Lenora was a mess of emotions now that she was sober. Memories of the night prior with Declan were vivid in her mind, reminding her of his kisses and how he held her against him. Every time she thought about it, butterflies exploded in her stomach and made her paws feel fuzzy. She couldn't help the stupid smile that graced her features, but it always fizzled and faultered when she thought about her mother. She shoved the thought away, determined not to think about her tonight - not when she was about to go on a date. But shouldn't this be something you talk to your mom about?" the voice in her head chided. Normally, yes, but their family wasn't normal anymore. The crashing of water announced her arrival to the Braid. Her paws sank into the water logged earth, but it felt kinda nice between her toes. Purple eyes flickered around the area as she approached closer to the waterfall, but not close enough that her hearing was completely drowned out. It was obvious she was looking for someone, and she suddenly realized that he had never specified where to meet him... so she could only hope that he found her first. Until then, she sat down, making sure that her rump didn't totally fall on the wet ground and instead sort of perched on her heels as she watched the falls quietly, thinking about everything that had happened in the last few months of her life. table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash |
|
Whether she had been waiting a minute or an hour, the time passed pleasantly in this peaceful little pocket. Lenora hadn't taken much time for herself as of late, much less to go exploring to places she hadn't been before, and so she was clueless when it came to the beauty that Rionna had to offer. Curiosity had her thoughts wander to the Highlands, too, and what pretty places could be up there as well. Would Declan bring her up there and show her his favourite places? Her head tilted a bit to the side as she pondered quietly. His steps were quiet as he approached, but she was so relaxed here that her muscles didn't jump when his voice announced his arrival. He set a bouquet of purple flowers at her paws, and she couldn't help herself - lowering her head to the ground, she sniffed at them and smiled at the flowery perfume. Lifting her head to look at him, a soft laugh left her lips at the realization this was the first time anyone had brought her flowers... it was such a kind gesture, one she wouldn't peg to a known criminal. But things were more complicated now, weren't they? After all, their little "thing" was complicated. "I still don't know if this is a good idea," she whispered, though her tone was teasing as she lifted her head to look at him. Her hands traced patterns up his torso as she wrapped them around his neck. "I haven't been here before. It's beautiful - do you come here often?" she asked, trying to stay present and not delve into her recent memories. table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash |
|
It was a slow realization, and one that she wouldn't verbally admit or even acknowledge most of the time, but Declan was somehow becoming a comfort for her. Self-reflection figured this was because he had entered her life in a time of immense turmoil between the conflicts with her brother, her discussion with her mother, and the very real, sinking understanding that her parents were never going to come home. You have been replaced by flowers. Her smile faultered for a moment, but she was quick to slip back on her mask as he enveloped her in his arms. Despite everything else going on in her life, the stability of their cat and mouse game; the predictability of him and weird sense of dependability apparently was what drew her in. Perhaps against her better judgement, she decided she was okay with this. At least he didn't look at her with scorn like Riften did, or overwhelming sadness and regret like her mother. She didn't know what her father thought of her now, but figured once Riften returned and her mother told him of their talk, his opinion would sour as well. All she had left was Atlas, and she wondered if it was only a matter of time before he turned on her as well. Had this all been worth it, just for a station in the army? Should she have left as well? Declans voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she clutched onto him as she listened. He was relaxed, and so she did her best to mimic this by forcing her muscles to release the tension built up within them, and allow herself to melt into his side. "You mean you invited a girl out on a date and didn't prepare a dinner for her?" she mused teasingly, one brow raising in mock disbelief. "I was looking forward to a free meal, Declan, and now you're going to make me work on my day off." she couldn't help the laughter that built within her with each word, hoping that it instigated him enough to get a rise out of him. Her tail wagged gently behind her, her anxieties melting away as she desperately clung to the distraction that he provided. table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash |
|
He countered back with what she thought was a joke, but he rose and began to walk towards the forest. It was when he slowed and looked back at her that she realized he was serious, and she flashed a brief look of are you kidding me? before she dramatically got up and followed after him. "My father will hear of this slight, sir," she sniffed at him, though secretly she was eager to see how they worked as a team. In the army, all soldiers were as one; a well oiled machine with a hive mind and no one was left behind. So she was curious - did the thieves on the streets work the same way? Truthfully, it had been quite some time since she had hunted, probably the last was during the war when they were camped out far from home and what they considered civilization. As the lowest on the totem pole, it was her task to help feed the ranking soldiers, and she did so with much success. She only hoped she could draw from that to perform well enough tonight as well. As she neared his side, Lenora bumped playfully into his shoulder with her own, "Tag, you're it!" she laughed and took off into the forest in search for the sweet scent of deer. -- time skip -- There were hiccups. While they weren't as graceful as a unit of soldiers, they did well enough, coming back to their little area with a small deer in tow - that of course she made Declan carry. Her fur was splattered in blood that wasn't hers, and when he dropped the corpse down there was no hesitation from her to begin the feast. The energy they exerted just to catch it wore on her now and she needed the calories to regain her strength, but she was careful to make sure he had more than enough space to dig into his favourite pieces as well. Once they were finished, she leaned back and licked at her bloody lips before appearing a bit embarrassed. The girl gave a quick glance towards Declan before looking to the falls, where fresh water promised a nice bath - even if it was cold. "We should... probably clean ourselves up, yeah?" she asked a bit shyly, not used to being so... feral around others. table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash |
|
She waited for him to test the waters first, watching as he lowered himself down and a smirk lit up her face as he tensed. Declan dunked his head in and Lenora followed suit, deciding to get the rest of the watery bites over with and she broke through the surface after a few seconds with a gasp. Blinking the droplets from her eyes, she was surprised to see the Declan had begun to paddle away from her! Awkwardly, she found her footing before following after him, her stomach plummeting the moment the floor seemed to drop out from under her. If she sank a little further, her paws could barely touch - but that was at risk of her ears almost submerging under the surface, and that wasn't ideal for her. "Declan!" she called, fear curdling the edges of her voice as she waded through the water when he disappeared behind the falls. The roar of the water crashing down drowned everything else out, and so she focused on watching him so she could pursue him. "Need help up?" she asked between bouts of clattering teeth, and she couldn't help the embarrassed smile that crossed her muzzle. "It's colder than I thought it'd be!" she giggled for no particular reason, only hoping that it would be warmer in the cave. table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash |
|