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~Rowan

Blake seemed to be committed to her usual stutters and inability to really convey words properly. Perhaps Rowan had been a bit too... proactive in his statements and actions. Such a timid woman was prone to being overcome with embarrassment at situations like this. When Blake fell silent for a while, Rowan grew slightly concerned as he looked down at her for her to simply utter a sound. Curious, he traced her gaze over to a large bird that seemed to be flying away from the two of them. That's curious.... and... what's that smell? Rowan's nose twitched slightly, almost as if he had caught the scent of the very people he had avoided for the last year or so. I smell dark fae. Are they living in the mountain or something? Rowan thought to himself, his body tensing up slightly as he realized how uncomfortable he would be around those beings. Until Blake and him had properly moved into their apartment, Rowan was constantly assaulted by dark elves asking him to become their Knight instead, going so far as to outright ask him in front of Blake while they were out shopping.

His suspicions were put on hold when he heard Blake's voice ring out from his arms. "Part of my... charm?" Rowan repeated rather hesitantly, irritation beginning to form in his voice as he looked down towards Blake. Feeling her wrap an arm around his neck, however, the man resisted the urge to back up entirely away from her. Such actions were a bit... foreign to him and made him retreat when he was exposed to them. Natalia's little escapade this morning had been met with just as much resistance initially. The look in Blake's eyes was rather inviting as well... almost like... Oh... so that's where the smell was coming from... Rowan thought to himself, his eyes narrowing a bit as he wondered what exactly had just happened. Maybe it had something to do with the freaky bird that emitted strange colors. Either way, Blake was being a bit too... aggressive as she was now. She was also quick to instruct him on what to do as opposed to how she normally acted. Right... basic needs. I don't like this much at all. Maybe I should just use my sword on... No. A Knight's incapable of attacking those they share a bond with. It's impossible. Rowan thought to himself, sighing slightly as he led the wolf onto a small plateau.

"Whatever you say, Blake." Rowan muttered, not sure how he would deal with this rather strange situation. Once the wolf stopped, he climbed down off the creature and aided Blake in getting off of it too. "I'll get the fire started... and pitch a tent." With that, the man simply went to work. It did not take too long to get the fire started and some food cooking on a spit. The man was definitely sluggish due to the fact that he had used his demonfire for so long. Now that he was forced to use flint, steel, and whatever he could find, Rowan was slowing down a little bit. All the while, his eyes traced over Blake, trying to figure out what had happened to her, what that bird probably did to her. Was she being mind-controlled? No... he'd definitely be able to sense whoever was controlling her nearby. Whatever happened to her was something different. It was most likely magic though. Before she acted strange, he had felt something occurring nearby. That bird was definitely the cause of this... but he did not know how to fix it. Maybe she'll wake up tomorrow fine... Rowan thought to himself.

Their wolves had made themselves comfortable, wrapping around each other for warmth. Rowan simply stared at them for a few moments as he was pitching the tent, observing the creatures. "We're eating dragon meat again. I don't want to hear complaints either." Rowan stated, turning his head towards Blake slightly while also keeping the food on the fire in his peripherals. It looks like she's carrying herself a bit differently too... Rowan thought to himself, his eyes lingering on her a good while as he contemplated the situation. Impressive, huh? He thought to himself, unsure of whether or not those were ideas planted in her mind or simply her own, unfiltered thoughts about himself. "I don't know why you're acting strange all of a sudden. You're going to make me stop treating you so nicely if you act weird afterwards all the time." Rowan called out to her, finishing up the tent and standing up. Staring at it, he could not help but feel a resistance to wanting to turn around. Maybe he did not want to face this "Blake" that was posing as his Mage.

After a few moments, the man turned his attention back to the fire and began to properly cook the food now that the tent was up. His eyes, once again, traced the ground until he came across Blake again. Maybe I should just act like I normally do... say what I normally would. That might be the best way to deal with the situation. Rowan thought to himself, observing her closely. For some, however, they might misinterpret his lingering gaze as something else. "You're not going to start getting flirty with me now, are you? As you know, I'm not really one to get embarrassed or hide my thoughts." Rowan stated, carefully observing her as he spoke. I just hide my feelings like a coward. He thought to himself as he continued to watch her, waiting to see how she would act now that they were no longer on the wolves. It was her game now. Would she still act as honest as before, or would she revert back to the sniveling mess that she always was? More importantly... what am I supposed to do if she doesn't go back to normal? Who knows what this "Blake" is capable of. Rowan thought to himself, a bit suspicious of the slightly altered Blake.

