Dreadlords The Anniversary of Freedom

[Kristen Pirian]

"Sweet are those words to my ears, for long have I awaited to hear them," Kristen said, her own words coming forth almost of their own accord, as if they themselves had long awaited to be spoken. Mayhap this was the compulsion of truth, how it would always find its way out, whether one knew of said truth or not.

Her face surely was something of a mess, with tears—however joyous—having run down them in copious flows. She cared not for it. Later, of course, but not now. Later Drastus could wipe the tears from her cheeks and she could wipe the tears from his. But for now she was content to look into his eyes and to marvel and rejoice at the whole world she had gained.

In the next moment, a thought, perhaps patiently waiting for the euphoria to subside just enough to deliver itself for her consideration, came to her. One that caused her to laugh and dip her head, bashful reds alighting her cheeks then.

"However will we tell our parents the story of how we met?" she said, each word threatening to be overcome with a giggle.

The Punishment Game. It had been...rather raucous, riotous, and raunchy, one could say. A setting whose conjuring would despoil the polite atmosphere of a dinner table. The thought of the shocked looks of her Mother and Father, though! Oh, it was terribly funny!

Drastus Tal'deneshaar

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh raised a brow at Chasmine’s strange… words. “You’re welcome.” She responded, her lips upturning and she did tilt her head slightly to the side. “Although I don’t need anyone’s favor when I have myself.” As a gambler, the mindset was important to have. Lady Luck, fate or destiny? Just words to help a loser cope with a lost. And Everleigh made sure she never lost for long.

Speaking of losing.

She almost missed it. She was quite surprised by being hug by the boy, and was completely still. Mostly in fear that if she hugged him back she would squeeze too hard and break his ribs. Which had happened before. It was an extremely awkward situation. So she stayed still, but she did allow Azzy to have her hand his plushie— not yet realizing it was a trade— as they were going off to the stalls.

That was when Everleigh heard it. A vulpine smile befitting the gambling queen soon appeared, her mauve eyes narrowing up into two crescent moons that glittered and sparkled from the enjoyment. When Zael came back, she would take a stick, that wolfish smirk entirely evident on her face.

“You’re right, Mittens.” Everleigh said, letting go of Azzy’s hand so that she could step up to the blonde man, leaning in close to whisper into his ears. Her Tarrow accent was gone. “And also the choice of pets, apparently.” She positioned the stuffed gryphon into the other crook of her arm so she had a hand free, running a hand through his blonde hair and ruffling it up. “I’m glad you finally slipped up, I miss that Tarrow drawl of yours.” She then stepped away, taking a bite of the spicy jerky.

“Mm. Could be spicier. I’ll see if they have any chili powder. It’s not fun eating spicy food if your ass isn’t on fire later.” And she walked off, a victorious walk that had her chin up high and her hips swaying with pride.

Chasmine Azzerin Zael Castomir

 

[Drastus Tal'deneshaar]

"From me?" He would ask aloud, cursing himself silently. He had meant to voice that internally. Damn her gorgeous grays and their impressive ability of distraction! "Or.. in general?" He was still in shock, a little awe.

He noticed the state of disarray upon his beloveds face. She couldn't have that. A sleeve unrolled and he would use it to wipe away the tears and anything else that may have dared blemish her beautiful face.

She then asked a very good question. How would they tell their parents? Well, he still hadnt seen his mom, she was always away or avoiding him. Valdr would be easy to tell. Then he had an idea. A great, yet horrible idea, masked with a playful smirk. "I'll tell your parents that we met when I was introducing Wilbur." He laughed. There were two Wilburs, one a rotting mammoth, the other a work of art. He couldn't wait to see just how red those cheeks got.

Kristen Pirian

 

[AmeliaPirian]

Amelia was starting to wonder if Lynus was going to break her fingers and she just lightly rubbed his upper arm to remind him that she was still by his side.

Once the two of them were done speaking and an awkwardness had spread over the four of them, she stepped forward slightly.

