[Couronne] A helping hand

[Arkash]

All the pleasantries that accompanied exchanging their ages were still fresh in his mind by the time the Veir's eruption came to pass. The intensity of his blush when Degare called him out, the flustered, embarrassed shake of his head that accompanied the elf's wink. The reality of how one phrase could change everything so quickly was rousing, to say the least, but Arkash seemed to take it in his stride. It was a learning experience, a lesson to take away and apply in future social exchanges; think before you talk.

Relief filled his lungs promptly before he exhaled through his nose and relaxed his shoulders a little. Just the change in ferocity in Degare's expression was enough to put him at ease, it seemed.

I really should work on making this less difficult to talk about. To which, Arkash shook his head while brushing over the backs of Degare's hands. "No... You can't help feeling the way you do, I understand," he said, still riding that euphoric wave of relief. "Everyone has their own way of working through this thing, and if you're not the talking type, that's okay," he assured, unflinching in his eye contact. "Doesn't matter how long it takes," he added at a similar volume to the last words the elf spoke.

He merely nodded to the delivery of Degare's next question, the concern and pity he displayed seemed to mix with relief when Degare showed his understanding, and he exhaled deeply once more. "I'm honestly a bit of a monster, but I guess it depends on how much I like you..." he laughed a little uncomfortably while he sat the man down, cheeks darkened as his eye caught the dusting of pink on Degare's light skin. "...And for you, that's a lot," he spoke softly while he looked upon the elf with open adoration.

Still, Arkash delivered the offer to forget the exchange ever happened. Degare's response brought his brows to rise, and he lifted his head a little as he was taken aback. His eyes followed the flow of those tears as they streaked, then returned his gaze to the man. There, he saw that vulnerability, though it almost seemed to startle him. Even so, he smiled with a sort of patient sincerity, reached out to hold the elf by his cheeks, and used his thumbs to brush away the tears. "You poor thing..." Arkash spoke with no shortage of empathy, a tone he didn't often assume.

At the request, his smile brightened a little. "Well... I don't want to break you, especially while you're recovering from lung surgery, but if you insist..." Arkash's heart began to quicken once more as he climbed into the taller man's lap while he sat, chest pressed flush to the elf's while a very brief grimace and a quiet hiss of pain escaped him. "Say if I'm too heavy, okay?" He spoke affectionately, apparently overestimating just how much his lean frame weighed.

There, in the elf's lap, Arkash's pale eyes reflected the warmth of Degare's amber irises, alight with all sorts of passions and admiration that almost never seemed to grace his features. Just a moment or two sitting there was all he spent before he gently leaned his head in, closed his eyes, and motioned his lips to Degare's.

Image source.

[Degare]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

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Emotional sincerity is in short supply in Daravin, and for Degare, little and less has been received since his partner’s death. Everyone has walls upon walls of boundaries here and he’d been so closed off ever since that event that most were kept away from him by much more than an arm’s length. Plus…everyone who’d made it to adulthood had learned to hide their emotions well; it was a little novel to be able to more easily read somebody’s expressions like this. Suffice it to say, he was awash with emotions he hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Though the Ferrier saw the relief wash over Arkash’s face, he didn’t quite understand why. He had a few ideas…but to him, they all came across as unrealistic. However, he did appear to mirror his companion’s relief– having felt a light pull of guilt from the fear he’d seen in his eyes.

The warmth of the Rathor’s hands on his was incredibly soothing for such a subtle touch. Perhaps it was because he was unused to such displays of affection, perhaps it was because it’s uncommon for people in Daravin to offer each other reassurance in times of strife, or perhaps it was because he simply craved the smaller man’s touch. Maybe it was all three.

When Arkash voices his understanding, he is somewhat taken aback at the level of empathy that was being displayed. At this point, his lingering sadness was grating on the nerves of some people around him, and other Entente found it to be nothing more than a sign of weakness; nothing more than a gap in his armor to exploit. He expressed this appreciation with a soft yet genuine smile, eyes creasing brightly as he looked down at the smaller man. “I…thank you for understanding….” his voice broke a bit from speaking with a throat so dry. Speaking when he feels like this is legitimately a physical struggle as well.

