RP:Those Eyes Betray You

Skylei :: Dried blood smeared across her face, leathers torn and battered, Skylei leans against the wall of the smithy’s. One of her hands rest against her thighs and she pants as she struggles for breath. Still under the influence of the vile drow’s curse, Skylei is nauseous, dizzy and her head is whirling. It affects her eyes, stomach and head and is the effect of a god-blessed curse upon her body and mind. It will wear off, likely within the next hour, but for now she is in agonising pain, exhausted and aching. She’s not even sure entirely how she made it to Gualon in this state. Hell, she doesn’t remember half of the trip. In her other hand, Skylei holds her beloved bow. After a few moments, she lets her legs give way beneath her and she sits in the street, as though she has no shame. She hangs her head low, not wanting anyone to see her face.

Tyler was in Gualon on business of his own accord, the human thinking little of the barbaric population and those of familiarity whom might inhabit it. Moving through the streets with a plan to grab a bit of gossip from the grog shop, Tyler finds his mind playing games on him as he spots Skylei collapsing herself to the edge of the street. The man is suddenly locked in place, his legs unmoving as the memories of his former that now occupy his mind swirl around in a frenzy. Instinct of his current beliefs beckon for the man to turn and flee while cries of a lost past demand he check on the woman. Thirty seconds he wastes standing still while orcs and dirty members of his own race brush past him with little attention. Reaching up he swiftly grabs hold of the amulet hung around his neck and tucks it under his shirt. His visage rapidly morphing into a different form, one that is close to Skylei's own. Once his transformation is complete he begins approaching the woman. As he reaches her, the now feminine Tyler bends down to her side and takes notice of the blood. "Are you alright, hun? Looks like someones had one hell of an adventure, eh?" He speaks. The man's garments changed from their usual outrageous attire to simple citizen wear. When Skylei would move to look upon him she would merely see a male reflection of herself, with one exception. The excitment in Tyler's mind over the debate has left him with a flaw in his transformation. Those silk like caramel hues of his are still burning brightly as he reaches into his pocket and pulls forth a rag. "You might be able to get some of that mess off with this, though I'm not sure with how dry it is. How long have you been sitting here? No one's stopped to help?" Confusion and disappointment tainting his tone.

Skylei wipes a hand across her face, revealing the fact that she is crying. The tears are bitterly cried out of pain rather than sadness and she would bite her lip to stop herself from howling in agony. As her hand brushes against her bloody nose, blood begins to lightly drip down her face again. As the stranger approaches, Skylei recoils on instinct. He doesn’t seem to want to hurt her and his questions are kind. Even in her agonised state, Skylei knows better than to tell the truth about what happened and instead alters the story and makes herself the sole victim, “There was a drow. You know what they’re like, especially with my kind. She attacked me.” Skylei pulls at her collar to reveal the two snake bites she had sustained from Gevurah’s whip, “Don’t know why she left me alive.” As he offers her the rag she would smile softly and offer quiet thanks. Even then she doesn’t lift her eyes to his face and thus misses the tell-tale eyes for now. Moving the cloth across her face, she whimpers as she touches it against her bust and bloody nose and lip. After wiping at her face for a moment she stops. “My head hurts.” She tells the stranger. Then, she promptly vomits on him.

