"Probably the only way you're going to get it off is if the spirit inside wants to let you..." Sio responded while looking at him with a sense of irritation. She would give anything to have that choice, the ability to live as a human with her family instead of bringing their destruction because she wasn't a full human, and he spoke as if it was a burden. She was starting to dislike him, not just disapprove of his current behavior. She said nothing more, however, and simply turned away.

In doing so she would catch sight of the fox and walked over to it. Absently she began to use her own healing magic on the creature, curious at the arrow. She hadn't thought there was any hunters in the forest at the moment. She frowned to herself, her ears straining as she continued her healing spell. She knew the ones after her probably wouldn't attack the woods so directly as to attack the animals if they didn't have to but well even fay had to eat...

((sorry for being slow, irl issues being a bother))

the fox stirred,made a piteous cry,and began to blur around the edges.slowly at first,then quickly,the small fox transformed into a teenaged girl with fox ears and a tail.the arrow in her side fell out as she shifted,causing the wound to bleed more."are you...an angel?" she asked breathlessly.

Sio could feel magic poor from the girl as she focused her powers on healing her, the stylized-butterfly shaped wings of light appearing behind her briefly as she healed the wound completely. Her magic always made the wings appear, so perhaps she shouldn't be so surprised at the girls question but she was. It was ironic considering what had happened moments earlier, the angel binding her to a creature of the dark and likely only to keep him in the forest. She couldn't help the slight smile that appeared, at one time she would have blushed to be called an angel. Now that she'd met the one in the artifact she wasn't so sure.

"No... I'm a healer, that's all. I would guess you are a shape-shifter or a kitsune? How did you get here?" She responded with minor curiosity as she finished the healing spell. She did wonder, she had never met a kitsune though she had heard of them and ever since always wondered about the foxes she saw. She had met a shape-shifter before. Still even as she smiled at the girl and asked her these questions she did think about the angel for a moment. The artifact felt old, as if the angel had been in the thing for hundreds if not thousands of years. Perhaps if she had been trapped like that her mind would be a little strange too.

Aidan probably could have or would have continued have his little fit, but he was distracted. Distracted by an injured creature, honestly, Aidan would have ignored the thing but Sio had already begun to walk towards it. So Aidan followed to see what would unfold, he stood next to Sio, his arms crossed across his chest and he scowled down at the injured creature. Weak and pathetic. Only the strong survived in this world, but Sio was already doing that thing she did to heal things. He scoffed. "Why waste your power on something so pathetic?" When the fox changed forms, Aidan was caught a little offguard by it, but he just stared and blinked for half a moment before recovering from that surprise.

When the fox girl called Sio an angel, he rolled his eyes. "Tch. Pathetic and stupid. What kind of creature can't tell the difference between an angel and a faery?" Aidan's eyes were on Sio. "Stop wasting time with this..animal..it'll just get itself injured or killed again. You should be finding a way to get this thing off my hand." Aidan had uncrossed his arms from his chest and waved his right hand slightly to add emphasis when he referred to the artifact there.

"But wouldn't that be continuing to help the weak and pathetic?..... Now, I've had just about all I'm going to take of this Aiden so just get out of the way and sit over there if you can't play nice. You are not superior to anyone else and never were, no matter what you were. Quite frankly as long as you behave like this I'm not sure you're even equal to most... and as long as you keep acting like an arrogant little nitwit I am not going to help you do anything. I am not intimidated by you or your temper-tantrums." Sio said the first sweetly and looked at him a moment. Her voice switched the second after she said pathetic, however, becoming as irritated as she was and she motioned to a nearby tree. He was reminding her too much of those idiots at court who still sought to kill her and had killed friends of hers simply because she was her father's child. She was done passively watching him, he was going to know she wasn't going to put up with his tantrums.

Aidan had raised his hand, as if he were about to backhand the woman for insinuating that he was a weak and pathetic creature. Anger burned brightly in his eyes, though she continued to speak, and he lowered his hand almost as suddenly as he had brought it up. She had told him to go away, he looked to where she pointed, feeling very compelled to go sit there. Aidan glared at her, he glared hard as his feet began to move. It was apparent to him that he couldn't fight this compulsion. Like earlier, she had told him to calm down and he had. "What have you done to me?"

Aidan wanted to slap her, and yell at her. How dare she insult him like that? He was superior, more than equal to anyone, but now it seemed he didn't even have control of his own body. It almost frightened him. His hands clenched into tight fists as he moved towards the tree she had motioned at. When he reached the tree, he turned to rest his back against the trunk, watching Sio as he stood there. Why had he gone over here when she had told him to? It didn't make any sense to him, had she really done something to him earlier, or was this also because of the angel in the artifact? Whoever was to blame didn't really matter, all that mattered was Aidan didn't like it and it would have to stop quickly.

