Closed Hunting and Concidences

[Poppy Blackburn]

Ten chimes later, Alexander had still not arrived. Using that time wisely, Poppy took off her leather armour along with her mail shirt, allowing fresh cool air to enter her clothing. She also used the time to wait for Alexander allowing herself to catch her breath, and drying off the perspiration that had soaked on her clothing and armour. The cool breeze that came along was a great help in that, and she was confident that she would be mostly dry by the time he arrived. Leaning herself onto the ivy-covered wall of the watchtower, she drank in the sight of the beautiful forests, listening to the sounds of the variety of birds chirping, and the leaves of the trees swaying in the breeze.

Another ten chimes later, the lass was satisfied with the dryness of her clothing, and began to put on her armour once more, while she continued the wait for him. The lad emerged from the woods soon enough, presenting himself in a state she had never seen him before in. The poor guy looked like he was about to keel over! His chest drenched in sweat and his chest heaving as he struggled to take in more air. She heard him utter a exasperated “How?” but her only response to that was a sly smile.

He dropped to his knees, gasping for breath before getting back up on his feet. A very exhausted Alexander informed her that she had beaten him, and she cheered, grinning to herself. “Hurray! I have bested the great Faircroft!” The only visible sign that she was involved in a run earlier, was a faint tinge of redness that still clouded her cheeks. Allowing him to recover before she spoke of her request as he had asked, the lass waited for him to recover. The rest took no longer than thirty ticks, and Alexander was ready to receive her request. He had probably no idea what he had in mind, asking to be ordered around. She had no plans to order him around, but for all she had was two simple orders. “I want you to close your eyes. No questions, just do it.”

Poppy said no other words, or made any point to further explain herself. When Alexander did as ordered, shutting his eyes, the lass would move up to his front, lifting herself up on the front of her feet and placed her lips onto his, the softness and suppleness of her lips coming into contact with his. It felt special, magical, even to do it in such a scene. She lingered there for two to three chimes, before breaking away from the kiss.

Poppy then continued to issue her last order. “Keep your eyes closed! Only open them five chimes later. I’ll see you back in the city!” And with that, all he would hear was a scuffle of feet, and the part of bushes and other flora. Her cheeks were burning with embarrassment, and her visage as red as a tomato. The lass simply couldn’t bear to face him right now or she may simply faint out of embarrassment. She had kissed a boy, for the first time in her life. Oh boy. Oh girl.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Bested “The Great Faircroft”. The look he gave her was so dry if he’d of used it on a bucket of water he probably would have turned it to sand. Still he sucked down another breath and eased an exhale out as he sat down she wanted him to close his eyes? An odd request. Out of everything she could have asked for her reward she chose this? Even the caveat wasn’t that bad just close his eyes and don’t ask why. That he could do. Slowly his eyes closed the lingering image of her still there in front of him as he did so. And then in the blackness he just listened.

The sound of birdsong in the distance the sound of the soft swaying wind rolling through the trees. Perhaps she just wanted him to sit here and enjoy the sounds of nature and the soft serenity that it brought. Perhaps even now she wanted him to just relax and have his mind at ease. And then something else crossed his ears. A slight shuffling of feet against the disturbed leaves. And then a presence in front of him. Looming and still. He couldn’t feel any ill intent, rather quite the opposite. And that’s when he felt the warmth on his lips. A soft smoothness that he’d felt once before from a different source. But unlike then, this wasn’t driven by the heat of a moment, this was drawn out. Planned. But it didn’t change a damned thing.

She’d asked him just to close his eyes. She didn’t say he had to sit still. So as the warmth pressed into his lips he pressed back His hands briefly pressing into her lower back as he returned what she’d given him. Bereft of sight only made everything else even more enlivened. The heat, the softness the subtle taste. He lingered for a moment. Knowing full well that this wasn’t something he was going to be able to forget and every time he looked towards her in the future he’d have this feeling in the back of his mind. Tugging at him. The moment at least that was as long as it felt to him, broke almost it seemed as soon as it began.

She pulled away from his hands and gave the final words of her order. Still with minor visions of explosions behind his eyes he managed to speak. His words softer, lighter. Like he’d had a brief moment of reprieve from the constant weight on his mind. “As you wish.” As soon as he spoke all he heard as the shuffling of feet and then soon even those faded. Left alone with the recollection of what had just happened etched into his mind. With just the whistle of the wind swaying through the leaves of the trees he slid off of the stone sitting on the dry ground with his back against the boulder.

Five chimes… Is that how long you wanted to torture me with this? As much as he wanted to open he didn’t break his word. The one thing he knew would always have value to himself, he held. Subconsciously he couldn’t help but feel like he was comparing the two rather powerful kisses he’d received. One held an innocence and a softness that he couldn’t and possibly wouldn’t ever quite grasp. The other came from a place of passion and heat, the likes of which he’d never seen before.

The five chimes passed and he opened his eyes looking up into what seemed like a brighter world. Where his last time in such a situation had left him in a world much darker and colder. He couldn’t help but see things as a touch brighter now. The corner of his mouth curled upwards into a soft grin as he let the wind just sway against him. I know I’ve gotta head back. I’m just going to take a few moments longer right here though.

