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[Lysette Hasting]

The world seemed so still during the night. Since Lysette had been trained as a Mistborn, she relished the tranquility of the dead of the night. The mists seemed alive, moving and swirling, when everyone living was trying to sleep. The skaa were huddled in their homes, sleeping in dirt, while she could soar (mostly) fear-free through the mists. Lysette tossed a coin in front of her, off the wall of Keep Hasting. It landed in the ash, and started burning her metals.

She sat on the edge of a roof on the east wall, dangling her legs over the side. She looked down at the coin and watched a blue metal line appear the discarded coin to her chest. Blue lines pointing to other sources of metal were discarded. She focused on the one pointing from her to the coin. Lysette stood up, taking care not to stand on the tassels of her mistcloak. She had her mid-back length hair plaited and hidden under the hood of the cloak, which was worn over a standard pair of trousers and a long-sleeved shirt. To complete the masculine look to her ensemble, her chest was bound. She didn't like going out at night and being seen as inferior in her training just because she was female.

She took a few steps back, crouching down. She readied her self for a jump out into the mists. She not only had to ready herself physically, but she needed to mentally prepare herself for a night in the mists. Sure, the feeling of flying through the air was wonderful, but she still couldn't get her father's voice out of her head. The mists are dangerous, Lissie. Avoid them when you can.

She took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes, envisioning her goal. Make it to the other side of the river, and south between the Copper and Brass gates of the city, without leaving the confines of it. She wasn't allowed to leave Luthadel without special dispensation – or orders to investigate anything outside the city.

My father is a superstitious old windbag. Lysette thought to herself. Her next stop – the commercial district, and up through fountain square. Then she'd continue her rounds around the north side of Keep Hasting.

And then she ran. Her shoes hitting the roof softly, as if she were alreading pushing against the coin. Lysette had always been light on her feet, which made her a very difficult target. Part of it was her affinity for the physical metals, and part of it was her determination to prove that she was worth all of the trouble she felt like she caused.

Lysette reached the edge of the roof and leaped from the side, pushing on the coin as she passed over, using her momentum to push her further than she would have been able to jump. In the air, she threw a coin in front of her and as she passed over the top of it, pushed again, arcing again into the air. Once she established a rhythm, she was over the Channerel river in no time. The first time she touched down, it was on the top of a tall buildingin the Commercial District after crossing the river once more, rounding the southern wall of the city.

The building bore no significance, except that it was a fairly tall building for this part of town, and it was a part of her nightly ritual. She didn't feel safe if she hadn't done her rounds at least once before going to bed. She took off again, stopping only once she had reached Fountain Square. She was now north of Keep Hasting. Here she would sit and watch the streets for anyone out at this late hour.

At least there are no Mistwraiths in the city. Lysette thought to herself as she settled in a crouched position on the rooftop, waiting to see if anything interesting would happen this evening.

[Jasun Vallace]

Jasun tried to sneak up on a Mistborn.

It was not, as decisions went, a very good one, but when it came to Lysette Jasun always seemed to be making stupid decisions. Wait he thought, and reviewed that last thought. It had not sounded as endearing as he meant it to be, even inside his own head. Weren’t people in love supposed to think endlessly sappy things about one another, not remind themselves of how messed up their relationship was? Jasun wasn’t sure; this was the first time he’d been in love.

Oh he’d been infatuated plenty of times. More than plenty, he’d quite the history with women (none of which he felt the need to tell Lysette about, at best she’d be jealous and worst she’d feel insecure, not things he wanted to make her feel), but none of them had elicited the feelings Lysette had.

It wasn’t that she was an innocent, or some such nonsense. Lysette was a Mistborn, and from what he’d gathered her body count was higher than his own, and he at least had killed in self defence most of the time. Lysette on the other hand…

Jasun hated House Hasting, it was one thing to train someone to kill. It was another to have them kill innocent, defenseless people for no reason. Was that what he had avoided with his House’s fall? Being trained to murder anyone, merely because the House willed it? Ironic then that he was going to put himself under House Hasting’s thumb if all went as planned, and be executed if things didn’t work out. It was a good thing Lysette was worth it.

Ah, see, he thought, I’ve got the sappy romantic thoughts part down.

With that in mind he took a confident step forward, slipped on some ash, and had to frantically windmill his arms and flare pewter to stay on his feet. He found his balance after a moment, but it was too late. Lysette would’ve heard him if she hadn’t already sensed his presence and merely been humoring him.

