Topic: Treasure Hunt

H.K.

Date: 2012-07-25 22:16 EST
Treasure Hunt

When Jack awoke she would find a one foot metallic imp messenger waiting in that spot that Hunter normally occupied. It held a holo-emitter out before it, light emitting diodes flashed sequentially green then yellow in a circular pattern which indicated that a program was held within. When she would take the time to activate it, the program would spring from the device and deliver her the following message.

Hunter stood before the holo-recorder, he quirked a rare smile. One that said he had a secret that he couldn't wait to share. The background had been programmed out; all that was visible was Hunter, and not even all of him. His face spoke to her from a sphere of photonic goodness.

"Good morning beautiful. As house leader I have taken the liberty of clearing your schedule today. We have an appointment that we must attend to. I fortunately enough am already here, you will need to follow the clues and find me. Should you choose to accept this appointment, I have left a few items on your nightstand. Please dress to match them. If you have not reached the second mark in thirty minutes I will assume you have chosen to go to the bunker and continue with the projects at hand.

I know that you have much that you would like to accomplish, but you haven't had a real break in weeks. The clue for your next destination is"Some people like to gain knowledge the old fashioned way"the timer starts on my mark."

The photonic display of Hunter's face dimmed, a hand rose and he looked to the watch attached to his wrist. As the holograph dispersed Hunter's voice uttered one word. "Mark!" Two items lay on the night stand, one bracelet, and a pair of glasses, both very unusual.

http://img.costumecraze.com/images/vendors/eloper/14010-Antique-Large-Key-Steampunk-Necklace-large.jpghttp://cgcookie.com/blender/files/2012/04/Steampunk-Goggles-956x608.jpg

CreditSource

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2012-07-27 01:47 EST
Glowing green eyes studied the imp and all the while slim fingers fling a crossed a holographic keyboard. Only just peeking out from the comforter so the cold couldn't seep into her body, the data came pouring in.

"A relay timer hun?"

Activating the holographic recorder and trying not to hold her breath, it finally dawned on the half asleep Jack that Hunter was missing. Not wonder the bed was so much colder!

Each word was taken in spreading the smile on her face. Dear Hunter, throwing down a challenge in addition to stating what he thought she would already do. Clearing her schedule was a dangerous thing. An idle Jack would only bring down the chaos she worked with. Shaking her head she sprang from the bed leaving the imp to its own devises. 30 minutes was not enough time for full gear. A wicked grin on her lips as she ran about getting ready.

Racing from the shared closet to bathroom, she actually start to think on the riddle. Running the brush through her hair one last time before placing the hat on her head, Jack raced out the door. Wings fluttering behind her to the library. A clear map of the engineering section shimmering before her.

Feeling the key bracelet brush her flesh only made her heart flutter. Out of all the reason to go running off and ignore work, Hunter was certainly the best, but good luck getting that out of her. The goggles Hunter had left her were not as good as the ones she had hiding in the spare drawer, but both pairs were brought along anyway. Hopefully, this hunt would end in coffee, which was sounding better by the second.

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H.K.

Date: 2012-07-28 18:31 EST
Gillian saw Jack's approach; the librarian was tall, and a bit on the thin side. Her mouse brown hair was up in a tight bun, and wire frame glasses hung low on her nose as she sat behind the counter reading. Her pale blue sweater was appropriate as the air had been turned a little higher than some of the other areas of the grounds. There was a lot of tech in here that was used by all the students. Gillian would do whatever needed doing to keep the computers and holobooks in working order. She looked at Jack over the top of her glasses smiled and before she could speak handed her an access badge to listening boot four.

"Everything you need will be in the room Jack." Gillian gave her a sweet smile as she relinquished the badge. Gillian shot a look to the plaque she had on her desk claiming that intelligent women are sexy. Her smile altered to something more knowing as she returned to her book. She had been here when the Hunter had come to set this up. He hadn't expected to find anyone working before the sun rose, but Gillian considered herself to be the preserver of knowledge for Bristle Crios.

There was one thin and ghost white boy sitting at a table now with a thick volume on known nexus research. It encompassed everything from scientific methodology to magical properties and even ramifications of mechanical harnessing. The boy, Gillian thought his name was Aeron looked up to spy Jack and tried to make himself small and unnoticeable. He did however give her a second look as she passed and entered that soundproof booth. He blushed when he realized she had caught him, and made ready to duck. Jack's accuracy with things sailing through the air was something close to legendary.

