Beginning Again (Cont.) }{ {Meeting a Night Elf}

[Summerchika]

With wide eyes she watched the interaction between Night and Reixou. The vow Reixou made was formal and heavy, at least it seemed that way to Ainutsa. But it was beautiful and sad at the same time.

As the dragon's head moved closer, Ainutsa leaned forward, drawn in by its beauty. She watched Reixou's reaction closely, noticing it hit him deeply. How did the dragon know?

When Night addressed her, Ainutsa found a smile on her lips. "I know." she belatedly replied as she watched the magnificent dragon rose gracefully and mightily to meet the stars.

Letting the silence after his departure settle, she slowly turned back to face Reixou. "I think that it would be foolish not to believe his words." she said softly, the smile from before still on her face and the awe of meeting a dragon still in her eyes. "They are wise creatures indeed."

[Reixou]

Turning slowly back to Ainutsa as she spoke, he nodded, and smiled.

"Truly they are magnificent beings..." Their eyes met, silently exchanging the mutual feelings of awe and wonder.

Reixou thought about the being that was now with him. She herself was rather magnificent; a woman living alone in these woods. And yet there was so much she had not seen, so much he could share with her. He wished very much to do so, but would not dare take her other places than the forest unless he knew it was safe. His smile faded into a look of meditation, as he mulled over his thoughts.

Thinking first of the ruins, he resolved that he would make a short trip there before even asking her to come; not wanting to get her hopes up, but also wanting to make sure the ruins were still there. If the land slid down and the stones were buried, it would do no good to take her there and find nothing but loose soil.

Realizing that Ainutsa seemed curious as to what he was thinking, he smiled nervously.

"Sorry, just running through some thoughts. What would you like to do now? We could stay here, or fly somewhere else, or go back...It's really your choice. 'I'm at your disposal.'" He said in a mockingly noble tone, smiling, and bowing low.

[Summerchika]

She watched as his gaze of awe and wonder that he shared with her slowly turned into that of a deep, thoughtful meditation. Tilting her head to the side out of curiosity, she waited for him to come back. She knew of deep thoughts and she knew how being disrupted from those thoughts were never too pleasant.

Considering what she would actually like to do now -- the dragon experience still raw in her mind -- she almost did not catch what he said at the end. But she could not miss how he said it. She found herself laughing despite herself as he performed a low bow. She did not know exactly what he was mockingly imitating, but she found it quite funny nonetheless.

"It is an honor to see such loyalty." she said, quoting the dragon's previous words in jest. She found herself curtsying in a response to his bow and she wondered why it seemed natural. But then her mind was more preoccupied with considering the question seriously. Looking to the lake, its steaming waters seeming very inviting to her, she got an idea.

"I have to confess." she said, looking back to Reixou, a sheepish look in her eye. "I have never seen steaming water before. I have played with warming some water before, but..." Her mother's necklace, which she now touched delicately, had interfered and she had been forced to stop.

She got a sudden gleam of excitement in her eye. "I just want to see how it feels, if that is alright?" she asked, her face a wide, eager grin. She wanted to go to it, but she waited for Reixou's okay. It was thanks to him that she had got here in the first place.

[Reixou]

Ainutsa looked longingly at the water. As she asked permission, Reixou could not help but chuckle.

"It is your choice to do as you please. If you wish we can swim in it." He said playfully. He began walking towards the pool. The dark water almost looked foreboding, so he decided to use his power once again. His hands reached high in the air, then came down slowly, a large amount of moonlight gathering in his arms. He closed his eyes, made motions with his hands, and six small, transparent water lilies appeared. He knelt and set the delicate figures of moonlight gently floating on the pond one by one.

The display took quite a bit of focus, but the moonlight was unusually cooperative for the moment. Reixou smiled at the sight, the flowers casting light both below the surface of the water and illuminating the steam above.

i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc141/Kairi-Naami/Waterlilies.png

[Summerchika]

Swim in a lake of steaming water! The thought made Ainutsa's heart leap. It looked so nice! Grinning widely, she could not help the giggle of excitement that bubbled through her being. She followed eagerly as Reixou walked toward the pool's edge.

Gazing into the dark water's depth, she remembered how Night had sparkled so within. Now, without Night's glow, the lake, however steamingly inviting, seemed a little sinister. The thought was silly, she knew, but its dark surface remained oddly still to her eyes.

