Kitty held onto Dendalli tightly as they floated across the rooftops together, keeping her eyes closed most of the time. After all these years, she still had a problem with heights. The wizard smirked to himself a bit at this; both surprised and slightly amused by her apparent phobia. "I'm afraid that you will need your eyes open if you are to direct me to where you wish to go", he said with a small chuckle. Kitty kept her eyes shut and just kept clung to him. "It's a blue building with a big sign that says 'Morton's Pharmacy'. You can't miss it. Just tell me when we're headed for the ground, okay?" Dendalli emitted another small chuckle in reply.

Within a few more minutes, the elf's eyes caught the building in question. He glanced around and spotted a small alleyway a few stores down and directed the two of them over it so that they would land without being seen. Once they had touched ground within the alley, Dendalli looked down at Kitty, who was still clung to him with her eyes closed. He smiled to himself. "You are free to release me any time you like, my lady. We have landed." Kitty's eyes snapped open and quickly looked around to see that, indeed, they were now safely on the ground. She looked up at him before realizing she was still clinging to his clothing. She quickly let go and took a step back, baring a slight blush of embarrassment. "Sorry... And thanks. I appreciate the help in getting me here." "Think nothing of it, my lady", he smiled. "It's always a pleasure to be of assistance to a lovely lady like yourself." Kitty rose a brow at that comment, not exactly sure how to reply. "Uh...Okay... Well, I need to get going. But thanks again....um..." "Dendalli", he answered, knowing she had forgotten his name. "Dendalli Blackhorde. And as I said, it was no trouble. If you wish, I would be more than happy to accompany you home, as well." "No no", Kitty wove a hand with a sheepish smile. "That's perfectly alright. I'll be fine on my own. But thanks for the offer." Dendalli merely smiled and bowed to her respectfully. "Then I shall take my leave. I do hope we have the chance to meet again, Miss..." There was a moment of silence as he looked up at her from his bow. It took Kitty a moment to realize what he was waiting for.

"Oh!" she exclaimed to herself. "Kitty. Kitty Kross. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand to shake his, which he promptly took in his own and brought to his lips for another soft kiss as he remained bent over. "A pleasure", he smiled warmly. Kitty's blush deepened slightly before she gently pulled her hand back, bringing it to her mouth as she cleared her throat. "Well...Thank you again, Dendalli. Take care." Kitty quickly turned and hurried out of the alley, leaving the blue-clad wizard behind her. Geez...Talk about a hell of a day. I wonder who that guy is. I've never seen him before...

Dendalli stood and watched as Kitty disappeared around the corner out of the alley. He simply smiled. "Well... Albeit it was not as I had planned, but it seems introductions are now out of the way. Wouldn't you agree?" He glanced to his side as a small figure floated down to the side of his head. It was a fairy-sized copy of himself. "It's a good thing I was watching her today", Dendalli continued. "Else I fear what those cretins would have done to her. As such, I think she'd be better off with some supervision home." He waved his hand, motioning the small figure to move forward. The sprite-like Dendalli-copy floated around the corner after Kitty and soon disappeared from sight. He then turned back towards the end of the alley, waving his hand with the necessary incantation for a portal to appear. As he stepped through, he smiled to himself again, already devising just when their next meeting might be. *

In the days following Kitty's first encounter with Dendalli, she had begun to see more of him periodically. She found these "coincidental" encounters rather surprising at first; especially considering how their first meeting took place. However, she soon learned to accept them as an attempt to be friendly and considered his appearances harmless. Admittedly, she was still rather curious about where he came from. She had never seen anyone matching his description before now, and her inquiry of "What anime are you from?" was simply met with a smile and a tap of his nose as he answered "That's a secret".

Regardless of any inhibitions and wariness she may have had, she found his appearances to be pleasant. She found nothing threatening about him and he was always cordial and never seemed put out by any of her questions or requests. It didn't take long before she grew fond of him. He was very intelligent and seemed very interested in everything she had to say. His curiosity over multiple subjects such as anime, music, and video games sparked a curiosity of her own. He was a bit of a mystery that she wanted to unravel. It served as a pleasant distraction.

A month passed before her curiosity got the better of her and she invited him to sit down to lunch with her after they had bumped into each other again. The two took a seat in a nearby Japanese restaurant; one of Kitty's favorite places. After receiving their respective orders, Kitty wasted little time in picking up the first roll of sushi from her plate and devouring it with a look of relish. Dendalli smiled at her with a low chuckle, drawing her attention as she ate. She took note of his clothing today; the pale elf clad in a short red hooded coat and gray slacks. Unsurprisingly, he had the hood drawn up to conceal his long ears. After taking in his current appearance, she swallowed her mouthful of rice and fish and rose a brow. "What?"

