#*|* sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇs ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪᴠᴇʀ ᴛᴀᴋᴇs ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴄᴏᴜʀsᴇ *|* :: ᵇᵃʳᵈ ˣ ˢᵏⁱᵃ

[rangers-arecool]

For: Bard | @menelvagor

Two weeks ago, the soft spoken young woman normally seen around Lake-town's bargeman and his family, simply vanished into thin air. Gone without a word to anyone, or so it appeared. Only the old herbalist knew that she was mostly still in the town, just staying hidden while trying to sort her head out.

"You need to talk to him."

"...I don't think that would be a good idea right now." Skiâ tried to ignore the raised eyebrow but her shoulders fell after a moment. If she was being completely honest with herself, she loved liked Bard more than a friend should- and that was the reason she was currently avoiding him. "I will but I'm heading to the waterfall in a few minutes."

A glance out to see the light fading had the herbalist nod and she watched as the younger woman slipped out of the door. Once she was sure Skiâ had left the town, she found Sigrid and asked where her father was. It didn't take long to find the man at his normal dock, although he was still grimmer than usual. "Bard. Your red haired friend is heading to the waterfall if you want to find her."

[rangers-arecool]

The quiet redhead smiled softly as she felt his touch on her hand, leaning against the couch. She had never really had much in the way of dreams or plans for the future, not since learning she couldn't return to her home world. Meeting Sigrid, Bain and Tilda had eased a tiny part of her; but never had she considered that they, along with their father, would pull her into their small family.

"I tried getting her to go to bed but she's inherited your stubbornness." Skiâ teased, lightly squeezing his hand with a flicker of concern in grey eyes.

"They are good kids and I adore them. Much like I do their father."

While Bard was finally able to rest his body after his day of work, his limbs felt heavier and his muscles ached noticeably. He moved his thumb so that it could lightly rub Skiâ's hand. He smiled gently at his daughter as she dozed peacefully. "My darling little Tilda," he said fondly, pulling the blanket that half-covered her further over her shoulders.

He then tilted his head and leaned partially on his arm and partially against Skiâ's shoulder, sighing tiredly.

"I am glad they do. They enjoy your presence here during the day."

[rangers-arecool]

For: Bard | @menelvagor Muse: Skiâ Verse: Sentinel & Guide

Her life was peaceful. It was a unspoken thought that she had never the opportunity to think before. Here in a different world to her own, which was quieter most of the time and where folk simply wanted her for her. A place where she didn't have to think about being someone else; instead she could just be a healer and herbalist- and at that precise moment, acting a as a bed.

A soft smile made itself at home on her lips as she ran gentle fingers through the hair of Bard's youngest sleeping on her lap. Given that the quiet redhead had no interest in disturbing Tilda, she opted to read for a bit. Despite the book seeming to distract her, she was still watching over Sigrid and Bain and was there if they needed her.

Skiâ closed her eyes for a few minutes, checking her mental shields to make sure they were still intact. But just before she came out of her mind, something caught her attention. Someone was nudging at her shields, trying to make a connection but she wasn't letting them in. It bothered her but nothing obvious could be seen and she still acted the same way.

That soon changed when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway and from outside, although the latter was easily recognised as Bard. She was still learning to work out which footsteps were Sigrid and which were Bain. Yet she had no idea of what she was about to learn.

[rangers-arecool]

🚢 (huhuhu for our recent pairing-)

do i ship our characters together?: yes | no | not yet but maybe soon

would i like to ship with you?: yes | maybe, i'm willing to try | no

type of relationship i could see: childhood or high school sweethearts | exes | engaged | married | long-term relationship | crushes | unrequited love | fling | long distance | online relationship | just dating | new relationship | toxic lovers | friends with benefits

tropes i'd enjoy writing for them: friends to lovers | enemies to lovers | exes to lovers | fake relationship / dating | forbidden love | grumpy and sunshine | star-crossed lovers | surprise pregnancy | second chance | soulmates | amnesia / mistaken identity | forced proximity | secret relationship | slow burn relationship

would i rather plot first or jump right in and see where it goes?: develop their relationship first | jump right in | something in between ( letting them lead )

what now?: let's plot something | send me shippy memes | i'll send you shippy memes | write me a random starter | i'll write you a random starter

anything else i want you to know about me / my character / my shipping habits: ( put whatever you want here )

[rangers-arecool]

  Skiâ didn’t even flinch when she saw the flickering colour change of his eyes, instead remaining relaxed- too relaxed for someone used to vampires. She didn't come any closer and settled on a low lying branch behind her, resting her hands on partially bent knees.

  She had stopped at Beorn's on her return from visiting Rivendell for a herb exchange, when she received the worried message from Sigrid. Taking her leave of the lone Skin-changer almost immediately, the soft spoken redhead followed her magic until she reached a point when her panther form picked up his familiar scent. Leading to this.

  Grey eyes watched the older man for a few minutes, before she sighed softly and tilted her head back to gaze up at the tree cover. Completely and unintentionally baring her neck as she did so, due to wearing a sleeveless shirt. "Bard... I am offering though and I'm not going to take it back until I know you've actually fed." She looked back to watch him and stood, her gaze filled with the usually hidden wildness of her animagus form.

  "I know exactly what I'm doing. Offering help to a vampire I care about, if he'll accept it. Question is: Will you? Or am I going to have to return to Lake-town and tell three children they may have lost their father for good?" It was a challenge and a risk. But one that the young woman was willing to take, even if he hated her for it afterwards.

