as if she were the one reassuring him now. It made it sound like she honestly believed he was worried about such a scenario, despite the fact that he essentially said he wasn't and that she couldn't.

✘kai

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[Devon]

Devon shot the girl a look. She didn't look entirely displeased with the fact that he wouldn't be putting a show on for her. For a moment, her tone almost suggested just that. He made no further comment. He wasn't going to push to find out what she expected of him. Nice guy or not, he wasn't going to sink so low to try and truly entertain this girl.

He gave a small shrug as she announced she would be remaining here. If there were a bed out here, I would, too. A nap sounds too good though, He murmured as he gave a wide yawn. He had come out here for peace and quiet. A nap would be welcome though the "beds" available weren't comfortable. Also, now he had company so he wouldn't be able to sleep. It was rude in front of company.

Any thoughts of sleep with this girl near him were quickly squashed. Not only was it rude but he didn't sleep while people laughed. Part of the time he felt he might miss something truly amusing. This time it was just a touch too loud for him to be able to doze off. Not to mention the reason was a little odd. Him? Sweet? After he scared her. Such a strange girl. Sweet as sugar. Been told I taste like cake even, He joked.

Ah, the sweetness is returned, He purred, rolling his head so he had a slightly easier time looking up at her. Your change of heart and generosity warms me. Devon even put his hands on his chest as if truly touched.

Manners finally kicked in. He extended a hand to shake. It would be awkward due to his laying down, but he was being polite. I'm Devon, by the way, He said, properly introducing himself to the small blond girl. There, that was a little better.

[Kairi]

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"You can't sleep here! The creature would get you. You'd at least need a lookout. Unless you're a light sleeper, I'm so not volunteering.

[/color]"Kai replied quickly. She was honestly under the impression that he would actually entertain the idea of sleeping here which wouldn't be particularly good, considering the new danger she now expected.

Oh. Man. She was back to disliking him. His joking tone as he implied he was sweet as sugar actually made her blush. Any clever words she would have normally spoke seemed just out of reach. All she could manage was to look away for a moment, silently hoping the color would leave her cheeks.

"I'll take your word for it.[/color]"Kai murmured shyly. When his tone came out as a purr for his next statement, Kai couldn't resist stealing a glance at him, a small smile playing at her lips. She would have liked to sincerely acknowledge his words- honest. Unfortunately the blush made that hard. So she retorted with a sense of disinterest she wasn't really feeling.

"Don't get used to it.[/color]"Kai warned, her eyes again cast away from him as she spoke. Her gaze only returned to him when she caught the movement of his hand out of the corner of her eye. It made her jump, her attention immediately fixed on the hand getting ever closer.

At least he didn't touch her. Kairi eyed his hand suspiciously as though she expected it to be some sort of trick, but she had no real excuse not to extend her hand after the momentary hesitation. Still, her touch was delicate as she placed her hand against his.

"I'm Kai.[/color]"Kai introduced. Her tone was as quiet as it'd been thus far. No anger, just a subdued tone. Maybe it was just her preoccupation with the fact that she was touching his hand. It shouldn't have surprised anyone that this moment alarmed her. After all, she was touching the scary, much taller and much older, boy's hand. Hadn't he terrified her just a short time ago? This was an odd change of events.

✘kai

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[Devon]

Well, that's rather blunt, isn't it? Devon said, surprised at how quickly she would leave him behind should he have fallen asleep. It sounded as if she wouldn't even kick him in the side as a warning should something come stomping this way. Mm, so much for banding together and whatnot. He wasn't sure that he could give a thought to trying to save her if she would so readily drop him.

His moment of flirting and niceness was going to pass. Such blunt disregard pushed a button he hadn't allowed pushed since he began his schooling here. He had done everything he could to keep from such a reminder. He forced his face into a neutral expression, making sure to hide all ill feelings away, working to shove them back into the bottle he had created for them.

He couldn't even enjoy her shyness fully. It was nice that he had been able to make her blush, gave him something positive to think on, but it wasn't enough just yet. Such strong reminders of his past were difficult to overcome when so harshly shoved in his face. Yet he couldn't be mad at the girl as she had no knowledge.

He slowly took his hand from hers, giving a small nod. Nice to meet you, Kai, He murmured, letting his tone go tired as if he were wanting that nap more and more rather than allow the mild pain leak out. He let out a small yawn and glanced around. I don't think your little fuzzy friend will be coming back this way, Devon commented, only here the random chirp from a couple of birds. The lack of rustling underbrush didn't bode well for ground dwelling creatures approaching them.

