Outspoken Outcasts?

[Zahn Skye]

As Zahn walked down the street, covered in his cloak, he sighed. He'd been doing that a lot lately. Sighing, that is. Mostly harmless, but often he'd be sighing because he was letting loose his pent-up frustrations. The Magic Council, as usual, was his main source of his irritation. The war two years ago was their fault. They might've ended it but really wasn't it their fault for letting it happen in the first place? Now, two years later, they laid down some insane law about mages having to belong to a Guild or not use magic at all?

"Militaristic douc-"

Zahn paused for a moment, then let loose another big, dramatic sigh. He couldn't even say much out-loud because of the way dissenters were treated by the Council. He was lucky his magic was a very subtle one and involved using his usually hidden eye to manipulate things around him. However the problem was that most mages' magic tended to be a lot... flashier. With that in mind, it was a much bigger problem for others to be Guildless as they'd most likely be caught red-hand easier. Still...

"... what's wrong with using magic if you don't belong to a Guild? Before the stupid war, there were tons of people who helped others without belonging to a Guild. It's Dark Guild mages that were the problem... and even then...!"

Zahn shook with anger, finishing his thought in his head. It wouldn't do to get too worked up. He never knew who could be listening, but sometimes his emotions really did get the better of him.

Most Dark Guild mages aren't just out randomly hurting every person they see. If they attack another Guild or group of innocent people, that's when they should be dealt with. Hunting people down, though? Just because they aren't the same as you, or share your ideals? What a load of crap...

The young Jinx mage continued to mumble to himself as he walked to and fro through the streets of the port town of Hargeon. Maybe he was just having one of those days, but everything he saw seemed to tick him off a little bit more. Sure, he come across people enjoying themselves and kids playing with one another and that brought a slight smile to his face but every time he started to have fun himself he remembered why he could never let himself get too close to too many people and his sour look returned.

[Abigail Parker]

Hargeon Town. It had been months since she first arrived in Fiore on the beaches outside Hargeon. Then, she had woken up with nothing but water-logged clothes and a vague sense of humiliation, and a decidedly less vague sense of frustration. She had been outplayed yet again by Emiliana, and had nothing to show for it aside from wet boots and sand in places that were less than comfortable. Now, she was here wearing a brand spankin' new swimsuit on this fine, hot summer day, the smell of sea salt filling her nostrils and making her head swim (in a good way). Today, she wasn't going to worry about Emiliana, or the Council, or any of the other dozen ongoing crises that normally would garner her undivided attention. Today, she was going to go surfing, lounge around on the beach, enjoy some ice cream, and then cap the day off by going to whatever bar's playing the loudest music and getting absolutely piss drunk. Today, Abigail Parker was on vacation.

As she jogged down a street which led to the general direction of the beach, dressed in nothing but her white string bikini, a pair of brown sandals, and a pair of aviator shades, with a silver crucifix hanging from a chain around her neck, the thought of being able to just relax and enjoy herself brought a grin to Abby's face. Her fiery red hair was hanging free, and the bikini left much of her tanned, well-toned body visible to the naked eye, to say nothing of the numerous tattoos on her body. With everything that had been going on the past few months, she needed this time to have fun, if only to prevent herself from snapping under the pressure. And what better way to blow off some steam than a pleasant romp on the beach on a blistering hot day?

And it seemed like she wasn't the only one with such thoughts. Looking around, it seemed that every person Abigail passed on the street was dressed in some kind of swimwear, and were either headed to the beach with towels tucked under their arms, or were headed away from the beach, dripping wet and laughing joyously. Guess it just went to show that some things were universal, no matter where you ended up. Her grin widening, Abby reached underneath her hair and produced both a cigarette and strike-anywhere match she had tucked behind her ear, proceeding to gun a stick.

