Belden- (Pre-Beaugro) 1x1 Oriel and Redsparrow

[Redsparrow]

The hand that moments ago had griped his now lay limply by its owner's side. Monitoring Idris's heart beat he felt comfortable that he had been taken by exhaustion and nothing worse. Within the sudden end of the conversation Luke found comfort, for both were to tired or to stressed to play these kinds of games without someone getting hurt.

Judging from the sounds of the street bellow and the movements within the house, Luke felt it to still be a few hours before lunch. He had no more began to think up a way to wake himself reliably on time when a soft knock at the door caught his attention. Sending static feelers he saw who lay on the other side and flipped the lock using a small surge of energy.

Marry upon entering the room was met by Luke who had risen slightly with a finger over his lips indicating silence. She eyed him, taking note of the broken nose before noticing then the figure who lay next to him. Not wanting to wake the exhausted snake she tilted her head raising an eyebrow in a questioning expression.

Luke smiled and shook his head in a 'its a long story' kind of way. "I promised to have lunch with the guards." His voice was hardly auditable to even his own ears, but Marry seemed to hear or lip read his statement and nodded to show understanding. In return she mouthed 'I will be back in two hours then' before closing the door quietly as she left.

With the bolt latched once more Luke relaxed back into the bedding. As he did he extended his arms above him and moved the fingers who had been lost to him only days before. Idris's work was truly a wonder. Facing the man he watched his chest rise and drop in a soothing way.

"One day at a time eh?" He whispered removing the gap as to allow his side to brush against Idris. "I think I can work with that." In the past pain had barred him from sleep, but with it removed he found sleep an easy task and soon joined Idris.

[Oriel]

Lydia continued to work long after Idris left her study, pieces of his medical kit tucked beneath his arms.

She stirred from her contemplation of line and shape only when Marry paused to inform her that lunch would be served on the outdoor patio. Luke would be joining them, as well as a few guards for company. She gave her hostess a polite smile and then tucked her drawings into the stiff leather-bound folio that served as an organizer for this year's designs. Crayon dust feathered the desk and lay in a fall around her chair. What hadn't made it to the floor stuck to her fingertips in layers of color.

The ritual of sweeping and dusting must have taken her longer than she'd thought, because by the time she arrived at the table the rest of the guests were already seated and deep in conversation.

One of the guards stood at her approach, which meant that before she knew it the rest of the men were standing while she made polite introductions. The younger of the pair was clearly in awe of her and the jeweled cuff-bracelets draped over wrists. She took pity on him and explained how it was she could get the wire so fine that it looked like webbed lace. When she had finished he looked less like someone who'd seen arcane sorcery and more like a man with a puzzle.

"I've only seen rings like that on chainmail," he admitted. "Not jewelry. Wouldn't have thought it'd catch the light like that, just being copper."

"It's polished," she explained. "Then brightened with an earth elemental trick that keeps it from tarnishing. It'll look as clean as the day it was made even years from now."

Throughout the meal she kept stealing glances at Luke to see if she could find any hint of the injuries Idris had mentioned. Beyond the obviously broken nose there was little to see. If anyone asked, she'd excuse it with a blush and a smile as the pardonable interest any elemental lady might take in a prospective partner.

[Redsparrow]

A faint repetitive knock on the door pulled Luke from a deep slumber. Once doing so he found himself entangled with Idris who appeared to appreciate the radiant heat. Carefully he slide from the serpent's grasp and cracked the door to cease the knocking before it woke his guest.

It took a moment for Luke to get his mind about his movements but once he had, he made quick work of changing into a dress casual look, common to Faypine. The unique location of the upper city allowed for temperature to only dip into the mid-fifties while never reaching more than low eighties. Due to this the residents wore long flowing fabric that allowed for ample movement.

The dark red fabric tumbled over his upper body with large open sleeves that hung loosely at his sides. His pants fit to figure around his waste, a dark black fabric that true to the shirt seemed liberal with fabric to uphold the conservative image of the figure. He noted the look with a smirk, preferring the flashy tight fitting clothing of Snowden that to often adorn leather outfitting to this light weight and baggy fabric.

Meeting the soldiers out front he cheerfully picked up the conversation where they had left off, before long Lydia joined them with a stand led by the ever eager to please Michigan. Luke noted the fear that still shown in Robert's face at being to lunch with two elementals. Lydia worked quick to try to calm the man but it seemed to help little.

