First Date [Duci and Kenyon]

[Duci]

It was easy enough to find the tavern Kenyon said he was staying at. There was only one in the area he mentioned. The hard part was finding the courage to actually go. Duci did not enjoy it when people toppled around her in her mind like this. It made her feel strange, uncertain. But the shapeshifter had to admit that she wished to see the man.

No note was sent to warn him of her arrival. If he knew she was coming and she lost courage at the last minute, Duci would feel terribly humiliated. So she decided to surprise him and hope that he was in. He wasn’t at Brighi’s shop. That was a start.

The shapeshifter was dressed in one of her innocent gowns, this one a deep purple that had a bright contrast with her long, golden hair, which was worn up and decorated with strings of white pearls. Her clothing was, as usual, far too rich for her standing in society.

Duci entered the tavern, affecting an air of shyness. At least, she told herself she was. The truth was, her heart was pounding and she felt ready to bolt. “Excuse me, Sir, I am a friend of Kenyon Boe. My name is Duci. Will you please tell him that I’m here to see him?” The man grunted and walked away. Duci took that as a ‘yes’. He seemed to be moving towards the guest rooms at any rate.

[Kenyon]

Kenyon sat in his small room, sprawled on the bed as he scribbled notes into a worn journal. A rough knock at the door made him look up in confusion.
He wasn't expecting anyone today, was he? And he had paid the rent this morning, so it couldn't be that. Kenyon hopped off the bed and trotted towards the door, slightly wary of what lay on the other side.

It turned out to be the owner of the tavern, which was a relief, but only served to confuse him further. The man spoke, looking rather bored. "Got a girl waiting for ya down in the tavern, guy." He waved a hand in front of him at about chest height, "Cute, blonde, blue wings. Say she knows ya."

Kenyon grinned, from the description it could only be Duci. He thanked the gods that he had worn his nice clothes and showered that morning. Granted, his nice clothes consisted of a white button-up shirt with tattered cuffs, black breeches tucked into sturdy boots, and his ever-present patchwork coat. In other words, they weren't exactly nice, just clean.

He rushed down the stairs after thanking the innkeeper and stopped at the corner of the bar to catch his breath. Duci stood near the entrance looking nervous as could be. Kenyon was sorry to say that it was rare for her to show genuine emotion, though it was always nice to see when it broke through her mask.

Kenyon squelched his own nervousness and trotted over, unable to contain his cheer. He grinned as he clasped both of Duci's hands in greeting, noting that she had worn a new outfit. "Duci," he laughed, "Have you come to take me up on my offer?"

[Duci]

Oh, oh! There he is! Duci’s stomach flipped over a few times before Kenyon approached her and clasped her hand. She blushed at his warmth and then instantly threw her mask into place. This was…humiliating? Duci felt flustered. This was not normal for her. “I…I did, yes,” she responded, allowing a genuine smile to slip through her shield.

Why was she wearing a gown? Why not something…sexier? Duci had lots of sexy things! But none of them would fit in her shifter form. Duci never wore sexy things in her true form. And for some reason she did not want to meet up with Kenyon while in her human form. She wanted to be real around him. How strange was that?

Duci needed to squash this weird crush thing before it got out of hand. Other people could ruin her! And what if…What if he didn’t feel the same way? What if his smiles and warmth are for everyone?

Stop it, Duci. You’re psyching yourself out.

Keep it cool. Duci took a breath and tried to force calm to flow through her body. It did not work very well. “And you are going to make it worth my while, right?”

[Kenyon]

Kenyon chuckled as he saw just how nervous Duci really was, but it seemed he was still able to make her smile even if she tried to hide it. Somehow that was comforting.

"And you are going to make it worth my while right?"

Kenyon let Duci's hands go, hoping that his palms were not sweaty and the light was dim enough to hide the redness of his cheeks. "I shall try my best." he replied, offering her his arm.
"I know a nice little restaurant just a few blocks from here." Kenyon glanced down at Duci, a mischievous expression covering his face. "I hear it's very romantic at night."

Kenyon led Duci out onto the empty nighttime streets, looking around at the near-ominous shadows cast by the moon. It was a beautiful night. The sky was clear, allowing the moon and stars to light up the street, the air was comfortably cool with only the slightest breeze, and the night hummed with far off music.
Spirit was a town of hidden beauty, you just had to know where to look. Unfortunately, it was also smart to carry a knife.

