Leoian shrugs his shoulders explaining further to Finwa as they climb. "Well it seemed like the size of a bear, but maybe not exactly, I didn't get an accurate measurement, I was too busy trying to get out of the way." He paused thinking about the creature swooping towards him "It might not have been trying to grab me either, maybe it was just trying to play, I decided not to stick around to find out. I've never seen anything like it, eagle type wings, but way bigger than any eagle I know, and it's body was fuzzy rather than feathers."
He peered out in the direction Finwa pointed trying to make something out. 'Smoke? Well I guess it's a little bit foggy' "Maybe it is just this place.. I still don't see anything... looks like a pretty dark area of the woods over there... are you sure we should go there? Ummm... I guess a tree a little closer would be ok, as long as we're careful." He just felt something was off "I'm not sure about this place, don't get too close Finwa."
Finwa wiggles her nose in disdain at the description of the creature that had knocked Leo, her ears flicking back as well, "Fuzzy with eagle wings. Wonder what in the world it was. No no maybe I don't want to wonder. It might not be nice."
She scratched an ear as Leo said he couldn't see anything and considered it while they waited in the tree. She was not sure what to do now. Leo didn't want her near it and she was sure something was wrong but had no clue what.
"Leo ... if we don't get closer then how do we find out what's going on if we don't get closer? It could just be a little town or ... well, maybe something we shouldn't be near but there is no way to find out." She kissed him on the cheek, "We should do something." Her eyes lifted as she looked up at him, her couple inches making it so he actually had someone to look up at him for once.
Bryn looks to the pair of lady's and know's that he is very lucky to still be alive. But he wishes to draw the private person out of her shell slightly; "So, where did you learn fencing? University? The Military?"
"Learned it in prep school first. There are, well, places one can go to keep one's skills sharp. That is, if you don't mind a little risk and a promise of silence." Charlene smiles primly. "Besides, they pay well. It's how I financed my education after the family went broke. It's also good preparation for the world of business. Except there's less backstabbing in underground dueling. You actually did quite well in our little show duel, considering. Of course, your height and arm length serve you well there."
She looks off into the forest with some anxiety. "Do you think they will be all right? How long do you think they'll take to scout out this place? It didn't seem very far."
"Yeah, I'm pretty much amazing. But I'm not going to bring guys who aren't going to get executed to an untested place like this. We're not really in the clear or anything," says Mittens.
"Untested place...? I can't help but think you caused this place, Ms. Meowselsworth. Tell me, do you have a degree in physics?" Charlene eyes the hovering feline suspiciously.
"Engineering, actually," remarks Mittens, rolling back onto her back. "Or well... I guess something like that... It doesn't matter, though. Physics, mathematics and engineering are my hobbies. Hosting reality television, though, now that's where it's at! That's a real career!"
Leoian smiles at the kiss, he really wasn't used to anyone being shorter than him, well except for Mittens. He didn't think it would really matter if she were shorter or taller, but maybe it did. He hadn't really thought about it, but he'd never been attracted to one of those tall human types of course he never really got close to any either. It was just difficult picturing himself with someone twice his size not that he had really pictured himself with anyone before. He shook his head to stop his mind from wandering "I don't mean not to go closer at all... I just mean... don't go in where the light doesn't reach. I have a bad feeling about it."
He sighs knowing that it doesn't really make any sense, and he can't explain "You're right, we need to scout it and we need to get close to do that... I just don't want something to hurt you. Maybe I'm being silly... or overprotective. Let's go look." He starts to climb back down the tree.
She nods as he speaks then smiles shyly as he says he doesn't want her to get hurt, her cheeks showing a light pink through her soft fur, "You are not being silly. You're being caring and i feel the same. I don't want you to get hurt either. Ok let's go, stay in light areas and be careful so neither of us gets hurt."
She knows by how Leo is around her that he would do his best to watch out for her but at the same time she would watch out for him. She thinks of how things have changed and smiled. This may be dangerous but those she most cared for were there. Except maybe that mountain she tried to make friends with. She hoped he survived the contest.
Finwa found the road then got as close to the town as she dared before looking for a good tree to climb, "Ah here's a good big tree. It is willing to help us." She had her hand on the trunk and smiled as she patted the bark.
