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Post by Grace Harper on Jun 1, 2020 12:55:17 GMT -5
Grace's eyebrows rose as he rolled up his sleeves to reveal a dark network of tattoos climbing his left arm. She wondered if each one had a story to go with it, and if she might convince him to tell her. Her brain very unhelpfully supplied a mental image of the two of them in the little cave she'd just told him about, dappled light shining through the waterfall as she trailed her fingertips along the tattoos and asked about each one in turn. Focus! Goodness she must have been cooped up for far too long if all it took was half an hour around a man to send her into such frivolous daydreams.
When he threw her a grin over his shoulder and mentioned him seeing the waterfall cave for himself, she almost wondered if he'd read her mind as she squeaked slightly and looked away, pretending she was trying not to trip although she was sure he'd know anyway. He certainly seemed to know he was handsome, based on the sureness in his grins. She was a little jealous of his confidence.
His smile was different, though, when he commented on her twirling her hair, and she stopped dead in her tracks for a moment when he said it was cute. He seemed serious about it, and it surprised her. She'd hardly realized she was doing it, until he said something. She stared at him, bewildered, until she realized what she was being ridiculous and hurried to catch up. "Um, thank you..." she murmured.
When they reached the stones and he said to go first she initially hesitated. But, even as she stepped backward, a change came over her and she stood up a little taller and set her jaw. She was going to be brave and go on adventures. She didn't need him to go first.
"I'll go," she declared, twisting herself to the side so she could slip between the boulders.
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Lux
32
Noncommittal player
Survivalist
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Inigo Westwood on Jun 1, 2020 22:46:19 GMT -5
Again, she never failed to surprise him. While perhaps a little uneasy at first, she quickly regained herself, declaring she'd go first. He'd raised a brow at her, giving her a lopsided grin as she began to move between the massive rocks. He followed behind her, minding his steps as they went. He was nearly too big to fit as both his chest and back barely missed scraping along the jagged boulders.
On the other side, the view was already expansive. They were at a cliff that seemed to come level with the trees that covered the rest of Wynfrid territory. "We're almost there." He said to her as his hand landed on her shoulder softly and he pointed to their right. A small path had been worn by none other than Inigo himself. It was hardly visible, but it seemed to be more obvious once pointed at. He took his hair down again before gathering all of it up and putting it back into a full bun to get it off his next. As the day carried on, spring made its presence known as the temperature rose. Satisfied with what was likely half-assed work, he began to move forward, motioning for Grace to follow. "Now all you need to look for is this huge oak tree that looks really out of place with the pines." He said as they walked. "You're quite brave, you know that?" He said unprovoked. He really meant it. This young woman had met a stranger and agreed to go on a walk with him deep into Wynfrid territory, off the main path no less. Anyone else might have been far more skeptical.
As the oak tree came into view next to a part of the earth that rose into the sky, Inigo smiled turned on his heel to look at her, arms opening wide as he walked backwards. "We're here!" He said excitedly before stopping, waiting for her to reach his side before he pointed to the small plateau ahead. "All we have to do now is get to the top of that and then you'll see what I mean." He told her, reaching for her hand.
Climbing the plateau was light work, the grass-covered rise seemed to provide a natural set of steps, likely a place where rain ran off its side unevenly making for an easy time getting to the top. He helped Grace where she needed it, having lost his footing on the loose rocks a few times himself. Once at the top, he moved to the edge, beckoning her to join him. The view was magnificent as always. High above the trees, it was easy to see the sea beyond the edge of Aldsage, stretching for miles towards the horizon, unhindered by anything. In the mid-afternoon sun, the water sparkled, looking bluer than appeared when at the shore. In all directions, one could see as far as the eye would allow, almost as if having a bird's eye view of the island. It never got old to Inigo and after a moment of admiration, he turned to Grace with a soft smile that lit up his blue eyes. "What do you think?" He asked her softly.
ooc: I typically don't use images for references like this, but in case my post was confusing in its description of the view, imagine something like this.
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Post by Grace Harper on Jun 2, 2020 7:11:32 GMT -5
Grace was already in awe of the view just on the other side of the rocks, staring out over the treetops that had always seemed like the roof of the world to her. She didn't think she'd ever been this high up. His hand on her shoulder made her jump slightly, but she turned and smiled.
"There's more?"
She watched from the corner of her eye as he redid his hair again, trying her best not to stare, although her fingers practically itched to take over. The style he ended up with was messy, but it did keep his hair out of his face, which appeared to be the goal. She bit her lip, seriously considering offering to braid it back for him, but shook herself out of it as he started to walk again.
