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 Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:43 pm
|___ A N E L I A D ___| 
Welcome to Aneliad's Meruhen!
This is a journal for Skye Starrfyre, so please don't post without her permission unless dropping off a gift.
Journal Props and (c) to Anya, for spawning a trend. .: Stats :. Str: 7 End: 5 Int: 6 Eth: 5 Luc: 2 Chr: 3 PerStr: 2 (Against what he considers 'evil') PerWk: 2 (Pretty faces) .: Bond/Family Info :. - Bond: n/a Parent [a]: Ogre Lab's Brother: Taurus Doushikai .: Wakareme :.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:13 pm
Name: Aneliad Saeth (carefully aimed arrow)
Nickname: Asyn. Maeden. Other unpleasantries. 'Robin Hood' ("...a modern day Robin Hood save the world get the girlymen sorta guy." ~ Moofuls)
Sex: Yes, please.
Age: Old enough.
Type: Sagittarius
Species: Unknown.
Position: Mood/Company defining
Personality: Like the fabled 'Robin Hood' in his own way. He'll stay firm to his beliefs and take as admirable stand against 'evil' as possible. Of course, the lines of 'good' and 'bad' are always blurred and he is often made to chose between what is 'right' or 'wrong' within his own mind. He will put on the mask of someone jovial and carefree all the while fighting his own inner demons.
Ability: flamio - summon flaming arrows
Turn ons: Enough snark to entertain. Softness. A challenge.
Turn offs: Being made to look a fool. Things of an 'evil' nature.
Looks: Crimson eyes and long copper tresses. Slender but strong. Neither overly masculine nor extremely feminine.
Education: Unknown.
Occupation: Archer. (Mercenary?)
Marital status: Bonded to Sebastian
Family: Pengryf Tawr; jackass extrodinaire.
Diction/accent: Nothing that one would be able to pinpoint.
Relationships: Unknown. Before Sebastian none of them mattered.
Sexual history: Don't ask. Don't tell.
Places: Previous resident of Imperial and its subberbs. Now resides in the various areas of Elysian
Possessions: Bow. Cloak. Leather gauntlets. Satchel of various odds and ends.
Hobbies: Studying herbology. Polishing his bow.
Obsessions: Controlling the evil within. Knocking Pengryf out cold once before he dies.
Beliefs: "It can't rain all the time..." but when it does rain it ******** pours.
Politics: Bugger them.
Ambitions: Freedom from the ties that bind him to his brother.
Religion: Many may believe in the 'church' but the gods of old are still about.
Superstitions: Dreams may contain omens and some do come true.
Fears: Failing at his 'duties'.
Attitude: Cocky. Reflective. Sage-like.
Taste in books/music/etc: Classical almost 'gothic' stringed sounds. Reading is knowledge. Knowledge is power.
Foods: Sweet fruits and bits of meat, but only occassionaly. As is the case with all who kill, there must be balance.
Handwriting: Somewhat sketchy but flowing. Legible.
Astrological sign: Sagittarius
Talents: Wouldn't you like to know... ?
Special: Yes. We're all a bit special.
Type: Sagittarius
History: For as long as he can truly remember, he has traveled with his brother, Pengryf, from place to place; offering his services to any who might be interested in the fiery arrows of a brilliant young archer. After a time the creatures they were fleeing from caught up to them and the two were forced to seek solace in Imperial. Enough time was spent there for Pengryf to 'steal' a man from Aneliad which gave the young archer the shove that he needed to move on without his brother.
A boat took him to the new continent but a horrid bout of sea sickness kept him from learning much while on board. He was deposited on shore where he then moved on through the city of Elysian. From here on his travels have been documented within this very journal... If you look carefully enough you may just end up understanding him.
Current: Bonded?
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:14 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:15 pm
__// Pengryf Tawr: Taurus Doushikai. a*****e. Relationship is very stressed.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:16 pm
Skye Starrfyre ___// Sebsatian. Alchemical angel. My lifebond. I truly do not know where I would be without him... Other than lost within a sea of my own nothingness. ___// Damion Fluffy tailed a**. So help him if he comes anywhere near my angel. I'll turn his hide into a rug. R-U-G. Rug.___// Sobek Opinion Pending___// Eihwaz An odd little bug... But I like him. He may just be the thing that Pengryf needs.
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:18 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:20 pm
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Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:15 pm
___// A time for everything Sebastian unlocked the door and slid into his shop, leaving the door unlocked but the little sign in the window flipped to closed. He didnt expect anyone this early and the only people who ever came in before he was open were the few suppliers he trusted.
He dropped his keys behind the counter and disapeared into the backroom.
The wee hours of dawn were upon him, weighing heavily upon his tired eyes but he wasn't quite ready to give up yet. There was more that needed to be done... Something that still needed saught out...
His chest heaved as he ran on through the wooded area, branches whipping against the black leather of his gloves. His bow banged against his back... He'd have to do something about that... Stealth and silence certainly weren't his current forte.
Making sure his usual things were where they were supose to be, though why they would not be he didnt feel like thinking about, he grabed a few bottles he noticed were missing from the shelves on his way in and headed back out for the front of the store.
"Damn, i hate restocking...." he would have hired help, but he didnt trust anyone else to not do something stupid with one of the potions or the ingredients.
He froze, cursing beneath his breath as, for a moment, he could have sworn that there was someone behind him. Within moments his bow was in hand, fiery arrow drawn and pointed towards the area of the noise. His nose wrinkled in disgust as a fluffy rabbit hopped out in front of him.
Worried over a rabbit? My my... Someone was feeling off.
The bow was returned to its place upon his back with great ease, fiery eyes flickering about before he continued on his trek... He still wasn't quite sure where his path would lead him... Only that they'd lead him somewhere that he was supposed to be.
Carefuly sticking a bundle of rosemary sprigs into a jar Sebastian brushed his bangs out of his face and survayed his shop. "That's better." He dusted off his hands and flipped the sign over.
"Now...why do i have feeling that i am going to feel like i should have stayed home today." Shaking his head he brushed his fingers over a shelf adn headed for the back of his shop again
He stopped just short of the city limits, closing his eyes for a moment as he 'felt' for whatever might be around him. He had to trust his senses... They'd lead him this far, hadn't they?
He didn't care much for cities. It was so easy to be ambushed there... Give him the free reign of the outdoors and a good perch from which to shoot from and he'd be fine. Cities? What use had he for them?
Aparantly the use was in being a burr in his backside. He huffed as he began to weave his way through sidestreets, keeping alert to all that may have been moving around him. He certainly didn't stand out... At least... Not too terribly. The color black seemed common enough; as did the red trim upon his gloves. His hair was only slightly mussed... And his figure seemed just fine... For something that was lacking in a definate gender.
"Yea and I hope it burns your fingers off!" He heard a voice shout a door as a very disgruntled man stormed out of a shop clutching onto a bag like his life was in it.
Inside Sebastian rolled his eyes and ducked into the back to grab another bottle of the chemicle the man had bought.
He ducked alongside the wall as said disgruntled guest brushed past him. His brow furrowed almost darkly as he contemplated the various ways that such people could be 'off'd. Couldn't they simply see the sunshine through the clouds and be somewhat positive?
Wasn't he proof that they couldn't be?
Slender fingers fiddled around in the pouch that he often wore belted to his middle in order to withdraw a dark cloak. It wasn't cold... Quite the opposite... He simply felt the need for further concealment as he ventured forth into the shop.
The cloak was fastened to his shoulders, hood pulled up over copper tresses... Only when he was certain that all was still did he slip into the shop to see what the fuss ws about.
Sebastian steped out of the back of the shop and around the counter, green fluffed robe swishing around him and headed for the shelf that the afformentioned bottel had been taken from. "If you are going to wear a cloak in my shop drop the hood. That way i know who to hunt down after you steal something." he had had one two many people wear cloaks in the shop to steal things to trust anyone in his shop with one on.
He snorted, greeting the response with an almost immediate roll of his eyes. When his voice came it was smooth if not a bit dark; borderline feminine if not definately masculine. "Stealing something would mean having some sort of need for the wares that you offer... I have gold if that's what you're worried about. Would you care to hold my purse as I browse?" The cocky sarcasm probably could've been done without... But it had always been a part of him so why stop now?
"Stealing only means that you know that you could sell it later for a profit, loose the hood or leave the shop." The bottle in his hand clinked down on the shelf and he turned toward the cloaked figure. There was a definiate snark under his tone, something that seemed to be there most of the time when he spoke
He shook his head slowly trying oh so hard to fight the urge to laugh. Something about the snarky blonde amused him... "There are many other things that I could sell that would fetch a fair amount of funds... My services, for one..." Oh the ways that could be taken. He had only meant it as one... His archery. A hired hand to aide in the defense of something... Or someone.
Of course, his words weren't always taken the way he intented them in his own mind.
"Not from around here are you? Hood, now." He knew his chemicals and potions fetched a good price in many place, espically since he had run into a few of the peopel who bought them from him then sold them later for jacked-up prices.
"And if I don't?" He raised an eyebrow as he tilted his gaze towards the blonde, shadowed face nearly able to be seen from beneath it's hiding place. He couldn't keep the smirk from playing over his lips... Or the fire from dancing through his eyes. Maybe this is why he was here... For a challenge.
"If you don't I will pick you up and throw you out of here." He raised a brow and resisted the urge to lean against the shelf. He knew it wouldent fall, but shifting it might knock something over.
"Where on earth would be the fun in that?" This time he gave in to the chuckle that seemed to warm his silky sounds that much more. Slender fingers from his right hand reached up to grab the hood, dragging it slowly down along the back of his head. Copper strands fell down quickly to frame his face, darkening his features almost as much as the hood had. "Better?"
"There wouldent be, but it works." He shruged and moved back behind his counter. His voice still held the snark as he grabed a jar and moved back out to put it on the shelves also.
He took the moments that the blonde spent with his back turned away to rearrange a few things; putting this bottle where that one may have belonged and fighting the urge to juggle a few of the smaller bottles. If his hood had raised hackles he could only imagine the reactions to his act. Instead, he wandered towards the jars of herbs, eyes flickering from label to label. Her reconized many of them... Probably more than he should of. Quite a few were good things to tip arrows with. Others were good for the relief of various ailments... But none gave him the answer that he was seeking... Yet.
Sebastian walked past his customer and cuffed him on the head as he moved over to the shelves that had been rearanged. He didnt fix anything instead he grabed one, and placed the bottle he had where it had been.
His reflexes were quick but, when his mind was addled and elsewhere, they obviously weren't quick enough. Crimson eyes darkened as a glare formed on the features of his face. "That wasn't necissary, boy." His voice seemed to carry a slight twinge of entertainment despite the sour expression that accompanied them.
He continued to watch the alchemist for a moment longer before turning his attention back towards the jars. He wasn't fully focused upon the contents this time... Merely waiting for the right moment...
"I am not a boy, and don't ******** with people's shops. It is rude." He straightned his glasses and retreated behind the counter. Who ever this was, they were getting on his nerves. Last time someone got on your nerves you threw something at them. he reminded himself with a slight chuckle.
"Not a boy? Does that mean you're a girl?" The fluff trimmed robes could have been some sort of hint but, if the shop keep truly was female, then he was the most masculine she that the archer had come across in quite some time.
A digit reach out to delicately trail along the words on one of the jars. Anise... Aren't you running low? He blinked back the nagging voice within his mind. Did it really matter at this moment?
"No..." He refrained from hissing. "Boy deligates that I am either young, or inferior. Neither of which I am." He droped himself onto a chair and grabed a few bottles that sat on the table beside his counter. A mortor was soon filled with various herbes and he started crushing them for what one could only guess was another mixture.
"Ah... But there is a good chance that you are younger than I." He nodded slowly as he continued down along the row of jarred herbs. Bay... Belladonna... Chickweed... Horrid stuff. No use at all. "How much for an ounce of anise?"
"Perhaps, still." He shruged and sifted the crushed herbs into a bottle. "Anise.....20."
"Twenty what?" His eyes narrowed once more as he stooped down to examine the jar. How long would he continued to dellude himself with the fact that this herb would aide him in his quest? Or any other herbs for that matter? "Nevermind... An ounce of it and half a pound of tea tree... You do know what that is, don't you?"
Reaching under his counter he pulled out a jar with a bright green lable saying 'tea tree' and waved it. "This? yes." He got up and walked over to grab the anise off the shelf infront of the man. "That all?"
"Unless you have anything else to offer me? Then aye... That will be all this time." He spoke smoothly, closing his eyes for a moment as if trying to catch hold of a fragmented thought that had long since escaped him.
"The shop is full of things; expically if, by the looks of it, you are an archer, that could be useful to you." He measured out an ounce of the anise and sealed it into a tiny jar before setting it atop the jar of tea tree. "Not that most of you care..." Most of his more, intresitng, concoctions went unnoticed by everyone.
He raised a brow wondering how on earth the boy would've guessed at anything like that. His bow was still concealed by the cloak... Perhaps it was the gauntlets. They tended to give things away rather easily. "Don't lump me into a mass of lunkheads that don't pay attention to detail." He huffed. "Anyone with eyes can see that this shop is filled with many things... But that was not my question, boy."
He peered at the customer over his glasses. "That is what you asked and if you call me boy one more time I am comming over this counter and wringing your neck." Not that he really though he could ring the neck of someone used to pulling bow strings. He couldn't wring the neck of a four year old, but it made him feel better to imagine doing it.
"Nay... I asked if you had anything to offer me. Not the other lunkheads that come wandering into your shop." He shook his head slowly as he reached for the jars in order to settle them gently into his pouch. "How much do I owe you... Boy?" The last bit was added on to test him... Let the shopkeep come for him. It just might prove to be... Entertaining.
"And I said I have much to offer. I just added a bit of information that you seem to have taken the wrong way." As he spoke one of his knives landed itself tip first into the counter a hairs width away from the mans wrist as he reached for the jars. "Stop calling me that."
Ruby orbs glistened as they remained fixed upon those of the shopkeep. The muscles in his body drew tense, fingers itching to draw his bow even if it would do him little to no good indoors. Instead, he responded with an almost wry grin. "Then what would you have me call you?"
He pulled the knife out of the counter and set it back on the table beside its companions. "Sebastian." He said shortly, the snark once again taking its place in his voice.
A curt, almost respectful, nod was given to the young man as he moved his hand from the counter. "Saeth... Aneliad Saeth." Grin was replaced by a bit of a smirk, head cocking to the side ever so slightly. "You still haven't given me your price, alchemist."
"Aneliad...." His slight accent made the name roll through his voice. "80 total...." He paused almost as if he regretted saying that price. "Yes, that should do it."
"Saeth..." He corrected, offering his last name rather than his first... Even if he did rather like how it sounded rolling off of the other man's tongue. Fingers slipped back into his pouch, fiddling with various bits of gold before coming up with enough platinum pieces to cover the charges.
"Mm.." He made a noncommiental reply. He perfered the other name, sounded better. Taking the money it disapeared into the sleeves of his robe and he looke dup grinning. "Then, if you have no other use for this alchmiest, I shall go back to mixing things." He had a bottle of what looked to be bright blue oil in his hand and had dropped a funnel into the bottle of powdered herbs.
He snorted to himself before shaking his head slowly, trying to dash from it the thoughts that had seeped into his mind. There were many things he could be doing rather than wasting his time sitting around in a shop with one of the most vexing alchemists... "I'm sure that you have other uses... Even if your alchemy isn't one of them."
"That I probably do." Silvery gray eyes glinted as he grinned. "But the most exploited would have to be the alchemy." He poured the blue liquid into the herbs and ignored it as it foamed and bubbled.
"Could it be?" He smirked, eyebrows lofting in his own amusement. "The alchemist does smile." He spoke almost as if he'd known Sebastian forever and yet this was the first time he'd ever seen the slightest trace of a grin. "Are there others that you would wish to have exploited?"
"Perhaps," The potion stoped fizzing and settled into a dull purple in color. He twisted a silver lid onto the bottle with long fingers. "Then again... Perhaps not."
"Then perhaps I should leave you to your thoughts, Sebastian..." He bowed once more as he stepped away from the counter before pulling his hood back up over flaming tresses. He had thoughts of his own... And quite a few things to tend to as well.
Sebastian muttered something about cloaks and hoods as he carefuly afixed a label to the bottle. Standing he went to put the bottle in a tall glass case and watched Saeth head for the door.
He turned back, eyebrow raised ever so slightly as a smirk teased over his lips. "What was that, Sebastian? Care to speak a bit louder? Just because my head is covered doesn't mean my hearing's addled."
Sebastian was bearly visable through the glass and bottles. "It must addle your hearing if you had to ask what i said." There was a distinct chuckel under the snark.
"Bah... You were muttering, boy. Speak up!" He huffed, arms crossing soundly over his chest. Laugh at him... Hmph.
"Im not muttering Old Man. I spoke very clearly." He moved away from the case and leaned against it, fluffy green fuzz resting against his cheek. "You must get getting to old to hear."
"Is that so?" He lowered the hood once more as he spun on his heel to fully face the other man, eyes gleaming with a spark of challenge. "I am listening now, alchemist... Speak your words."
"I dont repeat myself." He shruged indiferently. "Though it is good you have that hood, wouldn't want people mistaking you for something else."
"And who are you mistaking me for, alchemist?" He took a few steps forward, curve of his jaw taking on a more defined angle as he stopped, bangs feathering across his brow.
He lifted one hand and shruged. "Your girly enough for the work, so people could be mistaken." The tone in his voice left no doubt what he was talking about and held back laughter flickered in his eyes.
