"I'd think he'd be coming up for air by now, either from that kiss or the strangulation," Lei Magnus sighed.
His blond female companion laughed silently.
"Yes, I think it's a lovely night for a swim," the man replied to her silent suggestion.
She gestured and a stream of golden water snaked away from their boat toward the unsuspecting kissing couple. Nearing the other swanboat, it formed into a large hand and overturned the boat.
Lei pulled out a watch on a golden chain. "Let's see, one...two...three...four..."
He reached a full minute before Terim and Zelas resurfaced. And the lake wasn't that deep either, only about three feet. They were completely soaked.
"Now that was a kiss," Terim breathed in the night air deeply, brushing back his wet hair. "I don't remember ever feeling so light-headed. Zela?"
Zelas hung limply in his arms.
"Zela?!" Terim quickly checked her pulse and breathing. The pulse was weak but she didn't appear to be breathing. No way around it, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Damn kiss, Chibi-Zelas grumbled, wringing the water from her hair. Hey, wait a minute. Just what is he trying to do now? Zelas wake up!
Zelas blinked sluggishly. Oh Ruby Eye what just happened? Her eyes popped open wide. And just WHAT is this human doing?!? She frantically pushed him away.
"Oh, you're awake now. That's good. I was worried there for a moment," Terim smiled in relief and politely looked away. He unfastened his cloak and handed it to her. "It's wet as well but it'll cover you up."
Zelas blushed and wrapped herself in the wet cloak. Pale colored clothes and water do not mix well.
"I guess that effectively ends tonight. You should get home to change before you catch a cold. Do you want me to walk you home?"
Oh sure, she'd love to have him walk her back to Wolf Pack Island. Not.
"I'll be alright on my own. You probably want to get home yourself," Zelas excused weakly, stepping away.
"If you say so." Terim didn't look very convinced.
"Well, it's been a lovely night." Zelas was getting ready to run when Terim kissed her again.
"A kiss good-bye," Terim smiled when they separated five minutes later. "Can I have your answer tomorrow?"
"Um, sure. Ciao!" Zelas ran off, leaving a dust cloud behind her.
"Bye!" Terim waved.
Zelas walked dazedly into her keep, still wrapped in Terim's cloak. He had insisted on her wearing it to keep from catching a cold in her wet dress. There was also the issue of modesty. Then there was the issue of the kiss twice! Chibi-Zelas had had a coronary during the good-bye kiss. She was still recovering.
Xelloss popped into the front hall when he felt his master's presence. "Good evening, Mas-"
Xelloss's eyes bulged at the sight of his master wrapped in a cloak and trailing water all over the floor.
Zelas automatically batted him through the roof.
"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Xelloss said with glee. Then he say his projectory. "Ah! No! Not water! Not large bodies of water!!!" he screamed.
Lesser Mazokus crammed in to eat the fear and to watch the Trickster Priest's discomfort.
Hey, have you ever seen Xelloss cross large bodies of water?
Terim stood on a cliffside looking up at the stars. He had said he'd like Zela's answer tomorrow. Across the glittering dark blue sky, a shooting star flew by.
The same star flew by Zelas's window but she didn't notice it. She was too busy skimming the chapters of her rather soaked book on revenge to get to the part about marriage proposals.
"A rule that you must ALWAYS keep in mind. Read it, memorize it, repeat it, eat it, drink it, live it. Do not, under any circumstances, absolutely do not fall in love."
Zelas turned to the next page.
"Mazokus can't love. They are heartless soulless embodiments of pure evil and destruction. Now keep repeating that to yourself and you'll someday believe it."
Zelas began repeating to herself. "Do not fall in love. Mazokus can't love. I am a heartless soulless embodiment of pure evil and destruction. Do not fall in love. Mazokus can't love...."
And on she went through the night.
"So how was your date?" asked Ashford. "Terim do you have a seven?"
"Go Fish," Terim replied. "Like a dream. Well except for maybe that dunk in the lake. SaiChuRo, do you have a five?"
SaiChuRo handed over the card. "Sealius King?"
Sealius handed him a King of Spades.
"Spades? Spades are like spear points. Spear points like the ones we jabbed through the dead bodies of the Ancient Dragons," SaiChuRo droned.
"Where's Goldias?" Terim asked as Sealius had to Go Fish.
Ashford looked at his hand. "He refuses to get out of jail. Claims it's safer there. A perfect example of how marriage life can be hell if you choose the wrong person."
"I don't think I'll be in that fix. Zela is like a dream come true." Terim studied his cars. "Five, SaiChuRo."
