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 Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 2:17 pm
As tempting as it had been to call the whole thing off Adenah was glad she'd gotten out for the night.
Other than work and training with Knott she'd stayed fairly secluded in her apartment. After first healing from her stabbing, then the branding Adenah just hadn't been in the right head space to be around others socially. She didn't go out window shopping as per usual, nor did she stroll the markets for new spices and Dovian...Well, she'd kept her contact to a minimum. At first she hadn't known what to say and then after her 'punishment' from Grunt...a part of her was too ashamed to show herself in front of him. It was stupid, she knew that much. He was more likely to get mad on her behalf than he was to be mad at her for making a 'mistake' but the thought of him seeing the big, ugly scar just made her insides twist.
Still, Adenah couldn't stay cooped up forever. She wasn't the type to cower and hide, so eventually she'd sent word for Dovian to meet her at The Twin's Tavern near the south end of the city. It was far enough away from the main hub of either guild that she felt safe enough to breath for the evening. The hybrid sat at the bar, a glass of hard liquor in one hand and a warm piece of sweet bread in the other as she listened greedily to two old men drunkenly harass one another. They'd been sweet enough since she'd gotten there, but now, much like two old friends, they couldn't stop picking at each other.
"-get off me, you old drunk, you smell like a snaptrotter's a**."
"You wish I smelled like a snaptrotter's a**...then I'd smell like your wife..."
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:47 pm
Dovian had been surprised to receive the invite out but he wasn't upset with it either. He told his boss he had somewhere to be and finished up early for the night before he left to clean up at home. While his being covered in sweat and ash from the forge likely wouldn't have bothered Adenah he didn't want to go out like that this time. After washing up, pulling his dreads up into a ponytail, and getting dressed (actually wearing a shirt to go with his pants!) he headed out to meet Ade. When he got to the place she was already there and apparently enjoying a drink while she listened to the banter of the other patrons. A small smile tugged at his lips upon seeing her. He had missed having her around. As he came up beside her he took in her appearance. "Miss Uula." He greeted her, still using the alias she'd given him with some amusement. His attention went to the worker as he was asked what he was drinking. Dovian ordered a simple mug of ale to avoid an addled brain. With his order placed he looked back at his friend.
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:14 pm
Adenah looked over her shoulder, smiled then turned in her seat to give Dovian her full attention. Unlike her typical style the hybrid wore her hair down and it casually fell over her shoulder as she repositioned herself atop the stool. "Dovian." Her tone was a little brighter, a little happier than even her usual pomp and fuss. The fact she was a few shots in probably didn't help. "Glad you found the place; I know it's a little out of the way, but I didn't think you would mind."
She knocked back the rest of her drink with a fierce determination and a sour face. When Adenah slammed the glass down onto the counter top she couldn't help curling her lip. "Nasty stuff. Don't know why I keep ordering it." After catching the barkeeps attention and ordering a water as a chaser, she turned back to Dovian. "You look good; have you been well? How's the forge?"
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:22 pm
He noticed that she seemed to be a bit on the happy side and had to question just how many drinks she had so far, or her tolerance. As she repositioned on the stool he took notice of something and narrowed his eyes a bit. That had not been there last he'd seen here. His sister also had failed to mention it. A small, frustrated growl left him. "The forge is fine." He answered her question as he took a step closer, putting them inches apart. Dovian looked down at her, his hand coming up to faintly touch just outside the newly acquired burn mark on her chest, and seemed to be frowning. "I don't remember this being here. When and how did you get it?" His gaze went from the burn to her eyes, a mixture of seriousness and concern being present in his features. He worked around hot metal enough to know what it looked like when flesh came into contact with it.
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:36 pm
Ah. There it was. She knew he wouldn't be happy, but a part of her had also hoped he would just...bypass the whole thing. "Oh, this? It's just a reminder, that's all." The burn itself only faintly ached, but the newly healed skin was still sensitive to the touch and she couldn't help the little shiver that ran through her when his finger's ghosted the surrounding flesh. "I got it after I met your sister...and after I returned to work."
With any luck that would be enough to satisfy him. She'd messed up; as simple as that. In Grunt's eyes it was there to shame her, but for Adenah it was an ever visible reminder of the threat still hanging over her head..."I needed to get serious about things and this helped me to see that. So I've been a little busy but-" Seeing her water had been delivered, Adenah reached over for the glass and gave him a salute, "-now we're here." Clearly changing the subject, the hybrid drank from her glass and offered a half-hearted, tense smile. It was hard to brush off his concern, but what was she supposed to say? No really, it's fine, don't worry, I probably won't be killed today.
