How many moons had it been since he spent any sort of length of time like this with another? How long had it been since he had felt another’s touch in such a way? A sense of passion beyond passion, something that many would key together with love and a soft yet delightful embrace of a romance finding itself in fruition? Maybe too long, maybe for too long he had gone without the sensation of another even in passing. But here with Coventina he had found someone that had shared so much with him in such a short amount of time it was hard not to be passionate with her in some sense. She lead and he followed, he was the sort that always had that sense of service to another and he performed remarkably.

But the length of the night could only last so long and even though he was akin to the beasts that ran amok in lands distant he had his limits. Limits that saw him sleeping soundly after they had their fill of one another's company. His eyelids and body felt heavy for a time, an certain ache brought about his rest far faster than most. But like many others that may share the same semblance he didn’t leave, he didn’t try to make excuses. He stayed and he’d keep like that.

He was a gentleman first and foremost, as though by clockwork the sun’s earliest breath crossed about his face. Slowly bringing his piercing eyes into focus as it woke him. He had purchased for the both of them one of the most luxurious inn rooms that jewels could buy. The bed was king sized, having many fine blankets and even finer above him was a semblance of contentment he couldn’t initially get past. His face slowly split into a small smile. Laying there for a few moments before turning his gaze to where his… companion may lay for the moment. He wasn’t sure if she had fallen asleep shortly after him or maybe she had been restless with the kitsune so close. But he’d do his best not to disturb her either way as he slipped out of the bed.

His scar on his chest that also sang on his back was easily spotted, the top portion of that massive cut also had his old guild symbol still inlaid in both fur and flesh. Earning a soft frown from him, he really should do something about that. He pondered for a moment if he should bother putting on anything for the moment and eventually decided on his undershirt. Maybe he’d throw on pants later once his legs felt less sore.

The rest of the room was just as luxurious as the bed, cabinets that couldn’t help but make him think of some of the rarer cuts of wood. A large mirror that earned him a stare as he looked himself over. He looked a lot healthier, a lot more energetic. There was a fire in his eyes he thought he lost. Letting out a soft sigh he’d turn back and look to his companion. There was a tint, a tingle, a sensation of sorts in his eyes before he’d rub at his face with a paw.

He should make them breakfast, the kitchen here came with all sorts of goodies that the inn provided if you wanted to make something for the both of you or order something if you didn’t. Smiling to himself he’d start to work on it, some fowl, eggs, maybe a few strips of bacon for each of them… There were some fruit to be cut too. His tails would work on most of the prep work while his hands busied themselves with the stove. He felt… for the first time in a long time that he could be happy with how this turned out. His ears perking a little bit as he could hear someone walk by the front door but their footsteps eventually faded leaving skald thinking to himself…

Maybe… just maybe he should consider getting a home or private residence once again…

Coventina Carmen was a vicious trollop.

This is to say, that was her outward appearance - her intent, in the way she moved and beguiled and dizzied these mortal creatures to play at their fancies - it was a role she played and one she did so well, but a role is all it was meant to be. That isn't to say she didn't experience lust; the previous hours with Skald proved that exceptionally, including utmost the damage she had made to the baseboard with the drag of her claws and the wood shattered by her touch. She was the indelicate type.

Her personal satisfaction and a means to her end - generally, feeding, if not money from the other party - was meant to be the sum of these trysts. The times where she'd bed another and leave them in both a salvageable and sleeping soundly piece, while she lingered nearby, could be counted on her tongue. It'd roll with her breath, frosting the back of one of his rested ears and tingling with cold down a chill of his neck.

What more could she get from Skald? She'd spend the wee hours of the evening before the light of dawn considering this question, tracing a hand of blinding white through a shaft of moonlight that spilled from a window and over Skald's scar. She'd run her fingers light and feathery through his fur, searching for a meaning in the symbol of a guild she had never seen before. Her own privacy might be valuable, but did that go as well for wicked men like this? He played in these darker spaces, but he was not one of hers, nor one of others she knew of. He had said his role changed often; what, truly, was it now? She'd never believe someone could get a hand over her ... but if she didn't leave now, what would he make with all the things she didn't know about him? There wasn't room enough in this bed for both of their secrets. Not once she cut it down to size about their legs.

