[She had felt it was right to give both Clive and Joshua time to adjust to their current situation, waiting only a day or two to approach Clive after the incident with the wyvern. She had wanted to ask sooner but part of her felt it should wait. She couldn’t get the look the two brothers had exchanged out of her head. She hated not knowing.]
Clive? Are you awake?
[It was evening, so she’s sure he is in his room. She only had to knock and wait. Her thoughts were already turning things over in her head. There were questions - did they defeat Barnabas? What else was she missing?]
[Clive has meant to tell Jill. It's the right thing to do. And yet, between settling himself in this new world and trying to gather the right words, he has ended up putting it off. He will tell her, though. He has to. It's only fair that she knows the truth, especially since Joshua knows, too, and seems quite insistent about it.
Tomorrow, he tells himself. Tonight, he'll get some rest and prepare himself.
But as he undresses in preparation for said rest, there comes a knock on his door and that devastatingly familiar voice outside. Ah. So it seems he might have this conversation earlier than expected. That's probably for the best. He takes a breath and moves to the door, opening it.
He's just dressed in a shirt and trousers which is not the most proper for receiving a woman so late at night - thought that in and of itself is also not so proper - but he doesn't want to keep her waiting.]
[Ah. Now that she is in front of him, she realizes that not only is he clearly dressed to sleep but, in her haste, so is she. Even if it is still modest, perhaps she could have been less impulsive. It had taken her at least this long to talk herself into asking him about everything.]
Oh. [A look of surprise appears briefly on her face. There were other feelings attached to that, of course. As there seemed to be ever since they had found one another again. There had been so much going on that little time was spent dwelling on such things. Now was no exception. The conversation she wants to have is important.]
Did I wake you?
[For a moment she falters, wondering if she should ask him tomorrow.]
I just... I was hoping we could talk? If I'm not disturbing you.
[Clive hadn't even thought about what she would be wearing he opened his door, so he's just as surprised as she is at her state of dress. Not that a chemise is scandalous, not when he's seen her in less.
That thought nearly distracts him, until he remembers that she doesn't and he isn't about to let his body betray him so easily. He clears his throat and shakes his head, stepping aside so she can come in, if she likes.]
You didn't. And you aren't. Disturbing me, I mean.
[Clive takes a breath, finding he needs to steady himself for whatever reason.]
You can always speak with me, Jill. Even if I am asleep.
[While the fabric is still quite thin, he'll probably be relieved that it doesn't cling to Jill's body at all, nor does it hang higher than just below her knees. There are still curves that might distract, however subtle they are, and her hair is even untied - braid and all - but otherwise he is safe from temptation.
A feeling of relief washes over her. He isn't bothered. He isn't turning her away. Even so, Jill still feels as if she has to summon a little more fortitude. She wonders how much more he and Joshua know that went unsaid.She steps into his room, looking around.]
Thank you. Maybe I should have waited until the morning, but I felt like I couldn't anymore. It's just... I was hoping you could tell me what happened? When you rescued me. There is more to it than you or Joshua have said and I didn't want to pry about it, because I wanted you both to settle in.
[It was difficult, because she felt that if she didn't say everything she wanted to say, then she might not be able to ask him at all. Looking for the nearest place to sit - which happens to be the end of his bed, she looks up at him.]
I hope that it's alright that I ask now? I want to know.
[It's rare to see Jill in anything other than her usual adventuring clothes, even if Clive knows realistically she has other things to wear. Like now. There's nothing to be surprised about, but he can't help staring anyway. Not too long, of course, not when she's come to him to talk about important matters.
He turns away to close the door, but hesitates to shut it entirely. What would it look like, even just to Joshua, to invite a woman into his room at night? What if Jill doesn't want to stay beyond hearing what Clive has to say? Ah, but while Clive believes Joshua is aware of one of the bigger developments since Kanver, the other...isn't something he wants his younger brother to hear. Assuming he even gets around to telling Jill. That's a bridge he'll cross when he gets to it, he supposes.
So he shuts the door completely before joining Jill on the edge of his bed.]
You're not prying. I...shouldn't have waited this long.
[Clive breathes in. Nowhere else to start than at the beginning.]
After Barnabas captured you, Mid made improvements to the Enterprise so she would be able to catch up to the Einherjar. We eventually did. Torgal and I found you, but Barnabas started fighting Joshua and split the sea in the process. We, and the Einherjar, fell to the bottom where Barnabas found us.
[Clive pauses, this detail still smarting.]
He bested me a second time.
[Hands gripping the edge of the bed, he leans forward a little.]
