R a i n and Sunshine...?, ic: Aurelius iso: Peris

[x.vintage]

Sometime in Spring
7:35 PM

The air was filled with the soft scent of blooming flowers and rain. Up in the mountains, a light fog mingled with the also light rain. Still, the last glimmers of pale-pink sunshine fliltered through, creating tiny rainbows throughout the forest. It was through this that Aurelius was running through, too fast for the human eye. His, however, soaked up the gorgeous vista as he flitted up the mountain, weaving in and out through the trees, both fallen and standing, and the occasional boulder that popped up every now and then.

With almost sudden abruptness, he stopped in a patch of light. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. A small, crooked smile spread its way across his peach-colored lips. He slowly opened one lid, then the other. He brought his hand up to his eyes, turning it this way and that as light sparkled off as if thousands upon thousands of precious gems were embedded into his skin. Even after almost a thousand years as a vampire, he had never come to a conclusion as to why his skin sparkled, it just always had. So with a small shake of his head and a sigh, he sprung up to a middle branch on a pine tree in the blink of an eye.

Aurelius stared out at the fading sunset, the raind-drops casting tiny rainbows throughout the forest. It was breathtaking, even to he, who had seen thousands of gorgeous vistas throughout his existance. He only wished that he had canvas, or at leat a good sketchpad to draw it all out on. Alas, he thought with yet another sigh, the only thing that this is missing is a beautiful lady, basking in the rain and sunshine.

[mysterious. }]

When Peris was seven years old, she heard some other children telling stories about a dark place called the “Abyss”. They mentioned horrible monsters with large, bat wings that carried them all through the mountain range and back into the Abyss, claws as big as a person that would take young children in its grasp and plunge into a dark substance, never to be seen again. Although the other children at the orphanage were terrified of these monsters and these stories, Peris had grown attached to them. It allowed her imagination to run a little bit wilder; instead of unicorns and faeries, there were even more magical creatures that bordered Mossleaf.

Even though the magical creatures were supposed to be monstrous and terrifying, the seven-year-old Peris believed herself to be indestructible. There was no way that those monsters could hurt her. They’d look at her, see how adorable and young she really was, and take pity on her. Maybe even allow her to climb upon their scaly backs and soar through the night time skies, looking down upon the Abyss itself and visiting the orphanage, to show the other children that the monsters really weren’t as scary as they were often made out to be. This, of course, never happened, and even sixteen-year-old Peris still aims to visit there one day.

Her imagination has receded some in between the nine years, and she doesn’t so much believe in the tall-tales she was told as a child. The Abyss could have been home to many a vicious creature back in the day, but now, thanks to the mages that had once lived in Mossleaf, they no longer existed. Peris was confident that if she made it through the long trek to the Abyss, she would be able to see the dark wonders of it and finally push her curiosity down to a dull ache. Lastly, this was the reasoning for Peris’ adventure through the Mountain Range, as it was the only way she knew how to get to her destination. It may not be the easiest way, especially for a girl as clumsy as she, but she was determined all the same.

Peris glanced back at the way she came, and with a slight frown, she almost wished she had left a trail of breadcrumbs to find her way back. The path she had followed and was resolute to remain on was narrowing increasingly with each hesitant step she took. It wasn’t long before a light fog surrounded her body, making it diminutively harder to see both ahead and behind her. Just as she thought it could not get any more troublesome, a light rain fell from the vast skies, a little warning for her to turn around – it wasn’t safe to continue any farther. With the wet seeping in her black converse shoes and mud splattering up the sides of her legs, Peris was beginning to think today wasn’t such a good day for an adventure.

She was thankful to be wearing her Capri’s, which allowed the mud to hit her bare legs rather than her pants. Mud took effort to clean off of clothing. Looking up through the dense trees, Peris wondered what time it was. It occurred to her that she had been hiking for quite some time; surely it had to be past noon hour. Up ahead she saw a bit of a clearing and decided that it would be a good idea to check to see around what time it was. Straying off the path, Peris made her way over. As she neared, Peris stopped breathing. This place was absolutely stunning; the sun filtered down in the clearing, casting little rainbows.

