Pick

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Closed to Amber Eyes

Zerith and Jasmine stirred uncomfortably on the couch in the living dorm, cradling their child between them as Tobias Greenleaf sighed swirling the drink in her hands. Loud roars of anger and spite shouted down the hallways towards the middle of the room as Azza looked up to Tobias, and the elf smiled to her, rubbing her shoulder and making room for the tiniest Ambrose to rest. Azza scooted next to her and rested her head on the elf’s lap, and she tried not to think about what they were hearing.

“Fucking drop it already!” Jensen’s voice rang down the halls of Ixian castle as the immortal and Stephanie were in their room, door slammed shut twenty minutes prior to the festivities currently going on. What started as a simple conversation had escalated to both furiously yelling at each other, the thick oak doors unable to contain the rage the both were spewing at each other.

The fact of life is that normal couples had fights. It was healthy to argue and yell once in a while to let out all the stress and frustrations they had. This wasn’t the first time they yelled, and even Jasmine and Zerith had their own bouts of anger towards each other.

What concerned them was these fights happened for the last five days. Each one somehow, someway eclipsed the other in intensity and even Azza had dared to enter her parents room to try and fix the problem, only to be shut out and left alone in the hall. Tobias had tried to talk to Stephanie about it, and Zerith attempted to work it out with Jensen, but the end results were always the same. Both participants didn’t want to talk about the problems they were having.

“Who wants ice cream?” Jasmine offered. Azza shook her head as Jensen’s voice lifted again, words spouting out like a faucet of hate. Stephanie’s crying, strained voice shouted back, and Azza sniffled a little to hear her parents fight. The room’s tension lifted as the frame to the door violently shook, and Tobias lifted herself up quickly with Zerith as they ran down the hall. When they approached the door they slowed their steps, finding the hinge broken off as Jensen shuffled to stand again, Stephanie’s teary face standing over him.

“What the fuck, Stephanie?” Jensen grumbled as he rubbed his chin. Tobias helped the man up and he pushed her away once he was to his feet. “You don’t get your way so you punch me?” The woman looked to her boyfriend and turned away from him, holding herself for support. “Hey, look at me!” Jensen shouted. Stephanie grunted to him, not bothering to look. “Stephanie Odara, look at me!” Jensen ordered. She barely turned her head to him. “Pull another fucking stunt like that and I’m leaving.” The immortal said seriously.

“Go ahead and go,” Stephanie said angrily, exploding outwards and shoving Jensen into Zerith. “You always go, you never stay! You always push, push, push everything away!” Each time she mentioned the word push, she placed both hands against his chest, pushing him. “You abandoned Azza and I and all your friends because of your stupid pride and stubborn nature! You don’t really care about anything anyway, so why should I bother if you stay or leave!”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Jensen shot hotly as he rose to her face, nose to nose. “You think I enjoyed leaving you and Azza behind?” There was a moment of silence, then Jensen’s chin slammed shut as blood flew out of his mouth, body spinning into Zerith’s.

“If you really loved us, you wouldn’t have left us,” Stephanie said flatly. She stormed away towards the door to enter the castle, eyes filling with tears again as Jensen rocked his body back up to a standing position.

“Then I guess I don’t,” Jensen said darkly. Stephanie’s feet faltered. “You know me better than anyone else!” Jensen shouted to her. “So if you say I don’t love you, don’t love our little angel, then who am I to argue with Stephanie Ambrose, P.H.D. in Jensen-ology! I don‘t love you!”

“Jensen,” Tobias said softly. “You don’t mean that. Don’t say things that you’ll regret,”

“Oh shut up, Tobias,” Stephanie shouted to her. “This jackass makes his life sticking his foot in his mouth!” Jensen turned to Stephanie and stormed forwards. “Running away again?” Stephanie taunted. Jensen’s feet stopped as he turned to her, seeing her fierce mask of spite, but as he watched her eyes he began to peel back the layers, slowly, one at a time until he could witness the terror in her eyes. She was trembling to think that Jensen would leave her again, and the whole fiasco with Sei had shaken her confidence in her love with the immortal.

“You know me,” Jensen said softly. “What do you think?” Stephanie took a moment, then she turned to his jacket and grabbed it, looking at the fabric as the immortal eyed her carefully. She felt the fabric, rubbed her hand over the names embroidered on the back and turned to Azza, who was pale with fear of what she was seeing. Stephanie then looked back to Jensen and spoke with confidence.

“You choose now, me or the road.” She held the jacket to her side, standing with arms wide open. Jensen listened to the ultimatum, looking to Stephanie and seeing her literally put all the cards on the table. The immortal was struck dumb by the events, and suddenly he felt panic swim through his veins. Stephanie was being serious this time, and Jensen never felt so helpless. The rest of the room was deadly silent.

Jensen took a few steps forwards. “You know I love you,” Jensen whispered. Stephanie didn’t back down as she smiled sweetly, tears rolling down the side of her face.

“I love you too,” She choked. “So pick.”

Jensen’s hand reached out, stroking a tear from her face. She smiled to him as he leaned in for a kiss, feeling her lips against his as she trembled. Her hand closed on his chest, clutching it tightly for fear of him leaving. Her other hand felt a tug as the jacket slipped out of her hands.

“I picked,” Jensen said turning his back on his love and walking towards the door. Stephanie stood dumb struck as she watched him leave, eyes flooding as the door opened, and then softly closed. When Jensen was no longer in her sight she collapsed to the floor and began to bawl, muttering for him to come back.

[Amber Eyes]

She heard the rumors, Stephanie and Jensen were pretty much the only topic over dinner that night. She saw their faces as she passed each one in the main room. She heard the shouting, filling the entire top floor with anger. Even though all the evidence lay before her Kyla could not quite believe that fate had handed her this one. She was only just out of the hospital wing, her life had barely been spared by a perfectly aimed bullet that only fate could have moved. Now it was just screwing with her.

On one hand Kyla had dreamed of this day, when maybe she might have a chance. On the other, she knew and loved every member of the Ambrose family and she felt guilty each and every time her heart did that familiar flutter. Kyla sat at the same table where she had written Kyla Marie Ambrose at least a thousand times. She brushed her hands over the dark mahogany wood and enjoyed the smooth cool material brushing her hand. A memory of singing Karaoke with the immortal right before he kissed her and stole her heart filled her mind and her eyes filled with tears. Kyla was unsure if she was mourning her own relationship with Jensen or Stephanie's and if she was honest with herself she did not want to know. She was so caught up in her thoughts she almost missed the voice inside her head, "I need to see you in the meeting room"

The young girl stood and walked over to the bassinet where Akiv lay dreaming, and picked the young boy up. "I've got to get Akiv to Gran Gran then I'll be right down." Kyla quickly changed the toddler who was groggily rubbing his eyes before putting on his jacket and rushing him down to the eighth floor. He was resting peacefully in her arms again before she reached the landing and Kyla quickly let herself into her great-grandmothers small room. After a quick kiss and a few words exchanged with her great-grandmother Kyla climbed the stairs and knocked loudly on the door to the meeting room. Sei's voice greeted her, Come in.

