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 Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:58 pm
After a long afternoon of training, Dex spent his downtime at the beach. Sitting on a large rock smoothed by the water's touch, he looked out over the ocean. He loved the view. It was such a soothing sight. Much better than the endless sands that used to be his view.
Despite it being soothing, his stomach ached as well. Ever since arriving... he'd felt like a stranger. Matori... wasn't home. It hurt to think such a thing, after Shikori had told him such wonderful things. It was nice here, but he felt like he was forcing it.
However, Oba wasn't his home, either! He idly spun his shield on its edge, lips pursed slightly in thought. What was the answer?
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 2:15 pm
Everything seemed to gleam after a morning rain. Shadiya smiled as she skipped over rocks scattered along the beach. Her training under the Matori dancer was coming to an end and the girl was eager to see what the rest of the world had to offer her. Unfortunately, that meant leaving this scenic area. I wonder how Dex will react? Fortunately it had appeared that the companions, despite their different paths, had managed to stay in the same village. Both training...just in their own ways. Would this be their final time together then?
The thought made the girl pause.
Did she want to leave Dex? She had been prepared to travel alone and even had traveled by herself for the first part of her journey, but now...she had grown pretty used to the company. It won't be the same. The thought dispirited her. Should she linger a bit longer and hope that Dexurn's path would take him out of Matori as well? But this was his home...she had no right to ask him to leave.
Sighing, Shadiya just shook her head. I'm just being selfish. She could be solo, that was fine. Right? As she walked, the familiar figure of Dex came into view. Oh? Then he was taking a break as well! Not that it was surprising, she was getting used to stumbling into him here on occasion. Not wanting to worry him with her sulky mood, Shade ran across the sands to reach him.
Without much warning the girl closed the distance between them and swung her arms around him, "Dex!" Laughing Shadiya peered towards him mischievously, "Did I startle you?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 2:31 pm
The approaching steps were lost to his wandering thoughts. The sudden arms around him certainly caught his attention though. He gasped sharply, flinching and dropping the shield while his heart leapt into his throat.
...He wasn't going to be a warrior any time soon.
"Of course you did!" he gasped out, though he couldn't help laughing. Anyone could startle him rather easily. Shadiya managed it quite often with her enthusiastic, surprise greetings.
Shadiya.. What would she do? "Can't you train to do some sort of stomping dance so that you can't sneak up on me every time?" he asked playfully. "You're too light on your feet for my heart to handle."
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 2:41 pm
If Dexurn wasn't so adorable when she startled him then perhaps Shadiya would have felt a bit of guilt. Still, she couldn't resist laughing as she pulled back to smile at him, "I could consider buying a few bells to wear for you." She teased, "But with the way you like to lose yourself in thought I doubt those will help much."
The rogue bumped him with her hip before settling to sit down next to him. It was natural to her at this point to share space with Dexurn and she didn't mind the feeling of their bodies sitting so close to each other, "So...do you see anything out there?" She glanced towards the ocean, "Did you two have a good conversation without me?" Honestly, if she had been here before him the Matori probably would have found her in the same position. She had so much to think about lately....both Sauti and Tale felt like leagues away. And to go back through Oba? The thought truly scared her. Not that she hated her home country, but the fact that her uncle could still be searching for her sent chills down the young woman's spine.
Blinking, Shadiya focused back on Dex. "It really is a beautiful scene." The sun would be setting soon as well. It was that moment she loved the most with all of the colors dancing along the waves.
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:01 pm
"They'd help a little," he replied with a little smile. Unconsciously, his hand went to touch his throat. Not long ago, he taken the collar with the little bell off... He was no slave, anymore.
Looking back at the ocean, Dex smiled sadly. "There's a lot out there to see. Maybe not right now, but it can be seen." He shook his head slightly, "and I've had better conversations in my time." He looked over at Shadiya, and his smile softened. She really was a beautiful scene.....
Cheeks suddenly burning, he turned his attention to his shield, picking it back up to spin some more. "The ocean can really only offer one bit of advice.... and I'm thinking about taking it." He took a deep breath. "Shade.. what are your plans? I mean, with everything going on with your family, are you wanting to stay in Matori, or keep on moving?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:12 pm
His movement hadn't escaped the girl's notice as she remembered all too clearly what used to be around his neck. Oh, right. Shadiya's smile flickered before she shook the thought away, "I'll put some around my ankles for decoration. It would make a nice chime whenever I jump into the air~Perhaps I could hire someone to fanfare my arrival as well so you might have more of a chance to catch me before I attack." Her gaze lit up playfully at the joke.Now that would be an interesting scene.