Charlene nods emphatically at Mittens' words. "Indeed, entertainment is where all the money is. You wouldn't catch me doing accounting for, say, the Academy of Sciences. Not a chance. Entertainment is the most important industry in the world now. Take away fan worship and the global economy would collapse!"
Leoian nodded slowly, and offered another smile when Finwa mentioned she didn't want him to get hurt either. "Thanks, I think I'm extra on edge not being able to find this village... I can follow week old squirrel tracks, but lose an entire village. I'm not used to things eluding me like this."
He moves along towards the village with Finwa feeling uneasy following her along after something he couldn't perceive. Maybe this is how others felt when they tried to follow him tracking and hunting.
Peering up at the tree Leo nods agreeing that it seems to be a fine tree, but then seemed a little confused at the way she said the tree was willing to help, as if it talked to her. He'd spent a lot of time in nature, and often talked to spirits of animals or plants, but they never talked back. "Yes this tree looks like a nice one. We should try to hurry back to the others." He patted the tree softly "Thank you for letting us climb." The halfling started climbing up into the tree.
Finwa shrugs not knowing what is wrong for Leo to not be able to find the village, "It could just be that you are adjusting to this place. Kind of like when you go from a dark room out into a sunlit day." It sounded sort of like a possibility but it could be something more but she did not want to think negatively.
She nodded and then climbed, going part way up the tree to aa nicely hidden spot and waitex for Leo to get there. Once he was beside her she reated a platform which was well hidden in the branches and leaves.
There we go. Ok that is the vilage door beside the two scraggly aspen that looks like someone cut off the limbs on one side of each to see the rad better from the door. Ah. A guard or militia allowing people to come or go. Medieval style but no one seems the same. Some somber colors, others bright. At least our humans won't stand out but I don't see any small people yet."
Leo was with Finwa right up until she said village door, then she lost him. "ummm.. ok I do see a couple of scraggly aspen..." He tries to find the other things she's talking about and can't come up with them at all. Either Finwa had a fantastic imagination or something strange was going on.
"Finwa... I don't see any of that, no road, no people, no guard." He sniffs at the air "I don't smell any people, or smells I would expect from a village. Maybe I need a better look?" He starts to move away from the nicely hidden spot crawling out on the branch to see if maybe the village was further out where he couldn't spot it.
Leo's words hit hard as if he had shouted them. He didn't see what she was seeing. That was wrong. That was very, very wrong. But why could he not see the same thing? Everyone else saw the smoke and smelled it. Bryn saw the village and she now saw people coming and going. Leo saw nothing. What was the difference? Maybe because he was a robot...
Leo was a robot.
Leo was a robot.
"Anyways, don't mourn the little guy too much. I can rebuild him. I have the technology!"
That didn't matter. It did not matter that he had been a robot.
And Ms. Finwa, while your loyalty is admirable, remember that Mr. Mouskewitz was a killer robot and would have happily bathed in your blood. That is, unless you were one of his ilk."
But I can feel him like a person. His scent ... his personality ...
"As for Leoian, I programmed him the first time myself. I could just pop his programming as it left off into another robot. I might just after this is done, but he sure isn't getting a car! After all, my robots are not the ones on death row..."
This was another of Mittens' programs. One of her shows to get ratings. What if she did make Leo again and he could ...
NO. Leo cared. He was a good friend and his scent said he was interested in her. He saved her and was concerned. That was all that mattered. The past was the past and even then he did not hurt her.
She shook her head as Leo stretched further on the branch and grabbed his foot, "Leo come back. They will see you. We should go meet up with the others and get them to come here too."
"Yeah, you know what I'm talking about! I'd give you a high five, Charlene, but unfortunately, I am really bad at high fives and that would only end in disaster," says Mittens, cheerily, "People like me, celebrities, we make the world go round! I'm kind of worried how the world is doing without me now. Poor world... The whole mad scientist thing, it's more like just a, you know, it's one of those things. Like some people do taxidermy. I master four dimensional teleportation. I like building stuff. Like Leoian! He was the only participant who I built completely on my own. The Hollow was a bit of a tribute. I guess you guys died before finding out about that one. 'Died'. The Hollow was a robot."
