RP:After the Wraith
Coastal Square
Here is a large, informally laid out square with a small fountain at it's centre,it's water sparkling. Wrought iron benches are scattered around and there are several rockeries with a variety of succulents growing in them. To your East is the rear of an inn and to the North a round building. Glimpses of the sea can be seen to the West and the road runs South further into Chartsend.
Skylei :: The room in the Slippery Eel was fine for sleeping in. But when it came to living in their Skylei was getting irritable and desperate for a breath of fresh air. And so, she had badgered the human until he had agreed to accompany her out into the square so that she could feel the wind on her skin and look at something that wasn't the four walls of the stuffy rented room. Progress had been slow as Sky still couldn't walk properly, what with her leg being infected and disgusting. The rest of her body appears battered and covered in a layer of scabs, thanks to her extensive collection of injuries. She wouldn't have taken Tyler's hand; the only reason being that the lacerations on the palms of her hands are yet to heal. As the two enter the square, Sky would make her way to one of the wrought iron benches and collapse onto one. She's exhausted from the short walk, but incredibly relieved to be back out in the open air
Tyler keeps his hands shoved into his pockets as the duo make their way into the streets of Chartsend. The male choosing to wear a simply pair of jeans and a torn shirt held together with safety pins over his traditional robes or combat gear, hell he wasn't even wearing shoes. As Skylei collapsed to the bench below Tyler stood just before her and placed one hand down on her shoulder to massage lightly with his thumb as his attention stayed upon the people around them, his eyes scanning the crowd, sky and on-goings. His choice in clothing seems ill advised as the autumn chill had grown more fierce than previous nights and he could already feel goosebumps rising across his forearms. He still feels disgusting - the wraith's touch leaving the man feeling emotionless and empty for hours after it's defeat. A cough is given into an open palm and with the rise of his breath he notes the still off-colored looking mucus that sticks to his flesh. Wiping it onto his pants he would close his eyes and shake his head, fighting off the quickly growing headache.
Skylei breathes in and out deeply, the cold autumn air chilling the insides of her lungs. Tyler's hand is gratefully received on her shoulder and the half-elf lets out a quiet moan as he massages her aching muscles. The two are a right pair at this time and are attracting any number of strange looks. It doesn't help that Josleen and Eliason are the current talk of the town and, the fact that the human and half-blood returned to the town a few nights previous with the couple on everyone's lips has not gone unnoticed. That, combined with Sky and Joss being roommates, has led to a large amount of interest surrounding the broken and bruised couple. Eventually, Sky would feel well enough to look up to the male standing before her. He had been distant for the last couple of days and that had not gone unnoticed. Her hand would fall upon his and try to guide him to sit beside her on the bench. She notices the chill setting into his body and longs to counter it with her warmth. She says nothing yet; the two have always communicated well enough without words, such is their bond.
Tyler has zoned out with his gazed locked to the heavens above, taking in the twinkle of each star. This is broken as Skylei takes his hand and his head snaps down to face her before moving to set himself in the open spot by her side. His right arm is quickly wrapped around her waist and he pulls her head down onto his shoulder before resting his cheek against her crown. His attention is once more given to the audience before them - whispers, giggling, grunts and gestures are all but ignored as the human processes what has happened. He indeed had been withdrawn from Skylei and everyone else, more or less locked within his own mind and not offering much on the conversation front. Memories of the wraith, Josleen, Eliason and the illusionary Skylei had plagued him along with the constant taunting of Relyt. His left arm is quick to wrap around his torso and the hand is tucked neatly between his side and arm to offer the chilling digits warmth, his legs pulled up to cross and offer his bare toes refuge beneath his legs.
Skylei has allowed Tyler his peace and quiet for the last few days, even leaving him alone with his thoughts for long periods of time. But now she can bear the silence no more. She needs to hear him speak. His words have offered her comfort in times of pain before and so she feels as though she cannot bear to be without them for much longer. His physical touch brings her relief and joy, though she still aches, his closeness is welcomed. She nuzzles her head into his shoulder, placing a soft kiss upon the side of his neck as she does. She, as always is able to ignore the crowds and focus all of her attention on the one person who matters most in the world, "What is troubling you?" Stupid question, Sky. You know full well the traumas he has faced over the last few days; Josleen had made sure she knew what had happened, what Tyler had done for her sake. It filled her with guilt and regret, but also with an intense love that had so far been unspeakable. "You are so quiet."
