Neurons fired with trepidation and then silenced under a wall of soothing reassurance. Her hand was played with, picked up from her lap and held between two semi-warm hands. His fingertips were chilling, but that was all the more comfortable to her heated body.
She was flourishing in the confused state of mind she had currently found herself in. She didn’t know what was going on, but it was euphoria that gave her more confidence. She had never anticipated her day to turn onto a different route. She had struggled to trample over the barrier she had crafted in front of her. The barrier, in this moment, was herself. She was fretting over nothing- it was all over- then why did she sweat so much? Why was her heart hammering out of her chest and her veins exploding with adrenaline fueled liquids?
A voice countered the insults and provocative allegations that surged through her mind. It was Gad’s, the man who had witnessed all the brutal encounters they had just traipsed through.
He was commenting on her accusation- the one about him being insane or crazy. It wasn’t neglect that led her to the inability to listen to him. She was simply focusing her attention elsewhere. Her eyes were becoming bloodshot from the constant staring she was doing. She was always checking her surroundings now, certain that those brutes would come back to re-obtain their sister or employer or whoever that thieving woman was.
How had she been so naïve? Why didn’t she just let the woman run off with the silk skirt anyways? Because it was priceless material and she wouldn’t settle from being deprived from by such an daft woman with high expectations of herself. She wanted to prove to those of this town that she wasn’t some weakling. She was powerful if not in her words than in her actions. She knew little but enough to defend herself and those she cared about- the silk skirt and her professional standing included.
“Come on,” he cooed as he leant his head down so that his eyes locked onto hers.
It was now that she realized what he truly looked like. Behind those jade eyes, like olives glistening in the moonlight, was a man who appeared to have struggled from his past- but didn’t everyone? His hair was plastered to his forehead by large beads of sweat, and his face was covered with small spikes of stubble from the lack of proper hygienic keeping, yet he looked gentlemanly and strong without a care in the world, but one that held moral standards for both himself and others. He didn’t look like a justice keeper, attaining what was right and exhuming the guilt and evil from under the peope’s facades only to decapitate them where it stood. He was vigilant, a freelancer and from what she had just seen with her very own eyes, he was on the borderline between good and evil. She would come to accept this later, but at the moment she still remained wary and increasingly quizzical. What would he do next? Did he indeed suffer from states of personality changes? Would his disposition shatter into something more sinister and severe? Would it be her neck against the next blade with his hand being the one to bear the oncoming pain- her soon to be demise?
She shook her head and scanned his face for any sort of emotion. He looked earnest and honestly concerned for her wellbeing as he extended his hand and helped her to her feet all the while speaking to her with his worrisome, but elastic tone.
“… won't your boss be wondering where you are?”
“You’re right,” she said before dusting herself off. Her hands touched her pants until she patted off the various dust and debris particles from her clothing.
“I'll walk you back to your shop. You're under my protection now, remember?"
His hand caressed her shoulder before his flesh planted itself against the fabric of her clothes. She looked up at him, momentarily shocked, but decided to show him gratitude for what he had done and what he was planning on doing.
“Thank you,” she whispered under her breath, embarrassment fighting for dominance over the awkward and uncomfortableness that was aggravating her emotions. She was going to go crazy until she found the ground again. No more hanging in the clouds. This wasn’t a barding show where actors played out parts in a play.
This was reality no matter how much she wished it to not be.
"After all that?” he continued. “…fending off that vagik thief and her goons? Where's that girl?”
Another blush managed to emerge from the surface.
“Where's that tough resilient, strong woman I met this morning? Come on hot shot, don't let it get to you now."
“You’re right again,” she played on. “I was pretty bad-arse.” She smiled.
Suddenly the air turned stagnant as his body came crashing closer to hers. She was being submerged by his existence and this caused her to suck in a cold breath of air. What was he-?
“…golden girl…”
“…partner…”
Was he meaning these things? She decided to see if he was telling the truth. With the little energy she could spare, she summoned it from deep within her. Where it resided, she called for it to awaken and travel to her head. The djed moved and although flustered it maintained controlled with her mental strength. It flowed to her eyes were she adjusted her vision to handle the colours that swam around her. Gad’s was hard to read. His aura was visible, but several different colours were flying around his figure all at once. There was orange, yellow, some green and chartreuse, lavender, all of which she didn’t know what meant.
She focused her attention, drawing her perception to alienate one particular shade as she designed her energy to compromise and come to the conclusion of what this man was feeling-thinking-doing.
A part of him seemed to be showing honest interest in her, but she could read something else- something darker and more insidious. Like all men in this rotted wasteland of a city, there was a part of him she could just feel was playing her. He was getting close to her for certain reasons of which were unknown at the time. But which side would win? Was he truly interested, worried, concerned and happy o have had her as a partner or was he trying to persuade her to do unruly things in the future to either her or those around her?
