Finally Free (Closed, Salad)

[Blink]

Only a matter of moments passed before Lanister was at her side, his hand on her back and another on her stomach in an attempt to soothe her. Miraculously though it seemed to be working, calming her and therefore her stomach. Deep down Nevayah knew Lanister would be just the ticket at helping her through this. Wiping a droplet of blood from her mouth Nevayah turned to him smiling as best she could. "Actually.... I think I am okay." She herself was astonished at how quickly her body recovered from whatever had just happened.

"I have never ingested my own blood before. I didn't even think about it when I tried it... I just assumed nothing would happen." Leaning into Lanister Nevayah rested her head against him for a minute before continuing. "I'm sorry I worried you, I have just never... what's it called... never vomited before." It was true, Nevayah never got sick. Of course she could still be poisoned or drugged but the effects were always very short term. Then there was just common illness that she always seemed to escape. Infections and viruses alike always seemed to be made into nothing simply from the power of her blood. Anytime something was strong enough to effect her, a few hours sleep always seemed to cure it. Recalling the day she was captured in the market while retrieving sweets Nevayah was bludgeoned and tranquilized, all of which made into nothing after sleeping only a few hours.

Using Lanister almost as a crutch Nevayah stood up wiping her mouth once more before making her way towards the jug of water. Grabbing a cup Nevayah poured in some water and then opened up a jar of ground ginger still sitting on the table. Pulling a bit with her fingertips she dropped it into the water and swirled it with her finger before taking a sip. "I remember ginger water helped an old master when he was sick." She then carried on as she was never on the floor spitting up blood moments ago. In truth Nevayah wanted to forget it ever happened, it was a lesson learned not to ever consume her own blood again. Turning around she just noticed how upset Lanister was from the situation. "I am so sorry my love, I did not mean to worry you. It's just as I was freaking out the only thing I could think of was to call for you. I knew that even if there was nothing you could do at least your presence would comfort me." she shot him an endearing smile. "Now then lets forget that ever happened. I learned my lesson and will never do it again. That feeling is awful!"

Grabbing her spoon Nevayah walked over to the pot that had been cooking for a few moments now and stirred it before placing the lid back onto it. The entire house now smelt of beef and vegetables just from lifting the lid. In an attempt to completely turn the subject from what had just happened Nevayah instead prompted Lanister about his boss once more. "I was thinking after we eat we could take some of that to your boss for her child. Maybe even some stew if we have some left over." By now she was acting as if nothing happened but instead as if they both had woken up and were just continuing on with their normal lives.

[Salzem]

After a moment of pause with Nevayah catching her breath, she gave him a soft, shaky smile as she, indeed, confirmed that she was okay. Still, Lanister was not satisfied... Someone didn't vomit up blood and was just "okay" after that... It seemed that he had forgotten what Nevayah's powers were for a moment as he checked around the exterior of her body, running his fingers along her skin with a slight pressure in purposeful strokes, a far different gesture from that of the sex they here having earlier. She explained that she had never ingested her own blood before, that she assumed nothing would happen that she didn't think about it... Lanister wanted to chastise her so bad, to freak out or something, to get angry that she had gotten hurt experimenting with her own blood... But more or less, he was just happy to see she wasn't retching up her own blood anymore... He smiled when she leaned forward against him, laying her face against his chest as she apologized for worrying him. He leaned back a bit and took Nevayah's chin between his forefinger and thumb, tilting her head up so she could face him once again. Ah... those eyes... He was quickly becoming addicted... Slowly he lowered his lips to hers, doing his best to emulate that little angelic kiss she had given him a while ago, gently tracing the outline of her full, beautiful lips with his. When he pulled away, and with the faintest taste of blood in his mouth, Lanister held his wife against his chest once again, one last tear rolling down his cheeks.

"Its okay..." He murmured, his love for Nevayah spiking suddenly. "Just don't do it again, please... I hate to see you like this..." He softly kissed her forehead before letting her go. Offering to use himself like a crutch, Lanister helped his wife to the table, grabbing a jug of water and a thing of ginger. Being the budding alchemist she was,  Nevayah mixed the two ingredients into a certain tonic known as Ginger water, something, she claimed, helped one of her old "masters" when he was sick. After a moment of silence between them, Nevayah turned to her husband, shooting him his favorite, loving smile before apologizing yet again for what happened, saying that she had been freaking out and that she needed his presence. The boy smiled wider and sighed happily at her, wanting so badly to take her back to the bed and lie down with her. Of course she wouldn't be in the mood for that kind of intimacy after what she'd just experienced, but he thought a little bed-rest would do her some good.... especially besides her partner... but still, she was a stubborn one... Its one of the reasons he loved her so damned much... No longer needing him as a crutch, Nevayah walked over to the stew-pot she had set up to cook earlier, stirring the (wonderfully smelling) concoction in such a way that made Lanister's mouth water... She was always a better cook than he and in this case, he was thankful for it. However, he snapped to attention when his wife suggested that they go and take some tonic to the his Boss' sick kid and maybe some of their left-over soup as well. She was such a sweet-heart... He smiled with more endearment than he ever had before, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, resting on her love-handles as he hugged her.

"You always come up with the best ideas..." He sighed before kissing her on the cheek.

[Blink]

And so the evening turned into night as the two lived out their now peaceful lives. After dinner they would head to Lanister's boss's to deliver the tonic that would no doubt save the child. Everything went smoothly and neither the mother or child noticed any particular taste in Nevayah's special tonic. Miraculously her tonic did just as she had hoped it would. The effects were subtle and slow acting, but after a week of daily doses the child began to pull through its illness without any other side effects.

