Wise or Whimsical? [Al'in, Violet]

Of the many potential outcomes, Violet passing out in his arms was not one that Al’in had expected. But it was understandable. She had been pushing herself so hard, and there was only so much that the body could do before it simply needed to rest. He watched her drift off, his feet just shy of the water’s edge, and considered for a moment giving her a little dunk. It might have been amusing, but she deserved to savour that first experience when she was fully awake.

The sun was beginning to set by the time she stirred again, fading over the horizon and painting the ocean beneath it a beautiful shade of orange. Though she might have wanted to imagine otherwise, she was not still within Al’in’s arms. Instead, he had placed her atop a bed of sorts - though in truth it was more a collection of pillows and linens that took up a whole section of this grandiose tent. Al’in sat out front, his back to her, as he appeared to be looking out over the waves.

He’d checked on her a couple of times, just to make sure that nothing untoward was going on, but something else had his attention for the moment. Though his casual demeanour might have suggested otherwise, he was not used to having company in his home. The solitude had travelled with him from the wastes, if would likely stay with him for the rest of his life, but he would never let it define him.

With Violet sleeping in such comfortable surroundings, she was inspired to cling to pillows and snuggle on into the blankets like a baby bird in its nest. Finally rested enough to wake, Violet streeetched, sat up, and then opened her eyes. Her surroundings were a good reason to panic, but she held her breath and looked around. It was much less scary once she realized where she was. This had to be Al’in’s. It was too perfect not to be. This was a much better thing to wake up to than last time, right? She smiled and tried fixing up what pillows she could.

Violet’s smile grew when she noticed Al’in sitting outside of the tent. Taking a second look around, curiosity prodded her mind. She wanted to be nosy, to take a look through his things, but… no. After he helped her, she couldn’t forgive herself for disrespecting his things. Violet made her way out of the opening and walked around to his front side. “Thank you,” she said before following his gaze out over the water, becoming entranced by the orange and red of the sunset. "Beautiful."

The tent was spacious but also equally open, if she wanted to go snooping then it was with the risk that Al'in might turn around and catch her in the act. Not that the man kept many secrets out for easy access, that was apparent. A few chests for what appeared to be clothes were already open, a standing mirror, and a second compartment that was open just enough to reveal it to be a 'proper' bedroom - if anything about these living arrangements could be considered proper. That was about all this domain contained.

"I had considered waking you, to make sure that you did not miss it, but it seems that fate still smiles upon you today."

The water held his gaze for a few moments longer after he spoke before finally it flicked back in her direction. A muted look of contemplation quickly faded away as an easy smile crept across his lips, those emeralds glimmering in the light of the coming dusk.

"There is an ephemeral beauty to the setting of the sun, even though it heralds an impending darkness, is there not? To watch those final vestiges burn out in a brilliant kaleidoscope of colour is perhaps one of the most beautiful natural wonders, and it occurs here almost every night." He chuckled, almost as if he did not quite believe the lines he was trying to sell, and pushed himself to his feet once more. "There is still time to enjoy your prize if you would like, if not, then there is always tomorrow."

Violet’s gaze was drawn away from the sunset and to Al’in. He spoke in a manner that most didn’t. At moments, his words were hard to keep up with. Violet was no idiot, but her vocabulary could barely compare to what Al’in had displayed in such a short time. It was specifically in that word “ephemeral.” Close to ethereal, maybe?

“No, i-it’s okay,” Violet said, wave of her hand pushing the idea off. “Now that I’ve finally done it, I can swim whenever I wish. I just don’t feel like it right now…” There was a moment of silence as Violet tried arranging her next question to not sound… stupid. “Um, so... awkward question, but uh... Why do you talk like that? It’s… um… sort of poetic? Well, not sort of. A lot, actually. Lyrical… Is that normal for you?”

If her awkward inquiry or prior denial had caused Al’in any discomfort or displeasure, it did not seem like the man was phased at all by the way that the conversation shifted. He travelled upon the wind, let it carry him to where it wanted him to go, so if the direction changed then he would simply adapt to it. A soft laugh escaped his lips, a gentle little thing not meant to poke fun but rather show his amusement.

“I think my mother would have liked it if I had been a poet rather than a warrior, but a talent for wordplay was not enough to calm father’s passion.” His laughter trailed away as he spoke of his parents, the action of dredging up their memory taking more of a toll upon him than he liked, but a smile soon returned and he continued as if he had never stopped. “I was raised in a beautiful mansion, you see, with a library as vast as this here beach and beyond. I learned much in those halcyon days of my youth, and if nothing else I have held on to my tongue. Do you find my choice of words displeasing, or would you rather I deliver them in the form of a quaint little song?”

