RP:A Flask In Time

Summary: Things happen with people.

Mrs Mallard's Bakery and Tearoom

The sweet smells of baking waft into this quaint little tearoom from next-door making your mouth water. This seems like an endearing place with refined touches added everywhere from hand made doilies to small vases of flowers in the center of every table next to the menu's. This small tearoom is filled with hungry or satisfied patrons gorging themselves on the delicacies the owner has to offer. Waiters and waitresses move about refilling teacups and smiling at everyone pleasantly their shoes knocking on the old yet perfectly cleaned wood flooring. Perhaps you could take a seat at one of the small tables with their beautiful table clothes or you may prefer to take some warm fresh made bread with you on your travels.

Mrs Mallard is here.

Irenic was stealing away from an important meeting at his owners establishment since his use of him standing there and looking pretty was fulfilled. Wearing black slacks, a cleaner - crisper black button down, an emerald & black diagonal striped tie, and even cufflinks to match. His sleeves had gotten neatly rolled up his tattooed forearms and the tie was loosened as it seems he doesn't like being this dressed up so often. He neglected the eye patch all together today and occupied a random table in the tearoom with his books, inked quill, and blank parchment after placing an order with Mrs Mallard. He probably acquired sideways glances because he looks rather out of place: tall menacing man with wings too large to open in doors and even clad in black coming to relax in a place where they put doilies on their dainty tables covered in frilly table clothes. He was brought an assortment of treats after getting himself settled, earl-grey tea and a glass of water with it. His hand goes to smooth his hair back out of his face out of habit, but stopped himself when he remembered there was pomade parting and slicking it back.

Valrae had managed to enter the bakery without noticing the winged man. The witch was wearing a peach and gold patterned wrap dress with a belt of gold and black clinched tight around her narrow waist. The low slung fabric left just enough of her back exposed to show a peak of the intricate filigree designed crescent moon that was inked between her shoulder blades. Her hair was a mess of sunny curls that tumbled to her waist under a black, floppy wide brimmed hat. Her feet were tucked into strappy sandals and she had a beach bag on her shoulder with sand clinging to the bottom of it. She perused through the bread selection before finding what suited her needs, ordered a small tin of loose leaf chamomile tea, and turned with a flourish of wild golden curls toward the door before she'd spotted him. Her face was instantly alight with a smile. "Edlin!" She said, excitement brightening her greeting. She crossed the small bakery, carrying her goods and bag with one hand, to stand before the man bringing the scent of sand and sea with her. "How are you?" Valrae did a quick inspection of him and felt under dressed standing in front of him in her beach clothes. "You look nice."

Irenic had pushed the glasses up on the bridge of his nose just as Valrae entered causing him to glance up, but look back as she was turned away from him and he seems to watch her for a moment with an amused smirk. Looking away just as she turned and pretending as if he'd been nose deep in the big book before him all the while. He looked back up as she called out for him, causing him to reapply a half smile in response, a lazy wave and a, "Hello there, Valrae." As she came nearer he closed the book on his messy left-handed writing while motioning for her to take a set across from him at the small two person table, "I'm well. Trying to keep away from the manor until my master finishes her meeting. Boring stuff, really." He offered her the same inspection when she mentioned he looked nice, "And you look stunning, but that's not hard for you to do." The words he said was a compliment, but in the way he said it sounded more matter-of-fact and nonchalant. He obviously had the capabilities and knowledge on being the perfect gentleman, but it's evident he doesn't put it to practice often. He goes on to explain, "All I had to do was arrive for the formal dinner or whatever and look pretty, but when things got a little too much of guild talk, I was excused." He shrugged… "And how are you?" His bicolored eyes continuing to focus on her weather she chose to sit as he offered or stand on her own.

