regency au } { of hidden passages and unexpected visits

[anendlesswar]

Claudia: [Marcel doesn't make a lot of visits to the bayou, she's noticed. Not that he and Hayley don't get along, but that they respect each other's territory. But today he arrives, walking with long strides toward the alpha to have a rather terse conversation. Claudia knows that look. She's seen it between her aunt and uncle.] Something's wrong.

Jason: Hmm? [he walks over to join her, watching Marcel.] He's nervous, but trying to hide it behind anger.

Claudia: [glances over to the strange woman that came with him, who's standing off to the side, studying the bayou] Have you seen that woman before?

Danielle: [her hair is long, hanging just below her shoulders and is in rather basic dress. But there are some smudges on the edge of her clothes that might be singe marks]

Jason: [takes a long look, flipping through his recent memory] I saw her at the tourney. She kept to herself, not really cheering for anyone in particular. [looks at the dress] Her clothes are singed, so she must work around fire.

Hayley: Claudia. [Claudia's head turns, and she follows the woman's direction to come closer] We need you to take Jason back to the Mikaelson Manor, just for a little while.

Claudia: Has something happened?

Hayley: We're worried a threat may target the bayou, and I don't think your parents would appreciate it if I let you stay where it's dangerous.

Jason: [and he's going to follow her because he heard his name] I'd like to help, if my skills can be of service to you.

Hayley: [shakes her head] It's very dangerous, and I'm responsible for you both. Right now we're just taking precautions. Though if Freya has anything she'd like you to do at the house, that's her decision.

Jason: [just nods. He actually has the sense to listen to and obey those in power above him when he's given a directive] Alright. It shouldn't take us long to gather a few things and leave. [looks at Claudia for confirmation]

Claudia: [nods] Is there anything we should be aware of?

Marcel: [Hayley and Marcel glance at each other, and he shrugs] If you notice any strange alphas around, be sure to let one of us know.

Claudia: [eyebrows raise] Are we worried about another pack?

Marcel: Not exactly. Has your aunt told you about La Bete?

Claudia: [nods] Ben and Hope were going looking for the Dread Doctors.

Marcel: [believes she deserves to know so:] The Doctors succeeded in their aims. And they used Liam to do it.

Claudia: [blinks because ... well that wasn't what she was expecting] Will he look like Liam?

Marcel: We don't know. So just be careful, alright?

Claudia: [nods and turns to follow Jason back to the house]

Jason: La Bete... Where have I heard that before? [its something he's been told before, itching at the back of his mind]

Claudia: La bête du Gévaudan. It's the werewolf that the Argents built their house on.

Jason: I think I've heard of this, though it was more a myth until I learned the truth about werewolves. It's a man who made himself a wolf, then terrorized a town, only to be hunted by the woman he loved.

Claudia: His sister, actually. Marie-Jeanne Argent. But yes, they say he killed near five hundred people in his first life.

Jason: I remember hearing about this, and there was talk about a wolf born of water could be destroyed by a hound born of fire. [looks back at the strange woman] That has to be who she is.

Claudia: A hellhound? [her eyebrows raise] They're very rare. The circumstances to make one are quite distinctive.

Jason: Well, I'm assuming phoenixes are too, and you know two of them.

Claudia: Yes, but we at least believe that phoenixes can be born. And the two that I know were ... artificially made, to an extent. For a hellhound, you need to die a death by fire while acting in a heroic manner. And, it's not a guarantee.

Jason: No, but it's a possibility. [and he'll take her arm as they walk] So Sir Liam is involved in this.

Claudia: [nods] Apparently. [and that's not comforting at all] Poor Malia.

Jason: Hopefully there's a way he can be saved.

Claudia: I'm sure my family has a plan, we just need them to get here.

Jason: Until then, there's a spot I found in the manor that gives me good sightlines around the town. I just need a spyglass to be able to look closer at faces.

Claudia: [nods] We'll see what Freya wants us to do when we get there.

Jason: And I promise I won't do anything to put me in danger. Anything I do will be from the manor. [he doesn't plan on dying again anytime soon]

Claudia: [glances over with a small smile] I very much appreciate that.

