[ A handful or two of months ago, Mira wouldn't have been able to even imagine being where she is today. To be fair, being in a completely different world probably wouldn't cross most anyone's mind, but... the idea that she could break free of the cycle she'd been trapped in--that's something incredible. Honestly, some days she still feels like she'll wake up and be there again.
It's a blessing when she doesn't. When she wakes up and feels the magic brimming beneath her skin, wakes up and doesn't feel the force of a hundred, a thousand people's emotions. It's freeing in a way she'd never thought possible, and even in spite of the bad, Mira couldn't be happier. There's a certain peace in what she does here. There may not be more Relics to recover, but she's found there are other ways to keep herself busy--quests, no matter how small, traveling, exploring.
Helping, most of all. With all the things she's learned, she can't not use them. There are a lot of people who need help; a band of vagrants who've ransacked a fellow adventurer's camp, a family that's lost a precious heirloom, even someone who needs a hand with healing (and maybe sometimes she thinks she should've become a cleric, but the paths she's chosen... those suit her, in a strange way). She's been here for a while, but there are still things that catch her by surprise, things she's learning, things she's discovering not only about Faerun, but herself.
Like the way her heart races and her cheeks warm over whenever a certain someone comes around. It's a feeling she's had only a couple times, but this one--it's stronger. Maybe it's a little scary, but all the same, it's good, she thinks. And speaking of-- ]
You know, I've told you not to be a stranger, [ she says lightly, teasing, but the sentiment--that's very much serious. ]
[Spike returns in his all-too-teasing tone, barely making a noise when he approaches her, hands shoved in his pockets as always, his entire posture the illusion of trouble. By now Mira must know him too well to be fooled by any of it, and yet, it's all a part of him. It's a comfortable state of being, especially for someone who's never lived such a comfortable life.
Perhaps he could have gone home without regrets, but that was part of the sacrifice they'd made in assuring home would continue to exist for all those they were apart form, a worthy trade. Even that Spike couldn't regret. What happened had happened, and with the lives of his friends free to continue safely, Spike had finally been able to start moving on from the past that had been chasing him.
Part of his present is Mira, still in his life to this day, somehow. As much as his presence ebbs and flows to his whim, like Spike can never stay fixed to one spot, Mira welcomes him in each time the wind blows him back. It's comforting, familiar.]
I'm gonna start thinking you miss me when I go away.
[And god if she doesn't seem more and more lovely each time he returns.]
[ He's called her out, and it would be more embarrassing if it were anyone but Spike. Instead, she makes a sound halfway between a huff and a laugh. Honestly, it's something she's just recently realized--that she does miss him, like he's taken a little piece of her whenever he goes. Mira wishes she could ask him to stay, but that feels like a big step in some direction, and she isn't sure what would follow after.
So... instead, she'll keep waiting. It's not like that's the only thing she does; she has plenty to do and sitting around for Spike won't get any of that done. All the same, he's always at the back of her mind.
Maybe-- things are a little more than she'd realized. That realization brings a whole lot of feelings with it. A little scary, but mostly warm. Spike makes her feel comfortable in a way she isn't sure she's ever felt before, and maybe that's the scariest part. She probably won't admit it, though, not unless somehow they broached the subject... which very much seems impossible.
But anyway. Mira steps aside, holding the door of her little cottage open. ]
Do you want to come in? I just made dinner.
[ Translation: I know you haven't been eating, so get yourself in here immediately. ]
[Mira's one of those lights Spike's drawn to like moth to flame. Each of those flames is different, though, alive in their own way. There's boisterous Maya and Sayori, the lingering music of each and every bard that crossed the base, and then there's Mira, her own sense of life.]
I could eat,
[he practically purrs, tilted her way where he's bent at the hip, inclined like he's magnetized. His affections are never so subtle, even if he's hesitant to make moves. There's nothing wrong with showing pretty girls they've got your attention, especially when you hold them at a length where you can do no wrong.
It's a bit dangerous then that he keeps coming back like a yoyo, always saying yes to her care and affection, practically begging for it in the ways he teases her. He is farther from the man that used to be so tied up in his own heartache these days, but he hasn't forgotten it all entirely, nor has he forgotten the circumstances of their being here. Mira deserves more, and she will find it, and he'll simply be here enjoying the time he has near her.
