"Sleeping out?"
The television was streaking bright lights across the living room, so action thriller about cri families was on, churning out as much gunfire and explosions from the speaker grilles to outclass any world war from before - which just adds to the authentic feeling, I'm sure. They don't even seem to need to reload either.
Dad was planted on his favorite one-seated, a refreshing yellowish drink swiveling with a mountain of ice in one hand, remote in the other, and glancing from the near distance of the foot of the stairs, I could almost see an uncanny resemblance between him and one of those machine gun-wielding tuxedo n on screen…
I decided against pointing out this astute observation of mine to him, muttering a faint, "Yeah, I am," to his question which he sohow managed to hear over all the pandemonium.
"I see," He muttered back, then returned his focus back to his nightly entertainnt. "Take care of yourself, goodnight."
And really that's like the best reaction that I could have hoped for. Now if only the rest of my family could just follow along in his footsteps… Mom especially… I would be so happy.
Ash surprisingly had remained exactly where I had last left her, like an erected statue in the front lawn, springing only to life with a shudder of the shoulders at the sound of the door swinging wide open.
I hardly even recognize her at first. Her deanor had strayed so far from her usual calmness, her grace. There's only pretense there, a pretend calm, as she desperately tries to contain her apprehension inside. I know it… because I was doing the exact sa thing too.
Steady breaths, steady steps…
Ash t halfway as I approached her, wearing an unsettling stare that looked so lost with what to do with herself and yet just as eager to want to do sothing about it as well, then upon noticing the bag slung around my shoulder, she saw her perfect chance.
"Don't even think about it," I said, taking a step away from her outstretched hands. "You might be a Knight, but I'm a guy… let have my mont of chivalry, alright?"
Still perating that awkward air, Ash slowly let her reaching arms fall limp at her side, and seemingly not knowing what else to do with them, began burying them at the curls of her skirt.
"Alright," I took the first step forward. "Shall we go now?"
Only silence from her narrowed lips, but the faint crunch of grass closely following from behind ant that we shall indeed. Behind us sets the sinking sun, casting our shadows forward onto the dirt path ahead standing almost side-by-side with each other, almost hand-in-hand with one another, makes wonder a little why we weren't.
Bla tension, bla nerves. Forget black holes, the bloody atmosphere right then was now officially the heaviest thing in known existence bar none… doesn't help that Ash seems to be a little bit tongue-tied at the mont… it's strange, I've never really heard her this speechless before, if you can wrap your head around that sentence… it's even worse than with Sera, at least I know that she grunts occasionally.
On the way over, I couldn't help but have my eyes drift ever so briefly to the barn looming off in the distance, a foreboding outline in the darkening blanket of night that continues to enshroud all over. One look, and it's like I'm back there again, seeing him, hearing him - all my doubts, my worries, manifested as a single wrinkled smirk staring ominously back at .
But as said before, I didn't keep my stare for long and soon returned to the narrowing path ahead of us, yet alas, I couldn't exactly say the sa for Ash, even as its outline faded from sight, it was as if she could still see it, like she was standing right here inside its gloomy interior, and now instead of there just being quiet… there was disquiet, the expression on her face in a deep thinking somber.
She needed a distraction, a good one too… so I distracted her, replicating our silhouettes and taking her hand in mine.
I felt her fingers twitch when I held them, even heard the little quiver in her breath almost letting out a gasp - extra sensitive to the touch as I recall, and extra sensitive she was at that.
"Over here," I motioned, pulling us away from the beaten path and into the swaying stalks of grass. "Forest is practically pitch black at night, better we reach the lake before the sun completely goes down."
Ash still wasn't saying anything, but I did feel her grip my hand a little tighter, and that was enough indicator for to quicken our pace. Up and over the rickety fence, into the trees, past the bushes, and we were back to retracing our steps.
For a while, I managed just fine navigating us through the clutter and foliage, yet unfortunately, it seems I underestimated just how freaking fast the forest loses the sunlight, and before I knew it, I was nearly walking us into trees and tripping over branches… it got to the point where I was waving an arm out in front of like a makeshift cane for poor blind .
Honestly, I didn't know where the hell was going anymore… and I think Ash could tell, because slowly and gradually, our positions started to make a switch. She took the lead, guiding us the rest of the way, while I just strung along, holding tightly onto her and never letting go.
How she knew her way through the forests, especially in the pitch darkness in spite of exploring it only briefly once while in a drunken stupor at that… I know she's practically superwoman in this world, but still, next thing you're gonna tell she's actually able to fly too all this while.
"You know where you're going?" I asked aloud, just to be sure, sadly I couldn't rely on watching her facial expression anymore, and she still wasn't talking either, so if she was nodding - hell if I know.
