[M | St Grumble] Friendly Companionship....right? Right!

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The Six Kingdom's most prestigious university and the de facto cultural capital of Anaxas.

The Stacks | Ghost Town | Muffey

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Lilanee Kuleda
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:40 am
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Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold
: Let's go on an adventure!!!
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Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:38 am

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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S​​​​he’d barely felt the rain as they’d moved to the carriages, the few loose tendrils of hair that had been so carefully tamed into more subdued curls now regaining their spiral springy shape at the nape of her neck and the side of her face. The droplets soaked into the ribbon and silk of her outfit, but nothing that couldn’t dry later on. As they slipped into the carriage, Lilanee’s stomach turning butterflies at the conversation around the Naulanese, her explorers heart eagerly excited by such musings. There would have been more endless words from her, were it not for the First Light and loose lips making terribly suggestive statements that would have probably possibly not been so freely expelled from her person.
​​
​​Oh but then they were all smooshed in the tiny carriage and it was rocking gently as it carried them through the Stacks and it was just so easy to lace her softly tanned fingers between his finely tattooed ones. Her bright blue gaze held his dark one for what felt like a few moments too long, before the Hoxian finally broke the moment to look down between them, inked thumb brushing against the back of her hand in such a lovely gentle motion. The Hessean found herself still looking at his face, at the warm smile and the handsome blush coloring his cheeks, whilst Ezre commented on his delight at their…friendship.
​​
​​ “You…think I’m pretty?” The red head teenager all but breathed in surprise, head swimming with alcohol and entirely caught off guard. No one had called her pretty before, not ever, not with her too wild hair and too wild mouth and too wild personality. They had all just turned and fled, and from the comfort of their circle of friends they snickered their taunts and their jeers.
​​
​​As the Hoxian boy continued to talk, Lilanee leaned closer by natural instinct, her eyes settling on his lips as he spoke and pressing her mouth tightly shut. There was a logical part of her mind still active, giving her all the scientific answers to the warmth curling in her core and the tingling sensations across her skin where Ezre’s hand touched hers. Chemicals and hormones, all rushing through their system as part of their biological make up. The built in need to replicate cells and reproduce offspring, to keep the galdori race going, it was all natural and entirely explainable. Still, the alcoholic part of her mind very much shoved the logical part down deep and sat on the lid of the box, throwing entirely improper thoughts to the surface. Thoughts like, how far did those tattoos go and how warm was the skin just past that scarlet fabric and how soft were those lips that smiled so easily for her.
​​
​​ “Yes, I admit it was mine too. It’s a lot more pleasant than I have been lead to believe, and I—uh—think differently? Other friends. Well I—” The student stammered, blinking rapidly and drawing back from the Hoxian with a laugh and a blush, glancing down at their hands still joined so warmly between them. This was ridiculous, she knew better than this, knew better than to let primitive basic instincts rule her actions and her thoughts. To be fair, it could make a fascinating experiment, observing living tissues movement over skeletal structure—
​​
​​No. Come the morning when they were both sober, they would see this for what it was, a momentary lapse in factual and intelligent thought.
​​
​​Aren’t you the least bit curious though?
​​
​​Gently sinking white teeth into the soft curve of her lower lip for a brief moment, Lilanee twisted suddenly to lift her free hand from her lap, curling practical manicured fingers around the line of his jaw on the opposite side and bringing his face closer as she squeezed her eyes shut and tilted her head to press her mouth against his in a firm yet proper kiss. Her field pulsed, heavy with panic and giddiness, whilst adrenaline set her heart racing madly behind her dual set of ribs. The Hessean held the inexperienced and unexpected kiss for a moment, as though shocked at her own actions and the heat that pooled in her stomach and spread to her cheeks. Lilanee felt her shoulders relax, sighing as she shifted slightly to pull away a hairs breadth before kissing him again a little more tenderly, eyes now only lightly closed. Her hand held his face gently, the Hessean teenager inhaling deeply through her nose as she indulged tipsily in the new tingling sensations that danced over her skin.
​​
​​Finally, the red haired girl drew back, eyes still closed and letting a soft brief laugh escape on her next exhale.
​​
​​ “I think…I think I might.” Lilanee said a little shakily, opening her eyes finally to look at his face, snatching her hands away suddenly and pressing them to her cheeks with a gasp.
​​
​​ ”I’m sorry, oh my Gods Ezre, I didn’t mean to…I mean I shouldn’t have…I mean I just—“ Pressing her lower lip between her teeth again with a rouge finger, staring at him with an expression somewhere between horrified and apologetic, cheeks glowing hotly.


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Ezre Vks
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
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Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold, Anaxas
: better with the dead
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Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:39 pm

the Stacks
3rd of Loshis, 2719
The dark-haired boy noticed that the girl next to him leaned closer, his unexpected level of intoxication making the mirrored motion that much more obvious for some reason he could not quite articulate had anyone asked him to try. He was so attuned to their proximity in the mingling of their fields, fascinated for a distracted moment by how hers was so much different from his own, Physical mona heavy and comforting. He admittedly fancied how the carriage bumping along the cobbled streets somehow forced them into further closeness, and his smile didn't falter when she actually inhaled in surprise at his compliment, noticing how her expression softened in a way that he was sure he'd not seen before. Ezre heard his pulse hum through his veins in strangely minute detail, beating swiftly.

It was immaturity on his part, surely, and he'd just revealed himself a lesser creature for giving voice to such base instincts in her company. There was nothing inherently wrong with attraction, of course, nor was there anything immoral about exploring such interests, contrary to the strict need for bodily control that Anaxi galdorkind pretended to display in order to flaunt their superior culture before the lesser races. It was an empty promise as far as he'd observed thus far. Even the Hexxos acolyte was quite comfortable in his kingdom's awareness of healthy and unhealthy desire. If anything, clearly, Hoxians had a better grasp of it all.

"I understand that personal preferences and cultural standards of beauty differ between the Kingdoms, but aesthetically speaking, I also think there are those individuals who do not fit into just one standard but instead are attractive enough—to—well—surpass them. Yourself included."

He was very much at the sharpest of edges when it came to keeping some semblance rhakor, no longer entirely able to hold the flutter of confused feelings from playing itself out across his much more delicate features, already regretting his rather direct and inappropriate questioning of her thoughts on their friendship: he should not have brought up such distraction; he should not have brought doubt into her trust of his reliable companionship; he should not have let physical indulgences overwhelm his intellectual respect of her character—

Are you not allowed your own curiosities?

His thumb stilled and his inked fingers loosened as Lilanee leaned away only to laugh, Ezre blushed and felt the heat of chagrin ripple through his overly communicative field like some Yaris breeze.

The dark-haired boy watched the Hessean's mind work strangely while meeting her blue-eyed gaze, completely unprepared for the hand that rose to his face, smooth palm coming to a less-than-tentative rest against his cheek not to steady him in the rocking carriage but to guide him closer than he'd already been leaning. It was an unexpected motion, and yet even the Hoxian instinctually understood the invitation to tilt his head and fully experience the bold press of someone else's lips against his. If there was any hesitation on his part, it would only be noticeable in a sharp inhale, because Ezre did not make any effort to pull away.

He didn't close his eyes, either, dark orbs wide as her breath tickled his skin, unable to not look, unwilling to not see. Warm, living flesh was so much softer than he'd perhaps ever allowed himself to fantasize (because it wasn't as if he'd never thought about kissing anyone before, though, thankfully, he'd also never had any of those sorts of thoughts about corpses, either). There was a sort of inexplicable electricity to the contact, something tangible but unable to be properly named crawling its way from the base of his skull down his spine, dribbling invisibly down from his lips downward over his chin like honey in that brief Hoxian summer he missed and settling very poignantly below his fluttering stomach, just so in his lap.

Oh—

Lilanee's whole posture melted from something nervous to something more open and Ezre felt it all more keenly than he thought possible, unmoving as she tilted her head back for a moment, a glimpse of her blue hues visible beneath eyelashes made heavier by such bold self-expression of just exactly what she thought of their friendship. The dark-haired boy made a noise, words stuck somewhere inside and yet not worth actually saying out loud, and it was just as he realized her hand remained against his face that the Hessean kissed him a second time with a gentleness no longer wrought by curious urgency so much as obvious enjoyment.

