Arreyis

Devouring Light

Ayrie watched him struggle and knealed down next to him. "Here, let me."

She quickly undid the buttons, trying not to stare as the shirt gave way to his bare skin. She carefully removed the shirt from his shoulders, creful not to touch the runes im case it hurt him further.

Devouring Light

'This is not my idea of alone time.' Ayrie thought as she looked at him and back at the marked bottles. "Are you sure there's not something else that can be done?"

She was highly averse to the idea of hurting him more than he was already, but she walked to the bottles and grabbed one. She found a bottle opener and walked back to him, screwing it in as she went.

"Just tell me what you need."

Devouring Light

Ayrie watched in confusion as the mayor ran past, his hand over his mouth and his hair appearing to lengthen. "What...?" Ayrie couldn't finish her question as she noticed the illusion Markus was casting falter for a split second. Thinking quickly, she darted around those nearest her and made to follow him inside.

Two priests tried to stop her, but she was younger and faster and ducked as they reached out. She waa determined to get to the bottom of this. As she entered the temple she looked wildly around for the mayor, unable to see him at first.

"Mayor?" She called, spotting him across the room from her, clutching his shoulder which looked to be bleeding. "Please...just... Let me help."

She grabbed a towel from a countertop and slowly moved towards him. "Markus helped me fix the sparking... I can't hurt you unless I want to and I don't want to..."

'This is absurd. You're talking to him as if he's some kind of spooked animal.' Ayrie couldn't help but chide herself.

Devouring Light

Ayrie laughed with surprise when he stepped onto the dance floor and started dancing as if he'd been doing it forever. His face was smooth as he danced, never changing expression, but she smiled anyway. She had certainly not expected him to just get up and go dance!

"That's not something he would normally do." Markus said, his voice monotone but loud enough she could hear.

"Well, I didn't think he would, that's for sure. He is very generous but he is wound tighter than anyone I've ever met." She answered, patting him on the shoulder. If he was controlling an illusion of the Lord Gluttony, he would have a massive headache in the morning. "Though, are you certain that my sheilds will keep me from shocking every dark magic thing I touch now? I wouldn't want to bump him in the next dance and send sista flying everywhere."

"They'll hold as long as you maintain them. You need not worry about that anymore." Though Markus wasn't sure he wanted her touching his Lord in any way.

Ayrie watched to the end of the dance and clapped loudly when it was over, smiling delightedly.

Devouring Light

Ayrie spun one last time as the music came to an end and walked back to the table laughing.

"That is so much fun!" She said, reaching down and taking a drink of her wine. She looked over at the mayor as another song began. "You should come with me the next time. Loosen up a little."

Ayrie giggled and set her glass back down, not quite ready to sit yet. Her feet were tapping to the beat of the music. She shook her braid from her shoulder and looked around at all the happy people, feeling like a child loosed on a brand new world.

The Gryphons of Theros-Heavily Edited

Bumperunio

Devouring Light

Ayrie smiled and stood, making her way to a small group of dancers who were teaching each other the steps and laughing. She joined them, watching what they did intently occasionally looking back to the mayor with a smile.

'This is a lot of fun. We would never have done this at the monastery.' She thought, moving her body to the beat as she began to master the steps.

The church was against such displays in worship, and as a result the monastery had never seen dancers in her twenty two years there. The elders would have absolutely had a coniption fit if they saw what Ayrie was doing, especially if they had seen the look on her face as she glanced now and then at the mayor.

Devouring Light

"I'll be there." She said.

She wasn't sure if it was the wine or the mental stimulation, but Ayrie suddenly had the urge to do something.

"Will there be more to this festival than sitting and watching the dancers? I have a sudden urge to join them." She said, watching their graceful forms twirling for their audience.

Devouring Light

"Oh of course, I'll meet with you at your leisure, or with one of your subordinates perhaps, Mister Mayor." She said, again with a smile. She was enjoying this, perhaps more than she should have considering the circumstances and what she had just seen less than an hour ago.

'Hold my hand indeed. I didn't ask for him to come pounding on my door last night.'

Devouring Light

Ayrie had to hold back a laugh at what the mayor said to her, as it only made sense if he was in fact trying to hide behind an illusion.

"Well, I am in his debt then. I'll have to meet with you later to discuss what jobs there are for me around here to repay it." She said, her green eyes glinting as she looked at the mayor with a smile.

She took another bite of her bread and glanced over at Nadia who seemed to also be stifling laughter, though at what Ayrie couldn't guess.