Hitari: What is Love, Baby Don't Hurt me

[Ayrn]

Vampires. That was the only thing that she had hesitated on upon coming here. Wherever there was vampires there was usually trouble, luckily even though she had been here only days she had not met any yet. At the thought of this optics then turn from a light sage green to unreadable and almost a dark earth toned hue. She forced the thoughts from her mind though. Perhaps this place was different perhaps they were willing to live in harmony after all it was not like they were even in the same building well castle I guess you could call it. She reassured herself of this many times as they were on their way here. It had been a rather difficult trip since it was not as though they could ask the locals for directions. Not only did they not speak the language they had no idea that there was immortals living practically in their backyards. It might be nice not having to hide what she was though that would be different and not being a slave in doing so. She was here to start a different life and it would be really nice if that was possible since even when she tried to blend as a human she always felt as though there was something missing. It had been a fluke with her hearing about this place though it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it would be silly for her not to take it. After all if she did not like it she could just leave… right? I guess that was something that she had not looked into. Once she had reached the farthest out that she was going on her jog she pulled the pendant out from beneath her shirt and did something that she had been waiting forever to do. Not bothering to undo it and pulled it from her neck and threw it as far as she could possibly. And as soon as she did it it felt as though a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Well worn sneakers patted easily on the ground she had recently switched back into her human form upon seeing the castle in the distance of her view from her jog. Long silky earth toned locks were pulled up into a high ponytail in a feeble attempt to keep the locks off the back of her nape. A smile graced her features pulling the edge of her thin rose kissers upwards. Long strides were now loose and limber once again after actually spending time allowing herself to heal. The recent scar along her abdomen was still fresh though and the stitches that Erixic had put in had just been taken out. The heat would be something to get used to. It was stifling and she felt as though she was burning up. Sweat dripped steadily along her spine causing her light tank top to stick to her. Soon it would be over though and she knew that she would be able to have a shower and a cold drink. Jade optics got wide upon settling on the castle from the distance it had looked massive though from close up there was not a word that could even describe it. So how did they keep it hidden? Well she heard that they paid off pilots to simply not notice it and the Gambian river deterred any locals from getting too close so I suppose that was how it was possible. It was definitely different to jog in an area that was simply so open. There was nothing to trip on and nothing to even get in her way she was scared that she was going to get lost and it would have the affect of a desert so she decided it would be a smart idea to always keep the castle in view. Reaching the foyer she turned down the tunnel that lead to where she lived quickly not wanting to spend any extra time there in case there happened to be a vampire. It seemed kind of silly on her part though she could not help but shrug to herself and continue down the well lit tunnel. Reaching the small cottage like place that she called home. Her muscles were burning slightly a sensation that after jogging she had grown to adore. Taking a few laps around the small park at a lackadaisical walk she allowed herself to cool down before returning to her house. She then got into the shower allowing it to run cold soothing in the extreme heat. She knew that the only way to adjust would be to act as everything was normal and continue on her life the way that she had at home so she just ignored the fact that the heat was draining her. Drying herself off quickly she then changed into shorts and a lacy tank top since it seemed too hot for much else.

Shoulder leaned up against the shaded stones that made up apart of the wall of the large, gray castle, all of the beast's weight being supported by the timeless materials that despite their age, would never think of crumbling against the pressure. Smoky depths remained trained on the jogging figure still about a mile out while arms crossed before developed chest. Ever since the pair had arrived the lord had hardly let the essa out of his sight, knowing better than to trust the other creatures that lived in the miniature community they had moved to recently. Actually, the decision to pick up and leave the city where they had both previously resided had been the maiden's and of coarse, the male could do nothing but agree to go with her, the stubborn side of Ayrn tending to show if he ended up being an adversary to the plan. Of coarse he couldn’t place all the blame upon her shoulders. Word had gotten around through the circle he had used to run in and that was how the duo had happened upon the information needed to get to the Africa based coven. He hated to admit it, but founding a group in such a remote continent as Africa had been pure genius on the part of the blood-suckers. No one would care what went on there and hardly any other immortals were crazy or stupid enough to try and settle down in such a hot climate place where the main food source for those few who could withstand the boiling temperature, meaning those dead creatures who did not feel changes in temperature, was scarce. In such a way, slight respect was held for those "royals" who had created the pack, but respect was always an easy thing to loose. Position shifted to a stand and hands dropped to his sides as limbs now fully held the stature upright. His mate was moving closer now and it was probably best to avoid her so as she would not recognize that he had been watching her while she went on her run. Normally, Erixic would have invited himself along, but the sneaky woman had taken off that morning without waiting for him and so had forced the knight to worry about her until the vixen's form had been spotted upon the horizon by keen liquids. System spun easily around and long strides carried the shifter through the castle halls and back to the place he and the dame shared, the front door shutting behind him as nose wrinkled at the stench that the walls of the manor were practically bathed with. Vampires. It would figure their kind would run around near this end. A scowl formed upon handsome features as a low growl emitted. Cocky fools believed themselves indestructible. Too bad the duke knew well how to take care of their kind without breaking a sweat to do so. They were lucky they had kept out of the house he was now in for if they had ventured inside, nothing could stop the over protective wolf from becoming enraged and hunting down every last one of the beings who had been inside. Feet brought the baron into their bedroom and their shoes were slipped off before skeletal stretched out across the bedspread, crown resting in palms as the man lay upon his back. Abs crunched together as the maiden entered, steel lanterns latching upon her frame as she passed by him and moved into the bathroom. The sound of running water was particularly comforting and muscles were allowed to relax against the soft mattress, lids closing over depths briefly while the baroness remained in the shower. Gaze easily followed her movements as she got dressed, pulling on an outfit perfect for the weather, but one he would rather she stay inside their home when wearing.

Silky earth toned locks were allowed to drape over her shoulders. Even with the amount of sun they had gotten in their previous place of living there were blond highlights blended easily with mocha. Palm ran through the strands which had just been dried. She had used a blow drier even though she knew that if she went outside it would take less then five minutes for her hair to dry completely. She jumped slightly at the sound of another being in their house. She would have to get used to him being there all the time since she had lived alone for so long. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted him in their bedroom. Jaunty gait carried her frame to him. “Not even going to say good morning?” Lower lip jutted out in a playful manner and a pout crossed the femmes features. Not even pausing to listen to the retort that surely would be uttered from the male she moved closer lower limbs bending and folding so she was kneeling on the bed. Soon her pout was turned into a stunning smile that pulled kissers up evenly. Allowing the dimples on her cheeks to be seen. She shifted so that she was sitting on his lap facing him with her legs folded just behind him. Arms hovering lightly around his nape. “Are you just going to stay inside all day?” She asked with a raise of a perfectly manicured brow. She allowed herself a brief moment to allow her lips to touch his. Normally she was not like this. By now he would probably be asking himself what she got into though moving here might have been just what the doctor ordered. She had not woken with nightmares since they had been here and that was strange since they were now living in a remote castle with a bunch of blood thirsty vampires. It did not seem to affect her in the same way though. She did not even feel the need to be excessive with her exercise and her jog this morning had been amazing. Fingers then move to where the pendant used to hang and even though it had been a tiny weight it seemed like it had freed her it was the last bit of her past that remained and now finally after all this time it was gone. She leapt gracefully from his lap landing beside the bed with not so much as a thud. Gait carried her to the fridge as she poured two glasses of water and then returned to the bedroom just sitting on the edge of the bed now. Pools then move to stare out the window. There was so much here to explore. She didn’t want to get anywhere near the vampires though she wanted to get a feel for the place. It may look old though the decorating was immaculate and it was kept cleaner then it seemed possible. Yet it was strange since you very rarely saw a maid. She was beaming with a new energy and she was not too sure if Erixic would appreciate this or not. He was going to have to deal with it though since this was the new Aryn without the worries and troubles that mauled her all this time. She didn’t know exactly what had prompted such a change but she liked it.

