#* simple unreadable or perhaps just unthinkable = the gray maiden *

[flightofaqrow]

@the-gray-maiden

gods, why is he choking on his tongue all of a sudden? why does one word feel so wrong?

two seconds ago qrow asked an even cruder question by comparison. something about having to ask twice, maybe. suddenly it feels less playful and more... disrespectful. desperate. undeserving.

he can't even make that expression anymore, which already feels like failing. he coughs awkwardly and convinces himself it's more about saving face at this point than the actual result.

"i think it might be... er... i would... if you, uhhhh... could you... please?"

well, he tried.

[flightofaqrow]

"hey, i only plan t'finish whatever he starts, if my family's involved. reckless youth don't buy a pass for that," he sits back, grinning, "though i might not mind seein' what you're really made of either way..."

"He's like 19 and reckless, just leave him be." Lia waved Qrow off. "Also don't think I would go easy on you bird boy."

[flightofaqrow]

@the-gray-maiden from ***

"You are a very bold man Qrow Branwen," Lia teased while sliding into the water. "Just baring yourself out the middle of the forest you should be more careful." She grinned, her hair floating along her back as she swam.

so she says, as she does the very same thing, and qrow looks on, respectfully, just a subtle slack to his jaw as ragged hair suddenly floats around her, wearing nothing but a smug grin, like some sort of selkie.

"bold? nah..." he scoffs, quite certain they can both take care of themselves; which is the joke, but he'll play along, "use'ta do this all th' time. an' actually, i'd say th' middle'a th' forest is about th' only place you can get away with it."

[flightofaqrow]

@the-gray-maiden from ***

"i know things lot's'a people don't," and he thought that had been made pretty clear between them by this point. ...or had revealing one or two of his own secrets make Lia think she knew the whole story?

"look, Lia. just... be careful out there, alright."

[flightofaqrow]

Top or bottom? ;)

ask away ** accepting

"oh brothers, not this again."

"listen, here's th' deal. just tell me what y'want an' i'll do it to ya. don't know? i'll figure somethin' out."

[flightofaqrow]

🎲

kiss roulette ** accepting

17. an upside down kiss

oh, qrow's so glad to see a familiar shock of platinum snags and braids coming through the trees, that all his grunting summoned something other than grimm.

he dangles down, pathetically, from branches; ankles and wings bound by rope, cape falling the wrong way from his shoulders; caught in some old bandit trap, because Misfortune never misses the opportunity to really rub his face in it.

"Liaaaaa," he coos, "jus' th' woman i wanted to see!" gods, he feels so stupid, and the brow she raises at him does nothing to salve it.

"mind.... uh... helpin'..." he doesn't know why she's looking at him like that. why she steps forward like she's stalking prey, "..me... down?"

"Sure," she says simply, something absolutely unreadable (or perhaps just unthinkable, to qrow) in gray eyes, "...but first."

whether it's something about seeing him, or the opportunity of this situation, or seeing him in this situation, he has no idea. but he finds himself blinking obliviously at the woman's collarbone as she leans in and presses plush lips to his own.

only the softness of her hands and her nose brushing against strands of beard lining his chin, the chastity of a lingering, but unassuming little peck, keeps him calm about being so constrained while this happens. ...has him closing crimson eyes and kissing her back, more swept up in the moment than he cares to be. it feels a little backwards, but fuck it...

he clears his throat when she steps back, finding a smitten smirk and the audacity to look so smug while in so vulnerable a state and still wriggling uncomfortably, "well now... i'd like t'help y'out too, but, uh, blood's rushin' to th' wrong head right now, babe."

the vulgarity makes Lia groan with regret, and qrow considers that a success. he only hopes it doesn't push her so far back that she actually turns and leaves him, er, hanging.

[flightofaqrow]

[ CROWN ]:          having created a flower crown, the sender carefully places it atop the receiver’s head.

hair ** always accepting

Lia's sweet, too sweet to qrow. in a world full of bitterness, he probably shouldn't complain. for at least a moment, he can sit back and enjoy a sip from his flask and be surrounded by the better part of old memories, a gentle touch, and the soft aroma of lavender wafting from a crown Lia made from the sprigs he'd gathered during their latest wander, as she places it on his head.