This only seemed to be further amusing to him for some reason as he let out another chuckle. "Pardon me, my lady", he waved a hand in apology. "It is just rare that I see such a face. You must truly enjoy this food a great deal." Kitty shrugged with a slightly sheepish smile. "I guess so. In all honesty, I'd eat it all the time if I could." Dendalli chuckled again. "Well if it is something that pleases you that much, then surely it must be worth trying." With that Dendalli picked up his chopsticks, Kitty tilting her head in question. "You've never had sushi before?" "Unfortunately, no", he replied. "It is not something I have had prepared in my realm before. But if it is as good as you say, I shall see to it that it is." Still holding his chopsticks, he was about to ask how to use them, but then took note of the way Kitty held them with apparent ease. If I ask her how, I may look rather foolish... He then held them in his hand and attempted to pick up one of the sushi rolls the same way she had... only to have it slip and roll away from him. He tried this again three more times; all with the same result. Kitty watched his attempts and couldn't help giggling.

Seeing the normally pale pallor of his cheeks tint pink in embarrassment, Kitty stopped her giggling and held up her own chopsticks. "Here. Like this", she said, drawing his attention. "Hold one chopstick in the crook of your thumb with it resting against your middle finger, like this", she said, doing it in the process as an example. "Then hold the other between your thumb and forefinger. You use that one to pinch them together and grab the food, like this." She then demonstrated by using her applied instructions to pick up another roll of sushi and hold it up to view. "See? Now you try it." Dendalli held the two wooden sticks as she had instructed and then made another attempt to pick up a sushi roll. His features lit up as he managed to pick it up successfully this time... but it quickly fell back down to the plate. Kitty giggled again. "Well, it does take some getting used to... but you've got the idea." Dendalli shrugged and set the chopsticks down. "Goodness... I sought not to ask you in fear of looking foolish... yet it seems I end up looking foolish anyway." With a chuckle, he picked up a roll with his fingers. "I believe I'll resort to a manner I'm more familiar with for the time being." He then promptly took the sushi roll into his mouth and chewed, almost immediately delighted by the taste. "Mmmmm... I've had fish and rice before, but the preperation of the two in this manner is rather delightful. I shall have to try this more often." Kitty giggled at his response, eliciting another chuckle from him as well.

As he picked up another roll, Kitty stared down at her plate thoughtfully a moment before looking back up at him. "By the way", she said. "You mentioned your 'realm' a moment ago. What realm is that?" He stopped mid-chew and looked back at her as she continued. "You still haven't told me where you're from. You seem like a nice guy and everything, but the fact is that I still don't know very much about you. You're not from any TV show, comic book, or video game I've ever seen... and when I've asked, you haven't answered. I'd appreciate it if you'd enlighten me. I think it's only fair if we're going to remain friends."

There was a pause as Dendalli slowly chewed the remainder of the sushi roll in his mouth, looking down at the table in the process; a contemplative look on his face. His crimson eyes then glanced back up at her. "You may find the answer rather surprising", he said. Kitty's head tilted to the side with a calm expression. "Try me. I've dealt with succubi, demons, fighters slinging energy blasts, been to space stations, limitless deserts... and not to mention Video Game Heaven and Hell. I don't think you can surprise me."

Dendalli smirked a bit, taking that statement as a challenge. "Very well." He straightened himself up in his seat, taking up a dignified presence as he spoke. "The truth is my realm is not of any that you would be familiar with. I come from no 'game' or 'comic', as you so put it. I am from a plane that exists outside yours or any of the others you already know. I am a god. A demigod, to be exact. Dendalli Blackhorde is my true name, but it is traditional that mortals not use the true names of gods. I am more commonly known as 'The Pale Lord' or 'The Forlorn Prince' by the masses. I am the God of Magic within the circle of gods known as The Aener, but my role is lesser in comparison to others. As such I am what you would call a 'part-timer' within the Aener. Much like the one you know as 'Batman' is to the group you know as 'The Justice League'. Additionally, my domain within the realm of the Aener was designed according to my requirements by the Greater Gods when I ascended to godhood. It is known as the Librarium Crystalis; an extensive library of my own design within which I have collected tomes of knowledge over the course of several centuries." Dendalli decided to stop there, watching Kitty to see what her reaction would be.

At first, there was none; simply staring at him blankly after he had finished. There was a long pause before she finally spoke. "Let me get this straight... You mean to tell me you're not from any game, or comic, or TV show, or anything like that... but from a realm that is completely unrelated??" "Precisely", he responded with a sagely nod. "The fact is that there are a great many planes throughout the multiverse that you and your friends are yet unaware of. The people and lands you know from these 'medias' you are familiar with are but a small fraction of those that exist. Truthfully, there is no telling how many truly exist. Not even we in the Aener know that for certain."

