When had it been" That day he was brought along to see her in the summer festival. He was twenty and she was eighteen that day. It had been years since they met, he had starting spending time with Shane when they both were put in football in school, perhaps six years earlier. But she had been twelve when they met and a gangly, shy girl that only seemed to speak when her brother was close by. She had been invisible, but not that day.
His people believed that the land, the sky, the water, they lived and they had voices if you took the time to listen. He had a spirit guide from the time he reached puberty, having gone through the rituals and rites. The shape his spirit guide took had been surprising to the boy he had been, but not the man he had become.
In the language of his people his name meant wolf. It was a foreshadowing the abilities he would acquire later in life and a reflection of his soul. Shane had been one of the few people that had not teased him about not having a girlfriend during his teen years and as he passed into adulthood he knew that he was not the type to waste his time or energy on a passing affection for anyone. No, wolves mated for life and he would not settle for anyone just to have someone.
For five years he had carried this torch for Robyn, the Little Bird that was so shy with him back when they were young had grown, matured and come to be more comfortable around him, even when Shane was not there. The spirits had called him to the grove of ancients that day, tugged at his soul until he could not deny the summons. Meditating there he allowed the spirits to speak, listened with an open heart and mind; he heard the message they had for him. He had been waiting for Robyn to realize, had been waiting for some sign that she knew. The spirits had shown him that she could not realize, would not know until he did something that she could not explain away as her imagination.
He had told another that he did not wish to spook the skittish bird, but it was from fear that he restrained himself. There was loyalty as well. Shane had been a good friend and he did not want to cause friction between them, but he could not wait much longer. It had been his intent to speak of these things with Shane first, although he found it difficult to believe that he had not guessed at his affection for Robyn.
The pull to return to the Inn had been as strong as the pull to commune with the spirits and so he allowed his feet to take him to where his heart desired. His hearing was exceptional and so he was able to overhear the conversation between Robyn and Kaylee as he slowly approached.
"You say that like I can just say 'hey, if you want a New Years kiss you should come to the Inn and find me." Robyn was facing away from him but he knew that her expression was one of doubt, she spoke the words so flippantly because she was positive they would not work. He felt a stab of jealousy toward whomever it was she spoke of that way, knowing that she wanted it to work.
"Well, yeah, you can say it just like that," Kaylee insisted, her grin growing as she recognized the figure making his way over to them. "Or, yanno, I could say it for you before he gets here." He had met Kaylee at the Manor just that week, he had seen her over the years once or twice but had little opportunity to speak with her one-on-one. "Hey, Shon'ge - wanna pucker up with Robyn at midnight' She wouldn't say no!"
There were times when Serendipity came out to play and he was far too polite to the spirits to ignore such things. "If you insist, I would not want to insult one of Robyn's cousins." He was not, however, going to give the skittish bird the time to flee and moved the timetable up. Coming up behind Robyn, as she turned around to see who was there he leaned in and kissed her, not something vulgar, just a tender kiss pressed firmly to her lips.
He could feel her body stiffen, words that were about to be spoken lost as contact had been made. For a moment that felt like an eternity he thought that he had been mistaken, that this was an event that would break the bond he had with her and probably her brother as well. Then he felt her fingers wrap in the fabric of his shirt and the wolf settled, satisfied that he had finally laid claim and that the claim had been accepted.
(Partially adapted from live play.)
His people believed that the land, the sky, the water, they lived and they had voices if you took the time to listen. He had a spirit guide from the time he reached puberty, having gone through the rituals and rites. The shape his spirit guide took had been surprising to the boy he had been, but not the man he had become.
In the language of his people his name meant wolf. It was a foreshadowing the abilities he would acquire later in life and a reflection of his soul. Shane had been one of the few people that had not teased him about not having a girlfriend during his teen years and as he passed into adulthood he knew that he was not the type to waste his time or energy on a passing affection for anyone. No, wolves mated for life and he would not settle for anyone just to have someone.
For five years he had carried this torch for Robyn, the Little Bird that was so shy with him back when they were young had grown, matured and come to be more comfortable around him, even when Shane was not there. The spirits had called him to the grove of ancients that day, tugged at his soul until he could not deny the summons. Meditating there he allowed the spirits to speak, listened with an open heart and mind; he heard the message they had for him. He had been waiting for Robyn to realize, had been waiting for some sign that she knew. The spirits had shown him that she could not realize, would not know until he did something that she could not explain away as her imagination.
He had told another that he did not wish to spook the skittish bird, but it was from fear that he restrained himself. There was loyalty as well. Shane had been a good friend and he did not want to cause friction between them, but he could not wait much longer. It had been his intent to speak of these things with Shane first, although he found it difficult to believe that he had not guessed at his affection for Robyn.
The pull to return to the Inn had been as strong as the pull to commune with the spirits and so he allowed his feet to take him to where his heart desired. His hearing was exceptional and so he was able to overhear the conversation between Robyn and Kaylee as he slowly approached.
"You say that like I can just say 'hey, if you want a New Years kiss you should come to the Inn and find me." Robyn was facing away from him but he knew that her expression was one of doubt, she spoke the words so flippantly because she was positive they would not work. He felt a stab of jealousy toward whomever it was she spoke of that way, knowing that she wanted it to work.
"Well, yeah, you can say it just like that," Kaylee insisted, her grin growing as she recognized the figure making his way over to them. "Or, yanno, I could say it for you before he gets here." He had met Kaylee at the Manor just that week, he had seen her over the years once or twice but had little opportunity to speak with her one-on-one. "Hey, Shon'ge - wanna pucker up with Robyn at midnight' She wouldn't say no!"
There were times when Serendipity came out to play and he was far too polite to the spirits to ignore such things. "If you insist, I would not want to insult one of Robyn's cousins." He was not, however, going to give the skittish bird the time to flee and moved the timetable up. Coming up behind Robyn, as she turned around to see who was there he leaned in and kissed her, not something vulgar, just a tender kiss pressed firmly to her lips.
He could feel her body stiffen, words that were about to be spoken lost as contact had been made. For a moment that felt like an eternity he thought that he had been mistaken, that this was an event that would break the bond he had with her and probably her brother as well. Then he felt her fingers wrap in the fabric of his shirt and the wolf settled, satisfied that he had finally laid claim and that the claim had been accepted.
(Partially adapted from live play.)