Bad luck charm (closed, for Nouh-Bdee)

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin’rahl tried to keep a small, shy smile off his face, but he couldn’t quite manage it. Rowen just looked so pleased with herself, and he couldn’t argue why. He felt…loose, limber, good.

“No,” the half-demon huffed. “But don’t let it go to your head.”

He turned away then and climbed back onto the horse, holding out one cherry-red hand to help Rowen up. Once she was seated in front of him, her back pressed to his torso, he realized that he probably shouldn’t lean back as much as he had before. Normally, he didn’t think it would’ve warranted saying anything, but for some reason the idea of Rowen thinking he was leaning against her because he wanted to made him nervous.

“Don’t, uh...I don’t think I should lean so far back today, for my back, you know?” He let himself lean softly against Rowen’s back, and he spurred the horse into a canter.

 

[Evayla]

Now that was gratifying! He actually admitted to it too! Rowen's laugh filled the air between them. She took his hand with a firm grip and hoisted herself up on the horse.

No leaning back? He sounded almost apologetic! "Ey, no troubles. It's not like I'm afraid I'll turn red or somethin..."

Well, not in a paint kind of way. Her cheeks, however, might need checking from time to time. The girl felt an incredibly evil mood coming up and settled into the saddle juuuust right....up against him. Cold winds and all, you know?

Or that's what she told herself.
He wasn't going to lean back too far, after all.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin chuckled under his breath. “Not worried you’ll start smelling like sulfur…” Rowen pressed herself against him, and he tensed. “Or,uh…” He had an excuse for letting it happen, though, right? His back was hurt? “You’ll start…” Yeah, he had an excuse for letting it happen, but not for enjoying it. “Having, uh…” He had no excuse for how much he liked having her pressed against him, her softness molding to him, her warmth seeping into him. “Demonic thoughts?”

Bin wasn’t sure what kind of demonic thoughts he’d meant, but he knew what kind of demonic thoughts he was having: the kind that involved shredding these layers and layers between their bodies.

Shit. Stop it!

It wasn’t even like he could just hold on for a short time and be away from her, clear his head. They had hours and hours left to ride that day, and days and weeks to just do more of the same. How was he going to get these thoughts out of his head when she was going to be getting into his saddle so often? Maybe he could change the subject?

“So, uh, how did you get so…tolerant? No offense, but humans around here seem…”

He had no idea how to finish that sentence without coming across rude or judgemental, so he just trailed off. Hopefully she would know what he meant. No, he had to say something.

“Not. That.”

Smooth.

 

[Evayla]

Rowen giggled, snuggled up against the big half demon. She didn't giggle often, but something about this massive guy just had her in stitches on a regular basis. Was it because he was so very much *not* threatening despite his appearance? Or was it his total awkwardness in dealing with her?

He was almost as bad as she was!

"Sulfur..." She chuckled. "Demonic thoughts, HAH, well, m'dad would say it was toooo late fer that. He'd warn YA against me!" Nope, she was not gonna turn around again to look at him. No more falling. She'd hurt the guy enough for one day.

Still...the fact that he'd tried to help her...It warmed her. He tried to act all tough and bad ass...but there was something so kind hiding in there.

Unaware of where his thoughts were straying she simply enjoyed the safety for now. "Tolerant? Ey, yer talkin to the town freak! I know how that shit works. I know about the gossip an the starin an the accusin! It ain't fun an it ain't fair. So, why would I do what they do when I know it says SHIT about who a person is?"

Made sense, right?

"An I'll have ya know I don't see any monster here! Okay, apart from that one moment where ya almost squashed me when I followed ya...I'd say yer pretty decent for someone considered a half demon. I know plenty people who I'd call out fer bein a monster before ya!"

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin thought about her words. It was remarkable how insular people like the citizens of Alkor or Hillside will go to such lengths to find someone different to press into the dirt, grasping at straws to prop themselves up on the broken bodies and spirits of someone, anyone, as long as they can tell themselves it’s because they’re worse than them, lesser, lower…

”Perhaps if I’d lived in Hillside, or any other riper target, they wouldn’t have treated you that way.”

If it had helped turn Rowen into this...good human...then maybe it was worth the shit she’d gone through. She might not think so, though. Either way, she was the first human to object to calling him a monster. He would treasure that.

“But thank you, Rowen, for not seeing me as a monster. I…”

He didn’t really know what to say. Nothing seemed adequate. He took in a deep breath.

He was leaning into her now, practically resting against her back. His arms sat against hers as he held the reins. Bin still didn’t feel...comfortable...around her, touching her, but he acknowledged that a few days ago he wouldn’t have been so willing to accept this closeness that was developing between them. He was changing, and he believed it was for the better: another thing to thank Rowen for.