SaiChuRo gave him a five of hearts. "What is that wire around your neck?"
"Oh this?" Terim pulled off the wire tied around his neck. "She was trying to strangle me after I proposed to her."
SaiChuRo had a heart attack.
Ashford dropped his cards.
Sealius did nothing.
"You-you proposed to a Mazoku?! The murderers of my race?!" SaiChuRo gasped, clutching his heart.
"And on the first date?" Ashford added.
Sealius rearranged his hand.
"It was probably just a shock thing, the strangling. I'm hoping I'll get her answer today."
Silence descended.
"Err, SaiChuRo, it's your turn," Terim hinted.
"Ace," the dragon grumbled. "You actually want to marry a Mazoku? She'll kill you in your sleep if not earlier."
"Go Fish," Sealius replied evenly. "As long as it isn't Dark Star."
The doors slammed open, a deja vu scene from yesterday.
"If you're excuse me gentlemen," Terim stood up, tossing his cards onto the table.
They watched him leave with Zelas.
"He's going there again," Ashford sighed, reshuffling Terim's cards into the deck.
"Where?"
"Lover's Leap."
And the men's club building fell apart again.
"What are we doing up here?" Zelas asked, holding her long hair back from her face. The wind was a bit strong up on the cliff.
"This is Lover's Leap," Terim waved a hand along the cliff, standing along the edge. "Rather jagged rocks on the bottom to say nothing of the surf. Take that man over there for example."
"Oh my life isn't worth living without her. There is no life, no light, no meaning. She stole my heart, held it in her fragile hands, and crushed it. Farewell cruel cruel world," cried the example man as he leaped from the cliff.
"Yes, it is a very popular place for that kind of thing," Terim turned back to Zelas. "I was hoping you would give me your answer today."
A sickening splat is heard.
Terim sighed. "It's so sad when people can't find their true love."
Was this some unsubtle hint that he's going to jump off if she said no, Zelas wondered. All through the night she studied the book. Its advice was to break his heart, smash it under her feet, and scatter the pieces. In other words, to say no.
Say it! Say it! Say it! Chibi-Zelas roared.
"...no," Zelas blurted out.
The sound of a heart breaking could be heard.
No wait that was someone dropping a cup in the cliffside restaurant a stone's throw away.
Terim turned away to face the wide ocean. Zelas also turned around, pretending that she was leaving but she kept an eye on him. She wasn't going to miss him killing himself.
"...broken hearts heal...sometimes..." Terim murmured and began to sing 'Where Do Broken Hearts Go?'. Music drifted up from the jagged rocks below.
Zelas's eyebrow twitched.
Chibi-Zelas crossed her arms. What's up with this guy? Jump already!
"Stupid kid trying to steal our cups!" roared the waitor, shaking his fist at the kid with short black hair and yellow-green eyes who scampered out of the cliffside restaurant.
The kid stuck out his tongue before turning back around to see what new souls he could harvest from Lover's Leap. This cliff was one of Fibrizo's favorite places to get new toys. The broken hearted always made lovely ghosts.
"...no."
Fibrizo turned at the sound of a familiar voice. What the hell was Zelas doing here? Trying to infringe on his territory? But there was that human man...
Hellmaster crouched into the grass and crawled closer to the two. He wanted to know what was going on. Yuck, Fibrizo gagged. The song the man was singing was too romantic. What was Zelas doing with a human?
"Are you done yet?" Zelas asked rolling her eyes as the song died away.
"I understand why you refused."
Zelas took a step back. There was no way he could now about her plan!
"It's because your heart already belongs to another," Terim turned back to face her with a smile.
Zelas's and Chibi-Zelas's eyes reduced to dots. "What."
"It's perfectly all right. I can't force you to love me though you have my love freely until my dying day and beyond. I only wish, I pray that the man you love truly loves you as well. That is all I want, that you are happy. Even if I am not the one that will live by your side 'til our dying days, I will be content to know that somewhere you are happy. You won't see me again, I don't want to bring you any pain. And I'm not interested in singing 'My Heart Will Go On'."
What the hell is going on here? Fibrizo gagged, rolling in the grass. Too...much...romantic...gush...
To relieve some revulsion, he blew up the cliffside restaurant.
"I wonder if someone left the gas stove on in the kitchen," Terim wondered aloud noticing the burning restaurant. "Now where was I? Oh yes. I've loved you ever since I first laid eyes on you and I will always love you. There is no one who can match your cute blue eyes."
Zelas melted.