It should have been clear by Ezre's total lack of refusal that he also very much enjoyed the exchange, allowing himself to lean that much further toward her in order to make it that much more obvious, dizzy in the moment of almost total non-thought he found himself floating in.

She laughed, though the soft sound was not a counterspell despite her instinctual leaning away. He finally remembered to breathe, the motion of her hand leaving his a reminder that he was far more alive in this heartbeat than he had been just a handful before.

"DruNo—uh—no. I—"

The Hoxian searched her face for social queues, completely out of familiar waters, recognizing shame and finding himself confused that he did not at all feel that sort of emotion over the physical interaction that had just transpired between them. He smiled with a genuineness reserved for only the most private of moments, pulse louder than his words in his own mind, quietly desperate to express himself properly even though he felt very much not his proper self, even though he couldn't help but let his dark eyes drift back to her lips, following the motion of her hand,

"—there is nothing to apologize for, Lilanee. This different course of thought about our friendship is a mutual interest, though I do not think I would have traveled to this destination without your encouragement." Ezre's inked fingers reached up to curl around hers, the warmth of her face radiating over his knuckles, and the young man finding it altogether a strange contrast to the last time he'd really let anyone—anything—this close to his person (which had, of course, been during the coldest week of all of Bethas). He lowered her hands toward himself, toward his chest,

"I would very much like to—"

Their transportation came to an unintentionally jolting halt as if their driver had almost missed their stop, and Ezre laughed, suddenly breathless before he even finished what he wanted to say. Taking advantage of the motion in the cleverest of ways, filled with the bravado of his First Light buzz, he leaned toward the Hessean and kissed her back without any further hesitation and not a hint of shame despite the knowledge that they'd arrived at the destination he'd requested. Maybe he lingered, just as bold as she'd been, and hopefully just as fascinated.

"—hold onto these very acceptable thoughts. We can discuss our unspoken curiosities over dsoh." He requested in a whisper, slipping away, still holding one of her hands to help her out of the carriage with the most foolish of smiles, totally unaware of how lightheaded he was until he stood back out in the rain. Flush-faced and staring at the driver who was waiting for his coin, he fished from his dark formalwear with one hand the proper amount of tip.

It was with an obvious reluctance that he released her hand and offered his arm more properly, more socially acceptably, attempting to find some kind of public face despite the multitude of personal feelings that danced warmly to the rhythm of his rapid pulse, attempting to gather his composure while still quite sure he could feel the sensation of Lilanee's lips against his own like some runoff of a spell he'd not cast alone.

He was still smiling.
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Lilanee Kuleda
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:40 am
Topics: 11
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold
: Let's go on an adventure!!!
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: Raksha
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Fri Aug 09, 2019 11:20 am

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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L​​​​ost in the warm new sensations of another persons skin pressed so tenderly against her own, Lilanee wasn’t sure if she felt Ezre move to accommodate her first awkward and urgent kiss, or if it was her own imagination but regardless the smallest of movements left her feeling more light headed and giddy than the First Light. It flowed through her from head to toe, and her field wove itself closely through the other student’s aura, welcoming him into her space as they kissed in the confines of the bumping carriage. The muscles under her hand, over his jaw, moved with a gentle fluidity and the red head couldn’t help but let her fingertips stroke across the squared edge of his lower mandible. Thoughts of how other bones and muscles felt as they shifted under skin and sinew caused her blush to creep down her throat as she drew back slightly.

This was entirely improper for Anaxi sensibilities. And for platonic friend-dates.

Oh, but that spark, it flared within her and the teenager couldn’t resist a second less rushed press of her lips on his. The topsy turvy, slightly shivery sensation that curled in her stomach sent goosebumps over her lightly tanned skin, and the young woman indulged in the feeling. Her breath was hot between them, and her pulse felt like it was rushing in her ears. Reluctantly drawing back, her voice sounding a million miles away to herself, Lilanee came to the realization of what she’d done.

Tocks, what had she done!

Her shock and apology were genuine, alcohol buzzing in her veins as she imagined all the cultural slights she had just caused. Ophur’s Golden Opulence, what was she thinking?! Nervous concern swelled in her field, and a mild panic, certain Ezre would be deeply offended. But, it had seemed as though for a moment, the Hoxian had been indulging in the moment also. Or was that just the First Light talking? The Hessean bit her lip, brow drawing together further with each thought. She should stop the carriage and find another home, let the poor buy spend the rest of St Grumbles in peace. She—

“"Dru—uh—no. I—"

Oh Gods she had overstepped.

“No of course. I heard you make a sound, I should have stopped then but I didn’t realise what it was, and then I thought maybe…but no. Of course. Sorry that was…there isn’t…” Her stammered excuses were flimsy, cheeks burning and wishing the seat would swallow her whole to save her from this ridiculous awkward interaction.

Wait, what?

The student let her bright gaze follow his eyes, feebly allowing Ezre to take her hand from her face, his skin tangibly warm as knuckles brushed close to her face. Like a hingle caught in the lantern light, she sat frozen, watching as he tucked her hand closer to his chest. Her breathing was shallow and field heavy with tension as she hung on his words, unable to help the small smile that wandered across her lips at his own upturned mouth. The Hoxian expressed his shared thoughts about their sudden change in the friendship dynamic, taking a breath, just about to say something further when the whole vehicle stopped suddenly. Lilanee yelped a laugh at the same time, inhaling sharply when Ezre allowed the transposing of force bring him towards her to close the space between them for another unashamed kiss, surprise giving way to that same shivery tension that rose in her core. The girl let her eyes close, leaning in to linger as the Hoxian did much the same, her head dizzy with adrenaline and excitement.

As the dark haired student slipped away, whispering encouraging comments along the way, Lilanee opened her eyes again and offered a shy smile as he opened the door and stood in the rain waiting to escort her from their ride. He looked so perfectly out of place, yet so wonderfully handsome in his dark formal robes, large oversized jacket hiding the strength that the Hoxian possessed. The teenager tore her gaze away, sliding along the seat and placing her feet on the step, still holding his hand as she escaped the small carriage and stood upright. As Ezre released her to pay their fare, the Hessean placed a hand on the door frame to steady herself. Was that the First Light, or the rush of hormones making her light headed? A soft giggle bubbled from her mouth, and she took his offered arm with a slow snaking movement, her vibrant blue gaze on his face as they began to walk towards the noodle house.

Was it normal to want to kiss him again? For longer, to see if the butterflies in her stomach would quell themselves after time? She wanted to document her thoughts, capture them for sober research purposes, but the smile on the Hoxian’s face was wretchedly distracting and Lilanee smiled in return.

Oh Good Lady, gather yourself Lilanee!

“I uh…dsoh? Is that how I pronounce it? Seems interesting. Is it a baked dish, or roasted perhaps? Like garmon? I’m not entirely sure I’m quite that hungry any—uh—anymore but we should probably have food in our stomachs. I have read that alcohol on an empty stomach can be a bad thing, so we should definitely eat.” The vivacious red head said in one long sentence, barely pausing for punctuation or breath, clearly flustered and still trying to wrap her head around the events in the carriage. She tried to focus on the little shop they were about to enter, and not on the rampant imaginings that were spinning through her mind, sure her cheeks were about to burst into flame.

“Do you do that a lot in Hox? Kissing, I mean. Is that a thing there, like that people do with people they think differently of from their other friends?” Ophur save her, she was rambling nonsense. Swallowing hard against the nervous typhoon that welled in her chest, Lilanee tittered tipsily.

“It’s not proper for a lady to throw herself at a gentleman, not in Anaxas at least. But I’m not entirely Anaxi so that makes it okay right? I mean, I thought it was okay. Was it okay?” Her brow drew together and she stopped their progress, looking at the boy with a serious frown.

“I didn’t do it wrong did I? I’ve never kissed anyone before, and it just happened so if I didn’t do it right I’m sure I can try again. Not that you are obliged to do that of course, but I am just saying that I’m happy to try again should the situation require it. Or not require it, I don’t know I just…I’d…I liked that.” Her rambling trailed off with another ridiculous grin, the throat of her ribbon skeleton high against her freckled throat, red dress practically bleeding through the white of the piece.

