Post by Theodren Galanos on Apr 23, 2009 19:31:13 GMT -6
Ren = Ren found himself wandering the streets again as he had done his work for the day and as late afternoon turned to evening, he found this time of day one of his favorites. Argos had enjoyed his run today and Ren had enjoyed the ride, both had needed it in one way or the other. Dark eyes did watch as many of the market's vendors, shop keepers, and such packed up and closed shop for the day. Trying to sale any of the remaining items to passersby and Ren found himself shaking his head several times, of lifting up a hand to suggest he wasn't interested. He even had a couple of the women down an alley he passed signal to him how they would like to spend a little time with him. And oh no, he wasn't about to go there. Not knowing some of the things he did. He had to chuckle though, finding it strange that all of a sudden, he seemed to be interesting to the females here lately.
Ada = She loved the light at the end of the day, in the moment it turned from soft afternoon to the gold of champagne, and then into the reds of twilight. It made a fatalist of even the most optimistic souls, which was perhaps the draw. She was an optimist. Sometimes, however, looking at the glass half-full was not only distracting, but exhausting. She kept the shutters of her shop open to keep the last of the light inside as she stoppered open jars and swept up fallen bits of flowers and herbs, wiped the counters and finally, hung up her apron. Ada checked on her patient in the still room, and when it seemed all was able to function without her constant presence, she finally closed the shutters with a soft click and closed the door behind her. She stopped and chatted with some of the other merchants closing up for the night, but in an unspoken agreement among all shopkeepers, they only talked generally of business, making conversations short. Restless feet carried her swiftly onward, until whose head should she spy bobbing above the crowd but the Greek? To approach or not to approach, that was the question. But while the mind thought, the feet walked, and he would look down to find her keeping pace at his side, as if appearing from nowhere.
Ren = He kept to his easy steady pace, and still, several shakes of his head was made with another few lifts of his hand. Finally as he began to reach the end he felt he wouldn't have to refuse anyone anymore for the evening and as he looked forward once again, he saw movement from his opposite side. He glanced down and the second he laid eyes on her, he grinned. ``I guess your tea must have helped you last night. I never did hear that knock on my door.`` He said with his grin. Then he bent down, and he acted as if he were about to whisper something meant only for her. ``Ribbet...`` Ren then found himself laughing as he straightened himself while they continued to walk. ``So, to what do I owe you for your gracing me with your presence?`` He asked jesting.
Ada = Her eyes went to each of the sellers, wondering if she truly needed any of what was for sale. The answer was no, though it didn't hurt to look. Ren looked as if he was in a cheerful mood, which made her happy. He also looked disgustingly well rested. "It was quite beneficial. I did not hear a knock on my door, either, so I suppose I was not up to my usual charming excellence." With a returned grin, she looped her arm with his, leaning away playfully when he croaked in her ear and nudging him back with her hip. "Keep that up, and I may be tempted to turn you into a toad. Warts and all. Though it would be a loss. You're very handsome." She glanced up at him, giving him an appraising look, and then a nod. "I've never met a handsome toad. Let us walk, no? Let us go where we have not been before. The city is new to me!"
Ren = He was in a good mood, the day had been warm, sunny, and promising. The man had enjoyed his work for the day and then some time exercising Argo in the nearby fields. He could be like this as long as no one rubbed him the wrong way. He chuckled and nodded with her reply. ``I guess the same could be said about me. I must be losing my touch, being a toad and all.`` He added before looking away and smirking. Though, when she complimented him, a single dark brow arched, and the other joined as he realized she had looped her arm with his. He said nothing and did nothing to pull away, an indication to her that he was rather comfortable with the gesture. He did however looked down to see the vast difference between their skin tones, and her arm looked almost scrawny when compared next to his. Danae had jested one day that his arms were as huge as thick tree branches, his legs like tree trunks. Was that a bad thing he suddenly wondered? It must not... he had not received any complaints yet. At her asking for them to go someplace neither had been, he nodded and tried to think of a place.
Ada = "Then I suppose we could both use some brushing up." It was a wry comment, but of course, her eyes were completely full of amusement at the memory of last night. She still had no idea why she'd walked away from such a wonderful invitation! She patted his arm with her free hand, not ignorant to the fact that his arm was bigger around than her thigh, but choosing not to comment on it. Telling men that they were taller than her was like saying the sky was blue and the grass was green -- a given. And since Ren was so considerably bigger than anyone else she had met, this was even more true. Or at least, that's what she thought. He hadn't made a comment about her lack of height. "Did you hunt today? Find anything new and exciting in the world?" They walked in she did not know which direction, Ada trying to get intentionally lost, as all the best things she ever found happened when she was so turned around, she could not determine left from right.
Ren = He only nodded and smiled with her comment and had to agree with her there. ``Maybe more than just brushing up.`` He added. The Greek male felt the pat of her hand to his arm and he just held his smile. Ren was use to women being so much smaller, hell, even most men were. He had to look down at everyone it seemed and so he didn't think much on it as it was the norm for him. At her question, he nodded and then answered. ``I did, caught a couple of rabbits...and thought about fishing, but decided against it.`` Then he gave a shake of hhis head. ``Nothing new, nothing really exciting. Just took Argos out for a ride this afternoon was all.`` He didn't really have a destination set in mind as he was still getting use to a few of the places himself. He did know that they could either go to the gardens either at the castle or perhaps the beach. It didn't matter to him, he always walked in the late afternoons and early evenings to wind down for the day.
Ada = Did the destination matter so long as the journey was pleasant? She was quiet for a while, looking around, trying to find something that did not look familiar, but it all did. She'd been here before, which meant they had yet to accomplish her goal. "Argos is your horse?" She hoped. What else would a person ride? "I expect he enjoyed it. The weather has been so lovely lately. It would be a shame to be penned up indoors." The road's elevation began dipping downward toward the docks. She heard a few catcalls from the fishwives and waved back. She'd treated a few of them for various illnesses and they meant no harm. Ada, it seemed, could make friends no matter where she went. "All right. So let's talk of places I haven't been. Ireland. With the way they sing about it, I could think of no better place to one day go." Her topics were very random and she knew this. She also knew most tended to just let her chatter without making an elaborate response, jumping in when she finally hit something worthwhile. As they rounded the next corner, the sea breeze caught her hair and whipped it back over her shoulders. She laughed at the surprising strength of it, but only briefly.
Ren = To Ren, the destination didn't matter just as long as the walk was something they could both enjoy. Half the time, he didn't know his destinations until he got there. At Ada's question on who Argo was, he nodded. ``He is...I've had him for a good while now. He's very smart and dependable... also very stubborn.`` He replied as he let his eyes drift to the fishermen wives. He shook his head at the sounds they made but chuckled. As they rounded the next corner, he could feel the breeze lifting a few of his own dark strands and looked over to her. ``Ireland? I've never been to Ireland, I wonder how many arguments and fights I can get there in a days time.`` He said jesting. ``If what I hear is true and they are a people that is just as rowdy and loud as those here, if not more, I suppose I could find myself in quite a bit of trouble easily.`` He said with a snicker. Ren looked back forward, and soon, the pathway of cobblestones and wood gave way to earth and then sand.
Ada = "Oh, at least five a day, if you're lucky. But after cutting a swath through all of them, they'd commit your name to song, and you'd find immortality." She smiled playfully. "I expect you'd have more fun than you give yourself credit for." She thought his choice in horse was amusing. The horse sounded a bit like the master. It was nice to know such a combination was successful. She could have seen those traits making life very difficult very quickly for most riders. "I could perhaps meet a nice Irishman who would put my name to song. Limerick, most likely. A lot of really wonderful words rhyme with Adelaide." She winked, and once her feet hit the sand, paused just a moment to pull off her boots. She looked around for a place to stash them, and finally found a place where they would not be easily seen, though whose feet would fit in them save a child's to make the pair worth stealing was a good question.
