On Days Like These [Hadrian]

[Jaiun]

Timestamp: 88th Fall 511 A.V.

The bear loped tiredly through the crystalline streets, an aching in his backside and a cramp in his foot. He had taken his human form just because it was easier to slip through the back-alleys, which he needed to use to reach home in his poor condition. Three people had tried to break into Avanthal earlier that day. Of special note was the one who had somehow climbed over the wall and led Jaiun and another bear on a merry chase through the streets before they managed to take him down.

It had been a long day.

Jaiun paused brokenly at a street corner, squinting at his surroundings. Now...where was he again? You'd think, living in the city as long as he had, he'd know the streets pretty well by now. But, in his state, he couldn't tell where the hell he was.

A low rumble escaped his slender throat. Perfect. Just perfect. This was exactly what he needed. A resigned look passed over the bear's face, and he began to look around for directions. There was somebody, just a little ways down the road. The twilight of the day made it hard to make out the person's figure, but hopefully he would know where they were. Ignoring the cramp in his foot, Jaiun jogged up behind the person, and grabbed them by the shoulder. At the last moment, he remembered to be polite, saying:

"Sir, can you point me in the direction of Ice Palace?" At this point, Jaiun was hoping to avoid the embarassment of being the bear who didn't know where his own home was, so hopefully pretending to look for the Palace, which was close to the Icewatch Barracks, would make the other person think he was just a clueless outsider.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian still chose to walk when his mind got into a rut, finding new paths as his feet did. But here his winterbane coat only kept out the cold for so long, and his feet were freezing. All the same, he knew that he wouldn't be warm again until Kendall was home from work and they could share body heat under the furs and talk about their days. Today he was trying to figure out Familiary, to put pieces together that he had been gathering for some time. He knew the coordinates for the world from which they came, but was not yet adept at making deals with otherworldly creatures. Memosites weren't quite sentient, not quite alive. A Familiar, on the other hand... A hand grabbed him by the shoulder, turned him about, and his eyes went wide, his instinct to Flux djed all through his body that it might be stronger, faster, and quicker to react, but it was only Jaiun, and he forced his hands to relax from their fists as he smiled shakily. "You startled me. Hello again. I'll walk you to the Ice Palace if you wish," he added, the question as to why an Icewatch bear didn't know how to find the palace left hanging in the air.

[Jaiun]

Jaiun froze when he saw it was Hadrian. A second later, a swear passed his lips, though he cut it off mid-sentence. A slight red tinge passed across Jaiun's face, and if he had been Vantha, he was sure it would have shifted to an "embarassment" color.

It would be just like Lhex to have the person he was trying to talk to discreetly to know him. Now, it would be seen as a weakness on his part. And bears didn't like feeling weak.

"Forgive me..." Jaiun said, teeth gritted. "...I didn't mean to startle you. It's been a long day and I'm on edge a bit. Somehow, I ended up where I didn't mean, and I didn't know where to find the Barracks from here - embarassing twice over for a guard." Jaiun gave a short, barking laugh. "I could use the company to the Palace, though, and I'm glad it's someone I already know." He said, straining to find the right way to make this not cast him in a bad light.

[Hadrian]

His smile was faint and vague, welcoming enough, but giving away little of what he truly thought. But he nodded all the same and turned to continue on his way, indicating that Jaiun should accompany him. It wasn't so very far. Avanthal was no great metropolis; just the home of Winter when She was not in her ascendance. Jaiun's smile looked a little feral, but Hadrian was not afraid. After all, he had repelled a full-forced charge by Belgar in his polar bear form. Jaiun seemed much more stable, and he was only in his human form, which was rather scrawny compared to his bear form. And Belgar's human form, but not everyone was built the same. Sometimes Hadrian wondered what it would be like to Morph himself a knight's muscles, but there were always so many things to do. "It's all right, Jaiun. I won't tell anyone about your drinking problem." It was a lame attempt at a joke, but Hadrian knew what it felt like to feel weak. Not good.

[Jaiun]

The man, Hadrian, didn't seem put off by his appearance as the other humans. Jaiun had found that, even while he was in human form, some of his more bearish qualities managed to slip through, and those tended to...unnerve people. Not Hadrian, though. Jaiun raised one eyebrow and took up step beside him, still watching him.

Jaiun attempted something approaching a laugh at Hadrian's joke. It sounded strained, even by his weak human ears. "Thanks...I appreciate that." he rumbled, bobbing his head several times. Silence override him again there, leaving him simply observing Hadrian as he had beforehand. At length, he spoke forth more, this time with the curiosity of a city guard.

"Why did you come to Avanthal, Hadrian?"

His eyes, dark as those of his natural form, looked over Hadrian's slim frame, so comparable to his own. The only difference was Hadrian didn't have a more muscled form to take in times of need. But maybe he made up for it in different ways...

"You must have had quite a journey, to have arrived as you did." Jaiun remarked, "You and your companions...you're different from the other travelers I've seen," Jaiun admitted bluntly.