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Ezre Vks
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Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
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Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold, Anaxas
: better with the dead
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Fri Aug 09, 2019 2:54 pm

the Stacks
3rd of Loshis, 2719
The motion of exiting the carriage and searching for his coinpurse were made both awkward and inconvenient by the curious effect their very brief, very unexpected expression of physical interest had on his inebriated self. It was not an unfamiliar experience so much as currently unwelcome here on the street in the rain, but Ezre was thankful for the distraction of a moment of interaction with the carriage driver, the passing of a tip allowing him to shift on unsteady feet and the voluminous darkness of his clothing in the subdued lighting of this particular side street full of cafes, a tailor, and a few rows of student-owned flats quite the blessing he'd not intended to need this evening.

That rush of excitement was far more intoxicating than two glasses of First Light, however, and the dark-haired boy was convinced he could feel every drop of Loshis rain as much as he felt the confines of fabric and the lingering sensation of Lilanee's lips pressed against his own.

Surely it was all very normal—both his body's instinctual response as well as the undeniable desire to return to such closeness—and yet the Hoxian was vaguely aware of his lowered inhibitions. Everything simply felt that much more permissible in this moment, but was there even anything to regret had he not had any alcohol at all?

"Dsoh are noodles. There are many preparation methods depending on the region in Hox you are consuming them in—" Ezre realized too late that she was rambling, filling the suddenly tangible space that had formed between them once their mouths had separated with nervous, flustered words. It was endearing because it was no small accomplishment, and as his heartbeat settled into a less wild rhythm, palm coming to rest over her hand on his arm, he simply nodded instead of continuing with more of an unnecessary answer.

"—kissing. In Hox. Well. I have no doubt that such things happen between lovers, zjai." He breathed, shoulders relaxing as they stood there on the sidewalk in the rain, nerves still full of a strange electricity even as he mingled his field with her own as if that was answer enough, "What other people choose to do in private is, naturally, none of my business, but I can say that Hoxians are not as a whole comfortable with public displays of affection. Unlike the Kingdom of Anaxas, however, I will say that our acceptance of sexual expression between interested parties is much more realistic."

Those words made him blush as if he'd just invited Lilanee Kuleda to his room and into his bed. Not that he would know what to do if he had—would he? It was his turn to bite his lip as he led them both across the street and toward a little storefront tucked between two taller buildings, Deftung sign freshly repainted and red ribbon festooned around the awnings in indication of the shop's willingness to participate in the celebration of the Feast of Saint Grumble in its own fashion.

By Bash's contemplative quiet, perhaps eating was not the best thing at all, given the tension that gripped his stomach and the thoughts that whispered through his mind as he let his gaze wander over the young woman's amazing dress with its anatomical details worn in reverse, far too aware of his newfound interest in the warm skin hidden from view beneath such beautiful tailored accomplishment. The indecisiveness that filled him was so strange and disorienting that he found himself grasping for the correct direction and failing. He chuckled at the Hessean's admission that she was not, in fact, entirely Anaxi at all. The truth was, he hardly associated her with the Kingdom they both had chosen to study in, perhaps in some selfish need to share foreignness with another,

"I have no objection to what just happened. It was more than just ... okay. If you are concerned about social acceptability, it appears as though we have managed to find ourselves in relative privacy while most of Brunnhold is off galavanting in drunken festiveness. Besides, my interest in your company far exceeds my concern over Anaxi standards of behavior." He stopped beneath the thick canvas stretched in front of one of the currently closed cafe, the scents of garlic and spices, of thick broth and handmade noodles undeniable this close to his admittedly most favorite little dsoh shop this far from Hox. Standing still in the ruddy glow of phosphor street lights, he smiled shyly and turned to meet Lilanee's blue-eyed gaze,

"I am not sure if there is a wrong—pleasure appears to be rather subjective—but I am not a reliable source of information when it comes to the statistical accuracy of something so subjective as quantifying pleasurable quality. I have never kissed anyone, either, and therefore have no comparative experiences to use as a reference. Nor do I have a collection of data to draw from for a decisive conclusion. If you feel the need to make further attempts, I have no objection to participating in the experimentation process." He managed to say it all with a straight, almost deadpan expression. It was impressive, truly, had someone else passed them on the street to hear something so ridiculous. But no one did. The last few words, however, would reveal how his voice wavered, and at the last syllable, he laughed.

It was genuine and vulnerable. It revealed him to be just another teenaged boy.

"I liked that as well." Ezre admitted. Shyly. He heard his heartbeat grow louder, faster, and he diverted his dark eyes from the Hessean's grinning face toward the restaurant that was just a fistful of steps away, the glow of oil lanterns flickering through the wooden blinds in the tall glass window with the establishment's name in gilded letters painted above a very stylized rendition of Vroh Guar. Looking back at her, the light, steady rain refreshing because he was sure he would have otherwise been on fire, practically uncomfortable at the warmth that radiated from his own tattooed person, the Hoxian grinned in return,

"I would most definitely also like to further such, uh, research, but not here in the rain. Or in public view, to be honest. We are here, however—" The dark-haired boy tilted his head in indication and the motion sent a few stray strands of hair from his careful arrangement of it all, "—because I thought an expedient abandonment of a horrible forced socialization under the guise of student safety was in our best interest continued off campus. I did not anticipate you sharing my more than simply platonic curiosities. I am glad you do—"

He couldn't help it, turning further to face her, one hand reaching to brush stubborn drops of rainwater from the lovely ribbons made to represent both of her collarbones, tattooed fingers light and curious, aware that the dress was now taunting him with what was hidden beneath,

"—but, I must admit I have also never been intoxicated before. We could eat later, if you'd rather—" Those same inked digits traveled upward over the freckled skin of her neck to trace over a flushed cheek with thoughtless curiosity, fingertips featherlight over her lips as if keeping himself from actually kissing her again here on the street, a very real sensation of conflict filtering through his otherwise usually well-disciplined field,

"—I do not want to waste our time spent in travel, but I do believe you invited me to peruse your pottery collection in your dorm room, did you not?" Ezre's subdued tone was undeniably an innuendo-turned-invitation, his usually purposefully unexpressive face bordering on the mischievously wicked.
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Lilanee Kuleda
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:40 am
Topics: 11
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold
: Let's go on an adventure!!!
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: Raksha
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Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:37 pm

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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"—kissing. In Hox. Well. I have no doubt that such things happen between lovers, zjai."

The Hessean giggled, realizing then how obviously ridiculous her question was, curling her fingers around the boys arm as they moved from the carriage. As they paused there, rain falling on formal wear and warm skin, Lilanee felt his field reach out to hers to entangle gently. She embraced the brush of his aura, allowing the complimentary mona in her Physical field to explore the rich tapestry of his Clairvoyance. Her blue eyes looked over his face, lips slightly parted and blush all but blending with her dress as Ezre spoke very candidly about public displays of affection in Hox and the student sexual expression of Anaxas.

Why, by Ophur’s Glittering Grace, did those words elicit such a warm rush from her in this moment? She’d spoken of the interesting contrasts between Vita’s Kingdoms at length with Ezre before, including each counties views on copulis and procreation, and not once had it ever made her feel like this. Thank the Gods, they had already begun to move again, and the red head was able to hide her face with a turn of her head to glance down the street.

But then she’d rambled again, and quite suddenly she’d shifted direction to the quality of her first kiss, hoping to the Ten that she’d met some sort of unspoken level of ‘okayness’ in her physical contact with the boy. They stopped under the cover of a canvas awning of one of the currently closed store fronts, breathing deeply and lifting her brow slightly at the smell, and Ezre’s gently teasing words brought another smile to her lips.

“Well, I’m pleased it was more than okay. Because it was quite a bit more than okay for myself. You are quite an apt kisser, Mister Vks.” Lilanee said formally, boldly finding some semblance of her feet as she stood beside the boy. Her smile remained as the Hoxian took a leaf from her book, saying more words then were probably necessary to get to his point, giggling again as he finally laughed quietly. She drew her lip between her teeth again as the other student admitted he would be quite accepting of further experimentation in this new field of study, glancing over her shoulder as Ezre looked at the building. It was quaint, and clearly operated by Hoxians for its decor and unfamiliar scents wafting on the cool rainy breeze. Turning back with a smile, her eyes searched his face, landing on soft lips and almost unconsciously rising on her toes—

"I would most definitely also like to further such, uh, experiments, but not here in the rain. Or in public view, to be honest…”

The young historian froze, moving back slightly with a moment of chagrined embarrassment. He’d just said Hoxian’s didn’t like public displays of affection, and here she was practically falling over him in the middle of the street. He tilted his head, and a few of those smooth raven locks fell free from their disciplined confines and it was ever so hard not to reach up and brush them back. As the student’s hand moved towards her throat, Lilanee held herself very still, blue eyes wide and staring at his face rather than the inked fingers that brushed over her fabric clavicle. Surely it was the alcohol, surely she was imagining it, but the red haired girl was absolutely positive she could feel the gentle pressure of his movements across her own skin. It was however, no imagination when those same fingers brushed upwards across the freckled skin of her neck and cheek, causing thick lashes to flutter and the breath to escape her chest in a soft sigh. Her lips tingled where the whirls of Ezre’s fingerprints skimmed, and it was impossible to stay focused on the reason they were here in the first place.

