[M/IC] Under an Iron Moon (Midori and Naming)

[Namingtoohard]

The anticipation only seemed to build as the two of them stared at each other in determined silence. Celica would have sworn that she could almost feel it, a palpable thickness in the air. For all she knew, there really was – perhaps that was simply the way of things in this world. Even so, she waited patiently, her resolve unwavering. There was nothing more for her to say or do until the knight finally made up his mind and answered her, one way or the other.

When Rowan finally looked away, she couldn’t help but take that as a sign that he was considering her words, and her heart leapt at the thought. Maybe she wouldn’t end up abandoned and left for dead in this strange, foreign place after all. The sigh that followed seemed equally promising, and a modicum of hope wormed its way into Celia’s chest. When he finally agreed, she had to resist the urge to cheer.

“As you say. I understand” Celia answered hastily, sounding a touch too enthusiastic. She was eager to keep the knight happy, at least until they set off, lest he get annoyed at her disobedience and change his mind. Thankfully, that simple agreement didn’t seem to carry the same binding weight as the promise she had made earlier. She’d be certain to try and heed his advice, of course – he was her guide, after all. Just…within reason.

When the knight finally began to walk again, Celia would fall into step beside him. She’d do her very best to keep pace with Rowan, despite the fact she needed multiple strides to match just one of his. Once they had began walking, she could no longer keep quiet, and finally asked the first question currently sitting at the forefront of her mind.

“So, which way are we going? Uh, that is, where are we actually headed?”

[Midori-Hime]

Rowan met Celia's enthusiasm with a blank stare, simply continuing through the forest. He heard her foot steps beside his, still less than thrilled at the idea of having a companion on his travels. Or at least that's what he told himself. Rowan finally spared her a glance just as she turned to him and asked him a question. He supposed it was a fair question, and unfortunately one he didn't exactly have an answer for.

"To find another place or time when the veil between the worlds is thin." He answered, knowing it would likely spark even more questions. "If we can simply come across one on our own. Or we will have to look for someone who knows where to go." He said cryptically.

As they walked, their footsteps began to crunch on fallen leaves beneath their feet, the leaves of the trees gradually changing to brilliant colors of gold, crimson, copper, and violet. Some branches hung heavy with ripe, glistening fruit that were unlike anything Celia had seen before. It looked like they had walked into perpetual Autumn in a matter of minutes, the breeze suddenly having just the slightest chill to it. But Rowan seemed completely unphased. In fact, he was just the tiniest bit relieved to finally be in his element again.

[Namingtoohard]

“Ah. I see”

Celia’s tone of voice was enough to make it clear that she didn’t entirely understand Rowan’s answer. Even so, she refrained from dumping an unseemly number of questions onto her new travelling partner – in part because she wanted to avoid annoying, lest he change his mind. She spent the time turning over what she did know about this strange new place, and it quickly became clear to Celia just how ignorant she really was. Regardless, the girl was feeling optimistic. She had already passed the first hurdle, and could worry about the rest as it came.

Her eyes were drawn to the trees as the forest began to change around them, shifting from cooler hues to warmer ones. There were familiar colours in there, this time, but that wasn’t to say they were the same. The reds and oranges seemed brighter, somehow. More vibrant than she was used to. The fruit was a totally unique touch, too, well beyond anything she had seen in the human world. Celia stepped away from the knight when she saw them, jogging over to one of the nearby trees.

“Oh, such pretty colours!” she sighed, her tone dreamlike. She grabbed a hold of one of the smaller branches, closer to the ground, and bent it towards her, so that she might get a better view. When she released the branch, it quickly sprung back into its natural place, and her gaze was drawn higher. After a moment of contemplation, Celia leapt for one of the lower-hanging fruit, hoping to pull it from the tree. Even with her hands outstretched, though, the girl fell short – both figuratively and metaphorically. She glared at the thing as if the fruit was somehow at fault, before turning her gaze back towards the knight.

“I don’t suppose I could convince you to help me” she asked, a clear question hidden in her statement. She had, of course, totally neglected to consider whether the fruits were even safe for humans to eat.

[Midori-Hime]

Rowan looked alarmed for a brief moment as she rushed towards the trees, but he calmed and seemed almost... amused as she admired the leaves. Rowan came to a stop, watching her reach out to get a closer look, and realized he had the sudden urge to do the same. In the warm light of dawn, Celia almost looked like she belonged here among the jewel like leaves; Her golden hair was lovely among the colors and he mused that she could have been mistaken for a dryad.

The pixie giggled at Celia's failed attempt at reaching the fruit, to which Rowan shot her a cool look from the corner of his eyes. Even so, the little creature still seemed quite smug. Celia quickly caught his attention once again with her request, and Rowan obliged, stepping over to the tree. With his height, it was easy for Rowan to simply reach up and pluck the fruit from the branch.

