[closed] mission: Hot Springs Episode!!

[illusionistic]

who: Aeacinos and whoever signed up here~
what: completing the hotsprings episode.
when: April 17th-19th
where: Beyond the wall!
warnings: Probably violence.



[ After sending out a mission transmission for whoever wants to help clean up the abandoned and overgrown hotsprings, Aeacinos will wait outside the wall for whoever decided to show up. He has a lot of food and supplies in hefty sized bags at his side so that there's enough for a few days worth of traveling. ]

Comments

[stumbledfromtheashes]

[Iona wants nothing more than to follow this course they’ve set here in the hot spring to its natural and very much wanted end... but she is just aware enough of the fact that they are still rather more public than she might like; and she doesn’t particularly want an audience for this.

(And a smaller part of her is aware that perhaps they should sort out whatever this is between them before they take this step.)

But it does not stop her from kissing him. She’s not sure anything could... Except perhaps the need to breathe. It’s with reluctance. Very intense reluctance. He keeps peppering kisses against her bare skin, though, which is almost as good. Almost. And her fingertips keep caressing his, because she quite enjoys touching him like this.

A lot.]

If they’re not too busy enjoying the hot springs, themselves.

[happiertimes]

[He smiles against her skin before kissing his way up to her very attractive ear.]

That they might be, but if I keep you to myself like I want, there is a certain member of our party that will have remarks that I don't think you wish to endure just yet.

[He would live with a great deal of Dorian's teasing to spend as much time with her as she allows, but he's not 100% sure that she is of the same mind. And there is the fact that she's shown herself to be a little skittish when it comes to him. Giving her an out to take isn't exactly the worst thing he could do.

He pulls away from her, despite the fact that she is wrapped around him like a tangled vine, with one last, almost sweet, kiss.]

Of course, if you're not afraid of his sharp tongue, neither am I.

[stumbledfromtheashes]

[Oh, Creators. He kisses his way up to her ear and she wants to purr. She wants him to do that again.

Oh. Well. That’s... he wants to keep her to himself. She likes the sound of that. Far more than she should. ]

Well, he’s not one to let an opportunity for teasing pass him by.

[She loves him, opportunistic and merciless teasing or no. Dorian is her brother, and teasing is in the job description. And she knows what Cullen is doing, knows that he’s giving her an out. The problem is that, while she suspects that she should take it... she doesn’t want to. She doesn’t want to be skittish when it comes to him, doesn’t want to flee or avoid him. No matter how much she probably should. She just... wants him. Wants to spend time with him. And doesn’t want to pretend like she doesn’t.

She laughs softly, reaching up to caress his cheek gently.]

I’m never afraid of Dorian’s sharp tongue.

[happiertimes]

[Andraste's Flames, he wants her and she's making harder and harder to remember why it is that he should maintain some semblance of decorum.

Until the sound of raucous laughter carries over from one of the other pools not that far from where they're kissing.

It's enough for him to smile wistfully and rest his head on her delicate shoulder.]

Perhaps it's not fear of Dorian's tongue that I'm worried about, if I'm honest. Perhaps I don't want anyone else to see you as you are right now. I prefer a mite more privacy than we're afforded here.

[stumbledfromtheashes]

[The laughter is... unexpected but not entirely a surprise. They are on a mission, after all. They’re not alone. Unfortunately. He rests his head on her shoulder and she can’t help but lean into him, resting her head against his.]

There, we might be in agreement. Perhaps I would rather not share the sight of you in this moment, either. [And the moment in their future it seems they both want keenly. As much as a part of her very much wishes to... pursue it here, now... they probably shouldn’t.] I think I would rather keep that to myself.

[happiertimes]

[He kisses her naked shoulder and tries to pull away some more.]

I assure you that you are perhaps the only person to see me like this.

[And he doesn't mean partially naked, because he knows there are many who witnessed the scene in Herald's Rest. And the years of dormitory living within the Order. And it's not as if he's spent his entire life completely celibate. (Just most of it.)

Yet, he's never felt this way about another woman before now, so he's rather certain that he's not willing to share her in moments like this with any other soul.]

In that case, I should let you get your bag.

[He's half-sure she'll run if they part, but he's okay with that right now.]

[stumbledfromtheashes]

[He pulls away a bit more, and she feels his loss... but his words are distraction enough from it, and she cannot help but gaze up at him.

Oh.

That’s... OH. She shouldn’t like the sound of that the way she does. She shouldn’t want that, the way she does. But she does. And she does. Because there’s no one in the whole of the bloody Quarantine she wants to hold her like this, touch her like this.

It’s just... Complicated.

She kisses him one last time, before slipping away from him and climbing gracefully out of the hot springs. She doesn’t run, though. Even if it might seem a good idea after everything. She just goes to her back and carries it with her closer to the water, before reaching in to grab the supplies she needs.

Then she wades back into the water.]

[happiertimes]

[He watches her leave the spring as if a man possessed and then lets himself sink into the water for a few long, muffled moments. It's just as she's returning that he breaks the surface of the pool, the liquid streaming from his hair and weighing it down uncharacteristically.

He can't help but smile as she enters the water, surprised she's returned.]

You are determined, I see.

[stumbledfromtheashes]

[She comes back to the hot spring just in time to watch Cullen resurface, and she cannot help but be a little bit surprised. Returning to her place in front of him, she briefly shifts the supplies she’s carrying to one hand, reaching up to run her fingers through his hair with a fond smile.

It’s longer than she thought it’d be.

She smirks.]

I am, yes.

[happiertimes]

[His eyes shut briefly as she runs her fingers through his hair. It's something he can't avoid, reacting to her every action.]

Far be it for me to stop you, my lady.