A Fragile Pair

DuskRaven

Bookworm with a pen
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Posting Speed
  1. One post per day
  2. Multiple posts per week
  3. One post per week
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Futanari
  4. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Fantasy, romance, yaoi/yuri, vampires (non-twilight vampires preferred) though right now I'm VERY interested in finding a romance fantasy
"I know father, I'll get there and get back as quickly as I can." came a voice from the inside of the house as a boy of mayhap 19 exited the house with a wave over his shoulder. Then he turned and jogged away into the village. Bangs that fell just above his eyes and shoulder length hair that was pulled back into a small pigs tail that was black as coal and eyes that were almost sea like caught the dying sun as he jogged through the town, waving and smiling at the people that were out at the time. He wore no shirt, and only a pair of trousers as he ran, his intention mostly for his physical well being rather than making any statement about his body.

For all that anyone knew, he was as uninterested in the girls as a male that was interested in a male--though he didn't show those feelings either. In fact, as far as anyone inside the village knew, he hadn't shown interest in anyone--not male, not female.

And that suited Adrian Trival just fine. He didn't want to waste his time on something unless he felt that it had more than a dying candle's chance to light up. He, after all, couldn't bother with relationships. AS soon as he reached twenty, he was going to be assigned a target--someone that he was to protect at all costs. It had been drilled into him that he should not develop feelings for anyone. That would cause him to lose everything if he lost focus.

The town, he noted, was especially busy for this time of year for the fall market had just opened and people were staying out late to grab new things they hadn't seen for a time. Adrian dodged people with the skills of someone who had been doing it for many years as he passed through the main area of the village.
 
Iolani was in the forest, stripping off her clothing slowly. She was in no rush, because she finally escaped thieves who were after her for a while now. She went far east, as they were not so intelligent and went west. She had such luck, after many years of not having any luck at all. She let her hair flow in any which direction as it pleased, curls bouncing gracefully as she walked on her toes to the edge of the lake. She let her big toe dip into the water and she jumped at the shock of coldness.

She wished that the water was warm--suddenly the water started to boil as if on cue and the lake read her mind! She jumped, wishing she knew how on Earth to control this curse someone above placed on her. She clapped her hands, wondering if it would do anything. She was right. Steam rose above the water, showing that the water was now warm. Iolani smiled faintly at herself, glad she at least stopped it. Before she tried ice her water, and ended up freezing over the whole drink. She just didn't know how to control herself, seeing as no one taught her how to use this...curse.
 
Adrian relaxed his jog when he entered the trees to the forest towards the lake that was near his village. Take a swim in the lake, dry off before nightfall, get back home, he thought with a smile. He could do all that in a small amount of time he figured. With a large grin, Adrian picked up his pace. He went around the edge of the lake not seeing the woman that was both stripped and going towards the lake. He was too intent on looking around him and making sure he didn't run into any trees.

When the young man had gotten to the top of a rock that he used every evening. Once more, like a bad bodyguard, the young man leaped before he looked. He dived through the air and splashed in the water smoothly, almost making no noise.

Aah, cool wa-

Adrian shot to the top of the water with a yelp as the hot water hit his already sweating body from his run. He scrambled out of the water and was about to stare at the lake which should have been relaxingly cold only his eyes feel instead on the woman. It wasn't like he hadn't seen a woman's body before. He'd peaked with his friends from the village on the village girls. But never had he been caught by one of the women he'd seen. He quickly looked away, blushing.

"Um, do you know why the lake is hot, miss?" he asked, trying to avoid the topic of clothes.
 
Iolani went deep into the water, letting her hair fall deep into the lake. Goosebumps popped onto her skin, covering every square inch of her body. She could feel the stress wipe away as if it was just a layer of grime on her body rather than her mind. She could feel everything in her body simply loosen. She finally came up for air, and noticed a big splash. Was someone else here? At the mere thought of someone else there scared her. She swam to the edge of the lake, ready to get out when a young man emerged from the water. Her hair thankfully covered her breasts.

My was he gorgeous! She fought back the urge to smile and bat her tea green eyes. They were green because she was simply curious as to who this handsome stranger was. "Who are you?" she asked him loud enough for him to hear as she dove back into the water to cover her bare body. Her hair lay all around her on top of the water. It looked like a dark swirl of brown shadows were encasing her to. Ready to make her disappear. 

"I'm...Iolani," she murmured in a warm as honey and smooth as silk voice. She waited for his reply. She answered his question with an indifferent question of her own. She couldn't help but stare into his eyes. He was far enough for her to male out his features, without looking as if she was checking him out. She had never been so attracted to a stranger before until now.
 
