"I want to introduce you to the village priestess," Ren said, and Jaz's shoulders relaxed somewhat. That sounded... reasonable. Maybe she did just need to calm down. Ren hadn't hurt her yet. Nothing had hurt her yet.
"You don't have anything to fear from her. She is kind and welcoming to travelers and will do what she can to help." Jaz wondered if the priestess might know how to get Jaz home, although the thought curdled Jaz's stomach. She wasn't altogether ready to go back yet. She had just gotten here and... whatever she was here to do wasn't... complete yet.
Still, having a direction to go or something to strive toward, that would help.
"Thank you," Jaz said sincerely, and the urge to run up and touch his hand struck her again. Gods, was that ever going to go away? "You didn't have to do this, but you are, and I appreciate your kindness."
She was quiet then, too distracted by her desire to watch his back muscles, watch his posture, watch whatever she could of his mood to pay much attention to the plants.
Leaving the Djinn
Moderator: On Dreams And Desire
Re: Leaving the Djinn
"Thank you," Jaz said, and Ren's shoulders relaxed a little - he hadn't realized that they'd tensed.
"You didn't have to do this," she added, "but you are, and I appreciate your kindness."
Ren frowned a little again, though he hoped Jaz didn't see it from behind him. He did hope he was being kind, but if he was being honest, the decision to accompany her was not a kindness, not at its motivation. Still, there didn't seem to be any benefit to either of them in correcting her. Besides, he supposed as he thought on it, even if he'd originally decided on this course out of distrust, there were benefits to Jaz that he was along as her guide.
"Is there... anything else you'd like to know before we get there?" Ren finally asked, deciding he wanted to at least make one more offering to her to keep smoothing trust along. "It's not far now."
"You didn't have to do this," she added, "but you are, and I appreciate your kindness."
Ren frowned a little again, though he hoped Jaz didn't see it from behind him. He did hope he was being kind, but if he was being honest, the decision to accompany her was not a kindness, not at its motivation. Still, there didn't seem to be any benefit to either of them in correcting her. Besides, he supposed as he thought on it, even if he'd originally decided on this course out of distrust, there were benefits to Jaz that he was along as her guide.
"Is there... anything else you'd like to know before we get there?" Ren finally asked, deciding he wanted to at least make one more offering to her to keep smoothing trust along. "It's not far now."
Re: Leaving the Djinn
She watched his shoulders relax, and that was better than anything he could have said in response. He was silent instead, and Jaz started daydreaming, wondering what wonders might await her in the village. How different would it all be? She tried to imagine the village populated by people like Ren--all closed doors and predatory smiles--and shuddered. But surely Ren was only one type of person. There had to be more to humans than Ren, right?
"Is there... anything else you'd like to know before we get there?" Ren asked, and Jaz decided it was something of a peace offering. "It's not far now." Well, she wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
"What are the customs for announcing myself before entering spaces here?" she said after some thought.
"Is there... anything else you'd like to know before we get there?" Ren asked, and Jaz decided it was something of a peace offering. "It's not far now." Well, she wasn't going to waste the opportunity.
"What are the customs for announcing myself before entering spaces here?" she said after some thought.
Re: Leaving the Djinn
"What are the customs for announcing myself before entering spaces here?" Jaz said after some thought, and Ren rolled his eyes a little, but smiled. She was right that they should talk about that.
"Knock on closed doors," he answered, "and wait for a response. If someone is feeling especially friendly, they may holler at you to come on in. Most will open the door and talk to you in the doorway before deciding whether to invite you inside."
He left it at that for a few moments, initially content that he had explained it well. As the moments passed, though, his mind began to collect exceptions, and he continued his explanation once he'd gathered his thoughts about what was worth clarifying.
"Some spaces are communal, and you can come and go without permission, even if the door is closed. Things like shops and temples. You'll get a feel for these over time. It's mostly our homes that humans are particularly touchy about--though shops can be touchy about their wares..."
Ren tossed a glance back at Jaz as a fresh question occurred to him then.
"Do you have shops where you come from?"
As touchy as he'd been about her trying to enter his home unexpectedly, she could get in a lot of trouble if she naively tried to walk off with somebody's wares down the line.