As she slowly walked in the clearing, she couldn’t help but let a smile appear on her face. A tree that had been knocked over lay across the middle, and she thought it a perfect place to rest for a moment, taking in this wonderful atmosphere. Even though the light drops of rain still fell, the sunshine warmed her up immediately, the pinpricks of wet soothing on her milky skin. Peris lay back, ignoring the dampness of the tree’s trunk, and closed her eyes to enjoy the moment.

[x.vintage]

A soft crunching noise alerted Aurelius to the sound before the girl came into view. How had he not heard her thoughts? This was quite odd indeed. A frown wrinkled his alabaster forehead as he crawled out on the limb, better to focus on the newcomer. Her golden hair sparkled in the evening sunshine, her skin was almost as pale as his and seemed to sparkle also as the tiny drops of rain landed on her skin. She had paused just at a fallen tree trunk, a smile spread across her lips. Ah, he said to himself, [/i]here's exactly the lady who was missing.

It wasn't only the fact that she was beautiful, for he had seen beauty throughout his many years (he couldn't help but feel a small pang in his stomach as Alexandria's fair face floated through his memory. It was one of his human memories that he desperately clung to each and every day, though not exactly with sadness. Yet, he still had feelings for her, even after all these years. But he knew she was dead, and that she would want him to move on. No, it was that he was unable to read her thoughts, even though he wouldn't want to, that intrigued him the most. So with careful motions reminiscent of his prefered food, he climbed down, making sure that none of the golden-pink rays reflected off his skin.

So as not to frighten her, he made a little noise before walking forward. "Hello there. Gorgeous, isn't it?"

[mysterious. }]

A single drop of water fell from a tree overlooking where Peris lay, landing right at the corner of her eye, giving her the appearance of crying. Peris purged the droplet with her index finger, careful not to smudge the line of Kohl that surrounded her golden eyes. She rested her hand back on her stomach, taking a deep breath that moved her arm slowly up, then down again. It was a little unsettling how she could hear no other noises except for those that she made herself. Earlier, as she had been walking, she could hear the faint scuttling of squirrel’s feet running across the damp earth, the trees creaking as they aged, a gentle wind softly swaying leaves, the sounds of the spring birds chirping as the day progressed.

But now, here in this clearing, none of those sounds could be heard. It was almost as if all of the woodland creatures had scurried off, frightened by some unknown force. Peris thought of how quiet it was. If she made a noise, she felt as if she would be disturbing something, so she fought to stay as still as possible. As she breathed, however, the tree trunk made soft creaking sounds underneath her meager weight. She slowed her breathing as if she were asleep, reducing the creaking as much as she possibly could. In the startling quietness a stark sound was heard; footsteps walking on the earth, crunching on fallen branches and sticks, mushrooms and the like.

Peris was not expecting such a sudden noise. It had seemed too close, too sudden – as if they had been there already, maybe even watching her. Getting up into a sitting position, Peris whirled her head around, locks of golden hair trailing behind the movement. Her eyes were fixed on the pale, god-like stranger that stood a few feet away. For a moment, she was paralyzed; she was frightened of his sudden appearance and by his glorious impression. His eyes were as golden as hers, albeit a little darker, with facial features handsomer than any man she’d ever seen before. His skin, like hers, was quite pale indeed, and for a moment the thought, ‘he could almost be my brother’ flashed across her mind.

Alas, her beauty was nothing in comparison to his, and found that she was drawn to his full, luscious, peach-coloured lips. Peris was suddenly aware that these lips, oh, these lips, were moving. Indeed, he was speaking to her – “Hello there. Gorgeous, isn't it?". By now, her eyes had trailed up to his hair, where locks of golden waves fell in a rather shaggy-manner around his face. And oh, that face – Peris almost cringed in pleasure. He was, undoubtedly, the most attractive person in the existence of man. Although Peris was immediately drawn to him, there was a fear holding her back, some instinct that told her to be wary.