Ren = The tall dark male laughed and nodded. ``Five would be me just getting started.`` He teased. ``And I could so without the song and immortality.`` He added a second later. Ren looked back down at her and then shrugged lightly. ``It's possible. Fun for me though has become having to set a few people straight and out them in their places. There are a few that want to be known for taking down a big man like myself. A way to make a name for themselves, and so I usually find myself with a bad reputation where ever I go. But it doesn't bother me, it helps actually, people don't try to cut corners or anything with me. Makes good for business really.`` He said chuckling. Then he nodded and chuckled when she spoke about her name being in songs and how easy it would be. ``It's a pretty name... whatever it's used for or within, would only benefit from it.`` He said with a smile as he paused when she did and watched her remove her boots. Once she was done, he'd lead the way once more.
Ada = "I'm partial to it." She smiled. Not quite a smirk, but close. She held her hands behind her back as they walked along, occasionally tilting her head to catch the breeze, wishing the water was warm enough to walk in the hissing waves. But it was cold, northern Atlantic water that washed ashore Skye, bringing with it seaweed, rocks, and the scents of salt and fish. It was not like the pure sandy shore of southern France, but she kind of liked the occasional stone under her bare foot, and squishy sand between her toes. "Whoever would cross you, Ren? You'd be a fright when you're angry. I suppose some would think you frightening when you're happy. As long as it does not bother you, hey? Make the best of it, and get a fair bargain with all you deal with. Ever skip a stone?" Again, a sudden change in conversation, punctuated when she grabbed a perfect, oval rock. The waves weren't particularly strong at the moment, the troughs between each smooth and glassy. Not quite a pond, but close enough! She stopped for just a moment, aimed, and sent the stone between the waves so that it skipped twice before plunking into the swell of the next wave. The next one, however, sunk like ... a stone. Well before it skipped, and she straightened up laughing. "I should go professional."
Ren = There was a nod and a chuckle granted to her in response to her reply. He turned his head to look toward the waves a moment before looking back to her. ``You'd be surprised...it happens, trust me.`` He said with a snicker. `` I agree... do what needs to be done and move on.`` He glanced down to his boots, kicking up a little sand here and there. He laughed a little and nodded. ``Of course... quite a few times, though I'm usually found doing that near a pond or a river.`` He stopped when she did, standing a couple steps behind her and a couple paces to the side, allowing her room to throw her stones. He chuckled and shook his head. ``I'm afraid you'd have to do better than that to go professional. I've seen a couple of kids do better than that.`` The Greek teased.
Ada = "Hmph." She grinned despite the noise and found another stone. After feigning a throw at him instead of the water, she swung her arm out to the side and skipped it thrice on a diagonal between the waves. "Your turn." She collected a nice, flat stone for him and lightly tossed it underhand at him. If he missed, it was just short enough it would land at his feet. She threaded her fingers behind her head, in the dark curls that went tumbling down to her waist, and still had a few forgotten bits of flowers hanging in the ends from when they'd swept across the basket of herbs she'd been stripping down that afternoon. "I can't believe it would! I couldn't imagine being on the receiving end. I'd rather throw my hands up and surrender." She was French, after all. "I have always wondered what it was like to pound someone into the dirt, though." She gave him a bemused look. "Is it as satisfying as it looks from my perspective?"
Ren = He chuckled and gave a playful shrug of his shoulders, acting as if he had done or said nothing bad. His eyes followed the next stone she threw before turning back to her, then catching the rock she tossed him. He turned sideways, twisting his torso, and allowed his arm to sling the stone forward as his hand released it. He watched it skip a couple times before disappearing with the next on coming wave. He lingered in his spot a moment, eyes gazing out over the water. ``Only when it's for the right reasons.`` He replied back to her as he turned to look at her. ``I never start them unless I know my reason is just. And I always finish them...`` He added a second later.
Ada = "Fair," she agreed with a nod, watching him. She couldn't figure him out, but that was part of his charm. Or maybe she had him figured out by now, and merely liked proving what she'd already decided. "It is best to be finished with whatever task before you. Or it haunts." Maybe she believed in ghosts, just a little bit. Ada seemed the least pragmatic person there was at times, but once in a while, she was bound to make sense. She released her grip on her hair, only to see a few strands fluttering in the wind with bits of flower on them. "Damn," she muttered, and brushed at it absently. She should pin her hair up when she worked, keep it out of the way. It was too easy a solution. Forgetting her hair then as she wrapped her arms around her chest, not out of cold but just to have something to do with them, she stepped forward into the softer, wetter sand and buried her feet.
Ren = He nodded then, he honestly hated fighting when it came to personal matters. The battlefield on the other hand was a different story. That was something he loved, maybe to much. Perhaps it was because he knew what he was doing wasn't just for himself, but others. ``I agree...`` He replied before his head tilted and his brows furrowed at hearing her curse. He moved in behind her, his hands gathered her hair into one while the other helped remove whatever remaining floral debris there was. He was silent for a moment, his eyes looking to the partial profile from above and over her shoulder. A glance to the waves and then back to her before his hands released her hair. Dark eyes lowered, spotting her feet in the wet sand and he smiled to himself before looking back to her.
Ada = "I try to make it one of my personal philosophies. Leaving unfinished business and acting in any way but in honor is ... well, I do not see the point, much." She smiled as he moved in to help with her hair, resisting the urge to respond with a catlike flex against him. And she did, to be fair, merely resting her back against his torso as they looked into the growing dark closing in from the east. Something about twilight, that in between time, made a few moments of calm with good company more meaningful than any chatter she could have come up with. She let her mind quiet and let the sound of the waves wash past her, around her, the immensity of the ocean both intimidating and exhilarating. She'd grown up in the mountains, and knowing nothing about the sea, of course found it the height of strange. Finally, she glanced up at him, an awkward angle to take, but she was glad she did -- his face was a blend of shadow and the sun's fading glow. She smiled quickly and relaxed again, eyes back out to the water.
Ren = ``Sometimes honor is all a man needs to do the things he does... whether it's for himself or someone else. Some will never understand that. It's not always about yourself, but those you surround yourself with.`` He glanced down as he felt the subtle pressure of her body lean back against his. His gaze lifted one more and back out toward the rolling waves of the ocean. He himself had lived in the forests and woodlands, had lived in the mountains a time, but never did live near or on the sea. For a long while, he didn't say anything, didn't feel a need to fill the air of silence with senseless chatter. Even when she looked up at him, he could feel her eyes on him but kept his own forward. His face expressionless, but content.
Ada = Hmm. That was odd. Must be losing her touch. Ah well. At least the view was pretty. She folded her arms once again across her chest and fell into a bit of a daze watching the hypnotic roll of the waves into the shore. She slowly wiggled her feet in the sand, only to find she'd sunk a bit, and had to pry them out. Water filled the hole where she had been standing, then slowly drained away. She settled back into place again. "I envy your stillness." When all she could do was fidget, she felt a little as if she was tainting his time out here on the beach. Ada liked to keep moving, always forward, something observable only when someone forced her to hold still for any extended period of time. She ran from nothing, but natural curiosity always carried her mind on to new subjects, and that mind rarely came to a complete stop. There were ways she knew that slowed that mind, but it had been a long time since she had any time to meditate. Gardening sometimes did the trick, when she had something worth looking at. Now, she merely wait ed for her seeds to sprout, and the single mint plant in its pot did not need any looking after.