Taking a hit off her cigarette and exhaling multiple rings of gray smoke towards the sky, the redheaded adventurer gave her surroundings another quick scan, mostly to make sure there weren't any Rune Knights or Seekers looking to spoil her good day. Abigail had to admit, she was hard to miss, even with her most distinctive feature hidden behind mirror shades. She stood about a head taller than most women that passed her by, and as consequence quite literally stuck out amongst the crowd. So she figured it didn't hurt to be a little cautious. Instead what she spotted that seemed out of the ordinary was a figure draped in a hooded cloak. A very heavy cloak, from the looks of it. She was surprised its wearer wasn't passed out on the ground due to heat stroke. And they seemed kind of down, at least from her perspective. Curious, Abigail jogged over to him or her at a leisurely pace.

"Hey!" she called out, her tone more concerned than anything. When the distance between them was closed, Abigail gave the figure a friendly pat on the back and then continued speaking. "What's with the heavy clothes? You must be dyin' in this heat." she asked the cloaked person, her eyebrow raised quizzically. She was able to keep pace with the person, thanks to her long strides, though she couldn't really move far enough ahead to get a good peak under the hood. Probably for the best. He or she must've been wearing it for a reason they thought was important. Still, she wouldn't mind a name out of them. "I'm Abigail, by the way. Abby to my friends. What's your name?"

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn hadn't noticed the heat. He'd caught a glimpse of a few people dressed in swimwear, which he supposed was pretty normal given that the people living here where right next to a large body of water. He suspected he'd stand out from people regardless, what with his large cloak covering and obscuring his entire body. He'd get looks from people, but ignored anyone trying to peak under the hood for the most part. He'd been wandering around the city for a while, sighing and muttering to himself. However he usually made sure not to let anyone hear him. After all, they'd either think he was crazy or a dissenter and he didn't need that kind of heat on him. The warmth in the air was nice, though, as it distracted him from the anger he'd been holding inside. He'd left his family's home a while ago after being disowned by his sister. The heat in the pit of his stomach was far worse than any hot summer day. Still, he stood out more than usual because of the heat.

I suppose I really should stop wearing this cloak everywhere I go...

The young Jinx mage was so absorbed in his thoughts he did not see nor hear Abigail come up behind him. When the girl called out, Zahn looked around to see if she was talking to someone else, but by that time she'd come up right behind him and patted him on the back.

"AAAAAH!"

Zahn leaped forward, almost tripping over himself in his startled state. He wasn't used to people talking to him, especially while he had his cloak on. He was most definitely not used to people touching him, regardless of the area of the body they did so. He spun around, annoyed to have been disturbed. The girl's voice was not childish, so he figured it wasn't some kid who just happened to be curious. He could usually deal with that but an actual person his age or older? Not a snowball's chance in hell. As he spun around, he prepared to tell whoever touched him off for intruding in his personal space. Then he saw Abigail clearly and the way she was dressed. He gawked for a second, then composed himself and cleared his throat.

"... ehm."

At the point, the girl asked him if he was hot in his cloak. A sardonic, bemused look passed over his face for a second and he lowered the hood of his cloak, revealing his face and the eye-patch that covered part of it. He realized he'd been walking this whole time without paying much attention to people behind him. So, mostly, it was his fault for not noticing her in the first place. However, he could tell she was quite fit as she'd been able to keep pace with him even while talking. He sighed, mostly to himself, and looked at her directly as she introduced herself and asked for his name in return.

She's pretty bold, I'll give her that. Not many people just hand out their names after running up behind total strangers. Nor do they ask for a name in return.

Zahn pondered for a moment whether or not to respond, but only for a brief moment. If life up to this point had taught him anything it was to roll with the punches. Though he didn't like talking to people, nor was he comfortable making small talk it never hurt to practice. Well, okay, sometimes it hurt. Especially if he said the wrong thing. However, messing up was often better than doing nothing at all.

"Hhnnn... Abby, eh? ... I'm Zahn Skye."

The amused sound that slipped from Zahn's mouth stated his feelings pretty clearly. He thought Abby was just a tad crazy, but he wasn't going to fault her for that. He gave his full name, not wanting to seem annoyed he'd been disturbed. Still, the girl before him sort of reminded him of his sister with her gutsy straight-forwardness and he just shook his head in wonder. Life was pretty strange sometimes. Suddenly, he realized something. He'd called her Abby without making any sort of attempt to get to know her.

