Across the Tracks, Right?

[Sero]

She slowed down. Quin took a breath. If he cried, it would be really lame. It would make him look weak. He couldn't cry over something like this! He paused before putting the seed in her hands, moving them so they cupped the seed and pulling the hand away from her body towards him. He took a breath before lightly snapping his fingers again.


The seed inflated, starting to grow as if it was given water before sprouts emerged, cracking the seed open. He focused a bit more, letting the spouts curl around her hands and over to his before small buds appeared. "You know....have you ever seen someone use magic before? When you were younger?" He wanted to know so badly now if she was the same person. If she wasn't, he probably still wouldn't be disappointed. The buds started gaining color, growing plump and round before bursting. Mana in the shape of butterflies flying out before sparking and disappearing. The flowers suddenly shrank and started going into reverse, uncurling from his hand into hers again and changing back into a seed.


"...Sorry.I couldn't finish it....the roses didn't come out."

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie's eyes brightened as he caused the seeds to grow, her breathing slowing down a little. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. Her body was trembling a little. She didn't look like the tough girl that he had met before; she seemed uncertain of herself, small and scared for the moment and unsure what to do about it. She nodded in response to his question, her eyes shifting upwards to meet his as more tears tumbled down her cheeks.


"O-once..." she stuttered slightly, her breathing preventing her from speaking properly.

 

[Sero]

"When?" He asked reaching out to grab her before stopping and keeping his hand to himself. Quin really didn't know what to do when someone was crying in from of him, so he just sat there like an idiot, staring at her for a few long moments. Was there ever a time when he met her? When the wall would be down? Would that even be possible? Was there even a wall when he was younger?


He was panicking, and was suddenly scared. However, him breaking down wouldn't make anything better. He could hold himself in much better. He tugged at his sleeve and awkwardly leaned forward, using it to wipe her face a bit, since it was so wet that it was shiny

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie smiled a little as he wiped her face, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down. "I was... I was about five. The wall was only just going up. I ran away from my parents and got through a gap in the wall, and there was this family there, and they were watching their son practise his magic... I only saw a little bit before they grabbed me and pulled me away..." she looked at him, sighing a little. "I'm so sorry. I...I didn't mean to fall apart..." she laughed nervously. "This is embarrassing..."

 

[Sero]

Quin stared at her a long moment. "I see." He still wasn't sure. He shook his head to let the stars roll out of his head, they had been causing quite a bit of trouble for him since he got his hopes up. However he was only feeling very confused. After a few minutes he leaned back and hit the wall with his back, staring at her before moving up again.


"This is stupid. You're stupid for suddenly falling apart. Jeez, what happened for feisty Jamie? Hnn?" He asked, his tone between angry and teasing. He was trying not to get emotional. It sounded gross the way it came out of his mouth. He sighed before crossing his arms and looking at his lap. "However....it's not like it was...Jamie I think..." He stopped before moving forward and touching his forehead to hers. "I'm bored, give me a story Jamie. I want one, right now. If you don't hurry I'll get angry."

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie frowned as he moved away, and then froze as he got closer. She didn't know what to do with this sudden shift in his demeanour, but she supposed he was allowed to be as volatile as she was. He had more right to do so, she thought. He was in charge after all. She gulped, her eyes meeting his and her hands gripping the quilt that was below her hands. "I..." she tried to think of a story, but her mind was foggy. He was close enough that she could feel his breath against her lips.


"My family hate the magical side of the city." she said, the words tumbling from her lips before she could stop them. "They used to spend dinner time talking about how it's weak to rely on something you don't entirely understand, and how we were superior because we knew how to work something outside of ourselves out and turn it into power. They used to laugh a lot about it. My father... one dinner... he asked me why I was so quiet when they talked. I was about... fourteen, I think. I told him that I wasn't so sure about what they said, that... maybe there was more to the story... but he laughed and told me to stop being naive." she took a deep breath. "A few years later... as soon as I could get a job... I left and got a job as a courier, moved into a place on my own. All because I got tired of my parents hating something because they didn't understand it."