“Thank you.”

 

[Evayla]

She tensed. "I don't think that woulda been a much better situation." The girl shook her head. "Just escapin the idiots cause someone else might stand out a li'l more? Nope. Don't work that way, but I get what ya mean...the more stand out, the more shit, huh?"

A little moment of silence as the man tried to thank her. That...was humbling, really. Rowen bit her lip. "Ey, sorry to burst yer bubble but yer prolly the smartest person I met so far. An the most decent! I can think of a lotta monsters. Yer not in that list."

She wasn't adding that bit about kinda enjoying that strength at her back and maybe it wasn't all that bad to fall asleep next to him and wake up a little closer. That...was a little too personal. That was her own weird brain trying to get her in trouble.

"An I sure as heck ain't gonna let some dog owner try to make food outta ya..." She mumbled, nodding vehemently.

All in all this was good, right? He was no longer scowling at her all the time! Bin even talked! Rowen was smart enough not to make a bad joke about that. The truce was still a little delicate.

"Ya think ya can teach me some about huntin?" She tried. "Or is my questions gonna piss ya off then?"

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin just sat there on the horse, touched by Rowen’s words, but not sure how to respond. They’d spent so little time together, but he felt closer to her than to anyone, and it sounded like she felt the same. He wanted to do something for her, to repay her for her kindness, and then she gave him a small way to do just that.

“Yeah, I can--” Shit, had he been making her feel bad by not answering her questions? A heavy exhale left his lips. “Sorry, Rowen, I…” What could he say? If he wanted to try to be better, could he? He had never been much of a talker. Even now, he had trailed off for long enough that it was noticeable. Maybe he could just apologize, or explain why he got stressed when she asked too many questions? “I’m...not...good...at talking.” Clearly. “I don’t mind you asking, but I...just get…” He let go of the reins to wave his hands in the air beside the two of them. “Ah!” That was the best he could describe it, or at least that was the one that felt right. “When there’s just so many questions at once!”

He knew he sounded agitated, and he was, but not at her. Hopefully that came through. “I’m not...mad!” He tensed, wishing he knew how to say exactly what he meant. “I just don’t know what to do, okay!” Bin relaxed a bit, his weight pressing against Rowen’s back more heavily as he got out his exasperation the best he knew how. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to...make you think I was mad at you.”

 

[Evayla]

The girl perked up. That was promising! If he could teach her survival skills, that would last a lifetime! Yet the very next moment he countered it with an apology.

She slumped again.

Uh oh.

"Wha?"

She let the half-man explain right up where he made that utterly frustrated sound. It was quite enough to have her burst out in laughter.

"Hahaha! Oh sorry! That just sounded...heehee....yes...yes, that! I get it! HAH! I get it! SORRY! Not mockin ya....just...I think ya just described half the world where it concerns my blabbermouth! Heehee..."

She held on as her whole body hiccuped in laughter. Oh, that sound...utterly brilliant! The man was a genius. Rowen tried to catch her breath, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Ahhh, okay, not mad, cool...so...my mistake fer stupid assumptions...pardon. Experiences an all that...so, code word then? Whaddaya say when ya ARE mad at me? Cause ya will be, I guarantee it." She nodded, completely convinced of it. She always pissed people off in the end!

Had they been on the ground, she *would* have hugged him for this! Having that big red apologize for *her* shortcomings was just too cute.
Too many questions indeed.
She'd have to pace herself.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin was confused. Rowen was confusing. She’d been upset because she thought he was mad, and after all his stuttering and yelling, she was laughing? “This is…funny to you?”

He could tell she wasn’t really mocking him, although saying it out loud helped, but it just didn’t make sense to him. What was so funny about him grunting and shouting in frustration? “I don’t get it, Rowen.” His tone and expression sounded less agitated than before, more open and curious, but he truthfully didn’t know how he felt about being laughed at like that.

He frowned at her question about what he would say when he was mad at her. “Code word? By chaos, woman! Why do you even need to know when I’m mad? Why can’t you just let it go? Why should it be your concern?” He could’ve made that sound less harsh, but he really didn’t understand her sometimes. He was an adult, and he didn’t need to be handled with kid gloves. Whatever she might hypothetically do to piss him off later, he didn’t need her fretting about it at the same time.

 

[Evayla]

Immediately laughter stopped. There was a moment of silence. "Because I can't tell, alright?" Rowen replied. "An if I don't know, then I'll just make it worse!"

Obviously laughing had been the wrong choice. But...that sound had been funny! It really was!

