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 Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2014 9:48 pm
At least in this they agreed, and that was more than enough to help Shalvesta's nerves relax, easing slightly - her shoulders ducking back down from the almost defensive hunch she'd fallen into before. Her hands nervously smoothed down the front of her top, trailing over the carefully woven strands of the thick belt at her waist. It was more a nervous habit, as there wasn't much to CLEAN on her attire - she hadn't fallen into any activity yet that would make her ruffled or sweaty in any way.
Shal wondered if this man, Xilarn, was somehow a scout for the military - heading off into the jungles to play upon the sensibilities of the locals, gathering intelligence and playing on his youth to assure his safety. But even if that were the case, he would -- SHOULD -- have some sort of decent weapon on him, right? So it was personal - much like her own reasons. And realizing he was no soldier made him a mystery, but also helped lessen her own tense suspicion of the stranger.
So she hadn't expected to be questioned, though she definitely should have been prepared- after all questioning others affords a certain candor, and that would entice most members of conversation to venture to ask questions. And it wasn't even asked cruelly or even suspiciously - he simply pointed out the obvious, in such a casual way that Shal didn't see it coming.
So she blinked, her eyes widening fractionally, before she flushed in embarassment, realizing she had left herself wide open to questioning. And really was no reason NOT to answer - it wasn't like her own reasons for being here weren't legitimate in their own right, or even shameful. So why did she feel chagrined, like some scolded child?
The fussing of her fingers at the rope turned into pointed picking, fraying a few strands of the rope that her eyes quickly ducked to, staring fastidiously at the fibers her fingers had tugged loose. "W-well... the camps aren't so bad, and I've yet to travel into the jungle, so I - that is to say perhaps I haven't experienced anything that would--" She inhaled sharply, a deep breath that almost made the small girl appeared puffed up like some sort of frazzled bird, fixing him with a look that seemed, somehow, simultaneously offended and guilty. "Not that I -- mean any offense, but it's my own business as well, being here- and you're not a soldier either, ser." Defensive now?? She didn't really get why she was defensive, she wasn't doing anything /wrong/ by being out here, but she still felt like she had commit something that she should be ashamed for.
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Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 6:56 am
Xil's brows furrowed, his lips drawing down into a tight, thin line. "Fine," he quipped in as careless a voice as he could muster. With a huff, he settled his elbows on the fence again and glared pointedly off to the side, attention not on her, but not quite on the soldiers, either. He should be used to this. Really, he should. His parents and siblings practically never felt inclined to answer his questions, and they were related. Whatever this girl did was her business. They'd hardly even met just a few minutes ago, so it shouldn't be out of the ordinary for Shalvesta to keep her business to herself. It wasn't as if he actually cared, anyway.
Even so, he couldn't help but feel slighted somehow, by her refusal to engage his curiosity. He'd been polite. He'd answered all her questions. He wasn't a gruesome native or even a remotely threatening Oban. he was just Xil; trying to carry on a conversation with a girl he'd just met and apparently failing.
How annoying.
He carried on better with the savages, and that was just sad. Xilarn huffed indignantly. Something in the back of his mind whispered that he should try and apologize for upsetting her delicate countenance, but no. he hadn't done anything wrong, and he refused to apologize simply for speaking. If she was going to be offended about it, well fine. He didn't care. She could do whatever the fruit she wanted, and he just wouldn't care. He glowered bitterly at the dust scuffing up around the soldiers' feet.
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Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2014 10:07 pm
She HAD offended him. On the one hand, Shalvesta felt he had no reason to be offended - she didn't owe him anything, after all, and refusing to answer didn't exactly warrant gaining the SILENT treatment, did it? And yet though he sounded careless, the way the boy's lips pressed, and the single syllable of 'Fine' cut through her, making her flinch and press her lips together, a 'tss' sound issuing from them. Only, it was a thoughtful sound - not the usual 'tch' of someone who was annoyed or put off.
After a moment, she bowed her head, sighing and once more reaching to lean her hands on the fence. He'd given her important information, even if he didn't realize it - that playing dumb and harmless to the natives may just save her life, whereas before, despite not being a violent person, she had always thought to swing her sword first. Why else would she be so insistent on learning to wield a blade? The least she could do was answer a simple question. "I'm ...sorry. Honestly, I'm here without my ... 'family's' permission, so I feel... guilty being here, sometimes." Not exactly true. She WAS here without permission, but it wasn't the true source of her guilt. That was more to do with going behind her people's back, even if she wasn't trying to harm her people in any way.
Not really, right? "I'm looking for... for my husband. He went missing after the last battle, and..." She opened her mouth to speak, but then instead sighed and gave a listless shrug, once more peeking out of the corner of her eyes at Xilarn.
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 7:25 am
Xilarn's eyes widened as he turned back to stare at her. "You... You lost someone?" He wasn't entirely sure why he was surprised. It was a war, after all, so of course there were going to be casualties. He'd just never known any of them, despite having siblings traveling with the battalion. Their stories were all of glory and excitement and thrill and watching natives be tortured to death. Of course, Xil didn't really know Shalvesta or her husband, so it didn't count as losing someone he knew... It just stuck him somehow, is all.