Other things seemed to progress throughout the week as well. Of course Lanister and Nevayah lived their lives in the normal routine they had set for themselves. At day break Lanister would set out for his shift at the Tavern while Nevayah stayed home to tidy up and experiment further with herbs. Every other day or so Lanister would then go to the smithery to work as well before coming home to a clean home and dinner cooking. One thing did change though, and that was on the days Lanister only worked at the tavern that Nevayah did not take her usual stroll to meet up with him. She had begun to act as if she were coming down with something, which was impossible for Nevayah.

The way she felt was similar to when she was drained every day for blood and not fed a balanced meal. Run down, weak and exhausted were the best ways at describing it. At first she thought it may have been from using some of her blood in the tonic, but the amounts were minimal compared to what she used to give back when it was taken unwillingly. Instead of partaking in her usual activities Nevayah slept past the time Lanister awoke with the sun and was only just starting her day by late morning. In the afternoon she now napped and even that did not quench the need to sleep as the sun left the sky. Even so she refused to believe anything could be wrong and chucked it off as her body adjusting to a less stressful life.

It was the other signs that she did not notice though that were concerning. Surely Lanister had picked up on the way she no longer had the hunger to ravage him everyday, or the fact she had grown intolerant of the smell of onion which used to be one of her favorite things to add to food for taste. Her overall being seemed to be off axis somehow, something was definitely not right with her.

As mid day approached Nevayah began to tidy up knowing Lanister would be home any moment from the Tavern. Today she had promised herself she would leave to walk with him home but then felt simply too tired. The small 20 minute trek seemed too long and distant today, just as the days before and she simply did not have the will power to push herself to do it. Instead after neatly organizing their bedroom and sweeping the floor she made her way to the kitchen to begin preparations for dinner. Sorting through her spices she picked up a jar of salt and set it out accompanied with some cilantro and basil leaves. Digging through the numerous spice jars she had collected she kept on whispering to herself trying to find the last ingredient. "Thyme... where is the damned Thyme!" finally she found the jar labeled with a charcoal label and withdrew it to find it was practically empty. "Dammit!" she screamed hurling the jar across the room towards the fire in the living area.

The empty jar was soon followed by nearly every spice jar the two had collected over the months. Some landed in the fire, others broke off the walls of their home or shattered against the brick surrounding the fireplace. After she had practically wiped out their entire stock of spices and herbs Nevayah moved on to simply throwing anything she could get her hands on. From outside it probably sounded like a tornado was unleashed inside the quaint home... but no.. it was just Nevayah.

[Salzem]

During the passing week, Lanister did his best to keep in good humor, letting back in all the drunkards he had tossed out, lowering the price on their drinks just a bit, and he even forged a particularly choice dagger one so good, he even earned a nod from his elder Blacksmith! Really, this week was quite a good week, for him and yet, he didn't seem to notice... All he could think about was his wife and how lethargic she had gotten... It reminded him of the day he had found her, those blank, emotionless stares... She stopped walking him home from work too and often times he'd find her either cleaning up the house or passed out on the bed, more wasted than he had ever seen... Lanister didn't understand what might have happened to her, what could have forced a change like this in his beautiful Nevayah... One day The boy walked home with a few things in hand: One, a bouquet of flowers, Two, a small box of varied chocolates, and Three (which he had strapped to his back), a broad-sword he had forged, imperfect and hardly a noble craftsman's work, but it was functional and it was his... As he approached the house, however, his eyes widened as he heard Nevayah's enraged screams and glass shattering, a MASSIVE change from her painful silence earlier that week. The boy rushed inside, narrowly ducking under a plastic bottle of Cheyenne spice that bounced off the wall behind him.

As if acting on instinct, He tossed his gifts on the nearby table and rushed over to her, grabbing her wrists before she could toss anymore of their stuff. Spice was everywhere... on the floor, in her hair, on her hands (and now his) and in the air. The smell alone of all these powerful cooking ingredients caused his eyes to water.

"Stop!" He demanded, matching her struggling strength with his own, barely able to hold her back from hurting both herself, him and the house. And yet she still resisted him seemingly intent of smashing every last bit of spice and... everything else that stood in her way like the tornado she was. "I said STOP!" He roared, getting in her face with an angered, glare, using his (very slightly) superior strength and (slightly) superior height to wrestle her to the floor, pinning her to the ground by her arms.

"What has gotten into you!?" He demanded, staring down at Nevayah with both concern and frustration. He had never seen her act out like this... On a few occasions, she got angry... sure, he understood getting mad, but this... this was something else... He glanced back at his surroundings, letting up a bit of the pressure on her as he surveyed his home, now covered in the reds, oranges and yellows of their spice-rack...

[Blink]

Lost in her fit of rage Nevayah did not even notice Lanister who came bursting through the door. Her attention was only broken by his scream to stop. Even then that barely detered her from throwing yet another bottle across the room. Once again Lanister screamed for her to stop before grabbing her and wrestling her to the floor. The action alone was enough to snap her out of it, not to mention the look in his eyes. By the time he had gotten to asking her what had gotten into her she had already returned to her normal state and was practically flinching at his every word.

Slowly he released the pressure on her wrists as she watched him look at there home. She herself took a moment to turn her head to the side to see the sunset hues of powder everywhere. "We were out of Thyme..." she replied having nothing else to really say. Looking at it all now she felt so foolish for allowing something so minuscule to cause her to destroy months of hard work. Despite the feeling in the pit of her stomach though she did not cry, not even a tear faltered in her eyes. "I.. I was going to make dinner and I couldn't find it... but then I did and it was all gone. It ruined everything..."

Turning her head back to him she took in a deep breathe, even though he was still on top of her. "I will clean it all up and replace everything. Just let me sell the last few bottles of tonic I have made and it will be more than enough to compensate." It was weird, her voice was as if she were talking about just taking a stroll through town as if it were a warm splendid day and nothing had just happened. A normal Nevayah would have reacted one of two ways, both of which completely opposite of how she was acting now. She would have either turned this into a play of dominance and it all would have ultimately led to them both in the bed only moments later. Or she would have glared at him for doubting her reasoning behind it, neither of which she was displaying now... she was simply covering it up with excuses and solutions.

