' ' leave only [happiness] behind;; Poe

[Poe]

"Repay? Natalya! You don't need to repay me, I want to be kind to you." He smiled, watching her with serious eyes. Why would he be rude or mean to her? She'd done nothing but amuse him and keep him company, and those were good things, especially if she were to ask Bryce that- they were the best things he could ask for. "You don't have to repay me. But if you feel you have to- which you shouldn't- just keep your promise to come and visit me sometimes."
That was all she could give him that he'd accept. All she could give him that he needed. Better yet, that he wanted.

Bryce shrugged, "If you'd rather me not smile..." he said, watching her for a suggestion for what to do. "I like to smile, simply putting it, and I've got a beautiful woman for company," he said, not able to help another smile, "so I cannot quite help it, but if you'd like to not smile anymore I can be completely serious." This was true, but normally his serious face was scary. Sometimes it meant he was angry, sometimes it meant he was thinking, it honestly depended on the day and on the mood... But, if she wanted him to then he could certainly do that.
Just for her he stopped smiling for a moment, his face relaxing into an almost blank look, it didn't last long.

In fact, he simply started to chuckle. "I remember you being a brave girl, I was shocked I even found you, you were sitting in that hole so quietly..." He didn't want to know the hero image faded, he liked the idea that he was some one's hero... It was a nice ego boost if nothing else.

"And it really isn't much to be jealous of, all we do is stand here..." He paused, thinking. "How can I ever leave?" He smiled ruefully. "Easy, I've never been there," he whispered, pushing a hand through his hair. "My entire family has guarded something they've never ever seen. Fantasia is described to us, and sometimes we see it in our dreams or on the cave walls..." He ran his hand over the rough, wet stone wall. He looked at her. "Do you believe me now that you know I've never been there?" He asked.

"Well..." He said thoughtfully, thinking, eyes going to the side and staring at the ceiling. "It could be connected, actually... Those girls that are always here, they go in and out of the realms quite often," he hesitated. "They dreamt about the door and the realms before they actually knew of the powers or Fantasia... So I was wondering, maybe you're supposed to have the powers, but I wouldn't know how to test it. The girls- Ara and Cicily and the others, I mean- would probably know... I don't think you'd want to be confronted with that though, would you?" He asked her, head tilted to the side.

[bunny]

"Repay? Natalya! You don't need to repay me, I want to be kind to you... You don't have to repay me. But if you feel you have to- which you shouldn't- just keep your promise to come and visit me sometimes."

Nodding silently, Natalya felt it was better to just give in instead of arguing the point that she had a lot to repay. Not only was he putting up with her, but he's saved her life. Didn't that, like, but her in debt forever unless he happened to find himself in a life threatening situation, and she managed to save him. Really, though, if he had to depend on the clumsiest girl in the world to help save his life, Bryce would have to be really, really screwed. Where were those quick gypsy feet she was supposed to have and be able to flitter through the forest without a sound? It really wasn't fair that she was the type to fall face first and cause a ruckus like no one knows. Dx

"If you'd rather me not smile... I like to smile, simply putting it, and I've got a beautiful woman for company, so I cannot quite help it, but if you'd like to not smile anymore I can be completely serious."

It didn't fail to make her red, that compliment. Blushing was one of those things Natalya learned to dislike about herself. It was bad enough that she knew she was embarrassed; other people didn't need to be let in on the little secret. "Beautiful." Bah. It almost made her snort in the impossiblity, but she was able to cover her mouth before it escaped. Though she didn't believe it, it was nice to hear. Or, more plainly, it was nice to hear from Bryce that he thought she wasn't plain looking.

When she looked again, Tali caught the tail end of his serious look and remembered why she was so very intimidated by him. He was really scary, you know? Flailing her arms slightly, Natalya shook her head. "Oh, no! Don't stop! I like when you smile. It's really nice; I just get so nervous that I'm doing something wrong and it's really crippling, but I..."

"And it really isn't much to be jealous of, all we do is stand here..."

She was still certainly jealous. Knowing solid facts that there was magic, well, it beat her firm belief grounded on nothing but shaky circumstance.

"Easy, I've never been there.. My entire family has guarded something they've never ever seen. Fantasia is described to us, and sometimes we see it in our dreams or on the cave walls... Do you believe me now that you know I've never been there?"

