Healing a Healer

[Maladan]

Maladan preferred to left the matter – Latham wasn't the sort of man to get angry with those he liked, but he certainly wasn't comfortable with the theme.

The elf felt like this relationship with Wendell was just... unhappy. They maybe agreed to leave it business-based like most noble relationships, then feelings had probably gotten involved and Wendell had probably fallen for Latham. It didn't end well, and Latham doesn't want to go back to that. His decision not to give the his husband another chance, even though he took Thomas back after all, seemed a little... cruel for Maladan's taste.

"Well, if you are to be my lover, know that I will take your plans to take over the kingdom seriously, Latham." This response to 'don't worry about the throne or the prince' was only partly a joke. According to Maladan, though it was probably a wild guess, Latham would make a pretty good king. Probably better than the current one, but so could prince Franz without Latham having to expose himself to any dangers lurking in shady places of high politics. Maladan could imagine a large fraction of conservative nobles that would never allow Sil'norai to sit on the throne of the realm of men.

Maladan didn't know how they ended up on the bed. Truth was, he didn't really see much of his surroundings through Latham... maybe he didn't even want to.

He exhaled softly, the movement was straining the fresh tissues of the treated scars that were still pink and tender from their newness. "Won't Thomas be upset? We're close, at least I think, but... I feel bad, like I've cheated him. But you are right, I must talk to him as soon as possible about... what happened. Not only... this. About other things too." Thomas was... mysterious; there was something attractive but creepy about it at the same time. What was truth and what was just a pose from all that Thomas told him about himself? Maladan was sure he had something to do with healing. He was also sure he must have travelled a lot, he couldn't just make up such experiences on the spot or have them memorized from books and exotic paintings and stories of others. Most importantly, he knew that Thomas was a good man at his core – not perfect, but good.

It took some time as Latham's hands began to move before his subconscious realized that no pain was coming from it; it was just... it just felt good. He mimicked the gentle movements of his hands over Latham's body, and let's just say he was... concerned. Despite man's clothes, there was something obvious, yet even fanciful: Maladan had never seen anyone as muscular as Latham. He had seen athletic men, sometimes even undressed, but it was nothing compared to the Ardent musculature. Most of the Ardent he'd seen had armor on them and they never been so close... and even if, Maladan doubted that any of them could rival Latham in the matters of constitution. Beneath the fabric of his shirt and the tighter cloth of his vest he could feel the warmth and contours of knight's arms and chest. It must be said that in such a situation it was very difficult for Maladan to think about philosophy. "I'm sorry, what did you say?" he asked in confusion when he heard a lot of 'kill' and 'die' in Latham's words, which drawn his attention back to the topic of Weissen.

"Giving life is no easy thing to do, no one should have the power to kill with ease and even if they do, I'm not going to follow their lead." he added, still little... distracted. He was rewarded with an another kiss. This time Maladan did his best to emulate Latham again, to get along and learn from the other man's doings. It was... electrifying. When he heard out how cute he was, he chuckled stupidly and his face turned as red as a strawberry, his ears moving further from his head in almost animal gesture.
"I'd love that." he whispered and leaned over for another kiss. And another. And another one.

"Umh... I should really finish the work with foam... I'm ashamed of my scars." Maladan murmured into the other man's lips.

[Taelian Edevane]

"Well, you are to be my lover, so I suppose seriously you shall take it," he replied, humming into an affirming smile as he kissed his forehead. It was strange -- they'd met only that morning, but he felt incredibly comfortable around Maladan. They were naturally compatible, he was certain; Maladan was sweet, but in a grounding way. There was a discernible wisdom to him, embedded within his kind exterior. He was full of warmth and love, even if it was marred by whatever tribulations he had endured. Before long, the man found his own cheeks full of color, his eyes trained on the other, beholding his handsome face.

I'm sorry, what did you say?

