[SE] under the stars

Sohalia

I don't even know myself at all
I thought I would be happy by now

"Come on!" Soh whispered, tugging Jude along with her excitedly. She'd gone to great lengths to prepare a surprise for him, and she hoped that she hadn't been too terribly obvious about her plans. The past season had been crazy for both of them, and she thought they deserved a little time away from it all to just be with each other. Somewhere that they could disappear, if only for a short time. So to King's End she'd brought him - to Mourn in particular - where the rolling hills and open sky made for the perfect camping grounds.

She'd sent word ahead and paid for a small campsite to be set up in advance, chartered a ship to drop them off at Wrenzoak's Refuge, and led the way to her carefully selected site with a great deal of enthusiasm that had, frankly, been lacking of late. The weight of leadership was heavy on her shoulders in Stormbreak, but out here, all that seemed to fade away. Tonight, under the stars, they could just be two kids in love, and what could be better than that?

It didn't take long for them to arrive at a site set up with a tent, two sleeping bags (they could share, using one the lay on and one to cover up with), a pile of wood for a fire, and a bag of supplies (food and the like). She released Jude's hand to spin, throwing her hands up in the air as if to say 'look at all of this,' a grin on her face and light dancing in her eyes. "What do you think?"

The more I try to push it, I realize
Gotta let go of control

Jude

You keep me locked under your spell
I think I'm losing my direction

Luckily for Sohalia, Jude can be quite oblivious, and her new duties means changes in routine are easier to explain away - so he is quite unaware as to what the evening has in store for him. They've been whispering all day, which has been easier to adapt to than Jude had first anticipated. Certainly easier than not being able to talk at all.

He follows after her trustingly, smiling just because it's good to see her so lighthearted and like her normal self. Adjusting to leadership is understandably hard and though Sohalia has been doing wonderfully he knows the new weight will never really leave her shoulders. It's the only reason he disagrees with her position sometimes.

But tonight she is clearly ecstatic and energetic, and Jude is all for it. He certainly isn't expecting the surprise that she unveils however, eyes widening as he takes in the perfectly arranged campsite, not a single detail missed. "You did all this?" he whispers, though it's clear already that he's deeply touched as he slowly walks further in, examining the available amenities. "It's amazing, Soh." Which feels so underwhelming to say, but his slowly widening smile and soft eyes tell all the rest for him.

And when I hear you say my name
My body falls under sedation

Sohalia

I don't even know myself at all
I thought I would be happy by now

Soh watched Jude with a smile on her face, gauging his reaction with eager silver eyes. And she was pleased with what she saw as he smiled, taking it all in. And while technically the people she'd hired had done the hard work, it was hard not to take the credit for having arranged it all. "I'm glad you like it," she whispered, walking closer to wrap her arms around his waist and smile up into his eyes. "I wanted some time to ourselves," she explained. "Somewhere we could just be us." Then she raised up on her toes to kiss him softly, sweetly, before releasing him with a contented smile.

She turned towards the neat pile of supplies, wondering what they should do first. The night was young, though the stars were already out, and though she had plans to stargaze later, she thought that perhaps they should eat first. She was pleased to find all the supplies they would need to cook out over a fire, including the ingredients for s'mores. Even if Jude didn't like sweet things, she could still enjoy a hot s'more. "Should we start with a fire?" she whispered over her shoulder. "Are you hungry at all?"

The more I try to push it, I realize
Gotta let go of control