forum Five Half-Princes and Their Quest for A Kingdom

Started January 24, 2019 by @Bandito

tune

Damian looked down at Catori again. He knew she had fire magic, but that sounded like a spell. Weird. He elected to ignore it, assuming Catori was just mumbling nonsense instead. He gently squeezed her hand back.

A smile ghosted over her lips at the response, and she stilled.

Damian found himself softly smiling in response. It all suddenly seemed a lot more real. Within the next six months he would be marrying the girl sleeping in his lap. And it had evolved from not caring at all to… slight anticipation?

He didn’t try to suppress the pleasant feeling this time around, allowing it to coat his cheeks in a dusty pink and make his heart beat marginally faster.

((it's so hard to write sleeping characters with detail lmao because what are they supposed to do? perform a flawless rendition of Cats while asleep? idk should i have her wake up soon?
Catori slept uneventfully from then on, occasionally mumbling something in her native language.

((Maybe we could say a couple hours passed and then have her wake up?

((that works for me. you want Damian to wake her up, or have her just start to wake on her own?

She can just wake up on her own, Damian would probably have dozed off a bit by that point anyways))

Catori stretched with a quiet yawn. She felt well rested, which was a bit off-putting, but appreciated. She opened one eye, looking up at Damian.

Damian had already been looking at her and quickly turned away, a bit bashful about being caught.

"Morn-er, afternoon? Evening? I hope I didn't bother you too much." Catori opened her other eye and rubbed at them, careful not to elbow Damian.

“You slept peacefully.” Damian assured her. “As far as I know you had no nightmares to speak of.”

Catori made a face, slightly confused. "It's kind of odd, there was one, but it…wasn't quite the same. Didn't carry the same feelings. Oh, I should get off of you."

“You may stay if you’re comfortable. Would you like to talk about your nightmare?” Damian seemed a bit interested. He liked to work things down to their source.

Catori froze, and the color drained from her face. "I-I'd really rather not." It's two years past. You're okay now.

Damian noted the sudden change in behavior and squeezed her hand to comfort her. “I apologize if I’ve caused distress.”

Catori's other hand found his, both holding on as though needing something grounding. She breathed deeply for a few moments, eyes closed again, and when she spoke, her voice sounded small, even to her. "Not your fault. Just-bad memories."

Damian nodded in understanding. “May I ask you a question, Tori?” His tone shifted between formal and informal, as though he was unsure how to treat Catori, himself.

"Of course." She opened her eyes to look up at him, and smiled as a haunted look faded away.

“Your tattoos, are they from your homeland?” He references the tattoo on her arm, tracing it lightly again, which he’d made a habit of while she was sleeping.

"They are! It's actually a tradition in Katol for people, when they reach eighteen, to get tattoos somewhat like these. Mine are more…fancy, as a symbol of status I guess, but almost all citizens have them."

“They’re rather stunning.” Damian complimented, releasing her arm. “I look forward to learning more about your culture in the future.”

Catori's cheeks darkened at the compliment, and she nodded. "If you have any questions now, I'll do my best to answer them."

Damian chewed his lip. “I have another, but I only want you to answer if you feel okay to do so.”

Catori had an idea of where that was going, and took a moment to steel herself. "Well, it wouldn't hurt to ask."

“I noticed some scars on your wrists.” Damian spoke carefully, choosing his words slowly to soften the blow. “You don’t have to tell me anything. I just happened to note them.”