“One day,” he told her, “One day I will sneak up on you, my dear. And it will be glorious… for the two seconds it would take you to knife me in the ribs from the shock.”

[Lysette Hasting]

Lysette had to keep her face turned away from Jasun in order to hide her grin. She knew he was coming. He wasn't very good at stealth, but she pretended not to hear him... until he lost his balance.

"Even with pewter you're quite possibly the least graceful Mistborn I've known," she said as she stood and turned to face her nighttime companion. They had been seeing each other for some time in secret. Lysette hadn't even told her closest friend about Jasun yet.. how could she? She wouldn't be allowed to marry him, what would be the point?

Lysette was doomed to see him at night if ever at all. They had come up with a plan. It seemed all right in theory, but she didn't see how it could actually work. The only thing Jasun could bring to Hasting was his status as a Mistborn. He wanted to restore his former house after all these years, but what possible gain could Hasting see in it? Other than the addition of a Mistborn among the allies of Hasting... Unless he were to marry into the house. For that, Lysette would need to tell Colette... and get her help. She didn't think that was even possible.

Lysette had to distract herself from the tempest of thoughts the only way she knew how -- witty remarks.

"And I don't stab before I make sure I know what I'm stabbing," Lysette said, smirking. "In any case, I'm glad you are here... I was almost done in my rounds... I didn't want to leave without at least seeing you."

[Jasun Vallace]

"And how many Mistborn do you know?" Jasun asked with a grin, "Do the noble Mistborn have little tea parties in the night and trade political tidbits? Or do they just randomly spar with each other for fun? I really would love to know." He held a hand up to his mouth and said conspiratorially, "But I do believe even if I had met as many Mistborn as you, my dear, you would still be the most graceful." His easy grin returned and he added, "I'm sure you will show me when we dance at the Perrault Ball, you are going, right?" He asked, suddenly unsure, "It's only, I've prepared my suit and carriage and alias and everything and I wouldn't want to waste it to be swarmed women who aren't you."

Edited by Noelle, 24 January 2014 - 09:45 PM.

[Lysette Hasting]

Truth be told, Lysette had never had another meeting in the mists. She had avoided most other night traffic the way that nobles avoided skaa in the streets. If she pretended they weren't there, they didn't come bothering her.

"I have only seen other Mistborn by the light of day," she said. "While I have my noble girl mask on. I wouldn't know what Mistborn do in the night."

She did like the compliment, though. He was very good at charming her out of wanting to throttle him. Did that make her easy to manipulate? At least he couldn't play with her emotions. She was ever cautious to keep her coppercloud up. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, it was just her safety net. She didn't want to be caught without it.

She could hear the trepidation in his voice as he asked her about the Perrault ball. She wasn't sure if she was going, not until now. She couldn't go with him for a date, but they could dance. In public. Together.

She would be wearing a ball gown. She was suddenly nervous. She was careful not to let it show, instead a corner of her mouth turned up in a smirk.

"Tired of seeing me in trousers are you?" she asked. "Or trying to find out what I look like in a well-lit room...Perhaps I'm hideous and it's just dark out here so you can't tell, how terrible would it be if you had pledged your heart to some grotesque creature that even a mistwraith would turn its nose up at the sight of her..."

[Jasun Vallace]

"I'll have you know my dear," Jasun said, still grinning, "That I will never tire of seeing you in trousers." He held one hand to his chest and said dramatically, "And I am wounded, wounded, that you think my skill in tin so poor that I cannot tell how beautiful you are even in the mists." The compliments come quickly to his lips, they always did, but it was rare that he actually meant the words that came out of his mouth. It was so easy to lie, it was only around Lysette that the truth came just as easily. She had a strange effect on him, and it wasn't because she was beautiful, at least not just because of that, it was because she was real. She had been truer to him then anyone besides Gil, even though she had every right to reveal nothing, or even kill him. It was... humbling, and he certainly couldn't let her think her appearance mattered to him.

"And really, considering you come to me nightly with an ash stained face, wearing mens' clothing, and with your hair underneath a cap, you'd think you'dve realized by now that I'm not really all that interested in appearances." He walked a few steps closer to her, "Not that I don't wait anxiously to see you in the light of day," he paused, "err, chandelier. Whatever, you know what I meant."

Edited by Noelle, 04 January 2014 - 12:11 AM.

[Lysette Hasting]

Coming from anyone else, that compliment would have rung hollow in Lysette's ears. Jasun was charming and very good at comping up with new and exciting ways to make Lysette blush. A pink flush colored her cheeks now, as much as she tried to hide it, she failed.

