Nature's Cruelty [M.E./OPEN]

[Cael Seran]

Cael's mind didn't do so much as to wander there was so much more to consider out of all of this. His initial attraction to her was put on edge with all these questions all these formalities it was all so very strange. A slight from to her response or her question rather, "Friends are just one more weakness..."

Cael would bite his lip casually thinking something over, something of consideration. He wanted to swap the roles, he felt a tad bit vulnerable however in the same right powerful. Cael would slowly peel himself upwards out of the water patting down his boxer shorts now drenched and clinging to his figure. Long and yet slow strides would carry him along to her position before kneeling down and over her pressing his arms up over her shoulders once more lingering over her, dripping. His eyes lingering on hers and lips only breaths away.

"Why do you speak so formally?"

A casual remark as to her motions. This was his blade to turn things about.

[Azura]

She heard him, though it was hard to make out his exact words over the running water and the sound of nature that were currently consuming her senses. Not to mention there was a part of her that was not so certain that she wanted to know what he had said. No, she was sure that it would have only proved to upset her more, and for that she was thankful she had only caught half of it, if not just a few words here and there.

Now, laying there upon her back, her fingers tracing around her bellybutton and her eyes cast up to the sky, she actually allowed herself to become distracted. She was not overly confident in her abilities, and she knew that she was still easily taken down if done properly...but she just wanted to lose herself, to stop being whatever it was that she was. So when he came upon her, it wasn't until his shadow cut out some of the light that she would snap back to attention.

Her hazel eyes look up at him as he lowered himself down before she could protest, his body lingering so dangerously close to her own, just breaths away from her...The water that lingered upon him dripping onto her still wet form, beading upon her flesh and rolling down to fall upon the earth beneath her. As his arms moved over her shoulders, she felt her breath hitch within her chest...felt her heart rate quicken. She didn't know what to make of this, of him especially, and for the moment she was again frozen into place.

Then came that question and she would tilt her head slightly, as if confused by what he was saying. A light shake of her head given eventually as her brow furrowed and she spoke up in a much softer, delicate tone to account for the closeness they shared. "It...was how I was taught to speak. I do not know another way really..." Unless she was acting, and even then she forgot herself when it came to speech and often slipped back into her old habits. "I was taught that anything less is unacceptable and that is not a word that I able to be familiar with often." She would then nod, not sure if that would make sense, but it was as far as she was able to go in explaining her situation, perhaps further than she should have, but she had not been thinking, had been caught off guard.

Hazel eyes lingering upon his as she swallowed past a lump which tried to form in her throat, her hands falling still upon her stomach. A slight thought given to reach up, to touch him....but she stopped herself. She couldn't. She shouldn't. Yet the temptation was there none the less. "Is ...Is it bad to speak in such a way?"

[Cael Seran]

Cael studied her, not so much like a scientist would his pet but moreso like an animal his prey. He had grown hungry in his tireless pursuits but all the same found himself on the hinge of pouncing falling short of the intended mark. This girl, Azura, had become his most present investment. At least for a time she was proving to have a vital amount of restraint that left him a bit confused but still lingering on.

"No... not bad, just..." Cael let a hand ride upwards to her cheek bone catching an adrift blade of grass there. Moving to caress her cheek he plucked it from it's restful position on her and pat it aside. "..Strange."

Calmly Cael would take a deep breath from her before slanting over to the side landing to the left of her on his behind and leaning back to match her pose. Though he didn't exhibit the same affinity however, instead he slackened his arms up above his head using them as a pillow.

"We should fix a shelter soon, some fire'd be nice as well."

Thoughtfully lazy Cael didn't move to get up, idly his eyes would drift about their current stead choosing to not look upon her but rather around the current scenary. With a precise movement his hand would unfurrow itself from behind him to snatch up a flower, a small sunflower, and pluck it from its resting place. With a soft twirl between his fingers he'd move it to place on her belly right where she'd been so playfully occupied. Not a word given but a gift instead.