She shifted closer to him, an exhalation from her nose fanning the fur of his throat, and she'd part her lips to drink in the scent. Thrum thrum thrum. She had no other way to stave off this exhaustion ... the energy she had expended ... save for one little bite. What did demi-human taste like? She had never supped from a man of beasts before. She stalled, his breath the only sound she made out of the room. She made none. And yet ... and yet ... these things she didn't understand about him, what were the answers worth to her? Where would her curiosity lead her to, sly as the cat? Her hand roamed down his back, caressing above his waist only to trail to his shoulder again. She lingered on the view, such unearthly pale on his russet fur, and this would be the last thing she saw as sleep hit her like a wave. Ah ... next time, then ...

She awoke alone in the bed, inching away from the sunlight that buzzed outside their abode, and she remained immaculate - a bonus to being undead. She saved a lot of money on make-up products. She sniffed the air, twitching an ear, and took the unobserved chance to roll out her legs and arms in twists that crackled along her bones. She unbusied herself from the sheets in an uncharacteristically slow fashion, blinking away the exhaustion she still felt, and the creep of red in her eyes warned her of spending too much time active in the daylight hours 'til she could 'recoup' her energy tonight. She thumbed back her bangs until her hair fell kept, grumbling a purr from her throat to dissipate into her usual tenor. "Skald?" She called, feeling almost strange to ask after him - but unwilling to be the one left in the morning. There would be great, bloody vengeance to pay.

She'd lift from the bed, undressed save her delicates from the night, and would drag along the blanket like a silken sheet around her frame. She found her bearing on every footstep, gliding through the room to the source of various sounds in the kitchen nearby. She'd meet him at the doorway, peeking in and leaning against the frame with the sheet clutched at her chest, and smiled wry. "Well; good morning, Fox. Did you sleep kindly?"

Skald didn’t know fully the type of person that Coventina was; but the thing was with that… is that she didn’t either. They both knew that they were predators, they both knew that they were dangerous, they both had charisma, powerful beings in their own right. One or the other could have been ‘on top’ as it were without much of a fuss if they truly sat down and figured it out. The roles that they took and agreed on was mutual and skald was willing to do much more than what she likely would have anticipated. Compared to the damage she dealt to the baseboard his touch was gentle and caring. But his focus was more on the person ‘above’ him than the furnishings anyways and many of his tails would engulf the both of them in a teasing fashion.

He was not unused to this, he was not unused to seeing someone go after something like this and the fact that they both stuck together here made it feel… so much better. It had been many moons since he had done anything like this and further yet that made him feel like it. Maybe back when he had become a man and shortly before the incident with the draugr. His awareness to how she felt about him was… partial at best. His focus was just far too much on caring for her; even while he slept. He was a heavy sleeper when comfortable and she’d be able to watch his chest rise and fall without much a fuss.

His scar was ugly but well taken care of, at some point perhaps in it’s infancy that it had gotten infected or a part was too deep where it had a deeper red color than the rest. It went from one shoulder to his hip and it seemed to practically cleave him in two. The fur would never grow back as long as he lived unless some powerful healing magic was made manifest. The light touch to both fur and skin was largely uneventful for him at least. He was used to some touch.

His symbol for his previous guild lay dormant, never to rise again to prominent nature. It had given up everything but it had been added to his being much like the red symbols on his thighs or face. His role had grown from a simple butler to that of a warrior. The sword that sat across from the bed on a stand seemed to glow with a lust for violence that sang so deep that there was only one answer. He had no reason or need to make everything about himself known other than a few paltry things unless she wanted to go deeper.

The scent that she would get from him was deep, it was rich, charged with a mana of such intensity that it was like lightning had burned out all the darkness in his heart. The sensations and touch from her hands across his body made him tremble in his sleep before she found herself tiring. He would rest with her, together until the sun had caressed him…

He may have left her alone in bed, but she wouldn’t be denied his warmth. His simple presence in the other room would be felt sooner rather than later. An ear twitched, then two, the food sizzled and his hands paused. He heard his name and he felt his breathe catch in his throat. Would she feel like he left her? He’d let out a soft sigh, answering her calling for his name.

”In the kitchen Coventina, making us breakfast.”

His voice was happy, he was in tune with things. There was a gentleness to the voice that had an infinite understanding of what she was feeling. Too many times he had woken up to find the sheets barren and cold. With nothing but the whims of those that came before. The steps that came to the kitchen would find the kitsune there, his hands in motion and dancing through the food with care. His smile widened a bit and he’d gaze back at her. Admiring her beauty and how it simply took his breath away even now. Even more so than when they spent the night of passion together. There was a kindle in his heart and he had to take steps to make sure it didn’t grow too fast…

”Good morning indeed. I slept very kindly thanks to you. What of yourself?”