Tch. I did it again. I sound too informal. The lack of respect might just get me killed one day...

He thought for a moment about how the Council was like that. If you didn't bow you head or pay them respects as they walked by they tended to become suspicious. Especially if you were just some "cloaked vagabond". According to them, they were the true saviors of the country after the war started. They ended it with their overwhelming might and were now tirelessly working to fix this broken land. Zahn smirked to himself at the thought, as he believed it to be nothing but the biggest load of crap he'd heard in his life. Still, there were more pressing matters to deal with at the moment...

"... sorry. That was a bit rude of me..."

He held up his hands in apology and frowned for a second before letting the feeling pass.

"So... are you out for a run...?"

Damn, now he was asking her questions. He had a feeling that this conversation was going to take a while. However he also realized that he had not said much so far. Now, if he could find a way to preserve that status quo he just might end up coming out of this with a new friend. Too often he would say something that would cause another person to become angry with him, and today he was in a bad mood. Abby had just come up to talk with him and mostly out of concern it seemed. He didn't want to push someone away just because he might not be having the best day.

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail simply observed with an amused smirk on her face as the cloaked figure spazzed out when she patted them. Apparently the person in question had been lost in their own little world. Either that, or they really didn't like to be touched. Some people were just like that. The cloak quickly regained their composure and began walking again, pulling the hood down as they did so and revealing an unmistakeably male face, with one eye hidden under an eyepatch. Well, that certainly cleared up the matter of gender, if nothing else. Abigail had to wonder what happened to the guy's eye, but she wasn't about to ask. She'd already managed to spook him. Prying into his personal matters wouldn't help matters in that regard. Sighing, the redhead pulled off her sunglasses and hung them off the center string of her bikini, leaving her own eyes exposed, as well as the long scar across the bridge of her nose. She figured it was only fair that she make her face completely visible as well. And the eyes were the window to the soul, after all.

The man in the cloak seemed rather amused about... something as he introduced himself as one Zahn Skye, referring to her as Abby in the process. Abigail herself thought nothing of it. To be brutally honest, it didn't even truly register in her brain. She was used to being called whatever a person felt like calling her, whether it be Abigail, Abby, or the ever-so-imaginative Red. What she did pick up on, though, was that Zahn seemed somewhat dumbstruck, even going so far as to shake his head. But she didn't know the cause, and simply chalked it up to being some sort of quirk. Then Zahn said something about being rude, and held up his hands as a sign of apology. Abigail wasn't exactly sure what he was on about at first, tilting her head to one side in a quizzical fashion. Then it clicked, and she let out a quiet laugh. "Oh, don't worry about that. It ain't a big deal." she said reassuringly, dragging off her cigarette and waving a hand dismissively.

And now Zahn was asking her whether she was out for a run. She shrugged. "In a sense. I'm headed to the beach. I figure, hey, it's my day off, so I might as well catch some gnarly waves, dude!" As she said this, Abigail adopted a heavily exaggerated "surfer" accent, a whimsical grin on her face. "In all seriousness, I'm just lookin' to enjoy myself. I usually have a lot on my plate, so I'm glad to have some 'me' time." she added, returning to her usual, nondescript drawl. She continued to stroll alongside Zahn, leaning backwards slightly with her hands behind her head in a lazy sort of posture. Her mismatched eyes fixated on her new acquaintance. "So what about you, Zahn? You just out for a stroll?"

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn watched as Abigail took her glasses off. The first thing he noticed as she gazed at him was that she had heterochromic eyes. Almost immediately after he also noticed that a large scar ran across her face.

I see... I suppose everyone has a history. I suppose it wouldn't due to pry. I have stories I wouldn't want to share, and it looks like she has some too. Hm...

