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Spare a Room? {DragonSong}

Started by Celegwen, February 07, 2018, 07:48:48 PM

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Celegwen

Declan hardly noticed the condition he was in. In all honesty, he hadn't expected a visitor after the door was closed. Considering how much time he spent among people of all classes, it was genuinely shocking how little he actually applied social customs to himself.

The sudden squeak Lily let out made the elf realize just how exposed he was. A slight blush crept onto his cheeks, hidden by the low light. Because of the storm outside, the room he was staying in was lit with over a dozen candles. Most of them were placed strategically on the ground, but others were on the desk, wardrobe, and nightstands.

Declan placed the plate on the desk, turning his back to the girl. He hastily pulled his robe closed, tying it in a loose knot. Turning back to face Lily, he shrugged, unable to think of a believable excuse. "Apologies," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

He swallowed nervously and walked toward the window. She was right: there was no way the rain would let up anytime soon, and Declan would never make Jackson work on the carriage in that weather.

"Well, I suppose you'll be stuck with me a little longer," he said in feigned exasperation. With a smirk, the elf jumped onto the large bed, sliding with the blankets to the side where all of his papers were laid out. His violet eyes practically glowed from the candlelight and his own excitement. Crouching again in the only space in the center of the papers, Declan smiled at Lily. "This is one of my many hobbies."

What he was doing made several people think he was mad. "Come here," he extended his hand to her, standing up and would help her jump into the small circle with him. If she knew anything about the sky, Lily would immediately be able to at least vaguely make out the patterns of stars. "What does it look like to you?"

DragonSong

“Oh! Um...” A little hesitantly, Lily took his hand and allows him to help her into the circle. They were pressed rather close together, and the fact that he’d closed his robe did little to purge the mental image of it open from her mind.

She was going to a special kind of hell, she just knew it.

She gave herself a little shake and tried to focus on the papers around her feet. “It looks like...like...” Her brow furrowed and she crouched to get a better look, momentarily forgetting that she still held his hand. “Are they...constellations? That’s the Grand Matron, isn’t it? And that’s the Swan...”

As a girl not allowed to spend much time engaged in physicality, Lily had spent much of her childhood staring at stars and clouds, anything above her head that made her feel the “bigness” of the world. Aside from the rare times she was actually allowed out in the kennel or stable, they were some of her fondest memories, tracking star patterns with Dorian or finding shapes in the clouds with Jorris and Jess.

She looked back up to Declan, curious. “What are they for?”

Celegwen

Regardless of whether or not it was entirely appropriate, Declan made no attempt to separate himself from Lily as she focused on the constellations he had drawn. "Exactly right," he said, following her gaze around his hand-drawn celestial map.

"You were asking me earlier about the sea," he started. "Well, when I said that I grew up near the sea, I was telling you only half the story. I studied the sea. Just so you understand, I tend to get overly invested in my work, especially when I have nothing more to occupy my mind. Anyway, I studied everything the sea had to offer, from sea life to sailing.

"Well, what the sailors had was a mixture of star maps, instincts, stories, and experience. Needless to say, it isn't exactly the most reliable technique. I've begun charting the stars in a way that maps the patterns through every season, while also marking the ocean currents and dangerous areas to avoid. Hopefully, when I perfect the system, it'll save a lot of people from being lost at sea. Plus, it doesn't make those at the embassy make dismissal threats when I'm bringing my outlandish ideas to life."

That was the first time he had ever shared this particular hobby with anyone. The sea was a special piece of his childhood, one that most at the embassy didn't understand, so he typically tried to keep his knowledge of the stars and seas to himself.

DragonSong

She looked between him and the handmade star charts, and slowly a smile curved at her lips. "That's...rather wonderful, Declan." She lifted her eyes to smile at him properly, meeting his gaze probably for the first time since she'd entered the room. "A noble goal, certainly."

Very carefully, she started to pick her way back out of the circle. And was brought up short by the realization that she still clasped his hand in hers. "Oh." She blinked at their hands, then flushed and tried to disentangle her fingers as gracefully as possible. "Forgive me, I didn't even realize," she chuckled a little nervously, backing up a step.

The backs of her knees fetched up against the side of the bed and she collapsed back into it with a rather undignified squeak, though she quickly righted herself and attempted to brush her hair back behind her ears primly. "Right. Well, um. Stars, yes. Good. Stars."

Cheeks scarlet, Lily leaned forward over the edge of the bed to attempt to busy herself with the charts again. Suddenly her embarrassment faded away this guy she she pointed to a particular paper and asked curiosity, "That one there- one is supposed to navigate north by the middle star, right? What do you call the constellation in Serendipity?"

