Biiiiiiiiig Stretchies
Bramble
GamblerQuill was terribly independent, so when he woke and no one was around, the injured brute gingerly tipped himself out of his cot and left the infirmary. His shoulder was stiff and he could feel the pull of the stitches with each step. But a man had to piss and he wasn't going to try to aim into a little pot or anything like that. It was beneath him. So he was up and out the front doors of the castle before anyone could see or stop him.
After relieving himself on one of the many pieces of greenery, Quill limped his way to the courtyard to settle himself down in a patch of warm sunlight. The grass was good enough padding for his uninjured side. Being the big, sleepy guy that he was, Quill flopped down flat on the ground and closed his eyes against the bright light. He'd made it all the way out here, but he wasn't quite ready to make it all the way back in. Not just yet. Maybe a little nap first.
Bulwark
Tactician
Though the sun was strange and red, it still radiated warmth. That warmth had lulled Quill to sleep quickly and the brute was very comfortable as he rested. Laying on his side, injured shoulder up towards the sky, there were no dreams in Quill's mind. His body needed rest to heal and his sleep would be very restful indeed. That was, until something... or someone... jerked lightly on his tail.
Blush and cyan eyes shot open as a soft giggle drifted towards the marbled brute. Sweet tones followed as he curled his neck to fix his gaze upon Bramble. A low rumble pulled from the giant man and she shot her a smile. "Good morning," he purred at the teal marked fae. "I was tired of sitting around inside. I figured you or someone would find me if there was enough curiosity." He was glad that Bramble had found him for there was something that he needed to say to the Carpathian woman.
Quill rolled until he was laying on his belly, his movements slow and careful so as not to pull too much on his wounded neck and shoulder. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday," he began. "I was more than a little inebriated when I took on that bear." Quill's tail flicked once and he sighed. "Drinking away my sorrows."
Bramble looked upon him with an expression of disdain and disapproval, leaving Quill feeling a little sheepish beneath her blue gaze. One brow arched and the brute smirked in response, the edge of a canine flashing. He was handsome and charming and he tried to use that in his favor. 'Look at me, I'm cute. Don't be mad at me.'
After admitting that she enjoyed a drink as well from time to time, Bramble moved on to asking him just why he'd been drinking. Quill inhaled deeply, turned his head to the side so that their gazes were no longer meeting. It wasn't something that he had planned on talking about, but his lowered inhibitions had made him act... inappropriately with her.
"Talyssa and I had decided to part ways. I could see the hurt in her eyes and it bothered me, so... I drank." Probably not the best solution to a problem, but what else could he do? Talyssa left. He didn't really know anyone else in The Hallows, save Ellara, and she was missing. A drink had seemed like a good idea until there was a bear chewing on his neck.
"So, again... I apologize." He apologized, but it was for several different things. Getting hurt, dropping a kiss upon her and hurting her sister. Bramble had every right to be furious with him, but Quill had a strange feeling that she wouldn't be. Or at least not too furious.
"speech"
The truth that Quill speaks has her heart thundering in her chest. So, they weren't together? That kiss had not been a break of trust between sisters. Their shared moment was not on distasteful terms. In a way, Bramble feels better about it, but then, she wonders if he perhaps thought she was Talyssa in that drug- and alcohol-induced moment. Her thundering heart slows to a crestfallen beat as an indescribable emotion flickers across her eyes before it disappears. Quill would not know the emotions that roiled in her in those seconds after he spoke.
Instead, she nods, that gentle smile still plastered on her darkened lips. "A mistake is a mistake and it's not as if you attempted to take advantage of me," Bramble speaks in tender notes, still contemplating what to do next. Did she need to pursue Quill? See where this went? She couldn't deny the way her heart fluttered and her stomach twisted when she looked at him and that rugged smile.
"Alright, now no more feeling sorry for yourself!" Bramble declares after a pause of silence where all she could do was peer at his heterochromatic gaze as if she were trying to read his mind. She licks her lips to ease the tension within herself. Standing to her paws, she gives her coat a shake to smooth out her fur, but also disperse that anxious feeling. Uncertainty never settled well with Bramble, but she was learning to live with the ups and downs and how to take them in stride.
"You need to exercise that shoulder of yours so c'mon." She reaches a paw out to playfully nudge at his hind paw, her smile finally reaching up to her eyes. "I'll show you around as if you've never been here before," there's a teasing hint in her tone as she gives him a wink and turns to start down the path leading deeper into the gardens.
"speech"
bramble's companions are to be assumed near her unless stated otherwise.
Quill thought that he may have seen a flicker of something ghost through the woman's aqua gaze, but he paid it no mind. He didn't know her well enough to discern any real difference in her emotions, so no second thought was spared. Perhaps he would like to know her well enough to pick such things out, however.
Bramble commented on his mistake, remarking on how he hadn't been trying to take advantage of her. A low, genuine chuckle rumbled from the grey and white giant and he grinned, pearly whites flashing. "Are you so sure?" Quill was a cad. He loved the ladies and the ladies seemed to love him in turn. Besides... Bramble was beautiful. What red blooded male wouldn't want to take advantage just a little bit?
