Open ❧ It all goes by...

[mellifluence]

♫ Come On, Come Out - A Fine Frenzy

WHO || [So very open!] Rayna Valentine & you!
WHAT || Rayna's outside of the castle more than she's in it, so if you feel like stretching your legs or want some fresh air, she could always use the company.
WHERE || Outside of and around the castle.
WHEN || Pretty much every day Dates are flexible! She's out and about a lot. Backdated, forward-dated, diagonal-dated, etc.
HOW || Prose or actionspam, whatever you feel like doing.

Much as she loved the inside of the castle, Rayna loved the outside of it more. Whenever she had a moment that didn't involve training indoors, she found her way outside, whether it was cold or raining, early or late. And while she typically traveled alone inside of the castle, trips outside involved Boaz, her young half-wolf, and a small hawk named Sage.

Her time outdoors was typically spent spread out in the grass, reading or not, soaking up the sunlight like a plant. If not, she was usually either walking or running, edging farther away from the castle each time. On more rare occasions, especially when she thought no one was watching, she threw all of her attention into playing with Boaz, even if it meant wrestling him for a ball or a bit of rope.

More often than not, she lost.

But she always tried to keep an eye out for anyone that might be hanging around. It wasn't that she wanted to avoid them, either. She just didn't want to miss a chance to say hello, even if it meant subjecting herself to the knowledge that someone saw her lose a game of tug-of-war or that Boaz could run circles around her when she went for a run. Some things were worth it.

Comments

[king]

Arthur jogs to train, in full armour, and lately he's been doing a lot of it; not only is it good cardio and helps the heavy chainmail sit easier on his shoulders, the running clears his head and gets him away from everyone else for a bit, even if sometimes he wishes he could be leaving instead of running in circles.

But that's just a natural wandering inclination — he's too used to three day rides to the border of Camelot and long treks through the rolling hills. The scenery here isn't quite as nice, he thinks — but he's biased.

He encounters Rayna lying in the grass by nearly tripping over her, and though he does knock against her legs in the longer spring grass, he rolls Dex 17 catches himself before there's any real collision and manages to not fall completely on top of her.

It takes him a beat to remember her name from the ceremony. "Rayna!" he says, through the heavy breath of exertion, wiping at his sweaty bangs. "Sorry. Didn't see you down there." To tell the truth, it was entirely his fault; he'd been a million miles away.

[mellifluence]

After a startled yelp, her book hit the grass on the other side of her as her brain caught up and pieced together what happened. She tried to help steady him as she sat up, but she wasn't much help in the end. Funny how as soon as she'd heard the clinking sound of chainmail she thought of him. Somehow only he could pull off going for a run in armor.

"No, it's fine," she insisted and shook her head for added emphasis. She was all too willing to take the blame over him. "I was the one who was in the way."

One more look over him, just in case, and she chanced a question. "Are you okay?"

[king]

"Fine, I'm fine. No harm done." Arthur laughs breathily, fans his face, before he realizes that mightn't be what she means at all.

Is he fine? Not really. Physically he's a little winded, because he's pushed himself just this side of too hard, but that will pass. Mentally, he's conflicted, but he hopes she can't see that, even though it's probably as clear on his face as stormclouds on a summer's day.

"Just wanted a bit of exercise. How are you?"