[REG] A Spring Maiden (Seth & Eve)

[Melodine Cantus]

Even as Jada's ball had ended, and it was already past midnight, Eve had declared that the night was still young, and reminded Seth, with a bright smile and a cute wink that he had promised to accompany her to see the Chamberlyn's garden. She was sure Jada wouldn't mind, and Szelem wouldn't make much fuss about it seeing that she thought highly of Seth... well at least she thought higher of the young man than of Marlo, although Eve was perplexed as to why. Perhaps she knew that Marlo Xanis attended Hillworth and thus turned up her nose and regarded him with a condescending look? It was the most likely conclusion she could come to, and Eve could only sigh because it seemed as though Jada was interested in Marlo. It would be a relationship that her parents, her mother especially, would object to. And such relationships were difficult.

Sigh, who knew the Xanis brothers both liked to get into such complicated romances? One would think Marlo, although the younger one, would have more sense, although she wasn't very sure that he liked Jada that way? That would be for later, when she got the chance to grill him.

Now though, her eyes were wide with delight at the beauty and magnificence of the Chamberlyn's garden, looking at the blooming flowers fondly. "It must be really hard to maintain such a large garden." She murmured softly, stopping only to breathe in the fresh air with a content smile upon her face. "And expensive of course, but that really isn't a matter for the Chamberlyns. Can you imagine how many gardeners they hire to tend to all these plants?"  

[Xaki]

He sighed, finally rid of the bustling crowd within the ballroom. There could have been other people or couples that had taken to wandering the garden as well, but for now, it was limited to Eve and Seth. He also appreciated the fresh, crisp night air, opposed to the stuffiness that had occupied the ballroom as well. It had taken all of his patience to behave and deal with that many people, including Jada's mother, and that ordeal with Jada and .. Marlo? Obviously, he didn't see why he was dragged into that problem, when it should have remained between the two of them.

The promise with Eve was the only thing keeping him here, since the ball had ended with the debutante's departure. The auctions were reaching their end, and some people had already begun to leave. However, Seth was a man who kept to his word, especially since he didn't make promises frequently nor lightly.

"It's nice." That was all he had to say about the garden since he wasn't the type to distinguish a pretty flower from an ugly one. As long as they weren't dead, did it really matter? But it looked beautiful, even to an objective view. "Countless gardeners." He said lightly, as he fingered a nearby flower petal. Their fragrance filled the air, and depending on the flower types, certain areas were heavily fragranced while others had a subtle scent. Nearby, there was the sound of running water. There was a fountain here as well.

"Do you have a garden at home?" Not as grandeur as the Chamberlyn's family's garden, but a garden, nonetheless.
 

[Melodine Cantus]

"Countless." She agreed, mindlessly echoing his words as she continued to examine each flower that caught her attention, breathing in their scent with delight. Eve didn't really have a favorite flower, even though most girls preferred roses. She just liked bright colors and the floral fragrance, and watching them bloom, all full of life.

"I do, actually." Eve answered as she made her way to the fountain and sat at the edge. "I don't really get to tend to it so often though, because I dorm at Crystal." And that was sad, because the only flowers she put in her room at Crystal, courtesy of Marlo, would wilt away in a matter of weeks and had to be replaced. Crystal Academy had a pretty garden admittedly, but she never had the chance to tend to the flowers there because of her busy schedule.  

[Xaki]

Seth observed the girl's unique preference for all flowers with mild interest, used to girls who loved glamor which usually meant roses. After all, what better way to show your love and wealth then a huge bouquet of roses?

While Eve rested on the fountain, Seth leaned against a nearby pillar, and crossed his arms, gazing at the garden. The occasional whisper of voices and laughter floating from the ballroom could be heard, but otherwise, it was filled with Eve's words. He listened in silence as she spoke. His glance finally rested on Eve and nodded. While he wasn't familiar with those exact set of circumstances, he knew how it felt to not have time for the things that you enjoyed.

"Do your parents take care of it now?" He remembered the man who had been glaring daggers at him, presumably Eve's father, shortly before they left. "Or is it dead?" That was quite the morbid, and sudden change.  

[Melodine Cantus]

"My mom does." Eve said, turning her attention away from the flowers to stare into her reflection in the fountain. Her father usually was busy attending to work, running events, parties, weddings, and making sure everything went perfect. It didn't mean that he didn't know how to deal with flowers though. He just was too busy to. "She doesn't really mind." Which was a good thing, Eve had told her mother, because flowers probably knew when they were tended to by someone who wasn't interested in them. They might not be pets, but they certainly were living things.

