Prepare for the #LodanRespawn2024 Existing characters may choose to be displace from/have memories of different timelines, thereby allowing returning members the option to retcon their whole character. These changes are the result of the "Unnatural Fog" plot device that is running between now and the Respawn. The plot is simple: no matter where your character is, that place is shrouded in a thick fog that suspends time, but not thoughts or memories, so even if they're repeating the same day over and over again, they continue to remember, so each time feels like a new day. For those retconning OCs; this is where new versions of themselves have the opportunity to replace the old versions. Official lore and tree updates will be announced asap
She chewed her bottom lip as he mulled it over, concerned that it was a stupid idea. He looked tired - no matter what he said about getting breaks and shut eye and such. When he rose and began to tidy up, she felt a sliver of nervousness, that maybe she'd bored him and he was going to retire for the night. But then he mentioned the rain and she gave a weak smile.
"Glad we're of the same mind," she spoke, bumping his shoulder with her own and smiling again. "C'mon," she whispered in the cavernous library, before leading the way quickly out the door. Her excitement rose to see the rain without the downer of getting wet in the process. She bet it would be beautiful. She bet he'd find it soothing. She bet that she would.
She hoped he would too.... Being a leader looked tough, and now she wanted to be there for him, to help him find comfort, or joy, in something other than work. To be somebody to lean on if he needed it. She didn't doubt there were better people to pick than her, she was still a no body, but for tonight anyway she wanted to be useful and to help make Lasair happy.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jul 25, 2016 5:46:12 GMT
He was happy to see her looking so excited at something so simple as watching rain land on a glass roof. Allowing himself to be whisked away, he followed her through the halls, impressed with how well she knew the path despite having been away for so long. Before they arrived, the sound of rain pelting on the roof had grown considerably louder and when they pushed open the doors, it reached a crescendo. Walking in, he craned his neck upwards to observe the roof, frowning slightly at how poor his eyesight was. The drops looked like a blur from such a distance, but he was glad Clairee could enjoy such a view.
Glancing towards her, he forced a smile on his lips, if only to hide his internal disappointment for not fully enjoying the room. “You know,” he said, a different thought crossing his mind. “You don’t have to keep your wings hidden here.”
Her eyes were on the sky when he glanced her way and spoke of her wings. She turned her face enough to meet his eyes and bit back a shy smile. "I always forget that." She admitted. Without looking awkward doing it, Clairee shrugged her slender shoulders enough times to work the cowneck of her tunic so that it hung loose in the back and rose high across her collarbone. Then, she closed her eyes and let the ink on her skin rise up like mist and form into robin's egg blue and pewter grey wings. She shivered and a ripple went through each feather as she stretched them out.
"That feels better," she coo'd and rose on tippy toe to stretch fully before folding her wings back and lifting her gaze to Las again. Did he like the rain? It was up rather high, and the night was kind of dark. It might not be as scenic as she had hoped.
Unless.... "Want to get a better look? I've got two tickets to the show if you want to step up?" She motion at her wings, then up at the glass in case her clever analogy wasn't that clever after all.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jul 25, 2016 6:18:39 GMT
He felt lucky to have her offer to fly him up closer. But the lucky feeling faded when he realized that part of the reason he suggested she release her wings was so that maybe she’d consider the idea. It had worked, and for that he was happy. Looking to the sides, he tried to spy a platform in the rafters that would be big enough for the both of them to sit on. One of the perks of having this building built for anders in mind; there were places to rest all over the ceiling for people to rest and most of the walls were intentionally left rough to allow for easier climbing. But neither of those things mattered to Lasair, at least not unless someone like Clairee was spending time with him.
“Most of the ledges look kind of small,” he spoke evenly before pointing to one in the corner of the room. “But that one might be a good fit.” Since it was in the corner, it offered just a tiny bit more space for them. He wasn’t sure exactly how she wanted to carry him (every winged he had met had a different preference) so he waited for some indication from her before moving forward to enter the air.
Clairee felt a bloom of sunlight in her chest, he was awake now! He wasn't buried under the weight of his books, in this moment as he searched for the right vantage point, he was in the present, he was alive.
She pulled her hair over one side to get it out of the way. She stepped up to him as she had a long time ago, and she asked him to put his arms around her neck. She wrapped hers around his waist but kept them loose long enough to explain.
"We're going to have to be close for me to lift you." Close was an understatement. She let that sink in, then she tugged him against her body, touching top to toes and she tightened her grip around his middrift. "Hold on tight around my shoulders, don't let go." She kept her tone even, her voice anything but breathy, but it was a conscious effort to pretend not to notice the intimacy of their posture. The sooner she got them airborne...
She gave a heavy swoop of her wings, then another to build lift. Then they were off the ground and the rest became easier. She clung tightly to him, her legs intertwining his as she led them to his chosen perch. Soon as she placed his feet on the boards she let go and drifted back in the air. She would join him once he was comfortable, but first she'd wait and was ready to catch him if he fell. Though she'd prefer if he didn't. The rain was much more audible from here, and stunning to watch splat and trickle down the glass panes.
