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 Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 9:41 pm
x x x x x█║ WHO: Elias & Tesla
x x x x x█║ WHEN: Early afternoon.
x x x x x█║ WHERE: Amies; their home on Siren Sands.
x x x x x█║ WEATHER: Cool; a break in the storms with some sunshine.
Time had gotten away from Tesla, busy as she'd made herself to be: house repairs, mending, tending the soil and keeping everything clean and tidy was far more exhausting than it ought to have been. She'd meant to check on her new neighbor to see how he was settling in, but she could see that they were of similar minds when it came to getting work done, which is to say that work tended to siphon all their attention. The few times she'd seen Elias, he'd been hard at work and focused, something she both understood and appreciated. She wasn't a fan of being interrupted when she was head-long into a project and she wasn't going to inflict that same annoyance on the dark-haired man, especially given his reactions around her. He might fall off the roof or something else equally unforgivable!
As the days wore on, however, Tesla couldn't help but begin to worry. The bottle she'd found at the Peak was never far from her, resting on the porch if she was working outside or settled safely against her dresser when she turned her light out to sleep. As she was in the kitchen, testing the fresh sun-warmed tea she'd made earlier that morning, the bloody bauble sat in dark contrast to the brightness of its surroundings, even as it seemed to make its own sort of unnatural light as though to spite the very sun. The darkness of it didn't bother the cheery woman and, with cautious but precise movements, she lightly tucked the warm bottle into her trusty leather satchel along with some napkins and utensils, picking up the tray she'd had set out with some edible goods. Making up her mind, she made her way out of her home and to the house she could see her dark-haired neighbor working on.
She picked her way carefully over the makeshift stone path from her abode to his, her footsteps measured but brisk, hardly jostling the tray of food and drink. As she approached the homestead, she cast a winning smile as her eyes fell upon the working man himself. "Elias~!" she called in a chipper tone, not wanting to startle him though she had a feeling she would anyway. "Elias, I hope you don't mind -- I brought you some lunch and tea!" Pausing before her feet reached the slight shade cast by the awning of the slowly livable house, she lifted the tray as if to display she had nothing more, the satchel hanging comfortably against her side. It was nice out, but she wore the furred cloak she'd had when she first met him, along with her worn work breeches and a blouse comfortable enough to move around in. It was nearly impossible to be a lady when being the head of an absent household, something that made her feel slightly embarrassed when in the young man's presence.
"It's sourdough," she continued conversationally, inspecting the immaculately made sandwich as if she'd never seen it before, "with turkey and this wonderful white cheddar imported from the east. I also brought some of our vegetables from storage and some homemade dip and tea. Come now, you need your energy for all the work you've been doing."
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Posted: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:46 pm
Door? Check. Wall? Alright for now. Floor? --At least there wasn't a big gap in the middle of it. Cupboards? Functional. Bedroom? The giant daunting crack on the wall is fixed. Check.
The man made a little list in his head, going through each and every part of the house that he planned to restore and in the order of which he should be fixing. At best the house was livable. Which was a far cry from when he first came to see it, one would be surprised of how much progress he had done. Of course things like the front porch and the steps that led up to the main doorway were still broken and damaged but the interior of the house looked much better compared to the exterior. And Elias always put practicality first before appearances.
Yet today the weather was mild, unlike most days of this winter season where cold gusts of air were carried by the ocean waves that obviously seeped into his little 'shack' (since it couldn't really be called a home just yet as of now) and caused such a draft. The young man took this opportunity to fix the windows, working outside and wearing his cotton long sleeved shirt and leather tunic that was enough to keep him warm in this weather. The hammer in his hand made loud pounding sounds as he was repairing one windowsill. The sudden call of his name --of course startled him and brought that tension to his limbs, the hammer slightly hitting his thumb in the process.
