Completed Coming Around

[Jadlin Hayes]

Jadlin Hayes

5th day of Fall, 514

OOC - continued from here.

Though Jad was in greater discomfort for lack of continuing with the regimen of painkilling herbs, he felt better than he had since regaining consciousness in the University's Infirmary. He was sore all over, but no longer fuzzy headed and disoriented. The pain gave him focus, to a degree. Focus on each injury, as it throbbed to pique his memory.

His biggest concern was his Kelvic girlfriend, Black Onyx. He hadn't seen her in several days now, and had been feeling ill before that. His run of Leeching had caught up to him and prompted him to visit the library in hopes of finding a book of remedies for such ailments. He'd no success in THAT regard, but had been wildly successful in his overall quest. He'd found family!

Ricky Maze had been there in the library and they'd talked over a number of things. His infliction forgotten, Jad had intended to visit them both and introduce them to each other the next day, but had gotten caught up in foiling a robbery at the warehouse his boss shared with several other merchants in town. And now after being nearly skewered on a sword point and trampled under a panicked horse and the trailing wagon, he'd found himself recuperating under the care of interns and trainees at The University.

But he had no complaints. The cart had been all but empty due to his timing on foiling the robbery. He was not sure if it was simply impact with the paving stones or the wheel of the cart which had left him with bruised and broken ribs. The doctor had also mentioned a reset shoulder. He could move it, albeit gingerly. Upon request, they'd furnished him a polished metal tray to gauge his facial injuries. It was not as if he could not tell his head was bandaged, but the doctors said it was just superficial, and that the black eye would begin receding soon.

He'd wanted to leave the day he'd awakened, but they were having none of that. Even his boss, Mr. Pelthes, who'd been there for a sprained ankle, had sworn he'd fire anyone that stupid. A token bit of stubborn insistence had availed him nothing, except a much needed rest and the assurance that they would send someone to find Mr. Maze and Miss Black at the first opportunity.

But now there was one more pressing issue that tickled his thoughts with mystery. There had been several witnesses to the assault by the swordsman, himself the leader of the criminals intent on robbing the warehouse. But not a one of them had seen the dog that had come snapping and snarling to alarm the horse enough to pull to one side, causing the cart to lurch and throw the swordsman onto his own sword in the gutter.

Jad had heard it, he knew he had. This was not some delirious imagining borne of painkillers and concussion. The very fact of his being the only one to see this dog made him all the more certain it was a case of divine intervention.

He had asked his boss if there were any gods of "good luck" for lack of a better description. Mr. Pelthes had cited the twin sibling deities, Kel and Wyn, the patron gods of Lost Causes. His days in bed had been ample opportunity for Jad to convince himself that he owed an honorarium of sorts to these two, and vowed he would find some sort of shrine at which to offer his thanks.

x

[Black Onyx]

Black had been lying upon her bed, she had hardly felt the need to get out of her room at the present and her brown eyes stared up at the ceiling. She couldn’t understand why she was feeling this… This… Worry. He would have told her if something was wrong right? He hadn’t of found out about her and her second run in with the thugs, he couldn’t have, not unless he had contacts in East Street. Something which the kelvic was positive that he didn’t have, well she didn’t think so anyway. Her thoughts were then interrupted by a knock upon her door and a frown knitted her brow as she slowly slung her bare feet off the bed and winced as every movement pulled at her burn upon her left forearm. ”I’m coming!” She yelled with annoyance at the excessive amount of knocking. Really it was annoying to say in the least, why would someone feel the need to knock upon the door until they answered? She would straighten up from the bed, checking to make sure that the rag around her arms was covering her burn, before she went to answer the door. Standing there, was some male.

