Quality Time

[Cassandra Reeding]

Cassandra takes in that look of disbelief on his face. He's not wrong to have that look. She is a winter; she plans meticulously. Usually. Tonight had a lot more spontaneity than he probably would take her for. She can't help but get caught up in his eyes for a moment, though. Depthless black and she'd happily lose herself in them over and over again. Then a stray thought crosses her mind, a sliver of a daydream that brings a little flush to her cheeks.


Deep breath.


He tells her that he loves and trusts her and it gives her this feeling of a bubbling joy and warmth within her. It turns that earlier flush into shifting shades of reds, blues, pinks, and purples. Even her eyes glimmer with those shifting hues. It is an absolute truth, not just something that one says. Especially not something that John just says.


The Polychromatic takes her Whisperwisp's hands, giving them a gentle, loving squeeze. His hands are cool and soft and she takes a moment to just enjoy the contact of his skin against hers. A greedy part of her wants more. Wants to know what it would be like to be completely lost in him, tangled in each other's arms as if nothing else in the world could possibly matter more.


"I want a year and a day with you this time." Another step towards forever. She gently moves her thumbs along the backs of his hands and smiles at him brightly. This is a big deal for her. The last time she swore a year and a day for a non motley oath, she was in a white dress. And the words she's prepared are no less beautifully severe, though she's been careful this time thinking of exactly the words she wants and not just relying on her heart to speak. "Are you ready for that?" She'll be perfectly all right if not, but she hopes he is.

[James Turner]

There was still that itch, that anxiety at the back of his mind that this was the I'm sorry but it's not working out talk. That constant feeling that you were walking on glass and at any moment the floor could drop out from beneath you. He knew that was the fear, the panic where he lived his life talking, it was just a particularly loud voice to ignore.


He let out a breath, tension releasing as he squeezed her hands in return. Those soft shifting colors spilling to her eyes, like light refracting off the water when it catches just the right angle. There was a lot of complicated feelings wrapped up in those thoughts, how far they would leave humanity behind? Were they Keepers in the making themselves? Thoughts silenced in an instant as she announces her proposal. A year and a day. And he can't help the small smile that formed on his lips and then it pulled wider.


"I did say I love and trust you, plus that didn't sound like a question to me." He squeezed her hands, a soft chuckle making his body shake slightly. "You are what matters to me. The fact you want to spend that long with me has me counting my blessings. I'm truly, " his voice cracked, breaking up the thought as the first of the tears came. He didn't let go of her hand so much as keep onto it as he brought a sleeve up to wipe it away with a shaky breath. "I'm ready to spend everyday with you Cassandra."


He sniffed roughly, another breath as he composed himself the tears gone for now especially as that smile stretched ear-to-ear. "We should probably think about finding a place together too. We should keep the places we have now as bolt holes or workshops."

[Cassandra Reeding]

There is a whirlwind of emotion slowly beginning to overcome Cassandra. It starts with those joyful tears in his eyes, the way he pulls her hands up with his so that he could wipe his own building tears from his eyes. His words make her heart feel like it is singing and he hasn't even started with the words of their oath yet.


Every day. He wants to spend every day with her. It kicks something in her, like a painful bruise she had tried hard to ignore. This is what she has desperately wanted. No more waking up in an empty bed, wishing he were beside her. No, she'll get to come home, knowing he'll be there. This has been building for some time, but she struggled to see it ever happening. It felt like a wish that would never come true as long as their lives were kept secret.


Her eyes grow puffy and red, only accentuating their sparkling hues. It feels like she can hardly find air in her lungs, the surprise of it seeming to have taken it from her. She can't help the tears beginning to escape, droplets of raw emotion cascading down her rosy cheeks. "I-" she can hardly get a word out. Instead, she brings his hands to her lips and kisses them before letting go to wrap her arms around him in a tight embrace. Her breath is shaky as she hugs onto him, never wanting to let go. It takes a few long moments, hugging him and crying tears of relief and joy, but she finally gets out, "I'm ready too. Every day."


She takes a deep breath, trying to calm the rapidly beating heart in her chest. It thumps so hard, she wonders if he can feel it too. Finally, she pulls back and takes his hands again, "Do you want to keep the same boon? I'm fine with it. I'd like if we both kept a goblin fruit or two on us where we are able. Just in case. Should be-" she has to take another deep breath as emotion swells in her once more. "Should be easier to do so with how well Gerrit has been cultivating them."


