Knights, Dragons, and Pigs (openish)

Great. This was not what he needed at all. He growls, just a little, thankful the Talons were raised at that moment in time, though clearly not impressed as he's trapped with the very thing he had been coming out to openly kill. Oh hells... Another dire thought. What if she saw him like this?

"I had the situation under control...it was going to be a clean kill...I don't know who you are...but that was mine!" His voice is tinged with irritation and just a hint of anxiety. He could not let her see him like this. He was supposed to be impressing her...getting caught...that was just foolish...

The red woman disregarded Drake's tone. Instead, she pulls down her mask to reveal the rest of her face. "I can't allow you to kill our catch." She puts her index finger and thumb in her mouth and makes an ear piercing whistle that echoed around the forest. When she is done, she pulls her mask up again.

"Your catch? Who are you to determine that? I was here first. I've been tracking this thing for hours...I engaged it first! It was mine!"

Clearly frustrated he struggles, frustrated that not only is he trapped and effectively powerless..but he's trapped with the very thing in this world that he hates than any other. He lets out a frustrated shout and sighs, just giving up and trying to glance down.

"I was...trying to prove something...to someone..."

"Incredible." Moments later heavy footfalls come from all directions and three other shadowed figures make their presence known. "You've got to be kidding me."

And at Victoria's voice he stops, freezing on the spot and letting out a low groan. No...no way this could be... He closes his eyes and looks up at the sky, as though asking some unseen power exactly why this was his fate. Exactly what had he done to deserve this?

Still, he couldn't just despair. At least not in his current situation. Keeping the Talons pressed against the beowolf who was currently his lasso-buddy he takes a deep breath, glancing toward the direction from which Victoria's voice came.

"Ah...we appear...to have...an awkward situation..."

Victoria steps out of the shadows and approached Drake. She made a clicking noise with her mouth and the mummy woman and the shadowed figures retreated into the forest. "Well, how about that. I didn't expect to find you here, freshman. Mind telling me why you're tied to my prey?"

He frowns just a little at that and in the back of his mind a tiny voice tells him that what he says next will not go down well. But after a moment he decides to say it anyhow. Why was she so...conflicting?

"If I told you...I was hunting this for you...to prove something...would you believe me?" Of course the clicking noise causes some concern. Clearly this was...oh no. Her team. He'd gone and made a fool of himself not only in front of her..but her team. He flinches just a little and sighs, looking at her with a face that doesn't even manage to hide his embarrassment or frustration.

"I'm not going to have to stay tied up like this...am I?"

Victoria huffs at Drake's words. Come on! Doesn't he ever give up? She clenched a fist to punch him again, but he was defenseless after all, so she decided against it. She ignored his question, being more disturbed by his motives than anything else. She strains to say "What. Do you mean. Hunting for me." Too bad Teriah missed his mouth with that rope.

Clearly she wasn't reacting to his being there much better. He scowls, just a little and presses the Talons back against the beowolf, making sure the beast was aware that it wasn't getting its jaws near him.

"A...gift? An...apology? Something to...compensate you for my interference...a few days ago." He remembered some of Aphelion's words. He was right. Drake had to let Victoria think she was the stronger one, though it rubbed against him the wrong way. Much as this rope was doing. And to be fair...at the present moment in time she was stronger.

"I...did not realise there would be others here." He sounds just a little disappointed at that. She had been pretty much on his mind the entire afternoon, ever since things were resolved with Indigo. This whole...excursion was a spur of the moment plan, developed in one afternoon.

Victoria scowled and removed the coil of silver rope from her arm. "Let me make sure I heard you right. Your plan to compensate for interfering, is to interfere more!?" She began binding the beowolf's limbs. She would have been more than happy to simply leave him tied to the creature, but she didn't want to carry them both back to the school.

"It's not....exactly...that. It's not technically interfering if I didn't suspect...anyone else would be here." That was a lie. An awkward one. But it was close to the truth. He hadn't expected to be interfering as such...and indeed, he hadn't expected anyone else to be there.

Apart from her of course. He looks to her and then glances away quickly, clearly uncomfortable with all of this. He'd screwed up and he knew it. He lets out a sigh and frowns, letting her work. "Allow me to compensate you...somehow? I...am sorry...Victoria."