[Azura]

With his close like this, she found it almost impossible to breath, her breath falling upon him as he leaned in closer, shaky and short. His scent flooding her senses, her heart racing within her chest. No boy had ever gotten this close to her, save for one, and it had felt very different than this. With Legion she knew what was coming, she knew what he felt, what he wanted. In a way, she knew what he thought. But with Cael, she didn't. She couldn't tell if this was a game, or if some part of him actually wanted her, and so she found herself confused and constantly hinged on the edge of anticipation.

As his hand touched her cheek, her heart seemed to stop for a split second within her chest...For Azura, it wasn't the more physical moments that brought about that excited, breathless sensation. No, for her she only needed moments like this to find herself completely speechless and lost in her own uncertainties. "Sometimes being strange is not such a bad thing." Her head, ever so slightly tilting into his touch, though it was barely noticeable. "Sometimes strange is just what you need..."

Her eyes lingering upon his for a moment longer before he would take in that deep breath and then roll to her side and away from her slightly. Her gaze following him for a moment, watching as he laid back and went about looking at the scenery, her own attention shifting back to the sky overhead.

When he spoke again, she would not look at him, but instead nod. She supposed he was right, knowing that they needed to have a place to sleep and that once darkness set in, fire would definitely be a plus. "Yes, I suppose that would not be such a bad idea. Though I have to admit I have no clue what I am doing." A soft, somewhat nervous chuckle given before it would be cut short by that flower which was placed upon her stomach.

Blinking a bit in surprise, she would lift her head just enough to look down upon it...little fingers plucking it up from its resting place upon her stomach and twirling it about slowly. A light seeming to fall into her hazel eyes, a genuine look of happiness at the small gesture. Perhaps it had not been meant as much, and was something that others would not take as a being a big deal, but for Azura it was.

After a moment, she would lower the flower and push herself to roll onto her side, facing him now. Looking down at him, that look never leaving her eyes, she would not say anything...seeing as how he had chosen not to. Instead, she would just lean down, her hair being tucked behind her ear as she did to avoid it falling into his face, and press her lips against his cheek softly...allowing it to linger for a moment before pulling back, a soft smile upon her lips. "We should probably get started."

Then, just like that, she would roll away and hop up from her spot, standing and making her way back to where her clothes had been so that she could get dressed, trying very hard not to allow her thoughts to wander back to him.

[Cael Seran]

Cael was no blind man to beauty, he had what many would consider a genetic disposition to take ahold of what he admired. Flowers, the sky, that general sound of nature surrounding him and flooding his senses. Cael admired Azura, she was beautiful and being the selfish boy he was wanted her as part of his collection.

A bit of a surprise as she kissed his cheek and turned to leave him moving to grasp at her clothes. Yes get started... wait did that hold double meaning? Cael cocked his head to the side drawing somewhat more than need be out of the whole exchange. Damnit, he hated over thinking things like this. It was why he avoided relationships like the plague.

Cael would watch her change with a bit of an admiring smile before returning his gaze up to the sky. It'd only linger for but a moment before getting up himself in a casual stride to change his clothes.

Casually the boy would pull his jeans back on but opt for keeping his shirt off and slackened over his shoulder. It was still a bit too hot right now to deal with clothes. "We got the water down, lets just..."

His eyes would trail over to the nearest tree slowly progressing onwards managing to find a tree. *Flick* His wrist snapping out an releasing his knife before cutting off a few of the lower limbs and moving to form a pile by the side of the water.

[Azura]

Azura would pull up her pants, followed shortly by the white shirt she had chosen to wear. Next, of course, came her socks and boots, half way tying them into place, to make sure that they didn't fall off her feet. Her hazel eyes turning back toward him as he spoke, listening as he trailed off and arching her brow slightly.

With a curious gaze she would watch him as he began to move away, flinching just slightly at the knife which was flipped open. When he began to gather up pieces of wood from a nearby tree, she would tilt her head slightly and simply stand there and observe for a moment. Her tongue slowly tracing over her lower lip. She didn't have a knife, because honestly she didn't much care for them since the little incident with her wings. But she knew she was more than capable of getting wood without such an instrument.

