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Jaelyn is sitting on the edge of the fountain, working on what looks like some needle point.
Sloane's boots click softly on the cobbles as he nears the fountain. He walks with his eyes downcast and as if he is lost in thought. A leatherbound book is tucked in the crook of his left elbow.
Jaelyn glances up at the sound of foot steps, looking over you a touch cooly as she brushes a few locks of hair back from her face, but remains seated where she is for the moment, saying nothing.
Almost as if he feels the pressure of eyes resting upon him, Sloane looks up in Jaelyn's direction. He blinks as if startled out of his reverie, then the corners of his lips turn up slightly in a shy smile. He bows awkwardly and says almost in a mutter,'Good afternoon, Accepted.' Then he glances quickly away and makes his way to a nearby bench.
Jaelyn smiles slightly, giving a brief chuckle and turning back to her stitching. 'If you are oft lost in thought like that, it's a wonder you don't trip on anything.' she comments idly, not looking up from her craft.
Sloane's cheeks color slightly. He sits down on the stone bench and without glancing over at Jaelyn says defensively,'I was looking at the ground. I'd have seen anything that would have tripped me.' After a brief pause, and almost as an afterthought, he adds,'Accepted.'
Jaelyn laughs quietly again, 'If you say so...' she says quietly, not sounding entirely convinced at all. After a stitch or two more, she glances up at you, tilting her head slightly to one side, 'Is the ground that interesting?'
Sloane pulls the book from the crook of his arm and places it in his lap. After a moment, he seems to regain his composure and looks up at Jaelyn, frowning mildly. In a hesitant tone, he says,'Not really, Accepted. That is probably why I was looking at it. Nothing to distract me from my thoughts that way.'
Jaelyn hmms softly and sets to sewing again. 'I see.' she states quite matter of factly, 'And what profound thoughts grace your mind today that you've felt the need to ignore the world?'
Sloane's cheeks color again, but his jaw sets in a hard line and he doesn't look away. He says in a very defensive tone,'Well, I don't know as I would exactly call it .. profound?' He shrugs slightly and opens his book, before adding with just a slight hint of embarrassment,'I saw a gleeman in Alindaer last night. He was pulling coins and scarves and such out of people's ears and noses. I was just wondering how he did it.' He shrugs once more and then seems to become absorbed in his book, althought his face colors all the way to his ears.
Jaelyn laughs again, giving you a friendly smile that, hopefully at least, takes the edge off her humor. 'It's just a slight of hand trick. Anyone can learn.'
Sloane looks up from his book and blinks at Jaelyn. He says defensively,'I know it's a trick. That's the part I was trying to figure out..' His voice trails off for a moment, then he adds,'So maybe not anyone can learn, just anyone but me.'
Jaelyn tsks and shakes her head, settling her sewing in her lap. 'No, anyone can learn, it just takes knowing the trick, that's all.' she says lightly, 'If you like, I can try, but I'm not as good as a gleeman.'
Sloane closes his book suddenly enough to cause a clap and says incredulously,'You know how?' Quickly moderating his tone, he adds,'Er.. um.. I mean .. Yes, I would appreciate it, Accepted.'
Jaelyn laughs again and tucks her sewing back into the bag at her feet. Reaching into a small pouch at her waist, she draws out a coin and stands up, walking over towards you.
Sloane watches Jaelyn's approach with a mixture of wariness and excitement as he absently sets aside his book, leaving it face up on the bench so the title "The Adventures of Rogosh Eagle-Eye" is easily seen.
Jaelyn nudges the book over on the bench to sit next to you, holding up the coin in one hand, then pressing it into her other hand and closing a fist around it. Waving her free hand over her fist, she opens it and the coin is gone. Then, reaching up towards your ear with her other hand, she pulls the coin seemingly out of nowhere with a small smile.
Sloane gapes open-mouthed as Jaelyn pulls the coin from his ear. Then his eyes narrow and he asks suspiciously,'You didn't channel it away or something, did you?' His gaze flicks warily from her face to the coin and then back again.
Jaelyn laughs, shaking her head again and a few red curls drift across her face. Brushing them back, she says, 'Of course not, silly.' her smile quite amused. 'Here, watch me do it again. I'll go slower.' She repeats the trick, and this time, the palming of the coin into her other hand at the last minute is subtly obvious.
