The Tainted Shall Never Be Free [P]

[Blink]

Nevayah paused as she could tell she had upset him, but there was something else... something he wasn't telling her. She could tell he was trying to hide his anger and complete hatred of the idea. Setting down the rag she moved to hug him but then he grabbed her hands instead. 

"I only say I want to because I could help so many people... What if I could save someones life? Someone who deserved it?" her counter argument seemed valid enough to her, she just hoped he would see it as well. "And it would be different... I would be doing it because I wanted to. We could start out slow you know, perhaps one vial a week or so."

She hated how he looked at her in this moment, how she could not see what he was hiding behind his eyes. "I won't promise to never leave without you unless you tell me what you have been doing." This was the only leverage she had against him, the only way she knew to break past his secret. If he had not told her by now, then it would take an extreme ultimatum like this to break it out of him.

"I deserve to know..." her eyes had changed to mirror his. She was angry, yet sad. Determined, yet ready to give in at any moment. "If you are so against losing me then I need to know... because I can't stand the thought of losing you either."

"And if you wont tell me then... well... then you don't love me as much as you say you do!" she didn't mean for her voice to sound so stern and cold. She had immediately hated herself for even saying it... for even doubting if even for a second of how much he loved her.

[Salzem]

Nevayah's accusation hurt him to his very soul, it really did. It came as such a surprise to him, he actually recoiled, staring at her in shock as tears began to build in his eyes. He couldn't believe she could say something like that, especially after everything they've done together and how much of each-other they've seen. The agony in his heart was indescribable and it only got worse the more he stared her right in the eyes because she was probably right. He should have told her from the beginning... He was such an idiot. His gaze broke from hers, now on the ground by his feet.

"It's been going to the black market..." He mumbled, refusing to see the expression on her face. "It has been for a year now. Whenever I had been in a crisis, beit clothes, water, certain foods, I took a vial and sold off my blood. No one should have possession of it anyway... and I felt horribly guilty each and every time I sold off a vial of the stuff to these people because I knew it was going to kill somebody... probably someone innocent... but then, guilt is a lot less painful on a full stomach..." He held his face in his hands, the tears starting to fall from his eyes but he continued. "A-and then I met you and I fell head-over-heels in love... and I thought... that if we were going to be living together, we'd figure something else out, that we could avoid the whole black-market entirely, find some other way of making a living other than selling my life to a band of illegal merchants... When you were captured... It only seemed to solidify the contrary... the gun I bought... what you saw... it was just more of the same that had been going on for a long time..."

As he said this, his eyes flicked back up to her face to see her reaction. "I don't want this to happen to you... I don't..." He didn't dare reach for her again, not after what he'd confessed too, not after what she had accused him of. He didn't think he had the right on any level at all to even look at her, but he had to see her face, he had to know what she thought. The suspense was killing him. "I did it to survive out here... I couldn't do it on my own... and when you were caught... I did it for you... I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner... I was afraid...."

[Blink]

Seeing his face react the way it did... it hurt. It was as if she felt a piece of her heart break just from watching him recoil like this. Then... then he couldn't even look at her. Had she really made him upset at her that much? Just when she was about to take everything back and beg they just forget the conversation he began to speak and recount what he had been doing.

She listened attentively as he spoke his story, finally explaining how he had managed to acquire the things he had one his own. She listened as he said how he was aware it would lead to someone dying, but it gave him food and eased his conscious. I guess this was where the difference in their abilities really seemed to hit Nevayah. Her blood healed and gave power, while his destroyed and caused things to wither away and decay.

She had gotten lost in her own realization of the situation as he continued, and before she realized it he was looking at her once more. When he had looked up he would see her face in a confused state, as if piecing together a very complicated puzzle. Suddenly it snapped... the pieces all came together... the reason for everything.

"Lanister..." her face was frozen in shock as she had uncovered a truth about the Tainted all on her own. "I... I think I figured something out..." she had of course listened to his reasons, but none of that seemed important anymore. Of course she forgave him, she was not angry. Everything he did made sense and despite the outcome, he did it to keep himself alive.

"Lanister... I get it now... I get all of it. I get why we feel so fated to be with one another. I get why we feel it.." she placed her hand over her heart. "I get why we feel the pull to one another." she stopped speaking when she realized how upset he still was. She had completely gone off track with the idea that had formed in her mind. "But thats not important..."

