Inner Demons

Dakota was quietly cleaning up the meeting room, pushing in the chairs and erasing all added information from the boards. Suddenly a series of loud shouts could be heard down the hall, and while Dakota did not jump in surprise, she did turn to face the closed door. Who else was still in the building who would yell like that? There wasn't anything people could knock over onto their feet, and most of the employees were too cordial to even think about shouting across halls, especially when they were equipped with communication lacrimas. Another few loud shouts later and Dakota can no longer contain her curiosity as she heads out the door. She follows the sound of the reverberating voices that continuously get louder the closer she gets. She sees Saladyn and the back of someone else as they walk away. She doesn't have time to wonder who it is as Saladyn turns around, running into her on accident, pushing her back somewhat. "Saladyn, what happened?" She asks, peering up at him, her lips pulled down into a concerned frown.

"It's Rin. He keeps telling me how to run my damn city. It's my city, they elected me. They like the decisions I make. He's telling me not to run it like I do, but it is a business, and it takes a businesses man to run the city that generates most of the wealth in this world. He drives me insane." Saladyn said, and it was clearly visible that Sereph was about to make an appearance by the way his looks changed. His black bangs started tainting the rest of his hair and his eyes were starting to shift into a maroon color, well on its way to blood red. "Damnit Dakota." He said slamming his fist against a wall. "Why does everyone challenge me? I know I'm the newest at the job after my predecessors death, but I wish they'd cut me some slack."

Putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder, her features soften as a small smile plays on her lips. "Don't worry about it, okay? If anything, Rin is in the wrong for this, as he should have said something to the collective group. Even then, it probably wouldn't have even been a discussion, as I believe you do a fine job of running Arakashi. Keeping such a bustling city in order has to be difficult, especially with the amount of financial tracking you have to do to maintain the school and bazaars at the end of every month." She moves her hand to the top of his head, slightly ruffling his hair, before moving it back to her side. "There's no sense in getting worked up over this. All that matters is that you are doing what you can after such short notice." She pauses a moment, before returning her attention wholeheartedly to the male in front of her. "But you're speaking like someone else has confronted you about this. Was it anyone in the Toranku 15? Because if they're too afraid to talk about your leadership skills to the whole group, then you might as well ignore them anytime after this as well." A certain sternness has entered her voice, as though even thinking about people disrespecting others was shameful. In general, this made the redhead angry, but the thought of anyone in Toranku going low enough to do it in private was something she wouldn't tolerate. "I can speak to Rin if you'd like, but I'll also stay out of it if that's what you want too. Just promise me you'll tell me if it persists, alright?" She looks deeply into his eyes, her crimson ones demanding his attention. After a moment, she looks down at her feet, softly mumbling to herself. "This isn't something I'd expect from him. He's a little hot-headed, but to blatantly attack someone, even if it was verbally, is a surprise."

Saladyn twitched when she ruffled his hair, then cleared his throat. "I don't know, I guess he's caught me as Sereph before. I don't really remember what happens when he takes over. But no one else talked to me about it directly. I did get an anonymous threat.. Telling me to step down or I'd end up like Hank." He scowled, crinkling his nose. "I don't take kindly to threats, I've had Karayin try to track a scent, but it didn't work. I have no leads and I've been stressed, and even on the best of days, Rin and I don't exactly see eye to eye."

Making a soft hum as she thought, Dakota stared at something slightly past Saladyn as if the long hall held the answers she was looking for. "I wish I could do something about this, but I only have jurisdiction over my city," Slightly trailing off, she looks back towards Saladyn. "But I can help with the stress. I had no plans for after the meeting, so perhaps we could do something? A walk in the park, a movie, or anything else you have in mind? Whatever would help to lessen the weight on your shoulders." Giving a reassuring smile, Dakota adds, "I probably need a day off anyways."

He snorted. "You always do. You work incredibly hard." Saladyn fiddled with the straps of his suspenders, subconsciously blushing. "Um..Thats sounds perfect, but I don't really have any hobbies..." He said nervously.

"Thank you," she starts, a proud smile adorning her features. "But I believe that you and everyone else puts in the same amount of effort. It's certainly difficult trying to maintain a city, even with a staff to help. I can't imagine how hard it was if people were to want me out of my position. Even the simplest of things can make a big difference to some people, so as long as you're mindful, things will turn your way eventually." She taps her finger on her chin when Saladyn reveals he has no hobbies, a thoughtful look on her face. "Well I always enjoyed ice skating, but that isn't really in season now. Of course, I could always freeze the ground anywhere I wanted, but that would be assuming you know how to or even like ice skating as well." Noticing her rambling, Dakota stopped speaking rather abruptly, and focused back on Saladyn. "But, my other offers for a walk through the park or something of that nature still stands."

"I... I can't ice-skate.." He muttered, he had a very unpleasant memory about ice-skating and prefered not to do so. "A movie sounds fantastic though." Saladyn couldn't think of anything more relaxing then a movie. "What type of movies do you like?" He personally was a fan of comedies, action-adventure, espionage, and much to his own denial, 'chick flicks'.