His fangs dragged over his lips and a few of the foxes’ tails waved at her shyly. If it wasn’t for the sizzling of the food and the motions of his body well… she’d likely be able to hear his heart pounding in his chest still. His eyes swept over to hers and held them with a kind gaze.

”Hope you’re hungry..”

She would meet the fox with an odd brew of sorts in her gaze; a number of emotions, exclusive thoughts you'd have to chew through piecemeal to make any sense of them. Curiosity? For why had he stayed this morning after, and why hadn't she taken her chance to make better use of him than a - fairly - lovely lay? Was she hoping for another round? Was that then lust in her eyes, joined with a particular sort of bemusement at the role he took in the morning? The questioning glint to her unnaturally warm eyes on him was perhaps the most parsable aspect of her in that doorway. That and the framing of the sheets as they clutched at her and she clutched it back, a shameless slope to her pale shoulders.

This didn't touch on the fatigue, the questions she had of his past and his intentions here, and the ... humor she found in his effort of preparation. How did she break this to him? She was getting tired of running questions to herself while he stood all handsome and cheery in the low light of the inn's morning. She earned herself a wry laugh, her voice still soft from sleep despite the easy way she appeared to blink it away. Some things not even near-immortality solved. She would never be a morning person: she wouldn't be up at this hour at all if not for the recent -- events. "My oh my, Skald Ragnulf," she liked the way his name felt on her lips. She had played with it her fair share in the preceding hours.

"You look adorable." And there was that last little flicker of light; an uncharacteristic gentleness in just the very elusive gleam of her eyes, fading as it comes but a testament all the same. He had earned himself her favor for the moment. He wasn't all too bad to be around, to be honest. She wouldn't mind a continued ... partnership. Ah, alas; "My apologies. Far be it for me to appear rude ... but I don't really eat in the mornings. It doesn't agree with my constitution." She'd offer here a knowing smile, thin on her lips.

She kept her vampirism not so much a closely guarded secret and far more of a show, don't tell & 'if you know you know' deal. There were people out there for took great umbrage with her nature and even very existence; surprising, that. She wasn't going to rile up some kind of sleeper hunter, but she was fairly certain she could manage her own affairs if he put the pieces together and tried an unkindness. Was she sizing him up again? Not quite. The way her eyes roamed him ... they held a greater interest than a brawl. She exhaled through her nose, quirking an eyebrow higher with a lift to her expression of passive affability. "I actually slept rather soundly. It didn't take much longer for me to join you ... though you seemed the more tuckered of us both. Tell me, Skald,"

A chuckle that was born and killed in her throat, coming in only a playful huff. "Did you enjoy your night?" Seeking praise, was she? Unlikely. The rush of blood to mortal creature's cheeks, now ... She'd lift her hand to her cheek, leaning into it as she watched him and cocked her hip back at his tails like she'd be greeting them as well.

He wouldn’t blame her if she was surprised that he stuck around; wouldn’t be surprised if she had some reservations of waking up in the morning while being on her own. He wouldn’t do that to her; he wouldn’t do that to any person that he had spent an intimate amount of time with. He’d stare at her for a moment; watching her thought process. Her movements; ever little bit of her told a story and he’d let out a pleased hum as he could see those sheets clutch at her frame. A frame that he became very familiar with over the night.

Hearing his name on her lips again made him grin somewhat; he enjoyed the sensation of it from her. He’d adjust slightly and slowly pull the food together from the various places he had been preparing it from. He’d perk a little bit as she called him adorable, his smile widened a bit more and his tooth grin came full circle.

”You’re one to talk Coventina.”

He’d nod his head as she gave her explanation regarding the reason why she didn’t eat in the mornings. There was plenty for him and he needed to regain some energy anyways. Though he had to wonder if she ate later or perhaps used something else to get herself energy? He had met plenty of people that used either mana or other substances to get energy. Coffee was a good bet. Though there was a small tickle in the back of his head that suggested darker paths but he had no reason to think that outright.

”Just let me know if you want something to eat later then. I reckon I could figure something out for you.”

Another charming smile and he’d serve up himself a plate; setting the extra food into some containers for later. Magically sealed and cooled they’d last a good while and would be a good breakfast for tomorrow he figured. His ears flicked again and he was glad to hear that she slept well; though it seemed to him that she seemed surprised he was up which earned a soft laugh. Did he enjoy his night? It was a question that a few flicks and waves of his tails seemed to indicate he very much so did.

