. Aeron Leclair. - Tumblr Posts

She doesn't feel right. This isn't right. She should have fought harder, but a small voice tells her that wouldn't have mattered. Nothing would have changed the plan. Jade would still be on watch while Kit was... elsewhere. There was nothing the young knight could do to protect her from here and that was the worst. What if something happened to her?

She barely notices Aeron there until he speaks. She blinks, turning her head to look at him. A quiet thanks leaves her lips as she grabs a canteen and then returns her gaze to the horizon. It feels like her heart is caught in her throat and his question doesn't help at first. Her initial thought is that he means Kit until he clarifies. It's almost a reminder that she's worried for them, too. "Yes. We do... It creeps up on you."

aeron ensures all of the canteens are filled with fresh water while @dutyxbound keeps watch. it's clear she's on edge, he doesn't blame her, and a part of him wants to try and ease that, but he doubts that is possible. not while kit is in her current state. when the task at hand is complete, he reaches out and offers her one of the containers.

❛ you guys care about each other a lot, don't you? i mean, all of you, ❜ he quickly follows, uncertain if he should mention what's so obvious to everyone else. toying with the other canteen in hand, aeron presses his lips together. ❛ i've never really seen anythin' like it - the way you would fight for each other. it's... new. ❜

A strange expression of confusion, exhaustion, and weariness crosses Jade's face. It's nice? It takes a moment for her to realize he means the care and love the group shares, not this current situation. There is nothing nice about this right now, but she can see why he would be attracted to the bond between this fellowship of people. It's nice to be... well, loved. So, her expression becomes one of just exhaustion and vigilance.

She lets the silence consume them for a while. Listens to the breeze through the trees and her own nervous heartbeat. Stay in the moment. Not in your torturous, hyperactive imagination. Boorman and the others would take care of her. She swallows, licks her lips, considers. "I don't like when I'm not with her." Her voice is soft, quiet, like a secret she's afraid to admit.

everyone is on edge, and aeron is acutely aware of how out of place he seems in the collective. he hasn't been with them for long, and is honestly surprised they haven't parted ways with him as of yet, but still: he feels. he senses their sorrow, and shares in it when it comes to his new friends. even kit isn't exactly the warmest when it comes to aeron. not that he blames her, after all. he couldn't.

❛ it's... nice. ❜ he immediately falls silent. nothing about this situation is nice, and he can't help but feel like he's said the wrong thing. how stupid. clearing his throat, he busies himself with a quick sip of water. ❛ i'm... here if you want to talk. or not talk. i'm not good at that part, can't help it, but i can try. i know folks like the silence so, you know... gotta practice. ❜ attaching the canteen's loop to his belt, aeron starts to fidget with the rope. ❛ i want to help, jade. ❜

“I can’t,” is Jade’s immediate response. “We stick to the plan. My duty is here and it’s the best way I can protect her right now.” She’s not sure how much she believes that last statement. Jade always thinks Kit is much safer with her nearby, but it’s not like Kit’s alone right now. She’s with the others. If anything, were Jade to leave her post now, it could ruin everything that they’d planned. More importantly, it’s imperative that she trust Kit’s choices, not as her knight, but as her partner.

Jade takes another swig from her water skin. “Besides, you’re still new to this whole patrol thing. Someone’s gotta teach you the proper way before Boorman starts showing you bad habits.” And Jade knows that’s inevitable. For every task that she insists on doing perfectly, Boorman has a bad habit for said task. However, he always gets the job done, so it’s difficult to correct him in the end. “They’ll bring her back safely. I have to trust that.”

a part of him wonders what it'd feel like to be loved this strongly, to love someone this strongly, but the concept is just out of reach. he sees it, sometimes he thinks he can feel it, but it's never touched. never quite... there. it's no wonder he's a little jealous of those he travels with.