Kenyon smiled, letting the night breeze wash over him, and melt away his uncertainty. Being outside always had this effect on him, even when right in the middle of the city. Kenyon glanced down to examine Duci's expression, wondering if she was able to enjoy the night as easily.

He started walking quite slowly, in no particular hurry to reach the restaurant. The music, most likely from a small bardic group, grew gradually louder, though the building was not yet in sight. Kenyon found himself enjoying Duci's presence, rather than being flustered by it. Hopefully as the date went on she would be able to calm down and enjoy herself a little more as well.

"You look beautiful tonight Miss Duci, I can hardly believe my luck." Kenyon laughed as he studied Duci's clothes and the way the starlight bleached her hair a rather fetching silvery hue. "I can't belive a knockout like you, would go out with a guy like me." Kenyon let his mouth curve into a wry grin, his golden eyes dancing.

[Duci]

Kenyon’s chuckle made Duci’s cheeks burn, though the blush itself did not show. What on earth was he chuckling at? Did she do something funny? Duci did not think she did anything funny. Hey wait. The shifter squinted slightly, trying to make out his features in the dim lighting. Were his cheeks red? They were! Oddly, that made Duci felt relieved. It was all okay when the other person was the one blushing. That was something Duci was used to. She took his offered arm as confidence began trickling back inside her. This was going to go well. It was all part of the plan.

Restaurant? Romantic? Duci did not do romantic. The shifter gave her companion a sideways glance. How could Kenyon make her feel so…special? Nobody ever did romantic things for Duci. Not ever. She felt a foreign mixture of apprehension mingled with soft happiness that she did not understand. Relax, she told herself sternly, Just enjoy the ride. Let him please you. That was easier said than done. Duci may be able to keep others from reading her emotions, but that did not mean she did not have them. At the moment, her emotions were spiking out of control.

But the night was calm. That would prove to be Duci’s saving grace for the time being. The stars were beautiful, the music was lovely. It was all so aesthetically pleasing. The fallen found herself relaxing into the night. One of the advantages of being able to take care of yourself was the simple fact that she had little to fear. Duci could bathe in the magic of the night and feel safe. The silence between them was comfortable. Duci could enjoy Kenyon’s presence just as she could enjoy everything else about the night. All she had to do was allow the calm of the evening to settle over her.

When Kenyon finally broke the silence, it was okay. Duci still felt shy, but it was a comfortable sort of shy. She smiled at his compliment and pressed closer to him. “With that wicked charm of yours? How can you expect a lady to help herself?” she replied with a laugh. So then it was official. They were on a date. Duci’s first. Oh, she’d been with many men (and women) before, but never in the romantic sense. Duci had heard plenty of romantic horror stories that sent a quick burst of anxiety coursing through her body.

[Kenyon]

“With that wicked charm of yours? How can you expect a lady to help herself?”

Kenyon smiled, but blinked in mild confusion.
He had wicked charm? Kenyon gave a mental shrug, and the comment was quickly forgotten as he walked on, Duci pressed against his side.

Eventually they walked around another corner and the restaurant came into view. It sat in a secluded little square lit by decorative paper lanterns with candles inside. A couple tables were scattered around, each with a unique arrangement of dyed lotus flowers, and only two seats. In the very middle of it all sat a large water fountain in the shape of a delicate lotus flower. The music that the two had heard was from a small band in the far left corner. They played slow pieces full of emotion and meaning. Always sweet, always soft.
The whole place was bathed in a golden, flickering light of the candles, giving it an ethereal appearance. The only building besides the ones surrounding was a small well-kept home where the kitchen lay. It seemed to be exclusively outdoors where the customers sat.
Delicious smells wafted through the air though the only ones there were the band.

Kenyon stopped and looked down to see Duci's reaction, smiling softly.
The first time he had come across this place was on one of his nightly wanderings, when he was unable to sleep. It had put him in awe and taken his breath away.
The owner, an kindly old human man who was also the cook, had invited him in and asked him to try a new recipe he had developed. It had been amazing, and the man didn't charge him a thing. Since then, Kenyon had come once every few months to visit and have dinner.

"Welcome to the Night Lotus. Most beautiful restaurant in Spirit." Kenyon chuckled and looked down at his date. "What do you think?"

[Duci]

It was the music that swept her away. Soft, sweet, they touched Duci more than she would ever care to admit. She was lost in it, mesmerized by it. It was beautiful and sad and filled her with such an intense longing, a desire for something that she feared. Love. The music made her dizzy with feeling so that Duci had to fight to keep her mask in place. Only years of practice allowed her to succeed. To the rest of the world she remained untouched, unmoved by the beauty that threatened to sweep her away. Only the site of the place kept her rooted in reality.

