“So damn pushy, wouldn’t it be easier to just hold my hand?” he teased, but then remembered her manuever from before and coughed. “Actually, never mind, just push me.”
They drew a few eyes until she finally seemed to trust him enough to walk behind him instead of push him, though, and he just followed where she guided him until they finally made it to this Johnny dude’s place. He looked around at the place, surveying it’s messy and...flamboyant state. It seemed like every possible symbol of manliness was displayed in this spot, and he had no idea what to even make of it.
“The hell is this place, a shop, or a party whole?” he mutters to Tifa quietly as he enters without waiting for anyone to greet them, looking around thoughtfully, and a bit judgmentally.
Trevor, do you remember Blackfire? She wanted me to relay a message in which she misses your sweet face looking down at her as you…railed her to oblivion.
(Sinday asks! XD )
(Garnie you a'int slick...)
Sinday asks: Still accepting
Trevor doesn't know whether to be smug about this or to blush and laugh because he must have the best dick in the galaxy if she's still thinking about it. Way to inflate his ego just a tad. "I uhh, miss that too..." Goddammit, why can't she just text him?
With the fall of kingdoms came the dissolution of borders, and he had lived through many wars to come to appreciate the value of true freedom of movement. It would not last forever and finding a den to call his own was a craving all consuming.
The last of his pack, Cloud was beginning to find it difficult to find his place in this world where the lust for power overwhelmed the basic instincts to merely survive. Countless times had he wandered between territories of rampant Lycan groups set ready to tear both he and his beloved familiar to shreds were he to not heed their marks engraved and sprayed along the trees of the extensive undergrowth. And established packs very rarely took on new recruits for the risk of disrupting the delicate hierarchy.
Almost all castle grounds accommodated their resident pack, so it was merely by chance, after months of wandering the continent, that Cloud happened across a castle ruin, its surrounding wood seemingly unoccupied by any worthy predators. Deer, rabbits and rats were abundant, all worthy meals and all satisfying the need to hunt, the very former so docile however that hunting them was a little too easy. Though it should be noted, a single deer fed both he and his familiar for the best part of three days, so that was something. Plus when the meat began to fester, that was when it was always at its most delectable~
Night’s were spent on the hunt while the days they spent lazily snoozing within the confines of an old re-dug fox den, long abandoned by its former occupants beneath the largest, thickest sequoia, huddled together in the dirt. There really was nothing finer; a place to call their own.
There was the odd whiff of death that floated through the wood on occasion, distinctive enough to allow the wolf-kin cause for pause. There was a vampire in their midst. Cloud knew it to be too good to be true; the very reason a pack was not established here being the mere presence of a vile blood sucker. History itself had taught the lycanthrope that vampires were bad news and to avoid them at all costs. But after so long on the road, simply looking for a place to hunt and thrive in peace, Cloud was reluctant to uproot. He and Fenrir would simply have to stay on their guard and hope the forest was dense enough to keep them hidden from the view of the nearby ruin; no doubt the throne of this area’s Vampiric monarch.
It was during this particular evening that Cloud was proven wrong; that pungent stench of dead things wafting through the thicket, so strong tonight the Lycan couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose up at it, though did his best to ignore it.
The preparation for that night’s hunt was underway, simply waiting for the last of the ancient sun’s rays to die on the horizon casting the wood in thick shadow. And he rested against the sequoia’s trunk, watching idly as Fenrir nosed around the grasses and shrubs, chuckling softly as the dire-wolf growled menacingly at the insects he disturbed.
“Bugs ain’t afraid of you, big guy, save it for the hunt,” Cloud deadpans, though his voice perked at the wolf’s ears and prompted him to trot over and force his massive head into Cloud’s cheek, coupled with an approving whine, as though he too were laughing at his own antics just now. The blond laughs again, an amused nasal huff as he buries gloved hands into that deceptively soft black fur, lilting his head to touch his brow upon the other’s in his own gesture of affection. From the outside looking in, one would think they were spying a man with his pet, but it went deeper than that. Fenrir, was his hunting companion, his familiar where strange powers resided within the unbreakable bond they shared. What Cloud felt, Fenrir would feel too and vice versa be that physical or otherwise.
Less a master and his hound, more brothers. A strange concept to most, though not to Lycan kind.
Then came the tell-tale snap of a twig from the rear, and the sudden freezing of blood in his veins. The wolf, his golden eyes gazing over Cloud’s shoulder, emits a low rumbling growl when the man suddenly realises that stench from earlier is getting stronger. Fear grips him then, an audible swallow as he signals to Fenrir with little more than a quick dart of his own bright azure eyes to investigate, and as the beast darts into the underbrush Cloud makes his way along the edge of the sequoia, keeping low as he peers into the black shadows of the wood. Sharp claws sink into the tree’s thick bark, fur already bristling through his flesh, senses attuning to the thing that approached.
They were being watched... and not by any deer.