"Knock on closed doors," he answered, "and wait for a response. If someone is feeling especially friendly, they may holler at you to come on in. Most will open the door and talk to you in the doorway before deciding whether to invite you inside."
He left it at that for a few moments, initially content that he had explained it well. As the moments passed, though, his mind began to collect exceptions, and he continued his explanation once he'd gathered his thoughts about what was worth clarifying.
"Some spaces are communal, and you can come and go without permission, even if the door is closed. Things like shops and temples. You'll get a feel for these over time. It's mostly our homes that humans are particularly touchy about--though shops can be touchy about their wares..."
Ren tossed a glance back at Jaz as a fresh question occurred to him then.
"Do you have shops where you come from?"
As touchy as he'd been about her trying to enter his home unexpectedly, she could get in a lot of trouble if she naively tried to walk off with somebody's wares down the line.
Re: Leaving the Djinn
"Knock on closed doors," he answered with little hesitation, though she thought she caught some humor in his voice, "and wait for a response. If someone is feeling especially friendly, they may holler at you to come on in. Most will open the door and talk to you in the doorway before deciding whether to invite you inside."
Jaz nodded as she tried to integrate this into her behavior. She understood then why the elders didn't go into many specifics. Every culture would have minutia like this, and how could they know which she would encounter? Better to keep their advice general so she could remember more of it.
Before she could think of something else to ask, Ren added, "Some spaces are communal, and you can come and go without permission, even if the door is closed. Things like shops and temples. You'll get a feel for these over time. It's mostly our homes that humans are particularly touchy about--though shops can be touchy about their wares... Do you have stores where you come from?"
She was grateful to hear that temples followed different rules. It made her feel as though everywhere in her own village was like a temple--her people understood the sacredness of communal space. But still, she didn't enjoy the thought of each of the humans living alone.
Shops, though, were more foreign to her. Everything was shared among her people--thoughts, space, objects, bodies. But, she had heard the elders talk about trade with the dark fae--they talked about shops and exchanges and bargains.
Not all the creatures you meet will be so generous. Many of them will be closed off and will hoard what they have. Take only what you need, one of the elders had told her. Remembering that made her miss Tigre fiercely. He had been in the room during her instruction, overseeing the process, his sadness palpable but contained in the background. They had all known Jaz's sorala would come, eventually.
"Not exactly," Jaz answered, unsure how much to elaborate. "But the plants and the food they make... do I need to ask more than the plants for permission? Or perhaps is there food at the temple?" If Ren did touch her, maybe she wouldn't need it. But, if not... she didn't relish the idea of taking from the very people who might help her.
Jaz nodded as she tried to integrate this into her behavior. She understood then why the elders didn't go into many specifics. Every culture would have minutia like this, and how could they know which she would encounter? Better to keep their advice general so she could remember more of it.
Before she could think of something else to ask, Ren added, "Some spaces are communal, and you can come and go without permission, even if the door is closed. Things like shops and temples. You'll get a feel for these over time. It's mostly our homes that humans are particularly touchy about--though shops can be touchy about their wares... Do you have stores where you come from?"
She was grateful to hear that temples followed different rules. It made her feel as though everywhere in her own village was like a temple--her people understood the sacredness of communal space. But still, she didn't enjoy the thought of each of the humans living alone.
Shops, though, were more foreign to her. Everything was shared among her people--thoughts, space, objects, bodies. But, she had heard the elders talk about trade with the dark fae--they talked about shops and exchanges and bargains.
Not all the creatures you meet will be so generous. Many of them will be closed off and will hoard what they have. Take only what you need, one of the elders had told her. Remembering that made her miss Tigre fiercely. He had been in the room during her instruction, overseeing the process, his sadness palpable but contained in the background. They had all known Jaz's sorala would come, eventually.
"Not exactly," Jaz answered, unsure how much to elaborate. "But the plants and the food they make... do I need to ask more than the plants for permission? Or perhaps is there food at the temple?" If Ren did touch her, maybe she wouldn't need it. But, if not... she didn't relish the idea of taking from the very people who might help her.