"Listen here, boy..." His lip curled into a sneer as the urge to defend his masculinity bubbled up within him. Of course, he would probably be better off just letting it slide... Probably... "I am more of a man than you will ever know."
He chuckled adn shook his head. "Right, yes sir, more of a man than I will ever know." He looked up at Aneliad again grinning, well more smirking.
His eyes flashed with a brilliant blaze of fury and, if it weren't for his need to prove himself he would have flounced away in an instant. Who was this foolsih fop to treat him as he was doing? Had he no idea who he was?
Of course not.
He shook his head once more, ruddy locks bouncing about his face as he did so. This boy wasn't worth another moment of his time... He knew better than this.
Sebastian laughed this time at the expressions that filtered across the archer's face. It was jsut too much. He loved being snarky and sarcastic like he loved breathing but there were just some days when it wsa too much and he laughed about it.
Leaning on the counter he clutched his side and finally managed to stop. He brushed his bangs out of his face but didn't look over at the other man.
He closed his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath, searching for his 'inner focus' before turning towards the door. Responding to the laughter in any other way would get him nowhere... Nowhere at all...
Upon opening his eyes he turned towards the door, smooth strides carrying his body almost silently towards the exit. The alchemist could rot in his bloody shop. He'd gotten what he wanted anyways...
"...ahh the pretty ones are always amusing." the voice of the Alchemist floated after him as the man moved back toward the back room of his shop. If he was going to have a borring day dealing with balding men who wanted to kill their wives at least he had a good start to the day.
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Posted: Mon Jul 18, 2005 12:43 pm
___// Beneath the stars He had made himself a suitable 'camp' off in the forest somewhere. He had always felt more at peace with himself amongst the elements... Especially when the sky was clear and he could see the stars. Night... A glorious night...
Odd scents swirled around in the smoke from the glowing coals that served as his only light. It would have been too warm for a fire... But the coals proved to be 'just right' for the service that he had required of them.
He parted his lips as he lowered his head, letting his breath fan the coals to burn brightly before sprinkling a few of the previously procured anise seeds onto the mix. He failed to understand how he could stand them when the flavor they produced made him ill... But he refused to question it further. Instead he reached into his pouch to procure the little satchel of dried bay leaves he had gathered on his own, adding a pinch to the coals atop the anise before breathing deeply.
Stepping over a pile or branches Sebastian made sure nothing had fallen out of his satchel as he snatched a large fungus off of a tree. "Damn thing..." He really did hate the forest, but if one had to go through it to get home every day then one should stock up while one was there.
Home wasn't that far, but he was already grumbling for want of a fire and a soft fluffy chair.
He continued to breath deeply. In... Out... In... Crimson eyes shot open and his calm was disrupted as he heard words spoken not far from him. One hand made a clumsy reach for his bow; summoning an arrow into his free hand. He truly would have to see about making his own 'regular' arrows now that he was in a new place... The flaming ones were too much of a beacon in the night for anything dark that may have wished to flock towards him.
The arrow caught the corner of Sebastian's glasses and he sighed. "And now I am going to get shot. Great. Wonderful day..." He snarled and stuffed the fungus into his pouch. "Couldn't get any better I tell you, If you are going to shoot me please for the love of all things dont singe the fur."
He turned slighlty in the direction of the light and stared into the forest.
He stood slowly, arrow still aimed true towards the voice. His eyes narrowed in an attempt to see the figure for what it was rather than anything else... No trees, no shadows... Merely the man from whom the voice had come from. The man who... Seemed vaguely familiar, creating a nagging sensation in the back of his mind.
"State your name and purpose for bellowing about my campsite like a banshee. Be you good or be you bad?" His notions as to which was what were clearly blurred and always had been... Of course, someone new to his nature would have no knowledge of that.
"I am not blundering. I was walking and talking at the same time. I see no point in stating my name since I don't know who you are and I am on my way home.... Which your campsite seems to be in the way of." He snipped. For once he was slightly thankful for his green robes; it meant that he would be slighlty hard to see.
As the sound of the voice finally clicked in the back of his mind he tilted the arrow slightly towards the ground before releasing. The flaming shaft flew through the air with the greatest of ease, cutting through the night just as its brilliance blazed through the darkness. With luck, it would land a foot from the other man just before his feet, illuminating the area in front of him. "One should be careful while walking the woods."
Staring down at the arrow he had a feeling that the glow was going to make his pretty white skin look slightly sallow but looked back towards the man anyways. "I am perfectly careful. There are not usually people out this late who do not know I travel along this path." The arrow reminded him of someone... Someone who had caused him grief the last time he spoke with them.
"If you were perfectly careful I'd not have you in the situation that you've found yourself in, now would I?" He said with a trace of arrogance as he called another arrow to his fingertips. It too was knocked with great ease, rippling with warmth against his fingertips. "It looks as if you are standing there upon my whims alone... Your name, dear sir... So that I might know who to tell others their fine fur robe has been donated by."
"If you steal my ******** robe I will come back from the dead and eat you!" He snapped, anger fading slightly as curiosity took over.
He was tempted to grab the arrow at his feet to see what it was made of, but he valued his fingers. "What is it? Can I touch it? How did you make it?" He leaned down to look at the arrow completly ignoring the question about his name.
It was all he could do to keep from laughing out loud. If he hadn't been certain as to who the voice belonged to he certainly was now. "Don't touch what you know so little about... You're likely to be burned." Traces of amusement danced around his voice giving it the sound of almost two tones combined into one band of velvet. "Don't you know an arrow when you see one?"
"I wasn't going to touch it. Thatt is why I asked..." He refrained from calling his tormenter an a** incase one of those arrows came at him again. "Yes, I know an arrow, but most I know do not do that." He pointed at it. "Unless coated in something."
"Dileu." He spoke softly with the same doubled tones and, as he did so, the arrow in front of the man flickered before extinguishing, leaving a singed hole in the earth where the head had been. "Coating is for arrow heads made of rock or steel... This has no such need, as any man with eyes can clearly see."
"Ahhhhh, so it is magic, or whatever....intresting...." He had wished as a kid that he had any sort of aptitude toward magic but, since he didn't, he performed his magic in other ways.
"Ok, so you can ...... wait.....dont tell me....your that Aneliad fellow?" That was the only person who he knew who carted a bow around. The others seemed to prefer sharp bladed metal things.
"'Whatever' would probably be a more appropriate way to put it as 'magic' doesn't nearly begin to betray everything that it is." His words were spoken with a great amount of respect for whatever it was that he was speaking about.
At the sound of his name he parted his bow and arrow into seperate hands in order to give a flourishing bow. "Good evening to you... Sebastian, wasn't it?"
"Great. I knew it.... He walked over the spot the arrow had hit and into the little clearing Aneliad was occupying. So, the man could do somethign akin to magic, though not magic. That was somehting to remember. "Just had to be you.... Why the hell are you sitting around in the middle of the damnable forest?!"
As Sebastian neared him he banished the arrow with the same word spoken in whatever strange language it was from. "I have no need to explain myself or my actions to you, man." Eyebrow raised in amusement as he leaned upon his bow, crimson orbs dancing with a laughter that bubbled within. "Have you a problem with my campsite? If so... I must tell you 'tis far too bad on your behalf as I've already made myself comfortable."
And so he had. His attire had changed from the previous day; black sleeves of a front laced shirt fluttering about his arms as snug leather pants clung to the curves of his legs. He seemed almost... Relaxed.
"Bah, comfort does not involve leaves, sticks, and dirt." He sneered at the ground. "It involves pillows and soft fabrics and fluffy things." He leaned against a tree and stared at Aneliad from under his bangs. "It also reguires a roof."
He really had nothing about camping, just that he didnt do it. He perfered the wonferful comforts of a house and a bed and fluffy things; though no one knew he called them fluffy. Ignoring the leather as best he could he waved a hand at the man. "The only problem I have is that it is in my way."
"Ah... I see." He chuckled softly as he turned his back to the alchemist in order to return to the 'camp' that he had made himself 'comfortable' at. He really did love the outdoors... Everything about it. Even if the ground wasn't always the best thing to sleep upon... Unless there was someone soft to curl up nicely agai--
He shook his head dashing all manners of that thought from his mind as he crouched beside the glowing coals that were, at the moment, providing more light than the moon. Even in the dim light the curves of his shapely legs could not be denied as the soft leather moved to suit their new position. "I am certain that, given time, you could come to accept the comforts that the woods have to offer... It's an entirely new experience... Unless you fear the unknown."
"I have enjoyed the 'comforts' of the woods as you call it and find them lacking. I much perfer a warm bed and a few soft things." Grinning he kept most of the ideas of how soft Aneliad could prove to be and kept his eyes hidden behind his bangs.
"The only comforts the woods offer me are the ones that allowe me to procure the things I need for my creations."
"Perhaps you haven't enjoyed the comforts of which I am directly referring to..." He said with an odd sort of smile, eyes dancing with the flickering light coming from the coals as he turned to face the alchemist. "Of course... If you think that there is no sort of comfort that you could find here perhaps t'would be better if you continued along your trail home... And made sure to be more careful while walking through the woods alone."
"Unless you ....No" He paused and shook his head. "I should be a good boy and go home to my nice warm bed and my nice warm food." Though his food would have to be heated since he did not want to eat the pastries cold.
"I see no comfort that I could take here...." Except perhaps the comfort of your body. He smirked as his mind finished his sentence for him. He really needed to not run into pretty things on his way home from a long day. They made him think far too many things.
"As an alchemist, of all people, surely you should know that the lines of 'good' and 'bad' are always blurred... What one man sees as the will of the gods another may see as the devil's deeds." Now back by the odd smelling smoke his senses had opened once more, leaving his thoughts to run free alongside the swirling streams of scented smoke.
"Again I say, Sebastian... If there is nothing here that has caught your eye as something you could find comfort in... 'Tis best if you return to your lodgings to partake in your meal... And your bed."
Standing up he started to make his way around the camp. "Oh I believe there is one thing here, but I would hazard a guess that you would not like it." He was still smirking and the snark he was famous for had fallen back into place in his voice.
His cheeks flushed with a silent rage that remained hidden beneath the ruddy locks of bangs that had been too short to pull back into the braid that came to mid-back. He had been trying his damndest to be plesant... Especially after nearly shooting the alchemist... But now he found himself wishing that he had sent the arrow through the man rather than through the ground at his feet.
Rather than respond he mutted 'fllamio' to sumoon an arrow into his hand which he used to prod at the coals. His breathing remained slow and even, determined not to let that fool of a man know that he had been shaken.
Humming something to himself he picked his way around the trees. While a response from the man would have been entertaining, the silence said more than he ever could. Poke a nerve did I? For once in his life the snarky retort didn't leave his lips as he kicked at a rather large seed pod, sneering as it bounced off into the underbrush.
He blinked, lids pulling the ruby gems set so prettily into darkness before opening to gaze upon the ghostly blonde clad in such gaudy robes. No smartass response? No comments drifting through the silence to further taunt him? How... Odd.
"Surely your supper will have grown cold by now... And someone will be searching for you soon due to your dallying in the brush with a stranger."
"Supper is cold until I heat it up seeing as how certian pastries keep better cold... And if there is someone waiting for me at my home I am going to be sure to shove them out the door with a table through their skulls." For one who seemed opposed to violence he seemed to be able to threaten to inflict it quite often.
If he was pleased by that last bit of information there were no traces upon his face proving such. He simply lowered his gaze to the embers once more as if searching for something in the swirling smoke. "What keeps you in the woods if all of your creature comforts are at home?"
"An intresting conversation...." And a very nice a** covered in leather. One of these days his brain was going to get him into serious trouble.
"If you are so interested in said conversation... Perhaps you should come down here with a humble archer so that we may converse on a more personal level." His words were meant to bring the alchemist to him so that he could more clearly study the features of the man's face as they spoke... Judge the movements of his face as the words passed over his lips. "I've a blanket you could sit on so as not to tarnish your robes..."
Sebastian had a moment where something quite crude seemd as if it was going to make it past his lips but he managed to do nothing more than broaden his smirk. "Then, perhaps at the appearence of this blanket I could be persuaded to stay longer." As long as you feed me.
He raised his brow as if questioning exactly what it was that the alchemist may have said before his slight speech about the blanket. From his crouched position he stood, stretching arms over his head in order to pull at the muscles that had been left tense from the way he had been 'seated'. The blanket in question was then pulled from his pouch after he bent to retrieve it, unfolding the bit of fabric until it was only left doubled over before spreading it about the forest floor. "Does this so suit your needs, Sebastian?"
"Enough." He walked over and flopped onto the blanket, brushing his shoes off before tucking them under him. His legs, which were not visable, were clad in black pants of some unknown fabric that seemed soft while still sturdy. They were, in fact, his favorite pants because they didn't burn and they kept him safe from most of the chemicals he had at home. "Now that you have me here, what personal discussion would you like to undertake?"
"Sir alchemist, I fear you have misinterpreted my meanings..." He spoke smoothly as he lowered himself to the grass opposite the man seated on the blanket. "... By personal I merely meant that you and I can now see each other on the same level while chatting... Rather than you being the man leaning on the tree and I the one relying on the flames."
Said 'flames' were still far from being 'flames'. They were just embers giving off a soothing aroma that seemed to leave the mind quite open should one breath them deeply enough.
Sebastian tried not so sniff too hard at the smell. He knew it well from his years in a basement hunched over a burner but it was slighlty more pleasent out here in the open. "I am well known for taking things people say and turning them into things I can use." He smirked and brushed a stray leaf off his robe.
"Forms of manipulation are used by many far and wide... Words are but one thing that can be distorted through it." He shook his head slowly, copper strands moving about his face as it reflected the glow of the ground before him. "... Is that what you wish? To turn my words into something useful rather than taking them for face value?"
"It is a habbit, one that is hard to break." He grinned.
"That was not my question, Sebastian." Those soft spoken words almost seemed reprimanding even if they were more disappointed at the avoidance than anything.
As the bay began to burn down he pulled his pouch into his lap, rummaging through his 'stash' until he found a small satchel. Within was a mix of caraway, cedar and clove; all meant to purify, relax and release all sorts of negativity in the area. The cedar and glove mingled in an odd way that might have been overwhelming had a soft breeze not started to stir the scent away.
"No, but that was my answer." He blew at a puff of smoke that wafted near him. "It seems that you have enough in there so stock a very nice store." He remarked at the bag.
He didnt know why he was being nice, he just was. Has to be the herbs.....yes
"My 'stock' serves my purposes... Nowhere near as impressive as the various herbs you have in store though." An almost wry grin teased along his lush lips giving him an impish appearance meant to be taken in the best of natures. "Had I everything I found necissary I would not have sought out your shop, now would I?"
"Having extra is never bad." He rolled his shoulders, resetting them after a day at work, and leaned back on his arms. "But true, had you everything you needed you would not have sought my shop out."
"Careful leaning like that... With how tense your arms seem it might do more danger than good." He wasn't quite sure why he gave a damn... Probably because, if there was pain to be involved, he would rather be the one inflicting it quickly rather than watching someone suffer from it. "I have an ointment that's rather good for relaxing muscles... Good for training wounds and... Other things."
]"It may at that, but it is comfortable since it keeps the muscles tight." He was used to the muscles from his neck, arms, and upper back hurting almost constantly. Even if he did make a wonderful pain killer he was against taking it all the time since it could cause more damage than it solved. "I have learned to live with tight muscles." He passed over wondering why Aneliad cared, taking it for nothing more than a passing notice.
"Perhaps there is something that I could do about it..." He began to rummage through his pouch once more, removing a tiny jar of yet another odd smelling mix. Oddly enough, this archer was quite good when it came to herbs having studied on his own in order to keep himself more self sufficient as far as healing was concerned. "Would you be terribly opposed to lowering your robe from your shoulders for me?" He questioned as he lowered himself once more behind the alchemist. "I promise to be a gentleman..."
Sebastians smirk was thankfully hidden from view of the archer as he leaned up and shruged. The robe, which seemed to be fairly snug in place on his shoulders, fell quite easliy until it was caught around his elbows. Smoothly muscled shoulders and arms were revealed, no where near anything that someone used to work would have yet still slightly more than your average alcmemist's build. His skin was just as pale as his face made it out to be and the light from the moon just made him look more pale.
"Forgive the blinding coloration, sunlight and i do not get along in the best of cases."
"'Tis nothing to forgive... The sun can be harsh, whereas the moon is welcoming." He spoke almost cryptically as he twisted the lid off of the jar before setting it on the ground beside him. Almost instantly the scent of spearmint mingled with rose joined the aroma of cedar in the air. Slender fingers dipped into the container to retrieve a bit of the salve from within, rubbing his hands together for a moment before gently massaging the mixture onto Sebastian's shoulders... He had completely forgotten that the ylang ylang that served as a base for the salve also served as a mild aphrodesiac; thinking only of the calm it was known to bring as well as the treatment for the skin.
The alchmest's muscles were indeed in nothing but knots, and knots upon knots, just as he had alluded to. He winced slighlty as Aneliad hit a particularly tight knot, trying his hardest not to pull away. He really didn't like people touching him. It was an old quirk that he had never really gotten over, but the tingling of the salve was persuading him to grit his teeth and deal for the moment.
"Forgive me..." He said softly as his fingers continued their 'work'. He found that, for some reason, he rather liked the way his fingers felt upon the alchemist's skin... "Should I stop?"