There seems to be something with her name. The way he speaks it. He frowns to himself and shakes his head. Though things had been cleared up with Indigo...though things had settled with his team he now found himself just as confused and troubled. But not as angry as he was. No, she was something different. And it troubled him. It was almost like those first moments with Indigo...the confusion he had felt then.

Victoria tightens the bindings, more of a subtle way of telling Drake she was in control than anything else. "Tell you what, freshman. If you're so hellbent on making things up to me, then leave me alone."

This hurt. These words stung, worse than any wasp could. At that he looks visibly pained and glances away. Leave her alone. How exactly did one respond to that? How exactly was he supposed to react? Perhaps it was folly after all...

For a moment he is silent, his mood darkening once again. This had not gone to planned. Words were failing him. And then he speaks, his voice cold. That subtle inflection that was to her name before was absent as he once again shrunk back to his natural defensive state...kill the emotions. Do not feel.

"To not repay a debt owed would be a stain on my honour. But if that is what you wish Victoria." He remains calm, still, waiting to be freed from this predicament. He couldn't understand her.

Victoria stopped. Only for a moment before returning to her work. She remained silent, but her mind was racing. Damnit, damnit, damnit! Why wasn't this easy! He couldn't just leave me alone, now I've gone and stained his honor. Damnit! I can't just leave him dishonored! AHH you shame your ancestors! He couldn't just go away! Why is he so obsessed with me?! Finally, she drew her spear and transformed it into it's ax form. Looking away from Drake she said in a voice far too small to be her own. "Why... Why are you doing this..?"

His mind was thrown completely off balance at this stage, disappointment obvious in his stance. As he remains calm he is careful, controlling his breathing, trying to keep his emotions in check. Emotions. These things were bothersome.

And yet, when she speaks in that small voice something cracks inside him. The cold frost that was settling over, trying to regain control halts and he stops, looking up toward her. Why is he doing...what? He was confused. This was...different.

"Why am I doing...what?" What did she mean by that? Why did she sound so different...as though her confidence had been shaken to her very core. Was it not just him who had been shot down...?

At Drake's response, Victoria's meekness quickly turns into rage. She almost roars as she throws her ax into the side of a tree across the clearing. It embeds itself in the bark with a thunk. "Stop playing dumb! You know exactly what I'm talking about! Enough games or I'll leave you tied here!"

And with the sudden shift of her mood he pauses. This too...was irrational. He frowns, remaining calm and shaking his head. No, he knew why she reacted that way. He would have as well...she had shown a moment of weakness and like an idiot he...accidently had mocked it. Why was she being so confusing?

"I...am not playing games. I...do things because...I genuinely care about people. I find them...interesting. No. Not them. You. But I also...have my own beliefs. My own honour. And I still...hold that to value." Despite his nature he was not cruel. In the heat of combat he may be either cold and purely logical or hot headed and impulsive when the Frenzy took...but he was not cruel to those around him. On safer grounds he might be cold...but never cruel.

He was not so much kind. Perhaps he had been, once...much like his mother. But his past had changed that aspect of him, replaced the empathy with cold apathy for the most part. To him she was interesting. He could not help that.

"You are...interesting. Strong. Skilled. Watching you was...a gift. Recently I have needed such a gift and fate saw fit for you to be present. But I interfered. I upset your balance...I have a debt owed now and I want to repay it..."

Victoria's face had a look of pure terror on it. She tried to hide it with more anger. "Stop... Being interested in me!" She had known someone before who fancied her. It almost got her killed. That emotion... Victoria went out of her way to avoid it. She made sure to break down any potential infatuation her male teammates might have had for her, she made sure to leave bad impressions on boys, she tried to make herself unattractive on purpose, but Drake just wouldn't shoo off.

The look on her face...he shakes his head and looks down, almost ashamed of himself. For some reason she looked...more than interesting when she was afraid or small... He hated himself for that. His nature was that of a protector. Perhaps not a hero...but not one to let others get hurt around him. But Victoria was...different. It was scaring him as well.

