HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-10-2014, 03:49 AM
Numira was enthralled by the simplest things, perhaps another reason she seemed so strange and out of place that it actually garnered attention, after all she smiled broadly and stared about at all the things she could catch as they walked, especially the iron workers. To think that the level of technology on this world was so primitive that people still shaped metal in this fashion, yet the touches of magic made it so curiously different to what history lessons once told her about her own world.
The amount of people greeting Kiernan also made her smile, she barely even noticed that she was still holding on to his hand while they walked, instead if people got too close she shyly stood closer to him, using him as a sort of shield and waving at the people with a slightly red face. His mentioning of the deli and florist caught her attention, especially the latter as she stared at the flower shop. In some way, that was very familiar to her. It even prompted her to break her hand from his as she got close to the flowers on show outside, brushing some of her hair back and leaning in to smell a particular bunch,
"They are like flowers at home." She stated with a rather content smile, "In older days.. Men would bring ladies flowers. It was a necessity for our courtship rituals.." Numira grinned to herself, "People today in Kiranes think it is silly.. But I like it."
Numi stood up, retreating to Kiernan's side again, unconsciously grasping his hand once more and staring around at the village. She watched as a group of kids waving wooden swords ran past, though they managed to lap around the couple at least once before running off again,
"So full of life. I miss being a child," She giggled a little, "Do you think some will learn magic too? Or do they all?"
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-10-2014, 04:34 AM
A smile played along Kiernan's lips as he watched the reactions the sights of the village drew from her, the easiest parts of every day life to him seeming to be wonders to her. It was again an odd notion that she was seeing a whole different world. Kiernan was so used to life in the village that he couldn't imagine what finding it alien would mean for him. It was only when she broke from his hand that he actually stopped walking, mid-step as he froze to turn to see what had caught her interest. Flowers?
A warm smile brightened his face as he nodded in understanding of her sentiments as she explained. Perhaps her home did hold some value, despite her apparent dislike of the subject of family. He noted this, though didn't wish to question it now. Not with her seeming to be in such a great mood. His gaze trailed her motions to lean in and smell a particular bunch, eyes widening a little as she mentioned that the practice of giving women flowers was now considered silly there. Rubbing his head a little, he piped up after a few moments. "Strange... It's a practice we have here. Men do often surprise women with flowers." He explained, a slight tint rising to his cheeks as he had the thought to give Numira some at one point. It wasn't something he'd considered before with another, but if they lead her to smiling like that, they would be worth it.
As the children ran on past, faking sword play and laughing, Kiernan's gaze focused in on them for a few moments. "It was fun to be that young and naive." He spoke in agreement, grinning. "Most learn every day magic in their households. Some, however, will go on to study it. Cara and myself both left home at certain ages to do so." At this thought, his gaze broke from the children to look up at a rather quaint cottage standing just a block or so before them. It was on a larger plot of land than those in town, but was in by means like farmland. It was a cozy, fenced-in one story cottage, made of varying shades of grey stone with a wooden roof. It had a few windows at its front, large in proportion to its size, each with overfilling flower pots hung before them. Beside the house, a small garden would be seen as well as some dried laundry on a clothes line.
"Here we are." He spoke up with a small smile as they approached it, looking it over fondly for a moment before turning to gage her reaction.
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-12-2014, 04:55 AM
Numira seemed quite content to just keep her eyes on the children for a moment, however once she felt aware that Kiernan wanted to move on, she followed, staying in gentle step at his side. It had been rather pleasant to learn that flowers had such a nice use here, sure they still served some purpose in her society, just not the same that they used to. The idea of children learning magic like an every day thing also made Numira smile broadly,
"Oh? No fair.. I've missed a lifetime of practice..!" She whined jokingly, but she wondered then, if Kiernan was from Draskone.. Wasn't Cara from there too? How did she end up learning magic in Austaros instead? Why wasn't Kiernan with her?
Her line of thought was broken as she stared up at the home on Kiernan's prompting, she let out a soft gasp and a smile, just like the tavern, it was built with stone and simply looked old fashioned, as she could have expected, but it made the place so oddly charming. Her eyes focused on the laundry on the line, but then the windows as she focused on them for a moment, her irises shifting and focusing for a moment before she gave Kiernan an odd look,
"Kiernan..?" She began, raising her free hand and pointing towards his home, "Is some-one meant to be there..?" She asked curiously. The question was raised because she could see light within the home and she could detect motion, though her eyes turned up towards the sky next, what had started as a rather bright day was getting dark.
Clouds were rolling in quickly, some gray, some darker, Numira could feel a rush of cold wind coming and there was a smell on the wind that she recognized even here,
"Rain..?" She asked aloud, she didn't say much more, though she found herself looking over her shoulder past the village and into the forest far behind them again, her brow furrowing once more. That strange signal her augments had picked up on.. Strange.. Enough so that it was starting to unsettle her a little.
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-13-2014, 12:06 AM
Kiernan chuckled at her whine, letting a small shrug roll off of his shoulders. "Hey, you should've visited sooner!" He replied in the same joking manner, sending a playful wink in her direction before they started off again. Not that he would've wished this to have happened any other way- her having come just then allowed for them to meet. He certainly would hate for that experience to have been stripped from them. His gently hold on her hand firmed up just a tad, though not enough to actually tighten or possibly hurt her. It was more of his manner of securing the fact that she was indeed by his side here. Then, glancing over at her, he sent her a small smile. "You can always make up for lost time." He added, more seriously now.
As he studied her expression for a reaction to his home, he was in for a happy surprise. Rubbing the back of his head shyly, he opened the small wooden gate at his home's entrance before she spoke up again. His eyebrows drew together as his gaze quickly snapped to focus in on the lit window. Cara is the only one permitted in my home... She's still in the capitol! Should be until the holiday season. Cursing briefly under his breath, he reached for the curved blade at his side, not even noting the rain as he instead moved down the neat pathway to the door. "Numira, stay back a bit. No one should be here. I don't know what's going on." He spoke evenly, though his words were tense and his body ready to spring. He was going to take down whomever dared break into his home.
Drawing in a deep breath, one of his hands slowly reached out to the door handle. With a sudden push, it flew open, already unlocked. Without a moment to react, a blonde figure had thrown itself with haste at him, arms wrapping around his neck as he let out a startled yelp. The curved sword he'd held at his side clattered on the ground. The woman who had burst forth held him in a tight embrace, arms encircling him tightly as he let out a yelp of surprise. She had a petite stature, especially compared to his, with blonde hair running down to her waist. As she pulled back to look at him, however, their facial features would show distinct similarities. This was Cara.
"Kiernan!" She cried happily, the two almost having tipped over with the force of the hug. "I decided to surprise you. Master sent me home for now, told me to take a break!"
"Take a break? You're kidding..." He replied, a small smile now on his face as his arms hung limply yet at his side. There was a note of suspicion in his tone, not quite buying that explanation. Kiernan knew all too well that apprenticeship came with far stricter schedules than that. One did not simply take a break. Then again, he did enjoy the sight of his younger sister. Finally he moved to return the embrace, wrapping his arms firmly around her for a few moments before the two stepped away from another.
She pouted a little at first, unpleased by his lack of enthusiasm, but then sighed softly as he finally returned the hug. Her expression sombered a bit as she looked up at him thoughtfully. "I am unsure of what is going on, but many people from within the capitol have left. The Master was tense. I am way of what is to come..." She paused here, now taking notice of the strange woman standing behind them. Her eyes lighting up, she looked between them, lifting her eyebrows. "You brought a girl home?! How rude of you! Introduce your guest!" She scolded playfully, then looked expectantly to her brother as she turned to face Numira. "Hiya, I'm Cara. This oaf's sister. Nice to meet you." She spoke with a friendly smile, one of her hands extending to shake.
