#hellhoundr

which  is  why,  right  now,  he  made  his  way  into  ocean's depths    ——    to  meropide,  where  @hellhoundr  presided  over  exiles  &  criminals.  he  notified  officer  sedene  of  this  little  vacation  &  ordered  her  to  say      ‘   monsieur  neuvillette  is  feeling  unwell,  and  does  not  want  to  afflict  others  with  the  same  sickness   ’      to  any  would - be  visitors.  people  easily  believed  this  lie,  because  they  only  knew  the  chief  justice  that  presided over  trials  from  up  on  high:  not  the  man  currently  visiting  meropide  unannounced.  as  soon  as  he  arrives  in  the  bowels,  neuvillette  made  for  wriothesley’s  office:  every  step  calculated,  every  second  counting.  the  gardes  stationed  let  him  in,  &  he  waited  until  the  lift  brought  him  up  to  the  top  before  summoning  his  cane  &  revealing  himself.

@hellhoundr: close, he holds his beloved, cradling his svelte frame against his chest. here - beneath the stars - neuvillette is twice as resplendent, made even more so with the way the moon reflects off his hair, and the light shimmers upon his scales. water laps around them, fontaine's tides a gentle press against his skin - but he pays no mind, too enraptured in the way neuvillette feels pressed against him. he is enchanted - as always, by the way that elegant tail cleaves the water, and by the way the sea they've immersed themselves in bends to the dragon’s will. but nothing enchants him more than the sovereign 'fore him. " i love you. " he raises a clawed hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to his ring finger. with deliberate slowness, a simple silver band is slid upon the elegant digit, inset with a bright, glittering ruby. it seems a silly thing, in the wake of all they've faced, but beneath this moonlit tide - wriothesley knows their love to be as bottomless as the sea. " from now, until this world is but dust. " another kiss to that ring - the human proof of his unending devotion. " happy birthday, neuvillette. "

      neuvillette  saw  no  reason  to  celebrate  his      ‘   birthday   ’      as  the  citizenry  put  it.  furina’s  remains  a  public  holiday,  but  his  was  in  the  background    ——    tucked  away,  &  it  made  him  content.  he  is  not  fond  of  open  receptions  &  with  prophecy’s  conclusion  it  would  be  yet  another  responsibility  put  with  more  important  considerations.  a  desire  to  merely  bask  in  the  arms  of  beloved  duke:  he  mentioned  a  quiet,  private  area  in  erinnyes  forest.  its  bioluminescent  flora  was  a  favorite  of  neuvillette’s  &  this  spot  was  one  he  has  yet  to  bring  wriothesley.  just for  them    ——    exposed  to  moonlight  &  the ocean,  where  no  one  will  disturb  two  deeply - intertwined  souls.

mind  already  wanders  in  lover’s  embrace:  thoughts  replaced  with  the  one  he  laid  against.  head  rests  on  a  broad  shoulder  &  translucent,  elegant  tail  sways  contently    ——    almost  as  if  he  were  dreaming.  neuvillette  was,  in  a  way:  at  least  here  this  moment  will  last  an  eternity,  forever  etched  into  their  being.  the  waters  reflects  his  mood    ——    surface  utterly  tranquil,  with  the  occasional  wave  curling  around  them.  if  only  he  could  lull  wriothesley  beneath  it  so  they  can  live  underneath  forever,  but  both  their  commitments  prevent  them.  maybe  one  day,  when  the  duke  is  old  &  black  hair  replaced  with  grey.  beloved’s  words  gently  tug  him  aware to a  truth  he  hears  quite  often,  but  never  grows  tired  of  hearing.  warmth  blooms  in  chest  when  wriothesley  kisses  his  claw  . . .

. . . when  lips  were  replaced  with  a  ring  &  something  more,  neuvillette’s  heart  grew    ——    it  was  heard. almost as if his momentary dream became reality.

      “   wriothesley  . . .   ”      the  iudex  needs  not  to  speak  concerns  out  loud  for  a multiple  of reasons.  they  both  were  cognizant  of  their  bond:  mortal  and  immortal.  one  will  pass  before  the  other,  but  it  was  the  time  spent  in  each  other’s  presence  that  was  valued.  an  undying  love  that,  even  a  thousand  years  from  now,  neuvillette  would  never  find  another  soul  to  love.  his  devotion  was  carved  into  irminsul  itself.  not  even  celestia  can  threaten to sever  it.

