[Dreamscape: Open] Dance Across this Sea With Me

[Caoin]

Caoin didn’t notice the environment around them as it started to change, transitioning from the beautiful, yet dangerous Sea of Grass to the sophisticated, and lovely setting of Lhavit. She didn’t see the rain become stars or the grasslands rise up into rocky mountains, the grass shifting its shape into buildings. There was a flash of lightning that lit up the surroundings around the pair and then the ground shattered beneath them as they found themselves standing in Lhavit. Sterling spun her around, one arm wrapping around her mid-drift and holding her close. Through her soaked dress, she could just barely feel the heat of his body beginning to warm her and it felt good. His pointed over her shoulder at the city before them and her gaze moved to where he was indicating.

He was right; it wasn’t Endrykas or the Sea of Grass. The mountains closed in around Lhavit, making it an environment completely different from the one she’d known all of her life, it was almost enough to make a person who had lived on the Sea claustrophobic… all those mountains separating her from the rest of the world. And yet, it could also be seen as a barrier to the rest of the world, shielding Lhavit. She listened as he spoke of the people who lived there, beautiful women who shimmered, women who were exotic in appearance compared to the women of Endrykas. There were men who were the same there. She frowned softly, how could such a common and plain woman like her compare to the exotic beauties that one must be able to find in abundance outside of Endrykas. “Surely one of these exotic women would be more desirable a bride than a woman as mundane as myself?”

Caoin leaned her weight against him, leaning to the side a bit as she turned to look at him. Their faces were so close and she couldn’t help but look into his eyes again. She’d always liked blue eyes, they reminded her of the sky and the ocean.

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[Sterling Brody]

Caoin’s suggestion about wanting one of the ‘exotic women’ as his bride astounded him. As she stared deep into his pools of blue, he quickly spun her back around. Her innocence, her beauty captivated him far more than any horned, sparkly woman could have. She admitted herself as being plain and mundane, but he shook his head and stared down at her. A long, awkward moment passed as he gazed back into her eyes. For lack of an explanation of his conscience, he spun her around, cupped her delicate face in his hands, and drew her close for a passionate kiss. Assuming she didn’t object and retract herself from him, he would grip her thin waist and draw her near, allowing his tongue to dance with hers. The feeling brought a sense of power that swelled in his chest and gut as he held her tightly. He felt as if she were at his mercy as he gripped her tightly against his own chest and abdominals. “Caoin, my dear,” He breathed. ”You are far from mundane. Your beauty surpasses that which I have ever seen with my own two eyes. I-I… You’re… You’re stunning, even for a favorable Drykas woman. Please, if you are real… Save yourself. Save yourself for me. I will come back. I swear it, I am real. Your pride, your beauty, your steadfast love for Striders… It’s everything I have searched for. You make me regret leaving Endrykas. I will return, I swear to you…” He spun her around once more, this time laying her on the thick, soft grass. Gently, her back flattened with the surface of the earth. He laid her straight and flat before drawing a knee between her thighs, and planting his head on her shoulder. ”I swear I will return.”

[Caoin]

Perhaps Caoin had been spending too many nights in Baultime’s Barrel, listening to drunk foreign traders talk about the exotic women of the world. Or maybe she’d been spending too many nights in the bar listening to the Drykas men talk about the exotic foreigners that came in. Considering her usually limited exposure to other races that she encountered on the city’s journey, Caoin’s view point was slightly skewed. To her, women such as the ones Brody described were a scarcity, something that the Drykas men, at least the ones who never left their home, might find enticing. To Brody, who had lived amongst them and grown used to them, they were just as common as the Drykas women in Endrykas were to Drykas men. Brody had no reason to be mesmerized by their exotic appearance.

At least, that’s the way Caoin reasoned things after Brody shook his head in disagreement with her previous statement. The logical reasoning portion of her mind completely cut off following the awkward moment of silence as she found herself spinning in his arms again, this time to stop short when she was completely facing him. His hands found and cupped her face before drawing her in. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, Caoin’s first kiss and, if she’d been capable of thinking about it, a dream kiss that technically wasn’t even real. However, that was beside the point, as Caoin found herself too stunned to resist. His arm gripped her waist and held her in place against his chest and abs, and it was a good thing too as she felt her knees beginning to grow weak and buckle. Her body felt like a burning brand, warmed with a heat she’d never felt before. Her breath caught in her chest. The world around her started to spin in that breathless moment while his tongue danced with hers.

