westfallcorndog | Girls' Day Out (for Runa)

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runa

Girls' Day Out (for Runa)

Life's got to be a little hectic when you're Viatorus Durant and Runa Soon-to-be-Durant. One moment you're enjoying a calming morning in your Nexus apartment, probably eating breakfast, and the next someone is bursting through your front door with a boisterous, "Y'ALL!"

It could only be Harrowheart, and in fact it is. He's got his hands bound today, and the one that hadn't slammed the door is holding onto a satchel full of something. He's uncharacteristically dressed for the weather in what looks an awful lot like the Azerothian clothes he wore when he stole Viatorus away for a Westfall fishing trip: beige trousers, tall boots, suspenders, a long sleeved shirt with a high, stiff collar, and a cabbie hat. His sword, as always, rests on his back, but it doesn't bother with as much as an eye glow as means of hello. Viatorus and Runa are used to it -- it knows it won't get a rise out of them.

Harrow strides over to where the young couple are and invites himself to scoop Runa into his arms, holding her like a bride (or a very large, very patient sort of cat.) He keeps her face on level with Viatorus' and says with a proud grin "Kiss him goodbye before I kidnap ya away forever and ever."

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Harrow spends a moment trying to arrange the bottles and palettes in the order that she worked in. This clearish-white stuff first, and then... It was the foundations, wasn't it? But which one? Oh! Yes! He'll test them on her hand, just like she did to him! Grinning, he squirts a little moisturizer into his hands and rubs it around to warm ––

No... Oh, when he puts his hands on Runa's face they're so cold! The moisturizer is spread thinly and warms quickly enough, but it's a good thing that he's going for a brush next because even a Swede might get a little chilly if he were going to spread it all with his fingers.

As he goes for the foundation he catches sight of himself in the mirror and pauses to look. A fast glance turns into admiration. He can't help but feel a little handsome, suddenly. He has to touch his cheek again, and a little smile warms his face.

"Boys," Harrow says as he looks back to Runa. "We're gossiping about boys! About a boy, anyway. A young master Durant..."

He dabs a little bit of foundation onto Runa's hand but finds it's far too pale. That's about the color she used on him! She's got more life in her than that. Hmm, hmm, hmm... Decisions, decisions... He looks his options over and his eyes now and then drift slyly back to her.

"Has he gotten any braver when it comes to romance? I saw he kissed you before I stole you away today. And he hardly even blushed! Almost like he's gettin' used to lovin' his lovely little lady."

Harrowheart probably won't be surprised that when he puts his hands on Runa's face she squeaks and then giggles to hide her discomfort. That's the worst part over since, thankfully, he switches to brushes. It's also good that he's using her hand first, because when he stops to examine his makeup she can't resist beaming proudly.

The topic of choice only makes her blush a little bit, and although she ducks her head shyly, her smile reassures that she's not as uncomfortable discussing it as her fiancé.

"He's trying," she says. "It was difficult after Halloween for a while. When he was ill he didn't want anyone close, and…" Her eyes stare into the distance and she goes quiet for a moment. When she focuses again she looks back to Harrowheart. "I think he was embarrassed afterwards. But he's still trying. Sometimes we go for walks, and we watch movies together."

She rolls her eyes and grins. "There as so many movies he hasn't seen."

Was his illness really that bad? Harrow's eyebrows upturn worriedly as he considers what Runa is saying. Viatorus assured him that it was nothing, really, and he took it at face value. But he didn't want anyone near? Not even his fiancée? He distracts himself from his creeping guilt by testing new foundations on Runa's skin. Unfortunately he's picked a decent match on the second guess. So much for that.

He flashes a smile to hear that Runa's cracking Viatorus' shell. Just as soon as his brush touches her nose she mentions all the movies Viatorus doesn't know and he pulls back abruptly. "Oh, I know!" he says, crossing one arm over his stomach and resting his elbow on the back of that hand.

The paint brush flops to point at Runa and he says, "Isidor too! She ain't even seen Beauty and the Beast. Can you believe that?" Harrow clucks his tongue and shakes his head and only then remembers that he's got to learn to do makeup and chat at the same time. He leans in once more and returns to painting Runa's face. A streak on the nose, one on each cheek, a line across the forehead. Chin? Lip? Hmm... First he'll spread what he's got on and see how far that takes him.

Turns out he's placed enough to cover her face, but what harm could a second coat do? He's pretty sure he can still see her pores. That means he needs more, right? Juuuust a little bit here and there... And here again... Around the curves of her nostrils, around her lips... Good, good, nice and uniform. Smooth.

So what comes next? Once more he's considering his options on the vanity. "You ever watch scary movies with him?" he asks absently as his hand hovers uncertainly over a circle of blush. "You oughta try that. Somethin' that ain't really scary, but you pretend to be scared anyway. Act like you need him to save you. That'll make him feel real good I bet. Powerful, useful, whatever he figures a husband oughta be."