Valrae took the offered seat, placing her purchases, sandy bag by her feet, and then her floppy hat on top of it all. She pushed a golden curl behind her ear and gave the man a sweet, embarrassed smile, her cheeks blooming red from the compliment. "Oh, uh, thanks!" It was very apparent the woman wasn't used to complements. The witch nodded along though she had a multitude of questions cartwheeling through her mind. "I'm sure you do an excellent job at looking pretty," She teased, giving him another shy smile. Sweet Mrs. Mallard had made her way back over and Val hastily ordered chi tea and a blueberry tart. "I ah, I was painting in the cove," She explained after the woman strolled off. "After I went for a swim and I didn't happen to bring along your flask." She gave him an apologetic look, mossy eyes dark, and tucked the stubborn curl away again. "But I could run home and fetch it if you need it badly, it's very beautiful." 

Irenic watched her movements before a tilt of his head was given while he removed his glasses after noting her surprise, "That shouldn’t rile you so… And if you don't already know of your evident beauty, then you've been around the wrong type of people." Again, the words weren't aimed to swoon, more like inform. He decides to make a demonstration of what he speaks of when in response to her offered compliment, a knowing smirk as he folds the glasses in on themselves, placing them down as he said, "You're too kind," ending with a confident wink. When she placed an order he butts in, "Just the tea Mrs Mallard." He slides the plate of treats closer to Valrae that he already ordered, definitely harboring the scone she wants amongst it, motioning for her to take whatever she wanted, "On me." When she starts explaining herself his gaze wonders slowly about her facial features almost unhearing of the fact she doesn't have his flask. He allowed a pregnant pause between them before his reply, "Ah… The flask. I am not worried about it…" And as if he disregards ever even owning a flask his double optics seem to twinkle with curiosity, "Painting, you say?" His brow quirked when he added a bit quieter, "And swimming… I missed out on a fun time." He also didn't seem to worried about that.

Valrae's cheeks were on fire. She looked down at her folded hands in her lap and gave a half-hearted laugh. He wasn't far off the mark. Not that she hadn't been given compliments from the man who currently had her heart in the most painful way. It was only that she was an unwanted wild card in an increasingly deteriorating situation and she constantly found herself second best. But she couldn't burden him with any of that. After a quiet moment her gaze fluttered back across the table and she simply said, "Thank you." The wink he offered had her hiding the light, bubbling laughter that tumbled past her lips behind her hand. She thanked him again when he offered her the pastry and took a stingy bite. Her tea arrived, with a delicate cloth napkin that she smoothed over her lap, and she nodded at Eldin. "It's a beautiful day," She replied, taking another small bite. "Though any day is a good day to paint," Her tea was still to hot to bother with, so she let it go untouched. She leaned her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, leaning in just enough to have a waterfall of golden curls spill over her shoulder. "Do you have any hobbies, Edlin?"   

Irenic, being to confident, doesn't even avert his gaze when she became bashful from his come-ons and he even found it a bit amusing how it was easy to flatter women, so. His sigh and frown was playful when she verified her painting as he mentions, "I've never had the talent for it." He paused and sort of rolled his eyes accompanied by a smirk as he had to catch himself, "Well, actually, I wouldn't know." His short chuckle proved he could care less about his misfortune. He mimics her stature by leaning on an fist atop the table rested elbow, earning her a closer look at his hints of tattoos. His close proximity emitting her favorite scent one more as the space between them at the intimate table was slim; books, treats and beverages only separating them now. "Reading, acquiring knowledge. I exercise my training, acquiring power. And flying. I read anything…" His hand patted the book between them gently, "Even if I don't fully understand it because, you see, the more I read it the more I eventually do understand it… Though I am pretty sure I do not have the affinity to use anything out of this one." His gaze rests inside of her deep mossy one. "And yourself, Valrae?"

Valrae gave him a sheepish smile at the misstep. She hadn't considered that he'd lost all of his memories before she'd asked the question. She'd simply found herself thinking it and then it was rolling off her tongue. Suddenly, they were close again, but she wasn't bothered by it. Bread, the spicy scents of her steaming tea, and the sweetness of lavender was a heady mixture. She found her eyes drawn to his as he spoke, an answer of kindred excitement in the shadowy green of her own as she listened. He spoke of books, the pursuit of knowledge, and her own scholarly heart sang. "Reading! I have an alarming number of books and tomes in my apartment, it's almost a problem, really," She laughed. "Some of the truest forms of power comes with knowledge, the rest from wisdom, I imagine." She gave a wistful sigh. "If I had wings as beautiful and powerful as yours I would probably spend all of my time in the sky," She said, half joking. "If you don't mind my asking, what is it you're reading?" She immediately looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry if my asking offends you." 