Underserving as he may be though, he won't reject any offerings of her time. Or her food. He ain't out there cooking for himself, after all. As soon as he's given the room to, he's following her inside like a cat expecting milk.]
[ By now, he's probably figured out that she's easy to fluster, quick to blush. Part of her wonders if he does it on purpose, just to tease her a little--which is probably true. Still, she can't say she dislikes it. She's found that she likes the attention, when it comes from him.
So... she's definitely blushing, and leaning in a little toward him. She's a little less subtle than she realizes. ]
Good! Because I made more than enough.
[ She finds herself doing that, more and more. At first it'd been unconscious; she'd packed up the leftovers, saved them for the next day. Turns out, she'd been doing it so that if he did come back that night, well... There's always a place for him. She knows it's hard for him to put down roots, even if she can't be completely sure why.
Mira shuts the door behind him, before leading him into the kitchen to hand him a plate. It doesn't escape her that this could be terribly domestic, if things were just a little different. She quickly brushes that thought away and looks up at Spike with a smile. ]
[He shouldn't give the smallest dreamy sigh at the sight of her blush, shouldn't cover it with a few low chuckles when she leans his way, but Spike does all the same. He follows Mira like the world's tallest, slouchingest puppy, practically in her shadow.]
You're too good to me, Mira.
[He tells her, but there's such genuine appreciation in his honeyed tone, a goofy smile crossing his face at the smell of a home cooked meal. It's playful more than it is self-deprecating.
He takes the plate, finally looking more awake and wide-eyed and obviously excited. Does he just not eat when he's not with her???]
[Money can usually get you two nice rooms. A little less money, two beds, perhaps. But no amount of money can manifest new rooms that aren't there, especially not when there are a bunch of traders passing through town en route to a market on a very stormy evening.
It's just such an evening that Mira and Spike are able to secure a room at all, the downpour outside too heavy for any temporary campsite. They're already soaked when they enter, and Spike wastes no time shedding his coat and wet shoes.]
Nice night for a swim,
[He grumbles, unamused, as he hooks that jacket on the room's changing screen, slumping himself immediately in the room's only chair. There's just one bed, though it's a nice size, and if anyone's going to sit on it it's not gonna be Spike and his wet hair.]
[ Usually she doesn't mind the rain, but she minds it very much when it comes on suddenly and you have no way of getting somewhere dry. She might be a Beastmaster with Find Griffin, but a spell like Find Shelter would come in way more handy on nights like these. Still, she counts them lucky they even managed to find something, even if it's... well.
She'd had only a minor crisis when they'd been able to get only one room with only one bed. But it's fine; she's just overthinking things. Probably. She's very aware of the fact that her feelings have gotten only stronger since starting out with Spike... which, in hindsight, she should have realized before. Oops.
Regardless, she kicks off her shoes and grabs the basin to wring out her hair. ]
I prefer not swimming with my regular clothes on, though... But I'm glad we were able to find something.
[Head leaned back in the chair, Spike watches Mira move through one eye, though god only knows which eye. He's slightly aware of Mira's distress, but halfway sure it's just a reasonable amount of distress for someone unused to this kind of travel.
Spike is-- though admittedly, not so much used to the downpour-- and unafraid to do what he has to while Mira gets some rest. He's just glad to be dry, and if he has to go about disappearing to let Mira be, he's already memorized the most comfortable sitting-around spots in the inn.
He watches Mira wring out her hair, eyes following the curve of her back a bit too close, but he certainly doesn't look away from her yet. Spike can't pretend travelling with Mira has made it any easier not to fall in love with her, and he certainly is having trouble pretending he's not, but these days it'd be even harder to pretend he doesn't want her to stay.]
What's magic good for if you can't summon an umbrella when you need one?
[He complains, finally, getting to his feet again to look his wet clothing over. Wow, he hates it.]
[ One thing they do have, mercifully, is a fireplace. There are even, shockingly, logs of wood stacked neatly next to it. Mira digs through her bag and pulls out a little book of matches; it's not yet completely empty, but she makes a note to stock up next time. For now, though, it's more than enough, and she sets a few logs inside before striking a match and setting the fire.
With a sigh, she sits in front of it--though there's plenty of room for Spike, if he wants to warm up and dry off. She won't try to pretend that it wouldn't be nice, sitting in front of a warm fire with Spike by her side. ]
I'm just glad we mentioned to find something, with how much traffic there is out there.
