Southern Isles (1x1 Sub-Pumpkin)

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Quote :: Jericho couldn't imagine a room dedicated to lounging, especially with all he had learned about the noble culture. It didn't sound like they had any space in their busy schedule to relax, but it was good to see they spent some time away from work. "Oh okay, maybe you can show me some of the things you do," he replied. A chippy tone returned to his voice as his eyes wandered to the pool that was in his peripheral. A smug smirk played at his lips, but he casually brushed it aside before his eyes flicked to Juniper. He looked slightly dazed from her talk on wages and nodding along haphazardly. "I can work wherever you need me," he said, keeping a steady gaze on her unsteady posturing. "I can help with maintenance, gardening, cooking, plumbing, lighting, blacksmithing, healing...I've had a little experience in different places, so I'm sure I can come of good use for you here. Don't worry." He passed his companion a reassuring smile, slipping the satchel on his shoulders onto the nearest piece of furniture to scour through. Pulling open the fabric drape, he rummaged through his poultices and exotic herbs. "Also! I brought some of my healing supplies. Do you have a round cabinet anywhere? I like to keep my things in them," Jericho explained. He liked noble furniture enough, but it still didn't feel like his own yet. It was too polished--and square-shaped--and he would rather stick to some traditions than change them. "I think the stuff I got from the pirates will look good on this book shelf though," he said with a growing smile, picking out some of the new things from the leather satchel. He began to place a few on the bookshelf already, even if some of the placement made little to no sense. He set his worn glooves last, then turned to her. "This is my favorite thing though." Jericho tapped on the swallow pendent attached to his attire, puffing out his chest with a prideful smile. "This stays with me."

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Southern Isles (1x1 Sub-Pumpkin) - Page 10 41c83fcae18ff1c5439d3659665e26fb

Quote :: Though it was a while back, Juniper did remember an inkling of a conversation wherein Jericho mentioned his talent in many trades. The boy jumped around from job to job and had a basic understanding of just about everything he came across, something she couldn’t say for herself. It was one of the many reasons she admired him, and why she hoped to further his importance within her manor and within her own court. He would be such a vital piece to finding what she was truly meant to do - at least, she hoped so. As the boy walked to the bed to sift through his satchel, she walked over and sat on the edge of it, bracing a hand on the comforter and watching him pull out item after item. He mentioned the herbs and poultices, then began to sort through and put up his trinkets from the badgers. “Yes, there is storage space in your bathroom off behind that door there,” she pointed to the one in question against the left wall, “so you can store them in any space there. I believe there’s a cabinet under the sink as well as drawers, and a cabinet off to the left of the mirror if I’m not mistaken.” She nodded once as though to confirm it, before watching him set out his things in an...unusual fashion. Not that she minded, but it was curious to see him have a different type of decorating than she did. Jericho eventually turned back to her, tapping the glimmering teal and black swallow pendant on him with pride and expressing his favor towards it. “Jericho, I swear, everything you do is going to send me into a sobbing fit again,” she teased, laughing lightly. “I’m...really glad you like it, though. It really does fit you, my swallow.”

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Quote :: Looking calmly over his shoulder, Jericho glanced in the bathroom's direction, smiled to himself, and looked back at his things. "Yeah that'd be fine then, thank you," he said. A wide grin busted on his face when she spoke about everything he did sending her into a sobbing fit, his shoulders then rocked as he laughed. She was such a softie, it was so fun to see it in her when she was having fun. "Swallow, I like that," he gushed, lifting his chin to accept the title. Then he focused his sights back on the pool he had glimpsed earlier, a mischievous flicker dancing in his eye. He grabbed Juniper's fingers with an innocent guise, leaving his belongings there on the bed for the time being as he led her around to the door which held the pool. Light streamed in from the glass door before he pulled it open excitedly and gently led her outside. A gust of wind fluttered his hood, and the fresh sea air kissed his nose. He looked back at her, a cheeky grin playing at his lips. "Hehe, you didn't tell me I had a pool!" He exclaimed, beaming. Before Juniper could become aware of his plans, he jumped in with a holler of glee, taking her in with him.

