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
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jan 19, 2019 3:55:57 GMT
He gave her one last nod before disappearing through the door. His feet led him quickly through the halls and to the room he had adopted as his own. After rummaging around for a very specific box, he got what he needed and returned to the library, the item hidden away in his pocket. Stepping back into the room, he faltered slightly, a small wave of nervousness clutching him. He shouldn’t be nervous about this, right? It was just a gift after all. A token of their relationship, well, faux relationship.
“I well, here.” He stuttered for a moment before pulling a necklace from his pocket. The metal was silver and the little links laid flat in a smooth pattern. At the center was a large pendant, a light purple stone rested in the middle, locked into place with other silver material. Two small blue stones dangled from the chain on either side of it, but were attached somewhat with twisted metal. It was a simple piece of jewelry, but Lasair had always favored the colors of the stones. “My mother made jewelry for a living and this was one of her pieces. I’d like for you to have it.” He held it up to her, unsure if she wanted to put it on immediately or wait until the date. A small smile was stuck to his face as he stood there quietly, unsure of how she would react.
Post by Clairee Donya on Jan 19, 2019 14:59:24 GMT
Clairee was surprised to hear the guild leader stutter, but well, this wasn't exactly guild leader business. what she was asking was rather unorthodox. So when he pulled out the box with the stunning jewelry, she was caught completely off guard.
"This is, Lasair this is beautiful." She coo'd her voice a soft whisper. She didn't think she'd ever been offered anything so pretty in her whole life. Then he made it even more beautiful by telling her his mother made it. And he said he'd like her to have it. Her eyes left the pretty purple and blue stones to find his face again in the dim library. He was smiling, holding it up for her.
"You want me to keep it?" She seemed confused. Then it occurred to her maybe he meant for the evening. for the Ruse. She immediately blushed, feeling like she'd assumed too much with his offer. "I'm sorry, what I mean is, your mother was very gifted," she said, trying to cover up her mistake. She turned around and pulled her hair aside so he could clasp it on her. She felt shivers running up her back and tingles over her shoulders. With her face turned away from him she wondered, what if he had meant it though? Would he actually give her something so special to him? Her heart did a little thump-thump hard in her ribcage.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Jan 24, 2019 22:32:26 GMT
The joy on her face made the gift worthwhile; he knew instantly that he had chosen the perfect one for her. While he had kept many of the things his mother had made, he never had much a use for them other than giving them away. She was happiest knowing her work was being worn, and he did his best to ensure that they would. Lasair took a slow breath and carefully clasped it around her neck. It sat up a little high, but it wasn’t too tight. “I’d like for you to keep it,” he said gently, letting his hands dwell on her neck for just a moment after the necklace rested there. He backed up slightly then and cleared his throat. “And thank you, she did enjoy her craft. I think that necklace will be well suited with you. Do take care of it.” His face was beaming, even if it were a bit red around the cheeks. He thought lightly about what this gesture meant, realizing quickly that perhaps this whole 'show' of pretending to be her secret lover wouldn't be so bad. She was certainly kind and gentle, always a joy to find around the guild, and she was beautiful too, especially when she let her wings rest outward. Clairee was a wonderful friend and always a joy to spend time with. If he needed to spend a lot of time with her suddenly, that shouldn't be an issue at all. If nothing else, it would give them a chance to really catch up and grow closer to one another.
Post by Clairee Donya on Feb 26, 2019 20:02:52 GMT
...she could keep it. He was serious, she could keep it! She couldn't help the smile that lit up her face, and was glad her back was turned. The delicate touch of his fingers as they lingered near the clasp, even if just a second, made her hyper aware of the touch, and she turned carefully to look back over her shoulder. He took a step back and she slowly turned to face him full on. He was smiling, and he practically glowed.
"You must have loved her very much," she said softly as she took in this version of him. He seemed so happy. And his face was rosier, how funny. She tilted her head sideways just a touch, as if noticing something for the first time. "You're tall," She blurted out. Then her eyes went suddenly wide before she reigned it in. You're tall? Why did she say that?
Was it because they were standing face to face, at arms length and she had to look up at him? He was 8 inches taller, more than half a foot, but not nearly a full foot taller. It was a good height. "I... I " Queens, how did you recover from a line like that?
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Feb 27, 2019 3:41:29 GMT
Lasair blinked, his train of thought immediately lost as those two simple words hit his thoughts. He had never considered himself to be a particularity tall man, but in comparison to her… he did have to glance downwards just a bit, at least when standing so close. It was never something he had directly thought about before. But well. She wasn't wrong.
"Thank you?" he said, struggling for a moment on how to continue. "Um, your hair is… long. And pretty!" He stumbled slightly, but tried to match her tone nevertheless. "I'm not sure where this is going, but I'll happily come along on the ride." Lasair chuckled slightly, hoping to relieve some of the awkward tension that might have built up. In a final attempt to help her feel better, he opened up his arms for a hug and invited her in. She seemed like she needed one.