"—I do not want to waste our time spent in travel, but I do believe you invited me to peruse your pottery collection in your dorm room, did you not?"

Lilanee blinked, the tone of the Hoxian’s voice sending a shiver down her spine and turning the butterflies in her stomach. They were both mildly intoxicated, things that wouldn’t usually be said were probably being said, and things they wouldn’t usually do were probably being done. The Hessean knew all of this, she did, but by the Circle she didn’t particularly care at this moment in time.

“Yes.” She breathed, before clearing her throat and finding her voice properly.

“I mean, I’m not so much hungry at the moment. I’m sure we could save the noodles for another time. Perhaps tomorrow, for lunch. I definitely invited you in, for uh, pottery. So we should. Yes. We should definitely go. To look at my…pottery collection. I’ve got some tea and shortbread at my dorm, should we need, uh…something.” It was impossible to think straight, words tumbling out in only a passing semblance of a literate sentence, bright eyes flicking to his lips and back to his face, field thick with excitement.

“Did you want to get another carriage?” Her aura jittered at the mention of the vehicle, wetting her lips nervously with her tongue and free hand curling into the damp fabric of his ebony jacket, as though needing something to steady herself.

Quite suddenly, the sky boomed with thunder, as though reminding them both that it was still Loshis and it was still there. The soft rain sounded louder on the canvas cover, and the droplets fell heavier, as though the clouds had cracked open to let more water through. Lilanee looked away from the other teenager, letting the sound drag her back into the moment.

“Oh, well, that definitely requires another carriage. What a shame.” She said quietly, allowing a hint of her own mischievous tone to escape with a small smile, giggling again.

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Ezre Vks
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
Topics: 22
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold, Anaxas
: better with the dead
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Writer: Muse
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Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:08 pm

the Stacks
3rd of Loshis, 2719
"Not an aspiration I knew I was aiming for," Ezre smiled, blushing deeply at the unexpected compliment made so frankly about the simple, inexperienced press of their lips together. It had been exciting—that much he couldn't deny, suddenly aware of his unspoken curiosities and unexpressed feelings that were not just well-defined and platonic any more—but it had also been revealing, "and yet one I will not complain about discovering."

The Hoxian felt so very exposed despite standing on a darkened street in the rain in the darker layers of very formal dress. He meant what he said, the obvious flirtation flowing far easier from his intoxicated tongue with sweetened ease, and yet he heard himself make bold offers when he'd hardly thought through any of the consequences.

Well, that wasn't entirely true.

He'd thought about Lilanee on more than one occasion. He'd paused to consider the depths of their friendship and to appreciate the intellectual foundation of their different but not mutually exclusive interests. He'd considered the lilt of her smile and her propensity for physical expression in moments of surprise. He'd lingered in thought over the blue of her eyes behind her glasses and the curve of her lips almost as much as he'd dwelt on her archaeological premises and her near-indexical historical knowledge on a variety of cultures.

Perhaps he'd thought too much.

Perhaps he'd not thought enough.

But here, in this moment, Ezre couldn't take back what had changed between them: the unraveling of proper boundaries usually defined within the semantics of a friendship and the sudden rush of excitement that tingled like electricity through every nerve ending as he allowed himself to trace inked fingers gently over the Hessean's flushed, freckled face. Here, in this moment, Ezre didn't want to take back what had changed between them, either: the pleasing warmth of physical interest hardly anything to be ashamed of between two consenting individuals who clearly had established a connection that was far from meaningless. It was an opportunity to deepen understanding instead of take advantage of shallow attractions, was it not?

Even if there was no room for selfish indulgence for one who wished to truly live in zkratas, exploring the paths of a relationship was hardly that kind of indulgence so long as the dark-haired boy could keep Lilanee's best interests in mind, as any friend should.

The Hexxos acolyte was aware of his propensity for taking risks: a flaw of insatiable and passionate curiosity hidden behind his well-practiced, calm exterior, but this was a different form of possession entirely. Just as fascinating and yet no less terrifying.

She didn't say no, though Ezre had honestly expected her to laugh off his suggestion and drag him toward the restaurant. He blinked, already forming his plan of an order of dsoh and other interesting Hoxian side dishes for them to share over some sort of hopefully distracted conversation in his mind as soon as his offer to leave left his delicate lips. Instead, the caged sparrow of his heart fluttered against his ribs and thunder rumbled over his head, the rain picking up against the awning stretched above them.

The invitation was clear.

"Lunch. Tomorrow. You are sure, then? So long as this is what you want of me, then I—"

Desire was such a strange sensation—a fire fed by knowing smiles and the soft touch of skin. Lilanee reached for his coat and there was something about the inflection of her tone at the mention of another carriage, at how much of a shame it would be to walk away from this meal to be pressed together for another too short ride through the Stacks, that stole his breath and scattered any semblance of organized thoughts he had on the subject.

An agreement had been reached and it was very decidedly full of suggestions he'd never had to respond to before.

"—zjai, it appears as though another carriage is necessary as we are without an umbrella." It felt odd to speak above the sound of his pulse and the pattering of heavy drops. He reached for the silver clasp that held his coat in place, curling fingers around the silvered skull before tucking it away into the inner pocket and shrugging free of the black fabric with a flash of the red interior lining as well as the deep crimson of his shirt and wide, sash-like belt beneath. Reaching to drape the voluminous outer layer of his formal wear around Lilanee's shoulders as a very obvious protective measure for the fascinating skeletal details in ribbon that decorated her dress, his hands lingered at his own collar, smile on his face both awkward and yet enthused at the same time.

"We must at least walk toward a main thoroughfare to attract the attention of a cab, however. The least I can do is keep your dress from being entirely ruined by the weather." She giggled and he felt unsteady, light-headed but also focused, decisive all at once. He dragged his tattooed hands away slowly, offering his arm again instead of reaching to entangle their fingers together again here on the street, so self awareness thrumming to the rapid beat of his pulse.

He was admittedly nervous about these choices they were making, but that was also part of the thrill. He was dmittedly afraid to overthink things, but the dark-haired boy longed to allow himself permission to just enjoy the moment.

Leading them away from the restaurant with no outward sign of reluctance, he laughed once they stepped into the rain because it was honestly going to soak them both through regardless of his efforts. There was no avoiding the deluge and so he didn't rush, attempting instead to at least avoid deep puddles in the cobblestone street while he made their way to wave down another carriage or a rickshaw or a cab or anything on the next street over. The busier thoroughfare was decorated with miniature phosphor lanterns and more ribbon and on the sidewalk where the pair paused, a gaggle of very intoxicated students wandered past, singing in the pouring rain and at least one of them sporting a handmade dragon tail, much to the amusement of his companions.

Ezre was still smiling, mind racing with possibilities that did not include pottery or tea or baked goods at all, desperately scrambling to process the decisions they'd made despite how every thought was filtered through a hazy First Light lens and the buzz of awakened teenaged hormones. Raising his free hand, he waved it toward an approaching carriage and felt the flutter in his stomach when the driver nodded at him, slowing the pair of moa and glancing at the pair,

"Jus' when y' thought it would calm down for a bit 'f celebratin' eh?" The older woman grinned at the two galdori, the human obviously unable to transport them onto campus directly but more than able to get them to the university gates. They'd just have to walk the rest of the way from there. What a shame.

"Perhaps it is as good a sign as any to stay in for the evening." Ezre breathed his response without a hint of chagrin at the implications, his smile not faltering so much as obviously devious now. Every fiber of his clothing seemed soaked, heavy against his too-warm skin, "We would like to make our way back to campus, please."

"Oi, well then." The driver laughed and nodded, one of the moas squawking and ruffling its feathers in a spray of more water.

