[Tenebrae16] Love again. [Horatio]

[Tenebrae16]

Chasing. Running through some ill forgotten place, running after some blurry figure, only to realize he was the one being chased. In some weird unending chase, like a merry go round. A dizzying delightful frightening merry-go-round. Everything rushing by him, too fast for him to make any sense of all it. He didnt know what to feel at the time, overcome with adrenaline. Then always he would feel arms wrap around him as he was caught and pulled away off his feet. Then his eyes would snap open as the dream ended and he would wake up surrounded by the walls of the small windowless bedroom he slept in. His heart pounding like crazy and his hands shaking.

It wasn't a bad feeling though. Not the type you would get when you are jolted awake from a horrendous nightmare, but more like the feeling of estacy intensified to the point that it overtook one's body and left one breathless and almost fearful of the feeling. He breathed in shakily, hugging the thin cloth sheet close to his trembling body. The sun hadn't risen yet, but he would still needed to get ready for his duties soon.

His great grandmother had been a talented tailor for noblemen, women and even supposedly rumored, the king. At least that was what his mother had told him when he was young. Most men were expected to follow their father's footsteps and become hardened by work and labor, but Damion had always prefered the soft patterns of cloth surrounding him and the swaying movements of a needle. True, he only weaved cloth for the peasants of his village and it was an uncommon job for a young man in such times, but he enjoyed it so more than the boys working as blacksmiths or butchers.

His mother had passed away early in his life and his father was not spoken off, so he was left to tend her little shop all by himself. At least, despite the few friends he had made, he had gotten along well with a girl, no older than him, that had come to his shop to fix her dress. Most women had learned how to sew on their own, but for the more expensive cloths they had to come to him. Her name was Elle and what a delightful person she was. They had talked to each other and really found that they had a lot of things in common. Though, he thought of her as nothing more than a good friend, thoughts of his mother wishing that he would find a nice girl to settle down with did enter his mind from time to time. Each time, he brushed it off.

"Elle! How wonderful to see you!" He greeted brightly, seeing her afar with her bright sunshine hair. His emerald green eyes gazed at her as he brushed a lock of brown hair off of him and dusted the dirt away from his own simple attire. He put down the scissors he had been using to cut up sone fabric to wave at his friend, but who was that man trailing behind her?

"Damion! Oh, I have a dress I need help with, the seam has ripped. O-oh and my brother has cone along with me! He wishes to meet the man who has helped me so much with all my ripped garments. You do know how clumsy I am.." Elle whispered softly as she stood by him. The sun glared brightly, the light making it hard to see the man that Elle claimed to be her brother. There was a small chance it wa someone he had not met before though the village they lived in was rather small and almost everyone knew each othwr and news always spread like wild fire the moment it was uttered.

[Horatio]

The Damiri family was known around their town for being wealthy, they were the richest family in the area and lived in a grand house less than a mile from the village's border. Their father was a knight, the lowest of the noble caste so they were not rich by other nobles standards but in their little town, the Damiri name held weight.
The lady of the house had died giving birth to their youngest child, a daughter named Elle who was the picture of her mother, bright blonde hair and eyes as blue as the summer sky, her personality just as sunny as her looks. Her elder brother, Eden, was the exact opposite. He took after his father's darker features, long black hair that he kept pulled back in a tight braid and piercing gray eyes the color of storm clouds. He had a brooding demeanor and was whispered about around town with rumors that he was gargoyle come to life. He was rarely seen, always staying at their home, taking care of the estate since their father was off living with the King's army, fufilling his duty as a knight.
But Elle knew differently, she loved her brother dearly and constantly begged him to accompany her to town. He always complained of work keeping him busy and so she had squealed with delight when he'd finally agreed to come meet the tailor today.
"Hurry up brother!" she called teasingly, watching the tall figure come closer. Eden was distracted by the traveling book salesman he spotted down the road, he would have to make sure they caught him before he left. He desperately wanted to increase his ever-growing collection.
"Patience is a virtue love," he gave a slight chuckle as he finally reached them, offering his sister a small smile. His face relaxed once again as his gaze swept over to Damion and he held out his hand to greet the man.
"Pleasure to meet you, Elle has not stopped chattering about your miracle works," his brow creased slightly as a flash of recognition filled his mind as he looked at Damion, though he'd never met the man before. An image of light cotton curtains blowing in the breeze and the scent of the ocean flitted across his senses, like a forgotten memory. He blinked in confusion.