Unfortunately, she pushed that away, nearly forgetting everything else while doing so. At this time, Peris thought it wise to answer him, but she struggled to find her voice. “Ah, uh… yes,” she murmured softly, never looking away from him. ‘You are gorgeous,’ Peris finished silently, and felt colour rush to her cheeks, thankful that hadn't been said out loud.

[x.vintage]

He watched with slight amusement as she whirled around, obviously surprised at all the noise. She stared at him, a blush rising across her cheeks. Aurelius was frustrated, his mind adjusted to reading everyone elses. He had no clue as to whether she was angry or embarrassed. His browed furrowed with frustration before he remembered his manners. He shook his head quickly, then bowed, sweeping an arm around behind him. "I beg a thousand pardons, milady, I didn't mean to frighten. I was merely aloft," here he stood up fully and pointed up towards the tree top, "And I saw you walking and pause. I thought it might be nice to comment on this captivating vista, though perhaps you would enjoy silence?" He added this as an afterthought, with a cock of an eyebrow, in case she really was angry at him for scaring her and ruining this pleasant moment.

Still, in hopes that he might not have to leave, he softened his expression and grinned. "I promise not to say anything after this, if you do not wish me to converse, but it is such a shame that I didn't think to buy more canvas for this. Hopefully I'll be able to find some and paint this later. Of course, this deserves feathery strokes instead of the harsh lines of realism. Yet, I will probably paint this close to real looking. I would do it full impressionistic, but some people wouldn't really appreciate it's beauty. It's a pity, really, that some aren't open minded enough to use their imagination. Of course, if you prefer realistic paintings, I mean no offense. Ah, there I go again, rambling about art. My mother always told me I was too romantic for my own good. Once again, my apoligies milady." His smile faded in his foolishness as the wind picked up.

With the wind, he caught her scent. He was cut off guard. Never in his lifetime had he smelt something so sweet. Aurelius closed his eyes as his mouth watered. He clenched his fists behind his back and took an involuntary step forwards. Realizing his mistake, his eyes flew open and he stepped back once again, hoping to make it look like he was merely switching weight from foot to foot. He let out a small laugh. Had he been any younger, he may have attacked. Even now he was almost tempted, but it had been long since he had tasted the blood of a human and luckily he could refuse it, though barely. He knew that he would have to hunt soon, though, and almost hoped that she was angry with him so he could turn and flee, seeking out food before his mind went wild.

ooc: Way to totally pwn my post again! x3

[mysterious. }]

As she was frozen, her eyes locked on his, she noticed his eyes furrowing in frustration. Peris wondered what could have frustrated him so – it couldn’t have been her, could it? She would have pondered over this for a longer period of time if it weren’t for the sudden shake of his head and the elongated bow. She watched in awe at his swift movements – normal, but still oddly unnatural – and his dramatic extension of the arm. Her eyes trailed from his shoulder all the way to the point of his tallest finger, memorizing each detail as fast as she could.

She only caught bits of his speech as she stared, mesmerized, as he returned to a standing position, his beautiful face facing her own, which was dull in comparison. "…pardons, milady…didn't mean… aloft," was mostly all that she heard. These were only words, drifting through her ears in the melody of his voice, carrying little to no meaning for her. As his hand shot up again, reaching grandly to a tree nearby, she was barely able to pry her eyes away from the god before her.

Peris did, saw the tree he was pointing to, and became instantly confused. Why was he pointing to it? Did he want her to climb it, because she surely would if he wanted her to? Somehow, without knowing him, Peris felt that he had an unexplainable control over her, which frightened her. She had a barely controllable desire to reach out to him, but even the thought of touching anybody scared her more than she could say. Her phobia of touch denied her of all contact with another person.

It was then that she realized more lines of a melody were floating through her ears – “…perhaps you would enjoy silence?". Her mind raced, the only word forming was a large, obese ‘No!’. Still, she found she could not form words that made enough sense to say out loud. While she fought to arrange a correct sentence, he spoke again, but this time speaking of the view and of art, not meaning offence if she preferred realistic paintings, how romantic his mother had said he was, and again he apologized.