"Lord Virak," Amelia started and paused. She was not sure what else to call him so she went with the formal. "I know this is not the best place for a reunion. I would hope you would join us for lunch this week at the Palace? I am sure there is much for everyone to catch up on."

She squeezed her husbands hand again and hoped a couple days would allow him to calm down slightly. She had a feeling that he would regret cutting Erich out of his life now that he knew he was alive.

---

Kasim Areth Lynus Anireth

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen's eyebrows had gone up and a grin, mildly and amusedly shocked, spread across her expression.

"From you, silly!"

She closed her eyes and let Drastus do what he could to clean her face. Those assortments of tears had left rivers and deltas on her skin, and his sleeve like the great tide reshaped and smoothed out that landscape. It felt better. Cleaner. Not as clean as she'd like to feel, so recently had she expelled the contents of her stomach, but fair enough for now.

When he was done, she opened her eyes and she as well reached up to help him. Her left hand first, cupping his cheek, tender little swishes of her thumb to whisk away the tears which had come after he had spoken of the tragedy with Doran.

I'll tell your parents that we met when I was introducing Wilbur.

"Wilbur!" she exclaimed, partly aghast in jest and partly aghast in truth. "Surely there must be a better fabrication available for our needs!"

Then her cheeks did run aflame, the deep redness of them and the contrasting fairness of her skin inadvertently representing the colors of her House.

"Though, even if there were, I am a terrible liar. I am but one withering gaze from my mother away, and I would soon be spouting wild tales of dice, punishments, and an overall scarcity of garments!"

Drastus Tal'deneshaar

 

[Drastus Tal'deneshaar]

"Really?" More surprise. In his mind, she was a goddess that could have anyone and he was sure there was no shortage of suitors. Given the last hours worth of events, it made sense, but he was still catching up.

She had let him wipe dry her face, and upon completion he would smile at her. "Perfect." When he was done, it was her turn, and he just took solace as she caressed his cheeks, kissing her palms as she worked.

When she was done, he got to bask in her shock, as cute as it was, to his suggestion. "Wilbur is perfect, Kris! They ask and I tell them about my mammoth! It'll be great! You just.. ya know. Can't break." He said with a smile.

Leaning forward, he would give her a loving kiss on her lips. "How would you want to tell them?"

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen finished the right side of his face, so switched hands, cupping his other cheek and again with soft sweeps of her thumb erased those remnants of tears. And gracefully did she accept another kiss from Drastus, the fire that was her heart stoked each time their lips came together and here again came that wonderful warmth.

"Well," she said, "'tis not so far distant from the truth to say that we met on our mission in Vel Numera. Why, in some ways it is the truth, is it not? I'd say we had a far more proper acquaintance in our journey there than we did in the Punishment Game." She smiled. "That and more."

And it didn't involve raw eggs, spiders, proclamations of love to unsuspecting Proctors nor anything at all to do with Bull. Though the mission in Vel Numera itself had been a...trying time, the journey had been one which would make for a lovely story.

Drastus Tal'deneshaar

 

[Drastus Tal'deneshaar]

He wasn't sure how he felt about the lie, but for her sake of mind, he would bear it. The punishment games had been a fun time and there would be no more jaw dropping story then 'I met your daughter whilst I held another woman on a leash'. He definitely understood the reason for a re-write.

So instead of making a scene or pouting, he would smile and give her another loving kiss. "As you wish, Lady Pirian." He would say gently. "I'm sure it was the first for some things.. but that wasn't where I decided I couldn't go without you." He grinned. "It sounds better than high on shrooms, too. Vel Numera it is, my love."


Kristen Pirian

 

[Chasmine]

Another person might have noticed the way Everleigh looked at her. Chas did not. She took her thank you as genuine and smiled after her exceptional self-assurance. Of course Everleigh was a strong and smart woman, thought Chas, she would have no trouble at all making her way through life. How nice that must feel, to be so confident in oneself all the time.