Re: Leaving the Djinn
"Not exactly," Jaz answered. She sounded unsure, but at least it seemed like she understood the concept, which was a relief. It might be a difficult one to explain from scratch. "But the plants and the food they make..." she continued, "do I need to ask more than the plants for permission? Or perhaps is there food at the temple?"
"In the wilderness," Ren answered, "you can freely harvest the food that you need. It sounds like that's more what you're used to. I prefer that myself--hence..." he gestured his arms out gently to either side, almost in a shrug, letting the landscape between his home and the nearest village speak for itself. His body seemed pleased and relaxed through the gesture, his eyes happily surveying the quiet wilderness around them.
"If something is behind a fence, you need someone else's permission before harvesting it." He glanced back at Jaz then, his mouth smiling a little crookedly and his eyes glinting with several new things all at once--amusement, glee, invitation.
"Well, need isn't the right word." He faced front again quickly, rolling his eyes at himself a little. He wanted to let Jaz in on something funny--something mischievous--but he was having trouble articulating it.
"Humans like controlling things, and often overreach. Big plots of land surrounded by fences but with no building in sight?" Ren gestured his hand in front of him, drawing a wide angle toward the horizon, perhaps envisioning what he described, as though there weren't tree branches threatening to snag his fingers. Then, he turned his gaze back to Jaz again. The glint was muted behind a fresh layer of seriousness, though it was definitely still present.
"Take what you need," he said, "just be quick and quiet about it, and don't get caught."
He shook his head, then, facing front again and trying to collect his thoughts. He felt like he'd taken them off on a bit of a tangent. Here's hoping it didn't just add confusion into the mix.
"Temples are good places to ask for food if you need some," he said, hoping to refocus on the crux of her questions. "Many shops stock food--some specialize in it--but will expect a trade."
One more glance back at Jaz again, this one fully back to serious.
"Did you bring much to trade?"
"In the wilderness," Ren answered, "you can freely harvest the food that you need. It sounds like that's more what you're used to. I prefer that myself--hence..." he gestured his arms out gently to either side, almost in a shrug, letting the landscape between his home and the nearest village speak for itself. His body seemed pleased and relaxed through the gesture, his eyes happily surveying the quiet wilderness around them.
"If something is behind a fence, you need someone else's permission before harvesting it." He glanced back at Jaz then, his mouth smiling a little crookedly and his eyes glinting with several new things all at once--amusement, glee, invitation.
"Well, need isn't the right word." He faced front again quickly, rolling his eyes at himself a little. He wanted to let Jaz in on something funny--something mischievous--but he was having trouble articulating it.
"Humans like controlling things, and often overreach. Big plots of land surrounded by fences but with no building in sight?" Ren gestured his hand in front of him, drawing a wide angle toward the horizon, perhaps envisioning what he described, as though there weren't tree branches threatening to snag his fingers. Then, he turned his gaze back to Jaz again. The glint was muted behind a fresh layer of seriousness, though it was definitely still present.
"Take what you need," he said, "just be quick and quiet about it, and don't get caught."
He shook his head, then, facing front again and trying to collect his thoughts. He felt like he'd taken them off on a bit of a tangent. Here's hoping it didn't just add confusion into the mix.
"Temples are good places to ask for food if you need some," he said, hoping to refocus on the crux of her questions. "Many shops stock food--some specialize in it--but will expect a trade."
One more glance back at Jaz again, this one fully back to serious.
"Did you bring much to trade?"
Re: Leaving the Djinn
"In the wilderness," he answered, "you can freely harvest the food that you need. It sounds like that's more what you're used to. I prefer that myself--hence..." Ren gestured around them, assumedly at the distance between his cottage and the village. From that perspective, it made sense for him to live far away.
"If something is behind a fence, you need someone else's permission before harvesting it." Jaz felt that sentiment like a punch to the gut. They kept plants behind fences? Gods, what did the plants ever do to them?
But then Ren was looking back at her, amusement dancing in the subtle lines of his face. Jaz had a simultaneous urge to draw back and get closer, and the conflict did not help settle her stomach.
"Well, need isn't the right word." He faced forward again, and Jaz tried to understand what he meant.
