(Untitled)

[keep_hallways]

Who: dontgiveafock and whomever cares to join him.
What: Sheltering by the fire.
When: Any time from mid-morning on the 23rd onwards.
Where: The bonfire outside the Chapel

Comments

[brynkitten]

Wandering around wasn't the smartest thing to do at the moment. It was dark and dangerous, and really, as brightly as her torch burned, it was unprotected from any wind outside. The thing was, she had started to drive herself crazy, sitting cooped up by herself. There were days that she felt safer outside, with room to run and move if need be, than trapped in the small cell of her room.

So she'd left the safer confines of the buildings to the courtyard, not far from the chapel, and found a bonfire blazing.

Drawn by the promise of safety and warmth, she'd gone toward it, stopping by the seated figure she recognized as soon as she'd gotten close enough.

[dontgiveafock]

Joe had heard her approach and instantly launched into alert mode. At the sight of her, he breathed a sigh and rose to his feet.

"Bryn. Lass. What're ye doin' out here?"

[brynkitten]

"Couldn't stay inside. I was all by myself," she said, offering half a smile. She should have felt more guilty, sheepish for taking risks when there was trouble, but she was too happy to be outside to care.

A shame her coat from her Halloween costume wasn't quite warm enough. Bryn took a couple steps closer to the fire.

"It's okay, isn't it?"

[dontgiveafock]

Joe held out his arm, inviting Bryn closer to both him and the blaze. To the dark, he cast another wary look. "Aye. Just... keep to the light. Don't let yerself get swamped in the dark or y'might not find yer way back."

He hated to think how many were already lost. The announcement had gone up too late. Joe hadn't had enough time to find anyone.

[brynkitten]

Her eyes widened slightly, but she didn't hesitate to move closer. Carefully, she staked her torch into the ground, and stepped close enough that her shoulder almost brushed his. The heat from the bonfire did a great deal to warm her up, though it wasn't enough to address the contrasting cold at her back.

"I will. I'm always careful, if nothing else," she replied. That much was definitely true here at the Keep, when things that weren't normally a danger in her world could be a threat here. "What happens to those who end up in darkness?"

[dontgiveafock]

Joe remained silent, brow furrowing at the question but not so much at Bryn. She was entitled to ask. With a heavy sigh, Joe shrugged a shoulder. "Can't say fer sure, lass. Not in all cases anyway. I figure most're gonna wake up in their rooms lackin' memory in a few days."

He sat down, motioning for Bryn to come sit beside him. "Come warm up a bit, aye?"

[brynkitten]

He didn't need to spell things out any clearer than that. Bryn had been around long enough to know what caused people to wake up in their rooms with their memories temporarily missing.

"Thanks, I think I will," she replied. Bryn took a seat next to Joe with a faint smile, and any worry she might have had about getting too close was surpassed by a desire to keep warm, and body-heat was an excellent help for that.

[dontgiveafock]

"Freakin' snow needs to fock off, I reckon," Joe grumbled, offering Bryn a small smirk as he spoke. It was a poor attempt at lightening the mood, but perhaps better than nothing.

"Got food 'ere if yer hungry. Drinks too. Fock load of potatoes from the damn birds runnin' around the place."

[brynkitten]

It was an excuse to change the subject, and Bryn was fine with latching onto it.

"I wouldn't mind something to drink if it's warm," she said, peering at some of the things he had gathered by the bonfire. "Not much for the cold or the wetness?" she asked with a more steady smile. "Or is it the snow and dark?"

[dontgiveafock]

"The dark don't bother me too much, but I ain't goin' out in it without a damn good reason," he replied with a shrug.

"Wet an' cold I don't mind either, but after a while it soaks through to yer skin and the kills the fun pretty fast." Joe said, reaching for the eggnog. "Eggnog do fer ye? There's soup if you'd prefer that."

[brynkitten]

"Oh, eggnog is just fine, thanks," she said, watching as he reached for the drink. She hadn't really had much of it before, but well, she wasn't picky so long as it was warm like she asked. That in combination with everything else would keep her warm enough.

It was a shame she couldn't go into her other form. Without opposable thumbs she would be forced to attempt to hold a torch in her jaws which...was not ideal, or really safe in case something went wrong.

[dontgiveafock]

Joe poured a mug and offered the drink for Bryn to take, then set the flask back down. "Not too cold are ye? How's the drink?"

He was glad she was there, not only safe from the dark but also in his company. It was one less worry, and certainly good company.

[brynkitten]

She took the mug when offered and gave it a sip as he asked if she was too cold, if the drink was alright. She bobbed her head once in reply to the drink being okay, but there was no disguising the way her body shivered. The bonfire helped. The drink helped. Sitting next to Joe helped too, but she just didn't retain heat that well.

"Still cold but I'm sure I'll warm up in a little bit," she said with a flash of a smile. "Have you been out here all by yourself for long?"

[dontgiveafock]

"Couple of hours. S'been a little worryin'."

The shivering bothered him. Bryn was a friend and being where she was right now put her in his care both professionally and not. He raised an arm and moved to put it around her shoulders.

"C'mere, Bryn. I promise I won't bite or nothin'."

[brynkitten]

"Oh! Oh, well...okay," she said, carefully moving closer to him on the bench. He had his arm around her, and for a moment Bryn forgot everything about the persistent darkness around them. She huddled against Joe for warmth, and allowed herself a sigh.

"Thank you," she said quietly, the swallowed. "So, uhm, why is it worrying? That you've been out here a couple hours?"

[dontgiveafock]

He pulled her in a little closer, appreciating the body warmth and the chance to cuddle with someone quite a bit himself. "This ain't yer usual dark, Bryn," Joe says, voice low.

"Not much I can say about it, but I'm askin' you please not to go wanderin' about in it if you can help it. If you gotta go, take a light an' don't lose it."