[ P ] Dancing On The Moon

DENY NOTHING BUT DOUBT EVERYTHING

Uncomfortable. It wasn’t all that cryptic, she was well aware already even though he had ignored her comment earlier about him not being used to physical contact. He never denied that which just meant more than likely it was very much the case. Moon studded eyes drifted over his ears as he tucked them back, looking all the more vulnerable, all the more like prey rather than a man that could be mistaken for a snow monster. So soft, so helpless. It wasn’t that he was submitting, no, those ears were a sign of waiting. Waiting for the bite. The bite she would not give. Her gaze skated away from his face and those cute darker ears as she recalled how tense his body was mere moments ago, she could only imagine it wasn’t fully gone from his large frame. Calmed down or not, he was surely still in pain. Surely still weary of her. But one thing was certain, comfort aside, he trusted her enough to take an unknown substance without a second thought.

As if on cue, his body attempted to withdraw from her touch before she could even fully reach him, a ripple of muscle dancing under his fur in a silent panic. It only caused her to be all the more delicate in her examination, almost as if teasing him but she would not overstay her welcome when it came to medical evaluation. There was that desire to press a paw upon his rib, make them scream; make him scream so she might have a better idea of the extent of his injuries on her own but that was not why she inspected him now. An ear twitched as he held her gaze, sinking into his mercury eyes that reflected her silhouette within as she blocked a bit of the light from the entrance. What surprised her was when his voice came out soft, causing her to shift just a little, not sure if she was slowly chipping his walls or if the sedative was affecting him more than average. He had been so quick to deny being a knight yet his answer was very much the answer of one. She couldn’t help a small giggle as he did not deny her an opportunity to potentially fluster him further, tempted to give him thanks in far less practical ways. “While the world is full of chaos, distractions easily plunder the simple wonders but not origins of merriment nor selfless opulence. A beholden heart is what bounds for you Sir Argent of the Mirror Moon,” she said softly.

She would pause as she noticed dissonance within the man, not expecting him to say or do anything in return to her musings. Soft marigold ears would fold back on her head as he started to speak, whatever it is seeming to be getting to him greatly for his brow to wrinkle noticeably even in this pale light. Mystery was short lived as some semblance of confusion would touch her eyes at the mention of a war, nearly echoing him in the process as her lips parted just a hair but she managed to still her tongue from mimicking the word. What war? She knew there were always rifts between lines due to trivial pursuits but for a war to have broken out. It was a short lived thought as her attention was pulled back with what had happened to him and the fatigue it seemed to cause him to speak of it. So he was indeed a soldier. The domino slowly fell one by one by one, learning of who this, to her, no longer stranger was.

What if this was why the moon had brought them together? So cruel. There was weight in her chest when the very idea of her moniker in the outlands came back to her mind viciously. A woman that would steal your last breath. “And you feel guilty for living...lost from surviving?” the questions passed her lips just barely above a whisper, there was even a chance he wouldn’t hear her. Many soldiers would rather die on the battlefield than live without their sword. Should he say yes, she only hoped he wouldn’t.

How could she have gained an attachment to this fool? She would not take his life tonight, she wasn’t done with him. The moon could not have him.

Her tail swayed gently to his last answer, that further vulnerability that he continued to show her. She was surprised he did not tell her no; didn’t quickly try to shut her out. She would glide forward, careful not to step on him as she’d find a place against him once more. Paying special care not to lean too much into his rib as she entangled herself against his body. Shivering a little more as the chill was slowly chased out. Once she was settled, she’d gently attempt to guide his face with her paw as close as possible to her own without touching, as she gazed into his molten ore eyes with her own bewitching lilacs. “Nothing is stopping you,” she’d whisper, alluring and inviting.

code by claerie

LA.
fall on your sword...

Her way of showing appreciation was puzzing. Argent was no academic so confusion tugged at his brow and lips when she poetically informed him that she was beholden to him or at least her heart was. The former captain blinked at her, waiting for some jest to fall from her lips or a giggle that would delight in his confusion. If she was being serious then he still had no clue what the true meaning behind her words were. Thinking about It was giving him a headache. ”You don’t owe me anything,” he answered, deciding that was a suitable answer. Steel eyes reflected his sincerity. Her survival was enough to satisfy him that the risk to himself had been worth taking.