Then moonlight shown and gathered in Reixou's arms and the thought of sinisterly things banished itself. She watched with bated breath as he shaped the moonlight into six, gorgeous little water lilies. As he set the beautifully shaped moonlight onto the lake's surface, Ainutsa sighed and knelt slowly and silently to join Reixou at the side of the pool, overcome by how much foreign beauty she had seen this night.

Slowly and carefully she extended her arm out so her fingers grazed the surface of the deliciously hot water, creating small wrinkles in the surface now alight with the moon's glory. Lifting the same hand, her fingers dripping, she traced the round shape of the nearest lily, nearly touching it, but not wanting to disrupt the moonlight.

Remembering how difficult it had been for her to try to keep moonlight in her palm, she wondered how much effort it would take to shape and keep six of these gorgeous lilies.

"You spoil me with the beauty I have seen this night." she said, surprising herself with the clarity of her words. All she could say in her mind was Oh amazing and similar expressions over and over again.

"Thank you." she said, despite it now seeming to be an unsatisfactory phrase in her opinion. She put her other hand in the water, feeling the water's warmth. What could make it so hot? she wondered. The feeling, however, dispelled her curiosity. This was yet another feeling unknown to her until this night.

I cannot believe I have lived seventeen years and not seen nor felt these things before! she marveled as she moved her hands under the water, reveling in the silky warm feeling. What else have I yet to discover? she wondered.

((ooc: So sorry for the delay! And oh my fabulous and gorgeous picture!))

[Reixou]

He watched as she marveled at the beauty, caressing one of the flowers. Reixou smiled for a moment, then looked out across the water, thinking.

"There is a lot of beauty to be discovered for one like me, a monster designed for destruction who chose to turn the opposite direction..." He placed a finger in the water, channeling a small amount of moonlight into it, tracing patterns under the surface, a small trail of illumination following his finger then fading away in a few seconds.

"The trouble with things that have bad connotations is that not many people can believe that they are good...No one is easily convinced that a lion isn't going to bite you." A small smile crept onto his face. "You seemed as if you had never seen a lion before, therefore you did not know the typical danger."

He looked at Ainutsa again, her green eyes reflecting the moonlight. "I am very blessed to have come upon such a person, to have a chance to prove myself with a clean slate. Thank you." He smiled earnestly. Those words alone were not enough to show his gratitude, but they were all he could give.

[Summerchika]

She listened attentively as he spoke. She did not think he was a monster, by any means. It had not truly been him who had done the things of his past. Just as he manipulated the moonlight, so he had been manipulated by the overlord. The difference was, the moonlight was beautifully manipulated; needless to say, the overlord's manipulating was the opposite.

Moving her eyes from the fun designs he made with the moonlight under the water, she watched the small smile on his face emerge. His life, she realized again, was very harsh. She knew what it was like to crave company but to be held back. This longing she understood well.

But she could only imagine what it must be like to have that need, and then to be shunned for your past for which you already feel guilt. She could only imagine the pain of knowing that no matter what you do, it would be excruciatingly difficult to bring them to understand the person inside of the reputation. She could only imagine.

"You should not have to thank me for my naivety." she said, shaking her head at his earnest thank you. Feeling a sudden and strong reproach for the overlord who had cursed Reixou to have to prove himself to everyone he met, her eyes flashed with that strong emotion. "I cannot see a monster if there is none to see. A person who can find and make beauty like you should not have to prove to anyone that he is not a monster. That," she assured, "is not natural order of things."

Lifting a dripping hand out of the blessedly hot water, she scowled at it in thought. Perhaps animals did have the right idea of things. They saw and smelled the intent of the heart inside the being. She could not believe that the entire world was more naive than she to not see the good in Reixou. If it was, she vowed to change their naivety. It was simply not fair.

Considering her hand for a moment, she got a mischievous look in her eye that she tried to hide. "Besides," she said, her tone different from the more passionate one she had used seconds before, "I like your ruby skin, despite what it may mean to others." With that, she flicked her fingers playfully toward Reixou, flinging the droplets from her fingers at him. She could not help the mischievous smile that came then.

Becoming more serious, but unable to wipe the grin from her face, she added, "It is a symbol of your great heart. You defied the overlord and won. No one else could have done that. Your skin symbolizes that great feat."

