[ P ] Safe Passage

[THIS POST CONTAINS MATURE THEMES]

IF I WAS YOU I'D
R U N

There was defiance in the mutterings of the woman as she delivered her firm rebuttal to the raider of the seas. The look in Freyja's face once again bordered on unimpressed. Yet, her eyes of crimson and ice held that sparkle of amusement and a smile continued to play at the corner of her dark lips. “Ohhhh, my lovely noble lady...yer missing the point entirely...if ya'd take a moment to step off yer balcony, you'd see it..."

She drew in a deep breath, grimacing as her ribs screamed pleas of mercy. They could wait. This was a lesson that was in dire need of being taught. A dark claw sank into the dirt and she drug it across to form a horizontal line. “You and I...we come from two vastly different worlds. Up above the grime and blood beneath yer polished boots, you nobles live atop yer own Cloud Nine. You wave gold about and it gets the job done for ya, makin' meager men into Lords and the like. Your kind have been civilized into developing that corruption internally..." She drew some circular shapes above the midline and then her paw gravitated to bottom half where she set it down and scraped her claws across the earth it roughly.

“Meanwhile, where I come from...even the slightest scent of a turn of profit makes the men of my world into fuckin' monsters. They live off the simple idea of wealth and riches. Wave yer gold around them and, well...they'd eat ya alive for a copper or two...imagine what they'd do for the promise of more." A massive paw swiped across the illustration as she rolled her shoulders back. “M'not sayin' money won't fix most of your problems, 'cause it most certainly could...but, again...it will not fix everything...not so long as desperation remains a close friend of greed in the heart of men."

Freyja was partly hoping that she'd imparted some wisdom onto this daft noble girl, at least something that would make her more aware of what happens on the other side of the curtain that the upper class have drawn shut. The comment about her being a noblewoman made her release breath of a laugh. “Eh, nah...I'd take an eternity of torture in the Imperial Dungeon before I'd ever wish to be a noble. If my freedom is goin' to be taken away from me, I'd prefer it be from somethin' I've done instead of just...existin'. It's a sad, lonely life you wealthy women lead...ya certainly have my condolences for that."

As the lady groomed herself and then seemed to rest closer to her, Freyja began to relax, perhaps a bit too much. She leaned over her, lowering her head to draw a tongue over a particular patch or honeyed fur that still stood on end. She hadn't given much thought to the action, following what felt natural your her and when she lifted her head again she smirked, her low voice barely above a whisper, “Ya missed a spot..."

@Eleanor

If I was you, I'd hide,
If I was you, I'd be afraid,
Afraid of what's inside...

code by claerie ~ art by ashon

DETHRONED

A lecture was exactly what Eleanor had been thinking she was in dire need of. Her description about the hazards and pitfalls that came paw-in-paw with privilege fell on remarkably deaf ears. This wasn't the first time she'd ever received that same warning, and it wasn't likely to be the last if seafarer and scion continued to cross paths like this. That was an exhausting thought.

Aside from the fact that Freyja kept up the premise that Eleanor was some naive bookworm who'd never come down from her castle, speaking down to her about the wicked claws of greed that would defraud and dethrone her, the Calyx princess was unmoved. The foul memories the topic evoked were already being corralled back into the deepest recesses of her mind and smothered beneath an aromatic veil of woodland crisp. She drank in the perfume as every subtle movement from Freyja caused it to roll off in fragrant waves, if only so she could suffer a dramatic sigh.

"Gods, don't you ever shut up?" Even as performative ire fatigued her voice, gemstone eyes glittered in such a way that it couldn't be construed as anything besides fondness for her companion. "You missed your calling, you know. You should have been a professor..." she trailed off, the sensation of Freyja's tongue skillfully tugging a knot out of her fur eliciting an electric response from every nerve ending in her body. A low, appreciative sound keened from her throat, Eleanor turning to expose her ruffled, snow white chest and midriff. She took this moment to appreciate the woman beside her in full. Ringed in golden light, the rough curvature of her face was sharpened by the darkness thrown across it, through which those piercing eyes cut. "Is talking all you're good at?" she asked, the innocent bat of her eyes at odds with how breathy the question became.

code by claerie & image by pixel

[THIS POST CONTAINS MATURE THEMES]

IF I WAS YOU I'D
R U N

At her tease of a remark, Freyja pursed her lips as he brows rose. “When it serves me." She huffed, giving the maiden a once over as though she were calculating who she might think she was to speak to a Captain of the seas in such a manner...especially in her position. It was all playful, of course, as they once were.

Once again, the privileged femme attempted to assign her to a lifestyle that suited her own thinking better than the reality they lived in, as if she had any right to. First Noblewoman. Now Professor. Freyja didn't take her words so seriously this time. If anything, it might have simply been a poorly worded compliment. The Raider simply offered her a nonchalant shrug in response and stated plainly,“Don't need the fancy title to teach folk how not to die."

