Last comment:
Rowan:
She would try to pull herself up again only for another gentle thump to be heard. Rowan wouls groan a bit from the drowsiness and subtle pain from the impact of the fall. She would turn her head, her eyes looking over to the blurry sillouhette of Kilroy's unconscious body.
As she sees hoofsteps blocking her vision, all she could do was sigh as she felt her vision fail to her eyelids.
"You better not hurt him..." the centauress huffed while squinting a bit into a scowl before feeling her body give in. Falling unconscious from where she laid.
She fought a battle she couldn't win.
Summary:
Eric and Colchi are shopping before going to the beach. Rayla and Ben are waiting around the Tavern. Evvie just paid, and Rayla is still anxious about Rudolf, who has been locked up in jail. Reiyzl and Oyzer are fighting Rowan as she tries to rescue Kilroy. Rowan appears to be losing. Mottel left Noah to rest. He just sent Topaz a note inviting her to come for an interview to be his apprentice. She is teaching Cloda and Cara Pearilian while Declan cleans. Reba and Sultaan are eating dinner. Carmela and Omie are both working separately on the costumes for Irichad's solstice celebration. Coalwing is comforting Thornhill. Fawnroot and Dawnsky are comforting a distraught mare.
I feel rly bad, but could someone whip up a summary cuz I gtg right now!)
(Making a new part)
Rayla: "I love you Ben, so much. And I was and am willing to give myself up to save you."
Declan:
The girls squealed defiantly and each took a candy, not wanting their father to steal it. They ripped open the packaging and popped the little sweet into their mouth. Their eyes widened and they shared a long look. Cara smiled widely and flopped dramatically onto the sofa as her sister exclaimed in Irich, “Holy Mother of Farris!“
“Cloda,” Declan snapped at her daughters language and she snapped her mouth shut, but she was clearly still enjoying the candy. “This is great! So tangy!” Cara cheered from her place on the couch without using her sister’s foul language. “This is better than great! Best candy ever!”
Declan rolled his eyes comedically as the girls fawned and obsessed over the foreign fruit candy. “Thank you very much, Carmela. Now I’m going to have to take them to Joneirestown exclusively for that candy.“ He teased with a smile, then nodded.
“It’s been quiet here, mainly. We had a few guests stay with us from Joneirestown who were just passing through. One of them is still here, but the other had to leave and return home.“ There was a slight regretful note to his voice as he spoke, “Now, the herd is getting ready for the autumn festival.” He set Carmela’s food container on the dining table. “Is that why you came home? To celebrate with us?”
Ben:
He sighed deeply and stared down at Rayla. His brows furrowed and his eyes saddened as he held her hands tight. He couldn’t stop the blush from spreading across his face, but he tried to ignore it
Ben knew he was being irrational; if their positions were reversed, Ben would have done something similar for Rayla.
Holding both her hands in one, he reached out with his free hand and gently tucked a stray lock behind her ear. “I love you, too.“
Romie:
It took a while for him to respond as he didn’t know the meaning of the word nonlinear. “So that we don’t cause suspicion.” He stayed on the edge of the trees, looking over the town for a second as he made a map of it in his mind.
Rayla:
"Because I love you. And all I could think about was how you were seconds away from dying, and it was the only way I could see to stop him."
Cloda and Cara:
The two girls peered down into her cupped hands and stared at the bright yellow candy. Cara was shyly reaching for one, her small cheeks and ears a soft shade of pink. Cara held the little goody in her fingertips, looking and admiring at the strange wrapping. Cloda studied the candy over Cara’s shoulder carefully, then looked up at Carmela. “It’s for us? We can have them? Candy all the way from Joneirestown?” The older sister asked incredulously as her eyes widened. The girls have never had candy from Joneirestown before, and they were both curious and eager to try it.
Ben:
“You know, but you don’t know. Rayla, what gives you the right to give yourself up for me? Why would you even try to barter and offer yourself to him? I know it’s in the past and I know it doesn‘t matter since we’re both safe, but I want to know -I want to understand. Why would you-“ He cut off as he tried to swallow the sudden lump in his throat. He gripped her hands and stared down into her face, searching her eyes. “Why would you do that for me? Your life is not worth mine.”
Carmela: Her initial reaction was to stiffen, but quickly she loosened up and hugged them back. "I - oof - missed you too!" She smiled, heart remelting again as it did each time she visited. "You girls really hug like nobody else."
