Jun 25 04:58:44 105 PA

From Chronicles

The current game time is: Thu Jun 25 04:58:44 105 PA.

The day has worn on in its fairly usual progression of hours, and evening has arived. Within the condominium belonging to the scientist, however, there is no one present. However, this is not to say that there is nothing waiting for him when he returns from work. Something waits for him, standing upon the counter in the kitchen. At first glance, it may look like nothing more than a pile of rocks -- yet to someone of his knowledge and experience with Monique, it is the small Inuit woman's hope that he will recognize that pile of rocks for what it is. Two rocks to make a pair of legs, rocks to build a body and arms sticking to either side, and a couple of more to make a head -- an inuksuk. It stands perhaps a foot tall, at the most, meant as a marker for him. A clue, one could say. If the small woman had more skill with the art of writing, then she would have left him a note -- alas, this is the only way that she knows how to leave him any note or direction, and so this is what she has left for him. This, with perhaps something unexpected laying at the feet of the inuksuk -- the otter-skin bag that she typically wears lays there, in such a way as to almost be bidding him to take it before following the clues which have been left.

Caught in the middle of removing his boots from the unusually sunny day, Dr. Kelley spots the rather odd collection of rocks that make up a stone statue - or at least, that's all that he knows it as. To be totally honest, he's disappointed to see that Monique and Tornaq aren't still home, but at least Betsy is there to greet him, licking his face as he bends down, feeling free to come out of the back room now that the giant bear is gone. Poor Betsy. Kelley fishes a doggie treat out of his pocket and tosses it into the living room, where hopefully at least she will begin to get used to Tornaq's scent. After the brief greeting, he smiles after the German Shepherd and looks at the strange statue again. More a collection of rocks, but close enough that he recognizes it to be something of meaning to Monique. Carefully considering whether or not to leave Monique's things well enough alone, he can't help but assume that she's left him the little statue and otter-skin bag for a reason. With a smile, he takes the bag and opens it, looking inside with anticipation.

The placement of the small inuksuk was something which was well thought out by the small Inuit shaman. After all, she wanted him to see it before or while he was removing his boots so that he would have the clue of it. What she couldn't have predicted was that he wouldn't understand the meaning of the inuksuk, and that was something that she had been counting on. Interestingly enough -- and strangely -- the otter-skin bag which was left on the counter there is empty save but for a simple piece of granite which is white struck through with a vein of pink. It matches to a part of the rock used to create the head of the inuksuk. Another clue, most likely. There is second inuksuk within the condominium, built next to the door and with the head having a bit of the same granite within it. A trail, of sorts... a link.

None to slow to pick up on clues, Kelley scans the room with his eyes, and spots an almost matching statue slash pile of rocks. Nothing in his previous experiences has prepared him to interpret the meaning of the rocks, and it doesn't kick in now. However, scanning the room for more rock piles and seeing none, he re-ties his boot and opens the door to go outside, anticipating with a strong sense of hope, he steps outside and closes the door behind himself. He does, naturally, assume that the small Inuit woman has left him this trail of "breadcrumbs" as it were. "Hmm, Monique, what are you trying to tell me?" He searches the hallways for another statue.

While Dr. Kelley finds the beginnings of the trail of clues, the small Inuit shaman is left to wait. To wait, so very patiently, for she has no way of telling time other than by the coming of evening's dimmer light and the setting of the sun, so all she can do is wait for him to find it and hope that he can and will follow it to where it will lead. She had thought of having someone write a note that she could leave, but she was afraid it might be misinterpreted by the scientist, and so she chose something more personal to leave. Part way down the hallway, there is another small inuksuk, similar in size to the others which were in his condominium. It seems, from its positioning, to be pointing towards the door leading out of the condominium complex itself. The trail continues outside, the 'bread crumb' trail of inuksuk rock-men. The spacing of them is careful, mindful that each needs to be seen from the one before. The trail leads through the city, then beyond the city walls -- not far beyond, and at a narrow trail which looks like little more than a deer track, there stands one which almost seems to be standing guard there.

Kelley follows the trail carefully removing each colored piece of rock and placing it in his bag, for both the collection of rocks left by Monique and as a way to tell which rock piles he's already visited. He follows the trail - miraculously untouched by passers-by - all the way out to the highway and then slightly off of the main highway onto a small game trail. He can't find anymore rubble statues so he begins searching around in the surrounding brush for a short Inuit woman - and an eye out for danger, his pistol running loose in its shoulder holster.

Such short little rock-men, who would actually be paying attention to them even being there unless someone was looking for them? And the only person to be looking for them is the scientist. Each little inuksuk has a special or different rock for him to collect. The collection is complete and the small otter-skin bag nigh full by the time he reaches that last little statue. The length of the game trail takes a couple of twisting turns so as to keep what is held at the end of it from sight until it is nearly reached, and once it is, the first thing able to be seen is flickering firelight. There is a small glade here, well sheltered, and within the center of it, there burns a modest-sized fire. Standing behind the fire is the small Inuit shaman, and behind her stands the great white spirit bear who is her protector. Tornaq is as clean and shining as ever, the firelight flickering across his fur. And for Monique, she's apparently put some thought behind this. She wears something different this time -- a white leather outfit of ankle-length skirt and tunic, both of which have been beaded colourfully. Her dark hair is clean and braided, one braid to either side and each resting over the front of her shoulders. She's been watching and waiting for him to arrive, and as he does, a warm smile turns at the corners of her lips, her dark eyes sparkling with more than firelight. A quiet rumble from Tornaq alerted her to that he was coming down the trail. She holds her hands before her, a small clay bowl cupped within her palms, a shimmer of liquid able to be seen within it. There is, also, the smell of food, though the source is perhaps difficult to discern, other than the fire.

With a huge smile, the rather absurdly tall Dr. Kelley comes crashing into the clearing, having to hold his hands up to push one-inch-thick branches out of his face, unable and untrained to move silently through the brush. But, he does, at least, break into that huge smile as he spots the relatively small shaman. Sure, she's on the short end of normal sized for a woman, but things look even smaller from seven feet up. That being said, he drops to one knee on the opposite side of the fire from her. He looks her up and down, as she has clearly gone to great lengths to create this moment. The rock piles, the otter-skin bag, the varying rocks, and the way that she just simply looks breathtakingly beautiful tonight. As he brings his head down even with hers, he can feel with warmth of the fire on his body, glad for the fortunate weather. He's never seen her dressed this way before, and certainly not so perfectly braided before. "Hi, Monique," he says in his quiet tenor, "that was marvelous trail you left for me. You look especially beautiful tonight. What is the occasion?" His warm eyes meet hers over the fire.

As he comes into the forest clearing, her dark-eyed gaze not only finds him, but follows him as he comes to her to kneel at the opposite side of the fire. Her dark eyes meet his, studying him quietly for a lingering moment whilst still holding that small clay bowl. There is colour in her cheeks, for she's been nervously waiting for him for a little while now, having taken special preparations for this evening. For him. The leather outfit that she wears has some leather tassling on it in a couple of places, and closer inspection would reveal that the beadwork is hand done. Most likely by Monique herself, although that's not something which can be told by the look of things. She blushes a little more to his words, her chin ducking slightly, even though she's trying not to let shyness overtake her. "Thank you," she says softly, her dark eyes showing a shine in them. The question, then, he asks of her -- the question she had expected from him, and a smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "It is... something special for someone special," she says softly, her voice holding a definite warmth within it. Lifting the small clay bowl, then, she carries it around the small fire, coming to stand before him to be able to offer it to him, wordlessly. The drink is something that she made, and it is very mildly alcoholic -- gently fruity, a little sweet rather than dry. As to the occassion, she doesn't explain more than that, just yet.

Silently, Kelley accepts the bowl and sits back on his haunches. The fire is crackling, its embers flying high into the early night sky, mixing with the pin points of stars in a stellar waltz that only misses the northern lights. The moon is coming over the horizon, and being so close to the treeline, looks, via optical illusion, huge. Just so do her eyes look wide to him. Deep and sparkling. Though he is dying to ask what's in the drink, he knows enough about anthropology to recognize a silent offering when it's give. Thus it is that without comment other than that which can be communicated through the eyes, he sips at the broth to check its temperature, and then takes a small drink of the liquid. It is rather sweet, a quality that he enjoys in just about everything.

