Not all of those who wander are lost

LOCATION | Somewhere in the forest
DATE | April 2nd 2022
TIME | Around 12
ATTIRE | Outfit
TOPIC FOR | @Sarah x
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To say things were going well for Francis would be a lie. It was a long time since things had been working so badly against him and he could only find one thing to blame for it. The confusion that Juniper and her, or their daughters brought him. Because there was a part of him, the part of him that remembered now him holding his daughters in his arms. Francis knew parts of this life that had been, and remembering would be recalling a story where he knew the ending would be awful. A part of him had started to understand why Juniper didn't wish to remember. Francis had just taken a walk for himself in the forest, to clear his mind one might say, knowing while his head was this foggy it was even harder for him to live up to his reputation - not that he needed to excel every single hour of the day.

Francis reached a cottage, magical was it really. He felt like Hansel in the fairytale seeing the house made of sweets and baked goods. The magic captivating and temping to lure him closer, yet he found himself not going any further despite the tingling feeling in his fingers wanting to see what was inside. Then he took a deeper breath in, he noticed the scent around him. The familiarity. Perhaps it was what had brought him closer whilst his mind had made him wander. It was a rare sight, but a genuine smile formed on his lips as he turned around, "here I thought you would be happier to see me?" He said with a slight tease looking towards Sarah.

The witch let out a small sigh as she sat back on her heels and let the back of her gloved hand glide over her forehead. It was a sunny April day, and since the forecast had promised April showers the next couple of days, Sarah had decided it was the day to do some gardening work. Mainly in that part of the garden where she grew all of her magically herbs and plants for medicine and potion purposes. Mostly for her mother, even though she was rather adept in the potion making herself. Now another thing was the fact that she could easily have placed herself in one of the garden chairs and let her magic do all of the hard manual labor. But since she had helped with getting Adonis heart back, she had felt something in her soul and bones that ached in a way she hadn’t been used to after she had broken a curse. But she hadn’t expected any less, since it was a curse made by her grandmother. Rebekah was after all, one of the greatest witches in the world, no matter how one would try to look at it.

Her golden locks danced over her shoulders as she felt an energy nearing the house, a small smile as she recognized it. Francis.
With a small puff she disappeared, and the small shovel she had been having in her hand fell to the ground. Reappearing behind him, she let out a soft melodic giggle as he said he had thought she would be happier. “What, doesn’t my smile say that I’m happy?” she huffed taken a step towards him, letting a hand find his cheek. “Hmm, come, I'll get you something for that trouble soul of yours” she whispered, crunching her nose before she let her hand fall and she trotted inside of the small cabin that was so much larger on the inside. Filled to the brim with small knacks and odd ends. “Whiskey or bourbon?” she shouted from the kitchen as one could her the glasses that clinked towards one another, giving a good idea that she was trying to find one of the opportunities she had given him.

Francis managed to let a light chuckle leave his lips when she pointed out that her smile should indicate that she was happy to see him, well that was a valid point. He felt how time froze for just a second as she touched his cheek, it was rather rare he had moments like these, just small and intimate without him running away from it or rush to the next big thing. "Sounds like a delightful plan," he hummed a little bit. Because his mind was a jungle and he couldn't really pull everything together on it, and where he didn't trust witches there was something else about Sarah that made him trust her. Perhaps the part of his past before he had become the man he was today, not that he would put down that part of him for anything or anyone - and he believed the right people wouldn't ask him to. Francis followed Sarah inside the what appeared to be a small cabin, yet he was surprised on just how much bigger it was when he stepped inside. Already getting a various of ideas, because he could use a place like this. His eyes couldn't help but wonder around every single object at display as he stepped further into the home of Sarah. "Bourbon please," he replied back, well he did have some manners when he wanted. "How long have you been in the region?" He wondered moving closer to the kitchen letting the tip of his fingers trace over some of the counter edges as he walked closer. Well, it had been some time since they last had seen each other, also when she had this whole coven thing going on, not really his scene. Also because some believed phoenix feathers were capable of the greatest range of magic.

