GENERAL STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Saeki ☬ 1517 Lumiere Occupation: None at the moment Where: Jungle of Shattered Hearts With: His boyfriend Patrick Dating:Patrick Peterson Status: Curious, injured left wrist but healthy. Hiking with Patrick ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
CURRENT EQUIPMENT:
MH: His Katana OH: Armor: General clothing
110/120 HP Wallet: $1500
Once the young swordsman had given up on tying his hair he had just gone through it with his uninjured hand and then let it be. Untied it easily reached until his middle back. But at the same time the front locks were in his face a lot, even more so than when tied. It couldn't be helped for now. Saeki looked around them a bit with the new almost twilight like light and up at the movement of something only to smile a bit when he saw it was just a monkey. At least it wasn't completely dark. Where the sun did come through you could see plenty. The young man looked up at the building before them. This close by it looked even larger than imagined and they hadn't even ascended the step stairs yet. Carefully the young man stepped up the steps, knowing full well he was less likely to avoid a high fall now he had only one hand to stop himself with if he slipped. Of course he knew that his boyfriend would help too but if possible he wanted to avoid becoming a burden like that or worse pull him with. It would seem there were no accident waiting around the corner though as they got closer to the building. It looked intriguing and definitely seemed to fit the strange object they found.
When they finally reached the top of the steps, the young man leaned forward a bit to catch his breath from the steep climb, heat and the humid air. Even with his fit body and training he had to admit that, being just human, breathing was slightly difficult here in the jungle. His heart was running about a mile and this time not because he was close to his boyfriend, though they had the same effect on it. He even felt tempted for a moment to take off his shirt, but he doubted that would be a wise decision in this environment. Wiping his forehead, Saeki straightened up with a deep breath and looked up at the building they had made the climb for. Even in it's ruined state it looked imposing. The young man reached into his pocket with his right hand once more and took out the object they found earlier. Saeki walked closer to the building to see if he could find anything that might fit the object until his eyes fell on a small round indent on what seemed to be the doors. It seemed a fit so after looking at Patrick and giving them a smile, Saeki carefully made his way to the doors and with a slight hesitation he put the object in the door before he stepped back just in case. There was a sound of something moving, but the doors only moved a bit and then didn't budge any further. The young man blinked a bit and looked at it curiously while standing back next to Patrick. "Hm, I thought that would work. Think the mechanism is broken?" he asked and looked back at his boyfriend. Saeki had known some ruins back home that seemed to have complicated lock mechanisms, but some stopped working. Maybe this was one of those cases too.
IN HIS BAG
House Keys Wallet Strange Object
HIS SKILLS
Great Cook Very skilled with the Katana and Bo Staff Been raised like a modern Samurai
Patrick didn’t need the breather after the staircase climb because his daily exercise and past training prepared him for this sort of situation. Although the heat and humid air was causing the sweat around his head to dampen the hair of his hairline. Notice Saeki's smile and watch him head over to the doors. Tensed up a little by the sound of movement coming from the direction of the doors. Slightly relaxed when the movement stopped "Definitely smell the staleness of air wafting from the opening" he commented looking away from the doors. Looked to his boyfriend, "Would be hard to believe how hard they probably worked on it. Could need some greasing. Although it would be in their favor with hiding away their secrets and treasures" he answered him. "Even if there was another way in we're not prepared to go exploring a place with a lack of windows" he stated about their current unpreparedness. "However we could return on a different day now that we know it is here and where it is in the jungle so we will have what we possibly need next time" he proposed to him. "Ready to head on back or do you want to look around a little bit more?" he asked. "If need be you can lean against me while we're heading back" he offered nicely. Glanced around to stay aware of his surroundings especially with the sky starting to darken to evening time.
STATS ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆ ⊹⊱⋛⋋ Saeki ☬ 1517 Lumiere Occupation: None at the moment Where: Jungle of Shattered Hearts With: His boyfriend Patrick Status: Injured wrist but healthy, Curious, exploring with Patrick ⋌⋚⊰⊹ ❅❅❅❅☆═━┈┈━═☆
EQUIPMENT:
MH: His Katana OH: Armor: General clothing
When the doors didn't open it was slightly disappointing the young man had to admit that. But it didn't put his mood down because he had gained something much more wonderful out here in the jungle. He had heard how the other thought of him and now they were boyfriends. So even with this little sitback, Saeki couldn't feel saddened. It had been a much to wonderful day. With the doors obviously being a dead end, he supposed it meant their little adventure was over now. And it was getting pretty late... The young swordsman looked up at the sky, or what he could see of it, and it was starting to get dim in the jungle. He agreed it was best not to linger any longer. Saeki nodded at his boyfriend and smiled. "That sounds like a great idea. But you are right, for now let's go home." he spoke as he walked to his boyfriend. "It sounds like a tempting offer but I'll be alright. I wouldn't want to make it more difficult on you as well." he spoke about the offer to lean on the other and gave them a gentle smile and placed his right hand around Patrick's. Going home was for the best. "Thank you, for this wonderful day." he told them.
