beat inside me, leave me blind (r)

[araceli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=class,dangerdanger,true] always worrying too much about your appearance, almost as though you’re facing your enemy. She loved her animals. Don't get her wrong. She always loved her animals so much but she always hated the fact that she couldn't completely control them when they were like this. Especially when they were like this. It had been any normal morning. Waking up, feeding her pets. All promptly followed by making herself presentable to the world but somehow, one of the puppies had gotten out on their own and ran off out of the house. She had left the others to watch the house. Which in retrospect sounded kind of stupid because now she was leaving a pair of cats and a dog in charge of all the babies still inside of her household. She panted, resting her hands on her thighs as she tried to catch her breath. Good lord, she had never ever had to run this much before. She straightened up her back, breathing out softly as she rested her hands on her hips then before she continued chasing after the small border collie. "Aquí, aquí!" She shouted at the puppy, the canine quick to ignore her calls. At this rate, she was never going to catch up to him! She had ended up chasing him half way through the entire peninsula now. How much farther could he run without eating breakfast? Her stomach growled, reminding her that she had failed to eat. How long could she run without food? She chased him to Tulipa Lake, the puppy stopping only briefly as he raised his nose. Why was he being so stubborn? She narrowed her eyes in annoyance. "Aquí, aquí!" She shouted again, her hands clenching into fists. Wait, wait. He finally stopped. Thank goodness, she could just walk over there and pick him up and take him home. The puppy lifted his head, sniffing at the trees quietly before positioning himself just above an unmistakable pile of clothing. Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. He was not. He was not going to ... and he did. And he did. Oh gosh, how was she going to explain this? Someone was definitely going to get pissed. Maybe they wouldn't yell at the puppy? They'd probably yell at her. But it was just his training period! He just didn't know what he was doing! Araceli ran over to the puppy, quickly picking him up and wrapping her arms around the canine closely to her chest as she peeked through the trees. Ooh, she hoped they didn't notice! "Está en un gran problema. ¿Cómo te atreves a hacer algo así! Vamos a entrar en tantos problemas, mi perrito!" She snapped, gently smacking the puppy on the head for causing so much trouble. She looked down at the pile of clothes before glancing at the person that probably possessed them. Oh god, what was that word...? How to apologize? It was ... it was please, right? "E- ... Excuse me...?" She stammered out, half choking on her words. "Señor?" ... er. Crap. She didn't know the word! This was so bad. Maybe she could just run? Yeah, she could run! She could run. She could always run but. She felt so bad ...! She couldn't just leave the poor guy here with clothes like that, right? She looked down at the puppy in her arms, the creature looking almost guilty as he looked up at her with those big, cute eyes. Don't get her wrong. She really loved her animals. She just really, really hated the training period. ✿ (1) "Here, here!" (2) "You're going to be in so much trouble! How dare you do that! We're going to get into so much trouble, puppy!" nymph! tagged 580! words sorry, this is really bad! notes

made by cube of gs

[newclass=.dangerdanger]background: #efefef; width: 380px; padding: 25px; [/newclass][newclass=.dangerderp]font: 10px tahoma; text-align: justify; color: #323232; line-height: 10px;[/newclass][newclass=.dangerquoth]font: 13px georgia; color: #e1e1e1; background: #EFB7F4; padding: 0 5px 5px 0; line-height: 11px; width: 180px; float: left; margin: 2px 5px 0 -28px; text-align: right;[/newclass][newclass=.dangericon]background: #efefef; padding: 0 5px 5px 0; margin: 0 -10px 3px 0; text-align: right;[/newclass][newclass=.dangeretc]font: 11px georgia; color: #e1e1e1; background: #EFB7F4; padding: 5px; line-height: 10px; width: 180px; float: left; margin: 5px 5px 0 -28px; text-align: right;[/newclass]

[EZEKIEL L.]

[cs=2][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width:400px; background-color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000,bTable] Lets walk through the fire together, disappear in the golden sand

