Completed The Hills are Alive (Black, Aoren)

[Jadlin Hayes]

OOC - continued from here. 80th Day of Summer, 514 Jad needed to celebrate. Truly, it was a need. His time in the Wave Guard headquarters building had left him rattled. It was true he was relieved that he'd been acquitted of the suspicions against him. But only at the cost of a new victim, murdered while he was incarcerated, thereby proving he had not been behind the rash of "Mage Silencer" slayings. So his feedom, as well as his life, had been purchased at the cost of another's. A celebratory attitude was going to be hard to come by, but it felt like a necessity now. As well, it hung as a cloud over his spirit that he, too, was a mage of sorts. Not a powerful one by any means. But he'd not really looked into what the capabilities of the previous victims had been. Now that some degree of attention had been focused on him, he worried that the villain might just feel like focusing his own attention on him. He felt like getting out of town for the day. Black would most certainly agree. She had voiced this concern several times already. Besides, Black was clearly happy to see him when he got out. He was glad he'd made it back to The Grotto before she saw the state he was in. It was not that he'd been beaten or anything, not seriously anyway. But he'd not been able to wash or change, and the fear of execution had been allowed to fester in his spirit the entire time. He'd been a nervous wreck. He did not want her marching up to Lieutenant Severik and going off on him. It was an understandable mistake. Their job was not easy, and Jad wanted very much to be among those that demonstrated appreciation for it. But for now he thought that he and Black could use a day away. The manhunt going on was a constant reminder. A nice hike and picnic would do the trick. He went to the General Store and picked up some apples, carrots and cheese, as well a dozen eggs, a loaf of bread and some butter. He decided to splurge and bought a bottle of fine wine. He then picked up a large beechwood basket to carry everything in, and went by the Fish Market, buying two helpings of the grilled Horned sand fish that came highly recommended. He mentioned his picnic project, and a nearby woman advised him to buy some of what she had acquired from the Snowpea Patch, promising success if he'd let her give him some tips. So he purchased a bag of the signature peas, and a quarter pound of both bacon and raisins. The woman then went to work, and Jad was astounded to see the unique usages she had for some of the otherwise unrecognizable implements she employed. One of them looked sort of like a wide, dull knife, with a wide slot in the middle of it. The inner edges were what was sharp, and if Jad hadn't seen how fast this gadget reduced carrots to shavings, he'd have thought it a complete waste of metal. It worked on apples nearly as well, though she only shaved a few of those. But not until she had jabbed this tubular device into them from where the stem poked out to remove the cores like magic. She then instructed Jad to chop the "cored" apples, as she called them, as well as a portion of the cheese. He was not about to refuse. She hovered over him as he cooked the bacon, stepping in with a "tsk, tsk"when she could see he was going to overcook it. She set aside a few of the eggs, and put him to boiling the rest. She was very secretive about what she did with the ones she set aside, but by the time he was done shelling his, she set down a bowl full of some kind of cream confection. Jad was skeptical, but when he tasted what it did for the blend of the chopped apples, shaved carrots and raisins; as well as the peas, bacon and cheese, he deferred to her expertise. She demonstrated this further when she cut the eggs in half and scooped out the yolks. Jad again reigned in his skepticism as she took her "miracle" cream and mixed it with the yolks to whip it up and scoop helpings back into each white half where the original yolk had been. She topped the crowns of whipped yolks with some sort of reddish spice. She didn't charge him for the creamy confection, probably because his eggs had been used to make it, nor for the red spice, but she did advise him to buy two large pots to keep the two "salads" in, and a tray for the eggs. Jad began to insist that he had cooking gear that would serve, but the look of disappointment on her face gave him to reconsider. her bowls were decorative and had fitted wooden lids, with straps to keep them secure. The tray was also made with custom insets and a cover to keep the eggs in place. Jad relented and added the cost of these items to his expenditures. Which had become not inconsiderable. But it was forgotten by the time he reached "The Grotto" to announce to Black the day's excursion into the nearby foothills. picnicI'm guessing on some of this. 2 lb. apples 2 gm 3 oz. carrots 3 gm 1 lb. cheese 1 sm 1 doz. eggs 1 gm Bread & butter 2 cm, 1 sm fine wine 10 gm basket 3 sm fish 5 sm 1 bag snowpeas 5 sm 1/4 lb. bacon 1 gm 1/4 lb. raisins 3 sm custom crockery 3 gm TOTAL 21 gm, 8 sm, 2 cm