”Miss Black?” A frown creased her forehead as he used her name and she angled her head before nodding her head, ”Yes, what do you want?” She almost growled, she didn’t particularly like being at a disadvantage, especially seeing as he knew her and she did not know who he was. ”Jadlin sent me miss, he wanted me to tell you that he was at the University’s Infirmary…” The rest of what he said didn’t fully register with her as she suddenly slammed the door into his face, the blood rushing from her own. He was in the infirmary? Shock had her stand very still upon the very spot that she stood on, as she realized that Jadlin, the one she had sworn to herself that she would protect and the one that she had developed feelings for, was injured, hurt badly. Finally, after what seemed like a bell she moved, quickly pulling on her boots and lacing them up. However, this process had been slowed by her own wound and lastly, she pulled on her cloak, seeing as she was already dressed in her black shirt and pants. She would then rearrange the cloak so then it sat over her left shoulder, fully cloaking her left arm off from view.

She would then hurry her way out the door, grasping her left arm close to her form as she made sure to lock the door before she began running out the door of the Grotto and out onto the streets of Zeltiva, her feet quickly navigating them like the back of her hand. Reaching the University, she dashed up the stairs, her right hand now holding her left arm close to her form, this slowing her process down as she drew in quick breaths. Her brown eyes darting around the corridors, occasionally having to double back because she took a wrong turn, finally she found the room that Jadlin was lying in and she stood at the door, her right shoulder pressed into the archway of the door. Her wide brown eyes took in Jadlin’s appearance, a bandage upon his head and a black eye. ”Jadlin…” She breathed as her left arm fell to her side, the cloak covering it as she moved into his room. The young equine dropped to her knees beside his bed as her right hand lifted to grasp his own hand, worry etched into her eyes. ”What… What happened?

[Ricky Maze]

Today had been the start of a day that Ricky would hope to keep normal, seeing as how it was the new season and everyone somehow had to hold their breath in its wake. But of course his hopes that a peaceful season to occur would no doubt be wishful thinking, even so that didn't stop the father from falling into that mindset when it came to his time on patrol. Luckily that time wasn't now, as it was in fact time for a little something better. With the sounds of a baby that wasn't too far away from being a year old finally, Ricky had to recount the days that had to have passed by just to make sure he hadn't lost a single day to begin with.

Of course there was the ninety-seven days spent on his trip to and from Syliras were nothing but blurs he'd rather believe he dreamed about, and wished those were days actually spent watching Martin endlessly as the child would laugh and play about with whatever toys he could get a hold of. But either way none of that mattered now as it all paled in comparison, to the sheer amount of giggles Martin shrieked aloud as Ricky would tickle him and playfully nip at the boys belly. They were on the mattress together as Telion sat against the head of the bed frame, everybody caught in the serene moment of happiness as the beautiful woman watched the father and son interact with a joyous smile on her face. There was aggravation towards the illness that seemed to start to plague her, but from what she described it as, it was merely just a minor sickness that she had to get over soon.

Either way her suffering of what Ricky thought could be minor stomach bug or something seemed distant now, she was completely engaged with the serene moments that were spent together as a family. After all that they've endured it was to be expected of course, one doesn't simply fail to realize how fragile life is, and how easy it is to lose something so precious in almost the blink of an eye. "Look at ya boy! Growin' up ye 're! Yes yew 're!!" Ricky cooed enthusiastically as he brought the child up to raise him high, Martin squirmed a little in his fathers hands as he continued to laugh away with the amount of fun he was having, as his father continued to play with him for as long as he could until something would interrupt him. That something couldn't have had a better timing.

At the sound of a knock the couples attention shifted to the door that served as the entrance to their room, the humble abode they lived within for over a year and a half now. "Oi'll git it." Ricky said with a sigh as he lowered Martin to be placed next to Telion, she of course giggled as the child continued to move about and still try to play some. When Ricky had moved over to open the door he found that there was a younger fellow waiting on the other side, one that suddenly looked a little nervous to see a larger man towering him so.

"M-Mr. Maze?"

"Aye, can Oi 'elp ya wit' somet'in?"

"No sir! I uh, only have a message for you. Here!" The young man gave him a letter with a courteous bow, which made Ricky wonder if the fellow might be a little nervous. He didn't question it though as to delay the boy from his job would be a hindrance, so Ricky gave a humble smile and in turn returned the same courtesy before the courier left.

"T'anks mate, yer service is much appreciated." He said as he bade farewell, once he got to read the letter though he soon found out just what the letter was about. It was important to be sure, as it involved a trip to the Infirmary immediately. As he got dressed and told Telion what he just learned, Ricky couldn't help but feel yet another bit of normalcy in his day had just went out the door; with him to follow in its footsteps.

