The Final Meeting.

by **Evelyn Rosario** on July 4th, 2013, 3:00 am

Fall, 56th, Year 511

The city street wasn't busy; that was how it was, this early in the morning. The morning was the best time for her, since she was typically busy in the afternoons caring for her dying mother and making as much money as she was able. Leaning against the wall, she brushed some of the dark, curly hair from her features. The wind whipped through the narrow street, blowing her long, red skirt around her bare ankles and letting it billow with the breeze. Her tunic-top was simple, resting just above her naval, but it didn't hinder her appearance in any way. She was still a young woman, filling out slowly with the aid of her performing and other energy-taxing tasks. The sharp-eyed female glanced around, feeling her irritation beginning to rise. She'd wanted to meet him shortly after the eighth chime... and it was already close to the ninth. Ronan always had a habit of being late, but never this late. A delicate, worn foot kicked a stone across the alleyway and she let a sigh part her naturally darkened lips. Dark eyes searched the street, her exotic features causing her to almost stand out in a crowd, but making it easy for her to be noticed when she wanted to be. She paced a little, impatient of his arrival. She hadn't seen him in a long while, and he was her only friend. She worried about him - and it was nice to get out of the house for once, especially when it often depressed her, being around her mother. She needed things to look forward to.

"Ronan, where are you at?" she murmured to herself harshly. She groaned and rested her head back against the wall. She felt like banging it there a few times, but she stopped herself as she heard a familiar marching sound. Shifting, she moved and ducked into an outcropping of rock, pressing herself into the shadows there as a group of soldiers marched by. The streets had gone eerily quiet, and she was holding her breath as they passed. Once the sound had been gone for a decent amount of time, she shifted out of the cropping and peered around, frowning as she still managed to not spot the familiar face of the man she'd known for years. Rolling her eyes, she grumbled something about him taking longer than a rich woman preparing for a ball, leaning back against the rock wall once more. Her mind soon began to wander while she waited - she would need to try and read a few fortunes this afternoon, so she could manage to get some funds for her mother to have a decent meal. The female herself was growing thinner and thinner, her own health being sacrificed because of meager means. Her mother was more important, after all, and though her stealing habit could've been viewed as a selfish act... it was anything but selfish, to those who knew her.

And not many did.

By the time the ninth chime sounded, she grimaced, noting that she would give him until the tenth bell to get there, before she was going to leave in search of some poor soul to practice her pick-pocketing on. Her mother's blanket was getting old, soiled, and she knew that getting a new one was on the agenda as well. She tried to make a mental note to ask Ronan if he had acquired one in his trading. Maybe he could make her a deal? She laughed to herself at the thought and shook her head, upsetting her curls and causing them to naturally bounce. A deal, from Ronan? What was she honestly thinking? He was into getting his life on track, earning his way the right way, all of that jazz. She had no reason to even ask. Though... she still probably would.

by **Ronan Dugal** on July 4th, 2013, 8:07 am

There were numbers running through his head, calculations and checks that needed to be made. A whole list of items ran next to them, things he would need to buy or get his hands on another way. A wagon first of all, a horse to pull everything. Perhaps a dog, if he could find one for a good price. Ronan was busy busy busy. His mind was buzzing with ideas and goods that needed to be acquired. Only a few days ago he had finished the last of a series of long conversations with a merchant who had recently returned from Avanthal. He had sucked the man dry when it came to information about the city. Everything about it sounded ideal for him. A place with little to no food and barely any natural resources. He could drive in with his wagon and start selling all the things they needed for an immense profit. He would have to get his hands on food, however. And a lot of metals if possible. Any good settlement needed weapons as well. He went over his mental list of contacts, people he knew that could supply him with the weapons and metals he needed. There were quite a few farmers outside the walls he could contact to buy grains from. And the docks would provide him with a little bit more exotic things. He just had to find the right twist for the right item. The Avanthalians would be excited to buy Syliran goods, Ronan was sure of it. With the cold up north they probably hadn't had much chance to develop and so Ronan's visit would be quite the thing for them. And quite the profit for him.