"-----!" he made no sound however, mostly just surprised at the moment although there was a spike of pain that resulted in his mistake. "Tesla---" he says with a small voice, rubbing the finger on his side in hopes that the pain would go away sooner. The tray she had brought changed his mood immediately though, eyes lightening up at the meal. Blinking at her and to the food, biting his lip in anticipation. The meals he had always made for himself weren't--very 'fancy'. Never really minding any kind of spice or other ingredients--merely cooking the meat or vegetables and eating it! And this talk of white cheddar-- dip-- he was honestly floored at how much she had been helping him out and her thoughtfulness.
"It--already looks and smells wonderful," Of course this made him bow his head in thanks, a staple gesture he kept on doing whenever she was around. "Thank you very much," he lifted his head and pointed to a makeshift chair he had made. "Please sit, don't worry it's stable despite its looks. Thank you---for coming." He realized he had said thank you two times in the short time she had come, mentally slapping himself. He set down his tools, the ache on his thumb was becoming less-- thank goodness-- and took a small side table he had made to where they were, wanting to be a proper host as much as he could despite his house.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:41 pm
The startled way he turned to her and the manner in which he rubbed his thumb against his side alerted her to his accident, making her feel awful. Biting her lip, she made her way up the porch steps with care and put the tray just as cautiously on the table. Immediately thereafter, she extended her hands to take his injured one, looking critically at the offended thumb. "I'm sorry -- I didn't mean to startle you," Tesla apologized, gently rubbing her own thumb underneath the red part of his, "at least you didn't break the skin. I would have never forgiven myself for being so careless." Lifting his injured digit, she pressed a friendly, if not maternal kiss over the man's thumb, giving his hand a light squeeze before releasing him. It wasn't anything she really thought about: it was automatic for her to kiss injuries, thanks to her enormous family.
As she was accepted to have brought the meal at all, she picked her way to the indicated chair and took the seat, drawing her cloak warmly around herself and tucking her legs beneath the seat, ankles crossing. Resting her hands in her lap, she gave the man a warm smile. "I just made the tea today -- I hope you don't mind, sun-warmed just sounded so good on a brisk day like today." Readjusting her satchel so it rested in her lap, her fingers lightly toyed over the hem of it subconsciously, the weight of the bottle very clear to her as it nestled against her stomach. She couldn't help but feel the distinct notion that the thing was alive and was treating it as such. Tesla wanted to ask, but she wanted to give Elias a moment to eat first, her hand resting over the bulbous glass that was hidden by the thick leather of her pack.
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Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2012 12:25 pm
He let her take his hand to inspect the small injury, shaking his head at her. The gentle and platonic touch on his finger reminded him so much of home, comforting and warm. Although at the same time it still felt so different and nerve-wraking with the bright red-head rubbing and caring for this minor pain like that. Trying to keep his composure as he spoke. "No, it's alright, it wasn't your fa----ULT!" his tone getting louder and strange as the soft lips touched his rough fingers. It was then that he couldn't help but curl his fingers into a tight fist, though not pulling away from the woman and let her pull away from him as she did. By now a light flush of red was very evident on his cheeks, warm to the touch despite the cool weather.
When she moved to sit down he took a stool from the side of the porch and sat in it, bowing his head again in quiet thanks to the woman as he took the sandwich from the tray. He bit into the goodness immediately but not before saying a quick soft prayer to the gods. "Tea is great, considering the nice weather today.." he said, covering his mouth as he spoke, swallowing and taking in the rich flavour of the food so happily. "--and this is delicious." says in between bites, politely and without any pretense.
He sat there, biting into the sandwich as his eyes wandered around his house. It did rather have the look of a promising house, and with all the help Tesla had given him with getting supplies and such, he had her to thank for it.
"Uhm.. have you been well?" the young man asked in attempt for a conversation, asking that despite the fact that he almost always saw her every single day. May it be for visits like this, a wave from a distance or them taking the same way to and back from the main city.
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Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 2:12 pm
The strange high octave of the man's voice along with the sudden cherry stains on his cheeks made Tesla's expression run blank. It was like a switch had slid into place: in that moment, she understood that Elias wasn't as standoffish or reserved as she had original thought, but rather, shy. Almost painfully shy at that! The red-head could do little more than watch Elias eat with a sort of wonder in her features, as she'd never quite come up against this issue before. Who would be shy towards her of all people? She could only imagine it was a reaction to the entire sex, but it was still baffling.