It seemed as though their time of rest was over. The earth and sea fae bounced to her paws, shaking out her coat. Quill could smell the crisp, clean scent of her and a little rumble was forcefully stifled. She declared that his time of self pity was over and that she was going to take him on a tour. The touch that she delivered to one hind paw was... electric. It was interesting. "A tour? Surely it will be better than the first one that I never received," he teased lightly before gingerly pushing himself to his paws. The wound in his neck and shoulder ached, but other than a little grimace as he gently stretched, Quill hid his pain.
"Lead the way," he purred, though he came to walk beside her rather than behind her. She could lead, but he wouldn't follow. He would be right there beside her as they moved across the courtyard. What wonders would she show him?
"speech"
His prodding question was returned with a raised brow, a slight falter of hesitation. Well, no, she wasn't so sure, but she had to believe he wasn't, right? It's not that she didn't like the kiss and the thought of being wanted was pleasant. But she couldn't shake the feeling that he had thought she was Talyssa in that moment. Had he truly meant to kiss her or her sister?
Brushing off the doubt, she easily allows her chipperness back in. Bramble was anything but sour. She enjoyed finding the light in the dark. Every cloud had a silver lining and every wolf had a good side. It was just their choice whether or not they wanted to embrace it. Waiting patiently as Quill pushes to his paws, stretching out his limbs, Bramble once more raises a brow at him. Talyssa had never even given him a tour of the place he was staying at? She nearly balked at the rudeness of such a gesture. Was her sister truly so self-centered that she wouldn't give the man she was with the time of day? Yikes.
"It's a good thing I cleared my schedule than, hm?" She teased back, her expression settling back into pleasant happiness and a cheeky smile.
Beginning their stroll, she appreciated that he stayed shoulder to shoulder with her. While she was indeed the leader, it felt nice to feel as if he was more of an equal. "As you can probably tell, these are the gardens. It's not quite a maze, but it can be disorienting in the blooming seasons when the flowers are very aromatic," Bramble titters away, mentioning different types of flowers and when they would bloom or not. Leading him deeper around the courtyard, purposefully following a path without quite revealing where she was taking him.
"Do you enjoy being at the Hallows?" She inquires curiously, gaze flicking to him for a moment, curious to know his thoughts.
"speech"
bramble's companions are to be assumed near her unless stated otherwise.
Again Bramble elicited a low chuckle from the brute as she talked about her open schedule. He liked her. The woman's witty quips and her easy going demeanor was very refreshing. He didn't want to speak ill of Talyssa, but she had been a little stuffy. Bramble was quite the opposite. Though she wasn't as small and delicate as her sister, Bramble was still very feminine. Quill never thought he'd be attracted to a larger fae, but here he was. Here they were.
As his guide led him through the gardens, talking about this flower and that flower, Quill listened dutifully. One thing that he could say about the Carpathius women, they were very knowledgeable and they were proud of it. Quill wasn't terribly interested in plants, but he played the part, simply enjoying their time together.
When Bramble asked if he was enjoying his time there, the brute shot her a sidelong look. "I am," he admitted. It was one of the reasons that he'd had to break things off with Talyssa. She wanted to go and he wanted to stay. As the pair walked, Quill decided to give the teal marked fae a little glimpse of his past.
"I didn't have much of a home growing up. My father was the King of Fenmyre, but he fell ill, almost dying, and lost his kingdom." He hadn't been lying when he said he was a fallen prince. "I cut away from my family, wandering the world, and convinced myself that I didn't need them. I didn't need a home. Really though... it's all that I've ever wanted." It had taken him a while to realize that, but now that he had...
"I've asked your father if I could stay, so yes... I enjoy my time here. It will be nice to have a home. A place that I can return to and know that it will always be here." As if pushing away the gravity of his confession, Quill arched a marbled brow and questioned her back. "Do you enjoy The Hallows?"
"speech"
Bramble enjoyed listening to Quill talk just as much as she enjoyed wandering through the gardens. His voice was smooth and deep, comforting in a masculine way. Hearing his story, though for the first time, does break her heart a little bit. She felt sad for his ill father, their lost kingdom, and how lost he felt until he came here. In truth, Bramble had a feeling the castle held a little bit of magic that helped with that, but it was a pup-like dream that she had never voiced it to anyone aloud.
She almost feels relieved though when he admits he's asked to stay. Bramble knows her father won't say no. Quill would be a good Knight and having more protection was never a bad thing. And when he inquires about her opinion on the Hallows, she can't help but break out into a big smile. "Oh, I love it here. I always have since I was a pup. Talyssa was never one of the troublesome ones and I think sometimes that why she wants to adventure now, but Dusk, Thorn, and I were always adventurous and looking for trouble." Her eyes crinkle at the corners as memories flood in.
"I could never imagine myself living anywhere else," she admits softly, glancing over at Quill to see what he thinks.
