Old AV Thread

[Aeolith]

▶ OUTFIT New Years Festival tab ┋ tab ▶ EMOTION calm then nervous

• 
  
  Miri knelt at the shrine of Allure, her hands clasped together, head bowed as she prayed in her Elven tongue. She prayed to the goddess of this village, the one she had read about since her arrival one year ago, and she prayed to her own village goddess and guardian, the one she had prayed to for as long as she could recall. The two goddesses were so similar, sometimes it made Miri wonder if they were perhaps the same person. But no, it didn’t seem to be so. Her village was far more north from here, and the legends and stories of her goddess told of her body having become the ancient tree that rested at the center of her village. The one that had somehow not been burned in the fire…
  
  In her village, the festival that brought in the New Year was one filled with celebration. There was a large feast, usually of boar hunted by the village hunters, all sorts of fruits and vegetables, and baked pastries in large bundles. Live music was played as well as games for both young and old. The majority of what was done at this festival was dance, eat, and socialize. Miri recalled many good memories of this festival back home. She often danced all night, and joined with the choir in their songs. It seemed like here, it wasn’t too much different, aside from booths and foods that she had never seen before. She was almost a little wary to even try the foreign foods.
  
  She hoped to run into Lucian tonight and give him the gift she had promised she would get him. She had it with her wrapped in sheepskin and tied with a blue ribbon at her feet. Even if she did not manage to find him in this sea of villagers, she would make certain to take it to him the next morning.
  
  Hazel squawked from her perch on her shoulders as someone approached, alerting Miri of their presence. She opened her eyes and slowly let her hands fall to rest at her sides as she turned. Her eyes fell onto Adela. She hadn’t noticed how much time had passed since she had been waiting for her, but she imagined even if an hour had passed, Miri would not have minded. Meditation and prayer usually took her quite a while and yet felt like no time had passed at all.
  
  “Time is only important if it was wasted, and my time was not,” Miri said softly as she came to a stand, noticing Melissa was not at Adela’s side this time. Miri had not left Hazel at home. It was rare that she left anywhere without her beloved hawk. Perhaps it was better this way. It meant Miri would not have to command the hawk to behave.
  
  “Fortune?” Miri asked as she tilted her head at Adela, her mind curious now. She watched and listened as Adela explained how the fortunes worked, as well as what were written within them. They seemed to foretell of what the future year might expect. She glanced away from Adela as she prayed, allowing her that respect to finish her prayer without disturbance. When she was done, Miri’s gaze fell back onto her. She found herself smiling when everything had been explained. It resembled another thing from back home, only the “fortunes” that villagers were given were not written on slips of paper. The way this tradition was seemed a bit silly to Miri, but she liked it none-the-less.
  
  “I see… it is as though these slips of paper are attempting to take on one of the many important roles that a priestess in a village plays… seeing into a beings future. It is much different, of course… a priestess looks into the person’s aura in order to know what not only their future may hold, but what came of their past, and what is occurring in their present.” Miri turned from Adela and pulled out her own paper, curious to see what this tiny little paper might say of her coming year.
  
  Looking down at the thin paper, she saw her lucky color was blue, her lucky flower was narcissus, and her lucky number was… 36. She stopped looking at the rest of the fortune. She didn’t flinch, even as she stared down at that number, her eyes unblinking. Thirty-six. She had been thirty-six when she had woken to the scent of charred wood and hair, with Hazel nearly screaming and thrashing within her cage in the corner of her room… thirty-six when the flames engulfed her village before the sun had even risen on that late spring morning. Hazel seemed to notice her hesitance and started to squawk, pulling her from her memories.
  
  Should she even look at the rest of it? The other two things would tell of her lucky saying, and her love luck. She didn’t care to discover what it said about love. Not when the last time she felt it had gone so wrong. As for her lucky saying? She preferred not to read it. It was likely untrue, anyway. Every time her mother had told her of her fate and her destiny, it had not seemed to match with the way her life had been going, and was continuing to go. Her mother, a trained priestess had been wrong, or so Miri strongly believed. Whatever a slip of paper had to say would be pointless.
  
  She tied it to the tree without a word and then turned back to Adela, her face as unaffected and calm as ever. She was good at hiding her emotions. “It was… fun. My color was blue… my favorite.”
  
  It was then she noticed a very familiar face in the small crowd of gathered villagers at the shrine. She picked out Gwen’s face from the rest. Her expression softened. “Vedui', Gwen,” Miri said in greetings (Hello, Gwen). She knew Gwen as the librarian, and a young woman she would go to the café with from time to time. She had not gone for quite some time, however. Mostly because she felt… something she didn’t wish to. At least, she had started to feel an affection that she only wished to stay away from. Affections were dangerous.
  
  With Gwen was a young man that resembled her. He was attractive, but Miri noticed how his eyes seemed to probe at her like a scientist probed a new specimen. She found herself tilting her head as she stared unblinkingly at him. “Your body... it warms. Are you lusting after me?” Miri said nonchalantly.
  
  At the mention of the word “mate,” Miri straightened and creased her brows at him and then to Gwen. She felt her heart begin to pound without warning in her chest, something that left her feeling both perplexed and nervous. “A… mate?” Miri managed to stammer out, her features softening again, only this time into unease. She didn’t blush, however.
  
  “Have you… found one? Do you think?” Miri asked Gwen, trying hard not to show just how much the word, alone, had made her very nervous. It wasn’t very often that her heart quickened without physical exertion being the culprit. “And do you… wish to find one?” She paused, sensing something from Gwen that seemed to enliven her, awakening something that she had put away since she had left her village nearly ten years ago.
  
  “A night such as this one… it seems alive with magic that energizes the air, and invigorates ones soul, if one desires to embrace it. I would not be surprised if you’re… eyes so happened to fall upon the other half of your soul on this night. Even…” Miri paused, considering the words she was about to say. “Even if neither of you were to know it at that moment.”
  
  Why had she said all of that? Miri wondered to herself. She felt herself swallow, realizing that it had come from her teachings… her priestesshood, the background she had come from. It was within her to both advice and foresee possibilities by reading the auras of those around her. Meditation and prayer helped with this task. And she had just done both. It also seemed natural that New Years Eve was always a night that seemed alive with magic. Many elves in her village had managed to find their love-mate on this night.
  
  “I… was told this many years ago. This is the night that change must be welcomed... our mind and heart open to opportunity. For we are between the present and the future on this night.” Words her mother had told her. The coming year could bring beauty, but it could also bring dreadful things. Miri hoped that hers could be better. But was she truly open to welcome it?
  
  
  
▶ LOCATION festival tab ┋ tab ▶ COMPANY Adela, Gwen tab ┋ tab ▶ MENTIONED Lucian

▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
TIRED MECHANICAL HEART tab TIRED MECHANICAL HEART tab TIRED MECHANICAL HEART tab TIRED MECHANICAL HEART

[- - caffe espresso]

• 
  
  How did she get roped up in this anyways? Standing at the busy place Lilith could feel the still cold air brushing against her legs which made her tug on the bottom of her dress trying to pull it lower, as if that was going to actually work. The light blue dress was basically forced upon her by Paige and Eunji, they begged her, poked her, harassed her and well okay it was mostly Paige but Eunji tossed in some small helpful little bits. In the end she caved, man if they were selling her drugs she would have taken them like some damn teenager under peer pressure. At least she got to keep one single, measly dagger on her which she hid in the sleeve of her right arm for easy access. Should the situation arise she would simply have it fall down into her hand and start stabbing as needed! Useful, unlike this dress she was wearing. There wasn’t a single piece of armour on the dress since her friends wouldn’t allow such a thing. They simply took it from her and made her leave in nice heels small heels to give her height, the dress that was a little tight and too revealing and of course her one dagger. It’s amazing that Paige got her to sit still long enough for some makeup to be applied since Lilith had no idea how to do it herself. And well here the three of them were at the festival.
  
  It was uncomfortable, so uncomfortable, she felt naked like every part of her was on display as some people glanced at her. Some of those eyes fell on the top of her bosom that peeked out. Frowning she wrapped her arms around her as if to give her some comfort but all she really did was push her chest together. Though she would stop thinking of solely herself when Eunji stated how she felt sick or thought it at least. “Do you want to go home?" Oh Goddess please say yes so I can go with you! Pathetic! Mean baddie Lilith could take down a monster boss but couldn’t stand in public for more than two minutes in a dress. Shameful! Paige was quick to aid her though making Lilith actually sad for it meant Eunji would stay and pfft that’s what she should be doing in all honesty, all three of them!
  
  Befoure they could say anymore Eunji ran off into the crowd of the village. “E – Eunji!” she hollered after her and attempted to follow but she didn’t want to leave Paige alone either. Turning to the other she asked, “Do you think she went to vomit?” Classy Lilith is really classy~.
  
  Luckily the demon had returned which made Lilith sigh with some relief. She displayed some sugar cookies decorated and shaped like goldfish which gave the mermaid a big smile. “They are cute!” Taking the cookie fish she bit into it, it definitely wasn’t as yummy as a real goldfish but it would do. Of course as soon as Paige mentioned that goldfish were here her eyes lit up. “There’s fish!? I can eat the fish? Where?” Lilith began looking around hoping to see where some more fish was, real fish that is. It was a delicacy back in her time but here they were plentiful and damn it she wanted to indulge especially at a festival!
  
