RP:A Proper First Date

Summary: Largakh gives Lanara a hand-written letter that tells her to meet him behind his grandparents house on Friday night, and to bring along her favorite animal companion and her most comfortable blanket. The two that started out as unlikely friends share their very first date, with an adorable polar bear cub, playing chaperone. The romantic evening is filled with good conversation, laughter, and the promise of another date in the near future.

Cabin Rolafir

Hidden in the thicker, older woods of Sage live the shunned Rolafirs a rather impressive charming cabin can be stumbled upon. It looks interesting and inviting, the smoke billowing out of the two story home’s chimney promises a warm fire and the smells of a home cooked meal. Tall trees, open spaces, a few farm animals and their own well to draw from - maybe solitude is addicting. They seem to have everything you would need here and then some as the interior is filled with memories and love which is obvious on the older elve’s faces… ‘Older elves’, they don’t really look it (as elves don’t) and are only around a thousand in age, but they have quite the stories to tell of love and tragedy. There are paintings of an elven woman, she was classically beautiful, this must be their lost daughter - Largakh’s mother, Vestele, and one can see he gets a lot of his features from her. This is obviously a loving home and if one were to wander and look around close enough they might spot an old painting of Larz when he was going up - big crooked smile, an underbite with little tusks that would touch just over his top lip.

Largakh waits in the backyard of his grandparents’ cabin for Lanara, feeling a little nervous she won’t show. Maybe his letter was too sappy, but he didn’t look nervous. He wore a crisp v neck tee shirt and a fleece jacket, (more like a hoodie - that Lana could also steal!) a pair of Hollow’s version of jeans, and hiking books. Holding one simple blue tulip because she doesn’t seem like the type to be basic and like red roses, even though he had the kids give her a bouquet one by one a few days ago, but that was different and not for his feelings - it was getting them to show their appreciation. He also was holding onto a folder - love poems maybe!? Once she comes into view his nervousness washed away… Mostly. If there was no issue with continuing the date he would hold his elbow out to her while mentioning, “you look beautiful as always.” Then he held the tulip to her, if she knows of flowers and colors - this one means trust and loyalty. Whatever pet she decided to bring was probably wary of him and he starts to lead them into the secluded woods behind the cabin, but after a decent distance from the cabin she would start to see a campfire grow nearer and nearer as they walked to it. If she wanted to camp out for the night he set up two cozy tents opposite each other, his had a sign that said ‘Lard’ and her own was a little bigger, way more cozier with a sign that said ‘Llama Plus One’. The campfire was cozy and warm on this cool night with two chairs placed together which also recline back so they may gaze up at the stars through the opening within the canopy of trees. They were certainly alone and he had plenty of ingredients for s'mores, sasauges, and hobo pies that he set up on a table at the other side of the fire - between their tents. A pretty chill first date, just a camping night with the nature around them and late night talks. He wonders if maybe he should have gotten her jewelry or a fancy dinner reservation instead? He declined saying anything about the arrangement until she does - was this cheap? What heck! He never second guesses himself and how is he still nervous? On the outside he looks perfectly calm cool and collected.

Lanara shyly walks along the outskirts of the forest, until she comes up to the clearing, which unveils the beautiful Rolafir household. She’s nervous, her palms are sweaty, and she keeps a close watch on where she steps, so that she doesn’t make a fool of herself by stumbling onto their front lawn. She looks lovely, in a tan dress skirt, a v-neck lavender dress shirt, and off-white, farmhand boots with copper rhinestones. A pale pink blanket is in her hands, and it looks as though it had been recently knit, and with tender care. She seems to be wearing a white scarf around her neck, though as she enters the backyard, the ‘scarf’ seems to come undone, and one would see that it wasn’t a scarf at all, but the paws of an adorable polar bear cub. Lana bends to pick the small bear up into her arms, and cradles it like one would a baby, as he looks up at her with dark eyes. However, as cute as Aspen may be, the elf has eyes for someone else on this brisk night, and she smiles as she rests her gaze upon Larzgakh. The words of his letter return to her memory, and her cheeks turn a pale pink, and she’s happy that she skipped on wearing blush this evening. Minimal make-up is worn on her eyes, so that they stand out a little more than usual, and her long hair falls to the middle of her back in loose curls. The cub is also looking rather dapper, as she has affixed a black bow-tie to his neck, and he looks up at Larz as the male comes into view, though there isn’t any fear or anger in his wide-eyed gaze. He’s still too much of a baby to pick up on any orc blood! Good choice, Lana! “Hi…” Shyly she lowers her gaze again, wondering why she’s suddenly so bashful. She’d seen him a few days ago, and it wasn’t as though they hadn’t already kissed. Something about tonight was different, it was their very first date, and though she was pretty damn sure he had feelings for her, she still wanted to make a good impression. Lana meets his tuscan yellow gaze, as he compliments her, and she smiles so wide that it hurts her cheeks. “Thank you. You look really nice, too. It’s a nice night. It was nice of you to ask me on a date… And the letter was so sweet, and really nice to read.” Oh my gosh! Why is she saying ‘nice’ so much?! Thankfully, it’s at the moment she realizes she’s acting like an idiot, that he gently takes her by the arm and leads her to a secluded location in the woods. She lowers the bear cub to the forest floor, and takes a sniff of the blue tulip, the smile still remaining on her face. Her face was going to hurt in the morning from all this smiling! “Oh! Larz, this is Aspen. And…” She narrows her eyes, finding that the cub had already wandered over to the tent marked ‘Lard’ and was pawing at the curtain. “Come here, you! I told you not to act up!” Her tone is stern, though she can’t help but grin. He was too cute and often got away with murder. Obediently, he waddles over to Larz, and as she had taught him that morning, puts his big fluffy paw out for a shake. Lana, meanwhile, is looking around the makeshift campsite, and she takes in the two tents, the food, and the chairs. A night under the stars, in the privacy of the forest, getting to know one another. This is literally, the best date she could have imagined. She looks back at Larz, and rests the flower and blanket on a chair, as she goes over to the man and pulls him in for a quick hug. She missed doing that, and it had been days since they last had contact. “This is incredible. Thank you for planning this, I honestly couldn’t imagine a better first date. This is totally the type of date that I prefer over anything else.” And it was true. The elf wasn’t one for lavish affairs, and the only time she went all out was on a high holiday, and that was in celebration of the Goddess. She slowly pulls back from the hug, and looks up at him, expectantly. Were they to eat? Talk? Sit? She’s shy, again, and letting him take the lead.