Before she realized it, they were upon the place she had wanted to show him. Ducking under the low iron frame covered in vines, Bramble stepped into a secluded alcove with a Japanese maple tree framing the back wall and shading the whole area from the warm sun above. As the sun shone through the leaves, it cast varying shades of red across the soft and dewy grass. "This is my favorite place on the grounds. Rarely anyone comes in here, but I think it's beautiful," Bramble has dropped her voice to a hushed whisper as she steps farther in before looking back at Quill to see if he'd follow.
"speech"
bramble's companions are to be assumed near her unless stated otherwise.
Quill knew very well that Bramble would answer his question in the exact manner that she did. Of course she enjoyed being at The Hallows. This was her home. She was likely born here and had lived here all of her days. It was a nice thought. Quill couldn't imagine staying in a place that he didn't like, so Bramble having stayed all this time, it spoke loudly towards the comfort and homeyness of the place.
Bram led him through the garden and towards a less well worn passage. The teal marked fae ducked beneath an old gate and Quill followed suit, though less gracefully. A grimace pulled at his maw as he crouched, the action scrunching up the wounds on his neck and shoulder. It wasn't a pain that would kill him, but he did worry that he might be undoing his doctor's stitches.
Once within, Quill's mismatched gaze roamed over the space. It felt like a secret and Brambled admitted a moment later that very few came to this place. He nodded and moved forward to stand beside her, though his gaze was still drifting around the secret garden. "A lovely place," he admitted aloud, though his blue and pink eyes had come to rest upon the loveliest part of the garden; Bramble herself. The way that the sunlight sent shimmers of red and gold drifting over her earthen frame... she was breathtaking.
"speech"
Lost in awe for a moment as she looks around at the small area, she almost didn't hear Quill's response. It takes her brain a moment to catch up and when she turns to look at him, she's surprised to see him looking back at her already. Something in the way he looked at her sent her heart racing and stomach twisting. That sort of queasy feeling that made a girl feel faint, breathless. Her lips part slightly, eyes moving from his lips then back to his eyes. Speechless, utterly speechless. Why did he have to look at her like that!?
Finally, her brain snaps back and Bramble clears her throat. "Uh, so yeah, I like to hangout where whenever I need a moment to myself," she admits shyly, her voice softening as she steps forward toward the tree. "It never really gets too hot or too cold here," the words are coming out of pure awkward and nervousness. "I wish I had thought to bring us some snacks!" Bram admits with a laugh as she comes to sit on the velvety grass. Patting the spot next to her with a paw, she gives Quill a smile. "How are your wounds holding up?" True concern laces her words as she glances over his shoulder.
"speech"
bramble's companions are to be assumed near her unless stated otherwise.
"Kind of you to allow me to invade your personal sanctuary," Quill rumbled after Bramble told him that she came here when she wanted to be alone and think. It was a decent place in which to do so. The little garden seemed secluded. Forgotten. He could imagine the teal marked fae coming here alone, spending time beneath the sprawling red tree.
The look that crossed the woman's face when she noticed him looking at her was... very cute. Quill couldn't stop the corners of his maw from lifting as she seemed to blush and balk. For one that was so terribly confident one moment, she could definitely be shy and demure the next. He liked it, to say the least.
Bramble then cursed herself for forgetting snacks and Quill couldn't hide his laughter. She was refreshing. A breath of fresh air. Just like that, the snacks were forgotten and she asked about his wounds. One brow arched and the marbled brute continued to grin. "I'll be fine. You don't need to worry." He moved forward and settled down upon the patch of soft grass and clover. "Tell me about yourself. What makes Bramble Bramble?"
"speech"
Doubt fills her mind as he comes to sit beside her on the clover and grass. His body heat radiated from his large form and felt nice beneath the shade of the maple tree. Looking at him was hard, too. Glancing at his blush and ice eyes made her throat tighten and mouth go dry. That look he gives her makes her want to melt into a puddle. Why did he have to have such a hold on her silly girl emotions!? Ugh!
Thankfully Quill asked her about herself and Bramble smiled in return, stifling a bit of a giggle. “What makes Bramble Bramble? Oh, I’m not sure you’re ready for that!” She teased, her lips curling further as she let loose that feminine laugh. “I think what makes Bramble Bramble is that I’m a good mix of my parents. Adventurous and noble like my father, but also shy and serene like my mother. I’m a bit too shy though, lacking confidence, I guess? Not that I haven’t proved I’m good, but jeez, I’m related to the Aegis of The Hallows. Those are some big shoes to fill!” Wait, did she even know what shoes were? Whatever, you get it.
“I like to spar, and learn and expand my knowledge on the relations between packs. All that political nonsense is interesting to me,” Bramble shrugs, suddenly feeling the weight of being the center of attention pressing down on her. She was not good under that sort of pressure when it came to speaking. “Is, uh, that something you think it interesting?” The question left before she could really register what she said. C’mon, really Bram? You just met the guy!
bramble's companions are to be assumed near her unless stated otherwise.