Autumn Strawberries [Shae]

[Shaehern Azhrarn]

Zalamel was getting quite vocal about his complaints, and Shaehern was actually getting nervous. Moving in and snatching up his familiar would hardly seem the best solution to the current dilemma. Yet, leaving the raven on the ground was just inviting someone to get hurt. The noise might even attract other crows if things went on for too long. Zalamel did not care about any of those things, he just hopped on the ground and let himself be buffeted by Hades' much larger wingspan. It ruffled his feathers and might have sent him toppling if he were not so close to the ground already. He clicked his beak twice as warning.

Jazz's intervention on Hades' side was unexpected, and the results were even more so. Zalamel was more than a little flustered at the whole situation still, and he insisted on hitting his beak noisily against the ground to indicate his frustration before fluttering off towards another tree. "Likely he'll be grooming himself, now," Shaehern observed before turning his attention back on Jasmine Krisp.

"Very persuasive, I must say. It still looks like you must try much too hard to be so with him." Hades was a problem familiar, to be certain. One would think that the familiar was supposed to represent something about the master, but it seemed sometimes there was no personality meshing involved at all. "Now if only I could recall what I was going to say before."

Shaehern lifted his finger up to his mouth and he sucked thoughtfully on the tip. The commotion truly had derailed his train of thought, but it was only a matter of moving back a few moments to think about where he was before. Shaehern's memory was very, very good, and there was nobody involved who could scramble with it just yet.

"Right. At the ball you mentioned that you are a lesbian. Is that an absolute fact?" There was sort of a bounce to the way he spoke when he asked the question. He was dreadfully curious, especially since personal observation suggested something contrary to what had been presented as fact before.

[Jasmine Krisp]

As the little woman watched the irritated black bird fly off into the distance, she let out a weary sigh, as a mother would after breaking up a fight between bothersome children. Hades was sort of like that to her: a reckless child. But he was a child she wished she could tie to a tree or melt in acid. Of course neither such techniques would work, as a phoenix rises from its own ashes...so even if she did managed to kill the annoying familiar of hers it would most likely revive, then come back and bother her tenfold for killing him in the first place.

Said bird chirped as he watched Zalamel go. There went dinner.

"I'm harsh because I have to be. He never does anything I say unless I use my talent on him." Jasmine sighed again, looking back to Shae and then to her familiar when the Boogie seemed lost in his own thoughts. Hades looked at her in return, and she smiled up at him. Sure he drove her crazy, but he really was all she had left of her life she didn't know. Hades whistled at her, since birds couldn't really smile, a flapped one of his wings in her direction. Jazz was a killjoy, but she was his killjoy. Sometimes they two of them made sense.

The rest of the time...not so much.

...wait, what?

The oldest little Boogie turned her head with a snap. What did Shaehern just ask her?! She couldn't have heard him right. But she did. Jasmine's hearing wasn't going. Had he really asked if she was a lesbian or not? Hadn't she told him? Well, duh, or else he wouldn't be asking. But why would he have any reason to doubt the title 'token lesbian' that she'd dubbed herself with?!

For a blink of a second, she remembered when her face went red as a rose and hot as hell, just as she was talking to a certain doctor...

...oh. Damn.

"I-I am a lesbian, you...you idiot!" Jazz spoke in a voice a few octaves too high, "I like women! Hell, I like Naelona! D-Didn't you see that? At the ball?!" Yes, she had blushed around Nae, but when she had spoken to Iugo she'd lit like a match...no, no, NO!! "M-Men aren't my type! I don't like men! It's just not me!! I don't find them attractive! I haven't for eight thousand years," or really, only the four thousand she remembered, "J-Just...!!"

God, she was blushing now. Again.

Why is this happening?! Iugo...Iugo's a man! So why am I...?!?!?!

If birds could laugh, Hades would be in hysterics. He had never seen his mistress so disheveled in their life. With a loud huff, slightly resembling a kitten with it's fur all frazzled, Jasmine spun on her heel and started back towards the bushes. "...stop asking stupid questions, Shaehern Azhrarn! It's none of your concern!!"

