Private Tales Then the Mountain's will Destroy

[Houri]

Three weeks the siege at sea had lasted in the end.

The ships had come from the far South, from lands nobody had ever heard of before, where it appeared they did not respect those with gifts like Dreadlords. They feared them and instead attempted to cage and use them as one would a dog. Houri had pondered several times during the siege as she had listened to Guardsmen and Dreadlords alike mutter at the wrongness of it, whether they had been all that different. There might not have been physical collars around their necks but the Dreadlords were - or at least had been - little more than faithful hounds for the Houses to use in their games. Philosophy had only taken up part of her attention in between the fighting, the rest had been almost entirely taken up with the man she now found herself setting off towards Vel Anir beside.

Silas had not been a person she had spent large amounts of time with before the dance. They had had a few missions together, run into one another at social functions, and had seemed to gravitate towards the same group of friends. After the dance she had found herself thinking of him more and the dances they had shared - especially during the more boring lectures. She had chased that feeling all night having wanted to feel it again but she'd come away disappointed. There had been a moment with Zaire, but... Well. That had ended in disaster. So during the siege she had made more of an effort than usual to get to know Silas better. In between the battles and bloodshed that hadn't amounted to much. So when the Captain had announced a ship would be arriving to take them home shortly and Silas had instead asked to take the long ride back, Houri had offered to go with him.

After the confines of a fort and the forced proximity of so many, being alone on an open road made her feel exposed.

"There's the ship," Houri pointed down to the cove below; the road from the fort took them right along the cliffs. "Last chance to change your mind. One week of sailing or three on the road."

 

[Silas Artesto]

"Three weeks?" The blonde-haired Initiate walked beside her snorted and crossed his arms defiantly at that timetable. "I'm almost offended, Houri." Silas joked, nudging her with his elbow as he walked ahead towards the cliff path that wrapped around back towards sweet, sweet land.

He'd been surprised when Houri had volunteered to join him in taking the long way home-- She was right in that it was one hell of a trek, and he really didn't figure anybody would want to bend over backward just to keep him company. Still, if it was going to be anybody, he was glad it was her. They hadn't had much time to talk since the dance, and while Silas had a lot to figure out as far as it pertained to his relationships with his classmates, he wanted to explore the spark he'd felt with Houri.

The dance they'd shared... it had been the most fun he'd had in years. Artesto had never felt so in sync with another person in his entire life. Something about the Luana girl captivated him, and knowing that he'd probably be neck-deep in drama when he got home, Silas liked the idea of some time alone with her first. If for no other reason than to sort out whatever she had going on in his chest.

"I can cut that down to two, maybe even one and a half if we skip breakfast now and then." He boasted, stretching his arms out over his head. "We've already established that I'm pretty good at picking you up, so it's just a matter of you hanging on."

The choice was soon made for them anyway; with a final ringing of a bell, the ship pushed off of the docks and began to sail back out into the open waters without them. The sight made Artesto shiver a bit, biting the inside of his cheek.

"Honestly? Thanks for tagging along. I would have gone insane another week in that oversized water coffin, but I might have done the same running home by myself." Silas admitted as he watched the ship sail away. "Plus, hell... a little time away from class with no mission to execute and a valid excuse? It's almost like a vacation!"

Houri

 

[Houri]

Skip breakfast?

Did the boy just suggest we skip breakfast?!

Houri paused mid step to stare but Silas seemed not to notice and continued on with his gentle boasting. He had to have been joking. A good meal was her secondary motive to agreeing to go the long way around. She was sick of siege rations and even sicker of ship rations. She wanted roasted meat, vegetables and a good home baked pie. The Sargent who had been overseeing them had told them off a particularly good one not a days walk from here; they would surely reach it by nightfall.

