dragonsgrasp

[ooc: continued from here!]

[To say that he's nervous is an understatement. Kain has messed up too many things in his recent past, so he worries he might do that again now. Still, at least Rydia has been more positive toward him than he'd have expected. And... well... He doesn't dare to think too far ahead, in case it does go badly.]

[He paces around a bit as he waits, attempting to remain calm. He might seem his usual calm self on the surface, his expression as cool as ever, but... he's all too anxious beneath.]

Edited 2020-12-20 01:48 (UTC)

( Oddly enough, Rydia didn't exactly feel nervous about this meeting with Kain and what it was going to entail. She had also been honest when she told him that she didn't, well, resented him as she used to do. Her time in the Feymarch had allowed her to do some thinking and while she had been angry, oh so very angry, clinging to that anger wouldn't change anything that had happened or turn back time and so she had started to slowly let it go and try to get to know Kain -and try to put those bitter and painful memories behind.

The trip to Baron doesn't take that much, and maybe she should have replied to the last message exchanged, but she had not seen the point as she was going to see him anyway. Rydia had also not seen a point in keeping her presence a secret, but she hadn't quite announced it, so if she happened to run into Cecil and Rosa or if they found out she was there it will be just that -it didn't exactly settle well to act as if this was a clandestine meeting, they were both adults and quite aware of what they were doing ~~she refused to be shamed for it~~.

She had actually arrived a bit earlier, but she didn't think he was going to mind or at least she expected that he wouldn't mind, and because it was just plain rude -go figure- to just walk in, she actually knocked and waited to have permission to enter. )

[Kain has continued pacing around the room in the meantime, unable to entirely settle or sit still. He hadn't expected her to go for this, and yet... and yet there's a part of him that's relieved, even excited, that she did. He's spent so long wallowing in disappointment that it just feels strange to have things moving in a favorable direction. That is, if he doesn't somehow ruin it all.]

[He shoves those concerns aside as he hears the knock at the door. Although it had felt like a long time to him, as he worried and fretted over everything... she's actually been a bit quicker than he'd normally have expected. Well. Maybe that's a good sign.]

[He crosses the room quickly, takes a deep breath, and then opens the door.]

I'm so glad you came, Rydia. You... you can come in. Of course.

[He wonders, does he sound as nervous as he feels? He's always been a bit too good at disguising his true feelings, though.]

( She has barely had time to look around before the door is opened for her and she can't help but to blink a bit at how promptly he had done so. Though it could be due to a lot of reasons, maybe it was eagerness -which she couldn't totally blame him for, could she? )

I hope you didn't think I had changed my mind. Of course, unless you wish to do this outdoors...I don't think I will be too bothered if that was the case.

( There's a little shrug at that, though if that was the case they will probably need to specify what type of outdoor places. And since now she has a proper invitation, she steps inside -not too slow or too fast, not wanting to appear overly eager. And takes her time to look around a bit, trying to get familiarized with his space.

When she hears the door closing, Rydia turns around to face him and tilts her head a bit to the side, examining him for a few seconds before a small smile appears on her face. )

So do you wish us to start now or would it make you more comfortable if we had some small talk first?

[Kain clears his throat, crosses his arms, then uncrosses them, shifting around in total nervousness. Ugh, he shouldn't be this way! He's an experienced dragoon, has faced countless battles and so forth, and yet he finds himself deeply anxious here. What a ridiculous way to be. He attempts to calm his nerves as he shakes his head.]

I know you better than that, I know you'd not break a promise. As for the setting... in here is fine, though I'm not against relocating, if you think that would be best...

[He glances toward the nearest window thoughtfully, realizing that it is rather nice out there, and there might be a comfortable location or so, someplace secluded enough, of course... Hmmm... He'll have to think that over a bit. Not for too long of course, so as not to delay things, but just for a moment or so.]

Anyway, I... well... we can ease into it. At least, a little. [Take their time, but also not take too long. He's trying to play it as calm and cool as possible. How to make this work in a way that feels natural? Oh, he is so out of his depth here.] Can I offer you something? A drink or anything...?

