Spirits of the Earth

After that unusual encounter of meeting that fallen angel at Serendipity Village, Thaylias decided she should explore more of the villages. She had no choice but too, she supposed. Curiousity was so strong in her that it was fueled her, what gave her energy to move. But, of course, she had other, more secretic movetives that she cared not to escape from her lips. And who, nowadays, didn't have darker pasts? It seemed like everyone carried around heavy burdens upon their shoulders. Then again, these weren't the best of days. She knew that very well. Who didn't?

Thaylias wandered down the road, avoiding some people riding smoothly on the backs of equines or relative-type animals. She watched as a carriage rushed past, the wheels grumbling over the ground as the horses' hooves thudded and tapped. Her lush, forest emerald eyes blinked as she watched, almost awestruck. Such simple things, she thought. But with that she not only felt more intuned to her body, but to her needs, such as the one that struck her empty stomach. She looked around hopefully for a fruit stand, with slender, snowy digits brushing back loose, long ebony lucks behind her ears. Her delicate-looking face bright with an almost child-like curiousity that seemed very innocent.

The flash of a tender, bright red caught the attention of her eyes. She trailed back to the previous location of the red and eyes flickered. She recklessly stepped out into the road - stupidly enough - a carriage was coming at her. The horses saw, rolled their eyes as the clear whites flashed. She yelped and the horses kept coming and didn't stop. In fact, they went right through her. In time she had realized that she could go through any solid object and the rush that went through her gave her a sharp, tingling sensation that traveled down her spine and made her shiver, sweat beading her brow. That had been painful but not nearly as painful as if she would have been trampled beneath hooves and wheels. And so, with this she trotted off, her attention reverted to the fresh apples as she made it across the road. This time with no problem at all. She bought an apple and sank her teeth into it and hmmed happily as she leaned against a wall nearby the stand, watching everybody walk by. Now, after her stupidity she could, perhaps, recline and watch everyone?

"Well, well. Wasn't that interesting?" said a quiet, cheerful voice from behind the girl. The source of it emerged from the (convientently located) small alley nearby. It was a figure, a tall man with a lanky figure and hair that flopped across his eyes. Crelessly, he brushed it back.

"You seem to have walked straight through a horse, and not taken notice," he said almost to himself. Kael, as he was called, leaned against the wall next to the girl. He did so casually, like he had known her all his life. "Quite unusual, I would call it. Then again, you don't see many things you would call normal around these days." He stopped a moment and stared into space, then shrugged some mental cobwebs off.  "In any case.. I'm Kael. And you are?" He turned his head questioningly, searching her eyes with his sapphire ones.

Thaylias, although she had been an assasin of sorts, she was not incapable of surprise. By far of course. She nearly jumped out of her skin, a jolt rocking her as she snapped her head to look to the origin of the voice, large, luminous eyes already growing larger with her surprise. She had snapped her head to look at him so fast it caused the long, belly-button length braid of hair to casually flick over her shoulder. She sighed, though, when he was a non-threatening sort. Well, she'd have to be more alert, despite her abilities.

When he spoke of her run-in with the carriage and horse she gave a soft laugh, one of her effortless smiles gliding onto her face. She loved to smile and laugh and it came with natural ease to her. She never oppressed her facial expressions, whether it be scowl or smirk. Unless she really needed to get away with something and lying was involved...

"Hello and I'm Thaylias. Yes, around here nothing seems unusual, does it?" She spoke, a brow lifting as she gazed into his blue eyes.

Lovely blue eyes, she thought. She dismissed the thought - stupid girly harmones. She bit back into the apple with a smile, chewing and swallowing. She tilted her head, resuming looking at him with mild interest. She shifted against the wall, the sole of her sandle pressed against the wall her back was pressed against it.

"How're you?" She said, not uncomfortable just more at a loss for something to say.

He said nothing for a moment, but kept eye contact, and almost concerned expression on his face. He looked as if he were trying to read.. well, her sould, almost. But the moment passed, and he looked away, out into the busy street. "Yeah, anything's possible," he said, sounding happy and almost childlike. Still, something wistful tugged at him, but he ignored it. After all, he couldn't just sit there and stare at the world forever, could he? No, he had to get used to it sometime.

He glanced back at his unusual companion. "Thankee, I'm good," he said amiably. "You seem new around here," he remarked, not knowing if that was the case or not, but guessing anyway. "Checked out the castle yet? 'S rather pretty. Bit to fancy for me, though. I'm a more.. simple kinda person."

Thaylias thought he was rather oddly distant. He had kept eye contact with her but he had seemed to be looking at something deeper than her. At least her exterior, as if trying to look at her soul. But perhaps she was reading to much into his azure gaze. She continued to study him, taking another bite at her apple hungrily. Mmm! Good, she thought. She shifted again, feeling her spine grate against the wall irritabily but she remained resting against the well, getting more comfortable with the more time she spent with her back pressed against it.

"Yeah, I am new. Oh, no, I haven't checked out the castle. Fancy does make sense for a castle. Eh, well, I just float around, never really stay one place," she responded in one seemed like in one breath.

Kael had seemed, earlier, rather childlike. Not that that was a bad thing of course. And he had looked at her with something near concern... mind playing tricks? Very likely, she thought. And with that she felt a sharp pang shoot up her body and made her wince the very slightest. She couldn't believe her luck -- she had contracted that stupid virus. And it always happened at sporratic moments. Maybe it was just something she'd have for a short while. She was still going through the change of species and maybe with fully acquiring her phaser abilities her changeling ones will dissipate along with the virus. Or she would have to search for some cure in which she had heard of. It was somewhere.. a plant or potion, she couldn't be sure. Maybe both? Oh well. Time would tell.

Kael quickly turned his head towards her; he had been studying her, too, out of the corner of his eye. "Alright?" he asked, his voice still easy and pleasant. Still, he had seen her shifting restlessly. Was something wrong? His eyes again met hers, and the faintest flicker of concern again passed through them. After a moment of hesitation, he let it pass. If it was, she was a big girl, and could probably take care of herself.

After another moment, he turned towards her. "Apple?" he asked, seeing she was almost done with her firstm devouring it at a remarkable speed. "Well, another?" He had produced an apple, albiet a rather beat up one, presumably out of his pocket. With one hand, he held the apple towards her. with the other hand, he again brushed his oaken-coloured hair back from his face., which now had an earnest and innocent look displayed on it.

Once again she was mildly surprised about his question. She should be more aware, or perhaps this virus was misting her senses? She didn't know and it annoyed her very slightly. That simple fact that a virus was in her veins and she could swear it was mocking her as it lulled in her blood. Gah! Geeze, she was acting so, rather, pyschopathic lately. Not like she was sane any other time, just this was an unusual insanity and she wasn't pleased with it.

In response to his one-word question of 'alright' she simply nodded with a merry smile. She gave a soft breath, the smile still lingering on her lips as she twitched again. Odd pains in her chest and head. Almost a heartattack or headache but she knew it wasn't neither. It was just a spontaenous threat inside her that was cast out by the virus that hummed and lived within her being.

A grin flickered over her lips, pulling her lips up at the corners as she finished off the rest of her apple. Yes, she did eat rather fast. She blinked at him when he offered her his apple that he had taken from his jacket. Although she trusted him, one could never be to trusting about certain things like that. And she had always been wary about food others had given her, a pet peeve of sorts because as a child her siblings and friends weren't always the kindest to her or one another of course.

"No thank you," she responded to him.

She paused, thinking of something to say. What to say, what to say?

"What brings you here?" she asked him, curious of his answer.

He just looked at her for a moment, and raised one eyebrow slightly. The apple was stil in his outstretched hand. He shruged, and took a large bit of the apple, still looking at her a bit suspiciously. Her smile seemed... transparent, somehow. Maybe it was just him. Yes, that was probably it. He really was never good at reading other people, and didn't want to misinterperet someone he had just met.

In response to her question, he said, "Actually, I dunno myself. I wander a lot, don't belong to any place in particular. Itchy feet, you know." He grinned, a crooked sort of grin that got him out of all sorts of trouble as a kid. As if to prove his last commet, he raised his right foot and scratched it throught the thin leather of his boot.

Kael set his foot down, and suddenly reached out his hand. He took a small strand of her hair in his fingers for a moment, looked at it, and tucked it behind her ear. Then he looked at her, and blushed furiously, and looked away. "Sorry," he muttered. "Didn't mean to infringe on any.. er, space."

Her amused, lush emerald eyes seemed to smile and twinkle in a unison with her plump, glossy lips. A soft, almost musical, but lilting laugh echoed from her in response to him about his feet. She nodded her head, understanding what he meant. Her own feet were rather 'itchy' as well. She was never in one place long, usually wandering around and staying for a few weeks, perhaps even a month if she seemed content in the new place. But she usually never stayed in a place long if she lacked in friends.

Her luminous eyes widened in her delicate face, more in surprise then anything else. She wasn't used to people tucking a strand behind her ear. It was, well, new to her. Especially to strangers, even if she didn't mind. It was, well, odd to her. But then again, this place was odd to her but yet it all felt right.

"N..no. It's okay ^^' Heh," she said softly in response to him, still blinking to get over that oddness.

She couldn't help the faintest traces of a blush light up her cheekbones with the softest reddish hues as she looked at him, clearing her throat.

He coughed slightly, and looked back at her. His blush was nearly faded, but traces of it still remained.

"Ah.. er..." he said, feeling extremely awkward. He tucked his own hair behind his ear yet again, as if to reassure himself with the familiar movement. He shifted from one foot to the other. "How about that sunset?" he asked, pointing toawrds the west where the sky was indeed streaked with brilliant colors, as if assigned by a painter's masterstroke. He fell silent again, this time just watching beauty which had been there since the dawn of time, or so it seemed. He signed slightly and leaned his head back against the wall, staring into the eaves of the building.

Thaylias, catching his drift of uneasiness it flickered into her. She felt a twinge inside her head and the world bubbled and faded, focusing and unfocusing. She closed her green eyes and then opened them, gazing out at the beautiful artist strokes. A smile crossed her features, breathing out very gently. It was so beautiful.

"It's so beautiful," she breathed, her eyes caught by the beauty painted across the sky.

A happy bubble rose inside her, making her feel girlish. But she clapsed her hands together and her fingers laced together tightly as she smiled dreamily. But it faded as she just rested against the wall, watching the sunset. Breathtaking of course. Such natural beauty never grew old for her.

But not even a sunset can last forever. It slowly sank, leaving shadows in the place of light. The village seemed so quiet with the abscence of light. It made her look around, off balance by the sudden disappearance of people. It was odd how with the sun they were gone, to bed or dinner she didn't know. But the soft glow of candle lights inside houses confirmed that mostly dinner was going on. The roads seemed oddly empty and her shoulders slumped as she relaxed against the wall. Another sleepless, dreamless night. It seemed she'd be walking the village streets, people thinking her a thief or something.

"How long are you staying around here?" She asked softly, not wanting to shatter the present serenity that had simply veiled the village.

He was silent, his eyes still fixed on the fading twilight and deepning dusk. After a moment he exhaled deeply, as if he had been holding his breath. Then he shrugged, the cloth of his shirt catching on the rough stone of the wall.

"Dunno," he responded in the same quiet tone, his voice thoughtful. "Maybe a day, maybe a month." He paused. "Maybe forever. I just seems so peaceful here, like time doesn't even touch this place... just wish life was like that." His eyes also flisked to the windows of the houses lining the road, with their cheerful fires throwing light through the windowpanes. He envied, in some small way, those who were warm by those fires. How ironic Thaylias ask the question he himself was thinking. All the paths he had carefully laid in his childhood, and he had taken none of them. He didn't even know where he was going to be that night, much less in the intangible 'future'. He sighed slightly, and then laughed very softly to himself as he almost jumped at the sound.

Thaylias breathed out a soft sigh, looking down at her sandals. She brought up her right foot, inspecting the worn sandals she took them off, sighing as it nearly fell apart with the thud. She took from a pouch that had been conscealed by her body two pairs of slipper-like shoes and a better pair of socks. She took off those, blinking at the tons of miniscule holes and loose threads. She slipped on the new sock onto her foot, this one not have the split between her large toe and the rest like tabi socks. She donned the sock and black slipper shoe and shifted to change the other. She picked up the sandals, two socks and apple core and dropped it into the pouch for her own reasons. She would need some kind of fuel for a fire for tonight. She could make the fire but if she would catch a snooze it'd have to last on it's own.

"It is peaceful. I don't know how long I'll stay myself. I heard that there was something here and it would help me greatly if I found it. If it's not here I'll move to another place," she said rather softly.

What was she supposed to find? The cure to the virus that corrupted her blood. She wanted it gone because the nagging feeling that it wouldn't go away with her previous powers but stay and take away years of her life. If she didn't find the cure, if she didn't find the mystery plant she sought to rid her of the virus that still curdled her. She looked at Kael and laughed softly, masking the pain writhing in her chest.

"I agree with you.. about wishing that life was peaceful," she responded.

But it seemed like it'd never, ever happen. She tried not to kill, and she hated the vicious cycle. And yet, she had to protect those who could not protect themselves against people who wished to do the weaker harm. She had tried to not hurt anyone but determination was a powerful thing. Indeed it was.

Kael watched this exchange of footwear avidly from the corner of his eyes. He was still in his casual lean against the brick-ish wall, seemingly staring up at the eves. However, every muscled of his body suddenly tensed, and his senses went on full alert, so to say. Still casually, not to alert anyone (especially the girl besides him), he turned his head and looked to his right, deep blue eyes scanning everything, especially the skirt of woods barely visible at the edge of the village. But nothing out of the ordinary caught his eye. Just a few villagers and the like walking along the edges of the road, mostly too and from the taverns. Slowly, he forced all the muscles in his body to relax, then he turned back to Thaylias.

"Hm? ..Yeah," he said, with a bit of a distracted look in his eyes. Then they focused sharply. "What precisely are you looking for? A hot meal? Or maybe it's treasure.. oh, or maybe a companion for the night?" he asked playfully, accompanying the last question with an exaggerated wink.  But he, too, was looking for something. Heck, he didn't know what, or even if he was on the remotely right track. But there was just this vague, half-feeling that he needed to find something. And it was urgent. So he just followed his feet, hoping they knew better than himself.