Largakh grinned down at her, he was glad she was nervous too because that means their first kiss didn’t ruin this experience. His grin was also for the cub in her arms - he was cute, but he would reserve any petting until the animal initiated contact first. She said he looked nice and he gave a short chuckle, “that’s just because you got here.” Their walk to the destination went smoothly and after placing the folder down that he was carrying, he walked over to a tiny beer cask, but what came out of it was just some warm cider- not spiced with liquor. She was scolding the cub and he shrugged while bringing her a mug of the warm drink, “let him play and have fun.” Then the cub did something he didn't expect by offering to shake his hand so he kindly bent at the waist, placed one hand on his own knee while the other shakes the cubs paw, “nice to meet you Aspen.” He thought talking to an animal was weird, his first time actually so there's that. He poured himself a serving of cider and then she showed her appreciation with a hug causing him to smile, hugging her back best he can with one arm while placing a kiss on the top of her head where her hair parts, “I'm glad you like it. I wanted to do something private, low key and no pressure. That's why I had you bring a fury companion so you weren't alone in your own tent - if you decide to camp out here with me.” He slung his arm around Lanara’s shoulders and guided her to the spread of campfire food and specially handpicked sticks for roasting, “we've got smores, sausages, ingredients for hobo pies and a fruit bowl over there. You two can help yourselves after I show you this,” he takes Lanara’s hand and offered her to sit down at one of the two chairs before handing her the folder. “Go ahead and look through those, I'll get a couple of marshmallows ready.” Turning around he stopped as he nearly walked right into Aspen who was sitting in the forest floor and looking up at Larz curiously, but once he saw the half-orc looking down at him he got up to his hind legs and reached a paw up at him as if to ask to hold his hand. Without hesitation Larz took the paw and walked with the cub over to the food table, helping Aspen pick out anything he wanted to snack on while Lanara opened her ‘gift’. Once she flipped the folder open she would find around thirty or so doodles, sketches, finger paintings of her likeness done by the kids at the orphanage, it was their way of saying thank you because some of them don't know how to write. Every picture was positive and full of love, it was obvious in some of the care taken to correctly capture her beauty. The older kids do her looks more justice in detail and some of the pictures do come with either a thank you letter on the back or poorly formed and misspelled ‘tank U mys Lunu’ (because ‘a’s are tricky.) Okay, so it may be more that Larz was impressed by these attempts because he wished to capture that moment and the kids must have wished it too, but most of all he wanted to show her how much she's inspiring these young minds and the way she's becoming a role model to them… This is it, this is the way Larz flirts, by building someone up with gestures instead of compliments to her looks or legendary derriere (no matter how perfectly round it is! Homegirl must do squats on the daily.) During this time he was holding out different foods to Aspen, mumbling, “this?... what about this one? No?... this one?” Once the polar bear cub choses and has the food in his mouth he's still looking up at the tall man in wonderment… He made up his mind, he's climbing the man like a tree and Larz doesn't stop him as he steadied himself, even helping him to the top. Aspen was satisfied now, legs draped over the man's wide shoulders and wrapping his furry paws around his forehead while munching his snack. Larz just chuckles softly while getting the marshmallows on a stick and laying a brown sugar cracker down with a cocoa bar atop that in case that's how Lana wants her marshmallow. Aspen let's out a tiny bear growl, he can see so much from way up here! Larz hands him another brown sugar cracker which Aspen crunches happily while getting crumbs all over Larz, he doesn't care though and makes his way toward Lana with her pet as a hat - apparently. Larz props her roasting stick against her chair and takes a seat next to her to begin roasting his own, shortly after, Aspen swings himself down off Larz’s shoulders as if the lanky orc was a jungle gym and makes himself comfortable in his lap - totally expecting to be given the marshmallow because this guy seems to spoil him! Everything seems properly planned and well thought out… May make someone wonder if he's really been single all this time.