( He's right in regards to that at least, Rydia is not the type to break a promise -which might be the reason she doesn't bind herself to those that often, and she never made one that she couldn't fulfill. This was something that she could do, and there was of course a slight heaping of curiosity in regards to this. )

Hmm, well, it is a rather nice day out and I'm sure you will know a good spot for us to go. We can maybe start here and then move afterward?

( Was she implying there was going to be more than one time, indeed she was, or depending on how he felt about it. She wasn't about to force him to do anything he doesn't want, though, considering the whole situation that had brought them here, it probably wasn't a lack of want.

A small hum escaped her lips, the most likely semblance of an agreement he was going to get with her. Figuring as he was the one that had the most experience out of them, seeing as she had none, she was going to pick up her queues from him. ) A drink will be fine, whatever you want to spare.

[Kain nods with another glance toward the window, and the bright sunshine out there. It certainly does seem tempting... not something he's thought to try, either, even as oddly exciting as it suddenly seems. Hmmm...]

Well, I could certainly find us somewhere secluded enough. We wouldn't want any interruptions, after all...

[Oh, but wait. He pauses a moment, as it fully hits him that she was indeed saying they'd be able to do this more than once. He looks surprised, but manages to keep his composure, something he's always been all too good at doing. Still, an unexpected surge of anticipation flows through him.] All right, then. I can agree to all of this. I'll get us some drinks, and then... we can take what time we prefer.

[Or... what little time they prefer, as he's not sure how much longer he can wait. He's been the sort to repress himself and hang back for far too long, so he has to fight off those instincts for good, here. He heads over, grabbing glasses and a bottle of wine that he'd been saving for... oh, who knows what, now?... a special occasion, obviously. This surely counts. He pours for them, then settles down as he hands Rydia a glass.] Thank you again, for coming... I was... unsure, at first, if you were interested. But you wouldn't be here, if you weren't...

Yes, that would be for the best, and you're more familiar with the area so I'm sure you'll be able to find us a place for it.

( If they had been in Mist, well, she could already think of some places that could work. But maybe that's could be something to be considered for later, as it was she felt it was better to proceed in a place he was more familiar with. Rydia notices the mild surprise on his face, though she's not sure what exactly brought for that reaction and the question is on the tip of her tongue, but she manages to hold it back -somehow feeling it would have made things awkward.

There's a slight nod from her part and she tries not to poke too much into his space in her curiosity, there are boundaries after all, but did those still applied considering the reasons she had come here for? She might need to find out about that later.

With a small smile, she accepts the offered glass and moves to settle down beside him, still mostly going with whatever queues and signals she can read from him, she figures she could push a bit but also doesn't wants to force anything. ) Oh, why wouldn't I be interested? You're a handsome man and rather interesting, so you don't have to thank me.

All right... then I think I can come up with a place you'd like. I'd like the chance to show you some of Baron's nicer areas, anyway...

[He's keeping in mind somewhere secluded enough, but also... scenic. It would hardly do to be in an area that's unpleasant to see or uncomfortable to be in for some reason.]

[For now, Kain takes a couple of sips of his drink. He doesn't intend to do this while intoxicated, that would hardly do at all. He just wants a bit to cut down some of those nervous feelings already getting to him. He wonders if she feels as anxious as he does... anxious, but... excited... He looks at her in surprise, wondering if he heard that right. It's not as if he gets into situations where he gets such compliments. He really had closed himself off a bit too much. He looks at her, letting out a long breath, steadying himself. Letting himself actually gaze at her in a way he hadn't allowed himself to do, before.] Well... Thank you. I mean that, thank you, for saying so. You're very attractive, yourself, you... you're unlike anyone else I've met...

I know you can, you're more familiar with this place than me, so I'll be looking forward to it.

( Rydia considers her drink for a bit, she's not exactly well versed in alcohol, but she can't complain about it. And drinking does provide a bit of a distraction, while she's not uncomfortable per se she's not sure how to proceed when it comes to this type of situation. Right now, she's not sure if he's uncomfortable with this, having second thoughts or if he's preparing himself to make a move.

She feels his eyes on her and she turns to look at him, curious and maybe a bit expectant, she's equal parts excited and curious about this. ) Unlike anyone you've met, is that a good or a bad thing?

I'll have to show you around more. I'm realizing I probably haven't done that enough.