Amused expression cast her way as she jumped slightly, obviously not realizing that the lord was lying on the bed although she had passed him while walking to the bathroom. Brow raised as her petite frame bounded over to the bed and words emitted, her teasing pouty face flashing in his direction as she did so. Lips lift up to one side in one of the duke's infamous crooked smiles. "Good morning. Aren't you going to give me a good morning kiss?" Diaphragm leaned forward as expectant guise turned towards her, watching as the irresistible pout turned into a brilliant smile. Hands dropped from behind his crown as the lady wiggled into his lap, wrapping smooth legs around his waist. Palms ran along her thighs as they worked their way to her hips were they eventually rested, a waiting expression watching her with light gray lanterns. Chuckle emitted and rose tinted tissues returned her kiss before vocals were allowed to reply to her. "Maybe if you make me an offer I will." Playful orbs teased her while full grin exposed perfectly bleached knives, teasing tones emitting as fingers tighten around her sides, squeezing the soft flesh gently. The light hearted attitude the damsel had today was starting to make the drake forget about all the reasons why he should be constantly on alert. Even if vampires outnumbered them and there was no possible way for either to get help from their own kind if such assistance was need, the move here had been good for Aryn at least. The past few nights had been uneventful for the most part and for that, Erixic was grateful for the move. No matter how strange it would be that the maiden's nightmares would lessen instead of increase in an area filled with blood-suckers, anything was better than the duke waking up to his beloved exhausted from the night she had endured. Liquids followed dainty hand as it moved towards her chest and suddenly the man realized that the pendant Dillon had given her was gone. Surprised gaze flashed to meet hers while didgets wrapped around her arm. "Did anything happen? Are you hurt at all? Feeling strange?" Worry laced syllables escaped cavern a mile a minute, questions firing at the vixen before she could get the chance to switch his attention to something else. Grip released her and gratefully accepted the cup of water she offered to him once returning from the kitchen. "Thanks." Tunes offered before the glass was brought to lips and cool liquid spilled down the bloke's throat, adams apple bobbing as he swallowed a few times, downing the whole cup within a few seconds. Apparently, the shifter was extremely thirsty. Perhaps all this heat was finally starting to get to him. It was definitely a wild change from the cold winter weather they had encountered at their old home and especially since his naturally hot character was not something that could be changed, summers in this place could prove to be very trying indeed. Maybe there was a swimming pool or something around here where they both could cool off. The cup was placed upon the bedside table near the wooden headboard. Gems turned to look at Aryn, noticing easily the restlessness that filled the air surrounding her. "Do you not want to stay inside with me all day?" Lyrics teased lightly as arms pushed him off the mattress and steps brought him to stand in between her legs, one hand on each of her thighs as singular brow cocked towards her in questioning.

The motion of her fingers moving to where the pendant used to be was completely mindless and she had to take a moment to think before she knew what the male was talking about as he was firing questions at her. “Nothing has happened. And I am glad because I threw it far enough I would not be able to find it anyhow.” Ivories were exposed for a split second as a small chuckle passed through her vocals. Her light hearted attitude was certainly a nice change. She was amazed that he noticed something so intricate as that. Many people had boyfriends for years and still they would not even notice if they dyed there hair an unusual shade of purple. He had noticed something that was tiny and unimportant like it was plain as day. It felt so nice to be cared about. Sure he was really protective over her but she could hardly mind even though she did not need it and he knew that he still cared enough that he continued on anyways. She sipped her glass of water slowly knowing that she would give herself cramps if she drank it freely. Placing it on their bedside table she took his palms in hers as he stood between her legs as she sat on the end of the bed. Content sigh parted kissers slightly. Sage hued optics meet those of a steely pair not daring to break the gaze. Her thoughts then ran wild. Just the electricity of the intensity of them being this close sending tingles along her spine. It was then that something dawned on her. She was not just falling for him anymore, she was in love with him. A serious expression crossed her features and all of the playful tone she had been accustomed to in the previous few minutes melted away. She was unsure how to start something like this. She had promised herself to never keep any of her feelings from him since that was her idea of how relationships got ruined most of the times. She had no idea how she was going to start this talk though. “I am so lucky.” Words flowed effortlessly from the femmes maw before she even had a moment to think. Where to go from here now though? Crown was tilted slightly upward so her gaze was able to meet his. Who was she to know what love was though. She had nothing to compare it to. Call it corny by saying she just knew but that is exactly what it was like. It was in that moment that she realized that she could not imagine herself with anyone else. She most certainly could not imagine him with anyone else. She knew that would crush her. So I guess you could even get technical here, the meaning of love being a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Who is to even say what that means. Screw all the technical crap. Here are the things that she knew for sure. He cares about her more then someone ever has. He trusts her. She trusts him. She cares about him more then she ever thought possible. She cant stand not being around him. Thinking back to the times that he was not in her life she can not even imagine going back to that. It seems impossible. She is physically attracted to him but loves simply being around him as well therefore ruling it out as simply lust. “I cant imagine my life without you anymore. I know it has not been a long time but I feel more connected with you then I have with anyone else. I trust you completely. You have helped me heal I could not have done it myself. So I just wanted to say…. Thank you.” …. I do believe the words that were meant to be there were three words instead of two. Why was she having such a hard time just saying it. She had said… thank you instead of I love you? Why could she not have just blurted it out. He probably already thinks she’s crazy. A deep inhale was taken trying to muster the courage. Jade optics hold a new intensity and fear is apparent within them before she speaks they close for a brief moment calming herself. “Erixic….” Her vocals had now faded to almost nothing. “I.. love you. ” Relief flooded through her as she stopped holding her breath when the words were finished and she removed her gaze from his not able to hold it any longer. It was something that she could not keep from him. She didn’t know if he felt the same. He had not yet responded though so her frame remained tense. She could have just turned this into make or break time for their relationship. She wanted nothing more then to simply be held tight in his arms. Share kisses with him. After all they moved here for a new start for the both of them. So far it had been turning out to be the best decision she had made in a long time. All abruptness and hostility from their petty fights back home seemed to have disappeared from either of them and in the back of her mind she knew that the hostility was from her being so tense and making him tense with her. Here this was all different and here she was boldly telling him all her true feelings perfectly willing to continue the forward momentum in their relationship and get to know him more and more. After all they would have enough time being here. It was then that heavily lashed optics move to capture his gaze once more waiting for his response whether it would be positive or negative.

Tender smile pulled across facade as cheeks lifted, fingers intertwining with hers as the lady gathered his hands from her thighs. Diaphragm leaned forward and lips pressed gently to her cheek, thumbs running over the back of soft hands. "Good." Vocals emitted as bodice leaned back and pair again met with her jades, watching with curiosity as unreadable emotions flashed through the mossy depths. Comforting caresses on the back of her hand slowed then ebbed off as the essa's features continued to change, brow furrowing in a light frown. Then her words came and confused the drake further. "What are you lucky for?" Eyebrow cocked towards her as the male searched for the origin of his sudden confusion, hoping that the maiden would save him soon by revealing what it was that made her guise so sober all of the sudden. The baron listened intently as the fem finally spoke out about what had caused the quick change in atmosphere. Grip released hers and palm moved to cup her chin, charming grin shining from his surface. Kissers parted to release sound, but nothing came forth. Somehow nothing that his mind could come up with was good enough to be the retort for the vixen's words. Kisses were pressed all over her mask as she spoke his name, the meager amount of fear that flashed into her orbs almost unbearable. Lips finally found hers just after the damsel finally got the three words it seemed they had both been waiting on out into the open. Dome pulled back and gaze met hers with an intent light in their tints. "I love you too, Ayrn." Sincere tunes erupted, both hands now moving to cradle her face. Strange how those simple words were waiting simply for her to recognize the emotion before they would be released. Perhaps it was because Erixic hadn’t wanted to push her. After the short period of time that they had spent together it had already felt as if he was forcing the issue just a tad bit. After all, what couple had sex the second night of knowing one another? Definitely not any that the lord knew of. Soft groan emitted as the drake looked back on the second question the essa had asked of him that morning. "No. I definitely don’t think I will be venturing outside for at least a couple more hours still." Syllables admitted as hands left the dame's features and one arm moved to support her back while the other sneaked itself underneath her legs, the male having removed himself from between her legs so that such a motion would be possible. Steady arms then lifted her off the edge of the bed and moved instead to lay her on it, well built stature soon joining her on the mattress while hands were set to work once more, settling first on her waist while lips moved to her neck.

‘I love you too Ayrn’ The words she had been longing to hear. When the femme relaxed it was then that she realized how tense she really had been. She had been holding her breath and she tried to disguise the exhale of the air as much as possible. She did not want him to see how nervous she had been from just saying three words. It was hard to scare someone like her and right there she had been terrified that he did not feel the same, not fear of rejection persay just fear of him not feeling the same. Fear of her getting hurt. Fear of having moved too far. Their relationship was fast paced though that was the way that she had always lived her life. In the fast lane. He seemed to be the same kind of person so therefore it was nothing but appropriate plus who needed to know but them the accomplishments of their relationship. Its not as though she had anyone to tell here. Her only friend was left behind. She provided him with the truth before leaving and although the good bye was hard it was time to move on. Jake had been her security blanket her shoulder to cry on. Someone who understood her just enough to make her feel better but not enough to ever connect with. Her and Erix well they connected from day one. It seemed like she understood him without even having known him. Now as she was getting to know him better they fit together as if they had been destined to be together. Corny as it sounds. He returned her affection. As kisses were placed all along her face a small chuckle was released scrunching her nose up playfully and pulling her chin out of his hands. She could feel herself melt as the charming smile once again crossed his features it made her feel weak. Her frame shifted closer to wrap her arms around his neck. The words that she dreaded would not come from the male at all seemed to flow so easily. Like it was nothing like it was there all along and he was just waiting for her to broach the subject. She was his and proud to be as well. In the time that they had been going out there had only been one time that they had been out in public together and she wanted that to change. Well there had been good reasons for it since she had been seriously injured but now that she was better that was one of the major things on her mind. She knew that this was a Coven but there must be something to do around here after all it was not as though it looked as though this place was on a low budget. She was laid back on the bed by him and a giggle was released from her chest as he started kissing her neck and her playful demeanor soon returned. Wrapping toned lower limbs around his frame for a moment and returning his kisses. Her breath rate increased then soon she wiggled out from underneath him. “There is plenty of time for this later” She playfully scolded him and a glare was sent in his direction. Jumping up to her feet she grasped his hand entwining her fingers with his. “Lets go” She started in the direction of the door wanting to explore further. The morning was still young.