"Of course," she shrugged and tightened the straps on her pack. Perhaps the inn would have horses they could purchase too. All animals at the fort had been eaten during the siege so foot it was at least for a short while. "I think I've had my fill of the sea for a little while too," she grimaced. The storm mage their opponents had used against them had tested even the sea dogs love of the crashing waves. Warm suns and solid ground was what she wanted for at least a little while.

"I don't think I've ever had a... vacation," she admitted with pursed lips, raking through her memories. Her life had been a constant revolving battlefield or training ground. "And at least without that other mage we're guaranteed good weather," her lips twitched into a smile.

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas didn't seem to notice Houri's disapproval of his ingenious time-saving technique, which probably meant he'd propose it in the future, at least until he learned his lesson. Then again, hearing her use the term 'vacation' did cause him to quirk a brow and turn back around to face her. "Yeah, you know... I don't guess I have either." He hadn't thought of this trip home quite like that until she'd brought it up, but he figured that since they wouldn't expect them back for a few weeks, they could use the extra time his speed gave them to enjoy themselves a little. "Why rush? They can go on just fine without us for a little while, right?"

The boy cracked a smile, but there was some nagging worry in the back of his head about a prolonged absence. Artesto had found himself entangled in a rather troubling line of investigation with Livia Quinnick, and as for Victoria Von Fleet... Well, sometimes Silas wondered if he was the only thing keeping her from burning the entire place down. Or at least trying to.

He did his best not to let his worries show, however, and the light smile that donned Houri's lips gave him enough of that warm feeling in his chest to shake it off. He brought his hands up into his hair and pulled at some of the little knots that had gathered in the messy tresses over the last few days, chuckling. "A trip to a nice inn with a hot bath would be sweet. I feel gross after all that stormwater, anyways."

With a teasing glint in his eye, he leaned closer and prodded at her. "Which hopefully we won't have any more of, as long as I don't piss you off." He smirked playfully, "Let's get moving. You know the way, right? We walking or am I running us?"

Houri

 

[Houri]

He was being serious about the carrying?!

There was a muttering of unease mirrored by the look that no doubt flickered across Houri's face after his playful query.

"Walking is just fine, thank you," she would have preferred a horse even if the animals didn't like her scent and acted skittishly when she rode. But, her own two feet worked just fine too. After her year of malnourishment the doctors had told her exercise such as long walks was just important as food intake for her muscles to return fully. They probably hadn't intended for her to walk several thousand leagues, but... Houri had never done anything in small measures.

Say something so he doesn't think you're being mean!

Oh, right.

"Besides, I'm not sure either of us want to find out if being carried at a speed results in travel sickness too."

 

[Silas Artesto]

Again Silas was oblivious to the look that briefly flashed across Houri's features. It wasn't due to any social ineptitude-- She'd seen how charming he had the ability to be-- It was the fact he was now very much alone with a woman who'd made him feel things he still wasn't sure he understood. That they'd gone from dancing in such close proximity to attempting a casual conversation as though there hadn't been some sort of spark between them the last time they'd been solely focused on each other...

It was awkward, to put it bluntly.

"You know, I never thought about that." Silas turned to start walking with a small shudder at the thought. "I guess I've been lucky so far... Not that I've carried too many people." He quickly added, so as not to oust himself as some kind of ferry service. Though, if this whole Dreadlord thing didn't work out for him... No, too degrading. He knew there was more to his power than moving fast, he just hadn't grasped it quite yet.

The trip was quiet at first, Silas only now began to realize he didn't actually know much about Houri beyond that she was a hell of a dancer, had a brother, and could control the weather. Anything below the surface seemed a bit difficult to ask about, too. Houri had always struck him at the type to keep her private life, well., private.

Eventually, he had to try, though. Kicking a rock off of the craggy ledge on one side of the path, Silas let out a low whistle as he watched it tumble down the steep side of the cliff.

"You have a love for food, don't you?" He finally broke the ice. "I remember you brought some really good stuff to that feast a while back, and Livia mentioned you liked to bake. Where'd you pick that up?"