Tyler is once again pulled from a distant stare by Skylei's interaction a "huh?" it presented as he rotates his neck and lowers his chin to look upon her for a moment as he processes the question following-up with an "Oh". A chuckle is given as he leans back into the bench and gives her a light squeeze. "Nothing. Just tired from the trip and what not." Some truth lay in his statement along with misleading deceit, the human troubled by far more than simple exhaustion. He stands ready to collapse beneath the weight of his own worry and insanity but his features offer no suggestion to such a struggle, all of the negative emotions instead being pulled within and swallowed whole allowing them to fester in the male and bringing only silence. A light shiver begins as he pulls himself as close to Skylei as possible and mutters about never bringing a jacket. Something else is spoken though inaudible as he furrows his head into hers and closes his eyes for a few moments. The hand embracing her would rub at her side lightly, afraid to cause discomfort but needing to make the motion in order to keep his own demeanor calm.
Skylei cannot believe that his quietness is brought solely from the trip. They have faced off some much together; her thoughts turn back to the second night that they had spent together. Although he had not slept for a good day and a half, he had spoken more then, than he did now, in spite of the fact that they have had two full nights of sleep. She doesn't question him. She has no desire to upset him and so instead wraps her arms around his body. They offer menial protection from the cold, but perhaps they would offer Tyler some degree of comfort. Then she becomes aware of his inaudible murmuring and she questions him, "Did you say something, love?" Her body is pressed more tightly against his, not just to combat the cold but because she craves his warmth. His emotional distance left her feeling chilled and so, until he speaks more freely, all she has to cling onto is his physical touch.
Tyler opens his eyes to find the crowd of the streets dying down as most begin to seek refuge in warmer locations such as the Eel and their personal homes. A lone hobbit trader that clinches a bouquet of flowers in his tiny grasp is enough to cause a small smile to spread across Tyler's visage for the time in days. He ponders who the hobbit could be so eager to present the gift too - his mother? lover? friend? A memory of the black rose he bestowed upon Skylei in the streets of Kelay manages to break through the dark thoughts in his mind. Head rising he turns to place a kiss at the top of Skylei's helm and offers a soft; "I love you." in her ear. Her question is ignored though it would likely be taken that he was repeating himself. It is now, for the first time that Tyler offers a conversation-starter - Something that has been stuck in the back of his mind but unwilling to ask until now. A soft voice rings out from behind chapped lips; "What were you doing there?" He feels no need to detail where "there" was.
Skylei finally feels a smile come across her face as Tyler offers her some tenderness. Lifting her head from his shoulder she would press her lips against his, gently reciprocating his love. As she moves her lips away from his, she slides her head back down onto his shoulder and echoes his words, "I love you too." Then he asks the question that she has been dreading attempting to answer. What does she do at this moment? Does she admit what she had truly been doing, in spite of the fact that it was a major source of sensitivity, or lie and offer him something false and less likely to cause upset. She sighs and buries her head in closer to his neck, placing another kiss against the soft skin. "I was on my way home. I never intended to go there darling, I really didn't." Skylei's insistence that she had wanted to return home was all true; she just hoped he believed her. "I… I met with an old friend of mine. And she wanted to go hunting; she's a ranger, y'know, a little bit crazy. I shouldn't have said yes, but I did. When I awoke the next morning, I looked like this, my money was all gone and I could barely stand." Skylei had chosen honesty, though had omitted a number of details; the fact that Senka was a lycan, for one. And that she had awoken in a puddle of her own vomit…
Tyler finds her story lacking, the human nearly disappointed that all of his worry had been over a simple hunting trip gone bad and he couldn't escape the nagging in the back of his mind that it was complete and utter crap - but he wasn't sure he wanted to press the issue, after all he was hiding his own secrets to begin with. He tugs at her and decides that he is feeling rather smart and with a smirk on his face offers; "I don't believe that for a bit. But if it's what you're offering, I guess I'm forced to accept it." His voice offers no hostility only a taunting tone in an effort to force Skylei to detail the entire ordeal in full to the man. If she resists' what does he honestly have to lose? He moves to keep his caramel hues locked to hers if she'd accept them. He waits patiently to find if she will remain down the path of honesty or rather sabotage his plan and leave him in the dark.
