Closed A Meeting Between... What Are We Exactly? (Lorelle)

[Meville Brightshade]

The seventh day of Fall, 513 A.V.

Meville had spent the bulk of the previous day wracking his brain as to what he might do with Lorelle. It didn't help that the fifth had been a day entirely devoted to not leaving the house, as it had been one of his worse days in a while. His unfortunate ailment aside, Meville had finally decided upon the Makutsi Springs. For one, it would probably help Lorelle relax a bit. Whatever sort of terrors her birthday had in store for her might be assuaged by the soothing waters of the springs. If not, at least he'd be able to soak in the steaming waters and not feel so very... frail.

If he were being honest with himself, Meville was nervous. Lorelle was... A special sort of creature. Love wasn't the correct word for what he felt for her, but there was something that tugged at his heartstrings in a peculiar sort of fashion, making him want to repair the gap between them. Up until their recent reunion in the summer, Meville hadn't really given her much thought, yet when he'd once more seen her face, it had been as if something in his brain had fallen into place. She was more than just a project, though he wasn't sure just how much more. Either way, his typical approaches he used on most sentient beings wasn't quite enough to handle the complex creature that was Lorelle. Thus, he had to act even more unpredictable while retaining an air of... charm?

The sun had set about a bell before, bathing Avanthal in the soothing darkness of the night. The various holds dotted the white landscape with wavering dots and sparks of light, dancing with the shadows cast from those inside. There was a light snowfall, a sort of gentle drifting that seemed to reflect the sleepy atmosphere of the city. Those who spotted the various dug paths were as hushed as the world around them, speaking in low voices or ambling along in silent thought. It was terribly scenic, but it held within it a calming, soothing presence that pressed itself against Meville's chest, daring him to do anything but accept it.

With a slight frown, Meville chewed on his bottom lip, tucking his hands deeper into his jacket's pockets. Peace and tranquility weren't quite his cup of tea, though they were, at times, welcome guests in his life. Tonight, however, Meville wanted something a bit more exciting. Having been a shut in for the past twenty-four bells, his body was itching to do something, though both he and his body knew that only a day after an exaggerated weakness there wasn't a whole lot either of them could do. Anything short of walking and talking was out of the picture if he wanted to recover. Which was why he'd decided to meet with Lorelle. In a sense, he supposed he was using his supposed to be "make-up" as more of a distraction, but on the other hand, the whole point of his spending time with Lorelle was supposed to be a distraction for her. So, in a round about way, they were both getting what they wanted out of the other, though Meville simply had a larger range of what he was taking.

He let out a puff of warm air in front of him, watching as his breath condensed into a cloud of misty grey before disappearing into the semi-darkness. The initial cloud was followed by several more as Meville's interest in creating the vaporous exhalations increased with each one. Eventually, he stopped due to a slight light-headedness and the appearance of an approaching figure. Judging from her gait, the new comer was Lorelle, whom he had sent a letter to the day before asking her to meet him on a path that led to the Springs. Acquiescing to her request that he not pull any sort of surprises on her, he had divulged the location of where and when they would be going, advising her to pick up a bathing suit of some kind.

Letting his hand rise and fall in a chilled but pleased greeting, Meville offered Lorelle a smile. "Ready?"

Common | Vani

[Lorelle]

Frankly put, Lorelle was surprised to receive the letter Meville got to her. She was almost positive that he would put it off to the very last minute. Or maybe he would just randomly show up to her home and take her somewhere. It was a guess that he wouldn't do anything at all, just blow her off and not see her again till maybe a few years had gone by. So it is quite safe to say that when the letter was handed to her, she stood in utter shock for a chime. Just standing there, reading the letter over and over. It was a short letter. Not even really a letter. More of a note. It just told of where they were going, when and where to meet. Short. To the point. There was only one problem, she didn't get the letter till just a few bells before now. Something happened with whoever was charged to get it to her and it came late. Throwing Lorelle into a panic.

Even as she walks now, she is panicking somewhat. Her time to get ready had been very little. She had had no time to go and see what she could do about something to wear in the springs, which at that moment in time had been her main concern. The thoughts of going to her mother about something to wear had entered her mind, but she knew Lana would have wanted a reason. And with no other reason aside from the truth, Lorelle knew that wouldn't work. Lana never really liked Meville. Him being the reason Colton put a stop to her trying to find Lorelle a suitor. Plus, with her upcoming birthday, Lorelle has not really been on full speaking terms with her mother. Since the near end of summer she really hasn't talked to her all that much. So asking for help with wardrobe probably wouldn't have been her best idea.

In the end, Lorelle was stuck in her normal clothes. Besides, that really didn't matter right? The point was to spend time with Meville. See what would come of his trying to fix what happened with his "present" at the library two days ago. A shiver is sent through Lorelle's back. The glass bird is still very clear in her mind. It was a pretty little thing. What a shame it fell to its demise. It could have made someone a nice decoration. Anyone but Lorelle. Well, maybe not. She probably could have grown used to it, had she forced herself. Still it wasn't the most pleasant of gifts. Sure, she could have gone about a turning it down differently. Might have saved its glass life. At the time though, she was more focused on pushing it away than anything else.

