we could stay in this moment for the rest of our lives

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

Soh was beginning to become quite fond of the little yellow house on the horizon, and just now, she hurried towards it with a spring in her step and a smile on her face. Anani trailed behind her, gliding through the air overhead like a serene little cloud, every bit as cheerful as her bonded to be back in King's End. While the region itself was fine - pretty, but not home - she couldn't argue with the undeniable urge to return as soon as she left. And that all came down to Zavien.

She hadn't been back to Torchline since Flora's birthday party, but she was determined not to think about that today. Today, she came bearing a gift, one that she was eager to give to her boyfriend. The gold pendant around her neck pulsed faintly with her heartbeat, an ever-present reminder that she'd been successful in procuring the first of two necklaces that would serve to reassure each other when apart. It was an odd feeling, to sense her heart beating outside her chest, but she supposed it was fitting that it would be wherever Zavien was now.

She hadn't taken the time to send word ahead, given that she'd headed straight here from the Grounds, so she wasn't even sure if he'd be home. Still, she'd be happy to wait as long as necessary if it meant seeing him in the end.

Stopping at the front door, Soh raised her hand and knocked. One of these days, she supposed she'd need to get a key, but for now, she'd be patient and wait outside.

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

Sohalia

I would rather
share one lifetime with you

The squeal of kids echoed down the street, the pattering slap of their feet kicking up mud as they giggled and looked behind them for their pursuers. Their faces were bright, flush with excitement that shimmered in their eyes. One of the little boys grabbed the girl's hand, pulling her along while the other boy took up the rear. 

"You can't escape me!" The voice boomed in a dramatic tone, making the kids hunch their shoulders and duck their heads with bright grins. 

Zavien rounded to corner, his foots stomping loudly as he widened his arms, ready to scoop one of them up in his arms. But before he could reach them, a mighty roar pierced the sky, a flutter of golden wings announcing their savior's arrival as he landed bravely between the children and their adversary. "OH NO! Not the formidable golden dragon! How will I get my lunch when they're protected by the powerful Sol?!" He stopped short, pretending to look defeated as he looked up his companion. Sol stood proud, chest puffed and a waft of smoke rising from his mouth. The ever gallant and noble display of their protector. 

The children let out another series of giggles, huddling behind the small dragon that was no larger than a cocker spaniel. "Get him Sol!" they shouted, pointing towards Zavien. Taking their orders, the dragon let out a mighty battle cry, rushing forward and leaping to tackle the Dragoon to the ground where he bit playful at his arms and legs, growling fiercely while Zavien thrashed and yelled, "No no! Don't do this!"

than face all the ages
of this world alone.

Zavien

All this time I didn't know
You were breakin' down

Soh stood in front of the door long enough to ascertain that Zavien was indeed not home at present, then turned around, scanning the road as though she might see him coming if she looked hard enough. When no boyfriend was forthcoming, she pursed her lips impatiently. It wasn't that he was out - she wanted him to have a life - but more that she was overeager to present him with his necklace.

Maybe she could fly over New Haven to see if she could find him. Just when she'd decided that that was the proper course of action, a dramatic voice interrupted her mid-shift; giggling kids spilled around the corner, followed by an obviously-very-threatening Zavien. Just as it appeared that the man was about to win whatever game was being played, Sol swooped in to save the day. At the sight of it all, a broad grin spread over Soh's face. She leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms over her chest, and paused to watch as the little dragon bravely defended his hoard of children.

Zavien was good with kids, she realized, something foreign but not at all unpleasant flickering in her chest. He was good with kids, and she had no idea what to do with them. Wanting to join in the game, Soh sent Anani swooping in to join the fray. The little cloud wyrm was not quite as playfully aggressive as Sol, but she did move to sit on Zavien's chest, as though her insignificant weight would pin him in place as her bonded closed in.

Approaching the kids, she cocked her head playfully to one side. Maybe he'd be so distracted by Sol and Anani that he wouldn't see her coming. With a wink to the children, Soh shifted, and when she pounced playfully to bat at Zavien's flailing legs, it was as a tide jaguar, tail lashing side to side.

I'd fall to pieces on the floor
If you weren't around

Sohalia

I would rather
share one lifetime with you

Zavien blinked when he felt a tiny touch on his chest, grinning to see Anani and what her presence meant. He let out a breathy groan like a large weight had been sat upon his lungs. "No! Please! Have mercy!" But Sol wrapped his gentle fangs around Zavien's hand, tugging and growling valiantly in his battle to defeat the enemy that threatened the children of their fine village. 

