2019-10-07 - Timeout in the Woods

It's late afternoon and there's been off and on drizzle all autumn day, the later hours likely due for thunderstorm. But all the same, Lilith doesn't just get out of her shiny new pearl white SUV at the trailer park with herself ready to walk, no. She shows up a little late, gets out a backpack to put on, then goes around to the back of the ride to flip open the hatchback for more things. She's dressed almost adorably with a wrap around canvas cotton blue hiking skirt, tall socks and laced hiking boots, complete with a hooded cardigan worn over a clinging black v-neck and there's a rain-shell jacket rolled up and attached to her pack. Leaning in with hair in ponytail, she tugs out two bag chairs with shoulder straps and holds one over company's way.

While shouldering the other, it's apparent she's feeling more lively, at least, and while she still might look a little pale and fatigued in the eyes with residual weardown and weakness after the fever broken, she's quite lovely in her mascara and lipgloss to try and hide it, "So don't ask because I'm not telling. Yes, we're going to the get the box, but while we're there, we're going to do something." After she has the chair shouldered, she pulls out a white styrofoam box that's sealed closed and insulated with a red loop handle. Whatever's inside is an utter mystery. And she's kind of got that 'look' about her, when she's on about something.

Through most of Byron's illness, he'd kept himself busy with work, even he probably shouldn't have been doing so. It's good that he mostly spoke to tenants and other clients and business partners through the phone, but there were... situations where he was in personal contact with them, perhaps spreading the virus. He more than likely had something to work on before Lilith's message but rather than show up in his usual business attire, he found time to change into something more appropriate. With the weather becoming cooler, returning to its normal Gray Harbor dreariness, he's donning a gray long sleeved shirt beneath a light-weight black weather proof jacket zipped open with the hood down behind him. Fitted cargo pants protect his legs while his feet are tucked into black combat boots.

He hasn't been waiting long, his lean frame resting against his Wraith when she pulls up, making him shift to stand and meet her. In his mind, this was going to be a brief retrieval romp in the forest and then they'd be done, but with her handing him a folded up and bagged chair, there's this curiosity in his steady gaze. "You know that we're in the middle torrential rain and thunderstorm season?" But... that's almost year round in this town. He doesn't seem to mind. One hand is even extended if she'd prefer him to carry the styrofoam box. "I'll carry it."

Lilith looks at Byron dubiously when he offers to carry the box, then levels the handle over. It's not that heavy, really, ruling out... well, it might be a six pack, but it doesn't feel like one. Other than that, it's just one of those styrofoam insulated cooler things. Unless he cheats and sees her packing it up! Which she's apparently side-eyeing him about with a vague twitch of the lips after a moment, "Fine. No cheating. And yes, I'm aware, but part of the charm of this is the worst timing. So maybe if we're lucky, it'll start pouring on our heads to make a real good story when you're done being pissed with me about it."

Then she eyes his attire up and down before shifting her backpack and shoulder chair and getting a move on from their parking spots, "No suit, though, you ruin those better. We're probably fine. And good gawh, you're a sight for sore eyes. Mine were closed while you got your fill of me-time after days and days." Then she tacks on, informatively, "Surprise aside, I have to remembere where I kicked it and semi-buried it a little away from the site, but shouldn't be a big deal. I think. My mood at the time... mm. I don't know why I didn't just burn it, but I'm glad I didn't, I guess."

Then, with a bit of a broader smile instead of threat of one, she tells Byron, "There's three surprises, actually. You just can't see the other two."

Was Byron planning on cheating? Maybe. But he doesn't make a move to take a peek inside of the cooler that he's now toting along while his other hand holds onto the chair slung over his back. "Pissed?" This fresh air? The cool breeze. This is a far cry from what I've experienced just wandering around my apartment." He seems somewhat content by the weather despite his earlier complaint, his gaze lifted to view the dark skies through all the trees up ahead.

There's a tilt of his head now, brows lifted, "Why would I wear a suit? You said we were going wandering into the Firefly Forest. I have other clothes you know." This is all said in jest, his eyes facing forward as they start their trek. "It's not like you said it was an emergency and I had to drop everything to come here." A hint of a smile tugs at the corner of his lips when she talks about his appearance, but he says nothing in response to it for now. "Three surprises? So this first surprise I'm able to see?" A pause, his tone wry, "But not right now, I'll assume?"

"Technically, you're holding one, roundabouts looking at another, and have no clue where the other is." Lilith tells Byron unhelpfully as she carries on from the shortcut into the fringe of the woods to start cutting over toward the old campsite by the pond like it's older times or... more dire times as adults, perhaps. The last time they'd both been there at separate turns had been because of what was inside the box they're going to retrieve now. But it's apparently a leisure expedition just as much, full of surprise thanks to Lilith. She doesn't get all chattery about it, though, she seems to need her breath when the terrain changes into steeps and step-over roots and winding beaten path through fall's early littering that's floated from canopy.