[Sighs Spike, who, had he any sense of planning, might think to research when events like the one bringing all these traders to town before he plans routes. If he ever planned routes.
He doesn't show much hesitation in taking a seat beside her, though he at least makes an effort to drain his own curls of some of the water in them over the basin before he does. Luckily for him, that'll dry quickest.]
Ah well. With any luck it'll dry up by morning and we'll all be out of here. I heard they're headed in the opposite direction, so there's probably less traffic where they left from.
[And thus, fewer people still downstairs making a racket.
Finally, he gives in a little to concern; ]
You're not too cold, are you?
[But in as smooth a voice as ever, like he's not bothered at all.]
I'm almost curious... but not curious enough to go see.
[ That would involve having to leave her place from the very comfortable fire. Just because of the fire, nothing else.
His question, the cool concern, catches her off-guard for a second before she gives him a little smile. Even if Spike tries to act so cool and smooth, she knows him well enough to hear the sincerity underneath. ]
[ You know what absolutely sucks? Being human one day and then knowing that, in the very near future, you'll be something far, far from. Honestly, Mira isn't sure what she's expecting. She's seen a lot of monsters around--naga and simulacrum and nymphs and even werewolves. She's not sure just how many monsters there are, but she isn't sure she wants to know.
What she does know is that she's pretty damn scared of what'll happen. She hasn't been able to even really sleep--her thoughts race too much, and she usually ends up taking walks late out at night. At least, during the day, she can get her mind off her worries. When night falls, though, it's much much harder.
It's during one of these nights, when she's walking around trying to clear her thoughts, that it hits her like a truck. The thirst burns in her throat, and she doesn't even realize she's let out a low whine. The only thing she can even think about is that she's thirstier than she's ever been... and something smells absolutely irresistible.
And she can hear a low thrum, something she'd never realized was there... or that she just couldn't hear before. ]
[Life in Bavan has been...well. It's been less than ideal. It's one thing to know a vampire, to know of people who had to feed on humans...it was another thing entirely to be dragged someone and told you were going to become a man eating monster. And there were so many people there who had been changed, it was impossible to deny it.
Adelaide wouldn't be the lucky one.
She tried not to worry about it, though, even as she felt odd aches and pains and even though she was feeling hungrier and hungrier. It was fine. She could...she could figure this out. It would be fine.
She's out one night, walking - running, really - and she sees she's not alone on the streets. She slows down, until the figure becomes clearer, and then she stops.]
[ It's hard not to recognize that voice. It's just that she hadn't realized a lot of things about Adelaide--the sounds of her heart and pulse, how bright she is in the darkness. And she hadn't realized that she takes late walks, just like Mira does sometimes.
She-- she feels a pit of dread form in her stomach, but more than that, she hates that she sees a target. She's able to push that thought down, at least, for now. ]
I-- I'm fine.
[ One thing that hasn't changed is how terrible of a liar she is. And she can't look at Adelaide at all. ]
[Adelaide considers, for a moment, not pressing. Not calling Mira on her bullshit.
But she seems so... She seems so distressed, and Adelaide wants to help. She wants to help, even though her body feels like it's tearing itself apart, and she's so hungry, but she can push all of that down to step closer so she's not yelling across the road at Mira.]
[ Adelaide moves forward, and Mira... she moves back. Without even realizing it, she touches her throat--as if that can help quell the fire that's slowly but surely intensifying. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, even if she's aware that, in the end, she'll have to. But she still hates it.
She'll hate herself, too, when she gives in. ]
I'm just-- um. B-bad dreams. That's all.
[ It's not exactly a lie, but it's not the answer Adelaide is probably gunning for. ]
[She stops as soon as Mira steps back, a guilty look flashing across her face. She notices the way Mira touches her throat, and...
And she feels the pieces slowly coming together.
She swallows, nervous, raising up a hand to fidget with her hair. It's loose, for once, and she twines a strand around her finger as she thinks of what to say.]
You're...hungry, aren't you.
[And for as much as she thinks she's right, she hopes she isn't.]
That's what he thought caught his attention. The first time she moved past him, a gust of wind had caught her hair, the scent plastered on her clothes and he-
Could feel his soul stir in a strange way. It brought up an unclear memory-a moment he tries to decipher and pull to the forefront of his mind because he knows her. He's spoken to her. He's been in the same room, inhaling that soft, floral scent and watching those strands of fine black hair flutter before.
