Ari ♫ ♪ ♬ (gracenotes) wrote in emillion, @ 2013-06-27 00:00:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, !log, !thread, arielle chiaro, aspel cassul |
If god wanted us sober, he'd knock the glass over, so while it is full, we drink up!
Who: Ari & Aspel
What: Aspel's going stir crazy. Ari has to deal.
Where: Aspel's Apartment above The Armory
When: Wednesday afternoon (6.26.13)
Rating: PG-ish
Status: Complete
The fact that Aspel genuinely believed that they were still going out to test an incomplete - and possibly dangerous - song scroll was equal parts exasperating and laughable. Laughable because Ari had a notion that one more day indoors would have the smith throwing things at the walls for amusement - perhaps, if she was walking without a limp today, they might consider venturing out into the bazaar at least. She was not opposed - but the idea of possibly throwing Sap or Faram knew what else at someone whose entire body was likely still to be tender with recently-healed injuries just seemed ridiculous, no matter how much that someone insisted that everything would be fine. And that why it was exasperating, she thought with a sigh. Really, sometimes she had to wonder at the apparent shared recklessness of Fighters' Guild members... and Councilors. Her mood was moderately good after her half hour with the instrument maker. She was still quite unhappy about the mandolin she had lost, but its replacement would be ready within the next two weeks. That was what she would have to take as comfort in the situation now - there was no other available. At least there had been a particularly nice shipment of wood in - she had some hope that the replacement instrument might have a resonance and at least as nice as the last. Regardless, she would become accustomed to it in time. And life would move on, as it did. On impulse, she stopped at a familiar food stall, smiled at the woman behind the counter, and purchased two honey buns. Now wasn't that familiar? Perhaps Aspel would get a laugh out of it, especially if Ari was careful not to get honey all over her hands unbidden. The thought did linger, however - what if she did? With how things had changed... Choosing caution, she held the bag carefully at the top. She was hot and rather tired by the time she reached The Armory. It was a warm day, and the lute case slung across her back was quite heavy, but after recent events, she no longer went out without an instrument. The sign on the door proclaimed the forge closed, but she raised her free hand to knock firmly on the door, judging that Aspel would be there to answer as they had made an agreement. Vivi was injured. The guild was probably in disrepair. It was almost hilarious how quickly she had fallen into regular fretting about the guild, was this what it felt like to be a parent? Drake - while entirely capable - was probably endlessly flustered and without a teammate to hold the ground with him, who could blame him? One of the squires had been injured. Certainly, the citizenry of Emillion were going to be sharing scared glances and hushed whispers throughout the streets. What if the palings hadn't really held up barely at all? What if no one wanted to tell her that because she was hurt? What if... Having too much time laid up in bed, recovering from significant injury caused her mind to wonder in terrible and obscene directions. Like counting the different flecks of paint on her ceiling, or being met with the overwhelming desire to arrange her bookshelf into subsections byalphabet and size order. Some minor relief had come from having to hobble out to visit a white mage earlier in the day, making sure all of the bones had set properly and fixing anything that had seemed to be sitting improperly now that she'd had some time to rest and the medics weren't being overrun with injured guild members and civilians. According to the healer she'd seen today, she should be crutch free by Friday if proper care and curative magicks continued to be applied over the course of today, and if she took it easy the next day. The smith could go back to her guild but if any tension or weakness started to rise, back on the crutches she was to go. Of course, then there was the talk on the network with Ari, the bard assuring her they would not be going out today, and Aspel had to wonder about how the other woman fared with the loss of her instrument. There was also the plethora of other questions and problems that floated about her head through the mass of filters she'd set and conversations that she sorted out for business and personal desires. Everyone that mattered seemed intact. That thought was horrifying. Yet, at the same time, Aspel couldn't help but find herself expanding on it as she had so little else to distract herself with. Before long, it had driven her to setting two of the bottles of Kerowian mead that Arabella had retrieved for her to chill between attempting not to pace, not stare at the bookshelf, or just go absolutely batty altogether. Though, perhaps she could go downstairs and hammer out some of her frustrations in the forge but... Her arm was still a bit tender and... No, no it was best not to. Instead, she'd simply begun to inventory her own weaponry. Taking stock of the repairs required on her sword, how much ammo remained for her shotgun, and then set into cleaning out the sand, salt water and grime from the instruments of defense. In reality, Aspel had already dismantled the gun, cleaned it out with swabs and wipes, oiled down all the appropriate pieces and reassembled it once, but... One could never be too