More Than expected: (Closed Thread)

[The_gladiator]

Brandon hissed as she began to pore the alcohol over the wound. “Don’t use it all. I’d actually prefer to drink at least some of it.” He deadpanned. He let his eyes meet hers unflinchingly, going cold and hard. “I would kill my own father if someone paid me enough. Unfortunately, someone else did that for me. One of the few people I actually would have enjoyed killing.” He closed his mouth realizing he might be sharing too much and not about what she asked.

He took the flask from her and downed a long swallow, coughing. “How do the dwarves drink this stuff.” He asked, offering it to her.

He held his arm steady as she wrapped it up after putting salve on it. He let his eyes meet hers, the coldness gone for just a second, “Thank you,” he said softly, “It could have been worse.” He really hadn’t answered her questions about Shyra, he didn’t really know what to say, where to start, and wasn’t sure how much he was even willing to tell her.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

“I would kill my own father if someone paid me enough. Unfortunately, someone else did that for me. One of the few people I actually would have enjoyed killing.”

The cold, hard look in Brandon's eyes as he'd spoken the words had been chilling. She'd hated her father for what he'd done, for his foolishness and greed and for trying to force her into a loveless marriage with a man over twice her age, but even so she still wasn't certain if she hated him enough to want to kill him as Brandon claimed he did his own father. She wondered what the man had done to deserve it...or was Brandon simply as blackhearted and ruthless as the stories claimed.

She watched as he took a drink from the flask and coughed, offering it over to her. After taking a sensitive sniff she decided alone, the smell of the drink alone making her eyes water with its potency. Setting it down she began to wrap his arm, pausing for a moment when he met her eyes and thanked her, the sudden change in their depths and his soft tone catching her by surprise.

"You're welcome," she replied, matching his tone, "I suppose t's the least I can do after all of your help."

She finished wrapping up the arm. She'd noted that he hadn't answered her question about Shyra and assumed it had been too personal of a question. Fair enough. She still felt like he owed her some more explanation however, and therefor went a different route.

"Why did you leave the Despurdens and why are you helping me now?.. Has someone paid you?" she asked him warily.

 

[The_gladiator]

Brandon seemed to be considering how to answer her. It wasn’t so cut and dry as she made it. “I was paid some time ago to break up the Despurden slave ring. However, it has also been made personal.” His eyes searched her face, trying to decide how much to give her as he took another hit of the alcohol before capping it and returning it to the pack. He then began to pick the wax off of the healing potion. “Let’s hope this is genuine,” he muttered.

His eyes returned to her after he drank the contents, making a strange face at its flavor. “I live by a code. Most would not believe that, but I do have standards. I was done with slavery, done with the dark overlords behind the guild. I was finally strong enough to not need their protection.” He wasn’t sure why she had asked but he hoped his answer would answer some of her questions about him. It was clear that he had found someone willing to pay him to take down his former allies, and from the sounds of his words it was a job he relished.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

She gave a nod of understanding, satisfied by his explanation. She was glad to hear that her family hadn't sent him after her at least. Nor did he seem to have any malicious plans for her himself. It seemed as if he'd simply been trying to foil the plans of the Despurdens and stop them from imprisoning her within their slave ring.

Admittedly their was coin involved as someone had hired him to take down the guild and it wasn't just out of the goodness of his heart that he had done so, but she wouldn't begrudge him of that. Her whole reasons for wanting to join the guild was to get her hands on some decent coin herself.

"Well thank you again for your help then," she told him, standing for a moment and uncertain what to say or do next before gesturing to the empty vial of healing potion, "Does it seem like it's working?"

 

[The_gladiator]

Brandon shrugged, “It hurts less, yes. But you aren’t poking at it anymore either. My guess is that it will at least serve to close the wounds, we can unwrap them in the morning to check.”

He looked at her seriously, “You are welcome…I really don’t like slavery.” He said softly pausing in the middle. He took a step closer to her and finally lifted his left arm towards her. He turned his arm over, showing her the inside of his forearm. On it there was another intricate tattoo. This one of a raptor in flight. The bird looked as if it had swallowed a spider. However, the spider was clearly not a part of the tattoo tattoo, but a brand, faded with time. Like the scar on his back, it had been made a part of the design. Like the scar bisected the heart, making it appear to be a broken heart, this the bird had clearly eaten the spider. The brand was clearly a mark of ownership, and the spider a fairly good clue as to who his owners had been, once upon a time. He said nothing, simply let her have a good look, figuring that would help her understand.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena had looked at Brandon in confusion for a moment as he'd stepped closer and turned his arm over, presenting another tattoo to her. That is, until she'd noticed that this one too concealed a scar. No, not a scar, a brand.