"nice job," he comments, as the thing manages to stay in place and one piece, in spite of Misfortune.

[flightofaqrow]

mmm. another round of missed bait as the woman before him colors so cutely, but doesn't let that flush past her face and doesn't move forward. not tonight. but maybe - she promises so quietly, yet so close in a clear sweetness which stings his ears - another day, on another road, they could lose themselves.

or so qrow hears it. gods, he's done with this; he's thirsty, and if he cannot drink of Lia, then...

"sounds like someone's gettin' a little dreamy..." he could nearly speak it of himself, too, in daring to believe someone might not slip away after more than a few days of Misfortune nailing down yet another coffin for his relationships.

qrow stands, and that smile slips back into an easy grin, and long arms scoop the little lady up, "best get some sleep f'r th' journey, then."

his hands only touch skin wherever they land against her back or near her knee in effort to carry her over to her bed, where he will leave her for his own after she is tucked in and he finishes his flask. qrow has no intention of working on himself, only his mission. a shame, how easy he makes it for others to let him in, while staying so good at keeping them out. then again, he wouldn't be a spy worth his salt otherwise.

A small flush spread across Lia's face. No one had called her darlin before? No one had ever smiled at her like that... that she was sure of. She loved seeing the bright smile, while she was fond of his smirk this felt less like a shield.

"For once?" She teased. His laughter stirred feelings Lia long forgot she could feel. She wondered if her cheeks could get any warmer. "May we get lost along the road." She muttered between them. They could take their time, maybe then he'd stay just one more day.

They both really need to work on their horrible ability to let people in. Both had been though so much it would be hard to let someone in. She was willing to try. Getting hurt is better then not feeling anything at this point.

[flightofaqrow]

qrow could choke on his own soul the way it suddenly explodes into his throat like bile. the way his hands go from tingling to burning as Lia takes them again, the innocence in her eyes and passion in her voice and longing in her touch as she waxes poetic - it's torture, and all he can do is sit here and take it.

she's too precious to be in his lap, too good to share the space of their skin, saying too many things he doesn't deserve to hear (when was the last time someone asked qrow branwen to stay?), and he's a bastard with no more excuses for letting her reconnect rather than shooing her right away like he started.

he doesn't. he should, but he doesn't, and not only that, but he indulges in a smile. she thinks qrow never fully lets his guard down, but he does in this moment, and if he suffers Misfortune for it, so be it. he can not help it.

"while y've got'a point..." yes, a whole, toothy grin sneaks out across his features, accompanied by a rich chuckle that Lia could feel coming from deep in his chest, because he pulls her hands in to rest against it.

"i was'n bein' dramatic fr'once, darlin'," he explains in torn tones, "...wind path is'a place. quaint little settlement on th' way north. 'bout three more days, on foot."

too much time to get them both in so much trouble, if she keeps talking like that.

he leans in just short of another kiss, manifesting boundaries of time with a whisper, since he's too weak a man to enforce them of his body, "...i'll stay that long."

"The wind isn't always right. Sometimes one has to go against the wind." She had started to learn this. "While the wind is helpful if can also blow you off course." She could tell he did not want to lose her, so he could let her go.

She took his hands in hers gently. She wanted to make a connection but not hold to tight. They both knew this might not last but it would better to have this for a short time than none at all.

"Stay just for a little while longer." She smiled. "We can just be here in the present for a while. This doesn't have too long but." She ran her thumb over his palm. "Let's just be here." She ached just to wrap her arms around him. She could see he wanted this as much as her.

[flightofaqrow]

qrow's not going to make that decision for Lia, but he does tilt up enough to kiss her forehead, and continues cradling her cheeks. he has no idea what feeling she's talking about, his brain still reels backwards, stuck swimming in drink, but he's happy for her.

"don't worry about it," he still speaks softly, "things tend t'go south with me around."

he idly realizes that she was lost when he met her - a bird on the shoulder of a woman with a map. and she's still searching, maybe closer to what she seeks. it's not her fault. Lia's done nothing wrong. blame him, qrow interrupted her search and ruined her fun.

