tunasub | OPEN POST 2017

[ one eyebrow is slowly raising as he considers to himself the implications of his own question. Yeah... he probably shouldn't pry into this one too hard. On the plus side, her poison probably meant dirt just melted off of her, too. Lupin sighs, shaking his head lightly in disbelief. ]

... Talk about difficult. I think you honestly went through more trouble than any of us realized. [ she's pretty amazing for having put up with it. He's endured his fair share of hardships, but no matter how bad things got, he'd always at least been able to lay his head down somewhere and sleep. Even that would have been asking a lot for Cardia.

Which makes the fact that she's been "cured" all the sweeter. He smiles as she inches closer, relaxing against the edge of the tub and reaching out to brush his fingers against her cheek. No smoke. No pain. Just the soft skin of the girl he loves. ]

It's a good thing a heroic thief came along to help you clear that up. [ a pause. ] And Fran. I guess.

[ I GUESS!! ]

Edited 2017-10-29 05:06 (UTC)

All of you changed my life. [ and then there's Cardia, who could inflate his ego or promptly and earnestly not be helpful at all.

Guess which one wins, although she's at least reaching up to grasp his hand before he can draw it back, marveling silently at how miraculous it is to be able to slide her fingers between his and not have to worry about it killing him-- or melting his fingers to the bone, at best.

She'll never tire of the feeling. ]

Impey, and Saint, and Van and Fran and Delly and Sisi... and you. You taught me that even someone like me could be loved-- and even be deserving of it.

[ he'll admit it - a little part of him is probably a bit jealous hearing her include all the others in this moment, too - but he's not immature enough to act on it. Especially because he loves all of them, too, for everything they did to help him and to help Cardia. He'll survive without her inflating his ego this time! Her big heart is his favorite feature of hers, besides. Lupin smiles, expression softening, and he grips her hand gently in return. ]

Of course you do. Ma chérie, a girl like you deserves the world. [ it sounds like his usual posturing, but there's more than a hint of seriousness to it. She changed his life, too. She probably has no idea how she has him wrapped around her finger - but that innocent kindness of hers is just another reason she deserves it all. ] I'm just doing my best to deserve you.

I think you're doing fine. And I don't want the world... this is more than enough for me.

[ This. The bathtub, being able to share this closeness with him, and the laughter and the affection, knowing that the smile he gave her now was hers and hers alone. That slowly she'd come to understand the French terms of endearment he murmured on occasion, because she had time to do that now. ]

Hahaha. [ that too-earnest, reassuring answer is so like her. It's cute. Lupin slips his hand out of hers to give her an affectionate pinch on the cheek. ] Well, that's good news for me, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying.

[ she's too good for this earth!! he can't control his need to spoil the living daylights out of her. Even when there's little more than bubbles and roses separating the two of them, that feeling of love runs warmer in his veins than anything else. He drops his fingers to her shoulder, gently prodding her in the other direction - prompting her to turn her back to him. ]

Still... I'll be satisfied with this for now. [ a small pause as he apparently deliberates something...? it's hard to tell what he's thinking, though. ] Lean back this way. We'll start with that mane of hair you've got.

[ Lupin always goes above and beyond what anyone ever expects of him, Cardia's noticed-- and telling him that she's content with how things are wasn't going to dissuade him from spoiling her. She additionally understands this, but it still makes her cheeks go warmer than the water, and she's quick to follow his instructions and turn around, carefully nestling back against him.

This, too, is something she likes. ]

Like this?

[ oh. This is a bit closer than what he'd been anticipating... He's glad she's facing the other way, because now it's his turn to blush (which is wholly unbecoming of a mysterious phantom thief!) Somehow, she can still fluster him. To his credit, at least he's only left speechless for about a half-second before he recovers. ]

-- yeah, [ answers Lupin dishonestly anyway. He'd have to be crazy to push her away. Really, he'd rather do the opposite. But he's a gentleman, dammit! He said he'd wash her hair, and that's exactly what he'll do. Without missing a beat: ] You've walked right into my trap.

