who made you king of anything, edgy-poo! <3

[Rydia]

I HATE TO BREAK TO YOU BABE,
BUT I'M NOT DROWNING
THERE'S NO ONE HERE TO SAVE

Kilika was beautiful. Even with all the travels Rydia had under wing, the summoner could see just how special it was. The people also seemed to be a bit...odd. It seemed that they had once held great respect for summoners - such as herself, which she could see still in the older population. However, most of the youth seemed...completely against summoners. Rydia was still growing accustomed to Spira's ways, but after being in Kilika for a few months she was beginning to recognize names and match them with meanings. Yevon and New Yevon she equated as the same thing, for the difference had never been made clear to her and she felt that asking would not be the wise thing to do. People in Kilika were touchy, and Rydia had no intentions of sparking up any confrontations. She understood the two Yevons to be some form of religion, one that seemed to have summoners grouped up and always related to Yevon or New Yevon. Something Ryda detested having to clear up, for she would not bite her tongue and pretend to have association with an entire culture she knew nothing about simply because most summoners were Yevon folk.

She had also learned about the Youth League, which she actually did have an opinion about. She just chose to curve her tongue about it. To her, the Youth League sounded like a group of pouty children, and she despised how they riled people up to get them into action. They seemed to have missed the lesson about 'peaceful protesting'. Or at least, the 'peaceful' part. Rydia wasn't much for evoking violence, especially the reckless kind. Which the Youth League seemed to do in plenty. The first few days in Kilika, she had to restrain Edge frequently because of the animousity she faced when she revealed she was a summoner. Of course, that was not her only talent, but it was the only one the Youth League infected town seemed to see. If it was even that. Now, staring out of a window in the hut her and Edge were staying at, which was surprisingly a two-story hut, she wondered what Kilika would be classified as. It was almost like an island, but its connection to the Kilika Woods made Rydia wonder.... Since normally people weren't allowed over there, she hadn't had the chance to explore it yet. All she knew, was that there were fiends there up the wazoo, and that the Youth League had once stolen a Sphere from the temple there. Regardless, she was almost completely certain that Kilika was either an island, or an island with a secret that didn't let it be classified as such.

With a sigh, Rydia lifted her head from the palm of her hand. She had been leaning out of the window, watching the people and the tides of the ocean. One arm dangling out, the other propped up on the ledge with her elbow, chin resting in her hand. She stretched her arms up to the ceiling, closing her eyes and groaning with the effort. She had to snap out of her drone-like state, but she was so utterly bored it was nearly impossible. Sure, the rest was fantastic, but Edge was always vanishing and going off somewhere now that everyone had accepted her as a person with no association to anyone. In reality, she did have an association to someone, but that group was not recognized in Spira. Or at least, she hadn't seen any sign of it. Not that it surprised her, since she hadn't known of their existence either. Rydia shook her head, letting her arms drop lazily to her side. Her green eyes flickered around the room before lazily, almost drowzily, wandering out of the hut. She climbed down the ladder that was about a foot or so, give or take, from the door. From there, she followed along a back path until she reached that boardwalk that would take her to the main street.

Her eyes were empty and bored and lazy as she glanced at the people and the stalls and booths of sales until she kept them staring blankly ahead of her. It didn't look it, but every sense she had was paying acute attention to what was going on around her. Rydia seemed to be in trance, her body moving confidently, like someone with a purpose, despite the zombie-like state of her appearance. The truth was, she knew exactly where she was going. She was just incredibly mature and let's not get started on how utterly bored she was. "Miss Rydia!" This took her off guard. Normally, no one called out her name. With one last glance to the gates leading to the Kilika Woods, Rydia turned around to see a little girl with dusky brown hair tied in pigtails, an elderly woman standing behind the booth next to the girl. There was a wide grin on the child's face, and Rydia recognized her. "Hello, Sasa." Rydia greeted, a warm smile gracing her face. "Mrs. Swanne. How's business going?" She asked, nodding her head to the elderly woman behind the booth as she spoke, starting to make her way over to the two.

The entire time, Rydia had that creepy feeling that someone was watching her, though she was used to it. It usually meant that Edge was nearby. He was far too used to being a ninja, and being a prince he tended to want his alone time. Still, she kept the feeling in mind. There was always that chance it wasn't Edge's eyes who were on her.... Normally, Rydia could tell. A warm shiver making her spine tremble meant it was Edge, but a cold and violent shiver meant it was not. Still, she did not show her thoughts or sensations on her face. Sasa's grandmother sold homemade jewlery, and often either had very good sales or no sales at all. Theift was a common threat to them, and their biggest business came with the tourists. But the family was content and grateful with and for what they had, since they all did what they loved. Sasa's mother had taken over the business after her mother retired, but Mrs. Swanne had to return once Sasa's mother died in childbirth, her father had been killed by Sin. Mrs. Swanne smiled and waved her hand carelessly. "Its in the middle today actually. Would you like to take a look Rydia?" She offered. Rydia felt her heart sink to her feet. No, past that. It sank to the bottom of the ocean beneath her feet. She didn't have any money on her, she never carried money. And not only that, she had been attempting to sneak into Kilika Woods to explore....

"C'mon, Miss Rydia! You might see something you like!" Rydia fought the urge to bit her lip nervously at Sasa's pleading. She could never deny the child anything she asked, simply because of their similar pasts. Like Sasa, Rydia had lost her mother when she was a small girl. But she had memories of her mother, faded and blurry though they were, and Sasa will never have that. Rydia gave in, and peeked at the beautiful jewlery displayed on the booth. If she had the money, there was no doubt she would have gladly spent it. But she had been raised in a humble life-style, and rarely ever even accepted money in exchange for the healing services she offered on her travels. She had to admit, asking for one of the beautiful accessories and asking the cost be put on a tab was tempting, especially with one particular bracelet, but Rydia knew better than that. Her eyes were transfixed on the bracelet. It was gold, and displayed a small charm that had a mother of pearl water-element dragon with tiny sapphire studs for eyes. It was almost identical to the Eideon her mother had, the Mist Dragon. It was actually through the death of her mother's dragon partner that her mother's own death had come, for when a summoner's Eideon is killed the summoner died as well. Rydia bit her lip, knowing she had to leave it but feeling like she couldn't. She could almost see Mrs. Swanne's knowing grin, but Rydia could face the guilt of asking for such a favor, not a family who had lost so much already. And so, clearly disheartene, Rydia looked up to Mrs. Swanne, able to meet her gaze regardless of the heavy feeling weighing down her heart. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Swanne...but I can't afford it." She said regretfully, though the knowing twinkle never left the older woman's eyes. She merely shrugged and nodded, indicating it was fine. Rydia then bowed apologetically, patted Sasa on the head affectionatly, and with one final glance at the thin gold bracelet, she turned to leave.

[Edge]

Kilika was beautiful, but Edge was too busy running through it to really notice it's natural charm. What he did see, however, was various scantily clad women with deep tans and free-flowing long hair. It got his blood pumping, made him want to do something cool so that someone, anyone, would notice it. Rydia was going to be annoyed, she seemed to always be annoyed. For some reason, it made him happy that usually she seemed to be pretty calm, but he was able to rile her up, bring some emotion out of her. Either that was a bad thing, or it was a really good thing. It all depended on how you saw things. To Edge, it seemed great, like she was always on the defensive because she was trying to keep herself from falling for him. Then again, what girl wasn't? He had even winked at one of the girls working one of the riverside kiosks a while back and he was pretty sure she actually fainted. Fainted, for him. Edge. That had to be a new record. Smiling to himself at the memory, the man was barely watching when he almost ran straight into the kebab stand in front of him.

The food looked good and suddenly Edge was hungry, he handed the woman five gil and took one of the sticks. It only took him a few seconds before he'd bitten into the kebab. It was great, spicy and sweet at the same time. A few more bites before he was done with it, and he discarded the stick that was left crudely - by tossing it off to the side. There was some type of barbeque sauce all over his cheeks. It wasn't that he ate like a child, it was just hard to eat that type of food while you tried to move silently and quickly. He was doing a good job though, keeping an eye on Rydia. For a moment he was sidetracked by the river, he pulled his mouth covering off and dipped his face in the water, looking around before tying it back on and moving away again. He turned his attention back to Rydia, smirking to himself.