[cs=2]   Spring was a superb season. Frothy, billowing clouds streamed through a sea of pastel blue. Save for those few white gems, the sky was clear and bright, a perfect background for the bird-song and colorful florals decorating the peninsula's landscape. The sun was gentle and subtly warm, illuminating the spaces between the trees with golden trickles of light. In comparison, Ezekiel's morning had been less than picturesque. He'd woken up on the right side of the bed, only to be kicked off by another maternal, bi-polar phone-calling episode and an influx of shrieking voice-mails. Something about being an ungrateful son, now required to participate in consistent and active communication. Ezekiel bemusedly purged his mobile of the woman's traces, and left the house in search of exercise. Aimlessly, he wandered the streets of the residential district, before the weather inspired him. It seemed that fate would give him a reprieve from the standard ridiculous bitching in the cool depths of Tulipa Lake. The red-haired man made his way along the paths through town, past the expanse of ranches, savoring the caresses of the breeze. The loneliness was calming, and not half an hour from his welcome mat did he stand along the shores of the lake, a solitary figure in the midst of sparkling turquoise. Taking only a few moments to strip into a pair of plaid boxers that served as swimming shorts, he stowed his clothes against the trunk of a tree, then slowly waded in. The water was cold and all-encompassing, massaging his muscles with a fickle mix of tension, shock, pleasure and relaxation. Ezekiel didn't keep track of the time. He simply allowed himself to dive, explore, and test the limits of his body. When the fatigue and the burn grew to more than a tickle, he casually returned to shore, too at ease to even grace his thoughts with considerations of reaching for a towel - not that he even brought one. Instead, the man laid down in the grass, allowing the soft late-morning sun to dry his skin. Altogether, the red-head was comfortable. He was warm, he was alone, and the environment imbued him with an internal liveliness and sense of fulfillment that he'd forgot was possible. Nature was healing, especially on the good days. When his state of leisure began to reach its peak - that, that was when it was broken. The scenery was suddenly filled with a series of indiscernible, feminine shouting. Ezekiel sat up on his elbows, curious. To his left appeared a border collie pup, poking at the closest tree with his small wet nose. The man sat up straighter, all thoughts assuming that this was the object of the calls moments before. A dog on the run, no doubt - there was no leash, after all. He watched the canine curiously, unmoving, not wanting to scare him further away from his owner. Perhaps he should have, though, because the pup's curiosity turned to his messily and openly stashed pile of clothes. Unto which, without warning, the naive monster unleashed a heavy stream of golden fury. "O-oi!" He cried in surprise, jumping to his feet, though what he could do to salvage his fabrics, he knew not. They were stained and soiled, and until washed, utterly hopeless. Seconds later the owner appeared, snatching up the pooch into her arms and scolding him - but in another... language? Ezekiel subtly looked her over. She was pretty: fair, with dark hair, blue eyes, and all the supple curves of a woman. The man swallowed, unsure of how to address the situation. He wasn't known for being particularly talkative. "Ah, uhm- That's your dog?" Ezekiel asked, gesturing to the border collie in her arms. A rhetorical question. The answer was obvious. He slowly approached the pair, green eyes falling to the canine in question, and licked his lips. He should say something. But what kind of conversation did an accident like this entail? Did he have to introduce himself? Was he supposed to just dismiss everything and go back to his business and leave her to her devices? Or was he supposed to demand some sort of compensation for the inconvenience? Were you even socially allowed to do that to pretty women? Ezekiel cleared his throat, slightly tense and awkward as he bent down to pick up the pitiful pile. It was all so confusing. How was he supposed to get back to town? He couldn't wear the damn stuff, dirty as they were. And he certainly couldn't just stroll along the sidewalk in his underwear. "I need to... wash these..." The red-head mused, for lack of anything better to say, nervously flickering his gaze between the girl, the puppy, and his yellowed shirt and pants. They needed to be washed, yes - and soon. The realization that he was standing in front of her half-naked and dripping with lake water was increasingly poking at his nerves.

words 778 tagged kanra notes sorry, he's awk.

made by turtle of gs

[araceli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=class,dangerdanger,true] always worrying too much about your appearance, almost as though you’re facing your enemy. She'd have to pay for the dry cleaning to get those washed and pressed. There was definitely no way the guy, now that she had identified the clothes, could wear them out. Dang puppy. Part of her wished he could understand how much trouble he was in. But instead the border collie merely squirmed in her arms, paws pushing at them as he tried to make his escape again. Perhaps knowing full well that he was definitely not going to be spoiled with hugs and kisses later or something. Araceli after all did not have it in her to really punish him. Ignore him for five minutes maybe. But that was the extent of it. The more she thought about it, the more she got frustrated with herself. She needed to be stricter, she thought. Otherwise something like this would happen again. And she did not have the kind of money to professionally have clothes washed every time her pets would run off like this. But part of her wasn't going to deny the fact that she wasn't ... pleased by the sight she had gotten to see. Sapphire blue rolled over the stranger's body before it had even registered in her head that she was. Damp orange-red hair dripping, small rivulets of water running down his gently tanned skin. Her eyes gradually followed the trickles of water down his perfectly formed stomach and to parts of his body that she, most likely, would not get to see. Then her eyes lifted upward to meet the other's before it finally registered that the stranger had been talking to him the entire time she had ended up staring. Oh fuck. A soft pink bloomed on her cheeks. Had he noticed that she was staring? The woman dropped her gaze back to the canine that was still twisting and resisting her grip. The whole reason for this mess. What did he say? He was talking a bit slowly now that she was paying attention at least. Still, Araceli struggled to understand all of the words he said. Your dog. He was ... he was referring to her dog. So, was he asking if it was hers? Probably. It was the only thing that made sense to say there. Her mouth fell open though no words came to her tongue. She debated her word choices, unsure if she would be right or not in saying what she needed to say. She didn't want to insult the guy by accident or anything. No need to make a situation worse. "Yes." She replied, dragging out the word a bit slowly. Yes meant ... that it was her dog, right? She was pretty sure it was. One of the first words she had learned in English outside of the general, conversational things. She hated this language more than anything in the world. Or at least. She hated the fact that she couldn't speak it like a normal person. She had to think about it a bit more. He probably thought she was weird or something. Not the first time that would have happened though. She merely watched as the other bent down to pick up his clothes. The poor guy. He probably didn't intend on something like this happening. When did these things usually happen anyway? Never. Wash? Did he want her to wash them for him? Wash meant ... like. Clean right? "I... I wash... for you?" She stammered out, mentally slapping herself for not studying harder and practicing more when it came down to it. Ugh, this was frustrating! She didn't even know what she was supposed to say normally in this kind of conversation. She didn't have her wallet on her, so she'd just have to wash them by hand for now. But only with lake water? Kind of defeated the purpose of trying to keep them dry, right? ... then again. It was a little late for dry now that she thought about it. Araceli took a side step, crouching down to set the puppy onto the ground. Wagging her finger at the canine to make sure that he knew not to do it again. "Quédate aquí. Si usted causa más problemas, me voy a sentar en usted cuando lleguemos a casa." The border collie turned his head away indignantly, though he did settle down onto the ground. He understood sit on when he heard it. She straightened up, dusting herself off before rolling back the sleeves of her shirt. "Lo siento. Sorry." She laughed a bit awkwardly, lifting a hand to rub at the back of her head. This was hard, gah. She hadn't been expecting an entire conversation. "My dog ... no listen well. No ... obediente." This was embarrassing. Could she just sit in the corner and hit her head on a tree or something? Maybe she could just move to Latin America and start a new life where she didn't sound like a complete idiot. She held out her arms for the clothing, trying hard to keep her eyes from going astray a second time. "Give. I help." And she could only smile. What else could she do? ✿ (1) "You stay here. If you cause any more trouble, I'm going to sit on you when we get home." nymph! tagged 855! words sorry, this is really bad! notes

