|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:53 am
The "wat" looked earned a deep wince from the witch, which turned into a full on grimace when he cursed. "Its ok! I won! But un, he did get my leg pretty good..." Though it was an awkward angle, Belladonna managed to bring her injured leg forward to show the small, red marks from his horns. "Its ok. I pretended his was my Jabberywocky. So, calloh! Callay!" Eh, he probably wouldn't get that reference but its ok, the sentiment would remain the same. The witch still felt pretty bad about the whole thing, she wasn't much one for mini pet violence, but if Mort reacted like this, then it seemed pretty normal... As for all the other stuff, Belladonna only waved a hand under his nose, her lips pinched together into a pout. "Oh please, darling. I haven't taken a single dancing class, so I haven't the faintest clue how to properly waltz... And if its Masquerade themed, hopefully it'll be a little darker so we won't have to worry about the bright lights! As for the agitation..." Here she lowered her eyes a bit and drew a little closer, giving Mort her best "seduction" face. Her hands wrapped around the front of his coat and pulled him just the tiniest bit closer. "That shouldn't be too much of a problem...""You went to Scarentines? I did too! I was totally late, but I did go for a little bit..." Involuntarily, Belladonna bit her lip and let out a small laugh. "I had only been back to school for a day and went to the dance... My parents yanked me back out of school by the end of the week when they learned I had gone to a dance and not a class, but I thought it counted toward 'school participation'." Her cheeks flushed a little from the story simply because it was still a slightly sore topic for her.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:23 am
Were those her . . . bedroom eyes?
All slivers of swag were lost. Absolutely gone. It didn't matter that the look was brief and probably a joke, Mort reverted back to his gawky first year self for a moment. He dry swallowed less than pure thoughts (including that craving from earlier) before they could attempt to fill the void, made that much harder when she tugged at his coat ever so lightly. Oh Bells, you caused a different sort of agitation than the one he meant~
Her reasoning was sound, though. Masquerades did sound like the sort of low-key party he could be a part of without setting off the more ingrained zombie traits of his. Unless there were brains to eat. Then he made no promises. "I-I-I was late t-too," Mort said with a little nod, still flustered and with a little bit of a higher voice. "But was f-fun, right? Although spiked p-punch wasn't s-so much . . ." He frowned in the murky recollection of bright colors and heightened emotions. About the only thing that was positive about it was when he'd found liquid courage and, for once, was rather assertive to the point of aggression. The power had felt amazing even if it was misdirected.
So much better than feeling like a blue stick with an oversized hat fumbling over one look.
"Why'd they d-do that? Meant getting out n' seeing people," Mort commented with knit brows. "Your parents're too strict. S'not like there's class every day. Have m-more things to worry about than grades."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 3:40 pm
For a moment longer Belladonna gave him her 'bedroom eyes', enjoying it too much to really stop. When Mort only gave her a wide eyed stared accompanied with a hard swallow, she nearly lost it. But the moment was too good to pass up, so she leaned in a little more forward. At such a juncture she wasn't sure what exactly she should say, whether she should ask him for a kiss or just sit a moment longer and wait for it to happen. "You should kiss me now..." She finally said in a voice a little lower than her normal speaking voice. Yeah, there was no way she could keep quiet for that long. She liked to think she knew Mort well enough that he was currently frozen up with an almost blue-screen of death brain. "I never tried the spiked punch. I didn't see you either." Belladonna replied with a small pout. Honestly, she hadn't been there very long. Only enough time to chat with West, almost get herself into trouble with a pint sized demon with a too big personality and then to duck out after she didn't see anyone else she was prepared to talk to. As for her parents, well... That was another matter entirely. "My parents are only strict about me... And it was my own fault, really. I had a whole week to get to a class and when I told them I went to a dance instead, they'd had enough..." Here Belladonna inserted a dramatic eye roll and a heavy sigh. "Since I'm the youngest, they expect me to go out and make my own path for myself... Delphinium will get their business, Hemlock will probably always be around but me... I don't know why but I have to make my destiny. And my parents think if they push... I can't fail."In any other matter her parents didn't give one care. They might put up a small fuss about Mort, but it was a subject they'd surely warm up to. "But enough about that. Today is a happy day! Calloh, callay!" Belladonna cheered with a happy shake of her fist. "For your prom outfit... Do you have any colors you'd like? Maybe for you mask we can do a knight's helmet that sits farther up on your head? I'm not sure... Any ideas?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:43 pm
Welcome to Mort's BSOD! Current population: sldkfjlskahskjhdkcf
Dear Jack, she was thinking about just kissing with that - that look? No way. Not too long ago she'd hinted via text that she knew more than she led on, and this had to be one of those moments. With that in mind, what did she have in hers? Was it a suggestive "accident" that she had formed the word romp before? If he did kiss her now, would it only lead him down shady roads he'd only read about, sometimes fantasized? Was his paranoid mind in the gutter for nothing? It had no place in his head at the moment, which was filled with dull buzzing, emptiness, and the strongest urge to just give in and find out rather than hypothesize. To get more.
