Realistic or Modern Summoning Trouble [Closed]

[Tarmagon]

Kyle remained silent as Esme speculated about his need for spicy foods. He wasn't certain himself what the hot spices provided, but he did know that there was a substance that his body depleted as he used Power. He wasn't certain what would happen with Esme's biochemistry as she practiced and used more Power. Perhaps her human heritage would prevent whatever deficit his body seemed to generate.

"We shall have to wait and see," Kyle said softly, making certain his voice didn't carry beyond their table. "Personally, I'd just wait and see. You might start to crave something, and if you do, don't hesitate to satisfy that craving."

Any further speculation on the topic was shelved by the arrival of their waiter, checking on their meal and asking if they wanted something from the bar. Esme declined, which pleased Kyle for some reason.

"I think my liver is crying out of happiness," she said, and Kyle chuckled.

"MY liver is pleased as well," he said with a grin. "Not to mention the rest of me."

"I was going to use the hot tub in their gym after this. I'm a bit sore from having elbows and fingers digging into my back. You can come with me if you want to know what it's probably like to be slow cooked," Esme awkwardly invited him. "I-It would be weird for me to go a-alone."

Esme turned her gaze to the stage, where it appeared that the magician was preparing for the second half of his show, so she missed Kyle's look of surprise, followed by a blush then a pleased expression.

"I shall brave the steaming maw of the 'hot tub' for my lady's honor," he intoned, then grinned.

"I'd be happy to come along," he said normally, daring to reach out and give Esme's hand a brief squeeze. "Did you want to use the one in the gym, or the one up on the observation deck?"

Esme's reply was forestalled by the magician beginning his act again, and they finished their dinners in companionable silence as the magician and his assistants worked through their act, all without repeating a single trick. Eventually, the lights came back up to a round of applause from the diners in appreciation for the show. Waiters and waitresses began to circulate once more, taking dessert orders and replenishing drinks. When their waiter stopped by their table, Kyle requested something called 'chocolate lava' cake, the nodded to Esme.

"What would you like dear?" he asked, the very image of a doting husband.

Fable
(Demon is enjoying acting. Who would have thought it?)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Hot tub couple lady nosy. XD I imagined her like one of the trope characters from those romcoms that tries to make herself seem more impressive than anyone else's significant other, lol. )

Esme wasn't exactly sure she wanted to find herself suddenly craving something abnormal for herself. She didn't really think peppers would do anything for her, but being what she was she was curious about it all. She figured the more she knew the better grasp she'd have over this weirdness that was her life. Her mother didn't have any answers about what being a half-demon meant beyond being a target for harm. The same with Ardyr'e could be said, she didn't have some crash course on what to expect being a half-demon. So, that left Esme having to see some old demon in Russia guarded by a mafia faction and whatever else she could find out herself.

Esme smirked a bit at Kyle's response about going into the hot tub for her honor. But it really would have been odd if she went alone when she was supposed to have a cover story of being a newlywed. She didn't expect him to reject her offer, but when he asked her if she really wanted to use the gym hot tub or the one on the observation deck. She had only really planned to use the one in the gym, but now she wasn't sure what was more normal for... well, she was sure but she was nervous. The obvious choice for a trope newlywed couple was to go for the more romantic option which meant not the gym hot tub, but the one on the observation deck... but... that might mean it was more likely the have other people.

She couldn't concentrate at all as the show resumed, her mind trying to process and plan while also being completely flustered. This was made worse when she heard Kyle call her dear and her cheeks became very red from the term of endearment that had been used and also because she hadn't even looked at the desert option. She quickly grabbed the small menu and let her eyes scan the options. "C-Cheesecake," she managed to get out quickly. She honestly couldn't eat anything warm right now.

The server left promptly to place their order and left them alone once again and Emse stared down Kyle. "Y-You look like you're enjoying this a bit too much," she said with a weak confrontational tone. She would have threatened some type of equal retaliation to make him flustered as well, but she doubted he'd bothered by it and she'd honestly just end up torturing herself with embarrassment. "As far as your earlier question, I guess the observation deck since it makes more sense."

It didn't take very long for their desserts to arrive and set down on the table in front of them, with one last check about drinks before the server left them alone once again. Esme took a bite and enjoyed the taste of the cheesecake. It was a smaller piece which was nice since she was worried she would have be served a third of an actual cheesecake like some places offered. She had just enough room left in her to eat most of the dessert. While they ate the server came by and refilled their drinks followed by giving them the receipt for their evening since it was charge automatically through their system, meaning all that was needed was to write a tip amount and sign which Esme did, giving a 35% tip since this was on Ardyr'e's dime.

She got up and waited for Kyle before trying to casually take his hand again, leaving and being thanked by the hostess as they exited. "I will find some way to get revenge for your teasing," she informed him. "I don't know what yet, but I'll figure something out." Her threat was weak and not really meant to be scary or intimidating, but more playful in nature. She already had an idea in her mind, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to pull it off, but she was going to try.

When they got back to their room she let go of his hand and went to dig around in her luggage that she hadn't bothered to unpack and put into the dresser in the room. She'd never actually used a dresser while in a hotel or motel, but she was considering it now since her clothes were a messy pile which made finding the swimsuit she brought difficult. She could have just changed up the clothes she was wearing, but she had brought the swimsuit so why not use it?

After a few minutes of frustrated searching she found it and went to change in the bathroom. A few moments later she stepped back out wearing one of the terry cloth robes that had been hung up in the bathroom for their use. She wasn't going to walk to the hot tub and back in just her swimsuit! She slipped on some sandals and flopped down on the bed to wait for Kyle to change in the bathroom as well into whatever he was going to wear for this next part of their evening.

Kyle enjoyed the rest their evening, but he especially enjoyed the walk back to their room since Esme elected to hold his hand during the trip back. Once back, Esme dug into her clothing, finally emerging with something Kyle couldn’t identify. As she vanished into the bathroom, he considered his own clothing. Definitely not suitable for bathing in hot water. He considered what he had seen during their exploration of the ship. No, not that pelvic cup thing. Not the shiny covering either. Hmm. Those long shorts appeared comfortable, as did the odd shirt. Yes, that would do.

Esme didn't have to wait too long for Kyle to change and he emerged from the bathroom with board shorts and sleeveless shirt. "Not what i would have guessed," she laughed. "Considering when we first met you seemed pretty damn proud of yourself when you were nude in the apartment." She was trying to tease him since he had obviously learned this world's idea of modesty, or seemed to. She made sure she had the key to the room before setting off to soak in the hot tub.

It wasn't too terribly long of a walk, more a walk, some stairs to the observation deck, and then a shuffle to the hot tub which currently had a couple already in it. While the hot tub was large enough to accommodate a decent amount of people, Esme had hoped that the hot tub would have been empty during the time she planned to use it. There were various tables and chairs on the deck as well and she went to one of them since it would have been weird for them to leave the moment they arrived. She took off the robe and folded it over the back of one of the chairs, double checking to make sure her room card was in the pocket.

Spoiler: swimwear

It was a simple one piece which was much less exposing compared to the string bikini the woman in the hot tub was wearing. She honestly should have done what Kyle did and just brought a shirt to wear over her swimwear, but they were already here and she didn't want to have to wander all the way back and then awkwardly return wearing a shirt. So she just forced herself to go with it. She went to the opposite side of the couple, what most people would consider normal to increase personal space comfort, and then slowly stepped into the bubbling, steaming water. It always felt unbearably hot whenever she first got in, but eventually she had herself seated and submerged up to her chest.

She made it a point to not look towards the couple, opting to turn her head to look to either the left or right of the, or up at the sky. However, it seemed they perhaps didn't like the silence because the woman in the tiny red bikini asked a question. "You two on your honeymoon?" Esme glanced over at Kyle desperately hoping he'd take the lead on dealing with the sociable woman.