Sloane watches the motions very carefully this time, his entire attention focused on the movements of the coin. When Jaelyn palms it, his mouth gapes open again. As he closes his mouth, a frown of obvious disappointment settles on his face. In a dejected tone, he asks,'That is all there is to it?'
Sloane chews his bottom lip in thought for a moment, then lets out a soft sigh. With a shake of his head, he says,'Always turns out to be something really simple.'
Jaelyn smiles again, 'Most tricks are. That's why so many people are fooled... they look for something more elaborate.' she says, pausing a moment or two, then holding out her hand, 'I'm Jaelyn.'
Sloane takes Jaelyn's hand hesitantly and gives it a gentle squeeze before replying in obvious embarrasment,'I'm sorry. I've completely forgotten my manners. My name is Sloane.' His words are practically tripping over each other in the haste of his speech towards the end of his sentence. He releases her hand and says with only slightly more composure,'It is very nice to meet you, Jaelyn. And thank you for showing me that.'
A broad smile crosses Jaelyn's face as she takes her head back, 'You are quite welcoem Sloane. Are you new here? I don't think I've seen you around before...'
Sloane shifts nervously in his seat and says,'Well, sort of. I've been living here all my life, or in Alindaer, that is. Since I've come to the Tower I've spent most of my time in the training yards.' He flashes a sudden, bright grin and adds,'This is the first afternoon I have come to the gardens, though.'
Jaelyn makes a soft 'ahh' noise and looks down at her hands, suddenly quiet and subdued for a few moments before she lifts her gaze and looks around the gardens, forcing a bit of a smile to her face. 'It is beautiful here. I spend nearly all my free time walking around, or sitting out here.'
Sloane follows her gaze as she glances around the gardens and then nods slowly,'I can understand that. I lived in the shadow of the Tower my whole life without ever seeing the inside until a few months ago. The gardens are very nice. I haven't seen that many gardeners wandering around, though. How do they keep the flowers in bloom and the trees so green?'
Jaelyn reaches down to trace a finger along the leaf of a plant growing next to the bench. 'They use the Power, it's a simple trick, one of the first lessons they teach... how to keep plants growing, even in the worst of weather...' she still seems rather subdued, but her smile continues.
Sloane says, 'Oh..' A frown tugs down at the corners of his lips briefly before he adds,'Not a trick that I can learn, then... Did I say something wrong?'
Jaelyn blinks and looks back over to you in surprise for a moment, then smiles a bit again and shakes her head. '`No, nothing wrong.' she says, putting her hands on the bench and leaning forward slightly as she watches the sunlight sparkle off the fountain.
Sloane nods slowly, not looking entirely convinced,'You just got kinda quiet. Thought maybe it was my fault.' He shrugs and looks a bit uncomfortable before glancing away to watch a hummingbird buzzing around a nearby flower.
Jaelyn shrugs, 'Nothing to blame yourself over.' she says quietly, then glances back over to you. 'It's alright. Really.'
Sloane cocks his head to the side as he watches the hummingbird. He nods absently and replies,'I won't pry then.. Besides, it gives me something to occupy my mind while I'm walking and looking at the ground.' He grins slightly at the end and watches Jaelyn out of the corner of his eye.
Jaelyn giives a bit of a wider smile at that and shrugs, 'I'll let you ponder it then.' she says with a touch of mischeif, standing up and walking over to retrieve her sewing things.
Sloane looks away from the hummingbird, finally, to give Jaelyn a broad grin,'Maybe this one doesn't have an answer as simple as just making me look the wrong way.'
Jaelyn kneels down to pick up her basket, poking at it a bit to make sure everything is settled back inside. 'No, it doesn't... but it's simple enough in it's own right.' she says somewhat softly.
Sloane smiles up at Jaelyn as he absently reaches for his book and pulls it up against his side. He says,'But the fun in puzzles is working on them, not so much finishing them.'
Jaelyn stands up with her basket looped over one arm, giving you a bit of a sad smile. 'I suppose that's true enough.... You'll have to excuse me, I'm due for lessons in a short while and I need to go prepare a few things for the Novices.. It was good to meet you.'
Sloane rises quickly to his feet and sketches a somewhat awkward bow. As he straightens he says,'Was good to meet you, too, Jaelyn. Since you spend a lot of time in the gardens, I'll probably see you again soon.' He flashes a warm smile at her and reseats himself.
Jaelyn merely smiles a bit with a brief nod, and turns away, heading back towards the Tower proper without looking back and without saying a further word.
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