"Why wouldn't I believe you?" Natalya asked, seriously. "I've always believed in magic. There was never any doubt that I wouldn't accept what you say. Besides, I don't think you would lie to me about something like this, right?"

"Well... It could be connected, actually... Those girls that are always here, they go in and out of the realms quite often."

"And yet you haven't? Can they not take people in?" she asked, ruefully. It wouldn't be interesting going alone no matter what could be held within the realm's depths. To go alone, why it would scare Natalya into never setting foot inside the door.

"They dreamt about the door and the realms before they actually knew of the powers or Fantasia... So I was wondering, maybe you're supposed to have the powers, but I wouldn't know how to test it. The girls- Ara and Cicily and the others, I mean- would probably know... I don't think you'd want to be confronted with that though, would you?"

"It would be silly to pass up the chance of finding out," she murmured, not really believing she'd pass whatever test they came up with. She wasn't meant for great things, after all. Just a little girl trying to become divine, but... Maybe she could do something good, right? Be able to help people the way she wants to. Could that be possible? Her eyes moved to his face for a moment, frowning slightly. "If I could... could you go into Fantasia with me?"

[Poe]

She most certainly did not have to pay him back! It was his pleasure being superman for the day, so sue him. Being a hero... A knight in shining armor never, ever hurt the ego, so why should it be bad that he was? Or embarrassing. She could most certainly be a damsel in distress as long as he could be her knight.

He watched her go red, still smiling, glad that it was a compliment that she could take, even if she was embarrassed to hear it. Honestly, though, if he had it his way she'd hear it quite often.
Bryce laughed at her. "Alright, well, I'll smile, and Tali, you don't have to be perfect, you know," he said, looking at her, head tilted to the side again. There was a faint smile still there on his lips as he watched her carefully, studied her expression.

"Well... some people need to proof in order to believe someone, and other than stories and this job of mine... I don't have much. None really." Bryce shrugged simply. "It's not so much as you not believing me, it's you wanting proof that it exists. Things can be real in a story," he said slowly, "but so fake in the real world. And no, Natalya, I'd never ever lie to you." Why would he have to? Anyways, it was something that he figured would be a good thing to build a friendship on. Honesty. Didn't everyone say that? That if you built a relationship on lies it would all come crumbling down?

He leaned back, laying down on the cold stone floor, his knees bent where his feet rested on the floor. Staring up at the ceiling Bryce chose his words carefully. "Oh, they can take anyone in, they just try not to take anyone in from outside of the group, causes controversy, you know?" He said. "And, I really can't go in, I'm..." he chuckled. "I keep things from going in or out." He touched the hilt of the sword at his side, turning his head to look up at her. "An ancient blade that I believe was made inside Fantasia to keep the evils out," he smiled slightly. "I see the faeries that wander around, sometimes, so life isn't completely boring."

At the talk about talking to Cicily and Ara Bryce looked at her again. "I'll talk to them about it next time I see them, which should be soon," he said. "But only if you're sure, Tali. They aren't as cruel as some of the others can be, you know." In fact Ara and Cicily didn't seem to have any prejudice against the gypsies at all, they were quite kind to them, in fact.
At her next question he hesitated slightly. "I guess I could," he said slowly. "I'd really like to," he smiled softly. And besides, if he could take a break every night and afternoon, why couldn't he go into Fantasia then? It wouldn't hurt, would it?

[bunny]

"Alright, well, I'll smile, and Tali, you don't have to be perfect, you know."

She'd darn well try to be despite what anyone said. There were enough terrible people in the world doing terrible things to others. She knew, feeling the brunt of some of those actions and the censure for those who felt like pointing the blame at her. Though she had been taught how to steal, it wasn't as if Natalya used the knowledge any longer. It hurt her to lose things. Wouldn't it make sense if she thought that others would feel the same? It's why she begged for a job at Florence's to make up for the lack of income on her part. It wasn't good enough, though. Trying to be good was a never ending feat.

She wasn't naturally good. She wasn't naturally pretty. Natalya had to strive and fix the first since the latter was unobtainable. There was just no use arguing it when someone brought it up. This was how she felt, and it might not sit well with anyone who heard it. So, she let Bryce say his peace, pretending to take it as if she believed him.

"Alright," came the almost mouthed reply.

"Well... some people need to proof in order to believe someone, and other than stories and this job of mine... I don't have much. None really. It's not so much as you not believing me, it's you wanting proof that it exists. Things can be real in a story, but so fake in the real world."

