The Final Test discussion

This hideout was built by Dash Raylin. Located in Forest.

Overlook:

Room of Mirrors:

It is at the very top and can be accessed only by the entry staircase at the bottom.
Main Room:

Then it leads to a porch:

(Not her Gutair XD)
And finally a small bedroom.

((That's fine. Just know that it won't be built for a long time.))

((I know :) ))

After hours of labor, Raylin wiped his brow and nodded in satisfaction, hoping that Katherine would like it. He stretched, hearing his joints pop in relief, then went down to get rid of the wagon.

((She's at the graveyard :D))

((I think Raylin's gonna go back to his cabin, in case you wanted to include him with the Rebels or something.))

((We aren't really gong to start that up until some people choose to make Masters for Crown. :) ))

((I was thinking of making Raylin's dad. Should I do that now?))

((Yes! :D Put him in the Masters for Crown!))

((Mkay.))

Raylin stopped below an open space. He flinched as he imagined what he had to do, then hit the trunk of one of the trees as hard as he could with the side of his fist. The bark made a popping sound and he pushed on it lightly, moving it to the side to reveal a spiral staircase carved into the inside of the tree, though it was tight because though it was a large tree, the stairs had to go around the center to keep the tree alive. "Put the bark back when you and Jax are in." He told her, beginning to walk up the steps.

Katherine gaped at him. She quickly became impassive and Jax skipped inside, well skipping for a dog.
She entered, the musky smell of pine filling her nose. Raylin had done all this. A miracle really. She slid the bark back into place and followed upward, using her hands to guard where she was. The bark was smooth as her hand led her.

The inside of the tree lit up in the darkness. Little gems that absorbed the tiniest photons of light stored them up to give energy to the tree, and when they converted that light to energy, they actually gave off some of that light, essentially fueling each other and serving as guides through the dark staircase until light spilled through an exit at the top that lead to a bridge, that, in turn, lead to her hideout. "I made the steps so that Jax could come up with you. He seemed to like it when I showed it to him." Raylin told her, unable to hide his wince of pain after he was done talking. "Go inside and look. Tell me what you think and when you want me to start helping you personalize it... if you want me to help. I know that some things you'd probably prefer to do on your own."

((Going to bed. RP with you tomorrow.))

((kk :D))

Katherine let the lights lead her, feeling Jax go up and down the stairs. She was weary of where the pup was, for she didn't want to trip on him. She looked closely at the light gems, curious on how they worked. She entered the main room. Katherine couldn't help but picture this was like her home back, long ago. A tear went up to her eye but she blinked it away quickly before Raylin turned. She listened and studied him closely. He was wincing. She came closer and supported him, knowing half of her wanted to just let him fall, but he wouldn't be much use would he? "Don't ask anything," she said as she brought him around the corner to the already half-personalized bedroom. She looked at it and figured that somehow, he disassembled the bed and built it back up. She saw a perfect sheet of fabric back at the cabin to make another nice looking covering for the bed. The lamps hung gently, being fueled by the gem lights.
"Wow," she whispered. She could see a small desk and wardrobe, no doubt was what Raylin was talking about. She knew instantly what she wanted to hang on the wall, what she wanted to put in the desk. Some of the things private. Something that she wouldn't show the enemy. Then again, Is Raylin even my enemy?
She shook her head mentally and led him to the bed, helping him lie down gently and snatching one of his hands, confirming her suspicions. Scraped knuckles. Her habit told her that she needed to heal this away and she gave Raylin a look to stay put as she rushed down the stairs and finding plant she had seen on the way there. Taking a herb, she ran all the way back, still careful with the bark door.

Raylin shook his head and chuckled, though it cruise him pain in his back to do even that. "What are you doing? I don't need your help, Kat."

"Just shut it." She glared. Katherine hated how she just had an instinct to heal people she cared for. And whoop there it is. She actually cared, dammit. She ground the herb into a paste and set it into a clean cloth.
She came back into the room and gave him the cloth. "There's a lot, you can ease aches with it." She turned, hoping he won't ask her to apply it on his back or something. Seeing him shirtless in a fight was different then just when he was... just there. Wow Katherine, you really are messed up.

((XD She feels so conflicted))

((And I love messing with her. :D))

"I don't need you're help, Katherine." He told her, setting the herbs down. "I just need to rest."

Katherine's face was hidden and she knew this was where she could explore and escape his attention. "Fine," she seemed to snap and started out the room to climb the stairs she had saw leading up.

((I know I RP Fast XD))

Raylin sighed once she left and, without a second thought, collapsed on the bed. He would have been grateful for her pain remedy, or he would have joked with her about it, but he was far too exhausted to try, so he simply shrugged off his jacket and used it as a pillow as he drifted to sleep.

Katherine told Jax to shush it. Jax had been yipping. The wolf pup, seeing that it was being shushed ran to the bedroom and jumped onto the bed, snuggling in with Raylin happily. Katherine muttered a curse and went onto the porch, the fresh air relieving her. She closed her eyes against the wind and even smiled against it. Then she started up the stair case realizing there was a trap door in the ceiling. Curiously, she opened it.

A canopy of lanterns began to shine as darkness overwhelmed the sky. Ladders and steps and ropes lead to different parts of her house.

