Post by Orin Evans on Mar 26, 2020 16:29:48 GMT -5
[Continued from New Best Friends]
[ORIN] He didn't look back or notice that Cassandra was following him out, until she was taking his arm and commanding him to slow down. He stopped for a moment, wavering a bit as everything was spinning around him. He could barely keep his eye open as he looked to her. "What do you care if I do?" He pulled his arm from her grip and began walking again, holding onto the wall this time to try and keep himself up. He just needed to find somewhere to sleep. His head hurt so badly.
[CASSANDRA] She allowed him to shove her away, but would continue to follow behind him. If no one watched, he might just crash and sleep in the hall, and then he'd regret it in the morning. "Orin, please..." she said in response, not knowing what else to say. Did he even have a room in this corridor? She wasn't sure and she wasn't about to ask, so when they neared a spare room she knew was unoccupied, she was opening it; grabbing him by the arm again to direct him inside. There were words lingering at the tip of her tongue, but she didn't utter a single one yet. Cassandra just concerned herself with making sure he got to bed, as she promised.
[ORIN] Yes, he probably would have just passed out on the floor in the hallway. And his room wasn't even remotely close to where they were right now. He honestly didn't know where he was going or what he was doing. So as he was pulled into one of the spare rooms, he looked around before muttering in slurred speech. "This is not my room..." But he didn't care. There was a bed and he wanted to sleep. So he started to move towards the bed, stumbling as he did and yet again, falling to the floor. He growled out of frustration at himself, and sat on the floor, his back now up against the bed. He held his head, wincing slightly. Not only was the alcohol killing his head, but he could feel the wound on his eye throbbing.
[CASSANDRA] "I know," she told him. She was not strong enough to keep him upright and he fell to the floor, fortunately not dragging her with him. Sighing outright, she wasn't sure what to do, but his wince brought her back to his side, dropping down to her knees beside him. She wondered how that wound of his was healing and when he last got it checked out. Without word, she was reaching up to carefully unravel the bandage, ready to swat his hands away if he protested and tried to push her again. The room was dimly lit, but she was still able to see that the cut was indeed healing, just seemed to be a little irritated. It probably needed to be cleaned. Green eyes sought for the water basin on the end table and reached for the small towel. After dipping it in the water, he'd feel the cool liquid against his skin, and perhaps it would help ease the headache somewhat. "It's healing well..." she finally decided to speak, the silence worse than anything to her. "But you should let it breathe." Keeping it covered for too long could make it worse after awhile.
[ORIN] At first, he did try to push her hand away, and he was swatted at. So he just sat there, slumped against the bed. He let a sigh out his lips and closed his eyes as she removed the bandage. The room was spinning and he couldn't tell if he was sitting still or if she was moving him around. So he just groaned, holding his head as she moved to get the towel. But then he felt the cool water against his burning skin, and he let out a breath of relief, his eyes remaining shut. He was starting to doze again, but at the sound of Cassandra's voice, he opened his good eye, still a bit nervous to open his other one. He mumbled, his words still slurring a bit in an exhausted half asleep manner, "Do I look like a monster?" His voice was low and filled with self pity as he asked the question. He still hadn't even looked at himself, yet.
[CASSANDRA] The alcohol probably didn't help with the inflammation, but even still, it was nice to see him and Aric getting along...even if it had caused some problems. Something that she was currently trying to forget but was sorely unable to. Being careful not to further irritate the cut more, she cleaned it as best she could before pulling the cloth away; leaning back on her thighs. She'd drape the cloth around his neck to help alleviate his headache. Suddenly, his question took her slightly off guard because of the pity she heard in his voice, her expression softening into sadness. Cassandra only had to look at him for a short moment before answering him, "Not at all." Fingers tried to fix his hair that had clearly gotten messed from the bandaging. But, even with the wound, with how exhausted he looked, he was far from a monster. And that was so unfortunate for her right now. Biting down on her bottom lip, she wondered how she was going to get him up onto that bed. Maybe if she allowed him to rest for a moment, he'd be able to get up to his feet.
[ORIN] The cloth on the back of his neck felt amazing and he muttered something inaudible, his head leaning back against the bed as he closed his eyes again, forgetting that he had asked Cassandra a question. So when she answered him, it suddenly came back to him, and he lifted his head again and opened his eyes, both this time, although he couldn't fully open the injured one. He looked at her for a brief moment and let out a small laugh. "You're just trying to be nice. You can tell me it looks hideous. I deserve it, anyway. You don't need to be nice to me, because I'manass..." It nearly took him forever to say the whole sentence, because he was fading, his voice slow and slurring as he spoke. But she was running her fingers through his hair trying to fix it, and it felt really good against the pounding headache he had. He groaned and closed his eyes again.
