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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 11:17:21 GMT -8
Post by Merc on Jun 7, 2012 11:17:21 GMT -8
Riley wasn't entirely certain how long she had been following Thomas around Fiore like a loyal dog (complete with collar), but she had come to the conclusion that perhaps she was not as bad as the other wild dogs that had been hunting her mercilessly for months.
Certainly, they had seen their fair share of trouble, and as they grew nearer the guild of Fairy Tail she knew this would only increase (after all, it seemed unlikely that the government or anyone else would just create a bounty for her out of the blue - meaning there was someone, somewhere pulling strings behind the scenes, and she was fairly certain she could guess a few of the more likely candidates) whenever they happened to arrive.
She sighed a bit, not really paying attention as she stalked after Thomas, not that it really mattered, since she had no idea where she was anyways. Riley may not have known where they were, or why they were there, but her eyes were peeled, and soon spotted a sign that read 'Akane Resort,' beyond which was a giant building, obviously a part of the resort. There also appeared to be an amusement park of some sort off in the distance - in fact she could faintly hear the screams of people on some of the more turbulent rides.
Closest to them, however, was the beach. A long stretch of golden sand and glimmering, beautiful waters. She blinked her green eyes slowly, walking closer to Thomas as they were in a more crowded area and she was still defenseless without her magic, and slowly tore her attention away to peer curiously at him.
"A beach... Why are we at a beach?" She asked, genuinely confused as to what business they could have in such a place. She paused a moment, frowning a bit, "we... Didn't go around in a big circle and end up back at the port city you captured me in... Did we?" Although, the water here looks a lot cleaner, and I don't see any big supply ships, nor sailors... The people here also seem a bit nicer than the last beach we were at...
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 11:55:42 GMT -8
Post by Thomas on Jun 7, 2012 11:55:42 GMT -8
Thomas and Riley walked through the crowded streets of Akane Resort. It was a popular place for normal Humans to flock to in order to enjoy themselves and to spend time relaxing. Ever since he'd captured Riley, two days ago, Thomas had felt that they'd been followed. He didn't know by who or what, but the feeling didn't leave him even as they altered their course suddenly to the south, making their way away from Fairy Tail. He'd wanted the job, after two months of trying to find the girl, to come to a quick end. However, it seemed this wouldn't be the case as their pursuers remained close on the pair's heels. Thomas was always slightly paranoid of other bounty hunters or guilds coming to snatch Riley away from him. After all the work he'd gone through to capture her and all the time he'd spent before without work had put himself and Marisol in a tight spot. They needed money, but they didn't belong to a guild, so work that payed was harder to come by. Ever once in a while, he'd go to Fairy Tail to look for missions requiring the assistance of outsiders, but most the time their higher ranking mages were able to handle the missions. However, he'd gotten a lucky break with this mission. Apparently this girl was wanted on the grounds of being a member of the Screeching Owls. A well-known Dark Guild of Assassin Mages, hired out by anonymous benefactors in order to eliminate targets. Despite those claims, Thomas had found her easy enough to capture. Though, she had taken the worst of the past two months.
Now, the pair were walking through the resort as though neither of them were any different from the crowds of others that masked their movements. The perfect place to lose whoever it was that was following them. Not to mention, the last place they would look. Thomas could only hope that a short stay here would throw whoever it was off their tracks before moving northward to the Central Fiore and past the capital up to the Fairy Tail Guild on the opposite side of Fiore. Talk about a detour, but it was necessary to remain ahead of the curve. Riley, however, had been taking her capture rather well. Despite the collar, she didn't seem to be afraid of Thomas at all. Not that he wanted her to be afraid of him, but he thought that she would at least distrust him. Which she still did to an extent, but now that they were in the crowd, she seemed to trust him much more, sticking close to him like they were almost tied together by an invisible string. However, that didn't stop her from questioning this move.
"A beach... Why are we at a beach?" the voice reached his ear, the noise of the crowd masking their conversation in the jumble of words and laughter emitting around themselves. "we... Didn't go around in a big circle and end up back at the port city you captured me in... Did we?" She asked, looking to him curiously. At this, Thomas simply looked back to her, considering her with his hazel eyes for a moment before looking back ahead.