That and the fact that the other Prentice had a husband, at all. She was his age and already married, and then had lost her man, and- Wow. All of that just outright sucked He considered pressing another question, but just the one he'd asked had seemed challenging enough for her. Probably best to just drop it for now. "I'm sorry to hear that... But... if it makes you feel any better," And it probably wouldn't, "My parents don't really condone me being out here, either."
He grinned at her. She was kind of like him, in a way. "I think it's pretty cool that you're willing to go after someone you care about." If she cared about him, of course. But why would she be here if she didn't?
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Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2014 10:39 pm
Had he not? Well, then again, there hadn't been a huge amount of losses in that first battle. Their battle beasts had done a thorough job of sweeping the battlefield - among the nobles and many of the soldiers, Shalvesta hadn't seen anyone who had lost anyone, besides herself - technically. A part of Shalvesta, the one that hated secrets and wanted to be truthful - and the same part that found herself fond of this stranger, even if she barely knew the person, wanted to be honest and upfront.
A part that wanted to not lie, and instead wanted to correct Xilarn - that her husband wasn't really someone she cared about, at all. But advertising her unhappiness would make people wonder what she WAS doing out here, and her true intentions could be guessed if they really, truly tried to look. So instead she latched onto the other bit, the part that seemed to tie them together, if only in the sense that they were here under similar circumstances - without permission. She smiled, small and slightly conspiratorial, tilting her head at the other prentice.
"Actually... actually that does." She admitted with a soft laugh and a shake of her head. Now she turned slightly towards Xilarn - body language for 'I'm committed to this conversation, and invested', whereas before her hunched shoulders had screamed 'stay away I'm not comfortable.' His own briefly shuttered gestures had shifted easily when Shalvesta opened up - and it intrigued her what sort of quiet confidence she'd inspired just by sharing with this person.
If only things could be so simple with everyone. "So... Xilarn, are you here to find your fame and fortune?" A joke - she'd told a joke! Her eyes twinkled briefly in quiet, but almost trepidatious amusement - as if reaching and trying to relax, but expecting him to shut off again and find her words annoying. She was so used to any attempts at witticism being met with a scoff and a hissed order for silence that she half expected it, even after being in this camp for these last few weeks.Fluffesu If you see me on AIM, I don't mind you tapping me there - and we can fire off posts here until we're done. I don't want to hold you up on Xilarn after all. razz
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Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 11:21 am
Xilarn blinked in surprise, his brows raising a fraction as the other Prentice... laughed. It wasn't a full-blown roar of grandiose amusement, but it was still the most he'd gotten yet. Perhaps even the most he'd heard from any of his people who wasn't howling in glee at the misfortune of others. As he thought about it, he realized it was probably just his family that did that. He shook his head with a sigh. If he thought about it, his own relatives were much more violent than any savages he'd come into contact with so far.
He pushed the thought away with a quiet hum, looking back to Shalvesta as he realized he now held her full attention, whether that was good or bad. Whatever weariness she'd had of him only moments ago had at very least dimmed enough that she actually seemed comfortable with carrying on a conversation with him. Frankly, when he'd first seen her, he'd have doubted that was possible. So quiet and reserved...
He grinned at her. "Nah, nothing like that, I think. Believe it or not, I'm a complete coward," Xil replied with a chuckle, only half joking. Brave enough to go into the woods alone, but he had no earthly desire to run into anyone else, alone or with a group. He'd likely be the first picked off, anyway. Big battles were not something he was particularly interested it. "I kinda stumbled here by accident. It feels safer being around other Obans, even if it isn't. I guess I'm just sort of... taking a break?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 3:57 am
A coward? And yet, he was all the way out here on the battle lines, in enemy territory. Braving the rainforest and the like - was he joking? For a moment, she squinted her eyes and gazed at him as if trying to figure out whether or not he was telling a joke. But... the last sentence she could definitely sympathize with.
She didn't trust anyone here, yet it was a better alternative than leaving the camp and risking running into the natives. So she made a noise of understanding and nodded. If he had come from the forest, that explained the slightly haggard look - he must be starving! "Don't you want some food? To rest?" She asked, suddenly, turning to look at him as if surprised she hadn't thought of it sooner. Then she shrugged her shoulders and ducked her eyes again. "I mean - they give out rations at mealtimes. The... food isn't the best, but it's warm."
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Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2014 10:38 am
Xilarn tipped his head, giving his companion the brightest smile he could manage in the dimness of the rainforest. "You've no need to worry about me," he assured, even if it was kind of a nice change of pace to hear what he interpreted as words of concern from someone of his own race. Whether they actually were or not hardly mattered, at this point.
His gaze slid off of her and out to the cluster of tents beyond. It'd be strange trying to sleep here... It seemed unlikely that natives would attack such a large camp. Still, the conspicuousness of the place was enough to deter Xil from staying very long. He was less noticeable by himself, even if wandering off alone meant he was less likely to survive an encounter. At least, he still assumed that was the norm, despite his own experiences. "Now that you mention it, I... wouldn't mind having something to eat, though," Xil admitted sheepishly as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "Even if it's not great, it probably still beats what I've been managing to make," he added with a chuckle.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 6:27 pm
(( I'll edit this later, but did you want to continue this or end it with the next post?? ^^ <3 ))
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Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2014 2:34 pm
We can go ahead and end it~ I think they've achieved all they're going to this time around. <3
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