"Humans like controlling things, and often overreach. Big plots of land surrounded by fences but with no building in sight?" Ren gestured expansively, and Jaz couldn't help staring at his widespread fingers. When he looked back at Jaz again, she had a hint of a blush on her sickly beige cheeks.
"Take what you need," he said seriously, "just be quick and quiet about it, and don't get caught." At that, she couldn't help a small laugh. He was letting her in on something. Still, it was hard to imagine sneaking around, even to liberate the plants from their walls. She wanted to think more about what it meant that there was even culture around... acceptable ways to steal. But then Ren shook his head as though to clear his thoughts.
"Temples are good places to ask for food if you need some," he said, as though to refocus the conversation. "Many shops stock food--some specialize in it--but will expect a trade."
He looked at her again, and her stomach leapt and roiled. "Did you bring much to trade?"
She looked down as she mentally ran through the list of what was in her pack. Half a dozen wafers, a few more sticks of incense, wooden coins with sacred symbols etched into them. A necklace that Tenaya had fashioned from thin metal wire that a forger had coaxed from the fire. Buried in her skirts, a simple, shining dagger. And a small pouch of shimmering rocks Suldana and Jaz had found beneath a waterfall.
Don't grow too attached to what you have, the elders had said, Everything with you is a tool for survival, and you may have to give any or all of it up to stay alive.
"I don't have much, and I fear what I do have would look... strange to humans. They would likely mark me as an outsider quickly should I need to make an exchange." Jaz hoped that Ren would appreciate her thoughtfulness here. She found herself eager for his praise or, at least, gentle approval.
"If something is behind a fence, you need someone else's permission before harvesting it." Jaz felt that sentiment like a punch to the gut. They kept plants behind fences? Gods, what did the plants ever do to them?
But then Ren was looking back at her, amusement dancing in the subtle lines of his face. Jaz had a simultaneous urge to draw back and get closer, and the conflict did not help settle her stomach.
"Well, need isn't the right word." He faced forward again, and Jaz tried to understand what he meant.
"Humans like controlling things, and often overreach. Big plots of land surrounded by fences but with no building in sight?" Ren gestured expansively, and Jaz couldn't help staring at his widespread fingers. When he looked back at Jaz again, she had a hint of a blush on her sickly beige cheeks.
"Take what you need," he said seriously, "just be quick and quiet about it, and don't get caught." At that, she couldn't help a small laugh. He was letting her in on something. Still, it was hard to imagine sneaking around, even to liberate the plants from their walls. She wanted to think more about what it meant that there was even culture around... acceptable ways to steal. But then Ren shook his head as though to clear his thoughts.
"Temples are good places to ask for food if you need some," he said, as though to refocus the conversation. "Many shops stock food--some specialize in it--but will expect a trade."
He looked at her again, and her stomach leapt and roiled. "Did you bring much to trade?"
She looked down as she mentally ran through the list of what was in her pack. Half a dozen wafers, a few more sticks of incense, wooden coins with sacred symbols etched into them. A necklace that Tenaya had fashioned from thin metal wire that a forger had coaxed from the fire. Buried in her skirts, a simple, shining dagger. And a small pouch of shimmering rocks Suldana and Jaz had found beneath a waterfall.
Don't grow too attached to what you have, the elders had said, Everything with you is a tool for survival, and you may have to give any or all of it up to stay alive.
"I don't have much, and I fear what I do have would look... strange to humans. They would likely mark me as an outsider quickly should I need to make an exchange." Jaz hoped that Ren would appreciate her thoughtfulness here. She found herself eager for his praise or, at least, gentle approval.
Re: Leaving the Djinn
Jaz looked down, and Ren gave a soft sigh. He'd figured that might be the case, and was a little tired thinking about the next steps for her, then.
"I don't have much," she finally said, "and I fear what I do have would look... strange to humans. They would likely mark me as an outsider quickly should I need to make an exchange."
Ren nodded, his expression weary but thoughtful before he faced front again.
"That's all right," he said after a moment. "The village will be generous--the forest provides us plenty, so there's little reason to be stingy with necessities." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "You may be able to stay there a while. You certainly won't want to travel to more populated areas without some local currency to trade."