He held the glistening, pear-shaped fruit out to Celia, though there was a stern look in his eyes. Just before she could take it from him, Rowan drew back slightly. "Remember, never accept food nor drink from the Fae. Not unless you are sure you can trust them." He warned, looking into her eyes as he held out the fruit once again, curious to see what she would do.

[Namingtoohard]

Caught somewhere between excitement and curiosity, Celia couldn’t help but grin as Rowan took a few measured steps towards the tree, supposedly willing to comply with her request. She took a small step back, her gaze climbing upwards again, towards the brilliant leaves and the fruit hanging amongst them. The human watched as her knight reached up and plucked the lowest hanging fruit as casually as one of her kind might pluck an apple, and she had to resist the urge to clap.

Being in this world was a strange experience for Celia, even beyond the obvious weirdness of the environment. This world presented her with so much newness, so many strange and wonderful things that she could investigate and learn about...and all without the threat of her family’s heavy-handed beatings hanging over her head like a cloud. In that moment, Celia felt like a child who had just stepped into a candy store for the first time, and she wore a smile to match. It was like the dark hand that was gripping her heart had relaxed its grip, even if only a little, buoying her with a lightness that she hadn’t felt in years.

She reached out to take the pear from Rowan when he offered it to her, only to hesitate when he drew it away at the last moment. Celia met his gaze, and listened to his warning in silence for a moment, her lips pressed together into a thoughtful line. After he was done speaking, she reached out to take the strange fruit again, before hesitating once more as she mulled over his words.

“Is that supposed to include you?” she asked, tilting her head to one side slightly as she spoke. Despite the seriousness of what he was trying to impress on her, Celia’s lips curled upwards into a small smile briefly, despite a fighting attempt to try and keep her expression straight. “I’ll be rather upset if you’re teasing me, tangling the fruit in front of me like this, with no intention of actually letting me have it.”

[Midori-Hime]

There was an unreadable expression in his golden gaze. He didn't answer that first question, instead he marveled at the small smile on her lips. What a perplexing woman. "I'm not teasing you... I'm only asking that you heed my words," He explained, but as he did, he held out the fruit once more, handing it over to her.

Once she took it, Rowan almost wanted to watch her take a bite. It was likely to be different than anything she'd tasted before. But instead he turned forward, continuining on his way while Celia followed him. His eyes wandered thier surroundings, trying to determine which route would be the best to take. He glanced back over his shoulder once. It would probably be best to avoid the winter court at all costs, nor did he want to run into the Seelie's territory again. That didn't leave him very many options, or resources for that matter.

[Namingtoohard]

The small grin that Celia wore blossomed into something closer to a full-blown smile when the knight finally relented, handing over the fruit that she so greatly desired. She quickly took it from his hands, and Rowan was momentarily forgotten as she quickly turned her attention to it. The human almost felt like a young child with a new toy as she turned the thing over in her hands, feeling out the strange texture of its skin, and getting a feel for its firmness. After just a brief moment of consideration, she dug her nails into the surface of the strangely coloured fruit, intent on peeling it apart to see what was inside. A part of her even wanted to try taking a bite, just to see what it tasted like. Rowan wouldn’t have allowed her to have the fruit in the first place if it was poisonous, right?

The strange fruit offered a little bit of resistance, but quickly cracked under the pressure she was able to apply. The skin split, letting out a small wisp of something that almost looked like steam. Celia’s eyes widened a little at the sight, and it took all her self-control not to let out a little squeal at the strange colours of the thing’s interior. Celia briefly considered taking a bite, but a quick glance at Rowan was enough to make her pause. Another question sprang to the forefront of her mind, the thought briefly pushed to the side as another drew her attention.

“Don’t tell me that you’re lost” she asked, lips pursed as she eyed the knight gently. The girl stepped up beside him once more, looking up at Rowan. “I really don’t think it bodes well for either of us if the person who is supposed to be playing guide doesn’t know where they are going.”

[Midori-Hime]

Rowan heard the faint cracking of the fruit's skin, the sound of it being pulled apart, and he couldn't help but glance back at Celia. He could seem the look of glee on her face, feeling the urge to squeal practically brimming out of her. It was all very fascinating and he quickly found himself nearly holding his breath while he waited for her to take a bite.

However, she never did, instead lifting her gaze to meet his. He quickly looked away, pretending as if he hadn't just been staring. Though hearing her accusations, he sharply looked back at her with narrowed eyes, not that there was truly any hostility in them... yet. "Excuse me? I'm not lost..." He corrected stiffly, turning to stare straight ahead as she moved to walk beside him.

"I know exactly where I'm going, but this isn't just a simple matter of walking to an entrance to the mortal realm. Faery shifts and changes on a whim. You saw it for yourself... I need to find another portal to bring you back." He explained, a little irritated by her assumptions. A mortal woman of all things, tell him that he didn't know where he was going...