[Drinking is also essential for loosening up a bit, getting himself out of his shell a bit more. He doesn't do this sort of thing nearly enough, and he's... had too much bad luck up until now. So maybe he is moving slowly, but he just doesn't want to scare her off. But, then again, she had asked about this and come over, she'd shown she was interested...]

[Right. Relax. He can do this. As calm and cool as his exterior may seem, Kain is often a lot more volatile on the inside.]

And... well... it's a good thing. [He sets his drink down for a moment, leaning in a little bit closer, reaching to brush back a strand of her green hair.] A very good thing. I- well, I've thought for some time that we ought to... to spend more time like this...

You haven't, but don't worry about it. I'm sure we will have plenty of time for that later.

( Partly, she didn't blame him for not thinking about it, after all, it's not as if she had come here to sight-see. But it was good to know that the interest extended beyond this simple encounter, and she was interested to see just how far this could go after this.

A slight smile appears on her face when he leans closer -she wants to think it's a good sign, and she also puts her drink down, as it was only going to be on the way now. )

And so we should, out of everyone we didn't get the chance to spend a lot of time together, ( Which is not surprising, but here they are now. She inches closer and rests a hand on his chest since touching seems to be on the table now. ) Something we can surely fix, don't you think?

[Kain responds well to her touch, a slight raise of his lips... could that even be something of a small smile...? He feels his pulse quicken, and a sort of... fluttery feeling... he's no longer entirely nervous, even if a bit of that remains. He's getting more... excited? Full of anticipation? Why did he never notice how pretty Rydia's eyes are, before?]

Yes, we can fix both of those things, in time. More time spent together, and seeing more of this world. But first, I... I think the time together can be done... right now...

[Just. Do. It. Highwind. Just... take the risk. Kain has stared down so many enemies in his time without flinching, but he has to gather up all of his courage and resolve right here and now for this next move. But he does, he takes a deep breath, and,]

Rydia, if you wouldn't mind-

[He brushes his hand against her cheek, very gently, then leans in for a kiss.]

( Rydia doesn't think she has ever seen Kain smiling, he had always been quiet and a bit serious when they had all traveled together -with good reason, considering certain events. But that was back then, and this was now, so she wasn't going to question it much and accept it for what it was.

Though she does snap a bit more to attention at the comment about their time together, it's promising in the sense that he might be preparing to move them along -which she might be a bit eager to do so, but it's still firm on the fact it has to be him who crosses the bridge first.

And much to her delight, he does. She can feel the rush of anticipation when he leans closer, and she figures that's enough of a sign as any. Resting a hand on his knee, she closes the remaining distance between them and presses her lips against his. )

[There's still so much he has to deal with, to work through, but at least for once, he's finally taking a moment to set that all aside, if even for just a little while. Kain is careful, over-cautious, at first, ready to snap back and step away if she indicates disinterest. But that's an irrational thought, a small concern left over from his past experiences. This is now, this is different...]

[Kain deepens the kiss, arms wrapping around her. He feels his pulse quicken, his mind racing with so much potential, so much nervous excitement bursting forth. But he feels more of that uncertainty fading, the more that he feels her responding.]

[It's a slow, quiet moment, and afterward, he keeps his arms around her, aware that they're much closer than they've ever been. He stays quiet, just... saving it, taking it in.]

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for feymarchian

Arrives late with hot chocolate.

NO WORRIES, and now it's my turn to be super late!

LMAO this is a competition to see who is later haha.

AHAHAHA YESSSS. I'm so glad I'm not alone in the randomly slow timing! memes are for that!!

I feel you, I can be slow as molases because that's just how I roll sometimes.

haha, I'm not alone then!

no you're not haha.

oh good! <3

arrives late again but this time with starbucks cause yas

OH GOD YEAH AND I'M LATE TOO, but I'm still here and whatnot too! just been behind, busy etc!!

So am I! I feel you with the busy, I got a new position at work and I have been adapting lol

YEAH and sorry again! I kinda took an unintentional break from doing as much meme stuff but am back

It's okay, I did the same, I just came back this month to memes and stuff.

Glad I'm not alone in doing things like that once in a while! Breaks are good