[Tenebrae16]

"It's wonderful to meet Elle's brother. My name is Damion." He replied, giving the hand a firm shake. He was not as famous nor did his family name have much weight in the town as the Damiri, but he had never treated Elle as if she were a princess or failed to point out how clumsy she could be at times and playfully criticise her. Most would frown upon his behaviour towards a member of the Damiri birthline, but Damion had always been the odd one out. At times, people wondered if he ha bewitched the innocent child Elle. The fact thr he was pale compared to most boys since he had to tend to his shop more often did not help him, nor did the uncommon colour of his eyes and the fact that he wa good at what he dis. Most people would shout witchcraft if they could find something that might possibly be linked to him.

There were always all thses pesky rumors of how his mother had died when he was born though he always brushed them off. He knew they were untrue, he knew as long as he paid them no attention, they would cease to bother him. If anyone dared to ask him about it, he would either snap or laugh at them depending on his mood.

He looked over Eden, his observant eyes taking in every little feature and his mouth running itself off without needing permission from his mind. "My aren't you tall, Elle you really look like a sapling compared to your brother! Don't protest, I have your clothing measurments to prove it!" he said loudly, causing Elle to slap a hand over her mouth in order to avoid laughing out loud in public. Damion never did know when tonot point out someone's features, no matter how rude it seeme at times. He said what he saw and wore his heart on his sleeve. As their hands left each other after the handhake, he suddenly felt a cold jolt go through him. A shiver ran up his spine as he suddeny remembered strong arms around him, pulling him away from the ground. He brushed away that feeling. Only a dream. A dream that haunte him every single night.

"Oh I'm so stupid! You both have to be tired with how far away you live from here! Elle! You and your nrother can both wait in the spare room while I work on your dress! Do you need any water?" He led them both the extra room in his shop. It had once been a large closet used for storing all the dresses and cloth till Damion found it was better to leave them out in the sunlight so that no moths got to them first. He had turned the room into a waiting area for his customers with a small table and a rather makeshift fireplace for boiling water. "You two really don't look alike you know." He said softly as he poure them both a glass of water, his brown hair getting in his eyes again.

"Heh, thats the first time someone has said that so directly, but I assure you we are brother and sister." Elle replied cheerfully taking a sip of her water. She was used to drinking tea and juices, but Damion was not one for fancy drinks when water was enough to refresh one's thirst. She glanced at her brother. Elle had grown used to Damion's bluntness and simple ways, she hoped after her brother had spent so much time with the finer things in life, he would not be offended by all of this.

[Horatio]

Eden followed the duo silently, looking about the shop appreciatively. Since he did not come to town very often, he'd only heard tell of the rumors surrounding Damion but he did not believe such stories, just like the tales that gathered around his family, he just laughed them off.
Damion seemed a nice enough fellow and if Elle liked him, then Eden was bound to as well. Despite her friendly personality, Elle was not quick to trust people and she was a great judge of character. So her friendship with Damion said a lot.
He fought back a smile as he watched and listened to Damion, normally people treated him with forced politeness or cold disinterest so the brunette's honesty was a breath of fresh air. Like his sister, he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing aloud.
He sat next to Elle in the little waiting room, smirking as Damion, like everyone else, commented on their differences. Elle was always described as beautiful and fair, a living dose of sunshine on Earth while Eden was called handsome but dour and therefore not worthy of such a wonderful sister nor worth getting to know.
"I assure you, we are siblings, we have the same mouth," he reached over to poke Elle's cheek and she batted his hand away with a giggle. He smiled minutely. He was right though, Elle's lips were more pink while Eden's were a bit chapped from the sun but they had the same quirk on the left corner of their mouths, giving the tiniest imperfect crook to their features. They also shared the same ears, long eyelashes and their noses crinkled the same way when they laughed.
"Though your mouth is far dirtier than mine brother dear," Elle teased, Eden sniffed indignantly.
"Those roses had it coming, a tongue-lashing was far less than they deserved for stabbing me," he looked down at his left hand, where a small red spot of dried blood dotted his palm. Elle giggled behind her hand. Her brother was so silly but he could swear like a sailor when provoked.

