ℭ𝔞𝔦𝔲𝔰 𝔉𝔲𝔫𝔞𝔯

of course he would, dear caius –when didn’t he want to lend his ears to listen and revel in stories ? it was always that special gift of his she’s always seen within meek eyes of one who at heart remained but a boy being dragged along from business to business by father of his, something that would matter more to her than any power or gift given by the gods above.

“ i just wish i could have a moment of peace … ” her whisper against his lips, kissing over and over as if just such a simple but heartfelt gesture could erase away the walls and obligations away –as if just that could bring the two of them back to their barren yet homely wenchinka, where they used to run through weak patches of wildgrass underneath old castle’s shadows and let echos run across tall cliffs. “ are you sure i can stay ? you’ve got a lot to do –i don’t want to further weigh on you, as much as i miss our mutual rambling about all kinds of things. ”

[ ADJUST ] : sender adjusts an item of clothing or jewelry that the receiver is wearing, resulting in them being very close together. || @bluepathos

“ if you ever want to hear about it, i can tell no problem. ” so many times she’s heard fellow vrajiits envelop the period of training with mysticism and fright when truth be told –it was just as harsh as any school or training would’ve been ; and without such a guide so stern and precise, without the watchful gaze of veteran who knew so well how to direct them and scold them when mistakes would happen, they would have little to no control at all towards something that was intrinsic part of them and yet so unknown, so much of a source of power as mysterious as unknown itself was.

and perhaps, it could be of help to one who never has reached heavy duty training such as caius dear, whom he knew would’ve always preferred book and words to shields and swords.

her sigh escaped in a form of relief that still had so much tension lingering within its threads, her hands so nervous when holding his. “ that’s what matters the most. probably you’ve been gifted with a power that is relatively harmless. ” and yet it was there –in her gaze the tiredness of so much more than just the recent tragedies befalling one after another, seeking in beloved’s touch and attentions even just a little bit of escapistic salvation. “ how can i possibly feel ? trapped, caged –weak now, since i have lost my power. i would love to just grab a horse and run back to wenchinka, but … that would mean break the heart of those that have welcomed me as family. ” erszebet’s hands giving the other’s a light squeeze, closing her eyes for a moment –as if that would make her energies reappear all of a sudden ; she almost hoped so.  “ i am very tired, caius. very, very tired. ”

          As someone who was born without any powers, except for his smarts and wits, he had no idea how was it to serve in the army. He knew only what he had heard or read in some manuscripts, but that was it. Erszebet had gone through all that, he was sure she was a much more stronger woman now than before, although he never had any doubts about that. Even as a child he knew she was strong, probably could endure much more than he would. “I would love to hear that someday,“ he smiled looking down at her.

          He exhaled and was silent for a moment. What Gil said made Caius think he had lost someone very close to him, but he fully understood him. “I... couldn’t agree more,” he finally said looking up at Gil. “There is no closure, even at the funeral. There’s emptiness that you can’t fill. You just learn to live with it until it eventually becomes smaller or you just... get used to it.” Whoever it was that Gil had lost, it seemed to have left a mark. Caius put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and reassuringly squeezed it. “I’m here if you need someone to talk to or just don’t want to be alone.”

“ to know about it we should first see which ability has been shifted into you. and i advise to keep your worries to a minimum, for your own sake –i can assure we’re all trained by the academy, caius. while there’s some generalized panic around, i am sure my fellow vrajiits have already put their focus already on trying to find a solution to this. most of those whose powers are deeply tied to their livelihood are trained even more in how to survive to the eventuality of encountering a vrajiit with nullification abilities. ” she’s heard plenty of times from her teachers back at the academy on how to deal with this kind of foe –nullifiers, power absorbers, swappers, their dangerous and insidious kind whose only core concept was to take away and create a different and much more dangerous brand of misery–, and while perhaps being all too optimist wasn’t going to be seen as something wise to do, she trusted her kin and their ability to make do of the mandatory service they’ve been dragged in regardless of will ; it had to be useful at some point outside weapon use, no ?

