Ryanna, Tobias, and Getting Dirt

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

- It was about three o' clock. Shift was over at 2pm today, because the blasters needed to take the rest of the day to set up to take out a pretty big chunk of one of the buildings. This was a large job he was on right now. Some Richie Rich with a whole damn compound who wanted changed probably just because he needed somewhere to fling his money. Anyway, the day ending early got no complaints from him. He was still in his gear from the waist down, minus his tool belt which was on a stool next to him next to his hard hat, protective eyewear and vest. Because he was sitting at the bar. Just because he had a lunch break a couple hours ago didn't mean he couldn't have a second lunch. Someone had made it for him, he was halfway through it. A turkey sandwich so big you had to wonder if he'd ask the cook to use the whole turkey, and a beer. He looked sweaty, dirty and probably had the scent of grease on him. -

Yes.. yes he had and it was because of his 'healthy eat habit' that they doubled the amount of food usually gotten from the supplier. There wouldn't be any complaints - except from maybe the cook. It was Tobias' smell that caused De'Ryanna to look for him at the bar instead of going to his room as she was about to do. Having entered the Inn from the garden he was the first thing that hit her nose - then the sandwich. It was a sigh mixed in with a small chuckle as she headed to the bar but seeing him in his gear did cause her to smile. "I see that you are dressed and ready for the task I have for you." She had on work gloves with traces of soil on them a dark colored skirt and a brown scarf to tie back her hair from her face. She was picking off the gloves as she neared. "Hello Tobias."

- He was a growing boy? Not really but demolition took a lot of energy. So did keeping up his mutation. Considering he was absorbing nearly 24/7 these days he'd been packing in food like it was his second job. His mouth was full when she made the comment about what he was wearing. So she just got this look. A 'say what' kind of look. "I'm dressed for kicking back on the porch and drinking. You look like you're dressed for giving my room a nice scrub and shine. Pay special attention to the bathroom, I like to see a girl bent over my tub doing manual labor." Yeah, crude. Wasn't half as crude as what the guys said to the women walking by their site. "What's this task you're talking about?" –
-
'I can give a nice scrub, but it won't be to your room. Don't think I don't know how to hose you down." There was a bit of a smile to her face and she looked to the sandwich and then at his hardhat and gear. "You wear these for show?" the gloves she put into the pockets on her skirt - one of the few ones that actually had pockets - and went to pick up the hard hat. Really, she wanted to put it on just to see how it fit. Having seen her foster sister in them a few times, she was curious. "I need you to come into town with me to pick up some dirt and rocks. You're a solid man and I get to watch you lift. Win for me on both ends."

"Yeah, Ryanna. It's all a ruse. I don't actually do anything on the sites. Just stand there in this get-up looking manly." He grinned. He knew what she meant. Far as he was concerned if the rest of his day was going to be sitting on the porch and drinking beer why shower and change? The beer wouldn't mind how he looked. While she was inspecting his hat he was finishing his sandwich. Stuffing the rest of it into his mouth. If she wanted to try the hat on she'd have to adjust the straps on the inside so it's fit her head. There was a kind of webbing on the inside of the hat about midway through it's depth. One of the ways it helped soften a blow - it put space between the top of the hat and the person's head. He still had food in his mouth when added. "You do know if you want dirt and rocks you just gotta pick a spot and dig, right?" Heh.

"I've already tilled the ground." that's why she was 'dirty' as it. She thought about putting the hat on, really she did, but it looked sweaty. Bringing it closer to her she turned. He was talking with his mouth full and therefore she attempted to push that hard hat down upon his head. He was sitting; she was standing, so she had height advantage? "Besides, I need fresh dirt that's been treated." Then she smiled at him. "And, like I said, I get to watch you lift." Lifting food to his mouth didn't count, neither did a beer. "I need the supplies so the new help can begin his work. It's a nice day out and I'd rather not have it delivered. "

Come on. Beer was heavy lifting. Have a heart Ryanna. "So I don't get to give your grass a good plow? Well damn then what -do- I get out of all this? You get to watch me lift, gotta be fair, Sister." He didn't fight off her putting his hat back on. Not like he had a think about his hair. Dreads took care of themselves. His were down to the tops of his ears. "Sure. I'll help you get dirt. Just let me finish my beer." He had half of it to go. It'd take all of two minutes to finish.