Ren = He remained as he had been until she spoke, his gaze lowering to her. ``I might be standing still, or motionless... but here...`` a finger came to his temple. `` ...and here...`` it lowered to a spot on his chest. ``..I am moving or have been moved. Why? Because of things like this.`` He said as his hand lowered and rested on her shoulder while his chin lifted indicating the scenery before them. ``People are not the only things capable of stilling a man's mind from racing thoughts or his heart from a quickened rhythm.`` He had spent entirely to much time in the wilderness, or at least that what he thought she was probably thinking. He then looked back down to her, gave a lopsided grin whether she was able to see it or not.
Ada = She smiled in return. "It is a good sight. Not something we'd see again in quite the same way." She sighed a bit, a sound of contentment, and contemplated what he had to say. She thought he spent just enough time out in the wilderness to come up with some very interesting arguments. "But your racing thoughts and your racing heart do not make you fidget." Unless that was a trick he'd learned so as not to startle any game he was after. Hmm. It must be an occupational hazard to always be so still and deliberate, whereas her talent was always in moving, so that everything on her list was at least attempted before bedtime. She stepped away from him then and picked up a rock from the sand. As long as he knew her fault was always to be moving, no matter how calm she claimed to be, there was nothing wrong then in indulging a bit. She bounced the stone in her hand, and considered the waves. Instead of throwing the flat little rock, she put it in her pocket for later.
Ren = ``A very good sight.`` He said and nodded in agreement with her. No matter how close one was to nature, and how much time they spent within it...you never saw the same places in the same manner. Whether it was the next day, the next week, month or even year. The time might be the same, but the way the sun set or the clouds formed, or the leaves fell, to how the snow blanketed the land... you always got similar visions, but never the exact same. At her comment, he did grin just a little. ``All part of being who I am and what I do... besides, I am sure there are some days I am the hunted and not the hunter.`` He jested lightly. When she stepped away, his hand lifted from her shoulder lightly, slowly and then came to rest at his side. Dark eyes watched as she picked up another stone, and then noticed she didn't throw it but tucked it away. He wouldn't ask why, but had his own idea and kept that to himself as well. ``To bad we don't have any wood or any flint...`` He said as he glanced over his shoulder before looking back to her. Ren knew she had to be growing somewhat chilled, but he would let her decide when she was ready to go. When she did, he'd be there to see her home. Though, for now she seemed content, just as he and so they would stay maybe a little longer of course.
Ada = She was content. The air was chilly, but in a way that kept her awake, with each breeze dancing on exposed skin and picking at the curls in her hair so that they fluttered lazily behind her. "I'm sure we all have days like that. But in your case, I suppose it's quite literal." She laughed a bit, one hand now going into her pocket and holding onto the stone. It was cold, but it began to warm at her touch. "Wood and flint would be nice. But there is enough light left for a while. I have noticed the sunlight lingers a bit in these northern parts of the world. I have heard in summer, sunset is not until eight and nine o'clock." She scanned for driftwood anyway, just to have something to occupy her thoughts. There was a little bit, here and there, but with no way to start a fire, the discovery wasn't exactly helpful. "I like things the way they are. It would be a shame to miss a moment of it. We could get out of the wind a bit?" Only if he wished to move, there was a stand of trees nearby that looked as if they would make good shelter. But unless he moved, she stayed relatively where she was, walking in slow circles to feel the sand underfoot.
Ren = Ren was content as well, and so he watched as the breeze toyed with her hair again. His head tilting just so as to watch the last bit of fading sun brush over the highlights of her face. Like the tip of her nose, the curves of her cheeks just under her eyes while the rest seemed to be softened by the shadows that slowly began to make their claim over whatever they fell across. ``Indeed... very literately.`` He replied, his ears echoing with the sound of her laughter that had him smiling, and not knowing so. He listened as she spoke, nodding a time or two and then when she spoke on getting out from the wind, he gave a shake of his head. ``I'm fine, I just don't want you finding yourself bored with some toad.`` He teased lightly. Ren then moved to take a few steps back, bending and the settling himself on the sand. His left leg bent and the adjacent arm rested over it at the elbow on his knee. His right leg was out-stretched straight, leaving an empty gap between the two. His right hand acted as a brace for a moment as he continued to watch her walk in circles.
Ada = "Bored? Never. I have a love for learning, and I think I could learn a great deal about ... " she shrugged, her lips moving between a smile and a smirk before settling on something a little more neutral. "Behaving myself." She eventually came to a stop to find him seated in the sand. "What I like most about sitting on a beach," she began, eyes twinkling, "is how perfectly the sand moves to form around your bum. It is a perfect chair. Well, almost. I find I need a bit of support for my back." She smiled warmly, but instead of taking the natural chair back a la Ren, she sat down beside him. "I wonder if I am boring to you? Do I seem a magpie, chattering and going after shiny objects? Like your tattoo, and, my goodness, I have not even had the chance to play with your hair yet." With a little smirk, she turned her face away back out to the sea. Something about him put her in a good mood. He made her laugh, and that was appreciated. Life was not meant to be taken too seriously, was it? Oh, sometimes it was, but in the moment.... It was meant to be enjoyed.
Ren = ``You behave yourself?`` He chuckled. ``Is that even possible?`` He asked before chuckling a little more. Then he listened as she talked about how the sand formed perfectly to one's rear. He smirked. ``I know of something that forms to it nicely too...`` He said before he started laughing. The dark male looked to her as she sat next to him and asked if she was boring. He looked to her with arched brows, as if that was something unheard of. ``I find it hard to believe that anyone would find you boring. And to answer your question... No.. I don't think you boring at all nor a magpie.`` Ren found himself laughing again and giving a shake of his head. ``I hate to see what you would think of the one on my back then. And my hair? I wouldn't think a woman would enjoy playing with it.`` The last statement was said with a bit of sarcasm. Then he just sat there, watching her as she watched the waves.
Ada = She glanced at him, the smile definitely a smirk now. "What else forms to the rear?" Brows were up in a semblance of innocence as she flicked her skirts down to cover her exposed shins. She didn't much care about modesty, didn't have much concern for it, really. The human body was her specialty, for she treated most everything that can and did go wrong with it. There was hardly a thing she had not already encountered, and a bit of leg was hardly daring in her world. Neither was a bit of chest, some shoulder, some neck.... "I am glad you think I am not boring. I like to think I keep people entertained. But as for your hair, you are most certainly incorrect, my friend. Your hair is positively inviting for a little tug." She shifted to her knees and drew up behind him as she spoke, leaning into his ear as she took one of his braids and did just so, playfully. "We can put a few beads in it and a bow while I'm back here. No?"
Ren = To answer her question, he simply lifted a single hand and flexed his fingers playfully before it was lowered and sunk into the sand again. He watched as she adjusted the hem of her skirt and he smiled to himself. He started to make some sort of comment, but refrained and just as he was about to follow through with his first instincts, she spoke again. ``You are that...`` He said with a chuckle before his brows arched curiously as she spoke on his hair. She then moved in behind him and began to toy with it while suggesting beads, and bows. ``Beads I think I can handle.. bow... not my thing.`` He said with a humored tone. ``And as far as playing with it... feel free to do so.`` He said with a huge smile. She wouldn't be the only one to benefit from it.
