Elisabeth loved when he grinned at her. It was a small reminder that they were alright. That was never in doubt. Not really. Admittedly, it had been bumpy for a bit after they arrived in Haven, through no fault of either of them. Time had helped both sort the demons a bit and they were facing their circumstances – together. His grin brought the smile to her face that only he could coax out of her.
He had asked for a story…and Elisabeth had told one. Well, it probably wasn’t the best story, but it had been an important memory for her and there had been the desire to share it. It wasn’t until he thanked her for the story that she realized there was a detail she had left out – an important one.
Before he had the chance to speak further, she remedied her error. “By the way, there are four things that calm my mind. Snow, as I’ve just told you. Stars, as I told you the night you walked me home in Rharne. Waves, which I found out here…” Reaching her hand over to take his, gazing into his eyes with a smile….” and you. Moments like the one on the balcony in Viden…” Elisabeth wouldn’t elaborate unless he asked, and she doubted he would. Her hint gave him enough of an idea of what she was speaking of. Even at that, it was more. It wasn’t only his kisses anymore. Laying next to him at night. Walking along the beach. Even at that very moment, she wasn’t thinking of a million things she needed to do.
Elisabeth was only thinking about him.
Squeezing his hand gently, he spoke his question. Vin and Rilith? Hmmm…perhaps she hadn’t done a really good job of explaining them to him, which wasn’t too surprising. It hadn’t been a normal upbringing.
Gently smiling, she sighed a bit, finding a place to begin. “Vin and Rilith, I owe them a lot, but they never intended on having children and I was a bit of an anomaly. When they raised me, they raised me to be self-sufficient from an incredibly young age, and the expectation was always that I would move on with my life earlier rather than later. I actually stayed with them a bit longer than I should have, but I was gainfully employed as their assistant and the arrangement worked for all of us.”
Elisabeth knew it was odd, but it was difficult to explain. “I’m not their daughter. Not really. I’m the girl they found in the snow and took care of until she could take care of herself. I do miss their company every now and then, for what it is, but they are living the life they wanted now.”
Squeezing his hand again, she smiled. “You are my family, Balthazar…and my home. Wherever you are is where I want to be.” Yes, she had said it before, but it was an important concept to her. Vin and Rilith, yes…they were family to an extent, but since venturing out on her own, she was crawling her way through the concepts of family and home. He was home to her. He was her family – the single most important person in her life. That would not change.
Balthazar nodded but did not offer much more of a response when Elisabeth went into the more detailed explanation of things that helped keep her calm. They were things he already knew because they'd been together for so long but he understood why she said it. She liked her words and she liked reminding the man with the perfect memory of them. She liked saying things knowing the guards would report it and she liked trying to make Balthazar feel like the center of her world. She mentioned the balcony which almost assured Balthazar would not verbally respond but his eyes did widen just a little bit. He remembered the balcony well and while he understood she meant more than the physical, he certainly thought about the physical things he missed. Elisabeth moved on to address his question which helped Balthazar refocus on the conversation. She told him of her upbringing and how it was less than conventional, citing that as a reason she didn't feel drawn back to them.
He didn't find her story that different than his own but at the same time, it was nothing like his upbringing. He was raised by a farmer who had been part of the mob that killed his real parents and he was raised as a worker. He was only freed from his work by an 'accident' that caused the majority of the farm to burn down. Still, after everything that happened with Xanax, Isabella, smuggling, and being initiated into his magic, he had gone back to see them when he thought he might leave Yaralon. He found them in no better a state than his true parents, but he had gone back to see them all the same. He had not forgotten that connection and those who had raised him because of what they'd done to him... though at the time he did not know what they'd done to his parents.
"I understand that, and I want the same," Balthazar said, "but don't forget that the world is larger than your home." What did that mean? That sounded worse aloud than he thought it would. "The people who raised me were not very different. I worked on the farm doing whatever they could make me do from the time I could walk. It was supposed to be how I paid them for the home they gave me." He was getting off topic so he shifted back to his point, "I was far from family to them, but I still went back to see them arcs after I left. If I had the option now, I'd still want to go see them again. They were not always kind, life was not always fair, but I was alive because of them." Balthazar's voice seemed to drift off and his eyes became a little distance. Was. He regained his composure quickly and continued, "I don't know where I'm going with this I just... I think it is important to remember and to honor, the people cared enough help you survive."
word count: 520
Visible Mutations/ Marks
Mutations
Defiance: Skin always glows faintly and he is warm to the touch. His is also the center of a field of static electricity so people get shocked touching him on occasion. Rupturing: Orange etheric cracks spider-web up his arms to his elbows. His eyes and the glowing cracks going down his cheeks glow dark blue. Transmutation: He has a series of emerald, glowing cracks on his right pectoral.
Marks
Bellinos: His fingernails are always black. The color fades into his fingers. Celarion: A dim glowing ring surrounds his left forearm. Palenon: A silver lightning shaped mark about the size of a hand stretching up towards his torso.