”I bounce back fairly quickly from many things, suppose it’s just natural for my kind. Even more so that I can’t help but feel… more charged than normal.”

He wasn’t evading the question so much as he walked his way over to her, gently offering his hand for her to take again. His smile widening a bit and it was clear what he maybe had in mind. If she took it wellllll…

”I enjoyed it thoroughly. Both your company and our activities.”

"My, Skald Ragnulf," and there was no quieting to her teasing, the lull of her tone rumbling from under her tongue on each taste of air to brush him anew. "You think me cute?"She'd only continue with her lips curving up at their edges, pulling until she was almost - almost - smiling, with any additional affection blasphemed through the light in her eyes peering into his. Something too warm turned into something burning, embers of gold to light with sparks of red until her vision swan with a searching marigold. "You know ... I'll take the compliment. I simply don't have the clothes to defend myself." The exhalation that followed was a laugh, cooling the room a degree with her humor.

Now, something to eat ...? She drew her tongue back into her mouth, rolling it along the roof of her mouth and building a hum that edged the length of her canines. She'd watch him, quiet in his considerations, and she followed him with her eyes down - up - the slope of his arms, the curve of his shoulder, the collar of his neck ... the thrum, thrum, thrum she could hear even now in his throat ... and then she, equally, imagined the fur sticking through her teeth and thought once more better of it. Yes, that was a good enough reason. A joke she could only tell to herself in the span of those short moments. She laughed again, a little louder, echoing off the walls to die where they began - at her ghost of a grin. "For some reason, I believe you. Do you make a habit of damseling your girls, sweet Skald? I could almost get used to being so spoiled."

Her eyes flickered in a blink, trailing back to the window panes and the little light that tried to sneak its way in. She'd shy from the sun in a step that only brought her closer to him, using it as an equal excuse and a practiced movement to take his hand. She'd run the point of a nail laced still with the wood from their headboard along the press of his pad, circling them in quiet seconds that she didn't seek to break too soon. Such an interesting physiology. Such a strange, funny man. "I've been known to have that effect ..." She'd trail off to lean in, brushing his cheek with her own and one of those pointed ears with the chill of her breath. Hhhha. "Electrifying, that is."

He was still a man. This, despite his appearance, she learned early. She knew a thing or two around those. She'd lap his paw, pushing her thumb into its center until her other fingers could draw back over its top and scritch into his fur. Another round, were they due for? She'd hardly turn it down, even with her energy where it was ... and, yet ...

"I would never pry...," she lied, quite obviously, "but there was the mark of a guild I caught earlier and didn't recognize on you ... last night. It wouldn't be one from around here, would it?" One step at a time, leading a dance back to the bed.

”Why wouldn’t I~?”

The fox let out a soft chuckle; there was no reason he wouldn’t. In fact he could list the reasons fairly well and with seeing her smiling or at least close to smiling it made him happy in a sense. There was a warmth in his chest and his heart beat a little faster. He enjoyed showering her with praise among other things. Though her mentioning the lack of clothing led to him eyeing her again. She certainly was lacking clothing and the only thing to keep him from admiring her form again was that sheet.

”Im certain you could defend yourself either way.”

They were both dangerous to a degree and he’d let out a soft breath; wondering quietly where that might had led if they had indeed come under some kind of attack. It’d be… interesting to say the least. Feeling the eyes on him the kitsune watched her quietly; it wasn’t hard for him to want her to pay more attention to him. He enjoyed it quite thoroughly. His ears flicked and one of his tails seemed to make an almost bashful sort of wave. He had no idea what she was imagining that led to that laugh but he assumed it had to do with him making girls his damsel.

”I was certainly a lot cruder when I was younger, my dear Coventina. But I could get used to spoiling you.”

With her taking his hand; he’d smile warmly. He let her lead as much as she liked; it was clear that she valued the ability to control pace and he didn’t blame her. The sensation of her fingers on his pad earned a soft tremble from the limb; they were often sensitive. Though with her brushing his cheek with hers and the chill of her breath against his ear he’d let out a soft one of his own.

”Mmm… I’d believe it too.”

