My Eyes Have Seen You (Ethan/Hadrian)

[Ethan]

Ethan scoffed right back at Hadrian. Human's were a race of weaklings but Hadrian was always a trooper. It surprised the bird to see he was so exhausted. ”And where do you think I was when you were riding sir? You rode on the back of a foul beast. I rode on the wind. I'm sure you can manage to keep up a little longer.” He laughed as Kendall playfully hit his arm. The blond may look cute but he packed a punch. And much of Ethan's body was still bruised green and light purple. He definitely earned his respect. ”Found anything... No I'm afraid not? My mind was focused on bringing this little tart home to you. But he looks a little washed up don't you think?” He playfully poked Hadrian and sniffed. ”He could use a bath. But I will leave that to you.” Ethan sat back and gazed at the pair. Kendall leaning on Hadrian's shoulder. Asking about his emotions. It was an adorable site. They were filled with such love, and comfort. Maybe it was something he could get used to? Learn to appreciate instead of envy. Or he could just kill them both and be done with it? Life was full of decisions... ”Yes, tell us whats with you. Its been a while since I heard you ramble on. I feel my wits getting dull.” Ethan leaned back and smiled. They were all back together. Minus two, but crying over cracked eggs would not fix them. Sondra... would be missed though.

[Hadrian]

"Sondra and I became bosom buddies," he admitted, though a bit flippantly. He was not sure they would believe that she had shown such emotion at his return, nor that he would feel the sudden need to let a grief he had not known existed well up and spill everywhere. "I'll bathe in the stream after I've had some sleep," he promised. "Probably better to wash while we can. The closer we get to Avanthal, the colder it will get, and cleanliness is nice, but hypothermia is not." But he was quiet and enjoyed the banter between Kendall and Ethan. It seemed that his absence had brought them together, so he supposed it wasn't all bad.

[Kendall Saarinen]

Kendall smiled up at Ethan. "Don't jump to conclusions Ethan." He chuckled slightly as he spoke. The blond liked that he and Ethan had gotten closer in Hadrian's absence. He really was a great guy, even if the pair had gotten into a tussle in their time alone. "I'm glad you found him." Kendall giggled slightly at Ethan's comment. If this bath was anything like their last, he would be happy to oblige. Although, it was clear to see a bath in the wild would be nothing like one at the Soothing Waters. It was a little strange to hear that Hadrian and Sondra became friendly. From what Kendall had seen of the two, they were not the best match for friendship. Still, it was good to know the two had found a way to get a long. "Well, I'm glad you two became friendly. It feels like you got some things off of your chest." The difference in Hadrian was very soothing. "Hopefully you can keep lessening the pressure… if you want to." Kendall was making an effort to sound cheerful but in truth he was a little jealous of Sondra. She got him to release the pressure that Kendall had not. Maybe he was not as good at handling emotions as he thought. He breathed in Hadrian's scent in an attempt to lessen his worry but if he was so good at handling emotion shouldn't have been able to lessen his worry himself? "As long as you are feeling better, that's all that matters."

[Ethan]