She shut the vision off, pulled the rest of her djed back to where it was needed and let out the breath of air she had been holding in.
After he had stood up, he too helped dust herself off. She allowed it although he was dubiously portraying some sort of act she couldn’t pin anything on. He then stepped back and looked her up and down as if studying her for some valuable hidden secrets.
She smirked and said, “What?” in a playful tone.
“I don’t know how to spell it… It's only through the right lens that you can see a vision of true beauty."
This time the air affected both of them. Lenz turned red in the face and Gad looked away, having to clear his throat. Some sort of electricity from an outer source of power was shocking her. She only wondered if it was shocking him as well.
“I’ve never heard someone put it that way before,” she announced.
Strange? She wasn’t sure what he was meaning by that, but she understood that there was a strangeness about their companionship. They didn’t know anything about each other and that was a fact. She would make the first move at starting an acquaintanceship if that was what he desired.
He was sputtering now, on a rampage of words that weren’t really words. Lenz stuck out a hand and pressed it to his chest, trying to stop him from saying anything else. Her eyes twinkled as she cocked her head. She allowed a smile to heighten to the surface of her lips as the edges of her mouth rose as commanded to.
“I would love for you to.
“Follow me,” she said, extending her other hand outwards as if asking him to take the first step. She followed quickly behind him before the two were in sync with their footsteps.
“My name is Lenz. It’s nice to meet you Gad. I agree with you; we did have a pretty fantastic adventure with one another.”
And on to the more personal, yet still vague and indecisive commentary about her life and what she did, what she liked and how she went on through her life with the same plastic mask.
“I arrived in Sunberth the end of last season and made camp. I sought out a job in tailoring because that was what I knew how to do from my childhood.” She refrained from speaking about the child she had brought alone. She wouldn’t endanger her even if there was nothing to be afraid of. “From what I know, I don’t have any siblings. I like to sing and write and even explore various places for fun. And yes, you were talking too much.”
She chuckled at the last thing and decided to switch the conversation so that it was off of her. She didn’t want to continue being the topic of focus. She loathed being placed under a microscope and examined by creepy scientists with bulging goggles.
“…but that’s fine. Put that voice of yours to use and tell me about yourself. Where do you come from? What do you do for a living? Do you have any brothers and sisters and what do you like to do in your free time have you any?”
oocI loved your post!
She was flourishing in the confused state of mind she had currently found herself in. She didn’t know what was going on, but it was euphoria that gave her more confidence. She had never anticipated her day to turn onto a different route. She had struggled to trample over the barrier she had crafted in front of her. The barrier, in this moment, was herself. She was fretting over nothing- it was all over- then why did she sweat so much? Why was her heart hammering out of her chest and her veins exploding with adrenaline fueled liquids?
A voice countered the insults and provocative allegations that surged through her mind. It was Gad’s, the man who had witnessed all the brutal encounters they had just traipsed through.
He was commenting on her accusation- the one about him being insane or crazy. It wasn’t neglect that led her to the inability to listen to him. She was simply focusing her attention elsewhere. Her eyes were becoming bloodshot from the constant staring she was doing. She was always checking her surroundings now, certain that those brutes would come back to re-obtain their sister or employer or whoever that thieving woman was.
How had she been so naïve? Why didn’t she just let the woman run off with the silk skirt anyways? Because it was priceless material and she wouldn’t settle from being deprived from by such an daft woman with high expectations of herself. She wanted to prove to those of this town that she wasn’t some weakling. She was powerful if not in her words than in her actions. She knew little but enough to defend herself and those she cared about- the silk skirt and her professional standing included.
“Come on,” he cooed as he leant his head down so that his eyes locked onto hers.
It was now that she realized what he truly looked like. Behind those jade eyes, like olives glistening in the moonlight, was a man who appeared to have struggled from his past- but didn’t everyone? His hair was plastered to his forehead by large beads of sweat, and his face was covered with small spikes of stubble from the lack of proper hygienic keeping, yet he looked gentlemanly and strong without a care in the world, but one that held moral standards for both himself and others. He didn’t look like a justice keeper, attaining what was right and exhuming the guilt and evil from under the peope’s facades only to decapitate them where it stood. He was vigilant, a freelancer and from what she had just seen with her very own eyes, he was on the borderline between good and evil. She would come to accept this later, but at the moment she still remained wary and increasingly quizzical. What would he do next? Did he indeed suffer from states of personality changes? Would his disposition shatter into something more sinister and severe? Would it be her neck against the next blade with his hand being the one to bear the oncoming pain- her soon to be demise?