At the mention of the garden being dead, Eve's eyes snapped back up to look at Seth, blue orbs looking wide in mixed horror and amusement. "No! Oh c'mon, winter's over!"  

[Xaki]

A flitting white dove broke Eve's reflection upon the fountain, landing and splashing water on it's sudden arrival. "I didn't notice." But a hint of an amused grin manifested itself, showing that he knew full well what season it was.

He moved on topics easily though, onto the original purpose of coming to Jada's debutante ball. "Did you enjoy the party?" She hadn't had much of an opportunity to participate in other events that had been held, and although Seth didn't mind, he didn't know if Eve had wanted to do something else there.

At the very least, the party had been.. interesting. Although not in the way that Seth normally enjoyed, which probably wasn't suitable for any party, it had given him a glimpse into Destiny City's current occupants. He wasn't the socializing type, but it was important to know, and utilize useful information if the situation ever required it.  

[Melodine Cantus]

"If you didn't notice, you'd sweat to death wearing jackets and scarfs when summer rolls around." Eve returned the statement with another light tease, watching the dove for a minute before looking back at Seth with a grin on her face.

"It was nice." She said lightly, using her fingers to trail them across the surface of the water, making ripples. "Very elegant. Everyone looked so pretty! Or handsome, depending on your gender." Fun didn't exactly equate to being fashionable though. "Mrs Chamberlyn seems a bit...er... bossy though." Bossy over Jada's life, that is.  

[Xaki]

Seth's face was indifferent as if he had realized that Eve hadn't answered his question. "Mhm." The elegance that Eve spoke of was to be expected; Social events were where you looked your best after all.

When Eve spoke of Mrs. Chamberlyn, Seth wasn't surprised about Eve's take on her personality. As far back as he could remember, Mrs. Chamberlyn had always struck him as abrasive. On both her guests and her family. "That's how life goes within these type of families. The parents order, and the child obeys." His tone was slightly mocking, belying that he knew it well.

But he didn't stay on the topic of Jada since he didn't indulge in gossip. He looked in the direction of where the path continued on, turning to the young girl to ask, "Did you want to see some more of the garden? There's supposed to be a pretty gabezo deeper inside." His mother had requited tales of the structure, while Seth had been sitting on a couch in their living room and reading a book in his younger years. He had looked up to his mother, glasses perched on his nose while wondering with a ?_? expression, why his mother was serenading such stories to him.  

[Melodine Cantus]

"Parents order because they care." Eve answered smoothly, giving a small shrug. "Every child has probably resented their parents every now and then for giving them orders; hey, I have too, I admit. It is probably more demanding with families in high societies though." It seemed as though they were always scrutinized and always had to be on their best behavior or else. These families did have higher standards than what most families would have.

"A gazebo?" She perked up, back straightened and eyes sparkling. "I'd love to see that!" Eve stood from her seat, and cast Seth a gaze, raising an eyebrow with a cheeky grin. "I'll race you there!" Without even waiting for him to react, the blond girl had gathered up the train of her sequin dress and ran down the path.  

[Xaki]

Parents order because they care. How many times had he heard that saying? Still, Seth didn't want to stay on the topic. He merely closed his eyes, and opened them with a wry expression. He didn't understand her excitement. He was left behind in Flora's haste, wondering what was so special about a man made structure meant to sit. Was it any different from a bench? Or even a chair? He was gifted with the male's incapability of understanding a girl's mind.

"A race, huh." He raked back his hair, taking a glance towards the starry skies. He began to walk down the path, only a little while behind the young girl. Before soon, he caught up with the young girl. With his long legs, his stride was a farther then Eve's even despite the fact that she ran ahead. "Don't trip." His voice was no louder then normal, but in the silence of the gardens, it wasn't that hard to hear him.

"After all, you'd rip your dress." Woman were silly about their clothes. "And I'd imagine your father would have some complaints about that."
 

[Melodine Cantus]

It was good he didn't speak his thoughts aloud or she would have countered it with speeches of 'it's pretty!' and go on to substantiate her argument. Eve liked getting her way, getting her point across until the other stopped protesting, but for now she as just laughing and running after him, pouting a little that he was now ahead of her even though she had an early head start. If she was in senshi form, maybe she could overtake him, said a silly thought in her mind, but she shook it away.