It's not overly deep in, all told, it's just kind of conveniently located without being boringly on the fringe of things and close enough to run swimming from. Kid logic. When they get there, she starts to unpack the chair to set up, the old marker of the campfire ring and familiar broad tree trunk base marking the spot, "Okay. Chair out. Sit down. Box in your lap. Then open it. You get one surprise first. It's time sensitive." Not seating herself, Lilith slips out of the backpack and sets it in her chair instead, ready to get things out of it as needed. But for now, she's not digging, her hands are on her hips and she's waiting to watch him as straight faced deadpan as she can muster, "It's not a severed head, I promise."

Byron remembers making this trek often enough as children; carrying various things to their favorite campground. So this does bring back a lot of memories, things that rarely came to mind when he was under the ring's control. So he's holding one of the surprises, eh? He figured as much and while he may test out the cooler's weight, mentally determining what could be within, he doesn't toy with it for very long. The rest of what she says, well, he takes in their surroundings. He already knows where they are headed, so it's not so much of a surprise, but this is a pleasant retreat.

Now she's giving orders. Not orders that he really minds as he sets the cooler down so he can unfold his chair and lowers himself into it. Leaning off to the side, he picks up said cooler and does as he's told, setting in in his lap. "So I get to open the box now? How exciting." He says in his own deadpan.

Once the lid is removed and set to the side, he notices the food items within, the aroma of food, something he may have sensed at some point, growing stronger now that they are free to open air. Though he may not have eaten much within the last week or so, there's a lack of enthusiasm to what should be delicious smells. Yet, he smiles for her sake and reaches in for a burger and fries pair to hand over to her. "Just like old times." As he says this, he takes up one of those fries and pops it into his mouth after taking in a deep breath.

"I was actually going to do this on top of the library, because I remembered something about up there, but... I figured we needed to eat something if we were going to be going somewhere, then since we were coming here, I thought... why not re-mark the territory with a good memory since last we were here as adults, it wasn't so..." Lilith starts to prattle on and drags a hiking boot at the dirt with scruffing before looking at Byron's smile with a screw of her nose on smelling the food emergence, herself. Then she takes the burger and fries and flops down in her chair with them to start picking, like she could really take or leave the damn things, eating with the adult diligence of needing-to-eat-something-and-I-bought-them-so...

"Okay. See. I thought maybe you'd like the smell better than I did when I picked it up. There's kind of a reason I put it in the box real early, and not just for temperature control. I mean, it's fine, but... I'm a moron. I thought I'd test how well we were getting better while out, like I can force it. But you know, even if we want to make a pile and have me set our food on fire, guess what?"

Lilith makes her admittance to Byron, and she doesn't seem quite in the realm of disappointed so much as 'damn' about his stomach being probably the same level of 'whatever' as hers. But she's still got two more surprises! One of which... she's reconsidering, to be fair. The other, though... her face goes a hint smug and she leans back a little in her chair to cross one leg over the other after the question to Byron, still diligently eating to give-up point. She does get them both bottles of water from her backpack, though, to help wash it all down. And...

The firepit lights up with all the debris making a bigger bonfire than it damn well should with those old, wetted log chunks on there. But given it started with a glance from Lilith, it's probably got some legs anyway, she can immolate air to burn when inclined, and the appearance is there.

Not feeling like eating, Byron forces himself to eat another fry, but for the most part, sets his foodstuff back down into the cooler. "Maybe in a little bit, once we've rested from our walk," Though the trek wasn't all that long, "And had time to breathe in this fresh, natural air, it might bring out our hunger. I mean," His smile broadens here, "I have nothing against burgers and fries and I could eat them every day, but I've done absolutely nothing to work up this kind of appetite. Probably tomorrow some time, I'll start my morning jog all over again."

He'll accept the water when it's handed, taking the cap off for a drink. "Is this Surprise Number Two?" he asks, because he'd be satisfied if it were right now! Oh look, a fire is suddenly starting with all those damp leaves and twigs. Still, the warmth of it all is inviting and it makes him lean further into his seat while reaching back into the box for yet another fry to chew on. "This really is like old times." Even without the rest of their friends around.

"No, surprise number two is Twinkies in my backpack as birthday cake because we used to eat the hell out of them and it seemed cute. But really, surprise three is two parts and it's the one you'll kind of want to know about. Because starting from the time we find that box..." Lilith eats a little more, then starts throwing some fries into the fire to watch them flame up like a destructive little firebug in play-with-food mode, the booted foot of her crossed over leg bouncing. After pausing, she drinks, then leans to set her things back into the cooler to stand up and come to lean over next to Byron's chair with her hands on her skirted thighs.

Her lips are leveled to the man's cheek, then his jaw before feathering over to his ear to kiss while speaking, pulling in the edge to hold with nip between her teeth before the tip of her tongue runs the cartilage. And she speaks in little breaths of informative spell while doing so, ponytailed hair falling over a shoulder, "Finding the box turns the rest of the day into your belated birthday. It means you're king and command for the rest of the evening. Unless you want to raincheck that, which would be fair... and understandable, I suppose."

Then she tacks on with a whisper before gradually starting to make to straighten, eyeing him on the way, "You want to know part two now or after the box?"

