(three years ago)

[Garmith]

Closed to Mystic and Garmith

Sven took a deep breath of the crisp sea breeze.
He had just arrived in a port town, Talmhaidh, in the region of Dheathain.

Trying to blend with the Draconian and Fae natives, he stuck out like a sore thumb.
A human priest meshed in with a crowd of Dragons and Faeries, he thought bitterly, I must seem so foolish to the natives. Best not go starting trouble...

Hearing his stomach growl loudly, he sighed.
So.... hungry... He put a hand gingerly over his whining belly, wishing he had at least some pocket change to get a small meal, even a snack.
Anything to qualm his hunger.

Suddenly startled by a loud whistle, he realized that his boat was about to leave. Jumping, he bolted toward the loading docks.
If this boat left him, he would be stuck in this town for days longer, which would obviously lead to his being found by the church.

Sven quickly reached the docks, finding the last few passengers boarding the ship.
"W-Wait!" He ran to the boat's entrance, speeding inside.
After several moments of standing in the doorway and panting heavily, he realized nearly everyone in the vicinity was staring oddly at him.

He blushed softly, imediatley dropping his gaze and murmuring soft apologies as he walked further inside.

Way to stay hidden, dolt... He thought with a steely humor.

[Mystic]

Mystic was slightly excited to see a new place, not able to leave for a while and finally after so long, she left. Being 18, she was able to get her mother's inheritance and that meant all the money that her mother had. She was happy but for some reason, the money was just her ticket out of her home town. The Outlander's Quarters in Irrakam is where she lived with her brother, the only place they could get money to live.

Now that she had the money, she sat at a small table in the lounge, under the deck, her head on the table inside of the boat that was taking her to a new life. She was slightly bored, not sure what she was allowed to do in this new place.

She was soon fed up with just sitting there, standing and began her adventure for food. She didn't eat that morning since she was almost late for the boat. Hungry, she walked out and around in search of food. Edible preferably.

'Food...food...food.' She thought, with a soft sigh, turning to look behind her to see if she missed anything. 'Where would it b-' Her thought was then cut off by the sudden jolt of running into someone, stepping back so she wouldn't fall.

[Garmith]

Sven was so embarrassed by his charade that he didn't realize he was even turning a corner until *SMACK* he ran strait into something.
Stumbling back, he shook his head and blinked several times to regain his sense of vision.
Gaining clarity, he realized he had bumped into a girl.
She looked just as shocked as he did, though it was obvious that he had thrown her farther off balance than she had him.

"M- My apologies." He quickly put his hands together, as if readying a prayer, and gave a slight bow, then dropped the position.
"I wasn't watching where I was going..."

Sven could do nothing but assume it was his own fault, and hoped this girl wouldn't hold a grudge.

The very last thing he wanted was an enemy so soon after leaving the church.

[Mystic]

Bunnying approved!!

"Uh, no I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." She laughed nervously, her hand rubbing the back of her head slightly. "I feel kind of bad now..." She sighed, looking down.

A soft growl was heard from the man's stomach and she smiled up at him. "You wouldn't happen to be hungry, would you?" She asked, looking up at him hopfully, finally getting a good look at him.

He was pretty cute with his scared expression. His blueish-black hair and his clothes were a different then she would figure someone to wear. His eyes were a bright orange, staring her down, looking somewhat upset.

She was hoping she didn't hurt him when she bumped into him. She bit her lip as she looked him over, more to see if he was alright then to check him out.
Thinking about what she just did made her blush softly, especially thinking about what he thought she just did.

Calmly, she waited for an answer to her question, hoping he was starving so she could make up for what she did.

[Garmith]

He couldn't help but laugh at her odd question.
The two knock heads, and the first thing she wants to know is if he's hungry or not?
Seeing her eyes run up and down his form, however, a slight blush rose to his cheeks.

"Why, yes, if you couldn't tell." Sven smiled slightly. "I'm ravenous..."
His stomach gave another loud grumble.
That caused him to blush deeper, embarrassed. He must seem like a poor, out of place man among everyone here.
Nobody wanted to associate with a poor man...

He looked at her, slightly curious as to why she had even asked.
Could she possibly have been mocking him?

He may have been in an unfamiliar setting, but that didn't give her the right to make fun of him...

[Mystic]

"Good." She smiled bright, tilting her head with her eyes closed. So happy that she was right and so excited to make it up. She wasn't a fan of being alone for a while and in a new place, it would help to get some friends.

"Then let me make it up to you by some food. My treat." She looked up at him to see his reaction, slightly quizitive by his blushing cheeks. If he was hungry then he could't help it. She was the same way.

"If we can find a place to eat first..." She bit her lip as she took a look around, her eyes skimming over a bunch of things but no food.

[Garmith]

he blinked several times, as if to determine if she were serious or not.
"to make it... up? No, there must be some mistake. That really isn't necessary..."

He forced a smile to the kind stranger.
Just the simple gesture to buy lunch for him was proof enough that there really was compassion in this world, contrary to what the priests had taught him.

