Coping. (Post Prophecy)

Dominique leaned down slightly more to kiss Bart even more. Bart shifted uncomfortably in his sleep. Dominique felt a hand at her neck, squeezing it progressively. Bart opened his eyes, almost white in the present darkness. His hand tightened on Dominique's neck.
"Dominique," he murmured to the female, "I already said, No, not without my permission."
"Awww," Dominique replied, a sly smile on her face and a sly glint in her eyes, "Bart is pretending not to like my actions."
"Actually, I don't."
"Every male does."
"Seems that I'm the exception here..." Bart answered.

Arella looked in the direction of the door.
"There are more of your kind?" She asked quietly.
"No, they're my friends, almost my family..." Shadow said quietly. The demoness frowned as Arella walked over to the door, seeming almost solid asa normal human apart from the fact that she shimmered in the light. The woman opened the door easily, walking out and into the living room. She looked at Bart and Dominique, one eyebrow raised. Shadow was standing at the edge of the circle, trying to look out. She couldn't leave the circle.

Bart hearing footsteps behind him, turned round. He saw a woman that he recognized. That woman from Shadow's photo book! Oh, sh*t, her mother! Bart slammed Dominique's face to the ground, not allowing her to talk. That action was a reflex to Bart. Dominique pulled herself out of his grip, and cramped her nose.
"Sh*t, Bart, I didn't know you would actually hit me!" Dominique growled, "I mean, all I did was kiss you!" Bart put his hand on Dominique's mouth, making only mumbles come out as sound. She tried to speak, but Bart pointed in Arella's direction, and Dominique widened her eyes. She didn't know who this was. Bart shook off the sheets, as well as taking his hand off of Dominique's face. He tried to remember how to be polite in demonic. He had been with Shadow and the Lord, so he knew instantly. He bowed, thudding his fist against his heart. He didn't really know what he was doing. Arella was dead. He looked up.
"Excuse my rudeness," Bart muttered through almost closed lips, "But I was informed of your death. So, I cannot understand your presence amongst us."

Arella smiled kindly at the Kraferr, placing two fingers over the charka gem in the Synari way of a polite greeting.
"My daughter has found a spell that allows the dead to walk among the living as long as they do not exit the circle." Arella said.

"Never heard about that spell," Bart replied, standing up fully, "I wonder why Shadow never talked to me about it..." He added, more to himself than Shadow. Dominique also stood up, one hand on her nose.
"I think I got a nosebleed," Dominique muttered, her voice distorted by not using her nose to speak. Bart rolled his eyes, and looked at the female Kraferr. She caught his glance, and he glared at her. All she gave back was a sly look, saying, 'I'll do that again'. Bart looked back at Arella.
"Where is Shadow presently?" He asked.

"I'm through here, but I can't leave the circle!" Shadow said loudly from her room. She was sitting down in the lotus position, in the centre of the circle. Arella smiled slightly, turning and walking back to the room, her white robes swishing slightly as she walked.

Dominique muttered a few kraferric magical words, and she took her hand off her nose. She sniffed multiple times, and sneezed once, putting her hand in front of her mouth. She then turned to Bart again.
"Well, problem solved," she replied. Bart rolled his eyes, and turned around, to follow Arella into the room with Shadow. He felt a tug on his shirt collar.
Dominique pulled him towards her, and turned him around. "I'm not done with you yet," Dominique whispered in his ear, smiling slyly. She pulled his head to hers, and kissed him back. As always, Bart tried to pull his head back, but it seemed that Dominique just approached his head whatever he did. She kissed him passionately, putting her two hands on his cheeks. He was still staring wide-eyed at her. She opened her eyes very slightly, to look at Bart, with a sly look. Bart lifted one eyebrow, and Dominique smiled under her kiss.

Arella had glanced back, and was laughing quietly to herself.
"Ok, what's going on out there?" Shadow asked loudly, annoyed that she couldn't see. Wraith, who was watching Dominique and Bart with a disgusted look. The wolf trotted into the room, and Shadow looked into her mind.
"Ok, you two, either get a room or break it up!"

