"And why not? You like him don't you?" He stays on Cormac's arm, amused. Cormac eyes him like someone would eye an annoying bug. He doesn't say anything though, curious of her response.

Curse him! Serena thought to herself "I... well... yeah... but not like that. I mean, it hasn't even been a full day, and during that day I've fought with him who knows how many times, ran away, and who knows what else! How can you possibly expect me to like him like that after one day, especially after all that!?" she retaliated. There... that's a safe answer, the thought.

Cassiel nuzzles Cormac's arm. "You said yourself you ran because you were freaked out. And not all relationships start out like love at first sight. But, you can't deny you find his looks and personality attractive."
Cormac keeps staring at him. "That's my arm. And you're cuddling it. Why?" He attempted to get free. "Bad, Lamprey."

"Well if that's the case then why are you cuddling with my apparent lover?" Serena asked, deciding she may as well play along for a little while, besides, Cormac didn't like Cassiel cuddling him.

"'Cause I know it bothers him," he states simply. "And I'm trying to end his hermity stick in the mud phase." He then pouts at Cormac. "I'm not a lampreeey! Neeh." Cormac facepalms with his free hand. "God, I wish I'd brought Sepia instead. And I've always been a hermit, so it's not a phase." He swats at Cassiel, frowning. "That's my arm. Cuddle with your own. Or go cuddle a random person on the street."

Serena watched the argument with amusement. "Well, you know, since you're so bent on me dating him then you should probably let go of him before I become a jealous girlfriend. By cuddling him, aren't you in fact proving that you really don't want him to date me? And of course, on top of that, if I was to date him, then he'd be relieved of his hermit lifestyle, would he not?" she retorted.

Cassiel lets go, giggling. "Unless he ends up making you a hermit." He spins around, cheerfully. "I wiiin!" "You...are such a pain, Larpy. And I never agreed. And I wouldn't make her a hermiiit. Only I get to be the hermit."

Serena smirked "good, now that you've let go of him we can all agree that Cormac and I aren't dating each other. We're simply just better suited as friends" she pointed out. Good... even pretending that I liked him that way was making reality sink in... but... why am I pushing him away if I want to stay in this world? she asked herself.

Cassiel rolls his eyes. "Deeeniial. And Cormac's just wimpy." He patted Cormac on the head. "Kindly shut up before I rip off your testicles and burn them...," he mutters, dropping his head into his hands. He rubs his eyes, looking tired again. He also seems embarrassed, still.

"How graphic" Serena comments before reaching out and rubbing Cormac's back gently, in a soothing manner. "Besides, Cassiel, I like living in Egypt, it's got some great sights" she joked.

Casseil pouts. "You wouldn't. You're too mature for that, and it requires touching me there." He pats Cormac on the head. "Calm down, dear. I'm teasing." Cormac twitches. "I'm stressing, Cass. You know this. You also know my other issue, so excuse me for being twitchy."

"So... lovely day, isn't it?" Serena perked up, desperate to change the subject. She could feel Cormac's stress in his back muscles. She began to massage his back up and down, in an attempt to remove the knots in his back "jeez, man, I can feel your stress! Don't you ever relax?!" she asked.

"Yes, I relax...Sorta." He chuckles softly. "I'm just always careful, which has saved my life a lot," he pointed out.l Cassiel stared at the sky. "Hm. I think it's gonna rain tonight." He closes his eyes, which is pointless anyway. "We could always get in contact with Pika to find out when..." "Why? We won't melt. Or I won't anyway. Not so sure 'bout her," he adds teasingly pointing at Serena.

"Awww, how sweet! You think I'm so nice that I'll melt like sugar when I get wet. I'm so touched!" Serena teased right back, digging her fingers deeper into the knots in his back "alright. My prescription is a few days of doing nothing but relaxing. You're too stressed, it can't be healthy" she told him. She sighed heavily and got behind Cormac to give a better, deeper massage.

