Parker's laugh makes Dev smile as well. Her being happy makes him feel good. He takes a look in his bag, "I know it's not much, but it would be a good idea to at least have a bite before heading out. Carrot, celery, apple?" he looks inquiringly at Parker and Jo while also testing the weight of his wineskin.
She makes a face at the celery. "I think I'll stick to bread, butter and honey.' she replies still very much happy. "can eat while we walk." she offers. She has a hard time looking away from either man.
Dev smiles, "Celery's good for you. It might not taste like much, but it does have a lot of water." he speaks in a friendly tone, not lecturing, then adds, "You do like bread, don't you?" he chomps down on a carrot stick, and asks, "mind making me a piece while you're at it?"
"Is that a good idea? I mean, I burn water. I was really rather hoping the brass and gears automaton would make breakfast like he made lunch." Parker will inquire as getting bread, butter and honey from the mechanical man. She will also arrange for a pig or some other carcass to deploy as a leech deterrent. do we have some way of carrying the carcass? And have I mentioned I'm never eating meat again?" she wrinkles her nose at the pig.
Dev smiles broadly, "Oh, I truly believe anything that came from your fingers would have tasted better than anything that was delivered by Mr. Butler." He pats the wall next to the door. "the pig carcass is right here. Had it delivered earlier this morning. I was planning on dragging it, but if you have another idea, I'd be open to it." he smiles again at Parker's statement of becoming a vegetarian, "Now, if you truly mean that, I should let you know that I will consider it my god given mission to see to it that your mouth is reintroduced to the succulent taste of meat again." his smile growing broader, "..and as soon as possible, I might add."
Dev raises an eyebrow and says under his breath, "...& here I thought she was all naive and innocent and such." he seems to be enjoying seeing her discomfort. 'Hmmm, so what does that say about yourself?', he thinks to himself.
The look she gives Dev, as she peeks out from behind Joe is honestly innocent. However she is hardly naive. "Blind-ish, not deaf." she reminds him, her tone curious and filled with something more. Her words silky.
"I know love, I know." his look and words are filled with the caring he truly does feel for her. "Believe me, once work here is done, I truly would like to spend some time with you."
A slow smile spreads across his face, "Oh no, not this time." he pauses, then continues, "This one's for floating down, a section of nice shallow rapids over smoothly polished rocks, and a nice waterfall and pool." He eyes her just a bit critically, "Might be a touch cool for you though. Might need to visit during the height of summer."
Parker gives Dev the evil eye, except she's way too cute to do it properly. "Not my fault Ustalavian summers are like Andorean winters. Its like even the sun can't stand it here." she sticks her tongue out at Dev and crosses her eyes at him. Then she laughs, happily teasing.
Parker's evil eye does not seem to phase Dev and he seems to agree with her statement about Ustalav's weather.
"I know." he replies simply. "& I like you." and again, a simple statement of fact.
"& I would like to take you beneath a waterfall someday." He closed his eyes briefly. "This may not be what you mean, but I enjoy hunting monsters. It's what I do. Even if sometimes it's done for a cause instead of pay. Kind of like today." He pauses, "I like the outdoors. One of the reasons I would like to show you a waterfall..or ten...or twenty. I like nature. Especially creatures like Ash. He kneels down and ruffles Ash's fur and scratches around his ears.
"it is what I meant." she says softly. I would like to go places where there are many waterfalls all at once. ...Ash is very special. I do not think there are many creatures like him." she smiles at the tiny dog.
"Than I would like to take you there, too. The sooner the better." He smiles down at Ash, then frowns. He does seem to be rather..special. Ash gets his neck fur ruffled.
She smiles. "First things first... we pull a Prince Charming, find a way to bring Sin back from the dead, rejoin the Kin, and then we can see waterfalls. Or hear and feel them, in my case." it all sounds so logical and easy.
Dev looks a bit conflicted at the use of the "Prince Charming" reference used in this instance, considering they're looking to rescue an "older gentleman" from the information they've received so far. The rest? Well if that's what Parker wants to do, than...well, he certainly didn't have anything better planned. "Whatever makes you happy, love." He separates himself from the wall and trusses the pig to a 10' pole to make it easier for he and Jo to carry, then stands up and looks back towards the others. "Anytime you're ready." He mutters under his breath, "Hmm, might have to cut it in two."
"I suppose if we are going to start naming our adventures, this shouldn't be called a Prince Charming... it should be. Prince Sal, or perhaps just a Flynn.' Parker muses.
Wait... that's not right.... Charming had to wake the sleeping Beauty and fight the evil dragon... the one with the dwarves was just the Prince. He didn't have a proper name. Hmm... sucks to be him.
Johnannes receives a cocked eyebrow, Parker a questioning, "Prince Sal? Not sure I get the reference.
Parker wrote:
"A Prince Charming would involve dwarves, poison, fruit, an evil Queen, and a glass coffin." she muses further.
[b]"..well, we do have poison...and an apple...but I can't see either Jo or I shaving our heads and yelling the girrrll!! at a green glowing stone pursuing empire seeking cult leader.
Parker wrote:
should I be helping?" she looks at the burden the two men carry.