A warm smile lights her features as he accepts the bowl, and he would perhaps notice in taking it that the outside of it has not been polished but rather worn smooth by the touch of her hands upon it over the years. For her, the fire is in the background, and even the great white bear is, for what holds her focus is the tall man before her. The liquid in the clay bowl is cool but not cold, a temperature which seems to suit it very well. As he takes that drink of it, she watches him for a lingering moment before she takes a small step back and moves to the side of the fire, where she kneels carefully. On her side of the fire, there were flat rocks set close to the fire, where the radiant heat of the fire would be able to cook what was on top of them. With a small piece of white leather to protect her hand from the heat absorbed by the rock, she lifts it away from the fire with her left hand, and with her right hand she deftly takes hold of two sticks (cleaned of their bark) which hold bannock wrapped about them. With the food held carefully and securely, she smoothly comes to her feet to be able to carry it over to him. And once to him, her dark gaze lifts to meet his, and she carefully lowers to her knees there in front of him. Holding the food in such a way as to be offering it to him, first. The flat rock holds two fish which have been both cleaned and filetted so the bones have been removed, and each of them have been delicately seasoned with herbs that she harvested from out of his condominium.

Not wanting to break the pristine silence, but feeling that he must say something out of his people's sense of politeness, Kelley bobs his head and says, "Thank you for the - tea? It is quite delicious." He offers Monique a wide grin, and accepts the food, once again, in silence. He doesn't quite recognize the meat, but he's eater food far odder looking - and smelling, but he waits to eat it until he receives a signal from Monique, not wanting to ruin the propriety of the.. ritual? Hard-core picnic? That is going on. However, he does venture a comment of it, "It all looks so good, Monique. As do you." He blinks his eyes a few times, waiting to know what to do next. So many cultures have such different rituals, it is difficult to keep them all in line at an unexpected moment.

Monique takes a moment to look to him through the veil of her lashes, and a warm blush rises into her cheeks as she ducks her chin slightly. "You are most welcome. Though, it is not quite tea... it is more a very mild sort of wine," she says softly, a smile touching at the corners of her lips. She wasn't sure what he liked in that variety of thing, so she went with something that she liked and simply hoped that he would like it as well. Were she not wearing a skirt, she'd be sitting cross-legged, but she's comfortable enough in kneeling before him. One of the sticks with the biscuity-bannock is offered to him, to go along with the fish, and in a swift but practiced movement, she neatly secures the stick with hers back into the ground which leaves the bannock able to be broken from where it baked around the stick. "You can eat the fish, as you wish... it will not bite... at least, not anymore," she teases, her dark eyes showing a sparkle of amusement within them. It isn't often that she tries to tease, but it's not from lack of wanting to. "Thank you... I am hoping that you will enjoy it," she says softly, meaning the food, taking a moment before realising he complimented her again as well. That brings a blush to her cheeks, and she looks to him, her dark eyes reflecting a sparkle within them. "You are truly someone special... and what we share is special to me," she says softly, her voice almost solemn in nature. How he's become special, she's not sure, but with the time that she's spent thinking recently, she's come to fully realise that he is, indeed, very special.

"And what I think that we share is very special for me, too." If she'll allow it, he'll take one hand in his and kiss it lightly on top and then return her hand to her lap. He lifts the fish from the rock and smells it for a moment, not to inspect its odor, but to enjoy it. "It smells wonderful," he opines, then takes a bite, though he is unused to eating without utensils, he has lived in the past with many utensil-less cultures, so it's not completely foreign. He takes a careful bite and his face lights up as he savors its flavor, chewing slowly to enjoy all of the juices. Finally, he swallows the warm bite, and comments, "the fish is magnificent, Monique. Thank you for going to all of this trouble, the food is truly wonderful." He pauses for a moment, then plows ahead and asks, "Why have you done this for me?"

Having no reason not to allow it, Monique's hand is easily caught in his, and her cheeks blush as that kiss is granted to it, though in the wake of it, she gives his fingers a gentle squeeze as he's lowering her hand. "Thank you. I used the herbs that I picked when I was at your condominium," she says softly, glad that she was able to put to use something that he had, essentially, provided. As he starts to eat, so too does she, not seeming to mind having to use her fingers to eat. She's mostly unfamiliar with utensils anyway. She's quiet for a moment, as she eats a bit, and to his compliment of the food again, she inclines her head to him. "Thank you... I am glad that you like it," she says softly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. At the unexpected question, though, she blinks a little and takes a moment, using it to lick one of her fingers. At having this question asked of her, and considering the answer she would speak if only he understood her native tongue, Monique's heartbeat has quickened somewhat. Lowering her hand, her dark-eyed gaze seeks his own. "Because...," she begins haltingly, a little hesitantly before simply tossing fate to the winds and giving the truth of it, "because I wanted to do something special for you. I care about you, very much." If she were speaking in her native tongue, she would use different words, but... alas, she makes do with what she has that doesn't quite convey what she wants it to but it comes as close as what she knows how.

"And I care about you very much, Monique," Kelley responds as he pops another bite of fish into his mouth, trying to look casual and mostly failing. "That's a beautiful outfit. Did you bring it with you from the North, or did you make it yourself? The beadery is exquisite." But really, he's just stalling for time, trying to figure out where he should go next. He'll move to hold her head and kiss her on the cheek, if she'll allow it, and then sit back. "I don't know how or why, but my heart waits to see you everyday. You have become very special to me, Monique," the man offers a blushing smile to the smaller Inuit woman. "I had no idea that my garden could be so useful as to actually season foods. How did you learn this? And do these plants actually grow up in the Great North? I mean, they must, if you learned about them, but from your description of your homeland, it sounded like snow and ice abounded, with little in the way of plants." He stalls for time again, adding, "It really is quite delicious."

At his words which have come in response to her own, the small Inuit woman gives him a warm smile, and a measure of the nervous tension within her seems to fade. Her dark eyes sparkle, reflect both firelight and the emotions within her, and she blushes as he speaks then of her outfit. "Thank you... it is both of what you say. I made it while I was in the North, and when I came here, I brought it with me," she says softly, sounding shy at the admission simply because he complimented it. Monique doesn't move against his efforts to hold her head or kiss her on the cheek, and once he's sat back again, she smiles at him, then takes an unusual moment of boldness to lean closer to him and kiss him softly on the cheek in turn. "As does mine wait to see you... I do not know the how or the why, but... it does," she says softly, her voice warm and her dark eyes shining. "Your garden is more useful than you knew. The plants you have, they do not grow in the Great North, but... as I travelled here, I learned along the way. Sometimes by tasting, other times by watching what others do, and sometimes by that the plants here look similar to those in the North. There is a small time of summer, when plants grow. The season is short, but the plants grow quickly... and when they grow, we harvest them, to keep them through the Long Winter. We travel south, sometimes, to be able to find and gather more of what we need, but always... we go back North," she says softly, sharing a bit more of herself with him. She hasn't always used the safest of methods to determine things, but she's learned all aong the way.

Kelley nods and smiles slightly, closing his eyes as he accepts the kiss. "So, I take it that Tornaq is happy to see me as well?" He grins at the bear and the woman. "Perhaps you can share with me some of the secrets with me sometime?" asks Kelley. Then, "Monique, how have we become so important to one another so quickly? Doesn't it seem strange? But I will not deny it. The heart wants what it wants. I care about you very deeply, Monique," he says, looking into her eyes and seeking her soul in them, and trying to project his own. He asks about the meat in the fire. "What is this? Is it time to try it? It certainly smells wonderful." Then, finally, "If you did the detail work on that.. dress? That is truly amazing. Where did you find the stones?"

A glance is cast by her towards the great white bear who has made himself comfortable behind the fire, occassionally watching the pair but mostly keeping his attention upon the surrounding area. It would do no good if someone managed to sneak here to cause some manner of harm. The small Inuit woman's gaze then returns to Dr. Kelley, and a smile curls at the corners of her lips, her dark eyes meeting his. "I do not know that happy is the correct word, but... Tornaq approves," Monique says softly, her tone thoughtful in nature. Another glance is cast towards the great white bear, though her attention returns easily to Dr. Kelley, a warm smile curling at the corners of her lips. "I do not know how such a thing could happen, but... it has. Strange, it may be... but, I have seen strange things before," she says softly, quirking a smile, her dark eyes showing a sparkle of amusement. "It is fish... caught from a river here in the forest. It is finished cooking, yes," she says softly, her attention turning briefly there before coming back to him. "I had some help, but... the stones were found up North, in one of our gathering areas. During the Long Winter, when it is dark, there is little to do... so it is then I would work on making the beads," she says softly, her voice warm. With the fish having been mentioned, she reaches out to take the rock away from the fire, so that the fish won't overcook, and she sets the rock aside on the grass near to them both where the fish can be easily reached by them both.

Kelley reaches down and takes Monique's hand in his and gives it a light squeeze and another kiss. "Shall we eat the fish?" he offers, picking up one stick for himself and handing the other one to Monique. "I'm so glad that you planned this, Monique. It's delightful." He smiles at the small Inuit woman. "Tell me more about your home, Monique. I passed through the Great North, but didn't stay for long. What's it like?" The man chews on the fish and declares it, "quite delicious." His eyes search for hers, wondering... wondering what is there.