"So meeting your sister was fun."
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:46 pm
He listened as she brushed the whole thing off. Dovian could tell when someone simply didn't want to talk about something. Didn't mean he liked it. His frown deepened for a second and as she drank the water he looked at her for a moment longer. He waited for her to be done with her drink before he took the glass from her hand and set it down. After that he put one hand around her waist while the other slipped behind her head to pull her to him in a hug. The blacksmith lowered his head down close to her ear. "I'm sorry." If he'd have known she'd been injured again he'd have gotten her treatment again, something for the burn, something for the pain. "Next time you're hurt come to me so I can take care of you." Or at least send him a message so he could arrange something. After a deep breath he moved the hand away from her head but left the other at her waist, even dropping it just a little to her hip. Dovi looked at her then with an apologetic smile. "My sister wasn't too rude was she?" He finally decided to go with her change of subject even if the worry was still written all over his face.
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 5:54 pm
She...didn't know how to respond when he hugged her. At first she just furrowed her brow, quizzically confused as to why he was taking her wrist and then she found herself being embraced. Adenah's shock wore off quickly, though, and with a soft smile she wrapped her arms around him. For the time being she took advantage of the offer by slowly accepting his comfort. "Thank you, but this was something I had to handle on my own."
After a while she leaned back just enough to be able to look up at him before breaking contact all together. At least on her end; she didn't move his hand away from her hip and didn't seem bothered by it being there. If anything she took a deep breath and reached up to passively flick her hand underneath one misty eye as if to wipe away a stray tear.
"No, no, no; she was fine. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to punch her or stab her, but I think we're good now."
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Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2021 6:08 pm
He watched her and noticed the little flick of her hand. When he gave his attention to something or someone he took noticed of little things even if it didn't look like he did. The hand on her hip came away only to touch the side of her face gently so that he could rub a calloused thumb over her cheek and under her eye. "..." His gaze danced over her face and down to her chest again, taking in the scar that would be there from now on. A slight tilt of his head was given before he brought his eyes back up to meet hers. Dovian half parted his lips like he had something to say but stopped. He settled on a grunt before finally saying, "Very well." His hand came away from her face and he turned to collect his drink finally. He drank from his mug as Adenah spoke about his sister. Thea had that effect when she wanted to. Other times she was as sweet as can be. Licking his lips clean he nodded his head. "Well I wouldn't have blamed you for either, she makes me feel that way sometimes, but I'm glad you two get along at least. Saves me the hassle of getting her to not threaten you like she does everyone else."
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 1:24 pm
"I'm not okay." Adenah murmured and leaned forward so that when he looked back up she would have his full attention. "But that's okay." At this point fussing over what had happened was only going to stress him and Dovian had enough to worry about. She snaked her arm around his waist yet again and tugged him close, this time just to have him there. When she reached for her refilled liquor glass Adenah was half-leaning on Dovian.
"She threatened me once so she'll probably do it again." Adenah emphasized her point by motioning to him with her glass and a raised brow. She knocked back a drink with a light grimace as her taste buds were starting to get used to the sour brew. "She asked what kind of blackmail I had on you and how was I supposed to tell her it was just my stellar personality that kept you in my good graces?"
With her glass balanced in her hand, Adenah pointed past him towards the back of the bar. "Hey, I just noticed they have a board for throwing knives; wanna make a bet?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2021 5:08 pm
He moved so that the back of his hand went over the scar lightly before moving up the side of her neck. When she put her arms around him again he didn't protest and moved closer so that she could lean into him as much as she wanted without risk of falling off her stool. He found that he was glad he'd washed the sweat and soot off him now, and he was wearing a shirt. Idly his hand moved over her shoulder and gently traced small lines and circles onto her back. Dovian took his mug to his lips again and finished off his ale, deciding he wasn't going to have anymore to drink as it looked like Ade may end up drunk. He wanted to have a clear head so he could get her home safe later. Hearing what she said about his sister made him give a half smile down at her. "Blackmail huh? Good to know it wasn't the fact that I find you attractive." He skipped right on past the comment and nodded in agreement with her. "Your personality is amazing. Especially when you chose violence upon first waking." The blacksmith had to really try to hide his smile then. As she pointed past him he turned to look then made a small noise. "So they do." The mention of a bet brought his green eyes right back to Adenah and he looked her up and down for a fraction of a second. "What kind of bet?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 3:48 pm
Being this close to him was as comforting as it was intimate. She found herself leaning over just a little bit more, smiling under the gentle circles and touches. It let her know that someone had her back, even if they weren't talking about it anymore. Her fingers subconsciously flexed over the cloth just above his hip as if the reaction were nothing more than a fidget.