Turning her head once more to look at the jars broken and strewn about on the floor Nevayah's mood switched once more. Her eyes went from their wide open state to slightly tired. "Just let me up and I will clean it all up. I'm sorry I went on a rampage over a stupid bottle of spice." This sounded like the normal Nevayah, the one who was beating herself up for acting so stupid. "I'm so sorry Lanister. I don't know what got into me." Assuming he allowed her to get up Nevayah slid out from under him now sitting on the floor. Lifting her hands she brushed them through her hair causing a cloud of orange dust to release into the air before falling onto the floor boards. She then held her hands in front of herself as she brushed them together removing the dust from them as well.

Looking towards the still flung open door she saw the flowers and candies sitting on the table beside it, this being when tears began to form. Her poor Lanister had came home with gifts in hoping of surprising her only to be met with a crazy wife having a rage over a stupid spice. "Oh Lanister I really am so sorry!" Shifting her body to face him she held out her arms for a hug while pleading with her eyes hoping he would reciprocate the action and forgive her.

[Salzem]

Lanister smirked at her explanation for that moment of madness despite himself, thinking it was some kind of joke. When her expression didn't change and when he didn't see even the tiniest bit of impishness in those azure eyes of hers, Lanister's smile fell like a rock. He stared down at his wife, still on top of her, trying to work out some logical reason she would wreck their house... simply because they were missing an ingredient.

"W-we were out of thyme...." He repeated, trying desperately to wrap his head around this. It was as if someone else was laying underneath him, someone who was Nevayah, but also wasn't quite... When he stared down at her, he couldn't tell if she was telling him the truth or not, if this whole fiasco was over a single spice, that it was worth tearing up their home for... She stated that she would clean everything up and replace what they'd lost if she sold her tonics as if that would make everything okay. He could tell she was trying to make up for what she had done... trying to make it as if nothing ever happened. Ultimately, Lanister couldn't care less about the spices, their ruined dinner or ultimately even the house if it were destroyed. All he ever cared about was her and her wellbeing. Everything else, even himself, came second to his wonderful, beautiful wife. And so, he didn't move from on top of her as she seemed to fail in realizing that fact. He stared down into her eyes, but once again, her azure orbs refused to meet his, looking off to the side as she repeated that she'd clean it all up, and that she was sorry she destroyed their spices. It was only when she tried for struggle herself free did Lanister actually release his grip on the girl, standing up in front of her, still staring at her, confused. It was when she saw the flowers and chocolates on the table did she realize what his initial intentions were and when real, substantial emotions seemed to come from her at last. Tears bubbled up from the side of her eyes as she opened her arms, begging for a hug from her husband. Before she could even finish her statement of sorry, Lanister had already wrapped his arms around her, hugging her as tight as he could (without it being painful). He buried his face in her shoulder as he held her tight, his own tears starting to bubble up.

"Nevayah..." He whispered, pulling away just enough to look into her eyes. "I don't care about the spices, we can always buy more. I don't care about the house, we can live somewhere else. I care about you and only you... you're my wife... my lover.... my friend..." He kissed her forehead softly, only slightly amused that it tasted of curry and garlic. "I love you, Nevayah... and something like this..." He waved his hand around them at the spice everywhere. "...doesn't matter... I'm not angry... I'm happy I got to see you again..." He smiled softly, pressing his forehead against hers. "A life without you isn't a life worth living, after all...."

[Blink]

Nevayah herself held Lanister as close to her body as she could. He always managed to ground her when she felt things were spinning out of control. She listened as he told her how he did not care about anything but her. That all the things she had just destroyed were simply material items and then... he told her the phrase they often repeated to one another. Also looking as deeply into his eyes as he did her she blinked causing the tears that were welling in her eyes to fall. But she was no longer sad or feeling anything awful, she was simply in awe of her wonderful husband.

"It surely isn't" she smiled at him not to only reassure him she was okay, but herself as well. "Please let me sweep all of this up, I don't want you to cut yourself on my behalf. Afterwards maybe we could go into town for dinner. I really do need to deliver this tonic to your boss and clearly I cannot cook anything now." lifting her arms up to his shoulders she placed a palm on each one as she continued. "Plus I think it would be nice to get out of the house"

Pulling away from Lanister she walked to the corner of the kitchen area and grabbed an old straw broom. From there she began sweeping up spices and broken jars alike pushing them all into one pile. With each swish of the broom a small cloud of dust rose and then settled.

[Salzem]

"Okay..." he smiled, placing a quick peck on her lips before snatching a rag from the table, grabbing a fresh change of clothes and heading outside to get washed up. "Join me outside once you're done..." Suggestively winking. Where most houses might have had a bath or shower or something, All they had was a pump outside, veiled from the world by a series of thick towels tied to the branches of the trees outside. Hardly a four-star experience, but the tap always produced clean (and surprisingly warm) water that served its cleaning purposes well. That struggle with Nevayah had splashed Lanister with several different colors of spices, with yellow over his cheeks, orange splashed across his chest, and some mix of green and red along his hands. He couldn't go to town, much less talk to the Boss, without getting cleaned up! And so, Lanister began to crank the handle of the pump and on the third one, a steady, solid stream ran out onto the slick stones that acted as the tile floor. Once the water had gotten flowing, the boy began to strip, tossing his dirty clothes outside to be cleaned later. Completely bare, he stuck the rag under the water the cloth soaking up it's harm fluid almost thirstily. He took his time cleaning himself off, waiting for his wife to come out and join him, knowing full-well that she knew they would need to be presentable in both looks and smells. No one would bother to approach them if the smelled like they got into a fight in the spice-rack.