Thaylias noted how he had seemed so oddly distracted. She had seen him sense and had watched him glance around, as if he was looking for someone, or something. She didn't comprehend what he was seemingly so tense about. She sighed - it was none of her buisness, she reminded herself coolly. She always meddled in another's problems or overly cared about someone even if she really didn't know them. She disliked that fact about herself, forcing herself onto others and into other's problems. But hey, no one was perfect and she certainly was not.

When he asked of what she was looking for her brows arched at him and when he ticked off some guesses she began to shake her head and when he mentioned the last one she started giggling. Two ways that could be taken, innocent or not. Whichever, it was still funny.

"Oh. More of a cure, really. To one of my biggest problems," she said, only responding to what he had asked.

No use in telling him needless information, right? Only tell him what he asked for. Never burden a person when unnecessary. That's how she figured it anyway. But she didn't mind taking the burden because she had done it for her friends and family. It was just her, only her problems.

"Why do you ask?" She asked, curious.

He half-shrugged, raising and lowering one shoulder. "It just seems like everyone is looking for something these days. It's not good to generalize, but seems like it's true. Thing is, not everybody knows it. The ones who do... well... seems like their troubles are a bit heavier." It also seemed that this was the case with Thaylias. However, despite his usual lack of tact, he decided not to push the issue. Sounded a bit corny, but if she wan'ted to talk, she'd talk. He didn't really like not knowing; his curious nature compelled him (especially as a child) to ask about everything. With a bit of effort, though, he kept his mouth shut, and only looked at her.

The world began to bubble, swooping as the world tilted beneath her feet. She closed her eyes, pressing her back firmly to the rough brick-like wall as her eyes closed. When you spin around you sometimes get that odd feeling in the pit of your stomach, well, it felt like that ten times worse. She sighed as her eyes flicked open, and she smiled lightly at Kael. Stupid virus, she thought. Why did things happen to her? Oh well, why should she be treated any different from the rest of the world? She sighed softly as she stretched her legs.

"Perhaps," she responded to him as he had spoken.

"Hey, have you seen any white flowers around here?" She asked him casually.

She had been told the cure lies in a white flower. She didn't know what kind or what exactly she was looking for. Her source had just told her that she'd know when she had found the right one. She'd have to eat the flower, even though it would, more than likely, taste horrible.

"White flowers?" he echoed, slightly confused. He thought a moment, flicking the bit of hair near his ear.

 "Er.. just lilies they sell in the market sometimes... and sometimes some of the wildflowers are white. I don't really pay much attention to that kind of thing, to be honest." He looked back at her, one eyebrow raised slightly. "Is that your cure? Seems a bit odd to me, but each to their own, I guess." He thought for a moment. "Really, though, if that is what you're looking for," he shrugged, "I guess you could look at some of the flowers in the woods or summat." He paused a moment, looking around again, his brows now furrowed. ".. a bit late to do that now, though. Gets dark fast 'round here, I find. A bit hard to see anything, much less flowers."

Thaylias listened to him calmly, nodding her head in answering to him. So he didn't really take notice to those things. She sighed - desperate hope. Oh well, she'd find it. She was still unsure of what kind of flower. Delicate and small? Or large and vibrant? She didn't know, the knowledge beyond her. She was left with nothing but hope and looking for every white flower desperatly.

"If light is what I'll need.. I have that covered," she responded softly.

Ignoring the tendrils of pain flickering in her skull she flicked her hand out, palm up as a silver flame danced over her palm. She watched the flame dance and narrowed her intense lush eyes as the flame grew, the light intensifying. It cast it's glow as she continued to ignore the pain. Stupid! She let out a soft breath from between her lips as she looked back too Kael. With that she blinked as she faltered, falling towards him as she turned her body and forced herself where, instead of her going through Kael, he went through her. If she did it the other way she could wind up hurting him. If he went through her it would hurt her, granted, but it was better than hurting him. She let herself sink through the ground and push herself through the ground back beside him, although staying in a sitting position.

"Sorry about that >>" she said, the flame in her hand reappearing, having disappeared with her falling.

He started to nod in response to her answer, thinking she meant lanterns or the like. However, when the flame burst across her palm, he stopped, and his sapphire eyes widened almost imperceptibly.

"Wow, I didn't know y--" he started to say, but again stopped, this time seeing her sway, then fall. But as he reached out his arms reflexively to catch her, she went right through him (he didn't know it was the other way around). Despite the fact that he had seen her do this once before, it still gave him a shock. He was even more amazed when she simply sat and started the fire again. He started to reach for her, take her pulse, pat her head, something to reassure either of them, but drew back abruptly. She had seemed uncomfortable a bit with physical contact and even if she hadn't, it might not be the best thing at the moment. So he sufficed for staring and saying (almost yelping), "Are you alright?!"

The sharpness of a yelp made her retract slightly, the world bubbling and spinning as she sat there, her hand closing on the flame. She sighed and leaned her head against the rough, brick-like wall. She licked her lips, eyes firmly closed. And after what seemed like an eternity and she'd never answer she finally spoke.

"I'm sort of okay," she responded, shifting.

Her hands clenched into fists, frustrated with herself and boundaries. She didn't like these limits! If she didn't have that aweful virus her body could take this. But that virus, that disease, whatever it was, it was devouring her it seemed. It pulled her boundaries closer, it made her seem so suffocated in the limits that were in arms length.

She sighed, her hands fell open as she let her body fall into a semi-relaxed state. She sighed, shoulders slumping as her eyes finally opened and focused slowly on Kael. She gave him a soft, wavering smile towards him. She remained sitting on the ground, legs tucked at her side.

He slid down the wall to sit next to Thaylias. His eyes again searched hers, but this time they were deep, concerned.

"Sort of ok?" he said, gravely. "Doesn't look it, if you don't mind me saying." Kael found himself wondering what was wrong. She really was a nice person, even if he knew nothing about her.  He was fairly trusting, but his instincts had never yet led him wrong, so it had turned out relatively fine so far. He remained quiet, his lips pressed together, his brows drawn together.

"I don't mind..." she breathed, pushing back a loose lock of her hair.

She sighed softly, the pain thumping in her head constant and unswaying. She lifted and hand to randomly rub her left temple, just to ease the headache that she couldn't pursuade to halt. She watched him and decided to respond and tell him. Might as well, right? He did seem concerned..

"I have this virus, a disease and I need a white flower to cure it.." she stated,"

Thaylias shifted, looking to the ground as she felt so weak. So.. scared. She was used to being scared but she had no control, not really anyway, of what was laced in her very blood. This disease.. it just hurt her. Physical and mentally. She couldn't stand feeling so weak, so scared, and now rather alone. Oh well! She had to move on and stop feeling so sorry for herself. She'd find a cure! She'd find a cure to solve this virus, she'd find that white flower and she'd figure out how to turn it into a cure. Soon, she'd be free, rid herself of the silent burden.

"Oh.. um." he said, hesitating. He hadn't really been expecting her to tell him. Still, somehow he was glad she had Now.. maybe he could help her? It was a long shot, but he would try. After all, he had nothing better to do. Certainly nothing worse.

"Herbal cures, eh? Well, never heard anything like that... certainly not anything that made someone go transparent-like." He laughed, slightly uneasily, and threw his crooked grin at her. "Anyway, maybe I can help?" he said, a faintly hopeful look on his face.

"Well, I'm changing from a chaneling to a being that can go theough complete solid objects and make fire," she said with a sigh.

She had her reasons from changing to a changeling to a phaser as the species she was changing into was known. She rubbed her temple furiously, trying to ease it. SHe touched the tip of her tongue to her lips, tracing it over her lips with a sigh.

"If you want.. you can," she said uncertaintly.

The faint look of wanting to help her mildly surprised her. She shifted again, still wondering why Kael wanted to help her... maybe he was just a nice person. She breathed out a sigh, rubbing her face with her hands. She looked at Kael, brows arched over her emerald eyes. Finally, curiousity got the best of her.

"If you don't mind me asking... why?" She asked him, a brow still quirked.

He shrugged a little. "Iono. Not much else to do, is there? And you look like you really need it."

After a moment, he slid even further down the wall, until he was lying on the ground. He tucked his hands behind his head, and made himself a little more comfortable in the bristly patch of roasdside grass he was lying in.

"I mean..  you're the first person I've met that's talked to me for more than five minutes. Maybe you are sick after all, and just too weak to run away." He grinned, looking up at the stars just peeking out from the clouds. "Sorry.. didn't mean to go all psyche on you like that. S'just.." He stopped. "Nevermind." The night was completely quite for a moment, and Kael stared fixedly up at the stars.

Thaylias gave a soft laugh as he suggested that she was too weak to run away. She thought about it, why she hadn't left even though, too her, it was very obvious. Despite herself she thought deeply into it, lowering herself beneath the surface within what made her, her. She buried herself within the many faces, the many masks she had given herself over the years. And once again she failed too know which was true and which was just a masquarade of being nice, of striving for what she knew was right. And with all that thought her shoulders slumped and she went slack, turning over where her back was against the wall. She tilted her head back, glancing to the sliver of the fatbellied moon with a smile lingering on her face. She glanced to him when he apologized.

"No, no. Nothing to apologize for. I don't mind, I kind of like it. It's better than being on the outside all the time..." she said softly, rolling her head as she looked at him.

She was so tired of living in herself, secluded to her mind. Tired and within the depths and left to her own thoughts.. It was agonizing for her. To live in such a hell, to live in a mind that thought too much. She liked to listen to other people, because she was so used too it. It was what made her tick, made her keep going. She had been wandering alone, listening to herself and trying to keep herself sane.. To listen to him, for even just a second, made a weight lift from her.

"I appreciated that more than you know," she said, smiling still.

He shifted his weight to look at her.

 "Huh? Appreciated.. what?" He tried to shake his head, and walloped it on a rock. "Owwww..." he winced. "Nevermind. That's what I get for asking questions, I guess." He sighed very quietly, and glanced back up at the stars. All they were were cold, distant points of light in the sky, he knew, but they were really all he knew. Even as he wandered from place to place, never stopping for too long, never making more contact then neccessary, they were always with him. They never changed, but accompanied him everynight since his childhood.

"You know," he said without thinking, "the stars are like--" he caught himself, and blushed. "Nevermind. It's.. it's stupid."

Thaylias's eyebrows rose as he hit his head off a rock. She frowned softly, hating how 'nevermind' seemed to be tailing his words. She shifted uncomfortably, looking around. Down the darkened roads and up to the bright sky. How she wished she could sit on a star, just watch everyone down below. But then.. then she couldn't even help. Perhaps watching the world, in the midst of everything, was the best place to be. Then she could lend a hand at least.

She heard him begin to speak about the stars and her emerald eyes moved to the corners of her eyes to watch him. She blinked as once again he dismissed what he had to say. It kind of made her angry as he did that.

"I'm sure it's not," she responded, her brows arched high over her eyes.

He laughed lightly. "You'd be suprised. I often speak without thinking, and unfiltered bits of my mind can probably be harmful." He paused for a long moment. "But if you really want to know..." he hestitated, slightly embarrassed about how the words sounded, even in his own head. Still, he went on. "..I was going to say, When I was little, the stars were my best friends." He turned to look at her. " 'Nd they still are- they're the only things that don't change from place to place, like some kind of heavenly security blanket."

He turned his head back to the sky, but was still watching her a bit, to see her reaction. But  something else above him caught his eyes, and he laughed, pointing at it.

"Look, there goes one of them now. A shooting star- quick, make a wish!"

Thaylias listened him, mulling over what he said with a soft smile. To her that sounded nice - sweet really. Maybe because she was a tad girly than she preferred but hey, whatever. She blinked softly, smiling as she then glanced at the sky and watching the shooting star that soared through the sky. She moved her lips softly, breathing the words that were basically unheard. Her wish? Well, it was silly.. kind of anyway. She just wished for a home, somewhere to stay, a place to always go back too. Nothing special.

"I think that's great," she said softly.

It was nice to have symbolics things. Even if it did seem a little silly or childish. The only thing she had always found symbolic by any means was fire. And to her in represented to life and to finally be able to control made her glad... But with every good thing came something bad. Right? Right. Seemingly so anyway.

He was silent, mentally attaching his wish to the star as it faded away. Then he turned his head to the side to face her, and smiled sheepishly.

"Really?" he said, with the same bashfulness that touched his smile. " 'Cause it sounded kinda really dumb in my head, and well... yeah." He shrugged a little. "But I guess it wasn't as bad as all that. I mean, some kids have dolls or blankets or invisible friends.. I have stars." He laughed, and his eyes glinted happily, almost mischeviously.

It was really relaxing out here, and the grass wasn't half-bad in the way of comfort. And except for the two of them and the crickets, it was almost silent. He breathed slowly, reveling in the peace of that moment, and tucking it away forever.

She smiled, thinking to what she had. She had had a blanket - but not anymore. She had abandoned it and walked out the village she had been born into. She just kept on walking, running into a distant cousin as they then, somehow, began to change her species. Only it backfired and her cousin told her as much as she knew about the cure to her disease. Not like you could win all the time. That was just impossible.

She smiled as she stretched out her legs, yawning as she shifted her weight and looking at her hands. Then she crossed her arms over her chest, crossing one ankle over the other. She laughed softly, looking around. Nothing, not a person... Just candles highlighting the shadowy silhouttes as people passed their windows and blew out the candles. How nice it must be too have a home.. She had one, only it was old and back in her village. She wanted her very own.

"Can't loose stars.. And I think it'd be hard to forget about them," she commented.

Such a beautiful night. She liked sitting here and talking to him, even if she barely knew him.

He, too,  languidly streched and yawned. Once, a long time ago, some had told him that he looked like a cat when he did that. He didn't mind the comparison-- cats were extrememly graceful, noble animals. However, he didn't exactly think he met up to feline standards. Still, something to think about.

"Yeah, they're too beautiful. And unlike diamonds, can't get lost or stolen. Nice plus." He smiled, both at the stars and Thaylias. It really was hard to believe there was evil in the world on a night like this. The darkness was like a comforting curtain, muffling out the few movements around them, and making everything seem like a dream.

She looked at Kael and was, indeed, reminded of a cat. Cute, she thought. But she didn't say so, holding her tongue back from saying anything girlish. She didn't want to be so girly. v.v!! She sighed softly as she continued to look at the dark sky with those silver stars sparkling so beautifully.

"Yeah!" She grinned, nodding her head in agreement.

She rubbed her face and head, thinking of something, anything to say but was seriously lacking in words.

"Mm..uhh... how're you?" She said randomly with a soft laugh.