He grunted. "Forgiven, and no.... In some strange way it feels nice." He really should have noticed what was in the salve, but at this point he didn't care. It was helping to turn his muscles into butter for the moment.
"They'll be sore again come morning... But you could take the salve if you'd like once we part ways." His hands tightened unknowingly as he said that before easing away from the shoulders down onto the blades themselves. Upon closing his eyes he found an image that, although quite please, was rather shocking from his mind's point of view. They ruby orbs were opened quickly, teeth biting down hard on his lower lip in an attempt to keep it from lowering to the alchemist's neck.
"They will be sore again the moment you take your hands off me." He said, his grin evidanent in his voice. It was true. Last time he had managed to sit through someone getting the muscles to loosen they had tightened up almost instantly. He hissed as the archers fingers reached a particularly hard knot between his spine and shoulderblade, quickly biting off the sound after it was heard..
At that he felt his cheeks flush almost shamelessly as he leaned forward a bit, brushing lips against the man's ear as he spoke "Then... Perhaps I shouldn't take my hands off of you. Would that be more to your liking?" He would sum it all up to his weakness... The horrid weakness he had for a pretty face...
"Perhaps you shouldn't." He said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. He was tempted to turn his face to look at the archer but was afraid that seeing the man would drag him down into temptations he should know better than to get into.
He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as fingers tightened around the man's muscles once more. He had forgotten how fond he was of physical contact... Hiding his 'fears' from all by remaining distant. Now was not the time for distance.
Even if Sebastian gave not unto temptation, he could no longer resist. Slowly he lowered his lips to the alchemist's neck, brushing softly over the milky flesh as fingers continued to knead knots from their stiffness.
His breath left him in a puff as he felt Aneliad's lips brush his neck. His mind screamed at him, telling him that he sould get up and go home and forget that any of this had ever hapened... And pray that he never ran into the archer again, but he ignored it. It had been too many years since anyone had touched him.
His grin was rogueish as he removed his lips from the lithe man's neck, moving fingers from one hand slowly down along Sebastian's spine despite the robes still present. "I have forgotten... You did say that there were no comforts you could take from the woods, did you not?" His voice was husky despite its softness, mingled with entertainment and a light heart.
"I said, there were none I believed you would be willing offer me." His muscles twitches as the arches hand travled wodn his spin. He was trying to remain as still as possible; not wanting to realize this was a dream only to awaken by falling out of his bed. He also tried to imagine the look on Aneliad's face. Sadly, this only caused him more problems and he quickly stopped.
He chuckled softly in a way that was more soothing than mocking as lips moved to press against the back of Sebastian's neck ever so lightly. "Shall I try to prove you wrong, sir alchemist? Or is that hunger that you spoke of earlier too overwhelming for you to stay?"
"My hunger cannont be satisified by anything that resides in my home." His voice came out something akin to a snakes hiss. It was an intresting sound that one wouldn't have expected to hear from a person.
"Then face me, Sebastian... And show me what can satisfy this hunger..."
// Fade
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Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 9:17 am
___// Unexpected Awakening Sleep... It was so precious to him in a way that some rare treat that one could rarely have would be. He hadn't slept so well or so long since... Since the night before that blasted fight... It struck him as a near instant shock that the encounter had come to his mind and, as a result, his arms tightened over the slender form he had fitted himself against.
Light was just begining to filter through the leaves, kissing the bodies as they lay intertwined. He blinked back the dawn as crimson eyes opened to gaze upon the sky, skin tingling when he felt something that shouldn't be there... Not at all. Slowly he released Sebastian, carefully tugging himself free from the bonds that the robe had created as they'd turned throughout the night. He stood and made a great show of stretching before reaching for his bow, readying it in the direction of whatever may have been lurking in the bush.
Pengryf Tawr stood leaning against one of the trees that surounded the clearing. He hadn't intended to awaken neither his brother nor the pretty little thing he was wound around, but it seemed as if he had. He watched as his brother stood up and pointed an arrow at him. It was nothing new and caused no more reaction than a lazy blink.
Despite his instant realization of who it was who stood before him, the arrow remained knocked, flames licking at the slender fingers of the man who had drawn it back. His muscles rippled as they tensed, eyes narrowing as they took in the form of the man who had often been a bane on his existance as well as a close confidant. "I knew you were coming, Coegwyr. What trouble do you wish to stir now?"
His lips quirked into a grin as the familiar nickname fell from the others lips. "Trouble? Who says I am here to stir up trouble?" In the early morning light the markings on his face stood out, making him look even more ethereal than usual. "I am just in search of my little brother."
He lowered the bow to his side as he stepped foward, light bouncing off the curves of his body. Obviously there was little modesty as he stood there amidst the early dawn mists, eyeing his brother with distrust. "You only seek me out when you serve to raise a ruckus... And what else would cause you to leave your... Comfort... In Imperial?"
Sparing a glance to the sleeping potion maker he looked back to his brother completly ignoring his state of undress. "My, comfort, as you put it, decided I was not as entertaining as a cute, bearly out of the cradle, imp." He seemed to hold little with this, but one who knew him well would know that it must have hurt.
"Still holding a grudge that they chose me over pretty little you?"
"My grudge lies more within the fact that you chose to go after something that had already been claimed by another." His brow furrowed as he felt his defenses raise along with his voice, fingers drawing tight around the shaft of his bow. "What do you want, Coegwyr? Why have you been hunting me?"
"Not my falut that he said he belonged to noone." He shrugged remaining calm as his brother angered. "I wanted to tell you something, but if you are going to be rude I will just keep it to muself."
In an instant the bow was back in an attack position, arrow summoned, knocked and ready to be fired. "You never think nor care to ask, Pengryf Tarw. All you care is that you have something lovely hanging off of your arm at all times. Bugger you... And the rudeness you accuse me of."
"And you dont like pretty things?" He cocked his head in the direction of the still sleeping Sebastian. "Seems someone is being a little hypocritical."
"Speak not of things you do not know, Coegwyr." He snarled, the familiar 'nickname' taking on a more threatening tone. His fingers drew the string back, threatening to fire upon his 'opponent'... It was so tempting... It had always been tempting... But he had yet to give in on that one temptation.
"I don't have to know. I can see quite well." He watched the end of the arrow. They had often come to this, arrows knocked and powers lifting. He could feel the amulet begging to be used, begging to smack his brother, but he ignored it. "Is there something I should know?"
"Simply because you see something does not mean you should assume it is about something as primal as a mere pretty face." His shoulder began to stiffen as he kept his aim true. There were certain things that were not meant to be done just after awakening from a night spent sleeping on the forest floor and drawing a bowstring tightly back for over a minute was on that list.
He realized only too late what his words spoken may have implied... That there was something serious between he and the alchemist... Something more than just a base need for feeling skin against skin, but he was determined to keep his brother from winning. He had won far too often, making him look like quite the fool.
Raising a brow Pengryf looked up at his brother. "Oh? So the little asyn has found something else to occupy his time with." His face remained blank as he spoke. "Intresting turn of events"
"What matters to you how I occupy my time, Penbwyl?" He snorted, crimson eyes blazing as brilliantly as the arrow poised before him. "You still have yet to answer my questions... What brings you after me?"
"I told you, i wanted to tell you somehting." He caught movement out of the corner of his eye as Sebastian shifted in his sleep. "If you dont keep your voice down you are going to wake sleeping beauty over there."
He lowered his bow ever so slightly, much like he had done to Sebastian the night before, before releasing the arrow. His eyes watched as it flew with great ease through the air, landing perfectly between the other man's feet before bursting into an odd ball of flames. "Then speak."
Pengryf looked down at the flames, the amulet around his neck glowing slighty before his eyes returned to Aneliad. "It followed you here Ane..." Golden eyes relfected the flames perfecty. "... And it is pissed."
As the flames began to die down he summoned forth another arrow. "Let the cythraul be angered." He snarled once more, threatening to aim a bit higher this time. "Mayhap it followed you here. Perhaps you lead it to this area by seeking me out. You bring trouble."
"It was here before I was, thank you." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Trouble follows you, which is why it precedes me. I am the one who is always pulling your a** out of trouble."
"s**t. That is absolute s**t." Whereas he had fought to keep his calm while bickering with Sebastian the day prior, it seemed as though his brother knew little of the reserve that Aneliad had offered others. He was quite careful to cover his trails and stick to the shadows.
Pengryf, on the other hand, was known more for his flock of followers... And yet he was the one who called trouble to him? Bags.
"It is not. You are the flamboyant one." He shrugged. "For all your hiding you are quite easy to find once a hint is given." A slight grin teased over his lips again; the same agrivating grin Aneliad had delt with his entire life.
"I am the flamboyant one while you are the one who surrounds yourself with those who serve your every whim? You are a fool, Pengryf! A bloody fool!" He nearly bellowed as he tossed his bow aside, prepared to pommel his brother with his bare hands instead.
"True, and they are a lovely little flock arn't they? But I don't go around flaunting them... They just happen to be there." He rasied one hand in a shrug. "You, I distinctly remeber flaunting involved."
Sebastian heard shouting interfearing with his sleeping and this was unacceptable. He sat up, blinking in the morning light and snarled. Damn archer was shouting, again.
A moment later, Aneliad was cuffed upside the head. "******** b*****d! I was sleeping. It did not need to be woken by you having a b***h fest with.." He paused and looked over at Pengryf. "With a muscle bound oaf!"
So intent was he on his argument with his brother that he barely noticed Sebstian's approach until it was too late and a hand had hit him. His eyes blazed as he spun round, fingers seeking out the wrist of the man who had struck him. "Listen here... As lovely as you may be... Never strike me again." The alchemist didn't seem to care that he had been awoken by the horned beast as well... Or that two out of the three men were standing skyclad amongst a sun streaked forest.
"As for you..." He spun to face Pengryf, fingers still held tightly around Sebastian's wrist. "I do not flaunt. I give credit where it is due."
Sebastian, after getting his brain out of the fuzz of sleep, realized that the two must know eachother. "Then dont wake me up with shouting!" He turned a glare on Pengryf. "And if you stare at my a** one more time I am going to come over there and rip your entrails out through the top of your skull."
The horned one raised a brow, finding this highly amusing, and nodded his head. "I am sorry. I can't help appreciating beauty when I see it." Looking back to his brother he smirked. "Yes, by flaunting your conquests before me" He waved a hand at Sebastian. "Though with what you hinted at eariler...."
Without so much of a trace of warning he released Sebastian in order to send his fist hurtling towards his brother's face. "Bloody coegwyr." He growled as his eyes darkened. "Distewi!" He had not flaunted Sebastian, nor had he viewed the alchemist as a conquest. Had that been the case he would have returned to the shop day in and day out... Did that oaf he called brother truly think so little of him?
Jerking his head quickly to the side, Gryf grabed his brother by the middle of his lower arm and growled. "You should know better than to hit me." Useing his grip he tossed his brother aside, careful not to throw him down to the ground. "And you can stop with the insults any time now. I have been polite."
Sebastian looked between the unknown man and Aneliad and huffed before shaking his head, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Fine! Whatever! STOP YELLING!" He yelled at the two of them as if they were children. "For ******** sake, talk like normal people!"
He flashed a near deadly glare between both Pengryf and the alchemist as he stumbled back, trying hard to remind himself how worthless his brother was... And how little any sort of fight truly meant. Eyes closed for seconds before a mask of calm overtook the features of his face. He was through with this...
Slowly he turned away from both men, bending slowly to retrieve his bow before returning to his makeshift camp in order to recollect his clothing that had been strewn about the blanket durring the night. Pants were pulled firmly into place, left unlaced at the waist for the time being as he began to shove other items back into his traveling satchel.
"Oh, so now I am to be ignored..." Sebastian had almost wanted to believe that there might have been somethine betwen he and the archer, but obvisouly he had been mistaken. It was just like all the other times. Before he could move he sensed the other man moving toward him, responding by turning a poisionous glare on him. "Put one hand on me and I will burn it off." He hissed.
Pengryf held up his hands and stayed where he had stopped. He really should have learned by now that the things his brother usually went after had some sort of bite to them. Alas, some things were just to intresting to toy with.
His fist may have missed the mark of his brother's distinguished jaw but his arrow would not fail him. He had drawn the moment Sebastian had formed his first words, and, for a moment, it would appear as though his mark was meant for the alchemist. Instead, the arrow whizzed past him in a way that only the tickle of warm air grazed him before the shaft brushed against Pengryf's pantleg. "I told you, Coegwyr. Do not touch what has clearly been claimed by another.." The last of his words were spoken clearly in the language that he and his brother shared amongst each other and, even if Sebastian could not understand them, the threatening undertones were universal.
Sebastian raised a brow as he turned his head toward Aenliad in question. "Can I have my pants... ?" He grumbled, eyes looking at the offending object laying close to where the archer was standing.
Looking down at his leg where the arrow had passed he found himself raising a brow. That was the first time his brother had actually fired an arrow at him. Perhaps I should keep my hands off this one. "If you wish... I will leave him alone." Looking back up to his brother his face was blank; a serene mask of calm. "But my warning has not changed. When you drag your head out of the clouds we need to speak."
As he stooped to gather Sebastian's pants before tossing them towards him he kept his eyes focused upon his brother, never letting the horned man leave his sight. "When you remove your head from your arse... We'll speak."
"Always the same." He sighed and turned to leave the clearing. "I am going to the city. If I have to hunt you down to talk to you once more I will be very disapointed brother." He waved a hand over his shoulder.
Slipping into his pants he felt bette or, at least, not so exposed. Brother? Looking between Aneliad and the other he wondered where he had missed something and, at that moment, began berating himself for sleeping like a log.
Once Pengryf was out of sight, as well as out of his range of senses, the tension fled from his muscles leaving a near broken man to flop down onto the blanket. His arm moved to shield his eyes from the sun that had taken to rising higher since his conversation had began. Such beautiful dreams... Such lovely sleep... Distrupted by such a horrid wretch.
Slowly Sebastian moved back over to where Aneliad was and kneeled down on the blanket beside him. "Aneliad?" He spoke slowly, accent still comming out on the man's name, one hand rested lightly on the archers arm.
Aneliad shifted his arm slightly so that he could gaze up at Sebastian, crimson eyes still shades darker then they had been the night before. "Aye?" One word spoken simply enough... As much of a response as the alchemist was going to get him... Especially when he felt like sending him away as well.
There was something in the alchemists eyes a moment before the archer spoke but, once the words were out, the emotion vanished. "Nevermind. I shall just leave..." His words were quiet as he stood and picked up his robe, sneering at the mess for a moment before folding the fabric to be carted home.
It was at that moment when something came to his mind... Something that he couldn't quite make sense of. He had just met the alchemist. He shouldn't feel so bloody... Attatched. One blissful night in the woods didn't equal something to write ballads about... Did it?
He sat up slowly, resting his arms on his knees as he looked up to the other man. "Forgive a fool for awakening you... Sleep is far too precious to be disturbed... Especially when it comes in such small doses."
Turning his head slowly back to the archer he shook his head. "I am used to little sleep. I am just nowhere near a morning person." He glared up at the sun through the trees. He really should have left while the two were arguing. Aneliad didn't need him around, espically if it was going to cause trouble. That's what you are remeber, trouble. He slammed the door or that thought, trying hard to ignore what his mind was telling him.
"I've kept you from your home long enough..." He shook his head slowly as he stood once more, sholdering both his pack and his bow before kicking the coals with the tip of his boot. "Until we meet again, Sebastian?" If they ever met again... If Pengryf was right then perhaps t'was best to cut all ties before they began. Wouldn't want to draw anyone else into his web...
"Yes, yes... Home." Cold, lonely home. He grinned at Aneliad, though the grin did not quite reach his eyes. "You know where to find me if you require my sevices again." He had not intended for that to sound the way it did. Then again what had he ever been but somethign others used because of his pretty face or his various talents. "My shop is always open to you."
He felt an odd flush fill his cheeks as his strides closed the gap between himself and the alchemist. He had started this the night before and now, beneath the gentle breezes of the morning, he would finish it. Lips gently grazed the corner of Sebastian's mouth as slender fingers caressed the man's cheek. "You are more than your services... Let no one tell you otherwise." His words were whispered softly, lingering in the air between them before being carried away on a whisper of the wind. "The forest is forever open to you, alchemist."
Sebastian blinked, for once in his life at a loss for words or snarky comebacks. He just remained still, eyes fixed on the archer. More than...
He refused to bring his eyes to meet Sebastian's and, in his attempt to fight those desires, he turned back towards the woods. His footfalls were slow and silent, almost as if he were marching off to meet his maker. Who knew... He just may have been. Either way, he didn't expect to see the alchemist any time soon. Not where he was going.
Sebastian sighed and shook his head. Think nothign of it. He lies to you like all the others. Turning back toward his path, he began to pick his way through the forest and toward his home out in the fields.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 5:01 pm
___// Red and the Wolf Damion was out roaming the Meng Ue lands; exploring. The forest was thick and dark despite how bright the night was from the moon's glow. Light did manage to filter through the leaves, but he managed to keep mostly hidden. He was traveling on all fours; more comfortable that way.
He had been trying to put distance between himself and the others for a day straight now and the lack of sleep was taking more of a toll upon his slender form. Crimsom eyes held none of their usual shine, senses addled more than usual. He cursed himself inwardly... This was not the way a great archer should act. What good was he to anyone now? None... None at all... Which is why he pressed on.
