Anonymous Musings (cont.)

[Kysis]

(Continued from \'Anonymous Musings\')

Oh, he actually pointed out his place, and it wasn\'t all that far from hers.  Ryanna nodded, taking mental note of it as she continued onward.  It was a little further from the dividing line between the Outer and Innerkeep.  It was also one level, with two bedrooms, a small washing room, a main room and a kitchen, the outhouse out back.  The house was a lot nicer than she ever thought she would get, so Ryanna was rather proud of it.

When she got to the door, she fumbled a moment, but found the keys, unlocking the door and throwing it open, allowing for Freddy to go in first.  She kept the house clean, though there was not much in it to get dirty.  There was a few wooden chairs and a low table near a small fireplace on the back wall, a rack of weapons on the wall that was by the kitchen, and various doors, one going outside, two going to bedrooms.

The first thing she did once inside was take off Freddy\'s cloak, hanging it on a peg by the door, and then take off her own cloak.  "This is my house.  Not much, but..." enough.  Ryanna then went to poking the ash in the fireplace, putting some wood in there and starting the fire.  It was the only fireplace in the house (other than the kitchen fire), so it had to be started up for warmth no matter what.

Soon a fire was going as their light and heat, Ryanna looking around to be sure nothing was out of place.  Ok, good.  Well....  Ryanna did not want to jump to getting that corset up straight away.  Warm up her feet a little first?  Ryanna took to standing near the fireplace, toeing off her shoes so her feet were on the stone there.  Soon, the stone would be a little warmer and make her cold feet feel all better.

"Feel free to get comfortable.  My feet are cold..."

[Existentially Odd]

"Heh," he grunted dismissively when she declared her home wasn\'t much, "it\'s better than my squashed little place - more rooms, too," he observed from the hooks by the front door, where he was busily hanging his coat and placing the candle, flint and steel back in the black garment\'s pocket.

"Nice collection!" he exclaimed next, heading directly for the weapons she had on display by the kitchen.  Her declaration that her feet were cold gave him pause though, and he turned to look at her over his shoulder, a look of concern on his face.  "I could warm them for you?" he offered, and immediately wondered why he\'d said.  He didn\'t retract the offer, though.

[Kysis]

Oh, really?  Ryanna hadn’t realized Freddy would have a smaller house than her.  That was… odd.  He was a lieutenant in the Guard.  Wouldn’t he make more than a weapon’s sales person?  Perhaps not, and Ryanna decided not to bring it up.  Lord Liari did pay well, and depending on how well sales went, he gave her pieces on top of the steep discount she already had.  A few of the pieces (like the really nice short sword) were given to her by Lord Liari, while some of them (like her longsword, which was too big for her, and her mace) were given to her by her father.  There was a spear from Greece in there too, which she bought herself the moment the shipment came in.

Ryanna beamed with pride when her collection was admired, wiggling her toes on the warming stones.  His next part confused her.  Warm her feet?  How would he be able to do that?  The whole notion was confusing, so she turned away from the fire, shuffling so her feet did not loose contact with the stones.  They would warm faster that way.  When she was all the way turned around, she waved a hand that signaled not to, she was fine, speaking up as well.

“Oh no, the fire works perfect.  My boots are rather thin, so I do this a lot.”

The dress was the only uncomfortable part left on her, but Ryanna was stalling, and for what reason, she did not know why.  Ryanna had been looking forward to it before, but now she was a bit jittery, the kiss on her forehead only increasing the flutters.  There were two options when the time came: be modest, keep covered, and ask him to turn around while she changed, or to go ahead and let the corset fall once it was off.  Oh my.  Ryanna had never thought she would actually get into this situation.

“Just a few more moments and I’ll be ready to get this damn corset off.”

[Existentially Odd]

"Right," Freddy said amiably, subtly clearing his throat as he turned swiftly back to admire her weapon rack, trying to be as calm as possible.  Or at least act like he was calm.  Really, he was beginning to think that it was a very bad idea for him to be in the house of a teenaged girl so late at night, as under the influence as he was, but he had promised, so he was bound to follow through now.

The good thing was, she wasn\'t as chirpy or silly as she normally was (which was what had made her company so pleasant up \'til now, really) and so he had a great deal more respect for her.  He also thought she wasn\'t as flirty as she had been, which meant that they\'d both likely get out of this situation with their dignity intact, if he was at all correct at reading her body language.

Freddy realised he\'d been staring at her weapons and not seeing a damn one.  "These are great," he said aloud, to make it seem like he\'d been examining them with interest.  He couldn\'t really care less about weapons right then, but, as a lieutenant, it was what she\'d expect of him and it felt safest to play their expected roles just then.  There was less confusion all round, that way.