[Black Onyx]

Black had been beating herself up, ever since Jadlin had returned back from incarceration. She had taken one day off from watching over him, just to go off to scout around the city. When he hadn't returned the day after they had faced off the thugs, she had instantly become worried and had searched the city and alleys for Jadlin, just in case they had decided to kill him or beat him up so badly that he couldn't move. However, he did turn back up at 'the Grotto' and she had felt so relieved, but he had already gotten himself cleaned up, so whatever that had happened to him, she just wouldn't see the evidence. If she had known that he had been locked up, she would have gone straight to the wave guards, regardless whether she would have found herself in chains and demanded that they let Jad go.

The young woman had barely slept the night that Jadlin had gotten home and she continued to have little sleep since. She just wasn't sure whether it was Zeltiva eating at her, or the simple fact that she had almost lost Jadlin to the wave guards. She had felt hopeless and continued to wonder, as she tossed and turned in a bed that no longer felt like her own, how she could better protect the male. He was all she really had when she continued to think about it, he was the only person that she had allowed herself to get close to, close enough to be able to trust him. Trust was a slim thing for a thief and ever since her parent's death, she hardly trusted anyone, the only thing that she trusted them to do, was to put a dagger in her back. Jadlin... He was different, she had felt it the moment that he had turned to chase after her as she left the store. She trusted him, to not deliver a dagger to her heart.

A groan settled upon her lips as the light from the sun, streamed into her room and she rolled onto her side before she forced herself to sit up, rubbing a hand over her pale face as if she was trying to get herself to wake up from her restless sleep. Why she still couldn't sleep when Jadlin had been released, was a mystery to her. Perhaps it was because she hadn't been with him when he had been arrested, or maybe it was because she didn't have a constant eye upon the man and it made her some-what restless not knowing whether he was ok when she wasn't around. Slowly, she made herself stand and she ran a hand through her messed up black locks before she set about getting dressed. She always slept in her undergarments, so then she was ready to just jump out of bed, throw on some clothes and be out the door when the need arose.

Today, however, her movements were slow as she dressed and pulled a brush through her hair to tame it. She sat down on the bed, after she had slipped on her black shirt and pants, to pull on her simple black boots, lacing them up with a final tug. Finally she picked up her black cloak and she tied it on before she picked up her dagger in order to tie the sheath to her belt. Once that had all been accomplished, she made her way out her door, pausing only long enough to lock it behind her and then make her way down the corridor and the set of stairs. As she made it to the bottom, she spotted Jadlin, he was... carrying a basket? Why would he be carrying a basket? Her brown hues zeroed in on the basket he was holding before her gaze flickered upwards to view the male's face. He didn't seem hurt, at least not that she could see, was there a bruise underneath his shirt? A crimson blush flooded her cheeks at this line of thought and she brushed it away as she approached him. "Jadlin! She called out, a smile curving her lips as she made her way towards him. "Hey, what have you got there?"
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[Jadlin Hayes]