She was intuitive enough to recognise that he would rather not live on as a broken man, words peeling back his armor to see the wounded heart that beat beneath. A dark ear flicked, gaze drifting to glance at the shadows dancing behind her. He pretended not to hear the soft murmur of her words, knowing that to admit such a thing would be an insult to all those that had died in the war. It was the reason he did continue on, so that he might find some new purpose to consume him.

His wariness of her returned when she crawled into his personal space again. It drew a discomforted grunt from him and he twitched at the sudden contact. This time it was expected, but his body still rejected the closeness. He felt the shivers rippling from her body and his own frame shook like a snowy mountain. It seemed that his words were an invitation to do more than simply warm each other. Her paw gently touched his chin and tried to guild it towards her looming face. Nothing is stopping you. The flash of red that flushed through his body surged like a tidal wave. He could see her bright lilac eyes glowing, and her warm features close enough to touch, beckoning him to make the first move. Welcoming him into her space. He did not bite the carrot dangling in front of his face and he swiftly retreated from it. Argent pulled away from her so that only their sides were touching. ”I can’t,” he replied stiffly, defenses back up again. The valerian root made it a little easier to stay cool headed despite how flustered he was.

He could not deny that she was beautiful, but they were strangers and he could not allow himself to be that vulnerable with a stranger. His mother had done that once and ended up a struggling single mother. Sometimes he wondered if she might have been happier had she had the big family she’d always dreamed of instead of a random stranger’s pup. Oh Elora had loved him as much as any mother could love a son, but maybe she might have lived longer if she hadn’t been worrying about him. It was yet another burden that he was all too willing to take the blame for.

”I don’t even know your name,” he said gruffly, frustrated by how little she had revealed about herself which was basically nothing. He knew she was an academic that studied things of mystical properties and was a practiced healer, but beyond that she was a complete unknown.

code by claerie

DENY NOTHING BUT DOUBT EVERYTHING

She watched as his face suddenly took a more confused configuration, it was clear he didn’t understand or if he did, he wasn’t so sure his thoughts were correct. In her own mind it wasn’t all that hard to put together, it wasn’t a riddle of any sort, he just had to know what the words meant and it was clear as day. To her anyway. It was easy to get lost in time, lost in life that the small things, the things that mattered could be so easily forgotten or looked over for the journey. The simplicity of a thank you could be the last thing on one's mind, it could also mean nothing at all even when spoken and she wanted to make it clear hers was not the thank you washed under a bridge. She waited patiently for him to understand and even as he spoke, she wasn’t certain he had looped his mind around it. A soft smile formed on her lips at what he did have to say, however, finding it queer how quickly he was to deny payment. The offer to take advantage had gone unnoticed or ignored while a debt was quickly shut down. A valiant knight indeed. Sir truly would fit him well. She would not shake that belief till he might do something vulgar or unsightly, then, then she might take his word beyond face value. “If you say so but if the time comes… hmmm” she drifted off, feeling she had no need to say the rest, he couldn’t be so dense as to fail filling in that she would help him another day perhaps or even now.

At her whispered questions, his will to live, it seemed he had not heard them in their clarity. He didn’t acknowledge it beyond the flick of an ear, which she figured was him trying to not pry in case he was overstepping, though his gaze still held something that said he heard her. Normally she would have pushed him; speak her questions again but due to not truly wanting an answer right this moment she would ease off his mind. Hesitancy did seem to be something he was good at when it came to speaking but what did she expect of a soldier? They were trained to be lap dogs much like her parents tried to make her the same with books, too bad for them she was a harlequin, a kaleidoscope of different colors. Colors they couldn’t take away from her. She was no prim and proper doll with a nose always in a book, she had other interests than being a boring librarian or noblesse.

