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Quiet and unsure, the young male slipped through the lands of Clouded Tears, arms hung as dead weight at his sides. Despite his uncaring and slack appearance, the tension and nervousness could be seen very plainly in his eyes. He wasn't used to it, having a relationship, and though he and Melisande had been together for some time now, it still felt like it was all new and he was still frightened of the concept. Arms shifted as he walked, bringing his hands together, which fiddled with each other nervously. Sometimes he felt like he was bothering her, coming to see her so often, and that was the feeling that filled him in that very moment.
"Meli?" He called out in question as he neared her den, his voice hushed and shaken. Jasper stopped quite a few feet away, not wanting to intrude on her personal space. It was likely that it would have been best for him to just turn and leave but now that he'd already spoken it was far to late for that. "It's Jasper." He stated after a few moment, feeling the need to let her know who he was, as if she wouldn't already know.
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indent Melisande was sleeping, as it were. She felt like sleeping a lot, when she wasn't around him. Things just didn't seem worth doing without him, and whenever he left, she felt like the rest of her time was spent mostly waiting for him to come around again. At first she wasn't sure if she had dreamt of his voice, calling her name so softly. She jolted into wakeness, and pricked her ears up, looking toward the bright entrance of the den. Then he spoke again, and she knew he was really there. She slid out quickly, and finding him there, she gave him a soft nuzzle. She never was really sure what to do with him, how far was too far, how sweet was too sweet.
indent "Of course its my Jasper! I missed you..." She was almost embarressed around him, wanting to be perfect for him, wanting to be everything he'd ever dreamed of. She forced herself to release her embrace on him, her fuzzy pale arms around his neck as she snuggled a greeting, and waited shyly for him to say something.
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The young blonde male was a child by nature, it would seem, and no matter how hard he tried to force himself out of it, it never seemed to work. There was so much that he didn't know, so much that he wasn't ever able to learn. The most important thing, at the moment, was that he wasn't sure how to have a successful relationship. The only thing he really had to go off of was his mother and father, which hadn't ended well. He still blamed himself for it. The one thing he did understand, though, was his own feelings. The way he always seemed to smile whenever her saw her, just the same as he smiled as she emerged from her den.
Her arms around his neck and the gentle nuzzle that was given was enough to make the boy melt, it was a warmth inside of his that he hadn't ever dreamed of feeling. "I missed you too.." He returned in a whisper, his voice soft and awkward. Sometimes he wondered, because of how shy he tended to be, if she really believed him. When she pulled herself away from him Jasper grinned a lopsided grin, lifting one hand to scratch nervously at his ear. "I uhm..I have a surprise for you." He watched her hopefully. "I mean..if you have time to come with me." He never wanted to pain. |
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indent A wave of delight came over Melisande's features suddenly. At first she didn't respond, except to grin stupidly, wondering what it could possibly be. She wasn't used to this, this sort of thoughtful way that he had about him. She wasn't used to being thought of at all, that she knew of. Only her father had ever seemed to really care about her, and even he just kept leaving all the time. But Jasper, he'd done something, or brought her something, and that was something to be incredibly excited about.
indent "Have the time?" She asked the question, dumbfounded. How could he ever think that she wouldn't have time for him? She had all the time in the world for him, whether he was giving her something or needed something from her. She shook her head at him a little. "Of course I have the time, love!" Then she wagged her tail pleasantly, and stood at the ready, expecting to be led somewhere fantastic. And it would be fantastic, because it was with him.
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Jasper had spent a good portion of the previous day trying to prepare everything, or at least, what all he could prepare, so there was some excitement apparent behind nervous eyes. He hoped that she would go with him and, even more than that, she would like what he'd done. The young male watched her in silence for a few moments, unsure and uneasy about how quiet she was, and when she finally spoke Jasper gave a sudden wag of his tail. It wasn't snowing out and Jasper had gotten the finishing touches done right before his arrival, so unless there was a sudden gust of wind that messed everything up, he was sure that it was all still in pristine condition.