Adrian stared at the woman as she dunked back down under the water, surprisingly grateful that he didn't have a stinging cheek for his mistake. From what he had seen she wasn't ugly, though he couldn't admit that to her face. Her green eyes though were beautifully playing off the water as her hair provided the nice cover so that the usually clear water didn't provide for him another glimpse of the body. When she didn't look away from him, Adrian found himself becoming aware of his own body more than he normally was. His trousers stuck to his legs.

"Well, Miss Iolani, I must apologize for such a mistake. If I had known such a woman, more so a beauty such as yourself, was taking a bath in the lake I would not have hopped in without warning," Adrian said, before remembering his manners and bowing at the waist as he took his own sea-blue eyes away from the woman's face. "I am Adrian Trival, if it so pleases you. Now I should go before your party thinks that I attempt your virtue. If you are ever in a village named Kirkas, its about three miles from here, please, I beg that you stop by the house of the Trival family. We would be honored to give you a place to stay for this... mistake."

During this little ramble, he had slowly been making his way around the woman and up the bank of the lake until he no longer was in the water. He looked up and pushed some of his black mane out of his eyes and smiled. "I do hope this does not look poorly upon my family, Miss Iolani. "
 
self_aware_by_kertova-d4ix82u.jpg
Iolani watched his every move as he walked to the bank of the lake, watching him get out of the water. She couldn't help but giggle, her eyes now an electric green. She noticed how he was trying his best to be a gentleman, which was something new for her. His hair was adorably sexy. Iolani didn't know what was wrong with her, just wanting to flirt her way through this and take the invitation to visit his home. She had self-control, at least for this anyways.

"Thank you for the compliments, but don't worry. I'm alone, no party. And if you don't mind waiting for me, may I visit Kirkas? I promise you did not make any mistake, I should have known that other people might pop into the lake as well," she told him, reassuring him it was okay. "Your family is as fine as it was before this encounter," she added as well with a soft nod as she swam up to the bank of the lake as her torso started to reveal, her hair falling on top of her breast as before. Now, they were clinging to her body for dear life.
 
Adrian blinked water out of his eyes and tilted his head to the side. The woman wanted me to wait and take her to his home? A grin cracked his worried features. Raising a small bit, he nodded.

"I am glad that I won't be set upon by some angry bodyguards. My family would forever be tarnish for it. If you wish, I could wait over there in the trees for you to finish you bath. There's a sun clearing over that way that I'll be able to dry off in, if I hurry. I suggest that you hurry though," He said his body guard instincts kicking in ta last. His eyes wandered the surroundings and frowned. "There has been sightings of bandits in this area and I'm unarmed besides my fists. I would hate for you to be accosted by them after being seen by me."

He turned his gaze back on the woman and found himself blushing. It wasn't like him to be like this when in an embarrassing situation. What was it about this woman that had caught and held his attention enough to make him ramble on like this?
 
Iolani nodded, "I'll hurry, promise." She then swam back to the center of the lake, she looked over to the entrance of the lake, to see him blushing and staring at her. She blushed as well, and let the water envelop her until he only saw her eyes and forehead. "I'll be done in two minutes, tops," she murmured and gave him a small smile of assurance. She then went under again, wondering if he left or not.

She scrubbed her arms, and her scalp soothingly, trying to scrub off the tension from running for so long. Every time she would blink away the water from her eyes, the only thing she could see was Adrian. Her heart thrummed faster than usual, and she wasn't used to that. Iolani came back up for air, wiping away the water from her eyes and hair. She felt clean, and refreshed already. She swam gracefully to the edge, and prayed that Adrian had left already. She was afraid to show him all of her, for this was their first meeting and she was self-conscious. She got out quickly, and squeezed the excess water out of her hair with ease.
 
Adrian, after she has gone under water, had turned and left at a quick dash towards the clearing. He felt cold as the twilight air shifted around him as he ran. When he made it through the trees to the clearing, He had paused and then, with far more energy than he had thought he had started to practice. Not only would it keep him from turning around to see the woman, but it would also heat up his body so that he dried faster in the dark area. He had hoped that his run and the confrontation had not taken up too much time and that the sun would still be out, but he had been wrong, like his assumption that he would be alone in the lake on such a day.

"Stupid!" He said, throwing out a punch before changing into a kick. "Idiot! Over confident joker!" With each word he put out a kick, punch, or other combination of skills in order to quicken his drying. Of course the words slowly got worse and worse as he berated himself. He should have noticed that the water was hot, that there was a woman there. He should have been practicing a lot more than he had. He'd gotten confident and he let himself have it. He would have to let his father know would would eventually say the same things to him. He was hardening himself to it.
 