A vague wince pulled at Chasmine's smile then as Zael deigned to speak of the Dawnbringer in such a manner, but she hadn't much time to give it much attention as her own was rather quickly whisked away by the tiny hand in her own tugging her along. Seemed the boy was hungry, and why shouldn't he be when he clearly had been so busy with the festival! Chas followed along, giant stuffed gryphon under one arm and child at her free hand. The sudden appearance of jerky on offer gave her a startle.

"Oh! Thank you, Zael..." and she took it politely, smile fading. Chasmine didn't eat meat when she didn't absolutely have to - it rather upset her stomach most days - but she truly hated to see food go to waste. A glance was given down to the boy, "Are you very hungry? You can have mine if you like."

Before she knew it Everleigh was wandering off into the crowd, off on her own adventure. Chas caught the flash of her purple hair as she bobbed out of sight and frowned. Ah, well, she supposed she was rather accustomed to being left behind. She had enjoyed their company for a little while. It was almost very nearly like having friends.

"I suppose we could find another game to play maybe?" but at least the little boy was still with her.

 

[Azzerin]

Everything happened in a whirlwind of movements. Suddenly Zael, the other guy, was stuffing meat sticks in his hands.. YUM! He would grin up at the older boy and nod fervently. One tiny hand freshly freed by the release of Evie clutched a bundle of sticks.

Then.. Chas, as he had come to learn her name gave him an offering. He would smile at Chas with one hand holding hers and the other full, his head would snap forward to grab ahold of the meat stick like a tiny carnivore. He chewed big and probably obnoxiously.

Animated chewing aside he would point to her then her mouth, before looking around for a food or two for hers. He would try to wave to the others as they departed. Something caught his sniffer, and soon he was dragging her along to another stand.

A mage had been boiling some sort of oil and dipped dough into it.. cooking it? Pulling it free, all crispy and cooked, he would then dust it with a white powder. Azzy's eyes went big and his mouth opened in awe, dropping the last bit of his current prey onto the ground. He looked to Chas as if she wanted it.

Chasmine Zael Castomir Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen clapped her hand over her mouth and stifled laughter which, despite her attempt to contain it, burst out anyway and made her weak in the stomach and was cause for her to swoon backward and come to lay down on the blanket. She laid the back of her other hand atop her forehead, eyes closed and giggles which accompanied the luminescent flush of her face near ceaseless.

"Oh, oh, oh! Oh my goodness, no! Ah, ha, ha! It had almost slipped my mind! The mushrooms! Blessed Aionus, Holy Sentinel, the mushrooms!" Kristen craned her head back and laughed harder, just as saying the word itself: mushroom. "Mother would turn into a ghost on the spot!" And she did an imitation of her mother Josephine, "'Kristen Lucretia Pirian! No fair daughter of mine would ever indulge in such a base, earthly vice! What manner of devil has gotten into you?'"

Kristen laughed until she ran short of breath and her laughing came to a coughing, sputtering end, and out came a long sigh of relief, and at last she opened her eyes. Grinning.

Thrilled at what the day had become, when it had started so horridly.

Drastus Tal'deneshaar

 

[Drastus Tal'deneshaar]

Drast laughed at her reaction, especially at making her swoon, he heard that was good. So when she swooned onto her back he would just go ahead and lay down on his side, facing her. One arm bent at a ninety with his hand holding up his head.

He just grinned at her as she laughed until he placed a hand on her stomach as she lost all sorts of oxygen and gained all sorts of color.

He loved seeing her like this.. he was happy he could get her to react like this. After her imitation of her mother Drast would give it a go, this posh Anirian accent.

"Well, I daresay Josephine.. it must have been that Tal'deneshaar kid that had gotten into her! Can't trust those low-born Lords. Oh-hue-hue." And as he finished he realized what he said and his face blanched.

Please don't pick up on it. Please don't pick up on it.

He decided to push the conversation forward and bent down to kiss her cheek. "So.. feeling a little better?" He would ask lightly.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Zael Castomir]

Zael at first had no idea what she was talking about, and was half ready to point at her and say 'Aha! You broke your accent!' But no. No. Something about the way she'd said what she said, that one hundred percent Everleigh look she'd given him. What was the deal? What? He didn't break character. He even used the word 'rapscallion.'

