Moonlit Knights (Open - Accepting)

I nodded and closed my eyes, concentrating. Suddenly, after a few seconds, the doorbell rang. "That'll be them." I said. I walked over to the door and opened it. Jack and Dan burst through, Shanti following. "Man! It's freaking cold out there! I don't know how you can stand it. Crank up the fire will ya? I mean, I'm freezing! I'm going to get frostbite and then I'll have to go to the hospital and then- Hey, new guy." Jack ranted, walking over to Sussex. "Hola Amigo. I'm Jack. Who are you?" he asked. Dan came over. "Hmm... I like your hair." He said. I rolled my eyes. Well, they broke the ice. Shanti came in and walked over to me. "Uh... Skylor? Who's he?" she asked quietly as Jack and Dan examined Sussex. "He's another Knight. He came here to the door. I mean, I was really tempted to just say go away, but I mean, at least he's a Knight." I said. He still kind of was odd to me. Shanti looked over at him and sat down in another seat. "My name is Jack." Jack blurted out. Dan elbowed him. "You already said that. That guy is Jack. I'm Dan." he introduced. I closed my eyes, unsure if this was a good idea. They might drive Sussex over the edge.

"My name's Sussex.", I grinned at the two guys, "And thanks. Nice to meet you." I held out my hand.

Jack seemed to register this for a moment. "Suuuuussssssseeeeeexxxx...." he said, drawing out the name. "Kind of like... Disseeecccctttt...." He said, and then frowned. "No, wait-" Dan sidled up. "Nice name though." he said, interrupting Jack. Jack shot him a look and Dan grinned back. They moved to sit on the floor. "This is Shanti." I said, gesturing to Shanti, who was watching slowly. Shanti smiled shyly and nodded in greeting. "Nice to meet you." she said quietly.

I narrowed my eyes, knowing exactly what Jack was going to say. "Thanks." Then I looked over to the younger girl, I waved at her, "Hello."

This was kind of awkward. I just hoped that I wouldn't have to talk that much... I wasn't good with new people, and it didn't seem that we shared the same interests. Dan talked again. "So... I saw you at the video game store. Did'ja get any good games?" he asked, and I smiled slightly. Next thing, Dan would be showing Sussex the video game that they just got. I just know it.

"No.", I replied, frowning, "I was looking, but none really looked good." I spread my feet out on the floor. "Plus I'm not really a game person."

Dan seemed crestfallen, but only for a minute. "But do you want to play the game that we got?" he asked. Jack shoved him. "He said he isn't really a game person." Dan made a face. "Yeah, but maybe he wants to play games right now!" he protested. Shanti rolled her eyes as both started to talk back and forth, exchanging comments. Neither of them was going to back down. I watched their antics with a smile on my face. They seemed to be enjoying themselves enough. All was going fine, when I suddenly stiffened. Someone was at the door. I just knew it. Since they were near my Illusion, I knew they were there. Even before they rang the doorbell, I knew. The sound of it echoed through the house, and I frowned. No one should be here. Was it another Knight that had followed Sussex that had followed us? Or was it someone else? I stood up, motioning to the others not to be wary. "I'll get that." I said casually, trying not to show them that I was panicking. Someone was here. I had no idea who. And it didn't seem like someone I ever knew from before.

I opened the door calmly, to face a man. He was a bit taller than me, and he stared down at me with a posture that made me want to break his leg or something, or kick him in the shin. He stared at me for a moment. (THIS IS THE MAN - http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NLxZzxYFBLI/hqdefault.jpg) I looked up at him and put on my best 'whoever you are you'd better get out of here fast before I kill you' look, and spoke. "Can I help you?" I asked smoothly, and he nodded. "Yes. I am Dr. Kevin Gander-Hindae." he said, and I leaned to one side, putting most of my weight on my right leg. I gave him a 'no kidding.' look and smiled. "And I'm the Easter Bunny." I replied. The man stared at me for a moment, and continued. "I am looking for Miss Skylor Fox?" He asked, and I gave him a sympathetic look. "Sorry. She's not here right now. Leave a message after the beep." I replied, as I crossed my arms across my chest and leaned against the doorway. The man frowned. "Please. I have no time for small talk. I take it that you're Skylor Fox?" he asked. I rolled my eyes. "What is it to you?" I asked. He frowned again, this time deeper. "I must speak with her." he replied.

