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 Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:21 pm
It was yet another weekend Crystal had not worked. Having been nearly a month since the cafe had opened, she was almost starting to get used to not being at the store everyday, although it still struck her as strange to have nothing to do. The woman found herself with a lot of time on her hands, and as such, was trying to find some way to put that time to use. The summer nights gave way to many a chance to do so, bringing about one of her favorite past times; the summer festivals.
It wasn't really a festival, although she had often referred to it thusly as a child, and so it stuck in her mind. This was the time when many merchants and tradesmen came through the heart of the city, stopping in Cyrus Square to peddle their wares for a few weeks before continuing on their journey. Many of these people sold exotic and rare things, from clothing, to spices, to pets. Those passing through would put up their small carivans, small wooden wagons and booths, stringing old fashioned lights between each standee so that the Square was embraced by the flicker of lanterns, not unlike small stars in elegant glass. Foreign music lilted in the background, jaunty tunes played on old and classical instruments, added to the feeling of being half the world away from the ordinary.
Crystal loved this time of the evening, this place and these people. Some of the peddlers knew her from previous years, and some were new friends to make. As she walked through the prepared goods in a delicate lavender gown with flowers embroidered upon the breast and hem, bathed in the gentle light, she felt exhilerated. There were so many new smells, new sights and new feelings, it made her feel alive to know so much existed outside of her own world.
Her hair was let down in loose curls, and she wore no adornments save for a ring on her right hand. She made her way to a cart that was vendoring cooking goods, namely spices. Her delicate fingers lighted over the hand-labeled bottles, stopping over one titled "Saffron" before plucking it into her palm to take a better look.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:39 pm
Against his better judgement, Qadir had decided to venture out of his house once more, his wounds still as fresh as the day they'd blossomed against his skin. A high necked jacket was worn to cover the bandaged chest on the side of his neck but it was left to drape over his left shoulder as the arm was trapped within a black sling that hugged the appendage to the chest. The sling was fairly special as it couldn't very well tie about his neck what with the other wound there, but it kept his arm secure and made sure the broken bone set about to healing.
The black coat fluttered lightly behind him as he walked and he debated about turning right about to grab a different coat as the one he was wearing was stitched with his family's coat of arms and it, unfortunatly, marked him as one of higher status. Something he enjoyed avoiding. The only thing that kept him from going back was the knowledge that the only other coats he had were currently stained with his own blood and stuffed into the trash can.
Qadir stood at the edge of the events, watching the bustling of street vendors so dedicated to their job that they'd stay out so late and risk the magics of the night to impress their customers. The area was still more crowded than he would have wanted to venture into, but he spied the whisk of a lavender dress that looked all too familiar to him and he couldn't help but venture deeper into the hustle and bustle of the fair.
"It doesn't smell as good as the flowers you tend to every day my dear," he said softly as he'd snuck up behind her so that his whispered voice could only be heard by the ear lost within dark curls could hear. Reaching out he plucked the saffron from her hand and peered at it curiously before smiling and placing it back into her hand. "Hello Crystal."
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:53 pm
It was that time of the year again, where all the nobles were gathered at someone's mansion for a summer gathering. His mother had gone ahead of him, leaving the young man strolling on his horse by himself. Although he admit that he rather liked being by himself...away from his mother, who had became increasingly harsh to him after that night's incident. In fact, he was fortunate that his mother didn't drag him to go along in her noble cart, as that would be even more embarrassing to the ladies. His mother had noticed that for sure, which was why she allowed this exception. Even so, he felt pressured, and that he must hurry to his destination.
Irene stopped short at Cyrus Square, however, as the warm sunlight of the afternoon seeped through his elegant cloak and clothings underneath. There he stood, on his horse, looking slightly confused. He enjoyed the warm sunlight, and was reluctant to leave it. Yet it was the festival-like air that caught his attention. He watched as people walked back and forth, excited and chattering. They looked...happy. Which made Irene frown. He had realized that he had became increasingly interested in the lower class folks after the encoutering with Crystal, and her actions clashed with his common beliefs. He felt rather comfortable with her, and he had no doubt that it was only because of his mother's rule that he couldn't have lingered in the common's world longer. What was so different from him and these happy folks? Irene couldn't tell, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt the noble court strange in and out of itself. And Irene knew he was becoming rebelious...thanks to that girl.
Huh, that girl. Irene's eyes suddenly caught a famliar figure among all the people. He snickered to himself, mocking the fact that he could find her so easily. Her dark and long hair, her movements...and...
Who's that beside her? Irene felt a slight twitch in his chest. The young man stayed where he was, observing the two. Somehow, he hoped that the man (who was dressed exceptionally well for a commoner) was merely a shop owner of sort, and that he was only greeting the girl out of politeness...