 

[Tarmagon]

Kyle chuckled a bit as Esme referred to his confusion when he had appeared, then transformed back to his natural form. To be fair enough, his people didn't walk about naked, but they weren't as, repressed as most of the humans appeared to be. It didn't matter to him what he wore, as long as it made Esme comfortable in his presence. He was a bit disappointed, quite unreasonably his intellect told him, when Esme didn't hold his hand on the way to the observation deck. In truth, he had no reason to expect her to do so, but the walk to and from dinner had sparked something deep inside Kyle, something that he had been quite certain was extinguished forever.

The hot tub was already occupied when they arrived, and Kyle could detect a tension in Esme’s shoulders but she seemed to steel herself as she moved to a chair and removed her robe, folding it over the back. Kyle’s thoughts stuttered slightly as her lithe form was revealed. There was a subtle modesty that the woman already in the hot tub lacked with her tiny creation of string and scraps. Esme moved to the tub and lowered herself in carefully, moving slowly until she finally sank in completely with a sigh. Kyle was removing his shirt when the woman in the red scraps, bikini his mind supplied, spoke.

"You two on your honeymoon?"

Kyle moved to near where Esme sat, and began to lower himself into the hot water. It wasn't that hot, but best to keep up appearances.

"That obvious?" he asked in reply to the woman's question, receiving a nod in turn.

"Only to someone who's been there before," the woman replied. "I'm Gloria, and this is my husband Max."

"Kyle," Kyle replied, slowly drifting closer to Esme so he could slip an arm around her shoulders. "And this is Esme."

Kyle hadn't missed Gloria's subtle examination as he had entered the hot tub, and there was something contrived about the way her arm was draped over Max's shoulder, making certain that the large ring on her finger was easily visible. If he had been at Court, he would have called her a Preener. someone who had to be the center of attention, and would do anything to remain there. Gloria's next words did nothing to disabuse Kyle of his initial opinion.

"So, what do you do for a living Kyle?" Gloria asked. "Max is an investment manager, which means that even though we're supposed to be on our second honeymoon, he still takes time out to work."

"Time and markets wait for no one," Max said with a grin, even as Gloria put on what she probably thought was a pretty pout. Instead, it made her look like a petulant child and Kyle had to keep his face carefully neutral so as not to laugh out loud. Definitely a social climber, or predator perhaps.

"Oh, I'm just a blacksmith," Kyle said deprecatingly. "And somewhat of a rare book specialist."

"A blacksmith?" Gloria asked, her glance falling to the rings Kyle and Esme wore. He could almost see the gears whirling in her head as she tried to reconcile the quality of the rings with Kyle's stated profession. He actually could pick out the moment when she decided that they must be fake gems and gold plating rather than the carefully crafted pieces they were. "That's, unheard of these days."

"It keeps me occupied," Kyle said. "And museums are always bringing items for restoration, so there's always something new to challenge me."

Gloria looked at Kyle dubiously, but there was really nothing she could say. She reached out to grab one of the drinks sitting on the edge of the hot tub in direct violation of the 'no glass' sign, and Kyle made a snap decision. He removed his arm from Esme's shoulders and ducked under the swirling water of the tub. As he did so, he let a thin tendril of Power reach out, making a subtle change to the liquid in Gloria's glass. Coming up, he made a show of shaking the water from his hair, then smiled at Esme.

"Thanks for suggesting this," he said. "You were absolutely right that we needed to get out of the room for a while."

He could see Gloria smile as she raised her glass to drink deeply, and Max seemed to be struggling to contain a laugh. Gloria went to set her glass back on the side of the tub, then made a face.

"You alright Glo?" Max asked, noticing her grimace.

"I..." Gloria started, then grimaced again as her stomach gave an squelching gurgle audible even over the noise of the hot tub's jets. "I think I need to get back to the room, quickly."

"Told you not to have the lobster," Max said as he climbed out of the tub and gave Gloria a hand up. "It always messes you up. Nice to meet you Kyle, Esme."

The pair quickly retrieved robes and departed, leaving Kyle and Esme in sole possession of the hot tub. Kyle watched them go with a satisfied smile. He had never appreciated the maneuvering to be the center of attention, and he was glad they were gone. Gloria would suffer no ill effects, though she would become intimately acquainted with their bathroom for a period of time.

"Aren't the stars lovely?" he asked, leaning back near Esme to look up in to the light spangled heavens.

Fable
(Demon deflector activate. Nosy showoff blocked.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Hot tub 1, Esme 0. )

Kyle had picked up her que it seemed and smoothly took over the conversation with the woman. Esme managed to put on a bit of a fake friendly smile, something practiced from her first few months of being a bar tender before realizing she didn't have to be fake nice to regular bar patrons. However, that kind of skill sort of stuck with you. What she hadn't foreseen was Kyle putting his arm around her as he went through the motions required of a social introduction. It was also at this point she looked over at him and realized he had taken his shirt off. Her mental reaction was along the lines of raving about how it was unfair he was so damn confident, good looking, kind, patient, and a few other things. Followed by instant embarrassment that she was mentally going over how he was attractive and glad to turn back towards the couple than stare idiotically at Kyle.

The woman's husband seemed friendly enough, but Gloria was the kind of woman who wanted to show off and passively dismiss those she considered below her. Not the type of woman Esme ever would have bothered with wasting a single word on. She posed herself in expert fashion to expose her 'assets'; both physical and material while asking about Kyle's profession, which to Esme's vindictive delight confused the woman terribly as she looked them over.

Kyle pulled away from her to duck under the water and all Esme could do was tilt her head a bit and wonder what he was up do before he emerged casually, though she had felt him using Power for something. She wasn't sure what as she stared at Kyle as he spoke to her. That was when Gloria downed her drink and soon after was clearly feeling ill. Her husband thought nothing of it, attributing it to lobster and then Glora and Max left; leaving only Kyle and Esme in the hot tub.

"Aren't the stars lovely?" Kyle asked casually as he leaned back to look up.

"I should say something along the lines of using your magic to make her sick being bad, but honestly I probably would have done the same if I knew what I was doing. Maybe not make her sick, but probably make her lose her voice or something," Esme said, not answering his question. With the couple gone she leaned back and closed her eyes to just enjoy the hot water. "Thanks for dealing with her. I probably would have been rude."

"And yes the stars are lovely," she answered after a pause and opened her eyes to look up. "Only a few are visible in the city because of light and air pollution. Don't have that problem in the middle of the ocean, or the mountains. Maybe when we head back to the states we can take a detour to see the northern lights, pretty sure you'd enjoy that."

Esme was glad that Kyle had directed attention to the sky since it meant she didn't have to awkwardly try to avoid looking at his shirtless torso. She was also glad for the bubbling water which did a decent job obscuring her submerged body. Just as that thought finished the timer for the jets turned off with a small triple beep and Esme waded over to where Gloria and Max had been, as they had been sitting next to the 'controls' for the hot tub; which was really just a timer for the jets so they didn't run when not in use.

She pushed the small silver button and the jets returned to life, though thanks to how she had been perched on the seat of the hot tub and being right in the path of a water jet, the water rushed and collided into her body causing the pressure to redirect upwards and squirt her in her face suddenly. Esme let out a small 'wah' sound and fell backwards into the hut tub in reaction of trying to avoid the water. A moment later she stood up out of the water, hair a completely drenched mess over her face as she sputtered.

"Well that was fun," she said dryly before ducking under the water so it was easier to get her hair out of her face, coming back up looking slightly upward so her hair could be slicked out of her face.

"You saw nothing," she half-threatened Kyle. "Ugh, everything smells like chlorine now and my eyes aren't happy," she added as she blinked a few times in an effort to get her eyes to tear up.