Inside the booth sat another of those metal imp messengers. This one responded to the opening of the door. It had been snoring nicely in sleep mode until the access badge keyed the door. It went through a quick wake up sequence and then did a scan of the room's occupant. It focused on certain aspects of biometrics that don't change, a simple adaptation of facial recognition software. Once it determined it had the correct individual the L.E.D's. at the imps mouth began to light as it went through a self diagnostic and loaded the proper program. "Key Please!" It squeaked at her.

A slot in the imp's head opened in the shape of a keyhole. It was small, the shape and size of the key on her bracelet. When that key was inserted and turned one of the gears was removed and dropped into place. The key was then released back to Jack.

The wall became Hunter's image. He was at his desk signing paperwork that fleet uniform of black trimmed in white was as crisp as ever. He handed off the last bit of hardcopy to a decidedly feminine hand, by the look of it Miranda might have been at the other end. The closing of a door could be heard and then Hunter looked right at Jack as though he could see her. Silly since he was just looking at the camera lens"an optical illusion right'

I am so glad you chose to indulge me My Jack. This message has been prerecorded because to be quite honest it took me quite some time to find the proper mechanism to advance it to you. I would like to begin by telling you that I know you question sometimes whether I am satisfied with my decision to stay here with you rather than leave with the Unimatrix. I could tell you repeatedly that I am doing that which I want to do most, but never get the eloquence of the authors contained within these walls. So I am going to read to you the words that I believe best sum up how I feel, as edited by Hunter K"lar.

Hunter raised a book before him, the blue green cover was inlaid with gold and the pages were yellow with age. The title read as "The Unabridged Charles Dickens". Hunter cleared his throat softly and began to read in a steady baritone. He edited as he read, personalizing it to the two of them.

We've had the best of times, We've had the worst of times, we've seen the age of wisdom, we've seen the age of foolishness, we've lived the epoch of belief, we've lived the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way"

Hunter looked over the book into the camera lens again, if possible right into Jack's eyes. Pages were turned discretely, and his next words were clearly not read and edited from the presented texts.

We've made decisions to cause great happiness, we've made decisions to cause great despair"We've gained a new present, we've given up an honored past. This last has caused some trepidation, but I need you to know Jack, that"

Hunter looked back to the book, his eyes flitted to the page and then back to the camera or was it to Jack herself.

"It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better life that I go to, than I have ever known.

The book was closed and laid to rest on the desk in front of him. He smiled openly for a moment, a thing meant only for her. He licked his lips before continuing on.

Congratulations on discovering treasure number one. The goggles I provided you with have been preprogrammed to see specific patterns. You will notice the dial with numbered settings one through four. Somewhere in the library I have marked a book with a chemical that is meant to be detected by setting one. This book is the clue to your next location. Make sure to keep the key with you as it holds the messages for those locations. Jack I know you can easily crack those messages, and get here quickly. And don't think that I don't want to see you just as badly. Sometimes the journey must made to understand the destination.

Hunter nodded to the person recording the message; logic would tell her it was C.A.M. since the sequences on the key had to be precise to pull of this treasure hunt. The goggles were already locked in to position one. The library itself was large many of the Bristle Crios students preferred the words to be written as opposed to stored on a microdrive. A quick sweep of the printed section of the library however would turn up nothing. A mild disagreement at the front however could be heard. Gillian was firmly informing a student that the book he wanted had been reserved. The student was protesting that the reserved books were always on the reserved cart.

When the goggle wearer rounded a shelf to see what the commotion was about, the book in question lit up. It glowed like a firefly pulsing regularly. The cover could be seen clearly, Ebbing & Gammon General ChemistryNinth Edition, Gillian spotted Jack in her goggles and then smiled sweetly up to Aeron. "My mistake, you are correct if this book were reserved it would be on the reserved cart."

http://www.coverbrowser.com/image/charles-dickens-books/229-9.jpghttp://www.prioritytextbook.com/product_images/i/612/9780538497527__17576_zoom.jpg

(image sources found within text. Quotes have been altered from source A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens)

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2012-09-05 19:12 EST
Shaking her head it was only a matter of time before she caught up with him. True enough she could set her goggles to track his signature and skip right to the end of this, but...Smirk spreading a crossed her face, this was getting better and better. With a quick pull of the leather strap, the goggle rested on the top of her black hair like a set of large bug eyes. Data still reading in the corners about what Hunter had used to make the book give off that glow. Jack didn't need the chemistry book to tell her that he had been in the labs and making a very special type of luminol. Cackling like the mad half fae she is, in a dead sprint she barreled out of the library.