❛ then go to her, ❜ aeron nods in the general direction of the others, ❛ i'll keep watch. ❜ it's not like there's any chance of him sleeping any time soon. thoughts are too loud as he tries to come to terms with their journey so far. it's surprising that any of them have gotten to this point. ❛ go rest, jade. ❜

Jade stops herself from laughing, but a smile does make its way on her face. She's not sure she appreciates anything Boorman teaches, but certainly some things. His advice to her after she "released" her father of his possession was actually good advice and had helped her in the days since. But those gems were few and far in between. She more often found herself rolling her eyes and losing her patience. "Just make sure you can discern the gold from the bullshit."

Her thumbs rub with intense pressure against the water skin in her hand, her nerves revealing themselves. His words give them a moment of relief, though. Hearing others say it still catches her off-guard. "I do. And I know nothing would stop her from coming back to me. Not if she can help it."

duty. it's a word that used to dictate his life; owned his life almost. the protection of sandeni and those of his people had been everything to him. aeron would have given an arm, leg, everything, to the cause. now? now he's not too sure that his duty would ever mean anything. not now, not here. still, he understands this part of jade. maybe that's why he doesn't fight or argue against her words. instead, he takes post beside her and threads fingers behind his back. ❛❛ okay. ❜❜

❛❛ i appreciate anything he teaches me. ❜❜ boorman's life perspective is the complete opposite of aeron's. while he doesn't naturally agree with what's being taught, he'll always listen. there's a reason boorman has survived this long; there's a reason all of them has survived this long, and he would listen to their advice all night if he could. in a way, it helps him feel like he belongs. noting her tone, he glances sideways at the knight. ❛❛ you love her, ❜❜ he says, matter-of-factly. ❛❛ you need to trust that, above all things, will bring her back to you. ❜❜

🌪️  -  a  starter  where  our  muses  are  trapped  together  during  a  storm — @vanuexpartre (Aeron Leclair)

Jade regrets leading Aeron into this cavern. Now they’re trapped here for the night. Even if they wanted to leave and try to find the others, they’d have to work their way through the flood. And if she’s honest, she’s soaked enough as it is. They’ll just have to wait out the storm. She just wishes that she were warmer. Being in wet clothes and armor in the cold is only making her feel worse, but at least the cave walls are blocking the treacherous wind outside. She hopes Kit is safe and dry, wherever she might be out there.

She leans her head against the wall, letting it roll to one side so she can look at her elven companion. She doesn’t know how the two of them got paired up, but it could be worse. She could be stuck with Boorman right now. At least Aeron knew how to be quiet. “Looks like we’re stuck here for the night. Any ideas for keeping warm?” For now, Jade curls her body in on itself, knees pulled up to her chest as she blows warm air into clasped hands. She can barely feel them.

Jade eyes his jacket for a moment before lifting a hand to push his back. She shakes her head a moment. “You’ll need it. The night will only get colder,” she tells him. She also doesn’t want to put on another layer of wet clothing. It sounds miserable and she doesn’t want to endure it. She’s already trying to ignore the cold seeping into her bones.

“You are right about there being nothing dry in here. Including us,” she replies, looking around the cave. She wonders how the others are doing, how they’re keeping warm and staying out of the rain. She wonders how Kit’s doing. Probably worrying, Jade thinks for a short moment. “Wait, you’re going out there? I doubt you’ll find anything for us to eat in that storm. Hell, I doubt there’s much to be found in here either.”

ㅤㅤㅤstanding at the mouth of the cavern, aeron takes a moment to appreciate the storm. eyes blink against the rain as shoulders relax. the situation is not ideal, far from it in all honesty, but he's still going to take the time to recognise that the downpour will benefit the land in the long run. from disaster comes growth.

ㅤㅤㅤjade's question brings him further into the cave as eyes scan the surrounding area. ❛❛ we could probably start a small fire, but i'm not sure there's anything dry in here. ❜❜ shrugging of his jacket, he walks over to the knight and holds it out to her. like her clothing, it's wet but an extra layer is better than nothing. besides, the princess would no doubt kill him if they returned with an unwell jade. ❛❛ you get a lay of the land while i look for things to burn? ❜❜