As she opened the door Kyla saw Jensen sitting across from Sei. Both looked rather stressed and Kyla could only assume she was in some way involved. What did I do now?

[Enigmatic Immortal]

“Thank you for coming,” Sei said to his daughter, smiling to her softly as he placed a cup of warm tea in front of the empty seat next to Jensen. The immortal’s eyes were glossed over, head held back over the edge of the seat as he kicked his feet up on the desk of his lord, Sei Orlouge. When Kyla sat down Jensen lifted his head just enough to look to her, then back to the ceiling in a dazed funk.

“We got a mission,” Jensen said lowly, his enthusiasm not even existent in his tone. The lack of passion in his words spoke volumes of the depression eating away at his soul as his feet moved in tandem in a bouncing fashion on Sei’s desk. The mute glanced to him, then back to his daughter.

“I’ll get right to it,” Sei spoke steepling his fingers one over the other as he pushed them inwards gently. There was soft ticking of a clock in the corner of the room, and Jensen’s fingers lifted and struck the air with each tick and tock of the gears. “The enemy is no longer just the Knight’s of Dawn, nor the Forgotten, but it seems the prophesized primordial evil is making moves as well. Somehow, someway, they are getting more and more divisions of troops onto Corone and nobody knows how they are doing it! That ends swiftly.” Sei slammed his fist on his table to accentuate his point.

“So you want us to do some investigating then,” Kyla said, already piecing together the words her father wanted to hear. Sei nodded to her, beaming with pride in his daughter and the multiple trials she had been overcoming as of late. “So who’s my team? Talen again? Perhaps Adolph?” Kyla began to ramble off names quickly of who would be accompanying her, but with a soft cough and a nod to Jensen, Sei gave his input.

Her eyes went wide when she heard the news, looking to see Jensen waving listlessly to her with his fingers, eyes still cast upon the ceiling. Never before had Sei trust the two together alone, even when Jensen was together with Stephanie for fear of the damage Jensen would cause. The immortal sighed loudly, lowering his legs as he looked groggily back to Sei.

“Ya know, I just don’t feel well,” Jensen muttered. “Perhaps Taka can go with her. I think I’ll need to see Aislinn,” Jensen was about to leave the room when Sei stopped him with a fatherly hand on his shoulder, rounding the table and sitting in front of Jensen resting on his desk.

“You need time away to clear your head, and I trust nobodies life more than you with Kyla’s. I want you to pull yourself together and get out there.” Jensen looked to Sei, then with a shrug he nodded.

“I suppose,” He admitted. “Azza is with Holly at the orphanage, and Stephanie went with Ta’gaz and Tobias to train with some Oracle of some sort. I guess time out can do me well,” Jensen stood up and stretched his limbs to the sky as he turned to look at Kyla. The woman looked back to him and smiled and Jensen sighed again.

“Well then, mi’lady, I am all yours. I can operate and help you in whatever capacity you may need, and by any capacity, I mean…any…” Jensen said in a husky voice with a soft wink to Kyla. Sei sighed this time.

“Maybe I should have asked Adolph…”

“No, no!” Kyla peeped up. “Jensen will do just fine!” She said grabbing his hand and leading him out the door.

[Amber Eyes]

Hours later Kyla was packed and ready to go. Akiv was tucked in and given a loving kiss on the forehead before the young girl closed the room and said a quick prayer for his safety. Gran Gran put a comforting hand on the mystic's shoulders, "He'll be fine as always baby."

Kyla smiled at her grandmother, "I know, I just hate it. I know I have a duty to Sei and the army, but it seems like every time I leave he learns something amazing. If he is walking when I get back I don't know what I'll do."

Gran Gran smiled, "Even if you miss his first steps you will be there for most of them. What you are doing is important or Sei wouldn't ask you to leave him. So go baby, save the world and Akiv and I will be here waiting when you get back."

Kyla smiled and kissed the elder mystic, "I love you." She blew a final kiss at the closed door and then picked up her bag and began her journey down the stairs. There was a spring in her step that Kyla could not quite hide. As much as she told herself she was not picturing a romantic rendevous instead of the actual mission ahead it was all she could do to keep her hand off the sappy romance novel Jensen had given her for her birthday.

Once on the main floor she pulled Sophia's Mane from her bag and pulled the glove over her right hand. She smoothed the wrinkles in the white fabric as Jensen entered the hall. Kyla looked up and took a deep breathe, the sight of the immortal in such obvious pain hurt her deeper than she would have thought possible. She had finally accepted the fact that he was taken, and now all bets were off.

Kyla again felt a flutter in her stomach and she mentally scolded herself for even letting that thought cross her mind. She smiled at the immortal who gave a less enthusiastic grin in return. "If you really don't feel up to it I'll understand." The girl offered Jensen a way out, hoping with every fiber of her being he would not take it.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

“Do I look that miserable?” Jensen feigned a stronger smile. “There’s nothing here but some bad memories at the moment, and honestly, I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be with right now. I know I’m not up to my usual antics, but I think we can have ourselves some fun,” Jensen patted her on the back and moved out to the central courtyard.

As he walked he could feel Kyla’s bouncy nature behind him, her hand waving to people as Jensen merely nodded curt greetings. As he continued to move onwards he felt Kyla’s hand gingerly, almost barely, touch his shoulder. Jensen rose his hand up and held hers in his, looking back to her and smiling more warmly this time.

Of all the Orlouge’s in Sei’s twisted family, he actually could honestly say he loved Kyla. She was something special to the immortal ever since that moment they sang karaoke at the bar. He had died for the woman, gone through the Trap Master’s hall of nightmares simply to learn a lesson not to mess with some asshole, and his body bent over backwards for the girl. Then one day, she just ended things. Their friendship had waned, turning less romantic and more friendly. It almost felt like she was cutting him out of her life and the immortal had never known why. He thought the two of them would make the perfect couple, but in the end it was never to be. She mentioned how Jensen needed to open his eyes and see the world, and the immortal did just that.

He saw Stephanie the way she wanted to be seen by him. A lover, not just a comrade. If Kyla hadn’t turned so frigid and left the caves for months at a time, he never in his life would have realized he loved Stephanie. Still, he had never stopped thinking of Kyla, and the love/hate note she had written him the night he was kicked out of the caves burned a hole in his pocket, and with deft fingers he lifted it out, unwrinkled the paper, and read the note once again.

Kyla loved him. There was absolutely no reason for him not to love her. She was everything he always wanted in a woman. Strong, independent, but never afraid to ask for help when taking her clothes off. She was a mother now, but Akiv had already proven to be a quiet, intelligent youth that rarely cried unless needed. He had held the baby several times, and each time he did he could see that loving look in Kyla’s eyes.

He looked back to Kyla, and with a gentleness he reserved only for those he cared about he took her hand and brought her forward so they walked as equals side by side. “Ya know, I never said thanks for all you did for me,” Jensen said to the Mystic.

“It’s really nothing,” Kyla said offhandedly. Jensen shrugged to her as they walked. When they were outside the castle walls and on their way Jensen felt his fingers twitch near Kyla’s. He looked to the woman, and watched her as she gazed at the trees and the sky with an exuberance and a joy for life that made him smile as well. He felt good around Kyla, safe. His heart warmed to an idea and he let his fingers mix with hers.