INVENTORY
Wallet: $1500
SKILLS
Great Cook Very skilled with the Katana and Bo Staff Been raised like a modern Samurai
Since Patrick was without a map of this island so he decided to go with the route leading to the edge of the island. "Okay. It was purely an offer and no ulterior motive behind it" he said half lying and looking off to the side, but he doesn't resist contact from him. He wasn't going to be insistent about it since he didn't want to cause a sour experience for his boyfriend. Everyone's needs before his own including his desires, rarely any exceptions. Now that the offer was declined he started heading back down the steps. "Nah, I should be thanking you for willingly to share this experience with me" he replied to being thanked. His pace was quick and precise and when he reaches the bottom then pauses for a moment and starts walking again leading the way out of the jungle. With the limited time and the limited visibility becoming more apparent there was no time to be slowing down to be chit chatting at the tail end of their hiking trip. Of course he couldn't go too fast with how tired he is and to avoid tiring out his partner. Made it back to the dock in a matter of an hour or two and slowed to a stop to parts ways from here. "About the jewelry shopping we could meet up at the farmer's market since it will be going on for one more day then head to uptown together" he told him and he was open to any changes to the plan from now to early morning. [exit]
"Night never ending The weapons we bring are our souls You know, You know You know what it means to feel real So rise up, claim the sky We fight, We fight Night never ending."
Drizyrr♞Zaulyl
They had camped at the second challenge Thursday night. It was rather dark, which made things difficult for her, and the heat had worn him out more than he would have liked to have admitted. Under the sound advice of wanting to be at full strength and peak condition for the next challenge whatever it may be, going to bed seemed like the best option. Driz found some smooth ground for them to spread the sleeping bag upon, removed the more cumbersome scimitar (keeping the daggers on him, of course,) then invited Ceres to lie down on the side closer to the path. He couldn't guarantee it, but he had heard tale of ancient magical lands, and it seemed the continuous theme was that one should always stick to the path. If that were the case, he wanted her to be close enough that even if she could not see in the dark, she could make it to the path quickly. Even in sleep he held her close, though any part of him she was not nuzzled against was sprawled out, trying to cool himself down as quickly as possible.
Nothing bothered them during the night. As day broke, he watched his beloved little flower stir, eventually awaking. "Good morning, my darling, did you enjoy sleeping out under the stars?" He certainly had. There were no stars visible in that great cavern in which he had been born and raised, only heights so great not even his nocturnal eyes could discover their mysteries. Only when he had come up with raiding parties had he ever seen stars before. Their beauty had nearly captured his attention for the whole night, save a firm hand upon his shoulder shaking him out of his reverie. But now, now he could gaze upon them any night of his choosing by merely looking out a window. It was a small blessing he found hard to articulate, but it was one of the greatest symbols he had for the absolute freedom and relief he felt since arriving here. He grabbed out the morning rations: basically granola bars and other such things that could be carried on the go. "Perhaps while I break up camp, you could read the challenge? Probably better to get working in the morning...feels like it's going to be hot again today." He felt so guilty, always finding excuses so that she had to read and explain things to her, but the shame of not being able to read the language despite having lived here for over four months was a heavier weight in his chest. Returning to the instruction plaque, now with all of their gear stuffed into a backpack which he was carrying, he asked Ceres what they were supposed to do.
"Our first impressions, huh? I may as well go first as hopefully you will find it funny. When I first saw you, in your true form gliding into the lake, I was terrified of you. I didn't know if it was your pond or you were just visiting, but it didn't matter either way. I was just a man, and you were a woman fully exposed without knowledge of my presence. And not just any woman, but a full-grown dryad! I couldn't even begin to fathom how powerful you are, and I just knew that the moment you discovered me I would suffer nature's wrath. It wasn't until we arrived at your cozy inviting house, that I even noticed how sweet, cute, and sexy you are. Looking back, it seems so ridiculous for me to have been afraid of you, but that is the truth." It was funny because of just how wrong he had been, but then again, one could see it as a trifle tragic that at the time he felt his actions qualified as an offense worthy of death. No matter what she said, he would be happy with her answer, after all, she was the one who brought a near-complete stranger home with her. Not only that, she had cared for him and begun teaching him about the world in which they lived. He doubted such reactions would have arisen if her first impression of him had been something horrible or horribly negative. The statue approved, and soon the path to the third challenge opened up.
With that task completed so easily, Drizyrr was feeling more and more confident that Ceres and he would crush all of these challenges. Though the further they climbed, the more he thought that perhaps the real challenge was making it up the stairs. Walking up stairs in general was no problem for him, and as far as physical conditioning was concerned, he could have climbed them all day. These days, his biggest problem was aching joints. And on this day in particular, the heat was sapping him of energy with every single step. It was embarrassing, but halfway up he had to request a short break out of the sunlight. His skin felt like it was on fire, his eyes burned constantly and sometimes lost focus for a minute, he was out of breath, and little rivulets of sweat flowed freely down his chest and back at a near constant pace. "Maybe the coming days will have mercy on me, and give us some rain and wind. It would be a welcome reprieve." He wasn't sure how long he rested in the shade, likely no more than an hour, but it was hard to say, but once his rest was over, he hauled himself back up, took Ceres's arm, and escorted her up towards the third challenge.