certain, and it was better to be overly careful with such a delicate piece than to disallow care, and have it not work when it was most required. However, after all of that was done, once more, Aspel was faced with the most ridiculous amount of time she felt she'd ever face. Perhaps... If she balanced The Armory's books again? (Not that it hadn't been twice over already), or if she tried to read again? (Two books had already been finished) Though, the inventory... which Stone had gone over just a few days before. Perhaps order sheets for her distributors? That had been filled out the same day as inventory. "Blast." Aspel grumbled. Though... A glance was given at the clock. The mead should be appropriately chilled by now at the very least. Limping over to the kitchen, the bottles were retrieved, along with a bowl of ice to set the bottles in, and a glass before it was all carried out into the living room. Settling roughly down onto the couch, an unceremonious dropping down into a sitting position, the ice shook and rattled in the bowl before it was placed on the coffee table. With that, the smith would set about to drinking as much as she could feasibly manage over the course of the next few hours between flipping, with frustration, through the pages of a book or two, and muttering absently or grunting over certain things as they struck her. Before she knew it, time had lapsed by enough and her handheld beeped, signaling her it was time to head downstairs and let Ari in. Standing, her stance swayed slightly, and eyes dropped down to the half-full glass of honey wine that stood next to the empty bottle and a half she'd managed to consume while reading. Whoops. The stairs were a bit of a challenge due to this, but she managed, and half leaned, half sat on the counter after unlocking the door, arms crossing idly. With a few minutes to spare, eyes wondered over the state of the shop. Faram, she'd spent so little time within its walls recently and... was beginning to desperately miss it but... and then came a knock at the door and the smith stiffly walked over, having forgotten her crutches upstairs, opening the door, and gesturing for Ari to come in as she stepped back. "Good afternoon." The greeting was simple, the word 'good' feeling awkward in her mouth, especially after so much wine, but 'afternoon' felt as though it flowed. The door was locked and pushed closed after the bard entered, a slow smile pulling at Aspel's lips something a bit self pleased rising behind it with a low huffed, and brief, laugh. "That thing looks atrocious." A hand gestured towards the instrument case slung over the other woman's back with two fingers signaling in its direction. "Do they not make better straps at the least? Something padded perhaps?" Of course, Aspel meant it looked horrible to carry. Ari was so small, and that case... so big. Shifting, fingers trailed down over the wood of the closed door absently before brushing over the locks to assure they were properly closed, the position of locked against unlocked memorized with years of use before a hand was offered out towards the bard. "Would you care to head up?" A nod was given towards the back room. "I can carry that if you would like." Okay, so... maybe her words were a little slurred. Maybe. It wasn't too strong, as she wasn't drunk, but there was enough of a buzz happening to make her body feel light and leave a sway in her movements that wouldn't normally quite be there. Ari blinked up in surprise as Aspel greeted her, her words quite definitely a bit slurred, her expression relaxed and her eyes just a little unfocused. "Well," the bard said cheerfully, stepping inside and getting out of the way lest Aspel trip over her while attempting to close the door, "I was going to suggest getting you out of here for some coffee before you started counting cracks in the ceiling and contemplating their relevance to the meaning of life, but it seems you've started the party without me." She couldn't help being amused at the circumstance at the same time, though. Had she... no, she was fairly certain she had never once seen Aspel this drunk. It was strangely fascinating, especially if one considered just how often Aspel had half-carried an entirely insensible Ari home after one too many drinks. Once the door was shut, she approached again, placing a quick and easy kiss on Aspel's cheek in greeting before drawing back and regarding her with frank amusement. "Good afternoon to you, too - though it seems like yours is better than mine." Two sets of rehearsals at once followed by a trip to the instrument-maker did make one wish to drink, temporary sobriety or no. "It is quite atrocious " she agreed, shrugging her shoulders and making the case bump against her back, "and the strap digs into my shoulder dreadfully, but I'll only have to suffer through it a few more weeks." It just didn't feel worthwhile to get a new one with that in mind. She would rather save the money for her new mandolin and case, anyway. She gave Aspel a sideways look and said, "You can carry it when you can walk without limping - and in a straight line." Perhaps she wasn't as drunk as all that, but that remained to be seen. And the limping was bound to be an issue regardless, unless something had changed drastically from the day prior. She took the offered hand after a moment, shifting the pastry bag to her other hand, though she suggested offering that Aspel lean against her instead. Well, they would see when they got to the stairs whether or not that was really needed. "You've been making yourself quite mad in here, haven't