"Ah." She wasn't exactly certain, but she did know that the oceans seemed boundless. Yet, even the deserts at one time had seemed the same. Perhaps there was more waiting for them on the other side of those rolling waves? Beyond even the islands...Yael had just been found after all. So who knew what else there could be?
"Well, don't tell the ocean that." Shadiya laughed though she almost raised an eyebrow at his obvious blush, "Oh?" She had almost commented on his strange reaction before his next question caught her off guard, "My plans?" Her gaze finally fell and the girl found herself glancing away, "Honestly, I've trained all that I can with Eura, I mean I could stay years here and continue practicing...but she wants me to travel. The best experience a dancer can have is the experience of exploring the world. I wanted to learn all of the dances since every area has something different to offer so it's my best choice." She sighed, "I was going to linger here longer until I felt the courage to go. It seems pretty daunting now that I've gotten used to the comforts given to me here." Her gaze flickered towards Dexurn. He was the one most included in those comforts. Who knew she would feel so close to the stranger she had bumped into on the road?
"What about you? This is your homeland, aren't you wanting to stay here?"
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 4:52 pm
Dex chuckled lightly. "Having all that might startle me more than warn me."
His golden eyes had turned back toward the ocean, watching the cresting waves while Shade talked. He was in a similar boat as she was, needing more experience elsewhere in his chosen field. She wanted to travel everywhere though. He wasn't sure what he wanted yet...
Naturally, the question was returned to him. He hesitated a moment.. "It's weird. I know this is home in the sense of my parents were born here, and I resemble the people here, and I grew up dreaming about being here in Matori... but it doesn't feel like home." He stopped spinning his shield now, letting it balance on its edge. "I was wondering... Would you mind if I tagged along a little more with you?" He glanced to Shade, and the bashfully back to the shield. "It's okay if you say 'no.' After all, I trip if I try anything graceful. I don't wanna make you look bad."
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:05 pm
"That's even better." Shadiya winked mischievously before leaning back on the rock. This was nice. A quiet evening to relax and spend time with a friend. A few years ago she would have never dreamed that this would be possible, but now here she was. What a life.
She didn't understand why, but waiting for his answer made her nervous.
Biting the inside of her cheek, the girl watched as Dexurn hesitated. What was it? A faint frown creased her brow, "No?" Was Oba then his home? That didn't seem right either...it was similar to Shadiya's own feelings. She didn't feel like Oba was truly her home, home. The walls of her house had good memories, but her uncle had tainted those and made it a prison instead. Perhaps in the future should something happen...but for now she was a wanderer. The thought both excited and scared her.
Puzzled, Shadiya blinked at Dexurn. "What did you just say?" His words slowly registered in her mind and after a pause her frown instantly lit up into a smile, "Of course!" Without thinking the girl moved forward and wrapped her arms around the Matori to hug him. She did frown, however, as she pulled back with her arms still lightly around Dex to gaze at him, "Klutz or not you're my friend. I was actually worried about traveling without you. Silly, right?" She gave a small laugh before realizing how close their faces were.
"Oh." Pulling back with what may have been a faint flush, the girl shook her head. "But do you really want to tag along? I don't even know where my path ends...I'm thinking Sauti and Tale are next...maybe Jauhar eventually as well...I don't know if I can survive Zena just yet." She laughed quietly at the thought. She would definitely freeze there! Still nothing seemed as daunting anymore. It was nice knowing that Dex wanted to continue traveling with her.
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:47 pm
Dex flinched slightly at her question. Had he offended her with his request? Of course he had! He was stupid to think- He flinched again, gasping and turning red as Shade hugged against him. He was so confused!
Friend... That's right. They really were friends. ..Maybe it wasn't so confusing? "Well, I didn't want to travel without you, so I guess we're both silly," he said with a little smile. His own cheeks remained dark in their usual state, though the color to Shade's surprised him.
It was probably just an effect of the sunlight.