Natalya smiled at him, waving his words away as if they didn't hold much value with her. Not in a negative way. It was just, well, she wasn't exactly going to be the first one to shoot an idea down. "I guess I'm a little insane then because I don't make a distinction to what could be real in reality and what could not. Or, more like, I don't doubt something just because I can't see it." Well, except for her value as a person, but that's really beside the point, eh?

"And no, Natalya, I'd never ever lie to you."

"Of course not," Natalya said before shrugging, "Not that I'd suspect you or anyone really." She always gave the benefit of the doubt again and again even if she was proven wrong. There was always that good in people which would surface eventually if given the right circumstances. Bryce hadn't proved her wrong yet, but even if he did, she'd still take his word as fact. Watching him lie down a moment, Natalya realized that she might like to too, though, it would be rather awkward since trying to make eye contact from ground level could get uncomfortable. So, she remained in her original position... trying not to stare, actually, as he talked.

"Oh, they can take anyone in, they just try not to take anyone in from outside of the group, causes controversy, you know? And, I really can't go in, I'm... I keep things from going in or out."

Tucking a loose piece of hair behind her ear, Natalya nodded absently. It made sense. Though it would be nice to prove to everyone that magic existed, there were always those who... who wanted to use it the wrong way. Her sense of trust wasn't blind. There were those who meant to do whatever it took to further their own gains, and they needed to be protected from their ambititions until they could be fixed, or re-examined. "Is that why I had a sword pointed at me? You make a very good guard; I was entirely scared."

"An ancient blade that I believe was made inside Fantasia to keep the evils out; I see the faeries that wander around, sometimes, so life isn't completely boring."

"Evils out?" she asked with a wide-eyed expression. "So does that mean that Fantasia is a place that doesn't have evil in it?" All of this was actually blowing her mind. In a way, Natalya viewed it as another story just to take in all the information. To know there was a place like that... despite what she said, she would have to see it to really understand what Bryce meant. There was no doubt about his honesty, but... It was like trying to really understand how far the sun was from the earth.

"I'll talk to them about it next time I see them, which should be soon," he said. "But only if you're sure, Tali. They aren't as cruel as some of the others can be, you know."

"The others... are just misinformed," she replied half-heartedly, frowning at the thought of some of the more vocal students. They didn't like her nor her people. All gypsies were whatever the stories painted them to be. Some of them thought her to be slow because she couldn't read or write of spew off random facts about the world because they could, but how did it help them? She kept some people from infection when they got a wound. She was able to read pieces of paper for the future. Connection to the world. It was easy to learn about what's going on, but to understand it... to feel it...

All they thought she did was smoke, drink and steal. It never occurred to them that their own family members did the same things in their suits or that she might not partake in any of the aforementioned. "I trust them. If you trust them. I trust them. Even if you didn't, really. I can't be like those who think I'm an evil person. I'd like to meet someone before I make decisions."

"I guess I could. I'd really like to."

"Of course. I would feel the same way, silly." Did she feel that way now? Perhaps. To witness what she's believed in would be wonderful, extraordinary, but she didn't have to. Natalya could find her magic in nature if access was refused to her. She could find it in the way people worked and moved and lived. But Bryce, it seemed his whole life was monopolized by it. It was only natural.
[/color]

[Poe]

He was daydreaming. Thinking about Fantasia, the brief glimpses that he'd seen in dreams or visions, or even what the girls told him when they returned from their trips. Once more he saw that twilight sky, the ever green grass, the blue blue water, the twisting flowers and vines, and huge trees that seemed to reach up to the sky. He could see the stars that he could grab, reach up and pull out of the sky. The different creatures that lived there, the centaurs, and faeries, and other beasties... But then he saw all the Fallen Land, sand and snow... Freezing weather and bloody skies. The reek of death wafting on the wind, the river made of black sludge moving slowly along with large black rocks hidden beneath, meaning death for anyone who accidentally hit them. He could see the death and the dead that walked this strange land. It was like a hell...
When the girl next to him spoke again, he almost jumped, turning his head to look at her he frowned slightly. "I wish it was a place with nothing evil... In all honesty, I keep more of the evil spirits out, but the bigger job is keeping the evil from the Fallen Land in..." That's all he said on the subject, not wanting to frighten her with the tales of the Fallen Land, tales of death, choices, fear, evil. He didn't tell many people about this part of Fantasia. Occasionally it slipped in.
"And, yes, that's why I pointed my sword at you..." he shook his head. "I didn't know what was in the cave. I should be a little bit more careful, but my imagination is pretty crazy sometimes...."