Putting the hat on his head gave her an opportunity to touch him in a way. it didn't count as physical. To his first comment she laughed in that musical way she had and even drummed her fingers on that hat. "You can work your fingers on my field later." Her hand wanted to move down along his back but she was keeping herself to the hat for the moment. "You do have the experience and access." Now she had to step away from him for her fingers started to drift off of his hat. She looked away a tad so he wouldn't see her smirk.

The drumming sounded hollow. Not because of his head. Because of the hat. He polished off the rest of his beer and set the empty glass on the counter. "Well sh-t let's hop to. We're burning daylight." She smirked, he grinned. "We're both dirty. Maybe we can hit the pool afterwards." Great idea Tobias. He was trying not to touch her but he was signing himself up for them playing around mostly naked in the water. Glutton for punishment. He stood and grabbed his belt. He put it behind the counter on the floor. Out of the way of the people who worked back there, but so he could store it so he didn't have to go up to his room. He piled the rest of his gear on top. Including the hart hat. He didn't need it where they were going. "We taking a wheelbarrow or am I going to have to haul a boulder of dirt on my shoulders like Atlas?"

"Mm... I like the idea of you hauling the dirt over your shoulder." She liked the idea of swimming to, it was one way of getting him clean and relaxing at the same time. He was ready to go and therefore she started walking away, casually, to the front door, she kept her hands in front of her. "The store isn't far away. Down the hill." so he'd have to carry the dirt up the hill... "And before we get tangled in a pool I would have to take you in the shower." it was a split second later that she realized her slip up so she added quickly. "To the shower. To." If it didn't make it too obvious her mistake.

So she was making him Sisyphus? Lucky him. Good thing for Toby he was a strong man. Not just because of his mutation, either. Lifting weights was just another form of meditation for him. "You're starting to make me wonder if you track where my sites are and you sit across the street with a pair of binoculars." Hey, if she liked to watch Men At Work why not? He followed after to to the front door. Scoffing. "Oh c'mon, Ryanna! A shower before going into a pool? That's like eating dinner before dinner. If you're worried about getting the pool dirty I'm just going to take you over my shoulder and dump you in the river so we can get clean like nature intended." It'd probably be cold as sh-t it was only March.

Nothing would be said about the spying. She had tracked down the office that contracted him, who's to say that she didn't get the location of his sites as well and watched from time to time? That was just the type of person she was. No shame in watching someone she had interest in. Ryanna had stepped out the door and was standing on the porch when she heard the comment about an over the shoulder toss in the river and it caused a bit of a shiver to run up her spine as she imagined it. With a challenging smile she turned around to look at him, there was even a lift to her left eyebrow. "I call your bluff." He wouldn't actually dump her in a river, would he?

He totally would. Never play poker with a Kennedy. Especially a braid puller like this one. "Ohhhh Sister. Just you wait." She had seen how he behaved with Sammy, right? He had 26 years experience at torturing girls. She better like cold water. But none of that wasn't going to come until they got dirt. So he changed the subject. Probably hoping she'd forget he threatened that until the moment he threw her over his shoulder. "What work is this help doing?"

If he was going to toss her in water.....that thought went unfinished though she knew possibilities. With a smirk starting to form she turned and finished down the steps and took the path to the right instead of the one straight ahead that lead in the direction of town. Ryanna was glad that he had chosen to come, for one she was glad for his company and two, it often got lonely doing errands alone. "He's going to work in the gardens. He said he had skills though the ones he had wouldn't do the Inn any good. Therefore he's going to learn to plant and weed. It's how he's paying for his stay."

He laughed. "Are you making him stay in the stable too?" He hadn't forgotten about that. How when she checked him in she'd suggested he sleep in the stable. He was assuming he wasn't the only one who got that treatment. "If that's your game I'm surprised you haven't chased me down for manual labor before this." Then again he paid for his room. He didn't mind doing this for her though. Let's face it he could sit on the porch and drink beer anytime.

"Almost." She would have put Tobias in the stable too if not for his sister wanting to have a room next to his. There was no need to make her stay in the stable too. It was a good day to be out. The sun was still up even though it was after 3 and there was a bit of a breeze, the trees on the side of the path adding to the spring chill. She didn't mind any of it and she kept her hands held down in front of her as she walked, looking over to him now and then. They were going down hill and a log shop could be seen at the bottom of it. "You're a busy man with your job on the sites. Though I can turn you into my personal horse." Work horse. Of course she meant work horse.