Lanara blushes as he kisses the top of her head and she graciously accepts the offering of the warm apple cider. The aroma of the spiced apples reminded her of days long ago, from her homeland, and she inhales the scent before taking a tentative sip. “Mmm. This is nice.” Thankfully, she doesn’t burn her tongue, though she is saying ‘nice’ again, so she’s likely still nervous. She watches the interaction between Aspen and Larz, her gaze mostly on the orc, and her eyes don’t leave his form. This would be a very telling moment. Of all her companions, Aspen was the cuddliest, friendliest, and easiest to bond with, since he was frozen at only twelve weeks old. He wouldn’t age or grow, ever, and though it saddened her that he was manipulated by science, it made it that much easier to cuddle him as he was so tiny. The cub seems smitten with Larz, and she heaves a sigh of relief as he accepts that offered paw, to give it a gentle shake. She hadn’t even relieved she was holding her breath, and if either the cub or the man were to look over at her loud sigh, she’d quickly raise the mug to her lips for another sip, and let them think she was merely enjoying her drink. He was impressing her, and he wasn’t even aware, as he then effortlessly convinces Aspen to fall in love with him. The cub forgets all about Lana’s existence, and as she’s handed the folder, he’s luring Larz over to the table of food. “What’s all this?” Lana drops into the chair, crosses her legs, and opens the folder, a gasp escaping her, as she takes in the beauty of the drawings. Some are done in a near likeness, and it’s as though she’s peering into a mirror, one had far too much shading on her upper lip, (Napoleon must have drawn that one!) and several made her look as though she were part beast. However, each one brought a smile to her face, and she was so touched, that she looks at each drawing again and again, her fingers trailing over the fine details. “I… This… Larz! This was so thoughtful. I don’t even know what to say…” She struggles with one of the thank you messages, as she first thinks it’s a full moon, and so she reads the writing, and bursts into a fit of laughter as she connects the dots. “So… I have never seen my name spelled quite like this before, but I think they were trying to tell me something…” It’s held up as Larz returns to her, wearing Aspen atop his head, as the bear demands a marshmallow. The little guy was the biggest beggar of all her pets and he had a sweet tooth, so she slips the marshmallow from her own stick and gives it to him. “Don’t give him a melted one. He’s a terror. He’ll rub the sticky goo all over your pant legs… Erm, maybe your face, since he loves your shoulders so much.” She loved his shoulders too, but she clears her throat and holds up the drawing in question. “Explain.” The ‘full moon’ drawing with legs, likely is of Lanara’s derriere as she had bent over during a stretch, though the writing beneath is what has the elf in hysterics. ‘Lunu. Lar-Lar lykes ur but he is wutchun.’ Lana cracks up and puts them all gently back into the folder. “Thank you, that was sweet that you encouraged them to make thank you cards… And I’m glad that Aspen has taken a liking to you… Beware. He will have you wrapped around his little paw before the end of the night!” As if he already didn’t! The cub is now patting on Larz’s head, as though it were a drum, while his free paw holds the marshmallow. Lana looks at the bear, hoping he’d calm down and not sock her date in the eye. “Aspen… One is enough for now. Eat that first, and then if you’re a good boy, you’ll get another.” He relents, after responding with a disgruntled growl, and settles for the lone marshmallow. Sliding a hot dog onto her roasting stick, she leans back in the chair, as she holds it over the campfire, listening to the gentle crackling and inhaling the scent of the forest. It was a beautiful night and a gentle breeze pushes her long locks away from her face, as she readies her next question, being careful to choose her words, as she didn’t want to offend. “So… How is it that someone as amazing as yourself has remained single for so long? I recall that you only mentioned Miss Arrangement.” A pause. Was that wretched woman still knocking on his door? “And you said that you never had a serious relationship. I mean… That could have been during your ‘dumb’ orc ruse that day. And it must have been a lie. I mean… Clearly, you’re a catch!” She motions to the surrounding forest, the pictures, the flower, the cub, and then further away, liking referring to his grandparents that lived nearby. Larz was something else, and the intense stare she’s giving him is filled with more than mere curiosity, she was falling for the man more each day. How had he not been snatched up long ago?!