Lorelle can see Meville's figure now. It is dark out with Syna's light already having gone down. The lights from the Aurora however, make bright enough to see things clearly. Just in a darker light. The Vantha walks calmly, her hair braided up on her head so it stays out of her face and off her shoulders. Flakes of white snow get pushes into her face, making her wince as the cold touches her skin before melting. It is cold, as it always is, but not uncomfortably so. Still, the warmth of the springs will be a nice. Even if she only turns out putting her feet in. It will depend upon whether or not she decides in the moment to get her clothes wet.

Lorelle gives Meville a greeting smile as she sees the motion his hand makes. She nods softly to his words, close enough now to hear him. She takes a couple more steps, now only a few feet away from him before nodding again. "Yes, I am ready," she assures him, a soft smile still lingering on her lips. She pulls a hand out of her pocket, motioning in front of her. "Lead the way."

[Meville Brightshade]

She certainly appeared prepared for the springs. Her hair was done up in a wavy knot upon her head, a safe place for it to remain dry even should she go so far as to submerge herself up to her neck. Lorelle's face, however, retained her usual, reserved shield Meville had become accustomed to breaking through. Tonight, perhaps, could be different, as he was tiptoeing over a very delicate sheath of ice over a vast sea of turbulent emotion. Though maybe hyperbole in metaphor, Meville had decided their little outing was going to remain as tame as he could manage. As a distraction, Meville excelled at maintaining Lorelle's focus through his various antics and off-kilter soliloquies, however, tonight would determine just what they were to each other: friends or passing acquaintances.

Meville had never really had friends before. He'd been friendly towards people who were often friendly back, but the symbiotic relationship between two people who both invested and gained in equal amounts (through different means) was lacking in his life. His had been a parasitic life, in fact, it still was. There was no shame in it, and Meville did not particularly find issue with his current lifestyle and treatment of humanity and its peers, but still the proposition of a potential "friend" was interesting enough for him to truly devote himself to the effort of making one. Maintaining a friendship, however, was a bridge he would cross when it was made, assuming it even could be made. His capricious, manipulative nature made such things as reciprocation and empathy a bit more difficult to come by. Thus, tonight, Meville had invested a large amount of his mental cogitations towards the ambiguous creature known as "friendship".

Nodding at Lorelle, Meville's hand twitched slightly, as if it were going to reach out and take hers to lead, but it remained where it hung, the twitch obviously receiving a very prompt command that it remain where it was. With a little chuckle, he turned to face the small incline that led back to the Springs. It was a short walk, but Meville found the silence to be too mundane, though not entirely uncomfortable. "The Aurora is bright tonight." Ironically, the sentence was one he'd read in several Vani books. To the average foreigner, apparently "The Aurora is bright tonight" was a common phrase. To Meville, however, who'd lived his entire life in Avanthal, the sentence actually meant something, rather than just flailing about, trying to start a conversation in a language only partially known. Usually, the Lights were bright enough to light the way for those still out and about in the dead of night, but tonight they illuminated the world with their gentle, wavering glow while still allowing for the darkness of the night to dance beside it. Unable to quite express his particular thoughts on the matter, Meville continued with an enthusiastic, though lamely stated "It is pretty."

Common | Vani

[Lorelle]

The silence was torture. It leaves to much room for thinking. Worrying about what this night will bring. If it was a mistake to come at all so unprepared. To continue to spend her time with this man she hasn’t seen since the morning after their night together two and half years ago? The spiral of thought continued without end. She keeps second guessing herself and hesitating to decide whether or not to go through with this. She could still turn. Make up some excuse to leave and not come back. Push him away from her. However, she doesn’t want to do that. No, as much as she hates to admit it, she does feel something towards him. What that something is, she doesn’t quite know. Could be just a simple interest to get to know him better. Unlock his secrets and figure him out. Learn all there is to learn, if anything at all. Or it could be something different. Maybe she sees someone she could learn to trust, to let get close to her. Though, she doubts that one. She doesn’t let people get close to her. People being close means people wanting to know who she is and how she thinks. It means getting to her heart and her deepest emotions. Making her vulnerable. Something she just enjoy being.

”The aurora is bright tonight.” Meville’s words make Lorelle smirk lightly. She looks to the ground, continuing to walk. Such a common, yet true phrase. It is bright. “I agree, though, it is always bright,” she points out, looking to him. He then speaks of how it is pretty. That makes Lorelle’s smirk melt into a small smile. She looks up at it. The lights dance across the sky in a vibrant array of colors. It moves and shines as if it is alive. “Pretty, isn’t the right word,” she says softly, “It is more than that. Much more. No word can describe it.” She looks to Meville, wondering what is running through his head. He is so different than any one she has ever experienced so far in her life. In ways that is a good thing, in other ways it isn’t. Every time she is around him something seems to happen. Not always bad, but not always good either. Mixed. Everything with him is mixed. Hopefully tonight won’t be so mixed. Lorelle find herself wanting tonight to be a good experience with light and enjoyable energy. No deep questions or breaking of the emotional barriers. However, with Meville, that probably won’t happen. He seems to have a knack for getting to act as she normally wouldn’t.