[Shaehern Azhrarn]

She was harsh on Hades because she had to be, but at the end of the day she still had to use her power on him to calm him down. Shaehern almost couldn't help but wonder if the little familiar was a lot more nefarious than he appeared at a first glance. Jasmine's talent appeared to be using her touch to get another to obey her commands. That would be easily abused by a more cruel soul, and the bird seemed to be encouraging her to use it in his own way. Then again, Shaehern could be reading much more into the animal's intelligence than there actually was--Jasmine was merely physically unimposing and hardly had the other options available.

That still didn't rule out the first possibility.

Cutting to the bone with that question was not Shaehern's usual tactic, but it was often an effective one. Most people were not nearly so forward or frank with their words and it had a tendency to catch people off guard. Jasmine was more than caught off guard, she was put back and her reaction was simply delightful. "Turning as red as a strawberry, darling," he teased her.

Why would he ask such a thing? She had given him reason to doubt it, but she seemed firmly within the realm of belief that she was, in fact, a lesbian. If she had been more calm and levelheaded with her approach to the question, then Shaehern might have been convinced. Now, it just felt like she was in horrible denial over the issue.

"Lil J.J. having a personal dilemma? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone what I thought I saw. I'm good with secrets." He was bouncing in place. Zalamel cawed angrily and fluttered away. He wanted nothing to do with his master's shenanigans tonight.

"Nothing to be ashamed about. I was just terribly curious, since the Doctor evoked a much more vivid response than Naelona did." She really knew how to pick the genre savvy friends, didn't she?

[Jasmine Krisp]

"I know I'm turning red, dammit!!!" Jasmine hissed with her back still turned on Shaehern, little hands picking strawberries and munching them while she thought. How the hell was she going to get out of this conversation? She didn't want to talk about whether she was a lesbian or a bisexual or confused or...she did not want to think about this! Jazz was not in denial! She was not interested in men! She wasn't! Not like she hated men...she and Shae were friends.

And she and Iugo were friends.

Only friends!!

And that's how she liked it! But he did make her blush far too much for her liking...and he was handsome...and smart...STOP!!

The odd thing was she didn't think anything about Shaehern knowing about her crush on Naelona. It was just him assuming something was going on between her and...I can't even think about that!!! The new nickname did distract her for a second as she looked back to him with a blink. "J.J...? There's only one J..." Oh, never mind!

"Me and Iugo are just good friends. That's all. It doesn't matter anyway. Men are just...they aren't what I like."

[Shaehern Azhrarn]

She was really getting flustered at this point. If Shaehern kept pushing her buttons now it might be that she simply would not want to talk to him anymore. Of course, Shaehern was really never the type of person who had learned to back off when things were getting a little too hot. It was the character trait that made him seem so bothersome to other people. Previously, it had seemed Jazz liked his up-and-at-em attitude, but perhaps it wasn't so pleasant when directed at a touchy subject.

Leave it to Shaehern to keep poking at it with a stick.

"I'd be entitled to believe you if your body wasn't so bad at following what your mind keeps on saying." Her lips say no, but her eyes say yes. That sort of thing. Shaehern always was watching for verbal cues and the like. Poor little Jasmine might really just be in the situation where her body was telling her something that she simply knew to be wrong. Maybe it was her biological clock? She looked so young, it was hard to imagine her having such a thing, yet.

"Boys aren't icky, but you just aren't into them in the same way I am." He swayed and bobbed as he slithered closer to Jasmine. Once more he was near her tiny form, but this time he crouched down so he was closer to her level. A tad closer to her ears. He spoke in a hushed tone to her. "I think I understand. No need to get all worked up over it."

Then he struck like a viper. Her back had been turned to him and he quickly darted around her to the front as he laid a kiss full on the little lesbian's lips. No explanation. No real sound logic behind why he did it either. He wasn't caught up in the moment and he didn't do it simply to mess with her.