Seeing Harrowheart suddenly acting like a teenage girl is a… pleasant surprise. Runa giggles, and then gasps appropriately at the news Isidor is just as uneducated as her brother. She can't express her shock too much, though. It's her turn to stay still, always with a light smile on her lips.

Harrowheart's suggestion is met with a thoughtful hum. "Mm, no. He doesn't seem to like scary movies very much. We've watched a lot of romances and comedies. It's a good way to laugh together." Her mouth twists until she's unable to suppress her grin. "Have you watched any movies with Isidor?"

Harrow snatches up the blush and accumulates a light dusting on a rather puffy brush. Only when Runa is through speaking does he begin to delicately rouge her cheeks and nose. Just a little bit. Conservative. Wonderful, yes...

"Oh, loads!" he says as he powders her cheeks. "First was Beauty and the Beast, of course, but then I got her watchin' all sorts of things. Cartoons and murder mysteries, comedies, a movie about a good dragon that helps out a knight... But I think she liked the action movies best. She'd get all excited, and..." He trails off and averts his eyes as shy smile creeps over his face. A few seconds pass before he realizes it's there and in an instant stamps it out, a single blink from warmth and love to dead-eyed nothingness. He's got to keep his composure. He can't let Runa get the ~~right~~ wrong idea.

That rouge on Runa's face is simply too subtle. Maybe a little bit more. Otherwise who will be able to see his work? The soft bristles skate across her cheeks until he's decided he's through with that and moves on to the most important part of doing makeup: The eyes. She did such a tremendous job with his and he's sure his work won't compare, but that's not going to stop him from trying.

He looks into her eyes for a second or two to judge just what color they are and what he ought to match them with. Blue eye shadow, he decides, ought to make her look good. A bright, electric shock of color to contrast her 'hint' of a blush. Perfect. He dabs a smaller brush against the eye shadow and caaaarefully begins to color her eyelids with it. One at a time, each done just as thick as the rest of her makeup.

And here she thought he was going to deny spending any time with Isidor at all. Once her surprise passes, she smiles warmly, allowing herself to get swept along with his enthusiasm. After being around his bright energy now and then it's nice to get to experience it properly.

She's a little confused when his expression dies away, but then he's putting on her eyeshadow and she has to close her eyes. But she can't keep them in silence. They are meant to be gossiping, after all.

Her grin grows wide until in blooms into a toothy smile. "So when you were watching an action movie... did you kiss her?"

"Runa!" he fumbles the brush and scrambles to catch it before it hits the floor, then immediately reaches out and gives her a shove on the shoulder. "Don't say that!" Worried that someone might have heard he looks toward the door, but only his runeblade waits there. When he turns back to Runa he pushes her shoulder again, this time less harshly but with a firm frown on his face.

"Why would I go and do somethin' like that, huh?"

The palette of makeup is a good distraction and he taps that fine brush into the blue eye shadow again and again, quickly forming a shallow divot. He gradually slows as he begins to realize how incriminating this must look. Instead he finds his lighter and a cigarette in his trouser pocket. As he goes to light his smoke he looks past the tip of it and sees Runa again. He strikes the lighter, but instead of taking the cigarette himself he offers it first to Runa. It's only good manners to share, after all. If she refuses he'll smoke it himself, but if she takes it he'll find himself another.

"Come on, Runa," he says around his cigarette. "You're practically a Durant these days, you know the rules. And besides..."

He picks up the brush again and, calm once more, returns to his work and tries to dust her other eye to match the first. "There's a world for the livin' and a world for the dead, and sometimes that's the end of the story."

Try as she might not to laugh when he drops the brush, a giggle escapes when he looks around worriedly and gives her shoulder a shove. It's adorable. Even a death knight looks cute when he's nervous and smitten.

She politely declines a cigarette and does her best not to laugh again in case he takes it the wrong way. Once he's calmed down a bit she feels free to smile a bit wider again.

"Love is a rebel who hates the rules. We can't help who we fall in love with. Besides, you're not dead, you're undead. There's a difference," she tells him with a shrug. "You do have a crush on her, don't you?"

Harrowheart openly rolls his eyes at the distinction of his undeath. If he knew what a pedant was he might call her one.

"You can't tell anyone, okay? I mean it, Runa." He fidgets with his cigarette and with the brush until he sighs heavily and sets down the eye shadow. Might as well try to figure out how to do mascara. He pulls the little bristle brush out of the tube and turns it around as he considers it. This should be easy... Right?...

His shoulders go slack and he watches Runa worriedly. "I mean it," he whispers. "If anyone found out – I mean even Viatorus – she'd be shamed forever. Can you imagine what folks would say if they knew the draugr liked Isidor Durant? Imagine what Poenia would say to her, or all those gossipin' old folks at parties. Then there's the Archon, who'd probably make sure I never saw any of y'all again..."

He shakes his head and leans in to try and glide the mascara brush over her upper eye lashes. It's not ideal, but they are darker now... If chunky.

"Don't even tell Isidor, okay? She ain't allowed to know." The unspoken part being 'that you know, Runa.' It's not a lie if it's only a half-truth, right?...

