To Cut a Path to a Brighter Future

[crimsonflower]

[When Edelgard was called to the conference she did not expect to see Claude there, but after certain events it did make some sense. It gets her to tense up in the beginning, but when Claude mostly hangs back for the conversation he's mostly forgotten. For now.

So then the conversation between Emperor and King went as follows—

Dimitri: Edelgard. I did not think you would actually accept my request.
Edelgard: Call it a whim. Well then? What did you want to talk about?
Dimitri: I will get straight to the point. Why did you start this war? There had to be a way to change things in your territory without the need for so many senseless casualties.
Edelgard: It may be hard to believe, but this is the way that leads to the fewest casualties in the end. Don't you see?
Dimitri: How could I? Countless people have already lost their lives in this conflict.
Edelgard: The longer we took to revolt, the more victims this crooked world would have claimed. I weighed the victims of war against the victims of the world as it is now, and I chose the former. I believe that I have chosen the best path, the only path.]

Comments

[inaurate]

[Oh. His hands hover uncertainly at her sides when she leans back against him, just for a moment, before he slips his arms loosely around her waist. He was already flushed from the wine but it's even worse now with her head tucked into the crook of his shoulder.

By some miracle, his voice keeps steady, if soft.] It's... freedom. Knowing you can go anywhere you want, and no barriers can stop you. The sky doesn't abide by man-made borders. [Ah, that's getting a bit philosophical though. His fingers absently trace patterns against her hip.] I could take you for a ride sometime, if you want. [That might be a bit too much, though he does mean it in the sense of flying-- he's half expecting her to pull away.]

[crimsonflower]

[...Freedom. Isn't that what she wanted as a child? To break free? To escape her uncle, escape that basement, escape her responsibilities. To be free of all restraints and boundaries. She's jealous that he's felt that freedom before.

In fact her inebriated brain tells her that she should take it from him. To grasp his freedom with her own hands if she cannot have her own.

She squirms when he touches her. Moving around and pulling away from him — only to return with one hand gripping his shirt (to keep both herself and him still) and the other cupping his face with a gloved hand.]

Let me taste that freedom.

[Let her feel alive. Breathe into her a second wind. Do not allow her fire and determination to fizzle out just because her plans were laid to waste.

Her lips crash against his. Passionate, but also as if searching for something.]

[inaurate]

[He lets her go when she pulls away, but she only turns around and grabs at his shirt, keeping him in place. Her hand on his cheek feels so small and delicate but he knows the strength there. He sees the kiss coming, of course he does, it's obvious, but he can't bring himself to do anything to stop it.

Oh, who is he kidding. The moment her lips meet his, he's lost, cradling the back of her head in one hand and meeting her passion equally. He teases at her lips with his own, with tongue and bare hints of teeth, his other hand settling at the small of her back.]

[crimsonflower]

[At this many drinks in it's difficult to tell if she's just drunk or incredibly inexperienced. The answer is both, but the point still stands. So she sticks to what is familiar. Her hand at his cheek lowers to mimic her other hand grabbing his shirt. Her knees make her rise just a little to lean into him and coax Claude's back against the pillows of the Archbishop's former bed. She'll shift and move to straddle him if she has to.

Meanwhile with Claude seemingly seeking entrance with that teasing at her lips she's at a loss. She has no bearing for what's appropriate. Though at this stage she barely cares. The once immovable object, hard as a rock and cold as ice, becomes warm and pliant. She parts her lips for him hoping that maybe he'll grant her what she's looking for.

Though he's already helping her with one thing. The shocked numbness that came with being declared dead to the world burns away as her skin turns to fire. She ignites against him all heat and desire as her small body presses him into the mattress with as much strength as she can muster in her recovering state.]

[inaurate]

[She pushes him back against the pillows and Claude is very abruptly reminded that this used to be Rhea's bedroom, and gods, his teenage self would have gotten such a kick out of drinking and making out on the archbishop's bed. Now he can barely spare that a thought, because Edelgard is straddling his lap, pushing him down onto the bed, and it's making his stomach swoop in the exact same way Dimitri's weight baring down on him had.

Apparently he has some sort of sign on him, invisible to him, instructing them to pin him down and kiss every single thought out of his head. She's so warm, her breasts press against his chest; he takes the invitation of her open mouth, hungrily deepening the kiss, rubbing teasing circles into her lower back.]

[crimsonflower]

[At Claude's touch Edelgard shivers. Her whole body trembling against him as his reciprocation overwhelms her. Her hands stay where they are gripping his shirt. Afraid that letting him go would mean losing control over the situation. So all she has to explore him with is her mouth. Sliding her tongue against his, tasting him and feeling how much he wants her. Wants her like this. Alive, warm, and well.

Moving around so much makes the wounds at her neck sting. Her whole face and neck bright with color, too. But it's great. Liberating. Her heart feels like its soaring, and every bit of heat, every small discomfort... all of it is better than being numb. Than being cold and stuffed away in a box even if she doesn't remember it. Because she certainly thought about it a lot.

After some time Edelgard breaks the kiss. She gasps like a swimmer surfacing for air — so caught up in the moment she forgot about breathing through her nose.]

[inaurate]

[He holds her steady as she trembles, marveling at the feel of her in his arms, the taste of her on his tongue. The hand at the back of her head moves to cradle her cheek, so warm against his palm.