Jason: [and they can go and get their things and skip ahead to the manor?]

Freya: [yep, where Hope's aunt will be waiting for them.] Hello. I've set Jason up nearby where Claudia's been staying.

Jason: [bows] Thank you, Lady Mikaelson.

Freya: Of course. [and she will lead the way towards Hope's end of the manor, and gesture to the room that's sitting cady-corner to Claudia's] Please make yourself at home.

Jason: Thank you. Also, I'm of service if you need any help in keeping watch for what's coming.

Freya: I appreciate the offer, but for now we are fine. Hope and Ben should be here in a couple days, and we'll be able to craft a better plan then.

Jason: [nods] Yes, madam.

Freya: I'll be in the workroom down the hall should you need anything. [ and with that, she will go back to shoring up the defenses for the house]

Claudia: [turns back to him with a smile] And I'll be next door.

Jason: Same. You must know where the library is here. Perhaps we can have afternoon tea together there while we are here?

Claudia: [nods] They don't like food in the library, actually, but we can still meet there. [the library is Elijah's, and they don't want anything to happen to the books]

Jason: Oh, yes. If that's their rules, I'll abide by them.

Claudia: [nods] It belongs to Lady Mikaelson's brother, who passed a few years ago.

Jason: [and he nods in understanding] I see.

Claudia: It is an impressive collection, though. A number of beautiful first editions.

Jason: Then I will be careful with them. [he looks at the room behind him, then back at her] I will see you soon then, m'lady.

Claudia: [nods and goes to disappear into her own room to take some time to worry about how this will impact her family]

Jason: [and he is going to explore his room, looking at every wall and checking for secret doors behind tapestries]

Claudia: [not in this room! but there might be some in the library if he feels like going exploring there]

Jason: [which he will do, since he didn't explore that much on his previous visit with the timetable they had planned for his death, and some habits die hard.]

Claudia: [then she will join him and they will explore the selection of books there, until Jason goes to pick up a particular volume and instead of coming off the shelf, it just slides forward with a click]

Jason: [and he will step back, then smile] What have we here? [and he's going to push at the bookcase gently]

Claudia: [pushing doesn't seem to draw anything out, only the faint sound of a latch trying to catch again]

Jason: [ok, that means he should pull it open]

Claudia: [yep, if he gently takes the edges of the bookcase, it should swing towards him and reveal a staircase heading down]

Jason: Claudia, dear, I think I found a secret passage to explore.

Claudia: [raises an eyebrow as she comes closer] Hope didn't mention anything.

Jason: Perhaps she didn't know. We should explore it and make sure that wherever it leads is secure.

Claudia: [nods] After you.

Jason: [and he will reach up to grab one of the room's oil lamps to light their way with one hand, and hers in his other before leading them both down the stairs]

Claudia: [the stairs wind downwards for a bit and eventually come to a stop in what looks like a large sitting room. Patron of more than a few secret societies in his day, Elijah liked his privacy, but he liked it in comfort so the lush chairs, while dusty, seem comfortable, and there are a few lamps in the wall sconces that would give light if turned on]

Jason: [and he's going to go do that, then look around the room] I think we found a private sitting room.

Claudia: Maybe he built it to hide from his family. Can't say I blame him. When there's a big group of you living together, you take whatever solitude you can manage.

Jason: Probably, but there's more than one chair here, so he wasn't always alone.

Claudia: I suppose we'll have to ask Hope when she arrives. Maybe he liked to keep regular company.

Jason: This is also a good place to hide if something invaded the manor. Put some supplies and rations down here and you could last a day, more if the door seal isn't air tight.

Claudia: I wonder if Hope's aunt knows about this place.

Jason: We could ask. [thinks] Or, we could clean it up and use it for ourselves?

Claudia: [glances back at him with a smirk] And why would we need a place to hide in Hope's house?

Jason: It could be a place we can talk in private. [moves closer] Where no one can interrupt us...

Claudia: [doesn't back away, just looks up at him with a coy smirk] Technically we have a whole house for that.