Coming Around
Fall 2nd 514 AV, 12th Bell
Location: The University Infirmary

Jadlin... if it were any ot'er Oi'd probably not 'ave considered rushin' t' ya, but seein' as 'ow yer o' me own flesh an' blood Oi can't just pretend Oi dun care. Yer family as far as Oi'm aware o', an' t' t'ink somet'in like dis could happen t' ya now o' all times...

After his thoughts concluded and Ricky arrived to the place that looked to be the infirmary within the University's wing, he made his way down the hall that would take him to the room he was told to be Jadlin's. His attire being a relaxed one that involved the brown muscle shirt and beige shorts, he definitely had that sailor look to him as he trekked onward towards the doorway where the room resided. It'd been a while since we'd seen one anot'er, so why didn't Oi t'ink somet'in like dis 'ad come up sooner? He thought to himself out of guilt as he automatically felt that responsibility older brothers generally would, even if he and Jad weren't at all entirely close just yet. Still it had been a strange experience for him, discovering that he had siblings after all when he believed himself alone.

Which was probably why he so willingly accepted the new role with ease, felt inclined to fit into it as he wanted to be that kind of guy. The older brother who was there to back up and watch out for his younger siblings, yet already he seemed to be lacking in that department seeing as how Jad was in the infirmary already. When he seemed to close in he heard the voice of another, a woman who had to no doubt be the one that was the one Jad mentioned before. He rejected any further entry on his part as his tracks were halted, his surprise met with utmost curiosity as he thought to avoid going in so soon. Why enter now when someone else was already here to see him, someone who no doubt had to be far more important than any older brother, that failed to be there when he must've been needed the most.

Why... Why can't Oi face 'im yet? His damn guilt had to be halting him, either that or his concern led him to feel discouraged from discovering a truth far worse than he feared. He only remained at the doorway out of sight, his back against the wall as he then took to watch the ceiling next. He may not be able to see but he could hear what was going on, and by the sound of it the love of Jadlin's life just so happened to feel similar in regards to the amount of concern shared for their injured buddy. He continued to remain silent as he breathed slowly, his ears focused on what would be shared in the room he neglected to enter, while he mustered up the courage to finally take the last few steps he needed to see his little brother once again.

[Jadlin Hayes]

"It's not as bad as it looks, really." Jad assured Black, "Think of it as a badge of honor. I foiled a robbery, and this was all I suffered for it. THEY all got arrested, one of them even went flying off the cart we were fighting on and impaled himself on his own sword!" He found himself feeling quite proud of his heroism, especially since his boss was no longer there to remind him that he could have simply alerted the Wave Guard, rather than trying to disrupt the plans of four men bent on crime. "I thought of you, Black, as I was facing down the leader. He had a sword and I was hanging from the cart harness. The cart was a runaway, and I was pretty much helpless. But I was kind of hard for him to reach, I guess. He was taunting me about how he was gonna gut me and stuff..." Jad was so caught up in what he considered "excitement", that he was fairly oblivious to the distress showing on Black's face. "A dog ran out and snapped at the horse, and that's why it pulled to the side and threw the guy off. All the other guys were still back at the warehouse. I only went by there by chance. I was going back to see..." His face lit up, despite the black eye. "Oh Yeah! You don't know! I found my family here! He's the older son of my father. We're brothers!" Jad cried happily, stating the obvious. "Well...half brother, anyway. I met him in the library the day before the robbery. I was going back to see you both...I...uh." He remembered suddenly all the things he'd talked about with Ricky, many of them involving his feelings for Black, and his difficulty in stating them, for fear of pressuring her into some commitment she didn't want. He saw that she looked really upset. He started to worry that she'd intended to break off their relationship, and was only being kind enough to feel bad about doing it at such a time. "Look, Black. I'm sorry I wasn't around for a few days there. I was feeling kind of sick. A lot of stuff was catching up to me. The arrest, the stress, the fight, the picnic. I thought I was sick. I didn't realize it was from the Leeching, I was afraid those hill...things...gave me some disease. I didn't want to give it to you. Don't feel like you have to stay with me just because I got a little beat up. I'll be okay." He realized he'd gotten off track, but didn't realize that it might have sounded like he was asking her to leave. He was only trying to give her the freedom he thought she wanted. "Oh yeah, about Ricky..." he started again, trying to stay upbeat by changing the subject from one that was so painful to him. It didn't occur to him that it might appear that it was not important to him. "That's the guy that's my brother. I ran into him in the library and I was going back to see him again when I saw the warehouse being robbed, so I...I...Black? Are you okay? You can go if you want." Perhaps the fog of the painkillers had lingered longer than he'd thought. Because it completely escaped him that at the same time as he was seeming to shrug off Black's presence, he was making a big deal about someone neither of them thought was even there. And his misguided belief that he should hide his emotional pain from her was not helping.

