The peace that formerly reigned in Terra Nova has eroded, now little more than a memory. War ravages the continent. Disputes divide kingdoms; ideals divide families. The quest for power consumes absolutely and indiscriminately. None are immune to its allure.
Who will rise and who will fall? Only time—and ambition—will tell.
UPDATES
05.26.2023
2 month character creation hold for all existing members begins 6/5/2023. Ended 8/5/2023.
10.29.2023
Change in how times flows. Was 4 IC seasons, now only 2 IC seasons per 1 OOC year.
5 whole years of Heir Apparent goodness! When I started the site, I knew I was hunkering down for the long haul, but I never could have predicted the numerous twists and turns this roleplay site has seen. Hundreds of plots, characters, and members have come and gone, all leaving marks on the site. I am so very thankful for those who have invested. Because you keep coming back, keep getting on, and keep writing, Heir Apparent has the legacy it does today. Three cheers to us!
The millisecond she dug her sharp nails into Raff's skin was more than enough answer for Raff and the fact that she was looking at his mouth just confirmed her yes for him. Red's comment fell on deaf ears as he follwed her gaze to the poker players at the next table. Raff curled out a hard arm around Red to draw her in and turned a savage gaze on them, daring them to look up again. Daring them to openly even look at the woman that was with him.
"I catch you looking at Red again, you'll be the dumbest reason I've ever killed a man; but it wouldn't be the first time either."
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 2, 2023 19:17:58 GMT -5
Rhedara let out a little squeak when Raff pulled her into him. She would have been confused at the sudden grabbing as his response to her if he had't just threatened the man playing poker at the other table. Perhaps this possessive behavior along with the death threat should have frightened her--especially since they had just met that night--but Rhedara was a witch and she could summon hellish creatures with just a few words, or curse a person to see the ghosts of their dead loved ones in the faces of everybody they saw...or behave like a barnyard animal, so she was only nervous.
"So possessive," she crooned, "Staking a claim on me, hm?"
The man being threatened, upon being threatened, blanched, but didn't cower away, "Can't blame a man for looking, can you?"
Raff stared down the guy a little longer. "No man, but she might blow yer head up for it. I'm the threat you actually see. She is a Witch adn ain't afraid of us ya moron." he said, turning his attention back to someone far more interesting-Red. He had quickly loosened his grip at her squeak, not even realizing what he'd done. He looked down at her to check that she was okay.
"As much as I'd like to, I wouldn't dare. That clutch was more reflex than anything, sorry Red." He picked up the beer and drank at it, feeling stupid. He tried a bad attempt at a joke, not even sure if she'd get it.
"I know I'm an ass some times. But to be honest, ya can't blame me for getting tWitchy."
Red still looked relaxed and more surprised than anything else. But hey at least she was closer right? Sure she could easily blast his head off with two words and kill him for his dumb reaction, but she was too tempting to not chase. Even if she was a Witch.
He looked at Red's little red mouth and studied her expression for a long moment, trying to figure out what was going on in her head.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 2, 2023 22:59:39 GMT -5
She didn't move away when he loosened his hold on her, although she did shift around so she was sitting more comfortably against him, "Don't apologize," she said. Truthfully, she wasn't upset about the clutch at all. His possessiveness had made her nervous, but he seemed embarrassed about it...and she'd be lying if she said she didn't find it a little bit appealing, "Just surprised me is all," it was true. He'd barely moved since she got into the tavern, so she hadn't been expecting him to suddenly grab her like that. Honestly she had been trying to work up the nerve to get into the position she was currently in, even if she had started to shy away from him earlier.
He was looking at her, and she stared right back at him, unconsciously wetting her lips when she caught him staring at them. Earlier she had started to shy away, but that didn't mean that she had lost interest.
"Like I said, I've been pre-trained." he murmured self consciously. He'd spent almost a decade living the life of defend the Witch, and now he was still crashing down hard from a long time habit. It put Raff in a shitty position and he struggled to adjust to it these days. Witches had all that power at their finger tips and ruled the military as the ulitmate Superiors. Even the vertically challenged recruit Witch in front of him was still more powerful than a higher ranked male. He had to remind himself that Red wasn't Merk. No one was and he had to stand down from that instant guard duty. Raff should've been long over this shit by now and he worked to keep himself at an even keel to act 'just like everyone else' again. Time to dissemble and keep the mood light.