Irenic quirked a scarred brow at her excitement while he was curbing is own with just that amused smirk exposing his white but slightly crowded teeth; which makes him look almost villainous. His reply to all the books in her apartment came as if he were satirically trying to out number her, "I practically live in the library back at the manor." He scoffs as her mention of having too many books as a problem, "No such thing!" A nod in agreement on the topic of knowledge coming from wisdom, "I -look- like I'm wise, hence the gray hair, but-" He instinctively wants to smooth his hair back again, but he as to stop himself - again. "But I don't remember what caused the highlights of wisdom." Another shrug causing those miraculous wings to shift subtly from the confines of the establishment. "Well, any time you want to take off just let me know where." This last comment may have seemed a bit more of a come-on, but her question interrupted the moment, "Oh?" His eyes look down on it, "This is a type of spell book for necromancy, some of the newer and amateur stuff... I don't have a magical bone in my body, but it's an interesting read for whenever the day might arise where I am fighting one. I'll know all of their tricks and possibly how to counter or evade them." When his gaze would meet back to her own she would see that hint of a twinkle before he actually looked a little embarrassed now, "I know, total bore." He was sure she must think him dull now.

Valrae laughed and agreed with the sentiment of never having too many books. A slower, teasing smile bowed her lips when he mentioned the streaks of gray. "You manage to pull the look off nicely," She commented, giving him a wink of her own, and because her tea had cooled, she hid her laugh by taking a sip. The movement of his wings had her marveling at them again and they were all the more stunning in proper light. They moved on to the topic of the book between them and Val listened attentively, focusing her gaze back on his own. "No, just the opposite," She assured him. "A good portion of my collection happens to be spell tomes, grimoires, and other magical books. I am a witch though, and my trade helps to make a living now, so I have use a good bit of it. My family actually has it's own book of shadows," She was probably offering more information than the man really wished to hear but it was falling off of her tongue before she could stop herself. "It's really a marvel it ever reached me but it spans generations." Her mind caught up with her mouth and she looked down, having embarrassed herself again. "Ah, sorry." The next look she gave him, through dark lashes, was one of gratitude and flirtatiousness. "You might regret that offer, about flying, because I'm sure I'll take you up on it."

Irenic smirked again accompanying an eye roll at her compliment, somehow making him look arrogant, but bashful in a manly way. That dark scarred brow quirks again, seems she's surprising him left and right while his tone hushed a bit, "You don't say. How is it you go about making a living off it?" The tone was not judgmental in the least but rather intrigued. "Book of shadows? I'm a bit new to all of this. Well… I'm actually new to everything, but what is a book of shadows." If he could lean in any further he would for the excitement of such a stimulating conversation was rare anymore. He mumbles some thing about 'a marvel indeed' in the midst of her explanation. When she apologizes for herself his hand mindlessly places itself atop her own as if trying to stop her from being ashamed or embarrassed, "Don't be, don't be. It’s an interesting tale." When she flirts back at him it causes that half grin to widen which stretches the scar which across those lips. His voice gets gruff once more in a more menacing way, but something about the twinkle in his eye would tell he was playing around with her, "Is that a threat, Valrae? I'll have you know that the likes of you don’t scare me." The grin softens a bit when his voice follows suit and dims a touch, "You're too adorable to take threats seriously." Another wink before the hand that was on top of her's moved to sip his earl-grey tea, with lemon.