[ he really is a mysterious man. One second he's sitting there red-faced at Cardia's unexpected proximity; the next, he's dumping a washbowl full of rose-scented tub water right on her head victoriously. ]

[ Sorry, Lupin, Cardia still tends to forget the amount of propriety a proper Englishwoman should demonstrate. But she at least understands that this is something just for the two of them, not an act she'd engage in with anyone else, no matter how much Impey teasingly bemoaned it. ]

Tr--??

[ Question answered immediately, she ends up sputtering with a soft yelp at just how quickly and unceremoniously she ends up drenched, bangs swiftly plastered to her eyes as she tries to push them away and clear her vision.

Thanks, Lupin. ]

[ if she was just like any proper Englishwoman, Lupin doubts he would like her as much.

He can't help laughing when she gets cut off like that - and she looks funny with her hair all stuck to her face; he chuckles lightly, setting the bowl back on the edge of the tub. But he can't help feeling a little badly, too. In a moment, he loops his arms around her midsection delicately beneath the water, his touch careful and respectful, as ever. ]

Sorry. I couldn't help myself. You were so cute, I had to tease you. [ ... or, really, she made him nervous, and that was the best way to recover... but he's not feeling quite soft enough to admit that out loud. ] Are you okay? It didn't get in your eyes, did it?

A little.

[ Well, her eyelashes are going to smell like roses now, that's fine. Cardia sounds slightly peeved, but also slightly distracted because Lupin's touch is very careful, asking for or demanding nothing-- but it still sends something like a shiver down her spine, only nowhere near as cold and unpleasant.

But she won't dwell on it, instead reaching down and then back to-- flick some water at him. The true lady. ]

But I've been taught what to do when I'm blinded.

[ well, if there's ever a time to catch a world-famous phantom thief off guard, it's in the bath. It's safe to say he's slightly distracted - and thus, her attack is a rousing success. Lupin startles a little bit, shaking his head just slightly - then laughs even more, light and happy. It's not the same belly laugh he shares with the others around the breakfast table at Impey's expense; this is gentle, fond, and almost certainly something only Cardia gets to hear. ]

All right, I'll give you that one. [ he inclines his head, his temple resting against her damp hair. ] I'm sure your teacher would be proud.

[ Really, he could just stay like this. She smells like flowers - well, roses now, sweet and nostalgic; her skin feels warm against his own, and remarkably soft, and internally, he figures it must be because hardly anything had ever been able to touch it before. Knowing that he's really the first -- the only one to hold her like this makes his heart start beating more than a little bit faster, and his embrace tightens briefly, pressing her back against his chest --

but it's only for a moment, and then his arms are away from her again, one apparently going in search of shampoo. ] Let's see... I picked out something special for you...

[ She's sure her teacher would be, except that once again, Lupin is distracting her from her victory with a sweet laugh that's so much gentler than his usual confident tone and his boisterous, teasing amusement. It's a fascinating sound to her, and it's one she makes a note to try to hear from him more often.

Just as much as she's bound and determined to get him to hold her like that more frequently, too. She likes how secure Lupin makes her feel, treasured-- not as a doll, not for the power she'd held inside of her, but as simply... Cardia, the girl who'd shared so many of her first experiences with him. Just like this, she thinks, as she struggles not to turn her head so he can't just read the curiosity written all over her face. ]

Special? Should I close my eyes this time?

[ he chuckles, shaking his head even though she can't see him do it. ] No, it's not that kind of special. And I promise on my honor as a gentleman thief I won't get it in your eyes, so you really don't have to.