Houri

 

[Houri]

One of many side effects of having nearly thirteen voices inside your head, was that you never noticed when it was quiet. There was always some background discussion going on whether it was about their next meal, the aches in her feet, an argument about how a little bit of cloud cover would improve the day. Houri was perfectly content in her own company; after all it was all she had had for the past five years. It was being around others that she found difficult especially those from the Academy. In the Asylum the others had been broken like her. There had been a wary understanding between inmates, and with the Dreadlords who had used them only respect and loyal servitude. This new world order was still one she was adjusting to, especially when it came with these unusual feelings she couldn't explain other than the appearance of a new voice inside her mind.

The subject of food was always one Houri found comfortable, however.

Did he say Livia?

"My mother, and my grandmother," the Dreadlord initiate smiled and glanced across to her companion who had drawn her attention from watching their surroundings. "When I was young, before the Academy, I would watch them cook. We had servants, but they would always insist on cooking a few meals during the week themselves. Last year... made me appreciate food a lot more I suppose," that smile slowly diminished.

"Are you and Livia close?" she asked a touch too innocently.

 

[Silas Artesto]

There was a bittersweet smile on Silas' face as he listened to Houri talk about her family. That's right, the Luana name spread much further than she and Maseno. Just like Livia, hers was a name full of history and importance to the city.

That all-too-familiar sting in his chest caused his lips to waver a bit as he turned back towards the cliff, dismissing the negative thoughts as quickly as he could. "It's funny... that feast was the first time I'd eaten an entire meal that wasn't cooked by the government." He admitted with a harsh chuckle. "My parents were gone all the time on Guard work for the few years they were alive, and then they died and I lived with the Guardsmen to be trained. Lord knows they don't get gourmet meals..."

The lingering trickles of jealousy on his spine were uncomfortable, but he was able to talk around his want for such simple moments of tradition and nostalgia like her memories of her mother and grandmother, wants that couldn't be achieved.

Then, Houri brought up Livia.

Silas stiffened a bit.

If he was being honest, even Silas wasn't sure if he and Livia were 'close'. They'd slept with one another on several occasions, and those moments of private intimacy were ripe with emotion and honeyed words. Even so... In public, Livia and Silas acted as if they were strangers. Quinnick kept him at arms length, adamant about the wall that needed to be between them in the eyes of the public.

"We're... not a couple. If that's what you mean." He finally murmured, sliding his hands into the pockets of his bodysuit. Gods, he couldn't wait to get out of this thing. It was helpful on missions but constricting as all hell over long periods of time. "We're friends, but... She doesn't like people to know that. I dunno what the deal with it is, she thinks people will think less of her about it or something."

Houri

 

[Houri]

Houri was not the best at navigating the subtle nuances of emotions that her fellow initiates were. She found herself saying the wrong thing at the wrong time or in the wrong way often. She didn't pick up on the 'obvious' shifts in tone or 'between the lines'. It was in infuriating method of communication she found constantly out of her reach. She did, however, know how to read a person from the subtle shifts in their body. That was what soldiers did - what Dreadlords did - and it was an art she was far more comfortable in. She didn't want to think of Silas as an enemy or opponent but it was hard to keep the whispers of the voices at bay when he stiffened and...

He's not lying, but he's hiding something.

Her brows knitted into a small frown.

"That... doesn't make sense," not when Livia seemed content for others to know she hung out with her and Thraah. Since their odd night together, the three of them had found themselves seeking out one anothers company more and more often. "it's not as though you're Leander. You're... nice."

 

[Silas Artesto]

"That... doesn't make sense,"

A laugh ripped from Silas's mouth as he turned to face Houri, walking backward down the path as he spoke through his widened grin. "Yeah, you're telling me! I don't understand what her deal is either, but I can't make her open up to me, just like I wouldn't try and force you to. Prying into somebody's feelings before they're ready... I dunno, it just seems like a rotten idea, yeah?"