Ada = She just grinned, not that he could see it from her current position, sinking down onto her legs in a kneel, and drawing his head back toward her by his hair. She did not drag him back, precisely, her touch just firm enough that going with it would be more pleasurable than fighting it, though if he wished to break free, her hands would release. "No bow. Well, I suppose that is all well and good," she concluded, once he was leaning back against her and she could see his eyes. "I do not have a bow to speak of. Nor beads." Making him pretty would rather spoil the effect of what she liked about him, though her amusement was clear as she buried her hands in his hair. Heavens, he had so much of it! "Hmm. This is nice. I will have to bump into you more often, just for the opportunity." To play. With his hair. Which was all she was interested in, apparently.
Ren = No, he couldn't see that grin of hers, but he suspected she was wearing one. As she got more comfortable behind him, she tugged on his hair, indicating what she wanted and so he went along with it rather than fight it. ``No bows... wonderful... no beads? That's a shame.`` He replied with a bit of smirk. Indeed, he had quite a bit of it and the fact that she was playing with it, he had to agree, it was nice. ``I think I have to agree with you there. If you don't bump into me often enough, I'll have to pick up your slack and see that I bump into you instead.`` He replied with a huge smile, tilting his head back so he could look to her before looking back forward again.
Ada = "I can't say that I would mind if you did." She leaned over him so that he could see her more easily. She wouldn't trust herself this much, so she was rather impressed that he did. "I do like being bumped into. Almost as much as baths." She smiled, a kinder smile than her earlier smirk, and then settled back, running her fingers through his hair. She would never grow bored doing that, though if he fell asleep on her, she wasn't going anywhere until she managed to rouse him. So she abandoned his hair temporarily, and slowly rubbed at the pressure points along his scalp, thumbs near the base of his head and fingers at his crown, moving in slow circles outward and forward, toward his forehead. Scalp massages, in her practiced opinion, were almost better than sex. But Ada was full of strange opinions.
Ren = ``Good, then it's settled... we'll bump into each other, and often.`` He said with a smile as he then had to chuckle some. ``Baths.. hm.. now there's thought.`` He said as he relaxed even more while she ran her fingers through his hair. Where she would never grow bored in doing that, he'd never grow bored in enjoying it. And yes, he could easily find himself falling asleep with her doing this. However, he wouldn't do that just yet. Ada then began to apply pressure here and there, moving and working this way and that way. His eyes closed and the long dark lashes rested easily along the naturally dark curves just beneath his eyes. The lines at the corners of his eyes lessening as his face showed just how relaxed he had become.
Ada = "It is a thought." One she was still wondering about. But there was no use worrying about it too much. They'd both had a good time the night before, even if she had, humorously, been called out on her bluffing. She tugged lightly on his ear. Truly, if he did fall asleep on her, she was in trouble. There was no way she would be able to move him on her own! She guided him forward just a bit, to shift her legs out from under her before her knees started cramping, and then drew him back down again, arms resting loosely across his chest as she rested his head in her lap. It seemed a shame to chatter at him when his eyes were so calmly relaxed, and all the muscles of his face so at peace. It seemed a shame to do anything that would break that peace, so for a few long minutes, the only movement she made was to merely run her hand slowly through his hair and say nothing at all, peacefully looking out to the dark sea with a faint smile on her lips.
Ren = There was the ghost of a smile remaining on his lips when she replied with her own comment. He was thinking back to how they had enjoyed a good conversation and a few laughs the night before. When she tugged lightly on his ear, he peeked at her with one eye, and then moved with her however she had wanted him too. When she drew him back down, he went easily and felt the weight of her arms resting loosely across his broad chest. His head had found itself a comfortable pillow in the form of her lap. And as she once again began to play with his hair, his eyes remained closed and his hands folded over his abdomen, fingers lacing together. Yup... this was nice... if she kept this up, she was going to find it hard to get rid of him.
Ada = That wasn't such a bad thing. She figured he would make a decent pillow himself eventually, though if he pulled at her hair, he'd likely get dramatically different results. She smiled to herself at the thought, though did not break her rhythm, one arm resting on his chest, the other moving slowly through his hair. "Now what was it that also forms to the rear?" she asked out of the blue, leaning over him again. A few curls dropped down, forming a curtain around his face, if a slightly transparent one. It was a little cruel, admittedly, but as much as she would like to stroke his hair all night long (truthfully, she would), she liked hearing his voice and what he had to say. It was a bit like prodding the bear, but instead of sleepy snores, she received rather thoughtful and thought provoking words, and repeating the experiment had yet to fail her in producing results.
Ren = Ren continued resting there just as he was, quite comfortable and if it weren't for the fact each had things to see to the next day, they very well could have stayed the entire night there. Letting her do what she was and not hinder any of it in the least bit. He heard her question, his brows arching and even before he opened his eyes, a slow growing and huge grin formed over his lips. He looked up at her and without saying a word, worked one of his hands free and held it up closer to her. ``Nice sized hands....`` He finally spoke with that grin. His hand then brushed back her curls a couple times before he managed to have them held back in place due to her ear and shoulder. ``Why? Curious to know what it feels like?`` He asked with a teasing tone.
Ada = She waggled her brows playfully. "To start with." She helped him out, tucking her hair back. Between the two of them, they had enough hair to make several decent wigs! She merely smiled and settled back on her hands, leaning her weight on them and watching him from her new perspective. "I suppose there are other uses we could put those hands of yours toward. Eventually." She tried wiggling out from under him, scooting backward in the sand until she finally freed her legs and swung them around. "But I require my beauty sleep, and you likely have an early day of chasing animals." Oh, to have a night to play in the sand! Being an adult wasn't as much fun as she'd imagined it would be. She rolled to her feet and took both of his hands in hers as if she stood any chance of helping him upright again.
Ren = ``Hmmm...`` This one was definitely going to get him in trouble. But the longer he thought on what was in his mind, the more he came to realize, it would be trouble well worth it. `` There are... and I am assuming you'd like to find out just what those things are exactly, right?`` He asked with another huge grin. She began to wiggle out from under him and he lifted himself just enough to help assist her and once she was out from under him and on her feet, she offered to help him up. He laughed, the gesture was sweet, but yes, he'd only bring her down instead. Hmm, there was another nice thought. He smiled, but she was right. She needed her rest and he needed his, so he moved to his feet as well and began dusting the sand off his clothes before helping her with hers. A hidden reason behind it all, but he was sure it wasn't that well disguised.
Ada = "Aha, that will lead only to sinning!" she teased, jumping away from him and taking care of her skirt herself. She even shook a finger at him, but was quick to dodge away if he thought to snatch it. "Like to find out what those things are? What do you take me for? I know quite well what they are." She could even teach him a thing or two, she supposed, but let's not brag just in case. She walked along at his side until they reached the place where she'd stashed her boots, and she shoved her feet inside without having to work too hard at it, and together, they made their way back up into the marketplace. The Briar Rose wasn't far, if that's where he was staying the night, and her shop was just down the street, in a quieter part of the market whose doors closed precisely by dinnertime, while other streets remained open and lit by torches. "Well, here is to a bit of luck, hope, and skill that we shall encounter one another sooner rather than later?" Not a question so much as a promise, as she backed off a few steps, eyes twinkling in mirth, and then turned around as she finished walking down past the few buildings and entered her shop once more.