and her stern tone still managed to melt to his touches, his gaze always so filled with a love she had no fear nor doubt in considering eternal –trespassing time and space and dimensions, all - encompassing, rupturing a smile on her own concerned features, fingers so nimble and gentle when caressing his. “ i … can’t say i am fine, and that i would rather return having arguments with annoying stallions instead, but alas we cannot really choose our battles. ” erszebet would never find herself lying to he who was her most beloved, measuring her words as if theirs was but another dance. “ but truly … caius dear, you said it. i am the vrajiit here, and have experience in dealing with this. so i’d like to have you not selfcombust or something. ”

          “Can’t say I know much about the vrajiit training and all the things you’ve gone through. But I trust you when you say people are already looking into it,” he smiled looking at her. He just couldn’t help himself, her presence always managed to make him smile sooner or later. Even if things were going completely wrong. “I’ve had the honor to work with the leaders of the army of the vrajiit and there are some very capable young men, I’m sure they, along with the Academy, are working day and night to figure out what’s wrong.”

life was easier back then, when she was but a horsetrainer’s girl and the chants of a life once noble and glorious and squashed away by one seen as an usurper of all vain greeds being but chants indeed, coming from mouth of a mother now distant somewhere in cold and miserable wenchinka that somehow managed to be less miserable than the oh so called sacred walls of capital’s keep –life was easier when there were no arrangements or deals or compromises, when all she had to do every morning was to tend to the horses and giggle at a clumsy noble boy trying to win her attentions with his careless scampering while parents didn’t even bother to look from wherever they were, and holding hands never felt so soft and awestrucking.

she wished she could return to such a time, just like she knew it was foolish to think so. of all things her gifted kin could do, unfortunately touching the very woven fibers of time seemed to be oh so impossible.

“ see ? nothing to fear anymore. ” and to see that smile bloom in front of her meant oh so much for her poor heart now beating so fast she could swear it was ready to run away from her frail ribcage at once –perhaps daring a nervous little chuckle to run along her fingers as she trailed beloved one’s jaw, eased by the sight of him drinking ; all she wanted was for caius dear to smile just like he used to in the less oppressing misery of wenchinka now so missed. “ i know you would. more than anyone –and you know i’ll always do my best to make sure you won’t do something stupid. ”

          “Completely nothing,” he confirmed, the smile still present as he kept looking at her. He just couldn’t teak his eyes away. Every time Erszebet was near, she would capture all his attention, which was especially challenging when they weren’t alone, when they had to keep their feelings under the wraps. Nobody could know. But when they were alone, his eyes saw only her.

— iroh / “avatar: the last airbender”

Easygoing, open-minded, wise, comforting, generous, advising, kind, and humorous. However, beneath his easygoing attitude lays a wise man experienced in the ways of the world, a seasoned and wily strategist. Iroh loves finding joy in the simplicities of life.

— owen grady / “jurassic world”

Down to Earth, brave, charming, and just a bit flirty. Although he jokes around sometimes, Owen takes both human and dinosaur lives very seriously. He will risk his own life if it means helping his friends or saving people. 

— arthur / “inception”

   shopping was one of anduin’s favourite pastimes. losing hours walking around market stalls, weighing up decisions and putting thought into the gift to find another. however, if he was being honest? the festival seemed a little…tactless, given the recent state of affairs. maybe the king’s finally went off his rocker? he was eyeing a small teddy bear. ‘hm…maybe…’ the noble thought to himself, only realising that he wasn’t alone when a voice piped up. “oh!”

   looking to the doll, he let out a small laugh. “i’d say so, yes. i mean– i only have younger brothers, but i know that around this time of year, children appreciate toys quite a fair bit. plus, it’s pretty cute. i say go for it, honestly.”

he looked a wreck. as far as she could remember, caius had never been this devastated, not even when they got once involved with one of the black stallions lord funar had brought to the ranch and that they –stupid, stupid children doing children things– tried to get all too close and almost risked being trampled on by it, allowing for touch so skittish and scaredy to reach for her in need to reach and confirm something, anything. “ close your eyes, take deep breaths. ” her voice trying to be as sweet as possible whilst her heart ached in seeing someone so dear and loving to her in such a state, wanting nothing more than his shoulders to drop and his running heart to find a little bit of reassurance and peace.