By the time she had gotten out to their little shower, Lanister was already about done with himself, but still, he smiled just as widely, holding the towel under the water again.

"Ah... What a pleasure it is for you to join me..." He snickered, walking up to her, helping Nevayah get undressed if she hadn't already. Once she was a bare as he was, Lanister began to run the wet cloth along her smooth, pale skin slowly, softly, careful to touch on all her areas. He had to be sure, of course, that he had removed all the spices from from her skin less people catch on to their previous engagement, so he went over her again, from all angles, enjoying himself all the while. After about 20 minutes of being ABSOLUTELY sure she was clean, he'd hang the cloth out to dry along the curved neck of the pump, unless, of course, she wanted to have a go at him as well.

Once their little bathing session was over, Lanister would get dressed in his clean pair of clothes, tossing his dirty ones inside the door to be dealt with later. Smiling back at his wife, he gestured back in the direction of town, ready to spend a romantic night with the only person who mattered in the world.

[Blink]

As Lanister headed outside Nevayah got down to cleaning with a bit more purpose than before. Sweeping up the last bit of dust and scooping it into a bin Nevayah carried it outside to dump out. Setting the now empty bin down she made her way towards the water pump where her beloved was waiting for her. Before she even attempted to undress herself Lanister had begun stripping her down. From there he delicately bathed her in a way that was so kind and delicate a gesture her heart fluttered with every touch. He was so meticulous at getting every single inch of her clean that she felt renewed when he was finished.

Without words she leaned in to plant a soft kiss on his cheek before following him inside. Inside the doorway she tossed her dirty skirt and sweater atop Lanister's attire. From there she walked into their bedroom and examined the few amounts of clothing she possessed. Taking into consideration the fact they would be presenting themselves in front of Lanister's boss and then going out on the town she pulled a dark red piece of fabric off of a shelf. Holding the scarf in her hands she squeezed at it a bit as if trying to push something out of the threads, a memory. Truly reflecting on how she had been acting lately she remembered how she was before with Lanister. How when they first bathed together in the bathhouse and she forgot her scarf. Or how many times she scooped it off the floor after being thrown beside their bed. Lifting the scarf to her face she brushed the fabric against her lips while closing her eyes as she took it all in. How could she tell him she knew something was wrong with her. Something was happening that was changing her and despite how much she tried to ignore it she could not.

Still standing nude she reached for another sweater almost identical to the one laying by the door except perhaps a few shades darker. Setting her scarf delicately on their bed she pulled on the sweater and then another skirt. Followed by stockings and then her boots. Lastly she grabbed the scarf once more and gave it a quick hug before setting it back on the shelf. "Ready" she called from the bedroom making her way around the wall to the living space. Taking her bag and strapping it over her shoulder she let it clunk to her side from the two bottles of tonic she placed into it earlier. Grabbing Lanister's hand she made her way out the door as he motioned in the direction of town.

While they walked Nevayah made a silent notion to herself to act as normal as possible for Lanister's sake. Even if she was exhausted and felt like she could cry at any moment from god knows what she smiled. Of course with their blood bond he would be able to sense some of her inner turmoil but she still tried. With their footprints causing the leaves on the ground beneath them Nevayah broke the silence. "I know something is wrong with me. Maybe though its just I have finally caught something. My blood could be... changing?" This theory and many more have crossed her mind when she was alone. Something had to explain why this was happening to her, the girl who before was practically immune to everything. "Nonetheless, I promise I am fighting it... whatever it is."

[Salzem]

Even while they walked silently and while Nevayah attempted to act completely normal, Lanister knew exactly what was going on. Their bloodbond told the secrets they kept from each-other, both physical and emotional. Something was going on with her blood... something far outside the ordinary... he could feel it in his gut, the abnormal twisting... But he couldn't pin down a source. Nevayah seemed to acknowledge this herself as about half-way to the boss' house. She noted that, indeed, there was something wrong with her that her blood might be changing. Lanister stopped walking and stared at her, more concerned than ever. What if... she lost her ability to heal...? She'd still be in better shape than he was most of his life, but still, Nevayah would be significantly more vulnerable, hurt far easier... She declared she was fighting, whatever it was and the moment she did, Lanister grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her full on the lips, pulling away after a few seconds.

"Whatever happens... I'm here for you, okay...?" He murmured, gently brushing a strand of hair from out in front of her face. "I will never leave you... Not if we lose our blood-bond or if you lose your healing-powers. I'll always be here..." He smiled lovingly before continuing on, reaching the boss' house in only a few more minutes. Her house was in the center of town, a far wider, longer house then theirs and far better kept. Lanister knocked on the massive double-doors that lead inside, being met with silence for a moment before he door swung open. Standing in the door-way was a GIANT of a female, standing easily around 6-foot 11, with all the bulk to make it an even distribution. She had rough-ish tanned skin and long, curly dark brown hair and eyes, but besides her warrior-esk appearance, she wore a simple grey dress and leather boots, appearing far more house-wife than he had ever seen her. Nonetheless, Boss smiled down at the two kiddies, placing a hand on Lanister's head as if her were just a child.

"AH! Its good to see you two!" She declared, her voice surprisingly smooth and feminine despite her gigantic appearance. "My boy has been getting much better, thanks to you... I owe you two." She stepped to the side, letting the pair inside. The interior of the house was MASSIVE, at least 3 stories tall with high ceilings on each floor. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling with several nicely scented candles burning in the foyer. If Lanister didn't know Boss, he might have thought she was living in royalty.

"Maybe you should let me take over the bar." He joked, looking around the house with polite interest.

