World Refugees Final Mix

To be honest, Chase wasn't much of a matchmaker. It required subtlety that she just didn't possess, and tact, which she had never quite gotten a grip on. But she expected that her heart was in the right place - honestly, before all things, she wanted her friends to be happy.

It had taken some quick pleading, but then Josiah had posted he was leaving (again), she had gotten in contact with Lilith, persuading the demon to take her time in coming back. She had probably scoffed when she heard the plan, but Chase didn't really mind.

She remembered a line from a certain pirate movie, a line that had fueled her plan and made her bring in Amy and Mabry. It all depended on the "one day", right?

It was why she was curled up in a corner of Rainbow's End, half-heartedly reading a book, a key tucked within its pages. Josiah was one of her best and closest friends - she could help him out with certain things.

If his bad luck didn't mess it all up.

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Song was busy absorbing immense quantities of knowledge from the latest book she'd borrowed from the castle library. She'd only just started reading it when the world shift pulled her away, and had been so eager to continue that she'd dived into it on her first night back. It was a complex book on magical theory, and part of a study she had not yet mentioned to anyone else...

However, amidst all those textbook descriptions and cryptic diagrams, something else slipped into her awareness. A few words, so quiet that their meaning was lost. The only reason she noticed them at all was that it was Amy's voice speaking.

She stopped reading and listened, tilting her head as if it would help her find the source.

.... she heard nothing....
but then, a faint squeal. she blinked in bewilderment, but quickly came to the conclusion that Eli had done something cute. It was the only explanation.

Satisfied, she once again lost herself in her studies.

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Josiah was really going to have to work on his exits.

He had been prepared to leave, everything had supposedly worked out okay... but then Lilith was taking a hell of a lot longer to get here than was normal. He had been worried about something happening to her until he received a message that she had just been "distracted" and would be there by the next day. He really didn't want to stop and think about what could distract a succubus.

So he found himself back in Radiant Garden for the time being, and somewhere along the way had been convinced by Amy to visit her at Rainbow's End. He wanted to laugh at that - the woman enjoyed showing off Eli, that was for certain. It wasn't that he minded - he loved kids, which was probably why he endulged her.

He quietly entered into the house, calling, "Hello? Silly question, but is anyone here?"

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shadowchaser.livejournal.com

"You're here!" Amy pounced on him from her place just out of sight of the door, grinning wildly. Phase one of the Plan, successful. Now, for phase two. It was hard not to cackle again.

"If you're gonna insist on leaving us, then I'm making sure you've got enough cute baby memories to last you 'til you visit again." Without waiting for a response, she latched onto a hand and began to pull him towards the stairs, talking the whole time.

"It was the most adorable thing he's done since he was born- no, that's not right, maybe in the last day, he seems to keep outdoing himself- and I would've just told you about it but it's so much cuter in person-"

Amy didn't have to fake any of her enthusiasm about Eli. Even with the chaos of a newborn and sleepless nights, motherhood was definitely agreeing with her. Once at the top of the stairs, she paused for only a moment, hoping that Chase was ready. Flashing another grin at Josiah, she began to tug him towards the nursery, just past Song's room.

"I think his eyes are starting to darken a little already, too. They'll suit him better."

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[[ooc: you all are pure evil, I hope you know that]]

Josiah had the time to maybe blink before Amy popped up out of apparently nowhere and begin dragging him towards the stairs. Lifting Eli constantly must have been her sudden source of strength and he nearly stumbled from as she pulled him through Rainbow's End.

He couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm over Eli - yup, definitely a new mother. That kid was going to be so spoiled, next to Ashlyn and Renee, especially with such a doting mother. "We're going to have to get you a camera and glue it to your hand. That way you'll always have proof of something he's done."

At the top of the stairs, when Amy hesitated for just a few moments, he sensed the sudden excitement in her soul... but there was something else there too that he couldn't quite place. He frowned thoughtfully as he followed her down the hall - the nursery was just around the corner from Song's room, he remembered that.

"Looks like he's going to take after his mom in looks... though he might be a little less excitable," he teased.

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[[OOC: Evil but amazing, you mean.

