(no subject)
Vanilla #23. Dancing
Story : knights & necromancers
Rating : PG
Timeframe : harvest ball 1255
Word Count : 1191
Very early Rune/Lyssa, as in days after they met.
A hand settled on his arm and Rune twitched, hastily swallowing his drink with a sputter. He turned to find their new recruit eyeing him with a playful grin.
“Care to dance?” said Lyssa, her fingers plucking at his sleeve, while his eyes slid over the sleek, red satin casing forced snugly over her form.
“Dance?”
“Yes, dance.“ She slid her hand down his arm and curled it around his wrist. “Come now, I don’t bite.” Ski sniffed and Lyssa shot her a look. “Much,” she said, amber eyes gleaming as they settled back on Rune.
Rune looked to Ski, who said nothing, and laid his glass on the table. “Alright,” he said, though Lyssa had already slid her hand into his.
She pulled him onto the floor. Her hand found his shoulder, his her waist, while the others twined together. He set his focus on their interwoven fingers, the sly grin that studied him too strong to meet.
His feet fell into the rhythm of the music, stepping and sliding as red satin ruffles flowed and swayed about him. Lyssa angled her head over their hands, peering up at him through long lashes. “You know,” she said, the grin never fading, “for some country boy, you dance well enough.”
Warmth rose in his cheeks. “I’ve had a few chances to get used to your world.”
She righted herself and he gave up on not meeting her gaze, though he faltered a step when her satin wrapped body pressed itself a bit too close for his liking. Lyssa’s lips twitched and his cheeks burned as he struggled to resume his pace.
They continued on in a comfortable stance, though the way her eyes raked over him made it barely so. The song wound to a halt and another began.
“So,” said Lyssa, her eyes now drifting to their hands as his had before, “this…magic of yours…”
Rune frowned. “You’re not going to start asking for demonstrations again.”
“No!” she said, stepping out in a loose twirl. “No.” His hand settled back on her waist and her eyes found his. “Just…curious. I mean, I’ve never seen, never heard even, of anyone…” He swallowed, fingers shifting uncomfortably between hers. “I’m sorry.”
The music carried on, the only sound from the two of them the clap of shoes against the floor boards. Lyssa kneaded his shoulder in her palm. Her voice was softer when she spoke again. “How did you know? That you could do it, the first time, I mean?”
“I just…well, it sort of…happened…” He pulled his hand from her side to press it to his neck. “Look, I don’t want to talk about this, alright?”
“Sure. Didn’t mean to upset you.” The hand on his shoulder stilled and the soft call of strings filled the uncomfortable pause. “What about these demons? What are they?”
Rune wondered for a moment if she was serious. She looked to him with anticipation, not a hint that the question might be anything but what it seemed. “Ski hasn’t told you anything about them?”
Her brows knit into a scowl. “You know as well as I do just how often she makes it home. Haven’t seen her since last year’s ball.”
“Oh.” Lyssa stepped out, his arm stretching with her, copper curls tossed about as she turned back in. “I suppose so.” He blinked as her hand met his shoulder with a bit of a squeeze. “Does the rest of the country really know so little? Even the knights?”
“There are rumors,” she said. “Talk of magic, minions of the Death Goddess gathering in the rural provinces, causing trouble.”
“Rumors no one believes.”
Lyssa cocked her head, a stern look replacing the grin “No one’s heard of the cult in years. Why now? And magic…No one’s foolish enough to believe-”
“You do.”
“Says who?” she said, and it was Rune’s turn for a stern look. “The stories coming out of Branin are that they’re rasing the dead. That’s not even just magic. It’s absurd. It’s-”
“It’s true.”
She studied him in thought for a moment before her eyes dipped back to their hands. “What have I gotten myself into?” she muttered.
Rune laughed. “Nothing you can’t handle.”
Amber eyes caught his again. “And you would know?”
“Ski’s told us about you.”
Lyssa let out a laugh as well and Rune raised a brow. “It’s just funny to hear anyone else call her that.” she said. “So, what, dare I ask, has my dear sister been feeding you all about me?”