Ren = "Sinning? ....I'm Greek... there is no such thing for us..." He said with a chuckle. She jumped away from him and shook her finger at him, which only had him laugh before he followed in behind her. ``Then why do you run away from them?`` He asked teasingly. Ren stayed by her side and they made there way from one spot to the next. When they reached the Briar, they lingered outside a bit and at her question of a promise, he nodded. ``Count on it.`` He said in reply. He watched her as she took a few steps back, then moved further down the streets. If she thought he was going to just let her walk back alone, un escorted, she was crazy. He managed to follow in behind her, keeping to the shadows and only after he knew she was safely inside, did he turn to make his way back to the Inn. There, he had his usual drink, bath and the retired for the night. That did not mean sleep came easily, but at least it did come.
Ada = She loved the light at the end of the day, in the moment it turned from soft afternoon to the gold of champagne, and then into the reds of twilight. It made a fatalist of even the most optimistic souls, which was perhaps the draw. She was an optimist. Sometimes, however, looking at the glass half-full was not only distracting, but exhausting. She kept the shutters of her shop open to keep the last of the light inside as she stoppered open jars and swept up fallen bits of flowers and herbs, wiped the counters and finally, hung up her apron. Ada checked on her patient in the still room, and when it seemed all was able to function without her constant presence, she finally closed the shutters with a soft click and closed the door behind her. She stopped and chatted with some of the other merchants closing up for the night, but in an unspoken agreement among all shopkeepers, they only talked generally of business, making conversations short. Restless feet carried her swiftly onward, until whose head should she spy bobbing above the crowd but the Greek? To approach or not to approach, that was the question. But while the mind thought, the feet walked, and he would look down to find her keeping pace at his side, as if appearing from nowhere.
Ren = He kept to his easy steady pace, and still, several shakes of his head was made with another few lifts of his hand. Finally as he began to reach the end he felt he wouldn't have to refuse anyone anymore for the evening and as he looked forward once again, he saw movement from his opposite side. He glanced down and the second he laid eyes on her, he grinned. ``I guess your tea must have helped you last night. I never did hear that knock on my door.`` He said with his grin. Then he bent down, and he acted as if he were about to whisper something meant only for her. ``Ribbet...`` Ren then found himself laughing as he straightened himself while they continued to walk. ``So, to what do I owe you for your gracing me with your presence?`` He asked jesting.
Ada = Her eyes went to each of the sellers, wondering if she truly needed any of what was for sale. The answer was no, though it didn't hurt to look. Ren looked as if he was in a cheerful mood, which made her happy. He also looked disgustingly well rested. "It was quite beneficial. I did not hear a knock on my door, either, so I suppose I was not up to my usual charming excellence." With a returned grin, she looped her arm with his, leaning away playfully when he croaked in her ear and nudging him back with her hip. "Keep that up, and I may be tempted to turn you into a toad. Warts and all. Though it would be a loss. You're very handsome." She glanced up at him, giving him an appraising look, and then a nod. "I've never met a handsome toad. Let us walk, no? Let us go where we have not been before. The city is new to me!"
Ren = He was in a good mood, the day had been warm, sunny, and promising. The man had enjoyed his work for the day and then some time exercising Argo in the nearby fields. He could be like this as long as no one rubbed him the wrong way. He chuckled and nodded with her reply. ``I guess the same could be said about me. I must be losing my touch, being a toad and all.`` He added before looking away and smirking. Though, when she complimented him, a single dark brow arched, and the other joined as he realized she had looped her arm with his. He said nothing and did nothing to pull away, an indication to her that he was rather comfortable with the gesture. He did however looked down to see the vast difference between their skin tones, and her arm looked almost scrawny when compared next to his. Danae had jested one day that his arms were as huge as thick tree branches, his legs like tree trunks. Was that a bad thing he suddenly wondered? It must not... he had not received any complaints yet. At her asking for them to go someplace neither had been, he nodded and tried to think of a place.
Ada = "Then I suppose we could both use some brushing up." It was a wry comment, but of course, her eyes were completely full of amusement at the memory of last night. She still had no idea why she'd walked away from such a wonderful invitation! She patted his arm with her free hand, not ignorant to the fact that his arm was bigger around than her thigh, but choosing not to comment on it. Telling men that they were taller than her was like saying the sky was blue and the grass was green -- a given. And since Ren was so considerably bigger than anyone else she had met, this was even more true. Or at least, that's what she thought. He hadn't made a comment about her lack of height. "Did you hunt today? Find anything new and exciting in the world?" They walked in she did not know which direction, Ada trying to get intentionally lost, as all the best things she ever found happened when she was so turned around, she could not determine left from right.
Ren = He only nodded and smiled with her comment and had to agree with her there. ``Maybe more than just brushing up.`` He added. The Greek male felt the pat of her hand to his arm and he just held his smile. Ren was use to women being so much smaller, hell, even most men were. He had to look down at everyone it seemed and so he didn't think much on it as it was the norm for him. At her question, he nodded and then answered. ``I did, caught a couple of rabbits...and thought about fishing, but decided against it.`` Then he gave a shake of hhis head. ``Nothing new, nothing really exciting. Just took Argos out for a ride this afternoon was all.`` He didn't really have a destination set in mind as he was still getting use to a few of the places himself. He did know that they could either go to the gardens either at the castle or perhaps the beach. It didn't matter to him, he always walked in the late afternoons and early evenings to wind down for the day.
Ada = Did the destination matter so long as the journey was pleasant? She was quiet for a while, looking around, trying to find something that did not look familiar, but it all did. She'd been here before, which meant they had yet to accomplish her goal. "Argos is your horse?" She hoped. What else would a person ride? "I expect he enjoyed it. The weather has been so lovely lately. It would be a shame to be penned up indoors." The road's elevation began dipping downward toward the docks. She heard a few catcalls from the fishwives and waved back. She'd treated a few of them for various illnesses and they meant no harm. Ada, it seemed, could make friends no matter where she went. "All right. So let's talk of places I haven't been. Ireland. With the way they sing about it, I could think of no better place to one day go." Her topics were very random and she knew this. She also knew most tended to just let her chatter without making an elaborate response, jumping in when she finally hit something worthwhile. As they rounded the next corner, the sea breeze caught her hair and whipped it back over her shoulders. She laughed at the surprising strength of it, but only briefly.
Ren = To Ren, the destination didn't matter just as long as the walk was something they could both enjoy. Half the time, he didn't know his destinations until he got there. At Ada's question on who Argo was, he nodded. ``He is...I've had him for a good while now. He's very smart and dependable... also very stubborn.`` He replied as he let his eyes drift to the fishermen wives. He shook his head at the sounds they made but chuckled. As they rounded the next corner, he could feel the breeze lifting a few of his own dark strands and looked over to her. ``Ireland? I've never been to Ireland, I wonder how many arguments and fights I can get there in a days time.`` He said jesting. ``If what I hear is true and they are a people that is just as rowdy and loud as those here, if not more, I suppose I could find myself in quite a bit of trouble easily.`` He said with a snicker. Ren looked back forward, and soon, the pathway of cobblestones and wood gave way to earth and then sand.
Ada = "Oh, at least five a day, if you're lucky. But after cutting a swath through all of them, they'd commit your name to song, and you'd find immortality." She smiled playfully. "I expect you'd have more fun than you give yourself credit for." She thought his choice in horse was amusing. The horse sounded a bit like the master. It was nice to know such a combination was successful. She could have seen those traits making life very difficult very quickly for most riders. "I could perhaps meet a nice Irishman who would put my name to song. Limerick, most likely. A lot of really wonderful words rhyme with Adelaide." She winked, and once her feet hit the sand, paused just a moment to pull off her boots. She looked around for a place to stash them, and finally found a place where they would not be easily seen, though whose feet would fit in them save a child's to make the pair worth stealing was a good question.