For some reason, these Twinkies are more edible to him than the burger and fries. It was spongy, lightly sweet and not really greasy like fast food can be, so dismissing the grease fest and setting the cooler down next to him. "I could use a Twinkie right about now." He says before tilting his head back for another sip of water. They might not really melt in your mouth, but he remembers back in the day, when they were a delight. When she comes to join him, he looks expectantly of her, waiting for his dessert.

But instead, he gets a kiss. Not that he minds! She can feel his jaw tense for a brief moment before relaxing, the edges of his lips drawing up into a smile. Then he's told of the third surprise and he refrains from looking at her directly, his eyes on the fire, "Do I have to wait until the box is found to be in control?" He then slowly half-turns to regard her, "Or does that start now?" There's this curiosity, however, when she brings up the second part of the final secret. "I'll leave that to you, whether you think it's worth my finding out now or later."

"I suppose you don't have to wait. It's your belated birthday, afterall. The order of the box-hunt is of little import." Lilith tells Byron with a slide of her eyes toward the tree behind where they're seated, her hands coming down to rest and then move at glide along her wrap-around hiking skirt at the hips. Instead of looking over and down at the man again, she glances toward the tree canopy with a beat of indecision, then finally drops her lashes to take his hand to bring captive with fingertips at brush over her lips.

"I felt like we were both frustrated. So I made it easy for us."

Then she gives Byron the second part of the surprise with guided tour.

Then she lets go and slips her hand away, offering distractedly, "Alternatively, I could get dessert from my backpack to carry around while we hunt. I have tongs and a crown royal bag for picking it up because... I'm ridiculous."

"Little import, unless we fail to find it." Byron, always thinking of the negative, or maybe that's just his planning ahead. It's spoken in light jest either way, his eyes lowering to follow the trail of her fingertips, before his own hand is captured and he's leaning forward when he's guided to those pink lips of hers. That is before he's given another tour, giving her free reign right now to do as she will, despite him being in control for the rest of the evening. His eyes follow along this path that both of their hands are taking, but the lower they go, the more that he anticipates on what will come of this journey. For a time, his eyes settle on that hiked skirt, viewing mere glimpses of what's beneath; his eyes even lift to meet with hers somewhere during this process, just as intimate contact is made, his own fingertips now brushing softly against her.

While she can't read emotions, she can read the changes within his body, the way that his hear beats or the breaths that he takes. She can sense a shift in that.

What a tease, as she brings up those Twinkies he had just recently asked for. He'd thought of it as dessert at the time, but he knows what the real dessert is and though she withdraws his hand from her, he'll murmur in a heated tone, this faint smile on his lips, "I know what kind of dessert I'm wanting right now."

"Do you? See, I imagine... right here, right now, you could do anything you want, no one could hear me. I could break anything around us while you drive me beyond senses. We could be raw and wild and free. You could make my skin tingle, you could feel the way you build me up to let go. Maybe our abilities need to be used to bounce back, maybe we need to lash out and latch onto each other and set everything to align again." Lilith rushes and hushes out at Byron with a lot of pent-up what-if that maybe feels a lot like the way she's explaining it inside, but not quite for the reasons that she so much thinks, to be fair. Her lust is all tangled up in violence and it's starting to spark in her eyes with the heat that comes from his fingertips' touch and the shift of desire in his own frame.

Then she remembers what she's given him and lapses into quiet, her head tilting some before she goads, "Better grab me before the box tries to tear me away from you again, mm? It almost won. Aren't we pretty, overconfident fools?"

Here, Lilith is talking about something more animalistic and carnal which Byron isn't opposed to. Just listening to her explain it all is both amusing and quite sexy in itself. However, he knows what she's getting at, he doesn't need to read her to understand exactly what she wants, what she desires right now. Some of which she says is quite dark and disturbing, especially for someone who has come from his background, so for a moment it makes him take pause. She might feel the tension in his arm as he reaches for her, grabbing onto her hip to lower her down into the damp wet leaves, his own body arching back slightly so his face brushes against her midsection. "I'm in control." He murmurs sweetly, eyes closed, "And I just want you to do whatever you want. Whatever your heart desires." That's when his eyes opens and he's staring up at her again. "We have the whole night to ourselves. Why hold back now?"

There's a little catch in Lilith's breath and she looks at Byron like she's a touch confused or thrown by what it is he says in response to all that heat with dark taint all laced through it, gradually shifting down onto her knees with the guiding hand at her hip. In fact, for a moment there, it looks like she's going to swoon a bit over it, but no, the heat stays locked on and she's suddenly eager with what it is she wants. And she lets him know exactly how happy and entitled and served she wants him to feel.

While not entirely lacking in aggression and utterly lust driven, there is a tinge of planning gush that's very Lilith that comes back around after his sweet reply and she murmurs with a sudden drop of her hands to tend to the front of his pants without reserve, "I want so much, I don't know where to start. I want pinned with my back at our tree, I want the ground rolled with sex, I want the air to echo, I want..."

Him. She wants him.

At some point, they get the box to put in the little velvet bag. Because it's what they came for, afterall, but it sure does take a while to remember that.