[Kysis]

"Thank you.  I don\'t really get to practice with them much, but I try squeezing it in as often as possible."  Ryanna was still smiling over her weapons, deciding not to mention how they were mostly gifts.  Feet finally warm enough, Ryanna grabbed the twig she had propped up next to the fireplace, poking the tip in to light it.  She then lit the lamp that was on the table, putting out the flaming twig tip and propping it off to the side again.  That twig was there specifically for that purpose, and she didn\'t feel like getting one any time soon, so she had to preserve it.

"I have no clue how noble women can wear these things.  They are so tight."  She wiggled as she said this, mind switching to getting the thing off.  It was constricting, and probably bad for her health, so she really wanted it gone.  Ryanna was still undecided on other things.  If she went the modest route, would she ever be able to get Freddy near her again?  If she went the other way, would they avoid one another after that?  There were too many unknowns, but Ryanna had to make her decision quick.

"Can you come help me?"

Ryanna planned on being close to other clothing when the corset came off, no matter what, so she picked up the lantern and motioned for Freddy to follow.  It was a room on the right, door close to the fireplace.  Ryanna opened the door and went in, leaving the wooden passage cutter offer open.  Her room was not all that big, with enough space for a good sized bed, a table, and a chair, walking room around each.  There was also a wardrobe for most of her clothing, a chest next to it for the rest.  Ryanna had an empty chest at the foot of her bed, for the suit of armor she planned on commissioning for herself when she had enough money.

Placing the lantern on the desk, she set to undoing the laces on the back of her dress, only having to undo the bow at the top and wiggle around a bit to get it loose.  She let the dress slip down, catching on her bent elbows, keeping the top of the scooped neck at her waist.  The lacing down the back was hanging open though, revealing her tight, extremely short cut undergarment.  The corset was out though, with the laces.  Ryanna stood by her bed, arms reaching back and squirming to see if she could get it herself.  Nope.  She couldn\'t even reach the top of the lacing, much less do anything with it.

[Existentially Odd]

Freddy schooled his features into a pleasant mask and turned to follow ryanna obediently.  He looked around the bedroom and gulped, trying to kindle the fatherly feelings he usually had towards her... to no avail.  She\'d acted differently enough and shown him a sensible and attractive side of herself; he couldn\'t go back to seeing her as the annoying fourteen year old he\'d always assumed her to be.

Especially when he was looking at her back like that.  Deciding he\'d best just get this over with, he stepped up behind her and peered down at the laces, trying to figure out which way they went.  "I have to admit... I\'m no expert on ladies undergarments myself," he told her sheepishly, his voice still the reverant tone that she\'d heard him speak in in the tunnels.  He was obviously feeling some sort of similar pressure here.

"Damn... these laces are tiny," he muttered as he started tugging at some.  Unfortunately, he undid one of the bows so that the other end of the lace got caught in it, so it became a knot for him to untangle.  "Ah shit," he swore and began fumbling with the mess he\'d made.  "My fingers aren\'t the best with delicate things," he admitted, then laughed.  The pressure of the situation was beginning to manifest itself in a giggle that bubbled up through his chest and was released quietly into the room.  "Oh my, I\'m sorry," he told her, chuckling.  "I\'m doing my best, really, I just.... ah!  One knot down!  Now I just need to not make any more," he laughed, feeling better now that he\'d got over that little speed bump.

In fact, once he\'d made that first mistake, he was leery of making it again, so he managed to get the rest of the corset unlaced in next to no time.  "It\'s done!" he exclaimed proudly, straightening up from his bent over position - his nose had just about nudged her shoulder blade the whole time, so closely was  he peering to the workings of the laces.

[Kysis]

No expert with lady\'s undergarments?  Well, that was sad.  At least he was getting a little more experience now.  Ryanna had been afraid the tiny laces would be a problem for Freddy, considering his hands, but as he got working, that fear dissolved.  He wasn\'t all that bad, once he put his mind to it.  Ryanna tried standing as still as possible, all too conscious of how the corset was loosening, falling forward at the top as more of it came undone.  To ignore it, she kept her gaze on the wall ahead.  If she moved her arms at all from their 90 degree angles at her waist, the dress would rise up and cover the bottom of her corset, making it impossible to remove, so her hands could not keep the stiff cloth pressed to her.

The moment the corset was completely unlaced, it fell, tumbling forward to the ground and leaving her torso bare.  In the cold, her nipples immediately hardened, a shiver running up her spine.  Ryanna held her breath, paralyzed where she was, staring at the wall.  She would not look down.  That would show her just how her dress sagged around her trim waist, just how her breasts were out in the open, pale and softly dusted with freckles, nipples light pink and like rocks.  No.  She could not look down.