Silas turns back around to continue moving forward. Around the next bend, the open emptiness made way for some sparse signs of civilizations, buildings off in the distance with smoke pluming from their chimnies. Maybe they'd finally be able to nab some decent food, not that slop they'd served at the fort.

"Like... with you, for example." Artesto boldly decided to turn the conversation around back to Houri. "I like you. I feel comfortable around you, and I think you're cool to be around. The hell does it matter to me what's going on in your head? If things turn out in a way that I need to know, I have to have faith you'll tell me. Trying to understand what I'm not meant to is only gonna lead to resentment, I feel like."

He'd never really talked about this kind of thing with anybody, but as he'd stated aloud to Houri, he felt rather comfortable with her, enough to speak candidly.

"There's a little settlement coming up, if you wanna take a quick breather and grab a bite, now's the time. We might not get another chance until sundown."

Houri

 

[Houri]

Houri forced her body not to react as Silas only narrowly missed touching on her darkest secret.

Do you think he knows what's wrong with us?

Us? It's her that's broken.

Shut up, there's no way he can know. He isn't a telepath.

If he was Houri would have probably found a way to kill him. He wouldn't have been the first nor the last person she would kill to hide her secret from her peers. It unsettled her enough that a handful of Proctors and Dreadlords knew. Knowing something like this was a power to be held over her and Houri had no intentions of ever being locked up or owned or manipulated again.

Smile - look as though you're flattered!

Houri forced herself to do just that. Truthfully, she was flattered. She wanted people - wanted Silas - to trust her in that way. It just made her stomach twist knowing she would never be able to give him the truth. She was beyond relieved for the distraction the small village offered.

"I am always happy to eat," she said truthfully with a smile that was far more genuine. "The Captain did say we would have to walk all day to reach the main town by sundown though, so it could only be a short stop," or they'd be spending the night under the stars.

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas failed to recognize that Houri had taken his words in such a serious way. Artesto knew that she could have some wild mood swings sometimes, but the Initiate had no idea that his expression had hit so close to home for her, or how close he might have come to bringing their conversation to a much different conclusion.

Of course, he'd only meant well by his words. Mood swings or not, it probably wasn't a stellar idea to piss off a girl you thought was drop-dead gorgeous and could control the weather. That was more common sense than anything else. A smile spread across her face, albeit a slightly delayed one, and Artesto let out an internal sigh, smiling back before taking another look out to the small speck of buildings.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm so used to rushing that the pace we've got feels so slow..." He admitted, taking another quick peek back at her. He'd only ever seen her smile like that in dim lighting; the shadows of the fortress, the bowels of the ship they'd come here on, the overhead candlelight of the ball. Silas had figured maybe that glow she always seemed to have was a trick of the lights, but... underneath the clear sky, she was still breathtaking. How hadn't anybody made a move on her yet? "...You ever feel like your magic changes who you are, just a little?"

He'd started talking again involuntarily, if for no other reason than to not give off the impression he was staring. "I never used to be in a hurry, but ever since I started being able to use my vibration magic to zip from one place to the next, I kinda feel like it's made me more impatient, like things move slower for me."

The settlement was just that, a small cluster of homes and a few minuscule businesses that could barely even be classified as a hamlet. The storms that they'd endured during the mission had apparently spread all the way out here, as the few able-bodied men available were all busy cleaning damage and debris from the winds that'd been stirred up.

Still, money was money. They sought out the only tavern in the hamlet and paid for a meal and a drink. Rather than sit in the water-damaged building with a gaping hole in the roof, Silas suggested they find a spot outside of the village to sit and eat. An old abandoned campsite rested not far on the other side, with upended logs used for seats and a washed-out firepit. Artesto sat and shoveled a bite of the cooked fish into his mouth, the meat flaking apart with perfection.

"Fucking amazing... Leave it to a seaside village to have incredible fish, I suppose..."