Her further teasing of his hand made him shiver; she certainly did know how to tease him and he certainly didn’t mind. His tails straightening and there being a deep rumble in his chest as they practically started that dance all over again. Though both of his ears perked and the scritching at his fur earned yet another shiver. Ah here came the questions he was used to… well. Maybe not this particular one as no one had seen his inert guild symbol. He’d let out a somewhat heartbroken sigh.

”No it’s not from around here. It’s from the north. Once called Sleeping Calamity; now it slumbers permanently to my knowledge. Not very many people outside of the area would recognize it I’m afraid.”

His smile grew a little bit and his brows furrowed in; he looked almost apologetic. His time with the guild had been… happy for lack of a better term even if he hadn’t done much in it other than set up things for the other members as they asked. He was basically a glorified butler at that time.

"Oh, my dear, don't you worry," she spoke soft, low. Her tone came almost husky, rumbling forth with a purr to entrance him if only as quid pro quo - he had cast his own little spell, keeping her in this inn room the night after yet appearing to seek only her ... comfort? Men got stranger and stranger with the times. "I'm sure you can still be a little crude. What else are those mighty teeth for, mm?" There was little need for barriers between them, what with the walls they had already broken down, so her free hand would lift to cup and trace the side of his muzzle. She'd run an immaculate nail through every divet of his teeth, trailing their edge like an instrument. One of destruction, if anything. 

She yearned to see him lose some of this civility. She wouldn't be going out of her way to mold him alike to a beast, but wasn't there a calling there? She didn't seek such companionship in her hunts of the night ... yet she questioned how it would hurt, truly, to have another hand at her aide? Two and some odd tails, and the teeth to put her vampiric countenance to shame. She smiled to herself. He made a fine gentleman, and an interesting bed companion. How did he fare claw to claw beneath the folds of night? She couldn't help but muse it. Sigh a little too wistfully, tapping the side of his cheek only to scratch it up and under his chin like she was praising a particularly well-trained pet. He wouldn't mind the attention, she assumed.

"You'd be right, though. I'm a lady, after all. We have our own little ...," she trailed it off, clicking her tongue with a giggle more girlish than her usual womanly wiles. Why, she had to have her spot of fun too. "... tricks. Not that I perish the thought of you ... looking after me." She popped her lips. A passing fantasy? Great women would do well with guard dogs at their estates. And such a handsome one ... Again, she loops around. Mm.

She'd kiss his cheek as a treat in the throes of their gentile passions, every little movement and sound he made at even this chaste - if cloying - touch intent on drawing her closer to him. She let the sheet fall, as a hand occupied his head and the other his arm, leading him back down into the bed. "Sleeping Calamity, you say?" She continued to question in her weaving, trailing a thumb through a split in his fur. "I might have heard of it, once upon a dream. That's ... unique. Do you miss it dearly? You seem to almost ... long for it." Her words were a lullaby, a gust of winter to tremble along one of his ears, careful not to break her falsetto. "Or is it the place to belong you miss, sweet Skald?"

Perhaps it was comfort he sought, perhaps it was something else. Though hearing her reassurances that he could be a little crude earned a somewhat amused breath of air as she started to trace the side of his muzzle. Every divet of his teeth, every little edge played and ponderously trailed over. There had been times he had been covered in blood, having to fight fang over fang, fist over claw, blade broken and shattered into a thousand unnamed pieces only to come back to him in the dead of night.

”Suppose it depends on the night and I suppose it depends on the who.”

There was a soft amount of teasing there; he had been a warrior and a hunter time and time again. Eventually coming back to his magical prowess as a sorcerer. He had spent many sleepless nights fighting against various denizens of both light and dark. He’d tilt his head a little bit as he could feel her attention on him intensify a bit… it was. Interesting to stare into her eyes, to see the sort of thoughts trailing and mixing in there. He longed to see what she was thinking. With the tapping and scratch under his chin he felt a small rumble roll out of his chest as though by instinct.

His hands gently splayed as he heard that pop; he liked the idea of looking after her a great deal and it showed in his eyes. They followed her as she looped around and his smile grew to where his fangs would show and glisten ever so slightly.

”Mmm… I wouldn’t mind seeing the tricks you have in store for me my Dear Coventina. And I certainly wouldn’t mind looking after you either…”

The kiss on his cheek earned a baited breath and he followed her guiding touch, one on his head and the other on his arm. One hand reaching forward for her and him leaning into her touch. They were back on the bed and feeling the generous touch on his body made him shiver slightly. The split in his fur was definitely something that he could keenly feel.