  Again Eunji & Paige brought her back to what was happening around her. Campbell & Gray were not too far off it seemed. It worried her the way Eunji was reacting, she immediately put a hand on her shoulder and looked at her face then at Paige’s as she spoke. “You know… most people I’ve noticed who act like this are just,” she stopped suddenly and her hand slid off and down to her side. There was Trenes and he was with Lucian, the archaeologist who pointed guns at her the first time they met. At least Luna & Opal were with them too and this made her extremely happy. Oh she wanted to run right on over and pet the two animals but Trenes turned away with Lucian and she felt her heart sink. He didn’t even wave hello. “s**t,” she hissed when she realized she didn’t do it either. Feeling rather pathetic after that whole lack of acknowledging of her friends she was glad to see Tavi wave hello which she gave a friendly wave to befoure she too disappeared into the crowd. She turned back to her other friends and having them there made her smile. She had friends and quite a few! It was she would hopefully run into them again but with how busy it was around here she wondered if she would actually be able to find them again. The thought saddened her a bit but that was because she at the least hoped to say hello to Trenes tonight since she hadn’t seen him lately.
  
  “Um,” Lilith never did finish what she wanted to say earlier. “Right so most people who feel like something is wrong in their stomach usually have a crush on the person.” She poked Eunji’s tummy twice. “Maybe that’s why your tummy is all messed up!” A giant grin was on her face. YES! Pay back for earlier ladies! “How about you Paige, your tummy doing okay?” She gave hers two pokes as well. At least she wasn’t thinking of her outfit anymore so that was a plus. “My tummy is fine,” she rubbed hers with a smile and let out a loud laugh like she usually would. “So what exactly do you guys want to do? Do we want to go say hi to Campbell and Gray? Oh yes we do! Wonderful decision ladies!” With a giant grin on her face she put the goldfish cookie she hadn’t finish in her mouth and pulled the two of them along to greet the guys.
  
  Noming happily on the cookie as she approached she let go of Paige’s arm but held Eunji firmly next to her. “How’s it going!” she said with a mouthful and a wave of her free hand. Pulling Eunji closer as she moved closer to the males she swallowed the last of her cookie. “Did you know there are these cute goldfish cookies? Eunji found some!” With a slight push she made it so Eunji stood on her own close to Campbell and turned her attention toward Gray. “You’re looking good green eyes,” she always found his eyes to remind her of a lagoon. Moving deadly close to Gray she placed her face very near his mask and eyed it carefully. “Wow,” she whispered out but left her lips slightly parted as she stared. “Can I,” she bite down on her lip befoure finally asking, “touch it?” Her eyes lit up like fireworks when he reluctantly let her and with her right hand she placed it gently on the edge of the mask. She dared not to press into it, fearing she would break it somehow and so she removed her hand soon after her finger tips touched the metal. “It’s wonderful. You did a really good job Gray!”
  
  Turning to Campbell she smiled at him. “Thanks for saving his life.” Her eyes were a little teary but she did her best to hold back anything from falling. Lilith couldn’t imagine her life without the friends she had made since coming here. Honestly, she was so excited to see what the next year brought! If she could, she wanted so much to bring in the new year with everyone, but, she knew that was a long shot.
  
  　　　　　─ ❜FESTIVAL.　　　　　　─ ❜PAIGE, EUNJI, CAMPBELL & GRAY.　　　　　　─ ❜MENTIONS TAVI, TRENES & LUCIAN.　　　　　　─ ❜OUTFIT.

[- - caffe espresso]

• The two had a pleasant walk to the festival, minus of course the whole girlfriend or well lack thereof part about it. It was fine nonetheless and Lucian really did enjoy getting out feeling the cold air brush against his skin and hearing the cold dirt crunch underneath his feet. “Mmm true. Yours is none of mine either,” he spoke in a light tone and nodded at Trenes. Hearing him apologize to the wooly made him cast a glance down at the pet and he let out a small chuckle. “It’s okay I’m sure Opal would prefer a wooly for a mate. Right?” Patting her head affectionately they continued their talk. “Yes,” he gave a few nods to Trenes when he said really about him buying the house and even a “thanks.” Of course he gave a light mention about the inn door. “Well I’m sure you can fix it up just fine right? No need to worry then. If not we can just split the cost, after all, I really should have been on time or at the very least had been aware enough to open the door when you knocked.” No he wouldn’t hold it over his friend about the door but he might try to make a passing joke about it here and there for the rest of the night and maybe the next day. “Mm, I’m sure many are thankful that he found you as well. Myself included.” Lucian patted the man’s back gently, not that he was afraid to hurt Trenes but well he wasn’t really strong either.
  
  “Really?” Lucian was a little surprised by there being more booths than the previous year. The archaeologist hadn’t really spent any time dealing with the booths as he sat, drank and waited until the year was the next. This time it would be different or he hoped, maybe the company would make it a lot more entertaining than it had been in the last few years he came.
  
  Glancing around he saw familiar faces Gray and Campbell were two of them to which he gave a pleasant wave hello to. He hoped to say hello to Gray, he heard about the accident and was actually really concerned, so much he checked up on him a few times already. “Yes, I’m really glad to see him here. I was worried he’d be cooped up in his home or at the shop all day.” Uh, did you forget what you were doing not too long ago? “Well… heh, guess I’m not too much different,” he let out a chuckle and shook his head at himself. Luna sat at his heels, her tail wagging a little bit since she knew Gray quite well.
  
  Trenes coughing caused the two of them to turn their gaze to him. He seemed a little red in the face. Befoure if he could ask if he was alright he mentioned the girls and his tone sounded different when he spoke Lilith’s name. Glancing over he saw them, Eunji, someone he had found to be like a sister to him (change of plot if you’re wondering) was rather beautifully dressed and he smiled happily not that anyone could see it with his scarf around his face. Paige looked amazing as she always did at well anything really and of course there was Lilith. Seeing her sent a shiver of fear down his spine, to be honest he was a little afraid of her mermaid form. Those teeth, sharp, pointy and just ugh, haunted him always at night. Pale green eyes gave her a good look over from the top landing on her eyes to her lips and down her nice legs. He could feel his cheeks burn from staring so long and happily let Trenes whisk him away elsewhere.
  
  “Ah lanterns sound good.” Taking a few breaths to calm himself he noticed people moving away from them. Luna was useful in making a hole through the crowd but he felt bad for her, she really was a sweetheart. “Hm all I would need help with is a few boxes full of books but that’s about it.” Big shocker there right Trenes? Shrugging he added, “But I can get them myself. You’re welcome to help assist if you really want to. I certainly wouldn’t mind the company.” Then it hit him, the main reason why he never left the inn was because he was a shitty, horrible, terrible, absolutely appalling cook. “I’ll have to have Paige help me buy cooking supplies.” His face was pretty pale after the realization that he was about to have a meal of burnt toast for the next oh forever. Paige taught him well but he worried though he was only decent around her and not actually any good on his own.
  
  “Do you know how to cook Trenes? Got any s –“ Lucian was then bumped into by a person causing him to plant a foot firm in the ground to prevent moving too much. He heard the familiar voice but it took a moment longer to register that it was Tavi all dolled up for the night. Immediately he had grown tense especially when she said his name with such volume. “T – Tavi,” he stumbled over her name initially but kept on speaking, “hello.” Was all else he could manage to say. His eyes were looking her over, her hair braided playfully, strands hanging loosely that he just wanted to tuck back behind her ear but no! He couldn’t do that! Lucian could even feel his left hand try to move to do just that but he kept it safely in his pocket. As she peeked over to speak to Trenes he took in the rest of her outfit and she looked so… “M – my night? It has been,” he paused to let out a small puff of air as he removed the scarf from around his face. “It’s been interesting. Trenes here,” he looked over his shoulder at his friend, “busted down my door to get me to come out. I uh, got caught up in work again.”
  
  As they locked eyes and she whispered out oh he thought it was her response to the incident. Typical Lucian she must have thought is what he thought. “Oh indeed,” he offered an awkward smile instantly regretting removing the scarf so his face was exposed now. “You look really…” and there it was again, another loss of words to describe it. Lucian merely opened his mouth to finish what he was saying but there was nothing so instead he shook his head lightly and raised his shoulders as if to shrug. “I’m sorry. I… don’t know a word to describe how you look. The ones I do know, like stunning, don’t even hold a flicker of a candle to what you should be called.” For such a well-educated man him not having any words is definitely something new.
  
  Even if he was with Trenes tonight at the moment it felt like just the two of them standing there. Her looking amazing and he as foolish as ever. The others around them just were black silhouettes moving about and they were the stars of the play with white light shining down upon them. He felt hot and awkward, never had he felt this way befoure and part of him actually liked it.
  
  “So how has your night been?” he asked as he stood still, not shifting about like how some people would, no, there was no point in that. “We were just about to go to the lantern booth. Would you like to come along?” Lucian hadn’t heard either of them complain about the other so as far as he was concerned they were on good terms. Ah, let’s just hope they didn’t kill each other befoure the night was over.
  
  　　　　　　`↺⋮ ❖ Location the festival　　　`↺⋮ ❖ Company trenes, tavi opal & luna　　　`↺⋮ ❖ Mentions campbell, gray, eunji, paige and lilith

[x-EternalAlice-x]

Temp format until commissioned format is finished

Admittedly, she never thought of it that way before. She could see where Miri was coming from after explaining what a priestess of a village tended to do. But, she had never encountered such a person before herself. She wondered what kind of power or training it took to be able to see such things. However, she felt she would be diverting attention away from the fortunes if she divulged on her curiosities. “Sounds interesting.”

Their time after that was them focusing on reading their fortunes and tying their fortunes up to a tree. She had no idea Miri’s fortune reminded her of darker parts of her past. If she had, she might have felt a bit guilty. She didn’t mean for the fortunes to remind either of them of not so great parts of their past. However, ignorance simply made her unaware of how a simple number could remind her friend of tragedy.

Adela smiled at the answer she received from Miri. “I’m glad you found it fun.” She restrained herself from mentioning how she wished she had gotten her favorite color of green. Not when she wasn’t really the type to complain for the sake of complaining. “What should we-” Adela cut herself off at hearing a familiar someone greet them.

She turned herself to where she could see Gwen and her younger brother, Aeardor. Adela waved at both of them while Miri gave a verbal greeting using some elvish. At Gwen’s question, Adela nodded. “Yes, I believe we have so far. The shrine has been our first stop though. So, we have yet to explore the rest the festival has to offer.” After giving her answer, Adela couldn’t help but notice the way Aeardor was looking at Miri. She frowned faintly at that.