Proud smile found its way onto features as the endowments lessened in occurrence, the soft giggle emitted by the essa calling the male's attention from his current occupation. Crown pulled back while arm eagerly urged the tanned limb of the lady around his waist, lips finding the other pair more interesting than the skin that covered the maiden's neck. Surprised expression jumped unhindered onto the man's facade as the warmth quickly disappeared and the solid frame that had been previous wrapped around his own gone from his side. Abs pulled upper body straight up as accusing look was cast towards the essa, a rebellious light flashing in smokey depths for a moment as the next action was pondered. Of coarse he could always simply pick her back up and put her right where she had been not seconds before, the vixen would not mind of this he was sure, but while the prospect was tempting, the fem's syllables were true, even if they had interrupted the duke at a time when he would have preferred they hadn’t. Later. Yes, it can wait till later. Feet landed lightly upon the flooring as the baron quickly made his decision and allowed the duchess to pull him out of the particularly more interesting bedroom. The knight paused in the main living area to put on the pair of tennis shoes he had left there when returning from his secret surveillance, letting go of her hand for only a brief second before grabbing at her grip again and re-intertwining their fingers. Gaze met hers readily while frame headed towards the door, free hand turning the knob and pulling open the frame as he waited for her to pass through first before following her out and shutting the door behind him. "Where exactly do you wish to go? I doubt they have movie theatres in this place." Regret quickly filled the bloke's form as he had promised her a few days before they had even thought about leaving that he would take her to the movies and had never gotten the chance to actually do so. That was one aspect about living in such a shut off wilderness that was quite disappointing to the lad. Having to go back on a promise made, even if it were a small one such as this, always made Erixic feel horrid and guilty about not being able to give the other what had been pledged to them. Guilt was allowed to flutter within liquids for a moment before the emotion was pushed from features, returning mask to the intrigued look that had been worn just before the thought had entered into ever acting brain.

A small hint of curiosity crossed the females face as he spotted him grabbing his tennis shoes from in the living room when this morning she was sure that they had been by the door since she was pretty sure that before her jog she had hopped over them on her way out the door. Had he been watching her? A small chuckle was held back since he had not been anywhere else in the Coven and conveniently was back in bed by the time that she returned. She knew that he was protective and she did not mind she just found it funny how he thought that he had to hide it from her. Not grabbing socks that narrowed down her choice of shoes and she grabbed the nearest pair of flip flops to the door. In the summer except for the time that she was jogging flip flops were what she lived in. She hated her feet getting hot and sweaty especially with the excessive heat her own body gave off. She had forgotten that her toes were painted a bright red hue, one of the evenings when she was recovering she got bored and decided that she was going to act like a normal lady though there had not been time or the patience that she needed to accomplish the fingers. At his comment about the lack of movie theatres her pools roll within their sockets. They were immortals that lived here it was not as though they were a complete other species. They had to have movie theatre or at least something to do for entertainment. “I am sure that they have something here. I am sure they do something for entertainment. Its not as though this place looks anything close to low budget. ” She stated to him. Reaching the door she dropped his palm briefly to open the door taking the key that she had been given upon arrival out of her shorts pocket and closing the door behind him. This would take some getting used to. She locked the door and then allowed her frame to continue along the path in which lead to the tunnel. When the person who greeted them gave them the keys he had offered to take them on a tour though she had declined wanting to get to know the place herself. She really wished that she had not since it would have made her life a lot easier. There were other tunnels on either side of the tunnel that they came from so she assumed those were the ones that lead to the other sections of the castle and the ones that lead to the other immortals. A small shiver ran along her spine. She accessed the situation spotting only one other option in the large foyer. She was always amazed looking at the spaces they were restored immaculately and although it still held the appeal of a castle it was more modern and quite welcoming, considering it was vampires that mainly lived here. Perhaps they were different from the ones that she had known all her life. The ones that she knew were very primitive and lived as though it was still in the olden days. They had slaves and were merciless. She was not suggesting that the ones here were less dangerous since there was no such thing but merely suggesting that perhaps they were more in touch with modern times and more civilized. Deciding on the only other corridor that remained in the Foyer she dragged Erixic along with her. Pools scan her surroundings staying completely alert to the few people that were around them. She had not yet seen a vampire here. In stead of tuning out her wolf hearing like she usually did she embraced the heightened senses at least until she knew the place a little better. There was a door in the corridor about halfway down and she turned peering into the glass of the door though not entering. She saw that there was indeed a movie theatre here as well as a library, a restaurant and a small café. Perhaps this was not going to be as bad as she thought. With the luxuries in which they had at home as well it would be closer to their life back at home. Well I guess what used to be home since this was their home now. “Look” Soft silky vocals were soft to the male as she pointed to the different doors within the building. She was sure that they would be back at a later date so she continued. Leading out into a large area which she presumed to be the Courtyard. She was awed by the amount of exotic flowers in bloom. Stunning colours were close together and in intricate designs. She could only imagine how it looked at night. A smile crossed her face lighting up her dainty features. She had always been a sucker for flowers. One of the few things that she had in common with her gender. Besides her looks and body there was not much else that signalled her gender. She was a lot tougher and more independent then girls in the modern times. Going through more then many would in a lifetime. That was all over though and she pushed the thoughts out of her mind. She closed the distance between her and the fountain. The water flowed gently over rocks in which she guessed were supposed to be a waterfall. She could see that all around the courtyard there were lights. Which meant that it would be a great place to be in the evenings. Most of the flowers which lined the garden beds were flowers that she had never seen or heard of before. Moving easily to the bench joints were bent bringing her frame into a seated position. Jade pools were then allowed to meet his. “You know, I am beginning to like this place.” She spoke slowly still caught up in the surroundings. When she had first arrived she was too scared of this to even have noticed the beauty around them. Strangely she felt safe within the perimeter of the castle. “I guess it helps that I have adequate company” She teased he knew that he was better company then she could ever imagine. A grin over took her features as a palm was then place at the base of his neck pulling him closer to close the distance between their lips. Kissers were firm upon his sending her thoughts reeling back to their talk earlier. She pulled back briefly a question uncontrollably popping into her mind. “Why? Why do you love me?” She asked him. Sure it was a strange question but it was one that she had been wondering for a long time. Sure they were the same species but that hardly mattered. They had a connection she knew that but that she did not completely explain it since she was sure that there was tons of girls more mentally stable he could easily have.

Gaze dropped to the essa's feet as she leaned over and pulled on the flip flops, bright red nail polish causing a chuckle to shake his chest while dome shook in laughter at his strange mate before they continued outside. Shoulders lifted in a shrug as the lady quickly tried to chase the drake's guilt away by assuring him that there probably was a movie theatre somewhere on the grounds, which didn’t do much to help him out with the emotion since neither really KNEW if there was a theatre or not. Padders followed dutifully behind her's as Aryn led Erixic through the tunnel and into the foyer before turning down another tunnel and continuing with her curious investigation of the palace. He noted easily that she was having fun admiring the art upon the walls and any remodeling done by the owners and although the duke tried, he could not find one thing about the architecture that drew his attention. Sure the place was pretty and every room seemed to be decked out with everything imaginable, but none of it really interested the male. Perhaps it was because art nor anything of the like was really his thing. Of coarse, he could appreciate beauty (hello, he is with Aryn), but critiquing it or looking at it for longer than a first glance seemed a little over the top for anyone by the man's terms. Facade pressed obligingly towards the glass as the lass gestured here and there, poking her own head into the windows of doors before moving so as to let him look in behind her. To the knight’s surprise and private delight, they did have a movie theatre so he did not have to break the promise after all. They could come watch a movie later, though, when more people were around and he could show off the essa on his arm to a larger mass. Besides, the damsel was enjoying herself immensely simply exploring the castle grounds and frankly, Erix was having fun as well as he started to piece a map of the place together in his mind. Finally, the pair entered a rather stunning garden, one of such quality that even the czar had to pause to admire its different sections for the craftsmanship and time put into designing the place. Hand dropped to his side as the fem's didgets released his own although steps remained not far behind her, following the path she laid out as if she were a very powerful magnet and he a large piece of metal. Fingers slowly thrust themselves under the running water of the fountain as he pulled up beside the fea, lanterns watching the liquid flow between his didgets. Crown turned towards the bench where Aryn sat as she spoke out to him, palm removing itself from the water and shaking off to the side of the male before being wiped upon his jeans, a small smile coming in return to her words as he approached the seat. Brow then cocked in mock surprise as she teased him, diaphragm leaning over hers while arm braced against the back and one arm of the bench. "Adequate company? My my that is a problem. Perhaps there is something I can do to change that." Gems sparkled with a mischievous glint as guise lowered towards hers, hardly needing the urging from the hand now pulling forcefully upon the back of his neck to do so. Lips molded against hers as the shifter simply sat back and allowed the fatal to take the reins, pulling back as she did only to find a question being fired at him rapidly once the connection was broken. Soft laughter escaped as skullary dropped in mock exasperation, chin rising again as cage rocked backward onto the male's heels. "Obviously I love you for your body." Teasing vocals emitted before a quick kiss was pressed to her lips and systems spun around till rump rested against the wooden planks of the bench. One arm extended around the lass's shoulders as it rested upon the back of the bench while features turned more serious. "Being serious here, I love you for who you are. There are so many things that make you Aryn and I would never trade any of them for anything. I suppose I love you because you can see who I am and accept all my ridiculous protective behavior without becoming resentful about it." Shoulders again lift in a shrug as liquids roam over the vast amount of flowers in the courtyard, not really seeing them as he searched for the next syllables to say. "You love me for who I am." Tunes finally come to the simple conclusion as attention returns to the madam, eyes meeting hers in a calm stare that spoke of his ease with the subject.