The Hoxian would hold the door open again and help Lilanee inside before himself, dark-eyed gaze wandering over the pleasant image of the Hessean in his coat, both of them drenched and distracted. It was far less awkward this time to settle in next to the other student, that need for closeness no longer denied and a want for warmth beneath the weight of wet clothes in the cool night of Loshis.

Ezre was still unsure of what to do with himself, however, reaching up to tuck away strands of escaping hair and wiping a palm over his face before sitting back into the carriage seat, unoccupied hand between them hovering in that no-man's land between their bodies for a moment in such perfect representation of his very emotion-filled state of confusion before he moved it with decisiveness, unapologetically resting it over the back of the seat and behind Lilanee as if to draw them closer still. The expression made easier under the guise of privacy, he set a warm palm against her shoulder and searching the young woman's face in some attempt to save his own,

"Is your, uh, pottery collection an extensive one? Would you be disappointed if I admit that I hope it is not? I did not realize the nature of my more than platonic interests until you kissed me, and now I feel compelled to reveal the depths of my distractions, which are not at all unpleasant. I am just—this is just—I have never wanted these things before now, and—"

There was a strange allure in such vulnerability, and yet the dark-eyed boy fell quiet, visibly flustered but sincere.
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Lilanee Kuleda
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:40 am
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Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold
: Let's go on an adventure!!!
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Wed Aug 14, 2019 8:13 am

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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It was hard not to follow the movement of inked hands as they shifted to reach for his silvery chain, the beautifully delicate birdskull that adorned it disappearing to a pocket before the whole raven jacket was removed with a vibrant flash of crimson hues. The Hessean let her eyes wander over the shifting of muscle and bone under silken fabric, knowing the name of each anatomical part, silently cataloging how his shoulders shifted and deltoids synchronized with biceps to remove the garment. She couldn’t see Ezre’s bone and muscular structure under the red undershirt, but she knew how the galdori body moved.

As tattooed hands shifted to hand the large jacket over her shoulders, Lilanee lifted her eyes to his face, a warm smile greeting his own, pulse far too loud in her ears. Resting her hand on his arm as she giggled, the teenager held the jacket in place with her other hand, loosing her giggle to a bold burst of laughter as the rain poured down on them with firm determination to instantly soak through hair and fabric.

“I’m afraid your chivalry might be over ridden by this deluge.” She said with a squeal as the chilled water tricked down the back of her neck, seeping into the jacket and dress from underneath. Her make up, thank the Gods, was oil based enough to stay mostly in place rather than trailing down her cheeks in black tracks, and her red locks dripped and tugged on the pins keeping them in place. Playfully leaping over small puddles, the galdor teenager felt her skirts clinging to her legs, the Brunnhold crimson more of a deep maroon as the water drenched it. They paused, watching the drunken singers pass them, Lilanee giggling as the boys companions tugged on his tail and kicked up rain water as they staggered along the street. Her gaze drifted to the other student beside her, blue eyes catching on the way his own silk shirt clung snugly against his torso. Now she could see the shape of pectoralis major, trapezius, seratus anterior, oblique and abdominous…Lilanee dragged herself away as her line of sight crept down to the wide black belt around his waist that hid the other structures of the torso under the sodden fabric. Taking a deep breath, she followed Ezre towards the carriage, watching with fascination as one of the feathery steeds fluffed itself up and shook the droplets of water off itself in a light spray. True to her nature, even in a haze of intoxication and hormones, Lilanee found herself talking again.

“Ooh moa’s! Did you know they don’t really have moa’s in Hesse? The poor birds don’t handle the barrens very well, and they aren’t very good for carrying loads. Drakes though—” The Hessean waggled a finger at Ezre with a smirk, before looking back at the soggy moa.

“You should see drakes. They are pretty amazing. Big scaly brutes all toothy and grumpy. There’s even ones that are venomous, I mean you know that because of the burial rituals, though we don’t use them for mining. They are used more in the military sense of the word. Like chroves! I mean, chroves are pretty interesting too but their history with people is only young compared to Hessean drake taming. Did you know…” She took a breath, pausing suddenly when she realized her mouth was the only thing holding them up from entering the carriage, the human driver blinking at the rambling student and the Hoxian holding the door for her.

“Sorry.” The red head whispered, face darkening as she scooted into the carriage and settled into the seat.

And then, they were back in the carriage again.

The young woman reached up to push dripping loose curls from her face, shivering slightly under the weight of her drenched clothing and his Hoxian jacket, hugging her arms around her tightly. Ezre sat down beside her, dripping onto the seat and down to the floor as he wiped the water from his face, and Lilanee felt the warmth of his person keenly beside her. Now they were back inside the rocking of yet another carriage, the Hessean’s excited bravado turned back into awkward nervous. What was the expected thing to do here? Was the boy expecting another kiss, or was that too soon? Should she reach for that hand there between them, or keep to herself? Did—

Ezre let his arm settle over the back of the seat, his palm resting warmly against her shoulder, and Lilanee leaned closer to his warmth with another smile. Her field wrapped around the other student, spring sky eyes skimming over the fine Hoxian features of his face as he spoke quietly. His words made the butterflies in her stomach flutter wildly, and for a moment the vibrant girl was silent.

“I…uh…well.” She began, scooting a little closer to the young man and tucking her head against his shoulder with a tipsy familiarity, looking down at her hands in her lap.

“It’s not so much of a collection, than a small gathering.” The historian student said quietly, swallowing hard at the Hoxian’s rather direct commentary.

“Before I—” Lilanee paused, the words barely whispered between parted lips, heart racing. After a moment, she continued.

“…before now I uh…it’s all just chemicals and hormones. And wine. Too much wine. But…” Glancing up into the dark pools of his gaze, the freckled girl drew her lip between her teeth with a shameful blush, as though about to say something when the human driver bashed on the roof, indicating they were nearing the University.

Clocking hell that was quick.

In a tumble of wet cloth and awkward glances, the two students were free from the carriage, and Lilanee squinted through the rain as she led the Hoxian towards the H dormitories.

“I’m on the second floor, but it's an easy climb to the window if you use the trellis. Once I get to the doors, just wait for me to check inside and get upstairs. I imagine most of the remaining faculty are still in the hall, or having a few drinks in the teachers lounge, but still best to ensure there’s no one there. I mean, you’re a boy. It’s a girls dormitory…” She chuckled at the obvious issue there, shivering again in the cold Loshis rain as they crossed the dark wet school grounds. The red head didn’t walk too fast, staying close to the brunette, knowing her way to her room by heart but unable to see more than a yard or so from her feet. Stopping suddenly, Lilanee spun on her heel and put a hand on the Hoxian’s shoulder.

“Okay. Wait. Just here.” The Hessean said conspicuously, moving to take the small set of stairs that led to the dormitory front door. Opening the door, she entered the foyer, blue eyes scanning to the desk.

Please wait for attendant.

A small triangular bar sat where a dormitory monitor usually would, suggesting that any visitors should wait for their return, as though it was not the most debaurcharous night of the year. The foyer lights were dimmed low, and there was barely a sound in the building, save for the rain pouring on the roof top. Leaving a puddle in her wake, Lilanee rushed up the stairs and down the hall way. A voice sounded as she reached her doorway, murmurs of voices in fact from the ground floor, and with a squeak of panic the Hessean drew her key from her coin purse and rapidly unlocked the door. All but tumbling inside, the red head shut the door and turned the lock, leaning against it for a moment as her heart raced in her chest.

She was about to sneak a boy. Into her room. Ezre, in her room.

Lilanee took a deep breath and moved to the window, opening it and beckoned for the other student with a grin and a too loud whisper.

“Hurry, inside quick.” Moving back, the red head would wait for the Hoxian to join her inside, not at all concerned he couldn't make it. She'd climbed that trellis before, when it was after curfew and she had spent too long in the History Wing.

“Well, here we are!” She said too shrilly, sweeping a hand over the room before looking at the other student with a quick laugh, glancingdown as she dripped water on the floor. Her field fluttered as she stood hesitantly in the middle of the room, before moving quickly towards the fireplace. The small dormitory consisted of a desk covered in books and paper, a fireplace, a desk chair and a corner armchair for reading by the one small window that looked over the Church of the Moon, a chest for linens, a wardrobe for clothing. And of course, her bed, quite neatly made earlier in the day by the passive dorm attendants.