Taking her hand gently, her turned away from her to lead her on, but not before smiling at her once more. "It's not far from here." He noted as he began to walk, leaving their attached arms slacked so it seemed more like he was walking beside her instead of in front of her. As they came to the top of the nearest hill Jasper turned his head to gaze at her, bringing the both of them to a stop. "There it is." He motioned to an area at the side of the lake with his free hand. There, beyond a vast white of snow, was a small patch that had been cleared away to nothing but dirt. A thick blanket lay in the middle, surrounded by randomly scattered dried flower petals, which retained much of their beautiful color. Finally, on top of the blanket, a prepared meal was laid out. A mid-winter picnic.
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indent Melisande wanted to run, but she made herself walk at his side, being led by the male who held her hand. She didn't ever remember being so excited. It wasn't very far, but it seemed like they'd walked for ages before he finally stopped and directed her eyes to a beautiful little spot aside her beloved lake. Flowers... there were dried flowers. There was food. A blanket. It seemed so frozen, so warm, all at the same time. This time her delight was unretainable, and came out in a little kiss on the cheek. She led him down the hill toward it now, not waiting to be led any longer.
indent "Flowers... where did you get flowers?" She didn't touch anything once they got there, she only stared down at it. In truth, she was afraid to touch it... afriad that once she reached down there, she would awaken, and the bitter cold lonliness would bite her, and none of this would be real. She turned back to him, her eyes sparkling. "Its beautiful!" She didn't know what else to do. How could one person be so lucky?
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The small peck of a kiss placed on his cheek, though having might have seemed very small, was a very large deal to Jasper. It told him that she liked his surprise, which was enough to instantly make his heart melt. He smiled that same goofy smile as he stood there, following immediately after her as she tugged him down the hill. "I learned how to keep them looking nice like that a long time ago. I've been saving them up." It was clever, really, but Jasper wasn't the type to think that about his own ideas or the things that he did. "They seemed perfect to go with this." He'd actually been unsure about it. Who would want to eat around a bunch of half dead flower remains? It seemed like a big thing for the humans though.
She stopped when the reached it, stopping immediately behind her himself, and she seemed to just look at it. "Not as beautiful as you." He hesitated his words, knowing that he must have sounded silly, and blushed at himself beneath his fur. Giving her a few more moments to stand and look, the blonde male finally stepped forward, moving onto the blanket but not releasing her hand. As best as he could he leaned down, smoothing out a spot, and stood to his full height again. With that same hand he motioned toward the spot, giving a very light tug with his other hand. It was only proper that she be seated before him, he'd decided, and once she was he would serve up their meal.
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indent Not as beautiful as you. She just grinned, and had to remember to breathe. It was the kind of things the humans wrote about in novels. She'd learned how to read early, and had read those and thought them silly... but this wasn't silly at all. This was gorgeous moment with a lovely partner. Her heart about to burst, she allowed herself to be led downward, and seated herself in front of her mate. Her tail wagged, slowly and yet uncontrollably. She so wanted to know why he was this nice to her.
indent "You do so much for me..." Melisande said, almost wanting to cry. Instead, she remembered her manners. "Thank you. Not just for this... but for... for loving me."
She ended her sentence with that. It was good enough, for now. But oh, there was no way she would ever be able to repay him for this, for his love... then again, she did love him back, and next time she would make sure it was her with the surprise, and him caught off guard. For now, why not just enjoy the moment?
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Jasper didn't dare release her hand until she was fully seated, hunching himself over just to make sure that he didn't lose his grip. Once she was situated he joined her, not across from her, but off to the side just a little bit. He didn't want to be to far away from her, he never liked the feeling that it left him with. The young male was about to reach for the rather large basket in front of them about the time that she spoke. Her voice made him pause and he turned to her instead, the nervous smile on his face softening to something much deeper. "It's because you deserve it." His words held sincere truth and he was suddenly not the shy and withdrawn boy he most usually was. "And you don't have to thank me either." It was nice to hear her thanks but it was not needed, he could easily see it in her eyes.