“ of course it’s really me, caius dear. i doubt illusions are very much in dire need of a brush for their hair. ” perhaps all she wanted was for him to smile a little bit with a bit of a jest in her words, to reassure himself of her presence not being that rogue vrajiit’s doing –careful as she’d let him caress her face so devotedly, her hands then easing themselves to collect a glass to fill with a nearby bottle of water, offering it to tremulous grip of coinmaster. “ it’s all over, but you need to have a glass or two of water. come on, take a mouthful, do it for me. ”

          Trusting it was indeed his Erszebet, Caius did what he was told to do and closed his eyes. His breathing was still a bit shaky, but he tried his best to ease it. He focused on her voice, her presence. It brought back memories of them being young and without a care, no obligations, no worries, nothing. Life was easier back then. But now there was weight of the world on his shoulders. He opened his eyes and they met hers. It was so easy to get lost in them, even though there was still that small fear at the back of his head that all of this was just another vision, another nightmare and he was completely unaware that he was locked in his own mind. But he took a leap and trusted Erszebet, who was standing in front of him, that this was no nightmare.

and there he was, trembling just like he trembled back when both of them were both small little seedlings forced to grow in bitterness so intrinsic to wenchinka’s wastelands, whispering promises akin to old unheard rites underneath skeleton trees –crying like he’d cry when thunderous nights were setting their foot and funar’s carriage had yet to come and so much shape of darkest clouds would resemble wrath of ancient alioth, beast of the skies and lightnings that would burn the soil of wenchinka asunder over and over again until lightdagger of cosmin would drag it back to darkness where it belonged, their loop eternal.

and fear too, was eternal, this much she knew. taking shape of ghosts just like it could easily blend in with the very living one ought to trust and show benevolence to, muddling all that ran along heart and veins such as love and hatred, mercy and mischief –what a dagger it was, but with no handle to safely hold onto ; as if truly meant to only hurt those who hold and those whose flesh falls apart against its sharpness, just like that sight in front of her making stomach churn as if blade had just sunken forth in heaps of misplaced regret.

“ oh, by the gods, caius –it’s me, listen– ” her voice trying to calm only for anguish cry to pierce and interrupt, her azures parting in wide shock to that tremulous note, the way he’d avoid her almost cracking further that frail little heart of hers –had she done something wrong all of a sudden ? her head shaking and with her blond locks unbraided: no, it had to be what had just happened still plaguing like a curse coinmaster’s shaken mind, still holding onto him like chains that would conduct a so - called criminal to obscure gallows.

thus, she’d collect patience –patience for that man who was but a scared child at the roots of an old skeleton tree, patience like the one of a girl still holding dark horse’s reins in her hands whilst approaching, her steps slow “ please, listen to me … you’ve seen them too, no ? the fears becoming as real as the wood of your desk. but they were illusions, and now it’s all over, please … ” oh, agony truly felt like mouthfuls of rancid water aghast her throat, making her wince. “ … please, caius, don’t cry like this. do you want me to prove i’m actually here ? ”

          “I-I can’t do t-this,“ he stumbled over his own words as he replied with a still shaky breath. This was all too real. She looked different now, better than before in his vision, but he didn’t fully trust his mind anymore. What if she was about to fall to the ground again? He watched her come closer with scared, teary eyes, and so far she seemed to be fine. Maybe... maybe this wasn’t a nightmare after all?