Lorelle keeps her eyes focused on the rode before them now. She is able to see the faint blue glow of the springs now. It won’t take long to get to them now. “We are almost there,” the Vantha suddenly feels the pain of stupidity twist in her stomach. What a silly thing to point out. Surely he can see just as well as she can that they are not far from the springs now. She sighs softly. It must be nerves. Right? She is probably just nervous. Perfectly normal. Right? Another thing she can’t be sure about. Normally she would be fine. Just say whatever she wants and not care what others think. However, with Meville she does care. For some unknown reason she doesn’t want to turn him away. He is important enough to care about what he thinks of her. And even though what she has said isn’t really all that embarrassing, it still makes her feel silly. She rolls her eyes at herself. Not something she should feel silly about it. Shrugging it off, she pulls in front of him and takes over the lead.

The Vantha woman picks up the pace a bit, wanting to get to the pools but also wanting a moment to clear her head. To rid herself of these goofy nerves. Of all people, Meville is not someone to be nervous around. She knows this. Yet, it seems that the more she cares about someone and what they think of her, the more nervous she is around that person. Though, Meville is really the only one who this is true for. Not exactly enough to say there is evidence to prove it as a true statement. Still, it feels true. Lorelle climbs the rest of the way to the springs. They look just has she remembers from the last time she was here, which truthfully feels like forever ago. There are six pools, set up so that when one floods it spills into the one next to it. Lorelle finds herself wondering if hey have all been flooded at once. Making the effect look like a that of a fountain. Only five pools are open. Once has been closed off by the elders because of it being some sort of portal of communication to the Spires. Lorelle isn’t sure she believes that it actually works, but that isn’t for her to say really. She won’t be going against any elders anytime soon.

She looks back to Meville, waiting for him to catch up to her. She isn’t sure if he has a specific pool in mind or what he wants to do. there is no one else here at the moment so they will have the springs to themselves. For now at least. Now that they are here, Lorelle is a bit nervous. She isn’t sure what she wants to do. No, she knows what she wants to do. She wants to get in. She just doesn’t have the clothes for it. She sighs softly. Crossing her arms over her chest, she waits for Meville to lead the way. It seems that she is much better being a follower than a leader. It is easier. No being responsible or accountable. Free to do as she pleases with no consequences. At least, that is what she tells herself. Whether it is true or not, well, that is in the eye of the beholder.

[Meville Brightshade]

Lorelle's response took Meville by surprise. Usually, that was what happened when he was with Lorelle: he couldn't ever predict what sort of thing she might do next. At that moment, however, his usual grin softened along with eyes as he joined in with her gaze at the dancing, hypnotic lights before them. "Pretty" certainly wasn't the proper word, but though Lorelle had said something to the extent that no words could ever describe the night lights in the sky, the subtle awe and appreciation in her tone was a closer explanation of the lights as any. Meville stopped for a moment, his soft blue eyes bobbing up and down with the undulating waves of the Aurora above him. Often, he wondered what exactly he was doing in Avanthal. There really was very little reason for him to continue living there other than the fact that it was all he'd really ever known. Yet, on a night when the Aurora shone so brightly, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of pride for the snowy city that had housed him for so long.

Lorelle's voice snapped his attention back to the moment at hand. His soft smile was replaced my a mirth filled grin as Lorelle's face twitch into a slight look of disgust at her more than obvious statement. It only lasted a moment, but Meville tended to be quick on the uptake when it came to things such as that. Where it came from, however, he could only guess, which he felt was more effort than it was worth. Their track record suggested he'd find out sooner or later, so there was little point in putting forth extra effort to attain information that was most likely going to be given or discovered in good time. Skipping up the slope to fall into step with Lorelle, Meville glanced back to the sky. In a way, he supposed life was like the lights that danced about when the sun had faded. Some shone bright while others were almost unnoticeable, yet without all the lights in their entirety, the beauty would be that much diminished. It was a strange thought that sat awkwardly in Meville's mind, tinging his face with the look of having ingesting something unexpectedly bitter.

By the time he let his focus trend more forward, Lorelle had pulled ahead, walking at a slightly faster pace. Seeing as the night was intended to make her happy - a very rare breed of kindness on Meville's part -, he opted to allow her the space she apparently required, though not without making a mental note of it. Perhaps it had something to do with her previous hint of something more beneath her typically cool exterior. Whatever the reason, Meville decided he could use the time to recheck his finger tips and nose to make sure they were still attached. Not having the mark of Morwen in a city constantly below freezing was a bit of a hassle, but for whatever reason he'd never actually gone to ask for one. Meville wasn't even sure if humans were allowed the mark, even if they had lived in the city such as he had done. He'd never quite made up his mind to ask about it, thus he'd continued markless for the entirety of his life. On a night such as the present, Meville regretted his inaction.

