#elpida: gwyn

[soulsuckrrs]

This was usually how his love life went in recent years. Off on another business trip Kaiden found a stranger at a bar, it started as light, playful flirting and small talk but their interaction turned into something a little more genuine. Kaiden was used to people viewing his finer items, nice clothes and accessories he wore to appear the savvy businessman who successfully owned a vineyard and resort. He was that but the style was far from what he'd prefer to be wearing, jeans and a t-shirt playing with his daughters in the dirt outside was his personal style but that didn't mean he hated looking the part he had to play. Kaiden drew in all sorts of people and more often than not he was more noticed when he showed his wealth. At least, while on business trips. So attracting a lovely stranger at the bar wasn't an unusual thing and had become a sort of practice, one night stands were all he could really afford at this time in his life. Between running a dual business and taking care of two little girls, Kaiden didn't see himself getting into any sort of relationship off the first few dates and he had tried a couple times.

Finding this sort of easy conversation, though, was rarer than his one night escapades. He enjoyed it more. Sitting there listening to the woman that had caught his attention. After many hours spent listening to investors haggle and manipulate to get a better price, it was nice having this moment with Gwyn. He was seconds away from letting his fingers brush against hers to interlace them, a daring chance at testing their chemistry and connection when Gwyn spoke and Kaiden's heart lurched into his throat and he withdrew his hand, shifting to look at the woman, brow furrowed slightly as she admitted the crimes she apparently had been planning on carrying out only... she didn't seem like the type and Kaiden couldn't help feeling there was more to this admission than what she was letting on.

"Alright," he said after a moment or two of silent contemplation only a patient father could exude. Kaiden rubbed his hands on his pants before slipping them into his pockets, shifting back onto his heels then forward again. "-- let's go back to my hotel room," he licked his lips before chewing at the bottom one, a small smirk pressing at them as he continued. "There's a safe, I'll lock the temptation away." He offered because truly, Kaiden didn't feel that Gwyn was the type and he had known the sleazy type to swipe a wallet and max out cards. "It'd just be you, me and a couple bottles of wine..." he added, hoping she'd accept his invitation because he didn't want this interaction to end, nor did he want her going back to whoever put her up to this little stunt because as Kaiden watched Gwyn he decided that had to be the answer. Someone was making her do these things, call it a gut feeling and the fact she told him what her plan had been.

plot: gwyn has a manipulative boyfriend that doesn't work, so on the weekends when she isn't working he has her go out and sleep with rich men, to steal their wallets and valuables and disappear the next morning, to sustain the fact he doesn't work but your muse was too nice and there's something about them, so gwyn for once, cracks and warns your muse. it could go many ways! open to m, 21+, i'd be very down for age gaps too.

"don't invite me back to your hotel room." gwyn spoke the moment she'd stepping out of the bar that she'd spent the whole night sat happily flirting, only.. it stopped being silly flirting after an hour. it ended up where she spoke because she wanted to, talked because this person made her feel listened to for the first time in months. it was nice to feel heard, to feel wanted in some way at all but... for once, she'd rather face her boyfriends rage than steal from someone that actually made her feel valued and not some easy fling, even though that's what it'd end up, always did. they weren't cruel or pushy like most. "don't invite me back. i'd steal your wallet, i'd take your watch, i'd max the cards within an hour or two and not because i want to, because i don't... have a lot of choice anymore so, don't ask me to come with you." she swallowed thickly, hell they could call her every name under the sun and scream at her but she stood there, timid as ever, the cold breeze making her hold her arms around herself. "i'm sorry if.. if you feel like i wasted your time."

[musicallyiinclined]

@elpida | cont'd from here!

Riley had thought the party would be fun, and had insisted that Gwyn join her, even though she knew that large groups weren't her friend's favorite thing. Normally Riley didn't mind a crowd--she was used to regularly being one of thousands when she attended hockey games, after all--but in this small of a venue even she was finding it a bit claustrophobic.

That was why she'd taken a moment to search out her friend, and immediately she could tell by the look on her face that she was nearing panic mode. Even before Gwyn shook her head Riley was already heading her way, slipping between bodies and fighting through the crowd to get to her. "Alright, I think we could both use some air, what do you say?" she asked when she finally reached her, placing a reassuring hand on the small of her back. "Do you want to follow me? I can get us out of here."

[musicallyiinclined]

Riley was relieved when they finally made it outside, the chilly night air helping to cool her flushed cheeks. It had been way too crowded in there to be enjoyable, and it was no wonder that Gwyn had nearly panicked. They were still holding hands, but Riley found that she was in no hurry to let go, wanting to give her friend comfort in any way she could. "Please, I'm the one who's sorry. If I had any idea how crazy this party was going to get I never would've made you come with me." She reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Gwyn's ear. "And you didn't embarrass me, okay? Not even a tiny bit."

Nodding in agreement, Riley took a deep breath and released it slowly as a sigh. "Neither did I. Luckily all I had to do was show my face and since that's done we don't have to go back in there," she said, giving Gwyn's hand a reassuring squeeze. "We can go get food, or go watch a movie at my place, or whatever you want to do. Just name it."

When Riley was closer Gwyn instinctively moved to be closer to her, as opposed to anyone else because of everyone in this venue, Riley was what she viewed as safe. Gwyn hated it, this feeling of tightness in her chest, this feeling of drowning in people. It wasn't like she was in water, it wasn't like she couldn't breath it was just something that'd always been in her that couldn't deal with this many.. voices, people, all of it. "Yes, please." she mumbled, feeling quite frankly that she shrunk amongst all the people, a mouse amongst giants.

She followed, keeping her hand wrapped around Riley's as they maneuvered and got out of that crowd. Once outside she took such a deep gasp of air, the cool night air felt like breaking the surface of water, air rushing into her lungs and that tightness easing. "Sorry." she managed to get out, god it was embarrassing to be seen like this, fretting. "Sorry I'm just.... I'm not great with people, not that many people. I didn't mean to embarrass you or anything like that."

This was why she liked to paint, create her own world with color, imagine a million worlds different to this one, peaceful and calm. "I just didn't think thre'd be so many all at once."