What could she possibly be going on about? "What do you mean, 'I slipped up?'"

Swear to Kress, if this was some smartass ploy, some play at gettin him riled up, he was gonna ruffle her feathers so hard she—

Some play. Some play.

Brilliant play, Everleigh.

The stuffed dragon slipped out from the headlock in Zael's arm. He even dropped one of the jerky sticks. He stood there, dumbfounded, bewildered, fuckin bested. Son...of a bitch. It was so simple. How could he have not seen it? Damn near everyone else said Everleigh's name as "Ever-lee," not with his old Tarrow spin on it to make it "Ever-lay."

As Ever did her victory saunter off into the crowd, Zael stood there for a moment. His put-on character was dropped entirely, his Tarrow drawl back. "I can't fuckin believe it."

He'd lost the best. Just like that. A little slip up of his own accord.

He shook the shock out of his head. Damn it, might as well go make it official. He glanced to Chasmine and the kid.

"Hey, keep an eye on her for me, will ya?" Zael said to Azzerin with a wink. It would've been funny if that could've ruffled Chasmine's feathers, her getting flustered at the idea of needing a chaperone, but she was more likely to take it literally than anything else. When they met up with her again, Zael wouldn't be surprised if she had an actual eye balanced on the top of her head: kept an eye on her.

Zael went jogging after Everleigh. Came up beside her in stride. Said, "Alright. You win." And he grinned. "I guess you could say I played myself."

Everleigh Ebersol Chasmine Azzerin

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh still had Azzy’s stuffed gryphon in her arm, letting it lean on her hip. She had every intention of heading back to the rest of the group, which was why she had walked off from them figuring that once she had chili powder and another flavorful snack that they could all play games with one another again. Then at the end of the day she could help Chasmine find the boy’s parents and send him off with a fish and a stuffed mythical beast. She smiled at the thought. The perfect ending to such a great day.

When Zael came up beside her Everleigh was surprised yet she matched his grin, giving him a little nudge in the ribs to tease him.

“I always win my bets, Zael, especially when I really want the prize.” Everleigh said, and that free hand of hers patted Zael on the back, sure that there were no hard feelings but regardless she wasn’t one to gloat. At least, she didn’t gloat towards people she liked. “Whether you messed up naturally or not, I still had a plan to make you break character if you hadn’t by the end of the night. Although, maybe I’ll save it for another time.” She paused, searching for something for a moment. “Found the chili powder.” She informed, seeing a little table of condiments next to a breaded sausage on a stick stand, which seemed to be all the rage. Sprinkling a good couple of pinches of the chili powder over the dried meat, Everleigh was quick to turn back to face Zael again.

She took a bite, her tongue feeling like it had just gotten stabbed by a hot poker and when she swallowed she had to stifle a cough. Her eyes were watering but she looked over to Zael with a big smile, holding up the extra spicy jerky towards him, curious to see if he would take a bite.

“We should get something sweet, don’t you think? Unless you don’t like sweets then we could look for something else.”

Zael Castomir Chasmine Azzerin

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Had Kristen's mind been of a more clear state, she might have noted the detail of the Tal'deneshaars. Instead, what lingering traces of hilarity fogging her head honed in on the peculiar imitation of a laugh.

"Oh! That's not even the most unsavory laugh I've heard before!" One could collect a number of social details at galas, parties, and balls. Laughs were one, and were little trinkets of note that Kristen kept track of for fun.

She smiled when Drastus kissed her cheek, leaning over and pecking him on his cheek as well. All's fair!

A sigh. One largely composed of contentment, only slightly of forlorn reluctance. "I am feeling better. Still I have a weighty reckoning ahead of me, but as I am now...I am better."

A weighty reckoning. One that she would perhaps toss and turn over throughout the night, catching not a wink of sleep.

For her entire future depended upon it.