Ren = The tall dark male laughed and nodded. ``Five would be me just getting started.`` He teased. ``And I could so without the song and immortality.`` He added a second later. Ren looked back down at her and then shrugged lightly. ``It's possible. Fun for me though has become having to set a few people straight and out them in their places. There are a few that want to be known for taking down a big man like myself. A way to make a name for themselves, and so I usually find myself with a bad reputation where ever I go. But it doesn't bother me, it helps actually, people don't try to cut corners or anything with me. Makes good for business really.`` He said chuckling. Then he nodded and chuckled when she spoke about her name being in songs and how easy it would be. ``It's a pretty name... whatever it's used for or within, would only benefit from it.`` He said with a smile as he paused when she did and watched her remove her boots. Once she was done, he'd lead the way once more.
Ada = "I'm partial to it." She smiled. Not quite a smirk, but close. She held her hands behind her back as they walked along, occasionally tilting her head to catch the breeze, wishing the water was warm enough to walk in the hissing waves. But it was cold, northern Atlantic water that washed ashore Skye, bringing with it seaweed, rocks, and the scents of salt and fish. It was not like the pure sandy shore of southern France, but she kind of liked the occasional stone under her bare foot, and squishy sand between her toes. "Whoever would cross you, Ren? You'd be a fright when you're angry. I suppose some would think you frightening when you're happy. As long as it does not bother you, hey? Make the best of it, and get a fair bargain with all you deal with. Ever skip a stone?" Again, a sudden change in conversation, punctuated when she grabbed a perfect, oval rock. The waves weren't particularly strong at the moment, the troughs between each smooth and glassy. Not quite a pond, but close enough! She stopped for just a moment, aimed, and sent the stone between the waves so that it skipped twice before plunking into the swell of the next wave. The next one, however, sunk like ... a stone. Well before it skipped, and she straightened up laughing. "I should go professional."
Ren = There was a nod and a chuckle granted to her in response to her reply. He turned his head to look toward the waves a moment before looking back to her. ``You'd be surprised...it happens, trust me.`` He said with a snicker. `` I agree... do what needs to be done and move on.`` He glanced down to his boots, kicking up a little sand here and there. He laughed a little and nodded. ``Of course... quite a few times, though I'm usually found doing that near a pond or a river.`` He stopped when she did, standing a couple steps behind her and a couple paces to the side, allowing her room to throw her stones. He chuckled and shook his head. ``I'm afraid you'd have to do better than that to go professional. I've seen a couple of kids do better than that.`` The Greek teased.
Ada = "Hmph." She grinned despite the noise and found another stone. After feigning a throw at him instead of the water, she swung her arm out to the side and skipped it thrice on a diagonal between the waves. "Your turn." She collected a nice, flat stone for him and lightly tossed it underhand at him. If he missed, it was just short enough it would land at his feet. She threaded her fingers behind her head, in the dark curls that went tumbling down to her waist, and still had a few forgotten bits of flowers hanging in the ends from when they'd swept across the basket of herbs she'd been stripping down that afternoon. "I can't believe it would! I couldn't imagine being on the receiving end. I'd rather throw my hands up and surrender." She was French, after all. "I have always wondered what it was like to pound someone into the dirt, though." She gave him a bemused look. "Is it as satisfying as it looks from my perspective?"
Ren = He chuckled and gave a playful shrug of his shoulders, acting as if he had done or said nothing bad. His eyes followed the next stone she threw before turning back to her, then catching the rock she tossed him. He turned sideways, twisting his torso, and allowed his arm to sling the stone forward as his hand released it. He watched it skip a couple times before disappearing with the next on coming wave. He lingered in his spot a moment, eyes gazing out over the water. ``Only when it's for the right reasons.`` He replied back to her as he turned to look at her. ``I never start them unless I know my reason is just. And I always finish them...`` He added a second later.
Ada = "Fair," she agreed with a nod, watching him. She couldn't figure him out, but that was part of his charm. Or maybe she had him figured out by now, and merely liked proving what she'd already decided. "It is best to be finished with whatever task before you. Or it haunts." Maybe she believed in ghosts, just a little bit. Ada seemed the least pragmatic person there was at times, but once in a while, she was bound to make sense. She released her grip on her hair, only to see a few strands fluttering in the wind with bits of flower on them. "Damn," she muttered, and brushed at it absently. She should pin her hair up when she worked, keep it out of the way. It was too easy a solution. Forgetting her hair then as she wrapped her arms around her chest, not out of cold but just to have something to do with them, she stepped forward into the softer, wetter sand and buried her feet.
Ren = He nodded then, he honestly hated fighting when it came to personal matters. The battlefield on the other hand was a different story. That was something he loved, maybe to much. Perhaps it was because he knew what he was doing wasn't just for himself, but others. ``I agree...`` He replied before his head tilted and his brows furrowed at hearing her curse. He moved in behind her, his hands gathered her hair into one while the other helped remove whatever remaining floral debris there was. He was silent for a moment, his eyes looking to the partial profile from above and over her shoulder. A glance to the waves and then back to her before his hands released her hair. Dark eyes lowered, spotting her feet in the wet sand and he smiled to himself before looking back to her.
Ada = "I try to make it one of my personal philosophies. Leaving unfinished business and acting in any way but in honor is ... well, I do not see the point, much." She smiled as he moved in to help with her hair, resisting the urge to respond with a catlike flex against him. And she did, to be fair, merely resting her back against his torso as they looked into the growing dark closing in from the east. Something about twilight, that in between time, made a few moments of calm with good company more meaningful than any chatter she could have come up with. She let her mind quiet and let the sound of the waves wash past her, around her, the immensity of the ocean both intimidating and exhilarating. She'd grown up in the mountains, and knowing nothing about the sea, of course found it the height of strange. Finally, she glanced up at him, an awkward angle to take, but she was glad she did -- his face was a blend of shadow and the sun's fading glow. She smiled quickly and relaxed again, eyes back out to the water.
Ren = ``Sometimes honor is all a man needs to do the things he does... whether it's for himself or someone else. Some will never understand that. It's not always about yourself, but those you surround yourself with.`` He glanced down as he felt the subtle pressure of her body lean back against his. His gaze lifted one more and back out toward the rolling waves of the ocean. He himself had lived in the forests and woodlands, had lived in the mountains a time, but never did live near or on the sea. For a long while, he didn't say anything, didn't feel a need to fill the air of silence with senseless chatter. Even when she looked up at him, he could feel her eyes on him but kept his own forward. His face expressionless, but content.
Ada = Hmm. That was odd. Must be losing her touch. Ah well. At least the view was pretty. She folded her arms once again across her chest and fell into a bit of a daze watching the hypnotic roll of the waves into the shore. She slowly wiggled her feet in the sand, only to find she'd sunk a bit, and had to pry them out. Water filled the hole where she had been standing, then slowly drained away. She settled back into place again. "I envy your stillness." When all she could do was fidget, she felt a little as if she was tainting his time out here on the beach. Ada liked to keep moving, always forward, something observable only when someone forced her to hold still for any extended period of time. She ran from nothing, but natural curiosity always carried her mind on to new subjects, and that mind rarely came to a complete stop. There were ways she knew that slowed that mind, but it had been a long time since she had any time to meditate. Gardening sometimes did the trick, when she had something worth looking at. Now, she merely wait ed for her seeds to sprout, and the single mint plant in its pot did not need any looking after.