The girl didn't even realize how beautiful she was, or maybe she did and just liked to tease Edge about it. It was actually fine with him, he liked the game. Chasing after her, even her disses were fun. It gave him something to think about at night. Yes, usually it was awfully perverted, and you could tell by the light smirk on his face even while he rested. He stopped in the shadows and watched the exchange between Rydia and the merchants. He raised his eyebrow at the bracelet, wondering why girls always wanted some type of extravagance like that. It was a thin little piece of gold, but for some reason, Edge felt like getting it for her. Because she might just smile at him if he did. That's it. His mind was made up. He trudged from the trees and held out some gil.

"I'll take that bracelet please," The man said, smirking at the woman. Her gaze seemed almost questioning, like she was wondering if he was serious or not. He shook his hand to show her that he actually did have money. She glanced to the side and blinked, almost like he wasn't real. Edge wanted to think that it was because she found him incredibly attractive, but he was beginning to think she was just stupid or something. Finally, she handed him the bracelet and Edge handed her the gil, giving her a two-finger salute before walking off. The man walked quickly so that he could catch up to Rydia and she would be able to see what he'd just purchased, as he planned on teasing her just a little bit before letting her know that he'd actually bought the trinket for her. "Do you think this will look good on me?" Edge asked the green-haired woman, suddenly appearing next to her. She had probably already known he was there, but it didn't matter to him.

His wrist was turned over slightly as he tried to secure the thin gold band, being careful with the charm since he'd really intended it as a gift. For some reason, Rydia's reactions were always something the man looked forward to. At twenty-six, he was just as much a teenager as your average sixteen year old boy, and female attention (most certainly the beautiful kind) was always welcomed and longed for. His eyes drifted to her before he refocused them back on the bracelet. He was actually having quite a hard time with it, it refused to cooperate because just like everything else it probably had it's favorites. It had probably already picked Rydia over him because...Now just wait a minute. Edge almost smacked himself on the forehead for being a moron before dropping the jewelry into a pouch on his belt. "Oh well, it isn't for me anyways.." He said, a slight smirk emerging on his face. He fought it back, but the twinkle was still visible in his eyes.

[Rydia]

I HATE TO BREAK TO YOU BABE,
BUT I'M NOT DROWNING
THERE'S NO ONE HERE TO SAVE

"Do you think this will look good on me?"

Rydia's mind had been so distracted, that even though she thought she had sensed Edge earlier she nearly jumpe out of her skin. Although, it didn't show her on face or in her body language that much. Only a brief stumble in her step and the glare she was now shooting him. She opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about when the sunlight glinted off of something bright and averted her eyes. Rydia nearly stopped walking. There, on his wrist, was the bracelet she had been observing earlier. The one she had longed for but could not purchase, nor bring herself to ask for the favor of taking it and then paying the money back. For a moment, while Edge studied attempted to put it in on - which he was failing miserably at, her eyes were wide with shock and captivated. But not by Edge, by the bracelet. Now that is was closer, it not only looked exactly like her mother's Eideon, it looked familiar. But familiar in a way that made her suddenly want to burst into hysteric tears, something she hasn't done since...well...since her mother died. Just thinking about it again made her throat tighten, but she refused to lose herself in front of Edge. Especially since he was waiting for an answer. But she was too baffled, too dumbfounded. Why had he bought it? Especially if he didn't even know how to put it on! She almost felt like snatching it away from him, but she didn't. Instead, she opened and closed her mouth several - meaning three - times before she could collect herself enough to answer. "I-It's lovely...." She managed, bringing a forced smile to he face. It was visible she was trying to be happy for him, too far out of it to figure out his plan. "It matches your skin." The statements were general, but disheartened and sad in a way. The child within her was making plans to steal it in his sleep, but Rydia's mature mind knew that was too dangerous. The last time she had been near him in his sleep, he had woken up and almost...kissed her. But Edge was always like that, always flirty. So Rydia had simply slapped him and turned her back to him to make a point before going back to sleep. That's what happens when the water is next to him at night and she's thirsty.

"Oh well, it isn't for me anyways.."

She hadn't noticed her eyes had drifted away to the board beneath their feet until they suddenly snapped back up at Edge. Almost making her mind whirl and her balance be lost with dizzyness. But of course, the key word there was 'almost'. Rydia's eyes were wide again, but this time focused on Edge, a glimmer of hope just beneath the surface. Edge's smirk, and the twinkle in his eyes, gave him away. And Rydia suddenly became like a child again, a wide and bright child-like grin spreading around her face. Like a young child who had just woken up to their richest birthday ever. She knew his game now, but was too excited and pleasantly surprised to be coy in return, which really just end in her winning again. Sometimes, she pleased herself in teasing Edge. Revenge one might call it, and it was oh-so sweet. Of course, her seductive teasings didn't happen very often, only when he was holding something back from her that she wanted. Like food, water, a tome, or some other trinket. Rydia also had an affinity for moogle dolls, which he would regularly take from her or buy her new ones and then proceed to wave them in front of her face. Rydia's first reaction is panic, then anger. Then she just lures him in, makes him think he's winning, before snatching it away. It works everytime, and it even got her blood pumping. She knew it had to excite Edge to some extent, flirty as he was, otherwise he really wouldn't do it anymore. But Rydia did not do that now, the bracelet had a whole different meaning to her than any moogle doll. "R-Really? Who's it for then?" She asked, at least managing to go along with it a little bit. Though it was clear that she knew his game now. It hadn't clicked in her head that may have to tease him to get it from him, she hadn't even considered that. She figured that if he had bought it as a gift, even to her, then he would at least have the decency and honor not to make her work for it. Gifts were free, right? It was around that time, waiting eagerly and gayly for Edge's response, that she felt it. The violence of it nearly frightened her, but Rydia rarely felt fear anymore.

A bone-chilling shiver crawled down her spinal cord, though she ignored it for the time-being. She was intent and determined to keep her focus one-hundred percent on Edge, it was the least she could do. Though she was now also alert, and the slightest twitch of her fingers showed that. She wished she turn around, see who was watching her. All she knew was that she couldn't look away. Even the slightest distraction would give Edge a chance to damage the bracelet in a fight because he forgot about it. Rydia never forgot how utterly reckless he could be at times. Through willing herself to stay intently focused on Edge's face - namely his eyes - she soon found herself unable to pull away even if she wanted to. Rydia could not longer tell if they were walking, nor feel the repeated up-and-down crawl of her shiver of warning along her spine. Her vision only saw Edge's face, but gradually narrowed to seeing only his eyes. She couldn't feel their feet moving anylonger, and guessed they had stopped. The crawling coldness along her back intensified, though at the same time she felt nothing. Even the bracelet was merely a nagging thought attempting to push through now. Now, it was only Edge, and his eyes, and his closeness. The gentle quake of his body that matched his heartbeat, his scent, the tone of his skin, the air that surrounded him, his aura. She found herself consumed by him, and for once understood how someone could fall so easily for him. But I won't! Her rebellious mind, the piece that was still conscious, declared. It snapped Rydia out of her trance, though there was no change or sign that it had ever happened. She noticed that they had in fact, stopped moving. She her body gave a slight start at the abruptness the trance had ended. Part of her wanted to go back, but even as she held his gaze steadily with her's, still waiting on his response, she did not.

[Edge]

Edge had considered it before, being more intense. His gaze could be intense, but so could Rydia's, and whenever they were stuck in moments like this, she normally won. By way of Edge giving up in the form of some lame joke or some flirty comment. He couldn't help it. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure whether it was that he was afraid of commitment or that he felt like he had other obligations to his kingdom, or anything else for that matter. Anything other than what he was afraid of, which was being captivated, for lack of a better word. "I-It's lovely...." Edge watched her, raising one of his platinum eyebrows. Was that lust he saw in her eyes? And more importantly, was it lust for him, or the bracelet. Rydia could be so strange sometimes. Was it still too hard for her to tell that he was just teasing her? He wanted to burst out laughing right there. "It matches your skin." His eyebrow lowered and he smirked his thank you before actually letting it fall from his mouth. "Thanks," He was going to add that it would look better on her, but the look she was giving him made him decide otherwise. Another part of him wanted to add that she could always search him for it, but Edge didn't feel like getting hit again. Rydia packed a punch, despite her small frame. It was one of the things he liked about her. As pointed out before, the summoner didn't just give in to his whims, which drove him crazy, and made him even crazier for her.