The shifting of his body, the discomfort was palpable even to a child as he didn’t take to her curling up to him with ease or grace. Trying. Yes he was trying as he seemed to fight his own instincts to distance himself. Was it really just that he wasn’t used to intimacy or was it actually just her? The question kept tugging at her as she lingered close, not about to let the warmth fade as she caressed his cheek and offered him an in to her mind. She didn’t expect him to stay but she didn’t expect the dramatic reaction either, leaving her to stare at him when he stated his dismay. “You ...can’t?” she repeated, utterly confused as her paw remained suspended for a moment where his face once was, feeling a little ripple of cold where warmth was only seconds ago. Why couldn’t he know her? Was that why he had such nervous reactions to everything because someone was pulling his strings, making him not allowed close to anyone? Her head would drift away from him, peering out at the moon that had lowered a millimeter perhaps in the sky since she looked last, allowing her legs to tuck under her chest and her head to lower to the ground, ears flopped down in quiet upset as she looked for any lone figures outside their door.

I don’t even know your name. Her head perked up, staring at him with owlish eyes before a smile cracked and she giggled a little as realization hit her. “You... naughty, naughty boy! You thought I was inviting you to my bedsheets like a tavern temptress?!” amusement showing brightly on her face, seeing the misunderstanding in full now. Not to say she hadn’t thought about trying but that had not been her intent at the moment, already believing this rib pain would not allow for such activities unless he was extremely gentle, she did all the work or she upped his dosage. “Not to say I’m not flattered you think of me so erotically. You’re quite handsome yourself...and it’s not such a bad way to warm up...if you change your mind,” she cooed, looking away as if she didn’t say a thing. She did want to lap off some more liquid nearing his organs but chances are he’d just freak out again, perhaps she really should have given him more sedative but too much and he’d just be sleeping.

After she calmed down some, her tail would sway as she contemplated giving him her name or lying and giving him a fake one. “Wisteria Serenity,” she glanced at him, not entirely sure it was the right choice but it didn’t feel wrong. Where she seemed to make him uncomfortable, she didn’t think he saw her as a threat or something to hunt.

code by claerie

LA.
fall on your sword...

The offer of a favour in the future lingered on the tail end of her words and he nodded his acceptance. Argent couldn’t deny her that much even if he would rather she not worry herself over repaying a debt that he did not believe existed. He was only doing his moral duty by not letting a fellow wolf die on his watch. It would have been callous of him not to. The ache in his ribs was mostly numbed thanks to the valerian root she had foraged for him. That was enough thanks in his mind, but she didn’t seem to agree.

If she noticed that he had heard her ask about his will to live and chose not to answer she did not acknowledge it. The question went unanswered and he was happy to move on from it. It was not something he wished to discuss, especially when it haunted his thoughts almost daily.

Argent began to feel uncertain about his suspicions when her reaction was one of confusion and disappointment. He stiffened, composure fleeing in the face of budding humiliation. As expected the laughter came and he felt more foolish than he’d ever thought possible. Anger blazed within, spiking up white fur like frosted covered blades of grass. Grey eyes darkened like storm clouds, the last shred of patience finally snapping. ”You’re the one who keeps touching me,” he growled, teeth bared for the first time. He was tired, cold and fed up with being messed around with. He climbed to his paws, drenched fur prickling with rage and frustration that he allowed himself to fall into her trap again.

”I wouldn’t insult you like that. I am not-” he began to protest stopping to let out a hiss between gritted teeth, pain needled him in his ribs as his breathing began to increase the more riled up he got. ”like that,” he added finally, feeling the need to defend his honour. He had assumed that she had been trying to seduce him, not having the desire himself. He was not the type of man to go after a woman who had nearly drowned nor abuse his role as her rescuer to take advantage of her like that. To be thought of as someone who would, was offensive to him even if it was a joke.

Her name was finally given, but it did nothing to soothe his wounded pride. She had made a fool out of him once too many times that night and he couldn’t tolerate it anymore.

”Goodbye, Wisteria,” he said coldly, giving her one last look before he stormed off into the night.

