Topic: Two Hearts Not Captured

Carley · Date: 2009-06-19 03:35 EST

For some reason, the gods (or cruel fate) had sought fit to fling Glenn back to RhyDin once again, with nothing but the clothes on his back and the skills he possessed. He had wandered the city, lost and disoriented, for the first day he was there until he had somehow found his way to the Southern Glen, where he had fallen asleep, exhausted, on the muddy banks near the small lake there. When he woke up the next morning, still in the city, confusion gave way to panic. His jaunts through time and space didn't normally last this long, and he had no money to purchase food with. And he was quite hungry indeed. Somehow, he summoned the energy to walk north through the city to the Marketplace, but once he arrived at the afternoon market, his energy tapped out. He had been fortunate enough to find a wooden bench free in the plaza, and he quickly sprawled out on it, tired, muddy, starving, and alone.

Though Carley's day had started out grim as she was left with no work to do on the Luinista and Cy and Orson had both abandoned her to tend to their own business, she had certainly made the best of it. Having dressed up in a cute blue dress with white trimming that matched the headband and bow she wore on her head, she played up her adorability to several crowds while playing her violin. With a pretty smile, big blue eyes, and more talent with the violin than anyone deserved, she managed to rack up quite a bit of coin. After so much 'work', however, it was time for a break. A break that involved food and the consumption of said food. Preferably delicious food! Having packed her violin back in its case, she wandered around the market square towards the vendors off in the distance. With every step, coins seemed to quietly and merrily jingle within her case, echoing the smile on her face and the spring in her step.

He shifted onto his side, futilely attempting to find some comfort in the bench and quickly failing. One hand rested on the single jade arrowhead attached to a hemp necklace dangling from his neck. Dirt had apparently been ground into the olive green long-sleeved buttoned up shirt he was wearing; perhaps he'd used it as a pillow the night before? His jeans were rumpled and dirty as well, though that might have been an unsurprising fashion choice from the understated carpenter. His boots, though mucked up as well, still seemed far newer than the beat-up pair he had worn when he lived in RhyDin before. After a while on his side, he gave up on resting and sat up, watching the crowds bustle through the plaza.

Nimbly darting around people on her quest for food, she halted abruptly as she neared the vendors. What did she want to eat? Kabob? Hot dog? Burger? "A..ha." Spotting something that caught her eye, flat heels clicked as she bolted thataway. Warm biscuits filled with jam. It was really more of a dessert item, but that didn't bother her. Carley's exchange with the vendor was brief and full of radiant smiles and large eyes, which got her a free large biscuit wrapped in a napkin. She was just too precious for her own good sometimes. Large breasts? She thought them over rated! One could get things with them, but there was always the expectation of 'something' in return. Big blue eyes? Plenty of freebies without the expectations. Snickering to herself and nibbling at her biscuit, she started a path towards the benches, wanting to sit and eat. There was less chance of ruining her dress that way with errant blueberry jam.

His eyes drifted from person to person, falling briefly on a short, blonde-haired elf. She looked an awful lot like Carley... He looked to a stout dwarven male, then suddenly cut back to the elf. He stiffened, sat straight upright. That...had to be her. Panicked, he quickly laid back down on his bench, head covered by his arms, and hoped that she would walk past without noticing.

Looking around the various benches, Carley wrinkled her nose in annoyance. A dwarf with BO occupied part of one. Canoodling couples occupied a couple others. And a bum? Snorting, she approached the dirty, green shirted vagabond and used the end of her violin case to nudge at his legs. "Heya BumBum, benches aren't for sleepin'. It's too early to sleep anyways. Ya obviously need a job." Shaking her head in disappointment, she took another bite from her jam biscuit.

He mumbled something unintelligible into his arm, trying to keep his head and face hidden from sight. He had to resist the urge to try and peek at her, lest she catch sight of him and realize who he was.

