let's do the time warp again

[notyetlegend]

MERIDA COURT Seelie, neutral INFLUENCE ★ ★ ★ TITLE Friend of the Dead, Hartslayer, Brave Heart, Lady Lioness of DunDealgan OCCUPATION Lady of DunDealgan. archer, huntress, swordswoman AGE 20 ABLE TO FAST-TRAVEL wings given to Angus via a boon in December 2,700 as of September 2,701 will have a ring that can teleport her to places she's been before in Seelie territory COMMUNICATION METHODS compass, given by Korra (sangilak) and made by Hermione (brainiest) that will give network access and point to 'home' (place/person/etc) capable of sending correspondence via bird, mainly ravens RESIDENCE IN 2,701 DunDealgan, south of Daonna RESIDENCE IN 2,702 DunDealgan, south of Daonna MAJOR EVENTS BEAST MASTER Due to being the only one able to get close to Cu Chulainn and calm him down while in werewolf form, locals around the area of DunDealgan start to regard Merida as a beast master of sorts. Considering how she feels about his warp spasms, she doesn't exactly like this apparent appointment but if it's to protect him from any sort of torches-and-pitchforks scenario, she'll take it on. [ ✖ ] TRUST IN BLOOD A search through Treun for the escaped convicts of Leathann turns into a dangerous situation. In a moment of desperation, Merida accidentally kills a convict who has the intent of doing something unsavory to her. Traumatized, it's Gilgamesh of all people who pulls her through and reassures her that she did nothing wrong. The golden king, unwittingly, earns himself her trust and loyalty. [ ✖ ] LADY LIONESS The year had seen to a great deal of change in Merida. Not just in something deciding that her fate lay within the other court, but in herself and the actions that she took, in the thoughts that she processed. Some part of her became...less idealistic, as it were, more open to the idea that this was war. It had taken her just near a year in the Drabwurld to accept that as fact, that she'd only be seeing home in her dreams, and half a year later to find it in herself to move on. This land of the fae was her reality now. These were her people. And that was why she needed to protect them. [ ✖ ] MAJOR CHANGES SORCERESS Merida has started to take her magical studies more seriously than before. By the end of the time skip, she should be appropriately trained in all the magics she has taken on, both fire and runic magic. WARRIOR Likewise, Merida has been honing her combat skills throughout the year. With a new sword from Diarmuid as of August and a new bow from Wan as of Yule, she'll feel as though she'll be better prepared for any of the future battles. Having killed her first human (accidentally), Merida starts accepting the idea that it's okay to kill people sometimes.