"And perhaps..." she can't help but smile brighter then, "perhaps we could go looking around for a place soon." A place for us to call home together. Our home. Her mind is already imagining possibilities, sweet daydreams she thought she'd have to put away. "I could start putting together a list of places to check out." Normalcy - that's what this is leading to. A portion of their life that can have simple, mundane normalcy. "I love you, John." Another deep, shaky breath, "I love you so much." It's hard to even describe the depth of what this love has blossomed into. The word love barely covers it. They're meant for each other.


More tears slip from her eyes and she wipes them away with her sleeve, though the lace isn't particularly good at soaking it up. Unable to contain it any longer, she leans in to kiss him.

[James Turner]

When she started crying he felt his breath hitch and his lips pulled up into a small smile, a laugh escaping his lips as his eyes began to water. "Stop it, you're going to make me cry now." The tears had started in the middle and he couldn't help but laugh after, his face a pleasant hue of gray before it flushed away back to ghost white. He didn't know if it was her or if he was used to things being so much colder but he could feel her heat radiate through him as they held each other close and let it out but after her response he couldn't help but need another moment.


Come on, take my hand. Let's go.
Where are we going?
We're getting out of here is where we're going, come on.


I remember her voice so clearly that day, there was life there, excitement and as soon as she offered me her hand it was over. The spell was cast. I didn't know if I could ever feel this way again, it's standing at a precipice and looking over the edge. That feeling of Vertigo, yes, but also that thrilling excitement as you can see over the horizon.


The talk of the boon helped snap him back to the moment, he sniffed and wiped away his tears the same way again. "It's the most practical boon, we could also seek adaptability within the skein gaining knowledge from Dreams. I like knowing you are safe though." Safer at least. He'd had more than a few nightmare about losing her already, knowing that if something happened there might be a way he could help felt nice too. There was something about Gerrit, something between the two but she'd let the moment pass and so did he. I wasn't the right moment for that.


He couldn't help but beam, as much as a Darkling could, which for John meant you could see his teeth when he was smiling. Her bringing up looking for a place overfilled him with joy, his mind already working out what he could leave here and what he had to take. Furniture was obviously staying here. Honestly, he just needed to pack his music and his t-shirt's and he was good. He'd keep this place for backup and meetings. "Give me your top ten, I'll narrow it down to 5 and then we can go look at those. How does that sound?"


The tears welled up again but only as few of his spilled himself, "I love you too Cassandra. With all that I am." It was true, he knew it to be true. He knew if she offered her hand to him he'd have said yes too. He knew the road wouldn't be without pain, it would always have sorrow. But there was joy too, like what he was feeling now. She moved and he moved, caught up in the rush of emotions. Love is a leap of faith, it's being at that precipice and choosing to step off together. That's the difference this time, we're doing it together.

[Cassandra Reeding]

When Phillip left, she never thought she'd feel this way again. This dizzying flurry of emotions that are just impossible to keep inside. The kind of feelings that remind you that you are no longer a singular entity, but rather a part of another person. That very first time she could feel again, it was like it smacked her in the face. She didn't realize just how hard she'd fallen for him. No, not until she gazed into his eyes that first time and felt his strong arms wrapping around her in a tight embrace. She knew she was a goner then and she was. It didn't matter how horrible he was to others or how bad things got, she loved that terrifying draconic.


Being with John is like finding stable ground, a place where you can exist as you truly are without needing to put up every defense meant to keep the world out. John knows her - really knows her. She feels fully seen for the first time in her life. For a long time, she felt she hadn't deserved him, someone so innately good, but love is about bringing out the best in each other and gods does John do that for her. Seeing how he is now compared to before they began seeing each other, she knows it is true for him too.


He suggests a different boon, but seems to be on the same page that their previous one is likely for the best. If they only need it once to protect themselves from dying, that's all it would take then. It's worth it. His safety is more important than any shiny thing they could benefit from in their oath.


Another thought crosses her mind: They're going to be living together. How is he going to feel about the way she is with organization? Then another: What is she going to leave behind? What will she throw out entirely? There are boxes of old memories she's kept stashed for so long in the back of her closet. Could it be time to finally let them go? Yes. She doesn't need them anymore.


"That sounds wonderful." Little wisps of images of them shopping for a home together gives her another feeling of giddiness. Maybe this time she'd settle on a house. Having lived in the city nearly her whole life, she's never owned a house of her own. And what would she use the old apartment for? She supposes she could still use it as a place to meet others when she wants privacy away from typical coffee shops and the like. She could also use it for her workshop and keep it at that. The only thing that might come as suspicious to someone else is that Aria won't be there. If she meets up with someone who knows about her cat, she'd have to bring her with her. It's hard to keep that thought at the forefront, however when the thought of John cuddled up with Aria comes to mind. Family.