Also, she had called him a nitwit and he couldn't intimidate her. If only he were still a vampire, he could intimidate anyone then..Then again, if he were still a vampire he wouldn't need her at all. Aidan had gotten his fill of being weak and pathetic when he was human, but that didn't seem to matter at least not to the angel in the artifact on his hand. Aidan wanted all those glorious things that came with being a vampire back. Strength and speed, all the wonderful things that had made him far better than a mere, pathetic human.

Aidan was pouting.

The girl sat up and glared at the human/vampire creature."I am not an animal,any more than you are a likeable person." She said,then turned to the Fae."I apologize,I had lost alot of blood and your wings threw me off.My name is Gemini,and I am a Kitsune.I was traveling in a town not far from here when a bounty hunter spotted me and shot one of those magic arrows-the kind that humans can't see.It hit me and,to stay safe,I shadow-traveled to the nearest safe haven-this forest.Only while trying to avoid the arrow,I shifted to my fox form,and the arrow hit me mid-shift.So when I got here,I followed the scent of water and healing magic,hoping I would find a healer.And thank the moon I did.Thank you for helping me.So,how did you come to be aquainted with that ball of sunshine?" She asked,gesturing to the man.

As he raised his hand she reached towards her cloak, if he continued she would fight back. Still as he obeyed her she was too shocked to say anything. His words indicated to her he was as shocked as she was, if not more. He really didn't have any control over it, nor had he when he calmed down. What had she done? Oh yes... she'd said his name and ordered him. She frowned, it was the kind of power her order of fae's court would love but she wanted no part of it. No one's will should be stripped from them....

"You don't have to thank me but your welcome. As to him....He came here, probably drawn by the river. Not long before you showed up... She said with a shrug as she turned back to the excitable woman. She gave her a soft smile, trying to reign in her own emotions. Fury at him, pity for him, guilt for what she could do... they all swam in her. She wasn't sure what to say to him now, though his pouting did elevate the guilt. How had he survived this long? Especially as a vampire, they didn't take to even another vampire speaking to them that way lightly generally speaking. Usual ones like him... an older one would have killed him by now.

Gemini shrugged."Well,he seems pretty weak,to go around insulting a wounded creature.Pathetic,if you ask me.But whatever.So,where am I,exactly?" She asked,starting to stand up but sitting back down when dizzieness overcame her.
((short post! Sorry! It's bed time for me.))

How had she even done that? What had she done to cause him to obey her like that? Aidan did not like it one bit. As a human he had been weak, as a vampire he had been so very powerful, now he was weak. Weak and powerless to disobey and order from that fay's lips. Being unable to disobey, unable to refuse was the worst form of powerlessness in Aidan's eyes. Fear and anger filled the boy, the fear only fueling his anger. He had not feared anything when he was a vampire.

Aidan grit his teeth and stepped away from the tree, glaring down to the artifact stuck on his hand. "Undo these horrible things you've done to me, or else." The artifact, nor the angel trapped within responded. That angered Aidan even more, he turned to face the tree, regarding the hard trunk for a moment before he smacked it, open handed with the artifact in the palm of his right hand. Hoping to smash it and break the curse it had put on him. The artifact remained intact, but Aidan's hand hurt, he growled and hit it again.

Or, rather, he tried to. Centimeters before the artifact touched the trunk of the tree there was a flash of light, those magnificent angel wings burst from Aidan's back and he was thrown backwards by an unseen force, a heavy pressure against his chest. Aidan was sent sprawling, landing a few feet from the tree, those wings had vanished just before he hit the ground with a grunt. Aidan groaned lightly and glared at the sky.

Today was not a good day. Aidan decided, he would just lay there and pout at the sky.

Gemini noticed the flash and the angel wings,and was instantly curious-as was the way of her kind."What just happened? Is he an angel? No,he can't be,he smalls like vampire...and human.So what just happened? What kind of place is this?" she asked excitedly.

No he's not an angel..." She said quietly as she turned towards the flash of light. She frowned as he was sent flying, shivering inwardly. If this was how angels behaved she was terrified to find out how demons did. So far the angel had made him a slave and now was throwing him fifty feet. Then again perhaps he simply hated vampires so much that he wanted him to suffer... She shook her head, her attentions briefly pulled back to the kitsune. She watched her excitement with a raised eyebrow.

"This is just your typical forest, that artifact he brought here on his own... Sio said with a shrug before she glanced over at the vampire. She debated if she should walk over. When he didn't get up she finally did after a few minutes and stood over him with her arms crossed. She still didn't like him but she was the kinda person who couldn't ignore an injured person. It just wasn't her nature.