She dipped her head in silence at his quiet praise, fingers lightly drawing over the pack in thought. When he posed the question, it was as good of an opening as any, earning a brief smile. "I'm not...certain," she answered slowly and at length. "To be honest, I came by because I wanted to ask you about the bottle you had - that beautiful one with the sand in it?" Tesla bit her lip, trying to think of where to start. The beginning, she decided, was always as good a place as any, and it was there that she told her tale in cliff notes.
"My father wrote me from Dragon's Peak, but the snows were so bad he was afraid they wouldn't be able to make it up here before they had to go back to where they're staying. So I -- I went there for a few days, in hopes of finding them, but they were already gone by the time I arrived." Her brows furrowed in thought, her green eyes inexorably drawn to the gentle weight of the satchel in her lap. "With the roads closed to the north, I decided to just be a tourist and see what there was to see. Unfortunately, when I was climbing the rock, the um -- the dragon shaped one -- it began to snow really heavy." She could still feel the bite of the cold on her nose and cheeks, the numbness that had pilfered her fingertips. "I was stuck in the cave for a bit, and -- I don't really remember the details clearly, but I found something."
Her fingers reached into the worn leather satchel and carefully removed the bottle from its confines, displaying it for Elias to see. The thick glass was still perfectly clear despite the thick vitae within, the likes of which still continued it's slow, lackadaisical churning. Unlike Elias's bottle, it didn't have that warm, inviting glow: quite the opposite, there was something dark about it, something haunting that reflected in the way Tesla gazed at it. She felt drawn to it, desired to keep it safe, but she had to understand what it was. "This...is like the one you have, isn't it...?"
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Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 5:07 pm
His taste buds continued to enjoy the foreign but delicious flavours, the raven-haired man pausing politely to look at Tesla while she spoke. He did not expect the answer she gave at his casual question, however, looking at her with a curious expression as she told her tale. At first he was confused when she brought up his bottle--and wanted to ask something about it. But Elias knew that any questions she had about his bottle--he probably had no answer, the warm bottle bring a mystery to him even after weeks of having it. He was about to cry out in surprise that she went to the peak alone, feeling that he could have helped her somehow but he was silenced as her story unfolded, his brows knitting. "Something?" he spoke softly in a concerned tone, though quieting down once again when the ominous red bottle was revealed to him.
"That----" he started, lips parted in breathless surprise. "--bottle."
It definitely was like the bottle he had in his possession. It had the same curved shape and dark streak that spiraled around the bottle, yet at the same time it wasn't. For Elias, this one didn't have that comforting feeling to it, he could feel the warmth that it radiated yet the crimson bottle didn't have the familiar feeling that he had with his own, it was more intimidating than anything. He watched the deep rich red liquid clinging onto the clear walls as it slowly stirred, blinking in quiet thought.
"This.. doesn't really make sense at all," he finally says, putting a hand through his messy bangs, pushing the dark locks back as he looked to the calm sea, as if searching for answers. "Perhaps these bottles are included in some kind of collection?-- Excuse me." he stands up before he finishes his thought, bowing at his guest before he heads inside his house to fetch the bottle that sat comfortably on the windowsill. As time went by the bottle raised even more questions, and knowing that there was another out there confused him even more. He took the object in his arms and it was expectedly warm to the touch as always.
He came back with his light bottle, the contrast of the two strikingly different as he put his own on his lap, watching the golden sand within let out a gentle--almost curious glow. "Yours has--blood in it, mine has sand. Perhaps it's some kind of old relic? Makes sense if you found yours in a save--yet mine was in such a different place..."
