08-06-2019, 09:17 PM
She stands perfectly still as she looks down to Wolfbane, trying to ignore the nagging feeling that she has said too much. In reality she hasn’t said much at all, hasn’t mentioned why her family moved so much or what cost it came to them but to Lilli, those few words of feeling the insanity and monotony of doing the same thing over and over again, exchanging one “home” for another and then pretending to be shocked when it happened again. When it had happened before, when they had exchanged Murmuring Rivers for Paraiso, well that was easy to forgive and endure because Valerio, her father, and valiant war hero, came racing into their lives again.
It hadn’t lasted. Lilli who had spent most of her youth as the Regent’s daughter knew that leadership often came at a high price to the family. Her mother was often called away to settle disputes, to ease a broken heart or form alliances. Aletta, while a dedicated mother, was just as adamant in her duties to her kingdom as she was to her family and there were many times that she would be gone for a night, for whole days, doing one of the many tasks that ruling required. So when Valerio was called away again for a diplomatic mission, when he had to break their family apart again, Lilli tried so hard to understand. It was another aspect of being a Guardian, of carrying Legado’s blood in their veins that there would always be some call to answer in the face of evil.
To Lilli, it has seemed too high a cost for a birthright.
She worries that she has said too much. Since coming to Beqanna, she has had plenty of idyll chatter and conversations that go nowhere. Those conversations have been easy and light, a trivial distraction to the darker things she has tried to keep at bay. She’s been appreciative for the laughter and the diversion. The crimson girl has never been one for solitude and the company she has kept has made learning a new place easier, has made her feel less out of place and made her feel like that there might be a chance here for her to start again.
Those conversations, though, have been different than this one. The tone, the feel, the current of this conversation with Wolfbane has been so unlike any of the others she has had. And when he grins up at her, hazel eyes looking to her blue ones, she is immediately flooded with relief. Something in her softens as she looks at him, feeling appreciative that somebody understands the madness. She doesn’t know what Wolfbane’s insanity is. He doesn’t prod her for more and she doesn’t pry further for his. It is just the knowledge that somebody else understands gives her a feeling of rapport with him.
He comes up the bank and Lilli follows, the path becomes narrower as they trek through this part of the forest. It causes her to come closer, to almost hover next to him and for the first time, she is suddenly aware of how close he is, how close his shoulder is to hers, how the space between them has closed so much that Lilli has to be conscious of her body in a way that she isn’t usually. It is perhaps the first deliberate thing in their conversation, the first time that she has found herself being careful around Wolfbane. He is close enough for her to notice how muscular he is and suddenly, he seems so much larger than he had before.
Other thoughts pop into her mind. She finds herself curious about his age and tries to discern it for herself. She glances at him sidelong, almost hiding under crimson locks as she compares him to Malachi and Marcelo, the men in her life who have been her constants.
Taiga, he says and her awareness shifts to his words. She listens, an ear casually tuned in on him as they continue to walk. Lilli still tries to maintain that careful balance of being close but not wanting to intrude of any personal space he might have. The space between them is thin but she is determined to keep it. He tells her more of Taiga, of the woods and quiet. She smiles again, a knowing look as she is familiar with quiet lands and small populations. The thought of not coming into a large realm comes surprisingly as another relief to Lilliana. She’s about to give some reply about the sense of community that a minor population can provide, something along the lines of the bonds and relationships one can create instead of getting lost in a larger crowd.
But the mention of a mate, of a family almost startles her. She doesn’t know why it does. It shouldn’t. She has just barely met him and for Wolfbane, this is most likely another day at the office. Shame comes when she recognizes the emotion: disappointment. She can feel it flash across her features and if she were capable, her cheeks would have colored. The crimson girl isn’t skilled enough to catch her emotions in time and they come across her eyes like a lightning strike, bright and illuminating, incapable of hiding anything in those brilliant blues.