Though, before she could say anything, Miri said something quite amusing. She raised a hand to cover her mouth so none of them would notice the smile on her face. She held back the chuckle and took deep breaths to calm herself. She moved her hand away from her mouth just as Gwen started to try and apologize for her brother’s actions. Her brother appeared like he would not have it. Adela shook her head at the sight. “Men that do not learn how to properly look at a woman may not receive what they wish.” Adela commented calmly. The closest she would get to reprimanding Gwen’s brother in such a setting.

After Gwen’s brother left, Adela raised an eyebrow at Gwen’s comment. “A mate?” She asked just right before Miri did. Adela couldn’t even think of what it would have been like had she stayed with her family and had such pressure in her life. To be honest, she wasn’t even sure she wanted to explore such avenues. For with he still trying to sort herself out, Adela didn’t feel finding a romantic partner was a top priority. Not when she couldn’t be the best person she could be for that partner.

Though, Adela found herself growing a bit silent as Miri questioned Gwen and then offered advice. She felt like her words would break whatever was in the air. What that was, Adela couldn’t be sure. Strangely though, she suddenly felt like an outsider to a private conversation. She figured it was just her insecurities trying to get in the way of her enjoyment. After all, she considered both Gwen and Miri to be friends. No need to feel like a third wheel amongst friends, right?

She took another deep breath and felt the air suddenly lift at Miri’s observation about the holiday. See? It really had been nothing. Just her thinking too much about the sudden focus on finding lovers on New Years’ Eve. “I do agree. If we are to celebrate this holiday properly, then we must be open to the new year bringing all sorts of change. Otherwise, we will remain stagnant and I do not believe we are supposed to remain that way.” She wished she could be a follower of those words herself.

It was then that Adela remembered Gwen’s concern she voiced earlier. She smiled and gestured towards the booths not that far away. “Though as to your concern, I believe we had no set plans. If Miri is aggregative to your company, then I would not mind if you joined us.” Adela told kindly. “Maybe you can even help us pick our next stop? I was thinking either the firework booth or the goldfish booth next.” Adela looked between Gwen and Miri, trying to gauge their thoughts on her suggestion. “Unless you had a better idea in mind?”



Occupation: The Jeweler
Location: Allure’s Shrine
Company: Miri and Gwen
Mentions: No one

[chamomile and myrrh]

Mako nodded, understanding where Yuzan was coming from, "I don't think she would hate you..." Slightly quieter he added, "She would just kill you. It's a little different." Yuzan's attitude seemed to shift, and Mako's lopsided grin fell. Though, when he was threatened, Mako just laughed and said, "Like you could." Though Mako reached over to Yuzan and gently punched his friend's shoulder. "You're secret is safe with me, ya big softie." With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, Mako corralled his friend into the bedroom to change. "Who cares if she looks at you, I'm the one who has to look at your ugly mug all night." Mako stuck is tongue out at Yu, "So hurry up and get pretty."

It didn't take Yuzan long to change, and soon the boys were grabbing their coats and heading for town. Mako had decided to just stick to his original outfit for the day. As they started to weave through the booths Mako felt his stomach grumble, "We haven't eaten since breakfast. Let's grab a bite at a vendor, my treat!" Leading the way, the avian kept his wings tucked tight to his body to avoid bumping anyone. By following his nose he had led them to a particularly wonderful smelling food vendor. Mako grinned at Yuzan, "Pick anything you want, then let's eat while we walk around."

Mako ordered the festival special plate and a hot tea. Then after Yu ordered he also ordered two cookies for later. When they got their food, Mako pointed to the throng of people, "It looks like almost everyone is already here. Wanna go say hi?" There were a few groups of people he knew around, and Mako was excited to see everyone in one place. Miri didn't seem to be among the booths, so Mako decided he would keep an eye out for her, to give Yu a heads up. Well that, and he was also eager to see her again. He could understand Yu's attraction to her, and had to remind himself that Yuzan saw her first. Bro code.


☠ ▏▏▏ l o c a t i o n ;; festival xxx☠ ▏▏▏ c o m p a n y ;; Yuzan xxx
tab tab tab ☠ ▏▏▏ f e e l i n g ;; cheerful xxx☠ ▏▏▏ o u t f i t ;; black button up, red pull over sweater, black pants, black boots xxx

[psysusa]

★ _▍F E E L S__good___★ _▍W I T H__paige mako gray eunji lilith campbell___★ _▍L O C A T E D__festival__★_▍O U T F I T__h


Ha. Yeah she probably will kill him. But he wasn’t rash enough to disrespect a lady that way. He
had sisters and he did get women, some times. But thanks to that he really did bond well with
females. Unless they thought of him as some pervert, then it would be another story. He was
feeling weird; rather emotional should be the correct words. And yes, he unfortunately was a big
softie for some things. His cool demeanor is related more to this attention span and interest in
things, as well as it is his harsh mood. But after living in a house where divorce was the hottest
topic, it becomes a sensitive thing, for him it was. Other people lived harsher realities but Yuzan
really valued his family. Many people didn’t have a mother to care for them while sick or a father
to learn and play with. He was also blessed with sisters to protect. While some really take a
family for granted, sometimes it’s the only thing you can come back to, like he did.

It was refreshing to have another male to bond with. Even with Yuzan being fairly young in a
world of such diversity, he had met quite a few people. Many of which couldn’t tolerate his
indifference and insensitivity when the time calls for it. Luckily Mako had a few annoying traits as
well which he could put up with. Yuzan didn’t need to tell him about either thing but he felt
comfortable. As they headed to the festival grounds he played with the scarf all the way through,
being reminded he hadn’t eaten or taken his medication. Luckily he always stashed his pills
everywhere and he had a dose with him. Yuzan’s eyes brightened up as he saw the crowd.
Towering over most he could spot everyone he knew. But first, Mako was paying for food!
“Awesome! I’ll have two of these!” Along with it some tea, like Mako; either way he really
shouldn’t drink anything cold if he wanted to get better, which he did. Eating his food in skewers
he trailed behind the tiny Mako. “Yeah let’s go. Oh I see Pea and, and…” So many others! Pea
was Paige to him. She had been if not the only friend he has maintained from his childhood. He
loved her dearly and she was there, along Gray when she broke up with her ex. Through their
heartbreaks they did bond even more. Yu is always the big teddy, correction: skinny teddy bear,
with people he loves. He saw her with Lilith whom he had befriended while swimming. Quite a
terrible thing when you are peacefully swimming and think you are going to be preyed upon. And
Eunji, whom he didn’t really know much about. “Oh they are with Gray and Campbell…
Campbell… I didn’t go to my check-up.” Typical really, Yuzan kept mumbling behind Mako until
from deep down he yelled over the crowd. “PEA-PAIGE!!!” He waved at her with food still in both
hands! “Let’s go there! And be nice!”

Walking through the sea of people he managed to eat his food on the way while he changed to
be in front. Paige was a little iffy around Mako since he is an avian. Which he understands but
wishes she’d forget. But she was surrounded by other people it shouldn’t be that weird right? As
he closed in he had no idea how long they had been chatting or whether or not he was being
annoying but he went around Paige scanning her like a stray dog in search for food. Then he
stopped in front of her, “as always, my bestest friend looks so pretty!” He hugged her tight and
raised her from ground, lowering her delicately trying not to make any of her clothing items pull
up. He then turned around to the group and greeted them by name. “Lilith in a dress is a pretty
Lilith. This is certainly because of Paige.” He turned around to look at her. “Good job. You get a
free coffee the next time you come.” He wasn’t bribing at all but costumers are always welcomed.
“Miss Eunji you look lovely as well. I hope you are having a fun time.” Now to the men, first Gray,
the man he idolized because of his line of work. Sometimes he was jealous he got to work as an
engineer, but it was his own fault he left that dream in darkness. “Gray,” he reached out to shake
his hand once, “I’m glad to see you well. Doc, howdy do.” He said acknowledging Campbell in the group.
Yuzan moved his totem pole body elsewhere as they were having a conversation apparently and
stood behind Paige. “I’m here with my buddy Mako. Where is he?”
He joked because of their height difference. "Mako don’t hide you goof, be nice!”






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___★_▍T H E M E__title___★_▍D I A R Y__no peeking__★_▍M E N T I O N S__paige mako gray eunji campbell lilith__

[Press Start to Begin]

- - - “Hmm?” Gray followed Campbell’s line of sight until he too was staring at the three girls. However, you couldn’t really say he was looking at the three girls because he wasn’t. Gray’s eyes met with Paige’s and locked. He couldn’t look away from her even if he wanted to. Her eyes looked darker from the distance, and it made him upset, he didn’t like looking at her eyes from a distance. He didn’t like looking at any of her from a distance. He would much rather look at her from an arms reach away, or perhaps even closer, as close as he could. ”All the girls look so beautiful, ahah.” “Yeah…”Gray trailed, still only looking at Paige as if everyone else fell away. Gray was only able to finally pull his eyes away with Campbell’s next comment. “Wait, what?” Gray laughed. “Campbell, I swear to Allure that you could wear a trash bag and still manage to make the rest of the men in this village look abysmal in comparison.” Gray smiled to the man. “I would pay to see that.” He was just about to pull his gaze back to Paige, he had gone too long without looking at her, even in past days he had been avoiding her, not for reasons she probably realized, but he would explain it tonight. Tonight was the night. Gray opened his mouth to speak but thought on the matter a little longer. He looked to Paige and than back to Campbell as if she gave him the answer. “You know, I don’t have one ******** of an idea on how to go about doing that.” He smiled with lukewarm sentiment. “I sort of just dragged Paige the last time, I guess you have to know your audience. I know that isn’t the advice you were looking for, but it’s the only advice I have to give.” He placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, squeezing him gently, noticing his crossed arms and his averted gaze. “Trust in yourself, remember the confidence you had when I was about to die. I truly believe the Campbell that was controlling the hospital room could control the affairs of his own life, realize this.” Gray let go of his shoulder and shoved his hand in his pocket, leaning forward to give the man a last bit of confidence as he saw Lilith dragging over Paige and Eunji “Sink or swim.” He said with a smile before standing erect once more.