made by cube of gs

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[EZEKIEL L.]

[cs=2][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width:400px; background-color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000,bTable] Lets walk through the fire together, disappear in the golden sand

[cs=2]   The uneasy lump in his throat expanded. In reality the garments were light, only made of cotton and small percentages of polyester, but they felt as heavy as bricks in his hands. He attributed that to general inexperience with people, and the resulting wave of anxiety that threatened to drown him; his social skills left much to be desired. The words that hung on the tip of his tongue gradually made his mouth grow dry, and his throat began to itch. Yet his body was frozen in front of her, unsure of what to do. Ezekiel dropped his gaze, tracing the shaded folds of fabric between his fingers. The woman's apparent ignorance of the English language caught his interest when she uncertainly offered to wash his clothes. "Wash". Did she know what that meant? He lifted his eyes, curious, though his face revealed nothing. Unlike her. This foreign girl made up for the expressiveness that he lacked, and then some. She was obviously frustrated. He felt like there was something he should have done, like there was some poetry of the tongue to purge her of the tension. To offer some small amount of comfort. Isn't that what one did, when others were visibly agitated? Yet any bright ideas of gifting her with moral support escaped him. The red-head had difficulty associating with others, and she was no exception; woman or otherwise. Ezekiel watched silently, stiff, as she stepped off to the side and released the border collie, who was very much distressed being contained in the cage that was her arms. He couldn't help but internally chuckle at the condescension in the animal's eyes. Even a smile almost poked at the corners of his lips. This dog, this puppy, was almost as expressive as the black-haired girl before him. Vaguely, the man recalled the saying that pets "looked" like their owners. Not that he could see any striking resemblance, but the sentiment itself was amusing. Again, she spun sentences in her native tongue - Spanish, he concluded - and the canine retired to dirt at their feet, cheekily obeying whatever it was she had said to him. A part of the man wished they weren't struggling with a language barrier, if only to know what words she used to scold. This foreign beauty could be spewing vulgarities and curses for all he knew. When she apologized, Ezekiel again gave her his attention, shaking his head lightly. "It's, uh-" He nearly croaked, before pausing to clear his throat. "It's okay. You don't need to apologize. Things happen." He forced a small forgiving smile. She would read that better than his words, he figured. The red-head drew a slow breath, focusing his green eyes on her own as he loosened his exhale. The water leaking from his bangs crept along his exposed torso, cold and leaving goosebumps in its wake. But he suspected the chill came from more than just the shade and icy water. It was like staring into sapphires, sparkling with endless facets, and he found himself distastefully distracted. Had they been speaking in any sort of conventional English, he might have found himself without a dime of comprehension. But luckily for him, the woman spoke in more fragments. Her knowledge of his language might have been scant, but... they were managing. He'd just have to be simple in his word choice; nothing more. Before the man could entirely recover from the intrigue, she was demanding - and only in three words, to boot. At first he was confused. How did she plan on helping, exactly? There wasn't much that could be done, at this point, not at Tulipa Lake of all places. But her smile was sweet and disconcerting and broke all of his resolve. It was a strange sensation. Ezekiel blinked, an expression finally surfacing in his visage and bordering on dumb as he transferred the soiled attire into her hands. "O- yeah, okay- He acquiesced, rubbing droplets of water from the tip of his nose once his hands were free. The desire to remove himself from her gaze was overwhelming, so he turned and leaned his back against the bark, mulling over what she possibly had in mind. He supposed that his apparel could be rinsed in the lake, at the very least. The water was moderately clean, and he could always diligently wash them at home later. Ezekiel glanced at her briefly, realizing that he'd never formally introduced himself. It was only polite, right? "Ah, uhm-" He began, a stutter only served to catch her attention, then pointed a finger at his own chest. "Zeke. My name. Zeke." He hoped she'd understand the nature of the exchange, lest he appear a fool.

