regency au } { of broken hearts and refused affection

[hereditare]

Parrish: [it's the time Laura should be at breakfast, so he goes to the garden and finds some flowers and carefully cuts them to not ruin the garden arrangement, and then ties them off with some string before heading to her balcony. He puts the flowers between his teeth and climbs up the wall using the holes on the stones that he has learned now to get himself up there. He doesn't go too far though, just his head appearing above the edge of the balcony as he holds on with one hand, the other going to sweep the dead flowers to the ground below and replace them with the fresh ones.]

Laura: [she's sitting on the edge of the balcony, leaning against the far wall and she sighs softly when she sees his head pop above the railing] You really need to stop doing that.

Parrish: [he may have failed his stealth roll, but he passes his dex and holds onto the balcony instead of falling to the ground.] And you are not supposed to be here to see it was me. [he has enough shame to blush]

Laura: [she can't help but smile softly at that] Who else would it be?

Parrish: I don't know, perhaps Liam acquired a crush on you?

Laura: [a silent eyebrow raise of judgement]

Parrish: I'm just pointing out that assumption can be a dangerous thing.

Laura: Mmmm. Well I am fairly certain that your young squire’s affections are more likely to be directed towards my cousin than me.

Parrish: [is still hanging off the balcony with one arm easily, his foot trying to find that damn foothold again] Well, what can I say, m'lady. I felt that your balcony could use a bit of color.

Laura: [sighs as she gets up, before moving to help him climb over the edge so he doesn't fall] Perhaps. But I would prefer you didn't. [not entirely true, but she sells it well enough.]

Parrish: [oh look, he's on the balcony now.] Why would that be? It is just a flower?

Laura: It's more about ... the flower's potential, more than anything else.

Parrish: [blinks] Is it a crime in the Hale lands to give a flower to a woman?

Laura: [she closes her eyes before shaking her head] No. That's not it.

Parrish: Well, that's all I was doing. You don't smile enough. You deserve to have things to smile about. Hence pretty flowers on your balcony.

Laura: So I've been told. [she sighs, turning away for a moment, before closing her eyes] However, I told you I'm spoken for.

Parrish: And I heard you, m'lady. Is it because I am a man that you cannot accept the gifts?

Laura: More along the lines I'm worried of being charmed by them.

Parrish: Well.... you would have to be charmed by me to be charmed by my gifts... [he's watching you carefully, Laura. Are you charmed by him?]

Laura: [and she doesn't respond to that, keeping her back to him so that he can't see her face]

Parrish: [he nods] I see. And while I would say that the news pleased me... I know it should not.

Laura: [closes her eyes, still not facing him completely] Wolves don't love the way humans do. If I let this go too far, there may be no going back from it, and I have to marry Lord Argent.

Parrish: I see. [there's a hint of sadness] So you must deny yourself affection out of respect of honoring your contract because of how your kind forms bonds?

Laura: [she nods] If I ... allow myself to get close to you and fall in love with you and you become my mate ... marrying another man will only be that much harder.

Parrish: Well, I would not want to bring that kind of pain upon you, m'lady. That is not my intent.

Laura: I know it isn't. Which is why I am telling you now.

Parrish: [he nods] I will stop then, m'lady.

Laura: Thank you.

Parrish: If there is nothing further the lady needs, I should probably be going.

Laura: [she nods, exhaling slowly before turning to face him again] I'm sorry, Sir Parrish.

Parrish: No, I am the one who owes you an apology, m'lady. I swear it will not happen again.

Laura: Thank you.

Parrish: [and with that, he's going to scale back down the side of the castle, taking the flowers with him. And he will give them to one of the servant girls passing by before going to hunt down Liam. he was too proud to show Laura how much he had actually been wanting to at least have something from her - the something not really defined in his mind since he had no experience in trying to form many relationships in any form. But as he walks away, his features steeled into a mask.

His time staying in the Hale lands was over. He didn't want to stay in a place where he wasn't wanted by the one person who he wanted to be with]

Laura: [and Laura will probably not leave her room for a few days when she hears that because him leaving is not really what she wanted either, but she understands why]

Liam: [and it's not what he wanted either! He had a friend!!!!! No fair]

Parrish: [but there is a bit of determination in the young unknown phoenix. A fire burning that he's going to find this lord Argent in the tourney and beat him time and time again to prove to himself that he is the better man. Even if it's only to himself]

Malia: [not pleased either, to be honest, for similar reasons]

Laura: [yep, she doesn't leave the Hale lands much in the next few months unless she absolutely has to]