Skylei scowls. She's being honest and Tyler's accusation that she is lying, in spite of the fact that his words are not hostile, irritates her. That, combined with his taunting tone just makes her angry. Unwrapping her arms from his body and lifting her head from his shoulder, she makes it openly clear that she is not happy. She slides away from him to the far end of the bench, not that it is a great distance and folds her arms across her chest. Her legs are pulled up onto the bench and folded underneath her. She doesn't need to object verbally, her physical distance answers Tyler's question. That is all she is willing to give him. There were no lies in her tale; only omissions that Sky believes protect them both. Her head is turned to look over the shoulder furthest from him. Skylei is not happy.
Tyler's first reaction is to move to Skylei's side and explain his actions as nothing more than a joke though he fights and decides to retaliate instead. The human shrugging as she moves away and sliding himself down to the opposite side of the bench offering maximum distance between the two of them. Bare feet stretch out a bit to his right as his left arm leans into the arm rest with his hand propping his head as his right hand hovers out from his body and his palm aims towards the sky - blue mana manifesting within his grasp and images of recent happenings playing out before him. The chill of the night is killing him as he shivers and struggles to keep his teeth from chattering together, though despite his want for Skylei's physical hold he decides to play at her game and returns to his silent state and watching his own play of detailed happenings just before him.
Skylei stays sat where she is. Stubbornness runs deep in her blood and it seems unlikely that she will be the first to apologise and move closer. Arms stay tightly folded across her chest, providing her with some degree of warmth. It's nothing like the heat of two bodies pressed together, but at least she's dressed appropriately for the weather, unlike the human. Her face stays turned away from him and so she doesn't see the illusionary show that he is amusing himself with. Her face is that of a sulky child who has been smacked and cannot see the reason why. Tyler's criticism of her story is a figurative slap to the face and she almost wishes that she had told him a pack of lies. At least if she had told him lies then his criticism would have been legitimate. Eventually she unfolds her arms and moves her hands to her face. Cupping them around her mouth, she breathes onto them hoping that her hot breath will push the cold from her fingers.
Tyler allows a few moments of the charade to unfold before deciding on his next move; warmth. The human would squeeze his hand together and allow the images to be squished within his grasp. He then pulls his bare feet to touch the cold cobblestone below and quickly rises to his feet. Arms cross and hand cling onto opposing elbows as he begins to make his way to the Slippery Eel, the soft padding of his feet echoing in the silence of the streets. He calls out in an excited voice; "You're beautiful and I love you." However, he doesn't stop his retreat. He figures the words to be well enough of an apology to get the woman to follow him home, if not, well... crap.
Skylei blushes as she hears his words. It doesn't matter how many times he tells her that she's beautiful, or tells her that he loves her. It makes her stomach flip and her head spin. She could almost forget that she is angry with him for his tease. It still plays heavy on her mind and she almost lets Tyler get out of earshot before she calls after him, "Tyler… wait." If he stopped and waited for her, then she would catch up to him. If not, well she wouldn't bother. The apartment she shares with the bard is just off the square and she would simply go and sleep there instead.
Tyler doesn't turn to face Skylei as he halts, because if he did, the smile on his face would likely send her into a rage. He allows a moment to compose himself and clear his complexion before turning back to face the Wood Elf and extending a hand in offering to his beloved.
Skylei catches up to Tyler in a few quick paces. It hurt her leg to move so speedily, but she cannot bear to be away from him for any longer, in spite of her anger. It's fortunate that he has cleared his expression by the time she reaches him, as his smile would have likely only incited her anger further. Her hand slips into his easily and she would press herself against his side as she so often does when the two walk together. Her other hand reaches up to his cheek, guiding his lips towards her. Her kiss is the closest he will get by way of her apology. Once they break apart she would allow him to continue walking towards the Eel.