She set the directions to memory; west towards the shore but off the normal path so that they followed the cliffs uphill. Between the two rocks, so close you felt you had to hold your breath to make it through. Follow the path to an oak tree that stands out among the pines. She walked peacefully just behind him now, enjoying the sun on her cheeks and the breeze that blew her hair out of her face from time to time, cooling the back of her neck.
She frowned at the back of his head when he said she was brave. She was trying to be, really...but... "It doesn't seem so scary, if I'm doing it with you," she told him quietly, the honesty clear in her voice. She didn't go into detail about the way his smile made her stomach do flips or the fact that she didn't feel like he was a stranger anymore. She was honestly a little relieved when they glimpsed the oak tree ahead so that she couldn't put her foot in her mouth any more than that.
He sped up but turned to wait for her once he was there, and his excitement brought the smile back to her face. She was surprised when he took her hand, and the blush returned to her cheeks with a vengeance, but she soon saw why--the incline they were climbing looked simple, but the rocks shifted underfoot from time to time, making her squeak and scramble to get her footing back. She was a little disappointed when he released her at the top and hurried to the edge, but she followed along.
The view took her breath away. She felt as if she could see the whole island from here, and the sea stretching away into the horizon as if it went on forever. She could see all the way along the coast of their land and even a few tiny figures out swimming in the waves who looked like ants from this vantage point. Inigo's head turning towards her caught her attention, and as she met his gaze she was struck by the way his eyes matched the ocean behind him. She could practically feel any coherent answer she might have had to his question fall right out of her head as a ridiculous grin spread over her face.
She laughed breathlessly for a moment and shook her head. "I'm speechless. It's..." she waved her hand helplessly, struggling for a word. "Amazing. Beautiful." Those didn't quite reach the level of the emotion that was making her feel like she was floating higher than the clouds themselves, but at least she'd managed to say something.
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Lux
32
Noncommittal player
Survivalist
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Inigo Westwood on Jun 2, 2020 19:40:24 GMT -5
He'd smiled more in the short time with her than he had over the entire three years he'd been stranged on Aldsage. She seemed filled with such a natural curiosity and wonder for the world around her and it made Inigo... Happy. He was happy that he could bring her some ease, that she felt not so afraid by his side. For some reason, it made him feel good inside. That was something he often felt, truthfully. Mostly, it was turmoil within his tattooed body, but today? Here, with Grace? He felt something so freeing with her presence and he craved more of it, even if that craving was almost selfish and sadistic in nature.
He beamed at her reaction to the view, sitting as she admired it, nodding in agreement at her description. It was a difficult place to choose any one word for, that was definite. But the two she'd used? They were perfect. Patting the space next to him, where his legs dangled over the edge, he turned to put his hands in his lap as he waited for her to join him. If she chose to sit with him, he'd look at her to speak. "This is my favorite place." He said as he stared across the space. "You won't believe me when I say it, but it somehow gets even more beautiful at sunset." He chuckled softly. He then turned his soft gaze back towards her. "I'm glad I could share this with you, Grace." He said softly, reaching for her hand so he could place a gentle kiss upon her knuckles if she allowed it.
He knew now that before they parted ways, she'd need to know the truth about him. He'd done his part in making her believe he was part of the Wolf's clan. The last thing he wanted was to endanger himself, and likely subsequently her. He'd frowned slightly at the thought, knowing full on well that she may be angry or wish to never see him again. Hell, she may even tell her clan anyway, and then the manhunt would begin. Perhaps it simply depended on which chance he was willing to take. Either way, it ended with one or both of them in danger it seemed. But then, perhaps the Wolves would not be so quick to turn on one of their own... Perhaps.
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Post by Grace Harper on Jun 2, 2020 20:32:41 GMT -5
Grace followed his gesture, sitting down next to him with her legs over the edge of the cliff. She swung her feet gently, marveling at how high they were, and a reckless grin split her face as a strange mix of terror and joy ran through her.
His voice caught her attention and she turned to him with curiosity in her eyes, although the smile still lingered on her lips. Knowing this was his favorite place made it even sweeter that he would share it with her. This was definitely a different Inigo, she decided, watching him as he looked out across the coast. More thoughtful, certainly, but also more genuine. She hadn't doubted him before, or thought he was lying, exactly--it was more that this was deeper, as if he'd hidden it under a mask. How funny that they'd only met a little while ago. It felt as if they were the only two people in the world.
She caught herself getting ahead of herself and tried to reel herself in. She shouldn't be thinking like this. He was just being nice and friendly. He'd shown her this because she said she wanted an adventure. They'd only known each other for the morning. She was being ridiculous.