A ghoul's wiles were never to be underestimated.
Mort sat rigid unmoving in that intimate position even as his mind went a thousand miles a second. And by the time he managed to form one cohesive thought, the moment was gone. Funny how he would happily plant kisses on his own, but when asked to it was harder than lifting a house - then again, given the circumstances surrounding the asking . . .
So he listened instead, still stiff as a board but at least attentive. How could the witch do that? One second give him that look, the next innocently talk about their costumes? Mort wasn't just slow on his feet but also slow to follow her words right now, needing a few seconds to understand her questions before speaking. "E-Er. Yeah," he answered a bit distractedly, pushing his glasses up with a timid finger. "Black's good with anything, right? P-Partial to green or blue, but doesn't matter: will work with what w-we have."
Because Mort was determined not to be a big spender, generosity or not.
"I, uh . . Mrrrr. Cape? N-No, knights don't have 'em . . . F-Full set've armor too expensive, so maybe breastplate? Chainshirt? N-Not sure if should go ceremonial or p-practical . . . We should, er, prolly st-stick to more clothes than armor . . ."
Still distracted? Still distracted.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:28 pm
Unaware in the most extreme usage of the word, Belladonna only continued to lean forward and give her most seductive, 'come hither', 'bedroom' face. But nothing was happening. He only sat there and stared at her, wide eyed and bruised in the cheeks. Was she... Was she doing it wrong? Unwilling to drop her look or stance, the witch held it with a slow eye blink and mentally checked herself. Hair tousled to one side with partially exposed neck? Check. Leaning forward, boobs together and out? Check. Cleavage? Er, no, jack it all. Pouty mouth? Check? Idea of kiss planted into brain? CHECK. WHAT WAS SHE DOING WRONG?! Totally unsure of anything else to do, Belladonna played her ace card. She leaned forward just the teeniest, tiniest bit more and pressed her ample bosom to his chest. If this didn't get a reaction she quit. At least for today... "Hhhmmm, green, blue and black. I can see what I can work with." As for the whole armor bit, well... Belladonna certainly wasn't versed in such a thing and she was fairly certain she never wanted to get into it. It simply wasn't her cup of tea. It was bulky and cumbersome and took too much work, too much sweat and heat. It was a thing made for war, not elegance and she simply wanted nothing to do with it. "Some knights have capes... But most don't... Hrm. This might be a real challenge!" The witch chirruped, totally oblivious to the distraction the boil faced. In all honesty, it was just too much fun to tease him. He was a darling thing, and one of the reasons Belladonna felt so strongly was his shyness. Never attracted to the out-going types, the witch instead preferred the more introverted who reacted so well and so passionately. Well, maybe in this case passionate wasn't quite the right word...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:11 pm
Not yet at least. The most passionate thing occurring on his end was that his skin looked more purple than blue now.
