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Post by Jaiden on Mar 26, 2007 23:49:12 GMT -5
(Sure. Jaiden is just going to take care of whatever errands the keep wants them to do, so feel free to skip to wherever you'd like. Sorry about the slow response - been super busy lately. I promise I'll have posts for you tomorrow night. ^^;)
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Aubrey
Initiate
.:Look, but don't touch:.
Posts: 215
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Post by Aubrey on Mar 27, 2007 19:15:22 GMT -5
Aubrey awoke later than he normally would have, sleeping in well past sunrise and rising sometime around noon. He was a little startled to find Jaiden missing, but after a moment, decided that the other had probably gone to work off their expenses. He sighed softly, and ran a hand through his pretty golden locks. What a week..
Within a few moments, he was dressed and downstairs, looking around timidly for his companion. Some of the patrons watched him a moment or two curiously, but most paid him no mind. He spotted Gulan first, offered her a gentle bow and asked politely where Jaiden was, so as to find him faster.
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Post by Jaiden on Mar 27, 2007 21:19:15 GMT -5
She didn't have to answer, well aware that Jaiden was at her heels with another bucket of soapy water. The boy looked rather miserable - his hair had been hastily tied back, sweat-soaked strands sticking to his forehead. The sleeves of his tunic (which must've been on loan from the inn, since he'd never do manual labor in his precious robes) were pushed up past his elbows, and he was the spitting image of exhaustion. All in all, it was a very, very un-Jaiden-like appearance.
He dropped the bucket to the floor and sighed, just now noticing Aubrey. The kid had better work ethic than he did, which was pretty embarassing since the other was forced into it. He blushed and did his best to not look totally out of it, producing a damp rag from his back pocket and wiping it across his forehead. "Oh... hey. You slept pretty late, but you've got good timing... I'm done." Gulan raised her brow in a questioning expression, but the glare he gave back seemed to keep her silent. Regardless of what the keep thought, Jaiden had done more than his fair share of work for one night. Approaching the other and resisting the urge to throw his arms around him (why did he feel like doing that, anyway?), he actually found it easy to smile despite being so tired. "Hungry?" It stung him to ask, knowing he'd have to work their meals off as well, but Aubrey was worth it.
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Aubrey
Initiate
.:Look, but don't touch:.
Posts: 215
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Post by Aubrey on Mar 30, 2007 22:50:42 GMT -5
[and you have enough posts and time in to level up at the normal rate, so you know XD *just levelled herself up here* Buwahahahahahhaah.. I like being a mod >3]
Aubrey tilted his head as he watched Jaiden a moment, before he offered an apologetic smile that reached his eyes. All in all, he seemed to be doing much better emotionally, and physically he seemed more than feeling better. Yet, he looked like he felt.. well.. bad for Jaiden at the moment. Not pity, but more like guilt..
"A little.." he answered quietly. "I could've helped, you know." Ah, there was the reason for his guilt. He was a fairly selfless person, and knowing that Jaiden had woken long before him to work off their expenses all on his own.. Well, it made Aubrey feel a little useless. Not so much that he would get upset or feel depressed, but just enough that he felt guilty for sleeping in.
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Post by Jaiden on Mar 31, 2007 10:54:26 GMT -5
(Hm, that's right... I'll have to take care of that soon. I've got like ten minutes before I have to run out the door to work though, so I'll do it later. ><)
Jaiden wasn't too shabby on picking up others' feelings - it went a long way in his business - and he didn't feel a shred of remorse about Aubrey. Even if he felt bad that he'd done all that work, that was fine with him... just the idea that the kid was experiencing typical emotional reactions pleased him. He wasn't sure if he could do the same in such a short amount of time if he'd gone through what he'd had to. He smiled, shook his head, and reached forward to brush some of Aubrey's hair out of his face. "Don't worry about it. I was having trouble sleeping anyway." While this was partly true, that didn't make it any easier to get out of bed. If you could just see yourself when you're sleeping, kid, you wouldn't want to leave your side either... He sighed softly, a faint laugh mixing in towards the end.