She paused to place a hand on his shoulder, her eyes showing how much she really cared for him. "I can't say I would not have done the same thing if I were you." She would save what she uncovered for later. Right now making sure Lanister knew she wasn't mad was her top priority.

[Salzem]

To his surprise and much to his relief, the look on Nevayah's face wasn't one of disgust or horror as his story reached its end, rather, it was one of understanding. He could see all the love and care behind the lenses of her eyes, proving that not a thing had changed between them. He was afraid that everything she said... that he might have not loved her as much as he had claimed, that all that she actually believed that. He was afraid that she truly thought he was holding this back from her out of some perverse form of pleasure or some secret vendetta he hadn't told her about. But when he looked into those eyes and saw how much she still cared, that she didn't hold any of this against him, he really couldn't keep himself back anymore.

Quickly, Lanister leaned forward and pressed his lips to Nevayah's kissing her with all the emotion's running through him right now. He wanted to communicate how much he did love her, how that would either never stop increasing or never drop. He wanted her to see that he would never squander their relationship. Ever. From the kiss, Lanister immediately halted the momentum that would surely pick up if he let it. He pulled away slowly, his eyes locked with hers before backing off back to his spot on the floor, waiting for the washing to resume if that even was the plan anymore. Things did get out of control rather fast...

"I-I know you said no 'funny-business'... but I had to let you know how much I love you... That under no circumstances would I ever betray you... You're my world, Nevayah... now and forever... I promise that there will be no more secrets between us... Everything you want to know... I'll try to tell you..."

And he would too. It was no exaggeration when he claimed Nevayah was his world. He used to only really care about himself and HIS safety since he could never heal, but with Nevayah around, Lanister found himself caring less and less about his own personal well-being and more and more about hers. No, not because her blood was a miracle cure that could even heal HIS wounds, but it was because he simply loved her that much. It was as if she were the glue holding him fast in the world. And maybe that would appear insane to the normal humans and other beasts of the world, but they weren't just connected by bodies or by emotions, but by blood as well. 

[Blink]

Oh how when he kissed her it made everything in the world seem to freeze. She could feel his love for her and everything else simply from their passionate kiss. She was almost disappointed as he pulled away, making her want him even more. She knew she had told him no more funny business, but you cant just kiss someone like that and not expect a reaction.

Seeing he had continued with their original conversation she listened attentively as he spoke in an attempt to get the image of their bodies entwined from her mind. He spoke of how he would never betray her and that she was his world.

Any bitter feelings she had were all but demolished by his statement. "Why do you have to be so perfect?" she asked raising a brow before leaning in once more and pecking him on the lips. She giggled as she stepped back, reaching down to grab the cloth once more. "I am almost done by the way... most of the blood has been wiped away."

She looked him up and down before running the cloth on the tip of one of his ears, a spot she had missed the first go around. Bending down once more she dipped the cloth in the water and twisted it to wring it out before handing it to Lanister.

She then walked over to the side of the bed and sat down placing her hands on her knees. "I will be perfectly still just for you." she winked at him before turning her face so that the blood covered side was facing him. It had all dried by now, just stuck to her face with a mixture of sand and dirt. To be honest she really wasn't that dirty blood wise. A few scratches on her knees, the place on her arm where they took her blood against her will, and well her face... from where the blood had spilled from her skull a few hours before.

The dirt that clung to her skin did not really bother her, it was her own fault for rocking that cage the way she did causing it to fall over and stirring the ground beneath. "Have fun" she laughed as she continued to keep her face turned. She tried to focus on the lantern sitting on the barrel beside the bed.

Now it was his turn to see how hard it was to rub his body down with a wet cloth without acting. The urges were always strong, but she managed to resist and now he had to as well. It would be hard for her even now though. As it would be his hands brushing her body.

[Salzem]

Lanister stared at Nevayah, warmth radiating from his gaze as his kiss was returned by a small but meaningful peck to his lips. Her question caused him to laugh heartily, and also truly test the limits of his restrain. He stared at the girl he loved with great intensity, just loving the fact that they could do this kind of thing together so casually. She was right when she said that it felt like they knew each-other forever all those days ago. It could never feel more true than it did right then.