Gray waved to Lilith, only noticing then how she was dressed. Damn. She cleaned up better than he would have thought. His eyes lingered on the hem of the dress, at how short it was and only smiled. He wondered how little Paige and timid Eunji were able to wrangle her into that one. Gray’s eyes watched Eunji awkwardly standing next to Campbell and his eyes widened in realization. Oh for the love of humanity, he didn’t think it was possible for someone to get more red in the face then Campbell but here was Eunji as red as the fire’s of hell. (See what I did there?) Gray looked away and came back to Lilith’s slender form. He smirked to her, a small dimple forming under his eye from such a wide grin he was sporting under the mask. “Really? Oh good, I was worried that this mask didn’t match the color of my dress.” He said, putting a hand on his hip exaggeratedly as he took the hand from his pocket to fan his face. When Lilith asked to touch his mask he was a bit hesitant, but seeing nothing but wonder in his eye’s he leaned his face down so she could touch it. Gray could feel the pressure of her hand on the outside of the mask, it was an odd feeling but he didn’t hate it. “It’ll never hold the weight of the other mask but..” he smiled a sad smile behind his mask. “It’s starting to grow on me.”

Gray looked to Campbell at Lilith’s mention and he smiled a truer smile. “Don’t give the guy too much credit, ‘saving his life?’ are we in a radio drama?” Gray laughed. “I would have been just fine!” He said confidently, but he couldn’t help but remember the spots of white that clouded his vision earlier in the season. It was the closest he had ever been to the other side, but he had kept this from the others, only Campbell probably knew the severity of the situation.

“PEA-PAIGE!!!”

Gray turned to see Yuzan and Mako coming to join the growing group. When Yuzan hugged Paige, lifting her and then placing her back on the ground he almost lost it. Gray took a step forward, like he was going to intervene when he realized he didn’t have a right. He knew they were good friends the two of them, but the fact of Yuzan’s race, and the race of her last boyfriend made Gray uneasy. He looked away, his annoyance shown through the constant tapping of his foot on the ground. Gray tried to hide the glare from his eyes when he shook Yuzan’s hand but it was relevant. Gray really did like Yuzan, but he also didn’t like people touching Paige so.. so easily, without hesitation. Gray thought back to the conversation he and Campbell were having earlier. He looked to him, wondering if the mass amount of people were making him uncomfortable or ********] Eunji looked like she wanted the earth to swallow her whole. She was practically shaking, her eyes on the ground as she fidgeted with her dress. Gray almost wanted to save her from the situation but what could he do?

He smiled.

“Eunji are you okay?” He said. The girl look startled and flinched, slowly raising her gaze to Gray. She looked like a doe caught in the headlights with those big eyes that resembled the gray clouds of a storm. “Umm, I.. I uh, Im f-f-“ This was going to take to long, next plan. “Campbell, do you mind taking her to go get a drink at one of the stalls or something? She looks… unwell.” He smirked. Campbell hearing anyone was ‘unwell’ sent him into hero mode, maybe through that he would get the confidence. Gray then turned back to Paige. Now it was his turn.

Gray walked over to Paige, placing a hand on her head as he addressed the group. “I’m stealing this one, I hope to see you all later in the evening.” He said before dragging her away Gray eventually let go of her head to grab her hand, but he still was pulling her along. When they were out of the larger crowds he dropped her hand and turned to her. “Sorry about that.” He started, but he wasn’t really sorry in the least. “I wanted to apologize to you for how I’ve been acting recently. I was being an angsty teen, so self consumed with my own problems I didn’t realize how they would affect you. So, Im sorry.” He scratched the back of his head. “********..” he said, grabbing her hand again, he needed it to be more private. Gray wasn’t waiting for that perfect moment anymore, with the set of mood. Ten years had past with Paige unknowing of his feelings, ten ******** years. Was he really going to go into the eleventh in the same predicament of the last years? No. He didn’t have his favorite mask, and while it a curse, perhaps it was also a blessing. Nothing was holding him to Celia, he had a new life here, and he needed to start treating this new life with the respect it deserved. There would be no more thought, no more hesitation, he was a new man.

Gray again dropped her hand, the whole time he led her he made sure not to drag her but more so lead her. This time the two were on the outskirts of the festivities. There was no beautiful scene to remember the moment, no song, nothing. You could hear the festival coming to life behind them, but other than the distant sound the two were alone, and that was all Gray needed to finally say what he had wanted to say for ten years.

“Its weird to think that I have known you for almost eleven years.” He started, looking off into the distance as he thought back. “I came here wanting to get away from everything, wanting to leave behind a girl I could never have. I thought I would never find someone I cared about as much as Celia… rather, more than Celia. I didn’t realize what I would find in my leaving.” Gray turned back to Paige, a cold seriousness in his eyes that had never been there before. “Paige, are you even aware of the extent of how important you are to me?” He said, no nervousness at all, where had this confidence sprung from? “Paige, the reason I have been so distant recently isn’t because of my mask. The reason I have been putting off work, avoiding you, it’s not because of the incident. The incident with my breathing just sparked this change. I have wanted to do this for a long time, but it was only after my mask broke that I realized how old my past relationships were…I mean..I haven’t even heard from Celia in over ten years. I don’t know who she is anymore but I.” Gray smiled down on Paige. “I know who you are.” Gray took a step closer realizing there distance was a little to spread apart.


“Paige, I love you.”


“I have loved you from the day I met you, from the day you said you liked my mask. You mirrored Celia, and I thought that was why I felt so strongly for you. I thought I was making you into her. It was only as the years moved on that I realized I didn’t love you because you said some stupid phrase a girl I once loved said. I loved you because you were Paige. I have loved you through it all, through your tears, through our fights, even through you and Alaister’s relationship.” He smiled painfully to that statement. “I hope you never know that pain of watching someone you love with another and watching them loving someone else with the love you so desperately wanted. It was my own fault though, I had four years to tell you of my feelings before you met Alaister, but then it all happened so fast, before I knew it you two were dating and years were falling away with my love growing stronger as you fell more in love with him. I still thought about telling you, but I couldn’t, it wasn’t fair to you. I couldn’t put a burden on you so I kept my feelings locked away. Then I knew of the Marriage proposal, and I didn’t know how to tell you, so I didn’t. I..”

Gray finally stopped, taking a breather, he realized that his heart was pounding and he could hear the blood rushing in his ears, his face was flush from the emotions pouring out. “I know this is a lot to take in. And I’m not asking for anything in return, but I couldn’t go into the eleventh year with such feelings hidden from you. I grew tired of hiding my feelings.” He shook his head. “No, I wasn’t hiding them even, I just never told you. But me watching out for you, and making sure you were well was the proof of my love. Think back, try to remember how I looked at you and no other, can you even recall me paying any mind to anyone in this village other than you? Have you ever wondered how in ten years I was never with someone? It was always you Paige.”

Gray sucked in a breath. “Now, we can stay here for a while, and I’ll wait with you as long as you want for it to sink in. Or we can go back to the festival and we don’t have to talk of this. I just had to tell you though Paige, I know it was selfish…” he stopped. “No, it wasn’t selfish, I owed this to myself, and even to you. Maybe you will finally understand why I did some of the things I did.” Gray sat on the dirt path, scratching his head. “I'll just wait, tell me when you know what you want to do.”




&`▌L O C A T I O N : OUTSIDE FESTIVAL..AREA?[xx] &`▌W I T H : PAIGE [xx] &`▌W E A R I N G : FESTIVAL !




Stickered Fun


Scotch b o n e


s h y LUMiNESCE


Corinne Ellyn
]

[a park in botswana]

Rubbing her head against Lucian's hand, Opal baa'd, signaling that he was correct. Trenes nodded and sighed. "Though, Opal's a little older for a Wooly. I'm not sure how much luck she'd have finding a suitable mate." Hearing the comment, the creature bristled and notably ''hmphed,' glancing away from the Earthmate as Trenes chuckled, shaking his head and folding his arms across his chest.

"We'll fix the door, no worries. It wasn't a hard break, anyway." With the door matter settled, Trenes smiled. "Heh, it's been four years, and I still get surprised by how many people live in this village...It kind-of reminds me of my hometown..." Trenes didn't press further into his past and left it at that. Though none of it remained any longer, it almost felt like memories of his friends and villagers floated through the festival grounds, reminding him of memories decades before. There was almost a peace about the area, the entire town, when a festival was taking place. Especially such a large one such as this. People waited all year for this one.

Trenes chuckled again as Lucian's mention of being cooped up. "If Gray hadn't shown up, I might have had to break down another door. Possibly with Paige's help." It appeared that the two best friends hadn't been as cordial as usual, though Trenes blamed that on Gray still being a little shaken up about his near-death experience. That seemed to be reasonable.

It took a large portion of his self-control to tear his eyes away from Lilith, but to avoid making a fool of himself, he did just that, beginning to lead Lucian along to the lanterns. Besides, it appeared as though Lilith was now dragging the other two girls along to speak to Campbell and Gray. He didn't want to interrupt anything like that. Trenes stooped down to pick up Opal as they moved through a crowd to avoid her getting trampled. Once they were out of the crowd, Trenes kept his hold on Opal while speaking to Lucian. It did look a little odd for a grown man to be coddling a sheep monster, but...

"Of course I'll help. I'm sure something will come up that you'll need two people to lift." He smiled, chuckling a little at his mention of cooking supplies with Paige. When Lucian began to ask him about cooking, Trenes nodded, but before he could respond, Lucian seemed to be distracted by something else. Or someone, rather, as the female form bumped into Lucian. Instantly, Trenes went on edge at recognizing who it was. Tavi.

