ITS FINALLY POSTING TIME FOR @fieldsofvesuvia EVENT. @motherofqups this piece is for you! Based of a scene in her Iris Oracle series; Become, Become, Again and Again. Ch. 8: The Sun pt.2 (Explicit Warning). This scene had me bawling and instantly was inspired cuz my gawd what a good angsty chapter and meta to Lucio’s character with MARIGOLDS GALORE (and lilies in iris’ clothing patterns if you squint~)

For @motherofqups​ who requested 30. Sharing a Bath/Swim from the Sweet Affectionate Moments list! Title: Call Me by Kimbra

With a deep sigh, Alec stepped into the palace’s bathing chamber and shed her clothes, tossing them haphazardly into the corner in favor of the bath robe that had been left for her. There would be an outfit in her guest room for her to change into after the bath, so she wasn’t too worried about keeping her clothes neat. Getting brand-new, perfectly tailored outfits from the Countess was a perk of performing at palace parties—that and all of the food she would get to eat. But before the performance, Alec, and the rest of the band, needed to get washed up. 

The water was steaming, clouding up the window overlooking the city, the last rays of sun casting a soft light around the room. Alec stepped gingerly into the bath, a moan escaping her mouth as she practically melted into the water.

She dipped her head underneath the almost unnaturally sparkling blue for a moment, looking up at the ceiling as it wobbled under the filter of the rippling water. Undoing the braid she kept her hair in, she carded her fingers through the dark strands, shaking them loose.

When she came up for air, she heard footsteps approaching the tub, and glanced through her wet hair towards the door. Recognizing the blonde, wavy hair and curvy figure as belonging to Iris Keshet, a fellow musician, she moved back to the edge of the tub to greet her.

“Oh, hello!” Alec said, lifting her hair out of her face to give the other woman a welcoming smile. “Are you getting ready for the party as well?” Though she had only met the other woman a few times, mostly in passing at other parties, she was intrigued by her, and was very happy to get any time alone.

Iris returned the smile but hesitated, glancing over at the bath. “Yes, but I didn’t realize someone was already in here. I can come back once you’re done?”

Alec shook her head, waving at her to come over. “No, come in! This is way too much water to waste on one person.” She reached behind her towards the rows and rows of colorful bottles, filled with different scented oils and soaps. “I was just about to pick something to put in—do you have anything in mind? Iris hummed thoughtfully, changing into her own bath robe. “Something floral?”

“I thought that’s what you’d say,” Alec replied with a laugh. She grabbed a bottle of hazy pink liquid and cracked it open, the smell of roses, irises, and a hint of oranges flooding the air as she poured it into the still steaming water.

Submerging her head completely again, she closed her eyes, feeling her hair spread out in the water around her. She could hear the distorted sound of Iris singing as she stepped into the tub, sending ripples through the water that caressed Alec’s skin as she floated weightlessly.

When she reemerged, opening her eyes, she was met with Iris’s indigo gaze, looking down at her. 

“Nadia has you performing today, too?”

Alec nodded, propping herself up on the tile next to Iris. “She wanted Jamil—as her cousin—to be here, and, well, as a band we’re part of a set, so here I am.” She trailed a finger through the water, which was now tinted pink and glittered as it moved. “Not thrilled at being surrounded by stuffy royals for the rest of my night, but oh well.”

Iris laughed, starting to wash herself. “I would think you’d be used to them by now.”

“Just because I’m used to them doesn’t mean I like them,” Alec said, and grabbed another bottle to pour over herself, lathering her body with a sweet vanilla scent. “But at least I know I’ll have some fun company.”

“I’d be more than happy to keep you company during the party, maybe grab a few drinks, share some court secrets,” Iris said, her eyes sparkling mischievously. “There’s a lot of those to go around.”

Alec laughed, turning away to run an oil through her hair. “That’s not surprising.”

“Oh, you missed—here, let me.” She felt Iris’s hand on her back, rubbing the skin she had missed, and relaxed into her touch.

“Thank you!” Alec glanced over her shoulder at the other woman and gave her a soft smile. 

“My pleasure.” The teasing glance Iris gave her as she pressed a feather-light kiss to her shoulder made Alec’s face light up in warmth from more than the bath, and she turned away before she could do or say anything too embarrassing.

They washed themselves, keeping a light conversation, but Alec’s eyes kept traveling back to Iris’s face, and specifically, her lips. She could feel the kiss on her shoulder as if it was a branded mark, and she felt a familiar hunger in her stomach for more.

She figured out that she was being more than a bit obvious when Iris suddenly pulled her close, one hand cupping her face, and the other on her back.

The other woman didn’t say anything, just quirked an eyebrow, a small smirk on her face. Alec nodded, and felt her breath escape her as their lips pressed together. 

The kiss tasted of the bath, which was to say, roses, irises, oranges, vanilla, and a little bit of soap, but Alec found she didn’t mind it, and moved against the other woman, venturing a small nibble on her full, pink lips. Iris pushed back, her fingers gliding through Alec’s hair as Alec’s hands rested on her hips. Her strong fingers pressed lightly into the bath robe, into Iris’s pale skin.

The room felt a bit cooler when they parted, and Alec sighed, knowing that it was probably time for her to get out, her fingertips and toes significantly wrinkled. Iris seemed to know what she was thinking, and pressed a quick kiss to the beauty mark on the left side of her chin. “Guess I’ll see you out there.”

Alec nodded, reluctantly rinsing the last of the suds off her body as she stepped out of the bath, wringing her hair out. “Don’t take too long to join us—I’m going to need all the help I can get fielding those court members,” she said with a wink.

Iris smiled, “I’ll see what I can do.” She leaned against the tile with her chin in her hand. “Save me a song?”

hey @motherofqups I redid Iris’s tarot card

So something I feel I should explain on this post: the reason apprentice tarot is taking me so long is because I’ve been trying to figure out how to make them all look like they’re part of the same deck rather than just random art. I wanted to make the pieces more interesting, and while I’m happy with how the previous Iris card turned out, I love this one so much more. Sure, it’s not perfect, but I could sit here for hours and nitpick it and still find flaws.

Chapter 28

Iris's 'oracle' outfit | HolyClothing (Source)

👃 : Does your OC smell good? Do they have a signature scent? for Iris

💌 : How would they plan a romantic evening for a significant other? for Lazuli

💐 : What is their courting style? How would they woo someone? for Mael

👃 : Does your OC smell good? Do they have a signature scent? (Iris)

Iris smells incredible, dude. She is the type of bougie b who wakes up, washes her face, brushes her teeth, and puts on perfume no matter what kind of day she's going to have. Her signature scent is Replica's Lazy Sunday Morning (dewy florals, aldehydes, and white musk).

The reason she does this is because she's a sweaty betty, and Vesuvia is hotter than the Devil's taint 9 months of the year. Gorl's gotta stay on top of the personal scent situation, so perfume it is.

💌 : How would they plan a romantic evening for a significant other? (Lazuli)

Lazuli knows her partner isn't much for extravagant romantic gestures or big public displays of affection, so she would probably do something very intimate and private, like a picnic in the cedars with all his favorite foods, a night swim at some moonlit waterfall, or an early-morning mushroom hunting hike followed by lunch and a lazy afternoon nap together. She might also surprise him with tickets to see a musician or band that he really admires, or plan a particular scene that she knows he's been fantasizing about.

💐 : What is their courting style? How would they woo someone? (Maël)

If you asked Maël, he would say that he doesn't court, and he most certainly doesn't woo... which is to say, none of his romantic gestures are intentional, and are much more incidental to him working through and expressing his feelings for his romantic interest (he is his father's son, after all).