RP: Open (Some NSFW smuttiness later on)

[wardenalistair]

Alistair awoke in what appeared to be a stable, one that still smelled faintly of Mabari. And horse, of course, but that was more expected. He was also being poked in the bare back by itchy prickly straw. He jumped to his feet.

"Well, this is...horrifyingly familiar. Next I'll be swarmed by a large group of hounds, just you wait."

He did. Wait, that is. Nothing happened.

"O-okay then, maybe not. I haven't regressed to ten years old, have I?" He poked his own cheek, which was still fairly bristly, and glanced down at himself, half-clothed as he was in just the trousers he'd worn to sleep in. "Nope, never mind, still myself. How peculiar. I haven't dreamt of Redcliffe in years, but then this doesn't look much like Redcliffe, does it? It smells like Redcliffe. Hrm."

He wrinkled his nose and headed out of the stable, into what sort of looked like daylight, accidentally kicking some kind of book halfway across the stable floor as he did so. He muttered an apology to the thing and scooped it up, for lack of anything better to do with it.

Comments

[heromiyuu]

"It is hard to keep track of time here so all I know is that I haven't had any sleep since I arrived, and it seems I was one of the first ones." and she finally dug up something for him, holding the shir in front of her so he could see it too "I guess it fits you. Try it."

Neria handed him the shirt, sitting on the edge of the bed behind her, patiently waiting.

Another yawn, this time she covered her mouth with her hand.

[wardenalistair]

Alistair wrinkled his nose at the mention of the lack of sleep, but he took the shirt willingly and made no comment. He was, however, distracted from pulling it over his head by how adorable Neria was when she yawned and tried to hide it. He bit his lip, ducking his head to hide his smile, and shrugged the shirt on as a distraction. Not to hide the evidence of the blush in his cheeks...and his chest if past experience was anything to go by. Certainly not. Nope.

It was a little tight in the biceps and across his chest, but loose in the stomach. Not enough to be uncomfortable though, really. He gave a shrug.

"It'll do. What do you think?" He turned to her.

[heromiyuu]

Neria smiled at his question "What can I say? Doesn't match the color of your eyes, but it certainly has a way of bringing out some of your best features." and then she stood up "Now, let's go to the war room. Cullen stockpiled everything he could there in case of a siege. I bet we can find you everything else you need there."

On her way out, she suddenly halted, squeezing her eyes "I know I haven't seen you changing clothes in a long time now but... are you blushing, ser Alistair?"

[wardenalistair]

Alistair smirked at the compliment, smoothing a hand down over the front of the shirt. When Neria stood, he moved to take her hand again.

"Cullen, eh? I suppose that fits. This is Skyhold, isn't it? Or something like Skyhold. Took me a bit to recognize the place - I think I was distracted." He smiled, rubbing his thumb over hers.

Then: "What? Nooo. Not blushing." He looked away without letting go her hand, definitely blushing now. "It's not the changing," he mumbled. "I just - you're-" he waved his free hand vaguely at her, "And I - I'm trying really hard not to spend all my time just staring at you. Because that would be awkward. But you're here, and you're adorable, and I want..." he cut himself off before he could say exactly what he wanted, but the word was too full of yearning to be much misunderstood.

[heromiyuu]

She smiled, and then bursted into laughter throwing her head backwards, her free hand placed over her mouth.

"My... Creators, vhenan, now I'm the one blushing." Neria kissed his hand and then wrapped her arm around his, head leaned against his shoulder as they walked down the corridor "You always know how to make me feel that silly, green mage leaving the circle for the first time, don't you?"

[wardenalistair]

Alistair smiled down at her fondly.

"Well, it's only fair, since you seem to have a most peculiar effect on my stomach. It does this weird fluttery thing whenever you're around. I bet you could even hear it if you tried, it's that insistent."

[heromiyuu]

"Is it?" her eyes widened, shocked "Mine always does the same, but until today I thought I was always hungry due the Grey Warden hunger and all." Neria turned her head to glance at him, the most incredibly straight face someone could make, then nodding in some sort of deep realization "Now everything makes a whole new sense. It's not hunger, it's affection!"

She pressed her body closer to his, finally giggling, cheek caressing his shoulder like a cat.

