• Closed • Affection [Part i.]

[Sabine]

Her body stilled as he called out for her to stop, though she kept her hand on the doorknob and her back facing him. She could feel her shoulders tense, as if they were readying her for the fight that would no doubt follow Vincent’s explanation.

Except then he began to speak and, against all odds, the storm began to quell.

She rested her forehead against the door and closed her eyes, letting his words carry her with him to Lowtown and the inn and the smuggler’s home. As he spoke, she was reminded how the cloak had gone from hiding him to revealing him – turning him from someone completely indecipherable to a man she trusted with her life.

And then, once more, he brought her back to the boat and anger flashed across her face like lightning.

Still, she forced herself to listen.

When he spoke of his promise, she dropped her hand from the doorknob. And when he spoke of their bond, she turned back to face him. Without her anger to hide behind, it was impossible to ignore the earnestness, the sincerity, that poured out of every cell on his body. Her shoulders softened and she felt what was left of the storm recede.

Sabine stayed quiet as Vincent picked up the cloak, searching for the right words that would make him understand exactly how much she didn’t want to be angry, how tired she was of being mad, how grateful she was that he had, yet again, somehow managed to fix it.

The kitten mewed.

She released a breath and stepped forward, slowly making her way back to his side.

Sabine glared up at him accusingly. “You couldn’t have explained all that before I opened the gift?” She frowned, and then stood on her toes to give him a soft peck on his cheek.

Her face reddened.

“Just give me the damn cloak.”

[Vincent D'Ordyn]

Vincent heart was hammering in his chest as he stared at Sabine's back for what felt like eternity. Then, when thought it couldn't possibly beat any faster, it redoubled its efforts when she turned around and walked back to him. When she was right next to him, she looked up at him with a small glare that he had come to know oh so well, but this one held no real anger or malice.

“You couldn’t have explained all that before I opened the gift?” She chided. Vincent opened his mouth to respond, but realized that he had no excuse, that would have been a wise thing to do. Then she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. Her lips soft on his skin. A jolt of joy shot through him at the touch, but all he could do was stare down at her. When she told him to give her the cloak, Vincent shook the shock from his system and with a practice movement threw it around her shoulders.

They sat for a few more breaks, talking, laughing, and playing with the kitten. During the time Vincent name her, for she was a female, Cloud, and though there was a slight air of awkwardness still in the room, it was overshadowed by the cheer that had returned.

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Timestamp: 53rd of Zi'da, 716
Location: Glass Quarter Garden

Vincent sat on a one of the benches that sat throughout the park. Head tilted back, eyes closed, and just enjoy the last bit of sun before it slipped out of view. He smiled a bit to himself. It seemed that the Thunder Priestesses were keeping Sabine busy during her Noviate training, the thought of which was humorous to him. Sabine had always seemed to have a slight issue with authority and he could only wonder what she was like with her instructors in the Cathedral.

A few bits passed before he heard the quick, light, taps on the cobbled path that announced her arrival. Sitting up, he smiled at her and gave her a small questioning look. "Another long day?" He asked. Mostly serious, but with a small hint of playfulness mix in.

After she told him what she wanted about her day, he would pull another small leather pouch from under his cloak and hand it to her. "Well I hope this'll make it better."

As she undid the string that held the back closed and opened it a bright yet warm light would pour out of the opening. Inside would sit a small crystal about the size of her small finger that was the source of the illumination. "It's called Bottled Lightning." Vincent explained, though he was sure she already knew what it was, having been raised in the city. "I had a friend of my in the Lightning Knights take it to Ilaren and ask her to charge it for me." Vincent finished.

[Sabine]

“Long?” Sabine dropped her bag on the bench and collapsed dramatically next to Vincent. “Ashan is long. Snakes are long. The voyage from Rynmere to Treidhart is long. No, today wasn’t ‘long’. It was eternity.” She shoved her braids from her face and turned to look at her friend, placing an arm on the back of the bench for support.

“They had me cleaning the Cathedral, Vincent. Cleaning. Said it would be good discipline or something. I was this close to dying from boredom, I swear to you.” She squeezed her index finger and thumb together. “Ilaren knows what cleaning a Cathedral has to do with being a Thunder Priestess. I mean, is that actually a thing? Did you have to do that in the Iron Hand?”

She would continue to grumble for another few bits until the sun had almost entirely faded from the evening sky. When she finally broke off, Vincent took the opportunity to hand her a small leather pouch.