"You will just have to go to the ball and see if you can find me," she said, smirking. "If you can recognize me."

Lysette was happy to see Jasun -- as she always was, but with the excitement of the ball coming up, she was more and more scared to say that she would definitely be there. She couldn't always be counted on -- what if she was sent out of Luthadel on family business the day of the ball? She couldn't just outright promise to show up... her family came first, even to matters of the heart.

"How do I know you won't step on my feet when we dance?" she asked, smiling. "I don't want our first dance to be clumsy..."

[Jasun Vallace]

"Oh I'll be able to recognize you." Jasun said, smirking, "It's the hair, you see. I don't think I've seen someone with hair quite as striking as yours." That and her eyes, of course. With tin he'd studied the planes of her face, even with makeup and different lighting he would be able to recognize her anywhere.

"Really Lysette, you wound me with these accusations," there was no bite to the words, although there was some melodrama. Jasun suddenly had an idea as he said them. He walked all the way up to her and bowed, offering his hand, "Why don't we have our first dance here, so that I can show you that why I may be a slouch at combat, I am certainly not one when it comes to dancing."

Edited by Noelle, 04 January 2014 - 07:48 AM.

[Lysette Hasting]

Dancing on the roof without music? It was just crazy enough to be something that Jasun would suggest. She considered for a moment, but ultimately they both knew she would accept his hand.

It was less that she thought Jasun would be clumsy, she was afraid she would ruin it somehow. This was all too perfect, Jasun was too perfect, there had to be something wrong. Yet they had been seeing each other for months. And nothing had gone wrong yet.

She decided to remove her mistcloak before they danced, not wanting it to get in the way. She unhooked it and let it fall onto the roof before she accepted his hand and walked with him to the middle of the roof. She burned pewter, so she wouldn't trip. She wasn't particularly clumsy, but she was also incredibly nervous.

While she and Jasun spent a lot of time together, but they had very rarely been so close. Lysette was to blame for that. Letting people get close to her was not something she had ever learned to do. It made her uncomfortable, most times.

Not with Jasun. She fit so easily in his arms. "It has been a long time since I enjoyed a dance." she said meekly.

[Jasun Vallace]

"But not long since you had one, I hope. I like my feet the shape they are," Jasun joked, trying to lighten the mood. It wouldn't do to get all serious on Lysette now, it would only unsettle her further, and she was already out of her depth being this close to him. They'd rarely touched, except to spar on occasion, and that was decidedly less intimate than dancing.

It was nice though, having her in his arms. More than nice. It was fantastic, amazing, wonder- Jasun realized they'd just been standing there holding one another, and he quickly started the steps, burning pewter to make sure he was graceful enough to match Lysette.

It was a simple dance. He took a step forward into her and she took a step backwards away from him. Side to side, and after a few paces they spun and switched directions. He was keeping time in his head, as well as leading Lysette, he suddenly wished he had some atium so he could think faster, savor this moment better, instead he started burning tin so he could see her more clearly, feel her hand in his more sharply. She had small hands, delicate, not made for killing. But then again little about Lysette seemed made for killing, and yet that was all House Hasting seemed to want her to do.

He was getting distracted with his hatred of House Hasting. You're going to have to work for them, he really needed to reconcile this hatred, but it was difficult. He should just focus on Lysette, on this moment with just the two of them among the mists. Those were the moments he liked best after all.

She was a graceful dancer, and with pewter he matched her, as they spun once more he said, "See, I told you I'm no slouch." He grinned cheekily at her.

[Lysette Hasting]

They stood there in each others arms, and Lysette could feel her heart beat. It was at that moment she knew she couldn't hide her relationship with Jasun any longer. She loved him.

She loved him.

Lysette let that sink in. Of course he had told her that he loves her... but she could never say it back. It was too hard. She never wanted to hope that they could actually be together, but being in Jasun's arms on the roof of a nondescript building, Lysette knew that she would not feel this safe in anyone else's arms. She was madly, deeply, and completely in love with this man.

Then they started dancing, which quieted her thoughts. She was concentrating on not tripping all over him. Lysette succeeded in seeming graceful, when her thoughts were creeping back toward that awful "love" word.

I told you I'm no slouch...

It took Lysette a moment to respond with only thin smile. This was just an excuse to be close to him. Her hand moved from his shoulder to the back of his neck as their feet stopped. She made no moves to leave his arms, however. She realized they had lapsed into a silence. She searched for something to say, only to find her mind fixated on one thing.