“Though nothing to you,” Jensen said to her as she turned her head to look at him, wondering why he held her hand. “It’s everything to me,” Jensen said smiling to Kyla, pulling her in and kissing her on the forehead, never releasing his hand from hers.

[Amber Eyes]

Kyla felt her heart pound as Jensen pulled her close. As he gently kissed her forehead she became very aware of the proximity of their bodies. How many times had she dreamed of this moment? She could feel the heat from his body mixing with her own and it drew her in. She lifted her face slowly, bringing her own lips in line with his. She moved her head to the side at the last moment, brushing her lips across his cheek and finally kissing him at the top of his neck just in front of his ear. A smile found its way to her lips and she spoke softly, "We're never going to get any work done like this."

Kyla pulled herself away though every bit of her protested the decision. Jensen merely smiled at her, and took her hand once more. The two walked side by side down the road and Kyla could not help but hope maybe this was her chance. In the back of her mind Kyla thought of Stephanie, who had taken such good care of her during her pregnancy. She remembered the looks Stephanie had reserved for Jensen even back when Kyla and he were together. Stephanie love the man, that could not be denied. But why does her love mean anymore than mine?

"So," Jensen spoke pulling Kyla out of her daze. "What do you think we're looking at here?"

Kyla looked at him, a bit taken aback by his brashness. "Well, it's a bit complicated really." The mystic spoke with a bit of confusion in her tone. "I mean, you only just..."

"I meant about the mission, the troops in Corone?" Jensen interrupted before the girl said more than she wanted to.

Her cheeks flushed and she furrowed her brow. "Oh, I hadn't really thought about it. I'm sorry. I'm a bit distracted."

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Jensen chuckled as Kyla made her feelings known without knowing it. Jensen sighed, wondering what to do as he looked at the Mystic, pondering if he should delve into those feelings. He expected to think that he shouldn’t, for Stephanie was his love and deep down he knew she always would be. While the immortal had strong feelings for Kyla, they were eclipsed with how he felt about the red headed wonder he shared his life with.

That’s what he expected he should feel.

The reality was when he was standing with Kyla. He didn’t really dwell on the woman he broke up with. Instead he focused all his thoughts on how great a thing with Kyla would be. This mission they were on was never going to get accomplished, he mused. Still, he looked to the sky and sighed, walking next to the girl he couldn’t stop thinking about. Maybe Adolph was right, and Stephanie didn’t deserve Jensen…

“Kyla,” Jensen said softly, rubbing the back of his head. “I know this is all really weird and what not,” the immortal let out a soft, nervous chuckle. “But uh…I guess I’ll be the first to say, that um, I still kinda got feelings for you. I always had, even when I was with Stephanie, every now and then I’d think to you and I fondly.” Kyla’s head shot up to the immortal, looking at him like he suddenly combusted into flames.

He stepped forwards in a hurry, eyes cast forwards sighing to himself as he realized he maybe pushed the envelope to soon, and shook his head.

“Ya, never mind, just gas,” The immortal lied. "Let's head to Gisela, there isn't much going on in Corone without that rumor pit hearing about it. It's about a week's walk from here, so we can stop and grab a carriage to get us there faster. What do you think?" He turned back to her and smiled the most fake, forced smile he could, hoping to drown the girl with work to forget he even spoke.

[Amber Eyes]

Jensen took care of everything when the duo reached the stables. Kyla took a walk as her companion discussed times and fees with the owners. The young mystic walked behind the barns in a large pasture, a cool breeze blowing her long brown hair with each step. The tall grass blew in the wind and Kyla caught sight of something red in the distance.

As she approached she saw a small group of red flowers hiding between the blades. The girl stooped low and picked one, lifting it to her nose and enjoying the sweet smell. She walked back towards the barn with her pirze in hand and sat on a fence post to wait for Jensen. The girl stared at her hands as she rolled the stem between them. Each twirl wafted the scent of the flower to her hand and Kyla smiled. She held the bloom in her left hand and one by one began to pluck each petal.

He loves me. Kyla raised the first loose petal to her lips and blew it into the field where it was quickly lost in the grass. She reached again for the bloom, a childlike grin covering her face.

He loves me not. Again she held the petal in front of her lips and released it.

He loves me. "Kyla!" As the girl pulled the third petal Jensen's voice reached her ears. "It's time to go." Kyla looked at her unfinished project and smiled. She placed the petal in her pocket. "Good enough for me." She jumped down from her perch and began the short walk around the building.

Kyla bit her lip as she approached the immortal, ready to follow her heart and see where it took her. When Jensen had loaded their bags and everything was ready to go, he lifted Kyla into the carraige and took the seat opposite her. Kyla laid back and pulled her hair into a ponytail before securing it at the top of her neck. She tucked her knees in towards her chest, kicking her shoes off and resting her feet on the edge of her seat. Her mind went back to the conversation with the immortal on the way to the stables. He just might love me too. The thought brought a smile to the girl's lips again.

"Enjoying yourself?" Jensen stared at Kyla with curiousity in his eyes.

"I am," Kyla nodded as she spoke. "I'd almost forgotten just how much I love spending time with you."

[Enigmatic Immortal]

It had taken a few days to reach Gisela, but it took only one day for the immortal to crack and show his true colors again. Something about being around the Mystic mother made his soul feel at ease, like anything he attempted would be as easy as breathing. They laughed together, confided in each other, and had a ball of a time as they acted like schooling teenagers who were to scared to hold hands. What people saw between them was palpable and clear as day. They simply put, loved each other.

Yet at night when the immortal sat on the top of his sleeping bag, looking to the stars as he once did with Chanelle, he found his heart fracturing. Stephanie’s eyes hid behind the image of Kyla, her red hair flashing out to the corners of his eye as he looked into the piercing gaze of Kyla’s sapphire eyes. Guilt built up within him as contemplated what to do, but in the morning, when Kyla would pounce him awake and tease him, his guilty conscious became dormant once more.

The city was hustling with life as several street vendors pedaled their wares. Merchants sang out lyrics of song to promote a potion, and a few entertainers performed shows for a quick buck. Though the stable wasn’t deep within the city limits, the traffic had made it take nearly an hour to get their horses set in for the remainder of the trip. Kyla pointed to a rather nice inn, and Jensen nodded with a grin as they moved onwards to check in for the next few days.

“God I never realized how much I needed to get out of that joint! It feels really good to be hanging out with ya, Kyla.” He smiled to the Mystic, draping an arm over her shoulders. She easily slid one arm around his waist and they embraced tightly, Jensen’s instincts leading his lips to peck her on the top of the head. She cooed at his touch and nuzzled against him as he let out the softest of laughs, leaning in close to her and whispering, “You’re right, we are never going to get anything done like this..,”

“I still don’t know what Sei was thinking,” She whispered back. “But I am grateful for it.”