He couldn't consider her...an enemy, no, but her presence made him feel somewhat cautious. Something wasn't right about her, and she seemed to act similarly around him. His initial thought was that she was a spy of some sort for the Sechs Empire. The attack had been decades before, but he was an Earthmate, after all. They would be chasing his location for the rest of his life, unfortunately. He'd settled in Allure Village for nearly four years now. It would have only made sense for an enemy to spot his location and send out someone to finish the job. Opal baa'd at Tavi, looking away afterwards and shuddering. Opal had similar feelings, of course.

It was obvious that Lucian was taken aback by Tavi's lovely appearance, and while Trenes did admit that Tavi was gorgeous (as usual), he didn't allow a pretty face to get too close. That is what the Empire would have wanted him to do. He took a slight step back, making it not seem so obvious that he was trying to put distance between them, before glancing somewhat away as they spoke. It was a rather uncomfortable moment for him to be, anyway. Trenes decided to make the mention of removing himself, though disguised it as a chance for Lucian and Tavi to have some alone time.

"I hope you won't find me rude, but I wouldn't want to interrupt any conversation. I'll speak to you later tonight, Lucian." He glanced to Tavi and bowed his head a little. "Tavi." With that, Trenes moved away from the pair, even away from the crowd. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Gray pulling Paige off somewhere, wondering what that could be about. He even seemed to stop, begin to say something, and just pull the little blacksmith girl away even farther outside of the festival grounds. Paige's face seemed to be a little conflicted - she seemed completely confused as to what was going on, yet also happy that Gray was speaking to her. Avoiding their route, Trenes instead settled near a less-populated place on the rim of the festival where a fence was. Setting Opal down, he sighed, leaning against it. Opal baa'd, looking up at Trenes, as if understanding what he was thinking.

"Paranoid, right?" He sighed again, closing his eyes and leaning the back of his head against the wood. "Oh well. Lucian probably doesn't mind, heh." Being left alone with a beautiful girl wasn't such a crime, was it? Still, Tavi's presence always made him feel tense. And he didn't like it, not until he figured out what she really was.



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XXXXLOCATION: FESTIVAL GROUNDS - BORDERXXXXCOMPANY: OPAL XXXXMENTIONS: GRAY & PAIGE & LUCIAN & TAVI & LILITH

[a park in botswana]

Paige's eyes darted away from Gray and Campbell for a moment, though she wondered why Gray was staring so intently. Was he upset that she was here? Or maybe he was dazzled by the lovely Eunji and Lilith in dresses? As Lilith spoke about upset tummies and crushes, Paige giggled, looking to Eunji. That would make sense. "Ohhh, maybe~" Of course, the giggle dissipated when Lilith turned her attention to Paige herself, poking her in the belly as the blacksmith shooed her hands away. "No, that's you, silly, since Trenes is here." For once, Paige seemed slightly skeptical about going to greet Gray and Campbell, namely Gray since she was concerned about how he was feeling and her presence in general. Still, Lilith didn't allow any no's as she tugged both Paige and Eunji along. Paige had to help keep Eunji stable since the girl was still teetering on heels.

Once they were all stabilized, Paige breathed a sigh of relief as Eunji began to speak. For once, Paige remained rather quiet as Lilith interacted with the boys, watching as she slowly scooted Eunji closer to Campbell before making him settle there. She smiled and gave another airy wave to Gray and Campbell once more, seeming a little frazzled since she wasn't sure if Gray wanted to see her. Still, Paige did her best to seem content. As Lilith began getting uncomfortably close to Gray, however, Paige frowned a little, almost taking a step forward to gentle guide Lilith back. However, Gray responded almost cheerfully, which stunned Paige somewhat. She remained slightly behind Lilith, feeling a little...awkward. Why hadn't Gray said hello to her...? But he was chatting with Lilith...? Well, of course he would. She had spoken to him, of course. Absentmindedly, Paige tugged at the hem of her black lace dress, glancing away for a moment. Wait, was she feeling jealous? No, that'd be ridiculous...! She'd felt a little different about Gray since the respiratory attack, but she had assumed it was because she was overprotective of him now since his attack. So why was she feeling like this? Maybe that cookie hadn't done so much good for her after all...Gray even joked about his attack, which surprised her as well. He spoke more than he'd spoken to her all week. What was going on?

"PEA PAIGE!" Paige realized the voice a split second too late as she squealed, feeling Yuzan wrap his arms around her and lift her into the age. She wiggled, quickly yelling, "M-My dress!" Though thankfully, Yuzan set her down delicately so she didn't flash anyone her bottom. Taking a deep breath and fixing her dress, Paige smiled up at Yuzan, giving him a little wave. "How is the weather up there, Yuzan?~" Ah, typical "tall person" jokes. Paige was decently tall for a woman, but Yuzan was quite the giant. For a moment, Paige interacted with Yuzan, not noticing Mako was in the shadows nearby. "Heh, it was a group effort with Eunji's help to get the dress on Lilith." After Yuzan moved behind her, however, she noticed Mako, and she tensed up somewhat. Mako was still new into town, and after Paige had made a fool of herself on their first introduction, Paige had taken to avoiding him. But now, he liked to just pull pranks and scare her. Still, for friendliness's sake, she smiled nervously, waving her hand gently again.

As Gray addressed Eunji, Paige looked over to the girl, frowning and wondering if all of these people were upsetting her. It appeared Gray had a plan, however, since he sent Campbell to go with Eunji to get a drink. But then, Gray approached her, and Paige did her best to seem hopeful, that he wouldn't just pass her by and ignore her. Why was she acting like such a worrywart...? Gray stood beside her and suddenly set a hand on top of her head, causing Paige to give an "oof" noise as she blinked, a little surprised. "I'm stealing this one, I hope to see you all later in the evening." Wait, what? Before Paige could speak, however, Gray had grabbed onto her hand and was tugging her out of the group. Paige did her best to keep up without tripping over herself. For once, she actually felt unsure in these shoes! And she'd worn heels and heeled boots all of her life...!

Once they were past the larger crowds, Gray let go of her hand and spun around to speak to her. Paige was surprised that he apologized and was about to dismiss it before he began to talk even more. Wait, he was apologizing for his behaviour in the last week...? But, he had every right to act like that...! He'd almost died...! And again, before Paige could even stutter a word, Gray had changed his mind and took her hand once more, dragging her farther away from the crowds. Before he finally stopped, like he'd decided this would be the spot for their talk, Paige could only distantly hear the sounds of the festival behind them. But they were alone now, on the outskirts of the grounds. Once he let go of her hand again, Paige used the hand to slip a strand piece of hair behind her ear again, adjusting her dress once more.

"Gray..." she began, but Gray cut her off, speaking about how it'd almost be eleven years since they'd known each other. Paige smiled, nodding - in a few days, it would have been eleven years since he'd come to Allure Village. Spring 4th. Around 10am. She still remembered that day fondly, when he'd first commented on her cooking and make her feel proud of something for once. Even if it wasn't blacksmithing. And when Gabriel, her father, had scared him for the first time. He glanced away as he spoke, as if it took a lot of concentration to get the words out of his mouth. Gray was speaking about Celia again - he'd spoken about her in the hospital, too. The girlfriend, now wife, of his older brother, Jackson. The woman that had started all of this. She was the reason why he'd come to Allure Village - to get away from that vulnerability, to start anew. As his eyes settled on her again, Paige noticed a different look in them. Something she'd ever seen in her almost eleven years of knowing him. It almost made her shudder at the sight. When he asked her about her importance to him, Paige widened her eyes, about to stammer out some stupid answer before he continued. The more he spoke, about the incident, his mood the past week, about everything, the more Paige began to panic internally. What was he going to say...? Was he leaving...? No, he wouldn't just leave Allure Village, would he? Had something else happened medically?

Was he going to explain those few words he'd said before the respiratory attack? When she'd yelled, so awfully, that he'd never loved anyone in his entire life?

Oh, she was about to feel like such a fool.

"Paige, I love you."

There was no way to hide the shock evident on her face, as Paige's hands suddenly flew up to her mouth, covering it. She listened as he spoke, about Celia again, about everything they had gone through. From their tears (okay, hers), to their little fights, to even Alaister. Her eyes flashed at the mention of the avian's name, as she felt a pit in the bottom of her stomach. Gray had watched from the sidelines through her entire relationship with Alaister. He had watched, no, he had been in pain for six years, watching a woman he loved be with another man, and there had been nothing he could do about it. The memories of Paige crying to Gray about any little fight between her and Alaister suddenly flashed forward. He had never dismissed her concerns, nor had he ever given her the advice to break it off. Gray had always been supportive of their relationship, and whenever she'd felt lackluster or upset, Gray had always encouraged her to follow her feelings. Even after she and Alaister had broken apart, Gray had convinced her to do whatever her heart desired. He'd never told her to forget about him, to tell him he wasn't good enough for her. That would have been very easy to do, to sway the odds into his favour. But Gray hadn't done that. He'd sincerely looked out for Paige's best interests, even if it killed him inside. Gray paused to take in a deep breath, but Paige was unable to speak, still covering her face like one of those girls who'd just been proposed to. By some miracle of the Goddess, she wasn't crying.

As he spoke again, Paige just began nodding to every sentence. Gray had never dated anyone in Allure Village, never before she'd began dating Alaister, not during, and not after, either. Paige had always assumed that Gray had no interest in it, or none of the girls caught his fancy. And even when Paige had been with Alaister, and before the relationship and after it had ended, she could remember many times Gray had been there to counsel with her, to make her feel better and even try to cheer her up in his "Gray ways." It all made sense now. She was in shock, but everything fit together. It was like a giant veil had been lifted from her eyes, as she glanced up at Gray, still as he spoke. Her eyes stayed dry. Gray spoke of two options, how they could either sit here or just go back to the festival and never speak of it again, as he took a seat on the dirt floor. After a few very long moments, Paige removed her hands from her face, beginning to approach him. Carefully, she knelt down in front of Gray, reaching out gently to take his hands.