There was just a hint of mischief in Jad's face as he strolled up the hallway to where the stairs would take him up to the next level, where Black had her room. But this look was more than balanced by the delight in seeing how happy SHE was to see him. She came blushing down the stairs to lock eyes with a smile. "Hey, what have you got there?" She asked him, with an eager curiosity on her face. There was just a moment of combined apprehension and relief. He covered the negative by feigning a difficulty in coming up with the word 'picnic', as he answered, "A...uh...picnic basket." he shook his head, letting the relief show. "Took me a moment to remember the word. It's been a while since I went on one." He felt foolish for his worry, but it was something he had little control over. He had something that struck him as too good to be true, too good to last. He kept expecting to see the telltale sign of her losing interest in him. He hoped that he would be able to handle it gracefully when it finally occurred. He figured that his stay in the city lock-up would prolong her interest. Such separations often seemed to make a couple more appreciative of each other...for a while anyway. He'd been touched at how upset she'd been. It had almost made it worth his incarceration. It was not that he doubted the sincerity of her affection, any more than he questioned his own. She was the best thing he'd ever had in his life. It was more his own conviction that HE would be the one to become repetitive and boring that made him think he better enjoy this good thing while it lasted. When she found someone better, he would make all the effort he could to encourage her not to look back. She'd made him happier in their short time together than he'd enjoyed in his entire life up to that point. The blush now highlighting her cheeks brought to mind the last time the two of them had used the stairs. He'd carried her to the top and down the corridor. Their clothes had now spent as much time on the floor of HER room as they had his. This time though, it was not just going to be another romp at The Grotto. If he hadn't gone to the Bath House immediately after his release from the Wave Guard lock-up, he might have used the need to reclaim his belongings as an excuse to take her there. He wanted some new scenery. He didn't want to get in some kind of rut. "I don't know if you've ever been on a picnic before. But if not, it's high time. We'll make a day of it. A nice walk up into the foothills, enjoy the scenery, a nice overview of the city, the bay, the ships." he held up the basket. "I brought some food." his expression became just slightly pained and uncertain. "I'm not sure what else you like to eat besides apples and carrots, but I've brought a variety of things..." he lifted one of the flaps, revealing a corked bottle, "...including wine. It beats that Kelp Beer by a country mile...Unless you're busy...What do ya say? A nice hike in the hills sound good?"

[Black Onyx]

Black watched the different emotions as they flickered over his facial features and she withheld a frown that had threatened to crease her own features, as she stopped before the man. She thought she had seen something there, deep within those mischief eyes of his, but she began to chalk it up to a lack of sleep. A picnic huh? She hadn't been on one to the foothills since her parents were alive and when they had died, she hadn't been there since. However, the way that he seemed to slowly think about the right word that the basket was called, she couldn't help but chuckle at such a thing. He hadn't told her his full history, but she still questioned things and she still wondered at the kind of pain that he might have endured while he was in the hands of the cult. Many times had she been tempted to ask and many times had she bitten her tongue, it was not her place to ask him such things. While the thought of a picnic did bring backs memories, she was more than happy to be able to make new memories with the man that stood before her, holding a picnic basket.

She noticed the slight changes in his expression as it showed a hint of pain and uncertainty before he began to mention that he wasn't sure what else she ate. She normally bought carrots and apples because, not only was it easier to carry a simple carrot or apple around when she was darting around the streets of Zeltiva, but it was quick and fast to eat. Besides, whenever she had a quiet moment to herself or found that she needed to think about plans and a course of action, it helped to chew on an apple or a carrot. For some reason, it helped her to think. Her eye sight fell upon the bottle of wine as he lifted a flap to show her and a smile fell onto her lips once more as he mentioned the kelp beer. She was sure that the kelp beer was much of an acquired taste as wine was, however, apparently you had to get drunk before you even noticed the taste of the kelp beer. She angled her head to the side as she blushed a little, he was even thinking about her schedule, not that she really had one. She worked when she wanted to and did nothing whenever she wanted to. It was just one of the perks being a thief, not that the perks outweighed the consequences.