[Jasmine Krisp]

For a serious moment, as Shaehern pointed out how her blush was betraying her, little Jasmine was starting to wonder if she'd really bitten off more than she could chew by befriending this not-so-wholesome cross dresser. He had her caught with one question, was almost as blunt as she was, and seemed convinced that she had some sort of ulterior motive for being around Iugo so much. But he was wrong this time! Oh, yes he was HELL wrong!! Jazz had no such crush...dare she say romantic feelings...for the doctor. He was a friend!

He's just a friend! That's all there is! No lust or crush or anything!

Wait, why am I thinking this? I'm trying to convince Shae, not myself!!

Distracted by her own mental-fit going on, Jazz hardly noticed when the slippery Boogie snuck up behind her. Nor did she notice Hades 'laughing' in the tree. She did notice when Shaehern leaned down and whispered in her ear, earning the man a little shiver, and the urge to hit the feather man spiked in Jazzie's head. But at least his words made it sound like he'd be backing off a little. Thank God. "Well then...can we please drop this conversa--"

Whatever the plum woman was about to say was cut short by a blur of feathers followed by a pair of lips on hers. For a moment, Jasmine actual thought she'd blacked out. Was she getting kissed? By a man? By Shaehern?! Holy fucking hell, maybe she had gotten in too deep tonight. She was getting goddamn molested by a cross dresser!! What the hell?! She thought Shae only liked guys! So why in the name of Wonderland was HE kissing HER?!?!

I'm kissing a guy. Oh shit. No, wait, he's kissing me. Double shit.

...would this be like how it would be if I were kissing Iu...

Hades had to admit, he hadn't expected the foolish flamboyant man to lay one on Jasmine. He did, however, see the next step coming. Jasmine's hand raised up to cup the back of Shae's head and pulled at his hair, yanking him off of her mouth. The blush on her face was radiant, but the icy pupil-less glare of her gold eyes was terrifying. She wasn't actually touching any of the Boogie man's skin, but if she did, she was going to send him diving off a cliff.

She was piiiiiiiiissed.

"Do not. Do that. Again." Jazz hissed like a cobra. "If you want to keep your lungs in your body, you will not touch me like that. Ever again."

[Shaehern Azhrarn]

For just the briefest moment Shaehern wondered if he had gotten away with it. He might as well have tried getting away with murder at this point. The sheer audacity of that particular move probably was on par with drugging a certain familiar's dinner in order to play a poorly received practical joke on its owner. In the end, so long as it didn't kill him, it was totally worth it.

She grasped him by his precious and beautiful long hair. For an even briefer moment than the previous one he mused over the idea of turning a lesbian. That moment was cut down in the prime of its youth when she yanked his head back. Had Shaehern been standing up she would not have been able to read his head quite like this. As it was, he was crouched and she was able to exercise some authority in this manner.

Death threats weren't supposed to be cute, but Shaehern perceived Jasmine Krisp's threats as such. "So adorable," he murmured in a soft tone as he resisted the urge to give her a delightful and lively embrace and to hold her in his arms for just a short span of time. That would make things worse. Much worse. Given his current track record it became impossible to figure out why he didn't do it anyways.

"You really are quite something when you're flustered. It's so adorable watching you be assertive." Somehow Shae managed to cock his head to one side with a bright smile. Yes, he was in pain, but that hardly meant he couldn't look like he was enjoying himself just a little bit. After all, there was a lot of satisfaction in what he just did, even if it was not the satisfaction most people would expect to receive from giving a kiss.

"I make no promises, but I'll try and behave myself." He looked less like a bird or a snake at this particular moment. His face was something closer to a cat that just ate the canary.