Drastus Tal'deneshaar

 

[Drastus Tal'deneshaar]

"Really? There are worst laughs?" He would ask, a combination of shock and appalled. Surely this was a jest. But... she did have more experience in the courtly settings then he did.

He gave her a peck and then she gave him one back and he couldn't even be more elated. Here he was with the girl of his dreams.. and she loved him. Despite all his shortcomings, his mistakes. He had told her his darkest secret and still, she embraced him. He didn't feel cocky, he felt.. blessed. If a necromancer could ever know the meaning of that word.

"Well, any way I can help with this weighty reckoning? Either by being present or just talking it out? I know you can do it all on your own, I just want to see if you would like assistance." He would add the last bit, to clarify. She didn't need a protector, he learned that in Vel Numera, she needed a chance.

"And maybe once we cross that off the list we.. maybe get a portrait done of us? Something to commemorate today? If you'd like."

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Kristen turned her head on the blanket and simply favored Drastus with a prolonged smile. And she thought, Blessed Aionus, Holy Sentinel...I thank You for him.

"Yes," she said, laying a hand to his cheek, a gentle caress of her thumb over the hairs of his goatee. "Your company alone will be of tremendous help, and your words ever more so."

A hard truth then, bitter in taste, that made her smile diminish in strength. "But, I believe, once it starts, so shall it spoil the day's brightness."

With that, she sat up, and did so with a burst of vigor and vitality, casting away any somber clouds over her demeanor before they could truly begin to collect. "So! I say a portrait would be a splendid idea! There must be many a skilled artist plying their trade on a day such as this!"

Drastus Tal'deneshaar

 

[Drastus Tal'deneshaar]

As her hand graced his cheek, his head would shift so that he could place a kiss upon her palm. "Then.. my words and my presence, are yours. Always."

The next bit would form a slight frown, but it was fleeting. "Not if I can help it." He would say with a determined look in his eye. "Whatever it is, we'll turn it around."

Then she burst up to the heavens with an energy he hadn't expected, and so he too would follow suit, yet at a much slower pace. Once on his feet, he would use their vantage point to scan the crowd for the artists and located three. "So.." he began, putting an arm around her waist to pull her to him with one hand while the other pointed out the three. "Which one of these do you think is our best bet?"

There would be a momentary pause. "Or.. you know.. we could get one from each."

Kristen Pirian

 

[Zael Castomir]

Zael's smile broke into a laugh. Well damn, he didn't even have his chance to play out his plans to break Ever either. Just gonna have to keep those in reserve, you know? Because...

"I'm happy to let you have this one, Ever. Just means when I win the next one, it's gonna feel twice as good and I get to rub it in your face," he said right after she found the chili powder.

Now to do something he always wanted to do: try on that quintessential Ever smug face. Start off with a little forefinger on the chin, no wait, just under the chin, on the jawbone, yeah, perfect, looking gorgeous. Next a little upward tilt of the head and that's beautiful, no, gotta add that little bit of an angle too not just straight back and ahhhhh, there it is, this feels perfect. Now to get that immaculate smirk just right, and what better way to do it than to conjure the face of Ever as it had been all of about three minutes ago, yup, yessir, those curls on the corners of his mouth, the particular way his cheekbones just ascended to the heavens, that's fuckin gold. And here comes the killer, the eyes, it's always in the eyes, right, and this is the tricky part cause ya gotta mess a lot with the upper lids and just a little with the lower lids, get that pristine I'm better than you slant going on and ohhhhhh baby, could he feel it, that's the stuff, phew, where's a sculptor when you need one, someone make a damn statue of him with this expression already.

Zael broke the look only to take a bite off the extra spicy jerky (hands free!) and then pretended like he never even adopted the look at all. Smug look, what smug look, where?

"Yeah, somethin sweet to—" Zael coughed and smacked his chest with a fist, the spices working their magic, "—oh fuck. Kress, Ever, think of your poor asshole. Yeah, somethin sweet to scrub down this spice."

He coughed again, wetness starting to collect in his eyes.

"Goddamn."