“I’ll get this started, and put the kettle in to heat. There’s uh…there’s shortbread on the desk. Somewhere. Maybe under the notes about late Before Time wicks and their similarities to galdori.” Her rambling had already begun, covering the jittering nerves that rampaged wildly through her body. Focusing on the fireplace, Lilanee found her basic elementary static and breathed the syllables for Ignite.

Ignite Dice Roll - Success!Show
SidekickBOTToday at 21:24
@Raksha: `1d6` = (5) = 5


The rain drops on her outstretched hand sizzled, turning to steam as the mona drew heat into her palm, and with a small whoomp projected into the kindling of the wood. It caught easily, small twigs and refuse cracking and popping as they were consumed by the fire and gave life to the larger log. Holding her hands out to the warmth, the red head shivered again, glancing briefly at Ezre’s before looking back at the flames.

“We should…uh…we should probably get out of some of these wet clothes. I mean, not like…that more…uh…hyperthermia. You understand. And you can’t handle ancient pottery when you're dripping water. So it makes sense. Of course.” The more she talked, the more Lilanee convinced herself that it was a very logical view point, and not at all the most insane thing she could suggest given their current not-at-all-just-friends admissions.

“I have towels. And robes. The fire will help dry things, at least a little, whilst we look at my uh…my pottery.” Her eyes slipped towards the Hoxian again, afraid of saying too much, and then again not enough. This was a great idea at the dsoh shop, but now they were here Lilanee had no idea what she was doing.

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Ezre Vks
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
Topics: 22
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold, Anaxas
: better with the dead
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Wed Aug 14, 2019 3:33 pm

Dormitory H
3rd of Loshis, 2719
"Imust admit that I am unfamiliar with the Anaxi and Bastian concepts of chivalrous behavior, so perhaps I have that as my only defense." Ezre smiled while Lilanee laughed and squealed. He hardly felt the chill of the rain or the force of it, but the weight of the Hessean's gaze while they stood on the sidewalk attempting to flag down transportation was so tangible that the dark-haired boy sincerely worried steam would curl from his soaked person and seep through drenched clothes because of the warmth that danced beneath his skin. He would have made further comment about the gender equality of Hoxian culture and how there was no such mythological creature as the fairer sex in his homeland, but instead, he'd managed to flag down the attention of a carriage and its moas.

Brown and clueless. The Hoxian might have stared at them for a few moments longer than necessary, thoughts drifting away from the cold bite of Loshis rain to the frigid temperatures of Bethas, to Tom Cooke and Clara, to the drowned ghost and its pocketwatch that was on his person even now in the rain. He blinked, Lilanee's voice, as always, dragging him away from his thoughts and back into the present like some anchor of sound to the world of the living,

"I was told that drakes had fur—" He murmured, smile returning slowly to his delicate features as he turned to the driver to make arrangements and then assisted the sodden young woman into the carriage. Did his dark-eyed gaze wander over the pleasing form that was so cleverly revealed by red fabric-wrought finery pressed against freckled skin? Was he aware of how her body moved against his hands while he offered his support? By Bash's eternal patience, yes, but—

"—but I was under the impression that they were also more a historically human endeavor than any use at all to galdorkind, even for war. Am I so uneducated about your Kingdom?" Tongue in cheek, the boy was both honest and teasing, sighing as they found their seats and she settled against him. Despite being drenched from such a short walk, there was a heat that radiated from the proximity of their bodies, pressed together just so, and he felt the fierce tempo of his heart thrum against his sternum.

She spoke of her pottery in shy response to his admittedly rather direct admission, and Ezre found himself staring at the way she blushed and faltered, at the way her lip curled beneath the pressure of her teeth, at the way her face was at an appropriate distance and angle for him to simply tilt his head slightly and bring his mouth to hers again—

Ah.

They were closer to campus than he'd remembered. Or than he wanted.

He blinked, expression waning sheepish, lithe body coiling against her own as he shifted to exit first, to offer an inked hand to the Hessean in the rain that continued to fall so merciless from above, and to pass a few coins to the driver with a nod of thanks. The human was, of course, unable to pass within Brunnhold proper's gates for good reason—an Anaxi problem in Ezre's opinion, having been raised in a Kingdom where humanity was not even welcome near Frecksat, having been raised in a Kingdom where segregation of galdori from humans was hardly as ambiguous as it was here.

Campus was quiet at this house—students and faculty both either still celebrating in the dining hall or crawling the Stacks—and the Hexxos acolyte allowed himself to be led through the sudden deluge toward the upper form women's dormitories as if it was the most appropriate thing to do with the rest of their evening.

It wasn't. At least not culturally. Thank the Circle he was Hoxian.

They avoided puddles and giggled in the shadows between phosphor lights and finally paused as the red brick buildings familiarly known to be student habitation loomed in the watery darkness. The boy's equally dark gaze wandered upward to study the decorative architecture and take note of the floral trelliswork that supported cheerful blooms in the summer months as well as the occasional weight of ambitious male galdori such as himself,

"I am, most definitely." Ezre agreed to Lilanee's observations, grinning at her instead of admitting that this was, in fact, the first time he'd ever needed to or attempted to sneak into the girl's dormitory ever in his entire life. They'd snuck into the Crypts together. They'd wandered forbidden halls before, haunted and abandoned. This was different. The thrill than trickled down his spine with the rain that soaked him to the bone was electric, and he nodded when the Hessean slipped from his arm and disappeared inside.

For a brief moment after the last lingering sensation of her field untangled itself from his own, Ezre was suddenly alone.

He knew what he was doing—didn't he?

Lilanee hadn't turned down the offer of dinner and innocuous conversation to show off her pottery collection, not intentionally. Lilanee hadn't invited him to climb up the wall of Dormitory H into her room to discuss archaeological history, not entirely. They'd kissed! She'd kissed him, and, without question, he'd kissed her back. Ezre was not the type of creature to do anything without careful consideration, but he was certainly not about to admit that he'd spent any time thinking about—

Hurry.

Dark eyes flicked upwards, rain on his face, putting out the flames that burned his cheeks. He smiled at the disheveled Hessean, adrenaline and anticipation filling him with a sensation not unlike the whirlies from some powerful spell. Pausing to glance around the empty campus, visibility limited by the darkness and the weather as it was already, Ezre cautiously set about climbing the trellis toward the second story. His first few attempts belied his enthusiasm, the Hoxian slipping and landing in the bushes once then slipping and scraping himself on stonework with a hiss of breath through grit teeth once he hit the ground again.

"Tsuuuuh."

Well, that had hurt—both his bravado-gilded ego and his body. He'd probably even torn the crimson silk of his shirt, but at least it was so soaked and so dark that it graciously hid any blood for the moment.

Shaking it all off with a laugh in the dark, the dark-haired boy gave it a third try, clambering quickly up the slippery decor, this time smarter with his foot holds and keener with where he found grips for his tattooed fingers. Tossing himself without a hint of grace over the windowsill, he stood between the curtains, dribbling a puddle there on floor of Lilanee Kuleda's dorm room. His heart raced, breath ragged with more nervousness than pain, and meeting the Hessean's blue-eyed gaze, he grinned awkwardly before he reached up and tossed a handful of soaked, dark hair from his face, inked hands curling into his half-undone mess to unravel it all and wring it out.

"I can—" She moved to light the flames with magic and the stirring of mona in the small room stole his words instead, eyes drawn from the sudden glow of bright fire to the way she held her hands out toward the warmth. She was shivering, but whether it was from nervousness or actual chill, Ezre couldn't tell. He wasn't cold at all, but he felt the weight of his wet clothing the minute the words left her mouth—

"—dru. No. I would not want to risk damaging—not that I believe we are at risk for—I—well—oh, towels. Zjai. Please. I seem to have made quite a fool of myself with that climb." He was slipping out of his shoes while he spoke, bending to pick them up and bring them closer to the small dorm-standard hearth, noting that a thin trickle of red traced its way from beneath his shirt, traveling with the rivulets of water from his sodden shirt to swirl and pool on the floor. Distracted for a moment, the Clairvoyant gathered his field almost instinctually, but the sharp sting of his elbow startled him into focus again and he moved closer to the hearth with an awkward sort of smile.