With a glance from Lorelle, Meville trotted up to where she was standing, overlooking the pools. He gazed down, not very surprised there wasn't anyone else around. The night wasn't the typical time to come to the springs, but Meville had chosen that particular time so that it would be all the more relaxing in solitude rather than community. From her stance, Meville had the feeling she expected him to lead the way. Unfortunately for Meville - and Lorelle by association -, he didn't really have any idea what he should do. The obvious end point was to be in one of the pools, relaxing in the heated, scented waters. The proper way to get into them, however? Meville chewed on his lower lip as he looked back into Lorelle's expectant face with his own uncertain frown.

Deciding action was better than inaction, Meville nodded, turning to glare down at the pools before them. The very last pool was roped off and for good reason. So, that left five pools. Stepping forward, Meville made his way down to the third pool, figuring it was a good enough distance from the "entrance" of the pools that if anyone did pass by they wouldn't feel intruded upon but close enough that it wasn't that far of a walk. In the short amount of time it took to get there, Meville opened his mouth to say something but stopped, choosing instead to yawn.

When they had reached the edge of the pool, Meville tossed off his clothes with little effort having perfected the art of quickly removing anything that was restricting him at the time. With an excited smile, he turned to Lorelle, "Shall we?". Usually his undergarments would have been included in the initial undressal, but seeing as Lorelle had already expressed how she struggled with what they'd done several years ago, Meville thought it best to at least keep himself semi-covered. Once his skin was fully exposed to the elements, he wasted no time in slipping into the water. It was much hotter than he'd expected. With his chilled fingers and feet, the heat of the water assaulted him from all sides burning straight into his brain.

Letting out a panicked yelp, Meville threw himself out of the water and back onto the cold snow of the ground. In the process, his undergarments had not been able to remain upon his figure as he catapulted himself from the fiery waters he'd so naively dived into. He pulled his legs up, partially concealing himself while still struggling with the extreme cold of the air around him and what should have been the soothing waters below him. Usually, Meville wouldn't have minded being naked with another person. It wasn't the sort of thing he was ashamed of. However, for the same reason he had kept his underwear on, Meville now frowned apologetically at Lorelle. "That blasted water is for the boiling of squid and seaweed soup. Gods I was not prepared for that." Shaking his head some, Meville spoke again in Vani, this time addressing Lorelle with more of an apology. "Water is hot."

Common | Vani

[Lorelle]

Lorelle watches with crossed arms and slightly raised eyebrows as Meville makes his way to the third pool. She follows him at a slower pace, watching him. She isn’t sure what is going to happen here. Other than getting in the pools, she is completely in the dark. Not exactly somewhere she is comfortable with being. As Meville begins taking off his clothing, Lorelle’s cheeks involuntarily grow a faint shade of red. She bites her bottom lip softly, turning her gaze away. Her currently pink eyes dash around and look at anything that is not Meville. The blonde boy’s voice brings her eyes back to look at him though. She stares at him a moment, his goofy excited smile making her feel even more nervous. A sigh escapes her throat before she nods. “Ready as I will ever be,” she tells him before she watches him get in.

Just as soon as his body hits the water, he is back out. Lorelle is very confused as to what has just happened for she wasn’t paying any attention to him. To focused on herself and deciding what to take off. Her eyes stare at his figure for a tick or two till she realizes that his undergarments have slide of his body in the water. Her stomach suddenly jolts and she gasps before turning. “That ... um ... you should be more careful,” she struggles the words out. She squeezes her eyes shut and then open, aggravated with herself. While her mind and emotions are going crazy, she feels guilty. He is probably freezing now, even if the water was hot, and she can’t get over her childish actions. It isn’t like she hasn’t seen his body before. However, this is different. She wasn’t exactly in her right mind that night. Or the morning after for that matter. She clenches her fists, turning slowly.

She looks at his crumpled body on the ground. He has shifted so that he isn’t fully exposed. That is helpful. The Vantha swallows. “It isn’t what one would call hot,” she says, looking away from his form, “Maybe when you jump into it like that. Take it slowly.” She turns once more, walking towards the pool. She takes a breath before crouching down in the snow. She removes her boots and her socks. Her coat is shed off next along with her pants. She leaves on her shirt and undergarments. She sits down on the moss, dipping her toes into the water. It is a welcomed warmth. Even a Vantha with a gnosis mark gets cold when exposed to the wintery element surrounding them. “See, slowly. Not so fast, not so much of a surprise. Not as hot,” she says, sliding her legs in. She turns and looks at him once more. She motions with her head for him to come over.

“You may want to consider coming back and taking it more slowly this time. You are probably freezing over there. The last thing we need is for you to have to rely on me to get you to the infirmary because of frostbite or some other such illness,” she points out. She turns and looks back to the pool. She reaches her legs farther in, fishing for those undergarments of his. She would really rather Meville have them on. Just something that would make her way more comfortable. The fabric brushes against her right foot. She curls her toes forward, trying to grab the garment. No such luck. Sighing, she moves her foot. She tries again only to push the piece of clothe farther away from her. Groaning, she props herself up on the palms of her hands that are in the moss now and reaches down farther. The water is up to her waist now, just brushing against the hem of her shirt.