There was another long pause as Kitty stared at him with a look of obvious(though abbreviated) look of surprise. Her face settled back into it's previous calm expression before replying. "Okay. You win. I'm surprised." Then she did a short double-take. "Wait a minute... 'Me and my friends'? What do you know about my friends? I only mentioned them once or twice and never mentioned the fact that they knew about the others like Usako and I do." There was another pause as Dendalli debated his answer. He then let out a small sigh. "I will respect you and speak in earnest. The truth is I had been watching you since before we had officially made introduction." He held a hand up as he continued. "Before you protest, please allow me to explain. Some weeks ago, I happened upon witnessing an altercation between you and several men. I watched as you stood up for your friends and subsequently took several of those men down when they attacked you. During that incident, I detected your fighting spirit. I was rather intrigued since it is rare to encounter one in this realm with the energy and strength you apparently possess. Truthfully, I had been looking for a way to alleviate some boredom, and I found you a rather pleasant distraction." "I'm not sure how to take that statement", Kitty responded with a quirk of her brow. "Forgive me", Dendalli continued. "Allow me to reword that. What I meant is that I found you intriguing; a bit of a puzzle. I was curious to learn more about you based on that simple fact. In the next few weeks that followed, I began watching you from day to day to learn more about your habits; your likes, dislikes, and everything else I could about you and your friends. However", he put a great deal of emphasis on that word. "I did not, under any circumstances, intrude upon your domicile at any given time. I am a man of intellect, not perversion. Therefore, the sanctity of one's privacy is of great importance to me."

Kitty studied his face as he said that, reading his serious expression carefully. She was no mind-reader, but she felt that he was, indeed, telling the truth. She leaned back in her seat with a small sigh. "I believe you", she replied. "Not sure why, but I do." Her head then tilted to the side again. "One thing though... How were you 'watching' me? It's not like I'm psychic or anything but I can usually tell when I'm being watched or followed. And I haven't felt like I have been lately." After a brief pause, Dendalli shifted his eyes about, as if to make sure no one was watching the two of them at the moment. Confused, Kitty watched as Dendalli cupped his hands together a moment, uttering something she wasn't able to distinguish. Suddenly, there was a tiny and brief spark of light within his cupped hands, causing her eyes to widen. They widened all the more when she saw the tiny light take shape... into that of a very miniature-sized version of Dendalli. "Wh-Wha--!" she put a hand to her throat as if to strangle her words to keep quiet. She then spoke in a harsh whisper. "What the hell is that?!" "This is my scry-doll", he replied. "When I scry on others, this little figure is what seeks out what I seek. What he sees is what I see. That is how I was watching you. Through him." With another whisper of words, the tiny Dendalli disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Kitty sat staring in great surprise at this; the expression remaining as she continued to speak. "Scry? That means like... looking through a crystal ball or something, doesn't it? Like a seer or fortune teller?" "Sometimes", he replied. "A crystal orb, a shard, or even a mirror; whichever is preferable at the time." "I see", she replied, regaining composure. She leaned back against her seat once more, folding her arms across her chest as she stared at him. "Well, I can't say I'm not a bit freaked out by the fact that you've basically been spying on me... but I appreciate your honesty. And your intentions seem genuine. I'm not sure why, but I feel as though I can trust you for some reason. Maybe it has something to do with you being a god." "Demigod", he corrected. "Yes, demigod", she retorted. "It all means the same to me. Either way, I trust you."

Dendalli smiled lightly at that. "I am happy for that. And I wish not to betray that trust. If it pleases you, I will discontinue my scrying of you henceforth." "I'd appreciate that", she nodded. "Something else though.. That whole thing you mentioned about not speaking a god's true name... That's not going to cause problems is it?" Dendalli chuckled lightly in response. "Dear me, no. It's merely an old superstition. Many mortals thought that by saying a god's true name, it would catch their attention; regardless of their current mood. Its not true, of course... but people used to believe that.There are some that still do. It seems that even in an age where one can manipulate the energies of the universe, man is still ruled by superstition." "But still", she reiterated. "It's not true, right?" "No", he shook his head. "I assure you that it isn't. Besides, considering the fact that you would be speaking to me directly, the matter is rather moot." "Good to know", she replied. "I'd hate to go around calling you 'wizard' or 'elf' or something like that all the time. It would just sound rude." Again, Dendalli chuckled. "Well as I said, my known titles have been either 'The Pale Lord' or 'The Forlorn Prince'." Kitty rose a brow. "Well don't expect me to call you one of those, either."

This time Dendalli laughed outright, unable to help himself. Her comment, expression, and cross-armed posture at the moment made the laugh too difficult to contain. The laughter was short, but nonetheless loud; briefly drawing the attention of a few customers at the nearby tables. Clearing his throat with a smile, he nodded apologetically. "Forgive me, my lady. I could not help myself." Kitty gave a smirk at his laughter and following apology. "Well, it's good to know I can make a god laugh." "Demigod", he corrected once again. "Yes yes, she waved a hand casually. "Demigod. To-may-to, to-mah-to." Dendalli quirked a hairless brow at that. "Pardon?" "Nevermind". She shrugged it off. "One more thing, though", she added. "If we are going to continue being friends, than you need to drop the 'my lady', thing. It's endearing and gentlemanly and all, but I'd prefer it if you use my name." Dendalli smiled warmly. "Of course. And if you like, you are free to call me by 'Den', if that makes things easier for you."

Kitty thought a moment before responding. "We'll see. I kinda like your full name. It's rather unique." He smiled. "I'm flattered."