"Cause right now ya sound like yer mad. But if I tell ya yer mad yer prolly gonna be mad because ya weren't mad! I can't tell, damnit! With most people I can. But yer...different! An I don't wanna screw this UP!"

Her heart was going fast. A half man who was very likely to get killed anytime soon was her only chance to get away from her father, her only chance of making it between here and the next city.
And her only chance to prove she wasn't mad and save his damn life. She *had* to get this right!

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

This was an awkward conversation to have while he was leaning against her back on their horse, but Bin didn’t really want to climb off just to have an argument. He didn’t even know how this had started, or how to end it. Judging by the words coming out of his mouth, he might as well have planned on making it worse.

“I don’t know, Rowen! You act like I should have all these answers about how to talk to me and I just…I don’t, okay!?”

His voice was rumbling, booming now, and he felt like a runaway cart rolling down a hill. “And I feel bad ‘cause now you’re mad at me for being mad and you made me feel so good with your hands and this is what you get in return?! And I don’t know what to DO about it!”

Wait, screw this up? How? Just ‘cause they were mad at each other? What even was she worried about screwing up? They’d already agreed that she wasn’t going to listen to him if he told her to get lost! “Wait—Screw this up HOW? What on EARTH are you worried about?”

 

[Evayla]

"Wait, ya feel bad cause yer mad causeI'm mad? But I am NOT MAD! An ya just said ya weren't either! So which one is it!"

She was starting to feel dizzy. Most ridiculous conversation ever? Check.

"An if ya don't know, then fine! Le's leave it at that! We'll just explode on a regular basis an figure out afterwards we weren't mad anyway! Sheesh..."

Not wanting to screw up...
Of course he asked.
But in a way he already knew.
Had he not realized yet what a life changer this could be? For the both of them?

The fire left her again. "I know ya ain't sure if you wanna believe that dream shit." Rowen said, a lot softer now. "But I believe it. An I got a chance to change stuff. To keep ya alive. An if I screw this up an ya get fed up with me, I can't do that. So I gotta get this right. I'm...just tryin not to get kicked out, okay?"

Oh yes, whether she had to fight tooth and nail to stick with this idiot, she was *not* going to give up.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin’rahl cycled through several thoughts.

I don’t know what I think about her dream.
Haven’t we resolved already that we’re sticking together?
That’s…kind of her to try to save my life.
I told her not to listen to me if I tell her to get lost.
How helpful will she really be, other than possibly offering more dubious prophecies?
I understand that she’s afraid I’ll send her away, but I really don’t feel like I need to manage that fear for her.
She’s kinda pretty.

What Bin said was a little different.

“Let’s do some fishing.”

He pulled on the reins, steering the horse off the road and toward a tree-covered hill. He didn't want to keep beating his head against a wall trying to make sense of his own feelings, much less Rowen's too. So, he decided to ignore them for a while, and see if that worked.

“I’m tired of arguing. I’m sure you’re tired of arguing. Let’s take a break.”

Bin had been near here before, and he directed their horse to a small lake, or more accurately a large pond, that sat just over the nearby hill. As they approached, Bin reached into his pack and pulled out a roll of strong twine and a packet of hooks. He thought it might help them start getting along again if he started teaching her some of his survival tricks. “You can use my gear. This is the bare minimum, but I say if you have hooks and a line, you can make do. Plus, it’s light and it doesn’t take up much space.”

 

[Evayla]

I'm making too much of a deal out of this. I'm repeating myself. Shit shit shit...Not his fault I'm screwed up! Shut UP about yer stupid fears! NOT HIS PROBLEM!

Bin's response was so much better than she anticipated. He just...diffused the entire situation by wanting to show her some fishing!

Happily surprised the girl slid off the horse. "Okay!"

Alright, that was it. He was definitely way nicer than anyone she'd ever met. Yes, she was tired of arguing! Rowen didn't even understand why she got into an argument every other sentence. He sure deserved better.

Again she felt that silly urge to just hug the man already. But that would be odd, right?

Screw it.

He unpacked his gear.
The girl stepped up and hugged him.

Quickly she let go again. "Thank you." For the line? For the idea of fishing? For other stuff? Who knew!

"Never really fished before. We need bait?"

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin tensed in Rowen’s arms, deeply inexperienced with physical contact, in general.

You’re being silly. She was basically draped on top of you last night. It’s a hug. People hug. Not just humans, either, but all kinds of people. Just not you. Yet. So just act like you’ve hugged someone before.