The Slippery Eel
If you want to meet local people this is the place to be. Everyone from the lowest field hand to the e Tenebris themselves frequent the inn. Smoked eels hang from the ceiling, their preparation a closely guarded local secret, something to do with the dark, warm places they are cured. You are most likely to find friendly wenches serving drinks, keen to earn the extra gold. There's a jovial air to the inn apart from the darkest corner where a group of men, who look like smugglers, talk quietly, heads together. Two off-duty guardsmen occasionally glance at them from their seats at the bar. A door lies at the back of the inn. This leads to a large square with buildings running off it and a sandy track winding South. A battered board gives some messages posted about the local area.
Tyler makes his way into the local tavern with Skylei close by his side. The human pays no mind to the local patrons that cast off glances to the couple as he presses past them to find a vacant table rather close to a conveniently placed fireplace. He takes a chair for himself only after pulling one out for Skylei and once he is seated his body goes limp, his legs propped up in the chair across from him as his head tilts back. He thinks about ordering a drink and after much deliberation decides against it, he was screwed up enough without the aid of the liquid courage, in fact, he considers swearing it off for good. Instead he simply raises his hand and signals for Cara to come to the table, he eyes the dirty (not the hygienic kind) looking barmaid for a moment and forces himself to remove the look of disgust upon his face before speaking; "Just a glass of water please." He couldn't bring himself to eat any of the food here, the man hated anything that crawled from the sea. He turns to motion to Skylei; "And whatever she'd like." Tyler nods to the female and pulls a coin purse from his belt and lays it on the table to signal that he had acquired some funds to Skylei, considering he'd been with her and nearly dead for the past few days it was likely he didn't get them legally, but eh, who's keeping track?
Skylei simply stays pressed against Tyler's side as the human moves through the tavern to find them a seat. She overhears the odd piece of gossip as the two move through the patrons, cringing every time she overhears Josleen's name. In a small city, gossip travels fast and it seems that everyone the half-elf passes considers the bard a homewrecker. As the reach the table, Sky takes the seat that Tyler pulls out for her with a grateful smile. She doesn't even say anything when Tyler pulls coin from his belt. She suspects she knows where it has come from, and knows full well that she doesn't want those suspicions confirmed. Instead she smiles politely to Cara and requests spirits, "Anything you've got… 'cept rum. Not rum." The half elf remembers only too clearly what happened last time she drank rum and she has no desire to lose of the contents of her stomach in front of Tyler. Either way, she needs liquid courage, even if Tyler doesn't. Sky sighs and stretches a hand across the table to take his hand, should he be willing to offer it.
Tyler would indeed take her hand, his thumb rubbing across the top of her hand as his eyes lock with her own and he gives a smile - for the first time offering her his full attention since they had been separated despite his constant worry for her. Tyler was sick. He had been for quite some time, long before the wraith's touch. Sick with worry and doubt. Sick with insanity. The human's mind constantly racing about on goings, near death experiences, money issues and above all else Skylei. Constantly tormented by his own imagination he recollects the night Skylei came to visit him while she was missing, his knuckles still sporting the rough wound from breaking the end table. Despite this sickness, he still found a glimmer of hope within the half elf before him. Enough hope for him to offer a sincere smile. He raises her hand to hip lips and provides a soft kiss to her knuckle before lowering their hands back to the table top. He finally breaks the silence with a very far off statement. "I *explicit* hate your room mate." - He grins a toothy grin and burrows his face into his open palm. He has little memory of Josleen acting to aid him against the wraith nor the comfort she tried to provide nor the praises she spoke to Skylei once they had found her. He only remembers her mocking tone and look and actions such as dragging him like a child through the city. He finds it best to share his distaste for the woman before he finds himself stuck in a room with Skylei and Josleen when the trio are in a proper state of mind.