Hearing he had become bosom buddies with Sondra ruffled Ethan a bit. If anyone should have anything to do with her bosom it should be him. It was only a saying, humans made, but still... He often saw her in his dreams, and woke missing her. When he would fly and survey the land. He kept looking for that long silver hair. They didn't open up a whole lot on their travels. She had a tough hide to get through, even for Ethan. But he felt close to her all the same. She reminded him of everything good in his childhood. She made him feel oddly safe and at ease. Those scales were magnificent as well, like small gems lining her body. He even thought of taking up morphing, just to have a reason to study her up close. Although she would of probably hit him with that hammer if he tried to use magic on her. She was prickly with the stuff. When the group parted ways for obvious reasons. Duty made him go. He needed to take Kendall up north, to safety. Who knew if Hadrian would turn up again. If things went differently. He might of stayed with the Konti. He had wings after all. He could visit her often and be back to Hadrian and his lessons the next day. Ethan bit his lip as his stomach roiled. If he thought anymore on what if's his bowels would turn to water. ”I am glad you are better teacher, but what happened to Sondra. Is she fine? Did she ask about me?” The question was a stupid one, but what was stupidity amongst friends? Between Hadrian's mastery of Auristics and Kendall's more than intrusive Gnosis mark. Their was little room for insecurities or secrets. ”She made it out of Ravok right?” He was eager to get more out of him and hundreds of questions flooded his lips but he didn't want to press the man. Worse case scenario if she was still in that hell hole he could fly back to her within days with good tail winds.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian moved around a bit so he could get his arm around Kendall, and wished he could take Ethan in his other arm to comfort the both of them. Somehow, despite being a pushover physically, he had become the strong one, the rock upon which his loved ones built their lives. There was a comfort and a pride in that, too. He favored Ethan with a wink. "She didn't ask about you, no. She had seen you more recently than I had. But she was staying in Ravok for a while at least. She didn't tell me everything, every why. But she will take care of herself, and I gave her a few names in case she needs a helping hand in getting out of there. Don't worry about her." But he did hope that Ethan didn't fly into Ravok by himself; the Ravokian slavers wouldn't bat an eyelash at trapping him if his 'owner' wasn't nearby.

[Colombina]

There was time to answer Kendall and answer Ethan. Both eager for morsels of what had passed in their absence. But after murmuring replies, Hadrian’s drowsiness overwhelmed him, falling from his head to his feet like a cloak. As Hadrian slipped asleep he felt the familiar submersion of passing through warmth, air and then water. All conscious power left him and his body gently and expertly took command. Nothingness was replaced by darkness and darkness began to share space with lambent colors. The colors were fanning into the orderly and organic arabesques of nautilus shells, honeycomb, coiled ferns, prisms and spider webs. ~~~ “Are you coming or going?” she asked. Her smile was a bright intimate thing inspired solely by what she beheld: Hadrian. She was laying beside him on a daybed, and over her shoulder was the railing of a round stone balcony. Hadrian could hear the sea collapsing on the rocks beneath them, each wave happily spending itself in this final tryst with the shore. The heart shaped face that beheld him had the definition of maturity livened with the promises of youth: she had done wondrous things moments ago and there were more thrilling things to come in the next bell. It was a mosaic of vividness. Her smile deepened with joy before she lightly kissed the warm spot beneath his jaw and twirled off the cushion. “You’ll remember soon enough.” The posters of the narrow daybed had white curtains, they whipped and twisted back at Hadrian, framing the picture of her leaning against the balcony.

OOCHello luvs <3 Thanks for letting me highjack this thread. (I talked to Ken and she gabbed with Ethan.) Don't worry, you two might be back!

[Hadrian]

He smiled back at her; it was that sort of infectious thing and it caught him off guard, as vulnerable to a smile as a naked chest to the plunge of a dagger. He stretched out next to her, lithe limbs too long, knocking against the frame of the daybed before finding their way through. He stretched so hard it hurt and there was that slight recoil, silent for a moment as he resided within that hazy memory of a sensation in his body, trying to decide whether it had been pain after all or pleasure all along. "I..." The salt tang was familiar enough to set him at ease, the shadows of old routines wrapping around him like a child's blanket. All is well, my boy. Bathing in the afterglow, his senses reeled a bit at the intimacy of the kiss, and then she was off and he was admiring the view of her, the curves and the angles, planes and the sun-limned glory of her. An analytic part of him began to calculate the angle of her posture, seeking the golden ratio of her symmetries, but soon left off. "I'm happy," he said, and realized it was true. The generative thought had become word and was actively spoken all in the same instant, which was strange as he was normally the only silent audience to his own thoughts, the endless stream of tangential brilliance that would either push him to transcend the mundane or be driven mad. He followed her lazily, planted his own kiss on her shoulder, inhaled the scent of her hair, and leaned against the balcony too, his arm around her. 'Am I coming or am I going?' he asked himself. There was a philosophical question. He found he did not know. "What am I supposed to remember?"