Leo's words hit hard as if he had shouted them. He didn't see what she was seeing. That was wrong. That was very, very wrong. But why could he not see the same thing? Everyone else saw the smoke and smelled it. Bryn saw the village and she now saw people coming and going. Leo saw nothing. What was the difference? Maybe because he was a robot...
Leo was a robot.
Leo was a robot.
"Anyways, don't mourn the little guy too much. I can rebuild him. I have the technology!"
That didn't matter. It did not matter that he had been a robot.
And Ms. Finwa, while your loyalty is admirable, remember that Mr. Mouskewitz was a killer robot and would have happily bathed in your blood. That is, unless you were one of his ilk."
But I can feel him like a person. His scent ... his personality ...
"As for Leoian, I programmed him the first time myself. I could just pop his programming as it left off into another robot. I might just after this is done, but he sure isn't getting a car! After all, my robots are not the ones on death row..."[/b]
This was another of Mittens' programs. One of her shows to get ratings. What if she did make Leo again and he could ...
NO. Leo cared. He was a good friend and his scent said he was interested in her. He saved her and was concerned. That was all that mattered. The past was the past and even then he did not hurt her.
She shook her head as Leo stretched further on the branch and grabbed his foot, "Leo come back. They will see you. We should go meet up with the others and get them to come here too."
Leoian stops and looks back at Finwa when she grabbed him "Huh? who will see me?" Finwa seems to be especially worried, maybe even frightened, was it this village or something else? He moves back towards her and gently places a hand on her cheek peering into her eyes "Finwa? Are you ok?" With a little sigh he looks down "It's because I can't see it isn't it? The village is right there in front of us, and a blind man could probably find it, but I can't..." He moves his hand away from her, and nods almost absentmindedly about getting the others.
He rests his chin in his hand thinking 'What could make it so I can't see an entire village, complete with people and everything.' He starts to move back down the tree, but stops himself "Ummm... maybe you should go first Finwa, I can't make sure to stay out of sight of something I can't find." A thought hits him 'Wait, what if it's not something making me not see a village, but something making everyone else see a village that isn't there?' He tries to rack his mind for anything that his mother has taught him that could explain, it must be in there somewhere.
Finwa shivers a bit when Leo lays his hand upon her cheek with concern for him and fear of the situation itself, her eyes almost saying to take her worries away. Please fislx this. But she knows the only way to fix anything would be for them all to find the problem and deal with it.
She put her hand on his as he was taking it away, timing it badly then squeezing his fingers for reassurance.
Why am I such a scardy? Everything makes me nervous. I hate that.
As Leo said she should take the lead she did, going down the tree in a ragged motion that belied her worry then she waited for him before starting off towards where they left the others.
"So we didn't die, Ms. Meowselsworth?" Charlene asks quietly, "Do you know where we are?"
Leo focuses his attention back on Finwa when she catches his hand and gives his fingers a squeeze. He offers her a warm smile to reassure her "It'll be ok Finwa, you don't have to worry so much." He lightly taps his temple "Momma says the answers are in there somewhere, it' s just a matter of finding them."
He followed Finwa down the tree, and started back towards the others. He was strangely quiet along the way, not that he was usually loud on a scouting mission, but he would normally talk quietly with Finwa about something. After some time walking he suddenly exclaims "Magic!" He's possibly even close enough that the others hear him.
"Magic?" Finwa exclaims back to Leo as they get closer and closer to the others. She is surprised by the reference as they had not said anything on their way back and he spoke out rather abruptly, "What about magic?"
"Well, the answer to the question 'did you die?' is kind of complicated and I'd rather not get into it. And as I've said, I don't know where or when we are," says Mittens, "But I know that my theories on four dimensional teleportation now have some experimental evidence behind them. So that's neat, I guess. Long story short: I think I know that I can save her now. And that is what is important. And finding my hot air balloon. That's pretty critical too."
"Life and death, they are all experiences." Bryn says with the fatalism of the Nordic people; "At least we might learn something about ourselves. And maybe get the chance for a new start."
He has obviously been thinking about things, staying silent. "Your life seems to have been exciting Charlene." he pauses; "I mean so far...." and winces at the faux-pas.
"Mittens, goes your hot-air balloon transmit a signal. Maybe with your beautiful helmet you could communicate with it? Or locate it that way." Bryn winces once more. "Oh, of course a genius like yourself would have thought of that. It must be that I am worried about her....them." he quickly corrects himself.