Nodding, Dakota begins to lead the pair out of the Toranku building and towards the town's main square, where the theater was. Thinking upon his question for a moment, Dakota shrugs. "I suppose I like any movie genre. Though, any over-the-top action movies tend to rub me the wrong way. Very fake and unrealistic, and generally very bad effects," Dakota says decisively.

Once the pair arrives at the movie theater, they are rather surprised to see a large group of people gathered there. As it turns out, three new movies premiered the same day, with only two other movies available for screening besides them. The big three had sold out just as the duo had arrived, and many disappointed people walk away from the desk, grumbling about not seeing 'the greatest movie to ever hit theaters.' Shrugging her shoulders, Dakota glances over the two other movies that tickets were still being sold for. A movie made for children which depicted a large chipmunk on the cover, or a romcom that looked at least somewhat entertaining. Dakota looks over to Saladyn. "I'd rather not have my ears ringing for the remainder of my life, so we can either go with the romcom, or find something else to do." Despite her rather harsh tone, Dakota appears not to care whether they leave or stay. Perhaps there is a slight shine in her eye, but that could most definitely be a trick of the light.

Saladyn coughed. "I wouldn't mind watching the.. comedy with you." He was secretly excited. He'd been waiting for this movie to come out. Underneath his 'tough-guy' personality, Saladyn was a big romantic and he loved getting inspiration from movies. "I'll pay for tickets and snacks. It's the least I can do after I took you away from your work." He added.

Smiling gently, Dakota walked up to the ticket counter, proclaiming that the pair would get two tickets. As Saladyn had offered, he paid for the tickets, and later paid for the snacks once they entered the theater. However, Dakota managed to buy a package of Snow Caps without him noticing, and kept them carefully out of sight while they were being seated in the still lit theater room. Once the commercials started, Dakota began slowly munching on the popcorn between her and Saladyn, moving in a slow but steady rhythm so they wouldn't be without popcorn before the movie even began.

Saladyn's stomach growled. He had a bad habit of always eating popcorn before movies, but he wouldn't let himself eat it all before. He was really excited, and couldn't wait until the previews ended.

The theater went dark, the screen fading to black to signify the end of the ads. Dakota leans back slightly in her chair, focusing her attention on the screen as it begins to light up again, displaying a young woman doing normal mundane things. The movie failed to grab her attention with that, and she began to shuffle around in search of her Snowcaps. After she had acquired her candy, she returned her attention to the movie, which still continued on this woman's life as she rambled on about her loveless situation to a friend of hers. Typical, Dakota thinks to herself, though continues to watch, occasionally glancing from the corner of her eye towards Saladyn. What does he think of these movies? Hopefully he wasn't expecting much from this, because Dakota certainly wasn't impressed yet.

Saladyn was fully enjoying himself, but was unsatisfied with the popcorn. This theater's popcorn was way to buttery. He was caught up in the drama, and didn't even notice his own tears until the end of the movie. The girl had died, and the boy had left her for her best friend. "That wasn't what I expected at all..." Saladyn whispered.

Dakota's face was kept neutral throughout the entire movie, though her interest had been piqued about halfway through when the couple had truly started exploring their relationship, and then the large plot twist. As the lights clicked back, she turned to face Saladyn, prepared to ask him what he thought of the movie. However, with lips still parted, her face shifted into that of concern. "Maybe we should have stuck with the chipmunks?" She offers meekly. She pulls the sleeve of her shirt over her palm, gently wiping away the tears on his cheeks. "I hope this didn't make your day worse..." She mumbles, only just loud enough for him to hear.

"It didn't.. Although it was sad. It was good. I'm sorry I forced you into this." Saladyn smiled weakly. "I really hoped to give you a relaxing day off, but it seemed like you weren't interested. We could go do something else? I mean theres.." He checked his watch, "3 hours of daylight left! You choose the activity."

Shaking her head at Saladyn's watery smile, a small laugh slips past. "It's been relaxing so far, don't count yourself out yet." Standing up she gathers their trash and walks out of the movie theater, stretching her limbs after being stationary for so long. "You said you can't ice skate, but if you would like, I could teach you. It's pretty easy once you get the hang of it, and I promise I won't let you fall or do a split or anything else," Dakota offers, her eyes shining with hope. I'll also get to hold his hand. Her subconscious tells her, and her ears go red at the thought, though they are concealed by her hair thankfully.

Saladyn gulped. "Alright!" He smiled, at first is was a fake smile, but then it bloomed into a full smile as he imagined Dakota seeming to soar around an ice-rink. Her pretty hair flowing in the wind. He started walking out of the movie theater then waited for Dakota to follow him. "Lead the way... Claas." He added her last name. He didn't want her to think that they were developing a relationship more than colleagues, although sometimes he wished they were more.