PLANS co-parenting wolfhound pups with Lancer fire magic training shard training become known as some kind of beast master by the locals visit the new Barrel once a month bandit stomping along a trade route with Korra swan shooting competition with Gilgamesh in April Treun tourney Samhain White Hart Hunt II: the Hart's Revenge SUMMARY OF KNOWN DETAILS For the most of it, Merida will be working on training in both her fire magic and her shard, along with learning some runes from Lancer, when she's not taking part in any of the events happening. Gaining influence in the surrounding area. Strengthening and being able to control her magic will be one of her primary focuses. She'll also be helping out around DunDealgan since she'll feel partially responsible for everyone there, considering she's courting its Lord. Many of her efforts will be going towards building up better personal relations between DunDealgan and the natives surrounding the area. Another thing that I have planned is for her to open up a combat school for women of either court and/or natives only, offering it as a place of refuge during times of battle, and once she's lost her idealism and become a little more war hardened, offer her students out as mercenaries. This will all take time, possibly over the course of two time skips, but ideally I'd like to start planning things out now. TIMELINE OF EVENTS SPRING IN 2,701 (Mar, Apr, May) EARLY MARCH - waking up in Caer Glaem EARLY MARCH - chat with Saber EARLY MARCH - chat with Mako MARCH - making the fortress warm and toasty MARCH - helping Diarmuid control his fire MARCH - being defrosted by Gilgamesh, telling stories of the fae in exchange MARCH - holy Lugh it's a lion MARCH - bandit stomping with Korra LATE MARCH - chat with Ben LATE MARCH - the Barrel MARCH - monthly summary APRIL - things get frisky thanks to the harp (NSFW) APRIL - Diarmuid's birthday at the Barrel APRIL - breaking the harp MAY - swan hunting competition with Gilgamesh. interruption by bandersnatch MAY - running into Ben MAY - monthly summary SUMMER IN 2,701 (Jun, Jul, Aug) TREUN - spectating post tournament TREUN - exploring the markets and drinking TREUN - shopping and talking with Saber TREUN - chat with Hiro TREUN - dancing with Alyosha JUNE - monthly summary JULY - talking with Gilgamesh during beachdraidh JULY - bar fight JULY - helping Diarmuid with CSI: Daonna JULY - reassuring Lancer and going home AUGUST - training and talk with Diarmuid AUGUST - to the Sunsoak Markets. Diarmuid asks an important question AUGUST - monthly summary FALL IN 2,701 (Sept, Oct, Nov) SEPTEMBER - visiting Alice SAMHAIN - relaxing with the bae SAMHAIN - talking with the Shuck SAMHAIN - dancing and talks with Diarmuid SAMHAIN - relaxing and talking with Sam SAMHAIN - adventures in Scima with Gilgamesh SAMHAIN - what happens in Samhain stays at Samhain NOVEMBER - team up with Wan in Daonna NOVEMBER - archery lessons with Wan NOVEMBER - trouble in Treun (cw: sensitive topics) WINTER IN 2,701/2,702 (Dec, Jan, Feb) DECEMBER - rematch with Saber DECEMBER - meeting Diarmuid in fox form DECEMBER - celebrating first year anniversary with Lancer (NSFW) JANUARY - the Barrel FEBRUARY - the Barrel SPRING IN 2,702 (Mar, Apr, May) MARCH - QUEST: skeleton zombies MARCH - post quest wind down. serious talks with Sam (cw: sensitive topics) APRIL - Station date with Hiro LATE APRIL - lone fox LATE APRIL - furry time at the Barrel MAY - stopping Alice from doing something stupid ಠ_ಠ

( codes by whambam )

Comments

[red_branch]

[With a huff, Lancer watched as Merida entered the basin, eyes following her backside with muted interest. Then, his eyes trained along her thighs and when she would have turned her head back to look at him, he was simply gone. As Merida sunk down into the basin, there he was--seated under her, so she would rest soundly on his lap.

Being able to dematerialize came with numerous benefits--to which Lancer pulled his arms around Merida without hesitating.]

There I was, waitin' for you this whole time.

[He was a cheater, but he was a good-spirited cheater at the very least.]

[notyetlegend]

Oh were you now?

[She really should be hardly surprised at this point in their relationship, but there were still some things that did. Merida gave a little huff and settled herself back against him, crossing her arms against the ones around her. It was nice though, she liked this kind of closeness. The warmth provided by the water and his body made it nice and cozy too, Merida thought to herself with a small sigh as she tilted her head back against his shoulder.]

So when does this start to be romantic?

[She hadn't forgotten their earlier comments, even while he was carrying her up here. Merida gives a small hum, her fingers trailing back along one of Lancer's arms, the other hand lifting to cup his cheek, planting a kiss under his jaw.]

[notyetlegend]

Aye, I can understand not wantin' to take th' risk.

[Even if she is causing Hiro to think of all this, she's proud that he's actually thinking about it. She's not pressuring him into talking about it, just throwing questions at him that will make him rethink things. It was a tactic her mother had used during her lessons; forcing her to think about things at a new angle or in a different light. And it seemed like Hiro had hit the nail on the head, if the look on his face says anything. Though the raised eyebrow does get him one of his own. She inclines her head at that, shrugging.]

I never thought I'd fall in love either, yet I've been courtin' for a year an' a half. [Merida pauses here, biting her bottom lip.] As long as you're aware of what you feel, then I don't see th' harm in waitin' longer. If it was me...I'd be takin' my fate by th' reins an' kissin' that boy, because we don't know when this tentative peace will end.