Leoian looks towards Finwa, and smiles "Magic" he repeats as if it would make more sense the second time. "That would explain it. Why does everyone see a village but I don't? Magic." He grins thinking he's figured it out for sure. "Momma told me once that we're naturally resistant to magic. So how am I different from the others? I resist magic. Maybe the village is made up of magic or something... I'm not really sure how magic works."
Finwa 's eyes brighten and she starts to chuckle then laugh, grabbing him into a bear hug as they get to the edge of camp, "That has to be it then! I had not thought of that possibility. If your race is resistant to ..." She stops for a moment and looks into his eyes wondering how Mittens could have engineered that into a robot. Mittens was a self proclaimed genious but this was amazing . The perplexed amusement left her features to be replaced by a smile of pleasure as she turned to the others.
"We have checked out the town and it looks like humans for the most part. The clothing is relatively medieval but nothing much different from what we are wearing. I did not see any smaller people so it might be best if you two check it out from the inside and see if we would be accepted there. Leo could not see it but he thinks it could be because his momma said he is resistant to magic."
She did not realize how silly she sounded if they knew he had been a robot or really even think that Charlene would know. The little woman was just happy to have the situation explained away.
"How could anyone not accept you, Finwa!" Bryn says with genuine affection. "Of course it's not like you could go into town as a child!" he looks her up and down cheekily.
Rubbing a thumb over his slightly stubbly chin. "Why are they magical? Is it some sort of protective magic, stopping the dark creatures of the forest from entering he muses."
"My hot air balloon is a wicker basket, a balloon and a torch... Well, and a whole bunch of tools and stuff so that I can check things out and operate it, but I keep that pretty low tech... it's more of a muse than a reasonable method of transportation!" says Mittens on the subject of the hot air balloon, "That being said, I left some of my things there..."
The feline stays silent for this whole conversation on the subject of Leoian being magic resistant, and seems to think that what is said is reasonable, if her words are any indication. "Alright, so magic. I'm not good with magic that isn't heavily processed. I never have been. That's more of a Kittingsley sort of deal. Do we have any wizards here yet? I was really hoping that I'd be able to gather a wizard... By the way, for those of you who are counting, magic is real. But I think everyone knows that..."
Leoian answers Bryn's question even though it was probably rhetoric "People... especially civilized people, seem to be afraid of what's different. So no matter how pretty, kind, and likable Finwa is, the reception may not be kind. It would be much better if Charlene and yourself went in, as you're more like their kind." He thinks about what Bryn said about going in as a child "Pretending to be a child isn't a bad idea... We're approximately the right size most probably wouldn't question that we weren't." He looks at Finwa and smiles and lightly brushes his hand over her cheek. "Then again, the fur might give you away."
He shakes his head when Bryn talks about the people being magical "No... I don't think they're magical, I think they're made of magic... or... something like that. If they were normal people like you and me, and just protected by magic I don't think I would have trouble seeing them."
He sighs when Mittens says magic is more Kittingsley's domain "But Auntie Kittingsley isn't here... You must know some about magic Meowsie, can someone make a whole village out of magic?"
Finwa blushes from the comments the men lavish on her and smiles shyly while Leo touches her cheek. She sighs and looks to Charlene and then over to Mittens while considering what exactly they were proposing to do, "Actually, you can pull off being a youth Leo and if they know anything about halflings then you would find out pretty quickly. Mittens and I would stand out so we could stay in the tree where we set up in the canopy."
She looks back at Charlene, "Since you are the best out of us all for coordination and everything money wise, you would be the best of us to find out what kinds of goods we can trade and what their monies are. And Bryn ... uhm, you just charm them into answering questions."
The little lady looks at the others insecure on the fact that she's taken over again, "Magic needs a form of conduit just like any mechanics and that can take form inside a person. It could be that the place puts off so much magic that the people are infused with it so Leo can't see them either. I guess at least one of us should look at that. Can you monitor magics with what you have, Mittens? I will give you my fish if you can and try to catch us some chicken or pheasant for supper. I saw some on the ground."
She looks back and forth, "If that made any sense and ... well if you all agree to it all. I can make stuff to sell if they want things so we can buy gear and equipment."