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:09 pm
Crystal turned her head slightly at the murmured words in her ear, spinning around in full as the spice was so deftly removed from her own hand. A grin lit her face quickly and with ease at the sight of the man by her, a little giggle even managing to escape her. As he pressed the spice back into her hands, she caught his hand with her other one, so that she could hold it even though the spice was between their palms. A soft clacking noise could be heard as part of the ring connected with the glass. "You weren't supposed to see that," she chided him playfully. "Hello Qadir," she greeted him in her quiet and musical voice, her grin softening into a warm smile. "It's so good to see you."
She opened her mouth to add something, and visibly snapped it shut. No, she wouldn't ask how his arm was. She'd promised she wouldn't, and even though it was a new night, her word to him still held. Her thumb automatically ran over his hand in a gentle caress, imparting the joy that she felt at seeing him since she couldn't very well hug him just yet. Crystal lowered her eyes from his face to take in his attire, arching a slender brow in appreciation. "You look nice tonight. Not that you don't look dashing on a nightly basis, but black is always so good on you." The words barely left her mouth before she was blushing; she had already managed to fluster herself, and she hadn't even been speaking to him for five minutes.
Biting her lip with a grin, she took a step back and carefully picked up the skirts of her dress with the hand gripping the spice - her free one still holding his - and turning around a little. "What do you think?" she asked him, her voice holding such obvious delight for her gown, "It's perfect." While Crystal wasn't a big girl in terms of size, she filled the dress nicely, and it really was flattering to her dark hair and misty eyes. She was a little embarrassed that he had caught her out in it, but she was also pleased, and that showed far more than her blush.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:19 pm
Lifting a brow he looked down at their hands cupping the container of saffron. "What exactly was I not supposed to see?" he asked curiously, about to pull his hand back to take another look at the item as if it were suddently something very important that he couldn't have possible absorbed in such a short glance that he'd taken earlier. The sound of her ring against the glass had also caught his attention and he noticed it as the one he'd given her, but he didn't make any vocal comment on it.
"Certainly my outift pales in comparison to the one you have on tonight my lady. If you don't mind I dare say I picked out the single most...perfect dress for you Crystal. You look simply ravishing," Qadir said, leaning close and letting his last words be but a soft murmurr under his breath for her to hear. Oh yes, he could simply eat her up looking as good as she did tonight, playing up his ego like she was. He didn't make any comment on his own attire like she had, he knew he was dressing nicer than usual but he didn't need to worry her with letting her know it was because he'd bled through almost all of his clothes.
Moving in closer, Qadir plucked the item out of her hands and placed it back on the cart she'd taken it from. Pulling her closer he slipped his good arm about her waist and helped her to move along. He felt eyes on him and he wanted the feeling gone, fast, so he was going to do what he did best. "Let's find something beautiful I can buy for you, hmm?" he suggested with a small laugh and a wide smile for the girl. Clearly he was in better spirits than the night he spent at her house.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:37 pm
Now what were they doing now? Irene narrowed his eyes, frowning. He didn't like the feeling of it, the way the two seemed to intimate, how they made physical contact... Instinctively the young man lowered his glance and looked away, trying to shake off what he had seen. And when the feeling didn't go away Irene bit his lips. His eyes compelled to look again. Feeling a surge of panic from his chest the young man held tight on reins, trying to fight off this undesired feeling. How did this feeling surfice anyways? Crystal was friendly, but...it was her freedom to do whatever she wanted. And from the way it looked, Irene woudln't feel surprised if the man was courting Crystal...someone that she likes...
He should go on. Irene sighed. That was the only way to shake off this feeling. For some reason he didn't want to linger here any longer, and perhaps going to the summer gathering was a better choice after all.
With that thought and a strange bitterness, Irene released the rein a little, trying to relax.
And it was perhaps because of the sudden release, or it could be because of little children playing around the large creature. The well polished, red maned horse suddenly shot up his front legs, obviously alarmed by somethingin the surrounding. Caught off guard, Irene let out a yelp before being tossed backwards. The smooth saddle in which he sat in failed to protect its master from falling, and the young man landed to the ground, on his back, with his head barely touching the hard tiles as Irene arched his neck as far front as he could to prevent any lethal injuries.
The blow came in suddenly and hard, however, and the young man found himself paralyzed by the pain surging from his spine.
"Argh..." Irene groaned. Partly from the embarrassment that he, a noble, fell from horseback in midst of lower class people.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 6:52 pm
"Wait! That's--hey!" Crystal was laughing, unable to fight Qadir and his gentle insistance. She snuggled carefully against his side, choosing not to retort to his compliments of her on fear of really embarrasing herself, scoffing, "I think you've done quite enough! You needn't get me anything; your presence now is--"
She stopped talking when she heard the yelp. She could hear it over the chatter of the gathered, over the playful music in the background. Crystal had heard that cry more than once, and she would no sooner mistake who it belonged to than the night she found Qadir outside her home. "Wait," she barely whispered, turning her wide eyes in the direction the sound came from. There was a horse near by, but not close enough she could see what became of its rider, which was probably the cause of the people ducking down and trying to help whoever was on the floor.