"No. That was Yumura. This is Akane. Besides, I spent the better part of two months looking for you." He stated bluntly. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat. We're staying here for a couple days." He spoke as though it was an unavoidable truth. In reality, it was. He didn't feel the need to explain himself any further as the pair entered the hotel they would be staying at. Thomas checked himself and Riley in, the pair of them renting a single room. Despite anything Riley might say to oppose this, they were going to be sleeping in the same room whether she liked it or not, Thomas would simply ignore her if she tried to make a scene. Their room was on the nineth floor of the giant building in room 914A. It was very luxurious and came with a kitchen, living room complete with a sofa, and two rooms connecting with that room. One of them undoubtedly the sleeping quarters and the other the bathroom more than likely. Thomas opened the door to the sleeping quarters and ushered Riley inside. There was a dresser, drawers, a closet, a bed, and a window overlooking the span of the ocean until it met with the sky. The people below looked more like ants than anything and a flurry of color met Thomas' eyes as he glanced out.
"Make yourself at home." He said, tossing a bag with a pair of swim suits onto the bed.
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 12:22:50 GMT -8
Post by Merc on Jun 7, 2012 12:22:50 GMT -8
"Ah, Yumura," Riley murmured, as though trying to familiarize herself with the various locations that Fiore had to offer. It wouldn't really do her any good to just run in random directions and hope that no one would catch her, after all, she had indeed already been caught. She did find something a little strange though. Ever since she had been captured, she had not so much as caught a glimpse of someone from the Screeching Owls, which had her wondering if they were perhaps clearing a path for her, waiting for her to be turned into Fairy Tail - which only served to confirm her thoughts that it was a member of the guild that had ordered she be returned to them - alive, at that. She shuddered slightly as she thought about what they would do to her once she had been turned over to them.
"Yeah, I guess I'm pretty tired," she said, after a few moments of silent contemplation. As he chose not to say any more on the matter, she opted to follow suit and so simply walked along with him, vaguely taking note of her surroundings as her eyes dimmed a little while she wondered what sort of punishment she would be facing in the not-too-distant future. She came out of her own mind in time to hear that they would be sharing a room, her emerald flickering to him as she rose a brow, as though expecting an explanation.
After a few moments, the answer seemed to come to her, as she merely sighed and looked away, shaking her head a bit as she mumbled to herself, "just don't do anything weird to me while I sleep... I may not look it, but I have the reflexes of an assassin," she pointed out in a murmured tone. It made no real difference, since he seemed to be ignoring her anyways.
As the duo made their way into their room, she was surprised by how nice it was. It was much different from the inns that she had occasionally had the money to stay in. Riley almost did not know what to do with herself in all of the space and luxury - all things that she had been lacking in the past months. When she was brought to the bedroom it took all her restraint not to pounce on the bed and settle into it - since she wasn't entirely sure that would send a good message to Thomas.
"Heh," she murmured, as he told her to make herself at home, though refrained from pointing out that home was nothing like this place as she removed her jacket - the heat finally pestering her enough to make her remove it. As she took it off she wandered to the window, noting how far up they were as she lay it upon the dresser. She turned back towards the bed, eying it thoughtfully, she assumed she would be sleeping on the floor as she eyed the bag curiously, having not noticed it before.
She noticed a little something hanging out of the bag that looked vaguely familiar, and looked rather skeptical as she spoke up, "you... carry girl's underwear around with you?"
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 13:01:54 GMT -8
Post by Thomas on Jun 7, 2012 13:01:54 GMT -8
As Thomas glanced away from the window, he saw Riley taking off her jacket, exposing her bare arms as she wore a simple black sleeveless shirt. Her skin was overly pale as though it didn't get much sun, offsetting her dark hair that was cropped off at the neck as though she cut it herself. As she moved over to him, she put the coat on the dresser and came to stand by him, the both of them looking out the window for a moment before he saw her turn, he looked at her and noticed she was looking at the bed.
"you... carry girl's underwear around with you?" She asked, looking back to him as though she was seeing him in a new light.
Thomas didn't say anything on the subject but walked over to the bag and picked it up, reaching inside and taking out a bikini and holding it out to Riley. "For you, so we can blend in better." Thomas explained, his face still as serious as before as he spoke, "We'll stand out around here if we stay in our normal clothes, I believe this is the trend of what's socially accepted in places like this. Call it camouflage." He finished, trying to put it in a way she might understand his reasoning. Once Riley accepted the articles of clothing, he reached in and pulled out a white t-shirt and a skirt-like material for Riley to wear as well and held those out for her to take. "This should complete your look." he stated, waiting for her to accept it. "You can stay in here to change, I'll be in the other room." he walked to the door before turning to look at her. "I wouldn't recommend climbing out the window. it's a long way down."
