Dancing in Shadows and Firelight

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The mage listens to the young girl. The admiring gaze in her eyes as Sevitti looks upon Kell is not lost on her. Her own gaze dropped for a moment before looking up a moment, guilt. Was she judging Kell too harshly? What if she really was a great and compassionate leader? Although the bandits that kidnapped her tried to fill her head with lies like they 'saved' her. Dezi remained on guard despite the guilt trying to creep its way in. She forced a smile to Sevitti. "I'm sure she means well. But with all I've been through I cant just throw my trust to anyone... Especially when they bash me over the head." Her voice bitter as she narrowed her gaze upon Kell.

It was also not the mages intention of getting between Rale and Kell. The vicious dagger like gaze Kell shot Dezi was not missed. It made the brave woman shrink back and rethink her choice. She'd just have to explain her choice was all. The situation seemed to coast into deeper trouble as Kell and Rale spoke quietly, which resulted in the woman storming off his lap. They were lovers, there was no doubt in Dezi's mind now. It only made her regret choosing him more.

Dezi followed him out the door, a sigh of relief flowing from her as the door closed. Being around Kell made her uncomfortable already but dealing with a woman's wrath was much more than she meant for. "No, I've been on Earth for almost a year. Though none of my memories have been pleasant..." Her voice drifted off. "Nothing but hiding and running so far..." She sighed as he crossed her arms and moved further away from Rale. A precaution of not wanting to look like she was getting too friendly. Her eyes gazed over the paintings and suddenly it reminded her of home.

Her mother loved to paint and was quite skilled at it. Her hand reached up to touch the painting as memories flittered into her mind. Sadness filled her purple amethyst eyes for a moment before looking back at Rale. Slowly she moved on as she spoke. "Look... I'm not sure I'm happy about how I ended up here but... I am grateful for not being on the streets. And..." How should she word this? Better just blurt it out and try and explain later. "I didn't mean to piss her off by choosing you... I don't trust her, seeing as she lied to me already. And hit me over the head..." She'd never forgive the woman for that. "But I didn't want the young girl Sevitti trying to paw over me. And I didn't know those other people... You just seemed like the most logical choice." She said looking at him as she paused by a painting of a cozy cottage.
 
"You're simply following the path of many magic users who are drawn to Earth. For whatever reasons, well, that changes with the turning tide. Some come for riches, even though mines are dry, oil rigs rusting in the middle of the deserts. It's such a shock when they finally come here, spending all and every resource to get them to land beneath our atmosphere. Most want to turn back and return home but little do they know, Earth doesn't quite admire those who try and make an escape. If you try and run, you'll be shot down. That simple." Rale talks, yes, but doesn't reveal much about the FF. A soldier like him though, knows better than to slip up and give away secrets as if they were candy.

His stern face, ridden with deep lines of a frown, keeps away from Dezi, knowing that he can't get close for plenty of reasons. Money is one and Kell is the other. With getting to know Dezi comes the roadblocks of having to act instead of thinking. He is lucky he hasn't been brainwashed, his mind molded at such a young age to follow blindly. Now he has his mission, showing Dezi their bunker. One room especially that she will be getting very friendly with soon enough. He walks quickly and says very little, pointing and giving a small tidbit of history to why this is here or why that is there. Simple words are used to explain the construction, flowing from Rale's mouth, almost too simple as if memorized out of a book.

"And..." he practically whispers, rounding another corner, "I wouldn't worry about Kell," he knows Dezi holds a value, such prices easily being fluctuated if she is damaged. Much like any article or good. "Yeah you may have ticked her off a little but she is a jealous girl. You so much as look at me with the slightest hint of a smile and she'll want to snap your arm completely off," hearing the rest of her explanation, Rale nods, thinking Dezi is quite the smart mage to be so stupid in the events yet to come, "But I'll forward your thoughts on who to choose. I wouldn't be too keen walking around with a girl who clocked me over the head either just so we're on the same craft here. I would have picked myself too."
 
Dezimena didn't come for riches or fame. She didn't come here to gain wealth just to bring it back home. Earth simply seemed like a better place than to hop from station from station. For some reason she assumed there'd be less pirates here. If only she understood then what she knew now. But his words held immense weight, tangible even as he mentioned Kell's jealousy. Her head hung as she curled her hands around herself. She scoffed at her own naive stupidity. "I'm not what you think. I didn't come for riches. I came to find a way back home..." She paused, her amethyst eyes looking to him. "You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover." Her voice wasn't threatening but it wasn't friendly either.