Valrae found his response to her shameless flirting an endearing one. His interest in her, her magic, and how she made a living was so surprising. It read clearly through the rich green of her eyes. She found herself telling him about how she sold potions, talismans, remedies for ailments both common and rare. Shame had her omitting that she made poisons for her brother and his thugs. She never made any money off of that though, she simply got to keep away from her brother's radar. When he placed his hand on hers, the closeness they shared came back into sharp focus again for her. It was so strange, she hadn't been able to talk to another man with out comparing him to the one she'd been with, without thinking of him all the while, but the witch hadn't thought of him a during a single moment of their conversation. She stumbled for a second in her explanation of the book of shadows, a compilation of spells, curses, wisdom, usually passed through a single family line of witches. Val even found herself telling him that the reason it was such a miracle she still had the book was because she'd been an orphan on the streets of Cenril for most of her life. The heaviness of the conversation was leavened by flirtation. "Are you sure about that?" She replied, the look she leveled him all fluttering lashes and sweetness. "You aren't afraid of a wicked witch?" Val's teasing turned to mock pouting when he called her adorable. The redness of her cheeks lessened her likely hood of convincing him. "Ah, I may be small, but I'm mighty." 

Irenic sipped his tea silently while his gaze couldn't seem to leave her, focus only coming from the right silver eye for now. Expression being that of interest and intrigue while he remained leaned over the table towards her. He has nothing to compare her to besides his master, but that is not a type of relationship one would expect and in his mind, the adoration he has for Lady Dragana is out of respect and duty. The explanation of the book of shadows lands her the expression of envy, "Oh, how lucky you are… You have a book only for you and all to yourself." The moment she mentions being a wicked witch only earned her a wicked grin, "I am not sure what you've heard of Avian's, but I am not righteous and honorable like most of the race. Although, I am entirely arrogant, stubborn and have no desire to worship the gods." He finds it a bit amusing that no one believes him when he says he's not exactly the good guy. Her counter to his jest on her adorableness is only replied to with a grin - as if he's certain of what she says. He goes on, "I am a slave to a Necromancer I call Lady Dragana. She saved me from near death, erased my memory, cut of-" He stopped himself a moment, seemingly skipping over a fact, "And swore me to her allegiance. I am less a slave now than I was when it began, but I still serve her out of respect… Although, I found the journal I kept previously and skimmed through it. I was some sort of officer in an army from where I came from, or knight; only which I lied and scammed my way into. They called me 'the juggernaut' because any objective I was given, I completed and any person or thing that dared to get in the way was obliterated." He obviously harbored no shame for these acts, "So, no, I am not afraid. If anything, a wicked witch sounds like a person I could get on board with." Although his little tale sound quite scary, his smirk an flirtatious manner might diminish all of the facts - his only point really being is to just be yourself and worry not of the opinion of others.

Valrae was infinitely curious about how he'd came to be a slave, so she listened carefully while watching his face. He didn't seem to be very upset to call himself a slave. It was all so strange to her. She knew of necromancy, though she never dabbled in the dark magic, and found herself thinking of how she might read the books she'd neglected in her collection to get a better idea of it. The witch's golden brows rose a fraction at the mention of his violent past but she didn't seem to be disturbed or frightened by it. Only surprised. They had slipped effortlessly back into flirtation and she returned his smirk with a sly smile of her own. "Is that so?" Her laughter bubbled behind her hand and she nervously brushed the waterfall of curls over her shoulder again. "I hope I haven't taken too much of your time," She said, suddenly remembering herself, with an embarrassed glance around the bakery. "You said you come to get away from talk and here I am, going on," She straightened, still twisting her unruly, windblown mess of gold tresses. "I'm sorry if I've kept you from your reading,"

Irenic nodded just once at her question before her attempt to hide a laugh only causing him to emit a soft and short chuckle along with her. He glanced around the bakery as well when she mentioned how much time they had been sitting there chatting; the day switching to night, "Would you look at that…" Was all he could say for the moment while his gaze trails back to her and he would stay quiet for a moment for this is the first time he became lost in a deep conversation with someone. He wanted to remember her face, the curls and her quirky ticks. He clarifies, "I came to get away from dull conversation of which had noting to do with me… Well, I'm beginning to like how you go on." Another short chuckle was emitted through that half smirk when she apologized at the same time his eyes narrows in mischief and of course flirtation, "You aren't that sorry… At least I hope." His glance notes the darkness outside once more, "How about I fly you the long, scenic route to your home… Or wherever you were headed, no?" With that his height nearly diminishes the room as he stands, offering a had down to her with the book tucked under his other arm.