"If I was anything less, I wouldn't be worthy of you..." He flirted back, giving Nevayah a knowing wink before allowing her to continue cleaning the grime off his figure. He really couldn't take his eyes off of her, even as she cleaned around his face. He could feel his lust and emotions rise towards her again just by having his eyes lock on hers if only for a few moments at a time. Before long, Nevayah handed Lanister the towel and the bowl before going back to the bed and sitting on it's side. Lanister nearly had to hold himself back literally when Nevayah winked at him and told him that she would be still just for him. She certainly wasn't making this easy.... at all... in any way... But he couldn't really blame her for her absolutely gorgeous figure, beautiful personality and adorable gestures. Unless she was doing it for the sole purpose of antagonizing him in which case he COULD blame her and she would pay for it later in kind. He was going to assume the latter.

Nevertheless, he looked her over curiously, then at the towel in his hand, a strange expression on his face as if he was trying to figure something out. "AH" he declared, snapping his fingers. "I can't very well clean you off with that shirt of yours on..." He commented, an obvious grin on his face. "If it will make it easier on you, though, I'll put my own clothes on..." He winked at her suggestively, already his vengeance coming full-circle. Lanister slipped on his jacket and pants before sitting down besides Nevayah and beginning at her cheeks, gently brushing her skin with the damp fabric. Slowly, he began to move south if she let him, running the rag down her neck, carefully tracing the tendons until he reached her breast-bone and shoulders, taking great care to run over every last detail and edge as if her were carving a sculpture from stone. Then, before he could go any lower, he'd move back up, gently rubbing her forehead, careful to rub out all the grime and dirt from her beautifully pale skin before moving to the side of her head where she bled earlier.

"So..." Lanister mumbled, forcing his eyes on his work and not elsewhere. "What did you mean when you said 'you understood why we felt so fated to be together...?'"

[Blink]

She grinned at his comment about her shirt and complied but slipping it off. Taking in a deep breath causing her shoulders to rise and fall she continued to lock her eyes on the lantern in an attempt to keep her composure.

It was when he asked about her previous statement that she remembered the thought she had pushed back. "Oh!" She turned her attention on him now, dead set on reading his reaction at her theory. "So... We both know there are more like ourselves out there... somewhere. I've only ever met one other Tainted, but I was so young I can't remember much of her." the memory of a woman with a face much like hers crossed her mind. Her hair was blonde but her eyes the same shade of blue as her own. The bone structure of her face was also remarkably similar.

"But anyways...  It made me think on how rare it was to not only find myself in the same market as another Tainted, but to be bought by the same owner and placed in a cage right next to yours." She moved some of her hair over her shoulder to allow more skin for Lanister to wipe at. "What if The Tainted... every single one of us... what if we all have one out their who's blood cancels out our own?"

Shifting a bit she turned more of her body towards him as she continued to sit at the end of the bed. "Like how your blood is a weapon, and mine is the cure? What if there is an opposite for every tainted and to make the world balance itself out they are always drawn to one another?"

"I mean its just a theory.. but what if I am onto something? What if this is why I feel you always in my heart and likewise for you? Perhaps, the reason I never felt it before meeting you was because I had essentially shut off all emotion?"

[Salzem]

Lanister moved his cloth along her hairline that she had displayed for him so graciously as he listened to her theory, stopping dead the moment she suggested that each tainted had a counterpart, someone who's blood negated the powers of the other. He stared into Nevayah's beautiful, thinking eyes as his mind began to calculate the possibilities. She provided him an example, as him the weapon and she the cure, the comparison to unfeeling tools of man causing the young boy to wince, but nonetheless it was a good argument. She then expanded upon this, suggesting that these opposites, these pairs were drawn to each-other and that was the reason they found eachother they way they did. In a way, one of them was created to balance the other, that they were the pair that would keep eachother in line. Lanister stared at Nevayah and smiled widely before bringing up his hand and placing it on her cheek, his thumb caressing her smooth skin gently.