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:18 pm
Tesla's expression fell a little at Elias' words - not because she was disappointed with his answer, but because she realized he was as at a loss as she was. Waiting for his return, she quietly looked over the bottle on her lap that held such a dark miasma, drawing her fingers over the thick glass with a quiet sort of fondness. Though there was a sort of gloom about it, she never felt she was in danger or threatened by it, perhaps even...somewhat secure by knowing it was in her hands and not another's. She couldn't explain the sensation, only that she was somewhat comforted by it.
When Elias returned, she carefully stood and slung her satchel over her back again, approaching the young man and kneeling by where he sat. Extending her fingers, she very gently ghosted her fingertips over the sandy bauble. "I can't...even see them as a collection. They're so different, but why are they the same...?" Lifting her own with her free hand, she was rather surprised to note that the blood suddenly stopped churning. As she watched, the vitae pushed against the side of the glass closest to the bottle of sand, as if trying to sense it more clearly -- or maybe recognizing something like itself? The thought was almost fascinating, if not a little disquieting. It meant the bottles had the potential of awareness, which meant--
"Ah, well I hadn't meant to interrupt your work, Elias," she murmured softly, standing upright with the bottle nestled in her hands. The thick blood within immediately pressed against the lowest part of the bottle, still trying to reach for the other. "I was just -- I was just curious if you knew anything." Looking to the glass held against her stomach, she couldn't entirely hide her perplexed expression. She wasn't one to surrender to the wind when it came to not knowing all she could, but if there wasn't anything to know, she was at a bit of a dead end. "Perhaps their purpose will be revealed in time." Casting another brief smile to Elias, she nodded towards the food. "I'll be back for the trays later -- you let me know if I can get you anything else, okay? Don't let me keep you."
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:48 pm
As soon as the other bottle stopped churning and seemed to reach out towards the bright bottle, the sand inside began to whirl excitedly, as if it contained a small sandstorm inside. And this only raised even more questions, the raven-haired man was almost convinced that the content in the bottle was, in fact, some kind of living organism. Yet with this deep red bottle coming up, he almost gave up in trying to find a logical explanation for all this, letting out a deep sigh as he nodded his head at Tesla.
"I am sorry I couldn't give you any answers. I am as baffled as you are," he paused, biting his lower lip and holding his bottle against his chest.
He stood up when she did, the sand inside the bottle more forceful as he set the glass on his chair, preparing to bid the woman goodbye. "Perhaps." he said, not exactly convinced they would be knowing what these objects were for a long time, but certainly hoping for an explanation. He bowed his head, "Thank you for coming here and being so generous," he said, lifting his eyes up at her, "Ah-- I can just pass by later with the trays, it's not a problem" he managed, his eyes wandering to the bottle she had in her arms, feeling rather intimidated by the atmosphere around it. "--I shall see you later, then"
With that he took a seat once again, moving the sandy bottle to his lap, staring at it as if it would give him an answer yet all the response he got was a very slow wave of the sands within.
He supposed it just wasn't time for him to know just yet.
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 2:59 pm
Giving him a gentle smile as he stood, she shook her head lightly. "No apologies, Elias, please. It's -- it's nice to know I'm not alone in this." Extending one hand, she gently lit it on his arm and gave him a friendly squeeze. "At least we've one another to rely on, just in case, right?" Making the best of the situation as she could, she let him go as he retook his seat, watching the swirl of sand with a sort of bemused sense of guilt. It almost seemed as though it was excited or anxious, making her feel bad as if she were denying it the source of its attention. Again, the idea that the bottles were alive was totally unfounded and not something to be considered--
The hunter's soothing voice pulled her attention back to his stormy eyes, dipping her head respectfully. "If you want. Don't worry about it, I know you're a busy man. Besides, it's the least I can do for my neighbor." Tesla gave him a more cheeky smile then, dimpling her cheeks before she settled the bottle more comfortably at her side, trying to ignore the shift of warmth against her palm that was still reaching towards the other in vain. "Until next, Elias. Best of luck to you -- and sorry about your finger."
Readjusting her hold on the bottle, she quickly departed down the stairs and towards her own homestead, glancing over her shoulder and lifting her free hand in a wave. She was certain it wouldn't be the last time they met up about the enigmatic bottles.
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