you?" she said with genuine sympathy as they started towards the back room and the stairs. Drinking in the middle of the afternoon didn't seem like something Aspel would indulge in often. She had been stopping by daily, but she hadn't stayed too long; what with all the duties she suddenly found thrust upon her, she had barely had time for that much. Fortunately, today she might be able to stay a little longer; the afternoon was hers in its entirety. "Cracks are relevant to all existence." Aspel offered back, an attempt at drunk wisdom that made perfect sense in her own head. "The theory that there is a single whole individual, unflawed, is..." The smith sighed, shaking her head, "disappointing." Faram, it had been so long since she bothered trying to talk of anything like that. Though, then the rest of Ari's sentence hit her and the smith let out a huff of disappointment. "But you did not tell me." Something not far from a pout began to rise against her features, though not quite getting to full levels of most, it was perhaps, the most pouting Aspel was prone to do. "Far from better. Have you ever been unwillingly cooped up for three days?!" There was a definite level of exasperation in her voice. Not due to Ari's question but the situation as a whole. A hand swung out to the side, gesturing in a long, languid stroke. "I almost feel torture would be more kind." "Mm." She couldn't help but eye the strap thoughtfully for a moment. Turning it over in her head, Aspel attempted to recall if perhaps some padded armor straps might work better, but before the idea could be fully processed the bard was speaking again, and the smiths mind quickly tried to keep up. Then the new words about how she couldn't carry it and there came that almost pout again. "That is rather unfair." The tone of slurred words seeming almost disappointed at the refusal. However, when the hand she'd offered out to take the bag was instead given a hand, she couldn't bring herself to be too terribly disappointed with it. With a huff, it seemed all of her disappointment vanished, and she began to meander back towards the apartment, the limp minor and her walk a bit stiff. "Quite." Came the rather pitiful sounding reply, even if she had been trying to restrain herself, and hadn't been liquored up to some degree, there was no certainty that the reply would sound much different at all. Though, if she hadn't been drinking, it probably would have ended up being more of a joke and less agreement. The stairs were less of a challenge than any other day, and simply by taking her time, maneuvering appropriately up them, they were traversed, not easily, but far easier than any day before. Upon reaching the top Ari was motioned through, Aspel stepping to the side before moving in, and closing the door behind them. Remaining upon the coffee table was the empty bottle and half of wine, along with her cup. The ice had begun to melt in the bowl, and the glass had beads of sweat rolling down the side from the cool liquid it housed. "Please, pardon the mess." Again a hand loosely gestured over the coffee table. "Coffee, correct?" Eyebrows raised slightly with the question, though it would seem a catering to Ari's preference than any of Aspel's own desires as the door was locked behind them. "I had thought to ascertain the state of your leg before I offered," Ari admitted. She hadn't wanted to make a promise and then rescind it as she had with the song testing - though why Aspel had been so insistent on it, she surely did not know. The expression on her face now, though... she did not think 'adorable' was likely to be an acceptable word in Aspel's lexicon, but that was how the half-pout looked to her. "I have not in several years," she admitted. "I am rarely ill, and I attempt not to become injured. Sadly," she continued, "there is nothing to be done about it now; I doubt you want anyone to see you in this state in the middle of the day, or you know how tongues will wag." She watched Aspel carefully as she ascended the stairs, but the limp seemed fairly minimal, and she did not appear too drunk to overcome the challenge. Once in the apartment, Ari rolled her eyes even as she removed the heavy instrument case and stowed it in the corner, along with the bag. "Again, you have seen my flat; never complain to me of mess. A couple bottles of wine do not chaos make." It did seem as though Aspel had worked her way through a great deal of the liquor, however. It appeared the boredom was worse than she thought. "I can make the coffee," she said. She had done it yesterday, and the day before, after all. "Feel free to pick up where you left off - I will be right there." "It is fine." The pouting didn't fade. "I saw the medics earlier." Which was true. Not that Ari knew that, and it wasn't as if Aspel had thought to mention it before either. It had hardly seemed a matter of concern previously, but perhaps if she obtained injury she should just plaster a schedule of her health updates to the inside of the other woman's instrument case of this was how she was going to be treated every time. "I have been casting cure as well, but only after their confirmation that it is acceptable." Maybe that would finally make Ari believe she'd be okay to go do... anything really. Though, Ari's admission of the last time she actually had been bed ridden for any extended time both did and didn't help the situation at the exact same time. Though, the bard did have a point regarding her current state and the matter of public affairs, a defeated sigh would be earned. "Blast." A low wordless grumble would