Abby seemed to be confused by Zahn's reactions for a moment, though the Jinx mage had detected a note of amusement when he'd flipped out after being touched. Which probably meant that she was far more personable than Zahn was. The young Jinx mage was certainly not used to being touched so that experience had been somewhat new for him. Abigail dismissed his rudeness, saying that it hadn't been a bother which Zahn was sort of grateful for. Zahn smiled, a little grimly but still very genuinely, as he noted her laid-back demeanor.

What an interesting person. Though that scar suggests otherwise, she's clearly more than capable of "taking a day off" as she put it.

The red-haired girl adopted a silly accent as talked about heading down to the beach. Well, that explained why she was dressed in nothing but a swimsuit. The grin on Abby's face was a little contagious and Zahn found himself smiling a little as well.

"Yeah... a day off would be nice..."

Abigail adopted an even more relaxed pose as she continued to walk with Zahn, talking about how she usually had a lot going on in her life. Then she asked Zahn if he was out on a stroll himself.

Tch... I knew shoudn't have asked that question... How do I go about explaining this...?

As much as Zahn wanted to keep the fact he was Guildless a secret and that he would like to go give the Council a piece of his mind, he couldn't keep his feelings to himself all the time. He wanted someone to share his feelings with. He didn't know how the red-haired girl would react though. Ah, well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

"Yeah... a stroll. Away from the Council's stupid Seekers..."

The young Jinx mage mumbled the last bit, though it was probably still loud enough that Abigail could easily make out what he'd said. Sighing, Zahn took a moment to compose himself and took off his cloak, folding it up and tucking it under his arm. He certainly felt lighter with the cloak off his back, at least. Still, his felt somewhat naked without the cloak on. He looked at Abby earnestly and smiled glumly.

"So... what's your opinion on the Council?"

He wanted to know. Even if this girl was a part of a Guild or even one of the Council, Zahn just had to know what other people thought of the Magic Council.

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail bristled visibly at the mention of the Council, letting her arms fall to her side and rolling her shoulders. The joints popped audibly, sounding like firecrackers more than anything. She had been hoping that she wouldn't have to worry about the Council today, let alone talk about them in any capacity. So to say that she was irritated that Zahn had brought them up would be a massive understatement. Exhaling in frustration, Abby took a final hit off her cigarette and flicked away the butt, making sure she didn't hit anyone with it.

"My opinions on the Council are a bit on the ugly side. Got in a dustup with one of their Seekers a few weeks ago. How I got this scar." She paused and pointed at the thin line of scar tissue across her face. "Suffice it to say, I don't agree with their methods, and I'm willing to give them a swift kick in their ass if they decide to start shit with me. And that's all that needs to be said." With that said, Abigail ran a hand through her fiery red mane and continued walking in silence. She didn't look at Zahn or otherwise acknowledge his presence, her anger seeming to have gotten the best of her.

And so they kept on for a couple minutes without saying a word to each other. Abigail simply kept her eyes on the road ahead. Eventually, she spoke up again. "So, Zahn. You ever surf before? She asked her companion. Her tone made it obvious that she was eager to move away from the subject of the Council. "You should tag along with me and try it out. I'll show ya the ropes. It'll be good times." With that suggestion, she turned to face Zahn again and smiled.

[Zahn Skye]

((Sorry, been busy. Preparing for AX and a whole bunch of other stuff getting in the way. Including crappy computer.))

Zahn immediately noticed the change in Abby's demeanor when he mentioned the Council. So, there was at least one other person who disliked the heavy-handed way the Council did things nowadays. Good to know.

Plus, she's tangled with their Seekers and came out with only a scratch. Impressive. I wouldn't want her as my enemy, that's for sure. Still, the Council seems pretty stubborn in their ways. Two people fighting the system isn't really going to do much. Big organizations tend to ignore the little guys...

Zahn was occupying himself with his own thoughts when Abigail abruptly changed the subject. He figured he would've probably done the same if someone had asked him flat out what he thought of the Magic Council. Not that that was a bad thing.

