Thread: A new land, a new life, a new love. (Shiningknight x MercuryRisen)

Elliot regarded Leilani cooly with his piercing hazel eyes, doing his best to keep his face calm. During his travels in Europe he had often found himself in unsavoury places, mainly gambling dens where a wrong move or a wrong face could cause a lot of trouble. The time he spent in these places, with people his ex-wife would have slapped him silly for associating with, had allowed him to develop what he considered somewhat adequate poker skills. Skills that often helped rather a lot in everyday life as well. As he sat across from Leilani he watched her every move, analysing it carefully. He noted the way she paused, hovering over her drink as she looked at him curiously. Trying to figure me out perhaps? Wondering who the hell I am? The next thing he noticed was the way she licked her lips. A nervous tick maybe, her conscience weighing on her or maybe eagerly anticipating the money . He made a mental note of it but decided not to press the matter. If the apartment wasn't worth the money in his eyes he'd contemplate haggling. But at the same time his own conscience spoke up in the back of his mind, telling him that she and her grandmother would need the money he had hoarded away much more than he would. He nodded as she answered his questions, quickly finishing his tea and placing the mug in the sink. He thanked her for the jacket, surprised by how well it seemed to fit, before following her into the rain, noting that Leilani didn't bother with one. He also noticed the way the rain plastered her red plaid shirt to her body and more than once averted his gaze as it clung to her, hoping she hadn't noticed. He didn't want to make things seem awkward before he had moved in. Besides he wasn't interested in finding any sort of love. But then again a great many things had seemed certain before he had arrived in Maple. He fixed his gaze on the ground, nearly slipping in the mud a few times while Leilani walked through it as though she had done so all her life. He supposed she had, if she was born on the ranch. I should've worn better shoes. He muttered, mostly to himself as he looked down at his muddy black Converse. A few minutes and they were walking into the apartment after Elliot had wiped as much mud from his shoes as possible. He looked around the apartment and found himself falling in love with it. The living room looked cozy and he had always been fond of the idea of a fireplace, something he hadn't had when he had been living in England. Or in fact when he had been travelling, but he reminded himself that almost anything would seem cozy compared to living in motels. He had to ask himself if it was worth the money, despite the impulsive part of him that wanted to buy it right now. Is all this furniture hand-made? He asked, running his hand over the table, before following her into the kitchen and dining room, noticing the table and chairs that shared the same deign as the coffee table. So far it looked lovely, with the only issue being the lack of an oven or stove. A fridge might be a good idea, but I guess I'd have to see how I went without one. He said, mostly musing to himself. As they walked round he also asked various questions about the land and Leilani and her family. He could soon be sharing space with these people and it occurred to him that he knew very little about them. So how long has the land been in your family? Is it just you and your nan living here? Do you do all the work on the ranch yourself? Who built the house and who made the furniture? He didn't ask them all at once, just every once in a while so as not to overwhelm her with questions. How long have you been in debt? He wanted to ask, wondering if he was right but not wanting to be too presumptuous or upset her. Wow. He said when he saw the view from upstairs, smiling. Now that's a view worth paying 50,000 for, though I can't say how much work I'd get done with that as a distraction. He couldn't help but smile as he looked around, thinking what a great place the loft would be to do his work. He had a quick look in the master bedroom and the bathroom, finding them much as to be expected. He returned to Leilani, noticing the way she looked around with affection. 50,000 is pretty steep for saying it has no cooking facilities, He said, pausing for a moment as he contemplated haggling for a better price, until his better side won over. But I'll take it. I need to move some money about for it, so how about I move in first thing in the morning? I'll have your cheque then as well.