magic is a weapon

Mateo taps his shoulder and then leans up to steal a kiss before walking away to get back to work.

Stix was, as often these days, absolutely lost in an ancient tomb he had found in the library of the Lighthouse. He stood there in front of the shelves below the astrolabe, so fascinated by the contents of the book he had plucked out of it's ancient resting place that he didn't hear the nearly silent footsteps of the assassin behind him.

Not until Mateo is tapping him on his shoulder, and Stix's attention snaps right to the other man, and Stix gives a soft laugh with a smile, about to say how the other startled him. Before he can speak, though, Mateo is pressing his lips against the necromancer's, and Stix gives a soft little murmur, cupping the Antivan's cheeks gently with his free hand as he returns the affection.

All too soon, Mateo is pulling away, and Stix can't help himself but to reach out and catch the younger mage's hand, tugging him back as he slips the book back onto the shelf.

The swift pull back was met with a small laugh from Mateo, cut off by the rejoining of their lips. Mateo smiled into the kiss, arms wrapping around his lover's neck as he rose to his toes to close the distance in height. Stix, it seemed, wanted more than a quick peck, and so did Mateo. He tilted his head, parting his lips slightly to deepen it.

He had often wondered how he had come across such a wonderful man. Something in him felt whole whenever they were together, and with each meeting Mateo grew more and more convinced by the concept of soulmates. But he knew they couldn't get too lost in each other -- they were in a public space, after all, where anyone might wander through at any moment. And so, partly to breathe and partly to reign himself in, he pulled back just far enough that his lips could form words.

various sentence and action starters for more intimate scenarios. tw for suggestive/outright nsfw text.

"We're alone now. How about we make this a little more interesting?"

"I have some wine. Want me to pour you a glass?"

"Those clothes are nice on you, but they would look better on the floor."

"Are you really going to make me beg?"

"I thought you liked it when I played hard to get."

"Slow down. I want to really enjoy this."

"Hold on. Are you sure we're alone?"

"You're staring."

"Let's have some fun."

"Do you want me to take it off for you?"

"Like what you see?"

"There's more where that came from."

"You look good enough to eat."

"Shouldn't we get undressed first?"

"You're too beautiful. I can't wait."

"Make yourself comfortable."

"You're being too loud. Someone will hear us."

"Keep going."

"God that feels good."

"Maybe I want someone to hear us."

"Do you really have to be such a tease?"

"Should we.. spice it up a little?"

"It's.. bigger than I expected."

"You don't have to go that fast. We have time."

ACTIONS. send + reverse for sender and receiver to swap.

[ADMIRE] sender wordlessly stares at receiver.

[BREATHLESS] sender kisses the receiver with barely any time to get air.

[CHERISH] sender traces the receiver's scars.

[FEAST] sender goes down on the receiver.

[HANDSY] sender sneaks their hands underneath receiver's clothes.

[IMPATIENT] sender starts palming receiver through their clothes.

[LONGING] sender sends receiver a risqué text.

[NIP] sender playfully bites the receiver.

[QUIET] sender pulls receiver into a kiss to shut them up.

[SEAT] sender straddles the receiver's lap.

[STEAMY] sender asks receiver to join them in the shower.

[STRIP] sender slowly undresses in front of receiver.

[SOFT] sender trails kisses on the receiver.

"I wish... I believed in myself right now." Lucanis said with a shaky sigh as he slipped fully out of the threshold of the pantry. Lucanis had been... sulking, since their return from Weisshaupt. The Dellamorte had felt like a total and complete failure, no matter how many times Mateo had tried to reassure him when they returned. Bellara, Maker bless her, had offered to make dinner and allow Lucanis to rest. Once she'd had the ingredients out of the pantry, he had gone to lay down on his cot and had been staring at the ceiling ever since.

Spite was the one who reminded him he should get up, he should not be moping, isolating, and feeling sorry for himself. He had work to do, he had a contract to fulfill. And, his stomach was growling and nagging at him for some sort of nutrients.

Coffee first, perhaps it would help settle his mind. And when he had walked out of the pantry, of course Mateo was still there. He wondered if his fellow Crow had stayed out of worry for Lucanis, or if he was just lost in his own thoughts after dinner.

Either way, Mateo's presence was a comfort.

"But I appreciate that you have faith in me, especially after... well..." Lucanis didn't finish the sentence, letting it hang in the air. It was clear he was still beating himself up over failing to kill Ghilan'nain.

"It is late, Mateo..." Lucanis said, trying to deflect the conversation away from anything but himself and how he was feeling. He grabbed a mug and poured himself a cup of coffee, then leaned against the counter as he looked to the other Antivan.

He refused to let Lucanis slip into whatever pit of despair was calling for him.

"I still believe in you, mi mejor..." he replied, about to take a step closer when Lucanis spoke again. Instead, he fell quiet and watched Lucanis render the ritual of making a cup of coffee into an art form. But even today the act was without its usual flourish. It was bad when Lucanis didn't pour his passion into coffee.

Mateo felt worse still for having let the time slip away from him, but he had a chance to step in now, to stop Lucanis from falling further. And so he stepped closer, not caring whether the coffee was jostled in his approach, and quietly held out an arm to offer Lucanis a hug.

Still, as Mateo stepped through the threshold and Lucanis shut the door behind him, the older Antivan did take a moment to glance over his silhouette just to see if he caught any signs of hidden blades. Force of habit more than anything else.