"Eh?" he said, startled out of his reverie. "Oh.. I'm alright. Considering." He paused for a moment. "Life," he clarifed. "Considering life." He had crypitic moods sometimes. Well, they weren't really moods-- more like small flashes of ones. Nothing life changing, just.. moods.

He let out a lagh, half to himself. "Life," he said grandly, "is rather odd." He gave a grin and shook his head, again half to himself, and turned his head to look at Thaylias.

"Don't you agree?"

The stars seemed to flicker, but in truth, they weren't. They twinkled, or so people said, like winking mockingly down at those who cannot reach them. It made Thaylias want to reach to the sky, to sit upon one of those stars. A perch in the heavens, a true, glorious seat. A sight to behold by all means. Without a doubt that sight would be treasured as gold or silver, beauty beyond beauty. No words could describe the mere prescence of such ethereal lights. Like God himself had sprinkled sparkles into the canvas of endless ebony.

"Do I ever!" She said with a laugh that rose softly in her throat.

Tempted to do something, anything. She was close to even randomly wrapping Kael in an embrace whether he appreciated it or not. The itching feeling, that urge to do something shivered up her spine making her shudder harshly. Thaylias shifted as she sat up, shifting from side to side, her butt bones grinding into the ground most uncomfortably. She soon pushed herself into a stand, straightening and jumping up and down. She turned her body to the side, clenching her hands into fists. She hopped to each feet. She punched at the air, bouncing on the balls of her feet. She kicked upwards and punched again. She laughed, spinning around and thrusting out her fists around. She skillfully avoided walls and Kael, grinning as she stopped, leaning down and putting her hands on her knees. She gave a sigh.

"God, I don't know why.. I just can't sit still now!" She said as she fidgetted restlessly.

He looked at her, his eyebrow raised.

"So I noticed," he said, grinning widely. "That was rather impressive. I'm sure I couldn't do that.. even if I was as itchy as you."

He tilted his head a bit to the side and studied her and her constant movements. She had a certain..dunno, air, I guess one could say, suddenly. Kind of like a small child after she's been waiting in long lines, almost. Probably a lot more dangerous, though. He, too, suddenly shivered, as if her mood was contagious. He tapped his fingers against the ground in a quick, sharp rythym and sighed.

"Ever wondered what life would be like if you were in like... I dunno. Say, an alternate reality or some such thing?"

Thaylias released a sigh as her spine tingled as she pushed her palms down and rose, straightening as her shoulders sagged. She leaned back her head, lush, forest emerald eyes gazing upwards, at the sky as she rolled her neck, her chin winding up landing and resting upon her collar bone. She shifted, tossing the long, bothersome braid behind her back. A slim brow arched over a stunning eye as he spoke. Impressive? Please, she had seen fighters so brillant with their meticulous, precise movements as if written by angels, a dance of twisting moves. But of course when blood was shed it corrupted the purity and simplicity in which such was practised. She knew this.. She remembered when that was platonic and her skills were not used to assasinate those with tortured and brutal minds... Her eyes widened in her face, very slightly as a pain shot in her chest and head, simutaenous but she ignored it, twisting on a black shoe as she bent down to touch her feet. She straightened and twisted on her hips, constantly moving.

"Sometimes I do," she responded, tilting her head for a moment.

She suddenly wished she had bound herself. At least her chest, it all felt too free simply because of that heavy movement. What could she say? She was usually bound and that freedom felt rather odd.. and bouncy. Gah! Stupidity of endowments of woman. That whole birthing thing again... Screw that thing. Whatever, but now she knew that just because you were in a rush and energetic never skip binding yourself. NEVER.

"You know something.. Did you ever sit there and wonder what life would be like if you were ruler of it?" She said rather randomly, looking to the sky once again.

Kael laughed softly as he pillowed his arms under his head. Still, he stared up at the stars, a picture bordered by the eaves of the building by them, and the buildings surrounded them. Rather a good metaphor for his life, he thought. He paused, thenighed a bit, very slightly.

"Quite often. I mean.. who doesn't? All I know, if I ruled life..." he stopped for a moment, thinking. "Well, there would be a lot less pointless sadness and lonlieness. And much more sweets," he added, as an afterthought. "Never can have too many sweets."

Again, he fell silent for a moment and stretched.

"In all seriousness, though... half the people in this world are alone. Sad thing is, they don't try to fix it. Sometimes they've never known anything else. Or maybe they think it's their fault. In the end, though, they usually end up the same way-- still alone. And they think life is supposed to be that way."

The silence stretched inside her as she nodded quietly, listening to him and knowing it quite well what he meant. In fact - she had thought that very way for a long while. It was a depression time thing and as she listened to him she realized that he was correct. More than half the world suffered from a depression they seemed to have no control over. But they had more control over it then they realized. More control then they saw - they were the creators of that hell.

"It is sad. And lonliness has many affects over people. I knew a person in my village who went insane during the depression we had. She started burning huts down, screaming that this was hell and it should look like it.." She scratched her head lightly.

She remembered that, the woman screaming and running, setting random huts on fire.. Some people had died during that time. And the woman? She had been killed, declared unstable and unsuitable for the village's safety and health. It was a tough time but it taught many a lesson - that whoever subcumbed to the depression would surely die a hideous fate and bring many down with them. It was a lesson that everyone would remember. But it brought everyone to recognize the fact that if no one stuck together and didn't try harder their world would shatter around them. No one was ready for their village to crumble.

"People are so willing to condemn themselves to their own hell..." She sighed and squatted, resting her elbow on a knee and dropping her chin in her hand.

He stretched again, and pulled himself up into a sitting positing, laying his head back against the wall. It's so odd, once you think about it. Human nature craves social contact and attention, yet so many people choose to separate themselves. Maybe they think being some kind of martyr is worth it? In reality, though, no one notices them, no one cares. Whatever plan they may have had backfires, and they're left with only their hard, bitter, pride.

Kael shook his head wearily, clearing it. "Too willing. They think being apart from everyone else makes them deserve some special attention or something, that they're better than everyone else. Some kind of self-infliced martyr." He shook his head again, more angrily, then slumped his shoulders against the wall.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to get angry. S'just... sometimes things make no sense, y'know?"

"I suppose so," she responded, a smile touching her lips.

"No need to apologize," she said.

Thaylias shifted, feeling a pang in both mind and heart. But not the normal type - more or less for the people that could not seem to see what they did. She sighed softly as she dropped her arms down and wrapped them around her legs. She just didn't know what to do anymore. The world was such a trouble and pained place and yet they powerless. It was so hard to make the world listen.. Because you can't. It wont listen no matter how much you scream and shout. No one hear you. She couldn't change the world and she didn't think she could change anyone in it. Why was the world like that?

"Gosh, I feel so helpless," she said softly and forcefully laughed, trying to dismiss it.

She had spent long days alone and with those uneventful spaces came nothing more than unwelcomed thoughts. The thoughts manifested, more powerful than the last. She hated it, but what could she do? She tried to be more social because she loved it, she really did. But she had to get it to cure one of her problems and that would leave her others for last.

Kael turned and smiled at her, but despite his goofy grin, there was a touch of sadness in it, and his eyes were slightly unfocused. he seemed to be somewhere else for a moment. Then, he blinked and shook his head, rather like someone just waking up. All of it was over in an instant, and perhaps.. perhaps it was just imagined?

"I know.. it's horrible, isn't it? I know I feel like one grain of sand against an ocean.." he trailed off, then laughed softly. "Well, that's a bit poetic, but I'm sure you get my meaning." He glanced at her. "I mean, you can do anything you want, and the world doesn't care, as long as you don't get in its way. And if you try to help it, it jsut brushes you aside." He sighed, and blew a bit off hair out of his face. "You know?"

Thaylias watched him and took note of that sadness and how unfocused he had seemed. All she did, all she could do, was simply smile, a tender curl to her lips as she remained squatting, arms wrapped around her legs as she glanced around her, taking in the silence and lonliness of the night. So still, so quiet. She looked at the soft light, some extinguishing in the windows. Her emerald eyes danced as they caught a shred of light from a nearby window but they darkened as she turned to look back at Kael.

"Yeah, I know," she said softly, resting her delicate chin on her knees.

She slid the ring on her right, middle finger down and perching it only on the tip as she dragged the two metal spikes into the dirt. She drew random designs and for no reason she started to giggle. She fell over onto her side, laughing and giggling, trying to muffle it by pressing her slim hands to her mouth. Her face turned pink and her eyes squeezed shut as she seemed to be under the control of her laughter.

He turned to say something, but it was immediately forgotton with her display of laughter. He simply sat there and stared for a minute as she lay on the ground and laughed. After a minute, when it seemed she wasn't recovering, he asked, "Are you okay?" Suddenly, he had the inexplicable urge to laugh himself. He did, once, then asked again, "Hey-- you alright?" He had donned his crooked grin as he extended his hand to help Thaylias, should she need it.

It was rather odd, but not un-funny. Certainly, it seemed to be contagious, and Kael had to struggle a bit to not start laughing himself. It seemed a bit uncharacteristic of her to just collapse onto the gorund in a fit of giggles, but he had known her for only a very little while, so.. maybe she did that sometimes. It really wasn't his place to judge.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, trying to sound grumpy but not succeeding. "Are you laughing at me?"

Thaylias continued giggling, soon rolling and pushing herself into a sitting position. Her hand still covered her mouth as her knees were bent as the soles of her shoes pressed together. Her other hand rested on the ground between her knees. Soon her hand fell away from her lips as a grin was still painted on them as she tilted her head. She looked so childish, despite her nineteen years. She giggled softly as she waited so she was capable of talking.

"Of course not, Kael! Why would I do that?" She said pleasantly, smiling with a soft giggle.

She smiled, head tilted as she watched him, holding back any more laughter as she stretched slightly, still looking rather childish sitting there.

He shook his head slowly, almost in amazement. The grin reappeared on his face. She was an odd one, all right. But then again, people in general were a mystery to him, so he shouldn't be all that suprised. He kept himself from laughing as he answered.

"I... I dunno. Then what were you laughing at?" again, he tried to put a note of irritation in his voice, and again, he failed.

Still, waiting for the answer he had 'demanded', he tiled his head to the side and put his hands on his hips in a decidedly feminine gesture which he really could not afford. His frame was a slight one, and his facial features were fairly delicate for a man. If you put him in drag, he would probably make a fairly convincing girl. Kael was painfully aware of this (of course, he had never thought of the last part) throughout his childhood especially, so he usually tried to exaggerate things such as a swagger in his walk or crude mannerisms in his speech (unless he was around a lady). But, by chance, when some girly mannerism entered his actions, it made a rather.. interesting picture. This irritated him exceedingly, and he blamed it on his two sisters.

Thaylias was just about to answer when those girlish mannerisms of him made her clap her hands to her face as she surpressed another fit of laughter. She noticed, right off that bat, he could make a very convincing girl. She too had delicate, feminine features but she was a girl. On Kael.. Dear Lord!

"Kael-dear. Don't do that.. please?" She bit her lower lip as she broke into another soft fit.

'Dear' was a term she often added after peoples names for, more or less, the hell of it. She, after awhile dropped her hands, eyes sparkling immensly. She shook her head and tilted her head at Kael, a grin painted on her face.

"Sometimes I just need a good laugh - no matter the reason, if there is one. A day or so ago was the first time I had social contact in a month or more. And finally, finally, I'm meeting people and well.. I just couldn't help but cracking for a few minutes.." she lifted her shoulders in a shrug, still grinning.

Poor Kael was the only thing she could think of as she watched him, soon returning to biting her lower lip.

Keal looked utterly confused for a moment, and didn't move. Do what? What was Thaylias talking about?

"Do wh--" he began to echo his thoughts, then realized what he was doing, and being asked to stop.

Promptly he dropped his arms, then crossed them across his chest, and righted his head. "Well.. curses." He really did hate his tendency to look girlish, and was going to be absolutely self-conscious self conscious now. Almost without thinking, he began to pout, then realized that would REALLY make him look girlish, and stopped that also.

he grinned back, sheepisly, and with the slighted blush over the top of his cheekbones. "Understandable. Still, could've warned me. You kinda scared me." He pause for a moment, considered this. "Well, actually, it was funny, but you could have been having a hysterical seizure. Then where would we be?"

Thaylias giggled a few more times at him, tilting her head when he asked what would have happened if she had been having a hysterical seizure. Well, who knows? She didn't ponder it long as she pushed herself up into a slow stand and walked up to Kael, looking up at him, considering she was only 5 foot 6. She took his arms pulled them apart and pulled him along, twirling around. Yes, she was random. She was randomly trying to pull him into a 'dance'. She laughed.

"Loosen up! It's such a lovely night.." she laughed.

The moon and the stars were the only witnesses. But the whole village could watch for all she cared. She was determined to dance, to dance away her worries. Just for a little while.. just for a second. And it would be nice if she could get Kael to act - even slightly -crazy. But she knew her temporary insanity would not last long.

Keal looked extremely startled for a moment, and froze, looking a bit like a deer in headlights. Then he realized what was going on, and laughed heartily, indeed, loosening up a little.

"You are _very_ odd, did you know that?" he said, laughing again.

Then he loosened up a lot more. He raised his hand above his head, taking hers with it, and spun her around a few times. For good measure, he threw in a couple steps of complicated-looking footwork.

"Didn't know you were looking at the champion of village dancing, did you?" he said, his eyes glinting mischeviously. "Actually, there is no such thing. But if there was, it would be me!"

He twirled her around again a few times, deftly twisting and untwisting his arm. Then, suddenly, he pulled her in, pressed up against him, arm wrapped around her. He kept them that way for a heartbeat, but Time had slowed to a syrupy crawl.  Then he spun her out again, bowing with exaggerated elegance.

Thaylias couldn't help the musical laughter that had rose in her throat as they danced and watched his fancy footwork with her brillant forest emerald eyes. She couldn't help but laugh, nodding her head in confirmation of what he said. She grinned as she watched them and could only bet if anyone saw them now they'd shoot them for fear of loosing two people to insanity. Hah! This insanity is the best of all - it's sanity in it's many, many forms of lunacy.

"Oh, of course, I do agree!" She responded to him for both comments he had made, the one of her being 'very odd' and him being a village dancing champion.

As he twirled her around a few more times she swiftly kept up, the world outside of their own nothing but a blur. They twisted around like idiots but as she felt him pull in and he held her against him she could feel her heart stop. She was all too aware of the risen heat and it seemed that time stretched out for an eternity. She forced her mind blank as he whirled her outwards and he bowed, making her giggle and clap.

