“I’d know those dazzling eyes anywhere.” – Destiney, from Riski :D

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Another party. Another time dragged into one by a friend. She was not naturally a party kind of person. Not without a specific reason. Like this past All Saints’ Wake when she dressed up for the party at the company house. Not that she hated dressing pretty. She had grown quite fond of the cute clothes. Something she had ignored quite well growing up. It was one thing Leon had done in his short time of helping her. Gave her a love for clothes she never cared for before because they were rarely practical.

As usual she remained off to the side. Admiring all the others dressed up for the
Masquerade Ball. The different an elaborate masks. The clothes from silk to cotton. A sea of colors. Herself clad in shades of purple. Mostly lilac and lavender.

“I’d know those dazzling eyes anywhere.”

Destiney blushed at the comment. Smiling warmly as she turned to face the smiling elezen man hidden behind his own mask. “An I would know that charming smile from a mile away. Good evening, Riski. It is lovely running into you here. Might you grace me with a dance?”

(Thanks! @kibuto/ @riskibusiness)

(From here.)

riskibusiness:

nebula1984:

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(from here)

“A teacher could help,” Riski agreed. “And practice. But if they’re helping and you’re having good luck, and especially if you actually enjoy doing it, that sounds like something to look into for sure.” He watched her hands skim over the cards, drawn to the shine of the gold edging. While he admittedly didn’t set much stock in the practice, it was still fascinating as an art form and the cards themselves could be quite beautiful.

His gaze switched to the fairy in his hand as Destiney talked about her. She was sparkly, practically glowing even in the daylight, but beneath the glow she didn’t look anything like as old as she should be if she came from the fallen city. Clearly a creature of magic. He felt a little better about his carbuncle comparison. “She definitely seems very special. You can tell just by looking at her. “

“She is special to me. Though sometimes it’s like having a nagging mother always over my shoulder. She doesn’t approve of me worrying about others first over my own well being.” She smiles at Riski as she smooths down the creases in her doublet. Daisy’s smile bright an happy at Riski’s words. “She’s really friendly. Well to most people. There may have once been an incident where she was nearly a meal. Not quite sure she’s forgiven Oni yet for that.” At the mention of Oni, Daisy frowns an waves her arms frantically which just makes Destiney chuckle. “Nope. Apparently not.”

“A lot of what I know or attempt is fumbling in the dark. I learn by doing usually rather then a teacher. But… I think when it comes to those cards I am going to find a teacher. Or at least someone I can ask questions who has real answers. I’ve a fond love for research more then I do actually working up the nerve to bother strangers usually. This here…” She motions between them with a hand to indicate what she was talking about. The sitting down with a stranger in the wild and speaking with them. Caring about someone’s well being rather then moving on when they had insisted. “For me is a step in a good direction really. Though it helps you have a charming smile.” A slightly teasing smile as she looks away towards the river.

“So besides getting yourself zapped by couerls, what sort of things do you do? If you don’t mind me asking. Or if you feel up to answering. I feel like I must be talking you to death.”

“I’ve learned a little bit of everything through either trial and error or bugging people I’ve been stuck with on jobs. The best for that was the merc band I used to be in – different people with different specialties. It was invaluable on a couple of occasions to be able to pick up a battleaxe or a glaive and keep going even after running out of arrows.” Riski grins, giving Daisy a small nod of warning before lowering his hand to rest on his knees. She’s welcome to stay, of course, but he can’t keep his arm up like that any longer.

“As you’ve observed, I’m very charming.” Riski winks at her, tilting his head to the side briefly in order to toss his hair back out of his face. “But mostly I just do odd jobs. Fighting the local nuisance of the day, deliveries, running messages – whatever’s needed that they’ll pay me for. Within reason, of course. So again, knowing a little bit of everything comes in handy there, too.”

Daisy fluttered off his hand as his arm began to lower. Her new perch being the top of Destiney’s head once more. Destiney merely shot a glance upwards at her fairy companion as she listened to Riski speak.