Bart pulled away from Dominique, pushing off her body with his right hand. She coiled her arms around his body tightly, not letting him go away.
"Why, thank you for helping, Shadow," Bart answered loudly, "But, hey, she's the one that's forcing me!" Dominique laughed quietly.
"Not true!" She replied loudly. Bart jerked his head to look at her.
"You calling me a liar?" Bart asked, his eyes wide.
"Where's a room?" Dominique asked, not paying attention to Bart, who flushed to a bright red.

"That wasn't really an option, now can you get your butts in here please? I don't want to have to find everything out second hand!"
"Allyssianne!" Arella said sternly.
"I apologise mother." Shadow said more quietly.

Bart pulled away from Dominique, who seemed disappointed. Bart shrugged.
"You can always try again," he said, sarcastically, "But I'm going to fight back." After that, Bart headed to the room.
"Oh, you'll see," Dominique replied, smiling slyly, following Bart closely. Bart entered the room, seeing Shadow in the circle. He passed Arella.
"You called?" he asked, to Shadow.

"Yes, I wanted to introduce you to my mother, Arella." Shadow said, looking up at Bart from her sitting position in the middle of the circle.
"Greetings," Arella said gently, smiling;

Bart turned to Arella, and bowed down slowly.
"The pleasure is all mine," he murmured quietly. Dominique looked at Bart, and did the same as him, but contented herself of not repeating Bart. Bart then quickly stood back up. "I've heard little about you," he replied.

Arella smiled.
"I shudder to think what Allyssianne has recounted of me." She said, glancing teasingly at her daughter. Shadow looked slightly hurt but it was in play.

"Oh," Bart replied, "Only the ideas of a loyal daughter that loved her mother greatly have escaped through her mouth." Dominique smirked slightly. She had never seen Bart talk like this before. She knew that Bart was trying to be polite, but, Oh please, don't make it too exaggerated...

Arella looked greatly surprised, and Shadow rolled her eyes. Arella glanced questionningly at Shadow, who nodded her head, looking slightly embarrassed.

Bart noticed the share of eye movements between mother and daughter. He rolled his eyes as well.
"Okay, what is it now?" Bart asked, "I'm just saying what I'm thinking, being completely formal, for once, or at least trying, unlike some others here..."

"Nothing," Both mother and daughter said in unison. Arella smiled at Shadow, and the demoness maaged a faint smile back. Facial expressions were slightly painful for her at the present moment with the stitches, but Arella understood that. They had been freshly done not long before she had died.

Bart sighed, lowering his head, Dominique pulled it back up again by his hair. His face twisted into a face of pain, and he turned to Dominique.
"Why did you do that?!" Bart asked, loudly. Dominique laughed quietly.
"You should look at the higher-ranked people, Bart," Dominique explained, "We can easily see that you were not educated by a kraferric family."

Arella dismissed the notion with a wave of her hand.
"I was a Senator, not a high priestess. There is no need to regard me as higher ranking."

Dominique looked up at the woman.
"In kraferric society," Dominique explained, "Even being the mother of an alive being is of a higher ranking than being just a 'normal' civilian." Bart rolled his eyes. He didn't know much of the kraferric society, and probably won't until Dominique explained it thoroughly.

Arella nodded slowly, thinking it over.
"It would seem that this dimension was a good choice to send Allyssianne." She said softly, sadness etching her face for a moment.

"That would depend," Bart answered, lowering his head, "Many different evils lurk within the shadows of this world, and one being us, the Kraferr." Dominique turned to Bart.
"How dare you say that?!" She answered. Bart turned to Dominique.
"The Ku' Rutiek Outlaws were the ones that attacked us soon after our depart, on the quest for the all-teller necklace!" Bart replied firmly, reaching into his pocket, and sliding out a blue pendant from his pocket, to hold it up to Dominique's face.

"In every world, evil lurks, but there are always ways to combat this evil." Arella said. "But that is why we have friends to help us along the way."

Bart looked up at Arella. "Yes, that may be true, Arella," he answered, "But the beings that do not have the chance for friendship are bound so somber into darkness sooner or later." He looked at the ground as his face darkened. "As Sither Moonspike."