Is she aware? She thinks she is. She knows that Wanderer doesn't need sustenance. He doesn't get cold. Many things that would threaten her health are more like minor inconveniences to him. Even so, however, she remains unaware of the lack of a heart -- perhaps that simply means he's exemplified something akin to having one, so much so that she hasn't noticed.
The biggest difference between them, Mona thinks, much to her chagrin, is that he is far better at masking -- or perhaps not even feeling much at all -- than she is. She's trying to will away the flush on her cheeks, trying to pull her expression back to something neutral.
And then his hand touches her chin, forces her to look at him. It's her worst nightmare right now. The way her heart races is yet another thing she'd like to will away, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
And her heart would very much like to close the gap between them and -- ]
Y-you--
[ No. Ignore it, Mona. You're simply entranced because of the proximity, there is nothing else to it.
... Or, so she thinks. If it were that simple, she wouldn't be a sputtering mess. She can't even speak. She's just that red in the face. ]
[ She sputters rather than answering his question, her eyes wide enough he thinks he can see the galaxy in her irises. It reminds Wanderer of when she uses her magic—that small sliver of starry sky she summons at will, glistening and bright as if she pulled it directly from the heavens. The pearlescent hue is similar and just as captivating. Could it be that Mona feels just as entranced by his own?
He can recognize the flush having settled in her cheeks, the way her lips part as she stares back at him. Those thick black brows of hers have also drawn up in apprehension. Truly, she appears to be speechless. ]
...Mona.
[ Breaking the spell, he soon lowers himself to close the distance between their faces. She can't escape, can't pull away—not with her chin between his fingers. And after pausing for only a fraction of a second, peering into her features once, Wanderer leans in—
...and presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
It's soft, the slightest pressure. A brush of his lips at most. Then, he draws back only an inch. ]
Because you're weak, I'll allow you to cling to me tonight. My warmth should be enough.
[ Wanderer gets closer, closer, and her eyes naturally close in anticipation. He's going to kiss her, isn't he? There's no other explanation for it, even if the stars couldn't have foretold this development –
the kiss happens in a way she doesn't expect. No, it's not a rough press of lips to hers like she thought it would be in that split second. Instead, it's a gentle, feather-light kiss to the corner of her mouth.
Her breathing grows a little heavier as her expression contorts into something utterly embarrassing. Her cheeks are undeniably red now, and she places her fingers on top of where Wanderer's lips brushed against hers ]
Y-you – I'm not weak!
[ Clinging isn't unwelcome. His warmth isn't, either. None of that diffuses her need to prove herself to him and show him that she means what she says.
Without giving it much thought, Mona grabs him by the collar and draws him in for a proper, actual kiss. Her lips firmly plant themselves onto his, and she holds it there for a second or two before she pulls away.
Mona puffs up despite herself, pouting in his direction. ]
T...there. See? I-I'm stronger than you think I am.
[ Having genuinely thought he had overwhelmed her, Wanderer can only make a small grunt of surprise as she curls her fingers into his kimono and drags him into a kiss. It's—quick, immeasurably soft. His fingers twitch outwards at his sides in disbelief, and for a moment, he can only stare at her reddened face, now so close to his that he can see her individual eyelashes.
Those two seconds feel both short and very long. Even when Mona releases him, he still feels caught up in her force, the warm pressure of her lips on his. If he had a heart, it'd surely be pounding in his chest from adrenaline. ]
...Hah.
[ Wanderer eventually manages a small huff of a laugh, drawing back slightly to study her face. ]
I should know better by now than to underestimate you.
[ Just as he thought, Mona Megistus continues to surprise him. She has always been different—if not his equal, then somehow a step ahead of him. Wanderer refuses to believe in her foolish stars, but there may be a single truth in them: he is destined to be wrapped around her littlest finger. ]
[ These two seconds are incredibly long for her, too. She has to close her eyes and pull herself in – does she regret it? Hm. The pompous part of her wants to shake her and scream and talk about how humiliating that must seem.
The core part of Mona Megistus, however, doesn't regret it at all. That side of her is what's evident, what's showing on her very flushed face and in how she looks back at him with some sort of determination in her eyes. What that determination is for is unclear, but it takes her a moment to reply to his retort with a scoff of her own. ]
Of course. Why, it isn't as if we've been traveling together for weeks now.