On that thought, he closed the door behind him, letting go a little early. The door made a noise but didn't latch shut properly, opening just a crack, however, Thomas didn't notice it as he took off his sweatshirt and began changing into his own outfit, setting the giant sword that had been on his back in the corner of the room near the window. It was an orange swim suit that hung loosely about his legs down to just above his knees. He wore a dark pair of sandals that bound firmly onto his feet. Over his athletically toned body he wore a white shirt that looked a little touristy, the same shirt he'd gotten Riley in what had appeared to be her own size. In red letters over a watery sun set read the words 'Akane Resort'. Actually, he didn't look all that bad despite it.
Having changed into the clothes, he walked over to the refrigerator, wondering what food there was to eat, if there was any, provided by the resort. It was packed with several options of foods one might be able to warm up in the oven or something. He wasn't a cook, and really it all just looked like meats, cheese, vegetables, fruits, whereas to a chef it might look like pizza or spaghetti or meatballs, or fish. He couldn't help but lose interest quickly and move onto the cupboards where he was able to find bread, cereals, and other easy to make options of food complete with instructions.
That's more like it. [/blockquote]
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 13:50:55 GMT -8
Post by Merc on Jun 7, 2012 13:50:55 GMT -8
Riley remained skeptic for the better part of his explanation, failing to see how wearing such skimpy clothing would draw attention away from her instead of towards her. She recalled seeing people on the beach wearing such things, but she was much paler than most of the people that had been enjoying the warmth of the sun and relaxation of the beach. She supposed he did have a point, in spite of this. Wearing her jacket was quite obviously out of the question.
She took the clothing slowly, holding them rather gingerly between her fingers. Thankfully, her soon offered her a normal looking shirt and some sort of skirt to better cover her clothing - though, she could not help but wonder when and where he had gotten these clothes.
He told her to change and left, but not before warning her not to try to jump from the window. She rolled her eyes just a little at this. If she was so eager to throw her life away then she would have done in months ago, instead of fleeing for her life. Even with her magic, she probably couldn't get herself down from such a great height - much less while she was wearing the stupid suppressor.
Her fingers rose, light touching at the collar she wore around her neck. She had begun to wonder if she might be able to find someone that was capable of removing it, but it did not seem likely that he would let her out of his sight long enough for her to accomplish this.
Hearing the door closing, or what sounded like it, she began to strip herself down, pausing occasionally to poke at old wounds to see if they had completely healed. Before long, she was wearing the outfit that he had given her, and turned towards the door, paling a bit at the fact that it was open a crack - her mind immediately assuming that he had been peeping at her while she changed.
However, it did not seem to be open enough to be able to see her from where she had been standing, so she crept silently to the door - barefoot- and peeked through the small slit. She saw no one, and so released a sigh of relief, opening the door and just sort of staring at Thomas as he rummaged around in the kitchen.
She was wearing the clothing he had given her, of course, the white tee shirt covering most of her torso, while the skirt like cloth left a little less to the imagination. It nearly draped entirely around her body, but there was a slit up the left side, which was made more obvious as she walked forwards, the gap in the material showing off a portion of her hip, thigh, and the bikini she was wearing underneath.
"If you're hungry, I can make you something to eat if you just tell me what you want," she pointed out, before she could even stop herself. "But, since you still seem to think I'm an assassin I guess that's out of the question..."
And why exactly am I offering to cook for the man who has taken me hostage? They always told me compassion was my weakness... Maybe they were right... She momentarily mused, well, at least he kidnapped me to a nice place...
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 15:26:44 GMT -8
Post by Thomas on Jun 7, 2012 15:26:44 GMT -8
Thomas looked from what he was doing as he heard Riley walk out of the room. She looked stunning with the clothing he had gotten for her, really, he'd just grabbed the first things that had stood out to him. He couldn't take any credit for how things had turned out at all. Blinking several times, he looked back to the cupboard, almost super aware of her distance from him as she made her way, streaming over to him.