[notyetlegend]

Ah, an' where did he learn that from?

[It's a light hearted tease, her own fingers grazing over his knuckles as she nudges his side a little, Angus' reins in her other hand as he clip cloped along behind them. She didn't mind the quiet much, letting herself enjoy his presence even with him so close to anger, knowing what that was like. After a bit she leaned against him some more, starting to feel like Daonna had never happened.]

[zerotohiro]

[Subtle hinting (and in Tadashi's case, subtle manipulation) always works on Hiro and he looks at her for another long moment without saying anything. The look on his face doesn't change at all though. Falling in love, courting, whatever it was called? It was complicated, but it wasn't going to get any easier. Being painfully self-aware of what he's really dealing with has him on a bit of an edge and it's funny how she's turning this back around to fate.

Yeah. Yeah...take fate by the reins. He slowly grins, lips twisting up into a slightly devious smile as that thought firmly settles in.]

Right. We don't. [Another laugh bubbles up in his chest but he squashes it back down, just nodding to himself.] Thank you, Merida.

[Something else occurs to him though.] When the tentative peace is over though...are we still gonna be friends?

[notyetlegend]

[Her smile dims a little when he asks her that question. That was something she had asked herself over the last year. Would she still be able to be friends with those she had made in Unseelie before she had been taken by the other court? Would she be able to keep in contact with them? She didn't know about any of that but she did know one thing.]

We might not be able to talk to each other but...I'd still like to think we're goin' to be.

[zerotohiro]

[It's an answer he's uncertain of, but it eases the tension a tiny bit and it's something that he can remember later down the line when things get bad. He knows they won't be able to be like this forever, but it's nice for the time being.

And who knows? Maybe he'll take her advice right now, go find Nico and kiss the boy stupid while he still can. He nods in response, showing that he agrees.]

Then promise me you'll stay safe no matter what happens. [A small grin.] You might be Seelie now, but I'm pretty sure the other parts of you haven't entirely gone away just yet. [That is to say? He has a feeling she might be a little reckless still, too.]

[notyetlegend]

I'm old enough to take care of myself.

[Which is to say, yes, she will be staying safe, but somehow she doubted that she'd be able to keep out of any future battles. The Jabberwock debacle had seen to that. Merida leans forward and reaches, tugging at one of his ears with a pinch of her fingers.]

You, on th' other hand, need to promise me that you'll keep your nose out of trouble. If you're anythin' like I was at your age, you'll get your head chopped off an' your shard taken here before you can blink.

[That said, she leans back in her seat, pulling her hand away. At the moment she looks like a very unamused mother.]

[zerotohiro]

I am, too. [He's not. He knows he's not but he can try to at lea--ow hey! There's a small yelp as his hand comes up to swat at her hand, rubbing the spot of his ear tenderly when she lets go. A small frown settles, though he knows she's not entirely wrong.

Damn.]

...all right, all right, fine. I'll be careful. [Well that's only going to work for like a month, whoops.] I promise. I'm not going to let anybody take my shard away without a fight.

[notyetlegend]

[She knows you're technically an adult here, Hiro, but you're still like her little brothers, and considering they're seven and not slowing down, she thinks the same of you too. Merida smiles like she's satisfied with his response when she knows that he'll probably find himself in trouble anyway.]

Good. If I see you on any battlefield, I won't be hesitant to pick you up and drag you back to Dorchadas.

[red_branch]

As if we've ever stopped.

[Lancer stretched his shoulders a little. The basin was small for him, a fair portion of him poking out of the water. Merida's proximity made him forget how uncomfortable that thing was to sit in--when alone, anyway.

Rather than hugging Merida plainly, Lancer pointedly curled fingers around the inside of Merida's thighs, pulling them apart with the ease of suggestion.]

Just like I've had plenty of other things on mind.

[red_branch]

...He came in with that bad habit.