Damion kept exploring; enjoying the scents of the woods. He wasn't paying particular attention to his surroundings until something new caught his attention. His eyes saw nothing. His ears heard nothing... But his nose caught it. It was the scent of another being. He instantly started to stalk towards the scent, keeping low as he used the bushes to hide his form.
Whereas usually he may have picked up on the shift in the air around him as the predator began to stalk his prey, he remained blissfully oblivious... Only minus the bliss. His bow, for once, was burried beneath his pack upon his back; a foolish decision on his behalf. Again, it was as if he were little more than a dead man walking with the fire burned out within.
Damion kept up the silent stalking. He was good at what he did. The new smell wasn't an animal, he could tell that, so, he wasn't in complete and utter 'eat it' mode. Instead he was curious, and feeling playful.
He stopped for a mere moment to gaze up at the sky, trying to judge the time. It was worthless though... Just like so many other things. Finally feeling the dryness of his throat he reached for a flask he had filled at the last stream he had passed, raising it to parched lips before splashing a bit upon his face in hopes of awakening himself.
Damion came upon the redheaded Dou, reaching his hand out, veeeeerry slowly, before smacking the a** of the man in front of him only to dart off to the side to hide in the bushes.
The strike against his backside was enough to draw him from his stupor as a howl passed over his plush lips. Eyes blazed as his inner fire rekindled, spirit filling in the void left by more days without sleep. He dropped his pack and took his bow to hand, crimson orbs darting back and forth from bush to bush as he sought the source of the pain.
Damion was already on the move, silently slipping through the bushes to get to another angle. Oh my, what a lovely sound the other had made, but fiery arrows? That was trouble.
"Listen here, whatever you are... I am in no mood to be bullied by an unknown entity. Show yourself... Or I'll light this forest ablaze until it burns you out." He would do no such thing, of course. Burning a forest down would require dryness and a lack of feeling that he could not find within himself.
Damion snickered, and moved out of the bushes, moving to stand at his full height. He was -tall-, and his ears were perked "....I really doubt you could do that. I'm sure Chieko wouldn't want her only home gone, and possibly her life."
He kept the arrow trained upon the...Wolf? ... He'd seen stranger sights... If he was shaken by the size of the creature he didn't let it show, keeping his mask of whatever emotion it was that he was currently feeling solidly in place. "I know neither you nor this... Chieko... That you speak of. But, as you have now shown yourself, I need not take the actions I said I would."
Damion shrugged, not bothered by the arrow. "....I'm Damion. This is Chieko Meng Ue's land. You're trespassing, for one. For another, you're so distracted, it's not a good state to be in while out hunting."
"The forest belongs to no one." He huffed in an almost pout-like way as he lowered his bow slightly. He was in no mood to be read his rights about being on someone else's property. He was in no mood for many things... Least of all being told what sort of state he was in by a... Creature. "I was not hunting."
The Feral Dou watched the red head, tilting his head to the side "....Even if your bow wasn't out, you were hunting. Just not for a creature." Another cranky person. What was this place? the crank zone? He was certainly getting tired of it, but, right now, not even that awas going to wreck his mood.
He sighed softly as the 'mask' faded from the slightly feminine features of his face. He was in no mood to keep up a facade while in the company of someone who seemed to determined to prove him wrong... Not now. "What makes you think that the prey was trying to become a predator?"
"How you walked, the distint look in your eyes. All telltale signs that you were here, but you weren't." He stretched, and scratched his side, running his tongue over his teeth. Mymy, he felt talkitive tonight, and it felt.... alight.
Slender fingers moved slowly across his brow before he brought his eyes back up to the furry one. "That obvious, eh?" He shook his head slowly as he slipped his bow back onto his back. If the wolf was going to attack him then he'd do so bow or not. "Of course, sleep isn't something that one hunts for... It either graces one with its presence... Or it doesn't."
"Sleep isn't what you're looking for, is it?" He turned, and started to walk, motioning for the redhead to follow. "I'm Damion." He offered his name, his tail swishing back and forth slowly. He walked slowly now, the quicker movement having annoyed his ribs.
"Sleep... Is the cruel mistress that I am trying to escape..." He said slowly as he stooped to retrieve his satchel before following the wolf without knowing exactly why he was doing so. "Aneliad." He offered his name in return, letting the word drop from the tip of his tongue.
"I understand that." He kept walking, past the sudden line of trees that framed the yard of the estate. He was walking for a small cottage that looked like it could be a closet for the house the towered over the grounds like a sleepy guardian.
"At least someone does..." He seemed to mutter more to himself than to the other male, reaching a hand up to run through the bangs that had fallen across his face. He was in sore need of a shower... "The last I stopped to sleep ended... Poorly."
"You stink too." He walked into the cottage, and pointed to a room* "....Go ahead. In fact, please." He moved into the kitchen, to start to make himself a cup of tea.
"Do not..." He grumbled. As a matter of fact, he probably still smelled like that odd combination of rose and spearmint that had been used in the ointment that... He shook his head to dash that thought from his mind as he stepped into the room that the wolf had pointed him to.
A bathroom, with an old, old fashioned bathtub, the kind with the lion's feet rests in the middle of a stone floor room, with a sink off to the side. it smells oddly like mint, and feels cozy, with huge towel folded in a pile on a counter. On the other side of the door, Damion snorted to himself. He wasn't a big fan of roses.
He eyed the bathroom almost suspiciously as he shut the door behind him. When crimson orbs found his face in the mirror he cringed. Did he truly look that badly? A slender hand slowly moved up to caress his face before drifting back to free his hair from the braid that he had worked it into after leaving his 'camp'. He was a mess...
After eyeing himself for moments longer he began the process of stripping down as he let the tub fill. He even made certain to wash most of the dirt off in the sink before slipping into the steamy waters. "Do you always take strange men into your home?"
"I'm taking after Chieko, I suppose. And lately, I've been finding a lot of strays on the grounds." He sat down heavily on the pillow pile, sipping his green tea. Mmmm, green tea. The only tea he liked. "'Sides, I haven't met a hunter in along time."
"I suppose I should thank you... Despite the fact that you've called me a stray." He found himself chuckling even if he truly didn't feel like laughter. The waters surrounded him, seeping into the soreness left from hours walking about and a night spent sleeping on the forest floor. "And I told you... I'm not a hunter."
".......You seemed like one." He relaxed back into the pillows, closeing his eyes. His own body ached, deep bruises still easily seen under his shallow fur. Oh man, he hated trees at the moment. "I call everyone a stray."
"Even those who... Belong to someone?" He tried not to feel revolted by those words spoken from his tongue. That whole notion made him absolutely ill. Especially now.
Carefully he reached for the bottle of shampoo before lathering it through his hair, taking care to scrub each lock until it shined. His hair was one of the features that he took pride in... One of them.
".....How could a person be owned." It sounded stupid to Damion. but he knew what it meant, but he hadn't mindeed it. Only did he resent it when it ended.
"No man should be owned... It only leads to trouble." He murmured the last part softly so that it couldn't be heard before slipping beneath the surface of the water to rinse the suds from his hair. He remained submerged for as long as he could before bursting forth with a gasping breath.
Damion remained quiet, waiting for Ane to come back out. To be honest, he half debated going to sleep, and saying screw it to talking with the young man in his bath, but, eh, he wasn't that tired anyway.
Finally he emerged from the tub in order to towel off, braiding his hair after wrapping the towel along his lower half. Stuffing his clothing back into his pack he decided that he'd dress later... If he was actually permitted to stay on for a certain amount of time. The door opened and he peeked out. "Not going to give in to the Mistress of Dream, are you?"
"If you had taken much longer, I would have." He eyed Ane, since that was a funny, funny way to talk. What a weirdo. "So... what do you do, then?"
He crossed his arms over his bare chest, muscles glistening with moisture on a body bronzed by time spent in the sun. "I suppose you could call me a mercenary..."
It struck Damion suddenly, that he wanted to lick that moister off. ... and then it struck him that the thought he had just recieved had come out of left field. "....Ah, gotcha..." He looked over at Ane, tail flicking "...Tea?"
He nodded his head slowly. "That would be nice... I've not had tea in..." He tried to think of the last time he'd stayed in a place long enough to start a fire to brew tea over. When nothing came to mind he shook his head. "A long time. It would be wonderful."
"Help yourself." He motioned to the kitchen, and shifted over to make room on the pillow pile he was on, the only furniture in the room.
He had a selective taste in his teas, finding only two to his liking; jasmine and green. He found the green before the jasmine and settled on that, adding a single spoon of sugar to it before sipping slowly. "Mmm... Thank you, Damion, was it?"
"....Yeah." The wolf flicked his tail, before yawning, widely, showing white, shiney, pointy teeth.
His strides brought him back to the pile of pillows where the wolf was lounging, legs folding so that he could sit down beside the creature. He shifted the towel to cover himself as best as possible before eyeing the male. "You're the second I've met in this new area... I cannot say I was expecting such hospitality."
"Oh yeah? Normally, I wouldn't have cared you were all over the grounds. But today, I'm in a good mood." He smirked at Ane, before sipping his tea more, ears drooped as he relaxed."
"Aye... The first man I met nearly kicked me from his shop due to my choice in attire..." He snorted at the thought as he looked down into his cup, feeling a strange sort of saddness slip over his thoughts. "If you slap stange men's bottoms when you're in a good mood... I'd hate to see what you do while in a bad."
".......I avoid people and am generally in a bad mood." He snorted, and snickered. "....Sounds like you're describing Sebastian." He laughed a little bit.
His face paled visibly the moment that name passed over the feral one's lips... Or rather, it would have paled were he not busy sputtering on the sip of tea that had now lodged itself in one of his lungs.
"....You okay there?" He casually sipped more tea, watching Ane try to drown himself in green tea.
He held the coup away from him as he continued to choke, finding his air only after swallowing hard. "Fine... Or... I will be." He coughed once more, brow furrowing deeply as he did so. "You... Know Sebastian?"
Damion nodded slowly, still relaxing "He gives me painkillers for my ribs despite his crankiness. He tried to kick you out, eh?"
"Aye... But he failed to suceed." He tried to steel his resolve, raising the tea cup to his lips once more. This sip made it down the right pipe which allowed him to continue speaking. "I left of my own will after making a purchase..."
"He's got more bark then bite, it seems." He chuckled softly, his tail flicking agian. He remembered his first encounter with Sebastian. He had been rather nice to Damion, giving him painkillers, then verbally picking him apart...
"You have no idea..." He muttered before tossing back the rest of his tea as if it were an alcohol that would somehow render him thoughtless as far as everything concerning the alchemist was concerned.
".....Hah... don't let him scare you." He snickered, watchign Ane, before shaking his head.
Pride took over at this point, brow furrowing deeply as he turned upon the wolf. "I am not frightened by a man who flutters about in furry robes! Not in the least!"
Damion blinked at him, before laughing. ".....It was a figure of speech." He chortled a bit, remembering the furry robes.
"Can we not talk about him anymore?" He grumbled as he set his tea cup in his lap before flopping back against the pillows in order to stare up at the ceiling. The only thing that could somehow make this worse would be if this Damion somehow knew Pengryf as well.
Damion leaned over the other dou, looking down at him. "Fine. But you have to find something equally interesting to talk about, then."
"What makes Sebastian so interesting to talk about?" He huffed, unable to keep that slight pout from pulling at his lips. He could name many things that made the alchemist interesting but he would rather not linger on any of them. Instead, he glanced up at the wolf watching over him. "I've told you what I do... What do you do?"
"I'm a wolf, what do you expect." He smirked down at the redhead, also remembering the things that made Sebby interesting in his eyes. Of course, being an annoying little p***k was one of them. "So, kicking you out of his store pissed you off that much?"
He shook his head as he matched smirk for smirk. "You chase sheep and harass shepherds?" He then closed his eyes for a moment, features of his face drawing into serious lines. "No... I'd just rather not speak of him. Surely there are things you'd rather not speak of."
"I haven't seen any shepards hot enough to harass." He grinned, wolfishly, and quite pevertedly. ".....Hm. I would distract you, but, I don't know you."
He opened his eyes in time to catch the grin. "Aye... And sleeping with strange men never does the world any sort of good... Take it from a strange man who knows." His nod was done as if he knew very well, even if part of his certainty was simply a jest.
"Who said anything about sleeping together." He snorted, grinning more. "....I didn't realize you were that kind of dirty."
"Well... It is a sort of distraction." He smirked as he reached a slender hand up to caress the wolf's cheek should the creature actually let him do so. "I am not dirty... You made me bathe, remember?"
Damion let him, not pulling back. He had started to enjoy the closeness of other Dou, and his tail even wagged a little. "I dunno... You still smell pretty flowery...."
"... And you smell something akin to leather and fur. What's your point?" He laughed despite the feelings warring within, attempting to silence them as he enjoyed a moment of freedom. "I must say... I've never met a wolf-man before... Or are you more man than wolf?"
"....I've never thought about it before." He had to admit, this was new. Meeting someone and NOT getting into a fight with them? ...This could never last. "Isn't leather and fur sexy, though?"
"On some it is..." He smirked, closing his eyes only to have the image of another sort of fur float through his mind. Crimson orbs flared open, gazing up at the wolf once more. "Maybe you should think of things like that more often."
"Why? What's the point?" He watched Ane, his tail flicking back and forth slowly. "Your towel is slipping."
"Because thought distracts the mind from the body." He nodded slowly as his eyes drifted down towards the towel that the wolf was commenting upon. "Simply because the way you're leaning is tugging at the edge... If you move I could straighten it out."
Damion snickered, and leaned heavier on the towel's edge, watching Ane intently. "Why would I want to distract myself from the body?"
There was some sort of logic tugging at the corner of his mind that he should have been paying attention to. Of course, being quite deprived of a certain amount of sleep, he ignored it and simply smiled slyly. "That, my dear doggie, is a very good question... Perhaps one might wish to distract oneself to keep the body out of... Trouble?"
Damion's ears laid back INSTANTLY at being called Doggie, and he went to sit up. "....Eh. Trouble." *He snorted angrily.
"Bah..." He wrapped his arms around the other male, holding him firmly in place. "I was teasing... Forgive a fool who has deprived himself of sleep, amongst other things?"
He grunted, but was held in place. "....That's one thing you can't ever call me, alright?"
He nodded as his arms tightened slightly around the wolf's middle. "Fair enough... I shall never call you that again now that I know 'tis not to your liking."
"....." Damion relaxed at what Ane said, and the fact he couldn't fight back easily, due to the extreme pain in his ribs at physical contact. It made him happy, though, that someone actually didn't fight about calling him a dog. ".....Thanks."
"It's the least I can do..." He said softly as he let his eyes fall shut for a moment, taking in the peace as well as the softness of the pillows beneath him and the furry one atop him. "... Afterall, you've given me a bath... And tea."
"....You're really tired." Damion noted how relaxed the other man was, and slowly slide his arms around Ane, rubbing his back, massaging a little.
"Sleep is highly overrated..." He found himself almost cooing as he arched into the touches, a slight groan passing over his lips to mingle with the last of his words. "And weren't you the one yawning, soft one?"
"You're the one complaining about lack of sleep." He continued to massage, smirking to himself, leaning his face down to inhale Ane's scent.
"Bah... I don't complain." He snorted softly as he shifted his arms, fingers tracing slow circles along the wolf's back. His scent was a strange one... Various herbal aromas seemed to cling to him even after he cleansed himself. This one was something akin to sandalwood mixed with the mint of the bathroom towels.
Damion shuddered from the touches on his back, only because it was running over his bruises. "....Hah... sure you don't. You should sleep, you know..." He growled lowly, tail swishing back and forth as he continued to massage, firmly.
"Mmm... Am I in more danger if I stay awake? Or if I fall asleep?" It was unclear as to whether he was questioning the creature atop him or himself. Either way, his fingers ceased their movement on Damion's back in order to trail tenderly down to his tail. "Is all of your fur this soft?"
Damion's eyes widened, and his hand darted back to bat away Ane's roaming hands. "....You're getting a little close to my a**, Merc." He chuckled softly, smirking. "Are you always this friendly?"
"Wasn't interested in your arse..." He snorted softly, smirk splaying over his lips. "Just wanted to touch your tail... As for friendly?" He opened his eyes, greeting the wolf with glittering rubies. "Do you always lay atop strangers?"
"Strangers on my pillow pile, sometimes. And my tail is very, very off limits till I get to know you better." He laughed softly, yellow eyes looking wolfish, and hungry.
"You look as if you are about to devour me... What dangers have I let myself fall prey to?" He chuckled softly as his hands fell still upon the wolf's fur, voice carrying with it a strange contentment in his question.
".....Hnnnnn.... you make it very hard to behave myself when you talk like that." His tail flicked, hard, and he licked his lips, seriously debating exploreing Ane's mouth with his tongue. He wasn't sure he should, and he hadn't thought of further then that.
"Then... Maybe I should cease speaking..." He said with another 'all knowing' nod, shifting himself slightly beneath the other male in order to place his head higher on the pile of pillows.
Damion hrmphed, and shifted them both, pulling Ane up on the pillows more, stroking the other male's side. ".....You should be sleeping. You're delirously hitting on a wolf." He smirked, watching the red orbs of the fiery haired man.
"If I am delirious... What, pray tell, is your excuse?" He chuckled softly as he let his eyes fall closed once more, trailing fingers idly alongside the wolf's cheek again as well.
"You keep touching my fur." He continued his pets and caresses, trying to ease the other man into a state of restful slumber. A slow, even, deep and soft growl started to rumble through his chest repeatedly, to be even more relaxing.