"If you're hungry, I can make you something to eat if you just tell me what you want," She spoke, her voice pulling his eyes to her again even though it was against his will. "But, since you still seem to think I'm an assassin I guess that's out of the question..." She spoke as though she were somewhat wrong for having asked that. Thomas' face softened for a moment, almost breaking the serious look that seemed to constantly plague his face.
"I'm not hungry." He said, looking back up and closing the cupboard. He turned and walked toward the door to their room, making sure the key to the room was in his pants pocket before jerking his head for her to exit first. He'd follow her out and lock the room behind him. "Though, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the offer." He said softly to the door as he shut it, locking it with a click before making his way down the hallway. It was a moment longer before he spoke again. "When we get back, I would like you to make something. I'm no cook, so you can choose to make whatever you will." He glanced over at her again like he had been every so often since she'd changed.
They reached the ground floor and walked toward the main door. A group of boys, around Thomas' own age, sat in the corner. Thomas couldn't help but feel like a few of them were looking at him. Or rather, at Riley. He didn't have to check to make sure where their eyes were. He simply gave them a glare as he passed by, his hazel eyes freezing the few looking his way over. At least, that's what he hoped. He grabbed Riley's hand in his, making it seem as though they were a couple as he turned his head back to look forward as they pushed through the main doors out into the blazing sun. Thomas had to squint his eyes for a moment as they readjusted. Though they'd only been inside for a short while, it had been long enough for him to get accustomed to the darkness. Now that they were outside where the light reflected off nearly everything, he could feel the heat almost slap him in the face. However, a breeze quickly cooled him down a little, feeling good against his skin as his hair shifted on his head a bit.
"Well, we should get down to the water, that seems to be where everyone's heading." Thomas stated, observing the flow of traffic. [/blockquote]
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 15:59:52 GMT -8
Post by Merc on Jun 7, 2012 15:59:52 GMT -8
Riley merely nodded a little as Thomas stated that he wasn't hungry, which was one of the possible answers that she had been expecting, anyways. While she wasn't entirely sure why she offered this in the first place, she could not help but feel a little put down with this answer. It seemed the more she tried to do right, the less people believed her intentions. She moved forwards without hesitation as he gestured for her to walk in front of him, her idle hands slowly crossing over her stomach.
She heard him whisper, though was not entirely certain what he was saying - in spite of this, she assumed that he was quietly mocking her. She would believe that wholeheartedly until he spoke up again, causing her bright eyes to flicker to him, resting on his face as they walked. The dark haired teen was more than a little stunned by this, but she eventually gave a soft smile that had been absent from her face for a long time. "Alright," she agreed, allowing her hands to swing gently at her sides as she walked.
She allowed herself to look around once more as they reached the ground floor, taking note of this or that, she was mostly interested in going outside. She had never really played on a beach before - the closest thing she had done to it was being tackled to the sand by Thomas several days ago. She did take notice that Thomas was distracted looking at a couple of boys that seemed to have taken in interest in her.
This made her nervous for a moment, as she felt truly vulnerable without her magic, but it dawned on her that the people at this resort were likely normal humans, and she had been trained in the arts of assassination (not that she would kill anyone, but there was a possibility of her being able to overcome opponents with more physical strength than herself).
Riley was startled once more as Thomas suddenly grabbed her hand, making her fingers twitch a little nervously and causing her movements to become a bit stiffer. He pulled her outside, into the sun, and she used her free hand to shield her eyes from the sun. Somehow, the atmosphere outside felt very light, likely because of all of the laughing and happy chatting in the background, and this seemed to in turn influence Riley a little.
There was a breeze, which caused her skirt to flap around in the wind, temporarily showing off more of her hip and the lower half of her bikini, which she hardly seemed to notice as she started to walk on her own, still absently holding onto his hand, which was perhaps a good thing considering the crowd.
"I never got to actually go to a beach to relax before," she murmured, though it was unclear if she was expressing this to him or merely thinking out loud, "... Why are some people painted?"She asked, stopping suddenly to look at a person whom was plastered with suntan lotion, "is it so that they're friends will find them more easily?"
Of course, being whom she was, and what her family was, they were mostly active during the night, and thus had no real use of suntan lotion. Beyond that, they were still more than a little old fashioned, as well.