Moving over to another tree, she would look up at the branch that hung over her head, a little sigh before she would rub her hands together and then jump upwards, grasping the branch and slowly starting to swing back and forth in order to get a bit of momentum. From there, it was nothing to swing upward, throwing her feet over her head, and position herself ontop of said branch....granting her access to the branches around her.

Reaching out, she would grab hold of the ones that she wanted, ones of reasonable size and begin breaking them off and tossing them down to the ground below. Not a lot really...just a reasonable amount....Figuring that she could at least chip in, since she had really...no clue what she was doing. But! At least she did it well.......Or so she thought. "You know..I have never actually been...camping before. Or anything even remotely close." Speaking down from her current position, shrugging slightly. Yeah, might as well get that out there in case she hadn't....she couldn't really remember.

[Cael Seran]

Cael's eyes would casually glimpse up to see his little monkey in action. Prancing and shifting up the treeline to get a better grasp at the higher limbs and toss them down. He could admire her agility in fact even to an extent envied the prowess to which Azura seemed to have mastered that level above him. Pieces slowly connecting the last time they'd met how much stronger she seemed to prove to be than him. Cael hadn't been that drunk and now sober in this instance she showed agility. Cael had dramatically underestimated her before now was just a matter of unmasking her bit by bit.

"Oh? Well then spider-monkey, I'll have to show you how to really camp... not like those pampered kids back at the grounds."

Once the pile was big enough Cael pulled free a flint and rock from his bag that he'd made sure to collect before sparking it over a small patch of rustled leaves.

*fizz...*

The flames would start low... calm and quiet between little crackles against the wind. Soon it'd grow into a raging hearth, that was if they kept feeding it.

[Azura]

Azura would give a little giggle to his words, shrugging softly as to her own abilities, not really thinking much of them. Though, once they had enough wood, she would simply step to the edge of the branch she was standing on and step off, landing on the ground rather fluidly and then standing up, not even remotely out of breath. "Hmm, been camping often then?"

Just a little curious as she moved to dust her hands off upon her jeans, watching as the fire was started and taking a very cautious step away from it, her hands clasping into little fists to keep from trembling. She...wasn't entirely used to certain things, and fire was one of them. The only real experience she had with it, was being burned in the lab to see if she could come back from that. She had...completely healed...but the pain...

She shook her head, catching herself staring at the flames with a bit of fear evident in her hazel eyes, trying her best to shake if off before she would turn back to him and smile softly. She could easily get over the whole fire thing....or so she told herself...Though she would avoid it as much as possible, keeping a rather far distance from it, despite the alluring warmth it would provide later on in the night. No, she was good. She....had wings or something to keep her warm.

[Cael Seran]

At this point Cael shouldn't have been surprised given her elegant poise when dropping from the tree heights into a perfect descent. That showed some poise, strength, and direction. She was a marvel of nature it seemed capable of far more than what Cael initially suspected of her. Through studious hues he'd try not to let slip that he was suspicious of her, instead he played the fool drunk off his own arrogance and showmanship to give away that he was the silent observer, the masterful tactician he'd been raised to be.

"Enough to keep myself alive if I were tossed out an airplane and lost."

He laughed at the unrealistic ideal however cool it might seem to be lost in the wilderness and be fully capable to make it out alive or hell even blend into that type of world. IT'd be a breath of fresh air to be away from all of this world.

"You alright?"

His eyes would plead, studious of her response to the flame.

[Azura]

She would not really think anything of his watching her, though truth be told it was because she was far too lost in fear of the fire that danced before her. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, she would swallow past the lump in her throat and even manage a smooth little chuckle at his words, shaking her head softly. "Now you are just daydreaming. Though I have to admit that escaping this world, and losing one's self in another is entirely too appealing."

For was that not what she was after? Was that not the life that she sought? To be free of this world, of people who would harm her and those she loved? She would do anything to have an existence that was like that, away from the city, away from people who would judge her or harm her. Her mind wandering over that fact, a sad little smile curling upon her lips.

Though as he asked if she was okay, it snapped her out of whatever daydream she had been in, and a little smile would be given in his direction. "I have not had very favorable experiences with fire in the past." No real reason to lie here, or at least none that she saw, wanting as always to be as truthful as possible, since she despised lies and did not think it right to do so.