"Attractive? Me? I never would have guessed~" When she looked up at him Adenah's eyes were hooded and the smile she presented was absolutely devilish. Whatever doubts there had been before had been minimal at best, but that didn't matter now. Now she had undisputable proof. "Well, she knows I feel the same way about you and she still fed me so I consider that a win."
Adenah wiggled her way out of his embrace and slid off the stool onto her feet. At first the angle placed her back to him, and when she turned around the drink had placed a healthy flush to her cheeks. She wasn't so far gone that she would need cared for, but Adenah was feeling it. "What do you have to offer?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:06 pm
He felt the movement of her hand, being tuned in to little touches as part of thieves training, and his eyes gave a glance in that direction but that was all. Dovian moved his eyes to her face when she looked up at him and noticed the look she had. "No? Huh.. must be really good at hiding it then." He knew he was in trouble now. Adenah knew he found her attractive, and considering he didn't even really blink when another woman was near by that meant quite a bit. He did raise his brows a little at the declaration that his sister knew the shifter hybrid felt the same and still fed her. "That's... impressive. I'm starting to think you may have blackmailed her." The blacksmith gave a smile and soft chuckle. When she pulled away from him to get up he watched her, mainly to make sure she was steady on her feet. As he noticed the little flush in her cheeks he looked upward for a second then back down with a small shake of his head. Her question made him think a little bit, his green gaze going to the side. As he brought his gaze back to her he moved forward and slipped one arm around her waist to tug her close to him, still being mindful and easy with her, while the other hand put some fingers under her chin to tilt her head back to look at him. "What do you want from me?" The question alone basically said he was willing to give her whatever she asked for.
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:18 pm
Adenah let out a little squeal that may have started out as a breathless laugh but ended up with a little more volume than intended. She rolled her hip forward, brushing her thigh against his as she used her ample curves to her advantage. "I think we both know what I want from you." At first she'd tried to hold back, to be respectful of his boundaries, but since his admission Adenah didn't see the point. Leaning forward, she raised to her tip toes just enough to get closer to his ear, "I want to leave so many marks on you that you'll never be able to go shirtless again." And when she leaned back it was to run her tongue over her lips. Her eyes traveled down from his to the current top he was wearing and with a smile she reached forward to touch the fabric once more. "Though it is a nice look for you~"
After a beat Adenah raised her eyes once more. "If I win we're going to do something about-" With her index finger she motioned between the two of them, "-this. We're both adults; I'm sure we can figure it out."
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:43 pm
His jaw tightened as he did his best to ignore her little stunt. When she lifted up to his ear though, that he couldn't really ignore. Mainly because of her words. With a blink his eyes snapped to her and the hand at her waist tightened just a little. Dovian watched her silently, eyes narrowing a fraction before closing completely after seeing her lick her lips. He took a deep breath in slowly, calmly, then let it out as his eyes opened. As he leaned his head down to her ear he looked over at one of the other customers who was staring at them, a bit of a smirk on his face. "You don't need to win a game to be able to do that, all you had to do was ask." As he leaned back Dovi looked at Ade. He actually thought she would want to show off any marks she left on him, but he didn't say as much. If she didn't want him to go shirtless then he wouldn't, but it would make work a bit more warm. He stepped away and motioned with one hand for Adenah to lead the way to the board. "Ladies first."
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Posted: Thu Apr 29, 2021 5:57 pm
Now there was a reaction. What would he have done if they hadn't been in the middle of a tavern? We could always go out the back and find out~ She knew they had to be drawing attention, some small part of her mind remembered just how close the other patrons were, but Adenah just found she didn't much care.
"I know, I just like winning." Adenah trailed her fingers along his hip as she pulled away, keeping eye contact for a little longer before turning away with an absolutely wicked smirk. She'd come to close to calling the whole night off out a need to hide away from the world because of her scar, but now...Now Adenah was back in her element. She felt a fire licking at her blood, filling her with a boldness that borderlined foolish bravery.
And tonight there was no way in hell she was going home. At least, not alone.
There were a few Oban men sitting some distance away from the throwing board, but not close enough to be within firing range. When Adenah got closer she could see that there was the standard set of knives - three for each player - and lifted one to test it's balance. Even while intoxicated she had no trouble flicking the blade around her fingers. "You never did say what you wanted from me."
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