"Bravo!" She laughed, slightly out of breath as her eyes twinkled.

He grinned, and bowed again, most definately flushed.

"I never realized just *quite* how fun dancing was, or how much I missed it. Haven't done that in years," he said, laughing. Of course, it helps if you have the right partner, said a small voice in his head. Shut up! He told it, hoping he didn't speak out loud. He was still grinning as he shrugged his shoulders and stretched.

"You're not too bad a dancer yourself, mi-lady," he said. "Or perhaps that's another one of your many quirks. Not that dancing is a bad thing," he admonished himself. His grin widened, and he twirled once more, just for the heck of it. He had a bit of a randosity streak too, though it wasn't quite as obvious as Thaylias's.

She couldn't help the absolutely devious grin that that touched her lips. She rubbed the back of her neck, finding most of her hair had come undone from it's braid she hooked her fingers in the tie and pulled it off. She let a smile quirk her lips as she combed her fingers through her long, raven hair.

"I'm just glad to know I'm not the only one here whose insane," she laughed as she leaned back slightly, back arching inwards as she gathered her hair and tied it back.

She wondered why he hadn't done that in years, ignoring the praise simply because if she pondered it she would blush profusely. Why? Because she wasn't used to praise and well, it embarressed her. Thaylias could already feel the reels in her mind turning and working as she jutted out a hip and rested her hands on her hips. She quieted her thoughts and just stood there, grinning like a fool. And she had been told by many that she was. She never once denied it and let herself be called a fool. Why not? It sounded like a fun title. Might as well use it as best she could.

"Now, wasn't that just great?" She laughed, tilting her head slightly.

"Oh, everyone's insane. Some people just... accept it more than others." He grinned again, even more lopsided, and his eyes glinted a dark sapphire. "But it's always there, right beneath the surface. It's wonderful. S'why dancing's so fun, if you can break that surface." He laughed a little. "And you haven't even seen my real moves!"

He struck an absolutely absurd pose, with an exaggeratedly dramatic look on his face. After a moment, he slid his eyes to the side to look at Thaylias, and waggled his eyebrows. Then, he couldn;t stand it anymore; he broke the pose and fell against the wall, laughing.

"Wow. This is more than I've laughed in... months. Or more." He was laughing still as he said this, but less strongly. "It's great. If laughing cures sickness, you'd make one helluva a doctor." His grin turned into a genuine smile, directed her way. "Thanks for that."

Thaylias some of the many forms of lunacy, knowing she filed under many of those types. She laughed as he mentioned how she had not even seen his real dance moves. ANd then he struck an overly-dramatic pose and he looked at her and waggled his brows... She burst into laughter, unable to help herself against the force that rose inside her. He was such a monkey.. Wait, a monkey? Okay, yeah, those random things often popped into Thaylias's head. Maybe another sign of some other kind of insanity that lurked beneath the surface.

Their laughter chorused together as some people poked from their homes and slammed the doors on their raucaus. Thaylias was tempted to make a face at them but only turned away and hunched her shoulders slightly, just to be somewhat apologetic in their gaze.

Slowly it toned down and she grinned, listening to him say how it was the best he laughed in awhile. Even though she had been away for a month wihtout any human contact, she often burst into fits of laughter. It made her feel better and the world always seemed lighter.

"Any time at all!" she said, moving back onto the 'sidewalk' and out of the road.

Her luck she'd get run over by some mysterious carriage from the darkness... Wouldn't that be just great? Fine and dandy..

He raised an eyebrow at the heads poking out the window until they retracted. One particular child of about eight was hanging halfway out his bedroom window, trying to see what his mother had been looking at a moment earlier. Kael saw him, and crossed his eyes and stuck out his tongue. The child seemed to be the obstinate type, as he did the same. Retaliating, Kael stuck his thumbs in his ears and waved them around in a familiar gesture to most children. The boy started laughing, and his mother pulled him in by the tail of his nightshirt, and shot a scathing glare at Kael, slamming the shutters shut. Hard.

Keal smiled a bit smugly, and laughed in the general direction of the closed, and now dark, window. He turned abck to Thaylias just as she was stepping back off the road.

"Good idea," he commented, musingly. "Wouldn't want you getting run over. Then I'd have to preform some kind of medical procedure. Trust me, no one wants that." He imitated himself giving medical care, snipping soemthing and wrapping it, then looking extremely confused and waving his arms about in the air.

"See?" he said, grinning. "You'd end up with a few less limbs and, somehow, an extra nose, most likely."

Thaylias suppressed some giggles as she watched Kael and the little boy's actions. She grinned as she watched them and glanced away from the scalding gaze of the boy's mother. Not a very pleasant woman from what she saw. But then again, with Kael and her making such a racket and then Kael proving himself a nuisance, the woman had a very good reason too look so annoyed. As the shutters slammed, vibrating she burst into soft giggles, pressing a hand to her mouth to hold back the laughter.

Her eyes widened in mock-horror as she watched Kael execute his display of how his doctering skills would appear like. She burst out laughing, grinning from ear-to-ear as she looked at him. Thaylias hooked her hands behind her head and stretched.

"Well, I know what to count on you for, very definitly," she smirked.

She felt her muscles stretch as she shifted, slowly leaning against the wall and tilting her head up, gazing at the sky with bright green eyes. She then slowly turned her head to look at Kael.

"How're you?" She asked him, quirking an eyebrow.

"Wait, what now? What are we counting on me for?" He looked, and sounded, very confused, like he had missed something. He usually did. It was his blessing, and his curse. However, he shrugged. His brain deflected such things like a stubborn shield. Ah, well.

He, too, stretched, reaching for the sky. Looking up, he noticed there were more stars, too, than there were earlier. They were still beautiful. After a moment, he rolled his shoulders and put his arms back down.

"I'm.. I'm good, I guess." He nodded, reaffirming his statement. Then he turned his head to meet Thaylias's eyes, a bright green to a sparking blue. He held them, saying nothing.

Thaylias gave a soft laugh as his actions implied that he had missed something. But he had missed something. She had simply made a comment, but that's okay. Most of her comments went over people's heads merely because of the fact that she left alot of the important, miniscule and detailed fragments out. She breathed out softly, letting a smile trace her lips as she tucked her arms behind her, folding them neatly as she leaned against the building.

She stared into his sparking blue eyes and a rather uncanny chill crept alone her spine, for reasons she did not understand. Maybe it was because she simply got the chills looking at a persons eyes. They always said they were the windows too a person's soul. Right? Or maybe another blissful lie, but it didn't seem so. At least not this time.

"That's good you're good," she said quietly, smiling lightly despite a flickering pain in her skull.

It was like electricity all of a sudden, burning in her skull as it stung and spiraled, dots of indigo, violet, emerald, ebony, ivory all danced in front of her bright green eyes. They made a mesmerizing tango, twirling as she slowed and pressed her back against the building, as if trying to escape the dots. She closed her eyes for a moment and looked to the star-filled sky, down to the ground and flickered them back to Kael's blue eyes.

He continued to study her, but knew it probably unnerved her. For some odd reason, extended eye contact bothered most people. Sometimes strongly. Kael often wondered about this; maybe at the core, everyone was meant to be an isolated. Or maybe eyes really were a window from the soul like the old wives' tale, and looking away was supposed to protect your innermost thoughts. Whatever the reason, eye contact could be a powerful tool.

Even though he didn't look away, he relaxed against the wall, producing an air of casuality. But almost immediately he tensed again, as a warning flickered in his head. A moment later, Thaylias's eyes widened, then closed. She seemed to be in a great deal of pain, and he hated it.  Concern gathered in his eyes, and he closed the small distance between them in a couple of steps. Lightly, tentatively, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Steady now," he said in a low voice, never breaking away from her emerald eyes.

She felt nearly imobilized by Kael's gaze. She wanted to retract from his touch, but only for a moment. She didn't want him to see her so vulnerable but soon she just accepted the fact that her skull was being nearly electricuted where she stood, like spiraling bolts twisting in her head. It writhed, painfully so. As she sighed softly, her eyes even larger and luminous in her delicately constructed face. Thaylias's legs felt weak, wobbly, very unsteady beneath her. She felt her legs tremble and her mind pursued an irrelevant thought. I knew I should have worked off those last few pounds, earlier! She thought to herself.

His hand rested on her shoulder and she allowed her face to bare the smallest of smiles, a brow raising slightly to show she was okay. But it didn't do well, her face already turning deathly, sickly pale as her eyes were slightly hazey. Those colors... they never rainbowed his face before. She inhaled a deep breath, barely hearing him but nodding slowly. The world seemed to blur and she could do nothing but withdraw a hand and put it over Kael's hand on her shoulder, as if trying to make sure he was real and she wasn't suddenly going into hysteria. That was exactly what she was doing - as the world bubbled and blurred, a derranged configuration, she could do nothing but rest her hand over his, if only to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. He was like a hold on to reality as she endured bout after bout of shocks travelling through her skull, and a tight constriction in her chest. Well, the fun had quickly drained from this situation...

Alarm jolted through Kael, electrifying every nerve in his body. He continued to talk to her, meaningless, reassuring words, worry generously lacing his voice, now tense,

"It's ok. We'll find that.. that flower. A white one, right? Ok. Don't worry, we'll find it. Hold on. Can you hear me? Thaylias, can you hear me? Hold on."


Concern no longer clouded his eyes, but it concentrated, making them sharp, clear. Even after her eyes got that filmy sort of look over them, he kept his gaze locked. Somehow, some superstitous part of him thought that as long as he kept eye contact, she would still hear him, be here. Soon it became one of the only things in his mind. He continued to babble, gripping her shoulder tightly now. The other thing in his mind was, I dunno exactly what's wrong with her, but hell, it has to be bad. What kind of white flower does she need? Did she go into detail? What did she say? He tried frantically to remember all of that, while chanting his mantra.

"Hold on. Hold on..."

Thaylias gritted her teeth together, vaguely hearing his reassuring words. She could only stand there, hand over his own gripping one. Her back was pressed hard into the wall, the rough stone brick felt through the fabric of her shirt as the world continued to whirl, blur, and bubble before her. It was speckled, shadowed, dappled with colors she never knew existed. She wanted to laugh but stifled it keenly - it'd not only hurt but might scare Kael. He seemed so worried... about her? That was insane! He shouldn't worry, she'd be over this in a few minutes.

Her legs trembled, tremors running through them as they quivered beneath her weakened body. She leaned her head back, eyes still focusing on his lovely blue eyes, trying to keep her breathing steady and deep, having to concentrate hard to stop shallow breathing. She felt her knees bend and she struggled to stop slumping along the wall. The pain stabbing and tearing into her chest and skull made her want to scream but she had the feeling that it would only hurt immensly worse.

Her legs folded beneath her and she slid to the ground, wincing as she met contact with the ground. She whimpered softly and wanted to close her eyes so bad... but his blue eyes was what she focused on. Either to keep her sanity or conscious she didn't know yet.

Kael felt it as Thaylias's shoulder tensed, then slumped, then tense again. He, too, gritted his teeth. However her wasn't in pain-- just really confused. He couldin't, of course, just drop her and leave her there. It would contradict practically every rule of his upbringing just by considering it. So what else was he supposed to do? She could die, and by the looks of her now, she didn't look to far off. It was rather frightening, really. Well, for him, at least. He didn't know if she could see or hear or even think.

He felt, he knew when her knees gave out. quickly, almost too fast, he withdrew his hand from under hers and slid them under her arms to catch her. He couldn't just hold her like this, though. It wasn't helping much, and besides, it was awkward. So he lowered her slowly, carefully, to the ground, bringing himself with her, so to maintain eye contact. Soon she was sitting, he was squatting.  Even through this, he kept their eyes locked. He still didn't know if she could see, but she seemed to be able to register that. At least, he hoped so.

"Thaylias?" he said softly, tentatively. "Can you hear me? If you can.. I need you to tell me, is there somewhere you can go for the night? You don't have to speak.." Stupid, he told himself. If she could speak, she would have done so already.  He shook his head, and continued. "Andway, give me a sign. Er.. shake your head, or nod, or soemthing."

Slowly her head tipped forwards, rather drunkenly as it slowly lifted upwards, the entire time keeping her green eyes focused on his blue eyes. She gave him a woozy sign that she could hear, but shaking her head in a 'no'. Thaylias's eyes suddenly enlarged, a dark streak running through the emerald gems. She gave a soft yelp as her chest constricted, knots forming as sweat broke out along her brow as she gritted her teeth. She hated Kael seeing her like this, simply because of the fact it wasn't a nice thing to do to someone... And she wouldn't give into the pain here. She was so close to getting that flower... and Kael would make it impossible to do so. If she was die it'd be alone and quiet. Maybe floating downstream or cremating herself. Of course she'd have to do each with a little bit of life inside her. Maybe that's what scared her the most. That she'd be the one doing it.

Thaylias whimpered, pushing hard against the rough stone wall as her head pounded and her chest gripped at her heart. The pain shot inside her,  a constant stabbing into her body. The electrifying currents merciless as they floated inside her delicate head. She wanted to scream, run, or somehow get rid of this pain. But the only way was to find that beautiful flower her cousin had told her about.

Kael was being so nice.. He had made her journey to the ground less painful. And he was trying to do something. She sighed softly, her eyes focusing on his as she swallowed the pain without shedding a tear. Besides the slight watering in her eyes she refused to cry. She could feel it subsiding and wasn't sure if it was because she was going unconscious or because her pain was really subsiding. She breathed softly out as she let her head loll slightly.

"I'm.... s-sorry," she said in a barely audible voice, jsut a soft whisper.

Kael jerked sharply, as that sense of alarm that he had felt earlier returned. It was like someone dragging a shard of metal against a sheet of glass. Whatever it was, it struck an extremly unpleasant chord in his mind, and he fought the desire to panic. The feeling he had earlier was just a subtle underlay, a wrong note in a scale. This was a glaring error, and felt much stronger. Whatever made it wasn't sneaking around any longer.

Suubek ahrim, he thought suddenly, suprising himself. the words had emerged from his subconscious somehow, from an ancient language that he only knew fragments of. Still, he clung to them. In their orginal culture, they were said to be wards gainst evil and sickness. Or part of a ceremony to banish the same. Or something of the like. In any case, The slightest bit of help was much welcomed.

"Suubek ahrim," he said again, to both himself and Thaylias. However, he didn't even know if Thaylias could hear him. Then he heard her whisper, jsut a wekak hiss of air.