"... no, can't say I've ever sur-"

As soon as Abby had asked the question she'd moved right along to suggesting that Zahn come with her to get "shown the ropes". She was obviously desperate to change the subject, and while Zahn could understand and appreciate her desire to not talk about something that bothered her her forcefulness was a little much for the usually quiet Jinx Mage.

"..."

Zahn just shrugged and decided to let her take him wherever. He didn't mind being distracted for a little while and Abby seemed like she'd be pretty interesting company if nothing else. As she turned to smile at Zahn the Jinx mage just nodded and mentally sighed.

Maybe it's my own uniqueness but I always seem to get the weirdos when I talk to people...

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail smiled when Zahn seemed to decide to go along with her idea. She hoped that she wasn't being too forceful about it. But honestly, talking about the Council was not what she wanted to do on her vacation. After the beating she'd given Arleigh, Abby figured they would leave her alone for a little while. So out of sight, out of mind. Sighing, the redhead brushed away the fringe of hair that concealed her left eye, tucking it behind her ear. As she did this, her wedding ring caught sunlight, giving off small, shimmering white stars. Abigail took a moment to look at the golden band, smiling warmly. She wished Sarah was here with her to enjoy the day. Foreign as Fiore was, it was a beautiful country, and Hargeon was proof. A quaint little port town, the deep blue waters on one side, vast grasslands on the other, with a cloudless blue sky above.

But she had Zahn for company, which was not unwelcome. Even if the poor guy seemed a little high-strung. He must have so much to worry about, with little time to actually enjoy himself. Abby hoped that going to the beach would help him relax, if only for today. Being stressed out all the time was never a good thing. "So, Zahn. You come to Hargeon by yerself, or were ya travelin' with other people?" She asked, mostly for the sake of conversation. There was a brief pause as she pulled her shades off her bikini strap and slid them over her eyes again. "I wandered in on my own, unfortunately. Most of my friends and family are back home. Far away from here..." Abigail admitted, looking down at her feet. She figured that offering up information about herself pertaining to the question would encourage Zahn to be open with her. Establish trust.

She looked up and saw that the beach was only another mile or so away. The smell of salt on the air grew stronger with every step they took, making her grin. It was a nostalgic smell. It reminded her of home. And even from where they were, Abby could see that the tide was coming in hard and fast. "Man, I can't wait to ride on those waves." She muttered enthusiastically, picking up the pace a little and gaining a slight skip in her step.

[Zahn Skye]

As the duo continued walking Zahn mused to himself about how this situation wasn't too uncommon for him. As a Guildless mage he'd often times be dragged into things he wasn't used to. Even if it was by other Guildless mages. He mentally sighed as continued strolling, his arms crossed and his brows furrowed deep in thought.

I have to admit, as much as this might annoy me normally, I really have gotten much more used to this. Companionship... There are many people in the world who prefer to be alone. Myself included. However, even I don't believe I could ever get through life alone. There is no one who can survive in the darkness of solitude for very long...

The Jinx mage was shaken from his thoughts as Abby moved ahead of him slightly, and then asked what his traveling arrangements were. He groaned inwardly. He knew that asking questions was going to land him here, but he couldn't help himself. He liked talking, and learning about other people, but he had a hard time trying to mention anything about himself. It was so much easier to listen to others than do the speaking himself.

Ah well, I did expect this. Though to be fair, she came up to me first.

Zahn wrestled with himself in his mind, debating whether or not to tell his new companion anything. The way she volunteered what seemed to be information about a sensitive subject suggested that she wanted the young Jinx mage to do that same. Zahn smiled a little glumly. Unfortunately he'd have to avoid telling her anything outright. So, he pondered for a second then chose his words carefully.

"I'm traveling around the country. My trip started in Era, and it's been kind of a long road here. Most of the time I would say I travel alone. Though, the one-off friend or companion isn't too bad of a depature from my normal routine I tend to move on quickly..."