[From the beginning, he was going to flat out deny it.]

[notyetlegend]

[They really did need a bigger basin, Merida thought to herself as she sat back against him. Even though she herself was comfortable in her seat on his lap, she really was only one or two inches from his chin in comparison to his height. She hums when he says that, giving a small sigh and a roll of her eyes as she feels his fingers roaming around her thighs.

There's no suggesting lull from the harp as her legs spread until she's practically straddling his lap like a horse saddle, inner thighs squeezing around him as her fingers spread down and along the arm linked to the exploring hand in a playful caress.]

Mmm? Are you goin' to share those thoughts or am I goin' to make guesses?

[notyetlegend]

[Sorry, Cu, she's just going to snigger a little at that.]

[red_branch]

Ugh. I dunno. How the hell a mother's teachin' their kids that kinda habit is beyond me. It'd mean she had to have that bad habit, herself.

Who the hell teaches a bird that?

[One could tell he's thought of it, before.]

[red_branch]

[There was a minor chuckle that lodged itself in Lancer's throat once Merida properly straddled him. He wasn't interested in doing anything too advanced in the bath--not for Merida's first, anyway. Despite his seemingly flippant personality when it came to making plans, he had actually been thinking quite a bit about what he would do with Merida. Despite himself, Lancer realized there were ways to ruin a woman's impression. He didn't want that.

He would be gentle as he could could manage. Fingers crawled along Merida's stomach before he found her sex, making little, tickling and light gestures against her. Little by little, he would advance and encroach, all while giving her whatever chance to make her own suggestions.]

Tell you what. I'll keep talkin' and do plenty to try and distract you. You--why don't you try recitin' your runes and their effects?

[notyetlegend]

[She wouldn't even think about doing anything too extreme that she wasn't familiar with. Though Merida was eager enough to go through with it, it would probably be better for them to go slowly, at least those were her thoughts. Even just sitting in his lap was sending her cheeks red, and not from anything suggested by the harp. Had this been back when they first started courting, she definitely would have pushed him away, but that's neither here nor there.

One of her hands finds his knees between her legs, settling itself there for now as the other reaches back to cup his neck, nestling into the crook as his wandering hands make her shiver. The water has warmed and softened her skin, and her abdomen clenches when he tickles her down there. Soft breaths leave her mouth, lips parted before she looks at him a little incredulously.]

You want me to recite my runes at a time like this?

[red_branch]

You'll like it. [He tried it once, before--not specifically using runes as the distraction, but Lancer thought it was a good way to ease someone into a good mood. Trying to focus one's mind in a neutral place could make a climax, when it occurred, surprising and vivid. Given his playful nature, making a game of that kind of thing was simply something that came naturally to him.]

When you let your mind drift...

[So, he began his tease. His fingers curled gently and he cupped Merida's mound with his middle and ring fingers, rubbing her a little more firmly each time he flexed his wrist. Lancer could tell immediately that she was trying to focus a certain way and with Merida, focus could be a curse. As much as he loved the banter, there were times and places for it.

Not that the bedroom was off-limits, but he definitely wanted more control over it, admittedly.]

You'll like the surprise.

[notyetlegend]

Fine, fine.

[There's another roll of her eyes and Merida sighs a bit, resting her back against his chest. What could it hurt? There was still a little annoyance in her from earlier, but other than that, she didn't think anything of the position or the fact that this was happening in the wash basin. He'd no doubt move them to the bedroom after, which was something to look forward to.]

Fehu, raidō, ansuz, naudiz, berkano...

[Reciting the runes in no particular order, the first touch of his fingers against her sex made her gasp, breath hitching and lashes fluttering. That...that was a new sensation. Merida's bottom lip slipped between her teeth at the next rub, hand dropping from his neck to join the other on his other knee. A purring noise started to leave her throat at the fourth, runes still leaving her mouth as she started squirming.]

Mnh...

