((Played out in IM 3/4/08.))
The familiar sound of Alain's Vincent Black Shadow approaches the Forgotten Layers, and dies as he cuts the engine.
Izira sat on the steps to the porch of the inn. Black, covered-toe heels. A soft dress of white, with a black belt cinching her waist. The skirt ending just at her knees. The soft curls of her hair framing her face. She smiled softly at Alain's arrival, but didn't stand or wave.
Alain removes his helmet and rubs at his hair some, but tries not to fuss with it too much in front of Izira. As usual, dressed like a detective, in a grey trench coat, shirt and tie. He lifts a hand to wave as he approaches their ring on his ring finger.
She stood, still smiling. Unable to help the feelings his presence stirred in her. Perhaps the bond helped and hindered. Having felt him approaching, she'd come outside to meet him. But it was something kindred to a school girl crushing on a guy far out of her league... Izira knew this. "How have you been Detective?"
"I'm okay. Keeping busy. How are you feeling?" His memory of their one kiss flashes briefly through his mind, and he pushes it away as he steps closer. He fishes out a cigarillo and looks questioningly at her ? ?Mind if I smoke?? the look says.
"Better. Much." A nod to him, that said 'go ahead'... She hadn't felt anything of his memory of her stolen kiss. She did her best not to think of it. Knowing she'd shame herself once again in front of someone she cared for. Running a hand over her arm. "Healed up too."
He looks up from lighting his cigarette at her eyes and nods - "That's good. Real good." Smoky exhale. "I was kind of worried it wouldn't work... Whatever Kael did, I don't feel much different, except around you."
Izira watched the smoke of the cigarette, the lines of his face, his eyes. Like a painting - you can look, but you can't touch. At least now she could move about RhyDin, not that it proved very useful. A look of confusion crosses her features, "Around me?"
"You know - the empath stuff." He gestures with the cigarillo. "It's sort of like an AM radio - comes in fuzzy."
A slow nod. Looking off down the road he had driven down, "I don't really feel anything from you... but... I knew you were coming."
"It's fainter than it was last time." He turns some, taking a lean against the porch railing, looking out at the landscape before them. The lines on his forehead thoughtful. "I wanted to ask you something."
She remained standing on the stairs watching him. A flicker of worry. She kept it from her face but maybe he felt it anyway. "You can ask me anything you want, Alain."
"What if some people moved in nearby - not too close, but... ten or twenty miles, maybe?"
A little blink. Well, it was nothing personal. "People, Alain?"
"Refugees. Over one hundred and fifty of them."
"That's... quite a number of people. Is... is there room for them?" Looking out into the surrounding area. This place was strange. Beautiful, yet strange.
"I don't know... The realms between here and RhyDin are pretty sparsely peopled, when there's anyone at all." He takes his cigarette from his lips and rubs at his brow. "They're from my homeland. I owe this to them. Someone's agreed to give me a mining engineer for survey work, and if I can find gold, silver or tin... I think I can give them just enough capital to get them on their feet to start a mine, build a village around it... and maybe make a decent living." He frowns. "They've had... a very hard time of things. Where they come from, there's very little left - just war and misery. I need to help them."
He didn't really have to explain much, once he said they were his people and he owed it to them - Izira was willing to lay down whatever she could for him. From her heart and mind to Forgotten Layers to the land. She didn't know it, but Alain's needs would be met. "Of course, Alain. Anything you need?just let me know." Her smile apologetic for not agreeing right off.
"I appreciate it. If we're lucky enough to find anything, we'll bring as many of our own rations as we can... but we may have to resupply here, if you have anything." He looks over at her. "We'd pay for it, of course."
"I will meet all your needs that I can." A nod. She smiled and pushed away the flicker of longing. It was not lustful this time, not overpowering. Just a soft note of want.
He smiles a bit, and takes another puff, looking out at the landscape again. "You think they'll follow me?"
