Listening to her talk about djinn, it hit him all over again just how different they were. A creature who could live indefinitely? And him, who had a death warrant on him the day he was born. It didn't make sense at all. Shail turned his head away as he pulled to his feet abruptly. Everything Gemini said sounded so nice from the life of a djinn to the mentions of music. Though he never told his family, it not being his place, he always wanted to learn to play. Though a part of him scoffed, knowing he wouldn't play well. He just knew it, but even that didn't matter.

"If you're going to live forever, then what's the point of keeping a human?" he asked, still without looking at her. "Aren't I just a blip in your life in the end? I'm going to take a nap." He sighed before turning away. He retreated to the alcove where neither of them could get hurt, despite not being tired at all. If anything, he was just weary.

Gemini blinked, startled slightly by Shail standing so abruptly. He asked her why she bothered keeping a human, when her life was so long. She opened her mouth to tell him why, but found that she had no ready answer. No answer at all, for that matter. In the moment it took her to register her own surprise, Shail had gone, hidden away in his alcove. She had no chance to answer him now- after all, she couldn't chase him to his alcove just to address a question she didn't even know the answer to. Sighing, she waved a hand and magically cleaned up their meal, then took her flute back to her bed and sat down. With no answers and no other way to find them, she decided to play again. Perhaps, she thought, if she played her emotions out on the flute, she might understand herself a little better.

((https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XBH2ENImTc ...In case you didn't know...Wolfie likes music. A lot. And likes to use it in roleplays whenever she can. XD))

(I'm quite the fan of music too. ^^')

Shail sighed, huddled up in his corner. He knew he didn't need to get angry like that when Gemini only tried to help him at every turn, but it seemed he couldn't change his nature so easily. And perhaps, it hurt to think he was so temporary next to her both from his side and hers. Even if they grew close, he would always leave. The story couldn't end any other way. Laying down, he listened to the flute music that filled the cave. The haunting notes wouldn't let him relax even if he wanted to sleep. His words must have hurt her and he regretted that. The regret kept hold of him for what felt like hours. Long after the music went quiet and he heard no noises in the cave, he poked his head out, motivated by some subconscious desire to apologize.

Once the song was finished, Gemini lowered the flute slowly and put it down next to her. She was suddenly tired, drained both emotionally and mentally. Somehow, pouring all of her feelings into that last song had the same effect as if she had cried for hours. Sighing, she let herself slump over, her eyelids fluttering closed. Part of her worried that she would wake and find Shail gone again, but the larger part of her mind was simply too tired to care. She fell asleep on the thought that if he did go, maybe this time she would simply let him leave.

After a second of looking, Shail found Gemini on her bed, appearing asleep. He bit his lip, but even though he hesitated, he couldn't stop himself from stepping out into the main cave. His feet making tiny noises that seemed to reverberate in the closed space, he crossed the room. She didn't stir and he just stood there without making a single move. And yet, he didn't forget his purpose. "I'm sorry," he whispered. It felt easier to say it now when no one listened. If she were to suddenly wake, he'd likely deny it all, but he liked that they just got closer even if it hurt. Gemini really did look beautiful. Would it really be alright to stay like this? One day, he might have to leave for her own sake. Now though, he just sunk to his knees and let himself drift off against one of the pillows strewn there.

Gemini's eyelids fluttered slightly at the sound of his voice, but that was the only indication she'd heard anything at all. She remained asleep, even when he sat next to her. She mumbled his name in her sleep, unaware that he was right there. Several hours later, she woke with a yawn only to instantly freeze in place as she realized that she was not alone. Shail was right next to her, asleep. When had he come out? How had she not noticed? She must have been truly exhausted to have slept through his arrival. Slowly sitting up, she looked fully at the young man, watching him sleep in the dim light of the cave. She had known from the moment she saw him that he was handsome, but now as he slept, she discovered a whole new side to him. His good looks were still there, but softer, as if years of strain had been taken off of him through the simple act of sleeping. He looked innocent and sweet, and she wanted nothing more than to lay back down and run a hand through his hair. The thought made her blush brightly. Really, I must be the first djinn in history to think such things about a human. She chastised herself silently. Still, that didn't stop her from thinking them.