She leaned over a couple of books that was stacked together and finally found a rather good and old bourbon. She lifted her brows as he asked how long she had been here. “Well, I started my own coven around thirty or so years ago” she licked her lips as she walked towards him and stopped right in front of him, with a smile she placed the bottle beside him, and instead of asking him to move she just pressed herself up against him, so she could snake her arm around and grab to glasses for them to drink from. Leaning back, she winked before moving away and started pouring them both a glass. “But hunters burned it down, and I been out an about for a couple years before I found my way back here –“ she narrowed her eyes while she tried to think back, how long ago had it been since she had come back here? "five or so years ago” she nodded, almost as if she was agreeing with herself whether it was true or not.
“What about you? Been here long, or just long enough to steal from the Valkyrie?” she turned around and walked over to hand him the glass now swirling around with golden liquid.  

Francis kept standing as she walked closer replying to the question he had asked. His eyes locked with hers, only leaving hers for the second to look at the bottle she placed beside him. Then only to feel herself press herself against him to grab the glasses behind him, "I see," he whispered very low against her blonde hair, as he took a slightly deeper breath in to get a taste more of her scent. Then she leaned back again, and moved away, letting him leave a small chuckle. Francis then listened to how the hunters had burned down her coven, fucking hunters. "Hunters should learn not to play with fire, they will only get burned," he mumbled a little bit. Francis recalled once a hunter had tried to kill him not knowing what he was, which was funny for Francis at least, because the poor guy had tried to kill him with fire. It didn't really matter to Francis if i was five or more years, he was just a bit curious.

He lifted his brow a little when she asked about how long he had been there, a small cheeky smile glided up on his lips. "Me? Steal from the Valkyrie? I would never," he joked with a little laugh as he took the glass she offered him. "But we got here in the beginning of the year," Francis responded. To say that their trip hadn't been a series of unbelievable and unappreciated events - at least for Francis - would be a lie. "Oh, and it turns out that I had my memory messed with and that I've been visiting your grandmother's homeland," Francis lifted his hand with the glass in to toast with Sarah, then taking a smaller mouthful. "Turns out I have three daughters and their mother who has been removed from my mind along with everything else, freaky huh?" He let out a small sigh. Then he remembered how he still had both crystals. Not that it was with Juniper's greatest pleasure. But he also needed to know what he had in hand before breaking any curse. As impulsive as he could be, he would never jeopardize something involving his own mind or being with being reckless.

She nodded a little thoughtful as he told her that Hunters should learn not to play with fire. He was right, but it wasn’t all that important for her anymore. It was amazing how long she had been dragged down by her own mind, and how she had battled with dark emotions that almost swallowed her whole. To think that Francis might would have ended up in a position where he had to fear her, had he come here, and she hadn’t been the same woman she had been the day she had found him, all those years ago.
Her brows lifted as he told her that he had his memories messed with, and that he had three daughters and even the woman he had gotten those children with had been removed as well. She stepped towards him, letting her finger glide on the side of his scalp and turned so she could look into his eyes, not really minding just how close she once again was. “It’s not a curse, which mean the person took the memories out of your head” she explained, having already dealt with so many cases like this in the past. “So, you met your daughters?” she asked, letting her hand fall from his face and gave him a small smile. “What was it like? Not remembering, but still knowing that they were yours?” because she knew that he would be able to both see and smell it, which had to be a horrible feeling, or so she would think herself.

Francis could count the people on one hand he would even allow to touch him without asking and Sarah was one of them, despite he knew that Linus wasn't the greatest fan of Sarah. Well the two brothers didn't always agree on everything, they didn't have to. But he let Sarah touch his head, it wasn't a curse he knew that, because he had the crystals. "You know Acacia?" He then mumbled a little bit, "she stored our memories in some crystals," Francis then added a bit still with that low voice. Then Sarah asked if he had met his daughters. "Yeah," was the short reply. "Or at least two of them."