"Simply because it's so soft..." He nodded slowly as he stroked it once more before his hand fell still at his side. His breathing had slowed as well; a sure sign that he had given in to the sleep that he had been fighting for the past two days.
Damion kept the caressing and petting up for a few more moments, before he very carefully eased back, and went to find a blanket to cover his guest.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:10 pm
___// Dreams of the Past Beads of sweat were gathering on his forhead as he began to toss beneath the blanket that had been placed over his slender form as he slept. Digits wrapped firmly around the fabric, clinging tightly to the only thing that kept him safe between the realms of awakening and dream...
In his mind a battle was raging. His back was pressed firmly against the battlements of a castle; one particular rock digging into his spine as he turned to shout an order to one of the other archers. The man was quick to respond and, in moments, a shower of fire flew over his head, streaking the night sky with flames that could easily be compared to the sun's rays at dawn.
Standing on the battlements watching as the archers fired off their firey arrows into the sky. His hands rested on the stone before him and his amulat burned with an amber light. Nothing would break this wall tonight. Not while he stood.
"Seige towers, Take out the carriers!" He shouted down to the mages under his comand. Hands raised, the amulet following, and the ground sunk under the feet of one of the creatures pulling the towers." His brother could handle the warriors but arrows were only so good against the towers.
The archer was young and foolish, boasting proudly with every arrow that hit its mark. He cheered on his comrades before flashing a grin to Pengryf. "We'll take them, Gryf! The battle will be ours!"
Cocky smirk was knocked from his face as an arrow whizzed past his head, crimson eyes shooting as wide as saucers. He turned quickly to return the fire, pegging the archer atop the seige tower squarely between the eyes. The warriors on the ground were doing their job; swords clashing against shields and many a man falling prey... He may have been cocky, but he was correct. They were in the lead.
"Dont get cocky! It will get your a** nailed." he snapped, eyes never leaving the battle. Most of his concentration was focused on castle protected, the little he had to spare was working tricks as the ground slowly ate his foes. The younger archer was right though, they were in the lead but all it would take is one of thoes towers reaching the walls and the tides would turn.
Leaning over the stones he shouted down to the warriors below. "Take out thoes Towers and do it now!"
He watched the scene play out before him... A great battle followed by a cry of victory. They had won... Just as he had said...
The memory within his mind rippled and, in moments, they were within the great hall, toasting to good health and a battle well fought. "See, Coegwyr... I told you we'd win."
"Dosent matter what you told me. That arrow almost took your ear off." He was leaning back against his chair, still tired from the day, and sipping at a glass of clear white wine. One of his legs was up on a bench infront of him, having taken a nice grazing by a lightning spell. "But yea, we did win."
"I've been thinking about getting it pierced anyways?" He teased as he flopped down beside Pengryf, closing his eyes as his head tilted towards the ceiling. "You did well, Coegwyr."
He raised a brow and shook his head. His brother had not been there when he had gotten the tattoo that now graced his face and had not had to listen to him whimper. "If you could handel it." Reaching over he rested a hand on his brothers head. "You didnt do too bad yourself."
He shook his head, quickly reaching up to brush Pengryf's hand away from him. "Didn't do too bad..." His nose scrunched slightly. "The archers were brilliant. They're finally starting to listen..." A soft sigh passed over his lips as he opened his eyes to look over the great hall. "Pity we'll be moving on soon."
"They will listen for a while, then get bored." He grinned. Yes they would be moving on, to bad for the owner of the land he had wanted the brothers to stay. he had even come to Gryf after the battle to discuss the option of them staying, though he had turned the offer down. "Moving will be good. I dont think this place is going to get us what we want."
"They paid us well though... Enough that we can live it up in the next town rather than relying on the lower forms to keep us fed and housed." He hated cheating people... Lying, stealing... They weren't something that he did. Something about it had never been right. "Where will we go now, Pengryf?"
"Were not spending it all." Gryf had always been stingey with the money, though it had saved the buts from sleeping on the streets a few times. "East i believe. I heard there is a rebelion going on where we could be useful."
Ivory lids slid down over ruby eyes once more, facial features taking on an aged expression. "Do you think the fighting will ever cease? Will we always sell our services as such?"
"I would hope not. One day it will stop." He knew his skills were best used on a battlefield but he didnt want to spend the rest of his days staring at fields of dead bodies. "One day we will be free of it"
"I hope so, Pengryf..."
Those words echoed in his mind as the scene shifted once more. Darkness closed in around him and he felt branches whipping against his skin. "Quick... They're coming..." He hissed as he grabbed for the arm of his brother before diving beneath a bramble bush.
"Arg!" Gryf fall over and landed beside his brother, root digging painfuly into his back. Sealing his lips on the curses that wanted to come forth he lay there silently cursing who ever had decided that today was his day to get attacked by trees.
"How did they find us, Coegwyr? You said they wouldn't." His hushed tones seemed to carry a world's worth of anger within them. His body, clad in the darkest of leathers, almost seemed to cling to the darkness around him. Only his eyes blazed brilliantly before his brother.
"How the hell should i know!" he hissed as he sat up and rubed his spine. "All i know is they came barging into the bar and wanted to take my head off" The black coat that covered him made his actual size and form hard to see just as his brother was almost invisable. "I didnt take the time to find out why they wanted it before running."
"Lies." He snarled through gritted teath before easing back against the trunk of a tree. It would do him no good to get angry with Pengryf. With the way their lives had been as of late they were all that each other seemed to have. "Did you have to sleep with that serving boy? Perhaps that caused the grief..."
"it wasent because of him!" he snarled as his knuckles dig into the bruise the root had caused. "They said something about Garian....and last time i checked i slept with nothing with that name."
He cursed beneath his breath and, when his eyes closed, he seemingly disappeared into the shadows. "Damn him. Cythraul have been chasing us for ages... Why pick now to rear their vile heads once more?"
"Timing. We were mostly settled." He shruged. "Why else, that is our lot in life."
"I grow weary of this evil... 'Tis tempting to just turn myself in and end this infernal chase." His words were spoken halfheartedly. He knew that he could not give up... Not when they'd fought for so long already. The darkness was not something which one could so easily give in to.
Looking to his brother he grinned. "You wont give up.....might mess up your chances with that cute little merchant."
"Bugger off, Coegwyr..." He growled softly before falling silent, listening for the sounds of the night that spoke of safety; the crickets had begun to chirp again. "I'll never see him again... We move on. Tonight."
"He is a Merchane Ane...he could show up somewhere unexpected." he laughed and peered out of the brush. "we move on now..."
"What does it matter? They'd only use him against me..." He shook his head slowly as he stood in order to dust himself off before shouldering his pack. "Perhaps we should split up... And meet in Imperial."
"You want to go to the new continent?" He blinked and stared at his brother. They had never discussed the posibility of that move.
"The cythraul may not expect such a move... Maybe we'll be able to escape." Or maybe the demons would only follow one of them and his brother would be able to free himself. "What say you, Pengryf?"
"I say we would just be leading them to a new place." He stood up and brushed the dirt of his knees. "They woudl follow us." At least his brother had not kept the conversation about the Mercant going, that would have been a hard one to explain.
"We'll at least have a head start..." His brow furrowed as he ducked away from the trail, picking his way slowly through the leaves. It couldn't be that bad... One way it would end... Eventually.
"For how long?" He followed his brother. "Do you really want to drag our fight somewhere that has no need of it?"
"Do you want to die on this godforsaken continent?" He shot back as his fiery gaze met the golden orbs of Pengryf. "I won't jeopordize those I've come to care for."
"Who said anythign about dieing!" He snapped. "So you are willing to drag people we dont know into this? Rather than take the ones we trust with us?" His brother could be so stupid at times, did he not realize that moving that far would only anger them.
"I don't want to drag anyone into this! That's why I suggested splitting up..." He stopped midstride, eyes narrowing. "Could you keep yourself from the company of others?"
He looked at his brother for a moment. "You think they will only follow one of us dont you?" He didnt want to get into an argument with the other about the 'company of others' right now.
"I don't know..." He looked away, falling silent as he pressed on.
Eventually he had won... The two had ended up in Imperial and, for quite some time, all had gone well. There had been no cythraul and no fights. He had found the time to study other things... Ways to balance his warring tendancies with other, more intricate ways of healing. He had been content... Up until that one night at the Chat Noire.
He entered the main room in the bar just in time to see Pengryf slide up next to the beautiful specimen that he had been working on for a week straight. His eyes glistened with darkness... The same darkness that lead the cythraul to them.
Gryf had spotted the pretty one in the bar and took no qualms in talking to him. If he was with someone he woudl qiuietly leave but he was never one to pass up an opturnity, and this looked to prove to be a gratyfing occasion.
He had struck up a conversation with the man and within mimuets had the boy at a table near the back practically begging to sit in the mage's lap.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He snarled as he approaced the two, watching the eyes of the young man curled up at his brother's side go wide. An ounce of feeling called at him to cease his rant, but he had only just started. "Can you never keep your hands to yourself, Coegwyr? Must you always seek what should rightfully be anothers?"
Pengryf looked up, slightly suprised to see his brother. His arm stayed where it was, wound around the pretty boy. "Rightfuly others? I have heard nothing of this." He looked down at the boy. "I believe you told me you belonged to no one correct?"
As he saw an odd fear overtake the eyes of the young man he backed away, certain that his face had contorted into some sort of hideous mask. He said nothing as he turned away, making for the room that he had reserved with the gold from their last 'job'. It was worth the extra price for moments away from his brother.
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Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:11 pm
___// What big teeth you have... Dreams haunted every moment of his sleep; memories of a time he had wished to be far forgotten. When he awoke he was sitting bolt upright, gasping for a breath that had been running from him. His senses saught to find out more of his surroundings as his mind began to sift through what was real and what was still merely a dream.
Damion was just shuffling back into the cottage as Ane sat up, holding a basket of breakfast foods. Delicious smells waffed from the woven carrier, and Damion went to set it on the counter, glancing at the distraught red head. ".....Nightmares?"
"Worse..." He groaned as his palms rubbed gently at his eyes before bleary rubies lifted to the wolf. "Memories." In all of his years he had remained convinced that only memories could trump nightmares... The latter was simply what your mind could come up with while the former was solid truth.
Damion grunted his understanding. "Breakfast." He said bluntly. What's this?! Grumpy Damion not a morning person?! SHOCK. He then sat down on the floor to pull off his shirt, and started to undo his bandages, his ears laying back. "Chieko says hello."
His facial features softened as he took in the sight of the wolf's wounds, shifting slightly beneath the blanket in a manner that caused the towel to fall away... Thank heavens for small mercies. "I didn't realize you'd been hurt last night... My apologies if I did any further damage when I... Held onto you."
"You weren't exactly pounding on me, you did nothing. I'll be wounded for a while. ******** trees." He pulled a jar out from under the counter, and opened it up, making a face at the smell. "....Sebastian makes horrible smelling concoctions."
His face twisted at the mention of the alchemist's name, brow furrowing rather deeply. "I've a few things in my satchel that smell a great deal better... I'm of a firm belief that you don't have to carry around the scent of a medicine cabinet just because you're wounded. It gives things away all too easily."
"Not much I can do while I'm at a new place...." He slathered the thick cream over his ribs and back, grunting, ears laid back, nose pinched shut to save it's self. he looked over at the Merc, watching him. "Are you hungry, or not?"
"If I said yes would you ask what I had a hunger for?" He smirked almost teasingly as he leaned back upon his elbow, crimson orbs holding their gaze upon the wolf. "Need help reaching anything?"
"If I had any inclination you were hungry for anything other then food, I would have eaten the breakfast on the way here. And no. I'm fine." He seemed perfectly able to reach whatever he needed to, though he grimaced a few times, his tail flicking. "...I should have brushed my fur first..."
He chuckled slightly as the traces of disturbance left behind by his dreaming fled from the features of his face. "You really should let me help you, Damion... I've been told that I'm rather good at things like that." He nodded slowly as he reached into the basket to grab something to munch on for the moment.
Damion shook his head, almost finished now. He had gotten quite fast at applying this stuff, having demanded that Chieko allow him to do it himself. He wasn't a weak welp, he could handle smearing goo on his body. In the basket, Ane will find all assortments of breakfast foods, nice and hot.
His fingers found a piece of sausage and, since he'd not 'worked' in quite some time, he popped the piece of meat between his lips. After swallowing his tongue flickered out over rosie tiers. "My compliments to the chef..."
"Meh, you can tell her that yourself. She hasn't got anything else to do but putter around that house like an old woman, anyway..." He finished up with a grunt, and went to the fridge to dig around for some juice, his long tail swishing back and forth.
"That ready to be rid of my company?" He smirked as his eyes followed the wolf-man's movements, catching quickly on the way Damion's tail flickerd to and fro.
"I'm sure you have more important things to do then to hang around with a wounded wolf." He poured himself and Ane a glass of juice each, dark purple bruising peeking just above the bandages around his torso. The tree that hit him must have been massive, and it must have hurt a lot.
"Oh yes... Like wander around the woods searching for my soul." He snorted as he flopped back against the oh-so-comfortable pillows once more, body shifting in a way that brought the blanket up off of one of his legs. "Perhaps I wouldn't mind getting to know this wolf better... So that he might allow me the moment to see how soft the fur upon his forbidden tail is."
"There isn't enough time for you to find that out." While his answer was straight forward, it wasn't said harshly, more matter-of-factly. His tail swished back and forth a little more, and he walked over slowly, offering the glass of juice. "....I'm not the type to find casual comforts at the most intimate level, so easily."
"I wasn't asking for anything intimate... Just a brush of fingers against fur for a split second..." He nodded slowly as he propped himself up enough to accept the juice. His lips closed around the glass, drinking slowly so as to savor the flavor.
"Not until I know you better." He hodded, and sipped his own juice, though not so slowly. He licked his lips afterwards, before goign to a window to look out at the warm morning that was begining.
"Then come sit down on my level once more and you and I will get to know each other better, Damion. I've never met a man such as yourself before..." His words were spoken in truth. Oddly enough, he had never met a man that was so much of an animal before. It intrigued him... As did the softness.
Damion looked back at Ane, an eyebrow raised. "Is that so. There are a lot like me. And you just want to molest me." His tail flicked again, and he was obviously joking, but he made no step closer to Ane.
"Bah... If I wanted to molest you I'd have done so while you were snug within my arms last night." He snorted softly as if he'd just been insulted; deviousness glittering in his eyes. "Just because there are many like you doesn't mean I've met them before."
"You need to get out more." He nodded, satisfied with his answer, arms crossing over his chest. "Is that all you're going to eat?"
"You're right... Perhaps I do." He chuckled. "And maybe... I've always been told that I pick at things like a bird."
"No wonder you're so skinny." Damion snorted, and wandered over to the basket to dig around in it, never one to pass up a meal.
"Am I really that bad?" He raised an eyebrow as he looked up at the wolf, giving his best attempt at batting pretty eyes as he could. It was quite comical, meant more for entertainment than anything else.
Damion just stared at him, wondering if the other boy was having a spasm, before he realized Ane was being cute. He smirked. "....I prefer more meat on my men."
"But I'm not your man... I'm a stranger." He nodded with a sly smirk as he stood, tugging the blanket up around his waist to keep himself covered... Even if it was sorely tempting to simply let it fall aside.
Damion noted to himself silently that Ane was a stranger who seemed perfectly comfortable to lounge around in his bed, almsot nekkid, and his tail flicked. He wasn't used to this, getting along with someone without a fight, and he wondered exactly what Ane was up to, while his yellow eyes watched the other man intently. "......True."
"There you go... Eyeing me up again." He chuckled as he finished off the rest of his juice before setting his cup off to the side. "Going to devour me even when you've food sitting before you, Damion?"
"Nope." He popped a sausage into his mouth, chewing loudly, his tail flicking. What was with the males and hitting on him? Was he that much of a sexy beast. ....He simply assumed he'd just have to live with that, then.
"Drat. And here I thought you were loosening up a bit." He was clearly teasing now as smirk splayed over his lips, still sorely tempted to reach out and attept to take hold of the wolf's tail.
Damion snorted, and stuffed a danish into his mouth, chewing before swallowing loudly, "....Nope." He then yawned, and stretched, before digging around in the basket more, tail starting to wag. ...As much as he despised the chipper Chieko, he had to admit, she could cook.
His eyes were caught by the swishing of the tail, slow strides bringing him closer to the wolf as he continued to watch the movement; oddly entranced by it. "And there is nothing I can do to persuade you to let me cure my curiosity? Just this once?"
"Not even just this once." He was peeking from the basket now, watching Ane with the intensity only wolves have. He wanted ot see what this man would do, if he'd respect Damion's wishes, or simply give in.
He snorted softly and, instead of reaching for the tail, he brought his fingers up to tenderly trace the outline of the lupine's jaw. "At least tell me... Is it softer than the velvet that graces your face?"
".....I wouldn't know, not being one to manhandle myself." He was still watchign Ane, his tail no longer wagging, but still flicking. His body was still bent over the basket, almost instinctivly protective.
"Don't worry, Damion... I won't take your food from you." He chuckled as his hand fell back down to his side. Food was actually one of the things farthest from his mind.
"....I know. It's instinct." He went to get up, to pace around. He wasn't sure what to do now, as a guest had never bothered to stay this long.
He shivered slightly as a chill raced down his spine, one hand raising to run fingers back through his bangs as the other held tightly to the blanket. "Have I invaded the lone wolf's territory for too long?"
