"A day in the market."


Brian had spent the better part of the day restocking the loft, granted he and Jenai had foods and the like kept there, mostly it was the spur of the moment and whenever they came to stay a few days type. This time however, he was shopping and restocking for the long haul.

So off to the market he had gone, once more going into retail battle with the local vendors, over goods left the right. Many asked why he was purchasing less, and more so why he was not having the goods delivered to the Sanctuary. He smiled and explained, that he was living in the Market full time now, and he and Jenai would be seen more around the area. This of course lead to questions in regards to the gruesome murders that occured in WestEnd, but Brian set those questions aside with a diplomatic flair... He deferred them to little Yotsuba, who quickly advised her 'client' had no comment.

Jean had padded up along side the pair, as they made the rounds. The fish monger was more than happy to go 'toe to toe' with Bri, and 'tsuba in regards to his latest catch and prices, the green grocer of course had the latest gossip and had no problem sharing it with them, and anyone else who would listen.

Yotsuba of course saw it fit to mimick everyone to a large degree, and truly did a good job of it for a time. That was until she came across a group of children engaged in a snowball fight, at the mouth of one of the alley ways. No other word, as she looked to Bri and took off into the icey chaos, and partook for all she was worth, which was a great deal mind you. Clearing a near bench, Bri sat down and watched the children and simply smiled to himself, as he set the bags down. He imagined Jenai covered head to toe in some gawd awful menagerie of coats and furs, clomping through the snow, and looking quite not so 'happy Jen like'.

He couldn't blame himself in that regards, as he knew Jen was from a tropical island and didn't like the cold so much. Still, after their trip to England, she truly became a trooper in that mannr, as she braved the cold and looked rather good doing it, despite the silly image Bri put into his head. His eyes mindful of the groceries next to him a moment, as he then let them pan the area, noting the serene nature the market carried this morning. The sky a soft gray, as snow showered down lightly upon all, near and far. Bri was sure his sister Wyheree was having an absolute field day today, wherever she was.

An older lady passing by, actually stopped and offered a cup of hot chocolate. Brian raised a brow a moment, and truly looked a tad puzzled. That was until he saw the children that were previously snow ballin', now engaged in choco warmth and goodness, on thier bench. Offering thanks, Brian accepted the cup and sipped slowly, letting the drink warm his body, and once more he smiled.

Time passed, more stalls visited, more gossip heard, prices argued and agreed upon, items purchased, and yes more hot chocolate. Brian and Yotsuba arrived home with Jean in tow, as the little swiss miss bolted to her room to change, and Brian heading up the stairs, and into the loft.
Inside, he set the groceries into the kitchen and slid off his coat, tossing it to a near rack. He looked around the loft once more.. Their loft. He loved the sound of that.

He also loved something else.. How 'normal' this day felt.. No chaos, no fights, no victims, or people begging to be saved from themselves or others, no self inflicted wounds, no attacks, or even new murders. None of it.. It was just a normal day, and it ended in a perfect way, as he let his eyes rest upon their bed and found Jenai tucked within a heavy comforter, sleeping quite contently, with little Tiki nestle atop the 'pile o' JenJen'. Of course he found himself staring a bit, then again when didn't he, when it came to her.

One he managed to pull himself away from his favourite hobby, he set back into the kitchen and began to put the groceries away, and make ready for dinner. He figured on a nice beef and veggie stew to keep them warm through the night, and with that thought he glanced to the fire wood and decided it might be best to get a bit more, just in case they decided to make tommorow an unofficial 'snow day' or something.. Normal Indeed..

There he was.. Rummaging away, oblivious to the world for the moment, as he pondered where to begin as far as arranging their bedroom articles, and the what not. This domestication stuff was a bit harder than it looked, and truth be told he had never too good at it, even when with a family or others, he still lived as a bachelor to an extent. Very simple, very direct and very practical. That's what the military had left him with.

So, he was trying to figure things out, and the real truth was he wasn't so oblivious to the world, that he didn't realize he had one incredibly beautiful lil red haired beastie nearby on the couch. Still, for the moment the arranging took priority, of course he promised himself to make 'extra' time to make up for the lack of attention.