Shail never heard his name, but without sleeping deeply, it seeped into his dream, pushing away any nightmare that might form. This time, he slept light, but peacefully. A part of him knew Gemini lay near by though he never intended to fall asleep there in the first place. He made himself comfortable, one arm loosely gripping the pillow he slept on and his mouth open just slightly. Unaware of the eyes watching him, he continued to sleep for some time until a crick formed in his neck and he shifted, his eyes fluttering open. Immediately, they found Gemini's amber orbs as his heart skipped a beat. "Gemini?" he asked, almost not believing what he woke up to or if he woke up at all. Maybe if he realized it was real, he might react more strongly, but now, he just widened his eyes, his grip going a little tighter around the pillow. Funny since he thought he just might have been dreaming about her.

She wasn't sure how long she had been watching him before he woke up. It had seemed like an eternity in the blink of an eye. However long it actually took, Shail eventually stirred and opened his eyes, his gaze almost immediately landing on her. Had she been paying attention, she might have sensed his waking and looked away, but as it was she had been caught. It was definitely too late to pretend she hadn't been staring. He seemed confused, but not nearly as reactive as she would have expected. Was he still asleep, she wondered? She raised a hand partially, realized she had no idea what she wanted to do with it, and pulled it back. "Shail. Did you have a restful sleep?" She asked, trying to sound casual. As if he wasn't laying on her bed. As if she hadn't been staring at him, thinking shameful thoughts. As if he hadn't caught her at it.

Shail blinked once more before the last of his sleep dropped away. He realized in a second that what lay before him was no dream. Gemini really looked at him and he really slept here. Here, of all places. Why did he have to fall asleep? Shaking his head, he pulled back, leaving a good two feet between them as he tried to look like he didn't just do a very embarrassing thing that only felt more so with the look he caught on Gemini's face for one second. She tried to sound casual, but he noticed something there that he couldn't will out of existence. "I wasn't really sleeping. I just sat for a second because I had something to say, but it's not really important now. I guess I'll go step out for some fresh air," he said, trying to sound casual as well. He pulled to his feet, but hesitated, looking back at Gemini as if waiting for permission perhaps. He didn't know what he paused for.

Gemini arranged her face into a blank expression, trying not to give away what she was feeling. Mostly because she didn't even know what she was feeling. In her mind, she analyzed what she knew. First off, she knew he had, in fact, been asleep. Which meant that he was lying about just wanting to say something. She knew that he was flustered, and that he didn't know how long she had been watching him. She knew that he would probably not take it well if she told him. Putting all this together, she found herself with...a very awkward situation. Which put her back at square one. "Alright. If you're sure it is not important. Go ahead, you do not need my permission to get fresh air." She smiled at him trying to make it a comforting look, but she knew it turned into something more. A feeling that hadn't been there before, at least not consciously, was making itself known to her, and she found it difficult to hide from her voice and expressions.

Shail looked at her expression for a second, or maybe one second too long, before he turned away. "Alright. It wasn't like I was asking," he muttered even if he had been in his own way. Forcing himself not to hesitate, he turned away to walk to the cave entrance. He didn't go far outside, but found a rock not far from the cave to sit, still cast in the shadows of the cliff walls. Inside the cave, it was hard to tell the times and he found himself sleeping at odd hours, but he found it to be early evening outside, the day already cooling off though the sand steamed with heat further away.

Why did Gemini have to look at him like that? She was a djinn, but also a woman it seemed. He couldn't help but notice that more as they got closer. She really couldn't be a beast to him because he knew this true side. It might be strange though. He didn't think they could have anything being djinn and mortal. Sighing, he stared out into the darkening sands, ignoring the village he saw not even on the edge of the horizon. He didn't notice the expression he wore on his own face, something soft and akin to the one Gemini wore earlier.

Nor did he notice the eyes that watched him from the shelter of a cluster of rocks.

"Isn't that Shail?" Madi asked, turning to look at the older boy laying beside him. They'd come spying on orders of the adults and didn't hesitate to do it.

Fairuz hummed under his breath. "He looks awful comfortable there. A offering to appease the djinn? It looks more like he wants to be there. He never was one of us."