[Black Onyx]

Black’s brown-eyed gaze watched as he seemed to light up, mostly with a sense of pride as he had stopped a robbery on his own. At the cost of being bruised and beaten up, her mind chimed in as a sigh settled upon her lips. At least some mutt was able to throw the horse off course to make the man impale himself on his own sword. Jadlin was pretty lucky, she noted but why would he face them on his own instead of just simply telling the wave guard? It’s was their job to foil such plans not his. She managed a small smile when he said that he had thought of her when he was facing down the leader, but that was all he got and it simply slipped off her lips as he continued telling her his story. If that man had ever gutted her Jadlin, she would never have forgiven herself, after all, she felt guilty about not being there for him for when this event happened. He just seems so excited about all of this, couldn’t he see that he could have been killed? She asked herself as her gaze flickered over his injured form.

Suddenly, Jadlin exclaimed with so much excitement that he had found family, at last, a brother no less and her gaze snapped to his face again, the corners of her lips pulling even further downwards. It wasn’t that she wasn’t happy for him, for she was, family was important, but the only family she had, had to leave Zeltiva and he had been her mentor who she had adopted for a father. However, now that he had found his family, she realized that they may not exactly take to her with open arms. No one exactly wanted to know a thief and most people didn’t exactly approve of their family members dating thieves. Seeing as Jadlin had met his brother in a library, his brother probably wasn’t someone who broke the city rules, someone who had education under their belt. Those with education did not usually linger in the dark side of Zeltiva, they could get proper paying jobs. Indeed, this brother, half-brother was important to Jadlin and she didn’t hold it against him and so she slowly closed her eyes.

It was then that Jadlin had suddenly changed the topic and her gaze snapped to his face as her lips pressed together as he began to mention about being sick and him not wanting her to be around it. He spoke about leeching being the cause to it and a frown creased her forehead, she didn’t know much about the magic, but he had said something about it appearing to be bad. Her right hand slid from his own as he said that she didn’t have to be with him, that she could go and she closed her eyes, feeling every word hit her hard. She never developed personal connections and when she had with Jadlin, she hoped that it wouldn’t bite her and she had tried to not allow the emotions to grow, with little success of that. However, now her worst fears were beginning to come into light and she had missed the name that Jadlin had used for his brother. She pressed her right hand into the side of the bed, as the expression upon her face suddenly went blank and she used her right hand to press her weight onto as she moved into a standing position, a small groan upon her lips as this. Pain, emotional and physical lanced through her being, but she pushed it back, barely able to keep it from showing upon her now expressionless face.

”I… I have work to do… People to see,” She mumbled into a lie as she turned to leave. She wouldn’t be doing any of that, she would be going back to her room, locking herself into it and not resurfacing for a month or two. She just wanted to linger in the painful emotions that plagued her and the physical pain that that pulled on her left fore-arm. This was exactly why she had developed her rule to never get emotionally involved with anyone, but that rule had gone out the window when she had met Jadlin. She paused for a moment, her back to the male as she bowed her head, her voice soft as she spoke. ”I hope… That this brother of yours is everything that you have ever wanted…” Indeed, it seemed like this brother was much more important at the moment, so she would make her presence as scare as possible so then she wouldn't cause any more trouble for the one that she realized, that she had fallen in-love with.