The silence of the morning passed Ronan by without him noticing. In his head it was too busy for outside interference. He walked through the streets of the city, remaining quiet and constantly in thought. The first morning transports passed him by, their wooden wheels creaking over the cobblestone roads of Syliras. The first shops were opening their doors, most of them bakeries trying to sell their freshly baked goods to the early birds that wandered the streets. Although he had met for breakfast with the merchant, in his enthusiasm, Ronan hadn't eaten anything. Too many questions and too little time. He stopped at the first little bakery he saw and ordered himself a few loaves of bread, freshly baked and still warm. Chewing absently on one slice he held the others in his hand as he turned a left towards his destination. First he would need to get an idea of the prices people were asking here for the goods he had in mind. Then he would have to determine what goods would be best to buy. And he'd have to learn a bit about handling the wagon and the horse on the road. He'd have to buy those first, though. His mind once again turned to his mental list of rival traders, professionals and customers to pick the best choices for each item. There were also a few outstanding favors he could cash in on.

Ronan's thoughts and musing came to and abrupt end as he his absent walking had him smack right into someone, almost throwing him off his feet. The thinking and the calculating had made his step light and ill balanced and he reached for the wall to keep himself up on his feet. The loaves of bread he had bought scattered over the ground and two little children suddenly turned their heads to him and eyed the bread on the ground from across the road. "I am so sorry. I wasn't looking. I apolog-..." Ronan looked right at the woman in front of him. Thin and elegant, with a tall build. Natural red lips and soft facial features showed her irritation. Her dark hair shone with the sunlight. It took a moment for his brain to set aside the calculations and the thoughts and grasp onto what was happening. "...-ize. Rose? What are you..." For a few moments he just stared at her, his mouth opened slightly, his half eaten loaf of bread in one hand. As his mind worked out the details his mouth started to move again. "Hmm?... Ooooh... I forgot again, didn't I?"

by **Evelyn Rosario** on July 6th, 2013, 4:51 pm

He's probably too busy with something important. Just give him a little more time... a little more. Be patient with him; he deserves it, for the hard work he has to do... though this isn't the first time. Her thoughts wandered as she stared up towards the sky, letting out a light sigh. He did have an awfully bad habit of being late, though it only seemed to be whenever he was meeting with her. Otherwise, he was completely punctual. Her mind slipped into a dangerous, self-esteem inflicted area, wondering about her true worth to the man she dubbed her only friend, and she had to halt the thoughts as soon as they'd started. She sucked in a breath and then she canted her head lightly to the side, hearing something strange, and turning her eyes to gaze towards the activity. It was a few of the homeless children, romping around in the alleyway, playing with something. She took a few side-steps closer, not wanting to be completely discovered, before she managed to catch sight of what it actually was. It was just a simple cloth, rolled up like a ball, that they were kicking and hitting around in a circle. She smiled, enjoying how the children managed to embrace the simplicity their hard lives had taken to. She knew, slightly, how they felt... she was practically homeless, if it had not been for her mother still being alive, and sick. Dread spread throughout her frame as she thought about it, making her shake her head slowly before she looked around once more, hoping to spot Ronan -

Only to have him run right into her, practically knocking her off balance. Her skillful frame, lithe and built, managed to maintain her balance easily while he stumbled back, fumbling with an apology. She raised an eyebrow, amusement playing in her eyes, but her irritation written on her features. She was trying to keep it there, anyway. She found it difficult to really stay mad at him - he was like a pregnant female, sometimes, with how flighty and forgetful he tended to be. She scoffed slightly, looking down at him, and then she nodded. "Yes, you did forget," she murmured quietly. "Again." She held out her hand, intent on helping him gather himself back to his feet, raising her eyebrow towards him once more as she waited for him to grasp her extended hand. "Though, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, at this point. Your head is always somewhere else - I can hardly ever hold your attention for very long, as it is," she teased him gently, her eyes sparkling as her irritation seemed to fall away to a playful nature not many got to witness from her. Her mother's sickness had taken a toll on her, and her father leaving had made her a bitter child, and an even more dangerously bitter woman. She canted her head towards him, speaking to him once more, curiosity written in her tone.

"What were you thinking about, anyway?"

by **Ronan Dugal** on July 8th, 2013, 7:03 am

As soon as Rose confirmed that he was late, Ronan made a mental turn. He grasped onto her hand, softly, as if she was a delicate flower. In this case a delicate flower with at least two knives hidden somewhere in her clothes somewhere. After having managed to stabilize himself he brought her hand up to his lips, which he kissed softly and quickly. "I apologize for being late. I got a little distracted with some business." And I totally forgot about us meeting here. He smiled at her, noticing how her eyebrow was raised and how she did seem irritated by the fact that he was late once again. Not wanting to admit to her nor himself that he had forgotten about her, Ronan kept smiling at her. "Almost right. My body is always somewhere else but my head is always with you." He said as his mind made a quick adjustment to his seller list, remembering a good deal he had gotten at a different supplier and who would probably be just as kind this time.

