Name: Jacob Scott Culp
Age: 30
Appearance:


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Name: Ezrael Anne Culp
Age: 29
Appearance:

Name: Ariella Elizabeth Alvar
Age: 28


Name: Sebastian Seamus Alvar
Age: 30

((Mmm Good choices :P))

Ezrael smiled, her head tilting up, the sun rays kissing at her face and enveloping her in loving heat. The bond between nature and the elven folk relied on nature, nature relying on elves in return. When the sun tickled over her skin like it did now, her mind was filled with images of Jacob and her rolling around in the field together, harmonized with nature together as they joined as one, "How have things been with Sebastian, hm?"

She giggled, her laugh bubbly as she nudged her friend, her left eye fluttering in a wink, "Do you think they spill their dirty secrets with each other as much as we do?"

Her hand rested on the top of her pregnant belly, her hair falling down her back in ringlets as she looked over at Ariella.

((Sorry that turned out WAY shorter than I intended. I had a huge post in mind, then I went to type and I could literally hear the crickets in my head...))

Ariella opened her eyes and looked at her best friend. While she enjoyed time in the sun as much as the rest of her kind, she considered herself more of a night child. She enjoyed the cool, soothing caress of darkness under the moon. She rolled her eyes at Ezrael and brushed her hair back over her shoulder. It fell down her back in soft red waves.

"Things with Sebastian have been as wonderful as ever," she replied. "I doubt our men gossip as we do." She grinned a bit. "I take it things with Jacob have been going well?"

Ezrael giggled, her face flushed, "Oh you know how that man is. Sometimes I wish I could get a break! He'll pounce me like the very animals we protect, just when I think I'll get to relax. Like last night? I just wanted to sleep, GOD sleep sounded amazing. You have no idea, Ariella. Then here he came, practically running at me. I thought pregnancy was supposed to lessen the amount of sex you have? Is it possible to have too much? I fear the baby will come out with the hormones of a rabbit," she giggled, her fingers weaving through the grass.

"Is it the same with Sebastian? Perhaps it's the position of the moon? Though," she nudged her friends shoulder teasingly, "how could they not crave us? You are as beautiful as ever. I swear, you don't age at all."

Ezrael sighed admiringly at the youth in her friend's beauty.

Ariella couldn't help but smile.

"You are just as lovely as ever, Ezrael," she pointed out. "I'm sure Jacob thinks so, as well." She absently ran a few blades of grass through her fingers. "Sebastian has been gentle lately, surprisingly so. He has been treating me as if I were made of glass and could break at any moment, rather than listening when I say I can take care of myself." She looked back over at her friend. "I think he may be a bit envious of you and Jacob."

"Envious of our love making, or of our child bearing? Perhaps me bearing a child has made him realize the divinity of your body? It could be that he is being so gentle because he is paranoid of harming your ability to give birth? Mayhaps he simply needs a reminder you are not made of glass, and can handle his passion?"

Ezrael's eyelids fluttered as she remembered the early stages of her pregnancy, "When Jacob and I first learned of my conceiving of our child, he was overly careful. I mean to the extreme, too. He literally treated me like if he used the smallest bit of pressure, it would cause a miscarriage. I think sometimes they get so protective of their women, that they forget our true capacities. I often remind him with my body that I am stronger than he thinks."

"Sebastian has yet to bring up the subject of children with me," Ariella said. "I am content to wait until he brings it up, but he's taking so long, I wonder sometimes if he even wants a child." Leaning back, she propped herself up on her arms and looked at the sky. "Perhaps I will talk to him." She grinned a bit at Ezrael. "He isn't as free with his passions as your Jacob is, so it may take a bit of convincing."

"This is true.." she laid down slowly, turning on her side towards her friend, her arm around her belly, "My Jacob does express himself more openly. Most men do not. If you prefer, I can have Jacob lay little hints to him? I know Sebastian will want children eventually, what man does not want his name to live on? It's just a matter of how to go about it. Some men are more frightened by the idea than others. He could have all kinds of doubts and fears of himself. As the father he feels responsibility to protect and discipline them. I know, though, that when you are truly ready for a child, it will be with ease that you convince him. All he will need is your commitment and encouragement. A man will do anything to please his woman. besides, you're asking for more sex, what man would say no to that?" she giggled, smelling a flower.