Finally arriving, he flopped down on the landing beside the plaque which read: "If you've come this far, you've begun to open the mentality of trust to the person you want to bestow your heart on. Very few things may shock you physically but... That isn't to say you know them completely. So, we ask that you both open your palms, stretch your fingers out, and hold up all of your current fingers. There are questions you must ask the other; personal questions only they would be able to answer through the transfer of possible embarrassment. Begin the countdown with questions from each of you until you both run out of fingers to count on. The key to this game is to ask the other embarrassing questions that will most likely surprise you in the end and distract you from your partner's Godly essence you've created for them. The game of: Never Have I Ever." He was short of breathe once more and decidedly weary, but he presumed whatever task lay ahead was probably more about emotions than feats of strength or agility. "Let me rest once more, I ask. Please, if you need a break come join me, or perhaps, if the challenge does not require us to stand, we might begin while resting?" Geez his dodges were getting less and less logical.
It took a bit of explaining for him to finally understand, for he had never even heard of the game, but at length he comprehended. "One for every finger? I imagine the powers that be would get annoyed if I only had to answer three, even if that would take care of all fingers..." He could move the two partials a little, but not enough to work like counters. This time Ceres would start, since she had a better understanding of the nature of the challenge. Ceres #1: Never have I ever run away from home. "I suppose I did when I went through that portal. Ok, for mine, never have I ever been charged with a crime." Ceres #2: Never have I ever been tricked into loving someone. "Same. Never have I ever been rejected for a date." Ceres #3: Never have I ever accidentally walked naked through a bustling town. "Me neither, though there were a lot of qualifiers there, weren't they? Anyways, never have I ever cheated on my partner." Ceres #4: Never have I ever had an addiction besides oranges. "Thank you for the caveat. Never have I ever publicly humiliated myself." Ceres #5: Never have I accidentally hurt/killed people. "Well, if we are only counting accidentally, then I can concur. Never have I ever been captured or kidnapped." Ceres #6: Never have I ever ditched classes or an event to avoid people. "I signed up for wars just to get away from people, usually my exes. Never have I ever harmed someone else through a spell failure. Not that my spells are particularly lethal anyway." Ceres #7: Never have I ever started a fight with a plant. "Mr. Prickles started ours, so it doesn't count. Never have I ever fallen in love with someone besides you." Ceres #8: Never have I ever cried over food. "Believe it or not, I have. Granted I was five and my sister was refusing to let me eat until I had managed to levitate myself to the ceiling and back to the floor smoothly. Never have I ever gotten lost in a place I had been before." Ceres #9: Never have I ever betrayed a loved one. It was great to hear from her, but he was required to reply, and it was a painful and shameful answer. In a small quiet voice he replied, "I have." There was a pause before he could continue. "Never have I ever stopped loving my children, no matter what they may do to me." Ceres #10: Never have I ever had trouble reading. Oh s**t, she had figured it out. He wasn't surprised per se, it was hard to hide, and many times on this little adventure he had thrown out flimsy excuses to get her to read things for him. But given the nature of the trials, it seemed it really was about time he confessed. "As you've figured out, I can't read this language. That's not to say I'm illiterate, I can read my native language, but this one...this one I just picked up during raids and wars on the surface and sometimes from prisoners we took. There really wasn't an opportunity to read it." It still sounded pathetic, but at least it was the truth. "Guess I should wrap this up then: never have I ever let a slight against you go unpunished." He wasn't about to expand upon it yet; he would let her have some time to figure out the depth of his comment first.
That...had been extremely embarrassing, to be honest, but it was necessary, and he knew in a day or two he would find he felt better for it. As the last question was answered, the path leading to the fourth challenge opened up before them. It was starting to get dark, and they had had a long day. "We should cross through this portal so it doesn't close on us, but maybe then we can find a nice spot to camp for the night? I don't know about you, but I don't think I can face another one today, not with how wimpy I seem to have become." Wimpy was a worse term for him, but it was better than saying the blunt truth: he was old and his body was not nearly what it used to be. Though even as a young man, this heat would have been hell on him. About a third of the way up the steps, she found a clearing just big enough for the two of them. "I may need to start hunting at night; I miscalculated how difficult this would be and so only brought rations for three days. Unless you want to switch to rationing the rations, they are going to run out after tomorrow night if we don't supplement them with anything. Have you noticed any edible plants around here? If so perhaps we can gather them during the day and have them for dinner while the spoils of my hunting can be breakfast. But all the same, I'm going to get a bit of rest first." At least his body wasn't failing him in that regard: he could definitely live off highly rationed rations for even up to a week, but Ceres...he doubted that was something she endured frequently.
A couple hours before dawn he awoke, and forced himself to get up despite his tired bones. Though he doubted the scimitar's usefulness in this matter, he still strapped it to his hip just in case. Leaving her by herself was the last thing he wanted to do, but he couldn't exactly take her with him. He took the other half of the sleeping bag and gently laid it over her, hopefully it would be a sufficient replacement for cuddling him, before setting out further into the woods hoping there was something alive and edible around. Exploring the woods for what seemed like ages, he came across a rabbit out a bit early to do, well, whatever rabbits did with their day. A bow and arrow would have been much nicer for this job, but he couldn't exactly use them now could he. No, instead he crept on silent feet, centuries of ambushing and assassinating his own kind were perfect training for stalking through the woods silently. Once he got as close as he dared, he cautiously drew forth a dagger, and in one flash of movement threw it towards the creature. His aim was true, and it died instantly, never aware of the danger it was in. Not wishing to unsettle Ceres, he made all of the preparations right there, including cooking their meal, before returning to her with the ready-to-eat spoils of his hunt.