"I don't have much," she finally said, "and I fear what I do have would look... strange to humans. They would likely mark me as an outsider quickly should I need to make an exchange."
Ren nodded, his expression weary but thoughtful before he faced front again.
"That's all right," he said after a moment. "The village will be generous--the forest provides us plenty, so there's little reason to be stingy with necessities." He hesitated for a moment before adding, "You may be able to stay there a while. You certainly won't want to travel to more populated areas without some local currency to trade."
Re: Leaving the Djinn
Ren nodded and looked suddenly tired. Was he tired of dealing with her? Gods, what was she going to do when she fully wore down his generosity?
"That's all right," he said after a moment, but Jaz thought she heard an undercurrent of frustration in his voice. "The village will be generous--the forest provides us plenty, so there's little reason to be stingy with necessities." She could be grateful for that, at least. The fae gate had been kind to that degree, then. He added, "You may be able to stay there a while. You certainly won't want to travel to more populated areas without some local currency to trade."
The thought of leaving Ren, as cold and easily frustrated as he was, bubbled unpleasantly in her stomach. Was he eager to be rid of her, then? A mild pain stung at her eyes. This was so hard, but she had known this would be the most difficult day or at least the most disorienting. Maybe she could just find a place to sleep among the plants. Maybe they could touch and caress her. Maybe she didn't need the help of the humans.
But she knew that would only last so long, and she may as well find out what lay in store for her in the future. Nothing much to do except wait for the meeting with the priestess and see what was next.
But then, Jaz thought of something, and she brought her pack around to fish inside it while she continued walking. Finally, she pulled out the little pouch and picked one of the sharpest of the stones inside.
She examined the faceted stone in the light of the foreign sun, watched the tiny imperfections of the raw stone glint and glitter. The stone was tiny, maybe half the size of her fingernail, but it was beautiful in its whitish-blue with clear veins like lightning reaching toward its core but not quite touching. Perfect.
Getting beside Ren for a moment, she reached to hand him the stone, careful to show it to him and prepared to drop it in his hand without making skin contact.
"Here," she said, looking at him with a small, grateful smile, "I want you to have this, to thank you in case we get separated." Or you leave me. After a moment, she added, "it's just... pretty. No magical properties, this one." And then she let him pass and was content to follow behind him again. "It's special, that you were the first person I met."
"That's all right," he said after a moment, but Jaz thought she heard an undercurrent of frustration in his voice. "The village will be generous--the forest provides us plenty, so there's little reason to be stingy with necessities." She could be grateful for that, at least. The fae gate had been kind to that degree, then. He added, "You may be able to stay there a while. You certainly won't want to travel to more populated areas without some local currency to trade."
The thought of leaving Ren, as cold and easily frustrated as he was, bubbled unpleasantly in her stomach. Was he eager to be rid of her, then? A mild pain stung at her eyes. This was so hard, but she had known this would be the most difficult day or at least the most disorienting. Maybe she could just find a place to sleep among the plants. Maybe they could touch and caress her. Maybe she didn't need the help of the humans.
But she knew that would only last so long, and she may as well find out what lay in store for her in the future. Nothing much to do except wait for the meeting with the priestess and see what was next.
But then, Jaz thought of something, and she brought her pack around to fish inside it while she continued walking. Finally, she pulled out the little pouch and picked one of the sharpest of the stones inside.
She examined the faceted stone in the light of the foreign sun, watched the tiny imperfections of the raw stone glint and glitter. The stone was tiny, maybe half the size of her fingernail, but it was beautiful in its whitish-blue with clear veins like lightning reaching toward its core but not quite touching. Perfect.
Getting beside Ren for a moment, she reached to hand him the stone, careful to show it to him and prepared to drop it in his hand without making skin contact.
"Here," she said, looking at him with a small, grateful smile, "I want you to have this, to thank you in case we get separated." Or you leave me. After a moment, she added, "it's just... pretty. No magical properties, this one." And then she let him pass and was content to follow behind him again. "It's special, that you were the first person I met."