She thought it rude and ignorant for him to think she was just like every other mage. But then again those same words could be shot back at her. She assumed she could truth the people of Earth. That was becoming far from the truth. As they walked Rale seemed to be filling her with information that sounded well rehearsed, but when he spoke about Kell, she felt feeling from him. Were his words a warning or a threat? Dezi didn't really care to find out first hand. As he spoke, she looked at him out of being polite as she continued to follow him down the hallways.

Suddenly there in the glint of a passing light, she swore she saw it again. An element in Rale's eyes? Was it light playing tricks? Dezi's magic was obviously apparent by her unnatural amethyst purple eyes. But some mages only had a sliver of color difference in their eyes signifying their element. Then there was the fact that mages could amplify their power when around another. As if their elements wished to work together, or against one another. There for one mage looking deeply into another mages eyes could tell some type of element resided within the other.

It was this feeling that Dezi got when she looked into Rale's eyes. But he'd not look at her fully let alone long enough for her to see if it were true. She darted her gaze away from him, curious if she was simply seeing and feeling the wrong things. "You also seem like the only sensible one. This whole place just feels wrong. But... Maybe it'll be worth it if I can get help off this rock. Not sure I wanna stick around long term. No offense but your beliefs are just insane."
 
When she tells him not to judge, Rale has to suppress his laughter from her, turning the other way at such a notion. "It's too late the change the basis of a whole society," he returns fire, "people judge whether they want to or not. Even you, Dezimenda, are judging us for who he are. It doesn't matter if Kell clocked you over the head or not. You still judge her harshly for what she has done. There was good reason for her to do such a thing and not tell you, you know. Whether you understand it or not, is up to you. Completely up to you. What I know is that you're a hypocrite." Rale's words hit home, burrowing themselves into her chest without warning.

"And, so you know, I never said -you- came to Earth for riches. I just said that most magic users are drawn to Earth because of that fact. You're following their path as in actually landing on our surface. Nothing more to it," whether or not Rale means what he says, the man immediately moves on, starting to tell her everything from the small out coves to the cabinets lining the medical wing. The whole belly of the bunker is split into necessity regions. Medical, knowledge, resting, sleeping, etc.., it's all there. The only thing Rale passes that he doesn't announce is a green door, a stitching of locks and bolts crawling up the middle crease where the doors depart from one another.

Sighing, Rale knew it was a bad idea to talk to her as soon as he opened his stupid mouth. Being sensible, a compliment bestowed upon him by her, is not what he wants to hear. He doesn't thank her, just opens up a door and motions for her to pass through it. Biting his tongue, the soldier wants to talk to her, knowing that he has to be friendly in order for her not to think anything is amiss. Itching the back of his forehead, Rale simply sighs and shakes his head. Tracing his fingers along the creases of his forehead, he speaks in his gruff voice, a low rumble like the shake before an earthquake truly hits.

"Just, don't get too comfy around me, Dezimenda. Got it?" glancing to her, he opens his mouth to explain but shuts it. No reason given, his eyes averting hers once again. "I'm a sniper and a man of solitude. I'm not the friendly type so think twice before trying to break any of my shells." Coming around full circle, Rale catches her gaze, "Got it?" but as soon as she answers, his eyes have departed from her own. "No matter, are you going to be on the mission tonight or no?"
 
The young woman scrunched her face at Rale, confused and a little irritated. It shouldn't have been a surprise that he was defending his leader and lover but Dezimena still felt like her view of Kell was spot on. "Fine. You can spat that back at me. Considering I don't think highly of Earth's inhabitants. But to say I'm judging Kell too harshly is a pile of dragon dung." She snapped quickly. The woman was now too heated to think like a normal rational person.

