Sing A Song to the Skies (m)

[Draconian]

A simple elbow bump against his arm and she smiled.

"Well... Close enough. It was the wood." Placing her hands in her lap she smiled at him, eyes wide and expectant. "Alright, it's your turn!"

[Lion]

"I hadn't realized I'd be so shockingly bad at this," Rembrandt said with a laugh.  He looked around, trying not to make it so obvious.  "Okay, I spy with my little eye, something blue..." The sky of course. She must be better at this game than he.

[Draconian]

Blue.

What was blue?

Callista looked around the carriage and frowned, lips pursed before she crossed her arms over her chest. Not having looked outside or even thought of the sky. "I don't know," Pouting, leaning against Rembrandt.

The rest of the trip was as uneventful as the game they played and finally after who knows what amount of time - Callista didn't really want to know - they stopped for the day. Or so she thought. "Remy," She started, moving her hand to his to curl her fingers into his palm. There were people outside.

Frowning slightly, her eyes went cold. Her expression softened.

"Do you have a knife?" A curious tilt of her head and she stood up, dragging her hand up his arm to cup his face and keep it focused on her. "I think there may be bandits." Or a town. It was new though and new to Callista had always been either very good or very, very bad.

[Lion]

Part of him grew saddened to see her give up so easily.  But he did not hold it against her. Instead he too left it at that and curled his arm around her.  He was getting used to this closeness, although reminded himself to remain wary.  Good things didn't always last long and he wanted to enjoy them as long as they did.

When the carriage stopped in the first town in what felt like a whole day, Rem turned to Callista.  "A knife?  For what?"  But he knew for what.  He just nodded to her.  "We'll be safe.  Don't worry.  Nobody will hurt you."

[Draconian]

It wasn't bandits.

It was just people.

Callista frowned between Rembrandt and the outside and finally. Finally did she look up. "Oh," the 'bandits' were forgotten and she grabbed Rembrandts hand, pulling it between two of hers while she leaned out.

"It's blue! The sky." A grin, the sparkling one that reached her eyes, she gave him a gentle nudge on the arm, rolled her eyes, "I thought it was in the carriage, I was looking for... Well." A sigh and she held his arm, looking out hesitantly. The man who had been driving the carriage came around back.

"We're stopping for the night," He eyed Callista and Rembrandt in their Not-Quite-Embrace-Embrance and she frowned at him, the spark flickering away.

Slowly she turned to Rembrandt and blinked at him, "What does that mean? We stopped? We're staying here? I've never been somewhere else before... What do I do?"

[Lion]

There was something in the gleam of her eyes when she noted the sky, that made Rembrandt's stomach stir.  It was such an unusual feeling, like something was trapped inside and was trying to tickle him to get out.  It was sickening, and yet refreshing.  Somehow, anyway.

"Don't worry," he said, nodding to her.  "I'll do the talking.  Try to relax.  I suspect it means we can find a room to sleep in for the night, assuming it's a town we stopped in.  It's only one stop in our journey."

Rem helped her out of the carriage and took her off where the other passengers were taking small bags into the few nearby inn's.  Some heading straight for bars.  But Rem certainly didn't feel like drinking tonight.

[Draconian]

Callista followed close to Rembrandt, looking around curiously. A bit like a bird, her steps were small, her head was turning every which way to watch people. Sure, she'd been from Arca. The whole city was familiar to her. There wasn't a chance of her getting lost there, whether she'd travel by rooftops or streets.

Being unfamiliar made her twitch and uncomfortable and with each passing moment she drew closer and closer to her traveling companion. Frowning boldly, doing her best to hide behind her hair. Self conscious about the scars on her face and neck. Slowly she moved a hand to press against her neck, touch the scars there, hide them.

"Do you need money?" She looked up at him, frowning gently her hands went to the pouch she'd taken from her house. Carn's house. "I can... We can use this. Go to sleep and... We keep going to tomorrow right?" Looking up at the sky she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before she made a small attempt at smiling, hesitant as it was.

"I've learned how to sleep during the night instead of during the day," She said softly in a teasing tone, "It was far more difficult than I anticipated. I had to sleep with a candle on, otherwise it was too dark and lonely."

[Lion]

"Yeah, money could help us secure a room.  Any room will do," Rembrandt said.  He nodded to her, received coin, and paid for room and board.  It was always good to never show how much gold you had, not that they had much to begin with.  But perhaps Rembrandt was just overly cautious by instinct.  It didn't hurt be prepared.