"You don't have to trust them just because I do," he sat up again. "I know how the students at that school can act," he shook his head, as if angry. "They all act like they're so perfect when all they do is hurt themselves an others... But there are a few that aren't so bad, that are only hurt......" his voice trailed off and he played with the hilt of his sword, picking at a gem that had been set into it, his nail ticking against it as he sat quietly, thinking. Then he looked at her. "Meet them?" He grinned slightly. "I have a feeling you might like Ara more than Cicily..." He wore a bit of a grin. "They're an interesting duo, I wonder how long they'll be friends after Florence... School puts people together and then it breaks them up..." He shook his head once more, looking out the mouth of the cave. He slowly unstrapped the belt that held his sword, setting it down flat on the cave floor, then he turned to look at Tali.

"Go ahead," he said quietly. "Take it out, I dare you. It isn't that scary when you're holding it. I'll help you, if you want?" The last was a question. Was he talking to much? Asking too many questions? Offering too much information or help? Did she think that he thought she could do nothing by herself?
Shaking those questions aside he looked around the dark cave. "It's hard to believe that a gold door comes from nowhere in the back of this cave, isn't it?" He asked, running his hand over the floor, fingers splayed out. How many feet have traveled over this stone floor? How many people have sat here like he was with Tali, simply talking and laughing, making friends?
There were too many people in time to tell.

"I'll talk to the girls," he promised again. "Maybe you'll be able to get in, maybe your different that way," he smiled widely, rolling back his shoulders. "And if you can go in, I would want to go with you, unless you change your mind about taking me," he added.
Just Tali being here for as long as she had been had made him realize how much he wanted human company instead of being lonely...

[bunny]

His reaction when she spoke unnerved her slightly. There wasn't a smile to make her believe that he was in pleasant thought. No. The frown that plagued his face caused her to worry about a list of items that she could have done to provoke him. When he spoke again, however, it soothed the idea that maybe he was rethinking talking about this to her. That... it would hurt, really, since she wanted to spend time with him and not be rebuffed. Goodness, if all this doubt was because of her low self-esteem, Natalya was going to feel verry stupid.

"I wish it was a place with nothing evil... In all honesty, I keep more of the evil spirits out, but the bigger job is keeping the evil from the Fallen Land in..."

"Fallen Land?" she asked with a surprise tone. "That's in Fantasia? And... there are evil spirits there?" He didn't seem to be inclined to tell her more about it, and that slightly bothered her intense sense of curiosity. There was a need to know everything about everyone. Facts, she could take at face value and react accorddingly. If he was afraid she'd respond to information about Fantasia as weirdly as she did conversations and assertions that she was not a bother, then, that was just silly.

"Crazy imagination... Maybe. Though, you know something could be there to worry about. I've always gotten nervous about things," she replied, laughing and watching him for a long moment before turning red again when her eyes caught his. Every bone in her body wanted to reach forward and touch his face just to feel him near her again like in the hug. Her hand almost moved to realise the wish, but Natalya was able to reign in control at the last possible minute.

"You don't have to trust them just because I do. I know how the students at that school can act. They all act like they're so perfect when all they do is hurt themselves an others... But there are a few that aren't so bad, that are only hurt......"

Natalya let out a long sigh before cutting it off when she realised it could be considered rude. Bryce... he looked at the students the same way as all the others. It... If only he'd give them all the benefit of the doubt like she did. Those who appeared to be critical of her and disgusted by her lifestyle couldn't help it. It was how they were raised to think, and if Natalya was just as rude back, well, it wouldn't really help their opinion, would it? It was... It was her quality that never failed. She'd trust them all even if they did scoff at her and do horrible things. There's good in everyone.

As he shook his head, Natalya lost control and reached out a hand to press against his cheek. Her head nodded on- and- off as he spoke of Ara and Cicily. She'd heard of them. Had glimpses of them. Her opinion of them would still be high because of his. As for if their friendship would remain? That made her thoughts drift elsewhere. To lose someone after school ends wouldn't be imaginable for her. She had to keep the people she loved around her forever and ever because she was an extremely selfish person. Letting her eyes drift from Bryce to the cave and back, Natalya continued to darken in color. She mumbled something and then waited for him to continue.