Since he didn't appear to be moving, and she couldn't understand him, Carley made a face. Swallowing her food, she nudged at him with her violin case again, harder this time. "Come on! I wanna sit, and the other benches are taken. I deserve it more than you do, I'm a workin' citizen and contribute to society!" After a moment, her features softened. "Just move, 'k? I'll buy ya lunch if you want. The vendors have got all kinds of goodies."

"...Sorry." The word was unmuffled, and quite unmistakably in Glenn's voice, even if it seemed quiet and wearier than it was before. He still stayed hidden from sight, though.

((Adapted from Live RP))

Carley · Date: 2009-06-19 03:45 EST

Carley's heart seemed to skip a beat before kicking into overdrive. For a moment, she was rendered silent as her breath caught in her throat. There was no way she would ever forget that voice. But could it really be who she thought it was? Here? Dirty and curled up on this bench in the middle of the day? It had to be. But what was the right thing to say? "I have this biscuit here.. if ya want." That was likely not the right thing, but she seemed unknowing or uncaring of such.

There were a million things that he could have said, a million more that he should have, but he was too worn out and hungry to say them. Instead, he sat up slowly and reached his hand tentatively for the biscuit. "Thanks." There was a momentary pause, then, "I shouldn't be here."

When he reached out for the biscuit, she made no hesitation in handing it over, still wrapped partially in a neat napkin. "Sleepin' on this bench? Probably not..." Since he sat up, it freed up part of the bench. Rolling on the balls of her feet a moment in ponderance, she finally took a seat on it, close to the edge, so as to not sit too close to Glenn. Violin case set down with a thump and jingle, she rested her hands in her lap. "That dwarf over there, he could probably jump ya. And you don't look like ya have a copper on you. He'd be mad. Take it out on you. It wouldn't be good at all." She shook her head to reiterate her pointless rambling.

He leaned out, to take a good look at the dwarf in question. He gave a slow, single shake of his head no. "He couldn't." He sat back on the bench again, taking a bite from the biscuit. One bite quickly became several bites, as he wasted no time devouring the biscuit with blueberry jam, not caring that some of the jam had spilled onto his already ruined shirt. Eating also allowed him to keep his attention firmly on his food, and away from Carley.

Lifting her brows, she glanced to the stout dwarf, then to the ever scrawny Glenn. She couldn't help but grin, even if it was faint. "What, did ya pick up a few moves?"

Once he had finished the biscuit, and wiped his hands off on his shirt, he held one hand out, palm up. He muttered some words in a language that sounded vaguely draconic, and a ball of flame was soon hovering and dancing there. He smirked, just a little. "You could say that."

Startled by the unexpected appearance of the flame, Carley flinched back a bit, eyes wide with wonder. "Aiya!" After blinking a couple times, she grinned. "Wow! Did ya seriously just do that Glenn-?" Having nearly called him what she used to, her grin faltered, just a little. "That's great. Won't be long before yer givin' Fire a run for her money." Lifting a small hand, she reached out towards the flame. Not to burn herself, but to feel any heat coming from it, if there was any.

The mention of Lydia had him tight-lipped, though he hoped Carley thought it was because he was focusing on the fire in his hands. The flame radiated some heat, but not nearly as much as would be expected, for how brightly it shone even in daylight. "I saw Lydia..." He tried to figure out when it was precisely in his head, and quickly gave up, with a shake of his head. "I saw her."

Pulling her hand away from the flame, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Ya did?" Studying Glenn curiously, she shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "Weird, she never mentioned it to me."

"I don't know when it happened. Might've been months ago, might've been years ago, might've been in the future here." He made a fist with his hand, snuffing out the fire with an audible *whuff*.

