no stone unturned

HARPER

As she shifts her features into another form, he can only grin all the brighter, because she is still so beautiful - adorable, really - even in this blurred space between creature and maiden. "Does that make you the beast and me the beauty then? Because I'll be very kind and spare you," he promises impishly, enjoying the tug of war of strength between them. Knowing she can hold her own against his wiles and fortitude alike. Unfrightened, emboldened, completely taken in by her regardless of her form. And the heat that takes over her cheeks, the moment of shock that he catches before she controls it, makes it all worthwhile.

Her stillness is the trap that he falls into easily, and he yips a startled sound that devolves into boyish giggles as she immediately spins him and recaptures him in one smooth motion. Feeling young and foolish, not the trained man he knows himself to be, against this admittedly suave maneuver. Now it is his turn to flush brightly, though his smile never falters and his glassy eyes cannot bear to leave her face. As she presses against him he is pressed up against the desk, flustered and definitely in over his head, but happy to drown wherever she deigns to push him down. "I'd enjoy whatever you give me, my huntress," he teases, a bit breathless with the subtle laughter still coursing through his chest, the anticipation and excitement of meeting his match. Leaning back against the desk and pulling his wrists closer to his own body, trying to urge her to press even more fully against his front, perhaps enough to try and turn the tables. But he doesn't hold out much hope there.

this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

i want to be a mystery, yet be known

i want to be together, yet alone

A snort leaves her once again at the mention of him being the beauty, and she pauses in the tug of war struggle to actually look at him the best she can while she’s in this position, eyes soft and gentle. “Would you really?” She half teases, a hum of laughter leaving her at that. But he doesn’t shy from the forms she shows him, the feathers, the fur, the canines, the talons at the tips of her fingers that she uses slightly to interlock his wrist a bit more.

But she lets them disappear as she stills, lulling him into a trap of getting her loose enough to spin to face him and capture those wrists again, from those hands that aim to tickle her. She can see him flush, see his bright grin along his face as she snorts lightly to him and shakes her head, pushing him further back to the desk. And then he teases her again, and her eyes find his as he leans back, wrists pulling in tighter until her body aligns with his, pressing more fully toward the front as he wishes her to – giving into the trap that he sets for her as she struggles to come up with a retort. “You say that now, but I doubt there’d be much enjoyment in it for you. I definitely would though.” A wolfish grin crosses her face to that.

is it too much to ask to be famous yet unknown?

to be a wanderer, yet have a home?

KIADA

HARPER

Her teasing is blunted by the softness of her eyes, the way she pauses in their little struggle to ascertain his sincerity. If she looks, she will find only honesty in his expression, the warm smile and crinkled corners of his eyes. "Yes. Really." Even the sharp tips of her fingers won't change his mind, and she could surely eviscerate him with one well-aimed blow. In another world, one where perhaps Harper was not so keen on preserving all forms of life, he would still see fit to spare her if only because she is her. Kind, funny, good in ways she continues to display every time they meet.

Harper lets her back him against the desk, and in turn she allows herself to be pulled up against his torso. She may be stronger, but at least he is taller. And though the warmth of her body on his is distracting, he can't look away from her eyes, more enamored with her spirit than her form. "I would enjoy giving you that pleasure at least," he teases back, because while the pain of her vague promises would undoubtedly end him, her pleasure in taking him apart would at least grant him that small bit of joy. He's a pleaser, what can he say?

this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

i want to be a mystery, yet be known

i want to be together, yet alone

There’s sincerity in his eyes, and a part of her pangs at it, her heart thundering loudly in her ears as she swallows hard. The only ones that had accepted her fully had been Deimos and Amalia, had not shied away from the mistakes she’d made in her past, for the gods she’d aligned herself with that had destroyed her home – not once, but twice – and she tries to play it off with a bright smile, but her eyes give her away. There’s a softness, a sorrow to them that she can’t quite mask, like being in Helovia again and her magic revealing her emotions for everyone around to see.