A word that he used caught in her mind; milady. That was such an odd diction in this day in time. She couldn’t think of anybody who used such an old term. Somehow, though, and she wasn’t sure how it worked, when he said it, the words felt right. He was allowed to say it, and it almost sounded normal, as if he should be using old words and terms like that. Calming her thoughts, she found that her voice was strong enough to say, “I don’t mind talking. I—”

Her voice was cut off as the wind picked up, tossing her hair around her face. His expression changed, she noticed, but couldn’t place the emotion. His eyes were closed for a moment, then open again, and he shifted his weight. Peris stared at him, unable to break her gaze away from his pulchritudinous face. “I like paintings,” she finished feebly, scouring her mind for something to say that wouldn’t sound as stupid as it did in her head.

[x.vintage]

She was staring. Was this bad, or was it good? She held no traces of anger or fury in her face... Usually he could read faces very well, even without the mind-reading, but his power gave him a boost. Now was the first time in over 900 years that he felt unsure... She didn't look angry, but still. He shruged it off, hopefully that it was just the fact that many people found him attractive. Just one of our many hunting qualities. Whoever, or whatever, made us made us too well, methinks. A small frown rippled over his face before being replaced once again by the cordial smile.

Before the wind struck, she said something about not minding talking. There was a small battle in him telling him to both run away, and another side telling him to stay with this captivating young woman. With mild curiosity, he wondered how strong Alexandra's blood would've been. Thankfully, she hadn't been around for him to find out. If she had smelled this strong and he was still a newborn... He shuddered at the thought, his cold heart almost breaking at the thought of her death being caused personally by him.

Once again, the young lady spoke. His grin broadened, happy to find someone who also appreciated the arts. "Well, that's pleasant to here. My travels that have brought me across the lands near and far, high and low, and there have been many a people who had no care whatsoever for culture. 'Twas a pity, indeed, to never know the feel of brush in your hands or the ache in your heart when you see a painting so beautiful it makes you want to sing... Ah, forgive me, I become much too emotional over such simple things."

[mysterious. }]

This man was really, truly too good-looking for his own well being, as well as the well being of others who happen to glance upon this god. Peris could picture it in her mind. Some regular person would be walking along the edge of a cliff and see a glimpse of him from the corner of their eye, and, when they glue their eyes onto his heavenly face, they step right off the cliff. They would fall to their untimely demise. Of course, she couldn’t really see this happening to someone else, but with the way she was reacting to this attractive being, she could almost imagine the ‘regular person’ as herself.

That would be just her luck, of course. Due to the fact that she was watching him like a hawk, Peris noticed the rippled frown as he turned it around into a smile. It was a few moments later that she caught the shudder shake through his body, causing her eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch in curiosity. All curiosity faded, however, as his grin broadened, dazzling her once again. In attempt to clear her mind Peris blinked a few times. He was speaking again. Peris held a light smile on her face, liking the sound of his voice.

She could close her eyes and just listen to that melodic voice all day, without a care about anything else. The thought of actually doing that floated across her mind. When he stopped talking, her smile widened a fraction. “No worries,” Peris said softly. She was finding it a little easier to use her voice now that she had found it, and her usual chatty self was beginning to emerge. “It’s nice to see guys that are passionate about something. Other than sports or girls, I mean. It gives them… uhm, depth.”

She wasn’t sure where she was going with the last sentence, but she attempted it anyway, not really caring if she was making herself seem like a typical blonde. Peris wasn’t sure what a typical blonde did or said, anyway, so what matter was it to her? None what-so-ever. “I sketch some. Clothes, I mean. I design different clothes. I haven’t really done landscaping, or anything… but I do like to look at paintings done by other people. Maybe sometime you could… show me how to paint? I take it that you do. If you don’t, I’m sorry, I just thought…”

Her voice trailed off again, starting to feel like she was talking too much over a point that wasn’t necessary to discuss. She settled for a weak smile, apologizing in her own way. Just then, a thought struck her. Peris was clueless as to who this young man really was. What was his name? How old was he? Where did he come from; did he live in Mossleaf? “Sorry, um, I didn’t catch your name,” Peris reminded him, with a polite smile taking over her lips.