[Tenebrae16]

"Hmm? Really?" He set the pitcher of water down on the table, leaning across it to stare at Eden. Like how he didnt think before he spoke, his brain didnt seem to think for his body either as he entered what could be called a person's personal space, peering closely at Eden.His eyes darted over Eden's face, staring before he pulled back. "Wow you both do have the same faces if you look really close, but you should smile more Eden if you want a mouth a big as your sister's for swearing!" He said jokingly, causing Elle to playfully hit him. Damion laughed and feigned hurt innocense as he rubbed the sore spot on his arm. His pale skinned cheeks showing up rosy just from laughing and his eyes sparkled after having just a short conversation with the both of them.

"I can help patch up that small cut of yours if you want. I've pricked myself loads of times with all the needles and scissors." He held up a hand and pulled down his sleeve to revealed a bandaged arm from when he had so unfortunately been startled while holding a pair of scissors. He went to rummage around in a drawer, pulling out some mashed herbs that his mother had always used before. Applying the paste onto a small piece of cloth, he sat down next to Eden and gently took his hand.

Damion's fingers were smooth and soft, not calloused by the rough work of a farmhand or a blacksmith and his touch was gentle and delicate like how he held his scissors and cloth. Gently, he wrapped up the small cut with paste applied onto the bandage. Not many would think with how excitable and adventurous he was that Damion would have such a caring touch. When he was done he gazed up at Eden and smiled brightly, "All done! It should heal up super fast now as long as you don't run into a rose bush. You're just like Elle. Clumsy."

"Well I should go patch up your dress Elle, you two relax! i'll be right back!" He called happily before disappearing back into his shop. Elle waved him off, taking a sip of water before he shook her head and smiled at her brother.

"See, I told you he was a lively one, so nice. Heh, maybe a little energetic and blunt, but he does do great work on all mydresses. Can't you just not help but warm up to him so quickly, Eden?" She asked her brother playfully, nudging him. It had been a while since she saw him smile or attempt to hold back a smile around other people. "You really should get out of the house more brother! You could meet more people like him and it would do you some good, though I don't think there is anyone like him, do you? Damion certainly is one of a kind."

[Horatio]

Eden blinked as he was examined, his cheeks slightly pink but he wasn't bothered by the intrusion. No, in fact, Eden was very much a physical person. He didn't talk much and therefore expressed himself through actions. Like the reasons he was pricked by the roses this morning was because he had been picking them for Elle, she was sad because her pet bird had a broken wing and roses were her favorite. While his plan to bring back a beautiful bouquet for her had failed, she'd laughed at his swearing and pouting face so he'd suceeded in making her smile afterall.
The corner of his mouth flickered briefly into a smile at Damion's observation, the larger male had taken the time to look over the tailor as well and he liked what he saw. If someone couldn't like Damion for his personality, they could at least like him for his raw beauty. He had such an expressive face that Eden envied. Though Elle always said you could tell what Eden was feeling by looking at his eyes.
"And you should laugh often, it suits you," the older male said quietly then gray eyes widened at the offer. "Oh no, I am-" he tried to protest but Damion was already taking his hand and fixing it up. Eden relaxed and accepted his fate. As Damion worked, Eden yet again got the odd sense that they'd met before as the smell of incense and candle wax flickered in his mind. His father had brought home incense once from his travels but Eden hadn't liked the scent and it wasn't the same as the one that pulled at his memory now.
He flexed his hand, admiring Damion's handiwork and instantly missing the contact of their hands touching. He watched the tailor leave and allowed a true smile to show now that he was alone with his sister.
"Yes, I see why you like him, if only there were more people as kind and honest in this town," then maybe he'd actually visit more often instead of being such a loner. But he had Elle and his books and his horse, he did not require anything else. Eden wrapped an arm around his sister, pulling her close to his side and kissing the top of her head. She giggled and looked up at him.
"Are you sure you shouldn't save your kisses for Damion?"
Eden glared at her but there was no real venom in his eyes, Elle had seen the way her brother had watched the tailor and was actually nice to him, not just polite. Eden never warmed up to someone so quickly.
"Bite your tongue love or I'll cut it out," he crossed his eyes playfully and she laughed.