“Ya, so am I,” Jensen pushed the wooden door open and they walked into the enchanted room, feeling a rush of cool air greet them. Several potted plants lined the walls filled with epic battles of two armies clashing, a symbol of the prestigious Gisela Grand Tournament where armies went to vie against each other. The smooth, polished floors led to a large reception area, where men and women in fine suits waited to be called upon. Jensen let Kyla order the rooms as he looked outside the vaulted window, finding a small café they could eat at.

“Wanna grab some grub before we split up to look for clues?” Jensen offered.

[Amber Eyes]

If you had followed the two that day you would have believed them to be two young lovers with their lives spread before them like an empty canvas. If you had been in the cafe you probably would have noticed the light in her eyes when he spoke or the way her skin sprung goosebumps the moment his hand brushed hers. If you had followed them to the library you might have seen the stolen glances when the other was occupied or the way she bit her lip and stared as he spoke to the librarian. When they separated you would have picked up on the fact that her hand gently stroked the book inside of her pocket, a gift from him. It would have been hard to ignore how lost and scared she looked the moment they parted company or that she seemed to hold her breath until the moment she again saw his face. You would have known with little doubt that this blue eyed girl with the long brown hair had plans to spend her life with the more reserved man.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"How do you have no idea?" Kyla's irritation was becoming more evident as the day went on. "Isn't your job to know who is and isn't coming onto this land?"

The elder man simply shrugged his shoulders before speaking, his brown eyes showing his dissinterst in the conversation. "I know who arrives at my docks, but I've never even heard of the people you are refering to. We've spoken to half of my men, and I assure you. If a large scale troop movement is entering the country they aren't doing it through here."

Kyla took a final look at the gray haired man before standing. "Thank you for your time." She walked out of the small conferance room and down the docks, looking for the only comfort she had.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Jensen looked to the man with a simple smile, hands cast deep into his jacket pocket as he sighed, thanked him, and turned away. Part of him thought to himself that there was just no way a large troop movement could be done by sea. It would have been noticed. And the numbers the enemy showed up indicated that this wasn’t something slowly happening over years.

Still, with out any rumors to go off of it seemed Gisela was turning down a more narrow path. They would need to venture to the more obscure ideas he had, and that meant heading to Concordia in the morning. Thankfully, the rather large forest wasn’t far off, but then again it was rather large. What they searched for wouldn’t be much easier to find than in this city.

He walked down the path of Gisela’s market, looking for the woman he was growing feelings for. Still though, without her near his mind saw images, flashes of Stephanie in the corner of his eyes. It was as if the remnants of his past came to float above him just out of his reach, constantly reminding him that he was a fool doing this, or maybe he was doing the right thing. He couldn’t really decide.

What he could decide was to go ahead and try things out with Kyla. Each brush of his hand against her sent shivers along her spine. Every whisper to her ear sent her blood running and the immortal felt his emotions soften when around her. He loved holding her, loved to feel her soft skin against his as they pointed out sights. The first thing he would do when he saw her was give her a big hug.

It wouldn’t be long before he found her, seeing her looking mopey and sad. With a quick dash forwards he took her by the hands, twirling her in his arms as he gave her a wide smile, cracking the frown she had on her face. He danced with her in the street in public, casual glances passed by them as he lead her back to the inn. She giggled in his grip, and when they reached the doors he slid behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and neck, holding her tightly as her hands reached around his waist, keeping them locked tight. The man at the door held it open for them as they waddled together forwards, Jensen just whispering absolute nonsense to her.

“I did so terrible today,” Kyla managed to say. “I found nothing, nothing at all!” Jensen nuzzled his nose into the nape of her neck, letting his lips pass just gently across her skin as he dragged his mouth to her ear.

“Don’t worry so much about it,” Jensen whispered softly. “We couldn’t honestly expect to strike gold on our first hit. We’ll try again tomorrow, I’ll hit the slums, and you can hit the noble’s district, but for now, let’s just enjoy the company.” She smiled, though he couldn’t see it, holding him tighter before releasing herself from his grip. She opened the door to their room and they stepped inside.

Technically, Sei had given them enough money to purchase separate rooms, but Kyla had none of it and Jensen wasn’t going to complain. The bed they would share was rather large, a king sized suite for them so they could enjoy luxury instead of sitting across the hall in separate, mediocre rooms. The immortal kicked his boots off and took his jacket off, whipping it over his body in a practiced motion as it landed on the hook of the coat rack, bowing to the names inside the leather and whispering goodnight to his fallen friends.

Kyla got comfortable herself as she pulled the string tying her hair back, letting the locks fall to her face and Jensen took just a moment to admire the way it made her face shine in such a wonderful glow. She entered into the bathroom and shut the door as Jensen kicked his pants off dressing into his night sweats, letting his shirt run un-tucked as he relaxed on the bed.

When she returned she was dressed in a simple bed outfit, crawling onto the bed and moving next to him before lying next to him, looking at him with a lustful sigh. Jensen winked to her as he mentally winced, seeing those red strands of hair in the corner of his eyes. He gave out a frustrated sigh, and Kyla placed one hand on his chest, looking to him with care as she propped herself up.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, but she didn’t ask in such a left handed way, but in a deeper, more concerned tone. She was referring to all his problems, and the immortal didn’t know what to think of that.

“Stephanie and I, we,” Jensen started to speak, and Kyla retracted her hand just a bit. Panicking he grabbed her hand, holding it. When he realized what he had done he let it go, quickly. “My bad,” Jensen joked. Kyla smiled, softly retreating her hand. “We…had our fight again. The big one this time. She keeps thinking I’m going to leave her forever, and me saying I’ll come back is no longer going to cut it. She wants me to do something for her that, well, she knows I’m not comfortable doing. It’s not fair for her to ask me to do that sort of thing given my history…” The immortal turned away from Kyla, but kept talking all the same.

“I don’t think she gets what its like to be an outcast like, well, us. She doesn’t understand that to give our hearts is a terribly hard thing to do. We’re both already so fragile, so…broken. It’s annoying to think she can tell me what I’m feeling and think it’s the truth.”

Jensen turned back to Kyla. “Yet with you, I never have to think. I never have to feel like that. You make me feel wonderful, and happy. It’s like…cloud nine I suppose is the term to use here,” Jensen laughed rubbing the back of his head. “I always loved you Kyla, but I haven’t really been seeing how much it was until recently…” Jensen gave her a weak smile. She once again gave him that stony deer in a lantern light look, and Jensen coughed getting up.

“Food! Food sounds like love, right? I really always loved food, Kyla. That’s what I meant to say! Yeah!” Jensen turned to the door and did all but run. “I’ll be back in a flash!” He turned, shut the door, and leaned against it sighing in relief, hitting his head softly against the thick wood. “Fuck’s sake Jensen, get over her. She’s clearly not interested. Pull it together. Think about kittens….kittens with spikes…”

[Amber Eyes]

Explicit Content!