"Thanks Gillian and kid.."

Scooping him up in one arm and spinning about to watch his face go from absolute panic to giggles before setting him on the floor.

"If you really want to get into the engineering of space dynamics then I can send the list of books to Gillian later for you to get cracking on."

Winking, the doors closed behind her leaving the student to stare wide eyed at the librarian. He had survived an encounter with Jack and not been smacked upside the head with a wrench! Throwing his hands up in victory to do a little dance.

No one dared to get in Jack's way, her heavy combat boots sound off the approach to reach for cover. C.A.M chimed in half way there about the rules of the labs, as if Jack didn't know them by heart. It was her that had written them, granted she broke them every chance she got, but that was mainly cause she wasn't an idiot. Well....blowing up the kitchen didn't count. That was more lack of sleep than anything.

"Please no running in the vicinity of the labs. I repeat. Please no running in the vicinity of the labs. Hazardous chemicals are in use."

Rolling her eyes and rounding the corner into the nearest lab seeing exactly what she needed laid out on the counter. Ha! She would do him one better than that. Especially after all Hunter had to say in that last holo message.

"Oh shut up C.A.M! I am hazardous all on my own so go cite the rules to someone else. I have work to do."

"But I had your schedule cleared per the orders of...."

Raising her hand in protest C.A.M went silent. Taking a deep breath so she didn't just blast C.A.M for being so critical.

"It is a figure of speech and unless I am bleeding out or near death just stay quiet today."

Finally feeling alone Jack darted from cabinet to cabinet. Flicking the switch to get the hood vent running at the right setting. Oh.....gummy bears. One of Jack's secret indulgences. Luminol powder, water, hydrogen peroxide and tonic water for grins and giggles. Mind ticking off the list of things, times it would take and what order to do it in. Each one was a simple process, but to ask one task to be done at a time was torture!

Pulling out what was for all intensive purposes a pressure cooker, Jack tossed in some coal and a very special mix of bioluminescence. Tightening down the clamps and setting the timer, it was onto the next project. Next was a large glass bowl and in went luninol powder, bit by bit water, peroxided and lastly the tonic water. All the while munching down on the gummy bears....

"Bleh! What the hell?"

Looking down she had left herself nothing, but the clear ones. No matter how old she became they still tasted awful. Rounding on the cranking vent, Jack dropped a cube of potassium in a test tube, lit a burner and wait for it to melt. As soon it as became liquid the gummy bear was dropped inside. Sparks came flying out and the gummy bear was doing a little dance so to speak until it was nothing more than burned goo along the sides of the test tube. Round 2" Cackling till the tiny droid chirped at her again.

"Key please.?

Glancing at the clock and then the metal droid, Jack backed away from her gummy bear killing to figure out where she had to go next. Her glowing surprises would be done by then. All she would need to do is take a polisher to the glowing treat in the pressure cooker.

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H.K.

Date: 2012-10-04 00:09 EST
The key went into the droid and a clanking sound was heard very reminiscent of the sound a coin makes when put into a vending machine. When the key was released again another of those gears had been removed.

A holographic image of Hunter appeared at eyelevel for Jack above the droids head. The left corner of his mouth twitched upward and a gleam hit his eye. "I have often said that you are a genius and far smarter than I. You have gone and gotten way ahead of me and proven it again. On the other hand I have a gift for tactics. Realizing that you would easily surpass the level of test that I could ever manage to give you, I instead have shifted the focus of this task.

The image of Hunter glanced at the luminal that Jack had created as though the prerecorded image could actually see it. "No worries though Jack, you have not worked in vain the luminal will still be required at the end of this as well as in the next few moments."

The camera swung around and it was obvious that this recording had been done in this very room, and recently as the bell that sounded class ending when Jack was leaving the Library sounded in the video as well. "I have placed on the lab table over there an assortment of gears a single shaft and a schematic of how it needs to be put together. I won't lie to you Jack, this particular piece will be necessary to open the final doorway. You will see that the gears need to be on that spindle and only work in a specific direction. Unfortunately the direction is not uniform. There is also a box of?well I will let you read it and find out for yourself."