[Hadrian]

He tried to let the joke die with Jaiun's lame, but appreciated, attempt at laughter. The silence didn't bother him. Few things really did. He felt that it was a waste of energy to worry about the little things and, really, when one looked at things, most everything was a little thing or made up of little things, so worry was counterproductive. When the bear-man spoke so bluntly, Hadrian responded in kind. There was no reason not to trust Jaiun, not after he had been so kind as to lead them into Avanthal, smoothing over a lot of questions they might have had to deal with if they had arrived on their own. "I came following Kendall and Ethan. We were separated in Ravok and when they thought I was not coming back, they moved on to Avanthal, but I caught up with them eventually. I just had some business to attend to in Ravok before I left. I've been to Avanthal before, but I was a boy." Now he was a man, but it still felt strange to say it out loud. "We're moving west, exploring Mizahar, I suppose. We may move on in the Spring, or not. I'm not sure yet. Kendall seems happy with the Icewatch cubs. "Why do you ask?"

[Jaiun]

As was his wont, Jaiun examined Hadrian fiercely as he spoke. Even as his ears listened, eyes roved the man's body conspicuously. All his senses were trained towards Hadrian and trying to determine if there were any underlying emotions to his words, if any. Such is the nature of a guard.

Any gathered information, if any, was not determined. Jaiun's face was as enigmatic as always, devoid of any incriminating emotion, ironically the very kind he was looking for in the mage beside him. It wasn't that he didn't trust Hadrian - he simply wanted to know more. Or so it appeared.

"Quite a tale." Jaiun remarked at last. "It seems true if only for the remarkable detail you've put into it."

There was a more discernible reaction on Jaiun's face when Hadrian mentioned Kendall and his new occupation.

"Ah, so he's watching over the Icewatch cubs, is he? Well, we did need a new babysitter." he mused. "Maybe later I should check in on how he's doing. Don't want him doing anything bad to my little brothers and sisters." Jaiun's grin was not the least bit reassuring.

He shrugged then, the grin fading. "Just a desire to know. It seems to come from a lifetime of guarding the gates," Jaiun replied honestly. "The usual questions the Icewatch ask become second nature in a way."

[Hadrian]

To be sure, Jaiun had seemed a great deal more welcoming, more trusting, when they had met out on the wastes en route to Avanthal. He had even led them there and helped them get settled despite Ethan's getting a little shirty when he felt his friends were being threatened by the bear Kelvic when really he had only been doing his job. But it seemed odd for him to get suspicious now that they had been living there, with Kendall working in the social services and Hadrian... "Belgar took me to meet Queen Morwen," he added. "He found me practicing magic outside of Avanthal. I thought it prudent to do so where there was less chance of anyone stumbling into my work, and he assumed the worst. But your Queen seems to think I pose no threat to Avanthal." He too was distrustful, so even now he could not get angry with Jaiun, but nobody liked the inconvenience of suspicion cast upon them. "I do understand that you are just doing your job, though." And yet he could not find the palace. "The Palace is just up here," he added helpfully.

[Jaiun]

OoCGeez, I'm so sorry this is taking so long to get back to you on. I'm really dropping the ball here, though I aim to fix that.

"Don't take this in the wrong way." Jaiun warned, "I'm not trying to seem suspicious of you and Kendall. I merely wish to know how you're getting settled." he tilted his head and looked askance at Hadrian, "It's coming out a bit wrong, me being so tired and grumpy."

Yet Jaiun did seem a bit different from the bear Hadrian and co. had met in the woods that days; more embittered and suspicious, in a way. Perhaps it was only his bear nature getting the best of him while his guard was down, or maybe...?

Jaiun's loud voice interrupted any train of thought one might have been forming. "...And who am I to disagree with the Queen? If she says you pose no danger to Avanthal, I say welcome!" A real smile formed on his face here.

At Hadrian's prodding, Jaiun looked up into the bright blue sky, eyeing the crystal halls besides them. "This does look familiar." he admitted. "I can probably find my way from here." He looked at Hadrian again. "Thanks for helping out me, even when it's my job to help out you."

[Hadrian]

Hadrian nodded, still not especially comfortable with conflict or emotions, even the grumpiness of a bear. The smile reassured him, and he offered his own awkward specimen of one in response. He wanted the Icewatch to accept him, the better to do his work unmolested; protected, even. Morwen wanted her coldtorch, and he would make it for her. "I'll stay on until you're sure," he promised, continuing to lead the way, though not pulling ahead. "Is everything all right? I can understand tired and grumpy, but is that all?" He was not scared, really, but he had a vested interest in not wearing out his welcome anywhere he went, because there were always things to learn in those places, and opportunities to be had. If he created a thing for a goddess, she could pay him, but she might even reward him with something better. It would behoove him to actually befriend her beloved Kelvics rather than just relying on her good favor to win them over.

OoCNo worries!