Mort was very, very close to the breaking point. This was all a test, he decided. A test to make sure he hadn't begun this relationship based on looks alone. And it made sense: the eyes, the intimacy, the pout, the exposure of her skin, the ever so light press of her chest to his - all questions on the test. A test he was barely scraping by with a C- in. Though frankly the twins had to be at least double Ds, if not more . . . Mort couldn't help but glance down for a split second. Yup, definitely double Ds.
"Ch-Challenge. Yeah." What were they talking about again?
Mort was acutely aware of how pinned he was to the tree and how, thanks to the hair cut, he didn't have bangs to hide behind. No escape except either to give in or to deny. Jack. "I-I-I, uh . . ." He had to swallow again, his dry mouth suddenly growing wet. "E-Er . . ." Sweet Sally, he could barely form words in his head, let alone with his mouth. It was much too hard with no barriers between them.
So he made one. Quickly snatching up the hat by him, Mort put it on and let it slide back to its previously place where it was only supported up by the brim of his glasses - and those hid his eyes momentarily. "H-How about ceremonial clothes with armor a-accents?" he suggested with a bit of a squeaky voice. "O-Or steampunk ones. Either or. Has m-m-maneuverab-bility, looks nice, n' g-gets point across."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 10:27 pm
Had she known, had she ever known any of the myriad of thoughts that ran through Mort's head, maybe Belladonna would have reacted differently. Maybe, but most likely not. For another good 30 seconds (Which felt like an hour to the expectant witch), Belladonna held herself in her seduction pose. But it was no good. Nothing was happening. Mort just looked increasingly equal parts worried and freaked out. His eyes darted every which where and his stutter had come back with fuller force than before. And when he grabbed the hat and forced it back onto his head, the witch finally took the hint. With a now gaping wound of hurt emotions and a bit of disappointment clearly splashed across her face, Belladonna finally dropped her stance entirely, gave him one tiny smile and leaned back. Actually, she went ahead and scooted her whole body back so that there was now a very deliberate space between them. Small, but still there. "I could definitely whip something like that up. Maybe a nice shoulder piece to attach a cape to? And I'm sure I could easily attach a cog or something here or there... Though maybe we should just stick to Victorian Knight and Princess and leave the steampunk elements for later?" For a moment longer Belladonna thought about all that before she waved a hand and heaved a heavy sigh. "Bah! I'll get some sketches done and we'll go from there." It wasn't really a big deal anyways. They had some time before prom... Plenty of time to come up with an idea and throw together a gorgeous outfit. As for the wound that was quickly healing, Belladonna tried not to let herself get too down about it. This was new, this was shiny and uncertain. Pushing, in any shape way or form, was not a good thing. She needed to take this slow, to let it unravel and flow as it will. Things would develop with time, not was agitation and further jumps in the direction she wanted. So with a breath that steadied her heart, Belladonna only smiled at the boy, his bruised cheeks and the too big hat that nearly covered his eyes. He'd picked her just as much as she'd chosen him, so no need to do anything more. "I like your hat. I'm glad you were Hatter with me."It was almost mumbled, soft and almost confessional in tone accompanied with the tiniest touch of her fingertips to his knee, just to close the distance she had put between them. Yet for whatever reason, for Belladonna almost every admission of her fondness for him felt like a great confession. As though he couldn't tell she was absolutely batty for him. Which was silly, because obviously she was or else she wouldn't try to seduce him into just giving her a simple kiss.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:12 pm
As betraying as it might have looked, Mort relaxed almost immediately when she let up off him. There was even a little sigh that escaped him, like he had been holding his breath (when really he didn't need to breathe at all). But in spite of the fact that the hat did a good job of obscuring his eyes, it wasn't hard to see her less than positive reaction, which was . . . confusing. Hadn't he displayed an impressive control over himself? Or was this all still part of the test as a way to lower his defenses before throwing up more obstacles?