”I owe a great deal of what I am now to them, I miss them. Gone before their time really…”

He’d lean into her touch again, the trembling sensation of her words against his ears made him shiver again. Some of his tails standing up while others flopped about. Seven in total all acting as though they were different people. He’d exhale slowly as he felt her dig deeper into him, not that he minded.

”...There’s that too… before Sleeping calamity I was just… wandering. Well. Wandering without wandering as they say.”

There was a deep seated resentment at the idea that he had only stayed in iceberg because it was all he had known at the time. If it hadn’t been for a particular rune knight giving him ample funding he’d never of made it to fiore and started a new life… he never got to thank them either and never would. Given they were now dead. He’d brush those thoughts aside, reaching up with a hand to gently cup her cheek, a thumb running across her chin and trailing to her lips. His claws were dulled for safety reasons but there was no doubt that if he tried hard enough they’d bring bloodshed on someones whims…

”But I could… get used to this…”

"And me?" She inquired from him, languid in the way she encompasses him atop their sheets with her own strewn about their feet. She strokes his cheek, his ears, his chest -- every trailing word a hum that builds to a purr with the brush of her fingers, playing down his fur like a harp. She strums such sweet music from his baritone, sighing to the point of his muzzle on the pendulum her head takes in its sway to invisible harmony. It's a cold, cold melody, but its bitterness is shied by the saccharine in his kindness. His comfort. She pauses with her head cocked off to one side, cascading hair down her expression as shadows cast. She smiles. "Would you ever be crude with me, Skald Ragnulf? For me?"

She fought the urge to smile wider, canines tucked in the curve of her lips and throbbing with the intensity of their warmth shared again. Another laugh, light enough to be hollow; the feathers of a crow, content to darken a sky in its flight and leave by morning's light. ... And yet, here she continued to find herself. And yet, here they lay, the fox wrapped up in her again and her teasing tones dulcet in the quiet dim. She'd prod at him. Caress the pointed clawtips of her nails as if she could emulate the more bestial nature of his own, playing them under his chin and up his jaw until his head was forced to crane back. Expose his throat only to thumb it, parting fur in hypnotic circles.

Every sound - his pleased little growls, her chimes of muted, wicked humor - only drew her hands back to his face, claiming his muzzle between the burden of her fingers only to repeat the process of her travails. It was almost possessive, trapping him until her curiosity was sated and at least an aspect of herself was fed by the interaction. She'd take knowledge where blood couldn't flow. She was insatiable in so many ways, after all. "Good boy." It was such a simple thing to say. So easy it came in her rumble, airy on his breath, shared. Her face hovering just that slight above his own, her eyes searching his with a dizzying amber. Sticky. Sweet. Hot. Burning, intense. It came too naturally. She almost forgot herself, the subtleties they were playing in.

After all, he had earned the praise. It was like the motions and stances he took only served to fuel her hunger until a ravenous gaze fell upon him and as more than a vampire she yearned to -- eat him right up. Ahh. She chuckles, running both thumbs up the alternate cusp of his jawline and toying the edges of his lips. Once more she needles his teeth, gentle but attentive, firm. "That could almost be arranged. I'm not sure ... my dear, sweet Skald, that you'd stand so tall in the face of my 'tricks', alas. You're better like this. So resplendent. So unique ..."

Her cheeks grow tighter, leant over him, smiling to a space just below where it might reach her eyes - which drop their lids to a halfmast, not so much glowering as caressing him no different from her physical contact. "I jest, of course. I'm not so complicated. I'm just a little old woman from fair Oak, darling. There's nothing up my sleeves." She wore no sleeves at all, she noted with a flick of her wrist.

She'd drink in his words - his explanation of his past guild, the trial he had faced in not so many words and their dissolution leaving him to ... well, fall into her arms, now. From one set to another. She'd slant, one arm leaving him to prop her cheek from an elbow unsettling the bed, watching him from the side just to continue toying his muzzle in whichever directions stroke her fancy throughout. She'd stop if he fought back, forced his authority and agency onto her: she just didn't expect that. She didn't see him so much as a pushover - but pliable, willing, behaved. He fit just perfectly. "I feel for their loss, then. It's awful to lose a place you belonged, once." One of the first things she spoke aloud with any remnant of sentimentality, the way her eyes unfocused on him appearing a degree wistful; her own thoughts, back to the surface.