"You're so smart..." He said with a laugh. "You may be right, Nevayah... You may have just figured out a secret that had been locked away for a good long time..." He drew closer, their faces only an inch or two apart. "You might be figuring out the secrets of our people..." His tone was enthusiastic, encouraged actually, excited by this kind of news. If there were other tainted pairs out there... living as they were... Lanister and Nevayah could leave this place... go find them... start actually living by themselves out there... The idea made his expression glow but, very quickly, he returned to his casual smile, pulling back to a respectable distance.

"Then again..." He said with a shrug. "There is the possibility that this was just luck and that we are so insanely in love with each-other that each of us knows where the other is." He chuckled, booping Nevayah on the tip of her nose with the wet rag. "But seriously, You're such an intelligent person, Nevayah... Its one of the reasons I love you so much and now, I love you even more for it... You've given me hope... Thank you..." He gazed into her beautiful azure orbs, contemplating whether or not he should kiss her again.

[Blink]

The way he said her name, the way it rolled off of his lips... it made a piece of her heart ache. She giggled when he booped her nose with the cloth as he explained how she had given him hope. She was able to tell what he wanted, because her eyes most likely reflected the same emotion, that all she wanted to do in that moment was kiss him.

"Well....." she stood up and grabbed her shirt from the floor slipping it back on. "Thanks for cleaning me up." Nevayah shot him a smile before turning towards the main part of their little home, out of the bedroom. "Not trying to take the light from our mood but.." she paused in the doorway to look back at him. "When should we start selling my blood?"

She knew he probably thought they were done discussing the matter but needed to know nonetheless. "And does this little merchant of yours know about me?" she was now leaning against the doorway with her arms crossed in front of herself. "... because I would like to meet him."

Nevayah didn't care if they had caused a scene in the market today, to her time was precious and it was already an old memory. "Do you think we could go out tomorrow?"  In an attempt to persuade him further she pouted her lips. "We could go together! Maybe use some of the money to buy something sweet to eat, perhaps make it a day of just the two of us out and about having fun?"

She liked the thought of it... the two of them strolling through the town like free people. She didn't want to have to worry about slavers any longer. Clearly today they both had sent a message to anyone who would try and take them, they were not longer going to be easy prey. "And of course buy some better means of... well protecting ourselves."

She tried to read him as she always did. In the back of her mind she wished she could just be connected by blood to him all the time, this way she never had to doubt what he was feeling. "Please.." she added fluttering her eyelashes at him. Nevayah was going to pull out all the stops on this one.. she needed him to say yes. So adding to the pouting lips and fluttering eyes she lowered one of her hands to her shorts, catching the waste band of them with her thumb. Slowly she pulled down just enough so that part of her hip was exposed. She didn't know why he would think this was cute... but she had to try.

[Salzem]

He froze in place as she brought up her proposition from earlier, almost like a kid trying to convince their parents that their idea was good. Of course, how would he know that? Lanister didn't have any family. When she asked if the merchant knew about her, he simply shook his head silently, only able to tell half the truth with that one emote. Yes, he knew about her as a person and with her blood. He had been trying to get ahold of her himself for as long as she had been in Essyrn but the slavers refused to deal with him. What he didn't know is about Lanister and she together and that probably was a good thing. With him knowing where the two of them were, there was a possibility that he would attempt to capture them both and siphon them for his own purposes. Even if Lanister had known him longer than he had known his Masters collectively, The merchant was not a decent man by his own account.

As Nevayah tried to convince him, Lanister ran his hands through his hair, though not before dropping the rag back into the bowl of water to the side. She really believed in this didn't she? Nevayah was so passionate over something so dangerous... It made him fear for her, but also made him highly respect her. On the streets, it was a vital skill to know when to quit, when something was clearly beyond you and for you to recognize when not to persue something. Maybe... maybe that skill had taken a bigger impact on his principals than he thought... He looked at Nevayah's expressions and attempts to convince him. He looked beyond the acts themselves and peered into the emotions that drove them and Lanister saw nothing but the selfless desires of the girl he loved. He cringed when she tried to seduce him into falling into place, very close to being insulted. It wasn't that he didn't find her adorable doing what she was doing, but it was more along the lines of how uncomfortable the act made him. It left him believing he was really making her pull out all the stops in an attempt to make him see her way, even going as far to appeal to his love and desire for her... It was a low blow and might have been effective if he cared about her any less.