Houri

 

[Houri]

Houri might have been able to create hurricanes and tornadoes, but Silas was one in and of himself. Every time she opened her mouth to say something he swept the conversation on, or he threw so many ideas and thoughts at her the likes of which she had not contemplated before that she was simply left blinking as she tried to piece her own thoughts together. At worst she must have looked like an idiot, at best rude.

Shouldn't that be the other way around?

NO. RUDE IS FAR SUPERIOR TO IDIOCY.

Was it? Why did she care? Why was she so nervous? Houri brushed a stray braid behind her ears and then covertly wiped her sweaty palms across her thighs. She was suddenly conscious about everything; how she must have looked after the siege, how she must have smelt. Gods, had this been a terrible idea? The town was a welcome distraction though is soon turned into a sad one. The easy smile she found hard not to wear around Silas finally faded as she saw the destruction she had had some hand in causing. If she had been stronger then maybe she could have overpowered those mages and taken back control of the skies sooner.

Don't be so hard on yourself, Houri. You're still young.

Houri ate her fish quietly for some time. Her eyes kept darting to the wreckage and the people's solemn expressions.

"I... agree with you. About your magic changing you, I mean. I find sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between my own emotions and the weather, which impacts which first. It's hard not to get caught up in it and let it run away with me."

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas merely nodded along, the hearty meal in front of him quelling his whirlwind of words and expressions at last. It wasn't lost on him that he'd been dominating the conversation, but it wasn't exactly his intent either. It was true that his magic had affected him in such a way that his world seemed to move slower, and his patience had perhaps taken a hit because of that, but the way he'd acted thus far was beyond even his normal.

Truthfully, Silas was nervous. Because she was the woman who'd captivated him so suddenly at the dance, after years of barely knowing her. Because where he'd once seen a comrade he respected and valued for her abilities and prowess, he now saw a lovely girl, not too unlike him, who'd matched his movements and synced herself to him in a way that he'd never experienced in his life.

Artesto still wasn't sure how that made him feel, and it was that unknowing that caused him to sputter and rant like a newbie Initiate on his first assignment out of the Academy. Looking down at the small, stringlike bones that were all that remained of his dinner, Silas closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of the salty seaside air.

"This is... a little weird for me." He muttered, his speech a fair bit slower than before they'd eaten. "Just... casual conversation, I mean." His expression changed, and he quickly added. "With you."

It was such a disjointed and awkward cluster of words that he couldn't hold back laughing at himself over it, pushing the fish bones off his lap, and resting his elbows on his knees. "Gods, I swear I'm usually not so hard to talk to. It's just... I'd barely spoken to you up until that dance, and afterwards... Fuck, Houri. It's been hard not to think about it. I've never had anybody move with me like that, make me feel like I wasn't too fast."

Leaning back, he gestures towards her, a grin on his face.

"Now you're here, and it's like I'm doing things backwards, trying to get to know you -after- having one of the best nights of my life with you. I feel like a bit of a dork, to be honest."

Houri

 

[Houri]

The cacophony of voices speaking over the top of one another whilst trying to listen to Silas at the same time made her head spin. Her emotions whipped from fear and shame to confusion and disbelief to this weird giddy feeling that had those last few remaining clouds above them vanishing. Warmth permeated the air and more than a few of the villagers removed sweaters or mittens and wiped at their brows. A faint stain of red had risen on Houri's cheeks and she found the meal on her lap to be - for the first time since returning - completely, wholly forgotten.

Someone liked her.

And not just liked if her cautious optimism had anything to say about it. It certainly wasn't simply like for her, not after that dance, and if what he was saying was true then he had felt that something more then too.

"It's been hard for me too - to not think about that dance. I haven't...." she couldn't mess this up by saying something dark or stupid. Livia would know what to say, even Thraah. Both of them had had far more experience with talking with boys they liked. "I've never danced with someone like that before either. I usually have to rein it back I get told I get lost too much in music," that blush grew steadily. What was that other thing he'd said? Right, getting to know each other. She took a deep breath and opened up a tiny bit.