[x.vintage]

Aurelius grinned as she finally seemed to come out of her shell, obviously not mad at him. That's a relief...though in other ways, I'm not so sure. He dismissed this thought as the wind stopped blowing in his direction, though, allowing his head time to clear. "Clothing? Really? That sounds quite intriguing. Would you happen to make your own clothing?" At the question of her asking him to show her how to paint, his grin faded, a frown playing, though ever so slightly, at the edge of his lips. Even though he hoped that he wouldn't attack her, who knew what could happen if he was in a room all alone with her? Especially if it was warm, and her intoxicating scent enveloped him like some demon from the lowest circle of hell, intent on breaking his will, tempting him with every beat of her heart.

Once again, he found himself shaking his head to clear it. He then realized that it looked like he was saying no. "Forgive me, I wasn't saying no. My thoughts merely trailed. If it's landscapes you'd like me to show you, I'd be honored. Of course, I do other paintings as well." Hopefully, though, it was only land and city-scapes she wanted, as then they could be out at least in the fresh air where his thoughts wouldn't as muddled as they could be, and there might be people around.

"Ah, how silly of me. I'm sorry, I can be so rude at times." With another sweeping bow, he introduced himself. "My name, milady, is Aurelius Augustus." He straightened, considering if he should kiss her hand as he had with Rio's. No, not this time... "Would you mind telling me yours?"

[[ooc: Blah, phailed post. Sorry. :[ ]]

[mysterious. }]

While sitting on the fallen tree trunk, her leg had been placed at an awkward angle after sitting up so suddenly at the appearance of this stranger. She felt her foot and leg slowly begin to fall asleep and, when her foot twitched, changed to a feeling of pins and needles jabbing pinpricks in her milky skin. Peris adjusted her position, but then, as she could not get very comfortable sitting there, gave up on that thought. She stood and took a few steps in his general direction. “Shall we start heading back to the village? I’m sure it must be getting a little late out by now and it’s probably not the safest being here in the dark,” Peris suggested to him, watching his face curiously.

“Especially not since the Abyss is so close. We might be attacked by some dangerous, evil monster.” Now she felt a little more relaxed around him, although there was an inner instinct telling her to flee that she ignored (after all, he was gorgeous, and serial killers were never this beautiful). Because she watched his face so intently, she saw the grin fade from his succulent lips, and she felt her own twitch down in response. Then came the shaking of the head that she remembered from before. An eyebrow rose in question, but she remained silent. Was he really saying no? Did she do something wrong, or say something that she shouldn’t have?

Peris felt a sharp little pang in her heart, as if she were being rejected. Her eyes finally wavered from his face and retreated to the mossy ground. Her heart sped up unexpectedly and she let out the sharp intake of breath she hadn’t noticed she was holding. Mind racing, she wondered why he had such an affect on her, and they had just met that day. But then he spoke: "Forgive me, I wasn't saying no. My thoughts merely trailed. If it's landscapes you'd like me to show you, I'd be honored. Of course, I do other paintings as well." Peris’ eyes retreated to his, and she felt reassured. “A landscape? That would be… well, really awesome.”

Looking around, she commented, “Even this clearing would make a pretty picture,” Peris smiled again. There came a sweeping bow that captivated her sight, and she held still while she watched his gallant pose. As he introduced himself, she noticed how odd, and how very cool, his name was; Aurelius Augustus. Smile still in place, she said sedately, “I’m Prudence,” before turning on her heel and taking a few steps forward to start them walking back to the village. “Would you happen to make your own clothing?" he had asked her. Peris thought of the designs she had created and actually made, as well.

Talking over her shoulder, she called out, “To answer your other question, yeah, I’ve made quite a few of the clothing designs for myself, and Miss Primrose. Maybe I could model them for you some time,” she flirted.