Hearing the mans explanation of why he loved her put her at ease secretly even though she knew that it was ridiculous she always wondered. Jade depths getting completely lost in the running water of the fountain. “Of course I love you for who you are. And I love you for seeing past my minor instabilities.” Ones of which she hoped were over. Sun kissed pillars were stretched out before her and crossed elegantly at the ankle. Head then moved to rest on his shoulder. She was in a lovey mood today and too bad if it were bothering him he should be happy that his girlfriend was being this touchy feely with him. Optics close for a moment nares deeply inhaling taking in the different scents of the terrain. Something to definitely get used to. Gone were the scents of the sweaty humans as they stressed about different things scuttling clumsily along the side walk. Gone were the scents of the pollution from cars and the sewer all mingling into a chaos that was unpleasant. The aroma of the flowers was evident here but also the smell of the heat. If heat had a smell. The smell of foreign and exotic animals and immortals. Same with the noises. The sounds of car horns and traffic and kids yelling and just the noise of humans moving around were gone, the sound of immortals was much less since they all seemed to move with an inhuman grace almost completely inaudibly. All her senses here were heightened since there were less distractions and less things to simply tune out. She did not get the common head aches that she would get from being around humans and her mind seemed to so far stay much clearer allowing room for semi-coherent thoughts. "So what is the plan now? Now it is your turn to think of something to occupy our time. Unless there is something that you need to do?" She did not want to keep him here if he had something that he needed to do after all it was only polite for her to ask. While awaiting his response her thoughts then turn to his tennis shoes. She simply could not just leave it be. Her thoughts on this morning causing her to smile. The fact he tried to hide him keeping an eye on her. “So I happened to notice this morning that your shoes were by the door, when I returned they were in the living room. It almost looked as though it was evidence of a hasty return. What were you up to this morning?” She knew that he would be squirming now. She knew that she had caught him and that he would hate that she had. He was not sneaky enough for her though. It was obvious that she was not mad about it though and that she was just playing with him. As her words were spoken her neck was tilted so that her gaze met his. Strands falling gently around her features seeming to frame her face. Emerald pools were lively and showed nothing but playfulness and utter adoration for him. Little did he know that unlike other people she loved having him watch over her since it reassured her every time that he cared so much about her. Palm moved to the bench pushing her bottom off the bench and shifting her petite frame closer to the male.

Few chuckles emit at the words spoken in return to his explanation, features burying themselves in the dark chocolate locks while a kiss was placed on her scalp. "I don’t count those as instabilities. You are perfectly stable, but simply have a few issues from your past that need to be worked out. That is nothing different from every creature in the world." Comforting vocals came into the atmosphere in order to reassure the essa, the word "instabilities" having triggered a warning light bulb in the male's head. It was the wrong word to used when describing the maiden and when she had used it, the drake had found it quite unnerving for some reason. Arms wrap tighter around her until the athletic femine frame was practically in the duke's lap, a position that was not totally unfamiliar to her with him around. Laughter again followed the vixen's teasing as she declared it his turn to entertain them both which he had already attempted to do earlier that morning. "No, of coarse I have nothing to do. Its not like they have any job openings around here." Finger prodded her rib cage lightly as lyrics teased her, guise slipping itself into the cradle created by the madam's neck and shoulder, teeth nipping at her hide jokingly before muffled tunes erupt. "I already tried to employ my talents this morning and you wouldn’t let me so I don’t think I shall be attempting that again until tonight." Lips pressed against the chin bone jutting out from her petite neck as he leaned back again, this time actually lifting her bodice into his lap as he shifted on the bench. Features managed to remain innocent looking as Aryn seemed to have caught on to his daily spying and was now confronting him with it. Brow furrow in a illusion of thoughtfulness while the answer to her question was already formed within his mind. "Evidence of a hasty return? I almost tripped over them while heading to the kitchen this morning and simply moved my shoes into the living room so they were out of my way. Falling on my face did not exactly appeal to me this morning when I woke up to find you gone of your jog already." Tones slid like honey from his lips, heart retaining a rhythmic beat as the cover story formed itself into something real. The lord knew that the dame had probably already known that he was watching her as she went away from him, but it was always fun to keep up the sneaky sneaky if one could. Besides, it gave him something to do so that boredom did not take over.

“Alright” Words were spoken in a reply to the males cover story though she knew that he was telling a small lie to make sure that his ego was not diminished by the femmes accusation. It had not mattered to he in the first place that he had been watching her. She just wondered what if she had chosen a terrain where it was impossible would he have followed her the whole way? She almost allowed herself to laugh at the thought. Him sneaking behind her hiding behind every tiny bush. It was a nice thought though. She understood why he did it he didn’t want her to get hurt he wanted to make sure that no one from her previous life came back to haunt her even though in being here that was utterly impossible. But she also knew that he definitely did not trust any of the immortals here especially the vampires. She knew that they were going to have to socialize. It had been different in the human world staying away from the humans simply because she had not wanted them to find out what she was that would have put her in severe danger. Her mind kept wandering to the things that she left behind. She had quit her job before she had gone on her two week ‘trip’ so that was already over with. She still missed the people though they had always treated her like she was special and always appreciated that she was there and not working for anyone else. Even though they had been quite hard on her. The job had been something to do plainly since it was not as though she needed the money. Of course Erixic did not know about this she simply did not feel the need to tell him. One day the story would come out. Her house had been sold and most of the possessions she had within it were given to her neighbours since she harboured no use to them anymore. She had told them that she was moving away to where they had found her ‘parents’. So that they did not question her, it hurt her to lie to them like that but it was the only option she could not know that she was moving with a man that in their eyes she only had just met to a Coven in the more remote community in Africa. Knowing that Jake had been going through a hard time with his girlfriend being pregnant and him being forced to work a dead end job she had given the Audi to him. He always came across as rich but recently all his jobs were seeming to fall through. She told him he was welcome to sell it but she knew that he would not since it would be the only memory that he had of her though it would be nice for them once the baby arrived to have a reliable car. She simply had not wanted to see her loved car sitting in some random car lot where some teenage guy drove the shit out of it daily. So back to the story of her abundant amount of money. When she had escaped from the other Coven she left with only with the knowledge of her parents sur name and it was the only thing she knew about them in her whole life. After much research she found out that their last residence was in France. Taking a trip to the city she scoped out the house which had been a large older residence which had been uninhabited for years. Piece the two together the last known residence and finding the house with no one in it. What she found next proved even more surprising. They had loved her, she had been kidnapped when she was only three years old which didn’t make sense since she had been in foster care. Unless, that was all an act from the Coven which she found out later. The police office was floored when she showed up and they had kept a small vial of blood in storage in case they ever needed to do DNA testing upon finding the missing daughter since it was an unsolved case of a well know and very wealthy family. Apparently they had been searching for her and since they were shifters as well they posed a threat to the vampires. It was then that the vampires killed both her parents. She had always found this hard to adjust to since she lived the majority of her life thinking that they hated her and wanted to give her up since she was a ‘freak’ why she would trust what the vampires said she would never know. After finding out that she was who she said she was all the inheritances in which became frozen after their death were turned over to her. She had kept the pictures and memoirs in which were in the house though she had been unable to walk into the place and soon sold it. It was simply too hard and she needed to get over it since she had now found out the truth. It was then that she moved to her house and bought her car. Since then she had been trying to get over it all. And a year later there was Erixic. A broad smile creased the femmes gentle features. The suns rays bathed her frame and it was becoming almost unbearable. Long mocha locks shimmered in the sunlight. She had done nothing but brush them from the time of her shower. She was sure that after the summer here that her hair would be a lot closer to blonde with the highlights from the sunlight. She didn’t like the sound of that always enjoying her natural hair colour she did not want to be seen as a blonde bimbo she didn’t need to attract anymore attention in her direction. They were going to need to find a place to cool off soon. This was their first full day being outside and she was even finding it hard to bear. She knew that she would not burn since her tan was still apparent from their summer back home. Only recently had the weather turned snowy there. That was another thing she would miss about the small town was the snow. She doubted any of the people in this country had ever seen it. Upon doing her research she knew that this place stayed stifling hot from June to November with a high humidity and common rain showers during the drier season from November to May it would be slightly colder and dry. Something that she knew she would be able to get used to as long as there were places to cool down here. Right now even the elaborate fountain was looking appealing. That would be a good way to meet people go for a swim in their fountain see how much they liked that. So much for remaining on the down low. That had been her plan upon arriving here to simply stay in the shadow and observe to make sure that she knew who to watch for and who to allow her guard down around. Not as though there would be anyone but Erixic that she would truly be relaxed around. She almost wished that they had remained in the house at least there was air conditioning there. She would never admit that to Erixic though. She was just concerned about heat stroke since it tended to be quite common in their kind with their elevated body temperatures certainly not helping. “We need to get out of the sun” She stated softly. Hoping that he would get the hint and make the decision to where they would be headed. Having been sitting in his lap her head rested on his chest listening to the sound of his heart beating. Lifting her head up emerald eyes met his studying his handsome features. He reminded her much of a surfer boy with his blonde hair. Steely pools seemed to hold something only for her. Making her feel as though she was even more special. Handsome features that any girl would go nuts for. And yet she was the one who he chose. Getting to her feet she could not help but allow her gaze to linger on his body. Strong from working out his body was easily as stunning as his features. Palm reach out to regain the contact between their hands and she entwined slender fingers with his. She did not know how much time had passed since they had been there though the sun was high in the sky now signalling it was getting a little later and they had wasted a good portion of their day. Which was relieving since she knew the night would be more bareable with the rays being gone. She hoped that they would go on their second date that night. Maybe she would even get dressed up for him. Before they had left she had gone on a huge shopping spree not knowing when she would get the chance to do it again.