[Tenebrae16]

"Heh, he is kind to those he likes and honest to everyone. I've seen him once scold a grown man because he had shouted at some children playing on the street. He doesnt have such a dirty mouth as you, brother, but you should have seem the insults he hurled at that man. Really creative and I didn't know he could get so mad at someone over such a thing. It wa almost like a child getting angry, but no one dares to laugh at him. I haven't seen that man around on the streets whenever Damion is walking, but the children of the village have really respected him since then." She recalled, her eyes far away and distant and she brought up the memory, leaning against her brother. A small giggle escaped her lips as she continued to recount, "There was once, a rich lady from out of town came to his shop to get a brooch fixed to her dress. She had a beautifully made fur coat and I recommended her to Damion. You remember Lady Eris, don't you? Well, the moment she stepped into his shop, he piped up loudly and said 'Step out'. Then he began talking to her about how cruel it was to skin animals. Imagine that. A tailor insulting such a refined lady. I'm glad she disnt report him or anything though."

She laughed softly to herself, sticking out her tongue teasingly at her brother and poked his cheek. She had seen the way her brother looked at the tailor and felt a sense of pride at helping her brother make a new friend. She really need to get him out of the house more. "You like him don't you? He has that aura that makes everyone warm up to him, even a stiff gargoyle like you." She teased playfully.

Damion sat out in his shop, threading the needle as he began to fix the dress. His stitches were always so unnoticable, so small and refined was what made him so renowned. The thread blended in well with the cloth as if it was one piece and not two sewn together. He smiled as he held the dress up against the sun and examined his handiwork. It wasn't enough for his standards, but it was only a simple patch job so he could let it go this once.

"I'm done with your dress Elle!" He called cheerfully, opening the door to the spare room and peering in at Elle an Eden leaning against each other. He held up the dress up to her and presented her with his work. He always tried to do his best an live up to how his mother used to sew stitiches and dresses. Sometimes, he struggled jus to finish one piece of clothing since he was so fussy about his work. It was probably the reason he had not had an apprentice so far. Passing the dress back to Elle, he sat across the table from them and poured himself a glass of water. "You don't need to pay, you already gave me extra the last time Elle."

"Oh no, I should pay you!" Elle insisted, then suddenly sat up straight. "Oh Eden, donMt you have some clothes that need to be tailored and you did say your suits were getting a little small..."

[Horatio]

Eden smirked as he listened to his sister, very easily imagining the outspoken tailor doing such things. And the old man probably deserved it. Eden also had a soft spot for children and could remember quite a few times when he'd punched boys for teasing Elle when they were younger.
And yes, he did remember Lady Eris, she was one of the women in town who flirted with him mercilessly, thinking he was the perfect trophy husband or some other such nonsense. Even if he was attracted to women there was no way he'd go for a woman like Eris. Eden made a mental note to not bring up his hunting endeavors to Damion, though it had just been a phase in his teens and he'd used every part of the animals, not just killing them for sport.
He pouted at his sister, looking wounded, "Not you too?" he honestly had no idea where the gargoyle comparison came from. Yes, he was quiet, but a stone-cold monster? Hardly. "And so what if I do like him? I like you too and that just proves I'm a horrible judge of character,"
Elle gasped and hit his chest with her palm, "You're the worst!" Eden just laughed.
The siblings looked up when Damion reentered the room, Eden smirking as Elle gushed over her dress. Damion was truly skilled, the brunet couldn't even tell where the dress had been torn.
Gray eyes widened as the attention was turned to him and he stood awkwardly. It was true, it had been a few years since the last time he had bought new clothes, but he liked them worn and it wasn't like he went out often enough for people to notice his limited wardrobe. But he had seen Damion's handiwork with his own eyes and Elle was crazy about his clothes, it wouldn't hurt to try would it? And he could get to know his sister's friend, a point his protective nature really liked.
"Well, I suppose, if Damion is willing...?" he looked at the brunette curiously, a small, shy smile on his face.