It couldn't be.
"Just...just a moment," Crystal looked up at Qadir apologetically, moving with great reluctance from his side, giving his hand a gentle squeeze before turning towards the souce of the commotion. Her grey eyes peered between shoulders and arms, widening as they caught site of a familiar face. "My Lord!" she called out in alarm, slipping between the people around him and kneeling by his side. He looked dressed as he did that night a few months ago...
With a rough shake of her head, the woman reached out to touch his forehead, trying to get him to look at her so she could see his eyes. "My Lord?" she asked quietly, very mindful to call him by his title in the midst of...her people. Irene hadn't even been back in her life for thirty seconds after having disappeared for over two months, and she was already reminded of their status. "My Lord, are you all right?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:04 pm
Qadir kept his arm snug about the beautiful girl beside him, his amber eyes flitting about the stands as each merchant tried their best to sell the couple some item or other. Nothing really caught the man's gaze, but he was really just going to wait and see if there was something Crystal became overly girly over and then he'd know just what to get her. But it seemed like Crystal had other plans for the night.
As the woman apologized and slipped away, Qadir watched silently before shrugging and turning to look at the closest cart to him. Whatever it was or whoever it was that Crystal was rushing to, she had a reason and it wasn't really the vampire's place to go butting into it. He'd simply hold a conversation with this...well...he wasn't exactly a looker but he was someone to talk to.
It wasn't like Qadir had come here hoping to run into Crystal, he'd come out with a specific purpose and he'd get what he came for whether the woman was by his side or not. Peering at the things spread out upon the cart he shook his head and moved on to the next one, not bothering to look back to see what Crystal was doing. With a low whistle he waited for a black bat to perch upon his shoulder before diving into a almost silent conversation with the little thing.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:15 pm
Ah darn it.
Irene shut his eyes when he heard that familiar call from that familiar girl. He had her on his mind, but now...he wished she didn't exist beside him, not with him like this, all awkward and painful.
But she came anyways, somehow. Was his voice really that loud? He must have shocked a lot of people around here. He would hear folks whispering about him, trying to help him up. A few of the hands were on his sleeves. Lower class's hands. Irene shivered at the thought, and instinctively rejected the hands that was offered to him. Those hands hesitated, confused at the rejection, and then she came in, asking about his well being.
Irene opened his eyes again. He winced at the pain, but managed a smile on his face, which he gave to Crystal.
"Why, hello there, my lady. A pleasure to see you here--aw!"
Irene blamed himself for not able to hold back his painful sensations.
"Aw---I apologize for showing myself before you in a state like this." The young man tried to laugh, but his face was buried in hurtful expressions instead.
Irene wasn't sure if the expression came completely from the fall.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:29 pm
The woman frowned just the slightest at his refusal for help. What was it with the men she knew and their rejection of support? Her frown slipped into a sigh as the man tried to be formal in the most unformal situation possible. "It's just me," she murmured to him quietly, carefully taking his arm and trying to stand with him.
Crystal looked at the young noble with an expression mixed between sterness, elation and confusion. He had disappeared from the face of the planet for a handful of months, leaving her with no indication that he'd ever see her again; while she was happy to see him, she didn't understand what he was doing here, in place that she knew he would feel was so beneath him. Even looking at him now, she could remember his expression of horror at his mansion, how they had fled through the night, how he wouldn't really open up to her...
...not unlike the man she had left behind to come to Irene's aid. The woman turned around to see if he had followed, pursing her lips a little to see that he hadn't. Crystal looked back to the young noble, giving him time to collect himself; of course, she didn't see that she had done anything that would cause him pain. After all, Qadir was also a noble...
The flower girl partially covered her face with one hand, the cool metal of the ring soothing upon her cheek. Grey eyes watched Irene wearily, uncertain of what to do, with their class so prominantly displayed for all to see. "You owe me no apology, my Lord. To what do we owe this honor?" Crystal felt so stiff at the formalities, but there was little else she could do.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 7:42 pm
Irene felt himself being supported by Crystal's slender arms and shoulder. They felt familiar, yet strange to him. Perhaps it was in the middle of all the crowd, perhaps it was because of his fall. Her presence didn't felt as comfortable as he'd have imagined. Or maybe it was just because he hadn't seen her for so long...how long had it been? Crystal, surely her life had gone on, making new friends and...
Now he felt like he didn't change at all, which was making him somewhat angry. More to himself.