The sea began to fall back in on itself and you froze a path for us so we could reach Ash. We had to wait for the others to come rescue us.
[And this is where Clive really starts to falter. The details up to this point have been simple and straightforward, even if they do make him feel like a failure. But that night on the beach...]
[It isn’t hard to catch him staring. It makes her feel self conscious and something else she couldn’t put into words. It didn’t bother her that he was looking. She watches him as he deliberates before closing the door, listening to him and trying not to be completely aware of how close they are when they sit on the bed together.
She could feel his frustration as he described everything up to their escape. Her hand immediately moves to cover his, the worry crystal clear on her face. She never wanted to see Clive hurt like that again.]
As long as you weren’t hurt again, that’s what matters. I was terrified when I saw Joshua holding you up and dragging you away.
[She takes his hand, hoping he might release the tension and frustration.]
We didn’t…?
[What did they do while waiting? It felt like she came away with more questions than answers.]
I recovered faster this second time. He won't kill me. He won't kill Mythos.
[He spits out that name, hating every connection he has to it.]
He'll just wait for me to grow stronger or...or give up. Give myself to Ultima.
[Clive looks down to see her hand covering his own, his breath hitching. Just like that night. The desire to take her into his arms and...and at least hold her, if not outright kiss her rises up inside him, but he swallows it down. Not yet. He hasn't even really told her anything.]
Don't apologize. If you haven't experienced it, you cannot be expected to know.
[He turns his hand over beneath hers, so they can rest palm to palm. And when he opens his mouth again, almost entirely of its own volition, he whispers his first confession.]
[Her own breath catches in her throat as they both realize and remember that first night they had reunited. Had Gav not interrupted, they likely would have kissed. No one was here to interrupt them now.
When she speaks, her voice is low, as if afraid of ruining the moment. She felt the pull to be closer and do something about that distance between them.]
You will beat him. I know you will.
[Jill laces their fingers together, not missing a beat. Her mouth opens and closes when he mentions Shiva, tells her that she has given her to him. She wasn’t the happiest about it but doesn’t doubt him.]
I see. I’m sure I had my reasons.
[She leans in somewhat, looking up at him. There was no expectation of anything, but she could not deny the pull anymore.]
If it will help you fight then I’m glad. Did something else happen to change my mind and give her to you?
[He looks down at their hands, wishing it hadn't been accompanied by him giving her less than pleasant news. That night on the beach, Jill had reassured him that she wanted to do it, but her reaction here leaves him with some doubt and a little bit of guilt. He has only consciously had Ifrit for about five years, but she has had Shiva for far longer. Despite the pain that Eikon's existence has caused her, she's also the only one Jill has had all this time.
And then she was gone in the span of a few moments. Clive has no idea how that feels.]
You know how I am. That I fight for those I love and take their burdens as my own, even if I'm not alone. You told me as much and said you were going to help me.
[Glancing up from their hands, Clive is a little surprised to see her so close but doesn't pull away. He raises his other hand to brush some of her hair out of her face.]
[Jill feels relief that is the conclusion they came to. She wasn’t going to let him shoulder it alone.]
Good. The last thing I want is to watch you charge in alone. I don’t think I could have given her up only to watch you do that. I do still want to help you.
[She closes her eyes for a moment when he touches her. It made her heart race only slightly. She looks up at him again, trying to fight the urge to just lean into him and close that space between them.]
Thank you for saving me, Clive.
[He had a few times now. They saved each other. She didn’t want him to do anything alone. It would have been too much to bear. Unable to keep the distance between then anymore, she reaches for him in turn, resting her palm against his cheek.]
[Without her. Not Shiva alone, but Jill. She stood by him when they returned to Phoenix Gate, he supported her when they infiltrated the Iron Kingdom. That's how it should be between them.
His fingertips gently trail down to her cheek even as she touches his own and he feels his heart pound furiously in his chest. Which is absurd. He's done this before and yet it feels so different and new.]
As long as I draw breath, I will always save you.
[But he can't keep himself in check forever, not when he knows what Jill tastes like and how soft her lips are. His hand moves to the back of her neck, keeping her steady as he leans in and presses his lips to her own.]
[He isn’t the only one affected. When he kisses her, Jill immediately responds by tangling her free hand in his hair. She is still surprised by it, a soft gasp escaping when his mouth meets hers. How many times had she imagined this in the last five years? There had always been more important things to dwell on so it was pushed aside.
She leans into him, her other hand and still holding fast to his. Distantly, she knows this might be inappropriate, being in his room alone and in her night clothes. She can’t seem to find it in herself to care.