"...This is what you wanted to tell me before the attack happened, isn't it...?" Of course it was. Paige smiled, gingerly rubbing her thumbs along the back of his hands, like what she'd done during his attack to calm him down. She felt a tear slip down her cheek, as she sniffed and brought her hand, along with Gray's that she held, up to her cheek to wipe it again. "S-Sorry...I don't want to let go of your hand..." She smiled again, feeling a little cheesy, as she looked back up into his eyes.

"...I-I don't think I can compare to that speech, heh..." Could anyone, honestly? "Though...I-I will let go of your hands for one reason..." Her soft hands released his, as she gently slid them up to the sides of his face, though her palms were against his mask. "For this." Paige bent her head forward, pressing her lips gently against his mask, where his lips would be. After several moments, she pulled her lips away, tilting his head down with her hands as she kissed his forehead gently, pulling her head away but keeping her hands still on his face.

"...I-I don't think anyone's loved me as much as you..." she whispered, smiling a little. Another tear slipped down her cheek as she ignored it this time. "...I-I want to kiss you, really kiss you, but...I-I don't want to put you in the hospital again." She gave a nervous giggle, shaking her head as more tears slipped down her cheeks. But, they were happy tears. "I-I hope that's okay for now." Her cheeks were bright red from the butterflies in her stomach, as she grinned at him. She didn't even care about the festival now - not with Gray in front of her. "I-I was a fool...please forgive me. Like you always do, Gray."




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XXXXXXXXXXLOCATION: OUTSKIRTS - FESTIVAL GROUNDS XXXXXXXXXXCOMPANY: GRAY XXXXXXXXXXMENTIONS: LILITH & EUNJI & TRENES & MAKO & YUZAN & CAMPBELL XXXXXXXXXXOUTFIT: [x]

[Stickered Fun]

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Though still quite uncomfortable, Campbell listened carefully to the advice Gray had to give. His lips twitched into a small smile. Gray was right. It was one thing to ask a doctor advice on medical issues but to ask others of how to impress others wasn’t too bright. If someone were to ever like Campbell, he’d want them to like him for his own actions, thoughts, emotions, and words. “Confidence.” That really was what he lacked. Did he really have confidence as he tried to help Gray breathe again? Or was it some show he put on as the doctor? No. It had to be genuine. Now if only he could muster that up once more.

Things wouldn’t be as simple as wanting that courage though, and as he noticed the girls approaching his knees began to shake. From afar they looked beautiful, but as they came closer it was even more apparent. Lilith in her tiny dress, Paige’s bouncy brown locks, and Eunji… He forced a weak smile, he teeth gnawing on the inside of his lower lip. He lifted up one of his hands to signal a ‘hello’ to the three ladies. Lilith bounced all over in conversation easing the awkwardness of the situation. She was always such a ray of sunshine. Her curiosity and outgoing nature made him a bit flustered though. His hands trembled by his sides until Lilith put attention on him. Just as she turned to him, he quickly shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. A light blush grew on his cheeks and he breathed out heavily. A feeling of contentment washed over him as Gray humbled his work as the doctor. Saving his life did sound dramatic. It meant that a life was on the line; that if he had failed that life would be no more. ”Oh no, I’m just happy he’s alright now.” He replied, ducking his head downward nervously.

Paige seemed quite uneasy with the situation, as did Eunji. Campbell had realized that Eunji was much like himself, but he wasn’t too sure as to why Paige seemed a little off. She was usually quite positive and upbeat. Was it Gray? Was it the festival? Just then, Yuzan and Mako joined the rather large group now. He curled his toes inside of his boots. It’s not that he disliked anyone here; it was just the crowd. He easily felt himself drift into the sidelines. He nodded his head and shot a smile at the two new members. Campbell enjoyed Mako’s company a lot and they always got along really well. Yuzan and him had conversed every now and then, but they weren’t too close. He’d probably just soak into the background…

What? Eunji wasn’t well? Campbell immediately redirected his attention to the raven-haired girl. She didn’t seem like she was having too good a time and much like himself she was falling into the background. Had he the guts, he would have grabbed her hand, whisked her away, and done everything in his power to make her feel better. He felt pain himself whenever someone he knew felt ill but with Eunji it was a bit stronger. He wanted to take all the pain she had and suffer it himself. It’d be worth it if she could see her breath-taking smile. It made him a little sad knowing the last two times they had met she didn’t feel too well. Was the winter that rough? Or was it something more? He concentrated his amber eyes on her flushed face and became a little flushed himself. He opened his mouth as if to say something but quickly shut it as Gray began to speak.

Campbell’s chest tightened as Gray left. It felt as though his security blanket was ripped violently off his body. Where was he going… with Paige? Oh. Was he going to relive the night he mentioned? Gray deserved that… and Paige did too. They both seemed a bit broken as of late and maybe they could pick of their pieces and place them together. He hoped to find out later on. He desperately wished he could be as straightforward as Gray and take Eunji away from the scene and make sure she was okay. Would it be okay to leave Lilith alone with Mako and Yuzan? He wasn’t too sure of the relationship between the three… But a night like this only came once a year. Paige had already gotten stolen away by Gray and Campbell wasn’t able to thank her for her kindness throughout the year. C’mon, don’t ring in the New Year in this anxious way…

”I-I really want to thank all of you for your kindness this year! I j-just wanted to say that before t-the year was over.” He said, a bit too loud. He just didn’t want to be spoken over and wanted to get his feelings out. If only it were this easy all the time. His fists tightened in his pockets and his knees knocked together. This next step would be the hardest. ”Uhm, I…” He started. Was it too late to back out? ”I’ll stay with Eunji and make sure she’s doing okay! You three go enjoy the festivities!” He blurted out, blood rushing to his entire face. The fists in his pockets loosened and he brought his sweaty hands out of his pockets. Eunji was close to him already but… he wanted to get out of this awkward situation quickly and also wanted to make sure she was all right. He waved his hand at the group and turned his back to them. He slowly brought his hand to Eunji’s back, his hand shaking from the feel of her clothing. Campbell then guided her away from the group. He walked slowly, his eyes shutting tightly every now and again.

Once they were far enough from the group, he jolted his hand back to his own side. He felt as if it were a steamy summer day from the amount of blood in his face at the moment. ”I-I…” Campbell’s eyes darted all over the festival. Why was it so hard to have a simple conversation? ”I-I’m sorry. I’m not too comfortable in a crowd and…” He ceased the movement of his eyes and placed them directly on Eunji. ”I also wanted to make sure you were okay. Not just today… but after that day as well… You didn’t seem well.“ He said, his eyes watering a bit from the heat on his face. ”O-oh!” He remembered what Gray had said. ”D-did you want to get something to drink? My treat…!” He nervously smiled. It was the least he could do. He looked to his feet as he awaited her answer, trying to lessen the redness in his face.

[chamomile and myrrh]

x
x
Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she noticed his eyes flick up and down as she leaned around him. A steady stream of adrenaline was flowing through her body, and she was shaking slightly. If this had been a fight, Tavi could have stayed cool and collected. She knew what to do in a fight, but conversation was an entirely different kind of battle. Small talk was all she could manage. As Lucian removed his scarf, her eyes traced his jawline and the curve of his cheek, and then their eyes met. (dramatic, right?) She uttered a small "oh," and forgot what he had just said to her about the door. Tavi took a deep breath to clear her head and shifted, planting her feet firmly on the ground -as f that would steady her wobbly knees. Lucian started to compliment her, but stopped midway. Unsure, Tavi tilted her head to the side, "I look really...?" As he shook his head she furrowed her eyebrows, not sure what to think. Her stomach sank, and she glanced down at what she was wearing. Didn't she look alright? This was her best dress... What he said was not what she expected though. It lit a spark in her eyes, and she clasped her hands in front of her.

A small tug at the corner of her lips grew into a broad smile, and she kept her eyes on his. "Lucian," Her voice was quiet but strong as she got hold of her flipping stomach, "You shouldn't call me anything, since calling people names is rude." Her eyes twinkled, and she added, "But thank you, that's very sweet." She unclasped her hands so she could tuck a loose curl behind her ear. Her heart was still pounding, and she felt like she was being tickled from the inside.

"My night just started," Tavi shrugged and couldn't resist looking Lucian up and down as she said, "but so far so good." When he invited her to come with them, Tavi blinked in surprise. Looking over at Trenes, she hesitated and her smile faded. "Well, I..." Trenes took that moment to interject, and he excused himself with a few words. Tavi kept her eyes locked on him as he walked away, confused as to why he would leave. Sure, they weren't exactly friends but that didn't mean she wouldn't be civil to him. Well, actually... Maybe it was best he left. Tavi pulled her coat tighter around herself and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your night with your friend." Though, she was relieved Trenes had decided to go. It gave her some time with Lucian. She returned her gaze to him and asked, "Am I still invited to go to the lantern booth with you?" His offer still stood, so Tavi accepted and they headed for the lantern booth.

She was still nervous, despite how well things were going. Honestly, when had her luck ever been so smooth? First bumping into him, then Trenes leaving, and Mako wasn't anywhere near her. She shook her head in disbelief, then quickly glanced at the man walking beside her to make sure he was real. Tavi kept her hands by her side, and she asked kind of awkwardly, "How have you been? I mean... Other than working?" She playfully nudged him with her elbow, "Have you baked anything edible lately?" She couldn't hold back a soft giggle. As they walked she couldn't help but peer at the other vendors as they passed, occasionally leaning away from Lucian to get a better look. But then she saw a booth on the other side of Lucian with different rocks and gems and cute trinkets made from stone. Pointing, she said "I want to look for something," Without much thought Tavi reached over and touched his arm, gently tugging his coat to pull him along.