[CASSANDRA] "Oh, it still looks hideous," she said, her voice still quiet. Perhaps she even sounded slightly amused, just not in her usual way. It could be that she was just exhausted herself now that she was simply sitting there. "But it's alright..." She could have explained that it would get better, that it would heal and leave a scar, but he was already fading...and she didn't need to ramble on like that. Now, she was just delaying herself. Cassandra didn't know why, only that she was finding any little excuse to remain there for even a few seconds more. He was tired, though, and she really didn't want him passing out on the floor. "You should get into bed," she urged, beginning to climb up to her feet, taking him gently by the arm. "So, come on." There was no way she was going to be able to pull him up on her own.
[ORIN] He managed to smirk at her comment of it still looking hideous, and he mumbled, "makes me look like a vagabond, though, right?" He remembered what she had called him before. He might have remembered everything she ever said to him. Just might not be able to recall all of it right now. Though when she told him he should get into bed, there was another devious smirk that crept along his lips, and he opened an eye to look at her. "You want me in bed? Only if you dig your nails into me like that, again..." He was scrambling to try and get himself up, as she was tugging at his arm, groaning as he did, because the room would still not stop spinning, and it was worse when he tried to move.
[CASSANDRA] The vagabond comment made her laugh, because, well...it did make him look more like one. And for him, that was a good thing. Not that she was going to say so anymore than she already had. His next comment, however, gave her brief pause. It was in her nature to comply, just to keep that tease going, but she refrained this time. Instead, she still just grinned to herself and shook her head, doing her best to steady him. He must have had a lot, and Cass couldn't help but wonder if either he or Aric would remember any of this in the morning. That thought also gave her pause once more before carefully leading him to the edge of the bed...then simply letting him slump back and fall onto it. "You're very loose lipped when you're drunk, Mr. Evans," she commented in dry amusement. Instinctively, she removed his boots for him, an act that the Tresterian Duchess from months ago wouldn't have ever bothered to do. But there she was now, cleaning wounds and helping this drunken vagabond into bed. And, frighteningly enough, she was happy to.
[ORIN] As soon as he was on the bed, he fell back, letting out a groan as it felt amazing to be laying on the soft comfortable surface, finally, instead of the floor. "I... should'vedonethishoursago...." He slurred heavily and laughed at Cassandra's comment. "Verrryyyy... I cannot lie when I'm drunk." Something he probably shouldn't have admitted. She was removing his boots, and even that felt amazing right now, since he had been standing in those boots all day long. He couldn't help but wonder why she was helping him. He had been a jerk to her after saving her from the Saelisian. Mostly because he cared about her. And when something was happening to someone he cared about, he tended to go a little overboard with his violent and animalistic side.
He sighed loudly as he yawned, suddenly noticing that his shirt was wet and clinging to him. "Why is my shirt wet?" He had already forgotten, so he rolled slightly, to sit back up, groaning as the room started spinning again. And he pulled his shirt back off, throwing it on the floor before falling back down onto his back.
[CASSANDRA] She was laughing again once he realized that resting would have been really good hours ago. "I tried to get you both to bed, but..." Her words trailed off. Then that whole fiasco happened. She quirked a brow as he stated he couldn't lie, and it piqued her curiosity when she knew she should just leave it be. "Is that so..." Cassandra stared down at him once his boots were tossed aside, still fighting with her own mind to leave it be and walk away. Then, it would seem that he had forgotten what happened to his shirt. "It was tea," she answered simply, not going into details...just as it was going right over his head and leaving her standing there, breathless and staring at the beautifully defined contours of his chest. Lord have mercy on her soul. But it wasn't just that. There was more to this inner conflict than she realized and it was why her stomach was twisting into knots and why her heart ached. Cassandra took a step closer, looking down at him as he lay there. It had been a few moments of silence and she wouldn't be surprised if he had already fallen asleep...but fingers gently traced down the uninjured side of his face before she whispered. "You will probably forget all of this in the morning..." Maybe she was banking on it. "I do not know if you meant me before...but...a part of me wishes you did. That part of me that would stay here, be this...different me..." She suddenly stopped. No, this was foolish, and she already felt herself getting ridiculously emotional and would continue to blame it on lack of sleep. Cass shook her head at herself and stepped back. She did as she said she would and found him a place to rest. It was time to go now. "Goodnight," she whispered.
[ORIN] He was fading really fast. But as Cassandra touched his face, he twitched a little bit, lightly brushing her hand away as if a bug was touching his face. He kept his eyes closed and when she began talking, he responded at first with, "Mmhmmm.." He definitely, most likely, wasn't going to remember any of this in the morning. He had drank half a bottle of whiskey. Maybe more, depending on how he and Aric split it, and he had lost count after the fifth drink. He could hear her talking, but it wasn't making a whole lot of sense to him. "A different you?" He mumbled, repeating what she had ended with. He groggily rolled onto his side and reached out to her, grabbing her hand and held her there so she couldn't leave. "What do you mean?" He mumbled, fighting off the exhaustion, for some strange reason.