“Ah so in other words you’re very versatile. Must be handy indeed. I am still a decent shot with a bow. It’s what I used to do before I chose to be a healer. I’ve never really tried my hand with other weapons. Not sure if I’m ready to even consider such.” She looks towards the northeast, knowing what lay in the distance over that way. She shakes her head briefly to cast away the thoughts. Daisy flutters down off her head to light smack her hands against Destiney’s cheeks. “Daisy!” She sighs before chuckling. Daisy merely crosses her arms an frowns. “Like I said. She is like a nagging mother.”

This looked too cute a chance to pass up. Since Destiney is a healer 🏥 Care for your sick/injured muse. (Flipped so Dest is the one caring for Riski mwhaha! ^^) Only if you want to since Dest hasn’t met Riski yet. :)

riskibusiness:

nebula1984:

riskibusiness:

nebula1984:

riskibusiness:

nebula1984:

riskibusiness:

Riski was starting to believe that he might, actually, be accident prone.

It wasn’t his fault that coeurls roamed the wilds around Wineport. It was a little his fault that he was more focused on the gigantoads and their long, sticky, vile tongues, but to his credit he had actually managed to avoid them. But in doing so, he’d walked right into the territory of a mother coeurl instead.

He’d gotten away – thankfully, she was more interested in getting back to her cub than giving chase – but the electricity from the whisker she’d slapped him in the back with still hadn’t faded. Riski sat with his back to a tree, his head hanging and his breath coming more shallowly than it should. Every few seconds his entire body would go rigid at another arc.

During one of the slack times, Riski looked down at the linkpearl that decorated the bracelet he wore. He could call – he could always call. But this would run its course and fade and everything would be fine. There was no sense making him worry about every little thing that happened when Riski was out in the field.

As he considered it, a noise could be heard over the sounds of the river. It was footsteps in the brush, somewhere behind him and coming closer. Riski’s hand fell away from his opposite wrist and the the linkpearl, instead finding the hilt of one of his daggers.

It was difficult to say what exactly he’d been expecting, but it wasn’t the woman who came suddenly into view. Violet eyes met blue and both held surprise.

It had started out as a trip down memory lane. It was almost her nameday and she had wanted to remember the days with Leon before his passing. Being this close to the place that brought Leon into her life was hard. Bad and good memories both were part of this place.

She walked south of Wineport with Daisy fluttering near her right shoulder, feeling more at ease the further she stepped away from Occidens. She had been careful to skirt around the
gigantoads at the river, shuddering at the thought of their slimy tongues. A disgusted expression on her face at the mere thought.

She was wondering if coming out here without her favorite bow was a bad idea. Not that having Daisy by her side didn’t give her a measure of comfort. It had just been a bad idea to bring that bow with her out this way after the things that had happened. It was too soon yet.

She stepped through the brush and froze. Blue eyes meeting violet. She was just as surprised as the man staring up at her a short distance away. Her eyes drifted from the elezen’s face to where his hand was upon a hilt of a dagger. Surprise became wariness and concern.

Her hands raised about chest height as she forced a smile, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible. Her former training days in the Shroud kicking in. There was something wrong with this situation but just from looking it was hard to understand completely. Daisy’s hands were on her shoulder as her fairy companion looked down at Riski.

“I’m sorry. I did not mean to startle you. It’s not exactly the safest of places to take a break though I must say.” Her tone was light and friendly. Had to keep herself from seeming dangerous. Not that she was dangerous. Well not dangerous to anyone but herself for the most part. Slowly she crouched down where she stood to be more at eye level with the stranger, hands on her knees and Daisy still holding on to her shoulder.

“My name is Destiney. This is Daisy.” A small wave and bright smile from the glittering fairy at her shoulder. Her eyes had never left him, searching. The eyes of a healer assessing the condition of a patient. “Do you need help? I’m a healer.”

( @riskibusiness I wanted to have this done sooner but I got too tired last night. XD Lack of sleep finally caught up with me.)

Riski’s hand fell away from his weapon, resting uselessly on the ground at his side. He forced a smile through another full body shudder. His breath left him all at once when it passed, once again hanging his head but at the same time shaking it no. “It’ll pass,” he assured the strange woman. “Don’t worry about it.”

