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

[rangers-arecool]

@menelvagor asked: 💝You make me quiver. I can barrel-y contain myself around you.

"Unfortunately an arrow needs a bow to be fired or it's no use at all." Skiâ baited him, her mood teasing and playful. She had been curled up on the edge of his bed, reading but now was sitting partly up with a smirk and one hand resting on her bent knee.

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  "That way is better in the long run as it rarely ends well for anyone if feelings are kept bottled up all the time. I know that from personal experience." She admitted softly. Physically, the redhead was there with him but her distant gaze told another story; that she was a million miles and another world away in a mostly unknown past.

  Grey eyes blinked and returned mostly to the present when she sensed the slight sadness coming from the bowman. Skiâ squeezed his hand gently her free one, then side eyed him. There was a faint tinge of amusement in the back of her mind at his slow blink, before she sighed with a fond smile.

  "Then go see them on your way to bed, Bard. You're dead on your feet and the last thing you need is to wake up with a bad back from falling asleep here. I'll take Tils here up to her own bed, before I head out for the night." She tilted her head, watching him for a few minutes.

The bargeman smiled gently back at her, nudging her in return. "Yes, it is. I'd rather it than for her to be wary of expressing herself," he said, ending in a more serious tone, despite how tired he was and the teasing they had done a moment before.

He watched silently as Skiâ brushed her hand over Tilda's curls, noticing how it calmed her back to sleep. He smiled, even as some sadness was hinted in his expression. He returned his gaze to the woman beside him, blinking slowly.

"I would, but Sigrid and Bain-- ?" He would have felt bad if he just fell asleep right after his arrival home, not to seen them until the morning.

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For: Bard :: @menelvagor Muse: Skiâ Verses: Post BOTFA & ? Prompts: ( SILENCE ) silencing mine’s by pressing their finger on mine’s lips. & ( PUSH ) pushing against the wall. (example: rough or soft pushing against wall)

No one had expected the party for the reopening of Dale and the new King’s Coronation to be disrupted like it had been. Because of a woman that everyone, including Bard himself and his children, had long thought to be dead. In all the confusion, only Thranduil and Thorin noticed the soft spoken redhead slip away into the shadows. She had no wish to stay and watch the family reunion, although she was glad for them.

“We’ll be leaving for Gondor in two days, if you wanted to join us to get away from here.”

That was a kind offer from the two travelling merchants and she appreciated it greatly, even she had no idea what she was going to do. “Thank-you. I’ll let you know my answer tomorrow. Have a good night.” She smiled faintly, before turning and heading across to the small house she lived in, in the almost empty part of the rebuilt City.

Skiâ sighed softly, only letting silent tears fall once she was inside her home and out of view of the public. She wiped them away after a few minutes, removing her outer clothing and just leaving her in the sleeveless forest green dress she wore. There was no warning that someone was waiting in her bedroom.

Not until grey eyes blinked in shock as she looked up at the former bargeman, after being pushed roughly against the wall. "Bard, why are-." But she swallowed the rest of her words when his finger landed on her lips, silencing her instantly and making her cheeks flush slightly.

[rangers-arecool]

@menelvagor asked: Rumor has it you might be in love with a certain bowman! (Skiâ)

"Rumours shouldn't always be listened to but.. this one is true."

She murmured softly, before the flirty tone and familiar feeling of safety registered. Skiâ swallowed and turned to face him, realising the unusual quietness of the house and his uncharacteristically early return from work.

"Bard?"

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@menelvagor asked: [ ALMOST KISS ] * my muse leans closer to your muse almost like they’re trying to initiate a kiss, only to pull away in the last second. (Bard & Skiâ OOPS)

There were no words capable of dissolving the sexual tension that lay between them, tightening with each passing day until tonight. She looked up at him for a moment, her 5ft3 form short against his 6ft3, before something finally snapped.

Minutes after the miss, Skiâ reached up and pressed a gentle but hesitant kiss against his lips. It didn't last long for she pulled away seconds later and gave him some space as she leaned against the wall of his room, unsure as to what Bard's reaction would be. Given that Sigrid and Bain had locked the door to his room from the outside, it was obvious that neither adult was leaving until this was sorted.

[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]

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.