Blinking at Glenn, Carley leaned closer to him to take a sniff of the air around him. "Have you been drinkin' or something?" Nose wrinkled a smidgen at the scent of something unseemly as she leaned away. "Or maybe you need some sleep..." She waved a hand dismissively. "I sure hope ya actually have a place to stay. Yer barn or.. an inn or something'. It'd be terrible if you were actually living out here on this bench." Reaching up, she fidgeted with the headband in her hair a moment. "I've onlyrecently come back to town, but I was hopin' to run into you. It's been a real long time since we've seen each other, ya know. I even asked that guy. Uh.. that Johnny guy if he had seen you, but he hadn't." Her last sentence was spoken almost sheepishly.

((Adapted from Live RP))

Carley · Date: 2009-06-19 03:49 EST

"Johnny?" He started tapping an index finger against his forehead furiously. "Johnny, Johnny...I don't...really remember too well. I don't live here. I'm still in school." Another glance around, almost nervous. "I'm not supposed to be here."

Tilting her head, she made a peculiar expression at Glenn's peculiar behavior. "Well, you've sure traveled a long ways to play hooky, then."

"I'm...popping around to a bunch of different places and times and stuff. Every time I come here, though, it's different." He waved a hand in the air vaguely. "I dunno how to explain it better."

"That.. that doesn't sound good." Carley shook her head before frowning faintly. "Doesn't sound like something you need to be doin' at all. Dangerous, almost."

"I can't help it. I wouldn't if I could." He looked away from her, down his chest at the single arrowhead dangling there, at the smudges of dirt and jelly that stained his shirt."Who knows how long I'll even be here?"

"Well.. it'll be fine." Nodding, she started to think. "We just gotta getcha situated somewhere, and find someone who is knowledgeable about this kind of stuff. CyCy knows some magic stuff, but I don't think this is his forte... um. Gramps might not know either, but maybe he could point us in the direction of someone who does know, even if they're outside this city. He knows lots of people."

"Well-" He cut himself off, then spoke the word again. "Well." His voice was distorted, choppy, hard to understand. "Thanks...I...think...be...long." He stood up off the bench, his body seeming to waver in between being fully in view and translucent.

Bright blues followed Glenn as he stood, then grew wide as he started to waver. "What's goin' on!? Is it happening now?" Shaking her head adamantly, she stood up and reached out to grasp towards his shirt. "Come on Glenny, ya can't just disappear! Not again."

"Can't...sorry... 'ley." Finally, whatever force it was that was fighting him, trying to take him away from RhyDin, partially succeeded. He still looked like he was there, but he was transparent, untouchable, standing there with an unreadable look on his face. For a moment, he looked at Carley, then down at his feet.

Though her hand moved through him, she swiped for him with her other, purely out of reflex. Of course, she couldn't hold on to him. "No." It was spoken pitifully. "This isn't good..." Reaching up to brush some hair from her eyes, brows knit furiously as she started to think. "Maybe.. maybe it's a magic thing. Or a mana thing. I know with airships, sometimes the magic in them goes all haywire. That's what the stabilizer is for. At least, that's what CyCy says. I think. I wasn't really payin' attention." She shook her head dismissively before continuing. "Maybe, if I can somehow use the mana stabilizer on you, it can fix whatever problems yer having?" Bright blues peered up towards Glenn, almost hopeful.

His lips moved silently as he tried and failed to talk with her. There was a look of frustration on his face, before he finally seemed to sigh. The last thing he did before he winked completely out of existence (with an audible *pop!*) was give one long shake of his head 'yes.' A couple of the customers in the marketplace had been watching Glenn curiously, but once he vanished, most of their interest seemed to disappear with it.

Unable to hear Glenn, Carley leaned closer in an effort to make out his words. She could at least make out his 'yes'. But whatever hope she had in that moment was cut short by the pop. "What..? No!" Frantically, she started to look around, ignoring the crowd that was watching. "Glenny! Glenny!!" Teeth grit, she growled in frustration before turning to snatch up her violin case. Unaware of the tears that fell down her face, she started to run through the market, still searching. Still calling.