[Ricky Maze]

While Ricky listened in on their conversation it was evidently clear that Jadlin was excited to see this woman again, no doubt it was the one he told Ricky about back when they first met at the library. Black. That was her name but that was all Ricky really knew about her, still it was enough to him seeing as how he could clearly see the amount of care present in the boy's eyes that day. Now? Well now it almost seemed like Jad was too caught up in past events to realize anything, sure his incident was something worth talking down about and thinking less of but in truth, it was all the more reason why both Black and Ricky should show worry for Jad.

What? His eyebrows furrowed in his silence as he tried to comprehend the event explained, a burglary gone wrong thanks to Jad's presence but... The man falling on his own sword? That was indeed pure luck presented when it needed to be there most, and given that Jadlin sounded like he endured quite the condition it made Ricky feel a whirl of emotions begin to develop inside. Emotions he didn't expect to develop so soon or so quickly for that matter, and yet they brewed like two fronts that collided to make a powerful storm deep within. Why? Because the more Ricky listened the more he started to realize just how much of an impact he had made on Jadlin with their first encounter. He was going to tel Black about him, to see her and let her know he found his family. Yet even so... he still struggled to say something important. Nothing important about Ricky or the family, but the important topic that somehow managed to be evaded.

Jadlin just awoke and he's finally able to face the love of his life once more! What was wrong with this image that Ricky knew good and well needed to be corrected?! Believe it or not Ricky didn't want to jump in, he hoped that there would be something that lead him to revert to that particular subject as it was the most important part. Yet... Nothing came up. Wait... He was going to visit Ricky again?! That's when he was caught in the robbery... this stirred Ricky's heart further as he felt responsible then, enough to almost make him move along and walk off as he wanted to leave the two alone. Yet... yet... yet... Black decided to beat him to the idea first. She had spoken the very sentence that gave hint that she would be leaving, not because she wanted to but because she felt it better for Jad. Clearly he displayed little sign of interest in her, either that or he failed to realize just how important it was for Black to finally hear what he had to say. From the heart no less.

Ricky's eyes had closed when he listened to the conversation but now that he knew what he needed to do, they flew open with the storm inside finally under control once more. He was ready to face Jadlin not because he felt like he had to, but because he wanted to so he could in turn help the two see that they were in fact in love with one another. "Clearly Oi ain't dat brother just yet," He pointed out as he entered to keep Black from exiting the room, "but lemme start by doin' ya de favor o' gittin' dis boy t' t'ink straight." When he entered he first saw the form of a female that looked slightly familiar, given that he practically had to walk in to interrupt the brief conversation that nearly had its bad ending. He recognized Black not too long after he entered of course, his eyes shown a little bit of amusement but nowhere near to what they held before, where sincerity seemed to be more present in this case.

"Jad," He looked to the man in the bed and nearly felt twice as bad, "Its good t' see ya again lad, but Oi t'ink yew got somet'in ye 've been wantin' t' tell Black 'ere." He glanced between the two quite a bit as he hoped the suggestion wasn't bound to elude the boy, seeing as how Jad had to at least remember what he told Ricky that day back in the library. In truth though Ricky would look more towards Black than he did Jad, not because of interest in knowing they've met before, but because of a slight guilt induced upon himself. Guilt for not being there when Jad needed him, guilt for not being a responsible older brother that should've looked out for him.

[Jadlin Hayes]