Celegwen

He smiled at her slight clumsiness, actually finding it endearing in a way. Her curiosity in his passion made his heart race. Declan loved talking about subjects on which he was knowledgeable, so questions were more than welcome.

"This one?" He asked, pointing to the star she was to make sure he was correct in the constellation. "In Serendipity, we call it Mother Bear. She watches over us and guides us when we're lost, just as a mother would. The bear just comes because it kind of looks like a bear." He let out a small chuckle, biting his lower lip.

Jumping up, he sped over to the window, then pursed his lips, having forgotten about the storm. With how scattered his mind was, it was sometimes hard to believe that the ambassador was truly a brilliant man.

"When the clouds disappear, perhaps I can actually show you the map outside." He smirked at Lily, leaning over the opposite side of the bed to face her. "Better yet," he said with a gleam in his eye, "I could even show it to you in relation to the sea." His arm swept in front of him, as though painting the scene for her. "Just imagine... Out on the water with only the stars and the will of the seas to guide you!"

DragonSong

Lily smiled as she watched him race to the window, drawing her legs up onto the bed. It seemed he'd momentarily forgotten about the storm in his excitement- which was actually sort of adorable, a word she wouldn't have thought to apply to the ambassador before.

And idea suddenly struck her and she rose to her feet, carefully picking her way across the floor to stand beside him. "That sounds...wonderful, actually." She smiled a little wistfully. "If a little lonely. Beautiful they may be, but I doubt the stars and sea are much for conversation."

She hesitated, biting her lip, then continued, "I... Can I show you something?" She backed toward the door as she extended a hand to him in invitation. Nerves made her stomach flutter and she tried to push the feeling away.

Celegwen

Declan felt his heart racing in his chest, and he couldn't tell whether it was from his own excitement or her presence close to him. Perhaps, it was some combination of the two.

He shrugged slightly at her comment about sailing being lonely. In a way, it was lonely. In other ways, it was one of the most peaceful and fulfilling existences someone could live.

Lily's invitation sparked his curiosity, and he parted his lips slightly in a smile. "Of course," the elf said quietly. He took her hand gently with a daring look in his eye. "What're you going to show me?" He asked, biting his lip in an eager smirk. His professionalism seemed to have disappeared, replaced with his genuine personality.

DragonSong

Oh dear.

Lily flushed, but she couldn't help returning his smirk with a playful smile of her own as she pulled him toward the door. "I hope you don't mind the rain," she answered cryptically as she pulled him out into the hall.

With barely a cursory glance to make sure they wouldn't be spotted, she quickly darted down the west hall to the main chamber of the upper floor, then took a sharp turn to a rather unimposing little door that led simply to a gently curving staircase. Without really thinking about it, she slid her hand in Declan's so their fingers were laced together, keeping her grip light but still very much present.

Gathering up her skirts in one hand she led him up the stairs to yet another door. The wind and rain could be heard just outside, howling with all the energy of a sudden summer storm. Breathing just a little more sharply than normal, Lily tilted her head at her guest as she hesitated on the top step, just before the door.

"Trust me?" Her eyes had darkened from silver to stormy gray, a wicked glint like moonlight off steel giving her expression a sudden edge of wildness.

Celegwen

Following Lily through her house, Declan was careful in watching for anyone who might've seen. He didn't say anything when she laced their fingers together, but a fleeting shiver ran down his spine.

He watched her movement, knowing every step without having to glance down.

Approaching another door at the top of the stairs, the elf smirked at the loud rain. He enjoyed watching and listening to the Connlaothian storms, as wind was a major part of them. Very rarely did he actually venture out into the storms, though.

When Lily looked at him with an expression he could only imagine matched his own eagerness when talking about the stars, Declan couldn't help but be intrigued. He smiled, shaking his head slowly. "No," he whispered, looking at her intensely. "What would be the fun in that?" Glancing at the door, he nodded. "Open it."

DragonSong

She laughed, startled but surprisingly pleased by his answer. The sound rang down the stairwell for a moment before she managed to stifle it with a hand pressed to her lips, the glint to her eyes brightening. “Smart man.” She squeezed his hand and pushed the door open behind her, leading them out into the storm.

They stood at the top of...not a tower, exactly, as the Hartnet estate didn’t really have towers. It was the pinicle of the height of the building though, a jutting square platform that rose above the rest of the roof, with a gently curved dome supported by four pillars to serve as a covering over their heads and a thin, almost decorative wrought iron fence at its edges.