"I used to sneak away on my free periods to dance in the training studio when I was younger."

 

[Silas Artesto]

As Silas listened, he formed a picturesque scene in his mind, Houri dancing alone in an empty studio, sunlight peeking through windows with almost complete silence surrounding her as she honed her skills to the fine edge she'd displayed to him at the dance. It brought warmth to his chest, thinking of how many hours of practice he'd enjoyed the fruits of. When a dance like the one they'd shared happened, those hours held weight and meaning. Without them, the experience would never have happened.

"Getting lost in the music isn't a bad thing..." Silas spoke softly, a twinge of annoyance that anybody could tell somebody like Houri to rein in ability like hers, or chide her for losing herself to the music. "It's who you get lost in it with that's the important part. When you had me in that last song... I swear I never wanted to come out of it."

The air around them was slowly growing dense and humid, and beads of sweat threatened to form on his brow, but Artesto didn't even notice. All it took was that smile on her face, that tiny tinge of color on his cheeks and he was drawn in again.

Gently, he leaned against her, his shoulder pressing softly against hers as he muttered, "Maybe... before we get back, we can find a place to do it again?" He was almost meek in asking her. "When I started developing my powers... I started dancing because moving to a vibration was really good practice, but I've never had a partner like you. Hell, some of the Proctors tried to bar me from doing it, saying it wasn't a productive use of my time, but then..."

Silas pauses and then sighs.

"I find myself wondering about a lot of stuff they've told me, lately."

Houri

 

[Houri]

Dance again, with him? The thought filled her with the type of giddy joy that made her feel as though she were full of fireflies. She rested a hand against her abdomen and almost expected to feel the tiny flutter of their wings against her palm. But that was ludicrous, wasn't it? No more ludicrous than the fact this conversation was happening. She'd daydreamed about another dance with Silas of course, quietly hoped that at the next dance he might seek her out again so she could feel like freedom once more... but they'd been mere fantasies. At the forefront of her mind was always the clear conviction that they were soldiers and war - not dancing - was their job. One or both of them could very well not be present at the next dance.

But wars and politics and death felt far away with his shoulder pressed to hers. It would take them days, maybe a week to get back to that life. Maybe the inn would have a musician... Maybe they could pretend for a little while.

"I don't want to think about the Proctors, or being Dreadlords," Houri made sure to keep her voice low so they were not overheard. After a brief, nervous hesitation she slid her hand over his and her heart started up its own tango in her chest. "Let's just... let's just be us for this week. Nothing else."

Kress that sounded dumb.

 

[Silas Artesto]

Houri's words, few and powerful, resonated with Silas. Yes, after so long spent living at high speeds, rushing through every word and action, and flying through thoughts like a bird through the clouds... One week with her, without speed, without worry or rush... That sounded divine.

She'd proven that she could keep up with him, and now the time came for Silas to pace himself, to match with her and achieve that same blissful synchronicity they'd reached before.

Artesto felt her hand slide gently over his, and without paying it a thought flipped his hand to lock his fingers with hers, just as they'd been joined before. Silas let his thumb glide slowly over the back of her hand, a strange fluttering in his stomach as his body leaned closer, eager to view her from mere inches away, to have that same closeness they'd once shared.

With his forehead nearly touching hers, the pair likely looked quite the sight to any passerby. Though unintentional, his words echoed that which he'd spoken at the dance.

"I'd like that, Houri..."

 

[Houri]

Not dumb...

The brief moment of fear and worry parted like clouds before the sun. Houri found herself unable to resist looking up at him to see if he too were looking at her. A smile so bright it made her eyes seem more like gold split across her face. She lingered there merely enjoying the quietness and the... the perfectness of this singular moment. There were so few moments in her life like these that she could count them on one hand. Fragments of diamonds scattered among the dark shadows of her history that she clung to when that darkness threatened to consume her whole in her nightmares. She would add this to that string of pearls.