"Meh, how can I relax? I have a life. ...Sorta. And a woman who'll kill me." He pouted at her, and eyed Cassiel. "Stop worrying about the raiiin, sheesh." "I do need to go home, Macy. And rain's not ideal for me to fly in. I'll get hurt, or struck by lightning," he pointed out honestly.

Serena sighed and moved her massage into a back rub "well whether you like it or not, I'm the only life you're going to have until your stress level has gone way down. This isn't healthy... I don't want you to be so stressed out again that you have a nightmare like this one... please, just try and relax" she pleaded, resting her head on his. Even thinking about what he was going through during the dream made Serena scared. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and involuntarily her arms moved up and around Cormac's neck, hugging him from behind. She held onto him as though her life depended on it, yet she was gentle, aware that her arms were around his neck, "please" she whispered, her lips close to his ear.

Cormac stays still for a moment when she hugged him, almost as if hadn't been really hugged in years. He then leans back into it. "I'll be fine," he sighs. "It has to do more with the timing than stress really." "If you'd explain the dream, you'd be able to explain the timing better," Cassiel murmurs. Cormac chews his lip, seeming to debate telling her.

Serena noticed how nervous Cormac was. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to... just promise me that you'll relax. I... I don't want you to have another nightmare like that... I... I get... scared every time I think about what happened. You don't have to tell me anything about yourself that you don't want to... goodness knows I won't. You just have to promise me that you'll at least try to relax... more than you usually do... ok?" she asked.

Cormac sighs. "I'll try." He rubs his head. "I'm not good at the full relaxing thing. Well, here anyway. When I'm where Cass lives I'm fine." He chuckled at that fact. "That's 'cause you love me," he responded cheerily. "Or Ang isn't there."

Serena smiled and rested her head against the back of his shoulder. She allowed herself to breathe in his scent, she was already hugging him, she might as well continue. "Thank you. As long as you try, I'll be happy. I'll help you any way you ask me to, by the way" she offered, one of her hands removing itself from around his neck, sliding it down his back lightly, returning it to its former job of rubbing his back. He smells so good... unlike anything I've ever smelled before. I love it... I... love him? No... of course not, she thought, reality creeping in for a moment before denial took back over.

Cormac nodded, right as thunder struck. "Hey, look. Thunder." He didn't seem to care, but when lightning struck Cassiel jumped and clung to him, whimpering. Cormac patted his head. "Relax. You're fine." Cassiel just clung to him, digging his nails in.

Serena looked up when Cassiel jumped at Cormac. "Cormac, sweetie... I think you've been made into a sandwich... I hope you don't mind" she pointed out. Secretly, she was terrified of lightning. Every now and then, she ran away to escape her father, about half the time it was storming. There have been quite a few times where she was almost struck. After awhile, she became terrified. She gasped slightly when she heard the thunder and suddenly, she was a little girl again. She moved around and squirmed in between Cassiel and Cormac.

Cormac grimaces at Cassiel. "Hun, I get your scared, but I don't want a chunk dug outta my arm." He pets Cassiel's hair, used to this. "This is nothing. He used to fly to me and then change back in mid-air, clinging. Naked, I might add. That was weird." He doesn't seem to mind the storm. He eyes the sky. "Ugh, this is gonna open up on us shortly. Off we go. Er...if Cass gives me my arm back that is." He sighs as Cassiel movs his clinging to around Cormac's waist. Cormac, slaps the reins and began heading home.

Serena instantly followed Cassiel the moment she felt the protection leave. She was treating Cassiel like her security blanket and Cormac like her teddy bear. She dove underneath Cassiel, hugging Cormac. I'm so pathetic... but I can't help it... anyone that's experienced the fury and power of lightning knows... I'm sure that's why Cassiel is so scared right now, she mused, finding it oddly comforting, being pressed in between the two shape shifters.

Cormac seems vaguely amused. "Oh yeah," he mutters, remembering why Cassiel had issues. He rolled his eyes at Cassiel anway. "I'm not a teddy bear, leech." He sighs when he got home. He steps off the wagon, Cassiel attached and it started pouring. "Figures," he mutters. He hurried inside, trying not to trip and hurt himself and Cassiel, who's been silent since the lightning.