Kiernan's mind busied itself with his sister's words, not quite liking the sound of them. It certainly spelled trouble. Nevertheless, the introduction was indeed necessary. "Right. Numira, this is my younger sister, Cara, as she said..."
"By only two years!" She exclaimed, earning a soft sigh from him.
"Cara, this is Numira. I am going to be her guide into Erenguard. Well... Let's talk inside." He finished the introduction quickly as he finally noted the worsening weather. The speed at which the nice day was diminishing was all too abnormal. He stepped in front of the two women to open the door for them, Cara grabbing Numira's arm in a childishly friendly gesture to guide her inside.
Last edited by Arc Angel; 09-13-2014 at 12:08 AM..
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-13-2014, 04:42 PM
Numira's face grew serious once Kiernan gave her the warning to stay back, but instinctively she reached behind herself for the blade she'd been given, even a short weapon like this was enough that she could cause serious damage with it to whatever was lurking inside. Having a weapon at all was a huge difference, but Kiernan was obviously more experienced. She kept at his heel, though what happened next.
Well, since she wasn't aware of the situation immediately, it made Numira's face go red, jealousy snapped at the back of her mind, she wasn't even sure what she wanted to say or do about some other woman clinging to Kiernan, nor did she fully understand why she felt that way, but the moment they started to speak, her face let up and she stared at the two quietly as they spoke.
Once the girl's attention was drawn to Numi, she hesitantly put her knife away, then stared at the extended hand, a brief pause and then she mimicked the motion, extending her hand, however she only mirrored Cara, seemingly unaware that she needed to take Cara's hand and shake it. She turned her head a moment to look at Kiernan and smiled as he explained exactly who she was, she had gathered as much from their conversation but it was nice to know she wasn't some-one to be jealous of.. Well.. Maybe not entirely.. Before she could think further on the subject, her arm had been grabbed by the girl and she was pulled into the home.
As she entered, she stared around the place, especially the furnishings, wooden furnishings. On Kiranes it was exotic to even use wood anymore, Eco-Rights Activists would have gone mental at a world like this. There seemed to be rugs on the floors, and a nearby fireplace. To most, fire was a bad thing, but Numira loved the concept of a well-controlled fire in a home. Something about the entire place smelled rather nice too, perhaps it was the flowers outside.. Still she took it all in with some wonder on her face and a smile all the same,
"It is a nice home.." She stated glancing at Cara on her arm a moment, "May I please be free..?"
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-13-2014, 11:37 PM
As Numira simply mirrored her action to shake her hand, Cara rose a curious eyebrow at her, instead taking the initiative to grab her hold gently and shake it. Confusion dissipating as Kiernan introduced them properly, she again looked at Numira with a warm smile. "Nice to see he's finally got a girl home!" She spoke with enthusiasm, a hint of a joke in her voice as he gaze returned to her brother shortly to poke fun.
Kiernan averted his gaze briefly, a tad shy as Cara jested at him. He found no words to reply with, so instead he swallowed his pride and then watched the two women interact with mild interest, crossing his arms before him casually as a bit of amusement glimmered in his golden eyes. Cara, he knew, was naturally open, friendly, and physically affectionate-- there was some contrast in Numira, who seemed a bit more reserved in some ways, albeit friendly and seemingly drawn to the little gestures of affection he'd attempted with her. Watching the two interact, a smile curled up along his lips as he thought of earlier. We had been so close. His gaze trailed Numira thoughtfully as she smiled and Cara pulled her along inside, her form in that dress still drawing his breath to catch in his throat as she entered the lit living room. He didn't need to be told to follow suit. Once inside, he shut and locked the door firmly before turning to face the girls again.
The room in front of them was rather large, in comparison to that of the whole home. It didn't have many rooms altogether, so the majority of the space allotted in the cottage was designated to the great room, centered around a large stone fireplace with wooden-framed chairs and a couch circling it while a small dining area lingered off to the side of the room. A small cooking area was just beyond that, tucked into a corner where several ingredients were partially chopped up and prepared at the moment. A large, heated pot sat there, a long wooden spoon stirring itself in what smelled like a thickening stew. Kiernan drew in a deep breath of this, smiling as he approached it to get a good look. "Smells wonderful, what ya got cooking?" He questioned, a boyish wonder in his eyes as he looked down at the enchanted spoon. Beside him a knife chopped a carrot expertly, the cutting board moving on its own to dispense the pieces into the stew before continuing.
Cara casually looked over at him, grinning. "Just a simple rabbit stew. There should be more than enough for the three of us once it's done." She spoke simply before hearing Numira's question, turning to face her curiously, a tad wide-eyed. "Of course." She spoke, unused to having her friendly gestures earn responses like that. Without another word, she removed her hand gently from Numira's arm and turned to look over the enchanted utensils she had preparing dinner.
Kiernan walked back over towards Numira at this point, a small smile on his lips as he looked her over, hoping she didn't feel uncomfortable with the situation. She hadn't appeared to have taken well to Cara leading her in like that. "I thought we might stop here for some rest, if that's alright. I'd also like to find out more about what's going on in the capitol." He spoke calmly, a hint of seriousness brushing past his tone as his gaze studied hers. Behind him, the walls were adorned with a couple of simple tapestries, a few shelves along the walls with small momentos placed upon them. Some were sketches of himself or family, others small pieces of art or otherwise, but across the mantle of the fireplace was perhaps the most interesting of these things. A couple of pictures were hung there, of various men in uniform, one of which Kiernan. His hair was much shorter kept, his features a bit calmer, and his clothing was better-tailored as was his iron armor. Before the pictures was a sword on display, held up delicately to show the blade's ornate carvings and well-crafted handle.
"So, please make yourself at home for the time being. If you need anything, or have any questions, you know you can feel free to ask me." He spoke kindly, one of his hands gently caressing the back of her shoulder before he stepped away to sit down and unclasp his leather armor pieces.
Last edited by Arc Angel; 09-15-2014 at 03:30 PM..
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-15-2014, 06:24 AM
As Cara finally released her arm, Numira smiled broadly again, seemingly content with that as she crossed her hands behind her back,
"Thank you," She offered, she hadn't been offended by the action, but she hadn't been sure of the necessity of it once they'd entered the home, perhaps she would ask later if it was culturally significant in some way, or simply a personal preference on Cara's part. She glanced over at Kiernan briefly before staring towards the cooking area. She sniffed the air gently before she practically followed her nose to the cooking area and found herself sniffing at the pot, keeping her hair away from the fire.
Though she then settled on staring at the stirring spoon, red eyes focused on it, they shifted partly the sensors linked to her mind couldn't pick anything up, in fact staring at it directly, trying to focus on it, simply gave her a headache and gave her mind static. Whatever magic was, it couldn't be analyzed. She finally stood straight up again and grinned,
"It smells so nice.. Magic looks so useful..!" She noted briefly, gently folding her arms though she shifted a little in place, head tilted to the side. She shifted to a more calm smile and looked around the home a moment before she spotted an open enough area that she felt wasn't in the way of Kiernan and Cara, soon scuttling over to it and setting the knife and pouch of money aside before she turned on the spot and lowered herself smoothly into a cross-legged sitting position.
She stared at the two of them briefly, but then smiled at Kiernan,
"I need a moment, I may not respond.. Um.. I do not mean harm.. But please do not startle or touch me.." She stated briefly, her smile fading into something of an apologetic look before she shifted into a neutral position, she straightened her back, eyes closing. The markings on her shoulder and neck began to glow as they had before with Kiernan touching them, although the red wasn't present. As when she meditated in the morning, they began to gently cycle through colors whilst she sank herself into her own mind.
