Yuan had taken to tidying up the cottage before Martel arrived. He was a neat and organized person by nature, but nothing ever seemed neat enough when it involved Martel. Whether it was still a smidgen of a childish desire to impress her or not, he found himself ungracefully clamoring around the small building, putting odds and ends in different places. When the knock finally reached his ears, he had been contemplating putting on a pot of tea to begin steaming. Hadn't she liked tea? Yes, of course she had, but what kind? ... The details were fuzzy, and his stomach dropped at that mere thought
( ... )
It was a bit of a surreal experience for Martel, too. She found herself nervous, too. Trying to figure out what she wanted to ask him, and tell him the things that were on her mind. Ask him what happened. When the door opened, she gave him a curious look-- he was just staring. Her first instinct was to look at herself, and make sure she wasn't carrying a fresh coat of snow or that she didn't have a hole somewhere in her attire. When she realized that he was just staring, she brought a hand to her lips and chuckled quietly.
"Yuan," her eyes lifted up and looked at his while she spoke. "What is it?"
Since she had seen him right before she arrived, it seemed a bit strange- he looked as young as he ever had, and yet he seemed to be different, somehow. The thought reappeared in her mind. Six months-- it seemed to be a long six months for him.
When her question reached his highly sensitive ears, he let go of his vice-grip on the door. "It's nothing." His hands fell down by his sides and he gave Martel a rather helpless look. It almost looked vulnerable, but then again, that was left up to wandering minds to decipher. Nonetheless, the half-elf took a step back into the cottage, a weak smile forming at the edges of his lips.
"...Come in before you catch a cold. There's not any gels here," he explained, struggling to string logical statements together. He averted his gaze once the words were said, feeling a light warmth rise up in his face. Whether it was from the cold outside, or from the onslaught of emotions, he didn't really care. After all, it had been four thousand years since he lost his demeanor like this.
She took one last look at the lilies that decorated the outside of his house and then stepped inside. Another smile found it's way through her lips when she took in her surroundings-- how very like him. Clean and orderly. She was almost tempted to run a finger along a windowsill, or across a table to check for dust, but there was no doubt in her mind that he had been very thorough.
"Thank you," she replied softly, turning around and looking at him. In that split moment before she arrived, she was sure she would never see Yuan again. As she had thought before arriving, Martel had indeed found herself quite comforted just being in the same room. There were no other words to say, though-- she couldn't think of anything now, that she had wanted to ask him.
"Have you been well?" Since the group had never really settled in one spot, being inside a house was a little strange. There had been inns, yes, but nothing quite as..homely as this. The smile on her face grew a bit.
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"Yuan," her eyes lifted up and looked at his while she spoke. "What is it?"
Since she had seen him right before she arrived, it seemed a bit strange- he looked as young as he ever had, and yet he seemed to be different, somehow. The thought reappeared in her mind. Six months-- it seemed to be a long six months for him.
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"...Come in before you catch a cold. There's not any gels here," he explained, struggling to string logical statements together. He averted his gaze once the words were said, feeling a light warmth rise up in his face. Whether it was from the cold outside, or from the onslaught of emotions, he didn't really care. After all, it had been four thousand years since he lost his demeanor like this.
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"Thank you," she replied softly, turning around and looking at him. In that split moment before she arrived, she was sure she would never see Yuan again. As she had thought before arriving, Martel had indeed found herself quite comforted just being in the same room. There were no other words to say, though-- she couldn't think of anything now, that she had wanted to ask him.
"Have you been well?" Since the group had never really settled in one spot, being inside a house was a little strange. There had been inns, yes, but nothing quite as..homely as this. The smile on her face grew a bit.
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