 

[Tarmagon]

"I didn't do anything that her body was not already in the process of doing," Kyle said primly. "I just encouraged it to happen sooner rather than later."

Kyle relaxed as Esme leaned back, accepting his change of topic gracefully.

"That sounds lovely," Kyle said in response to her idea about traveling together to see the 'Northern Lights'. "It would be nice to do something because we just want to, not because we need to."

The jets for the hot tub shut down, and Esme rose and waded over to where Max and Gloria had been sitting. She climbed up on the seat to reach a small button, and Kyle found himself faced with one of the hardest decisions in his long, long life. The wet fabric of Esme's swimsuit clung tightly to her form, emphasizing every curve that was already accentuated by her slightly awkward pose. Part of Kyle, a very large part, wanted to stare, to commit that exquisite body to his memory. The other part of him knew that he was staring at Esme's butt, and that while the view was hypnotic, she would be furious with him for 'checking her out'. The thought of Esme's displeasure and embarrassment blew a cold wind through Kyle, and he averted his eyes. He had no right to be staring at Esme, and it wasn't, honorable.

Since he was looking away, Kyle was startled by Esme's sudden cry, followed by a splash. His head whipped back just in time to see Esme emerge from the center of the hot tub, wet hair plastered to her face as she sputtered, trying to get water out of her mouth and nose.

"Well that was fun," she said dryly, then ducked back under the water, rising a moment later, her head tipped back. Her hair trailed behind her, darkened by the water and forming a backdrop that framed her upturned face. For just a moment, Kyle's breath caught in his throat. How could she not know how lovely she was. He felt his cheeks begin to flush, and for a moment his entire body felt warm. Shuddering, he ruthlessly crushed his bodies reaction, terrified that Esme would notice his interest and be repulsed by him, that the friendship he treasured so much would be forever damaged. He wrenched his eyes away just as Esme opened her eyes and spoke.

"You saw nothing," she half-threatened Kyle. "Ugh, everything smells like chlorine now and my eyes aren't happy."

"I saw nothing," Kyle repeated, then grimaced. He had promised. "No, I can't say that. I promised you truth in all things. I didn't see you fall, but I did see you emerge looking like a drowned cat, then I saw you emerge again, looking like a water spirit. As for the chlorine, wish it gone from your eyes. It's really that easy."

Fable
(Demon is damning his promise to always tell the truth. He thinks she's lovely, and is terrified that if he tells her she'll hate and distrust him.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Ohoho, what will Kyle do?! Next time on Summoning Trouble find out! XD )

Esme hated pool chlorine. Granted it wasn't as bad as getting shampoo in your eyes, but it could still suck when there was an excessive amount, and pools that gather a large number of visitors tended to have that problem. She laughed a bit at Kyle at he was compelled to tell her the truth. "A drowned cat huh? I thought I would have looked like the girl from The Ring movie or something. No idea what a water spirit looks like, but sounds better than a drowned cat."

She squinted at Kyle before she closed her eyes. "I've lived a long time not having the ease of just wishing something away," she reminded him. "Still trying to get used to that." It wasn't said in a mean tone, just kind of the way one would speak about something foreign to them; with an uncertainty. She then grinned to herself as she had an idea and used some Power to deal with the aftermath of her being attacked by the hot tub. She carefully walked over to Kyle with her eyes closed and then leaned down probably closer than she meant to and opened her eyes to show there blue eyes were now purple.

"Ta-da!" She said when she opened them. She wasn't going to keep them this color, but she had remembered a scene from a movie called The Craft where they had changed their hair and eye color. Now she could literally do that! The problem was now she was literally an inch from Kyle's face and in his personal space and her mind was going to places it really needed to avoid. She blinked a few times as she blushed a deep color and muttered a small, "Oops, sorry, hard to gauge distance with my eyes closed..."

The problem was, did she commit to the distance and act like she was perfectly not bothered by the intimate proximity or awkwardly laugh it off and as her brain tried to work out what she was going to do she was sort of frozen in place.

 

[Tarmagon]

Kyle watched, first with amusement, then with increasing tension as Esme moved closer and closer to him, her eyes shut tightly. When she leaned forward, her face coming to barely an inch from his, his hands started to rise as he prepared to save them both from the imminent collision. Just as his hands cleared the water, Esme's eyes snapped open as she said "Ta-da!" Her normally blue eyes were now the rich purple of an evening sky. Kyle felt his own eyes widen, then he was falling, falling into the rich amaranthine depths of those eyes. Those eyes blinked, and Kyle regained just enough of his senses to see Esme's cheeks begin to flush, taking on the delicate color of rose petals. She was saying something, but Kyle couldn't make it out over the rushing sound of his own heartbeat. Hands that had stopped just out of the water resumed their upward motion without a coherent thought driving them, rising to cup those rose tinged cheeks as gently as a newborn chick. Even as his rational mind screamed and flailed somewhere deep inside him, Kyle found himself leaning forward, his entire existence focused on those flushed cheeks and moist lips.

Esme's brain sort of just stopped when she felt Kyle's hands cup her cheeks, it was as though something had gotten caught in the wheels of her mind and shut off logical thought as she felt a shock through her body at the physical contact. She knew what this situation was leading to. She knew that pretty much everyone around them didn't want this to happen. And at this moment she didn't care about what everyone else wanted.

Her heart pounded nervously in her chest as Kyle was closing the distance between them. Her brain sputtered as she rationalized this would be a way to figure out what exactly her feelings towards Kyle were, but she sort of already knew that answer because she wasn't pulling away.

Kyle's eyes remained fixed on Esme's as his body betrayed him. He watched those eyes for signs of revulsion, signs of fear, but all he saw was a nervousness that matched the emotion clenching his chest until it hurt. Something else stirred within him, nearly lost in the storm of emotions raging through him, but demanding to be acknowledged. Hope spread fragile wings deep within his soul, even as the faintest zephyr of Esme's breath warmed his lips. Before Kyle could fully register the sensation, a new one replaced it, a touch as delicate as the brush of a butterfly's wing. It demanded his full attention as it slowly grew, bringing with it a hint of sweetness, the bite of chlorine, and something else, something intoxicating, something uniquely Esme. Kyle had no clue, nor did he care, how long he was lost in the gentle warmth of their kiss. He could happily have died and carried the sensation with him to the Eternal Wastes, where it would warm his soul forever. A need to breathe finally called him back to reality, and he broke the kiss slowly, regretfully. Opening eyes he hadn't realized he had closed, he stared deeply into Esme's changed eyes, holding them as he spoke.

"I'm not sorry," he whispered. "Even.. I... If..." he stuttered to a halt, then drew a deep breath. "I'll cherish this moment for the rest of my existence."

Fable
(Demon is.... everything.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( It only took over a year and 20 pages, but the kiss happened! )

Esme and Kyle seemed to have practically stared each other down as he moved forward. Kyle actually looked... scared, not in the manner one fears a monster jumping out at you, just of what exactly she was perhaps concerned about; rejection? The angle of his brows and how he was moving what felt a snail's pace, as though waiting for her to shun him at a moments notice. She was consumed by his beautiful eyes which she'd never seen this close before, to see the tiny fleck of variants in color.

The moment she felt the first tend brush of a whisper of his lips against hers, she naturally closed her eyes and simply let herself go of all the damn worries everyone else had place upon her shoulders. She rised to meet Kyle's kiss, returning it gently, treating it as though this was some fleeting moment she was dreaming. Her arms wrapped around Kyle's neck which ended up bringing her somewhat physically closer to his own body though she was still standing and thus had 'higher ground' over his current position.

When the kiss was broke and Esme opened her eyes with what might pass being defined as 'stunned bliss' she was brought back to the present when Kyle whispered, looking back at her, she felt what could only be described as nervous ache in her chest that he was going to tell her what they had done had been a mistake. But he didn't, he said he was no sorry and did what his normal self would do and be a bit dramatic and tell her he would never forget this moment ever.