His words give her goosebumps and her heart feels like it skips a beat as their lips finally meet. She's always been used to the cold, but suddenly it doesn't feel cold. No, there is a pleasant heat to the kiss and she can't help but press herself against him as if she could absorb more of it. The hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end as a small shiver runs down her spine.


After a long moment, she pulls back and gazes up at him with this look of euphoria. From head to toe, she feels tingly with giddy butterflies and warmth. And out of that warmth, she's finds she knows the words she wants to say.


"John, love of my life, we have chosen to embark on a difficult journey together, one that will have it's ups and downs, twists and turns, good days and bad. I promise you love, faithfulness, and support, patience and honesty even when our lives become difficult. For a year and a day, my life and journey is tied to yours. I'll warm you this Winter when sorrow is at it's most bitter point. I'll remind you of my unconditional love in the Spring. In Summer, I will defend you where I am able, because we are a team. In Autumn, I will soothe your fears, for you are no longer alone in the dark. Let the Wyrd hear our words, hear the truth in them, and bless us with greater healing from goblin fruits, luck turned against me should I break these promises."

Type: Vow
Task: Medial Alliance (-2), Lesser Forbiddance (-1)
Boon: Greater (Arcadian Metabolism) (+3)
Sanction: Major Curse (-3)
Duration: Year and a Day (+3)

I love you. I love you. I love you. It's all she can think and feel. Every word, every feeling - it is all truth.

Saber Sloth how does this look?

[James Turner]

John didn't imagine many issues living with Cassandra, no, his t-shirts had to go back a certain way, ok, there would be a little adjustment problems. Looking around his apartment it didn't even feel lived in, there weren't any decorations anywhere. No clocks, no paintings, the closest thing he had to that was his ashtray. This wasn't a home, it never had been, it was a hole to hide in. Now? Could it ever feel like home with that sword ever hanging The Presence of The Huntsman still looming over Sacramento as a testament to that fact.


The closer they became the more he stood to lose. Everything was easier when only he had to pay the price. His life had been organized, routine, ritual. He'd done the same thing he always did. Even as things changed it had been to a rhythm he understood. It was standard. Of all people the whisperwisp understood the weight of the right words said to the right person at the right time. He'd just never experienced it personally it before. From that moment his ritual was shattered and his life had gone into disarray. It was all disorganized chaos to him in the most delightful way. Some surprises are nice after all.


With the place shopping settled logistics and choices could be dealt with later as right now he wanted nothing more than to repeat her words and seal the pledge. What about forever, James?He let that thought pass by, caught in the gravity of Cassandra's pledge as she spoke. The tears came freely and silently, soft gray streaks running down his cheeks. His mouth still wide in a smile even as his jaw shook. He opened his mouth and he stopped still and then he took a deep breath, and another. Then he regained motion and began to respond.


"Cassandra, love of my life," a small laugh escaping from his lips, John you are not going to start quoting Prince now. ", we've gathered together to get through this thing called life." Who doesn't like Prince? "I promise you love, faithfulness, support, patience, and honesty even if life becomes difficult. For a year and a day, our lives and journey's become one. I will keep the long watch through Winter when the shadows are their longest. I promise a reminder, a blossom, and a fire to keep Desire alive in Spring. In Summer, I will defend you where able. Come the cold winds of Autumn," a soft sob escaping his lips as he remembered her words because those wounds still hurt so badly. He let out a breath, smiled and continued. "in Autumn I will give you patience, space, and encouragement as you indulge your curiosities. Let the Wyrd hear our words, hear the truth in them, and bless us with greater healing from goblin fruits, luck turned against me should I break these promises."


That Pledge had to be sealed with a Kiss, it was a Lover's Oath after all. It would be wrong to do it any other way. And so he lost himself, allowed himself to be lost in that kiss for a long moment before he had to break the kiss and offer a sleepy smile to her, his head still spinning. "I do have to eat though, I haven't eaten much besides some nut and cheese nibbles." Which in his speak meant he'd had a handful of peanuts and a few slices of cheese at some point during his day. So he didn't hesitate to slowly lean back over to the dinner she'd lovingly prepared for him and take a few bites. Thankful he always cut his food entirely first.


Even if this was life, as stretched thin, bone-tired, confused, lost, and overwhelmed he was, he'd take more and more of it just as it was so long as they had this. Now, he'd have it everyday, even when it became routine it was still together.

[Saber Sloth]

Sorry it took me a bit to see this!