"It's fine. I'm not used to you." He was looking back out the window now. "...I've had to get used to a lot of things, being here."
"Yes... I'm strange, I know. What with my lack of fur and my penchant for winding up half naked in the homes of other men..." He smirked in jest. In truth, this was the first home he'd been welcomed into since arriving in Elysian.
"You make it a habit to be nakid in other people's homes? Chieko would be happy." He snickered, knowing of Chieko's weakness for pretty, pretty men.
"And you wouldn't be?" He couldn't help but chuckle, feeling a bit more lightness return to his heavily burdened heart. "Drat... There goes my hopes and dreams of being ravaged by a wolf."
"Maybe when I know you better." His tail flicked again, his ears perking as he watched a deer wander onto the territory. He recalled how he had disliked the sound deer made when they had the chance, just before dieing.
"But what if you decided that you didn't like me after getting to know me better? I could be a real monster beneath this skin and bone that makes me 'too thin' for you." His back began to draw tense as the temptation to stretch overtook him but he knew fully what would happen should he give in to it.
"HAH! I've known bigger assholes then you, unless you're the backstabbing manipulitive kind. Then I'll be rid of you quick enough." He turned to look at Ane. "....Why is it so important to you."
"It isn't." He chuckled as the truth slipped from his lips, finally giving in to the cat-like stretch as best he could with one hand still restricted in movement by his hold upon the blanket.
"Hrmph...." He went to lay down on the pillow pile, on his stomach, since his back hurt. He idly wondered what Hex was doing, but, it quickly slipped from his mind.
His eyes followed the wolf once more before closing. It felt good to simply talk to someone without feeling the dire need to impress them and, knowing that the wolf wasn't interested in any sort of immediate affections, he didn't feel the need to try as hard as he may have had the creature been someone else... Someone like that strange little alchemist. "I still say the salve that I have would do better for your back than the sludge that fair haired minx gave you."
"Everyone says they have a better salve for me." He shrugged, his own eyes closeing. Maybe it was a good time for a mid morning nap? But ah, he had company, and he didn't want to see rude. Not yet, anyway.
"Aye... But I wouldn't lie to one with fangs as sharp as yours." He nodded slowly. "I should probably be on my way... You look about ready for some sort of sleep and I? Well... I am wide awake and that is quite an inconvenience."
"If you're still up for company, go visit Chieko. She'll be happy to see you." He grunted softly, his eyes getting heavy. Maybe it WAS time for a midmorning nap.
"I'll thank the mistress of the manor for her lovely breakfast before being on my way... We'll meet again, Damion... When you feel better, perhaps?" He nodded slowly before turning back towards the bathroom to collect his clothing, letting the blanket fall free just before he disappeared from sight.
"Sure, come back anytime." He said casually, before quickly drifting off to sleep. He hadn't been sleeping well, with his injury and all.
His clothes were pulled snuggly back into place; form fitting leather pants and a billowing black shirt buckled 'round his middle by a decorative belt. Gauntlets were fastened back into place, twisted slightly so that the crimson arrows upon them were in plain sight. He'd set his pouch and bow somewhere... But, for once, their whereabouts concerned him not... He'd find them later... When he met up with the wolf again as he'd said he would. Clothing donned, he made his way towards the main house to give his reguards to Chie.
As Ane approached the house, he could see a pink hair'd woman walking around the back, towards a wild patch of raspberry bushes, basket in hand. She was humming, and certainly looked chipper.
"Good 'morrow to you, fair maiden." He called out in an almost chipper voice as he raised his hand in a wave. "I come to give you my thanks for your prepared meal as your companion has found himself passed out once more."
Chieko blinked, looking startled, and looked over at Ane, before doteyeing* "O-OH! Hello! You were here.... visiting Damion?" She sounded a bit confused, and blinked a bit at him more. .oO(.....SO HOT! *-* )
"Actually... I believe it would be more properly put if you said that I'm what the wolf dragged in." He chuckled before offering a slight bow to the woman. Although he didn't necissarily see females as always being the 'fairer sex' he did believe that they deserved the same respect as those who held his preference.
Chieko giggled, then laughed. ".....That sounds so appropriate for Damion. I hope he wasn't too rude to you." She almost sounded apologetic, and was constantly blushing.
"He was on his best behavior." His grin took on a rougue-ish air as he let his gaze fall over the woman. Despite everything, he couldn't help but admit that she was quite lovely... "Didn't try to take advantage of me once."
"Ah, well... Damion's such a prude, that doesn't surprise me." She giggles a bit more, before clasping her hands in front of herself, still holding the basket. "At least he wasn't rude to you! I've seen a few Dou stomp out of here, pissed off."
"Bah... He was refreshing. It isn't every day where one meets a man who will resist such strong advances." He was teasing, of course. "I told him we'd meet again though... I suppose that we'll have to. Somewhere in that room of his are my posessions."
"He probably buried them beside my hairbrush and nightie..." She mumbled, looking adorably mad for a moment, before she cheered up. "Well! You come by any time you like! It's nice having company!"
"I will remember that, my dear lady." He spoke softly as he stooped to press a soft kiss to her cheek before heading off into the woods to face the rest of his fears.
Chieko's face turned so red, it might look like her head was about to explode, and she sputtered as he walked off.
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Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:56 am
___// Where's the rum? He sat staring hard at the cards in front of him, eyes crossing as the spades blurred into hearts... Black hearts... A huff passed over his lips as he looked to the men seated around the table. All were so very serious. Hadn't he come here to escape the seriousness?
"Er... 'Ow's this?" He blinked as he tossed his cards down on the table, revealing an ace of spades, a king of hearts, a four of something... And was that... A two? Laughter errupted as another round of drinks were brought towards the table. "That bad then?"
Stifling a yawn, an obviously tired Sobek wandered into the laughter-ridden establishment. He was tired -- tired of looking for a decent area for a shop, tired of the throngs, and tired of this gods damned huge city. All he wanted was a drink and he'd left his rum on his ship. Go figure. Tail swaying behind him, ignoring any glances he might be getting, the Nile Dou sauntered up the bar and slid onto a stool before ordering himself a drink. Rum to begin with, but after that who knew?
After paying he turned around to prop an elbow on the bar behind him and sipped at his rum, peering over the rim as he finally started paying attention to the patrons.
He snorted as he stood, crimson eyes narrowing every so slightly as he began to wonder what sort of devil had decided that he should play this game. Much to the disappointment of those around him, he removed a gauntlet before tossing it down on the table. "Happy?"
The jeers were worse then the laughter and a desire to defend his pride boasted his determination as he tossed back that next shot. Gods but that stuff was horrid... He quickly began to remember why he rarely drank.
Quirking a brow, Sobek allowed a small smirk. What poor sob was this who seemed to have been conned into a betting game while drunk? Or maybe he'd drank too much whilst playing. Either was possible, and Sobek had seen it several times before. He hoped the man was going to stop soon, or he'd lose more than a gauntlet and his pride.
Said 'poor sob' was quite new to the bustling city and would have preferred to avoid it at all costs had the taverns within not offered so many promises of forgetfulness. He ran slender fingers back through copper bangs as he returned to his seat, putting on his best 'poker face' (which was more akin to gruff annoyance than anything else). "Shall we try this again?" Five cards were dealt up and, upon looking them over he tossed two aside, convinced that they'd get him absolutely nowhere fast.
What was the purpose of this game again?
Torn between helping the man out or having some amusement for the night, the croc downed more of his rum and watched. What would he get out of it anyway? He doubted the man would listen to him over his pride and determination. Sobek smirked again. Eh..give it a few rounds...maybe then he'd help the guy out. Knowing how card sharks worked, they probably even had a marked deck or hidden cards, which would make it even less likely the guy would win his gauntlet back, and not lose another.
He peeked at his cards, brow furrowing as he found himself with a hand full of... Crap. Three, four and five all of one suit... His hopes had been to get something to finish that run off but, instead, he found himself holding a ten and an eight. "Bloody wonderful..." He muttered under his breath as he eyed the next drink sitting beside him. He truly wasn't looking forward to downing another one of those.
Sobek almost wished he could see the hands from here. But from the muttering, he didn't figure the man's hand was too good. His green eyes roved over the rest of the guys playing against him, watching for tricks, signals, or other sneaky things. What was it they had him drinking anyway, and why was he still drinking, he wondered? Maybe because it was free, or he was trying to forget something. Or both. Still, it was dangerous to do things like this with factors like those.
He tossed down the two offending cards in hopes of getting something more to his liking and, for once, it worked. Somewhat. He had gained another five; a pair! He looked quite smug as he spread the cards out before him and, amazingly enough, he managed to beat the only man at the table who seemed more inexperienced than himself. "Not so bad..." He chuckled before turning his eyes to the tavern itself, letting them linger on the green one for a moment. Curious... All sorts of interesting creatures around this area.
Sobek afforded him a brief nod and smile before downing more of his rum, wondering if the man's small show of luck would continue. Deciding to get a closer look at the proceedings, whether he was welcome or not, the pirate slid down off his stool and meandered over towards their table. Instead of sitting there however, he took a chair from a neighboring table and scooted it close to theirs, sitting in it backwards, straddling it as his tail swayed out behind him. "Mind if I watch?" he asked, not really caring if they minded or not.
"I believe you're better off watching than playing..." He snorted softly as the next round of cards was dealt out, 'poker face' failing miserably as he beheld the mess that was before him. "All part of a plot to get me into my skivvies, no doubt..." Those words were muttered beneath his breath as he leaned back against his chair, pondering what movement he would make (other than tossing in his hand completely).
"You're probably more accurate than you think," Sobek replied, not bothering to hide his disdain at the others he was playing with. "I prefer not to play a betting game when there's drinks involved. It's quite different when it's for fun, however." He winked at the man, ignoring the others and any looks he might be getting.
"Ah... So you're saying that if t'were just you and I playing it would be more for fun?" He words weren't yet slurred as he'd only managed to loose enough hands to see both his gauntlet and his boots had found their way to the table. Given time and he'd be singing like a lark though... Time and more hands lost.
That in mind, he slipped his cards back towards the dealer. "Five more... Good cards this time." The glare he got was rather priceless and quite worth the kick he recieved beneath the table.
Another smirk found its way to Sobek's lips at his comment. "It just might be possible. These fellows just look so.....serious," he replied with a flick of his tail before downing more of his rum.
"Who could take anyone about to loose their clothing seriously?" He snorted as he looked down at his hand before groaning. He had never seen anything so mismatched before... Except for perhaps the various bottles in the alchemists sho-- He shook his head before laying his cards down. "I do believe they're out to get me." Down went the other gauntlet along with yet another shot; face contorting with the awful taste of the drink.
"Then you're ahead of the game, if you know that," Sobek answered, ignoring the question about taking him seriously. "Personally I think it's best to lose a few gauntlets and your pride than going for broke. And why are you drinking that stuff if you're not enjoying it?" In his opinion, alcohol was meant to be enjoyed, not forced down.
"Pride... That was lost quite some time ago... Seems to happen lots when family is in town." He turned towards the man once more, brow lofting slightly above ruby eye. "Perhaps I'm of a belief that it will begin to taste better once it's destroyed what's left of the buds on my tongue? What would you recommend in the nature of spirits?"
Ah. Family. Seemed abit extreme to be drinking over, but well, he really didn't have family to worry about so couldn't pretend to sympathize. "I see. If you're of that belief, you should try some Rum. Some people like to mix it with other things, but I prefer it straight."
"Rum..." He remembered that. Quite well actually. The other male was right... It was far better than the horrid bile they had been having him toss back as each round was lost. "Seems as if your game could be quite more interesting than theirs. Would you care to play?"
Sobek tilted his head slightly. "I think the question is, would YOU care to?" Not that he thought it would be that hard of a choice, but it wasn't Sobek's to make. "Either way, I'll buy you some rum to wash that junk you're drinking down." Smirking, the croc stood to get himself some more as well.
He snorted softly before eyeing the men he had been playing with. Certainly not a hard choice indeed. He reached into his pouch in order to toss a few coins onto the table before following after the one who seemed to know so much about these sorts of establishments. He would get his gauntlets back... Somehow... "Seems as if you've got the best offer for the evening. Rum it is."
Sobek pulled out a few coins himself, and tossed them onto the bar to pay for the drinks. "So prefer to sit up here, or find our own table?" he inquired. He idly glanced at the men he'd been playing with -- wondering if they were the type to cause trouble a him interrupting their trouncing of this man. He almost wished they'd try something, maybe then the guy would get his gauntlets back. Although who knew if he wasn't already pondering ways of getting them back?
"That all depends on whether or not we'll be continuing on with the games." He chuckled, tilting his head proudly in defiance to the card sharks who were now left to content themselves with one 'poor sap' rather than two. "I'll cover the next round should we get that far."
"Table it is." Grinning, the croc handed the man his drink and slipped a hand in a pouch at his side to pull his own semi-worn pack of cards out as he grabbed his own rum. Sounded like there were some dice and other odds and ends in there too.
Out of the lion's den and into the jaws of a grinning Nile croc. Had he really gotten himself out of trouble? Or just more deeply into it? Head shook slowly to dash those thoughts from his mind as he followed the other man towards a table. "Poker again? Or have you other games that you teach the clueless such as myself?"
"I've several games. Up to you really, there are more interesting ways of playing poker however, than having to down a foul drink every time you lose." Settling down into a chair at a quiet table away from the hubub of the rest of the tavern, he set his drink and cards down and looked over the man curiously. "First though how about introductions? Name's Sobek." He offered a hand hoping to get a name back, otherwise he'd have to call him Copper for that hair of his. His red eyes reminded him of hex's though, an odd thought to have about now.
"Then here's to learning how to play poker your way." He nodded with an odd sort of grin as he slipped into the chair opposite the croc. "Aneliad... Pleasure to meet you, Sobek." It was then that he took note of how many people he'd met within the past couple of days and he instantly found himself fighting back the urge to ask if the other man knew any of them, much like the wolf had known the alchemist.
"Likewise. And as for the best way to play poker, there's several variations. But it's best if played for fun, and if betting occurs it should be in a manner where no one loses their possessions. Well," He added as an afterthought, "not permanently, anyway." Grinning he skillfully shuffled the deck. "Best if there's not too much pressure, hmm? No need to take games like this seriously, I don't believe."
He watched as the cards fluttered between the other man's fingers, taking into full appreciation how well the deck seemed to serve him. "Fair enough, I suppose... Just a little bit of learning, some good drink, and a temporary loss of posessions." He found himself chuckling as he reached for the rum in order to take a slow sip. "What will I be loosing?"
"We can stick with the good drink and bit of learning for now, then we'll see about the fun betting..how does that sound?" Finishing shuffling he set the deck down and eyed Ane. "If so how about you tell me what you know of the game, and I'll try to help fill in any gaps and such."
"Sounds just wonderful." He nodded, eyes shifting to a color more crimson than glittering ruby. "Pairs are better than nothing... If you get two of a kind and then three of a kind that's also good. Line things up in sequence, like ace, king, queen, jack, ten and you've got yourself set... Other than that, you're the pro and I am but your pupil for the evening."
Sobek nodded. "Basically the hands you can get, from lowest to highest are: One pair, two pairs, three of a kind, a straight -- 5 numbers in a row, but not necessarily the same suit, flush -- all of the same color, a full house is the two of a kind and three of a kind together you mentioned...four of a kind, and straight flush -- all in a row AND the same suit. If you have the highest five cards of the suit, that's called a Royal flush. And if you play with wild cards, such as one-eyed jacks, suicide king, or a joker, you could get five of a kind. But the most important thing to consider, considering how common it is to get absolutely nothing in a hand, it's good to keep high cards if your deal isn't looking to good. A hand with a single ace will beat a hand with a single king, etc." A lot to remember at once, Sobek knew, but it wasn't like this was going to be some serious tutorial.
//To Be Continued...
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Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 10:29 am
___// Devils and angels... His head was killing him. He felt as if he'd had an entire castle fall upon his temples alone while a dragon chewed upon the rest of his body. Quickly it came to his mind the exact reasons why he didn't drink.
Stumbling down the street in his array of oddly collected clothing from the night before he managed to find his way to the familiar place... The place where the angel of herbs made shop. Slender fingers slipped over the door before pressing it open, weary head peeking into the shop. He looked horrible... Almost as if he'd been dragged through hell and back over the course of a week.
Hearing the bell chime Sebastian snarled, still in a nasty mood after his run in with the Taurus Dou. "If you want something get in here and get it quick." he snapped withouth looking up from the book infront of him.
The voice seemed to soothe him and grate upon his ever nerve at the same time, temples throbbing in a quick cadence with his pulse. "Go't'anythin' for pain?" He managed to mutter as he let the door shut behind him, wincing as the wood brushed against his arm.
The potion maker started and looked up. "Aneliad?" He had not expected to see the archer well, ever, again. "What....why the ******** do you look like you got run over my a herd of cows?"
"Oi... Here I stand upon death's door and he shrieks at me." He groaned as he leaned against the door, body sliding slowly down along the wooden frame until he found himself upon the floor.
Dropping the book, and forgetting that he was supose to hate the archer he darted around the counter. "What happened?!" He kneeled on the floor beside Aneliad as his hand raised to brush aubrun bangs out of the others face.
"I don't know..." He winced as the slender fingers grazed his face. It hurt... Even the slightest touches rememinded him that his head was simply throbbing. "Sweet angel of death... Kill me swiftly and make the ache in my head stop." So very melodramatic... But convincing.