Esme couldn't help but let out a nervous and small laugh. "A-Always so damn dramatic." She wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. They had just kissed and Esme really couldn't stand there and pretend that it meant nothing and left her unaffected. She could have tried to blame that it was just because they were in a romantic setting, but honestly that would have been an obvious lie. Her stubborn nature was a bit provoked as well as his words made it seem like this was a mistake. No, she had wanted to kiss him. So, she was going to prove his ass wrong...

She leaned forward and kissed him softly for a moment before pulling away, quite certain she was probably the color of a lobster. "I-It was my choice," she said trying to steel her voice, blinking and her eyes going back to their nature blue as she stared at him in a challenging manner, her heart about ready to burst out her chest a this point just from her worry that he hadn't like kissing her or believed it was a mistake to never be repeated.

 

[Tarmagon]

"No, not dramatic," Kyle disagreed, though his tone was full of warmth. "Just being honest.

Before he could say anything else, Esme leaned back down, kissing him softly for a long moment before pulling back.

"I-It was my choice," she said as her eyes bled back to their natural blue.

Kyle smiled up at Esme, raising by one arm to offer her the spot next to him. For a long moment she just stared, then slowly she sat beside him. Kyle could tell by the sudden tension in her shoulders that uncertain Esme was back in the building.

"Yes ashke, it was," Kyle said. "Just as it was my choice to offer, it was yours to accept. I've never been so terrified, or elated, in all my years. Well, except when you kissed me. I'm not going to over think this, not going to beat around the bush. You are strong, independent, and beautiful. You are also stubborn, opinionated, and try to drink your troubles away. I care for you deeply, and wouldn't change a thing... well, maybe the last. That last hangover was rough."

Kyle's tone made it perfectly clear he wasn't really serious, and his hand rose, gently stroking Esme's hair as he continued to speak in a soft, warm voice.

"We'll argue, maybe even fight and no one thinks this is a good idea," he said. "But I don't care. Ashke... Esme... I'd like to see where this goes. Will you join me?"

Fable
(Demon isn't wearing rose colored glasses...but he wants to stay on this path, for better or for worse) Will tease the writer for now, Esme later.

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( I realized in June this RP will be 2 years old! )

Honestly, Esme was now a mess of nerves and hypothetical thoughts and worries. She heard him use the foreign term 'ashke' and wondered what it meant. She nervously listened to his masculine voice, a bit envious at his ease in the situation. She could help but laugh as he added in jokingly to change her awful drinking habit because of how awful the hangovers were. She didn't plan on binge drinking for a while, which would basically be drinking to the point of making herself sick.

Her body relaxed a bit as he stroked her hair but there was still some tension as he continued, saying things she already knew. They would fight. No one would agree with them being anything more than friends. She could imagine how pissed her mother would be, how betrayed Liz might feel and her heart sunk at the thought that her friend might not ever really accept or forgive Esme for this. He continued though saying that he didn't care about those negatives and that he wanted to try, asking if she wanted to as well.

Esme sighed as she leaned a bit into Kyle, her fingers playing with her own damp hair. She swallowed nervously because she was just awful at these kind of things. She honestly couldn't even call her last relationship a real one because it was mostly them just hanging out alone and nothing more as well as any others before that with only one exception she preferred to shove deep down. She found it a bit difficult to express romantic emotions, feeling she'd say something wrong or that her stubborn and defensive nature would make her say something other than what she actually meant.

"S-Sure." She mentally cringed at herself because her voice sounded so damn small and shy. But what was she supposed to say exactly? She wanted to try, but she also seemed pretty damn incapable of saying anything else. She wasn't going to sit here and go through the words or motions you'd see in some dramatic opera. Her kissing him a second time was sort of her way to confirm to him that she reciprocated his feelings without having to stumble over words to express it.

Esme perked a bit when she heard some feminine giggles getting closer as a gaggle of three girls rounded a corner, dressed in bikinis and heading towards the hot tub. Esme felt her cheeks grow hotter and went to get out of the hot tub as casually as she could manage. She grabbed a towel from the ones meant to be used by those using the pool or hot tub, quickly patting her body dry before tossing the used towel into the proper laundry bin they kept close by. She grabbed the robe and slipped it back on as well as her sandals, waiting for Kyle to join her. She didn't want an audience for their private conversation and she was ready to stop cooking in the hot tub.

She would have permitted him to take her hand for their walk back to their room. Once they returned she told Kyle was was going to take a shower to wash the chlorine off, but it was also to cool down a bit and have a personal moment to have a freak out over their kiss... es. She grabbed some sleepwear and closed the bathroom door behind her, stripping out of the damp swimwear and hopping into a lukewarm shower.

She pressed her hands against her cheeks and then closed her eyes. Her heart was still pounding over this recent development. She needed a moment to regather herself, figure out what to say, how to say it because she didn't want to say something to come out wrong. The last time she had... magic had taken her words the wrong way and hurt him. She decided to buy herself more time, washing her hair and body slowly so she could try and work out what she should say. The only things coming to her mind were to ask him if he was really sure he wanted to get romantically involved with her when she sucked at relationships, sucked at communicating, and so forth.

She knew she couldn't just pretend they hadn't kissed, if she did he might think she had regretted it or changed her mind. Gah! She was awful with this! Esme couldn't linger in the shower any longer. Her toes and fingers were already wrinkly from the hot tub and the shower wasn't going to help that. She turned off the shower, dried herself off, quickly got dressed and using the towel to being to towel dry her hair as she finally stepped out of the bathroom.

"All yours if you want a shower too," she announced to him as she moved to sit on the couch, trying to distract herself by drying her hair. The water had helped reduce her flushed cheeks, but she probably should have additionally splashed some cold water on her face. She didn't feel like watching any TV so she pulled out a book she had brought, though she ended up just reading the same damn page over and over because her thoughts kept distracting her.

 

[Tarmagon]

"S-Sure."

The one word came out tiny, nearly hidden by the sounds of the hot tub, so shy it made Kyle's heart ache even as it made him want to rise to the heavens caroling with joy. He had no time to respond however, as high pitched giggles heralded the arrival of a trio of bikini clad girls obviously headed for the hot tub. Esme climbed out, and Kyle quickly followed suit, knowing that uncertain Esme was still in the drivers seat. He did reach out to clasp Esme's hand as they departed, releasing it reluctantly so she could open the door to their room.

Once inside, Esme announced that she needed to shower off the chlorine, vanishing quickly into the bathroom. Kyle opened the door to their tiny balcony, choosing to sit on the more rugged chair outside. He could have removed the water and chemicals with a thought, but he needed to get out of the habit of fixing everything. He would wait.

The wait proved rather longer than he expected, leading Kyle to think that Esme was stewing over the evenings developments. He wished he knew how to reassure her, but he had only the one experience to draw on, and that was on his world. Things worked differently here. Finally though, Esme reappeared and proclaimed the shower his. Kyle rose, and gave Esme a smile before heading to the shower to remove the residue from the hot tub. He showered quickly, then put on a fresh pair of shorts and a clean t-shirt emerging to find Esme on the couch, reading and rereading a page in one of her books.

"Is it that good?" he asked, sitting down and folding one leg under himself. "That page must be an epic worthy of a master bard."

His tone was light, but Kyle's eyes were apprehensive. He just didn't know...

"I'm, not very good at this," he said softly. "I don't know how to reassure you... if I should even try our give you space to sort out your feelings. There's so much I want to say, but I'm afraid I'll say the wrong thing and make you hate me. Ashke, that would... gah! How do I say things without being melodramatic? I suck at this."

Kyle hung his head dejectedly. He couldn't even figure out how to tell a woman he cared for her. After the kisses they had shared, it should be easy.

"I'm pathetic."

