Adventuring-Private

Jay was getting ready in his room. He was putting a backpack together of important things: Wallet, keys, etc. He was going to check out the town with Ciel and maybe discover this odd lake bed near the forest that he has heard rumors about.

The sun had gone down and it was a calm night. The moon was past being half full and the stars were shinning brightly. He had changed into a black long sleeved shirt and jeans, his shorts and tank top wouldn't cut it on this cooler night. Jay also removed his "war paint", he didn't care so much at night if he had it on. His brother wasn't here to bug him about it.
Looking around the room, making sure he had everything, he left and went to the floor below to meet up with Ciel. He approached the door, knocking 3 times.

((so specific you are!))

In Jay's absence, Ciel had managed to usher out Rosemary and Azu. It was late enough that it had become inappropriate to keep their company, and he was sure at least one of his lovelies would not approve had they found out.

He'd opted to put on some actual clothes once they were gone. The sun had disappeared, and he hated wearing his uniform to town. Ciel dug around in his drawers looking for something that would be sufficient. He pulled a long-sleeved shirt that ruffled on all of its openings. There was a bit of lace around the collar that was colored tan to sit against the light beige shirt. He'd also found himself a pair of plain black pants and pulled them on.

He was looking for his other black shoe when there as a knock at the door. He lifted his head from under the bed, having found the missing footwear. He slipped it on before going to open the door. He smiled when a clean-faced Jay met his view. "Are we ready then?" He'd confiscated Patrick's shoulder bag and had since been using it during most of his travels.

((and such princely clothes he does own |3 ))

The door opened and Ciel appeared, dressed very spiffily. ((I don't care if it's not a word lol I'm using it.))

"Yessir" Jay said, shaking his backpack a little, emphasizing he had what he needed. "Lets do this!"
Jay was excited to travel somewhere at night, even though it wasn't too far. It was just nice to finally be able to get out and see some sights. Night was his favorite time of the day and he hated to waste it sleeping.

The two exited the boys dorm building and headed for the gates. Jay looked up at the sky, checking out some stars. The moon was beyond some trees and was out of view from where they were.

((you know I don't use real words sometimes too XD))

Ciel nodded and locked his door behind him, dropping the key into his bag before slinging it over half of his body. He and Jay left the dorm in silence as they entered the night air. He caught sight of the trees off in the distance and smiled. They were the same woods that continued out behind Fascino's home he knew.

The Sprite nudged at Jay and pointed over at the forest in the distance once he had the other boy's attention. ((when's his birthday? I hate saying other lol)) "Back though there-- about ten minutes at this size-- is where I live. You can't find it unless one of us take you there, so don't try please... But it's quite fabulous!"

((his birthday is Dec. 27))

Getting his attention, he turned to Ciel, looking in the direction he pointed to. He would have never guessed how close Ciel's home was to the school.

"I would never just go looking for your home, that would be super creepy man." Jay said in a joking manner. "It looks like a nice wooded area. It's awesome that you are so close. It takes me about an hour and a half, running, to get home." It would be longer for a normal human though. A few hours longer.

Passing through the gate, they headed down the road to the town. Jay could see lights not too far in the distance.

"Well... it's only ten minutes in actual flight... I don't think I'd make it walking!" Ciel said with a laugh. "And yes, that would be rather odd."

They pressed forward on their venture, closing in on the town not too far ahead. "So.. Your face?" He drew a few lines across his own to show what he meant. "Is it paint then?"

"Oh, it's a long walk?" he asked. Jay wondered the time difference of flying to walking.

He chuckled at Ciel's question. "Yes, I think so. My brother calls it 'war paint', but I think it's secretly some type of fancy black face make up. But it works all the same."
He smiled, "My brother Akira has similar markings also, but he takes wearin' it a lot more seriously than I do. Like, if he saw me right now, he'd yell at me for not having it on. He keeps it on all day, until the last minute before he passes out."

Ciel scrunched up his nose. "It is a long distance... But that's rather... Mon dieu! I could never have something on my face for so long! I can't even keep my clothes on for that long!" He sighed, just the thought of it tiring him out. He ran a hand over his face to get rid of the imaginary grime he felt there. "I commend you both."

Jay laughed. "I understand, when I was young, and we first started to do this, I remember it being so annoying, I hated it. but now it's like putting on shoes. It's a normal everyday thing for me and him." He paused and thought about it for a second. "It's been around... 11 or 12 years now I think."

Ciel nodded. He understood tradition enough. "Might I ask you why, though?"

"We do it to honor my father" Jay explained. "He would wear the marks that go from the corner of his eyes, down his cheeks. My mother tells me he started to wear them when he began to fight in various wars. My Brother and I added another mark that makes our design a little different." While Jay explained that part, he used his finger to show that his was the line that would run across his nose.
Jay paused for a second. "The whole thing was Akira's idea, he was really close to our father. I don't remember him much though..."