But she has enough social grace to smile though it feels different than the ones before, a practiced imitation of the real thing. The absence of his hazel eyes and his expression until the very end make it bearable. She can collect herself and her emotions. ”That’s wonderful,” she says. She does mean it. Lilli tells herself over and over again in her mind that she absolutely believes these words she is saying. If she were better at this, she would ask him the name of his mate, how many children they have, what their ages and personalities are. But the words somehow get caught in her throat, refusing to come out. So she reaches for something else. ” What are your plans for Taiga? Do you intend to keep it small and quiet or do you intend greater things for your mysterious wood?” Somehow coming back to Taiga, discussing what Wolfbane plans (if he has any) seem a safer topic.
She feels better after saying those words when in reality, she hides behind them. To Lilli, this is proof to herself that Wolfbane’s admission about his wife doesn’t bother her.
So why then, she wonders as they continue to walk, is she still so painfully aware of the proximity of his body next to hers. Why does his warmth not bother her, not cause her to want to move away from him?
I like a good challenge, he says. An ear flickers to him again as she turns her head to observe to Wolfbane. His smile is contagious and she catches it, unable not to beam back to the golden and blue stallion. She laughs then, pleased that the conversation has found its easy ground again. ”Well good,” she replies with the undercurrent of a jest. ”It sounds like you certainly have one.” Lilli slows then, her attention moving ahead of them for a brief moment. The rest of Bane’s whispered words reach her ears and she looks back at him then, inquisitive while her blue eyes glitter playfully under her crimson forelock, shielded by dark lashes. ”I’ll try to keep you on your toes then. I wouldn’t want to get boring on you.” Her expression sobers then, just enough to allow the smile to mellow and a look of appreciation to settle. ”Thank you," she says a little searchingly, trying to find a way to say this. "For allowing me to come to Taiga and for showing me the way today.”
He didn’t have to open his borders for a stranger. He certainly didn’t need to take the time to show her the way. Wolfbane with his wings could have given her directions and flown off, letting her manage her way through Beqanna’s and its numerous lands. His kindness and patience aren’t missed by Lilli, and if anything, it endears him a little more to her. A ghost lingers in the back of her mind, an accusation and briefly, she wonders if this is a bad decision.
Her own returning impish grin and something else, another emotion she hasn’t quite worked through yet, tell her otherwise.
@[Wolfbane]
It hadn’t lasted. Lilli who had spent most of her youth as the Regent’s daughter knew that leadership often came at a high price to the family. Her mother was often called away to settle disputes, to ease a broken heart or form alliances. Aletta, while a dedicated mother, was just as adamant in her duties to her kingdom as she was to her family and there were many times that she would be gone for a night, for whole days, doing one of the many tasks that ruling required. So when Valerio was called away again for a diplomatic mission, when he had to break their family apart again, Lilli tried so hard to understand. It was another aspect of being a Guardian, of carrying Legado’s blood in their veins that there would always be some call to answer in the face of evil.
To Lilli, it has seemed too high a cost for a birthright.
She worries that she has said too much. Since coming to Beqanna, she has had plenty of idyll chatter and conversations that go nowhere. Those conversations have been easy and light, a trivial distraction to the darker things she has tried to keep at bay. She’s been appreciative for the laughter and the diversion. The crimson girl has never been one for solitude and the company she has kept has made learning a new place easier, has made her feel less out of place and made her feel like that there might be a chance here for her to start again.
Those conversations, though, have been different than this one. The tone, the feel, the current of this conversation with Wolfbane has been so unlike any of the others she has had. And when he grins up at her, hazel eyes looking to her blue ones, she is immediately flooded with relief. Something in her softens as she looks at him, feeling appreciative that somebody understands the madness. She doesn’t know what Wolfbane’s insanity is. He doesn’t prod her for more and she doesn’t pry further for his. It is just the knowledge that somebody else understands gives her a feeling of rapport with him.