((Adapted from Live RP))

Carley · Date: 2009-06-19 15:51 EST

Carley's violin case had been carelessly left out on the deck of the Luinista while she was mad at work within Tower 3. Dress wrinkled, headband across the room on the floor, eyes red rimmed and puffy, and her hair mussed, she didn't look nearly as happy or cute as she had earlier in the day. The metal panel that covered and protected the guts and delicate parts of the Tower had been set aside on the floor as she peered inside. She knew it was dangerous to mess around with such parts without Cy's supervision, but she thought perhaps, the mana stabilizer was the only way to really help Glenn. It was the only idea she had, and doing something was better than doing nothing, no? Mindful of the mana core itself, her gaze rested on the small, pale blue crystal. She remembered enough of what Cy had taught her to know that was the stabilizer. What she couldn't remember was how to safely remove it, or even if there was proper protocol for such. It wasn't like it was as powerful as the core.

Cy was stepping onto the deck of the Luinista. After having left early for the day, he really hadn't been doing much. Aside from randomly helping out would be victims from theft. He had taken a nap in the evening and thus was feeling quite awake. He'd been working on his elemental gun in his room at the place he was staying?when he realized he had left behind a tool he needed. It was a small screwdriver used for working on delicate machinery parts. He noted the violin case as he lit the area around him with a spell. A dark brow lifted slightly. He moved over to pick the case up. He wasn't really sure what it was doing there. Following that, he headed for Tower 3. That'd been the last area he was working in, so he figured the screwdriver was there.

Thinking little of safety, the little elf leaned forward to reach inside the Tower. Movements slow, she reached to wrap her fingers around the mana stabilizer. However, electricity seemed to arc between it and the core, and before she could pull her hand back, power surged from the crystal into fingertips and down her arm. Screeching in pain, Carley jumped back and held her arm close as it tingled and fingers twitched. That had obviously not been a good idea.

Cy had caught the end result of Carley's improper procedure. He leaned against the entrance of the Tower as he spoke. The violin case was tucked beneath one of his arms.?"Can't be touching that without deactivating the core, boss. Gives a nasty shock, as you now know."

Carley stiffened upon hearing Cy's voice. Arm still clutched closely, she made sure to keep her back to him. "Right... stupid me." She tried to sound as if she were joking about it, but she was hardly her usual exuberant self. Her voice was quieter than usual, slightly hoarse.

Cy wasn't stupid. The way she had said it immediately had him wondering what was going on. He didn't question her about it, however. "Here. Let me help." He stepped over to the panel where the mana core was. With the push of a button, the quiet hum of the core soon disappeared. "Should be safe now."

She glanced up, briefly, before lowering her head. She figured it best not to look directly at Cy, for the moment. "Diola lle." Quietly clearing her throat, she shuffled back to the panel and hesitantly reached back inside the Tower with her good arm. Grasping the mana stabilizer, she was quick to pluck it from the groove it was tucked away in.

"Sure." He stepped over near Carley and peered at the empty groove. "Find a replacement for it?" After a moment of eying the now vacated space, Cy crouched down. There was a small bag on the floor nearby. "Oh. There it is. Thought I'd left it here." He snatched the bag up with his free hand and then turned to look at Carley. "I found this out on the deck." He offered the violin case over upon standing.

Gaze shifting aside, Carley nodded. "Mm, just sit it on the floor. I can come back for it later." Standing up, she held her now tingling arm close to her body as she peered over the mana stabilizer. "No, but... I need this for somethin' important. I can put it back when I'm done with it." Crinkling her brow, she spoke again, somewhat hesitantly. "How would ya use something like this on a person?"

Cy nodded. He propped the case up against the nearby wall. The small bag he'd grabbed was stuffed into a pocket. "On a person? Stabilizers require something charging them constantly to work. Even if you managed that, you'd probably need a pretty skilled mage to attempt using it on somebody, boss."

That wasn't exactly the answer she was hoping to hear. "So I couldn't..." She frowned down at the crystal, as if it were at fault. "What about you? Would you be able to do somethin' like that?"