Hair_by_NeoWorm.jpg[Her hair, this doesn't look like her, but only the hair.] ^^


Iolani started to dry off, and wondered how she could quickly dry her hair, so she wouldn't make Adrian wait so long. She bit her lip, and let her hair dry out on its own. After she got dressed in her thin, black linen tunic that laid right on her mid-thigh. She walked over to were he was, placing on her sandals as she tried finding him. "Adrian," she sang quietly, looking all around as her curls were quickly drying--for the first time.

Her curls bounced this way and that as she finally found him and jumped. He was punching trees, calling himself horrible names and she was shocked. Who would do that to themselves? "Adrian!" she yelled, praying it would make him stop. Finally, he jolted upward and stopped, mid-punch. "Why are you hurting yourself?" she asked him, her big eyes open wide and turning a warm midnight blue slowly. "Don't do that, ever," she urged him. She hated when people inflicted pain on themselves, she felt that she should take the blame. Always.
 
Adrian froze in mid punch. Slowly he turned blinking eyes on the woman. He hadn't heard the girl come up he had been so intent on making sure he never forgot the lesson of the day. He then looked back at the tree that he had been taking his frustration out on and then down at his knuckles and then at the tops of his bare feet. When... had all this damage happened? With a laugh, he sheepishly looked over at the woman, reaching up to scratch at the back of his head.

"You needn't worry yourself about me Miss Iolani. Truly, I am fine. This is nothing," He said, hiding scratched knuckles behind his back as a bright smile filled his face. Then he reached over and patted the tree that had been nearly broken at the point of where he had hit over and over. "Sometimes one needs a... constructive way to get some anger issues out and this just happens to be mind. Father would be angry though that I didn't control myself better before a woman that I had promised to take to my village. Please, Follow me."

Adrian turned with a smile and started to walk the way towards his home town.
 
Iolani nodded, and bit her bottom lip as she followed him. "Just call me Lani, please," she insisted quietly as she walked with him. She noticed his brushed knuckles as he walked, and gaped. "Oh no, you're bleeding Adrian," she murmured in shock. She stood in his way from walking, and took his wrists in her hands. She checked out his knuckles, and sighed quietly as if blaming herself. "Hold on, she murmured quietly as she ripped off some of her sleeve from her clothing, and broke it in half. She wrapped his knuckles with grace and gentleness.

She was blushing she whole time, so she only focused on his hands, how they were rough on the outside. However, the inside of his palm...the lines and indents were soft as can be. So, he was a sweetheart? He seemed like it, but he was extremely focused on being tough, that he never had time to be his true self. She kept that knowledge to herself, and patted his hand. "There you go," she whispered, and took her old position at his side and kept walking.
 
"Miss Lani, you needn't--" Adrian started before he heard the ripping of cloth. He winced as he watched her rip the cloth and then take his hand and start to wrap it. He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. "You didn't have to do that. My father has some salve that he'll put on it after giving me a hard thwap on the head for being an idiot." Her hands had been so smooth on his hand.

He continued his way down the trail, catching up with Lani. "So, if I may be so bold, why would a beauty such as you be out alone on a day like this, or any day for that matter? Especially with the recent craziness that has taken hold of bandits recently. It is as if there is no law to stop them from attacking anyone these days except that of bodyguards," He replied, looking up at the sky to check the time. It was almost all dark by this time. His father would be starting to get concerned.
 
Iolani quickly responded, "Nonsense. Please stop being so proper, Adrian. You may think I'm beautiful, but chilvary isn't just about having a rich vocabulary. I'm a big girl," she teased him quietly. She kept walking ahead of him, as if she knew where she was going. She had *no clue*. She slowed down, waiting for Adrian to lead the way.

"Why am I alone? Oh well, my parents died years ago, and I've...been alone and taking care of myself since I was eleven," she murmured quietly. "I know how to handle a few thieves. When they see me, they tend to have to think thrice to steal from me. Afterall, I have nothing you can steal, except this," she took out her necklace from underneath her shirt/dress. It was auburn, like her eyes were at the moment as well. The stone changed smokey colors whenever her eyes changed colors as well. The stone was tied with a leathery string.

"
 
"But Miss Lani," Adrian protested, his eyes playful, though he was trying hard not to let his true, rather happy nature take hold, "it would be so improper of me to speak to you in such a way that would lead one to think that you and I are friends. You should be scolding me for seeing you without your clothes; reporting me to the bodyguard community council--" Damn, he had meant to keep that little fact about himself silent. He closed his mouth and listened to why she would be out alone traveling. He blinked as he noticed the change in her eyes and frowned.

"Miss, weren't your eyes just green? I could have sworn they were, but now they are a brown." Maybe they were hazel and changed between the two, but Adrian didn't think so. He had a good sense of people's eyes, for that was something he always looked at. Eyes intrigued the young man. They had definitely been a green before and not a brown.
 