"Ladies! Ladies!" Fenaro, a young boy in the kingdom, came running up to Ezrael and Ariella, "Your husbands," he was huffing for air slightly, "They want you to come immediately. They said it's an emergency." The boy looked at the women helplessly, his innocent eyes wide.

Ezrael glanced at Ariella, rolling onto her hands and knees, making her way to her feet.

"Hurry hurry," the boy urged.

"Fenaro, I am hurrying. Hush, darling."

Ariella was on her feet faster, and helped Ezrael up. She didn't need to be asked; she didn't mind helping her friend. She was sure her friend would eventually return the favor somehow.

"Fenaro," she said, "run on ahead and let them know we're on our way." She looked at Ezrael once her friend was on her feet. "What could be the matter?" she wondered. "It must be important indeed if they had to send a runner for us..."

Ezrael wiped off her dress, her hair spilling over her shoulders, "It must be pretty important, otherwise they would fear we would get ideas and work ourselves into a fret. Do you think something is wrong, Ariella? I always fear the worst..." Ezrael's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she began to move her legs, heading out of the field with Ariella towards their husbands, guessing they were at their small castle doing business.

She stuck to her friend's side as they made their way through the crowded market. The vibe was different than normal, the elves whispering among themselves, all staring towards the castle, Ezrael nudging her way through the crowd. Children, adults, and old elven alike were thronging together, desperate to see the excitement.

"It seems we were not the first to hear of the occurrence. It must be important if commoners and knights alike are aware."

Ariella shouldered her way through the crowds breaking a path for Ezrael. The atmosphere was all wrong, the normally tranquil city was buzzing with unease. Finally, they made it through the crowd and through the castle gate.

"We should go and find them," she said to her friend. "Something is wrong, and I want to be certain Sebastian is okay." She knew in her mind that her husband was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but she couldn't help but worry about him.

Ezrael nodded, speechless with paranoia, her mouth slack with fright. Her folk may be warriors, but when it comes to an elve's mate, there is no cure for the paranoia concerning their mate's safety. When they lose their mate, they lose reason for living. Your mate is your mate for life. You have nothing without them.

She followed in Ariella's path hurriedly, her hands on her stomach protectively. The commoners were packed around them, sometimes accidentally stepping on her gown. She hoisted the hem up as the guards opened the doors for them, the heavy doors slamming behind them. She could hear the speaker of the castle outside in the courtyard speaking to the horde of elves.

She continued to hold her dress hem in one hand, her stomach in the other, as she nearly jogged behind her friend. They burst through the doors of their husbands' office, the wind blowing a few parchments from their appointed spots.

Ezrael ran to her husband, Jacob sweeping her into a protective hug, kissing the top of her head, watching Ariella approach her husband as well.

Sebastian swept Ariella into his arms, and Ariella relaxed into the embrace immediately. She felt much better now that she could see that he was alright.

"My love, what is going on?" she asked. "The entire market is crowded around the gates, everyone is uneasy." Sebastian kissed her forehead gently, holding her close.

"You will never believe what happened," he said.

Jacob ran his fingers through his lover's hair, holding her as he looked at Sebastian, "Perhaps we should show them? I know I could not believe it by way of mouth."

"Believe what, Jacob? We are right here, and can hear you. I do not like being left in the shadows. Ariella and I seemed to be the last to hear, and I do not with to be so. I need to know what has happened, or is happening," she looked up at her husband worriedly, her eyelashes fluttering.

Jacob hesitated, looking at Sebastian and his mate, his face stern and blank. He was torn between wanting their women to know, and fearing his wife would not be able to handle the news. She has never been good with stressful situations, especially since she has been pregnant.

However, if he didn't tell her now, he knew she would torture him tonight with her femininity until he gave up the news. That, and Sebastian was sure to tell his woman. He knew his friend could never hold up against her pleads.

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, Ezrael leaning back to look at him, her belly pressing into his. He refused to let go of her, afraid her knees would collapse from the news.

"A human has entered our realm, ladies."