She looked at him again, her hand reaching up to touch the side of Quin's head, brushing through his hair. "How's that for a story?"

 

[Sero]

Quin closed his eyes, not moving his forehead from hers until she had finished before moving forward, pausing to stare at her before leaning into her hand instead. "I like that story." He breathed, tipping his head to the side. Looking her over. "When I'm sitting here like this, and you're petting me like this. I feel like I belong to you." He muttered. Feeling exhausted suddenly.


He closed his eyes again before his chest heaved. "You want to go back right?" He asked, closing his eyes again. Holding his breath for a moment. "Jamie. I took something horrible didn't I? What have you done to me I... only two days....not even...a complete two days." He breathed, taking her hand and holding it to his head. "You're like..." He didn't finish his sentence but just sat there, contemplating. She had drained him so quickly of confidence. It hurt.

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie stayed still as he spoke. She didn't answer his question. She wasn't sure of the answer. Did she want to go back? Yes, but she was fascinated by Quin. He was a puzzle she was dying to work out. She didn't know what to do. She had nothing to say. Words escaped her completely as she brought her other hand up to his other cheek, drawing him nearer to her.


She paused, her mind screaming at her to stop, to control herself, and she then gave in, pulling Quin's lips to hers. This wouldn't bring her closer to solving the puzzle, but it cleared her mind of the anxiety and sadness she felt. She deepened the kiss slowly, resting her hand at the back of his neck.


Well, he had wanted the fiesty version of her back.

 

[Sero]

Quin opened his eyes in quietly surprise, but trying to say anything would only make him deepen the kiss without meaning to. However, he let it happen anyway, he did it in a few steps. He leaned in a bit more, shivering slightly since her hand was so cold against his neck.


She had cast a spell on him probably. The strangest spell that he couldn't figure out. fascination, curiosity, and a feeling of rebellion. Almost shyly he kissed her back. Unsure why his headway going fuzzy with everything related to reality. He carefully moved his arms to her shoulders and held them there a few more moments before pulling out, his face an unusual red from it's usual.


Quin stared at Jamie before slowly moving to his side and placing his head in her lap. "Now I'm really not sure who belongs to who." he offered a slight grin before playing with strands of Jamie's hair. "You are the most dangerous person I've ever met."

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie laughed quietly, wiping her eyes of the final few tears that sat in the corners of them. She looked down at him. "I... probably shouldn't have done that, hey?" she asked, "There are probably rules against it, and if they're not official rules, then I'm sure that there's some unspoken rule that everyone instinctively knows." she let her fingers run through his hair, closing her eyes briefly.


"The most dangerous person you've ever met?" she asked, "And yet, you're stuck with me as your pet human. That's quite unfortunate for you." she smirked, the mischief back in her expression at last.

 

[Sero]

"No, I probably should have stopped you." Quin responded, looking up to her face and staring at her in curiosity now. She would always move between defiance and feebleness he was thinking. It didn't make much sense to him, her whole presence being here was strange. e wondered if it had been anyone else would he have changed? Possibly in a different way. Maybe he wasn't changed but just showing her another side of him.


His breath hitched with slight laugher when she mentioned his lack of fortune. "I see, so you're choosing not to be my lady luck. How sad." He mumbled, closing his eyes and staying still until he could gather his thoughts. "I probably want you to stay here tomorrow...I'm going to a council meeting..." Did he want to? Not really. "....and I want to talk to you about something after."

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie looked down at him, shifting so she was sitting on the floor again, gently placing Quin's head onto the bed. She wasn't comfortable with being above him; it felt wrong. She sat, looking down at her feet as she considered the situation she had just placed herself in. If he decided he didn't want that to happen anymore, what would he do?


"What do you want to talk to me about?" she asked curiously, looking at him again. "Not that... it makes sense to tell me now if you wanted to talk to me about it tomorrow. Sorry. Logic has never been a strength of mine." she laughed a little.