[ a statement that sounds pretty silly, but Lupin does have a surprising amount of honor for a thief, so he probably means it. There's some rustling as he manages to get ahold of the bottle he'd set down earlier. Truthfully, he probably could have just nicked something from Saint-Germain's linen closet - the man has a veritable hoard of knickknacks stored away all over, including a menagerie of imported oils and creams that Lupin has to imagine he must try on his own considerably lengthy locks - but doing so felt a little impersonal. Besides, he doesn't need to indebt himself any further to that man; he's done so much already that even Lupin feels a bit guilty borrowing anything more from him. ]

There were some interesting merchants from Edinburgh at the marketplace; I let them talk me into buying something from them... Frankly, I don't know anything about what's good for a woman's hair, so it was probably for the best. [ rare for him to admit he doesn't know something, but even Lupin has to concede that haircare hasn't ever been much of a priority. There's a pause; he rests his palms on her head, then sinks his fingers into her hair gently, winding them through the strands with something that smells faintly of vanilla. ] Oh! You should come with me sometime. You like shopping, right? If you go to the bazaar after the ships have come in, you can meet people from all over the world, selling anything you can imagine. Flowers, jewels, medicine, books... I even saw someone trying to sell a tiger once.

[ it's a good thing Impey hadn't seen it, or he would have tried to rescue the poor thing right away... and he could barely handle a corgi. ]

[ At first, Cardia tenses with surprise at the additional, gentle pressure on her head, but then any tension is gone and she's focusing more on additional sensations. The faint, but somehow luxurious smell of vanilla that only seems to grow stronger the more Lupin works it into her hair, the gentle coaxing pull of his fingers, and the softly soothing sound of his voice weaving an image for her.

She does like shopping, seeing what new things she can learn about and experience for herself. And she can only imagine what a marketplace harboring things from all around the world would entail. Books she'd never read, flowers she'd never seen, a tiger-- ]

I'm glad we don't own a tiger now. I don't think Sisi would like it.

[ to say nothing of Van. ]

But I'd like to go with you-- next time? [ there's a hopeful note in her voice. Cardia doesn't have as many commitments as the others, so she's fine with waiting if need be, but if Lupin's offering... ]

[ it's such a simple thing, but something about it sets his heart at ease - just being together, taking care of her. They must look like newlyweds. The embarrassing thought makes him smile to himself; but regardless of what the future might hold, Cardia already feels like family to him. ]

Heh. Somehow, I feel like Sisi could hold his own against a tiger... He's got a lot of spunk for being such a little dog.

[ he massages her scalp softly as he responds under his breath, relaxing against the back of the tub, his fluster from a few moments ago ebbing away. ]

Oh? It's a date, then.

I'll do my best.

[ she says so very solemnly, with a clenched fist because CARDIA IS GOING TO MAKE SURE IT'S A GOOD DATE. Which might be impressive, except as he massages her scalp, she just ends up sinking back against him even more with a soft noise of pleasure. Again, it's still a relatively new gesture... but she can't help but enjoy it.

Maybe she'll have to ask Lupin to help with her hair more often. ]

[ it's still impressive! He snickers a little bit at her answer, amused by her determination. ]

My expectations will be high if you talk like that. You better sweep me off my feet.

[ the joke is that she already did, even if Lupin likes to think things happened the other way around. Maybe he shouldn't say something like that - she has a tendency to take people very seriously - but, frankly, the idea of her trying really hard to win him over is so cute he doesn't bother clarifying. He lets his hands rest on her shoulders, seeing as he's essentially done and she's close enough to make it a somewhat awkward reach. This position feels a little precarious, but she seems happy... besides, it was definitely his idea. ]

Relaxed?

[ sweep him off his feet... it's kind of a daunting task, considering that the target in question is a Phantom Thief who specializes in being dramatic and charismatic and Cardia is still... neither of those things, really. But then again, she's not the same nearly-broken doll waiting quietly for her fate, sealed off from the rest of the world.

So she'll try. Perhaps she'll ask Impey for pointers, or just go with what seems to be the most natural. She's seen enough of the way Lupin acts to know what he likes.

For now, Cardia nods, completely blissful. ]

Yes, thank you. That was nice, Lupin.