"You'll have to use me bareback, sweetheart, I don't take kindly to saddles." He gave her a wink and a grin. He wasn't the type to pussyfoot around words even in public. Now if they were at some political function back home and he was representing his family, that would've been a slightly different story. As for being busy he shrugged. "Keeps my head on straight. Absorbing what I have been isn't easy. Kind of an aggressive substance, not exactly cotton balls or jello." Toby was a good pillow when he absorbed cotton balls. Seriously. He just had a dirty t-shirt covering his top half but the chill didn't seem to bother him any as he walked beside her.

"The way I hear it," She pulled in her bottom lip and gave a squeeze to her hand as she looked at him, letting her eyes trail over his frame before settling back on his face. "I don't think a saddle is needed. Can always hold on to something better." What he said about the thing he was absorbing made her think he was hungry all the time - he had been eating a large sandwich. "If you were jello currently you'd be of no use to me. I like it when you're hard." With that comment she'd look away from him and to the ever-growing store at the bottom. It was simply called "Mary's' and she nodded at it. "The Elves told me of this store. She has almost anything a person could want. We get the dragon meat from here." It was an attempt to put her mind elsewhere. Right now it was on anything but dirt.

"No use? There's always room for jello." Grin. It was a joke she might not get, one from back home. "Not that jello's got anything you can really hold on to." True that. He let the hard comment slide. Not because it bothered him, hell no. He was walking a line with her lately. Wasn't going to stop teasing, wasn't going to stop being crass, but when touching was kind of an sore subject it got to the point where they'd just be torturing each other. He was already thinking about how her wet clothes would cling on her after he dumped her in the river. Hot damn. "Dirt and dragon meat huh?" Sounded like a Walmart gone weird.

It was a joke that went over her head. She knew what jello was - had seen it here and there and even had some - but she didn't get the reference. "And other things. If you ever needed an odd supply they say that Mary has it, though she doesn't deal like many businesses in town she more of.. old style. Trading. She'll take money but I believe she cheats you out of money. Therefore, you offer her something to trade. Epiphany gave her a feet of a diamond Christmas tree the we were given so I've been using that as our account." Mary was an interesting person but not one that De'Ryanna would socialize with if she didn't have to. More of a collector she was who's shop could use cleaning. The shop was in clear sight now and from the outside it had the look of a roadside antique shop with a few items scattered and leaned up against the outside or hanging from the overhang. Bicycles, lawn furniture, brass pots, gears, shelves and books. Was a wonder what the inside was like. And on the roof was a sign made of wood that said "Mary's". She exhaled a bit. "Here we are"

"Uh...huh." To him it looked like one of those run down shacks down south in the States that sold fireworks out of their back room. Fireworks and god knows what else when you knew what questions to ask the guy manning the place. "And this is where you get dirt?" Despite his travels he still was high bred. Used to stuff like lawn and garden places for towns like this. A shrug. If she wanted to get dirt here, hell why not. He reached over her head and pulled the door open from behind her, so she could go ahead in. "Why were you given a diamond Christmas tree?"

He had a reaction which was similar to hers when she first saw the place, only she had balked a bit because if it looked bad on the outside then the inside would be dirty and it was not a place she wanted to go. But she had found the place to be safe, even if Mary was a bit eccentric. She would have laughed at his reaction but instead she looked at him and giggled slightly. "Don't tell me you're afraid of possibly getting dirty in a place like this. Tough guy." The last was a jab for she said it with a mocking tone before she approached the store and pushed on the wooden screen door to enter. "The tree was given by a goddess who didn't have anything better to do with her time. She thought we'd use it for display, we thought to put it to a more practical use." like using it to pay for things around the Inn. Mary was inside, moving around behind the counter with a bucket of gears and metal riggings. "Hello Mary, I've come for the dirt." The inside was slightly better than the outside. There was room to move around but there were large barrels with knick-nacks inside. There was a bit of organization, as there was a shelf dedicated to gardening and a door behind it that said "garden" must have lead to a green house. Objects were along the wall and floor. a stack of books on the floor and on shelves. Carpeting and stacked furniture. There was another door o the other side of the counter that said 'Fridge.'

