"Please, do not attempt to guilt me. You are my friend and I do wish to spend time with you. I just would not prefer to spend that time running."

"Friend. Friend? I'm hurt, truly. Right here." The skin-rider covered its heart with both hands. "Not normally my most vulnerable spot. Besides, when did I ever say we had to run. I'm quite content to stay here, alone with you. You were the one that had her mind set on leaving and going to sleep."

She sighed inwardly. "I am sorry, I did not mean to hurt you. I was not aiming to sleep--I thought you needed rest, as you looked exhausted. I merely wanted the best for you, my love." He isn't making this easy, is he now?

"Thats better my love, I knew we were of like mind. Now that wasn't really so hard now was it. Really what was all the fuss about." It turned back toward Diabolica and expectantly held its hand for her.

Perhaps he will just be friendly and not attack if you are kind to him. It was once said that friendship and love cures all. Though....this is unrealistic. Of course love and friendship don't cure anything, you idiot, why would there be wars, then? There was a constant battle between herself raging in her mind, though her expression did not show it. Taking a deep, calming breath, she extended her left hand out to him, gently taking a hold of his hand, though her right hand remained on the hilt of her wand. This really did not bode well for her. But no matter! Fate would take its course eventually--though perhaps with a few adjustments if she had anything the say about it--whatever that would be.

The moment she touched its hands there was a surge of energy, almost like an electrical shock. That vice like strength entrapped her hand with the grace of a dancer it spun her into his arms. It was purring again, a low thrum from the skin-riders throat rumbling near her ear. "I promise not to bite unless you ask me to." It laughed quietly at its own personal joke. "Do you fear me so much that you cannot bear to let your hand leave your wand?"

Diabolica took a breath, cursing herself for being so trusting and ignorant. Damn you! You couldn't just follow your instincts of what you've learned? Your old mentors would be ashamed of what you've turned out to be! Too trusting! she silently scolded herself, though making sure not to show any general nervousness or fear in the slightest to Apedemak's constant companion. For once, she wasn't appreciating the dark humour. "I do not fear you, luv. I respect you greatly. And, I must admit to my dismay, slightly cautious of you even since I witnessed what you did to my friend many days and nights ago." She spoke softly and carefully. Swiftly, in one smooth and graceful movement, she drew her wand and turned to face him as best she could in his arms, sent a stunning spell towards him, and mustered up all her strength--which was a rather lot--and attempted to break free from his arms, a new strength building inside of her out of hopelessness. These were desperate times...and desperate measures had to be taken.

The skin-rider released her, or rather flung her into the air. The motion sent her shot wild while it bolted away into Professor Erickson's gardens. "And here I thought you didn't want us to be running." Laughing again, its voice echoed about the garden.

"I didn't want us to be running. But I suppose one cannot have their own way in the world most of the time." she sighed inwardly. "Why are you hiding? Nothing to fear, my love..." Coward. What does he have to hide from anyway? Nothing!

"Fear? Nothing in particular though I must admit that I'm not fond of being hit with stunning spells. If you think it to be a public display of affection, I'd be more than willing to hit you with a few." It snickered, apparently thinking its wit was particularly singular.

"And I have to admit I'm not particularly fond of being trapped within the arms of someone I've seen tear open another friend, even if fortunately not fatal." she shrugged slightly. "No, no...I'm fine. Anyhow, I see stunning spells as a public display of defense in most cases.... or attack, I suppose."

"Ah, and there in lies the point." The skin-riders voice bounced around the garden, coming from behind one planter and then another. "Defense or attack, you felt threatened. Was I hurting you? Have I ever hurt you?"

"No, you were not hurting me, and no, you have never directly and physically hurt me. Nevertheless, you have hurt my friends quite badly, and though I trust you, I was merely being cautious." she stated honestly. "Now please come out from your covert location. I shall not attempt to stun you again unless you attempt to hurt me or provoke me in any other way where I feel it necessary to attack or defend myself."