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Quote :: Juniper was content in Jericho’s company, just the two of them enjoying the day and the suite. It reminded her of their first meeting, him tending to her wounds in his small tavern room while she griped and complained. Quite a difference from how they were now, her leg too now able to withstand more now that she had better medicines and a brace to keep it aligned. A welcome reprieve from all they’ve been through the last few weeks. She was surprised when he suddenly grabbed her hand, leading her to the balcony where comfortable lounging chairs were off to the side of the rectangular pool before them. But she didn’t have any time to ask why the change when he suddenly raced ahead, pulling her with and letting out a squeak as her side slammed into the water. It took her a second of scrambling before she pushed her foot to the bottom, lunging herself to the surface and taking in a deep breath as she treaded the water which now rolled across her. “Jericho!” she scolded loudly, finding the boy in the water and splashing him with as big a wave as she could create. She took a few breaths, hair plastered to her face as her mind reeled. But soon enough, her shock died down and she laughed, more loudly and horsley until she lost her breath again and had to regain her senses once more. “Jericho, you’re insane,” she teased, splashing him again with less intensity than before. “We didn’t even change, you doofus. Next time wait until we aren’t in dirty clothes!” Laughing again, she rolled her head back into the saltwater to realign her hair, brushing it back from her face before lifting her head again to have it all down her back rather than tangled across her features. “I also did tell you you had a pool, or at least gestured to it. Don’t blame that on me, it’s right here in the open! It's kinda hard to miss!”

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Quote :: Water rippling around them, a wave overflowed and splashed from the pool as Jericho came down with a laugh. Juniper was completely taken by surprise, much to his pleasure. Her shout of alarm cut out as bubbles and water whooshed around his ears, and he swam up, breaking the surface of the water, grinning from ear to ear. Droplets of water casted off his hood and hair. He shielded himself with a large laugh as Juniper sent a torrent of water at him. He ducked under water, swimming around like an otter before emerging again, where he coolly leaned back on the surface of the water, kicking and swimming to his heart's content. Juniper chewed him out, which only caused his pleasure to grow. "Nooo! If I waited until we were in dirty clothes, you would know what I was up to!" He giggled, sucking in water and gushing it out from his lips like a cute little water fountain. A surge of salty water caused him to spit it out and rub his tongue with a frustrated look. "The water is so salty," he protested, spitting water remnants he had around in a fit. He had never tasted such awful water before, who could drink this? He shook his hands off, clothes sopping wet, before eyeing Juniper as she brushed her damp hair back from her face. "Yeah. It's hard to miss when you're sitting in it," he laughed, using his hands to push a wave of water at her, cackling, and making sure she was bombarded by a few more waves for good measure.

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Quote :: Juniper rolled her eyes at Jericho’s explanation, but still had a smile on her face in disbelief. Was this a new side of the boy? She had never seen him so reckless, even if it was just one surprise he had shown thus far. Perhaps he really was more relaxed, more open in this safer environment. She was now curious about how much this would grow. He began to spew out water from his lips as he swam on his back, but quickly realized the saltiness of the water and spat the rest out entirely, straightening to try and cleanse his tongue. It brought a giggle from her as she tread the water. “It is, which is why you shouldn’t drink it. It’s not exactly for drinking,” she mused. “It’s for swimming.” She swam back a little bit, getting to a slightly more shallow area when he suddenly splashed her once, then a few more times for good measure. His cackles rose above the splashing as she raised her arms in protest, unable to hold back laughter but shooting water right back at him. “Taste that!” she mocked teasingly, before ducking under the water and swimming right up to him, bouncing to the surface and shoving him underwater before kicking herself backwards away from his reach. She wasn’t about to get it retaliated.

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Quote :: Feeling the water slosh around his torso, Jericho visibly pulled back when Juniper ducked under the surface. Seeing she had a plan, the excitement danced in his eyes. His eyebrows knotted as he shuffled back in the water and a large grin played at his lips. Jericho loved having the opportunity to play around with someone, though he rarely had the chance. Arms swinging up to guard his face, a burst of laughter fell from Jericho as Juniper sprung from the water, catching him off-guard and shoving him underwater. Jericho exclaimed, bubbles gargling out the words as he was submerged. Flailing, he just as quickly broke the water's surface with a huge inhale. A wave of water cascaded around him. The water in the pool sloshed around. His eyes immediately shot to Juniper, who was a few feet away so she could avoid payback. Oh yeah?! Jericho snarked in his mind. Droplets poured down from his soaked hood as he smirked from the corner of his lips, brows furrowing. He used one arm, swiping it over the surface of the water to cause a large wave to roll in her direction. When the wave took its full shape, he ducked under, using the wave as cover before launching up from her side, tackling Juniper's abdomen. He kicked off of the bottom of the pool, used his toes as support to tilt her backward and take her down into the water together. A huge boom sounded as water dispelled around them, causing the pool to overflow. His chest began to hurt from laughing.

