[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... ump/08.png); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Instead of the now familiar bottles of red wine she had sought in the city, Ryan had trailed through several dilapidated stores looking for curious objects that might give her some source of entertainment. She had wandered into an art store, and instantly squealed at the selection of fabrics that it stored. There was so much to choose from! Instead of going through it all and staking claim on the ones she liked, Ryan made a mental map so that she could bring little Valkyrie and possibly pass on some of her sewing knowledge and skills. And after all, maybe the girl would get a kick out of choosing a fabric for her first dress. That would be a few months away, but Ryan couldn’t wait for that. Would Valkyrie spend most of her time in Optime as Ryan did? It would be strange to see her daughter getting older and shifting for the first time.
She trailed out of the store with a different treasure. She hadn’t been much for artwork, but now the girl clutched a rather large sketchbook and a strange package that contained drawing pencils. Sprawling in the expansive grass of a park long reclaimed by nature, Ryan began pulling at the plastic and cardboard. After a minute or two, she managed to get it open and extract one of the pencils. She flipped open the sketch book and slid her slender fingers across the smooth surface. And now… for a subject. She studied the rusted merry-go-round and began sketching its basic form. Her drawing was rather crude, but it was kind of fun experimenting with this new craft.
[/html]
[html]
thanks for starting :]
Halifax always brought something different for the black-gloved male, though more often it was something vodka related. The bars that lined the shadowed small streets, and the stores that were filled with the clear bottles were always so tempting. He could spend the entire day wasted and drowning in the bitter sharp liquid, but it was so hard the next day. The hangovers made him want to crawl into a dark, dark hole and never return to the light of day. In the end his desire to feel alive and whole kept him away from the places were his vice lay in wait.
The slender male walked the streets, honey hued eyes glancing through the storefronts and wondering if he would find anything interesting. Many of the windows were broken, and the dirt and grim kept him from seeing clearly into them but he strode along the crumbled sidewalk and street with wandering eyes.
Black paved street took him toward what he could have imagined was a human place of recreation. A little plot of nature in the mist of all their concrete. Though, it’s grass, tree roots and other plant life had started taking over the surrounding city long ago. Heath eyed the jungle that filled the cracks of broken pavement, letting the lines draw his eyes towards a figure that sat among the newly grown blades of grass. Gold eyes lingered on her form, and watched as she studied the nearby circular structure.
Unsure what he might be interrupting but letting his curiosity getting the best of him, he gathered his courage and walked towards her slowly.
| [/html]
[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... ump/08.png); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
This was harder than she thought. She had developed her hand-eye coordination through all of her sewing, so maybe it was just an artistic skill that was lacking. Either way, the object on the paper barely mirrored the object sprawled in front of her. In fact, it was so awful that Ryan flipped the pencil and began scrubbing at the graphite to wash it all away. It was strange that she had decided to do that, considering it was the first time she had held a pencil. Some sort of instinctual calling? Who knew.
As she scrubbed away at her dark lines, she heard the soft footfall in the newly green grass. She raised her gaze, half expecting to see that woman who she had met not too long ago near the university. Too bad her memory was fuzzy – the wine had affected that. What was her name? Oh right, Firefly. But this wasn’t Firefly. This was some unknown guy whom Ryan had never seen or met before. She lifted a palm into the air in greeting, still holding the pencil. "Hi," she said softly, before scrubbing again at the paper. She didn’t want anyone to witness the atrocity she had created. The thought made her chuckle to herself.
[/html]
[html]
She was drawing. Heath realized, as he grew closer. The rapid movements of her hand and her stern look as she eyed the paper made him believe that she was unhappy with the product her hand created. She looked to him, with bright ruby eyes and a raised paw to wave a hello. Heath smiled, how could he not? Finding a woman in the middle of the barren and dilapidated city was always a treat.
Gold eyes looked down, stealing a glance at the paper that she tried to return to its once blank state. Bringing his gaze back to her face he tried not to linger on the pages she hoped to hide. Hey. Heath spoke warmly, taking in the sight of her as he lowered himself to the ground. Her greeting had been an invitation, hadn’t it?