You might think, that during this time, I might be thinking that this is a normal guy just here to talk about what I soap use to wash my clothes with. Wrongo. Right now, every sensor in my head was reaching high "danger" level as I talked to this man further. I mean, a mental bell was ringing inside my head, warning me loudly. I was keeping my cool though, even though I was resisting the tremendous urge to crack a few ribs with a punch. Us Knights are super strong that way. But... I resisted. I wanted to know what he wanted. "Howsabout you tell me what you want to tell her, and I'll pass it on?" I asked. Dr. Gunther-Hunther. The man shook his head. "Listen. I know you're her." he replied. I rolled my eyes. "Well, then you could have spared us all that confusion before." I snorted. Dr. G-H frowned. "I need you to come with me. There are a series of tests I'm running around the world. I need you to help." I stared at him with my eyelids slightly dropped. "Wow. That's a brilliant lottery prize. I think I'll pass." The Dr. Frowned. "Skylor. You can not say no. This is nothing you can joke about." he said, and I tried my best to refrain from telling him, I just did joke about this. Doctor Gunder took a step back. "You can't say that Skylor. I know who and what you are. That will not be your last answer." and with that, I slammed the door in his face.

I peered out the window. He was still standing there, but slowly walked away. I stared after him, somewhat chilled from his last words. He knew my name. He knew what I was. He supposedly knew the future. I stood there for a moment. He sure was a creepo. I walked back to the family room and stood in the doorway, staring at the ground. This was a change of plans.

"Who was that?", I said, quickly standing up. Whoever it was, they weren't invited. ...But neither was I. All the blood flushed out of my face, "W-Was it one of Them?" I whispered. I was all wimpy when it came to Them. They were probably everyone, you couldn't trust anyone. Only the Illusions. They were your friends and family. I took a step back, wondering if I should go. I was probably going to have to leave. But to where? The guy probably saw me, and if he was one of Them, he'd try to catch me. Now nowhere was safe. Shiz.

I looked over at Sussex, and then back to the door. "I dunno. But he sure gives me the creeps. I don't think that's the last we'll see of Dr. Gunther-Kevin whatchamacallit." I said, staring out the window, to see that he was gone. "He wanted me to come with him for some reason, I said no and... Well... He said that wouldn't be my final answer." I said, staring at the ground. The fact that he most likely was one of Them, disturbed me slightly. But I almost never cried. Once something bad happened, I was always *got to do the next thing* and I always had to be strong. It was what I always did. I turned to look at Sussex, who seemed distressed. "Listen. Even if he was one of Them, I swear. He is not going to get either of us. He walks out the door with a Knight captured, over my dead body." I said. I noticed how much I was starting to kind of snarl, and tried to tone it down. "Sorry. People like him get me edgy." I admitted. Jack was plastered to the window. "Well, he's gone now." he said, and Shanti spoke up. "What did he say his name was again?" she asked. I made a face. "Doctor Kelvin Ganther-Hoodoo, somethingorother like that." I said. I had already forgotten his name. How nice.

"Should I go now?", I mumbled, unsure of what to do. I wanted to stay here, in the warm, but something told me that I wasn't going to be here much longer.

I sighed and stared at the ground, then back up at Sussex. "I... I don't know..." I mumbled. I kind of liked the company of another Knight, because I didn't feel totally alone. I knew that there were others like me out there, but I never met up with them. Dan and Jack shifted over near the TV and started to chatter. "Oooohhh... Creepy Doctor Hunka Gunka is going to come and get you in your sleep!" Dan said and started to poke Jack. Jack grinned and made creepy ghost noises. "Ooooowwweeeeaaaahhhh..." he said, sounding like an oprah singer. I shot a glare at them and they were quiet with the occasional jabs in eachother's ribs. "Maybe it'd be safer if we stuck together, but what if that only endangered us more, since they could take out two targets at once." I didn't like these kind of decisions. I glanced over at Shanti hopelessly, wishing for one of her insightful solutions to this. She sighed and shook her head at me and then stared at her lap.
"I don't know... I guess you could do what you want. It wouldn't make a difference to me if you stayed or not." suddenly I regretted those words. "No, no. That's not what I meant! I mean, it's kind of like... It's up to you but I mean I'd like company but I'd still be fine if you left and all that... I didn't mean it li-" I stopped. "Oh wow..." I said after saying all of that in a rush and I took a deep breath. "What I meant was, is that it's your own decision. I can't weigh the odds for you."

(Urgh. I just realized that I have to update the front page...)

I stared at the two boys for a moment, not amused by their antics. If Dr. Whatshisface really was one of Them, he wouldn't have just left like that, right? He would have just kicked down the door and capture Skylor, right? Somehow I wasn't reassuring myself. I just wanted to believe that that guy was just a crazy old coot who hadn't the slightest idea what he was talking about. After all, who had the name Dr. Kevin Gunder-Hunder?