[Jasmine Krisp]

Jasmine knew very well that she had the dangerous appearance of a kitten, but it didn't help being reminded of her complete inability to appear threatening. Her pupils began to return to their natural place, though her hand kept its death-grip on Shae's hair, and her blush only seemed to get worse when he called her cute. She was one of the oldest monsters in the palace. She also happened to have a powerful, dangerous ability. I love genetics. But why did she also have to look like the sweetest little thing on the goddamn planet?

I hate my genetics.

"Watch your tongue, hon. I've killed people for less than that," with a deep breath, she finally released her hold on the Boogie's locks. Why? Because even though the jerk had stolen her first guy-kiss, he was her friend, wasn't he? And....although she would never admit it...she hadn't hated that. But it was still so not fair. If the little woman had to kiss anyone, and it just had to be a guy, she would have preferred it to be Iugo. Maybe. What a migraine.

"Tell me, what were you trying to prove in that little stunt? Do you have a death-wish?" Jasmine muttered, gaze on the grass, eyes returned to normal though her skin was still hot as hell. She was feeling all fluttery again, but in a different way than before. Not the way Iugo made her feel. It was weirder. Much like the crazy Boogie in front of her right now. I thought this confusion was supposed to end when I was a teenager.

Hell, who am I kidding? It never stops.

[Shaehern Azhrarn]

For just a minute the little woman had been terrifying to behold, but Shae had managed to dispel that with his offbeat personality. At least, that's how he observed the entire predicament in his head. Reality might have been messed around a little bit while it was being translated by his eyes, but it seemed a reasonable assessment. Poor J.J. seemed to be depressed about Shaehern's apparent lack of fear more than anything else.

"Would you prefer I pretend to be afraid next time? I don't mind if it will soothe your ego." What a wonderful friend. She let go of him and Shaehern instantly went to fixing his hair. Apparently he took quite a bit of pride in how he looked and he could hardly stand letting her mess up his hair for even the briefest of moments. Then again, he had quite deserved it.

He deserved a lot more than what Jasmine had done to him for the sheer audacity of his move.

"There was no tongue involved in that kiss, dear." Shaehern winked playfully at his lesbian friend. "There could have been if you asked nicely." Letting out the inner fool next to someone capable of playing such a wonderful straight 'man' seemed only natural.

"No death wishes, though I must admit... if it was an experiment, then you proved yourself a far better friend than I could ever expect to have found." Shaehern smirked with some sense of satisfaction in that simple fact. "Sometimes there's no reason for what I do. I favor the random and spur-of-the-moment actions simply because it throws people off sometimes. I did it because I thought your reaction would be priceless."

There was one other little fact that he debated giving out to her. "Also, I do go both ways. My preference just lays more so on one side of the fence." That being said, he might not have minded if Jazz was into him in that way, but the question before really had been concerned with her relationship with the 'good' doctor. His interests were still focused well enough on another.

There was still a playfulness in Shaehern's mannerisms, but there was less of a bouncy energy. After Jasmine's threat he did manage to mellow out a little bit.

[Jasmine Krisp]

As fixed his hair--Jasmine didn't expect anything less from the man--the little Boogie woman mumbled something along the lines of "Maybe I would" to the collar of her petticoat. One thing was for sure, he was right on the mark when it came to her. From her issues with men, even though she couldn't admit them to herself, and figuring out that she hated being not-so-intimidating, hit the nail right on it's fluffy purple head. I guess that's something friends do. They learn to read you little by little...til they know you better than you know yourself.

Jazz didn't reign back the little glare she shot at her friend for the tongue comment. She'd really found the 'in' to her 'sane'.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that reaction. It's the last of its kind you'll be getting from me," the plum woman spoke a little colder than before, but nowhere near the ice from her death threat. The bit about him being bi did surprise her a little. Who'd have thought the man who wore peacock dresses to events and balls could have a thing for girls? A woman would have to be into woman to even consider Shae. Or mental. "Gee, I wonder which side," Jazz's little laugh broke the chill at last. She'd let the kissing bit slide.

For now.