[ Looks like her bite's returned. Good, she thinks. She doesn't have to look like a coward in front of him anymore, even if it means suppressing the urge to run away and hide. ]
Victory is very clearly mine.
[ As if this were a competition. She says it with a small smirk on her lips, but her cheeks are still giving way to how flustered she truly is. ]
[ At one point, he considered her prideful demeanor frustrating—he wanted all to kneel before him as a Harbinger—but now her attempt at bravado is simply endearing. Wanderer can't help the low chuckle from leaving his chest as he reaches out to cup her cheeks in his palms, running the pad of one thumb over her skin.
Like her lips, they're soft, too.
Wanderer has lived centuries; he isn't inexperienced by any means, but it is very much different for there to be... affection in his body language, his expression. Long ago, when he'd gone by a different name, he allowed himself to feel this way. Those distinctly human feelings are resurfacing now. ]
'Victory'. Say it like that, and I might take it away from you.
[ (Un)luckily for him, Mona Megistus bows to no one. ... Or so her demeanor would suggest, but those who know her well – like he does at this point – know that she'll submit to the right people. He, however, aggravates her so much that it helps her fight back and use her sharp tongue to rile him up as much as she can.
Ironically, this is one of the rarer moments in which Wanderer is starting to draw something more submissive out of her, with how he touches her cheek, how his eyes soften. It's unusual for him to look this way. She's never seen it on him before, let alone see him offer to make her bed for her. He's always been one to let her take care of herself, which she's never had a problem with, but now...he's offering to do something so gentle for her. It does nothing to quell her embarrassment.
Mona will not stop him, though. Instead, she just looks down at her tea, averting her gaze so it doesn't stay on his anymore. ]
Fine, so long as you call me by my name. Just this once.
[ It's phrased like it's a quip, and it is – but she also just wants to hear him say it, even if it's only for tonight. Even if he never calls her Mona ever again. ]
[ After gazing into his eyes for that brief moment, Mona looks away at last. Her long, black lashes cast faint shadows against her colored cheeks, the green of her eyes vivid against her skin. And when she speaks, there's that familiar prideful edge, like she isn't flushing under his stare or allowing him to caress her face. He is sure that if he were to lean in closer, she would lose that thinly-veiled composure and fluster further. It's almost tempting, but he'll give her that grace.
Wanderer can't help but snort to himself. If Mona had managed to continue peering up at him, she would've caught a surprisingly soft expression. ]
Fufu... You sound like a child.
[ Mona's selfish demand is terribly innocent. It reminds Wanderer of the unnamed boy from long ago, whom he had coddled and nursed. That small human had also made demands such as this one; 'sing to me or I won't sleep' or 'play with me and I'll peel fruits with you'. ]
Drink the remainder of your tea, Mona. [ There's an amusing lilt in his voice. ] And then prepare for bed.
[ His thumb strokes over her cheek once before Wanderer releases her entirely. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ratshakes these two
Is she aware? She thinks she is. She knows that Wanderer doesn't need sustenance. He doesn't get cold. Many things that would threaten her health are more like minor inconveniences to him. Even so, however, she remains unaware of the lack of a heart -- perhaps that simply means he's exemplified something akin to having one, so much so that she hasn't noticed.
The biggest difference between them, Mona thinks, much to her chagrin, is that he is far better at masking -- or perhaps not even feeling much at all -- than she is. She's trying to will away the flush on her cheeks, trying to pull her expression back to something neutral.
And then his hand touches her chin, forces her to look at him. It's her worst nightmare right now. The way her heart races is yet another thing she'd like to will away, but the heart wants what the heart wants.
And her heart would very much like to close the gap between them and -- ]
Y-you--
[ No. Ignore it, Mona. You're simply entranced because of the proximity, there is nothing else to it.
... Or, so she thinks. If it were that simple, she wouldn't be a sputtering mess. She can't even speak. She's just that red in the face. ]
no subject
He can recognize the flush having settled in her cheeks, the way her lips part as she stares back at him. Those thick black brows of hers have also drawn up in apprehension. Truly, she appears to be speechless. ]
...Mona.
