009 || Backdated to Thursday Evening

[common_name]

[ It had been an interesting few weeks for Joshua, if nothing else. At least the last few days’ socialization had not felt as forced, though his unfortunate house guest may not have made the same claim.

The trip back to the castle didn’t take very long, but the speed only intensified the chill. At least with his coat wrapped around her and with her face hidden, it should have been tolerable for the woman, but there’s no accounting for vertigo.

Not wishing to be seen for now, the teen came to a stop and landed beneath a tree just outside the East gate, gently setting Julia down. ]

Will you be all right walking the rest of the way?

[You could have called it tolerable, but this wasn’t something she’d be adding to her list of favorite ways to travel anytime soon. It wasn’t the speed; that was something she was more than used to, thanks to years of experience of being the designated getaway driver and later putting those skills to good use on the run. No. It was more.... the height. And being completely exposed to the elements at that height. Something about it made her borderline nauseous. Even if she tried to shut her eyes and block it out, she could still feel it.--

Maybe she’d been fortunate to be unconscious the first time around.

As all of it quickly came to a stop, and solid ground was under her once more, she opened her eyes and let out a quiet sigh of relief. To be honest, she couldn’t think of a time in her life that she’d been more glad for something as simple as that. She didn’t answer Joshua right away; it was a good moment or two before she adjusted, finally found her footing again.]

I’ll be fine.

[ He hoped so, if only because having gone through any trouble at all to keep her alive was unusual enough. He’d be irritated if she walked into another death trap so soon. ...Mildly irritated.

Stepping back while still holding onto her hand, he offered a slight bow. It was a bit old-fashioned, and not many ladies brought it out in him, but she had been a very polite guest, all things considered. ]

Take care. And please, don't tell anybody where you've been, or it will be troublesome.

[ Not wanting to linger any longer than necessary, Joshua promptly released her hand and spread his wings, offering a smile one last time before he was gone in the blink of an eye. ]

[Leaving immediately might have been the best option. Though much better off than she was just a few short days previously, she was still alone and unarmed. It was a dangerous position for anyone to be in, much less someone who’d just recovered from a life-threatening injury. She needed to get back to the castle, to whatever could be called a sense of normality here. Needed to sort through the events of the past few days, to try to clear the jumbled mess that was her head as best as possible.

Besides, it was cold. Very cold.

Instead, however, something compelled her to linger, her eyes continuing to idly watch the spot in the sky he had disappeared into. As strange as everything had been for her (which, considering her life, was saying something), perhaps it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Regardless of the execution and less-than-desirable conditions, one important fact remained. He saved her life. And he didn't have to.

It was a significant chunk of time longer than necessary before she finally decided to complete the journey back.]


[[OOC: Follows from this, detailed in the OOC post here. Julia is now back in the castle as of this backdated post. Feel free to either run into her out by the East gate or on her way back in somewhere. However, don't expect her to be any more than vague about where she's been the past few days :/ Also, Joshua will not be tagging around in this post, as he is gone. I'm just giving credit, since I did not write the entirety of this post.]

Comments

[pacificate]

[ Adrian meant to visit the city, dressed in his dark knee-length coat and weather-appropriate boots. No purple or gold today. He would rather be inconspicuous.

Only the woman standing out in the cold, staring at the sky, caught his eye. He stopped some distance away and waited for her to notice. ]

What did you see?

8D ADRIANNNN I am so happy right now

[common_name]

[It'd been so cold, so quiet out that she hadn't been expecting anyone. Or maybe she'd just been so lost along whatever line of thought she'd gotten herself on that she'd somehow managed to depart reality for a short amount of time. But, whatever the case, the sound of a strange voice coming from somewhere vaguely nearby. It startles her a little, despite herself.

She should have been more careful.

But at least she has enough time to recover before turning in the direction of that voice, and acknowledging whoever it belonged to. Indeed, by the time she does, there's no trace of it.]

Nothing unusual.

YAY JULIA

[pacificate]

[ He slips his hands into his coat pockets, thinking for a moment that she had not heard him, until she turns. He keeps the distance and waits, keeping his gaze fixed on her. ]

Everything is unusual here.

[ He takes off his black shawl, cashmere, as he walks closer, folding it somewhat before offering it to her. ]

8D

[common_name]

[She continues to watch him, curiously. There's something different about him. An air that in and of itself is quite unusual, at least in terms of people she's met here in Paradisa, but maybe closer in line to something else she knew. Like he wouldn't have been out of place in one of the syndicates.]

That may be true.

[At his offering, she gives a small, polite smile and a slight shake of her head, as if to say, "No, thank you, I'm all right."]

[pacificate]

[ That unusual air may have been one of his advantages in his vigilante days busting crime syndicates. Brute force was never his style. He takes back his shawl with a nod, winding it around his neck neatly, with practiced ease.

Her distance reminds him of an old blue friend. ]

[common_name]

[It isn't often that Julia meets someone who is quite as distant as she is. Someone who... potentially even uses her own tactics against her. It's more than curious now. It's intriguing.

... Or, at the very least, someone she should watch.

When he doesn't offer a response, after a few moments' delay, she does something she rarely does when not actively seeking out information. She initiates a continuation to the conversation.]

Have you been here long?

[pacificate]

No.

[ Silence can be more potent than broken fingers when it comes to interrogations. But this is no such thing. He gives the smallest smile to convey some semblance of warmth. She seems to need it. ]

Were you out here long?