 

[Sero]

He blinked, a little disoriented since she moved away. He blinked to get his bearing before slowly moving up and smiling slightly. In an awkward way. He didn't really want to tell her today. What if his opinion changed after the council meeting? Then he would have something else to tell her, sometime else possibly important. He was possible worried about something worthless in effort. Something silly.


"Don't think of me as a feeble man." He started, staring at the ceiling in thought. "I'm going to do one of two things tomorrow. I may ask you a very dangerous favor, or I may do something dangerous on my own based on what happens in that council." He started. "Either way. I just want you to know that."

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie looked up at him curiously, "I don't think of you as feeble." she told him. "I almost wanted you to be a cruel jerk, so that it would be easy to hate you. But instead, you're kind. It's a little bit unfair of you to not be a jerk, you know?" she smirked at him, her tone making it obvious that she was only joking. She wiped her eyes a few more times, feeling embarrassed about her earlier display.


"I'm sorry. About the tears. And about the kiss. It was... it just... they both just happened... and I... You probably didn't want me to do it... either of them... so I'm sorry... it wont happen again..." she assured him, the meekness coming back out again. She hated the way she was changing between these two modes of herself.

 

[Sero]

"Well, I am a bit wishy-washy. I'm not even sure if I'm the me that's with my father or I'm the me by myself. I don't fight for you guys, I'm not one to stand up to things, I'm lazy and lax and I'll admit that at times I lack class." He mumbled, reaching out to her. "So, I'm a half-wit jerk that only decided to be kind when convenient. You're flattering me actually." He paused before staring at her intensely.


"About...that kiss thing." He mumbled, his voice sudden;y lowering as he blushed softly. "I actually.....didn't mind that much. I actually kind of....I mean, it felt like....a magic spell truthfully." He admitted. "I think you...broke me or something. You make me feel weird but....I..." He went quiet before closing his eyes as his face went red completely, and looked away from her to burry his face in his pillow. "N..er...ind..."

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie raised an eyebrow at his ramble, not sure how to respond. It seemed like he had a similar ability to her - he could jump between two different versions of himself. She stood up and then lay on the bed beside him, on her side with her head propped up by her elbow. "Hey, uh, Quin." she said quietly, "If you pull your head out of that pillow we can actually talk about it, you know."


She had a small smile on her lips. She enjoyed this closeness. It was an intimacy she wasn't accustomed to with anyone. "Come on, Quin." she coaxed gently. "We could even just make out again, if you don't want to talk."

 

[Sero]

He could feel his ears heating up as well and he shook his head. "Erm, no. I'm okay, thanks..." He mumbled turning away from her and covering his face from embarrassment. "I'm pretty sure I'll break. I'm pretty sure you'll break me. Are you sure that's not like, hypnosis or something? Hm?" He asked, remembering the only time he kissed someone was a different kind of accident. With a guy, which hadn't matter to Quin since he was straight.


However, he wasn't sure what she had done to him. Did she, carry disease or something? Like some sort of spell that would make him all weird like this? For some reason he was feeling incredibly shy, which made him uncomfortable. She was like a confidence vampire. She was taking all of it and he wasn't feeling very master -like anymore. Let alone the almost ruler of the city. He felt like a little boy in...lo- No! There was no way he'd develop such....such silly feeling for someone in a day! His brain was definitely broken!

 

[tamaracorine]

Quin frowned as she listened to him. She considered his words and let out a small sigh, standing up and running a hand through her hair slowly. "I promise, I've got no such strange abilities." she told him. "Now, here's the deal..." she seemed reluctant to speak again, knowing that this could backfire. "You're in charge here. You have to be, because this mark that I can't escape means that functionally, you own me. So you need to act like it, or do I need to tell your father that the son he's so proud of actually can't control me?" she folded her arms across her chest, looking at him seriously. "Come on, Quin. Take charge." 
(whoops! sorry! i need coffee.)