He can recall the memory vividly through these fine details, but not when or where it took place. Can't recall her name or the reason behind their meeting.
But he knows her-maybe from one of the many dating sites he's on. From a classroom or the mall, a store, a restaurant, through a drunken gaze at a bar where he's had a few too many after his stupid friend challenges him to a drinking game and-
He pulls the cigarette from his lips, exhales a puff of smoke, and before she can disappear through cloud he's created in front of his face, he quickly says-]
Bella, you plan to just walk past without saying hello? You truly wound me.
[ She'd noticed him, to be sure, but when she had-- well. Wouldn't anyone be unsettled by such a feeling of familiarity toward a stranger? Because, surely, that's what he is. She can't recall an exact meeting, just that there's been one before.
More than one. Right? Or maybe she's just imagining things, making up stories in her head. Still... she isn't sure she could make up how something seems to slot into place when he calls out to her. It's like-- she's found something she hadn't even realized she'd been missing.
She stops, though, and turns to him with one eye brow raised. ]
Should I be saying hello when we've never met?
[ ... but saying those words... it feels wrong, because they certainly have. It's one of those feelings that's so powerful it's hard to deny, but maybe she's trying to figure things out. Figure him out. ]
[ Even after he's asked her name, after he's given her his, that question still hangs between them. It weighs on her, gives her pause. He's barely said five sentences to her, and he's thoroughly thrown her off.
It frustrates her... and makes her want to know more. Because his name, the way he teases her--it feels like they've done this before. The way he's looking at her makes her feel a touch warmer, but she wonders if it's just him or those familiar feelings that are slowly rising to the surface.
Maybe she should be suspicious or scared, but she tilts her head slightly. She's strangely not on-guard with him, completely; she wouldn't say she's comfortable, but... ]
Mira Delacroix. [ She walks it back. ] Claiming you know someone... do you say that to all the girls, or am I just special?
[ She's surprised at her own cheek, and maybe her question would be more barbed if her voice weren't so light and teasing. ]
[That taunt could only come from someone that knows him-his flirtatious behavior towards women a trait only his closest friends are aware of. He rarely keeps anyone around for longer than a single date, but-
There's something about her.
He wants to keep up the performance-do his tired song and dance until he manages to get a single date out of her. It's what he should do. ]
There are very few who manage to catch my eye, tesoro. You're special. You nearly made my heart stop when you walked past me.
[ It feels like it'd all just... connected, all at once. The fleeting, quiet, barely-there flashes of memory had been building and building; the dam was bound to break at some point. All things considered, she isn't upset.
Far from it, actually... which is why she'd called him immediately, nearly breathless, and asked him to come over. She hadn't wanted to wait for a second longer--she's done enough waiting, after all. This is no time for patience, because right now, all she wants is to see him.
So when he knocks at her door, she's quick to open it, and look up at him with bright eyes and a matching smile. ]
[ Honestly, she still isn't sure how she feels about this place. Healing the world is a pretty big thing to ask, even if it's not just her, and even if it's by the smallest of ways. Listen, she's still getting used to being treated like more than someone who's just there, lingering in the background, and it's-- it's a lot, alright? Opening up to someone, trusting them enough to show any sort of affection...
It's a tall order. It's not like she doesn't want to, it's just... a lot. Overwhelming. The fact that her empathy's been in overdrive is even more of a problem here; so many emotions run so high, and there are times when she slips up and-- well, those are the toughest days.
So... she seeks out quieter places, like the gardens. It's nice here, and she doesn't quite get bombarded with so many emotions; but it doesn't mean she's not distracted in other ways.
Which is how she ends up just bumping right into someone. Whoops. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
spike;
It's a blessing when she doesn't. When she wakes up and feels the magic brimming beneath her skin, wakes up and doesn't feel the force of a hundred, a thousand people's emotions. It's freeing in a way she'd never thought possible, and even in spite of the bad, Mira couldn't be happier. There's a certain peace in what she does here. There may not be more Relics to recover, but she's found there are other ways to keep herself busy--quests, no matter how small, traveling, exploring.
Helping, most of all. With all the things she's learned, she can't not use them. There are a lot of people who need help; a band of vagrants who've ransacked a fellow adventurer's camp, a family that's lost a precious heirloom, even someone who needs a hand with healing (and maybe sometimes she thinks she should've become a cleric, but the paths she's chosen... those suit her, in a strange way). She's been here for a while, but there are still things that catch her by surprise, things she's learning, things she's discovering not only about Faerun, but herself.