[CASSANDRA] Yeah, he was basically asleep. To be honest, she breathed a small sigh of relief. That meant she didn't make a complete fool of herself. Of course, as she was turning and took another step away to leave, he was reaching out for her and halting her immediately. Cassandra stopped breathing, shutting her eyes and keeping her back to him for what felt like minutes. Long, agonizing minutes. Don't ask me that she wanted to say, maybe because she didn't really know how to explain it. Especially to a drunken, jumbled mind like his. She turned just enough to gaze down at their hands, before green eyes traveled up his arm to rest on his face. This would have been easier if he just fell asleep, and now she was about to be even more brazen. Or stupid. Choose one. Perhaps it was both. Cassandra didn't speak, only spun around quickly before the logical part of her brain completely took over, and closed that distance between them. Everything was telling her to stop. Every voice in her head was screaming at her not to do it, but she refused to listen. Leaning down, she was grabbing his face to claim his mouth in a kiss she knew had to end just as quickly. But for the next few torturous seconds, she kissed him as though she could taste the whiskey still on his lips, desperate for her own drunken lull.
[ORIN] His eyes were only opened slightly, and he couldn't tell if she was facing him or not. But she wasn't answering him, so he was beginning to think he had imagined she said something to him. Or maybe he was dreaming. But he could feel her hand in his, and he wasn't letting go, not until, suddenly, out of nowhere, he had lips pressing against his own. It jolted him awake, because he wasn't expecting it. What was happening? He began wondering if this was a dream. If it was, he didn't want it to end. His free hand, while the other remained holding onto hers, reached up and grabbed the back of her head, his fingers weaving into her hair, and he pulled her in closer to him as he returned the kiss, happy to share that whisky flavor with her.
[CASSANDRA] A few seconds. It was all she wanted, it was all she thought she needed. This was a moment of weakness because Cassandra had been struggling to figure out who she was, what she wanted...and right now, this was all she wanted, even if it caused her pain later. As he drew her in closer, she sighed happily against his mouth, falling into him even though she knew she had to draw away. It was wrong, so very wrong, but damn, she didn't care anymore. Her hand drifted from his face, curling fingers into the bareness of his shoulder.
[ORIN] A sober Orin, would have stopped this. Maybe. It was wrong, and even in his drunken state, he knew this was wrong. She was a married woman, she did not belong to him, he could not have her. But at this moment, he wasn't thinking straight. As she fell into him, he finally let go of her hand, wrapping his arms around her to pull her onto the bed and up against him, groaning as her fingers were curling into his shoulder. He did not break that kiss. He didn't dare to, in fear that this was all just a dream and he'd wake up from it soon. His own fingers curled into her hair, while the other remained on the small of her back, holding her close.
[CASSANDRA] Molding against him, this was going further than she anticipated, more than it should have. But she couldn't stop that drugging kiss, even though half her mind was screaming at her to stop. He was drunk, he wasn't himself...this wasn't fair to either of them. The logic was there, blaring in her ears, but it was easily ignored for the taste of his lips, his heavy breath, the feel of his heart that pounded in his chest as her hand moved to rest there. She didn't know what suddenly snapped her out of it, but she was very slow to try and break that kiss; just enough to whisper against his mouth. "I'm sorry." She didn't sound very apologetic. "You're drunk..." Perhaps a tiny part of her felt guilty, like she was taking advantage of him. Cassandra was trying to explain this, but the words simply weren't there.
[ORIN] He wasn't thinking, which was the beauty and also a curse of being drunk. All that mattered was this very moment. He held her against him, still, his other hand remaining on her face as his lips continued to desperately search her own. But she was pulling them away from him and talking, apologizing for something, and stating the obvious. He looked up at her, his fingers still tangled into her hair. "Is that a problem?" But before she could answer, he was pulling her back down, claiming her lips once again, but only for a brief moment, because he broke the kiss to speak again. "Do you disprove of my drunkenness?" He was pressing his lips against hers again, though this time, allowing it to linger a bit longer.
[CASSANDRA] Oh no, he wasn't making this any easier. She tried, she desperately tried, but he was drawing her in deeper with those fingers in her hair, the way he kept kissing her in between lulls of doubt. Damn him. She had started this, though. This was entirely her fault, she knew. He was barely giving her a chance to answer, and the way she showed her mild frustration with that was to nibble down on his bottom lip. "No," she responded to both his questions. "But-" That hand traveled up from his shoulder to press a finger against his mouth, perhaps to stop her from kissing him again. "This might be taking advantage of you." That very thought had amused her, and it was evident by the beaming grin that lit up her face. Wasn't it normally the other way around?