"May... May I bother you for your name?" He mumbled, suddenly embarrassed again.
Why was he getting flustered so easily lately?
Sure, he didn't have much experience talking to girls, but that shouldn't have made too big a difference...

[Mystic]

She was slightly taken aback, not sure why he asked such a random question but then she thought about what he could mean. Maybe he just needed her name to eat with her or maybe he was wanting her name to turn her in.
When she thought of him turning her in just because of a slight bump, she got a little upset.

She decided to go ahead and just change the subject before she blew up on her thought. "Food is necessary though. Everyone must eat somtime. Let me just treat you to lunch and then I won't feel so bad about this little...ordeal"

She was hoping he would just give in and take the offer. 'It makes sense, I guess. He wouldn't feel good going with a stranger so he might want my name before he makes up his mind.' This crossing her mind, she sighed and her smile faded just slightly. 'I guess it couldn't hurt. I already have people trying to kill me so it wouldn't be anything new...'

With that thought, she quickly bowed. Just barely though, enough to seem polite but not to much so she looked like she was bowing to royalty. "I'm Mystic...Mystic Miasuke." She raised up slightly to look back up at him, to see his reaction to her slightly well known name.

Part of her hoped that he didn't hear of her and her job. She wasn't sure why but...something felt weird, almost different.

[Garmith]

Sven smiled softly.
Mystic? What an odd name...
"I.... If you insist taking me out to dinner, then I can not deny you." He said gratefully. Normally he would have given a much greater argument than that, but at the moment he was starving and very thankful.

"And it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Mystic. My name is Sven... Just Sven, a priest of the church of Avartan." He Felt as though he should say something more, though he really couldn't think of a single clever-sounding thing that wouldn't make her run.

Just quit while you're ahead... He shook his head with a soft smile.

If he didn't mess up this friendship by the time the boat ride was over, it would be a miracle.

[Mystic]

"It's very nice to meet you, Sven." She smiled, thinking to herself. 'A priest huh? That's something new...not something you see every day.'

She wasn't compleatly surprised, being that the outfit he wore gave him away easily. What did make her think the most was why he was here and not at his church. Let alone, traveling alone without anything.

She shook it off, remembering that she had no clue where to find any food on that boat. It was pretty big and she had only gone through a quarter of a half of it. "Would you by chance...know where we could eat?" She laughed nervously, her hand rubbing the back of her head softly, embarresed. "I've tried to find one but..." She glanced around again once more than back at him. "Nothing so far."

She felt a little weird for some reason. The thought of standing in front of a non-sinner slightly gave her a shiver. She was one of the worst sinners ever and here she was, standing in front of a god lover. She felt slightly stupid but something was different. She felt like she had to repay him. Was it a trick?

Could priests cast spells?

[Garmith]

Sven hesitated, remembering back to moments before at the scene he had made at the entrance of the ship, and an involuntary flush rose to his cheeks.
"No, actually, I just boarded, so I know of nothing on this boat, aside from the deck and this vicinity downstairs." He shrugged, as if to apologize.

"perhaps.... We can search together then?" he paused,noticing that that seemed like a corny pick up line, then quickly added, "I mean, as a tour of the boat. I haven't seen much, and..."
He trailed off, realizing that giving him a tour would be asking even more of her. "I-I mean, not a tour, because you have already done so much for me, i think, and then I would owe you double, and I hate being in debt to people, and-"
Sven suddenly just shut his mouth. He was babbling and beyond flustered, his cheeks stained red.

"I...I mean...."

Well, he had pretty much ruined his friendship with this girl, he already knew that. It was obvious in the funny look she was giving him.

Giving a soft sigh, he cleared his throat and stated his first question all over again, yet this time in a nervous mumble.

"Would you like to explore the ship with me?"

[Mystic]

She blinked confused at first, wondering if he was alright. She wasn't sure if he was crazy or just being silly.
'Is he serious? Is he trying to hit on me?' With that thought, she bit her lip trying not to laugh but failed miserably. She busted out laughing, holding her stomach.

"Oh my god!" She tried to stop, feeling slightly rude but couldn't help it. He was so adorable with every little thing he did.

He was even blushing. For some reason it made her laugh harder, tears forming in her eyes. She bent over, holding her stomach in pain as she continued to laugh.

After a little bit she glanced up at him, wiping the tears away. "S-sorry about that. You're just too cute." She smiled, standing up straight now with her head tilted slightly to the side. Her eyes were closed, a tear still on her cheek.

"I mean...I would love to explore the ship with you." She blushed softly as she said that.

It was slightly cute to her. The way he asked and blushed as he talked to her. She wasn't sure how to take his actions, as a corny pick up or an adorable plea for help. She knew just by the look of him that he was traveling alone.

She decided to help out and winked slightly, motioning him to follow her. "Let's go this way, I haven't looked this way yet."

[Garmith]

Sven blushed harder. She was laughing at him...
Not quite the reaction he had been expecting, but still, his ego was bruised by it.

"Y-Yes..." He kept his gaze downcast as he followed her.

Obviously she had laughed at his unintentional pick up line, which for some reason gave him more grief than he had expected. That was a sure sign that she didn't share an attraction to him.