Lines like that had always been effective with most women, but then again most women hadn't known Ronan for almost his entire life. He could never truly tell what effect his words had on Rose. They always seemed to work but often times, especially lately, he felt that she didn't entirely accept what he said but pretended to. "How is your mother?" The question was routine, something he asked her almost every time they saw each other. He already knew the answer but he also knew that it gave Rose a good excuse to talk about it in case she wanted to. Sometimes just talking about it seemed to help her a little. Not that it helped her mother any but that was a different story. Like any proper gentleman, he offered his arm to Rose, intent on taking her somewhere, although he had no clue if he had promised her a certain place or if they had just settled on a date in general.

"Well, you know. Business. I met with someone this morning, which is why I was late, who was giving me some pointers on things. It wasn't as useful as I thought, though. But it never hurts to listen to people who claim to be more experienced. How has your morning been?" Not wanting to go into further detail, Ronan changed the subject to her morning as he aimlessly walked around with her. With the morning being still so early, people were only just now opening up their shops, with the exception of the early risers like the bakers. "Where would you like to go?"

by **Evelyn Rosario** on July 11th, 2013, 3:00 am

Facial features softening, she looked upon Ronan with a gentler expression when he finally managed to grasp her hand and stand beside her. She smiled ruefully as he apologized once more, kissing the back of her hand as he typically did. It was in his nature, to be polite, and she appreciated it because she knew how hard he could be when in the market-place. She merely shrugged her shoulders: “I assumed as much, honestly.” His mind was always, always on his business. It had every right to be, after all – he was making a name for himself, in a good manner, and she knew that was much more than she was ever probably going to accomplish. Hearing his line on her, she managed to smile slightly, but she wasn’t as taken by them as she used to be. She knew there was no real feeling behind those sorts of lines – he could use them on any woman he wanted to and get what he truly wanted. In the beginning, when he’d been getting to know her while they were growing up, the lines had flattered her. Now… they just seemed all for naught.

Tilting her head a little, she listened to the frequently asked question. It was typical, but it was something that she appreciated. “She’s doing well… though, she’s not eating as much as she should be. I’ve been giving her the same amount of food, but she claims her appetite is disappearing. And she was ill the other day, and didn’t eat anything the rest of the day. I managed to get some water into her system, but she’s just…” Evelyn trailed off; her mother dying wasn’t something she liked to discuss. It pained her, thoroughly. Though, Ronan was the only one she’d show a semblance of her pain to. She couldn’t appear weak, not in the streets and not with the life she happened to be living. She wrapped her arm about his own, gazing at him as she smiled. She was more relaxed this way, walking with him, with no direction. She knew they’d eventually find a place to rest, or sit, but for now she was content with a bit of wandering.

The smell of the baking bread had her stomach reeling slightly, but she held her own with the natural grace she had been born with. She canted her head and then she began to nod, understanding where he was coming from. “I don’t blame you; I’d want to learn everything I was capable of, as well. And my morning? Pretty uneventful. I’d not done much except wait for you.” She smiled lightly and then glanced around, frowning a little, trying not to focus so much on the food. “Could we find somewhere quieter? I know it’s going to get louder, and getting away from the city would be… nice.”

by **Ronan Dugal** on July 15th, 2013, 8:11 am

Ronan took a bite from the leftover piece of bread that had survived the fall. "Really? Nothing happened besides waiting for me? I thought you'd be busy reading other people's fortunes and steal their money in the process?" He grinned at her as they started walking. He wasn't too fond of her stealing habits but he more than understood the need for them. With Rose's mother sick and Rose being the only person to make a living it was hard to make ends meet. Ronan provided some help over the years but she had more often than not refused any and all help. He had also tried to make her understand that it was a lost cause but Rose wouldn't hear of it. Ever.

"How about some breakfast, because I know you're hungry. Would you a like pastry or something?" He guided her in the general direction of the stores as he spoke. He enjoyed spending time with her but it seemed every time that they made arrangements he forgot or something else came up. Almost all of their so called dates had started with him apologizing for something or the other. Today had been no different. He always tried to make it up to her with little gifts and today's gift was in the form of food, Ronan's favorite gift, as it was rather cheap compared to other, more appropriate gifts. Whether she would accept him to pay for her or not was a different matter all together. "In fact, I'll have some myself. Since somebody threw my breakfast on the floor." He waved the half eaten piece of breakfast in front of Rose while giving her an accusing look with a smile, throwing grains and breadcrumbs everywhere.