Making sure that he didn’t try to stare too hard at the sketch Heath glanced at the horses that stood on the round-about ride, then back at the long haired female. Her smell was of Inferni, and though he was hesitant about the beasts that called the territory home, he was too curious to just walk on by. I guess you didn’t like it? He questioned as he settled not far beside her. His smile remained, as his black toned hand brushed unruly hair from his eyes.
| [/html]
[html] http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j40/k ... ump/08.png); background-position: top center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
She chuckled, not able to help it. So he had noticed? "No, I guess not," she admitted, wiping the remnants of the eraser away from the blank page. Though she had done her best to scrub out the image, a shadow of it had remained – like an eerie skeleton left behind to try and tell the story of life it once held. "It wasn’t very good," she admitted, smiling over to Heath, feeling the pulse in her veins quicken. Somehow this meeting was giving her a sense of déjà vu. It had the same feel of the occasion when she had first met DaVinci. What was that? Some sort of attraction? The thought scared her.
"I’m Ryan," she told him, starting to doodle on the page. She didn’t focus on drawing objects, but rather, simple shapes. This was much easier – nothing to be critiqued as harsh as her former drawing was vulnerable to. "Do you come to the city often?" She looked up to catch his gold eyes.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... athban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
The yearling looked at her, eyes holding a glint of curiosity as he watched her. A smiled came to his maw as she spoke, and gave a short laugh as she chuckled herself. I think you're too hard on yourself. He admitted as the thought popped into his head. He had caught a glimpse of what she had drawn, and to the unknowing male it had looked just like the statue object before the pair. He could understand if she was self conscious of the creation, to show something created by your own hands and mind was a personal thing. Though Heath had never attempted to put pencil to paper he could still understand.
I'm Heath., the introduction spoken with a crooked smile. Fingers danced idly the grass that made his seat, plucking strands as he wondered more and more about her. The things she wore, her long wavy hair and the bright crimson of her eyes made his mind wander and him shift slightly in his seat. She brought the same curiosity as the midnight woman from his exploration of the library had, but she was so very different. The other had carried a sword, smelt of pure earth and had the mind and heart of a fighter. But Ryan gave him the fragrant smell he always imagined when thinking of a woman and when caught it, held his gaze with an unyielding grip.
I come here often. The male spoke as he focused on the question. There is always something different to be found. He couldn't help but flash white teeth as he spoke, though corrected his smirk the second he realized it had happened. It was obvious the woman was not here to be charmed, and he was sure she wanted something more then it attempt of flirtation. Clearing his throat Heath questioned her, What about you?
table by erin
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ ... purple.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Heath. She smiled to herself, concentrating on making the circle she was doodling as perfect as possible. Somehow, it always seemed to look a little bit off. Nothing like the perfectly round moon that still sat in the blue sky, fighting to stay visible even while its sister sun had begun her shift. "That is very true," Ryan commented, having found plenty in Halifax among her various trips. Some good, some bad. But that was the case with almost anything. "I don’t come here too often. It’s pretty far from where I live." She looked up to him them, catching his golden eyes and smiling. She wondered… did he know of Inferni? Could he guess that she was part of the clan? "But when I do come, I almost always enjoy it." She said, deciding that her circle was the best it was ever going to be, and beginning on a doodle of swirling lines. It reminded her of the waves crashing onto the pebbled shore near her home. "Have you found anything today?" She asked him, watching her pencil move across the cream paper.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... athban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Heath was always hanging around the city. He liked the things he found, and of course the wolves he met. It might have been the liquor stores or the empty bars that made the concrete jungle such a blissful place, but Heath was sure that company such as the female’s was worth the journey. Nodding slightly he spoke with a small smile, Hm, yes Inferni would be quite a walk. Heath had been there, but liked to forget the short stay. Though if it brought them closer together he was whiling to think back to it. You ever indulge in it’s guilty pleasures? Was she one for ransacking the stores like he was, though he left the vodka bottles in a hiding place. I dono yet. He spoke with a smirk.
table by erin
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ ... purple.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Her mouth dropped open ever so slightly, but she pulled her maw shut. Was it really that obvious that she was from Inferni? She wondered if that would taint his first impression of her and maybe ruin this meeting. After all, it seemed that not many people were fond of the coyote clan. Unless, of course, they were kin. "Do I reek that much of the clan?" She turned her gaze on him, stopping her doodling for just a moment. She grinned at him as she spoke, "Or are you just good at reading people?" An answer wasn’t really that necessary, she decided. Ryan was merely amused by the fact that he had figured her out already, it seemed.
"Guilty pleasures? Mmm," she turned back to add to her design of penciled waves. "Wellll, depends what counts as guilty pleasures." She was grinning at the paper now, glad to have some sort of company again. All her thoughts had been devoted to the absence of DaVinci lately, so it was nice to let that go for awhile. "I may have enjoyed a bottle of wine or two," she mused, knowing that it had been many more than that. She peaked at him from underneath her lashes, asking, "What about you? Have you been indulging?" She drew out the word, smirking to herself.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... athban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
His eyes didn’t leave her, so it was easy to see the reactions play on her face. Heath could help but let his smile widen at the sight of her surprise.