Dakota looks towards Saladyn as she is addressed by her last name rather than her given one. "Dakota," She says, "Dakota is just fine unless you prefer Claas," She says, continuing towards the park afterward. "There isn't actually an ice rink, so we'll just borrow a section of the park for a little while," She says, as she heads into the park. The grass is bright green and luscious, towering oak trees, low hanging willows, and vibrantly colored maple trees providing shade and a splash of color. She continues walking until they are in a small clearing, a few trees surrounding it to make it separate from the rest park. She crouches down, placing her hand on the grass. A quick flash of light later, and most of the grassy clearing is covered in a thin layer of ice. She touches her shoes, and ice blades form on the bottom of them as she steps onto the ice. She holds out her hand to Saladyn to guide him onto the ice, not putting any blades on the bottom of his shoes quite yet. "It'll help you get more accustomed to the ice faster," She explains. With the ice skates, she is currently four inches taller than Saladyn, compared to the normal one inch difference.

Saladyn teetered on the ice. He was already uncomfortable but their high difference furthered his discomfort. He tried to move and suddenly fell on his bottom. He tried to stand up but slipped down again.

Dakota's hand shot out, and before Saladyn could hit the ice, a chair was beneath his butt, which he landed on instead. "If you don't want to do this, we can always go somewhere else. I can skate whenever I want, and if you're not enjoying yourself, there's no sense in pushing you to do it," she says plainly. The thought of abandoning this before Saladyn even skated a few feet had Dakota feeling more determined to keep him here and teach him, but this was supposed to be a time where Saladyn could relax and forget about feeling pressured. She held out her hand to him again, waiting for his response to dictate whether she would lead him off the ice or further onto it.

"No." He said with stern determination. " I am going to skate." Saladyn wobbled on his feet again, and reached out for Dakota's hand. "Will you help keep me steady..?" He muttered blushing fiercely.

Nodding, Dakota grasps both of Saladyn's hands tightly in hers, guiding him slowly back to the ice again. She was hardly affected by his wobbling, even as she was moving backward. "Just keep your eyes on me, okay?" She asks, staring hard into his blue eyes with her red ones. "It'll make it easier to focus on moving forward rather than worrying about falling down. Which, as I said, I won't let you do," Dakota assures him, a small smile working its way over her lips.

His eyes locked with hers and he soon found himself gliding across the ice with angelic grace. Little did he know that he was moving on his own. She wasn't holding his hand anymore, he was just lost in her burning eyes. Suddenly he snapped out of his haze and tried to take a step instead of pushing forward. He tripped and fell over again. After Saladyn sat up and rubbed his head sheepishly.

Due to Dakota being in front of him when he fell, he had landed on top of her rather than just on the ice. Saladyn had somehow managed to land his knees between her thighs, his hands ending up on either side of her head when he caught himself. As he sat back up, Dakota forced her blush down, repeating over and over that he was a friend, just a friend who's hand she had been holding a moment ago that felt like it belonged there and who's eyes were the perfect shade of blue that she recognized from all the time she spent making ice creations and dammit this was not where her mind was supposed to be going right now! She quickly but smoothly got onto her knees then her feet, offering her hand to Saladyn to help him up. "You, uh," Wow, Dakota Claas who never stuttered or forget what she was going to say or anything of that nature, just made a the biggest vocal blunder in history. "You were skating really well," She finishes a moment later, now unable to stop the light blush that colored her cheeks, though only partly because of her embarrassment.

Saladyn flushed. His skin was almost as red as her hair. He coughed abruptly and started to sit up. "Yeah, it was nice.." His stomach started to growl and he blushed even more. He stood slipping around on the ice. "Uh..."

Dakota waved her hand, the ice on the ground disappearing into glittering fractals that slowly disappeared into the air. "I'm glad," she says sincerely, smiling softly. When his stomach grumbles, she giggles. "How does dinner sound? It's getting pretty late and I'd feel like a terrible hostess if I sent you home hungry. Besides, I'm fairly hungry myself." Dakota offers, beginning to walk out of the park. True to her statement, the sun was getting ever lower, casting vibrant oranges and reds into the sky.

Saladyn couldn't help but think about her scarlet hair against the scarlet sky. It was so beautiful. She was like a fairy tail princess, and he. Well he wasn't a prince. He was the closest thing to a fairy tale villian there ever way. "Sure." He accepted her offer. If he couldn't be her prince he would at least be her friend.

She led the way through the city, which was now lit up by several street lamps and the light that filtered out of business windows. They pair arrived at a small family owned restaurant where Dakota was greeted by a large man who gave her a hug upon seeing her. "It's good to see you dear. How come you never stop by anymore?" He asks, pulling away to look at her. She smiled, casting an embarrassed glance over to Saladyn. "I've been held up by work is all. Actually, I'm here on accounts of taking a day off with my co-worker, Saladyn Hiroshima," She says. The man seems to finally become aware of Saladyn's existence at that moment, and he turns and gives him a skeptical look. "Of all the men you bring back?" He says, then chuckles loudly, giving Saladyn a reassuring pat on the shoulder at his alarmed face. "Just kidding, I'm sure you and Dakota get along just fine," He says. "But, you came to eat, so we'll forget about that for now." He hands them both a menu and another woman comes and leads them to a table towards the back of the restaurant. "Hi, Dakota. Glad to see you've stopped by." The woman says, smiling warmly at her. "Take your time ordering, but what can I get you to drink to start you guys off?" She asks. Dakota answers with water, and after getting Saladyn's request as well, the woman goes to get them their drinks. She places them down, then heads off again, giving them time to look over the menu. "Before you ask, they aren't my parents," She starts, opening her menu. "They are very close to me, though, so I suppose that's why they act that way. And sorry about earlier, he's always nagging me about relationships and stuff like that. Says I need to relax and settle down. Unfortunately, any of that would make me feel more stressed than I am now. And now I'm explaining all the struggles of Toranku 15 member to a Toranku 15 member as if you don't know them already, my apologies." She says, attempting to laugh it off.