Fable
(Confident demon has left the building. And thanks for putting up with me this long. It's a pleasure to write with you. )

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( It's a pleasure writing this long with you too. Also, for some reason I've noticed people randomly lurking our thread. >_>;; lol )

Esme had been so focused on her thoughts she hadn't even heard Kyle moving or him sitting down on the couch as she stared rather blankly at the page. She jolted slightly, fumbling the book and it fell to the floor with a soft whisper of pages. She winced at her reaction and sighed to herself as she leaned over to pick up the book.

"Noticed that huh," she stated with embarrassment when he commented about her reading the page without actually reading it.

"Seems like we're both terrible at this for various reasons. I-I mean I know my whole... issue is just allowing myself to be... vulnerable around others. No one can make promises not to hurt someone else because no one knows the future, so it's just a risk. A gamble and one of the outcomes is possibly being hurt. It makes it hard for me to be in a relationship with someone on any level, even just being friends. It's also really, really tiring worrying about every little thing, but I can't help it."

She tapped her fingers a bit on the cover of the book as she paused. "I don't mind if you have to be melodramatic if it's how you think you feel you should tell me something. Just like you sort of deal with me being defensive even when I'm trying to be nice."

She decided to just set the book down on one of the side tables next to the arm of the couch. She took a nervous breath and scooted over to be closer to Kyle and then crossed her legs as she sat. "I have to wonder what Ashke means because you've said it a few times referring to me. As far as reassuring me, I would have to tell you what I'm scared of first. And even just telling you that is absolutely terrifying to me."

"Rejection. Abandonment. Disappointment. Neglect." Esme's heart squeezed painfully as she did her best to summarize the things she feared would be the outcome of them becoming more than friends. It hurt more when you held out your heart only for it to be abused. Her heart thudded anxiously in her chest, but this needed to be said and she closed her eyes trying so desperately to find the courage to expose this very weak and hurt part of herself.

"You could at any time change your mind about me, grow bored or tired, decide I'm not worth your time. Not things someone can promise will never happen. So unless we're... I guess the way to say this would both of us placing the same bet with each other..."

She opened her eyes but was too scared to look in Kyle's direction to try and read his reaction to what she was trying to explain; probably horribly too. "B-Basically knowing you're as scared as I am? Have as much to lose?" God she was so fucking terrible at this and she had hoped her getting this out in the open now would be like pulling off a bandaid. This was more like slowly pulling off duct tape!

"I don't think you're pathetic. Crazy for liking me in any capacity, most certainly. But not pathetic."

 

[Tarmagon]

"You're right," Kyle said, his voice level, but with just a tiny hint of worry? fear? lurking in its depths. "I can't see the future any more than you can, and I'm scared. Things could go horribly wrong and we might be powerless to stop from hurting each other. But, there's a saying on my world, and I think you have it too. 'There is no great reward without equally great risk.' Your presence in my life is worth the risk. I can't promise anything except I will always do my best, and be honest with you."

Kyle smiled at Esme, and if that smile was a little tremulous he imagined that under the current circumstances, he could be forgiven his nerves. He ducked his head and blushed when he registered that Esme had asked him about the word ashke. She was going to think him some kind of hopeless romantic, and he prayed that uncertain Esme wouldn't take it amiss.

"As for the word ashke," he said, keeping his face down, "You're probably going to call me all kinds of melodramatic over it. There's a tribe that lives in the mountains near where I was trained, and I spent some time among them, learning their ways and some of their language."

Kyle took a deep breath, then raised his head to look Esme directly in the eyes.

"The word means 'Beloved' in their tongue. It's used as a term of endearment when someone cares for another beyond the bounds of simple friendship. I, don't know when I started to think of you in those terms, but when I realized I had... I should have confessed it to you immediately. But, I was a coward. I was so afraid of rejection, so afraid you'd fear me."

Kyle smiled crookedly as Esme as he made that confession. He knew the humans had a phrase, lying by omission. He hoped that he hadn't violated his oath to Esme to tell her the truth in all things by waiting to tell her until now. Knowing your feelings were reciprocated made it easier to confess to your insecurities to the object of your affection.

"If it bothers you, I can stop using it," Kyle said. "It won't change the way I feel though, and I like saying it to you. Given your past, I understand that displays of affection and physical closeness still make you uncomfortable, despite those wonderful moments we shared, so if I get overly demonstrative, let me know. First and foremost is your emotional comfort, but I'll need your help so I don't mess up."

Kyle reached out slowly, taking one of Esme's hand in both if his. He didn't make any other move, just gently holding her hand as he spoke.

"I really, really don't want to mess this up."

Fable

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Shy Kyle is great! XD )

Esme glanced at Kyle through the corner of her eyes, ever so slightly turning a bit to help her see him, but not fully turning to face him and exposing her flushed cheeks. Though honestly, who was she kidding, it was probably noticeable from across the room if someone were to look at her. When he smiled at her she felt her pulse quicken and then grew very curious due to his reaction to her question about what the word ashke, looking adorably embarrassed. It was enjoyable to see him at least equally as flustered as she was.

When he mentioned she would think it was melodramatic, she quirked a brow as if to ask 'like you aren't melodramatic most times?' Honestly, she was finding his reaction to her question quite adorable. Normally confident Kyle seemingly shy. When he finally managed to tell her what it meant she was a bit stunned. He'd referred to her that way a few times and until now literally had no idea about what it could have meant.

"I-It doesn't bother me," she managed to answer. "It's better than what people use here as term of endearments. I just kinda.. cringe at myself because you've said that to me and I'm over here just wondering if you've maybe secretly called me a bitch." She tried to give him a serious expression as she said this but only managed for all of a second before laughing because. She had moved onto trying to diffuse her nervousness using humor.

She let him take her hand as he told her he didn't want to mess things up between them. He was right about her being uncomfortable when it came to displays of affection. They'd already come a long way with regards to her comfort level of him being physically close, holding hands, and so forth. They'd worked together when he taught her to dance, she was fine openly taking his hand, but had always worried that it would make her feel attachment towards him when he could have felt nothing more than friendship towards her, and that she had fooled herself into something she could have avoided.

"Well, that makes two votes for not wanting to mess things up," she continued, relying on humor. "I could joke we could use a safe word, but that is going a bit too far. If you go overboard I'll let you know. I'll try and be a little less, weird? Er, wrong word.. closed?" She groaned a bit as she struggled trying to be open in the moment. "I just hope you don't laugh if I do something stupid every now and then when trying to be affectionate. Like... knocking teeth if I try to kiss you or something. Or headbutting."

She'd definitely watched way too many romcoms with Liz, but if she was going to fuck up it was probably going to something like that where she was going to somehow make an embarrassment of herself.

 

[Tarmagon]

"So, are we stuck in a, what do you call those movies? Ah, yes. A romantic comedy?" Kyle asked with a chuckle, which turned into a huge yawn. "Um, sorry about that. I think that the events of the last day or two are catching up with me."

Kyle glanced over at the bed, then back at Esme, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a second yawn.

"I'll take the couch," he said, starting to stand. "It wouldn't be gentlemanly otherwise."

"Stop, now you're making me yawn," Esme complained after struggling to prevent herself from yawning and failing.

"Sorry," Kyle said, successfully stifling a yawn. "Let me get some things for the couch."

Kyle rose and headed for the bed, intending to take a pillow, but Esme rose quickly and intercepted him, a frown on her face. For the next five minutes, Kyle and Esme went back and forth, each enumerating the reasons they should have the 'honor' of sleeping on the couch. As their, discussion went on though, both sides of the argument became punctuated by more and more frequent yawns. Finally, Kyle looked Esme in the eyes with a sigh.

"Let's do it your way," he said. "If you are willing to trust me to share your bed with nothing more than a few pillows between us, I'll prove myself worthy of that trust."