"I'll be careful with it!" And she would; Eve would be very very distressed if she had indeed ripped her dress. Some dirt wouldn't be that bad, since it could be washed out. But rips? Eve wasn't any good at sewing. She had tried, but it usually looked quite horrible, and she hadn't the patience. "My dad would wonder what you did with me." She teased, as they neared the gazebo, stopping to catch her breath.  

[Xaki]

"That should be enlightening." Seth remarked dryly. Seth wasn't bothered by Eve's father, then the hassle of trying to explain to an irate father what he hadn't done to his daughter. That would go over well, wouldn't it?

His walk paused a few feet away from the young girl's, Seth taking the opportunity to relax in the open space. He took off his jacket, holding the fine silk in the cradle of his arm. The night breeze was refreshing, as he was no longer confined within the formal clothing. Night was his favorite time of the day, where one could let silence ensue and things drift away. Nobody expected anything.

"Hey.. Eve." He looked up at the night sky where stars glittered in pretty constellations, their view was unobstructed - much clearer then their previous spot. His gray eyes traveled backwards to Eve, resting upon her form. "Why me?" He was referring to his companionship at the party, the reason why she stayed with him. Seth knew what type of person he was, his violent and indifferent nature. He wasn't a sparkling conversationalist nor a particularly humorous person who could captivate people's attention. It wasn't that he was ashamed of it. In fact, Seth could have cared less about what people had thought about him, leaving that all behind a long time ago. But to draw someone like Eve? That was a mystery to him. "Coincidence?" That was a possible reason, them moving in the same circles and his interference that day.

He was merely curious about the reason from her perspective.  

[Melodine Cantus]

Eve laughed, in return with that tinkling giggle, gazing briefly up at the sky. She had a relatively ambiguous relationship with the night; she liked it because the stars and moon glowed prettily, but then again she sometimes dreaded it because of patrolling. There were no normal nights in Destiny City, at least not for those un-ignorant ones. But actually, right here, right now, she could actually forget all that and smile up at the night sky like she used to.

"Hmm?" Her eyes shifted to rest on him instead in slight puzzlement as he spoke his question. It wasn't the first time she'd had this question from someone else, actually, but it was rather surprising nevertheless. It made her wonder what exactly they perceived her as. What kind of people did they think she gravitated towards? "Why not?" She shrugged. "I've always found quiet people interesting. You never really know what they're thinking. I guess it's the opposites attract thing they all take about?"

"What about you?" Eve asked, stepping forward to draw closer to the gazebo. "Why would you let someone as talkative and annoyingly persistent drag you into doing this?"  

[Xaki]

"Opposites attract.." Seth seemed to muse over that with a somewhat thoughtful look in his eyes. He had heard that phrase before, but he had never taken it seriously. it had always been a trivial excuse to explain attraction, yet.. "..." Seth didn't continue. When Eve returned his question with hers, Seth returned it with not his puzzlement, but an unreadable expression. As if he was figuring out his feelings, but he had no words to express it.

His tall figure towered over Eve's shorter one, temporarily covering the night sky. "Because I'm interested." That was all Seth had to say with a rare smile. He stepped in closer to the young girl, not explaining his cryptic answer. Instead, he leaned in, and merely rested his forehead on her shoulder, his other hand wrapped around the curve of her neck. As it he were to embrace the young girl, but he was holding himself back on the brink.

"If you've seen enough, let's go now." His voice was quiet, "I'm tired." The smiling expression on his face softened his words, his gray eyes staring at Eve for a moment. And then he stood, ready to leave.  

[Melodine Cantus]

Eve liked using that phrase to explain why she hung out with the kind of people she usually did. 'Oh Daddy, you can't really expect me to hang out with chatty bouncy people all the time; everyone would talk and no one would listen! There's no fun in that!' She liked challenges. She didn't like being predictable.

Interested? She quirked an eyebrow and lips were about to part to echo this into a question, but then he had stepped forward, making physical contact, which made her freeze instead, a little puzzled at this action. She didn't know what to feel about this, didn't know how exactly she should feel, and was about to pat him on the back when he moved away, the warmth leaving her.

"And I thought you were the kind of guy who didn't mind staying up." Eve joked, a smile in return. It was nice to see Seth smile, and for the few days that she had known him, he hadn't done that much.

Well, there were many more days ahead for her to turn frowns into smiles!