[Reixou]

As Ainutsa spoke, Reixou listened with an earnest ear to what she was saying. He agreed that it was not fair that he had to prove himself; but his mind had something against that notion. Perhaps it was because he had come to accept this as normal, he had come to feel that he deserved it somehow.

For her reassurance, he was even more thankful. He couldn't help but laugh a bit at her last comment, that she liked his skin. It was a little bit comical to him, but he appreciated it.

As she flung water at him he flinched and jerked, almost falling in. "Hey!" He laughed, and splashed a bit of water on her, then standing up and jogging back a few feet from the pool.

[Summerchika]

A laugh rose from her chest as Reixou startled and almost fell in. As he splashed water on her in turn, she flinched and made a sound of surprise, but welcomed the warm water. Giggling, she turned, half kneeling now, to face Reixou as he jogged backward away from the pool, seemingly retreating.

"Come now," she said in mock reproach, "The great and mighty Reixou, afraid of a bit of warm water?" She remembered the water that had soaked his back as the dragon had surfaced and she tossed more water at him, though he was too far away to reach.

Teasing and trying to goad him to come back, she continued. "I did not think one such as yourself would be so cowardly when it came to water." She had teased similarly with Ciar and Faolán with cold stream water, but it was much more fun with warm water, she decided.

All the while, she moved the hand behind her back in twirls under the water, preparing for a next attack. Her twirls made ripples in the water beneath the light of the moonlight water lilies.

[Reixou]

Reixou stood taller, in mock nobility, sticking his chest out and holding his chin high. "Me? Afraid of water? Psh." He crossed his arms and looked down at her. A mischievous smile crept across his face.

His wings unfolded in a blur of black, and he launched himself into the air, circling around, then flying back across the water slowly. He skimmed the top with his fingertips, again leaving trails of dissipating moonlight under the surface. This time, they split into many small spark-like lights that seemed to flutter around, spreading through the water before they faded.

He landed again, beside Ainutsa. "I am fascinated by water, especially in its' reaction to light-" He flinched again, and put his palms out towards her as she threw more water at him. "Hey! Careful, or you might end up in the water!" He taunted, raising an eyebrow.

[Summerchika]

There it was -- his mischievous smile. She got him. Laughing at his mock nobility stance, she readied for his next action.

Despite having seen his wings already, Ainutsa found it hard to not gasp in delight as they unfurled. The sight was simply magnificent! She followed him with her eyes as he circled and flew across the water, skimming the water with his finger tips and leaving trails of moonlight behind.

Again, she was caught up in the beauty of the moonlight in the water. Simply magnificent. If magnificent could be simple at all. Eyes locked on the spreading and fading lights in the water, she startled only a bit when Reixou landed beside her.

Turning quickly out of habit, she reflexively threw her dripping fingers at him as he spoke. Her cheeks flushed from suppressed laughter as he flinched again and put his palms out in protection. He threatened her with a raise of his eyebrow and her mock pride burned hot within her.

"I, unlike you apparently, am not afraid of water on my skin!" she countered his taunt with an eyebrow raise of her own. But the teasing smile was still on her face. Again, she flicked him with water, standing up quickly to slip her hand between his outstretched palms and to aim the water at his face.

[Reixou]

"I, unlike you apparently, am not afraid of water on my skin!"

She splashed him again, between his hands, hitting him directly in the face. He wiped his face, so that he could see, then his teeth flashed in a wide smile, eyes dancing with joy as he had given his final warning.

Reixou came at her, with small warning. "Then in we go!" He exclaimed, flinging his arms around her, and carrying them into the sky. Then, he dove.

Moving as fast as he was, Reixou felt the water on his cloak cool to a chilling temperature, assisting him in the decision not only to drop her in...but both of them, head first.

Before Ainutsa could begin to think what was happening, the water closed around them. The viscosity of water never ceased to be one of Reixou's favorite feelings, a wonder to him every time he felt it upon his skin. Engulfed in the warm atmosphere, Reixou turned upwards made the motion of a slow wingbeat, sending them to the surface.

He knew that in all likelihood Ainutsa could probably swim and hold her breath well, but didn't want to chance it and leave her below too long. At the surface, he released her, but still kept his hands on her upper arms, until she began swimming on her own. Still smiling, he waited for her reaction.