After he had finished speaking, she shook her head in wonder, "Oh Jadlin, you didn't have to go through all that trouble for me. I'm just..." She was just a thief. The only people that had done things for her, were her parents and they had been gone for a couple of years. No one else had done things for her, no one like Jadlin. Her own mind had kept her up at night as her conscious pressed down on her, where one part of herself raged war on the other half. One part saying that feeling guilty is for the weak, that she didn't deserve the kind and caring Jadlin, that he would be better off without her pulling him down. What if his family member turned out to be some kind of wealthy man or woman, that they wouldn't want her anywhere near them or that they wouldn't want to know Jadlin because of her. Another part told her that she needed to protect him, to be near him at all times, to keep a close watch on him so then if anything happens, it was her duty to throw herself into the line of fire so that he may continue on.

The young woman hesitated and she wasn't sure whether anything showed, but she smiled once more and she shook her head again, where was her thoughts again? Oh, right the picnic, she needed to give him an answer. "Of course I'd love to go with you on this picnic, it has been a while... Since I visited the foothills, so I'm glad that you brought it up. As to whether I'm busy, I'm never too busy to spend time with you, you know that." Her smile widened as she angled her head towards the door of 'the Grotto,' "Shall we go?"
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[Aoren]

NoteDon't mind me as I slide on in here...

Aoren knelt quietly in the cell that had once held a man recently accused of being the Mage Silencer. Since the early days of the summer season Aoren had been involved in the investigation. He had been there that first day when the body of the dead man had been found in the World’s End Grotto. It had been an unpleasant sight but it had yielded answers that had lead him to more answers but as it stood he was only so close to solving the investigation.

“You know that he was vindicated?” Aoren glanced over his shoulder to the Wave Guard who spoke to him. He was a middle-aged man in a blue uniform bearing the rank of Sergeant. The Drykas man nodded.

“I know. Still, he may yet hold answers to questions that I have.” Running his fingers over the dusty floor Aoren examined the dirt that he picked up. He gazed at the granules of dirt for a moment before brushing his hand over his thigh. Rising to his full height he studied the guardsman.

“Do you have anything that belonged to him? Anything that he was in close contact with?” The sergeant extended a pair of shackles which Aoren took carefully. They were of cast iron make. Certainly not the devices that would be used to hold a mage. Calling upon his Auristic vision Aoren examined the shackles. The rustic smell of iron and the scarcely visible aura filled his otherworldly senses. There was nothing magical about what he held in his hands. His gaze lingered on the shackles for a moment as he studied the aura that surrounded them. When Aoren felt he could discern nothing more meaningful from the aura he released the hold on his Auristics letting his magical senses fade.

“Just those shackles. They were what was used to bind him for the duration of his stay here in the cells.” Aoren gave a nod, his brow furrowed in concentration. He rubbed a thumb over the chains before looking around the cell for a moment. Going to the center of the cell Aoren knelt touching his hand to the ground once again.

“Isikai.” From the entrance of the cell a large black wolf-like dog padded over to Aoren’s side. The Drykas man smiled at the canine running a hand over the beast’s fur gently to which he received an affectionate nuzzle.

“Stand watch?” The hound nudged Aoren’s hand as if in acknowledgement of his request. Aoren gently met his forehead to that of his dog’s head petting Isikai fondly. The canine sat quietly facing away from Aoren his eyes on the guardsman with ears perked.

“Thank you.” With the shackles to serve as something of a rudimentary guide to that which he was searching for, he rest his right hand upon the chain links. As the pads of his fingers rest upon the iron he let his focus on the here and now. The mundane world faded giving way to a realm where time meant nothing and all there was to behold were the constructs of light and music that sang the stories of all life.

Through the power of Avalis the Seer found himself walking the ethereal realms. It was in these realms that Aoren found exactly what he was looking for. The Chavi of a young man named Jadlin. Brushing his hand over one of the more recent sections to be solidified upon the threads of the Chavi, Aoren bore witness to the most recent memory in Jadlin’s past. He studied the events as they had played out aware that all of these things were ripples in the past. Still, knowing where the young man had been, what he had been doing and where he’d decided to go and what he’d chosen to do was insightful. Within a few breaths Aoren had seen enough to get an idea of where Jadlin had been in the recent past. With patience and a little focus he ebbed his way back into his body returning to the world of the here and now. With a deep breath he rose to his feet blinking away the dream that was the grandeur of the Chavena. Turning he extended the shackles to the Wave Guard.