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🚢 (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 let her gaze falter at meeting his flickering eyes. ”I know you can’t. Which is why something needs to change to keep this from happening again. Even if it means drinking from me, until you can work out something that's more preferable." She murmured quietly, fully aware of what she was offering him. Yet if it meant that the bargeman could remain in Lake-town and not have to worry about losing control though, she would be happy to do it. A moment later when he, to no surprise, asked about the safety of his children, she focused her magic to check on them briefly. "Yes, they are."

  The younger red haired woman didn't push him, letting the vampire take his time for she knew how much he didn't want to do this. As a panther animagus, patience was something that the large cat had in bucket loads and it often helped massively in situations where patience was required. Situations which, more often than not, had involved making sure that certain members of the vampire and werewolf communities didn't kill each other back in her old world.

  She didn't flinch or react when she felt the coolness of his lips against her neck and then his teeth sinking in. In fact, she relaxed slightly at the sound of his relieved groan because it meant that Bard would be okay. As he fed, she rested one of her arms against a bent knee while partly lost in her thoughts. Then she felt him watching her closely and realised why. Grey eyes flicked over her shoulder at him and she gave a small smile, reaching up to touch his hand in light reassurance. "Bard, I'm fine. Just take what you need. If you take too much, the worse that will happen is that I'll sleep for a couple of hours."

Bard met Skiâ's eyes and sighed before he replied, "I know they worry, and it is not unfounded. But I. . . I cannot be tempted." A soft growl left from him again when he was told Alfrid was getting to his children as well - particularly his first-born, his daughter. He would have got up and marched with Skiâ back home to confront the creep if he could right that moment. His strength was very lacking, however. "Well if what you say is true, that is a sure way to get through to me. Not even your convincing. Tell me, are they safe?" He looked at her with softer, more concerned expression.

The bargeman watched closely with red-flickering eyes then as she sat before him and bared her neck. This would surely get through to him as well - but he held back for a moment. He parted his lips and his teeth glinted out in the light of the stars - the only ones which he could bear - while he stared at her pale skin, repeating over and over to himself to be most careful, to treat her like she would break under his touch if he was not.

He placed his hands on her shoulders to keep her steady and then bent over, lips brushing against her skin before he slowly sank his teeth into her. At the first taste of her blood, he felt the energy that it gave back to him. He groaned in relief as he continued. After several moments, Bard pulled away and looked closely at Skiâ to assess her state. He feared to drain her too much for his own benefit.

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  Skiâ just grinned at him, warmth replacing the concern in her gaze when she realised that he was just exhausted. “Is it?” She teased him with a gentle nudge, her amusement at his words obvious. Given her own stubbornness at times, it was clear that she didn’t mind and was just poking fun at the older man. It didn’t take a mind reader to work out what he was going to do and she shifted very slightly, making herself comfortable.

  The quiet witch glanced across to check on a slightly stirring Tilda, running a gentle hand through the younger girl’s hair to soothe her back into sleep. She looked back at her partner and smiled softly as he yawned, before pressing a light kiss to his cheek. “Go to sleep, Bard.”

Bard looked up at Skiâ at her comment, teasing him for being stubborn, and a hint of knowing and of amusement glinted in his green eyes.

"That is one of the good things inherited from me," he replied. Normally if one of his children had fallen asleep outside of their room, he would encourage them up and to bed, or when smaller, carry them there. Today, though, he did not mind it and was thinking about joining Tilda. He was about to be as stubborn as his daughter.

He squeezed Skiâ's hand in return and contentment settled in his features. "And I adore-" he paused, mouth opening in a yawn- "you." His eyes closed and he leaned a little more heavily on her shoulder.

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"-" The smaller redhead swallowed back her own words at his closeness and that shit-eating grin of his, before meeting his gaze. It took a moment but then she tried again. "Might be more than just a bit.. There could be a I love you hidden somewhere." She admitted softly.

"Only a bit?" Bard asked, resting his hands at his hips now, still giving her a look. "What can be done to make it more than a bit?" The shit-eating grin on his face returned, noticing the way his words and proximity to her made her turn bright red.

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  Ignoring the older man’s steady look had been far easier when there was something or someone else to focus her attention on; this time, there was nothing. Despite having wanted space to think, she didn't blame the elder herbalist for telling Bard where to go. It hadn't fully sunk in just how much she had affected their lives and how much his family had affected her own life, until the last two weeks.

  Her thoughts snapped back to the present as she heard his bag being set down by his side; and quickly realised that he wasn't going anywhere. Unnoticed by herself but easily in his view, her shoulders relaxed minutely at the sound.