"It's alright," he said, trying to sound comfortingly, unsure of what the result was. "Nothing to be sorry about. Just have to find some place.."he trailed off, unsure of anything ahead, really, or how he was mixed up in it.

Thaylias watched him, tipping her head in a drunken nod. She breathed outwards, her breathing beginning to get rather shallow as she stared at him with luminous emerald eyes. They enlarged and began to shadow as some thoughts that she didn't appreciate flickered inside her generous green gems. What if she had been alone? What if Kael wasn't here? The thought of being alone made a chill creep up her spine and she shifted, unsteadily forwards and wrapped her arms around him.

She let her arms just settle around him, the first time breaking eye contact. She didn't care if her world upset around her - she just felt better hugging him. And she wanted to reassure him that she wasn't going to die in front fo him or something. She sighed softly, trying not to throw either one of them off balance.

Her arms slowly pulled from him as she slumped back against the wall, closing her eyes for a moment and letting them flicker open. She still felt the aftershocks, which were rather as painful as the major pain from earlier.

Kael tensed for a moment, then relaxed, still feeling slightly awkward. He didn't really tend to hug people, or be hugged at all, really. Of course, these didn't seem to be normal circumstances... but still. Physical contact was nice, but rare. And  her arms were so weak, she was so light.. it was like holding a child, or a feather. It was disconcerting, eerie, almost. Still, he tried his best to.. erhm.. feel comforting? He didn't want to make her feel any trapped by wrapping his arms around her, which is what he wanted to do- comfort her. He wan't sure at all that she was going to be alright.

After a minute, he felt her arms withdraw from around him, and he tensed again slightly, afraid she was going to collapse again. However, she only feel back a little, and he started, but was too slow to catch her this time. Still, he hovered nervously, like some kind of mother hen. he watched her eyes flicker, and carefully lifted her wrist to check her bloodbeat (aka: pulse..). It was slow and sluggish, with quick beats occasionally that unnerved him.

"Have to get you somewhere.." he said, mostly to himself, looking around at the now deserted village, and out to the shadow smudge of the trees against the moonlit horizon. Something was out there. Maybe closer, now. Maybe too close. "But where?" he murmured, slouching against the wall, close to Thaylias.

When the world begins to shadow and memories are suddenly all that's seen something is not well. Something is not right when the world is made of a kleidoscope of darkness. And she felt how close she was, at least this time. How she was falling into an abyss as the world continued to sway. She dropped her lower jaw slightly, inhaling deeply as she let her emerald eyes flick upwards to the sky as she felt the beginnings of teardrops swell inside her eyes.

Thaylias swallowed the knot twisted in her throat as she choked softly as pressed her back hard against the wall, her spine grating against it as she shut her eyes tight against the swelling pain and tears. She tried to allow her eyes to open, and somehow, someway... the world began to darken further, and soon she could barely see anything. And she hated it. She hated not seeing what was in front of her, she hated not seeing what was around her. She couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand it because it made fear crawl inside her, like a worm it slithered and she despised the feeling. And she slowly extended a hand outwards to what she could not see and opened her hand, palm facing upwards as she focused her energy, a sweat breaking out on her face. Suddenly, a slver flame danced in her open palm, igniting as it cast a silver glow all around.

Finally, she could see.. She glanced to Kael who was now alongside of her, it casting a silver glow along his rather delicate features. She let her shoulders slump, aware of the exhaustion that followed, fingers closing around the flame as her hand dropped and she sat there, panting for a moment or too. Finally, the pain subsided - either that she was numb. She opened her eyes and stared, oblivious, forwards.

"I'm sorry to be such a bother. My disease strikes whenever it pleases. And I'll be fine. Really," she said, wincing sharply as electricity flared inside her skull again.

He looked at her very skepticly, one eyebrow arched vighly and his mouth sublty tiled to one side in sort of a reverse smirk. For a while he was silent, taking in her starkly pale features, her widened eyes, and change from a rigid, brittle stance to an almost-helpless slump. He hadn't the faintest idea what kind of pain she was going though, but it must have been more than he could ever imagine. He himself wdidn't have a very high pain tolerance. He would complain about the slightest injury, tended to bleed profusely, and, embarassingly, he had been known to faint in some situations. Thaylias, however, was holding on for everything, despite the fact that it looked like it was costing her a lot to do so.

"A bother?" he said, laughing grimly. "If anything, m'dear, I'm the bother. I feel like a useless oaf, helpless to do anything." He turned back to her, and soemthing unreadable flicked across his eyes for a split second. "Are you sure? Has this happened before on.. such a scale?" Disbelief was evident in his voice as he crouched down to be eye level with her.

Slowly, he reached for her hand, dangling limply at her side. He took it in both of his; it was pale and frightengly cold. Then, he felt it again, the warning in his head. This time, though, it simply flickeredand left, as if taunting him. He looked around furtively, not evxpecting to see anything, and he was right. Nothing. He looked back to Thaylias, worry still present in hisfeatures, despite her ressurations.

The sudden envelope of warmth that clapsed her icey hand made the luminous, foresty orb-like eyes scry around her to settle on her destination. She watched him with a bland expression, one which see only in mourning for the dead. It was nearly chilling on her face, her eyes shadowing slightly, but they soon lightened, the shadow depleting from the already-dark color of her eyes. A grim smile vanguished the line her lips had made, now tracing them into a dry-humored smile. But with his words as he belittled himself made a flame spark inside her eyes, dancing a fiesty tango inside the gems.

"You are neither a bother or a 'helpless oaf'. Just because you can't take the pain away doesn't mean you're not helping me," she spoke in her fierce lingo.

Her slender fingers curled around his own hand, a soft and weakened squeeze to reassure him. While he asked of her pain her gaze fluttered above to watch the monotonous darkness hang it's solemn veil neither brighten or darken. The stars that glimmered, lost in the folds of the shadows did not give her solace. But the warmth in her hand offered her miniscule comfort. Still, it was comfort.

"I'm.... alright. And yes, this has happened before," she let unravel from her soft lips, although a sharp intake indicated another unholy wrath of pain wreathed her skull again.

But this would pass - she could feel it slowly seep from her body. Like darkness it began to emerge from her body, slowly crawling away. Once again, that shadow of hell had failed to take her life from her. She gave a vague smile of triumph, but her body was worn. Exhausted from her ceaseless efforts. What could she do?

"I.. think it passed," she breathed from between her lips, leaning her head back against the rough stone.

Kael watched her carefully, slightly alarmed at her blank expression. It was like watching the face of a child's abandoned doll. It was rather disconcerting, really. The moment quickly passed, though. Then she smiled drolly, and offhandedly tossed away his self-degrading words. He scowled slightly.

"Well, yeah, but it doesn't feel as if I'm being all that helpful. It's mostly just me sitting here worrying like a mother hen oven something I can't control and I don't know anything about!"

His voice had risen significantly over the short tirade, and his eyes were flashing when it ended. Then they widened as he mentally retraced his words.

"Woah. I'm.. really sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that I mean.. yeah. I'm not great with words, either, most of the time." He looked away, feeling guilty in a sense. The night was silent, and so her sharp intake of breath was apparent. He snapped his head back up to look at her.

"Well, this one's gone. But how long can you live like this? _Can_ you live like this?"

His eyes once again connected with hers, his were deep pools that seemed to ripple, like wind blowing waves across a quiet ocean.

Thaylias eyes had fluttered at his outburst, but a smile had traced her lips as it ended. She had already forgiven him, before he had even apologized. She sighed softly and nodded, absently and to herself. A sigh escaped her, and it seemed to last forever, stretching over an eternity before it finally came to a whispering close.

And, once again he spoke, his pleasant blue eyes cast upon her forest ones. Her luminous eyes fell into his, drawn in by the fathomless blue. She couldn't help that her eyes were slightly childish, despite her efforts to appear at least, somewhat, like an adult. But, at the moment, she was too tired to really care.

"I will live like this for as long as need be," she responded softly.

That was true, she would live like this for as long as she could. She would find her cure and rid herself from this nuisance. She would be able to live like a 'normal' person. Her tolerance for this disease was growing short, and she hoped another side effect of this just wasn't insanity. Because she could swear that sometimes, that's how she felt. Utterly and absolutely insane.

Kael said nothing, just continued to look her in the eyes. After a moment, he spoke, and his voice was soft, controlled, but with an unexpected stronger undertone. He barely recognized it as it formed the words that left his mouth.

"But how can you?" he said. "Can you really stand to live like this, in pain with brief periods of lucidty?"

He continued to meet her gaze, feeling suprisingly calm.

"I don't envy you, Thaylias. But I want to help you if I can."

It was just then he realized her hand was still in both of his, which was kind of past the point of lending necessary comfort. He blushed very slightly, and hastily removed one hand to tuck his hair behind his ear.

Thaylias watched him, almost startled by the sudden strength that meandered into his voice. And the calm that emnanted from him just coaxed out one of her best, and true smiles, despite it's soft shadow of fatigue. It was almost nice to be worried about - although she didn't see why he was worrying about her of all people! She thought it was downright silly - but that was how she always thought when people worried about her.

"I'll have to. I will find the cure. I will because I have to. Because I believe I will," she responded rather strongly.

"I wont stop you if you want to help," she said, struggling with conflicting thoughts.

It was her problem and he shouldn't get involved.. But she didn't want to be alone anymore either. So that the only thing she felt she could say without brushing each thought off. It was easier to let him decide for himself instead of she doing it. She had given him permission if he did want to help... But what he decided he didn't want to help? The thought mind her eyes stray - but barely. They only shifted, surprisingly, and strongly locked onto his own.

Thaylias had also forgotten about her hand being tucked between his two hands. She only noticed when he went to tuck his hair behind his ear. Then it was clear why he blushed and her cheeks heated with their own blush. But she didn't move her hand.. She wasn't sure she wanted to move it. Oh, dear Lord! Thaylias, what are you thinking? she thought to herself, wondering.

"I do," he said, quickly and descisively. Then added, hastily, "Want to help, that is. If I can. And you don't think I'll be, well, an oaf." He looked at her curiously, expectantly.

Awkward silence.

Kael hated awkward silence. It had plagued him since his adolesence, and seemed to come back now. Just for a visit. So he sat there, her hand resting in his. Suprisingly enough, it wasn't that bad. The silence could be taken as contented, companiable, even. Or so he hoped, because he really couldn't think of anything to say. And since Thaylias was keeping her hand there, well, it gave him an excuse to keep his there, which was fairly pleasant.

He also noticed that her eyes still bore into his, like fiery emeralds. Quite used to this by now, he held her gaze, steadily. He smiled slightly, without realizing he did so. It was a game, almost, between them, but with an unspoken more seroius undertone. Still, he kept silent, afraid to splinter the fragile bond their gaze made. Briefly, Kael entertained the surreal thought that each person's line of sight made a beam of colour, and that when two met, they blended, like paint, to form a new one. His smile quirked as he thought of this, and wondered where the thoughts in his head came from.

Thaylias didn't comprehend why she felt comfortable, just sitting on the ground with her hand in his and staring into his eyes. With that mere thought of how 'romantic' that sounded, a blush flushed her face hotly. Her forest emerlad eyes didn't waver, though. They continued to hold his own brillant blue eyes, but she glimpsed the smile, no matter how slight and it was contagious. It infected her promptly, tracing her lips as she listened to the utter silence.

It was so quiet, and to her it was content and companiable. But she knew he wouldn't be an oaf. No matter how delayed, she decided she could answer. For the sake of keeping some words alive.. because she didn't want to think about the girlish half of her brain. Of what it was contemplating and moaning about.

"Of cours you wont be an oaf," she said with a soft laugh, still smiling while her eyes continued to descend into his.

She tried to pull herself out, but she was falling, rather quickly, into the blue. It took her a few moments to collect her thoughts as she let go of a sigh, coaxed from her gently. For what seemed like the thousandth time she recaptured herself, pulling herself from the safety of his eyes..

Kael's thoughts had wanderred into the realm of daydreams, but quickly snapped back with the sound of her sigh. For a thousandth of a second he was alarmed, but quickly realized there was no danger. Well, no immediate danger, anyway. He mentally grimaced, not particularly wanting to think of the future at the moment. His lips echoed her smile, which had originally been his.

It seemed like they sat here for enternity, and Kael privately thought he could sit here for a lifetime more. Each moment was like a syrupy sweet on a summer day. Lazily, Kael stretched, and reached back to scratched his shoulderblade. Unable to reach the awkward place, he readjusted the angle of his arm and stretched it until he found the spot that had been itching. Concentrating, he scratched it, but to no avail.  He made a frustrated noise and dropped his arm, wanting to pout. Wisely, though, he didn't, remembering quite well this time how unflattering it was. Well, unflattering if he didn't want to look like a young girl. Which he didn't.

Thaylias watched Kael's attempts and saw his frustration. She couldn't help but to laugh softly at him. She leaned forward and wound her arm around him, scratching the spot on his back for kicks. Okay, it was like that 'If you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours'. Only, he had already 'scratched her back' so do speak. And literally, she was scratching his. She quirked an eyebrow and leaned back, smirking. She was little odd, yes, but isolation did that to people. Or, perhaps, it was how she was born. A little odd, a little lost, slightly twisted, just a few screws loose.

"Don't mind me," she said lightly, her forestry eyes slowly trailing down the road.

She blinked as she noticed the firey pinks and oranges that now shaded the sky. She didn't realize it had grown so late... Or early, whatever. But it took her a few minutes to register everything as people began to emerge from their homes, ready to set up their stands. Thaylias let her gaze move to Kael.

"That's weird.." she said, a brow arching as she sighed and laughed.

Kael leaned back and nearly purred in happiness.

"Don't mind at all," he murmered contentedly.

 At her remark, he looked confused, and opened his mouth to ask precisely what was wierd, when he looked around and saw for himself the first soft streaks of dawn. He frowned slightly. Odd. Time had passed exceptionally fast. And he wasn't even tireed at all, really. Quietly, he watched the vallage begin its first strirrings, the opening of doors, the rubbing of bleary eyes.

"Hm.. weird indeed. We've been out here that long?"

He shot a sideways glance at Thaylias. Corny to think it, but it felt as if he'd known her forever. Alright, not really. But definately longer than less than a day. He doubted, though, that even if he had known her his entire life she'd still be confusing. Or maybe that was just because she was a woman. Whatever it was, it probably couldn't hurt to stick around longer, help her find that flower. He kinda felt obligated, now. And besides, she was one helluva backscratcher.