"Now we've got the rest of the day to do whatever we want, but I need to take a bath first... I feel disgusting." Not quite used to the rigors of sweat and actual work, he felt that warm water was the only way he could remove the taint of such things. "Why don't you have lunch sent upstairs?"
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Aubrey
Initiate
.:Look, but don't touch:.
Posts: 215
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Post by Aubrey on Mar 31, 2007 23:50:10 GMT -5
[And I've decided that sooner or later, my pretty little elementalist is gonna have a mental breakdown, because he does seem a little too.. okay for having gone through all of that. (Insert Callie making Aubrey a mental wreck here) >D]
For a moment, Aubrey considered all of this, still feeling a bit guilty about not helping Jaiden to work off their debt, and then nodded. "Okay," he said. "Will you be in the room after your bath? Wait.. where will you bathe at?" He wasn't entirely sure where Jaiden might bathe at, because he had never stayed at inns when he'd travelled with--
He didn't let his mind travel in that direction, but flushed gently at his own ignorance. That was why he was doing so well.. He'd been ignoring what had happened to him, had tried to cast it from his mind, deciding that by not dealing with it, the pain would go away. He said nothing about this, of course, and never would he lest it be detrimental to say so. Maybe.. Just maybe.. if he could repress the memories, they would go away, and he could be normal.. Right?
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Post by Jaiden on Apr 4, 2007 21:20:48 GMT -5
"The keep is supposed to be having one drawn for me. I deserve that much, at least... there's a small bathroom down the hall from our room. Should I let her know that you want to use it afterwards?" Jaiden found that it was a pleasant sensation, thinking about someone else's well-being for once, even if it didn't come easy to him. The kid deserved some luxury, though a hot bath couldn't possibly compare to being free. Yes, he was quite happy with himself...
(Sorry about the short posts. >.<)
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Aubrey
Initiate
.:Look, but don't touch:.
Posts: 215
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Post by Aubrey on Apr 5, 2007 15:48:42 GMT -5
[No worries, love =D]
Aubrey's cheeks tinged with that delightful rosy pink colour, but his lips drew into a semi-shy smile and he nodded, finding that he sort of liked being cared about.. Even if it was just a little. Not that he would let it get to his head, mind you, for he was much too modest to allow it even for a moment. No, better to be modest and realistic.. That was what his father had always told him.
His father.. Aubrey took a deep breath and forced the thought from his mind, also forcing another smile. "I'd like that," he said in his usual, quieter voice. "So, should I order our lunches, then? Oh! I thought of a way that I can help us make some money.. I mean, when you, uh.." He looked around to make sure no one was listening in before he leaned foreward, hand cupped to conceal his words from everyone else, and whispered, "when you tell people's fortunes."
Somehow proud that he had allowed Jaiden to keep his dignity while dressed down in such a manner, Aubrey grinned.
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Post by Jaiden on Apr 6, 2007 0:47:59 GMT -5
"Don't trust business partners" was what his father had always taught him, but hell... if he could just see how gorgeous this kid was, he'd understand. Working with Aubrey could be possible. It'd be better than resigning him to the inn while he spent all day working the streets. "Is that so?" He offered the boy a wry, almost "come-hither" grin, unable to help himself. Inhibitions tended to slip when he started to talk business, and he had a feeling that around the other, that could be dangerous. He leaned forward so that he was eye level with the shorter boy, one hand on his hip and the other brushing some of Aubrey's hair back. "I'd be happy to hear your suggestion... before, or after the bath?"
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Aubrey
Initiate
.:Look, but don't touch:.
Posts: 215
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Post by Aubrey on Apr 6, 2007 10:28:57 GMT -5
Again, color reached Aubrey's cheeks, but his grin did not faulter. "Maybe after?" he asked, thinking that that way, if it was a stupid idea, at least he wouldn't have inn patrons watching. "Besides, I think you need a break first, anyways, so go ahead and take your bath. Do you want me to order lunch for you, too, or would you rather wait until after you're squeaky clean?"