Her face was a rosy tint too now, as he exchanged compliments with her. She reached back a nervous hand and pulled a bit of hair forward, draping it over her shoulder so she could look at it. She played her fingers through it and murmured her agreement it was long. but he had said pretty too, hadn't he? She looked up slowly, carefully, not sure either where this was going. What she saw was his open arms, and an invitation to fill them. Clairee smiled a bashful smile, and after a small false start, stepped forward to accept.
"Thank you," she said with her head tucked under his chin and her ear pressed against his shoulder. She wrapped her own arms around his waist and after a moment of embracing the warmth of his body she looked up at him. "Could you... hold me... higher?" She asked awkwardly, wanting him to wrap his arms around her neck rather than her shoulders.
The hug was almost perfect, almost complete. But to fully envelope them, and to hug him with her whole self.... well. She wanted to - albeit unusual - cacoon them in her wings. She tilted her chin up, her eyes bravely making contact with his as she made such a weird request, putting personal touch into words in a way that felt taboo. Still, the words were out there now. It was up to him how to take them.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Mar 9, 2019 0:57:56 GMT
When she entered the hug, he felt a sense of ease. The touch allowed him to take a moment to breath and at least make an attempt to slow his humming heart. It was a nice moment, a soft one, and he wanted to stay there holding it—holding her—for a very long time. But then her gentle words spoke up and he felt his heart quicken anew. There goes the relaxation. "I um, sure?" he answered after a moment. Shifting his arms upward, he let them settle around her neck, one his hands slipping into her hair and feeling it softly. Having his hands around her neck felt closer, more intimate. Which was something they were supposed to be doing now, right? At least pretending to be close and intimate. It was just practice for a show. But it certainly would leave a stronger impression than any plain performance would. He liked to think that he were ready for anything with her, so long as she was there to hold his hand along the way.
Post by Clairee Donya on Mar 14, 2019 19:30:24 GMT
The hand in her hair caused an involuntary reaction when she closed her eyes. If she were a cat, she'd be purring. It was so nice in fact, she almost forgot why she'd asked him to move there in the first place. Before opening her eyes back up again, she released the tension in her shoulder blades, and shifted her shoulders forward, toward his body so she could open her back up and let her wings out.
In a flurry of dim sparks and blue grey feathers, the wings extended and curled themselves around the two, secluding them from the room itself and bundling the duo in a dark, soft small space filled with their own body warmth. She opened her eyes and looked up at him, more content in that moment than she had ever been. It'd almost be alarming if it wasn't for the, you know, contentment. Actually it had kind of a drowsing effect, and made her feel oddly tired. She wasn't sure if she wanted to sigh - or - yawn, and fought back the urge to do both.
Last Edit: Mar 22, 2019 12:14:35 GMT by Clairee Donya
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Mar 24, 2019 5:27:59 GMT
Her pleasure in response to his movement didn't go unnoticed to Lasair, instead he was smiling and enjoying the moment while she was lost in it. He made the note to try that again later, or at any time she needed to relax. It was a secret weapon he would not give up easily. But as her eyes blinked back to the present and her shoulders started to shift, he felt surprised to see her wings appear from the air, the feathered appendages stretching out to wrap around the two of them and shield them from the rest of the world. His eyes grew wide in wonder as he glanced around them, both surprised and happy at the reveal. It was beyond nice and rather comfortable. It made him want to hug her more often.
"Thank you, Clair," he breathed slowly, his mind relaxing at the moment. "I look forward to what's in store. Would you like to rest before it comes time to leave? It might be wise to meet your family with at least a bit of sleep to relieve your eyes." He leaned in a bit closer, as to speak more softly. If she truly did want to see her family the following day, then getting some rest now, regardless of the hour of night, would pay them back later. While he certainly could go the night without sleep, he really did prefer not to. "Besides," he continued. "You can have any bed in the guild hall if you like. Even mine. I can take the floor if you'd prefer not to share." He gave her a soft grin, unsure if she would take his offer seriously. He expected her to blush and get flustered at the very least. Perhaps she'd claim his bed, or perhaps she would claim an isolated one for her own. Either way, he hoped it would allow her some rest.
Post by Clairee Donya on Mar 24, 2019 18:51:01 GMT
She gave a tiny shrug at his thanks which made her remember the gentle weight of his forearms on her shoulders. She nodded along with his anticipation for what was to come. When she'd entered their headquarters with her plot in mind, it had been with dread, but now, now she felt like she could almost believe it and was surprised at how good it made her feel, how warm and fuzzy now that they were wrapped up together. In the presence of this warmth she began to notice the chilling, heartbroken cold that had soaked into her body and become part of her daily life. Being torn like this, since before the Sveden siege, had caused her to forget what genuine comfort felt like.
Then he offered her his bed.
And she instantly wanted to say yes. But she couldn't take that away from him. though he had also insinuated they could share. Her heartbeat started up a quickened rhythm in complete contrast to the slow steady beat it'd been seconds ago. She wanted to say yes. She leaned her forehead against him to keep from saying anything. The urge was there. It was strange, and strong, and new. But it was also frightening and dark and ... she still wanted it. Maybe closing the gap between their whispers hadn't been the most helpful against these feelings. She lifted her hands to his shoulders too, tilting her face up, foreheads sliding apart - eyes sliding closed, inches from an involuntary reaction to kiss him, and in the last possible second before giving in to her want; she whispered: "Sleep would be good, I'll take the room next to yours." It almost pained her to give up the opportunity, but she needed space to think before she acted, and her impulses were proving very difficult to curb.