He grinned lazily and toock a strand of her hair in his hand. With the morning sun bouncing off it, it looked like glowing obsidian.He was suprised at how oft it was. His own hair was thick and unruly, and absolutely refused to saty where it was put. Deftly, he twisted it into a braid and plucked a small flower growing by the roadside off the ground and wound it around the end. Still grinning, he leaned back to admire his work.

Thaylias was startled to find that morning was already upon them, watching the people wake up from their night's slumber. Had they really been sitting out here that long? She hadn't gotten tired nor cold. She hoped she didn't have any dark smudges under her eyes - ugh, girlish thought, worrying about her appearance. She was even tempted to go to a window a check but she wasn't sure any of the windows were even that clean to show a reflection. And anyway, she wasn't supposed to worry about how she looked when she was dying! Oh, that was a morbid thought.

She caught the tailend of what he said and puzzled the 'don't mind at all' out, and grinned without delay. Alright, congragulations to her. Thaylias was able to content men with scratching their backs. That was always something, if not anything! Right? Right!

"It seems so," she replied to him after he commented on the rising sun.

She blinked her forestry green eyes - watching him brain a strand of her hair. Damn, he was good. It was much better than she did half the time, even if it was just a strand. She smirked a little, beginning to stretch her arms a bit without hitting him or even her hand off the building or ground. That was generally an accomplishment. When she stretched, she tended to flail her arms slightly, and sprawl and make sure her arms, back and shoulders were effectively stretched.

She then sat back and touched the braid, lifting it delicately to examine it better. She continued to smirk and looked back at Kael. He had skill with braiding, at least better then her own - usually. She could make some wicked braids when she actually put some effort into.

"That's better than I do half the time," she commented.

Her eyes fluttered as some guy came and started mumbling at them, telling them to get up so he could sweep out along the front of his store. Thaylias sighed and waved at him, murmuring random things. She slowly climbed to her feet, listening to her joints click from her sessions of pain. She fumbled at her wrists and tightened the bandage wraps and checked her legs. Good, her wraps were in good condition.

She stretched out her legs, widening her stance and resting her hands on her hips she leaned backwards, the cracks making her grin slowly while she straightening. She looked at Kael and 'hmphed' softly.

"Are you hungry? I'm hungry.." she said while the storekeeper swept the front of the building.

He shrugged modestly as she examined the braid.

"Well, I've had practice. My sisters were always clamoring for me to do their hair. Why, I dunno. But I guess eventually I got good at it. Maybe someone's trying to tell me that hairdressing's my true calling." He smirked as he said this.

Almost arrogantly, he eyed the man who had shuffled over to them and started muttering incoherent things. For a moment, he did nothing, then slowly and deliberately stood, stretching a bit also. Still, though, he was standing in front of the shop front. Inwardly, he grinned as the man glared at him and mumbled louder. Eventually, he waslked over to stand by Thaylias, and gave a cheery wave to the man, accompanied by (what he liked to think was) a dazzling smile.

Keal rotated his neck and shrugged his shoulders exuberantly, giving an almost alarming series of loud *pops* and *cracks*. In response to her question, he thought a moment.

"Yeah, guess I am, a bit. Care to escort me to some, er, victuals?" he said, holding out his crooked arm and bowing exaggeratedly. Looking up, he threw her another smile.

Thaylias muffled a laugh, just not to anger the poor man who had to put up with Kael's slow, deliberate movements. She brushed a loose strand of her black hair away from her face and glanced around. Her eyes had been ready to assess a place for food and a shower! She dug her fingers into the fabric of her pack and then turned her emerald eyes to Kael, a grin tilting her lips.

The cracks didn't phase her in the least, brows lifted slightly as she smiled. Well, that sounded relatively nice. But her mother had said that cracking your body was not healthy for a person. Then again, when was the last time she listened to her mother? Quite a few years, it has been.

Thaylias laughed at Kael's actions, ignoring the old, sore man she hooked a bandaged arm with his. She glanced around, eyes skipping over the darkened alleys forcefully. Nothing in them, no, don't worry about whatever was behind the shadows. Why was something in her begging to be alert? She had no reason to be! No one was out to get her, not that she knew of anyway. Geeze!

"Oh! Pub and Inn. I don't know about you, but I could use a bath along with some food," she said, jerking her chin towards the inn.

When they entered, she broke away from Kael and looked at the bartenderess, resting her hands on the bar lightly. Okay, she hoped she was a kind woman. A polite smile was mustered, gazing at the woman.

"Ma'am, would you please be as kind to allow us," she paused to gesture to her and Kael, "To shower here, without getting a room if we do want one?" She decided to include Kael in this - just in case he did want a shower.

The woman narrowed her eyes upon Thaylias and slowly nodded.

"Yes. But you have to pay half a room's worth for each. Which is [insert price here]," the woman responded in a buisness type manner.

Thaylias nodded and reached into her pack, shuffling things around until grabbing her money and putting it on the counter. Thaylias asked where the showers were and the woman said down the hall, the men's on the right and the woman's on the left. She nodded and rubbed the back of her neck and looked back at the bartenderess.

"Can I also have some water and soup?" Thaylias decided to eat first and take a shower after.

Thaylias sat at the bar, the thought of soup making her stomach grumble. Alright, she hadn't had much to eat in awhile so soup was quite appropriate for her. She needed to keep her strength, right? She glanced at Kael, wondering if he needed any money for anything as she patiently waited for her food.

Kael thought amoment, then nodded. He could probably use a shower. After all, even the best of us don't smell just like fresh daisies after a while. Food didn't sound to bad at this point, either. He hadn't eaten anything since early the previous day. Still standing, he leaned over the bar and caught the attention of the bartenderess.

"I'd like a shower also, and.." he paused. He could never decide what to order for food. it was a weakness, and he could spend hours hemming and hawing over a selection if he was let to. Surreptisouly, he glaced around at the sparsely populated room, and at the occupied tables.

"Some eggs," he said, finally. It was early, and he'd always been a fan of breakfast. The woman nodded curtly and named a sum of money. Kael dug a hand into a pouch slung at his waitst, and pulled out a handful of coins. He counted out a few, handed them to the woman, and stuffed the rest, quite a few, back into the pocket. Watching the woman trod off, he settled down on a stool next to Thaylias.

"Charming," he muttered, softly, so that the retreating matron wouldn't overhear. "Very skilled in customer relations."

Relaxed now, he snagged an apple from the bowl on the bar, and bit into it, chewing thoughtfully.

Thaylias grinned at his comment, waiting for her bowl of soup and water. As soon as she got it she took a sip of her water and set it down lightly. She blew on hot surface, stirring it calmly. She got it cool enough and took a sip, wincing slightly. It wasn't too bad - but she wasn't used to it. She covered it up from the bartenderess' eyes, pursing her lips until she took another sip and quick swig of her water. Okay, she could do this. She leisurely finished off her soup. She was a bit impatient to get to her shower and she was hungry. She shouldn't rush but she couldn't help it. But she didn't go at her food like a 'pig', but kept herself under control. Thaylias wiped her mouth and left a tip for the bartenderess. She then made her way to the showers - god, she could not wait for it.

She stripped down without delay, got in and scrubbed furiously, taking extra time on her hair. She must have washed herself 5 times, but at the end she just let herself soak in the heat. At least for a few moments. Now, how long would she stay clean? She sighed, exited and dried herself off, frustrated with her hair already. She snatched a brush from her pouch, washing it off as well. She ran it through her hair, untangling the ebony tendrils, and for now, tying it with a ribbon she couldn't help but to clean as well.

She donned an extra pair of clothes she kept after wrapping her calves and forearms down to her ankles and wrists. It was loose on her legs but came in at her ankles, a random piece of cloth tied along the bottom. She mimicked with her other leg and pulled on a pair of socks and stuffed her feet in her black slipper-like shoes. She bound her chest skillfully and then pulled on a shirt, grabbing her chain with weights on the end, winding it around her waist and pulling the hem of her shirt to cover it, tucking it into her pants. Thaylias grabbed the metal 'bracelet' which doubled as 'brass knuckles' and slid it onto her wrist. She then snatched her the metal ring with the two spikes and dropped it into her pouch. She had no immediate use for it. She tucked her utility knife in the right wrapping around her pantleg, for safe keeping. She grabbed her skinny dirk and sheath tucking it into the left wrap around her pantleg. She then declared herself ready - well, sort of. Her hair was brushed but barely contained by the ribbon.

She sighed and exited the shower, her arm through the pouch's cloth 'handle. She wondered on what to do with her hair, deciding it'd be better off tied back in a braid. She was tempted to get Kael's help.. but she didn't want to bother him, and he might be in his shower still.. She glanced around the bar room, sitting on her previous stool setting her pouch on the counter she attempted the task of braiding her hair.

Kael waited patiently for his eggs, which came in a reasonable amount of time. He would have preferred them sooner, though. There wasn't exactly a huge crowd. The eggs tasted fine, but were a bit blad for his liking-- he usually put heaps of pepper and herbs and such in and on his when he made them. But ah well, tavern-goers can't be choosers.

A few minutes after Thaylias left, presumably to the showers, Kael finished his own meal, and left a coin on his plate for the tip. How generous he was-- usually he just ran for it. In any case, he found his way to the men's showers, where a group of large burly men that could have easily thrown him across the room emerged. He warily watched them walk past, scowling. He shuddered as he watched them retreat. They were a bit unnerving.

He got in the shower, and sighed deeply. The heated water pounding down his neck and back felt heavenly. For a few moments, he wallowed in the sensation. Then he sighed again, and washed himself with some spare cloth he had, and the crude but fresh-smelling soap in shower.

After only a few minutes, Kael stopped the water, and dired off with one of teh thick towels in a cupboard nearby. Boy, it felt good to be clean again. He frowned, though, as he picked up his clothes he had thrown on the floor. His overshirt was stained and frayed around the edges, and, to a lesser degree, so were his pants, which were also worn through at the knees. Shopping wasn't high on his list. The shirt was slung over his shoulder, and he wore his undertunic instead. Nothing could be done about the pants, so he wore them too.

Finally, he emegred from the showers, running his hand through his damp hair. With a grin, he sat down next to Thaylias.

"Feel better?" he asked, his voice light.

Thaylias leaned at an awkward angle, manipulating her hair to twist into a braid. She applied some effort to his task, to at least indulge that idiotic, but creeping self-conscious feeling. She finally managed to complete the braid down her back, tying off the end firmly with the ribbon. Her shoulders slumped when she finally finished, silently congragulating herself. Thaylias leaned against the bar, pushing up the sleeves on her arms, propping them on the counter. She tilted back her head, glancing over the ceiling and then around, taking it in with a critical eye. Suddenly, she heard Kael's voice. She lazily looked towards him, brows arched with a grin.

"Much!" She said with a distinctly lazy voice, "How about you?" She asked.

Her gaze took in the people, the contours of the face from the skinny and lanky, to the large and stout. Some were apparently muscular and others were scarcely muscled. Her forestry emerald gaze continued to assess them calmly, not concerned with even the toughest looking man. Perhaps because she knew they wouldn't come after her - she was a woman after all. Or perhaps because she knew she could possibly kick all their asses. She was too modest to admit that.

"Hmm.. Anything you want to do today?" She didn't seem to much in a hurry to go and find that white flower of her's.

But then again, Thaylias wanted to enjoy some painfree moments while she could. She had no doubt in her mind she would not find that flower. So she wanted to just relax for awhile. Take a deep breath, y'know, chill.

Kael shurgged nonchalantly, and stretched. He had no idea what he wanted to do; he wasn't a very purposeful person in general, really. He just let himself drift on whichever of life's currents seemed the strongest at the moment. Slumping in his chair, he inhaled deeply and slung his head back, shaking it like a wet dog. It was almost dry, but there was still enough droplets attached to fly a few feet. Grinning, he looked up and put his feet on the bar. After hazarding a glance at the stern matron glaring at him, though, he hastily withdrew them.

"How long do you think we can skulk around here before she flies at me like an angry hen?" he asked, his voice low with a  mischevious cast. He flicked his hands toward the matron below the bar, glancing at Thaylias with hooded eyes and a catlike grin.

"My guess is ten minutes, most." He grinned again, and snatched some almonds from a bowl on the bar. "And then we'll be back in the dust. But hey, I can't help my nature."

He looked back at Thaylias and batted his eyelashes at her, playing innocent. Maybe it was the squeaky-clean feeling, or the square meal, but Kael was in a playful mood. Well, much like he was usually, Still, he was particularly hyper today. Demonstrating this, he picked up the shells from his snack and proceded to act out a dramatic musical production using them as his cast. In a bad foreign accent. After a while, he stopped and studied them for a moment. Then he leaned over to Thaylias.

"I think Marcotti's secretly a crossdresser and in love with Ronaldo," he tolde her in stage whisper, being completely deadpan. "The silly boy."

Then he resumed his play, ending with a huge flourish and bits of almonds everywhere within a five-foot radius. His grin by this time was positively radiant.

Thaylias had been lounging, body limp with her arms the only thing really keeping her from slumping off the chair. She laily rolled her head, slightly towards Kael, feeling some droplets land on her soft, porcelain features. A brow lifted and her lips quirked slightly, tilting her head while she glanced at him. Thay watched his little foot rest escapade and the strict woman. She the inside of her cheek lightly, holding back a snigger. With Kael's attitude.. she bet seven minutes. If you have faith.. Have faith in someone. And currently, she had faith in Kael. Specifically, Kael's playful tendecies.

"God speed. Watch your neck," she responded to him, not making any action to even stop him.

Why would anyone, in their right mind, stop something that could be so amusing? But she hoped Kael was good in dodgeball - a vein in her neck and head was throbbing and pulsing. It was bulging and the color of her skin was tainted a rosey scarlet. Thay hoped Kael would be able to move quick enough if that woman decided to go after him. I mean, it wouldn't be good for her service - but everyone around here seemed quite to used to it actually. Maybe they just didn't like outsiders? That could very possibly be it. But anyway you looked at it, it wasn't right or fair.

Thay only watched him with a fairly amused expression across her delicate features. If her gaze wandered, she made sure she could see Kael, even if it was only a sliver from the corner of her foresty eyes. Such an odd... happy fellow. Or so he seemed. There was always more to what there appeared. Wasn't there?

Even though it was silent with occasional murmurs from the other conversations about them, she knew some eyes were trained on Kael's actions. He quite easily drew attention to himself. She watched him, even more amused before, quietly laughing to herself with a hand raised to her mouth. He continued.. and the woman's veins bulged some more and her face was the reddest of reds and Thay could have swore steam rose from her ears.