[ORIN] He moaned as she nibbled on his bottom lip like that and then blocked their lips with her finger. His blue-green eyes looked at her for a moment, as she was speaking again. Something about taking advantage of him? Or was she accusing him of taking advantage of her? He stared at her, looking as if he were thinking of something, but then, he removed his fingers from her hair and moved it to pull her finger away from his lips. He grinned, claiming her lips once again in a quick kiss, before he spoke. "So?" Was all he said before he was teasing her lips with his again.
[CASSANDRA] What a blissfully ignorant drunk. Or maybe his head was a bit more clear than she thought and he simply didn't care. But the point was...she cared. She made this leap, took this risk that she still didn't fully understand, all with the possibility of him not remembering a single thing come morning. Was that a blessing in disguise, or would that make everything worse? It was hard to think when he was kissing her, answering her with a single worded question. None of it helped, and all it did was make the rest of her walls of resolve crack and crumble. Cassandra was always a bit of a risk taker, and maybe this was no exception. Maybe his whiskey lips made her drunk as well. Consequences. What were those again? Forcefully breaking away, green eyes stared down at his beautifully scarred face for a spans of a couple of heartbeats, and then she spoke; leaning in, her words a whisper in his ear, "Then do as you wish."
[ORIN] Maybe it was a little bit of both. He was blissfully ignorant as a drunk. But he had stopped caring about his feelings and the possibility of love long ago. As he had told Aric, he didn't have much luck with any of it. So he took what he could get, perhaps. He was a man with needs and desires, afterall. As she broke away and looked down at him, he stared back up at her, studying her face and the way she was looking at him. It was enough to take his breath away for a moment. Then, she was leaning into him, whispering to him to do as he wished. He stared at her, still, maybe in slight disbelief of this all. He slowly sat up, his head began to spin from his drunkenness and his heart was suddenly pounding in his chest. He wondered if this was really what she wanted. How much trouble would they get into after this night? Oh, well, fuck that. He grabbed her face into his hands and pulled her back into him, pressing his lips hard against her own before he was gathering her up into his arms and turning her so she was on her back now. He broke the kiss and looked down at her now as he hovered over her. He, once again admired her briefly before he leaned down and breathed a whisper against her ear, "Are you sure?" As he waited for her answer, he started to ever so lightly, brush his lips along her jawline.
[CASSANDRA] Those eyes never left his face, studying it and wondering what was going through his mind. Was he about to deny her, was he thinking less of her...would he think less of her? Despite what some Tresterians might say, the Duchess didn't sleep with every man she came across. Still, there was a worry glinting in those emerald depths, trying to sort through the array of emotions and thoughts in those few seconds of silence. Then suddenly, he was kissing her again, and she returned it with heated intensity until she was gasping in surprise when he reversed their positions; the bastard whispering into her ear and playing her own game. She didn't think her delighted smile could widen anymore, those feathery kisses along her jaw a pleasant distraction. Cassandra told herself that she wouldn't care if he somehow forgot any of this. She silently swore she wouldn't be hurt or offended. Wasn't she trying to live more in the moment these days? As her chin tilted- not in her usual haughtiness but to further expose the column of her neck to his gentle onslaught- one of those slender legs had freed itself from the confines of her nightdress to hook around his own. Fingers blindly studied the muscles of his back until nails dug into skin, just hard enough to prove a point. "Yes," she gasped softly.
[ORIN] There wasn't a whole lot running through his mind at the moment because the alcohol was blissfully clouding his judgment and his thoughts. Had he been sober, there may have been some inner conflict going on. But here, in this moment, he only thought about her. How amazingly lovely she smelled as he kissed down her neck, waiting for her answer. Would she deny him then? Change her mind and run away from him? Was he dreaming this, because it all was feeling surreal to him. He didn't want to wake up. Please don't wake up Orin was quickly becoming more desperate to do what he wished with her, the longer she kept him waiting for her final permission. He felt that leg of hers wrap around his own, which only made that desperation even worse. He moved a hand down to that leg, and ran its calloused surface up to her thigh, freeing it some more from her nightdress. Her skin was soft and smooth and it was doing something to him and his desperation. Please say yes he thought to himself. So as those slender fingers trailed along his skin, he arched his back and breathed a warm sigh of pleasure against her neck. Finally, she was speaking that one word he so desperately wanted to hear, and her nails were digging into his skin. He groaned loudly into her ear, and as if that very word was what was holding him back, he was lowering himself down on her, though careful not to crush her under his own weight, and he was claiming her mouth again with his own with a fiery intensity as if she had somehow awoken something in him. As he kissed her in such a heated passion, his fingers still dared to move up her thigh and under the fabrics of her dress. He randomly started to wonder how many layers of fabric would he have to remove to get to her. That very thought brought a smirk to his lips, breaking their kiss slightly, which he did not like, so he pressed his mouth harder against her own, not wanting to make that mistake again.
