[[Ick D8 *hugs*]]

Yuki readied himself. Why am I doing this, again? was all that his mind could come up with as he waited for his mother's signal.

Shan waited for a moment, giving neither of the two boys an edge. After a few seconds, she finally said "Go" and watched intently.

Yuki took off, gaining speed as he ran. He was fast for a child, but the image of Phineas's strong-looking arms kept popping into his head. They were not exceedingly bulky, but they definitely looked efficient.

[[EDIT: I'm the 500th post!! *throws cake everywhere*


Maybe confetti would have been better....
Well, goodnight! I must be off ^^;]]

Phineas sprang into action, craving to see what he could do, since even he had no idea. He worked his whole truncated body into a swinging rhythm with his hands, using his fingers to push off the ground. At some points in his run he managed to have both hands in the air. He wasn't really as fast as Yuki, but managed to keep the younger boy from gaining too much distance on him as they approached the end of the street for the turnaround.

((I have no idea why I started this. I don't know how to end it! ^_^'))

((Off to write my final paper..its due thurs. But its loooong so I have to get started on it.))

Ani leaned against the shop keepers brick building. She had one foot up against the back of the wall, the other used to be kept upright, and her arms folded across her chest. She was watching the race, but her mind wasnt on it. She was wondering if it was at all a good idea to stay the night instead of carrying on. They hadnt gained much ground the past two days. She was staring into space and wondering what Shan wanted to speak to her about. She was guessing it was about Micheal. She sighed, not much dwelling over it, shell find out sooner or later at the tavern they plan to be staying at.


Micheal was near the end of the town. Darkness was falling and he need a place to sleep off his weariness and angry about the previous day. He couldnt shake the smell of fresh blood he was getting from the town, he even stopped before to check his own clothing, maybe he was smelling a wound he did not know he had. But the results were no so, his body was spotless of any cuts, bruises and his clothes, though they were drenched only shortly with blood, it was all clean. He shrugged and found sanctuary in an abandoned house, on the outskirts of the town. He gave it a twice over making sure there was nothing there and picking out a secure room with a window to stay in.

[[LOL, Silly Steff~

EEEEK. Paper... I hate HW.. I have to prepare for a group presentation.. I'm not the speaking in front of class type.. D8; ]]

When he reached the turnaround point, Yuki kept running, for his own sake as well as for Phineas. Phineas had told him to run, and so he did. And just as he had predicted, Phineas was very fast, almost right behind him. When he finally finished, Phineas was right behind him, but he had more fun than he'd have time for in a while. By the end, he was smiling. "You...are very fast," he said truthfully.

Shan was smiling too. Watching games like this was one of her favorite things to do. It made her feel good no matter what the situation was.

Phineas was grinning at the end, as well. He sat and dusted off his hands, flexing his fingers. "That was really good!" he said, laughing breathlessly. His eyes sparkled with the thrill of competition, but one race was enough for one day. "It was much... far-er than it looked!"

"I wholeheartedly agree,"said Yuki, laughing as well. "It didn't feel that far when we started," he added.

"Well you two, are you ready to move on?" Shan asked, smiling widely. We need to find a place to eat and sleep, you know. And you," she said, looking at Phineas, "need to get changed."

Phineas nodded his assent. "Let us go!"
Everyone was so happy, it made him forget about previous events, and even what lay ahead for the small group. Nothing could spoil the untainted moment.

((cue ominous music... kidding.))

"Alright then. Firstly, for anyone who wishes to go about their own business, the inn is over there," Shan started, pointing at a fairly large building. "Before nightfall, we should all be inside."There is quite a bit of food in there, though. If that's what any of you desire." She walked to the building at a steady pace, not quick, but steady, alongside her son.

Phineas paused for a moment, memorizing the Inn's location before scurrying after Shan and Yuki. He wanted to see what clothing Shan had purchased for him. THEN he would explore...

] [[School is evil D8;; I need to more people for my experiment! DX
So much to do >(

*more ominous music*]]

Leyla watched as the strange tavelers walked into the inn. Surely at least one among them was carrying money, money that could belong to her if she behaved properly. "Hello and welcome to the Traveler's Inn!" she said, positively beaming with questionable delight. "What service may we provide for you today?"

Shan turned to the group. "How many of you would like your own room?" she asked before answering the girl at the counter.

Kira looked up at Shan, shrugging. When had they arrived at a hotel? Unless she had decided to let her legs think for her again. She didn't really know, nor cared about having a room to herself since it wasn't as if she had much to hide. "I'm fine with sharing."

Phineas didn't need his own room. He didn't want one, really. What if nightmares came? He shook his head no, then distracted himself looking around inside the inn, taking in the atmosphere, the feeling of many people having passed through here, and their presence having been scrubbed at. People linger, he noticed, even in places where you did not want them to. Even in nature their marks were indelible.