Largakh got his roasted marshmallow and made himself a s’more while brushing crumbs off of Aspen, that the cub managed to get on himself, who was lounging on his lap since Larz has legs for days. Larz had brought the bag of marshmallows over and tossed one in the air for Aspen just to goof around, but the cub caught it in the air! “Ohhh! Good one Aspen,” can bears smile? Did he just? Anyway, the cub starts sniffing Larz some more and playfully bites at his hands - like dogs do where they don't bite down. “First of all... “ Larz starts, “I'm not amazing. Some women would find my gestures corny and this date cheap. It's about finding someone who inspires you to do these things without feeling obligated and bringing the best out in each other, but as long as I continue to amaze you that's all that counts.” Aspen has a sugar crash and as Larz reclined a little in his chair the cub nuzzled the man's neck and sprawled out on top of him while Larz caresses his hands through the soft white fur of the polar bear. “That,” she mentioned Miss Arrangement and as if to punctuate the unspoken sentiment, Aspen let out a toot which Larz tries really, reeeally hard not to laugh too hard at and wake the poor cub up. “that wasn't even my idea. I was her drunken mistake, it happens, and I expected to never see her again, but she kept coming by, didn't want anything from me and overly exaggerated how she didn't want anyone to know. Trust me, I've turned her drop bys down more often than not… She's been set straight - I don't do that while I’m pursuing someone seriously.” Down to the darker part of why he's been single, “other than all that… The dumb act, people see what they want in me and get bored quickly with that. That weeds out some, if a woman sees through it and for some reason is attracted to me still then it's easier to see if she's still interested when other people around. In the rare chance she still is, I show her my place and usually it ends there.” He smirked as if he was clever, “only a few times have I turned a woman down by admitting I cannot have kids and that's a deal breaker for a lot of women. When that failed I would bring up the nightmares, the prophecy, the fortune teller and they would run for the hills.” Now he's looking over at her, knowingly, equally falling for her, “it wasn't until a little over a week ago that this woman who I was certain I had no chance with, who had already seen my place, stood up for me in the face of prejudice, gave my grandparents a second chance, shared in what I cared about blew passed all those walls as if they were paper and not only believed in my fears, but destroyed all the logic I had in place to happily be alone.” Aspen could feel Larz’s heart beating fast and nuzzled him some more because he read it as anxiety, but it was something else. “I'm only a catch to the right type of person. And only if I want to be caught.” He grinned that way he does at her, “and even though I didn't know my parents, I grew up in a loving home. You've seen how Theoduin and Seldanna are, I aim to be like them a thousand years from now if someone will have me and if I am able to keep my mind.” Aspen’s claws poke in Larz’s shirt, he must be having a nightmare and instinctively Larz wraps his arms around the cub in a warm embrace which calms the bear. “So, how did you come across this cute little Aspen?” He would watch her tell the story, hanging on every word. He adored how overly detailed she was and the way she lights up when talking about her animals as if she were some proud parent. All of it was endearing and he would mention, “feel free to ask me anything that comes to mind, Llama.” It was different the way he said her nickname, not comical, but it was sweet this time - like if he was calling her ‘kitten’, or ‘bunny’ or ‘babe’.

Lanara’s heart stops for a moment as he tosses that marshmallow into the air, for she knew the bear would engage in leaping off of Larz’s lap, though the male tosses it up and not away, and her beloved companion doesn’t leave the safety of his perch upon his legs. He’d notice the way her eyes widened and the maternal instinct written all over her face, for a split second she was afraid it would end in disaster. She cared for her animals as though they were kin, and she relaxes as the cub happily munches on the sweet treat, thankful that he hadn’t leapt into the fire. The elf shifts her gaze to the half-orc and smiles, masking the fact that she had foolishly panicked, though she can’t help but be amused as Aspen turns to Larz to nip at his fingers. “He really likes you.” I do too, she thinks, though she doesn’t say that aloud. She fights the urge to roll her eyes when he disagrees about being amazing, and it’s at this point that the cub, with his full belly, decides to take a nap on her date’s chest. Lucky little furball! Lana waits on bated breath as he speaks about ending things with the ‘arrangement’ whom he never was overly fond for, it was mostly physical. She’s jealous, she realizes, as her eyes flash with a hint of envy. Something had to keep her around for as long as it lasted. It wasn’t merely a one night affair. But she doesn’t comment, she lets him continue and finds that she’s lowering her gaze to look into the flames as he says that everything changed a week ago, and that this is the first time in his life that he’d even considered a future. Did Larz just past wind, or was it Aspen? Maybe it was the popping of the fire? She stifles a giggle, as the conversation is serious, and she tries her very hardest to remain respectful to Larz. The man is pouring his heart out and she’s nearly in stitches over a toot! The elf honestly didn’t think she’d had that much of a hold on him, not quite this fast, and that though his letter was beautifully written and heartfelt, she hadn’t felt its depth until he spoke those exact words directly at her side. “First of all, you -are- amazing. And this date is perfect. I would rather spend a night out here, cuddled up under the stars, deep in conversation, than anything. I’m not the type of woman who is all about the glitz and glam. I appreciate beautiful things, yes, who doesn’t? But… I prefer things that come from the heart. I’d rather have your time, occupy your mind, and you to pull something from your heart, any day, than an extravagant date, or an expensive piece of jewelry. I’m really down to earth. And before you say anything, yes, I do have loads of designer clothes. But I also worked hard for those, during my time as a model. We were allowed to keep the outfits. I never would spend eight thousand gold on a bikini, even if it is a genuine Kreekitaka piece.” She grins, and he’d see that she is being genuine. Lana was your typical girl-next-door, slightly tomboyish at times, and at other times, extremely feminine and wearing her heart on her sleeve. She inches nearer and takes his hand off of Aspen’s soft fur, to give it a squeeze. “So, I’d be lying horribly if I said I was sorry things didn’t pan out for you and what’s-her-face… Because then you and I wouldn’t be here on this date or have had all those experiences.” Her cheeks redden as she recalls the dance, and that kiss that left her breathless. “And… Thank you. Thank you for taking a chance on, uh, love.” Why was she getting awkward now? Why did she just say the word ‘love’ on a first date? She stopped saying ‘nice’ for now, at least. “I think I understand why you closed off any possibility for romance in the past, and why you couldn’t imagine a future with anyone. That shows me that you value the needs of others, before your own. You are selfless. And that speaks volumes to me, because in the past I was -terrified- to get intimate with anyone… Physically as well as emotionally. When you open up, you’re allowing yourself to get hurt, to feel pain, should things not work out. It’s a risk, always, in relationships…” A long pause. “I’ll go easy on you though, Lard. I know I’m a bit much at times, but I’d never intentionally make you want to rethink about being alone again.” Cheesy much? Lana lifts her stick from the fire and waits for the hot dog to cool, before taking a bite. She had imagined that he would ask about her previous relationships, and she’s fully prepared to answer, though he brings up the bear cub, instead. “Aw, Aspen? Well… I was in Frostmaw, at the time, and I was recovering from a serious injury. A dagger slipped between my ribs during an encounter with a dragon, and my sister was forcing me to stay at her cabin. Well, I’m not one to stay put for too long, so I snuck out one night and I saw these men slaughter this little guy’s mother, and they stole him and took him to this research facility. A few weeks later, I was healed up. And this weighed heavily on my mind. I broke into the place, and freed all the animals. Aspen sort of clung to me and I didn’t have the heart to leave a baby bear cub, without a mother, in the wilderness. So I adopted him as one of my own. That was almost four years ago. He, um, doesn’t grow, or age, or, die, really. He’s had some close calls, too. I don’t know what experiments they did to him, but he’s thriving and I love him.” She smiles, her eyes glistening with tears, over the fact that someone could just take this innocent cub and do the unthinkable to him for monetary gain and science. Lana realizes she’s still holding Larz’s hand, and the flush returns to her cheeks, though she doesn’t release his appendage from her own.

