June 8th, 1888 — Salem Square, near the Arms

This blasted fog had been a blessing in some ways, but a curse in most. "Fog chasers" had reported to the Arms in droves, as the small inn was the only accommodation the small village truly had to offer, and so business was booming from the lodging side of things. Unfortunately, the thick haze had also been keeping the regulars at bay, with many—particularly the local muggles—feeling uneasy about its persistence. For himself, Atticus was only uneasy about how oppressive the walls of the Arms felt without sunlight streaming in its windows, and after a few days of this, decided to get a bit of air, leaving the building shortly after lunch.

What he did not anticipate was the...staleness of the air, and Atticus realized quickly that he had underestimated the thickness of the fog. He had gone only a few dozen paces before becoming hopelessly turned around, and the muggle put his hands out in front of him in an effort to ensure he didn't collide with any walls as he attempted to make his way home.

Those same hands collided with rounded flesh as he groped his way through the fog, and it took him far too long to realize what he had grabbed.

Open to an adult female!

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GORGEOUS set by Lady <3

After the first day of being out in the fog Nimiane and her staff had remained comfortably at the Bellchant cottage which had seemed rather removed from it all. Then the fog had come to their doorstep. Being on the edge of town had its perks, such as being removed from the odd smelling fog, but it also had the downside of being away from all sources of news. Marli was worried about her family and Nimiane knew that the other staff was growing restless too. To be honest, Nimiane was as well. Being in a house full of restless individuals was almost as unnerving as the fog, especially when one could no longer see out the windows.

Using the excuse of needing to pick up a few supplies, Nimiane and her housekeeper started out for the heart of the village. There was no way that the staff, whose orders came directly from the Bellchant patriarch, would allow the girl who had no magic to wander in such a situation on her own. Typically Nimiane preferred Marli as her companion, but after almost losing Marli in Salem Square had unnerved Nimiane.Instead Nimane promised to check in on her maid’s family while running their errands and she and the housekeeper began up the path from the cottage to the village.

Their first stop had been to the butcher, Nimiane, who found the mist odd, but felt that she could see well enough to make it next door to the Village Shoppe for more parchment, insisted she would be alright walking the rest of the way herself. Afterall she could hear what was going on around here, the babble of chatter as people navigated their way around reassured both of them. She was almost confident in her abilities to navigate Salem Square when she left the Village Shoppe. That was until someone walked right in her. Well perhaps that wasn’t quite the right way to describe the sensation of a hand cupping quite inappropriately to her gown.

“Oh!” Her soft voice echoed into the fog around them, she could only really make out two arms and no face. It was rather inappropriate, even if she were no longer anywhere near a respectable young lady. “Excuse me!” She stepped back in hopes that the gentleman would let go, wondering if it were her fault or the gentleman who’s coat arms she could see. Was this some new person stalking the Square and taking advantage of a situation, or was it rather just a mere accident caused by lack of sight in the fog. Regardless Nimiane’s cheeks turned a bright red and her face felt like it was burning. She had never been touched in this way before.

  

His hands dropped as if affixed to anchors, and he blushed so furiously that even his dark complexion failed to hide it. The feminine exclamation served only to punctuate what Atticus had already figured out: he had just grabbed a strange woman’s bosom.

(At least, he prayed she was a strange woman; he could not imagine what damage it might do were she a regular!)

An awkward moment passed before Atticus reluctantly took a step forward, hands firmly at his sides. He did not wish to walk into her, but knew it was no good apologizing if she could not see his face. For a brief moment, the idea of fleeing into the mist crossed his mind, but his father had not raised a liar any more than he had raised a liar, and so Atticus was forced to do the gentlemanly thing instead.

“I—I,” shame the words couldn’t quite come out.