[ Breaking the spell, he soon lowers himself to close the distance between their faces. She can't escape, can't pull away—not with her chin between his fingers. And after pausing for only a fraction of a second, peering into her features once, Wanderer leans in—
...and presses a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
It's soft, the slightest pressure. A brush of his lips at most. Then, he draws back only an inch. ]
Because you're weak, I'll allow you to cling to me tonight. My warmth should be enough.
no subject
the kiss happens in a way she doesn't expect. No, it's not a rough press of lips to hers like she thought it would be in that split second. Instead, it's a gentle, feather-light kiss to the corner of her mouth.
Her breathing grows a little heavier as her expression contorts into something utterly embarrassing. Her cheeks are undeniably red now, and she places her fingers on top of where Wanderer's lips brushed against hers ]
Y-you – I'm not weak!
[ Clinging isn't unwelcome. His warmth isn't, either. None of that diffuses her need to prove herself to him and show him that she means what she says.
Without giving it much thought, Mona grabs him by the collar and draws him in for a proper, actual kiss. Her lips firmly plant themselves onto his, and she holds it there for a second or two before she pulls away.
Mona puffs up despite herself, pouting in his direction. ]
T...there. See? I-I'm stronger than you think I am.
no subject
Those two seconds feel both short and very long. Even when Mona releases him, he still feels caught up in her force, the warm pressure of her lips on his. If he had a heart, it'd surely be pounding in his chest from adrenaline. ]
...Hah.
[ Wanderer eventually manages a small huff of a laugh, drawing back slightly to study her face. ]
I should know better by now than to underestimate you.
[ Just as he thought, Mona Megistus continues to surprise him. She has always been different—if not his equal, then somehow a step ahead of him. Wanderer refuses to believe in her foolish stars, but there may be a single truth in them: he is destined to be wrapped around her littlest finger. ]
CRAWLS BACK
The core part of Mona Megistus, however, doesn't regret it at all. That side of her is what's evident, what's showing on her very flushed face and in how she looks back at him with some sort of determination in her eyes. What that determination is for is unclear, but it takes her a moment to reply to his retort with a scoff of her own. ]
Of course. Why, it isn't as if we've been traveling together for weeks now.
[ Looks like her bite's returned. Good, she thinks. She doesn't have to look like a coward in front of him anymore, even if it means suppressing the urge to run away and hide. ]
Victory is very clearly mine.
[ As if this were a competition. She says it with a small smirk on her lips, but her cheeks are still giving way to how flustered she truly is. ]
HOLDS YOU
Like her lips, they're soft, too.
Wanderer has lived centuries; he isn't inexperienced by any means, but it is very much different for there to be... affection in his body language, his expression. Long ago, when he'd gone by a different name, he allowed himself to feel this way. Those distinctly human feelings are resurfacing now. ]
'Victory'. Say it like that, and I might take it away from you.
[ He doesn't like losing, either. ]
Finish your tea, mage. I'll prepare your bed.
no subject
Ironically, this is one of the rarer moments in which Wanderer is starting to draw something more submissive out of her, with how he touches her cheek, how his eyes soften. It's unusual for him to look this way. She's never seen it on him before, let alone see him offer to make her bed for her. He's always been one to let her take care of herself, which she's never had a problem with, but now...he's offering to do something so gentle for her. It does nothing to quell her embarrassment.
Mona will not stop him, though. Instead, she just looks down at her tea, averting her gaze so it doesn't stay on his anymore. ]
Fine, so long as you call me by my name. Just this once.
[ It's phrased like it's a quip, and it is – but she also just wants to hear him say it, even if it's only for tonight. Even if he never calls her Mona ever again. ]
no subject
Wanderer can't help but snort to himself. If Mona had managed to continue peering up at him, she would've caught a surprisingly soft expression. ]
Fufu... You sound like a child.
[ Mona's selfish demand is terribly innocent. It reminds Wanderer of the unnamed boy from long ago, whom he had coddled and nursed. That small human had also made demands such as this one; 'sing to me or I won't sleep' or 'play with me and I'll peel fruits with you'. ]
Drink the remainder of your tea, Mona. [ There's an amusing lilt in his voice. ] And then prepare for bed.
[ His thumb strokes over her cheek once before Wanderer releases her entirely. ]