He breathed a sigh of relief. Thank gods they weren't her parents. That would make him feel even worse for accepting her offer. "Yeah, No problem. The job is hard.. I still can't believe that I am Toranku 15 member and not a business tycoon anymore." Saladyn had become the director of the Hylion United business at the age of 14. It was a mastermind company behind most of the products people used in their homes. Machinery, furniture, food, you name it and his company had it. It was stressful and accounted for most of his social issues, although his more threatening side Sereph had aided him. Although he wasn't proud of it he had forced other companies into submission with his alter ego's evil tactics. Saladyn looked at the menu and his eyes caught a meal. He wasn't sure how expensive it was, the menu had no prices. He also wasn't sure what Dakota's diet consisted of, so he was reluctant to order without hearing her first. "Um.. What are you going to get?"

Nodding her head, Dakota smiled. "I never imagined I'd be more than a mage in a guild. I didn't even live in Hylion's capital until after..." Dakota falters, her smile dropping for a moment before returning, though much fainter than before. Clearing her throat, she addressed his question as she flipped another page of the menu. "I was planning on getting a soup and salad. Though, don't feel like you have to get the same thing, order whatever you want. They're pretty fair about their prices, so nothing will be out of range."

"Um.." He started, "Are you alright if I get venison and gnocchi Bolognese?" Saladyn asked. He knew he had expensive tastes, but he couldn't help how good it tasted! "I could ya'know.. Pay for tonight.."

"That's fine with me," She says, and the woman from before steps up to the table. "Have you decided on your order?" She asks, looking over both of them. "Yes, I will be getting wedding soup with a caesar salad with Italian dressing please," Dakota says, handing over her menu. Saladyn orders his, and then the pair wait patiently for their food to return. "Saladyn, what made you decide to run for representative of Arakashi? I know you have a background in leadership, but it hadn't been political before, had it?" She asks.

He coughed, then scratched his head. "Well.. It wasn't exactly my idea. Sereph did it... When I came to a few weeks later, I had to clean up my business and I got a letter saying that I had to prepare my speech in for the debate in three days."

Dakota hums in thought, turning this over in her head a few times. "Saladyn and Sereph," She starts, thinking thoroughly over her next statement. "Do they share memories?" She says, about a thousand more question streaming in her mind, but this one being at the forefront.

"It comes in dreams.. Shreds of things that I have done as him." He shrugged. "I wish I could fix it but even some of the best doctors in Hylion have said that they can't help me." Saladyn coughed. "Now, how did you come into office?"

"Certainly it doesn't need to be fixed," Dakota says, sounding offended even though the comment wasn't directed at herself. "You just need someone who can stay by your side to remember it. Tell Sereph when he's being too harsh, or tell Saladyn to lighten up sometimes," Dakota says, smiling. "I actually started as a small time government official when I first moved here. I did all the work no one wanted to, delivering letters, briefing people on meetings they missed, stuff like that. Eventually, I rose in the ranks, and thought it only natural I ran after the previous leader retired. The people voted for me because I was someone who was always there to help when problems arose." Dakota says, smiling fondly at her reminiscing. "I practically swept the floor with the other campaigners. Most of them were politicians in the worst sense, planning on stealing away all the information and shutting down the museum to "protect the people". The only thing they wanted to protect was their wallets," Dakota adds, obviously a little more than pissed about their behavior. Realizing she had gotten a little carried away, she looks to Saladyn to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep after her mini rant. Luckily their food arrives shortly thereafter. "Thank you," Dakota says, beginning with her soup.

Saladyn smiled, listening kindly. He hoped he didn't seem like one of those rich politicians. His stomach grumbled as the food appeared. He dug in and stopped after a few moments. Realizing that it was a polite thing to do, he offered her a bite. "Would you like to try? It is delicious." He smiled, his eyes sparkling in the light.

Surprised at his forward tactic, but allowing it to pass as nothing more than a friendly offering, Dakota leans forward, taking the offered bite graciously. Smiling, she relaxes back in seat, allowing herself to savor over the taste. "Thank you," she says, and gathers a spoonful of her soup, carefully holding it out so it didn't spill. "I would like to reciprocate your kind gesture gesture," She says formally. It was the only way she could be certain she didn't say anything weird.

He accepted, and flushed. She spoke so formally, it was adorable. He smiled kindly and tried to continue the conversation. "What do you like to do when you're not working?"

"I suppose ice skating. It definitely helps take my mind off things. It's a constant rhythm that I appreciate with all the hectic things that go on in my life," Dakota says, tracing a small pattern in the tablecloth with her finger, though keeping eyes on Saladyn out of courtesy. It could also be because Dakota wanted to get lost in his sparkling blue eyes, but there was no way she was going to admit that. "What about you?" She asks.

