Sire let out a small smile, his spirits lifting instantly. He didn’t think he had ever been in this good of a mood as he looked up to Seo Hyeon.
“It’s alright,” he said, his tone that usual deep, soft, melody. He could see his breath coiling in the air as he spoke, but his sweatshirt kept the cold from biting at his skin. However, the various rips in it let a small breeze through, but he really didn’t mind. Cold was wonderful. It made him happy.
Everything here did.
He watched her as she twirled the small flower, the smile still resting on his face. Slowly he took his hand from his pocket, the metal on his gauntlet catching slightly and wresting the sweater askew. He adjusted it, rolling his shoulders and holding out his hand.
He wasn’t sure why. What was he looking for? Her to hold his hand? A hug? He looked like a dancer, asking for a song.
He shook his head, not taking his hand down. She’d decide whatever she wanted to do. She could give him a high-five for all she wanted.
He just tried his best to look inviting. Not really knowing if it would work.
Taken aback by his actions, she looked at him like a puppy for a second as the wind fluttered through her hair and her clothes, including her skirt a little. It was light enough to lift if up only a little, showing a bit more of her thigh.
She smiled and took his hand gently and stepping beside him. "you're really warm" she says with a small laugh, giving his hand a tiny squeeze as she looked up to him. The vanilla n strawberry perfume light enough so you could smell it just fine but it was never overwhelming.
Fiddling her flower in between her fingers still, she heard a thud on the window of the cabin. She turned around to see two of the girls looking at them and their hands, obviously mad. Though before Sire could look, she pulled him along. "so you said you've been here before right? Lead the way!" she smiled brightly
Sire glanced from her to the ground, then to the sky. He clearly knew what was happening. It didn’t take much for him to analyze situations.
She was right— his hand was warm. He didn’t realize just how much until he felt her cold hand in his, engulfed in his palm with fingers intertwined.
He gave a nod, walking slowly alongside Seo Hyeon. He didn’t try to pull forward or lead, just walked.
Sire brought them around the fire, passing it without a second thought and heading off into the forest. A small trail stretched through it, though it was difficult to see through the dark fog. Sire was almost surprised that CC trusted him, but he had done nothing to make her think otherwise, so he figured he was clear. Not that he was going to try anything anyway.
From what he knew, he was leading them away from the training grounds. The path for that stretched out on the other side of the cabins. But he wasn’t too fond of the idea of running into the rest of the boys.
Sire, a long time ago, had come here. He’d say when he was about ten, if not younger. He’d remembered a spot… it would be around here somewhere. If they just kept walking for a while.
He took another deep breath, suddenly aware of the girl’s hand. His heart decided to beat a little harder, but he kept his expression unchanging. The smile had faded, but his eyes showed his contentedness.
(Hey! I'm so sorry, I've taken a break from notebook but I'm back now! My late reply and absence from this roleplay isnt your fault nor is it anything against you. As I've expressed a multitude of times, i absolutely love this roleplay and your writing! <3)
As they walked away, her bright eyes focused on everything but his gorgeous face. Why? Well she knew her pale face would turn red enough to be noticeable and she didnt want that.
Why? Well whenever her face was red it showed her white freckles more. Her mom calls them her snowflakes on her cheeks blessed by the Angels watching over her. As if she believed that. Well….she would like to beleive it. But everything in her life pointed to otherwise.
Now, that was the reason she didnt want him to see her red white freckled face. But why did it turn red so easily? Maybe it was because it was cold? It wasnt really cold, but that was her excuse for now. Even though he could still see her face perfectly fine. It was just when she looked at him, that's where her face easily heating up and her words get jumbled up if she thinks about it too much. Though she would simply blame her awkwardness.
Her face had already been red from them holding hands, and she could feel his pulse increase a small bit by the small beat she felt in his thumb. Being a healer, shes had to know quite a bit about the body. One thing shes learned easily to do is checking someone's pulse by their thumb.
Finally. She turned to.face him and calmed herself down, forcing herself to not overthink everything and anything.
"So…you seem to know this place quite well. Have you been here before?"
(No worries at all, and thanks! Glad you’re back! (because I do love this rp and your writing too)
Sire kept his eyes on the path, his heart speeding up yet again by her voice. No change indicating it on his face, but simply enough that she could probably feel it through his hand.
As they walked further into the forest, the air dropped and fog got heavier around the trees. The path was still clear, but their breaths coiling didn’t make it much easier to see. The metal gauntlets on his arms took in the cold easily, more locking his arms in a cold chamber than actually shielding them. Still, he didn’t mind. His torn sweatshirt kept him warm enough.
“Yeah, I’ve been here. Once,” he began, letting their footsteps fill between words. “When I was about ten, I think.”