It feels as if the air has been sucked out of the room. A soft needy sound escapes between kisses but she isn’t sure what exactly she needs beyond him kissing her. Kissing him is new and wonderful and she doesn’t want it to end.]
Edited (I swear to god I just write jibberish) 2023-09-20 14:19 (UTC)
Evening walks are hardly an inconvenience. Rather, I relish the opportunity, as does Torgal.
You need not feel embarrassed. The both of you have been making besotted eyes at one another for how long now?
[ Even if his hearing had completely diminished, he'd still know the morning after just from looking at them –which is more or less how he'd figured it out back in their world. ]
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pecsonthebeach) wrote2030-08-06 04:10 pm
Action; A few days after reuniting - Evening
Clive? Are you awake?
[It was evening, so she’s sure he is in his room. She only had to knock and wait. Her thoughts were already turning things over in her head. There were questions - did they defeat Barnabas? What else was she missing?]
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Tomorrow, he tells himself. Tonight, he'll get some rest and prepare himself.
But as he undresses in preparation for said rest, there comes a knock on his door and that devastatingly familiar voice outside. Ah. So it seems he might have this conversation earlier than expected. That's probably for the best. He takes a breath and moves to the door, opening it.
He's just dressed in a shirt and trousers which is not the most proper for receiving a woman so late at night - thought that in and of itself is also not so proper - but he doesn't want to keep her waiting.]
Jill. Is everything all right?
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Oh. [A look of surprise appears briefly on her face. There were other feelings attached to that, of course. As there seemed to be ever since they had found one another again. There had been so much going on that little time was spent dwelling on such things. Now was no exception. The conversation she wants to have is important.]
Did I wake you?
[For a moment she falters, wondering if she should ask him tomorrow.]
I just... I was hoping we could talk? If I'm not disturbing you.
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That thought nearly distracts him, until he remembers that she doesn't and he isn't about to let his body betray him so easily. He clears his throat and shakes his head, stepping aside so she can come in, if she likes.]
You didn't. And you aren't. Disturbing me, I mean.
[Clive takes a breath, finding he needs to steady himself for whatever reason.]
You can always speak with me, Jill. Even if I am asleep.
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A feeling of relief washes over her. He isn't bothered. He isn't turning her away. Even so, Jill still feels as if she has to summon a little more fortitude. She wonders how much more he and Joshua know that went unsaid.She steps into his room, looking around.]
Thank you. Maybe I should have waited until the morning, but I felt like I couldn't anymore. It's just... I was hoping you could tell me what happened? When you rescued me. There is more to it than you or Joshua have said and I didn't want to pry about it, because I wanted you both to settle in.
[It was difficult, because she felt that if she didn't say everything she wanted to say, then she might not be able to ask him at all. Looking for the nearest place to sit - which happens to be the end of his bed, she looks up at him.]
I hope that it's alright that I ask now? I want to know.
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He turns away to close the door, but hesitates to shut it entirely. What would it look like, even just to Joshua, to invite a woman into his room at night? What if Jill doesn't want to stay beyond hearing what Clive has to say? Ah, but while Clive believes Joshua is aware of one of the bigger developments since Kanver, the other...isn't something he wants his younger brother to hear. Assuming he even gets around to telling Jill. That's a bridge he'll cross when he gets to it, he supposes.
So he shuts the door completely before joining Jill on the edge of his bed.]
You're not prying. I...shouldn't have waited this long.
[Clive breathes in. Nowhere else to start than at the beginning.]
After Barnabas captured you, Mid made improvements to the Enterprise so she would be able to catch up to the Einherjar. We eventually did. Torgal and I found you, but Barnabas started fighting Joshua and split the sea in the process. We, and the Einherjar, fell to the bottom where Barnabas found us.
[Clive pauses, this detail still smarting.]
He bested me a second time.
[Hands gripping the edge of the bed, he leans forward a little.]
The sea began to fall back in on itself and you froze a path for us so we could reach Ash. We had to wait for the others to come rescue us.
[And this is where Clive really starts to falter. The details up to this point have been simple and straightforward, even if they do make him feel like a failure. But that night on the beach...]
...Jill. We didn't just...wait.
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She could feel his frustration as he described everything up to their escape. Her hand immediately moves to cover his, the worry crystal clear on her face. She never wanted to see Clive hurt like that again.]
As long as you weren’t hurt again, that’s what matters. I was terrified when I saw Joshua holding you up and dragging you away.