Yes, he had to admit, she was gorgeous. She had long, strait black hair, sharp yet kind features, and those lovely red eyes...

He snapped from his trivial thoughts as his foot caught on a loose floorboard and he tripped, landing on his face with a heavy thud.

[Mystic]

"Uh," She turned, hearing a thud and saw him on the floor, face first. "Oh my god! A-are you alright?" She ran back to him, kneeling in front of him. She offered a hand to help him up, hoping he was alright.

"How'd you fall?" Her face now full of worry, the smile gone.

[Garmith]

Sven blushed heavily.
He sighed, then looked at the girls concerned expression. She seemed genuinely fretful, and he couldn't help but smile.

He accepted her hand and stood, then brushed himself off.
"Loose board..." he tried to cover up his blush with an angry expression, although the look obviously did not suit him. He was a very laid back person, usually at ease, which is why he was so unnerved that this simple girl had such an effect on him.

Hardly ever though did he get angry, and even when he did, he hid it well.

"They ought to get this fixed, before someone really gets hurt..." He looked at her, then put his hands together and bowed his head again. "Thank you for your worry, but i am unharmed..."

He hoped, deep down, that she didn't see him as a klutz or a freak, and that they could make it through lunch without another mishap.

[Mystic]

She smiled sweetly, before glancing at the loose board. "I'm glad your alright." She bit her lip and took his hand. "I'll walk a little slower so it wont happen again..."

She blushed softly as she looked at their hands, pulling him slowly behind her.
For some reason, he had a weird effect over her. She normally would have been a bitch to anyone else, telling them to suck it up. She hated to admit it but she had an attitude.

[Garmith]

Sven blushed brightly as she took his hand. He felt almost as if her hand fit perfectly with his...

Keep your cool, Sven. No reason to mess this up....
I swear if you do something wrong I will hate you for the rest of your life. Sven was slightly unnerved that he was talking to himself, much less threatening himself.

Its just nerves, he told himself. Everyone does it. I'm sure Mystic is talking to herself right now...

He knew this was a lie, and a terrible one at that, but it still managed to make him feel a little bit better.

So far, so good. We've been walking for a few moments in an awkward silence and I have done nothing yet to ruin a thing...

[Mystic]

She hated the silence between them, especially since they were holding hands. She had to start up a conversation.

"S-so...why are you traveling alone? Let alone with no luggage? Looks like you left in a hurry." She felt stupid for asking such a personal question but it was slightly bugging her. A priest...alone? Weren't they supposed to travel together?

'Like a pack...right?' She thought to herself, knowing that it was rude to asume something.

She quickly hoped that she didn't ruin anything with him after that question, knowing how stupid it may have sounded.

[Garmith]

"Hm? Oh, um... Yes, heheh." Sven rubbed the back of his head. He wasn't sure what to say to her, but he couldn't tell her the truth.
It wasn't that he didn't trust her, for he had no reason not to. She had been nothing but kind to him.

However, the walls had ears, and there was no telling who would overhear him telling his travails and inform the priests of where he was.
Was he being a tad bit too paranoid? Sure. But it was always better to be safe than sorry.

"I am searching for a...um, someone. We recieved the message to, er, find them, and.... I had no time to pack, and.... We split up, to be... sure... I mean, we didn't know where that person was at, and it was just... Chaos." He finished that terrible lie with a soft sigh.

How much more idiotic could he possibly sound?
He felt slightly guilty for lying to her, perhaps because he knew she wouldn't buy a single word of it.

Mystic looked to be a smart girl, as if she could easily tell if someone was hiding something from her, especially something as obvious as this.

But he always had the upper hand. Honestly, it was none of her business what he was doing here. He didn't mean to sound rude, but it was true. It was his own problem, and he didn't have to spill a word of it to her.

So then... Why did he?

His head spinning from the thoughts, he quickly shook them away.
Perhaps he should have just told her he was on vacation...

That would probably have been much more believable than what he had said....
Hell, it would have been more believable than the truth.

Pardon my language, he thought quickly.

[Mystic]

She knew that every word he was spilling to her was a lie. Since when did priests' have to search for someone?

She sighed, trying to ignore that he was obviously lying to her, thinking about how she should reply to it.
"If you didn't want to tell me then you could have just said so..." She whispered under her breath, hoping he didn't hear her.

"Are you alowed to say who you're looking for?" She bit her lip after saying that. It was some what rude to try and pry on his lie. She knew it was wrong but she wanted to see how far he would go.

She quickly changed the subject, pointing at a small food place. "Found it!" She smiled, pulling him behind her, looking at all the food. "Mm, look at all the food." She rubbed her stomach, letting go of his hand.

She knew it would be best to let it go, ignore what he said. Even if it was a lie. She had to admit that she lied a lot herself, but it was her job afterall.

It did make her think about his job. Being a priest, isn't that against what he believes, to lie?

She ordered her food, looking back at him, signaling for him to order too.

She had to let it go. One way or the other.