Though the roof kept most of the rain off, there were no walls, and the wind cut through without any obstruction. Lily finally dropped Declan’s hand as she walked to the edge of the platform, holding a hand out into the storm.

She turned her head to look back at him over her shoulder, smiling softly as the wind whipped her hair and the rain soaked her dress. “This is my sea.” She wasn’t quite sure where the words came from, but they rang true. “You showed me...those charts, that project...it’s important to you.” Almost unconsciously, she reached up to touch the pendant under her dress. Her smile turned a little shy. “I wanted to return the favor.”

Thunder cracked and she let her head fall back with a wild laugh, turning to lean out over the edge of the balcony into the storm, as far as she could go without tipping over.

Celegwen

Standing on the platform, Declan didn't fight the awe that the scenery inspired. The Hartnet estate had beautiful land, almost making the house less majestic by comparison. In truth, the elf actually enjoyed it more that way. He turned in a circle, taking in everything that his eyes could see.

His attention was drawn back to Lily when the girl let go of his hand. He watched her approach the fence, dress and hair whipping wildly as though they craved to be part of the wind itself. It was at that moment Declan discarded everything her parents had said about her 'weak constitution.' This girl was many things, but weak wasn't a word that fit her.

"This is my sea." Those words made his heart skip, and he had no idea why. In the midst of the storm, Lily just looked...free. Declan didn't even notice the wind fighting against the loose knot holding his robe, and his rain-soaked attire simply felt like a second skin to him then.

The ambassador gave a wide smile when Lily threw her head back with laughter at the booming thunder clap. She leaned over the balcony, and Declan moved over towards her. Regardless of whether or not she had done it before, he refused to see her falling from the edge. Standing directly behind her, he felt the chill of her saturated dress against his chest, and he felt the surprising warmth of her small hands when he placed his own over hers.

The sea might've been a magical part of his childhood, but for someone who had never seen the ocean, Lily absolutely knew how to make her own adventures. "It's incredible," he said quietly, leaning down to almost whisper in her ear.

DragonSong

His chest brushed against her back and she shivered, though she wasn't cold. Perhaps she should have been, with the wind and rain tugging at her now drenched clothes, but somehow the heat of his body behind hers was nearly scorching. No, she wasn't cold at all.

She twitched slightly when his hands covered hers, but didn't move to pull away. After a moment of hesitation she leaned back into him slightly, another shiver wracking her frame as his breath ghosted across her cheek.

"I'm glad you think so." She was half worried he might not be able to hear her over the wind- but they were so close together now that surely he must have. Cautiously, she turned her head to look at him, bringing her face dangerously close to his own.

"...I shouldn't have brought you up here," she whispered with a soft smile. "This is entirely improper." At odds with the self-condemnation of her words, she didn't seem the least bit repentant, smirking slightly as her nose nearly brush Declan's and she pressed back a little more firmly into the warmth of his body.

What in all hells am I doing?! She honestly didn't know, but she couldn't quite seem to talk the sense into herself to make her stop.

Celegwen

Declan's lips were naturally just barely parted, and he felt his breath quicken. Her voice was small, yet it somehow drowned out the storm in his world.

The elf was still, as her head turned slightly over her right shoulder. Her smile-accompanied comment immediately told him that she was simply speaking as she was always taught to. "No, you shouldn't have," Declan said, his right hand moving from hers over her stomach. He made no attempt to touch her in a way that would offend her, but her move to press herself further into him made him want to keep her there.

"It's entirely improper," he whispered to her. "It's obscene; it's immoral; it's risqué."

Declan's heart raced, as he looked deeply into her eyes. This is beyond inappropriate, the ambassador thought to himself. He found himself captivated in her presence. There was nothing more that he wanted than to kiss her, and for some reason, there was no voice telling him otherwise.

"It's right," Declan finally whispered, slowly moving to close the distance; to feel her lips...

DragonSong

Lily's stomach flipped and her breath caught somewhere between her chest and her throat. His touch was nearly burning through her wet clothes and she found herself drawn into the heat, tilting her head just slightly as she felt him moving closer.

The kiss was barely that, a soft brush of her upper lip against the edge of his mouth, almost more a consequence of their proximity than an intentional act of affection. It still made her heart skip a beat, and her breath left her in a stuttering shudder of a breath.

She slipped her left hand out from beneath his and reached up to lay her palm against his cheek. Her thumb brushed absently at the droplets of rain that coursed over his skin and she drew in another shaky breath as she leaned up on her toes to kiss him properly.

She had absolutely no idea what she was doing, but for once in her life she was following an impulse and no one was telling her not to. Her heart thundered against her breast and she pulled herself closer against him, and a shiver that had nothing to do with the chill coursed down her spine.