Or . . . had he been over thinking again? Belladonna's little disappointed smile stung him either way. Oh Sally, this shouldn't have been so baffling. It probably wouldn't have been if he wasn't such a Jackdamn coward.
" . . . Y-Yeah, simple's prolly better," Mort mumbled in agreement, tilting the hat up with a few fingers. "Won't forget steampunk project, b-but . . . will save for later." He felt terrible still as she bridged the gap to touch his knee, because whether the witch verbalized it or not there was an unspoken let down he had failed to correct. But he had to say something to try and begin rectifying the mistake, whatever the issue had been - he was still lost in the miscommunication.
"Heh. M-More like glad you became Alice," he answered with another of those self-depreciating smiles. "Otherwise would've looked silly by myself in r-ragged clothes n' big hat. It, ah . . ." He swept it off and made to put it down beside him again, felt too vulnerable, and elected to let it sit in his lap where his hands could still busy themselves fiddling with it anxiously. "I-It was last minute decision really. Wasn't sure if should've gone a-all the way or n-not - didn't know how you'd react to cosplay, let alone b-bad one." Indeed with a better look at the accessory, the various stitching Mort had done to give it a patchwork appearance was beginning to come undone even under such light pressure.
He looked at his work for a few moments before before piping up. "If know a-anything, is that work's always better after food. M-Maybe eyescream?" Mort suggested, though his face fell when he remembered he was still broke as hell. That, and food wasn't able to appease him at the moment - his stomach was still full of bats and his body craved for a few more hours' rest, at the least.
Jack, and he still had to clean up the room as well as deal with Brian! The zomboil fell back against the tree with tired sigh.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:46 pm
It did smack heavily of betrayal, but Belladonna was mindful not to get so petty over the situation as to blow it up into something more. Maybe some other time for some other wrong, but not today. There was too much good that had happened for the witch to become wretched enough to destroy all that. Though it was hard, and was certainly a lesson in controlling one's emotions, Belladonna only strengthened her smile and left her hand on Mort's knee. Of all things, she at least had to touch him a little. With a cheery nod she agreed to putting the steampunk project on further hold, not altogether worried about it. The whole project was something she had actually wanted before she knew Mort might be into it, so it was going to happen regardless. It just might happen a little sooner with such a fun companion around. "Your clothes aren't ragged. They're well loved and in fabulous condition." Belladonna amended for him with a voice that indicated she felt that sincerely. Her eyes followed his nervous motions and she suddenly felt a stab of guilt for trying to seduce him just moments ago. It was obvious he was incredibly nervous and she hadn't done a thing to make it easier on the poor boy, only instead exacerbated the problem to a probably unmanageable degree. Ugh! What a wicked woman she was turning into! "Cosplay? I suppose one could call it that... But you should have known any sort of dressing up, costume or otherwise, I would be all about. And its not bad, stop saying that." The smile she gave him was wide, but the scold he received was almost warm, but just a hair off. Belladonna hadn't meant it in any sort of angry or deprecating way, so she instantly bunched up her eyebrows in worry when she realized he might interpret it as that. At the mention of eyescream, the witch's heart soared. He didn't hate her or want to get rid of her. He still wanted to hang out with her and be around her and -- Oh, he sighed. Jack damn it. For a moment of deliberation, Belladonna sat there and looked at him, worried and uncertain. But she had never been one to let anything about anyone else go, so the hand that rested on his knee moved back up to his cheek as she angled her face to look into his eyes. "Is everything ok?" She asked in a soft, nearly whispered voice. It was said almost motherly, in a manner she hoped expressed he could tell her whatever it was that might be bothering him. For once, it wasn't curiosity that drove her tender touch but instead a real need to fix whatever it was that was wrong.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:17 am
By Mort's standards it was a bad cosplay (even the most eclectic outfit had to have a sense of professionalism, which this one lacked), but he took her compliments with a nod anyway, touched that even this lackluster attempt held some charm. He even managed a tired smile. "True. C-Couldn't assume liked to dress up as characters just because've sewing, though," he pointed out mildly as she touched his cheek. "And, uh . . . m'fine. Just a bit tired - used to sleep schedule, but, uh, had to unbalance f-for Underland experiment. M'not looking forward to cleaning up or dealing with Brian either." It sounded incredibly lazy, but it was true. Mort liked working towards a goal, but not cleaning up after one.
