Welcome to Gaia! ::

Every time Araceli used or looked at her boomerang, she thought of Detraeus. Each time the obsidian blade glinted in the sunlight she was reminded of the kisses, and small, brief touches between the two of them. She wanted to return the favor, to give him a gift. Not because she thought she needed to but because she wanted to. And each time she caught sight of the dagger at his hip, she bit her lip, wondering. Just what did you get a man who seemed only to fascinate himself with weapons and already had enough of his own to arm a small army?

The question plagued her for several weeks as she made trip after trip into the market. She looked over weapons, over spells and defense charms but nothing spoke to her. Nothing said Detra. Until one day she was walking past a stand with several charms laying out. She eyed over them, until her gaze fell onto one that looked as if it had some kind of runes for wind carved into them. A large charm hung from a clasp and under it, hanging down were four additional charms. She tilted her head as the stall owner approached. “Lovely thing. Very useful if you’re in need of controlling the wind.”

Ara glanced up, raising her brows. “Control the wind?”

“Yes. Each stone bead is carved with a specific wind rune. The larger, main one will summon a gust a wind. Simple enough. Each of the smaller ones, though, will control which direction that wind will travel.”

“It really works?” At the shop owner’s nod, Ara insisted she demonstrate. The small dovaa woman complied, rubbing her thumb over the larger stone and summoning a small gust of wind. Ara’s lips twitched up at the corners as she paid the woman and set off for home, gift in hand. It was perfect for Detra. It would allow him to better control his arrows when she wasn’t around to help him do so. When she arrived home and saw that Detra was no where in sight, she got busy wrapping the gift. She placed it in a small box and wrapped a bow around it. Tilting her head, she smiled. It had been a long time since she had bought a gift for anyone and this was different. It was Detra. Somehow this felt more important than any gift she’d ever given before.

Not knowing where he was, Ara sat the small package on the living room table and got busy on their dinner. Distracting herself with cooking until he either emerged from his room or came home. Soon the house was filled with smells of meat cooking.

Ara glanced up as the front door opened and her lips curved up into a small smile. She never missed a beat as she finished up the last of meal, dicing veggies and dropping them into a pot to cook. “Mmm, no. I can handle it. It’s almost done.” Usually she never turned down the offer. Ara loved having him help her cook and it was an activity he never seemed to mind doing with her. She took every chance she got to spend some quality time with Detra.

Tonight, however, was different. She had started early enough and he’d been gone long enough that help wasn’t needed. That, and she really wanted him to notice the gift and open it before they ate. “Thanks for the offer though. You can wait in the living room, if you want.” She watched him carefully, wondering if he’d retreat to his room before he even noticed the small package she’d wrapped earlier.

Ara kept her eyes off of Detra as she forced herself to continue with dinner. When he asked about the gift she glanced up, a flush creeping into her cheeks. She was suddenly unsure of herself and her small gift. She glanced away as her wings twitched as she tried to keep herself busy. Finally, without anything else left to do, she laid her knife down. “It’s...for you,” Ara said as she looked back up at Detra.

Ara frowned, shaking her head even as he looked back to the gift and moved towards it. “I would never do something like that Detra.” She removed the last of the food from the heat and turning her attention back to him. “It’s yours.”

Ara nodded her head at the mention of runes. “Yes...The larger one will summon a gust of wind and each of the smaller ones control which direction that wind will travel. It works too. All you have to do, to activate it, is rub your finger over them.” Ara’s hands shook as she talked and she clasped them together. She desperately hoped that he liked her gift. That he would not think it was a useless trinket better left for the garbage. Ara’s cheeks flushed hotter as she glanced down at her hands.

“I...you like it?” A sense of relief washed over Ara as she looked back up and watched him hold the charms up. The corners of her lips curled up as she watched him admire the gift. “I would love to show you how to use it. Later, though. Are you hungry?”