Jason: But they could still come across us and interrupt. [he leans to the side to put the oil lamp down before putting himself in touching distance]

Claudia: [her hands come up and rest on his arms gently, tentatively touching to give him a chance to pull away if he doesn't want it. not that he's giving her indications otherwise, but things can change] That is a very good point.

Jason: [it's much easier when he initiates wanting the affection for him to accept it. He leans his head down to gently kiss one of her hands, then offers her a smile]

Claudia: [smiles as she touches him with a little more intention] It is rather quiet here. And there is a reason I wanted a house in the woods somewhere.

Jason: After spending most of my life in London and in different courts, I'm ready for a long period of quiet. [he reaches up to run his fingers along her cheek] Only having to worry about pleasing one person.

Claudia: It's likely for the best. I think we both know I can be very demanding. [only not really. She just wants him]

Jason: You can, but I happen to like women who know what they want.

Claudia: Good. [and she leans in closer, putting herself in kissing distance, because she could kiss him, but when he's feeling affectionate, she likes it when he initiates]

Jason: [he meets her in leaning in, the hand cupping her cheek and leading her lips to his, kissing her gently]

Claudia: [hums softly into the kiss, letting her arms slide up and wind around his neck to keep him close]

Jason: [which will be silent permission for him to kiss her deeper, his hands slipping to her hips and pulling her a bit closer.]

Claudia: [and she leans in eagerly, wanting to get him a little bit closer, stepping into his space and back towards one of the plush couches]

Jason: [he can dust his clothes off later. He'll shift so that they can sit next to each other on the couch. Since they are much closer now, his hands will shift, one holding the small of her back to keep her close, and the other going to the back of her neck, his fingers lacing through her hair]

Claudia: [hums at her touch, her fingers brushing against his shoulders and arms, enjoying the feel of his touch as she tries to get closer despite her dress being in the way]

Jason: [and he'll be happy sitting there, kissing her, getting comfortable with her affection. When he needs to take a breath, he presses his forehead to hers] May I touch you more?

Claudia: [she looks up at him and nods, because that's all she wants is him touching her.] Yes.

Jason: [and he'll go back to kissing her deeply as the hand on her back slowly slides up along her ribs, then skimming along under her breast to her stomach, then along her hip and down her thigh -- as much as her dress lets him that is]

Claudia: [she shivers a bit at the touch, her body pushing up to follow his hand. her hips rise to meet his touch as well, pressing against him and wanting to get as much contact as possible while she kisses him back]

Jason: [he smiles against her lips, fingers massaging her thigh before sliding back up to her stomach]

Claudia: [hums softly as her hands begin to wander herself, then he pulls back to check in] Can I touch you as well?

Jason: [nods] Just avoid using your nails, please. [and he's going to kiss along her jaw a bit as one hand slides up to touch just along the edge of her breast]

Claudia: [nods, though her eyes close as his lips move to her neck arching slightly to give him better access to her. her hands roam gently over his back just feeling the breadth of him pressed against her and letting her fingers trace each inch]

Jason: [and he'll just kiss along her neck, slowly going down to where the neck meets shoulder to kiss and suck the skin there while he starts to gently massage her chest]

Claudia: [that draws a pleased noise out of her, leaning into it knowing that any marks will be healed away, and when he hits a particularly good spot, the spot that's sensitive for all werewolves, her fingers curl against his shoulders gently]

Jason: [he needs to remember that spot. But he's getting stiff in leaning over like this, so his hand will slide down to her thigh again, moving her leg so that she may lay back and he can lay beside her]

Claudia: [and she will go where he leads, letting him move her to wherever is the most comfortable for him she lets her back rest against the couch, shifting her legs a bit so he can easily fit next to her]

Jason: [that's much better. He'll go back to kissing her lips, guiding that leg to hook around his hip so he can get even closer against her body]

Claudia: [yes, she will do that, letting out another soft moan into the kiss as she feels his weight settle against her more. She feels flushed and too warm but she doesn't want him to go anywhere, so all she can do is pull him closer]

Jason: [and he will return to massaging her breast, shifting a bit which presses his hips against hers more]

Claudia: [hums softly at the feel of his hands, her hips rocking up to meet his on instinct more than anything else]