It didn't help that Belladonna's hand felt so warm against his cheek; he could almost feel his head leaning into it, how sleepy and drained he suddenly felt. Hell, if she combed through his hair a few more times he was sure he'd be out like a light, no further questions. The mothering tone in conjunction with his own need to vent had Mort spilling in no time, even if normally he would have kept his problems to himself.
"Plus, payoff a-at library for abuse of printers while still broke n' a few other things to deal with. Coat is own with few tweaks, b-but, er, had to procure shoes n' hat materials from l-lost n' found n' also different closets, including hat i-itself," he added, groaning at his own list. "Don't wanna deal with Jackdamn gnomes anymore . . . Just want to do something fun without worry a-about consequences." The particular purveyor of said hat was probably still nursing the burns he had caused via electricity. Said purveyor of said hat had flunkies who would probably be looking to exact revenge. "'N just . . . I-I dunno. Would rather sleep than do all that. Get head on straight, you know?" Since it was crooked after that flustering experience.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:09 am
Though his first replies gave the witch the knee-jerk reaction of 'Talk back! Say something!!', she only held her hand to his face and nodded placidly. If she just held out a little bit longer, if she just kept on her motherly face and kind looking eyes, he might tell her what was actually wrong. And for once, the witch was right! With a strangely serene face, Belladonna listened to what Mort had to say with a small head nod here and a few 'mhmm's scattered through out. All his worries were small in nature, which pleased Belladonna as she feared it was something much bigger, but their combination had certainly fueled the same affect as a bigger problem. For a moment the witch paused to consider the problems, her mind turning slowly as she thought of a solution to all of them. "Let me help!" Was her eventual response. Though she absolutely adored the feel of his cheek, she removed it to take both his hands into her own. "The library bill can wait until you've got some more money! And don't worry about the clothing, it looks wonderful and I'm sure whoever lost it would have looked for it harder to get it back by now. As for sleep, go sleep! I'll come with you, clean up Underland and you can rest." Here she paused to give him a large smile that she hoped expressed all the emotions she wanted to. She was beyond grateful to him for the gorgeous surprise and thoughtful gesture. She was massively pleased by his company and certainly by him. But she was worried too, worried that he'd been too stressed out lately and really just needed a full break. Even his time at home had to have been a little stressful, so why couldn't he just take a small break right now? Belladonna could certainly handle everything. "If you want, I'll come nap with you!"So, she raised her eyebrows in a very 'whaddya say?' type look.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 11:46 am
Getting help would be nice, but delegating all of it to her was an uncomfortable assumption. Least of all he didn't want her to deal with Brian by herself again; even though the dragie's intrusion was an accident, Mort felt responsible for not keeping better watch over the pest's movements. Belladonna was lucky Brian didn't do more than gouge her ankles . . .
"Mrrr . . . Will sleep a-after finished," he said eventually, though he returned her smile. "Which will go faster with help. Thanks."
The smile then wavered with returned nervousness at her suggestion to nap with him. It was one thing to cuddle atop the sheets and something entirely different to share them. "E-Er . . ." Was this a trick question, another version of "Does this make me look fat?"? Say yes and it turned far too suggestive for comfort, say no and he'd have to face further wounded looks. Buying time, Mort picked up the hat and slowly got to his feet, more joints popping in place. He extended his free hand to help her up. "Ah, o-one thing a-a-at a time?" he said a bit too meekly for his tastes. "Might be sick've room a-after cleaning it."