Better to not. "If all you're looking for is a cessation to your aimless wandering, Skald Ragnulf ...," and she'd steal this chance to lean into his hand when it found her face, turning her head to kiss the tip of one of his digits with a slow pop of her lips against it. She'd exhale a current of chill across it, watching him close. "I've been meaning to find such a fine fellow for my own ... goals. And you'd be so good, wouldn't you?"

The inquiry seemed to surprise him for a moment, would he ever be crude with her? There was a deep silence as he felt her encompass him. Feeling her against his cheek, every brush and cherished moment of her body against his. The deep rumbling in his chest; he could hardly contain the deep seated emotion that he felt for this woman. His hands seeking and gently caressing her, taking great care for his claws not to tarnish her skin nor forget the teasing sensation against her. He admired her hair and his piercing blue eyes trailed to the smile; trailed to her eyes. Would he ever be crude with her? For her? An ear flicked, then again and then there was a deep rumbling laugh. Leaning forward to gently press his forehead against hers.

”For you, with you. To you. All you’d have to do is let me know… when.”

The last word was said with such a harsh and vicious tone that it was hardly like it was even skald at all. It was something that he rarely did and if she wanted it well.. He’d do as she asked. If she asked him to. His tails had stopped moving at some point though once he had spoken they started to move again. He enjoyed the sensation of her against him, feeling those teasing moments with such tenderness that it was hard to imagine him being cruel. Feeling her fingers play against his chin, tilting his head back and exposing his throat to her. Playing with the fur in such a fashion to earn a soft shiver.

His own hands busied themselves in exploration, taking note of every feature her body had while she teased his own. His tails seemed to tremble and shiver with every moment she laid her hands on him. Once her fingers danced on his muzzle he’d open it a little bit, letting her fingers feel his fangs. They were sharp but she was careful and he knew that. There was a moment where he stiffened at hearing her call him that and he’d let out a deep chuckle. Leaning up slowly, his hands traveling and trailing across her body. He’d pause after a moment when he heard that chuckle; his ears tilting somewhat and…

That could almost be arranged.

He felt his heart skip a beat and he’d sit there underneath her, staring up at Coventina. His pulse quickened and with her smile he could feel her presence even more acutely. He’d watch her flick her wrist and let out a small chuckle.

”I wouldn’t mind taking the time to arrange that… if you so desire Coventina. And I can see that, though I bet many a different type of sleeve would fit you well.”

His hands would trail along her arms, gently squeezing here or there and he’d hum thoughtfully. She’d look good in dozens of different dresses… hell he felt she’d even look good in a suit like his old one if she fancied. With her resting upon him in such a fashion and slowly toying with his muzzle he’d tenderly lean into it; he didn’t seem to mind the guiding sensation. He was certainly calm in this manner and seemed to enjoy her playing with his fur and fangs.

”Wouldn’t be the first time I’m afraid… But this sort of thing makes you stronger.”

His voice was hushed and he’d look at her as he could see the way her eyes unfocused. Something similar had happened to her, he figured. That or she was placing herself in his shoes.. Or well. Socks? Fur? However you wanted to put it. He’d listen to what she had with rapt attention. Eating every word, feeling her lips against one of his digits and that chill current across it after. He’d breathe out slowly, his tails slowly curving to lay a bit better on the bed.

”I grow tired of wandering without a cause Coventina.”

His voice was hushed and with her indication of her wanting to find someone; he could be that someone and he’d lean close to her. Merely an inch or two from her face. His eyes seeking hers and taking in her expression while he searched within himself.

”I could be. Though it’d be our goals Coventina…”

He’d manage a small wink at the playful insinuation there, gently leaning close and after a moment he’d simply say.

”You only need to ask once…”

This would do just fine, she'd come to find. It catalyzed in the deep saffron of eyes that almost slit in how they fell on him, the gaze of a predator ... entranced. She sucked in a breath and his with it, ghosting centimeters from his mouth and supping on the taste of his obedience. His concession. His praise. His adoration. It fueled a burn in her arms that surged across him, trailing his chest with the tease of sharp claws leaving a wake through his fur without piercing - and a reminder of how easily they could, if she willed it. She'd hold his face with the other hand, thumbing in beneath his jaw while a flutter of her fingers played along his cheek. It was exciting, wasn't it? To be: "playing with fire, Skald Ragnulf?"