"Honestly, I forgot," he answered, laughing lightly. Latham gave Maladan's body a gentle squeeze, nodding quietly as he further elaborated on his philosophy of non-violence, of mercy. He wanted to respond in kind, but it was difficult to focus on anything other than holding him, kissing him, sharing warmth. "You're kind," he concluded, non-offensively, laughing again as Maladan nervously chuckled, his face going red. "And so cute," he repeated the compliment, grinning as he embarrassed the other man. They kissed, then -- again and again -- and before long he couldn't stop kissing him, couldn't stop holding him. He smoothed his hands all over his soft, pale skin, appreciating every inch of his more lithe contours. The man lifted Maladan from his chest for a moment, sitting upright and removing his vest, before working away at his white shirt. Once all of that was done, his bare, muscular form was revealed; his large, powerful arms, his robust torso built of broad, beefy pectorals and a strong, refined abdomen.

The man didn't remove any more clothing -- his intention wasn't to press Maladan's boundaries, only to hold him skin-to-skin. Embracing him again once his shirt was removed, the Knight stroked along his waist, kissing him on the cheek as he returned his attention to his scars, and the foam.

"Don't be ashamed of them -- I'll fix them," Latham assured him, bringing his lips to brush against Maladan's again, until they kissed one more time. "I'm going to be a good man to you, Mal, I promise you that. So--show me the rest of your wounds, and I'll work away at them until they're all gone. Alright?"

[Maladan]

"Well... you should know that I have a bad feeling about this scheme of yours, lover." He replied, watching Latham's face warily. It could cost him a lot, not only him but Maladan and Thomas as well. And what would he gain from it? More power and more obligations; he would share in the suffering and happiness of every single living soul in the entire kingdom. Maladan knew that power corrupts character, so he would never seek it much. Though in his own weak moments he longed to be able to do what Thomas and the Mother did, to control thoughts, to make the bad man feel remorse for their actions, he knew that though he would carry such power with care and the right intentions... it would eventually change him. In a year, ten, fifty? It didn't matter, he wouldn't be himself anymore. He didn’t want more than he had now, not really.

Philosophy was a minor topic however, and neither he nor Latham could keep their attention on metaphysical concepts much longer: Maladan laughed, and giggled, and let himself be kissed and held and cuddled. Though the gentle squeeze of his body scared him a little at first, it eventually left him with a strange, warm ticklish feeling in his stomach and lower belly.

"And you're strong. Brave. And no less kind." He returned the compliment with no lesser affection in his voice.

Maladan was lifted off Latham's chest and settled into his lap, giving the larger man a space to undress.

He watched Latham, almost freezed in the place, staring at the fine fabric of his shirt as it caressed and exposed the knight's bare skin.

He swallowed and felt something heavy settle itself in his throat.

Latham reached out to him, pulling him into a hug. Maladan could feel his hardened warmth of knights muscles and the body hair of his chest, quite exotic to him.

The tickling sensation returned and the elf felt a little dizzy. He remembered that he was familiar with such feelings, and usually a bucket of cold water or a run through the winter landscape helped with them. but there was no icy water nearby and Latham's hands and kisses reliably removed thoughts of a frantic escape. The work of destruction was completed by his words, which made Maladan's heart melt - all he feared now was waking up in the cold again, alone in his cell. The only real uncomfortable fact was the tightness of his underwear.

He showed Latham his arms, marked with another scars... and then turned around so Latham gained access to his whip-marred back. Slowly and methodically, the skin was smoothed and healed until a few more doses of foam was spilled and nearly all scars were gone.

This took a long time and was interspersed with many kisses, strokes and hugs, with Maladan mapping Latham's chest with his fingers. He touched and stroked his muscles, examining their structure, build and size with more than just anatomical interest.

Strange. He hadn't noticed Latham had a dagger anywhere near his waist before.

Oh goodness....

"Taelian, wait..." he stopped him on the occasion of more kisses, when only a two last scars remained at his neck and collarbone, once again sitting on Latham's lap, face to face.

"I know you might ask me again if I'd like something particular to do... I'm having trouble saying 'no' to anything you’d suggest at the moment, but... I... I can't do this. I mean… That. I’ve never done it. It’s weird, I know, but… luckily enough, I never had the opportunity, even not in a prison… although it was close. Could… could we just stick with this for now? Please?”