"Yeah right. I'll die first before I passed it off to you..." She grumbled, obviously joking, but her eyes were now on Nevayah, seeming to detect the same problem both Lanister and she had noticed on their way over here. She stared knowingly, but whatever secrets she knew, Boss kept her mouth shut, leading them up to the second floor where her child awaited his medicine. Boss slowly creaked open the door revealing a sleeping child, small, perhaps only 5 or 6, with black hair and pale tan skin. He had been far worse the first time they had saw him, sickly and seeming like he was on the verge of death. Now, at least he seemed like he was coming out of it. As Nevayah went about her business distributing her tonic, Lanister noticed Boss Staring at her still, a concerned, motherly look that forced Lanister to speak.

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" He laughed. Boss said nothing, only stared... Once Nevayah was done, Boss shooed them out of the bedroom and into the hallway before following them herself and shutting the door. She took a deep breath (for a giant) and looked at them both.

"I can give you two some tips... On becoming parents. Lanister's eyes shot wide as he looked around for someone else in the house, some other pair she might be talking too... Just them and the walls. Boss Judged Lanister's and Nevayah's expressions, smirking somewhat at their surprise.

"You didn't know? I suppose not... You see, parents get special powers and I can see it written on your face, Nevayah. You're going to be a mother. Lanister's gaze flicked from Boss to his wife, unsure of what to say or even think. "Which means... You can punch daddy for this..."

[Blink]

When Lanister stopped so did she. Turning towards him as he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her in for a kiss she smiled. "I know" was all she could say to his declaration of being there for her. Afterwards they both continued onto his boss's house. Upon arriving she was just as blown away as the first time she saw it. It was so large and beyond extravagant compared to their homey little cottage. As the massive woman opened the door Nevayah made no other expression than a simple smile as she placed her hand upon Lanister's head.

Going on inside Nevayah went straight to the young boys room as she had a few times before. Reaching into her bag she pulled out the small bottle of tonic before popping the cork off the end of it. Then she lowered her hand to below the boys head and tilted it up a bit as she held the tonic to his lips. Slowly she tilted the bottle to pour the liquid down his throat. After finishing she placed the bottle back in her bag and sat at the edge of the boys bed looking at him for a moment. The thoughts that raced through her mind at this moment were enough to almost make her tear up, emotions already having been all over the place. "Maybe one day" she whispered before placing her hand on the boys and giving it a little squeeze before standing back up.

It was when she turned to Lanister's boss that her smile faded. She had caught the two of them staring at her and it creeped her out. Lowering her head a bit she walked out of the room and stood beside Lanister in the hallway before having her entire world turned upside down in an instant. The words echoed in her mind over and over again as if bouncing off the walls of her innermost thoughts. parents...parents....parents..... Speechless was the best way to describe her in that moment. Lanister's boss continued on about how she could just tell and then ended the statement with a pun about punching Lanister. Snapping her head in his direction her eyes darted all over his body as if looking for any trace of a joke. Surely they had planned this as a way to get her out of her funk.. yeah that's it.. it was all a game, or was it?

Lowering a hand to her own stomach as well as her gaze Nevayah spread her palm out and felt for something that was supposed to be there. Then in that instant the dream she had pushed back weeks ago came to light. The dream of two heartbeats that she could not understand. Her eyes then once again looked at Lanister as she shook her head from side to side signaling she refused to believe it. Her eyes were wide and scared, worse than anytime she had been held against her will and fought to survive. This was not something she could simply talk her way out of and escape... it was fate.

Her next action was so quick she gave no warning to the fact she was about to bolt. Turning on her foot she sprinted down the hallway and stairs before flinging open the door and running out. The way she ran would have made it almost impossible for Lanister to catch her at first. Running down the street and making a sharp turn she managed to tuck herself away in an alley behind a few empty barrels. Surprisingly enough it was the very tavern where Lanister worked that she found herself hiding behind. Leaning her back against the stone she slid downwards until her bottom was touching the gravel. She was not crying or screaming but simply staring at the wall across from her. She did not know if Lanister had followed her immediately or stayed to speak with his boss. She did not know if he screamed out for her or said anything for that matter when she ran, it was all a silent blur.

But now as she stared at the cold broken wall across from her all she wanted was Lanister there with her. To hold her and tell her it was all going to be okay. She needed to hear him say his boss was wrong, and that this was nothing but a bump in the road of their lives. Of course Nevayah wanted children one day... her and Lanister had talked about it before. But they promised it would be when they knew they were safe. They had only been in La'Marri for a few short months, not near enough to to completely be sure they were safe. And then there was their home and how unprepared it was. It was barely enough for the two of them, let alone a child. Then the image of the children from her dream months ago played, and surprisingly it made her smile.

[Salzem]

Lanister jumped in surprise as Nevayah bolted from the house, practically falling down the stares before running out into the streets. Lanister followed soon after as Boss looked on, shaking her head, somewhat worried for the pair. Lanister may have been a bit stronger, but Nevayah was always faster than he was and was unable to catch up to her before she disappeared among the crowd of people out today. Still, his blood-bond with her allowed him to track down her position, but that didn't make him slow down any less. All he could think as he ran in Nevayah's direction was Oh my gods... we're going to be parents... Just the thought of having children with them, their own offspring, never really seemed real... Yes, they talked about it and made plans to have them when they were sure they were safe but... now that Boss had confirmed Nevayah's pregnancy... what seemed just a dream flowed into reality and somehow, it lost just a bit of it's dream-like luster in the process. Lanister swept through the town with a vengeance, showing little concern for anyone who got in his way...

