Completed [Kelp Bar] Day after the Ball

[Weylin Quickshot]

Weylin walked on, listening carefully to Valo's words, taking in the meanings before finally accepting them as fact. She could hear his voice quieten for a moment, as if a brief shyness had taken control of him, or perhaps his own doubts and nerves. She lead the way still, thinking careful, a different thought with every step.
Romatic nature? Was that not the case earlier? I wonder...
She exhaled, and turned sharply on her foot to face him, her eyes meeting his and hunting every aspect his very gaze. She could see his previous smile disappearing, the happy nature he once had fading quickly, to be replaced with a mask that showed no expression. She raised a hand up to his face, and touched it, her fingers tracing his cheek bones, before resting on his lips. She withdrew them, her expression turning neutral but her deep green eyes still locked with his.

"Actions Valo, speak much louder than words."
She meant the exact meaning, for actions did indeed speak louder than anything. Words could be said, in anger, in rage or in passion, to silence an argument or to win seats of power. Actions however were different, to raise a fist to protect those who needed it, to act as a shield, the act of an embrace were indeed more powerful. For it is the action in these cases that do indeed win.

[Valo]

Suddenly the world melted around them and diffused into nothingness. Any passers-by who might feast their eyes upon the couple did not matter, her voice drowned out the sounds of the city. Her eyes so green and beautiful, holding his gaze firmly. And the more she did so the more he felt the need to be close to her, to hold her and kiss her like a lady should be kissed. To do anything for her, anything in the world to make her happy. And with her touch upon his cheek he felt more and more like his old self. The charismatic Valo, the one who seemed to always say and do the right thing, the one who feared nothing; unlike this more cowardly and secluded version of him self which he suddenly disliked so.

He placed his hand on her's as she touched his lips. Taking it gently he kissed her finger's softly, all the time keeping his eyes locked with her's, suddenly realising how close they both were. With one swift motion he pulled her in just a little, wrapping both arms around her. Actions speak louder than words, that was true, but words had a certain charm. Those words which now didn't really exist to him any more. He emptied his head of all words which could describe this moment and focused solely on enjoying it, for it could prove to be horribly short.

His lips caressed her cheek for just a moment, before withdrawing. He held her still, feeling the warmth of her body as a contrast to the cold air that surrounded them. His face was hovering before her's very close indeed, Valo blushed. Just one motion from her and he would kiss her, but it was not in his intention to force him self upon her. He couldn't do it unless he was sure she wanted it.

[Weylin Quickshot]

Nothing, that was what Weylin heard. Absolutely nothing, a silence that continued, and a silence that lasted. For time had simply stood still between them, words were forgotten for they no longer mattered. All that did was the moment, and how to make the most of it. His arms were wrapped around her, his hold strong, no intention of letting go. He had turned bold, unafraid to show true colours and intentions, casting away fears and worries, and emerging from the cocoon he had sealed himself within. A side Weylin had trouble resisting. She felt as if she had been swept off her feet, the air taken from her, her chest tightening, her heart racing. She could no longer think logically, her process of thought having been lost. She felt his lips against her cheek, and a warm blush grow across her face. There was no point in hiding how she felt now, not when they were so close.

She cupped his face with his hands in response, watching a flicker of hesitation form in his eyes, searching for reassurance that it was the right thing.
"Do you want something?" she barely breathed, still staring into his eyes.
She already knew what he wanted, it was an unnecessary question, but one she could not help but ask. She rested her forehead against his, still looking and studying his handsome features, but every time she was drawn back to his eyes. She did not think any more, she simply did.

She reached up and let her lips met his.

To onlookers they would of looked like fools, romanced and enticed by each other, and perhaps fools they were. But to them that did not matter, for the archer and the painter could no longer resist. She stayed where she was for the moment, enjoying it, savouring it, for she knew it would be over the instant they parted.

Then she turned a darker shade of red, and pulled away her gaze averted, a struggle to find words. She feared he thought her easy, too fast paced, a seeker of the moment, or simply that she simply was shallow and easily swayed, or the possibility that he would reject her.
"Sorry... I should not of..." she hung her head slightly as she spoke and felt the moment crumble around her.