He comes up the bank and Lilli follows, the path becomes narrower as they trek through this part of the forest. It causes her to come closer, to almost hover next to him and for the first time, she is suddenly aware of how close he is, how close his shoulder is to hers, how the space between them has closed so much that Lilli has to be conscious of her body in a way that she isn’t usually. It is perhaps the first deliberate thing in their conversation, the first time that she has found herself being careful around Wolfbane. He is close enough for her to notice how muscular he is and suddenly, he seems so much larger than he had before.
Other thoughts pop into her mind. She finds herself curious about his age and tries to discern it for herself. She glances at him sidelong, almost hiding under crimson locks as she compares him to Malachi and Marcelo, the men in her life who have been her constants.
Taiga, he says and her awareness shifts to his words. She listens, an ear casually tuned in on him as they continue to walk. Lilli still tries to maintain that careful balance of being close but not wanting to intrude of any personal space he might have. The space between them is thin but she is determined to keep it. He tells her more of Taiga, of the woods and quiet. She smiles again, a knowing look as she is familiar with quiet lands and small populations. The thought of not coming into a large realm comes surprisingly as another relief to Lilliana. She’s about to give some reply about the sense of community that a minor population can provide, something along the lines of the bonds and relationships one can create instead of getting lost in a larger crowd.
But the mention of a mate, of a family almost startles her. She doesn’t know why it does. It shouldn’t. She has just barely met him and for Wolfbane, this is most likely another day at the office. Shame comes when she recognizes the emotion: disappointment. She can feel it flash across her features and if she were capable, her cheeks would have colored. The crimson girl isn’t skilled enough to catch her emotions in time and they come across her eyes like a lightning strike, bright and illuminating, incapable of hiding anything in those brilliant blues.
But she has enough social grace to smile though it feels different than the ones before, a practiced imitation of the real thing. The absence of his hazel eyes and his expression until the very end make it bearable. She can collect herself and her emotions. ”That’s wonderful,” she says. She does mean it. Lilli tells herself over and over again in her mind that she absolutely believes these words she is saying. If she were better at this, she would ask him the name of his mate, how many children they have, what their ages and personalities are. But the words somehow get caught in her throat, refusing to come out. So she reaches for something else. ” What are your plans for Taiga? Do you intend to keep it small and quiet or do you intend greater things for your mysterious wood?” Somehow coming back to Taiga, discussing what Wolfbane plans (if he has any) seem a safer topic.
She feels better after saying those words when in reality, she hides behind them. To Lilli, this is proof to herself that Wolfbane’s admission about his wife doesn’t bother her.
So why then, she wonders as they continue to walk, is she still so painfully aware of the proximity of his body next to hers. Why does his warmth not bother her, not cause her to want to move away from him?
I like a good challenge, he says. An ear flickers to him again as she turns her head to observe to Wolfbane. His smile is contagious and she catches it, unable not to beam back to the golden and blue stallion. She laughs then, pleased that the conversation has found its easy ground again. ”Well good,” she replies with the undercurrent of a jest. ”It sounds like you certainly have one.” Lilli slows then, her attention moving ahead of them for a brief moment. The rest of Bane’s whispered words reach her ears and she looks back at him then, inquisitive while her blue eyes glitter playfully under her crimson forelock, shielded by dark lashes. ”I’ll try to keep you on your toes then. I wouldn’t want to get boring on you.” Her expression sobers then, just enough to allow the smile to mellow and a look of appreciation to settle. ”Thank you," she says a little searchingly, trying to find a way to say this. "For allowing me to come to Taiga and for showing me the way today.”
He didn’t have to open his borders for a stranger. He certainly didn’t need to take the time to show her the way. Wolfbane with his wings could have given her directions and flown off, letting her manage her way through Beqanna’s and its numerous lands. His kindness and patience aren’t missed by Lilli, and if anything, it endears him a little more to her. A ghost lingers in the back of her mind, an accusation and briefly, she wonders if this is a bad decision.
Her own returning impish grin and something else, another emotion she hasn’t quite worked through yet, tell her otherwise.
@[Wolfbane]
but it's all in the past, love
it's all gone with the wind