She tried to stand up and gently extract them. "I working on some nice cords for the festivals. And my travels were quite nice. I saw a lot of new people and interesting things. I got something for you girls, too." She reached into her pocket and pulled out two wrapped candies, pineapple flavored. You couldn't get those sorts of tropical flavors here, or this type of hard candy. Pineapples didn't grow and wrapped candies required a larger industry.
Kilroy: "I know where we are," he said warily. "Why are you leading us in such an indirect and nonlinear path?"
He started getting his thoughts together on what to do when they arrived. The formerly imprisoned centaur wanted to change clothes and get ahold of some money. The easiest way to do that would be to stop by his mom's. Hopefully she wasn't home. He didn't feel like dealing with her right now.
@Ashsong @Cinderfrost (Sunblaze) (Did you two want to comment with Sage and Ashtohn? No problem if not, I just didn't want to move on without making sure.)
Rayla:
"I know." she said gently
Ben:
After a couple seconds of fiddling with her hands and squeezing her fingertips, he glanced up and looked at her. His cheeks were red and his eyes were wide and bright as he nodded slowly. Ben knew she was right. He knew they were both safe and alive now…but mere minutes ago, both their lives were at stake. If Fig hadn’t stepped in, things would have ended much differently.
Ben sighed and looked back down at her hands, now staring at the bruises on her wrists. “I-I know, Rayla…but, we weren’t. That’s the thing. You could have been killed. So could I, for that matter. You could have been given to Dean and he could have done whatever he pleased. All while I was either dead, or not in a position to help you.“
Romie:
He didn’t follow any of the usual paths, instead making one of his own. He didn’t feel like smelling the centaur-caused smoke or stepping onto the unnatural paths. “We are almost there,” he reported.
Declan:
The poet stepped back, allowing her the space to come in. "Yes, of course! Come in," He closed the door behind her with a polite click as she shyly came through the doorway. He noticed the container in her hands, "Oh, would you like me to take-" A sudden cacophony of tiny hoofbeats and noises echoed into the room as Cloda and Cara galloped into the living room.
"Carmelaaaaaa!" They both cheered in eager excitement as they barreled down towards her, their small arms open wide.
Declan quickly took the container from her so the young girls' dexterity and overwhelming giddiness wouldn't cause her to drop the food on accident. Just in the nick of time too, as the girls squealed and wrapped their arms around Carmela, squeezing her and smothering her with their hugs. Declan chuckled and moved into the kitchen as his children embraced the older mare tight. "Carmela! Carmela! We missed you! It's been sooooo long! Have you made any pretty jewelry? Did you miss us? How was Joo...nearstown?"
Rayla:
She gently kissed his cheek, "We made it. Both of us. We're both ok."
Ben:
He keep his eyes down and continued tracing his thumbs over her palms and knuckles, too embarrassed and sheepish to look her in the eyes. He blinked sullenly and swallowed slowly even though his throat burned from the effort. "H-Hm...?" He hummed silently, raising a brow but not fully lifting his gaze to meet her's.
(i'm just going to assume the girls and Topaz came back to the house since it's probably getting dark and late by now)
Declan:
He had been slumped against a plush mat, reading to himself a combination of papers. Some were his own poetry and writing that he was simply proof-reading, while the other sheets of paper were taxes, a few library book requests and orders, and announcements of the festival-much less exciting but it still kept the poet entertained. A small knock came to the door and he exhaled and dutifully rose off the couch. He stretched as he walked towards the door, then straightened his tunic before opening. His tired eyes immediately brightened before he even finished pulling the door open, recognizing who stood on the other side.
"Carmela!" He exclaimed brightly and stepped aside, beckoning his late-wife's apprentice into the home. "Hello, lassy! It's good to see you," He greeted warmly, as if no time had passed at all from the last time they'd spoken.
Carmela: She finished reading, a queer dazed expression in her eyes. Midway through cleaning up the workroom for the day, she remembered that she had promised to come to Declan's for dinner after she returned from Johirestown. He would be expecting her in a few hours.
She went into the kitchenette of her living quarters and cooked something to bring, what her family called Malaga salad. It was an old recipe, passed down several generations, containing Irich staples of fish and potatoes along with oranges and some other flavorings. After it was done, she put it into a container and brought it and a few other things with her to the O'Mofarn home. She knocked on the door.
Rayla: "Oh ben."
Ben:
He smiled as his ears turned a bright shade of red. “Not really…well, maybe…” He muttered and kept his eyes down on their hands. He rubbed his thumbs over her palms then intertwined their fingers.
“I was just worried that I would never see these hands again. See you again.” He said simply and softly, his voice catching.
(-sobs-)
Rayla:
She looked at him, "Are you expecting my hands to run away if you let go?"