[ OFFER. ]  after noticing the receiver hasn’t fed in a few days / weeks, the sender offers to let the receiver feed from them. (Bard & Skiâ) -✧- @rangers-arecool

Bard's eyes flickered with a reddening light as the young woman offered her own blood for him to drink, to stave off the painful hunger he had forced on himself. While he was tempted, he hastily shook his head and backed away from her, wrenching his gaze away even as he itched to draw nearer.

He was sprawled on the leaf-covered forest floor where Skiâ had found him, at first in the form of a bat, and now as a human again. For sight alone. The bargeman was so far from home now due to the aforementioned hunger, needing a break away from the people-infested Lake-town and from his own worrying children. They could afford no accidents nor rumors.

"Skiâ. . ." he started, his pointed teeth glinting in the low light. "Offer not yourself to me," he growled, pulling further away, even as he could sense the pulsing warmth of blood beneath her skin, enticing him to accept. "I do not wish to harm you. Do you not know what you are doing?"

[rangers-arecool]

Silence was always unusual when it came to her surroundings, for the sharp hearing of her panther could hear everything most of the time. This time though, it was peaceful with only the roar of the waterfall, water lapping at the edge of the lake and.. loud footsteps making their way towards her.

Familiar footsteps that belonged to a man she had been avoiding.

There was little movement from the young witch, who had her head buried in her hands. Yet at the same time, a knot was beginning to unravel inside her chest as he came to a stop by the rock. She hadn't expected anyone to come looking for her, least of all the bargeman. After a moment, she dropped her hands to her knees and lifted her head to look at him.

Skiâ considered the position that Bard had found her in and answered, wanting to ease his worry. "I'm fine." His second question made the redhead go quiet for a few minutes, before she sighed and shifted to her feet. "It's nothing you or your children have done." She murmured quietly, focusing on the falling water while trying to find the words to explain.

"I needed to clear my head and.. try to lock away my feelings for you, Bard." Grey eyes flicked back to lock with his dark green briefly, before dropping to study some newer looking scars on her hands.

Bard walked along toward where he knew the waterfall was; being but one source for the large lake on which he lived. He carried his bag of work supplies and some food destined for home with him, the weight but nothing as he hurried to find Skiâ.

He frowned as it grew dark quickly, but the moon was bright and lit his path toward the fall. The bowman followed it until he saw the shock of red, which was a tell-tale sign of the young woman. At the moment, he did not care if he was loud and could be heard approaching: his feet hit the dirt of the path heavily after his long day, the objects in his bag thumped against his side, his breath left quickly from exerted lungs.

"Skiâ!" he called, walking over to her still and silent form, which did worry him at first. "Are you alright?" he started, as a precaution. And after several moments he added, "Why have we not seen you?"

[rangers-arecool]

Her small smile turned warmer as she looked up at the sound of the front door opening. With Tilda asleep by her side and the two older children working on something in their rooms, there was only one person it could be; their father, Bard. Skiâ put her book down, careful as not to accidentally wake the young girl and rested her free hand over his.

"Aye, they always do. Tils fell asleep waiting for you though." She murmured quietly, sending a fond smile towards her.

On one of the colder days of the month, Skiâ was curled up near the fire with her sketchbook in hand. But she hadn't managed to finish a drawing, due to Tilda falling asleep against her. Not wanting to disturb the younger girl, she pulled a book out and started reading instead with a small smile. -✧- @rangers-arecool

Bard returned home from another long day out on his barge, and unfortunately it was also a very cold one. He entered quietly and as soon as the door was shut, he rubbed his hands together and breathed warmly on them. He removed his over coat and then noticed Skiâ reading while Tilda was curled up beside her. He smiled at them both and approached, sitting down tiredly next to Skiâ and the fire.

"Did my young ones behave for you today?" he asked softly.

[rangers-arecool]

The old woman nodded at his words and shifted out of his way, a unsurprised smile on her face as the bargeman suddenly hurried to the waterfall. It wasn't difficult to see that Bard and Skiâ danced around each-other, without realising the other's feelings for them. After dropping off his message to his children, she returned home; hopeful that things could be righted between the pair now.

~~~~

With many animals preferring the daytime, there was very little movement besides her own as she neared the waterfall. This worked for the quiet redhead, since it meant that few would disturb her ever shifting thoughts. Grey eyes scanned the rocky shoreline and then went to sit down, leaning against a rock with her knees pulled up to her chest.

Although night had now truly fallen upon the land, there was still enough moonlight shining down for a path to be seen towards the waterfall. Unnoticed by the soft spoken nearly 28 year old, rays of silver could be seen flickering among long red hair. Yet with the way that Skiâ was leaning her head against her arms and the usual slow rise and fall of her chest, it didn't look like she was breathing at all.

With the apparent disappearance of the young witch, Bard had become quieter and more grim, going to work for harder and longer days for a distraction. He had more time which he wished to fill in. He and his children had taken up a few more responsibilities around the house now as well, with one less person inhabiting it and helping out.

Bard also had not realized how much he would notice the missing presence of Skiâ, and if he admitted it, this frightened him. The last time he had felt anything like this was before he had married his wife.

He had not fully grasped until now how he cared for Skiâ: her presence, her help, her conversation, her ability to make his loneliness dissipate. While he had always had his children to help keep the darkness at bay, it was not always a complete aid.

So when the older herbalist of Lake-town told him where he could find Skiâ again, he finished his tasks for the day almost immediately. He had a certain amount of anxiety over seeing her again after a "long" time, but he did not feel right leaving whatever they had to fade away without him making any extra effort.

"Tell my children I will return late," he burst out quickly, packing up everything and then hurrying off to the waterfall.