#thread 12

After the talk with Nicholas and his own traverse into trialing this 'date' thing, Nai had come to understand he should perhaps look more into this human ritual. He didn't have his brother to ask, asking Legato would open up too many questions and risk making the man feel unworthy. He wanted to protect the human.

Astarion was... Unhelpful.

Thus, he finds himself where knowledge is freely stored;

The Library.

He'd kindly asked the receptionist who raised a brow at him before, he supposed, noting the feather on his cheek and presumed him to be otherworldly. Or perhaps it was the way he asked for 'books on the human custom of 'dating' please' that had her directing him to a section of 'self help' and history.

It was... Abysmally unhelpful at first, but he'd finally found a book, a quick skim allowing him to note the evolution of this ritual and the modern meanings today. It wasn't until he'd gone in search of finding a seat that he'd noted the figure.

Adorned in clothes he'd seen in old movies, books piled around them, notes being taken perhaps, it was hard to tell. A quick trail of the spines had him noting the other too, seemed to be searching for love rituals. Perhaps another from a time where such things were either unseen or different.

"This pile is near useless information." He motions to a large stack, tapping it gently for good measure. "They're romance novels with procreation scenes. And these are old traditions." He taps another much smaller pile as he circled to touch a chair, pausing to look to the other, book held in a way the cover was visible.

Ways in which the art of Courtship has evolved.

This isn't the sort of thing that he does, but he feels the pull regardless, the reminders of days long past. There is the swell of music, the drowning ambiance of warm lights and the dizzying thrill of anonymity. Do his feet remember the steps? Would it matter if they did not?

He steps forth, hesitant in the approach, though it cannot be seen through the fog of magic. He's silent for a moment, then inclines his head, extends his hand to the shape before him.

Felix had been hearing a lot of strange sounds in the cells recently, even at night when he thought everyone would be asleep. He would hear moans, thuds and creaking of beds, as if the beds were going to break. He was scared it could be ghosts. Tonight had been extra noisy, he was so confused that no one else seemed to be reacting to it, maybe they knew what it was. He got up as he saw someone passing by his cell and quickly ran over to them “Excuse me.” he squeaked out as he reached out between the bars and grabbed their arm “C-Can you please tell me what those sounds are? I-I keep hearing them down here and it’s making me nervous…” 

Wat stopped his usual nightly prowl. He was getting bored. The confusion that Wilder constantly left him in, the uneasiness he felt in any efforts he made to pursue his former lover any further, made him push any real thought or feeling away at times... It was too much. And more importantly too dire of consequences to get wrong. Again.

So he would prowl at night... Take some slave to bed, for a meal, the more innocent the better. And he watched this boy grab his arm... and ask such a dear, innocent question. And Wat felt the terrible urge to toy with him.

He grabbed the boy’s arm lightening fast, exchanging their grip. His other arm moved through the bars to the boy’s waist, pulling him close enough to grind his crotch against the bars.

@eviexstratford

Evelyn blinked a little in the bright island sun, as she stepped out of the dorm building. She let her eyes and body adjust to the brightness and warmth, then plugged her dark rose printed cane into the ground and moved forward. The plane and boat ride, plus the trek across campus to her room, had left her hip and leg an aching mess. But after a brief rest, she was back up and on her way. She was here to learn and grow and finally have a normal life experience, and was ready to start it. Her current destination: the huge, lovely ancient tree across the campus quad.

It took her a bit, and sweat beaded the pale skin above her lip when Evelyn finally reached the coveted spot. Maybe she should have rested a little longer.. Ah well, no use worrying about it now, when she was finally able to sit. The brunette sank slowly onto the soft grass and leaned against the trunk of the tree, closing her eyes and letting her body ease. She hated this, the aches and pains not like the good ones after a productive practice or a rigorous competition routine. Shaking her head before she retreated back into that dark place, Evelyn opened the text book on her lap and began to read.

“Evelyn?” Jody said, walking up to her. He knew exactly who she was, apart from the new file across his desk, his ex girlfriend Vida had been obsessed with figure skating. She loved Evelyn from the beginning, her song choices, her costumes, the chemistry between her and Devon, the fact she was from Connecticut. He held out a hand, urging her either not to get up or that he didn’t mean to encroach on her space.

“I don’t want to interrupt your reading. I just wanted to introduce myself. I’m Jody Linnel, the guidance counselor.” He smiled a little, “Here,” Jody took a bottle of water from his bag, walking closer to hand it to her. “Studying outside has it’s hazards. Especially for us Northern kids.”

