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

[serves]

[There's something absurdly painful and comforting in hearing that. Cullen steps forward to wrap Jove in a hug, soft and grateful.

He's a grown man that can handle his own demons, but it's nice not to be alone.]

[dawnwillcome]

[She smiles faintly as her arms go around him, hugging him back carefully. It's different this time when they're in the middle of the forest and she's wearing his coat, when he's in light clothing and not hard armor. It's more intimate certainly, and for once she doesn't have any smart comments to make. It's not the time at all.

She just holds him while he holds her, pleased he isn't trying to argue his way out of her concern anymore.]

[serves]

[He's not always a wise man, but Cullen knows better than to argue with her once she's set her mind. He'll just be sure to go to bed after she does.

And maybe he'll just enjoy this moment a few heartbeats longer.]

[dawnwillcome]

[What a cheater. But she'll allow him to hold her, let him go on holding her until he's ready to let go. She can't begin to imagine the nightmares he would have been lost in, not to mention the struggle with his addiction. He's always so strong, always so in control that if he needs this moment to let this guard down a little she isn't going to be the one to pull away first.]

[serves]

[He almost wishes she'd be the one to pull away first, because it's only his worry that she may become uncomfortable that makes him pull away. Otherwise, he'd gladly hold her until the sun rose over the treetops.]

I... let's get back, shall we?

[dawnwillcome]

[There's no signs of discomfort, though. Not in the way she reaches for his hand again or in her nod as she starts to lead him back to their temporary home.]

Cole said once that warm milk helped some of your soldiers sleep. If you think it might do anything for you, we can stop in the kitchen.

[serves]

[Like a child. His dignity has taken enough of a beating today, thank you very much.]

It's not necessary.

[dawnwillcome]

[Don't be that way Cullen you're still totally manly and handsome. And once they make it to the villa Jove falls silent so they won't wake anyone, draw any undo attention while Cullen is probably not in a mood to talk to others, and leads him down the hallway and to his room. Once she's there it's only a moment of hesitation before she sighs and just looks up at him. No one will see, no one will hear this except him.]

I can stay until you fall asleep.

[It's an offer, one made with no reservations. She wants to be sure he gets some rest.]

[serves]

[After that little stroll he's a little more comfortable with her than before, and perhaps that's a bad thing, all things considered. But comfortable means a little more open on his part, and he shakes his head.]

I don't think I'd find sleep at all.

[dawnwillcome]

[It's a perfect level of comfort in Jove's opinion and she certainly doesn't mind him being more open, which is probably clear in the indulgent smile she gives him. No comments about why, no teasing, just an acceptance as she starts to shrug his coat off.]

I should let you have this back, then.

[serves]

[wait what the fuck is he doing]

Ah--[He seems to realize it, too. Cullen reaches out to stop her from removing his coat.]

Let me walk you back to your room. You can take it off there.

[dawnwillcome]

[She doesn't stop him, lets him do whatever he's going to do to keep her covered up, but her smile does twist into something that's more amused by his chivalry than anything else.]

Cullen, you're already here. There's no need to walk all the way to my room only to come back to your own.

[serves]

All the more walking to tire me out.

[No arguments!! He can be stubborn, too.]

[dawnwillcome]

[But this makes no sense!! So arguments. Little ones.]

I promise if anyone hops out at me on my trip back I'll shout for you, but I really do think I'm capable of making it a handful of feet down the hallway.

[And now she's trying to take his coat off again. It's like stubborn olympics.]

[serves]

[Try taking off his coat when he's pressing a hand to the small of her back so he can walk her to her room.]

I never said you weren't.

[dawnwillcome]

[Alright, he wins. And she has to give up the fight anyway so she can cover her mouth with her hand so she won't wake anyone with her laughter. It's muffled, she hasn't felt this light on her feet in days, and as they walk she lets herself lean into him a little.]

Are you going to tuck me in as well?

[serves]

Do you want me to?

[He raises an eyebrow at her, lips curving into a smile. He'd do it.]

[dawnwillcome]

I have always wondered what it was like.

[She's just about positive he won't follow through, so continuing to tease him seems fair enough.]

[serves]

That can certainly be arranged. [He can't help but laugh a little. It's ridiculous, but the past few days have been pretty absurd.]

[dawnwillcome]

[If he's serious, if it's making him laugh and smile like this, she's really dug herself into a hole with this. Even if she wanted to tell him it was all a joke she likely couldn't bring herself to now.

When they reach her door, she opens it wide and stands just inside.]

Last chance to back out.

[serves]

... should I?

[His eyebrows lift in question. He... really doesn't want to overstep. Maybe he took the joke too far.]

[dawnwillcome]

[In answer, she reaches out and takes his arm, steps backwards and draws him into her room. Anyone who happens to be in the hallway just then will see quite the questionable scene, but it's not something Jove is really considering right now.

After closing the door behind him, she guides him over to her bed.]

The Dalish don't really have beds, so I wasn't joking when I said I'm curious how this is done.

[serves]

[He feels a little awkward, bring in her room, but he focuses on tucking her in. That's friendly, familial, even.

He'll just awkwardly stand around until she gets in.]

It's simple. Much nicer if you have your own bed, I imagine. My mother would tuck me and my brother in together, and it would get far too warm and we both squirmed so much we'd end up with bruises on our shins from one another.

[For some reason it's been easy to talk about his family, tonight.]

[dawnwillcome]

[Familial when he tried to kiss her just a few days before. Sure. She pulls the covers back, leans over the bed to arrange her pillows how she likes them.]

That sounds adorable. I hope I get to meet your family one day, I'd love to see the people you were raised with.

[And now she starts to shrug his coat off again, looking over her shoulder to see if he'll try to stop her this time or if he's good with it. Sleeping with that fur in her face would be pleasant enough, but it is his. Surely he'll want it back eventually.]

[serves]

[At that, he just smiles. He'd imagined introducing her to them, the shock on Mia's face, but Jove hadn't been just a friend or his Inquisitor. She'd been more than that, and he's having a hard time imagining how that would play out if there were as they are now.

Pointless wondering.

Cullen holds out a hand to take back his coat. No worries about the cold now.]