Love. The word rang in every part of her. Her stomach was suddenly filled with butterflys her heart kept a quick tempo, sounding like a tymphany and her mind played the treble to go along with it. She had waited months for this moment and yet something about it felt wrong. When Jensen pulled away from her Kyla thought she might burst, she had no idea what she wanted right now but it was definately not for him to leave her. The moment the bathroom door shut she lifted herself from the bed and followed. Her silk nightgown grazed the floor as she leaned in and placed both of her hands on the wooden frame. She counted to ten to calm her nerves and then lifted her hand to knock. Her knuckles barely touched the wood as she tapped quietly and pulled back, waiting for an invitation to do what she had always dreamed he would. Kyla Orlouge would not let him go.

A grim-faced Jensen opened the door and his mouth opened to speak in the moment before Kyla pushed herself throught the door and him into the bathroom sink. She quickly leaned over him and kissed him with every bit of emotion flowing through her. Her right hand pulled his face to hers as she left his lips and began to kiss her way down his cheek and to his neck. She released his head and smiled as she saw it lean back, a sure sign he was enjoying this almost as much as she was. She took a step back and took in the sight of him, standing there and for once, wanting her the way she wanted him. The Mystic lightly grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted it over his head, leaning down to lay kisses on his chest. The immortal's hand carressed her arms as she dropped to her knees before him.

Kyla's nails scraped gently down the immortal's back before she gripped his pants. One look at his eyes told her he was not expecting this and that was enough to urge her onward. She pulled his garments down just enough to reach his growing erection. She quickly grabbed him and took him into her mouth, running the fingernails on her right hand down his lower back as she attempted to give him a night he would never forget.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Graphic Content, be warned.
Love….

Jensen’s eyes bulged out of the front of his face, unable to even comprehend anything anymore. Confusion wracked his brain as Kyla’s lips found his, shoving him into the bathroom sink as she took control. Paralyzed with fear he let her do her own thing, to shocked to think what was happening was actually happening. Then…it really happened.

Jensen was never one to deny he had slept with many women. His more aloof years as a wandering Knight of Apocalypse was shared with many beds, and many faces he forgot over time. Yet he was fundamentally unprepared for this. Kyla was physically and literally blowing his mind and he didn’t know what to do. He had two choices before him, both made of crystal clarity.

Do the right thing, and shove her away; explain why this isn’t a good idea and needed to stop.

Do the wrong thing, and grab her for a night she’ll never forget.

How simple those choices were. How amazingly difficult it was to think on them. Jensen Ambrose had been called much in life, but the truth was, like any other normal human being, he had urges and desires. And those two things warped his mind as he lost all self control, grabbing Kyla’s head and stroking her hair as she stroked him.

The red hair that plagued him taunted him now, but he angrily looked away. This was okay, they were broken up. Nobody was being hurt. To not do this was wrong! More red strands teased him, dangling just behind Kyla’s hair, and the immortal felt his heart racing. He knew deep down he loved Kyla Orlouge, but deeper down, in his heart of hearts, did he truly love her the way he thought?

Only one way to find out.

Jensen cupped her cheek as she looked to him with those loving eyes, the strands of her hair falling to each side of her face making her look so beautiful. He smiled to her, a warming, charming smile, as he pushed her chin up. She caught the hint and released him from her mouth, running her body against his as their lips met again. They kissed, kissed for a long passionate time as the immortal turned her body around, grabbing a handful of her night gown and lifting it up. Kyla lifted her arms skywards as he removed it, her body pushing against his as he ran his hands down her curves.

Leaning close to her ear he nibbled at it, biting the lope and pulling only so much as he guided her back to the bedroom. He turned her so she looked at him, kissing her again as he nuzzled his nose into his. She sighed lustfully as they kissed again, and Jensen rested his hands on the tips of her hip.

“This your first time, Kyla?” She hesitated a moment, wrapping her fingers around his and squeezing. He kissed her gently on the nose, then the lips and she giggled in the merest of whispers before nodding her head, nuzzling his chest. “I’ll be gentle,” He assured her, lifting her up and gently putting her on the bed.

The immortal spent most of his time returning the oral favor that she had given to him, listening to her gasps and moans as he read her feelings, kissing the inside of her thighs as well as her stomach before easing himself closer to her. Her toes curled as she wrapped her hips around his body, her hands gripping his hair tightly as she tugged. The sensation made Jensen grin in the corner of his mouth as he pleased her. She made the same cute noises Stephanie made, he thought. Pulling back he looked to her face, seeing Stephanie’s for a fraction of a second as Kyla breathed heavily, her chest moving up and down.

Jensen kissed her stomach all the way up to her breasts, playing with them with his tongue as he softly moved his body upwards to her lips, kissing her again. She moaned again in pleasure as his trailing fingers began to flex around her, and the immortal nuzzled around her ear, darting his tongue along the edge. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, getting lost inside those sapphire orbs as he smiled to her. He kissed her again, adjusting himself and instinctively she knew what to grab as she guided him closer.

“You sure about this, Kyla? I’m okay with stopping at this if you want-”

“I want you to shut up and love me!” Kyla snapped grabbing the back of his head and kissing him deeply. After they released their kiss Jensen gave her a confused look, before laughing as he nuzzled her nose and nodding to her requests. Jensen eased himself softly, and after a bit of tension, a painful moan, and a gasp of pleasure, Jensen Ambrose and Kyla Orlouge became one.

And as they tossed and turned in their love, the blankets becoming the sea of their emotions Jensen continued to see the red strands of hair plaguing him, and the softest whisper of his name come from familiar lips.

Love….is a terrible sin…

[Amber Eyes]

They lay in bed together, Jensen staring at the ceiling as her fingers danced a ballet upon his chest. She wanted to talk to him, to see what she had missed. His stormy eyes held her off for a while but eventually the young mystic opened her mouth slowly. “What’s your biggest secret?” Her voice was quiet as though she was already sharing her own. In her mind she believed that if she filled in the little things about him she did not know she would somehow be able to hold on to him.

Jensen hesitated for a moment before he replied. “I’m lonely.”

The mystic stared deep into his eyes and thought to herself. I could change that.

“What’s your deep dark secret?” He asked.

Kyla blinked at him. “I love you.”

The words stunned him. They were simple ones, ones he knew had been coming, ones he had heard a million times from Stephanie. It made no sense to him, but just as Jensen knew that a part of him would always belong to Kyla, this ordinary phrase belonged to Stephanie. He rolled away from her and sat down on the floor. He rested his head on the heels of his hands and took a deep breath.

Kyla moved to the top of the bed, and when he turned she was huddled into a knot, as if she were trying to make herself smaller than physically possible. “I shouldn’t have said that,” she murmured, picking at her nails. “I’m sorry.”

Jensen reached up behind him and squeezed her hand. “Don’t be sorry.” He hesitated, fighting the fire that crawled from his belly to his throat. “I love you too.”

Kyla froze. “You do?”

He nodded. “Thaynes help me,” He said, “but I do.”

Kyla placed her hand on the back of his neck and curled herself over him so that his eyes upside down met her own. “The Thaynes have nothing to do with this.”

Sleeping with Jensen was like waking up one morning and discovering the color blue. You saw it in the sky and on the birds and you could not imagine how you had lived your life without this hue, which seemed to make the world fall into place.