"Alright, alright..." Lanister conceded, shaking his head in defeat. "We can begin the...... sale of your blood later this evening...." He sighed, appearing a tad depressed at the fact she was getting involved in this business. He knew she meant well. He really did and he loved her for that but.... He was just anxious of all the things that could go wrong. What could possibly go wrong? Everything could... And they had so much to gain as well... He looked up into Nevayah's face, ignoring what she tried to do earlier. "You know you're hot as all hell when you're persuasive...?" Lanister asked, chuckling weakly.

[Blink]

What she was doing felt wrong, and it was only till now she realized it. Was it not just a little bit earlier she recoiled at the thought of using her body against the boy she loved? Yet here she stood practically undressing herself in front of him to get her way. What kind of person was she becoming? It was funny how she used to be a shell of a person, and now... she was becoming a headstrong independent girl.

She could tell by his response he was less than amused by her attempt at persuasion. Even if he did try to hide it behind a weak laugh she knew she had hurt him by doing this. It immediately caused her body language to change as she ripped her hand from her waste band and wrapped her arms around her stomach. She felt sick and disgusted with herself.

Holding her gaze just beyond him she responded to his admit that they could go. "Thanks..." her voice soft and almost inaudible. She wasn't aware that her response even came out in such a tone, she was too busy torturing herself by what she had just done. If Lanister had done the same to her she surely would have been insulted, so it was no surprise he felt the same way.

It was times like this she wished she was not cooped up in the cellar. If she had not promised to never leave without him again she probably would have made an excuse to leave and just sulk. "Hey..." she didn't want to look into his eyes, she couldn't. "Umm... I'm sorry..." and with that she wrapped her arms around herself even tighter turning herself more into the next room.

"Can we just pretend that I did not just do any of that..." her voice was still almost too soft to hear, her gaze fixated on something in the main room of the cellar, away from the bed and Lanister. "You must think I am pretty childish right now... doing what I just did." She was embarrassed and most of all crushed that she allowed herself to take it that far.

[Salzem]

He could tell by the tone of her apology that she fully comprehended the full weight of what she had attempted to do. He could tell by her body-language that she hated herself for attempting to use their love for each-other just to get what he wanted and because she recognized that what she tried to do was twisted, and insulting... he already forgave her. She wouldn't have even needed to apologize if he just saw the realization on her face. When she turned more a way from him and asked if they should just forget everything, Lanister wrapped his arms around her stomach, pulling her into a tight hug with her back to his front, with her sitting in his lap. For a while, he didn't say a word and just held her close, not wanting to let her leave on such a bad note. He wanted her to see that whatever disgust he had felt didn't last... He didn't hate her or think any less of her for what she did... Maybe that meant he was too forgiving, but he could never feel angry at her for long. After a minute or two of just silently holding his lover close, Lanister would rest his chin on her shoulder, looking out of the room as well.

"What you did was childish..." He agreed before kissing her on the cheek. "But I still love you with every ounce of my being... Instead of forgetting all this that just happened, lets learn from it, hmm? Lets just not try to do that again... I respect you too much to tempt you with my body, my love..." He whispered softly, his gaze growing softer.

"I'm sorry for being so resistant to your idea... I... I still can't get over what they did to us... that they drained us for their own selfish purposes... I know you have our best interests at heart... and that's why I ultimately wasn't going to stand my ground on this... You're probably right... we could do better with your contribution and after what happened to the Slavers, we're bound to get more breathing room..." He let out a sigh, his breath running down her shoulder, throat and chest, his cheek lightly pressed against hers. "I love you, Nevayah..." He murmured, holding her to him.

[Blink]

This is why she loved him so much... because no matter what he would never stop believing in her. As she sat on his lap during their embrace she took a moment to reflect on their first day. She thought of how he never gave up on her... always pushing her to come to life. Even when she just wanted to give up he saw the best in her and broke through.. and here he was again, breaking through her walls.

"I love you more than you will ever know..." she closed her eyes leaning her back into him more, becoming more relaxed. The feeling of their bodies so close always seemed to calm her and make her forget about all the bad in the world. "Lanister... how is it that you always seem to forgive me?"