Skylei is shocked by Tyler's hate of Josleen. Joss had been nothing but nice about Tyler the day before and, whilst Sky had cottoned onto the fact that they were not going to be the greatest of friends. She hadn't realised what extent Tyler disliked her. The laughter and smile did nothing to ease the blow of the insult against the bard in Skylei's eyes. She furrows her eyebrows and scowls, "You cannot say that! She's not just my roommate, Tyler, she's my -best- friend. She gave me a roof over my friend, even helped cover my share of the rent before I found work! And she had the decency to ask how you were doing when I saw her yesterday! So!" She is careful to avoid saying the bard's name in the tavern as she has no desire to start the others around her to start spouting anti-Josleen hatred. She'd had enough of that yesterday, "She's going through a hard time right now with…" Fortunately Sky is interrupted by the arrival of the drinks. Water is placed in front of Tyler and vodka in front of Sky. The half-elf picks it up and downs it the whole glass in her frustration. The glass is dropped back to the table with a bang as she continues, "Can you not just pretend to like her for my sake? She's sweet, I swear. I can't understand why you wouldn't like her."
Tyler decides not to dig his grave any deeper and simply nods in reply to Skylei's plea for him to pretend he is fond of the bard. The human a bright red in embarrassment from her reaction to his honesty. As he goes to take a sip from his water he questions why he began speaking again in the first place, at least when he held his silence it seemed as though Skylei wanted him and he couldn't screw it up. After taking a few sips of the water he places the glass down lightly as opposed to Sky's frustrated slam. He is unable to make eye contact with her again, instead choosing to keep his gaze aimed at the crude wood table top as his finger doodles mindlessly and his foot taps in a light rhythm on the floor below.
Skylei and Tyler don't seem to be able to say anything honestly without receiving some form of comeuppance. She picks the glass back up from the table and swirls the few drops of vodka that didn't make it into her mouth around the sides of the beaker. Then she awkwardly returns it to the table. This time she puts it down much more calmly and there is no collision of table and cup. Eventually after a few moments of awkward silence, Sky gets up from her seat and crouches beside his chair so that she might speak quietly and without anyone overhearing their conversation, "I'm sorry. She's just going through a really hard time right now. You've heard what people are saying about her… I can barely pass a single person in the street without overhearing that Josleen is a whore, or that she's a homewrecking slut. I guess it's grating on my nerves and I hoped that you, of all the people in this insular town, might be able to show her some kindness." Sky would look up to Tyler, her damaged leg wobbling as it struggles to sustain her weight in that position, "Please, Tyler. She's like a sister to me."
Tyler remains focused on the table as Skylei kneels and speaks to him in explanation of Josleen. He cares not for her social status and hadn't heard any of the rumors due to his ability to simply shut out general chatter when in public due to his anxiety only wanting him to get away. He hears the emotion in Skylei's voice and that much cannot be ignored. The man would ponder a moment as his finger continues to glide around the table top before nodding once more in acknowledgement of her words. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, the last thing he needed was a useless feud between Skylei and himself over some girl who had judged him first. A forceful thought is pressed in his mind to attempt to remove his ill-will towards Josleen though he finds it easier to just not think about her. Relyt's words echo in his mind and Tyler once again finds himself struggling with his own insanity, his canine digs into his bottom lip as his eyes fall shut for a moment as he fights for control. A deep, long, drawn-out sigh is provided as he parts his lips to speak but can only manage to nod once more to Skylei in assurance that he won't speak ill of Josleen again. He notices her wobbling leg and would scoot back in his chair to pull the woman to his lap and offer her an embrace if she would have him. His mind was made. He didn't like talking anymore.
Skylei accepts his nod as an agreement between the two. The bard was important to her, Sky had made that much clear. But what she hadn't expressed, though she hoped the illusionist was aware, was how important it was to her that the two of them got along because of the fact that Skylei considers them both permanent fixtures in her life. She didn't dare express that, in fear that Tyler might laugh at her, or play it off as though it was unlikely to remain true. But Skylei sees a future in her relationship with the human and, for that to happen, she needs him to have a working relationship with Josleen. With that issue concluded, she is happy to be pulled onto his lap and rests both her hands on the sides of his legs. Twisting her head over her shoulder so that she can look into his eyes, Skylei would place a tiny kiss on the end of his nose. For all her criticisms of his feelings and sulking over his words, one thing remained true; "I love you, Tyler."