Jay always felt bad when Akira told him stories about their childhood with their father, he could never remember anything, and he could tell it upset his brother. It wasn't really Jay's fault though. He was 6 at the time of the incident and Akira had just turned 14. Akira was always with him when he was alive, even when the incident happened, unfortunately.

"It keeps us close still, ya know?" Jay said with a slight smile. "Even if that's no longer physically possible.

"Mm." It would seem that the majority of people Ciel talked to had some sad past behind them-- most missing a parent or two even. He wasn't too shocked to find out that Jay's story was close to that as well. He nodded when Jay had finished. "I know... I was only eight after my mother's... accident." Ciel looked away as the last word came out. "I do remember her, but I vowed I wouldn't wear shoes whenever possible after that." ((I think we talked about that already?))

He let out one more sigh before looking back in front of him, a smile hitting his face then. "Ah! There we are!" Just a few blocks ahead of them, the town was lit up and bustling with nightlife. Ciel hadn't been to town after dark really other than to eat something and then head right back. He was excited to see just what things were like after the sun had gone down.

((We've talked about it but not about the shoes))

Jay nodded slowly. He saw the look Ciel gave at the mention of his mother's accident. He knew it all too well. Any mention of the incident with his father, Akira get's the same look. He he was curious to know what exactly Ciel meant about shoes, but he knew better and kept his mouth shut.

Hearing Ciel's excitement, Jay looked forward, his eyes reflecting the unnatural light the town emitted. The noises grew louder as they approached. His ears were buzzing with the sounds of people talking, different smells hit his nose, his senses were on overdrive.

"Whoa.." Jay said under his breath as they approached.

Ciel took a look around as they broke into town. It wasn't as if he could see everything from that one spot, but he could at least get an idea as to what was where and where it was. It was loud enough, that was certain, but he didn't let it deter him. He tapped his foot, trying to think of what they should do.

"Well... if you still don't know what you want exactly, might we go and get my hair things first?"

((I have plans for this XD))

Jay didn't know where to look. His ears were ringing with all the voices. It was hard to concentrate.
Hearing Ciel, he turned to him. "Yeah, let's go there first. We might as well start off somewhere." Jay just wanted to get into a store to dull down the noises. He did want to look for some daggers but had no idea where they were or if they were even available in town.

"Lead the way"

"Fair enough." Ciel took off down the street, expecting Jay to follow him. He was a bit slow to fall into step, so Ciel turned to address him. "Are you quite alright, sir? You seem rather distressed." He waited for an explanation, nodding when he as told about how distracting the noises were.

"Well..." Ciel's brow wrinkled as he thought about it, taking the opportunity to check if he was close to the accessories shop. It was still quite a bit away. "If you wanted, I could give you some muffs...?" He drummed his fingers together at the prospect. "They kind of... well they can cancel out whatever level of noise I want, and it'll sound like a gentle breeze instead. We'd still be able to speak and everything, and I can take them off after we got inside.."

The Sprite laughed as he faced forward again, a little embarrassed. "I'd have to get rather close to you for it to happen though! Feel free to say no, but it's an option if you want it!"

"Muffs?" Jay said with some confusion. He listened to Ciels explanation. It seemed like something that would be helpful. He was from a small village and the school wasn't not nearly as loud. His ears seemed about ready to bleed.

"I'm sure I'll get used to it over time, but for now... I guess it would be fine. I'll still be able to hear everything ok you said?"

"Of course!" Ciel stopped to face Jay again, waiting for him to halt as well. When they were both stopped, Ciel reached up to place his hands around Jay's ears. Careful, so as to make sure just how much he input he applied, Ciel let the air swirl from his fingers to curl about them.

Satisfied, the Sprite took his hands away and smiled. "Fabuleux! Breidonson's patented air-muffs-- Only a select few have enjoyed them." He faced forward once more to lead the way down the street to get his ribbons. It was only a minute or two away then. "Let me know if you can hear alright, oui?"

Jay stood as still as he could, not sure what Ciel was going to do.
As Ciel cuffed Jay's ears, he felt coolness. It was such a weird feeling. He squinted his eyes and scrunched his nose a bit. It was odd.

When Ciel removed his hands, the noises were now dull and hushed. Jay blinked a few times and looked around. It was a bit surreal. He heard Ciel perfectly when he began to walk again. "Y-yeah!" Jay said as he caught up with the Sprite. "Thanks man!" he sighed with relief. "I can't tell you how irritating it was before."

They both entered the Hair supply store. It smelled like the typical hair dresser with a mix of sweet and flowery smells from all the shampoos.

"Good," Ciel said when he finally pushed his way into the store. "Let me know if you want them off, okay?"

When they stepped in, a bubbly girl greeted them from behind the counter. Her hair looked like it had been bleached and then dyed various other colors in streaks. There seemed to be just a bit too much glitter there. "Hello there! Can I help you find something?" She didn't really give Ciel a chance to answer before stepping up to take his wrist and drag him away to one of the back walls. "You know what? Your hair is far too wonderful to be naked! Let's get you some ribbons!"