Charlene listens to the others' observations and nods. "I am willing to go into town and see what the place is like, whether Bryn feels comfortable going or not. If I... or we... have something to trade, it would give us a reason for being there and we'd look less like vagrants or refugees, Ms. Finwa. Anything you can create would be very helpful. We can also probe about Ms. Meowselsworth's balloon. Surely something like that flying overhead would catch attention in this lonely place."
She glances at Bryn. "What do you think? Are you willing to go with me? I agree Mr. Mouskewitz might pass as a young person, but if he can't perceive anything there, it seems pointless for him to go and observe. As far as magic goes, I know nothing about it. You, Mr. Silenoz, look more like a magician than anybody else I have seen."
"I pretty much still figure that I should go in, convince them to worship me as a god, and then erect statues in my image, enjoy the high life, or shall I say the On High life, for a little while, get resupplied, and find my balloon," says Mittens, sighing disappointedly. "Yea, I have a device to monitor magics, but it's in my balloon. I'll try to alter my own sensors to detect alternate energy signatures, but magic is such a pain. If Kittingsley were here, she'd whip up some kind of horrible magical device that detects magic and cooks bagels."
With a quick nod at Leoian's astute observations, although Bryn smiles that he wasn't also referring to Finwa's feline nature but her feminity - being the later takes up more of the Norsemans thoughts.
At Charlene's questions, smoothly he replies. "Of course, I would be happy to accompany you. As for my arcane knowledge...." there is a wicked glint to his eye.
"I did hear of an old story - about a maker of children's toys. He was lonely in his house in the middle of the forest; so he decided to build himself some children." Bryn says slowly a sad look to his eyes. "He started with small metal mouse, however he was not happy he created first one person and then another."
Bryn gets into his story-telling, you can see that he is a performer. "Soon he had a clockwork village, their movements were a marvel but they had no-anima; no life. He watched as they went around their tasks, doing the same boring routine. This depressed the old man, too much like the living people he had left behind."
"One night a young stranger came, not more than your height Leoian. He promised the toy-maker that he could make them more realistic, if he could spend the night. The toymaker agreed."
"However when morning came, the stranger was nowhere to be found. The clock-work people started acting like real people, but their creator soon found that they were beyond his control! Never a people person, they turned against him - forcing him from his home into the cold embrace of the woods." Bryn looks sadly; "In the woods he met the stranger, who smiled at him and told him that his mistake was to run from his problems. The toy-maker screamed and his heart burst!"
"Some still dark nights you can still hear his wail..." Bryn concludes.
Leo looked towards Finwa curiously "Well it's true I might be able pass as a child, but I don't feel very comfortable going into a village that I can't perceive... and as Ms. Oftenseen said there isn't much point in me being there, I would probably be more useful catching chickens.
He listens to Finwa explain about magic and conduits and understands a word here and there. "Ummm... does infused mean they're fake people made out of magic? ... What's that called when someone makes something seem like it's there but it isn't?" He might have to get Kittingsley to explain magic to him next time he saw her he didn't think it was something he'd ever have to worry about. "Well... whoever goes in there I think should be very careful... in case things aren't what they seem." He looked around at the others after Bryn's story "The magic was only pretending to be nice... Maybe we shouldn't go, if this magic is like what happened in Bryn's story... I don't want anyone's heart to burst."
"It's alright. Magic has to be accepted to occur - the toy-maker wanted the magic to work. To have friends without any hard-ship or heart-ache, thus he accepted the consequences." Bryn tries to reassure the inquisitive man.
"We will be careful, Ms Oftenseen is a great swordsman and I..." he continues. "The village won't be too serious a threat." he says confidently. The Norseman is full of confidence, he goes over to the shorter love-rival and softly hugs him a thanks for the concern. 'It's been a while since people actually cared about me the person, not just the position.'
"Oh good points." Finwa says to everyone pointing out that Leo wouldn't do well going into town if he couldn't see the people or town, "I can make a couple small things for you to bring with you to see if they will sell and you have the packs you can show off too." She answers Charlene.
She sat down to work on a couple small objects but listening to the others as well, "Bagels sound good but this Kittingsley isn't here so I believe you will have to do, Mittens, and I am sure you will do well enough."