Finally he rose from his seat in the dirt and headed back towards the city, a slower pace, a soft walk but he couldn’t quite help but feel as if it was warranted. Earned. She said she’d see him back in the city? What else did she have in store? Or perhaps it was just a thing to say. The time passed as he stepped back into the city around the fifteenth bell the city rumbling and roiling with people. He had an idea of where to head to find her. Question was would she be there or was she elsewhere?

He stepped into the squire dorms and made his way briefly down the hall before knocking at her door. Half expecting a reply, half expecting her to not be in.

[Poppy Blackburn]

As Alexander stood in the spot where he had to wait out the chimes before he could open his eyes, Poppy had long gone, dashing through the many bushes and the other assorted flora and fauna, eventually making her way out of the Bronze Woods. Half skipping, half jogging, the brunette make the journey back to the city, her visage still immensely flushed, as the scene kept replaying over in her head.

She had just expected to deliver a kiss, and for him to remain still, but he had moved gave her much more, pressing his hand in the small of her back, pushing her deeper into the kiss not only gave her a little shock, for it had surprised her thinking that she had the upper hand. However, as far as first kisses go, she’ll have to say that she rather enjoyed that. It had been brief, but passionate, and the fact that it was done in such a beautifully serene place made it all the unforgettable experience that will forever remain etched in her mind. By now, the cat was out of the bag, and if Alexander hadn’t realised before, he would know now that she had feelings for him. Although he returned her kiss, she didn’t necessarily know if he felt the same way about her, and that was one of the plethora of thoughts running through her mind right now.

Her mind was going into overdrive, trying to process the multitude of emotions and feelings that she was feeling right now, especially since some of them were new to her, and she’d never felt that before. There was a warm tingling sensation in the centre of her chest, and it made her feel great and delightful, not quite something she'd felt before.

Syliras, Rearing Stallion

Once Poppy made her way into the city, instead of heading for the squire dormitories like she usually would, the lass headed towards the Rearing Stallion instead. She felt like she needed a good drink in her system right now, and the tavern would be a great fix for that. Entering the establishment, she glanced around sheepishly and registered the fact that there was only a small group of patrons present.

Most of the crowd would come in the evenings and throughout the night. It was good enough. Walking over to the bar, the lass smiled warmly at the brewmaster and owner, Ser Kevith and ordered a mug of ale. A chime later, she grabbed the cold mug of frothy ale, paid the cost and found an empty seat near the corner of the main room. Slowing sipping her beverage, Poppy realised that simply taking small sips was not going to work, and took a gulp instead, feeling the cold beverage run down her throat, sending a fuzzy feeling in her chest, helping to relieve some the embarrassment she felt earlier.

Poppy was not normally a bashful person, but when it came to intimate matters of the heart, the lass couldn’t help but feel this way. Hopefully after downing this mug of ale, which was already almost empty, she’ll head back to the dormitories feeling less unsure of both herself and how Alexander felt about her.

Expenses-1 Silver Miza for the Mug of Ale

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

Alex waited in front of the door for a chime. And then another. No answer. He exhaled and stepped back out into the city. If she wasn’t there where else could she be? Taking a moment to just run over things in his mind. A soft tingle still on his lips he decided the best place to head would probably be the stallion. Alex shifted his hands into his pockets and headed on over. Marching through the streets, the roar of busy crowd’s poured through the evening hours of the city. The evening sky began to slowly drift from the stark blue it had been earlier to an orange streaked purple canvas. Alex sighed and stepped through the doors of the rearing stallion.

He reached into his coin pouch and fished out a couple of silvers. A small nod to Kevith and within a few ticks a cold mug of ale was placed in front of him. Lifting the brew he took a good long drink. Just willing the alcohol to try to dull the feeling in his head. Alex had stat at the bar. His usual spot was oddly enough unoccupied. With the fire place to his back and the rest of the tavern open to his view. He caught a glimpse of the soft brown hair. Letting his eyes linger out of the corner of them he spotted poppy trying to hide away in the corner of the tavern. What exactly was she playing at?

Why’d she run off after what she did? A plethora of questions rolled around in his skull, and rather than simply just leave them to fester and pollute his mind. He rose cutting through the crowd a bit of acrobatic skill needed to balance his ale and not spill any through the mess of legs and off centre stools. Slipping past the main floor he glided gently into a seat opposite her. With a knowing smile he took a drink from his cup before looking her dead in the eyes.
“If you’re going to do something like that Poppy. You’d best be ready for the consequences.” He didn’t move. Didn’t even shift just occasionally lifting his cup to his mouth and taking a drink. All while keeping the stark green orbs of his locked into her own hazel ones. He was going to draw a word out of her. He wanted to hear why she’d just scarpered off.