Scars
Oops, Oops, Ouch: Balthazar Black has twenty scars across his back from a lashing as well as scars on his hands and arms from jagged rocks on Faldrass. There are two scars on the sides of his abdomen from being stabbed and a slash across his back which blends in with the whip scars.
Balthazar always said that she analyzed him…but in truth, he did much the same thing. It wasn’t analyzing – it was thinking, feeling, and caring. If he wanted to call it analyzing, sure. Elisabeth was alright with that.
He listened to her story and had some thoughts, which she carefully considered. Smiling, she squeezed his hand one more time, hoping to assure him that she did consider his feelings, opinions, and words. “I will consider that, of course. I do appreciate what they did for me. I suppose I just feel like they are happier now with the freedom me not being there has allowed.”
Taking a deep breath, Elisabeth looked out at the view with him…and then turned to look at just him. The young mage spent a lot of time thinking about Balthazar, of course, but she sometimes felt that she was the only one that could see him truly as he was and not what he projected to the world. Was she the only one that could see the beautiful soul he possessed or was it simply that she was the only one allowed to see it? He loved her in a million different ways, every trial. Sometimes it was just in the way he looked at her that Elisabeth saw what she meant to him. He was a man of few words, but those he chose to speak to her, spoke volumes.
Their relationship had bloomed in uncertain times, but continued to flourish, despite even more. Elisabeth quietly considered a few things, and figured out, finally, what she wanted to do. The answer had been there all along, but she had been worried about other matters to see it clearly for what it was.
Laying her hand on his leg, Elisabeth smiled at him. “And what else would you like to do with the remainder of your birthtrial?”
"Maybe they are, but I know firsthand that if you were to help them totrial, they'd excel in ways they never imagined because you were there to help drive them." Balthazar said, "You've made me want to be better, a lot of things have but you are certainly part of it. I think you'd have that affect on anyone you worked with... just, something to keep in mind." He was content to leave it at that as he had just about nearly finished his food by that point and if dinner was over, the time to train the settlers was upon them... and the time to tell Elisabeth he had not cancelled the training was nearly upon him. They enjoyed the view for a few more moments until Elisabeth put a hand on his leg and asked what he'd like to do with the remainder of his birthtrial. He took a deep breath and his gaze shifted out from Elisabeth to the pink tree again. "I'd like to stay here," He said with a little sadness in his voice that he knew would tell Elisabeth what was coming next, "but I promised the settlers training and I try to keep my promises."
He stood slowly and groaned as he did so, stretching his arms and legs a little bit while he readied to go back to the beach for the nightly training. "I'll help you bring these things back to the tent before I go." He assumed she would be attending with him but knew better by now. She liked when he asked her to come with him so as they began to pack up their little picnic, he did just that,, "Are you coming tonight?"
word count: 295
Visible Mutations/ Marks
Mutations
Defiance: Skin always glows faintly and he is warm to the touch. His is also the center of a field of static electricity so people get shocked touching him on occasion. Rupturing: Orange etheric cracks spider-web up his arms to his elbows. His eyes and the glowing cracks going down his cheeks glow dark blue. Transmutation: He has a series of emerald, glowing cracks on his right pectoral.
Marks
Bellinos: His fingernails are always black. The color fades into his fingers. Celarion: A dim glowing ring surrounds his left forearm. Palenon: A silver lightning shaped mark about the size of a hand stretching up towards his torso.
Scars
Oops, Oops, Ouch: Balthazar Black has twenty scars across his back from a lashing as well as scars on his hands and arms from jagged rocks on Faldrass. There are two scars on the sides of his abdomen from being stabbed and a slash across his back which blends in with the whip scars.
He spoke the words so matter-of-factly that she almost missed what he said. You've made me want to be better. The blush that was reserved for unexpected comments slowly crept up her cheeks. Balthazar always did that. He had a way of catching her completely off guard with something so lovely and honest that everything else melted away.
Admitting that he hadn’t canceled training, she laughed softly. “I know you do…and yes, we should get going if that’s the case.”
Packing up the items, he asked if she would be attending, to which she nodded. “I haven’t missed one yet. Not about to start now. Wouldn’t want the instructor getting any bad ideas about me…” Grinning softly at the comment, she helped him pick up everything, then began the walk back to the settlement, shadow in tow.
As they walked, her mind whirled at an idea that was coming into being. Well, that wasn’t true. It had been there for a while, but the trial’s activities and such managed to bring it into focus a bit more. Glancing over at him, Elisabeth thought about their time together and what he meant to her. Circumstances and situations changed around them constantly, but they remained. It was something to be celebrated.
Nearing their tent, Elisabeth was committed to what she wanted to do – his final birthtrial present.
Balthazar wanted to have an evening training session, which meant that she needed to change out of her dress into more appropriate clothing. She wasn’t sure if he was changing, but she absolutely needed to.
