In Light and Darkness [Goblin]

[Juno]

"That many? Truly?" her eyes went wide as she studied him in awe. Either he was aging very, very well or he'd been in such an important role from a very young age. His praise, though, stopped her train of thought as she bowed her head respectfully for the compliment even though she smiled privately.

"Thank you, yes I did. I'm happy to hear you like it. Forgive me for saying, but...you seem quite young to have served for that long. Can I ask your age, Mordecai Dempsey?"

[GoblinFae]

Lorcan smiled shyly, bowing his head to hide his embarrassment as he hurried to fill his mouth with more food. He was unused to such praise especially from a civilian magic-user. There were few in Connlaoth he had found that would be kind to a law enforcer after having been caught breaking the law. He took the time he was chewing to reflect back on just how long it had been since since he had taken up the mantle of a Mordecai. Eleven years was so long and yet so short. He could not believe it had really been that long.

He licked a crumb off his lip and shook his head gently. "I'll see my thirtieth winter this year if you'll believe that Ma'am. Time flies by faster than you can imagine. I'm getting older before I've even realized it's happening," he jested lightly.

[Juno]

His humbleness was a little surprising given his status in her eyes but his age was even more surprising. Madeline's eyes grew wide as she stared, blinking at him in silence as she gave him a quick once over again. A bit of color rose to her cheeks as she cleared her throat and looked to the shadowed ground in embarrassment herself. "I had guessed your age to be closer to twenty than to thirty. You've aged quite well, then, better than any soldier I've ever met," she praised gently, feeling a little foolish for even attempting lighthearted flirting with a man certainly old enough to have a few children at home with a wife, let alone how far out of social reach he was for her as a mage.

"Forgive me," she apologized with a knowing smile that she'd spoken out of turn. "I suppose that makes much more sense than a child soldier, huh?" Maddie laughed. She adjusted the direction her legs were folded and rubbed her hands together for a bit of warmth and as much distraction from her assumed fumblings. "Do you get to travel very much, then?" she wondered, trying to bring the conversation more on track with a relatively normal question.

[GoblinFae]

"You're far too kind, Ma'am" Lorcan mumbled as his ears darkened. "I doubt I'm as lucky as you claim. That or you have been most unfortunate in the soldiers you have met. Then again perhaps you've seen more of our battle wode soldiers as I am not yet truly one of them. To answer your question though, no I'm afraid I have not yet had much opportunity to travel. Work in the city keeps me and my brethren plenty busy these days. When I was younger though I did get to travel a few times with my father although that is now many many years past."

[Juno]

Excited as she was to be able to learn a little bit more about him, Maddie couldn't help but feel it was pointless. He seemed wary of her at best and there was probably little use in befriending a Mordecai unless she planned on being in a habit of getting in trouble. "That's a bit of a shame," she sighed, though she still smiled in the dark. "Connlaoth is so beautiful. I traveled a good bit here and there with my parents, but I suppose it's good you've still seen parts outside of here," she said, gesturing out in the direction of the city since they were already on the outskirts.

"I'm glad you enjoy your work, though," she praised. "Unfortunate we couldn't have met under better circumstances, but it's lovely to see a kind and honorable person in such a position. I must confess, though, I don't entirely know what the law is on...talking like this," Maddie fumbled, unsure of how to phrase it properly either. "So thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Mister Dempsey," she told him sincerely.

[GoblinFae]

Lorcan looked up at her in surprise, not understanding her concerns. "As far as I know there are no laws preventing two individuals from speaking with each other and I certainly know there are no laws preventing me from speaking to anyone or at least no laws you need to worry about Ma'am," he rambled on shyly, fumbling himself awkwardly as he had probably said more to her than he had to most other people that were neither family nor of his order.

"Please forgive me though if I have kept you from anything. I realize I have been rather incourteous myself with my occupying your time. If you have chores to return to or your family will worry please do not let me bother you further. I can return the tray to you once I'm done to not inconvenience you and yours further. I am so sorry!"