Chibi-Zelas's and Fibrizo's heads popped off.
"er, Zela?" Terim poked the melted mass of Zelas.
Chibi-Zelas glued her head back on and then went to work on re-solidifying Zelas. Fibrizo started the audio recording. He had to get this on tape.
After Zelas was now solid and not liquid anymore, Terim began talking again looking around.
"This is such a beautiful wondrous world. The sky, the clouds, the land, the sea, the sun, the moon, the pair of lovebirds flying together, the pair of rabbits hopping together, the pair of chipmunks sharing a nut, the two snakes twisted together, the kid hiding in the grass and recording this all on tape..."
This completely missed Zelas who was experiencing a new emotion. It didn't miss Fibrizo though. How did a human know he was here?
"...the two dogs nuzzling each other, the two cats sunning themselves together, man there are a lot of couples around here. This is getting corny. Back to the serious stuff. So now we say good-bye."
Terim smiled sadly back at Zelas, outlined by the setting sun (time flies). Sounds of the surf crashing against the jagged rocks glinting with the sun's dying light echoed. The wind rustled with a mournful tone through the grasses of the cliffside as Terim and Zelas looked at each other.
Fibrizo's eyes burned out with all of the seriousness and romance. He let the recording take care of itself as he began to regenerate his eyes. As sickening as it was, this was too fun to pass up.
"Fare thee well," Terim waved, looking out to the red-tinted sea for one last time.
Finally he's going to jump! Chibi-Zelas grinned in anticipation, rubbing her hands with delight. This pest is going to be out of our hair forever!
Forever...?
Zelas...what's wrong with you?
Not here...gone...forever?
Yes, I believe we've already determined that.
No...
Zelas, remember the rules. Mazoku don't -
Love...
We are...
Heart...
- less and...
Soul...
-less embodiments of pure evil and destruction. You absolutely do NOT...
Fall in love...
Oh no. You aren't...
In love...
Chibi-Zelas was molting feathers and fur like no tomorrow. Snap out of it! You're a Mazoku! You do not love! You cannot love! No stop! Do not step forward! Do not get any closer to that...that...thing! Zelas!
"Don't jump!" Zelas screamed, dashing forward and throwing her arms around Terim. "Don't leave me!"
"Wha!" Terim, standing on the edge of the cliff, lost his balance and swung his arms wildly. "Whoa, whoa watch it!"
Seeing the danger, Zelas quickly pulled him away but between his efforts and hers, they ended up tumbling into the grass. Fibrizo quickly scrambled away to avoid being rolled over by the tangled duo. Plus he didn't want Zelas to know he was here AND recording the entire conversation.
Terim laying on his back in the grass sighed and pushed back his light violet hair. Getting onto his elbows, he looked down Zela, still with her arms around him. Had he been hearing her correctly?
"You...don't want me to go?" Terim traced a finger down Zelas's face and lifted it to look at him.
Zelas bit her lip and nodded. She didn't trust her voice, especially not with Chibi-Zelas on the warpath.
Fibrizo leaned in as close as he dared with the microphone.
"But I don't want to cause any trouble between you and your love." Terim's light violet eyes clouded with concern.
Zelas shook her head. "Idiot. There never was anyone else."
"Oh?" Terim tipped his head back. "So why did you say no?"
"I...I..."
"Wasn't sure? I don't blame you. I guess I did rush things a bit," Terim smiled gently at her and Zelas could feel herself melting again. "Since you don't want me to leave you then I guess you do agree to marry me?"
Zelas nodded again. Chibi-Zelas cracked and fell out of Zelas.
"What's this?" Terim picked up something that looked like a very small version of Zela. "I think you dropped this."
Zelas grabbed Chibi-Zelas and swallowed her. "Nothing."
"Okay then." Terim's smile broadened and he leaned forward to kiss her again but stopped. Zelas pouted. Fibrizo's eyes almost fell out.
"What did make you change your mind?"
Zelas could feel her face turning red. "You were going to jump - "
"Jump?" Terim burst out laughing. "You thought I was going to jump off the cliff?"
"What's so funny?" Zelas frowned.
"I just enjoy the view up here. I'd never jump off it," Terim chuckled. Several strands of Zelas's hair sprung out as her eyes shrunk to dots.
You just got suckered. Chibi-Zelas hooted, wearing red and black warpaint.
Fibrizo covered his mouth to keep quiet. Oh gods Zelas was never going to live this one down when he told the others. She's going to get married! And to a human no less!
And somewhere far far away, Xelloss dragged himself ashore. He shuddered. "Too much water."