He didn't argue about clothing, though perhaps for Lilanee's sake he should have appeared more awkward about it. The Hoxian hardly had any shame about the body he'd been given and he'd seen too many other bodies to immediately make the connection between their no longer entirely platonic admissions and this moment that he'd been invited to participate in. He made motions to begin undressing, wincing as his tailbone objected to the shifting of his hips while he untucked his shirt from the wide swash of fabric and cord that made his belt. His wrist and elbow stung beneath the clinging crimson of his sleeve, and it was when he moved to begin untying the formal knotwork of said belt that he realized what he was doing, what they were doing, what they could be doing.

There was something in the young woman's lingering glance that finally caught his attention, that stilled the nervous butterflies of his thoughts, that caused the back of his neck to crawl with more than just the heat of the fire, lighting up his thoughts like a brand in the dark.

"Lilanee, I—we—am I really here for—pottery?"

Ezre stared at her in his coat, no dryer than himself, eyes wide. He cleared his throat, curling fingers into his half-open shirt, the linework that traced its way over his chest and under so much of his skin totally visible. There was a symmetry to it, that much was obvious, but how far the intricate framework for further decoration had been inked across his flesh was hidden by wet fabric. The dark-haired boy sighed, mingling his field with hers with an unspoken but needful curiosity. His tongue felt slower, his mind sharper with the swift rhythm of his pulse, and the Hoxian spoke quietly, voice wavering

"If you are concerned for the condition of your historical artifacts given our current state, perhaps tomorrow, after lunch, you can share with me your small gathering of pottery instead? Perhaps tonight, we can explore more of the presently clandestine and admittedly exciting interest between us? Not to say—I do not know what that is supposed to mean—or have any expectations. I just—I do not think I can—"

Ezre laughed, grinning stupidly, shoulders sagging for a moment as if he'd just sloughed off something far heavier than the wet clothing that clung to his lithe frame. He shook his head, blushing furiously, stepping outside of the well-formed mask he wore in a moment of vulnerable desire, the allure of intimacy undeniably bright. Tattooed hands reached up to wipe his face, scraped palm inadvertently leaving a smear of red over a delicate red-flushed cheek, too distracted to be entirely aware of the full extent of his injuries from falling,

"—I do not think I can at all think straight right now, here, with you. I am mildly intoxicated and admit my thoughts are still very much returning to how it felt to kiss you, to how I would very much like to do that again. It is strange. I am sorry—I—uh, well, let us dry off. Warm up. Have some tea. A robe would be appropriate, unless you—uh—I can let you dry off and change first—here, just ignore my rambling. I will give you privacy." He turned toward the fire, full of chagrin, wanting to hide as so many emotions rose to the surface of his thoughts all at once, willingly set free from his usual control.
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Lilanee Kuleda
Posts: 135
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 6:40 am
Topics: 11
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold
: Let's go on an adventure!!!
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Writer: Raksha
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Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:33 pm

3rd Loshis, 2719
BRUNNHOLD| AFTER DUSK
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"Actually, you’re not wrong. Some species of drake are known to grow a downy fur, though they are more of the wild variety.” The red head inserted between breaths as she was assisted into the carriage, not at all aware of every single small place warm hands hovered on her person. Nope, not in the slightest.

She began to back pedal, wanting to clarify the other student’s knowledge on her Kingdom, pausing when she glanced at him. It didn’t matter, not right now. Time for discussion about drake taming and its origins could perhaps be better placed in the morrow, over dsoh.

The trip felt short, as did the walk across the lawn, but as she stood by the window waiting for the Hoxian to scale the trellis by Ophur it felt like eons. She peeked out at the second sound of a body landing on the ground, brow drown and ring finger creeping to her lip again, concerned in their mild intoxication they may have both over estimated Ezre’s ability to climb. A small sigh of relief and a sharp thrill of excitement ran down her spine when the Hoxian managed to gain a better hold on his third attempt. Stepping back to allow the sodden creature to all but fall into her room as she kicked off her boots, the Hessean historian couldn’t stop herself admiring how rakish the usually immaculately put together boy looked with his hair loose and dripping around his face. It was terribly distracting and for a moment Lilanee found her mind wandering, breaking the moment with a sharp turn to deal with the fire place, missing the beginning of a sentence Ezre had begun to form.

As the young woman watched the Hoxian remove his shoes, talking as he moved, Lilanee almost jumped with urgency to get the aforementioned towels from the chest at the end of the bed, hiding her view of Ezre as she went.

“Not at all! I mean it’s wet, it’s clocking wet. I should have just snuck you in through the foyer, that was entirely my fault. I’ve climbed it so many times—not because of boys mind you—but the monitors don’t particularly enjoy us being out after curfew and I don’t particularly enjoy having to be curfewed when I’m in the midst of cataloging bone samples."

"Lilanee, I—we—am I really here for—pottery?"

Standing in one quick movement, towels in either hand, the Hessean felt another blush crawl over her cheeks and down her throat to disappear under her dress. The wine in her system set her off balance for a moment, though she was too awkward to laugh at the moment. Her blue eyes drifted from his face, over the linework she could see peeking out from under the loose crimson shirt, reminded once again that the inking on his fingers went much further than just his hands.

“I—uh—” Lilanee dropped her gaze to the towels in her hands, fairly certain she might burn up on the spot and fall through the floor, field welcoming Ezre’s as it reached to curl around hers. The usually so solemn and composed Hoxian was aflutter, and it was undeniably an attractive feature, Lilanee feeling a strange sense of excitement at his flustered state. At the sound of his laughter, the red head looked up again, catching the stain that remained on his face. Her awkward nervousness disappeared, covered with a frown of genuine concern.

“Oh! Ezre, you’re bleeding.” She said with a tsk, placing the towels on her bed and approaching the boy as he turned towards the fire, listening to his words with burning ears. Not answering his questions right away, Lilanee looked at his hand first, unable to see any tell tale injuries there, which meant the too watery life fluid was coming from somewhere under all this fabric.

"This, off." She said pointedly, reaching for his shirt to remove it entirely, carefully dragging it down over his arms and draping it on her desk chair. Skimming her fingertips over wet skin and blue-black markings she hovered over his grazed elbow.

“You’re hurt.” The teenager said quietly from over his shoulder, looking around her room for the dormitory supplied first aid kit, reaching to peel the boys dark jacket from her shoulders and throw it over his shirt in the process. Spying the small wooden box with the carved cross on its lid under her bed, Lilanee knelt down to grab it, before flicking it open and drawing out gauze and bandages. Returning to the half unrobed student to stand beside him, the Hessean pressed the gauze to his cheek first to clean it, before taking it to his elbow gently, letting her eyes roam over the markings on his person.

“I didn’t realize how intricate these were. I mean, I know I asked about them previously but...they are amazing. How do they get the ink into the skin? Is it done with magic, or with tools? Did they hurt?” She rambled, running her free hand down his arm to hold his hand, lifting it gently to examine his fingers again. Slowly, she drew her hand over the line work, shifting over his forearm and up to his bicep.

“They’re old, right? Not in the past year or two, but older. The lines here, where your skin creases, they've spread slightly.” Her hand shifted over the curve of his shoulder and down over his chest.

"Such perfect lines and circles, and the flow. It seems I can trace some of the patterns from your fingers to—" Following a singular line downwards before she lost it under the edge of his belt, the curious teenager let featherlight fingertips brush against the dip between his hip and his abdominal structure.

"Sorry." Curling her fingers into her palm, Lilanee bit her lip again, glancing up into dark eyes.

“Tomorrow…tomorrow could be better. I’m not sure I’m in any state to uh…to explain the…the things.” The student laughed softly, grimacing at her inability to find the right words. As she looked over the flushed pallor of his face, her hand slipped slightly from his elbow as though she'd forgotten the task at hand, heartbeat sounding loud in her ears.

“I would very much like you to kiss me again.” She whispered, a fluttery tension within her core mingling with the warmth of their combined fields and water all but ruining the rug underfoot. They were so very close, it would be so easy to just lean over and press her lips to his. Could she? Should she? Was this less public for him? The fire popped loudly, startling the tispy Hessean back to her senses. Taking a sharp breath, Lilanee laughed again and focused on his elbow.

“I uh—sorry. Let me—” The Hessean checked the flow of blood, reaching for the bandage and loosening the end to start winding it around tattooed skin and stained gauze.