[Tenebrae16]

"Oh, Clothes? Well, I wouldn't mind! Its been a while since I've done more than a simple patch job and if you would like.." His voice lowered and his cheeks flushed a nice pink as he suddenly turned into a shy mumbling child. "I have some designs I would like to try. I know people normally want to decide for themselves, but if you wouldn't mind a surprise, I would be glad to design your clothes for you." That shyness lasted for obly a mere second before he reverted back to that blunt optimistic side of himself. He flashed his teeth at Eden, before he turned to rummage in another drawer near the table. There was the sound of needles, scissors and all sorts of buttons and beads clinking against each other as he opened and closed drawer after drawer in search for something. He had never said he was the most organised of people.

"Ah!" He gave a sound of excitement as he pulled out a roll of thread with markings along it. Turning to Eden, he held it out at arm's length. "I would need to take some measurements first if you don't mind. Elle do you want to go out while I do this? I know some women are sensitive about getting measured and all. It should be the same opposite right?" He inquired snarkily, already eager to get to work on Eden's attire. It was a wonder why he would spend so much time and energy on his customers and not himself. One was always shocked to know he was a well known tailor with his own tattered dirty brown sleeveless shirt and patched up pants. If his pale skin and smooth hands matched his clothes, he might be mistaken for a street urchin or a beggar boy.

While that puzzled many people, it was a conundrum for him to have to dress proper and all. He reasoned that the bet of things should be spent on those who wanted such things. That's why they came to him. If he didn't need fancy clothes or anythig, why bother wearing ones that were probably going to get ripped up?

Elle nodded, giggling as she closed the doorafter she called out, "Don't flatter him too much!"

Damion just rolled his eyes and got to work. "Could you lift your arms up in a cross shape?" "Stand up straight." "Relax..." Finally it was down to the final measurement, around the waist. This required Damion to stand close to Eden and nearly put his arms around him just to get that measuremet. At least it was easier than trying to get Eden's height which required him to tiptoe and stretch his arms. He didnt care for personal space though and his voice was gentle and reassuring as calm and confortable as he was where he stood. As he stood up straight, his eyes suddenly closed and he sniffed the air a few times like a cat catching a scent. "You smell like flowers."

It wasnt the strong scent of flowers, it was more like a smoky burning candle that carried the lightest hints of a boquet. He wondered if it was fron when Eden attackedthe rose bush or if it was his natural scent. Either way, it made him a little sleepy. He yawned and stretched, moving away . "Oh sorry,
I havent been getting too much sleep at nights."

[Horatio]

Eden did as he was told and held his arms out, smirking slightly as Damion measured him. The niggling of familiarity back in his mind at the sounds of Damion's shuffling feet and whisper of his fingers against the fabric of Eden's clothes.
Unabashedly, he studied Damion's face as the man stood close, taking stock of his torso. He liked Damion's hair and the way it fell into his pretty eyes. If he wasn't so pale, he imagined his face would have freckles from the sun.
He chuckled a bit at the statement, "I spend a lot of time reading in the garden," sometimes even late into the night, a candle burning next to him, casting shadows on the plants around him. Elle always said she loved hugging him because he smelled of flowers, wax and cherry wood. It made Eden smile and reply that she always smelled of sunshine and daisies and on the odd occasion, butterscotch, when she came back blushing from visiting the baker Eden knew she was smitten with.
He frowned with sympathy, "I know the feeling, this week has included a lot of late nights involving paperwork," he grimaced at the thought of it waiting for him back home.