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Quote :: Juniper grinned from ear to ear to see her dunking had worked, Jericho soaked once more head to toe. She was going to bask in her victory, throw more taunts, but the gleam in his eyes was one she recognized, one from a friend long ago. She swam a step back, but he threw a wave in her direction. Her clothes bogged her down too much to get far though, and when she was suddenly grabbed around the middle, she screamed as she fell back into the pool, then shoved deeper, bubbles coming from her mouth a few seconds before quickly struggling to be freed from his grasp. He was so quick, especially in the water. Had he trained to swim with clothes? She was able to get out of his grasp and pushed herself to the surface, gasping for air and feeling the sharp pain of her back - which would definitely be bruised from that hit to the water. "You little sneak!" Once she wasn't dying for air, she laughed loudly and horsley, finding it impossible to keep a straight face. She ran her fingers through her now soaked and tangled hair, pushing it out of her face and sticking the stray hairs back, continuing to laugh until it eventually faded. "Oh Jer, I think it'll be quite interesting having you around."

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Quote :: Jericho flopped backward in the water as Juniper broke out of his hold, emerging from the water like a sea dragon, her entire body sopping wet from the pool. His cape and cowl dragged behind him in the water as he kicked back around, his straight hair drooping down to his forehead. He giggled back, rolling in laughter and swimming around with very little effort as the water bobbed up and down from the waves. His smile radiated the enjoyment he was very clearly feeling. "I am a sneaky sneak," he snickered, gradually finding his way back to Juniper. He ducked his head halfway down in the water, staring up at her with his big green eyes as she fixed her tangled hair and laughed quietly. Jericho eventually lifted his head up, smiling at what she said, and booped her nose with his finger.

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[[Skip - Later That Evening]]

Southern Isles (1x1 Sub-Pumpkin) - Page 10 41c83fcae18ff1c5439d3659665e26fb

Quote :: Juniper’s eyes were cast to the dark forest as she sat in the living space of her suite, gazing towards the seas beyond where her ship resided on her private docks. The night was quiet, serene, and with Jericho now staying in the manor it made things even more so, knowing he was around. She had invited Elaina and Collin to stay as well, and had given them one of the other guest suites, but since they arrived a few days prior she hadn’t seen them since. Now that the day had come to a close, it was just herself left in the room. Her feet were curled up to her side as she leaned against the window where she sat on the cushioned window-seat, hands playing with the ring she had taken from the badgers earlier. Her fingers ran over every detail, the little notches on the wheel, the gem in the center. She hadn’t dared to take it from its protective pouch until tonight, where she could reminisce in the quiet. Though she was tired, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep for a long while. She had never been able to sleep well for months now. Her eyes flickered down to the ring for only a moment, memorizing it again, before going back to the trees, slowly swaying in the warm nighttime breezes outside the towering windows. Hopefully, with her ring back and Jericho’s company, she could finally start resting easier. But she doubted it deep within her mind.

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Quote :: Feet tapping on the floorboards of the estate, Jericho eased to the entrance of his suite, creaking the door open, then hesitating. The night was quiet, too quiet. There were no crickets, no owls...not even the creaky stairs he had back at the Inn. The room was an empty void that sat uncomfortably with Jericho, one he wasn't too sure how to handle without some sort of ambiance. A nervous plea juggled in his thoughts as he contemplated on his level of commitment...he knew he was fine but still, being in this position was slightly uncomfortable given how big his room was. Was he willing to leave it, or would he try his best to handle it? There was a mixture of drowsiness and anxiousness in him that made sleeping near impossible, and he didn't think Juniper would mind. Dressed in a simple, long sleeping cloak, he found the material rather comfortable. It was different from what he was used to wearing. It was so thin, so frail, but also supple. He felt it flowed nicer than his cloak and tunic, even if it was his favorite. He leaned in on the ball of his foot, poking his head around the corner, the torchlight highlighting his features. Flames flickering in his eye, he softly tiptoed his way out of his room, past whatever guards might have been stationed tonight.
Keeping to the shadows, Jericho skulked his way around the estate like a ghost. Some time had passed until he managed to track down Juniper's room - having accidentally snuck into a good handful of others first - and planted a little knock on her door. Having done so, he quickly hid himself behind the wall, only his eyes peering out to see if whoever was inside would respond. Without his hood, he felt quite exposed for sure.