Rune paused a moment, thoughtfully eyeing the scarlet wrapped figure in his arms, as more than a few inappropriate tidbits came to mind. “Well,” he said, hoping his smile wasn‘t to thin. “She says you’re an excellent fighter.”
Lyssa arched one copper brow. “Oh?”
“Perhaps a better one than she is.”
Her lips twitched just a bit. “Does she now?”
“Though I’m not sure how,” he said, as they turned a slow whirl about the floor. “I mean, I’ve seen Ski fight.”
“I suppose we shall see.”
“She seems to have every confidence in your skills.”
Her grin flickered wider again. “Even if she’s not so sure about my character.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” said Lyssa. “I know my sister. Look at them. They’re all watching us right now.”
He followed her gaze to the table where they had left Ski. Tess and Farran now stood beside her, all eyes calmly fixed on the two of them. “Why-?”
“Waiting for me to do something they can all talk about.” Her hand wound its way down over him, palm flattening the wrinkles from his shirt as it passed. Rune blinked at the slender finger that traced along his collarbone. “So, which one are you with?” she said, her voice dipping lower.
“Huh?”
Lyssa quickly corrected for the involuntary step back he took. “Whose bed are you in? Come now, you live in a house full of women, don’t tell me-”
“N-no one!” He lost his hold on her hip as he staggered away. “It’s not like that!”
Her full, red lips twisted upward once more. “I was hoping you would say that.” Her hand dove behind his neck, fingers curling forcefully against his scalp. Before he had time to more than blink, she was tugging him downward. Those lips set themselves on his, hot, wet, and hungry, ripping the breath from his starled lungs. He flailed at the air with his hands as she held him fast, a warm shudder running down his spine.
Lyssa let him go, somewhat breathless herself, and he groped the empty air with his lips, in search of words or breath, too stunned to reckon which it was he needed more. “Let’s see what they have to say about that, shall we?” she said, as he continued to sputter. She laid her hand back, gently, against his shoulder. “Thank you for the dance.”
“Thank…thank you,” said Rune, still blinking as she strode away. He watched her slip back into the crowd, satin ruffled hips swaying with every step, and swallowed hard.
Story : knights & necromancers
Rating : PG
Timeframe : harvest ball 1255
Word Count : 1191
Very early Rune/Lyssa, as in days after they met.
A hand settled on his arm and Rune twitched, hastily swallowing his drink with a sputter. He turned to find their new recruit eyeing him with a playful grin.
“Care to dance?” said Lyssa, her fingers plucking at his sleeve, while his eyes slid over the sleek, red satin casing forced snugly over her form.
“Dance?”
“Yes, dance.“ She slid her hand down his arm and curled it around his wrist. “Come now, I don’t bite.” Ski sniffed and Lyssa shot her a look. “Much,” she said, amber eyes gleaming as they settled back on Rune.
Rune looked to Ski, who said nothing, and laid his glass on the table. “Alright,” he said, though Lyssa had already slid her hand into his.
She pulled him onto the floor. Her hand found his shoulder, his her waist, while the others twined together. He set his focus on their interwoven fingers, the sly grin that studied him too strong to meet.
His feet fell into the rhythm of the music, stepping and sliding as red satin ruffles flowed and swayed about him. Lyssa angled her head over their hands, peering up at him through long lashes. “You know,” she said, the grin never fading, “for some country boy, you dance well enough.”
Warmth rose in his cheeks. “I’ve had a few chances to get used to your world.”
She righted herself and he gave up on not meeting her gaze, though he faltered a step when her satin wrapped body pressed itself a bit too close for his liking. Lyssa’s lips twitched and his cheeks burned as he struggled to resume his pace.
They continued on in a comfortable stance, though the way her eyes raked over him made it barely so. The song wound to a halt and another began.
“So,” said Lyssa, her eyes now drifting to their hands as his had before, “this…magic of yours…”
Rune frowned. “You’re not going to start asking for demonstrations again.”
“No!” she said, stepping out in a loose twirl. “No.” His hand settled back on her waist and her eyes found his. “Just…curious. I mean, I’ve never seen, never heard even, of anyone…” He swallowed, fingers shifting uncomfortably between hers. “I’m sorry.”