Taking the things from him, she smiled. “I’ll just put these things in the tent and take care of them later. I’ll change while I’m in there too. Won’t be but a moment.” Looking up at him, Elisabeth took one final moment to consider what she was going to do in the moments that followed, then realized she didn’t need any more time. Her decision was made. It had been made a long time ago.
Dropping the bags, she quickly changing into clothing suitable for training, then looked for something specific – the Elisabeth dagger. Gifted to him for Ziellmas, it had been the first gift she had given to anyone, but he had been worth it. It held special meaning for both of them and she couldn’t think of anything more perfect to help her with her surprise.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped back out of the tent, dagger in hand. Giving Balthazar a smile, she gently handed the dagger over to him. Of course, he wouldn’t understand what she was saying until she added a few words. “When I first gave this to you, I told you it didn’t mean that. This time, it does.” It was a simple explanation – one he would understand. Elisabeth was asking him to consider something particularly important with her gift, but there was no pressure attached. As with all things, it would be something they approached together.
Leaning forward, she did something she almost never did with the shadows around, slipping up on tiptoes and kissing his cheek gently. As she moved away, a soft smile fell against her lips as she considered him, arching an eyebrow playfully. “ We should go. I’m feeling pretty lucky tonight.”
Walking away from him a bit, she called back over her shoulder. “Maybe I won’t end up on my ass this time…”
"Oh I'm sure the instructor knows you too well to have any good ideas about you." Balthazar teased Elisabeth as they picked up the little birthtrial surprise she'd made for him. Tib'ron watched them silently with his arms crossed. They made their way back to the tent and Elisabeth excused herself to go inside and change while Balthazar waited outside with Tib'ron in an ever tense and awkward silence. They looked at each other every now and then while they waited but they said nothing. Balthazar let his mind wander towards the routines they'd go through tonight and whether or not he'd have his guards begin training with weapons instead of just their hands. Elisabeth changed and he waited, and waited, until finally she returned from their tent with her new clothing on and Balthazar's dagger in her hands. What was she doing with that?
She held it out to him and he took it, thinking she would explain herself but what she did say came as some surprise. It meant that? What amusement was mixed with his curiosity at seeing the dagger seemed to fade as he held the blade in his hands and thought over what Elisabeth had just said. Would the guard understand it? It didn't matter. Now was far from the time for what she wanted and it felt... soon. There were still secrets between them. There was a big one that he had not told her that he still wasn't quite ready to. It felt dishonest to accept what she was asking, knowing he could not be completely transparent with her. Part of him hoped Elliot, his therapist, would be able to help with that but he'd never admit it, even though he'd told Elliot the secret already. He needed more time, but it was not because he did not love her. He'd never married Isabella either and when she began to broach the idea, their relationship had fallen apart.
He did not want to lose Elisabeth the same way by making the right choice at the wrong time. He needed to be sure he was ready for what she wanted from him and he needed to be sure he could be what he thought she deserved. Still, his answer was not a no. If they were in Yaralon a no would have been a very complicate issue for the two of them. "If you mean that, look into the tradition more first, Raskal. It's... much more complicated than you think." Balthazar did not want to elaborate further but he trusted Elisabeth to find out on her own. For the moment he kept the dagger with him and gestured towards the beach before Elisabeth took the lead. She said she was feeling lucky and Balthazar grinned,
"If anything keeps you off your ass, it won't be luck."
word count: 489
Visible Mutations/ Marks
Mutations
Defiance: Skin always glows faintly and he is warm to the touch. His is also the center of a field of static electricity so people get shocked touching him on occasion. Rupturing: Orange etheric cracks spider-web up his arms to his elbows. His eyes and the glowing cracks going down his cheeks glow dark blue. Transmutation: He has a series of emerald, glowing cracks on his right pectoral.
Marks
Bellinos: His fingernails are always black. The color fades into his fingers. Celarion: A dim glowing ring surrounds his left forearm. Palenon: A silver lightning shaped mark about the size of a hand stretching up towards his torso.
Scars
Oops, Oops, Ouch: Balthazar Black has twenty scars across his back from a lashing as well as scars on his hands and arms from jagged rocks on Faldrass. There are two scars on the sides of his abdomen from being stabbed and a slash across his back which blends in with the whip scars.
Comments: I thought that giving Balthazar little clues and notes that eventually led him to Elisabeth, waiting for him with a picnic was a wonderful idea for a birth trial present, and it showed just how much she cares about him.
I’m glad that he liked it.
I wonder what Balthazar’s favourite foods are though. I hope we’ll find that out sometime.
I also enjoyed reading more about the different attitudes that Elisabeth and Balthazar have in regard to birth trials and celebrations and how their different backgrounds have affected them.
I appreciate it when players take a look at the traditions mentioned in the lore.
I was surprised when Elisabeth offered to let Balthazar see a memory, and I was just as surprised when Balthazar wanted to see the first time that she saw snow. I wonder what kind of memory he would have asked about if Tib’ron hadn’t been watching them though!