“Thank you. I think I know where I might be able to find him now.” The sergeant stared at Aoren in mild amazement before accepting the shackles. Walking over to the wall of the cell Aoren grasped a hold of his quarterstaff. He pat his thigh motioning for Isikai to follow. The dog padded forward keeping pace with Aoren.

“Come on boy, we’ve someone to visit.” Departing the Wave Guard headquarters Aoren set out to find what looked familiar from his vision of Jadlin’s past. His last known location may yet yield clues to his current whereabouts.

[Jadlin Hayes]

"I'm never too busy to spend time with you..."The words seemed to linger in time as Jad basked in them. A wide smile took control of his face, but he would hardly have fought it anyway. It was as if all the uncertainties and anxieties of life aligned and clicked into place. All the sharp edges smoothed and relaxed. His arm moved almost of its own accord, extending his elbow in gentlemanly form. "Yes, indeed, we should be off. It will be a nice walk into the hills. I want to stop by the shop, if you don't mind. It's pretty much on the way, so it won't delay us by much. I don't know if you have any experience with a bow, but I've found great enjoyment in it lately. My boss has been encouraging me, but says I need to start learning about adjusting for the wind. So I thought I'd bring it along and see about getting in a little practice, when we're not eating or, uh..." his eyes traveled the length of her body appreciatively, "...enjoying the scenery." Jad's boss, Mr. Tronus Pelthes (pronounced 'Pelts'), had arranged for a corridor out back of the shop, with a target for archery practice. It was a walled-in part of the alley between the backs of neighboring buildings. The old guy had been an accomplished hunter for the better part of his life. And though he longer had the energy to track down a wounded deer or boar, he still enjoyed keeping his skill with the bow sharp. He'd rekindled Jad's interest in the "art", as he referred to it. Jad found himself wanting to improve this ability now, if only to raise the old fellow's eyebrows in surprise. As they made to leave, Serra, the owner of the Grotto, gave them a broad smile and wished them an enjoyable day. Her wink suggested her awareness of the look Jad had just given Black. Jad smiled back and commented that he'd wanted to see the city from the foothills, and that a picnic was the perfect ending to a nice hike. Serra grew a little serious at that point, warning them that, outside of town, they'd best consider that the smell of the picnic basket may well draw more than ants. Jad assured her confidently that the bow would suffice. They made their way from the Grotto into the West Street district. It was fortunate that the shop, 'Tronus' Pelts', was in the northwest corner of that district, necessitating very little adjustment to their path through town toward the Mirahil Pass. Jad had been keeping his bow and quiver there since the first day on the job, taking advantage of the opportunity the impromptu target alley gave him for practice. He gathered them up and they continued on toward the pass. As they passed Zeltivans in the street, their snuggling gait drew smiles from many of them. Others, though, gave Jad a look of suppressed alarm, looking away in attempts to conceal it. Jad tried not to scowl, and would point at something in the other direction, hoping to prevent Black from noticing this occasional unpleasant scrutiny. He did not want to tell her about his ordeal at the Wave Guard headquarters. Not the complete details anyway. It bothered him tremendously to be less than completely forthcoming with her, but he'd observed that she was quick to become nervous if there was any undue attention on her. He'd told her he'd been housed there for a few days as a witness, obliged to check out suspects. Even that had upset her, and he was afraid that the thought of his actual arrest and interrogation might prompt her to flee town. The problem was, this concern was making him feel resentment towards these judgmental looks, so he was adding to the very atmosphere he was trying to forestall. He made as if he'd noticed a flaw in the string on his bow, scowling at it, only to immediately laugh it off as his mistake. He hoped he did not have to resort to such tactics more than once.