[Juno]

"Oh, no, no, it's nothing like that," she tried to assure him, blushing brightly to know she'd made him feel as though she was busy and trying to rid herself of him. "I'm enjoying this quite a lot, actually. I haven't had much of anyone to talk to lately besides my mother, so it's a welcome change.

"I merely meant I wasn't sure of the...unwritten rules of society about such a thing," Maddie confessed. "Of course it is no written law, but perhaps I fear the unknown too much. Forgive me, I didn't mean to imply... I merely worry for the reputation of a very kind Mordecai," she admitted. "These roads are often traveled even at night, but if it's alright I'd like to stay a bit longer."

[GoblinFae]

He looked at her in shock and surprise before his expression melted into a gentle smile. "Well thank you kindly Ma'am but I truly feel you needn't worry about my reputation. As you've said I am a Mordecai but I am also a person and definitely one who tries to be good of heart. I see no reason for two people to not converse plainly with each other if it causes no ill will or harm.

"That being said, if I am indeed not burning your time then I would very much appreciate the company. It is not often that I am able leave my traditional post or home for other things and even more rare to find such gentle company to spend that time with. Have you eaten though I fear I may have forgotten to ask and instead rudely allowed my stomach to think in place of my head?"

[Juno]

She was pleased that he seemed happy enough to be talking to her and not for any feeling of obligation. Still, it would likely serve her well to be cautious with a man of the law. "It's no bother at all, I'm happy to stay," Maddie assured him, her hands wringing a bit idly for his seemingly confident straightforwardness. "I ate before, don't worry. While you were patrolling. Just when I noticed you hadn't left yet I figured the offer might be appreciated," she explained gently, nodding at his tray with a brief smile that he was free to eat without worry.

"Are you away from home a lot, then?" she wondered, though she assumed it was so by his previous answer. "Must be hard to be away from family," she added with an understanding smile, knowing quite well how little time her own father had for her and her mother as she assumed the same went for him and his loved ones.

[GoblinFae]

"Well I suppose I could say I am one of the more fortunate soldiers then. My family is my brothers at arms and while I do have a little brother he also works in the barrack stables so I often enough when I'm not home. I do try to be home every night but there are occasions I am kept from home like tonight though they are rather rare and far in between."

Lorcan rubbed his hands together feeling somewhat awkward for rambling on and on about himself to a stranger. She just was so easy to talk with and until he opened his mouth he had not even begun to realize how much he needed to. When his parents still lived there had always been laughter and conversation to go around on end. Now though it was just Luke and him and by the day's end Lorcan himself was usually too tired to do more than ensure his brother kept out of trouble before dragging himself off to bed.

[Juno]

She definitely noticed the lack of any mention of children or a wife, which was surprising to her. Briefly, she wondered if Mordecai were not permitted to marry, but she felt it would be overly intrusive to ask him such a thing directly. It didn't even occur to her that it might be odd that he seemed to live alone with one brother, as she assumed he was merely a year or so younger than he.

"That's good, must be nice to call close friends family," she mused, humming pleasantly. "I'm not sure what kind of schedule your brother keeps compared to you... But, well, we still have food from dinner. I'd be happy to send you home with some for him as well if you usually eat together," she offered, feeling a bit embarrassed and like she might be overstepping bounds by offering him such a thing. The last thing she wanted was him to think she thought they weren't capable of providing for themselves.

[GoblinFae]

Lorcan's eyes widened in surprise and he stuttered out a nervous refusal. "Oh Ma'am but I couldn't! I would be ashamed if I took food from your family's table to feed the bottomless pit that is my little brother," he added hoping to keep the mood light. "Truly you are endlessly kind. You have already done so much for this simple soldier. I-I really would feel deeply guilty for accepting much more. As it stands I am already in your debt for such delicious and warm fare on a cool evening such as this."

[Juno]

Madeline found herself blushing for his adorable stammering, the slight look of panic quite fitting for him, she unfortunately had to admit. "Well...if you change your mind the offer still stands. You wouldn't be taking anything from us. We're fortunate and have plenty for ourselves. More than we'd ever need, truthfully.