Once she was up, he led them back towards the dorms, tentatively opening the door in case Brian was out and about. Thankfully there was only Lanna to greet them at the threshold, wings a'flutter and tail a'wagging at their return. Everything was as they had left it, save that the miced tea family was now about the table sniffing for scraps. "Uh. That's new," Mort commented, blinking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:06 pm
Hhhmmm, well. At least helping was a start. Belladonna took the proffered hand and heaved herself up onto her feet, unwilling to let it go once she was standing. So instead she just maneuvered herself so that she could still hold his hand as they walked. "Whatever you want." Was all Belladonna could find to reply with. Maybe she needed to stop all this suggestive nonsense. (Not that she was actually intending to be suggestive that time... It just happened.) Obviously it made Mort uncomfortable and though the witch usually enjoyed teasing him in such a manner, now it was getting... Unfortunate. If he wasn't even going to get flustered then she would stop bothering. For now. Upon return to Underland, Belladonna gave Lanna an energetic wave and a small hand gesture that supposedly conveyed the idea that Lanna was in on the adventure and that Belladonna had found her prize. Of course, Lanna probably wouldn't understand the complexities of the witch's frantic hand gesticulations. As for the miced tea family, Belladonna only jumped with a small, excited squeal. "I forgot to tell you! They had babies!" For a moment she cooed over them, but suddenly became unwilling to clean just yet. If Alice and Hatter were here in Underland together, couldn't they enjoy it for a moment more? Belladonna retraced her steps so that she stood before Mort, her cheeks ever so slightly pinker than earlier. "Thank you for the lovely surprise, Hatter." She told him with a smile and a squeeze of his hands. Honestly, she wanted to hug him and kiss him silly, but given his previous reluctance for affection, the witch figured she'd not push him anymore. Not today, at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 12:39 pm
". . . Babies." So now he had a rodent problem to boot? Mort gave a little sigh as Lanna waddled around them, sniffing the smells of outside on their shoes and getting excited. Walk? Walkwalkwalkwalkwalk? OuO She tennis balled her gaze between them, waiting for the sight of the leash.
Mort ignores her looks, looking down at Bells with that same tired, happy smile. In spite of the accrued issues he had to deal with afterwards, he still held some pride in the project's outcome. "Ah, a-anything for Alice," he replied, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Come, still must delve into Underland one more time - prolly will resist cleaning, enjoying chaos as i-it does."
Yip! went Lanna as if in agreement. Or maybe just to cry for a walk again.
Letting go of the witch's hands, Mort scavenged several cardboard boxes from the closet to put the things in. "Leave mice alone. Think will make g-good lab rats, or at least free minipet food," he told Bells before tossing his coat on the bed and moving towards the bathroom. Best to tackle the Brian problem first. The dragie had been growling ever since they stepped in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 10, 2012 1:08 pm
Though it wasn't the horrifically passionate thing the witch wanted, Belladonna was happy and would content herself with the forehead kiss. It was small, but something. As for the room itself, it seemed an easy task to clean up everything. The biggest undertaking would be Brian, who growled from the closed bathroom door. "Uuuhh... Watch your ankles. Is he always this angry?" Belladonna asked as she crept up behind him and placed her hands on his back and peered around him toward the door. Yikes! This was going to be a test, for sure. Quickly, the witch whirled around and scooped up Lanna and gave her a good scratch behind the ears (and a small kiss) before she dumped her onto the bed. "You stay there, ok?" She instructed with a finger held up to the pup's face. Though she had been distracted with the riddle earlier, Belladonna still knew that Brian must have been cruel to Lanna if the pup had whined so. It was a little sad, really since Lanna was so cute and sweet! For a moment the witch cast about the room, looking for something she could use to her advantage in preparation for the imminent doom that was the dragie, but she came up with nothing. "Does he respond well to treats?" The witch offered as she took her spot behind Mort again, wary and a little scared of the incoming destruction the pet would surely wrought. In any regard, the witch took a deep breath and placed her hands once mort to Mort's back. "OK. I'll help, just let me know what to do..." She finally told him and prepared for him to open the door.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