Esme nodded, then set about arranging the pillows on the bed to her satisfaction. Soon there was a low wall of pillows down the middle of the bed, and Kyle was reminded forcibly of another incident he recalled mostly fondly involving pillows.

"Ah, so rises the Great Wall of Periwinkle." Kyle quipped as they lay down. "Fear not Lady. None shall attempt to breach thy walls by force."

For a moment nothing happened, then there was a swishing noise followed by an impact on Kyle's shoulder accompanied by a giggle.

"Man the catapults!" Kyle said. "We a aaaaaare. Far too tired to retaliate. You win the day Periwinkle."

After a moment, the tone of Kyle's voice changed, going from teasing to tender.

"Rest well ashke. I'm certain that tomorrow will bring us new challenges."

"Goodnight," drifted over the pillows, and the tone made it clear Esme remembered the meaning of Kyle's endearment. Kyle drifted off into warm oblivion, lulled into a dreamless sleep by the soft sound of Esme's breathing.

In the morning Kyle woke before Esme, and eased out of their bed without waking her. For a long moment he just stared, drinking in her sleeping form. At rest, unworried by the future, Esme went from lovely to stunning, at least in Kyle's admittedly biased opinion. Shaking himself loose from Esme's hypnotic appearance, Kyle took care of his morning needs, then placed a quiet call to room service. A while later he intercepted the nice young man before he could knock, and brought the small cart in himself. Working quickly and quietly, Kyle arranged the breakfast on the balcony table, then returned to the bed where Esme still slept. For a long moment he wrestled with himself, wanting nothing more than to kiss her awake, but also knowing it was too soon, Esme was still uncertain of this, just as he was, so he settled for taking one of her hands gently instead.

"Time to wake up ashke," he said softly, kissing the back of the hand he held. "A new day awaits us."

Fable
(Is demon learning? )

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Demon indeed seems to be learning. Now to see how well Esme progresses, lol. She's trying though. XD )

Esme had been tempted to smack him again with the pillow she was armed with, but when his tone changed from a tired playfulness to a tender one she didn't continue her attack against him. Instead she used the pillow to half cover her face as she blushed thanks to the addition to her vocabulary. She returned his 'goodnight' with a soft one of her own. She practically burrowed into her side of the bed. She struggled a bit at first to fall asleep, her mind too busy with the day's turn of events that lead up this current one.

Eventually she managed to fall asleep at some point in the late evening. She didn't stir even as Kyle got out of bed due to the combination of the mattress and him trying to not disturb her. She probably would have slept in till the late morning if allowed. She let out a soft sound as Kyle kissed the back of her hand and spoke to her to try and wake up her. "But the bed is warm," she whined a bit weakly, still half-asleep.

Then her brain snapped awake when she squeezed her hand and felt Kyle's larger one holding hers, resulting in her eyes opening fully. "H-How long have you been awake?" Esme asked this but quickly changed her mind. "Never mind, I probably don't want to know." She sat up, gently pulling her hand from Kyle's, to run her fingers through her bedhead hair she was certain she had, hoping it didn't look like a bird's nest.

"Morning," she managed to finally say to him with a small and shy smile. "I-I should," she said pointing to the bathroom before getting up and heading towards it after she had grabbed a change of clothes. When she emerged from the bathroom she noticed the breakfast on the balcony table. She smiled a bit to herself and then smirked, "Periwinkle accepts your tribute." She made her way to the balcony and sat down at one of the chairs aside the table.

Esme popped a piece of fruit from the plate on her side into her mouth as she stared at the open ocean, swallowing after chew for a few seconds. "I'm probably weird, but I don't get why people obsess over this view. I mean... it's not bad, but what I see is sort of.. just the same scenery. If you go hiking every step you get a different view. This is just water and sky for miles and miles from where the ship is now it'll still just be water and sky." She honestly just blabbed what was on her mind to have a conversation going rather than awkwardly trying to think of what to say or how to say it. She was still getting used to the idea that Kyle was interested in her as more than just a friend.

She... wouldn't have expected it at all from him. Her mind pondered how he could even like her. She'd probably been nothing but damn frustrating since they met. Well, he was frustrating to her at times too. "Thanks, by the way," she said sheepishly while peering over at Kyle. It was pretty obvious he had ordered the food for them this morning and she wasn't used to someone doing something like this. "Is there anything you wanted to do today? Not sure much goes on in the morning."

 

[Tarmagon]

"What I want to do," Kyle said, "Is to spend the day letting you know how special you are. But you've managed to temper my predilection for the melodramatic, and quite frankly, I think you'd throw me overboard if I tried something like that."

Kyle chuckled, taking a sip of his coffee before looking out over the ocean. He supposed the view might seem the same from mile to mile, but he was used to looking with more than his normal eyes. The ocean was alive to his view, and he wished he could share it with Esme. For now though, they needed to address something a little more practical.

"As much as I want to take the day for us," Kyle said, his tone turning serious, "We need to have a lesson today. First however, please check your Power. Are your levels under control? "

Esme titled her head to the side a bit as he told her they were doing lessons today. "I mean... they're probably a little high?" She knew he had told her she would need to expel her excess Power to him, but with everything she kind of forgot.

"Well, that's actually a good thing right now." Kyle said. "We're going to expend some of that power. You're going to attack me, and I'm going to defend myself."

Esme looked shocked, but waited for Kyle to explain himself.

"It's not going to be nearly as bad as it sounds," Kyle said reassuringly. "Take a tiny bit of Power between your fingers and imagine a blunt dart. Once you've got that image, throw it at me."

“So what, I’m Green Lantern now?” Esme asked.

“I don’t know this Green Lantern,” Kyle replied. “But if it helps you, then yes, be a Green Lantern thing.”

Esme's brow furrowed for a moment, then she held up her hand. A translucent dart like shape formed, and she looked at Kyle questioningly. Kyle nodded with a smile, and Esme shrugged, then tossed the bit of Power in Kyle's direction. Kyle didn't move, but the dart curved around Kyle to flit back at Esme. Esme ducked, and the dart vanished in a flash of light.

"Don't worry," Kyle said. "We're the only one's who can see this. Now, do it again, and this time really throw it like you mean it."

This time the dart streaked from Esme's hand, and rather than curving back towards Esme, it froze in mid-air. Kyle reached out and pinched it out of existence with a thumb and forefinger.

“Better, but not good enough,” Kyle said. “Try again. Keep at it until you hit me or I tell you to stop.”

Esme didn’t respond with words, but a flurry of darts, flinging them with both hands. No matter how thick and fast they came, none of the darts came close to Kyle. Some fizzled our, some swirled around Kyle, striking other darts as they flew in. Yet others seemed to circle around and around until they dissipated. In the middle of one particularly dense flurry of darts, Esme punched her hand at Kyle, and a ball of Power, much larger than the darts left it, streaking at Kyle. Esme’s eyes widened and she made a grasping motion, but it was far too late. Kyle just held up his hands, and the ball began to bounce between them, moving faster and faster as he moved his hands together, crushing the ball out of existence.

“Enough,” Kyle said. “Your control is slipping. Excellent work with those last few volleys though. Remember how you did that if you ever get into a magic fight for real. How’s your Power level though? A bit low?”

Fable
(Demon doesn’t know Green Lantern, but it worked. And decided to break the training up into multiple posts.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Decided to add in a bit at the beginning XD Sorry for the like spam it wasn't listening to me, lol. )

Esme tried to pretend she could casually brush of Kyle's words of what he wanted to spend the day doing. This resulted in her blushing and very awkwardly laughing. Honestly, this was going to take some adjustment because human guys did not function like Kyle did. Or at least from her limited experienced they didn't. She was probably going to be frequently flustered by him. "You are quite right I'd suplex you off the ship... probably," she laughed out.

