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Post by black379 on Aug 21, 2018 18:20:45 GMT -8
Courcy retained a curious, concerned expression as Tilly went on. She might have been excited to share that Taas had told her about the Gunsche, but it was certainly not exciting news. Even if the hatted woman felt she could handle them any other time, what Courcy heard about their assassins and spies made her doubt even Tilly's ability to deal with them unscathed.
Her sapphire eyes were hidden with a squint and her head rolled to one side.
"What do you mean? You been sick?" The hellion hadn't really noticed any unusual exhaustion or ill health from Tilly, besides what was expected from an expedition. Simply living in the hamlet was dangerous and stressful. Courcy's head righted again and she examined her friend from afar.
"Heir bit?" She looked her up and down, only realizing now how willowy the graverobber was. Courcy's tone was unsure, even skeptical. "Blood's? And yours? A baby?"
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Post by Vanitypirate on Aug 21, 2018 20:17:06 GMT -8
Tilly cocked her head, fingers twitching at a button on her jerkin as they fidgeted.
"You didn't notice? By all the gods-- I practically left a trail of sick when we went out to the Cove." She made a small, light laugh and looked away with a nervous half-smile.
"No, no, I wouldn't have given up and retired so easily if I weren't afraid of getting the wee sprout killed... figured I ought to start paying others to do the fighting for me." She spoke easily, but her hands moved to wring themselves together and she was avoiding Courcy's eyes.
"Which is where you come in, I'd hope."
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Post by black379 on Aug 21, 2018 22:19:43 GMT -8
"You've been with child since then?" The redhead questioned, dumbfounded. She felt even more foolish for hearing Lekalis' teasing, and for flirting herself on that beach. She was stupid not to realize it before, that the ex-lord took Tilly after Roderick was slain, to comfort and to build a life. But before the ache reached her face, Courcy put on a smile.
She didn't know the first thing about having a child, or being a mother, except that it was meant to be happy. Whatever jealousy she held became some sort of pride for her friend. Tilly somehow found a pleasant life in this place, at least if it weren't for the Gunsche after her.
"Of course! It's the least I could do, for you givin me a bed and food." Courcy chuckled and rubbed her shoulders. She moved closer to the edge of the water, to pick up her clothes, and drench them another time to remove the dirt from laying on the shore.
"You're already a mother to me." She teased and grinned at Tilly, almost inclined to give the stick-like woman a hug, if Courcy weren't naked and wet.
"I'll fight for you." The ginger promised giddily, though in truth she was worried if she could even survive a Gunsche assassin.
"I'm glad for you."
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Post by Vanitypirate on Aug 21, 2018 22:51:07 GMT -8
Tilly's mouth pressed into a hard line and she seemed to hold her breath for a moment, hugging herself now. Consciously and vainly attempting to ignore the anxious fluttering in her gut.
"Ah... thank you! For fighting and...--" The words stuck in her throat; what she spoke was quiet and hesitant.
"You really think me a... mother to you?" A warbled smile played at her expression.
She sniffed and pawed at her wet eyes.
"I thought everyone would... think foul of me-- for bringing in this little one in the worst corner of the world, unmarried, unhoused and...-- and all." She ducked her head to hide her eyes in the palms of her hands; the catharsis of all the dread she'd held was more overwhelming than anything.
"You and... Taas and Lekalis-- the ones I've told--" She sniffed again, "--You lot haven't been anything but kind to me."
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Post by black379 on Aug 25, 2018 7:57:49 GMT -8
"Tilly... It'll be a good thing in a bad place, but that's what we need, isn't it?" She flashed a wide smile at Tilly. It had been a long while since Courcy was so delighted though it wasn't even going to be her child. Perhaps that was part of her happiness, not to be stuck with that responsibility, at least for now.
"Besides, you're getting married. Working on a home." Courcy nodded before escaping the water to hang her clothes to dry on a nearby tree branch. She didn't stay out long, for her decency and for the relaxation of swimming.
"I guess you're almost like it. My own mom hated me, but... But you're the kind one. I'm sure I'd be dead, if it weren't for you." The redhead sank into the stream and twirled about, enjoying the current.
"You ever gonna come in?" She chuckled and splashed water in Tilly's direction.