[wardenalistair]

"Mm. Well yes, there is that too," Alistair said, trying to answer her mock-seriousness with seriousness of his own, though the grin tugging at his lips made that rather ineffectual.

He chuckled and bent to press a kiss to the top of her head.

"You're very silly, my dear. Have I told you that I missed you? Yes? Welll I'd better mention it again. You know the First Warden has quite the intimidating frown. He doesn't approve of my - how did he put it - general air of frivolity - or my jokes, not at all. I don't believe I've managed to make him smile yet. It's immensely disappointing." He sighed, as if to prove the point.

[heromiyuu]

"The First Warden..." her tone was thoughtful now "Tell me, is he drowning you in questions about the Cure? About my whereabouts? I didn't know you were already at Weisshaupt... must have missed a letter or two."

Neria's giddiness vanished at once. Their steps echoing through the stone walls seemed much louder now. The Cure, the threaten of scission in the order, the battle in Adamant. The Vints really had a special way of spoiling everything.

But the worst part of it: she was actually agreeing with the Wardens making up for their mistakes by helping the common folk. Better not to think of it...

[wardenalistair]

"Oh, no, he's given that up, more or less. I can be very stubborn when I want to be, you know. But he does go on about how it's important that the Order keep a semblance of tradition in these trying times, and that he doesn't really shut up about. It's all a plot to keep me from angling for his title, you know, since quite a few of the Wardens at Weisshaupt think I should, after Adamant. Oh! But if you haven't gotten my latest letters, then you haven't heard."

He grinned down at her. "You're looking at the new High Constable of the Grey Wardens, my dear."

[heromiyuu]

Neria halted, mouth agape. Her eyes widened at the news and when she finally left the the initial stupor at the revelation, she threw her arms around his neck, hugging the man on the tip of her toes.

"Alistair, this is amazing! Congratulations!!" she kissed him, tender "After Adamant you deserve it, undoubtedly."

[wardenalistair]

"I don't know about deserve," Alistair murmured, his arms tightening around her. "We left a good woman to die in the Fade so that I could go back and marshal the Order into something that wouldn't just resort to blood magic when things turned south, Neria. It was the Wardens who got us into that mess, Neria. It should not have been Hawke who paid for it. But still...it does present us with an opportunity, that I won't disagree with."

[heromiyuu]

"But if anyone has the heart to change the order, to make it stronger to not fall pray to lies like the false Calling, to put it back on the right path helping whoever is in need and not just linger in the shadows waiting for the new Archdemon to raise, this one is you."

Neria caressed his back, voice dropping.

"Besides, I should've been there, to oppose Clarel by your side. To stop her from collecting our brothers and sisters for her sick blood magic circus. I failed as a Grey Warden... as a mage and even as a person. I just allowed my personal feelings to get in the way, to blind and damp me to what was wrong. I'm not worthy of any of my titles, and I'm certainly not worthy of you."

[wardenalistair]

"You've always had such faith in me," Alistair murmured, "no matter my doubts or fears, or childishness. Maker only knows what I did to deserve you."

At her quieter words, he frowned, sharp and swift.

"Hey." He took her face in both his hands, rubbing his thumbs over her cheekbones. "You could not have known what would happen. We agreed - both of us - that the work you are doing, this search for the Cure, was too important to ignore. You could change the very foundation of the Order - make it a vocation, not a death sentence - even find some new way to combat the Blights. What Clarel let fear drive her to, that was no doing of yours. You are - you have always been a light in the darkness, my love, no matter what madness we face."

[heromiyuu]

"Clarel thought that, didn't she? That she was about the change everything, the foundations of the order and even how the world worked. That the sacrifices were perfectly justified and necessary to achieve something bigger, a world without fear from a corrupted dragon waking up and destroying everything we know and love. We are the same... the only difference is I haven't caused a mass murder. But as they say... the day is long."

She closed her eyes, sighing.

"Joining forces with Avernus and the Architect... I'm no light in the darkness, vhenan. I'm glad you see me this way, but I'm not." then she smiled, caressing his cheek with her knuckles "My only chance of redemption is to find the Cure, make my absence worthy, make sure all those lives weren't lost for nothing. To transform my desperate fear of losing you for the taint in something greater."