"I can only imagine!" she answered lightly when he said the sunset was even more beautiful, and she was prepared to add more, already opening her mouth to thank him for bringing her, when he turned towards her and the words caught in her throat. She didn't stop him from taking her hand, or brushing that gentle kiss across her knuckles, but her heart certainly stopped for a moment. Could he tell what he was doing to her?
She stared at him as her brain struggled to catch up with the reality. She'd never thought of herself as being slow-witted, so what was it about this one man that turned her mute? She just couldn't wrap her mind around him, what was happening, or the paradoxical emotions chasing each other in circles around her rib cage. Terror and hope blurred together into an overwhelming mess that almost brought tears to her eyes with their sheer intensity.
"I'm sorry I...you...you make it very difficult to think, but..." She paused, and a smile brightened her face. "I think I like it. Thank you, Inigo. For sharing this with me...and for helping me be brave."
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Lux
32
Noncommittal player
Survivalist
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Inigo Westwood on Jun 2, 2020 21:06:19 GMT -5
He could certainly see the effect he had on her. It was written across her face like the words spread out across the pages of a book. The problem was that he felt.. Conflicted. Back in Teronna, it was easy to dismiss the feelings that women had, the way they practically threw themselves at his feet. It was easy to neglect them. They were simple to bed. A few empty compliments and pretending to pay attention and care about their day-to-day lives was all it took before they were tangled in his sheets, promptly put out as soon as he was done with them. Those women didn't mind. They simply took the L and moved on to the next thing, then the next, then the next. It was easy to not feel remorse for women who had no self-respect, no dignity. But Grace? Sure, it would be easy to bed her too, but she was so different than the women in Teronna. She had a sense of self, even if she buried it deep beneath her family's routine. She was not looking for a fling or aiming to simply sleep with him. Instead, she was thirsty for adventure, to see things she hadn't seen before. As far as Inigo could tell, she actually wanted something out of life. And she was oh, so naive and sweet; innocent in the ways that she carried herself. It almost made him sick with himself.
Her words pulled him from his silent thoughts and he smiled, the smallest hint of a 'hmph' escaping him in the form of a laugh. "There's no need to thank me. This is worth sharing, more so with you." He said as he stared ahead. "You also don't need to thank me for 'helping you be brave.'" He said, forming air quotes around the word with his fingers as his tone sobered. "You were already brave." He said absent-mindedly.
Clearing his throat, he looked at her with a bright smile. Now was as good a time as any. "You know, at the risk of making you uncomfortable-" He began, pausing for a brief moment to gauge her reaction. "I think you're even more beautiful than the view." He said softly, leaning closer to her so that their shoulders touched and his face was inches from her own, his hand resting next to hers as he spoke, blue-grey eyes meeting her soft browns. He reached up then, curling a strand of her brown locks around his fingertips. "I like spending time with you, Grace." He said in a deep voice as he held her gaze, leaning closer still.
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Post by Grace Harper on Jun 2, 2020 21:32:10 GMT -5
Grace's face fell again as he turned back to the view and told her there was no need to thank him. Why did she feel like there were suddenly miles between them? Even with the bright smile on his face as he turned back to her, her discomfort only grew. He was saying everything she'd thought she wanted to hear...but it sounded hollow, now. Something was wrong; she could feel it resonating in her bones. She didn't move when he leaned closer, but the way he twirled her hair around his fingers wrung a gentle sigh from her. She glanced down at his lips, so close to her own, but the expression on her face was almost pained as she met his gaze once more.
"Inigo...?"
She wanted to kiss him so badly it ached. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to think this was real. But she couldn't. She'd felt the change in the air as surely as if she'd been dunked in cold water. She wasn't sure what she'd done to ruin it, to make him hide again, but she wished she could take it back.
"If you don't mean it, please...please don't," she pleaded, ashamed of the quiver in her voice.
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Lux
32
Noncommittal player
Survivalist
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Inigo Westwood on Jun 2, 2020 21:54:44 GMT -5
His jaw tightened at the sound of his name coming off her lips. It sounded so sweet and he wanted to hear it more. He wanted to hear it a hundred different ways. Why was she the exciting new target? Why did it have to be her? He tensed at her next words and they sent a surging feeling through his body that he was not familiar with. Was this what remorse felt like? Was this guilt? Either way, he couldn't stand that quiver in her voice. She was suppose to be brave, dammit!
Despite what he felt, his expression softened from his beaming smile to something only slightly more serious, passionately so. He reached over then, cupping her face in his hand, making her look at him as his thumb stroked her cheek. "Do you think I didn't mean any of this?" He asked her, his voice barely above a whisper. "I haven't told you a lie yet." He said to her, his fingers trailing down to her chin as he looked at her, his eyes glancing down to her lips for the briefest of moments. Of course, he had told a few white lies in their exchange, but perhaps that was a bigger lie in itself.
