004 // the house of sin

[serpentis]

Who: Dorian and assorted guests
Broadcast: Fleet-wide, 3/10
Action: In a villa practically in the forest (THE HOUSE OF SIN)
When: Broadcast- 3/10 // Action- 3/9-3/31? Until we leave.

Broadcast:

[The broadcast goes out on 3/10, and Dorian smirks a bit into the feed.]

I believe I've secured lodging for myself, with room enough for several others. If you need a place to stay, do let me know. It's a quaint little villa a bit outside of town. ...please don't mind the suspicious glances, I assure you, I've done nothing entirely against the guidelines that were set.

---------

Action:

[Dorian has secured a villa, but the residents of Mor don't seem too keen on having an evil mage for a neighbor. As the month goes on, more and more villagers will show up to stand at the gates of the villa and threaten to come in after the "evil wizard".

Maybe he shouldn't have gone so overboard with the whole "contacting the spirits of the dead" thing.]

((OOC: Mingle post for the House of Sin. We'll pretend there are enough rooms in here for everyone! Even if you character only drops by to rest their feet a bit, everyone is welcome to visit and stay the night if they want.))

Comments

[dawnwillcome]

I think I'd do well enough, I've explored around the villa quite a ways. There's a lovely glade out to the north with enough room for a very small group and it's close to fresh water. There's fish in the streams as well, so we wouldn't hurt for food.

[She sounds wistful as she explains it, face turned up towards the night sky as she looks over the blessedly familiar view of a treeline topped with stars. They could be in Thedas now.]

[serves]

[Cullen pulls his arm away from her, only to put it around her shoulders... and guide her around some sharp rocks jutting out of the earth. The trek to grass is a dangerous one, and he feels better steering her like than than yanking her arm.

Of course, he soon drops his arm once the danger has passed.]

You've thought this through.

[dawnwillcome]

[Even as he guides her around the rocks, Jove can't quite believe he's actually doing this. She's walked through snow with no boots, scaled the slick and sharp cliffs on the Storm Coast with no boots, and here he is gently guiding her around a few rocks that she had been in no danger of walking on.

She looks back over her shoulder, leaning into his side for a moment, just to be sure that really happened. And yes, there's some rocks there and he's just delivered her safely to the lush, soft grass. That really did just happen. She laughs softly as she turns look up at him, distantly aware she quite liked his arm around her.]

You realize I've been without shoes nearly my entire life, don't you?

[serves]

[He pauses on the grass, partly to recall what it feels like under his toes, and partly to chuckle at Jove.]

I know. That doesn't mean you need to walk on rocks.

[dawnwillcome]

I hadn't intended to.

[This is much better, him out under the stars with his feet in the grass and the light breeze to cool him. To think he'd have stayed cooped up in that room with the lingering memories of nightmares, likely unable to fall back asleep. No, this is much better.]

Tell me about the last time you walked in grass. You said you were a boy?

[serves]

Ah. [He clears his throat. He doesn't often talk about his childhood, or--much of anything in detail about his life before the Inquisition.

But he'll tell her. Always.]

... my brother and I often played with wooden sticks, pretending they were swords, and we valiant knights. One of us was always the evil knight, of course. One day his sword broke, and I won. So he tackled me, stole my shoes after a short bout of wrestling, and ran off.

[That was a long walk home and Mia laughed for days.]

I was lucky to be left in a field and not anywhere else. I don't think I'd be able to handle walking on rocks, unlike you.

[dawnwillcome]

[As if he wasn't already terribly charming, now he has to go and add that.]

How terribly dastardly. Did the gallant knight at least get his payback?

[serves]

[Cullen has to look elsewhere, although his lips curve into a faint smile.]

I can't say. His shoes may have been cleverly hidden when he went to sleep, but I haven't the faintest idea of who would do that.

[And then he slept with them on for a month. Because Cullen threw them into a tree.]

[dawnwillcome]

I'm sure we'll never know. A mystery for the ages. Now then, come with me.

[As nice as it had been to walk side by side with him, now Jove reaches for his hand and starts to tug him out into the forest proper. She picks out a careful path, keeping his feet on nothing but soft grass.]

Would you like to see that grove? It's not far.

[serves]

[He'd been so careful not to tug her, but he'll gladly be tugged along.]

I would.