Lorelle fishes for the human’s undergarment with her foot. She keeps trying to grab it with her toes. It takes some effort and a good chime before it is finally in her grasp. She pulls up her leg and tries desperately not to drop the garment before it is close enough to take in her hand. The childish feeling of being grossed out by such a garment comes back to her. She swallows hard and tries to shake it off before looking to wherever Meville is. “Here,” she says, tossing the garment in his direction. She turns back to the pool, sitting back on the moss so only about half of her legs are submerged in the water. “Once those are on, come accompany me. Slowly. No need to you bouncing out and into the snow again.” Her tone is blunt and demanding, but not harsh. She does truly hope no damage has been done to his fragile body. That would be most unpleasant and bring an end to this sort of “date” they find themselves on. It would also mean she would have to take care of him getting back to health and that would be less than pleasant. She is no good when it comes to being a comforter and healer. Getting him to the infirmary wouldn’t be a nice experience for either of them and could very possibly end with him loosing a limb or two.

A shiver runs up Lorelle’s spin. No. No limb loosing necessary here. In fact, it would be good if it didn’t happen. She isn’t so mean that she would wish that upon a person. She cringes. What would a wound like that even look like? Thinking about it makes her cringe even more. Wounds are not something she is accustom to looking at. In fact, they make her quite squeamish if she doesn’t make herself focus and forget about what is happening. Separating her actions from emotions. “Your body parts are all in tact, correct? No frozen limbs or any medical attention needed. Please tell me this is the case. I really don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Not on my watch anyway.” She looks to him when she is done speaking, waiting for a reply and desperately hoping that they can just move on from this little event of stupidity and awkwardness. Maybe even pretend it never happened. Yes, pretend it never happened. That would be most ideal.

[Meville Brightshade]

Meville gave Lorelle a little shrug when she warned him to be a bit more careful. He'd already done it, but he supposed he wouldn't be doing it again, concern or not. She seemed to take his nudity about as well as he figured she would, causing a slight tinge of unhappiness at having already botched their outing up, but Meville wasn't one to dwell on the past. Instead, he devoted his attention to Lorelle who continued on to explain that the best way to enter the pools was not with haste but hesitation. It seemed straightforward, though his shivering body was still a bit wary of what had seemed the scalding water. Allowing Lorelle to test the waters before him, Meville hunched up against the cold, keeping his teeth from chattering by pushing his jaw down against his knees.

As she undressed, Meville respectfully looked upwards back to the lights above them. It was certainly a bit of chore, trying to be a bit more civilized and controlled. He wasn't really sure he'd be able to hold out much longer, especially with things going the way they were. He enjoyed being around Lorelle, teasing and testing her. Refraining from doing so just didn't feel natural at all. Chewing on his bottom lip, Meville wondered if that was how the average sort of person constantly felt.

His eyes flicked down from the sky as Lorelle spoke again, slowly sliding herself into the pool. She now wore much less clothing, appearing much like he imagined she might if she were alone in her room relaxing. At her beckon, Meville scooted along the moss until he was at the edge of the pool, glaring warily down at the slightly steaming liquid. Lorelle expressed concern over his physical well being to which he responded in a slightly disgruntled tone, "Frostbite would be... not good." After which he offered a reassuring smile that he was not, in fact, in danger of having his limbs fall off quite yet.

Lorelle turned then, apparently distracted by something. Meville decided with Lorelle no longer looking directly at him he might as well attempt resubmerging himself. With similar, though not nearly so graceful movements as Lorelle, he lowered himself once more into the pool. At first, the same burning sensation shot through his nerves, but having seen Lorelle complete the task with little discomfort, he persevered. His curious blue gaze was fixated on Lorelle's rather queer movements about the pond. As he finally managed slide his entire body into the pool, welcoming the now pleasant warmth, Lorelle raised herself up on her hands to better reach whatever she was playing with with her foot. As her leg popped out of the water with his undergarments precariously gripped by her toes, Meville couldn't help but laugh. Apparently not quite as amused, Lorelle quickly snatched them up and tossed them over to him. He gave her a little wink followed by a happy "Thanks!" before sliding them on under the water.

Once decent, Meville followed Lorelle's instructions, shuffling over so only his head was above the water's surface. The outside air was much colder on his soaked skin, and he didn't really have any intention of subjugating himself to more cold than was entirely necessary. As he neared her, her face seemed preoccupied with something morbid or at least uncomfortable. Before he could inquire what kind of thought might elicit such emotion, she once more expressed concern for his well being.

A impish grin spread over his face, glinting in his eyes. "You are worrying for me?" He chuckled some, bobbing closer. "Have little fear, I am not in much danger." Settling down slight off to the side of her while still remaining in the deeper part of the pool, he finished with "Much warmer now."