[Garmith]

"Er..... I'd like what shes having, please..." He muttered to the food clerk. He hadn't actually heard what Mystic had ordered, but he figured it would be better than nothing. And at the moment he was too deep in thought to be able to concentrate on the menu.

How to answer...

The two sat together at a small, two-person steel mesh table. He looked up at her, finally deciding not to go into detail at all before he got caught in a lie.

"I am not allowed to say. The rest of that information is top secret." Yes, that seemed like a good answer. That way she would stop prying and he wouldn't accidentally slip up on something.

[Mystic]

She continued smiling, waiting for her food. "I see. It's good to know how much of a busy worker you are. Proves loyalty and hard working."

She grabbed her plate of food, paying for both of their meals before she walked over and sat at a small table in the corner.

"Are you enjoying your search?" She had to ask. She wasn't sure why but for some reason she felt like she had to.

She sat the food down on the table and smiled at it, digging in. She may have seemed like a pig but she was starving. She paused with a mouthful, smiling up at him as she waited for an answer.

[Garmith]

"Why.... I- Yes, I am, thank you." He smiled softly through the lie. "Though I'm not having much luck with it....."

Sven glanced down at the pile of murky gray matter that was supposed to be food. It didn't look very edible.....

He gave a small shrug. It could have been cow dung for all he cared. Even if it were poisoned, that wouldn't stop him from devouring it.

...On second thought, it probably would.

He gently lifted his fork and scooped up a decent amount of the muck. It was somewhat stringy, and rather thick though it seemed to have a sauce.

After a small sniff, he decided it smelled somewhat good and placed it in his mouth.
Sven was slightly startled at how delicious the gray blob actually tasted. Kind of like..... Alfredo pasta....

He hadn't quite realized exactly how hungry he was until this very moment, as his stomach rumbled lowly in anticipation. With a growing grin, he began shoveling the tasty entree into his eager mouth.

He gave a silent prayer as he engorged himself. Although he hardly agreed with the ways the priests had trained him to believe, praying was a tricky habit that he just couldn't seem to beat.

As Sven finished the prayer off, he added a quick thank for meeting Mystic, a new friend. He felt something different about her, and that something was very worthy of thanks.

[Mystic]

She looked over at him, eating away just like she was. She could then tell how straving he was, smiling wide. For some odd reason, she felt good. She wasn't used to helpping people but she knew he needed it.

"Hungry?" She giggled softly at the rhetorical question, after she devoured her food. She didn't feel as bad about eating like that after seeing him. He was just as hungry as her and in some weird way, it made her laugh.

Something caught her eye, looking over to the person who has been staring at them for a while. She looked back over at Sven, thinking about ways to get that other guy off their backs.

[Garmith]

Sven finished his food moments after Mystic, only then blushing lightly as he realized what a pig he must seem.

However, after he noticed Mystic look away and lose her smile, His expression grew solemn as well. He could read in her face that something was wrong.

Not wanting to draw attention, he cleared his throat.
"Shall we go?" He asked her quietly.

[Mystic]

She nodded, standing up and putting on a fake smile. "Let's" She glanced back over at the guy who was watching them as he stood up too.

He was beginning to piss her off and her face showed it. Her hands curled into fists as she walked out of there.

She didn't recognize the man, thinking that he was after her for something she did. Thoughts kept running through her mind about if she killed one of his family members or something.

All she knew, was that something wasn't right. The man was dressed funny. Almost like Sven did but a little different. Maybe he wasn't after her...

Maybe he was after Sven.

[Garmith]

As the two walked from the food lounge, Sven glanced a nonchalant glance back. However, as he glimpsed the man sitting near them, he paled.

They had found him...

He quickly cleared his throat as he turned back to Mystic, immediately wishing he could hide his emotions better as she cast him a worried look.

"S-Something in my throat..." He muttered, casting his gaze downward as he walked.
That man, although Sven did not recognize his face, was one of the priests from his church. The robes made that clear. And seeing the man on this boat was no coincidence. The man was here to get rid of Sven.

The priests did not travel. They stayed in their churches town their whole lives, for it was a part of the vows they took when becoming a priest. They had rare occasions, however, when something extremely important came up and they were able to leave.

Sven was that exception. He had found out a secret from the church that would have caused their downfall, and for that, they wanted him dead.

He knew it was only a matter of time before they found him - however, he hadn't expected it to be this soon. He had only left the church a few days ago...

"Hurry..." Sven muttered, already quickening his own pace. He knew that in a few moments the man would get up and follow them, and he knew they had to hide.

[Mystic]

She knew right after that, that the guy was after Sven. She knew that he was lying to her before but...how big of a lie? She had no clue.

Her eyes scanned his face, seeing the worry and fright. She knew she had to do something.

A thought then popped into her head. She knew that if that guy was after Sven, he would know where he was staying.

She grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her as she ran off. She ran through a few crouds, hoping to lose the guy that was obviously following them. She ran around a bit more, hoping that he was alright, not taking the chance of looking back.

She knew that the only safe place really would be her room that she was to sleep in until her port. After figuring that it would be best he stayed there for a while, she ran to her room, pushing him in and slamming the wooden door shut.

