Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

It was enough to make Crow realize he wasn't acting rationally cx
He got Rikki too

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EDIT: I'm actually not going to the 7pm thing because the walk is sketchy, and I can't find anyone to go with me, so I'll be on for the night cx

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow jumped slightly in surprise when Penelope suddenly got up to step between him and Gavin. In his focus on her former suitor, he hadn’t even noticed her get up from her chair until she was standing right in front of him. He frowned slightly as he began to realize just how much of a toll the alcohol was taking on his mental state. In his inebriation, he couldn’t tell how much of his current behavior was due to the mugs he’d drank, but he was aware enough now to know that he wasn’t acting in his right mind. He turned back to Gavin a bit more uncertainly, suddenly feeling less inclined to start a fight.

When the knight offered Penelope his arm, Crow tensed reflexively, assuming that the other man was trying to take her away from him. However, his hasty conclusion was quickly laid to rest when Gavin clarified that he was merely going to help her walk back to her chair at the other table. He eyed the knight suspiciously, ready to get involved if he tried anything funny, but it seemed like he wasn’t lying. Following his word, Gavin just let his drunken comrade use his arm for support as they began to make their way back across the room.

Still simmering from the near fight, Crow took a moment to cool his head before he moved to walk unevenly after them. As he did, he felt Penelope slip her small hand into his, and he offered her a soft smile in appreciation for the small gesture. While he didn’t feel overly threatened by her former suitor’s offer—he was well aware that if he tried to help her walk now, they would just end up running into a table or unbalancing each other and falling over—he did like how quick she was to reassure him that she still chose him over the other knight.

When they got back to the table, the thief sat down heavily in his chair, glad that he didn’t have to keep moving around while everything felt like it was tilting. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to relax for long before a familiar voice spoke up from his side.

“Well, well, well,” Rikki purred, shifting in her chair to lean a little closer to him. “Looks ‘ike y’finally caved, huh?”

“Shuddup,” Crow slurred with a roll of his eyes. “Th’ villag’rs made us do it.”

“’S been a while since I seen y’ this drunk,” she giggled, leaning ever closer and resting a hand seductively on his leg. “An’ I happ’n t’ rememb’r y’like women with yer ale… Isn’ tha’ right?”

“Yeah, I do,” Crow shot her a mischievous look before turning around in his chair to kiss Penelope rather zealously instead. After a bit, he pulled back again just enough to rest his forehead against hers and grinned breathlessly, reaching up to affectionately tuck a strand of loose hair behind her ear. The female thief may have been right that he liked to be with women when he was intoxicated, but Penelope was the only one he wanted to be with now. His heart pounded as he held her gaze, transfixed by her beauty. Drunk or sober, he didn’t need anyone else as long as she was with him.

“Tha’s not fair,” Rikki pouted from behind him, refusing to distance herself from him despite watching him get physical with the knight. “You’ve been kissin’ ‘er all night. ‘S my turn.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Things are escalating ^^;

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow sank into Penelope’s lips as they kissed, grabbing at her somewhat clumsily as he tried to pull her even closer. His heart raced excitedly as it struck him yet again that she was his. This wasn’t just some random fling at a tavern; this woman actually loved him. The thought made him press more deeply into the kiss, so that he came away breathless when they eventually parted. His chest heaved, and he held her gaze with a dazed grin, taking a moment to wind down from the heated moment.

He laughed at her breathy word. “If y’like that, I c’n promise ye’ll like wha’ else I c’n do,” he slurred flirtatiously, leaning in to meet her halfway when she moved to kiss him again. However, just before their lips met, he paused at the sound of a furious voice. Frowning confusedly, he looked up to see that Gavin had gotten up from his table and had marched across the room to confront them. The knight was scowling at him with more hatred than he had seen in him in quite a while.