He had her now. Her eyes were watching him, wondering, the same way he used to when he was a child on his birthday. The slow, simmering smirk slid across his face again. But then it was over. Rydia knew, and he could tell by the sudden brightening of her face. Damn. There was going to be no more keeping it from there, or was there? Edge leaned closer, trying to read her face. The woman wasn't giving anything away and that frustrated him. "R-Really? Who's it for then?" Yes! He still had her where he wanted her. He thought. A laugh escaped his lips and he placed his fists on her hips. "I dunno," He replied quizzically, rolling his eyes from the trees to Rydia's face slowly. He was finding eye-contact increasingly difficult due to the fact that he really wanted to give in. She deserved it, and it was a gift, and he wanted her to think - to know - that he truly cared about her. Wait.. What the hell was he saying? Instead, of doing any of the things he had planned on doing, he leaned in ever so slightly and smiled at her, hoping to get her to turn away first this time. Rydia's scent was delicious, almost enough to make his mouth water. It made him feel like a dog, almost, or a fox. He liked to think of himself as a fox better. Sounded cooler.

This was intense. The moment, their gazes, it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up straight. He took a step and held out one of his arms, placing it on the tree beside Rydia, as if he were making sure she couldn't escape. Still, his gaze never left her eyes. No one ever would have guessed how hard it was for him to do this. He wanted to laugh, tell her that he was joking and hand her the bracelet. Maybe she would let him fasten it for her. Or at least she wouldn't kill him or anything. He tilted his head to the side slightly, simply because it made it easier for him. It actually looked a lot like Edge was going to kiss Rydia, or try, like he had that night a while ago. He leaned in and let his eyes trail up and down the slender curve of her throat, the way her hair fell. She was gorgeous, easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. His lips were literally inches from hers, and the urge to connect the two was overwhelming. It took every part of him to fight it. Should he? No other guy in there right mind would have. But Edge didn't want her to run from him, he didn't want her to leave.

Lifting his hand, he ran his fingers over her throat before bringing his eyes back to hers. Edge leaned in a little further until the lips just touched before he turned his head so that they merely grazed. Opening the pouch on his belt, the man pulled out the bracelet. "I think this belongs to you, fairest in the land." He added a wink on the end of that, and a wicked smile before taking her wrist in his palm and clasping it easily. See? It was clear that the bracelet did hate him! He almost growled but instead turned an amused expression back to Rydia. "You didn't really think I'd keep it from you, did you?" He asked teasingly, leaning against the tree more. One foot moved behind the other, in case she swung on him. There could be a chance that she would still slap him, or worse, stab him or something. Ehh.. Better take another step back. The smile stayed on his face while he distanced himself carefully, shaking out his hair. "Surely you know me better by now?" Edge asked, adding another taunt to the conversation.

[Rydia]

I HATE TO BREAK TO YOU BABE,
BUT I'M NOT DROWNING
THERE'S NO ONE HERE TO SAVE

"I think this belongs to you, fairest in the land."

When Rydia was made aware of Edge's movements, she immediately wished she wasn't. It didn't show until their lips were just barely touching, but her heart was pounding hard against her chest. She would never have admitted it, but when their lips just merely grazed, or really the fabric covering his mouth grazed her lips, she yearned for more and resented the fact that she didn't get it. It took every once of self-restraint in Rydia's reserve of will power to not pull down Edge's face covering and pull their lips together, and the plan ad restraint was visible in her eyes. She even physically swallowed, trembling with a warm shiver when Edge's fingers grazed her throat. She had to even stop her eyes from fluttering and her breath from quickening, that would give him too many ideas. She knew him too well. Rydia had to force herself not to bite her lower lip when he pulled back, as that would show her dissapointment and surely bring Edge back. Which was what she wanted, wasn't it? It was. She knew that. But Rydia was too afraid.... After seeing friends betray friends and countries be destroyed in the name of lust and love, Rydia was afraid of admitting to it. For a brief heartbeat, the fear was in her eyes. The grief of the loss of her mother. She blinked when Edge addressed her, his voice like smooth silk or comforting hot cocoa on an antartic day. It soothed her, and she felt almost like she was blinking back tears though she knew it not to be so. Rydia gasped and blinked downwards at her hand when he lifted it, fastening the bracelet to her wrist. Graciously missing his wicked smile. Not that she would have noticed anyway. There was something so...hauntingly familiar about the bracelet. She just couldn't shake the feeling. In the far recesses of her memory, she could hear the soft clinging of its metal; but for the life of her, she could not place it. It was about to drive her to the brink of insanity when Edge's voice pulled her back in again.

"You didn't really think I'd keep it from you, did you?" ... "Surely you know me better by now?"

Yes, for a moment she had thought that. Thought that she would have to 'coax' him into giving it to her. And yes, she did know him better. Or at least, she hoped she did. But this...proves I do.... Doesn't it? In Rydia's mind, the part that wanted to push away everything, it did but it didn't. He had teased her after all, and almost kissed her. Again. He could just have easily asked something of her he knew she would not give.... Though it nearly made Rydia physically shudder to think he would, since she knew him well enough to know that Edge kept those ideas to his dreams. Especially if he knew what was good for him. Although, she liked to think that maybe he respected her for a different reason.... Though Rydia would never let such a fantasy get too out of control. She knew that, even if he did, she could not let it work out. In her heart, she was too afraid for him. Was it because of her enemies? Or because summoners here were unwanted? She had no idea at the moment, she only knew that she was, in some strange and painfully twisted way, only trying to protect him. Rydia realized that he was stepping away from her, and she couldn't help but giggle at this. So his memory is functional.... She noted, grinning at Edge with an amused expression. "Relax," she said simply, "I'm not going to hurt you." Though she knew Edge's memory would serve to tell him otherwise, she hoped he would believe her. She had no intention of slapping him this time. In fact, she had just as much intention to that as she had to tell him to kiss her, that she wanted it. Yearned for it. Which was absolutely none. She would never let on that he had won, even in some small way.

Rydia turned softly, gently, and quietly on her heels, her shoes making hardly any sound, to face Edge completely. One hand tenderly around the bracelet that now rested lightly on her wrist, accenting it beautifully though she hadn't spent much time admiring it yet. Even when she did, it be more the dragon charm than the chain that she admired, though how it glinted in the sun was both blinding and distracting. Cautiously, Rydia took a few steps toward Edge and closed the gap between them, eyeing him closely, considering him and she was about to do. Rydia had to use immense self-control not to draw in a sharp breath and just do it, right there. Just wrap her arms around his neck and lift her lips to his. Face covering and all. Hidden behind the wall in her eyes, she considering this. Actually, seriously, considered this. But she left him - and in someways, herself - guessing. Ever-so slightly and slowly, Rydia lifted herself on her toes, bringing him within kissing distance. For a brief moment, though it felt like an enternity, it looked like Rydia was now the one who was going to slip and kiss Edge. Her eyes flittered across his face, always returning to his eyes and lips specifically. As if she could see through the cloth blocking his lips from her's. Her face leaned in - nah, her whole body - and she rested her palms on his chest. Their lips could not even have been considered centimeters apart, the pounding racing of her heart actually making her body move with it at a rate it could be detected by touch. It really looked like she was going to do it, her eyes were even closing ever-so-slowly. As her last chance came to pull away, Rydia forced herself to take it. Instead of resting her lips against Edge's, she rested her head on the top of his shoulder, nestled nicely against the crook of his neck. Her arms were wrapping around his neck still, as best as she could manage, and her eyes closed tightly, but she wasn't kissing him. And, though she didn't want to admit it, she yearned to be. Ached to be held by him and kissed by whenever either of them had the whim. But thou shalt not give in to temptations.

Rydia was not only using to hug to excuse her actions, she was using her hair and his shoulder to hide her scarlet red blush. The hand with the bracelet held her other wrist tightly with frustration, she had missed the perfect opportunity! But the painfully visible blush on her face held her there, and would until she felt it begin to at least dim. Her heart still pounding, and with each thump against her ribcage their bodies grazed each other. Not to mention she was trembling. But these were signs that - while they did nothing to help - she would much rather have Edge detect than her blush. Those signs could be excused as good acting, a blush was something Rydia had never been able to fake. If he saw it, it would only be proof of how much she had wanted to go through with her actions. I'm sorry.... She wanted to say. I'm so sorry...but I just...I just can't. But now, Rydia was beginning to wonder if that was even true. Still, there was somethin else she had to say to Edge. Something that the gentle glisten of the sun against the gold chain and the two sapphire studs and the mother-of-pearl dragon reminded her of. "Thank you Edge...." She murmured, the exhaustion from her over-exertion of self-control making her voice tremble and quake worse than she was, making her pause for a moment to collect herself. "Thank you so much." She said again, wondering if her voice and body would ever stop shaking. If her blush and the imprint of this day would ever really fade at all. She wished she had someone to talk to.... Like a mother, or older sister, or Rosa. But they were all either gone or far out of reach. Rosa was queen now, married with a son, and she could not travel with Rydia and Edge. Not without Cecil, who as king simply could not leave, and not as a 'third-wheel'. If you could even call it that.