[She takes his hand, hoping he might release the tension and frustration.]
We didn’t…?
[What did they do while waiting? It felt like she came away with more questions than answers.]
I’m sorry… for not remembering all of this.
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[He spits out that name, hating every connection he has to it.]
He'll just wait for me to grow stronger or...or give up. Give myself to Ultima.
[Clive looks down to see her hand covering his own, his breath hitching. Just like that night. The desire to take her into his arms and...and at least hold her, if not outright kiss her rises up inside him, but he swallows it down. Not yet. He hasn't even really told her anything.]
Don't apologize. If you haven't experienced it, you cannot be expected to know.
[He turns his hand over beneath hers, so they can rest palm to palm. And when he opens his mouth again, almost entirely of its own volition, he whispers his first confession.]
You gave Shiva to me.
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When she speaks, her voice is low, as if afraid of ruining the moment. She felt the pull to be closer and do something about that distance between them.]
You will beat him. I know you will.
[Jill laces their fingers together, not missing a beat. Her mouth opens and closes when he mentions Shiva, tells her that she has given her to him. She wasn’t the happiest about it but doesn’t doubt him.]
I see. I’m sure I had my reasons.
[She leans in somewhat, looking up at him. There was no expectation of anything, but she could not deny the pull anymore.]
If it will help you fight then I’m glad. Did something else happen to change my mind and give her to you?
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And then she was gone in the span of a few moments. Clive has no idea how that feels.]
You know how I am. That I fight for those I love and take their burdens as my own, even if I'm not alone. You told me as much and said you were going to help me.
[Glancing up from their hands, Clive is a little surprised to see her so close but doesn't pull away. He raises his other hand to brush some of her hair out of her face.]
You did.
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Good. The last thing I want is to watch you charge in alone. I don’t think I could have given her up only to watch you do that. I do still want to help you.
[She closes her eyes for a moment when he touches her. It made her heart race only slightly. She looks up at him again, trying to fight the urge to just lean into him and close that space between them.]
Thank you for saving me, Clive.
[He had a few times now. They saved each other. She didn’t want him to do anything alone. It would have been too much to bear. Unable to keep the distance between then anymore, she reaches for him in turn, resting her palm against his cheek.]
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[Without her. Not Shiva alone, but Jill. She stood by him when they returned to Phoenix Gate, he supported her when they infiltrated the Iron Kingdom. That's how it should be between them.
His fingertips gently trail down to her cheek even as she touches his own and he feels his heart pound furiously in his chest. Which is absurd. He's done this before and yet it feels so different and new.]
As long as I draw breath, I will always save you.
[But he can't keep himself in check forever, not when he knows what Jill tastes like and how soft her lips are. His hand moves to the back of her neck, keeping her steady as he leans in and presses his lips to her own.]
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She leans into him, her other hand and still holding fast to his. Distantly, she knows this might be inappropriate, being in his room alone and in her night clothes. She can’t seem to find it in herself to care.
It feels as if the air has been sucked out of the room. A soft needy sound escapes between kisses but she isn’t sure what exactly she needs beyond him kissing her. Kissing him is new and wonderful and she doesn’t want it to end.]
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text; un: margrace - morning after that night
Should I make myself scarce during more evenings to come?
un: underhill
No, that's...not necessary.
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On the contrary, I find it rather necessary.
These walls are less sturdier than those of the Hideaway, I have recently come to learn.
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Knowing the two of you are getting along so well brings me joy.
Besides, would it not put you at better ease if I were to take Torgal on
an extended walk to give you both much needed privacy?
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I do not wish to put you out of your own dwelling on a whim. If this happens again, perhaps I will take Jill and myself elsewhere.
Also, I hope you know this is not a conversation I ever expected to have with my brother. Or anyone, really.
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Rather, I relish the opportunity, as does Torgal.
You need not feel embarrassed. The both of you have been making besotted eyes at one another for how long now?
[ Even if his hearing had completely diminished, he'd still know the morning after just from looking at them –which is more or less how he'd figured it out back in their world. ]
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[Well.]
"Besotted eyes"? Surely not.
[And yet, even as he says it, Clive doesn't quite believe himself.]
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It would do him some good.
And it would do you some good as well.
I have been meaning to explore the city further beyond its libraries and book shops anyway.
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Have the libraries and book shops been to your liking?
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There are also lots of dramatic texts should you find yourself in need of a different kind of stimulation from time to time.
[ He knows Clive is a closet nerd so he might just buy some for him anyway. ]
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I don't remember the last time I was able to read a book in full for pleasure.
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