As she looked at the stones and rolled a few in her hand, she asked Lucian, "Which one is your favorite?" She perked up as she found what she was looking for, a beautiful moonstone, still unpolished. It was rather expensive, and Tavi bit her pale pink lip as she debated whether or not she wanted to spend the money on it. She shifted to face Lucian, "Do you ever find any moon stones at the dig site?"





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【OOC】✘ I accidentally posted over my old post, so Tavi's last post is poofed. :/ FILLER【COMPANY】✘ Lucian, Trenes FILLER【LOCATION】✘festival
goes here FILLE FILLERgoes here FILLERgoes here FILLER【MOOD】✘ happy, nervous FILLER【OUTFIT】✘ blue bombshell

s h y LUMiNESCE




Corinne Ellyn"[/q

xxp4bbbd:120="Corinne Ellyn"[/quote]

[Press Start to Begin]

- - - After certain heart-pounding experience, it is known that the body reacts in very peculiar ways to protect the owner. Gray assumed his body was reacting thus so, because things were shutting down. As he sat on the ground, eyes glued to the path the noise of the festival began to fade away to this white noise that blended together. The smells dissipated, leaving this eerie nonexistence lingering between the two. The man tilted his head forward slightly, closing his eyes and listened to the only thing he could hear, his heart. It was an odd noise really, when you paid close attention to it. You could hear the separate valves working together, pumping blood into the body. The valves had there own fast rhythm, and the more Gray concentrated on that the more he was able to calm down. This silence was lasting too long, but Gray had always been good with patients. No, better than good, it was a skill the man had not meant to master, but through his love of Paige it grew and grew until it was an art.

As soon as Paige’s hands touched his all his senses flooded back. The noise of the festival, the lingering smells of the fading winter and the more adamant smell of whatever perfume Paige was wearing that evening. Gray didn’t know what face he was holding, he assumed somewhere between dumfounded and just real dumb looking because here she was, holding his hand, stroking her thumb over his knuckles. He wanted to answer her, but all the words that came prior had him now somehow tongue-tied, or perhaps just out of breath. He nodded more sheepishly than he would have liked. Yes, he had tried telling her this once before, in the heat of the moment, but his dying kind of got in the way. He was glad though, he didn’t want to tell her with a raised voice, he didn’t want to tell her when she had tears in her eyes. He wanted to tell her like he just did, with a calm, clear mind and a gentle voice. He wanted no one to be around, he wanted it to be just the two of them and he wanted to explain everything to her. He felt he achieved his goal, and he had never felt so weightless.

He was happy she used his hand to brush her cheek, because he was still just a bit frozen, and he probably wouldn’t have been able to make the move on his own. He held her eyes, the eyes that would melt in the sun and harden to this smolder in the night. When no light caught her eyes, the very easy to read Paige became a bit of a mystery and it was one of Gray’s many weakness. Gray was happy her eyes were holding a soft brown then. If they held that mysterious Paige, he was certain he wouldn’t be able to hold back.

Paige let go of his hands and he tensed. This stiffness only grew when her warm fingers brushed his upper cheekbones and her palms lay on the sides of the mask, he could feel the heat sinking in. That kiss was the longest and shortest moment of Gray’s life. He kept his eyes open, almost unbelieving of what was happening, what exactly was taking place. Was she… was… no… no he had run it over a million times, she never could possibly… was she accepting his feelings? Gray only continued to stare as she pulled away. She was speaking but Gray didn’t need to hear her words. Her cheeks were blushed and that soft smile…

She was wearing the smile he would see so many times when she was with Alaister, the smile he had always wanted to be for him and in that moment…

Gray, as if his heart started a new, instantly leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Paige and bringing her into a hug. He held her close and tightly. “Don’t feel foolish..” He held her tighter. “I would have waited twenty, thirty, to the end of time for you Paige. There was no rush, there was never a rush… there is nothing to forgive.” Gray held her there for several moments, feeling her small body. His one arm was wrapped around her neck, pulling her face into him as his other hand was dangerously placed at the womanly curve at her waist. He only was finally able to pull away when he was realizing just how warm she was under his embrace.

Gray stood from the ground, reaching down to grab ahold of one of Paige’s hands and pull her to a standing position as well. “I won’t lie, I really don’t feel like going to this festival now.” He could think of so many other things to do.. so many other, much more fun things, but he would hold himself back. “However, I really do want to see you pull your fortune.” He smirked. “Maybe you can freak out again.” He squeezed her hand before he began to lead her back to the festival, this time walking next to her rather than dragging her like he usually did. It was hard to match her pace at first.

The festival around them bubbled to life as they entered areas with stalls and other activities. “I forgot to tell you earlier,” he turned to her with loving eyes. “You look really beautiful this evening.” He let go of her hand, wrapping his arm around her neck and pulling her close. “Oh by the way.” He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t think its gone unnoticed that you never said you love me too.” He released her, grabbing her hand again with a shrug. “S’okay though, I can persuade you in my favor by the end of the night.” He gave her a wink. “Rest assure.”





&`▌L O C A T I O N : FESITVAL[xx] &`▌W I T H : PAIGE [xx] &`▌W E A R I N G : FESTIVAL !




Corinne Ellyn
]

[Press Start to Begin]

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- - - “Something happen?” Eunji slowly lifted her face to Paige, and then suddenly reared back as if Paige accused her of something so much more. The girl pressed the back of her hand to her lips. “Nngh! N-no! Nothing h-happened! I-I-I m-m-mean..” Well. Something did happen. It had been a while since she had seen Campbell. Not since that night. They may have even made progress, but if at all possible she seemed even more distant from him. She placed a hand to her beating chest. Eunji then raised her gaze toward Lilith, again utter shock on her face. From a distance, one might be worried what the three were talking about. “A c-crush? No.. I, o-or rather h-he wouldn’t..uh..” Eunji covered her face. “I want to go home. I want to go home. I want to go home.” She thought over and over as if she could just vanish away and reappear in the safety of her home by merely willing it. Her heart couldn’t handle this. Could she die from a stressed heart? Because if it was at all possible it would happen to the small Eunji and her humming bird heart that was trying to flutter right out of her chest.

“Wait. What?” Eunji dropped her hands and at that moment Lilith had her in her grasp. Eunji staggered awkwardly, trying not to break her ankle in the heels. The girl looked behind them, as if escape was still an option. When Eunji looked back her face drained of color with how fast they had approached the two men. Eunji tried to shimmy her body behind Lilith like a shy child hiding behind their parent. Eunji’s hands were just about to grab onto Lilith’s dress for support when she was pushed toward, thankfully Eunji with spread out arms was able to steady herself so she wouldn’t need to grab onto Campbell for support. She had her face down toward the ground, staring at her shoes, clinking the backs together idly. While the shoes didn’t exactly suit her, she couldn’t deny how pretty they were. Eunji held onto her wrist, slowly tilting her head to get a peek at Campbell. However, at the approach of two more members Eunji sank more into herself, crossing her arms across her chest tightly and taking the smallest step away from the group.

When Yuzan addressed her Eunji looked up in shock. “Oh, Th-“ it was too late though, he was already greeting the others and Eunji just let her half said ‘thanks,’ fall away. Then came Gray’s voice and she again was startled with being addressed so directly. “Umm, I.. I uh, I’m f-f-“ But again she wasn’t even allowed to finish before Gray was telling Campbell to get her a drink. No. She was fine, really! Did she not look fine? Eunji was about to take another step away when Campbell spoke and she instinctively raised her eyes to him. This time taking him all in. As he gave his thanks she spoke softly, under her breath. “Campbell..” was he… unwell? He looked so different, he looked tired. Had he not been taking care of himself? Come to think of it she hadn’t left him any notes in the last coming days due to her own embarrassment.

The next thing Eunji knew was that Campbell’s hand was at her back guiding them away. She was very thankful their pace was slow, because it was taking all her energy to not trip in the heels. Eunji didn’t pull sexy off well; she pulled off awkward deer on stilts, well. When Campbell’s hand fell away Eunji’s body relaxed. She hadn’t even realized how stiff she was. When she heard Campbell’s voice she turned her head and body to him. “I’m not.. t-to good with them either…” she rubbed the bottom of her nose. “c-crowds.” When Campbell’s eyes fell on her she was stiff again, but while she desperately wanted to look away she wasn’t able to, the amber eyes had her captive. He was worried about her? Still? Why? Why was he worried about her when he seemed so.. so out of it himself. She took a step toward him on wobbly footing. “I’m fine!” She exclaimed. “B-but you! Y-you look unwell… I mean.. not in a bad way, j-just.. you look tired.. have you been..” her eyes had to fall away now, too much conversation with too much eye contact. “..taking care of yourself?” She blushed, fluttering her eyelashes before she looked to the stalls around them to find something to drink. “Umm, I guess we could try..” She took a step forward to point to the stall when her shoe teetered and the girl stumbled forward.

The raven-haired girl grabbed onto Campbell’s sleeve as her hair covered her face. With incredible speed Eunji let go, taking a step back and fixing her hair. “Ah—I’m s-sorry!” She blushed embarrassingly. Why couldn’t she be more like Paige? Or even Lilith? Anyone other than herself in that moment, she really was going to die of heart failure.

“I’m nervous.” She spoke softly, covering her face with a hand. “I think I’m nervous.”