"We'd like three rooms then," Shan told Leyla. "Three of the larger ones," she added. She had not been in one of the larger rooms before, but she had seen what they look like from outside the door. Each of the larger rooms had two full-sized beds, so they could easily be shared by four people.

Layla nodded, ducked under the counter, then popped up with three large, old-fashioned keys in her hand. "Anything else?" She asked, still beaming in a way that would make anyone at least a bit uneasy.

"Yes," Shan said, and turned to her fellow travelers once more. "What would you all like to eat?"

"Everything." Phineas replied, without a beat. He blushed and composed himself. "What is tasty here?" he asked instead. His fingers crawled up onto the edge of the counter and he pulled himself up so he could see over it at the lady. She was smiling like mad. He returned her smile, flashing pointy teeth.

"Uhh anything but beef." Kira wasn't exactly in the mood for anything other than maybe seafood or vegetables, though she wasn't exactly a fan of meat ever since she visited the slaughter house. She fount herself almost traumatized by the amount of blood, that was until she became hungry.

Layla looked over at him, smiling wider. "You look like you're a meat-lover, with such fine teeth. Would you like a big, juicy steak?" She said. Her beaming was getting to be a bit disturbing, as she took Phineas's smile as a challenge to her own. She turned to Kira. "No steak for you miss? Then ome fish, perhaps? A salad?"

Yuki refrained from looking at the woman any longer. It almost felt like her smile was trying to pierce his soul.

Kira looked up at Layla shrugging. "Salad then." The waiter seemed to be a bit odd, as if that smile was as fake as ever. Then again most smiles were like that. She didn't look at the waiter for long, wondering if the rest of the townspeople were like this.

Phineas's smile shifted into a baring of teeth. He dropped down below the counter edge to avoid the lady's frightening grin. There, he composed himself. "Steak, is it good? I will eat it if it is good." He thought for a moment. "Should I get salad? Is it also juicy?" He directed this question at Kira.

Kira shrugged. "Uh, steak is good I guess." She looked at his baring teeth for a moment before answering again. "If you want." She wondered how much he knew about how much he knew of human food, among other things, though maybe it was language differences. She shrugged at him.

Shan looked at Phineas. "Um.. steak meat, and so it's juicy. Salad, not so much. Salad is made from plants. Fruits and vegetables. Would you like to try one?" As she tried to find a way to explain this, she had her hand on Yuki's head, who seemed unnerved by Layla's plastic-like face. Hm.. four salads and a steak so far. What about drinks?"

"We have lots of drinks!" Layla's eagerness was bordering on creepy. "Anything from water to alcohol, we've got it!"

Shan flinched at the sound of the word "alcohol". She had been taught by experience that she could not hold her liquor.

Phineas nodded. "Salad, also." The lady offered drinks. He peered over the edge again. "Anything?" he asked. "Do you offer blood?" His dragon appetite demanded that his diet not shift too far into the human realm. The blood rain had been bitter, maybe that was only because it was nightmare blood. (Also, don't humans drink blood, too? He wasn't sure.)

((He looks so innocent til he opens his mouth, huh? ^_^))

Ani had soon joined them in the Inn, they were gathered around the lobby desk deciding what to eat. She came to stand beside Shan. She had gotten distracted by the iron smith, who had an absolutely lovely dagger in his display window. She had argued with herself that she didnt need it before leaving the store. She now stood before the lady at the desk, and even though she was smiling at Phineas, she couldnt help but have her eyes drawn to the lady. She seemed nice at first, but now she was getting eager. It wasnt as if there was a line here, so what was the rush?
Finally speaking she said, "Do you have anything else besides a Salad for vegetarians?" She asked. She wanted a fulling meal, and a salad was not going to do that.

[[Oh lord XD I think I'll go along with this 8D ]]

"Sure thing!" Layla replied with overabundant zeal. "Will that be human or animal blood?" Layla had no intentions of telling Phineas that humans did not drink blood unless they found themselves in very...interesting circumstances.

Shan felt Yuki clinging to the side of her kimono. She couldn't blame him. What kind of place sold blood to a traveler? She would not try to bother how the inn obtained blood in the first place.

Layla turned to face Ani. "Anything you can think of, missy! Is there anything in particular you had in mind? I can do just about anything!" This might include hunting for blood of animals and humans.

Ani was a little taken back by the blood bit, so she paused before answering, "Can you make a Chickpea Salad and Spinach-Asparagus Wraps?" She asked her.


((Im not a vegetarian, so I had to look up meals for them. XD
And Im writing my paper, so I wont be active too much, although I will try. ^^))

Phineas frowned at the part about human blood. It wasn't as if he'd never eaten a human before, but drinking human blood now would be in particularly bad taste (probably in more ways than one.)
"Animal," he said, his tone of voice slightly reproachful. He was unaware of the reactions of his groupmates behind him. "What animals do you have?" he asked this in the same way that a socialite might ask for a wine menu.

((I totally knew you would go along with it, Platty XD Gosh I wonder what is going here O_O))