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Post by Vanitypirate on Aug 30, 2018 22:01:00 GMT -8
Tilly was quiet, save for some sniffling, huddled up with her face in her hands. But there was a smile and a little, shaky laugh all the same.
"That's... the thing with our lot, isn't it?" She began, parting her fingers to look through as she drew them down.
"We've all got cruel mothers or dead mothers... or absent mothers; and all sorts of combinations in between. That's a bloody lot of pressure on just one woman."
She pulled herself away from her hands and smiled weakly at Courcy.
"I've... gone a bit... soft-- they say it's only natural and all..."
She began to attend to her buttons: buttons on her jerkin, on her shirt, on her pants...
"So you're perfectly welcome to look away."
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Post by black379 on Sept 5, 2018 15:02:24 GMT -8
Courcy snickered at the other woman's reservation. She gave her a curious glance before averting her eyes to give Tilly some privacy. The redhead stretched and laid back to float in the stream. Still she didn't bother with her own modesty.
"The way you are, you'll be a great mother. And wife too." She peeked over at Tilly, and just as quickly looked away again, then closed her eyes as she drifted in the water.
"And you needn't worry about the Gunsche. I'll watch your back." Courcy added with assurance, though in truth she didn't know what to expect from the assassins. She hoped she could best them in a fair fight, but they might just as easily put her down before she could suspect.
"Only thing you'll need to worry about is Blood. Or maybe not. Anyway he wouldn't try me on."
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Post by Vanitypirate on Sept 5, 2018 22:47:55 GMT -8
With a glance to Courcy and then back, Tilly shrugged and jested, "If he wouldn't try someone as pretty as you on, I think he'd be the last of my worries."
She slipped her legs out of her trousers and laid them out on the log-made-seat behind her. The shirt was the last of what she was hesitant to part with; each time she did so was an increasingly unpleasant reminder of a changing figure.
Without clothes to hide herself in, she had gotten to be rather noticeably round.
Another quick, nervous look at Courcy before she resumed shedding the rest of her clothing and making with haste to the river.
"...I'm more worried about the assassins, frankly! And... the monsters that lurk about." Tilly squinted at the river, arms hugging about herself, and then stepped in to submerge herself as much as she could.
"And finding enough gold to manage it all..." She listed off, though it was hardly a conclusion; there was a great many more worries to think on.
It wouldn't do her any good to think on it now.
"It'll be easier with you around, hm? A proper pay, easier targets, a place to sleep..." She kept herself half-turned away from Courcy, but smiled at her.
"You'd be part of the family. Wouldn't that be nice?"
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Post by black379 on Sept 8, 2018 10:32:02 GMT -8
Courcy imagined living in luxury, in the manor Lekalis planned for his lover. His wife, the mother of his child. Would she be like a sister to them? Or would she just stand guard at their door while they shared a life? She would have proper pay and a bed only as a service to protect Tilly and Blood's own happiness. Courcy wouldn't have a life until someone stole her away from that luxury to marry. Still if the alternative was whoring, perhaps she could be content playing a guard dog.
"I could make good money in the brothel. Lekalis might be the only man not to have me." The redhead let out an exaggerated laugh while she stretched her legs in the water. "And I'm sure you'd grow tired to have me around all the time." She added, floating in place and looking over to Tilly. The stick-like woman was hardly what she would call 'soft', but she was covering herself up anyways.
Courcy wanted Tilly to protest, to further implore her to live with them. She was desperate for some place she was truly wanted.
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Post by Vanitypirate on Sept 8, 2018 12:26:49 GMT -8
"Well, I can't say I'll beat the brothel's pay..." Tilly shrugged her shoulders, letting her arms lax once she was half-submerged in the cold riverwater; it was rather pleasant on a warm day.
She cupped the water in her hands.
"But what makes you think I'll get tired of you? Even if you aren't, y'know, defending my life and all..." She smiled sheepishly and let the water run through her hair. "There's not a whole lot of sadder things than an empty house. I think I'd drive myself mad if I had to be cooped up in one."
She glanced to Courcy, and then back to the river-water.
"I can't think of anything I'd like more than to have you around all the time."
