Mid-winter Festival Day 3 [Adrain]

[Trésor de Lys]

    Tres was baking upstairs in her kitchen, the smell of vanilla and various fruits filling the air. It was sweet and aromatic. Tres was using a recipe she received from one of her elderly neighbors, and planned on baking a seasonal pie. The room was warmer than usual from her wood burning stove, that she had already started to ensure the coals would be ready by the time she put the pie in. 

    Her table was set with a few decorative items and a bowl of seasonal fruits that she purchased from the market. They had been preset since day one of the festival to create a more festive atmosphere for her home. Tres had never really had the chance to experience festivals and celebrations within Nova. So, she decided to embrace the Novurian culture as much as she could. 

    Tres wore her white dress that fit closely to her body, made of a silk-like fabric. The dress was full-length, and draped down to the floor. However there were slits in the dress that exposed her muscular and toned legs. The bodice of the gown accentuated her bosom. It was a sleeveless dress, with gold trim that followed the seams of the dress. She was bare-foot, and preferred it that way. Wearing no shoes made her feel free, and let her toes breathe.

    Since the beginning of the festival, she shared a few sparing words with Lilith offering her a pie as a thank you for saving her life. She also shared the first day with Aria, offering her the most she could give, and also spent an evening drinking with a stranger, who turned into a friend a few bottles of wine later. She wasn't anticipating another visitor, considering that fact that she didn't have many close friends, although she did acquaint Adrain following the peril of the attack of the undead. However she considered him... an acquaintance to say the least. 

    All in all, she had enjoyed what the festival held for her, and she embraced as much of it as she could. 

[Deleted]

It had been a few days since the surgery happened. As far as he could tell, things went as well as they could (pending the results of the actual thread anyway), and Adrain had been fairly busy the days immediately after and had not been able to see how Tres was doing until now. The angel probably needed to get rest anyway to allow everything to settle and integrate.

Upon the embarking of the Midwinter holiday, the mage decided to be generous to those he considered himself friends with, trying to get personalized items made with some kind of magical effect that would help them in their life or at least be of some appeal to them. It also subscribed to his general philosophy of trying to spread the use of magic and make it more commonplace and accepted within culture.

While one could argue that giving Tres the wing was a potent gift in and of itself, the mage felt like there was no harm in lavishing her with a few more items. Plus he still felt slightly guilty for how things transpired with Vanessa's energy even if he didn't intent or try to have it happen that way. That said, what transpired that day was a personal and intimate experience that he felt had some kind of meaning to it and at least warranted fondness enough to get Tresor a gift.

The mage was wearing a black robe over his normal attire, typical Headmaster's attire as he carried three boxes in his hand wrapped in colorful midwinter gift paper. He would knock on Tresor's door to see if she was around.

[Trésor de Lys]

    Upon hearing a knock at her door, she set down the bowl of a mixture that would eventually be a cake of sorts, and ran down the stairs, leaving the two doors to her apartment open. Before opening the door, she looked briefly out the window and saw the archmage Adrain. She closed the curtain quickly before he saw her poking out at the view of her front door. As she shut the blinds, she leaned against the wall. She hadn't expected a visitor, and she was wearing the same dress she wore the day of their sexual encounter. Tres suddenly felt flustered, and began working herself up to opening the door.

    She noticed too, that the archmage had three wrapped gifts in his hands... She was confused as to why he had brought those to her home, probably for some of his other friends or acquaintences. Tres hadn't a clue as to why he would offer her a gift... Well she supposed that after two intimate experiences like the ones they've encountered, both the surgery and the sexy time, they would be considered friends. She felt a twinge of guilt, because she didn't have a gift for him.

    Tres tried letting her mind wander about what sort of gift he could offer him, wondering what could suffice. As she thought, she opened the door for Adrain. "Oh, Adrain, hello! What a pleasant surprise!" she cheered nervously. "Please, do come in." she offered, holding the door open.

    "So to what do I owe the pleasure of acquainting you today?" she said politely. Tres was aware that it was the third day of the festival, and that it was most likely Adrain's intention to give her a gift, but she wondered anyway why he decided to come by so soon. 