Gods preserve me.

She was in so much trouble.

Celegwen

A deep and consuming warmth spread throughout his entire body. The closeness of their bodies was one thing, but even the faintest touch of her lips was enough to make him feel like he was completely intoxicated.

He felt like he was light as air, yet feeling her hand against his cheek and having her petite body against him was able to ground him more than anything else he had ever experienced.

Something about her going for a real kiss was even more enticing. He swallowed with a feeling of unfamiliar nervousness, leaning down to meet her lips with an electrifying passion. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her into him.

Time practically stood still, the sound of the rain and thunder simply mimicking his heart with the wind whipping clothing and and hair all around them.

He'd separate their lips, pressing his forehead against hers to simply look into her eyes, breathlessly.

DragonSong

"Ohh..." Lily sighed almost wistfully as they parted, and she found herself drawn in against Declan's chest with her hand still cupping his cheek, head head tilted back as his brow pressed against hers.

A smile worked at her lips and she giggled almost nervously. "I shouldn't have done that," she breathed. In contrast to her words, she found herself leaning further into the warm solidity of him. He was so tall- she almost felt as though she could drown in the embrace. "I really shouldn't have done that."

Unable to help herself, she rocked up onto her toes to kiss him again, quick and soft. God she could not get enough of that feeling, the way her spine tingled and her heart did erratic little flips beneath her breast. She pulled away with another soft laugh, excitement tingling on her skin, an excitement she knew she should be trying to suppress.

She was doing a spectacularly poor job of it.

"We're getting drenched," she noted with a wry smile. "We should...probably go back inside."

Celegwen

Feeling her leaning into him, Declan held his arms around her. She was warm, as he started to feel the chill of the rain and the wind.

When she gave him another soft kiss, the elf looked down with a slightly crooked smirk. "The things that shouldn't be done are often the most exciting to do," he said, holding onto her hand as she started pulling away. Dropping her hand with a slightly exaggerated sigh, Declan turned his back to her, shaking his fingers through his soaking hair.

He laughed, leaning over the fence briefly to feel the rain pouring on his face. Coming back under the roof, he shook the water away, raising a brow at Lily with a smile. "I suppose this means it was real," he slurred.

Declan approached her again, tucking her hair behind her left ear. "You go in," he said softly. "Call me a paranoid man, but living in the capital will do that to you. I'll stay out here for a bit longer." He turned to the rain once more, not wanting to see her leave.

DragonSong

Still a little giddy, Lily nodded, watching his back as he pulled away from her. She swallowed another wistful sigh and murmured, "That's...probably wise." She wanted to lean into his touch as he brushed her hair back, but resisted the urge.

She turned to head back down the stairs, then hesitated. Twisting slightly, she said over her shoulder, "If the rain has let up, and your offer still stands...I'd still very much like to take a walk tomorrow."

Cheeks flushed, she quickly ducked back inside and hurried down the stairs. She was absolutely soaking wet, leaving a bit of a trail behind her, but she hardly noticed, or cared. Her fingertips fluttered up to trace against her lips, and she quickly had to hide a smile behind her hand as she made her way back to her room.

Celegwen

Declan whirled around at her comment about going on a walk in the morning, only in time to see her disappear into the building again. He smiled, interlocking his finger atop his head and spinning twice on his heel. "Ah, Kia," he said, pressing his hands on the iron fence, feeling a slight burn from the metal and not caring. "Help me, please."

Thera excused herself from the table a few minutes after Lily had. She walked upstairs, hearing the girl's giggle. The mordecai walked into Declan's room, seeing the disarray and disorganization that was normal for the elf.

She folded her arms and leaned against the wall at the base of the staircase leading up to the roof. As a single pair of footsteps started descending. "Your mother was worried," Thera lied, as soon as Lily stepped into the hall. She glared downward at the girl. "Have fun?"

DragonSong

"O-oh!"

Lily drew up short, eyes wide as she blinked up at the mordecai. An instinctive shiver of wariness ran down her spine and she averted her eyes. "I just...I wanted to watch the storm," she said quickly. Not entirely a lie.

She was dripping on the carpet. God, her mother would have a fit.

Risking glancing up at Thera again, she murmured, "Please don't tell her? She's convinced if I so much as put a toe outside I'll catch my death." Her hands were clasped in front of her body, some of the nervous twisting of her fingers hidden in her skirts. At least, she hopped it was hidden.

The mordecai was assigned to make sure the ambassador didn't use his magic while in Connlaoth. Was she also responsibly for his social obligations? Lily had the distinct feeling she didn't really want to find out.

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