When he told her what he wanted to do today she was honestly more comfortable on the topic of a magic lesson than the topic of them. So she answered his question and listened further to what his plan for the lesson was. She wasn't keen on having to attack him, but she did what he directed her to do trusting that her measly self probably was as harmless as a fly compared to him. She applied her concept of what the comic book character The Green Lantern was able to do and applied it as best as she can; and honestly was a bit amused if she could actually be like a super hero.

It was hard to focus on throwing so many darts at him and each of them doing something different as Kyle deflected them or countered them. She ended up putting too much 'oomph' in one of them and thankfully Kyle wasn't even fazed by it. She cringed a bit after the ball had vanished and sighed to herself. She was glad to stop though, "I mean it's lower, but not so low I feel out of it or anything."

"Maybe today is the day I eat a pepper," she tried to joke as she took another piece of fruit to eat it. She was going to play a little trick on Kyle and hope he didn't get upset with her. She doubted he wouldn't noticed, but she used the hand that hadn't picked up the fruit to make another dart - just one - and then threw it in the direction of his arm, but she would stop it before it even touched him, but a few inches at least. The the dart just faded away to nothing and Esme acted like she'd done nothing at all.

 

[Tarmagon]

Kyle carefully didn't notice the final dart Esme tossed his way under cover of picking up a piece of fruit. It seemed her streak of mischief was alive and well. Kyle carefully thinned one layer of his shields, just enough so that Esme would be able to get a sense of his Power level.

"Look at my Power," he instructed, smiling slightly as Esme's eyes went slightly unfocused as she shifted her vision. "Notice anything?"

"No," Esme said slowly. "You still... have... lots. How?"

"If you do it right, it takes far less Power to deflect incoming attacks than it does to launch them," Kyle said. "There are actually many ways to counter attacks, some are easy, but cost a lot in terms of Power, and some are more complicated, but far less Power intensive. We'll start with the easy, and move up as you learn."

Kyle paused to refill his coffee cup, the ship actually had excellent coffee, and he quite enjoyed the beverage. Taking a bite of his own breakfast, he pondered how to best approach Esme's training. There were those 'science-fiction' shows that involved shields, and there was this 'Green Lantern' thing that had helped her with the attacks.

"So," he said after he had swallowed his bite of food. "This 'Green Lantern'... I assume that it has some method of protecting itself from attacks?"

"He," Esme replied tartly. "Green Lantern is a he. He's a fictional super-hero who makes things with his ring... It's a bit complicated to explain."

"As long as you understand," Kyle said. "So, he can protect himself. Can you imagine how he does it?"

"I, think so." Esme replied slowly. "The darts were easy, but this. I'll try."

Kyle watched with his Sight as Esme closed her eyes and concentrated. A faint bubble of Power flickered into being around her, but it was thin and patchy, with strong and weak spots all over it. Still, it was a bubble. She was trying. As Esme opened her eyes and looked at him, Kyle raised one eyebrow and a large dart formed over his shoulder. Rather than steak at Esme, it began a slow approach, making steady progress towards her right hand.

"You have about 15 seconds," Kyle said. "Show me how you'd stop it."

Fable
(Dart is slow moving, but inexorable. It can be blocked with effort, or blasted out of existence. If it hits, it's like getting flicked with a finger.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Thanks for your patience. Still adjusting to having a puppy in the house, which this morning was an accident in her actual dog bed after attempt to get her to go in the proper place... >_>;; Also when I read power level my mind went to "OVER 9000" lol Also sorry if this post is lacking, struggle is real rn, lol.)

Esme felt like Hal Jordan from the less-than-great Green Lantern movie with his 'training' a bit here as she struggled to figure out how exactly to shield herself. The only thing that came to mind was to encase herself entirely, so when it took form it was basically her inside of a bubble. It was odd trying to use magic to create something like this, because it had something only ever been represented in fantasy-related fiction here.

When he told her she had 15 seconds to stop the dart she honestly sort of mentally blanked. Her first thought when her mind snapped back to the dart was actually changing it into something else, but she didn't even know if that was possible; to change someone else's attack. Honestly, she spent probably so much time trying to decide the best way to defend against the dart that in the end she felt it was too close and just opted to see if the bubble shield would work against it.

She cringed a bit when it impacted her bubble expecting it to fail and for it to continue its slow path towards her. However she managed to stop the dart, but the dart was still there. So she continued with this bubble theme, wrapping the dart in it's own mini bubble then shrinking it down to 'crush' the dart out of existence. Honestly, she felt training like this so weird. She was used to reading books and studying followed by practical application. Like cooking. She wasn't an awful cook, she would read a recipe, follow it, and make something edible in most cases.

This felt a bit like she was being thrown into a pool without knowing how to swim and it was either sink or float and she felt like she was currently just flailing her arms around trying to figure out what worked and what didn't. She did realize this was a bit of a crash course, but this just felt so awkward for her really, though she probably could put that as just sort of her feeling awkward around Kyle and even moreso after last night and now she was showing how inept she was with magic which was making her worry she appeared silly or foolish to him.

"This is just... really weird," she sighed. "Sorta that feeling you get when you pretty much take a test and think you managed to get every question wrong kind of thing."

 

[Tarmagon]

"This is just... really weird," Esme sighed. "Sorta that feeling you get when you pretty much take a test and think you managed to get every question wrong kind of thing."

"Well," Kyle said, "While I think I understand the analogy, it's entirely wrong in this case. You actually did very well. I'm impressed. And before you go there no, I'm not 'blowing smoke up your ass' to make you feel good about yourself. I'm not going to tell you how many of those things I had to be hit with before I got the hang of protecting myself. At least you had something to base your ideas of protecting yourself on. My world doesn't have the concepts of 'deflector shields' or 'Green Lanterns' to work with, instead we get 'defend yourself!' and the blows start raining down until you manage to block them. Then the attack changes and you start over, a lot."

Kyle went silent for a moment, his eyes hooded ,but then he shook himself and looked up with a wry grin.

"Not a memory I can put away," he said. "But not one I enjoy either. I'm sorry if this seems odd, but before I can explain what I do, I had to know if you could visualize a shield. Now you know you can, so I can explain what I do in terms of what you did."

With those words, Kyle began to explain what he did to project himself, complete with step by step shield building. Sticky shields to trap attacks, mirror shields to reflect attacks, spinning shields to make attacks curve away and head back at their caster. He didn't go anymore complicated than angled shields to bounce attacks back and forth between them until the attacks power was depleted.

"Those are the basic types," Kylie said much later. "There are more complicated things, but they require you master a few of the basics first. Now, I've demonstrated and explained, so it's your turn. I'm certain you have questions, so ask away."

Fable
(Is all good. Take your time. Mine's short as well,so no hurry and no worries. Take care of yourself and the pupper.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Sorry it's short. ;-; )

"Sounds like an intense version of sink or swim kind of lesson," Esme commented as she tilted her head slightly to the side as Kyle seemed lost in the memory for a moment. She didn't press further on the subject, but she wondered how brutal the training was for him. She remember he had been nervous around the merry-go-round horses and mentioned something about training then as well.

She listened as he explained how he had used various shields for various purposes; from deflecting to reflecting attacks and so forth. She understood what he had done now that he had explained what the shields he had used were. When she thought of a shield, she simply though of it being used to block an attack and now she felt fairly uncreative. Honestly, Esme felt like she needed to read some wiki about super powers and magic, or heck she might even read the grimoire Liz had found.

"I don't really have any questions. I just feel silly because all I thought of was to use the shield in one way because that's really only how I've ever seen it used here. Guy swings sword at other guy, guy uses shield to block the attack, maybe divert it a bit to get an advantage on some move. Mostly it feels like my silly human mind just getting in the way again."

She paused then as a thought struck her. "Wait, wouldn't our practice and use of Power attract unwanted attention?"