"People dont die of headache's, but they are hard to talk to" He got up and dug around on a shelf until he pulled down a bright blue liquid. "Drink. NOW" he shoved the bottle at Aneliad.
"Must you shout at a man so near death?" He opened his eyes, glistening pools of ruby catching sight of the pretty blonde before him. "Leave me pass in peace... I'll not drink any more vile concoctions..." Slender fingers reached up towards the alchemist as if summoning the man to his level. "Just wished to see the lovely angel one last time..."
"What the ******** are you babbling about, you are not going to die. Drink it and the headache will go away." He grabed Aneliad's hand before he reached him and presed the bottle into it.
It was at that very moment that he fell still, potion bottle dropping into his lap. For a moment it was hard to tell if he was breathing at all as his face had been overcome by a mask of serenity... As if seeing Sebastian had been all he needed for that one moment.
"Ane? Aneliad!" Sebastian grabed the archer by the shoulders as he looked at him. His eyes were wide as if he was in a panic. "What the ********! wake up!." He pressed his fingers to the mans neck, he had to still be alive. He coulden't have died, no not possible.
His pulse was slow but present as if his slender form had done little more than slip into sleep. This was merely confirmed as his arms slipped around the alchemist, holding him tightly to his slender form. "If I wake up... You'll disappear." He murmured softly, lips barely moving to form the spoken words.
"Solid carbon based forms do not disapear...." He growled at himself. Why the hell was he acting like this and why the hell was Aneliad talking like that. "Aneliad wake up."
His hold upon the young man loosened as he slipped more deeply into whatever sort of strange sleep his body had drawn him into. He seemed so peaceful as he lay there amidst his odd clothing and whip-like scratches from various brambles throughout the woods. He truly didn't wish to wake up... Not if it meant finding that this was all a dream and that his angel wasn't fretting over him.
Sebastian picked up one of the archers arms. "Where......this is NOT yours....and your gauntles are missing." He sighed and looked up. He was sitting infront of his door with a passed out archer. "I hope you dont expect me to move you......." He knew he couldent. He was built for a lab not manual labor. "If i have to force youto drink this you will regret it."
Ignorance was bliss and, for the moment, he was completely content... Even if words were slowly burrowing into his mind about movement... And drinking... "N'more'drink..."
"Drink....?" The potion maker paused and looked at Ane. "YOUR DRUNK!" He screeched.
His serenity vanished from his face as his features contorted into a mask of pain. "Nay... I'm 'ungover... I was drunk last night..." He winced, now quite awake. "Please don't shout..."
"******** the gods damned potion!" He hissed. He had been worried that Aneliad was hurt, actually worried and look where it got him. He was hungover. 'gods im an idiot' he thought as he glared at the archer.
"Only if it comes from your hands..." He nodded slowly as bangs fell back into place about his face, sheilding his eyes from the light radiating from the room.
He grabed the potion out of Aneliad's lap. "Here, look, bottle. Drink" he tilted the others chin up. "Please drink it."
He consented, parting his lips for the potion to seep into his mouth and sputtering after he did so. "Heavens above... He's trying to poison me."
"You are a freak. Drink the damn thing!" He snapped. Poision my a**, if Sebastian had wanted to poision him he would already be dead.
"I'm drinking it..." He grumbled as he finished off the rest of the concoction, squeezing his eyes tightly closed after doing so. No more drinking anything but water and tea after this...
He waited a moment for the potion to start to take affect. It would only take moments before the ache in Aneliad's head started to clear. "Better?"
He nodded slowly. Despite the fact that his head had ceased its horrid throb, his eyes were still aching from the light. "Thank you, Sebastian..." His words were spoken slowly with a slight trace of an unknown accent.
"Why the HELL were you crawling through my door with a hangover" His voice was snippy but under that you could hear that he had been worried. You scared the hell out of me you b*****d.
"My feet brought me here to catch a glimpse of the ellusive angel." He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he caught the traces of worry in the alchemists voice. "Come now... Don't tell me you were actually worried..."
"Angel? there is no Angel here." He scoffed. He usualy ignored the little wings on his back, since they did little more than flutter and make him get called cute. "....no, of course not...." It was obvious he was lieing as his eyes rooted themselves to the floor.
"Aye, there is... Standing before me fretting." He chuckled, fully expecting the alchemist to strike him. Of course, if what he was begining to believe was true, he'd have little to worry about in that department.
"Im no angel." his voice was hard as he said that. Almost af if he had been proven that he was not. He wanted to grab the archer and shake the answers out of him as to why he was here and why he was saying nonsence when he didnt mean it but his hands stayed at his side.
His smile faded as his ears took hold of the harshness that he had now been greeted with. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Sebastian..." He shifted slightly, bracing himself on the floor with his hands. "I'll pay you for the potion and be on my way if you'll just... Help me up."
No! Dont leave me! His mind screamed as he looked up at Aneliad. "it's alright, you dont have to pay for it. You can stay in here until the sun goes down.....the light must hurt." he knew he had messed up once again.
"I wouldn't want to cause you any more trouble, Sebastian..." He let the alchemist's name roll off the tip of his tongue, crimson eyes drifting up to catch hold of the other's face. "Trouble tends to follow me, if you've not noticed..."
"You havent caused me any trouble." He grined slighlty, trying to look like he didnt hurt inside. "It is kind of....nice."
He shifted as if he was about to attempt standing before easing back against the door once more. "Nice? You call Pengryf showing up 'nice' and 'not trouble'?" He snorted as he shook his head. "Don't lie to me, alchemist."
Sebastian's eyes shifted toward the burn mark that was still on his case from where he had thrown a bottle at the man. "Alright, he is trouble......but the rest wasent." The last part was said quietly.
"Come here..." He commanded softly as he patted the floor beside him. If he was going to talk to the other man they were both going to be on the same level. "And turn your sign over so I don't get thwapped with a door... Everything hurts more than enough without that still."
He reached up and flipped the sigh to closed, slightly glad that they were not visable from the window in the door. He woudl have gotten hell from the people around the shop had they been able to see him sitting on the floor with a strange man.
Once the sign was turned he sat on teh floor beside the archer. "I have other painkillers if you still hurt."
"Nay... My mind's addled enough without the aide of your herbs, angel of alchemy." He turned his head to let his gaze drift slowly over Sebastian's face, taking in his features with a great appreciation. "I'm suprised you haven't sent me from your shop yet..."
"My drugs do no addle the mind unless they are supose to." he took pride in that fact. That is why he was able to take his own painkillers and still create the things. "Why would i kick you out?" Cause you are supose to hate him and the rest of the universe He ignored his mind, it was useless lately.
"You are a very powerful drug, alchemist." His eyes closed as he tilted his head towards the ceiling, trying to find that inner calm that the other man seemed to sweep from beneath him. "You nearly kicked me out before... Had I my cloak would you have kicked me out now?"
"I'm a wha......shop rules, keeps people from stealing things." It was true, he had thrown people he knew out of the store he worked at long ago for wearing cloaks.
"You..." His eyes opened once more, head tilting slowly towards the other man. "... Are a powerful drug. You've run through my mind while I was trying so hard to escape... And, despite it all, here I am sitting on the floor of your shop."
"I did.....i'm....what?!" He stared at Aneliad. The other had been thinking of him? Other than hating him?
A ruddy color filled his cheeks and, for a moment, he was glad that his face was mostly hidden by the scruff of bangs that had fallen forward. He had been foolish in coming here... Foolish to think that there was anything worth returning to the abuse. "You heard me..."
Sebastian stared at Aneliad blinking. His cheeks had turned pink as his mind tried to fathom what the archer had said. "********/> His face contorted into something akin to annoyance mingled with disappointment. "Let me guess... Not what you wanted to hear? There's someone else you fancy? A foolish hot-headed archer with a moronic brother isn't something you're interested in?"
"Actually...." He paused for a moment. Did he really want to tell the archer he had thought of nothing but him? Did he want to let this pass him by? No. He didnt. "quite the oposite Aneliad." His accent returned on teh archers name for once.
The features of his face instantly softened as he found his arms slipping around the alchemist's slender form. "I haven't yet had the chance to tell you how the sound of my name coming from your lips sends a shiver down my spine."
He started slighlty as the archers arms slid around him but didnt jerk away like he would have normaly. "It does?"
"Aye, Sebastian..." He felt himself smiling softly despite the fact that the floor was becoming more and more uncomfortable. "Very much so." He shifted slightly in order to pull the alchemist closer to him. "There is just something about you... And I've yet to figure out what it is."
"Aneliad, i have no idea how much of what ever it was you drank but it had permenatly addled your mind. There is nothing special about me." He shook his head. "I am a bitchy, unpersonably alchmest that would sooner through people from his shop than sell things to them."
"My mind became addled the moment I first fired that arrow upon you and saw your skin reflecting the flames." His head tilted towards the alchemist, resting nicely upon the other man's blonde locks. "Would you prefer I leave?"
His cheeks turned pink again and he cursed his pale complexion. "I believe if you left I would be sad."
"Then, perhaps, we should sit somewhere else and begin getting to know each other? So I am not just some stranger that held you captive in the woods?" He chuckled softly as he spoke, feeling unnervingly giddy for some reason.
"Captive? I was not captive except of my own wants." He smirked remembering the night in the woods. "There is no where pleasent to sit around here that is not full of people."
"Not even here? In your shop somewhere?" His brow furrowed slightly as he released the man in order to stand. He seemed to recall a backroom of one shop that had been padded down with softness for certain occassions such as things that a shop could oft be closed early for. "I want to know you, Sebastian... Strange as that may sound."
"No, not here. Why would there be? it is my store not my home." He stood along with Aneliad. He brushed his figners through his hair. "There is not much to know, but i supose, we could go to my home for tea?"
"You are a mystery to me, fair angel..." He let fingers graze gently against the alchemist's cheek. "Tea would be lovely though... As would a chance to clean myself up. I'm certainly in no condition to be good company for someone such as yourself..."
He ignored the feeling the others fingers against his skin sparked adn turned toward the door. "Come then......tea." He opened the door and steped out into the sunlight.
Only when he was out in the golden rays of the sun did he realize how truly horrid he looked... At least clothing wise. His pants were loose; at least two sizes to big, and his shirt was too small. His boots were mismatched and his gloves appeared to be made of a soft, white lace. "Good gods... I look like hell."
"You look .... Well I will just keep my mouth shut on that." he smirked. "Perhaps we should get out of hte city before people start to notice."
"I'd prefer it if you spoke your mind... But, if you insist..." He snorted as he slipped into the shadows rather than walk beside the alchemist. He'd emerge only when they were 'safe' in the woods and away from the majority of the crowds.
The alchemist tried to keep any thought of what had happened in theses woods out of his head as they walked. He would get to his home and get the archer something presemtable to wear and tea and not make a fool of himself.
"So silent, Sebastian..." He mused as he slipped back into place beside the alchemist, fingers twitching as if tempted to wrap themselves around the other's arm. He seemed so strange without his bow... Without the things that marked him as 'the archer'... And yet he was still oddly complete as if nothing could take what he was from him.
"I supose i should ask how you managed to loose you close." he looked at the other as he steped over a tree root, noting that they were close to the fields as the underbrush started to thin out.
"If I could remember I would tell you." He said almost sheepishly as he ran fingers back through his hair. The majority of the night before was a complete and utter blur... And, for some reason, he had a feeling t'was probably for the best that was the case.
"Right....." The forest cleared to reveal fields covered in the first green bits of what ever was growing and in the distance a nice house. "Dont step on the baby plants, the owners will get mad."
"You don't believe me?" He sounded almost hurt as he continued to follow along, carefully picking his way through the various plants. It had been forever since he'd walked through fields of freshly growing plants... Almost another world ago.
"I didnt say I didn't believe you." he laughed slighlty. He wondered why he was nervous showing the other his home. Showing wolfboy was no problem so why did his stomach turn at the though of Aneliad thinking it was unworthy.
He made a slight 'hmph' noise as he hoisted the oversized pants back up onto his hips. He really wished he had known why on earth he'd been wearing these ones when his leather breeches had been so much more comfortable. "Almost there?"
He pointed at the cottage. "That is it....just a little further." He managed to keep his nervous out of his voice but just barely.
He fought the temptation to slip his arms reasurringly around the other man's waist... To give him a gentle n** on the neck. Instead, he kept his eyes focused on the cottage before him. "Good... These pants keep threatening to fall off... Very uncomfortable."
He resisted looking back to see if the archer was telling the truth. Instead he dug out his keys and unlocked the door to his home. "I believe I can find something better, fitted to you." He opened the door and turned to motion Aneliad in.
"I'm only certain that you could find something better suited to my needs." He grinned as he stepped over the threshold into Sebastian's house. "Of course, I should very much like a chance to clean up before slipping into something clean if you'll allow me that chance."
"Yes, right... this way." He led the archer through the house and into his room, which happened to be where the only bath was. Ignoring that they were in his room he pointed at a door. "Through there....everything you need should be there. I will.....leave some things for you on the bed, and go make the tea." He said the last a little fast as he tried not to imagine Aneliad naked and in his room.
"Many thanks..." He said softly as he slipped into the bathroom. He could hardly believe how often he'd been taken in by the kindness of strangers as of late. This certain stranger was one that he was insistant upon getting to know better... After he was more presentable.
After Aneliad had entred the bathroom Sebastian skuttled out of the room and into the kitchen to make tea. For some reason he pulled down a rose and mint tea and started heating water for it.
He shed his over and undersized clothes, tossing them into a heap off to the side to be dealt with after he'd properly cleaned himself up. Slender fingers fiddled with the shower knobs in order to adjust the temperature to 'just right' before slipping in. The water pounding down over his slender form did wonders for muscles that had been drawn tight from spending nights wherever he had spent them previously. A groan passed over his lips as he tilted his head towards the spray.
He fussed around the kitchen, making tea and draging out a few left over bite sized pastries. "I am not going to think about a naked Ane.......no, not thinking...." He muttered to himself as he pulled glasses down.
Suds trailed in swirling patterns along his skin as he stood beneath the thundering waters, letting them take away the dirt from days. Finally, when he was content with his cleanliness he turned the water off, peeking out from behind the shower curtain in search of a towel. When he saw none he called out, hoping the other man would be able to hear him. "Sebastian... Where do you keep your towels?"
Towels....s**t... "Under the sink..." He called out. Yanking the tea off the stove he skurried back into his room to look for something for the archer to wear. He knew he had things that shoudl fit the man, sadly they were burried under piles of robes and his loose black slacks and shirts.
He tried to keep his feet steady upon the tile floor as he stepped out of the shower, cursing as he nearly fell before finally finding a towel. He squeezed the water from his hair with the fabric before running the fluff down over his skin to catch most of the moisture. When he was finished he wrapped the towel around his middle, tucking the extra flap in just beneath his navel. His hair was left to hang free down to mid back as he stepped out of the bathroom and into the alchemist's room.
Sebastian was kneeling on teh floor, his robe had been discarded for a fluffy green sweater that hung off one shoulder. "...Gods be damned....there!" he pulled a pair of pants out of the bottom of teh drawer and turned around.
"Ack! Aneliad......" He blinked staring at the bearly covered form on the archer.
He had been admiring the view of the alchemist's backside when the familiar feeling that the man's voice reciting his name came upon him. His cheeks flushed a soft rose color, sheepish grin overcoming his face. "Come now... You act as if you've never seen a man's chest before.... Or his legs, for that matter."
"Its...not....oh hush!" He threw the pants at the archer. "Put those on before you give me an anurisum." He stood and brushed his pants on. Standing it was more ovbious that the sweater didnt fit well but instead showed off a nice portion of his left shoulder.
"Fine." He huffed as the pants were tossed at him, feeling his towel begin to slide off. "Had I known my body was hideous enough to cause things like that I'd have left those baggy pants on..." His brow furrowed slightly as he swung the pants around. "You'd better turn away so I don't scar you anymore..."
"Actually, you're beautiful Ane." The words were out of his mouth before he had time to realise he had thought them.
"Is that so?" He snorted softly as he turned away from Sebastian in order to drop the towe, leaving only his back exposed as he tugged the pants up over his legs before securing them at his waist.
"Yes, it is." Sebastians voice was much closer as the alchemist rested his hand on the archers shoulder. "In ways I cant explain."
He turned back to face the other man, tenderness seeping into the features of his face. "If we stay here talking like this your tea is going to go to waste..."
"Tea...yes..." He removed his hand slighlty reluctantly and turned back to the door. ".....tea."
He followed after Sebastian slowly, fingers reaching up to knot his hair into a quick braid as he did so. In truth, he would have liked nothing more than to remain in the alchemist's bedroom... But after the reaction in the forest? He knew that there must be more wooing before that.
Walking into the kitchen he grabed the hot tea, glasses, and pastries before setting them on the table. "Pick a chair." He motioned at the soft chairs before taking one himself.
He chose the chair nearest Sebastian, pulling one knee up to his chest as he let his bare foot balance on the edge of the seat. "Thank you for offering me the comforts of your home... Especially since I've not been the nicest to you as of late."
"It is no problem." he poured two glasses of tea and handed one to Aneliad. "Here, should make you feel better."
"Thank you..." He looked down into the reflective surface of the tea for a moment before taking a sip, eyes fluttering shut for a moment. "So, Sebastian... Tell me something about yourself that no one knows."
He blinked into his tea as he took a sip. Something no one knows.... "I cant swim..."