The monarch of this land was investigating it seemed.
| — . ♕ . — | “You must forgive my lack of hospitality,” Ardyn stated to her as he unlocked the front door of his estate. Once he did so, he held it open and motioned Tifa through. It would be best to usher her out of the public eye, even if the thought of anyone managing to spy, unnoticed, on his personal grounds was highly unlikely.
“I’ve not had company in quite some time, so I dare say the pantry is quite bare.” Reaching for her hand, Ardyn tucked the key into his new house guest’s palm, then stepped away to close and lock the door behind them.
The Chancellor hadn’t been keen on the idea of harboring someone in his home, be it for refuge or otherwise. He was a man who had grown used to his ways of living, and that hadn’t involved someone else residing where he lived. Though, just as all things, he would force himself to adapt...
“I will place a pad upon the counter. You may write down whatever you feel those barren cabinets need to be stocked with, along with anything else you desire, then I will have a courier tend to it, tomorrow afternoon.” Surely there at least had to be enough in there to tide her over until then, even if most of it was likely processed boxed goods. And if she were to look in the freezer, she would see it was filled with a strange variety of things - frozen toaster waffles, an assortment of ice cream, and other dessert-like items.
“Only one room up the stairs is locked. That one is mine. You may choose from any of the other guest rooms for yourself. I suspect the linens will need a washing and the surfaces dusted, but they should be fine enough accommodations, otherwise. I have no secrets to contain, so you are free to explore as much as you wish to.” Aside from his own quarters, of course, but Ardyn imagined that much went without saying. Tifa didn’t strike him as the sort to intentionally pry into his room, just for fun. ... Though, he had been wrong before.
「 @oflockhearted ⋰ Warm hands press against the sides of his face. Tifa nervously looks over her shoulder before tugging the redhead down to her level. "Reno, I'm sorry but I have to do this---" the barmaid's lips smash against the turk's, hungrily, like she needed it in order to survive. Just as quickly as it started, the kiss ceased, prompting Tifa to look somewhere in the distance before cursing under her breath, 'shit. shit. shit.' Thus she removes herself from his vicinity, spring off elsewhere in a hurry. 」 ➟ 《 invitation to come grab a kiss from reno ! 》
HER HANDS AGAINST HIS CHEEKS WERE WARM , HIS EYES widening slightly for a moment , more so at the apology that fell from her lips rather than the close proximity he found himself in. He was about to open his mouth -- no doubt some snippy little comment about to spill forth -- but he found himself silenced by her lips covering his own with a bruising force. Reno barely had a chance to comprehend what had happened , barely had a chance to even respond -- didn’t have much of a chance to do anything before she stopped. He blinked a couple of times , reacting much slower than his usual pace.
what just happened?
Then she was gone , out of arms reach. Reno’s mind was racing , he’d be lying if he tried to say he hadn’t thought about how her lips would feel against his own , lying if he said he hadn’t thought of her in more than one place. He’d appreciated just how beautiful she was from the moment his eyes first caught hers. Hell , he’d have had to have been blind if he didn’t.
“ Hey! “ He called after her , a smile pulling at his lips. “Next time stick around, Princess!”
If she thought for one minute he was going to let her forget about this , she was mistaken. Oh no, Reno was not done yet.
It was supposed to be just an easy mission, but he guessed how it involved dealing with Shinra; it was just never going to be so simple, as he had feared. The three of them, Cloud, Tifa, and Barret, all decided that they were to make camp. They were still pretty far away from their destination, and even though he had tried to argue it with his friend, she insisted that Barret take a tent for himself, while they shared one together. He tried to give her her space, but from the looks of it that wasn’t wanted, and he sighed in resignation.
“Alright…” He waved at Barret, who just nodded and went into his tent, while Cloud went over to join with Tifa. He unrolled his sleeping bag, and glanced over at her, after a few moments of silence. “Tifa, are you sure about this? I can just go sleep outside, if you need your privacy. You know it doesn’t bother me.” Yes, he was still trying to escape the fact that he was about to sleep next to his childhood friend, who he respected so greatly. It probably wasn’t going to work, knowing her.
The Miqo’te had been wandering for hours after waking up in this foreign land, body aching and begging for a rest. She had to note when the surroundings changed. No more was she having to fend off wandering hostile creatures, but instead having to weave around beaten down shacks, scrap, and people just living day to day.
Soon enough the walking room grew greater, and she was on the doorstep of what looked to be a bar. Peering in the windows, a frown crossed her features upon noting that no one seemed to be inside at that moment. A sigh left her as she pivoted on her heels and slid down to sit with her back pressed against the wall.
Her eyes closed for a moment at the moment of stillness. Aching muscles begged even louder for at least an hour of rest. The begging soon won and she slumped even further against the wall.
She stayed like that for about an hour, blissfully unaware of passerby sparing her confused and somewhat judgmental glances.
It was when nightmares began to settle in and disturb her sleep that she became aware of someone approaching the bar. Her eyes widened, ears pinning back suddenly as she sprung up to her feet. “Ah- I’m sorry- am I in the way?”
It was also dawning on her infinitely stupid self that bars typically belonged to someone. And that she was most definitely trespassing.