His attention was brought back up to Mateo's face as he spoke of the gardens, however, and Lucanis gave a small smile and a nod. "Thank you. Our gardeners are exceptional in their care, but the roses are ones that Caterina tends to herself."

Mierda, he was not good at these things. He could feels his nerves crawling beneath his skin as he found himself uncertain of exactly how to proceed or move forward with the night. This was meant to be an introduction to the man he was supposed to be bound to in wedlock for the rest of his life, and he felt like he was botching it terribly.

"Dinner!" Spite's voice suddenly boomed from behind Lucanis' shoulder and the rogue jumped a little bit, then laughed and shook his head.

"Ah, yes, dinner. I have made dinner for us tonight." Lucanis said, motioning for Mateo to walk with him towards the dinning room and kitchens.

"The roses? She is rather adept at gardening... they looked wonderful as I passed." Mateo held back on more of his compliments, though he did truly appreciate how Caterina tended to the flowers. In fact, he appreciated anyone with a green thumb. He didn't want to come across as someone who dispensed compliments about the First Talon purely on account of her status, and so he kept quiet on the rest of his thoughts.

Then Lucanis' sudden motion caught Mateo's eye, the older Crow glancing over his shoulder as though addressing somebody. Yet Mateo could only see air. He felt something, though: a light tug on the Fade, the static in the air shifting differently, and it took him no longer than a moment to recall Viago's warning about the demon. Whilst Mateo was supposed to be cautious, he was a sage and a mage at heart, and he merely rose to his toes to peer over Lucanis' shoulder.

"His name is Spite, yes? Oh, and-- sorry, but did you say that you made dinner?"

Why did that only widen his smile further? Perhaps because the gesture of cooking for another, someone he barely knew, was a very sweet thing indeed.

(arranged marriage): our muses are thrown together into an arranged marriage.

The last thing that Lucanis Dellamorte, Demon of Vyrantium, Godslayer, First Talon of the Antivan Crows, ever expected to feel any sort of fear from was the news of an arranged marriage between himself and one of the heirs to House de Riva. As if he did not already have enough troubles on his plate, dealing with taking over for his grandmother while fighting a Venatori infiltration and the rest of the Antaam invasion...

That Caterina even insisted this contract be honored was oddly suspicious. And the fact that Viago, of all people, was agreeing to the contract...

Lucanis sighed deeply, pacing back and forth in the foyer of the Villa as he awaited for the de Riva to arrive. His demon watched from a spot perched at the top of the stairs, wondering why his host was feeling so nervous and anxious over just another contract. Contracts never made Lucanis nervous, even when he was asked to kill Gods, so the demon found this particular behavior very peculiar indeed.

Mateo de Riva, The Mercy Killer. A mage, and one who was known for making his victims suffer as little as possible which... truly intrigued Lucanis, in many ways.

That was all Lucanis knew about the man he was betrothed to, really, though. Not that he minded his betrothed being a man, he was perfectly comfortable with that, but it had surprised him. Of course, this was meant to be a marriage of alliance, political and nothing more.

So why was he still so nervous?

His thoughts and pacing were halted when he heard a knocking at the front door and his eyes snapped to the entryway. Spite leapt up from his perch on the stairs and practically slide down the rest somehow as he slipped beside Lucanis with an excited shout.

"He Is Here!"

"Mierda, Spite! Yes, I know he is. Now please... behave. Especially if this mage can sense you in any way. We do not want to frighten him away, Caterina would never forgive us."

Taking in a deep breath, Lucanis closed his eyes a moment as he gathered the strength to calm his nerves, and remind himself that it was just another contract. Letting the breath out, he looked at the front door before stepping towards it and finally opening the threshhold.

For a moment, Lucanis could not help taking in the sight of the de Riva, noting right away his handsome features, his well-kept appearance, and the most striking thing about him was a smile that somehow seemed to do more to ease his nerve than the breath he had taken before.

Although this arrangement went against his will, he could sense that Viago was not particularly fond of the deal either. There had been delays, extra meetings, but in the end, Mateo was the one selected to wed Lucanis. It made him wonder why Lucanis was paired with another man. Mateo was clear about his interests in both men and woman, and he wondered if Lucanis was the same, or maybe favoured men. Regardless, he was chosen of all those in House de Riva.

An official arrangement, nothing more. Viago had mentioned that his father had been in a similar circumstance, resulting in several affairs. Mateo could do the same, if he wished. That was when he knew the deal had rattled Viago somewhat -- the Talon rarely ever mentioned his father.

Of course, Mateo knew what Lucanis looked like. Months in the Diamond, tending to the injuries of Crows and civilians of Treviso alike, had seen them share a room on occasion. Though they had never spoken, and Mateo was sure Lucanis had never given him a second glance.

Mateo was not about to admit that he had often stared over at the Dellamorte, deeply fascinated by his story, and his demon.

So it was with a bundle of nerves and anticipation that he was instructed he would finally meet his betrothed, privately. The younger Crow was guided through the gardens of the Dellamorte Villa by two guards before being left alone at the door. Then... he knocked.

Mateo temporarily forgot that this was a meeting for political matters, awed as he was to finally be able to speak with the man who had helped save his nation. A smile of such open wonder spread across his face, and he held it there, knowing it would be better to greet his... mierda... his fiancé in a warm and friendly manner. The moment of staring was to be expected; he knew Lucanis was taking him in for the first time.

"I know -- you are rather famous amongst the Crows," he replied, stepping over the threshold and into the villa, a place few were ever granted access to. "Thank you..."