Sabine glanced at the pouch skeptically. “It’s nothing related to last night's gift, is it?” she asked, only half-joking. If he shook his head or reassured her that it wasn't, she would undo the string and see a warm light pour out.

“Oh!”

Bottled Lightning. She’d almost entirely forgotten about its existence during her time away from Rharne. Her father had carried one with him when they left for Rynmere, but after just a few trials away it turned back into an ordinary crystal without any lightning to charge it.

But this one was different.

“You got Ilaren to charge it?” Sabine’s mouth dropped open, and she found she couldn’t take her eyes away from the crystal. “Vincent… Immortals, thank you. It’s perfect.”

She tore her gaze from the gift and nudged his shoulder lightly. “Well, mine’s no gift from an Immortal, but…” She dug into her bag and handed a small package to Vincent. It was wrapped in a scrap of blue fabric and would feel hard to the touch. “Here, this might help.” Sabine held out the crystal to illuminate the gift as he unfolded the fabric.

Beneath the light, he would see a small and intricately carved wolf sculpture. The wolf stood alone, head held resolutely as it howled at the moon.

“It’s carved from local driftwood,” she said. “A biqaj man down at the Docks creates sculptures and I thought… well, I just thought you might like this one. It reminded me of you.”

Off Topic

Reviewer's Note: -5gn for wood sculpture (wild guess - let me know if you feel it's worth more!).

[Vincent D'Ordyn]

Vincent smiled slightly at Sabine's attempt to make like of the almost failure that had been yesterdays gift. "No, no, this is a gift all its own. As she opened it, Vincent watched as the light illuminated her face, both literally and figuratively.

After a few trills Sabine was able to pull her eyes away from the crystal and nudge him playfully with her soldier. When she handed him the cloth covered package, Vincent raised and eyebrow as he felt the item beneath the cloth. It was hard, with multiple different angles. Giving Sabine a small questioning look, he began to open it. He had the bundle mostly undone when she offered the Bottle Lightning for him to better see. Giving her a playful roll of his eyes, he finished opening the bundle and pulled out a small carved, wooden wolf figure. It was very well made, and the detail was amazing. As he explained where it came from Vincent ran his fingers over all the little lines carved into the wood.

"It reminded you of me?" Vincent asked, his voice full of curiosity. "How so?" Whether she decided to explain her thoughts or not, Vincent would put and arm across her shoulder and pull her in for a small hug. "Thanks Bine, it's amazing."

[Sabine]

“The only other choices were a turtle, a house cat, and a horse. None of those really seemed to suit.” Sabine grinned. “No, I don’t know. I mean… I guess it reminded me of you because wolves are supposed to be smart and dangerous and loyal. I think you’re all of those things.”

She glanced down at the wolf carving. “The man at the Docks told me something about wolves. He said that when a wolf gets separated from its pack, it howls to find its fellow pack members again. And maybe they don’t always find them, and the wolf will be alone for a time - sometimes even for a long time. But eventually, some of those wolves will find others and start a pack of their own.”

Sabine ducked her head self-consciously. “Maybe this is going to sound stupid, but… I feel like you’ve been searching for your pack ever since your family died. I just... don’t want you to feel like you’ll always be alone, you know?”

Her cheeks grew warmer. “Did that sound stupid? It sounded stupid, didn’t it-” She broke off as Vincent’s arm wrapped around her shoulder and drew her closer.

She returned the embrace without hesitation.

Present.

Timestamp: 54th of Zi'da, 716
Location: The Harpy Inn

There was no sense in hiding this trial’s gift.

Sabine eyed the sheathed shortsword that lay on the tavern table. Not even a nicely coloured bag would help conceal the surprise. Instead, she decided to forgo the wrapping and use the extra time to get a beer in before Vincent arrived.

Except she made the mistake of starting too early - because by the time Vincent stepped in the door, Sabine was already half-drunk.

“Vincent!” Her words carried above the tavern din as she waved him towards her table. “You came!” She gave him a wide smile and immediately held out the sword without giving him any opportunity to sit down.

She would allow him to sit if he objected, but would hold out the shortsword the moment he took a seat. And when he slid the sword from its sheathe, she would pipe up again. “The smith I bought it from called it the Defender,” Sabine said. “He said it was the best protection that nel could buy. He said it was so good at defending that it would even defend the wielder's opponent from critical hits.” She laughed. “He seemed serious, but I'm almost positive he was joking.”

If Vincent pushed her for an explanation of the gift, she would look at him as if he'd lost his mind. “Really? You don’t think it speaks for itself?” She glanced from him to the shortsword and shrugged. “You protect me,” she said simply. “You always have. You protect me, and you protect everyone around you.