Tyler feels his heart breaking as he sees Skylei in such a poor state. The man hard pressed to remain calm and refuse any rash action. The small noises of upset that she makes while cleaning herself off prompts him to offer his aid, only he doesn't have the time. As soon as he moves to speak up, Skylei speaks again and turns to vomit on him. As the bile spews from her lips and into his lap Tyler is caught by suprise and offers a light jolt, but he doesn't become angry or disgusted. Once she's finished his right hand reaches out to rub at her back lightly in an attempted aid of relief before moving to unbuckle his satchel. He pulls out two bottle of warm water and places one in Skylei's lap. "Use that to rinse your mouth out hun, gargle it and spit. I've had it in my bag for a few weeks so I don't know if it's safe to swallow or not. You can try if you wish." Standing up he takes a few steps back from the wood elf and pops the cap off of his own bottle and begins splashing the water on the vomit, slowly rinsing it off of his clothes and onto the way. Beneath Tyler's disguise it seems a bit worse. Due to the fact that he's actually wearing cargo short and that they were sliding up some from his crouched stance, he now has some warm Skylei juice burning into his leg. Once the majority is cleaned off, Tyler pulls reaches into his bag and pulls out a blue piece of cloth. One of the only remains of his formers combat suit and uses it to continue cleaning himself off. "Drow can be a pain in the ass, that's for sure. I'm sorry you had to come across one." Tyler's staring at her now, and feels his eyelids grow heavy with sorrow. He nibbles at the inside of his bottom lip before shaking it off. "Do you need me to take you somewhere? I've got money if you need to get a carriage, a room or some food."

Skylei cries all the harder once she’s stopped vomiting, so disgusted at the fact that she cannot control her refluxes. The drow’s curse has, by this point, reached its peak and will start to fade leaving her in a less disgusting state, though it won’t fix her nose, lip or the bites on her neck. She utters apologies over and over as he lightly rubs her back and then offers her the water. For once she follows instructions without questions, cleaning out her mouth twice before sticking the lid back onto the bottle and setting it down aside her. Lifting her head to look at him, she would open her mouth to explain that she was staying at the Manor down the round but daren’t return to such a classy place in such a disgusting state. She doesn’t even get the first word out of her mouth before she is struck by his eyes and then by the cloth in his hand. She curses violently and then utters his name, “Tyler. It’s you, isn’t it.” There’s no question in her voice. She knows those eyes and she knows (and hates) that suit. She’d recognise the fabric anywhere. Of course, if she’s wrong, she’s going to convince the only person who stopped to help her that she’s a nutter…

Tyler freezes once more as Skylei calls out upon his identity. The blue cloth clinched in his hand as he pushes down with pressure against his leg. His eyes shift from the cloth back to Skylei. It's clear that she knows the truth and he finds no reason to lie. The man looks back down to his leg and continues wiping away at the vomit, his entire body distorting violently for a moment before the proper man is standing before her. He doesn't say anything for a moment as he finishes tending to his leg. Turning the cloth over in his hand he decides it isn't worth salvaging and tosses the cloth off to the side sure that some resourceful green skin would pick it up and make use. Kneeling back down before her he begins looking her features over. Throwing his shoulders back he pulls off his wolf-fur vest and then jerks the bright white shirt off over his head. He spills the remaining contents of his water bottle onto the shirt and then reaches up to catch Skylei's chin between his index finger and thumb. He would then start cleaning off her face gently, that is assuming she didn't jerk away to go off on some rant. With his shirt off, Skylei would be able to notice that the amulet is still strung around his neck and below it around his stomach are multiple cuts and burns. Nothing severe. Merely a side effect of his recent training regime. The man has even managed to put some muscle and meat on his bones. The tattoo'd arm that holds her chin flexing as he would pull her back and forth. He doesn't speak. He doesn't try to hide the obvious concern in his face. Above all else, he doesn't look her in the eye.

Skylei :: As Tyler freezes, Skylei knows she’s called it true. She waits, expecting him to turn around and walk away. If there’s something that could make her day worse, this is it. Hell, maybe Emilia will show up and make it three for three of her least favourite people in the world; drow, Tyler and Emi all in one day just sounds horrendously delightful. She would stay silent as he falls active again and continues to clean himself and remove the remnants of her vomit, tears still rolling down her face as she pulls her arms in to hold her whirling stomach. She doesn’t tug away or say anything as he begins to clean her face. She’s so shocked that she forgets the pain until he lightly knocks that busted nose. It’s not his fault, he is gentle in his actions but Skylei is recently wounded. As she utters a whimper, she is shocked out of her silence. Her eyes fall on his face, seeking his own but finding nothing. The last time she had seen him, he had told her to leave and she had done so. So why is he treating her so softly? “You hate me” she whispers, “Go away.” His previous rejection had hurt and he reflex makes her want to reject him before he kicks her in the teeth again.