"I...don't want to. I am not sure that I can. Interesting people...are hard to find. They are either strong...or weak. Never interesting. Never...any depth. I...apologise if this is worded awkwardly. I am not so good with...other people." He looks up again at her and takes a deep breath. And the more he looked at her the more he realised that the different layers...were different defensive mechanisms. Much like the armour she wore.

Victoria was a strategist by nature, so she knew when to try something new. As far as she had learned, hurting him did nothing, ignoring him did nothing, and flat out telling him to go away did nothing. This was getting nowhere, they were running in circles and she was only getting more irritated while Drake grew more intrigued. Her mother once taught her to spot patterns in your own attacks and break them to trip up your opponent. That's what she would do. Break her pattern, throw him off. If only Victoria knew how boys worked in the slightest. So, she leaned in to an inch away from Drake, looking him square in the face with a focused expression.

"What...what are you doing?"

He remains still, eyes widening just a little, a glimmer of blue visible in the inky blackness of his eyes as he tries to figure out what she is doing now. Did she understand? Did he understand? This was confusing for them both. Still bound he remains where he is, perturbed by how very close she had gotten to him

"What is the meaning of...this?"

A dark cloud moved over the moon, blocking out most of the light. In the darkness, Drake could feel her warm breath against his face. A stark contrast to the chill of the air. A breeze blew through the trees, making a quiet howl. For a while, she was silent, contemplating if what she was about to do would work, but she was confused and desperate, she did not like that. For a moment, her breathing ceased, and the air was still. Then, she exhaled, much closer to him than before and Drake feels something much warmer and far softer on his mouth. A pair of scarred lips pressed against Drake's, warming him and sending shivers down Victoria's spine. Her head cocked for a better angle, her eyes shut tight, and she leans down slightly, Victoria awkwardly kissed Drake as the cloud cheekily moved, lighting up the clearing and Victoria's act, if it wasn't obvious enough.

Something was...wrong? Right? He didn't know what was going on. Yet as the cloud moved through, as the darkness set in he froze. He could feel her...hear her and his heart was racing as a result. Anxiously he froze up, stock still though still bound, her breath causing his mind to reel even more. What was going on?

When their lips met he himself shivered, eyes going wide in the darkness, inky blackness drawing away to the deep blue. At first he is nervous. Almost panicked. His mind had not gone down this path. His thoughts had not drifted this far...and yet...it seemed right. After those initial few awkward moments, as the light filtered through once more he would return the kiss, trying to lean in to her the best he could for his precarious position.

His own motions are awkward, almost clumsy and even as his heart and mind race a single thought filters through. She was...more than interesting. She was important...to him.

Victoria had not intended for the kiss to last as long as it did. She also didn't expect to actually enjoy the experience. When she pulled back, her face was bright crimson and she wore a shocked expression. She struggled to find words, instead, she just stuttered. "I... I- uhh..." She slowly backed away from him. She really didn't expect to enjoy that. And if that was the case, she had just made a grave mistake.

He coughs, quietly and somewhat awkwardly, feeling his own cheeks flushing just a little at this moment. Of course he was still somewhat tied up. He looks to her and then coughs again, trying to move just a little, or at least sit up.

"You...are....more than interesting." That was very much unexpected. He wasn't looking any less shocked than she was. But to see this side of her...no, to be on the receiving end of this side of her. Very different from what he had witnessed so far. Of course, the problem now was words. He didn't know what to say. What to do.

He didn't want to scare her away.

Victoria had never panicked before. Anyone who followed her would probably be put in a state of immeasurable fear by her being pushed to the point of panic. The source of her fear was a boy just ten feet away, tied to a very bored looking beowolf. She turned away from him and grabbed her head. She muttered some things under her breath. "I screwed up. I screwed up. I screwed up!"

You could almost feel sorry for the beowolf, having since giving up on doing anything as it was bound up. Instead it had to suffer the results of two awkward teenagers who were so very anti-social around others that their own emotions caused all of this.

Drake fidgeted still, frowning just a little as Victoria turned away. Something was wrong. Or was it? He wasn't sure. He takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself...his still racing heart hammering in his chest. Perhaps her name was the key? He considered this a moment, trying to calm himself...

"Victoria." Her name has power. For one, it unsettles him saying it. Why? But he hoped it would calm her. Bring the panic under control. He looks to her a moment and repeats it again. "Victoria...I..."