I snapped back to attention just in time to hear the ending of Skylor's rambling. "I think it would be fun to tag along with you and your buds." I tried to say that in the most casual way I could, though inside I was leaping for joy. It would be awesome to hang around with another Knight that I could possibly-maybe-sorta-kinda trust. A ear-to-ear grin spread across my face, a dimple appearing in the corner of my cheek. (dimples are cool, yo. >:U)

Dan and Jack kept on fooling around until Shanti glared at them. I smiled nicely at her, a small but unspoken thanks. I turned my attention back to Sussex. "I think it would be fun to tag along with you and your buds." he said, and I couldn't help but feel slightly relieved. I didn't want Sussex to get into any danger just because that doctor dude had come here. But still, I didn't even think that he knew that there were others in the house. He probably only thought it was just plain old me. I didn't like the idea of a guy coming to my house and kidnapping me though. I mean, I lived for that kind of thrill and action so that I could have a reason to kick their butts and break their bones, but me being unaware, it just seemed to creepy. I didn't like it at all. "It's awesome that you're going to stay. We need all the help we can get." Dan snorted. "Yeah, like we'll be any help." he said, and I glanced over with a slight frown. "Keep on making wisecracks and I might punch you." I said. It was all in good fun, but Dan knew a playful warning when I said one. I glanced up at Sussex. "Should we get going now? I'm worried that that Gunther guy might come back. Maybe we should just leave and keep it low for now." I said, glancing around. The security of the room suddenly didn't feel so... secure anymore. "What does that guy want with me?" I wondered aloud. "It might not be me, but Knights in general!" I frowned, glancing around. "I think we should leave." I said finally, then glancing over at Sussex. "Are you fine with that?"

"Sounds good to me, Sky.", I replied, curiousity sweeping over my mind. "Where should we head?" The city was already crawling with Them probably, with their weapons and other trinkets that could lure an unsuspecting Knight into their grasp. Staying in this forest was out of the question. Doctor Gunther would surely be still slinking around somewhere in the shadows of the undergrowth, ready to pounce on me or Skylor. I suddenly felt small and feeble compared to the outside world. From now on, every step we took had to be covered up and never to be discovered and never to be mentioned. Where would we go? There was no where really to turn. I blinked, waiting expectantly at her for an answer. I just hoped that she had a clue of what to do.

I frowned as Sussex asked where we should head, and clutched my necklace that I had gotten at the mall. "Hm... It's kind of late today, around 2 in the afternoon, so we shouldn't try to go too far." I muttered, half to myself, half to them. "We could walk into the town and go into a hotel. It'd be pretty hard for them to pinpoint us there if at all. Plus, it's a nice place to stay and plan over night." I said. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to go to a hotel. I wasn't one for fancy places, but the hotels had a certain charm that made me wish I could stay there forever. The comfortableness, the brightness, the smell of the cleaned place. (Whenever I let Dan and Jack go unchecked, they can make quite a big mess of whatever they're doing. One time I let them make popcorn, and it ended up in the end with me walking into the kitchen to see popcorn all over the place. The idiots hadn't put on the lid.) Dan and Jack piped up after I suggested the hotel. "I call my own bed!" I glanced over. "You may not sleep on a bed. You may have to go away for a while with the others. Too many people might make a scene. As a good cover, I think we should conjure up some parents." I said thoughtfully. "It would be a good disguise."

"Hotel.", I echoed, agreeing to the choice. The hotel room will give us a good place to plan and to get some rest, give us a sense of security for the night. I wondered how much it would cost for a night. Maybe we could think up some money or something. I have never been one to use my conjuring powers, so I never really learned the extent of it. Perhaps I could only make companions, or only make objects, I had no idea. "Parents would be a good idea, to avoid suspicion. I mean, a boy and girl our age ordering a hotel room? Don't you think you would get worried or concerned? Of course, we would do nothing of the sort they would be thinking." I slightly blushed at the thought, but quickly whisked it away. "Heh, w-we better get going, huh..?" (starting to get a little WB D: )

After Sussex repeated my suggestion and he seemed to go quiet as he thought about things, I glanced over at Shanti and the two others. "Hey, creatures and Shanti. I think you'll have to just go poof off into thin air right now, because, well, we need to stay under cover. A large crowd of kids would be noticeable, and if people went asking around, they probably would be able to find out where we are fast if you came along. Sorry, but that's pretty much the priority right now." I said with an apologetic smile. Dan made a very sad face. "I demand to see the hotel room when you get there." he grumbled and I nodded. "Parents would be a good idea, to avoid suspicion. I mean, a boy and girl our age ordering a hotel room? Don't you think you would get worried or concerned? Of course, we would do nothing of the sort they would be thinking." Sussex said, and I glanced over, my cheeks slightly burning. I could have gone without Sussex saying that. I bit my lip and nodded swiftly. "Um... oooookay...?" I said slowly. I noticed that Sussex had slightly blushed, and I was about to ask about his odd remark when he distracted me with another question.

"Heh, w-we better get going, huh...?" he said, and I paused, but then nodded. "Sure." I said, kind of trying to forget that awkward transaction. I ran my fingers through my hair. "Bye guys." I said to the others, turning to them. "We'll be in the hotel when you get back, okay?" I asked, and Dan sighed. "FINE." he and Jack said at the same time. Shanti just smiled and nodded. With that, they disappeared. I turned to Sussex. "Let's get out of the house before I make it go too." I said, and walked out the door and then turned around, waiting for Sussex to follow.