"I don't really have time for hobbies honestly. When I am not at work, I am well, at work." He chuckled. "This is the first day off I've had in a while." He checked his portable communication lacrima and grimaced. "I've gotten so many messages..."

Dakota reaches over the table, for once forgetting her manners as she places a hand over the one holding his lacrima. "I understand that you have a lot on your plate, but you need to just let it go for the rest of today. I promise your work won't disappear tomorrow." She says, softly but sternly. "Can you promise me you won't look at that again until tomorrow when you wake up?" She asks, keeping her ruby eyes locked on his, her face a mere few inches away from his. She was determined to get this through to him, no doubt, as she had abandoned all common decency in such a public place.

Saladyn gulped and could't help but lean in. "Ok.." Her breath was hot against his face and he felt himself leaning in further. Gods he wanted to kiss her. No! He couldn't, they were co-workers... He shot up, laying a 50,000 jewels on the table. He bolted from the restaurant. Saladyn walked down the street running his fingers through his hair. Gods he was so stupid. He should never have tried to kiss her.

Dakota saw him getting closer though she felt it unlikely that Saladyn would lean in any further. Somehow, another part of her convinced her that he had moved and that it was only right to respond in kind, to meet him in the middle. Before their lips could even graze, however, Saladyn and smacked much more than they owed for the bill upon the table and fled, running much faster than Dakota thought someone who had just eaten could. She leaves the money on the table, thankful for never even owning a pair of heels so that she could run without hindrance. Catching up to the silver-haired man, she called out to him, hoping he'd stop and not run faster. "Saladyn, please we need to talk!" She shouts, not out of breath despite her sprint to catch up to him. Yeah, she spent most of her time in an office but she'd be damned if she let herself get out of shape because of it.

Saladyn continued running, ignoring her. He could feel Sereph leaking out, and he knew she could to. A dark aura started to surround him and his hair was turning darker by the second. In one instance he stopped and turned. Saladyn was gone and Sereph had appeared. "Hello there beautiful~" He said to Dakota grabbing her hand and kissing it. "I had no clue that little Sally worked with anyone so sexy." He smirked and drew closer to her.

Dakota cursed beneath her breath, watching as Sereph made his appearance. She was greatly conflicted as her hand was kissed and then as she was drawn closer, forcing herself to remember that a kick to Sereph's groin was a kick to Saladyn's. Taking a deep breath in, she put up on a business-like smile, hoping to every god out there that Sereph didn't remember anything that happened when he was Saladyn, but figuring that would be wrong, since one of them had to know what was going on in order to be able to switch. "That's a rather demeaning comment. You saw Rin, and he's certainly a sight," Dakota lies. Rin was plain and boring by anyone's standards, his brown hair and eyes not even giving him a sense of mystery thanks to his personality.

Sereph snorted. "Please, I can see what Sally sees, but I've blocked him. I can turn back whenever I like, but I really like this form. Having little goody-two-shoes run the show is boring." He grabbed her wrist pulling her closer to him. "Come on, lets go out and have some fun tonight~"

Dakota gives Sereph a seductive smile, placing her finger beneath his chin. "I was having a fine time with Saladyn before. What makes you think you can do better?" She asks, hoping he would realize the error of his ways and give control back to Saladyn. Knowing full well he wouldn't do that, however, she kept on guard, magic gathering beneath her other palm with the intention of slapping him back into Saladyn if she had to.

Sereph grinned taking her hand and leading her towards one of the several apartments that he had purchased using Saladyn's money. He let her in the door then sat on the couch, inviting her to sit next to him. "So.. You're councilwoman Claas correct? I've found some of Saladyn's diary entries about you.. Beautiful, Strict, Shiny Hair, Smells like Strawberries, Ice Mage." He snorted. "God to think that little Sally has a fullblown crush on you." He stage-whispered to her. "I'm letting you in on his little secret. The last relationship he had ended with her dead in a ditch after making political enemies. She was just as strong a mage as you are. Beautiful and skilled with poison dragon slayer magic." He breathed into her ear. "You should stay away from him while you can. Stick with me..."

Dakota follows after him, thinking several terrible, terrible thoughts as they went along. The entire thing was demeaning really, being reduced to a woman tossed between two men's affections, who were actually the same person, and damn this was confusing. Why did she have to try and kiss the one who had two personalities? She'll blame it on his eyes. "I'm actually the head representative of this city," Dakota says, leaving the unspoken threat that she could have him thrown out hanging heavily in the air. "And if you think all I've got is ice, you will certainly be surprised to hear that I am the entire blizzard," She adds, tipping ever so close to giving him a bruise he'd not soon forget. This is Saladyn's body too. She reminds herself, though she finds it hard to believe with his thick black locks and gleaming red eyes. Were her own eyes this terrifying to look at? She shuddered inwardly at the thought. As Sereph leaned in closer, her breath tickling her ear, she really shuddered. With him like this, she could simply imagine it was Saladyn. They had the same body, so pretending wouldn't be bad would it? However, she knew that was something a cheater would say about dating their husband's brother, so she refrained. Placing a firm hand on Sereph's chest and pushing him away, she addressed him with a hard stare. "Saladyn is a good person. He wouldn't do anything he didn't believe he had to to protect others. It is you, I need to stay away from."