There was no telling if a single syllable of what wisdom she'd imparted had been absorbed by the noblewoman's soft skull. Freyja could only hope that she'd not wasted her breath. Whether it was her lecture, the warmth of her presence, or the way she'd skillfully banished the tangles from her fur, the golden wolfess felt inclined to lean back and reveal the snow white splendor of her underbelly.

“Why d'ya ask?" She lowered her muzzle into the soft edge of the lady's exposed belly. Ignoring the pain of her broken nose, she caressed the immaculate curvature of her bodice. How could she not lose herself in the worship of a creature sculpted of pure beauty? Breathing in the aroma that only consistent fine blossomy baths could produce, she exhaled deeply against honeyed fuel, parting it slightly with hot breath.

Freyja lifted her head to pepper kisses along the dip of her middle and then came to rest her chin upon the crease of her hip, seeking a pair of silvered amethyst eyes to lock onto. “Were you hoping this tongue possessed other talents? You need only speak your desires...and I shall make them so...and then some..." Her deepened tone was laced with a hungry growl, her eyes already feasting upon a treasure yet to be had by her.

@Eleanor

If I was you, I'd hide,
If I was you, I'd be afraid,
Afraid of what's inside...

code by claerie ~ art by ashon

DETHRONED

“Does it serve you now?” she asked, but she was no longer looking at Freyja. The lascivious manner in which she was being assessed, like she was all that remained, and the greedy caresses that promised to both salvage her soul and sully it in equal measure caused her head to tilt back and eyes to close, relinquishing one sense to intensify another.

It was only when Freyja next spoke to offer her control that Eleanor paused. You need only speak your desires...and I shall make them so... This was no longer a rendition of moments found within the pages she lived vicariously within; this was life, her life, and the gravity of that revelation suddenly terrified her. Eleanor never truly lived her own life. Everything had been written out for her and she was given a script. With the option finally in front of her to choose what her fate would be, she balked.

In an instant the fantasy unwound anew.

“I don’t know what I want. I-I’ve never…” admitted in so meek a whisper it was almost swept beneath the stream’s babble was Eleanor’s truth. She looked like the only thing tethering her to this moment was the titan’s head upon her waist; certainly, if Freyja were to move, she would run, just as she had the last time they met. The more the tangible their connection became, and the closer they tread to intimacy she’d only read about, the stronger her desire for distance was. The eyes that Freyja gazed into were panicked and swollen with despair.

code by claerie & image by pixel

[THIS POST CONTAINS MATURE THEMES]

IF I WAS YOU I'D
R U N

“It might..." She exhaled heavily as her attention moved elsewhere, closing her eyes while she became more acquainted with the honeyed maiden's figure. They both leaned into one another and Freyja could feel her tilting her head back as the unraveling began. The arctic titaness remained precariously poised on the edge of the threshold, a fiend awaiting her moment to be invited in fully. It was only when she rested her head upon the royal's waist, peering into her eyes once more that she saw it plainly and heard it in the tone of her voice.

Fear...

Freyja's blinked, her expression slowly transforming with her realization that the atmosphere had changed. Too fast... They'd progressed far too quickly, each of them seated on the opposite side of a boat in danger of sinking. Any sudden movements or actions would tip it right over. After their first meeting, she made the observation that this one was a runner. Despite the roughened exterior of the pirate woman, she had no intentions of being the reason for her to feel that she needed to flee.

“In that case..." She began slowly, holding her gaze as she spoke with a gentleness. “All I need is your say so...I can guide you through what feels right to you with a ‘Yes' or tell me ‘No' and I'll not press you further...I take no pleasure in a lady's discomfort...forgive me if I've overstepped..." Freyja's ears lay back slightly as she shifted her weight to lift her head from where it rested, withdrawing from her position only slightly to give the lady of luxury room to choose her own path. She pressed her lips together, glancing over to the flowing stream nearby, mind mulling over the situation they found themselves in.

“And for the record...not a soul is entitled to do anything to you that you don't absolutely approve of. ‘No’ is a complete sentence. Another lesson from your favorite Captain Professor, Freyja Valgrind." The corner of her mouth was tugged by a soft half-smile, having made the decision to offer some unsolicited advice once again Not only that...she finally gifted her lovely acquaintance with a name to her face. She deserved that much after this wild, emotional ride she'd put her through. She cleared her throat then and chuckled softly to herself. “Can't argue that yer not at least a tad bit warmer, eh?" Freyja jested with a playful waggle of her brows.

@Eleanor

If I was you, I'd hide,
If I was you, I'd be afraid,
Afraid of what's inside...

code by claerie ~ art by ashon

DETHRONED

The desire transferred ownership of Freyja’s eyes to the startled concern newly nestled in them. Eleanor felt the tension in her muscles unspool as the freedom of choice was placed in her hands. Autonomy was not something she was used to, having lived the last year with someone else pulling her strings, and having it now gave her pause.

For once it was her heart warning her instead of her mind. It was impossible to ignore how her body responded to the rake of the raider’s gaze across it and the inherent knowledge that this woman would never harm her. But what she knew and what she felt did not erase the specific criteria she had for the moment when she finally lost herself in someone else, requirements like smoldering intensity and passionate vows and unending love written into every dream she’d ever had of her unlikely future. Intensity they had aplenty, but where were the confessions and promises? How could the unbearable moments where they denied themselves time and again culminate and flourish if those moments did not exist? Gods, she didn’t even know this woman’s name!