words 781 tagged kanra notes i don't even know what im doing im so sorry "/cries

made by turtle of gs

[araceli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=class,dangerdanger,true] always worrying too much about your appearance, almost as though you’re facing your enemy. She had never really felt anxiety when it came to talking to people until now, she thought. Perhaps it was because of the situation that they were in. That plus the fact she didn't really know how to talk or know what he was saying just kind of made things worse. Definitely, definitely worse. But it seemed like she was managing enough. It didn't seem like he minded it very much, she thought. How nice of him. Being so patient. Speaking slowly for her to be able to understand. It didn't really occur to her that maybe he just didn't speak very often in general. She was relieved though. At least he understood the general gist of what she was saying. Although, it upset her knowing that she was speaking like a child would. She hoped he would not mind it. Surely, it would have gotten annoying after a while. Hell, she was getting irritated and she was the one talking. She wished she could have some paper or something to write on. Writing was easier than speaking. When she was speaking, it terrified her. She didn't want to say the wrong thing. She had done it one too many times before and had no such intentions of making a fool of herself again. Not here. For all she knew, this guy could be her first friend in the area. Unless he was mad and just happened to be really, really good at hiding it. Was he mad? Then again. That was the point of hiding it. Her gaze shifted towards the puppy who, in turn, hid his face behind his paws. At least he was staying still. Definitely knew that he was in big, big trouble once they got home. But she'd put it off for now. She needed to attend to their obvious other issues before anything else went wrong. Araceli looked back at him then, her eyes widening slightly as she caught it. Just the tiniest. Slightest hints of a smile. She lifted a hand to cover her mouth, the woman laughing softly. "Your smile." She prompted, nodding her head a bit slowly. "Very ... nice. But very small." She was thankful. Some people got impatient with her. Things happened. They were out of her hands. Both literally and figuratively. No apology necessary. So he claimed anyways. She reminded herself to work on her language skills later. Or in the very least carry notepads with her. The written word, she understood. Spoken was different. She wasn't even really sure why. Perhaps it was just because if it was written, she knew what the words meant. Pronounced? Some words sounded the same and she'd mix them up because her mouth would be moving faster than her brain wanted to work. There wasn't much that she could do here without any soap or brush at hand. She had just rushed out of the house. Even her hair was a mess and for a moment, she was embarrassed at the way she looked. And then she realized that the poor man was probably shivering. And the fact that he wasn't exactly dressed made it worse. So really. She had no point to be ashamed. She took the soiled clothes from his arms, inwardly grimacing at the fact that it was touching her skin. The foreign woman headed in the direction of the lake's shore, the soft slapping sound made by her sandals being the only further noise that she made as she crouched down by the lake and began to gingerly wash the clothes by hand. From what she could remember to clean the stains was just wash it, press it, wash it again, press it, douse it in something pretty smelling, wash, rinse, and it'd be gone by the end of the vicious cycle. She could do the washing and everything but good lord. She'd have to wait forever. Well. He'd have to wait forever. He looked terribly cold though. But she supposed offering him one of her jackets would have been offending. And she couldn't exactly send the puppy back to go get her one unless she intended on chasing him back from high heaven. Was he introducing himself? She couldn't help but laugh a little. How funny... she could understand that at least! She definitely knew how to introduce herself. One of the few subject matters that she could be confident in. But sure. Why not humor him a little? She could lighten up the mood anyhow. "Tarzan. My name Tarzan." She replied, turning around slightly to face him. She grinned a bit childishly, her hand still holding onto his shirt. She turned back to the lake and squeezed out the excess water before unrolling it and flinging out the water again. "Araceli. My name is Araceli." Alright. Go her! She could actually say something without messing up! Although... her accent was kind of heavy- you know what. Whatever. He could tell what she said! Er. She hoped. ... again. Whatever. It was a small victory. But something was better than nothing. And to her right now, this was something. ✿ nymph! tagged 851! words sorry, this is really bad! notes

made by cube of gs

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[EZEKIEL L.]

[cs=2][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width:400px; background-color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000,bTable] Lets walk through the fire together, disappear in the golden sand