Chase heard them at the top of the stairs, and cautiously poked her head around the corner. Oh good - they were facing the other way. Even though she was hardly subtle with words, people had often complimented (read: complained) about her ability to sneak up on people. It was usually because she was dead quiet, had taken to not walking on her heels (errant thoughts of being a dancer had left her with that embarrassing but often helpful trait), and never announced her presence before hand.

Plus Jo could be almost annoyingly oblivious at times.

She hurried up behind the two of them just as they were passing Song's slightly open door, less than three feet away and keeping very quiet. Slipping the key Mabry had given her into her hand, she grinned and then leaped at him.

She was glad the door to Song's room was slightly open, or she probably would have banged his head against it in the process while giving herself a nasty bruise on the shoulder - she was hardly a slight wisp of a thing, more muscle than anything else and with the height to go with it. A concussion and a bruised shoulder were certainly not the beginnings of a romantic evening (somewhere, Auria was probably tsking at their rudimentary tactics).

Still, the door opened readily enough, slamming open from the sudden force behind it. Reasserting her own balance, Chase let out a cheer of triumph before pushing Josiah further into the room, her other hand already grabbing the doorknob.

She slammed the door shut and quickly locked it (wondering just slightly why Mabry even had keys that only worked one way, especially for the door to Song's room...). She turned to Amy and held up her hand for a high-five. "Ten points of awesomeness for us!"

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Once again, Song's reading was interrupted, but this time by the slam of her own door.
Her "room" was actually a two-room suite, so what went on in the front room was not really visible from where she sat on her bed... but Song had very keen ears.
She'd heard Amy's voice again, coming down the hall, and she'd heard Josiah answer. That had surprised her, because she hadn't expected to see him again. She'd said her goodbyes - twice - and was really quite ready for him to leave. The sooner he left, the sooner he'd be back, she figured. That had been the real reason she'd dived back into her studies so quickly. If she wasn't doing something productive, then she'd start to miss him, and she'd had quite enough of that sort of loneliness as it was.

Hearing his voice, though, she'd been planning to go investigate, just as soon as she reached the end of the paragraph she was reading... but then her door had slammed, and along with Chase's cheer, she'd distinctly made out the sound of someone stumbling into her room, and the weight of those steps was distinctly familiar.

Then she registered the other sound that had been in the mix - the click of a lock... and it all made sense.

From:

shadowchaser.livejournal.com

"Tch, Jalen's hoping for a good balance between us. Says two of me might drive him insane." Even though she'd been expecting it, Chase's sudden rush startled her just a little, and she danced back a step or two. Wow, it's just like football. Next thing she knew, Josi was in and the door was shut, the lock turning with a satisfying click.

"Naw, twenty." Giggling, Amy returned the high five before dashing into the nursery to fetch the stereo. It was a fairly portable one, but still made a bit of a scraping sound as she pushed it into place against the door.

"There. Hit play and we should be set. Promise I didn't switch the cd." She paused thoughtfully. "You know, I should probably bring Eli down with us, nothing says mood killer like a crying baby." She disappeared again for a few moments, reappearing with a softly fussing Eli wrapped in a blanket.

"Mama's little treasure's such a good lure, yes he is."

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He really should have been expecting it. In fact, he should have actually planned ahead. Chase had been too quiet lately and that odd little note in Amy's soul should have tipped him off that something was out of the ordinary. But no - he brushed it off and because of it, found himself shoved into Song's room by his best friend.

He didn't fall, but the sheer surprise of nearly being tackled was enough to make him stumble and disorient him for a few seconds. It was enough time for Chase to slam the door shut behind him before he could even turn back to it, and then, a few seconds later, lock it. The sound alerted him that he had pretty much walked into some sort of trap, and he had the feeling that Chase wasn't the only one behind it.

He stared at the door, trying to comprehend what the hell had just happened.

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"I like twenty. Twenty's good too."

Chase rocked back on her heels and fell to lean against the wall, crossing her arms and laughing quietly. To be truthful, she half-expected it not to work - they'd probably end up talking the whole night or convince Jalen to let Josiah go without saying a word. She snorted a bit at that - well, maybe not that. Amy could be very persuasive when she wanted to be.

When Amy returned with the stereo, she winked at her. "Great. Should we leave the two lovebirds alone?" She then leaned forward to give Eli a goofy grin reserved just for babies. "You're gonna be as mischievous as your mommy, huh, Eli?"