Last Edit: Jul 25, 2016 6:32:57 GMT by Clairee Donya
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jul 25, 2016 7:28:37 GMT
Ah, yes the memories came back to him from the last time she had flown him into the air. That had been a short trip and this one wasn’t much longer, but it still required a close proximity, a sharing of space that conflicted with the distance he usually kept with, well, everybody. But he was calm as he stepped forward, hugging Clairee and craning his neck to the side so it wouldn’t block the shorter woman’s view.
She didn’t need to tell him to hang on, he did so on his own, noticing the earthy scent of her hair in the few moments it took for them to reach the platform. It was a nice sort of smell, one he’d remember for the future. But the closeness ended oh so very soon as she set him down on the platform and wavered nearby. He took the moments given to him to lay down on the boards and rest his head against the wall behind him, moving over as much as he could to grant her what space remained. They’d have to be cozy with each other, but after the flight up here, Lasair hoped that wouldn’t be a problem. Once she settled down on the platform, he looked up at the glass, watching the rain land on I before flowing away down the side. He was almost finding himself lost in the rivers being made, tracing them with his eyes. It was beautiful, now that he could actually see it clearly.
“This was a fantastic idea,” he said, tilting his head towards her slightly. This was a moment where he felt a smile coming to his face, a real one, as he sat here next to her, watching the rain fall on the glass roof above. It was soothing in a way he couldn’t really describe. He got the feeling this was something he should go more often. Well, maybe not the sit around and wait for it to rain part. But the spending time with Clairee part should be repeated more. He was sure of that.
Clairee didn't mind sharing the space, she was a small girl and she didn't need much room. Once he was settled and tilted his head back against the wall, she tucked in her wings and slipped onto the platform beside him. To save room she spelled the wings away - though a momentary temptation to blanket them both in her wings came over her. She pushed the thought away, shocked that it even happened, and turned to look at him and make sure he didn't know. Of course he didnt, he wasn't a mind reader. None the less...
"Thank you, I'm glad you like it," she answered him back. The rain was soothing, it had a rhythm to it, and it looked mesmerizing as it trickled over the glass and splashed and rippled. She watched it for a while in companionable silence, but at some point she tipped her head toward his, looking him over. She took him in; the added peacefulness. He looked happier, which made her smile. She refrained from commenting, not wanting to draw attention to the fact and ruin the moment.
Her eyes traveled down his face to his lips, past that quickly out of embarrassment, then onto his neck where she noticed a strange pattern. She lifted her head off the wall and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "You have a tattoo? Is is real?" She asked, leaning in for a closer look.
Last Edit: Jul 25, 2016 8:03:29 GMT by Clairee Donya
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jul 25, 2016 8:16:21 GMT
It was a little disappointing when she spelled her wings away, but he didn’t blame her for that. The space was confined and they were watching the water, for now at least. Until she spoke up, the question needing a moment after it reached his ears to be processed; the rain was good at covering up sounds.
Pulling his eyes away from the waters above, he glanced at her a moment before tilting his head downward, burying his chin into his chest as he tried to peer at his skin. And then he rolled his neck a little, reaching over to pull down the loose shirt from his shoulder. “It’s real,” he affirmed. “The front looks like a necklace and you should recognize this pendant in the middle.” He pulled his legs in and sat up so he could turn towards her, pulling the collar of his shirt down now to reveal where the chains met on the center of his chest, where the logo of their guild rested, each chain linking to the outer branches of the trident. The back of his tattoo was different, but he didn’t rush into telling her that.
He was rather proud of his tattoo, of his display of pride for the guild, but he also had to keep in mind that it might come across as strange or crazy to others. But perhaps she wouldn’t think that, since she was a member of this place after all. He tried to gauge her reaction, his eyes focusing on hers for a moment before watching the rest of her face.
She tried to be careful not to fall off or else nudge him off the edge as he moved to face her, pulling his legs in and pulling his shirt collar down. The shadow of his own face cast over the ink on his chest and hidden beneath the shirt. She leaned in closer, bracing her hands gently on both of his shoulders and tucking her head into the crook of his neck to look down the V at the pendant as he spoke.
"Wow, this is really good artistry," she murmured as she examined the finer details of the chain links and the pendant itself. She was too close though, and could feel her heartbeat increase as the warmth of his body radiated on her face. She slowly leaned back, not wanting to upset their balance, and let her hands slide loosely down his arms. "And what about the back?" she asked, feeling almost brazen for doing so, but she was genuinely curious. He had said the Front looks like a necklace, but he didn't say what the back looked like and she really did want to know.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jul 25, 2016 8:33:47 GMT
Lasair would be lying if he said her face being so close to his chest didn’t cause him to blush a little. It wasn’t bad though, and he could see the faint traces of it on her face as well. It was a price to pay for being so close to each other in some ways, yet so casual in others. It was moments like these where he really appreciated having Clairee be a member within the guild. He hoped she’d always be able to stay.