"That's good... Because I hate boats." He flashed a brilliant grin up at the other man, eyes dancing with an odd sort of meriment. "As I said, I want to get to know you better... Ask me any question and I'll answer it in truth... All I ask is the same from you."
"Boats are evil." He had not had a good time on teh trip to this continent, most of it had been spent barricaded in his room. "Anything? Then what is something no one knows about you?"
"Hmm..." He fell silent for a second as he studied his beverage once more. A sip was taken to wet his lips before he set the cup aside. "I still dream of the past as it may have been in the future."
"So you dream of things that didnt happen but could have?" He looked at Aneliad over the top of his glass. In the sweater, the glasses, adn how the sleeves almost covered his hands he looked like a shy student being confrotned by a teacher.
He nodded slowly as he looked up to Sebastian, wondering for a brief moment how the alchemist would fit into his dreams. "And you, Sebastian... What do you dream of?"
"Candy..." He lowered the glass grinning. "And lately a strange little imp with a bow."
"Candy?" He chuckled as he shook his head. So the alchemist had a sweet tooth... He would do well to remember that. "Now... This imp? Is the bow bright blue like a ribbon atop a package? And will I ever meet this odd creature that has captured your thoughts?"
"The bow was wodden and has been pointed at me on occasion." His hands still rested around his glass as he kept his eyes trained on the tea. He was afraid to see the look on the archers face.
He reached forward, fingers gently cupping the young man's chin. "Forgive me for that? The heavens would have my heart for trying to take one of their angels from them."
"I told you I am no angel." He said quietly. "I hold no grudge against you for it."
"Only an angel could save me from my demons..." He said softly before leaning in to press his lips tenderly to the corner of Sebastian's rosie tiers. "Don't argue with me on this one... You'll never convince me otherwise."
"Demons?...." He blinked and tried despriatly not to blush. He was not a innocent little virgin for heavens sake. "But I am no angel, angels are kind and sweet."
"You are kind... More than once today you've offered me something to ease my discomfort... As for sweet?" He grinned as he eased back against his chair, taking his cup up between slender fingers once more. "I find your lips very sweet, Sebastian."
"It is rude to not ease someones pain...." Then again had it been anyone else he would have dumped them out of his door for cluttering up the floor. "I taste like the tea, which is sweet." Obvisouly he was not good at taking compliments.
"Another question for you..." He quickly changed the subject least he end up arguing with the other man over something as simple as a compliment. "Why is there no one in your life to keep you from your lonliness?"
"I have always been alone. I supose I am use to it." From the house it was obvious. It looked like a place one person lived in, and a person who never expected another to enter into the picture.
"Many times I've wished to be alone... But Pengryf has always hunted me down." He sighed as he drew his leg back up to his chest, letting his chin fall to rest upon his knee.
Sebastian scowled at the mention of Pengryf. "Please, dont talk about him. It grates on my nerves." He took another sip of his tea. "Perhaps the gods are telling you that you shouldent be alone?"
"At least I'm not the only one..." That seemed to draw a slight laugh from between his lips, crimson eyes drifting up to meet the other man's. "Is that what you believe?"
"Well if every time you try to be alone someone appears, then perhaps." His head tilted slighlty to the side.
"The moment I find someone something happens and it turns horribly wrong... Of course... They say 'tis better to have loved and lost..." He sighed softly as he looked down to the floor. "... Than to never have loved before."
"Have you ever noticed thoes who say that have never 'lost' their love?" He reached out and rested his figners over the archers.
He turned his hand in order to gently squeeze the fingers of the alchemist. "Aye... Or they believe that they have only to find out that they never truly understood what the feelings were to begin with." His eyes closed as he lost himself to memory, trying to call forth a certain image only to find it lost on the waves of time. "Have you ever lost someone?"
"In a way....yes. And I would take it from your look that you have also?" He left his hand in the others, liking the warmth Aneliad gave off.
"One cannot lose one one never had..." He shook his head slowly before bringing the other man's hand up to his lips, pressing tiers tenderly to smooth knuckles. "That is a thing of the past though, is it not?"
"Yes, and the past should stay where it is." He smiled slighlty. "That way it does not get in teh way of the future."
He gave a gentle tug on the alchemist's hand as he lowered his foot to the floor, fully intending to lure the other man into his lap. "What is it about you, Sebastian, that lures me in as if I were a sailor enraptured by a siren?"
"Well it cant be the voice." Since he had stopped useing his old accent he knew his voice was nothing of what it once was. "Perhaps I poisoned you?"
He tugged once more, this time a bit more firmly and persistant than the last. "Perhaps... Then again... Perhaps you and I met once upon a dream and have been waiting to meet again ever since..."
Sebastian actually moved this time he was tugged, giving in to what the other wanted. "Perhaps....but dreams are never what happens in the waking world."
He eased the other man into his lap, wrapping his arms gently around Sebastian's waist. "I don't know... If you dream of something enough... It could come true."
"What have you been dreaming of that you wish to come true." He rested one of his hands on the archers shoulder, his hands cool against the others skin.
"I once dreampt of a merchant with lithe limbs and a beautiful grin... Whose slender form fit perfectly against my own." His gaze lifted to meet Sebastian's, crimson orbs blazing with a smoldering heat. "Soft and cool like the curves of the ivory moon at midnight, gracing me with his glow at high noon."
"Why are you an archer and not a poet?" He asked as his fingers brushed against Aneliad's jaw. "This merchant sounds like a lovely person, perhaps one day i shall meet them."
"Who is to say that a man cannot be many things?" He said softly as he tilted his head in order to brush lips against gentle fingertips. "Have you ever thought... That maybe you just might be this merchant?"
"My wishes never come true." His eyes were slighlty sad as he said this but his fingers trailed gently across the others lips.
"What are your wishes?" He murmured as he kissed the fingers once more before letting his tongue flicker against the slender digits. His mind was fighting a battle with his body to keep reason, not wanting to take the young man for all he was worth without finding things out... Things that were imperitive for him to know.
"I wish.....many things, to no longer wonder why I do what I do, to actually know whether I am fated to be alone forever..." Why was he telling that to the archer? He bearly knew him, didnt people usually become friends slowly? Weren't there steps you should take?
"No one is meant to be alone forever... Somewhere out there our other half exists waiting for us to find them." His arms tightened around the alchemist as he spoke in an attempt to comfort him. "We may stumble down many wrong paths before we find the one that was meant for us... But, in the end, what's meant to be will be."
"So after one falls from a cliff at the end of the path should one hope there is another path waiting for them?" He looked into the others eyes, something unreadable in the silver depths.
"No..." He said softly as his own gaze held fast to Sebastian's. "One should hope that there is someone standing at the bottom waiting to catch them as they fall."
"There was no one there to catch me..." He said softly his eyes sliding down to his own lap. "No one but myself to pick up the pieces and drag them on."
"Tell me, Sebastian... So that I may understand?" His tones were both soothing and encouraging... Offering as much support as he could with both his words and his body. It was almost as if he were the one offering to put the various pieces back together.
"I... I can't..." He shook his head. He was not ready to speak of thoes things. "Please, dont ask me to." He looked back up at the archer.
His only response was a slow nod as he leaned back against the chair, gently gathering the alchemist into his arms. He would say nothing more... Push no further... Simply let things flow along their current course.
He rested his head against the others shoulder. "Thank you Aneliad."
Fingers move to slowly run through the alchemist's hair, soothingly slipping through soft locks of spun gold. "There is no need to thank me, sweet angel... I've done nothing grand."
"There is much to thank you for..." He mumbled against the archers shoulder.
He tilted his head in order to press his lips tenderly to the other man's forehead. "I insist that I've done nothing... Even if a part of me wants to do so much more." His want was more for knowledge at the moment than anything more carnal. He wished nothing more than an understanding of the slender alchemist so that he could properly see to everything that the other man would want or need.
"But you have." he turned his head to look at the other. "You are kind to me, and dont press questions, and you are beautiful." He reached up with one hand to brush his fingers over the archers cheeks.
"Beauty is only skin deep, fair Sebastian..." He spoke softly as his hold tightened on the young man. "And if only you knew how much I wished to know every thing about you... You would be sure to find me more imposing than anything."
"Then your skin must run to the core of you." his fingers brushed throuhg Aneliad's bangs as he smiled. "I told you, there is not much to know."
"Maybe not... But someday I wish to know it all..." He leaned in to press tiers tenderly to Sebastian's soft smile, trailing fingers gently through the man's hair. "You have bewitched me, alchemist."
"Perhaps, as I said, I poisoned you? What would you do then?" He leaned into the touch as his eyes closed slighlty.
"I would die slowly of this poison as I spent days by your side, waiting to see if your words would ever give to me the antidote I so seek." He closed his eyes for a moment as he breathed in the soft scent of mint mingled with roses. It reminded him greatly of that night spent beneath the stars.
He chuckled slighlty as he shook his head. "It makes my brain hurt to try to fathom all that you say." He really couldent believe it was true. It was just too wonderful.
"Then mayhap I should remain silent for now?" He felt a feather-like chuckle fall from his lips as he looked at the lovely man seated comfortably in his lap. "Unless there is more that you want me to say."
"I believe I could listen to you for hours, but I also believe that you would find me borring after only a few moments."
"My dear man... It has been more than a few moments and I am still here, am I not?" He smirked almost teasingly as he shifted Sebastian's weight more onto his leg. "Have you nothing more you wished to know?"
He wrapped his arms around the archers neck. "I wish to know everything I can, but I can not think of a single question." He pouted slightly as he thought.
"I, on the other hand, have many questions... But they all rely upon the answer to the one I swore not to ask again." He said softly as he let lips drift down to the Dou's neck, gently nipping at the soft flesh he found there.
"Not to ask again?" He blinked and shiverd slighlty as lips met his skin.
"Aye... Because it put you at such ill ease..." He brought his lips to brush against the same spot before trailing them down to the shoulder that had been left exposed by the slipping sleeve of the sweater. "I want your pleasure, Sebastian... Not your misery."
"Your doing.....a nice job at it." He whispered as he nuzzled into Aneliad's neck.
"We were on my grounds the first time... Where is it that you feel the most comfortable, Sebastian?" He purred softly against the other man's ear before taking a lobe between his lips for a tender tug.
"Right here...." His accent was starting to slip back into place as the archer tugged at his ear.
"In this chair?" He chuckled from his throat as he eased away from the alchemist, head resting against the back of said piece of furniture. "Out of your entire home... This chair is where you are most comfortable?"
"No..." He sat up straighter and looked at the other. "With you. I am comfortable with you."
"Why? You know so little about me... I am a hunter, as I have been told. What makes you so certain that you are no more than my prey?" The way he spoke said that Sebastian wasn't just another 'conquest'... But something had caused him to ask these questions.
"I do not know why. I have been taught that fate wishes me to never be happy." He paused. "Perhaps I just cling to the little I can get..."
"I don't want you 'settling' for me because I am the 'little' you can get, alchemist." His brow furrowed slightly and, within, he felt almost as if he'd been dealth a mortal blow.
"No, nono. Ihat is not what I meant." He blinked, his eyes going slighlty wider as his hands reached up to cup the archers face. "I feel as though I am in a dream and that any moment I shall wake up to find that you are not here and truely hate me for being rude to you."
"You weren't rude... You were truthful." A smile slipped over the features of his face once more as he tilted his head towards the young man. "You fascinate me, Sebastian... So few have told me their thoughts truthfully... They've said one thing to my face and another behind my back."
He looked away slighlty, his cheeks once again pink. What is wrong with me? I am acting like a child; an innocent one at that. "It is wrong to lie, lies come back later to haunt you."
"Then may I never lie to you... There are enough creatures haunting me in the night." In truth, the night he had spent by Sebastian's side had been the only one where the 'creatures' had been kept at bay. Perhaps that was why the young man enchanted him so...
He leaned up and brushed a kiss across Aneliad's lips. "You have not lied to me yet..." His voice was trusting but he wondered if that was really true. He wanted to believe what the archer said, he really did.
"I would walk away from you and never speak again before letting a lie pass over my lips." He trailed his fingers slowly along Sebastian's sides, slender digits tracing patterns in the fabric of the young man's sweater.
"Perhaps...." he whispered. "We should move somewhere, more confortable?"
"You told me you were comfortable here..." His voice reflected an odd sort of amusement as he shifted Sebastians slender form once more, tugging the alchemist's body firmly against his own bare chest.
"Yes, but the chair can't be comfortable for you." His fingers slid down the others neck as he spoke.
"And what, pray tell, do you think would be comfortable for me, fair angel?" Slender digits moved from sides up along the man's back in order to gently massage the delicate bases of the alchemist's wings.
Sebastian shuddered. "I do not know... That is why I offered the move..."
"Where would you like to move?" He continued to question as his fingers worked their strange magic, mental notes being made of how the tender touches affected the poisonous angel.
"Anywhere, as long as you dont stop!" he looked at Aneliad, desire twisting with fear mixed in the gray depths.
His inner demons flared as those desperate words touched his ears, digits drawing tight as he fought to keep them under reign. He wanted to pin the alchemist to something once more; to feel the softness splayed beneath him... But he refused to give in to such base desires. Instead, he caught the man's mouth with his own, kissing him with a teasing tenderness as hands moved along the wing blades themselves.
He whimpered slightly. He didnt want the other to tease him, he wanted him to do something, anything, everything. Why is he hesatating?
Thumb rubbed between the wing blades as his other hand drifted down to the young man's thighs, slowly kneading into the muscles of the alchemist's legs. His lips remained fixed upon the others; tongue weaving its way around distracting Sebastian from any sort of thought. He wasn't concerned about himself... Just the pleasure of the other man.
His hands twitched against the archers skin. He was trying to think of somethign to think, or say, or do, but his mind wouldent focus. All it wanted to do was think about the mans lap he was sitting in.
He parted his lips from Sebastian's slowly, giving the man a moment to catch his breath before brushing his lips gently against his ear. "What would you have me do?"
"Anything, everything." He couldent understand what drove him to want the archer, but he did. He wanted everything about him. "Please....."
"Stand, sweet Sebastian..." He gently urged the man out of his lap, fingers returning to the slender middle of the alchemist in order to hold him steady. "Do you trust me enough to take me into your chambers?"
He moved off the others lap and stood. "I let you in there once didnt I?" His arms didnt move from where they rested around the other neck.
"Aye... But that was for a different purpose..." He said softly as he too stood, pressing his lips tenderly to the young man's cheek. "This one will be far more private..."
He blushed and took one of Aneliad's hands. "True. Come, this wan Ane..." He pulled on the archer as he walked back through the house toward his room.
He followed, keeping himself in check as he did so as not to simply sweep the alchemist into his arms and carry him off to some sweet cloud where none could ever disturb them. His fingers tightened around the other man's fingers, thumb tenderly tracing whorls on Sebastian's hand. "I follow where my shepherd leads."
"I...." He was about to argue, but decided against it. There woudl be more intresting things to do with his mouth. Walking into his room he stopped. "......"
He nearly walked into Sebastian as he had not noticed the sudden stop. Somehow he managed to quickly cover by spinning the man towards him, pulling the slender form of the sweet potions master firmly against his chest. "You fit so perfectly here..."
"I do?" he blinked up at him, slighlty shocked from the sudden spin. "Really?"
"Do you not think so?" He questioned as he held the man to him, shifting once so that their curves conformed perfectly to one another.
"Well, if that is what you mean then I would have to say yes." He pressed a kiss to the corner of Aneliad's mouth.
He bit back a growl as his arms drew more tightly around the alchemist, giving in to the glory that was the kiss as he turned his head to catch the lucious lips more fully. He cursed his inability to hide how the young man affected him, not wanting this to be the wanton melding of bodies that it had been the first time. For some reason, he wanted to show Sebastian that he was cared for.
He groaned slighlty, loving the feeling of the stregnth in the arms of the archer. It made him feel save, knowing how much of a weakling he was. "Ane...."
His arms shifted so that he could lift the man closer to him, one hand moving to brace the alchemist's backside with a tender squeeze. "Aye, sweet Seb?"
Whimpereing he looked up at the archer. "Love me...."
... ... ...
Sebastian rested back against the bed, his breath panting out of him as Aneliad pulled the blanket over them. "Why....." Gray eyes slid open to look at the other.
"Why what, my toxic angel?" He questioned softly as his lips pressed against the lobe of the man he lay beside. The taste was still lingering on his tiers, sounds still echoing throughout his ears.
"You did not......" He blinked, the world slighlty fuzzy with out his glasses. "I should repay your kindness."
"You need do nothing for me, Sebastian... Nothing more than rest easy." He nodded slowly as he shifted his head to rest upon the alchemist's shoulder. "Surely you've slept just about as well as I have lately..."
"What is this sleep you speak of." He mumbled as he wrapped his arms around the outher. He nuzzled into Aneliad's hair, smelling his own shampoo, and smiled. I could sleep like this forever.
"My point exactly..." He managed to smile as he held the Dou gently, eyes closing in a calm contentment. "Sleep well, sweet angel... I'll protect your dreams."
"Then who shall protect yours..." His arms tightned around the archer as if he would never let him go again.
"Hush..." He cooed softly against the alchemist's ear, running fingers slowly through the young man's hair before letting his arm fall back around his angel. "Sleep..."
"...sleeping." his eyes closed as he listened to his lov....could he call him that now? No, that was just welcoming doom into it. "Good night Aneliad."
He felt something in his chest tighten as his name lingered in the air around him. His mind would churn on those thoughts for what seemed like an eternity before he gave in to the grasp of sleep. "Sleep sweetly, Sebastian..."
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