And then the end of his show. Flourished, beautiful, grand... You know, great.

Thaylias couldn't stop from bursting into giggles, clapping and grinning.

"Bravo! Encore!" She smirked, recieving dirty looks from everyone in general.

She looked at the woman and too Kael.

"I.. think she's going back for something. Perhaps that should be our cue to leave, hm?"

As soon as Thaylias caught the glimpse of the woman raising a frying pan, she grabbed Kael and tugged him along outside and shut the door, slumping against giggling before pushing off it and twirling. She glanced at him and shook her head. His mood was infectious... and she didn't mind it one bit.

Throughout the performance, Kael had too been sneaking glances at the innkeeper. That vein did indeed look like a hazard. At the frying pan, his eyes widened and he tried to supress a laugh, which came out as more of an amused gurgle as the woman stalked towards them, gleam in her eye. Thaylias, laughing too, tugged Kael's sleeve rather roughly.

Startled, he fell out of his chair and stumbled along after her, doing a sort of a crab walk, an easy grin still on his face. In the doorway, he momentarily forced them both to a stop, and bowed exaggeratedly to the glaring patrons of the inn. In the back, a very young girl clapped, until her mother hastily stopped her. Kael winked at the girl and rewarded her with a beaming smile, before he was fully pulled from the building by Thaylias.

For a moment, he watched her giggle and spin, and then, laghing hearitly, decided to try it himself. Unfortunately, he wasn't as agile as Thaylias, and bashed into the side of a nearby produce cart. The dried out old farmer manning the cart glared at him and shook a bony fist. Kael just smiled and shrugged an apology, then turned and darted away fromt he inn and farmer, gesturing to Thaylias and laughing.

She decided this was going to be a good day - ignoring the trembling spider web of pain inside her. Thay dismissed it, only the slightest of shadows casting over her dark emerald eyes. A small smirk tilted her lips, despite the sharp splinters stabbing from the inside out. Clawing outwards.. But she shook it off. Quite quickly, not daring to ponder on herself but to study Kael and his curious actions.

Thay smacked her hand to her face when he ran into the cart, chuckling softly. That was, indeed funny. The old man reminded her of the elders in her village and a lost, distant look grasped her face. But she trained her eyes on Kael once again, breaking into a grin as her darted off. Pushing off she darted after, glossy black braid floating out behind her.

She thrist her feet into the ground, pushing with more power until she easily caught up to him. She still felt lazy - but a little running might do her some good. Yeah, I am gaining a little weight.. NO! Feminine thoughts AGAIN! Bad Thaylias. Knock it off. I'll loose it quickly anyway... Especially if I hang around with Kael. She thought, smirking and laughing, trying to dodge carts and people, although nearly bowling over some prissy-ass woman. Woops.. She needed to be pushed off her high horse anyway.

Keal continued to sprint, but soon discovered he had no endurance... while running (other.. matters have yet to be determined. *evil grin*). He glanced behind him at Thay closely weaving through the chaotic mass, and in a last burst of energy, ran as fast as he could and jumped, catching onto a horizontal tree branch a few feet above his head. His plan was to use his momentum to partly swing himself, then pull himself the rest of the way up onto the branch, creating a convenient perch. It was then that he discovered that, in addition to lack fo endurance, he also lacked in upper body strength. The result was that he was suspended a good distance above the ground (he could jump higher than he had thought), swinging back and forth from a tree branch.

"Well... crap." he muttered pleasantly, flailing his legs wildly. As of now he had a fairly secure purchase, but he didn't know how long he could hold it.

"Erk?" Kael called out questioningly to Thaylias, who had just deftly dodged a dawdling dame ((Heh.)). He managed to look perfectly innocent while still trying to get atop the tree branch. His shirt was riding up unplesantly, and he thought one of the seams was beginning to split towards the front.

Damn, he thought. And I left my other one at the inn.

"A bit of help?" he called out again, then winced as one of his sandals flew off, narrowly missing Thay. "Oops," he said sheepishly.

Thay tilted back her head and eyed him, thoroughly amused. She giggled and bit and blinked as the sandal barely missed her. Oh! He wanted help, eh? She was tempted to just grab his legs and pull him off. But that would be quite mean, even for her. Or so Thay thought.

She put her hands on her hips, shifting and just looking at him with her eyebrows raised over her sparkling emerald eyes. She giggled again and just watched him. He expected help after her almost hit her with his sandal? Oh! Sure. Wink wink.

"Why should I help you know? You nearly killed me," she said between giggles, playing around as she watched him flail around.

Such a humorous person. She sighed and shook her head, grinning while her arms crossed over her chest then, looking up at him. She was surprised he could jump that high herself - but he seemed to be stuck.

"It looks like you're having a problem," she laughed.

"How observent of you," he said dryly, with a cross between a grimace and a grin.

He flailed about unsuccesfully for a bit longer, and felt his shirt rip a bit. Kael cursed under his breath and tried again to hoist himself up. Finally, with some luck. Bad luck. His sleve, bunched up about his wrist, caught on a twig protruding from the branch. Of course, jhis hands picked this time to slip a few inches, pulling his shirt up. Now, this was just getting embarassing.

"You should probably help me because if you don't, I'll be shirtless in a few minutes. Now.. normally, I don't use my half-naked body as blackmail for ladies, but this time I'll make an exception. Pleeeease, help?" He tried his best to make his eyes large, innocent, and puppylike, even as he grappled for a grip.

Thay giggled, rubbing her face a bit as she gazed up at him. He did appear as if he was having a problem. With him flailing about, his shirt being an absolute bother to him... But it was still hilarious. She gave a defeated sigh and smirked a bit.

"Just hang out for a few more seconds," she said, half giggling.

She walked towards the tree and focused herself, merging into it as she literally crawled through the heart of the trunk. To her, it sounded as if the tree was throbbing with life, pounding in her ears, a sensual music. She climbed upwards towards the branch, pulling herself from the wooden grip. She grabbed his wrists and tugged him upwards, pulling him upwards to drape him over the branch, or at least get him up until she figured out something. Maybe she could transfer some of her energy to him and pull him through objects too... Was she strong enough?

Thay made sure he was still in her grip. Her luck she'd let go and he'd fall off the branch anyway. Or maybe he could climb down from here.. She didn't know if he could. But she wasn't about to talk to these people and ask for help. They weren't the friendliest and she wasn't big on associating with horribley wretched folk.

"Can you get down from here or will I have to do some exploring...?" She asked him, brow raising.

Kael eyes widened a bit, looking up at her.

"Explo--" he cut himself off, laughing a bit. "No,no I can't get myself up from here." He paused a moment. "I think.

After steadying himself, he dug his fingers into the one side of the branch where they now lay, and swung his feet up (one sans shoe) to grip the other side. He prayed they would catch, and he wouldn't flop back on his stomach and knock the breath out of him. Thankfully.. they did. For a while he was in a rather awkward position, with his backside elevated from the branch, but he soon scuttled out of it to lie on the branch, where he stayed for a minute, panting for breath.

"Note to self," he said aloud. "Never do that again."

He tilted his head back to look at Thay, who was now sitting behind him, and grinned a bit more weakly.

"Heh... thanks. That was... interesting." Indeed, he didn't look alarmed in the least. His azure eyes sparkled; it seemed his sense of adventure triumphed over his sensibilities. "Chase scenes aren't my forte."

Thaylias lifted an eyebrow and stretched out her legs, sitting on the branch and calmly looking below and along the ground. A smile touched her lips, liking her high perch. She glanced at Kael and smirked slightly. A sigh played on her lips, though, and she wished life was as serene and harmonious as this scene was. But her mind, once again, was brought to the present by a sharp piercing pain shooting through her chest and along her arm. At first she immediatly thought heartattack, and yet a soft voice whispered about the disease and she calmed herself, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Okay. Sporadic, irritating pains. Thrilling ordeal.

"Kael, can you get down from here?" She asked him, having a tempting thought to push him.

But that would be mean, she reminded herself quickly. Her eyes wandered to examine some people walking along the roads. Interesting, she thought. But she lifted her shoulders in an uncaring shrug. Why should she start assessing these people? They knew nothing of her... Or so she hoped. If they did, she may have some unwanted prices on her head... But not likely. Right?

Kael paused for a moment, then looked to the ground below them, suspiciously at Thaylias, and back towards the ground, as if sizing it up.

"...hmmMaybe," he said slowly, still looking at the ground. "Not in too much of a hurry to try it, however."

Carefully, he let go of his grip around the branch and eased into a sitting position. Wincing, he flexed his hands, which were a bit raw from their unexpected trials. After looking at the ground once more, he rested his arm on a smaller branch very nearby.

"I love trees like this," Kael mused wistfully. "It's like being in a whole different world. Filtered green light, almost suspended in the air." He took his arm off the branch and held them both out in the air, like bird wings held still, and threw back his head.

"Can you feel it?" he called to Thaylias, who was a whole two feet away. "The wind calling to you, the sun coursing through your veins like a primeval magic...!"

For a brief moment, he fell silent, then suddenly let out an extremely loud sound; a cross between a lion's "roar" and a crow's "caw!". Then, he did it again.

Thaylias blinked, watched him for a few moments and yet had no idea what he was talking about when he finally found his equilibrium. She tilted her head and realized, with Kael's help, how much she had been missing. She felt ashamed to not have taken notice to everything nearby, the weather, the sheer beauty, the bright side to where they were. So, in response she smiled and let the emerald eyes of her's fall shuttered, relaxing and laughing as he expressed himself in loud outbursts.

Kael was insane. In the best way possible. She couldn't help being thankful to him, but she didn't say anything. She just relaxed and let her mind wander, feel each breath of the wind and feel each thread of light. The rough bark beneath her, the course texture and designs, and each distant melody of the birds. The untamed beauty, the tranquility, everything she admired. And she had missed alot of those precious moments, she knew. But at least she was finally reminded, right?

"It's lovely," she breathed softly, barely audible as she spaced, willingly falling into an abyss of thoughts.

She explored the vast exspanse of her mind, danced in fields of words and dreams and sang a solo made specifically for her. She breathed in gently, her chest lifting and falling as she exhaled, and she made sure she felt every thing. From the air to the sun, to the branch supporting her, the intensity or the serenity inside. She felt, for once, as if she was totally balance. Thaylias, for the moment, had found her absolute equilibrium.

Kael let his call fall silentand slwly let his arms dop back to his sides. He was gazing at Thaylias with an odd expression on his face. She looked so.. happy. Just happy, without being hysterical, or hyper. Like she was at peace with the world.her expression calmed him.

It seemed that at that moment, time did that wonky thing where it slowed down, again. The air felt like sugar syrup, and the birds songs had quieted to nearly nothing. It certainly was an odd sensation, Kael though dimly in some back part of him mind. The rest of it had apparently been struck done, in accordance with the rest of the stupor the world seemed to be going through.

Slowly, carefully, as if he wasn't even moving, he leaned forward. Closer.. he could nearly touch Thaylias now. Another moment, and--

He fell. Hard. And literally. The odd moment didssapeared, and he felt himself slipping. When he reached out to grab for a handhold, though, all he got was leaves. Addmittedly, he panicked. A lot.

*BAM*

"Gods DAMNED!" he half-yelled, half wheezed. He had landed on his back, and it hurt worse than being run over by a cart (reasoned by experience).

"Ow..." he whimpered, after another minute.

Thaylias had been oblivious to everyone - including Kael. She had not been aware that he had been quite close, and that alone signified how peaceful she was. She had let her guard down, to experiance the beauty and how life was supposed to be. To her, this was like life back home. She could sit for hours outside, just sit and day dream without having to worry about war or crime. It had been so secluded, so shy and hidden. As if it had been waiting to be explored, or discovered.. And Thay guessed it was still hidden beneath those precious groves, behind the forests and caves, in the tangle of life. The thought made a soft, feathery sensation travel down her spine.

Then WHAM! Her eyes flickered open, enlarging past normal display as her pupils dilated and she looked around. No Kael. Uh-oh! Why did she let go of him? She sighed, and almost afraid, she peered down from her perch. As soon as she saw him, she was instantly worried. She was sincerely hoping he hadn't hurt himself... badly. Like fracture a rib or break anything. That would be very painful indeed.

Thay pushed herself from the branch and focused intently on her landing, her sandaled feet touching the ground, feeling a painful shock crawl through her legs before it was totally painless, disappearing through the earth nearly up to her knees. Not that she was a show - she just wanted to have better luck than Kael in landing. I mean, if you could avoid getting hurt, than do it, right?

Usually, she didn't even show this much of her power... To anyone. But with her lack of social contact she was a bit eager. And she had to test the boundaries of her new ability. It was easy to do it alone, but it was fun to do it with people around...

Her attention fell to the fallen Kael. She worriedly moved over to him, stepping onto the earth and letting solidly rest. She knelt beside him, gazing him worriedly. She lifted an eyebrow at him.

"Can you feel everything?" She asked him, gazing at his position, trying to see if he landed awkwardly or if anything was twisted. A definite sign of something was broken.

Thay scanned over him and back to him, her glossy black braid falling over her left shoulder. The poor boy seemed to lack luck.. Severely.

Kael's eyes flickered open, but his vision was very blurry as he watched Thaylias jump down and land on her feet--- or maybe not. Very well, he would take that in stride, as soon as he could walk. And at the moment, lying on his back and being very much dazed and in pain was about the most he could stand. Not literally, of course.

Oh, now it appeared that Thaylias was speaking to him. After he had a few moments to process it, Kael understood the question. He checked it out, flexing his limbs and moving his neck a bit. He did this all slowly, and with much wincing and sharp intake of breath.

"Unfortunately," he said dryly, in response to her question. "I don't think anything's broken, but my ankle might be sprained, or something of the sort."

With another grimace, he pulled himself up by another, much smaller tree nearby that he had missed by a few scant inches. Testing his weight, he found his ankle was not sprained, only twisted a bit.

"There's a story to tell the grandchildren," said Kael grimly as he brushed dirt from his trousers. Then he looked at the tree in relation to his previous position on the ground.

"Then again, six inches to the right, and there would have been no grandchildren to tell the story to."

He combed his fingers through his hair, picking out stray leaves and clumps of dirt.

"Lovely," he muttered. "Just lovely."