- Exit unless stopped

code by claerie

DENY NOTHING BUT DOUBT EVERYTHING

As she got done teasing him, she could feel a building ire coming from the man next to her, her attention shifting to look at him in mild confusion once more by how much this man fluctuated in mood. Calm to jumpy to now angry. It was only solidified as she caught sight of his fur starting to rise like he had just been threatened to fight, attempting to look bigger than her already fairly small form next to him. Had he seen something she hadn’t out in the dark? Her head would swivel toward the entrance once again but it was still a soundless night, not a speck out of place besides maybe one or two snowflakes that descended down from the sky and the vapor that collected from their breath. It would draw her back to looking at him, realizing he was looking directly at her. It was his eyes, the window to his soul that held the most turmoil yet in some way resolve, as if he had finally found something that was lost that only now came to surface. Those eyes were no longer mercury reflecting the moon, they were violent clouds of fury.

Moments later, he snapped at her and for the first time in a long time her ears would pin and that of fear registered on her face, eyes wide and full of submission. Be it a mimicked response or it was real, that was undiscernible as she moved just a bit away from him as if to cower. His words barely entered her thoughts as she was far more focused on his glistening fangs, breathing quickening and shallow as she watched him, anticipating for him to snag his teeth into her pelt and shake her like a child with their first kill. The precious knight’s armor falling off with a clank revealing a beast, the beast she thought might stay caged inside him forever. Anxious lilacs stuck on him as he rose, slowly crawling backward as getting her land legs again weren’t coming as easy for her in the moment. She became unbearably cold yet raging with warmth as her body tingled from nose to tail tip.

It wasn’t till the hiss of pain that her ears became erect once more, brow creasing as she took in both his condition and his words, not really certain what he was going to say as time was both rushing forward yet in a standstill, like whiplash. Insult? Was the concept of being assumed a promiscuous woman an insult? She didn’t think so. If a man could dance around with a million women and not be called a whore, why should there be any difference when a woman did so? Besides, at least a woman usually made some extra profit from the endeavor and for her often a feeling of dominance; control yet chaos.

Taking in a breath, she tried to calm whatever was riling up inside her, still waiting for that bite. His ire reached its climax. No, he did not move toward her, not at all, he didn’t do much of anything at first as he regained some of his bearings. Her name sang like shattering ice upon his tongue as his gaze continued to burn into her like frostbite.

“I’m sorry,” the words felt so foreign to say but they came out surprisingly earnest. It took some time to get back on to her paws again, feeling a weird set of panic inside her as she chased after him. She didn’t like the feeling and yet she didn’t stop it from taking over her decision making. “I was just trying to keep you alert. Sleeping in this cold while soaked as you are will surely kill you. You wouldn’t let me groom the water off,” she explained, the devil temporarily out of her veins. She didn’t want to chase him any further as she’d stop, watching him stomp with a worried brow. “Please Argent, don’t make this goodbye. Don’t walk away. Where you couldn’t allow me to drown, I can’t allow you to leave knowing the condition you’re in.”

code by claerie

LA.
fall on your sword...

A crawling sensation tickled over his skin when she recoiled from him, obvious fear making her cower and shrink away from him as if he truly was some loathsome beast. He recognised the feeling as disgust, not at Wisteria, but at himself. Argent knew he shouldn’t have snapped at her. It was unbecoming of a retired captain. The war had damaged more than just his body. It had left him bitter and angry, a shadow of his former self. He paused from his retreat long enough for her to catch up. Surprise flickered through his features at the unexpected apology. He didn’t know if he could trust her not to push against his boundaries again, but neither could he deny that her remorse seemed genuine. ”I didn’t mean to scare you,” he spoke quietly, anger melting away from his stern features leaving only regret.

Grey ears twitched as he listened to her explain her reasons for pushing him so much. She had tested his patience far more than anyone else had before despite his protests not to. He had always prided himself on keeping his temper in check, but his grip on his moods had slipped since his retirement. The former captain struggled to relax his guard enough to return to the hollow where they had taken shelter. It would mean allowing her near him again and risking further discomfort at her pleasure. ”You don’t need to worry about that. I can dry myself,” he insisted, and he would once he could relax enough to take his eyes off of her.