That was always fun, especially when he would go and find som- Er.. we can save that for another time, as the boy was rather occupied. After all they needed to arrange this home, and truth be told soon enough they would be doing it again, especially given the changes they would have in the coming months. Additions were rather hard to plan for, but he was sure they could do it. After all they survived everything else, this would be survived as well, and they would be the better for it, and quite happier.

So.. Okay, back to the rummaging.. Rummage, rummage... Think, ponder, Did he forget to leave the toilet seat down? Damn, he probably did. Oh well, it's a work in progress. When she gave that sneakiest of glances, the Raven was aware.. He felt it.. That feeling ya get when ya feel like a train is comin, and yer gonna be right under it? Or was it that feeling a child has when they took one too many cookies?

Either way he felt it, yet... She didn't move. Shrugging it off, he resumed his rummaging and was literally looking like a dumb water bison in the middle of the plains, oblivious to that lioness only a few feet away, as the herd hauled ass, and he stayed to graze.. Graze, graze, rummagem rummage..

Reow!?

That was all the warning he had.. Like the day she first kissed him, in his bed. The morning, she licked the plate and caused him to lose himself in simply watching her. Or the other dozen times, she had him where she wanted him, and he was the proverbial deer in head lights.. So without further ado.. He watched her fly... The girl literally flew.. Damn she was a sight to behold, a predatory angel, an avenging ang-- Ah f*ck it, you all know she is hawt as hell. So.....

KA-POOKA & KERAASH!!

Items went into the air, and crashed and clattered to the ground, down Brian fell into the bed, as Jenai had used the 'Dino vs Fred' approached and laid his ass flat out! Blue eyes blinked, as he just laughed and watched his beloved, in her incredible enthusiam.

?Can We Have One!??

Brian blinked again, and smiled.. God, she was just so... The words couldn't do it justice.. He watched her, and noted that smile of all smiles, nestled within waves of flame, as she circled him, flyer in hand. Reaching up, Bri took the flyer in hand, and got a better looked and just smiled.. A genuine nodnod to her, as he laid back down and looked to her upsidedown sorta. He saw the tree, and the decor, the family and the whole enchilada and knew exactly what she had wanted, and he was all for it.

"Anything for you, baby. We can cut our own down, and buy decorations and more. You want it, you got it!"

His eyes sparkled, as they continued to watch her. This would honestly be the first holiday of this kind, he spent in this manner, and truth be told, he was just as excited as she..Even if he didn't show it at the moment.. Sword-Chucks, yo.

Brian watched her and couldn't help but laugh. His eyes followed her, as she bolted towards the door, only to rush back in and fetch her shorts, and then haul out once more. Sitting upright on the bed once more, he looked around the mess they had made and shook his head, the smile still remaining.

He heard her bound the steps, and noted the change in steps taken. The thudding of her feet gave that away, he imagined she was simply leaping gracefully as always and.... Thump? Again?

Wincing a moment, as he was sure that wasn't her feet. Brian ran to the door, and down the hall, looking down the steps just in tme to catch Jen recover herself and cut the corner downstairs, her mouth running a mile a minute.

Soon, Brian heard Yotsuba chime in, and caught the distinct squeeling of girls galore.. Kinda like an old Back Street Boys concert.. Not that Bri had ever been to one.. But if he had, we could imagine he could relate the squeeling chatter he heard to that supposed experience..

Standing at the top of the stairs, Bri listened and smiled.. This was it.. That top of the mountain he dreamed of for so long. All of the chaos, the trouble, the anger, sandess, hurt, love and more.. It all lead to this woman, and what she did to him. More so, what they did to each other. Just hearing how happy she was, sent him to another plane, so to speak. Everything else was secondary in his eyes, and he promised himself he would keep her that happy, no matter what.

Moving back into the room, he began to pick up once more and made plans for them to go to a local tree farm, and cut their own tree down and shop for decorations. All the while, that cheesy smile of his wouldn't go away.