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 16:34:19 GMT -8
Post by Thomas on Jun 7, 2012 16:34:19 GMT -8
Thomas felt as something flapped against his leg, the wind having blown her skirt into him, causing him to look over to her as she admitted to never actually having gotten to do something like this before. Actually, he hadn't either, but he wasn't about to admit that after she had. After all, someone had to have some idea of what was going on around here. "... Why are some people painted?" Riley's voice came inquisitively from his side. He looked in the direction she was looking to find someone covered in a white substance that she was rubbing onto herself. "is it so that they're friends will find them more easily?" She asked, causing Thomas to break his serious streak with a small smile. He couldn't rightly tell if it was being proud of himself for knowing this or if her question had made him smile.
"That's sunblock. The sun's light, when it's this bright, can burn you if you're not careful. When people are outside for a long period of time, you typically put sunblock on your body to prevent yourself from getting burned." He explained, "It's said that the lighter your skin, the easier it is to get burned." He raised Riley's arm into the air, comparing her ghostly skin with his own darkly tanned skin by putting their arms side by side, pressing against one another. "I'd say you'd be better off covering yourself as well." He observed, taking her hand again and leading her to the merchant tents that were standing up one after the other in a line between themselves and the path to the ocean. He lead her from one to the other, passing by the tent he'd stopped at briefly to purchase the clothing they now wore until he saw a tent with what they were looking for. He purchased a single bottle before leading Riley away into the shade between a few tents out of the way.
He opened the lid and tore off the sealant that prevented the suntan from drying out too quickly before taking off his shirt and putting it on a ledge to his side. He then took the bottle and put the sunblock in his hand before holding the bottle out to Riley. "Your turn." He nearly ordered her to take it. He'd then lather his hands and apply it to his own skin, showing her how to do it. He'd proceed like this until the sunblock had been applied everywhere he could apply it to himself. "Turn around." He'd put sunblock on his hands before applying it to Riley's back, ensuring to get under the strap in case it shifted a bit. He'd then grab her shoulders and turn her around manually so that she was facing him. "Can you do mine?" He asked, turning himself around, holding the bottle out to her again so she could get him. [/size]
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 17:02:16 GMT -8
Post by Merc on Jun 7, 2012 17:02:16 GMT -8
"Sunblock, hmm?" Riley mumbled, tilting her head just a little at this revelation, "Makes sense, I guess." She nodded a bit to herself, raising a brow at his comment about light skinned people, and watching as they compared the color of their skin. He was, of course, much darker than she was. She hadn't noticed it so much before, but staring at their arms like that make her consciously aware of the fact that she was about as white as snow.
She was then led off once more, to where, she did not know, but she assumed that it had something to do with acquiring suntan lotion. As such, she followed after him rather obediently, her green eyes dancing, observing people, the water, feeling the warmth of the sand on her bare feet, just enjoying being alive - since she wasn't entirely certain that she would be living for too much longer. In fact, it seemed most likely that she was soon to meet her end.
Well, I might as well enjoy what time I have left...
Riley watched as her purchased a tube of what she assumed was suntan lotion, before bringing her around the merchant tents and to a more shady, slightly secluded spot where they would not be easily spotted. As he took off his shirt she stared blankly at him, noticing for the first time that he was actually quite muscular. She had seen shirtless men before, but somehow she could not help but blush slightly as she accepted the bottle of lotion.
And then she realized that he had told her to remove her shirt as well.
Her blush grew a little fiercer, and for a moment she watched him applying the suntan lotion, to dumbfounded to respond. Well, other people are wearing even less than what I have under this, so I guess it's okay...? She thought, turning a little away from him and peeling off her shirt while she held the suntan lotion between her thighs. She went to work applying it, until, like Thomas, she had more or less covered what she could cover on her own.
As he spoke, she turned so that he back was entirely to him, and stiffed and shuddered as his hands smothered the cool lotion onto her sensitive back, causing her heart to race for once reason or another. She had quite a few bruises and such, actually, from the various encounters she had in the last couple months, but the bandages on her hand had been removed, so she was more or less no worse for wear.
He then spun her about, her cheeks still flushed as she was instructed to put the lotion on him as well. Silently, she accepted the bottle, put some lotion in her palms, rubbed them together, and began to smooth it out until his back, her soft hands covering his bare skin with the lotion.
"Like this?" She manged to ask.
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Detour
Jun 7, 2012 17:58:12 GMT -8
Post by Thomas on Jun 7, 2012 17:58:12 GMT -8
Thomas noticed how red her cheeks were when he turned her around again to face him. He couldn't really understand what the big deal was, but decided it be to be considerate and not ask. Maybe it was just the heat. However, if it was something bad... Thomas put his hand up to her burning forehead.