Marry smiled warmly at Luke as he used his hands to move objects with little thought or pain. It along with Lydia's curious glances were enough to make his skin crawl. So instead he focused intensely on conversation with the company. Idle chat about up common parties and meetings, to training and local gossip.

Officer Robert was the one who kept them on a time scale, exuding himself and his partner when their shift ended. This cased Marry to rush them into the kitchen for a care bag to take home for dinner. Once alone Luke sipped at a cup of tea and let his sights fall on Lydia.

"Yes?" While he felt like a new man physically the look in her eyes was enough to raise his body temperature slightly.

[Oriel]

Lydia smiled at him rather than let his annoyance push her. "You'd look fantastic in some of my gold wire jewelry," she said. "That red suits you, but I think adding any more color in gemstones would be a mistake. If we're supposed to play the courting pair it would make sense for me to gift you a few pieces."

Never mind the fact that Idris had both evaded her questions and chosen not to return to his room.

"I'm already working on a pair of wrist cuffs for Marry if you'd like something to match," she said truthfully. "When we heard the news this morning about your Arena fight I thought she was going to fly off over the railing and bring you back by an ear."

"I tried pressing Idris for details, but he didn't offer much beyond the fact that you'd taken some dagger wounds." Lydia looked him over again, appraising both the bruises and the intensity of any forthcoming glare. "They're not painful, are they? You're both all right?"

[Redsparrow]

The complement to his attire sparked temporary interest, fashion sense had always been a guilty pleasure of his sprouting from years of trend setting style he had flaunted for show in the arena. However he had gone to great length most of is his life to adorn little to no metal. Being a greater power in Faypine did not come without its young punk challenges and Luke was not about to give any earthen elemental a weapon.

There were a few exceptions to this rule. One had been the sliver band warn around the middle finger that attached to carefully woven fabric before crossing around the hand then twice around the arm ending at a larger sliver band warn just above the bend of the elbow. It had been a traditional Falcon sign of marriage, even after Shari's death Luke had warn the ring and cuff, until loosing it to the same flame that had so badly damaged his wrists.

The burn out had caused him more then one valuable item. Perhaps the most prized of his worldly possessions was the metal ring that had pierced and lay on the left Helix. It was a small interracially made item, unique to itself and the bond he shared with Zacora and her mother. They were made from the same sample of silver and would have shared similar design and stones. The realization of it loss had been holly unpleasant, as it was an item he could never replace.

As per feline tradition, each mold was made once then destroyed after the project was completed. Zacora and Loreley sported the counter parts showing the bond of family. By now Loreley adorn three different rings, each matching a child and partner in an informal gemological record.

"I tend not to ware jewelry." It had come out with the slight tinge of pain, reflecting his feeling of loss. "However with Alec not around and you on my side I may be able to take that kind of risk in social gatherings."

"As for the arena fight, Idris brought my attention to a problem, so I took care of it. We are both just fine, if not a little tired." Marry had returned catching the end of Lydia's questions and apparently having her own in cue she gave Luke long enough rattle something off before adding to the mess.

"Yes but what about Idris?" she cooed with a gossiping tone.

"He was tired so I let him sleep there instead of dealing with the bombardment of questions he was sure to get from you two." Luke had leaned back in the chair and was working on finishing a glass of wine.

"A boy's in your bed love, I can't help but find that interesting."

"No more interesting then sleep ever is." Luke assured. "I thought you might find a broken nose more fascinating."

"Heavens, the number of time you have broken your nose or had someone break it for you is beyond me. Now lets hear more about that cutie your courting." She was teasing him the way only a parent could.

"I adore your attempt Marry, but that ship sailed years ago." Luke's eyes fell back to Lydia knowing that his fear was going to be hard to avoid with the women. "But while we are on the topic of courting, I imagine we need to be seen together. There is a party coming up with the diplomats, I am sure one of my lovely friends can assure our invitation. I'd be happy to take you shopping for something if you like."

"What about Shari's old clothing? They look about the same size." Marry added. "Of course you can always look at the clothing in storage and go shopping before you make up your mind."

[Oriel]

"Oh, but I can take care of some of that threat," she added. "One of my talents is 'locking' a particular metal so that I'd be the only one able to bend or work it again. That was one of the most requested features for the wedding bands and other jewelry I've made. Some of the more complicated commitment rings entirely lose their charm if they can be so easily dismantled by just any elemental."