"Nope. More like afraid at what lives in the dirt at a place like this." Not afraid for himself, more afraid for anyone who walked in the garden around whatever area this dirt was going to be used for. Or for the guy who had to work with it. Brow quirked when she explained about the tree. "Yeah, sounds practical to me." Selling it. It reminded him of the kind of crap you heard went on at RNC fundraisers. Spare no expense in the name of raising money for more expense. Toby nodded at Mary, but otherwise let Ryanna do the talking. He didn't want to be bargained into buying anything. He tried to keep himself with as few possessions as possible.

Special dirt that would help the plants grow stronger and faster than they would in normal dirt. It was probably a store that spell casters would like to go to for supplies for all the unordinary things that were there. "Hello deary. It's over by the wall. Are you sure you won't be needing something to transport it?" Mary had waved over to the wall that had the spring supplies. There were stacks of bagged dirt next to the shelf. Fifty pound bags. "No thank you Mary." and De'Ryanna turned to face Tobias and smiled, one that stayed as she spoke. "I have all the muscle I need right here." A slight manic laughter from the woman behind the counter - she had been eying Tobias. "A scrapping buck. Wouldn't be interested in helping out a lady sometime would he?" it was posed to him, but at the question De'Ryanna looked at Mary with a narrowness in her eyes. Mary was a nice person and under her work clothes she had a decent shape. But it was an idea she didn't like. Still, she wasn't going to speak for Tobias. He had a mouth.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

(Tobias-mun and I would like to thank the wonderful internet for eating a portion of our log. We hope it was tasty.... Anyway, from the last post to this one, after Tobias ask Mary if she's associated with Union workers she gives up on the idea of having him work for her. Ryanna and Tobias then locate the dirt and Tobias packs it on like the strong 'work horse' he is and they exit the store.

Below is what transpires next. )

---

There was nothing wrong with looking at him as she did. Wanting to take him into her mouth to devour him. Nothing wrong at all. She could even endure the slower pace. Once they were outside and they had gone a step or two away she did chuckle a bit as she reached up and stroked her hand along one of the bags he was carrying. "Now why would I ever want to do that? Then I would miss out on my opportunity to see you flex. And walk. This is a good picture. And you'd have free hands." She said that with a wink. "If you can't handle it or need a rest that can happen."

"Heh!" He smirked. Couldn't help it. "De'ryanna. I could probably bench press two of you." Probably three. But he'd leave his ego out of it. "A hundred pounds is nothing. Sure, uphill makes it something, but." Shrug. There was nothing wrong with putting a little something in your day. If there was he wouldn't be working in demolition for a hobby. Slow and steady was the pace up the hill. Now that he'd shifted the bags they were settled on his shoulders and he could bear the incline better.

"We will save that theory for testing out another day." It was a good visual image and nearly got her to chuckle. It was also a thought lead way to others and so she tried to push it down. It was still daylight -for a while - and she didn't need any of those thoughts making their way into her head any sooner than they would naturally. "How much.. can you lift? I assume that it all is dependent on what you're absorbing." that would only make sense. She couldn't see him lifting a hundred pounds if his arms were made of jello.

"It also depends on how I'm lifting it." He figured he'd point that out even if she knew that already. "I don't know my max. To be honest. You can only put so much weight on a bar. And I'm not going to go around trying to lift people's refrigerators and sh-t just to test that out, you know?" He glanced at her. "Oh yeah? So you have another one of yourself laying around to test that theory out, or are you going to grab a volunteer?" He grinned. "Anyway. Myself on a normal day I can bench three hundred pounds. Without any help." Meaning without absorbing anything.

When he looked at her he'd notice the look-over she was giving him, her eyes paying special attention to his arms and back. She was interested in how those muscles moved during the walk and holding of the bags. "Three hundred you say...." her words were slightly distant and without much weight. Idly spoken words to give her something to say as she studied him. "Very good. Don't mind me, I’m just watching you. If you were to press me I'm sure I’d come up with something that equaled the other half." though she wasn’t sure if it would be another person or not. A quick turn of her head and she set her eyes back on the road steady strides as they walked. "There is something I want to ask you to consider, Tobias, and now that your hands are full perhaps now if as good a time as any."

