look alive, sunshine } devlynn!

[IRAZELLE RISING]

[atrb=valign, top][style=border-left:4px solid #66aabb; font-size:10px; line-height:13px; padding-left:8px; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; padding-right:8px; height: 224px; overflow: auto; width: 320px]In Elle's mind, the whole, 'Angellis stick with Angellis, Shades with Shades' deal was overrated. I mean, what if you weren't either? What if you were a Half-breed? The small blonde sat somewhat nervously along the bank of the styx, leaning closer to the water and letting her fingers dip into the clear liquid. The current pushed the cold past her skin, and a small smile formed onto her lips, eyes drooping slightly in relaxation. Yes, it was a waste to not to come here. A friend of hers from the university had told her about the river in Umbra, about how the water was so clear that you could see the floor, about how the area itself was so peaceful, so relaxing that you could forget about time and stay there for the rest of eternity. Pulling her hand out the water, she gently wiped away the wet on the blades of grass and leant back, arms outstretched, a dream like smile etched onto her lips. She had to agree; her friend was right. The Rose Gardens being one of them, -- although, that was most likely due to a different reason -- Elle spent a lot of her time in the places of Pandora where she deemed peaceful, and it looked like the Styx was her newest place to stay. Rolling onto her side, she peered over the river, where the row of houses lay from afar, and she mused whether this was safe. After all, she wasn't all too familiar with Umbra, and the name of this area -- the shadow district -- had a somewhat foreboding feeling to it. And, well, she didn't mean to be rude or anything, but from her past experiences, most Shades weren't particularly nice to her. Obviously, she wasn't one to judge others immediately according to their race, but she couldn't help feeling a little wary. And it killed her, it really did, to feel like that. Because that was something her parents did; judge based on race. And didn't elle swear never to do anything like that? To never take after her parents? The Half-breed rolled onto her back, eyes closed, lightly biting her lip. She tried; honestly, she did. But blood was still blood. And old habits died hard.[/style][STYLE=padding-left: 12px] template made by oxymoron! of back to neverland[/style]

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[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

Devlynn was a born wanderer. She had never been satisfied with settling down in one place. Instead she frequently sought out new places, always eager for her next adventure. And today for no different as she wandered the shores of the Styx. She had come here for the basic reason that she had not been here before. It was not to retreat to think as many people did, or even to swim as others did. Rather she came to see and experience yet another new area.

Holding her sandals in one hand and the bottom of her skirt in the other, Devlynn wandered along the river. Her path followed the shore, often straying into the water. The feel of the current rushing over her feet made her smile slightly. It was these simple things that reminded her of being a child, before she had been thrust into the complexities of the Council.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she savored the sun on her dark skin. Were Shades supposed to like the sunlight? It seemed like a stereotypical notion that she shouldn’t, being a creature of darkness and all. Yet here she was, relatively pleased by the warm sensation brought on by the pleasant weather. It was enough to make her feel lazy and content to simply enjoy the day and the sensation of the current.

Devlynn neither liked nor disliked the water; rather she found it enjoyable today. Like so many things, she was undecidedly neutral. She found life easier when she could simply make up her mind about each thing as it arrived before her. Today she liked water, tomorrow she might not. The one constant seemed to be her enjoyment of mischief.

Yet today, mischief was far from her mind. Today she indulged in the pleasure of solitude and peacefulness. However she was quickly distracted from such ideas as she noticed a girl lying on the banks of the river. Stopping, Devlynn observed the girl for a moment. It seemed that she was oblivious to her surroundings. So maybe a little mischief wasn’t out of the scenario.

Quickly making her way to the shore, Devlynn stepped out of the water. Her bare feet moved silently over the grass, approaching the girl. Curious to see how close she could get before being noticed. A smirk spread across her lips as she reveled in her private joke; catching people unaware had to be one of the basic pranks around.