It had been a while since Dhani looked forward to getting out of bed. Since the break up with Daisy, he’d been avoiding Dougal and Daisy both, giving Daisy her needed space and putting off needing to talk with Dougal about... everything. January was really a terrible month. And in a few days it would be a year since Rafael has gone. Since he had died and not brought Dhani to help him as he promised.

But he walked onto the beach, carrying his surf board, bright yellow with the Batman ensignia that Edmund had given him. He kept that in Warren’s garage, well out of the way. It had been easy enough with Daisy’s car to strap it to the top of her Beetle and drive down to the beach from Scott’s. Most of his things were still in Daisy’s room. He wondered if she had moved them elsewhere.

He wore swim trunks instead of his usual boxers, sunglasses mostly covering the healing bruise on his right eye, nothing else covering the rest of the bruising on his body from his master. But they were healing, nothing new for today. Dhani was getting better at counting his blessings.

Dhani took a deep breath of ocean air and took out his earbuds, turning off George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass album, shoving his ipod into his bag as he looked down the shore for Kai. They had gotten on right away in the lounge, both California boys, both into fantasy books, art, and photography. Both mediocre at best at surfing. Dhani was looking forward to many a wipeout with Kai.

Nai was pleased with his attire. Adorned in the vest, long sleeve shirt, jeans and the small backpack he checked himself one last time in the mirror. He had a surprise for his beloved today, having simply told him to get dressed and ensure he had eaten breakfast.

He checked his phone, seeing the tickets were happily smiling to him from the app. He finally slipped to the main room of their home, eyes bright as he meets his love.

"I know you will love today." He purrs, kissing his love's cheek. "I do not wish to keep it a secret any longer than I must, but you will see why I wanted to hold the destination back." He hums as he drinks in the scent, finally relenting to eat the meal he knows now, he needs.

"Our travel will be here in time. When we arrive, I am at your eagerness, as it will be something new for me." He watches the other, sipping his coffee. "I'll need your expertise on what is most delightful to experience first." ominous, playful, warm and at ease.

Wat Fletcher was kidding himself. Wild would never forgive him, never come back to him. What was the point? He had loves that had left him more times than he could count and had left people he'd grown close to even more than that. Why was this bloody Kiwi so different?

Because he'd come back. Because Wat had made the decision to tell Wilder everything and Wild had accepted him. And then Wild had gotten hurt, nearly killed. Wat took his revenge. And Wild hadn't wanted that.

Wat left. And Wild believed it was because he had been turned. That Wat was just a coward. Not a monster.

But he was. He was both.

He didn't deserve to be here. Certainly not across the bloody hall from the man he'd betrayed, the man he'd shattered when he was needed most.

Wilder didn't deserve to be reminded of that pain every fucking day.

"I can't be here. I can't... I should... I'm so selfish. Fuck. I should have stayed away."

@daisyxlynch

Daisy stared at the plain walls around her as she sat on the thin bed, blinking a little. She remembered her time in the cells from before. Rooming with Avery, Finn, and Mister Noah had been fun. Being so used to her sisters, having three boy roommates had taken some getting used to. Yet she had loved every minute of it. Those memories made her smile, but it was brief and sad before the tears started again. She couldn’t believe he was gone.. And she was back in here again, alone.

Well, not completely alone. The guard had said a Mason Reed and Elliot Fordman were going to be her new roommates, but neither of them were there right now. Which was just as well, as she wasn’t very good company at the moment. Footsteps coming down the hall had Daisy’s head turning, as she dried her tears and squared her shoulders. It was all starting again…

“Daisy,” Jody started gently, knowing how rough this day had been for her. With Dhani looking to have his own rough week, and probably having very limited contact with Jody, he had tasked Jody into taking care of her. A task Jody took up easily, having every intention of doing so anyway.

With his new pick up, hauling her things to Lily’s had been easy as pie... and speaking of, Jody held a tupperware container in his hands, along with his leash for Mouse. He figured the little chihuahua could cheer her up a little if nothing else could. 

“Everything is safe and sound at Lily’s. And if I’ve missed anything or you need to go back just to check, I’ll be more than happy to go with you...”

Jody walked in, sitting next to her on the bed. Mouse jumped up beside Daisy, immediately climbing into her lap and licked at her face. His tone was gentle, careful, not dismissive of the horrible blow of Scott leaving and being kicked out of what had been her home for a year, but letting her ignore the fact that she had obviously been crying mere seconds ago if she wished to.