He writhed, 'unable' to properly defend himself against so many opponents, and as Soh moved to pounce on his legs, the children took that as an encouraging sign to join in the fight. They couldn't lose now! 

They jumped onto his stomach, throwing themselves on his arms and legs to 'pin' him in place with weak punches meant to subdue him. Zavien played along with grunts and shouts of theatrical pain, twisting on the ground until the weight of all of them on him had his breath squeezing, attempting to hide the huffs of laughter that came with their giggles. 

He finally flopped back, sweat and mud caking him. A loud, exasperated groan pushed from his chest, defeated and broken. "Okay! Okay! I yield! You knights are too strong for me! I never stood a chance!" Zavien closed his eyes, pretending to resign himself to whatever fate they chose for him.

than face all the ages
of this world alone.

Zavien

A group of Speaking Squirrels bursts into view, chattering excitedly as they scramble over roots and stones. Tails flick wildly as they wave their little paws and shout in unison.

“Come!” one calls, racing ahead a few steps before stopping abruptly. “Follow!” another adds, pointing in a direction that leads directly into a dead end or an entirely unremarkable patch of ground.

They regroup quickly, whispering among themselves before trying again, utterly convinced of their own usefulness. Whether they ever manage to lead anyone anywhere is doubtful, but their enthusiasm never wanes.

---

Speaking Squirrels Areas Found: Hollowed Grounds, King's End, Greatwood — Common Appearing like a slightly larger version of a common ground squirrel, the speaking squirrels - as their name suggests - can speak. Or they appear to. Their vocabulary is limited to "yes", "no", and "follow me!" Though it is entirely unclear whether or not they understand actually speech and the words they are saying, they nonetheless will answer questions and will lead wayward souls further astray. Calls of "follow me!" have led a number of victims to their death, as the squirrels have absolutely no idea where they are going. Challenge Rating: Easy HP: 38 | To Hit: +30 | Dmg: 9 Movement: Scurry 30 ft.; Climb 30 ft.; Leap 15 ft. SPECIAL SKILLS Limited Speech: vocabulary is only “yes,” “no,” and “follow me!” and it’s unclear they understand the words; Misleading Guide: will confidently lead wayward souls astray without any sense of direction; Chorus Echo: nearby squirrels pick up the cry, creating a misleading chorus from multiple directions; Gap Squeeze: slips through holes and hedge tunnels too small for most pursuers

TRAITS Slightly Larger Ground Squirrel: looks like an upsized ground squirrel with bright, curious eyes; Tree & Wall Climber: agile on trunks, ruins, and hedges; Hedgerow Local: nests in the twists and hedgerows, popping in and out of tiny gaps; Fearful but Curious: skittish at noise yet drawn to travelers and their shiny gear ACTIONS Chatter Reply: answers any question with “yes” or “no,” regardless of sense; “Follow Me!”: darts a few bounds, stops to look back, then scurries on, luring travelers deeper; Tail Flag: flicks its tail to signal others or draw attention to a false turn; Dart & Vanish: bolts up a trunk or into a hedge-gap, reappearing on a different branch a moment later

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

If she'd been human, Soh would have joined in the children's laughter. As it was, she purred loudly as she batted at Zavien's legs, finally going so far as to lay across them to pin him in place. Flicking her tail proudly, she watched with feline mirth in her eyes as the companions and kids continued the play fight until Zavien yielded to their combined efforts.

A voice nearby had her ear flicking sideways, and the tide jaguar turned her head to regard the speaking squirrels. They really had no sense of self-preservation, did they, to taunt not only a dragon, a cloud wyrm, a Dragoon and a tide jaguar. Snorting at their bravery (stupidity?), Soh turned back towards their group, ignoring the squirrels completely.

Her attention firmly back on Zavien and the children now, Soh slowly blinked at the sight of a muddy, sweaty Zavien 'pinned' in place by a gaggle of children. Rolling idly onto her side, Soh contemplated just staying there, keeping Zavien stuck in place just to see what the children would do, but in the end she shifted back. Sitting in the dirt, half on Zavien's legs, a wide grin on her face, she winked at him, wiggling her fingers in a small wave as she waited to see what fate the children would choose for him.