"You okay?"

Aidan just pouted up at the sky for a few minutes, until Sio appeared, hovering over him. Now he pouted at her, but only because she was in his line of sight and he didn't want to turn his head. "I'm having a bad day." He sounded just a little lost and slowly he sat up, frowning. Though he could kind of understand why the angel had flung him like that, but still, he couldn't understand why the angel would curse him like this. "I don't think any of you realize how terrible this for me." By the words 'any of you' he was mostly referring to Sio and the angel trapped within the artifact, but it didn't matter. Nothing he said or did seemed to make the slightest difference and Aidan could not stand that. Being weak, pathetic and inadequate in all aspects was not something he wanted to relive. He clenched his hands into tight fists.

Aidan's eyes went wide, and his lips parted in a scream but no sound escaped them. The glorious angel wings burst from his back, his left hand went up to press against his head. It felt as if someone were bashing his head against a tree or a rock, and it hurt. It hurt badly. Pain shot up his right arm from the artifact, the artifact itself was glowing and pulsing slightly, and Aidan felt like he was being stuffed into a corner of himself. As suddenly as it started, it stopped, but Aidan was shut up inside a closet of his own mind, only able to peer out his eyes and do nothing else.

Those lips snapped closed, and the white wings twitched and fluttered a little behind him. The cursed vampire stood a little straighter, a little taller. His eyes were a brilliant bright blue and they seemed far softer than they had before. That hand lowered from his head, but not before those fingers ran through his hair. Just touching, just feeling the soft strands. Now he twirled in a circle, getting a feel for the way this body moved. The angel had invaded and taken over control of Aidan's body. "Hm. It is a well built body.." He spoke the words to himself, his voice gentle and soft, as he ran those hands up and down his torso for a moment, and then turned towards Sio. He bowed slightly, "You may call me Aluniel."

Sio started to say something but then he was screaming. Instantly she started to crouch, as the brain could do funny things when it was smacked against the ground and she assumed it was that. An injury was what anyone would conclude, but then she felt the pulsing energy and stepped back on instinct. She seemed about ready to prepare a spell when a different voice then the one she'd grown use to escaped the 'angel's' lips. She only glanced away as he ran his hands over his own body, it seemed somehow...wrong to her. Why would become clear as she realized exactly what happened.

"Aluniel...I'm guessing you must be the angel in the stone. Why have you done this? I am not interested in slavery...." She said quietly, though her voice trembled with anger slightly at the last sentence. She knew the angel was likely powerful, and her light based defenses would likely be easily dismissed by it but she had always been one to react on emotion first. She knew nothing of this angel, but so far he had shown her only the worst. Why would he try to make someone a slave to her...?

"What do you want from me?"

"Slavery?" He tilted his head slightly, looking a bit confused for a moment, then it cleared and he waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, that say his name, he must obey thing? That's just a side effect of the spell that keeps him from going to far away from you. It's up to you if you abuse this ability or not. The spot on your hand is another side effect." She seemed rather angry, honestly he was the one who should be angry. That thought quickly flitted away almost as quick as it had appeared. He smiled kindly at Sio. "I want nothing from you that you would not freely give already. I have glimpsed your heart, and it is a good one." It was good to be able to move around freely again, Aluniel took a few steps in one direction, then turned and walked in another direction. It was good, but he knew he would have to give up control back to the original owner of the body. That was alright, this little breath of near freedom was very sweet, and Aluniel was savoring it as best he could.

"Being forced to stay with me isn't slavery in and of itself, bound to a master like a dog on a leash? And that still doesn't answer my question... what do you want from me? Why have you done this?" Sio repeated her questions, not satisfied with his dismissing of her questions. She knew he wanted his freedom and no one should be trapped in a stone but that didn't mean he could use anyone he wanted without their permission. His smile was kind but his earlier actions had her distrusting him. She bit her lip, watching as he enjoyed the body. She couldn't imagine being trapped like that, so she understood but still... wasn't he now trapping the vampire the same way?

She was frustrated, confused, and momentarily forgot about the kitsune. Part of her wanted to kick the angel but she wasn't even sure he'd feel the pain. She didn't understand... none of this made any sense! She didn't care about the stupid mark on her hand, she cared about being bound to someone like this....like he was nearly a dog on a leash. How had he gotten in the stone in the first place? Why?

