The World is Tiny

[rhiannon_lee]

With a wadded up hand towel, Rhiannon wiped fog from the mirror in Cian’s bathroom and looked at herself. Her hair was wet from the shower, and there were raccoon circles under her eyes, remnants of yesterday’s makeup. She spun some toilet paper from the roll and used it to wipe away the mascara. As she tipped her face left and right, she saw the mark that Cian’s mouth left on her neck; it was somewhere between a bite and a bruise, but it was faint and wouldn’t last the day. There was a comb near the sink. She parted her hair and brushed the tangles out of the lengths.

It was after noon. Early in the morning, Cian had left the cabin to take a boat of passengers on a day cruise. Rhiannon just rolled over and went back to sleep, tucked safely in covers that smelled like the two of them and their lovemaking. When she woke up again, she was surprised to have been out so long, and she sat on the edge of the bed feeling disoriented by heavy slumber and a bad dream she couldn’t quite remember.

Rhiannon pulled on her sweater, jeans, and boots and rummaged through Cian’s cabinets until she found what she needed to brew a pot of coffee. She took a mug of it onto the front steps and sat down, blowing across the steaming surface.

Comments

The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

The cruise had finished a lot earlier than expected. Cian suspected it was the 'tea-totaller' organiser who had refused to allow the staff to partake of the bar that had been the main problem, and he had had to turn his head a few times when he saw Sylvia being begged to slip a little something into the tea of a few of the department heads he knew were always a good time on a trip like this. Normally they would have all been swimming and exploring the cove by this time, or simply sunning themselves on the top deck, after knocking back a few wines and rounding out the afternoon with cocktails on the return journey, making it into dock right on dusk.

But instead he was walking back up to his cabin by two o'clock, carrying a basket full of fresh baked bread, danishes, and muffins that were left over from the cruise. He was whistling lightly, and happily so. Especially as he'd spied that in the distance, Rhiannon's car was still out the front of the cabin, when he'd brought the boat back to the dock. He couldn't help but grin, his pace quickening a little. When he rounded the slight bend in the path that lead around the cabin he saw her sitting out on the front steps and his smile widened.

"Hey sleepyhead," he said, taking the steps to where she was sitting in a single stride and turning to sit down next to her. He leaned in, a finger under her chin and kissed her, the taste of coffee strong on her lips.

Re: The World is Tiny

[rhiannon_lee]

She kissed him a second time. “Hey,” she said, part pleased that he had arrived in time to see her before she took off for the city, and part embarrassed for having slept so long. Though she had a nocturnal lifestyle, it was rare for Rhiannon to sleep past 10 a.m., and she didn’t sleep well in unfamiliar settings. Really, she couldn't recall the last time she slept in a house she wasn't paying half the rent on. “I must’ve been exhausted. Can’t imagine why.” She stretched her legs out and looked at the hiking boots, the laces of which weren’t done up. “How was it?” Vaguely she remembered him telling her about the cruise, some kind of corporate or other business-related retreat.

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

He grinned at her words, then his head rocked from side to side a little as he answered. "It was interesting," he told her, explaining how it was a regular social club outing for the staff at the university, and how for some reason, the department that had organised this one, had made it alcohol-free. "Which is why I'm back so early, and have plenty of food!" he laughed, putting the basket on the deck behind them and lifting up the lid for her to take something. "The danish are pretty good," he added, helping himself to one with apple filling.

Re: The World is Tiny

[rhiannon_lee]

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell Cian she didn't eat breakfast, but Rhiannon remembered that it was actually after lunch, and she hadn't eaten in about twenty hours. Besides, he would have scoffed at the idea that she didn't eat in the a.m. hours. There didn't seem to be an hour of the day when Cian didn't eat, not that anybody could tell.

She took a crescent from the mound of food and tore a piece from the end. Rhiannon chewed it slowly. "A bunch of faculty members on a boat. Sounds like torture," she said. She offered Cian a sip of her coffee. "Do you have to talk to them or can you just insert ear plugs and pretend to be hearing impaired?"