Re: Leaving the Djinn
Jaz was quiet for a moment, and Ren was content to give her privacy for whatever she may be feeling. As tired as he felt, he suspected she may be feeling fairly overwhelmed at this point. Hopefully once they got to the priestess things would seem easier.
His curiosity piqued when he heard Jaz rifling around in her pack, though. He glanced back at her half just to check if he needed to stop walking, but she was still following after him. Finally, she pulled out a small pouch, and from within that, she pulled out a small pointed stone, which she then spent a moment inspecting. Ren was no jeweler, but he felt hopeful at seeing it, the way its facets glimmered in the sunlight as they walked. If she had a whole pouch of those, perhaps that gave her more of a starting point than either of them initially thought. He didn't want to get her hopes up, though, so he didn't say anything, just mentally made note to direct her towards someone to appraise those before they parted ways.
Then, Jaz surprised him by hurrying her stride just enough to come walk alongside him, holding the stone out between them in offering.
"Here," she said with a smile, "I want you to have this, to thank you in case we get separated."
Ren felt a little sheepish, but did hold out his hand to accept the stone. She gently dropped it into his palm, no hint that she'd even considered using this an excuse to touch him. He felt a deep sense of relief at that.
"It's just... pretty," she said. "No magical properties, this one."
Ren nodded in thanks as he looked down at the stone, getting a better look at it now that it was in his hand. He didn't fully realize that Jaz had slowed to walk behind him again until she added,
"It's special, that you were the first person I met."
He felt warm at that, and just a little bit flustered. It was odd and a bit heavy to think about how they both might look back on this in the future. For Ren, it might just be a strange day; for Jaz, it was an introduction to a whole new world; a whole new life, maybe. He gently closed his fingers around the stone and brought it against his chest, feeling the weight of his fist and his necklace both pressed against him before he slipped the stone into his pocket.
"Thank you," he said, quite earnestly, just barely turning his head over his shoulder to say it.
Giggling echoed from around a bend in the road up ahead, pulling Ren's attention that direction. He tossed a quick, playful grin toward Jaz, complete with a finger briefly touching his lips. Then, just as quickly, he hurried his pace, though seemed to give special effort to keeping his footsteps light. It got him quickly to the bend where he waited near a bush while scurrying footsteps padded towards them, bringing the giggling closer.
A young girl came around the bend first, short black hair blowing in the breeze, and Ren wasted no time in swooping toward her. She squealed, half-screaming half-giggling in utterly delighted surprise as Ren picked her right up by her waist and then hung her upside-down by her legs which he held firmly against his chest.
A young boy with tousled blond hair came around the bend next, though he gasped and stumbled backward when he saw Ren, fully falling on his butt in surprise.
"R-Ren!!!" the girl in Ren's arms squealed between giggles, wiggling as much as she could in Ren's grasp--mostly, that just made her swing back and forth a little, her arms gently flailing fingers against his legs and the ground beneath them.
"And just where are you two off to?" Ren asked playfully.
"T-the creek," the boy answered as he stood back up, embarrassed at having fallen and straightening his clothes a little as though somehow obscuring evidence of the event.
"And your parents know?" Ren pressed, his tone still playful but a little bit scolding.
"Yes!" the boy replied, hints of both exasperation and earnestness in his voice. Ren offered the boy a reassuring smile, and turned his gaze down to the girl still giggling and squealing in his arms, and he swung her more purposefully back and forth.
"And you, missy?"
"Y-yes, yes!!" the girl replied, and wiggled a little more earnestly, her feet starting to push a little against Ren's shoulder. He took that as his sign to let her down, and carefully maneuvered her upright again. Once she was on her own two feet, she turned and wrapped her arms around Ren in an eager hug. She was a little too short for him to return it properly, but he gently pressed his hands against her upper back and her head, welcoming her gesture. He wondered a little how it made Jaz feel--and he wondered if he ought to warn the kids against touching her, just in case. In any case he turned to look at Jaz, though he wasn't sure yet what his next action was going to be.
The blond-haired boy also caught sight of Jaz then, and he blinked at her curiously, though subtly side-stepped to make sure Ren was mostly between the two of them.