Toby laughed. And kept laughing. It was the look. No offense to Ryanna (because her age didn't matter to him) but she was young. Young meaning younger than him. To see a girl her age looking at a man like that? He had to laugh. No choice. "Well if we gave you a month of nothing but protein shakes I'm sure you could pack a hundred pounds worth of junk on your trunk?" Not likely. Which is how she'd know he was kidding, probably. Can't look at him like that and expect him not to get smart-assed. "You want to ask me something when my hands are full. Are you afraid you're gonna get slapped?" Another tease. Since she was the one who had the slapping problem.

"If I knew I wouldn't break my hand I'd smack you." She was under the assumption that he was still absorbing that incredibly hard metal substance. Her hand would heal, yes, but that was besides the point. Still! What she said wasn't in anger for she still wore a real smile. Her comment was said due to his laughing. "You can't fault me for looking at you the way I am when you look like that.." She thought herself perfectly within her rights. "I'm not afraid of getting slapped but maybe a different action from you? Besides, right now you move slower than I. I can get away quicker." she wasn't exactly wanting to see who would win in a foot race. "Ready?"

"Aw c'mon, aren't I worth it? You could use your other hand." Smart-assed pause to be crass. Then he added. "To cook with." He topped it off with a wink. By now he was sweating. Toby sweat a lot in general but lugging a hundred pounds of dirt uphill sure helped it out. "Look like what? Your dirt carrying bitch? Hope you brought your whip, a guy like me doesn't toe the line without some threatening." Toby had to get out all his braid pulling before he could let himself get down to whatever business she was about to bring up. "Ok. -Now- I'm ready. Shoot."

A soft growl, almost like a purr came from her at the mention of a whip. She could very easily send a thread of Air to crack against his backside even if it wouldn't more damage to him than a pebble. It was that thought which caused her to do just that as she said, "I always have a whip handy. Never know when it will be needed." Quite a useful thing. Ryanna had a way of ignoring the heat -especially with the internal fire she had - but with how Tobias was sweating it occurred to her that he was hot. Obviously. "Shall I cool you off?" she would ask. "As for my question.. there comes a time in the training cycle of the Sedai, like myself, we can choose to have a Warder. I may have mentioned them to you before?" She wasn't quite sure, if she had some of it may be repeated information. "Currently.. I have one. The man that I am already bonded to. However...." slightly dragging it out a bit. "There is no limit to how many men a woman can bond. I would only like one. I don't need multiple males running around in my head. And so....if I can get released I would like you to consider bonding to me." She cleared her throat and held her hands together. "There is no romantic obligation necessary, that’s not why I ask."

He had mentioned whips and she was talking about bonding. A different kind of bonding but still. When she asked if she'd mentioned Warders to him before he nodded. She had. As soon as she brought this up any crass retort his had for her was put to bed. He was a braid puller but he turned serious real fast when he thought the time called for it. Which he did now. He was silent for a while. It was the 'running around in my head' part that had him quiet. He was trying to figure out on his own what that could mean. Trying to remember the bit she'd told him about Warders and this bond. He didn't remember much. "Then why do you ask me?" He would've tacked on 'if you don't mind me asking' but that wasn't true. He wanted her to answer even if she did mind.

"Because you're smart. You have a good head on your shoulders no matter how you try to dress it up, or down, on the outside. And your strong." He could be soft too, as he mentioned earlier, but she was sure he'd know what she meant. Ryanna stole glances at him as they continued up the hill. A bit of the Inn starting to show in the distance. "You know how to use the skills that you have in a beneficial manner and you're not a stranger to fighting, I assume physically as well as verbally." He did have that political background. "I think that...maybe.. we would be good together. We have our differences, certainly, but it's nothing so significant that we can't be around the other." She looked down at her hands a moment and bit down on her lower lip. "It's not that I wouldn't want to be involved with you romantically and sexually because you know that I do. But I don't want you to think that if you accept it that you are contractually obligated to be my mate because of the bond. The Sedai-Warder bond is a thing of it's own and it's very deep." Now she was doing anything but looking at him, in fact she kept her eyes straight ahead. “When you're bonded you're joined and it takes a lot of training and skill to be able to block anything from the other person. Even though my other side.. the Lycan part of me responds to other men I'd rather not." t hat part may have been a bit vague .