[Kairi]

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If the word 'blunt' alone were any indication, he had the wrong idea about her intention. Kairi hadn't entirely meant that she'd leave him behind if he went to sleep. In fact, she'd meant to imply that if he assured her he was a light sleeper and would wake up when she wanted him to, she would have agreed to be the lookout for him. She could easily see the arrangement working, at least for a little while, until the fear really sunk in. Then he'd be getting woken up no matter if there was really danger or not. Still, he didn't have her too far off her usual mark, so what did she care? She would have entertained the idea of leaving if it'd been in her best interest. It was just luck that in this particular situation, her best interest was being nice.

Really, though. It wasn't like she liked him or anything, so why waste her time clarifying? What would it matter to her? The real problem with the idea she left- unintentionally- with him was that she wasn't brave enough to just leave now. From putting her on edge with the silly scare to offering up less-than-pleasant scenarios, Kai was pretty much stuck where she was, at least until the older boy decided to leave. Then she'd have to think of a new plan, or be extra sweet and pray he let her follow. As it stood, she felt like she sort of deserved it when his smile disappeared. Ah, well. As long as he kept talking, Kairi didn't mind.

When his hand was pulled away from hers, her confidence seemed to return to her in full. Kai even smiled politely as he said it was nice to meet her.

"The pleasure's mine,

[/color]"The cheerful tone Kai used when she spoke may have been to compensate for the fact that he thought she was mean, but she was still trying to convince herself that she didn't care in the least.

"That's okay. I didn't like the bunny, anyway.[/color]"Kai shrugged. Then, feeling slightly bad for implying he'd scared it away before, she felt compelled to correct herself. "You know, before... I don't think you really scared it. You scared me, but the bunny was long gone.[/color]" Kai wasn't so sure that he actually cared or felt bad about it, but if he was bringing the creature up again he must remember her mentioning it, at the very least.

"Devon, knowing there are evil witch-eating creatures out here, why are you out here?[/color]"Kai questioned curiously. To avoid upsetting him while she spoke (at least by her logic) she kept her gaze locked on the trees in front of her as if there were something there to see. There wasn't.

✘kai

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[Devon]

Devon ran his hands through his hair, uncertain how to proceed now. He was still trying to be mildly friendly, keeping his thoughts out of his face and general demeanor. It wasn't the hardest thing to do as he had been doing it for years. Still, when a moment arose like this, he found that there were instances when it was less easy, less likely that he could push the feelings into their dark hole and leave them there to rot.

Still, he raised his arms over his head and stretched, pulling himself back into a sitting position once the introductions were done. Talk moved onto the small hopping creature and he raised a brow at the blond beside him. Ah, so you were just cranky that I scared you. It seems I have new prey to my predator, He purred, tone going low and almost dangerous. Finally, something he could figuratively sink his teeth into that would bring a smile back to his face.

Any grin that would pull at his lips faltered a moment, surprised by her question. Well, he hadn't expected that. He blinked at Kai, trying to think up an answer. The truth was best right now since there was no other answer. I just thought of a monster being out here just now, He said with a shrug. He hadn't thought long and hard on the witch's disappearance since she hadn't been a friend. He didn't think he had actually spoken to the girl.

I came out here because I wanted quiet. Even in my dorm there was so much noise. The demon gave an "oh well" look and sighed. He could have everything of his off and still it would be too loud. The corridors and the rooms beside his had so much going on that his room couldn't truly be a haven today. It's just a lot quieter out here, even with the animals, He confessed, finding the little woodland creatures more friend than any person right now.

[Kairi]

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Again her cheeks turned slightly pink at his words. Yeah, it wasn't fair for it to be true, but he had it right. She was just unimpressed that he'd scared her.

"Maybe,

[/color]"Kai agreed before her tone turned indignant. "But I hardly think that gives you any reason to torment me further.[/color]" She took his comment to mean that, that he'd try it again. Honestly, him scaring her wasn't really the biggest problem she had in her life. No, it wouldn't be her favorite part of her day, but hey, at least she'd be assured someone was paying attention. Negative attention was better than none to the new student. Still, did he have to use that voice? The voice alone made her want to shrink away from him. She resisted the impulse and ended up feeling a personal pride in staying still as if it hadn't bothered her at all.

"Why? Because you made it up?[/color]"Kai questioned, her tone accusing. It'd be just her luck if he really had. Why had she even believed him so easily, anyway? It made her feel slightly better when he said the school wasn't quiet enough for him. Hah, well, he wasn't very lucky if he ran into her while looking for peace. Kai was unnerved by silence so she went out of her way to talk a lot, just to chase away any chance of discomfort that may arise.

"I don't like the silence.[/color]"Kai mused. In light of the new information her tone was a bit quieter in a less-than-effective attempt to provide a somewhat quieter environment. But her mind quickly shifted from thoughts of herself to a rather simple question for him. Chancing it and turning her attention to him, she pitched the question just to keep him talking.

"Why would you go looking for silence? Isn't there enough of it without seeking it out?[/color]"Kai prompted, her curiosity genuine. Obviously the concept of solitude wasn't one she fully understood.

✘kai

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