If he would allow it she turned on his lap readjusting her legs so that he had one on each side of him. "Even earlier today, when I left and found myself in a heap of trouble you only cared about one thing.. and that was my well being." she took in a deep breath as she continued. "You never yelled at me for going off alone, or better yet, for being stupid enough to get so close to the slave market."

If the roles were reversed she would probably have reacted the same as Lanister. She herself would have done anything to get him back. I guess he didn't even really need to respond, she already knew the answer. It was because he loved her without a shadow of a doubt. It was the same love she felt for him that caused them to put the other before themselves.

"I'm sorry for putting us in that position."

[Salzem]

Lanister glanced at Nevayah as she asked why he kept forgiving her, even after all the fear and despair she had put him through with the incident with the slavers. She noted that he never yelled at her for putting them both in danger or her going off alone, or even for supposedly being stupid enough to get to the slave market. He simply shook his head and held on tight to her stomach.

"I was so afraid..." He murmured, holding onto her tighter as if she might suddenly fade away to dust in his arms. "When I felt your fear and saw you in the market... I was so scared of what they might do to you... But now, when I look into those beautiful eyes of yours and I see you... I'm not angry... I'm happy... I'm so happy that you're okay... I'm happy that you weren't hurt as bad as you could have been... I'm happy that you came home with me... I'm happy that we had that argument of ours and I'm happy that I'm sitting here telling you all of this..." Lanister kissed her neck softly, then her cheek. "I'm so happy that you weren't taken from me today... I forgive you because here you are. Sitting with me.... not leaving me alone..." A tear ran down his cheek as he kissed her neck again with trembling lips. But these were not tears of sadness or strife, these were tears of joy, of all the joy he held back at the camp when he saw her alive and all the joy he had contained with her coming out of it completely fine. He wrapped his arms further around her, almost possessively. Under no normal circumstances would he let go now, not unless their very lives were in danger.

"I....." he tried to speak, but it was as if his throat was closing off. "I can't lose you..." He shuddered as he said that, as if death was looking over his shoulder and it was as if his pleas were keeping the reaper's scythe from coming down. "You mean so much to me... whether its because of blood, or fate, or whatever it is... you've changed my life, Nevayah... I... I can't go on without you..."

[Blink]

"I can't live without you either..." her eyes welling up to mirror his. It was true, everything he said matched how she felt about him. Nevayah had decided days ago that a life without Lanister was a life not worth having. If anything were to ever happen to him and they were separated permanently... she would end it all right there.

So full of emotion she wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him as close to him as she could. "I am so happy we found each other." she whispered into his ears before burying her face into his neck. This went one for a while... both of them crying from the happiness of having one another and whispering their undying love back and forth.

She knew if they continued it would result in them falling into the bed and continuing their declarations for love. As much as she wanted to, she continued to hold her resolve. Standing up she grabbed the bowl of water and cloth from the floor and took it back into the other room, placing them in their designated areas.

Edging back towards the subject they had bounced around all day she asked Lanister a question, not knowing whether he was still in the bed or had followed her into the main room. "So, when did you find the time to take your own blood without me noticing?" she wasn't trying to cause another fight, but was simply curious at how he hid it from her for so long.

[Salzem]

Lanister held Nevayah for what seemed like forever just as she did him, letting out just how much they meant to one another without breaking the promise they made to each-other a little while ago. When he remarked he wouldn't be able to live without her.... it was absolutely no exaggeration. He had come to the conclusion a long time back that if he and Nevayah were ever put into a situation where they end up being separated indefinitely beit by god or by man,  he simply wouldn't be able to exist... It was like trying to breath without lungs or pump blood without a heart. It was simply impossible... Nevayah had grown to be such an integral part of his life and the way he lived... to remove her would just end everything.

Eventually, they both pulled away from one another, likely anticipating what would happen should they remain like this for a second longer. As he watched the wonderful girl that was Nevayah walk back into the main chamber of the Cellar, Lanister still sat there on the bed for a moment, wiping his face dry before following her in as well... After everything... Lanister was starting to feel famished, his hunger finally catching up with him. Glancing about at the various barrels, he decided that it was time for some real food, not the dried stuff they had been eating thus far. He immediately moved to the back of the cellar, pulling out a pair of far smaller barrels, perhaps only 13-14 inches tall in either, but they were heavy, packed down by the weight of water-filled fruits and vegetables. These two had cost him an immense amount of blood and he was still paying it off, but he was sure these preserved little goodies would be worth it. Dragging the containers back to the center where the cooking area lay, Lanister popped the top off the first on, revealing cabbages, tomatoes, and squashes of all different kinds. He popped the other one and it revealed apples, bananas, oranges and several different fruits he didn't even have a name for... They were so colorful and vibrant, a stark contrast to their dried counterparts dotted about the cellar.