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Though Song had a fairly good idea of what this was all about, she still looked a little wide-eyed as she stepped into the doorway between the two rooms and regarded Josiah thoughtfully.

"... Well, I'll say this. You're much better at making dramatic entrances than you are at exits."

From:

shadowchaser.livejournal.com

"Yes, we should. And I'm actually hoping Eli'll be more like his father. Safer for everyone."

Cackling softly, she began to head down the stairs. They needed to let Mabry know how it'd gone, make some popcorn for the wait...and she should probably take a sandwich out to Jalen.

"Have fun you two!"

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Josiah looked from the door to Song and sighed, trying not to laugh. "I guess they get points for sheer enthusiasm?" He went to the door to try and open it... and found that the doorknob wouldn't budge. He raised an eyebrow when he heard music coming from the other side of the door, and nearly choked when he realized what it was.

"Luther Vandross? Really?"

That was the final straw - he started laughing, shaking his head.

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At the sounds of Luther, Chase made a face and bent down to press a button on the stereo. "Wrong song - sorry folks!"

Besides, "Bella Notte" was far more appropriate.

She grinned and followed Amy down the stairs.

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Song stifled a snort of amusement, then gave up and laughed along with Josiah, facepalming.

"I didn't expect the mood music. They really planned this out." She grinned at him from under the hand that still covered her face.

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"This is just... god, is this how Ryune and Brandon felt after that stunt at Disney World?" He leaned against the door, unable to wipe the grin off his face. "Please tell me that Mabry didn't just happen to make truffles today too. Because that is pushing the boundaries of ridiculous."

He tried the doorknob again, and almost rolled his eyes. "Guess I could always use a spell to unlock it..."

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She crossed her arms and moved to lean against the wall, not quite mimicking his pose.

"You could, but then I wager they'd just try harder. I'm not sure I want to even speculate what they'd pull next. What I'm wondering is why they even think we need help, though."

Bella Notte ended just then, and was followed by That's Amore. Song only barely managed not to start laughing again.

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He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to be serious, but failing miserably. "They watch too much television. That has to be the answer." He quirked a mischievous eyebrow at her for her last comment, but said nothing.

He stared at the door when That's Amore began playing as if he could see the stereo through it and snickered. "You've got to be kidding me."

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That did it. She began snickering again and slowly slid down to the floor, burying her head in both hands this time.

"Well..." she said with her face still hidden. "What do you want to do about this? I can think of two options, aside from picking the lock." Why that lock even existed was quite simple, Song knew. It was for the same reason that Josiah had tied her to a chair not long ago.

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He sat down on the floor next to her, resting his right arm across his knees as he listened to Dean Martin's song just beyond the door. "Two options other than picking the lock? Are the other options blowing up the door or finding a way to use dark corridors to get out of the room?"

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She lifted her head just to roll her eyes at him, still grinning.

"Option number one is to offer a few of my blankets to make a pallet for you on the floor. But if you really want out, go for the lock. It's probably not sealed by magic, "

She didn't want him to leave, though, and while she was trying not to let that fact show in her voice, the feeling was a rather strong pressure on her chest, almost like reluctance or regret. For all she knew, he'd be able to sense it. Part of her wanted that.

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He chuckled, leaning back to rest his head against the door. "I wouldn't put anything past our friends... with our luck, there's probably a force field surrounding your room now." Which was just... he sighed. Yeah. Putting nothing past their friends.

He glanced at Song out of the corner of his eye, sensing something upsetting in her soul. For a moment, he wasn't going to mention it and pass it off as irritation at their current predicament, but the more he thought about, the more he realized it was something more than that.

"Song...?"

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"Yeah, Josi?"

The way he said her name had made her smile fade and her brow furrow for a moment, though she quickly smoothed her expression into something more neutral.
She regretted her thoughts of a moment ago, and hoped it wasn't the reason for his change of tone. She'd be guilty of killing his laughter then, and she didn't want to be that selfish.

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He watched her expression change, felt a slight change in the light that made up her soul, and shifted to give her his full attention. He didn't sense that something was wrong, just that something wasn't... quite right.

Still, he couldn't help but smile as he rested his forehead against hers. "Exactly how do we get ourselves into these situations again?"

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