Thankfully, backing him into the desk and pressing herself against him does do something of interest to break her out of her stupor – he keeps her close, peering down at her with those dark and stormy eyes, and she feels her breath hitching ever so slightly when he teases her back at allowing her to kick his ass because she’d enjoy it. Part of her wonders what he’s doing to her, if she’s lost her mind. Perhaps she has, because instead of giving an answer, she hopes she’s not being too forward – distracted by their closeness, their easy flirtations, their dancing and amusement, the feeling of his arms around her that she hadn’t felt in… Seasons.

She steps onto her tiptoes then to get closer, to peer at him briefly as her smile fades, and she leans in to kiss him gently, softly, so at odds from the beast she had claimed she was.

is it too much to ask to be famous yet unknown?

to be a wanderer, yet have a home?

KIADA

HARPER

For a moment there is stillness, and Harper does nothing to try and fight her grip as she searches his gaze. Her own melts away, something sad and touched in the beautiful etchings of icewater in her irises. Already he knows that she is a proud, private woman. Does not force upon her any questions, does not call out her sorrow. Some things are meant to be secret, revealed only when he has earned that level of trust with her. All he does is stare back in turn, content to remain in her grip and gaze, still smiling warmly all the while. Safe, soft. A place for her to burrow deep and find peace if she so wishes.

He thinks maybe she would be inclined to do so, with the way she leans into him, trusting him to keep them both upright. Unafraid to enter his space, though he wonders if that's because she knows how much stronger she is than him. Or is it something more? Can she sense that he would never fight her, would not even think to harm her even if he were capable of breaking her hold? That he came here because he was concerned for her and nothing more? There is no expectation on his end. Of course he is at least partially aware of the intimacy of their hold on each other, but he lets her take it at her own pace. Lets her lead for him to follow, and when she rises on her toes he holds very still. Until her soft lips are on his, and he exhales perhaps a little shakily. His own eyes close, and though he longs to cradle her face in his hands, to run them through her hair, he doesn't attempt to break free of her grip. Instead he tilts his head, leaning down to make it easier on her as he kisses her back. Gentle, chaste, full of warmth and acceptance that he prays translates across the motion.

this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

i want to be a mystery, yet be known

i want to be together, yet alone

Perhaps she’s thought wrong, that she’s misread the signals, the thoughts that align in her mind. Perhaps she’s just lonely and broken and not quite right that any bit of attention like this draws her into thinking that it could be something more, something else, something freeing. And she hesitates ever so slightly, certain that she’s making a mistake right when her lips meet his and he exhales shakily.

She’s made a mistake, hasn’t she?

She realizes she’s gripping his wrists then, and she lets go, prepared to push herself away and apologize – but then he’s tilting his head closer to her so she doesn’t have to stand so tall on her tiptoes, returns the kiss a bit gentle, a bit chaste, warmth blossoming through her as well as he cheeks as she feels her heart thundering in her chest, her mind absolutely blank of any wonder. She breaks for a split moment, to look and see if he’s unhappy with this, if she should stop.

But despite what she finds, thinking that he’ll likely let her, she lifts her arms around his neck and pulls him slightly back down into her embrace, keeping her body against his, sharing the warmth and the intimacy of this simple act.

is it too much to ask to be famous yet unknown?

to be a wanderer, yet have a home?

KIADA

HARPER

In this, she is not wrong. He only wants for her to be secure in her own decision, whatever it is she would like to ask of him. To feel no pressure as she seeks this intimate touch of her own volition. But as she retreats, releases him, he immediately moves to reassure. He wants this just as much, and hopes to soothe any lingering anxiety with his hands and mouth. Still just as gentle as the soft motions of their lips, his hands move to cradle her jaw just as he had wanted. One moving to tuck her hair behind her ear, trailing lightly over the edge of it, gently grasping the lobe before trailing down the side of her neck.