Largakh nods once at her mention of Aspen liking him, “I like him, too.” Larz watched her shift and the body language change so before she even had to ask he mentioned, “she’s never meant anything to me because she is a selfish person and that makes her ugly to me, so that isn’t something I am exactly proud of. Now I have a real reason to never see her again,” when she took his hand he curls his fingers around it and his thumb caresses over the top while they talk. He gives her an admiring grin, “I don't care if you wore a potato sack, you would still radiate beautifully from within, but you should be proud of all you've earned.” His hand gave hers a soft squeeze just before she mentions giving love a chance, which is a strong possibility of where this will go, so all he offers in return is, “I’ll try anything once.” When she speaks of her own fear of getting close his expression softens when he confidently offers, “hey… We can go as slow as you need with this. I’m not going anywhere.” He gently squeezed her hand again, “I don’t care if you are ‘much’, you have every right to be. I will work as hard as required to make sure you are never worried or wondering what's going on or left out of the loop.” At this he pulled her hand to his lips so he didn’t have to move and disturb the sleeping cub in order to place a soft kiss on the back of her hand. Once Lanara begins her epic story of her ‘Ace Ventura’ type rescue Larz hangs on every word and it’s as if the cub knew he was being talked about because he lazily woke up in a daze and tumbled off Larz’s lap, but the orc’s reflexes automatically kick in around the fire and makes sure he didn’t tumble too far. The cub was content sitting on Larz’s feet, though. Larz was free to sit up now and he leaned on the arm of his chair toward Lanara, entirely pulled in by her story and she could see the admiration in his eyes… There was an impressed silence after her story ends and no he won’t be asking about exes because he’s not concerned about her past - only her future, but he finally says, “that’s amazing. You risked so much just for those innocent animals - that’s great. You’re very caring,” if she were to be leaning on the arm of her chair towards him as well he would realize they were talking quite close now and his tuscan gaze softens on every feature of her face as if etching this moment to his memory as well… The way the shadows from the fire flicker on her face and the crackling mixing with the crickets in the woods. The cool feeling in his chest returns as his heart beat a bit harder, beat a bit faster. You would think the second (third?) kiss would be easier or less intense, but it wasn’t feeling like it was going to be. His stomach lurched like when you go down a hill too fast on a steep hill and he never even imagined feeling like this would affect so much of every fiber of his very being. His other hand which wasn’t holding onto her own raised and he gently held her chin between his forefinger and thumb, looking far off into her eyes as the world around them seemed to melt away till it felt they were just floating there in nothingness, “you’re amazing,” he softly said before he laid one of those slow tender kisses on her lips. His eyes closing and he didn’t realize he was holding his breath, but it let out slowly through his nose when he deepened the kiss if she let him and his hand moved from under her chin to the nape of her hair again when passion mixed with the sweet kiss.