And it’s been my favorite place since, he finished silently. What he wouldn’t give to live in a place like this. Sure, he hadn’t experienced much in the way of “outside the academy,” but he figured this would be one of his favorites anyway. The cold, the fog, the drizzle of rain, and the trees. It was all perfect.
“Oh— here,” he mumbled suddenly, giving a small and gentle tug to CC’s hand. He led her off the main trail, off to another one that didn’t seem to be a trail at all. However, the route looked marked by small pebbles. Sire would never admit his ten-year-old-self did that, but not even he could escape the truth of his creative childish ways.
In no time, they ended up at what looked like a peak. Rocks jutted over the side of a cliff— well, not that dramatic. More like a steep hill, but they were at high altitude.
Sire let go of Seo Hyeon’s hand, walking over to the rocks and sitting down, kicking his feet off the edge. The ground below was filled with fog, just the tips of the evergreen trees poking through. The clouded sky gave everything a cold grey hue, looking like a scene from a movie.
He gave a glance back to Seo Hyeon, nodding to the spot next to him and setting down a hand.
She didnt say a word, but hummed a song that's been stuck in her head ever since she heard it after such a long time about three days ago. Though every now and then she'd say a few lines to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Her voice sweet and soft, and rather quiet. As her voice usually was. Shes in choir with a good amount of solos, but she was always a shy singer.
Her tiny steps tried to fit to every rock she came across, acting as if it was a more complicated hop scotch game. One of her arms stretched out to her side for balance while she hopped about like the season Spring human incarnated, while she held his hand. Well, until he let go.
She was so engulfed in her own thoughts, trying not to trip nor step on any small bugs. Well the one she could see with her good eye. Being blind in one eye was always a bother, but she tried her best to stay positive.
She looked up at him in confusion when he dropped her hand and went on a head of her, but soon realizing what was going on. She smiled and skipped over to the rocks and sat beside him, staring out into the oblivion in awestruck wonder.
"Wow" she whispered, her singing had stopped when he let go of her cold hand.
“It’s nice, hm?” he said, although his voice stayed monotone. He brushed the hair from his eyes gently, resting it back on the rock as the strands slowly fell back. He didn’t bother sweeping them again, so he let it drape across a portion of his forehead like a dark curtain. With a deep breath of cold air, and with the exhale of it, watching as it coiled, he let his eyes wander to the tops of the trees.
The poked their way out of the thick fog, little javelins holding their place through a clouded sea. A distant song, sung by quite the melodic caw of a crow, was audible, although only barely. And in the dim silence following the girl’s remark, Sire silently yearned for her quiet singing once more.
It was peaceful, adding to the atmosphere of the beautiful forest. Not to mention, it had been one of his favorite songs as a child. Only the one mixed with What a Wonderful World, however. The one by Israel Kamakawiwo’ole. He had been able to play it on ukulele years ago, though he doubted he could recite it just the same now. Sure, he had had quite a talent for music, but never had he fully utilized it. It was a lost art on him.
Though he very much enjoyed the act of listening to it. Bringing headphones wherever he went was a habit, even if he just went around the school. They almost never left his pocket.
Although, times like these— which were very few— he had nothing in his pockets. Nothing of distraction whatsoever. He loved to experience things in their entirety, as they should be.
As his attention drew nearer to the present, he became too aware of CC beside him, and he tried desperately to calm his heart. It didn’t take long, but just the pure rising… joy, was it? Nervousness? Anxiety? Happiness? He couldn’t put a name to it. Still, that rising feeling would jump for just a moment, before he could reign it in.
Yet he kept his eyes forward, just silently enjoying his place in time.
The snow haired girl leaned forward a bit, her head tilted as a puppy's, not looking at the scenery any longer, but at him. His beauty was almost captivating to her.
Her attention drawn back to the view again before he noticed her gaze, looking as if she were looking at the scenery instead of him with the awe still on her face.
It slowly resting as a calm sense of.peacefullness and ease rushed over her like warm water in a shower, she relaxed and leaned on him. Her head resting gently on his shoulder as he soft singing continued, every now and then, replaced by melodic humming, he hand in her lap but wanting to hold his.
(Sorry it's short. I got a bit busy once again lol)
Sire had to quiet his heart quite forcefully as the girl leaned over. He slowly adjusted himself, propping out an arm behind him to keep from falling back farther.
Drowsy wasn’t the right word for it. Maybe calm? Content? He didn’t know the term. Just a beautiful sense of never wanting to leave. To stay here as long as humanly possible.
But of course, that was just a fantasy. They would have to be back in a little while, and begin the dreaded few-day training.
His eyes rested on Seo Hyeon, the amber orbs holding a light twinkle. They held more adoration than they had in a long while.