[IRAZELLE RISING]

[atrb=valign, top][style=border-left:4px solid #66aabb; font-size:10px; line-height:13px; padding-left:8px; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; padding-right:8px; height: 224px; overflow: auto; width: 320px]The sun bore down on the Angelli, basking her in a golden glow. she shifted slightly, maneuvering herself into a comfier position, a soft grin on her lips as she rested under the warmth. how long had it been, since she had relaxed like this? she didn't know exactly, but it was way too long. right, she thought, i'll make sure to come here and rest at least once a week. she closed her eyes after making herself that mental note, locking her fingers together behind her head. she crossed her legs, kicking off her sandals and shimmying down just a touch so that her heels just dipped into the water. turning her head to the side so that her eyes were shaded from the brightness, she felt her muscles relaxing fully, the tension finally relaxing. she could see that funny soft shade of orange when you closed your eyes in the light melting slowly to black, that familiar sense of fatigue persuading her mind to drift away from reality. Her plush lips parted ever so slightly, forming a delicately small 'o', her gold waves falling into the curves of her face. the heat from the sun was only further lulling her into sleep, and she was happy to oblige. what was that? her eyes snapped open, heart frozen for a precious second, body rigid. she hadn't imagined it.. had she? heart thumping, she dared herself to breathe for a few more seconds, before leaping up and turning around, teetering dangerously, her balance enormously out of place. her eyes set upon the girl -- who, strangely, was curiously familiar, but not familiar enough for elle to quite place a name to face -- and she let out a soft shout, hand flying to her throat. she took a step back in surprise, placing her foot on the grass in all the wrong ways, and she fell, tumbling towards the ground. she landed with a low oof, and she felt the shock spread through her bones, before the pain even registered. her hair all over her face, she peeked timidly through a small gap between the strands, a rush of crimson flow slowly spreading throughout her cheeks. the way the girl stood; crouched for stealth, but still holding a certain confidence that elle could never have, that soft smirk on her lips -- she meant to creep up on the Angelli. Elle gazed at the girl, with her dark completion and darker hair; surely she was a Shade. Her eyes widened ever so slightly, her lips parting in a deeper shock. Fear fluttered through her, before the guilt kicked in. There! she was doing it again. judging. just like her parents. she bowed her head slightly, biting her lower lip, the way she always did when nervous. the past few seconds registered in her mind -- the way she had yelled in surprise when the Shade appeared, the way she had stepped back and fell, the way she widened her eyes in what could only be described as fear. shame wrapped itself tight around her throat, and she pressed her hand against it, regret already making it's way through her mind. coughing slightly, she stood, nervously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, her gaze trying, but failing to meet the other girls eyes. how could she, when she acted the way she did? how must her actions have looked like from the girl's point of view? surely, shades had had enough of a hard time from their sterotype; elle didn't have to add to it. forcing herself to look the girl in the eyes, she smiled somewhat sheepishly, that crimson glow slowly blooming once more. "uh, ah. i'm, um, sorry. i didn't mean to be, um. you know, like that." she murmured awkwardly, eyes fleeting down back to her feet. her hair fell back down to cover her face, and she made no effort to tuck it back behind her ear. no wonder she was considered second-best.[/style][STYLE=padding-left: 12px] template made by oxymoron! of back to neverland[/style]

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[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

The girl’s reaction did not disappoint. Devlynn didn’t attempt to stifle the delighted snicker that escaped her. It would be a lie to say that the situation didn’t amuse her. And didn’t all good parents teach their children not to lie? Then again, Shades didn’t usually operate under the usual principles of goodness.

But were Shades all bad? Sure, there was the dark ones who reveled in despair and darkness. But there was also Shades such as herself who were closer to neutrality. Devlynn didn’t think of herself as being particularly frightening or awful. Sure, her mischief could be considered cruel at times, but it was just innocent fun. She couldn’t help it if people took it the wrong way or were offended.

She felt a vague pang of regret as the girl stumbled and fell. See? She wasn’t entirely heartless. Devlynn considered helping the girl to her feet, but decided against it. The girl seemed to be unnaturally timid and any sudden movements seemed likely to spook her further.

Her head tilted to the side as she considered the girl. For some reason Devlynn was reminded distinctly of a fawn. Innocent beauty mixed with flighty timidness. The analogy seemed rather fitting.

“It’s okay. Your reaction was amusing.” She admitted with another soft laugh. “I’m Dev, by the way.” Her voice was cheerful as she extended her hand towards the girl.

As she waited for a handshake, she wondered whether the girl would recognize her name. It wasn’t exactly a secret that she was a Council member but she couldn’t help but hope she could maintain some anonymity. There times that she tired of being known everywhere she went. Today was one of those days which was what had brought her to wander along the shore. Besides shy awkwardness was something she couldn’t stand, and the girl seemed just the type.