If it was another topic he'd have laughed. She thought he had a good head on his shoulders when his own family...then again, they'd just sat him down and asked him to finish out school and run for office, so. Maybe he did have a decent head that was worth something. "I'm no stranger to fighting." He'd confirm it with just that. No need to go into specifics. Not unless she asked. He'd gone from running his mouth off to real quiet in these past couple of minutes. It was because he was thinking it over. "You know I don't know anything about where you're from. What this bond really means, what a Warder is or any of that. And...there's a lot going on in my head that I wouldn't want to subject you to." He considered her better than his dysfunction. Bit more pause and he glanced at her. "How old are you? Don't you just want to chuck this and go clubbing and enter some wet t-shirt contests in between getting your nails done?" The way he asked it was a tease. But the meat of the question was serious. She was young and he wondered why she burdened herself with stuff as Serious as this. Part of why he didn't know why she burdened herself to this was because of what he'd just admitted - he didn't know anything about her culture. He did know what she meant about her last vague comment though. Didn't seem vague to him.

"I turned eighteen not too long ago. My Foster Father got my brother and I into service of the ruling King of that land to help his political gain and I was made to dance all the time for the pleasure of the King. I had fair treatment for what I was and I always had to look pretty." Running to get her nails done or get gussied up were not things that really excited her, they were just something to do. "But I left a little over two years ago because he was insisting that I get married. And I didn't want to." That was simple right? She didn't want to and so she left. "But I grew up the start of my life in a Tower of women, the Sedai and those training to become one. Fun for them is wit, dark humor, and learning manipulation and seeking ways to control the world and things around them. I never went out for a wild time on the town like ... some girls." She almost said a name or two but thought better of it. "I find seductive arts to be fun and.. cooking, still I like dancing and the recent... dancing I've seen while at the fight club as intrigued me.. I also like to ride." She didn't know what else to say about herself, as it wasn't something she had to do before. She would save the bond and Warder business to let him take in this part first.

[De'Ryanna Aybara]

“Huh." Sound of thinking things over. "Those the things you find fun too?" The learning manipulation and ways to control the world and things around them part was what he was asking after most. Those things sounded a little too close to the club Dex chose to belong to. The club that believed mutants had the right to make the world whatever they wanted it to be since they had the power to do it. He was still keeping pace with her. Sweating but hauling. Didn't even shift the dirt on his shoulders he could bear the weight where it was just fine. "And the bond. What about that."

She pulled up her hands to the level of her waist and here thumbs started beating together slowly. "I admit that when I was younger that is what I wanted. Children often think that the things they say are right and everyone should accept it but once I really got out on my own I believe that's changed." She had to say that slowly to make sure of what she said. "It's true that manipulation in some form is learned by everyone, bargaining arts." saying that with a nod and a look to him before she continued. "But it's not the same. I don't think anyone should be forced to do what they want or made to think that they don't have a choice. I do want to be an important person though, only I'm not sure in what way." De'Ryanna didn't like the thought of being a nobody, she always wanted to be a 'somebody' but there was nothing wrong with that, was it? She thought a bit more before she started on the bond.

"The bond is... deep. Once it's made it's not easily broken. Severing it can kill the other or drive them insane. It puts the other person in your mind. I would be in yours and you would be in mine. I wouldn't be able to read your mind, it doesn't work like that, but I'd be able to sense what you were feeling. If you were nervous, happy, upset, any emotion that your having I'd feel it and it would be able to influence me too. It works both ways." Talking with her hands as they made small motions between the two of them as they walked. "Some peoples emotions are so strong that they come across as images. The two can sense the direction of the other person and how close they are to them. So they can find them anywhere they go and with it they can urge them to come to where they are. That is probably the most compelling thing of it. While the other doesn't have to listen they'll have a strong urge to go. Also... if you get hurt.. I feel it, if you're drunk.. I'll feel that too. It has it's perks!" She didn't want him to think it was all doom and gloom as she was making it out to be.

"Increase of stamina, endurance, strength, those things can be pulled from the other. If you take a mortal wound you are able to survive longer with it than a regular person. Your life is extended. by how long no one knows but…the Sedai and her Warder have been known to be hundreds of years old... You.. you're one. You're still yourself but.. you're one. and There's no one else that you'd trust more with your life because you are. Normally.. a Sedia just chooses her Warder from a group or one that she knows and they grow from there." She had a feeling it sounded more bad than good.