As the Veir sat down, he laughed a bit at the Dranoch’s comment in regards to him being a monster. “I suppose by traditional definitions, you would be. I’ve used my Bane for similarly monstrous purposes. A Corvo's claw can be perceived that way, too– it would be…unfair of me to judge you.” Now looking up at the shorter man, Degare internally notes the color of his blush; the purple hue was really rather pretty. His own face reddens as the pink diffuses outward, even able to be seen on his ears when he hears Arkash’s admission with adoration visible on his face, audible in his voice. “I know not why I’ve captured your attention, but nonetheless I do intend to do my best to keep it,” much as it feels foreign to express himself so openly, the pale elf allows his features to display a notably similar sentiment in return. However, his visage is still suffused with sorrow and pain.

The clash of darker emotions and painful memories coalescing with Arkash’s warmth and affection was finally enough to overwhelm Degare and bring him to tears. With eyes of deep red closed and a strained expression, he gasps a bit, trying to stabilize his breathing as he nuzzles his face into the other’s hands.

Amused laughter escapes him despite the state he's in when the young Rathor next speaks, “If you break me, just put me back together, hmm…?” The soft hum trails off as an elated smile is drawn across the Ferrier’s lips, radiant enough to reach his eyes. He swears he can hear the smaller man’s heart beat faster from how close they were, but he wasn’t entirely sure if it wasn’t just his imagination. Degare cants his head a bit at the expression of pain, “If I had to guess, I’d say you’re even lighter than I am. I should be fine in that regard,,,but, did I hurt you…?” The question was somewhat of bait, tone soft and a bit impish– he knew what he did.

Degare’s face, though a bit reddened from crying, bore a mix of adoration, passion, and admiration all woven together with strands of desire and lingering melancholy. Even before he could move, Arkash had done so first. With a pleased moan and a sharp inhale through his nose, his lips part and eyes close as he leans into the kiss.

Snaking his right arm around the small of the little Rath’s back to hold him ever closer, his left hand slowly drifts up from the man’s hip, trailing along his external obliques, then up his back, and finally to his shoulder, gliding under the collar of his shirt to caress smooth, tan skin, ending with his thumb pressing into his throat. Parting their lips by nothing more than a centimeter, “Next time…let me touch you more, yes? I couldn’t much move last time…” words laced with lust said in the softest of voices before taking a breath and rejoining their kiss with a renewed fervor, the grip of his left hand tightening.

Running his tongue over Arkash’s lower lip, the Ferrier gently bites at him then pushes his eager tongue into the other’s mouth, evidently not caring about the sharpness of the fangs within.

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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Raillen Tongue/Speech"

[Arkash]

"You won't have to try very hard," he replied to gesture of keeping Arkash's attention, "just keep being you," assured the Rath. Little more than a raise of his brows and a sly smile were offered on the subject of being a monster; he knew what he was and how he was perceived by most. Even so, he seemed oddly content with the fact.

The roll of Degare's tears didn't seem to pause or slow while he held the elf's face. A sort of wistful longing accompanied the pity in his gaze as Degare shut his eyes, but soon receded as the call to come to him was extended. just put me back together, hmm…? Arkash appeared to think for a moment, then nodded with a mischievous grin. "I might just have to; I'd miss you otherwise." But as he climbed into the elf's lap, some tension and reflex of pains seemed to stir enough to surface on his features, even to a degree that he voiced the feeling, if only quietly. He all but cursed that the elf had caught it, and such reflected in the playful, nigh bashful curl of his nose. "Just a bit sore, but dranoch heal quickly," he elaborated through the darkened dusting of his cheeks. "And let's be honest; it was self-inflicted..." He continued with a gentle roll of his eyes, but the smile that pulled at his lips wouldn't stifle no matter how much he willed it.