Monique willingly lets him capture her hand again, and her chin ducks slightly at the kiss placed there, though this time she actually doesn't blush. Not by much, mind, but she manages not to. As he offers her the fish, she accepts it, then gives a small nod. "It is best before it cools, but it is still good when it has," she says softly, a smile curling at the corners of her lips. "I am glad, too, that I planned this," she says warmly, her dark eyes shining as she gazes into his. She had been concerned if he would find and follow her trail, but she attributes that to nothing more than nervous fear. As he mentions that he was in her homeland, her attention perks a little further, and she smiles brightly at him. "I had not known you were there, that you had seen the ice and snows. It is beautiful, there. The summer, even though it is short, it has much light... little darkness, little night. The winter is different, having days with no light to them at all but the light cast from our fires. It is a place of wilderness and very little trees. It is, very much, a different way of life than here. The Earth Mother watches over us there, and She provides all we need. We send her the souls of our kindred Brothers, who we kill to be able to live. We use all we are given, to survive. It can be a harsh place, but... it is a good place," she says softly, offering at least some information about her homeland. "Did you stay with any of my people, or did you just pass through?" she asks softly, her voice reflecting curiosity within it. Watching him, her dark eyes show a warm shine, a bright sparkle -- she never thought she could come to care about someone in the way she does him. A bit belatedly, she eats a bit of the fish, enjoying it herself.

Kelley smiles widely, enjoying the fish. "Yes, I stayed briefly with your people. Not with your particular clan, I doubt, but among your people. I have traveled great distances across this planet, and indeed, across the Megaverse, searching for something that will allow me to reclaim my homeland. But I believe I've spoken of that, and don't want you to be bored with the details again,' Kelley says with a sad smile. He takes another bite of fish, once again declaring it delicious. "So the herbs grow when the snows recede? I was under the impression that your clan lived strictly on the ice. Obviously, I was wrong," he says with a smile. "He blushes and asks, Monique, how do you say, 'I care for you very much' in Inuit? I only ask because I want to know how to tell you properly." He wonders if this could possibly be what he's been searching for so long. No, not the search for a mega-weapon, but that other, less tangible thing. Could it be true?

For her part, Monique enjoys the fish as well, though she had a feeling that she would based on how it smelled as it was cooking there near to the fire. "There are many clans of my people in the North. I had not expected that you had stayed with mine," she says softly, her tone thoughtful. "You have spoken of your travels, before... and I am curious to hear more of them, at some point," she says softly, a smile turning at the corners of her lips. She is quiet for a moment, eating the fish and considering a part of what she said, and then she lightly shakes her head. "Only further to the south, does enough of the snow recede for us to be able to gather anything. So, in the summer, we travel to the south, to be able to gather as much as possible for the Long Winter. Once it has been gathered, and once we have enough or the season stretches too late, then we travel back to the North, back to the igloos," she says softly, her tone thoughtful in nature. "We travel as we need to, to get food to survive through the Long Winter," she adds, a smile turning at the corners of her lips. She has wondered, more than once, if it is this scientist's presence here which drew her from the ice and snows of the North, which drew her to this particular place. Yet she has no answer, she only has a sense of peace within her for having found him and befriended him. At his blushing, she lifts her left hand (which has been kept clean), and she lightly touches her fingertips to his cheek, bringing her touch down to his jaw, and then she inclines her head slightly to him. "It is not a direct way to say the same thing, but... I think, it is what you are meaning to say... or at least, it is what I was trying to say before: Kenkamken," Monique says warmly, sharing with him a bit of her language. To directly translate it, she doesn't have the words for it. "It is for meaning something stronger than caring," she adds, blushing a little herself.

Kelley smiles widely and says, "Then in that case, I kenkamken you.. or.. hold you in kenkamken... or.. well, however the word is used," the man says, chewing on the word and waiting to see Monique's expression, not wanting to be too forward, but desperately trying to get across how he feels without being insulting. "I have learned many languages in my travels, but I'm afraid that Inuit is not one of them. I spoke with the Inuit clan that I visited only through hand signals and facial expressions and a few words that we managed to share." He turns his head and kisses the fingertips caressing his jaw. "In my language, the closest translation would be 'ahrensha', though it does not directly translate either. It too means something.. stronger.. than caring." With a final bite, Kelley finishes his fish and puts his stick down on the ground. "That was a wonderful meal, cooked up by a wonderful woman, Monique," the man says, wanting to compliment her without over-complimenting her.. yet desperately wishing that he could just blurt out how he really felt about her. If only he could explain 'ahrensha.'

Monique raises an eyebrow slightly as he tries -- so very hard, too! -- to use the word that she had just taught him, and as he does, her dark eyes show a sparkle of amusement within them. She manages to restrain at least most of a giggle, but some of it does escape. She can't help it, he's trying so hard and she just... thinks it's cute, really! "It is just: Kenkamken," she says softly, her dark eyes seeking within his own. "No I, before... and no you, after. I will teach you the language of my people, and then, it will be one you know," she offers, giving a small nod to him. Her touch lingers there, against his jaw, tarrying a long moment in the wake of the kiss placed upon them, and then tracing softly towards the back before her fingers slip softly along the front of his neck, then retreat back to herself unless he captures her hand to stall her at all. "How would you say what you mean, in this language? What word is used, for how I feel for you? When I am with you, it is as though there is a great warmth within me, and when I am without you... I feel a longing within me, to be with you again," she asks softly, her curiosity getting the better of her. "I am thankful, that you enjoyed it... it was an honour to share it with you," she adds, a smile curling at the corners of her lips. "Ahrensha... it is a beautiful word," she says softly, speaking the word with the sense of one who wants to understand the full of the meaning behind it.

Kelley does, in fact, capture Monique's hand, and holds it, massaging it with his thumbs. One could see behind his eyes his brain running at full capacity trying to decide what to do. Not wanting to scare the woman off, yet not wanting the moment to pass, he forges ahead. "Thank you for correcting me.. kenkamken, " he says with a smile, raisning her hand to his lips and kissing it again, yet still not letting go, still massaging it with his thumbs. His mouth quirks up into a smile, and he attempts to explain 'ahrensha'. "Ahrensha, if I could translate it roughly, means something to the effect of.. of.. beyond the soul." He blushes and says, "One would say, 'Kelley, Monique; ahrensha.' It is a, well, connective word." He blushes again, though in the firelight and descending twilight, it may be difficult to see such. "So, I would say, Ronan, Monique, ahrensha. My first name is Ronan. It is shared only with those very close to us; given names being sacred among our people. Kelley is only my clan name. So I share my name with you. Ahrensha."

It would seem that there is little fear of scaring her off, for she is quite willing to remain within his company. As he captures her hand, so neatly, she smiles warmly at him, then gives his hand a gentle squeeze and lets him keep hers. Tilting her head slightly to one side, the small Inuit woman listens attentively as he explains ahrensha and the meaning behind the word, as well as gifting her with more knowledge of his people. "A connection of the souls... or... a binding of them, one to another?" she poses quietly, as though trying to piece the meaning of it together, her brow furrowing slightly. As her dark eyes search his own, seeking what is held within them, she listens, and as she does, a single tear slips down one of her cheeks, though this one is not drawn of sadness, but rather, of the opposite emotion. "Ronan," she says softly, fitting the name to him and finding that it suits him very well. "It is an honour that you share it with me, and I will keep the knowledge of it safe, I promise you. Ahrensha, in the language of your people... kenkamken, in the language of mine... in this language -- love, I think, is how it would be called," she says quite softly, her tone both thoughtful and holding a reflection of the feelings within her. "Strange, perhaps... but... I think I know where I belong. And I think that, with you, Ronan, I am where I belong," she adds, her dark eyes yet searching his.

Smiling widely, with happy tears escaping from the corners of his eyes, he says, "Indeed, Monique, I love you. I truly love you. I wanted to say it, but I did not want to scare you off, in case you did not feel about me the same as I feel about you. I thought that you did.. but I am very careful about the relationships that I enter. I have only been in three relationships in the past two-thousand years,"Kelley explains with a wry, yet honest, grin. "Kenkamken. Arhensha. Love. It does not mean binding, but it does mean love. I think that a binding of souls is something that two people should enter after an appropriate period of arhensha. But.. I could see myself bound to you, Monique. I.. I hope that I am not being too forward. But - I love you, Monique. This language may be clunky, but it does roughly convey the thoughts. I feel that I belong to you, when I am with you. That I would do anything for you. That I *could* do anything for you. You are.. a very unique, special woman, Monique." Kelley ends his thoughts with a smile, slightly embarrassed that he needs to release her hand so that he may wipe away the tears.