"Are you alright? Maybe we shouldn't do this today if you aren't feeling well." He spoke a little concerned as he looked at her. With this, her face seemed to grow a little redder and he wondered if it might have gotten worse somehow.
"A-alright? Yeah.... I'm alright... Fine... Just a little... Flustered...?" Thomas' scowl deepened as she confirmed being alright. She didn't look alright. Rather, she didn't sound alright either. He couldn't understand what was going on, but he didn't like it. If she wasn't well enough to travel, it might be that they'd be stuck here longer than he anticipated. Not to mention if they were here for too long, they'd run the risk of meeting their pursuers face to face. "... Why?" She asked, looking at him intently with green eyes of her own. Thomas studied her for a moment longer before letting his hand lower back down to his side after brushing a strand of hair over her ear that he hadn't noticed before but was bugging him as it stuck out in an odd angle.
"Your health is important. I noticed your body still hasn't recovered from your misadventures. You shouldn't push yourself too hard."
His face returned to its normal hardness as he turned around so that Riley could have a better angle at his own back. The cold of the lotion froze him a bit, causing him to tense, but he relaxed as she smeared it about. Thomas reassured her that she was doing it right, instructing her on places she hadn't gotten before turning around once he was satisfied the job had been done well. He picked up his shirt from the ledge and put it on again, shaking his head, allowing his hair to fall about his face naturally again. Once Riley had her shirt back on as well, he'd put his hand on the small of her back and lead her out of the tent, making their way down to the beach.
They blended in well with the crowd, the bustle of bodies mingling together as the pair descended toward the water. Thomas made sure to only press lightly against her back to ensure he didn't hurt her back when he did so. "Out of curiosity." He asked, realizing he didn't know. "Do you know how to swim?" [/size]
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Detour
Jun 8, 2012 5:02:00 GMT -8
Post by Merc on Jun 8, 2012 5:02:00 GMT -8
As if touching at her forehead was not enough, Thomas soon brushed some hair from her face, making the timid teen swell up with even more unidentifiable emotions. Luckily, her face did not get any better, but her mind was cluttered, making it hard to pick any sense out of what was going on with herself. She certainly didn't feel sick or as though she were pushing herself too hard, this was something else. She said nothing for as he turned his back to her, allowing her to finally put on the suntan lotion.
This period of silence, while she smothered him with lotion, allowed her to calm down, and she began to sort out her thoughts, considering things logically and picking them apart, identifying what was different from this situation and others. She continued to quietly maul this over as he turned back to her.
Thomas soon put his shirt back on, and she did the same, feeling his hand fall to her lower back as he ushered her along once more. They tromped across the sand, Riley feeling a little feverish once more as they worked their way through the crowds and towards the water.
At his question, she finally turned her eyes to his face, but this was only brief, as they then flickered towards the water. People were happily splashing around and playing in it, which was not how she had learned to swim. As part of her training, she had been taught to swim, to enter the water seamlessly, as though she was a part of it, without making much noise at all, similarly she had learned to hold her breath for a long time. Well, she couldn't swim very well, she could barely keep herself afloat the way that she had been taught, but she could certainly hold her breath for a long time.
This brought back some unpleasant memories, so she soon shook her head a bit, trying to draw herself out of her thoughts, "I can't swim very well," she said after a moment of inner debating, "but I can hold my breath for a long time..." She added, as an after thought.
As they mingled through the crowd, there was an instant in which she swore she saw a familiar face pass them, which truly did make her feel sickly. It was a hard face, one withered with time and cold as ice, with eyes much like her own and hair peppered black and grey. It was only for an instant, but it made her stomach sink. He hadn't said or done anything to her, but the sharp eyes were unmistakeable. She glanced over her shoulder, but the older man had vanished, fitting for the head of the family of assassins. She knew that this meant something terrible, yet simple - there was no need to try to grab her, because they already had her right where they wanted her, this was merely their way of taunting her.
She turned her eyes back to Thomas, observing him for a moment, as something finally dawned on her. "Ah, I know what it is, now... I'm not sick," she was able to assure, with the bit of courage she had to muster, "I'm just not used to being treated with such gentleness. I guess it's a little hard to process so I keep blushing like an idiot..." She murmured, raising a hand to her cheek, which was not nearly as red as it had been, earlier.