He immediately reached out for the plates nearby, dragging a pair down that were recently washed yesterday. With a grin, he beckoned his lover over to where he sat next to the cooking fire, the barrels on either side. When she asked when he had the time to take his blood, Lanister shrugged somewhat, still looking about the contents of the containers.

"On the odd occasion I actually went out to shop... I took my blood out on the way, sometimes right out side the door. He.... provided me with a needle slim enough to not cause a wound that would bleed, but with a vial not large enough to hold a decent amount of blood. I guess he just found me that valuable..." He shrugged again, then smiled up at her gently, offering her a plate so she could pick and choose what she wanted from the Barrels.

"Lunch is ready..." Lanister announced. "I think you'll like it!" 

[Blink]

Nevayah watched Lanister curiously as he began to pull out barrels she had never even noticed before. Raising a brow the curiosity within her began building up, but before she could ask he had popped the tops of them off revealing a variety of fruits and vegetables.

She didn't have to be gestured to come closer, the thought of biting into a fresh apple was enough to send her practically crawling to his side. The thought of which fruits and vegetables she would begin eating first was wiped away by his response to her earlier question, causing her to remember what she had asked him only moments ago.

"I wish I could be that sneaky...." she paused shooting him a doubtful glare. "... or perhaps I could be and you don't even know it." Winking at him she reached for the plate he was offering her. She then grabbed the first apple she set her eyes on. "Have I ever told you how perfect you are?" she exclaimed as she took the first bite of her apple.

Immediately the juices filled her mouth and her eyes almost rolled from the pure enjoyment. Oh how she loved fresh fruits, which were very hard to come by in Essyrn. "You know if I could get my hands on some cinnamon and sugar I could make baked apples for you some time."

After having dined on one apple and two bananas (which she ate very innocently mind you) Nevayah leaned back on her hands. She didn't have much to say, she was fine sitting in silence next to the boy she loved. Staring into the fire thoughts of their future raced through her mind. One day they would have a real home. A real home somewhere beautiful and full of life. Perhaps a cottage with a  small farm and lots of land. But the most important thing about this home would be that they were truly free. They would never have to look over their shoulders wandering who was coming for them next... they would simply just be Lanister and Nevayah, no longer the Tainted slaves.

[Salzem]

Lanister smiled widely as Nevayah scrambled up next to him, staring down at the coffers of health as if she were a greedy accountant staring into a vault filled to the brim with gold. He loved that wide-eyed expression on her face, that look of awe and disbelief that made her look so gods-forsakenly adorable. The temptation to just kiss her right there was so intense... The resistance was real, but he kept himself in check by losing himself in the vibrant colors and slick skins of the edible plant-life. Nevayah remarked how she wished she could be as sneaky as he before suggesting that maybe she had and he simply never noticed. Immediately, Lanister's gaze broke from whatever he was doing, locking onto her with an expression of confusion. It was only after she winked at him did he relax, laughing at himself for getting so worked up. Of course, Nevayah was likely as devious, if not more-so than Lanister himself. She certainly displayed such in their little... escapades together, outmaneuvering him half the time and the other half striking his most vital spots... More-over, she certainly displayed her intellect and will, both powerful talents in her repertoire. Lanister could certainly believe that she had done something incredibly devious, probably hiding his pants one day or misplacing a pot, something that would antagonize him to NO end for days until he found it. Somehow... he suspected he wasn't going to spend most of his days from this point into the near future simply laying around. When the girl he loved asked if she ever told him how perfect he was, Lanister chuckled, nodding his head as he too dug around in the fruit-barrel, pulling out a small clementine.