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Quote :: Lost in her thoughts, sorting through memories of the past as she watched the waves roll in from the sea, she hardly heard the knock on her door. It wasn’t until a moment later that she realized what it was, jumping slightly and quickly pocketing the ring. Who was here at this hour? She slid off her seat and stalked to the entrance door, large dark wood doors with engravings of the sea and kingfisher birds decorating the front of them. She thought it may have been one of her guards, but they wouldn’t knock so quietly - and if it was urgent, they wouldn’t hesitate to wake her in any way necessary. Creaking open said door, she blinked a few times to adjust to the firelight sconces, lighter than the lack of light in her suite. It took a second of looking around, but her eyes finally landed on Jericho - lacking a hood for once. She couldn’t see his features perfectly with the dimness of the manor, but it was curious to see him without it. “Jericho? Are you alright?” she murmured, stepping out of her suite slightly. She wore a long sleeved beige lace up shirt and baggy brown pants, smelling faintly of cranberries which was different from her normal oceanlike aura. Juniper braced a hand on the inner edge of the other door, looking him up and down to look for injuries or fear. But it was so silent that she didn’t think he was in danger; after all, she hadn’t heard any commotion, and still didn’t.

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Quote :: It hadn't taken long for the smile to reappear on Jericho's face when he saw who had opened the door. Juniper, dressed in something different than armor, had stepped out and passed him a curious glance. "Juni!" He giggled softly when he saw her, the lights of her bedroom swaying in his light greens. "Oh, I'm okay. I wanted to say hi," he murmured together, his cheeks burning hot as he looked past her and into her room to catch the decor. Suddenly a big smile appeared on his face and he looked at her, his passion seeping through his words. "We should do something, like swim around in the pool - OH, or practice some of the things you've been teaching me...or go on a walk and visit the city again...or go..." Jericho listed off a handful of things off his fingers, daydreaming off as he did so, as he usually had. He was clearly unaware of the time. He had far too much fun today, and settling down quietly on his own didn't seem like a possibility, at least at this present time. The energy still filled up his small frame, which became obvious in the excited twinkle in his eye. To have a friend after all these years, one he felt this comfortable with, felt more like family. And family to Jericho never slept in different rooms or had their own quiet space, so he was just as much adjusting to the change as Juniper no doubt was. "I left my bow in my room...so I don't think we can do that unless we go back," he said, smiling sweetly up at her, the dark around them shielding him slightly.

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Quote :: It shocked her to be greeted by such an enthusiastic Jericho this late in the night. She blinked, and blinked again, as he prattle off different things they could do together, disregarding the mere time it was and the darkness filling the manor. Did this boy ever sleep? She stared at him for a moment, relieved that he was okay but brought a bit speechless at his energy. Leaning against the edge of the other door, Juniper smiled slightly, crossing her arms. "As much as I'd love to," she mused, "it's a bit late to do anything outdoors safely. Besides, we've had a pretty long day in itself, and if we hit the town, I'd like to have the day to relax or do work beforehand. But definitely do keep those in mind, Jer. We will do them one by one, knock them off the list." She tilted her head, going quiet for a moment. "If you're really pining for something though, we could walk around the gardens. That's private, and has a swing along with a pond, trees to climb, and various other things scattered around it. It's the one thing I can think of that I'd be awake enough to do." She didn't want to mention just how late she stayed up every night- the lack of sleep she got in general. Perhaps on second thought, the gardens would bring back memories she had been bringing out and tucking away just moments prior...but she couldn't leave Jericho hanging on a thread. If he wanted to have company for his first night at her manor, so be it. She'd help him adjust any way she could, if only to keep him comfortable and staying here.

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Quote :: Slightly flustered by Juniper's response, Jericho nodded his head and tried to swallow back his enthusiasm. It really was late, wasn't it? He glanced down the dark hall he was standing in, observing that light no longer peered in through the windows. He knew it was late, but sometimes he couldn't help but get carried away. Chewing at his lower lip, brows bent to mull over his thoughts, his eyes met his companions. A light smile graced his thin lips as Jericho nodded to her suggestion. "I'd like that," he said in a gleeful tone. "Do you have a hood in your room? Or something else I can cover with?" He asked her, big eyes now wandering around her room as he remained nestled in the dim light.