“It’s who you are.”

Off Topic

Reviewer's Note: -9sn for 3 beers. 100 Point Bank points have been deducted from my ledger. As per the Point Shop, the Defender is, "a short sword that cannot take a life. When swung, the blade will direct itself around vital spots like it has a will of its own, guiding the wielders hand. Used purely for self-defense and for the defense of others. One can have confidence while defending that their strike will not kill, even if they are trying to."

[Vincent D'Ordyn]

Vincent cursed himself for his tardiness as he walked through the streets of Rharne. He had been so caught up in making sure Cloud was safe to be left alone that he had lost track of the time. Normally he would have been at their predetermined meeting place well before Sabine had arrived, the fact that he was already half a break late made Vincent a bit uncomfortable.

When he arrived at the door of the bar, Vincent took a deep breath and walked in. It didn't take him long to find Sabine though, or rather for her to find him. He hadn't taken more than four steps into the building before he heard her voice calling out to him from over the rest of the people in the tavern and waving him to the bar. Vincent blinked at her from a distance before making his way to her. As he approached she nearly bounced out of her chair, thrusting a sheathed blade into his hands. Vincent looked at the blade and then up at Sabine's flushed face, as she rushed into an explanation about the blade. When she mentioned that it was a Defender, Vincent eyebrows rose visibly as he took a second look at the blade, this time pulling it slightly from the sheath. It was fantastically made, and if the stories were true about them, he was sure this one would be seeing some use.

Without prompt Sabine then began explaining why she'd picked the blade as a gift for him, and as she did Vincent could feel the heat begin to creep into his own face. "Let's sit Bine." Vincent said motioning Sabine to her stool and then taking the one next to her. Setting the sword on the bar top, Vincent gently turned Sabine so that they were sitting knee to knee, facing each other at the bar.

"Sadly, I don't think my gift quite matches the one you gave me today, but..." Vincent began to reach into one of the pouches on his belt before he stopped at looked back at Sabine. "Close your eyes, and stick out your hands." Vincent would say playfully. If she didn't shut them right away he would tease he slightly "Close them before I'm forced to blindfold you." Afterwards, he would wait for her to do as he asked before retrieving her gift. Afterwards he would spend a few trills getting the gift and making sure they were secured properly. "Okay, you can open them now." He would say when he had finished.

When she opened her eyes she would see what she had already felt him putting on her hands. A pair of well made leather brawling gloves. They we're fancy, but they were of quality leather, and were well fitted to her hands. The stitching was tight and neat, and thought they were not extravagant to look at, they were highly functional. "I figured it was time you had a pair." Vincent said simply. "Sorry, if they're a bit plain." He said looking up at her a bit sheepishly.

[Sabine]

She couldn’t tell if he liked the sword.

Sabine watched him carefully as Vincent looked over the blade but, with alcohol-induced idiocy clouding her perception, all she recognized was surprise. She had expected him to say something – anything, really – but he was either in one of his “strong, silent type” moods or he hated the gift.

Her face fell for a half-tick before she glanced away and took another sip of beer, hiding her disappointment beneath a mask of stubborn indifference.

It was fine.

Everything was just fine.

If he couldn’t recognize a great gift, that was his problem.

Her face tightened imperceptibly as he asked her to sit, but she didn’t argue. She joined him on the stool – silently, because two could play at that game - and set her glass on the table with a clunk that hinted at her newfound obstinacy. When he turned her towards him, she fought to keep the curiousity from her eyes. And when he threatened to blindfold her, she tried to hide the smile on her lips.

She failed at both.

Betrayed by her own body, Sabine lamely shut her eyes and held out her hands. A long moment passed – one spent fighting the urge to peek – until, once again, she was allowed to have them open. She flexed her fingers and stared down at the new pair of gloves that covered her hands. They were simple, well-fitted, and made with supple leather.

Sabine immediately liked them.

Damn it.

“Brawling gloves?” she asked, forgetting her decision to be silent. “Because… I’m a Thunder Priestess now? Or…?”

[Vincent D'Ordyn]

Vincent smiled up at her as she asked the reason for the gift. Was it because she was a Thunder Priestess? Vincent looked up for a second as he searched for the right words. Finally, another small grin stole across his face as he brought his eyes to meet hers. "Because every warrior should have a pair." He stated as though it was just a simple fact.

"I know they're not much, and they in no way compare to the amazing gift you gave me." He continued, running his hand lightly over the sheathed blade as to again be sure it was real and there. "Thank you Sabine, and cheers to the Present." With that he ordered himself an ale and Sabine a cider, as she was already half way to being fully tossed.