be emitted from her throat. "Bloody council," was the only confirmation of agreement that Ari would get. It really did feel like it was the worst decision she'd ever made on some days. Not that Aspel particularly cared to potentially smudge her name by walking around half drunk either way, even if she hadn't been council. "It is habit, and a hypocritical ideal of holding myself to values that others must not meet." Well, it would seem the alcohol had loosened her lips quite liberally at this rate. When was the last time she had spoken so freely? Years at best and certainly not in such... well, complicated really, company. How much had they seen each other in the past few days? Far more than she had seen anyone with regularity for months, or perhaps even years at this point. Admittedly, when in the Guard they had practically lived together and the year after that. Well... there was no point in mulling over such discouraging and upsetting thoughts right now though, was there? Shoving the thoughts aside, the smith had remained standing as Ari had moved into the kitchen. "But I want to do something." The words came out with a slight whine to them, along with a clear frustrated longing for any sort of activity, distraction from her own mind and the walls around her, and she couldn't help but follow the other woman into her own kitchen. "Anything." Her voice had dropped the whine, though the frustration of fighting boredom and tedium still remained as eyes lowered, slowly scanning up over the bard form from behind while letting Ari make her coffee. "I did warn you that you would get my concern along with my company," Ari told her lightly, unable to keep the smile from playing across her face at Aspel's continued facial expression. "Unfortunately, the two come hand in hand in this case, and you seemed likely to insist you were fine to hobble out of town on your crutches. Really, the song can wait." She thought a moment, then offered, "I can give you another, if you like - as the medics seem to think it will do no harm." perhaps the limp could even be effaced with her effort. "Yes, being a figure in the public eye must be exhausting," she agreed. "People expect drunken debauchery of me, but you have to be sensible, unfortunately. It is quite tragic; when the time comes for our delayed celebration in four weeks' time, we will have to find someplace to hide away so that no one might see and speculate." Which, all things considered, suited her quite well. She thought again of that wine tasting certificate she had tucked away - perhaps she would offer the trip to Aspel after all. She was looking forward to the day trip in any case, as she was feeling quite cooped up recently, and combining it with the promised celebration might not be a bad thing. No one needed to know just how drunk either of them got out there. "Well, I do wish you'd stop," she said with a sigh. "It makes me feel guilty ever inviting you over, and my clutter is permanent - I've made my peace with it, but the guilt does come back now and again." It was clean, really. She just owned too many things and didn't have anywhere to put them. But Aspel's apartment in comparison to her own felt rather spartan. Aside from the pile of things in the bedroom, Ari had never seen anything that could be construed as mess here. Once in the kitchen, she found what she needed with ease. She had had to feel her way around on Sunday and again on Monday; by now, she knew where the coffee was, along with cups, sugar, and other accouterments. "I'm assuming you'll be sticking to the mead?" she asked, pulling out one cup for herself. At Aspel's final statement, she half-turned to regard the other woman over her shoulder. She did look rather miserable. "All right," Ari drawled, "I'll play. Name your activity of choice - provided it doesn't involve dancing or running laps, I will try to indulge you." Not that there were many choices if they wanted to stay in. "I do know my limitations." The words were surprisingly clear, and somewhat sober considering the rest of it. An honesty was held with them, and they had remained surprisingly clear of frustration considering the rest of her agitated state. "It may not be a bad idea." And that was only briefly considered before she was off again on what the bard was speaking of next. "And going out in public in any such state of disarray other than to the medics seems an unwise move for the general morale of the city." She couldn't help but sigh heavily. It was amazing the things you thought of when indoctrinated into a new position of power and responsibility. Though, a low grumble about not wanting to be sensible all the time would still arise, nearly under her breath. "Mm. I suspect we shall." A thought was given to trying to talk Vivi into using the balcony again, or perhaps the backroom or some other varied spot in The Duckling but that was still some time away. It was a thought to tuck away and to be dealt with later. "But your apartment is fine." Her words so assured, so matter of fact that it seemed like she couldn't possibly understand why Ari was even remotely bothered the idea. "Others’ clutter, in their space, is perfectly acceptable. If someone wished to rent a space from me for working and chose to keep their own quarters messy, it is no business or reason for me to judge. I rarely do." Okay, so maybe that was a bit of a tangent. A low grating pushed at the back of her head and it was shooed away. All of it could be dealt with that. "Mm." Aspel confirmed without much thought at the question. It had been rather pleasant thus far. "I