With the sight of his tears there, her own start a little more, slipping to her cheeks. Ah, she knows his are for happy reasons, like her own, but they still come. "I do not think that you could scare me off, truly. At least, not unless you really tried," she says softly, her dark eyes shining with warmth. "I love you, very much. I do not know how this has come to happen so quickly, but it has," she says softly, smiling brightly at him. "Being careful with relationships is not a bad thing. A good thing, I think it. For myself, I have had... one, if it could be considered that. I will tell you of it, another time," she says softly, a smile tugging at her lips. Best he hears that tale another time, considering the details of it. "I could see myself bound to you, Ronan," she says gently, lifting her hand to gently brush aside a bit of his tears. "I feel much as you do -- that I could do anything for you, with you. I am no more special than you are, and no more unique than you. I believe that our souls were drawn to one another, across the distance," she says softly, warmth in her voice. The great white bear keeping watch there in the glade rises to his feet and gives himself a shake before rumbling loudly enough to gain Monique's attention. The small Inuit shaman blinks a little, surprised at the sound, and her attention turns to the bear as though she is listening to him. Brushing aside a bit more of his tears, she half rises and places a soft kiss on his forehead before coming the rest of the way to her feet. The fire, by this point, has mostly burned down, and Monique moves to take a flask of water from amongst the few other things here, using it to extinguish the rest of the fire. Only once ensuring it's been taken care of does she brings her attention back to the scientist. "It is time we go back to your condominium," she says softly, her voice holding a serious tone to it. Something, it would seem, is out there -- or at least, something has disturbed Tornaq's previous sense of calm to have caused him to give warning. The few things she had brought here, she gathers up, putting them into a leather satchel which she had used to carry things here in. With nothing else left to take care of here in the glade, and with Tornaq coming up to them to be a shadow to them both, there is only the journey back to the condo to take.

Kelley rises next to Monique, taking her hand if she'll allow it. With another squeeze and a smile at Tornaq, he heads back down the game trail the way that he'd come, holding Monique's hand the whole way, looking down at the woman with warm eyes and a smile. How much he wants to simply sweep her off of her feet, yet that seems too emotive for the moment, despite the fact that they have just declared their love for each other. "You know, Monique, I could see myself bound to you, as well," he says, warmth and love in his voice. "By the way, was there a significance to the different color and types of rocks that you left for me on the top of each statue?" Worried about his new love, he asks Tornaq, "What's out here, Tornaq?" forgetting that while they anthropogenize the animal, he still can't speak. Then, to Monique, "Does Tornaq have a sister who could look after me, should we become bonded? Or is that not how it works?" The question is playful, as he squeezes the girl's hand again and pulls her closer. "Don't worry, we're almost out of the woods already - literally and figuratively."

The small Inuit woman willingly lets him lay claim to her hand, giving his a squeeze once he does. A glance is cast towards Tornaq, who watches them both, though the great white bear takes a moment to turn his head and look back towards the treeline surrounding the glade. Monique smiles warmly as she looks up the tall man next to her, considering the question of the rocks. "Mmm... they were special in that they were different than the others. I could not be sure that each would not be harmed, so if they were knocked over, I wanted you to still be able to identify what it had been," she says softly, her tone thoughtful. Her attention turns, then, towards the great white bear who follows them down the game trail and back towards the city proper. The bear gives a rumble, then reaches out to touch Monique's shoulder, whuffing a breath of air against her. She lifts her free hand to lightly touch the bear's nose, and then brings her attention back to Kelley before giving a soft laugh, her dark eyes sparkling with amusement. "Unfortunately, it does not work that way... though if we do become bonded, he would watch over you just as he does myself," she says softly. "He is not sure what is in the woods, but... he scented something that was not something he liked," she adds, in answer of the question asked.

Kelley bends down - way down - to kiss the top of Monique's head. "Well, I love them. I love rocks in general. I will certainly add them to my collection. What were those statues called? Is there a special significance to them, or are they only markers? They seemed more specialized that mere piles of rock." Looking back at Tornaq with a smile, he tells Monique, "You'll have to teach me to read Tornaq the way that you do - if that's possible. Though now I will protect you to the best of my abilities. You will have two looking over you, Monique. You must be one of the most loved people in Kingsdale. There we go," he says as they break from the trees and into the city gates. "Now is your first step into a larger world. I will teach you everything that I know - or at least, everything that you wish to know. I am sure that Doctor Kalvin would be willing to teach you Kingsdale's medicine, if you were interested, though I suppose I cannot guarantee it. But if you want to know more about rocks, or machines, or science in general, I will help you to the best of my abilities." He squeezes the woman's shoulders again and leads her toward the gates.

Dark eyes look up at him through the veil of her lashes, a sparkle held within them as she smiles brightly up at him. "I had not noticed you had a collection of rocks. I will have to remember that, for if I find any of interest," she says softly, giving a small nod. "The statues that I made, they are called inuksuk. My people use them for many reasons -- we use them to mark a trail to be taken, to mark our hunting grounds, or as something to mark where food has been stored. Sometimes, we have used them to help us herd caribou, so that we can kill them," she explains, her tone thoughtful i nature. A glance is cast to Tornaq when he is mentioned, and she quirks a smile. "I will teach you what I can of knowing his meanings. Some is conveyed with the sounds he makes, the different ways he positions himself, but others are in different ways. Being protected is not a bad thing -- and you, too, will be protected by two. I will learn what I can of what you teach," she says softly, giving a small nod. She understands that she'll have limitations to her understanding, but she's interested to learn what he has to teach her. Slipping one of her arms around him, she lets them rest at his waist, giving him a bit of a squeeze in turn. Once back into the city, Tornaq pauses to turn his attention back towards the trees, watching and listening, though after a long moment of apparently nothing, the great white bear gives himself a shake before bringing his attention back to his little shaman, a softer-toned rumble rising from him.

He smiles widely as the woman slips an arm around his waist. He looks down at her and says, "Well, I will be comforted to be watched after by two." He gives the woman another big squeeze as they stroll down Mainstreet, headed south through the Merchant's Plaza. "Isn't this place marvelous," he says, referring to the Plaza. "So many people, from so many places, with so many different things to sell. It's a bit of a.. United Nations, I suppose, of Kingsdale." He looks warmly and playfully ruffles Monique's carefully groomed hair. "Why did you get so dressed up for me, Monique? You know that I would have loved you if you had been wearing the clothes of the homeless. It's not appearances that affect me - though they are nice - but rather what resides in one's heart and one's mind." He laughs for a moment, saying, "I just hope that Betsy can get used to seeing Tornaq, and vice-versa. She's very loving and defensive of me, too, but I don't know if she'd stand up to a giant polar bear."

"As will I, to be watched after and protected by two," she says softly, her voice warm. Wandering down Main street with him, she is both comfortable and at ease, though there is a part of her which seems to always remain on some level of alert when she's out in the city. Her gaze slips over the plaza, then returns to him, looking up at him, her dark eyes sparkling. "You never know what you might find, in coming here... it never seems to be the same variety," she muses, quirking a smile. The ruffling of her hair causes her to duck a little and give a soft eep, her dark eyes sparkling with delight. "I thought that it would make it more special, if I did so. I know that feelings are not built on what a person sees, but, I thought by my making it more special, it would make it easier to be seen how I feel in return?" she suggests, raising an eyebrow slightly as she looks up at him. She takes a lingering moment to study him, to see if he understands what she means, though he seems to be good at picking her meaning regardless of if she uses the right words. Giving him a bit of a squeeze, she gives a bit of a giggle at Betsy's plight. "I have a feeling she will get used to him. He does not mind her, so long as she does not try to catch his tail. She will not have a need to stand up to Tornaq, I think," she adds, quirking a smile.

They walk in step with one another, though Kelley has to shorten his, while Monique has to speed up to share the tempo. Their closest time acting of one so far. Kelley looks down with warm, wide eyes and asks, "Do you miss your homeland, Monique? Do you wish to return there someday? Do you still have family there?" He doesn't want to be overly prying, but is at least sincerely curious, but feels silly starting so many questions with, "Do you?" As they round the corner and head west toward the condominiums, he hesitantly asks, "Ah, Monique, do you and Tornaq want to move in? I mean, it would be strictly separate, you would have your own room and everything, just like now." He thinks for a moment, and adds, "I love that skirt of yours. It looks very cute on you. And your hair is beautiful."

Though the small woman has to walk with a bit of a quicker stride, she doesn't seem to mind. In fact, she seems to adapt to it rather well, keeping her arm about his waist. It's comfortable there, so she keeps it there. To the question of her homeland, she gives a small nod, or at least to part of the questions. "I do miss it, yes... and some day, I would like to go back there. Though I think not quite soon. I still have family there, though I am sure they are doing well," she says softly, her tone thoughtful and a little bit wistful in nature. She doesn't mind his curiosity, though the questions have brought her to thinking, and that's brought her to idly finger one of the rings that she wears, turning it around the finger that it rests on. "To move in? I would like that, so long as you do not mind it. I have... little in the way of things that would need to be brought over to your condominium," she says softly, her dark eyes bright and warm. She rather likes the idea of moving in with him, and she thinks that it will make some things -- like protecting each other -- at least a little easier. "Thank you, for offering it. And thank you," she adds, for the compliments, which have made her blush with newfound shyness. "I hope I had not worried you, in not being there when you returned," she comments, giving him a gentle squeeze.