He didn’t know why he had asked her to come. She would be a distraction. Fill his head. Not like she hadn’t been doing that for the past couple days— yet still. She was a vulnerable spot for him. A quick chink in his heavy armor, and although he could now feel the cool air seeping in, it would also be easier to break.
But what was his solution? Just… drop it? He couldn’t. He was too stubborn against himself to do that, although the concept made no sense to him.
Maybe slow distance? he asked himself. No… that wouldn’t fix anything. Or would it?
It was worth a shot but… later. Maybe later. Right now…
Well, right now he wanted to savor it.
(Sorry that took so long! I was off of nb for a while Hopefully I’ll be on regularly now :)
(That's fine lol. I've been busy so I'm off and on too.)
Seo Hyeon felt him shift and debated whether to lean off of him if she made him uncomfortable in any way. But alas, she stayed where she was, now twiddling her thumbs together in her lap, her hands kept.her skirt from blowing up in the wind.
Now.debating whether to break the silence or not, she kept quiet for a few more.minutes before she spoke, the silence giving.her a bit of anxiety. But she did love just sitting there with him, she was just awkward.
"So what other times have you.visited this place again?" She.asked, not.looking up at him.but kept her.head on his shoulder.
(OHmYgOosH I thought I replied to this??? I’m so sorry)
Sire tapped his fingers across the rock, taking a deep breath in and adverting his eyes before speaking. They danced across the treetops in the distance, the pines just peeking through the fog.
“When I was about ten,” he said softly, although his mind seemed elsewhere as he spoke. In reality, he was trying to deduce the chances of him getting emotional, a blade making itself known, and possibly hurting Seo Hyeon. He loved his power greatly, but because of it he had never really experienced physical affection. This was a nice change, but he couldn’t say it didn’t make him a bit worried.
“That’s the only other time,” he continued, realizing the silence had crept between words. “I don’t get out of the school often.”
As she listened to him, a content expression on her soft features, leaning in a bit before the blade nipped her arm. She looked down and leaned back a small bit, careful not to make a noise or let him realize it had drawn her blood. Only the smallest amount.
CC realized he must feel terrible hurting whoever he did on accident. So she didnt say a thing. Just listened to him speak. His voice was soft and soothing. Well at least to her. She was tempted to just lay in his lap and take a small nap, or just look up at his face and talk to him.
But she resisted the urge, for multiple reasons. One, to not spook him or make him feel uncomfortable. The last thing she wanted was to think he was weird.
And two, it was quite dangerous at the edge of this place. She could easily fall if something happened. If she startled her and she fell. Or both of them. Oh that’d be horrible.
“Why did you come here?” She asked softly, tilting her head to the side and leaning it on her shoulder, her hair falling into her face before she blew it away.
Sire kept his eyes on the peaks of the trees, as if his mind was in a completely different place. Which it was— thinking.. reminiscing to past years. None had been good, in his opinion, but it brought a sense of familiarity and comfort. As if, since he had been there before, it wasn’t bad now. A slight bit of nostalgia tied to it, but not much.
“The same camp,” he replied softly. “Limitless has been going on for a while. I…”
He trailed off his sentence, looking down to his lap before continuing. He tried to convince himself that Seo Hyeon didn’t need to be informed of this— that it wouldn’t matter, or just make her worried. But.. she seemed really easy to talk to, and if anyone knew, he would have it be her.
“I hadn’t come back here for so long because… well, last time I was here, I really hurt myself. It’s hard training— the school doesn’t lie. I just happened to push myself too hard and…”
Almost bleed out, he finished in his head, not willing to finish the statement aloud. He took another breath, glancing over to CC. His honey eyes flickered across her, soon resting on her shoulder. They widened a bit, his face turning pale and a hand flying to cover his mouth.
“A-are you okay?” he asked frantically, sort of shuffling aside to give her space. “Did I do that?—god damnit— I’m so sorry, can I do anything?”
She listened carefully to his words, noticing the emotion and the memories that must be flooding in.
Seo Hyeon didnt know exactly what happened to him, like a lot of things she didnt know about him. And though she wanted to so badly, she wasnt about to push it. Asking him about bad memories or simply things he didnt want to share with her. Or maybe with anyone.
She would like to think she was closer to Sire than a lot of other people. But how could she really know that?
She couldnt
But she would like to think she was special in some way or another.
Seo Hyeon could listen to his voice all day and night long. Even fall asleep to it without even trying. But when his voice trailed to a stop, she looked back at him and for a second her milky white eyes met his own. If he kept his eyes there for a bit longer maybe she would have felt a spark. But instead he startled her, noticing the cut.
"Oh no it's fine really. It doesnt even hurt" she lied. It stung pretty bad but she was good at hiding it.
"Here" she says holding her hand over her should before healing it and looking back up to him. "Its as if it never happened anyway" she smiled