"I love you," she said quietly, looking in his eyes. She felt so exposed, even though she knew he loved her. She had never been so vulnerable to another person before. She spent her whole life trying to seem strong and independent, but she needed Jasun. More than she knew.

[Jasun Vallace]

Jasun would be lying if he said he hadn't fantasized about Lysette telling him she loved him before. In fact that was one of his favorite pastimes. But he sort of thought it would be just that, a fantasy. He knew Lysette, knew how she loathed to show weakness, to be exposed, even to him, a person who would never try to hurt her. He'd told her he loved her because it was the truth, not because he expected to hear it back. He knew anyways, that she loved him, why did he need words to confirm something he already knew in his very bones?

But still, when the words left her lips he knew the gift he'd been given, the trust she was showing him, by being there in his arms, by laying her heart bare before him. Lysette, who pretended she was only a weapon, letting him in. He did not have to hide the pleased smile that crossed his face. He did not have to hide at all. It was an amazing sensation, to someone who hid all the time, except when he was around her.

"I love you too." he said back, and he had never spoken truer words in his entire life. He wanted to kiss her, then, it seemed only appropriate. But surely, surely that would be asking too much. He did not want to make Lysette uncomfortable, not after she had done something so wonderful, so he settled for closing his eyes and resting his forehead gently against hers, holding her against him. He knew eventually this moment would end, but for now he was going to savor it.

Edited by Noelle, 15 January 2014 - 08:05 AM.

[Lysette Hasting]

When Jasun returned her sentiment, she felt a relief wash over her. She knew he felt the same way -- he had told her as much already -- but hearing it in response felt different somehow. Now they didn't need any more secrets. They had so much ahead of them still... Lysette still hadn't told her best and only true friend about Jasun. How would Colette react to knowing that she had been seeing a Mistborn after dark? That thought wouldn't stop coming back to her mind, clouding her thoughts... and making it hard to enjoy the moment she and Jasun were sharing.

Her eyes closed instinctively when he rested his head on hers. She could still feel her heartbeat in her temples. She was expecting him to kiss her, but a part of her was thankful he didn't. She had never felt pressured by him to do anything. She had fallen in love with him without so much as a holding of his hand. They had sparred, but this was so much different. This way it was on her own terms.

Lysette gathered as much courage as she could -- more than she needed to fight her mistwraith friend outside of Luthadel -- and kissed Jasun. It was nothing spectacular in the grand scheme of things. It was Lysette's first kiss and to her it felt awkward. A peck on the lips which was followed immediately by a blush that could not be stopped. Her cheeks turned bright red and showed no sign of returning to normal any time soon.

[Jasun Vallace]

Jasun had not been prepared for Lysette to kiss him. It just didn't seem like something she would do, she was so wary of touching people, sure one day she might kiss him, but he figured that, like all the other things he fantasized doing with her, would wait until after they had married. But for the second time that night Lysette had surprised him, and he couldn't be happier.

Alright, that was a lie, he could be happier. It had not been how he thought there first kiss would go, because in his imagination he got to kiss back. This would not do at all, he couldn't have her thinking that was how one went about kissing, it was, it was a tease! She did that to him enough as it was with her sharp tongue and innocence she couldn't do it to him with this as well.

"You," he said, taking her head in his hands, "are the most adorable person who has ever lived. But I'm going to kiss you properly now, so you never tease me like that again." Then he kissed her, making sure that while their first kiss was nothing to write home about their second certainly was.

Edited by Noelle, 21 January 2014 - 06:56 AM.

[Lysette Hasting]

Lysette melted into Jasuns arms when he kissed her again. She almost felt numb with happiness. Was that even possible? She didn't know what to do with her hands. Suddenly she realized she needed some water. This was all so sudden...

She put her arms around Jasun, trying to quiet her doubts. Trying to push out the thoughts. It was simple enough when he was close. She had tin on a slow burn. She wanted to feel everything.

When finally they parted, all she could say was a breathy: "Wow."

She stayed in his arms, close to him... as close as she could be. She knew she needed to tell Colette about them. She had to tell someone... and Colette would at least help her to get him, right?

"Does this night have to end?" she asked quietly, resting her head on his shoulder.

[Jasun Vallace]

Jasun's grin threatened to split his face in two at Lysette's reaction to their kiss. Yes, finally something he was better at. That was a switch for sure. He held her close and was content for several wonderful moments until her traitorous mouth went on and his mind suddenly went to extremely inappropriate places.