[ORIN] He didn't look back or notice that Cassandra was following him out, until she was taking his arm and commanding him to slow down. He stopped for a moment, wavering a bit as everything was spinning around him. He could barely keep his eye open as he looked to her. "What do you care if I do?" He pulled his arm from her grip and began walking again, holding onto the wall this time to try and keep himself up. He just needed to find somewhere to sleep. His head hurt so badly.
[CASSANDRA] She allowed him to shove her away, but would continue to follow behind him. If no one watched, he might just crash and sleep in the hall, and then he'd regret it in the morning. "Orin, please..." she said in response, not knowing what else to say. Did he even have a room in this corridor? She wasn't sure and she wasn't about to ask, so when they neared a spare room she knew was unoccupied, she was opening it; grabbing him by the arm again to direct him inside. There were words lingering at the tip of her tongue, but she didn't utter a single one yet. Cassandra just concerned herself with making sure he got to bed, as she promised.
[ORIN] Yes, he probably would have just passed out on the floor in the hallway. And his room wasn't even remotely close to where they were right now. He honestly didn't know where he was going or what he was doing. So as he was pulled into one of the spare rooms, he looked around before muttering in slurred speech. "This is not my room..." But he didn't care. There was a bed and he wanted to sleep. So he started to move towards the bed, stumbling as he did and yet again, falling to the floor. He growled out of frustration at himself, and sat on the floor, his back now up against the bed. He held his head, wincing slightly. Not only was the alcohol killing his head, but he could feel the wound on his eye throbbing.
[CASSANDRA] "I know," she told him. She was not strong enough to keep him upright and he fell to the floor, fortunately not dragging her with him. Sighing outright, she wasn't sure what to do, but his wince brought her back to his side, dropping down to her knees beside him. She wondered how that wound of his was healing and when he last got it checked out. Without word, she was reaching up to carefully unravel the bandage, ready to swat his hands away if he protested and tried to push her again. The room was dimly lit, but she was still able to see that the cut was indeed healing, just seemed to be a little irritated. It probably needed to be cleaned. Green eyes sought for the water basin on the end table and reached for the small towel. After dipping it in the water, he'd feel the cool liquid against his skin, and perhaps it would help ease the headache somewhat. "It's healing well..." she finally decided to speak, the silence worse than anything to her. "But you should let it breathe." Keeping it covered for too long could make it worse after awhile.
[ORIN] At first, he did try to push her hand away, and he was swatted at. So he just sat there, slumped against the bed. He let a sigh out his lips and closed his eyes as she removed the bandage. The room was spinning and he couldn't tell if he was sitting still or if she was moving him around. So he just groaned, holding his head as she moved to get the towel. But then he felt the cool water against his burning skin, and he let out a breath of relief, his eyes remaining shut. He was starting to doze again, but at the sound of Cassandra's voice, he opened his good eye, still a bit nervous to open his other one. He mumbled, his words still slurring a bit in an exhausted half asleep manner, "Do I look like a monster?" His voice was low and filled with self pity as he asked the question. He still hadn't even looked at himself, yet.
[CASSANDRA] The alcohol probably didn't help with the inflammation, but even still, it was nice to see him and Aric getting along...even if it had caused some problems. Something that she was currently trying to forget but was sorely unable to. Being careful not to further irritate the cut more, she cleaned it as best she could before pulling the cloth away; leaning back on her thighs. She'd drape the cloth around his neck to help alleviate his headache. Suddenly, his question took her slightly off guard because of the pity she heard in his voice, her expression softening into sadness. Cassandra only had to look at him for a short moment before answering him, "Not at all." Fingers tried to fix his hair that had clearly gotten messed from the bandaging. But, even with the wound, with how exhausted he looked, he was far from a monster. And that was so unfortunate for her right now. Biting down on her bottom lip, she wondered how she was going to get him up onto that bed. Maybe if she allowed him to rest for a moment, he'd be able to get up to his feet.
[ORIN] The cloth on the back of his neck felt amazing and he muttered something inaudible, his head leaning back against the bed as he closed his eyes again, forgetting that he had asked Cassandra a question. So when she answered him, it suddenly came back to him, and he lifted his head again and opened his eyes, both this time, although he couldn't fully open the injured one. He looked at her for a brief moment and let out a small laugh. "You're just trying to be nice. You can tell me it looks hideous. I deserve it, anyway. You don't need to be nice to me, because I'manass..." It nearly took him forever to say the whole sentence, because he was fading, his voice slow and slurring as he spoke. But she was running her fingers through his hair trying to fix it, and it felt really good against the pounding headache he had. He groaned and closed his eyes again.