She didn't hurt him. She held nothing over him but such an intense enchantment. She reveled instead in the full purview of their hands on each other and the way he bent every way she turned him. She returned it in kind with a slope of her spine and a pull of her leg up his thigh in the wander - the exploration - of it all. She laid across him, strewn, and they'd be shrouded under the curtain of her hair as it settled around their locked gazes. Her lips grazing his muzzle, coating his teeth in the new warmth of every exhale. She'd laugh, heat pulsing beneath her skin only to make her colder to the touch. "Do you consider yourself alike to the spark that starts it ... the fuel that feeds it ... or the force itself, devouring the oxygen it's fed?"

The rough tone she had been able to draw out of him ... it had caught her favor. He had earned it in such simple ways and his willingness to sacrifice himself to the web she spun. She hadn't so much as trapped him. He crawled in to the sound of her lull. A reprieve. An escape.

Something old, something new.

"If I say ...," she had started, taking the span of his admission to finish it. Letting it linger ballooned between them, a promise to pop any second off her lips - or his, roaming her nails to his ear from his jaw and stroking along it. She squeezed, ever so gently, but her every grip on him spoke of a firmness she wouldn't be quick to relinquish. She sought to beguile him with every inch of her body placed on every inch of his, shifting to unsettle the sheets after these pregnant moments of silence filled only with their breathing and the phantom of her laughter -- and the rumble in his chest, echoing still from the memory she dredged out of his throat. She'd pet, she'd scratch, she'd tug and caress and drag him that much deeper to her level. All the way down. There'd be no rocks at the bottom.

Only this fire. "If I say bark, you will." It could have been a question. A curiosity, even. But she presented it as a statement with not even a demand between the lines of the affirmation. He could challenge her on it, surely. He could get up from her and start pulling apart the threads that slunk tighter and tighter around them from their little vows, their little teases and flirts and ... agreements. He could escape before he found himself swallowed by the firelight as those threads weighed to chains. And still, yet, besides, regardless; she said ...

"Growl for me, sweet boy."

And she held him with the brush of a kiss.

He felt himself pulled forward into her web, into her grasp. He felt his curiosity and nature collide with hers. His piercing blue eyes met those of the deep saffron; she had him just as much as he had her. There was an equal understanding of one another that didn’t even need to be stated at this point. He was enjoying her touch, her presence, her need, her desire. He was enjoying putting himself into her arms, feeling the heat and the sensations that came with it. The teasing on his chest, anytime that it came anywhere near his scar would earn a deep shiver. The touch on his fur reminding him just how sharp she could be and just how dangerous she was. But for each tug and each pull they were reminded of one another. The feeling of her hands on his face, the flutter of her fingertips on his cheeks. Earning the slightest of openings from his mouth. He was playing with fire, but he had already been burned before that this sensation was… so vastly different. There was a deep chuckle as she teased him.

”an inferno most precious I’d say…”

His voice was hushed, his eyes watching her as she bent him, turned him. Gently letting his own hands guide her body while she played with his. He could feel the desire of both of them, his hands found different purchases, different grasps. He spent his time worshipping the way that she felt in his touch. With her draped upon him, the curtain of hair cutting out everything but the two of them. There was nothing other than the two of them at this moment. That laugh, her laugh, the laugh that he was slowly finding himself pulled towards. A deep rumble in his chest, he liked the sound of it. Crashing against his ears and drawing him in further. Her question sat in the air, he was never one that stood in the light to draw others to him. But something here told him the answer that he was searching for.

”For the longest time I was the fuel for the fire. But… I don’t think that’s the same me anymore.”

His voice rumbled and his ears perked; she spoke. He listened, his eyes stared deep into hers; letting that tone take him and the nails on his ears, on his jaw, squeezing; she wasn’t going to relinquish this touch and he didn’t want her to. She pulled against him in such a way that drew him in even further. The deafening silence between her and him was only claimed by his beating heart. The scratching, the petting, the tugging, he let himself be dragged by her and for her. Her statement earned a soft shiver through his body. He’d nod his head ever so, a hand coming up to her, cupping her cheek. Staring quietly at her and then nodding yet again.

”Without question.”

Was it an answer? A statement? A commitment? It was hard to tell; he could have challenged her easily. There could have been a tug and a pull between them until they were both tired and worn out to the bone. But he didn’t, instead he pulled himself deeper into it and made a vow with her. He found the fire and the chains comforting from her. At her command he let out a growl, deep, guttural and passionate as the kiss started to take hold. His hands curving around her body to hold her close; she would lead and he would follow.

He would…

[Exit]