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Quote :: Glad to have found a solution, Juniper smiled softly at the boy standing a few feet from her. A walk in the gardens would be nice before their busy day tomorrow, not to mention the nice weather now that the sun had set. Perhaps a bit chilly, but the trees would help with that. When he asked for a hood or covering, she tapped her chin, glancing into her suite. "That's a good question...I believe I have that one from the badgers mission lying around. Let me go grab it." She turned into her room, leaving the door open as she walked across the room to open her bedroom and peruse her closet. It didn't take long for her to find it, tossed on top of her stool inside. She held it up and dusted it off before exiting and making her way to Jericho, wherever he had moved next. "Here you go, it might be a bit big but it'll do. If you need more soon, I'll put in an expedited order to one of the tailors in town. I've got someone who has always made great quality items for me and would be happy to make sure you're fitted."

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Quote :: Peering in past the door frame, Jericho's lips remained softly parted as he watched Juniper turn back into her room to collect a hood she had gathered from the badgers. He inched forward on the tips of his toes and slipped the large material into his hands hen she passed it to him. He wasn't used to this material, but it would do. The thing was clearly bigger than his own head, but it kept him shielded enough to ease his nerves. As he nestled the hood over him, the strands of mousy brown hair shuffling around on his forehead. Jericho hadn't mind how big or awkward the hood looked, just as long as he had one. A smile emerging on his face now, he looked up at Juniper with round, twinkling eyes. "Thanks," he chimed sweetly. "We should get going before it gets even later," Jericho said, leading Juniper by the wrist now as he began to amble off. "Are you excited for tomorrow?"

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Quote :: Juniper couldn't help but be amused by the size of the hood on Jericho's head. Though they weren't much different, the sheer comparison would have been enough to make her laugh out loud had she not been so tired. She wanted to say something about it, but he had already grabbed her wrist and was leading her away towards the garden. She was impressed that he already knew the way, though it was rather simple, and she had a feeling the boy was smarter than he led on in appearances. "I am...nervous about tomorrow," she confided quietly. "There's a lot at stake. I may not even find who I am looking for, hit a dead end. I've done a lot of chasing and not a lot of finding these past months." She yawned, brushing her palm against her eye. "But I suppose I'm as excited as I could be despite that. It'll be good to be around the boats again, away from political nonsense."

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Quote :: Feet tapping down the hallway, Jericho's ears remained honed on Juniper as she quietly confided her concern. He was half-surprised to hear she was nervous, seeing how Juniper had such a confident way of handling daunting tasks, but he liked to think of worries and fears as little gems that were hidden in everyone. In his experience, these struggles were what softened hearts...bring people together. He smiled to himself when he thought of this in Juniper, and the smile that developed grew when he heard her optimistic outlook. There were good things to look forward to tomorrow, despite how scary it was. "I hope you can find what you are looking for, but if you don't, at least you know they aren't in that place," he consoled. "It's like looking for a lost shoe. You don't know it's not under the bed until you check, but once you do, then you can spend more time looking in other places instead of wasting time where they aren't." Jericho gripped her wrist a little tighter, as a way to show affection while they went towards the gardens. "And you still have to show me the sea! We have many good pans tomorrow, it will be good. You'll see!" Hurrying down the stairs, Jericho bounded his way through the hall, Juniper hand-in-hand with him. The large hood over his head fluttered and threatened to fly off, but he held it in place as they made their way through the glass door, which led to the estate's exterior.

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Quote :: Juniper didn't think that Jericho would use a lost shoe as an example for her situation, and was about to tease him for it, but bit her tongue and simply smiled. Ruining his optimism wouldn't be the best choice this late at night, and besides, it was like him to think outside the box. "That's one way to put it," she mused, following his lead and his cheerful footsteps. She still had more to learn about this new companion of hers, and she wondered how deep his interests and thought processes went. "We do indeed. Even if...even if that lost shoe isn't found," she bit her tongue again, withholding tired tears, "We will have the sea to explore and experience." She lifted the hand he held and nudged him slightly to return his own affection, before they exited the manor into the chill evening air. Short bird calls echoed from the forests around the manor as wind brushed over the stones, the walkway paved in moonlight and cascading down to the trees and paths of the gardens below. It was one of her favorite times to be in the said gardens, though recently it had been harder venturing through them alone. With Jericho however...it would help, she was sure. "Is there anything you want to see in particular?" She asked softly, nodding to her night shift guards and slowly taking the lead down the stone stairwell to the large garden square.

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