"Not my kinda magic." He stepped closer to Carley. He glanced down at the crystal for a moment. "Though, if it's really important to you, I can try and rig something up to do what I can't."

"Really?" Perking up a little, she looked up at Cy. "That would be great! I could really use something like that, as soon as possible." Carley nodded, somewhat eagerly. "It's.. it's really important." She gave the crystal in her hand another glance before offering it to Cy. "You need this to do it with? What else do you need? I can get it." She fidgeted impatiently.

Cy reached out to take the crystal from Carley. He smiled, but it was different than the one he usually wore. It was more caring, gentle than usual. "I'll take care of it. No need to worry about getting anything."

She smiled in return, though it was faint. "You sure? I guess you must have a lot of tools and parts to work with then. I didn't really think we had much." She glanced around a moment, making a face in the process. "Figured that's why we're here right now. Stuck. I should probably devote money from our budget to tools and spare parts..."

"Might not be a bad idea." He nodded. He reached down to open one of the pouches hanging from his waist. The mana stabilizer was set inside it. "So, why do you need to try and use this on a person?" It was probably a little rude to ask, but it failed to deter Cy.

((Adapted from Live RP))

Carley · Date: 2009-06-19 16:13 EST

"Well..." Carley struggled for an explanation. A partial truth couldn't hurt, at least. "I know this person, and his magic has always been.. kinda unstable, I guess. He's been learnin' more magic, and even went to this magic school. But he's having troubles with it now. I thought maybe, since a mana stabilizer works in an airship, in theory, you could use it on someone and it'd stabilize their magic or their mana." She shuffled her feet idly, as she spoke.

"In theory I s'pose you'd be right." Cy?tucked his hands into his pockets. "Can't promise you anything, but I'll do what I can." He watched Carley for a moment. "Must be a pretty important person for you to be so ruffled, yeah?" It was more a statement than a question, really.

Nodding a little, she made a face at Cy. "I'm not ruffled..." Snorting, she tried to move her arm, but winced and kept it near a bit longer. "And he's... it's... it's not like that." Brows knit as she seemed to be thinking. Confused. "I mean, he's important to me, but all of my friends are. It's the same for anyone, ya know?"

"Uh huh." Cy sounded far less than convinced. "Lemme see." He gestured at Carley's arm.

Even as her expression shifted to one of annoyance at Cy, she slowly extended her arm towards him. "Feels all tingly. Like someone's stickin' pins in it and won't stop. Probably just an after effect that'll wear off in a few."

"I know something that might help." He moved a hand toward Carley's arm. Cy's eyes began to glow white, though the effect was rather faint. The same glow appeared around his hand. He was trying to restore feeling to her limb. "Helping at all?"

Carley tilted her head a little as she watched Cy, somewhat confused. Sure enough, however, the tingly and prickling sensation that ran up and down her arm like needles soon subsided. Blinking a little in surprise, she wriggled her fingers and flexed them into a fist. "Yeah, that's actually much better. But.. I didn't know you were a healer too, CyCy." She regarded him more thoughtfully, then.

"Usually don't have much use for it, but I know some healing magic, yeah." The glow faded away from both his hand and eyes. He smiled at Carley and then pulled his hand back to?his side. "Something they teach the younglings in Hurin Taurae." He made an addition shortly afterward. "That's the name of my village."

"Well I don't recall you speakin' up about it that time Gramps broke one of his toes." Snorting in something akin to amusement, she pondered the name of his village. "Hurin Taurae...? Ya know, whoever named it didn't do a very good job. That's not an original name at all. Someone should definitely rename it. It'd be like if I called a river, "River". Or a mountain, "Big Mountain". Or if I called The Luinista something stupid like... Sky Ship." Carley made a face at the thought.

"It healed fine on its own." Cy grinned in his usual easy manner. He laughed quietly soon afterward. "Hell, I didn't name it. Not my fault. Least it makes sense. Pretty hard to find the place unless you know where to look."