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

Sohalia

I would rather
share one lifetime with you

Soh might not have cared for the speaking squirrels, but Sol immediately raised his head, ear cocking to listen. Zavien would feel his attention shift, could feel the excitement build even before the streak of gold took off across the street. The kids were equally distracted by the creatures and Sol's sudden departure, sitting up to watch them scatter from the dragon's assault. 

Raising his head, Zavien peeked at Soh through the chaos, a plan forming in his mind as he sent her a playful wink. Then, like the dead rising, his abdominal muscles tensed, pulling him straight up from the ground and knocking the children askew from where they'd sat on his chest. He wrapped them in his arms, fingers finding the soft parts of their sides and armpits as they squealed and giggled. "What are you going to do without your powerful Sol to protect you now?!" 

One of the boys managed to wrangle himself free, but, laughing, he grabbed Zavien's arm, leaning back with all of his weight to try and pull it away from his friend. "Let them go!" But their enemy had renewed energy, and he continued his tickling assault on the vulnerable children, pretending to gnaw at their arms when they got too close to his face. 

Only once they were all fully and completely out of breath with squealing laughter, their stomachs rigid from overuse, did Zavien release them, just in time for an older woman down the street to call their names, chastising them for getting dirty. They rolled off him, one of the boys giving him a final playful punch in the arm before taking off, each of them spinning to wave and yell "Bye Zavien!" before rambling on with the older woman about their glorious battle. 

Zavien sat for a minute, watching them go as he caught his breath in the dirt. His eyes slowly slid to Soh, bright green with the joy beaming across his face. Some of it was from playing with the kids, but most of it was for her, his heart swelling to know she was here, safe within his reach. "This is such a nice surprise. I didn't think I'd see you for another few days."

than face all the ages
of this world alone.

Zavien

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

Sol took off after the speaking squirrels, leaving Anani and Soh to protect the children. But without the little gold dragon, Anani promptly took flight herself, and Soh was too busy laughing to do much more than watch as Zavien waged his tickle war on the kids. Before she could shift back and sit on his chest herself, this time to allow the children to try and tickle him back, an older woman down the street called the kids away. Soh watched them go, a soft smile on her face.

But then her gaze slid to Zavien and melted completely. Uncaring about the dirt, she scooted off his legs and leaned towards him, wrapping an arm around his neck. "I couldn't wait," she said as she hugged him, joy and affection overflowing. "And now I'm really glad I got here in time to be a part of that." Releasing him, her eyes flicked towards the retreating kids and back.

Tilting her head, she leaned back on her hands. She'd never really considered children beyond a passing fancy, a someday, maybe that she'd never followed the trail of, seeing as she'd never had someone to share her life with before now. "You're really good with them," she commented. That feeling was back: a little flutter in her chest, like falling in love with him all over again.

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

Sohalia

I would rather
share one lifetime with you

They were like magnets, drawing together where he could press her into his chest to feel her warmth, her presence, the beat of her heart. He smiled into her hair, breathing her in to sustain him when she ultimately pulled away. Grinning, he followed her gaze to the kids snagging at the woman's clothes, pulling her attention left and right with their recount of the battle. He chuckled. "Isn't it fun? I swear the kids giggle pure light. It never fails to cheer me up."

His head tilted to watch her, in no hurry to jump up from the dirt just yet. Instead, he reached a mud-caked hand forward, tucking a strand of her hair behind an ear so he could look closer at her beautiful silver eyes. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed them. "You are too," he said, remembering distinctly how they'd followed her lead into the fray of battle, daring to tackle their fears when she showed them they could. 

Cupping her cheek, Zavien leaned forward to place a gentle, smiling kiss on her lips. "I missed you," he whispered, not caring that a few people laughed as they passed the couple sitting in the middle of the road, muttering about 'young love' or some other sappy nonsense. But Zavien only had eyes for Soh, his thumb brushing his cheek as he took in the feeling of having her close. It felt like everything was right in the world again.

than face all the ages
of this world alone.

Zavien

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

Having never spent much time around children, Soh could nonetheless understand what Zavien meant. Their laughter was golden, seemingly unbothered by the weight of the world that could at times be so crushing to adults. And their willingness to leap into games of imagination, wholeheartedly and without restraint? Adorable. Admirable, even. Maybe they could all stand to be a little more childlike, to hold onto that wonder and joy and never let it go.

Zavien reached to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, and Soh tilted her head into the touch. She smiled at the compliment. "I don't know about that," she demurred. "Although I did play tag with Deimos and a bunch of Ancient kids once. That was fun, too. Not quite as entertaining as this, though." And certainly not something that had made her heart skip and leap in the same way.