“   . . .  this  is  quite  an  interesting  gift.  to  ask  for  my  heart  in  a  bond  as  sacred  as  this,  even though i  have  already  given  all  of  myself  to  you.  . . .   ”

deep  down,  neuvillette  wondered  if  the  duke  knew.  a  similar  weight  nestled  in  the  pocket  of  leather  pants.  furina  was  consulted  in  secret  months  ago:  he  wanted  it  to  be  perfect.  &  it  was    ——    knowing  wriothesley  felt  the  same.

it  was  not  exactly  the  same  ring,  but  sapphire  paired  nicely  with  ruby.  even  when  he  took  it  out,  hydro  sovereign  blushed  madly:  the  glow  of  blue  horns  intense.      “   it  would  be  ridiculous  of  me  to  say,  since  you  know  my  answer,  but  i  will  utter  these  words  nonetheless.   ”      rough  hand  taken,  movements  copied  as  he  slid  the  ring  on  wriothesley’s  finger. oh . . . it was perfect.

@hellhoundr: how easy it is to miss him - even if it's for half a day. how easy it is to be joyous too, that neuvillette had found at least a bit of time to himself in the wake of... everything. and how amusing, wriothesley thinks, that neuvillette procures him such an inordinately large amount of tea and... a legal codex carved into stone. it was all so charmingly neuvillette, the warden was painfully endeared. his only complaint was that he had not gotten a suspiciously sea monster shaped ladle - but he supposed he had the real thing, to a degree. they lay there in wriothesley's bed - basking in the after glow with sunglo tea growing cold upon his bedside table. still - the warden does not mind, peering down at the dragon pillowed against his naked chest and humming with no small amount of amusement. content, he was - to see neuvillette pleased, and it's made all the more clear by the way a rough and calloused hand gives a proprietary stroke along the base of the hydro sovereign's shimmering tail. " so let me get this straight, sweetness - " he continues his leisurely caress, familiarizing himself again with the feel of silken scales beneath his touch, " the geo archon avoided you the entire time you were in liyue and apparently is also... some sort of dragon? " the thought alone amuses him - if only because well... he does not envy the men and women who will be on the receiving end of neuvillette's judgement as a sovereign, no matter how gentle his soul might be. " and in between all of this... you managed to carve me a legal codex and make a... neuviladle? " a beat of silence, as wriothesley drags his finger now over a bruise at the iudex's hip, " my mate of many talents. "

𝐢𝐟  𝐧𝐨𝐭  𝐟𝐨𝐫  𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲  𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚,  𝐡𝐞  𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝  𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞  never  visited  liyue.  work  in  fontaine  piled  on  his  desk  every  hour,  &  there  was  little  time  for  relaxation.  she  mentioned  it  as  a  thinly - veiled  suggestion  when  happening  upon  a  shipment  of  tea  from  qiaoying  village.  &  monsieur  neuvillette,  in  the  end,  left  fontaine’s  borders  for  the  first  time    ——    soaking  up  in  the  atmosphere  &  how  utterly  sublime  chenyu  vale’s  water  was.  life  flowed  in  abundance  &  he  could  immediately  discern  the  adeptial  influence.  perhaps  if  he  visited  at  another  time,  it  would  be  possible  to  meet  them.  his  own  trip  was  bountiful:  procuring  an  overwhelming  amount  of  tea  &  more  for  beloved  wriothesley.  call  it  a  habit  of  his:  dragons  must  care  for  their  mates,  yes?  it  meant  making  sure  they  were  stocked  up  on  sustenance.  double  since  the  duke  seldom  left  meropide.

that  was  where  neuvillette  is:  the  fortress,  tiredly  opening  lilac  eyes.  strong,  muscular  arms  wrapped  around  in  a  loving  embrace  &  a  hand  massaging  the  base  of  his  tail.  the  sovereign  purred,  low  &  deep,  &  he  looked  up  at  wriothesley  from  where  his  head  rested  on  the  man’s  well - endowed chest.

❝   he  is,   ❞      the  iudex  murmurs    ——    blinking  slowly.  he  could  truly  never  tear  his  gaze  away  from  him.  wriothesley  was  handsome,  incredibly  so,  &  debonair.  yet  it  never  overshadowed  the  absolute  adoration  he  possessed:  those  blue  eyes  like  water  under  sunlight.  neuvillette  could  not  help  but  chuckle:  a  brief,  light  sound.  his  horns  glowed    ——    reflecting  amusement,  but  also  the  love  they  shared  the  night  prior.      ❝   why  would  i  not?  i  wanted  to  give  you  a  suitable  souvenir,  and  with  this  region  of  liyue  being  known  for  its  tea, i seized the opportunity  . . .   ❞      he  bought  numerous  boxes  just  for  his  beloved.  the  stone  tablet  was  a  joke,  but  it  was  made  from  the  heart  nonetheless.  the  ladle  . . .  could  he  fashion  another  modeled  after  wriothesley?  he  could.  the  duke  reminded  him  of  a  large, fluffy dog  so  there  was  something  to  work  with.

hydro  sovereign  shudders:  tail  now  coiled  around  beloved’s  waist.