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon took a step away from Cian and retrieved her pack of cigarettes. She lit up and tried to decide where to start. “Well, they’ve been here since almost the beginning. First, there was the slayer, created by a group of men to keep vampire numbers low, and those men became the first watchers. Over the years, the structure’s changed. There are nine slayers, and probably dozens of watchers. Slayers are chosen by mysticism, but watchers usually inherit their calling, and they take it seriously. They find us, train us, and when they think we’re ready, they let us go. From that point on, they’re supposed to be keepers of knowledge. Researchers. But as it turns out, the Council’s one of those things that works better on paper, because, like any sect of fervent believers, there are a few zealots in the mix, and people who abuse their power, and no real system for sorting them out.”

She put the cigarette between her lips and kicked at a large piece of rock.
“But there is a system for us. There’s this test slayers go through once a year, to make sure we’re are still performing out here on our own, haven’t gone nuts or to the dark side or whatever. There’s a rumor that watchers can – have – taken abilities away from a girl because she failed. I think it’s true. I doubt it happens all that much, but still, the story’s enough to keep you minding your P’s and Q’s, right?”

Rhiannon was aware that she was talking too much, but it was easier to just spit it all out and let Cian sort through the mess for questions. “Anyway, I showed up for mine and caught my watcher abusing his power. I threatened to report him, so he recommended that I be removed from the field. Since then, he’s been trying to coerce me into shutting up, but it turns out that it doesn’t even matter, since reports to the Council fall on deaf ears."

She rubbed at her sweater sleeves.

"So Julianna... she wanted to bring me in for testing, and we worked out this agreement, under the table. I let her question me, and when I passed, she told the Council I skipped town. But I didn't tell her about you. I mean, I wouldn't, even if you could help each other, because then I couldn't see you anymore."

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

At the mention of zealots abusing powers and no justice to keep them in line Cian scowled, his fingers tightening on the edge of the wooden step he was sitting on. Then hearing that those same people were able to do whatever they wanted to the Slayers, to Rhiannon, had him on his feet, eyes narrowing as his head turned left and right, as if seeking these individuals out.

"Help them?" he growled. He turned and looked at her, shaking his head as he held her arms lightly, rubbing his hands up and down. "There's nothin' can come between us, and none who'd wan' t' try."

Re: The World is Tiny

[rhiannon_lee]

His words surprised her. It wasn’t like him to state his feelings so plainly. Whatever she said had shaken him up. Rhiannon felt the frustration rolling off of the Were in waves.

“Cian… it’s not that Julianna would do something terrible to me, or intentionaly drive a wedge between us. I don’t—I don’t think she’s like that. The problem is, she’s drinking the Kool-Aid. I used to drink the Kool-Aid. To be a part of what we do, you have to believe in it so deeply, so blindly, that you’d die for it. When I told her what happened with Duncan, she didn’t even ask what he did wrong. I watched her face. It didn’t occur to her. When I told her he tried to have me killed, she basically accused me of exaggerating.”

They weren’t all bad. Rhiannon readily admitted it. But it was way too fucking hard to sort out who was telling the truth, who was lying. It was easier to cut all ties, especially when her word was worth nothing.

“And besides that, if anyone tried to lock you in a cage for three days a month, I’d break their kneecaps.”

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

That brought him back from the edge of the dark world that had lurched up from long distant, and suppressed memories. Tamping it all back down into the recesses of his mind again he slowly smiled. Both at the idea of her doing that, and the thought of someone trying to cage him.

"Nice t' know," he said smiling. "Not real fond of 'em. Cages tha' is." He sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment, then looking down at her. "This Duncan, what did he do?"

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

The two names were already carved into his memory, the scent of the Julianna woman still able to be recalled, and stored with the name. Duncan would be another issue altogether.

He nodded once, acknowledging her veiled request for him to not think any more of it. Instead he drew her close, arms going around her shoulders as he held her against his chest. "Are there any others I should know about?"

Re: The World is Tiny

[rhiannon_lee]

“No,” she said.

Was it a lie? Should she tell him about that ethereal creature who had found her that night in the desert, the one who alluded to a darkness that Rhiannon belonged to, or were some secrets meant to be kept for a while longer? If she opened up about all of her skeletons, would he hold her a little less tightly?

Rhiannon was finding that being held that way, by Cian, mattered to her a great deal.

She slipped her arms around his neck.

“And what about you? Anyone I should be on the lookout for? Demons, bad witches, pretty blondes in low-cut blouses?”

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

He studied her face for a long moment, feeling there was something more, but sensing it wasn't deceit holding her back.

