in shadow

Charlotte didn’t bother to say anything else. Even if she had wanted to there were just no words left buzzing in her little head on the topic, instead her focus dropping down to her hands where she let her fingers draw figures on her own arm.

“Do you often fidget?” He was a man who had no issues in stillness or silence, but over the years he had learned not all was like that. People, he found, fidgeted for many reasons - his brother being one of them.

Despite the confusion being alll of her own, Cora’s expression quickly shifted from amused to one that could only be described as a big fat AWWWW. “Oh no no no. I just wanted to know if me staring back would tickle your pickle and t- ok that bit sounded better in my mind but y’know.” She shook her head, offering a smile to excuse the rampant manner in which her line of thought unraveled at times. “Name’s Persephone. And you are…?”

The moment those words fell from her lips, Adrik’s expression turned up. Screwed into even more confusion as he watched her. The slow shake of his head was the only thing that seemed to break his empty stare. “No, I don’t know.” One could assume, but much like he had just done with her staring, he would more than likely be wrong in that venture. “Chernobog.”

Her eyebrows rose as he took his time selecting his words. Her teeth sunk into her lip, trying to contain her grin. “I didn’t realize I was holding the attention of such a wordsmith.” She tilted her head, deciding she could observe him right back. “I could say the same about yours.”

He was, most definitely, unapologetic in the way he spoke. More often than not, his words were course in nature. Brash and rough around the edges. Adrik found no use in sprinkling sugar over his speeches to best suit whatever god forsaken company that got stuck with him. He did give a slightly dramatic bow of his head, almost as if out of gratitude for her words. “Now you are aware.” Leaning forward, he adjusted the hem of his shirt, the touch of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You wouldn’t be the only one.” Pretty wrapping to such an ugly being.

“ Well, why do you think I’m staring? ” She ignored his question, fingers playing with the dainty braids that almost showered her shoulders. “ Unsettling though ? That’s a first.” She added. Perhaps that’s what eternity was for.

He arched a brow at the question. People who stared at him often did so for unsettling reasons, thus his wording. Not that he found her staring unsettling. The blank expression on his face stayed strong though, adding to the mild confusion. “I assume you’ve a curse to spit.”

“I never said anything about stopping. I was just curious if there was something in particular that caught your attention.”

For a moment, he couldn’t tell if she was being coy with her words. He assumed so, but Adrik was never good with word games. “Your face,” he stated plainly. “It’s..” there was a small pause as he tried to come up with the right wording. “Aesthetically pleasing.”

“ I have no issue with the silence. You seem to be the one bothered by me staring back.” 

“It’s unsettling,” he gave - fully away at the hypocrisy of his words. “Why are you staring.”

 ‘ yeah actually, ’ she replied looking up from the paper she’d been mindlessly doodling on. ‘ it helps me drown out anything else from the peanut gallery. ’    

“Sorry–” She’d honestly just caught the other looking and didn’t know how to respond. Words would form and then dissipate again leaving her with a dumb look on her face. “Sorry, why are you looking?”

“Funnily enough, I was looking to ask just why you were staring.”

“It’s a dress, Rik.”  If she looked flustered, it was because…well, she was. Annoyed, frustrated, any range of those emotions. The blonde motioned helplessly at the zipper that was stuck right at the small of her back. “I fail to see why you can’t just pull that up for me before we’re late, you’re just being obstinate at this point.” 

As much as he wanted to take in the sight of her in the dress, he managed to keep his focus on her face. Letting her see the subtle roll of his eyes. “If you call that a dress,” was mumbled softly under his breath before careful fingers took to the zipper she was so up in arms about. Adrik didn’t touch her often, hated the thought in fact, but when he did, he made sure it was quick. Made sure what he was couldn’t taint her purity.

“Do you normally make that noise when you’re concentrating?”

“Are you quite finished?” 

@cherncbog

“Yes, how are you basically ten in God years but don’t understand slang? This i what they made urban dictionary for, asshole. Use the Google.”

-

“First of all... I’m way older than ten in anyone’s years. Second of all, I don’t want to use the google. I want you to speak like a normal person.”