"Long was the hour for the valiant knight that would ne'er be sick or slain Lonely the bower in the candle light with neither kith nor kin Storm clouds over the full moon raced, as he swung to the dapple grey And man and horse to the westward faced on the eve of an All Saints' Day.
He's laid his hand on his hunting horn and with his dying breath Has blown a blast to the blazing morn that would rouse the angel of death High in the cusp of the starry night he heard his grey hawk mew As out of the misty morning light his ghostly greyhounds flew.
Waillee waillee my noble lord who wakes me from my rest There's none can heal the wounds of time that lie bloody on your breast"
Once daylight began to dim down on that Thursday evening, the couple decided to just play it safe and camp out. Ceres was practically blind in the dark and the heat from the morning had taken a good chunk of Driz's energy. Their progress was slow yet steady. Besides, taking their time meant more bonding for them, right? In her eyes, that was a plus! It was like a cute little camping trip. Ceres had fallen asleep pretty quickly, nuzzling herself into Driz's arms.. erm... arm and balling herself up like a little bean. The sound of nature during the night was like a soft lullaby to the little Dryad. Gosh, how long has it been since she slept out in the open like this? Probably centuries... She felt relaxed, peaceful, and simply at home. As the hours ran passed, night turning to day, Ceres woke up a bit later than Driz. While she fell asleep looking pretty graceful, she actually woke up rather dishevled. Her hair was all over the place, drool gradually dripped down her cheek and a little chipmunk even managed to make a tiny home in her branches before she shooed it away.
Slowly sitting up, Ceres let out almost the biggest yawn of her life while stretching her arms up and out. " Oh geez, I think I slept like a rock! I don't think I've slept that good in centuries. " As she rubbed the sleeping dust from her eyes, Ceres overheard Driz mentioning the next task at hand. Hmm, something was a bit off... Every challenge they came across, he never really... read them, did he? She wanted to ask him about it, but she saved it for another time. Standing up and patting her hair back in place, she gave him a nod and her usual smile before scampering off to go read the stone tablet for the next task. " Though physical trust became an effortless goal, now begins the deeper connection between you both. Recall, then, your first impression of your partner. Describe to them in detail what you remember, the first thing you noticed, the first things you heard - both mentally and physically; whether it be bad or not. This will then prove your ability to listen, your ability to remember fond memories of the other, and your ability to render what may have been useless at the time. Use it for good. Use it for your heart. And use it for the eternal love you search for at the top of this Jungle. For once you enter the Orchard, very few things along the line will stop you from continuing on or separating. " Huh, that was fairly easy! Who knew these were gonna be a piece of cake.
As Driz began his little story, Ceres couldn't help but chuckle afterwards. " Ahahah~ Terrified of me? I mean, I can clearly remember your scared face back then, but hearing it come out of your mouth is still almost unbelievable. Well, my turn! When I first saw you, I was curious nonetheless. You were the first drow I ever met and I couldn't help but get to know you right then and there. If I was still with my clan, the eldest matriarch would probably tell me to not go near you, but regardless of that fact, I know I still would've said hello anyways. While I did see you a bit rough around the edges, I still felt that you were kind, brave, and a caring fellow. I mean, you held me while I was crying like a baby, so I think after that moment I was instantly smitten by you~ " The first day that they met was a memory that Ceres would treasure for the rest of her life. " I'm glad I've gotten to meet you, Driz " Soon after, the gate that lead to the next trial had opened up for the two. It was onto round 3!
While climbing up the next few steps, Ceres noticed how much the sunlight was taking a toll on Driz's body. He was sweating like crazy, out of breath, and a few times in the past, he nearly looked like he was going to pass out in front of her. As soon as he requested for a break, while he sat in the shade, Ceres went off to make him something to ease his suffering. With the help of her magic, she was able to weave a sunhat made from some of the leaves on her own branches. Returning to his break spot, she plopped the hat on his head, adjusting it so that it sit nicely atop of his noggin. " Hopefully this will help. It's not much, but at least it's something. " For the rest of the time, Ceres had plucked an orange that she sneaked into her own little bag and began to hand feed some of the slices to her beloved. She was going to save it for later, but she felt now was a good time for him to have a little "pick-me-up" snack.
After their little break, it was finally time to return to the next challenge at hand. Reading the plaque aloud, Ceres was a bit surprised that there was a game added into the mix. Strange, but nothing that they couldn't handle! In fact, it was simple enough to play will sitting down for their next break. " Well, since you're missing a few fingers, maybe they're making you use your toes instead? I mean, you have all of them right? " She replied teasingly as they began the game.