Facade pressed into the essa's mocha curls where his private smile was hidden, forehead pressing against scalp while lids closed to shield orbs from the hairs. Of coarse he doubted that Aryn believed his cover story and knew that it was likely that she already knew of his secret spying, but choose to let him continue with the silly little game he played. Smile grew wider as the duke thought of this. So the lady didn’t care how protective he was of her and even accepted the lord's strange antics. Nares pulled in the sweet scent of the vixen's shampoo as the tip of his nose nuzzled against her hair, arms tightening around her frame. Hands rubbed gently along the maiden's arms although the friction really wasn’t needed. After all, they were not back in the city where it would have been cold enough for his fingers to warm her skin. Instead, their hides stuck together, the thin layer of sweat on each of their bodies hindering any movement against one another. Crown leaned back and the back of the drake's hand wiped at his brow, removing the beads of liquid that had gathered their while the pair had sat upon the bench. Dome nodded in agreement as the duchess rose and grabbed for his hand again. "Yes it is getting quite hot out." Vocals agree as limbs push bodice to a stand, chin tilting upward as gray depths squinted upward at the brilliant orb that shone down mercilessly upon the pair. Attention turned towards the damsel as the knight felt liquids upon his formation. Brow cocked towards her as the male realized the dame was checking him out, much like a stranger would. Certainly he would have expected another lady whom he had not seen before, but for Aryn to be gazing at him like this? Chuckles emitted as he pulled her closer, an amused expression watching her features. "Do you enjoy what you see?" Tunes teased gently before a light kiss is placed upon her forehead, stature turning as he pulled her along behind them, silent padders moving along the corridors as the man led her back to their room, arm slipping around her waist as they entered into the foyer, mask hard as skullary swung around the room, guarded pools shifting from one creature to the next as they turned down the Gratis tunnel. Frame stood aside as he waited for the lady to unlock their door with the key she had been given when they had first arrived before holding it open for her and following into the house. Fingers released the essa's and path was made for their bedroom, shoes being pushed from feet while the duke sank onto the edge of the bed. Diaphragm leaned over and didgets slipped socks off easily before they grabbed at the edge of his polo shirt and pulled the piece of clothing over his head. System rose and a grin flashed at the madam while palms stretched out for her, resting upon her hips while guise bent towards her and lips pressed against hers. "I’m going to take a shower. Then I am going to investigate where someplace nice is that I can take you to." Another kiss was placed upon her rose tinted tissues while stones danced playfully at jades. "I hope you bought a nice dress during that little shopping spree you had before we left. I plan on enjoying myself immensely tonight." Mask spoke of a hidden promise before arms dropped and Erixic turned back to their room, heading towards the bathroom where he turned on the shower and finished undressing before getting underneath the cool pounding water.

[Ayrn]

He had caught her as her eyes fell on his entire body. A small smirk crossed the females kissers in a playful manner. She shrugged and pretended like it had been nothing when he asked if she liked what she saw. Of course he knew that she did though he hardly needed a boost on his ego. Before she knew it she was dragged in the direction of their home. Following the corridor like she had been there here entire life and each step was less hesitant then the next. She stayed a little farther away from him then she would have liked simply because of the heat. It was definitely now the hottest part of the day and the rays were more relentless then she could imagine. Dark mocha hair seemed to attract the light much like ebony would. Palm was run through her locks to dislodge them from their current resting place in hope that their breeze would allow them to cool slightly. The tunnel soon provided shade and a small sigh was released as they reached the front door. Key was pulled from her short pockets and unlocked the door. Pulling open the door a sudden gust of coolness hit her and a contented smile crossed her features. He moved instantly to their bedroom announcing that he was going to have a shower. Which had been her intentions as well. Though she could wait until he was done since he seemed to be in a hurry anyways. His comment about her shopping spree brought a small smile to her face. She had the perfect attire for the evening though she kept it hidden and didn’t pull it out. He would have to wait to see what she would be wearing. She planned to be fully dressed by the time that he returned from his little jaunt to see where they would be going this evening. As soon as he was finished she moved into the bathroom. Managing to catch him before he left. She pulled him into a gentle hug. “Be careful. ” She told him since she would not be following him since that would be what he would do if it was her going off on her own. With a brief kiss on the lips she then moved into the bathroom. It was large which was nice. Her one pet peeve about places were if they had a small washroom since she was so active she spent a lot of time showering which was made difficult with a small washroom. Having forgotten her hair curler she wrapped a soft towel around her waist and moved back into the room where the boxes that she had brought from home were still not unpacked. She managed to grab her hair curler since it was at the top and the blow dryer. Deciding that tonight would be special she also grabbed her make up bag which was rarely used. And her choice of perfume for the evening. On the Rocks by Ralph Lauren. She left the items on the counter and plugged her hair curler in so that it would be ready to go by the time that she was out of the shower. She stepped into the water which she had turned on colder then usual. Attempting to keep her body cold after being out in the sun all day. She was surprised that she was not at all burnt from being outside all day she was lucky. Using shampoo that smelt like coconut this time it would accent the scent of her perfume. She washed it all out of her hair and stepped out of she shower. Drying herself. It seemed stupid to use a blow dryer in this heat though she knew it would make her hair even more shiny. It dried within a few moments and she then started to curl it. They were not tight curls since her hair was quite long but they fell relaxed along her shoulders held in place with hairspray. It took her half an hour with her hair co-operating. Finally she decided it was to her liking. It was something different and it looked more wavy then curled which she liked. She then moved on to makeup. Erixic would be in for a treat tonight her getting dressed up for him AND putting on makeup. She did not use much makeup even on a special occasion so she pulled out mascara, eyeliner and lip stick and that would be the extent of it. Starting with her eyeliner she made a thin line on the top of her eyelid and then moving to her mascara it elongated and flattered her sparkling emerald eyes. The lip stick was almost a nude shade not changing the hue of her lips very much. Looking in the mirror she found no imperfections and she then ran to their bedroom shutting the door behind her so that Erixic would not be able to get in. Pulling her most recent clothing purchase she dressed in the dark tan dress. It was made of a clingy fabric that clung to her every curve showing her flat abdomen and the curve of her hips. The neckline plunged low enough that she was glad to be wearing a strapless bra. It fell to about an inch above her knees and looked as though the dress was made especially for her. Dark mocha hair looking stunning against the silky tan hue. A single row of pearls hung around the femmes neck and small pearl earrings were the only jewellery she wore since it was the simplicity that made her look stunning. She really hoped that Erixic would understand that she did not do this on a normal occasion and would appreciate her dressing up to this extent for him. A small smile appeared on her face as she glanced once more in the mirror. Outside the suns rays were now starting to fade and the sun seemed to be hiding below the horizon. The night would be starting soon and that was when the Coven would get the rowdiest she was guessing.