Pulling up the edge of her thigh high tights, she pushed her foot into the last of her winter, snow trompin outfit. A set of nice fur lined boots. Hey, everyone knew how she felt about the snow.

She heard Brian coming up the steps, a sound she would know forever, his step. Only when he wished she would be fooled. But here, there was no reason for anything like that. She was braiding her hair in two long braids, low enough to cover her ears against the chill. She was ready to go and go now... all she was missing was the Axe and rope accessories with her fur coat.

Jean barely paid her any mind, but Tiki looked at her like the woman had lost her bloody mind.

In truth Jen was just about as excited as she could be. This was one of the two major changes that had suddenly came into her life. She would make the best of this holiday with her love and family. Soon there would be much more to her everyday life. She loved the idea now... at first the news had been, unexpected. But what can you do. The Goddess had granted her a gift, no them a gift. One they would treasure forever, after all things like this change people and the joyful season only made it all the more special. She just had to find the right time to tell her sisters and friends.

She tucked a list into her pocket as soon as she saw the door open.

"Can I help baby?" of course as she peeked into everything peekable within his arms.

This Night, she watched the drizzle play on the window glass from the comfort of their bed. Jenai was not a heavy sleeper, nor was she a light sleeper. She would simply sleep and play in her dreams. Dreams shackle free from the problems of the waking world.

Not that her life was my any means terrible! It's just that in dreams you can do anything. Make up the future or revisit the past. Tonight she had gone back to a summer time hammock and fireworks.

Aware of a lightly sleeping Tiki at her feet, fat with some fresh fish they had picked up at the market, she moved carefully as she changed sides, letting the sheets slide over her as she faced the sleeping form of one gorgeous piece of work. Not a snore, not a grunt ever escaped him. She could rarely tell how hard he was sleeping.

A smile came to her lips, remembering the first time she snuck into his room to wake him. Sleeping or no, she could not resist... she moved her hand with featherlike grace along his jaw, softly moving back one of his silky long strands. She could still smell the scent of soap from their shower as she took back her hand and watched him with eyes full of harmony.

"Chewie, I got a bad feeling about this.."



"No.. Baby.. Your tail? Heh heh, claws? Nice. Huh, here? Okay what the hell, Um baby, why's it so cold? Where'd our clothes go? *snicker* You got a fluffy tail, heh heh. Oooh.. Whoa.. Um.. Wow.. Rub your butt? That's haw--"

Blue eyes slowly came opened bit by bit, as a hand lifted to shift aside dark locks of the man's namesake..

"Ugh.. What the hell? Baby? Jen?"

Moments later, his eyes closed once more and remained that way. Yet, his mind was indeed racing. Thought to the previous night, granted it was a blur.. But what a blur it was! Some unknown drink made by Sid, and gulped down... Some Fae wine he and Jenai had shared, and cat ears.. And a tail. Meow..

His body ached, he knew that much.. And to boot he was stinging all over, it felt like he had been lashed several times, and the more he shifted the more it burned, not to mention the head ache. F*ck, he hadn't felt like this in years. But, the more he pondered the previous night, the more that was set aside for the moment as a cheesy ass grin took a near permanent hold on Brian, while he remained where he was.

Which by the way he had no idea of where he was. He knew he wasn't home, and he knew he was sans clothes, then again that was a norm anyways, when sleeping so.. Anyways back to the matter at hand. The man's head was so fuzzy he had no true idea of where he was at all. Yet for some reason, perhaps the hangover, or something else.. He truly didnt's care. Once more he drifted off into a semi slumbered state.

"I don't believe it, another one.. Those damned kids and this barn. Well, I got something for you little horny heathens. Teach you to use m'barn to get your jollies in. Lessee how a bucket of ice cold water, greets you in the mornin' eh? Huh? What's that? A sign? Lessee, I shouldn't. Should just drench you and beat you with mah hoe."

The sign was soundly snapped away from Brian's body leaving him naked as a new born for Farmer McCall's wife, and the world to see. Yet she didn't, she was too busy reading the sign to even notice the possibility a tent could be pitched right where the sign had one laid.