Rydia decided to try again, deciding that maybe, just maybe, her body liked her as much as the claspe of the bracelet had. "I know that you...probably don't understand right now...." Nope, her body hated her. "But this bracelet...it means a lot to me. Maybe one day I'll...I'll tell you a story that might make it clearer. Okay?" Rydia hated to be the one to break the easiness of the mood, if you could even call that. But now she found herself wondering. Wondering if Edge knew about what had happened when she was a child, why she was older now than she was so little time ago. She couldn't recall telling him about her mother, but she was certain he knew about the island and the Leviathan, and how the island had advanced her aging process. She had buried the death of her mother far back enough that she would never talk about it again but not so far back that she didn't remember. Everyday, she found a way to remember. Rydia would freak if she ever forgot her mother's face, but sadly it wasn't a question of 'if'. It was merely a question of 'when'. All other memories of her mother were long ago buried, far too deep for Rydia to ever be able to bring up again, even if she wanted to. But now, she felt like she at least owed Edge the story. Even if Cecil or Rosa told it to him already. Most likely, if anyone had said anything it would have been Cecil. After all, he had not only been there, but he was the one who had killed Rydia's mother.... Though Rydia forgave him, he could not have known. After taking a deep breath to steady herself - and praying that Edge didn't detect it - Rydia let herself slid down from Edge. It was a very slow process, because in all honesty she didn't want to leave the warmth of his closeness. But her blush had faded to a soft shade of pink and could now be excused for a more innocent embarrassment - though it was unlikely - and her racing heart had calmed considerably. Rydia was very efficient at recovering her self-control, which she proved daily. Though she wished she didn't have to. She wished she was still innocently oblivious like a child, at least to the extent where she would have the bravery to let Edge know how she really felt.... But even now, smiling warmly at him, she knew she could not. And that saddened her a great deal.

Rydia's eyes were locked on Edge's for a long time before lowering to her bracelet, lifting her wrist as she did so. She admired it for a moment, holding it up the sun without leaving Edge's arm length. She watched as the colors danced on the mother-of-pearl body of the dragon, and the sapphires glinted in the sunlight. It almost looked like it was winkin at her, and that made her smile longingly. But then, it was gone. And replaced with a mockingly arrogant smirk. Rydia crossed the arm that was not decorated across her waist, turning her body away from Edge's without moving away. Still holding the wrist with the bracelet up to her eye-level. "As for your questions, of course I know you better than that!" She retorted smoothingly, her tone matching her smirk. It was delayed a geat deal, but better late than never. And she spoke as if not time had passed at all. "I knew you would give in eventually," she added in the next breath, "you can never resist me for very long." She teased, outwardly having fun though her mind was heavy and troubled. There, she thought, moment successfully broken. She was becoming increasingly good at that, but she didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She thought it was becoming a very bad habit that she had to break. But just as the atmosphere was - somewhat - lifting, it happened again. But this time, it shook her to her knees. There was something evil about the aura she was sensing, either through intention or something else, but it was unmistakable sinister. Rydia struggled to her feet again, looking around now to try and place where the eyes watching her were. Her body was tense, and her fists clenched. And, despite what had just happened between them - or maybe because of what had just happened between them, Rydia took a step back. Seeking shelter and...comfort -of all things - from Edge's closeness. She wanted to tell him what was wrong, but she was so shaken by the severity of the wave of negative energy that had hit her, she found she could not speak. Her body trembling in fear, but not for herself. For the people of Kilika. And, especially, for Edge.

[Edge]

Edge sighed. God he was a coward. Rubbing his hand on the back of his neck, the man watched Rydia carefully. He was near her a lot. Like, all the time a lot. Why was it so hard for him to make physical contact? Of course, if he kept making bonehead moves like forgetting to remove his face mask before attempting to kiss a girl, he would never get anywhere. Then again, he'd never actually intended to kiss her. Had he? Besides, Edge thought the mask made him look better. More mysterious. Why did his mind seem to constantly wonder? Was he forcing himself to think about other things so that his mind wasn't constantly on her? Or was he truly just a selfish jerk? The last one seemed more probable, but to save face, he decided to go with the first. And to be honest, Edge did think about Rydia a lot. Much more than he thought about a lot of other things. To make it worse, his mind rambled like a faucet that he just couldn't turn off. Like, what she might be thinking of him at the time, and why exactly had she not hit him yet. He even liked when she did hit him, because it was some type of physical contact. Sure, it made him seem like a sex-starved teenage boy, but he was far from it. There were no other woman's hand he would tolerate, just Rydia's.

But those infernal strikes to the face were a dead giveaway that Edge could make Rydia feel something. He had yet to determine whether it was love or hate, longing or true disgust that she was feeling. Maybe she just didn't want to give in to her feelings, much like he actually didn't. That was why they couldn't have 'a moment.' His attention span, and dare he even think...Insecurities, seemed to get the better of him. Way to go Rydia, another part of him you were stealing. His confidence. His smile seemed to fade just from the thought, but it reappeared in a mere moment. "Relax," Rydia told her, and he leaned against the tree in the most aloof manner that he could manager. "I'm not going to hurt you." Edge laughed, "What makes you think I'm worried about that?" He said in mock frustration, puffing out his chest before laughing and releasing all the air. "You can't hurt me, I just...Pretend, that's all. And I'm good at it." That was, of course, a lie. But there was no need for her to know that, even if she probably already did anyway.

Whoa. Wait, what was happening? Edge's eyes grew wide for a split second as Rydia closed the gap between them. He almost asked her, asked her what she was doing and if she was sure she wanted to be doing so. It was surprising, considering he made all the moves generally. He wondered if she were messing with him, and was going to hit him any time. The man even sucked in air because of it. He hardened himself, his abs, to be specific, in case she wanted to strike. But the next thing he knew, she was on her tiptoes, preparing to kiss him. Edge's eyelids lowered slowly, as if he was getting ready himself. It was then that he noticed that his heart was pounding, and wondered if hers was too, and maybe they were pounding together, at the same time. Then she rejected him. It may have been just a hug the entire time, but it sure felt a whole lot like rejection. He tried to shake it off, tried not to let it touch him, as her head lowered to his shoulder, he smiled. The smile was sad, hardly even a half-one, and there was no twinkle in his eye. Only disappointment. He wrapped his arms around her waist anyway, squeezing softly to let her know that it was okay, that he'd bounce back. Edge didn't want her to see the disappointment on his features. It was going to be alright, for both of them.

"Thank you Edge...." Edge rubbed his hand up and down her back slowly, because he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Not yet. He swallowed hard, trying to find the right words. The truth was, he didn't want a thank you, he wanted the damn kiss. But he wouldn't let her know that, because he was trying himself to forget it. Smiling slightly, he listened as she repeated herself. "Thank you so much." This time, he would have to say something. It could be read as something else if he didn't, but he still couldn't bring himself to. With one final swallow, he laughed. "Don't get so worked up Rydia, if I minded I wouldn't have bought it. Trust me." Now she might actually hit him, and even he thought he deserved it. The moment was so perfect. So perfect, and now he had ruined it. He regretted the decision instantly, as he illustrated by the fact that he bit his bottom lip. Why was Rydia so difficult? Edge wanted to blame it in Rydia, simply because she had started the whole thing, but never finished it. But the man figured he should have owned up to something. Only, he didn't really want to. He smiled again and squeezed once more, thinking about kissing her on the forehead or something like that. Finally, Edge decided that only a kiss to the lips would be sufficient, however. So as quickly as it came, the consideration was gone.

"I know that you...probably don't understand right now...." Edge cocked an eyebrow and leaned in to listen to what she was explaining to him, wondering if it would be some explanation for why she hadn't wanted to kiss him. "But this bracelet...it means a lot to me. Maybe one day I'll...I'll tell you a story that might make it clearer. Okay?" He sighed. No explanation. He simply nodded, wondering why...Why what he didn't know, there were so many. Why was she telling him this, why didn't she want to kiss him, and finally..What did the necklace mean? Wait, that was a 'what', not a 'why'. This girl was so complex, just a jumble of complexities. He smiled at her again, trying to make it more genuine. But it wasn't. At least not if Rydia were truly looking. He lifted his hand and ran his fingers over her chin, deciding to reaffirm his nod from earlier. "Sure thing Rydia," The man answered, lowering his hand and looking around. He was running out of things to say. He had noticed her blush, he noticed everything about her, but wrote it off because he didn't want to embarrass her, like he thought he'd previously done.