"We should probably head on if we want to get to the town before dark then," that inn was still calling her name. A soft bed... perhaps some things were just a part of a nobles DNA. Not letting go of his hand she tugged him to his feet and passed back their plates to the kindly villager they had purchased their meal from, and set off back down the forest path.

"My brother says normal people talk about the weather but that seems..." she glanced to the blue sky then to Silas and couldn't help but smile again.

OUR JAW SHALL ACHE FROM ALL THIS SMILING

Ssshh.

"What about cake, everyone has a favourite cake?"

 

[Silas Artesto]

The very best of moments were always far too fleeting.

There was the briefest of moments, while the silence had hung in the air between them like a silent auditor, that he'd considered saying or doing something more, trying to wring even more happiness out of the moment like water from a towel. Ultimately though, he realized that to be so greedy would only serve to taint this memory, and Silas nodded slightly as Houri gently redirected them to their proper task.

"The offer of a lift is still on the table, you know." Silas snickered as she pulled him up to his feet and dragged him back onto the path leading out of the small, flooded village, headed back to the forest road that snaked towards town. "But I'm not opposed to taking my time, either. Suddenly the idea of a long evening walk with you is rather an appealing one." He quickly clarified, not wanting to push his luck too hard.

The shade of the forest was a welcome contrast to the sun-baked cliffside path they'd been taking earlier. A gentle breeze whispered through the leaves and kept him cool, even as Houri's constant glances back to him, flashing her incredible smile, was making him feel the slightest bit warm.

"My brother says normal people talk about the weather but that seems..."

"A bit impractical when you can change it at will?" Silas finished with a laugh, squeezing her hand slightly and increasing his pace so that they stood next to one another, their joined hands hanging between them. No longer was she pulling him, now they were merely doing it for the sake of contact. "Favorite cake? Hmm..." Silas tilted his head and looked up at the trees, mulling it over. He wasn't much of a foodie, but he'd had his fair share of sweets.

Only one cake stood out to him though.

"Okay..." He began as a grin broke his face, "You probably will think I'm just saying it, but... Those honey cakes you brought to Friendsgiving? Hot damn, Houri..."

Houri

 

[Houri]

Houri forced herself not to look down at their joined hands. She should let go now that she was sure he was not going to linger in the village. It would be the Dreadlord thing to do. The proper thing. But... she didn't want to do it and hadn't they just agreed that was all they were going to be for the duration of this trip? She bit the inside of her cheek and for once listened to... well. Her own voice.

"The honey cakes are a solid choice," she said with mock seriousness whilst wrestling with a smile. "My grandmother would be very happy to hear you say that," it was a recipe that had been in the family for hundreds of years if the old woman were to be believed. The secret ingredient was something that the women were told when they reached adulthood. Houri had been in the Asylum when it should have been her turn to learn, but Jiya had taught her during her first few months back.

"Nothing can beat chocolate though, in my humble opinion."

 

[Silas Artesto]

"Is that a fact?" Silas seemed to tilt his head closer to her, that smirk that veered dangerously close to obnoxious without veering over the edge painted on his face again as he raised an eyebrow quizzically. "And do you make chocolate cake?" Artesto had only ever had the cheap chocolate peices the Academy occasionally bought as a treat for the Initiates, so the idea of somebody like Houri making a chocolate cake fresh practically had his mouth-watering. "If so, what do I have to do to get some?"

She was going to get him hooked on sweets, this girl. He'd be okay with it too, because the way she lit up whenever he complimented her cooking was just as addicting, and he was already growing far too fond of it for his own good. Artesto really wasn't paying any attention to their hands at this point. Touching her felt good, felt natural. Besides, it was just their hands. It wasn't like they were pressed up against each other like they had been at the dance, right?