Tobias was like her in one way. When he was thinking something over he didn't want to say anything until he was sure what he was saying was what he wanted to say. There was a lot he was thinking about now about her answer that he didn't want to say yet. A lot of it boiled down to one thing. If this bond passed so much between two people she must've thought he was worth something in order to want to be connected to all those things in him. She'd said as much too when she kicked this topic off. Knowing more about what'd connect between them what she'd said really head home now. At first he questioned whether she was right, if he was worth being connected to. But he got past that thought because he spent day and night trying to be a good man and that had to be worth something. He knew it was more effort than a lot of people put into what they said and did. Maybe the trying was more important than actually being. Maybe trying is being. But that was a deep thought, one he'd have to meditate on later. The question was if he felt the same way about her. If he had that faith in her and who she wanted to be. That the somebody she was hoping to be was the kind of somebody he could stand by and protect all his life.

At eighteen he knew who she was could drastically change in a year, ten, twenty, for better but also for worse. Everyone had the potential for worse. But maybe she knew that too. Maybe that's part of why she wanted to bond to him, to have his ground to keep her feet on to make sure she went down a good path. If that was her reason, like he thought it was, wasn't it worth the risk? She'd be risking just as much. That's what he figured most of this bond was about. Risk and trust, respect and loyalty. All those things he took seriously. He was a Kennedy. All of that he kept in his head. Some thoughts were best kept to just thoughts. What he said to her he kept short and sweet. "Alright. But I'm not drinking any less and I'm not hitting my hookah any less." If she wanted to bond to him, she had to bond to all of him.

It was a whole lot of trust in her mind. What if the person suddenly went evil and a killer? Hopefully the other person was strong enough to not let that happen but a person never knew. Now Ryanna had continued to walk, keeping her own self as focused as she could as there was silence between them. Silence didn't bother her, not really, but it was the thought that maybe he was going to call her crazy and think that she had flown off her rocker for suggesting something of this type that had her continuously beating her two thumbs together, so when he said alright, she wasn't sure she heard him right and she even paused. A small pause before she started again, knotting her eyebrows together. "Alright?" A quick turn to him as she was now walking partially sideways. She almost looked confused. "You.. you mean it? Of. of course you do." Of course he did. He didn't sound like he was pulling her leg with what he said. It would be an awfully cruel joke if he was. "Just like that?" The confusing was lifting and she was beating her thumbs together for another reason now. She breathed deeply and let it out with a laugh and a blink. "Um. Thank you for taking my offer. There are things I'd do right now but I'll wait. I'll wait until I get rid of him and then.. then bond." she still didn't believe what he said and what she was saying return, but it was clear that she was happy with the decision.

"I don't think it was just like that. I thought it over." Women, right? Always thinking guys didn't do enough. The way he was smirking at her said that without saying it. "I'm not going to pretend I understand it perfectly. But I know what being bonded feels like. I even know what it's like to have my strength pulled out of me and to feel like someone's in my head. I try to know what being One feels like. I spend a couple hours working towards that every day. That's what Om means and I've been trying to live my life by it for years now. I know what you're taking about isn't exactly the same as all of that but it's experiences I've had and I think they give me a good idea of what you're taking about. I know what you're asking me is huge. I know wanting to be somebody is huge too. Can't be somebody and do it alone, not most of the time at least. I know it's an honor that you think I'm good enough to help you be somebody. I just hope I live up to what you see in me. If I don't, sever me off." He remembered what she said the consequences of that were but he meant it. He'd rather be dead or crazy than be someone who dragged someone down into something they didn't want to be. He walked a few steps in silence. Muscles were burning in his legs more than anything because of hauling the extra weight uphill and the strain that came with it. He liked that burn though. Felt good it was why he lifted. He shrugged his shoulders to shift the bags of dirt so he could shift his arms. Hard to hold your body in one position for so long. "Your welcome."

"I'd ask to lighten your load but that might be cheating." Not to mention she would miss out on seeing the muscles strain under the weighted influence of the soil. Maybe there was a bit of sadism in her, but he knew that already and he was still here. She also wasn't under the impression that once they bonded they would become the perfect bonded couple. They were both still human - more or less - after all and as such nothing was always perfect, they would only work it out. However.... "Maybe I will get to see an aggressive wolf in you, Tobias." He did remember that she was a Lycan, that side she thought would be interesting, especially around the full moon. "While I find a way to free myself I'll also work on me. Maybe you can teach me your chant." if he was going to drink and smoke then why not learn more of it? She motioned up the road where the Inn was coming into plain sight now and close. "The garden will thank you for your work."

