Welcome to Gaia! ::

Elryn leaned into the hand as his ear was scratched. And then he blinked as his fur was ruffled. By the time his cousin finished, he sniffed. "Trust you to find a lover even as a dog." he said with a little tease, seeming a little more like the playful Elryn of old instead of the guilt-ridden, slightly masochistic one.

Derrick entered then, following by the woman who seemed a little annoyed. She had a cheap leash and collar in hand, and waited impatiently for Dimitri to move before unlocking the cage. Elryn backed away a little bit, eyeing the leash and collar, but she grabbed him and quickly collared him and handed the leash end to Dimitri. "Take care of him, keep him on his leash, and keep him out of the dog catcher's way. Got it?" she said as she blew a bubble with her piece of gum before moving away.

Elryn had snorted indignantly at the leash and collar, and he tugged a little now before resigning himself to it. She wouldn't let them leave if he didn't have it on, and he supposed he deserved it for running away in the first place. "Thanks." he said, as he looked up at Derrick and Dimitri, "All that barking was driving me crazy." he said as another tease and amusement flickered in his eyes a little.

Elryn stuck his tongue out at Dimitri before following, glancing towards Derrick who stuck beside Dimitri.

Derrick smiled back, "I suppose. Although, I was just as happy with our little family." he said as he brought his hand up to ruffle Dimitri's hair playfully. And then he glanced towards Elryn with a raised brow and slight frown. The other had been lagging a bit, glancing about and occasionally forwards. "You aren't planning on running again, are you?"

Elryn didn't seem to hear him at first and then glanced up, seeing Derrick looking at him. He blinked, before shaking his head, "Er..no! I just..everything's different as a dog." he finished somewhat quickly, perhaps a bit too quickly, not mentioning the truth. Ever since the incident with Richam and Ayla, he'd become a bit xenophobic, fearing strangers. People with people he knew were usually easier than others..but he'd become something of a hermit while looking for Dimitri, and he tended to get nervous around other people.

Elryn felt himself being picked up, and he relaxed a little as the other scratched him. At the comment, he muttered, "It's not Derrick I'm anxious about."

Derrick grinned at being called family, wrapping an arm around Dimitri's shoulder. "The very best kind of family..funny..charming..witty...handsome..modest." he added, clearly teasing as he winked at Elryn as though it were a conspiratorial joke.

Elryn gave a small doggish smile back.

Elryn blinked and felt a dizzying feeling that he knew was the transportation, although being used to it and having plenty of magick, it wasn't hard to take. He glanced around the room before looking to Dimitri and tilting his neck, "Be kind to animals." he said with amusement in his voice, although he was very serious about wanting the collared leash off.

Derrick sat down on his bed and watched the two, before laying back and stretching out.

Elryn scrunched his snout, "Yeah, yeah, cuz." As the collar was undone, he moved about on the ground a bit with obvious relief.

Derrick heard this and paused before smiling, reaching forward and grabbing Dimitri's hand so that he fell onto the bed beside Derrick, who grinned and ruffled Dimitri's hair before his grin became a soft smile. "You too, Dimitri. I wouldn't have made it without you."

Giamonde spoke from the aquarium in a slight drawl, "What a lovely..reunion..now the gangs..almost all here."

Elryn looked up as his eyes widened as he exclaimed happily, "Monty! That's right, I heard you right before I was going to use the bracelet." He moved closer to the aquarium, looking up with a frown as he looked to Dimitri, "Did the Switcheroo get him too, Dimi?"

Elryn's doggy brow furrowed. "Not the necklaces..?"

Giamonde spoke again, "Relax..Ryn..all things in good..time.."

Elryn looked back to him and realized something, "So..you didn't get cursed, right? You said you'd managed to block Ayla's curse but.." he paused suddenly, seeing Giamonde's neutral eyes. "You lied to me! The curse did go through! And what others? What else did she do?"

Giamonde turned away slightly, "There were more..important things to worry about..at that time..than whether or not..I got cursed..so yes..I lied..for your sake..and Dimitri's. And I'd..lie again..if I had to.."

Elryn's ears folded back slightly, "But Giamonde..the Demon's Wrath, how have you survived all of this-"

Giamonde suddenly blurted out, "Ayla-" There was satisfaction in his eyes as his form suddenly expanded and then shrunk, shifting as he became a toad again. This time, he ribbited almost cheerfully.

Elryn narrowed his eyes, "A silence spell..and you did that on purpose! Damnit, Giamonde. You're lucky your up there, or I'd be having my first taste of frog's legs." he hissed.

Giamonde stuck his long tongue out and seemed amused.

Elryn frowned, "Giamonde..is that why you're like this? Because of the Demon's Wrath?" he looked to Dimitri, "He's cursed, he has the Demon's Wrath and a silence spell for sure..I don't know what else.." The Demon's Wrath was enough, changing the victim slowly into a demon based on their actions and if they are happy or not. The happier a victim, the quicker the transformation. And meanwhile, they'd hear demon voices in their heads until it drove them so mad they had no choice but to change..how had Giamonde escaped all of this for a whole century. "Giamonde.."

Giamonde's eyes softened for a brief moment before hardening as he turned away and closed his eyes.

Giamonde had cracked an eye open as Dimitri reasoned things out. And when he finished the other eye opened as both stared at Dimitri for a long moment before sliding to Derrick, who was frowning. His eyes lowered and then he nodded his head solemnly. The ironic thing was, he'd always hated drinking back when he'd been in his original form. He swore it did only bad, and yet, as Lyle it had been the only thing keeping his humanity in tact.

Elryn listened to this as his ears further fell and he said sadly for the other, "Oh Monty.." Just something else to blame himself for, since to his mind, Giamonde would not have been in the way of all of that trouble if Elryn hadn't started the whole necklace mess and thought himself in love with Ayla.