Hearing that simple sentence.... she left a long sigh. She wasn't sure rather to kiss him or bury her face in his shoulder. Him stroking her cheek made her feel so different. She was unsure how to word it.

"Thank you." She breathed. "I haven't felt this way in so long." She felt dizzy, her brain felt like it was thawing or coming out of a fog. She wasn't who she was back at Beacon, but she could be something different then she had been.

"I'm sorry." She added. "This was suppose to be fun." Teasing him had been fun.

[flightofaqrow]

qrow tries to give her quiet space, he does. but vermillion eyes follow the lines Lia traces on her own body, and a heavy exhale leaves him laced in guttural sounds - something between a low growl and a rattle buried beneath the breath.

his next approving huff comes near to a short laugh. he realizes it's almost ironic - this woman so good at finding lost people took so long to locate herself. gods he wants to touch her too, to feel whatever it is she's feeling, because it looks so beautiful, but he will not. he crosses his arms to keep hands contained.

especially when she says she feels safe.

the tension of bodily arousal drops just slightly, red eyes round off their edges. qrow doesn't quite smile, but anything better than a frown basically was, "you're, uh, welcome."

it felt wrong when she's supposedly the one fulfilling a request, but it also feels familiar. the same song and dance all over again. the weary and vulnerable come to him, and he has always wanted to protect them; the scarecrow standing steady in the field, chasing away the blackbirds, because he doesn't think it's fair for anyone else to feel the same shame and burdens like he does. the tribe called it soft. called him weak.

he doesn't see it that way.

"you're a strong woman, Lia. you're beautiful. you... look like you've lived through some stuff."

these are, to qrow, three versions of the same sentence.

She paused at the hooks and lowered her hands. He was right there was no need to rush. She glanced over her shoulder again... she ran her well worn hand down her arms, the friction strangely calming to her. She wasn't cold it was well nice to feel. She never just gave her self time.

She turned and face him, now fully aware of how exposed she was. Her scars seeing the light of day not just when she was bathing. It was seeing her own body for the first time. She ran her fingers over stomach and down the side of her legs... was she hot?

She ran her fingers though the less tangled part of her hair. She began playing with the tips and shivering at its touch.

"I've haven't felt this safe around someone in years...." She admitted. Granted they had gone skinny dipping before this was different. "Thanks." Was all she could manage.

[flightofaqrow]

oh she did, did she? know the feeling of inevitable, unending dark skies when looking only for a beam of light to follow? part of him doubts such things are woven into Liadan's fate as much as his, but the other part knows that sigh.

perhaps it is what keeps them coming and going, and from finishing what they start. both searching, but following different paths, sharing short portions for but awhile.

something in that kiss unravels him - tender finality of affection in place of the rough, transient bridges to greater lust that he so often crosses. he kisses her back, of course, reaching out to that connection the way his treacherous heart always falls into, whether he wants to or not. but she would also leave, in the end, and it will be easier if it is because he lets her go.

so he stops it all there, like her words do too, no matter the tingling in his palms which beg for further touch.

"north, huh" he parrots, muttering, trying to pull his brain back into his head, while hands slide their way away through tangles of light hair, "i'm headed 'sfar 's wind path. after that you're on you're own."

whatever happens between, whatever she might find in those spaces, he cannot linger any longer than he does now. she'd be the worse for it, if she has more to explore for herself now, anyway.

Lia took a long deep breath. Just savoring the moment between them. She had not felt a connection like this in years. Or maybe this was the first time she was open to one. She did not dare to let another person become important to her... what if she lost them again.

"I know the feeling." Lia's luck has always been bad. She brought sorrow where ever she went if she stayed to long. Life went off the rails around her... she would always survive but the people around her would just be gone.

"Well, let's try to head back north." She kissed him gently. After she did it she was not sure if Qrow was okay with it.

[flightofaqrow]

qrow stills, sinks in to sensations and scenery rather than wash or splash for a moment. if only the people he worked with were straightforward. though at times he doesn't mind the riddles and rhyme and circles of it. like some secret code that makes him feel important.