[Deleted]

Adrain stood patiently at first, not having caught Tres peeking through the blinds. After a few moments he was about to simply tuck the boxes off to the side as out of sight as he could make it and leave before Tresor finally opened the door. Naturally, the mage would have no inclination of Tresor's nervousness, and the potential awkwardness of unannounced gift giving never crossed his mind: he felt it was the spirit of the occasion to give without expectation of return. Even if something was offered from anyone it would mean more for it to be personal and thoughtful than expensive.

He would smile warmly as Tresor would open the door, stepping in when invited. When she asked what brought him here, he put the gifts on a nearby table before looking at her warmly.

"A couple of reasons. Firstly, I wanted to see how you've been doing since the procedure. I have been busy for a few days with the Arch affairs and other things so I haven't had a chance til now to make sure you were alright. Secondly, it is the Midwinter holiday and while I know our friendship is still growing, we have certainly had a few close and noteworthy experiences so I wanted to get you a few things as an appreciation of our companionship. I'm not sure how much of a social circle you have, but I didn't want you to feel alone at least if you didn't wish to." he says with honest sincerity in his voice.

"I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time." he states before he catches a whiff of the baking that Tresor was up to. He didn't comment on the sweet smells knowing that Tresor might feel obligated to share whatever she was working on and with his unannounced visit he didn't want to impose anything in any shape or form.

[Trésor de Lys]

    Although Tres felt a bundle of nerves welling up in the pit of her stomach, she was happy to see Adrain. Their new-found friendship was still in the process of growing, but his presence in her life made her nothing but happy and excitable, considering the whirlwind of things they've already experienced.

    Listening to his reasons as to why he appeared at her front door, a smile expanded slowly on her face showing genuine contentment. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear so not to cover her face. "Well, I appreciate the visit. Please do come in."

    She escorted him through a door way he may have noticed before, and up the stairs to her living quarters. It wasn't much, but there was a large dining table in the middle of the room, close to the corner where a wood-burning stove resided, along with the remainder of her kitchen. Off to the side of the room there was a lofted section where her bed lay. As Tres arrived at the top of the stairs, taking the stairs two at a time, she ran over to the kitchen area, tidying up the kitchen table as she wasn't expecting company so soon.

    "Well, as you have inquired, I have been settling into my new wings... I have kept them hidden from others for the time being, as some of my closest friends who saw and experienced the initial trauma alongside me are unaware of my new fore-coming and new circumstances." As Tres finished cleaning, she would approach Adrain, and reveal her wings once again. As usual, a luminescent aura surrounded her as her wings revealed themselves before the archmage. Tres felt more comfortable when her wings were visible, and she began to associate this comfortable state with Adrain, as he was present for much of her visible periods.

    "I have been experiencing discomfort, but that is already to be assumed considering the fact that I endured a surgical procedure." As she spoke with a direct doctoral-like nature, she turned her back to Adrain so he could have a closer look at the wing. "It's been difficult adjusting... that's for certain."

    Turning back to face him, Tres took a seat at the table, bringing the chair close to another so that she could chat with Adrain while facing him. "As for my social circle, that is none of your concern my dear sir." she smiled a tad, showing that she was making a joke, but trying hard not to laugh. "Although if you must ask, I have had a visit or two, and have made a few of my own." she said in an almost bragging but playful tone.

    She was surprisingly well for post-surgery. Perhaps having access to many different kinds of medications and sedatives below her living quarters helped. But the company of others played a role in that as well. "I don't mind being alone either, but I appreciate the company." taking in the aroma of the room, she remembered the spirit of the season called for tea. "While you're here, would you like a cup of tea? I can brew a kettle if you'd like?"

[Deleted]

Adrain nodded, following Tresor up through the personal quarters that he had not ventured near in previous visits. He took note of the surroundings and was being cautious not to disrupt or show any rudeness. He paused as Tresor darted off, debating whether to try to help her but figuring it might be more harm than good since he didn't know where anything was supposed to go.

He listened as Tres started off with the explanation of how she was settling with her wings, mentioning that her friends had largely not seen the new circumstance yet. She revealed her wings, taking on the luminescent glow that pervaded her being whenever does so, making Adrain feel at ease and warm. There was something about that visage that he couldn't get enough of. "Well it's great to see you at your full form now" he says, trying to break his own silence momentarily.