He let out a little sigh, realizing Lorelle probably had no idea why he'd chosen the springs for their little date. At first, he'd hoped she'd just be pleased that things were relatively normal and unsurprising, but that didn't seem to be much of the case. Instead, he ran his hands through his hair, wetting it some with the water and immediately regretting it. "The springs were supposed to being relaxing." Giving her an apologetic sigh, Meville looked back up to the sky, wincing slightly as his now chilled hair brushed against his face. "I do not thinking 'relax' is something I am good at."

Common | Vani

[Lorelle]

Lorelle smiles softly before shaking her head. “No,” she agrees, “relaxing is not something you are good at.” He is more like a small child, unable to stand still and savor the moment before moving onto the next time. In some ways that is an endearing quality about him, but in most ways it is rather annoying. Children can only be tolerated for so long before one wants to rid themselves of being in their path. Meville isn’t so bad that Lorelle wants to never see him again. Irritation sets in easily though when he is around. In effort to keep the mood light and free of anger, Lorelle keeps the soft smile on her lips. She looks up to the sky, watching the dancing lights. “I am truly glad that you are not frozen,” she says truthfully, “though, I find it a bit of a miracle that you haven’t frozen in the however many years you have lived here. It seems like a rather impossible task to achieve when one is without a Gnosis gift from our goddess, Morwen.” Lorelle’s words pause a moment before she shrugs. She sits up and looks to him. He will be cold when he gets out. She knows that much. In fact, he is probably cold now. It makes her feel guilty for having the Gnosis mark. She will still be cold when she draws her legs out of the comfortably warm water, but it won’t be close to what he feels.

Pursing her lips slightly, Lorelle looks down. She doesn’t look at him as she thinks before speaking. “Why do you stay here?” she asks, “I mean, how much enjoyment can it really bring you to be freezing all the time?” Sometime between the end of her first question and the middle of the second, the Vantha looks at the human in the water. He is so very ordinary yet exotic at the same time. The tall, wiry body. The blonde hair and solid blue eyes that never change. He is strange, yes. The girl notices now the unknown markings on his shoulders that are hard to see under the surface of the water. What are those? She isn’t sure and she doesn’t know that she wants to find out. His body is really not all that strange for a human, it is the personality. The way he acts and speaks. Sometimes anyway. Not always. It makes Lorelle wonder if something has happened to him out here and if so, what? What could do that? She does not know of the magic he practices or the secrets he keeps to himself. Only what she has seen and been told in the moments she has known him have told her anything about him.

Lorelle looks down at the blue water before shaking her head. She sighs softly before putting her hands behind her head. She sinks back and lays with her back on the moss. The top of her head just barely reaches the snow that surrounds. The Vantha is quiet for a few ticks. She just takes in all that is around her. It is peaceful here. Relaxing isn’t so hard. Might be easier in the water but Lorelle doesn’t want to take her shirt off and getting it wet doesn’t sound like a smart idea. She will just have to talk to Meville from where she is. “Meville,” she starts, “What exactly do you see me as? I see you as more than an acquaintance but not yet quite a good friend. Maybe somewhere in the middle. Then at other times, I have this unwanted desire to make sure you are somewhat safe. Like with the frostbite thing. I was worried. Yes selfishly for me and my desire to not have to drag you to the infirmary. But also for you. I find such feelings strange...” Her voice trails off as she shakes her head. She turns her head and lets her eyes fall on the sky to the right of her.

“Never mind,” Lorelle says, unsure of where she is going with that question. There is silence from Lorelle for awhile. She just stares at the sky, contemplating what to say or do first. A feeling nags away at her stomach. A question burned on her mind. She wishes to not ask it though. She is afraid of the answer and has been since the morning after their night together two years ago. The question has been coming and going since then. Right now though, it is strong in her mind. Hard to resist. The Vantha groans before shifting. Not a comfortable position. Grimacing, she turns on the opposite side. Not comfortable either. Turns out this moss is nice to sit on. Apparently not so nice to lay on with only half her body. “There is something I need to ask you,” she announces, laying back flat on her back. Her eyes stare at the stars as she thinks up the words. “Something that has been bugging me for a long while now. Even though I know it really shouldn’t matter. And it doesn't all that much anymore. But it used to matter. It mattered a lot.” Sighing, she sits up.

Lorelle looks to Meville, searching for his eyes. “I have a lot of questions about that night two years ago. I have since two years ago, but this ... it was important to me those years ago. At seventeen it was the one question I wanted an answer to,” she bites her lip softly. Her eyes travel away from him. She looks to the water. To the moss surrounding the pool. To the snow surrounding everything. Anywhere but his eyes.