He poked Jaiden in the nose as he said this, grinning. It was true that being touched still scared the living daylights out of him, but this seemed okay to him, sense he himself was comfortable with it at the moment. It was iffy, yes, but to him, it made sense. It was all about how comfortable he was with things..
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Post by Jaiden on Apr 6, 2007 21:07:31 GMT -5
He blinked, flinched, and stood upright as Aubrey poked his nose. Oh... thinks he's funny, does he? I'll just jump on him, pin him to the floor... tickle him a bit. Then... Jaiden blushed fiercely as thoughts of the most improper sort began to appear in his mind, doing his best to push them away before any physical signs of desire could manifest. "Um... yeah, you can order for me. It'll probably take them a while to prepare it, anyway. Guess I'll see you in a bit, then." The odd drive he felt to kiss Aubrey whenever he left him was starting to grow familiar to him, and this time was no exception. It was all he could do to smile and turn, letting out a long sigh as he headed for the bathroom. How was he supposed to put up with weeks, posssibly months of this...?
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Aubrey
Initiate
.:Look, but don't touch:.
Posts: 215
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Post by Aubrey on Apr 6, 2007 23:03:19 GMT -5
Ah, and here the adorable little Elementalist in question was completely oblivious to Jaiden's innermost thoughts. Well, actually, Aubrey was oblivious to all of Jaiden's thoughts. Ah well, who cared?
"Okay, see you in a bit," Aubrey called after Jaiden, smiling gently. Then, turning to face Gulan, he tilted his head to the side with that same, heart-warming smile, sweet as could be and ever innocent thanks to pure and utter denial. "Excuse me? What are the choices for lunch today..?"
[wanna time-skip?]
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Post by Jaiden on Apr 6, 2007 23:09:26 GMT -5
(Sure.)
It was probably for the best. Jaiden's thoughts drifted further into more carnal territory with each passing day, and he was actually starting to worry about it. Self-control was never really his strong suit. Though he probably should've taken the time to consider his situation in one of the only private moments he'd had recently, he was more inclined to just relax and not think about anything in particular, shoulder-deep in hot water with eye at half-mast. Things would work out alright. It wasn't like he was going to take advantage of the kid, right? Right...
He offered a gentle knock on the door and reached for the handle, reconsidering only at the last moment. Aubrey deserved a little privacy, he supposed, and not just that, but he didn't have any particular desire to startle him. Still drying his hair with one of the towels on lend from the inn, he called from the other side. "Aubrey... it's me. You in there?"
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Aubrey
Initiate
.:Look, but don't touch:.
Posts: 215
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Post by Aubrey on Apr 7, 2007 22:08:02 GMT -5
It was almost amazing, how innocent Aubrey was despite everything that had happened to him.. He had no idea that Jaiden's thoughts drifted to such unspeakable territories, or that the Diviner even thought him remotely cute in a serious way. Naivety all around, really. Yet, while he did not know all of this, he did know that it would be his turn to take a hot bath, and he also knew that the tub would be fairly large..
"Coming~!" he piped up, answering their door and smiling up at Jaiden. It was strange, how his worry over the size of a bath tub could be forgotten for a moment with the appearance of his companion. Yes, Jaiden made Aubrey bubbly inside.. something very rare. Ah, but then he remembered his worries, and he bit his lip a little and tilted his head to the side.
"Hey, Jaiden..?" he asked, voice a little concerned. "Can I ask you a big favor, and not have you laugh at me..?"
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Post by Jaiden on Apr 7, 2007 22:43:20 GMT -5
Jaiden did have an unfortunate case of lustful thoughts, but it was hard to blame him. His dry spell wasn't exactly improving, and Aubrey was more than just a little attractive. He often found his mind wandering, and it was becoming more and more difficult to keep it in line. Unsure of what to do about it, he just tried his best to write it off as a minor issue, but even those had their breaking points. He still smiled when the boy answered, though, and still felt that urge to meet his lips with his own. He blushed somewhat as he walked in, grateful for the towel which hid his face rather well as he dried his hair. "Huh? Oh, yeah, sure. I mean... I'm not sure if I can do whatever you want me to do, but I can promise I won't laugh."
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