Driz #1: Never have I ever been charged with a crime. " I've definitely ran off a few times just out of curiosity, ya know? And for you question...hmm, unless trying to befriend humans is a crime... nope! " Driz #2: Never have I ever been rejected for a date. " I have. A few times actually, hehe. " Driz #3: Never have I ever cheated on my partner. " Never ever! I wouldn't even wish that one people I hate! It's such a horrible feeling... " Driz #4: Never have I ever publicly humiliated myself. " Yes, almost all the time when I was figuring out how to integrate myself into a human society. I probably still do and don't even know it! " Driz #5: Never have I ever been captured or kidnapped. " Not surprisingly, yes I have. Eheheh.... long story. " Driz #6: Never have I ever harmed someone else through a spell failure. " Does accidentally poking a squirrel in the eye count? I ended up being fine, but I felt horrible about it! " Driz #7: Never have I ever fallen in love with someone besides you. " It was... a long time ago, but yes... " Honestly, it was multiple times over the long centuries. She was a naive girl, so she was bound to fall for people easily. Hopefully, Driz wouldn't press the matter too much. The past should stay in the past. Driz #8: Never have I ever gotten lost in a place I had been before. " Oh, that's easy! Of course I have! Not so much in the forests since the plants can help me, but mainly in the busy city. " Driz #9: Never have I ever stopped loving my children, no matter what they may do to me. " I never had kids, but if I did, I know I would love them unconditionally. No matter what. " Driz #10: Never have I ever let a slight against you go unpunished. In terms of her last question to him, she only just now picked up that he couldn't really read. It made a few of their memories in the past make a little more sense. For instance, when she asked him to pick a dinner option out of a cookbook. It was all piecing together! " You know if you asked me to help you learn to read, I would do it in a heartbeat. Not being able to read this language is understandable! I mean, it took me a few years myself to figure it out, but that's because I'm not really all that bright. I'm pretty sure you'd be able to pick it up pretty easily! Now, to answer your question... that's a bit tricky buuuut.... I suppose not? We've solved our issues together, so everything's been resolved! " Or at least, that was the case in her eyes. Although, she sort of felt that maybe Driz had felt otherwise?
Woo! That game sure was lengthy and... a bit uncomfortable in some cases, but it was over now! The gate had finally opened, allowing the two to get towards the next goal. Hearing Driz bringing up camping, Ceres gave a nod. It was getting a bit dark and they've made good progress today! They deserved to rest for the night. In fact, she was a bit sleepy herself. " I can forage for something for breakfast. Or I can try to grow some fruit on my branches. I've only done apples and oranges, but that should suffice~ "
Leaning into the new day, Ceres did arise from her slumber until she smelled the scent of freshly cooked food nearing closer and closer. Driz sure was sneaky! She didn't realize that he even left until she finally threw her eyes open. " Oh wow~ That smells good! " The little Dryad chirped happily as her stomach growled loudly. Whatever it was, it looked delicious. " Oh! I should probably do something... " Puffing her cheeks out and shutting her eyes, she conjure up some of her magic to get fruit to grow on her branches as quickly as possible. Usually, it was something that she would take her time with, but she was so hungry and so impatient, she couldn't wait! She almost looked like she was going to pop until... POOF! A few apples and oranges burst from the top of her head.
"Night never ending The weapons we bring are our souls You know, You know You know what it means to feel real So rise up, claim the sky We fight, We fight Night never ending."
Drizyrr♞Zaulyl
Recap
Though he doubted she would think similarly, he found she was quite cute when she woke up, chipmunk and all. She felt like the first real, living person he had ever met; everyone else were wax statues, never allowing a single hair out of place, more concerned about looking perfect than happiness and peace. "It was a good night for camping." The second challenge seemed to amuse her, and of course it seemed so strange that he had been afraid of her, but could you really blame him? In a battle between the two of them, she could fell him easily, and why would she not attack upon seeing him? Her side of the story sounded much more like a story that might have a happy ending. Curious person approaches stranger because he is novel, finds he is a bit of a beast on the outside but deep down is a gentleman. He was pretty sure some of the films they had seen on the tv were kind of like that. "I am glad then that you are such a curious little flower. And I am also pleased that your curiosity avoids dangerous things: investigating my daggers could have been disastrous." If it was something that he possessed, it was generally a good idea to check for poison first: his people were legendary for their poisons.
Friday would have been disastrous if he had been traveling on his own, but fortunately Ceres was with him. She always seemed to know what to do to make a person feel better, moreover she was like a hidden cove in a storm: strong, stalwart, and absolutely unyielding to whatever force was trying to get at her wards. While he was practically dying of heat right and left, she made portable shade for him in the form of a sunhat, and had even apparently brought along an orange for him, perhaps as a victory reward, but now it was needed to rehydrate him and maybe put a little energy back into his body. Getting hand fed was a pretty nice luxury to boot, and more than once he would plant a gentle kiss upon her fingers before she could draw them away. "That is exactly what I needed. You are too good to me, my love!" It may have been a flirtatious compliment, but he felt it was genuinely true: he did not deserve to even know her name, much less to be her fiancé and on a quest to prove they were soulmates. Arriving at the third challenge, he was happy enough to stay on the steps while she read the directions aloud to him. He smirked at her joke and decided to send one right back, "of course I have all of them. I'm only supposed to have two per foot, right?" He supposed in that way he was lucky, while he may have been deficient in arms and practically broke in regards to fingers, he did still have most of the rest of his body. He still had two kidneys, a proper set of lungs, all of the other "non-essential" organs that one might replace; hell, he even still had his appendix, tonsils, and wisdom teeth. Perhaps since he was a dual-wielding swordsman, fate decided that losing an arm two halves of fingers was bad enough, he could keep the rest of himself.