The skin-rider slid out from behind the planter of taboo roses, unsettling close to Diabolica. "Yes, I hurt your friends and quite badly; after they attacked me. I defended my self against wizards who acted quite monstrously. Attack the thing that does not look as we do, that dark creature with claws. Surely it must be a vile thing, never mind that it was not threatening anyone." Its voice had become deadly quiet. "And you, cautious of being in my arms and yet trust to be in his." The strange black ichor seemed to bubble just underneath the skin-riders throat, when it spoke again its voice was an eerie approximation of her own. "We humans can be quite arrogant at times. I do not agree with many classifications of creatures--vampyres, for instance. They are completely normal humans, only with an additional blood craving characteristic to their type. But that doesn't make them evil, or creatures, really. Not all 'Dark' things are bad, after all..."

She took a deep breath--he had absolutely gotten to her now, as that was a subject she felt most strongly on. "Please, listen to me. I never said who was to blame for their injuries. I must argue that although my friend Xana did indeed offend you, that you threatened her--and that is what triggered her, out of instinct, to defend herself. Which is reasonable. Though I also completely understand it from your view... you are quite different, compared to others in the Wizarding world. And I honestly mean that in the kindest way possible. I know, from personal experience, that it is difficult to be different in most ways...people treat you differently, most often negatively, without even knowing who you are. It can be disheartening. But I've always said, you can find beauty in almost any situation... such as when you are sometimes viewed negatively because of something about you, you will almost always find someone who understands and shares something similar of a problem...and I find, at the very least, that you can find you feel a strong bond between yourself and that person. A friendship, at the very least."

She met his golden eyes, honesty shown clearly in her dark ones. "I do not think of you as a Dark creature. I stand by my words I had spoken before. Just because one has a special aptitude or skill, such as the fact you are able to easily acquire talons, your beautiful cat-like eyes or your grace and speed does not mean one is necessarily Dark at all. You are not a vile thing. You are an incredibly gifted and talented person...who I respect greatly...and I apologize."

"Apology accepted lover." The skin-rider's mood swung immediatly back to a more amiable nature and its feral smile returned to its lips. "I guess that means we can pick up where we left off." It expectantly extended its hand to her once more.

Oh, bother. she thought, groaning inwardly. Hadn't she just been through this? Personal space was a good thing. Not really having too much of a choice, she took his hand again and began to marvel at how much his constant companion had changed its manner towards her.

The vibrant energy was still present but less of a shock this time as she took his hand, the strength behind the vice-like grip was still there but wasn't used to trap her hand as before. The skin-rider slowly spun Diabolica into its arms, the added slowness making the preternatural grace of its movements only more inhuman. "I think that we should pick up right were we left off. Before you got frightened."

"I never was frightened. Only cautious." Diabolica protested, sighing inwardly. "Where did we leave off, anyhow?" She thought about the normal Apedemak, and what he had said about his experience during which his constant companion took over... poor comrade.

"I think I was promising not to you bite you unless you asked me to." Everything from the way that the skin-rider held her to the way it spoke somehow seemed possessive. It utterly lacked Apedemak's soft and faithful touch.

"Ah yes. That was it." she said dryly. "And I'd prefer to not be bitten, if you don't mind, there." Oh, gallows humour. Almost always made a situation easier.

"Well thats no fun." Its sigh sounded desperate somehow and she could feel its mood swinging quickly downward. "I guess then its your turn, lover. What'ca wanna do?"

"I don't know...anything, really. Well...not everything. Though I must inquire...just too curious to not...were you actually planning on biting me?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"I've been wondering how you taste. So ya, I was." The skin-rider brightened at the thought, it nuzzled against her neck and inhaled deeply taking in her scent.

How I...taste. she thought, blinking. "I taste bitter. And unpalatable." she grinned slightly, overly amused at this surreal conversation.