Ronan walked with Rose to one of the bakery shops and browsed the goods quickly, selecting a nice and fresh piece of apple pie for himself. He let Rose choose something for herself as well, if she wanted, and paid for their breakfast, fishing out the few coppers and silvers he required for the bill. All the while he would keep Rose's arm lightly in his. Once he had paid and they had started walking again, Ronan slowly angeled away from the busier parts of the city and towards the main gate. They wouldn't be able to go out far but the immediate outside of the gates of Syliras was quiet enough and safe enough for a short walk. He was quiet, unlike his usual behavior, he was almost always quiet around Rose. This was the only time of the day that Ronan was not the center of attention and in the middle of trying to convince people they had to buy his goods and not somebody else's. No, Rose was simply Rose and Ronan liked it that way. No more need to prove himself towards her and no use in trying to seduce her.

by **Evelyn Rosario** on July 18th, 2013, 3:57 pm

"Oh, har har. I've not had a customer this morning, thank you. If you recall, we were supposed to be meeting much earlier than this."

Her words were playful, light-hearted, and that was how they were meant to be. She didn't hold any hard feelings towards him, nor would she harbor resentment for how late he'd been. It was just Ronan; it was how he'd always been. Rose knew he wasn't being terribly serious anyhow, and there was no need to attempt to spoil their good mood thus far. Soft eyes peered towards him, gentle in nature but able to spot a potential steal from a mile away, as he mentioned breakfast. It was true - she was starving. All of her funds, recently, had gone towards caring for her mother, keeping her fed and as well as she was able in her current situation. It was difficult, but Rose was doing what she had to do in order to keep her one remaining relative alive. Well... at least the one relative she gave a damn about.

Rose didn't want him to spend his money on her, though. She knew that he worked incredibly hard to get the funds he held and to keep up with the hustle and bustle of the trading world. She felt as though she were cheating and taking advantage of their friendship by allowing him to buy her things. That wasn't supposed to be the basis of their relationship. Canting her head to the side, her dark hair rustled about her features and she eyed the stores of food. The smell was delightful, something that she could hardly resist, as her thin stomach rumbled with anticipation beneath her tunic-like top, her skirt floating about her ankles. "Well... I suppose I could use something to eat." The truth was, she hadn't eaten in about a day and a half. She was positively famished, but she tended to hide it quite well. A gift, of hers, she supposed. She grinned towards him crookedly as he mentioned his own breakfast, letting out a laugh, before she shook her head. "I can't help it you're clumsy!" she teased, laughing some more, realizing just how good it felt to be laughing again. Ronan always seemed to bring out the best in her - the parts of her she felt had been forgotten.

Rose peered around at the different options and ended up choosing a sweet pastry with cherries on the inside - one of her favorite foods, cherries. She allowed Ronan to pay for it, simply because she'd not brought any money with her, though she didn't let it go without a grumbling about him spoiling her. A smile touched her lips as she took a few bites, holding her meal gently in one hand while her other arm remained linked with Ronan's. She never tried to fill the void between them with idle, boring conversation - instead, she opted for the comfortable silence while she busied herself with finally filling her slim stomach. She chewed thoughtfully, enjoying the view around them as they wandered more towards the quieter parts of town. She enjoyed the quiet and being away from the masses while they walked and enjoyed one another's company. She looked towards him, licking her fingertips clean once her meal was devoured, and she smiled lightly. Deciding to finally speak, her words were soft and her features softened with them. "I've missed your company, Ronan. I feel like we don't see one another enough, not nearly enough," she murmured to him, able to speak lowly and have her voice still audible in the area they currently were in. It was true - she felt like he was distancing from her, and that wasn't something she enjoyed. She only had two people in the world, and one was on the verge of leaving it - she couldn't handle losing Ronan, too.

by **Ronan Dugal** on August 4th, 2013, 3:21 am

Ronan slowly ate his apple pie, making sure to savor every piece of it for as long as possible. There was a lot of quiet chewing between the two of them as Ronan let his mind wander while they walked. From the busier parts of town, Ronan slowly guided his partner to the gates of Syliras. Although at this time of day there was little to no people on the streets, it was always busy in the merchant sections of the city. He glanced to the side, watching Rose lick her fingers of any remaining cherry juice or pastry crumbs, and smiled at her. She never admitted to being hungry but he always saw her eat every last bit of food he had ever bought her, to the last crumb and drop of juice. "I know, Rose, I know. It's been very busy lately, more people are starting to contact me for things they'd like me to procure for them. And if I'm not running job requests from clients to suitable employees, I'm trying to keep my head above water financially. I'm sure you know what that's like, even though we don't see eye to eye on the ways to do so."