Why, in the Lord Ruler's name had she had to say that of all things, because of course, of course Jasun had heard a woman say that before and his tried and true reply to that particular sentence was 'Why no, it doesn't.' and a suggestive wink. But this was not just any woman, it was Lysette, which made it a thousand times harder to resist saying that. Yes he loved Lysette, but he also desired her, he was good at keeping that part of him in check though. He couldn't express it to her without making her uncomfortable, and so he clamped down on that part of himself, but with her so close, saying words like that it all flooded back to him in a moment and he knew he needed to leave before he said or did something he'd regret. It was not as if he was in danger of jumping her or something, but still he needed to leave.

"I'm afraid it has to, my dear," he said, slowly extricating himself from her, even though a very vocal part of him was saying that that was a horrible idea and he should just lead her back to his hideout and let nature take its course but that part of him could also go die in a fire so he kept talking, "It is very late, didn't you say you were almost done with your rounds? You should probably go home and go to sleep." Yes that was the better thing for her to do, sleep somewhere without him. Hopefully she wasn't worried he was trying to reject her, it was quite the opposite after all.

Edited by Noelle, 03 February 2014 - 07:58 AM.

[Lysette Hasting]

Lysette didn't want to leave. She didn't want to go back to her room and sleep. She didn't want training in the morning, and she certainly didn't want to be left alone with her thoughts.With Jasun next to her, she could at least focus on the good that they had together, and not the negative side of what had to happen so they could stay together.

She was going to have to tell someone. Colette. She would have to tell Colette and hope that she understood. She took a deep breath and smiled at Jasun. "I probably should," she said, her right hand clenching into a fist. She didn't trust herself not to grab him and pull him back to her. Instead she turned.

"Save a couple dances for me at the ball," she said, looking over her shoulder. "I doubt I will get to see you before then."

She pulled out a coin and tossed it off the edge of the roof, preparing to use it as an anchor to shoot off into the mists... toward Keep Hasting, toward her lonely bed, toward her prison

[Jasun Vallace]

She said the words he needed her to say, but the look on her face, it was a mask. That wasn't a real smile she was showing him, Jasun knew Lysette too well to be fooled by that. Something was wrong. Was she mad at him, for asking her to go home? Was she worried about something and hiding it from him? Jasun hated keeping secrets from Lysette, which was why he kept none, and yet she was trying to be strong for him for some unfathomable reason.

The way she stood there, a figure among the mists, about to leap out and go, she looked so... forlorn. The words she said did not have the playful bite that he was used to, they seemed more resigned than anything. It was instinct to close the distance between them again and wrap her up in his arms, all he could focus on was there was something wrong with Lysette, the little devilish voice in his head really could go die in a fire for all he cared.

"What's wrong?" He whispered, his cheek against the rough fabric of her cap, "Tell me what I can do, please." He knew that in the grand scheme of things what he could do was very little, but at least he wouldn't be leaving her alone when she was unhappy. He couldn't even imagine doing that.

Edited by Noelle, 06 February 2014 - 01:50 AM.

[Lysette Hasting]

As she was pulled into Jasun's arms she felt better. She scolded herself for letting his presence be that much of an influence on her... Just knowing he was there made her feel better. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She felt herself fighting tears.

"It just gets harder and harder to leave," she said chuckling. "It's stupid." She shook her head.

"It feels like we'll never get to be together," she said, sighing. "I hate only seeing you at night, and I'm tired of having to put on a show for everyone during the day."

[Jasun Vallace]

"It's not stupid," he said, "I mean... since I disbanded my crew all I do is wait for the night to come." He admitted, not sure whether he should feel guilty or not. After all, he could sleep the day away, living off his ill gotten gains, Lysette had to do all sorts of things during the day just to keep up appearances. He had to do something to help her.

"We will be together." He said vehemently, "We're both Mistborn, we can do anything." It was sort of a lie, in Lysette's case she was constrained by what she felt was her duty, and in Jasun's case he was stopped by wanting to do as Lysette wished. After all, he could have asked her to elope with him if he'd really wanted to. He was certain with enough convincing he could have gotten her to do it, but it would not have been something she chose happily, and all he wanted to do was make her happy. Lysette deserved happiness more then anyone he knew, and in the end he also knew that he would be content as long as he was by her side.

Edited by Noelle, 12 February 2014 - 06:38 PM.