  Skiâ returned her eyes back to the waterfall, while avoiding his gaze. She hadn't intended on telling him at all, instead keeping her feelings locked away in her mind and just staying friends. Because that was the easiest way forward but now.. it was all out in the open as she couldn't lie to him.

  "Yes." She ran a hand through her hair with a soft sigh as the older man finally spoke. "You have nothing to apologise for. I-" Then it was the redhead's turn to flush slightly at his words but thankfully, she was facing away from him. "Possibly not… But I hadn't planned on ever telling you about my feelings." Her admittance was soft, before she glanced over her shoulder at Bard with a faint half smile.

  But there wasn't a sign of any other emotion, for she had locked them behind a mental wall until a time when she could untangle them. Only once before had the 28 year old locked her feelings away, due to emotion overload, and none of his family had liked it.

Bard looked at Skiâ when she claimed that she was fine, but having three children and using such an excuse to avoid explanation himself, he knew she did not speak wholly truthfully. She remained silent so he did not push her; he unslinged the bag from his shoulder and set it down on the ground beside him, showing he would not leave.

The bargeman did feel better when she assured him her disappearance was not because of anything his family did. . . however, it was something to do with him.

He swallowed, feeling a slight flush on his face as her eyes met his own. Feelings for him? It should have been more than obvious - but now Bard wished she had not said it. That they did not have to confront anything like this now. Even if he had been doing just the same recently: trying to ignore any feelings beyond friendship for Skiâ. It hurt him to feel so, considering how his last relationship had ended.

"So, I was the reason why you disappeared," he finally said after no word passed between them, him carefully choosing what to say. "I apologize if I ruined your trail of thought by my being here. However-" he paused, thinking- "it is not so very different from my own, I'd wager."

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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."

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And now Skiâ knew she really was blushing, due to his grin. "A rumour that might have a bit of truth to it." She tried to hide the redness but doing so was far more difficult when Bard was standing directly in front of her. It was impossible to look away from him.

He saw the pink hue to her face and grinned ever more. "Not very often but there can be," came his answer. "I've heard. . .some word. Though it seems not just to be mere rumor, but a stone cold fact." Bard moved a little closer to stand right in front of her, looking down at her with cocked brow.

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  Her past had never really been spoken about during the months and years she had spent with the bowman and his children. When asked random questions through mere curiosity, she'd given either one sentence answers or directed their curiosity to another more friendlier topic. But the one thing she had been willing to speak of from her past, were the outcasts. The vampires, werewolves and other folk who had been pushed to the edge of society and became her family as a teenager.

  Almost catlike eyes watched him back from where she was standing, the panther prowling just below the surface of her mind. She rarely let it have this much of a hold in human form but it was enough to do so in the forest, with only a hungry vampire for company. Most would call her suicidal but she called it helping a friend.

  "They worry for a good reason, Bard. You've been gone for a while now and Alfrid's starting to creep Sigrid out with how much he's watching the house." The soft spoken redhead walked over and settled on the ground in front of him. "She only messaged me as a last resort because she thought I'd get through to you." She murmured quietly, pulling her hair out of the way and tilting her head, giving Bard access to her neck. A move that she wouldn't have done for anyone else but him.

Bard stilled and watched warily when Skiâ stayed back where she was, giving him the space that he wished to create between them. He would never be able to forgive himself if he tore her apart in a frenzy of hunger. Even the thought of drawing out her blood made him uncomfortable.

The vampire had calmed a little, but it was a feeling which was thrown aside when Skiâ bared her neck just enough - a more physical offering than merely her word. Even if she did not mean it as such. He growled again, his fingers digging into the ground beneath him, nail beds filling with dirt.

He had promised to himself ever since he had accepted the curse and the power of the vampire, that he would not hurt nor feed from anyone in his family. This was now extending to Skiâ, but she could see right through him. She understood the animal instincts that coursed through him, more than anyone could.

Though he wanted to argue, he knew of the woman's stubbornness and the thirst clawed at him. He looked around wildly nearby for any small animal that he could feed from, show Skiâ that he had fed. But the two had scared them all off. He looked back at Skiâ with his usual grim look, sighing in defeat even as his eyes were hard.

"No, no. . . Do not bring such a tiding to them, even as they now worry about my health. Please." He was knelt on his hands and knees, but then sat back. "I accept only because I know I will not sway you and I know you care for my family," he said slowly. "Come to me, if your choice is made. I will not approach you."

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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?"