Eventually, he got to his wife, finding her in an alley, tucked behind a few barrels, just silently staring at a wall. Somehow, this unnerved him the most. If she was crying or screaming or having some form of outward reaction, Lanister would have known how to make her okay, how to help her recover but that silence... that staring... It gave him nothing... Slowly, cautiously, the boy sat down beside her next to the barrels, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as a tiny grin curled up on her lips. He said nothing for several minutes, just holding her if she let him and staring at the wall alongside. Eventually, though his gaze did turn back to her, his eyes glowing dimly in the shadows of the alley. He held her a little tighter to him, contemplating his next words carefully.

"Nevayah...? Are you okay...?" He'd ask, his voice having a certain edge of fear grafted on, but he did continue. "We are safe.... Boss is here to help us and... La'marii is nothing like Eyssrn... M-maybe this was meant to be...?" He spoke as if he were trying to justify this situation, as if this thing were entirely his fault for putting her in such a position. The boy didn't dare kiss or hug her any more than he already had for fear that silence would erupt into a volcanic anger like back home, or a chilling passive aggression like she had the first time they met. He just looked upon her face for any kind of acknowledgement or... emotion... something that would give him a sign of what was going on inside her head... Anything would be good...

"Nevayah...?" He repeated, the fear-pitch in his voice rising.

[Blink]

She did not react when Lanister finally found her. Even when he sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her she remained silent. She sat there just staring at the wall as if she would get what she was looking for by glaring at it. Lanister continued to try and talk to her, she could hear the fear rising in his voice. Feeling his eyes on her did not deter her from continuing to stare. "We are going to be parents..." she responded with no emotion in her voice at first. From there she tilted her head forwards before tapping it backwards on the wall behind them. Not with enough force to hurt herself, but enough to make a light thump.

Finally she turned her gaze to Lanister unsure of what to say. "Should we be happy about this? Are we ready for this?" pausing she lifted a hand to her chest. "Am I ready for this?" her voice was full of question and concern as she spoke. "Parents...." she whispered one more time before turning her head back towards the wall to stare at it. "Essyrn or not we still have to hide who we are. How will we explain to our child why I cannot wear shorter sleeves or dresses? What if you got hurt around our child? What if it is not immune like I am?" her eyes then narrowed as the tried to put a few pieces together. "And what do you mean your boss is here to help us?" her tone had changed a bit to an accusatory one. "Did you tell her what we are!?"

Turning her body towards Lanister her eyes were full of negativity. "You told her didn't you!? How could you!" and so began the irrational anger of Nevayah once more. If only she had a few spice jars laying around right now... but no it was only her, Lanister and the gravel. But instead of taking it out on Lanister her mind suddenly clicked into a bit of a hysterically crazy state. She went from worrying about being parents to Lanister's boss and then... the most random thoughts of all. "I need to go to the market and buy some Thyme."

Sounding almost like a crazy person she continued on listing spices she needed. "We will also need some Cinnamon, cloves, basil, oregano....." Nevayah had probably listed about twenty different spices by the end of her statement.

[Salzem]

"I.... I don't know if we're ready..." Lanister confessed, his gaze falling to the floor, already blaming himself for all of this. "But I think we'd be great parents! You're a wonderful person already, my love! I think our children would be just as great!" As he mentioned Boss, Nevayah's gaze flicked back up at him, nothing but burning wrath in her Azure eyes. Immediately upon seeing this drastic change, Lanister fell back, Nevayah seeming to tower over him now. She roared that he must have told Boss who/what they were and demanded to know how he could have done this. How DARE he tell someone what kind of person they were...? The sad thing was... she was right. He had gone and told Boss what they were: Tainteds. Of course, like he figured, she didn't even know what a Tainted even was and he had to explain it to her as a result. Though, unlike what Nevayah was thinking right now, Boss was nothing short of an honest person, not a smige of shiftiness or secret-spilling about her. And on top of that, she was a mother as well and knew what it was like to want to protect family... At least, thats what he said to himself to justify jeopardizing his wife's trust in him. Even if it had paid of and he had made a reliable ally in Boss, it seemed he had shattered his relationship with the one he loves most, along with his own heart... Lanister looked like he was going to burst into tears right there when Nevayah's anger seemed to blink out of existence once again, her voice becoming monotone as she remembered they still needed to buy all of their spices back, starting with the Thyme. Through misty, tear-filled eyes, he stared at his increasingly unstable wife before he flung himself on her, holding her to him with all his strength as if that would retain her sanity.

"Oh my gods Nevayah..." He whispered, his lower lip shaking as he spoke. "I'm scared..." It was not often he ever showed this kind of weakness, this kind of... vulnerability, even to his wife, but here in this moment between her apparent hate for him now and her growing attention-shifts, he couldn't keep up a facade of strength any longer. He stared up at the girl he clung to, tears running down his cheeks.

"I'm afraid I broke your trust in me... that I've hurt you... I'm so... so sorry...." he mumbled before going silent. Of course, he was referring to getting her pregnant, spilling her secret, everything that had caused her to become like this... It was all his fault and he knew it. And he hoped she was going to forgive him... Lanister didn't even have the RIGHT to hope, let alone beg for forgiveness... If he was any kind of decent man at all, he would have just up and died right there to make up for these horrid sins... but then, he never claimed to be a decent man.

"Please forgive me..."

[Blink]

Lanister interrupted her going on about spices by flinging himself at her. He was worried he had broken her trust and begged forgiveness from her. She almost slipped back into a state of rage before remembering the amount of times she herself had to ask for forgiveness from him. "Lanister calm down. You have not broken my trust and you have not hurt me." her face had gone serious once more, she was acting like herself.

Hugging him back she kissed his neck in an attempt to break his emotional state. "I know that at the end of the day you would do whatever it takes to save me. I know that you would give your life for me, just as I would you. That is trust... So much so that I trust that if you told Emilra our secret it was for a reason." Pulling away from her she was now the one looking at him seriously, perhaps staring at the wall did do her some good. "First thing is first, we need to go eat before I die of starvation. Second, we need to go to the market and replace our damned spices. Last, you need to talk to Emilra about what I can do to not be so damned tired all of the time. We will get through this and we will make beautiful children. We will fight to keep them safe and happy, and if we are lucky they will live normal lives." squeezing his shoulders with her hands she continued her small scale speech.