Tyler maintains his concentration on the task at hand. Making Skylei look presentable, which to be honest was quite the role reversal for the duo. Those in the streets would be seeing quite the sight as they motioned through the streets. The goofiest looking of humans with his bright blue hair burning in the sun treating a mud-blooded elf that looked like she'd just been hit by an Ogre. Her whispers of false facts earn a smart smile that captures half of the human's visage as he moves to the left cheek. He would mutter a quick apology for hurting her sensative nose before following up with a quick rejection to her statement. "No I don't.", he says in a cool tone as he applies the finishing touches to her face. Pulling the t-shirt into his lap he takes a moment to admire his work. Truth be told, she still looks like crap. But as his eyes finally fall in line with hers he knows better than to tell her such. "That's better. Now we just have to get the rest of you cleaned up." Looking over each shoulder he examines his surroundings before releasing a semi-defeated sigh through his nostrils. Looking back to Skylei he mutters, "A manor, huh?" Hesitation. "I assume you can take a bath there, or are they too stuck up to let you in until you're squeaky clean?"

Skylei rubs a hand across her face to wipe away the last of her tears. In doing so she knocks her delicate lip and it starts to bleed again. Ah well. Tyler has at least managed to clean up most of the spit, tears, blood and Underdark grime that have covered her face and she looks slightly less like she’s been dragged through a hedge backwards “Yes, you do,” She repeats. “You told me to stay out of your life and away from you so I left. Do me the same courtesy and leave me be.” Skylei’s eyes betray her hurt. She doesn’t want to be alone, but when it comes to Tyler she’s a creature coated in a layer of venom spitting barbed wire. Danger. Do not approach, Tyler. That said, she can’t help herself but explain the situation with the Manor. “Methany Manor. The hotel just down the way. The governor is paying for my room whilst I work for him. It’s…” whatever ‘it is’ is lost as Skylei clutches her stomach again as though she’s about to vomit. Fortunately, nothing happens this time. “Why are you here?”

Tyler pulls his lips back and forth a few times at Skylei instructions for him to leave. As she explains her living situation his eyes squint while he examines her closely for a moment. He wants to press into the issue with her involvment of the political party in Gualon but decides to keep his mouth shut on that topic, he does offer her a reply to her question however. "Hunting", he explains before locking eye contact with her once again. "I know what I said, Sky. I said a lot of things." His chest rises and falls in defeat. Picking himself up he stands over Skylei, "If you really want me to leave, then I will.", he picks his vest up and pulls it over his shoulders once more before tucking the filthy white shirt into his satchel. An open palm extends to the seated Skylei, "But let me take you home first.", he can read her emotions like an open book. He won't push it. There is no reason to shove his thumb in the wound which is already opening up from him simply being here. For the first time in months, Tyler seems harmless.

Skylei :: As Tyler asserts that he is hunting, Skylei shakes her head, causing the blood to trickle more quickly down her chin in a wiggly pattern. “That’s not what I meant. I meant why are you here with me?” She doesn’t get up, doesn’t hold out her hand until Tyler answers. If he does, then she would consent to him taking her back to the Manor. If not, she’ll cut off her nose to spite her face and stay sat on the Gualon street.

Tyler is stuck with his hand out to Skylei, frozen once more as he is forced to find the answer to the question himself. A thousand thoughts run through his mind as he tries his best to pluck one out of the bunch. His thoughts buzz like a hive as his focus fades and he's left a blank slate. Then, there it is, standing out from the rest of them, a single phrase that clearly details everything he needs to say in the most simple manner possible. His eyes come back to life as he provides her answer, "I've missed you."