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Timestamp: 55th of Zi'da, 716
Location: The Blackwood Bar

Vincent sat in one of the booths sipping on a glass of some dark colored liquor as he admired the scratches that line his arm. Cloud had gotten overly playful earlier and the day, and Vincent had suffered for it. The little kitten was proving to be more work than Vincent had originally expected, but at the same time he couldn't help but smile. 'So had Sabine when we first met.' Vincent thought as he took another sip.

A few more bits passed and eventually Sabine joined him at the booth. By that time the small glass sat empty and two more sat on the table, ready for the both of them. They chatted for awhile, more for Sabine to vent the frustrations of her work than anything, but Vincent sat through it with a smile, and simply enjoyed in company. He knew what it was like to be where she was. Fresh in an organization and having to go through the rigors of being at the bottom.

During a pause in the conversation, Vincent slipped a package of green cloth that was bound in twine onto the table in front of her. "It's not much, but I hope you like it." Vincent said nudging the gift a bit closer. As she undid the twine and unfolded the cloth she would find a dark green cotton scarf with fringed ends in her hands.

[Sabine]

Regret.

It was the only emotion Sabine could muster as she stood outside the Blackwood Bar. She’d spent far too many breaks drinking with and without Vincent the night before, and had fallen into bed completely trashed just four breaks before she had to rise for unarmed combat training with her fellow Novitiates.

Needless to say, her head was still pounding.

Sabine pressed a hand to her temples as a patron pushed open the door and light and laughter spilled out of the tavern. So much regret. She had almost gone straight home, but it was the thought of Vincent waiting patiently at the bar that had dragged her exhausted body from the Cathedral to meet him.

Well, that and her curiousity about his gift.

Her cheeks reddened as she remembered her petulant reaction last night. Oh gods… With a shake of her head, she hiked her bag higher on her shoulder and pushed open the door to the bar. After a quick scan of the room, she spotted Vincent sitting in a red-cushioned booth.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” It had been her usual greeting since she’d joined the Thunder Priestesses. She slid in across from Vincent and eyed the liquor waiting for her on the table with something close to nausea. “This combat-training-in-the-morning thing,” she began, ignoring the drink. “I’d like to know whose dumb idea that was. Honestly, Vincent, I could barely keep my eyes open. The woman I was training with nearly gave me a black eye because I was too tired to block her punch.”

Her trivial complaints continued for few more bits before Vincent turned the conversation towards the 12 Trials.

Sabine undid the twine on the gift he handed her and shook the dark green scarf loose before her. A slow smile spread onto her lips as she looked it over. “It’s perfect,” she declared. She wrapped the scarf loosely around her neck and posed theatrically. “What do you think?”

After he admired – or mocked – the look, she would dig into her leather bag and pull out his gift. “I think we had similar ideas.” She handed him a folded bundle of dark green fabric. When he unfolded it, he would find himself holding a simple long-sleeved cotton shirt. Leather cord laced together the upper quarter of the shirt which, if he chose to unlace it, would become a v-neck.

“Might help cover those scratches,” she said half-seriously, and gestured to the cuts on Vincent’s arms. “Has Cloud been giving you a hard time?”

Off Topic

Reviewer's Note: -3gn, 8sn, 4cn for dark green cotton shirt with cord.

[Vincent D'Ordyn]

Vincent smiled at Sabine's question about why training always happened in the morning. With a small laugh at her exasperation and agitation over it, Vincent explain. "If you can fight when you're tired, and not fully ready for it, you will only be that much better when you're fully awake and ready. Plus it's a great way to get your blood flowing in the morning." He added with a smile.

As she opened his gift and eyed it for a trill before smiling and throwing it around her neck with a small flourish. "What do you think?” She asked.

With a teasing smile, Vincent took one of the ends and tightened it a just bit to be sure of the fit. "Like your neck will be nice and warm come Cylus." With that she placed her gift in front of him. Much like his it was dark green, and made of cotton.

“I think we had similar ideas.” She said as he shook out the item and found himself hold a green shirt, with long sleeves and leather cord to tie the neck closed.

"I'm sure this will get plenty of use. It looks amazing. Thanks Bine." As Vincent folded up the shirt and set it beside himself on the booth, Sabine asked about Cloud and the scratches on his arm. "She got a bit playful earlier and got a bit excited and..." Vincent finished by showing off the fresh scratches on his arms. "But, she's growing on me."