"Then we will have to get to work. Our child will need a good home that is safe and happy." she sent him all too familiar smile before leaning in to give him a heartfelt kiss. "I love you"

[Salzem]

"I... I love you too..." He responded, kissing her back with as much passion and love as he was capable, practically pressing her against the wall with the force of such an act. Nevayah had responded with everything he dared hoped she'd say, that he hadn't hurt her or broken her trust, that they will make beautiful children together and they they would fight to give them normal happy lives. Even as he pulled away from their kiss, he stared at his wife with such love and amazement, he might as well had been staring into the divinity of the gods themselves. He sighed softly and kissed her again just to make his point, subtly growing more aroused just being in her presence, but again, he decided not to push it past this point. Slowly he pulled away, slightly breathless before helping Nevayah to her feet, smiling wider than he ever had before in his life. When he stared into the beautiful, pale face of his partner, he saw not a tainted-blood human like himself, but something far beyond, something holy and divine in both body and spirit. When he looked into those azure eyes of hers, he was staring into something far better than he. Lanister felt humbled, but in a good way... Being in the presence of the smart, wise and determined girl he loved made him smile and wonder how he ever got to be so damned lucky...

"We're going to be parents..." He whispered, still trying to wrap his mind around the idea. Only half a year ago, they were just slaves in a cage, never knowing that it would eventually come to this... It was hard to believe they had came this far so fast... he talked to some people who dated their wives for several years before getting married, some even discarding their previous partners in favor of another but Lanister and Nevayah, they were something else... something different from the rest of them... Maybe it was because they were bound by their blood or that something biological/faithful bound them together but, if Lanister knew anything, he was going to stand by his family (Nevayah and his children) forever and ever... He loved them with everything he had...

"Lets go get something to eat, honey..." He laughed, pecking her lips once more before heading out into the stores once again. There were definately several places to choose from in the market-place. Grills, Inns, a few smaller (hardly competitive) bars sitting around that served food. He was growing hungry as well, just looking at the options...

"Where do you feel like going, Sweet-heart?" Lanister snickered again, using all the husband/wife-isms. "I think the... "Drunken-Boar grill seems appealing." Lanister pointed at the stone, castle-esque architecture of the grill through the crowds of people out shopping. "What are you in the mood for, baby?" He simply couldn't stop himself.

[Blink]

Nevayah giggled at Lanister's adorable remarks calling her honey, sweet-heart and baby. Her eyes followed where he pointed at the Drunken-Boar and so she decided. "That sounds perfect baby" she smiled scrunching her nose at him. Grabbing his hand she walked towards the grill and pushed open the door. Inside the wonderful aromas of meat and ale all filled the air surrounding them. The grill was busy tonight, lots of clambering glasses and laughing voices reverberated off the walls. With Lanister's hand still in hers she walked right up to a table for two before sitting down and finally releasing his palm.

Within minutes a maiden approached them so that they may place their orders. Nevayah mumbled something about wanting smoked pig before turning her attention to the other patrons of the establishment. Many familiar faces sat in all the seats enjoying their evening. Some even waved and smiled at her as they caught her eye. Most surprisingly though was that Nevayah smiled and waved back. The evening went on like this even as Lanister ordered his food and they waited. They made small talk about plans for their home and how Nevayah wanted Lanister to add more shelves to the kitchen for collecting herbs.

For some reason now that she had accepted they were having a child she saw a much brighter and more solid future. Even as they finished their dinner and began walking back home she talked with him about adding another room for their child and finally oiling the floors in their house. "We have nine months if I remember correctly to get all of this done." she finished just as she was reaching for the door handle to their humble abode. Stepping inside she could not help but notice the house still had a bit of an earthy smell from all of the herbs thrown before they had left.

Nevayah had gone into full blown mother mode as she picked up their previously soiled clothes they had tossed aside earlier and placed them in a washing bin to fill with water in the morning. "I wonder what it will be.... or who it will be. Boy or Girl, Tainted or not. Most likely it will with both of us being one." In all truth she would be happy with either, as long as it was the child of her beloved's that was enough alone to make her love it forever. Turning to Lanister she walked up to him wrapping her arms around his neck and snaking one of her hands up the back of his head grabbing his hair just a bit. From there she rested her check against his collarbone and closed her eyes just trying to take in as much of him as possible. "I know I have been crazy and my mind is everywhere right now but promise me one thing. Don't ever let this... let us dissapear. Just because we are going to be parents does not mean I want to lose what makes us... well us. I love you to much to ever let that go."

[Salzem]

Lanister smiled as Nevayah returned his jest, walking into the restaurant with as much comfort as any two soon-to-be parents could have. They ate like royalty that night, just enjoying themselves causally, asking how each-other's day went and other minor small-talk. They had made plans to replace the spices lost earlier that day, a topic Lanister enjoyed talking about, joking about how the no longer needed the scented candles he had bought for her.

And so, once they were well fed, they walked home to their little out-of-the-way place, just discussing how they were going to need to make room for this child. Lanister knew that if their old house wouldn't serve, Boss and would, for sure, have enough room to house them until they could acquire a bigger home. Hell, she might even give them some of her revenue just to get them out of her house faster. Nevayah noted that they would have at least 9 months to get everything ready for the new life they were bringing into the world and Lanister smiled in agreement. 9 months wasn't an especially long time, especially when they were waiting for something like this. Then again, who wanted to wait forever for their child to come? The thought truly reminded him again of the fact that he was going to be a parent...