Lydia extended her arm in order to show the golden cuffs to better advantage. The worked metal looped above her skin in an echo of the scalloped hem of her sleeve.

"See the way these match?" she offered. "I also make pieces to complement specific outfits when the occasion warrants it. Or if you have a particular cut you favor, it's not difficult to incorporate that into any designs."

Marry's teasing and Luke's casual dismissal of her brother's presence in his bed struck her with its novelty.

Idris would sooner have died of exhaustion than trust a stranger to guard his sleep. She ran her fingers over the tiny whorls of her wrist cuff rather than look up and reveal her suspicion. Idris would not thank her for meddling in his affairs, if entanglement it was.

Talk of courting threatened to turn her smile into the knowing smirk of an elder sister, but she resisted and took up the topic of shopping, instead.

"Please do arrange for that invitation," she said. "The more often we're seen together in public, the fewer questions either of us will need to answer. You can pretend to be courting me and I can be genuinely charmed by the attempt, at the very least."

In this she couldn't blame him. If she was right about her brother's interest, then it would be uncharitable to tease the man beyond the bounds of cautious friendship.

"Shopping would be lovely. I came with enough clothes of my own, but I'm afraid they're all styles more suited to Esterbrush than Faypine."

[Redsparrow]

Knowledge of her ability to 'lock' metals sparked a fascination in her skill he had previously only entertained as polite conversation. If she could keep material out of earthen elemental hands while still allowing for his interaction with it, the possibilities were tantalizing. Yet to get her aid on such a project, would require a level of knowledge of his abilities and needs that were not too his taste.

'Time, give it some time. Get to know her, perhaps she like Idris can be trusted with at least a few things.' It struck him as odd the way he flinched at her extended arm, not many years ago he would have found her skills worth attention and appraisal. Pampering, even swooning over her attention and needs, anything to improve his chance at a better understanding of her skill. Now he viewed unique elementals a threat, dangerous, in need of removal.

"There are a few sets of finer clothing upstairs, but nothing my heart is set on. Perhaps we can check them out, if any inspire you, your welcome to create what you like." His mind flickered to Idris. "However I think Idris needs a few more hours of sleep."

"Lets start in the market for at least your outfit, if we run into something for me that would go well with it then by all means I am willing to try things on." The usual care he took when shifting his weigh onto his arms before hoisting himself from a seat proved to be more dramatic then needed. In all but a moment he found himself standing and were pain had followed as a punishment for movement he felt nothing.

A spark of life formed a genuine smile. "Your brother is truly something amazing." The comment was followed by a light hearted chuckle. "Excuse me for being so forward, I just...its just been a while since I have felt this good."

"Would you like to visit the market now or do you need to attend to things first?"

[Oriel]

If Luke hadn't settled on an existing set of clothes, she might have more fun than she expected.

The morning's observations of the falcons and their attendants circling along the branches of the great tree had revealed a taste for modest draping and high collars. What jewelry she could glimpse from her perch included delicate earrings and long, looped necklaces that lent weight to the otherwise billowing fashion.

She smiled at the thought of the gowns she'd brought from Esterbrush. The day dress she'd chosen for this lunch played most toward falcon sensibilities, its scalloped neck and easy drape layered beneath a light but still long-sleeved and lavishly embroidered linen over-jacket. The cuffs itched at her skin but meshed with and drew the eye to the craftwork looped over her wrists and hands.

Nafi's marriage band glittered defiantly beneath the gold wire decorations. No amount of Idris' dirty looks could keep her from hiding her wedding jewelry. Lydia doubted that most falcons would even recognize the token. If they did, she thought she could always, even rightly, claim to be a widower and let the conversation die on its own.

She rose to follow Luke while resisting the strong temptation to either comment on his sudden good mood or Idris' apparent exhaustion. Eating lunch with the man's mother was not the place for such teasing, but no amount of self-control could prevent her answering him with a knowing smile.

"Glad to hear you've warmed up to Idris."

Then, as if he'd said nothing out of the ordinary, she nodded to Marry. "Thank you for preparing such a delightful lunch spread. I'll try to bring him back from the market all in once piece."

Lydia gestured to Luke with an open-handed sign to follow. "All my business is settled for this morning. Which means that you'll have my full attention."