Then again... he was quite looking forward to another round of that.

"Listen to us." He snickered, "By the time we get to town we'll already have an appetite worked up." It wouldn't be hard, since he hadn't exactly finished his fish back at the village. "Maybe this time around I won't get so distracted looking at you that I forget to finish eating, hmm?"

Houri

 

[Houri]

Houri's laughter made the birds pause in their singing to listen. Talking, walking, being like this was not an easy task for her but Silas certainly made her want to try. As long as they could stay on safe topics like this one maybe she could even make it all the way back to the Academy without causing some bizarre weather catastrophe.

"I actually made one just before we left for this mission," the memory was a pleasant one if a little odd. "With..." here Houri paused. None of the girls had explicitly said that they were to keep the group a secret from other initiates, only the Proctors and Academy staff. Yet... "Well. I'm afraid it's a rather exclusive baking club. Girls only. Maybe I can save you a slice after one of our meets though. Or... we could have our own midnight baking session," the last part of her sentence sounded almost shy. It was an emotion Houri wasn't overly familiar with. Unlike the other voices which had made an appearance since her coma, Shyness was a soft brush against her senses and for the moment only seemed to make her palms sweaty.

 

[Silas Artesto]

Silas felt his lips purse, and a small little chuckle left him as he peered at Houri from the side of his vision. Where Houri did lean towards shyness, and Silas wasn't the boldest of the class, he couldn't resist a little bit of playful teasing when the opportunity arose, and whilst he might have been unsure of flirting with Houri before, this trip had done wonders for his comfort level around her.

"A midnight baking session, huh?" He leans just a tad closer to Houri, raising an eyebrow. "Getting to watch you work, all by ourselves? Silas held her hand tighter, stepping to his side so that their arms met as well. "I don't think I've ever wanted to watch somebody cook so badly in all my life." Despite his tone, he meant every word of that. The thought of watching her cook made him feel warm inside, like he'd been offered something very personal, that few were granted.

They were slowly making their way to the forest's edge, and the sun was racing to the horizon to meet them there. They'd been walking for hours, but talking to Houri had made the time fly by. Silas wasn't used to losing track of the time doing something so mundane. When he could get from point A to point B so quick, he took such long swaths of peace for granted.

"Maybe..." Silas hummed as they emerged from the dense woods out onto the outcropping that overlooked the town, the sun casting looming shadows as it dipped behind the large windmill that stood tall over the rest of the buildings. "I can show you a hidden talent of my own in return. I think you'll like it."

It depended on if he could find what he needed here for it, and he'd never done it in front of somebody but... if anybody was going to see it, he'd like it to be her.

Houri

 

[Houri]

Houri wasn't sure her style of baking was anything of a marvel to look at. Based on the last few Cake Club meetings she had spent more time covered in flour and running around after a chicken than she had doing anything helpful, but she had enjoyed it all the same. Especially as it had made Thraah laugh and Livia crack a rare smile. She had a suspicion it would feel different with Silas though. Thraah and Livia didn't make her heart race like he did or her cheeks flush like they did every time he looked at her. The mention of a hidden talent piqued her interest enough to make her forget about her heart threatening to leap out of her chest and her head canted curiously to one side.

"Another hidden talent? Mr Arteso I'm not sure I can handle any more - especially if they're as good as you're dancing," she thought that tomorrow her jaw might ache from all the smiling she had done today after years of... well. She banished that solitary grey cloud of memory.

As the pair reached the town the lamplighters were busy lighting the street lanterns that hung from iron wrought poles that were dotted periodically along the street. Where the lantern light didn't reach, the lights from taverns and homes filled in the gaps creating a lively atmosphere helped from the various snippets of music that wafted out onto the street. One particular set of notes caught her interest in particular and she found herself drifting after the sound of the saxophone until the reached the entrance of a large inn with fresh flowers in the window.

"I've never heard an instrument like that before," she said in awe, peering through the glass.