[IRAZELLE RISING]

[atrb=valign, top][style=border-left:4px solid #66aabb; font-size:10px; line-height:13px; padding-left:8px; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; padding-right:8px; height: 224px; overflow: auto; width: 320px]The other girl snickered; a sound that wasn't particularly nasty, but it wasn't kind, either. elle blushed, convinced that the girl was laughing at her, laughing at how she reacted -- at how she over reacted. or maybe she was covering up her hurt, because elle had offended her? i mean, the fear in her eyes could obviously be seen, and elle was never good at covering up her emotions. was she hurt? did elle need to apologize? and, like the kind girl she was, she peeked at the other girl, desperately searching for any signs that showed that the other girl was upset, or, god help her, angry. elle wouldn't have blamed her, if she was. really, she deserved to be shouted at; she was a hypocrite, after all. she fidgeted, the idea of being alone with a stranger she didn't know -- and even worse, a stranger whom she had insulted -- suddenly seemed very frightening to her. her awkwardness kicked into full drive, and she sucked in a short breath, eyes wide, looking at the other girl, but not quite catching her eye. “It’s okay. Your reaction was amusing.” the girl spoke, pausing to laugh. surprisingly, the noise was soft and happy, and the way it relaxed the girl's face; melting away any hint of darkness that may, or may not have lingered was mesmerising. the way just one small action could transform a person always startled elle, and this was no exception. elle paused, her gaze fixed onto the other girl; she was really, quite pretty. it was hard to detect, but there was something curiously youthful, and, although elle was probably wrong, something faintly innocent about the way she laughed. Her whole eyes lit up, her laughter almost contagious -- elle found herself smiling in her own, timid way. “I’m Dev, by the way.” the girl exchanged hand towards her, voice cheerful, the smile still on her lips. with a start, elle realised that she had been staring, and she immediately dropped her gaze to the ground, staring at her feet as she stumbled her way forward and shook Dev's hand, before mumbling a soft, "I'm elle; nice to meet you." she paused, letting that awkward silence sink back in. the name dev sounded somewhat familiar, and she was sure she had seen the girl somewhere before, but however hard she tried, she couldn't fix name to face. she let it slide, before deciding to attempt for conversation, forcing herself to look at dev's eyes, and smile. oh, and to stop being so awkward. maybe. "Um. Sorry, again, for the.. yeah. Do you live around here?" she waved a hand towards the row of houses on the opposite side of the river, attempting nonchalance. she tried to look cool about this, as if elle was used to talking to strangers, but the obvious strain in her smile, the way she was desperately clutching at empty straws for conversation sort of ruined her attempts. she paused again, nervously brushing a few locks of hair behind her ear. and then, just because she couldn't think of what else to say, she sighed, before murming, "i'm sorry." her gaze fell back down, and the awkwardness returned.[/style][STYLE=padding-left: 12px] template made by oxymoron! of back to neverland[/style]

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[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

Dev watched the girl curiously. Her reactions were strange and awkward, almost as if she expected something terrible to happen at any moment. It was almost…cute. Devlynn had never used the word, or at least not that she could recall. In a strange way, the girl reminded her of a puppy. She seemed to be torn between curiosity and timidness, an unusual mixture. It was oddly endearing.

Devlynn kept an easy smile fixed to her expression. The way the girl peeked at her only further reminded her of a shy puppy. It was so sweet. Devlynn repressed the urge to pinch the girl’s cheeks and coo happily. God, look at her. She was actually feeling protective of this girl. It was like some maternal instinct had swept in and short-circuited any logical pattern of thought.

The thought made her squeamish. She had never felt protective of anything in her life. Yet here she was, suddenly feeling responsible for this skittish girl. Damn it, she was supposed to be a Shade, not some soft Angelli. It wasn’t that she was a dark shade, but she didn’t like to be to light and airy either.

Wondering if it was a good idea that she stuck around, Devlynn shook the girl’s hand. “Nice to meet you Elle.” Dev answered with a smile. She kept the contact brief, withdrawing her hand after the gentle shake.

Devlynn shook her head as Elle asked if she lived around the area. Personally Devlynn wouldn’t have minded the change in scenery. It was pleasant to be in a new area and the Stix didn’t seem so bad. In fact it would have been nice to look over the river everyday. Unfortunately it was too far from the Council and duty could call her back night or day.