Like the way her heart races and her cheeks warm over whenever a certain someone comes around. It's a feeling she's had only a couple times, but this one--it's stronger. Maybe it's a little scary, but all the same, it's good, she thinks. And speaking of-- ]
You know, I've told you not to be a stranger, [ she says lightly, teasing, but the sentiment--that's very much serious. ]
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[Spike returns in his all-too-teasing tone, barely making a noise when he approaches her, hands shoved in his pockets as always, his entire posture the illusion of trouble. By now Mira must know him too well to be fooled by any of it, and yet, it's all a part of him. It's a comfortable state of being, especially for someone who's never lived such a comfortable life.
Perhaps he could have gone home without regrets, but that was part of the sacrifice they'd made in assuring home would continue to exist for all those they were apart form, a worthy trade. Even that Spike couldn't regret. What happened had happened, and with the lives of his friends free to continue safely, Spike had finally been able to start moving on from the past that had been chasing him.
Part of his present is Mira, still in his life to this day, somehow. As much as his presence ebbs and flows to his whim, like Spike can never stay fixed to one spot, Mira welcomes him in each time the wind blows him back. It's comforting, familiar.]
I'm gonna start thinking you miss me when I go away.
[And god if she doesn't seem more and more lovely each time he returns.]
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[ He's called her out, and it would be more embarrassing if it were anyone but Spike. Instead, she makes a sound halfway between a huff and a laugh. Honestly, it's something she's just recently realized--that she does miss him, like he's taken a little piece of her whenever he goes. Mira wishes she could ask him to stay, but that feels like a big step in some direction, and she isn't sure what would follow after.
So... instead, she'll keep waiting. It's not like that's the only thing she does; she has plenty to do and sitting around for Spike won't get any of that done. All the same, he's always at the back of her mind.
Maybe-- things are a little more than she'd realized. That realization brings a whole lot of feelings with it. A little scary, but mostly warm. Spike makes her feel comfortable in a way she isn't sure she's ever felt before, and maybe that's the scariest part. She probably won't admit it, though, not unless somehow they broached the subject... which very much seems impossible.
But anyway. Mira steps aside, holding the door of her little cottage open. ]
Do you want to come in? I just made dinner.
[ Translation: I know you haven't been eating, so get yourself in here immediately. ]
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I could eat,
[he practically purrs, tilted her way where he's bent at the hip, inclined like he's magnetized. His affections are never so subtle, even if he's hesitant to make moves. There's nothing wrong with showing pretty girls they've got your attention, especially when you hold them at a length where you can do no wrong.
It's a bit dangerous then that he keeps coming back like a yoyo, always saying yes to her care and affection, practically begging for it in the ways he teases her. He is farther from the man that used to be so tied up in his own heartache these days, but he hasn't forgotten it all entirely, nor has he forgotten the circumstances of their being here. Mira deserves more, and she will find it, and he'll simply be here enjoying the time he has near her.
Underserving as he may be though, he won't reject any offerings of her time. Or her food. He ain't out there cooking for himself, after all. As soon as he's given the room to, he's following her inside like a cat expecting milk.]
Might be nice to catch up, after all.
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So... she's definitely blushing, and leaning in a little toward him. She's a little less subtle than she realizes. ]
Good! Because I made more than enough.
[ She finds herself doing that, more and more. At first it'd been unconscious; she'd packed up the leftovers, saved them for the next day. Turns out, she'd been doing it so that if he did come back that night, well... There's always a place for him. She knows it's hard for him to put down roots, even if she can't be completely sure why.
Mira shuts the door behind him, before leading him into the kitchen to hand him a plate. It doesn't escape her that this could be terribly domestic, if things were just a little different. She quickly brushes that thought away and looks up at Spike with a smile. ]
It's curry tonight. Lots of vegetables.
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You're too good to me, Mira.
[He tells her, but there's such genuine appreciation in his honeyed tone, a goofy smile crossing his face at the smell of a home cooked meal. It's playful more than it is self-deprecating.
He takes the plate, finally looking more awake and wide-eyed and obviously excited. Does he just not eat when he's not with her???]
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Who needs a one-room one-bed meme when u can diy
It's just such an evening that Mira and Spike are able to secure a room at all, the downpour outside too heavy for any temporary campsite. They're already soaked when they enter, and Spike wastes no time shedding his coat and wet shoes.]