suspect I may have an idea or two." The words slipped out as she stepped up behind the other woman, hands falling to grasp at the bard’s hips, and a kiss being pressed against the back of Ari's head. The smell of honey, fainter now than in the past, as the other woman had been running about. "Still using that scent?" Words were murmured as lips remained close to the other woman's head, fingers flexing against the fabric underneath them. "I've some ideas about that," Ari said lightly, and left it at that for now. Four weeks were a very long time, and she might come up with fifteen other ideas before then. Planning that far ahead, except when it came to work, had never been a strength of hers, in any case. "But for today, I expect we'll make the best of the circumstances." It seemed Aspel was slightly more talkative when she had been drinking. Not to the extent she had been when the subjects of art or philosophy had been broached in the past, perhaps, but still more so than the norm. Ari listened to her talk about the city's morale, followed by a fairly lengthy explanation of her feelings on other people's clutter. "I will go on as I have been, then," Ari told her, continuing with her task of making coffee. "Not that I can change my habits now in any case. Hopefully, you never trip over anything - the way I have been known to do on occasion." The source of some rather embarrassing injuries when returning home late at night. It was a good thing she could heal herself. She had just set the coffee to brew when Aspel came up behind her and put her hands on Ari's hips; she felt herself smiling as she leaned back a little, right into the kiss at the back of her head. Wasn't that where all of this had started, really? Now that she thought about it... "I'd be interested in hearing your ideas," she said, with a smile Aspel would not see but would likely hear. Then, at the question, she laughed, low but quite amused, and thought of the honey buns she had brought - and left with her instrument case. Perhaps later. Again, she had to wonder, what would happen this time if she decided to eat dessert with her hands?. "You've found me out," she admitted. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems you are quite fond of my soap - changing it now would be such a shame, don't you think?" Really, the only words that came to mind in response to Ari's words were repetition of what she had already said and that seemed utterly pointless. So, instead of going with the desired 'I suspect we shall' once again, a low "Mm," was given instead. That would have to be the end of that part of the conversation for now. Perhaps, at some other point, they could get into it more, but it was pointless today. Another point that Aspel would simply need to recall to bring up at a further date. Perhaps, at this rate, she should start taking notes. Eyes watched the other woman, taking in each move leisurely, and trying to note anything of importance, but the fact that she was still about half drunk remained. Really, she'd be lucky to recall how many teaspoons of sugar Ari took in her coffee with the state she'd been in as of late. It was a terribly pity the state she got in when drinking really. In fact, if Aspel thought about how compromised it made her, she'd probably find a way to muster up enough fear to make herself stop the habit altogether. However, that had not been the case yet and she suspected it would probably not work for some time yet. Really, it was one of the only vices she had kept over the years, she could save this one last indulgence, couldn't she? "A terrible pity." The words slipped out low, and a bit breathy, as Aspel leaned in, one hand removing from a hip to pull the bards hair back, out of her way. The smiths other hand slid from to wrap around Ari's waist, pulling the bard close, and a kiss would be pressed to the other woman's now openly exposed neck, midway between shoulder and jaw. "Would you?" Another kiss, was pressed against skin, this one a bit higher up. "Pardon if," a nudge of Ari's jaw would be given with the smiths chin, A kiss placed at where jaw and neck met only after Ari obliged, "I hold doubt." The last bit of speech whispered into the other woman's ear, something devilishly amused as she spoke, the arm around the bard’s waist flexing a bit to tighten. "I'll buy gallons of it," Ari promised, dropping her head back against Aspel's chest and helpfully tilted it to the side so that Aspel might have better access to her neck. "I'm told," she murmured, "that it is meant to make my skin taste sweet. Your thoughts?" It was a bit of a tease; she had showered hours ago, certainly that quality wouldn't have remained through hours of rehearsal and running around in the sun, but asking seemed quite irresistible at the moment. When Aspel nudged her chin, she obliged again, biting her lip as her smile grew and emitting a low, satisfied hum when lips began traveling up her jaw towards her ear. The whispered words against her ear made her shiver. She would be lying if she said she hadn't thought of the possibility when she had come here, now that Aspel was recovering, and thought she was a bit wary yet, considering the way things had gone last time, she couldn't help enjoying the sensation of being pulled closer and the light kisses against her skin. Thinking really was an overrated pastime; so much easier not to and to simply enjoy. "I suppose," she said, "you will have to risk it and see." She looped her own arm up and across Aspel's shoulder behind her, arching her back a little to reach, and turned her head so that