Seeing Shail turn back toward the cave, perhaps looking toward what lay within before slipping back into the shelter of the entrance's darkness, they perked up with interest. "We should tell your father. He might get in the way of our plans." With that thought, the two boys slipped away again, returning to their village before the sun finished slipping under the horizon.

Gemini stayed seated where she was, unsure what to do with herself now. The thoughts in her head whirled and raged like a sandstorm, not letting her settle on any one of them long enough to figure it out. Her emotions, similarly, refused to settle on just one. And so she was left, blank-faced and confused, waiting for Shail to come back while trying to calm the storm in her heart. After several minutes of fleeting thoughts, she managed to settle on one. This is wrong. He's mortal. It would never work, even if he returned these feelings...and there's no way he does. This thread of thought continued until she reached a dead-end, with only one thought left. One terrible, heart-breaking, completely true thought. Perhaps I should let him go home.

After breathing a few more cooling breaths, Shail turned back to the cave. For a few seconds more, he stood in the interior without continuing on. After his racing thoughts that left him thinking that he just might like Gemini at least in some way, he worked on coming down from that high. Soothing his hand through his hair, he did his best to put the black locks back into order. When he felt ready, he walked back into the deeper cavern, finding Gemini with his eyes immediately. "It's nice out now," he muttered. "The stars should be showing soon. I feel like I've started sleeping at odd hours now. Funny to wake up to it."

Gemini was so lost in thought that she didn't see Shail reentering the inner cave. When he spoke to her, she jumped slightly, jolted out of her miserable contemplation. It took her e moment to understand what he had been saying. "Oh? Yes, this is one of my favorite times of day. The twilight is so pretty." She said, glad he had picked a subject of conversation that she could actually relate to. "Your sleep schedule will go back to normal soon. It is only because you were asleep so long after being out in the sun. If it helps, there are natural openings in the top of the cave that I normally keep covered...I could uncover them for you, so that you can tell what time if day it is."

Shail supposed she might be right. He put the events of a couple days ago out of his mind so he almost forgot they happened. He often got out of sync whenever he found himself bedridden for any time though. Nodding once to Gemini, he wondered if she were alright as well. She looked startled by his presence. Perhaps both of them had things they needed to think about. After waking up like that...it only seemed natural to get caught up in thoughts. Though he should be pushing her away, his dishonest mouth went and said something entirely different. "That sounds nice. I didn't think there were any openings. The stars really are nice though. Do you want to go sit outside and look at them with me?"

It took Gemini's mind a few minutes to register what Shail had said. Surely, he couldn't have said what she thought he did. But as the seconds slipped by, it became obvious that she had, in fact, heard him correctly. He wanted her to look at the stars with him. Her traitorous heart leapt at the idea, though her mind knew she shouldn't feel anything for this human boy. But that didn't stop her from saying yes. "That sounds lovely. Yes, I'll sit with you a while, thank you." She said, standing up gracefully from her bed. Watching the stars was a favorite pastime of hers anyway- she wondered if it would be different at all with someone else around.

Shail's heart skipped a beat and for second, he wasn't sure that Gemini actually answered. He felt sure should would turn him down, so he already prepared for it. The casual yes caught him off guard. "Great," he murmured, not quite looking her in the eyes before he turned toward the entrance again. He walked without hurry, letting Gemini keep pace with him though he didn't look over his shoulder to make sure she followed. He couldn't let himself look anxious like that. "It's just, I thought you might enjoy them too, you see. It's a shame for good stars to go to waste." Good stars and good company, but he couldn't admit that as easily.

Gemini could sense a certain anxiety coming from Shail, and she smiled a little, knowing he couldn't see. She followed him out of the cave and to the entrance, focusing to make sure her feet made some sound on the rocky floor so he would know that she was following. "I agree, I often think the stars might be lonely if no one comes to see their show." She said, only half joking. She wasn't sure where the notion had come from, but she knew she had always felt it. Getting to the cave entrance, she looked up and smiled. "They are particularly lovely tonight."