For a moment, the male stood still, facade turned upward towards the water's blasts as he allowed the liquid to chill his burning skin. After the sun's heat had finally been washed away, the drake shampooed his normally wavy hair before washing his whole body and rising himself off. In all, the shower didn’t last over ten minutes before the spray was turned off and the duke stepped out to grab a towel. Hands moved the cloth over his dome to first dry the slightly browned locks back to their golden hue before running it over his guise and eventually wrapping the rectangle around his waist, tucking one tail into the edge so that it held while he moved around. The razor and shave gel that was placed in the cabinet underneath the sink were pulled out and placed on the counter, Erixic's fingers running along his jaw line to feel the coarse hair there before the he made the decision to definitely shave it. Crown lifted and gaze turned towards the door as it opened before the lord had even started to shave, a smile immediately pulled across kissers as he saw Aryn standing there. "Come on in, hun. I’m done with the shower now. It’s too bad you didn’t come in earlier. We could have saved water." Lyrics teased her and hands moved to grasp her upper arms so that he could restrain her as he rubbed his rough, day old stubble against her cheek. Chuckles emit from cavern and grip releases her limbs, lips touching where the man's chin had rubbed in a quick kiss before turning back to the sink and proceeding with the shaving. Luckily, the shower the essa took was a cold on just like his had been so the mirror did not fog up at all from steam that was normally produced from warm water. He was finished before the maiden even got out of the shower and then moved into their bedroom to change into a comfortable, loose shirt and a pair of basketball shorts before picking out what he was going to wear to dinner. An ironed, charcoal gray short sleeve button up shirt along with a nice pair of khaki slacks, not his usual attire, but hey, he had told Aryn to dress up, right? He might as well do the same, especially since he didn’t want to look like a hobo next to her. The clothes were left on their hangers and set upon the bed before the baron moved to walk out of the house and into the rest of the castle in search of a place where they could go out that night. Funny, they didn’t really go out often and when they did, it somehow felt like a special occasion. The knight decided he needed to change that a bit. After all, why shouldn’t they go out on dates more often? Just because he liked staying inside the house simply lying on the couch with the damsel didn’t mean it was her favorite way to spend the evening. Leggings led the bloke down the passageway that they had ventured through earlier that day, remembering that they had happened upon a cafe and hoping that perhaps there was a nicer restaurant somewhere around the same place. As it turned out, his assumptions were correct. Not halfway down the corridor from where the cafe they had found earlier was at, Erix found a dark room with a hostess busying about as she set up station at her podium at the from of the restaurant. With a triumphant smile, the lord slipped away and started back to the house at a excited pace, ready to change into his dinner clothes and to see whatever surprise he was sure the duchess had waiting for him. Strangely enough, when Erixic got back to their home and moved towards the bedroom to get changed, he found the knob would not turn. Aryn had locked it. Orbs roll gently as shoulder leaned against the door's exposed framing around it and rapped a few times on its surface with his knuckles. "Aryn... All I need are my clothes. Ill cover my eyes while you hand them too me." Playful tunes promised her, a charming grin creasing guise as he waited for the reply that she would give him.

He had been gone just long enough for her to change and she heard him return as she was just finishing checking in the mirror one last time. A smile appeared on her façade as she then moved to the door digits finding the handle and pushing it to the left to unlock it and then once again to the right to open the door. She grasped the clothes that the male had laid out on the bed and handed them to him from hiding behind the door. She did not carry a purse since she was bad with losing things and knew that it would just be left somewhere and plus she did not like to have to carry things with her. She reconsidered her hair once more the hairspray holding it in perfect curls. Deciding to keep it down instead of putting it up she left it how it was. As she knew that he would be just about finished changing right now she walked out of the room prepared for him to see her. Nervous of course since the male had never seen her this dressed up and perhaps she looked silly. Long silky curls hung along her spine with her bangs brushed to the side framing her pretty features. Long nape was accented by the thin line of pearls that adorned it matching the set that remained in her ears. The mascara making heavy lashes looking even more appealing and the eyeliner causing her eyes to stand out against her other features. They looked now as though they were the highlight of her face. Though the rest of it was just subtle, her skin was perfect and soft. The dress dropped in a V down to a place where would almost become inappropriate and gathered back around her neck. The dress was snug around her abdomen showing just how fit she was and smoothed over the curves of her hips and ended around an inch above her knees. The dress was made for her and she looked as though she could be the model in which wore it on the runway. She wore no shoes yet since they were waiting for her at the door but they were higher and she would be almost the same height as him another plus. She could not help but notice herself that she smelled delicious like blend of citrus and coconut. Like the tropics in which they now lived it seemed all too perfect for the occasion. She waited for him to turn and talk to her since he had been changing. She didn’t know where they were going though she hoped that it was some place fancy since she knew that in just a plain restaurant she would look overdressed. These were the times that she knew that she loved him. She got nervous dressing up for him since she wanted to impress him. She loved to dress up and it was all for him. “So where are we going?” Soft tender vocals reach out to him.

Triumphant grin spread across features as the sound of the lock turning on the knob clicked from the other side of the door and frame moved from its relaxed position to just in front of the door. The frame then opened and his clothes appeared out of the crack, singular petite hand held them out to him just as he had requested. One palm moved to take the garments from her while the other followed closely behind and out of sight from the maiden. The instant one set of fingers closed around clothing, the other set grasped the essa's wrist the urge to push the door open so he could ruin her sneaky little plan tempting the male with its danger. Soft chuckles emit instead and didgets released the thin limb, back turning towards the door as he headed towards the living room and placed the clothes upon the back of a sofa chair. First, the temporary clothing was taken off before the pants were taken from their hanger and pulled over the lord's legs, fingers easily buttoning and zipping it up before attention turned towards the short sleeve shirt and it was taken from its rack and arms slid through the holes, a simple shrug bringing the rest of the material over well muscled back before these buttons as well were done up. Luckily for him, when they had first moved in Aryn had fitted a portrait mirror upon the wall opposite the TV and he used it now to check his reflection. Golden locks had dried just as the male had wanted them too and a few strands fell dreamily over gray depths, their length needing to be trimmed, but the drake hadn’t gotten to it yet. The top three buttons on his shirt were left open, exposing an adequate amount of flesh that added to the casual finesse the shifter was trying to pull off. Frame turned immediately as the sound of the bedroom door opening caught his attention, hands having been shoved into pockets not moments before. When Erixic saw her, for a moment all he could do was stare. My, how she looked stunning. Delicate curls cascading over her shoulders and down her back while the pearls she wore made her skin look like the same texture, almost ordering the baron to touch to see if it were true or not. Orbs moved down to her ankles and slowly climbed up her bodice as this time it was the knights turn to check out his companion, the clingy tan dress making his mouth water in anticipation of what would come after dinner. Once pools met jades, the bloke again lost himself in her beauty before finally coming around and realizing that he had probably been standing there with goo goo eyes for almost a full three minutes. Strides easily brought his quickly across the room and diaphragm leaned downward so that lips met hers, stealing a breathtaking kiss as one hand moved to press against the small of her back. "You look gorgeous." Lyrics whispered against her rose tinted tissues as dome slowly pulled back, an infamous crooked smile coming across guise as oculars captured hers. It’s a little restaurant I found within the castle. It’s not far from the cafe or the theatre that we found earlier today. I’m surprised we didn’t notice it sooner actually. Hand reached for hers and arm pulled her towards the door, letting her get her shoes on before they both stepped out the door. They paused again so that the lass could lock the dead bolt and the gentleman offered his arm to her, proceeding to lead her down the hall as she took it. As the pair stepped into the dimly lit restaurant, the baron unhooked his extremity from the madams before heading to the hostess's desk and asking for a table for two. The sun had just set and not many people had shown up yet so they were seated right off in a small, secluded corner booth in the non-smoking section of the establishment.