"Besides, I enjoy cooking and fresh is always tastier than something reheated by the fire. Think about it," she asked of him, gesturing at his tray. "I would not offer if we would go hungry for it. It was merely an offer for what sounds to be a very...busy family," she explained, offering a shy smile for his quick rejection.

[GoblinFae]

"Thank you, Ma'am, truly I cannot say enough how kind you are. Take it from me though I mean no insult but my brother could manage to the whole town let alone the city out of food if left to his own devices. That boy's stomach must fill him up entirely with the way he eats." He laughed and shook his head while thinking of Luke. "Perhaps another time though as I have already eaten one of your extra meals," he added, hoping that by doing so he would not insult her."

[Juno]

"Oh, he can't be that bad," she laughed along with him, finding his use of "boy" a bit odd, though she thought it might have easily been a brotherly pet name of sorts. "Of course, some other time," she agreed, though she wasn't entirely sure if he was only agreeing in the moment to not make their time awkward together. He seemed like an honest enough man, but she knew such an agreement was not a promise of any sort of return.

"If you ever find yourselves short on time or resources I'd be happy to bring you something instead. I have quite a lot of time on my hands these days, so it would be no trouble. At least promise me you'll consider it?" she teased as she glanced down at the remains of the dinner she'd offered him.

[GoblinFae]

Lorcan chuckled half in jest and half knowing how serious he was. "Ma'am I hope for your sake you never find out how truly tenacious he is. He'd eat you out of house and home before you even realized he finished the first plate. In all seriousness though Ma'am I shall promise to remember your offer should we ever find ourselves without a pickle." He winked back at her playfully before resuming to finish the last bites of his meal.

Leaning back he then patted his full belly appreciatively. "Thank you again, it was just the thing a soldier needs on a night like tonight. Shall I help you take this back, Ma'am?" he asked motioning to the tray as he moved to get back to his feet.

[Juno]

Satisfied with his answer, Maddie relaxed quite easily in his presence once more. She was happy he seemed genuinely pleased with his meal and she noticed the way he pat at his belly with a small smile of pride. His prompting, though, had her quickly snapping to attention and scrambling to stand up as well and brush stray bits of grass from her clothes. "I can take it for you," she insisted, reaching out for the tray. "I would appreciate the company, though. It's quite dark and..." She trailed off as she turned her head to view the very short distance between them and the porch of her home she could easily see by moonlight. "Well, it's dark," she said again, not realizing she'd already used that for reasoning.

[GoblinFae]

"It is indeed dark and definitely no place for a sweet, little lady such as yourself to be wandering alone in. I would be bereft in my duties as a gentlemen and a soldier if I left you to go alone. I must insist though that I carry this burden no matter how light, for you though Ma'am," he added as he kept the tray out of her reach. "My Ma would be rolling in her grave if I didn't. I simply can't have that, now can I?"

[Juno]

Maddie was a bit taken aback by his offer. While he seemed entirely genuine she couldn't help but feel a bit mocked by it. Every other normal night he did not grace her with his presence she could have need to go out in the dark without any sort of escort. "I'm not much of a lady, your good manners are a bit wasted here," she teased, though she allowed him to keep the tray so she didn't continue to embarrass herself over it. She noticed his mention of his dead mother, a fact that saddened her for such a kind person to lose a loved one no matter the circumstance. By his own joking, though, she assumed it was not a recent wound.

"It really isn't all that far. You might remember which one. This way," she prompted him, gesturing off towards her home in the distance as she set out towards it. She found herself watching the ground more than usual, though, being extremely cautious to not step in a hole or trip on something in front of him.

[GoblinFae]

"Nonsense," he declared firmly, "a lady is a lady no matter how much she protests the contrary." He followed her easily without worry or care. Lorcan was oblivious to her wirries and concerns given how calm the night was. It was unusual for him to be able to have such a slow-paced and quiet evening given how loud and boisterous his brother could be or quick to revel the soldiers in the barracks often were. "Do you have any siblings, then?"