"Who wouldn't?" Her thoughts out before she could think. She softly blushed, smiled and held a hand to her forehead looking down with a soft chuckle.
He looks surprised, and then grins. "Well... maybe you're right. Maybe I can show these people some hope." He tosses down his cigarillo and stomps it out.
Looking up again, her smile bemused. "Alain - the giver of hope. I'll be sure to have a plaque made in your honor."
He gives her a playful push and points at her - "You'd better not. I have a very strict no-plaque policy." He folds his arms, lifting his chin defiantly.
Chuckles soft, a hand placed on his shoulder as she leaned towards him. Her voice cheerful and teasing, "Now that will only further encourage me to do it."
He raises his finger again. "No plaques - can't have my enemies reading my name wherever they go." He grins. "Honestly, I'm hoping I can somehow make this whole shantytown disappear with little more than a murmur."
She moved away, leaning against the opposite railing of the stairs. "If it's in the area around here... that might be entirely possible."
He nods, and looks out... frowning slightly. "You know... I suddenly got a good feeling." He looks back at her and points out towards the northeast. "When I come tomorrow, I'll search out that way."
"You're coming tomorrow?" Snuffing out that flicker of hope as quickly as she could. Looking off where he pointed. She just nodded.
"With the surveyor," he says with a nod. "We'll probably drop by in the evening to solicit your hospitality and a decent meal."
"Anything you would want served in particular?"
He doesn't think about it for long. "A cheeseburger with everything on it. Pickles, peppers, and pineapples - the three P's."
"Course, how could I forget... fries and a shake too?"
"Chocolate malt." He grins.
A nod, "Got it." Hands on the railing at her sides, staying in place.
Sexual tension? Somewhat. He bows his head with a smile. "Dinner tomorrow - I'll see you then."
"See you and the surveyor then." She agreed with a nod, verbally reminding herself he wouldn't be alone.
He waves as he goes back to his motorcycle, and leaves.
A wave as he went off, watching his departure in full before returning inside.
The familiar sound of Alain's Vincent Black Shadow approaches the Forgotten Layers, and dies as he cuts the engine.
Izira sat on the steps to the porch of the inn. Black, covered-toe heels. A soft dress of white, with a black belt cinching her waist. The skirt ending just at her knees. The soft curls of her hair framing her face. She smiled softly at Alain's arrival, but didn't stand or wave.
Alain removes his helmet and rubs at his hair some, but tries not to fuss with it too much in front of Izira. As usual, dressed like a detective, in a grey trench coat, shirt and tie. He lifts a hand to wave as he approaches their ring on his ring finger.
She stood, still smiling. Unable to help the feelings his presence stirred in her. Perhaps the bond helped and hindered. Having felt him approaching, she'd come outside to meet him. But it was something kindred to a school girl crushing on a guy far out of her league... Izira knew this. "How have you been Detective?"
"I'm okay. Keeping busy. How are you feeling?" His memory of their one kiss flashes briefly through his mind, and he pushes it away as he steps closer. He fishes out a cigarillo and looks questioningly at her ? ?Mind if I smoke?? the look says.
"Better. Much." A nod to him, that said 'go ahead'... She hadn't felt anything of his memory of her stolen kiss. She did her best not to think of it. Knowing she'd shame herself once again in front of someone she cared for. Running a hand over her arm. "Healed up too."
He looks up from lighting his cigarette at her eyes and nods - "That's good. Real good." Smoky exhale. "I was kind of worried it wouldn't work... Whatever Kael did, I don't feel much different, except around you."
Izira watched the smoke of the cigarette, the lines of his face, his eyes. Like a painting - you can look, but you can't touch. At least now she could move about RhyDin, not that it proved very useful. A look of confusion crosses her features, "Around me?"
"You know - the empath stuff." He gestures with the cigarillo. "It's sort of like an AM radio - comes in fuzzy."