[He'd go anywhere she wanted.]

[dawnwillcome]

[With only the moon to light her path, the going isn't as quick as it could be if it were day and she weren't leading someone along who was much larger than she is. It's a light jog so he won't stumble, her hand tight around his so he'll know she won't let him get lost.

She'd been doing this on her own, running through the woods wherever her heart felt like taking her, almost since her feet had touched the ground of this planet. The homesickness was nearly gone after the first few days, but now? She hasn't been this happy since her arrival on the Marsiva.

True to her word it doesn't take them long to reach their destination, a small clearing with thick grass to make for excellent padding under bedrolls, the sound of running water indicating the stream is nearby. The moon lights up the grove well enough and when Jove stops and turns to smile at Cullen, it lights up the bright smile on her face.]

See? Isn't it lovely?

[serves]

[It's certainly lovely. But Cullen is more focused on her than their surroundings.

Carefully, lightly, his hand comes up to touch her cheek.]

It is.

[dawnwillcome]

[It's easy enough to blame the flush on her cheeks to the run through the woods, but there really is no explaining away how caught up Jove feels in the simplicity of his bare hand on her cheek. As far as she's concerned, this is a first. On the rare occasions Cullen had ever touched her, there had always been gloves on his hands.

She laughs, breathless, and ducks her head.]

I'm glad we agree on that, then.

[serves]

[His touch his gentle despite the callouses on his hand from years of training. Even with gloves, the skin there suffered.

He's feeling much better.]

Thank you.

[dawnwillcome]

[That catches her by surprise, has her looking up at him again.]

For what?

[serves]

For making sure I was alright.

[He doesn't like her seeing him like that, frightened and vulnerable and frustrated with himself, but he's not ungrateful. Knowing that she cares enough, even if it's a thing he's dealt with for a long time--it's something.]

[dawnwillcome]

[And that is a bit upsetting. She frowns faintly, lifting her hand to cover his.]

You shouldn't have to thank someone for doing the decent thing. I just hope you'll go on letting me keep an eye on you.

[serves]

[It's not that simple and he's a man that gives thanks where it's due. He's always careful with his touch, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable, and that's how he brings her hand to his lip to place the briefest of kisses against her knuckles.]

If you insist, Jove. But this is a thing I've endured for many years. They come and go.

[The withdrawal is worse, he thinks, but he'll do everything he can to keep his trembling hands hidden, when it does occur.]

[dawnwillcome]

[She must be red all the way to the tips of her ears by now, but oh well. The gesture isn't unwelcome and if it helps him it's something she has no problem allowing.

He really is just like a knight out of those stories Cassandra is so fond of. Gallant, painfully sweet, the type any young woman could easily fall in love with.]

That may be so, but that doesn't mean you've got to endure it alone. You've got Dorian and I, and there are a number of people here who are good people. You can always turn to us if you need help.

[But more importantly, because they're alone in the woods and he's just kissed her hand and it's impossible to ignore this,]

Let me help you where I can, Cullen. You deserve a good night's rest as much as any other man. More, perhaps.

[serves]

[If she's turned any colors, he doesn't draw attention to it. All he does is lower her hand, slowly letting it fall from his grasp, fingertips brushing over hers.]

I'll try. [That's really the best he can offer. It's hard to let people in, especially when you're not quite sure where you stand with them.]

[dawnwillcome]

[That will have to be good enough for now.]

Do you want to walk a little farther? There's a path down to the stream and the rocks there are perfectly safe for both our feet.

[serves]

I'd like to, yes. [He's not quite ready to go back and leave this moment in the past.]

You're not tired?

[dawnwillcome]

[She reclaims his hand then, leading him towards the path.]

Haven't you heard? Elves get energy from the moon the same way flowers get energy from the sunlight.

[serves]

[His fingers entwine with hers, a little more confidently this time, a little more comfortable.]

Is that so? Was that supposed to be a well-kept secret?

[dawnwillcome]

One of our biggest. You should consider yourself blessed to know such deep, dark secrets.

[She's hoping this distracts him from his nightmares, from darker thoughts. Act silly, hold his hand, give him better things to think of. True to her word, it's only a few feet before she's bringing him right to the edge of the stream, the sound of water soothing as it runs placidly on by.]

It's too shallow for swimming, but it might let out into something deeper.