[Black Onyx]

Her hues watched as the smile slipped onto his lips and a crimson stain flooded her cheeks in a gentle blush as she lightly placed her hand upon the offered elbow. ”Why thank you good sir, perhaps you could even teach little old me the bow.” She chuckled softly and leaned into him as listened to his words, another blush staining her pale cheeks as she felt his gaze travel along her form. Indeed that was an activity that they both enjoyed and she ducked her head to hide her blush, allowing her black tresses to fall into her face. She wasn’t used to attention, in fact she would rather prefer that people didn’t notice her, however, it was different with Jadlin. She enjoyed the attention that he gave her, relished in it, in fact. It was at that moment that the owner of ‘The Grotto’ addressed them, Black had fallen silent and a weary edge filled her form, preferring to remain quiet as Jad talked to the woman. The young equine had never spoken to the owner before, not since she booked her room and Black would only see her to pay for the room for the season. That didn’t stop her from admiring the way that Jadlin seemed to get along with most people that he interacted with.

The moment after Jad had picked up his bow and they began along their way towards Mirahil Pass, Black took particular notice of his behaviour, especially when he would point something out and her brown gaze would turn to look in the pointed direction. While most of Zeltiva was fairly well-known to the kelvic, she began to wonder if he was pointing things out to her because he was interested in such a thing or whether there was some kind of other motive behind it. Perhaps it was just her suspicious mind playing tricks on her, eating away at the only sane part of her mind that was left. Was any part of her sane any-more? Indeed, she jumped at shadows and half the time she expected some kind of conspiracy to be just around the corner. This kind of behaviour had proved useful when she was on her own, but was it needed when Jadlin was around? She wanted to just enjoy this time with the male that had brought so much happiness into her life. Happiness she had once received from her parents and some times, she half expected that Jadlin may still either get taken away or that he would leave her, or at the very worst, killed because of her.

She glanced over to Jadlin, her form still leaning into his own and she took note of the fact that he seemed some-what distracted, different in a sense and a seed of worry was planted into her mind. Well, there goes tonight’s sleep, she told herself as she turned her gaze to the direction that they were heading in. Perhaps tonight she might head out and do some work, steal a couple of mizas, perhaps one of her informants may show up with some good piece of information. Well, any information was gold, it was how the person used it once learned, that mattered the most. Speaking of training, if she was too wide awake with worry, she might even go off to do some stealth training, just to burn time and energy. Maybe, she might try running along the roof tops, seeing as that strange woman that she had spoken to at one point had mentioned that it was something people do. Black still considered it to be a skill that would prove useful, should one be able to master it.


Common | Thoughts

[Aoren]

Aoren stood outside the World’s End Grotto observing the exterior of the building for a moment. It was in popular inn and tavern that his investigation had begun. When he had first volunteered with the authorities of the University he hadn’t expected to delve into the affair as much as he had but when he’d been called upon by the city’s leader to investigate further he began to pursue the case on a more in-depth level. At the moment he had been brought to the Grotto because upon closer inspection he realized it was the building he’d seen in his vision of Jadlin. Glancing down at the dog standing vigilant beside him Aoren jerked his head toward the Grotto.

“Come on, boy.”

Entering the inn Aoren took a look around, the memories of his first day looking into the murder of a University affiliated gentleman coming back to him. It had not taken long for the Grotto to get back up to speed in terms of its business. The den was filled with customers of all sorts either chatting or contenting themselves to a meal. It did not take him long to find Serra, the proprietor of the establishment. When she spotted Aoren the smile on her face dimmed ever so slightly.

“Hello ma’am. My name is Aoren—“ Serra interrupted him with a quick nod.

“I remember you. Is there something I can help you with?” She motioned for him to follow her. Falling into step beside Serra, Aoren accompanied her to a less public area so that they could speak.

“I am looking for a young man by the name of Jadlin. I was made aware of the fact that he was lodging here.” Serra considered Aoren’s inquiry for a moment as if gauging whether or not she should answer him.