Yikes. He was practically gift-wrapping a speech about his personality and life and handing it to a complete stranger. Time to switch gears. He didn't trust too many people, and his trust only went so far when he did. He was always of the mind that his being alone was for the best.

"... the beach is nice today, indeed. I can see why you wanted to come by on a day off."

Zahn turned to say something else, but realized that Abigail had picked up her pace. He quirked his eyebrow and smiled his grim little smile once again. As Abigail pulled farther ahead Zahn decided to speed up a little as well, trying to keep pace while also allowing him to hang back. He muttered to himself as Abby stared out at the beach.

"Imagine that... Some places in the world still enjoy some semblance of peace."

He sighed and continued to follow Abby.

[Abigail Parker]

Abigail nodded solemnly when Zahn answered her question. Seemed they shared similar situations, though probably for entirely different reasons. But hopefully the two of them could push all their worries to the back of their minds, if only for a few hours. Lord knew they both definitely needed it. When Zahn commented on the beach, Abby's already wide grin grew even more so, making her resemble the Cheshire Cat. Gradually, the redhead increased her speed, until she reached the point of breaking into a full sprint. Her powerful, toned legs pumped up and down as she ran the last three quarters of a mile. She wanted to get in the water already. Just imagining the cold water against her skin acted like a shot of pure adrenaline.

What would have taken maybe another fifteen minutes walking only took Abigail around nine or eight. When her toes touched sand, she skidded to a halt and took a look around. The beach was absolutely packed, with hundreds of people laying on towels, building sand castles, and other such activities stretching along the shore. A wooden boardwalk went off in either direction, with food stands and various rental booths dotting it along the way. There was a surfboard rental a few feet to her left. Quickly reaching into her bikini top, Abigail managed to retrieve a small handful of money from... somewhere and counted it out. "Hundred and fifty... Should be more than enough." She muttered to herself, closing her fingers around the money and sauntering over to the rental shack.

"Hey, buddy. I'm lookin' to rent a couple boards. What've ya got?" She asked the teenager behind the counter, doing her best to be heard over the radio he had blaring. "Oh, we got plenty of everything. Just depends on whatcha want, Red." The kid replied in a voice that was everything adolescent; mid-pitch with plenty of cracking. Abigail looked over her shoulder to see if Zahn was there, then turned back to the boy. "Let's keep it simple. Just gimme two longboards, alright?" She told him, placing her money on the counter. "Two longboards, then. Just gimme a couple minutes." And with that, the teen went into the back of the shack.

With nothing to do but wait, Abby leaned up against the counter, watching as a couple skated by on rollerblades. She was silent, waiting either for the kid to come back or for Zahn to say something. Whichever came first, really.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn smiled to himself as he took in the sight of Abby enjoying the beach already. Few things made him happier than seeing people enjoying their lives. He might not be good with people himself, but that didn't mean he didn't like them. In fact, he always wished he wasn't so jumpy. However, he'd never really been taught how to deal with other people. As such, he always felt at odds with the world around him. Still, seeing a person like Abigail taking her time to find pleasure in just a normal, mundane event like being at the beach was enough to put the Jinx mage in a good mood. However, the quickly came to a crash when he heard Abigail asking for two longboards.

... oh crap. I have to surf too...? Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap...

Zahn's face fell and his mood became a little more depressed. He didn't want to tell Abby he couldn't surf, but he also didn't want to get on the board and look like an idiot as he tried to learn how to do so. He felt confident that Abby wouldn't let him just sit around and be bored without her so he had to make a choice. Try and find a way out of this, or try to surf and fail.

Not much of a choice, though. If it is between not doing something and trying something new, I think I'd be better served trying something new. I hate new things, I don't like failing, but the truth is I want o have fun. So, I guess this is just one of those times looking like an idiot is just something I have to accept...

Zahn sighed, and collected his thoughts as he prepared to tell Abigail about his lack of surfing prowess. Maybe by telling her it would lessen the blow of failing to surf at the beginning of the experience.

"... so, uh... Two longboards? Yeah... um... Well, as you might be able to guess by now, what with all the awkwardness, I don't... exactly... know how to surf."