His hands remained where they rested on Degare's cheeks as their lips met, and his spine seemed to roll a shiver as Degare returned his enthusiasm with his lean. Quickened breathing began to draw from his nostrils in his reluctance to break the contact of their lips through the exchange. The elf's hands would find that Arkash was very much hardened with lean musculature beneath the veil of his clothes; there was little fat to pad the muscle that seemed to pack his slender frame, which was no doubt the culprit of his surprising strength. He seemed to tremble as the elf ran his hands up his back, and his breathing caught at the press of his thumb to his neck, though the hammering speed of his pulse was plenty apparent against the soft tissue of the Veir's thumb. The hold of his hands adjusted to cling to Degare's neck in a loose hug; something to ensure he'd remain close through their fit of passion.

He took the opportunity to catch his breath when the kiss was broken, bright purple cheeks radiated their warmth through most of his features while he listened to the older man, then nodded quickly with little thought on the request. Though he didn't really seem to conceal just how much he enjoyed the idea, the extent of such was obvious against Degare's stomach in their close embrace. "You might get more out of it when your hand is whole, but... Well, I'm not gonna complain if your priorities are elsewhere..." he trailed on with a knowing, yet pleased tone to his quieted voice.

The brief lap of the Veir's tongue seemed to steal his sense, as his smile withdrew, only to return his full energy to the press of the kiss. Arkash's breath seemed to stall as Degare's tongue invaded his mouth, and his lips parted just a touch wider to prop them out of the way, though there was a notable degree of tension his jaws, and the roll of his own smaller tongue was very careful in how it met the Veir's.

His whole body seemed to shift as he pressed his hips a little tighter to Degare's stomach, and one hand shifted to hold the back of his head while the other slipped under his arm, and ran down his lithe side to pause as his thumb caught the rim of the noble's pants. He pulled there for just a moment before he backed up a little with a subtle slide, and tucked his fingers in the rim there.

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[Phantasm]

☠ A helping hand ☠

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☠ Points awarded:

• 8 for both PCs {Can be used for magic}

☠ Lores:

Arkash

Necromancy: Sinew Threads: Creating nerves
Necromancy: Sinew Threads: Creating bone marrow
Necromancy: Sinew Threads: Creating skin
Necromancy: Carving Sickle: Shaping muscle
Necromancy: Sinew Threads: Creating tendons
Biology: Fingers
Biology: The structure of nerves
Biology: Anatomy: Bones
Biology: Flexor and Tensor tendons
Psychology: What loss looks like
Psychology: Redirected anger
Psychology: Stress
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[PC] Degare: OLD
[PC] Degare: Doesn't like losing parts of his body
[PC] Degare: Was once married
[PC] Degare: Very sensitive about the Arlaed
[PC] Degare: Seriously, do NOT bring up the Arlaed
[PC] Degare: Soft, underneath it all
[PC] Degare: Secretly sad
[PC] Degare: Calmed by your touch
[PC] Degare: Romantic
[PC] Degare: Addictive

Degare

Biology: Nervous System - Fingers
Biology: Skeletal System - Fingers
Biology: Skeletal System - Phalanges
Biology: Skeletal System - Metacarpals
Biology: Skeletal System - Flexor Tendons
Biology: Skeletal System - Tensor Tendons
Psychology: Self Control - Reigning in Anger
Psychology: Grief, Years Later
Psychology: Guilt
Rhetoric: Pathos - Vulnerability
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[PC] Arkash: Much younger
[PC] Arkash: Empathetic
[PC] Arkash: Playful
[PC] Arkash: Fascinated by you
[PC] Arkash: Wants to learn more about you
[PC] Arkash: Affectionate
[PC] Arkash: Caring
[PC] Arkash: Has the self control of a wild animal

☠ Loot:

• N/A

☠ Injuries:

• N/A

☠ Mage Blight:

• N/A

☠ Notes:

• Your thread has appeased the vengeful spirits and saved your soul from damnation, congratulations!
  If you feel I missed anything contact me and we will make adjustments!
  enjoy your rewards!