What Do We Do Now?

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Illisandria sidestepped zombies one-by-one and lead Xanyu to the study she had indicated. Exhaling softly, she set the logs in the fireplace alight and sat down on a comfy couch, patting the seat next to her. "So," she began, "Um...I suppose I should tell you my interests, right? I'm...I'm kinda new at this whole "friends" thing. Um...," she looked into the fire for reassurance, "I like...well I like to write and draw...and read. I like books!" She brightened up and turned to face her friend, smiling brightly, "What's your favorite book?"

Xanyu followed Illisandria. At the sight of the zombies, she folded her wings close to her body and wrapped her tail carefully around her waist. If any of those...dead things tried to grab her, she wanted to make sure they wouldn't tear her wings or tail. Luckily, they made it to the room Illisandria had talked about without trouble. She sat on the couch at Illisandria's invitation. Xanyu smiled, "Writing....drawing...reading. They're all good hobbies. Though, I'm not very good at writing." She looked up a moment, "My favorite book....I don't really have one...thoug I do love the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. But...I haven't read it or any books in a long time...that is till I got here."

Illisandria cocked her head to the side slightly, "Not read? Then what did you do for fun or to pass the time?"
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((Short post but I'm tired...))

Xanyu looked down. "Father didn't allow me to do anything except what he wanted me to do. If I tried to do something different, he'd punish me."

Sandria frowned, "That's just cruel. Why would anyone do that?! People like that...they just...ARGH!" She howled in frustration and gritted her fangs, hissing some smoke. "I grew up with some close-minded people - people who, when I began the Shift, wanted nothing more than to shoot me for being different but to have someone you love...someone you trust...someone who holds the key to your heart abuse it so-so violently and abuse you like that--and that was abuse, no doubt about it--is monstrous. No matter how much that person says they love you, if they ever lock you up or hit you or yell at you and make you feel worthless, they are no better than anything they say you are." She sighed and leaned back in the couch, relaxing. "But, I suppose here is where you can put all that behind you and be someone you want to be. It's time to do new things, like watch sunsets with friends and read books in a tree and maybe even hug a zombie! That's one of the things I try to do here anyway, try new things."

Xanyu lowered her ears and widened her eyes in surprise. "I....I've been wondering about that. Why he woukd be so nice to and suddenly turned around... Mr. Narving said he had always like that...I'm still not sure about that. But, I was able to occupy the time spent in my...room. When he wasn't around, I'd make pictures in the air, maybe little animations. Or pretend to play the piano. It wasn't the best time, but it was kind of fun."

Sandria nodded slightly, "So long as there was something you did to make it better...and I suppose it's just that way for some people, it's an illness. I think that he truly loved you but sometimes he forgot that and got mad at you. Bi-polar disorder it's called, I think. There was a wyrm like that who had that sort of issue. She would love on her hatchlings one minute and the next she would be trying to rip their little heads off. The council finally deemed it right to give her hatchlings to an older wyrm who didn't have any hatchlings and they made her move to a cave farther away from the others so she wouldn't forget herself and if she did, she wouldn't hurt anyone." She paused and looked at Xanyu, smiling in what she hoped was a comforting manner, "Can you play the piano? I play the flute! It think it makes for a fun time, music, and I use it to make me feel better. Works the same way for you huh?"

Xanyu lowered her ears. "Mr. Narving said father would do it purposely. Be nice, gain trust, and then breaks the spirit of the person... I still wonder why Mr. Narving would know this... Or what father did.." She thougt a moment, "And...no, he never did anything like that...what that wyrm did."

Xanyu's ears raised abit, "Piano? Father taught me how.... And even when he abused me.. When he ordered me to play piano, or sing for his guest, he actually had a proud yet loving look..."

A sharp flash of pain shot through Sandria's heart at the mention that Xanyu's father hurt her on purpose. "People like that make me so mad...they're worse than anything I've ever seen, stupid humans..." She looked down for a minute and then smiled, fighting off a wave of depression, "At least he praised you...I didn't get praised for doing much of anything...I was, um, rather mediocre."

Xanyu nodded, "But a...at least Mr. Narving took me away. Father most be furious and searching everywhere for me. I....I hope Mr. Narving doesn't get found out, he's one of the nicest people I've met." She smiled a moment. "..It wasn't so much, praise, looked more like an inventors love for his invention. He never gave me anything in return for entertaining his guests..maybe a slightly bigger meal." She stared at Illisandria, "I bet you are better than mediocre, and...if you yourself don't feel particularly happy with your playing, practice always helps. I'm not the best myself. Often times, Father would only have me sing because I occasionally tripped up when playing the piano."

"Well you did have someone to care for you. I was all alone." Illisandria looked down for a moment and then looked up, a realization hitting her, "Oh! And I didn't mean I thought I was mediocre, I meant that OTHER PEOPLE called me mediocre. Sorry..."