Shail finally glanced over his shoulder, surprised by Gemini's notion. As much as he felt lonely at times, the thought never occurred to him that stars could get lonely. After shaking his head, he shifted to a boulder where he could sit and turn his eyes up to the heavens. "I don't think so. The stars are steady. Even if no one looks up at them, they still shine just as brightly." Perhaps a bit like hope. One could rely on the stars to never fall out of the sky. Every night, they would still shine, still prove he lived and world kept turning. And even if he didn't live, the stars would remain and the world would turn once again. "It's like they're just waiting for someone to look up and need them..." He wondered, if perhaps he needed them tonight.

"Hm..." Gemini made a thoughtful sound as she gazed up at the twinkling lights. "I never thought of it that way. For some reason, I've always thought the stars would be happiest if someone were looking at them. A bit like...preparing a lovely meal and having no one to give it to. Or putting on something nice and having no one to show." She said, then smiled a little, chuckling at herself. "But of course that's a silly thought. They are only stars, after all, and probably care nothing for silly Earthy emotions. Even djinn are young children to them, and not a one will ever live to know their wisdom." It was a humbling thought, one she came back to often. Even the most long lived creature on Earth was not truly immortal, and the stars were a constant reminder of that. One day, even she would be no more than dust in the wind, and the stars would continue to shine.

Shail sighed, still deep in thought about the stars. They reminded him too much of his own life and even his current problem. No matter if he let himself wish it, he couldn't reach out and take what he wanted. "No, I suppose even a djinn can't reach the stars. We probably know nothing about them, but I guess djinn share in human nature to wonder anyway." He sighed again and turned his gaze toward the earth once more. A part of him wanted to see if he could fall in love with Gemini, but the bigger part of him just didn't want to try right now. Still, in a moment like this, he found himself wanting to say the sort of things he'd soon regret.

Still gazing up at the stars, Gemini felt herself smile gently at his words. "Humans and djinn...share that in common. That's actually a nice thought. That we're not really so different after all." She thought about it, and realized it was true. Beyond the magic and extended lifespan, djinn were very similar to humans. "We all bleed the same blood and cry the same tears. We breathe the same air and drink the same water. We share this world, and the stars...we feel the same emotions- pain, fear, loneliness, joy, comfort...love. Maybe we could even get along, if we just looked at the similarities instead of the differences between us." She tore her gaze from the stars and looked over at Shail, surprised to find him already looking at her. She smiled at him.

Shail's heart skipped a beat as Gemini said the word love. They could both feel that same emotion, the joys and the pains that love could bring. Were they really not that different? Though he started the conversation, it still startled him to realize it. He just didn't know if he could act on the realization because too many obstacles still existed. "Gemini...maybe we...." A rumble in the distance cut off his words and he looked up to the sky as dark shapes marred the stars. In a desert, storms came quick and unexpectedly, as dangerous as the droughts in between. The feel of electricity in the air brought him back to his senses and he stood, stepping back toward the cave. "We should get inside in case it doesn't pass us over," he murmured with his face closed off once more. Turning away, he tried not to regret the interruption. After all, it was probably best he didn't suggest that maybe a djinn and a human could fall in love.

Gemini had half expected Shail not to answer, so when he did start to speak she had to suppress a smile. Her frown, however, could not be stopped, showing just how irritated she was at the interruption. She could tell the moment was gone, and whatever Shail had been about to say was lost to her now. Still, she sighed and moved back towards the cave. "Stay to the back cave until we're sure it's gone. If it gets bad, we may have to move farther into the cave system." Gemini technically inhabited the entire system of caves, but she tended to stay in just the one she liked when she could help it. In cases like storms, which often led to flash flooding, she would move into the deeper caves to stay safe.

Shail hurried back into the interior though it did nothing to block out the crash of thunder that continued behind them. The sound rolled, leaving even the cave walls seeming to shake. He suppressed a shudder himself. It seemed today, the desert would get some rain. No doubt the villagers also ran about, half in joy and half in terror. Storms may bring life giving water, but they also brought destruction.

Once nestled in the back of the cave, Shail looked back to where they could see the cave entrance flash with nearby lightning. "It's really surprising," he muttered. "When was the last time it stormed like this?" It must have been years, though he couldn't pinpoint a date considering his own time often felt unstable. After the words he almost said, it felt awkward to be trapped close to Gemini with a storm starting outside, but he stubbornly refused to run away now for no reason besides sheer stubbornness.