[common_name]

[It may not be an interrogation, but why does she get the feeling he's starting to see more than she might want him to? There's something about the way he's regarding her, even with that smile. (Maybe especially with that smile.)

A small, involuntary shiver on her part has nothing to do with the cold.]

I wasn't.

[pacificate]

[ Adrian realizes his own tendency to intimidate, but he rarely inspired shiver-inducing fear. That is the domain of his colleagues. He discards the smile and offers her a gloved hand in greeting instead. ]

Adrian Veidt.

[incantati]

[ dumbledore is on the path from the city heading up to the castle, after an afternoon spent in the city. it's cold out, and he is warmly dressed, and taking long strides as he walks. he soon catches sight of julia and draws even with her. since she can only be a fellow resident, he politely acknowledges her. ]

Good evening.

[common_name]

[Maybe she hadn't been seeking a social call. Not after what she'd just been through. But it would be impolite on her part to not acknowledge the acknowledgment of someone coming up next to her.

So the only natural thing to do at this point is to turn in the stranger's direction, and incline her head in a slight nod.]

Hello.

[incantati]

[ he matches her step with his own. ]

Can I draw you up a coat? It's very chilly out.

[common_name]

[Well, it is chilly out. There's no arguing with that. However, she's taken enough help from others recently to last her for a while. (After all, someone had gone out of his way to save her life. The kind of charity one shouldn't take advantage of.) She's decided she'll keep warm on her own.]

I'm all right. [And after a slight pause, she adds--] But thank you.

[incantati]

[ he doesn't want to push the issue, cold as it might be, so he inclines his head. ]

Not at all. Please tell me if you change your mind.

[common_name]

[She appreciates that. Truly. She's always gotten along best with people who don't push, who don't ask questions. Who are observant. At least as of initial impressions, there's something favorable about this one.

The barest traces of a small half-smile in his direction.]

I'll let you know.

[incantati]

[ it's as much in his nature to be discreet as it is to be stubborn, and he does always try to be respectful of the wishes of others. and at any sign that she's being aversely affected by the cold, though, a little air-warming charm is only a discreet wandwave away. ]

I hope you don't mind the company.

[common_name]

[Fortunately for her, she'd never suspect. There aren't many things that would escape her notice; observational skills have been crucial to her survival for as long as she can remember. But she's never met a wizard in her life, and thus would never think to look for covert wandwork.]

Not at all.

OMG JULIA. JULIA. HI JULIA. also keywords highly relevant

[impetuous]

[ He notices the hair out of the corner and recognizes it immediately. He's torn for a moment; the last time they met it wasn't under the best of circumstances. He's still concerned about the state of their relationship. He wouldn't blame her for not wanting to see him. Before he can stop himself, he's already moving after her.]

Julia!

HIIIII .... also LMFAO those keywords :')

[common_name]

[When she first hears that voice coming from somewhere within earshot, she's not sure if she heard it right. After some of the trying days that she's had, it's hard to tell anything for sure. ... Yet, why would she imagine something like that?

Regardless of how she may feel about this, of how the awkwardness of that whole situation returns to the forefront of her mind, fresh as ever, she stops. Turns.]

Gwaine?

ODDLY PERFECT ISN'T IT

[impetuous]

Julia.

[ He stops a short distance from her. There's still an odd thrill to be felt every time he sees her. The lopsided smile is painfully genuine. As he looks her over, he notices she doesn't look as well as she did. Concern flits across his face. ]

Are you all right?

I don't think I've ever seen anything more oddly perfect in my life 8D

[common_name]

[She'd be lying if she said that she was completely unhappy to see him. Somewhere, despite everything that had passed between them, there was a persistent part of her that missed seeing him, talking to him. Before things had gotten so complicated, he was someone she genuinely enjoyed spending time with, someone who made her feel at ease. That and the ever-present awkwardness were at war with each other.

At this moment, she almost wants to return his smile. Almost. But instead, she lets her gaze fall away, and her face to remain impassive. The concern is kind, but the fact that it's there makes her feel overly scrutinized.]

I'm fine.

[impetuous]

[ He does not believe her. Nevertheless, he is not about to call her a liar. Instead, he undoes the clasp holding his cloak around him and draws the ankle-length thing around her. That he is now exposed to the elements is something he is not concerned out. ]

It's cold out. You should be warmer.

[common_name]

[She doesn't have time to protest; the cloak is around her before she can even open her mouth to get a single syllable out. It's not that she minds having the added warmth (in fact, instantly, it feels nice), but he shouldn't feel like he has to do this for her. She turns back to look at him, a flash of concern in her eyes.]

What about you?

[impetuous]

[ He shrugs. Despite his words and his attempts to keep from doing so, a quick tremor runs through him. The shirt he is wearing is thick, but it will not stand up for long against the cold. ]

I ran away from home when I was eleven. I've dealt with far colder winters in a lot less. And you look like you could use the extra warmth.

[ He flashes her a quick smile. ]

[common_name]

[She doesn't return it. After the past few days that she's had, she can't even begin to have the energy to try. But she does keep her gaze on him, watching him with some kind of mixed, unreadable expression. Something in what he's saying compels her. Makes her take pause.

(... Perhaps they have more in common than she might have thought.)]

You don't have to. [Her voice is quiet, gentle.]