She was effective in luring him back to their temporary shelter, albeit begrudgingly. He eyed her like she would bite him if he turned his back to her. ”Don’t make me regret this,” he grumbled, moving to lay on his stomach and making space beside him so that she could share his body heat. There certainly wouldn’t be any more chances if she pushed him again. He was stubborn enough to march off into the winter night and freeze to death if it meant a night of peace.

code by claerie

DENY NOTHING BUT DOUBT EVERYTHING

Stubborn. She expected him to be more stubborn and continue on into the slowly accumulating flurry that was beginning to spread across the land, emphasising how cold it was as flakes that were all unique dotted her pelt in an enchanting way, the slight cold dampness stopping them from instantly melting. Her head tilted as he came to a stop, watching as the red turned blue, his heart seeming to relax from the temporary wrath that threatened to control him. Either he had not been as angry as she had thought or he was a beast easily calmed by a damsel’s calls. She was no real damsel, for all he knew this could all just be a warp of manipulation to keep him from leaving or maybe he wasn’t so clueless, picking up she was a black widow spinning a nest that just hadn’t decided if he’d be her next victim. There could be the chance everything she said was genuine; even she didn’t know her own mind at that moment beyond the heavy weight within her chest as she had chased after him. It felt like a repeat of a worse time, one with far more heartbreak she rather kept locked up inside.

Had she hands and a necklace to delicately dress her collarbones, she would have played with the metal, fidgeting as anxiety bore into her till he spoke and drew up her attention. She wanted to be sassy and claim she wasn’t afraid but to claim there wasn’t some form of fear there would be a lie she couldn’t spill right now but for different reasons than he might be addressing. “It is not every day a kind man bares his fangs to a woman. Perhaps I deserved it if I pushed you so far,” she stated, glancing away from him, not so forgiving but not accusing him of foul play either. It was rattling to say the least, something she hadn’t expected to happen within the cards she held and tossed to the floor. Normally she’d leap right at the risk but somber was her mind and body.

Lilacs shifted to him a little, watching him from the corner of her eye as she waited for him to depart after her terrible attempt at an apology in her own eyes, it would not be the first to walk away. She held no bindings on him. Yet, he continued to linger, to listen as she took a step or two back, her ears pinned against her skull. Refusal to show anymore vulnerability, tempted to walk away herself as he claimed he could care of himself yet he had shown no attempts this whole time. “Make haste before your coat turns to crystal,” she stated with a soft chuckle, not awaiting his return as she stepped away before he ever moved.

Heavy paws carried her back toward the makeshift den they had been in prior but he had passed her by and taken a place within the barricade, repeating such recent history as he offered a warning to her antics. Anger burned, briefly picturing him splayed and seizing from a poison though as she watched him lay down and leave a space for her, the fit was tamed. “Of course. I’ll behave just for you, Sir,” she agreed vaguely submissive, her tail swaying just a little. Carefully she would take the spot he had offered her, curling up to him without any complaints as she’d rest her head upon his large limb if he allowed, calm curiosity poised in her eyes. “You spoke of a war… is that why the land is so tragic since I’ve returned to Rionnach?” It was a gentle question, innocent. She decided if she had to play nice, she might as well get information to her confusions he might be able to answer.

code by claerie

LA.
fall on your sword...

The regret that filled his voice was heard, measured and weighed of its worth. It was accepted partly, but he could tell she would not forget. It wasn’t worth dwelling on for either of them. Argent wasn’t the type of man to act aggressively, but she did not know that his anger was not a threat. A dark ear twitched in response to her words. She had pushed him and he wouldn’t argue with that. A very different man would have been flattered by her attention, but Argent was not. Intimacy and closeness required trust and he had little of it to give to a stranger.

She urged him to make a start on drying his coat and he sighed gruffly, intending to do so when he felt comfortable although that was likely impossible. Comfort would require that he felt relaxed and was very unlikely in their current predicament. He gave his fur a good shake and the full body motion caused his ribs to ache. Once they were settled in the mountain nook again he reluctantly started to groom himself, one grey eye fixed on Wisteria never once leaving the flame haired woman.