There was a hint of the box on the screen as it swung back to face Hunter. "I love you Jack and that is why I saved this for your viewing pleasure while you work." Was that a smirk on the normally rigid face of the house leader" The screen changed and a view of The Great Bloom came into view. Out amongst the Metreon globes was a crew of engineers harvesting the gas into small vials. Leading the crew was a certain winged engineer who had never used one of the EVA suits before in her life. "You just keep watching Chief and prepare to be amazed." The voice was her own though from the past music began to swell and the engineering crew began a zero G space ballet.

The gears for the spindle were very close in size as they descended. The smallest was still nearly the size of the largest. The biggest difference in them was the tooth spacing. Each gear had a clutch bearing pressed into it which would speed things up immensely for Jack. The blueprint was just that, a blueprint. The box however was written on in permanent marker.

Please pick your favorite and bring with you

Inside the box was an assortment of precious stones and minerals. Even the jewel of the sea was present in the box. The stones were polished but uncut and came in a variety of shapes. The music dulled behind the engineer. It still played but it was muffled as though a door had been closed. If Jack had looked at what the screen showed she would have found Admiral Hunter K"lar face down on the couch in his ready room laughing into a throw pillow. This image faded back into the Hunter who was wearing a very steam punk military jacket.

"The next clue is the last one Jack. In this place there are two of me, but only one of us is wrinkled."

http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5464747/il_fullxfull.61529386.jpghttp://www.gemresearch.ch/journal/No5/images/p10.jpg



(Image credit sources are found in the links within the thread)

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2013-05-09 23:46 EST
Jack watched the holographic Hunter curious as to the end of the game. Faintly the academy bells chimed in the background of the recording, sending her into a song of cackles. So, she had nearly caught him. One hand on her hip and the other holding the next gummy bear to die. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to slow down in life. After all what was it really that needed to be rushed to . Science and life has so much to work out, to explain still.

Glowing green eyes watched the images change, herself dancing in space with her repair and collection team. Briefly the screen flashed to Admiral K'lar's personal quarters. The oh so serious man buried in a pillow laughing till tears graced his cheeks. Well, that answered why when she returned, that Lacha had been left to run the bridge. It was clear even back then she could make him laugh, break that stoic face of marble with ice blue eyes.

Their past bringing joyful tears to her eyes, till Hunter appeared again. His request cut through the haze of memories, sharply focusing her attention to the project at hand. Gears and stones? Priority order was the first to come into play. The stones could wait, but the gears would surely take more time. The blueprint paper with white lines turned to blue in her eyes. Gears floating along the shaft, fitting neatly into their groves. Her finger traced the edge of each gear as it was plucked from the chaos of others.

Soft and sweet, the music played in her head. Each gear another instrument announcing it's presence. Rising with passion, falling with sorrow and calling, always calling like a lover. Sharing the very essence of life, if only just to touch one's soul. Jack's fingers nimbly assembled the gears, their clicks adding to the symphony in her head. Finally, her fingers found only emptiness that ended the music.

With a sigh, Jack pulled herself away from the table placing the glowing green stone she had made for Hunter in her pocket. With the burner shut off and the lab mostly clean, all that was left to do was pick a stone. It was an impressive collection by any standard, but only one reminded her of Hunter. Of their time together in space. Cradling the aquamarine in her palm, Jack took off for the place that had two Hunters, only one of them with a wrinkle.

The holodeck. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_L9—bXgl4HI/TBVn2ZQYRPI/AAAAAAAAAMw/zWWDU03xBeQ/s320/aquamarine+cluster.jpghttp://www.diamond-jewelry-pedia.com/images/aquamarine_stone.jpg

Links are in the images. Just click!

H.K.

Date: 2014-04-18 00:16 EST
The entry to the Holo suite had changed. The door was wooden with large iron bracers descending from each corner. Their smooth studs the size of half dollars to dimes pointing like arrows to a large silver latch in the center. The fame was solid, but the interior of the lock exposed showing layer upon layer of gears. In the middle of the lock sat a pair of almond shaped half moons of silver with the key lock looking like a nose. The almonds slide back revealing them to be L.E.D. eyes opening and looking at Jack. "Key Please!" There was silence after wards. The clues all pointed here, but it was clear that only the one with the key would get in tonight.

There was no help for the deep chuckle that slipped away from her lips. The key slid down her wrist into her hand. Glowing green eyes took in every detail as the key clicked into place easily. A deep rumble came from within as the layer of gears sprung into action. All that was left of the steampunk key was an old skeleton key. Not that she was complaining, it was still a beautiful piece of craftsman ship. Taking a step back she waited for the door to open. No matter what lay on the other side, this was an amazing day with no work. Granted...good luck getting her to admit that after the fact. "Look out. Look out." She cooed to the door smirking. She could hear the heavy sliding of bolts inside the door being pulled back and her wings flickered a little faster.