Grieving doubt assailed Jad's emotional defense. The one thing giving him the resolve to give up the woman he'd come to love was his belief that she did not feel so strongly toward him. That he'd be dragging her down with a guilt trip if he laid a big tale of love at her feet. He did not want her to stay with him if it was only out a reluctance to hurt his feelings. Out of obligation...Out of pity... But as she turned to leave, he could swear the tone of her voice reflected the same battle for dignity, in the face of shattered hopes, that he was feeling. 'Does she actually have feelings for me? I know she likes me well enough, but have I been missing something deeper?' It was too much good luck for him to believe. He had to be mistaken. Sure, his childhood had been wretched, but in the last 200 days, the litany of his good fortune was unbelievable. He'd been freed from his captors; vindicated in a trial; given advice from a strange woman who'd testified there, based on her mystic reading of a ring neither he nor she had seen before; caught a ship to her suggested destination that just happened to leaving right then; found a home and job almost immediately; found a beautiful woman that enjoyed his intimate company; found the family he was searching for; and been miraculously saved three times from death. Now he was to believe that the good thing he had going with this gorgeous free-spirited woman was even more than just a"good thing"? That she felt as strongly for him as he did for her? It was too much to believe. One of these boons had to fall through. And this was the only one left that could. Surely his luck had run out, and he'd be ruining everything by speaking of his feelings. Either she'd be put on the spot and be forced to hurt him, or she'd let herself be fooled and tie herself down to him. 'And what then? What happens when she comes to her senses and wishes it undone? Does she grow resentful of how I roped her in? Do we end up as enemies instead of the casual friends we could remain if I let her leave?' No, he decided he would do the right thing by her and let her live her life the way she wanted. But it killed him inside to watch her leave. And the genuine hurt she seemed to be trying to hide was torture. He knew she liked him. She probably had perceived that he felt more strongly and knew it was hurting him. She was nice enough not to want to hurt anyone. And that was the very reason why it was up to him to make the sacrifice here. But it killed him inside to watch her leave... Then she stopped, and his heart froze. Was he about to learn that she DID feel genuine love for him? Was he truly this lucky?...Then his heart sank as someone appeared in he door, blocking her way. It was only because she was unable to leave with him standing there. He turned his eyes away, not wanting to see any more. Then he heard a familiar voice, framed in that brogue he'd heard in the library just days ago. As glad as he was to see Ricky, this was the worst possible circumstance. 'Such drama to dump at his feet, right as he's coming to cheer me up.' He felt downright humiliated to subject him to this breakup, right at the moment where his half brother probably thought he was going to meet his future sister-in-law. 'Gods please...DON'T let him ask about my 'girlfriend'. Not now.' But he did. And in the worst way...like a demand for some statement of love. Couldn't he see the hurt in everyone's eyes? Now he wants me to make it worse by spilling the very feelings that are causing it. He wanted to just shrivel and die. And then Black turned back to face him. And,unless he was horribly mistaken, instead of embarrassment or anger, instead of cringing and grimacing, he saw the last thing in her eyes, and on her face, that he expected...hope. 'Well, I really can't make it worse now, can I.' "Black, wait...I...uhh...It's more than just worrying that I was sick...I didn't want to tie you down...Things have gone so well for me....since I got here...that...well...if we're not meant to...become...you know...serious...I'll get over it...eventually. But you should know...just in case...there's a chance...That I...that I...uhh...I think I've...uh...I've fallen in love with you!" He wanted to assure her that he was prepared to back out gracefully, if that's what she wanted...if he got the chance.

[Black Onyx]

Black became startled as she heard the voice, a familiar voice and the male that spoke suddenly stood in the door-frame, barring her way out. The young equine recognized the male straight away and a mental groan filled her mind as she closed her brown eyes, a shake of her head was given at this. His brother, just so happened to be a wave guard, a wave guard that had caught her stealing and a hand lifted to run over her tired features. She should have realized that his brother would be someone that would up-hold the law while she broke them. Ricky petching Maze, she thought to herself as she tried to think of what god hated her so much that they would bring so much bad luck to her. However, he didn’t speak condemning words, but he was telling Jadlin to tell her something and she turned, her brown hues taking in his beaten form, a small seed of hope taking hold. Was it possible? Was it possible that someone could love her? She watched him as he seemed to hesitated for a moment before words began to spill from his lips, words that she never thought someone would say to her.

He had… He had fallen in love with her? Could it possibly be true? That he really meant the words that he spoke? She remained standing there for a moment, her hues desperately trying to find some kind of trace that this was some trick, that this was just her sub-conscious playing tricks upon her once more. However, relief welled up within her as she realized that it wasn’t just her, that he too had fallen in love. How that was even possible, she didn’t know, it was still something that was exceptionally hard to grasp, but the relief that she felt was just so real. Finally, she took a deep breath, feeling the air expand her lungs before exhaling and she paced over towards Jadlin, her right hand reaching out to grasp his own. She refrained from using her left arm due to her injury, but she didn’t think that he needed to know about that, if at all. Although, she could see, his own uncertainty written upon his face and she guessed that he half expected her to walk away, his words sure indicated that that was exactly what he expected to hear.