"y'must work hard. i wouldn't call that sad. too many folks out there not makin' good on their licenses, i bet."

vermillion eyes return to her, but not only her. her face, hair, skin, the water, the stony shoreline, the trees, the breeze blowing through them, and clouds floating above it all.

well, maybe a little sad to not have little moments like this more often, ones which make cursed lives worth living, "it's not everyon' that gets t'hunt round th' world though. shame t'let good people n' good scenery go by if y'can help it."

Lia watched Qrow enjoy himself? That was rare sigh... He seemed almost relaxed, she knew his guard wasn't 100% down, it never was... she moved her arms around in the water.

A sound caught her attention causing her hair float over her shoulder. A branch? A grimm? She knew it wasn't a person... She smiled at his comment

"True, but I'm use to people being more straight with me. I don't talk to people much." Lia admitted. "You are likely the only person I talk to about things other then work." She laughed. "That's pretty sad, right?"

"I've been once... I wait to be invited to Menagerie these days." She explained. "Though I didn't go for causal reasons, so hitting the beach wasn't high on my list of things to do."

[flightofaqrow]

oh, she's cute all colored up, responding to his kiss that way. and close. still closer. gods help him.

yeah, this could be a dream. it would be better for both of them that way. it feels surreal to qrow, too, on top of the familiar. coming and going all in the same moment, tears falling now instead of later.

"hey," a whispered rasp floats between their faces, as his hands move from atop hers to holding her cheeks; his thumb now brushes away that tear instead of over scars. he closes his eyes, though, shields her from any further intensity of locked gaze.

"...it's okay."

Qrow's lips where soft, her eyes widened for a second. The beat of her heart speeding up. She wanted to stay like this... she was unaware of the the color rising in her cheeks. Her breath soft and quiet. Was this even real? This was a dream right. No one had treated her this way before.

"I feel like I have walking backwards." She admitted. "or perhaps in a circle." She had just existed wondered and never thought about well a place to stay, live, or anyone to share it with. She leaned her forehead against this. Just taking a few moments to breath.

She felt a warm tear roll down her cheek. It wasn't a bad tear, but it might be a crack in the damn.

[flightofaqrow]

"...said like someone who's never talked to a teenage boy. you're right about my family though."

oh no, Lia's being confident and coy at the same time... since when.

"... an' i'm sure you're right about yourself, too. but, ah... think i better save my energy for now. see how this all plays out first..."

"Really pick a fight with teenage boy over empty words." She laughed. "Also i'm pretty sure you family can knock him flat in their own right. If you want to see, come find out." She winked. "I might surprise you."

[flightofaqrow]

Lia asks questions qrow has not stopped long enough to dare ask yet, that claw from the depths of his chest just to hear aloud. he has no answers for himself, let alone for her. yet still she touches him, instead of herself now. he so desperately wants another sip from his flask, but she has claimed his face too.

he dares a brief look up at her, brows bent and poppy eyes hazy. her gaze searches and her hand grasps, and he suddenly feels more stripped than she is. but just like everyone else he's ever touched as they dealt with death (the dying, the killers, the survivors), all the reaper can do is guide and comfort along the path. this is the soul Liadan would see as she stares so deep into qrow.

he raises his arm to hold her other hand, too, still on his cheek. he cups over the back of it, keeping it in place as he turns to press a kiss her palm - singular, soft, and sustained.

while he's mortified that his words might continue to make this worse, such profound sentiments deserve something in response.

"...there's no rush, remember?" he tries again, "...sometimes life is jus' one step in front'a th' other. one place after th' next."

and sometimes personhood is found in the shared place between two like-minded souls.

"I have no idea. Was I strong enough to survive but not strong enough to live?" She loves the feeling of his hand on hers. "I don't know... is there a point?"

She reached out and ran her thumb down his cheek. His skin is rough, weather beaten. His eyes deep and was that yearning in them. "I...." She was lost for words. "I think I died that day. I haven't been myself in so long. I think I forgot how to be a person."