"Go ahead," he said quietly. "Take it out, I dare you. It isn't that scary when you're holding it. I'll help you, if you want?"

Natalya's hand went from him out to touch the handle of the sword absently. It'd never tempted her to hold an object which main use was as a weapon, but then she used so many knives during the day that to say 'no' would be silly. Giving him a slight nod, she pressed her hands against the stone floor to push off onto the balls of her feet. Then, without speaking her hands wrapped around the hilt of the sword and tried to pull. Her effort ended with her falling back on her butt with the sword barely a few inches out. Her head turned to Bryce and laughed. "Help would be wonderful."

"It's hard to believe that a gold door comes from nowhere in the back of this cave, isn't it... I'll talk to the girls. Maybe you'll be able to get in, maybe your different that way."

"It is hard to believe," she said and then took a long pause. "In my dream, I didn't see a door in the back. I... I saw myself drawing on the wall, and then there was this bright, white light. Then this lady appeared and told me what she was... She wasn't human, I don't think... I can't remember." Laughing at herself, Natalya stopped and looked at the sword again. It was from that realm she couldn't see... A land of magic that only appeared in her dreams. To hold it... And Bryce was connected to it. Herself was completely unordinary. A fluke of nature.

"And if you can go in, I would want to go with you, unless you change your mind about taking me."

"I'd like to get in just to take you, Bryce. I wouldn't want to see it with anyone else."
[/color]

[Poe]

Bryce looked at her, head tilted to the side. "Yes, evil creatures," he shrugged. "Fantasia is the classic tale of good versus evil, no?" He asked, still looking at her. "The two sides are polar opposites, and they fight each other, just as the good and evil here does. I mean..." He paused, thinking about his words. "Good can't exist without evil," he said simply after that, pulling his mind away from Fantasia, to focus on her. "The evil is in one part of this world that is easily avoidable, of course," he added softly, wondering if he'd frightened her out of ever wanting to go to Fantasia if she had the opportunity.
He watched her hand move, his eyes traveling up her arm, along her shoulder, up her neck, tracing her lips, until he met her eyes again. With a soft smile, he moved to sit closer to her, liking the warmth of her body against him. "Well," he started. "I think crazy imaginations are a very good thing." His voice was low, low enough that no one even a few feet from him besides her could hear it.

When she reached for his sword that sat at his feet, he merely sat in silence, watching her intently. He knew how heavy it was, so of course he laughed when she fell flat on her behind. "Help? For some one as strong as you? I didn't think you'd need it!" But all the same he pushed himself up and walked so that he was behind her, his chest pressed against her back. His arms wrapped around her so that his hands rested on top of her's, which were still holding the hilt of the sword. "Now," he said, leaning so that his chin was rested in the crook of her neck and shoulder, "don't think of it like a sword, think of it as something you love, of something that is easy for you to do, maybe. It takes the edge away from it," he grinned. "And it isn't quite so scary." That was true.

She spoke again before he had time to help pull the sword away from it's sheath. "Hmmm," he said softly, thinking once again of Fantasia (he really did have to get his mind away from that place once and awhile...Not that he had any trouble when his mind was on Natalya... but that's beside the point.). "What were you drawing?" He asked, now focusing on the sword again, just as her gaze landed on it too. He began to pull her arms back, letting the clear blade come into view. The glass-like surface glinted in the sun that shone in from the opening of the cave. The sheath clattered the floor of the stone cave once she'd finally drawn the sword completely from its holder. He smiled down at her. "There, see? That wasn't too hard, was it?" He asked.

"I'm honored," he murmured, bending to kiss her cheek, still holding her hands to help support the weight of the blade.

[bunny]

"Yes, evil creatures. Fantasia is the classic tale of good versus evil, no? The two sides are polar opposites, and they fight each other, just as the good and evil here does. I mean... Good can't exist without evil,"

Her face twisted into a small frown at his words. At first, he'd painted a sort of Heaven for her to dream of at night. So utterly perfect and untouched by hateful disease. Now, however, she realised that it was misunderstanding on her part. Natalya hadn't realised how silly it would be to think that Heaven existed without its own Hell. Was it not fitting that both realms should sit within one? It was like Fantasia was a living, breathing creature with both sides to its personality. No good without evil. No evil without good. She took a sharp intake of breath as it got caught in her chest. To accept the thinly masked trial of balancing the two forces worried her deeply. In fact, it caused a frown to crease her forehead. If she... a being probably brimming with more evil than good were to enter... would it screw up that balance? Finding no one in her mind to argue she wasn't more sinful than selfless, it became apparent that Natalya created certain qualms about going in.