She was trying to assess her experiences so far, the fight in the forest, how strong the people of this world were, the magical energies she could sense as nothing more than static, the abilities that magic was giving people and how they were using them. The day to day work. Combat. Prosthetic limbs like Kiernans. And that young man in the forest, she could have sworn he was coating his arms in electricity with the way his fists had been lighting up. Touching Cara had given her the feeling of static in her arm, it had felt strangely numb.
It was all useful information, she wondered if what she could analyze in theory could improve her chances of learning it, if at all. But then there was something else. That strange thing she'd sensed in the forest. Her eyes opened, but she seemed to stare through into nothingness, her breathing soft and silent. The red irises were glowing softly in place, the several sections they consisted off twisting and focusing. She wasn't conscious of her body doing this, but it was a standard result of her meditations at times.
Last edited by HC-Gal; 09-15-2014 at 06:34 AM..
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-15-2014, 03:47 PM
Seeing the smile cross the other woman's face again, Cara let out a soft sigh. So she hadn't been offended by the contact. There was still some oddity in her manners that drew her attention, a tad suspicious of her as Cara hesitantly watched her from over her cooking. "Right... It is." She questioned, eyes lingering in her direction as Numira moved to sit down. Her strange manners so far coupled with her seeming curiosity with magic was sending Cara's brain smoke signals that maybe she was someone to keep an eye on. Foreign, non-magic users have been stirring trouble... Frowning a little in Kiernan's direction, she saw him moving to sit near the girl. He seems so trusting, though. It's... refreshing to see him at peace. Shaking her head, Cara set her mind on accepting this odd woman. Her brother was a good judge of character, and she hadn't actually seemed hostile in the least.
Kiernan sat but a foot or so from Numira, only to catch her warning with a bit of surprise. "Al... right?" He was about to ask what she planned on doing, with such a weird warning, but then she was just... sort of gone. His eyes widened with a sense of childish wonder as her markings began to glow before him for this second time, gaze following their colors curiously. Kiernan refrained from making contact or even trying to speak with her, but the effect this had on him was not shared by his younger sister.
Upon seeing the glowing lights, Cara's eyes widened, lips parting with her surprise as her gaze darted in their direction. "Kiernan! What's she doing?" She exclaimed worriedly, scooting out from behind the kitchen counters and towards the two of them. A silver glow came from her hand as she began to swoop it into a motion, but Kiernan gently caught her wrist before anything more happened. Casting an apologetic glance in Cara's direction, Kiernan would grin. "She's not from around here, Cara. Please just be understanding for now." Cara, struck dumb for the moment, peeled her gaze from the lights to see the earnest look etched into his face. She studied him for several quiet moments before sighing and returning his gesture with a small smile. The silver light emitting from her hand dissipated as she allowed it to grow slack, his hand then removing itself from her.
"Alright. I'm just a bit on edge, ya know?" She questioned, letting out a soft sigh before looking between them a tad deviously. "Just keep your girlfriend out of trouble. That was... strange." Cara promptly turned on her heel before he could retort, returning to cooking with a quiet hum.
Kiernan's face flushed, but he had no room to speak as his sister turned her back to him so quickly. Instead, as the light died down, his gaze was drawn back to Numira. Catching her vacant expression, her glowing eyes, his widened a tad. "Mira, are you alright?" He questioned, one of his hands hovering over her, but not daring to touch her as per the warning he'd received.
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-16-2014, 05:53 AM
Numira remained unresponsive to Cara's motions, the entire conversation outside of her mind blanked out entirely as she focused in on herself, meditating and considering everything that she'd come across. Her conversations with Kiernan in particular about magic. If such a power was introduced to her own society, she pondered its uses. The utility of using it for every day tasks was one thing, but if people could use to to fight.. Well.. Now that she thought about it, what would happen if people started vying for more powerful magic? And that duty.. Se wondered about it further for once, the one she left behind so that she could explore other worlds..
She wasn't even aware as Kiernan approached her, she stared past him transfixed on the space behind him, however there was a distant rumble overhead, it grew louder. As Kiernan reached out, lightning struck in the distance, though it wasn't so far away that the sound didn't reach them at just that moment. The flash of light filling the small home briefly, the loud sound and the proximity of a hand to her body all combined to startle her in the exact fashion she requested they did not. Her left hand shot up like bolt itself, her fingers wrapping around the metal limb as the markings on her body stopped cycling colors and instead turned red to match her eyes. In that instant alone she squeezed the limb with enough force that even the solid metal creaked, it was like having the limb trapped in an iron manacle as the red eyes stared up in Kiernan's direction this time, however there was practically no life there, only pure intent.
Her mind alerted her of supposed danger, her perception changed quickly. If Kiernan was nearby she didn't believe she was in danger, however she knew her body wouldn't react with that belief in mind. And so she quickly forced herself out of her meditation, the markings on her body fading to simple black patterns and her eyes no longer glowed as brightly, instead she blinked and looked around quickly before looking at her left hand and Kiernan's wrist being squeezed. She felt some relief inside that this was all she had done but she immediately looked up at Kiernan, focusing on him now instead of staring past him,
"Something startled me.." She stated apologetically, her fingers peeling off the limb and she withdrew her hand whilst also recoiling a little, "When I focus my mind-and only when I focus my mind-my body protects me, it does not-" She paused again, thinking briefly, "-Identify?-" She figured out a suitable word then continued, "Friend or foe.." She tried to explain this all quickly, though another bolt of lightning struck behind her and she let out a surprised squeak, practically whirling on the spot into a defensive, crouched position,
"What was that?! Is-is some-one attacking? Is it magic??"
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-16-2014, 03:30 PM
As the various sound of the approaching storm grew louder, Cara refocused her attention from Numira and her stew to the view beyond the window panes. Walking cautiously over to a window, she allowed her eyes to scour the landscape as one of her hands rose to gently press its palm to the cool glass. Frowning a little as she thought of the repercussions it could have on the garden, the forest, the villagers, she made a quick decision. "Kiernan, I'm heading out to tend to the others. Who knows what this racket will bring." She stated plainly as she grabbed a short, but hooded, cloak.
"Be careful." He replied firmly, knowing better than to attempt dissuading her. Typically he would do the same, but with Numira here, and in this strange state, he couldn't very well do that. He didn't want to risk even minor injury from the storm when his place was with her.
"Yeah, yeah." She replied playfully, flashing him a broad smile before stepping outside. "Don't let my stew boil over!"
Kiernan gave her a small smile in turn, but this soon dampened as he again took to looking over Numira with a hint of worry. This was when shock overtook him. A lightning bolt struck the back garden, leading the house rattle a bit as its light flashed boldly from the back windows. At the same time, he sensed a pressure on his hand that tore his gaze from the storm immediately to Numira. The force he saw her exert on his hand and her continued lack of conscious thought drew his eyebrows to knit together as he stared at her rather intensely now. "Mi..ra?" He squeaked, not attempting to withdraw his hand from hers, but worried over what may come of this. Is she really alright in there?
This worry washed away as she came to, releasing him to fold his arms into his lap, staring at the metal limb as he tested its movements briefly. It still seemed to be moving smoothly, and thankfully he saw no denting in it. That was a breath of relief. Golden eyes conflicted as he looked back up at her, he wasn't sure of how to take in this information. Instead, he cleared his voice a little, ready to chalk it up to her being strange with a response when lightning struck again. He merely glanced in its direction before noting her reaction. While it wasn't normal, there was something innocent in it-- something genuine, scared, and... rather cute. Chuckling, Kiernan brushed away the events of the past few minutes to gently wrap an arm around her balled up form. "It's storming outside. It's just lightning." He spoke calmly, his free hand moving to gently brush a strand of hair away from her face. "You don't need to worry over it. Storms usually cause minimal damage here. Even so, Cara just went to do some damage control in town. Everything will be fine."