[cs=2]   The bark of the tree pressed like layered sand-paper against his skin; flaky, coarse, and doomed to rub him raw if he remained leaned against it as he was. But he preffered those physical abrasions, he thought, much more than the ones these circumstances were dealing to his ego. Which was unfortunate, given the woman's teasing response. The humor was evident in her grin, and the following embarassment struck him like a slap of icy water - lightning quick and stinging. Ezekiel visibly flinched, then turned away, his cheeks blossoming into stains like red wine. Despite his best efforts, this language barrier was turning him an idiot. He managed a handful of chuckles; though whether at the joke or to soothe himself from his own misfortune, he was unsure. How utterly humiliating. He supposed it might have been stupid and foolish to assume he needed to break down a formal greeting for her understanding. Isn't that what you were taught how to do first, anyhow, with most languages? To introduce yourself? Not that he would know, what with being adamantly and ignorantly unilingual. But she seemed to comprehend him perfectly - certainly well enough to mock him. At least one of them was having fun. The man chewed on the inside of his cheek, vision momentarily defocusing as he wrapped himself in his thoguhts. The implications of her banter made his lips purse. If she was Tarzan, did that make him... Jane? Ezekiel internally groaned, crossed arms the only outward indication of displeasure. He hesitantly drew his attention back around, realizing she still had yet to recprocate his introduction, and glanced at the woman sidelong as she rolled the water from his t-shirt. He was quickly rewarded, and the prize was unexpectedly sweet. And distracting, very much like everything else about her. Araceli... Ezekiel whispered the syllables; felt the weight of them on his toungue; played them over in his mind. He was almost afraid to repeat them - afraid that he would butcher them and rain dishonor on the beautiful way they sounded. He nodded in approval, though he wasn't sure she'd see it. "That's a beautiful name." The man offered, finally raising himself from the trunk of the tree. Butterflies never ceased to flutter in his gut, and he aimlessly crossed down to the shore beside her, gingerly walking over the pebbles to poke at peices of driftwood with his toes. The silence that enveloped him was thick like fog as he observed her working on his clothes with practiced hands. He couldn't say he'd ever washed anything by hand before. Who knew if he even did his own laundry right. Things were just thrown into the washing machine with a cap of soap, and expected to come out clean. The red-head filled himself with a slow inhale, the action doing much in calming his nerves. Being nervous and fretting wasn't going to do either of them any good - if anything, it made the circumstances worse. It unnecessarily perpetuated his own suffering and subjected her to more anxiety - something he felt like she didn't at all deserve, not from a strange man she'd just met. Clearing his throat, Ezekiel casually waded out into the lake, taking great effort to not excessively disturb the water's surface. The quiet compelled him to initiate more conversation, though, and so he took a few moments to compose himself. "So... you're new in town? Er- You moved here recently? I haven't... seen you before." The red-head asked, craning his neck to peripherally gaze over his shoulder at her, long hair flicking like unpredictable flames in the light breeze.

words 603 tagged kanra notes he's getting better at this "/facepalm ALSO TARZAN x JANE <3

made by turtle of gs

[araceli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=class,dangerdanger,true] always worrying too much about your appearance, almost as though you’re facing your enemy. It was just kind of funny the more she thought about it. She understood what he meant by breaking it down for her. He must have just been concerned. Not wanting to cause trouble for her, he thought. It was nice of him, of course. But that didn't mean she couldn't tease him just a little bit, right? Right. She couldn't help it if she couldn't help it, naturally. She glanced up, watching the other turn away. "Debe estar muy avergonzado. Qué lindo." She murmured to herself, a soft laugh escaping her parted lips as she continued wringing out his clothes before moving to rinse them out again. Did he think she was funny? He seemed like he was laughing but whether or not it was at her or with her, she didn't know. The Jane to her Tarzan. She could only wonder if the idea of the entire endeavor would have been funny or not. She stifled a laugh at the thought of the red haired man stuffed into young Miss Porter's banana yellow dress. "That's a beautiful name." The very words stole away her breath though. And it was as obvious as any that she was embarrassed. Terribly so. She could understand the word beautiful. Beautiful meant that she was bonita. Pretty. Or at least, her name was. She glanced at the other a bit quietly, tucking a stray black hair behind her ear to try and occupy her mind with more menial tasks. Rather than let herself think about things that would only make the strawberry red in her cheeks any darker than it already was. She could feel him getting closer. His presence more suffocating now than she had thought before. Gah, what was she thinking? Strange thoughts did not have their place here. Araceli could only watch as the other waded into the cool lake water, her lips merely curving up into an ever present smile. Trying hard not to cause any more reason to be awkward between the two. "Your name," She began before he spoke too, the foreigner startled by the spoken words. She stopped, merely listening to Ezekiel's words. Turning them around on her tongue and trying to figure out just exactly what they even meant to begin with. New ... yes. Her lips parted again, Araceli continuing to attend to the other's clothing. She wanted to say this right. She really, really hoped that she said this right. "I move here... one week." One week. Sounded about right. "Only just... settle in. Is why no see me." She moved to sit down on the shoreline, resting her legs to the side as she continued to wash his clothing. Almost nearly clean, thank goodness. She glanced up from her reflection on the surface. Eyes lingering on what little of his back that she could see. She wanted to get to finish what she wanted to say earlier. "Early... your name! Your name beautiful too?" Beautiful probably didn't sound right. "Muy guapo." Like you? Ah, wasn't she smooth? Maybe it was just in her blood. Just kidding. He probably didn't even know what she was saying anyways. ✿ (1) "He must be very embarrassed. How cute." (2) "Very handsome." nymph! tagged 523! words at least he's trying! tarzan x jane, ehehehe notes

made by cube of gs

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[EZEKIEL L.]