[CASSANDRA] "Oh, it still looks hideous," she said, her voice still quiet. Perhaps she even sounded slightly amused, just not in her usual way. It could be that she was just exhausted herself now that she was simply sitting there. "But it's alright..." She could have explained that it would get better, that it would heal and leave a scar, but he was already fading...and she didn't need to ramble on like that. Now, she was just delaying herself. Cassandra didn't know why, only that she was finding any little excuse to remain there for even a few seconds more. He was tired, though, and she really didn't want him passing out on the floor. "You should get into bed," she urged, beginning to climb up to her feet, taking him gently by the arm. "So, come on." There was no way she was going to be able to pull him up on her own.
[ORIN] He managed to smirk at her comment of it still looking hideous, and he mumbled, "makes me look like a vagabond, though, right?" He remembered what she had called him before. He might have remembered everything she ever said to him. Just might not be able to recall all of it right now. Though when she told him he should get into bed, there was another devious smirk that crept along his lips, and he opened an eye to look at her. "You want me in bed? Only if you dig your nails into me like that, again..." He was scrambling to try and get himself up, as she was tugging at his arm, groaning as he did, because the room would still not stop spinning, and it was worse when he tried to move.
[CASSANDRA] The vagabond comment made her laugh, because, well...it did make him look more like one. And for him, that was a good thing. Not that she was going to say so anymore than she already had. His next comment, however, gave her brief pause. It was in her nature to comply, just to keep that tease going, but she refrained this time. Instead, she still just grinned to herself and shook her head, doing her best to steady him. He must have had a lot, and Cass couldn't help but wonder if either he or Aric would remember any of this in the morning. That thought also gave her pause once more before carefully leading him to the edge of the bed...then simply letting him slump back and fall onto it. "You're very loose lipped when you're drunk, Mr. Evans," she commented in dry amusement. Instinctively, she removed his boots for him, an act that the Tresterian Duchess from months ago wouldn't have ever bothered to do. But there she was now, cleaning wounds and helping this drunken vagabond into bed. And, frighteningly enough, she was happy to.
[ORIN] As soon as he was on the bed, he fell back, letting out a groan as it felt amazing to be laying on the soft comfortable surface, finally, instead of the floor. "I... should'vedonethishoursago...." He slurred heavily and laughed at Cassandra's comment. "Verrryyyy... I cannot lie when I'm drunk." Something he probably shouldn't have admitted. She was removing his boots, and even that felt amazing right now, since he had been standing in those boots all day long. He couldn't help but wonder why she was helping him. He had been a jerk to her after saving her from the Saelisian. Mostly because he cared about her. And when something was happening to someone he cared about, he tended to go a little overboard with his violent and animalistic side.
He sighed loudly as he yawned, suddenly noticing that his shirt was wet and clinging to him. "Why is my shirt wet?" He had already forgotten, so he rolled slightly, to sit back up, groaning as the room started spinning again. And he pulled his shirt back off, throwing it on the floor before falling back down onto his back.
[CASSANDRA] She was laughing again once he realized that resting would have been really good hours ago. "I tried to get you both to bed, but..." Her words trailed off. Then that whole fiasco happened. She quirked a brow as he stated he couldn't lie, and it piqued her curiosity when she knew she should just leave it be. "Is that so..." Cassandra stared down at him once his boots were tossed aside, still fighting with her own mind to leave it be and walk away. Then, it would seem that he had forgotten what happened to his shirt. "It was tea," she answered simply, not going into details...just as it was going right over his head and leaving her standing there, breathless and staring at the beautifully defined contours of his chest. Lord have mercy on her soul. But it wasn't just that. There was more to this inner conflict than she realized and it was why her stomach was twisting into knots and why her heart ached. Cassandra took a step closer, looking down at him as he lay there. It had been a few moments of silence and she wouldn't be surprised if he had already fallen asleep...but fingers gently traced down the uninjured side of his face before she whispered. "You will probably forget all of this in the morning..." Maybe she was banking on it. "I do not know if you meant me before...but...a part of me wishes you did. That part of me that would stay here, be this...different me..." She suddenly stopped. No, this was foolish, and she already felt herself getting ridiculously emotional and would continue to blame it on lack of sleep. Cass shook her head at herself and stepped back. She did as she said she would and found him a place to rest. It was time to go now. "Goodnight," she whispered.
[ORIN] He was fading really fast. But as Cassandra touched his face, he twitched a little bit, lightly brushing her hand away as if a bug was touching his face. He kept his eyes closed and when she began talking, he responded at first with, "Mmhmmm.." He definitely, most likely, wasn't going to remember any of this in the morning. He had drank half a bottle of whiskey. Maybe more, depending on how he and Aric split it, and he had lost count after the fifth drink. He could hear her talking, but it wasn't making a whole lot of sense to him. "A different you?" He mumbled, repeating what she had ended with. He groggily rolled onto his side and reached out to her, grabbing her hand and held her there so she couldn't leave. "What do you mean?" He mumbled, fighting off the exhaustion, for some strange reason.