When she breaks away he stares down at her, lips glossed and eyes dark but no less kind. Kiada's grip reels him in and he goes willingly, exchanging his grip for one around her waist as she goes high. Never trailing too low, one hand running up and down the length of her spine leisurely as their lips reconnect tenderly. His tongue swipes playfully at the seam of her lips before retreating, preferring this slow motion they have started together. Lost in her scent, her touch, helpless to whatever she wants from him in that moment.

this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

i want to be a mystery, yet be known

i want to be together, yet alone

She releases him for the moment, given into the feeling of his lips on hers, the feeling of his reassurance, of ensuring that she’s not forcing him into doing this. It’s strange, to be touched this way, to not fight for it, nor seek it out, that he had stumbled upon her and came to check up on her just to ensure she was okay, to take her up on the dance he had promised before. And that’s all she’d thought it’d been, until he kissed her cheek, until he tried to tickle her and slay her.

Until she stopped fighting back and decided to give in. Her gaze shudders slightly when she catches his own, arms wrapping around his neck to pull him back in, bending her spine back ever so slightly as she presses herself against him and his lips meet hers, his hands and arms meet her waist. His fingers trail her spine and she wonders if he can feel the burn scars beneath the fabric of her shirt, heart thundering as his tongue swipes at her lips before withdrawing, and she almost sighs into the kiss. Her hands lift then a small amount to tangle in his dark hair, trying to deepen the kiss, trying to prolong this feeling – however fleeting she’s sure it is.

is it too much to ask to be famous yet unknown?

to be a wanderer, yet have a home?

KIADA

HARPER

Harper is no stranger to displays of affection, to being swept up in a wave of appreciation of being alive and grasping the person closest to you to kiss or embrace. He has always been flexible and accommodating. As free with his body as he is with the kindness he exudes. But this is so much more than platonic, a depth to each motion that even he can't deny or overlook. The way Kiada fits against him, dragging him down further as she leans backwards into his arms - strong, locked, allowing her to lean against them as fully as she wants - is like a dream. Like he shouldn't be here, with this wonderful woman in his arms. She who had seemed so untouchable, so far above him from the moment they had met. It is an honor more than anything that she allows him so close, that she wants him, and it softens every touch and motion with the gratitude he feels that she trusts him in this way. It is far more intoxicating than her taste or her body pressed against his from top to bottom.

Her hands tangle in his hair, and he shamelessly moans softly against her lips, shuddering pleasantly beneath the touch. Parts only to tilt his head and kiss her soundly once more, happy to stand here forever and simply kiss her. No more, no less. Enjoying the way his lips swell the slightest bit with the shared pressure, the way her spine arches against his palms, the rabbit of a heartbeat he can't parse between his or hers. It may not have been what he sought when he came today, but it drowns him pleasantly all the same.

this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

i want to be a mystery, yet be known

i want to be together, yet alone

She thinks back, briefly, momentarily through the haze to think that the last time someone had touched her so softly, so delicately, as though she could break when she’s always put on that façade of strength, of power, of hoping that people had become too afraid of her to grow close and attached only to learn of the blood that coated her hands, that coated her mouth if she thought about it too long – the iron melding into the strings of her life, of everything she’d done, intentionally or otherwise. So when he offers that pillar of strength, the stability in the posture of his to let her decide where he should go, letting him touch wherever she wanted, lips plump and pressed, she can’t help the shudder that slips down her spine when the sound leaves his lips.

He could absolutely destroy her, she thinks. And she thinks she might just let him.

He shudders too, parting before kissing her again, and as his hand meets her lower back in the space there and she arches into him, there’s the high pitched quiet whine that leaves her with it – craving more from him, to be noticed and loved and touched like something other than a woman with a dark past. Something about it makes her feel girlish, shocked and surprised at the tenderness, feeling as though she doesn’t deserve any of it with the darkness that remains in her heart. But she kisses him back once more, aiming a playful tug at his lower lip with sharp teeth.

is it too much to ask to be famous yet unknown?

to be a wanderer, yet have a home?

KIADA

HARPER

There's no way for him to glean her thoughts, especially so occupied with the way she melts into his embrace. If he could, he would tell her so many things. That I will touch you gently for as long as you will let me, that you are deserving of the best and softest things this world has to offer, that you need not be the blazing star I know you are in this quiet moment where there is only the two of us. But he has no way to say these things, unaware of her sorrows, and instead he simply holds her there. Still kissing slowly. Untroubled by the passing of time or the simplicity of the motions they keep. What is there to rush?