Nice night for a swim,
[He grumbles, unamused, as he hooks that jacket on the room's changing screen, slumping himself immediately in the room's only chair. There's just one bed, though it's a nice size, and if anyone's going to sit on it it's not gonna be Spike and his wet hair.]
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She'd had only a minor crisis when they'd been able to get only one room with only one bed. But it's fine; she's just overthinking things. Probably. She's very aware of the fact that her feelings have gotten only stronger since starting out with Spike... which, in hindsight, she should have realized before. Oops.
Regardless, she kicks off her shoes and grabs the basin to wring out her hair. ]
I prefer not swimming with my regular clothes on, though... But I'm glad we were able to find something.
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[Head leaned back in the chair, Spike watches Mira move through one eye, though god only knows which eye. He's slightly aware of Mira's distress, but halfway sure it's just a reasonable amount of distress for someone unused to this kind of travel.
Spike is-- though admittedly, not so much used to the downpour-- and unafraid to do what he has to while Mira gets some rest. He's just glad to be dry, and if he has to go about disappearing to let Mira be, he's already memorized the most comfortable sitting-around spots in the inn.
He watches Mira wring out her hair, eyes following the curve of her back a bit too close, but he certainly doesn't look away from her yet. Spike can't pretend travelling with Mira has made it any easier not to fall in love with her, and he certainly is having trouble pretending he's not, but these days it'd be even harder to pretend he doesn't want her to stay.]
What's magic good for if you can't summon an umbrella when you need one?
[He complains, finally, getting to his feet again to look his wet clothing over. Wow, he hates it.]
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[ One thing they do have, mercifully, is a fireplace. There are even, shockingly, logs of wood stacked neatly next to it. Mira digs through her bag and pulls out a little book of matches; it's not yet completely empty, but she makes a note to stock up next time. For now, though, it's more than enough, and she sets a few logs inside before striking a match and setting the fire.
With a sigh, she sits in front of it--though there's plenty of room for Spike, if he wants to warm up and dry off. She won't try to pretend that it wouldn't be nice, sitting in front of a warm fire with Spike by her side. ]
I'm just glad we mentioned to find something, with how much traffic there is out there.
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[Sighs Spike, who, had he any sense of planning, might think to research when events like the one bringing all these traders to town before he plans routes. If he ever planned routes.
He doesn't show much hesitation in taking a seat beside her, though he at least makes an effort to drain his own curls of some of the water in them over the basin before he does. Luckily for him, that'll dry quickest.]
Ah well. With any luck it'll dry up by morning and we'll all be out of here. I heard they're headed in the opposite direction, so there's probably less traffic where they left from.
[And thus, fewer people still downstairs making a racket.
Finally, he gives in a little to concern; ]
You're not too cold, are you?
[But in as smooth a voice as ever, like he's not bothered at all.]
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[ That would involve having to leave her place from the very comfortable fire. Just because of the fire, nothing else.
His question, the cool concern, catches her off-guard for a second before she gives him a little smile. Even if Spike tries to act so cool and smooth, she knows him well enough to hear the sincerity underneath. ]
A little bit, but... the fire helps.
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adelaide;
What she does know is that she's pretty damn scared of what'll happen. She hasn't been able to even really sleep--her thoughts race too much, and she usually ends up taking walks late out at night. At least, during the day, she can get her mind off her worries. When night falls, though, it's much much harder.
It's during one of these nights, when she's walking around trying to clear her thoughts, that it hits her like a truck. The thirst burns in her throat, and she doesn't even realize she's let out a low whine. The only thing she can even think about is that she's thirstier than she's ever been... and something smells absolutely irresistible.
And she can hear a low thrum, something she'd never realized was there... or that she just couldn't hear before. ]
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Adelaide wouldn't be the lucky one.
She tried not to worry about it, though, even as she felt odd aches and pains and even though she was feeling hungrier and hungrier. It was fine. She could...she could figure this out. It would be fine.
She's out one night, walking - running, really - and she sees she's not alone on the streets. She slows down, until the figure becomes clearer, and then she stops.]
Everything alright?
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She-- she feels a pit of dread form in her stomach, but more than that, she hates that she sees a target. She's able to push that thought down, at least, for now. ]
I-- I'm fine.