It was just an unforgettable visit. Heath tried to reassure her that she certainly didn’t reek what so ever, as her crimson eyes looked to his.The scent only lingers, if I hadn’t just been there I wouldn’t have noticed. The smallest of white lies never hurt anyone.
Looking back to her paper she answered his more pressing questions. He let her explain fully before giving his answer, letting her drift into her memory as he did when thinking of any guilty as well anything pleasurable. Heath wondered what she pictured, and who she shared such a memory with. Oh no. Heath reassure her he hadn’t been drinking, no so early in the day. The day is far too young. The thought of vodka touching his lips made him smile, or was it her picture in his view that made him grin?
For drinking at least. His widening smile and comment was made to provoke a reaction, and he would learn to find satisfaction with that alone.
table by erin
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/ ... purple.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Ryan smiled to him warmly. Whether or not his words were true, she didn’t care. It was nice to know that he wasn’t overwhelmed by the thick scent of Inferni clinging to Ryan’s clothes. And even if he was, Ryan took the bait easily. This guy was a charmer. "Far too young," Ryan repeated, considering this. "Hmmm," she hummed then, searching his golden eyes for her answer, before she had even formulated her question. "Well then, Heath. If the day is too young for drinking, what shall we do?" Whether he liked it or not, Ryan planned to spend at least a bit more of the day with him. She enjoyed the company, so she wouldn’t let it slip from her fingers so easily. She turned the top of the notebook over the metal spirals, letting it fall back in place to cover her erased picture obscured by absentminded doodles. "Any suggestions?" She was sure there were many things in Halifax she had yet to discover. Maybe he knew somewhere or something that would be interesting to check out.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... athban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
A piece of him wanted to take his last comment back. Listening to her voice he wondered if she would have drank with him. Life was easier with half a handle of vodka in his stomach and blood stream. But, he was oddly in the mood for something more then just a buzz and what ever might follow. She closed her sketchpad, determined to put him on the spot for ideas. He wanted to think of something appropriate and mature, but his mind was slow and he could only smile as he thought. Well… He trailed, thinking of everything but what he knew would keep her from slapping his handsome face.
In an instant he stood, lean legs bringing him upward as his black furred arm extended downward. Determined that they wouldn't find anything while sitting still. Gold eyes looked to the rubies she wore, wondering if she would actually follow him. I think we will find something. His smile turned to a reassuring grin, waiting for her to accept his invitation to join him in the search.
table by erin
[/html]
[html]
His soothing voice said one word, and Ryan looked up to see what idea he would offer. She smiled warmly at the honey gold eyes that stared down back at her, and was surprised when he extended an arm after rising. Excited about the possibilities of where they might go, Ryan lifted a hand to grasp his and rose to her feet. "Sounds wonderful," she murmured, leaving the pencil and notebook behind on the ground. She could always go back and get it later. After all, she didn’t feel as if she had been that artistically inclined. It would probably just be left there for the elements to reclaim. "So," she hummed, twirling slightly to take in their surroundings. "Where shall we head off to?"
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... athban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
Her smile melted him, and he fought to compose himself. It was hard to keep his mind strait when a beautiful woman expressed interest in spending time with him. The male had a feeling that she wanted to distract herself from a larger issue, as he so often did himself. Her interest in him was merely friendly, and Heath was happy for that much. Closing his hand around hers Heath helped her to her feet, and watched as she examined the possibilities that stood around them. Of course the male knew the closest bar, though there was a liquor store even closer to then that. But he let his eyes wandered as hers did.
His mind was filled with so much that he found it hard to remember all the things that were close by, that didn't involve vodka. But when he let his mind dig into the recent memories, he was able to find something. You know what's around here, that I've never seen before... Those bridges. Of course he had seen them, but only from afar. Up close, you know. He smiled then, wondering if she would think him a fool for wanting to see something so obviously large.
table by erin
[/html]
[html]
His phrase started as a question, and Ryan turned to catch his golden eyes once again. She smiled warmly at him as he spoke, knowing there would soon follow an answer in that same smooth voice. Ryan nodded to his words then, "Me either." In fact, she had never really paid much attention to them until now. Just like many of the buildings, the bridges were a skeletal backdrop to this concrete jungle. Ryan had always been more interested in the smaller, simpler details.