She shook her head and scanned his face for any sort of emotion. He looked earnest and honestly concerned for her wellbeing as he extended his hand and helped her to her feet all the while speaking to her with his worrisome, but elastic tone.
“… won't your boss be wondering where you are?”
“You’re right,” she said before dusting herself off. Her hands touched her pants until she patted off the various dust and debris particles from her clothing.
“I'll walk you back to your shop. You're under my protection now, remember?"
His hand caressed her shoulder before his flesh planted itself against the fabric of her clothes. She looked up at him, momentarily shocked, but decided to show him gratitude for what he had done and what he was planning on doing.
“Thank you,” she whispered under her breath, embarrassment fighting for dominance over the awkward and uncomfortableness that was aggravating her emotions. She was going to go crazy until she found the ground again. No more hanging in the clouds. This wasn’t a barding show where actors played out parts in a play.
This was reality no matter how much she wished it to not be.
"After all that?” he continued. “…fending off that vagik thief and her goons? Where's that girl?”
Another blush managed to emerge from the surface.
“Where's that tough resilient, strong woman I met this morning? Come on hot shot, don't let it get to you now."
“You’re right again,” she played on. “I was pretty bad-arse.” She smiled.
Suddenly the air turned stagnant as his body came crashing closer to hers. She was being submerged by his existence and this caused her to suck in a cold breath of air. What was he-?
“…golden girl…”
“…partner…”
Was he meaning these things? She decided to see if he was telling the truth. With the little energy she could spare, she summoned it from deep within her. Where it resided, she called for it to awaken and travel to her head. The djed moved and although flustered it maintained controlled with her mental strength. It flowed to her eyes were she adjusted her vision to handle the colours that swam around her. Gad’s was hard to read. His aura was visible, but several different colours were flying around his figure all at once. There was orange, yellow, some green and chartreuse, lavender, all of which she didn’t know what meant.
She focused her attention, drawing her perception to alienate one particular shade as she designed her energy to compromise and come to the conclusion of what this man was feeling-thinking-doing.
A part of him seemed to be showing honest interest in her, but she could read something else- something darker and more insidious. Like all men in this rotted wasteland of a city, there was a part of him she could just feel was playing her. He was getting close to her for certain reasons of which were unknown at the time. But which side would win? Was he truly interested, worried, concerned and happy o have had her as a partner or was he trying to persuade her to do unruly things in the future to either her or those around her?
She shut the vision off, pulled the rest of her djed back to where it was needed and let out the breath of air she had been holding in.
After he had stood up, he too helped dust herself off. She allowed it although he was dubiously portraying some sort of act she couldn’t pin anything on. He then stepped back and looked her up and down as if studying her for some valuable hidden secrets.
She smirked and said, “What?” in a playful tone.
“I don’t know how to spell it… It's only through the right lens that you can see a vision of true beauty."
This time the air affected both of them. Lenz turned red in the face and Gad looked away, having to clear his throat. Some sort of electricity from an outer source of power was shocking her. She only wondered if it was shocking him as well.
“I’ve never heard someone put it that way before,” she announced.
Strange? She wasn’t sure what he was meaning by that, but she understood that there was a strangeness about their companionship. They didn’t know anything about each other and that was a fact. She would make the first move at starting an acquaintanceship if that was what he desired.
He was sputtering now, on a rampage of words that weren’t really words. Lenz stuck out a hand and pressed it to his chest, trying to stop him from saying anything else. Her eyes twinkled as she cocked her head. She allowed a smile to heighten to the surface of her lips as the edges of her mouth rose as commanded to.
“I would love for you to.
“Follow me,” she said, extending her other hand outwards as if asking him to take the first step. She followed quickly behind him before the two were in sync with their footsteps.
“My name is Lenz. It’s nice to meet you Gad. I agree with you; we did have a pretty fantastic adventure with one another.”
And on to the more personal, yet still vague and indecisive commentary about her life and what she did, what she liked and how she went on through her life with the same plastic mask.
“I arrived in Sunberth the end of last season and made camp. I sought out a job in tailoring because that was what I knew how to do from my childhood.” She refrained from speaking about the child she had brought alone. She wouldn’t endanger her even if there was nothing to be afraid of. “From what I know, I don’t have any siblings. I like to sing and write and even explore various places for fun. And yes, you were talking too much.”
She chuckled at the last thing and decided to switch the conversation so that it was off of her. She didn’t want to continue being the topic of focus. She loathed being placed under a microscope and examined by creepy scientists with bulging goggles.
“…but that’s fine. Put that voice of yours to use and tell me about yourself. Where do you come from? What do you do for a living? Do you have any brothers and sisters and what do you like to do in your free time have you any?”
oocI loved your post!