"So you're saying you don't want to be friends? I thought that's what we were becoming? Or do you expect more? Tell me, Adrian. What is it you seek in me? I've been through worse than a man accidently seeing me ready to bathe," she told him nonchalantly as they walked. She was getting upset, seeing right through his facade. She then scrunched her eyebrows, "Are...you saying you're a trainee in the bodyguard community? What is that exactly?" She asked him.

She stopped, mid-step once she heard him ask about her eyes. Fear shot through her, her eyes morphing to a smokey gray. She blinked, and looked at him. Fear was her true emotion, but hid it easily--except through her eyes. "Are you intrigued by my eyes that you stare so intently?" She teased him softly. She prayed he didn't think she was a monstrosity and want to kill her here and now.
 
Adrian stepped back out of shock as her eyes changed once more. Now he was certain that something was up with this woman. However, instead of cowering back, he stepped closer to her, tilting his head as he stared at her eyes. It was an analytical look that seemed to take in everything about the eye--the color, the shape, everything. Absently he waved off her words.

"I never meant that I don't want to be your friend. And I would never expect more of a woman that is so much more powerful than I could ever be. Your eyes say it when they change colors. You could, if you have control of your powers, school me very well for having impure thoughts, which might I add I have but have no intent on fulfilling them. And yes, I am a trainee, but in two weeks I'll be a full fledged bodyguard awaiting assignment. Around these parts and in the bigger towns Bodyguards are pretty rare and only accompany someone that is in true need of one or those that can afford us. The Community counsil monitors the actions of one such as myself. An improper action on my part could ruin my chances of getting a good assignment. The whole Trival family is in some shape or form part of the community. My sisters, I have two, are both bodyguard-ladies-in-waiting for a noble three towns over."

He was rambling as he examined the eyes of the woman he had just met. When he realized that he'd been staring for so long, he blinked and pulled back, a blush mantling his cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I hope you don't mind. I just haven't ever met someone with a magical gift of any kind before that had their eyes change color."
 
Iolani felt uncomfortable underneath his gaze. Her shoulders scrunched, as if she was trying to fold into nothingness. She bit her bottom lip, raking her hair back as she looked around. She looked everywhere, except in his eyes. She didn't dare to look at him, afraid something might happen. "Your impure thoughts? Tell me, what is it your thinking about?" she asked him, curious. She would never, ever harm someone unless she really had to. She's only harmed thieves, or bandits that were causing harm to her parents before they had passed.

"Did you wish to be a bodyguard? Or were you forced to be?" she asked him curiously, feeling the need to ask numerous questions. This man was very intriguing to Iolani. It might not even be because he was gorgeous, or was intrigued by her as well. It was because this was the only man she's never ran from, because he wanted to cause her harm. This man seemed harmless, and only caused harm on himself, that's what it seemed. He was cute when he rambled, which meant he must be cute all of the time. Quickly when he apologized, she blinked and gave him a soft smile. "Please, don't apologize. I've been staring as well from time to time," she confessed shyly to him. "You call this a gift? I call it a curse, I can't control anything that I do," she murmured. She didn't mean to tell him so much. This could mean danger, but he was easy to talk to.
 
Adrian looked away sheepishly, thinking back over what the woman had said. "Oh, if I told you about my impure thoughts, I would be acting upon them wouldn't I? That would simply not do, not do at all. And no one is forced to be a bodyguard. Most come from families of bodyguards and it's just... expected of you to become one. You have the option to change professions if you wish, but if you are like me, your family all trains in the morning so you might as well just train with them and become one. It is easier that way. For everyone involved." Adrian explained before taking the lead and moving out of the forest just as the sun ducked down below the horizon.

"We should hurry. It is only a short way to my house now that we are out of the forest."

Adrian choose to stay quiet over the fact she didn't have control. He supposed it was always possible that the woman wouldn't have had any teaching, but it wasn't his place to say that she should find a teacher. It would come to her in time, he was sure.
 
Iolani stopped walking, once she was in front of him again. "Tell me, what you're thinking," she asked once more. Her now gray eyes pleaded with him, feeling the need to know what he was thinking. "If you tell me, I'll tell you," she murmured, wondering if her weak attempt at bribery will even work. "Do you like being a bodyguard? It seems like...such a hard job, training all your life to just take care of one person, because they have an unknown purpose...isn't that what you do?" she asked him another question.

To say the truth, Iolani had never talked nor asked so many question before in her life to one person. Or to anyone at all. "I'll hurry once you answer my questions." slipped off her plump, pink lips.

[Sorry that it's short. I just had a quick session of writer's block. T.T]