He shook his head. "Only demons are th' ones in here," he told her, tapping the side of his head with a finger before returning his arm to holding her.

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

With an economy of movement Cian poured two cups of coffee, put some of the pastries on a plate and grabbed a couple of pieces of fruit. Carrying it all he made his way back to the couch, putting the plate and fruit on the couch while he grabbed a small table from a nest of three that stood against the wall, putting the coffee mugs on it before relocating the plate and fruit.

"D' you want anythin' else?" he asked, his left hand rubbing briefly on the seat of his shorts.

Re: The World is Tiny

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon smirked and leaned to the side, watching him rub his shorts in bewilderment. "From in there? No, I'm good for now." She collected her cup of coffee and cradled it between both palms.

"Sit down and talk."

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

He hadn't even realised what he was doing, dropping his hand to his side when he saw her looking. With a brief flexing of his fingers he sat down, picking up his own cup and taking a sip. He stared at the lip of it as he held it in his hand, trying to figure out where to start.

"What d' y' want t' know?" he asked, looking across at her, unsure just how far back she meant when she had asked where he was from.

[rhiannon_lee]

“So better safe than sorry,” she said.

When put like that, she understood that it would be a long time – years, maybe decades– until Cian could go home, and there was no telling who was watching those who took him under their wing, in the meantime.

She shifted gears, back to what he said at the screen door. “Why wouldn’t I want to know this about you?”

[cian_oneill]

He looked at her for a moment then shrugged a shoulder. "Th' one's I killed. They were men. Not demons, not devil's, or vampires. I'nt that against a Slayer code?"

[rhiannon_lee]

Her fingernails tapped lightly at the side of the mug.

“So is screwing a vampire. Hiding from the Council. Plotting how to kill a watcher. Seriously contemplating joining forces with a creature from Hell. Hanging out with demons because they make better company. All things I’ve done.” Rhiannon sat still as she let him absorb the news. “I’m no one to judge you.”

[cian_oneill]

He'd never been considered slow but it did take him a moment to absorb what she'd just told him. And as he did a smile slowly crept across his face. "A fine pair we make," he chuckled, suddenly feeling like a huge weight had been lifted, and not completely sure why. "C'n see y' Council lovin' this."

[rhiannon_lee]

“If you’re suggesting they’d hate you, I just might fall in love with you on the spot.” Rhiannon’s lips quirked. She placed the mug aside and settled more comfortably against the couch, her ear resting on the leather back of it.

[cian_oneill]

He huffed a laugh, looking over at her. "You know 'em better 'm me." He rested his arm along the back of the couch, fingers stroking her hair. "But somehow I can't see 'em being too thrilled with us."

[cian_oneill]

"Don't know, hope so," he replied. He reached up and took a hold of her hand, bringing it down to his mouth where he pressed a kiss to her palm.

[rhiannon_lee]

"Guess we'll find out. I should go," she said. "Rent's due. My landlord probably thinks I skipped town." She smiled. "So you can let me know if you feel that spike of anxiety when I write him a check."

She got onto her knees on the couch, grabbed the back of his head, and kissed him.

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

His hands slid to her hips as he deepened the kiss, tugging her over until she was on his lap. With everything they had shared, discovered, and learnt about each other it felt different, more intimate, and more intense. It had been longer than he could remember since he's wanted someone like he wanted her right now.

"Stay," he murmured as their mouths parted enough to allow air into demanding lungs.

Re: The World is Tiny

[rhiannon_lee]

“Oh, no,” Rhiannon groaned, but it was in good nature, as evidenced by the widening of her pupils, the half-smile softening her mouth. His voice was a great temptation, so throaty and low, and he so rarely said what he was feeling aloud, that to hear it weakened her mental resolve over why it was best to go. Cian’s hidden weapon: whispering in her ear.

“When you talk to me like that…”

He had to have figured it out.

“Well, he probably won’t start piling my things on the curb for a few hours.” Rhiannon pulled gently on his earlobe, and a stab of affection flared in her rib cage, so potent that it felt like the fire after too many shots of tequila, when her limbs started to liquefy. Just when she thought they were swimming in the deep end already, she’d realize it was an even longer way down.

Re: The World is Tiny

[cian_oneill]

"He won't want t' be tryin' that," Cian told her, hands sliding up under the hem of her shirt, finding the soft skin, one hand turning to rub the back of his fingers up and down her belly.