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-16-2014, 09:36 PM
Numira stared around the room at first, she heard the rumblings overhead, the sound alone was making her want to prepare for combat, but she couldn't just use her suit here. However Kiernan's approach, the sound of his chuckling, then the arm wrapped around her all served to make her tensed from slowly relax. She tensed only briefly as a bolt struck in the distance, but she turned her head towards him, her brow knitted together with worry,
"Storming..? Lightning..?" She thought on the words. Those were natural phenomena on some worlds, but she'd never experienced them in person.
Reassuring words from Kiernan made her smile meekly as she watched his hand brush the strands from her face, though she then looked at his metal hand with a little concern, frowning a little,
"I did not.. Damage..?" She questioned, reaching for it to gently hold it between her hands like before, gazing at the area where she had been squeezing. However this was constructed, she was surprised it hadn't been dented. Was this an effect of magic reinforcing it in some way? She wrapped her hands around it, with the same care she would with a normal hand and looked up at Kiernan again with a smile, "I am relieved.."
Her focus shifted to the window, though she leaned in closer to Kiernan, his warmth against her back kept her comfortable as she watched what she could see, there was wind making the trees sway and the flashes of light and distant thunder still rumbling overhead,
"That sound is so terrible.. Like the sound of war.." She stated, shrinking into Kiernan for that comfort he was giving her as she wrapped her arms around herself, shivering a little in place. War was one thing she didn't want any part in, yet she knew how strangely inevitable it was, "There are terrible weapons.. Weapons that make that sound.." Numira added, gripping at her sleeves, face still drawn downwards, "I like to sing, better.. So much nicer sound.."
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-17-2014, 01:36 AM
Seeing her relax into his form, an easy smile passed over Kiernan's face as he let his other arm rise to wrap around her in more of a hug. While earlier he had been hesitant of affectionate gestures such as this with her, now he felt all too comfortable in gently folding her into his embrace. He felt the need to keep her safe, but also to ensure that she feels safe. Therefore, as she turned to him appearing rather worry-struck, he returned her gaze was a gentle smile. "There's nothing to fear." He spoke softly, noting how she had leaned towards him. This sent a hum deep into his chest, a warmth he hadn't anticipated. Holding her tenderly as she faced away from him, he leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on her shoulder. "I promise, I'll protect you." Kiernan added quietly after a few moments, words firm.
As she questioned over his metal hand, he looked down at it once more with a soft sigh. "Ah, well..." He watched as she took his hand within hers, a small smile lining his lips at the familiar sight. "It's been through quite a bit worse. Not that you don't have quite a grip." He chuckled a little, a bit hesitant to speak in detail of it. The prosthetic was an eyesore to him, truly, no matter how often he looked it over or cleaned it. It was a reminder of failure, of brutal magic power, of Draskone. "What little magic I can use nowadays... it all goes into this. It allows it to move, but it also protects it. I'm no good one-handed." He spoke with a twinge of regret, though he had decided he did not mind telling her of it after all. His golden eyes lingered on it as she held it before trailing back to her face, just studying her in the slightly dimmed lighting of the room-- admiring her.
Hearing her speak of war, Kiernan's own body tensed just a bit. It was not a foreign concept to him in the least sense, but the idea of one occurring now still threw him off guard. Things were certainly tense within the area, but he couldn't imagine that. He couldn't let himself imagine that. Expression sobering a little, he nonetheless allowed himself to relax again by her side. "I've never heard of such weapons," he began at first, then shook his head. They didn't need to speak of war. Clearing his throat a little, he smile at Numira in his boyish manner. "Would you mind singing for me? It might take your mind off of the storm." He asked as a suggestion, rather liking the idea himself.
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-17-2014, 11:45 PM
Numira turned her head a little when she recieved the kiss on her shoulder, though her face only turned slightly red, she didn't complain though. It sent a strange tingle through her, a sensation she wasn't sure she understood as much as she wanted to, but it didn't feel bad, or wrong. That he said he would protect her was.. Perhaps the most curious thing to her mind. No-one had ever said that before. In some way, she was thankful for it, but in another, she realized she didn't want anyone put in harms way for her own sake. Especially not Kiernan. If anything did happen, then she was firmly resolved to protect him, instead.
Her thoughts turned to the prosthetic again, he said that he needed to use his magic on it to make it work, that he couldn't do anything else with it, but what if he could get a new hand that didn't need magic to work? Back on Kiranes, it wasn't uncommon for lost limbs to be replaced with a prosthetic, she knew they didn't run on magic, of course it was a level of technology above that of this planet, still.. That this arm of his was stunting his ability to use magic.. It was a curious thought indeed. If Kiernan could use his magic in other ways, what could he do?
Her thoughts were rattled when he asked for her to sing and she froze in place, lips wavering a little until she drew them into a thin line at first, the problem with singing was, she had never done it in front of other people. And the first time she sang.. She lowered her head a little, reaching for Kiernan's arms this time and pulling them tight around herself for that protection he'd promised her at first, still hesitant and quiet until she finally pushed his arms away slightly and turned on the spot so she was facing him. She sat back on her heels, hands rested on her knees a moment and she fiddled with her dress in an embarrassed fashion,
" W-well.. I do not know.. Any song in your language.." Numira mumbled a little, flinching as another bolt struck some distance away, she took a deep breath and exhaled before clearing her throat for a moment and staring at Kiernan, her face still one of embarrassment, some sorrow as well, but then she took in another soft breath, and then she began to sing.
At the very least, Kiernan's tactic worked to some degree, she was able to ignore the thundering sounds of an angry sky, she lifted and moved her arms gently in a way that seemed highly practiced, it was expression to the song, although the expressions she made seemed more of sorrow. Numira had practiced the same song for many years after she'd heard it the first time, but not once had she ever sung it to anyone. But for Kiernan, she wanted to. The strange feeling of warmth she gained when she was close to him made her happy, even if the song brought only bad memories. She would share anything with him, if she felt brave enough.
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-18-2014, 03:06 AM
As she froze, Kiernan feared that perhaps his suggestion of a switch in topic hadn't been a good one, or perhaps it hadn't been effective in the least. For a few moments, his eyebrows neared one another with a brush of worry, and he prepared to speak in something of an apology. The arms he held around her shifted a little, uncertain as he awaited a response. Then, soon enough, she pulled them closer around her. Smiling a little in her direction, Kiernan decided that maybe what he was seeing was actually embarrassment. He followed her move to pull in his arms, holding her a bit closer before the moment was over and she backed away a bit. Her motions to fiddle with her dress drew his gaze to her hands, then trailing over her form in the dress briefly before locking onto her own gaze.
"It needn't be in my language." He assured her gently, grinning once more in what he hoped to be an encouraging gesture before she began to sing. Oh my, did she sing. Kiernan's eyes widened a little at first, not quite having expected the sadness to come of the tune she started, but appreciative of the light quality of her voice. It was astounding to him that someone could sing with such emotion, such a seemingly personal touch, especially when he didn't understand the words. He found himself lost in it, eyes studying her face in a dreamy sort of focus, mind drinking in the melody as if it were a thick honey. It's meaning was foggy and it's tone quite disheartening, but it was surely a treat to hear.
Once her voice trailed off, he waited for a few quiet moments before sending a sad, yet awestruck smile in her direction. Leaning forward instinctually, he again wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. This time, however, he kept her there. His face nuzzled gently against the top of her head, her hair soft against his cheek as he breathed her in. "That was quite something, Numira." He spoke quietly, heart warmed and yet troubled by the tone of her singing. Then pulling away a bit, his arms moving to instead gently hold her forearms as he looked at her. "May I ask what it was about? Why you seemed so... somber?" He questioned, eyes studying her in a curious, but touched, manner.