"I was thinkin how ya asked about what you'd get if ya were my date to the ball. Well, I'll let you kiss me and keep digging all yer nails into my arm..."
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 5, 2023 14:45:02 GMT -5
Pre-trained. She wondered if he meant from a previous relationship. With the way he talked, she was sure that he'd been involved with another woman somehow. Honestly, she'd be shocked if it wasn't the case. He looked a little rough around the edges, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was a good looking man.
His suggestion on what she'd get if she went to the ball with him had her biting her lip through a smile. Earlier, she had given serious thought to letting this man she'd just met...well, do that with her...but propriety and shyness had overwritten that desire. But a kiss was a less nerve-inducing prospect that she was willing to do. What harm would a kiss do? She really wanted him to kiss her, too.
Feeling a touch playful, she lightly stroked his arm with her nails and moved closer to him, tilting her head as if she would lean in and kiss him on the mouth, "Like that?"
That coy littlle flirt had him nearly wrapped around her finger! Raff gave a slow and appreciative smile back at her in answer. His wicked blue eyes were intent on hers as she dug in her nails and brought her face forward, defintely closer to kiss.
"Yea, little bit like that Red." he said quietly, his mouth almost brushing hers as he spoke. "Ya forgot to close yer eyes first though..."
He stayed exactly where he was, not moving at all, although they were merely a hair's breadth from each other's faces.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 5, 2023 18:09:40 GMT -5
If she weren't caught up in the mood, Rhedara may have been tempted at that moment to pat his cheek and tell him that she'll see him at the ball before seeing if he'd let her leave the tavern unkissed. But she was caught up in the mood, and the idea of indirectly teasing herself by teasing him was not appealing in the slightest. She shut her eyes as she closed the rest of the distance, and would try to kiss him.
Meanwhile, at the table of the poker-playing men, the man that had been eyeballing Rhedara was quietly motioning to his friend, "So? Do I win the bet?" he whispered. His friend as a response shakes his head, and whispered just as quietly, "Nah man, pay up."
He moved that hair's breadth forward and kissed her gently, softly, their lips clinging.
"It was worth the wait Red." Raff said against her mouth, still kissing her.
And as he kissed this amazing woman, he slowly brought up hiis left hand at table height to give two guys an age old one-fingered gesture that didn't mean have a nice day.
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 6, 2023 21:59:04 GMT -5
She only smiled against his lips in response to what he said before kissing him back. For a while, all she could think about was the caress of his mouth on hers, the tickle of his beard hair on her skin, and the feel of him as her hands rested against his chest, her fingers slowly curling of their own accord until she was clutching at his shirt.
She would have been content to continue in such a way had she not heard the poker-playing men at the other table make noises of...amusement? Surprise? She wasn't sure, but the sound of one cursing as he spilled his drink all over the cards reminded her that even though they were in the tavern. It was as secluded as one could get in a public area, but it was still public enough that the side of her that cared about such things urged her to stop.
With some effort, she would try to pull away from him, just far enough that she would end the kiss, but close enough that she was still almost draped against him. She opened her mouth and tried to form words through the hazy warmth of desire that had started to take over her thoughts, "Wait..." was all she could manage.
Mmhmm that mouth tasted incredible and he was about to melt into-- Red pulled back and those jerks at the table next to them decided to comment. Then Brigitte from the bar Tsk'd loudly enough to be heard an acre away, like some hen!
"Red, you're amazing. You're a great kisser, and Imma kiss you some more, but first I need to go talk to some friends right now. I'll be right back." He slipped a lingering kiss on the side of her neck, just behind her ear and moved to the side so he could get off the bench.
Raff stood up, grabbed the pitcher of beer and walked straight over to the other table. He casually leaned in to whisper something very quietly and the three of them looked confused, obviously not hearing a thing.
"I said, you look thirsty." he said louder, upending the pitcher over their heads, now that they had leaned in closely enough. Then he popped his foot on the rung of the chair behind the poker player to tip him over. He crashed down with a thud, his legs in the air and Raff stepped back. The third guy got up and walked out angrily, not looking back.