I think Ash quickly realized this was well, because, in the midst of rustling leaves and creaking twigs, I heard a wispy voice from near in front of , low and in a timid whisper, "Not particularly, Master…"
Welp, there goes my preconception. Whatever, point still stands.
"Then how are you…?"
"Your scent," spoke that voice again, even quieter this ti. "It still yet lingers, faint as it is."
"You sll ."
"I do," She affird.
Right… I keep forgetting that particular habit of hers.
"How exactly does that work actually? Is it a magic thing, do you have to concentrate to do it, or…?"
"Um, in a sense, I've imprinted your scent to mory, we Elves are keen hunters in the wild, it is a practiced skill, hone through experience, useful for sensing prey, detecting enemies, and - "
"Finding lakes?"
"Yes, that too," Ash muttered, in a hushed inflection on the brink of a smile. "But most importantly for , feeling you in every breath I take."
"That's… weirdly flattering," I said, but hey, if it works and if that bliss I heard ringing in her voice ain't a lie, then, "Do you think you can teach how to do that soti… for, uh, educational purposes?"
"Not unless you are an Elf yourself, Master."
"Oh," I let out a little sigh. "Sha…"
"Alas, it isn't quite a necessity now, is it, Master?" She said, and I felt a part of her lightly brush at . "I am right here with you, after all."
I brushed her right back, feeling a faint smile forming. "That you are…"
It seems the more she talked, the less withdrawn she becos. I should find sothing else to talk about. No problem, easy-peasy, my speech is always at a 100 playing RPGs. I could even talk a mugger into giving money instead.
"So, uh…"
"Master, may I - "
Or we could talk over each other and just maximize the awkwardness, yeah that works too. Unfortunately, it seems my luck stat hasn't been getting the sa kind of preferential treatnt.
"You first," I said, relenting first. Not like I had any idea myself what I was going to say.
There was a motion in the darkness, a faint murky outline of sothing ducking… or bowing, before Ash spoke, "Regarding scents… I detected, no well, I noticed it prior, but… there is a trace of blood in the air."
"Oh?"
"Yours."
"Oh."
"Vampires do not emit a scent of any kind, nor do they leave evidence of their presence in their wake, among all, they are a particularly elusive species," She continued to say, a forced casualness to her tone. "But in rare, exceptional cases… they do leave imprints… markings…"
I knew where this was going, I could see it… unlike that bloody branch I nearly tripped over just now.
"You saw it, huh?" I said, tracing my neck with a finger. "It's, yeah… it's - "
"It seems Adalia has indeed grown quite fond of you as much as I," Ash said, breathing out to the skies. "Always in your presence, beset on all sides by your kindness, it was only a matter of ti, an inevitability of circumstance, and yet still…"
"Still?"
"Still I am envious, jealous…" She confessed, with another long sigh. "In spite of stunted emotions, still she could express herself to you so openly, brazenly… lovingly… while I continue to stumble, to falter… continuing to leave many things I yearn to say unspoken."
I felt my head give a shake. "But you already have, I already know…"
"And yet alas, there is still so much more…" there was a pause, and in the dark, I caught beads of green light staring back at . "Tell , Master… were her feelings reciprocated?"
"They were," I said, staring back at their shimr. "Like you said, always in her presence, beset by her kindness… it was only a matter of ti, wasn't it? I love her too."
There was a blink, and then there was just darkness again.
"Well, it matters not if you do, and it matters not if she does. Worry not, Master… this will not change at all how I truly feel about you."
"Sa here," I told her. "Nothing has changed for too. What I feel for you, nothing can change that in the slightest."
"And that is all I need to know," I heard her breathe out, relieved. "But I must say, Master… your relationships as of late, they have taken quite a turn, haven't they? I wonder, do you enjoy being the desire of many as you are? It must feel quite flattering, doesn't it?"
"Well, uh… maybe?"
"Then are you satisfied with your relationships now, I do wonder?" She eyed again, a narrow glint in the darkness. "Or perhaps instead, you have more of your love to freely give to others still?"
I'm being called out, exposed… and I have no way of denying it so. Nothing to my defense, nothing to plead innocence… my speech stat has failed .
But then just when I thought the hamr of justice was going to fall and my sentence proclaid - I heard a faint chuckle sounding nearby and beneath those erald lights, a smile glimred so bright.
"I rely jest, Master," Ash said, bowing her head apologetically. "I am more than content rely staying by your side alone… and so long as I am able to… then there is no equal to my happiness, to the joy I feel, being with you here…"
Now it was my turn to have words fail . All I could do was smile at her, and fall in love with her even more…
"And besides," She said, batting her eyes quickly. "For now, for tonight, you belong only to , don't you?"
I nodded, holding her tight. "You do."
"And I to you," She replied, her voice speaking so tender.. "Forever and always."
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