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GORGEOUS set by Lady <3

Almost instantly the hands withdrew and with it the sign of any person. Feeling strangely worried about the reappearance of the gentleman if they might Nimiane shifted her weight, wondering if she should try to make her way back. But then who was to say that she wouldn't get lost in the fog. Before she could think through the possibilities or the actions a face appeared in the fog, reddened as her own was with embarrassment of the situation. The innkeeper, whom she had no almost no interaction with but as it was a small town he was rather a recognizable figure of their society. She had never expected the figure of Irvingly to be someone who would take advantage of such a situation and his stammering seemed to indicate it merely an accident of the current fog situation. She didn't know what to say either and found that this was perhaps one of the most mortifying scenes of her own life. Instead of saying a word or even fleeing, which might very well have been the right thing to do in such a situation, she stared at him with wide eyes and red cheeks and felt as if she were stuck where she stood.

  

The poor woman looked terrified, and decidedly far more uncomfortable than Atticus felt—but could he blame her? He’d just assaulted her, albeit unintentionally. Add another thing to the list of ‘stuff the fog was ruining’.

“…begintoapologize,” he stammered swiftly, almost incomprehensibly, the I cannot lost somewhere upon his tongue.

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GORGEOUS set by Lady <3

To be honest Nimiane wasn’t quite sure what the gentleman was saying, she caught the word apologize. Being a polite individual Nimiane could only assume he was attempting to apologize and felt just as awkward about the situation as she did - or at least she hoped that was the case and it wasn’t just wishful thinking. She had been known to think too well of a situation before.

This knowledge didn’t lessen her embarrassment, but the man seemed in even worse shape than herself and she automatically felt for him based on the aforementioned presumptions. “Apology accepted.” She tried to say in her most gentle tone. “Perhaps it is the fog that should apologize though?” Nimiane attempted a sense of humor, hoping to remedy this despite the bright red spots on her pale cheeks.

  

She was…making a joke? He had all but violated the woman, and she was making light of the situation! Either she was the most understanding creature in Britain, Atticus thought, or she was mad—but regardless, it lifted some of the weight from the innkeep’s shoulders.

“You are very kind, Ma’am,” he returned with a grateful smile, still too embarrassed by the entire ordeal to meet the woman’s eyes.

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GORGEOUS set by Lady <3

The gentleman seemed unable to actually look at Nimiane, the fact alone brought her to the conclusion that it had indeed been an accident due to the fog. A gentleman who might be inclined to make such an advance in such a situation would surely look her right in the eye, right?

“I think the weather deems I must.” She replied kindly, looking at his face, despite the lingering pink on her cheeks. At least he was speaking in full sentences and they could put this awfulness behind them.

  

Not all women, Atticus knew, would have granted such an allowance, even though he was certainly not at fault. Still, she seemed to think such graciousness was par for the course, and the innkeeper was not at all inclined to suggest she behave otherwise! It was a rarity to see such goodwill from a stranger under any circumstance, let alone extraordinary ones such as these.

"I think if the fog lingers, I shall have to make a point of venturing out only with a lantern," Atticus said instead.

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GORGEOUS set by Lady <3

Sadly a lantern hadnt even occurred to Nimiane. She might not have much magic, but her staff certainly did. Often it kept her closeted away from such muggle options. "I should hope a lantern would help, but with how thick the fog is I think it might only help so much." Nimiane gave the man a small apologetic smile she wasnt quite sure he could see.

  

“Regardless, Miss,” he returned with a wry smile, “I shall use every tool at my disposal to avoid a repeat of this…”

Atticus fumbled for a moment before settling upon, “Misstep.”

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GORGEOUS set by Lady <3

"I believe many thanks would be owed for such an endeavor." Nimiane replied with an echoing smile, noting his through the fog. "Although perhaps we should all use such caution in times like this." She tried to reassure him.

"I should be on my way, best of luck to you sir. I hope the rest of your travel is quite uneventful." Nimiane suggested lightly, wondering if she could incorporate such a scene into one of her stories, or if it might be too noticeable that the gentleman in question might remember the encounter and put the pieces of her life together in a way she preferred people would not.

  

"And the same to you," he replied with a polite nod, still mortified as he made as swift a departure as could be considered safe. She had been kind, under the circumstances, but Atticus would be quite happy, he knew, never to see her again.

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GORGEOUS set by Lady <3