Going through his questions, he was definitely relieved that she had never been caught committing a crime (he had to phrase it very specifically, otherwise he would have to admit that he had experienced such a thing.) While he could hardly believe that someone was stupid enough to refuse her a date, after seeing the vulgarity in that bar where she worked, perhaps it was for the better that she was turned down. The third questions...statement? was the most important to him. Everything else he could protect her from, and hearing that she had fallen for people in the past, well that would be kind of a given when her age was factored in. But for so long he had been treated like chattel, used when his mistress wanted him, ignored when she wished to sample others, and kicked to the curb when she got bored. More than anything else he wanted to know that once he gave his heart to someone, they wouldn't throw it away or hide it away when it was convenient for them. "I wouldn't even consider the integration process humiliating. You were simply conducting experiments in order to better understand this new situation. It's scientific, really." Well that was sort of hypocritical of him given the whole reading thing, but he wasn't about to mention that. He definitely quirked an eyebrow when she admitted she had been kidnapped before. "I see. Well, I might need to add in some more defensive procedures." Yeah, while he was still alive she would not be kidnapped ever again. "I'm sure the squirrel had no lasting damage, so you should be fine on that one." One love prior to him in a two thousand year span? If he hadn't screwed up early in their relationship, he would have labelled her a virgin. Centuries if not a millennia of no courtships was plenty enough time to erase that past. "I was born and raised in the lowest of noble districts in a large city, you just get used to landmarks, much like traveling in a forest." Oh hey, he didn't think he had ever mentioned he was technically nobility, not that it mattered anymore. Yeesh, his ninth statement really wasn't something she could relate to, but he had said it more as a reassurance to her. Even if most of his children saw him as a nearly worthless being, he still couldn't help but love them. He was still ashamed of his answer to the last question, even if she said it was perfectly understandable. "No one else seemed to have trouble, I thought it was just me. It was so humiliating having to guess at what things were, but I was too ashamed to ask for help. Guess I figured I might be able to observe from a distance and figure it out." It felt like that question alone had used up the rest of his energy. As for her response to his question...he was pleased she had not quite caught what he was implying. It was probably better that she did not know he had killed people (but mostly maimed, frankly) for her. That was why he had such a reputation at the bar: no one had proof, but they still all knew that after an insufferable patron got too forward with her, they were never seen again. Plus there were plenty of people losing hands, eyes, and other parts who frequented that place and may have had a more licentious interest in Ceres. As far as camping that night was concerned, everything seemed perfectly set. "You know you had me sold on the idea the moment you said oranges." Sometimes it seemed like his addiction was getting worse by the day, but if he was going to have one, a strong fruit was far from the worst choice (especially when his fiancée could produce them easily.)
Current
Most of the time, when he snuck up on someone, it was to assassinate them, this was the first time he had snuck off and back up bearing gifts. "Already cooked so you didn't wake up to a campfire beside you." Yeah, that'd be a way to show his devotion on this ultimate test: stick the thing she feared most right beside her while she was asleep. He wouldn't have been surprised if the mountain kicked him off just for that. He gave her a mischievous grin as he neared her, "huh, you sprang awake for this, I'm going to have to remember that next time I need you to get up early in the morning." A moment later, fruit sprang into being from the branches on her head. That...was a little unusual, and it seemed almost wrong to be plucking some of it from her head branches, but she had been perfectly willing to help, and he assumed she was used to this and fine with it. "With an ability like that, I suppose you never have to worry about starving." Great, way for him to find the purely utilitarian use for her skills. "Anyways, I hope you like what I brought, it is fresher than anything you'll find in those stores." He divided up the rabbit, giving her a larger helping, but he knew he would probably be raiding the fruit mostly.
Breakfast was a nice diversion, but they needed to get that fourth (and maybe fifth and final) challenge done. They had been gradually becoming more difficult and emotionally jarring as they went, but the last one hadn't been too bad, so how hard could it be? The moment Ceres read it to him, he knew he should have never started theorizing. "The last of your secrets shall be destroyed in the two final tests should you decide to continue on your journey. Destruction, at the very least, to your heart if not your very soul. Take a seat or stand - whichever you prefer - and take your beloved ones hands into yours. Give your eye contact to show your truths; for lies will not suffice the woman of the door nor the heart of the city. You must, for this challenge, give your hardest memory between you two. The pain, the mental stress, the need to fix what had been broken, the anger, the hatred, anything and everything that comes to mind alongside this remembrance. Converse upon the topic until you are both satisfied with the answers. Once again, the woman will not move if either of you do not feel satisfaction." Great, hardest memory between the two of them, that was not hard to figure out: the big battle versus his ex. Though they had remained on the same side, the aftermath alone gave all the evidence needed to determine that it had been a problem. "I think we can both agree that the day of the battle at the lake, that was our worst day. I know I still have guilt over the whole ordeal, but please, tell me what parts you think still need to be ironed out." If this was the second to last challenge, he couldn't even imagine the sheer horror of the final challenge.