Pledge looks good! Please put it in the Pledge Calendar, and include this Pledge in you Sig/Minisheet with a link to Arcadian Body Arcadian Body (silly fingers :P)

Just to remind everyone that you have this Merit, and it's in effect for the Duration of the Pledge.

[Cassandra Reeding]

She can't help but smirk a little bit from his words. A Prince quote. How exactly like him. It's those little things that make him who he is that she loves most of all. She can never quite predict what kind of reference it will be, but it will always be something that will put a smile on her face.


He kisses her, sealing their words and she relaxes into it as she feels the magic of their oath take hold. There is always the worry that something will go wrong, that the Wyrd will reject them for some reason, and yet, here they are. Their oath has been cemented and they're finally bound for a year and a day. And for a year and a day, she can hope their boon will protect him from harm. When he pulls back, she is just a little disappointed, always wanting more, but he makes a good point about his needing to eat. She gives a little nod and smiles, "Might just start packing you lunches soon. Little snacks to have throughout the evening or something." But at the very least, he'll one day soon be coming home to a good meal every night. That at least gives her a little bit of relief.


She settles down and starts on her own food, cutting up piece by piece rather than cutting the whole thing at once. She's always taken her meals a little slower. Though, too slow and she ends up cooling her food too quickly, which is never good.


She looks over him as he eats and can't help but think to herself, one day this is going to be normal. Just this. Sitting and eating together every night, cuddling up and sleeping together every night, no more nightmares alone.


No more nightmares alone.


When she's done eating, she sets down her plate on the coffee table and there is a wonder in her if she should try it. Just put it out there and see what happens. It's scary though, particularly with all of the developments of the evening. Big developments. This might be too much. Should she save it for another time? She isn't sure. It isn't as though it can't wait for another time. This was easier when all she had to do was indicate even a slight interest. Now she's the lead... Where to even begin?


A kiss is good as any to start, right?


She waits till he is done eating before turning her body fully toward him and giving him a flirtatious smile, "Kiss me again?" And there is the slightest hint of mischief to her voice.

Will do! But it's actually Arcadian Metabolism, not Arcadian Body.

[James Turner]

"Small snacks is your best bet until I finish school. I have to find the time to eat and it's almost always on the move." He had to remind himself he should take his time here and enjoy it. He offered a small grin as he shook the bangs out of his face. It was a warm, comforting feeling being bound together like this. A reminder of what Oaths are meant to be, a promise given in earnest. Anne's poisoned promises had infected Sacramento, leaving their mark long after the damage was done.


As the meal came to a close John could feel something change in the atmosphere. It was like sitting at the peak of a roller coaster, feeling your ears pop as it shifts, teetering almost weightlessly. A static buzz passed over his skin and down his spine. Her wounds broke the silence like thunder, his eyes narrowing in response. Disbelief and suspicion were the first emotions that passed through him, but that wasn't unusual. A moment to think about it and his head tilted to the side and his eyes met hers. Smiling he leaned into the kiss.


That pressure seemed to build as the kiss went on, the clicking of the wheels as the cars began moving again. The Rush that followed was something else though, something you could lose yourself in. The ticking clock at the back of his mind reminding him how little time he had silenced. Worries and fears momentarily burned away. And for the first time in his life James let go.

[Cassandra Reeding]

Kissing him is dizzying in the best of ways. It makes little goosebumps form on her arms and the hair on the nape of her neck stand up on end as her whole body tingles first with the chill of his mantle and then with heat. His lips feel so soft against hers in a way that makes her feel as though she could melt. She lifts her hands up to his chest, fingers kneading slightly at the fabric. She'd happily undo every last button of his shirt, but she takes her time just enjoying the building pressure of each kiss.


Breaking the kiss for only a moment, she shifts both of her legs up onto the couch and there is an obvious change to the refraction of light that dances cross her skin. Little sparkles of red like a blush spread throughout from her cheeks to what can be seen of her chest and shoulders. Closer. She wants to be closer.


When she kisses him once more, there is more of a fever there, a heightened depth of need. She can feel her own heart racing and a heat descending through her body. Becoming breathless, she breaks the kiss once more and gazes at him with an expression he's never seen her wear. Prismatic eyes, somewhat dilated, drink him in as she flattens her hands upon his chest, trying not to pull at him.


Her voice comes out as a low whisper, "Do you want to go to bed?" And there it is, dangling there, but she's so lost in this moment that all of the worries of rejection have silenced. It's just them, sitting at the precipice of something more, something that will completely change the dynamic of their relationship. She always thought she'd be anxious and the words would come out wrong, but instead there is a distinct confidence in her.