He kinda wanted to see Chasmine's reaction to the super-spiced jerky, but then he also (more and more desperately) wanted a sweet treat to counter the blaze in his own mouth. Fuckin Fire Immunity, shit, he needed some Spice Immunity right now.

Everleigh Ebersol

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

Everleigh snorted at Zael’s reaction before letting free a ebullient laugh, melodic only for it’s purity and perhaps the fact it was utterly genuine. She patted at his back as he coughed with her free hand before she caressed his back up and down, once, then twice. It was as ephemeral as all tender moments that came from the poison eater, while she could forget the academy’s teachings for a moment, parts of her body never forgot— no matter how much she enjoyed touching someone who wouldn’t flinch away. Usually. Hopefully?

Everleigh shook her head. Taking Drastus’ advice, to stop the overthinking and being in her head so much, be in the moment like she was moments before. She smiled, looking around and then seeing exactly what would do the trick to calm down the fire in her mouth, as well as Zael’s.

“C’mon, you know I strongly believe in ‘go hard or go home.’ But…. Sorry, I thought you’d be able to handle some heat considering how hot you can get.” She apologized and pointed over at the flavored ice. “On me. Can’t let my precious little Mittens have his mouth on fire, can I?” Everleigh teased before heading over to the stall.

Only having one hand free, Everleigh was only able to purchase one to carry back. But of course she made sure that the one she would carry back would be a larger size, with three flavors able to be added! What a steal— or it would have seemed to be one if Everleigh’s gimlet gaze could compare that the medium was the much better deal. But it was a festival. Possibly the only one she would ever go to. Go hard or go home, right?

When Everleigh came back, two small little wooden flat sticks stuck on top the mountain of ice— one-third red, one-third purple, and one-third blue— she held it up to Zael, smiling warmly.

“Here. You take the first bite before you actually start shedding tears. I know you want to dig into the red part.”

Zael Castomir

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The arm curled about her waist and she lost any resolve she might have had to stand up. But it could wait, couldn't it? Yes. Just wait for a moment or two or until the unraveling of time itself. Such would be lovely.

Kristen rested her head in the nook of Drastus's shoulder and neck. One of her bangs, gone a little rogue, draped down and swished across his collarbone.

"Mayhap one, such that it will be special. Unique. And we will need to select the artist with the most appealing style!"

She let out a small, humming, content, hmmmmmmm.

"There is only one problem."

She shifted her head a little bit to look up at Drastus with a coy eye.

"I'm too comfortable to move. But..."

A finger glided up, and gently did Kristen trace Drastus's lips. Beckoning. Yearning.

"...I could be convinced."

Drastus Tal'deneshaar

 

[Drastus Tal'deneshaar]

As they stood there, his arm around her waist and her head on his shoulder, he was dreading something would hit him hard enough to wake up from a dream. And so with that thought, the grip held just a little tighter, as if he feared it would all just fall away.

"One? I could do just one." His gaze would shift to her, a slight worry when she mentioned a problem. A worry that would melt away as he caught that coy look in her eye. A look that had him feeling very alive. A momentary and pensive look was replaced by that confident grin.

A grin, that she suddenly began to trace the lips of. The early surge of energy, that feeling of being alive was nothing compared to this. It didn't hold a candle to.

...I could be convinced.

He had no idea where this confident Kristen had been, but then again he felt the same about himself when he was with her. Perhaps with the knowledge of how the other felt, there was no reason to hold anything back.

He didn't risk talking, couldn't risk saying anything stupid to ruin the moment. Instead, his free hand cupped her cheek before tilting her chin as his lips pressed against hers. This wouldn't be a peck, this would be fiery, as if he finally decided to blow the levy on every emotion he had been holding back pertaining to her. He needed her to feel it, he wanted her to.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Kristen Pirian]

The fire in her veins was euphoric. The tingling buzz in her head and running down the back of her neck was more potent than any wine, and the lively beat of her heart pumped trembling joy from her chest all the way out to the ends of her fingers and to the tips of her toes.