~Rowan

"Oh really? Because the Blake I know is very restrained constantly, trying to keep a level head. You, however, seem to be honest to a fault." Rowan stated, picking the food up from the fire after she said that it smelt done to her. "But..." Rowan began, taking the food off of the spit and finding some plates to put it on so that they could enjoy their meal. "The fact that you're capable of reasoning means that Blake's still in there somewhere. Mind control isn't so complex as to give people ulterior motives and intricacies that they like to hide. Especially not something that a damned bird's capable of." Rowan stated, having picked up quite a bit of knowledge while spending time with Blake. Even if he could not cast magic, Rowan could still learn about it to avoid being the target of spells and the like. Hypnosis was one thing he studied quite a bit of, as it was usually the spell cast on Knights to turn them against their Mages. Rowan, however, was pretty capable of shrugging off most mental spells and ignoring their effects. Being a zombie sort of helped with that, as his soul and body were separate.

"What I don't believe, however, is that you'd stop our conversation if I was uncomfortable. For one, you're well-aware that I'm incapable of being uncomfortable." Rowan responded to her, not really paying too much mind to the situation after reaffirming that she was still in her right mind in a sense, albeit altered to a degree. "Two, you sound like you want something. And if you're acting like this... acting honest, then I doubt you'd settle for not having it." He mentioned, handing her the food that he had cooked. I've seen this sort of inhibited behavior before. I was prone to acting like this quite a bit.... although I did not really act so flirty with anyone. I did what I wanted though, and then I saw what the effect was on the other person. Namely Blake. I even murdered baby dragons in front of her... and that means that this "Blake" might be just as capable of acting on her own intentions. Still... this is still Blake from what I can tell. There's no spirits possessing her, and she has complex thoughts. I just... don't know what to do about this situation. Rowan thought to himself, eyeing the woman carefully as he contemplated the situation they were currently in.

Staring at her for a few moments, Rowan moved over to his chair and tossed it beside the woman, sitting down in it rather nonchalantly as he began to eat food from his own plate. "Besides... I'm not uncomfortable. You're just acting on your thoughts rather than being bogged down by them. You're pretty much doing exactly what I would have preferred since the first time we met. Shy, timid Blake was always avoiding conflict, embarrassing things, and actions. I wonder if, at your core, you're still the same though. You act, talk, and look like rather honest, but maybe it's still a performance and you're incapable of acting on your own agenda." Rowan stated, trying to provoke something from the woman, anything at all. Was this really what Blake's inner feelings were like? Uninhibited? If so, would she still have Blake's basic shyness in her at her very core? "You say you don't want attention, but is that true? Or maybe it's half true?" Rowan stated, trying to embarrass the old Blake out of this woman that had taken her place. I hate this... I hate talking like this. Is this what couples do when they're trying to flirt with one another? Maybe it's just creepy coming from me since I don't really... I can't say I don't feel anything. Shy Blake is fine... and she makes me feel somewhat warm when I see her smile. This one is... different though. Rowan thought to himself, not sure if he should be creeped out whenever this "Blake" smiles or not. It reminded him of when the dark elves would creep on him.

~Rowan

Challenge, huh? So she is far more daring than she ever was before. Rowan thought to himself, looking over his Mage slightly as he contemplate what he should do now. Her attitude was not changing... and she seemed to be going further and further into whatever rabbit hole she seemed to fall into while they were finishing up their trip. The glowing moonlight around them did not help the situation any either, making everything seem rather romantic. In response to her telling him he knew everything, Rowan simply sighed a little bit. "What can I say, my Mage is captivating. I've come to know her better than myself as of late." Rowan stated, not really sure what these statement had to do with the current situation. Blake pressing herself into him was a bit embarrassing, he had to admit, but Rowan was not much for flinching in the face of challenges. Instead, he simply endured her flirtations. He froze, however, when she asked to spend the night with him again. So that's where this situation was going. Natalia ruined her morning... so now she wants to spend another night with me... Rowan thought to himself, watching her carefully as he let out a sigh. "Regardless of whether you're acting weird, you're still Blake. Spending the night together... isn't the worst idea..." Rowan stated, probably the kindest words he had ever spoken. Slowly, the man tossed the rest of his food to the dogs and wrapped his arms around Blake.