At Gavin’s question, Crow felt a pang of annoyance. The knight was always accusing him of something or other, and it was really starting to grate on his nerves. He stood up from the table to step in front of the other man—he noticed with a petty satisfaction that he was slightly taller than him—and curled his lip hostilely, “Maybe I did, ‘n maybe I di’n’t. What’s it t’you?”

Gavin tensed with clear discomfort at the lack of distance between them, his upper lip twitching slightly in disgust at the scent of alcohol on the thief’s breath. “I see you’ve had some more as well,” he growled in clear annoyance. “I knew I should have gone with her. All you do is distract her from our goal.”

“I don’ distract ‘er,” Crow argued, smirking at the knight haughtily. “I jus’ ‘elped ‘er see wha’s more impor’nt.” He looked down at Penelope and rested a hand on her shoulder in a mildly possessive manner. “She ‘ad fun. Right, love?”

“That’s it,” Gavin narrowed his eyes at the thief and moved to push past him to where his comrade was seated. “Alright, Penelope, you’ve done enough. I’m going to take over the rest of this interrogation.” Before he reached her, however, he was stopped again by Crow, who had forced his way between them rather aggressively.

“Back off,” the thief snarled. “’M gettin’ real tired of watchin’ y’try an’ act like y’know more about wha’s better for ‘er than I do.” He took a step forward, making the knight backtrack to keep from running into him. “She chose me, so ye’re jus’ gonna have t’get over it.”

“Please,” Gavin snorted. “I’m not going to just hand her over to some delusional criminal who’s going to ruin her life. She’s still my comrade, so whether you like it or not, I do know what’s best for her, and I’m going to help her. Now, stand aside before you get hurt, thief.”

“Make me,” Crow snapped, curling his hands into fists at his sides. “Pe’elope’s th’love of my life. I’m not goin’ an’where, an’ ‘m cer’ainly not gonna let anoth’r man act like he knows ‘er better than me. If y’really think y’do, then prove it!”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Same cx
Crow got a little frisky

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Right away, Crow could tell that the drink these villagers had given him was just as strong as the one Olivia had switched with his last pint of ale. He set the now-empty mug back down on the table, focusing carefully so he wouldn’t accidentally use more force than he needed to, and let out his breath in a long exhale. With two drinks already in his system, it didn’t take long for the third to add to the effects. Already, he could feel himself losing focus, and it was getting harder to think straight.

So, when Penelope started questioning the villagers again, he was only partially aware of what she was saying to them. He turned to look at her, hearing the words come out of her mouth, but unable to process them as his mind wandered instead to more trivial things, such as how pretty she was in the low light of the tavern. His eyes wandered over her, and he ran his tongue across his lips. Was she even more beautiful right now, or was it just the alcohol making him see things? He couldn’t tell, but he knew he found the curve of her body more enticing than usual while she was sitting next to him.

Crow was drawn from his thoughts when the knight suddenly leaned closer to him to whisper that they weren’t doing very well. He blinked, momentarily confused by her words until he remembered that they were supposed to be interrogating the villagers about Jaxon’s group. Somehow, that didn’t seem very important at the moment though. Why look for someone when they already knew where he was? At least, he knew where Jaxon was, even if the others didn’t. There was no point in asking around at the tavern when they wouldn’t learn anything new anyway.

“Who cares?” he waved a hand when she mentioned that Gavin wasn’t going to be happy with them. “He hates me an’way, so why both’r doin’ wha’ he wan’s?” It seemed like a valid point in his mind. If Gavin really wanted the interrogation to get done, then he could just come over and do it, himself. Why should he and Penelope put in all the hard work, especially when he already knew what they were looking for? It sounded counterintuitive when they could spend the night enjoying themselves instead. His eyes drifted to her lips again, and suddenly he had the strong urge to kiss her.