And if she let that last echo with playful foreboding, who was he to deny her a little fun?

[Redsparrow]

"That would be greatly appreciated by myself and a few others, I am sure." A nod to show her appreciation of Lydia's comment was followed by the glance she gave Luke that seemed to instruct him to do his best to avoid any scenes. The arena fight had been plenty of action, no need to add more drama to the mix.

Uneasy glances from the falcon guards, tasked to follow Luke around, did little to shake his good mood. With a clear mind he found it easier to be attentive to details, this included putting on a half decent act of affection towards Lydia. He spoke fondly of odd facts that came to mind, tidbits of knowledge about Faypine's history. Warmly introduced her to a few passing councilmember's wives and kin, even offering an arm as they walked the market streets. While it was still more of an effort then it would have been years ago, he was finding the show somewhat enjoyable.

"And that is how Red Dragon Daises became the summer festival flower." He was talking to talk at this point, though doing his best to keep stories entertaining. They walked a line of shops, he following her lead as he didn't much have an eye for fabrics anymore.

"Would you mind playing a game with me?" Teasing, her slightly with his tone. "It's nothing to much, just a fun little thing I do when I am trying to get to know someone. It works like this, I tell you something about me with a short story about it and then you do the same."

Impish in expression he gave her no time to respond before committing to the idea himself. "Here I will start. Lets see." Hums and haws over a few ideas before starting.

"I am fluent in several languages, with the acceptation of an older form of Falcon Formal. While studying the language I read everything I could find, ranging from official processes to informal stories. I often found myself stopping to look up words that are rarely used these days. The worst were the dated phrases like 'the early bird gets the worm' and such. There are still a few I never did fully come to terms with."

Waves hand as to brush off though.

"Regardless it was while digging through a dated document on geography that I read a spell binding first hand encounter with an active volcano. Rivers of glowing mutant rock, excruciating heat, booming explosions that could hurl house sized boulders hundreds of feet into the air only to come crashing down feet away from the observer. It was almost more then my young mind could fathom."

"Surly, I thought, this must be some tall tail fetched up by a delirious bird after to little water or to much wine. How could there be such an event? I was reassured by my masters that no, there was truly such a thing and that it wasn't all that uncommon in parts of the world. With that bit of knowledge I made myself handy at knowing all and any locations of rumored volcano activity in case I ever got a chance to be in the area."

"As luck would have it I was assigned to keep an eye on Alec Greenheart. When traveling along the boarder I got my chance at meeting your brother and seeing a volcano for the first time. Granted it did take us a day or so trip out of our way but, hey what's a day for a life goal?"

He finished his wondering story as if forgetting the point of it all together. A child standing back to admire a smeary finger painting they had just created with all the pride and none of the concern of critics.

[Oriel]

"I think I have heard part of this story," Lydia answered him. "My brother claimed that you asked him to awaken a dormant mountain near the northern border. I'm glad he persuaded you to travel a little farther afield to see one that still rumbled on its own."

Most of her stories were unsuited to being told in the presence of the falcon guards. The few that were not outright criticisms of the Arena or in some way related to Idris had more to do with Nafi and her daughters than her latter history. The safest of her anecdotes recalled the development of her art.

She lifted her arm to show her gold jewelry again. The links rearranged themselves as she spoke, clinging together until what had been delicate lacework twined together in artfully presented loops.

"When I first learned that I had more than common with precious metals than Alec did, I was already in training as a lapidary. Most of my work before that time involved cutting and shaping gemstones. At first I only shaped the low-quality stones used in the cheapest settings. When the master jeweler decided to allow me to try my hand at making gold wire, he discovered that I could thin the metal into slivers as fine as threads."

As she spoke, she once again wove the metal into the third of the four patterns she'd woven into her personal jewelry. Each broad combination of smaller threads dropped again into smaller links that lengthened into drapes which revealed hidden seed pearls set within the innermost lair of chainwork.

"A few of my best pieces, like this one, need an Earth Elemental to move them."

She scanned the marketplace for any clothes that responded to the touch of her element, but was disappointed to find none.

"It's not unusual to find an elemental artisan who will imbue their wares with the ability to respond to someone of a similar element," she remarked. "There's nothing that answers to Earth, here, but perhaps Fire---?"

She left the sentence incomplete and watched Luke expectantly, encouraging him with a glance.