When they got home, Nevayah was already showing her parenting prowess, picking up their dirty laundry and tossing it in a bin to be washed later, wondering if their baby will be a boy or a girl, tainted or not.

"Well... I know one thing... They'll be a beautiful as you are." He smiled, his grin only widening as his wife walked up to him and placed her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck as her fingers intertwined with his hair. Lanister reciprocated the gesture, but instead by wrapping his arms around her lower back, just above her rump, holding her against him. She acknowledged her unstable behavior and asked him to never let them go, to not let moments like these ever go away just because they were going to be parents, that she loved him too much to ever let that go. In response, Lanister cupped Nevayah's face in his hands and kissed her with all he had, letting his beautiful wife know just what his intentions were...

2 months later...

Lanister was sitting beside his wife, holding her hand as she lay in one of the fancy beds on the top floor of Boss' massive abode, giving birth to their child. He couldn't believe it was happening so soon... they had only barely gotten all the furniture in the house and now they were having kids 7 months ahead of schedule!? That didn't stop him from being ecstatic that their children were coming early, it just caught him off guard is all. It turned out that Nevayah's powerful healing blood cut the time required for birth by over half, her reaching the typical 8-month period in only 2... Upon hearing of this change, Boss, of course, took them into her home, serving as the one who would actually deliver the child since she had to herself once. She knew exactly what both the mother and child needed for this to go smoothly, meanwhile, Lanister was just sitting there in a chair beside his wife, clutching her hand as tightly as he could as if that would make this brutal experience any less painful... And when it was all over... and the children were born... There was not just one child... but two.... one boy, and one girl.... The girl and Lanister's sanguine eyes and the boy had Neveyah's deep blue. together, each one wailed until boss tucked them deeply into his wife's arms, in which they slept like... well babies...

"Oh Nevayah..." He whispered, tears in his eyes, feeling more proud of her than he ever had in his entire life. "Twins...." He gently ran a hand along their children's heads, just marveling at they fact they were laying there at all. He looked up at the exausted eyes of his partner, and now his fellow parent, smiling like never before.

"What will we call them...?"

[Blink]

It was amazing how things worked sometimes. Nevayah's body being what it was sped up their pregnancy at an incredible rate. Thankfully they were able to pass it off to fellow townspeople that she was already pregnant when they arrived, just not showing until the final few months. Of course there was some skepticism from a few, but for the most part everyone just went along with it. Emilra was also a huge help in preparing them for parenthood, she even had a few tricks to help with Nevayah's symptoms. On top of allowing the two to take residence in her home as their own was prepared for a newborn baby. Lanister proposed they just buy a new home, but Nevayah refused.

Laying on the bed of satin sheets Nevayah gripped Lanister's hand once more as she pushed out their child. But then one of the biggest surprises came to the two, a second one was waiting to be born. Able to muster enough strength to deliver a second child with no complications was truly a feat for little Nevayah's body, but she managed it. By the time it was all over she was so tired she could barely hold her eyes open much less listen to Elmira announce the genders of their children. One boy and one girl. Lanister's lighthearted whisper of her name was the only thing that kept her from drifting to sleep right there. She had not even noticed the weight on each of her arms until Lanister said something.

Looking from side to side she laid her eyes on each of her beautiful children with a feeling growing in her heart she had only ever felt for one human being in her lifetime, undeniable love. Completely breath taken by the entire experience she then turned her head to Lanister the grin on her face one of true happiness. "Let's think about it for a moment." she whispered before turning her gaze back to her children. "Would you like to hold one of them?" she asked raising a tired brow at her beautiful husband.

[Salzem]

"Yes... please..." He smiled softly as his wife offered one of the children to him, kissing her cheek softly before reaching out towards one of the newborns with a gentle, shaky hand. With the help of his exhausted Nevayah, the new father held his baby girl in his arms, her tiny chest rising and falling steadily as she slept. He didn't need any sort of physical resemblances or biological similarities to know that this baby was theirs... He could feel it in his blood, and in the unconditional, absolute love he only shared with the woman and the other baby laying in the bed beside him. He beamed down upon the new life, glancing across at his partner with the happiest expression he had ever mustered. This... he knew now... was true happiness, something he wouldn't ever give up for the world.

"They're so beautiful..." Lanister observed in a hushed whisper, his hand gently brushing over the child's cheek with his thumb. She twitched and shifted in his arms before falling back into her unconscious state in such an adorable way, it made the boy's heart melt even more that it already had. He couldn't stop himself from smiling down upon the little child in his arms, so excited to teach her all the things she was going to do in life... To eat, to walk, to talk... Lanister and Nevayah were parents now and yet... he could still hardly believe it... It was only with this little girl resting in his arms, did he realize that this, right now, was reality... Their little balls of joy were not the fleeting moments of a dream nor their temporary connections in the bed. These babies were here to stay and with a silent determination, Lanister would make sure they would get to where they were now, already anticipating grand-children.... Remembering Nevayah's comment about their names, the young man already had thought of a few, but possessed a favorite among those. With a soft sigh of pure contentment, he glanced up at his beautiful wife, gentle grin across his face.

"What do you think of Emia...?" He asked, looking back down at the sleeping child in his arms before returning her to her rightful place: with her mother. A child this early just... shouldn't be separated from their mother... Only a father for a few moments and he knew that little Emia needed the one who birthed her, not the man that helped. Still, in this moment, Lanister was the happiest person alive... He had good friends, a wife and a two beautiful kids, all of which he loved with all his heart and soul. His entire history of slavery and abuse seemed so pointless now... When he looked down upon his wife and their two little babies curled up beside her... It seemed his view on divinity was ever expanding. Slowly, he lowered himself over Nevayah, careful to mind the kiddies before kissing her softly, lovingly upon her lips, desperate to express his love for her in that moment.

"I love you..." He whispered.