[Poppy Blackburn]

Poppy shifted her mug, lowering her head as she did so, in a pathetic attempt to hide herself behind her mug of ale. If she got the position right, she might be able to hide her face from any prying eyes. Nah, who was she kidding? There was no way that small mug would be able to hide any part of her. At all. Her foolish little attempt to hide herself was foiled, crushed into nothingness of oblivion as the lass spotted a highly familiar figure walking towards her. Drats! He had found her all too quickly. She’d barely anytime to recover or think about what to say, when she saw the guy holding a mug in his, weaving in and out of several patrons seated at the tables and chairs before her.

It wouldn’t be long now before he was seated before her, two to three chimes at the most. Her calculations were mostly correct as he stepped past the last set of obstacles and slided into a seat opposite her. Diverting her attention to the inside of her mug, she kept her gaze of the remains of her ale, unsure of meeting his eye.

Risking a glance, she looked up, and found his startling pair of jade-green eyes locked onto the hazel-green of her own. Finding the stare incredibly compelling for some reason, Poppy was unable to look away. The stare was maintained between the two for several chimes before Alexander made the first word. He informed her that if she was going to do what she did, she’d better be prepared for the consequences. What consequences was he talking about, she wondered. Not fully understanding what he meant, she queried. “Pray tell, what consequences do you speak of?” The brunette noticed how he sat like a statue, his body rigid and still, apart from the lifting of his mug to take the occasional sip of his ale.

The intensity of his stare was unnerving and Poppy was beginning to feel nervous and uneasy. Perhaps, she had done the wrong thing, and he didn’’t had that sort of feelings for her, and he wanted her to pay the price. That could possibly be what the consequences he had spoken of meant. She had no clue. Could it be that he was angry at her for leaving him alone there after she had planted the kiss onto him?

Speaking up to explain herself, she said. “I offered no ill intent when I left you back there in the woods. I was simply teasing you is all, especially knowing how you tend to remember everything.” She wasn’t exactly telling him the entirety of the truth, but it more or less there. She had left out the part where she had ran because she has been too embarrassed at the boldness and rashness of her action without first being totally certain of the way he felt about her first. She didn’t want him to think less of her, reducing the worth of her in his eyes, and so she had decided to omit the fact.

[Alexander Faircroft]

Description "Alex Common" Alex thoughts "Myrian" "Fratava" "Others"

It seemed like the passive approach but the constant leer was working its magic. Finally he got words to spill from her lips. He didn’t speak after her first question. Letting her stew a little more under the hard stare. As half of the mug faded from existence Alex still held his leer awaiting a word another sign that his tactic was working. And then it happened. He’d pushed her to explain her actions. Firstly she was worrying about what he thought, whether he’d thought she held ill intent towards him. And then mentioned the fact that he remembered everything. With a sly shift of his moth a small grin formed.

“If you know I remember everything then you should also know that I’m not going to be forgetting that.” He spoke again before taking another sip of the Ale. His posture softening again. He didn’t need to look intimidating to get an answer sometimes perception of actions was enough. He smiled slowly and relaxed into his chair. And then with a long drag from the mug he placed it back on the table and rose with a small motion. Making sure to lean in close to Poppy’s ear as he did so keeping his words quiet barely above a whisper. “I must say your lips are extremely soft, but you need some practice. If you want to try that again this time with my eyes open. You’re more than welcome to find me at the dorms. I’m going to drop off some stuff. Second floor, far end of the right hall.”

He smirked a little more as he pulled back. Leaving the mug on the side he started the walk back to his particular dorm. A small lightness about him, having something. Someone else to focus on was helping immensely. The last times he’d gotten within an arm’s reach of someone’s affection he’d pushed them far away. Through circumstance out of his control. His nature. His past. Poppy seemed like one of the first few people that could actually accept him for him. He rolled his head back and stared at the sky for a moment. For the first time, in gods only knew how long. He found himself genuinely laughing. A soft rumble of small unfamiliar noises.

A smile attached to his face he strode back to the dorms, stepping into his room he unbuckled the belt that held his weapons and unbelted the leather armour. Standing his sword at the foot of his bed with his bow quiver and assortment of other weapons and the pile of armour now topped with leather pieces Alex sat on the edge of his bunk. His hands slid through his hair as he couldn’t quite wipe the smile from his features. It felt nice to be… Wanted. Even if it was just in his head.

He closed his eyes and for the first time since he’d joined the knights, no since he’d left sunberth. He wasn’t plagued by the thoughts of failure and sadness. It still lingered in the corners of his mind but now he had a moment of clarity within the storm. Whether it was just the eye of the tornado or a passing breath of calm he didn’t know. He just knew it was nice to not have to have the constant crushing weight of failure resting on his shoulders.

[Izuyanai]

Grades : Grades Name: Alexander XP: Stealth +1 Intimidation +1 Teaching +2 Weapon Longbow +2 Running +1 Acrobatics +1 Flirting +1 Seduction +1 Lores: Cloak and Dagger Intimidation Tactics Teaching of the Bow Poppy: Bested the Great Faircroft Kissing Practice Notes: Poppy, message me when you have returned and clarified your ledger. Let me know if you think I’ve missed something.