"Oh, I was a bit worried, but I trust you - and Tornaq. And I certainly didn't expect you to sit at home all day," Kelley says with a chuckle and another squeeze. "You are more than welcome to bring your things over, I am sure that there is plenty of room for them. Where is that ring from? It's very pretty," comments the man. "And you are welcome for the compliments. I only give them out when they are deserved." There is something of which I am very curious, though. "What kind of magic do you possess? And what is the source of its power - are you a magic battery, like a line walker, or a mystic? I must admit that I do not understand any magic beyond my tattoos and ley line and dimensional travel. That is the extent of my knowledge - clearly, not extensive on the subject. I'm much better with matters of science than I am of matters of the arcane." He smiles and says, "I recently became somewhat of an expert on artificial intelligence, but I doubt that that interests you very much," he states with a small smile.

Monique looks up at him for a lingering moment, and then she gives a small nod, her dark eyes shining. "I had a feeling that you trusted us. After all, if you did not trust us, then you likely would not have invited us to stay at first," she says softly. The question of the ring was unexepected, for she hadn't realised he had noticed her toying with it. Blinking a moment with surprise, she looks up at him, perhaps weighing out what it is that she should say in response. "I have had it, for many years. From before Tornaq came into my life," she says softly, her voice holding an odd tone to it -- shadowed, almost. "There is a story to the ring, and it is one I will tell you once we are back to the condominium," she says softly, looking up at him for a long moment to gauge his reaction to that particular choice that she's made. She is quiet a moment more, considering now the questions that he's asked of her magic, and a smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "The magic that I have, some of it comes from within me, and some of it comes from that I have Tornaq with me. I know of ley lines, and I am able to use them. But the source of power that I have is usually either from myself or from Tornaq. He is more than just a protector," she says softly, a smile tugging the corners of her lips as she looks up at the tall man next to her, her dark eyes showing a sparkle in them. "I remember that you mentioned it once to me -- robots, it was. I still do not entirely understand the way of it, but... I think it is from being unused to such things," she says, quirking a smile at him.

"Ah, I can't wait to hear the story then," Kelley says, with the mystery surrounding the ring. They have, in fact, reached the door to his apartment, and he keys in the code: 1 2 3 5 8 13 21. "It's very simple," he explains. "Just the first seven numbers of a Fermi sequence. You don't even have to remember the numbers, as long as you remember where the code comes from." He grins as if he's actually explained the numbers to the Inuit woman, not thinking for a moment that she won't understand what he's saying. "You know, Monique, you are a very intelligent woman. I can tell just from the patterns for of your speech, your actions, your knowledge. We may have different knowledge, but yours is no less than mine." The lock to the door pops open and he opens the door for Monique, holding it open for the woman - and Tornaq, though he probably has to step out of the way to do so. "Can I get you anything to drink, Monique? Or Tornaq?" At that point, Betsy comes running up to Kelley, tongue lolling to one side. She starts pawing at Kelley and then Monique for attention, stepping carefully to the side to avoid Tornaq.

Monique tilts her head slightly to one side as she looks up at him, a smile turning at the corners of her lips, though her attention turns to watch this time as he inputs the numbers. She doesn't understand them, not knowing numbers, and his explanation causes her to give him a puzzled look which reflects confusion. "A... Fermi sequence? I do not know what that is, or really, what numbers are," she says softly. She wants to understand it, but right now, she just doesn't, yet. She blinks a little when the door pops open, to her unexpectedly, and she leans a little against the tall man next to her. Technology is strange, still. "I still think that you are smarter than I... you know so many things," she says softly, a bit of awe reflecting in her voice. With the door open, she only tarries a moment before stepping inside, and after coming inside she removes her boots before moving a little to one side to be able to pet Betsy. She likes dogs, after all. Tornaq comes in, when he is able to, though he moves with a delicate sort of care and grace since he doesn't want to break anything or damage anything. "What do you have, to drink?" she asks curiously, her dark eyes sparkling with curiosity and interest.

Kelley enters the room, closing and locking the door behind him. He takes his cloak off and hangs it on the peg near the door. "Let me see, I should have milk, a couple of different fruit juices, and, of course, water, if you prefer. I'm afraid that I don't keep any liquors around the house. I don't really care for them, generally, though I must admit, your herbal concoction was absolutely delicious." He reaches out to tweak the woman's nose, unless she squirms out of the way first. "Oh, and of course, I can make tea, or hot chocolate, or coffee for you, if you prefer. Do you have anything that you'd like me to hang?" he asks, unsure as to whether she's wearing a natural skin coat or not. He smiles as Betsy is attended to by Monique, even though the dog eyes warily the huge bear. He does lean down to kiss Monique lightly on the forehead and hug her around the waist with a big squeeze. He sits down on the black tile to remove his boots, places them on the holder, and rises on stockinged feet. "So, is there anything that I can get you to drink?"

The small Inuit woman glances briefly to the door when it's locked, though that it is doesn't bother her so much as that it's a new concept for her to 'learn', so to speak. A smile touches at the corners of her lips, and then she gives a small nod, accepting the different options for drinks that she's been given. Many choices. The tweak on her nose does happen, which for her effort to watch ends up making her go cross-eyed, and she giggles softly. "I am glad you liked it, I will show you how I made it, one day," she says softly, her dark eyes sparkling. "But I think for right now, I would like your hot chocolate. It was very good," she adds, looking up at him. Part of what she had to gather up in the glade had been her fur parka, which she seldom goes without, so she rises to her feet to be able to shed it and offer it to him, for him to hang. "Please, and thank you," she says softly, giving a nod to him. In the hug he gives her, she nestles against him, warm and comfortable and rather pleased with how it feels just to be held against him. Without her boots, her feet have been left bare, though Monique doesn't seem to mind. She slips out of the hug, to kneel next to Betsy, lifting one of her hands to lightly ruffle her fingers through the dog's fur at the back of her neck. Tornaq approaches her, attempting to not look threatening, even as he lowers his nose more to Monique and Betsy's level. "He will not hurt you," she says quietly, her words for Betsy's benefit, and she looks to Tornaq and gives a small nod, which prompts the bear to give a gentle rumble.

Nodding happily, Kelley reaches down and takes Monique's parka from her, hanging it so that it covers the top of his cloak on the peg in the wall. "Do you like it really sweet, or should I just make it the way that I gave it to you last time?" The man asks, as he hurries into the kitchen, pours some fresh water into a mug and sticks it in the microwave. A few seconds later, a bell *dings* and he opens the door, testing the water with the tip of his finger - not too hot, not too cold. He breaks open the chocolate sauce, cream, and sugar, and waits for Monique's opinion on how to fix the liquid. In the meantime, he laughs and says, "Yeah, Betsy's a good dog. I have had her for about two years now, ever since I got out of the military. It was cramped at first, but then as my business took off, I got to move in here, and she's had plenty of room ever since. I do let her out to run in the courtyard occasionally, but she seems to prefer it inside." He watches the dog's reaction to Tornaq, which is guarded, but not hostile or afraid.

Studying the reaction between the two animals, Monique keeps one of her hands on Betsy, just as a reassurance. As peace seems to reign between them, she reaches out her other hand to touch Tornaq on the nose and give him a bit of a rub there before lowering her hand. Trusting the great white bear to behave himself, she smoothly rises to her feet and gives a bit of a delicate stretch. "Mmm... I liked it the way you made it last night. I am not used to very sweet things," she says thoughtfully, quirking a smile. The answer was a little delayed, simply from her attention to the animals, but things between the two seem well enough. They haven't scrapped to this point, so she hasn't a reason to think they'll start now. She hopes. "It is good, that she has room here to be able to run. A dog like her needs a chance to run," she says softly. She has some experience with dogs of that relative size, considering the husky's that her people use to help in hunting and pulling dogsleds. The microwave's ding is less of a surprise to her, but still enough to draw her attention to it, if only briefly, and then her attention returns to Kelley, having had her attention caught with part of what he'd said. "The military? What does it mean?" she asks softly, confused and puzzled both.

"The military? The warriors. The fighters. The people who protect this city," Kelley explains. "I served with the 4th Strategic Engineering Regiment, because of my skills. It was not a fun time, but it was worth it to become a full-fledged citizen of Kingsdale." He tosses a load of cream into the water, then adds the chocolate, mixing it all together before topping it with a shot of gas-propelled whipped cream. "Here you go, sweetie," he says, using a familiar which he is only now beginning to taste in his vocabulary. Kelley hands the warm drink over the counter to Monique. He looks at his living room, the furniture pushed out of the way to make room for Tornaq and chuckles lightly. Apparently happily resigned to the fact that he's going to have a polar bear living in his apartment. "Can I get anything for Tornaq? A bowl of water? I have an extra one that I keep for Betsy, but he's welcome to it, if he so desires."