their lips were quite close, nearly touching. "I do think your chances of... eliciting my interest... are fairly good," she finished. "Mm, I approve." Came the light murmur, something pleasantly amused hinted at in her voice. "Does it? Hmm." The path would be continued up as previously planned, a note in her head for something else later. Though the challenge from Ari, the idea of trying things and finding out, earned a throaty, closed lip chuckle. Nothing more would be given in response to the taunt, though with the feeling of the bard’s arm looping back around her, the thought to lean in more felt natural. Then the turning of the other’s head, and a wicked smile pulled at Aspel's lips, waiting for Ari to finished before a kiss was given, but dipped away from before it could progress further much past a simple press of lips. Another low, contained chuckle before the smith’s lips found Ari's neck again, this time, a kiss being granted before a lick trailed part way up the other woman's neck, tongue and lips breaking away reaching even halfway up. "Hmm." Came the thoughtful, mildly amused noise. Wetting her lips, Aspel's hand came to settle on the opposite of Ari's hip, as to assure the comfort of her hold around the other woman's waist. With that, a repetition of the action was tried again, a kiss followed by a partial lick, moving a bit further up the bard’s neck once again. Fingers flexed, hand beginning to kneed and massage at the bards hip. "Hmm, I fear to I not taste it." Aspel mused, a bit of playful disappointment clear in her voice. "Would there be a better place?" The kiss was short and light, but as Aspel returned to lavishing attention upon her neck, Ari couldn't complain. When her words brought about the series of small licks interspersed with kisses, Ari sighed, letting her eyes drift closed, her expression certainly one of contentment. Really, it had been the best possible thing to say. She felt the reverberation of Aspel's chuckle through her back, and she knew that the other woman was certainly at least as amused as she was by the notion. It was even more fortunate that Aspel seemed willing to indulge her. There was little she found more enjoyable than a bit of play. The hand on her hip was really quite pleasant - and rather promising. She let out a breathy giggle at the disappointed statement. "How unfortunate," she murmured. "Well, although I could offer a number of... suggestions, I cannot say I know precisely." She wanted to turn, then, to face Aspel and drape both arms around the other woman's shoulders, but remained where she was, though her free hand did reach behind to rest on Aspel's hip in turn, tugging her closer. "Perhaps, as with your other ideas, you ought to try and see." A roundabout way of telling Aspel to set the pace - and the boundaries - for the game. She was quite enjoying the attention; the last thing she wanted was a repeat of last week. "No?" A thoughtful noise rose in her throat, but seemed caught there - almost more of a hum of thought - as fingers continued to work at the bard’s hip, fingers brushing the end of the tunic out of the way but still remaining on top of the other woman's pants. "Unfortunate indeed." Came a low amused agreement. With that a kiss was placed against Ari's neck again, lips brushing against the skin as she spoke next. "Suggestions can be so helpful." The next kiss, the one that Aspel considered using to be a bit more exploratory was halted when nearly at skin, a choked whimper, being pressed against Ari's neck instead at the pressure and pull at her hip. Fingers on Ari's hip tensed against the material of the other woman's pants, and would have fisted if there had been enough pull of fabric, the muscles in her arm tightening in response to the pressure against such a sensitive spot with her back arching, causing the front of her body to press against Ari's back more. A flash of thought to dig her teeth into the bard’s skin streaked vividly across her mind but quickly dismissed. Taking a second to suck in a deep breath, another tender kiss would be placed against the other woman's neck before clearing her throat, trying to regain herself from the brief, accidental provocation. "Perhaps." Swallowing hard, a kiss was placed at the spot where jaw and neck connected again, and Aspel leaned forward, scraping her teeth over the bards earlobe, trying her best to not go too far, too fast. "I think you're doing quite well on your own," Ari told her with another little sigh at the latest kiss; although she wasn't opposed to saying exactly what she liked and giving direction, she also did not want to accidentally bring up something that might spoil the moment. "Isn't there something to be said for the element of surprise?" Which was certainly what she got when her thoughtless tug against Aspel's hip elicited such an immediate and powerful response. The angle was not ideal for it, but she stroked experimentally over that same spot again, squeezed lightly, curious to see if the response would be repeated. "I enjoy these sorts of surprises," she admitted. Something to explore sometime very soon, perhaps. Her breath caught, then released, shakily, as Aspel's teeth found her earlobe. "As I said, you seem to be doing quite well on your own. But..." A risky statement, but she couldn't help making it, "I've a great deal of skin, and you've a great deal of time. I'll leave it to your discretion." "Am I?" There was something entertained in the question, as if sincere but not at the same time. As always, Ari would continue to speak and Aspel pleasantly listened. Now, how