It was romantic and intimate, filling Duci with fear even as the music tried to soothe her. There was such conflict within her mind that Duci found it difficult to breathe. Her eyes widened slightly, a small show that something was affecting her without giving away what it was or how she felt. Duci wanted to bolt. This was too unreal. Duci worked so hard to be okay all alone. Her independence had been a strict matter of survival. There was no love, no compassion in Duci’s world. Why? How could that change now?

“What do you think?”

Duci looked up at Kenyon, unsure and unable to answer. What did she think? It was beautiful. She was frightened. She loved it. She hated it. But Duci did not want to tell him these things. Duci did not know how to confide in others. Sharing her thoughts was utterly foreign and often dangerous. The fallen celestial blinked, and that was the only show of hesitation she was willing to show. That careful mask she wore once more threatened to break. Duci had to concentrate or it would fall and he would see the torment written in her eyes.

No. Duci possessed that careful control. She could feel the magic of her spirit as it swirled around inside of her, calming and soothing and shielding. What did she think? Duci smiled. “It is beautiful,” she told him, allowing that one truth to leak out. He did not need to know that she was confused by an intense urge to bolt mixed with a deep pulling desire. Tonight, she would follow the desire and see where it led. Perhaps, once she was sated, it would all go away. Duci would be counting on that. Her sanity would depend on it.

[Kenyon]

"It is beautiful"

Kenyon, though puzzled by her surprised and almost fearful expression, smiled down at Duci. He led her to one of the tables near the fountain and pulled out a seat for her. Who said chivalry was dead?

Just being around Duci made Kenyon nervous, but he wanted to make the date something nice, something to remember. But the other shifter seemed almost...fearful. What reason would she have to be so cautious?

At the sound of footsteps the fox looked up. Mr. Lowell, the cook and owner, was making his way quickly toward the pair. He wore his trademark clean-pressed black button up shirt, plain gray vest, and uniform dark slacks. His cropped silver hair was still full and his silver goatee was neatly trimmed. Fine ceases adorned his face around his eyes and mouth, outlining his calm smile, and lending him a kindly look rather than adding age to his features.

His age was impossible to determine, though he could have been anywhere between his late fifties to early seventies. His voice when he spoke was cultured and refined, suggesting expensive schooling. "Hello Mr. Boe," he said bowing respectfully, "Who is your lovely lady friend?" Lowell looked curiously to Duci, offering a wrinkled, calloused-covered hand for her to shake.

"This is Miss Duci," Kenyon replied smiling at his old friend and glancing at his date.
Mr. Lowell nodded sagely, smile still held firmly in place. "Well Miss Duci, I believe you've found yourself a good man, A rare thing these days. Don't lose track of what is really important in life. Next thing you know you'll regret what you could not bring yourself to pursue." His expression became distant, sad if only for a moment, just as quickly it was gone and he was smiling again. "Listen to me ramble. You may call me Mr. Lowell, or just Lotus if you wish."

The man set two menus on the table in front of each shifter with practiced efficiency and placed a small lotus-shaped bell at the edge of the table. "Just ring this when you are ready," the old human explained before turning to trot away. Kenyon waved a farewell and lifted his menu to inspect the new dishes.

Mr. Lowell was a wise man. Kenyon could not understand the way he had searched Duci's eyes when he was introduced, nor the sage-like advice he had given. While human, the man often seemed more knowledgeable than most Fae Kenyon had met. That in itself was strange. And when he chose to speak beyond the polite hello, it was best to listen. Kenyon greatly respected the man, for a number of reasons, but the first meeting was always interesting.

Lowell had pale green eyes, ordinary enough and usually glinting with laughter, but when he stared into another's eyes, it almost felt as if he was searching. Kenyon had heard stories of how each being in Litharia had a gift, perhaps that was his?

When they had first met the man had done this to the fox. It had startled him, but it was not an unpleasant feeling. It was more like he was glancing upon your soul and you were able to look back. But it didn't work on everyone. Kenyon was slightly curious if it had worked on Duci. He looked to the other shifter, still holding his menu, and wondering what she was thinking.