As he spotted her it took him a few moments to take all of her in as it seemed and she allowed him after all he was the only one that was allowed to look at her like that. Even then it did not seem inappropriate most males looked at their girlfriends as if they were undressing them with their eyes he simply looked at her like she was the one person that he treasured in his life. She did not feel like a piece of meat when she was around him. He was protective about her and showed her how much he cared all the time. Treating her better then she could ever imagine. Upon seeing him all dressed up a grin overtook her features. “Well you clean up quite nicely yourself.” Digits ran along his cheek and traced the line of his jaw allowing herself a few moments to take I just how amazing he looked. Leaning forward a tender kiss was placed on his cheek then moved to allow herself one kiss on the lips knowing though that if she continued she would want to just skip dinner all together. She was only drawn from her thoughts when he spoke declaring that she looked gorgeous. “Thank you.” Soft vocals rang out to the males audits. He then pulled her towards the door and she wondered if he was thinking the same thing. She pulled on her shoes and much like she thought the slight heel made her even with his eye level. Which was a change. Though she was not too sure if she liked it since she rather liked being shorter since she fit so perfectly in his arms and with his body curled around hers she felt safe. The sun was just finishing setting and the colours of the sun set were just starting to diminish. The warm breeze ruffled locks which were not set so firmly with the hairspray pushing them back to cascade along her upper spine. Their relationship seemed to have changed so much since they were here. Now everything remained with ease and it seemed effortless both of them were relaxed and the previous stresses of their lives were gone. It was almost like a holiday only more permanent. Forearm was draped through the males arm as he offered it to her and carefully she descended the stairs. It seemed like more people were lurking from their houses though that was to be expected with the amount of heat there had been in the day. Even now it felt muggy and slightly warm for her liking. Like a large blanket that was on the verge of smothering her slightly. Luckily her dress was light weight and she had not yet broken a sweat. Though she would not be surprised if that changed before the night was over. He lead her to the same place they had been earlier that day. Catching the door which had almost fallen shut with the entrance of someone else. It still looked as though there were not too many people out and about since with this large of a Coven you would expect more people. I guess it was fairly new though and not too many people had arrived yet. Their section did not even have a leader yet. She had only seen two others in their section since they arrived which was strange since there was housing for a mass amount. There was no reason that this place would not become popular though. It was run well and there were enough things to do that people were getting kept busy. It seemed like it was big enough to be two cities within itself. There was the bar, the ballroom, hot springs, the café, she heard them talking about a possible new shopping center being constructed that was all just a rumour though. Plus it was hardly as though she needed anything when she was with Erixic spending just time with him was enough. It was strange how well they fit together. Never did she ever think she would find someone that had this much in common with her. Their personalities were similar their past experiences were similar and their feelings for each other were identical. Reaching the restaurant the darkness caused her eyes to adjust instantly and she noticed that they were going to be one of the only couples seated. Sure it was early in the night though. The hostess then lead them to their seats and moving to the one across for Erixic joints bent bringing her frame easily into the seated position. Napkin was plucked from the table and placed politely into her lap. Palms resting folded in her lap. Glad that they had been placed in the non smoking part of the restaurant since the smoke was much too harsh on both of the shifters keen senses. She then lifted her hand from her lap placing it on the table so that he had the chance to take her hand if it was something that he wanted elbow remained politely not on the table though so to meet her hand he would also have to lay his forearm on the table. An attractive waitress then emerged from the back and Ayrn could not help but how the females eyes landed on Erixic a little too long. A small frown was sent in her direction though she was not about to make a scene of it. It was too much of an amazing night for that. She offered to take their drink orders. It was only then that she focused on the fact that she had not even opened her menu since she had been there too preoccupied with her thoughts. “Just a water please” She spoke politely to the waitress with a polite smile keeping the scowl from her face. With a singular deep breath as oxygen flowed through her lungs she was able to relax. I guess you could call it the primitive wolven instinct in the female since if she was not in a better mood she was sure that she would have growled at the women. It was funny to think that that might not be as weird in the Coven as it would be at a regular restaurant at home. Here it would probably start a fight but at home you would be seen as a freak and possibly be committed into a mental ward. She needed to get her mind off it and turned back to Erix before consulting her menu. The heat had made her so that she did not feel the hunger pains of this time in the day. She knew that she needed to eat though and that was just on more way that she needed to adjust to the new terrain. Picking out an appetizing sounding meal on the menu she placed it at the head of the table which would be ready for his menu to join as soon as he decided on his own meal. She was going to have the Chicken Con Broccoli it was a light pasta dish that included a chicken breast smothered in the same sauce as the pasta and bedded in cone shaped pasta with broccoli mixed in. Once he had decided she then turned back to him. “ I am sorry for acting differently since we have been here. ” She knew that she had been acting rather giddy though it was just such a relief to be away from the stresses that haunted her life and she could feel herself getting closer and closer to healing. And she knew that a huge part was him being there for her and for her to be able to confide. Never having to hide anything from him and knowing that she was able to trust him and that he would tell no one else about any of it. It had taken moving here for her to realize that she needed to move on earlier. The fact that she had lived in that same townhouse from the moment that she had escaped from the Coven there were a lot of harsh memories there. There were times that she saw things. Many times that she woke up drenched in sweat from the nightmares. She believed that that was partly the house and just the setting. When she had bad memories that were related to different parts of the house she could do all she want and re decorate the place and do different things like that to try and rid them and they would still never go away. All that time she had been so lonely too. Never thinking that there was anyone out there that she would be able to tell everything to. She hoped that soon he would feel the same and all his past would be revealed to her. It made her wonder sometimes why he had not told her. He had known how hard it was for her to tell him about all the things that he did. Surely he could do the same. She did not push the subject though. He would tell her when he felt like it was the right time. She just hoped that one day the time would indeed come. She wanted to be the person that he felt like he could trust no matter what and with everything. She had spilled all her deep dark secrets with him now it was only fair for him to do the same. The negative thoughts were ridded from her mind and she was brought back into the present. “It feels like I can finally be normal again. I never imagined having the chance to start new like this. Especially not with someone like you. Who would have ever thought that we would move to a remote place in Africa. Together.” This made her chuckle slightly. It sounded a little ridiculous though that did not matter since no one else needed to know so therefore they would not be able to judge the couple. If you did not take risks you would never go anywhere in life and she knew that. After all one of the biggest risks of her life had been escaping from the Coven, another had been taking the chance on trusting him and falling head over heels in love with him and allowing herself to, another had been returning to the Coven simply to escape once more and finally the last one being moving here with a bunch of vampires and other immortals with the one important person in her life. For the first time this evening jade pools wander along the scenery of the restaurant. It looked well maintained it was dark with only candles lighting the place which did not matter for immortals and their keen senses. It must be at the end of the building since the view out the window was that of foliage that looked as though it was the end part of the park from the Courtyard. It looked as though it was getting breezy outside by the wavy of the trees and shrubs on the outside of the restaurant. The waitress soon returned with their drinks. She had chosen simply water since with the amount of sweating that she was doing she needed to simply drink water or all the sugar of other drinks would get to her. Digits wrap around her glass picking it up from the table gently and placing it against her lips. The coolness of the glass soothing to her palm. The liquid soothing her parched throat. She had been too busy getting ready then to even have a drink when they were back at the house. She really needed to start keeping track of that since her body ran on a higher temperature making it very likely that she would faint in the heat and have heat exhaustion which was hard to recover from and would simply backtrack with the time she was taking to get used to the new climate. A brow was raised as droplets started falling outside the window. Sure she had heard that the summer time which ran from May to November was also the rainy season it was just strange to see it scorching hot and then the rain the next moment as soon as the sun went down. The soft tapping of the liquid on the ceiling was almost soothing since where they had lived before rain had been common and quite frankly right now anything that reminded her even remotely of home was soothing to her. Noting that the glass still remained in her hand she placed it back on the table just ahead of where her other palm rested idly. The waitress returned this time for a third time after an appropriate amount of time had passed and she knew that they were both ready to order. This time she seemed to take Ayrn’s glare as a threat and she did not even look in the males direction. With a cheerful smile she asked what they would like to order. “I would like to have the Chicken Con Broccoli ” Vocals that sounded a little excessively sweet were sent to the waitress. She was having a hard time telling what the waitress actually was. Debating it for a moment it was then that she saw the first vampire she had witnessed at the Coven. He was alone though he did not look the least bit intimidating. He moved to a booth by the window and although he did not look cheerful he did not have the brooding and blood thirsty look that was perceived by Hollywood. He did not even have the look of the vampires that she once knew. The ones that she knew had all thought that the world revolved around them. This one did not even look in their direction and went on ordering and minding his own business. Soon she found herself glancing back to Erix and fixing her attention on him. It was probably apparent by now that her mind was jumping all over the place. She wondered many things about the place such as if there were any jobs available which she was sure that there was and just things about the way that the Coven ran. It seemed as though everything was taken care of and it was all so effortless you never saw a maid and yet the house was cleaned everyday and the laundry was done. Gardening was immaculate. It was just something that she was not used to and would have to spend time getting used to. Right now though her priority was having a good time and she would need to push all these thoughts from her mind to do so. Emerald pools got lost in those of steely hue across the table from her. For a brief moment ebony lashes close contently before reopening only to fall on the males pools once more. She pushed unruly curls back from her vision allowing them to be placed just behind her audits. "This all feels like a big vacation. How does it feel to not have to go to work? Do you miss back home?" She could not help but feel guilty for dragging him here and ripping him away from all that he had known and built his life upon and she could not help but feel like it was all her fault. A small frown crossed her features briefly.