Green eyes blink open when she pulls away, his own breath elevated, heart beating rapidly under her fingers. He's flushed too, his lips bruised and wet.]

Need another taste? [He means it to come out teasing, but he's a bit too out of breath still.]

[crimsonflower]

[She's tempted. Her hand lifts to cup his cheek again. To feel the plush of his lips under her thumb as she drags it across. Something warm and heavy tugs at her. Is it desire? To kiss him again sounds lovely. Especially as the evidence of their short session glistens under the light.

Eventually she has to tear her eyes away.]

I am not so sure.

[inaurate]

[Claude's pupils dilate as she drags her thumb over his lower lip. Unable to resist, he darts his tongue along the pad of it in a deliberate tease.

Ah, but she's pulling away already. Spurred on by the wine and the lingering frustration of his earlier encounter with Dimitri, he rephrases.]

Do you want another, then? [Claude pushes up, brushing his lips against the corner of her mouth.]

[crimsonflower]

[Normally she would be able to resist. To push him away and throw up her walls. Even if he had just asked she would have been able to shut him down. However his lips are against her skin. The fire reignites.

Edelgard grabs his hair in her fist while her arm wraps around behind Claude to hold him up. Her fingers dig in as she assaults his lips with her hunger. Like a starving animal she's wild and messy as she takes from him.

The way she holds him up she's more accurately in his lap now than pinning him down, but even so it's not as if she's given him any quarter. Fearsome and relentless... in this manner she and Dimitri are almost alike.

Never let them know that. Or at least do not tell her as much.]

[inaurate]

[A grunt escapes him as her fingers fist in his hair. So that's a yes. There's the strength her thin form belies, keeping him from pulling away-- not that he'd wanted to. Comparing her and Dimitri isn't something he particularly wants to do, but it's impossible not to at least notice the similarity in the hunger. There's a joke to be made here about deer and carnivores.

It seems she really can make anything into a battlefield, a competition, and this is no exception. He definitely feels conquered. He has to work to hold back a giggle, remembering her comment about "seizing his vital regions", but he can't keep from smiling into the kiss.]

[crimsonflower]

[Her fingers dig into his back with enough strength to leave bruising. She doesn't even notice his lips quirking into a smile. All she can feel is heat, the slickness of his tongue, the tug of desire in her gut as she writhes against hi—

No. The excitement of even just a little bit of friction is enough to snap her back. It's such a deep, primal feeling that she's afraid of it. Edelgard pulls back. This time entirely. She lets him go and gives them an arm's length of space between them so she can not be lured back so easily.]

[inaurate]

[Claude tries to chase her retreating lips for just a moment, before his mind catches up. No-- he'd managed to get a little more out of her, but this time she was really pulling away.

He lets her, his smile now his usual mask rather than from actual amusement. He can feel where she'd left bruises on his back in the shapes of her fingers, a matching set for the bruises Dimitri had left on his wrists.

Gods, he's such an idiot. Making the same mistake twice in one day. It's not like him at all. And if either of them found out he'd kissed the other-- Claude doesn't want to picture what might come of that. Nothing good.

Clearly he's gotten too close. Let them in too far. It's a good thing she pulled back, that someone had interrupted him and Dimitri earlier. He'll just have to lean on the built in excuse of wine and the stress of the day. With her own state of inebriation and her embarrassment over any loss of control, it's pretty much a guarantee that Edelgard would rather forget this ever happened, and she certainly won't be talking to Dimitri of all people about it.

Still, he's loathe to lose all the ground they'd crossed since he came into the room.]

We really need to slow down on the wine, huh? [And here's the easy out, the words that belie the slow tension burning between them since that first night in the tent. They say there's truth in wine, but if neither of you recognize it as such, does it matter?]

[crimsonflower]

[Edelgard is at the point where she has to hold a hand over her mouth to remind her just how bad her mistake was. Especially as her body still yearns for Claude's warmth and the electrifying touch of his body against hers.

The adrenaline of almost dying, the need to feel alive to prove this is not some dream, the wine impairing her judgement... a deadly mix.

And it's all so clear and visible. There's no need to pay close attention to Edelgard now to figure out how she's feeling. Being this far gone means she's not so careful with concealing her expression and actions.

Her eyes try to avoid Claude's if a all possible.]

P-perhaps we should both retire for the evening.

[inaurate]

[There may not be any need to pay close attention, but Claude does anyway, watching even the subtlest shift of emotions across her face. He doesn't realize he's staring, still fairly inebriated himself, but she's pointedly looking away from him, so it doesn't much matter.

It's obvious she wants more, just as it's obvious she doesn't want to want more. And Claude isn't the type of person to be pushy in that way. He nods, clearing his throat when his voice initially comes out a bit rough.] Probably a good idea. If you need help braiding your hair again, let me know.

[He slides off the bed, thankful once again for his loose-fitting pants.]

[crimsonflower]

...Yes. Yes, I shall call upon you should I have such a need. Perhaps some other night I can give you a fair shot at competition as well.

[She shall stay seated upon the bed as she watches him leave. Her eyes avoiding his, but following his movements. Thinking of how unfortunate it is that his clothes hang so generously from hi—

No, no. That's fortunate. Plenty fortunate. Do not want to get caught staring at any inappropriate bits.]