"A human?" Ariella repeated. "How is that possible?" She knew that outside of the city, the humans had pretty much taken over the rest of the planet. There were a few other elven cities scattered about the globe, but they were few and far-between.

"We aren't sure," Sebastian replied, his arms still around her. Ariella didn't mind that he still held her. It was comforting. "We have the human in one of the isolated rooms for the time being, until we can figure out what to do."

Ezrael's legs wobbled underneath her, and she held onto Jacob's arms, feeling faint, "In a room here? He's in the castle? What if he escapes? How can we be sure what this human is capable? He's obviously more capable of the supernatural than other humans. Now that he knows we are here, certainly he cannot live. Surely...We have an entire race to protect here. A human could completely destroy the equilibrium of our kingdom. By having him here we are endangering those we are supposed to care for. Oh my...do they know it is a human that has caused the commotion?"

Jacob shushed her, reminding her of her inside voice, and Ezrael's face flushed in embarrassment. She had not meant to be so frantic. You couldn't blame her for being upset, though. Just as she had conceived a baby, this happens? Is it not destined for her to conceive?

"We will take care of this, Ezrael. Have no fear. Sebastian and I have been grueling over this all morning. It's a surprise we managed to keep it hidden."

"Oh my...this is too much, Jake. I have to use the chamber pot," Ezrael made to turn, but couldn't bring herself to break her grasp on Jacob, "Do we get to see him?"

((Should the men say they changed their mind, and it would only cause more chaos if they saw the man, so the women have to sneak to him during the night?))

((I like that idea.))

Ariella looked up at Sebastian once Erzrael asked the question. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see the human, but she was still curious, somehow. Sebastian looked at her, and then sighed.

"No," he said. He rubbed Ariella's back gently. "I would rather not distress either of you any more, and I'm sure that it would be chaos if it got out that there is a human in the city." He looked at Ariella. "That doesn't mean you get to sneak around later, dear heart," he added. Ariella blushed a bit, but didn't reply. Instead, she gave him a kiss and gently pushed out of his arms.

"Then I believe we will leave you men to your work," she said, going over and gently taking Ezrael's arm. "I think it might be best if Ezrael lays down for a little while."

"That does sound quite nice. Im afraid this has worked me into a fret. It's just all too much to take in," Ezrael sighed, her hand on her belly as she tilted her head up.

Jake tilted her head down and kissed her on the forehead, "You need to rest darling. It is not good for the baby, nor for you to be under stress."

Ezrael laughed, "Well, it's a bit late for that, isn't it darling?"

She forced herself out of Jacob's arms, Jacob's hands lingering on her, hesitating at letting her go. Nonetheless, he did. He knew she was in no immediate harm with her in the castle. The human was safely locked up, and there was no way he could escape elven fortifications. She would be fine. After all, elven women are taught to fight, unlike female humans. In fact, that human in the castle probably doesn't even know how to fight. The women would probably be able to win a battle in wits as well as force with the human. On top of that, Ariella was with her, and Ariella could be a fierce woman..."You two take care, you hear?"

((I keep wanting to call her Ezra))

Sebastian watched as the women walked away, his eyes drawn to the sway of Ariella's hips as she walked. After a moment, he shook himself out of it and turned back to Jacob.

"What do you think we should do about the human?" he asked. "I don't like the idea of keeping such a being in the castle... I know my mate, she will go looking later, I'm sure." And he wouldn't stop her. Even though he'd indirectly told her not to, he wouldn't be able to make himself stop her when she snuck out later.

{{Ezra is fine by me :) Afterall, don't best friends usually have nicknames for eachother? Do you want your character to go by her actual name, or by Ari or Ella or such?}}

"Well," Jacob hesitated, his fingers rubbing at his chin, "We have fortified the human pretty well in my opinion. It won't be easy for him to get out. However, did we fortify it well enough to keep others out? I know we have guards posted outside the door, but I don't think they would even hesitate if our women attempted to go in. They would think that they had permission, seeing as they are the dominant females of the city."

Jacob paced towards the desk, his eyes squinted as he thought. Looking up at Sebastian, Jacob propped himself against the desk, his legs crossed at the ankle, sitting on the edge of the large oak furniture.