He looked up at her through his hair, the inky strands taking advantage of his inability to push them back. “Don’t go that way,” he warned her once he caught his breath, nodding slightly in the direction he’d come from. The mother coeurl was out of sight, but he had no doubt that she would attack again should anyone get too near. “Coeurls.”

Destiney’s eyes hadn’t missed that shudder even as he smiled. She could tell he was trying to make his words reassuring. Maybe it would pass. But she found herself unable to just walk away at his words. Her hand raised to reach out to him but paused as he spoke again, dropping her hand back to her knee.

He was just a stranger. Who had obviously had a bad run in with the coeurls in the area. “I know.” It was about all she could think to say in reply to his warning. She should just let him alone. Let him deal with whatever mess he had gotten himself into if he didn’t want her help. But she wasn’t the same person she used to be. Being a healer had taught her to care about others even if she did not care as closely about her own self.

“Let me help you. Or at least linger an keep watch over you if you won’t allow me to help.” Her blue eyes studied him as she finished speaking, reaching up to brush back a stray strand of her hair from her face. After a long moment she finally moved to sit to his left but leaving several feet of space between them not giving him much choice. If he wanted to be stubborn she could be just as stubborn right back.

“What’s your name?” He asked, watching her with interest. The last thing he’d expected was for her to sit down there with him, which provoked a certain curiosity. People who didn’t do the expected thing had an easy time catching his attention.

Never mind that she didn’t really have much competition for it.

At least it wasn’t poison. The thought was actually some small comfort to Riski as he unintentionally held his breath in wait for another of the spasms. He could handle most things, but he had enough history with poison to have more than a healthy respect for it. The electrical disruption was more of an annoyance than anything else.

“My name’s Riski,” he offered, realizing he hadn’t given his own name before asking for hers. “Yeah, I know – no need to ask how I got it.” He grinned, inviting her to share his amusement at the overall situation. With another person there, even just a well-meaning stranger, his tension not caused by the coeurl’s whiskers drained away. He wasn’t alone.

Destiney blinked as she tilted her head. She had remembered saying her name earlier. But perhaps he had just not been fully paying attention with the fact that he was hurt. Maybe not seriously hurt but pain was pain and it could make paying full attention hard at times.

“It’s nice to meet you, Riski. My name is Destiney.” A warm smile at his attempt to poke fun about his name. His smile was… Charming. “Maybe it was our ‘destiny’ to meet.” Since he was trying for amusement, she chose to attempt an amusing comment of her own. It was a common one she sometimes heard about her own name.

“You don’t have to tell me but what made you decide to play with the coeurls? Or was that just an accident mister risk taker?” She couldn’t help the pull of curiosity. She was almost always curious now a days. Yet she tried to keep her tone light an amused.

Clearly, Riski hadn’t remembered the introduction. It stuck with him now, though, and he chuckled at her levity. It wasn’t every day that people played along with him on that one. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Circumstances could be better, but…”

He closed his eyes, breathing shallowly through another of the aftershocks. Once he slumped back against the tree behind him, he spoke again. “Accident. Too attentive to the toads, forgot this place is lousy with coeurls as well.” His eyes opened once more and he looked over to Destiney. The first two fingers on his right hand twitched but he didn’t seem to notice. “What brings you out here? If it’s to play with the kittens, I think I’m qualified enough at this point to advise against that.”

A look of concern passed over her face as she watched the aftershock affect Riski. Again she raised her hand to reach out towards him. Once more that hand returned to where it was resting before as he spoke again. The urge to help him with his physical suffering was hard to resist.

Those toads. She tried to hide a shudder of her own as she looked off in the direction of the river. She hated those toads. However she managed a smile for him at his question and slight humor about the couerls.

“Memories.” There was a flicker of pain that came an went in her eyes though she kept the smile present. She wasn’t the one hurt physically. She mentally scolded herself. “What brought you out this way? Are you sure you don’t want me to help make it pass quicker? Of course if you enjoy the shallow breathing and tensing up tighter then a drawn bow string, I won’t stop you.”