That's good. You seemed pretty nervous before, after all...

[ teasing a little, maybe, but he's also genuinely glad that she can relax around him even in this setting. Lupin sighs, easing down into the water more. Come to think of it, it's been a pretty long time since he had a long, relaxing bath, himself. Being a phantom thief is pretty busy work. He wouldn't trade it for the world - but it does have the unfortunate side effect of cutting into his personal time. ]

Oh, and you don't have to thank me. I haven't been giving you as much attention as you deserve lately. [ he weaves his fingers into her hair again, pushing it from the back of her neck. ] I wanted to pamper you. Well... That, and I wanted to steal some alone time with you. Sorry.

[ it's not a very sincere apology. Lupin smiles mischievously before sneaking the briefest kiss against her nape. ]

I don't really think you're sorry.

[ and there's Cardia, still not versed in the meaning of subtlety and tact as much as she could be-- but such things weren't really meant to be used around Lupin, anyway.

Her shoulders hunch forward in reaction, and then she drops her head back, against his shoulder. ]

At least, I don't want you to be sorry for this. I like being alone with you, Lupin. Even when you tease me.

[ that makes him snort, and he gives her head a (gentle) prod in return. Her lack of tact is endearing, it's fine... ]

Wow, you got me. Who could have guessed the world's most notorious thief would get caught like this?

[ she rests against him more, and he watches over her fondly. The colorless jewel embedded just below her throat glistens in the candlelight and catches his eye - a now-harmless reminder of how they met. He never would have guessed that the "dangerous weapon" he'd gone to steal that night would end up resting skin-to-skin with him in the bath a year later. Now, those gems seem like nothing more than proof of how special she is. ]

... I like it, too. [ he says simply, not decorating his words, for once. He pauses. ] The whole world's open to you now, you know. Got any other wishes you want granted?

[ Cardia isn't someone who has big dreams like Impey, or a constantly working mind struggling to find things to improve upon, like Fran. She doesn't have Lupin's ambition, either, so coming up with wishes for herself still remains a fairly difficult task. And especially when Lupin had already granted hers.

She can do this, lean against him, feel what it's like to have their skin make warm and welcome contact, and know he won't be killed from that simple desire. That's more than she'd ever expected. ]

... I want to feel you more often.

[ WELL OKAY. ]

[ WELL OKAY INDEED. It's a good thing he wasn't drinking anything, or he definitely would have just done a spittake on the back of her head. He figured she'd say something about learning more skills or seeing more of the world -- not come right back to him. Lupin feels awfully spoiled. On one hand, he should really expect her to just say things like that outright at this point. On the other hand... she has to know how that sounds by now, right? Right?

He clears his throat. ]

Oh. Well, that's... [ once again, he feels like this position is pretty precarious... but now he's a bit fired up. After a pause, he sighs through his nose, then speaks more quietly, murmuring close to her ear. ] ... How should I interpret that wish, Miss Cardia?

[ She knows that as long as she's with him, she'll continue to learn. Additionally, she knows that they won't always stay here, that he'll continue to broaden her horizons and show her places she's never seen before.

Then that had left her with a very simple answer, and she turns her head slightly to respond. ]

I want you to touch me, Lupin. Your warmth is... my favorite. And I can finally feel it and know that I won't destroy it at my own hands.

[ He's fairly certain he's never had a woman come onto him this strongly in his life. Cardia says some amazingly audacious things sometimes - an ironic result of how innocent she is. Lately, though, Lupin thinks she's a little more savvy than she lets on. (That said, he's also hoping she can't feel how his heartrate sped up when she laid that line on him. Maybe she can make him swoon, after all...) ]

... What a coincidence. I want the exact same thing. [ That feels like way too convenient an answer. He really is a lucky thief. Lupin lifts one hand to her face, wet fingers gently grasping her jaw and beckoning her to turn his way; his voice is low and soft. ] Cardia. Come here.

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