“No, I live in Pandora.” She answered and then directed the conversation away from herself. It would be easier to remain anonymous if she didn’t dwell on herself too long. “What about you?”

Yet again the girl apologized and Devlynn looked surprised. What exactly did she have to be so sorry about? “What are you sorry about? Because in the thirty seconds we’ve known each other, you haven’t done the slightly rude thing.” She said, looking at the girl curiously.

[IRAZELLE RISING]

[atrb=valign, top][style=border-left:4px solid #66aabb; font-size:10px; line-height:13px; padding-left:8px; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; padding-right:8px; height: 224px; overflow: auto; width: 320px]“Nice to meet you Elle.” Dev smiled, before withdrawing her hand. Elle gave a small nod, slowly dropping her hand back to her side. See? She was nice. No need to act like this, at all. Her thoughts jumped to her parents, and their need to prove that all Shades were dark, and therefore better. She risked another glance at Dev -- she was a Shade (or at least, she thought she was; spotting the difference was harder than ever, these days), and she was less than evil. A small look of triumph flickered into her smile, the girl as always, glad that she had found one more example of how her parents were wrong. Dev shook her head at Elle's question, before answering, “no, I live in Pandora.” Pandora? Elle frowned, her brows furrowing in thought. She was so sure that all this information was familiar; she just didn't know why. Tilting her head slightly to the left, she stared at Dev, trying to see why she felt as if she was missing something every time she looked at the Shade's face. “What about you?” Dev asked, breaking Elle away from her trail of thoughts. She blinked, furiously attempting to gather her mind. "Ah, um, I live in Pandora, too. The university, you see. I live in the dorms." She offered a small smile, which quickly dropped back into a look of confusion. "Er, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but do i know you from somewhere?" she asked, puzzled. Feeling as if she needed to explain herself, she carried on, a shy smile etched onto her lips. "It's just that you seem so familiar, and i -- well, i don't know why." “What are you sorry about? Because in the thirty seconds we’ve known each other, you haven’t done the slightly rude thing.” Dev said, sounding somewhat surprised. Elle paused, going back and counting how many times she'd apologized to this girl. She sighed. Twice. And at least five more, in her thoughts. She made a face; her friends were right. She did apologize too much. Smiling shyly, she fought the urge to say sorry once more, and gave a little shrug. "I don't really know. i think i just apologize whenever i feel awkward, or something." She chewed on her lips, in thought. "and thinking about it now.. i'm pretty much awkward all the time." she sighed once more, laughing a little at herself. "It's a habit, i guess." She offered Dev an apologetic smile, biting her tongue in order for her to resist saying sorry once more.[/style][STYLE=padding-left: 12px] template made by oxymoron! of back to neverland[/style]

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[DEVLYNN ROSA TYNAN]

Devlynn watched the girl, wondering what caused the triumphant smile. It was so subtle that Devlynn had almost missed it. The only reason she noticed was because the girl seemed so timid that such a pleased expression seemed out of place. She suspected that it was some internal thought that provoked the smile. It almost made her curious enough to ask, but the girl’s answer distracted her.

University. It was strange to think that she was a Council member, yet she had never completed university. She had finished high school and gone on to take a couple of introductory courses, but she had never completed it. College had been about enjoying the party life, not focusing on her studies. Maybe that’s why she had never gotten past the introductory courses.

She wondered for a moment if she would ever return to university. Maybe people would feel more inclined to trust her guidance if she had some kind of education. But then again, how would they feel about having a university student lead them? Probably not too great. She smiled slightly at the thought. It seemed strange that a bunch of university aged kids should be the ones making the rules.

And it seemed that she couldn’t escape her position either. Devlynn inwardly cringed as Elle made reference to her being familiar. Was it too much to wish for a little anonymity? Apparently she was still recognized even outside of Pandora.

“I don’t think so. Maybe I just have a familiar face.” She answered, not wanting to reveal her position yet. For the moment, she was enjoyed feeling normal. This was the closest she would get to being normal for quite a while.

Devlynn smiled a bit as Elle explained her apologetic behavior. It was understandable. Everyone had their little habits, although Devlynn didn’t pay much attention to what hers was. “Don’t worry about it. You don’t need to feel awkward.” She smiled at Elle, strangely compelled to comfort her anxieties.