"Long was the hour for the valiant knight that would ne'er be sick or slain Lonely the bower in the candle light with neither kith nor kin Storm clouds over the full moon raced, as he swung to the dapple grey And man and horse to the westward faced on the eve of an All Saints' Day.
He's laid his hand on his hunting horn and with his dying breath Has blown a blast to the blazing morn that would rouse the angel of death High in the cusp of the starry night he heard his grey hawk mew As out of the misty morning light his ghostly greyhounds flew.
Waillee waillee my noble lord who wakes me from my rest There's none can heal the wounds of time that lie bloody on your breast"
Breakfast was wonderful! Although, the only thing she had to contribute was fruit - that part was easy. Since they had been out and about in the sun for the past few days, it gave Ceres an ample amount of time to sort of "charge" up her energy. Her magic was powered by the sun, without it, she wouldn't be able to do nearly half of the things she was capable of. Growing fruit was one of them! " Sure, I wouldn't starve, but when you've had fruit and veggies all the time like I have, you start to get bored of it, at times. Sometimes I have funny dreams where I can grow chicken fingers and french fries~ " If she could have grown crispy and delicious chicken fingers, she would've been at least 1,000 pounds by now!
As soon as the two were finished up with breakfast -- which for Ceres, didn't take too long, it was off to the next task. In her head, she thought it would be pretty easy, but this next challenge proved otherwise... They hadn't really had a proper and deep conversation about what went down. There really wasn't a good time between Driz's hospitalization and her own mental breakdown to speak about it, and she hadn't realized that until now. Flashbacks of that night ran through her head and Ceres nearly felt sick to her stomach just even reminiscing about it. She hated it. She didn't want to talk about it, but if they were going to continue on this quest... there was no other choice.
The Dryad took a deep, shaky breath before gently holding onto Driz's hand for comfort. " I... I just want to know why you wouldn't just tell me what was going on. I know you you just wanted to protect me and all but... " She paused for a moment, trying to keep her tears from spilling out of her eyes as best as she could. " ...I thought I was gonna lose you and I had no clue why. I thought I had done something wrong... or... or I did something to push you away like everyone else. " By the Gods, if Driz didn't know she had abandonment issues yet, then he for sure knew now. Just remembering that night felt like she was ripping open an old scar and just started rubbing salt into the wound.
"Night never ending The weapons we bring are our souls You know, You know You know what it means to feel real So rise up, claim the sky We fight, We fight Night never ending."
Drizyrr♞Zaulyl
She was definitely asking about the part he felt the most guilt over, which he supposed meant he understood her, but that didn't make things any easier to talk about. He sighed, gently rubbing his long-calloused thumb over her smooth hand. "You are right, I was just trying to protect you. For me, you are the embodiment of everything good I have ever encountered, you mean more to me than, well, everything. I could never let anything happen to you. I...I had seen Malevolent's work before, even been forced to help her with it. The way she would toy with her victims, even priestesses of nobler rank, before slowly killing them; it is a sight I will never be able to forget no matter how hard I try. I knew you had power of your own, but she seemed omnipotent. I thought if I drug you into the matter, she would kill us both and maybe raze the city while she was in town. I figured if I showed up alone in a somewhat remote spot, she might not think I had formed any attachment to this place, that there was no need for her to cause further harm just to spite me." It was definitely sounding like a martyr story, and at the time leading up to the battle, that's what he thought he was. It wasn't until afterward that he saw what a fool he had been. "I couldn't tell you what was going on, for the moment you detected any weakness in me, any lack of confidence, you would have jumped in to save me. You are just too good of a person to leave someone in danger, especially someone for whom you have feelings. I tried to sneak off before you awoke, thus I would have been long dead before you found me, but, well, you arose a little earlier than I thought. I was running out of time and options, so I came to the unfortunate conclusion that the only way to keep you safe, keep you from following me, was to make you think I didn't care for you. Though I doubt it means anything now, but it genuinely hurt me as well, shoving you away like that. I guess I hoped that I would save you, and at some point in the future you would see through my actions, and, if it were not too presumptuous, give your forgiveness to my memory." Ugh but that still sounded too noble, too much like the soldier dying for his homeland, and someone with as much experience as he had knew that was never how things went. "And yet my actions ruined everything and caused far more strife than necessary. I...I am not worthy of your forgiveness."
"Long was the hour for the valiant knight that would ne'er be sick or slain Lonely the bower in the candle light with neither kith nor kin Storm clouds over the full moon raced, as he swung to the dapple grey And man and horse to the westward faced on the eve of an All Saints' Day.
He's laid his hand on his hunting horn and with his dying breath Has blown a blast to the blazing morn that would rouse the angel of death High in the cusp of the starry night he heard his grey hawk mew As out of the misty morning light his ghostly greyhounds flew.