He turned his shy gaze to the shield again, brow knitting slightly. "Shade... I was taught enough in Oba to do what was expected of me. Nothing there taught me about being outside of that town I grew up at. It's only through the help of others that I've survived this long. With you, I feel like you've shown me how to live my life, rather than just survive it. I want to keep learning from you, and with you. I don't know my path's end either, but it'll be easier to find with you there."
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:10 pm
A laugh escaped Shadiya, "As long as we're silly together." Her chest felt lighter now. She didn't understand it fully yet, but the idea of losing Dex scared her. It was like she finally had found a family again and without him she was on her own...it would be like losing her parents all over again. That was the last thing she ever wanted.
"Dex..." Shadiya was actually at a loss for words. The fact that he thought so highly of her role in his life touched her heart. There was so much that she had wanted to say, but now it was lost in emotion.Tears brimmed in her eyes as she reached over to hug him again, "Thank you so much." Squeezing him against her, the girl was half-laughing and sobbing, "I'm so glad! I really was worried about losing you...I mean...I just don't know how to go about without you. We're partners in this okay? We can teach each other and we'll have each other's backs along the way. The world won't know what to do with us!"
Pulling back she wiped her eyes, "Maybe I'll even teach you some dance..." Trailing off she lowered her hands with a faint smile, "It might help your gracefulness with that shield."
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:32 pm
Dex smiled lightly. They could certainly be silly together. They'd both been silly enough to think they could leave Oba, so why not think they could go somewhere else?
He almost panicked when he saw the tears start to form in Shade's eyes. What'd he done?! He hugged her back firmly, trying to sooth her until he heard her soft words. ...Thank you? He could feel the warmth in his chest spreading through him. No one else had ever shown such concern for him, or desire to have him around. No one since Shikora. He'd made friends, but everyone ended up parting ways. Shadiya wanted to stay... Who would have ever guessed... "Partners," he promised in return, "the whole way."
He laughed as dance was brought up, his hand rising to help wipe a couple tears from Shade's cheek. "If you dare try," he said playfully.
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:13 pm
"I'll hold you to that." Shadiya sniffed before wiping away more tears. She always had been an expressive one, but this was the most she had let out since leaving Oba. If she wasn't careful the rest of the tears would start spilling out. That was the last thing she wanted! She didn't want to scare Dex with a sudden flood of emotion.
Though when he personally wiped her cheeks the girl almost lost it. How long had it been since someone had comforted her like this? The emotions brought the faintest blush back to her face, "I do dare try." Twisting to her feet, the girl laughed. "Come here and we'll start our 'lessons'." Jumping, she landed on the ground and stretched a hand out towards Dexurn.
"Ready?" She winked teasingly as she stood there waiting for him.
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Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2016 7:55 pm
Dex didn't quite understand why he was so happy that Shade wanted him around. It was more than just being excited to have a friend...
He looked up with wide eyes as Shadiya took on their voiced challenge. He started laughing, and then realized she was serious. "I don't know about this," he said, smirking lightly as he stood. Shade was smiling, so who was he to resist? "I don't want to be the reason you can't dance after stepping on your foot or something."
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Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 2:20 pm
Shadiya waggled her eyebrows at him, "What are you scared?" She grinned, "I know dancing is a dangerous hobby, but I'll be here with you." For someone who actually fought it was amusing to see him clam up at the idea of dancing. Really though despite originally just teasing him the girl was feeling playful and in the mood for some dancing.
At his reasoning, Shadiya laughed. "No worries! I'll make sure to watch out for your feet. If all else fails you'll just have to carry me around for a few days while I nurse my bruised toes." Reaching up for his hands, the girl tugged him towards the shore. It was a nice evening with the sunlight decorating the sands around them and the girl was beaming with energy, "We'll just loosen you up a bit, nothing too difficult~" She winked teasingly before moving his arms up and down with hers, "Ready?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 12:35 pm
Dex snorted lightly. "That's one way to put it." The past was in the past. The present was now. Time to live it.
He laughed softly as he was tugged along, leaving his shield on the rock and out of the way. "Deal. You don't get to complain about them hurting though~" He watched his arms moving stiffly as Shade tried shaking them out. He made himself take a deep breath and let it out a few times, focusing on relaxing. "If you think so," he said noncommittally. It was only Shade. Hopefully, she wouldn't laugh.
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