"As for your questions, of course I know you better than that!"

Edge cocked his eyebrow again, leaning forward so that their faces were closer again. The arrogance was so unlike Rydia, and so..Hot. "I knew you would give in eventually," The man got closer, a smirk forming on his lips. "you can never resist me for very long." Wow. Edge smirked, looking around before settling his gaze on Rydia. "Oh really?" He said teasingly, tilting his head slightly to the side. "Because I think you can't resist me." With that he took her chin in his palm again before pulling down his face covering and pressing his lips to her cheek. Once he pulled away, he covered his mouth again and winked before patting Rydia on the shoulder and walking past her to head to another booth. But he stopped. "Rydia?" He turned and looked and looked at his companion. "Rydia?!" He stooped down next to her and wrapped his arms around her. What was going on? Edge was worried, and didn't know whether to start fighting or yell for help. "Do you need help?" Damn. This day was going downhill fast.

[Rydia]

I HATE TO BREAK TO YOU BABE,
BUT I'M NOT DROWNING
THERE'S NO ONE HERE TO SAVE

"Oh really?" ... "Because I think you can't resist me."

Everything was so unexpected. Again, Rydia felt her heart flutter, and her pulse quicken. Though, as always, she made a desperate attempt to change the subect. She didn't know why she was so afraid of being straight forward with Edge, it seemed to her that they were both struggling with something that prevented either one to finish making a move. But as she turned around, mouth open to make a snappy, angry retort at what he said, though she wasn't, she was taken even more off guard. "Now you look here-!" And that was it. Just like that, with Edge palm holding her chin and his face suddenly in a very close proximity to her own, she was frozen in time with no hope of ever coming back. And she didn't exactly want to either. If her heart was racing before, it was damn near bursting as he pulled down his face covering. This is it, she thought, this is where it happens. And she wasn't completely wrong either. Though it was only a kiss to the cheek, it was intoxicating. She had to ball her hands into fists to keep herself from bringing his lips to her's, but she restrained herself. Her eyes were widened with shock regardless, and her mouth still left open in mid-sentence. Her face was burning, and she knew she just had to blushing madly, the place on her lips where his had grazed her's through his face covering seemed to be on fire it tingled so intensely. And now her cheek was added to that mix. She couldn't believe the audacity Edge had, to do something so bold in broad daylight! But another part of her couldn't believe that he didn't have enough audacity to take it a bit further.... Rydia was so confused, she felt like she wouldn't be able to tell up from down for quite some time. It was a bliss she had never experienced before, especially since it came with a hint of stress. Which she felt was no longer entirely coming from her anymore, making her want to blame Edge entirely. For everything. But Rydia was more mature than that. Though as he started to walk away, leaving her standing there dumbfounded, it was very tempting. On the other hand, she didn't have much time to concern herself with it.

"Rydia?" ... "Rydia?!" ... "Do you need help?"

Edge's voice.... She was standing now, though she leaned against him, she couldn't help it. Rydia sought comfort from him, and found it when he wrapped his arms around her. His concern frightened her a little though, but not by much. Edge was only worried for her, he had no idea what she was sensing in the air, the aura that smacked her to her knees. Rydia sighed quietly as she leaned against him, though her chest heaved a great deal. She rested her head against his chest, waiting for the buzzing to leave her head and the ringing in her ears to silence. Only when they did, did she respond. "Someone's watching us." She croaked, her voice hoarse and her throat suddenly dry. She swallowed and cleared her throat before she continued. "The aura is negative, so I think we should move before-" But she was too late. Now, the aura was close enough that she recognized it...she just couldn't place it. The gold chain of her bracelet suddenly felt like it was on fire, but she ignored it. There were more pressing things at hand. "Well, well, well...if it isn't Rydia." That voice.... It sent a violent shiver down her spine, and not in a good way. Not at all. She knew that voice, and her hands latched onto Edge's arms tightly. Praying it wasn't who she thought it was. "It's been a while, hasn't it? I think I last saw you in...Baron?" Rydia felt a growl rise in her throat, though she forced it down. It was him. He was behind Edge, so Rydia had to leave Edge's arms to face him, though she never let go of his hand. She squeezed it for support, hoping that she would have the ability to deal with this calmly. "Hello, Jaro," she responded coldly, her voice dripping with a rarely-heard venom, "I agree it has a been quite some time. Though in my opinion, it has not been long enough." She spat. This was so unlike her.... Normally, she was completely in control and collected. But this man...and their pasts...she despised him too much to care for self-control most of the time. But she restained herself as much as possible, for Edge. The man burst out laughing then, though there was something dark and malicious behind it. "No! I imagine not!" He agreed, laughing like she had been joking to an old friend.

"To you, forever would never be long enough."

Jaro added, a coy and twisted smirk arising on his features. It made Rydia narrowed her eyes spitefully and wish she could hurl herself at him right then and there. But she knew better than to mess with Jaro when he was expected it. His mastery over magic far exceeded her own, as her own were restricted to spells. Powerful ones yes, but he could manipulate darkness in ways Rydia could not. Despite both of them being masters of black magic, he was still on a different level than she was. "Exaxtly," she hissed, "glad we agree." She was losing her temper, she was already seething. And depending on Edge to hold her back was senseless and not to mention pointless. Jaro started approaching them again, and before Rydia could swat him away with her free hand, he was grasping the wrist of that hand, his face within inches from her's. But the feeling was completely different from what she felt when Edge was in that very same position, and in a negative way. Jaro's scent made Rydia sick to her stomach, though she didn't doubt that other women found it intoxicating. But only one could pull her in with his eyes...and Jaro was not him. Rydia didn't bother controlling her sneer, leaning her head back to try to escape Jaro's proximity and stench. She hoped Edge would step in, because she did she could end up destroying the entire town. She was that urked, that pissed off, that Jaro had even bothered approaching her. And then, another consideration popped into her head.... What if Jaro had been following her all this time? And only came up not because it was beneficial to him? Regardless, Rydia had a feeling that she could seek shelter in Kilika Woods, though she refused to go there now. Not without Edge at her side. "Why don't you back off, Jaro?" She spat hatefully, hoping he would take the obvious hint before either her or Edge took action. But the man only smirk and leaned his head in closer, completely ignoring Edge's presence. "Now, now, my little firefly, you don't really want me to go away now, do you?" He taunted. There was something about Jaro's voice that made Rydia feel incredibly nauscious. Rydia wrinkled her nose to make her point. "Well...yeah actually, I do." She retorted. Praying that he would leave or something. Something had to give, and she didn't want to end up murdering this man. Despite their 'unpleasant' past, and that word didn't even quite fit it right. There wasn't enough despair and senseless destruction in it. Rydia narrowed her eyes in a way that read: leave now, before I kill you. Though she doubted that would be enough to make Jaro turn around and leave Kilika. Though him leaving Spira would be even better.

[Edge]

Edge didn't want to think about his feelings, whatever they may have been, for Rydia. He wanted to be as confrontation-less as possible about the whole situation, even if on the inside, he was dying to be a man and sweep her off her feet. Until he gathered up the courage, however, he would have to keep feeling her out to see if she had feelings for him or not. Because Rydia could be straight up cold sometimes, or at least Edge thought so. Perhaps it was only the fact that she hated him, or liked him, but whatever it was made him worry. In certain ways, their easygoing flirting took the pressure off of him, so that he didn't have to worry about committing to anything anytime soon, but in other ways, the man worried about just how much of it was sincere. Still, he kept his poker face on and smiled through his insecurity, because the great Prince Edge could never admit to having them anyway. It wouldn't look good with the image he'd used so much of his time creating. Not to mention the hordes of girls he usually got. One look into his eyes or a raised eyebrow and they usually came running, except for Rydia, which half pissed him off and half intrigued him, like everything else about her. She was one frustrating little package. All wrapped up in one big veil of mystery, which made Edge even more curious-slash-pissed. But there was definitely something between them, something that everyone else saw but the two experiencing it would say nothing about. It wasn't because they were dramatic or just that oblivious (okay, so Edge had his moments), it was simply because they were stubborn. At least, Edge was. He absolutely refused to move unless she did, and obviously, she was doing very much the same.