A slow nod. Looking off down the road he had driven down, "I don't really feel anything from you... but... I knew you were coming."
"It's fainter than it was last time." He turns some, taking a lean against the porch railing, looking out at the landscape before them. The lines on his forehead thoughtful. "I wanted to ask you something."
She remained standing on the stairs watching him. A flicker of worry. She kept it from her face but maybe he felt it anyway. "You can ask me anything you want, Alain."
"What if some people moved in nearby - not too close, but... ten or twenty miles, maybe?"
A little blink. Well, it was nothing personal. "People, Alain?"
"Refugees. Over one hundred and fifty of them."
"That's... quite a number of people. Is... is there room for them?" Looking out into the surrounding area. This place was strange. Beautiful, yet strange.
"I don't know... The realms between here and RhyDin are pretty sparsely peopled, when there's anyone at all." He takes his cigarette from his lips and rubs at his brow. "They're from my homeland. I owe this to them. Someone's agreed to give me a mining engineer for survey work, and if I can find gold, silver or tin... I think I can give them just enough capital to get them on their feet to start a mine, build a village around it... and maybe make a decent living." He frowns. "They've had... a very hard time of things. Where they come from, there's very little left - just war and misery. I need to help them."
He didn't really have to explain much, once he said they were his people and he owed it to them - Izira was willing to lay down whatever she could for him. From her heart and mind to Forgotten Layers to the land. She didn't know it, but Alain's needs would be met. "Of course, Alain. Anything you need?just let me know." Her smile apologetic for not agreeing right off.
"I appreciate it. If we're lucky enough to find anything, we'll bring as many of our own rations as we can... but we may have to resupply here, if you have anything." He looks over at her. "We'd pay for it, of course."
"I will meet all your needs that I can." A nod. She smiled and pushed away the flicker of longing. It was not lustful this time, not overpowering. Just a soft note of want.
He smiles a bit, and takes another puff, looking out at the landscape again. "You think they'll follow me?"
"Who wouldn't?" Her thoughts out before she could think. She softly blushed, smiled and held a hand to her forehead looking down with a soft chuckle.
He looks surprised, and then grins. "Well... maybe you're right. Maybe I can show these people some hope." He tosses down his cigarillo and stomps it out.
Looking up again, her smile bemused. "Alain - the giver of hope. I'll be sure to have a plaque made in your honor."
He gives her a playful push and points at her - "You'd better not. I have a very strict no-plaque policy." He folds his arms, lifting his chin defiantly.
Chuckles soft, a hand placed on his shoulder as she leaned towards him. Her voice cheerful and teasing, "Now that will only further encourage me to do it."
He raises his finger again. "No plaques - can't have my enemies reading my name wherever they go." He grins. "Honestly, I'm hoping I can somehow make this whole shantytown disappear with little more than a murmur."
She moved away, leaning against the opposite railing of the stairs. "If it's in the area around here... that might be entirely possible."
He nods, and looks out... frowning slightly. "You know... I suddenly got a good feeling." He looks back at her and points out towards the northeast. "When I come tomorrow, I'll search out that way."
"You're coming tomorrow?" Snuffing out that flicker of hope as quickly as she could. Looking off where he pointed. She just nodded.
"With the surveyor," he says with a nod. "We'll probably drop by in the evening to solicit your hospitality and a decent meal."
"Anything you would want served in particular?"
He doesn't think about it for long. "A cheeseburger with everything on it. Pickles, peppers, and pineapples - the three P's."
"Course, how could I forget... fries and a shake too?"
"Chocolate malt." He grins.
A nod, "Got it." Hands on the railing at her sides, staying in place.
Sexual tension? Somewhat. He bows his head with a smile. "Dinner tomorrow - I'll see you then."
"See you and the surveyor then." She agreed with a nod, verbally reminding herself he wouldn't be alone.
He waves as he goes back to his motorcycle, and leaves.
A wave as he went off, watching his departure in full before returning inside.