The music carried on, the only sound from the two of them the clap of shoes against the floor boards. Lyssa kneaded his shoulder in her palm. Her voice was softer when she spoke again. “How did you know? That you could do it, the first time, I mean?”
“I just…well, it sort of…happened…” He pulled his hand from her side to press it to his neck. “Look, I don’t want to talk about this, alright?”
“Sure. Didn’t mean to upset you.” The hand on his shoulder stilled and the soft call of strings filled the uncomfortable pause. “What about these demons? What are they?”
Rune wondered for a moment if she was serious. She looked to him with anticipation, not a hint that the question might be anything but what it seemed. “Ski hasn’t told you anything about them?”
Her brows knit into a scowl. “You know as well as I do just how often she makes it home. Haven’t seen her since last year’s ball.”
“Oh.” Lyssa stepped out, his arm stretching with her, copper curls tossed about as she turned back in. “I suppose so.” He blinked as her hand met his shoulder with a bit of a squeeze. “Does the rest of the country really know so little? Even the knights?”
“There are rumors,” she said. “Talk of magic, minions of the Death Goddess gathering in the rural provinces, causing trouble.”
“Rumors no one believes.”
Lyssa cocked her head, a stern look replacing the grin “No one’s heard of the cult in years. Why now? And magic…No one’s foolish enough to believe-”
“You do.”
“Says who?” she said, and it was Rune’s turn for a stern look. “The stories coming out of Branin are that they’re rasing the dead. That’s not even just magic. It’s absurd. It’s-”
“It’s true.”
She studied him in thought for a moment before her eyes dipped back to their hands. “What have I gotten myself into?” she muttered.
Rune laughed. “Nothing you can’t handle.”
Amber eyes caught his again. “And you would know?”
“Ski’s told us about you.”
Lyssa let out a laugh as well and Rune raised a brow. “It’s just funny to hear anyone else call her that.” she said. “So, what, dare I ask, has my dear sister been feeding you all about me?”
Rune paused a moment, thoughtfully eyeing the scarlet wrapped figure in his arms, as more than a few inappropriate tidbits came to mind. “Well,” he said, hoping his smile wasn‘t to thin. “She says you’re an excellent fighter.”
Lyssa arched one copper brow. “Oh?”
“Perhaps a better one than she is.”
Her lips twitched just a bit. “Does she now?”
“Though I’m not sure how,” he said, as they turned a slow whirl about the floor. “I mean, I’ve seen Ski fight.”
“I suppose we shall see.”
“She seems to have every confidence in your skills.”
Her grin flickered wider again. “Even if she’s not so sure about my character.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t have to,” said Lyssa. “I know my sister. Look at them. They’re all watching us right now.”
He followed her gaze to the table where they had left Ski. Tess and Farran now stood beside her, all eyes calmly fixed on the two of them. “Why-?”
“Waiting for me to do something they can all talk about.” Her hand wound its way down over him, palm flattening the wrinkles from his shirt as it passed. Rune blinked at the slender finger that traced along his collarbone. “So, which one are you with?” she said, her voice dipping lower.
“Huh?”
Lyssa quickly corrected for the involuntary step back he took. “Whose bed are you in? Come now, you live in a house full of women, don’t tell me-”
“N-no one!” He lost his hold on her hip as he staggered away. “It’s not like that!”
Her full, red lips twisted upward once more. “I was hoping you would say that.” Her hand dove behind his neck, fingers curling forcefully against his scalp. Before he had time to more than blink, she was tugging him downward. Those lips set themselves on his, hot, wet, and hungry, ripping the breath from his starled lungs. He flailed at the air with his hands as she held him fast, a warm shudder running down his spine.
Lyssa let him go, somewhat breathless herself, and he groped the empty air with his lips, in search of words or breath, too stunned to reckon which it was he needed more. “Let’s see what they have to say about that, shall we?” she said, as he continued to sputter. She laid her hand back, gently, against his shoulder. “Thank you for the dance.”
“Thank…thank you,” said Rune, still blinking as she strode away. He watched her slip back into the crowd, satin ruffled hips swaying with every step, and swallowed hard.