[x.vintage]

The vampire nodded in agreement. If they were to be attacked that meant that he would have to defend this poor creature, and that meant more than likely exposing himself. Not so soon... "Of course, milady. You never know what creatures like to hide in the dark." Actually, he knew the answer. Creatures like him, along with ghosts, demons, werewolves (ugh... Disgusting, vile dogs that needed to be put into place. If it wasn't for a stupid werewolf, he might be with his Alexandria right now.) and a plethora of other things that go bump in the night.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Ah, yes. The Abyss. I believe I was extremely close to that area when I came in. Fortunately, there was a young lady named Lettuce, and her friend Jhinto there fighting demons. Who knows where I would be now without their help?" Right here, that's where. Walking beside this magnificent and intriguing young lady. Those demons would've probably been scared of him right off the bat had they met him alone. They probably stayed just to frighten Lettuce and Jhinto. Demons, it seemed, were not entranced by his looks.

He followed as she turned. "Prudence? A lovely name, if I may say. Somewhat old-fashioned, but I have always been partial to old-fashioned names." He couldn't help but grin as she spoke of modeling. An attempt at flirting, no doubt. Yet he sighed. This could be dangerous... "Miss Primrose, you say? Might I be as bold as to enquire as to who Misstriss Primrose is?" It was obviously not her mother, unless her mother was as strict to not allow her flesh and blood to call her 'Mother' or 'Mom'. Perhaps a teacher, though why on earth would this captivating girl make clothing for her teacher? His smile grew. She only grew more and more interesting every second.

[mysterious. }]

Aurelius spoke of two other persons that Peris did not know. Their names were unusual: Lettuce and Jhinto. She smiled, wondering if she would at any time meet them in the future. They seemed like interesting people, what with the fighting demons and such – but it was somewhat scary to think that Aurelius was there, too. She could easily imagine two skilled fighters, well practised in this profession of demon slaying, taking on and defeating the dark creatures. But then, thinking of this god-like figure among the demons and slayers, she became worried. Had he been hurt?

She hadn’t noticed a scratch or mark on him, nothing at all, but maybe Peris had somehow missed it. Looking sideways at him, Peris concluded that he had no demon-inflicted marks on the visible parts of his body. To be sure, she asked, “Were you hurt at all? I mean, I’m sure you could fend for yourself, but… surely demons are much stronger and faster than a human.” Her reasoning would have been sound – if it weren’t for the fact that he wasn’t actually a human. This interesting little fact was not exactly clear to Peris, though, so she was confident in her innocence.

As he commented on her name she smiled shyly, a bit modest almost, despite the fact that it wasn’t actually her name. Again she had used one of the names she often did. Why she did this was unknown to everyone, even to herself. She didn’t know the reason behind it, especially not since it had became second nature for her to use an alias. Aurelius and Prudence: two old-fashioned names that could almost fit together. For a moment she let her imagination run and she thought of this name along with his last, if they were ever married later on in life.

Peris could just imagine it. Prudence Augustus. It may not hold the special ring that some names do, but to her ears, it sounded just fine. The next words caught her and made her think. "Miss Primrose, you say? Might I be as bold as to enquire as to who Misstriss Primrose is?" Miss Primrose was a name she often floated by in everyday conversation and people would usually ignore it if they didn’t know who it was. Sometimes Peris would even assume everyone knew. After all, it was a lot of extra work to figure out who knew these things and who didn’t.

But all she said to him was, “Oh, maybe you’ll find out someday,” and allowed a mysterious little smile dance upon her lips. There was a moment that allowed the mystery to ensue upon the listener’s mind before the silence was replaced by her next statement. “Where are you from?” she asked the god. As she slid her eyes to glance upon his face she was frozen in the moment, nearly blinded once more by his beauty. Shadows danced around on his face and for a moment she wished she could see the sunlight and rainbows take their turn on the dance floor.

