#vcnbcelscr

         the pain that coursed through her leg was immeasurable. grazed by a stray bullet during their expedition through seattle. a confrontation with these Scar drones, mistaking them for WLF && it all led to a bullet war. they have managed to subdue them, but at what cost? there will be likely more down the line. resting up on the outside of an old parking garage, when all seemed clear. the smell of rain once again filled the air; a storm was brewing. heavy rivers coursed through the former streets, craters filled with pools of water will likely overfill && flood. they had to get to higher ground eventually.

           an elder man stood beside her as she was cleaning && binding her leg injury with clean cloth. could have been worse, she thought, it could have shattered her knee cap, && then they would really have been screwed. they were running low on medical supplies && ammo, the hospital was a prime target, yet being on the opposite side of the city seemed like more trouble than it’s worth. carefully, she rises to her feet, tapping her foot a bit before facing the man.

unprompted // always accepting

         ❛ … ❜

         ❛ … ❜

Groggy and languid was he as the former deity woke in the most unexpected of places; his head nestled upon a broad chest. Weariness overtook him that night and it was by accident he fell asleep where he did having meant to retire to his own quarters. The rose-pink light of dawn trickles in and casts a soft glow in the room and for the first time since.. ever, Ichimokuren looks and sees years or war and exhaustion embedded into the wrinkles of his skin. Yet, Gaius looked so peaceful in his slumber. Compelled by sympathy he’s lead to bestow Gaius with a chaste kiss.

It’s simple and sweet as one might imagine, barely there with no desire of rousing the human while he slept. A soft, shuddering sigh leaves as soon as contact is made and he had every intention of pulling away until he feels a slow stirring beneath him. Ah. So he had disturbed him after all? How shameful.

❝ Gaius I’m.. ❞ Sorry? It’s a little too late for apologies now. When he’s pushed away he releases a sharp exhale and reflexively reaches out to palm against the sheets, catching himself from falling back. These slight touches are thrilling. Fingertips against his skin, lips upon his cheek, Gaius’s breath mingling with his. Technicalities would label it all as innocent and Ichimokuren knows that they are anything but. His head rolls back, purposefully muffling an unwilling gasp before carefully weaving his fingers in thick strands of hair and giving it a light tug. He needed to grab Gaius’s attention and put a stop to this before they delved too deeply and reached a point of no return.

Born or modified? Yggdrasil cants her head, half in acknowledgement of the other, and half in blank study. Was it purely vestigial? Did it serve some other purpose? Was it a signifier of some sort? Or was it imbued with some extraordinary power? He appeared human enough. It looked like it could have hurt, having the stone embedded, to form and heal the skin around, just-so. But why go through the trouble?

She unabashedly stares at the man as he approaches to collect his order, so engrossed in her speculation that she had forgotten the number of loops and knots in the twine that she had already made, as she attempts to place the finishing touches. But at least, in the slowly growing tangle, the assorted cakes, cookies, and tea packets inside of his gift box would be very secure.

“Tis the Garlean Third Eye.” It was difficult to miss - although there were others who adorned themselves with crystals, gems, none were so inlaid such as this. A feature that made the other recognizable as being from his world just as much as scales and horns would allow.

Barely looking up from what he was reading, golden eyes passed a glance at the other.

“Tis not a threat - thine Empire hath no power here. If thou wouldst even careth for something such.”

“ old timer! ”

stolas’s brash nature encourages a hearty smack in the former general’s back. a lax smile, treating this new scenery more like a vacation home than anything really dire. he’s even sporting a bag of overpriced jewelry, chiming when shaking together like bells at the starlight celebration. the adventurer is always excited to see former enemies, even those that have become what he at the very least would consider an ally.

sometimes it’s fun being wrong. especially if being right meant turning a blind eye to a hidden weapon and leaving a treasured friend to freeze in a desolate wasteland. knowing that gaius is here and not stopping the empire is something stolas deliberately chooses not to think about. time flows differently in different realms, after all. all he can do is hope that when he comes to the time lost in the first is brief as it was before.