A subject of quite some arguments between the two of them, Ronan couldn't help but touch on it, giving Rose a small smile. Although they had grown up together, Ronan and Rose had chosen different ways of taking care of themselves. He didn't fault her for it but he never let an opportunity slip by to try and put her on the right track, none of which had done any good to change her mind. As they were walking, the roads seemed to get wider, spreading out towards the gate, were many people passed through on an hourly basis, even now at this point in time. Ronan carefully ate the last piece of his pie and rubbed his hands together, making sure the crumbs were all removed. "Maybe we should set a date-day? Just you and me, every day dividable by 12 in a season? Hmm?" He teased her, hoping she wouldn't take him too seriously about it. He wouldn't enjoy it much if she decided to bind him to some sort of schedule.

As the couple passed the gates of Syliras and started walking out in the open area, devoid of mostly all buildings and people, yet still protected enough by the close proximity to the walls and the presence of the knights, Ronan started to wonder. "Rose, you know what we should do? We should go and see the world together. See all the wonders out there. We can't just stay here all our lives, right?" He turned to Rose, a boyish twinkle in his eyes as he divulged his grand adventure to her. Where Ronan saw the adventure of it all, Rose would probably tell him where all the problems would lie, and then he would be able to check his mental list to see if he had though of everything already. Rose made quite a good wall when it came to bouncing ideas off of someone.

m sure you know what that

by **Evelyn Rosario** on August 24th, 2013, 1:33 am

"Ah, well. I suppose we wouldn't get along as well as we do, if we agreed on everything, right?"

Rose shot him a cheeky smile; of course, she would hate to agree with someone on everything, and sometimes she felt like bringing up an argumentative point to simply get someone going. But she and Ronan had their disagreements, as all friendships seemed to have... though, this was a touchy subject between the two of them. Each time they seemed to argue about their life choices, Rose felt a little more of a rift growing between them. Yes, they'd been friends for a majority of their lives and had grown up together, side by side. That didn't help, however, when your best friend was constantly trying to change you and who you are. Rose wasn't someone who rode on the right side of the tracks - she stole to get by, pickpocketed and cheated others in order to feed herself and her mother, though typically it was her mother. She would never hold the skills that Ronan had for bartering and trading, nor would she ever have skills to place her into a common career within this place. Syliras. Her mind practically scoffed just thinking about staying here; her mother was the only thing that seemed to be holding back the wild spirit that Rose was. She yearned to be free of the walls, to travel around and see the world... but where traveling was concerned, you needed to have money, and that was something she simply couldn't spare.

Eyes flicking towards him, her dark eyebrows rose to disappear beneath beautifully smooth and equally dark, hair. "A date day? Now, Ronan, you know I'd never ask that of you," she teased, tsking him playfully before she rolled her eyes. "You've a schedule to adhere to. I'm perfectly content getting to see you when I'm able... after all, I have to vie for your attention just as much as the rest of them, these days. I'm fairly competitive and I won't give you up easily. The time I have with you is time enough; I'm just happy to have you," she said, shrugging her shoulders a little and shooting him a contented smile. This time away from the rough-n-tumble life she was leading soothed her, and it showed. She wasn't constantly trying to put on a false smile or face, her laughter was genuine, and her shoulders were allowed to reveal her exhaustion. Caring for her mother was wearing her down and making her feel (and seem) older than her years. But who would, or could, abandon their own mother? Rose twisted some hair behind her delicate ear and looked towards him as they stepped outside the gate, listening as he whimsically spoke of travelling the world. A glint appeared in her eyes, a momentary longing, that was soon doused with the problems she knew they'd face.

"As... perfect, as that would be, Ronan... you know better than I the cost travelling would entail. The food, the transportation if you don't plan on walking... where you would stay..." she began to tick the items off on her fingertips, one by one. Then, she looked at him, not wanting to be completely downtrodding on his ideas, and she smiled softly. "Though, I wouldn't mind getting out of here, eventually. Maybe when I've accrued some money and you are able to take your business on the road... maybe then, we can go cause trouble some other places." A laugh bubbled from her lips before she shook her head, wringing her quick fingers together in front of her. The idea of leaving was positively wonderful, but a far off dream that she only hoped that she could, one day, partake in.

Flashback The Final Meeting.