"Even if it's different, it's still a night I get to spend out here with you." Rowan stated, moving towards the tent with his hand holding onto her own. Would Blake be the same in the morning? Would she return back to normal? Did it really matter as long as she was still alright, still safe? Even if her mind was a bit... abnormal right now, his Mage was still herself. She was just... unfiltered to a fault from what he could tell. She was still embarrassed and sly though, hiding her real intentions, albeit in a different way from before. Either way, he should probably treat her like the same person, so as to not bring any wrath upon himself should she ever go back to being the normal Blake he knew. As the two of them entered the tent, Rowan could not help but have a thought cross his mind as he looked out towards the beautiful mountain. I guess I did learn to be romantic along the way... somehow.

...

The next morning was met with irritation from Rowan. The bright lights that shined through the cracks of the tent's entrance caused him to stir rather abruptly. His arm seemed to be wrapped around Blake, his mind sort of foggy as he slowly sat up. Day two it is. Honestly, I'm not sure what else to do now. Should we just go back home? We said we'd be out for a few days though. It'd be weird to suddenly turn up now. Rowan thought to himself, looking over at Blake. Should he wake her up? Did he really want to know if she was back to being the klutzy goofball that he... loved? Or did he want to know if she was the flirtatious, honest Blake that showed how much she loved him... a bit too often. Thinking about it, the man did not want to risk it. Instead, he wanted to simply see if she was going to remain the same after she woke up. Standing up, the man got dressed rather quickly, deciding it was probably best to spend their first hour of the day at base, that way Blake could sleep in and he could cook them some food to eat for the day. It's probably best to eat what we brought though. That dragon meat's expensive, and I don't want to waste it all here. Rowan thought to himself, climbing out of the tent and beginning to cook some food.

His jacket began to float in the breeze as the man stood at the plateau, watching the bot he set up over the fire cook some pork. Bacon, eggs, it was all pretty simple to cook. It was not like he was some master chef like the Trinity family seemed to be. No, Rowan was more on Natalia's level of skill when it came to preparing food... but she was slowly outclassing him as time went on. Should I just enjoy whatever this is until she goes back to normal? It's not bad, really. She's... kind of endearing in a way. Is this what Blake wants from me though? Does she want me to act honest and open like her... "other self" is acting towards me? Is that what you're supposed to do in a relationship? Maybe I should... act on my impulses a bit more. Maybe that will show her that I care. Rowan thought to himself, carefully watching the food so as to not burn any of it. Once it was done, he placed a plate by the tent for Blake, trying not to wake her up still, and then moved over towards the dogs with the rest of the food. They seemed pretty happy to have a meal, and Rowan seemed willing to be friendly towards them.

~Rowan

After finishing breakfast, Rowan decided it was probably best to head out for the two of them. It did not take long for him to deconstruct their campsite, leaving on the campfire spot behind for any other wandering adventurer to use should they cross into this mountain's territory. After finishing up, the man climbed onto his wolf and helped Blake climb onto it as well if she felt like riding with him. After yesterday, Rowan was not too sure how Blake would react to riding with each other. Would she be embarrassed, angry, or simply not care at all? Before she had acted any different, the woman was not trying to stop him from holding her as they rode. So maybe it was fine if they were to ride together again. His heart sort of beat a bit less as he remembered the way she held onto his arm. Was that romance? Was that the feelings of love when your heart stops beating as much when you think about the other person? These thoughts only served to frustrate Rowan as the two of them began to head out, the wolves eagerly moving forward to find whatever prey they would undoubtedly come across.

Unfortunately for the creatures that they came across almost immediately, they were completely composed out of bones. Bones that dogs loved to chew on. Rowan was almost thrown off of his wolf as lights lit up in his wolves' eyes at the sight of the skeletons. The skeletons, in response, recognized the particular pack of wolves that they were traveling with and let out a screech. "Run for your lives, boys! The beasts are back! Protect your femurs!!!" Their skeleton leader called out, trying to turn tail and run as the wolves began to bound about happily, tackling the skeletons and tearing into their bodies with glee. What Rowan saw, however, was not malice at all. No, these creatures were just trying to chew on some delicious bones that they would, undoubtedly, bury as well. The sight, quite honestly, brought out a sigh from the man as his own wolf pinned their leader and began to chew on him rather enthusiastically. "Don't think you've won, beasts! We are the traveling swordsmen! We've wondered this land for ages! We'll find the treasure of the ancients for sure if we keep searching! You'll never hold us back!!!!" The skeleton shouted before he jaw was plucked off of his head by the wolf.