[Cael Seran]

A quirked brow attentive of the scenario as he moved back to the brush pulling out a shattered log out from some lost pile in the nearst foray. His torso hulking over it to drag the heavy stump along the ground before slidding it beside the "camp circle" he'd managed to make with this makeshift gesture.

"Tell me about it..."

Cael would beckon nudging his head to incline her towards him all the nearer. A soft pat of his palm against the wood stump beside him giving enough room for the two of them to share albeit a bit uncomfortably forced together to occupy the space.

HE didn't intend to force her near the fire although it was a subvert mention to keep in mind, to force her to face her fears to approach him. See which of the two mattered most in this situation. Glancing over her features he'd size up her reaction..

"Don't worry, I'll defend you from the mean fire.."

An amused look on his face smirking forward.

[Azura]

She would watch him, only to have her eyes widen a bit as he suggested that she come sit and tell him about it. This was the part where she wasn't sure what she should say, and even more so, what she should do. Eyes going from him, to the fire, and back again, noting how close the seat was to him....And yet, after swallowing down past another heavy lump in her throat, she would inch her way toward him. Albeit cautiously, making sure to take the wide path around the flames and trembling slightly the closer she drew to them.

Yet upon his final words, she would glance at him, having once more become distracted by the fire. A look of hurt crossing her gaze. It hurt, really, that he would laugh at something which so terrified her....and yet she would simply turn her head away and slowly lower herself to sit upon the stump, not phased by the closeness to him so much as the fact that he would make such a comment at her. "My Qi does not allow me to stay dead. I was once burned to death..for the sake of seeing if I could return from it."

Well, that was not anything that would point her out as an experiment, just an unfortunate student who went through some really bad shit. Nothing more. She wasn't revealing that she was some genetically engineered lab rat or anything of the sort...simply that she had an ability that somebody out there thought fun to test theories upon. Blinking back a few tears, she would rest her hands in her lap and fidget her fingers together, unable to any longer mask the trembling within them as it had spread to her entire body. Fiery locks starting to dry, fell around her face, though she did nothing to remove them.

[Cael Seran]

"Shhhhh...."

Cael moved fast, faster than he'd expect her to catch on given her current situation. Now he was straddling to log looking at her his hands moved to capture her face, palms open against her cheeks and pulling her eyes to him.

"Don't..." Cool repose on his face, concern or at least that's how it'd look keeping glowing hues transitioned with hers. "It won't happen again..."

He wanted to make a promise, issue the words that he'd protect her but now Cael couldn't bear that, he couldn't stand to disappoint her if he was ever wrong.

[Azura]

She felt his hands upon her face and though she would look at him, tears would continue to fill her eyes, spilling slowly down pale cheeks as bits of her red hair fell into her face. She wanted to believe him, she really did, but she knew better than to expect that she would not be subjected to some torture again, it was her life, to live with such tortures and to be forced to endure them. It was her sole purpose for being, or so it had seemed for so very long. "You do not know that." A little sigh, biting her lower lip as she tried her best to force a smile onto her lips.

"I wish, that it was true though. I would not have to endure any more deaths. I have lost count of them at this point." A soft sigh, her eyes forced to lower from his own, not sure if she could handle looking at him, though her tears would begin to dry....If only because she could not stand to let another see her like this, not when she was uncertain as to if said person genuinely cared about what happened to her or not.

[Cael Seran]

He could admire the humbleness behind her. With a qi such as hers he could only imagine the ungodly abuse that he'd use with such powers. But with her all the girl knew was the pain of dying, the depression behind the deaths. Cael grit his teeth to her objections his face grew a wavering heated anger not directed towards her but rather the cause of her pain.

"I can make it so... I am the master of my own reality.. and if so, yours too."

Cael shook his head and wrapped arms around her clutching the girl into a taut embrace hugging her. HE didn't want to have to see her cry, feel her weep. He couldn't explain it all but he felt responsible. Fuck it all, feeling of any nature was weakness, through gritting teeth Cael tried to burry it. His own burdens of pain.