“Yes. I know that name. Why do you need him?”

“As I’m sure you’re aware, I’m still investigating the Mage Silencer. I have it on good authority he might be able to offer some insight into the case.” Serra’s eyes grew wide. She leaned in closer hunching her shoulders.

“He’s not…not involved is he?” Aoren shook his head. Isikai growled softly as she drew closer but Aoren calmed the dog with a gentle hand upon his head. He ran his fingers through Isikai’s fur. Serra leaned away slightly eyeing the dog carefully.

“No. It is nothing of that nature. I just have a few questions for him as he may be a witness.” The owner of the World’s End Grotto visibly relaxed. She nodded.

“Yes, I believe he was headed out to a picnic with a female friend. The two have been spending a fair amount of time together.” Aoren adjusted his grip on his quarterstaff thinking for a moment. So this Jadlin was romantically involved with someone? It was interesting thing to consider. While Aoren certainly didn’t want to impose upon what could possibly turn into a romantic evening, the gravity of the situation demanded he forgo such a luxury.

“Do you happen to know where?” Serra pondered for a moment searching for clues as to the location of the young man Aoren sought. She snapped her fingers nodding enthusiastically when it hit her.

“Ah! Yes. I think I overheard him say something about the foothills. Something about scenery overlooking the pier.” Aoren bowed slightly in thanks. That was enough to go on for the moment.

“Thank you.” With that Aoren took his leave. He would undoubtedly have to stop and meditate, searching the young man’s Chavi once more to perhaps divine his location. For the moment he would make his way toward the aforementioned foothills. Motioning to Isikai he set out for the outskirts of Zeltiva toward the hills near the water. If there was a place to start, it would be there. If Serra’s recollection was anything to go by, this Jadlin man had not left for them all that long ago. With any luck Aoren would catch up to him in relatively short order.

[Jadlin Hayes]

It was slow going into the pass at first. Not for any difficulty in traversing the land, nor any sense of being lost. Jad knew where he wanted to go; an overlook with a view of the town, and a nice grassy meadow. It was true he didn't know exactly where such a spot was to be found, but he DID know where to go to overlook the town. Surely such a wide expanse would have a grassy spot. It was more because he was stopping to examine and appreciate so many sights, sounds and smells, that slowed their progress. Black seemed genuinely tickled by his innocence regarding simple flora, and was good enough to warn him about anything bearing thorns or stinging nettles. He gave her a smiling apology for his distraction, explaining about his shut-in, mind-controlled childhood and how it left out so many simple beauties that people understandably took for granted. He took a step toward her, focusing on her face as he set the basket down. He stroked her cheek softly with the backs of his knuckles. "Like you, for instance. The sleek, smooth wildness of your face and hair. Against this backdrop, you seem like a goddess to me. Some spirit of free nature, poured into this exquisite form." of course, his eyes traveled the dramatic and alluring curves of her body, his other hand finding the upper swell of her hips as he eased her closer. A slow kiss and a tightening embrace later, he pulled back, shaking his head with a grin. "No...no, not here. We're still on the trail, and I've got so much more to see." he picked up the basket and they resumed their pace, quicker now, motivated to find a more private spot. "It's not that were no women in Syliras. Of course there were. And some of them were pretty enough, I guess. But they were...I don't know...'designed', 'manufactured'. In a way, they all looked the same, where you are...'spontaneous'. And they were so preserved, where you are fresh and new every time I see you. really, I didn't know I could feel this way about anyone." He held her gaze long enough that he knew he should say more, but he worried he might go too far with it. He was still unsure if he was anything more to her than a short term indulgence. It was not that he felt she was shallow or anything. But he couldn't imagine hitting such gold on his first try. Things like this were just too good to last. He knew HE was ready to stay with her, so he worried that surely SHE must be the one destined to lose interest. It was not something he'd ever think of blaming her for. It was just the way of things. People enjoyed themselves and then moved on. There shouldn't be any obligations or resentments. He just wanted to bask in it while it lasted. And that meant not ruining it with overly heavy words. He changed the subject back to birds and flowers, clouds and colors, wind and rain. He hoped she was not disappointed that he had not said more about his feelings, or worried that he had come so close. He knew if she ever left him, he was going to hurt for a long time, but he would stand aside graciously, thankful for the enjoyment she had blessed him with in their time. What more did he have any right to ask of her? Soon enough, they found an ideal spot. Following what must have been a deer trail, they found a cliff top, with a grassy edge and a clearing behind it, bordered by trees. It was wide enough for a target to be hung from the trees at a distance beyond a beginner's challenge. Jad knew he would be losing many of the arrows, so he'd brought all forty of them. There would be plenty to dig out of the trees when they missed. He laid out the blanket and the basket as well. Then with bow in hand, and quiver strapped across his back, he turned to Black. "Well, Love, what shall we do first?"