"This is just sad... I'm killing them all." Rowan announced as he lifted up his hand and snapped his finger, unleashing a hellish flame that increased in intensity and size until hit completely vaporized the skeletons that were running away. Undead were always weak to fire, so it was a pretty simple situation for someone like him who had fiery death attacks. "While I understand they just wanted to have a good time, we didn't have time for them to mess around. Plus, now the skeletons are gone forever, and their souls can rest in peace. That's your job right, to make others pass on whether or not they want to?" Rowan mentioned, turning his attention towards Blake as he unveiled his crude, absurd way of thinking about what their job entailed. Rowan had always been a rather forceful person, so it was no wonder that he could mess up the point of being a mediator between the living and the dead. "We should probably get going though. They mentioned something about a treasure, so there may be something on this mountain if that's the case." Rowan stated, leading the wolves away from the charred remains of the skeletons.

~Rowan

After the incident with the skeletons, Rowan's luck seemed to reveal itself as being just as crappy as it was the day before. Instead of coming across something interesting again, they were met with absolutely nothing. Well, there was one thing, difficult terrain to cross. Their wolves were sliding around on the mountain side as the reached the golden part, the rocks becoming more refined and smooth for some reason. This made it particularly difficult for the wolves' paws to stay on the mountain without slipping. "Of course it's just another day of difficulties. I don't know why I expected anything more from this place. I wonder if everything, even the mountain itself, is just as conniving as faeries are. that would definitely explain all of this terrible luck we're having." Rowan began muttering to himself, his words sounding darker and darker as he went on with his complaints. These things had an unusual way of getting to him... and right now his luck was being especially atrocious given the circumstances. "I hope we don't have any problem heading back home too... that'd be way too frustrating." Rowan muttered, not too keen on their return trip.

Eventually, their wolves managed to get a good grasp on how to climb about the mountaintop, and they were back to moving at full speed... well... as full-speed as they could with the wolves still watching their steps carefully. Seeing as how their was a lull in the action, Rowan turned his attention back towards Black, eying her carefully as he spoke. "I heard that there's going to be a school opening up soon, one that teaches people how to properly be a Mage-Knight pair. Eldrin's apparently funding it, and it's going to be put in Russia. You think we should probably go see what that's about? Or do you think that Carmillion would prefer to keep us, in particular, away from that school as much as possible?" Rowan speculated with her, letting out a light laugh for the first time in months as he thought about just how much Carmillion hated him... and quite possibly were angry with how popular Blake had become since coming into this new world. "They'd probably be furious to have the Genocidal Weapon, turn up at their shiny new school. Eldrin would be ecstatic though. The weirdos." Rowan stated, not even bothering to mutter the last part as he made his views of Eldrin very clear. Even if they treated him better, it was for reasons that he particularly detested.

"You're pretty popular though. I think you should go by it, maybe even to its grand opening or something. You're pretty much the face of Terrans everywhere, especially in Japan. Having an idol at their opening ceremony would definitely bring in a lot of students for them. They may even honor you." Rowan stated, smirking slightly as he thought about how well things were going for Blake. Did he really stand a chance of being able to stand by her side along the way when his very presence brought darkness and despair into people's hearts? Just his looks could probably give an ordinary person a heart attack... and he was supposed to be the man she loved. But... she wanted him by her side, forever right? Thinking about that, Rowan sighed a bit before adding one last bit to his statement. "I'll be sure... to be there if you go. A Mage can't be without her Knight, even if she's everyone's idol. Even if she's loved by the world." Rowan stated, not sure how to voice how he was feeling. There was joy in that she had finally become a woman capable of being loved and seen as a great figure in history... but there was some lament that he was the dark stain that followed that legacy. The demon within the light.

I would say you're lost, but we've had this discussion! Roll again with a -1

Congratulations! You've found an abandoned camp! Given how old and decrepit everything looks, it's been long left behind. Lucky for you, there's 100 gold here! Huzzah!