[red_branch]

Berkano... [He trailed after Merida's break in runes, realizing just when he started to hit that sweet spot. Merida kept going even beyond that break, just as Lancer began to pick up the pace. His fingertips, rather than giving her idle rubs, began to find a pattern in their movements. Really, the exercise was for himself as much as it was for her. He remembered the Berkano rune was the one Merida slipped on--so, what he was doing then had really gotten her going. At that point, Lancer went and took advantage of the circular pattern he made when she reached it.

Jokingly, he murmured in her ear as his fingers curled against her mound aggressively, rubbing her quicker once Merida was found out.]

Ah, was that your favorite rune, then?

[notyetlegend]

[Now that she'd thought about it, the Berkano rune had led them to each other twice; the first time with those dogs and the second time the battlefield. It was one that brought good and bad memories, memories she didn't really want to dwell on. The minute Lancer began to pick up is pace, her body started feeling warmer, a strange feeling entering the pit of her gut. She gasped, hips arching as he started touching her more, leaving her squirming in his lap.]

Haa...I have a certain fondness for it.

[Her head tilts back against his shoulder, wanting to push against and rut towards his hand. Lancer had experience, that was going to be her biggest problem. Or rather her downfall. Merida let another noise leave her as he rubs her just right, mouth hanging open.

That wasn't going to stop her from going back to his challenge.]

Isaz, gebō, hagalaz, ehwaz.

[red_branch]

[Giving Merida little room to move, Lancer's middle and index finger found her clit and with a bit of determination, he focused just on that. Drawing his chin a bit lower, Lancer kissed at the lining of her chin just as she began to breathily continue naming the runes. He would make it more complex, he supposed. His free hand lowered to Merida's thigh, drawing warmth along her skin even beyond the water.]


You're getting close.

[That hand traced its way up to Merida's breasts, fingers spread along them just to give her a sense of possessiveness on his part.]

Or, is it just the heat of the bath?

[notyetlegend]

[She's trapped but it doesn't feel like it, and when he starts rubbing her like that she jolts. Merida's lashes flutter and she lets out a small gasp, her reciting stopping again as she tried to collect herself. She was warm from head to toe, tilting her head to let him have more access to her jaw as her breath hitched in a whine. She was definitely close to something, she knew that much, and part of her melted into his possessive hold as she squirmed.]

I...Cu...

[There's a shuddering tremor through her body and it happens, a noise falling from her mouth. A wave of euphoria washes over her as she sinks back against him, knees curling up and inward, out of the water, nails digging into his legs.]

[red_branch]

[He felt like he succeeded, in a way. Merida, who at times could still show a bit of a nervous streak, had her way in what seemed to be the most pleasant of fashions. Lancer lined up a kiss just below Merida's ear, tickling, one eye shut from water that had risen in her moments before climax. Considerate enough, Lancer let his fingers dance on her awhile longer before they stopped--just to avoid numbing her too much. When he was done, Lancer did something fairly rude.

He vanished in a puff of magic, standing up suddenly just beyond where he and Merida undressed, before. Hands on his hips, Lancer stood right there with his member standing on end, excitement impossible to conceal.

It was a coy gesture on his part.]

Alright! Scrub up and follow along, Princess.

[He walked from the bath-house back to his own chamber without a second thought--exactly as he was.]

[notyetlegend]

[There's a small, brief moment of shock as she feels the warmth at her back vanish, still coming down from feeling that had washed over her just a few minutes before. When she realizes what happened, a scowl sets itself on her face, pulling away from the edge of the basin and hefting herself out to follow, having a though to beat him within an inch of his life. Second life anyway.

Wet feet slap against the stone of the castle as she raced to catch up, nearly slipping and completely starkers herself but not caring right now because of how mad she was. Eventually, she reached to take hold of his wrist and yank him around to pull him down slightly for a breathless kiss, water dripping down her skin. Merida pulled back a hair's breath, blue eyes blazing.]

Do that to me again an' I'll make you wish you hadn't.

[By which she means leaving her like that so abruptly, because Merida's next intent is to take Lancer by the hand and drag him the rest of the way to his chambers.]