Hand guided the essa by the small of her back to the seat while he gave a "thank you" smile and nod to the hostess. Bodice sidestepped once the lass was seated and knees bent to allow rump to slide into the cushioned bench across the way from where his lover sat. Grin that was reserved just for her found its way upon features, pools watching as the napkin was placed daintily upon the maiden's lap before she seemed to realize that he was there. Fingers grasped hers as they were extended across the table innocently, elbow bending as he brought the back of her hand to his lips and pressed a kiss to the silky skin there, orbs never leaving her's as he slowly brought it back down to the table, dangerous crooked smile moving slowly across kissers. Thumb rubbed absentmindedly against the vixen while their liquids met for a short period of time before her attention turned away from the drake to focus upon the waitress now headed their way. Gaze drifted in the same direction only to catch the other fatal letting her eyes scan interestedly over his well-built frame. Amused chuckles were surprised as glance cast towards Aryn, seeing the involuntary tightening of her jaw line in anger. Polite look turned towards the waitress after the madam ordered her drink. "Do you happen to have any Mitchelton Chardonnay? If so, do bring us a bottle. You don’t mind do you dear?" Brow cocked as guise turned away from the woman waiting on them to his companion, waiting politely for her answer. "French is always the best." Vocals explained before a light hearted chuckle emitted and palm released her hand so that he could pick up the menu so he could decide what he wanted to eat. Lanterns scanned the pages, finding the steaks quickly and choosing to have a rib eye that night, having not had one in quite some time and besides, it was always good to see how others could cook the meat. Some places tended to cook it too long and others not enough. And of coarse there was always the question of how good their marinade was and if the steak would be juicy enough to enjoy. Facade turned back to the damsel as her lyricals again emitted, this time an apology meeting his lobes, causing a slight frown to form upon handsome mask. Dome tilted slightly towards her in questioning. "Don’t apologize for that. It’s actually been quite nice waking up and having you still beside me instead of in the kitchen because of a nightmare." Small grin flashed towards her as cage leaned over the table and rose kissers pressed against hers in a quick kiss, hand folding the menu and setting it on top of the contessa's. Spine rested against the back of the bench and didgets again entwined with the smaller finagles of the other. Crooked smile again pulled at cheek muscles as she admitted how strange it was for them to be here, exactly what he had been thinking earlier that day. Soft laughter escaped as jaws parted, bleached pearls flashing in the dimly lit room. "I would never have expected to be in Africa. Although, I do have to admit that at some point in time I had hoped we would move somewhere else and buy a house together, but then again, I hadn’t thought it would be Africa or that it would have happened so fast." Smile turned towards the waitress as the immortal again returned, this time brining both Aryn's water and the wine Erixic had requested, a waiter following along behind with a stand full of ice to keep the bottle chilled. Strong hand moved out to receive the glass from the waitress as she filled his first before producing an second cup and offering to give the duke's partner the same as she had him. Glass was raised towards the duchess as both strangers left them alone again, cold edge touching the man's lips as hand tipped it upward, bitter sweet liquid enhancing taste buds as it moved over his tongue and down the esophagus. Steel depths continued to watch her as she clung to the cup of water she held, its condensation transferring from the smooth crystal surface to her hide. Not long after that, the waitress returned to take their order, and the male forced his eyes to roam away from the beauty before him to land upon the other lady who was nothing in comparison although, she was pretty in her own right, but simply was not the lord's type. Blood-sucker. Hm, it figured they would run into one of that kind sometime soon. "I'll have the rib eye please. Rare." Tunes ordered politely from her while stones remained cold ashes, hard surfaces not really revealing any hatred, but definitely letting the essa know he was not attracted to her. Pair returned to the stunning creature who sat across the way and noticed that she was just now seeing the other being who had entered just as the waitress had moved to serve them, one that Erix had picked up the scent right off. Stature waited patiently and jades soon met his gray gems again, another, half smile lifting the planes of the knight's mask. A comfortable silence again settled over them both while they simply stared at one another, the baron still struggling to take in all that the mistress had to offer with her visual representation. It wasn’t like he didn’t see her everyday. Perhaps it was that wonderful little dress she was wearing that made it so impossible for him to take his eyes off her figure. Unlike most men, his mind did not run wild with him and picture the essa undressing. No, he already knew what that looked like and had no reason to fantasize about it. Crown tilted at her question in thought as answers formed within his mind. “I feel slightly lazy and unless not having to go to work. It’s definitely strange, but I can’t say I hate it. There are a few things about the city that I miss, but it isn’t my home any longer.” Fingers set the glass down in front of him before they wrapped around hers again, his charming little crooked smile flashing at her. “My home is with you. How can I miss any place much if neither of us are any longer there?”

She had briefly glanced at the wine menu even though wine was not a taste that she savoured and as he asked if she approved of his choice of wine vocals then rang in the direction of the waitress. “That would be wonderful, yes.” Sure she might sound a little over board to the waitress though that did not matter since she knew that the waitress was being paid to be nice to them and that her acting cheery was most likely driving the woman crazy inside. Her palm tingled he raised her hand to his lips. Bringing her attention once again back to the male. She dismissed all the thoughts. This was their night. It was not going to be ruined with her getting lost in her thoughts. When the drinks came back she thanked the waitress taking a gentle sip of her water before palm then moved the water farther away from herself and picked up the wine glass taking a gentle sip of the liquid. Allowing her heightened senses to absorb the taste and silky feel as it slid along her throat. “I must say you made a good choice.” The balance between fruit was immaculate and it proved up to her standards. A small nod was uttered as he told her about feeling useless since he was not working which did not matter. Neither of them needed to work right now. She missed very few things that she left behind and he seemed to be the same sure you missed it all but that did not mean that you would want to go back if you had the choice. Move on and up in life. The waitress then returned to take their orders and just as she had expected he ordered the steak a small smile creeping along her face. “I guessed that you were going to have a steak.” By now she was a good quarter of the way done her wine and since she did not drink she was starting to feel it not to mention the fact she had not eaten much today. She was starting to feel slightly buzzed and knew that she better slow it down before their meal arrived. Which did not take long. It seemed as though the waitress had just left and she was returning with their two plates. Both looked delicious. Her palm was pulled back from where he held it at the end of the table making room for their two plates to be put down. “Thank you.” She murmured with a stunning grin plastered on her façade. The first few bites of her dinner were excellent.

Chuckles escape as the maiden spoke of her approval for his choice of wine and the circular bottom of the duke's glass was set upon the table. "Yes. Strangely enough, the French know how to make the best Chardonnay. I have a weakness for it when I actually drink any wine." Sheepish smile settled upon features as thumb again ran along the back of the essa's hand. Orbs roll gently as the maiden declares that the drake was predictable and a shrug moved in answer to her, palm lifting hers once more to lips before jaws parted again. "Another weakness of mine. Should I be worried? You have uncovered two of my few weaknesses in one night. Does this mean you will search for the rest?" Tunes teased her while in smokey depths, a hint of real questioning resided, a mixture of curiosity and worry swirling around in the ashes. The fear was what confused him the most. This was Ayrn here! He didn’t, shouldn’t care if she knew every single little vulnerability he had. And yet, there still resided the urge to protect himself. The strange need to hoard any flaws so they could not be penetrated. Even though the knowledge that the damsel would never intentionally hurt him and would not care about any lapses he had was powerful, it still could not disintegrate the developed instinct defend oneself. Mind was saved from its own ruthless ponderings as the waitress soon returned with their food and set it out before them. Fingers released the essa's just as she moved to pull her hand back to give the other vixen enough room. A polite smile and nod was sent towards the vampiress to add to his companion's "thank you." Knife cut easily into the supple meat and the juices were just right for the baron's taste. Ah, the cook was a good one. For the rest of their meal, no other words were spoken, just as had happened before during the dinners they had both shared together. Not so unexpectedly, Erixic was not the type to speak while he ate and so it was a good thing the fatal saw and respected this. Yet another reason the lord had to love her. Pauses were taken between bites for the duke to sip some of the wine, which really had no effect on him. Alcohol never really had much weight when it came to the knight. It had always been so for even when he had his first taste of the stuff it had never really gotten to his system. Sure, he had been a bit tipsy a couple of times, but he had only been drunk once and it had taken quite a few drinks to get him there. That night, he had learned that tequila shots burned as they went down your throat for a reason. Before long, the wonderfully cooked rib eye was eaten and the bloke sat back against the back of the bench as he waited patiently for the fea to finish, knowing that he ate rather quickly and women tended to eat at a slower rate than men did anyway. Probably something to do with looking refined or not like a pig, which, didn’t really bother the shifter. Every bite the fem took was just another reason for his visionaries to be drawn to her lips.

The atmosphere of the restaurant was one that could not be denied. The candles flickering all different directions and casting shadows on the wall when there were no other lights on in the place. One thing that she loved though would hardly ever admit was when the power went out. At home when there was a storm and the power went out she loved to have an excuse to light all the candles in her house and eat whatever food could be prepared without the use of the stove and it allowed her to relax since the majority of things that she accomplished could not be done with the lack of electricity. Sure this was not a huge deal though it was just one of those things that the femme never told anyone. Well I suppose that was simply because there was no one to tell about it. She was a little quicker then most femmes when they ate since she knew that he ate pretty quickly. She did not mind since he did not look like a pig while doing it the man still had the manners and used them. The creamy pasta was carried to her lips in a dainty gesture and she surprised herself being able to finish the entire meal. No scraps of food were left on her plate by the time that she was done. She pushed her plate closer into the middle of the table and vision was then returned to the male. She felt slightly uncomfortable being watched as she ate though she was not about to bring it up. By now when she looked out the window it was complete darkness though it happened so quick that she was not too sure how long they had been in the restaurant. Not as though it mattered though. She had finished her full glass of wine and that was where she cut herself off knowing that if she had anymore she would become a blabbering idiot and some things that she would tell him in time would be blurted right into the open and they did not need that tonight. She was surprised that the curls of her hair were staying in so nicely it had been a long time since she had curled her hair and it naturally was very straight. I guess it was the amount of hairspray that she used. The fumes had made her nauseous in the bathroom which performing the task. A small smile covered her features as she had finished her meal feeling quite full. She was able to tell that his mind was elsewhere while he sat there after telling her that she found yet another one of his weaknesses. She was better at this then she thought. He should not mind that she did that since she knew that he had found some of her weaknesses. That was the point of being in a relationship is trusting the person with everything. And knowing that they would never use it against you.