Once alone, Rem pulled her close to him and kissed her on the cheek.  "I'm afraid I don't see any candles in here.  Just a soft lantern on the table.  Will that suffice?"

[Draconian]

Slowly Callista placed her hands on his shoulders, turning her head to catch the corner of his mouth when he kissed her cheek. At the mention of the lantern she frowned at him, looking around "are you leaving? I don't need a lantern if you stay."

[Lion]

"I'm not going anywhere.  I'm weary from all that sitting," he said, grinning and kissing the corner of her mouth, letting his lips linger.  "We can still use the lantern.  Make shadow puppets with our hands."

[Draconian]

Instead, Callista took his face between her hands and kissed him boldly on the lips, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a long hug. Snuggling as close as she could get before she leaned away and looked up at him.

"Shadow puppets?" Callista looked to the lantern then back at Rembrandt, "Us? Or..." A thoughtful look and she made a bunny with her hand, simulating it bouncing around, "This?"

[Lion]

"Both maybe?" He smiled and he leaned in closer, holding her close to him and dancing a little.  He nuzzled his face against her neck, kissing along her throat.

[Draconian]

Callista sighed, nuzzling her face against his ear, going up on her tiptoes to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Do you think we're shadow rabbit puppets?" She whispered against his cheek, leaning back to smile, entertained at the idea more than anything. "When do we need to be up to continue on?"

[Lion]

Rembrandt continued his kisses down her neck, up along her throat and to her chin where he finally settled on her lips, lightly pecking at them.  "Early in the morning I imagine.  Perhaps somewhere in the realm of 4 in the morning," he whispered against her ear.  "We can make shadow puppets in the mean time."

He let her go, but for a moment to light the lantern and removed his booths and jacket, draping them over his bag, and he sat on the bed. "Come sit by me."

[Draconian]

Four in the morning.

That wasn't too bad.

The whispers to her ear sent a shiver down her spine and blush upon her cheeks. She watched him leave, remove his boots and jacket. Take a seat. Callista also removed her shoes and considered for a moment to remove her stockings before she decided against it and instead simply sat beside Rembrandt.

"Yes?" Their legs were touching and she kept her hands in her lap, pressing her fingers between her knees while she stared down at the floor. "Is there something wrong?"

[Lion]

Rembrandt opened his palm and pulled her hand towards his, threading their fingers together.  "Why would you ask that? Nothing is wrong,"  he replied.  "Is something wrong for you?"

[Draconian]

Callista smiled down at their hands.

"Well... I don't know where I'm going. I have no master. I'm quite unfamiliar with everything and if we have sex I may get pregnant so I don't want to do that." Callista rattled off what was possibly wrong before she gave his hand a squeeze, "But I like the little touches. And the kisses." Her thumb ran over the skin on his hand and she took a slow careful breath.

"I missed you," She whispered, head down, hair obscuring her face, " A lot. So much more than I'd ever missed anyone."

[Lion]

He smiled still, happy that she was able to be so candid with him.  "I like the little things too," he replied, lifting her hand up to kiss at her pulse.  "I like the feel of your blood racing when I kiss you.  I like the sound of your breath hitching..."

He leaned in to kiss her fully, tongue seeking hers, holding her close.  "I missed you deeply as well."

[Draconian]

"You did?" Callista whispered against his lips, looking at him, eyebrows drawn up.

"Truly?" Swallowing carefully she brought her other hand up to drift through his hair, draw her thumb over his ear. Trace his cheek and it moved down to draw over his lips. Her face stealer. None of this was supposed to have happened. At first it was Carn. It was always Carn.

"I... I expect you to... To hate and distrust me and I don't blame you if you do still, at least a little." Rising up onto her knees on the bed, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around Rembrandts shoulder, holding him closer, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry I deceived you. I'm sorry I let him play me like some instrument and that... That I let you become a victim of that as much as I was."

[Lion]

He could feel the sorrow that racked her body, in her very hold.  He just wrapped his arms tighter around her.  The truth was, he didn't know if he completely trusted her, at least not with his life.  But he had given her something he'd given to no one else.

This.

This intimacy between them.

Rembrandt said nothing for a long moment, just kissed her cheeks and  her lips.  "Just kiss me for now, Callista.  I believe you...and maybe I understand why it happened.  I don't know if I forgive you, but I...still missed you.  You're the only person I've ever missed.  At least, please believe that."