much of the words was actually sinking in against how much was just a pleasant series of sounds in her head, unfortunately, was a different matter altogether. However, when she did recognize there was a question, the smith attempted to recall the sentence, barely grabbing at it from her hazed memory. "I suspect there is, but in case I miss something, do let me know, mm?" Then came another teasing of the spot on her hip, followed by a squeeze that caused her body to press forward, fingers curling against Ari's hip and a gasp to escape her lips. "Mm? Do you?" The words were breathy, and the whole thing brought the faintest hint of uncertainty to the back of her mind, but something like that, in her current state seemed... Less than entirely threatening. At least it wasn't where her brand was, and it wasn't as if Ari was shoving her hand down the smith's pants right now. A little harmless fun really, that was all. "Ah." Came the simple offer, the smith trying to keep herself together, trying, desperately, to not let herself lose too much control of the situation. "I suspect it does not hurt to consider." The free hand she had reached up, pointer finger looping under the top of the off shoulder stop, and running along the bard’s back. A slight pulling the top off to one side would open up precisely what she'd been looking for and allowed for a gentle kiss to be pressed where neck and shoulder met. "Don't worry," Ari told her with another breathy laugh, "I've never been shy about expressing what I want." Though she was cautious, in her way, at least for the moment. Her strongest impulses - to turn her body and let things take their course - had to be repressed; the last thing she needed was more fear on Aspel's part and discomfort on her own. "I think with time you'll find anything you might have missed." She definitely had to remember the hip, She had a sudden and clear mental image of taking lips and teeth to Aspel's hipbone and watching the reaction. Sometime. She hoped sometime soon. But not today. Ari shrugged up her shoulder, allowing the fabric to dip a little lower, giving Aspel just a tiny bit more skin to explore if that was her wish. The smell of coffee permeated the kitchen - it would be entirely over-steeped and unpalatable by now, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "As I said," she added, dropping her head forward a bit, letting her hair fall forward as well so that the back of her neck and her shoulders would be more easily accessible, "your discretion." Though if the search for sweetness on her skin took them somewhere new, she would certainly not be opposed. Still, there was one thing she did want to say. "I must admit," she murmured as Aspel's lips returned to their exploration, "I have continued giving your hands a great deal of thought." Especially after that network conversation, and then that truncated but quite intense moment at breakfast. She wasn't likely to forget Aspel's fingers on her thigh anytime soon. Perhaps it would be taken as an invitation, or as permission - or perhaps not. But mentioning it did not seem as though it would do any harm. A low affirmative noise would be given to Ari's response. It would seem at this rate, with this progression - especially with the bard’s skin so soft beneath her fingertips as her hand moved to grasp at the other woman's shoulder gently - she may very well find out all the answers she might seek before too long. Shifting, the smith moved, placing a series of soft kisses along the other woman's shoulder as shown flesh would allow. Thankfully, for Aspel that was, there was some level of reprieve from the squeeze and pull of her hip, yet Ari did remain touching the area. The stroke or rub would elicit a soft moan, or pleased hum, from time to time, vibrating against the bard’s skin. Though, the dip of head forward would not be left unnoticed. The hand which had rubbed casually at the other woman's shoulder slipped up, fingers stroking up the side of Ari's neck, while a kiss was pressed to the back of it. Then the trailed from the back along to the side her hand hadn't rested on, allowing teeth to scrape against skin there as well, testing the reaction in comparison to how she had done it to Ari's ear earlier. However, lips would not be the only thing to roam. Spread fingers that had been holding onto the smaller woman's waist slid up, under the tunic, beginning to gingerly explore up Ari's side, while seeming to take the progression quite slow. "Have you?" The words were almost cut in half at the stroke of Ari's fingers on her hip. Swallowing hard, she attempted to regain her composure, fingers curling a bit so fingernails ever so slightly pressed into the bard’s side. Wetting her lips, Aspel paused, the space between where her face hovered and skin barely anything at all. "And your thoughts?" The clothing she had worn to rehearsal, with the loose, off the shoulder blouse, had apparently been the best possible choice for today. The kisses across her back and shoulder were soft and unassuming, but still her breathing had quickened, just a bit, as Aspel's continued trailing across her exposed skin. The hip, Ari thought, was definitely something to recall for later. The slightest touch seemed to cause quite the intense reaction. She had reactions of her own, too, when Aspel's lips found their way to the back of her neck; she let out a sigh which turned into a whimper as Aspel's teeth scraped lightly over her skin. Apparently, the whimper was the right sort of cue, as one of Aspel's hands had found its way under her blouse, meandering from her