[x.vintage]

[[ooc: Ohmygod. I'm such an idiot. I spelled 'mistress' wrong. :x Oh, and pretty freakin' awesome last line~]]

He shook his head at Prudence's inquiry. "No, thankfully not. Lettuce was quite the fighter. And, these demons seemed mostly harmless, though no doubt in the number they were coming I might've found myself in trouble." In trouble with being caught, more than likely. He knew exactly what he was like when he was hunting, so someone may have heard his guttural growls and fierce cries as he attacked the demons. If Lettuce would've been close, even she may have ran off in the opposite direction.

As she smiled shyly, he almost furrowed his brow again, but caught himself in time. It was so frustrating not knowing what this girl was thinking! He grinned at her coy response and her flirtatious smile. He wondered if she would be doing the same thing if she knew what he actually was. She'd probably run off through the hills screaming, he thought with an internal sigh. It was almost unfair how he was sentenced to a life of loneliness. Out of all the female vampires he had come across in his years, none had agreed with his philosophy, and he had yet to come across a human who he would even think about changing. But now, here was this young woman with her flirtatious ways, an intoxicating scent, and a mind that was unreadable.

"Where am I from? Let's say I'm from far away. From a land that adored culture and intelligence and detested war. If I told you the name, you probably wouldn't recognize it." He was reluctant to tell her where he actually came from, as Virannus had fell into ruins long ago. And if Prudence had studied history or the God Wars, she more than likely heard of it.

[mysterious. }]

Peris managed to tear her eyes away again and upon hearing that he was, indeed, not hurt, she smiled thankfully. “Well, I’m certainly glad for their appearance, then. If they weren’t there, who knows? I may have never met you,” she commented. This she said with a broader smile, showing off her pearly whites. She noticed that he grinned at some of the things she said, and this made her happy. The smiles just kept coming from both ends, it seemed.

Aurelius answered her question, but it was extremely vague, she noticed. He described it as a cultural and intelligent land that detested war, but…. There was no name. If anything, this made Peris even more curious. “Well, try me. For all you know, I might just be a historian in the making,” she said with innocence. She had no idea how touchy this subject would be for him. All any one could do was blame her curious nature.

Another sly glance sideways caught her at the wrong moment, as there was a look he gave that caught her off guard. She wasn’t sure if it was the shadow, or the angle, or what other possible thing it could have been. Whatever it was, it distracted her enough to allow a lonely vine to twist around her ankle. With a yelp, her arms flailed out in all directions and her body descended to the ground. Before she made the impact on the ground, fate placed a tree in the way.

The lonely branch reached out at her and struck her face, causing a long red line to appear. As it swelled, she sat in the leaf litter; her legs sprawled out before her. It really was too bad that she had been keeping a long enough distance between them, so that they would not touch each other and she wouldn’t be paranoid about an accidental graze. If they had been closer, maybe he could have stopped her from falling. Peris said nothing, as she was in fact a little dazed from the event.

Although it was supposed she should be used to falling down from sixteen long years of practise, it was just something that she would never find fun or un-dizzying. Sitting there, Peris felt only a little embarrassed from being so clumsy in front of such a graceful being. Finally, she sighed, and looked down at her now dirty Capri’s, which were so strategically worn so as if not to get dirt on them. Her bare legs were covered as well, and she could guess that the bottom was similar, if not worse.

Looking at the leaf litter, Peris glared scornfully at it: why could she not have fallen just half a meter to the left, where there wasn’t a half-dried puddle of mud? Oh, life was simply not fair. As if suddenly becoming aware of the throbbing pain on her cheek, her hand shot up and gently touched the swollen skin, pulling away as it stung. Luckily, there was no blood.

[ooc: Haha don’t worry about it, typos can be forgiven. And thank you! I like it, too. ]

[x.vintage]

[[ooc: Hmm... To touch, or not to touch? That is the question. x3]]

He raised his eyebrows, wondering if he should make attempts to flirt back. I don't think I'll harm her... So with a crooked grin, he replied, "Yes, I am rather lucky that they appeared. Otherwise I would've never met the intriguing young lady who stands before me today. That would be quite a dissapointment."