 

[Tarmagon]

"Good question," Kyle said approvingly. "One I took into account. Look as the walls of our cabin and overhead here with your Sight."

Kyle could tell that Esme was using her Sight by the slightly unfocused gaze she swept around their balcony and cabin, and the slight widening of her eyes made him chuckle.

"When did you put that up?" Esme asked as she looked at the shield. "How does it even work?"

"I put it up as soon as we entered the cabin for the first time," Kyle replied. "You could say that despite my seeming willingness to use Magic to solve most problems, I'm very paranoid about using it as well. My personal shields serve to mask my Magical signature and hide any expenditure of Power I might make. You've seen me get exhausted, like when I created my identity here?"

At Esme's nod, Kyle continued.

"Well, a significant portion of the Power I used was to hide what I was doing from prying eyes. If I wasn't concerned with hiding my Magical signature, even on minor things, I could do more, a lot more, before getting tired. The reason you can feel when I use Power, is that my shields know you, and let you perceive through them, at least on a limited basis. For complicated things like showing you how to shield, I have to consciously lower them, which would make it possible for anyone to See, except for these wards. As to how they work, well there are actually several layers involved. The outer layer is a concealment to hide the Power signature of the second layer, which is an illusion of a perfectly ordinary room, Magically speaking. The inner layer is the mirror you are Seeing. The middle layer is very easily disrupted, so the mirror keeps any spillover or accidents from disrupting the rest of the protections. There are other effects, but those are advanced techniques that would be confusing at best right now. So, we'll keep it simple until you get the hang of the basics."

Kyle took a moment to refill his coffee cup, and to take a bite from one of the wonderful croissants. He didn't want to give Esme 'information overload', so he gave her a couple of minutes to think about what she had just heard and seen. When she turned her gaze back to him, Kyle took it as permission to begin speaking again.

"There's also a reason I wanted to take the cruise that had nothing to do with the time for training, which is currently very important." Kyle said. "Water, especially moving salt water, though any moving water will have the effect, tends to dissipate Magical signatures and trails. It can also have the effect of eroding set spells over time, though it doesn't seem to interfere with the ability to cast spells or recharge naturally. I could throw a blast with no effect on it, but the shields I put on the room require attention from me on a daily basis, just to reinforce their structure. If I were to leave them unattended for more than a few days, they would erode and unravel. Self-maintaining spells, like my Cloaking Artifacts, are much more resistant to erosion, taking months, or even years to erode to uselessness. So, as long as we practice here, or mask our Power outside of our room, we're as safe as we can be in the current situation."

Kyle started to reach out, hesitated a moment, then completed the motion, giving one of Esme's hands a quick squeeze.

"That's enough training for now," he said. "I don't want to frustrate you, or overload you. What would you like to do with the rest of today ashke?"

Fable
(Demon tutor is trying not to overdo it.)

 

[Fable]

Tarmagon ( Time to see if the Demon can take the struggle of mini-golf. )

And Esme was lost once again to the complicated lesson of magic as Kyle attempted to thoroughly explain the shield on the room to her. Shield? Mirror? Ward? Ugh, the terms alone seemed confusing as they could be swapped around here and there. Honestly, her eyes probably glazed over a bit with her appearing to stare off into space during the last bit of the information he gave her on the matter of him concealing the room.

It took her a moment to snap back to the present when he had stopped talking and she looked over at him, wondering if he had noticed her sort of not really able to process what he had tried to explain to her. When he switched topics to how water affected magic - moving water - she got this concept better than the other one he had tried to teach her. Water naturally eroded rock so she just accepted that it could erode magic as well. She wanted to make a joke about vampires and running water, but she kept her loud mouth shut.

She didn't pull away when he reached out the squeeze her hand, enjoying the warmth of his own around hers, but of course it wasn't like she could say such mushy things out loud. "I am perfectly fine with ending the training for now. As far as overloading, I... still don't get the whole room cover thing," she admitted with some embarrassment, which in combination of his term of endearment towards her caused a bit of a nervous flush.

"As far as what to do today, not a clu- wait!" She grinned at him for a moment, "Mini-golf." Esme was pretty sure Kyle could probably beat her in nearly all athletics, but she wondered how well he'd do with mini-golf because part of her think he'd smack the ball too hard and she'd have a winning chance against him in a game.

 

[Tarmagon]

"Mini-golf?" Kyle asked quizzically. "The words are there, but I find I just don't 'get it'. However, if it's what you wish to do, then I'll give it a try."

Kyle stood, offering Esme a hand up. As she rose, he swept her into a tight hug, feeling her stiffen for a moment, then relax, just a little. Kyle didn't maintain the hug long, just long enough to whisper into the top of her head.

"Thank you ashke. For proving yesterday wasn't a dream."

Kyle released Esme, hopefully before she began to feel uncomfortable or trapped, and took a slow step back, smiling at her.

"You might want to change," he said, gesturing to the pajama pants and shirt Esme habitually seemed to sleep in. "While I think you look just fine, some jerk might make a comment, and I'd have to do something."

Esme frowned at Kyle's words, but he held up a placating hand.

"I know, I KNOW!" he said. "You don't need anyone to take care of you, and you are perfectly capable of fighting your own battles. I don't NEED to do anything but stay out of your way... but, I WANT to protect you. I can't help it, it's the way I was raised. You protect those who are precious to you, end of story. But, I'm working on it, I promise!"

Esme seemed mollified, heading to the bathroom to change, while Kyle set about gathering the remains of their breakfast and loading the dishes onto the cart. He knew he could leave it for the cabin steward to take care of, but Kyle had never been the type to leave something for a servant that he could do himself. Back home, that had made him quite popular among the castle staff, and on the rare occasion he did ask for help with something, they seemed happy to assist him.

Just as Kyle set the cart beside the door, Esme emerged from the bathroom, clad in what Kyle had come to think of as her trademark jeans and t-shirt. Kyle couldn't help but smile slightly. He really wished sometimes that her wardrobe was more varied, but if that was what she was most comfortable in, so be it. While nowhere near as, form fitting as dress she had worn last night, the jeans clung in all the right places, and the shirt both concealed and teased at the same time. Her hair was brushed back and tamed by a simple band, and she had eschewed any cosmetics this morning, allowing her natural beauty to shine forth. It wasn't until Esme ran a hand through her hair that Kyle realized he had been staring just a bit too long, and managed to tear his eyes away, though he couldn't suppress the warm smile that turned his mouth up at the corners.

"Sorry," he murmured as he moved towards the bathroom. "I know it's considered rude to stare, but I just can't figure out how you make jeans and a t-shirt look just as spectacular as last night's dress."

Esme grew more and more nervous as Kyle stared at her, but she tried to keep that from being outwardly obvious enough to be noticed by him as she was trying to be less.. apprehensive. But of course her mind wondered if her hair was a mess or something else was wrong. Instead what came out of Kyle's mouth was a compliment and Esme being, well Esme , unused to compliments like this, found herself left in shocked silence because she had no idea how she was supposed to react.

The era taught that if you accepted a compliment you thought too highly of yourself and if you didn't accept it you were rude. It was a damned if you do damned if you don't situation so it kind of short circuited her brain a bit, though when Kyle vanished into the bathroom she let out a sigh that she hadn't needed to respond at all.

Kyle washed up quickly, donning dark jeans and what humans called a 'beach shirt'. The long sleeves should have made it hot, but the fabric it was woven from allowed air to pass through easily, and Kyle found the style of shirt very comfortable. He was sure he cut an odd figure, but he really didn't care. He could blend in when he had to, but right now, he didn't, so why worry about it? Emerging, he offered Esme his hand as he gestured to the door with the other.

"Shall we see where today takes us?" he asked, eyes twinkling.

Fable
(Demon is trying, promise!)