She sighed, not really out of breath but was slightly tired. Leaning against the door, she slid down to the ground, looking at him.

She knew that he didn't want her to know that the guy was after him so she decided to play along.

"What a freak..." She sighed and laughed slightly. "Probably wanting something I have." She rolled her eyes, trying to tell him to play along.

[Garmith]

Sven blinked, extremely relieved to be away from the priest. But... She thought that he was after her?

He nodded several times. "Y-Yes... I have no idea what he would want me for, heheh..." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, forcing a laugh. He suddenly paused, however, realizing the full capacity of what she had said. "Um.... What, exactly, do you do? I mean, if you don't mind my asking.."

[Mystic]

A slight hint of fear ran over her eyes. She certainly got herself in deep this time.

She didn't want him to know what she did. Killing for a living for money even? That deffinatly was not going to settle well and she didn't want to loose a possible friend.

"I'm a...well, in a simple sense, I help people." She laughed nervously, hoping he would push on.

[Garmith]

Sven cocked his head slightly. "Help? Help.... How? Are you a nurse, or a teacher, or..." He trailed off, unable to come up with another job offhand that dealt directly with helping.

He blinked again, realizing that prying for her answers was completely hypocritical of him. "I mean.... Er, sorry. If you aren't comfortable telling me I completely understand..."

He looked down, sitting softly on the edge of her bed. Why had she dragged him in here, of all places, anyway?

Suddenly Sven paused. "This... Is your room, isn't it?" He looked slightly fear-stricken. He didn't want to be hiding out in some random strangers bedroom! He grew slightly dizzy from all the thinking he was doing.

[Mystic]

She ignored his first question, skipping to the last. "Well, yeah...It's my room. Why?" She asked, confused.

She figured that he didn't want to be there being that they just met. "I won't hurt you...if that's what it is."

[Garmith]

Sven paused, realizing what she meant. "Oh, no, I- That's not it at all..." He looked around, then forced a smile. "I was only hoping we didn't burst into someone elses room, that's all."

He couldn't help but smile. "It'd be a tad bit hard to explain to the ship captain. 'Oh, we swear we weren't stealing, we were just using the place as a temporary hideout...'"

[Mystic]

She laughed softly, relaxing as she leaned her head back onto the door, looking up at the ceiling with a soft sigh.

"So..." She couldn't find anything really to talk about, her mind still stuck on the strange guy who was chasing them. The thought of someone chasing after a preist made her wonder. Something wasn't right.

She shook it off, standing up and stretching, reaching for the ceiling. "So Sven, what do you do in your spare time?" She then smiled, thinking about what she just asked.

Being a preist, he must pray a lot...or something along those lines.

[Garmith]

Sven smiled softly. "Well.... Not much of anything, really. Back at the monastery, we spent all of our spare time studying and worshiping our holy master, so i didn't have much time for much else..."

He shrugged lightly. "What about you? Any interesting pastimes?"

He felt like he could share things with this girl, even if they were meager details about himself. He wasn't afraid that she would spill any information; she gave off a non-hostile air that he felt perfectly at ease with.

[Mystic]

Her favorite thing was her job, it was the best way to kill time. She was not about to tell him that though.

"Nothing really. I normally sleep to pass the time." She wasn't really lying. She did like to sleep when she didn't have a job to do.

"So you did nothing to...pass time other than study and worship?" She asked, looking somwhat confused. "That doesn't sound fun at all."

[Garmith]

bunnying approved

Sven had to laugh at that. "I never said it was fun. It was purely hard work and discipline. We had short periods to eat and sleep, and if we were late for anything we were punished severely."

He shrugged. "That's just the holy way..."

Mystic shook her head with a soft sigh. She knew that the so called "holy way" wasn't for her, and just hearing that was defiantly even more of a turn off.

The thought of having to do this and that, right then and there, just seemed so horrible to her. She always took her time with her work. She couldn't just jump right in and do something lightning fast.
Everything was an art to her; it had to be done slowly and carefully. Haste makes waste, after all.

Her eyes then went to his pale, fretful face as she smiled. "I don't see how you could have done that almost all your life..."

Sven smiled softly. "I'm glad to be away from that place, truthfully." He already felt guilty for just saying those few simple words. The walls had ears. What if... What if someone had overheard him?
He scoffed in his head. It's not like it would make much of a difference from your current situation...

Mystic laughed as she got comfortable, popping her shoulders.

"Sorry to say but I'm not even close to liking the holy ways. I guess it's safe to say that I don't believe." She shrugged with a slight yawn.

Sven forced a small laugh, looking away. "Yeah.... I know what you mean..." If only she knew that he agreed one hundred and five percent.

[Mystic]

She sighed softly with a slight yawn, leaning back against the cold wall. Her thoughts wondering around, not sure what he exactly meant by that if he was still with the church. She shook it to the back of her mind, nodding.

"I bet..." She closed her eyes slowly, letting her eyelids cover up her red eyes. She was tired but didn't really know why. Her body was still sore from her last job, though it has been awhile, she could still feel a few kinks on her neck and around her legs the most. Her arms were sore too but nothing as bad.