Her promise that she would behave did little to settle his suspicions, but he didn’t comment on it. She was trying, that at least he could see. Grey eyes blinked in confusion and then surprise when she asked about the war. He might have believed she was an outlander if not for the fact that she spoke of returning to Rionnach instead of arriving. ”Yeah,” he answered, brow furrowing thoughtfully. ”Don’t know how long you’ve been gone, but Queen Aileen and her son were exiled over a year ago and King Adamh was chosen to take her place. She led a rebellion and war broke out. It’s over for now, but I doubt they’ll give up,” he grumbled the last few words, shaking his head. ”King Adamh’s a good king. One worth fighting for,” Argent said, words earnest and determined. He truly believed the man was better suited to lead than the ex queen or her son who were intent on throwing the kingdom into chaos for their own gain.

”And I… would,” he began to say, trailing off into a wide yawn. His eyes fluttered, head slowly sinking with weariness. ”Fight..” he mumbled, finally succumbing to sleep and breathing softly.

Fade to sleepies

code by claerie

DENY NOTHING BUT DOUBT EVERYTHING

Rhinestones watched him for a moment as he started to settle and groom himself, though she noticed he was watching her and it made her turn her head away and pretend to look into space. Being creepy was well in her agenda most days, she didn’t care if someone found her unnerving, unreasonable or even crazy but in this instance she was trying to keep him under a thumb she barely had on him. He wasn’t so easy to control, he wasn’t someone that would succumb to carnal desires so easily and she was willing to play the long game for he intrigued her so. It wasn’t everyday a man could puzzle and humor her for so long; predictable yet not. Or maybe she just liked the chase. Whatever the case, her tail swayed merrily behind her as she settled herself the rest of the way down, feeling far more warmth than in past times they had lounged together this night. With the shake of his fur, there wasn’t so much dampness forming a barrier between them, that unwanted chill. She wanted to deepen it but she refrained.

Her question seemed to surprise him, which left her all the more curious as to why. Had it broke out shortly after she left Rionnach and that’s why it was so strange for her to know nothing of the war? He didn’t seem to be all that old himself, old enough to know the gossip and understand it but not old enough to tell it like a crone, there was still plenty of youth that she dared think him roughly her age if not a bit older. It was harder to tell when one’s face was already grey and white but she saw no signs of degenerating age. Most were not soldiers till they reached the age of two, officially. Piecing together his story and now the words he was starting to lace for her, it had to have been fairly recent, leaving her to wonder just how fused his ribs actually were. There might be time to rebreak them and set them back correctly, causing him only a bit more pain but ultimately it would be far more relieved after a couple months followed by mild therapy.

Her fixation about his injury would fade as she thought more about what he said, certain her mother would have tried to butt in and push an arranged marriage using Wisteria herself as the bride, making her finally worth something to her. What he failed to include though was why the Queen had gained exile, it seemed rather strange. Was there an assassination attempt caused by her hand? Or was it something far more trivial that just had a typical fellow noble’s bloomers in a bind? She was more surprised as he suddenly took a stance, ensuring that Adahm was a good man and ruler, though she supposed he’d be a poor soldier if he did not stay true to the one he served.

Just as she was about to speak and his speech was starting to decay, she noticed his head slowly drooping more and more down till it nearly dropped on her own head. She would pull her head out of the way, staring down at him with dramatic bats of her lashes before a warm smile would take over her features. It might have been strictly the herbs that took the edge off and put him to slumber but she’d like to believe his guard had finally decreased around her at the moment. Gently she’d rest her neck over his, protecting it from danger as she stared out into the night with a sigh, mentally offering the moon an apology that she disobeyed her wishes of taking his life. She’d find someone or something else to offer a different day.

Her own tire was starting to take over the longer she rested there, fatigue finally catching up to her from their little dance in the lake, she only hoped he wouldn’t be gone before she woke as she wished to take him to Melrose and get him on a proper regime for his pain at the very least. Soon darkness would fall as her gaze closed and she slipped away with him.

-fade to nappies-

code by claerie