Tribulation

[Synthetic Seraph]

As the pair of desert dwellers went on scouting excursions further from their village base, Tesrael retrieved traditional garb from one of the adobes. Compared to the naturalist hiker and people in nearby modern cities, the seraph would look like a performing native dancer. Taking in Tristan's reaction, he explained "Less human attention is better, as my race, as my... attributes." No need for religious hunters, no need for salivating admirers when he had the fun and agreeable Tristan.
On explorations he either walked alongside or roosted above within eyesight range, but foresight told him he should keep the option to accompany his partner into habitations.

 

[catalyst]

Tristan had gotten used to the dressed up Tesrael not long after he found the traditional attire in a random adobe somewhere other than 'their' village. Though he missed seeing the enticing abs and chest, back and legs... the chiseled body in whole - it was also nicely different seeing the bronze avian in clothes. Plus it was better for him to be in costume just in case they should come across any stranger, both admiring or harmful.

The human was moving through a dirt path that he often walked on. It was a quiet day, like usual, and the sun brightly illuminated the blue skies with no clouds in sight. Hot. But pleasant.

 

[Wysteria]

[SPOILI]

[/SPOILI]

Catherine tied her long black hair up into a tight bun, then swept the back of her hand across her forehead to dry the sweat off. "Honestly Rachel, did you really have to move us to the middle of the desert? The concert is going to be in middle of the night, do you expect people to come here in freezing temperatures?" Catherine growled, making her travel agent flinch. "I'm sorry, Ms. Bohannon, all of the major capitals were booked, you're lucky over a thousand people are coming to see you," Rachel replied a bit harshly, Catherine glaring at her.

"Never mind, can we just rehearse now? I want to get back my bus," Catherine muttered, climbing up the short flight of stairs onto the stage.

(Sorry for the lame post, it's been a while since I've roleplayed. >_>)

 

[Synthetic Seraph]

(( Welcome! Catalyst and I like getting along OOC and fun plottimes over quality snobbery. ))

The seraph's keen eyes picked out something artificial in the distance. With the attention-getting gesture he employed to show he was about to communicate without expending words, he indicated something up ahead and launched in a gust of black feathers, trusting his human partner to know he wouldn't be separated any length of time without additional discussion. The vantage of height and a short distance closer revealed a stage structure, taking advantage of the wide open terrain that could accommodate any number of people. At this distance the figures onstage signified activity but nothing more than that.

The seraph circled, dropped and murmured his findings, showing no surprise or disgust at the human encroachment. "It is not my intention to deprive you of the company of others." He fingered the native garb, not an idle gesture but hinting he'd been anticipating this eventuality.

 

[catalyst]

Tristan looked to his company when he caught the attention grabber, his steel blue eyes trailing Tesrael as he lifted himself with his wings and flew off, Tristan's long white hair being whipped from the light gust drawn from the wings. He continued walking, knowing that the winged man would be back. And soon, he was. The human slowed at the words flowing from the darker hued man's mouth, surprised that there was a concert way out here in the desert. But his excitement soon overrode the surprise.

"Will you come with me?" he asked as he extended his tanned hand to the seraph. It would be good for the both of them to be around others, as far as Tristan thought.

 

[Synthetic Seraph]

A tilt of his head and faint curl of his lips answered that question. He stepped behind Tristan's body, brushing torsos together as he went, the effect diminished by their dual layers. With a nuzzle and nip at the back of the neck, only then did he take his lover's hand and continue along on foot.

 

[catalyst]

Tristan returned the smile though his was bigger. He squeezed Tesrael's hand once both of theirs had connected and walked along the path until they had to diverge from it to reach the stage.

Soon, they were there, standing afar from the stage that only had a handful of people on it. It was obvious that the concert wasn't starting any time soon - otherwise the hiker would think that at least another group or two would be there. He wondered if they were noticeable to the seemingly busy bunch of other humans. He thought they would be.

 

[Wysteria]

Catherine had then seen a strangely familiar person in sight, and after a long look on the man she knew who it was. She took notice in the white haired man, but she barely took any attention to keep her eyes on him. "Ah, Tesrael," Catherine said as she walked down the stairs gracefully; her blue eyes looked at Tesrael and the man, a small smile on her lips. "It's been quite the while since I've seen you..."

 

[Synthetic Seraph]

With a wary scrutiny he matched the woman's apparent age to the last time he'd resided with any other people. Even her race was amiss with the darker natives. Then his perception moved beyond the surface to how Catherine had moved when she walked, the short list of beings who would know his name other than from stories. His feathers bristled; let the surrounding humans think a mere breeze had ruffled his 'craft' feathers. He acknowledged her rigidly, by the nickname he had known her by. "You seem to fit in well among humans and enjoy your new identity."