Lanara watches Aspen slide from Larz’s lap, and sit at his feet, peering up at the pair as though he could feel the nervous passion in the air. Did he just smile? The remark about the potato sack makes her giggle, though as the compliment is fulfilled, she bashfully lowers her eyes, as she wasn’t used to taking such a thing. “Uh. Thank you.” And then he says four words that would normally trigger an adverse reaction in the brunette, though she believes him when he says that he’s not going anywhere. Lifting those dark chocolate eyes to look into that familiar tuscan gaze, she sighs, knowing that he’s being sincere. He was patient. He gave off good vibes, and quelled her fears. He also knew what she was thinking, merely by studying her body language. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met. And I mean that as a compliment.” Why did she just blurt that out? Well, it -is- true, she thinks, as she stares into those eyes that remind her of a beautiful sunset. The hot dog is long forgotten, and she’s still holding the stick with one hand, while her other is within Larz’ grasp, though Aspen chooses this opportune moment to make a move. The cub stands up and waddles over to the edge of the stick, thinking that the couple was so absorbed in each other that they wouldn’t even notice. He rises onto his two back legs, and plucks the hot dog from the stick, greedily coveting it against his chest, as he darts into the woods to eat it in private. Lana would normally scold him, good-naturedly of course, or run after him, but there weren’t any real threats in the area and this had all happened without her noticing. What she did notice was the way the orc’s eyes lit up as she talked of her breaking and entering into a research lab, the rise and fall of his muscular chest, the light from the fire casting shadows on parts of his face, while emitting a light glow on other areas. She’s also noticing that he’s inching closer, that his gaze has dropped to her lips, and that his hand reaches out to gently push her head up by the chin, so that they were at the perfect angle for a kiss. There’s a pause, and though her heart is racing and she’s super anxious, she’s also willing him to press his lips upon her own. He’d see the look in her big brown eyes, the look of passion, need, and also a look of vulnerability that she often wouldn’t allow herself to show. The elf’s eyes were the windows to her soul, and she sits there, without breaking eye contact, waiting for him to make a move. “No. You’re amazing. And… Larz?” A small beat would pass, as her heart pumps violently in her chest. “I’m totally asking for it.” She gives him a sexy smirk, as he finally obliges and presses his mouth to hers, as she drops the stick and brings her hand up to lightly caress his cheek. The kiss starts out soft and sensual, her eyes close, and she pulls herself a little closer in the chair, as she gives the hand that she’s holding a gentle squeeze. This time they had done it right, they went on an actual date, and they had another ‘first’ of many kisses. Lana tilts her head slightly, giving him full access to her lips, as they lightly part, and she open mouth kisses him, passionately. It ends far too soon, and she slowly backs away, holding up a pointer finger as if to say ‘one moment’ as she exhales. “I’m sorry. I needed to breathe. I, um, forget to do that when I’m around you.” After obtaining a few deep breaths, she leans in and resumes the same pose as before, teasingly keeping her lips just out of reach. “Where were we?”

Largakh felt warm, blood at a boil - what was this woman doing to him? As soon a she backed off to take a breather it was too soon and leaving him wanting more, but of course he only smiled at her - it was a bit wider this time and maybe she could see where his lower teeth have a spot where tusks would usually be. He leaned away as well to take his fleece jacket off and placed it around her because even though he was hot she seemed to have goose bumps, she would find the jacket held not only the trace of his scent, but also his warmth. When she mentions she forgets to breathe he teases her by relaxing on the opposite side of his chair now with a mischievous grin, “that seems dangerous, maybe I should sit over here so you don’t pass out too early because I am not done trying to get to know you.” The way he relaxed back in his chair, his bum was slid down a bit and his knees stuck up and out with how long their legs are. His back curved against the back of the chair and his soft cotton blend shirt wrinkles lazily against his rugged abdomen. “I completely forgot for a moment what we were talking about - you do that. I believe I asked a question last so it’s your turn.” A small shrug, “ask away.” He thought he saw something go into his tent out the corner of his eye, but he was looking at Lanara and didn’t care to look away. They lost their hand holding in the kiss, so his hands are relaxed on his laps.

Lanara melts as he puts his jacket around her, her hands instinctively lifting to hold it in place around her shoulders, as he leans back. Breathing room was great for her lungs and survival, though she hated to see him pull back. It was bittersweet. Slowing down was a good thing, it meant he wanted to get to know her, not just get to know her in a physical way. That also was a first, as most were quick to grab her arse, or plant a kiss to her lips. Not that she let many get that far, most didn’t even get to hold her hand. This was a nice change, and she clears her throat as it’s her turn to form a question. “Okay. But I have a line of questions. Not just one. You know how I am, once you get me going I do not shut up.” She giggles, suddenly nervous again. Was she talking too much? Boring him? This was a very chill experience, they were camping, she couldn’t exactly drop it like it’s hot in the trees. Ballet was definitely out of the question. “I’ll start with the easy ones first… What are some of your pet peeves? What’s your favorite color? What are your favorite foods? Do you have any allergies? What is your favorite animal?” She realizes that she has to come up for air again, and she laughs, pausing to breathe. “Okay. Those are a lot to start with and I’ll give you a breather to answer them before bombarding you with another dozen.” Looking away, she could swear she saw a flash of white disappear into Larz’s tent, but she doesn’t pay it any mind, as she meets his gaze. “So. Even being a feet feet away from me? It makes no difference. I’m still breathless.” Lana winks at the male, as she forces herself to her feet and wanders over to the food table. Oddly, all of the hot dogs have vanished, and she narrows her eyes, though she settles for some cinnamon coated crackers, and returns to her chair. Fixing Larz with an intense, yet curious, look, she crosses her legs, and waits for her million questions to be answered. “Also, feel free to ask me anything you want. I’m… No. I’ll answer anything you wish to ask, except for one particular topic. Please, don’t ask me anything about my biological father. Just not this soon. It’s a touchy subject for me.”