[CASSANDRA] Yeah, he was basically asleep. To be honest, she breathed a small sigh of relief. That meant she didn't make a complete fool of herself. Of course, as she was turning and took another step away to leave, he was reaching out for her and halting her immediately. Cassandra stopped breathing, shutting her eyes and keeping her back to him for what felt like minutes. Long, agonizing minutes. Don't ask me that she wanted to say, maybe because she didn't really know how to explain it. Especially to a drunken, jumbled mind like his. She turned just enough to gaze down at their hands, before green eyes traveled up his arm to rest on his face. This would have been easier if he just fell asleep, and now she was about to be even more brazen. Or stupid. Choose one. Perhaps it was both. Cassandra didn't speak, only spun around quickly before the logical part of her brain completely took over, and closed that distance between them. Everything was telling her to stop. Every voice in her head was screaming at her not to do it, but she refused to listen. Leaning down, she was grabbing his face to claim his mouth in a kiss she knew had to end just as quickly. But for the next few torturous seconds, she kissed him as though she could taste the whiskey still on his lips, desperate for her own drunken lull.
[ORIN] His eyes were only opened slightly, and he couldn't tell if she was facing him or not. But she wasn't answering him, so he was beginning to think he had imagined she said something to him. Or maybe he was dreaming. But he could feel her hand in his, and he wasn't letting go, not until, suddenly, out of nowhere, he had lips pressing against his own. It jolted him awake, because he wasn't expecting it. What was happening? He began wondering if this was a dream. If it was, he didn't want it to end. His free hand, while the other remained holding onto hers, reached up and grabbed the back of her head, his fingers weaving into her hair, and he pulled her in closer to him as he returned the kiss, happy to share that whisky flavor with her.
[CASSANDRA] A few seconds. It was all she wanted, it was all she thought she needed. This was a moment of weakness because Cassandra had been struggling to figure out who she was, what she wanted...and right now, this was all she wanted, even if it caused her pain later. As he drew her in closer, she sighed happily against his mouth, falling into him even though she knew she had to draw away. It was wrong, so very wrong, but damn, she didn't care anymore. Her hand drifted from his face, curling fingers into the bareness of his shoulder.
[ORIN] A sober Orin, would have stopped this. Maybe. It was wrong, and even in his drunken state, he knew this was wrong. She was a married woman, she did not belong to him, he could not have her. But at this moment, he wasn't thinking straight. As she fell into him, he finally let go of her hand, wrapping his arms around her to pull her onto the bed and up against him, groaning as her fingers were curling into his shoulder. He did not break that kiss. He didn't dare to, in fear that this was all just a dream and he'd wake up from it soon. His own fingers curled into her hair, while the other remained on the small of her back, holding her close.
[CASSANDRA] Molding against him, this was going further than she anticipated, more than it should have. But she couldn't stop that drugging kiss, even though half her mind was screaming at her to stop. He was drunk, he wasn't himself...this wasn't fair to either of them. The logic was there, blaring in her ears, but it was easily ignored for the taste of his lips, his heavy breath, the feel of his heart that pounded in his chest as her hand moved to rest there. She didn't know what suddenly snapped her out of it, but she was very slow to try and break that kiss; just enough to whisper against his mouth. "I'm sorry." She didn't sound very apologetic. "You're drunk..." Perhaps a tiny part of her felt guilty, like she was taking advantage of him. Cassandra was trying to explain this, but the words simply weren't there.
[ORIN] He wasn't thinking, which was the beauty and also a curse of being drunk. All that mattered was this very moment. He held her against him, still, his other hand remaining on her face as his lips continued to desperately search her own. But she was pulling them away from him and talking, apologizing for something, and stating the obvious. He looked up at her, his fingers still tangled into her hair. "Is that a problem?" But before she could answer, he was pulling her back down, claiming her lips once again, but only for a brief moment, because he broke the kiss to speak again. "Do you disprove of my drunkenness?" He was pressing his lips against hers again, though this time, allowing it to linger a bit longer.
[CASSANDRA] Oh no, he wasn't making this any easier. She tried, she desperately tried, but he was drawing her in deeper with those fingers in her hair, the way he kept kissing her in between lulls of doubt. Damn him. She had started this, though. This was entirely her fault, she knew. He was barely giving her a chance to answer, and the way she showed her mild frustration with that was to nibble down on his bottom lip. "No," she responded to both his questions. "But-" That hand traveled up from his shoulder to press a finger against his mouth, perhaps to stop her from kissing him again. "This might be taking advantage of you." That very thought had amused her, and it was evident by the beaming grin that lit up her face. Wasn't it normally the other way around?
