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Lightbringer
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Those words that she said felt wrong. They grated against the inner workings of his soul with an awful tearing sensation. One shouldn't have to be accustomed with themselves again. It just... it seemed like such a foreign concept and yet here he was, standing on the edge of the bridge. The bridge of his own mind. The mind that seemed so far away from himself even. Across the bridge, he had willingly crossed, laid the mausoleum. What he once was. To be accustomed with himself again would mean crossing that bridge. It would mean... addressing everything. Kalen wasn't sure he wanted to. "Thank you, once again," Kalen finally broke his silence and looked toward Ivy as she smiled back up at him. She suggested her own home and he hesitated. A house. An actual house again. "If... if you think it's best," Kalen finally said, stammering only slightly.
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Neutral
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Ivy gave Kalen that same curious look again, nodding slowly. "Of course... It's just this way," she said softly, wondering why he'd became so.. odd? No, that wasn't right. He'd been a wolf for years, that's all. Yeah.. Ivy guided him to her home, which was a quaint little two bedroom cottage stationed a small ways away from the other homes. "It's nothing special I suppose, but it serves me well," she said softly, opening the door and motioning for him to enter.
The ceilings were fairly high, though there was the chance that he'd have to watch his head when passing through doors. The interior was definitely that of a woman's, with there being flowers stationed on the tables and soft blankets and pillows on the couch.
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Lightbringer
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The first thing he really noticed was the change in smell. The forest's heavy foliage and smell of damp leaves was lifted and all but banished by the sweet powdery waft of flowers. The pathway to the cottage was a little long but it was nice to be away from the rest of the ruckus, upheaval and looks of everyone else. Even if they meant well, the looks felt like they crawled under his skin. "A home never has to be anything special on the outside," Kalen responded, almost as if reciting something he had heard eons ago. "It just has to be yours. That is all that really matters. If it's yours... and you make it yours."
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Neutral
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Ivy shut the door behind them, humming softly as she brushed her small hands down the front of her blouse. If anything could be said about her home, it was that it was indeed hers. Aside from the smell of flowers, the main other scent was her own. She smiled at his words, mulling over them if only for a moment.
"What wise words... It gets a little lonely at times, but it is my safe haven," she nodded, wondering if it was something that he'd been told before. With so many questions brimming in her mind, she couldn't help as one slipped into words. "I really hate to ask, but how come you've decided to travel so long in one form?" She questioned, tilting her head to the side. Out of everything, that was likely her biggest question.
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Lightbringer
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Kalen eventually took a seat at the table, relaxing for a moment. A moment was all the time he would get before she turned to talk to him and poke about his staying in one form for so long. He had a feeling she had far more questions and likely would have far more than when they started. Or even just met. A deep breath swept in his lungs as Kalen set one elbow on the table. He couldn't blame her too much but at the same time... already? She was already prying in his life? Forcing him to go through that bridge and into the mausoleum of his mind. "Rogues," he finally stated, simply. He rubbed the golden fabric around his wrist, sighing. That was all he could really say.
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Neutral
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Ivy couldn't resist her curiosity, but she had regretted it nearly the moment she'd let it free. Rogues seemed to be behind everything bad, despite not all rogues seeming to be bad themselves. "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she sighed, smiling lightly as she pressed her back against the wall across from him. Ivy was never one to judge, preferring to make her own assumptions about people based on their actions rather than their past or the rumors of others. "I'll try not to pry any more, just.. forgive me if my curiosity gets the best of me at times," she murmured, rubbing the back of her neck gently. She had so many questions, but all were probably much to personal for him to feel comfortable answering. She definitely wouldn't force him to tell her either. After all, they'd just met and were nothing more than strangers.
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Lightbringer
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Kaleb's green eyes lifted, looking back toward her as she leaned against the wall. Normally, he wouldn't care so much. But ... the smile. Something inside tipped just on the slight side of discomfort and uncertainty. He had only said one thing, one single word, and she sighed--smiled--and then tried to play it off. Curiosity was one thing. Lack of common sense, self-awareness and respect for others was another. Kalen shook his head lightly, looking down at the table and then his hands. What was he supposed to say now? Or was there a reason those other rogues were actually there? Considering a supposed 'hospitality' and a safe haven away from the rest of everyone? He didn't say a word, waiting to see her reaction.
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Neutral
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Ivy was notoriously bad at communicating, her words and actions often not coming out as she meant for them to. She was awkward, nervous, and sometimes a bit too invasive. The growing silence only made her small smile fall, her gaze focusing anywhere but him as she searched for the right words to say.
Perhaps apologizing hadn't been the right way to go about things? Her heart rate had increased, evident that she felt a bit panicked and uncomfortable herself. Ivy pushed off the wall, moving to pace a moment as she often did when nervous. "I...I," she stammered, scowling lightly as she grew irritated with the fact she didn't know what to say.
"I know it's not my place to ask your business. If you can't tell, I'm alone more often than not, which is no excuse I know, but I've developed a bad habit of speaking before I think," she explained, her gaze hyper fixated on the floorboards beneath. "I truly don't mean to invade, it has just been a while since I've had anyone in my immediate space and I enjoy getting to know people, I just don't exactly know how to go about it the right way," her words were one big mess, another sign that her mind had started working on overdrive.
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Lightbringer
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"Perhaps you should work on asking subtle questions then," Kalen's words were blunt but not entirely unkind. He didn't look up either, not yet. Unable to work on his expression for a moment or two, unable to hide his true feelings from his face. So he simply just looked down at his hand on the table. "Little things like what's your favorite food, or flower, or whatever." His green eyes slowly slid up, piercing and watching the smaller werewolf start to pace back and forth. "Would you like for me to start prying into why you live alone? Why you don't live with your parents or another partner?" His words held a slight edge to them now, unable to keep himself back. "If you didn't mean to invade," Kalen stated flatly, "you wouldn't have asked such a stupid question and then tried to excuse it under curiosity."
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Neutral
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Ivy listened to his words, biting onto her lip as she nodded silently. She understood where he was coming from, feeling as though he'd had every right to be upset. She knew she'd hit a sore subject and felt horrible for not having even apologized correctly. Now, she was under his gaze, his words digging deep into her.
She halted, her hands shaking lightly as she wrapped her arms around herself. "I would not." She whispered, her voice so meek she didn't even recognize it. The edge to his words had caused her to flinch, her face turning a shade of pink as she finally looked up at him. Her big, golden eyes had began to well with tears that she was unable to prevent.
Her breaking point was his last sentence, causing the tears to start running down her face as she couldn't help it anymore. Her eyes screamed that she was sorry, but she said not a single word as she turned, padding away quickly deeper into her dwellings. A door could be heard shutting, with Ivy's light frame sliding down to rest against it.
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