Silently she would then lean forwards, she didn’t trust her voice to not break and she felt a tear escape its prison to roll down her left cheek. It was not a tear of sadness, but a tear of relief. For she could finally tell him the secret that she had been carrying around with her for days, a secret that she didn’t realize that she had been carrying until he had basically told her to leave. Her face was almost pressed close to his own as she whispered her own feelings, attempting to be light hearted about it. As light hearted as she had been when she had first whispered that simple challenge in his ear, the night that they stood in the rain and shared their first kiss. ”That’s funny, because I was just thinking that I was the only one. For you see, I too have fallen in love. I have fallen in love with you, Jadlin.” Once she had had whispered those words a sigh of relief fell from her lips and she closed her eyes. Finally he knew how she felt and although it scared the living daylights out of her, she was glad that she was finally able to tell him just how she felt and that the feeling was shared between the two. Other than her mentor, he had been the only good thing to happen in her life and if she lost him, it would devastate her.

[Ricky Maze]

Although he came here knowing good and well that Jadlin had been injured the last thing he expected was to run into the girl once again, yet given their brief encounter the other night he wasn't as surprised as he thought he'd be, after he discovered that she in fact was tied to Jadlin and that it was her that the boy felt hot and heavy for; the fisherman just couldn't help but secretly smile a little at how ironic this whole thing started to seem. Black who was a woman that had taken to illicit practices was in love with the very man that just so happened to be the little brother of a Wave Guard, a law abiding citizen keen to uphold the peace in all standards. Yet at the peak of the revelation there was something deeper found, something that just kept Ricky silent as he kept his gaze more direct towards the floor.

His little brother had been injured and yet even so managed to have the most incredible luck in the past couple of seasons, more luck than Ricky appeared to have for the past couple of years really. Compared to the good things that Ricky could account for, the loss of his closest companion followed with the plague that hit Zeltiva, which then led to him meeting somebody that aimed to repay a debt to a powerful Nuit, in turn leading him to accidentally having a child with his best friend who became the woman of his dreams, keeping her safe in the event of the Denvali's uprising when they staged their coup, and not to mention the break out of the insane mages while it just so happens that Ricky himself was developing an illness in his own mind. Jadlin? Though he had just as bad of a history in a cult, all that seemed to happen to him turned out to be pretty damn good for once.

He came to a new place after he'd been given a lead for a possible family, found himself living in a new home with a new companion not long after, in turn realizing that his feelings for that companion were existent, and in turn finally discovered the family he was looking for out of mere chance by being in the right place at the right time, all because that said family member was actually looking for answers about his own family. It amused Ricky to no end to think that even if they both had their share of good luck and bad luck, the most prominent trait that he could so blatantly see is that both he and Jadlin had by far the most unusual trait in common; and that was the fact anything that happened around them was far from ordinary. Sure there was some days where nothing significant happened and truly when that was the case, Ricky was by far most thankful as it gave him a sense of normalcy which he's wanted for so long. Yet such an ideal never lasted long as usually some unforeseen event always occurred, whether it be a big or small one generally depended on the fortunes, or rather misfortunes, thrust upon them at that specific time.

Now? Ricky couldn't help but think now that this sort of thing had to be normal for Jad, though it was by far not the most normal thing to deal with every day. It was in a sense normal for Ricky seeing as how he had dealt with enough for the past few years, and he felt sure that Jad- no... that these two would both come to appreciate the small moments like this in time. Why? Because Ricky knew that eventually Jad and Black would both learn that nothing ordinary never lasts long, as often as it comes something always followed to cause trouble afterwards. In a sense it made Ricky realize that what the letter to Lissa said might actually be true, their family somehow did have a curse that they didn't know about. Burten might've learned or somehow figured something out later on after he was believed lost at sea, all while he looked like the fool that believed in some superstitious thing. Yet their misfortunes... Lissa suffered her own as well, and he could imagine Billie did too. Jadlin was living proof that he'd good and bad luck, yet could such misfortunes be swayed so easily with mere chances of luck?