The black haired man snorted. "Are those the lies he's feeding you? You want to know why he is so rich? He runs in the underbelly. Gangs, Street Fighting. He supplies all the nasties with the supplies they need to prosper, in return for some of the wage they make." Sereph took her hand and pulled her closer to him again. "Come on.. You wanted to kiss him so bad, so why not me? We are the same person after all." He was charming and attractive although there was something cold within him, something so un-Saladyn like.

"Why is it that you insist he's the bad one? You only come out when he's angry or upset, so there's no possible way he would do something like that without your influence. I kindly ask that you control your impulses," Dakota says, attempting to snatch her hand from him. His grip was tight, but just soft enough not to leave any marks. There had to be a way she could get Saladyn back to normal, but with Sereph being the dominant personality, what could she do to convince him to switch back? Giving into his requests would be the absolute last thing she would do, but if really came down to it, would exchanging a kiss with the black haired man be that bad? Like he said, they were the same person, so wouldn't any experience she had with Sereph transfer over? Gods this was too confusing. "Sereph, just return Saladyn control. I would like to have a peaceful remainder of the evening and don't need my citizens freaking out over a demon-esque man walking my streets." She successfully regained possession of her hand after that, using the time to get up from the couch and stand behind the arm, keeping a safe distance between him and her.

"Hm no.." The man said plainly. He reached out a dark tendril emerging from his wrist. It weaved its way through the air and latched itself around her waist, pulling snug. "I never said you could leave."

Too caught up in watching Sereph for signs of change, particularly hair or eye color, she didn't even notice the black tendril until it had found home around her waist. She cursed beneath her breath, resisting the pull, barely even being nudged forward. "Return Saladyn's body," She said sternly, the air around her dropping several degrees. "Or so help me I'll make you an ice sculpture. I don't even care if you shared a damned body anymore," She adds, her eyes shining with a fierce light. "I'm done playing your games, Sereph. Either you return his body or I'll make you."

"That sounds like a challenge Councilwoman Claas. There is one thing in common between me and Saladyn. We both love a challenge." He grinned then pulled back his arm yanking the tendril back towards him, dragging Dakota with it.

Sensing the motion, Dakota disperses her body, turning into air particles. She reassembles a few feet away from the couch, one hand held out. "Aerial," She enchants, a dome of air surrounding Sereph and his couch. "I don't do challenges. Against you, Saladyn, or anyone else. I get results, that's it," Dakota says with finality. She clenches her hand into a fist, the air within the pocket purging itself of oxygen and the pressure rising to twice what was normal. The common pop would be felt within his ears though any other discomfort would stem from the fact that he could no longer breathe.

Sereph exploded with dark energy, breaking though the spell and destroying the apartment around them. "I told you, you were going to be mine." He walked calmly towards her although his aura was dark. "Come on baby. I can treat you right." Three more tendrils leaked out of his body towards her.

Dakota grimaced as the apartment was destroyed, though kept her eyes on Sereph. She crosses her arms in front of her, a severe wind picking up, but then stopping a moment later. Only a thin layer still covered her skin, but it was harder than steel and would rip just about anything it touched to shreds. After making sure that the layer didn't cover her arm, she grabs onto Sereph's arm, yanking him upwards as she began to fly towards the outer reaches of the city. "Who gave you the right to destroy property in my city?" She questions, voice low and dangerous. Before they land, she ungraciously throws him onto the ground, no doubt to watch him catch himself. Beyond frustrated, she runs her hand through her hair, the tendrils flowing smoothly between her fingers. The area was only lit up only by a half moon, a few twinkling stars, and the light that bled from the city. "Just give Saladyn his body back already. You said you get to see anything that happens anyway, so can't I just convince him to do whatever it is that you want?" Dakota reasons, still hovering in the air by a few feet.

"Reason won't help you now.. You've made me angry." His eyes flared and his aura exploded, destroying everything around him. He stood upon a pedestal of darkness and flew up towards her. He threw a large bolt of pure darkness at her the drew his duel swords.

Dakota's own aura flared up, slightly repressed, surrounding her in a blinding blue light. The air around her compressed tightly, the temperature dropping significantly. The large bolt of darkness was diminished to a mere wisp as it went through the barrier, and Dakota flicked her wrist outwards, repelling the remainder of it with a quick burst of air. She disappeared once again using her mist body, reappearing a moment later, with Vatnojokull's Terror in her grip. The blade was smoky as pure cold energy poured out of the lacrima in the hilt. "Sereph, I will give you one final chance to surrender control over to Saladyn. After that, well, I assume you know what will happen." Her red eyes were burning into his, her sword drawn up as she waited for his response.

"I can kick it up a notch too sweetheart." His aura burst further and he summoned a dark shadowy blade. He ran towards her slicing through her aura and directly towards her body. He was a force to be reckoned with when using Saladyn's full magical power.