Tyler feels the weight of his mind wearing on him, the human growing tired as Skylei pressed her lips against his nose, the smell of the vodka on her breath nearly enough to make him retreat but the loving press quickly reels him to remain in place. His eyes close and he keeps her close to him. "I love you, too." His voice is fading. The man yearns for the constant struggle in his mind to cease. He misses the time when he met Skylei, when she was the only thing to occupy his thoughts - she never left and despite all of the issues he faces she still remains his top priority. Tyler swears not to take the woman for granted. His head pressed to hers he reaches up to refasten one of the safety pins in his shirt that had been knocked loose so that he wouldn't prick either of them. He finds the noise of the tavern sickening and decides it's time for bed, though he gives Skylei no option in the matter. Despite his weak physical strength he adjusts his arms to her back and the bend of her legs and rises from the chair with her in his hold. He moves across the floor of the tavern dodging any who stand before them and even manages to make his way up the stairs without any trouble. The strain of carrying the woman is clear as it takes nearly all of his muscle just to keep her aloft and when he reaches the door he seemed relieved to find that it was left unlocked for their short trip into town. Swinging the door open with his elbow and hip he moves to set her upon the bed before moving to close the door behind them. The human then thrusting himself into the bed with her, carelessly ignoring her wounds as he lands by her side with an arm outstretched to collide with her stomach (gently enough but still...) The prick of a pin stabbing into his stomach manages to allow a groan to escape him though despite the piercing he remains motionless on the bed with her.
Skylei wraps her arms around her human's neck as he lifts her up. She doesn't think of the fact that he has been so recently wounded and, lacks the physical strength to keep her aloft for long. She's rather swept up by the romanticism of it all; after all, isn't this what every girl dreams of - to be carried up the stairs and into the bedroom in the arms of the man that she loves? And anyway, for Skylei and Tyler, this is the height of romance. They've never done very well at being romantic previously and so, Sky is impressed with the human's actions. This is until he collapses onto the bed with her still in his hold. As his arm collides with her stomach, Sky lets out a little yelp of pain. She is bruised, battered and only just healing from her bloody wounds after all. Making a mental note to seek out a healer before Tyler tries to carry her up the stairs again; she lifts a hand and gently smacks his cheek. It's an affectionate, soft slap, designed to let him know that he has hurt her, but that she doesn't care. She doesn't move from where she has landed and isn't sure what to say. This entire experience was strange to her.
Tyler would stay on the bed for a while before finally deciding that the pin digging into his stomach was a pain in the arse, so he lifts himself up and digs it out before tossing the shirt to the floor below. He moves to lay close beside Skylei and would pull the end of the cover over the two of them. The human muttering in her ear something about tossing her off the bed and down the stairs and what not. The villainous non-sense a playful tone in retaliation to the slap. He sighs another stressed sigh and pushes everything, literally everything out of his mind. His only focus the woman before him as he readies for bed. He was so sick of the worry. One night is all he asked to be relieved of the constant pain.
Skylei pulls a mock-offended face as Tyler threatens to toss her down the stairs. She would murmur something back about liking to see him try to toss her out of the bed and about her having more muscles than he did. As Tyler pulls the covers further over the two of them, she would roll onto her side so that she could place a kiss on his lips. With that done the half-elf sits herself up and pulls her shoes from her feet, tossing them across the room with little care for where they landed. In spite of the cold weather, the half-elf gets undressed, revealing the cuts across her body. With a shiver, the half-breed pulls herself back underneath the covers and into the warmth underneath. She would press herself against the human, keen to soak up his warmth.
Tyler would embrace Skylei and offers a quick kiss before closing his eyes. Despite missing the warmth of the fire downstairs the human much preferred the comfort of his room for rest. His heavy eyes fall shut, for good this time, as he falls asleep with her in his arms.