Anett pulled out a better quality sword and handed it to her. "Let's head out back, I'll teach you how to properly use it and study your habits to make one that'll suit you better."

"Alright..." She took the weapon, resting it against her shoulder and following Annet.
(Why are you wearing all that crap? O_o)

Anett led her to a large white room. "Start out slow, treat it like a dance, so I can see exactly what you're doing. We'll speed up as we go."

(( Just cause. ))

((I see the angry whore is back >>))
((Least she's female this time))

Carol, feeling extremely silly, did as told. She had an odd habit of holding it similar to a baton, her fingers supporting most of the weight as opposed to her actual hand. It made it easy for her to move it, which she did with a surprising grace, but provided little stability if someone should choose to try and knock it away.

Anette toyed with her for a little while, testing from various angles and once she had all the information she needed she knocked the sword away. "Alright, that's enough. Come here." He robotic arms beckoned Carol closer.

"Why?" She asked hesitantly, inching forward.

Diah watched Jin for a few moments in silence, then gave a small sigh. He was going to hate himself for it later, but watching one of the most powerful demons get all depressed over a girl was just painful. "You know," he said lightly, "You still owe her a dance."

"I guess I can give her that much. I'll be leaving again tonight, and this time for much longer. I've got to get into heaven for a while and get some work done there. It'll take a while to do. On the off chance I end up banished, her contract with me will end and she'll be free.Otherwise I'll probably get back around the time Isaac finishes with her. I'll teach her the other side of magic then."

Anette, having her ways of knowing what was happening in her home, grinned, the robotic ars wrapping around Carol. "Someone owes you a dance..." She mumbled as the robotic fiddled with her clothes, changing them to a full length gown. "Go collect your date and tell him to take you to the ballroom."

"She won't like that," he muttered. "I don't care--more time for me in that comfy bed of yours--but she'll be upset."

"What?" A heavy blush coated her cheeks. "There's no date! I was kidding around!" Of course, she hadn't been at the time, but at the moment that sounded a lot better than embarassing herself on the dance floor.

"I don't like it much either, but I don't have a lot of options. It's too dangerous to take her with me..."


"You don't have much choice, go get your date, hmm?"

"Alright, alright..." She grumbled, shuffling away, muttering things about 'no-good demon spiders' and 'she'd kill him when this was over'.
"You know she'd rather go than stay here," he pointed out.

"But if anyone there found out what she was they'd banish her without a second thought. She isn't strong enough to defend herself yet, and Heaven would do anything to keep me from bringing about the sort of creature I've created. It could make this whole war worse... it's like having weapons of mass destruction, but afterlife style." He said with a sigh, resting his head on the table.

Anette followed her, changing he own outfit into something more formal, although it looked a tad odd with the mechanical legs.

"I'm well aware of the risks. All I'm saying--" He fell silent as Carol entered the room, partly so she wouldn't hear, and partly because he found he'd suddenly lost the ability to form words.
"Annet says I have to 'collect my date'," she muttered, looking down so he wouldn't see her bright red face.

Jin stood, unable to hide his amazement. He smiled at her, his outfit changing to something almost princely, and he offered her his hand.

Anette snickered at him, earning a glare. "Diah, so you aren't alone, would you like to dance with me? Although, if I step on your toes you might lose them." She laughed, "I'll be careful."

"You could try it without the mechanics, if Diah doesn't mind supporting you." Jin suggested.

Anette only shook her head, "I won't put that much trust in an angel. Any angel."

"I guess that leaves Isaac." Sue chimed in as she grabbed the angel who was desperately trying to escape the scene.

((I forgot what I named Marcus' little brat.... ))

((*page hunts* Elias.))

After a moment of looking anywhere but his face, she accepted his hand, still not looking directly up at him. Her blush wasn't fading, and she had a feeling it had no intention of doing so for awhile. "You should dress like that more often," she murmured.

"Aw, come on," Diah said with a boyish grin. "I'm one of the most trust worthy guys around. Besides, I'm bound to Carol, so what she says goes (provided it doesn't put her in danger, of course)."

Jin led her down the hall, "Come on Anette, it'll be good for you."

Anette looked uneasy, but she lifted herself out of the machine. She adjusted the metal supports on her legs and then hid them as she jumped down, an evening gown hiding them. Her dress was strapless and ornate, her hair up in it's usual twisting braids. "You do one thing to piss em off and you'll have so much sharp metal protruding from you..." She stopped and smiled, "Behave yourself." She said, extending a hand as she tried to hide her unease.

Getting to feet, he rolled his eyes and took her hand. "I'm a guardian. The only person here more pure than me is Carol. What do you think I would do?"

Carol finally looked up at Jin. "Speaking of, don't you try anything either."

"Like what?" He asked innocently, smiling at her. "You're already blushing."

Anette tried hard not to lean on him, but when she nearly lost her balance it seemed she didn't have much of a choice.

"You know what," she grumbled, looking away again and completely ignoring his comment.

Diah gently wrapped an arm around her, tightly enough to hold her up but loose enough not to be misinterpreted. "Relax," he said with a small sigh. "I'm not going to do anything to you."

"I'm not going to undress you on the dance floor." he promised, toying with the thin strap on her dress.

Anette gave him a doubtful look, but held her tongue.

Jin led them into a decent sized large room with hardwood floors. "This is actually the practice room, but it works for this as well." Anette's machine had followed them, as had Isaac and Sue, as well as Marcus and Elias. Elias had't given Marcus much of a choice with this one.

The mechanical thing switched on the music as Anette's instruction.

Jin turned to face Carol, smiling sadly at her, trying to decide when to tell her he'd be leaving. Maybe he'd just leave Diah to tell her.

"Maybe not literally," she said with a glare. "But I'm sure in your mind you are." As she caught his expression, her glare vanished. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Diah easily glided across the dance floor, his gaze lingering on Carol and Jin over Annet's shoulder. A trace of envy crossed his face. "She cares for him too much," he muttered.

"I can't be held responsible for what my mind does of it's own accord." He let his smile fall. "Tonight, I'll be heading out for... much longer than I intended. I'll explain later, alright?" He asked, hoping she'd settle with that.

"Calm down, you're just jealous. They have every right to care for each other as long as they aren't physical, and even that is up to them."

"I'm worried about her," he grumbled. "Even if they got over themselves enough to be together, the relationship would only work if it was not physically intimate, and I highly doubt Jin would even consent to that, let alone be able to bear it. But Carol...she won't fall, not even for him. She's worked too hard to become what she has. That leaves her only with leaving him, which..." He sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, it would hurt her beyond repair. Damn it, this was exactly what I was trying to prevent..."

For a moment, there was an emotion in her eyes that could be described no other way than "broken". But in a flash, it was gone and her features showed no trace of any emotion whatsoever. "For how long?"

"I don't know... it wasn't really my choice, and it isn't exactly a place that I can bring you along." He didn't like her expression, but he didn't know what else he could do. He rested one hand on her waist, the other taking her hand. "Relax, you wanted this right?" He asked with a forced smile.

"I think you underestimate him." Anette said as she turn him away from the other two. "And Carol, Carol doesn't have the option to just leave anyway, and as long as Jin keeps a grip on himself they'll be fine. You worry too much."

"I suppose I did..." She smiled graciously, but her eyes remained cold.

"I'm thinking more of after this is all over, when she'll be free. And, no, I don't believe I worry enough. Had I worried enough, I wouldn't have dismissed their relationship so easily and let it get this far."

"You're mad at me." Jin said flatly, not moving.

"That's a long way off. Relax an just see what happens."