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-19-2014, 04:28 AM
Numira shrank a little in place after finishing, her form seemed smaller than it was, honestly it was hard to tell that she was any sort of fighter at all with such a frame. She placed her hands on her knees eyes lowered to the ground as she wrung her dress softly, uncomfortably. Even as lightning struck outside, she didn't seem to flinch much anymore, his question hadn't unnerved her, but it was difficult to answer, finding the correct words in his language and hoping the translators didn't make her sound any stranger than she usually did,
"It was.. A song that.. Well.. It asks to escape.. Freedom.. To see the sun.. Hard to explain. It is much about images with hidden thoughts.." She struggled to explain it but honestly the translators were letting her know that her words were broken and possibly confused, she could only hope she got the idea across that it was a song that metaphorically called for freedom from darkness.
She continued to fiddle with her dress, her lips shifting a little. It took only a moment before the silver of tears could be seen drawing lines down her face, but she looked up at Kiernan, reaching up with her sleeves to brush them away, she sniffled briefly and tried to take in a deep breath but it wasn't so effective, so between slight gasps and the obvious fight against sobs she spoke again,
"People of Kiranes, take pride in heart names, chosen names are ones given to us at birth, but-" She coughed a little, "-heart names are special, it means we are close friends, or family, or lovers," Numira added, pulling a sleeve across her face, "W-we choose it ourselves, we learn to choose s-something that means something to us..!" She continued, pulling as brave a face as she could muster, "My heart name is Signes Moriaghanis, I sing in silence because no-one cared for my heart..!" This was the cue for her to burst into tears and cry because she could no longer hold back the hurtful tide of bad memories that bore down on her. Almost instinctively she sat forward quickly and held her arms around Kiernan's neck. There had been a slight error in what she'd said, one she hadn't noticed, for she said the word Cared, rather than Cares.
Meanwhile out in the village, a silver-haired man was standing near the center of town as he stared up at the sky, he had been rather annoyed when he woke up, hell, he'd been robbed! He was saving a girl and it turned out she was a bandit too! What a fix, if he got home, his sister would beat the hell out of him, well, at least if she found out.. He grumbled, rubbing his head in annoyance. The cloak she'd left though, that was the weird part. Why did she leave him covered in her cloak? he wasn't able to not be at least a little curious. Wasn't hard for him to track the trial of those two bandits to the town, but he hadn't found anything since then.
His eyes shifted briefly as he watched the sky, he could feel it. This storm was natural, but his attunement to lightning made it easier to predict, especially as he could practically see where the next strike would occur. So far it hadn't done much damage tot he village, but this next one..
Without a second though he dashed forward, almost running straight into a pretty blond girl in a short cloak, though he danced around her with a broad grin,
"Comin' through! I gotta catch me some lightning!" He yelled as he run towards a building. energy gathered at his feet and he leaped up high, landing deftly on a building. A spark flashed on his left hand and he cut the air above him in an arc. A bolt of lightning struck down through the sky, landing on his hand mid-swing. As he finished the swing the bolt was thrown off course, breaking apart into several arcs the scattered across the nearby cobblestone roads.
The white-haired man whooped loudly with laughter, placed his hands on his hips as he did so,
"That's right! I can cut lightning from the sky!" He announced proudly, "You can't beat m-"
He was cut off as a second bolt struck down on him, proving the old theory false. Being a lightning rod wasn't exactly something to be thankful for. Smoke rose off the standing man, his hair frizzed into an even wilder fashion than before as he coughed briefly before sitting down on the house and resting his head on his hand with an irritated face whilst he stared up at the sky,
"Well played.."
Last edited by HC-Gal; 09-19-2014 at 06:48 PM..
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-19-2014, 03:56 PM
As she began to shift uncomfortably, though no longer seeming to react to the storm, Kiernan released her from his gentle grasp. His gaze studied her smaller gestures in confusion as he tried to piece together her words. From what he could tell, she had been singing of freedom, perhaps of wanting to leave where she had been. This was a concept Kiernan was certainly familiar with, having fled his own home country, but for what reason had she? He assumed it was for similar purpose without putting much thought to it. His jaw line hardened with distaste at the thought of her having to go through something so strenuous, so heartbreaking. She was such a sweet, curious woman-- who would dare drive her from home? This sweep of anger broke, however, on his sighting of a silver teardrop falling from her face.
Lips parting in surprise, his gaze darted to her face where seeing the tears streaming softened his heart. He wanted to give her all the comfort she needed immediately, to stop this heart-wrenching sight, but fought the idea to ensure he was giving her proper space and time to speak as she began to. So, to begin with, he instead gently wrapped an arm around her to slowly rub her back in what was an attempt to show her that he was there. Golden eyes trained on her as she spoke between shaky sobs, he felt his insides melt. Perhaps she didn't speak of war, or of violence tearing her from home, but to hear of the lack of love that seemed to have been there still hit him rather hard. In his mind, the understanding he drew from it was clear: she had no one. As she darted forwards to wrap her arms around his neck, he allowed himself to finally concede to instinct. "Signes Moriaghanis...?" He spoke testingly at first before clearing his throat a little and scooting closer to her in order to wrap his arm fully around her shoulder and place his other gently on her closest forearm.
He wished he had the right words, knew what to say-- instead his thoughts swirled with the information he'd been given. Heart names were so important? They seemed to show care for another, but she didn't have any family to use it? He wasn't quite sure what to make of the situation holistically, but he understood with the reaction her tears made on him that he certainly cared for her. He cared for her, and he wouldn't allow her to live in a place without love. Perhaps he wasn't thinking straight... or perhaps her tears finally gave him the determination to fix the situation. "Mira..." He spoke finally, then shook his head. His hands both moved to her back, holding her close against him, wishing to envelope her in safety. "You don't have to go back there, now. I told you I'll protect you, and I mean it. I'll protect your heart, too." He leaned down to press a firm kiss to her forehead, his hands moving to gently brush new tears from her cheeks in a tender gesture. "I will care for you." He then spoke firmly, after much thought, gaze still trained upon her face as a grin lifted his. "I will care for you, and keep those who hurt you from doing so again. I swear it."
Meanwhile... Cara has busied herself with readying the village for the storm to worsen. She had brought groups of children inside, advised vendors of where to store their goods for safe keeping, and was in the process of preparing for more lightning when... an idiot appeared. As she was almost ran into, she frowned a bit, about to tell him to watch where he was going if not for the surprise she got in his words. "Catch... lightning?" She stopped where she stood, eyes widening as she looked up to see him scaling a building rather swiftly to stand at its top. Something rather impressive did occur, the lightning bolt successfully redirected from hitting the rooftop thanks to what she assumed to be an affinity for it. Magic. It was surprising and yet refreshing to see another well-trained magic user in an outlying village like this, but that didn't change the recklessness she saw in his plans.
The proud stance he took after the first redirect lead her to sigh and shake her head, calling up to him with both a touch of worry and playfulness. "Don't be getting cocky now!" She urged, though it appeared too late for the man. Her eyes widened in a mix of horror and awe as lightning struck down straight for him, somehow still leaving him alive... Sighing, she too leapt up rather gracefully to the rooftop to stand at its edge. Walking to him cautiously, she looked down at him with a hand on her hip and a quirked eyebrow. "What the hell was that? You didn't plan that through at all, it was too risky!" She spoke softly, scolding but not wishing to see him struck again. Protecting the village was her prerogative, and a foolish visitor was among those she now considered under her protection. Let the storm come.
Her eyes watched the sky carefully, cautious as she took a deep breath and waited. A flash of lightning was shown in the cloud overhead a neighboring building, and she acted quickly to point two fingers in its direction, making a swiping motion. A sort of silver aura washed over the roof, so when the lightning came down for it, it did no damage. Eyes careful and movements quick, she continued this to try and stop what she could. "Defense isn't my specialty, but... this works for now." She spoke softly, thoughtful as worry clouded her gaze. Shilf wasn't built well for storms, she was concerned of those she couldn't stop.
__________________
Halloween hangout + contests!