@hellhoundr: there is much to be said about the tenderness with which he imparts his adoration upon the hydro dragon - a rich, heady kind of love and devotion that the true stars were made of. it shows, in the way calloused digits curl along flawless cheeks - running so softly beneath beautiful eyes - before he leans inwards. there is always a variation to his kisses with neuvillette- and much can be said about his day given the intensity. this one though, is slow and languid, long and endless and filled with sweet presses of his tongue, the smooth caress of wandering hands. this kiss is one of steadily burning passions, as real as the core of their planet, as unkillable as the stars themselves. tongue and teeth purvey gentleness over his own, until they are both breathless, and wriothesley pulls away to look at the dragon in his lap with a smile. thumb darting over kiss stained lips, Wriothesley leans in for another lingering press - the tender murmur of: “I can’t get enough of you.”

      whenever  wriothesley  visited  the  court,  neuvillette  always  spent  untold  hours  in  his  arms:  awed  at  mortal  strength    ——    how  he  effortlessly  gathered  him  close  &  lips  grazing  pale - soft  skin.  basked  in  the  sensation  of  rough,  calloused  hands  moving  over  svelte  hips,  up  a  sensitive  chest;  fingers  woven  in  silver - white  hair.  his  body  molds  itself  to  the  duke’s  reverent  touch:  leaned  into  it,  &  his  canines  teasing  at  sensitive  flesh.  he  would  gasp  under  beloved’s  adoration  as  if  it  were  his  first  time    ——    consume  every  delighted  noise  that  wriothesley  breathed,  &  made  it  his  own.  desire  builds  when  they  are  apart,  &  two  days  was  becoming  too  much  for  this  poor monsieur  to  endure.  but  today?  his  grace  came  unexpectedly,  &  unflappable  chief  justice  pushed  reports  aside  &  sunk  into  the  bottomless  vista  of  wriothesley’s  love.

the  hydro  sovereign  breathes  heavily,  drunk  on  his  unquenchable  lust  for  the  man  beneath  him.  most  of  their  clothes  were  discarded    ——    unnecessary  obstacles  strewn  about  luxury  blue  carpet,  &  neuvillette  was  left  only  wearing  his  long - sleeved  white  shirt:  hanging  at  elbows.  wriothesley,  on  the  other  hand,  was  completely  naked    ——    this  truth  taken advantage  of,  as  draconic  claws  mapped  out  every  inch  of  his  body.  lips  part  &  he  glides  his  tongue  over  the  duke’s:  unwilling  to  part  from  him.  neuvillette  whines    ——    a  low,  pleading  sound  when  wriothesley  pulled  away,  however  a  rumbling  purr  follows  suit  when  he  resumes  where  they  left  off. if only everyday could be this . . .

      “   stay,   ”      he  murmurs    ——    serpentine  tail  curling  around  the  both of them.  forget  about  your  work:  be  at  my  side  until  the  stars  burn  out.  this  was  a  selfish  desire, but  the iudex  knew  wriothesley  harbored  a  similar  sentiment.

@hellhoundr: “ we don't have to do this if you're not ready. “

trust was something strangely foreign to the iudex, yet around the duke of the meropide, neuvillette can find himself putting all of his trust into him. wriothesley was different - not a good or bad different - but a different that made him feel at ease with anything. it was alien, but not wrong, far from it... rather, it was a comforting notion.

but he knew his status was a hinderance whilst he is down in the fortress of meropide. as much as he trusts wriothesley, neuvillette knew this was not where he belongs. everyone down here was sent here by his hand, and the guilt in his soul was growing every time he stands in the prison. he was no mind reader, otherwise he would be absolutely bagged down with the weight of guilt and insults from every prisoner that saw him there.

sitting in the office, away from it all, neuvillette looks up at wriothesley when he mentions it. his intentions were to try and face the guilt ridden fears he has here, but he... couldn't. he knew he'd bog himself down with their angers - it made sense when he was the one to send them away from civilisation and normality. it felt cowardly, the hydro dragon sovereign backing away from confronting his fears.

@hellhoundr: abrupt — kiss my muse out of the blue.       ↳ non - verbal prompts.

      a  trial  occurs  every  week  without  fail    ——    sometimes  multiple.  it  is  why  his  workload  is  astronomical,  &  although  he  does  not  enjoy  it,  neuvillette  refrains  from  shrinking  his  duty.  the  length  of  each,  however,  varies.  focalors,  the  hydro  archon,  favored  dramatics:  anytime  a  defendant  easily  confessed  to  their  crime(s),  it  was  met  with  exasperation  &  a  disappointed  god.  not  that  he  cared  much  for  the  length  of  a  trial,  only  its  contents:  the  accused,  defendant(s),  &  what  judgment  the  oratrice  mecanique  d’analyse  cardinale  rendered.  not  once  did  the  iudex  question  it,  for  he  &  the  device  shared  the  same  opinion.  this  has  led  to  some  . . .  interesting  rumors.  a  tabloid  journal  believed  him  &  the  oratrice  directly  linked  to  one  another.  a  few  gossipers  around  the  opera  epiclese  once  tried  sneaking  in  for  an  insider’s  scoop,  only  to  be  noticed  &  escorted  off  the  premises.  fortunately,  there  was  none  of  that  sort  when  he  left    ——    moon  bright,  casting  a  soft  glow  onto  fontaine.