[Colombina]

The woman hummed appreciatively as Hadrian came near, newly radiant under his touch. She fit neatly against him, her lion colored hair swung between them, a heavy curtain to her waist. The scene before them was endless azure sea punctuated by a galleon with taut white sails. Hadrian could feel her narrow ribs expand with a sweet sigh as she looked into the blue horizons. “Perfect, isn’t it?” She had turned her head a little to look at him with one of her promising smiles. “But we can make it sublime.” Shifting where she stood, she reminded him of her shape and awakened the dormant sensation of skin against skin. “Remember?” her voice warmed around this mystery. “Then that means you are coming.” She turned to face him, her back pressing lightly against the railings. Her hand raised and lovingly traced one side of Hadrian’s face from brow to chin. “And soon something greater than memory will fill you.” She pressed a kiss on his mouth, a punctuation to her claim. As she withdrew, Hadrian could see a deeper shade of longing in her eyes. It was hope, a hope that might have been met with both fulfillment and disappointment before. Gradually, Hadrian’s loosely tethered thoughts began to fill and glow with stories and understanding. His heart flared with greater contentment, though a corner in his mind held staunchly to bitter disbelief. It was a minor discordant chord against a surge of music. Her name was Eve and she was all ardor and forgiveness. She would quicken when on the threshold of comprehension, be soothed by small beauties, make light of herself and adorn herself in grace. She was equal parts muse, lover and challenge. And she-- she seemed to have learned him by heart. The recognition probably bloomed in his expression, since her smile grew more knowing. “Where shall we go, today, Hadrian?” she asked, “I aim to keep you near until…” a brief wilt in her joy, but its luster quickly returned. “Until the evening.”

[Hadrian]

"Eve," he named her, that single syllable rumbling in his throat. He knew her inside and out, her stories, her self, and she knew him. It was an equal exchange, more complete and more organic than the hit or miss deals made with memory stones from far Swalden. But those memories hid in the shadows cast by the woman's light. The horizon was all brilliant colors, ones he could name and others he could not. Perfect it was, and yet he knew it could be better as she claimed. The touch of her hand thrilled, her eyes beguiled. There was a sadness within her that he wanted to wash away, but while he felt his own understanding within him, he felt chained to inaction. Things needed to be said before he could respond to them. Keys must turn locks and open doors through which to walk. "I would follow you anywhere." Truth. "Take me where you will, and I will walk beside you. The terrors will not touch us, and the world is full of wonder." These words, they came out of him sincerely, but almost without his volition. Or, rather, will was so closely married with action that things were no sooner thought then they were accomplished. This was passing strange, but Eve was there, so all was well. Nothing could be wrong in her presence. "When evening comes," and here he faltered, mind and mouth, "will you leave me?"

[Colombina]

Eve laughed low and thrilling, “No, Hadrian.” Here her eyes were grieved but the rest of her visage was preemptive forgiveness. “You will leave me.” She livened suddenly, like a gem lifted to light. “But today, there may be a way.” Twisting her fingers in his hair she spoke a spell and a promise. “Today, today, I have made charms and words into string, and I will tie it from your heart to mine.” Slipping away, Eve let her hand trail over his skin until the last. She walked into the room, passing from sunlight to blue shade. The room was round and half open to the balcony, gracefully and sparsely furnished. She was dressing, or something like that. When Hadrian looked at her she seemed both clothed and nude, whatever effect brought her more glory in the instant. “I think we shall go to the sea, today,” she smiled, “Don’t worry, it will only be as bright as you like.” She ran fingers through her hair, “Ships are coming from north and south, heavy with all the knowledge you love and laden with all the morsels the world can offer.” Her thoughts of their mutual happiness added new buoyancy to her gestures, it seemed as if she would almost float away, ephemeral and lovely as light and color. “It will be there, I think. The key. I’m not quite sure what shape it will be, but I believe you will know, Hadrian. If you can’t see it, no man can.”