hypnagothic | [The City] IC Contact

[ ~~the coin flip was good~~ so Dream arrives at the front door only moments after she sends her directions. there's no knock, but he does make himself known by slowly opening the front door wider, not yet stepping inside. ]

Lady Vanessa?

[ Still having been gathering supplies in the washroom, she's caught off guard by the speed of travel, but the get-well basket can be assembled later.

By now, she's washed and changed into a slightly more modest dress, though she remains barefoot with her hair down. The dark waves are only slightly damp, with the scent of bergamot, cypress, and aged patchouli still lingering from the bath oils. She had been quite eager to wash away some of the night's memories once her spell hadn't panned out.

Despite how traumatizing some of the evening had been, there had been something good to come out of it, at least enough to still draw a half smile when she slips around the corner to greet him. She even has a jest at the ready, but on seeing him simply stands there and stares, forgetting the tease entirely. ]

[ he himself is back in his normal black clothing and coat, the hand not pushing the door open tucked in a pocket. once the door has swung wide enough, he tucks that hand away too, finally stepping over the threshold now that she's present and visible. ]

Good evening.

[ The sound of a proper greeting is enough to put the power of speech back into her, at the very least. ]

Good evening. Please, come in.

[ No matter the face she's been putting on, she had hated the thought of him staying away tonight. It's with a selfish relief that she looks him over before turning to lightly gesture to the rest of the apartment, even if only the living room is visible from here. ]

I would apologize for having little to offer for a guest, but this is only my second night here in some weeks.

[ he gives a single nod in thanks, not noticing or at the very least not commenting on the way she looks him over as he steps further inside. his head tilts ever so slightly after her apology though. ]

Were you residing elsewhere?

[ She supposes that it's never come up, but that is often by design with her friends. Vanessa usually goes to them, or 'meets' them somewhere; usually where she's sleeping for the night. ]

I rarely stay anywhere for longer than a few days at a time.

[ Which has become a bit more troublesome now that she's received gifts. There's more to carry... A strangely sweet problem to have.

Turning back, she offers a slight shrug with a tilted, sheepish smile. ]

It's how I discovered that quaint bakery.

[ she'll find him closer to her as she turns back, Dream having stepped silently closer. ]

I see. May I ask if there a reason for this practice?

[ It's a welcome closeness, with her far more relaxed now that he isn't lingering just near the door. ]

I shouldn't dare let myself become too comfortable while trapped here.

Yet you should also have the opportunity to rest and recover from such constant vigilance.

Perhaps not so for some people. It isn't safe for me to remain content overlong.

[ When hasn't she been stuck in vigilance? Time with Mina... Moments with Dorian... Both of her stays on the moors... And what had happened? Danger, danger, everywhere.

Here, too, though it is so confined to this city, so stifled, that it's impossible to tell what form it could take. ]

These moments are enough. Here, with you.

I should hope that you could receive more than mere moments, my lady. A night, perhaps, if you would accept such aid.

[ Stepping closer, her head tips as she scans his face. ]

I didn't call you here for aid.

[ Despite the words, her voice is soft for its hush, and she's reaching up to lightly trace a fingertip along the line of his jaw. ]

Only your company. Only you.

[ his chin is still lightly raised when she steps closer, Morpheus looking down at her from over the curvature of his cheekbones. it dips down, just slightly, as she reaches up to touch along his jawline, some of that assumed arrogance giving way to something softer yet more intense in his regard of her. his own voice is hushed too, quiet and low. ]

And what do you wish of me, my lady?

[ Any supposed arrogance is easily ignored, with her fingertip pressing at his chin to tip his face down a bit more. Glancing across his features before settling contently on his eyes, her hand drops to rest against his chest.

Clutching at the lapel of his jacket, Vanessa leans up as if to kiss him, though she stops short to hover near with a whisper as soft as a breeze. ]

I wish for you to show me what you want.

[ Somehow, she expects he will flip it back onto her as he always does, but if she is allowed to make wishes then it's her best opportunity to seize. ]

Stay with me tonight.

Edited 2023-11-05 08:37 (UTC)

[ his hands finally appear from his pockets, one staying at his side while the other raises to reach for hers, enfolding it within his fingers while still resting against his chest. his eyes never leave hers in the movement, unblinking and focused entirely on her. ]

I would show you proper courtship, my lady. Devoted attention and shared moments. Though we have not known each other overly long, I find that your presence intrigues and beguiles, and I also find myself desiring to know more.

[ he tips his head forward again so that his forehead just touches against hers, the strands of his mussed hair brushes against her waves. ]

I would stay with you this night, in this place, in your bed, if you will allow it. If you would welcome it.

[ It’s unusual for Morpheus to be so openly direct with his intention for her, which is enough to captivate, but what he’s being forthright over then leaves her somewhat awestruck. He didn’t need to say any of that, not when she had already invited him to stay, but his need to express his intent with such propriety is beyond charming. It's touching.

‘Proper courtship’. The closest she’d ever had to such a thing was her time with Dorian, and while he had been a remarkable gentleman, it still hadn’t lasted beyond their initial tryst because of the risk. She hasn’t allowed true intimacy since; she has never been able to indulge without the beast at her back. But Lucifer can’t slip into the bedroom to whisper in her ear now, not here. Too, for once the weakening of her power may be a boon. Not enough to make her normal, God forbid, but enough to temper some of her greatest fears. As they once spoke of, those burdens and powers have no place here, leaving them as nothing more than themselves.

He may not think it overly long, but she has never been intimate with a man after knowing him for months. Beyond Dorian, has she ever been with someone who cared about her? Even then, it had always been physical, primal, possessed. She’s never been with anyone who knows her heart and mind–knows of her love of dessert for breakfast, knows of her prophecy for death.

Ethan had known her the longest, been the closest, but they had never– Ethan–

Ethan had flinched. He hadn’t let her in. He made his choice clear, publicly, and only a number of days after arriving here. She didn’t blame or resent him–he had seen what she was, after all. So does Morpheus, to an extent…enough to know she isn’t a good person by the standards of most. He hasn’t yet flinched. He hasn’t hidden from her, either. She can see him, and she wants to see more, greedy for something she’s never before been allowed. Dreamt about, though?

Initially wide-eyed when he first mentions courtship, she is heavy-lidded and trapped in a daze by the end. With every word uttered, the rise and fall of her chest quickens with hurried breaths, and then it’s all she can manage not to push him down and straddle him there in the foyer. But she holds with a tremendous will, turning her hand into his and weaving their fingers together before stepping back to pull him along. It’s a small apartment, so they’re at the doorway of the smaller bedroom in only a few steps, where she’ll walk backward while attempting to draw him over the threshold. ]

I would welcome it. [ The momentary daze has been replaced with a sharp glint in her eyes as she backs into the dark room. ] I would wish it.

[ he steps with her, pulled along by her embrace and her heavy-lidded gaze on him, his own gaze unwavering, his eyes darkening as they move into shadows. the last sparks of light before they step through the doorway seem to catch in his eyes, catch and burn like distant stars coming to life. he seems more otherworldy in the shadows like this, something perhaps more dangerous and old, the contrast of his cool, pale skin against dark hair and clothing standing out a little more. ]

You have called me here, my lady, and I am yours this night.

[ his other hand raises after "my lady", gently caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers as he declares himself as hers in that slow, purposeful drawl of his. the tips of them then brush downwards, lingering along the collar of her dress, that cool point of contact resting over the vein there, sending shivers through her with each pulse. ]

[The City] IC Contact

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