Alec gave a shrug in response to the question. "I have studied all kinds of magic. But I specialize in light magic. Which is why it's so easy for me to do....say... this." He held up his hand and spoke a single word in a thickly accented language and a bright blue flame danced to life on his palm. "Or how I decorated all those plants without breaking much of a sweat." He looked Gale in the eye as he realized this was the most he'd spoken without fidgeting or anything. He cleared his throat lightly. "What do you do for a living?"

Oh sh*t. "I'm a hired hand, doing odd and end jobs as they come to me. I do anything from mowing lawns to scaring off business rivals." Gale said. It was mostly true, though he left out the part about hunting people down and sometimes killing them. Did the elf really need to know that? Besides it wasn't like he had been sent to kill the elf now was it?

"Do you scare these business rivals with your sword?" Alec suddenly remembered the blade he'd left on the ground where he found Gale. "Which I kind of left behind..." He fiddled with his fingers nervously before standing up and checking on the stew, giving it a stir. "Your work sounds interesting... rather spontaneous, actually." He hoped the other man wouldn't be mad about him leaving his sword out there in the cold.

"My sword...damn it." Gale huffed well hopefully it would still be there. "Don't suppose you got my hat either did you?" He asked. It was fine he would get them back in the end. Sure it would make his life a bit more difficult for a bit but that was alright. "It fine if you didn't, I can always get a new weapon."

"You had a hat?" Alec asked as he sat back down. "I didn't see any hats there...." He tried to think back to the scene. There was nothing; it was all fuzzy. "We'll just look for them when we go into town tomorrow." He looked down at his robes. "I'm going to have to drag out my normal clothes."

He was a bit surprised the elf would have normal clothes. Even after all these years? What a strange thing to hold onto. "I could help you if you want." Why was it he wanted the elf so badly? It was like all the could think about! The wheels in his head just kept turning on how he was going to get the elf in bed. But that was wrong. They just met! This wasn't anything more than lust and he needed to face that! He could keep doing this to himself...

The elven mage glanced at Gale. "You thought I would get rid of my normal clothes? They're useful when hiding from humans searching for a witch," he sounded a bit bitter about that. His face turned red as Gale offered to help. "Help me dress?! I'm not 85 anymore." Unlike the human, his mind was more on a slow burn relationship. Several dates maybe, some cuddles. But nothing very intimate until much later. Until they knew each other like the back of their hands.

((Have we got a one track mind there, Gale? LOL))

(Oh he would like to get to know him like the back of his hand lol.)

"Wait how old are you?" Gale asked a bit shocked to hear the elf say that he was older than 85. How?! He didn't look older than 20 maybe! Was he just pulling his leg? "And no, unless you want me to. But I was offering to help you find your clothes." Sure helping the elf dress would be fun and interesting but unless invited he wouldn't do that yet. After all again they didn't know each other. That was good for one night stands but not anything long term. Was this going to end in a one night stand then or was it going to hold on longer than that?

Alec raised his eyebrows again. "I thought all people were aware that elves mature much more slowly than humans. You're all dying of old age when we're still technically toddlers. I'm 125 human years, equivalent to 25." He then seemed relieved to hear that Gale did not mean helping him dress. He was why and awkward as it was. He waved dismissively at the offer. "I know exactly where they are. In that chest by the door. It's good for quick changes when people are checking my home out. Then I cast a spell without their knowledge and they get scared off." He rubbed his face. "I miss being 116."

"You had me fooled I wouldn't have put you over 120." Gale teased. That was definitely a downfall to a relationship. It wasn't so much an age difference but the fact that one member would live so much longer than the other would. "Care if I ask why?" Aw the teenage years again! Such a fun filled, hormone induced ride that was! And something never die. Maybe that's why he wanted to sleep with the elf, those stupid hormones. Or was this a spell as wel? It was hard to tell...