Jason: [and he'll groan, pressing back against her as his kiss grows needier]

Claudia: [meets him in that kiss, and since he seems to like that she'll repeat the motion, because it feels good on her end as well]

Jason: [and yeah, he's going to enjoy this, his hips moving firmly against hers, his heartbeat speeding up as he just loses himself in the sensation of her body and lips]

Claudia: [and she will do her best to follow his lead, enjoying the new to her sensations and letting the kiss continue to swallow the sounds of her enjoyment]

Jason: [and his hand will leave her breast to slide down her back, guiding her how to press against him in a way to increase the friction. He just wishes her dress wasn't preventing him from fitting in that space completely]

Claudia: [her dress is a really big pain isn't it. this is what she gets for not taking his offer to elope while her parents were in town. but she follows his lead as best she can, giving back as much friction as she can]

Jason: [it's frustrating, especially since he won't take that final step with her until they are married. But he wants to give her as much pleasure as he can. So he'll kiss along her neck again, and then keep going to kiss along the exposed flesh of the top of her breast]

Claudia: [one hand comes up, running her fingers through his hair and keeps him close, while the other hand slides down over his back, curling into his shirt and tugging on it gently]

Jason: [oh, he'll help you with that. He reaches down, grabbing the bottom of his shirt and pulling it up and over his head, letting it fall to the ground before he cups her breast and lifts it to his lip. His skin is warming up from his excitement.]

Claudia: [oh that's a whole lot more skin - not that she hasn't seen it before, but the context is different, and there's a brief, impulsive moment where her eyes glow gold as she takes him in, just before his lips return to her chest and her eyes close again, letting her hands run over the plans of his back taking in the feel of his skin against her fingertips]

Jason: [the nice, smooth plains of his back, since his rebirth took the scars away. The nerves there are sensitive and new and he shivers at the touch. But it's her touch, and he wants it, so he teases her with lips and hand, wanting to give as much pleasure as she gives him]

Claudia: [eventually she pulls away gently, meeting his eyes as she tugs at one shoulder of her dress] Do you want me to ... [she feels his lips brushing against the neckline of her dress, and she wants to give him more, even though she knows they shouldn't go too far]

Jason: [shakes his head] No. I want to save it all for our night. It'll keep me from devouring you before then. [and he strokes her face]

Claudia: Is it so terrible if I want to be devoured? [you can't get her going like this and just leave her hanging]

Jason: No. [he takes a deep breath] I just don't want us going somewhere you may regret tomorrow.

Claudia: [tips her head briefly to meet his eyes] You would never be a regret.

Jason: [that touches him in ways he can't describe. He nods, leaning back to let her sit up] Then yes, show me. Let me devour you.

Claudia: [pushes up and pulls at the ties on the back of her dress, letting the material loosen and pool at her waist. She does flush some but it's not all nerves, a lot of it is want, but it is the first time another person has seen her like this]

Jason: [and he just takes his time, taking her beauty in. His fingers trace along her skin, worshiping her by touch before leaning in to kiss along her collarbone]

Claudia: [closes her eyes at his touch and she can't help but shiver as his fingers brush against her bare skin. Her hand finds his shoulder, letting her fingers brush along the same areas]

Jason: [and he is going to take his time and kiss every inch of her skin, learning where she likes to be touched on her skin. When he gets to her breast, he will lift it to his lips and he will suck the nipple between his lips, his tongue playing with it to tease it into a hard mound that he can suck on]

Claudia: [and she gasps, back arching as she leans into the new sensations, her hips giving another involuntary rock against the parts of him pressed against her]

Jason: [he will moan against her breast, then gently bite and pull on that nipple before switching breasts and repeating the ministrations. One hand slides behind her to keep her from arching too far away, and the other will slip between her bunched up dress at her waist and her stomach, going lower and cupping her sex over her undergarments.]

Claudia: [another gasp, though this time it's more of a moan. her hips lift to press against his fingers, wanting more of his touch as though it may quench the want that's running through her]

Jason: [and he will give her everything she wants, she doesn't even need to ask. He'll kiss his way back up her neck to her lips, his fingers pressing against her harder]

Claudia: [she slowly gets lost in the sensations, fingers curling against his skin as she feels her heart start to race]

Jason: [he'll go to kiss just under her ear and whisper] Lay back.