She could not turn around either.  Ryanna was stuck where she was, holding her breath, wondering what would happen next.  In the silence, it was almost unbearable.

[Existentially Odd]

Stupidly, Freddy grabbed for the garment, then realised as he did that he was going to bump her bare back and so stopped.  He froze as well, feeling awkward and doing his best not to peer over her shoulder.

"Oops," he said, laughing awkwardly.  "Sorry about that I... uh... I\'ll leave you to change," he finished gruffly and spun on his heel and walked out of her bedroom.  He sat himself on a chair close to the fire, trying to clear his mind.  His gaze fell automatically on the weapons across the way but, again, he didn\'t see them.

[Kysis]

Ryanna let out that long held breath slowly, frustratedly, still not looking down.  There was a lump in her throat, and now she was shivering uncontrollably.  That was rejection, plain and simple, a slap in the face.  She heard him go out of the bedroom, sit down.  Ugh.  This was going bad.  If things were forever more awkward between them, Ryanna would be kicking herself without end.  It was all her fault for being stupid.

Of course he wouldn\'t want to see her body!  She was still the kid of one of his fellow guards, even if she was of age and could do whatever she wanted with her body.  Dammit.  Ryanna crossed her arms over her small breasts after letting the dress drop to the floor, stepping over to her wardrobe, on the right wall of her bedroom.  What she failed to notice was how it was in eyeshot of the seating area.  Ryanna never had guests over, so she never thought to close doors, forgetting now.

Uncrossing her arms, she pulled open the wardrobe, finding a long tunic and pulling it out, closing the wardrobe as she did so.  Suddenly remembering that her dress was abandoned, Ryanna quickly moved back to it, hanging it up in the wardrobe, closing it again, and pulling on the tunic.  It was white, thin, but the type of stuff she usually slept in.  Ryanna thought nothing of it, like she had the angle of sight from the other room, going out into the main room and sitting in the other chair, across from Freddy.

"Would you like something to eat?  You went through all that trouble for me...."

[Existentially Odd]

Movement from the corner of his eye dragged his blank gaze away from the weapons soon enough and he noticed her getting dressed.  His cheeks flushed and he realised she wasn\'t paying him any attention, so he mentally berated himself for being so rude... but he didn\'t look away, watching while she stretched to put her dress back and pull out something new.  He couldn\'t help himself.  The lines of her body were taut; she was compact even beneath her clothing but that didn\'t faze him, he rather liked her small breasts and decided they\'d feel very nice pressed againt his palms...

He forced himself to look away at that point, but looked back immediately when she sat down opposite him and... that tunic was very sheer.  He could see her nipples still thrusting against the material and it only coloured his cheeks even more as he was compelled to stare at them, not at her face.  His head resounded with the urge for him to look up, look up, but somehow... it was very difficult.  He opened his mouth to answer and something akin to a strangled gasp was all that came out, bringing him to his senses somewhat.  Horrified, he met her gaze at last, then immediately looked away, back at the damn weapons, his face a bright crimson.  It was suddenly very hot in there.

"Sure.  That\'d be great," he agreed automatically, thinking that the alcohol was doing funny things to him and that he really should beg off and leave her be.  Perhaps if he stayed a bit longer though, she\'d go back to acting the way she usually did, to babbling mindlessly, and he could leave with the usual impression of her, rather than with... the one he had now.  The image of her mostly naked body seemed burned into the backs of his eyes and it was all he could see, no matter where he looked.

[Kysis]

Ryanna realized where he was looking without following his gaze, it dawning on her quite suddenly that white was totally the wrong color to have chosen while it was so cold.  Trying to act like she didn\'t notice, Ryanna stood again, walking close past him and to the kitchen.  It sure was dark in there.... the lantern!  Jumping a little, Ryanna ran from the kitchen, across the main room, and back into her bedroom, fetching the lantern and walking more slowly back with the light in hand.

The lantern was put carefully on the kitchen counter, as to not spill any precious oil.  There was light in the kitchen now.  She could see now, as dim and flickering the light provided was, and orange.  Ryanna knew she needed to clean the glass on the lantern windows, but did not now, trying to find something good to eat.  There was some bread, which Ryanna grabbed.  She also took out two bowls, finding a little bit of cold meat in the chilling box.  Ryanna got that out too, putting a little meat in both bowls, more in the one intended for him, and pulling of some bread to put in there with it.

Balancing one bowl in each hand, Ryanna brought them out into the main room, standing in front of Freddy and offering the bowl forth.  It was not much, but it was food, and it would take Ryanna\'s mind off her own blunder.  She was hungry, and it would help absorb the alcohol in the both of them.  Food was good.