Valrae flushed under his gaze, her eyes down cast as she straightened the table around her. She'd left the blue berry scone practically untouched and her tea had long been cold. The witch's own thoughts were parallel with the Avian's. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten so lost in conversation. She had leaned down to collect her things only to stop and give him a quick look though dark lashes and small smile. "Not terribly," She agreed, collecting her beach hat, groceries, and sandy bag. She had just shouldered the bag when he offered her a ride. Her smile was instant, automatically she answered, "I would love that!" Val took the offered hand with a thankful smile and was reminded of their size difference. She had to tilt her head slightly to thank him. "I don't actually live very far, I'm staying at the inn. I suppose I'll get to return that flask after all."

Irenic curbed his enthusiasm in only offering a calm smirk. Once she took his hand he made a bit of a bold move and gently pulled her close to his side. His arm would drape around her shoulders as if they were the bestest of friends or something, but his wing would curl around her as if she's something to protect. "Aha! Perfect arm rest height." A chuckle given after his tease and a soft squeeze of the arm around her like a half apologetic half hug. His strides weren't taken as long in attempts to match her short legs while they made their way out; leaving a stack of gold coin on the counter for Mrs Mallard's patience on her longest customers of the day. Once they were outside in the cool refreshing air he would hold the book to her while talking down at her as if they are doing something secret, "Would you hold on to this for me?" If she indeed did take it, she would discover it may be too large to stuff into her bags, so she would have to cross her arms over it and hug it close to her chest. Once the book was secured by her he stepped behind Valrae and had had to squat down a bit to  wrap his arms about her waist area, tightly enough to make her feel safe, but not overly so to make her uncomfortable. He would take her to the inn, but after he circled around the town once more; taking her a little further this time, passing over  bordering parts of Vailkrin, The islands and Enchantment. Once their scenic flight was over he would land a small distance away from the Inn and hold onto her gently until her legs allowed her to walk once more. When she was able to stand on her own again his hand takes his book back while the other hand gently caresses her curly hairs from her view and tuck them behind her ear. "I'll get the flask back some other time..." His cocky smile would be the telling sign he wasn't ready for there to not be an excuse to run into her again. "Merry part until we merry meet again.... Have a good night, Valrae." He would lean down an place a light peck on her cheek before backing up a few steps in order to take off into the starry skies once more.

Valrae was surprised to find herself nestled so comfortably under the Avian's arm and wing. Again she was struck with how foreign and different it was to be so close to another man. It was followed with a wave of unnecessary guilt. She wasn't in a relationship. She wasn't even sure she would ever see him again. She was single and had just spent the better part of her day lost in excellent conversation with an extremely attractive, and better yet, seriously interesting man for the first time in months. She didn't want to stop enjoying herself, so she ignored the feelings. His joke brought her back to reality, and she playfully bumped the taller man with her hip, reminding him, "Watch it, I'm small but mighty!" She took his book with a nod and a smile without bothering to try fitting it into her bag for fear of getting paint or sand on it. She was stunned into silence though the flight, her heart beating like a drum in her ears, and was again moved very close to tears. She was sad to see it end, because the miracle of flight was an intoxicating one and because she knew their time was coming to an end, so she held on just a moment longer than was actually necessary. The witch had tilted her head up to look at him, her dark eyes drinking in the lines of his face and the unique beauty of his multicolored own, while he tucked her unruly, windblown hair behind her ear. "Thank you for showing me such a wonderful time, I'm so glad I ran into you." Her smile was melancholic as she waved with her free hand. She called, "Good night, be safe!" as he took off and watched the skies for a while, even after she'd lost sight of him.