Before he had a chance to really relax in her arms, though, the hug was over. The young woman stepped away, and pretended the hug hadn’t happened, which Bin appreciated. “Um, yes.” He looked around and spotted a sturdy looking chunk of a fallen log. “We, uh, the easiest thing to do is just dig for worms.” Bin stuck his wood in the ground and lifted up a small section of the sod, revealing one long worm, wiggling desperately in the air. He started to reach for it, and then pulled back.

“Oh! The rod! We need to find some sticks first and get them ready to use.” He started looking around the water’s edge. “The important part is finding one that’s sturdy. You don’t want it to break. And thin enough to handle.”

 

[Evayla]

"Gotcha! Worms." The girl got on her knees near a pile of rocks, starting to dig. "Okay, wrong place...wait..worms...aha!" She moved near a slightly more grown over area and started anew. "Theere ya go, come here, li'l bugger!"

Bin moved the topic over to rods. "Right. Okay, wait here, worm...no, ye'll just wriggle away, wontcha?" Rowen took the worm with her and got up to check around for a proper fishing rod. "Hmmm, but then ya don't want dead branches. Then ya want a live one cause it's gotta be flexible, right?"

Nothing wrong.
No fight ever happened.
Hug? Who hugs around here?
Just...two travellers making things work, yep.

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin put down the fallen branch in his hand and nearly slapped himself in the forehead. “Live one. Yes. Right.” What was it about Rowen that made him dumber. He’d made mistakes ever since she’d started travelling with him that he never would’ve made before. “A live branch.” He knew that already, dammit!

He walked over to a nearby tree and cut off a nice looking branch. “This one should be good.” Once Rowen had one, too, Bin started pulling off lengths of his twine. It was a thin, strong twine that he would’ve felt comfortable using to repair his leather clothing, and it would work about as well as anything else for fishing. “We’re just travelers making do, here, so I usually just back up once I get something on the line, pulling the fish out until I can get it on land.”

He dug for another worm, and swiftly impaled it on his hook. “Now, we just toss it in and wait. When you feel it pull on your line, more than a nibble, jerk it back to set the hook.”

Bin hoped that he was helping Rowen. He wasn’t used to describing what he did--just doing it, silently. He wanted to help her, though. She had nearly as much bullshit to deal with in cities as he did, so he thought she would benefit from learning some survival skills.

 

[Evayla]

Rowen never noticed his slip up with the branches. She was just thinking out loud, as usual. Curious eyes followed his moves as he stripped the branch of its bark. Her multitasking brain could definitely think of a few useful ways to work that bark. Heck, at home she hardly threw anything away either, which had gotten her the sling and the pebbles with time!

It was oddly pleasing to be working on this together, her still wriggly worm now meeting its untimely demise as she cast the line into the water, following Bin's example.

"So...We just...siddown? To feel the pull, if any? Okay, can do. Can we still talk? Or do ya need a li'l silence?" A sideways glance. She wanted to give him some space in a situation where that was very difficult already. "I'm fine with both, believe it or not, heh."

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin was looking forward to sitting down and resting his mind and body, but of course Rowen had other ideas. He really didn’t want to start an argument, and he could actually tell she was trying not to grate on his nerves. So, he took a deep breath.

And another.

And a third, just to be safe.

“Rowen, I already told you, I’m…not used to talking so much. It…taxes me.”

He could see her face start to scrunch up.

“But I don’t want to tell you not to talk.” He tried to smile, but he felt so tired he wasn’t sure what expression actually happened. “Telling us not to be ourselves is what they do to us. Not what we do to each other.”

“So, talk all you want, but maybe you can take a short break from expecting me to say anything back?” He felt good about that. It sounded close to what he actually felt, which he hadn’t really manage to do yet. Plus, her talking didn’t really bother him in the first place, it was just having to think of things to say that wore him down. He needed a break.

He tried to shut down his mind, focusing only on the feel of the stick in his hand. “I’m just gonna…close…my eyes…just a bit.”

 

[Evayla]

"Gotcha! Can do." Rowen nodded. Sure, the guy doesn't have to respond. "I won't ask questions. Promised. I'll just...yea. If I say something, I say something. An otherwise I'll be silent. Yep."

Realizing she was far, far from silent that moment she giggled and shut up. Bin sitting there with his eyes closed was...cute.
At least it meant he trusted her enough.
A good sign.

Suddenly there was a tug.
Another.
"HAH! Got somethin!" Quickly the girl got up.
Too quick.
A BIG tug and woops! She lost her balance!

"YAIKS!" Was all that came out before the girl unceremoniously found herself splashing in the water, watching the huge fish fight her line! "No no no! Ya got me into the water! Now I'm gonna get ya OUT of the water!" Rowen got up, finding the water well up to her waist, pulling the rod that somehow she never let go of!