Suddenly he buries his face in his hands (though his cigarette sticks out between them) and heaves a sigh. "I'm so bad at keepin' it to myself," he groans. "But I can't help it, Runa!" With his face still covered he shakes his head again. "She's so perfect! She's smart and determined and powerful and gorgeous!"

His hands slide down his face but fortunately his makeup doesn't smear. His wide, guilty eyes search Runa's face for answers. In a pathetic whisper he croaks, "What am I gonna do?..."

This time she doesn't laugh. She smiles gently as he pleads for her to keep this private. It's not as though she doesn't understand. Becoming a part of the world of the Durants, a person quickly gets the impression that privacy is a matter of survival. Listening to Isidor only makes that twice as clear.

"I won't tell anyone. I promise," she assures him softly.

His searching eyes find her looking at him with a face full of sympathy, a gentle smile on her lips. She rests a hand on his shoulder and leans in closer to try and offer some comfort. "Sometimes it's not about doing anything."

With a sigh, she tilts her head and offers him a broader smile. "Life is a messy journey of experiences. Most of them we don't even have control over. I think the important thing is to enjoy what you have."

"There is a Danish concept called Hygge. It's not easy to translate into one word, but... it's about taking pleasure from the simple things in life. Fresh socks, sitting quietly by a cosy fire, drinking and chatting with your friends..." She nudges him lightly. "Sharing a smile with someone you like... I think sometimes that's the best way to live your life. It's a journey. So you should take every piece of happiness you can. You deserve to be happy, Harrowheart, however you can be."

Hygge. He listens to Runa's description of this new concept, and when she's through he spends a short time in silence thinking this over. Part of his mind is busy processing the idea she's just presented, and the other is forcefully stopping himself from defying what she said last. It's hard to hear that sort of sentiment. That he deserves to be happy. It always conjures up mistakes. The cruel things he's done and will continue to do comes to the forefront of his thoughts, but he refuses to focus on them for long.

Eventually he quietly says, "I figure you're right, aren't you? Even if what a person's got ain't everything he wants... It's what he's got. It's all there is. He can enjoy it, or he can suffer."

He lets out a thoughtful little 'hmm' that shakes his shoulders. Then he's leaning in to finish up the mascara on her other eye. It's nearly even, he thinks, and with that his work is done. He sits back, inspects from afar to be entirely sure, and, smiling with a twinge of worry, turns her toward the mirror so that she can see what he's done to her.

Enjoy it or suffer. Well that's a harsh way of putting it. With a sheepish laugh she gets ready to gently explain further, but she stops when he sounds thoughtful. She'd much rather he comes to his own conclusions first. If he's still thinking about hygge she doesn't find out. Instead he turns her around and all thoughts of forbidden love is forgotten.

First her eyebrows shoot up and her mouth forms a little 'o'. She didn't even know mascara could clump that much, or that foundation could crack around creases. The last thing she wants to do is insult Harrowheart, so she fills the silence with soft, thoughtful sounds. Leaning in closer, she inspects her face from every angle.

"It's very good for a first attempt," she tells him, doing her best to sound genuine without sounding condescending.

Harrowheart shakes his head and laughs through his nose. "Runa, I appreciate you lyin' to me. You're a good friend." It brings him an honest smile, and he quickly captures the moment with another selfie of the two of them. He shows it to Runa and says, "Look at us. All dolled up with nowhere to go."

Harrow looks around her room, fully absorbing the sight of it. It's so warm, so bright, so pleasant. What a wonderful home she has.

"I think..." he begins, his voice distant and his eyes thoughtful... But then his eyes flash with a scheme.

"We oughta party. Drink a lot, dance a little, wreck the general peace and tranquility of this place like young people and draugrs are supposed to. Whaddya say?"

Runa twists her lips thoughtfully to one side. "Hm…" She smiles at Harrowheart. "Let see where Luna is. She said she was going to take Klemens out shopping."

Standing up, she remembers her new dress and beams brightly, twisting just enough to make the skirt swish around her knees. "And while I'm down I can get us some drinks!"

As it turns out, Luna is just on her way out, suddenly eager to get out of the house after her scare. Harrowheart might hear a squeal as she spots her little sister's new look. When Runa returns it's with a carefully held assortment of food and drink. She explains as she holds up the things precariously gripped by each finger. "You look like a beer man, you sound like a cider man, and I like spirits."

With crisps and dips to help them along, Runa starts by giving Harrowheart a crash course in modern music. Fishing out her brightly colour, customised laptop, the two of them delve into the endless world of music videos and streaming sites. Runa does her best to share dance moves, and happily makes a fool of herself copying what she can from the videos. At one point an utterly giddy Runa insists they sneak downstairs to find Erling. Luna's husband is asleep on the couch yet again. With Harrowheart's help, they 'decorate' his face with a marker and, successful, Runa nearly falls over trying to laugh quietly.

It's a long day of gentle drinking, energetic dancing, makeshift snacks, and as much gossip as they can get out of each other. A long day, but one filled with good memories.

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Girls' Day Out (for Runa)

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