Claudia: [another shiver runs through her and she does as she's told, lying back against the couch]

Jason: [and he is going to kiss a line down her body, going inch by inch to draw out her pleasure. He slides down as well, his lips kissing the piece of flesh between her navel and where her dress is bunched up. His fingers tease the edge of the fabric, then look up to Claudia, asking silent permission to remove it the rest of the way.]

Claudia: [she meets his eyes and knows she needs something so she nods, giving him permission and trusting him to take her where she needs to go]

Jason: [and he will press a kiss against her once more as his hands gently remove the rest of her clothes, gently putting it on the ground over his shirt. He will then kiss his way down along her thigh with the same slow pace, learning each inch of her]

Claudia: [she closes her eyes and enjoys the sensations, her fingers carding gently through his hair as she moves lower]

Jason: [and he'll work down one leg, then back up the other before moving his kisses to the soft flesh between her legs, his eyes looking up at her before he goes lower and deeper]

Claudia: [Claudia moans as he does, her finger curling into his hair as her hips lift to ride the sensations]

Jason: [he takes a deep breath, knowing his hair is being grabbed for a good reason, then he refocuses on her and giving as much pleasure as he can with just his lips and tongue]

Claudia: [she loosens her grip after she feels him tense, moving her hand to the couch and holding on for the ride and she's brought closer and closer to her peak]

Jason: [and he's not going to let up, honing in on the sensitive button and teasing it.]

Claudia: [and given she's never been touched like this before it doesn't take much to send her over the edge, trembling under his ministrations as she relaxes against the couch]

Jason: [and he'll slide back up her body to kiss her lips, his hands along her sides to keep her nice and warm as she comes back down from her high]

Claudia: [hums as she kisses him back, before pulling back with a small smile] What about you? [they probably shouldn't go further than this but she doesn't want him to feel unfulfilled]

Jason: I'm perfectly happy just like this. [and he'll kiss her more, his hand just gently running along her body]

Claudia: [kisses along with him lazily, before pulling back] Are you sure?

Jason: Yes. [his hand stroking her face, pushing her hair back] I don't always need physical attention to be sated. Just seeing the pleasure on your face makes me happier than any carnal release.

Claudia: [nods, because she will take it] At some point you will have to teach me though.

Jason: I will. But for now, I just want to give my entire attention to you in moments like this. Is that okay?

Claudia: [nods slowly] Not sure we will do much of this once my brother returns. Things were just getting better with you two. [light teasing] But I'm glad we did.

Jason: Same. But I do plan to save the best part for after we are wed.

Claudia: I really did make a mistake talking you out of marrying me then, didn't I?

Jason: Sometimes the best things in life are worth waiting for.

Claudia: Patience has never been my strong suit, clearly.

Jason: Luckily, it is mine. [he smiles and kisses her again]

Claudia: [kisses him back, lingering in the moment for a bit longer before pulling back] We should get back. Freya might be looking for us.

Jason: Yes. Though you should clean up. [he will reluctantly sit up, then bend over to hand over her clothes]

Claudia: There are no wolves in the house so we should be safe to make it back to the rooms.

Jason: We are lucky for that. [grabs his shirt next] Though I think we'll need to clean up this space a bit if we want to revisit it in the future.

Claudia: [nods] A worthwhile project while we're here.

Jason: And perhaps Hope's uncle will appreciate the revitalization of his private parlor.

Claudia: [shakes her head] He passed away a number of years ago, around the same time Hope lost her father.

Jason: You told me. But that doesn't mean he doesn't still have a presence here. Watching over those he loves.

Claudia: [makes a face at the idea of Elijah Mikaelson watching them while they were doing all of that] I don't think vampires work that way.

Jason: You never know. [and he pulls the shirt on, then stands and offers his hand to help her]

Claudia: [takes his hand with a smile] Then let's hope he wasn't watching too closely.

Jason: Well, yeah. That'd be very awkward.

Claudia: It would. [laughs as they head back up and back to their rooms so Claudia can clean up]