[ One thing that hasn't changed is how terrible of a liar she is. And she can't look at Adelaide at all. ]
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But she seems so... She seems so distressed, and Adelaide wants to help. She wants to help, even though her body feels like it's tearing itself apart, and she's so hungry, but she can push all of that down to step closer so she's not yelling across the road at Mira.]
You don't look all that fine.
[She frowns, watching her.]
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She'll hate herself, too, when she gives in. ]
I'm just-- um. B-bad dreams. That's all.
[ It's not exactly a lie, but it's not the answer Adelaide is probably gunning for. ]
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And she feels the pieces slowly coming together.
She swallows, nervous, raising up a hand to fidget with her hair. It's loose, for once, and she twines a strand around her finger as she thinks of what to say.]
You're...hungry, aren't you.
[And for as much as she thinks she's right, she hopes she isn't.]
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touches this....
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slams my baby hands reincarnation!!! au!!
That's what he thought caught his attention. The first time she moved past him, a gust of wind had caught her hair, the scent plastered on her clothes and he-
Could feel his soul stir in a strange way. It brought up an unclear memory-a moment he tries to decipher and pull to the forefront of his mind because he knows her. He's spoken to her. He's been in the same room, inhaling that soft, floral scent and watching those strands of fine black hair flutter before.
He can recall the memory vividly through these fine details, but not when or where it took place. Can't recall her name or the reason behind their meeting.
But he knows her-maybe from one of the many dating sites he's on. From a classroom or the mall, a store, a restaurant, through a drunken gaze at a bar where he's had a few too many after his stupid friend challenges him to a drinking game and-
He pulls the cigarette from his lips, exhales a puff of smoke, and before she can disappear through cloud he's created in front of his face, he quickly says-]
Bella, you plan to just walk past without saying hello? You truly wound me.
my longest yeah boy ever
More than one. Right? Or maybe she's just imagining things, making up stories in her head. Still... she isn't sure she could make up how something seems to slot into place when he calls out to her. It's like-- she's found something she hadn't even realized she'd been missing.
She stops, though, and turns to him with one eye brow raised. ]
Should I be saying hello when we've never met?
[ ... but saying those words... it feels wrong, because they certainly have. It's one of those feelings that's so powerful it's hard to deny, but maybe she's trying to figure things out. Figure him out. ]
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[It lingers on his tongue as both a real question and a cheeky way to keep her attention. He's a flirt through and through and-
He tries to place it again-where he's seen her before, even as she denies ever meeting to begin with.
There has to be a reason for this.]
Then allow me to rectify that-my name is Caesar Zeppeli. And you are?
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It frustrates her... and makes her want to know more. Because his name, the way he teases her--it feels like they've done this before. The way he's looking at her makes her feel a touch warmer, but she wonders if it's just him or those familiar feelings that are slowly rising to the surface.
Maybe she should be suspicious or scared, but she tilts her head slightly. She's strangely not on-guard with him, completely; she wouldn't say she's comfortable, but... ]
Mira Delacroix. [ She walks it back. ] Claiming you know someone... do you say that to all the girls, or am I just special?
[ She's surprised at her own cheek, and maybe her question would be more barbed if her voice weren't so light and teasing. ]
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There's something about her.
He wants to keep up the performance-do his tired song and dance until he manages to get a single date out of her. It's what he should do. ]
There are very few who manage to catch my eye, tesoro. You're special. You nearly made my heart stop when you walked past me.
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touches this two months later
caesar :/
Far from it, actually... which is why she'd called him immediately, nearly breathless, and asked him to come over. She hadn't wanted to wait for a second longer--she's done enough waiting, after all. This is no time for patience, because right now, all she wants is to see him.
So when he knocks at her door, she's quick to open it, and look up at him with bright eyes and a matching smile. ]
About time you got here. You kept me waiting.
childe!! it's a hugtopia setting baybeeeeeeee
It's a tall order. It's not like she doesn't want to, it's just... a lot. Overwhelming. The fact that her empathy's been in overdrive is even more of a problem here; so many emotions run so high, and there are times when she slips up and-- well, those are the toughest days.
So... she seeks out quieter places, like the gardens. It's nice here, and she doesn't quite get bombarded with so many emotions; but it doesn't mean she's not distracted in other ways.
Which is how she ends up just bumping right into someone. Whoops. ]
Ah-- I'm really sorry.
[ It's startlingly automatic, so.... ]