Leaning forward just a bit, Jasper flipped open one side of the basket, promptly pulling out a rather large plate. There was a rabbit there, sliced down the middle and cooked to completion. He'd learned a thing or two about cooking while living in Europe, one of those things being that with the right spices, just about anything could be roasted on a spit. He situated the plate right in front of them, which was porcelain and pristine white, he'd cleaned it sparkling earlier that day. "I hope you like it, some people don't like cooked food." He said as he presented it to her. "And I have a special dessert too, but it has to be made right before we have it." That would be his big finish for the evening.
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indent Reluctantly she let go of his hand, but her heart lifted as he scooted in close to her again. When he spoke this time he was firm, in a way that made her muscles feel like mush. It was a kind of strength she knew others didn't get to see, because they all thought he was some shy little boy, but this was the real him, the real Jasper, coming out from the inside and telling her the honest truth. She loved that about him, the way she felt like he was a secret just for her. There was no response to that, and he didn't wait for one. Instead, he leaned forward and opened up the basket. She peered in as he pulled the thing out. At first it was unrecognizeable.
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Cooked food, he mentioned, and she understood why it looked the way it did. Melisande had never had cooked food before, and didn't think she'd ever have a need to. Mostly she lived like a wolf... a wolf who happened to know how to read and occasionally paint and make tatoos. She never went out of her way to research human techniques of doing things, and cooking food seemed like a very human thing to do. But in the name of all that was holy, no one had ever told her how incredibly good cooked things smelled. She could feel herself salivating at the mere thought of touching this rabbit, still steaming hot and full of flavor. She could only make sort of an"Ooh!" Noise as the smell hit her, and decided that it probably wouldn't be right to comment further until she tasted it. She picked up a fork and knife, and awkwardly took a bite. She took a moment to take it all in, and then exclaimed, as she cut off another bite and held it out for her mate. "Mmmm! I had no idea you were so talented! Here, try it for yourself and tell me you aren't excellent!"
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You can powerplay us through the rest of the dinner eating if you like, so they can do other things too. :]
It wasn't often that Jasper could say something and be so completely sure about, but right then had been one of those moments. However few and far between, the blonde de le Poer was proud of those moments, things that he would always keep close to his heart. The noise that she made once he had the rabbit settled was one that got his hopes up and, wide eyed, he watched her as she cut away her first bite. The expression on her face was more than he could have asked for and he immediately grinned that same silly grin, eyes following her hands as she cut off yet another piece, though this time she held it up for him.
Before commenting on her words he leaned forward and gingerly took the bite that she offered him, chewing throughly and swallowing, more out of manner than anything, before he spoke up. "I dunno about being excellent, but I'm glad you think so." He spoke sheepishly, lifting his hand to his ear to scratch at it nervously once again. His next action, though it may have seemed like something a parent would do for a child, wasn't intended to be so. He took his own fork and knife and began to cut away multiple pieces, intending to make there be very little work for her to do other than to eat and enjoy herself. Instead of stopping there, though, Jasper took a piece on his own fork and held it out for her, just like she had done him.
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indent They proceeded to eat, not talking much, and feeding each other bites delicately here and there. It wasn't a huge dinner, and when they were done Melisande felt satisfied, but not bloated. The once cold world now felt warm from the inside out. She watched as he pushed away the dinner dish, only bones and scraps left, and eyed the large basket curiously.
indent "That was wonderful... I can't wait to see how you are going to top that meal with a dessert." She then considered further. "I wonder what I should do in return for all this lovely pampering." She grinned as she said it, wondering if he had any ideas. She knew he would say what he always said, which was just to love him, and that he wanted nothing in return. But she knew that it would make her happy to give him something, show him something. And she began to think about what she might do for him.
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As dinner continued on, Jasper started to become more and more unsettled. He was excited about his finale, something new that he thought she might not have ever tried. He was to complete fidgeting by the time that they were finished and when Melisande spoke of dessert the blonde male practically leaped up with excitement. His excited scrambling toward the basket was brought to a quick halt though, turning back to the snowy female when she spoke again. "Oh. You don't have to do anything for me." He said then, looking and sounding rather sheepish. His hand snaked up to his head and he scratched nervously at his ear, speaking again. "Just love me." It was more quiet that time and Jasper smiled at her before turning away.