[Black Onyx]

She listened as Jadlin had explained about his shut in, mind-controlled childhood and a frown had creased her fore-head. To have lived like that, would have made her miserable and trapped, Black enjoyed being a free-spirit without the hindrance of a boss to tell her what to do. If someone had attempted to control her she would had kick them in the teeth, although, she guessed if your mind was being controlled you wouldn’t really know about it at the time. However, she was glad that he had told her about it, it just made her all the more tempted to make sure that this man beside her was content and happy with life. It was then that Jadlin stepped towards her then and set down the basket as the back of his knuckles gently stroked her cheek, a blush staining her pale cheeks and she listened to his words while he drew her closer. His lips fell upon her own in a slow and tantalizing kiss, his hand tightening around her own form as she slipped her arms around his neck. However, it appeared that the kiss was to be short lived as he pulled back with a shake of his head and she turned to follow him.

Black couldn’t believe that he thought her as something like a goddess, or that she even had some kind of effect upon Jadlin. He didn’t seem to be one that was swayed by beauty and her thoughts were right as he mentioned that he did once have plenty of other women and his gaze held her own for a moment before it shifted. Her brown hues flickered to view the flora and fauna around them and she was tempted to ask, to press the matter about his feelings. She had of course decided not to, but she did wonder, did she seem different because she was a kelvic? Because she was a thief? Maybe it was because she wasn’t experienced in the ways of seduction? But wouldn’t that make her look less of a goddess? She pondered this for a moment before she spoke, gentle in her tones. ”Perhaps I seem different because of what I do and what I am. Sometimes when people know that one is kelvic… They tend to look at them in a different light.” She nodded her head at this, satisfied that it could have been as such in this situation, however, deep within she knew that she felt more about the topic than she wanted to.

The young equine had feelings for him, something she hadn’t had for anyone else and it surprised her, for when she picked up larceny, she had been determined to not get attached to anyone, to remain distant and that way, no one could get hurt because of her or hurt in any other way. Her conscious had been a problem before she met Jadlin and more often than not, she would feel guilty over what she had stolen. Now, she would start forwards after finding her target, but soon found herself stopped in her tracks as other thoughts began to flit through her mind, like What would Jadlin think? or What if they came after her, but got Jadlin instead? Indeed, not only was her sleep being effected, but so was the performance of her job. Sure, she had thought about creating distance, but she knew that it would affect her even more and she couldn’t bear to be away from him for too long. Although she often did wonder about whether she was being too clingy and too over-bearing. Her thoughts were quickly brushed aside as they reached the spot and she realized that she must have been silent most of the time, an apology quick to her lips. ”I’m sorry if I was too quiet and that you had to pick up most of the slack, I was just trying to think of how much this picnic would have costed you.” She approached the male and wrapped her arms around his neck, only to pressed a light kiss to his lips. ”Perhaps we should eat, I don’t know about you but, I’m famished. I seemed to have gained a larger appetite ever since we picked up the extra activities.” She said as a smirk fell onto her lips.


Common | Thoughts