"Now you look here-!"

Edge paused and turned, raising an eyebrow as if questioning the air that her statement was hanging in, instead of the girl herself. Everything else happened so quickly that Edge could barely think, or breathe, before his arms were around her, his hand gently caressing the upper part of her back. The only thing he knew to do in this situation, since he had no idea what to say. "Someone's watching us." For a moment, Edge thought Rydia was losing it. He lifted his head and scanned the area, trying to find anyone who looked out of place, but all he could see were the merchants and various tourists and locals. They were easy to tell apart from the confusion on the tourists faces and their completely uncalled for outfits, either much too layered or not enough, like they couldn't pick an extreme. The man lowered his head, ready to ask Rydia just what she was talking about before she spoke again. "The aura is negative, so I think we should move before-" Edge jerked his head back upward at the sound of the voice, and turned as Rydia did, not letting the fact that she was still holding his hand phase him. There didn't need to be anything readable on his face but a definite attitude problem, which he did have, after the interruption. "I agree it has a been quite some time. Though in my opinion, it has not been long enough." Edge himself was taken aback by the tone of her voice, she sounded as though she could have ripped the man to shreds simply using her speech. In a different moment, it would have been something Edge probably would have found slightly cute, just because he'd never heard it before, but right now, it worried him. Something was definitely off about this man, and the glare on Edge's face showed that his opinion of him was just as low as Rydia's.

The next words from the man's mouth made Edge sick. Who the hell did he think he was, talking to her like that? His mouth was dry, he had no idea how to respond, or if she even wanted him to. Women could be so indecisive at times, so Edge decided to hang back because she seemed to be handling it well on her own. "Exaxtly," ... "glad we agree." He heard her say, barely. He was too confused and angry to really listen. If he stepped up, she may get mad and think that he thought that she couldn't handle it...But if he didn't, she might think he didn't care. Which he definitely did, and you could see it on his face. A low growl suddenly escaped Edge's throat when the man stepped forward and took her wrist, and instantly he tightened his grip on Rydia's hand while placing his other hand on the handle of his sword. "Why don't you back off, Jaro?" There was that tone again, that scared Edge half to death but made him wonder exactly what was going on in front of him. "Well...yeah actually, I do." Edge glared and finally decided he couldn't take anymore. Whatever consequence that was going to come with his next action, he would have to take. His boot moved forward, and before he could think about moving the other one, he had sandwiched himself between Rydia and Jaro and showed the man the way that he meant business by running his fingers over the handle of the sword. It was still sheathed, but he could pull it out in a moment and have Jaro's head rolling into the river. "She said back off.." He hissed, gritting his teeth slightly at the end of the sentence. "Now go. Or go in pieces." He wasn't trying to sound cool, but he probably would have written that down if he had been.

[Rydia]

I HATE TO BREAK TO YOU BABE,
BUT I'M NOT DROWNING
THERE'S NO ONE HERE TO SAVE

"She said back off.."

Rydia tried to hide it as best she could, though the flicker of a second where her face was hidden she showed her relief. Though her expression hardened immediately when Jaro came into view again. Man, she just never wanted to see that face again. "Now go. Or go in pieces." Rydia flashed a grin, but it was only there for a moment. She couldn't help it, the rate Edge caught on was surprising. He seemed to have just as low an opinion of Jaro as Rydia did, and he didn't even know the story. The glint in Jaro's eyes sent foreboding chills crawling down her spine. She didn't like the way Jaro was eyeing Edge, sizing him up, then how he glanced at her.... It made her feel sick. Be careful. She mentally pleaded, squeezing Edge's hand though making sure Jaro could not see the gesture. Please.... Edge's temper was not unknown to her, and while she was grateful for the intervention - as it ensured Rydia wouldn't have to blow Kilika off the map - she still reserved the right to be concerned about Edge. He was, after all, a catastrophe waiting to happen. No matter how strongly she felt about him. But now, Rydia tried to force everything she felt for Edge down. She couldn't allow her emotions to cloud her judgement. And not only that, magic fed off of emotion. It was a fundamental and incredibly basic rule. Rydia couldn't afford to get too fired up, not anymore than she already was. She had mastery over black magic, white magic, and was a summoner. She could't afford for Jaro to manipulate her emotions too much. Her focus had to remain on breathing now, and on Jaro. She needed to be ready, as well as keep control. But she was relieved to see she wouldn't have to for much longer.

Jaro's eyes returned to Edge's, and he seemed to be staring him down. It felt like forever, but as soon as his gaze drifted from her's, she knew. Rydia knew Jaro, despite how much she didn't want to. She knew his body language, and that was what was terrifying her now. Jaro sneered, letting out a huff of a laugh. To anyone else, he would like he was ready to start a fight. But Rydia knew him better, knew that he knew better. "You know, I actually prefer it this way." Jaro growled, bringing out a growl and a glare from Rydia. Was it possible to hate one entity so thoroughly? Jaro started to walk backwards, keeping his eyes on Edge until he turned around. Blending in immediately with the people in the area. Rydia released the breath she had not known she had been holding, and right away she rewarded with a splitting migrain. "Let's go." She said, clearly not making a suggestion. Rydia began to tug Edge in the opposite direction, towards Kilika Woods. She didn't stop until they reached the large, guarded gate, which now brought out a hiss of frustration from her. She would have found great pleasure in blowing it to smitherins. Instead, she swiftly turned and led Edge to the side, where they were hidden by shadows. She stopped for a moment, leaning against the gate with Edge not even centimeters away from her. They were wedged between a the wall of a 'richer' hut and the gate. Rydia practicing breathing exercises to bring her temper down to a controlable level and to - hopefully - berid herself of her headache. Rydia just couldn't understand why her heart was pounding faster now, as though she had run there. Really, it was more like power-walking. But that wasn't enough to leave her breathless. Rydia only had to glance at Edge to understand it, realize not only how close he was but also that her hand still held. She felt her face grow hot and knew she was blushing, but she instantly turned her face, trying to conseal it.

"C'mon." She said, pulling Edge towards the far corner of the little makeshift alley, making sure to not give him a chance to mention he blush. At least, not yet. "There's a way in here." She added, though she conviently left out why she wanted to go into the woods in the first. After all, not only was it roped off, it was dangerous. Filled with fiends and sometimes your occasional crazed man. Rydia started tapping on the gate before she found a spot that made a different sound, a hollow one. She pushed there, and a piece of the gate fell out. Heck, its more like a fortress made of logs! Rydia sneered, rolling her eyes at the simplicity involved in sneaking past the Youth League. She really hated such arrogant stupidity. Rydia slid in through the opening, no longer holding Edge's hand, and covered up the spot as soon as he followed her. She quickly made her way into the cover of the thick forest, and didn't stop until she came up to a river. Rydia leaned against a tree and closed her eyes, breathing heavily from how fast her heart was pounding earlier. And not because of Jaro. Rydia kept her senses alert, listening for Edge, waiting for the sensation of his presence. Of his closeness. She would never admit to it, but she already missed how their hands felt when they were holding each other, the sensation that rippled through her body when he caressed her back.... It gave her shivers just thinking about it, and of a very different nature than the ones Jaro gave her. The shivers Edge gave her were either of anger or pleasure, though she never admitted the latter. Even to herself. Rydia gave a startled yelp when she heard a twig snap, her eyes flying open and her eyes whipping around wildly. "Edge?" She said, calling his name loudly but not too loudly. She didn't want to be heard by the wrong people. "Is that you?" But the sinking feeling in her gut told her it was not. And when her eyes fell across the last face she ever wanted to see, she felt her heart sink even more...especially when she saw the sickening gleam in his eyes. The next thing she knew, she was on the ground screaming and struggling. No longer caring who heard her, so long as they got Jaro off of her.... One thing she knew for certain: she had never felt more dirty in her entire life. As if everywhere she was touched was now a tainted piece of her.