Largakh’s grin widens with an amused chuckle, “I know how you are, yeah, but I think it’s completely adorable.” It was true, he sat there and got a quickfire round of questions thrown at him like last time and you can see it in his eyes that he was genuine, then she made a flattery comment and winked. He winked back before responding, “when I see someone being mistreated only for being themselves. Or when I’ve witnessed when someone muster the courage to confess what was bothering them only to be made to feel small for only having feelings. Unwanted advances. Favorite color? Purple,” she just happens to be wearing a shade of that color. I don’t have a favorite - ask my grandparents, I was a chubby kid. I would eat anything and they caught me trying to chew rocks once.” He grinned bashfully, “no allergies I know of, but I just don’t like fire - like fire magic. And animals? They hate me, but it seems I like bears.” She’s near him again and watching her, “how about you, I want to ask all of those in return - except for the favorite animal. Asking you to choose would be too cruel,” he chuckles softly at the thought of her quiet and thinking a really long time to choose one favorite animal.

Lanara hangs on his every word, as she often did when he spoke, for she was greatly fascinated by every syllable that exited his mouth. He had a way of making one envision whatever he was describing, and she bites into her cracker, nodding as his pet peeves. Those were all things that she agrees with, for she was sensitive to the feelings of those she cared about. The fact that she’s wearing his very favorite color causes her to take a glance at her lavender blouse, and her cheeks turn a pale pink. Another bite of her cracker is taken, and she’s trying to eat daintily and not get crumbs everywhere, though he chooses that ideal moment to mention that he was a chubby child who ate rocks, and she loses it. Lana laughs so hard that she spits crumbs everywhere, and chokes for a minute, as she pounds on her chest and coughs, to clear her throat. There are tears in her eyes from laughing so hard, and she can’t help but fire back at his comment, “And here I thought I was the only one with rocks in my head!” She notes that there are no allergies, so she doesn’t have to be too careful when cooking for the man. She momentarily frowns as he fears the element of fire, and she shakes her head. “Don’t fear the magic, if you must, fear the one who wields that power. I promise… I may at some point use fire in front of you, but I would never burn you or lose control. I’m very much in control with my magic.” She pauses, about to make a quip about how she can make him ‘hot’ or something similar, but then she remembers about his dislike of unwanted advances and she thinks it best not to flirt about his fear. “Animals dislike you, huh? Well… I’m sure we’ll figure something out. I also think that a certain bear is fond of you.” Her eyes flicker as the night is in full swing, the stars coming out, and the moon hangs just overhead, casting some illumination on the area. As though it were a spotlight, it’s then that he turns her questions back to her, and she finishes her cracker, before responding. “My pet peeves are…. I hate when someone mistreats an animal. Or if someone is rude to my sister. I literally will lose my mind. Those are my two weaknesses, I guess you could say… I also dislike men that are unfaithful, be it to me or another. It’s just a really bad show of character and I -hate- seeing someone heartbroken. My favorite color is also purple. As for food… I really like anything, but I can’t eat duck or rabbit, because they have these innocent little faces and I just want to smoosh them and cuddle them and I don’t have the heart to just stab it with a fork… Um. Oh! I love sangria, that’s my go-to beverage, though I’m not a big drinker, at all. I don’t have any allergies that I know of… And my favorite animal, before I knew I contained the gift of empathy towards animals, was a cat. I had a beautiful panther, and she could take on the form of any type of cat that she liked! Her name was Taylor. When I first, uh, died… She was in the explosion. She made it out, with a scorched tail, and she formed a bond with Taly and my familiar became hers, so… I don’t have her anymore.” There’s hurt in her expression as she mentions Taylor, though she shakes the memory from her head, and licks her lips, forming her next line of questions. “So… You never really talk about them… And I saw the pictures at the house. Your mother was beautiful. May I ask about your childhood? And… Do you still visit your parents?” He’d notice that she shifts her chair two inches nearer to him, though she tries to make it look like it was unintentional, as she reclines slightly, and her gaze lifts to look at the crescent moon.

Largakh quirks a brow at her talk of using fire as an element, but he’s easy going and if you can’t laugh at yourself then you are far too serious my friend, so he quips, “no wonder I feel like I am on fire every time I’m near you, Llama.” He was smirking mischievously before he caught her looking up, he did as well, “do you see that there?” He points to a string of stars, leans in close to see from her perspective, but that doesn’t help. It felt so natural as he reached for her hand to get her to stand up, step between his legs, have a seat on one of his thighs. Once she was comfortable he reclined the chair back and gently pulled her to lay her back over his chest with her head right next to his, “my grandfather showed me this.” It was comfortable, he didn’t feel awkward about this - she made many things easier. “You see those group of stars,” it would look similar to a lady, “there is this story, older than time, that she’s the fairest maiden. I don’t know the real name, my grandpa always said it was named Seldanna,” an amused smirk on his lips, “that group over there is The Admirer.” This constellation looked like a man holding something, “some say he’s endlessly holding flowers to her beauty and that in all of the worlds he’s never found one good enough for her to prove his love, but every once in a while on a clear night like this he will send her a kiss… Or shooting star. The unrequited love story of all the ages,” there was a moment of quiet in the forest and as if on queue there happened to be a faint shooting star traveling from the admirer to Seldanna. “See?” He rested his arms around her if she stayed atop him, “my mother, Vestele… She must have been - I have never seen her or my father. She was rebellious and strong headed when she met my father, an orc monk. When they eloped it took my grandparents by surprise and they shunned her for many years - looking back on it that is their only regret in this life. Theoduin knows he could have saved her after childbirth and he went through a period of using a lot of his herbs for selfish reasons, I commend Seldanna being strong and sticking by him. Being a holy priestess she went to get my mother’s body and bring her home for a proper elven burial, but what she found was my father - this huge muscly orc three times her size crying while cradling me. He left me in Seldanna’s arms, apologized and has never been seen since, but Seldanna and Theo did not want me at first. I think the only thing that even allowed me to be carried home was that she saw my mother’s face in mine aside from the eye color, the skin, the little tusks… And the fact I had one little blue spot on my arm,” he showed her the spot he’s mentioning, “this used to be the only spot on my body and she felt the heart shape meant something…. The first ten years were very hard on them - I think they were considering putting me in the orphanage until I was twelve. They would never admit it though… They didn’t think I had the good hearing of elves.”