She shook the tingling sensation from her fingers as she walked past him. Her anger causing her arcane element to come bubbling to the surface. At this point she is no longer listening to him. Her mind races on where she is to go. She was still heated but she still meant what she said to him. Rale being the only sensible one. He'd mentioned just moments before that he'd not trust Kell if she hit him over the head just as she did with her. Yet he was a good soldier. Standing by his leaders side, despite the way the went about things. Her eyes longer on the highly guarded door. Why so many locks, she wondered. There must be something behind it of importance. She noted it's location in her mind. Not that it mattered, even if she knew how to pick locks there were so many and of different styles and calibers that she'd never get them undone in a reasonable amount of time.

She sighed with slight annoyance when he told her not to get comfortable. But not for the reason he might think. "It's Dezimena, not Dezimenda. There's no 'D' in my name." She replied cocking her head to the side as she slumped her hands on her hips. She doesn't answer him, only stares at him. She rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Fine what ever. I give you a compliment and you get all edgy on me. Yea I get it." She retorted as she crossed her hands across her chest.

In that fleeting moment Dezimena caught a glimpse of the question that had been in her mind earlier. She wasn't looking for it now but it was as obvious now as being kicked by a horse. There in the edges of Rale's eyes was a ring of another color, his element. Rale was a mage, or at least had an element within him. It made her gasp audibly as he looked away. She'd forgotten completely about the anger she held towards him a moment ago, her mouth opened to ask him about it. How was a mage being treated, well so friendly compared to her. But as Rale finished his sentence another tall stocky soldier walked down the hall. Then it hit her, what if he was hiding it? She'd blow his cover. Then he'd be really irate with her. And the last thing she needed was a pissed off mage sniper.

Dezimena darted her gaze to the other soldier, whom was eyeing them curiously. "As long as you don't shoot me and I don't have to blow anything up, sure." She said quickly, trying to reply on the fly.
 
"Well, inform the clergy," Rale hums, "Your name doesn't have a damn 'D' in it. You prolly just said it wrong to Kell. It may take you a bit of work to get your proper name cleared up from this Dezimenda girl you fail to be. We're only human for fuck sake, yeah?" by the time he scoffs, he is opening up a brass door in the sleeping quarters, "You'll be sleeping in my chambers tonight, Dezimena," he announces, pausing before her name as if deleting the 'D' from his mind completely, "so that I can keep a good eye on you. Kell isn't the sort of trusting girl and I'm sure after your incident with her, you don't trust her at all. She will place you with the hounds. That's why I'm keeping you here under my watchful eye."

Before she can protest, he feels the air around her boil over with questions, he lifts his hand. "No," he slowly tells her, as if she were some sort of animal he is trying to train, "You will be sleeping here and that is final," within his next breath, the soldier starts to smirk, "You did say I'm the only sensible one here. Wouldn't you think this is a smart decision? Or would you rather have Kell pick your rooms?" Raising a brow, he leans up against the frame of the door as if waiting for her to enter the black chambers beyond the beam of light from the doorway. The soldier passes them and Rale nods his head, a small salute returning the soldier's own. Inhaling deeply, he motions her inside.

The motion sensored lights flicker on within his first few steps, revealing a very comfortable size room. The lights are strung around the parameter of the walls as well as criss crossing on the ceiling. There is a small wooden desk looking as if it has been salvaged from the dump, the wood rotting. Metal beams extend from the floor, keeping the poor drawers and weight aloof. A bookshelf lines the other corner along with a table, some chairs for company purposes and his bed shielded by translucent silken sheets.

"Why would I shoot you?" Rale asks as soon as he closes the door, a gasp escaping it as the door seals itself behind him. A simple touch of the handle releases the pressure seal once more. Unlike her room before, this one has interior heating and a/c, vents surrounding the floor of the decorated room. The wall past his bed is blank. No posters, pictures, or figurines. Just a plain white wall. Dezimena would now notice that -all- his walls are bare. It feels as though she has stepped into a hospital with white, blinding walls to comfort her. Luckily, his light is ambient and not as piercing as the white lights in the hallway.

"If you're going to come with us, I have to get you geared up," pressing a button on his chest plate, the bookshelf starts to make a small whirring sound. The center breaks apart and opens to reveal small shelves full of weapons, grenades, and suits of armor. Luckily for her, size isn't an issue for her. They're set to mold to the form of its current body, not the last one it sucked itself around.
 
