Disclaimer: These are not my characters. Jeez, rub it in why don't you?
Talk to Me
by Kye
Part One: Talk With Xel
Cold, cold, cold water. Why didn't they ever think to heat it for night bathers? She slipped deeper into the water, shivering as the freezing liquid consumed her. Despite the chill, these places were usually peaceful at night. So why were there frissions racing each other through her spine? Certainly the cold was had a part, but she didn't think that was all. She paddled across the water, fighting the chill that hoped to fill her, and shut her eyes. Only a moment later, they snapped open. Whas someone watching her? No, it couldn't be. As far as she had seen, everyone in the inn was asleep. And besides, why would anyone come to spy on what should have been an outside bath? She wrapped her arms around herself.
"Is someone there?" The timidity of her whisper shocked her. She turned so that the waist high water swilled around her and her waist-length hair tickled her back. Her shoulders hunched out of reflex and her heart began to beat faster. She waded to the edge and groped for her towel. It was not where she expected it to be.
The towel was suspended above her. It quivered in the breeze, looking as confused and frightened as she was. Her bright eyes moved warily across the figure behind it. Then her heart stopped in embarassed anger.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was deadly still. A familiar grin flashed in the dark.
"You lose this?" he asked softly, lowering the towel.
"Y-you--horrible...how dare you?!" she stuttered in rage. He looked slightly taken aback.
"Don't you want it? You can't run off like that." With a growl, she snatched the cloth from him. For one horrible moment she thought he might not let go. She glared up at him as she covered herself. His dark eyes regarded her simply, thoughfully.
"What are you looking at?" she demanded, a hot blush creeping over her face.
"You," he answered evenly. She was struck dumb at his straightforwardness.
"Wh- what? Why...? You better get expaining, or I'll-"
"Because you're beautiful." She would have answered with shouts and and a dragon slave. She would have. If he had said it. But he couldn't have. That was beyond the realm of possibility, inconcievable to the acceptor of everything. Her eyes glazed, a blank expressionlessness coming over her. She knew it was mean, knew she would regret it, but she couldn't cope with what she'd...heard? If it could have been said, she would have heard it.
"What do you want? More help for the monster race? I remember last time too well, Xelloss."
"That's not it."
"Then what? You can't be here for the hell of it."
"I can't..." he repeated to himself. "In that case, I should be going." She frowned. This wasn't the way it worked. He always told her something before he disappeared, enough to frustrate her. But he hadn't told her anything yet.
/Except that I'm beautiful.../
No, no, no! Not him! It couldn't be more wrong...a brief picture of Amelia trying to kiss her appeared, and she shoved it away in annoyance. That wasn't the point. The point was, regardless of how wrong things could be, he was wrong. She glanced at his face. Impassive, but...forcedly so.
"Why did you say...that...about me?"
"Because it's true."
"You're a liar." He looked down.
"No. I'm a deciever. I don't flat out lie." It was so easy to feel close in the dark. If he had dared approach her in daylight, she would have left the moment he reached the edge of the water. She wouldn't hae stayed. She wouldn't have.
/Maybe that's why he waited for night/
"I'm going in now." She had to get away from him, from that almost genuine smile. The dark and the cold were doing strange things to her head, and she wasn't about to let them make a mistake for her.
"It is a bit cold," he agreed, too quickly. "Take this?" He held up a corner of his cloak. Bitterness flooded her. She remembered the last time she had helped him. Right before he betrayed them.
"No," she said, and suddenly there was no waver in her voice to be hidden. She stood quickly and walked inside- normally, without running or stomping, which she would have done had she left any earlier. But the cool certainty she felt was put on edge by the eyes that watched her. They were always unnerving, but he was truly looking at her now, not to trick or intimidate, but to make her understand. And somehow, that sincerity was the most terrifying thing they had ever held.
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Talk to Me
by Kye
Part One: Talk With Xel
Cold, cold, cold water. Why didn't they ever think to heat it for night bathers? She slipped deeper into the water, shivering as the freezing liquid consumed her. Despite the chill, these places were usually peaceful at night. So why were there frissions racing each other through her spine? Certainly the cold was had a part, but she didn't think that was all. She paddled across the water, fighting the chill that hoped to fill her, and shut her eyes. Only a moment later, they snapped open. Whas someone watching her? No, it couldn't be. As far as she had seen, everyone in the inn was asleep. And besides, why would anyone come to spy on what should have been an outside bath? She wrapped her arms around herself.
"Is someone there?" The timidity of her whisper shocked her. She turned so that the waist high water swilled around her and her waist-length hair tickled her back. Her shoulders hunched out of reflex and her heart began to beat faster. She waded to the edge and groped for her towel. It was not where she expected it to be.
The towel was suspended above her. It quivered in the breeze, looking as confused and frightened as she was. Her bright eyes moved warily across the figure behind it. Then her heart stopped in embarassed anger.
"What are you doing here?" Her voice was deadly still. A familiar grin flashed in the dark.
"You lose this?" he asked softly, lowering the towel.
"Y-you--horrible...how dare you?!" she stuttered in rage. He looked slightly taken aback.
"Don't you want it? You can't run off like that." With a growl, she snatched the cloth from him. For one horrible moment she thought he might not let go. She glared up at him as she covered herself. His dark eyes regarded her simply, thoughfully.
"What are you looking at?" she demanded, a hot blush creeping over her face.
"You," he answered evenly. She was struck dumb at his straightforwardness.
"Wh- what? Why...? You better get expaining, or I'll-"
"Because you're beautiful." She would have answered with shouts and and a dragon slave. She would have. If he had said it. But he couldn't have. That was beyond the realm of possibility, inconcievable to the acceptor of everything. Her eyes glazed, a blank expressionlessness coming over her. She knew it was mean, knew she would regret it, but she couldn't cope with what she'd...heard? If it could have been said, she would have heard it.
"What do you want? More help for the monster race? I remember last time too well, Xelloss."
"That's not it."
"Then what? You can't be here for the hell of it."
"I can't..." he repeated to himself. "In that case, I should be going." She frowned. This wasn't the way it worked. He always told her something before he disappeared, enough to frustrate her. But he hadn't told her anything yet.
/Except that I'm beautiful.../
No, no, no! Not him! It couldn't be more wrong...a brief picture of Amelia trying to kiss her appeared, and she shoved it away in annoyance. That wasn't the point. The point was, regardless of how wrong things could be, he was wrong. She glanced at his face. Impassive, but...forcedly so.
"Why did you say...that...about me?"
"Because it's true."
"You're a liar." He looked down.
"No. I'm a deciever. I don't flat out lie." It was so easy to feel close in the dark. If he had dared approach her in daylight, she would have left the moment he reached the edge of the water. She wouldn't hae stayed. She wouldn't have.
/Maybe that's why he waited for night/
"I'm going in now." She had to get away from him, from that almost genuine smile. The dark and the cold were doing strange things to her head, and she wasn't about to let them make a mistake for her.
"It is a bit cold," he agreed, too quickly. "Take this?" He held up a corner of his cloak. Bitterness flooded her. She remembered the last time she had helped him. Right before he betrayed them.
"No," she said, and suddenly there was no waver in her voice to be hidden. She stood quickly and walked inside- normally, without running or stomping, which she would have done had she left any earlier. But the cool certainty she felt was put on edge by the eyes that watched her. They were always unnerving, but he was truly looking at her now, not to trick or intimidate, but to make her understand. And somehow, that sincerity was the most terrifying thing they had ever held.
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