She stepped a little closer, her hand reaching out and carefully smoothing her fingers over the raised skin in confirmation, feeling the mark of ownership that had been left by the hot iron burning into his skin. A spider.

"The dark elves," she murmured aloud in recognition of the emblem as she took it in, then lifted her gaze back up to his.

"I am sorry," she told him sincerely, "...For how long?"

 

[The_gladiator]

Brandon didn’t flinch as she looked at the scar. He did shiver a bit as she ran gentle fingers over it, smoothing it to feel it’s texture, to confirm what her eyes were seeing. There was a part of him that tried to hide his reaction to even her simplest of touches. What was wrong with him. It was true that he had been with no other woman since that time with the elven princess he had rescued, but was he that starved for touch. The answer was probably yes. Elves were a touchy-feely race, and he couldn’t get rid of their needs in himself.

He bristled a bit at her apology. He knew that was just common to say such a thing, but he did not need her pity. He pulled his arm back and reached for the pack beginning to take inventory of what small number of foodstuffs they had. It was not much. Some hard bread and cheese, a handful of fresh mushrooms he had picked not long ago.

Gray eyes flicked up to meet hers nodding fractionally at her comment about dark elves. “Longer than I care to remember,” he replied. “I counted only the first Ten years, after that, I had earned my way into the guild, so though still a slave, it was not like those first Ten years. I swore I would never be that helpless ever again.” He wasn’t sure why he told her that last part, caught up in the moment he supposed.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena could tell by Brandon's sudden change in demeanor as he pulled his hand away that her words must have upset him for some reason, though that certainly had not been her intent. She watched as he searched through the pack, her expression grave as he explained how long he had been a slave to the elves and how he had come to be a member of the Despurden guild.

She could sense that these were not things that he shared with most others. If they had been she doubted that he would still have had the reputation as being as heartless as she'd heard claimed.

"I had not realized that the Despurdens were involved in things like slave rings," she admitted, "I'd only heard that they were a band of thieves looking for new recruits, otherwise I would not have sought to join them."

 

[The_gladiator]

“I did not think you volunteered to be a sex slave my lady,” he said dryly. “The things you just told about them are all true, they’re just half truths.” He handed her some of the food. “It isn’t much but you’re welcome to it,” he said softly.

“You thanked me for rescuing you,” he said changing the subject as he began to eat, “Thank you for not being a waste of space. I primarily work alone, it’s been a long time since I had a partner that could actually follow orders, and not just get in the way.” To him he was paying her a compliment. “Did the trolls get you?” he finally asked as if remembering that she may have wounds that needed tended.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Taking the food from Brandon, Celaena had begun to eat with him, smirking at his choice of a thank you.

"Well I can't say that I blame them if you were as vague with them as you were with me at first," she quipped back teasingly, "You know we could have very well avoided this whole thing if you'd just been a little more forthcoming with me from the beginning."

She looked down at herself then, checking for scratches. As chilled and numb as her skin was from the water and the remnants of the drug in her system it was hard for her to tell without looking.

"I don't think so, at least not as bad as yours," she replied.

 

[The_gladiator]

He watched her inspecting herself, “You have to clean the parasites out of any scratches. Do you need me to check?” he asked. He stepped closer and gently ran his eyes over her, lifting an arm he dabbed at a scratch on her arm with the salve. His fingers were as gentle as hers had been.

He returned to their earlier conversation. “I told you what I thought I could or should at the time. If you had listened to my warnings we also wouldn’t be here.” He commented, “You could have taken your pretty elven self-back to your home.” He took her other arm his hand in hers as he treated another scratch. He was pretty sure this one wasn’t from any troll, but wanted to be sure, and because he didn’t want to stop touching her, if he were honest with himself.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena was a little surprised when Brandon simply stepped forward and began to dab salve on a scratch he had found without even waiting for a confirmation from her first that she was alright with him doing so. She didn't pull away though, his touch surprisingly gentle.

She bristled however when he chided her for not heeding his warnings, claiming she should have just gone back home.

"Hmmf.. and be forced to marry a contemptible louse the same age as my father and thought he could win me in a bet, all just for the sake of my father's already overly full coin purse and pride?"

She lifted her eyes to his and gave him a pointed look, her own taking on a bit of an steely edge themselves.

"I'm never going back there. I'd rather take my chances with the trolls."

 

[The_gladiator]

He approved of the fire in her voice and words, even if he found her words a tad foolish, “Cause being here with me is so much better,” he replied sardonically. Giving her hand a squeeze, he let his eyes lift to hers, “You are far too attractive for those trolls, I am sure that you could do better than them if you tried.” He was clearly using a touch of humor to try to get her to relax a bit.