Ren = He remained as he had been until she spoke, his gaze lowering to her. ``I might be standing still, or motionless... but here...`` a finger came to his temple. `` ...and here...`` it lowered to a spot on his chest. ``..I am moving or have been moved. Why? Because of things like this.`` He said as his hand lowered and rested on her shoulder while his chin lifted indicating the scenery before them. ``People are not the only things capable of stilling a man's mind from racing thoughts or his heart from a quickened rhythm.`` He had spent entirely to much time in the wilderness, or at least that what he thought she was probably thinking. He then looked back down to her, gave a lopsided grin whether she was able to see it or not.
Ada = She smiled in return. "It is a good sight. Not something we'd see again in quite the same way." She sighed a bit, a sound of contentment, and contemplated what he had to say. She thought he spent just enough time out in the wilderness to come up with some very interesting arguments. "But your racing thoughts and your racing heart do not make you fidget." Unless that was a trick he'd learned so as not to startle any game he was after. Hmm. It must be an occupational hazard to always be so still and deliberate, whereas her talent was always in moving, so that everything on her list was at least attempted before bedtime. She stepped away from him then and picked up a rock from the sand. As long as he knew her fault was always to be moving, no matter how calm she claimed to be, there was nothing wrong then in indulging a bit. She bounced the stone in her hand, and considered the waves. Instead of throwing the flat little rock, she put it in her pocket for later.
Ren = ``A very good sight.`` He said and nodded in agreement with her. No matter how close one was to nature, and how much time they spent within it...you never saw the same places in the same manner. Whether it was the next day, the next week, month or even year. The time might be the same, but the way the sun set or the clouds formed, or the leaves fell, to how the snow blanketed the land... you always got similar visions, but never the exact same. At her comment, he did grin just a little. ``All part of being who I am and what I do... besides, I am sure there are some days I am the hunted and not the hunter.`` He jested lightly. When she stepped away, his hand lifted from her shoulder lightly, slowly and then came to rest at his side. Dark eyes watched as she picked up another stone, and then noticed she didn't throw it but tucked it away. He wouldn't ask why, but had his own idea and kept that to himself as well. ``To bad we don't have any wood or any flint...`` He said as he glanced over his shoulder before looking back to her. Ren knew she had to be growing somewhat chilled, but he would let her decide when she was ready to go. When she did, he'd be there to see her home. Though, for now she seemed content, just as he and so they would stay maybe a little longer of course.
Ada = She was content. The air was chilly, but in a way that kept her awake, with each breeze dancing on exposed skin and picking at the curls in her hair so that they fluttered lazily behind her. "I'm sure we all have days like that. But in your case, I suppose it's quite literal." She laughed a bit, one hand now going into her pocket and holding onto the stone. It was cold, but it began to warm at her touch. "Wood and flint would be nice. But there is enough light left for a while. I have noticed the sunlight lingers a bit in these northern parts of the world. I have heard in summer, sunset is not until eight and nine o'clock." She scanned for driftwood anyway, just to have something to occupy her thoughts. There was a little bit, here and there, but with no way to start a fire, the discovery wasn't exactly helpful. "I like things the way they are. It would be a shame to miss a moment of it. We could get out of the wind a bit?" Only if he wished to move, there was a stand of trees nearby that looked as if they would make good shelter. But unless he moved, she stayed relatively where she was, walking in slow circles to feel the sand underfoot.
Ren = Ren was content as well, and so he watched as the breeze toyed with her hair again. His head tilting just so as to watch the last bit of fading sun brush over the highlights of her face. Like the tip of her nose, the curves of her cheeks just under her eyes while the rest seemed to be softened by the shadows that slowly began to make their claim over whatever they fell across. ``Indeed... very literately.`` He replied, his ears echoing with the sound of her laughter that had him smiling, and not knowing so. He listened as she spoke, nodding a time or two and then when she spoke on getting out from the wind, he gave a shake of his head. ``I'm fine, I just don't want you finding yourself bored with some toad.`` He teased lightly. Ren then moved to take a few steps back, bending and the settling himself on the sand. His left leg bent and the adjacent arm rested over it at the elbow on his knee. His right leg was out-stretched straight, leaving an empty gap between the two. His right hand acted as a brace for a moment as he continued to watch her walk in circles.
Ada = "Bored? Never. I have a love for learning, and I think I could learn a great deal about ... " she shrugged, her lips moving between a smile and a smirk before settling on something a little more neutral. "Behaving myself." She eventually came to a stop to find him seated in the sand. "What I like most about sitting on a beach," she began, eyes twinkling, "is how perfectly the sand moves to form around your bum. It is a perfect chair. Well, almost. I find I need a bit of support for my back." She smiled warmly, but instead of taking the natural chair back a la Ren, she sat down beside him. "I wonder if I am boring to you? Do I seem a magpie, chattering and going after shiny objects? Like your tattoo, and, my goodness, I have not even had the chance to play with your hair yet." With a little smirk, she turned her face away back out to the sea. Something about him put her in a good mood. He made her laugh, and that was appreciated. Life was not meant to be taken too seriously, was it? Oh, sometimes it was, but in the moment.... It was meant to be enjoyed.
Ren = ``You behave yourself?`` He chuckled. ``Is that even possible?`` He asked before chuckling a little more. Then he listened as she talked about how the sand formed perfectly to one's rear. He smirked. ``I know of something that forms to it nicely too...`` He said before he started laughing. The dark male looked to her as she sat next to him and asked if she was boring. He looked to her with arched brows, as if that was something unheard of. ``I find it hard to believe that anyone would find you boring. And to answer your question... No.. I don't think you boring at all nor a magpie.`` Ren found himself laughing again and giving a shake of his head. ``I hate to see what you would think of the one on my back then. And my hair? I wouldn't think a woman would enjoy playing with it.`` The last statement was said with a bit of sarcasm. Then he just sat there, watching her as she watched the waves.
Ada = She glanced at him, the smile definitely a smirk now. "What else forms to the rear?" Brows were up in a semblance of innocence as she flicked her skirts down to cover her exposed shins. She didn't much care about modesty, didn't have much concern for it, really. The human body was her specialty, for she treated most everything that can and did go wrong with it. There was hardly a thing she had not already encountered, and a bit of leg was hardly daring in her world. Neither was a bit of chest, some shoulder, some neck.... "I am glad you think I am not boring. I like to think I keep people entertained. But as for your hair, you are most certainly incorrect, my friend. Your hair is positively inviting for a little tug." She shifted to her knees and drew up behind him as she spoke, leaning into his ear as she took one of his braids and did just so, playfully. "We can put a few beads in it and a bow while I'm back here. No?"
Ren = To answer her question, he simply lifted a single hand and flexed his fingers playfully before it was lowered and sunk into the sand again. He watched as she adjusted the hem of her skirt and he smiled to himself. He started to make some sort of comment, but refrained and just as he was about to follow through with his first instincts, she spoke again. ``You are that...`` He said with a chuckle before his brows arched curiously as she spoke on his hair. She then moved in behind him and began to toy with it while suggesting beads, and bows. ``Beads I think I can handle.. bow... not my thing.`` He said with a humored tone. ``And as far as playing with it... feel free to do so.`` He said with a huge smile. She wouldn't be the only one to benefit from it.
Ada = She just grinned, not that he could see it from her current position, sinking down onto her legs in a kneel, and drawing his head back toward her by his hair. She did not drag him back, precisely, her touch just firm enough that going with it would be more pleasurable than fighting it, though if he wished to break free, her hands would release. "No bow. Well, I suppose that is all well and good," she concluded, once he was leaning back against her and she could see his eyes. "I do not have a bow to speak of. Nor beads." Making him pretty would rather spoil the effect of what she liked about him, though her amusement was clear as she buried her hands in his hair. Heavens, he had so much of it! "Hmm. This is nice. I will have to bump into you more often, just for the opportunity." To play. With his hair. Which was all she was interested in, apparently.