And, while there would undoubtedly be meaning in it on her side if her racing heart and mounting affection were anything to go by, the offer Freyja extended to guide her through this experience and assuage her fears served to also rouse a treacherous thought. Would I be just another notch in her bedpost? Her shining knight made no effort to throw the wool over her eyes. In fact, her purpose seemed to be entirely vested in making Eleanor, however unwilling, more aware, and even now she couldn’t find a trace of deceit in the other woman, honesty sworn to every word she spoke.

Eleanor’s heart and mind whirled in an endless vortex of indecision, but she did not try to flee when she felt Freyja shift just enough to give her space, literally and metaphorically, to decide. Even if she couldn’t deduce what she wanted yet, both her body and emotions agreed on this: There was no need to run. She would be safe here no matter what she chose. That was enough to unwind the last of the tautness with revelatory expedience.

She reached out a paw, beckoning Freyja closer by dragging it beneath her chin. “I’d like to know more about Professor Valgrind first.” She reoriented her body so it curled towards Freyja’s if she settled nearby, like two halves of a heart laid out in the mottled light, as a comforting thought took root. I know her name. That familiar spark burst back to life in her sparkling gemstone eyes, teasing but infinitely more affectionate. “Though I may regret giving you an open invitation to talk even more. I’ll have to get you enrolled in Eleanor’s ‘School of Etiquette’ sometime soon. If I can teach you how to hold that tongue, there may be a noble in you yet.”

Her tail brushed the captain’s side across the bruised skin she could see beneath her fur, like torrents appearing between the frothing fangs of a violent sea, and a fresh flare of appreciation flashed through her. This woman was likely in all kinds of pain but would still have given her everything she craved and more, of that she had no doubt. She might have felt guilty that there would be no culminating anything today if it weren’t for the absolute conviction she’d seen in Freyja’s face when she surrendered control to her.

Though there were few things she was sure of, there were two that Eleanor knew for certain. First, that she needed to be loved to give away the pieces of herself she knew were precious; and second, that she risked loving Freyja enough to surrender those pieces without love in return.

She knew she should distance herself before it came to that, but that little voice of warning had grown so tired of being ignored that she didn’t hear it even whisper.

code by claerie & image by pixel

IF I WAS YOU I'D
R U N

Heterochromatic orbs studied her expression closely, though Freyja's gaze was lacking the intensity it held before. It was softer and curious, witnessing each thought pass over the noblewoman's face as she weaved a web of many paths that would only lead to one final decision. The silence between them was hardly unwelcome, giving them both a chance to breathe in a space where the two of them could simply feel comfortable in their own skin.

Freyja watched as a paw lifted, hooking her beneath the chin to pull her closer. The embers that simmered in her abdomen flared, anticipating the expectation for her to fulfill promises of pleasure unknown as she drifted closer to the beckoning aroma of her sweet, citrus perfume. Her ears flicked upward, surprised to hear an entirely different request, altogether. The rush faded as bewilderment set in, perplexity painted clearly across her face. The denial would have been easier to swallow by itself...it was the lady's desire to...get to know her as an alternative to a surrender of the flesh that had her stumped.

“Get to know me..." The ship Captain repeated slowly, sampling the prospect as it lingered on her tongue like a fine wine. The royal knew her name now which hardly ever surfaced in her typical encounters. Furrowed brows rose slightly, noticing the way her surname passed over dark velvet lips, noting the hint of delight beneath her tone. She likes my name... That realization produced a warmth that was distinctly different from the blaze she'd grown accustomed to.

The arctic titaness adjusted her position where she lay, giving a soft snort and swiping her tongue over her nose as she tried to overcome this experience of the novel emotion. It instantly inspired a deep-rooted fear, but like a moth to a flame, Freyja was drawn to it, challenged to face it head-on. Fortunately, her companion broke the silence once more to tease her about her lack of etiquette, but with the taunt also came the gift of her name. Eleanor... It was...pretty and somehow suited her. Names somehow gave others new life and and for a moment, all Freyja could do was stare at her as if she was first meeting her.

A brush of a tail against her side caused her to instinctively flinch and her maw wore a faint grimace as she was brought back to reality. Leaning back into a reclined position, the marauder chuckled deeply, allowing herself to relax more comfortably. “I'd like to see you try." Freyja posed her challenge with a hint of a playful growl lacing her words. She would never tire of the exchange of banter with Eleanor and she sensed the feeling was mutual. It was nice to have a friend...one that didn't expect anything from her and instead simply enjoyed her presence and sharing space with her. And remarkably, for Freyja too, it was enough.

[Exit via continued conversation with this oddly wholesome pair]


@Eleanor

If I was you, I'd hide,
If I was you, I'd be afraid,
Afraid of what's inside...

code by claerie ~ art by ashon