“Di’ I ever tell you how beau’iful you are?” he grinned at her drunkenly, leaning in a little closer. His face was flushed from the ale he’d been drinking. “B’cause y’are. Yer th’ most beau’iful woman I’ve ev’r seen.” In the next moment, he closed the distance between them by pressing his lips to hers in a somewhat clumsy yet passionate kiss, wrapping one arm around her waist to pull her closer. Absently, he could hear the villagers at their table whistling at the scene they were making, but right then, he couldn’t have cared less. All he wanted to think about was the woman in front of him.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Definitely couldn't pass up this opportunity xD

Sorry that one took so long! My friends were over until like midnight, and then I had to take care of the piercings I got after they left, so I was way too tired to write anything last night.

I should have time today like 2-7 and after 9/10 though ^^

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow was relieved when the villagers continued to insist on the story that they hadn’t seen any travelers pass through. Though it was obvious that Penelope didn’t buy it, at least the group wouldn’t give her any more information than they already had. It was looking like his secret was safe for now. He just hoped that the other peasants in the tavern would be just as stubborn when the knight eventually gave up on trying to get anything out of these people and moved on.

Suddenly, another man jumped into the conversation by questioning why Penelope wasn’t drinking in a tavern. The thief quirked a brow in amusement. He was mildly surprised that they were so quick to try and get the knight drunk, but he supposed they were doing it for their own sakes. The villagers were already nervous enough around her. They were probably hoping that if she became intoxicated, she wouldn’t be able to keep asking them about the group of travelers.

He turned to her when she apologized and shook his head. “It’s fine,” he assured her softly with a smile. “I may no’ be as sober as I’d like, bu’ I’m not so drunk that I can’t finish this interrogation by myself.” He reached out to give her hand a reassuring squeeze beneath the table. In reality, he really did feel like he was clearheaded enough to finish questioning the villagers if he wanted to, but he knew that once Penelope got drunk, there would be no reason for him to try. Without someone sharp enough to keep an eye on him, he could abandon the interrogation without worrying about seeming suspicious. All he had to do now was sit back and wait.

That is, until the same man who told Penelope to drink spoke up again.

“Don’t f’rget about yer friend there,” he said with a conniving grin directed at Crow.

“Me?” Crow frowned, surprised that the man would include him. Didn’t the villagers know who he was? He had thought that the tavern owner would have told them all that he was the one behind the lies they were supposed to spread to the knights. Maybe he didn’t, he realized. Perhaps he had been wrong, and the tavern keeper had never mentioned his name. Fresh relief washed over him as he realized that his secret might be safe after all.

“Yeah ye,” the man rolled his eyes. “What? Ye think we’re jus’ gonna make yer lady friend drink an’ let ye off the hook? That wouldn’ be a very gentlemanly thing t’do.” He snagged another mug of ale from a passing wench and slid it across the table at the thief. “If the woman drinks, so do ye.”

Crow eyed the full glass hesitantly. While the idea of getting drunker than he already was didn’t sit well with him, it would give him a better excuse to get out of questioning the villagers further when they eventually returned to Penelope’s suspicious ex suitor. Besides, the peasants had been rather insistent on making Penelope drink, so he doubted they would be any more lenient with him. He sighed, Well, it looks like I don’t have a choice.

Glancing at Penelope, he shot her a quick apologetic look and a shrug before picking up the mug and downing a sizeable portion of it to the rowdy encouragement of the villagers sitting across from them.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I might end up having to throw in another drink for Crow, because it would be weird for the villagers to only make one of them drink xD

Okay! I may possibly not get a reply up until closer to 10 actually, because my husband just texted me back and said I could get some piercings I've been wanting cx If my piercer is available, I'll probably go do that after my class~

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

He's a good liar, so I figured it makes sense for that to translate into how well he can hide his drunkenness too xD

That would be amazing lol

Meanwhile, Crow is low key panicking because the villagers are super close to revealing that he was the one behind the fake lead ^^;

Btw, I'm pretty busy today, so I'll probably only be on like 3-7 and maybe a little bit after 10
My usual 7pm meetings on Wednesdays are starting up again today ^^