“Meville,” she starts, slowly turning back to look at him. Will he take this seriously or as a joke? Will he laugh it off and pretend or give her what she wants? She isn’t even sure of that. “Answer honestly, okay?” she looks down to the pool suddenly before going ahead and asking. “That night two years ago, the one we met... Was I your first?” she asks, referring to what happened after they were forced to leave the tavern. Lorelle quickly glances up back into his eyes. Hers are soft and vulnerable for once. A moment where she isn’t being guarded in her emotions but being serious and needing to know. There were other questions she could have asked, but this one was the question that she sat on her bed pondering those years ago after it all had happened. She had never forgotten about it, just pushed it out of her mind. Till now that is. The Vantha swallows before adding one last thing.

“I ask because, well Meville, you were mine. My first.”

[Meville Brightshade]

Meville hugged his knees to his chest, blowing little bubbles in the water as Lorelle spoke. Her concern was something Meville had yet to become used to. People were rarely a source of meaningful affection for him, rather they were a means to an end, entertainment so to speak. Lorelle, however, didn't quite fit into his usual categorization of people. She was different, and in some ways that was appealing. In most ways, however, it was more confusing than anything. She cared about him in her own way, but the simple fact of her caring was not enough to satiate the "why" behind it. He wasn't so much suspicious of it as he was just uncomfortable. He had little idea how to respond to it.

Her question about his markless existence in the frozen north brought a little grin to Meville's slightly downcast face. There was a question he'd been asking himself for quite some time now. Why, exactly, he didn't know. It probably had something to do with him having grown up here his entire life, but Meville couldn't be certain. He never really was when it came to personal matters, aside from, of course, focusing on things around him rather than those within him. Even now, Meville was much more focused on Lorelle than his own thoughts, observing her own examination of his person, however casually, and wondering just what she was thinking. Her gaze lingered for a moment over his shoulders where the glyphs had been tattooed onto his body, sending a slight shiver of nervousness down his spine. Usually, he didn't worry about people noticing the markings, as he was customarily bundled up in whatever fabric he could wrap himself in. He hadn't even stopped to consider he might be giving away his magical background by going to the pools until just then.

Averting his gaze from Lorelle to avoid visual contact, Meville instead chewed on his lip as he stared down at his rippling hands beneath the surface of the water. As for the question she'd asked, he didn't really have an answer for her, and she didn't seem entirely set upon his response. There was something else lingering in her voice that suggested she were only passing time, trying to decide whether or not she should act upon whatever was bothering her. Giving her a placid smile, Meville simply offered her a generic, "Avanthal is my home. I do not have other place to go, I think." There was truth to his words, but not in its entirety. He could leave. Nothing really tethered him to the city other than his own weaknesses, which could be overcome with the proper company. Still, he lingered.

Lorelle seemed content enough with his response, choosing to lay back and contemplate the stars for a while. Meville returned to blowing little, quiet bubbles in the steamy water, not wanting to break her train of thought, choosing instead to enjoy the calming scents and sensations around him. He worked very hard to avoid thinking about what he was going to do when they left the toasty sanctuary in favor of their own homes. Sprinting between structures seemed the most logical way to get back home without suffering from extensive frostbite. He frowned slightly, a bit perturbed that he had not thought to think through his little night outing very well. It appeared he'd been nervous enough about it to forget important details such as compensation for freezing weather. Silly.

Lorelle's next question brought fourth a mixture of surprise, confusion, and a hint of amusement from the young blonde. His thoughtful expression shifted towards a more impish kind of interest. She had such a strange way of approaching subjects: bluntly expressing a thought, then amending it with asides and verbalized thoughts to make it seem more acceptable in her eyes. In a way, it reminded him a bit of his own sort of interrogations, though much more lyrical as Vani tended to do. She trailed off, apparently loosing whatever steam she'd managed to accumulate during the short silence between the two of them. Meville allowed her her respite, as he'd already decided the night was for her, not for him. Though he certainly did feel a bit of an itch to poke and prod at her garbled line of inquiry, Meville found her to be a bit more vulnerable than she usually allowed herself to be around him. If that was an indication she was trying harder than usual to be "companionly", Meville thought it at least fair he not badger her for it.

So, instead of saying any sort of snide remark insinuating she were infatuated with him or something of the like, he let her gaze rise to the sky once more, allowing her a bit more time with her thoughts. It was not very characteristic of him to remain silent when asked a question - especially one such as the prior - but, again, Meville didn't really have much of a satisfactory answer for her. What was she really to him? A friend? Most likely. He didn't have many people he considered "friends", but even those whom he did enjoy associating with were different than Lorelle. They were much more casual, relaxing. With Lorelle, it was exciting, unpredictable. Then there were times, such as now, when she was so introspective it made deciphering what she was trying to say a hair shy of impossible. She was an enigma, and he said so through the bubbles, creating a sort of humming gurgle rather than an actual response.

Once more she spoke, this time she remained flat on her back, her words rising up into the night sky rather than directly towards him. They were not the sort of words Meville found calming or inviting. His head raised out of the water some as his face found a more stoic expression. When she sat up to gaze at him, Meville met it, but not with his usual, bright eyed grin. Instead, his blue eyes held a sort of grey overtone, his lips set into a slightly curved line toward the water below him. Serious business called for a serious demeanor which - though many would have thought it beyond the young man's capabilities - Meville very rarely employed. Lorelle seemed as though it were every bit as important as her words implied, and if she truly wanted his honest response as she'd said, he wasn't going to sugar it up any.