"Beg your pardon?" Did he just say that she was sleeping in his room? She started to assume she misheard him. But in fact she didn't. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, placing her hands firmly on her hips. "I'm not sleeping in your room." She replied in a flat and serious tone as she looked back at him. There was no way in her mind this would end well. Nothing would happen, but that wasn't what she was worried about. Kell was the jealous type. How was she supposed to deal with this? "No is right. I'm not sleeping in your room!" She spat back with a little more edge to her voice.

But he wasn't having it any other way. Suddenly she started to regret choosing him as a tour guide. She stammered and droped her hands to her sides, disbelief he was fighting for her to stay in his room. She stammered trying to retort a reply. But Kell picking a room for him seemed far more threatening then this man's choice. She had no good come back, thus silence and a pout took over her lips. Her amethyst eyes scowled at the man as he nonchalantly leaned against the door frame. She wanted to slap that smirk off his face but decided that was probably a bad idea.

"I don't want to hear it if Kell comes at me with brimstone and fire over me sleeping in your room!" She snapped angrily. The passing solider gave another questionable look but passed by quietly. She flipped her hair angrily away from her face as she walked inside. Well in this time alone she'd be able to ask him about his element but that thought seemed dim compared to the threat of an angry Kell. Her eyes moved about the room, looking for a possible place that she'd be sleeping. Assuming the bed would be taken by him and not her. The lest she could think was this room was heated and smelled much nicer than the room she'd woken up to.

Her foot steps echoed softly bare walled room. So odd she thought it that he had not a picture of his 'beloved' anywhere. If she had pictures of her parents of a lover if she had one, you can bet the photo's of them would be everywhere. She curled her arms around her body and moved to the middle of the room. Looking back when the pressure from the door created a gasp of air. "... Lets just say I'm used to people not trusting me." She replied softly as she moved away from him as he walked to the book shelf.

She stood still a moment before her eyes widen in surprise. Then it hit her. Rale must have full confidence in his ability to be aware of what she was doing if he planned to have her in a room full of weapons and armor. Not that she needed the weapons. "Suited up?" She questioned as she eyed the collection he had in the secret compartment in the wall. She was not keen on taking anything he gave her but armor seemed sensible. She reluctantly took a suit when he handed it to her. "This is not going to fit me." She insisted. But eventually she tugged on the chest plate and to her surprise it molded it's self to fit her body near perfectly.

"Oh... That's interesting..." She said curiously as she touched the armor, and moved her body to feel it's flexibility.
 
((I'll keep this one relatively short so that when you come back from your hiatus you don't have a lot of text to read :) ))

When she lashes out at him, Rale simply sighs and shakes his head. She can bitch to her hearts desire but his decision is final. There is something about the girl and the way she cradles her magic when she uses it as if it's a part of her that disturbs Rale deeply. It's not out of disgust but rather that of an itch that cannot be scratched or an irritation that cannot be soothed. She uses her magic so freely and -- then it hits him. Attempting to make his epiphany to himself, the man simply turns from Dezi and fiddles around with a strand on his own suit before taking it from the hanger. He will treat Dezi as if she were a child, simply ignoring the questions she gives that he finds... stupid.

"After tonight, you're not going to have to worry about Kell," His words are cold and pretty unfeeling towards this woman he should love with all his being, "because you, Dezimena," he pauses, hoping he has said her name the correct way, "are going to help us in ways you never fathomed." Slipping another gun over his shoulder, the steel glinting in the light, Rale keeps his eyes on the weapons before him. Within moments, his belt is filled with devices of all shapes and colors as well as bombs, tear gas, shockers, absorbers, and much more. A line goes down his chest, small lights flashing here and there, telling his heart rate, beat, and other importance's.

When she questions her suit, Rale shakes his head, chuckling at her afreshness. "Just put it on," and when she does, he raises a brow when glancing to her, "I have been in this business for too long, Dezi. Don't question me, simply follow orders and you won't be killed tonight." taking a pause in what he is saying, Rale quickly rephrases his statement after shutting the bookshelf behind him and opening up the door, "Killed by those who are what you would call, our opponents. And don't worry, friendly fire hardly ever happens," he taps her armor, "our lasers," he starts to say but the smile creases his lips, "Well, you'll see." Shoving her shoulder, he pushes her out of his room and the door locks behind them. "Now it's time to make some music." Keeping her close, he marches down the hallway towards the briefing room.
 
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