De man falls on 'is own sword... Ain't somet'in Oi ever 'eard o' before. Ricky thought to himself in silence as he continued to listen and allow the two to converse further, as far as he knew they had an awful lot to discuss with one another while he really hadn't a whole lot to say.... yet. Thus he simply stayed at the doorway with a small grin on his face, mind lost in the thoughts that swam in his head while he allowed the two to express their love a little more.

[Jadlin Hayes]

The swoon of arousal snapped suddenly as Jad remembered Ricky's presence. He pulled away from Black to flash an embarrassed grin at his brother. Black resisted at first, her fluttering eyelashes and moist lips enhancing her impassioned breathing. But she soon sat back on the bed, eying Jad with a look of promises to come. Jad put his finger to her lips, "Hold that thought." he teased. He held her gaze for a few ticks that felt like chimes, but then his look sagged to suggest a new source of regret. "I...uh...have another thing to say...a sort of...confession." He suddenly looked somewhat alarmed, as if he was worried that she might think he was about to admit to having cheated on her. "No, no!" he diverted quickly, "Not a confession to you, Black. This is something I did wrong to Ricky here. Ricky AND his friend, Gale. And I really need to come clean about it." He looked up at his half-brother and found it increasingly difficult to get his confession underway. He looked back and forth between his two visitors, finding encouragement in Black's open expression. She trusted him. He could feel it. There was no judgement in her eyes...her deep, soft, luscious eyes, eyes that pulled him into a warm cushion of passion when they closed as they kissed... He snapped back again to find Ricky looking at him with a raised eyebrow. There didn't look to be any real harshness in his eyes either, but there was an understandable reservation. He was obviously waiting to hear just what this confession was about. Jad stammered, "I...uh...it's not...I'm not...I haven't...been...completely honest with you." Again, the feeling that he was making it sound more serious than it was hurried him into a disclaimer. "No wait, it's not about who I am...or being your brother...or the ring...That's all still true, I swear!" he'd actually half risen from the bed in his anxiety. Now he went ahead and propped himself on his elbow. He closed his eyes and took the plunge, "It's what I said about Gale McCenry. It was really more ME that caused that fight. I don't know why I told the story the way I did." Now he was looking up with shame in his eyes. Now he couldn't stop, as excuses and self-recriminations came pouring out. "I didn't know who you were at the time. And it made the story more...fun to tell, ya know?. I'm new here in Zeltiva and...I don't know...I'm worried about making friends 'cause I'm a Leecher. And I guess I just couldn't bring myself to tell it where I'd show that it had really been ME that had been a dick." he had just a moment where he thought he should have watched his language, but neither Black nor Ricky seemed to have even noticed, so he went on. "And then when I found out who you were, it just made it worse. I mean, here I've just met my long-lost brother, and found that I said shyke about one of his best friends. I just got stupid and had to make sure I didn't let myself look like the bad guy. I was afraid I'd gain you as a brother, but...lose you as a friend, ya know?" He looked away now, his shame partially assuaged with the beginnings of his confession. Then he looked back, directly at Ricky, his voice growing steadier. "But it's no excuse. It's a reason, but not an excuse. And I was coming to find you again to fess up, and then the robbery happened, and I was afraid you might have heard Gale's side of it by now and figured I was just a petching liar, and not want to have anything more to do with me. I've had such extreme swings of luck lately, I've been worried sick this one was going to go way wrong." He lay back, ready for judgement. "Anyway, there it is...I exaggerated to make a story more fun. Then let it turn into a lie, so I wouldn't look bad to someone that I discovered meant a lot to me. The very person I should be the MOST honest with, I end up lying to! And the stupidest part is I did it so I wouldn't look bad! And now I look even worse! All I can say is it won't happen again." He looked over at Black, realizing he needed to stress how important SHE was to him as well. "And Black...oh, Black, you too! I'll always be straight with you. I love you. You're my family too!"