Maladan had a feeling that this was no small thing to ask, since normal people seemed to enjoy this activity. And Latham already described himself as being a passionate. He’d love to give the man what he wanted, but… he sincerely hoped all the passion were used on exhaustion of poor Thomas.

[Taelian Edevane]

Their intimacy remained fairly constant throughout the 'procedure', a disorganized array of foam-injections that mostly left small epidermal tissue parallel to 'scars' in appearance. Latham explained that he would need a more expert Necromancer to smooth out the skin and restore a normal stratum corneum -- or outermost layer of skin -- but that intervention was necessary in the moment so that worse, deeper scars did not linger, and no infection arose.

As their night continued, the man's mind lingered towards many peripheral things; whether Thomas would be upset that he'd spent hours of their evening with Maladan, without informing him that he would be doing so, what Maladan felt regarding the Lord's intention to elevate himself to that of a King. He wandered away from those worrisome topics onto more pleasant ones, in time; the sweet words his new lover had assigned him, 'strong, brave, kind.'

The less worried he became, the more he found his passions igniting, coinciding with Maladan's. Before his mind fully had time to catch up, the two of them were tracing their hands all across the physique of the other, the smaller man exploring Latham's torso and his arms, while Latham smoothed over his chest, back, and his soft features.

'I like you,' he would repeat. 'I really like you.'

Intimacy became passion, and passion something more -- a sort of physical infatuation borne of arousal. While he never once spoke of going beyond simple touches and the kisses that accompanied them, it was perhaps clear that his mind did linger onto other things; things he dared not ask for, nor impress upon the other, though doubtlessly things which he craved.

That was when, of course, any such advances towards carnal intimacy were preemptively swatted away, as Maladan informed him of his limitations. Not yet.

"Don't worry," he said back, kissing him on the forehead near his temple. "I don't want to do anything that you don't want to do, and we will wait as long as you need. If that's tomorrow night, then I will abide by your desire. If that's months from now, then I accept that all the same. Just--don't be afraid of it, or doing it, with me... alright? I won't hurt you. I'll be as gentle as you need me to be."

He nodded, before slowly pulling away from the other, moving towards the edge of the bed where he began to move his Necromantic instruments back into place. Eyeing the other for a moment, he tossed Maladan a simple smile, before glancing towards his briefcase.

"I should return to Thomas for the night; he'll be terribly confused as to what we've been up to for the last... I don't know, three hours? I think he might still be a bit insecure about everything -- all that's happened, and the implications on our relationship. So . . . I'll see to him and make sure he feels alright."

Clearing his throat, the man stood up. Whether intentionally or thoughtlessly, he did not think to take his clothing back with him, leaving his shirt and vest on the bed.

"I'll be back to see you in the morning, my dear. We'll be going to my estate downtown. I... worry that there will be confrontation once we get there, so I'm warning you of that possibility. No matter what happens, though, you, Thomas and I will stick together. Just be aware of that."

Turning towards the door, the man turned back for a moment to extend out his arms, offering Maladan a wide embrace before his departure. He would kiss him one final time, before heading out to return to his adjacent room.

[Maladan]

Intimacy wasn't something Maladan was used to, but he found it uncomfortable. On the contrary, he enjoyed these moments dangerously much, but like all things in the existence, even this moment have to end. Slowly, reluctantly, but still, Latham began to withdraw from Maladan's bed. Was he driven away by his inability to give more? Something, that was probably considered normal in this situation? – it was an unlikely thought, but it occurred to Mal nonetheless. Probably, given enough time and space, it would prevent him from keeping his word, and pushed him into offering himself to Latham after all. His words sounded comforting, but not really, not entirely.

"It's not about the pain, or that I don't trust you to be gentle. It's... a big thing. This all is happening too fast, that I... I just want to do it right." Maladan strocked his lover on the shoulder and... he didn't want to let him go; but he had to. He actually trusted his words, or rather that Latham wanted to feel that way, however he didn't believe that a day would equal a month of waiting.