[cs=2][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width:400px; background-color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000,bTable] Lets walk through the fire together, disappear in the golden sand

[cs=2]   There came a certain sense of mischief from watching the woman discreetly over his shoulder. Even if her figure only occupied the vague corner of his peripheral vision, he couldn't deny that he appreciated the view. She truly was very pretty, every raven tress and blue sparkle of the eye heightening her enigmatic exoticism - which, unfortunately for him, only grew exponentially every time his ears were caressed by the sound of her thick accent. Her mere presence was refreshing - not to mention intriguing - and so, on an impulse, Ezekiel took a small step backwards, before angling himself into a more... "convenient" point of view. The man caught himself in the act - just, but only just - saving himself from nearly stepping around and staring at her directly. The quiet that floated between them no longer felt awkward to him as she sat there, tasting her response on her tongue. With the water gently lapping around his knees, he found that the tension in his muscles and the butterflies in his gut had slowly fragmented, dissolving on the soft late-morning breeze. It was like being hypnotized and consumed with levels of curiosity that drove out all social apprehension. She was a stress and a relief all at once. The thought was confusing, a total oxymoron - and Ezekiel couldn't determine if he approved of it or not. Her reply came when she was comfortable in giving it, and the red-head tilted his head curiously, musing as bird-song trickled to fill the silence after she had spoken. He would have put his bets on the table assuming that she'd been around for at least two weeks, perhaps even a month if he decided to push his luck and imply personal obliviousness. All things considering, it made sense, so he nodded his agreement with her latter statement. A week, then. So she was new - very new. Ezekiel's green eyes quickly outlined the curve of her legs as she moved to rest on the bank. It was hard not to look, not to follow her movements when she so much as quivered - it was like scrutinizing an unfamiliar commodity, like a jewel, from across the sea. In all his travels, he'd seen countless women, but he'd never truly paid attention. Forced into a very personal, albeit embarrassing, interaction with this foreign lady... it was a great task not to give her credit where credit was due. Internally, he slapped himself for ogling - given that she wasn't showing any excessive skin to distract him - and dropped his gaze, not wanting to be disrespectful. In light of what could be considered a fax pas, anxiety threatened to creep on him, so he shuffled in the water, bending forward to pick up a few choice stones from the floor of the embankment. The red-head flipped the cool discs over in his palm, feeling their weight and admiring the deep coloring of gray. They were precious lake-side trinkets, made from centuries of erosion and torment by storm. He smiled, finding comfort in the timeless treasures of the Earth, when Araceli's velvety broken English captured him. Did she just say his name was... beautiful? The red-head's stoic composure broke with an uncharacteristically broad white smile, and he chuckled, lowering his gaze to hide another burst of red-stained cheeks. It was amusing: he was always so torn about his full name (it seemed both incredibly unique and distastefully old-fashioned), and was the reason he preferred to be addressed with his nickname instead. Which was the only name that he had given her, yet... The man laughed again, clenching the stones in his hand from the irony. "Beautiful". He figured she couldn't properly express the compliment she wished to convey - "handsome" would have been a better term to use - but even so... he felt both complimented and castrated. Would his meager ego ever see the end to such injuries? But then again, when did this siren ever spare him any dignity? With a playful sigh, Ezekiel lifted his head and faced her, a smile still tugging at his lips. "Thank you." He said, fidgeting with the rocks in his hand. Uncertainly, he let the interaction simmer, and once the silence encompassed the moment he turned away again, only to toss the first stone in his fingers over the surface of the lake. He watched it skip a total of four times, pretending to himself that he could target his focus on the task, then tossed another one. The second was a pitiful fluke, plummeting into the turquoise depths with an unsatisfying "Plop!" So much for skipping rocks. The man glanced over his shoulder at her, briefly wondering if she'd seen the failure, then attempted to redeem himself when he threw the last one. It skipped three times - a record still inferior to his first attempt - but he felt rescued, and casually reached down to pluck more stones from his feet, occasionally returning ones that weren't ripe picks. "Do you like it here?" Ezekiel asked as he skipped another rock, though he didn't care to determine how far it traveled. "Do you need help with anything? At uh- at your house? I'm uh- I'm a blacksmith." Did she even know what the word "blacksmith" meant? He shrugged off the concern, figuring he could provide her with an answer if she had any questions. "If you need repairs, I can help."

words 906 tagged kanra notes this is long oops. wheres the puppy???