Zahn held his breath. He hoped Abby wouldn't be mad or disappointed, but you never knew. People were pretty random sometimes. However, he didn't want to make Abby think he was was trying to dissuade her from having fun. Especially since Zahn had decided to join her no matter what.

"Now, I'm not saying that because I don't want to surf. In fact, it's such a nice day I think it'd be a shame not to try it... but I'm going to look like an idiot... so..."

Zahn trailed off and fell silent. He didn't want to finish that sentence, but the sentiment was there. He didn't want to hold Abigail back. His somber demeanor would tell Abby she needed to know. He was disappointed with himself, and he felt sad he probably wouldn't be able to keep up with Abby. He sighed and prepared to receive whatever Abby had to say to him on the subject.

[Abigail Parker]

When Zahn expressed his worries about going out and surfing, Abigail smiled. It was a warm expression, not unlike that of an older sibling trying to reassure her younger brother or sister. She could understand his concern with appearing to be a fool. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to try and convince him to give it a shot. "And you think I didn't look like an idiot when I first tried it? First time I got on a board I nearly drowned because I was young, stupid, and didn't have anybody to show me how to surf right." She told Zahn, her tone one of encouragement, even if her words were a heavy dose of brutal honesty. She stood up straight and looked him in the eyes.

"Nobody is instantly an expert when they start out, no matter what it is. Surfing, playing a musical instrument. Expertise comes with practice. In the beginning, we all look like idiots, because we don't know what the hell we're doing." As Abigail continued her little speech, her warm smile turned into a confident smirk. "Ya seem like a careful guy, Zahn, and you're obviously aware of your limits. I doubt you'll do anything monumentally stupid. And you'll have me watching your back. I'll be sure to pull you out of the water if it looks like things are goin' south." By now, the boy had returned with the longboards, both of which were laid out on the counter. He simply stood there, waiting for Abby to take them.

But the redhead remained focused on Zahn. She extended her hand. "It looks like the odds are in your favor. But I'll leave the decision up to you. Do ya wanna give this a shot?" Abigail's mismatched eyes seemed to gleam with energy and confidence. She hoped she managed to instill enough in her companion to convince him to try something so obviously new to him. But when it came down to the wire, it was Zahn's decision. She'd passed to ball, and now it was in his court. It was just a question of what he'd do with it.

[Zahn Skye]

Zahn looked at the woman strangely. She was so confident, and he felt that confidence starting to well up inside of him as well. She certainly knew how to give a pep talk at least. Abby must've done this many times before. The Jinx mage nodded silently, wondering what he should say. He still didn't feel like he had much of chance to surf. Plus, even if he did try it today he wasn't likely to ever again. He knew what he liked to do, and how he liked to spend his time. Still, he didn't want to disappoint his companion who seemed to expect that Zahn would at least give it a shot.

No time like the present, I suppose.

The Jinx mage remained quiet for a few seconds more, then nodded.

"Well, if you're going to be that inspirational about it, how could I not at least give it a shot."

Zahn returned Abigail's warm smile and motioned to the sea with his head.

"Let's go wipe out a whole bunch!L Like you said, you've got my back and I appreciate that. I don't want to leave the city without being able to claim I at least tried something new, I suppose. Learning is just my nature, and who am I to argue with that."

Zahn grabbed one of the boards enthusiastically, ready to surf at long last. Well... ready to try to surf, at the very least. He'd much rather try and fail then never try at all. That would've really been failing. Given his disposition though, if Zahn turned out to like surfing he might not give up at all. One of his best, and worst, qualities was that he just didn't know when to give up. If the heavens ended the world before Zahn stopped doing something he wanted to do, he highly suspected no one would be surprised.

"I'll be counting on you, Abby. Teach me how to surf."

The Jinx mage's voice was warm, and though it was hesitant, his resolve was there. He wouldn't let himself be depressed and with a friend at his side what could possibly go wrong?

[Sponsored content]