He caught a sigh before it escaped. This Prudence was being slightly pushy on the subject of his homeland. He knew that he would have to lie. But he was used to this sort of thing, as he had to cover up what he was every day that he made contact with humans. "Well, it's a city called Virrania, named after the ancient city of Virranus." There, that wasn't too big of a lie. He grinned once again, hoping this would appease her.

His features arranged themselves from a broad, crooked grin to a look of almost despair as she fell. If she bled, he might have to run. Instead, he waited a few seconds, about the time it would take a human to react. There was no blood, only a red line across her face where a branch had smacked her. He crouched down next to her, a look of concern across his face. "Prudence, are you okay? Your cheek looks slightly swollen. Do you need help up?" He held out his hand, waiting for her reply.

[mysterious. }]

If it weren’t for the creepy crawly that creeped and crawled over her delicate fingers, Peris probably would have remained sitting for just a little longer. Her mind was still swaying: gently, like a palm tree on a beach, and she felt that a few seconds more would do her well. As her eyes and mind were focused on the disgusting little being, she barely acknowledged Aurelius crouching beside her, his hand held out to offer assistance.

His words drifted through one ear and out the other without taking much effect. In a heartbeat, Peris jumped up, clutching her hand as close to her body as possible. There was a moment taken to stare at the ground, watching as the harmless creature crawled out of her sight. Peris happened to glance up at Aurelius from her fixed stare on the ground. She looked at him, a confused look on her face, before remembering that she had fallen and he was going to help her up.

Instead, however, Peris had gotten up by herself – a potential crisis avoided. “Oh! I’m sorry. Yeah, no, I’m all right… it’s just a scratch, is all,” she said quickly, reaching a dirty hand to her swollen cheek. Then, realizing that her hand was dirty from the mud, she pulled it away and hastened to check for a clean spot on her pants to wipe them off. She surveyed them and noticed that they were dirty all over: there wasn’t a chance in hell that she’d be able to wipe off her hands.

Peris gave up with a tiny sigh and simply looked at Aurelius a little dejectedly. There was a silent moment in which she didn’t know how to fill, until she recalled his last spoken statement. “Virrania?” was said in a tone as if she knew something about it. But then, as she went on, it was clear she knew nothing: “Ah, of course. I think a friend of mine once mentioned something about it to me.” A hand returned to her tender face, as a light throbbing had begun.

[ooc: I’m off for summer break now! Woo! So yeah, again, I apologize for not replying to this in like... a month… I feel so bad about that. ]: Do you want to take this thread elsewhere sometime soon? I feel like a change of scenery is necessary around now. C: ]

[x.vintage]

[[ooc: Wow. Poor baby. I got off school back in May. Sure~ A change of scenery sounds good. :] Oh, and sorry for the crappy post below. ]]

Aurelius' eyebrows knitted together as Prudence jerked her hand back. He then noticed a small creature with many legs crawling away from the much larger human. He dropped his hand also, standing as the young lady did also. He watched with slight concern as she touched the scratch with a dirty hand. She immediatly pulled it back, though, searching her pants for a clean place to wipe them. Unfortunately, they were just as dirty as her hands. Aurelius then remembered the handkercheif he kept in his pants pocket. He pulled it out, shaking it to unfold it. He handed it over with a small smile, though there was still a concerned look in his eyes. He'd have to get poor Prudence to the doctor so the cut wouldn't become worse than it was.

By her tone, it seemed that she didn't know about his supposed hometown at all. Well, at least it could prevent future questions. He suppressed a sigh as a thick silence filled the space between them. He chewed absent-mindedly on the inside of his cheek, wondering what to say. Finally, he cleared his throat. "So, Miss Prudence, I suppose we should find you some clean clothing, and possibly some clean water and bandages for that scratch. I know it's small, but even the smallest injury could get infected resulting in a major annoyance, or possibly, though regretably, more." He turned, searching for an easy way down. And of course, a path that led through mostly shade, though it seemed that the sunshine was fading.

This day was turning out to be rather nasty....