Harper is far from shamed to be sensitive or vocal, but the way she shudders and whines in response makes his knees feel weak. Were it not for the strength he must keep to shelter her safely in his grasp, he would surely fall to his knees to worship her in the way she so deserves.

Sharp teeth pluck at his lip and he groans anew, her ferocity and surety adding to the blaze that overtakes his veins. It's a slow, controlled burn. One that still turns him to ash in her embrace, but one he staunchly ignores. So he lifts his hands away from temptation, one cradling the nape of her neck and the other brushing a thumb gently across her cheekbone in swaying motions. Ready as always for her to decide. If she wants to pull away and send him off, he'll do so. If she would prefer to resume their dance and forget this ever happened, he will abide. It's hard to think past what he's willing to do for her in that moment.

this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

i want to be a mystery, yet be known

i want to be together, yet alone

Kiada’s always been quiet, having only been with one person since arriving in Caido, and only for a night. And she’s kept relatively to herself, keeping thoughts and ideals along her lonesome that the attention, the vocalization from him and the sensitivities he’s giving her fills a void she’s had for so long, so empty that she dives straight in, letting him cup the back of her neck and stroke her cheek. And as much as she tries to not give in, to want to say that he’s making a mistake… She can’t.

But she does pull away with a soft sigh, icy gaze dazed and cheeks vibrant red as she seeks out his steel. “Would you like to stay?” She asks quietly, breathlessly, someone to hold onto and cling to when she inevitably can’t sleep — a heartbeat to listen to as she falls asleep. A connection and a conversation enough to keep her grounded from wallowing in her shortcomings.

She waits for his response, uncertain if he’ll agree or not, if he even wants to like that. All she knows is that if they continue this, the kisses getting deeper, that she’ll misstep at some point and make herself a fool. The connection here wasn’t like Ezra, it wasn’t like a one night stand, a flirtatious exertion of energy and love. There was something else here, and it scares her if she thinks on it too long.

is it too much to ask to be famous yet unknown?

to be a wanderer, yet have a home?

KIADA

HARPER

There is always an end, but it doesn't mean he relishes it when she pulls away. Wanting her back immediately even as he forces his grip to loosen, to let his eyes slide back open - hazed, glossy with flustered desire and affection - and meet her gaze fully. Her cheeks are warm with blood and he can't help but brush his fingers against the apples of her cheeks with a small smile, long before her words ever register.

When they do, he hums softly, still keeping her close. Not wanting her to think in any way that he is rejecting her. "Yes," he murmurs softly, succinctly, as he presses a kiss to her brow. "I'm not...I'm not the type to be intimate so soon, and I care far too much for you already. But if you'll have me in any other way, I'll be here as long as you want." It's always difficult to bring up, a topic that has insulted and disappointed various people throughout his life. But Harper has found that clarity matters more to him. He will keep her in his arms all through the night and into morning if she so desires, but lust has never been his driving force.

this is your ocean, an ocean of night

BASE INSPIRED BY ODD <3

i want to be a mystery, yet be known

i want to be together, yet alone

Her gaze shudders at the touch to her cheek as she poises her question, pleasantly surprised and delighted when he agrees, though she waits for the ‘but’ to follow, to hear that there’s no expectations or that he’d be gone by morning. But the answer he gives does invite a bright smile to cross her face at that. “Have I trapped you in my web, Harper Quinn?” She asks him, referring to the comment of how much he cares about her while they hardly know one another. And besides, she’s a monster at the end of the day, a destroyer.

A fool perhaps.

She melts into his touch with a small agreement. “That’s fine, though. I don’t mind.” And she didn’t. It had been that way with Ru’in, had been a love that blossomed slowly, a love she wasn’t sure was true, that she deserved. At least… At least this way she wouldn’t be alone, even if it were only for tonight.

is it too much to ask to be famous yet unknown?

to be a wanderer, yet have a home?

KIADA