He did come for ribbons and the like, but he was certain that his girl didn't know what he wanted. "Mi--"

"Now, now!" She shushed him and studied the wall with a hawk's eye. After about ten seconds she cheered and pulled down a lacy green one. Without permission, she fastened it around his head, making a neat little bow over by his ear. "Oh it's perfect! It goes so well with that pink you've got going on there! I'm sure your boyfriend will love it!"

Ciel looked at her, his lip curled in stunned disbelief. She wasn't serious. She just could not be serious. Just to make sure, he popped a brow and thrust his thumb in Jay's direction. Ciel's hand went straight to his face when she nodded eagerly. Apparently, ruffles had been a terrible choice. "Mon dieu..."

((hawww~ my internet died! Let's see how long it takes for this to go up!))

As they stepped into the store, a short girl approached them and grabbed Ciel by the wrist. She is an eager one... maybe she knows him? thought Jay. Even with his "muffs" on, her voice was just as loud. Her hair was like a odd rainbow... he never understood why girls did that. Jay put his hands in his jean pockets and followed lazily.

When he finally reached them by the wall of ribbons, she had tied a green one around his friend's head. Jay blinked twice with confusion at first when he heard the girl say boyfriend. He was surprised Ciel was being so open. But when he saw Ciel point towards Jay in disbelief, he turned his head to the side coughing, hiding his laughter. But he controlled himself before speaking.

"How's it goin'? Did ya find whatcha need?" Jay asked.
He smiled at the young lady "You've been an awesome help but I think we're good." he said and added a wink, trying to get her to leave. He was trying so desperately not to laugh at himself and the situation.

She looked back at Jay a bit confused, but put on a smile. "Oh! Um, surely! If you two need ANYTHING, don't hesitate to ask!" She continue to smile as she skipped to annoy the other customers.

Jay turned to Ciel and chuckled, "You look beautiful darling."

Ciel turned to look at his friend, his eyes wide and his frown deep. "Thanks so much, mon cher." His awful face melted right off though as he laughed with Jay about it.

"I don't... I don't know if she thought I was a woman... or if she thought I was gay!" He fingered the fancy ribbon around his head before flourishing a hand in dramatic distress. "I can usually tell so well too!" He sighed a little too miserably before removing the decoration and tossing it somewhere behind him. It would have been rude to put it back on the wall.

"Now... as much as I love green, that's a bit too ladylike for even my tastes." He put his hands on his hips and eyed all of the choices he had. He would have been happy with just plain, solid colored ribbons, but apparently that wasn't an option here. He did see a blue one that suited his tastes, but he had one of those already... "Ah!" He reached up and took down one that was yellow. It wasn't lacy like the last one, but it had just a little beading and it frayed at the end.

Using it to tie his hair up properly,* he turned to Jay with his hands out, pointing at his pink mess. "Honest opinions, please."

*as in a ponytail-- like the shopping picture.

Jay laughed, " I don't know man. But as a sale's person, she should know not to voice her opinions too much."

He browsed the wall of ribbons with Ciel. He was looking at color mostly. There were so many shades of the same color, it was crazy.

He noticed that Ciel grabbed one of the many off the wall and began to tie his hair up.
"It looks good, man. Compliments your eyes a bit." He was used to this, his mother would drag him to go shopping with her a lot and he was her personal shopping assistant half the time. He knew what worked and what didn't.He was almost a pro. His mother always assured him his future wife would appreciate him knowing these things.

"Is that the one you're getting?"

"I think I will." Ciel pulled out the ribbon and set it around his neck to hold onto. That would keep his hands free to try a few others that he might want.

All in all, he'd chosen five before heading over to headbands and getting ones that matched just the same. Sometimes a headband was better a ribbon, especially if it was cold out. And summer was nowhere near approaching.

The girl at the counter asked if he'd found everything okay. In order to keep his embarrassment to a minimum though, his responses were curt. He still thanked the girl before his leave though. Once outside, he let out a breath and turned to his friend.

"Well? Have you decided on what it is you want to do yet?"

Once they left the hair place, Jay looked up and noticed the moon was overhead. He also began to around at the various shops nearby, he wasn't sure he would be able fine what he was wanted to get.

"I wanted to get a dagger." He rubbed the back of his head, knowing that probably sounded strange. "I collect them and also use them. I actually have one in my backpack right now" He reached behind him and grabbed the knife out of his backpack. ((let's say it looked like this Dagger )) "I bring one with me where ever I go. Combat and Survival school made me a bit paranoid I guess..."

Walking a bit down a side street, he was surprised to come across a small weaponry combined antique shop. He tired to open the door, but it was locked. He turned to Ciel. "Damn. Thought it was too good to be true."

Jay looked over at Ciel. "Did you have anymore business in town?" he asked, "Or did you want to finally have that race?" he said with a sneaky grin.