"They are sly little minks, so I'm sure if we come up with something they will only have a counterplan. The easiest thing to do, of course, would be to make our own attempts in our quarters to keep them with us. That way, we know for sure where they are and what they are up to. Then, we can warn the guards not to permit them entrance, and perhaps even offer a bonus? I believe we can do that...our expenses are doing quite well considering the time of year. As well, we can try moving him to where they wouldn't expect, and/or add security to the room? So that they cannot get in even if they fool the guards?"

He knew the more they did to keep the women out of the room would only add more challenge to the game women do love to play. However, it would be worth the chance. It's better than nothing at all. And if they didn't do anything further the women might doubt their strategy, or even feel insulted that the men thought they could not do it. A man can never know what a woman will think about something....it's always a surprise, and not always a good one.

((Ari is fine by me.))

"I suppose the best course of action to take is to try to keep our women busy," Sebastian mused. "I know my Ariella, she will only consider it more of a challenge if we increased security measures. Besides, if security were increased, it would only alarm the general public, which is something we don't want to happen." He glanced back in the direction that the women went in, as if expecting his mate to suddenly be there. He shook his head as if to clear it. "How are you able to let your mate out of your sight?" he asked, finally. "I can only assume that if it were Ariella, I wouldn't want to leave her side for a single moment." He was referring to Ezrael and the impending birth of hers and Jacob's child.

Jacob half laughed, and half snorted in frustration, "You mean because of the baby? Trust me, Sebastian, I have traveled that road. For the longest time of the pregnancy I was attached at her hip. I thought she'd like it, you know? Having her mate there taking care of her? She did, at first. Then, she confronted me and said she needed time to have with Ariella. I'm guessing she was just cut off from her gossip girl time or whatever it is they do. So, when Ariella is with her, they are free to roam. That isn't to say multiple soldiers happen to be within her vicinity at all times...not sure yet if she has figured that part out. I just don't want to find out what happens when a woman is separated from a close friend for so long, especially with her hormones through the roof."

He had a stern face, letting his friend know it was nothing he couldn't handle. However, on the inside, Sebastian could never keep calm when Ezreal was with Ariella. All he could think about was his mate, and his kin. His heart rate was always quicker with her gone, and his palms sweaty. It wasn't until he had her back in his arms that he felt at ease again.

~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~?

Ezrael wrinkled her nose slightly as they walked down the hallways, sniffling at an itch in her nose. Her feet went to the side slightly when she walked, her back arched slightly back, creating an awkward waddle. She tried to keep it elegant, but sometimes there's just nothing you can do about the extra weight in the front.

"Are we really going to rest, Ari? You have an odd glint in your eye," she smiled at a passing maidservant. Judging by the linens in her hands, she had just finished making the beds.

"You are, Ezra," Ariella replied as she nodded in greeting to the maidservant. I have no intention of explaining to Jacob why I let you wander around when you clearly need all the rest you can get." She grinned, letting her friend know she was mostly teasing. "However, I do intend to find out everything I can about this human that our husbands have found. Of course, I'll let you know everything I find out."

"I can only imagine what will happen if Ariella ever decides she wants a child," Sebastian replied. "She has yet to say anything, but I'm fairly sure the thoughts have crossed her mind at least once or twice."

Jacob laughed outright, his chest rumbling, "She is a female, my friend. Trust me, she has thought about children. All women do. Those who don't don't get taken easily by males. I would bet you she has thought about it. What have you thought about them? Are you thinking about having a child yourself, Sebastian?"

~?~?~?~?~?~?~?~

Ezrael nearly frowned in response, but held it back. No matter how hard it was, she agree to give up her dangerous habits. Habits such as wondering around in a sneaking manner, Jacob would find some way to make it sound dangerous. He had a talent for that. So, even if she did not like it, it would be best for Ariella to do the spying, and Ezrael to do the resting.

Strolling alongside her friend, she nodded her head to the guards that opened her and Jacob's double oak doors that led into their quarters. The first thing she did was pull the clips out of her hair, sighing in ease at the freeing sensation. Lately the little trinkets had been giving her such a headache.

"So how exactly are you planning on getting such information?"