((OOC: Probably more will happen fairly quickly from here, but I figure that's quite enough for Jaz to respond to lol.))
His curiosity piqued when he heard Jaz rifling around in her pack, though. He glanced back at her half just to check if he needed to stop walking, but she was still following after him. Finally, she pulled out a small pouch, and from within that, she pulled out a small pointed stone, which she then spent a moment inspecting. Ren was no jeweler, but he felt hopeful at seeing it, the way its facets glimmered in the sunlight as they walked. If she had a whole pouch of those, perhaps that gave her more of a starting point than either of them initially thought. He didn't want to get her hopes up, though, so he didn't say anything, just mentally made note to direct her towards someone to appraise those before they parted ways.
Then, Jaz surprised him by hurrying her stride just enough to come walk alongside him, holding the stone out between them in offering.
"Here," she said with a smile, "I want you to have this, to thank you in case we get separated."
Ren felt a little sheepish, but did hold out his hand to accept the stone. She gently dropped it into his palm, no hint that she'd even considered using this an excuse to touch him. He felt a deep sense of relief at that.
"It's just... pretty," she said. "No magical properties, this one."
Ren nodded in thanks as he looked down at the stone, getting a better look at it now that it was in his hand. He didn't fully realize that Jaz had slowed to walk behind him again until she added,
"It's special, that you were the first person I met."
He felt warm at that, and just a little bit flustered. It was odd and a bit heavy to think about how they both might look back on this in the future. For Ren, it might just be a strange day; for Jaz, it was an introduction to a whole new world; a whole new life, maybe. He gently closed his fingers around the stone and brought it against his chest, feeling the weight of his fist and his necklace both pressed against him before he slipped the stone into his pocket.
"Thank you," he said, quite earnestly, just barely turning his head over his shoulder to say it.
Giggling echoed from around a bend in the road up ahead, pulling Ren's attention that direction. He tossed a quick, playful grin toward Jaz, complete with a finger briefly touching his lips. Then, just as quickly, he hurried his pace, though seemed to give special effort to keeping his footsteps light. It got him quickly to the bend where he waited near a bush while scurrying footsteps padded towards them, bringing the giggling closer.
A young girl came around the bend first, short black hair blowing in the breeze, and Ren wasted no time in swooping toward her. She squealed, half-screaming half-giggling in utterly delighted surprise as Ren picked her right up by her waist and then hung her upside-down by her legs which he held firmly against his chest.
A young boy with tousled blond hair came around the bend next, though he gasped and stumbled backward when he saw Ren, fully falling on his butt in surprise.
"R-Ren!!!" the girl in Ren's arms squealed between giggles, wiggling as much as she could in Ren's grasp--mostly, that just made her swing back and forth a little, her arms gently flailing fingers against his legs and the ground beneath them.
"And just where are you two off to?" Ren asked playfully.
"T-the creek," the boy answered as he stood back up, embarrassed at having fallen and straightening his clothes a little as though somehow obscuring evidence of the event.
"And your parents know?" Ren pressed, his tone still playful but a little bit scolding.
"Yes!" the boy replied, hints of both exasperation and earnestness in his voice. Ren offered the boy a reassuring smile, and turned his gaze down to the girl still giggling and squealing in his arms, and he swung her more purposefully back and forth.
"And you, missy?"
"Y-yes, yes!!" the girl replied, and wiggled a little more earnestly, her feet starting to push a little against Ren's shoulder. He took that as his sign to let her down, and carefully maneuvered her upright again. Once she was on her own two feet, she turned and wrapped her arms around Ren in an eager hug. She was a little too short for him to return it properly, but he gently pressed his hands against her upper back and her head, welcoming her gesture. He wondered a little how it made Jaz feel--and he wondered if he ought to warn the kids against touching her, just in case. In any case he turned to look at Jaz, though he wasn't sure yet what his next action was going to be.
The blond-haired boy also caught sight of Jaz then, and he blinked at her curiously, though subtly side-stepped to make sure Ren was mostly between the two of them.
((OOC: Probably more will happen fairly quickly from here, but I figure that's quite enough for Jaz to respond to lol.))