Waillee waillee my noble lord who wakes me from my rest There's none can heal the wounds of time that lie bloody on your breast"
Reaching up slowly with her other hand, Ceres gently stroked the side of Driz's face. " Oh no, no no... Drizyrr, if I didn't forgive you, then we wouldn't be standing here in the middle of a jungle doing these challenges! " She said reassuringly with a small smile before it faded away gradually. It wasn't like she was furious with him and unwilling to forgive. That wasn't her nature, especially to loved ones. It was just his reasoning behind it that she wanted to know more about. About why he tried to leave the way he did, or why he kept it a secret. Hell, if she were in his shoes, who knows? Maybe she would have done the same thing. " And to be frank, I don't think I would've been the same had you went to battle your ex alone and died. If Nyx wasn't there to follow you out of pure stubbornness and spite... I don't think I would've had a will to live. "
That was a bit dark coming from a being who was normally very cheerful and positive, but it was the truth nonetheless. Had Nyx not been there at all, the pain that she had felt when Driz left would've been enough to prohibit her from following. Afterwards, the sheer heartbreak probably would've made her wilt away. Experiencing heart ache on and off for centuries made Ceres emotionally weak. At some points, she hid it very well, but the damage would always be there. It's the exact reason why she clings to people who allow her to stay close and love on them. " Either way, I'm glad Nyx made me follow you. Although, losing her was... difficult, I think in her own way, she knew I wouldn't heal if I had just let you go without a fight or without answers. " Ceres missed her sister dearly... Perhaps once they found their fruit it would be due time for a visit to her grave.
"Night never ending The weapons we bring are our souls You know, You know You know what it means to feel real So rise up, claim the sky We fight, We fight Night never ending."
Drizyrr♞Zaulyl
For a moment he thought confirmation of his fears was coming: she had called him by his full first name, something she rarely ever did; but just as quickly as it had come she dashed that fear, telling him that they would not have even attempted this quest if she had not yet forgiven him. Well, that was just proof of her benevolence, not his innocence. There was no way he would ever forgive himself for what he had done.
He thought that the explanation would be the worst part of this. That had to be the hardest, right? But no, with two sentences, Ceres exponentially increased the weight of the guilt he felt. She…she wouldn’t be the same, I had thought it might hurt for a little while, but she would get over it, right? No, it would seem not… Losing him would have killed her!? But why? she had lived so long without him, could he have really changed her in some degree over the months he had spent with her? Well, she had certainly changed him, possibly beyond recognition, so who was to say it was impossible he could have had a similar effect? ”Looks like she saved both of us in more ways than we thought. Perhaps, if it is not too presumptuous, should we have a daughter, might we name her for your sister? Without her, we would never have gotten this far.” Even if Nyx had hated him the entire time, he was not fool enough to discount what she had done for him. They were allies of a sort, or rather “the ally of my ally is my ally” kind of deal. ”I’m sorry. The whole issue was my fault entirely. I know there is no way for me to ever make it up to you, even if I had a thousand years.” And he knew he did not have such time, frankly, he suspected he had about fifty years left and that was it. ”I am honored that you have forgiven me, but I can’t forgive myself” He gave a defeated smile, ”perhaps there is a part of drow teachings that is right, men are too mentally feeble, too stupid to thrive on our own. It would seem we really do need the superior sex to keep us from wrecking everything. Guess that means I’m going to need to stick to you like poison on a blade.” So much for him gaining true independence, it seemed as if he would need someone watching over him after all.
"Long was the hour for the valiant knight that would ne'er be sick or slain Lonely the bower in the candle light with neither kith nor kin Storm clouds over the full moon raced, as he swung to the dapple grey And man and horse to the westward faced on the eve of an All Saints' Day.
He's laid his hand on his hunting horn and with his dying breath Has blown a blast to the blazing morn that would rouse the angel of death High in the cusp of the starry night he heard his grey hawk mew As out of the misty morning light his ghostly greyhounds flew.
Waillee waillee my noble lord who wakes me from my rest There's none can heal the wounds of time that lie bloody on your breast"
The mentioning of them having a daughter named after her sister brought a soft smile to her face. She did miss her dearly, so maybe having a child named for her would somewhat fill that empty void in her heart. Heh, it would be even better if she had acted like her too, but Ceres knew that meant it would be trouble for Driz if their potential future daughter had the same sassiness as that woman. However, his next statement made her frown a bit. She knew he felt incredibly guilty over what had happened, but he shouldn't beat himself up over what he couldn't control. She wanted him to have more confidence in his own capabilities, and not feel like he had to constantly be told what to do. At this point, she couldn't help but be a bit frustrated with him.
" They're wrong! " Ceres declared with a bit of a raised, stern voice. The dryad had never talked like that to him before, but she needed him to snap out of it somehow. " You've done so much for yourself, without my help, on your own accord! You're not stupid, or too feeble to strive and thrive on your own. You've made friends like Ayulin, you've done so well at your job and even found a way to make more profits for yourself. Not to mention you've been learning how to live in a completely different society at such a fast pace. So don't you dare beat yourself up and think badly about yourself when you've been doing so well despite what others have said about you in your old society... " At this point, Ceres began to have tears roll down her face while she tried to control herself at the same time. Getting too worked up would make her magic get out of control, and she definitely didn't want to do that especially in a moment like this. " I... I don't want you to feel like you can't do anything without anyone "superior" watching over you. No one controls you except for you, Drizyrr. I just want you to see yourself how I see you... " She added on while trying to dry her eyes. It just broke her heart to see him so... down on himself. Ceres thought he was so talented and striving so well here in this world where he had no one to restrain him or constantly reprimanding him or punishing him over the most trivial of things.
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