Fire beget more fire, as it were. Kristen could feel the passion Drastus pressed upon her lips, the sweetness of his hand on her cheek. She couldn't remember when she'd wrapped her arms around him again. All she knew was that she wanted more, that a moment's time paled terribly when faced with all she wished to express. Even her very lips seemed an insufficient conduit of the emotion—the warmth and the joy and the love—she wanted to share, so small were they and so great was it. Oh but she would take it, this moment and this kiss. She would take it with glee and gratitude.

At last, though, even heavy, husky breaths through her nose weren't enough, and she needed a break for air. And as soon as they pulled back, she wished mightily for it all to return, even the coarse, ticklish feel of the hairs of his goatee rubbed against her skin.

She panted for breath. Her cheeks and her lips were burning red, her eyes round and beaming with brightness.

"We need to be careful," she said, laughing. "Or we will find ourselves kissing by moonlight upon this roof."

Though...she wouldn't mind. No. Not in the slightest.

Drastus Tal'deneshaar

 

[Drastus Tal'deneshaar]

He lost track of where he ended and she began as they twisted and wrapped around each other. The only other time he had lost himself was when he was engulfed in Ruperts magick and even that paled in comparison to this.

After some time of being lost, the haze lifted, leaving him gasping for air. His heart pounded in his chest, calming with each passing moment. They had parted, a bittersweet feeling as he was thankful for the ability to breathe but he missed her feel, her taste.

When she spoke, his brain took a few seconds to register what she said, before he responded with a grin. "I don't think there would be anything wrong with that. But.. maybe we get that portrait and try to make it back up here for that?"

Each moment of pulling away from her hurt. But he had to, or else he didn't think he would be able to stop. With a final washing of his gaze over her, he would begin to walk the edge of the roof, looking for an easier, albeit faster, way down. Climbing would be hard for him right now with his focus on her.

Finally, he came to a stop. "Kris.. over here. A ladder." It was on the opposite side of the alley, but still not apart of the main road. He placed a foot on the top rung and tested its sturdiness. "I'll go first." He then quickly began to climb down the ladder, as if releasing the pent up excitement. So much so, that he slid down the last four rungs.

Kristen Pirian

 

[Zael Castomir]

C’mon, you know I strongly believe in ‘go hard or go home.’

"Oh, I'm goin hard alright."

Got the runny nose and the tear-rimmed eyes already. Those spices were the real deal, not some of the cheap-ass bullshit imported from Elbion, but some of the nastier peppers found far out to the east. The little claps on his back were welcome, and if he could've gotten a word out edgewise he would have said a joke that had to do with slaps and asses—fuckin apropos, right?

Well. That's how it was. Zael could chug boiling water no problem, but regular spices still had their say.

Little Mittens. Fuck. The real questions was: how was he gonna keep Kalix off of him for this punishment week?

Ever came back, and as it was, Zael had eaten the rest of his own sticks of spiced jerky and he had a big smiled pressed thin and tight trying to contain laughter (and coughs), his cheeks raised up tremendously in twinned devious hills. His face was redder than before.

Here. You take the first bite before you actually start shedding tears...

"Too late."

Go hard or go home. Zael'd salted the rest of his jerky with that same hot chili powder and thrown himself like a daredevil into those flames. Goddamn, so this is what all of his sparring partners felt like, huh?

"You know me too well," he said. Yeah. He did want that red part. He didn't give a shit that it was ice and it was going to be twice as cold to him as it would be to anyone else; it was gonna taste like sweet relief.

Zael got one of the wooden sticks and shoveled the red ice into his mouth. He even got a little exercising for his tongue in there—his third favorite form of exercise. Keep that muscle strong, you never know when you might need it.

He let out a long, whistling sigh, even as his whole mouth was starting to go numb from the cold and brain freeze pounded right in the center of his head. Before he started again, his eyes darted over the colors and a little something popped to mind. And to Ever he said, "Ha, ha! Look at that. Red and blue make you."

At least that rhyme didn't lose him a bet.

Everleigh Ebersol