Ryanna hovered in front of Freddy even after he took the bowl, thinking, trying to see if she forgot anything.  "Is there anything else I can get for you?"  Ryanna rocked up onto the balls of her feet, and then back on the heels, legs going taut in that motion.  Her legs were well formed, showed the amount of work she put into them.  Ryanna had one hell of a kick, but still envied how the Captain moved in combat, like she had seen in the Tournament of Corn.  That was amazing, and Ryanna hoped to one day be that good.

"Anything at all?"

[Existentially Odd]

He swallowed hard, doing his best to look at her out the corner of his eye and not look anywhere untoward - but it was very difficult.  She seemed to be deliberately taunting him.  His gaze slid downward to follow the line of her legs as they flexed before he forced himself to stare at the table again.

"Um... some water would be good," he answered, hoping his voice didn\'t sound to her like the constricted squeak it did to him.  "It\'s kind of hot in here," he mumbled, yanking at the collar of his jerkin with the index finger of his left hand.  The other was still gripping his bowl like it was a lifeline and he was a man drowning at sea; when she walked away, he\'d likely have the courage to put it down and start eating, but not before.  Not with her so close to him.

[Kysis]

"Oh!  I knew I forgot something!"

Ryanna put her own bowl down on her chair, jogging back into the kitchen.  She normally ran around at this pace, with too much energy for her own good.  After going through the tunnels, that was how she felt, energetic and not at all sleepy.  She was absolutely wired.  It was the jitters making her feel that way.  She felt as though she had ruined a possible friendship, and was now fumbling with cups to get water.

She also shoved some extra ice from the chilling box into the cups for good measure, since he said it was hot and all.  Ryanna did not feel hot.  In fact, she could feel goosebumps all over her body from the cold, the fireplace heat not having reached the whole room yet, or done much to warm it for that matter.  Oh well.  Ryanna took up the two cups, standing in front of Freddy again to offer it to him.  However, this time when he took the thing offered, Ryanna intended to go to her chair and eat.  Her stomach needed it.  Maybe food would make the butterflies go away, too.

Wouldn\'t that be lovely?

Yes, it would, but something at the back of Ryanna\'s said the food wouldn\'t help.  Either way, she would try eating.  She needed it on her stomach, otherwise she would be really sick in the morning.

[Existentially Odd]

Almost fumbling, Freddy took the cup of water from her, brushing her fingers with his deliberately.  It was preferable to running his hand up her leg to see whether she\'d left that attractive underwear on or not... the thought of \'not\' didn\'t bear ponderance right now, though.  He might well explode if he thought about that too much.

"Thanks," he muttered, gulping down two big mouthsful of water immediately.  After that, he placed the cup on the table and tore a bit of bread off, taking a nibble of the meat she\'d supplied as well and chewing enthusiastically, finding it tasty.  "It\'s good," he said after he\'d swallowed that first mouthful, finally working up the courage to look in her direction once more (half hoping she was now sitting decorously at the table, half hoping not).

[Kysis]

As soon as he took the cup, Ryanna made good on her plan, waltzing over to her seat.  She picked up her bowl, spinning and sitting, crossing her legs immediately.  Though not used to sitting like that, Ryanna knew she had to, with how short her tunic was.  That was one of her longest tunics!  Really!  Ryanna tried not to think of it, taking a sip of her water before putting it down and nibbling at the meat.

If it was her cooking, she might have thanked him for the complement.  But it wasn\'t.  One of the two men Ryanna had slept with had decided he should make her food, since their night together had been terrible to say the least.  A lack of interest from both sides, in all reality?  Still, it was damn good food.  Ryanna had wanted to protest his making of the food, but he had already been out the door to buy the supplies he needed.

Ryanna did not really regret what she did.  It just frustrated her.  So, Ryanna went to picking at her food, disappointed to find that it did not help her jitters at all.  Ryanna kept looking up and over, at Freddy, seeing that he was eating before darting her gaze back at her own bowl.  There was a blush on her cheeks for some reason, Ryanna not sure why.  She finished her bread, only having nibbled a little of the meat so far.

Leaning forward, Ryanna grabbed her cup, taking a few more sips, holding the thing close to her, as if the cold glass could somehow heat her heart.  It couldn\'t.  Ryanna knew this well, but held the glass like that anyway, staring off into the fire now.  The fire was pretty, dancing with color and light.  It was soothing in a way.

"So...."

That was about as far as her conversation got, Ryanna trying to swallow back that lump in her throat again.  It was not working yet, so no more words came either.  She was still at a roadblock, thinking about the kiss on her forehead, the shedding of half her clothing and how Frederickson suddenly fled her room like she was the Black Plague or something.  It was extremely harsh, and was eating at her, even as she resumed eating (cup back on the table again, for repeating actions constantly kept her mind busy).