"It isn't slavery, you would not treat him as a slave and it is for his own good that I have done this. I have told you, I want nothing from you that you would not freely give already." Aluniel continued to pace, back and forth for a little while, and then he began to walk circles around Sio. His wings twitching and shifting freely at his back while he moved. "Remember this, it is not for myself that I do the things that I do." He had stopped walking, standing still, his lips parting slightly and then Aluniel was gone. His leaving seemed to be less painful for Aidan than when he had taken over. Of course, he had to fight against Aidan for control but now the angel just gave up that control easily.

The wings vanished, and Aidan dropped to his knees with both hands pressed against his forehead. His head hurt terribly, and he was angry. Very angry. That angel had no right to use his body like that, no right to do any of the things that it was doing to him. Aidan wished he could pull the angel out of the artifact and beat him to a bloody pulp. That would teach the creature not to toy with him, but Aidan couldn't do that, and his head hurt to much for him to really do anything at the moment. It would pass, he was sure.

"You took away his freedom, what else would you call it? and no matter your excuse who gave you that right?" She started to yell at the angel, frustrated at how he spoke. Before she had even finished, however, Aiden had returned. She sighed as the wings disappeared and sat on the ground in front of Aiden. She didn't know what to say, it seemed the angel had tricked her somehow. It had known she would try to remove it to help, somehow, and waited until her magic was to committed for her to do anything to do whatever it had done. Oh yes, a spell it had said. What should she do? For once she wasn't sure...

Aidan rubbed his head for a few moments, then lowered his hands. He had heard everything the angel had said while it was in control and seen everything through his eyes but it had been weird. Strange and he couldn't quite explain exactly how it had felt. Aidan looked at Sio, the cursed vampire looked extremely annoyed and very very angry, but he wasn't angry at Sio, he was angry at the angel. Aidan was quiet, very quiet. He was trying hard to think of a way to destroy the angel, not just get rid of the artifact but to destroy it and the creature within it completely. He grit his teeth and scowled.

Gemini stepped forward,amazed and angered by what she had just witnessed.In spite of her earlier dislike of the vampire,she suddenly had a feeling of sympathy.she knew the feeling of being enslaved.she knelt in front of him and took his hands in hers."You are angry,obviously.You may not believe me,but I understand fully.This angel is changing you,trapping you...and I am sorry.If you will let me,I promise to help you find a way to get rid of this...artifact,and the angel within it." she said,with the tone of a knight making a vow to his lord.

When the fox girl knelt in front of him he glared at her warily, when she took his hands into her own, he jerked them away quickly and jumped to his feet. "You are useless to me and you know nothing. Do not pretend like you understand or know what's happening to me, because you don't. I don't want your sympathy and I will not be pitied." For a moment Aidan looked as if he would smack the girl, but then he just turned and started to walk away from her and Sio. Gritting his teeth and clenching his hands into tight fists.

Gemini's ears lowered,laying flat on her head.She looked for all the world like a kicked puppy.Then,her expression changed to one of anger and she stood up."You think you are the only one who has ever had a problem?! Were you ever a slave? Did you ever learn that everything you knew was a lie? Have you ever watched someone you cared for die,knowing you were powerless to stop it?! You are spoiled,just a brat crying over a lost toy! Grow up,vampire,or someday,someone is going to show you how scary this big,bad real world is!" She shouted at him,her tail bristling.

Aidan stopped. He turned around and came back towards the fox girl. Anger burned so brightly in his eyes, so fiercely. "How dare you?" He didn't shout the words, he spoke them quietly with a tone of unbridled anger, his hand coming up and flying towards her face to slap her, hard, viciously. Whether his slap hit or not didn't really matter, Aidan snarled. "You know absolutely nothing of me, nothing of my life, nothing of my past. I already know how scary the world is, it's a horrifying place, especially for weak humans. I refuse to live as a human again, I'd rather die than suffer through that one more time." His tone was quiet and dark, once again he turned from her and started to walk away.

"You may not be a vampire but I doubt you human either...." Sio muttered with a sigh. She shook her head as she spoke, erecting a wall of light between the two. Whether it was in time to block the strike she wasn't sure but she hoped so. She didn't need them fighting uselessly amongst themselves. It didn't solve anything. Still, inwardly she couldn't help but half laugh at the irony of the kits words 'have you ever been a slave'. By her definition he was now even if she had no intention of abusing it. Still she said nothing but a quick 'stay here' to the kit. She gazed after the vampire a moment before following him with a sigh, she doubted his mood would be helped much by being forcefully dragged back to the area. . Damn her gentle heart.

Gemini was knocked back,doing nothing to deflect the blow.Almost as quickly as it had come on,her anger seemed to leave her."No,but you also know nothing of me.Why should you get to make assumptions about me,if I can't make them about you? You'd better watch yourself,coward." she said,bangs covering her face.