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Detour
Jun 8, 2012 10:08:47 GMT -8
Post by Thomas on Jun 8, 2012 10:08:47 GMT -8
Thomas couldn't say how much he disliked being like this. Without his long sleeved shirts, he felt exposed. Especially without his sword nearby to defend himself with. However, it couldn't be helped. They couldn't run the risk of normal civilians identifying them in the midst of this crowd. Especially as mages. Thomas, himself, didn't have a guild marking, and Riley didn't have one that had been visible when she had taken off her shirt. It was possible she had it somewhere on her legs, but Thomas couldn't imagine it being someplace she couldn't easily show others. It didn't fit the profile of someone part of a guild. Thomas frowned, wondering why Fairy Tail wanted a girl who was supposedly part of a guild yet didn't have the insignia of the guild anywhere on her body. It was possible it was an unsanctioned guild, but even dark guilds had insignias.
He didn't have the time to think this before Riley commented on her inability to swim. Well, they wouldn't be going too far out into the water anyway. Thomas was a good swimmer as long as the current wasn't too strong. A smooth setting like this was no problem for him as he had learned the skill in his youth. "All's the more you don't go too far off on your own then." He spoke, noticing Riley's face change suddenly. His eyes flitted in the direction she was looking, not seeing anything of interest before looking back to her a little confused. However, he'd been peppering her with enough questions. After all was said and done, as long as he was nearby, he was sure that keeping her safe wouldn't be so much a problem. After all, while she was her captive, she was his responsibility for ensuring her safety. It was a responsibility he was taught long ago, back when he was a kid. There were many things he had been taught other children his age might not have been taught. And there were many things he didn't know that other children may have though him queer to be so ignorant.
"Ah, I know what it is, now." Thomas' eyes shot to hers that were already trained on him. "I'm not sick, I'm just not used to being treated with such gentleness. I guess it's a little hard to process so I keep blushing like an idiot." Her face was still a little red, but she looked timid in the sea of people. He couldn't help but be confused on this point. He wasn't doing anything that he wouldn't do for anyone else. Had she lead such a different life that she was unaccustomed to the simple courtesies he was showing her?
"Well, if it's making you uncomfortable, i can try to be a little harsher." He offered, narrowing his eyes skeptically as though he were wondering if she was really complaining about him being too nice. "I don't know why it's such a big deal. Didn't your parents ever take care of you when you got sick? Or had someone look out for you when you were out on missions?" He asked, trying to understand why she was getting so worked up over it. [/blockquote]
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Detour
Jun 8, 2012 12:32:22 GMT -8
Post by Merc on Jun 8, 2012 12:32:22 GMT -8
"Ehhh, no, I didn't mean it like that, I'm not a masochist," she protested, raising a hand to rub lightly at the side of her neck, "I was just saying that it's not something I'm used to..." She mumbled, not entirely certain that she was getting her point across. As he continued to speak, the only sound she was immediately able to make was a small 'heh'. A brief silenced followed, in which she contemplated whether or not she should tell him - in the end she decided that she might as well talk to her hearts content, since her own death was a near certainty.
"No, my partners did not take care of me when I was sick, nor did they ever have anyone else look out for me when I was not in the guild. If I had ever come down with anything serious, then they would have simply let me suffer or die. You may think I am overreacting, but I know this for certain. My brother returned to the guild once, wounded and lingering on the edge of death, and they just shut him outside, saying he had disgraced the family..." She shrugged a bit, her eyes drifting somewhat vacantly over the water, "to them, my existence is worthless, but he... He was the prodigy. He was the one that raked in big money, and money is all any of them have ever desired."
"In an assassin's guild life has no worth. They take it so often and cheaply that it means nothing to them. Compassion doesn't exist. Blood, old families, rule, and even then, gold is heavier than blood. They are stuck in a time that should have died long ago, but they enjoy the power, the money, the bloodshed, so they do not stop, and no one tries to stop them." She shook her head softly, "corruption runs deep in Fiore, I could not tell you how many 'honorable men' have sent requests to the guild and crawled to the top while in the guild's back pocket."