The kiss that Zavien pressed to her lips was sweet, gentle, provoking a few amused comments from passersby that Soh really couldn't have cared less about. "I missed you, too." She might have been content to stay there forever, even though they were in the middle of the street in full view of the world, but then she brightened. "Oh! I brought you something," she said, reaching up to unfasten the necklace before holding it out to Zavien. "I believe this belongs to you." Whether she spoke of the necklace or her heart, who was to say?

---

Soh has given Zavien:

Heart of Gold | A small gold pendant that softly beats with Sohalia's heartbeat regardless of distance. Only works for Sohalia/Zavien. (Made by Nova)
Type: Light | Style: Other | Level: Basic | Cost: Passive

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

Sohalia

I would rather
share one lifetime with you

His laughter warmed the air between them. "I don't know. That sounds pretty hard to beat." The green of his eyes shone, amused and obviously imagining Soh running rampant with a bunch of horned kids. Maybe she'd been in her jaguar shift again, tapping them gently with her big paws, hearing them squeal and giggle at being caught by the big bad kitty cat.

The illusion was broken when she straightened suddenly, Zavien's eyes flashing open to watch her pull the gold strand away from her neck. "Oh?" He took the necklace from her hand, his eyebrows raising as he inspected the simple gold pendant the size of his thumb. It wasn't anything fancy or flashy, but as his finger brushed against the flat metal, Zavien felt the soft pulse of something steady, soothing, familiar. He grinned, lifting his gaze back to hers, giddy as his own heart fluttered a rapid beat in his chest. "Is this...?"

than face all the ages
of this world alone.

Zavien

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

Soh watched him carefully, and she saw the moment he realized what she'd handed over. The grin that brightened his face as green eyes flashed to hers had her heart skipping a beat - which he'd be sure to feel, given that he practically held her heart in his hand. Her own smile was radiant as she nodded. "I found Nova in the Grounds, and she was able to make it," she explained. "I may or may not have promised her more dragon scales as a thank you."

Searching Zavien's face, she saw only happiness - but she had to confirm. "Is it okay?" she asked, momentarily fretful. "I thought something simple would work best -" But she supposed she should have asked his preferences before she'd gone to Nova. Gold or silver? Long or short chain? Big or small pendant? "- but do you like it?"

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

Sohalia

I would rather
share one lifetime with you

The small stutter against the pad of his finger had him smiling. He hadn't realized he had the same effect on her that she did on him, but now that he knew - that he could feel every beat of her heart - the laughter that followed was embarrassingly tinged all the possible applications. But the relief was stronger, his hand clasping around the metal as he let out a heavy breath through an indulgent smile. "I'll make sure to keep a large stock of them." Particularly if the young woman was so willing to help them with these fears and anxieties. 

Zavien fumbled with the clasp for a moment before he can get it secured around his neck. He smiled at Soh, brighter and lighter than it had been before, pulling her into another tight hug where they could feel the beat of it between them. "It's perfect. Thank you." The affection in his voice was thick, warm and full of a peace that was slowly settling in his chest. 

When he pulled away, his attention turned to her, and the next step on their path to comfort. "When can we make yours?"

than face all the ages
of this world alone.

Zavien

I wanna break every clock
The hands of time could never move again

Soh smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. I should have asked first, but I figured you wouldn't mind." Especially given that Nova was helping to assuage their fears and anxieties, which was, in Soh's opinion, pretty priceless.

As Zavien fastened the necklace around his own neck, Soh watched with her heart doing a little flip-flop as she considered that he could now feel every beat. A slow smile spread across her face at the thought. Aside from the practical applications, she could imagine that being able to feel her heart race and soar would be an assurance of her feelings for him - not that she planned to let him forget.

Her own necklace would have to wait, though hopefully not too long. "Soon," she said. "The way I understand it, it takes a lot to make something like this. And I think you may need to come with me next time, since it's your heartbeat we'll be tying to mine." Leaning her head back, she sighed happily. "I can't wait." The ability to feel Zavien's heart beating in time with hers would be invaluable to the Luminary.

Straightening where she sat in the dirt, Soh turned to look at her boyfriend once more. "So, now that I'm here, I'm all yours," she said, a teasing smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Did you have any plans?"

We could stay in this moment
For the rest of our lives

Sohalia