Last edited by Arc Angel; 09-19-2014 at 06:49 PM..
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-20-2014, 12:26 AM
Numira clung tightly to Kiernan's shoulders as she cried, she'd never invoked her own emotions so openly before. Being with Kiernan had an affect on her, after all, it was the first time in a long time she didn't feel like an outsider when near some-one. Even among her family, she'd never felt so close to anyone. Singing alone, away from others, was the only thing that she could do to feel somewhat better, it was an activity she enjoyed. But to sing to some-one for once, have her presence appreciated, she could feel it, there was so much difference in being with Kiernan.
She lowered her arms after a moment, still choking back small gasps as he kissed her forehead and wiped her tears away. Her own hands lifted to grasp at his, clinging to them gently as she stared up at him, eyes still glimmering, but listening to him, it made her feel better, she sniffled some more, but eventually it seemed to quiet down. One feint hiccup and she leaned forward again, nestling her head beneath his chin, her arms smoothly finding their way under his arms, hands gently grasping the back of his shoulders,
"I-I will.. Sing for you again.. Some time.." She stated softly, pressing in close as she hugged him, "You can use my name in private.. But in all other cases, Numira is what you say." She instructed a little, it was tradition after all. In her culture, openly saying some-one's heart name in public was tantamount to revealing best kept secrets to strangers, to know a heart name was a matter of trust. Trust not easily won from the people of Kiranes,
"And my heart.. Feels a little better now.." Numira added, nudging her head up gently under his chin, "Thank you, Kiernan."
"I find it easier not to plan things, if I sit around planning all day I never get anything done," The man retorted, reaching his hands up to smooth his hair back. Static ran through his fingers and his hair until it seemed ot pull back into its original style, "I've been hit by worse things," He paused, staring into the distance as if remembering something and shuddering, "I'm going to be hit by worse things..! And then there was that bandit in the forest and his green haired witch-friend who clobbered me from behind and stole most of my money!" Thunder rumbled up overhead and he shook his fist at the sky, "Oh shuddup! How was I supposed to know she was gonna blindside me?!" He yelled in response, as if the sky was mocking him, it wasn't, but it was probably manifesting his own thoughts in his mind.
He leaned against his hand, watching Cara shield a home from lightning. His face lit up then with a curious expression,
"Hey, that aint half bad, you're almost as good as my aunt." He chuckled at first but then pulled a grim face,, soon followed by him ruffling his own hair and yelling out loud, mostly to himself, "She's gonna kill me when she finds out I let myself get beat so easily.. If not her, it'll be sis.." The man hung his head in shame, "Would've been nice to at least have had a girlfriend before I die.." He moaned a little before looking up again and staring at Cara again,
"So, can I at least get the pretty lady's name?" The white-haired fellow asked, pretty blunt about his thoughts as he almost triumphantly thumped his chest, "My name's Zed."
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-20-2014, 01:29 AM
Kiernan felt a great sense of relief as she seemed to calm with his words, her hands rising to grasp his as she looked up at him with perhaps the sweetest expression he'd yet seen from her. His smiled broadened as she did so, wishing to be encouraging as his arms remained gently looped around her. While she had just sung a rather saddening song- so much so that it got this sort of reaction out of her- he was looking forward to hearing her singing voice again. It had been a beautiful, surreal even, experience for him. He loved the thought of reliving it under better circumstances. As he felt her press closer to him again, he fully relaxed, his own arms rising to hold her in close as his chin rested just above her head.
It was a special warmth, to be beside her like this. It was peaceful, it felt right. Kiernan hadn't experience such a sensation in quite a while. He couldn't help but reman smile, nodding slightly with her instruction. "I would love to hear your voice again... and..." He responded first, pausing before adding, "I understand. I'll keep it between us." Feeling her gently nudge his chin, he pulled his head slightly back to look down at her. "I am glad I could help." He replied with a gentle voice, having been hesitant that he would comfort her. Her words had warmed him, his chest feeling as if full of some pleasant flame as he simply looked down at her for a few quiet moments. Kiernan did truly feel at peace there with her, especially now that they had seemed to jump a hurdle, so to speak.
It was after a few quiet moments of simply sitting there with her, savoring the sweet taste of the moment, that a thought crossed his mind. Slowly, his hands moved to her waist to allow his head to move from over hers. He drew a hand up to her face, gently lifting her chin with one of his thumbs as his golden gaze studied her features for a moment. Then, motions firm with the gamble, Kiernan leaned in to gently press his lips to Numira's.
Cara sighed softly with his response, shaking her head a little. "There's a good balance of planning. One that allows you to at least think of things before risking your life." She replied, a tad dryly. The random words that seemed to spill from his mouth them on lead her to confusion, so she chose not to mind them, particularly the parts of the witch he ran into. What sort of head trauma was this man suffering from? One of her hands rose to her temple as she turned to look at him. "Well... Thanks." She added after a moment, at least accepting the compliment even if she assumed the man to be crazy. A compliment from another trained magician was a compliment she would accept, regardless. What he was going on about, she didn't know. She wasn't sure she even cared, but still... "What're you talking about? You get into a fight or something?" She finally asked, a tad frustrated, though now bothered enough to wonder.
At his question, her eyes widened a tad. They were blunt words, coming from a weirdo. Rubbing her forehead, she stared at him in disbelief. She must be imagining this. "Cara. My name's Cara." She replied nonetheless after a few moments, then noted the lack of lightning coming down. Instead, the rain seemed to be picking up, leading her to draw her hood higher up over her head. "How about we go inside now, eh, Zed?" She questioned casually, a tad hesitant about remaining in the man's presence, especially with the rain really coming down like this.
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-20-2014, 07:28 PM
Numira felt glad to be surrounded by Kiernan's arms, her face felt warm, but the tears had dried away mostly, leaving only an aching feeling in her chest, soothed by the mans presence, the feeling of his arms and hands around her, brushing across her dress, practically dancing on her skin. He spoke again and the words managed to pry a smile from her once again.
She felt a little surprise as his hands moved down to her waist, she leaned back initially, curious as to what he was thinking, the sadness on her expression had faded, simple curiosity remained. As he touched her chin, she felt her heart leap a little. She shifted one of her hands, placing it on his chest, no intention of pushing him away though. As he leaned forward, so did she.
However she then stopped and turned her head, sniffing at the air, her nose wasn't blocked, so now she could smell things again, and frankly that didn't smell good. She looked towards the kitchen, able to get a general idea of where it was coming from, there was smoke rising from one of the pots and she pointed at it with one hand, smiling at Kiernan,
"Uhm.. Should it smell like that and smoke too..?" She asked, although even for her the smell of burning food wasn't exactly pleasant. She was somehow certain that some-one was wrong from the smell.
"In a real combat situation you don't get time to think out a super detailed plan if you're not some strategic combat genius, I aint one, so I do whatever works best." Zed replied with a shrug and a grin, but looking at the sky he couldn't help but wonder why he was still sensing lightning, "Besides didn't I just say I've been hit by worse? It'd take something tougher than that to polish me off."
At her name, he ran it through his head a moment with a smile, staring at her quietly, though then she mentioned going inside, he simply leaned on his hand again,
"Inside where? I dont have a house here," He replied, reaching up momentarily and letting some small sparks fly off his hand against the falling raindrops. The mini bolts bounced through the air in soft, if random patterns, "Dont know what the big deal is anyway, it's just rain, right?" Then again, he knew he shouldn't be thinking on his own terms around other people, so instead he stood up, gathering the cloak of that woman at his side and sticking a hand in his pocket,
"If you know a place I can go, then whatever, may as well."