Then a little thought bubble popped into her head. Maybe she was like Shae. Maybe she was just batting for both, but had never really met a guy that she felt a connection with? Her little brows furrowed when she considered it. "Gee...maybe I've been wrong about my sexuality for four thousand years. yay for never-ending confusion." Jasmine looked up at the strangest Boogie in Wonderland with her little warm smile before turning to pluck another strawberry from it's spot and holding it against her pale lips. It glowed like she'd caught a match between her teeth.

What an eventful evening this was turning out to be.

[Shaehern Azhrarn]

Shaehern felt like he could finally settle with where he had managed to get his hair and so he let it be. A shame that there was no mirror or reflective surface to glare into in order to be certain, but he would just have to trust that his nimble little fingers got it right. Those nimble little fingers weren't inactive for more than three seconds before they snatched a few more of the unique strawberries from the bush. Hopefully they would keep long enough for his new little slave to get a taste of them.

She might even find them a more amazing treat than the peaches.

"You might be shocked at that little revelation about me, but it's not really hard to understand why I am that way. Women are a lot more attractive than the men. I simply admire that and try to emulate it." It made perfect sense that he still admired women even if he preferred to go for men. Even so, he did prefer his men slightly more effeminate than what was usual.

"One other small detail that I won't mind sharing with you--I enjoy those traits which typify youthfulness. In humans and boogies alike, women have a tendency to retain a more youthful or juvenile appearance, while men have bodies that change drastically when they mature." The ever present body hair and enlarged muscles did not fit into Shaehern's images of beauty. Those, and the horrid scars and rude behavior that the increased testosterone seemed to produce in those figures were equally ugly and unattractive.

Not that women failed to have their own out-of-control moments, but it was still somewhat different.

"Perhaps you'll figure it out someday. There's nothing wrong with choosing to be one way or the other, even if both options are available to you." Social implications aside, Shaehern was right. Plenty of people chose not to express the full nature of who they were. The entire illusion of society was based upon secrets that nobody told. That was what made the game so much fun.

"A quick jog through the woods might not be so bad right now." Shaehern left it as an open suggestion. His own mind already had its own beautiful machinations working as he considered what else they might do this evening.

[Jasmine Krisp]

Jasmine blinked and swallowed her fruit as Shae explained his own likes and dislikes when it came to people. He liked feminine men, basically...it would explain the two blonde's at the ball, would it? Both had looked incredibly feminine. But the part about enjoying the youthful appearance caused the little plum to glance down at herself. She was probably the youngest looking Boogie woman in the palace, wasn't she?

What if...

Jazz scoffed at herself before looking back up at Shaehern.

Nah. Could never happen.

A little curiosity broke her calm outer-shell. "So do you have anyone you're interested in now? Besides the pretty boys from the other night?" She laughed again, fluttering like the bird in the tree, "And I know there's nothing wrong with liking one or the other or both...it's just a little surprising is all. For so long I've only ever liked girls." The oldest little Boogie shrugged once, glowing eyes still on her flamboyant companion. "Guess there's a first time for everything."

Hades tilted his head as he watched his mistress. She'd rebounded awfully fast from the mini-murderous rage to now, laughing as if nothing had happened. But that was just how Jasmine was. She let things go, forgave people...and held grudges like a demon straight out of hell. A curious contradiction, but she made it work. The blue phoenix chirped again as Jazz nodded to the idea of a jog, flexing his wings so he could fly after them.

[Shaehern Azhrarn]

Shaehern was observant and he was a self-trained listener. One had to be good at picking up subtle cues in order to understand the things that people did and did not say. Jasmine's question was not too far out of place, but he couldn't wonder if she was fishing for some information that may or may not be there to give. "There is someone, and he's been playing hard to get. He's a tall and slender thing with a hell of a sense of fashion." All in all it was a dream of a man. Shaehern had been fawning over their first encounter for hours after they parted ways. It was a terrible shame that he never got to track the man down at the ball before the commotion started.