"BIN! Grab that sucker!" Hair sticking to her face, shirt to her body, leaving very little to the imagination.

 

[Evayla]

((put on hold due to surgery, will continue later!))

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

Bin had hoped it would take much longer for anything noteworthy to happen, but he was happy for Rowen that she’d caught something. He opened one eye, just a sliver, just in time to see her face plant into the freezing mountain lake.

“Chaos!”

The half-demon was standing up at about the same time Rowen was, glad to hear her challenge the fish on her line. He quickly stepped into the shallows, the water not quite overtopping his boots. After a few seconds, he was able to pull up on Rowen’s line, and actually toss her fish onto the bank, where it flopped briefly and stopped moving.

It was a huge mountain bracer, much larger than Bin had expected to see. He turned away from the fish, toward his companion, equal parts surprised and impressed. “Rowen, you caught a fish!”

Of course, he was standing too close to see the outline of her breasts under her shirt, or the darker circles hinting at her nipples. He just saw her wet hair and well-earned expression of triumph.

He turned to look back at the fish, realizing it was almost more than they’d be able to eat that day. “Well, by the Pit, what are we going to do for the rest of the day?”

 

[Evayla]

"I caught a fish!" She repeated, slightly dumbfounded, a huge smile on her face. Again she tried to wipe the wet hair from her face. "If yer afraid ya gonna get bored, I could throw it back? But...I kinda feel justified in eatin it after it pulled me in!"

She spread her arms wide, looking at the little waterfalls coming out of her clothes, unaware right now of the see-through quality of it all. "If I promise ya don't have to talk much, can I watch an help clean the damn thing? Tha's somethin to do!"

Never short of things to do, this girl.
Ever.

Another smile beamed up at the half-demon. "I think we're doin juuuust fine."

 

[Nouh_Bdee]

“Throw it back? No way, Rowen. You caught this beauty. Look at it! We’re eating it. No question.”

He was surprised she wanted to help clean the fish. It wasn’t exactly a fun task. It was kind of her to try to promise not to make him talk, too, even if he didn’t really believe she could follow through on it. He started turning his head back towards her.

“Yeah, I don’t mind showin’...”

When he saw her, his jaw dropped and he forgot that he had ever been speaking. It turned out that she was the one who was showing. Her pale shirt had turned translucent with the water soaking through to her skin. I also clung to her like a second skin. He could clearly see both the shape and color of her breasts under the sopping clothes, and much to his frustration they were…nice. Very nice.

She was smiling up at him innocently and he was...staring. He didn’t mean to, but he just couldn’t get his eyes to move. Or his mouth to close. If his cheeks hadn’t already been cherry-red…

Finally, with a titanic effort, Bin’rahl ripped his eyes away from Rowen’s chest and immediately pointed them up and off into the distance. What had they been talking about? Breasts?

Nope. Definitely not that.

“FISH. WE WILL EAT THE FISH. GOOD FISH. BIG FISH.”

He tried to reach out and pat her on the head, but it was difficult without looking down, so his hand just moved up and down a little bit in the air. “GOOD JOB. ROWEN.”

By chaos, why was he shouting? Had he forgotten how to speak at all? Had his brain been fried? Was he stuck like this?

He definitely couldn’t think of any way to fix the situation, so he froze, his lips twisted into a nervous grimace, his gaze fixed up into the sky.

 

[Evayla]

This was ultimately good for her self esteem! Bin was so clearly pleased with the huge fish that Rowen could not care less if she ended up in fish guts in an attempt to clean it! She'd learn to do this fishy justice!

Yet when she climbed out of the water the big Red just stopped talking.
And stared.
Not at her face.

The girl blinked and looked down. What was wrong? Had she picked up some weeds along the way?

Translucent.
Oh.

She did not enjoy the cover of a red skin, but her cheeks surely rivaled his as Rowen quickly folded her arms over her precious assets. "Cold. Yea. Brr. Need my spare set. Yep. Nowish. Kinda. Sorta."

Now why was that man waving in the air?

Cause he don't wanna look at a half naked idiot, 's why! Rowen groaned silently. Just when they were getting a little more comfortable she managed to make things difficult again! Why did she not stand her ground when that stupid fish pulled??

Bin seemed to have lost his brain somewhere or he was trying very hard not to be too conspicuous about his embarrassment...which...made things all the more awkward.

If Rowen could have disappeared into the ground, she would have. Quickly she moved ahead of the man as to give him the quite safe sight of her back, not realizing her pants were clingy too.

It was all but a dash to the camp where her bag was safely with the horse.
Bag.
One spare set of clothes.
And nowhere to change.

"Feck." She cursed.