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-21-2014, 01:29 AM
Kiernan was in a state of bliss as she leaned forward, his heart fluttering in his chest as he came to the realization at this gesture that she was to reciprocate his planning, when... Her head turned. His eyes widened, causing him to stop and froze where he sat as she asked him her question. It didn't even register in his mind as the swift denial instead kicked him in the gut. Backing away from her with an embarrassed hand rising to rub his cheek, his gaze averted itself as he took a few moments to collect his thoughts. His whirlwind of emotion came to a sudden halt when he realized what exactly she meant. Turning to look at Numira, utter horror across his face, he gaped. "I forgot the stew!" The words flew from his mouth as he swiftly hopped over the couch arm to make a short sprint to the pot that had now boiled over and became murky in color and smell.
"Damn," He cursed, eyebrows knitting together as he removed it from heat to look over the now completely useless pot of burnt stew. "Cara's gonna kill me," he whined, one of his hands rising to his face worriedly as he quickly tried to think over his options. He had to act fast if he was to try covering up his mistake. He decided to dump the stew that had burnt, only to begin anew with a fresh pot of water as he hurriedly gathered more fresh vegetables to begin slicing rapidly. His work slicing did nothing in comparison to Cara's magic, but it would have to do.
"I guess there's some truth it that," Cara admitted with a sigh, though she still thought him to be quite reckless. Who just jumps to a rooftop to take a lightning strike? Only this goof, apparently. She nearly asked what could've possibly been worse than being hit by a strike of lightning, but thought better of it. She wanted him out of her hands, didn't she? Then she didn't need to be asking him questions. Though, it appeared her plan turned on her after all. As he mentioned he had no home here, she inwardly cringed. While he may not mind the rain, Cara couldn't bring herself to leave the man outside and unsheltered in a storm. Not after he'd helped the village out. Sighing softly at his seeming disinterest in heading indoors, she carefully hopped down from the roof.
"Do what you want. If you want to stay in the rain, fine." She spoke at first, then frowning a little. It was his choice, but she did know of a place he could wait out the storm indoors. Kiernan's place. Shilf had no hotel, and as she figured earlier, Cara knew she couldn't just leave him outside if he was willing to find shelter. For a moment her thoughts stuck with her, but her gaze was caught by the little bolts flying off of his hand. There was something rather pretty about lightning-based magic, she mused. "If you want to dry off and wait out the storm, you can follow me." She added a few moments later. Regardless of his answer, she would set back to Kiernan's, a mere few minutes' walk from the center of town.
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-21-2014, 06:23 AM
Numi took on a bit of a surprised look as Kiernan practically jumped once he realized what she'd said. He forgot the stew? He was supposed to remember it? She knew cooking was all about proper ingredients, motions and timing, so it was timing then? Had it cooked for too long? She wasn't as familiar with the smell of burnt food as she would have liked to be, but she certainly knew she didn't like that smell, it burned her nose a little. Still, she watched Kiernan go to work, trying to quickly remake what had been burned, but he seemed a little hurried, this could only end poorly too.
She stood up to observe him cutting the vegetables unevenly, was that intentional? She wondered again about the disproportionate abilities of people on this world. Did their timing and motions change because of magic and the gravity of this world? She didn't want to disturb Kiernan, he would likely need to concentrate on his work, so instead she went to the window to stare out at the rain. But only then did she realize it was raining and she leaned forward a little more, staring out at the falling droplets with some wonder. Natural rain! She knew about rain at least, artificial rain for certain garden locations on colonies was one thing but real rain was wonderful to witness. the storm had been one thing, but this was even better. She folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the window sill,
"It's so pretty..!" She commented to herself, although aloud. She had once heard a philosopher say that sometimes rain was the worlds tears, but why would a world cry..? Did it know some pain that its inhabitants did not..? She stared towards the forest they had come from, at least the in the direction she remembered it being, the rain was making visibility poor.
Zed stared out at Cara a moment as she jumped from the building, he considered it briefly but then jumped down after her. he wasn't so graceful, he hit the ground with a thud and a spark, bolts flying up around him briefly but fading just as quickly. He stared over at Cara as the rain fell on his head. The dampness of his hair was dragging it down so that it all flattened down into what might have been his natural look, only one eye remained exposed as the rest stretched down past his jawline. he didn't seem to mind though as he walked beside Cara, staring over at her,
"So, do you make a habit of inviting reckless idiots who don't plan things out to your home? Or am I that unique?" He asked with a light grin, it was only a slight tease, "You're certainly nicer than some people I've had the displeasure to know, wouldn't want some-one taking advantage of that."
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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09-21-2014, 04:44 PM
After a few minutes of rushing to correct his mistake, Kiernan looked down at his sloppy work and let out a soft sigh. Setting down the carrot he'd been in the process of hastily chopping as well as the knife he'd used, he realized the futility in his rushing. He couldn't recreate that damned stew. Cara would be home soon, she'd kill him, and then she'd have to work to make dinner again. Frowning a bit childishly, his insides curdled with distaste in the idea of his sister working so hard. She'd just ran out to do storm damage control, and to come home to no dinner? Sighing in frustration, Kiernan shook his head as a hand rose to rub his temples. Cara always seemed to be doing more than he ever could.
It was then that he heard Numira, his gaze trailing over to see her perched against the window, watching the rain. The look on her face eased his warring insides, a grin immediately rising to his face. He realized he'd perhaps been rude to all of a sudden dart away from her. Wishing to correct it now, now that the stew was unsalvageable, he sheepishly walked over to where she stood and stopped beside her. He, too, looked out the window with a small smile. "It really is... Do you not have rain where you're from?" He questioned curiously, golden gaze swerving from the window to her form. Then, hesitantly, he explained himself. "I'm sorry I jumped up so quickly. I burned the stew. I was going to try recreating it before Cara got home, but... Well, I'm not much of a cook." Kiernan rubbed his cheek shyly, gaze dipping to the floor.
As Zed followed suit and leapt down, she cringed at the thud that sounded as he met the ground a bit roughly. Cara was about to make a comment on it, but she shook her head a little and grinned instead. She'd already made the point that he was reckless, and she saw it was of no use to do so again. Her gaze took to his hair for a few moments, finding the different way it was falling now curious compared to how he's previously had it styled, but she said nothing of it as her gaze instead shifted and she adjusted her hood again.
His words made her pause where she stood, though, eyes widening a little at his teasing comments. A frustrated hint of pink rose to her cheeks, not that it would be visible in the rain. Her hands clasped themselves into fists as she turned her head away from him. She wouldn't admit that she took some compliment from him, not when he had to tease her about it like that. Her lips pursed for a moment before she let out a short sigh. "Don't kid yourself, I never invite weird men into my home. I live in the capitol." She replied with a bit of a sassy bite in her tone, not liking what he'd seemed to insinuate. "It's just because you helped the village. Besides, it's only for a few hours, and it's at my brother's." She spoke a bit rushed, a mixture of frustration and embarrassment clouding her mind as she began to walk again.
"I can take care of myself." She then added a few moments later, finally looking back over at him to find him staring. Her lips parted slightly, unused to such blatant attention, and her gaze shifted away immediately. "My brother's a bit of a reckless idiot, anyways..." Cara admitted, with a softer voice as she wondered about the strange guest he'd also invited in. Certainly he wouldn't mind this goof staying to wait out the storm, too.
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-21-2014, 09:28 PM
"Well.. Yes and no.. It is.." She sighed a little, almost in a defeated manner as she grinned nervously at Kiernan, "One of many things I find hard to explain in a way you might not think me crazy..? If I am to explain it, you might say it is like magic, but it is not. And even that sounds strange to say.." She rubbed the side of her head softly, she knew not to say much more than that for now, it really was hard not saying something but frankly the language barrier was still a slight issue. She was getting a little better though, the fluidity of speech wasn't quite there but she was getting the hang of it.