Katherine used a rope to climb into a glass. Or that's what it looked like. Her mirrors. She was entranced by them. "Amazing," she whispered.

Katherine kept the door open and went deeper into the room, her dark hair she could see a mess, coming undone from her messy bun on the back of her head, that had dropped into the nape of her neck. Her eyes looked cautious as always and her clothes a bit disheveled but from running or just being she didn't know.

Raylin's head appeared in the multiple ceilings and floors of the room. "You like it? I did what I could..." He didn't seem as pained, but whether he'd lasted to hide it or was actually feeling better, it wasn't clear.

She saw his face everywhere and her heart seemed to stop. She spun around. The place was like a maze, taking the whole upper floor. He had designed it as a silent place and a training ground all at once. Which one was the real one though? Which was Raylin? "It's beautiful, challenging too, to navigate to the open area." Why hadn't she tracked where she was going. Now she was lost in the hallways.

Raylin chuckled and touched one of the mirrors, spinning it around. "If it ever gets too challenging, just spin them around."

She turned around, her voice seeming to come from a different direction. She started to spin the mirrors, getting rid of the fake Raylins. "Where are you?"

Raylin pulled her into a hug as she passed by him, doing her from getting lost. "I'm right here. Don't get lost up here, or I might never find you." He advised, tempted to kiss her again, but refraining.

She felt his strong arms grab her and she turned in Raylin's arms to face him. "Maybe it's better to be lost," she said, biting her lip. The question was, from what? "Are you feeling better?"

"Slightly. That concoction you gave me numbed the pain, so if I don't move a lot, I'll be fine." He said, looking down at her. "Want to go back inside, or are you fine with getting lost in here again?"

She smirked a little. "So you did use it after all. Let's go back inside." She looked around at the mirrors. "Who knows if mirrors are used in the Final Test in the first round. That would be challenging."

"It took me most of the time to make this room because I kept trapping myself until I got the idea to bake them turn." Raylin agreed, ignoring the bit about her medicine. "So you like it? If you need me to add anything, just let me know. I'm working on a bridge to connect yours to mine."

She walked with him down the stairs that had led to the mirror maze. Katherine smiled, realizing he hadn't responded to the medicine but she didn't say anything about it either. She wasn't sure if he could see her face or not. Then she thought about the bridge. "So you can have easy access to me anywhere?" she joked.

"If you want to think of it that way, you'll have easy access to me as well." Raylin told her. "Just don't sneak around when I'm not there.

Katherine thought, Can't make any promises.
She finally reached the stairs and went to the porch directly, sitting down on a bench that Raylin had put there. She looked out to the greenery. "Then at least let me help you with the bridge."

((I'm thinking of adding one more room to this, any ideas? I don't want a kitchen or bathroom because she has to go to her cabin for all of that, a weapon room or something?))

"Why? I'll have it done soon." Raylin said with a shrug.

"Yeah, and then you'll be stuck in bed from the aches. Not even you are invincible." Katherine stared him down. Why was she even offering to help?

((I think he should get pissed or mad at this response XD))

"Wanna bet that I'm not invincible?" Raylin asked, crossing his arms.

Katherine should've really known better but she was baited and hooked. "Sure." She only then realized then that the last bet she had was not exactly the best. But she could see Raylin loosening his grip on her, so she felt confident.

"You win, and I let you help me. I win, and I... will do one thing that you ask without question." Raylin told her.

Katherine gave him a even stare. She knew what she would benefit either way. "A win win situation?" Her eyes narrowed. "What are you planning Raylin?"

Raylin smirked. "Do I have to have a plan? Why not just take advantage of it?"

Katherine took a step closer to him, the air trying to free her hair from it's bun. "Cause you're not stupid. And I'm surely not." Another studying step. "You're like a wolf. You wait. Then when you're is close enough." She was just out of his reach. "You can kiss your life goodbye."

((See what I did there? XD))

Raylin shook his head, ignoring the temptation to kiss her. "Looks like I'm going to have to start hanging out with Jax, then. We can be our own pack." He gently rested his hands on her hips, a smile on his lips that were inches from hers. "Of course, if I'm the alpha male, and he's in my pack, and he looks up to you... Guess that would make you the other alpha." He pointed out, wondering if she'd take the bait.

Katherine hated subtle power plays. She had to look up to gaze into his eyes. Jax seemed to bark from somewhere in the hideout, hearing his name. She smiled genuinely. "I don't want to just be a Female Alpha, I want to be known. Be the Alpha. I want to change something." She added the last part in a whisper. She started to pull away a little, realizing the position she was in, with his strong hands on her lean hips, her hands on his chest.

"Then be with me and let me help you." Raylin offered, holding her a bit tighter so that she wouldn't get away before he had an answer. "Being alone will poison you, Kat. Don't let that weaken you."

Katherine couldn't meet his eyes. Before she knew it, she was quoting her mother again and it sounded like she was quoting someone too. "Don't make connections and you don't feel guilty, and if you don't feel guilty, you'll have a clear mind to rule." She kept very still in his arms.

"What would you feel guilty about?" Raylin challenged, leaning closer to her to press his forehead to hers.