"The evil is in one part of this world that is easily avoidable, of course."

"Why do you look at me like that?" she questioned suddenly, snapping from her abstract thoughts with a deeper frown. It took her a moment to properly arrange the question before a reassuring smile spread across her lips. Instantly, the creases in her face vanished with her sudden feeling that perhaps he needed comforting. Working only on body language... It seemed as if something was bothering him, or, more that Bryce thought something was bothering her. "You look as if you expect me to go running and screaming from your stories," -She chuckled nervously, fearing her intuition had been misinterpreted.- "I'm not. I'm simply... amazed by something to completely wonderful. It's like a stepped into a faerie tale."

Her eyes flickered to his critically. After a moment of quiet thought, she noticed that his gaze was elsewhere. It took a long, completely dense moment to figure out what he was looking at. Her mind refused to accept the path his blue eyes had taken to get to hers, however, her body seemed to take it all as fact. A light blush ran across her cheeks as her head ducked down to hide the embarrassment. The same strong emotion kept her in the same position, effectually losing the chance to be relieved by his smile. Peripherally, her eyes caught his movement. Before her own mind could whirl from him being so close, Natalya pushed off from the ground, feelings pieces of stone stick into her hand as she helped close the distance between them. Maybe... if there---

"Well, I think crazy imaginations are a very good thing."

--- Her train of thought was immediately broken by a small, insistent wish in the back of her head. Refusing to give it room to breathe and ferment, Natalya had swept herself to her feet and tried, without success to pry the big, clunky knife out it's big, clunky sheath. Really, if the sword hadn't been protecting something she might have condoned violence for, Natalya would throw the weapon into the lake and hope it rusted beyond use. Her automatic reaction was to swallow in fear at who could be hurt by its blade.

"Help? For some one as strong as you? I didn't think you'd need it!"

The blush on her face deepened marginally at that. Automatically, she scoffed at him and stuck out her tongue. "I'm out of practice at being violent..." -She trailed into seriousness before helping herself.- "I... I'd be a terrible guard, Bryce. I don't have the heart to even hold a sword, let alone attack someone with it. Life or death situations don't even matter... I think. I've never been in one, of course-- I-- I'm sorry. I'd continue rambling if my thoughts hadn't--."

Stammering, Natalya didn't move to try her explanation of her thoughts again and simply focused on breathing normally as the sudden physical contact between herself and Bryce increased more than she was originally prepared for. Murmuring something at the touch of his chest to her back, Natalya paused in the gesture to look up at his face and study it. What-- What expression would she find in his eyes? Her mind screamed empty arguments to explain away, to rationalise all the subliminal signals she was recieving, but it was starting to loose effectiveness. Her hands flinched slightly under his touch but a pleased murmur came from her mouth again, eliciting a brighter, more pronounced blush.

However, she didn't lose it until his face was only centimeters from hers. A sharp intake of breath and quickly feigned exclamation of surprise moved to try and distract him from her obvious weakness. Lying. Damnit, if only God or some gods had decided to bless her with the ability to conceal her feelings more easily. It was obvious that spying on someone no matter what the cause would be absolutely, tragically hilarious because being confronted would lead to the young woman spilling from her mouth everything she knew. Damn.

"Now, don't think of it like a sword, think of it as something you love, of something that is easy for you to do, maybe. It takes the edge away from it. And it isn't quite so scary."

"Of course," she replied breathlessly, waiting for the moment when Bryce would see through her pretenses. Now, her mind desperately clung to the fact that bryce might not be watching her closely enough to scrutinize her behavior deeper than skin surface. Her obsession with him might explain why she was hypersensitive to his movements, but it should be easy for an apathetic stranger to gloss over the strained behavior, right?

"Hmmm, What were you drawing?"

Natalya removed one hand from the hilt of the sword and pulled from Bryce to bend down close to the floor of the cave. For a moment, she scoured for a nearby rock. When her fingers laced over the rough, uneven surface, her breathing became slightly faster. Slowly, deliberately, Natalya carved out, "D-A-N-G-E-R I---------- F-U-T-U-R-E." Her eyes quickly glanced up at Bryce before resuming her original position.