She tilted her head curiously at first as he tried to explain why he jumped, or rather he tried to apologize for jumping, though she just smiled more normally, relaxing a little again, hearing Kiernan speak was enough to settle her. Though once he finished and went into that nervous seeming look, she leaned in closely to him again,
"I will think of it as opportunity, I will be happy to see Cara again." She stated, albeit a little mysteriously, however she reached up to the opposite side of his face with her hand to cup the cheek he was intent on rubbing and pulled his head closer so she could plant a kiss on the opposite cheek before grinning up at him,
"Do not worry. It will work out for the best."
"Not weird men, but clearly reckless idiots." Zed jibed back gently, grinning broadly at Cara in response, though he then put his hands up defensively still smiling at her, "Relax, I'm only kidding." He added, at least to try and ease her mind, he adjusted the cloak on his right arm, walking besides Cara. He raised his head and sniffed at the air a little before grimacing,
"Oh man.. That smells almost as bad as my sis' cooking.." He commented, he could smell something burnt on the air, looking around for whatever house happened to have a culinary culprit living in it. His shoulders twitched slight as he looked over his shoulder briefly whilst walking, a suspicious look on his face. There was a difference in lightning and magic based lightning, he was sure he could sense the latter in the direction of the forest. Was some-one training out there? In this weather? Not so strange for himself but..
Perhaps it was nothing. He shrugged to himself and looked forward to a small home ahead of them, sniffing the air,
"Is that where we're headed..? I hope that ain't your brother cookin'.. Smells like he needs help.."
Last edited by HC-Gal; 09-21-2014 at 09:33 PM..
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Arc Angel
Sure, I'll play with you-- in ex...
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-22-2014, 01:06 AM
Her answer drew confusion to Kiernan's face, unsure of what to make of it. How could a place not have rain? He had asked the question as if it were possible that one couldn't, but it was still hard for him to imagine. Maybe it was a drier terrain? Running a hand up through his hair, he simply nodded in acceptance of her answer, without truly understanding it. "I think... I understand. You're not crazy." He replied, emphasizing the later part, not wishing her to think that. He didn't find her crazy in the least, but what he'd heard of her world so far was a marvel to him. In both good and bad ways, of course.
Her response to his worry drew his eyes to widen slightly, finding an odd source of mysterious comfort in them. She like having Cara around, did she? It was an odd notion, but perhaps she was learning something from her. Kiernan wasn't sure to make of it, but as he received the kiss to his cheek, he smiled nonetheless. Placing a hand on her shoulder sweetly, he nodded in agreement, though he knew it would still mean trouble. "Thank you. I'm sure it'll be just fine..."
At his reply, she felt a sheepish sense of regret for having snapped at him. Who wouldn't have, though? This guy was a weirdo, and his suggestive teasing wasn't something she was used to. "Right," she spoke softly in understanding, grinning in something of an apology in his direction. His comment did help to calm her, but her calm did not last long. He was right; the smell was awful. Scrunching her nose a little, she frowned, but didn't think much of it at first. However, as they neared Kiernan's house, she paused where she stood and turned to look at Zed in surprise. Then, her good mood seemed to slip out from under her. Planting her palm on her face and letting out a soft groan, she nodded. "You know... that probably is my brother's cooking. I left him a stew to look after!" Sighing softly, she pouted bit as she removed her hand and walked down the garden path to the front door.
Opening it, her gaze flew to the cooking corner of the room, and upon spotting the empty burnt pan, anger rose in her. "Kiernan! You had one job!" She yelled, enunciating her words as she sighed in frustration and turned to see her brother. Well, her brother in something of a compromising position with Numira. Blinking in surprise, Cara stared at the two for a moment before sighing softly and removing her cloak to hang up. "I see why now..." She murmured, her anger having melted a good deal, though she was still quite bitter. Regardless of her anger, she hadn't seen her brother look so tenderly at a woman before-- it was a great thing, really, but her dampened mood was still present.
Kiernan froze in place as Cara entered, hands flying up defensively as if she may attack him, apology clear on his face. Then... nothing. Peeking up over his hands to instead see his sister calming herself, removing her cloak and boots, he blinked in surprise. His gaze went to Numira briefly before drifting back to Cara. "Sorry, sis. I sort of, well... Lost track?" He tried to form his words well, but they didn't come out quite right.
"Uh-huh," Cara replied with a suggestive grin in their direction now before sighing and waving a hand in Zed's direction. "Zed, Kiernan and... Numira, right? Yeah, I think so." She introduced them, a bit embarrassed of having yelled in front of two guests. Her face reddened a bit as she shuffled on further inside the house.
Kiernan blinked curiously at this, surprised to see his sister bringing someone home, when... "You." He spoke suddenly, staring wide-eyed at the white-haired man standing there. He completely forgot the suggestion in his sister's voice as his attention instead strayed to the man Numira and he had faced earlier.
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HC-Gal
Badass Freakin' Overlord!
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![Old](https://images.menewsha.com/forum/statusicon/post_old.gif)
09-22-2014, 04:12 AM
Numira turned to look at the doorway as Cara entered, smiling at first, even with slight streaks down the sides of her face, simple stains on the skin. Though she glanced between them as Kiernan tried to explain himself, although it didn't seem Cara was too pleased, at least she wasn't exactly shouting. Though the moment Zed stepped into the door, tension ensued from Kiernan at first, simply saying You and staring at the stranger, he in turn stopped dead in he doorway, staring at the both of them before pointing at Numira,
"You!" He stated as bluntly as Kiernan did. Numira stared at him briefly, considering the procession so far before she came to a logical conclusion. Or so she thought. She pointed her finger at Cara then and boldly stated;
"You!" Before glancing over at Kiernan for confirmation, "This is a game right, is it Cara's turn..?" She asked in a half whisper to be sure of the rules. Zed meanwhile was almost instantly baffled as he glanced at Cara, but then back at Numira and Kiernan,
"You're that bandit from the woods! And the green-haired lady who knocked me out!" He stated then, following swiftly with; "And you stole money from me!"
Numira, not wanting to miss a beat, pointed at Cara and Zed together,
"You are the funny forest man and Kiernan's arm-hug sister..!" She replied, confident that she was playing the game correctly. Zed's composure and all righteous thought seemed to crumble as he stared at Numira with sheer dumb confusion for a moment, he wasn't even sure if he could be angry, or should be angry, bewildered by her strange behavior, not to mention being called a funny forest man was a new one.
With less conviction in whatever annoyance he originally had, he arm bent and his hand lowered a little whilst he rubbed at his head a little,
"Er.. This isn't going quite as I saw it in my head.." He admitted, rather defeated by the strange behavior. She didn't seem frightened or worried that she had been caught, Kiernan on the other hand at least recognized him in a way he understood, but Numira had thrown him off entirely, "Can I have my money back..?" He asked instead, Numira stared at him a moment then smiled broadly,
"Okay!" She responded, pointing over to the satchel still holding his coins. Again Zed seemed a little dumbfounded, now he wasn't even sure if he should take the coins or not, though he held up the cloak to her,
"Here, this is yours, ain't it? Why did you leave this with me, anyway?" He asked. Numira bounded over on the balls of her feet with a smile and grabbed it, though looked over at where Cara had put her own cloak, so she put it next to Cara's then smiled at Zed,
"You might have got cold. I was worried."
Zed stared at the girl with utter disbelief, trying to mouth a few words but no sound came out before he simply rubbed his temples as though getting a headache. Soon enough though he simply turned on the spot and closed the door, leaning on it a moment as he tried to sort it all out in his head. Meanwhile Numira practically leaped at Cara and grabbed her arm,
"Cara..!" She started at first, grinning broadly as always, "Show me how to cook! I can learn quick!" Numira looked purely excitable at this point, filled to the brim with energy again, though it was certainly an effect of feeling as happy as she did in her heart, though she looked back at the bewildered Zed, pointing a finger at him momentarily, "Will he be okay..?"
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