"Shoo." Raff growled at the remaining guy. "Time for you to go walkies."
"Asshole."he commented, stomping out muttering.
He sauntered up to a furious Brigitte, still holding on to the pitcher with his left hand.
"Sorry about the mess. Anything I can do to make up for it?"
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 7, 2023 21:26:28 GMT -5
The kiss on her neck had her wanting to pull him back in for more, but he was already heading toward the poker players, pitcher in hand.
She watched Raff terrorize the poker players with the sort of interest that one feels while watching a horrible accident. A little awe, a little discomfort, and a lot of fascination. She had thought he would do something like this earlier when he caught one of the men staring at them, but he had grabbed her instead. The thought of going to help occurred to her, and she didn't know whether or not she'd help Raff or the poker players, but she decided against it. Why interfere? So instead of helping either party, she reached for her cup and sipped as she calmly watched how everything rolled out.
She was still sipping from he cup when it was Brigit's turn for a bought of belligerence. The barmaid put up a remarkable front of arrogance of her own, but Rhedara was not close enough to see the scared tension in the woman's face. Rhedara heard her say something about him causing trouble in the tavern, and the word "pig" and "innocent girl" (or was that "insolent girl?"), but she didn't try to hear her better. She just watched.
And that's how Raff would find her whenever he made his way back to her. She would be sitting there calmly as if she had been waiting for him to come back from an errand, sipping at the rest of her drink, and with an almost languid smile she said, "Welcome back."
"You can go back to whatever hell where you came from! The innocent girl can stay, but you-" Brigitte shoved the empty pitcher at his chest like a weapon, "you can get your backside outta here now! Or I'm calling the guards on ya! Pigdog!" The bar wench turned on her heel and set down the pitcher on the counter, her hands shaking in her pockets as she stomped off to the back room to roll in another barrel of beer. She was so mad, it made her hands shake but she'd not give that man the satisfaction.
"See? Told ya Brigitte likes me." He smiled at Red, liking the way she just casually sat there as if watching dinner and a show, purely for her own amusement. Nothing seemed to make her break a sweat, and it made Raff like her all the more. Witches were supposed to be tough and she appeared to be no exception to the rule. She was mentally tough, and he liked that- a lot.
Raff sat down on the bench to slide in close to her again, beginning to stretch out his arm behind, but Brigitte was having no part of it.
"Don't make me get ma brother. I said get out ya dirty pigdog!" She turned to Rhedara with a concerned look on her face. "You can stay Miss and have a beer over here at the bar near me if you like. Where it's safe from the likes o' him."
"But I forgot to even ask how old she is! Red! How old are ya?" He asked Red casually, Raff's long arm resting on the back of the bench, directly behind her head.
Brigitte looked thoroughly offended on the other woman's behalf at Raff asking such a rude question! How DARE he?!
Post by Rhedara Shannon on Mar 8, 2023 23:33:11 GMT -5
As annoyed as Rhedara had been at the bar wench earlier, she was starting to feel a little bit sympathetic toward her. Despite her rudeness to her earlier, Brigit was still trying to look out for her. It didn't make Rhedara want to go out of her way to defend the woman, no, but she could not fault the woman with trying to protect what she perceived to be a young innocent thing...which she was in a manner of speaking. She wasn't a complete innocent, but she was still inexperienced in these sorts of matters.
So when Raff put his arm around her and flippantly asked her how old she was, she leaned in and answered, "One hundred and eighty-seven years old," she couldn't hold back her amusement at her own mischief, "You should see the anti-aging potions I brew, young man!" If he pressed her further, she would tell him her age, "I'm eighteen."
Raff grinned at Red and said with all mock seriousness, "Ya don't look a day over fifty. Honestly."
As much as he'd like to joke about it, there were some facts that were best known when you showed an interest in a person. "Seriously though, I'm twenty eight, so how old are ya?"
"Eighteen? As in new cadet?!" Raff facepalmed with his left hand and kept shaking his head no as if trying to deny the facts. "Oh man, straight outta the cradle! That makes me a dirty old man!"