“Well, you haven’t damaged your epiondyle, which is good. It means I don’t need to whisk you off to the hospital wing. Are you hurt anywhere else? I shouldn’t have made you climb that stupid thing.” She said angrily, frustrated that her intoxication was allowing her to make silly mistakes. Shivering again, though not at all sure it was from the cold, the dripping Hessean finished bandaging his arm and tied off the end.

“All adventures should know a small amount of first aid.” She said in a suddenly deeper tone, making a face that implied she was being someone else, before giggling again.

"The delights of an archaeologist parent." The nerves were returning now, and Lilanee was painfully aware of how close they were, though she made no movements to step away.

“I uh…I need your help. To get this off. Please. I'm somewhat pinned into it.” She said quietly, looking down at the now rather saggy looking skeletal torso over her silk dress. The bows were drooping sadly, the starch from the ribbon entirely defeated by the deluge of rain. Lifting her hands, she gestured at the back of her neck, turning slightly and looking over her shoulder at him.

"I think, if you start here, it will come apart and I can take it off, from the uh..from the front."

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Ezre Vks
Posts: 285
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:02 am
Topics: 22
Race: Galdor
Location: Brunnhold, Anaxas
: better with the dead
Character Sheet: Character Sheet
Writer: Muse
Writer Profile: Writer Profile
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Thu Aug 15, 2019 2:15 pm

Dormitory H
3rd of Loshis, 2719
"Iam? Oh." Ezre's attention didn't move from Lilanee's face, her awkward expression at his direct question faltering into sudden concern. She chided him, stepping closer as he turned to gaze into the fire for a moment instead of continuing to meet her blue-eyed stare, beginning to lift his arm and glance over the tear in the clinging, wet fabric that was apparently also hiding a tear in his flesh. Her next words caught him off-guard and he inhaled sharply as a response, her rain-chilled fingers curling into crimson silk, knuckles brushing his bare skin beneath—

—it was a thoughtless motion of worry, he knew, and yet as he acquiesced to the demand, as he willingly allowed the Hessean to remove his shirt, the butterflies in his stomach melted into hot magma and dribbled downward through the cavity of his chest, trickling to pool at the base of his spine. Turning over his hand, he'd torn up the heel of his palm, but her blue eyes would surely note the fading pink line carved across the soft center flesh. It would be obviously purposeful, but he said nothing, jaw clenching while she continued her examination. The worn wooden edges of the trellis had raked down the inside of his right wrist and he'd landed hard on the same elbow, though his tailbone and shoulder blade also stung from the impact of his second fall. The bleeding was a slow ooze, something that perhaps would have slowed on its own, scabbed over, but—

"Just a few scrapes and bruises. Nothing infirmary-worthy."

He exhaled with a hitch of breath, exposed to more than just the caress of the fire in the hearth or even the young woman's touch. While Lilanee perhaps didn't entirely understand that she was peeling away more than just physical layers of clothing with her actions, Ezre was acutely aware of what was happening—inside his well-guarded self as well as outside with his willingly-shared body.

She turned back to him and he felt immediately weak in the knees in the wake of her motion, too much heat melting his ability to separate logical thought from base desire as if the divide between those two things had been made of mere wax. Her breath had tickled the still-wet nape of his neck, formal topknot sagging and strands of dark hair resting heavily against chilled skin. Her fingers reached for him without hesitance and traced with idle curiosity over lines, but only for long enough to steal his breath before she turned away to search out her first aid kit.

The dark-haired boy was left to waver on his feet, looking his own arm over to glance at the red line drawn in blood nestled just so among his much more purposeful Hexxos tattoos.

Ezre blinked when the Hessean returned, her hand pressing gauze against his face to wipe the smear he'd drawn across it drawing him instinctually closer until her gentle touch raised his arm between them. Taking in her expression, he smiled shyly at her words, swallowing hard before he could find his voice again,

"Needled instruments and ink, much like the midland Kingdoms mark their passives. It is detailed work, zjai, but you can see the imperfections. Some of it hurts more than the rest—closer to the bones—here and—" He was whispering, tone low and husky, faltering with the motion of her exploring fingers tracing their way up his arm, following one of the bold lines that made up a framework over his entire person,

"I was ten—after my testing confirmed I was galdor—when I received my first inking. Back there, along my spine. The first circle. As the only child of a r—of Hexxos—I was given a choice not to become an initiate, but, I made my decision. Again at thirteen. And sixteen. My birthday is—I mean—when I go home, I will continue the process. The simple paths are meant to indicate our ley lines—" He nodded at her observations of age, resisting the urge to say more, to tell her everything he'd carefully kept from even their most mundane of conversations over the past few months, but he couldn't help the gasp that escaped between his words as her explorations traveled over his shoulder and down his chest. Muscles tensed beneath her touch and he could hear his pulse thunder against his temples, quite surprised at how his body begged for her to continue without his permission.

Oh, for Bash's sake—

Her hand sojourned lower still and his next words were something like a whispered whine, shuddering but also smiling, obviously flustered, "—Hoxians do claim to have superior knowledge about magical, uh, anatomy, after all."

He was dizzy, and Ezre could feel the weight of her curiosity in their mingled fields as much as he could hear the desire in her whispered response. The crackle of the hearth startled them both, but the dark-haired boy felt as though his whole existence had just been dry kindling and that he'd just been set on fire. Lilanee rambled and he stared at her, unable to speak for a few moments while she tied off a bandage and his heart tried to burn its way through his sternum,

"I am quite sure I have bruised my tailbone." He murmured, expression turning revealingly coy and chagrined. The Hoxian even chuckled at her imitation of her father, unwilling to look away from her face in order to investigate her work, trusting that it was sufficient for the moment. Her touch had left him restless, and while his bones ached from his foolish fall out in the rain, a different sort of ache thrummed in his more metaphorical flesh. The Hessean turned away from him, her arms raising to draw his attention to her dress, the soaked ribbons now in limp mockery of their former skeletal glory and her fingers moving to draw his dark eyes to focus on the freckled curve of her neck.

"The damage to my ego appears to be relatively minor, thank the Circle, considering I find myself alone here in your dorm room with you."

He breathed quietly, teasing her without a hint of shame, open and more himself than he'd probably ever been in her company, purposefully reaching up before her hands pulled away from directing her request for assistance, making sure to brush his palms up over her wrists and the backs of her fingers. The desire to return her exploratory touches was very strong, and he hesitated in the realization of just how overwhelming that wanting could be, in the realization of just how much he'd allowed himself to feel so freely in the presence of someone else,

"Here?" Ezre was standing too close, the chilled confinement of his rain-soaked trousers a suddenly nuisance when he could feel every square inch of his own skin, alive and awake and aware. The pool of water at their feet was hardly worth noticing when her crimson dress draped heavily over his bare feet, tattooed fingers set about searching for pins. Dark eyes drifted from the work to her hair, to the freckled blush along he could feel radiate from her skin before coming back into focus.

The tempo of his pulse taunted him and he carefully began to free the clever skeletal decoration from its place over her dress, moving to go above and beyond her request once the sodden mess more or less sagged into his hands. His mind wandered to the landscape that was hidden from view and he leaned to press warm lips to her neck, tentative and yet bold. Cold fabric tickled his bare chest and his inked fingers trailed over her shoulders and downward toward more of the stays that held her dress in place, whispering in her ear with undisguised nervousness causing his voice to waver,

"Let me help with the rest, Lilanee—" A featherlight tickle of his lips chased the racing pulse at her neck and one hand slipped downward to tangle with hers. A squeeze of his fingers were a wordless offer to turn her to face him again, both so that he could finally—finally!—kiss her but also so he could assist with whatever held the ribbon in place along the front of her dress.

This time, Ezre's kiss was brave and firm, no longer fueled by timid curiosity so much as exploratory interest. He felt the cold sting of trepidation, the thunderous rumble of a heartbeat burdened by inexperience but set free from well-practiced self-control. He lingered and for a heartbeat or two his body forgot how to breathe, lost in the foolish moment, though something frighteningly familiar whispered through the darkest parts of his mind, a sudden terror clawing at the base of his spine as he let go of himself, a thrill of fear that both reminded him of that cold day in Bethas he'd lost more than just mere control of himself and also scolded him for the very comparison.

This was different. Instead of the incorporal sensation of a restless spirit washing over his bare skin, there was only the warm, giving body of the Hessean against his,

"—please."
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