neuvillette  left  via  a  back  entrance  developed  for  his    (    &  focalors’    )    use,  &  the  only  other  souls  typically  present  were  gardes  &  the  occasional  meropide  staff  ferrying  supplies  to  the  fortress.  what  he  did  not  anticipate  was  wriothesley’s  voice  cutting  through  the  silence:  a  rich,  warm  timbre  with  an  underlying  teasing  tone.  it  poured  over  him  like  the  morning  sun,  &  the  chief  justice  nodded  firmly.  he  must  have  been  at  the  trial  to  be  out  on  the  surface.

      “   ah,  your  grace.  what  did  you  think  of  the  trial?   ”

he  knew  the  duke’s  opinion  already,  yet  his  lips  moved  before  thoughts  could  be  the  voice  of  reason.  conversation  was  surprisingly  easy  to  fall  into  around  wriothesley,  &  it  brought  a  peculiar  joy  he  could  not  understand.  his  heart  ached,  but  it  was  a  pleasant  one:  it  rose  to  cheeks  & the tips  of  pointed  ears;  the corners  of  draconic  eyes  wrinkled  with  each  bout  of brief,  polite  laughter    ——    mouth  hidden  by  a  gloved  hand.  when  they  both  reached  the  entrance  of  meropide,  neuvillette  watched  the  duke  go  &  he  turns,  heading  towards  the  waiting  aquabus on the far other side of this compound  . . .

the  iudex  inhales  sharply    ——    a  quiet  sound,  &  soft  petals  part  slowly.  a  low  groan  of  approval,  belonging  to  wriothesley,  spurns  him  on,  &  claws  grasp  at  the  coat's lapels  as  he  tilts  his  head  further  into  the  kiss.  addicting.  he  craved  so  much  more,  with  how  he  pressed  further  against  the  duke,  but  alas:  fairytales  must  come  to  an  end  &  the  man  in  question  flashed  a  debonair smirk    ——    departing down that accursed flight of stairs keeping them apart.

      neuvillette  traces  the  outline  of  his  lips  with  a  couple  fingers.

@hellhoundr: console — comfort my muse as they cry.       ↳ non - verbal prompts.

      guilt  was  a  powerful  emotion.  its  fangs  pierced  the  sovereign’s  skin  &  lodged  itself  into  his  heart,  where  joy,  anger,  &  everything  resided:   locked  up  in  a  cell,  deprived  of  sunlight  &  pleasant  things.  he  learned  about  sorrow  from  observing  those  around  him  over  the  centuries,  how  it  can  usurp  one’s  self - control  &  leave  them  in  an  unresponsive  stupor.  after  focalors  &  furina  deceived  the  heavenly  principles,  this  anguish  manifested  as  a  harsh  downpour    ——    liberated  from  being  pushed  aside  for  duty,  &  the  sound  it  made  against  the  window  in  his  living  room  a  momentary  distraction  from  the  turmoil.  at  anytime  someone  could  come  knocking  at  the  door,  &  neuvillette  would  be  required  to  smooth  out  the  lines  in  his  brow,  cleanse  the  tears  from  violet  eyes,  &  compose  himself.  oh,  hydro  dragon:  why  do  you  cry?  wipe  away  your  tears,  enjoy  the  sunny  days  ahead.  yes,  he  should  be  happy.  the  prophecy  was  thwarted  &  fontainians  have  become      ‘   real  humans.   ’

      it  is  cause  for  celebration,  no?

yet  the  rain  continued  to  fall,  &  drowned  out  the  sound  of  very  familiar  footsteps    ——    heavy  on  the  carpet.  undoubtedly  trekking  water  on  priceless  items,  which  have  been  scarce  since  the  flood.  he  did  not  want  to  be  living  in  luxury  while  others  struggled:  even  one  of  those  limited  time  cake  slices  furina  loved  were  too  much. why did they continue serving them anyways?

      “   wriothesley  . . .   ”      he  mumbled  before  registering  the  duke  sitting  besides  him.  a  strong,  muscular  arm  over  slender  shoulders,  &  neuvillette  was  gently  pulled  into  his  embrace    ——    face  tucked  into  the  crook  of  his  neck.  a  delicate  kiss  pressed  to  a  horn,  &  that  was  all  it  took  for  the  iudex  to  draw  knees  up  to  chest  &  curl  further  into  his  beloved  until  he  forgot  himself.