 

[Sero]

He swallowed and nodded slowly. Yes, he'd have to get out of this, he wasn't a little kid. Stuff like this shouldn't bother him! He wouldn't let it! He sat up before looking at her, feeling his face heat up again as his eyes trailed to her lips before looking away again. "Give me a little and I'll be with you in a minute. I'm doing mental maintenance." Yes, that was it. He could feel his mana getting a little unstable when he looked at her.


She wouldn't tell his father. He was certain of that, but she had a point. He had a role to fill, he had to stand up to it and make his father proud. He needed to get that feeling back. That brave feeling he had the day before. He breathed in, before out, before turning on the bed to stare at her. "I think that I might be prematurely attracted to you. That's why I panicked." Well, he said it. Time to keep a straight face.

 

[tamaracorine]

Jamie nodded, keeping her eyes on him. "Makes sense. I mean, I kissed you, so clearly there's some attraction on my side too, but it's probably unwise to think that we can go with it, right?" she put her hands in her pockets. "You're... who you are... and I'm... whatever I am. Just because we're drawn to each other doesn't mean we have to give into it, right?"


She let out a small sigh, "I'm about to start rambling again, so I'll just shut up now. Maybe I'll pretend you used that gagging spell on me." she smiled faintly and moved to sit by the window in the sunshine again, closing her eyes briefly. "But, uh, might I say one last thing?" she asked hopefully.

 

[Sero]

Quin nodded at her points. They made him relieved. Yes, he would just have to ignore that feeling he was feeling. If he did that, everything would fall perfectly into place. He would have control again, and he wouldn't feel so uncertain. He never wanted to feel like that again. He felt too....vulnerable. He was going to stick with the principles he set up long ago.


He watched her move away, watching her as he got his wits together.He'd have to not stare too long though, or else we would freak out again probably. "You can...say one last thing." He was going to let her, but after this he was going to do his patrol. He had to finish that.

 

[tamaracorine]

"I liked kissing you." she told him quietly, looking away to prevent a long stare following her words. She opened her mouth to speak again, but promptly closed it. She needed to remember her place. She needed to remember that it wasn't her place to make him uncomfortable. She needed to... she needed. Jamie was shocked that she felt such a deep desire to to the right thing by Quin. He had captured her.


Why was she being loyal to the guy who could have let her go back home, but had decided not to? She turned to look at him again, confusion obvious in her expression. "I'm done talking now."

 

[Sero]

He blinked before looking down for a minute. "I already know that." He replied, watching her look away. He was trying not to get nervous again. So when she said she was done talking, he nodded. "Good." He stated, stretching before grabbing a jacket, slipping it on and very carefully slipped his feet into the shoes he so often wore for his rounds.


"Want to come? Or stay?" He asked, moving over to the door and leaning on the wall next to it. He was going to act cool about this, and he was going to get over his affection. He had no time for something silly like that. No time at all. Well, that's what he was telling himself.

 

[tamaracorine]

"I'll stay." she decided after thinking for a few moments. She needed time to herself to think. "Do you, uh, want me to do anything while you're gone? Fold your underwear? Scrub your toilet?" she raised an eyebrow, smirking slightly. "But... seriously... do you want me to do anything while you're out?" she asked, forcing her tone back to seriousness.


She had to do this. She had to learn to be a new person. She couldn't fight forever and the sooner she accepted this, the easier it would be.

 

[Sero]

He frowned. Looking around the room and looking at his feet. This felt too awkward again. "You can..." She probably actually wanted him to tell her. "Tidy this place up a bit and set up your bed, I'm going to create a barrier so you can have a piece of the room. What else......um, ask the other servants what you can do. They'd probably be glad to help." He offered, wondering what gossip she would hear but dismissed it. She wanted something to do, he was giving it to her...


He unlocked the door, walking to the main door and picking up his bag which was always ready for him. Time to pace the wall, and get this over with. Go to the council meeting and so on. First thing he'd have to do is fix the gap in the wall they had made.....why was the barrier down around that spot anyway? He decided not to think about it but rather fix it up and get going on checking for more.