Lanara’s cheeks turn a violent shade of crimson as he ups the ante and tosses a flirtatious comment her way, and -then- not even a minute later, he’s gently pulling her onto his lap. The orc was smooth with the ladies, she’d give him that, though she didn’t seem to dislike the fact that he had made a move. She lowers onto his lap, hoping her one hundred and twenty-five pound frame wouldn’t cause his thigh to numb, or that he could hold her weight. Of course he could hold her weight, she was a petite little thing, and he was this big strong orc man. And she saw what he did to that vampire! Larz definitely could pack a punch, so she unleashes a breath that again she had been holding. She really need to stop inhaling every time they touched, or he winked, or smiled, or was in her line of sight. She relaxes on his lap, leaning back and into his arms, and she gently takes one of his hands, giving it a squeeze, as her gaze follows his, to the group of stars. The Lady and The Admirer. If the elf hadn’t swooned already, she was swooning for the male now, and she squeals softly, loving when he gets to the part about how he throws her a shooting star, or a kiss. The story ends, and their faces are close enough, so she shyly turns her head, looks into those mesmerizing eyes, and gives him a far from chaste kiss, before she pulls back, and narrows her eyes. “Are you the Lady? And I’m the Admirer?” She can’t help but tease, though from the look in her eyes, he’d know that she was thrilled with the tale. The elf was a sucker for fairytales. It oddly feels like their living in one at this very moment, and feeling the heat course through her body, she returns her attention to the sky. Looking at the stars was far less dangerous than getting lost in that tuscan gaze. She already feels as though she’s in too deep, and normally this is the time where she’d run like the wind, but she stays firmly planted on his lap. Thus far, he’d been far different from anyone she’d ever spent her time with, so the seriously smitten elf pushes her worries to the side and listens to his tale about his parents. She’s quiet, and she listens intently, a frown on her face through the entirety of the tale, as she gently trails her nails up and down the inside of his wrist, in a comforting manner. How could someone not want Larz? How could Seldanna and Theo have ever considered giving up on this man? She tries to keep in mind that he was a child at that time, and likely a terror, being part orc and all, but it still makes her sad. Her voice is soft when she replies, and she lifts his hand to her lips, placing a tender kiss to the back, before she turns to look into his eyes. “Hey… I’m sorry to hear that… I know your Mom would be so proud of you, Larz. You have turned into such an amazing man. You have a good job in Gualon, you donate your time and gold to the orphanage, and you go out of your way to help everyone you meet. I know she’d be proud. Because… I have only known you a few weeks, and -I- am proud of your accomplishments. And, I can’t believe that Theo and Seldanna weren’t always as warm and welcoming as they are now… Maybe you helped to change their views on things, too. I can see the love they feel for you. It’s so pure, and so unconditional.” She gives his hand a squeeze, before releasing it, and running her hand through her hair, making sure none of her locks are misbehaving. “So… If you were to ever be reunited with your father again… Is that something you’d be open to? Building a relationship? Or looking for him? Or would you just rather leave it all unknown?” Lana can’t help but feel their pasts are similar, to a point, so she can totally relate to wanting a reunion or wanting to forget the whole thing, for she had yearned for both when she had grown up without a father. After she receives his answer, she merely stares at him, waiting for a question to be turned her way, and if not, she’d slip from his lap and search for Aspen.

Largakh greedily takes in her kiss, the scent of her and placed one of his hands on her cheek for the duration. When she turns and honestly admits that she was proud of him, both of his eyebrows raise in a bit of a surprise and if his skin tone would show a blush she would see it - they are quite warm though, “thank you Lanara, that means a lot coming from you.” Then he considered her next question heavily, “I’ve thought on it a lot. I think there was no one else for my father and he dedicated his life to Vestele like she was a queen. When he lost her - he lost everything and every time he looked at me all he saw was her. There was nowhere to go for him when he lost the home… Sometimes I ponder if ninety four years has been enough time for him to move on with his life, but then I consider how his heart must have broken into so many pieces and all I would be is a reminder of that.” He gets up with her and searches for that rambunxious bear cub.