"Please take care of the boy, temple. Jen.. So what's that, I don't care.. Hey boy, get up! I sai-- Oh mah gawds, what in the nine hells! PERVERT! PERVERT! I'll teach you to whip it out like that! Take this you pervert!"

So it looks like Farmer McCall's wife had take a look at Brian was a bucket of ice cold water was soundly dumped on him, and followed with the dull thuds of some kind of stick! Brian shot awake in an instant, and tried to spring to his feet, which resulted in him stumbling like some kind of a naked idiot, since he still had no idea where he was and everything was blurred a bit. Reaching out, in instinct Brian grabbed hold of something and paused a moment.. The beating paused too, as his eyes opened to see a pair of eyes staring back in utter shock.

"Um.. Yer not Jen.."

"Ah'm not.."

*Squeeze Squeeze*

Brian's eyes looked down a moment, and finally noticed that he had a full on handful of Farmer McCall's wife's breasts, and swallowed a moment and looked back to the woman, and stated the rather obvious.

"These aren't Jen's either.."

*Tweak tweak*

The farmer's wife was in shock.. NEVER had she been so blatently groped in such a manner, then again never has she dealt with a very hung over, Bri. In any event, her eyes widened as she reared back and slugged Bri upside the head, sending him well over the edge of the loft, and landing in a pile of hay below. Of course she was hardly done, as the bucket that held the water was flung with deadly accuracy, and then connected upside the man's head!

Brian lay there a moment, not really sure what to do, as the Farmer's wife slowly descended the ladder. So he did what came to mind. He hauled ass, pure and simple. Grabbing a nearby saddle blanket, Brian made a beeline for the barn doors, and ran into the light. Cries of curse words long forgotten came forth, as the sun greeted Brian head long causing him to shield his face with the blanket and take off towards the dirt road ahead, the Farmer's wife screaming as she gave the chase up, and simply took to tossing stones instead.

How did Brian make it to the Inn? Maybe, if ya catch him on a good night, he might say.

He recalled the talk with Isuelt and Eddie, when Jenai informed them of what she and Brian were planning, and when she decided to pass along the duties of Temple Priestess to Eddie, and inform Isuelt of plans to open other Temples in places the goddess did not have a presence in. Brian loved that about Jen, as he understood how she felt.

She wanted to serve her goddess in her own way, to the best of her abilities and more so. And he supported her one hundred percent and knew her sisters would too. Quite a step foward for the young Priestess of Scathach, and quite a bold move for each of them as they took it together. Moving foward, not worrying about what is behind.

Such an impact Jenai had on him. Words would never do it justice, and he knew that all too well, and only could hope she understood what she truly did to, and for him on so many levels. He had been considered 'damaged', and 'broken'.. He had been called 'bastard' and 'dead beat', a 'heartless rogue', a 'liar and cheat', and far worse. Yet she saw past all of that, and simply saw Brian. Not 'Lord Ravenlock', not 'Raven from Bastok', not Renna's 'Killer' or Kairee's 'Sword', she saw Brian Alexander McDineen-Ravenlock, and nothing else. More so, she saw what was deep within him, saw what few would ever see, saw what others would not understand.

The emotions she sparked within him staggered him to no end. Such a strength that was Jenai, and he knew exactly how blessed he was to have her in his life, and more to so simply have the love of such a woman. he knew all of the trouble, and chaos, all of the heartbreak and battles, it was all worth it, for what he had now within her, and what they had to look foward to, side by side. For the family they each had apart, that were now tied together, to the one of their own possibly down the way.

He felt it all fade away, the restlessness, the worry, the needless train of thoughts, it all faded into the bright path they had set into motion together. Not bad for a couple of kids that were seemingly brought together by an early breakfast, a syrupy plate licked, and a foot in mouth comment made by one dashing.. Well he likes to call himself that from time to time, Icer will contend it.. Anyways, by a dashing young.. Okay Jewell will contest youn-- Ah hell, by Brian.

His hand reached for hers, a featherlight brushing followed, as he felt his lids grow heavy, and once more slid into that slumber he longed for.