Kyla did a silly roll off of the bed and into Jensen’s lap before standing and grabbing his hand, urging him to his feet. She took in his form and rubbed her hands across his chest and then his back as she made a circle around him. Jensen looked at her quizzically when she let out a soft “hmmm.”

Kyla stopped directly in front of him. “Where are the mistakes?” She smiled playfully and kissed him again. From then on Kyla saw Jensen’s beauty not in its entirety, but in bits and pieces. It was like a camera swinging slowly. She took in his hair, his eyes, the V where the muscle of his shoulder met his bicep. She ran her hands down his chest and stomach to the spot where they were joined and she felt him shake. Their hearts were pounding between them, slightly out of rhythm.

Moments later he buried his face against her neck. When they were through his body tensed up as they lay inches from each other. He moved only an inch to the other side of the bed but Kyla knew what it meant. Even now, he was starting to leave her.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Jensen’s heart was breaking. It was being ripped asunder by a thousand blades as he turned his back to Kyla. He had made the choice. He picked. He knew deep down he loved Kyla, he truly did. But that wasn’t what he loved about her. He loved her laugh, her smile, the way he made her feel…but she wasn’t resonating with him. He picked wrong.

Jensen sniffled a bit as those red strands of hair showed the face of Stephanie, a solitary tear strolling down his face. He had cheated on the woman he loved more than death, the woman the immortal wouldn’t just die for, but live for. All because he was lonely. Kyla was safe, but not his heart; Stephanie was his heart. He had picked so, so terribly wrong. He shouldn’t have left her, and the ripping emotions turned into a new emotion, and that was guilt.

He had taken Kyla and used her for his own bastard needs. He looked back to her, and trailed one finger down her side, but the warmth they once shared turned to ice. She looked back to him, her own eyes filling with tears.

“Kyla,” Jensen said softly. She shifted to look at him. “What we did, wasn’t a mistake.” Jensen looked to her, and let his fingers mesh with hers, but again that warmth was vacant. “But I think what I did, was…I do love you, I love you a lot. I’ll swear it to the moon and the sun, the heavens and hell, and I’ll swear it to Stephanie and Sei, but I…”

Kyla lifted one hand to his cheek, and this time their was warmth. She looked to him, smiling so sweetly, so beautifully. Feelings stirred, but they weren’t of the love they had thought. It was a different love. Something that couldn’t be described with mere words or silly poems. It was tangible, real, and something that only the two of them could ever share, something Stephanie couldn’t even take away. But it wasn’t the love they thought.

“You don’t love me,” She said for him, smiling. Her tears streaked her face, and he lifted his hand to stroke her cheek. He felt her tears and the guilt of knowing he caused them, but she leaned into his hand, kissed it, and nuzzled with it. “And you know, I’m okay with that, because I know you love Stephanie.”

“I’m so, so sorry, Kyla. I didn’t mean to hurt you!” Jensen begged to her. She smiled again, pulling him into her as she held him, wrapping her arms around his as her heart beat with his, but only a tad bit off. “I swear I didn’t mean it…”

“I should be sorry,” Kyla whispered back, sniffling. “I shouldn’t have hurt you…” They both pulled back, looking to the other before breaking into a small tension releasing fit of the giggles. They both calmed themselves before Jensen smiled to her, leaning back in the bed and drawing her to his chest. She relaxed upon his chest, and he kissed the top of her head as she lazily drew her fingers in circles across his skin. “I love you…” Kyla whispered.

“I love you too,” Jensen replied back. “And you’ll always have a place in my heart, Kyla. But I need to go home now. I had to pick, and I’m ready now. Thanks to you.” He held her tightly again. “I owe you big time…” He whispered as he closed his eyes. “But tonight, I’m yours. Stephanie would understand.” He nuzzled his nose against her hair, taking in her earthly scent.

“I’m all yours, Kyla,” He whispered again, full of love for her.

[Amber Eyes]

She stared at herself in the mirror with her head cocked to the side slightly. Her cheeks were red and puffy and the dark lines under her eyes were a tell-tale sign that she had slept very little the night before. The powder she typically wore whenever she needed an extra spring in her step did little to hide the evidence.

Kyla knew that once home she would be either hated or pitied. Although Jensen swore Stephanie would understand, would blame him and not her; Kyla knew there was more to it than that. Kyla felt a burn of hatred for Stephanie in her own gut and her jealousy was for someone that had never belonged to her in the first place. The thought of sleeping only a room away from the immortal tore at her heartstrings and that was when she realized she had no intentions of going home. She could easily dissapear into the world and never see any of them again.

Little Akive would grow up under the guidence of a wonderful 'father' and be taken care of. The Ambrose family would be reunited. Kyla Orlouge would cease to exist. She finished applying the pale white powder and pulled her hair back before leaving the bathroom and gathering her things, stuffing them into the small bag that hadn't been taken to the carraige. Jensen had left the room a half hour before, claiming he needed to get things arrainged for the journey home. Kyla knew better, she could not stand to look him in the eye either.

On a piece of parchment she quickly scribbled a note telling him she needed a few more days and left it lying on his suitcase on the bed. She picked up a stray shirt of his and lifted it to her nostrils, inhaling deeply the scent of him before folding it and lying it back on the bed. She picked up her bag and left.

Hours later Kyla stood outside of another carraige, this one set to take her as far away as she could go. The man in charge of the rental quickly checked the wheels before asking her to sign her name. The mystic dipped the pen into the paper and then stopped abruptly. She did not want to be her any more. With a smile on her lips she again leaned in, this time sure of her movements. Kyla scribbled the words and handed the pad back to the man before climbing into the cart. She sat on the hard wooden bench as the man told her farewell. "Have a safe journey, Stephanie."

Kyla closed her eyes and realized, she had always wanted to take her place.

[Enigmatic Immortal]

Jensen looked at Sei as the mute shuffled a few papers before sitting at his desk. He had requested to see the Mystic after he returned back to the castle, alone to report his mission a failure. Not that it ever really got off the ground to begin with. Still, he had ranted and raved to Sei about his leadership and lack there was at one time, and now it was only fair to let the Mute have his moment to belittle the immortal for failing him on a simple mission. That, and he had a lot to say to the telepath.

Sei looked to Jensen, and with a soft smile he leaned back into his chair and offered the seat across from him to the immortal. Jensen took the chair and rubbed the back of his head in nervousness, which made the Mystic grunt in mirth. I’m not upset that you came up empty handed, Jensen, so calm your nerves and relax. The immortal looked back to Sei, and then nodded his head once to himself standing tall and at attention.

“Reporting mission details on the search for the Enemy troop routes. Primary objective; to locate and ascertain where the enemy army is moving from and how they can place so many troops in Corone without anyone noticing. Status of Primary Objective: Failed. Secondary Objective: Protect Kyla Orlouge and make sure she returns home safely…” Jensen actually lost himself as he sighed. “Secondary Objective: Failed. I’m sorry, Sei, I lost her. She wasn’t in the room when I came to grab her in the morning.” At those words the mute’s smile faltered, before he sighed deeply.

“She ran away again,” Sei sighed again, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers, pinching the area between his eyes.