Caoin had been too busy as a teenager being a tomboy to think much about romance. By the time she’d grown out of that phase enough to consider settling down and finding a husband, her brother had died and she’d been left in a position where finding a husband became a big responsibility, and not just any husband, but one capable of being an Ankal. Her family’s efforts to marry her off, the efforts of countless suitors to woo her for the chance to be the head of her family. It had poisoned her against the idea of romance in general and she’d buried herself in her work and her animals. But this was a dream, right? Not the reality that she had to wake up to. Surely she could allow herself some freedom in a world that seemed to have no consequences?

She felt the change in him, in the way he gripped her and held her. The power he felt over her, she could feel it, and for once, she felt helpless in the face of a man’s strength. Yet, she didn’t want to push it away. Surely she could give in to this? He spoke, breathy words that wrapped her brain in a fog, and she could feel that hot breath on her cold skin and it made her flesh tingle. Her world was spinning and she felt like she was falling, and then she really was moving downward as her knees and strength caved and Brody lowered her panting, breathless body to the ground.

When her back found the grass and soil beneath her, it shattered the moment for her. She felt his head resting on her shoulder, his knee between her thighs. She also felt the cold, harsh truths of the real world come flooding back. Her palm flattened against his chest, unwillingly holding him at bay, and she could feel his heartbeat. She wanted to rest her head where her hand lay and listen to the beat of his heart. The feminine side of her that she had kept buried for so long felt that beating heart tugging at her own. Instead, she turned her head to the side, away from him, staring out over the grass. “I wish it were so simple, Sterling Brody, but…” she sighed, the corners of her lips pulling down in a frown. “I may not have a choice in when or who I give myself to.”

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[Sterling Brody]

The ground beneath Caoin shifted, the colors and textures melding together like a strange swirling of paints or dyes. He looked just beside her head as the grasses wove themselves together and the hues faded from greens to blues and dark charcoal greys. His smile did not falter as she flattened her little palm against his chest. With a light, airy chuckle he shook his head. He said, ”Don’t frown at me like that. Your smile is much prettier.” Gently, he brushed the locks of hair from her face. ”I wouldn’t ask you to do anything you wouldn’t want to, Caoin, make no mistake about that.” The blue-grey mass below them had shifted into the ocean’s surface, and yet it still felt soft and solid as grass. He gripped Caoin under her waist and pulled her up and over, rolling so that she was by his side, cradled against him. He hadn’t expected her to succumb easily, or at all, for that matter. He didn’t want to insult her chastity – assuming she had any. It seemed unbecoming for him, and yet he couldn’t resist. He sighed as he looked down at her, thinking about his return to Endrykas. Was he ready? Yes, and no. Something was missing from his life, and he knew it. Unfortunately, one of them was the atmosphere of his homeland. The other, well, he wasn’t so sure about, but he did know it couldn’t be found in the grasses of his home. It had eluded him there, thus thrusting him out into his current journey. It was this thought that caused the environment around them to shatter and fall apart like ash in the wind. Though he held Caoin tight in his arms, he felt her slip away, her delicate features unable to withstand the chaos of the fissure ripping though the dream state. Before he was able to grip the state and draw it back, it had completely evaporated, leaving him in the cold, dark place in between consciousness and unconsciousness.

[Legion]

Thread Award Caoin: Recognition/Visual Identification of Sterling Sterling: Recognition/Visual Identification of Caoin Consequence & Commentary: I greatly enjoyed this thread. It was beautifully written and romantic and made me feel warm and fuzzy on an otherwise downer day. Thank you for the lovely read and pick-me-up. As y'all are doubtless aware, no XPs can be awarded for a Dreamscapes thread. I do like to provide potentially interesting consequences, however. Here’s the deal. Sterling will be compelled to maintain his promise to return to Endrykas. He will become hounded by nightmares the longer he procrastinates actively pursuing this. Whenever either PC dances, the other will come to mind with stark clarity. The greater the focus and duration of dancing, the stronger the sense of the other’s presence and more detailed the memory. Questions, comments or concerns are more than welcome in my PM box. I'm always willing to listen. Write on.