[Valo]

If something terrible was to happen in the alley round them, he would not have noticed for he was completely lost in their own little world. A world where she was now him as he was her's. An idealistic world which flickered in short moments; like heart beats, like the beating of the wings of a butterfly and equally as elusive. A world which was a dream in the fabric of reality.

Weylin's palms cupped his face and her lips met his. His heart stopped.

Euphoria entwined them in a momentarily unbreakable union. The archer and the painter. She so little in his arms, one around her waist, holding her close against his chest and the other holding the back of her head so that she could no longer escape him. But it was his heart that now lay at her feet and she may do with it what she wished. It no longer mattered to him. All that existed now was the soft movement of his lips against her's and the intense pleasure that came with it. A rapture painted upon his life line with kisses.

She pulled away from him, a crimson hue upon her cheeks. She mumbled something apologetically to which Valo answered with a soft chuckle and whispered. "Don't be silly." His arm was still wrapped around her waist, holding her pressed against him and now he held her chin in his fingers. His eyes looking into her's with warmth and a spark of true joy in them and something else, an adoration of a sort. He placed another soft kiss on her lips, then embraced her fondly. His fingers plaid with strands of hair at the base of her neck."Actions speak louder than words indeed." he whispered ever so quietly.

[Weylin Quickshot]

Where Weylin did not think before, she did now. Her thoughts raced, her heart beating faster. She felt him kiss her again, his arm holding her firmly. He said something, but what ever he said was lost to the river of thoughts. She still wore the flushed red on her cheeks, and despite all attempts to calm it down it simply worsened. It did not help with the look he gave, one of desire and adoration, to want and simply want more.
"Actions speak louder than words indeed," he whispered.
She blinked, registering the words as ones she had previously said, but the meanings behind them had vanished into noise. Her fingers ran through his hair, an action fuelled on impulse. She wanted more, to know and feel, to understand him, to stand by him, to let him and him alone make her heart race, to be able to throw herself down before him, for it was now her only desire. Her lips twitched as she tried to speak, parting as she tried to find words or a way to respond, but instead of producing anything remotely legible, she simply mumbled incoherent words in Pavi.

Weylin had simply gone shy, or more over the rush of the emotions, the nature of the process had been perhaps too much for her. She could feel the little bit of energy she had left being sapped away, the self control running from her fingers, much like they did with his hair. She felt warm, her heart fluttering, barely breathing. And then she spoke.
"Oh... Hello," her face creased mere moments after, and she fixed her sight on the ground, releasing the idiocy of her last statement. She had to think of something else, something better. He still held her, even as she trembled, before a second string of words came to her.
"Is it me? Or is it warm?" she looked up "I mean really warm, overly warm, maybe we should take off coats sort of warm, I mean..." She uttered a groan, and rested her forehead against his chest, with a refusal to look back up at him "Not like that. I really am no good at this."
Go get a shovel and dig yourself a hole Weylin, make sure it is a big one.

[Valo]

She was so shy suddenly. Mumbling and muttering something feasibly incoherent; or at least to his ears, the word's didn't make very much sense. Then again Pavi was fundamentally beyond comprehension to the Inarta. It flattered him a little. Once again he felt like the charismatic youth he was in the past. And the reassurance was indeed welcome. The way the ran her fingers though his hair, the way she looked at him and the way she blushed. Perhaps for a moment they were a painting on the canvas of some divine artist who, in order to better him self, created the happiest moment in the entirety of Valo's life with his godly paints.

"Is it me? Or is it warm? I mean really warm, overly warm, maybe we should take off coats sort of warm, I mean..." She uttered a groan, and rested her forehead against his chest, with a refusal to look back up at him "Not like that. I really am no good at this."