“Uh…Sei…” Jensen said, and this time he was barely speaking above a whisper. “I uh…may have had something to do with that. The mute lowered his hand, slowly as if time had somehow created a bubble that moved him in slow motion.

“How so…” His breaths became ragged and heavy, as if growling. Jensen felt his throat dry up, and the more he tried to say something, the more he realized that if he spoke it, he would die. Instantly, and painfully. Sometimes manning up was a bitch, Jensen thought dully.

“Look, Sei, this is hard for me to say, so instead of talking, I’m going to allow you to enter my mind, and poke around and just get the whole story yourself.” Sei gave him a concerned look before he closed his eyes. Jensen did likewise, and the feeling felt like cold fingers running along his scalp. He could envision Sei inside of a small room, with several curtains all draped around Jensen’s memories so Sei couldn’t just barge in on all of his thoughts and personal memoirs. The mute looked to see Jensen standing next to one curtain, thumbing the entrance as he leaned against a pole, not bothering to look the mute in the eye.

There was a moment of quite tension, and then Sei lifted his hand and ripped the curtain open. He saw Kyla enter into his bathroom, kissing him as she initiated the pact of love. He witnessed Jensen’s emotions stir as he made his choice, choosing a one night stand with his daughter, and witnessed them make love. Jensen’s mind began to burn as Sei seethed at the mouth in rage, and Jensen dropped to his knees in agony as he silently let out a scream.

Sei was about to pull out, but the Jensen inside his mind grabbed him, shaking his head. He angrily turned back, and witnessed Jensen looking at the ghostly image of Stephanie, and seeing his heart tear into pieces, he witnessed Kyla attempt to love him, but Jensen at last realizing he shouldn’t have done what he did. He saw him apologize over and over again, and the conversation they had. At last Jensen felt his mind cool as Sei opened his eyes, and the immortal gasped for air.

“Fucks sake Sei,” Jensen said weakly. “You done mind raping me?”

“Not the word I would choose now, Ambrose!” Sei yelled into his mind. Jensen winced in pain. “You are such an idiot that sometimes I wonder how in the name of the Thaynes you can tie your own shoe! Do you think, ever, about what you do?” Jensen went to speak, but Sei stood up slamming his fists onto the table.

“Do you know how many tears I have had to wipe from her cheek because of you? Do you know how much she tore herself apart over your name? No, Jensen Ambrose, you don’t! Because you don’t THINK before acting!” Sei was in hysterics as he ranted to Jensen’s mind, and the immortal managed to feebly sit in the chair.

“Now my daughter is god knows where because she couldn’t stand the thought of seeing you! And what for? You broke her Jensen Ambrose! You broke her like one of your damnable fights! Did you laugh like a jackass for her too when you did it? Did you make sure to burn your image into her retinas so her soul wouldn’t be able to heal, much like William?”

“I’m sorry,” Jensen whispered.

“SORRY DOESN’T BRING MY DAUGHTER BACK!” Sei actually swiped his hand across the desk, scattering papers everywhere. He breathed heavily before he calmed himself down, and Jensen looked to Sei with absolute fear. The mute looked to him, sighed again, and sat down rubbing his hands over his face and through his orange hair. He took a few more breaths and steadied himself. “Kylana means so much to me, Jensen, and I know she meant so much to you. But this was what I was afraid would happen…” Sei sighed again, as it was all he could do not to ring his fingers around Jensen’s neck.

“Sei, I don’t know how to even begin,” But the mute lifted a finger to him.

“Look, I know you feel terrible about all this, but…but in the end we have to look at the good, right?” Sei said putting on a stronger face. “For starters, leave Kyla to me. This isn’t the first time she’s ran off, and she knows she is always welcomed back when she’s ready. She’s a big girl, Jensen, and can take care of herself. She needs her time, that is all…” He stood again and walked down to the window in his den. Jensen followed him like a sick dog.

“Kyla showed you how much you love Stephanie, didn’t she?” Sei said with a smile.

“Yup,” Jensen muttered.

“May I suggest, then Jensen, as your friend, you find the words to say because unlike me, Stephanie can’t read minds. And unlike me, she won’t hesitate to kill you. All though to be fair, I contemplated the idea of wiping your mind and sending you to the caves thinking you were Felicity…”

“How come you didn’t?” Jensen asked rubbing the back of his head again.

“Because I’d think Stephanie would do a far better job than me of punishing you, if you do deserve it. I’ll leave her as judge.” Jensen let out a soft laugh as Sei smiled to him, and Jensen excused himself as he left for his room. The flight of stairs seemed harder to climb than usual, and the thought of sleep was all that he could concentrate on. Sad it was only three in the afternoon.

He followed the carpet to his dorm room, and when he reached the door he opened it with a shove, and was greeted by Zerith and Jasmine. He said his hellos to his roommates, smiling to them and talking a bit about his trip as they clued him in on what happened. Zerith had taken particular pride that he fought Adolph and shoved him against a wall, threatening the Chaplain to stay the hell away from Stephanie, and Jensen merely laughed as he got up and walked towards his room. When he reached the door he found Tobias stepping out of the guest room, eyes looking like she woke up from a nap and arms littered with bruises from her intense training.

“Well my, my,” Tobias sassed. “The Enigmatic Immortal before my very eyes.” Jensen gave her a warning look, before sighing as he opened his arms in submission. “What this?” Tobias grinned. “Sumbmission?”

“Look, I had a really shitty week trip home, my mission was a failure, and I’m about to venture a guess Stephanie is in that room. Lay it on me, Leaf licker, and then let me get on my way.” Tobias looked to Jensen, and her grin faltered to a genuine smile as she stepped forwards and hugged her friend tightly.

“She’s really emotionally hurt, Jensen, please be gentle,” Tobias whispered. “And I missed you ya big lug.”

“Yeah, I know,” Jensen whispered back as Tobias left the hall. He looked to his door, took in a deep breath, and entered the room. He found Stephanie sitting in the bed, eyes half open and her body looking like she got beaten to shit. Jensen’s first instinct was to comfort her, but he restrained himself. He had to be careful with this.

“Hi,” She whispered weakly.

“Hi,” Jensen said shutting the door. “Can…I talk to you?” Jensen asked. Stephanie nodded, scooting her legs in and making room for him to sit on the bed, he went towards the edge of the bed, but she patted the spot where he usually slept. He moved slowly over, and sat in the bed next to her.

“Me first,” Stephanie said looking to him, before narrowing her eyes and glaring to him. “You really, really pissed me off, you know. You hurt me in a way that you knew would hurt me. You purposely hurt me, just to hurt me. That’s why you picked the jacket over me. That was such an assholish thing to do, even for you, Jensen, and I want you to know I’ll kill you for it when you least expect it. I’ve never cried so much in my life, and you made me feel lonely and unwanted.”

“I know…” Jensen whispered to her. Stephanie’s fingers slowly moved towards his.