As Tresor turned to show where the new wing was, he looked as the wing at least seemed integrated but still with some signs of adapting to the new body. He inwardly cursed himself for not bringing a bottle of the serum that he used with Nyx, not having thought of it til now. A note for the next time. Then again, mixing too many medications might not be the best idea since Tres was likely self-medicating and then there's the fact Helena's wing could react to something at any time.

Adrain took a seat when the cue was made, having been unusually silent so far. Tresor seemed amused with herself at the fact he mentioned the social circle to which the mage began to wonder whether he misspoke. Though that worry subsided when he noted her expression and lightheartedness as she bragged about visits both coming and going. At least she was happy sounding. "Oh now I wasn't inquiring as to how many others you had wrapped around your slender fingers, just trying to weakly justify visiting you." he says in a teasing manner.

When Tresor offered to make a batch of tea, he nodded. "Oh yes, if it's no trouble." he responds

[Trésor de Lys]

    It was nice having Adrain visit during the holidays. Knowing that he considered her a friend warmed her heart. Also, it was nice knowing that someone cared to check in on her during her recovery period. That, and she was glad to see him. Although they had spent quite a bit of time together in the past few weeks, she would not deny the opportunity to see him again.
   
    Tres had done quite a bit of talking during the beginning of their holiday visit. Tres remarked Adrain's silence, and she understood. He was in an unfamiliar place, but familiar at the same time considering he has visited a couple times already. So, she simply continued speaking.

    "Wrapped around my fingers? Ha, I wouldn't say that." Tres stood up and boiled the kettle over the stove. She reached under the counter for a block of wood to throw in the stove. When she found a piece, she opened a little door on the front of the stove, and threw it into the flames.

    "So how are things with you?" she asked being both polite and curious. She heard the siring noise from the kettle, and removed it from the stove-top. Retrieving two mugs from the cupboard above her head, she placed one in front of Adrain, and one in her spot. She then grabbed a tea bag and placed it in each mug, and filled them with hot water.

[Deleted]

Adrain was admittedly more quiet than he typically might be. He was trying to get a feel for the mood to have. Plus, he was distracted with a couple of thoughts about the surgery and other things. When Tres spoke once more, he snapped to attention, chuckling a little when she refuted her idea that people were wrapped around her fingers. It was a weak joke he had made in a moment of distraction.

"Well, I've been busy trying to formalize the spells that I intend to use with the research gained from Helena's wing observations for one thing. Then there is various bits of preparation work for the entrance exams, along with a few various other administrative work that has to be done. Nothing too exciting to note really." he says, nodding in appreciation when Tres poured the tea for him. While the tea had to soak and mix into the water, Adrain had a thought.

"Oh, we left your gifts downstairs, I'll get them." he says, stepping up and going back downstairs to gather the packages, then returning up with them, putting them on an empty spot on the table closer to Tresor. When Tresor would open the packages, she would see some carefully made gifts.

One would be a gold band with a diamond on the top, an obvious presence of mana indicating that it was an enchanted item. The next would be an elaborate set of wing armor constructed for a certain three winged angel, it is enchanted to be all but indestructible, going over the top of the wing with a super light but super durable mesh draping down part way. The mesh is almost transparent, but shimmers gold or silver depending on the light it is in. The base near the back would be accented with light gems.

The last would be a gown made of fine spellsilk to allow for the soft, luxurious feel of silk while being more resilient and durable. The gown would be of a golden color with an open back to allow for her wings to easily fit comfortably should she choose to have them out while wearing it. Real gold would line the neck down to the bust, woven in to an elaborate braiding. The dress would be longer for her height with enough of a slit to show her strong legs and move with comfort.

[Trésor de Lys]

    It sounded as though he were a busy individual. With the research he was compiling from the wing he retrieved, dealing with the data and finding a route to conduct analysis. On top of all of that he was going through some form of administration. Tres smiled and nodded in understanding as he elaborated on his busy lifestyle.

    She was almost surprised to hear that all those gifts he brought were for her. She didn't realize that he would spoil her as he intended to. She supposed that perhaps he felt guilty for the events of one of their last encounters. In that case she completely understood. Tres felt a twinge of guilt as she hadn't considered getting him a gift. She wasn't aware that she could label their friendship... well a friendship.