He suppressed a muffled chuckle and kissed her head, holding her so close. His fingers still played with her hair, enjoying the feeling against them. "I think you're much better at this than you lead your self to believe." he whispered into her ear. It amused him somewhat to find out the things her mind conjured up when in stress, for being a respectful gentleman, Valo did not allow him mind to wonder into the more instinctive parts of his personality. Not when he was with her anyway. Whichever way one would look at the situation, they had only just met and he would prove to her she can trust him, before anything like that ever happens between them.

[Weylin Quickshot]

"I am?" there was an element of surprise in Weylin's voice.
She swallowed and looked up at him, her form against his with her cheeks slowly returning to their normal colour. The last bit of nerves left her face, composure returning as her mind gathered its thoughts. She reached up and kissed him one last time before pulling away. Not that she wanted to, it was simply a matter of time. It had grown colder, the winter sun having just started to dip behind the roof tops. She gave a smile to Valo, turning away her gaze looking on ahead.
"We should get moving, it will get dark soon."
She reached back to Valo and took his hand, her fingers lacing with his, with a warm feeling in her heart that lasted. There was no need to rush, as it was true that they only just met, but they were young, and so had all the time in the world to grow.

She lead him on, occasionally glancing back, a quick smile when ever she did and perhaps a quick kiss of affection. But as they neared, her glances became fewer.
"Come on. Almost there," she gave him one final look before looking on once more. Soon she knew the fun and games would begin.

[Valo]

They shared the last tender kiss, one as sweet as the others and she finally urged them to get a move on. And quite rightly so, for the sky had turned a darker hue of grey and the unpleasant chill had morphed into a vicious frost, now pinching at their faces.

And perhaps Valo failed to notice these changes in the weather. His mind was fixed solely on her and body heat had somehow self generated with the anticipation and the tightening of his chest every time she was close. Such wonderful was the feeling of her lips. At least the blood capillaries at his cheeks finally constricted and the bush - which may have been caused by the alcohol he had consumed beforehand, or more likely the taste of her lips upon his - and the blush diffused back into his features, leaving his face a flawless, pale perfection. With the chiselled nature of his features, he perhaps looked like a man of marble or ivory, so pale he was.

He was calm now. Very calm indeed as his mind coldly calculated his situation. He was happy. And not the fake kind of joy that was expected of men who had conquered the mind of a beautiful woman, for that joy never truly existed to him. This was a feeling of pure enjoyment of her company and the events that took place between them. A hopeful joy for the future, if they were to have one. And most importantly the calm joy of the sense of comfort she now gave him. Like paint, she was now the catalyst for this joy.

"Come on. Almost there," she said as they tore though the streets. Suddenly time seemed to fly and it annoyed Valo a little; that inconsistency of time. He wished to savour every moment spent with this beautiful girl named Weylin. The jewel to his eyes. The most magnificent of paintings. However he also wondered what adventures shall await him once the famed Averti meets him.

[Weylin Quickshot]

Weylin lead him back to where she was stay, a small camp that she and several others had positioned themselves around a large stone fire pit. She pointed at one of the tents, the one of a more obvious Endrykas origin being hers.
"It is not as cold in there as you think," she explained briefly "the material is strong and hardy, and with the tarp the tent is protected further from serious damage. The groundsheet also sort of... makes a boat?" The Drykas for a moment frowned, almost as if she was checking her words, before releasing her hand from Valo's and dipping into her tent. When she returned to the outside she had her yvas bags thrown over one shoulder, and a solid smile on her face.
"Shall we?"
Weylin did not wait for his answer, she was already leading him round the back of the tents to a brief opening of land where a single stallion stood. She gave it a wave with her free arm.
"Averti! Come here, there is some one I want you to meet!" she beckoned the stallion.
This horse was indeed a handsome creature, a pure breed Cyphrus strider, a heavy matted tan winter coat, a black mane, deep dark eyes that firstly stared at Weylin with happiness, then shot to Valo almost as if insulted by the presence of another man. His ears pricked forward his head raised before turning his head to Weylin again, his front hoof pawing at the ground. She watched him snort, then neigh, a look of boldness forming as the stallion seemed to weigh up his options. Weylin glanced quickly to Valo.
"Here, hold this for a moment," she passed the yvas bags to Valo "And stay where you are."