Monique tilts her head slightly to one side as she listens to his explanation of military, though her understanding is less than solid on the concept until he mentions that they are the protectors of the city. In her language, there is no word for war, and thus no need for a word like military. "Does it make a difference, here? To be, how you said, a citizen or not?" she asks softly, her brow furrowed as she tries to understand this, as well. As the hot drink is offered to her, she accepts it, giving him a warm and bright smile at the endearment he uses for her. Cupping her fingers around the mug, she lifts it to take a small sip of it before her tongue flits out to lick her upper lip first and then her lower. "Thank you," she says warmly. Turning her attention towards Tornaq, she walks around the counter to be standing closer to Kelley. "You do not mind him, being here," she says softly, taking a moment to look up at him, her dark eyes studious and holding the love she admitted to having for him. The great white bear looks to them both, looking as though he's studying the pairing of his small shaman to the tall Atlantean. He gives a rumble which has a way of sounding both thoughtful and approving, and then he settles himself in, laying down in the living room. "Tornaq approves of you, and trusts in you. He ate his fill of fish when we were after the ones for dinner, but he would like water," she says softly, her tone thoughtful. Part of her understanding of the bear is from long-term familiarity -- travelling with him for the past ten years has given her a working knowledge of his ways of communication. The small woman is quiet for a lingering moment, taking a sip of her hot chocolate again, then smiling warmly as she looks up at him. "You are a wonderful man, Ronan. I feel very lucky, and grateful, to know you, and to love you," she says softly, her words holding threads of a serious tone as well as warm threads of love.

Kelley is silent for a moment while he stretches his arms high above him - and touches the ceiling, his eyes closed, with a gentle grunt. "Ah," is all he says as he returns his arms to his sides. "Being a citizen has its good and bad points. You are given the privilege of the vote, which means that you have a say in the way that the governing body does to run the city. You are given access to certain free medical care, disability systems, retirement, and the like. However, you do have to pay taxes to the city, which is to say that you have to give a set percentage of your income to the government in return for that which it provides. Nobody likes taxes, but I do not complain about them, as they, too, help protect our city." He smiles as he returns the loving, brown-eyed glance, basking in their depths. He works his way around to the other side of the counter and lays a hand on Monique's shoulder, watching her with a grin as her tongue flips about, tasting and cleaning. "I don't mind Tornaq being here, at all. As long as he is willing to swap sides of the room occasionally so that we may get to the fireplace and the holovid, everything will be fine. Oh, that's right," he hurried back into the kitchen and retrieves a bowl from a mostly unused upper shelf. Filling it to the brim, he walks into the living room and places it down near Tornaq's head. Kelley drops down to one knee and looks Monique in the eyes. "I am very lucky and grateful to know you, and to have my love returned, in kind," he says.

Monique's attention shifts to him as he stretches, admiring the smoothness of the motion, and... for a moment, being somewhat jealous of his height. Ah well, she's used to being the height that she is, and her people aren't exactly known for being tall. "It is, I suppose, something to think on, then -- this becoming a citizen," she says thoughtfully. She's not sure if it would be worth it or not, but she has a feeling that Kelley will help her with figuring it out. "What if a person does not make anything?" she asks curiously, her brow furrowing lightly. After all, she doesn't really make money -- she more or less trades her skill with herbs for things that she needs: like food and other such ilk as that. "Oh, Tornaq does not mind moving. He needs only to be asked, and he will move," Monique says, a warm smile curling at the corners of her lips. She watches him get the water for the great spirit bear, who starts to drink of it as soon as it's been placed on the floor, mindful not to make a mess. Gazing into his eyes, she gives a small nod, then steps a little closer to him to be able to softly kiss his forehead, and while she holds the mug of hot chocolate in one of her hands, she lifts her other hand to lightly move her fingertips through his short hair, a smile turning at the corners of her lips.

Kelley furrows his brow, trying to explain citizenship to Monique - not that she misunderstanding, just that, well, he's not sure. "Monique, the only way that I know of to become a citizen is to serve two years in the military. Once your term of service is up, you become a citizen. I do not think that it would be a place for you - and Tornaq" he adds with a grin. "Please understand that I am not pushing this, but if we were ever to become... bonded... then you would be made a citizen by proxy. That is to say, by extension. I am afraid that I do not understand your question about a person who does not make anything. Are you talking about paying taxes? I'm afraid that I have lost track of the conversation at this point." He ducks his head and lets out a laugh as Monique runs her fingers through his hair, remaining on one knee for the time being, to more easily look into her eyes. "I don't think that I have told you this, Monique, but you have beautiful eyes. They are very deep, and warm. Caring." He leans forward and kisses her forehead again, then looks at the hot chocolate and asks, "Might I have a sip? The dinner was delicious, but I always like a little chocolate for desert." He finishes with a wide grin.

Her understanding of the concept of citizenry is limited, though as he explains it more, her understanding grows. Blinking a little, she tilts her head slightly to one side. "Oh... I did not understand that a person needed to be in hte military in order to be a citizen," she says softly, her tone thoughtful. "I think you are right, that it would not be a place for either Tornaq or myself," she adds, giving a small nod. "I think I would rather become a citizen by... as you say, by proxy. I was meaning about paying taxes, yes," she says softly, her dark eyes showing a shine to them. She's quiet then for a moment as he compliments her, and a blush rises into her cheeks, her chin ducking a little. "Thank you... I like yours, too. Soulful, I would say," she muses, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The touch of her fingers lingers there in his hair as she gazes into his eyes, and then her hand softly falls to his shoulder. She doesn't mind that he's asked for her hot chocolate, and she gives a small nod to his request before offering it to him, her dark eyes showing a sparkle within them. "Of course," she says softly. This frees both of her hands, and she brings her left hand so that he can see the ring there more closely, if he wishes. The ring is the sort of creamy white that ivory ages to after a short time, and the flat edge of the ring is carved in a linked floral pattern which is rather intricate. It has a certain look to it as though it would be difficult to remove from the finger it encircles, and she looks to it for a moment before bringing her gaze back to his eyes. "When we were out, you asked me where the ring was from. It was given to me, in the time before Tornaq came to me. Three moons before Tornaq came out of the ice and snow, to find me," she says softly, her brow furrowing slightly. She's begun to tell of it, and so the only thing to do is to complete what she's started, yet that slightly shadowed tone has come to her voice again.

Taking a sip of hot chocolate before handing it back to Monique, Kelley leans back and smiles at her compliment. "Soulful. I like that. It's a nice compliment," he replies. He can't help but wonder what it was like to be... entrusted with the mantle of a shaman and then befriended by a Spirit Bear. There were no Spirit Bears on Atlantis. Dragons, but not Spirit Bears. Ah, but if he could only take her back to the Atlantis that he knew, the one that no longer exists, he thinks that she would love the people, and the magic, and the peacefulness of the society. But clearly, that cannot happen. Not until I free it, he thinks to himself. But he eventually pulls his mind back to the here and now and says, "Please, continue with your story. What does the carving mean?"

Some day, perhaps she'll tell him what it was like to have her life so suddenly changed from being nothing more than a girl in the ice and snow to being a shaman with a Spirit Bear who came to be with her. She watches him, noticing that his thoughts seem to have wandered, and not minding that it happened. A small smile touches at the corners of her lips as he asks about the carving, and she gives a small nod. "The carving on the ring is done by the one who gives it, and the ring itself... it is made of...," she begins, pausing here as she purses her lips, thinking, then lightly shaking her head as she can't come up with the word in english, "tuugaaq, is what we would call it. From... aiviq, is the animal. A large animal, living on the ice and snow. The word I know which is closest is tooth, but that is not quite the right word. The carving itself does not have any particular meaning other than with the thought that it will be special to the one being given the ring," she says thoughtfully. She falls quiet for a moment, studying the ring, wondering how much else she should say. Yet the full of the story needs a bit of background, so that's where she goes with it next. "Among my people, it is common for... marriages, as I understand it to be called in this language, to be arranged. This was done when I was small, and the ritual ceremony was done three moons before Tornaq came out of the snow and ice. This was the ring that I was given by him, as a mark of that ritual," she says softly, her tone wistful. A moment is taken then as she watches him, to gain a measure of his reaction to the story up to this point. There's more to tell to the tale, though she gives him this moment to ask or comment as he wishes.

"The ring is from your marriage?" he asks. Thinking over the animals that he knows from the arctic, he assumes that it is ivory from a walrus tusk. He thinks about saying as much, but then figures, if she doesn't know the word, then she's not going to picture the animal, and says nothing, but makes a note to look up a picture of "walrus" on the net when he's done, to see if that's the animal that she's referring to. Her mention of young marriage sends his memory back to his family, and he wilts just a little. He has made his peace with losing them, but he will never be able to accept that it wasn't his fault. But he find that he's too much in his mind again, and speaks again, repeating, "This is a symbol from your marriage, or from the one who anointed you as shaman?"