made by turtle of gs

[araceli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=class,dangerdanger,true] always worrying too much about your appearance, almost as though you’re facing your enemy. He was attractive. Undeniably attractive. Though, she supposed that perhaps it wasn't exactly lady like to stare at a man. She wasn't particularly fond of people staring at her either. At least when she knew that they were. Still, she stole glances at the other standing just a few feet away from her. Eyes lifting every so often to take small peeks at him. She hoped he wouldn't notice. She desperately hoped that he would not. In more fear of embarrassment for herself than for anything else. Araceli had done him no favors in saving him any embarrassment after all. Any comebacks he might have made would have been justified. Though her Jane seemed too nice to do something like that to her. It was a little less stressful to continue talking to him now, though she feared the worst for when she found herself at a loss for words. Should that time ever come. Even in her native tongue, she had never been affluent in choosing the right words to say much to her disappointment. English just made it that much harder. Some words sounded similar and sometimes people used words that she couldn't quite understand because she had simply never learned it. But she was happy. She was happy just being like this and being able to speak with someone new. He wasn't the most talkative of people, but at least he spoke slow enough for her to comprehend. Or at least be able to guess at the meaning of his words. She lifted the shirt up from the water, examining it for any sign of the stain. She squeezed out the remainder of water, wringing it with her hands. There. "Done! Es fantástico, ¿no es así?" She chimed, moving to set it down in the sun to dry off before she moved to attend to the other's pants. She hoped he would understand. She tried to pick the most basic words. Or at least words that would be close enough for him to understand. Chances were that the other didn't speak an ounce of Spanish after all. Still, she felt the need to explain herself regardless. "Is fantastic, no?" She moved to soak the fabric in the lake water, trying to wash them as well. It was clear that the poor man's pants had been worse for wear in comparison to the shirt. But she could only hope that it would be okay. It seemed like he had forgiven her at least. Ah, what was that she saw? Dare she poke fun at him for it? "Ah, you smile big?" She teased, continuing to clean his clothes. It was kind of funny. He didn't seem like the kind of guy who would smile as widely as he did. Not that she had anything against it. It was very becoming of him in some way. Araceli merely nodded when the other faced her, the woman lifting a hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Ah, what was he doing even? She heard the soft sound of barking, her head turning to look at the puppy who evidently seemed to have learned his lesson. She sighed, setting the clothes down gently on the cool rocks of the lake shore. Her hand lifted, fingers snapping before the border collie's ears perked up and the puppy ran over to his owner's side. She stroked the canine's head gently, sighing before the other prompted her once again. "... I like. Very different from... from where I come!" Araceli merely watched as the other skipped rocks across the cool water. Ah, she could remember when she did that! The last time had been years ago. She picked up the other's pants again, gently laying it out on the shore before she moved to get up and peel off her slippers. She rolled up the edges of her jeans, turning to gently usher the puppy into the shallow water. "B- Black... sm- smith?" She pronounced the word slowly, unsure of what it even was. What was a blacksmith? She did however understand the offer to help repair things. "No, no. Did not ... break yet!" She hasn't broken anything since she moved in. You know. Yet. But she'd definitely keep it in mind to ask the other to help her if she ended up needing something later on. Maybe she should have asked what a blacksmith was though. What if she asked about something that he didn't know how to fix? How embarrassing would that have been? Eh, whatever. Her attention returned to Zeke once again rather than her own thoughts. No need to worry about that now after all. She moved, touching the other's arm gently to stop him before she picked up a stone for herself. "No, no." She replied, tossing it gently in her hand. "Like this. Farther." She flicked her wrist just slightly and releasing the smooth stone from her hand. Only to watch it skip once and sink. ... she moved to shove the other slightly, glancing down at her puppy who even seemed like he would have laughed if he could. Jerk. "Bad rock." She grumbled. Well. Either that or she just really sucked at this more than she remembered. ... nah. Bad rock. Definitely bad rock. ... whatever. Rock skipping was stupid anyways. ✿ (1) "Fantastic, is it not?" nymph! tagged 886! words sorry it took so long! and poorly written orz. notes

made by cube of gs

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[EZEKIEL L.]

[cs=2][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=style,width:400px; background-color:#ffffff; border: 2px solid #000000,bTable] Lets walk through the fire together, disappear in the golden sand

[cs=2]   With a swift, methodical flick of his wrist, another speckled stone hopped over the lake. It traveled anything but an extraordinary distance, skipped three times, then collapsed into the surrounding water with another satisfying "Plunk!". The ripples that drifted in its wake were gentle and radiant, prodded by the south-eastern breeze. Ezekiel turned his neck to glance at the dark-haired woman over his left shoulder, her stuttering catching his interest. It appeared she didn't know what a blacksmith meant in English, after all. A small part of him considered playing a game of makeshift pictionary so she would understand, but he let the thought pass. "It's-

[/color]" He began - having decided to attempt explaining through words rather than making a fool out of himself - when he was cut short as she continued to answer his previous question. The red-head nodded cordially when she finished, small droplets of water freeing themselves from his still-damp bangs, and he returned his attention to the rocks in his hand, toying with the idea of skipping another. So she didn't need help with any repairs. Yet, at least. The man figured it a small grace; it would be unfortunate if something was already broken, so soon after moving in. "Well, uh- that's good. Y'know, that nothing- uh, nothing is broken." Ezekiel mused out loud, fearful that a lack of response would offend her. He absently flipped the last cool stone over in his fingers as he fell silent, thumbing its edges and testing the weight against his palm.

In that unfocused, quiet moment Ezekiel realized just how dirty his hands were - not from the lake-water, but perpetually blackened by his forge. The man pursed his lips, displeased with appearing so unhygienic, though he knew no amount of soap and scrubbing would cleanse the dirt and smoke buried under his callouses. More than that, though, he was once more consciously aware that he was standing in front of her half-naked; and that the burns and scars populating his torso were exposed for her to see. His stomach began to swim with butterflies when he registered the trickling of water as she waded into the lake behind him, the thought of being in such close proximity with her making his senses reel. The urge to fidget itched in his fingers, and to satiate his nervousness Ezekiel cleared his throat, a desperate impulse sending another rock fleeing across the water. It was an unfortunate fluke, and in a frenzied attempt to redeem himself yet again, the man moved to kneel in the water and select a few more devices.