“But, I know I also pushed something on you. I instigated that, and it was my fault. I shouldn’t have been so persistent to ask you to marry me. Being without you these past weeks was pure hell, and I realized that even if we never got married, just having what he had is totally worth it. I’ve never pined for something in my life so much. The Oracle of Water tried to beat my love for you out of me, but the more she hit me, the more I realized I loved you. You’re my strength, Jensen, and if you don’t want to get married, that’s fine. I’d rather just be with you.” Jensen looked to her, and smiled to her, warmly, and he felt the warmth between them as he melted just to be near her.

“I…erm….thanks Stephanie, that means a lot to me.” Jensen leaned in and opened his arms so she could hug him. She did so, and her hands gripped his shirt as she began crying, muttering how happy she was just to hold him. “It’s not just you that realized we need each other. I, I had Kyla help me realize how you’re the only one in my life that can fill a void. Cure me of my own ways, and for the best. I said it once, and I’ll say it again, Steph; I want to live for you.”

“Then let’s start over, Jensen. Clean slate.” Stephanie swiped her hand in front of them. “Let the past be the past. Okay?” Jensen nodded, but then shook his head.

“No, I want to tell you something. It’s important to me that you know. I did something, that I’m not sure was wrong. But, well, Stephanie, I had sorta….fucked Kyla.” The red head narrowed her eyes for a moment, then pulled back away from him.

“Mentally or…” She waited for him to elaborate.

“Yeah, the horizontal humpty dumpty.”

“FUCKING IDIOT!” She slapped Jensen upside the mouth with the back of her hand. Jensen sighed as he let her him. “You dumb brute! Don’t you realize how much she loves you? I feel bad every time we’re together in front of her! And you have sex with her? What the hell is wrong with you!”

“Did I mention I felt guilty after doing so?” Jensen said smartly, which got him five across the mouth again. Jensen sighed again as he looked to her, and then something clicked. “Wait a second, your not pissed that I slept with her, just pissed that it was her.”

“That made no sense at all, jackass!” Stephanie roared.

“No, it does. Your mad that I slept with Kyla, not that I had sex behind your back. If I had slept with anyone else, you wouldn’t have cared! Admit it!” Jensen said, a bit of a grin covering his face. Stephanie’s face went red as she blushed, looking away from her love. Jensen grabbed her hand, and brought her in for a hug holding her tight. “I’m sorry I cheated on you…” He whispered to her.

“We were broken up, it’s not cheating, and I know you regret it. So I forgive you this one time…” Stephanie whispered. “But I swear to god I will beat you.” Jensen nodded nuzzling her. Then something else clicked. She was being really understanding…

“You slept with someone didn’t you?” Jensen smiled. Stephanie’s face went even redder.

“Well look who’s fishing for blame!”

“I don’t blame you. If you slept with someone, I forgive you. But I told you who I slept with, so fair’s fair. Was it Adolph?” Stephanie looked back at him with a hint of a smile on her face. “Not a bad choice if you did, and would get all that tension out of his system.”

“I was thinking of it, just to get back at you, but no, not Adolph. You have Jasmine to thank for talking me out of that.” Jensen nodded to her.

“Alright…Ta’gaz,” Jensen said with a deep breath, the thought making him cringe. “He’s a tower of power, and I can understand in a moment of weakness choosing him.”

“A good choice, but no, actually. The thought never crossed my mind. Now that I think of it, he would have been a good time, I think.” She winked to Jensen, and the immortal wrapped his arm around her head and nuzzled his fist into it as she giggled. Then Jensen had a dark thought.

“Oh fuck, not Willie is it?” Stephanie actually looked shocked and minorly disgusted.

“Um, ewww! Have you seen that man? He’s all charred and nasty, and sweats ash. Not even remotely sexy.” Jensen breathed a sigh of relief. Then he put more thought into it. Who the hell could it have been? If not any of the usual people she saw, not to mention she had limited access to only Ta’gaz, the Oracle of Water, and….

“Holy shit, no way!” Jensen said, smiling brightly.

“Yes, and if you tell Sei, I’ll kill you four times!” She said grabbing a pillow and hitting him with it.

“Seriosuly? Tobias! The elf fucker turns out to be you?” Jensen clapped his hands as Stephanie chased him with his pillow, giggling.

“Yes, you wouldn’t believe what she can do with her hands!” Stephanie said, a hint of teasing in her tone as she whacked Jensen good.

“Ya know, that’s not a bad choice. I approve!” Jensen replied as he ducked under his girlfriend’s swing, lifting her up and over his shoulder. He was happy to note she was already dressed. “Come on, let’s grab the kiddo from Underwood and a bite to eat and start all over again, Steph.”

“Sounds good, Jensen,” She whispered wiggling free. “That sounds really, really good.”

[Breaker]

Music: Hawksley Mix
Mood: Energetic

I gave this quest a soundtrack of hawksley workman's most romantic/sexual songs, and it worked surprisingly well; on several occasions songs actually ended/began with posts. Just thought that was neat.

I wanted to get this done quickly since it's been sitting around for so long, and although Amber requested the condensed rubric EI asked I include some commentary, so that's what I'm gonna do.

Story: 11/30

If this were the full rubric, the "continuity" category would have represented your downfall. The beginning of this thread was sudden and provided little to no information about the plethora of characters it introduced. This didn't really change over the course of the thread; while the presence of feelings between characters was clear, there didn't seem to be any events in the past (or in this thread, for that matter) that would have led up to the "explicit content". Speaking of which, we have double brackets and ooc tags for a reason :P The ending of the thread was much better than the beginning, although also had issues which I will elaborate on in the next part. I should also point out that Jensen's earth references (P.H.D and cafe the only ones that stuck in my mind, but there were several) hurt this score, and the setting overall lacked detail, and showed little attention to Althanas beyond the names of places.

Character: 14/30

I feel I have made this comment before, but this thread was about almost nothing other than the relationship between the characters. While interpersonal relationships can be the main subject matter of stories (I'm guessing that's what romance novels are about?) this relationship lacked substance. There was nothing tangible that I could glean as a reader of this thread that explained the origins of the relationship. Some anecdotes or remember-whens, in the form of dialogue or flashbacks, could have helped that.

If you think about the six Ws which stories are supposed to answer, the "why" was most lacking. I didn't get why Kyla like Jensen, and I didn't get why an immortal being would be irrational enough to do that to a teenage girl he cared about. I really didn't get why Sei would send his niece off on a mission with Jensen so conveniently, or why he would be surprised when the inevitable occurred. The character Stephanie also confused me with her willingness to accept everything - again, a little backstory would have been helpful.

It may help to think of your writing in terms of perspective: the reader's perspective, so they will have the information they need to understand the story, the characters perspective so they will come off as a three dimensional free thinking person, and of course your own perspective so you can send your character on all the adventures you want.

Writing Style: 21/30

I was pleasantly surprised by the evidence of proofreading in this thread, which bolstered this score considerably. As far as creativity goes, I commend you both for attempting a risque-themed thread, but I think you should back it up with a little more substance next time.

Wild Card: 5/10

Total: 51/100

Enigmatic Immortal receives 900 exp

Amber Eyes receives 600 exp

No gp awarded because you failed to accomplish your mission, and you had to pay for the stables and inn. But Jensen does gain Kyla's virginity.

[Silence Sei]

GP-EXP Added.