"Thank you my lady." The young man whispered, trying his best not to look at the girl's face. When he finally couldn't resist, his first glance was caught by the shimmering subject that hang on Crystal's finger. Did that thing exist before? Irene wasn't sure if he noticed. The ring certainly didn't look like something cheap, and Irene suddenly had a chill running down to his spine, telling him things in the worst possible ways.
Deciding that he wasn't about to make any assumptions, Irene smiled faintly. "We? You and me, or you and your friend over there?"
Oh, darn it. He knew he couldn't stop himself from revealing the fact that he had been watching her.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:02 pm
"We, the people of--" Wait. Did he just say...your friend over there? Crystal turned to look to where 'over there' would be, finally catching sight of Qadir's tall form. When she turned back to Irene, her eyes were huge. "You've been watching me?" Her voice was very quiet, enough that the noble may not have heard her at all. She blinked at him a few times, her face frozen in shock and some other undefinable emotion that she herself didn't know. It felt like a mix of guilt and anger.
Guilt for what? Enjoying herself with Qadir? That she hadn't taken steps to try and see if Irene was okay? Crystal's hand snaked out to grab Irene's, starting back towards Qadir and letting his hand slip from her grasp. If he didn't want to follow, he didn't have to, but that's where she was going. She didn't like the feeling of uncertainty that was creeping into her skin, of the sudden lack of warmth that she felt. If only she understood him and his intent better, perhaps she wouldn't be so skittish around Irene.
The vampire, were he to look at Crystal as she returned, would see the unusual expression of sadness upon her face. "I'm sorry, Qadir...I hope you can forgive me." Whether she was referring to dashing off or to the man that could be following her was unclear. She looked up to Qadir wearily, starting to say something else when she spied the bat on his shoulder. The look on her face evaporated into a gentle understanding as she pieced together the bat from the night he returned and the bat on his shoulder. She looked as though she might say more, but stopped once again, looking back towards Irene.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:12 pm
The vampire, still very deep in conversation with the bat on his shoulder, was inspecting a dagger being sold by one merchant who felt it was necessary to tell him about all the magical enchantments on the blade. Too bad for the man that Qadir could tell there were no such things on the dull kitchen cutter. Putting the knife back down the man shrugged slightly, obviously favoring both his shoulders as he did so. Time to look at another cart he decided as he thanked the man for his time and turned to start again, only to find Crystal and another man behind her.
At first that sad look made Qadir's heart feel like it was being torn in two, but she quickly replaced it and he didn't chase the subject. It wasn't his place to go pestering the poor girl about what had just transpired, especially if she was still strong enough to replace that forlorn expression with one a great deal more flattering for her soft features.
"Ah, forgive you for what my dear? You've given me the time I needed to find myself another dagger for my next mission. My friend Almach was just helping me pick one out but unfortunately for the both of us none of these merchants are selling quite what we're looking for. He says hello by the way of course," Qadir finished with a bright smile. The vampire was a bit more talkative than usual, but for once he was sounding more like a normal human being with his tongue out of the honey pot.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:20 pm
Irene allowed himself to be dragged by Crystal, even though his back was still burning with pain (mother would have to check on him if he had broken some bones, which he hoped not). He didn't say anything either to Crystal's questions. He didn't want her to know that he was watching. But now that the cat is out of the bag, he couldn't do anything about it. He didn't have a reason other than the fact that he just happened to be passing by, and that he spotted her by chance, and that he got unreasonably uncomfortable seeing Crystal talking with another man...this man that was in front of he and Crystal now.
Irene ducked his head and kept them low as the two was talking. He didn't...want to be here.
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Posted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 8:31 pm
"For...your next mission?" Crystal maintained a neutral expression, but her face seemed to pale a bit. "I...I see. Ah, this is Lord Irene Jewell," she extended a hand to touch the noble's shoulder, "my Lord, this is Qadir Xi." As with Irene, she reached out to touch Qadir's good hand, before clasping her hands in front of her stomach. It seemed that the lack of title on Qadir's name was glaringly obvious, but she also knew and respected the man's feelings. Likewise, she knew to address Irene with his proper title, knowing well that he took pride in his standing. She wasn't sure she could possibly feel any stranger, although she didn't know why.
So, to not think about the strange feeling, she did the next logical thing and turned to look at the bat on Qadir's shoulder. "And this charming fellow is Almach?" Her grey eyes flitted to Qadir's in question, as if to ask if she was pronouncing it correctly. Looking back to the bat, she grinned at it as though it were an old friend. "Good evening, Almach. Can I interest you in some snacks? There's a nice grill over there, or...oh, look at the bugs around the lanterns! What sounds good?" The flower girl was giggling, as if she had completely forgotten the two men with her, lifting a hand near her chest in case the critter was actually able to understand her and wanted a perch.
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