Thaylias leaned back onto her heels of her sandals. She sighed, and gave a crooked, weak smile as she watched him test himself and slowly regain whatever ablance he had retained. He climbed to his feet and Thaylias could only watch, laughter nearly bubbling in her throat but she held it back. No, she wasn't as mean as to laugh at him. But at the situation. It was quite humorous, but in the same sense it wasn't. If he had known the immediate thoughts that had went through her head when she saw him on the ground, he would understand why she was a bit giddy.

"Could have been much worse.. A twisted ankle isn't too bad," she remarked calmly, pushing herself into a stand as she continued to watch him steadily.

"Need anything?" She asked him, a brow arching over a dazzling, forest emerald eye.

Thay didn't know if he wanted help, to rest, water, food.. or anything of the sort. She wasn't impatient to start anything - and it showed she would wait for as long as she would have to for him to get his bearings back. Falling from that height wasn't good for anyone.. And that little scare where he referred to as 'no grandchildren to tell', could take some few minutes for a person to recover from.

But still. It was kind of silly... In a comic-book-cartoon-no-one-gets-hurt type of way.. Not that really existed, but anyway. Moving along.. Now, was Kael going to pull any more dynamic stunts? XD He needed a safe bubble.. Then again, no need to rag on the poor guy. Everyone gets a bit klutzy, some days more then other. As long as he survived it, right?

Kael shook his head absently, still stretching out his muscles.

"Yeah, it really could have," he said in an attempt at a light voice, eyeing the branch on which they had been sitting. "A twisted ankle is nothing, compared to.." he trailed off abrubtly. "It's nothing."

He took a few cautious steps, faltering at first but quickly gaining confidence. Again he sat down, and finished ripping the part of this shirt that had torn. Now there was a gaping hole in the side of his shirt, but.. eh. If the woman's sensibilities were offended, he would somehow find cover. All the same, he glanced her way and muttered a pardon before doing so. Effeciently, he wrapped the ragged strip of fabric around his pained ankle, keeping the layers of cloth even. After about two minutes, he tied the ends and tucked it underneath the top layer.

Again, he stood, this time much more easily. He hobbled about in circles for a bit, trying still to balance out his weight. As he did so, he felt his other muscles pull and protest.

Oh, that's going to hurt in the morning, he thought, pushing his hair out of his face.

When Thay asked him if he needed anything, he shook his head.

"No, no, It's fine. Really, nothing you can do. I just have to" here, he winced slightly again, "walk it off."

Thay had been calmly watching him until he cut himself off abruptly, her eyes unintentionally narrowing for a split second, but she didn't push the matter. Her face softened and she sighed and glanced to the ground, staring at it in a stupor as if the earth beneath her sandals was the most interesting thing in the entire world. But, of course, it wasn't. There was just something about this ex-assassin she hated to stir.

She had a deep, powerful urge to know people's secrets, their past, know them inside and out. She couldn't puzzle it, she didn't know why but it was there and it took so much to restrain the soft-worded questions. The gentle prodding would be of no use. She abandoned the urgent, inward call and glanced to the sky for reassurance and back to Kael with a small smile.

"I see," was all she vaguely stated - no, she didnn't actually see, but she understood he didn't want to bring it to her or his attention.

Watching him continue, she didn't seem bothered by the skin revealed to her. She glanced away, perhaps for a moment, but she didn't take offense to it. He was the one with the hole in his shirt, not her, correct? And it wasn't as if it was a 'private' spot. And even so, she doubted Kael would show such a spot in this very public place.

All the small, minor winces he made she did not neglect to notice. But she could not help him so she only watched him hobble around. Her mind began to wonder as it so often did and her eyes darkened until they reached a fathomless pitch of green. And into the depths of her mind she fell, wondering about who knew what.

The world's calls were distant, far away talking and sounds. Somehow, someway, she conjured herself to wake. She blinked her eyes feverishly, reality settling back into place. She slowly tilted her head from each side to examine her surroundings a bit, as if she had never saw this place before and then back to Kael, her brows lifting as her arms clapsed behind her back. She rocked forward and lifted on her toes, lowering back down and rocking, slightly, frontwards and backwards.

"Well.. Uh... Hhe," she said, finding at a loss to say anything.

Her eyes narrowed as she caught a fast movement and turned to face it. A brow lifted as she examined a rather haggard, but fierece old man yelling at a young gentleman who seemed to ignore him walk away calmly. This place was... indeed, quite loud and interesting. And then some more prissy, high class ladies walked by, noses in the air as they snorted and quipped about them. Well!

Kael let his eyes close slowly for a moment, and he just listened. Listened to the bustling, yelling and haggling. Listened to the wind as it played in the upper branches of the trees far above him. Listened to his own heartbeat as it became steady again after his scare, steady and strong. One thing he could count on, for the time being at least. Hopefullly some god wouldn't decide to stop his life's clock anytime soon. Would mess up a few things.

He opened his eyes again, but let his lids drood lazily as if he was sleepy, though he was really anything but. Thaylias mumbled a few words, and they both stood (or leaned, in Kael's case) in awkward silence for a few moments. At that time, he just let the world go by. He, too, watched the people like visions at the edge of a fog. The women then walked by, equipped with parasols and their chin lifted so high they might fear walking into a beam of some sort. Kael turned and stuck his tongue out at them, just for the principal of the ting. They didn't see him, of course. Except for an older one on the end, who, to his amusement, turned her head and stuck her own turn out in reply. He laughed a bit and winked at her, but she just raised her head again and sniffed.

Kael watched them walking away, still laughing a bit. Then he turned back to Thay. Looking at her steadily, he thought a moment.

"Anything you wanted to do today? I'm sure me becoming an invalid wasn't on your to do list, but the gods do tend to have a sense of humour. But hey, if it puts too much of a crimp on your plans, then--" he made a motion like nocking a crossbow "--put me out of my misery and go on without me!" He knew he was rambling (just a bit), but ndind with a flurish, hand draped over his eyes and slumped against a tree. A few moments passed, and he opened one eye to peer at Thaylias.

Thaylias barely lifted an eyebrow at him and just let him be himself. She smiled now and again at his rather childish actions, even that of the lady's. He reminded her so much of her home - and she couldn't help but daydreaming again with thick beds of flowers and homes all around. Friendly people and playful children, but it was all very far away. Would they even except her as one of them anymore? She was no longer an animal shifter but a phaser. Something completely and utterly different.. Did they break the blood ties between them? She bit on her lip, having tried not to think of that very notion.

Her emerald eyes lifted and fluttered over towards Kael. She listened to his question and laughed with his dramatic displays. He knew how to cheer her up - even if he didn't quite know it. Thay decided that she wanted to be closer to this sort of comfort - she was compelled to move towards him.. And with his eyes closed like that, it gave her enough time to cross the space between them.

Thay did so in a matter of seconds, leaning against the tree and pressing the back of her head to the tree and turning it slightly to see him out of the corner of her dazzling dark eyes. Hmm, he was an invalid, eh? She smirked and let her eyes roll slightly, keeping a small piece of information to herself.

"Doesn't bother me at all m'dear. Anyway! If i left you hear you'd give everyone a headache and I wanted have any comic relief around, now would I?" She responded, it all good natured and more of a joke then anything.

Kael grinned a bit at her.

"I'm sure they'd eventually put me in the stockades. Or at the very least leave me bound and gagged. I'm just irrisistable like that." He winked lewdly at her, then laughed. He seemed to be easily amused today. "However, I am glad to be your jester. Do I get one of those hats with the tassels and the bells?" He looked hopefully at her. "'Cause I've always wanted one of those."

There was another lapse in conversation, and Kael looked about, noticing random things. The twitch of a squirrel's tail, an obtrusively orange flower, the way a tree root looked much like the chin of one of his old schoolmasters.

Suddenly, he turned and plucked off a leaf that had fallen into Thaylias's hair; however, a few strands of it caught on it, and when he tried to shake it loose, it only further tangled. After a rather confused moment where his fingers were briefly caught, he managed to extract the offending leaf, and toss it to the ground beside him. Awkwardly, he smoothedout the spot on her hair where it had been, then looked at her sheepisly, like a child caught doing something he probably shouldn't.

"Sorry," he said, shrugging one shoulder. "It...was there," he finished lamely, then looked away.

Thaylias couldn't help but to grin at him, laughing softly at him, mimicking "I'm sorry, but no" at the whole jester had idea. She relaxed a bit, letting the gap in the conversation grow further, and further, relaxed and uncaring. She didn't really care, it just didn't bother her. It was kind of nice, to feel like you didn't have to talk, but a little odd to just let it stretch out and lean against a tree. It almost made you feel out of place - but she rapidly grew accustomed with her position against the rough tree trunk.

Until she felt fingers on her head, emerald eyes rolling over to look at him, a brow raising but not moving as she watched his expressions. She couldn't very well see what he was doing. Thay tried to resist but she gave him an odd look, wondering what the hell he was doing until she saw him toss a leaf. She blinked when the poor guy tried to smooth out her hair. It was okay - just a little weird in the sense it wasn't something she got every day. Or once a week, or month.. Or year. Heh. At least he tried, and she appreciated the gesture.

Suddenly, she found herself rather amused by it and smirked, a brow lifted as she muffled a soft giggle.

"It was nice of you ^_^," Thay grinned, almost as lamely as he spoke.

Kael looked back to her and grinned. It was off-center, as it usually was, but it was easily given. The leaf thing was an impulse; small things such as that seemed to bother him often. He was just glad she didn't think him crazy. Well... she probably did, but not for that, at least. A short, soft laugh was his reply to her giggle after a moment. He turned a bit to get a better glimpse of her, and thier eyes locked. Searching her gaze, he thought he saw maybe a bit of content, of comfort. He was glad. When they had first met, she had been constantly on her guard, defensive against him. His grin softened, evened out slightly, though it was still a bit crooked.

"What are you thinking?" he asked suddenly, turning back to his previous stance, his back pressed against the tree trunk. "Right now." He paused.

"Ehrm, I mean.. you don't have to answer.. if you really don't want to," he bumbled, thinking he might have overstepped a line.

Waiting for her reply, if any, he scuffed his foot in the dirt, making an odd, spiraling design at his feet. He fancied it looked a bit like a dragon. After a moment of contemplating it, a few wisps of flame were added by its mouth, and it was given large, skeletal wings. Definately a dragon.

When he shifted, his blue eyes searched her emerald gaze. She found herself falling into his gaze, as she had not so long ago. Almost mesmerized by his lovely blue eyes. And that grin - she found it cute, and comforting. But after he asked that out-of-the-blue question he pressed his back against the trunk and she was left staring into nothing. She felt oddly out of place and she glanced at the ground to quickly collect herself. And in that time, he managed to make up for it, even though he didn't have too.

Such a charmer.

Thay gave a soft laugh and remained in her position, the bark against her back familiar to her. She leaned back her head, a brow lifted slightly. She could lie, tell him the truth, or absolutely refuse. But what fun would she be if she lied or refused? Might as well tell him.

"Oh, hmm.. Alot of things. Mostly about you," she said, a hint of mischief lifting her voice.

Thaylias felt as if she should make him think, if she could, but what would be absolutely great if she made him nervous, or paranoid. Then again - she wasn't sure if Kael would be. But nonetheless, she didn't take it back. And she had been telling the truth. She didn't fancy lying, so she told him. But she didn't say specifically what about him.

Kael had just begun to etch out triangular ridges on his 'dragon's' back when Thaylias's reply registered in his brain. In response, his leg froze, jerking and making an awkward line in the dust. He hadn't really expected her to reply at all, his question was just idle thought about, well, thinking. And he definitely didn't expect her reply to involve him. Most unexpected.

"Oh, that's nice to hear," he said, trying to keep his voice sounding normal. He succeeded, too. Barely. "Really helps the ole' ego."

He laughed a bit, but to his ears it sounded dull and lame. Now he was just confused. Well, he probably shouldn't be. It's was Thaylias's will to think of what she wished. Still.. someone said they were thinking about you, one cannot help but to dwell. Right? Of course. Human nature, it was. And if it's not, well, it should be, or at least Kael thought so. Absently, he scuffed at his little dusty drawing, his mind wandering.

She could not bring herself to suppress the smile that slowly cast itself over her lips at hearing his laugh. She didn't change position or do a thing, just calmly lean there. Oh? Did he have a problem with her thinking about him? It wasn't bad, her mind just scruntinizing his behaviour and summing him up, coming to numerous conclusions.

"I think it should," she insisted, in response to his comment.

Thay languidly stretched her legs and her body. Turning and twisting, leaning her head against the trunk and gazing at the passerbys. Such an assortment, ranging in height, weight, and clothing style. Some pretended to be tough when they were basic softies, which Thay could pick out a few. Some were truly tough, jerks to the core and Thaylias could also pick them out. It was funny how some carried the same nose or body type as another person, sharing attributes. It seemed to fall short, like their was only so much difference before people began to share characteristics. At least that's what it looked like for those who were humans or in human form. For all the others they seemed so different and new and Thay was happy to take them in.

Kael opened his mouth to respond, then simply closed it again. It was a mark of wisdom to be silent. That, and he really couldn't think of anything to say (for once). He took little notice now of his surroundings, lost in idle daydreams. His eyelids lowered lazily until they were only half open; but his eyes still swept what was visible of the horizon, as if they were looking for something.

"You know," he said slowly, still gazing absently in front of him. "I really don't mind."

He was, of course, talking about her thinking of him. He didn't clarify, though, he figured Thay would know what he was talking about. If she didn't, it would probably just be put down to his randomness.

Thaylias pushed with her foot away from the tree and gazed up it's length, staring at the bark if it was the most interesting thing in the world. Which, of course, it wasn't at all. It was a plain old tree, and the only thing that seemed to make it interesting was the fact Kael fell from it. Oh, and that it had been here how long, a true witness to  everything, watching the village and all the passerbys. A bit remarkable, or boring even. Sometimes her mind wandered like that, and her eyes dropped to the earth, taking everything in like she should have done before.

Her emerald gaze flickered to Kael and she grinned at his response, only shrugging. She rested her hands on her hips, just standing their for a moment before moving out of some people's way. But something caught her attention... It was loud and in the distance, like a deep growl from the heavens. She lifted her eyes and examined the sky. Ah, the clouds were writhing and dark. Thay doubted she needed to say it, especially when she saw a flash of lightning yellow.

"Eh.. hm. Storm. Fun. How ya doin'?" She glanced at Kael, obviously meaning his foot.

What fun it'd be to stay by trees during a storm, eh? No, not really..