He shuffled around quickly inside the basket, moving things here and there, before pulling out two empty glasses. Martini glasses to be exact. Instead of continuing to dig though, he crawled his way to the edge of the blanket, reaching over with one glass and scooping it full of snow. He did the same with the next glass and made his way back over, settling himself in front of Melisande and beside the basket. Setting the two snow filled glasses down, Jasper then began to dig in the basket again. This time it was a container of liquid, a red color and obviously slightly thing. He popped it open quickly and pour an equal amount into each glass, right over the snow. "It's sweet." He said then, holding up the mixture of water, sugar, and a powdery type substance that he often kept a stash of. He held up one glass for her to take then, excited to see her reaction to it.
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indent She listened to his words, and knew he meant them, and yet, she couldn't help but continue thinking of what she might do for him. However, he busily dug out some glasses, and when he dipped them in the snow, she became incredibly curious. Melisande cocked her head like a small puppy, wondering at the mixture as he poured a red liquid over each cup. Then he gave one to her. She took it, speechless, and vaguely wondering if the red mixture was blood. Needless to say, it was not.
indent "Oh! Its excellent!" The surprising cold hit her mouth like a punch after the warm dinner, and the sweetness was perfect. She'd never had anything that sweet, only berries and the like. She would have to start getting more creative with her menue, she decided. Melisande gulped the entire thing down before she realized it, and then was a little embarressed. Wasn't she supposed to be a lady and eat slowly and politely? Oh well, she thought. And then she stood up. "I've thought of something I can do for you. There's no way it could match what you've done for me. But it is something I've never done for anyone else. " She put her hands behind her back, closed her eyes, took a breath. When she let the breath out, she opened her eyes, and began an elegant rendition of a classic song.
The other night dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamed I held you in my arms
But when I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head and I cried.
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are gray
You'll never know dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
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Should we wrap this up here or keep it going? I'm pretty sure today is the day the threads are supposed to wrap up. -needs to check-
The look on her face as she took the first taste of her dessert was one that Jasper wouldn't ever forget and it only managed to get better when she began to eat it quickly. He was halfway relieved because of this, since eventually the snow would melt down and the whole thing would become watery. Unable to contain himself, Jasper finally began to eat his, just about as quickly as Melisande had, and soon set the glass aside to get it out of the way. In a way he felt that he should have something more for her, that he could've found something else or done something else to make the whole thing wrapped together nicely.
The blonde de le Poer didn't have much of a chance to think of something quickly, Melisande had stood suddenly and fond eyes followed her upwards, watching with a sudden rush of curiosity. She spoke then and Jasper's ears thrust forward in a fierce manner, as if he was afraid that he would miss something dearly important. Everything she said was important. Her words managed only to leave the younger male more curious, slightly confused, but then she began. Eyes widened as he listened and her voice urged him to stand. Even before she finished he was there in front of her, staring in almost a teary eyed manner. "It was beautiful." He managed to whisper, sliding his hands across each of her hips and bringing them to settle at her back. He moved then, very gently, an urge for her to dance with him. He wasn't worried either, there was always music when he was with her.
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indent Yep, this is a good place to end it. It was an adorable thread.
indent She moved with her partner as easily as she breathed. There was no more singing, but the there seemed to be a beat, a rythm created solely by their love. It was all they would ever need. She looked into his eyes at first, as they danced. She let herself get lost in his eyes, wondering what was deep and hidden in the back of his mind. Then Melisande pulled herself so close that the two creatures nearly meshed together, and put her head on his chest, suddenly glad that she was so small. Her head was just under his chin, and she nuzzled him lovingly, allowing herself to get carried away in the dream that was this moment. "I love you." It was less a sentence and more a breath, since speaking too loudly might interrupt this fleeting moment of wonder and happiness. She doubted she would ever know such happiness again, and thus dreaded the time when it ended.
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