[Garmith]

Sven hesitated, then crawled to the girl and plopped down beside her. He flashed a small, awkward smile. "Sorry, I'm still a bit jumpy. I don't really like to sit alone..." He rubbed the back of his head. As he dropped his hand, though, it fell upon her own. Glancing down, he saw his hand was resting on hers, and his cheeks immediately flushed bright crimson. He jerked his arm away with unneeded force, causeing him to lose balance and flop with a thunk onto his side.

Sven groaned as his head swam in embarrassment. Why was he such a klutz?

"S-Sorry..." He murmured dizzily. "I, er, it was... A, an accident...."

[Mystic]

She was unaffected by the slight touch at first but when he fell over, she realized what had happened. Her cheeks flustered a bright red as she leaned over him slightly.

Personally?

She didn't mind it all that much. His touch.

It was soft yet firm, strong and yet loving. It was weird to think about these little things, making her face turn a brightter red. Her mind continued to wander slightly as she spoke, her voice soft and raspy.

"It's alright, r-really...but are you ok? It looks like you hit your head a bit hard..." Her hand slowly made its way to a tender part of his head, running a finger softly over it. It may of not hurt to much or anything but it still looks like it could.

Right then, her body heated up, gulpping as she quickly moved away. Not noticing before that she had leaned closer and closer as each bit of time passed.

[Garmith]

Sven cheeks grew a heavier shade of crimson as he swallowed hard. Her soft, luscious curves had been only inches from him. Inches! And he could still smell her faint aroma; a strange but alluring mixture of sugar and vanilla.

The priest mentally slapped himself. What the hell was he thinking? He had been raised as a holy man, a worshiper of God. He was trained not to have lusty thoughts. Just because he had left the church didn't mean that he could become a sinner in the blink of an eye.

Trying to coax himself, he simply assumed that the rocking waves of the water again the sides of the ship, and the salty, crisp sea air had gotten to his brain, made him a little loony. The explanation seemed to calm him somewhat.

"I'm.... Perfectly fine, thank you." He cleared his throat and sat up, acting as if nothing in the past five minutes had even happened. "It's just a bump. Nothing I wont survive from..." He flashed her a goofy smile, trying to be reassuring. His cheeks were still stained with color.

"So, er... Mystic... Where exactly are you heading?"

Before she could answer, however, there was a loud knock on the door. Sven froze. It was the priest who had been following him, he just knew it.

Without a second thought, Sven jerked his dark robe off, revealing a black muscle undershirt and a pair of loose ebony trousers. He hastily stuffed the robe under Mystic's bed as there was another rap at the door.

He couldn't be caught, and he hoped that without the robe the man wouldn't recognize him. However, he also had to hide his face, without looking too suspicious. As the door began to crawl open, Sven panicked. He did the first thing that came to mind.

Swiftly leaning over Mystic, he gave a silent prayer as his lips pressed to hers. His back was too the door, so his face was hidden. Sven could feel a soft heat burning his cheeks, though it wasn't because of embarrassment this time. It was lust.

Hearing someone clear their throat in the doorway, Sven paused slightly. "Um... Room service..." Came a teen boy's voice.

Sven quickly pulled back. "Wha...?" He spun to look at the skinny blonde employee looking awkwardly at the duo.

Oh... Shit.

[Mystic]

Lust, confusion, and...room service?

Mystic's body was shaking slightly from surprise. Not exactly sure what was going on.

She thought he was going to die with how fast he was moving. He stuffed his robe under the bed and looked around like he was going to pass out.

She was slightly scared, not wanting to have to take care of him if he did faint. Her mind was racing as she noticed him lean closer. Her heart following suit.

A kiss.

One simple kiss had sent her body into a heat frenzy. Her mind shut down as her cheeks went a dark shade of red.

Her eyes went wide, her body telling her to kiss him back. She wanted to soo bad but couldn't bring herself to do it. She was too embarressed. Even more shocked then she ever was before. If that was possible.

The room service man had been standing there for a while and yet, Sven continued to kiss her.

After a while, he had spun around to face the young man, confused. "Wha...?"

She continued to sit still, biting her lip as her hand slowly made its way to her cheek. It was burning hot to her touch. Lust still filling her body as she glanced over at the young man herself.

"R-room...service? I didn't...order any...room service?" She said softly, her voice raspy.

[Garmith]

Sven's head spun. How could he have made such a big mistake? Oh, God...

"I, er... I'm just checking... I mean, it's ship policy to clean the rooms if no one is in there, and you guys didn't answer when I knocked, so..." The boy rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry for interrupting." He coughed slightly, looked at the pair a moment longer, then backed out of the room and left the door wide open.

Sven stared at the door, too shocked to move. Slowly, he tore his eyes away from the cabin door and, with a heavy gulp, looked at Mystic. "I... I'm so sorry..." He looked away. "I'm gonna go..."

Sven stood abruptly, unable to look at her gorgeous, flushed face again. He yanked his robe from under the bed, then turned on his heel and slipped from the room. He gave a ginger glance back to her. Their eyes locked for several moments, until he turned again and gently shut the door behind himself.