Meeting her eyes again, he leaned closer to her so that his lips barely brushed her before his hand found her cheek again, pulling her into him as he finally planted a gentle kiss against her soft lips, then another with increased intensity before he pulled away, looking at her with a half-smile, the glimmer that was in his eyes before now returning. His expression was apologetic. Perhaps that had been the wrong move, but damn how he had wanted to do that from the very moment he'd laid eyes on her.
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Post by Grace Harper on Jun 2, 2020 22:28:19 GMT -5
Grace could feel herself trembling from the force of her heart pounding in her chest, barely steadied when he cupped her face in his hand. His calloused hands were rough, but his touch was gentle as he trailed his fingers along her jaw. She swallowed hard, trying to keep herself together. If she stopped him, if she ran, could she pretend it was all just a dream? Would he try to stop her?
"Do you think I didn't mean any of this?" he asked her, and the hope sparked back to life, warming her from the inside out. He continued: "I haven't told you a lie yet." The spark was now a blaze. She watched him as he glanced at her lips and held his gaze until his lips brushed hers before her eyes fluttered closed. His lips were soft, warmer than hers, she thought. She let herself be drawn in for a gentle kiss, then a stronger one, a kiss that hinted at more. She was a little disappointed as he pulled away. She stayed where she was, with her eyes closed for a moment, letting herself take in the moment. Her first kiss. It was definitely as nice as she'd hoped.
She opened her brown eyes to smile at him, although a hint of confusion crossed her face when she saw his. He looked almost...sorry. "What are you thinking...?" She asked, even though she was a little afraid of the answer.
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Lux
32
Noncommittal player
Survivalist
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Inigo Westwood on Jun 2, 2020 22:45:03 GMT -5
He liked the feeling of her lips against his, more than he could have possibly imagined. It was such a strange feeling that he wanted so much more. Well, it wasn't strange that he wanted more, just strange that he wanted it in a much different way than what was normal for him. Her eyes remained close for a moment, and his hand traveled down her cheek to her neck, then along her arm, his fingertips tinglings as the feeling of her soft skin against his touch. As her eyes finally opened, he reached to tuck her hair behind her ear, giving her a her with a sad expression now. "I was worried you were going to react badly." He admitted with a chuckle. "But, seeing as how you didn't.." His voice trailed forward as he leaned to kiss her again, with more hunger each time their lips collided.
He nearly groaned against her lips as his hands found her waist, pulling her tight into him when his arms wrapped around her small frame. With a heavy breath, he forced himself away, his hands already tempted to explore her body. He wouldn't have her, not like this. She required suave; she required grace. He nearly laughed at his own thoughts, but instead placed a kiss on her forehead. "Do you feel better?" He asked, a slightly worried look in his eyes. "You looked like you were going to cry earlier." He winked at her and gave her a playful nudge, though his gaze still drifted to her lips from time to time. He definitely wanted more, but he also knew that self-control did wonders. And how sweet it was going to be when he could finally have her - all of her.
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Post by Grace Harper on Jun 2, 2020 23:23:34 GMT -5
Oh. Oh.
That was definitely not what she expected, but she returned his kisses with almost as much ardor. When his hands hit her waist, she felt as if she had permission to touch him, too, her hands trailing over his, up his arms to his shoulders, and finally curling into the hair at the base of his neck, ruining his already messy bun. He pulled her close and she was more than fine with that--she was happy with whatever she could get, at the moment. She didn't untangle her hands when he pulled away to kiss her forehead; now that she could touch, she wasn't going to let go.
That wink went straight to her heart again, and she laughed with just a hint of recklessness behind it. She had half a mind to just kiss him again, and let that be her answer. Better? She felt amazing. He felt amazing. Just having his arms still around her was making her brain go fuzzy.
"Definitely better...although you're not wrong." She bit her lip, looking away for a moment as she tried to decide what to tell him. She didn't want to ruin this.
"I was afraid," She paused, took a deep breath, and met his eyes. "I've never felt this way, before. I've never even kissed anyone. And I didn't...I don't want to get into something that doesn't mean anything. I just..." She shook her head. "I want too much. More than I should. I'm not being fair, or sane, or reasonable." She smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes.
"You should probably run while you still can. Before I get my hopes up."