((I didn't want to go into too much detail...but you know what's going on. >.>))

[Edge]

Edge took slow, deep breaths, his brow still furrowed as his gaze stayed steady on Jaro. He didn't know what it was, but the way the man stared at Rydia made him uneasy. Almost sick to his stomach, actually. He would have turned away, except he didn't want the man to think he was a coward and try anything while he had his face turned. So his gaze stayed, you didn't know what he was thinking behind the glare, but it was pretty obvious he didn't want them there. Edge's entire body was tensed, and that way his muscle was more defined. Even his grip on Rydia's hand was more tensed and focused, like he was trying to make sure she wasn't snatched away or something silly like that. Inside his head, his thoughts were clouded and he was slightly confused. Just what was going on between these two? It was like they were having a silent battle, using just their eyes. There was no telling who was winning, but Edge was going to put his money on Rydia. That girl had resolve that was admirable by even him, she was respected by the filthiest, and Jaro must have been even lower than that, since he didn't seem to have any respect for who could definitely be his undoing. He tilted his head up and raised a brow slightly, daring the man to look away, but it apparently wasn't going to happen. Other than his gaze turning to Rydia, it didn't really falter.

This loser actually did seem to be trying to stare him down, and that pissed Edge off. No one could butt heads with him and get away with it, not without some type of scratch. His lips settled into a scowl before Rydia diffused the situation. Or so Edge hoped. "Let's go." There was nothing to say to protest this, because he knew better than to cross her at this time. Still, his body became stiff with reluctance as his friend began to tug on him. The veins in his arm were visible, as was the little canine tooth on the right side of his mouth. If he wasn't smirking, it meant that he was livid, and right at that moment, he was. Finally, he relented, and let his arm relax so that she was able to pull him in whatever direction she felt like. Once they were wedged between the gate and the wall Edge didn't have as much trouble as his partner seemed to be having with relaxing. It was the thought of Jaro that upset him. So he leaned back against the wall of the hut and gazed off into the distance, half expecting the man to be following them and that would give him a great excuse to annihilate him. Twice. But there was nothing there, and once he'd glanced at Rydia, his anger dissipated quickly. Was she, blushing? And was it because of him, or from the anger that Jaro had caused? Either way, he liked it, and it brought a smirk to his face. Short-lived unfortunately, since Rydia was ready to move.

"C'mon." Edge's eyes widened just slightly, innocently of course. "But I-" He squeezed lightly on her hand to let her know that he had, in fact, seen the redness that had spread over her cheeks and if she would have so much of glanced at him, she would have seen his knowing, over-confident smirk. "There's a way in here." Edge nodded, though she couldn't see her. There wasn't much else to do with the time given as he tried to follow her. Unfortunately, she was too small and quick and he was left behind rather quickly. Kilika woods were like a maze, and with someone with a sense of direction like his own, much easier navigated with someone like Rydia around. Stopping for a moment, his eyes scanned the surrounding area. "Rydia?" He called, worried that he would be lost forever. Jaro suddenly appeared in his mind, and even though he probably didn't have the guts to follow them, someone else could have, and that prompted him to sprint. Steadying his breathing as he ran, the man looked wherever he could fit or was sure Rydia could fit before hearing them. The screams boiled his blood and made him grow cold at the same time. He was sure he'd never heard her scream before. Not like that. He ran to where he thought the screams were coming once, stumbling once on a rock that could have twisted his ankle had he not been so angry at the time. That's when he saw it. That sight burned so deeply into him, that his next actions were a major blur. Edge only saw flashes of himself, almost as if he were in third person, rushing into Jaro and punching, kneeing, and scratching at him as they tumbled over rocks and sticks. The next moment, he was hitting at Jaro over and over again, unsure of if his blows were actually connecting or not, until he saw the red. Rushing from his nose and his mouth, blood was everywhere. And Jaro was no longer moving. With that, Edge wiped his own bloody mouth and stood to his feet, not even bothering to check to see if the other man was still bleeding.

He rushed back to Rydia's side and dropped to his knees beside her. Without really thinking he had his arms around her, trying to make her feel safe and comfortable again, but knowing that it probably wouldn't happen. Not yet. "Are you okay?"

[Rydia]

I HATE TO BREAK TO YOU BABE,
BUT I'M NOT DROWNING
THERE'S NO ONE HERE TO SAVE

Everything was such a blur in her panicked state, that even when she felt the weight of Jaro lifted off her body she was still flailing her fists and kicking the air. Eventually, she fought herself into a sitting position, and scrambled to fix her clothes as best as she could. They were torn, but not unusable. Once put back into place, it worked for the moment. Though she wouldn't exactly like to make it a fashion statement, and sensed she would probably end up burning the clothes once she changed. That was the first bit of logic that seeped into her frantic mind, and her eyes started wildly and pretty much blindly scanning the woods around her. It didn't look the same anymore. What had once been a place she would sneak away to, a place with such beauty to be admired, now seemed sinister. She had hoped to make a home in Kilika, but now the back of her mind knew that would be impossible. Only then did her ears pick up the sound of falling punches, hard and almost animalistic in their fury. It frightened her, and she would have stood and ran had the sun not glinted off something nearby that caught her attention immediately. It was the bracelet Edge had bought for her. She didn't notice that it had been torn from her wrist in the struggle, but she crawled to it now. Her eyes so focused on the charm, she hardly noticed that the sound of Edge beating Jaro to a bloody pulp had stopped. She neither cared nor brought herself to even consider whether or not Jaro would survive, her mind was completely blank as she lifted the bracelet gingerly in the palm of her hand; using her other to steady herself, and support her weight so that she didn't fall to the ground. She didn't think she would ever be able to lay down on the ground and feel safe ever again, which was a traveler's nightmare. Though that was the last thing on her mind at that moment.

Time seemed to come to a stand-still, and subconsciously she was beginning to hate that sensation. She noticed that the clasp was broken before she closed her hand around the charm and held it tightly to her chest, rotating her body as she did so so that her back was hunched over and her free hand held to her face. Just beneath her eyes. The bracelet carried the warmth of not only her mother, but of one other person now. And while she was still shaken - or rather, pertrified - she felt enveloped in a sense of comfort. He had saved her, like he always has in the past. Whenever Rydia needed rescuing, he was always the first on the scene. She had a similar relationship with Cecil, though it had been - and still was - more father-daughter or brother-sister than it was with Edge. Cecil had been the one who was the first one there for her after her mother's death and the destruction of her village. While he had been the one who caused it, Cecil continued to protect Rydia like she was family, and that bond had only grown. But Edge had never seen her when she was a child, and though they had a strong bond between them it was of a completely different nature. Cecil looked at Rydia and saw a strong and determined child, but Edge.... Well, Rydia had no way of knowing what he saw in her now. It was only when that thought crossed her mind that Rydia noticed she was crying. Not exactly hysterically, but the closest she would probably ever come to it. She closed her eyes tightly and curled her legs closer to her body. Almost as if she thought she could make herself disappear. Which she probably could if she calmed down enough to realize it, but there was no chance of that happening any time soon.

"Are you okay?"

She had sensed the shadow looming over her and the footsteps approaching her. But she was too far gone to even care, all she could do was continue crying. The sensation of someone's arms - a man's - being wrapped around her made her whole body tense. The hand that held the charm clutching onto it even tighter, making her knuckles turn white and her fingernails dig into the palm of that hand. But as soon as she heard the voice, Edge's voice, she could feel her muscles relax slightly. Though her grip on the charm did not ease, she buried her face into his chest, clutching onto his shirt with her free hand while her other still held the charm tightly against her chest. She couldn't say anything, her vocal chords were only working to sob and cry, despite the positive affect Edge's scent and presence was having on her. She didn't know how long she was like that, but her sore vocal chords were eventually capable of making a different sound. "Edge...." She murmured hoarsely, her tone almost like she was calling for him or trying to tell him something. Like she was looking for him, though she knew he was right there. Still, regardless, she had never felt so lost. Among other things. "Edge!" This time, she only manage to burst into more tears, and bury her face away even further. She didn't want him to see her face, that was part of it. But another was that she was selfishly trying to be as close to Edge as humanly possible. Despite her ordeal, her trust for Edge was able to overcome the new instinct to push him - and any man - away. Far away. Instead, she sought out Edge like a moth to a flame, and offered little resistance to the instinct. She wanted that incident to be burned from her memory, and Edge was the only one who could manage to accomplish that. The fist that gripped his shirt tightened its hold in desparation. She just wanted everything to stop, for the clock to turn backwards and for everything to go back to how it was. But she was changed, the back of her mind sensed she would never be the same. But for now, she relenquished any restraint or barrier around her emotions.

Though there would be a time when they be replaced, and most likely be fiercer than ever.