[wardenalistair]

Alistair wrinkled his nose, his hazel eyes abruptly flooded with shifting emotions - consternation, disagreement, frustration, sorrow. He inhaled through his nose and released her to rake a hand through his hair before letting out a long breath.

When he looked at her again, it was with a small, sad smile. He cupped her cheek.

"You've been away too long, Neria. You know I - you're never going to persuade me that you are anything less than amazing, and I haven't been around to tell you so every day, but I fully intend to rectify that from now on, all right?" He bent down to kiss her, not soft and gentle like most of his earlier kisses, but needy this time, insistent. He gripped her waist and pulled her to him, and when he pulled back from her lips it was only to get far enough to say, "I love you," fiercely, and brush his lips against hers again, swiping his tongue over her lower lip this time.

[heromiyuu]

Neria gazed at Alistair as he spoke, a sad, pained expression on her face. She took a breath to speak "Alistair, I--"

But his kiss cut through her words, his tight grip on her waist sending shivers down her spine. An involuntary moan erupted from her throat, muffled by his lips. One of her hands roamed his scalp, nails lightly scrapping his nape, the other roaming the skin of his back, under his shirt.

He loved her, just as fiercely as his last kiss, just as fiercely as on the day he declared his love, just as fiercely as when he accepted the dark ritual. And for a selfish lover like her, that was all she needed.

Her eyes remained locked on his when she bit his lower lip, provocatively. "I love you too, my foolish man."

[wardenalistair]

Alistair groaned, much louder than he meant to, when she bit his lip. And then he flushed, his face and ears and yes, his neck too, going a particularly vivid shade of red. He could hear his heart beating in his ears, and it seemed overly loud, as heavy warmth settled low in his belly.

All of this he ignored in favor of nuzzling his nose into her cheek.

"That's settled, then," he mumbled, his lips brushing her skin as he spoke.

[heromiyuu]

"Settled?"

She tilted her head, not quite following him, slightly breathless from all the kissing-biting-moaning thing, without letting him go from her embrace.

[wardenalistair]

Alistair hummed, too distracted by the warmth of Neria in his arms and the curve of her cheek under his to make an intelligible response for a moment. Finally he kissed her on the corner of her mouth and moved his head back enough to look her in the eye and say,

"Ah. Yes. The, ah, I'm-in-love-with-you,-you-gorgeous-woman thing? And then you're in love with me, and with that settled again, hm, I might be able to be persuaded to spend the next...oh, several hours...convincing you how wonderful you are all over again."

[heromiyuu]

"Well, I'd like to see you try. To convince me, it is. Though I never thought self-deprecating could trigger such... eager will to prove me wrong."

And she ran her thumb over his lower lip."Don't you dare, ever again, to think that my insecurities might affect the way I feel for you. This won't change."

[wardenalistair]

Alistair gave her a lopsided smile, his gaze heated.

"That wasn't what I meant," he said. "You are...the one constant in my life, my love. I could never doubt you. Nevertheless..." He nipped at her thumb. "Your desire is my command."

[heromiyuu]

Neria melted on his arms, muttering.

"Creators, I swear I'm tryimg to be strong, but my resolve is just crumbling. I'm trying to be careful, to make the right decisions but... Ugh...!"

She gripped the front of his shirt, forehead nuzzling the middle of his chest. Few seconds later she turned her chin up, looking back at him.

"Make me forget this place, and how tired I am and the time we've been apart. Please."

[wardenalistair]

Alistair did not need to be told twice. He bent down, sealing his lips over hers, tongue stroking over her lips till she opened to him and he could taste her, a half-aborted moan slipping from him as he lost himself in the wet heat and slow glide of their tongues. His hands slid down her back and then he was lifting her, big hands gripping under her thighs, only breaking the kiss to orient himself before he was heading back for the hall with the guest rooms they'd just vacated.

[heromiyuu]

(ooc: are there rules about smutier rps? can we just write them down or should we skip the deed right into the afterglow?)

Neria locked her heels around his waist, heat boiling under her stomach with his kiss, the touch of his calloused hands against her soft skin making her shiver. She tilted her head to deepen their kiss, hand slightly gripping the hair on the back of his neck. The only thought crossing her mind was the longing, the growing need of feeling his bare skin against hers, to trail the freckles on his back with the tip of her tongue, just as he loved.