"Zarek." The name escaped his lips with a tender tone.

As for the other things Jasmine had said, there was plenty of meaning hidden in those words. Perhaps she was coming to terms with something that she had not known moments before--it even sounded like she may have admitted it out loud. A strange confession between friends under the dark night sky. It was a secret kept safe.

"A little traipse through the woods, and maybe I'll remember something pleasant of my own." Or perhaps it would be something that he'd normally want to show to creep people out. Regardless, Jasmine had shown him something special and Shaehern felt like it was appropriate to return the favor.

There was a gentle stretching of his limbs before he picked a direction and darted off. He had no concerns with Jasmine keeping up with him--she had demonstrated earlier that she might very well be faster than he. Given the difference in his and her strides, that was an impressive feat.

[Jasmine Krisp]

Jasmine couldn't help the strange, bubbly feeling that started in her stomach and quickly spread through her little self. They were exchanging secrets and playing around like children on a school-yard...it was an odd feeling. She was not a shy girl, the very idea of acting timid made her want to laugh, but she had never really had any close friends. Kyle was an odd case, being somebody she felt protective and sometimes possessive over. And Iugo...was Iugo. There was no way she could straighten that out while she was sober. But with Shae it wasn't awkward. They were friends. Unless he was up for kissing her.

And if he had any brain cells, he wouldn't be trying that again.

At the name of this 'boy-crush', Jazz tilted her head. "Zarek, huh...never heard of him. I think someone with that description would stand out a little more..." The young looking woman shrugged, absently stretching her arms up towards the sky. Even with that added length Shaehern was taller. Dammit. But she didn't really have time for her little height-complex before the nymph of a man shot into the woods again, and she grinned as she went after him.

Hades stretched his wings to full length and kicked off, soaring over the canopy as he watched his owner and the cross dresser below. Odd enough, Jasmine hadn't even taken the ground route...she was up in the branches over Shae's head, hopping and leaping with speed that might rival an lemur. It was how she often traveled in the Crimson Woods at night, from tree to tree with the haunted dolls rather than the creepy path below. The phoenix above her cawed his approval of her choice.

Taking the high road was very bird-like of her.

[Shaehern Azhrarn]

Describing Shaehern as a bit of a nymph was interesting, if not completely accurate. Likely he would have been tickled at the comparison. Perhaps he was not too much different from a Naiad in personality and mannerisms. A delicate creature of the water, though the waters in the forest ran a color that would make most feel uncomfortable swimming in their depths.

Truth be told, there was more to worry about than just the color of the water.

So Shaehern was grounded, especially in comparison to Jasmine and Hades up in the skies. In this way, Jazz was much more like the birds than Shae, who aspired to be like them. Amusing, to say the least. He had little concerns over her running through the trees or keeping up with him from there. However, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe he could lose the girl from her lofty position. It would be a game of sorts, and one he would certainly enjoy.

Ah, but the sound of running water nearby meant that he'd have to take a sharp turn to get where he wanted to go. There was a tree that required showing. Perhaps Jasmine was already familiar with it. He honestly would not be surprised if that was the case.

One or two mischievous little plants tried to grab his ankles on his way by, but Shaehern narrowly twisted around them. Hardly any time to stop and play with them tonight. Besides, a few snares would just devour his time tonight. The trees started to grow a little thinner as Shaehern came to a clearing. He stopped at the line of the trees and just hovered there for a moment.

Perhaps someone had landscaped the area so that there would only be a single tree in the middle of the clearing, but some plants preferred to have no company. In fact, some plants bordered on levels of human consciousness and cognitive ability. Shaehern remained convinced that this one could speak if it only tried. Then again, it's words would likely be nothing more than the lyrics to a terrible siren's song. A beautiful tree that somehow kept its leaves even deep into the fall. The leaves looked ivory now--the color of bones and death. A smile crept up on Shaehern's lips as he hung at the border.

"This is the tree," he whispered. Its leaves rustled as though it might have heard him.