Sven gave a loud sigh, then slumped against the wall and put a hand over his eyes. Stupid, stupid, stupid...

[Mystic]

Bunnying APPROVED!

Mystic found it difficult to move, her heart still racing. She didn't want him to go yet but, she would feel desperate if she had stopped him.

A little bit of time had passed and she forced herself up off the ground. "I...I'm sorry too Sven. I cant start to like you right now. I have a...job...to do." She sighed, feeling as though she could still feel his pressence. His lips still on hers.

She wished.

That one little thought made her blush a bright crimson. Simple thoughts like that never made her feel so...comfy before. It had scared her slightly to think about it but she couldn't really avoid it...for now.

Her stop would be tomorrow morning, hoping to be able to just leave it all behind, saying goodbye to it all for good...and to Sven.

That thought scared her more than staying but she knew it was best. She couldn't become friends with a priest...could she?

She sighed, shaking her head to try and get her mind off it as she walked over to the door, thinking that he had left.

She felt slightly bad to let him go like that with the person chasing after him and all.

Her mind clouded by thoughts, she opened the door, not knowing that he was still leaning against it.

Her eyes widened as he lost his balance, falling back onto her with a loud thud.

"Sh-shit..." She growled, obviosly in pain.

[Garmith]

Sven yelped as he was thrown backwards by the force gravity as the wooden door was removed from behind him. Well, at least something soft broke his fall. Something soft, that cursed in pain...

"Oh, crap, I..." Sven scrambled awkwardly to his feet, facing Mystic, who lay limply on the polished floorboards. "I'm so sorry..." He bent down and took her hand in his, pulling her to her feet. "Are you alright? Crud, I honestly didn't expect that to happen..."

He blushed softly as his eyes ran over her, images from the kiss moments before flashing across his mind. Damn it, stop thinking about that, He hissed to himself. It was a faulty move, nothing more. Hell, pardon my language, she didn't even kiss you back. You know she didn't enjoy it...

That thought made his heart sink slightly, but he cleared his throat to cover it. "I really didn't mean to do... any of that." He bowed his head slightly as he spoke. "I was mistaken... I hope that idiotic move back in your room doesn't affect our friendship..."

[Mystic]

She shivered slightly at his words. She was taught that when someone apoligizes about something like that, it meant that they diddn't like it.

Maybe that was why he was always acting so weird.

It hurt. She wasn't able to hide it as well as she wished, biting her lip as she pulled her hand away.

"Of course not..." She looked down to the floor and sighed, trying her hardest not to look up into his beautiful eyes. They were so hypnotising, making her blush slightly.

"I mean...." She sighed again, glancing up and getting stuck in his eyes. "I uh..." Her mind raced, staring into his orange orbs. "Why apoligize for something I....l-liked?" She gulped, feeling so stupid after saying that.

It was so out of her nature, making her tense up slightly. "I meant um..." 'Shit...now this is going to be...awkward...' She thought to herself, feeling her body heat up once again.

[Garmith]

"You... Liked it?" He cocked his head slightly. He was briefly surprised that his cheeks didn't heat up, yet again, but after considering it for a moment, he realized it actually made sense. He had grown used to shock after shock around her, and his body had gotten so flustered that it was, well, flustered out.

He bit his bottom lip gingerly, contemplating. As he heard a loud whistling, he realized the ship had stopped at a port. Already? Time must have flown by.

"Mystic..." He sighed. "Thank you. For everything. For lunch, for being my first real friend since leaving the church, for giving me a beautiful face to look forward to seeing again..." He rested a soft hand on her cheek. "I'll never be able to repay you. This may be where we part, but... I would like to leave you with this gift. For, shall we call them, good memories?"

Sven wasn't quite sure what had come over him at that moment, but making assumptions, the only thing he could think of was that someone had drugged his gray-matter pasta lunch.

Leaning toward her again, his lips pressed firmly to hers. This time, however, he held the kiss. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally pulled back. Looking at her several moments longer, he barely heard the warning whistle.

"...Crud!" He jerked to a start. He was going to miss the stop. "Wait! Don't go yet!" he turned on his heel and bolted down the hall. As he reached the corner, Sven glanced back and waved rapidly to the girl he was going to miss more than he realized.

"May God see in our favor and let us meet again!" He hollered, then bolted out of sight.

[Mystic]

"Please Sven...stay safeso we can meet again? You kluts." She whispered softly, sighing at the thought that they might meet again.

Her heart sank in a matter of seconds, watching him run away. He was so perfect in her eyes. She softly placed her fingers on her lips and thought about their second kiss.

She still had a hard time kissing him back, maybe from trust issues? She didn't know. She had to admit that she would miss him, but knowing that they would meet again, she made sure the last thing he would remember of her was a smile.

A slight wave of her hand and the smile made her feel like she was a kid again, never feeling as happy as she did now...except with...the him leaving part.

As he ran off out of sight, her thoughts went back to the kiss. Hating herself for just standing there. She should have kissed him and now? She may never get the chance.