"There's only room for two. Maybe after a bit if one of us gets tired."
Parker wrote:
Wait... that's not right.... Charming had to wake the sleeping Beauty and fight the evil dragon... the one with the dwarves was just the Prince. He didn't have a proper name. Hmm... sucks to be him.
"Sometimes remaining anonymous can be a blessing...and sometimes, well things are done for particular reasons. Growing up, there was a boy I knew. His dad wasn't much in his life. My friends name was 'Sue'."
Parker laughs. "Prince Sal was from an earlier story. Its related, a few hundred years earlier, and not nearly as happy. So lets make this one a Flynn." Bright smile.
Dev smiles back, though his teeth are not showing. Although pale of skin, he does seem to be a darker person. "A Flynn it is then." Dev comments, taking the time to admire Parker's pearly whites. "Should I ask you to tell me this not-so-happy story sometime?"
"Good. " he says, maybe not so much because he would like to hear the story, but that means he gets to spend more time in her presence, at least at some point in the future. "Are there any other stories you would enjoy relating?" he inquires as they make their way back across the bridges, etc. ""Jo? Do you have any fairy tales or stories that you like?"
Joe shrugs, "Not much for fiction." His lips twist in an amused smile, "And dad bastardized all of the fairy tales when I was a child so the hero was a butcher." He nods sagely, "Many a story was solved through proper use of a sharp cleaver."
Parker is puttering about the closet, hanging up her skeleton. There is an opened bottle of wine on the small desk, a glass about half full next to it. New linens and pillows are scattered about, all in deep blues and rich greens. It looks like either a tornado went through the wagon, or Parker is decorating.
He moves the few necessary steps to close the distance, taking care not to disturb anything in the way too greatly, and takes her in his arms, kissing her lightly on the forehead then gazes into her cloudy eyes that still fascinate him so. He brushes a stray lock of hair from her face. "Of course." brief pause "Thought you might be tired and didn't want to wake you." His glance quickly sweeps the interior, "I'd like to help, maybe with the higher areas?"though it would be really nice to see you stretch remains unsaid."or just stay out of the way and provide some company." he pauses again "Of course, if you would rather be alone, I can leave." something in his demeanor says he is hoping this is not the case. "I have found a bed, without you in it, has become a much lonelier affair than it used to be."
Since when have I been tired this early in the evening? I haven't even meditated yet. And... Can you reach this hook? Darn skeleton is heavier than I am. Can't reach far enough... she does seem to be a little on the short side when she's barefoot.
He gladly bends his knees, then lifts her up to the requisite distance making sure not to lift her too high. He lends a hand with the skeleton as well if it seems it is as she said, a little to heavy.
"I figured all the recent excitement might have been a little wearing for you, but I guess you're getting used it." he smiles admiringly at her.
She gives him an almost dirty look. Possibly because she doesn't like to be thought of as fragile or weak. Of course the fact that she needs the hand with the weight of the skeleton annoys her even more. She is really cute when she's annoyed. She smells good, clean, almost like fresh flowers. Her skin is really very soft.
Parker radiates warmth through the fabric of her clothing where Dev is holding her. She blushes softly and then frowns at her bodies betrayal as she responds so well to Devs touch.
Once the skeleton is hung, Dev lets Parker softly back to the floor, keeping an arm around her so she slides back down against him. His nostrils flare slightly as he draws in a slow, long breath "You smell, you look, you feel, you are absolutely wonderful." He looks down into her eyes, smiling, his left arm moving to encircle her as well, pressing her into him. He shifts slightly as his body responds to her.
Kitty. he responds pausing for just a second, wetting his lips lightly before bending down to kiss her gently...well, maybe just a bit more firmly than "gently" on the lips. Again, breathing in through his nose, taking in her scent...or at least that of her bath soap/shampoo/wash. Drawing back, just enough to look into her face, her eyes.
Decorating you say? Dev's tone is just a little teasing. Oh, is that what this is? his hand sweeps expansively behind him before returning to the small of her back. Here I thought it was Hurricane Parker. he grins, draws back to get a better view of her face. Very well then, just one kiss and I'll help you move anything you want within Vitor..and I'll leave you alone until you're done 'decorating' for tonight. Agreed? Dev has not released her from his embrace, her back is now to Ephemera.
btw, what is Parker dressed in? day clothes or night ware?
Parker is wearing a mish mash. White lacy tank top, trousers, held up by suspenders her feet are bare. she has a red scarf tied around her hair to keep it out of her eyes. Dev might not have released Parker but her hand has found a weapon nonetheless. Dev gets hit in the back with a soft downy pillow. Apparently hurricane Parker is picking up speed. Parker laughs happily and mischievously.
Dev blinks, releasing her, completely taken by surprise by the successful sneak attack. His current insidious plot, apparently thwarted at least for the nonce. He thinks of also reaching for that most potent of bedroom weapons, the dreaded 'down feather pillow'. But decides against it as it would most definitely leave him open to further assault. Instead, he employs the less well known, 'grab the bathrobe from the closet and pull it over your attacker' style of defense which should allow enough time to pick up a weapon of his own, and possibly mount a counter attack.