The actual question hit him like a Jamoura's fist flying right through his face. He felt his face escape any an all control his mind had over it; his eyes widened, his jaw dropped slightly, and a slight sound that was somewhere between a "huh" and a squeak trickled from his lips before he was able to regain reign over himself. With the initial shock dealt with, the one predominate feeling that saturated his mind was mirth. That was what she had been so worked up about? He couldn't even imagine the sort of cogitations that precluded such a trivial thing. Though his mind laughed at her inquiry, his face remained stoic as his eyes drank in her almost ashamed posture. Whether or not he believed it a silly thing, Lorelle held it most high. His answer, regardless of truth, would certainly decide quite a bit between the two of them, though he had no idea which one would spark what.

Allowing himself to breath and think, Meville resisted the temptation to ask if he'd been any good. Such a masochistic remark would certainly do nothing but land him a good thrashing with either fist or emotional barrage that it was barely even worth considering. So, instead he frowned. He frowned for several reasons, the first being that the answer to her question was "no". There were a myriad of other reasons, but at the heart of the matter lay the answer he was sure she didn't want him to respond with, yet she'd explicitly stated he should be truthful. With each passing moment, Meville knew his hesitation would only land in into more of a mess, so without wasting too much time, he sighed, giving her an unwonted look of sadness, allowing her the chance to meet his eyes should she wish.

"Miridia Coolwater." If she wanted honesty, he'd give it as a sign of good faith. What she wanted to do with it was her own prerogative, and though he truly wished he could weave a happy little lie, for once in his life he knew he would have felt unbelievably guilty. This way, he could accept whatever decision Lorelle chose to make with the information he gave her. "I was sixteen." Unsure whether to share more, Meville lamely stated, "So... No."

The night was going about as well as could be predicted from their previous interactions.

Common | Vani

[Lorelle]

Lorelle sits there, frozen in her position. She doesn’t say anything at first, just stares at him. Would it have been better had he lied or joked about it? Does knowing the truth change everything? As multichanging eyes stare into solid blue ones, Lorelle knows the answer. No. It changes nothing.

A small smile slowly crawls onto her face. “You were honest for once,” she says softly. She looks down to her legs, moving them under the water. “It hurts, knowing the truth,” she admits, “but it feels good to know that you have told it. So thank you. For that.” She looks back up to him, her smile growing. She isn’t sure why, but she is happy. Like she has finally made a break through. A huge relief has been handed to her as the burning question falls from her shoulders. She feels a bit crazy at the smile on her face and the small laugh that rings through the air soon after she thanks him. However, she can’t help it. For once, it feels good for knowing the truth instead of what she wanted to hear.

Looking around, she tries to think of what else to do as her smile fades. It feels as though the conversation has been dropped off at an awkward point. Turning back to Meville, she bites her lower lip softly. “Alright, your turn,” she challenges, “ask me a question you have been wanting to ask. Or a random one you can think up.” She raises one of her legs up out of the water slightly before feeling the sharp chill of the air on the wet skin. Grimacing, she quickly slides the leg back into the warm water. Getting out of the water will be torture. They really have not thought this through. No towels or anything warm to help them transition back to their clothes. What stupidity they have acted with tonight. Seeing Meville though, almost submerged by the water makes Lorelle feel sorry for him.

There it is again. Those feelings for Meville and his well being. The thought makes Lorelle’s stomach twist. She doesn’t want to care. Not about him. Sighing, she waits for his question, trying to push away the thoughts of his being cold. Still, her mind tries to think up some solutions to the problem. She can’t help it. She still doesn’t want him to freeze. In the end she will help and knowing that feels like a fist in the gut.

“You should leave Avanthal Meville,” Lorelle finally says out of the blue, whether or not he has asked his question already. Shrinking back slightly, she feels foolish. Her eyes turn towards a pink shade to show it. “I mean, its freezing here. It can’t be safe,” she says, “I don’t know why, but my emotions and mind have seemed to decide that I care about your well being. Staying here ... I just don’t think freezing is a good idea.” Sighing, she looks down at the water. “I know you say this is your home, but you can always find a new home. Home is wherever you want it to be.” She bites her lip softly. She doesn’t want to be here anymore either. Not with her almost being twenty and no longer eligible for marriage here in this land.

“This has always been home to me as well, but lately it doesn’t feel like it,” she tells him, “I think I have brought up wanting to leave to you before, but I think you should think about it. Leaving. It would be safer I think. Maybe not the journey. But being somewhere warmer. Yes, safer.” Another sigh escapes her as she looks back up to him. She bites her lip again, looking around before letting her eyes settle on his. “Would you go if you could?” she asks softly, feeling as thought her thoughts keep jumping from place to place within the same subject matter. ”Would you go if you could Lorelle?” she asks herself. The answer is yes. She would leave in a heartbeat.