Last Edit: Sept 28, 2023 23:55:50 GMT by Clairee Donya
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Apr 9, 2019 22:46:21 GMT
"I understand," he spoke calmly. He took a measured moment to pull his face away from hers and breathe slowly, realizing that his heartrate was thrumming at a steadily fast pace. It would be near impossible to sleep like that. He didn't want to do anything to cause her any amount of discomfort, but he couldn't ignore the growing impulses in his mind.
Maybe it would be best to sleep on it for the night and face the day with a fresh start. So he slowly pulled his arms from her, took an awkward half step back, and began retreating from their forged intimacy. At least temporarily. It was for the best after all. She needed to have more space. "I'll see you in the morning," he promised, a smile on his face as he began leading her towards the stairs.
Post by Clairee Donya on Apr 14, 2019 13:43:10 GMT
Was it weird that she missed him the moment he pulled away? It was for the best after all, logic knew. But it still panged her. She followed closer behind him than she might normally, trying not to be obvious but wanting to be close to him. Sleeping with a wall between them would keep her hands to herself, but it would be difficult to keep her mind off of him. she sighed knowing that sleep would be hard to reach. Still, she went into the room she'd banished herself to on her own terms, and lingered in the doorway. "Thank you, for everything," she told him. She smiled in the dim hallway and after a beat reached a hand up to touch his mothers necklace. Should she take it off to sleep? She didn't want it to get tangled and break. "I regret to take this off, but I'd regret more if I broke it. Could you..?" she asked, sweeping her hair aside and turning the chain so the clasp was visible to him.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on Apr 29, 2019 4:57:13 GMT
The walk to their rooms was quite in reality, but in his mind it was loud. Thoughts competing for space over the pulse of his heart, his mind having difficulty focusing on one or the other for very long, and yet his feet carried him forward, finding their way to the home that was his room. He went to mumble a good night and reach for the handle, but his words were lost before even spoken as she had one last request for him. "Of course," he answered, a happy tone coming to his voice.
While he reached up to grab the clasp, he spoke gently. "Thank you as well. I, well, I'm happy to spend time with you." With the necklace off, he waited for her to turn around and then placed it in her hands. "I trust you with it. And besides, if anything were to break it can be repaired. I spent plenty of time shadowing my mom as she worked, I just never had the eye for design like she did." He broke into a grin as he admitted it, a hint more of color on his cheeks. Small repairs and changes were easy, even if he didn't have the feline claws, and hopefully that would easy some of her worry. "Do have a good night Clair, get some rest." He leaned down to plant a kiss on her cheek before going to turn away and head to bed.
Clairee received the necklace into her hand, the metal already feeling warm from resting against her skin and however briefly in Lasair’s hand. The confession of his unintentional apprenticeship in jewelry smithing was cute, she watched his face with wonder as it tinged at the omission. He was decidedly the most interesting person she knew personally. She wanted to kick herself for not spending more time getting to know him before now. She’d always been so shy and intimidated by his rank, and kept her distance out of propriety. But he had always made himself approachable. She should do the same.
When he said to her “have a good night, get some rest,” she started to say “you too,” but the second half of the sentiment turned into a breathy gasp as he leaned down and kissed her cheek. She was stunned still and her eyes followed his turned back as he left her side and vanished through the door to his own bed. After he was gone, she reached up and pressed the necklace to the tingly spot on her cheek that he’d kissed. Now the metal felt cool against her burning skin.
“Queens,” she whispered. Her heart was doing something strange, and each time she imagined Lasair’s face, the way it had been in the library, or here just now in the hall, it was like a roller coaster in her stomach. She slipped through the door into her own bedroom and leaned back against it when it closed. “…” Her eyes slowly made their way to the bed on the opposite wall and she sighed. He had invited her to stay in his, in his room, with him. She sighed again then kicked off the door and padded over to the anonymous bed before her.
It’s just sleep, then tomorrow…. Tomorrow she’d see him again. And then the rouse would begin.
Post by Lasair Landevier Lupen on May 11, 2019 3:27:30 GMT
Lasair went to bed quickly, his face still warm but his mind growing tired. It would be best not to focus on his thoughts, but rather get to bed as quickly as he could. It was only a matter of hours until he had to be awake and get back to work again. An hour or so after sunrise, he woke up groggy, still not used to the new schedule he had imposed on himself. He rolled out of bed mostly on autopilot, dressed himself, and it was only as he was about to leave the room that he remembered the evening before. Clairee's face, the way she had looked so scared, and then so relieved, and then so… soft. It brought a smile to his face and he looked towards the wall, knowing she was somewhere on the other side of it. Would she be awake already? Probably not. Should he wake her up now or wait? He pondered the idea as he stepped into the hallway and looked towards her door. If he didn't at least try to wake her up, when would he come back to check on her? He suddenly wished he had asked when they were going to her family today, it would give him a better idea of when to be prepared.