[Summerchika]

His wide smile caught Ainutsa a little off guard. She had finally got him, alright, and that satisfaction of victory was still present. But the amount of joy in his eyes was too much for someone who had just had water splashed in his face. Surely he did not love water that much?

But she misunderstood his intentions. As he came at her suddenly and quickly, she made to step back, but was stopped as his arms captured her and he flung them both into the air. Her breath rushed out of her in the suddenness of the movement.

Before she could make sense of what exactly was happening, there was suddenly a blanketed wall of warm water around them. She almost gasped in surprise, but being underwater, she caught herself just in time. She did, however, make a noise in her throat as, still caught in Reixou's arms, they vaulted to the surface.

"Oh!" she exclaimed on a breath, throwing her head back so her hair would release its grip on her face. She hoped the motion would splash Reixou in the process, but realized that they were probably both too wet to feel it.

He let her go, but kept his hands on her arms while she became comfortable in the water. Good thing, too. The feeling of the steaming water around her was as new to her as the feeling of flight. Combined, they left her joints weak from the adrenaline. But she recovered quickly.

"You are the most-" but she stopped, not knowing what she had meant to say and interrupted by her own breathless laugh. She ought to have learned her lesson, but they were already in the water anyway, so she angled her palms and sent a shower of water at Reixou, indignant at being moved without knowing what was happening for the second time that evening. It had been fun though and the smile would not come off her face.

"That was most amazing." she admitted, as the water launched itself toward Reixou. She did not think she would stop smiling as long as they were in the water; it was an absolute joy.

[Reixou]

"You are the most-" Ainutsa sounded thoroughly annoyed, which was what Reixou was expecting; as well as...Yep. There it was. Laughter interrupted her speech, whether it was going to be an insult or a compliment.

Reixou laughed along with her, and released her as she sent a wave of water into his face. "Still not done, are you!?" He taunted, splashing her again. He then relaxed, leaning back in the water to feel it on his neck. Reixou sighed, looking up at the stars.

"I never cease to be amazed by the simplistic beauty of everything I encounter." He mused, and brought his eyes back to Ainutsa. "Including you. Even when you're drenched." He added, chuckling.

He caught a nearby lily and cradled it in his hands, the light illuminating his face. "They've never been this cooperative. Perhaps the presence of dragons makes moonlight more cooperative. Here," He approached her with the flower. "Try manipulating it. I'll assist you in keeping it contained." He waited for her to accept the offer.

[Summerchika]

When Reixou splashed her back, she took it with a laugh and propelled herself to the side in an unsuccessful attempt to dodge the wave. She watched as he relaxed, and found it difficult not to do the same. The water had that affect on the muscles, apparently.

With a contented "Mm" she melted into the water's seductive warmth. Up to her ears in the water, the steam coming off of the pool warmed the rest of her head, despite her cold and wet hair.

He spoke of beauty as he looked to the stars and she followed his gaze, thinking that it was amazing to have met someone who valued the beauty of the "common" things in the world as she did. She supposed that he found much more beauty than she could dream about, which fascinated her.

His next comment brought her eyes back down to meet his. She was glad for the steaming water to warm her cheeks so her blush was not so noticeable.

The light of a moon lily, as she liked to call them, lit up Reixou's face as he caught it in his hand. He moved toward her with the flower. She propelled herself lightly to meet him and took the flower in her hands carefully.

"The presence of dragons? Or maybe the water itself gives it more power? You did say it reacts differently with the water..." Either way, with his assistance and the magic that seemed to pool here, she decided to give it a shot, hoping she was capable of keeping herself afloat as she concentrated.

Closing her eyes, she felt the shape of the moonlight cupped in her palms. Not knowing what to shape it into, she focused first on finding the malleability in the moonlight, imagining playing with it as if it were water and her palms were the bowl.

Opening her eyes, she watched as the flower began to open and dissolve into a misty, flowing substance that she now held. "Oh!" she whispered, surprised that it was working.

She then continued to try to shape it, moving it here and there, trying to find a shape that it would hold. Settling on a basic shape, she finally, after a few failures, was able to create a shining orb that rested in one palm.

Looking up at Reixou happily, she realized she had managed to make a new shape, and keep afloat at the same time. "Is it more difficult to make complicated shapes?" she asked, already wanting to try to make something more.