She met his blade with her own, a large shockwave stemming from it that blew back any debris and caused some weaker branches to fall off their trees. "Blizzard" She commanded, her magic energy bursting outwards, seemingly causing even the air around them to freeze as a fierce blizzard picked up. She jumped back, stabbing her sword into the ground as she placed her hands together. Several Dakota clones were made, who all began to lurk through the terrain, their ice bodies blending in perfectly with their surroundings. Dakota turned into mist again to avoid being seen or even touched. "What pose would you like to be frozen in?" Dakota says, seemingly everywhere but truly being nowhere at all. "I'll allow you to choose, please alert me whenever you can. Or maybe I can surprise you? That sounds like fun."

Sereph gritted his teeth. "Freeze me. I dare you."

"With pleasure," Dakota announces from all around. She reassembles behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder whilst saying "Freeze." Magic energy poured from her fingertips, freezing Sereph from the shoulder down and encasing him in a hard covering of ice. "Sereph, listen closely," She says, leaning up to whisper in his ear. "If it's me that you want, then that's fine and dandy. But Saladyn, no matter if you share a body or not, has nothing to do with this. Return his body and I may consider giving both of you a shot. If you don't then I'll explain to the Toranku why you have hypothermia. And trust me when I say it won't work in your or Saladyn's favor." The freeze had already frozen his skin all the way through upon placement, but now it began to seep through to his muscles. "Break free and you won't get far either now that I've affected you by my ice. "What will your choice be?"

Sereph seethed, the ice cracked under the pressure of his aura, but suddenly it stopped. "Fine. But I'm killing both of us. I know your feelings for Sally-boy, and you will be so lonely when he's gone. I'll live again, I'll find another young boy who seeks the power. I'll come back to haunt you." Saladyn's head rolled, and the black in his hair receded back to his bangs. The man was freezing and his heartbeat was faint.

Taking a deep breath in, Dakota unfreezes Saladyn, then picks him up bridal style. She wraps her hand around his wrist, feeling the slow, uneven beat of his pulse beneath her fingers. She then flies back towards the city, stopping at a large building complex. She goes through the doors, and up the stairs, passing up the too-slow elevator as she begins to fly along each set of stairs. In hindsight, living on the top floor may have been inconvenient, but she didn't have time to change it now. Stopping at the last set of stairs, she hurries over to her door, slipping an ice-made key into the lock so she didn't have to find her own. She places him on a couch, puts a fire on the fireplace, and then moves the couch closer. She then goes over to the thermostat and turns it up. After that, she found two space heaters, plugged them in, and directed them towards Saladyn. She then sits precariously on the edge of the couch, rubbing feeling back into his arms. Every so often one hand would drift down, feeling his pulse for a moment before continuing her ministrations. After his skin had thawed out, she stood up, grabbed a dining room chair, and took it back over to the couch. She then leaned forward, pressing her ear against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. She entwined her fingers in his, squeezing it as if to reassure herself he was still there. If Saladyn died-- no, if she had killed Saladyn, she wouldn't be able to live with herself. "Saladyn, I'm so sorry," She whispered. She repeated it, over and over, and a single tear made a path down her cheek. A few followed after that, though stopped after Dakota had surrendered herself to sleep, head on his chest and hand in his hand.

Saladyn's eyes fluttered upon and he registered a strange weight upon his chest. He blushed when he felt Dakota's hand in his and her head warming his chest. Then the man felt a strange cold sensation. He whispered to himself. "Why do I have snow up my ass.."

Despite his whisper, Dakota had heard every word he said. Whether it be from her uncomfortable position or sleep-muddled mind, she had started talking before realizing what she was saying. "Because I froze Sereph's sorry ass and he ran away in fear." She squeezed Saladyn's hand in hers and then shifted into a seated position in the chair, stretching out her muscles, apparently unaware of anything she had just said. "How are you feeling?" She asked after a moment, blinking a few times to ward off sleep. "You're not cold, right?"

He flushed further. "Yeah.. Thank you. I'm sorry Sereph came after you." He squeezed her hand and smiles. "Don't worry. I am fine."

"It's not your fault," She says, making a small pattern with her thumb on the back of his hand. "That's good to hear," She says, glancing away from him and out the window. The sky was dark with nighttime, and Dakota returned her attention back to him. "I know we only planned on the day, but would you mind staying overnight? I would feel terrible sending you away, especially after freezing you half to death."

"Do you mean that?" He said and his thoughts automatically drifted, but he snapped back. "I'll take the couch. It is pretty comfortable". He said, mock punching a pillow.

Dakota shook her head, releasing her grip on Saladyn's hand. "I can't allow you to do that. Please take my bed, and I will sleep out here." She grabbed her chair, returning it to its spot, and then disappearing down a hallway, to her bedroom. She returns a moment later clad in a shirt several sizes too big for her, which she made sure covered accordingly so Saladyn didn't short-circuit at the sight of bare shoulders, and a pair of sweatpants. Her hair was tied up in a loose bun, and she had a blanket and pillow in her arms. She makes a vague motion with her hands, signifying that Saladyn should get up. She lays down her stuff, and then turns to Saladyn, holding out a shirt and another pair of sweatpants. "I guessed on your size, and fortunately, I was able to find some stuff." She had decided to leave out the fact that Silver had left them here, fearing he would refuse to stay if he even thought that another guy was attracted to Dakota. Of course, that wasn't the case when it came to Dakota and Silver's relationship, but she knew Saladyn would rather hurriedly jump to that conclusion should it present itself. "My bedroom is directly down the hall, so you can change and head to bed afterwards. The bathroom is on the left, and there's a dresser with extra blankets in case you need them." After the explanation, she douses the flame in the fireplace, pushes the couch back to its original spot, and turns the space heaters off. "If you get cold, you can take one of those too," She says, placing them against the wall. She then grabs a book and situates herself on the couch. "If you need anything, I'll be up for a short while longer. Don't feel bad about waking me up for anything either."