“Run your hands over the rest of yourself, check for scratches but you should also check for leaches, we did swim through some less than savory waters. I will spare you my touch in that matter, I am sure you can manage,” He seemed to realize his presumption in touching her the way he had. Brandon was clearly practical, and things as small as personal space boundaries only mattered to him to a point. As he spoke, he began to run his hands over himself. I think I’m clean,” he added after his own inspection.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Brandon's touch of humor had the desired effect and Celaena relaxed slightly, offering him a bit of a smile at the joke, but it quickly wavered at his mention of leaches.

"Are you serious?" she asked with wide eyes as she looked down and began to check herself more thoroughly.

Though she had just claimed to prefer trolls over an arranged marriage, she was now very obviously disturbed by the idea of a leach having latched on to her somewhere. She ran her hands over what parts of her she could see, but also knew one could very likely have slipped in under her clothes somewhere. Oh well, she supposed it was best to get out of them anyways so that they could dry off and she could get warm.

She began to disrobe, her hands reaching down and unraveling the leather belt around her waist a setting it down before slipping out of the fur vest she'd been wearing. Beneath it her red tunic clung tightly to her form, leaving little to the imagination she realized. The sapphire and silver pendant that she'd shown to the Despurden representative at the tavern hung around her neck, tucked beneath the red fabric but it's outline clearly visible.

"Turn around," she instructed Brandon quickly, "I'll go get one of the blankets to cover up with once I'm done checking...is there some place where I can leave my things to dry?"

 

[The_gladiator]

Brandon realized when she told him to turn around that he was watching her. He turned around walking to the blankets, returning with one for her, his eyes still averted. “I should probably do the same,” he commented after he handed her the blanket, and began to strip. He’d already had off his shirt, so the pants left quickly and the boots.

Nudity was not new to Brandon. He once had to earn clothes. He found a blanket for himself, to protect her modesty, not his own. However, he hadn’t even checked to see if she had been looking away when he stripped. He found that in fact he was clean of potential infestations. “Did you find anything?” he asked finally looking over at her.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Once she had been sure that Brandon was not looking Celaena had continued to strip herself of her clothes, first her tunic and then her leather breaches as well. As he returned with the blanket, she covered herself with her arms at first, but then quickly noticed that his head was still turned away.

Thanking him, she had taken the blanket from him and continued her search, though her head did come up for a moment when he'd unceremoniously begun to strip from his clothes as well without so much as a glance in her direction to check if she was turned away or not. She knew it was wrong of her, but since she was already looking she went ahead and took a moment to look him over, noting with appreciation the way his muscles shifted and flexed beneath his skin as he moved. Then she turned away, waiting until she heard him speaking up again to turn back towards him.

"You would have probably heard a scream if I had," she admitted with a self-depreciating laugh in response to his question, the blanket wrapped around her now, only the necklace remaining as it hung around her throat.

 

[The_gladiator]

Brandon snorted a bit of a laugh, but nodded at her words, “Fair enough.”

Brandon realized there was one hammock, they would have to sleep close together. “Did you like what you saw?” he asked her his gray eyes searching her face. Brandon didn’t do subtle, and of course he had noticed her appraisal. He had been respectful and not snuck glances of her, beyond the seeing the skin tight tunic at first.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

A flash of realization flickered over her face before she quickly hid it, lowering her gaze from his as she moved towards the hammock.

"What do you mean?" she asked, playing dumb to the meaning of his question.

She figured it had been a lucky guess on his point. He'd been glancing away, he couldn't have noticed her watching. She tried to change the subject.

"One hammock. You'll be sleeping on the floor then?"

 

[The_gladiator]

“My lady, I was a sex slave in the gladiatorial pits of the dark elves. I know when someone is watching me, but I clearly have made you uncomfortable. Forgive me.” He stepped closer to her and the hammock. “I hadn’t planned on it, no. Did you think me a gentleman?”

His voice was still playful but a hint of truth there, “No, I would never rape you, but I’m no knight to sacrifice my comfort for you. I figured we were both adults and could cuddle…like adults.” His hand rested on her back for a moment, “You are welcome to sleep on the floor if I am so unpleasant to you.” He said trailing his fingers over her skin as he passed, beginning to climb boldly into the hammock.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

A sex slave? Her eyebrows raised slightly in surprise. He hadn't mentioned that before. She felt a little ashamed now for having taken advantage and sneaking a look at him while he was turned. Though he didn't seem to mind, his words playful still.

She humphed a bit at his less than chivalrous behavior, admittedly used to getting her way in things, even as she felt a shiver run over her skin at the feel of his fingers trailing along her back. She watched he climbed into the hammock.