She wished with her everybeing that she would be able to kiss Sven again. At least....one more time.

Now, a looooong wait that she was NOT looking forward to...alone.

[MetalDrago]

STORY

Continuity (4/10) ~
Both ~ Neither of you spent much time elaborating on the past, at least as far as what led to them being on the boat. This begs the question from the reader, what exactly did the priest discover to warrant being hunted down by his own bothers and sisters, and what 'job' was the girl on her way to do, and where? Answering these questions, in even the most basic way, would definitely make this score rise in the future. Albeit, Garmith did answer the question, in a most basic way, saying that this secret had something to do with the very foundation of the church which he was once a part of, but what it would do if revealed was left unknown.

Setting (2/10) ~
Both ~ There was very little by way of setting in this thread that I could see. Characters should not be treated as if they were in avoid, acting in a world without form or color. The surroundings should be elaborated upon, shown to be more than just a background before which your characters act. It should be like a setting in a movie, where things in around you can be manipulated to do things, to be apart of the story instead of just background decoration.

Pacing (4/10) ~
Both ~ The pacing went from almost comedic and interesting to dramatic and frenzied in the matter of what seemed to be a single post. In fact, the change of pace was so sudden that it seemed to be a bit contrived. Overall, setting the pace is perhaps one of the harder jobs of any good writer.


CHARACTER ~

Dialogue (4/10) ~
Garmith ~ This is where things start to separate, as far as the score. Garmith, the parts where Sven talks make him sound like a really sheltered young man with no experience in the outside world, which, as it happens, is exactly what he is during the course of this story. So, all in all, that's a good thing. However, the amount of time a priest spends stuttering should be limited just a little bit. From what I know of the Althanian priests of any order, is that they spend some time working on their public speaking skills, in order to give sermons or host prayers. While it is okay for him to be stricken by this woman into a stutter every once in awhile, having it happen every two posts or so is a bit much. Cut back on the stuttering a little, and add a little more personality to the speaking, and you'll score well in this category.

Mystic ~ Your tone of voice makes your character sound like little more than a schoolgirl who just came across a new crush. I think the finding of new love happened to be a part of this whole Quest, but considering the way her personality usually is, the way she's acted throughout at least a bit of this thread, isn't very believable to her character. A hired mercenary with a heart of stone, who lusts for power... It doesn't make much sense that she would act this way, even if she did happen to fall in love.

Action (4/10) ~ I didn't get to see much by way of action to determine whether or not it was true to character. The simple fact of the matter was that I saw Sven being a klutz, and then the two lovebirds running away from an enemy that they both thought was after them. As such, I'd like to say to the two of you I'd like to see more, as far as actions from your characters, that would give some hint as to the personality behind them.

Persona (3/10) ~
Garmith ~ He's a priest who just got out of a faith that is now trying to kill him over some deep secret or another. Now, as far as emotions go, the reader doesn't get to see very many over the course of such a high post number Quest. The reader sees Sven flustered, scared, and in lust/love. The simple fact of the matter is that there needs to be a little more depth to these feelings, as he feels them. The feelings of a character need to strike a chord in the reader's heart, making him/her understand the true depth or ridiculousness of those feelings, eliciting a laugh or a solid tear when the author deems it necessary.

Mystic ~ Your character has a slightly more developed emotional depth, but it's based off of a very basic set of emotions, from young love to embarrassment. Though more developed, they lack the depth to make them feel real to the reader. There are many ways to give depth to an emotion, such as using rhyme or a metaphor to describe them.


WRITING STYLE ~

Mechanics (3/10) ~
Garmith ~ Your posts are rather choppy, and you separate your writing into many paragraphs, and even separate lines within your paragraphs by hitting the Enter key after sentences. Try holding your paragraphs together in some cohesive form, writing them out more fully. Paragraphs of three or less short sentences in length tend to make posts look choppy if done too much consecutively. It makes the reader pay more attention to the spaces around your paragraphs than the paragraphs themselves.

Mystic ~ You tend to get your verses mixed up pretty good from time to time, putting 'has' insteaf of 'had', things like that.

Both ~ You both have many of the standard misspellings, missing punctuation, and other errors common to most threads. No writer is perfect, however, and you just have to reread your posts and hope to catch any typos.

Technique (2/10) ~ The use of stylistic touches in the thread, use of foreshadowing, metaphor, simile, or any other stylistic device is slightly lacking in this thread. Instead, the writers opted for a more simplistic style of writing. Try adding some of these devices, or others you can find floating around, in order to improve this score.

Clarity (4/10) ~ The thread was pretty clear, but some of the posts tended to confuse the reader more than help them along to the end.

Wild Card (5/10) ~ You guys know how to keep things interesting, I'll give you that, and your skils improved as you wrote. Despite any problems I had with the thread itself, you are both promising talents, and I look forward to Judging more of your threads as your skill levels increase. Don't give up, and take the advice you get from the Judges seriously, and you'll get better in no time.

Overall Score: 35

Garmith Receives: 489 EXP and 252 GP
Mystic Receives: 489 EXP and 252 GP

[Taskmienster]

Exp and GP added.