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Post by black379 on Sept 8, 2018 19:39:06 GMT -8
"Wouldn't be empty with Lekalis, and your baby, and your dog." She pointed out with another excessive chuckle. There was no reason to talk Tilly out of allowing her to stay. If anything, it was Courcy's own reluctance to be so close to the life she longed for, but out of reach. To stand beside her friend, living her desires. But maybe it was just as much an opportunity to share that happiness.
"Do you mean that?" Courcy paddled around the blonde, stealing glances at her. She didn't expect Tilly to bear so many scars.
"What am I good for, besides watchin your back? What if you don't have enough money for me and yourself? What if I can't help chasing after Blood?" The redhead stopped herself from prattling on. It was no good for either of them to worry on possibilities, especially when there were more real and more dangerous threats. She sighed and wrung out a section of hair to put into a braid.
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Post by Vanitypirate on Sept 9, 2018 23:18:31 GMT -8
Tilly turned to squint at Elsa-- who she had, admittedly, forgotten was following her and seemed to take no offense on it, sniffing about the undergrowth that flanked the river.
"Babies and dogs tend not to make great conversation." She decided with a nod, combing through her stick-straight hair with her long fingers. "And... Lekalis is lovely, but he'll be my husband. Everyone needs friends, too; it's what makes life really interesting."
She brought up a finger and began to list off,
"You'll be good at making sure I'm not bored to death when I'm stuck in childbed and treating me to your company. And..." She counted on a second finger, "...If I can't afford to pay for us both, I'll have to stop paying you." And then she held up a third finger, "And if you keep hounding Leks, you'll have to get used to being told 'no.'"
Her eyes widened when she saw Courcy tending to her hair.
"Ah-- wait!" She sloshed clumsily through the river and waved a hand at her, "Wait for your hair to dry before you braid it; it'll be softer and shinier."
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Post by black379 on Sept 11, 2018 8:11:53 GMT -8
"Alright alright!" Courcy chuckled and released her hair, holding her hands up in surrender. It amused her that Tilly cared how pretty her hair looked, as well as how she dressed. In that way, the robber was like a mother to her. Though she was prideful to be her own person, Courcy really was grateful for the attention. The way things had turned out, it seemed better to heed Tilly's advice than her own judgement.
"Maybe you'd like to braid it." She grinned, found herself beaming at Tilly, then playfully splashed water at her. She felt a new kind of happiness. Courcy took pleasure from wielding a weapon, or fooling around with men. But now she was content to play like a child in the river.
"I'm not very fun, I think. You'll have to teach me a hobby or two besides fighting and f- Well, you know..."
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Post by Vanitypirate on Sept 18, 2018 21:44:31 GMT -8
"I'm--" Tilly made to playfully sidestep out of the way of the splash; in doing so, she slipped a tad on a slick riverstone but found her footing in the end, arms held out like twigs for balance.
She smiled, still, as she straightened up as though she had never lost her footing at all.
"--Having fun with you now, aren't I? Neither of the two 'F's needed." She nodded, satisfied, though eyeing the river as though plotting a counterattack.
"Braiding your hair-- once it's dry, naturally-- ought to be fun enough." She hugged an arm about herself, probing onwards.
"You ever think about growing it out?"
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Post by black379 on Sept 18, 2018 22:29:18 GMT -8
With a snicker Courcy shrugged her shoulders, conceding that they were having fun after all. She had taken too many river baths alone, and though the solitude was nice, company never failed to improve her spirits. At the same time she found herself glad to be with another woman, a close friend, rather than with the hungrier sex. The redhead slowly twirled about in the water, admiring the serenity of their surroundings, instead of being plowed into them.
"Neither needed." She agreed as she turned to face Tilly again. Her arms folded across her chest, and she rubbed her biceps to soothe the prickling skin on her shoulders. She glanced side to side, to peer at her hair in her peripherals.
"I used to have it long. I've never said before, but... when Baignard was still..." Courcy muted herself, hesitant to speak. She was sure to be chided for bringing him up again. She spoke up again before Tilly might sigh and tell her to forget. "There was an attack. He used his magic, the same that he healed me with. Only he came at me. He didn't mean to, it must've been... the demon or- or- But he caught me by the hair. I'd never been scared of him before."
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