She walked a distance away, her eyes constantly on Averti. For a moment she was silent, a strong walk, as if she was squaring herself up. She clapped her hands together, sending out a challenge "Come then Averti! Come at me!"
And so Averti did.
At first it was a simple walk, but soon the pace picked up into a full blown gallop. To many this would of been a frightful experience, to see a potential death rushing towards you, strong powerful legs that could break bones in an instant. Weylin kept herself light on her toes, her legs slightly bent as if she was ready to spring. Yet Averti showed no sign of slowing or stopping. His hooves thundered against the ground, throwing up the earth, eyes wide and nostrils flared. To others this may of been simple showing off, but to her and Averti it was far more than that, it was of trust and bonding that came between them. And so as the hooves nearly came down upon her, Weylin took a large step to the side. Her fingers brushed against his coat, their eyes locked as the stallion's speed gradually slowed, a quiet understanding, nothing needed to be said. Averti gave another snort, a louder than one that previously, and then stopped next to Weylin nudging at her arm.
"How is it going? You miss me?" she patted his side before turning her head towards Valo. She pointed at the man "He is Valo. He is very nice and I like him alot. You should go say hello. So come on now, and play nice."
Averti gave a grunt, before reluctantly trotting over with her. For a moment the stallion went almost nose to nose with Valo, as if establishing a challenge to the man, but after those long moments passed Averti stepped away, and lowered his head.
"[color=#3E7D3E]See? It was not that bad,[color=#3E7D3E]" she rubbed Averti's nose and smiled at Valo "This is Averti if you have yet to work it out."

[Valo]

It would have been almost inconceivable to Valo that anyone could live in a tent at this time of year. But he had stayed with Drykas in the past and knew them to be as stubborn as their horses. It would have given nothing to try and sway her, besides; he already had somewhat permanent lodgers in his little house. There would be no space for yet another person. And as long as it made her happy, which Valo deduced from the way she reassured him. Though he didn't really believe her. A tent could never be warmer than a solid stone wall with a hearth nested into it like a great fiery giant. But it wasn't up to him to decide what Weylin was to do with her life.

With a pair of yvas swung casually over her shoulder, she lad him around the back to an opening, a path of grass where a stallion went about his business. So this was the famed Averti. A Cyprus strider which to a Drykas was a sacred creature. A majestic creature, well-muscled beneath its tan coat. A mane as black as tar and a pair of eyes to match it. It would do Valo a world of good to once again have the chance to study the anatomy of a horse. The way the angles and directions of invisible lines of the head could be used to refer the rest of the strong body to the head. All the distances within the silhouette would allow him to make an almost perfect clone of Averti on paper. Perhaps one day Welyin would grant him permission to draw the horse. The artist within Valo sometimes subsided to a mathematician indeed.

Valo couldn't hide the fact he was a little intimidate by the beast. The way Averti stared at him seemed almost as if he's very presence insulted him. One black hoof pawed the ground vigorously as if he was about to charge down the red haired artist, an unpleasant death. Welylin handed the yvas to Valo and a million memories flowed back into his mind like an endless stream. The strong smell of horse which elevated from the bags reminded him of so many pleasant things, of a time he too smelled very similarly.

Distancing herself from Valo, Weylin cried out a straight challenge to the stallion. "Come then Averti! Come at me!" And to Valo's surprise that's exactly what the horse did. A hard thud of the hooves on dirt and soon he was charging at full speed. The girl seemed like a little dot, comparing to the strong statue of her strider. Valo's heart stopped, despite knowing the horse would never hurt her and it was only once she stepped to the side, that his heart began beating again.

"He is Valo. He is very nice and I like him a lot. You should go say hello. So come on now, and play nice." said Weyiln and turned to Valo. "This is Averti if you have yet to work it out."

It hurt his pride a little, to know she had little respect for his wit. But none the less he waved the statement away and focused his attention on the horse. "Hey Averti." he said a little quietly, fixing his green eyes in the black pools of those that belonged to the great stallion.