"Still, it's pretty dumb. Maybe when you go back you should rename it something better." She grinned faintly before glancing down at the floor. Stepping away from Cy, she knelt down to recollect the headband she had previously abandoned, blue with a small bow on it. Sifting her fingers through her hair, she set it back in place on her head. After a moment of facing the wall and keeping her back to him, she signed before speaking again. "Ya know... the truth is that I'm not sure how I feel about him." Her words were somewhat quiet. "I hate that too. It's worse than if I did or didn't - not knowing." She turned and glanced over her shoulder at Cy. "Have ya ever felt that way about someone before?"

"Once, yeah." Cy interlocked his hands and put them behind his head. "Not something anybody can help you figure out, either." Cy glanced upward for a moment, considering something. "My sister used to say something, though. Uncertainty is the shelter of hope." Then, he shook his head, to play it off. "Along that line, anyhow."

"I... suppose that makes sense." She scrunched her face a little. "Even if I felt a certain way, I don't think he does. And I don't think I'd wanna go back to the past, if that makes sense. Relationships that fail do so for a reason, so... it makes little sense to keep revisiting that pain. That's what I think at least." Carley shook her head before leaning down to make sure the clasps on her violin case were secure. "Just don't tell Gramps I know boys exist. He'd probably try to stick me in a chastity suit or somethin'" It was easier to joke about such things than give them serious consideration.

"I'd say not, yeah. The past is just that, y'know? Said and done." Cy watched Carley for a moment, then nodded. "Secret's safe with me." And then, he made a meager attempt at cheering her up. "Least until I need a good meal." A sidelong grin was directed Carley's way.

Straightening, she stuck her tongue out at Cy. "Yer gonna press your luck one of these days and I'm gonna 'mistake' the rat poison for pepper." Still, she grinned, even if it wasn't bright as usual. It was soon followed by a yawn she made a halfhearted effort to cover.

Cy was satisfied to get her to grin at all. He lowered his hands from his head and placed them in his pockets. The yawn?meant only one thing in Cy's mind.?"Maybe you ought to head home, yeah? Sleep might do you some good."

"Nn.. probably. Today's been kind of a long day." And a long night. She was exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. Days like this were rare, as life didn't often drop on the elf this way. "I don't really feel like venturin' to West End though, so I'll probably just stay here and sleep in my cabin. I've got a candy stash there for sustenance if I need it." She lacked a change of clothes at the moment, but Carley didn't care much if she slept in her dress or not. It's what washing and ironing was for.

While he was unaware of the details, Cy had no doubt to the truthfulness of Carley's words. Her appearance and behavior?when he first arrived was testament to that. He nodded. "Need anything before I get going?"

She shook her head. "No, but thanks anyways, CyCy." She smiled at him, somewhat faintly, before narrowing her eyes in consideration. Stepping closer, she leaned left, then right, looking him over as she seemed to be in deep thought. Finally, after a moment, she leaned forward in an attempt to wrap her arms around the taller elf for a hug.

Initially, he lifted an eyebrow. Mostly at the leaning and examining. He couldn't help but chuckle faintly at her when she gave him a hug. He attempted to return the sentiment as he spoke. "Lle creoso, mellonamin."

Squeezing him tightly and briefly, Carley leaned away from Cy. Looking up at him again, she smiled, but there was something almost sad about it. It wasn't really like her at all. Lifting a hand to bid him farewell, she turned to wander out of the Tower, likely to locate her cabin, then her bunk, possibly some candy, and promptly pass out. She'd wait until tomorrow to ponder more serious things, and to resume her search for Glenn.

Cy watched Carley as she went. After she was gone, he took a few moments to think. About things she'd said and pondering that last smile. He glanced down at the pouch he'd put the mana stabilizer in. He patted it once and exited the Tower. He was on his way back to the inn where he was staying.

((Edited and Adapted from Live RP))