Ren = No, he couldn't see that grin of hers, but he suspected she was wearing one. As she got more comfortable behind him, she tugged on his hair, indicating what she wanted and so he went along with it rather than fight it. ``No bows... wonderful... no beads? That's a shame.`` He replied with a bit of smirk. Indeed, he had quite a bit of it and the fact that she was playing with it, he had to agree, it was nice. ``I think I have to agree with you there. If you don't bump into me often enough, I'll have to pick up your slack and see that I bump into you instead.`` He replied with a huge smile, tilting his head back so he could look to her before looking back forward again.
Ada = "I can't say that I would mind if you did." She leaned over him so that he could see her more easily. She wouldn't trust herself this much, so she was rather impressed that he did. "I do like being bumped into. Almost as much as baths." She smiled, a kinder smile than her earlier smirk, and then settled back, running her fingers through his hair. She would never grow bored doing that, though if he fell asleep on her, she wasn't going anywhere until she managed to rouse him. So she abandoned his hair temporarily, and slowly rubbed at the pressure points along his scalp, thumbs near the base of his head and fingers at his crown, moving in slow circles outward and forward, toward his forehead. Scalp massages, in her practiced opinion, were almost better than sex. But Ada was full of strange opinions.
Ren = ``Good, then it's settled... we'll bump into each other, and often.`` He said with a smile as he then had to chuckle some. ``Baths.. hm.. now there's thought.`` He said as he relaxed even more while she ran her fingers through his hair. Where she would never grow bored in doing that, he'd never grow bored in enjoying it. And yes, he could easily find himself falling asleep with her doing this. However, he wouldn't do that just yet. Ada then began to apply pressure here and there, moving and working this way and that way. His eyes closed and the long dark lashes rested easily along the naturally dark curves just beneath his eyes. The lines at the corners of his eyes lessening as his face showed just how relaxed he had become.
Ada = "It is a thought." One she was still wondering about. But there was no use worrying about it too much. They'd both had a good time the night before, even if she had, humorously, been called out on her bluffing. She tugged lightly on his ear. Truly, if he did fall asleep on her, she was in trouble. There was no way she would be able to move him on her own! She guided him forward just a bit, to shift her legs out from under her before her knees started cramping, and then drew him back down again, arms resting loosely across his chest as she rested his head in her lap. It seemed a shame to chatter at him when his eyes were so calmly relaxed, and all the muscles of his face so at peace. It seemed a shame to do anything that would break that peace, so for a few long minutes, the only movement she made was to merely run her hand slowly through his hair and say nothing at all, peacefully looking out to the dark sea with a faint smile on her lips.
Ren = There was the ghost of a smile remaining on his lips when she replied with her own comment. He was thinking back to how they had enjoyed a good conversation and a few laughs the night before. When she tugged lightly on his ear, he peeked at her with one eye, and then moved with her however she had wanted him too. When she drew him back down, he went easily and felt the weight of her arms resting loosely across his broad chest. His head had found itself a comfortable pillow in the form of her lap. And as she once again began to play with his hair, his eyes remained closed and his hands folded over his abdomen, fingers lacing together. Yup... this was nice... if she kept this up, she was going to find it hard to get rid of him.
Ada = That wasn't such a bad thing. She figured he would make a decent pillow himself eventually, though if he pulled at her hair, he'd likely get dramatically different results. She smiled to herself at the thought, though did not break her rhythm, one arm resting on his chest, the other moving slowly through his hair. "Now what was it that also forms to the rear?" she asked out of the blue, leaning over him again. A few curls dropped down, forming a curtain around his face, if a slightly transparent one. It was a little cruel, admittedly, but as much as she would like to stroke his hair all night long (truthfully, she would), she liked hearing his voice and what he had to say. It was a bit like prodding the bear, but instead of sleepy snores, she received rather thoughtful and thought provoking words, and repeating the experiment had yet to fail her in producing results.
Ren = Ren continued resting there just as he was, quite comfortable and if it weren't for the fact each had things to see to the next day, they very well could have stayed the entire night there. Letting her do what she was and not hinder any of it in the least bit. He heard her question, his brows arching and even before he opened his eyes, a slow growing and huge grin formed over his lips. He looked up at her and without saying a word, worked one of his hands free and held it up closer to her. ``Nice sized hands....`` He finally spoke with that grin. His hand then brushed back her curls a couple times before he managed to have them held back in place due to her ear and shoulder. ``Why? Curious to know what it feels like?`` He asked with a teasing tone.
Ada = She waggled her brows playfully. "To start with." She helped him out, tucking her hair back. Between the two of them, they had enough hair to make several decent wigs! She merely smiled and settled back on her hands, leaning her weight on them and watching him from her new perspective. "I suppose there are other uses we could put those hands of yours toward. Eventually." She tried wiggling out from under him, scooting backward in the sand until she finally freed her legs and swung them around. "But I require my beauty sleep, and you likely have an early day of chasing animals." Oh, to have a night to play in the sand! Being an adult wasn't as much fun as she'd imagined it would be. She rolled to her feet and took both of his hands in hers as if she stood any chance of helping him upright again.
Ren = ``Hmmm...`` This one was definitely going to get him in trouble. But the longer he thought on what was in his mind, the more he came to realize, it would be trouble well worth it. `` There are... and I am assuming you'd like to find out just what those things are exactly, right?`` He asked with another huge grin. She began to wiggle out from under him and he lifted himself just enough to help assist her and once she was out from under him and on her feet, she offered to help him up. He laughed, the gesture was sweet, but yes, he'd only bring her down instead. Hmm, there was another nice thought. He smiled, but she was right. She needed her rest and he needed his, so he moved to his feet as well and began dusting the sand off his clothes before helping her with hers. A hidden reason behind it all, but he was sure it wasn't that well disguised.
Ada = "Aha, that will lead only to sinning!" she teased, jumping away from him and taking care of her skirt herself. She even shook a finger at him, but was quick to dodge away if he thought to snatch it. "Like to find out what those things are? What do you take me for? I know quite well what they are." She could even teach him a thing or two, she supposed, but let's not brag just in case. She walked along at his side until they reached the place where she'd stashed her boots, and she shoved her feet inside without having to work too hard at it, and together, they made their way back up into the marketplace. The Briar Rose wasn't far, if that's where he was staying the night, and her shop was just down the street, in a quieter part of the market whose doors closed precisely by dinnertime, while other streets remained open and lit by torches. "Well, here is to a bit of luck, hope, and skill that we shall encounter one another sooner rather than later?" Not a question so much as a promise, as she backed off a few steps, eyes twinkling in mirth, and then turned around as she finished walking down past the few buildings and entered her shop once more.
Ren = "Sinning? ....I'm Greek... there is no such thing for us..." He said with a chuckle. She jumped away from him and shook her finger at him, which only had him laugh before he followed in behind her. ``Then why do you run away from them?`` He asked teasingly. Ren stayed by her side and they made there way from one spot to the next. When they reached the Briar, they lingered outside a bit and at her question of a promise, he nodded. ``Count on it.`` He said in reply. He watched her as she took a few steps back, then moved further down the streets. If she thought he was going to just let her walk back alone, un escorted, she was crazy. He managed to follow in behind her, keeping to the shadows and only after he knew she was safely inside, did he turn to make his way back to the Inn. There, he had his usual drink, bath and the retired for the night. That did not mean sleep came easily, but at least it did come.