Part of Maladan didn't believe there was anything special about himself. Perhaps Latham was just like that, perhaps, though well-meaning, he simply had a soft spot for cute men. Maybe Maladan would end up just like Wendell, make a mistake and goad him enough to cause the definitive end... by being too differenty; by being inexperienced; or by disagreeing with Latham in some topics... by not being able to keep up with him in politics.

The man who stood before him, and the man who was only a room away – two people Maladan felt something very strong, frightening and confusing about – were both charismatic in their own ways. They were skilled in the art of dealing with people, constructing words and impressions to have the desired effect on those around them, they have been doing it for years and it's somewhat essential to their life as celebrant and a lover of celebrant. Was it something Maladan was able to keep up with?

"Yes, you... probably should. Three hours... Wow." He said, but it didn't seem like enough for him – time suddenly just flew by when he was with the man. The thought of being here alone made him... uneasy. He was almost tempted to ask Latham if he could come with him, even if he would have to slept on the floor by their bed – it would be just fine, it's better than to be left alone.

A confrontation with Latham's husband honestly now seemed like something very distant. At the moment, Maladan only knew that he longed to do something... and he didn't know what.
"Yeah, we'll... stick together. Maybe your husband will set the hollows on us." He joked, still sitting on the bed, unable to take his eyes off the departing Sil'norai.

When he was offered a hug, he finally reached out to him so he could squeeze him one last time at the door and indulge in one last kiss. Maladan suspected himself of being all so dramatic about the whole thing; he would see Latham in the morning, after all, no one is going to die here tonight. He was somehow still used to the arbitrary uncertainty of life in prison. Maybe he was just having trouble believing that the good things that come can just stay in life.

He returned to the bed and sighed. Finally he noticed the clothes...
"Taelian, you left a..." The door were empty and Latham was gone. He definitely... didn't want to walk into their room with Latham's clothes now, so he just closed it shut and lay his back on them.

His thoughts naturally turned to Thomas. His feelings of shame returned, as he couldn't imagine that this couldn't hurt Thomas in some way. His lover were with his friend for three hours, and now he returns shirtless. How is Thomas supposed to trust him after this? Wasn't it... a mistake? He would never normally did it: what happened to resigning all the boundaries he had so quickly?

The more he thought about it, the more he felt like a replacement - or worse, revenge. He really didn't believe Latham could be this way wicked, certainly not consciously, but the thoughts were there all the same; felt like the honey turned to dust in his mouth and all he needed for it were a few minutes of cogitation alone. When did he become such a pessimist?

He pulled Latham's shirt and vest together. He folded them and placed them in the empty part of the big bed. It smelled like him. He had to chuckle to himself, with a few shakes he shook those thoughts out of his head and began playing with his scars using necromantic tools instead. A little pain took his thoughts elsewhere, and the precision required to improve Latham's work with his own art took all his concentration.

It was nice to immerse himself in the work.

[Thomas]

Taelian
Points: 8

Lores:
Necromancy: Sinew Foam: Epidermal Scarring
Necromancy: Sinew Foam: Dermal Layer Wounds
Necromancy: Sinew Foam: Conforms to multiple tissue types from surroundings
Necromancy: Sinew Foam: Difficult to perfectly match epidermal volume when sealing a wound
Necromancy: Using additional tools alongside the Kit to assist with procedures
Necromancy: Refilling the Foam capsules
Necromancy: Applying Sinew Foam to the deepest, most infectious wounds first


Maladan
Points: 8

Lores:
Necromancy: Sealing the Cuts by Foam
Necromancy: Foam Application by Grafting Needle
Necromancy: Cosmetic Modifications: Scar tissue repair
Necromancy: Cosmetic Modifications: Smoothing a skin
Blades: Carving Precision
Seduction: Declaration of Love
Seduction: Art of a Kiss
Seduction: Gentle Touches

Loot: One another
Injuries: No new injuries for either character. Perhaps next time.

Comments: This was a genuinely touching thread. I look forward to watching Tae and Mal's relationship grow.