The woman looked up at Bryn as he told the story then explained to Leo about it and smiled calmly, "Infused is like ... you know when you put sugar in tea? The sugar melts into the tea. It becomes part of the tea. So if people are always around that town they probably soak up a bit of the magic. It wouldn't hurt them but it would affect your ability to see them."
She looks up at Bryn, "You two will be careful? Very careful. I want you both back." She stands up with what looks like a grass doll and looks at Bryn as the man hugs Leo.
"Oh, yea, Kittingsley isn't here. And if you ever do meet her, I'd suggest you run... She'll probably think that you were responsible for the murder of myself and Boots and want to kill you all. Haha! Seriously, my family life is insane." Mittens curls up on her hoverboard and says, "Welp, I'm getting to work on my sensors. I'm going to project myself into helmetspace and..." Mittens falls asleep. She's probably just sleeping and not doing any of this fancy stuff she claims to be doing.
Bryn breaks off from his embrace, with a friendly nod.
Raising an eyebrow; "Infused, intriguing?" he bites his lip at Finwa's logical conclusion to the initial idea. "And a couple of your beautiful creations would be useful, allowing us to have...currency." there is distaste for this concept. He moves over to look at what she is crafting a soft smile, that he tries to repress.
As he passes the thinking Mittens he gives her a soft light stroke absent-mindedly. Not disturbing the helmet-cat.
As Finwa carefully crafts the items, Bryn puts them in his bag. "I'll be cautious but bold." he says as he embraces the feline lady once her task is complete. One hand around the shoulder, with the other in the small of her back threatening to travel lower. He leans over her protectively, the soft pressure between their bodies as he squeezes slightly. "We'll be fine, you keep safe too. I was worried." he whispers into her cheek as his soft lips brushes it.
Leoian still looks somewhat confused, everyone seems to have different notions of magic, does it not work on him because he just doesn't accept it?
After listening to Finwa he sounds rather unsure "Oh... so the people are like sugar going into tea? They dissolve and just become part of the tea... but I don't want people to go in there if they're going to dissolve into magic. Even if it doesn't hurt you I'll lose everyone." He really wished Kittingsley were here, or if he at least understood what it really meant to be resistant to magic maybe Mittens can explain more "Mittens do you know about magic resistance? Does it just mean I can't see magic things? Oh... she's asleep"
He returns Bryn's hug as the man gets down to his level
When Bryn moves to embrace Finwa, rather than just standing there awkwardly Leo moves over to Charlene "Ms. Oftenseen we haven't always seen eye to eye on things" He smiles looking up at her realizing that, due to their height difference, it was true also in a very literal sense "But I do like you, be careful... don't let the magic eat you. Do you want a hug too?" He holds out small arms to her.
Charlene kneels to embrace the small deathbot with one arm, holding her gear with the other. "Funny, I was worried about you being a killer robot when it was actually my fellow humans who wanted me dead. That makes sense, though. People have always called me a robot."
She hefts the stout branch she's been using as a walking stick. "What do you think, Bryn? Do we simply go in together?"
As Mittens goes to sleep Finwa smirks and shakes her head not truly believing that the cat was going to work even if there was a bit of thought that maybe that was the way the helmet-cat did things. Who knew but her? And apparently her weird family. Not that she could talk with her psychopathic, aryan race brother.
"Oh no ... Leo. I will explain better in a bit. No one would get hurt by this." She sighs as she tries to figure out a way to explain it better when Bryn comes to her.
The smirk lengthens as she notices the attempt to repress the dislike for currency and the gleam in her eyes shows that she is amused by his distaste for it, remembering interviews she had seen him in while he was a rock star.
Finwa hugs Bryn back, softly purring from the contact and shivers involuntarily with pleasure as he brushes his lips across her cheek. She closes her eyes and purrs louder, "We'll stay safe. I'll make us a safe spot where we can hide in a tree. I'll show you where the tree is and the village then we'll hide and wait. We'll all stay safe."
She opens her eyes as she holds him tightly against her, worried as he and Charlene would be going into more danger. Her words are almost a mantra in her mind that everything would be alright. It had to be. She couldn't lose him again, or lose Charlene. Or Leo. Even Mittens.
Bryn looks into her eyes, her beautiful long thick lashes framing the fear in her eyes. The soft thrumming from her warm body resonates against him and he makes a quick decision; his soft lips meet hers. Warm insistent pressure as he boldly kisses her, there is the slight nervousness of a first kiss.