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Lux
32
Noncommittal player
Survivalist
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Inigo Westwood on Jun 3, 2020 19:42:48 GMT -5
He'd laughed at her. Of course he had. She was being silly. Or, well, there was some reasonable reaction to fear there, but as far as he'd let her know, she was being silly. Although, he was a little taken aback when she mentioned never kissing anyone before. He smiled down at her and chuckled to himself. "Well, I certainly hope I set the bar high for your expectation of your first kiss." He said, flashing her a toothy grin. "But, if I'm being honest with the both of us, being a little selfish in the heat of passion isn't necessarily a bad thing." He said, wrapping his arms tighter around her. "Besides, I literally just met you and I'm already being selfish in that I'm being quite hasty with you, so perhaps neither of us are being reasonable." He teased, booping her nose with his finger before she spoke again. He noted the smile that didn't reach her eyes, but he was certain by the end of their interaction, she wouldn't be able to stop grinning; they never could. Even he doubted he'd be able to wipe the smile from his own face.
He laughed again at her words, this time having to remove one of his hands from her waist to cover his own stomach as his laugh rang out over the vast face. Once his laughter had ceased, he leaned towards her, his lips barely brushing hers. "If anyone should be running, it should be you, little wolf." He said with the slightest hint of a growl, though the words were mostly playful in tone. "I'm not sure you realize just what you're getting yourself into." He pulled away to poke her side lightly and smiled with a devious spark in his eyes.
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Post by Grace Harper on Jun 3, 2020 20:15:39 GMT -5
He didn't run. He wasn't running? He thought she was being silly? Hm. He kept surprising her, just when she thought she was beginning to understand.
She tried not to smile, but she couldn't keep it off her face for long with him so close and grinning at her like that. Maybe she really was being silly, getting worried about him running off like that. He was right, after all--both of them had jumped into things pretty quickly, not just her. But he wasn't pushing her into anything she didn't want, which served to smooth a few of her nerves. Of course, the teasing in his eyes and that sly grin didn't hurt either.
She gave him a mischievous grin of her own when he told her she was the one who ought to be running, giving her a little growl. Hm, that wasn't something she thought she'd find attractive, but it certainly sung along her nerves like a plucked string on a lyre. Her smile grew when he said she didn't know what she was getting into, and she did her best to look suspicious in spite of her grin.
"Oh, really now? Are you going to tell me you're secretly a werewolf? Or perhaps a wendigo who eats pretty young women for dinner? Or, no, I've got it, you have three wives already, but you'd like me to become your fourth."
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Lux
32
Noncommittal player
Survivalist
Tier 1 Character
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Post by Inigo Westwood on Jun 5, 2020 0:06:31 GMT -5
He liked Grace, that much was clear. But whether that was because he was feeling lonely or the feeling was genuine was still in the air for debate. Until he figured it out, he didn't see the harm in having a little fun and indulging himself just a little. Of course, that thought caused a slight war to rise within himself, despite the smile on his face or the deep laugh that escaped him as she spoke again.
"You got me." He said without missing a beat. "I'm a werewolf." He raised his hands in the air jokingly. "But you got one thing wrong. I don't have three wives." He side-eyed her, feigning being offended. "I have four." He teased with a slight nudge against her shoulder. "And before you ask, they are lovely and good wives." He was just being dramatic now. He chuckled then, giving her a crooked grin. "And I'm assuming that you're really a siren? Luring me to my death?" He asked her, leaning away from her as he pretended to be shocked.
It felt nice to have a mere moment to be playful and fun. It made him forget about his internal battles, helped him feel more like him old self; before the trauma he'd suffered, before entering into a life of crime, before being stranded on Aldsage with no one and nothing to call a friend. Now, with the friendly banter between he and Grace, Inigo almost felt.. light.
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Post by Grace Harper on Jun 5, 2020 17:10:14 GMT -5
Grace laughed and covered her mouth with her hand as he told her what she'd gotten 'wrong.' "Four!" she fake gasped, "Wouldn't a fifth be a little greedy, then?"
She did her best to stop laughing long enough to look flattered by his remark about being a siren as she put her hand over her heart and batted her lashes dramatically. "Oh no, you overestimate me. I am but a lowly forest witch that scares naughty children who don't clean their rooms or wash their hands before dinner." Now it was her turn to wink. She really did use that as a way to chase her little cousins into washing their hands and picking up their clothes off the floor, cackling like a witch, and chasing them around to tickle them. It was fun and it got the job done. "I trust you don't have any of those, even with your four wives?" She raised her eyebrows at him with a coy grin.
This time she really was curious. She'd told Inigo about her family, but she hadn't heard anything about his. She certainly hoped he wasn't actually married, given the turn things had taken. She wouldn't mind if they just kept messing around, of course, but she was very interested to hear how he answered this idea.
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