[Duci]

How did his smile manage to have such an effect on her? It sent her rolling on waves of dizziness and a weird fluttering sensation filled her belly. What was that feeling? It certainly was not relief, though her need to run away seemed to be standing in the background instead of pushing for release. Instead, Duci was urged to take his hand. Her fingers twitched and she looked down at the distance between them. They were not that far away. She could reach if she…

Maybe if he were any other guy. Duci was not afraid of touch. She loved physical sensation more than any other vice. So why was she so hesitant just to take his hand? It would be chaste compared to her usual pass times. Duci bit her lip, keeping her expression carefully neutral.

She followed Kenyon to a table where he politely pulled the seat out for her. Duci looked at him, her eyes slightly wider than usual, and then took the offered seat. Nobody had ever pulled a chair out for her before. To Duci, such an action seemed entirely…human. She did not understand the meaning, but knew it was somehow a polite gesture. Certainly it made her feel like she mattered. This was an unusual feeling. It made her body tingle with apprehension. If she mattered, then she was being noticed, if she was being noticed than she was failing. Duci’s survival was based upon not being noticed. She felt like prey and it made her tense up.

Before she could think of anything clever or nice to say, someone approached them. He was a kind looking human as far as humans went, though older judging by his silvered hair. Duci instinctively smiled at him. To be polite. He seemed to know Kenyon, so Duci kept quiet and listened to the two talk. She nearly blushed when Kenyon introduced her, though she had no idea why. There was no reason for her to be feeling shy all of a sudden.

Duci took the man’s hand, but instantly wished she hadn’t. Those eyes. She froze, frightened, as she felt something moving around in her mind. Instantly, her mental shield slammed into place. The presence faded slightly, but did not go away. He is stronger than me, Duci realized with a start. She took her hand back as soon as she was able and looked up at the man with a shimmer of fear in her eyes. This was an invasion that she did not like. His advice was not welcomed.

The shapeshifter could feel her heart beat increase rapidly. She did not like this man. Duci wondered if Kenyon knew he was a mind digger and that he had so intrusively barged into her head without any respect for her privacy. She hoped not. The shapeshifter hugged herself, needing some kind of comfort. For a few moments, she let the music take her.

"Just ring this when you are ready,"

Duci ignored the man, trusting Kenyon to take care of things. Only when the old man was out of ear shot did she speak again. “That man is a mind digger,” she told him fiercely, “Did you know? I do not like it.” Her thoughts belonged to her. If people could get into her mind, then she would be undone. She would have nowhere to hide. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to feel safe.

This was the most emotion Duci had ever shown around Kenyon. She was very shaken up. Her lips formed a pretty pout, but her body language said clearly that she was frightened.

[Kenyon]

Kenyon looked up as Duci spoke. Before he registered her words he noticed her posture, the haunted look in her eyes. The shifter placed his menu on the table and reached across to gently take Duci’s hand, giving it a slight reassuring squeeze. “I have spoken of this to him before. He cannot control it, nor can he read your thoughts. You are also free to look into his eyes, as it happens only once, and never again.”

Kenyon gave a soft smile, “I personally have always called it a soulgaze. He looks into who you are as a whole, but cannot discern the small details. Your thoughts are safe; it is only your personality that he knows. But his power is a two-way window. You saw who he was himself, correct?”

Kenyon frowned, and started to pull his hand away, stopping as his palm covered only her fingers. Holding Duci’s hand was nice, but if she did not want the contact, he felt she should be allowed to pull away without feeling ashamed. “I’m sorry that he frightened you.” The shifter added softly, looking up into his companion’s eyes. “I’m so used to the man that I forgot to warn you so that you might have avoided it.”

Kenyon looked around at the ethereal beauty of the small square before turning back to the other shifter. “I’ve heard rumors that his mother was a powerful Fae woman, though nobody knows what kind. I even asked him once, if there was any truth to the stories, he only smiled and told me that I was being nosy. Perhaps that is why he is powerful.”

Kenyon fell silent, letting himself relax into the sounds of the night. The crickets, the fountain, the music. It was so familiar, yet so baffling, so mysterious. He was terrified, but excited, happy yet nervous. Was this what it was like to fall for someone, or was he only being carried away by the beauty of it all?

Duci seemed very different as well. She showed emotion now, was obviously frightened by Lowell’s search. Though perhaps the most troubling thing was just how much his kindness seemed to surprise her. Was her life really so devoid of people who would treat her as an equal?

Kenyon’s curiosity became too much to bear, and he found himself speaking again, much to his embarrassment and slight dread. “Are you okay? You seem… Troubled, surprised almost, and not just by Lowell, by me. Am I making you uncomfortable?” The shifter’s eyes flicked down to where his hand rested on hers, his expression almost worried.