04-15-2017, 07:14 PM
He was close, so very close. With eyes still shut, she leaned into it, swayed enough that his nose met the heat of her neck and dimly startled him. For a moment, a brief moment, his eyes almost shut. His feet almost took him forward to offer more comfort. A cheek, a shoulder, or just his quiet presence. But it was over instantly.
She rebounded off the reality of him, gold eyes flying open to meet the glittering ice in his and sparks spraying from around her. He watched her curiously, silently, as she stomped a few insect-sized forest fires out of existence and apologized profusely. She must have some connection to fire, maybe. Like Jinju. Solid and black like Jinju, too, but with hair of a cascading red. Not that it was much telling that two people should have a similar look and share similar gifts. There was no knowing how many fire-mages there were in this world of magic.
He tensed but didn't move as she leaned in, watching as she tried to blow a determined little spark from his coat. Her scent was stronger this close, still had Romek's entwined within it, but she paled at his offer to fetch the Tiger king for her. His brows pinched softly, concerned and puzzled, but he didn't pry. Not that he could've, really, as she was still talking and he was trying to keep up with what she was saying. A "she," and also a "he" that was supposed to be gone, but wasn't after all. Some kind of difficulty crossing the Taiga's border.
He frowned at that. He'd never heard of anyone having that problem before. But suddenly those gilded eyes were flying wide again and meeting his, cutting off her flow of speech. He felt an amused smile slowly grow despite himself, and again she was apologizing, giving it another try at regrouping herself. His head shook in slow wonder, puzzled but intrigued by this stranger that was so... open? Either incredibly chatty or as bottled up as he probably was, but most definitely a curiosity.
The enjoyment slowly trickled away though as she continued, his brows pulling together again as he listened. She'd almost had a family -Romek?, had almost called the Taiga her home, but so much time had passed and she was no longer sure it could be home for her. Hadn't been able to set foot across the border, so probably a curse of some kind? Didn't sound like an issue others would run into, at the least. Then her name, Lilitha. It wasn't familiar, and he wondered if it should have been. Perhaps he should have some recollection of her in some way. He was certain they'd never met before, though, and certain that he'd never heard the name before.
She finally, slowly, came to the end of her breath, and again amusement lit his eyes with a soft smile. Nervous? Yeah, he could see that, as she blushed and ducked her head, his smile spreading a little wider.
"It's...it's nice to meet you," she whispered, gold peeking through strands of red. He chuckled softly and reached for her, tipped her chin up just a little and straightened to blow the hair from her face with a chilly gust. It came from his mouth and yet had the strength of a mild snow storm, as crisp as a minty winter. Ah, there was her face again. Much better.
"It's nice to meet you too, Lilitha. I'm Ruan."
He held steady as he reflected on what she'd said, what she didn't say, and what things he couldn't imagine that she'd been through. Probably best not to bring them up for now. She'd no doubt reached her limit for sharing with a stranger.
"Maybe it's not home, but you'll at least stay a while, I hope? If you enjoy it."
She rebounded off the reality of him, gold eyes flying open to meet the glittering ice in his and sparks spraying from around her. He watched her curiously, silently, as she stomped a few insect-sized forest fires out of existence and apologized profusely. She must have some connection to fire, maybe. Like Jinju. Solid and black like Jinju, too, but with hair of a cascading red. Not that it was much telling that two people should have a similar look and share similar gifts. There was no knowing how many fire-mages there were in this world of magic.
He tensed but didn't move as she leaned in, watching as she tried to blow a determined little spark from his coat. Her scent was stronger this close, still had Romek's entwined within it, but she paled at his offer to fetch the Tiger king for her. His brows pinched softly, concerned and puzzled, but he didn't pry. Not that he could've, really, as she was still talking and he was trying to keep up with what she was saying. A "she," and also a "he" that was supposed to be gone, but wasn't after all. Some kind of difficulty crossing the Taiga's border.
He frowned at that. He'd never heard of anyone having that problem before. But suddenly those gilded eyes were flying wide again and meeting his, cutting off her flow of speech. He felt an amused smile slowly grow despite himself, and again she was apologizing, giving it another try at regrouping herself. His head shook in slow wonder, puzzled but intrigued by this stranger that was so... open? Either incredibly chatty or as bottled up as he probably was, but most definitely a curiosity.
The enjoyment slowly trickled away though as she continued, his brows pulling together again as he listened. She'd almost had a family -Romek?, had almost called the Taiga her home, but so much time had passed and she was no longer sure it could be home for her. Hadn't been able to set foot across the border, so probably a curse of some kind? Didn't sound like an issue others would run into, at the least. Then her name, Lilitha. It wasn't familiar, and he wondered if it should have been. Perhaps he should have some recollection of her in some way. He was certain they'd never met before, though, and certain that he'd never heard the name before.
She finally, slowly, came to the end of her breath, and again amusement lit his eyes with a soft smile. Nervous? Yeah, he could see that, as she blushed and ducked her head, his smile spreading a little wider.
"It's...it's nice to meet you," she whispered, gold peeking through strands of red. He chuckled softly and reached for her, tipped her chin up just a little and straightened to blow the hair from her face with a chilly gust. It came from his mouth and yet had the strength of a mild snow storm, as crisp as a minty winter. Ah, there was her face again. Much better.
"It's nice to meet you too, Lilitha. I'm Ruan."
He held steady as he reflected on what she'd said, what she didn't say, and what things he couldn't imagine that she'd been through. Probably best not to bring them up for now. She'd no doubt reached her limit for sharing with a stranger.
"Maybe it's not home, but you'll at least stay a while, I hope? If you enjoy it."