"Sometimes." He snickered as he peeled the fruit, orange skin falling to the tile ground. "But other times I have to show you just how perfect I am..." With a wink of his own, the tainted bit into a piece of citrus, the sweet flavors blasting his senses in ways that were difficult to describe. He may not have had the words, but his whole body welcomed the new fruit, practically shivering with pleasure as the sweet/sour fruit met his stomach. As Lanister dug around again in the barrel for something new, Nevayah remarked how if they had some cinnamon and sugar, she could make some apples for them sometime. His eyes lit up even more as she said that. The idea of sharing such a treat with her was... extraordinary...

"How about when we get back from the blood-trade...?" Lanister asked, pulling a nice fat red-yellow splotched apple from the bin. Winking suggestively, Lanister bit into the apple, savoring its unique flavor.

After feasting on a couple more clementines, Lanister sat besides his lover, just staring off into space silently, enjoying each-other's company. He then grinned lightly before taking Nevayah's scratched hand in his, pressing her wound to his if she allowed. As their blood mixed, their ideals of how their futures might turn out or at least... how they wanted it to turn out. Surprisingly, what they both saw were practically the same in many respects, A house of their own, a meadow on which their house is built... perhaps even a farm behind them so they could live off their own labor... But what Nevayah would see... were two children standing there with them as well, one appearing to be 10, the other, 8.... Siblings... brother and sister, the boy having Nevayah's eyes and hair, the girl having Lanister's smile. They had children in his fantasy... He understood how... foolish it might be to plan this given their current situation and perhaps more so to show these to the girl he loved but... he wanted her to see anyway... He needed her to see just how far he was willing to go with her...

[Blink]

As Lanister grabbed her hand she was shocked by what he was showing her. His future for them was nearly identical to her... nearly. Pulling her hand away she curled up drawing her knees to her chest instinctively. Tears built at the bottoms of her eyes as she stared into the fire.

"Lanister..." the crackling from the flame echoed throughout the cellar before she spoke once more. "Do you think if we had children that their struggles would be the same as ours? No doubt they would be gifted just as us, and with that comes the bounty on their heads that they would be born with."

Tears never fell down her cheecks, but merely lingered at the bottom of her eyes as she continued. "One day... I would love to have more than just the two of us hanging around. But..." she blinked causing a single tear to stream downwards. "... is it worth the future our children would be damned to face?"

"I mean we can fight for ours, we can scare off anyone who even thinks of trying to take one of us. However, what happens after we have grown old and passed on? Who will protect our children then?" Her question was serious, and one she had thought of many times on her own. Somehow she had always managed to hide it from Lanister, this fear and this fear alone.

[Salzem]

Lanister's eyes widened in surprise and shock at her darker, more disturbed reaction, causing him to immediately lean in closer to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and holding her close to him. Her questions of concern for their potential children's safety honestly unnerved the boy, most likely because she was right to fear what the world had in store for them. Indeed, man would still seek them out, even if they moved to a somewhat isolated place, craving for the super-natural abilities of their blood and, by extension, their children. Then, when the time comes that both he and Nevayah would be too old and frail to defend them, who would? Lanister sighed, gently stroking his lover's hair in an attempt to calm her before speaking, his voice wringing with a soothing confidence.

"Even if everyone else sees us as nothing but walking blood-banks, that's no reason why we shouldn't try, my love..." he murmured, hugging her gently. "They will face similar problems, but that's why we'll be there... as teachers and as guardians... Our kids will learn how to deal with those that would come after them, to fight better than either of us... plus, with your intellect and my 'sneakiness', how could anything bad happen to our little ones...?" He gently kissed her forehead, right above her eye-brow.

"Of course it will be worth it, my sweet... Yes... it will be harder... and yes... they will have to pick up some unconventional skills... but they will be alright... We will make it so, you and me... We'll be the best damned parents in the world and they will carve the future for it... That's what parents do, right? Help their kids carve a path or something...?" He smiled softly at the fragile-looking girl he held, the confidence in his words almost contagious. He completely believed in what he was saying.

"When our job is done and they have grown... they will protect themselves and each-other as we have, but better... We would have taught them so well, not a single Slaver would ever think of messing with them. Nevayah... Its okay to be afraid... We don't have to do this now, if ever... If the time ever comes that we want to have kids... beit today... or 10 years from now.... We will be the best parents ever... No harm will come to our children because we would have given them all the right skills..."