"I didn't say that I found you unpleasant.." she told him, taking a moment's consideration and then beginning to climb in beside him.

 

[The_gladiator]

“Technically I was a gladiator, but you spend enough time as a slave in those lands, you’ll eventually be a sex slave for someone.” He shrugged, as if it were nothing. He considered her, “When I earned my freedom, I was sure to take jobs to assassinate every single person that used me in such a way.” His tone suggested that he was discussing the weather, not murdering his rapists. Clearly there was pain hidden there.

His eyes lightened as she mentioned that she hadn’t said that she found him unpleasant. “That is good, or else this would have been a real awkward night for you.” He slid his left arm under her neck and let his right awkwardly rest on his own hip. He had the urge to put it around her waist, but hadn’t taken that step to completing the cuddle he had teasingly referenced.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena could see now why Brandon had fought so hardly to keep the Despurdens from taking her, why he was working so hard to break up their sex slave ring. Yes, he was getting paid, but this was obviously a very personal mission for him. He talked about what had happened to him, about killing those who used him, as if it was nothing, but it had obviously left a deep mark upon him. No doubt it was why he had vowed he would never rape her, and why he was not even putting his arm around her now as well.

Her instinct was to tell him sorry again for what had happened to him, but remembering how he had responded the last time she did not think it would be well received. Instead after a moment's consideration she let herself relax back against him, her head resting upon his arm and her hand reaching and moving his other arm so that it was draped across her waist, knowing it would be more comfortable for him if he did not have to hold it back to himself. It was her way of silently letting him know that she believed what he had told her, and that she trusted him not to force himself upon her as he had been forced.

"Since coming to these lands I have been going by the name of Nora," she told him, realizing that she'd yet to introduce herself, "...but my real name is Celaena."

She was not certain why she had done that, giving him her real name. Perhaps it was because he had shared so much about himself with her already, including things that she could sense he did not share with most others. She wanted to give him something in return.

 

[The_gladiator]

Bran didn’t really know why he had shared so much with her, but he had. He felt her move his arm until it draped around her. He gave her a gentle squeeze as silent thanks for the silent support. He had expected her to apologize again to him, and had even stiffened himself for it, but surprisingly it did not come.

He listened to her words. “Celaena,” he rolled her name off his tongue, with the proper Kierielle accent and inflections, making it sound musical. “I have gone by Brandon since my time in the pits. I claimed a human name, anything to divorce myself from those elvish sons of bitches. Not that I was overly fond of the humans either, I believe we discussed my father already. Very few know me by otherwise these days, though once upon a time I went by another name.” He honored her sharing with more sharing of his own, though he was not quick to actually give her the name. He had given it to the elven princess and even that human priestess, and that bitch Shyra Lath, but Celaena was from Kierielle, he knew it based on when she’d spoken elvish earlier, the accent was clear. His name might still be remembered there. She had showed great restraint in not reading the names on his back, or if she had asking about them. If she had she might have recognized them too. His family had been prominent enough, but once upon a time the names of those killed in drow raiding parties were remembered. It had been many years though.

 

[BlondeAmbition4RP]

Celaena had smiled a little as she'd felt Brandon's gentle squeeze of a thank you, and then again as heard him test out her name upon his tongue. Once more she was struck by how impeccable his pronunciation of the high elven was, his accent exactly the same as in her homeland.

And then of course there were the names that she'd seen inscribed upon his tattoo. She had not asked about them, but they had seemed familiar to her. He had to have spent time in Kierielle, quite a bit of time, she was certain.

“I have gone by Brandon since my time in the pits. I claimed a human name, anything to divorce myself from those elvish sons of bitches. Not that I was overly fond of the humans either, I believe we discussed my father already. Very few know me by otherwise these days, though once upon a time I went by another name.”

"When you were in Kierielle?" she asked him softly.

She wanted to be respectful of his privacy. She had gone by a second name to protect her past and it was his right to do the same. If he wanted her to know the meaning of the names within the tattoo and his true name he would tell her. However, she could not help but be curious, and she figured that with his accent it was obvious enough that he had spent time there that she could ask this at least.

 

[The_gladiator]

He stiffened a bit at her question, then forced himself to relax behind her. It was obvious in his accent, she had to hear it. “Yes,” he said. He seemed as if that were going to be all he would give her and then added, “I was born there,” reluctant to just leave her hanging like that. It wasn’t like he had to give her all the details, but denying he had lived there and even for some time would be foolish.

He took a deep breath and tried to relax, though he was presented with the tickle of her hair in his face as he breathed in. He actually smiled a bit; he had always liked that feeling. He had the urge to smell her hair, but figured it would not smell as it normally would, after having been in the river.