&`▌LOCATION: FESTIVAL [xx] &`▌WITH: CAMPBELL [xx] &`▌WEARING: FESTIVAL! [xx] &`▌MENTIONS: TOO MANY PEOPLE






Stickered Fun

[a park in botswana]

There were only a few moments after the words left her lips before Gray suddenly embraced her. She let out a small 'oof,' not quite expecting Gray to get so hands-on ohohoho, as her hands pressed against his chest, and her head rested against his shoulder and collarbone. As Gray spoke, Paige blushed again, though it wasn't easily seen. Gently, she kissed his collarbone as he spoke about waiting for her, nuzzling her head against it afterwards as her hands clutched harder onto his shirt. She did her best to avoid staining his shoulder with her tears and had managed to stop sniffling. This wasn't a sad moment, after all. After several long moments of cuddling together, Gray pulled away, as Paige smiled, moving back a little bit to see him once more. However, Gray stood up and offered her his hand, as Paige gripped onto it, pulling herself off. She grasped his hand with one of hers, using the other one to dust off her boots and straighten her jacket and dress.

As he mentioned about not really wanting to go to the festival, Paige grinned a little. She was about to suggest what he would want to do instead, but instead, he brought up the fortune. With that smirk, Paige pouted, puffing out her rosy cheeks. "Heeeeey!" Still, she let out a giggle at the end as Gray began to lead her back to the festival, this time at a more reasonable pace and with them walking side by side. As they walked back to the area with stalls and other events, Paige hummed, looking around, most specifically at all of the food stalls while trying to remember her favourites from years past. As they finally stopped and Gray began to speak, Paige smiled, blushing again as he complimented her appearance.

"Aww, thank you, Gray~ You look dashing, too. Black always looks nice on you." Paige always attempted to get Gray to wear things with a spark of colour to them, or at least some accessory, but Gray never went for it. Unless it was red, maybe. Now she just never pestered him about it. "I'm so glad you came to the festival. I was so worried about you missing it." He let go of her hand before suddenly pulling her close, and spoke of her absence of using the 'love' word. Her eyes widened at first, thinking he was upset before he seemingly let go of her, shrugged, and took her hand again, promising he'd convince her by the end of the night. Paige giggled again, her cheeks flushed once more as she responded.

"Mmm, should I expect a marriage proposal by the end of the night?" She stuck her tongue out, squeezing his hand and snuggling closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder again. "I'll hold you to that, you know~" Suddenly, Paige smirked, moving her lips closer to his ear. "Maybe, after the festival ends, we can--" play checkers obviously

"What are you two acting so chummy about?" Instantly, Paige tensed up, slipping her lips away from Gray's ear as she glanced behind herself. And sure enough, it was her father, Gabriel yes it's joel. Her mother, Imogene, stood next to him, giggling into her hand. Always so poised and soft, Imogene was. Especially compared to her brutish and rough looking father. Definitely one of the oddest couples in the village. Still, they had been together for roughly thirty-five years. Many commented that Imogene seemingly never aged. At this rate, Paige wondered if she would eventually look older than her. Great. Imogene waved, namely at Gray, happy to see him out of the house. Gabriel only nodded to Gray before looking back to Paige.

"I haven't see you two speak more than a sentence to each other all week, and yet now you're exchanging secrets?" Paige blushed, glancing over to Gray. She didn't let go of his hand, as even doing that would attract Gabriel's attention to it. It wasn't that she was scared of the idea of dating Gray...More so how her father would react to it. His reaction to Alaister had been awful, though Gabriel had only ever expressed fondness for Gray. Still, that didn't mean he couldn't change his mind.

"Hi Mom. Hi Dad." Imogene giggled once more, waving now to Paige. It was obvious where she inherited her looks from, as her mother sported the same soft lips, gentle face, and long, dark brown hair. Imogene's eyes were lighter, however, a soft green. Gabriel sighed at her dodging the question, looking to Gray instead.

"Good to see you out of the smithery." Imogene nodded, smiling as usual. That usual soft, gentle smile. Another one of Paige's traits. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be complaining about you two getting along again." Though, Gabriel's eyes then darted to their hands, which were still together.

"...What's this?"

"Are you two on a daaaate?~ Is that why you've been so quiet, Gray? Taking Paigey out on a date for New Years Eve?" Imogene giggled once, looking over at her husband. Gabriel seemed less-than-thrilled at Imogene's comment, as he sighed. Still, he looked to the two, namely Gray, for an answer. "I always thought you two would look cute together--"

"Don't give them any ideas, Imogene." Paige frowned, glancing over at Gray, wondering what to say. Especially since Gabriel wasn't acting as pleasant about the idea as she had hoped - at least her mother found the idea charming.




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XXXXXXXXXXLOCATION: FESTIVAL XXXXXXXXXXCOMPANY: GRAY & GABRIEL & IMOGENE XXXXXXXXXXMENTIONS: N/A XXXXXXXXXXOUTFIT: [x]

[- - caffe espresso]

• 
  OUTFIT | ALLURE SHRINE | WITH MIRI & ADELA | MENTIONS HER FAMILY
  
  Nodding politely to Mirima responding to her hello she offered the two ladies her smile still. “Oh?” she said a little surprised to Adela's response about the festival thus far. “It was our first stop too,” she added with a happy closed eyed smile but it was only for a brief second befoure she noticed her brother being a perv. Miri's blunt reaction made her have a hard time not laughing at the reply and even tried apologizing for him but Aeardor wasn't one to take that kindly. Eventually she was able to shove him off so he could stop bothering her friends. Upon explaining the situation they both seemed rather surprised and almost at the same time said - a mate. Was it really that surprising that she needed to find one? Perhaps a little she was only fourty-five after all and that was pretty young in elf years. Nodding to her friends she added, “yes. Father seems very serious about this.” Though Gwen didn't seem excited, how could she when the person she did want to be married to was right here. I'm not good enough, she thought as her eyes focused on Mirima for a moment as she spoke. It was hard to answer that question. “Uhm... we just got here soo...” that was a good excuse, right? “I um...” she bit down on the inside of her bottom lip, the motion could be seen as she moved her jaw to the right to do it. In the end Gwendolyn just shrugged uncertain how to really answer that. Even though she had found the person she wanted for a mate, Gwen felt that she wasn't good enough in her mind. No, Mirima wouldn't be interested in such a weakling like herself. After all she had been declining her coffee meet ups recently. Gwen felt like it was her fault though, she must have done something or smothered or bothered Miri too much. I should go! she immediately thought as she partly felt like a burden interrupting their night together after all she wasn't invited to meet them here it just happened.
  
  As she felt herself compelled to leave Miri spoke about the night, the energy and how eyes could meet and not know. A bit afraid, but still bold enough Gwen locked eyes with Mirima for the moment, a small tinge of red forming on her pale skin. When Adela spoke Gwen broke the eye contact with Mirima and casted her gaze off to the side embarrassed for staring too long. At nearing the end of what Adela was saying is when she finally could feel the courage to look at them again, plus, she felt rather rude for not making eye contact when another was speaking to her. It was a little hard since Adela had brown eyes but it wasn't her eyes she feared, not at all. Not wanting to even go there she nodded to both of them for what they had said. “Change is inevitable,” she said softly and remembered her fortune about change and how she should embrace it. As much as she wanted to share her fortune with them she couldn't remember if it was bad luck doing so or not so instead she figured to keep it to herself. Even if Aeardor already read hers it wasn't like she invited him to... she'd be okay right? “I think,” she paused briefly and bit the inside of her bottom lip again, “I am looking forward to change.” Her features softened into a gentle smile. Gwen had already been working hard on changing herself, being more outgoing and not so weak. It barely was anything but Miri was teaching her to fight, she even had a few scars that she showed off to her brothers happily! They always said growing up scars were a way to show you were tough and now she had a few on her body which masked the ones she had in her mind.
  
  No, don't think about that right now, she thought as her mind had started to drift to her most recent dream and then there was the phasing weirdness that was going on. Not that she was literally phasing or anything but she thought she was, phasing right out of the world. Will I see them again? she wondered as she listened to Adela speak about the festival and the booth choices. I don't want to leave them. She wasn't going anywhere but she felt as if somehow... tonight would be the last time she ever saw anyone. But if it's Allure's wish that I must then I will make the most of tonight! Nodding in her mind, not actually physically, she could feel a small rise of confidence, not too much though it's Gwen after all. “Oh they're doing goldfish again?” It was a little saddening that the goldfish were all stuck in little bags, most would die since not many took care of them anyways. “I want to save at least one,” she meant to just think that but actually said it out loud. When she realized what she had done she gasped silently but her action was still noticeable. A small blush of embarrassment came over her face now. “S – sorry,” she offered a weak smile befoure continuing, “it's just... I feel so bad for the fish.” Gwen linked her fingers together as she spoke, holding them slightly in front of her chest, her head tilted a bit to the right and eyes glanced elsewhere. It's how she would always explain herself when she was embarrassed by what she had just done or said. The two girls would have known this action by now since at times she did it quite often. “Not many people end up caring for the fish. I've even seen a kid toss the fish in...” her eyes welled up as she spoke, “a trash can.” Gwen had always quite the fondness of animals, seeing them harmed made her so sad and even the simple act of putting a fish in a trash made her want to cry like a big old baby. She refrained from doing so though, she couldn't, it would be far too embarrassing and she wasn't sure she could even face them if she did.
  
  Forcing herself to 'man' the hell up and stop being a sobby face she took a deep breath and let her hands fall to her side. “I think the fish booth would be good, but I can always go there myself later.” Gwen didn't have enough money to buy all the fish or win them all but she would at least save one and add it to the pond in the backyard where all the other fish were. There were four large goldfish that she got from the past few years at the festival and she took great care of them too. The little pond wasn't so little after all and gave them plenty of room to swim around with other goldfish and some koi too.
  
  Glancing at Mirima and then Adela she realized she spent most of this time just thinking of things and not being helpful at all. “Sorry. I guess I'm no real help to the decision.” Again a weak embarrassed smile was on her face. “I'm never good with deciding things.” She wasn't, she did whatever anyone else wanted to do and would be fine doing that. It was easier anyways not really deciding things. Then if people had a bad time she wouldn't feel like she let everyone down. Gwendolyn didn't want to let either of her friends here down. Not tonight, not ever! And the only way to ensure that was to become a stronger person but she was still too weak.