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-04-18 00:18 EST
The door to the holo suite swung forward, when the lock fully disengaged. The top of the door rolled backwards and up up like the top of a music box. Once completely pulled inside the room the sound of a piano drifted out to greet her. A holographic singer in a flowing ball gown poised on a raised stage in front of a brass microphone. Hunter moved forward dressed in a steampunk outfit Jack had picked out for him long ago, complete with crow's wings. He moved out of the shadows and bowed holding out his hand to ask her to dance, without a word. Ice blue eyes drinking her in with the smallest of smiles. It seemed as if her eyes could go no wider and yet they did. Awe struck, Jack didn't know which way to move first. Her hand slipped into his, but her eyes stayed glued to the wonders before her. Could it be? This was the song, the music of her childhood. The one gift that had held her close to her father and now the entire room was not just any music box, but her music box. The walls of the room seemed to be draped in green velvet with copper tassels holding them in place. The floor shining like in laid shell in rich tones of gray with traces of blue in green depending on how the light hit it. As the singer joined the piano, she took note of the gleaming oak stage with fine details of baroque patterns framing its sides. He'd done the most endearing thing and rendered her speechless. Truly this was on for the record.

H.K.

Date: 2014-04-18 00:19 EST
Hunter led her along the outside of the shell floor, twisting her half way through even as a second being entered from the opposite side of the room. Striding forward, and turning at a very military ninety degree angle, headed into the center of the dance floor. The first Hunter led Jack towards the second person who stood with a palm up as though asking for a dance. When the music stopped she would be in front of two Hunters standing in the same position. Neither moved or spoke, waiting to see perhaps if Jack could find the real Hunter.

Her body moved with his, each step sure and confident, but that did not change the look in her eyes. Jack knew the differences that no hologram could bring to life. That look of joyful mischief when Hunter looked her way. The fight that had grown easy with time, but it still left subtle lines around the edge of his mouth, ones she looked forward to their deepening in time. Jack found her own elation in the choked laughter, Hunter held deep in his chest just for her; the secret pressed into her as she spun back into his arms. How could she not know the one that haunted her dreams in the most wicked of ways and burned her to the very core? Glowing green eyes took in the two Hunters as the last notes clung to the air. Tossing her hair back in a rich cackle, she stood between them in challenge. Hips set at an angle she truly saw no point in keeping him guessing. "My Hunter would not be caught dead with a wrinkle in his jacket." Waving her fingers through the light, the holographic Hunter would distort and shimmer. "I only want the real thing or nothing at all." Offering her hand up to the one and only love of her life. Whatever this was, however it ended, she couldn't be happier and she intended to prove that to him in so many ways, on so many levels.

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-04-18 00:20 EST
Hunter took her hand as the next song began to play, another slow melody so that he could be close to her. His hand happily found the small of her back and laced with her fingers. "I hope that you have enjoyed all of today's discoveries." He held her with that icy gaze that told her more in the most minute curl to the corner of his mouth than most could or would ever see. "It's not quite over yet, my Jack." The holographic Hunter had marched away from them, though he seemed to be circling about and heading straight towards the couple. The hard light hologram produced a box which he handed off to Hunter before disappearing completely. Hunter had been planning this moment, but now that it was here he struggled to let go of her. Keeping the small of her back his other hand took the box, tracing the grooves with his fingertips. "We've struggled a long time, Jack, fought for the things that most would consider small, like approval from our families, or the right to thwart traditions." He spoke softly keeping his lips next to her ear as he led her in small circles on the dance floor. Could she feel how hard his heart was hammering? Her cheek pressed to his, Jack only took note of the box because it had taken one of Hunter's hands from her. Eyes snapping open ready to throw a wrench at whatever would dare intrude til she saw the box. No....wait....no. It is too big of a box. Her heart falling into a steady rhythm again, her breath on his ear. "That we have and I would wrestle you again in front of your mother." The soft snicker vibrating against Hunter's cheek. She hadn't said it yet, but she was not ready by any means for this moment to end. Whatever the box had to say or do could wait. Her feet gracefully moving for wearing platform combat boots. Needless to say, Hunter's change in uniform was drool worthy, but she had thought of him as such no matter what he wore. Her smile growing as she was nearly holding a conversation with herself and him in her head. Then again he had said the same thing about her, but she doubt he would ever want her to get rid of the skulls and lace.