At his question, the small Inuit woman gives a little nod, a hint of a smile touching at the corners of her lips. "Yes, it is from my marriage," she says softly, her tone thoughtful. "It followed a different path. Two moons passed, after the ceremony had been done. We were... learning about each other, then. We had not known each other well before, and we were both new to things," she continues, taking a moment to pause there and place a soft kiss on his forehead. "The hunters of my clan went hunting -- for... aiviq. When they brought him back... his body was already cold, bloodless. They said... that his spirit fled quickly. He was... stabbed? ... by the tooth of one of the aiviq. There was nothing they could do," she says quietly, her dark eyes showing a brief shimmer from the reminiscence of it, yet then the expression within them clears. She didn't know her husband well, having only been married to him for a couple of months. "A moon after, I moved the ring from the finger it had been to the one it is on now. I could not remove it, now, if I had to. It was not long after I had moved the ring when Tornaq came from out of the snow and ice, giving himself to be a companion to me," she says softly, a small smile touching her lips. Lifting a hand, she lightly brushes her fingers through his short hair, her dark eyes studying his. "For one who is chosen as a shaman, the choosing is not done by a mortal hand. The choosing is done by the spirits," she explains, a warm smile touching her lips.

"You miss your husband, don't you?" Kelley's eyes look sad for a moment, but it passes. "Why can you not take it off? Have you grown around it?" He quirks his head to one side in question. But in the interest of fairness, he removes a small silver chain from within his shirt. There is a ring dangling from it. "I too carry a memory of my family. This is one of two rings that were exchanged between myself and my wife on our first anniversary. I carry it with me as a memory of my wife and child." He looks back up at Monique with a smile and says, but while I grieve for them, my life moves on. Allowing the ring to drop back against his chest, he carefully takes Monique's mug with both hands and sets it upon the floor. Wordlessly, he places a hand on either side of her head, to give her their first kiss.

Monique tilts her head slightly to one side, and then she lifts one of her shoulders in a faint shrug. "I miss the chance to have known him better than I did," Monique says softly, her tone thoughtful and sincere. She didn't know him well enough to really miss him in the way that most wives would miss their husbands. Then to the question of why the ring remains, she quirks a smile, then gives a little nod. "My finger is not the same size as once it was, so it will not come off," she says softly, her dark eyes showing a touch of a sparkle within them. As he brings out the silver chain with the ring dangling from it, she lifts one of her hands to lightly touch the ring, to look at it a little more closely for a brief moment, and then she gives a small nod of understanding for the significance of it. "The spirits of some are called sooner than others," she says softly, her tone gentle. As he takes her mug, she willingly relinquishes it to him, and just as wordlessly as he, she brings her left hand to rest lightly at the nape of his neck, to meet him in that first kiss. A kiss which is, interestingly enough, her first kiss.

Kelley kisses Monique gently, not-rip-off-your-clothes passionately, but passionately, lingering on her lips for a few seconds before backing off. He grins widely, and says, "I have been waiting for a kiss like that for a very, very, very long time." He gently rubs her upper arm with his right hand. "Thank you, Monique." A tear appears in the corner of his eye as he smiles again. Without any words being exchanged, his face is readily obvious. He has found a soulmate. For an unusual amount of time, he is without words. Monique has become the center of his universe, and not even a giant polar bear could have gotten in between them at this moment.

The small Inuit shaman meets the kiss gently as well, a little uncertain at first, but assuredly willing. There is passion in her, too -- gentle, but there all the same. Her eyes are closed for the lingering kiss, enjoying the kiss until its ending. There, she opens her eyes to gaze into his, her dark eyes shining and sparkling with love and joy, and she brings her hand from the nape of his neck to softly cup his cheek. "Thank you, Ronan," she says quietly, trying to keep her own tears from joining his in threatening to be shed. The expression within her eyes and on her face speaks more than she ever could with words alone -- that she has found a soulmate as well. He is all that she needs, and being with him is all that she could ask for. She has no explanation for how quickly such a thing could happen, and she needs none. All she needs, is to be able to be with him. "I love you," she whispers softly, emotion lacing her words, such important little words.

Kelley is simply speechless for a moment, mouthing, "I love you, Monique." He looks at her, oddly for at little while as he searches for his voice, finally finding it. "I have searched far and wide for a soulmate, Monique. I can now end my quest." He moves to kiss her again, then hesitates. "May I?" He continues to stroke her arm, eventually picking his left arm up and begins to stroke with both hands. "You are so beautiful. So kind. So perfect. It is my honor to call you my soulmate, if I may be so bold." He hadn't realized what he had been looking for until he actually found it.

Softly, her fingertips move gently over his cheek, a gentle and loving caress which trails down the side of his neck. "I have searched without knowing what I was searching for until I found it, in you," Monique whispers softly, love held in her voice. She believes that he is what drew her here, that he was the reason for her to have left the Great North. Tilting her head slightly to one side as he asks if he may kiss her, a warm smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "Of course you may, Ronan... I would not stop you from it," she says warmly, her dark eyes showing a sparkle within them. "I am no more perfect than you are, and no more kind than you. And it is my honour as well, to be able to call you my soulmate," she says softly, smiling warmly at him. Slipping her right arm around him to be able to be closer to him, she lifts her left hand then to lightly brush her fingers over his cheek again, her dark eyes searching his.

"This evening has been a beautifully unexpected one, Monique. But apparently, one that has been long in coming." He wraps his arms around Monique's waist, puts his head on her shoulder, and just holds her close, his eyes closed, his mouth quirked up in a smile. "I take it that Tornaq approves? Do I need to hug him, too?" Kelley asks with an unseen smile. "He and Betsy seem to be getting on well," he says, looking over Monique's shoulder to view the dog and the polar bear sharing water from the same bowl. He continues to squeeze her, perhaps even a bit too hard, he's so overjoyed with his discovery. He ponders the significance of each one's ring, and wonders how they will get together, each in its own unique place, with it's own unique meaning. He kisses her again, gently, savoring the feeling of her lips upon his.

A warm blush rises into her cheeks, and then she gives a small nod of agreement to his words. Her fingers move softly from his cheek, and she slips that arm around him as well, leaning a little against him as she holds him close. Her breath falls warm and soft against the side of his neck, and she gives a light laugh. "No, you do not need to hug him. Though it would surprise him much if you did, or attempted to," she teases, her dark eyes showing a sparkle to them. She glances towards the animal pair, watching them for a moment, and she gives Kelley a squeeze before giving a small nod. "They are at least sharing, and that is a good start for them. They will get used to each other," she says softly, sounding fairly sure of herself. Though he does squeeze her a little too hard, she doesn't complain, though it does manage to draw a sort of muffled sound from her, one that she doesn't realise comes. The kiss is one that she meets, willingly, her small body pressing against his own, herself enjoying the feel of his lips against her own. She's never known a feeling like this before, but she wouldn't trade it for anything that she's ever known before. ooc I need to afk for about ten minutes, okay?

Kelley finally releases the embrace, realizing that, as much as he might like to, he cannot stand there and hug and kiss the woman that he loves forever. "Monique, I could just kneel here and hug and kiss you forever, but you would probably rather do something else with your time. What do you want to do? It's a little late, but the nightclubs are open, if you were into that. Though Tornaq might have to wait outside." He eyes the bear, wondering if he'd trust the man to look after Monique himself and gives a mental shrug. It will be as it will be. He gives Monique another squeeze, a quick peck on the lips and reaches up and tweaks her nose a little, just to see her smile once more. "I'd take you out to a fancy restaurant, but I've already had one magnificent meal this evening. We can stay in, curl up on the couch together and watch the holo for a little while. What would you like to do?"

Monique, once released from the embrace, smiles warmly at him and lifts a hand, to lightly touch one of his cheeks yet again, a soft caress which she seems fond of doing. "You could, as could I," she says softly, a smile turning at the corners of her lips again. "Mmm... I have never been to what you call a nightclub, so I could not say if it might be something I would like or not. Tornaq does not like having to be away from me, but... I think knowing that you would be there to protect me, that he may be all right with it," she says softly, her tone thoughtful in nature. Giving him a bit of a squeeze in turn, she meets that quick peck with one of her own, then giggles at the tweaking of her nose, going cross-eyed again before winking at him. "I think I would like to just stay in with you... whether watching a holo or doing something else, I would prefer to stay here," she says softly, making a choice. She's not sure that she wants to be out in a crowd just now -- feeling a little unusually selfish in that she just wants to spend time with him. Tornaq and Betsy seem to be getting along well, and Monique casts the pair of them a glance before bringing her gaze back to him, a warm smile turning her lips.