"I can't allow you to do that. I am taking the couch." Before Dakota should protest he picked her up carried her to her bedroom, dropping her upon the bed. "You're staying there." He said sternly.

Dakota is dropped onto the bed and immediately rises up onto her knees. "If I'm staying here, then so are you," She says, making a slight motion with her hand. A short burst of wind quickly forces Saladyn upwards and forward, which ended up with him landing harshly on the bed. Before he can scramble away, Dakota locks her hands on either of his shoulders, quickly forcing him onto the bed flat on his back. To keep such a position, she had swung her leg over, resting her knee between either of his legs, her other one staying on the outside of his other thigh. She held him there, crookedly smiling down at him, with pieces of her hair falling over her face. Before the moment can escape, she presses a chaste kiss to the side of his mouth, and then rises up off of him. "Go get changed, and if you're not back here in three minutes, I'm coming after you."

Saladyn coughed and stumbled away. He walked out into the hallway and then into Dakota's bathroom locking the door behind him. He changed and walked back into Dakota's room, he was unusually tense and nervous.

Dakota had slid over to the left side of the bed, her legs beneath the covers while she sat up. She had picked up her book, which had been kept with her while she was being transported. She heard Saladyn approach, more so because of his heavy and shuffling footsteps rather than any supernatural hearing abilities. She sets her book down on a bedside table, then pats the area beside her, trying to make her face as neutral as possible, despite some part of her telling her to see how red she could get Saladyn. Of course, she wasn't as unassuming as she had wanted to be, and her smile was less than perfectly innocent and her shirt had drifted to reveal most of her collarbone on the right side. "I promise I won't bite."

Saladyn slid underneath the covers, although he stayed one layer above Dakota. He tried to swallow the butterflies swirling around in his stomach. "Goodnight Dakota.." His heart thumped as his head hit the pillow.

"Good night Saladyn," Dakota said, turning off a small lamp and drifting down to get beneath the blankets. She attempts to reach over and hold his hand but is met with another blanket. "Saladyn, what is the meaning of this?" She asks, shifting back up and leaning on her arm. She peers at him suspiciously, barely visible in the dark room.

"Nothing... I. I just don't want... well.." Saladyn stopped speaking and turned away from her. He could see the outline of her furniture in the dark and focused on that instead of the sound of Dakota's breathing.

Dakota sighed, and then laid back on the bed, facing the ceiling. "If you're worried about taking advantage of me, just be aware that I carried you several miles and have no problem kicking you across town should I have to. Also, know that I plan on keeping things quiet the remainder of the night, so you have nothing to worry about on my side of things. Please get all the way beneath the covers and allow me to hold your hand." While it had been a request, it sounded much more like a demand than anything else.

Saladyn complied and laced his hand with her. He enjoyed the warmth in his hand and shortly fell asleep.

Dakota smiled and fell asleep as well.

The next morning rolled around, Dakota waking up even before the sun had crested the sky. Groggily, she sat up in bed and taking a moment to gain her bearings. She looks down at Saladyn, who was still peacefully sleeping. Smiling fondly, she brushed the hair from his face, running her fingers through the pale locks. After a few minutes, she crawls out of the bed, going into her kitchen. She begins to prepare breakfast for the pair, being as quiet as she could to give Saladyn more time to sleep.

Saladyn was in the midst of a horrible dream. He was reliving what Sereph had done to Dakota, and what she had done to him. He rose from his dream and looked around, realizing that he was in her bed. He quickly changed back into his usual suit. He walked out of her room and headed towards the door. He needed to leave quickly, the man had several meetings and he did not have time for rumors to spread. His hair was tousled and he quickly tried to press it down flat, and straightened his tie. He reached the doorknob and turned it, opening the door.

Dakota turned abruptly when she heard Saladyn hurrying about her home, watching as he nearly ran out the door. She walks over to him, being careful to turn off the stove beforehand, resting a hand over his before he could open the door. Leaning over slightly, she whispers softly in his ear. "Can you stay long enough to fix your pants? They're on backwards." She asks, tugging slightly on his waistband.

Saladyn jumped backwards and started blushing. "Ah... Thank you Dakota." The pale haired man hurried to her bathroom and put his pants on correctly before exciting again. "Well. I'll be going now." He started back towards the door.

Laughing quietly, Dakota watches him hurriedly return to the bathroom to fix his appearance. "I had a great day yesterday," She says as he approaches the doorway again. "If our free time coincides again, maybe we could meet up in Arakashi sometime?" She asks, peering at him hopefully.