The soft touch of her hand on his arm stopped the action, though, and he flinched away from the touch, surprised. No, not just surprised; shocked - in every sense of the word. Intimacy was a concept that he had expelled from his life, from his mind, from his very vocabulary. Maintaining a close relationship with anyone, family or otherwise, was a task that he rather not do. Even typically mundane interactions, like the touching of an arm, was unusual and sometimes unsettling. Factor in the attraction he felt towards this exotic femme fatale... and it was like his body erupted in fireworks. Her delicate digits only brushed him for the briefest of moments, but his systems overloaded and pulsed in bursts of electricity, tingling from the static.

Ezekiel recovered from the jolt just enough to register her words, and watch her rock sail-

"Plop!"

The irony! An amused smirked stretched his lips, and he fought back the chuckles stuck in his throat with a snort, not wanting to embarrass her more than the failure already had. Regardless, she shoved him lightly, and Ezekiel let his laughter escape from behind his lips as he stumbled sideways, the water splashing around his calves. "Y-yeah, a bad rock." He agreed sarcastically, battling another series of mirth behind an entertained grin as he steadied himself. He only dared snicker at her a few moments longer, before bending over and filing through the stones on the shore. After collecting a handful, the red head offered her one, eyes sparkling. "Here. Good rock." He said, waving the rock at her gently and waiting patiently for her to take it. When she did, he dropped his gaze to the border collie at her side.

"What is his name?" Ezekiel asked, gesturing towards the pup with a nod of his head, in case she was uncertain of the direction of his inquiry. Slowly, he turned to face them and reclined to his heels - "getting down to their level", as some people put it. With an outstretched hand, he whistled at the pup to attract his attention, hoping he wasn't too shy to fear approaching him.
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words 790 tagged kanra
notes i fizzled out at the end sorry, idk what to do.

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made by turtle of gs

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[araceli]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=class,dangerdanger,true] always worrying too much about your appearance, almost as though you’re facing your enemy. Araceli may very well have mocked him before for trying to clear things up to her. But now she would have appreciated it if he had told her. What was a blacksmith supposed to be? Ah, she didn't understand it at all. Maybe she should have looked it up when she went home but even with that said, she hardly knew what she was doing. Chances were that even the definition would make no sense. Maybe if she just asked what it was then it would be fine? Ah, she didn't want to seem stupid. But what was the harm in asking? He seemed tolerant enough of her questions thus far. "What is that?" She merely blinked her eyes as she looked up at the man, curiosity evident in her eyes. It was clear to her that at least it must have been something relevant to fixing things. But fixing what? Pipes? Toys? Shoes? He had asked about if anything was broken at her home but didn't that involve a carpenter? She knew what carpenters were. It was his occupation, so would he get offended for the asking? She hoped he wouldn't get offended. Maybe she should have thought about this more before she had ever asked in the first place. Ah, well. Nothing she could do about it now, right? She waded into the water a bit farther, trying hard not to step clear off of the rocky shore. She didn't exactly want to go for an unexpected swim after all, she thought. It would have been terrible if she slipped. A soft laugh escaped his lips as she watched the rock go sailing clear into the water, surely disturbing the fish that lived in the lake's depths. It hadn't skipped even once! The other flinched away from her touch, the Spanish woman withdrawing her hand in surprise as well. Had it bothered him that she touched him? She didn't know. She had thought it would be alright to do so. Was there a different social etiquette here too? "Lo siento. I did not know touching is wrong?" It wasn't that she was offended. Rather, she was more embarrassed that she had messed up a second time. She was not aware there was a difference in conduct. She had thought it would be the same, only in a different language. But it was clear that was not the case now. No, she would need to brush up on these lessons when she returned home later. Most definitely. Ah, she couldn't help but feel a little ashamed. She took the smooth rock from the other's hand carefully, tossing it in her hand gently. Mm. Araceli looked up, a grin playing on her lips before she chimed in. "Do not let it go to your head.

[/b]" She began, flicking the rock out to skip across the surface of the lake before it sunk beneath the clear waters. "Just bad luck the first time.[/b]" She bent down to pick up another rock to skip, pausing only when prompted again. Who's name? Ah, the puppy. Araceli merely sighed, shaking her head slightly. "No name. I try ... not to name. Makes hard to let go.[/b]"

She let the rocks roll back into the water before she waded over towards the redhead. The pup merely watched from a distance, unsure if it was allowed to move from the spot his human dictated. What if he were to fall in? That would have been terrible. But when Araceli gestured for him to come, the puppy came running full speed towards Ezekiel. She covered her mouth, laughing as the border collie tried to lick the other. Perhaps in apology for ruining his clothes earlier? There had to be a reason for the human to be cleaning and for him to get yelled at. "He likes you. Estupido, dices que lo sientes. Ah, I worry he answers to stupid. No mean to ... call him stupid. Es... un hábito when he runs off. Or ruin clothes.[/b]" ✿

(1) "Stupid, say you're sorry."

nymph! tagged
idk! words
sorry it took so long + it's short! notes

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made by cube of gs

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