This is quickly lost in sweet passion, Bryn is lost in the kiss the exquisite pleasure. But the aftertouch of the kiss lingers upon his lips like a expensive perfume. "Do not worry, think about later!" he says with a sharp promise and the crooking of an eyebrow, to try and reassure Finwa. In the back of his eyes there is a slight apprehension at his actions, awaiting rejection. Then with a slight squeeze he parts.
Moving towards where Charlene awaits him, for them to leave. Then he turns around a produces a badge from his pocket and throws it to Finwa; "My band." he says with pride.
Azure to emerald, emerald falls easily to azure's influence as the singer kisses the former scientist. Finwa kisses him back nervously at first then greedily, her arms curling around him as her body presses against him with a decidedly voracious hunger.
Her heart beats hard as her purr deepens then they part and she looks back into those azure eyes while her breathing catches up with her as she tries to come back down from the excitement of the kiss.
Finwa sighs as he moves from her but catches the badge easily and smiles, recovering her balance.
Leoian smiles towards Chalene "Well you are a little hard to get close to that makes it harder for people to see that you care, and get to know you."
He turns looking towards the others and his smile quickly fades to a look of shock as he sees Finwa ravenously embrace Bryn. Leo was never really good at hiding his emotions, and for anyone looking towards him as he watched it looked like he just got stabbed in the heart.
Leo turns away shaking slightly "Well... you t-take care of yourself Charlene. He's forgotten his usual formalities using her first name, he doesn't look up at her either keeping his eyes down towards the ground "I... I should find something for our dinner."
As Bryn moves towards Charlene Leo starts in the opposite direction moving into the underbrush, and practically disappearing.
Charlene watches Leo watch Bryn and Finwa. "You see why I find it better not to get close to people? she whispers sympathetically, then moves off to meet Bryn and head towards the village.
Mittens gets back up, stretching and yawning, "Whew, I felt like I was out for hours! What did I miss? Nothing important, I hope!"
Finwa's ears twitch and she turns to see Leo going off into the woods and hears Charlene speak and turned her head to look at the woman not understanding what was going on. She gave them a wave as they left and looked to Mittens, "You didn't miss anything. I'm going to hunt with Leo. Be back soon."
The little woman ran off in the direction Leo went and tripped over a log in her haste a little ways after getting into the woods, "Leo! LEO! Where are you?"
She got up and looked about realizing she had not gone far but now she wasn't sure how to get back. She sighed, sat on the log and pulled her knees up to her chin trying to figure out what to do now. He was probably just after food like she heard him say. Right? But why did he sound so down?
As Finwa runs off, and Charlene and Brynjard head off to the village, Mittens looks around. "Umm. Is anyone going to stick around to protect me?" she says in a rather small voice.
Leoian's voice comes from in the trees somewhere "Your ruckus is scaring off dinner Finwa you should stay with Mittens." He sighs judging by the way she's sitting she probably doesn't know how to get back, he really doesn't want to deal with it right now, but can't just leave her there either.
He comes out of where he was hidden and motions for the small woman to follow him. "I'll show you back, we shouldn't leave her all alone. Stay with her, and I'll find food."
"Well, Mr. Silenoz, shall we go?" Charlene steps lightly towards the village with her pack and a sturdy stick she's been using for the hike. "Do you believe in magic?"
The call from the trees startles the woman and she scrunches down holding her legs tighter not realizing what is truly wrong. Is he angry? She had done it again and just a day after he had told her not to do such a thing as run after others. She gulped thinking he was upset at her and that he would now think she was useless to the group disobeying like that.
He almost seems to just appear and she looks up at him, eyes sad and worried but she gets up with her head now down and sets out to follow him until they get close enough for her to see Mittens and something snaps.
Finwa grabs Leo by the upper arm and puls him back against her, holding onto him and looking up into his eyes with care and confusion, "What was wrong?" She demands as she keeps him close, "I don't know what you said besides 'hunt' but I heard the sound in your voice and Charlene said something weird. What was wrong to make you go off without telling us. I would not have known what happened to you and the sound in your voice..."
She let her words hang and let the rest be said by the concern for him in her eyes.