"Shall we?" She asked, holding one hand palm up, inviting him to grasp it so that they could go exploring together. There was a current that seemed to be running up her core, warming her with a mixture of excitement and anticipation. This sense of adventure, as small as it may be, was really what she needed after all this time of heartbreak and motherhood. It made her feel young again, like the times before she had a child. After all, Ryan was still very much a young, naïve woman.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... athban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
He was surprised that he wasn’t the only one that hadn’t ventured to see the structures. Heath had feared that he had focused too obsessively on the vices that the city enabled. The bars were too dark and quiet, like a blanket for his to wrap around his tired and depressed form, a bottle of vodka cradled in his lap. It made him wonder if she only took what she needed from the stores and ventured home, or if she indulged in things as he did. Taking her invitation he touched her palm with an uncharacteristic gentleness, before wrapping his fingers around her hand. A soft smile settled on his maw, and they walked forward hand in hand. A question grew in his mind as he watched her with stolen sideways glances. Did you make that, yourself? He let himself look down at the dress she wore, wondering if it was a past time she indulged it. Not to interested in the dress itself, Heath only grew curious to know her talents.
table by erin
[/html]
[html]
It was a strange feeling walking with Heath hand-in-hand so quietly through the city. For a moment it made her think of her time with DaVinci, but she pushed that thought out of her mind. She needed to stop doing that – always comparing things to how they had felt like with DaVinci. So instead, she looked up to the man beside her, smiling at him as his honey gaze fell over her. This day, this excursion, was exactly what she needed. It was a relief to have a relationship that wasn’t yet tainted with mistakes and heartbreak.
She beamed at him, surprised that he knew just what to say to get her smiling. "Do you like it?" She asked, twirling her frame slightly so that the fabric swirled about her thighs. Ryan was aware that not everyone wore clothing, but still took pride when others showed interest in her work. "I made it not too long ago." It was something she had made around the time Valkyrie had been born, trying to create a clean slate for herself. So far, it was one of her favorite dresses. The old dress made of light pastels reminded her of DaVinci. This dress simply made her happy, as she loved the contrast of the purple against the rust of her fur.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... athban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
He had never done this, never just walked beside a strange woman hand in hand. There was something about it that left him a little uneasy, or maybe nervous. There was obviously no expectations between the two, walking and conversation was all they they expected from each other and Heath could draw confidence from that. He was always much more dashing and flirtatious under the influence, and without the liquid courage he was comfortable with the relaxed air that lingered between them.
The smile she gave was shining, and made him rethink the tense-less air that he hoped not to ruin. Her question was a playful one, as was her motions. Looking down Heath made sure that his eyes did not linger, attempting to be some sort of gentlemen. A smiled opened his mouth as he moved to speak, Very much. He laughed. The dress itself was beautiful but only because she wore it. Though, without it he was certain her beauty would not decrease. So your an artist in more then one way? He questioned playfully.
table by erin
[/html]
[html]
"If you want to say that," Ryan chimed, though seriously doubting any artistic ability with that pad and pencil she had left behind. Her step was lighter than it had been in months, and Ryan easily let the smile rob her features as the two made their way towards the bridge. With their fingers clasped, Ryan swung their collaborative fist gently between them. Such company had been unexpected, but was so nice. It was here and now that she felt completely at ease. A surprise, since Inferni usually offered that to the Centurion. Lately it seemed as if the clan’s lands only reminded her of the tensions with Phoenix Valley. And thus, DaVinci.
She looked over to the man beside her, finding those honey gold eyes again. "What about you?" Ryan asked him, as her fingers absentmindedly played with his. "Any secret talents?" Perhaps it was the mystery behind those eyes which had enchanted her in the first place.
[/html]
[html] http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v515/ ... athban.jpg); background-position: bottom center; background-repeat: no-repeat;">
It was hard for her to believe that she was special and that she might have a talent. It was always much easier to believe that you were bad, or average at something. There were no expectations, nothing to live up to. Heath would be happy to remind her that such things were creative outlets and she did indeed show talent, he was also happy to give a little support without judgment.
Their swinging hands named him smile; this was something so simple yet he had never experienced. Her question was only expected, but Heath still had nothing to share that was of any worth. Of course he had a mean right hook, but even he knew that it was something that he shouldn’t tell a lady. He only shook his head, Secrets? I’m sorry to say that what you see, is what you get. The things he was good at were not things to be proud of. Fighting, cursing and drinking. All the things he had become.
The bridges loomed in the distance, and they grew closer and closer by the moment. He watched her, a half mouthed grin twisted his mouth as he wondered if she would believe him. Of course he had given no reason not to.
table by erin
[/html]
|