"For the right price, even my own parents would kill me, without hesitation, too," she commented, her mouth feeling a little dry and bitter as she spoke, "you asked me if I could swim earlier. I told you I could hold my breath for a long time, which I learned when I failed to do something my teacher asked, and he simply pinned me under the water until I stopped moving, as punishment for not swimming in the manner that I was supposed to learn. My parents were watching, they did not try to help nor stop him, rather they scolded me for 'shaming the family'."
Riley's fist clenched at her side, shaking a little as she had clearly gotten herself worked up as she did not seem able of shutting herself up just yet. "If you would like more examples, I could tell you more. Though, I couldn't tell you how many times they made me stay outside, a rock heavier than myself in my lap, crushing my legs, nor could I tell you the number of times the guild members would pin my arm to a table, spread my fingers and see how quickly they could stab between them without hitting them, and I can't recall how many times my hands have been stabbed because of that. I also couldn't tell you the number of times they tested their poisons and antidotes on me, or how painful that was. I couldn't tell you how often they would force me to fight and train, or drag me around on missions that I did not want to do - nor could I tell you how severely I was punished for trying to change the tides of fate..."
Her voice was getting a little uneven as she continued, "so I left the guild, only to find that the people outside of it were equally ruthless and compassion-less..." She swallowed hard, exhaled deeply, and seem to regain control of her senses as her voice returned to normal.
"But I digress... At least you should understand now, that kindness is not something that I am accustomed to." She finished, her eyes finally falling upon him.
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Detour
Jun 9, 2012 14:48:35 GMT -8
Post by Thomas on Jun 9, 2012 14:48:35 GMT -8
Thomas had remained silent as she had spoken on her past within the assassin's guild she had been part of. He couldn't imagine how he might have turned out had his own parents treated him like that. As a failure, as a screw up. Like nothing he'd done had ever been good enough to have earned their love or respect. He'd been fortunate having grown up with a supporting group of mages. He reached out and placed a hand on top of her head. For a moment, he didn't say anything, he just kept his hand there, studying her face.
"Riley, I'm sorry." His voice broke the silence in his apology. "I know I can't prove to you that the world is filled with compassion. But I will not allow you to be taken advantage of like that." [/color] He let his hand drop from her head after ruffling her hair a bit, a small smile touching the corner of his mouth, softening his features a little. "After all, you're my captive, I have a responsibility to you." It was odd, the way he spoke. It was like he was teasing her, yet, he wasn't. He allowed himself to break off eye contact with her to look out at the water and put a hand into his swim trunks pocket. "Feel free to enjoy yourself. I'll just watch from here." He didn't want to admit it, but he didn't really know what to do. He'd never come to a beach before, so he wasn't sure what people did here for fun.[/size][/blockquote]
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Detour
Jun 9, 2012 15:09:15 GMT -8
Post by Merc on Jun 9, 2012 15:09:15 GMT -8
Riley was a little surprised as he rest a hand on top of her head, but she soon blushed softly and accepted it as another kind gesture as he spoke up, making her feel a little bad for having spouted so much information at the drop of a hat. His expression seemed to soften as he smiled, after ruffing up her hair a bit. She couldn't help but smile a little at him in return, letting out a soft 'tch' sound when he reminded her that she was his captive, as though the collar was not enough of a reminder.
"Alright," she said, and with that drifted closer to the water, a little away from where other people were floundering as she did not want to get in the way. She went to stick a tow in the water, but a wave promptly swept forwards, burying her up to her ankles and making her take an instinctive leap backwards - albeit without releasing a sound.
After her brief flirt with the wave, she quietly slid into the water, feet, ankles, knees, until she was hip deep in the cool water. There she stood for a few long moments, just sort of looking around as though wondering what she was going to do - before simply throwing herself into the water with a noisy splash. She lingered under the surface for a moment, but her head eventually popped out of the water once more, contemplating something or other.
She splashed around in the water for a bit, wandering aimlessly around in it, her clothes and hair all drenched - the white shirt clingy to her body, more or less see through and altogether pointless and just weighing her down.
Riley hadn't gotten a change to play much as a child, which was perhaps why she felt so giddy to be able to at that point in time. Once more she eyed Thomas, and when she was certain he was not looking at her, she peeled of the shirt, quickly balling up the sopping wet article and throwing it at him before disappearing into the water, feeling a little more comfortable in the bikini since everyone on the beach was more or less wearing the same thing and thus not paying attention to her bareness. However, she still refused to remove the skirt like cloth.
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