Skylei doesn’t believe a word of it, but she wants to go home and get washed and get into bed. So she would hold out her hand and let him help her up off of the floor. She’s unsteady as she stands and has to wrap her free arm around Tyler’s waist to steady herself so that she doesn’t fall back to the ground. Eventually she would let go of his waist and straighten herself up. As she does so, her other hand tightens around Tyler’s to indicate that he is not to let go. Then she would gesture with a nod of her head up the main road in the direction of the Manor. “Can we go now?”

Tyler ensures Skylei is stable and fit for travel before he gets ready to move. Once she's released him he takes a moment to give her a look over. Her voice is exhausted and frustrated. Tyler knows Skylei thinks he's full of crap. The arrogance in him demands he correct her and find a way to prove his honesty. However, the intelligence spells a far different course of action. To her request he sets off in whatever direction she instructs without another word spoken.

Skylei leads Tyler down the road to the Manor. The journey is arduously slow and every few steps she would stop wheeze and nearly gag. The drow curse is wearing off, but that just means that the physical battering of her body becomes more and more apparent. As they reach the gates, Skylei gestures at the very fancy gardens that lead up to the very fancy building. Clearly exhausted by the walk, Skylei would let Tyler take the vast majority of her weight as she leans against him and lifts her watery eyes to look at him as she asks a stupid question, “How do I look?” Like crap, Skylei, with bloodshot eyes, bloody chin and bruises on her bruises, but that’s not what she needs to hear. She dreads going into the Manor looking as she does. She’s known in there. She doesn’t need this interfering with her professional life.

Tyler doesn't complain or show any sign of distress as the duo advance through the streets of Gualon. He takes in the sight of the extravagant looking estate and the lovely garden as they arrive. However he is broken from his admiration when Skylei asks how she looks. Shifty eyes bounce around her complexion and torso and a smile forms as he speaks, "Beautiful". The knot in his stomach tells him to watch what he says as he allows his eyes to dance off to the garden once again. "If you don't mind, I'll take you all the way to your room." Another pause as he pulls Skylei a little closer to him making sure she's stable. "Then I'll leave you be."

Skylei still doesn’t believe a word that he says. Two weeks ago he had told her than she despised her and now he tells her that she is beautiful. No wonder Skylei doesn’t understand Tyler at all. She’s exhausted of all this back and forth and still, she cannot tell him to go away. She doesn’t object to him accompanying her through the gardens and right the way in to the Manor. She would take a deep breath in as they reach the door and finally release Tyler’s hand. Once they reach the reception, Skylei pulls her hair over her face and edges over to the woman behind the counter. She doesn’t lift her head and can only hope that the woman assumes that Skylei is having a reclusive day. It takes all of her energy to walk, talk and stand normally in her attempt to hide the injuries that mark her incident. Once she’s received the key, Sky would gesture towards the stairs and tell Tyler where her room was. She’d expect him to lead the way

Tyler is the polar opposite of Skylei as they enter the lobby. The human is eagerly looking around at those that occupy the building and upon reaching the receptionist he offers her a large smile. Whispers can already be heard among the people as they try to piece together what Skylei and Tyler could possibly be doing together. I mean, one of them was a ragdoll torn to shreds while the other looked like something straight out of a comic strip. Once Skylei has the key Tyler is still wandering around with his eyes. He is pulled back to reality and nods before escorting Skylei all the way to the room. Taking the key from the wood elf he fiddles around with a lock for a second before the 'click' of the mechanism unlocking rings out. Moving to lean on his side against her door frame he holds the key out to her, "I'll get out of your hair now.", he is pulling his lips around again as he forces himself to swallow the lump in his throat before going on, "About everything... I won't bother you again." Despite the upset in his chest he still manages to force a smile reaches up with his free hand to rub at her back once more. "Be good, Skylei." Once she's taken the key, he would turn to retreat out of the building.