"Even if you asked I wouldn't let you." Back out of a job she asked him to do and shove fifty pounds of dirt on her? Not happening. "And don't need a huge deal bond between us to see that, if that's what you want." Not with his mutation. No telling how much of what she had inside her he could absorb for a short time. But when it came to people it was harder to control and he had no practice at it because he was so against it because of what had happened back in college. "Is that what you want?" He looked at her when he asked her that. Part of why he asked was because he wasn't sure if that's what he wanted. He knew what he was like when he was violent and aggressive. It was something he'd have to think of how to handle he realized that now. Because it was something she had to handle and they'd be bonded. "I can teach you a chant. There are a lot of them. All for a different purpose. All depends on what you want to work on. Or need to work on." Had to say need because sometimes people had to work on and face things they didn't want to. "Just the garden's going to thank me? This was my half day off and I'm about three four beers behind schedule you know." Smirk.

Was it what she wanted? The Aggression? Thinking of it made her grin and bite down on her bottom lip to keep the grin form growing to large. "I'd rather like a bit of aggression here and there. I don't want you to coddle me like a child." She was progressively moving closer to him but allowed room to walk easily. "I like how you push and I push back. Only not abusive in the hurtful way." That was making her mind wander. Truthfully it was starting to wander anyway since he agreed to the bonding. She couldn't help it. "I do have a few anger issues that need to be hammered out and I haven't found a way to deal with them yet." yet. She may eventually. "that's something you should know. " Especially if they are still there later on. "I like how we are and somedays you might be busy in other task and your beer schedule would have to wait." Close enough she was to reach up for his hair. That was the safe place to touch wasn't it, even if he couldn't feel much do to what he was absorbing.

"You're not my child. And I'm damn okay with that." For a lot of reasons. She wasn't his child so why would he ever coddle her? He didn't coddle anyone. Not what his family was about and they'd passed that trait on to him. He laughed though when she mentioned her anger issues. "You mean something I already know? I could notch your slaps on my leather belt." He'd seen her issues with anger first hand. "I have a lot of anger too. It's old. Buried, kind of." He couldn't say it was completely buried, not when it came back sometimes. That anger and what he did when he was in it is why he'd gone to the ashram and India in the first place years ago. It was why he still meditated and worked on himself to this day. He saw her hand reached up, that was the only thing that told him she was in his short dreads. He didn't feel it at all. He took a step to the side to bump into her. Twisting his torso so she'd have to duck to keep a bag of dirt from tapping into the back of her head. "Or these other tasks'll have to wait for my beer schedule."

It could be dangerous if two people with anger issues had them uprooted and brought to the surface at the same time. Hopefully they wouldn't be in a place to hurt other people if that ever were to happen. She was waiting.. waiting for when she could actually feel him again like before. It was a real test in patience but she had waited this long and so she could wait longer. Fortunately she didn't have much time to think on it because the dirt was heading to her. "Oh." was what she said as she scooted forward to avoid most of the tap. She did get some and it only made her smile. Notches on his belt. "Other task that will make new notches and not necessarily in your belt. For now I suppose I'll have to thank you with beer, after we're bonded I'll thank you in a more physical way." She would open the door for him when they arrived at the Inn, it was the right thing to do.


Tobias' anger had reached a point where it had buttons that had to be pushed hard in order to blow. It'd taken over five years to manage that. It was progress he was proud of. "You're going to have to work real hard to notch me, De'Ryanna." It was a challenge. Considering his ability a big challenge. But he got the bigger handwriting on the wall. She broke her bond with Ben and he couldn't steal his mutation through her so there'd be no need to absorb like he was. Not that Ben still couldn't be a problem. Tobias had enough experiences to know that people like that guy were always a problem somehow. No rest for the wicked. "After we've bonded you can thank me physically and with beer. The two aren't enemies you know." He grinned. Now that they were at the Inn he was looking forward to that beer. He passed through the door she held open for him but only took a couple of steps inside, waiting for her to lead the way to wherever the dirt needed to be dropped off.

--- the end

[Sponsored content]