Again, he seemed ready to launch into another bout of laughter, but his eyes soon narrowed as that grin crept upwards into something a little more impish.

“A question then, for the violet-haired Violet, a trade for my own answer. What do you want out of being a better Quincy? Your family would appreciate that, if I understood what you said early correctly, but i cannot believe it was only for their sakes given that I watched you work yourself to your limit and beyond today.”

When Violet asked about his speech patterns, the expected reply was nothing near the actual. It threw her off; he was more open than she was prepared for... Or was it the way his face changed that made her feel that way? Observation was not Violet's strongest skill, but the momentary shift in someone like Al'in was more easily noticed. Questions ran throug her mind, though she would not dare ask him. It was none of her business, and they had only just met.

"No, no," Violet smiled softly and shook her head. "I wouldn't describe it as lyrical if it was offensive or... displeasing. I just rarely hear people talk like that. It's nice."

Her cheeks reddened. It was that smile of his, that sense of mischief that came with it. This man was a challenge to her shyer, more timid nature. She was not a wallflower of any sort, but she kept herself closed off to most, and yet he could inspire a drop of her walls with that damned teasing smile of his!

"Well, um... I, uh..." Violet's eyes darted around, falling on everything and nothing at once, her mind reaching for something real. "It's a means to an end, a possible job, a way to take care of myself without relying on friends to lift me out of whatever trouble I find myself in, which seems more than the average person these days..."

Letting her meander through her response, Al’in took the time to gather himself and assess once more. He was the inquisitive type, after all, and she had given him but the briefest of glimpses at what lay beneath this exterior.

“That doesn’t seem like the whole truth to me, valid reasons all and yet I wonder if any would be motivation enough to work oneself into a stupor.” He called her out quite shamelessly; as if he thought she needed to hear it just as much as he wanted to say it. “Perhaps you just needed someone else to stoke that fire beneath you. A dashing companion with a little know-how…”

At that, finally, he did laugh again. A warm little thing that showed how he genuinely enjoyed being mirthful and poking fun. If her truth was not one to be shared then she was far from obligated to do so, but if she did not have an answer she felt satisfied with then perhaps he could tease something out from the hints.

Trying desperately not to let her blush deepen, a futile attempt the more he spoke, Violet looked to the side and lowered her head to let the hair block most of her face from his view. Talk about being put under a spotlight! Her face was burning!

When he laughed, she raised her pinkened face and tried laughing with him, but it came off as shy and weak as one would expect. She began messing with her hair, twisting it between her fingers. She took a moment to think and then sighed.

“I got hurt recently…” she said and all the shyness faded. She wrapped her arms around herself. "Badly. I was helpless until my Aunt hunted me down. I never want to go through something like that again. This is the only way to prepare myself."

The laughter subsided as Violet spoke again, but Al’in’s smile remained. If anything, it seemed he was happier with this answer than what had come before it. Not to say that he enjoyed the thought of her suffering, but there were many trials in life far harsher then this and the sooner that lesson was learned the better.

“The strength of those around you is a wonderful thing, but they cannot be there forever. To be strong oneself is to have protection that will never leave your side.”

Her arms were wrapped around herself, the experience clearly having had a deep effect upon her, but Al’in had seen the spark it had alighted. His hand reached forwards, making to cup the underside of her chin and lift her gaze upwards to once again meet his own. Whether she shied away again or allowed him to raise her head, he offered her a firm nod.

“If you ever need a place of solitude, to practice your skills or to hide away, then you are welcome to come back here. Not that it is exactly my sand to give, but it is quite delightfully quiet.”

The sand became the focus of Violet's gaze for a time. As memories of that dark time replayed in her mind, she shivered and tightened the grip on herself. Her distraction came to an end as her head was lifted. Tense eyes met his, only to soften with his offer. She smiled, and leaned back, removing her chin from his hand. "Thanks for that," she said. "There may be a time I take you up on that offer. Though, solitude is not a problem for me. I do live alone, rarely get visitors... I probably could use some company actually, but that's beside the point."

"Anyways... I should get going," Violet stood up, dusting her backside off. "Thank you again. It was great meeting you. We should hang out again some time."