"Sounds like an excellent decision to me," Kelley smiles, and escorts the smaller woman over to the couch, upon which he sits himself down and sinks into its large cushions. He holds his arms out toward Monique and says, "Come here, let me kiss you again," with a big smile on his face. Then, "Oh, yes, I was going to look something up for you." He pulls a small computer off of the adjacent table, flips the power on, and calls up the holo screen. With Monique hopefully sitting down next to him, he types in, "walrus" and does an image search. A representative picture is pulled up instantly, and he shows the image to Monique. "Is this the long toothed animal that you were referring to before? The one with the ivory that your ring is made of? If it is, it is called a 'walrus' in American. Well, if it's not, it's still called a walrus," he chuckles. He will then put his arm over Monique's shoulder and pull her close, kissing the top of her head.

Monique smiles brightly as he approves of her decision, and her dark eyes show a warm sparkle in them. As he bids her to come to him, she willingly does, crossing the room to where he is to be able to settle next to him, tucking one of her feet beneath her to be more comfortable. When he mentions looking something up, she tilts her head slightly to one side as she gives him a sort of puzzled look, not sure of what he's doing. She watches him as he brings out the small computer, and she nestles closer at his side, to be able to see what he's doing. As he brings up the image of the walrus, her dark eyes widen a little with surprise, and she takes a moment to look to him before looking back to the picture on the screen and giving a nod. "Yes... that is what we call aiviq. It is what I was meaning," she says softly. What her ring is made of, and what killed her husband, though it still seems stranger to her to think of him that way since they had never been very close. "Walrus," she says the word, speaking it for the first time in english, and then she smiles brightly at him. "Thank you, for showing me this... I did not have the word before," she says warmly, her dark eyes sparkling.

Kelley smiles widely and puts the computer back on the table, flipping the power off. "Anything that I can do to help educate you, Monique, as long as I'm not being overbearing, I will do so. I know, it's a flaw, but I hope that it's not too bad a flaw." He kisses the top of her head and then places a cupping hand under her chin, bringing her head around so that their lips may meet again in a loving embrace. "When I kiss you, all the bad of the world goes away, and I am left with perfection in its place," he says, looking at her with warm brown eyes. "Sometimes I begin to believe that the gods do not exist, that humans and Atlanteans are here without purpose, without guidance, without meaning. But then something happens like meeting you, and I cannot help but believe that they exist, for who but they could have brought us together? A two-thousand year old Megaverse-wandering, seven-foot tall Atlantean, and a, oh, perhaps twenty-year old five foot tall Inuit shaman. I cannot believe that this is a coincidence. For things to have happened and brought us together by pure accident is.. unbelievable."

The small woman gives him a bit of a puzzled look as he uses a word that she's not familiar with, wondering at the meaning of it. Yet her question of the meaning is stalled at least for a little while, for she becomes willingly distracted into the kiss he gifts her with, her dark eyes closing with the shared embrace. She never thought there could be such a feeling as the one she knows when she's with him. "Mmm... you must explain, this word you used," she comments, quirking a smile, and she lifts a hand to touch a single fingertip to his nose. "Overbearing?" she inquires, raising an eyebrow slightly. "All things have a purpose, whether they are man or creature. Just as we all have a path to walk, it just depends on if we know the path when we are on it to stay on it or if we veer away from it," she says softly, a smile touching her lips. Studying him for a lingering moment, she leans into him to place a soft kiss on his lips once he's finished speaking. "Perhaps... perhaps you were drawn here, as I was. So that we could meet and know each other. It is odd, but... when I first met you, I felt then that you were someone special. I just did not know how very special you would become to me. I believe in the gods, in the spirits... and I do not fear them," she says thoughtfully, quirking a warm smile. "And, I am older than you think," she teases, winking at him. Granted, she's not that much older than what his guess puts her at, but she's still older.

"Oh, overbearing? Hmm. That means, ah.." he hesitates as he searches for a way to define it. "It's sort of like overwhelming, which is a little like having too much importance at one time. Overbearing would be putting too much importance on something at one time. I think that would be a reasonable definition." He chuckles a little when she touches his nose, and playfully nips at it as it is withdrawn. "How old are you, my young Inuit? You certainly can't be significantly older than twenty. I'm usually a decent judge of age." He plays with one of her black braids, twirling it around his finger over and over. "I know that I have said this many times tonight, but you are so incredibly beautiful, Monique. I cannot believe what a lucky man I am; love, brains, and looks all in one small package. The gods are truly smiling upon me." He then leans back a little against the arm of the couch and holds his arms out to Monique, inviting her to lay down across his chest.

Although, that she is a shaman would tend to give the indication that she's not afraid of spirits or gods. It was the spirits who chose her to be what she is now, giving her what magic and powers she has and also giving her Tornaq, who came out of the snow within a few days of her having had a strange dream. It was that dream which marked the change in her life from girl to shaman. Distracted briefly by such thoughts and remembrances, her attention returns to him still in enough time to be able to get the definition she had asked for, and then she gives a small nod. A soft giggle escapes her lips as he nips at her finger when it's withdrawn, her dark eyes showing a bright sparkle in them. She truly delights in being with him, in being in his company. "I have seen twenty-three summers, so far... and, if the spirits are willing, I will see many more," she says thoughtfully. His compliments of her bring a warm blush to her cheeks, and she ducks her chin, turned shy again. "You," she says softly, lifting a hand to lightly tap a pair of fingertips on the left side of his chest, "you, are not the only one with luck. I have found all I could ever want, in you." Willingly, at his offer, Monique moves closer and nestles with him, resting her head on the front of his shoulder nearest to her, snuggling with him. "I love you, Ronan," she adds, lifting her head from his chest to be able to look to his eyes.

Meeting her gaze, Kelley smiles warmly. "You have great trust in the Spirits, Monique. Did you always have such trust, or did it develop only after you became shaman? And twenty-three is pretty close to twenty! I made a pretty good guess," he says, squeezing her against his body, one arm wrapped over her. "I am curious; which comes first, having the powers to be shaman, or being dubbed shaman and given the powers?" He frown at himself as he says, "I apologize, I ask too many questions, it must be getting tedious for your - that is to say, boring - for you. Tell me a story of your homeland, Monique. I lived among your people, but not among your clan, and each clan has its own stories. Tell me one of yours."

Monique laughs lightly, her dark eyes sparkling with delight and amusement both. "I did not say that you were not close, just that I was older than twenty," she says, teasing him. "Living in the North, it brings a great trust in the Spirits. Not all have such a trust, though. But for myself... I have always trusted in them, and trusted in that they would watch over me no matter where I went," she says softly, her tone thoughtful. "It comes first to trust in the Spirits. Then there comes a dream which is more like a vision than a dream, and when a person wakes from that dream, they wake knowing they can do things that they could not before. Then, in a few days, there comes something like Tornaq. For some, it is a bear, for others, different animals," she explains, pausing for a moment as she thinks about it a little bit more. "I had seen fifteen summers when Tornaq came out of the snow and ice, and walked into my life," she says softly, raising an eyebrow slightly as she looks to Kelley. "I do not mind that you ask me questions... I do not find it boring, at all," she adds, smiling warmly at him.

"Thank you, Monique, I appreciate your granting me so many questions." He nuzzles the top of her head with his nose. "I think that I could set here forever with you, Monique, just getting up to eat and drink, I would be happy in your mere presence." He hesitates before he puts his legs up onto the couch, picking Monique up and laying her completely on his body, holding her close with both arms. "It has been a long day for me, and I still must get up in the morning for a meeting at NewTech - but I will hurry back as soon as humanly - Atlaneantly - possible. Perhaps we could.. stay out here on the couch together tonight? I have a blanket right here if you get cold."

The small woman quirks a smile in response to his words, and then she gives a small nod, in agreement. "Mmm... I like being here with you like this... very much," she says softly, her tone thoughtful. "You can ask me anything you like... I will answer, if I can. Or if I cannot, then I will try to find the words to be able to answer," she muses. She gives a little murmur as he gathers her up to lay her atop of him, but once settled, she just nestles close against him, making herself as comfortable as you please there. A little yawn threatens, though after only a moment battle, it escapes past her lips, and she gives a little murmur before nestling closer. "Mmm... I will not argue. Being close to you is comfortable, and it is a good couch," she says softly, sounding a little sleepy. Tornaq comes close, quietly, and peeks over the couch to nose his little shaman's back, then he whuffs a gentle breath at Kelley before he settles himself anew. "Mmm... he says, good night, and that he will watch through the night. And he is amused, that you think I might get cold," she says quietly, then gives another little yawn before tucking her arms about him and just snuggling there. "I will be here, when you return from your meeting," she adds, sleepy and content. Held in the arms of her soulmate, how could she be anything but content? It's been a long day, but a wonderful day, and she couldn't think of a better ending to it than this.Tags:kelley, monique