 

[Wysteria]

The smile on Catherine's lips slowly dimmed. "Partially, some of them are still annoying to me," She glanced back at Rachel, who was completely focused on the board she had in her hands, her lips quickly moving to what she was reading silently. Looking back over to Tesrael, pursing her lips. "What are you doing here?"

 

[Synthetic Seraph]

"It is true, human culture is pointless." The vulture-angel (( instead of crow Tengu which had to fit that previous RP )) had said that before about music, 'an invention by humans, for humans'. "But not all humans are. My mate chose this diversion from living off the land." He still held hands with Tristan; now he drew that link closer to the center of his body and gently stroked the back of that hand.

 

[Wysteria]

Catherine glanced down at the holding hands for a moment, but then looked back up at Tesrael with a stiff smile, but managed to mask it. "Ah, well, some of the cultures are certainly more colorful than ours. Then again, yours isn't closely linked to mine, but it doesn't matter," She said, still sensing the two men hold hands. Looking over at the white haired one, she took a good look at him, and then back to Tesrael. "Who is this?"

 

[Synthetic Seraph]

His head cocked, birdlike as he shrewdly assessed whether a tribute to Tristan made him the limping, bleeding target singled out from the herd, or protected him by his worth. Well, the important status as mates had already been indicated in action and word so the rest was mere detail as far as he was concerned.

"This is... he who is not a burden to have hiking and exploring here in the hinterlands. He who caught my attention with persistence and trust from day one and won me over weeks after. He who would have been chosen as my mate even if my customary village teemed with braves to pick from instead of lying in ruins." While speaking, his stance turned slightly to Tristan but Tesrael kept his eyes on Catherine. "Oh, but his name is Tristan. You should state your label too... Miss."

 

[catalyst]

Wait, Tesrael knew this woman? This woman with long black hair that made her blue eyes pop? Who looked absolutely human but had an air of... grace around her? Tristan looked from his lover to the woman standing in front of them as the two engaged in conversation. He stared back at the blue eyes when they looked him over. Who exactly was she to Tesrael?

As the seraph explained who his mate was, Tristan didn't speak. Still, hearing Tesrael talk about him like that made him internally happy, even if it didn't show in his face. He waited for the woman to explain herself - or, at least her name. He wondered if he was missing something.

 

[Wysteria]

Catherine's eyes narrowed by a centimeter towards Tesrael, her nails grinding into her pale palm. She was used to Tesrael's personality, which she had confessed to herself that she missed dearly, but it did irritate her a bit. "Well," Catherine looked over at Tristian, not yet affected from the fact that he was in a relationship with Tesrael. "My name is Catherine... Anything else you'd like to know?"

 

[catalyst]

"Catherine," Tristan repeated. Mm, what a lovely personality she had. "Who exactly are you...? I mean, not just your name, but... how," he looked to Tesrael and then back to the woman. "do you two know each other?"

 

[Wysteria]

"Ah, I expected you to ask that," Catherine said with a low chuckle. "Well, we first met randomly in what you could call 'our world'. And well, we became a bit close to each other, you could say, and well... that's how we met. Not too much detail just yet, not the right time for that."

 

[catalyst]

So she wasn't just a regular human, although she quite looked the part. Disguised would make more sense. And her and Tesrael got close to each other. Close meaning more intimate than just friends. Tristan looked to Tesrael for a few seconds before returning his attention back to Catherine. Not the right time? It seemed she was part of a band or something so she was probably busy. He wanted to ask her when the right time was but he didn't exactly know what feelings Tesrael harbored towards her.

 

[Synthetic Seraph]

Tesrael took in Tristan's uncertainly, only to be expected, and cast his chin towards the band organizer going over a flurry of details with her clipboard. "Catherine's associates overhearing things like her true age would be... rude of me."

Utterly true between immortals, yet sounding as innocent as a human woman shaving a few years down in vanity - though it made more sense to the vulture that mortals should boast of all the years they had survived, rather than swear the opposite. The full revelations said openly would probably cast more suspicion upon himself as a native consuming too many herbal drugs in the name of spirituality than a witch hunt against the celebrity, but there was nothing to gain by putting the singer through an awkward moment.

"During the music, in anonymity of the crowd, that suffices," Tesrael murmured to Tristan. "Though the voice may enchant too much to talk," he admitted; it cost him nothing to state something true even if it did flatter.

 

[catalyst]

Tristan nodded. Everything was kind of confusing at that moment but he knew that he'd have answers soon, and he could wait until the concert started. But the voice may enchant too much... did that mean that Catherine had some sort of singing power? He guessed he would find out.