What was it like? Francis folded his lips a little bit. "Let's just say I didn't handle it pretty great," he knew that. It was hard seeing people, knowing their smell but having no memory of it. For Francis it wasn't like he didn't care, he cared a lot actually, but he had a hard time navigating in how to do things and feel things when he couldn't connect it in his mind. "But maybe its better that they hate me than I disapoint further by being someone I'm not," he snorted a bit. How could he be who they wanted him to be if he couldn't even remember the version of himself that they knew? And would it even change anything if he got his memories back? It wasn't like Francis had much doubt that he couldn't be a father, because he had the memories of holding his children and that alone made him want to know more and get more taste of the feeling. Scorpio had turned out fine in the hands of Linus hadn't he?

“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her in person, but I know of her” how could she not? She had after all placed herself on the throne of Wonderland, even the witches here on this earth knew about that. Not that everyone had a strong connection to what happened in another dimension, especially one as tricky as Wonderland, a fairy land that could swallow you whole if you weren’t careful.
Sarah gave him a small half smile as he told her that it was better that they hated him, rather than constantly being disappointed in him being something that he wasn’t. “Francis” she mumbled, her hand finding his cheek again letting her hand stroke over his cheekbone. “I think it’s normal that all children in a way rebel against their parents, and even though they will love you no matter what you do” she told him, knowing this to be very true. She had rebelled against her mother, and her mother was one of the most beautiful creatures in this world, but even then, she knew that her mother had been questioning if Sarah even loved her, and with good reason. But that was just how life was, children wanted to become more than their parents, and when they couldn’t they took it out on the only people that they could do it to - the people that had put them in the world. “You are perfect just the way you are” she said with a softer smile and once again removed her hand.

He pressed his brows a bit together when she mumbled his name, keeping his eyes at hers as she once again brushed her hand against his cheek. Francis didn't understand how it was possible for him to feel so at ease and comforted whenever around, yet not having to shred his skin. Sarah knew who he was, what he was capable off and yet she didn't come judge him for it, nor tell him to change. Even if he didn't find comfort in the first thing she said, then again his mother had died bringing him and Linus into the world, and their father had died while they were young. It was safe to say that Francis hadn't really had any parental knowledge to learn by, and when you suddenly were faced with your adult children - how were you expected to act if you didn't even remember their youth, barely had remembered their names? He shook his head clear of thoughts for about a second.

You are perfect just the way you are his eyes pressed together for a moment in a frown, clearly not used to hearing words of affirmation or expecting Sarah to be the one bringing them into light. "It's funny with all the things I'm telling you, you should be scared and horrified of me. I like that you’re not," he then grabbed her wrist as she moved her hand away, looking into her eyes still. Then letting go to move his hand behind her lower back pulling her closer for a moment as his eyes dropped to her lips for a second, not minding the moment taking a little to long before he then closed his eyes and let his lips meet with hers.

She couldn’t help letting out a laugh when he told her that she should be scared. “Why should I be scared Francis?” she asked, she had met much worse men than him, even worse women. And in that she wasn’t even thinking about her own grandmother.
But he didn’t answer, instead he grabbed her wrist as she moved her hand away and it was like he had paralysed her in her movement. Her smile faltered as her brows pressed towards one another, letting a small crease form. What was he doing? Not that she didn’t know where this would lead, but if she was being honest, she had no idea how she felt about it before it happened. How his lips found hers. Maybe it was because she hadn’t been with anyone since everything had happened with Damian, that had to be why she was hesitating. But it didn’t take long before she melted into the touch and pressed her body closer to his. Her hands fumbled and she heard how something smashed against the floor, probably one of their glasses, but she didn’t mind. It was like he set her entire body on fire, and she just wanted more.

He had always been good at being unpredictable, mostly because he was an emotional guy - more than he liked admitting, he always went with the drum of what he wanted, and took it from there. If it was a treasure, something of importance or a simple delicate kiss. Francis felt her body closer to his, hearing the sound of the glass that broke on the floor, but didn't act on that. Instead he let go of her wrist and let his hands finds their way to her hips, pulling her closer towards him. Francis didn't really hold back, nor did he stop because right now he just simply desired to have her closer towards him. It was first when he longed for air he unlocked his lips from hers, leaning his forehead against hers just taking a deeper breath in. It wasn't because he looked for something out of the kiss other than the connection of having someone close to him, to give the fire he contained within a level up and make himself know he was still alive. And she brought that fire back to life that he felt like he otherwise was starting to lose touch off after the news of his daughters and Juniper that had let him not feeling like himself.