waist to her ribs, a slight prick or nails given against her side when Ari apparently touched a particularly sensitive spot on the other woman's hip. Ari repeated the motion as the other woman finished speaking, then, after a moment of thought, moved the arm which had been looped back, reaching to take the hand which had been resting on her shoulder and pull it forward, assuming Aspel allowed. "Oh," she mused, brushing a kiss over the knuckles, "I've had several. About places I'd rather like for you to put them," a brush of lips and the tiniest flick of her tongue across a fingertip, "and other things." She closed her lips around the tip of Aspel's finger, stroked across the digit with her tongue before releasing. Aspel was finding herself quite content to continue her careful, unassuming exploration of the bard’s skin. Trailing soft kisses, and if a response was earned from any particular spot, pausing for a moment to test if any other reactions could be gained from further stimulation to the area. However, with Ari's hand against her hip, and her partly fogged mind, perhaps she was going a bit further than she normally would without other provocation. Somehow, she couldn't find it within herself to care. It wasn't like they were trying to rip each other’s clothing off; it was soft, simple, and testing the waters easily. Really, the whole ordeal was completely unthreatening. Sure, at any moment it could delve into the deep end, and maybe that'd be okay, maybe the smith could handle it... Though, those thoughts were so far away, tucked in the far reaches of Aspel's mind, that it was hard to tell. Personal insecurity and nervousness swam easily around such concepts, holding them back enough that even if she was being quite pleasantly egged on by the hand on her hip, the smith doubted it would go much further than it had already progressed.... Even if a little, tiny part of her, somewhere, wished it would. Then the other woman pulling Aspel's hand away from and over her shoulder. The kiss from Ari against her knuckles caused a smile to pull at her lips while another kiss of her own was pressed to the bard’s neck. Though, when she felt the kiss, and flick of tongue over her finger tip, it warranted a pause as eyes rose. "Is that so?" There was a low amused, yet sincerely curious quality to the tone of her voice. When lips closed around her fingertip a throaty, pleased hum slipped out and at the new feel of tongue, a sharp inhale. Even when Ari released the hand would hover for a moment, the smith’s half-drunk mind trying to process what to do next. After a couple of seconds ticking by, a kiss would be placed where shoulder and neck connected, followed by a soft nip of teeth, and her cheek would come to rest against the bard’s shoulder, seeming to consider for just a moment before she began to speak once again. "I do want you." There it was, the bare and honest truth. "Yet I am quite stupid," Ari's side would be given a gentle squeeze, the hand stroking down to end up back at the bards hip once again, free from being enclosed underneath the shirt. "And I do believe your coffee is far over done." Not stepping away from Ari, and without her mood seeming to change at all from the pleasant, and calmly given affections, another kiss was placed against the bard’s shoulder that her lips were closest to. The hand from the other woman's hip would remove, pushing the water through and beginning to move so that the coffee would be dumped out. It would be an atrocious thing to drink, and considering there was more that could be brewed it was no bother. "It would be a waste to attempt drinking such, no?" Lifting her head slightly, a kiss would be pressed to Ari's cheek. "As long as you realize it," Ari said; it was half-joke but half not - it did seem to her quite obtuse, when clearly the chemistry was more than present - but her tone was light and amused, even a little teasing. She felt that persistent low-grade buzz of desire that she had come to be quite accustomed to, lately, but with Aspel's frank admission and easy tone, it was not so difficult to set it aside for another time. There would be another time, she thought. Slow to warm was perhaps the understatement of the century, but this ease - as opposed to earlier instances of panic - felt like progress of a sort. "When you change your mind," she said lightly, "we'll talk about it." No promise, but she thought it would serve the same purpose. She did not mourn the coffee - it would have been nigh undrinkable - but fortunately she had not yet put away the items needed to make more. "I certainly would prefer not to drink that," she agreed. "I'll make another pot, now that you have thoroughly distracted me." She almost added, weren't you supposed to be sitting down?, but she couldn't really muster up a complaint about Aspel following her into the kitchen. "And speaking of distraction," she added, turning her body around at last to face Aspel, leaning back against the counter and giving the other woman an amused look, "I assume you are no longer quite so bored?" She certainly did not look quite so irritated and put out as she had earlier, though Ari had to admit she rather missed the pout. "My offer to entertain you still stands, and I nearly forgot, but I brought you honey buns - if you are interested. Perhaps not the best accompaniment to mead, but they've an ingredient in common, anyway, so perhaps you might be willing to overlook the incongruity." She was prepared to leave the bag to be opened after her departure, too, but if she didn't offer now, she would surely forget. |