    As he placed the eloquently wrapped gifts before her, she opened them one by one, beginning with a small box. As she unraveled the paper that surrounded the gift, she found inside a lovely bracelet. It was a gold band with a brilliant diamond in the center of it. She could tell that it was fused with some sort of manna, but she wasn't sure what sort. "Adrain this is beautiful... You really shouldn't have." she boasted as she tried it on. It fit nicely against her thin wrists. "Adrain, is this fused with manna? If so of what sort?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

    After his answer, she would procede to the next box which contained armor that was built just for an angel. The armor was beautiful, and Tres' eyes glowed at the sight of the different pieces. Adrain obviously paid much attention to Tres' background. Feeling the weight of it, it almost felt as if she were holding feathers. The material was a mesh that seemed to glow depending on the light in which it shone. The smile on Tres' face only grew the more she looked at it. "Adrain, this is an amazing gift. Thank you." she said in awe of the man.

    Tres felt the urge to give him a hug, but was interrupted by the final gift. It was a luxurious gold dress with a draping back that would allow her wings to move and breathe freely. This would be the perfect excuse for Tres to display her wings more often... Perhaps only around Adrain for now. She stood up, held the dress by the shoulders and let the rest of it drop so she could see it in full.

    Tres could see that Adrain must have enjoyed her other dress that displayed her legs beautifully as this dress was also adorned with slits that went up to the thigh. She also noticed the real gold details. The dress was a halter top, which worked well in displaying both her back and her bosom. The neckline seemed to display her collarbones nicely, and would show a subtle but playful amount of bosom... This dress would really accentuate Tres' features, as well as act as a durable outfit for day-to-day use. A both classy and sensible gift.

    Tres sat back down in awe. Her eyes were wide, as she looked from one gift to another. She had never been spoiled like this before. It really humbled her to be so bless with the friends that she had.

    "Adrain... I-" she let out a deep sigh. "You've really outdone yourself... These gifts are so extravagant, and probably cost you a great deal." Tres began to smile, she really did appreciate the sentiment. "Thank you. These are such incredible gifts." she stood up to embrace Adrain. Once she had him in his arms, she would squeeze him tightly, her arms wrapping around his shoulder and his neck. She stood on her tip toes to give him the hug, as he was taller than she.

    As she pulled away, she kissed him on the cheek as a quick thank you. She didn't know what else to do, and that seemed to be the only thing that felt right in the moment.

[Deleted]

"The band is infused with power that should protect your mind from abnormal interference or suggestion. It seemed prudent after what happened in the laboratory. Granted it was ultimately kinda fun but if such a thing were to happen again it would have to be under your lucid mind and control." Adrain says with a warm smile. He had been trying to disarm as much of the negativity that had been involved with the events of that day. He quieted himself as Tres opened her second gift and then admired it, waiting til she thanked him before speaking of it.

"The wing armor I made myself using the measurements I could garner from the wings, I don't know if you do much combat anymore, but if you need to, it should provide nearly impenetrable protection on the limb of the wing and substantial protection for the feathers and branches. Unfortunately, I can't have reinforced the mesh too much since it might weigh you down when you need to fly or tangle in your feathers causing other kinda problems. There are light gems in the thickest part of the armor which should amplify your healing powers, since if you do find yourself needing the armor then it stands to reason you may need to heal whether it be yourself or others." Adrain says. The first two gifts had Tres' well being in mind and were sort of an extension of Adrain's will to want to protect her, for whatever reason remains to be said.

Tres seemed to be most taken aback by the gown however. He was glad she seemed to like it, he could only guess her style based on the first dress he saw her in and tried to make one that was more luxurious. It would probably be a more private or formal sort of attire since to wear it out in the open would cause undue attention and not just in the 'she's hot' sort of way.

As Tresor came to Adrain and then embraced him, he nodded and took her in, wrapping his arms around her waist for a moment, his face turning red once she kissed him.

"You're welcome, don't worry about the cost really, it wasn't that big of a deal, I just wanted to make sure you had plenty of reason to smile this season."