It would be a shame to say that Sarah thought about anything in this situation. Her body moved on its own, and when he pulled her closer, she didn’t resist. Never put up a fight as their lips danced against each other. It left her completely breathless, and when they finally had to pull away because of their lungs screaming for air. She kept her eyes closed, almost afraid that she would be dragged back into the real world when she opened them. The world where they wouldn’t be together, and she would realise that she couldn’t feel the things that most people would want from her. Maybe she would be healed enough one day, but the scar that Damian had left behind was far greater than many might think. Having almost died because of your mate doing so, only surviving because a person had been able to sever the bond fast enough. There was no feeling, no words that could describe the agony. One could maybe theorise that she was afraid, which she was. So afraid.
But because he could say anything, she pressed her lips against his again. She just wanted to feel the warmth that he provided a little longer. Just a little longer.

He was no good for her, he knew this. Francis wasn't kissing her for the pretend of happily ever after, it was the moment of pleasure and heat that kick started his entire being with a fire so bright they might even think of it as holy. So, when she kissed him again, he for sure didn't mind, and he returned the kiss with pleasure and passion, keeping her closer, repositioned his hands to lift her up in a rather shift movement and sat her on the counter next to them, letting his hands glide over her thighs while his lips still connected to hers. Francis didn't understand this feeling spreading out his entire body, not this emotion, maybe it was the emotion he was trying to hide from for so long that seemed to try catching up with him and now it seemly looked like a stranger? He didn't know nor did he care as his mouth got to know hers.  

Everything happened so fast, and before she knew it, she was placed on the counter, and his hands had found her thighs. But as the flame started to burn brighter, the more she returned to reality. She pulled back with a soft gasp and placed her hands against his shoulders, letting her forehead find his. A small smile formed over her lips. “You do know this is happening because there is a part of you trying to find her, right?” she said, poking him at his temple, not really minding that she was a substitute for the woman that he had lost his memories off, but she was sure when it came down to it, she reminded him of her. And well, she was still struggling with getting her mate mark to change so she could return to the man she yearned for. A man she didn’t dare to indulge with at the same level as she had been doing with Francis, at least not until she knew she could be his forever. She was just lonely and deprived of being with someone intimate for longer than most people would go after they had finally felt the touch of someone they loved glide over their skin.

A little groan left him as she stated the not obvious - but obvious. "Even so, would it change how good this feels?" He mumbled a little with his lips so close to hers. Then she poked his head a little. Francis hated he didn't know every single thing that had happened to him, nor the impact Juniper could or would have on him once things settled down and he got his memories back. It scared him a bit, of course nothing he would admit. Francis played it safe for now. A thing he didn't play safe was this fling going with Sarah in the moment. A feeling of being less lost in this thoughts, because the moment his lips had brushed against hers he had felt a moment of clarity. Just for a moment. "Tell me, you want me to stop and we will just enjoy a drink, or what would you like?" He brushed a finger underneath her chin, looking into her eyes as he moved his forehead away from hers and looked into her eyes.

A low chuckle left her; she liked Francis, she really did. They had been through more than most people could compare.
“Of course, it wouldn’t”, she hummed in appreciation, her hands slowly finding their way through his beautiful thick hair. Feeling the waves pressed against her palms as she finally let them interlock behind his head and pulled him a little closer.
Her eyes found his as he told her that she should just ask him to stop, and they would—she knew he would. Even though the phoenix had always taken what he desired, he had never done so by force. There wasn’t any fun in the game if the target didn’t follow along willingly.
“Oh, just because I’m a substitute, doesn't mean that I'll mind it, in fact not at all”, she assured him before letting her lips catch his again. Her hands pulled him closer as her legs wrapped a little firmer around his waist.
No, she didn’t mind it—and when it came down to it, she needed it just as much as he did. With the tumult in her chest after meeting Damian again, after seeing Valdemar and hearing that he would wait for her, no matter how long it took. Well, maybe she just needed a break where she didn’t have to think about anything.