[Edge]

Edge had never known a time when he'd lost control so horribly, so vengefully that time seemed to stop. The background dropped behind him, so did every emotion in his body but rage. Because this wasn't normal anger, or even frightening anger - this was indescribable rage. And when he was done, Edge couldn't believe himself. Jaro deserved everything he got, and yet Edge couldn't believe that it had come from him, not this way. His hands were raw, they smelled like blood and fear, and he wasn't sure whose fear it was. Or maybe it was just more blood. He breathed heavily, chest heaving breaths that felt like his ribcage was going to pop every time he exhaled. He sat on his knees, looking for Rydia. He moved toward her, but his breath caught. He felt like a monster, and all he really wanted to do at the moment was wash his hands so that he didn't smell like blood anymore. Then he thought of Rydia, how shaken up she must have been, and he forced himself up and went to her side. Her crying shook something inside of him, her emotions always had a way of doing that, but this was worse, he suddenly felt apathetic about what he'd done. As a matter of fact, Edge was wishing he'd Jaro on fire. The drying blood no longer said 'look what I've done', not in a horrified way. It was more a badge of honor now.

"Edge...." He closed his eyes, holding her closer and rubbing his fingers over her back. It never occurred to him that she might not want a man touching her, he just wanted to help, just make her feel that not all of them would be like Jaro. And the ones who were would get severely punished. "Edge!" She was crying again, harder this time by the sound of things. "Shhh.." He cooed, feeling bits of humanity slipping away. This was the kind of thing that made people monsters, it was what made serial killers. It was a scary thing, to have motive - Edge couldn't shake horrendous thoughts from his head right about now. But suddenly she was holding his shirt, and he felt like a man, like a superhero of some kind. Despite the moment, he smiled faintly, lifting his hand to her hair and running his fingers through it. "Rydia?" Edge said quietly, his voice a hoarse whisper.

He took her chin in his hand and lifted her face so that she would look him in the eye. Staring down at her for a long time, Edge was frozen, his expression dead serious and stoic. Not even his eyes wavered, though he hoped she wouldn't notice the hatred waiting deep inside them. "It's not your fault.." He said quietly, unaware of the closeness of their faces. "You didn't do this." He explain, reiterating his previous statement. His voice had a pang of emotion in it this time, and he cleared his throat to try to get rid of it. But suddenly he was aware of everything, their closeness, the warmness of both of their bodies, her tears and clinging. Edge closed his eyes and moved forward slowly, not registering his actions at all. His mouth touched hers just barely, but already his entire face and neck were flushed. He wondered if she could feel his heartbeat.

[Rydia]

I HATE TO BREAK TO YOU BABE,
BUT I'M NOT DROWNING
THERE'S NO ONE HERE TO SAVE

Rydia's body wanted to tense. The sensation of fingers -- of a man's fingers -- caressing her back made her muscles tighten, and then relax, and then tighten again. But while her body wanted to shove Edge away, Rydia was selfish. Her grip on him only tightened as she heard the sound of his voice and felt him hold her closer. She curled up against him more, seeking the comfort of his scent. Wanting to envelope herself in something that was familiar, something that might make everything bad go away. She didn't want to smell like Jaro, she wanted Edge's scent to cling to her skin, her clothes. She wanted Edge's touch to be the one her body remembered the strongest. She wanted desperately to replace everything Jaro left on her body, with Edge. And she didn't care at the moment how selfish it was. She wanted -- no, needed -- something else for her mind to focus on. And so, it focused on Edge. His scent, his warmth, the way her body felt when he touched her, the way her heart responded to the sound of his voice, everything. It was in this moment, that Rydia was more aware of how she felt about Edge than ever before.

Rydia offered no resistance when Edge gently pulled her face up to meet his gaze. She was too tired to force her face back to its hiding spot, so instead she let her head rest in his hand. Literally. The muscles in her neck relaxed so that her chin rested completely in his hand though she was more than a little reluctant to meet his gaze. Not that he left her much choice. It was gentle guidance, but guidance nonetheless. He wanted her to meet his gaze, even if she didn't want to. Right now, Rydia just wanted to hide. She didn't want Edge to her like this, and in her mind she was struggling to get away from him. To hide herself from him. And she knew she could. If she really wanted to, she could run away and never be found. Edge was talented, but if Rydia didn't want to be found, there was no way in hell she was going to be. She had one advantage over Edge: magic. Even if he did find her hiding spot, she could make herself invisible and just slip away again into the shadows. But, Rydia stayed where she was. She had been close -- so very close -- to following through with that new bubbling desire. But his words kept her glued to where she was.

It wasn't her fault. She didn't cause this. While Rydia's logical mind knew that to be true, in her currently shattered state it was difficult to accept. Maybe she had done something to deserve this? karma from long ago come to remind her that it existed. The thought was frightening to Rydia's drowning logical mind, that she could even feel that way. But before terror could seize her again, Edge brought her back when he cleared his throat. Why would he do that? Did he not want her to read his emotions? It was really a shame that he felt that way, because she loved reading his emotions. There were so many of them, all going on at once. For example, right now. His touch, his gaze, they were all affectionate. But Rydia saw what Edge didn't want her to see, she just didn't know that he didn't want her to. She saw that anger welling up inside him, but she wasn't scared by it. Only a very small fraction of her feared that his anger was directed towards her, she still had some grip on reality here.

She almost started crying again, to hear those words. Spoken with such sincerity and conviction. Edge truly felt she had done nothing, nothing to deserve this. It made her feel like she could burn a village down, and he would still have faith in her humanity. But Edge clearing his throat was the beginning of something that almost felt unreal. The realization was clear in his eyes, and it soon filled her own gaze. He was close. He was very, very close. When Edge closed his eyes and started to lean in, Rydia felt her heart start to pound against her chest. This wasn't like those games they had been playing with each other earlier. This was serious. Or rather, she felt it was. She didn't think Edge was the type of person to pull that stunt in this kind of situation, and he was holding her so close.... And his face and neck, they were flushed. Rydia looked for signs that this was a dream, that it wasn't real. That maybe Edge was toying with her, in an attempt to lighten the mood. If he was, so help him, she'd kill him. Or...well...she'd feel like killing him.

But Edge didn't stop suddenly or pull away. In fact, he continued to lean in at that agonizingly slow pace until his lips just barely brushed against her's. Or rather, she wished it was his lips. It seemed that old habits died hard, because he had completely forgotten about his face covering. Again. Maybe he hadn't forgotten. Maybe he just didn't want to full-on make this...real. Maybe this was him toying with her. Well, she wouldn't have it. Rydia was going to correct that little mistake on his part -- be it on purpose or not -- and she was going to do what she had wanted to do for a long time. Rydia's first impulse to the sensation of something brushing against the sensitive flesh of her lips was to flinch away, and she did. Softly, slightly, she flinched back. But it wasn't too badly, she wasn't terrified, just surprised. Partly because she hadn't really been expecting him to go through with the motion. But that was beside the point now wasn't it? Rydia's eyes glanced around his face for a moment, ignoring any shock and panic and guilt she might have seen in his countenance.

Her eyes were calm, sure. She was having a moment of clarity, and her heart was pounding at it. She had always been a mature person, but yet it was a miracle to have grips on her mind after something so.... Well at least Edge had stopped before it had gotten too too far. Rydia swallowed nervously before letting go of his shirt with one hand and running her fingers through his hair. Her hand slid down his face gingerly, her fingers just barely touching his skin, her heart hammering her ribcage hard the whole time. Rydia lifted her other hand -- balancing the charm bracelet between her thumb and forefinger securely so she didn't drop it -- and cupped his face. Not firm, but enough that her palms were pressed against his skin. She was too nervous to smile, but the endearment was in her eyes. Slowly, she started slid down Edge's face covering. Gentle, hesitant, gradual, all of these words could be applied to the action. But only in the best of ways.

Once the face covering was down below his chin, she knew there was no turning back now. There was a flash of a nervous smile on her face, a dark blush on her face, but she didn't stop. She traced his lips gingerly with her thumb before returning the hand with the charm to clutching his shirt and the other to resting on his shoulder, squeezing it slightly in her incredibly nervous state. His arm was muscular, she wasn't afraid of hurting him. And shivered slightly when she felt the ripple of his muscle. But a shiver of excitement. She was finally going to do this. Rydia would not back down now. She starting leaning in closer to Edge, closing her eyes as she did so. The minute her lips brushed his, her heart caught in her throat. No matter how much she wanted to press her lips to his further, she couldn't. She needed to know that he really wanted to do this. Her hands tightened their grip, and she resisted the urge to btie her lip nervously. Waiting for Edge to make the next move.