[ORIN] He moaned as she nibbled on his bottom lip like that and then blocked their lips with her finger. His blue-green eyes looked at her for a moment, as she was speaking again. Something about taking advantage of him? Or was she accusing him of taking advantage of her? He stared at her, looking as if he were thinking of something, but then, he removed his fingers from her hair and moved it to pull her finger away from his lips. He grinned, claiming her lips once again in a quick kiss, before he spoke. "So?" Was all he said before he was teasing her lips with his again.
[CASSANDRA] What a blissfully ignorant drunk. Or maybe his head was a bit more clear than she thought and he simply didn't care. But the point was...she cared. She made this leap, took this risk that she still didn't fully understand, all with the possibility of him not remembering a single thing come morning. Was that a blessing in disguise, or would that make everything worse? It was hard to think when he was kissing her, answering her with a single worded question. None of it helped, and all it did was make the rest of her walls of resolve crack and crumble. Cassandra was always a bit of a risk taker, and maybe this was no exception. Maybe his whiskey lips made her drunk as well. Consequences. What were those again? Forcefully breaking away, green eyes stared down at his beautifully scarred face for a spans of a couple of heartbeats, and then she spoke; leaning in, her words a whisper in his ear, "Then do as you wish."
[ORIN] Maybe it was a little bit of both. He was blissfully ignorant as a drunk. But he had stopped caring about his feelings and the possibility of love long ago. As he had told Aric, he didn't have much luck with any of it. So he took what he could get, perhaps. He was a man with needs and desires, afterall. As she broke away and looked down at him, he stared back up at her, studying her face and the way she was looking at him. It was enough to take his breath away for a moment. Then, she was leaning into him, whispering to him to do as he wished. He stared at her, still, maybe in slight disbelief of this all. He slowly sat up, his head began to spin from his drunkenness and his heart was suddenly pounding in his chest. He wondered if this was really what she wanted. How much trouble would they get into after this night? Oh, well, fuck that. He grabbed her face into his hands and pulled her back into him, pressing his lips hard against her own before he was gathering her up into his arms and turning her so she was on her back now. He broke the kiss and looked down at her now as he hovered over her. He, once again admired her briefly before he leaned down and breathed a whisper against her ear, "Are you sure?" As he waited for her answer, he started to ever so lightly, brush his lips along her jawline.
[CASSANDRA] Those eyes never left his face, studying it and wondering what was going through his mind. Was he about to deny her, was he thinking less of her...would he think less of her? Despite what some Tresterians might say, the Duchess didn't sleep with every man she came across. Still, there was a worry glinting in those emerald depths, trying to sort through the array of emotions and thoughts in those few seconds of silence. Then suddenly, he was kissing her again, and she returned it with heated intensity until she was gasping in surprise when he reversed their positions; the bastard whispering into her ear and playing her own game. She didn't think her delighted smile could widen anymore, those feathery kisses along her jaw a pleasant distraction. Cassandra told herself that she wouldn't care if he somehow forgot any of this. She silently swore she wouldn't be hurt or offended. Wasn't she trying to live more in the moment these days? As her chin tilted- not in her usual haughtiness but to further expose the column of her neck to his gentle onslaught- one of those slender legs had freed itself from the confines of her nightdress to hook around his own. Fingers blindly studied the muscles of his back until nails dug into skin, just hard enough to prove a point. "Yes," she gasped softly.
[ORIN] There wasn't a whole lot running through his mind at the moment because the alcohol was blissfully clouding his judgment and his thoughts. Had he been sober, there may have been some inner conflict going on. But here, in this moment, he only thought about her. How amazingly lovely she smelled as he kissed down her neck, waiting for her answer. Would she deny him then? Change her mind and run away from him? Was he dreaming this, because it all was feeling surreal to him. He didn't want to wake up. Please don't wake up Orin was quickly becoming more desperate to do what he wished with her, the longer she kept him waiting for her final permission. He felt that leg of hers wrap around his own, which only made that desperation even worse. He moved a hand down to that leg, and ran its calloused surface up to her thigh, freeing it some more from her nightdress. Her skin was soft and smooth and it was doing something to him and his desperation. Please say yes he thought to himself. So as those slender fingers trailed along his skin, he arched his back and breathed a warm sigh of pleasure against her neck. Finally, she was speaking that one word he so desperately wanted to hear, and her nails were digging into his skin. He groaned loudly into her ear, and as if that very word was what was holding him back, he was lowering himself down on her, though careful not to crush her under his own weight, and he was claiming her mouth again with his own with a fiery intensity as if she had somehow awoken something in him. As he kissed her in such a heated passion, his fingers still dared to move up her thigh and under the fabrics of her dress. He randomly started to wonder how many layers of fabric would he have to remove to get to her. That very thought brought a smirk to his lips, breaking their kiss slightly, which he did not like, so he pressed his mouth harder against her own, not wanting to make that mistake again.