“I have to take my shirt off for that,” he warned her, scooting around so that he had his back towards her. He paused a moment, giving her the opportunity to stop him from doing so. When no sign came, he pulled the shirt up and over his head, revealing a large black weight resting on his shoulder blades. The chains of the necklace connected to each side of the block, and written on it in golden font were four names; Averus, Viktor, Avery, Bartholomew.
Unlike the front of his tattoo, he actually grew a little sheepish at revealing the backside of it. This was the darker part, both literally and metaphorically. It was usually better left trapped under fabric, but she had asked to see, and there wasn’t a single reason not to show her right now.
She was speechless at first. Wide eyed and amazed by the artwork itself, but the meaning was inescapable. And it was the same unspoken truth she'd recognized about him in the library... he was trapped in his own work, living tirelessly under the weight, the pressure, and while he wore that Guild badge with honor on his chest, the weight of his responsibility hang in the balance on the back. It was poetic in ways. Lost in bewilderment, Clairee reached up a hand and traced the ink with her fingers. The heavy block beneath the four golden names. She whispered their names as her fingers transcribed the letters of each.
"Why these names?" She had to ask. If she knew a little, she wanted to know it all. He'd revealed this much already.
Last Edit: Jul 25, 2016 8:44:01 GMT by Clairee Donya
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jul 25, 2016 8:52:44 GMT
Taking a deep breath, his voice came out a little flatter than it had sounded earlier. “They’re people who have died.” He balled up his shirt in his hands and then unraveled it, repeating the action a few times over. “Because of me.” Those words he had to force himself to say, because there were so many parts of him that didn’t want to admit that again, to share with another the pain that he felt. He didn’t turn back to face her just yet, not when her fingers were still tracing his skin, the warmth of then beginning to sink into his skin as his back tried to adjust to this cooler air. At least the rain was still a pleasant sound in the background, if only a little somber.
He looked back up at the ceiling, at the pattern being traced by the rain coming down. It was reminding him to stay calm, to remember that he wasn’t alone right now, that he had someone there to talk to, even if he didn’t quite want her to bear the stress he wore. It then occurred to him that there was a sudden blankness in his hands. Confused, he looked down in time to see his shirt gliding down to the ground. It seemed he wasn’t about to put that back on.
Good thing he wasn't facing her, because her mouth fell open like a gaping trap. People who died? When he said "because of me." She felt her heart breaking for him. That was a terrible weight to bear. She wondered if he would pull away now, but he didn't, he looked up at the rain and let himself breathe. It was quiet.
Clairee didn't know what to say to make it better, but she couldn't let him be alone right now. She was right here, closer than arms reach, and she cared. She really cared about him and all his troubles. All his worries and everything he'd been through since the early days when they did little more than tease each other for fun. Clairee cautiously leaned forward and pressed her cheek to his back, wrapping her arms around his torso if he'd let her. She hoped he wouldn't get angry. It was a risk, and it could end very poorly if he snapped at her, but the worst she could do right now was to do nothing and let him suffer in silence.
"You're not alone, Lasair. You're never alone," She whispered against his skin. Please don't pull away... she thought silently to herself.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jul 25, 2016 9:27:42 GMT
He didn’t pull away, instead relaxing after he got over the initial shock of someone hugging him from behind like that. It was nicer than he was expecting from her, nicer than the kind of treatment he was used to receiving. The corner of his lip curled upwards as she stayed there, offering warmth and comfort to the guild leader. It was odd that he found himself relying on her in this moment, instead of the reverse being true. But experiences shape people and things change. That’s how it was. And when Clairee loosened her grip just a time bit, he took the opportunity to swing forward again and face her, offering a real hug that he could return to her this time. “Thank you…” his voice came softly.
Post by Clairee Donya on Jul 25, 2016 21:14:52 GMT
She loosened up and he flipped around to face her, she could barely see his face before he pulled her into another hug, this time embracing her rather than she him. The thank you warmed her heart and she smiled into his shoulder, resting her head there and squeezing back.
"Anytime Lasair. I'm sorry I haven't been here for you but I will be now. I just had to ..." She paused, then closed her eyes. "I had to face myself first." That didn't sound right, but it was the only way to say it without dragging others into it. She had to face her own insecurities, her own lack of faith in herself or her purpose here and at home. She hadn't conquered it yet, but she was growing in confidence every day that the war dragged on. The more she worked to help the homeless, the more she found strength and purpose in herself and her abilities. And maybe now it was time to bring those gifts back to her guild and make herself useful.
and if nothing else, just to be the friend he'd always been to her, regardless of whether she felt she deserved it or not. She was no one special, but he was. It was hard to feel worthy when you weren't important, but if she believed in him and how important he was, the least she could do was support that with her friendship.
Last Edit: Jul 25, 2016 21:16:02 GMT by Clairee Donya
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