"In the dream... my body and the woman's was blocking the words in the middle. I'm sorry, I can't..." She offered up useless apologies and muttered about how she didn't know what the shapes were anyways. Her arms weaved under his so that he could help her pull the word out. A beaming smile spread across her face and she turned to share it with him. Barely jumping from the clattering sheath, Natalya admired the blade in the light silently for a long moment.

"I'm honored." It was obvious that Natalya would have a heartattack soon from the intensive way her heart beat as she received a kiss on her cheek. The sudden affection. It was too much to handle from Bryce at the moment. Pulling away, her grasp on the sword slipped, and she moveed forward to nonchalantly support it from falling, the gypsy girl ensured that Bryce was now barely touching her. This... Her hopes would not be crushed because of a misguided crush. "Thank you... for the help. It's magnificent."

[Poe]

ooc| -has no clue how to reply to this, so please bear with me...-


Was it mere wistful thinking that he could tell her everything, someday? That she would actually, someday, think of Fantasia as her home? As her one, true home away from everything horrid? If it was, then it was wishful thinking that he hoped desperately to come true. The first heir of the swords had been by a man of his name… Brycen. And the entire story of how they’d even left Fantasia because of a sin… But their creators wouldn’t simply leave them to die, would they? Perhaps they would…
He continued to watch Natalya, and the frown that twisted onto her face should have been her first clue, as to why he believed she didn’t enjoy the tales he twisted out of the sky. When other people got that look on their face it meant they were uncomfortable about something, and it seemed she was uncomfortable about the story he was telling. He was only telling the truth, as little as she believed it…

“It is a faerie tale,” he said, laughing. “They had to all be true at one point… And I look at you like that because of the way you look now. You look so confused, so lost, so… frightened by what I tell you. And, well, when most people start looking like that it normally means that they are ready to turn tail and run. I don’t want to scare you away from me, my god I don’t. I enjoy your company too much to never see you again because I drove you away in fear.” Bryce was serious, of course, and even with the small smile on his face he hoped she knew that he meant every word that he said. Hopefully she did, he didn’t want her to think that he was going to hold her hostage in this cave and keep her forever and ever, locking her up tight enough that she could never escape. Now, while he did want her forever, he could never force her to stay here… Could he?

No of course not! Get those horrid thoughts out of your mind, Bryce!

”I’m not asking you to be a guard,” he said softly, grinning. “I’m just curious to see if you could manage to get the sword out…” He shook his head at how horrible this entire conversation might sound if it was taken out of context. Hell, he didn’t even want to think about what some one simply listening in on their conversation from outside would think, and how quickly word would spread around at camp. Ducking his head for a minute, he sighed, before looking back at Tali. “Don’t worry about talking to much, I like the sound of your voice, honest I do. You have a beautiful voice, Tali, much like the rest of you.”

Unaware of her looking up at him, he was lost in his own thoughts about her… When he looked down at her, a surprised expression crossed his face to find her nose in the air, so to speak. What would she find in his eyes? He didn’t even know, and he couldn’t look into hers. It was such a lost cause. With a slight sigh, he waited until her face was straight ahead again, and he could put his face near hers. The sharp intake of breath made it hard to keep from laughing, but he said nothing.
Even though he couldn’t see her with the strange sight he was given, he could see very clearly through the lie just made, not even with words, in front of him. However, he said nothing, and acted as if he heard nor understood nothing.

Obsession?
Bryce simply thought it was cute.

He watched her spell out the words on the cave wall, eyes narrowing slightly at the word danger and future tied into one. Did that play, yet again, into the fact that he could possibly be the last heir? Well, not thinking about that, he shook it from his mind, and watched Natalya come back toward him, ducking back into her original position. Sadly, he found this more interesting than the message written on the wall. She didn’t have to come back, yet she did, why? Desperately wishing to read into her he continued to think about the words she’d seen in the dream, wondering what they could mean.

”Don’t worry about it,” he said, shrugging. He made no move to read to her the words on the wall, she didn’t need to worry. Smoothing out his expression he shrugged. “I’m sure it was nothing.” It was most likely too late. If Natalya was anything like he thought she was, she would have already figured out what was wrong with by the look that had been on his face seconds before.

When she jumped away from him, he looked at her with a little confusion. Had he frightened her, or had something else? Wiping his face blank again, he put the sword back in its sheath. “Not a problem, sweet,” he said with a grin. “Anytime.”

Anytime for what?

A kiss?

Well… duh.