H.K.

Date: 2014-04-18 00:22 EST
Hunter stopped, letting her drift away from him and taking her left hand. He gave her a strange look and actually licked his lips nervously. "I think that's why I put so much thought into this moment, I wanted it to be spectacular." Before she could reply, he dropped to one knee and produced the box that had been hiding behind his back shortly after it was given to him. "This is a traditional promise box, Jack." He looked up at her as he pushed the small button to open it one handed. "I've been working on it for a while." Setting the box on his bended knee, his fingers shook as he reached inside and pulled out an earring with a long chain. The chain was fixed to the earring in places, causing the length in a cascade of u shapes dotted with beads in a rainbow of colors. "I can't ask for your hand wearing my family's earring, so I did some research and made this one for you. The gem you brought will go in the earpiece." He looked back up at her. "You're family is very large, and that made this difficult to create and still be something that could be worn. However....if you would consent to be my wife, I would ask if I might add my own history to yours." His voice would have been barely audible if the music hadn't when he started to go down on one knee stopped.

One eyebrow shot up and it was only Hunter that kept her from giving the evil look of doom that was normally followed by a wrench at the box. Granted it wasn't the box's fault....yet. Hunter's words sunk in and she nearly failed. Why wasn't there a manual!"! She wouldn't have read it anyway, but still! It's the principle of the thing! Trying to swallow what felt like a rampant swarm of butterflies only made her green eyes glisten. Her mind screaming...Don't panic! Where the hell is your towel"! Wait you don't need one you are on the ground! Am I? The answer is 42! 42!!!

Mechanist Heart

Date: 2014-04-18 00:23 EST
Jack shook not out of fear, but never had she ever let herself dream of a moment that someone would want to call her his wife, to become family. Each link, every bead, she knew the names, the faces that made her history and...tears rolled down her cheeks as one bead came into view. For a brief moment all she could do was nod her head yes. The tears rolling more freely down her nearly white cheeks. Her first words trembled from her lips still grasping what wonderful moment was happening to her. "I consent and always have since you told me you loved me." Grasping his hand tighter in hers. "You are so much a part of me, that to remove you they would have to tear a part time and space and then figure out a way to kill me, because I can't bare to be without you." Her fingers had slipped into her pocket pulling out the aquamarine she had chosen. It really did match his eyes. Hunter released a breath he hadn't known he was holding. There was always the chance that she could have denied him. Jack was definitely one to go against conventions, but it had been she who had arranged for this to be Hunter's right. Did he know then that she would be the one? It had been at the edge of his thoughts even before the wrestling match. He rose placing the earring in her hand and raising his towards the place where the one she had won from him so long ago rested. His fingers still shook some, brushing the rook piercing he had given her that same night. Hunter managed somehow to remove the piece and reach to replace it with the new one, but not before adding the stone that was her choice for him to the new earring. Then he dropped down again and retrieved the carved wooden box with the velvet covered cushioning inside. He opened the other side and held it up so that she could take his replacement earring and put it on him. "You're house shall be my house, I will wear them with love and pride." This was more what his role would have been had she been the one asking, some parts of tradition needed to stay though.

H.K.

Date: 2014-04-18 00:24 EST
Feeling Hunter shake as much as she thought she was, Jack's smile returned. Breaths coming between chuckles of elation and when the other earring appeared, she needed no prompting. It looked like her body collapsed her to the floor in front of it. Fingers picking up the delicate piece with the upmost care while the other hand removed the violently glowing green gem she had made while exploding gummy bears. Setting the stone into place she was happy it had come out at least close to the right size the prongs could be adjusted later. Her fingers worked to set their new earring in place binding them together. In that moment she made up her minds to say nothing to either family and see how long it took them to notice. "And your house is mine. Together we shall be our own house, free to do and love as we please." Each finger tip pressed along Hunter's jaw line till his lips met hers and Jack could take a moment to show him how truly wonderful he was and stop the last of her shaking.

Hunter reached for her as she kissed him, his arms going about her and taking comfort in the way she fit against him. The easy part was over, if he'd thought about it. In a way all things considered, life together would have greater challenges yet to come. Those would be faced with her though, this he had to do on his own and that was terrifying. "My Jack..." The words he'd said so many times before had new meaning now.

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