First Contact (Part 3)

by **Zhol** on May 13th, 2015, 2:41 am

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In truth, Zhol was relieved; a moment of panic had swept over him as he'd waited for Khara's reaction, but her good natured retaliation swept that away instantly. In fact, the impulsive counter-splash made him happy beyond description: the Khara of yore would never have done such a thing, or would have been paralysed by guilt at having dared to retaliate against an Avora. More than her words, more than her assurances, moments like this were what proved to Zhol that all of his worries were unnecessary; that the caste disparity between them was well and truly gone and forgotten.

There was a special kind of confidence mixed in, too: not the accidental and unwitting assertiveness that slipped out without Khara realising when she was scouting, but the rare kind that she was conscious of, the kind that Zhol only got to see in rare glimpses after an arrow hit closer to the centre of the target than she'd expected, and she challenged him to match her skill, or other such fleeting instances. All of those occasions though, in the wilderness, at the range, even in their room; there was only so much of Khara that Zhol saw. Now though? He supposed that for Khara it made little difference, what with the Inarta's indifference to undress; but for Zhol the sight of Khara so confident, so at ease, so playful, so naked -

Reining in those distracted thoughts was difficult, but Khara's confusing statement helped, too full of words with which he wasn't familiar. Ticklish? What was this? He scoured his brain, tried to fumble through the smattering of Inarta grammar that he'd learned to understand, tried to find some similar word or some faint parallel that might be a clue in deciphering it's meaning.

"What is ticklish?" he asked, still smiling, but with a frown gently tugging at his brow. A flash of embarrassment leapt to his cheeks at having to ask. "I am sorry, I am not sure what that is, or if I am."

by **Khara** on May 14th, 2015, 12:25 am

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A mischievous smile spread across Khara's lips before it evolved, her teeth capturing her lower lip, the manner coy rather than her usual nervous habit. Of all the ways Zhol could have responded, Khara couldn't have asked for a better answer.

It wasn't exactly fair of her to not answer him right away and with a simple definition, but then again, how did one describe that sort of thing anyway? It was a feeling more than anything else, after all. It would be like trying to describe the fluttery sensation when she saw him for the first time in a day or when their eyes met just right, only… Different. The only way Khara could think of doing it was with physical movements accompanying an explanation that would result in using the same word to try and define itself and that wasn't going to do any good. Which left the only one real option: Explanation through example, she'd simply have to show him. Oh no, what a shame, her thoughts chimed in, carrying a flirtatious air that Khara was definitely not used to hearing coming from herself.

Khara couldn't exactly make herself entirely remove the amused smile; she never really had learned to bluff all that well. Her hands slowly reached out to him as she approached and it was with utmost gentleness that her fingertips pressed against his chest, just above his stomach before her hands slid backwards as if she was going to wrap her arms around his waist. Instead the motion stopped at his sides and another glance was cast upwards so her eyes could meet his. There was no way that Zhol didn't see the hint of intent, the roguish look that refused to leave her.

"You really don't know?" she asked in a mixture of flirtation and genuine questioning. After all, just as she was playing a bit there was a very good chance that Zhol was doing the same and wasn't the least bit ticklish and would instead turn the whole ordeal on her quicker than she knew how to handle

There was only one way to find out, though. Her thumbs pressed inward against his ribs at first. And then her hands quickly went to work, running against him in a series of light touches, careful jabs, not quite pinches, whatever it was she could think to try and make the human boy squirm.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

by **Zhol** on May 14th, 2015, 2:16 am

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What fresh hell was this?

Zhol felt his body squirm and spasm, completely unable to stop himself from recoiling away from the weirdly pleasant and yet strangely overwhelming sensation. He felt himself wanting to protest, wanting to insist that she stop, and yet couldn't manage to stop himself from grinning furiously either. It was familiar, faintly; Zhol had the vaguest memories of play fights with his sister devolving into such things; but whether factually accurate or simply a trick of his memory, he could not recall often being on the receiving end, usually resorting to these tactics as a way of securing ultimate victory over Dinah.

His body tried to shrink down in the water, but that did little to help; his only, mostly reflexive course was to retaliate, assaulting Khara's sides with the same actions she unleashed upon him, trying to fracture her offensive long enough for him to wrestle her into a tight embrace that kept her hands safely contained. She tried to resist, twist, and squirm; a bid for freedom was halted, Zhol's arms wrapped around her body, holding her with her back tight against his chest, still tickling at her ribs with the tips of his fingers -

It took a moment to realise what was happening; to realise how they were; to realise that they were naked, pressed against each other, engaged in activities that, were they several times slower, might have provoked an entirely different response. Zhol felt his heart thunder in his chest; his grip on Khara loosened, so that she could free herself if she chose, but desperately he wanted her not to.

His fingers resumed their motion, soft caresses instead of tickles this time, brushing against Khara's abdomen, exploring curves that were not nearly as familiar to his touch as he longed for them to be. One hand strayed upwards, emerging from the water to carefully brush Khara's hair aside so that it fell across one shoulder, exposing the other to the gentle attention of Zhol's lips.

by **Khara** on May 14th, 2015, 2:48 am

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She had been far too caught up in the moment to realize that she had been held tightly against him, that her actions were being prevented, that each attempt to escape failed. It took a few ticks for the the darker parts of her mind to catch up with everything and threatened to entirely unnerve her. It never got that far though, instead the tickles that she had been desperately trying to get away from stopped, her capture undone just enough that she realized she could freely move if she wanted. And then came the gentle running of his hands along her skin and the soft feel of his lips at her shoulder, and Khara gave up on the playful struggle entirely.

Her heart was already beating loudly from the exertion of their antics and it refused to slow as Zhol's hands roamed across her. It wasn't an entirely new sensation; little by little she had gotten more used to the feeling of the light touch that ran across parts of her that no one else had really ever explored, or at least, not in the way that he did. It didn't even have to be anywhere that was normally covered by clothing; a gentle brush against her stomach, the feather-light caress just above her hips, the same tentative and unbelievably enjoyable feel of his hands against her back; all of it seemed to have the same enticing effect.

Right now, though, right here, in the state they currently were? That was what made it new and it was different in a way that Khara wasn't even sure how to describe from the simple hold and resting of their bodies against each other from only a few chimes ago. They had respected certain unspoken boundaries when they had been caught in the cave the night prior, even if they did end up sleeping as they normally would have if they had been clothed. Even in their room, in private, these sort of delicate exchanges weren't uncommon anymore. But there had still been some clothing remaining, bryda at the very least on her part and similar attire had been the usual for Zhol in the evenings they spent together. Entirely unclothed? Somewhere - although thankfully empty at the moment - public? The only thing keeping panic in check was Zhol's gentle hold on her.

Khara's hands settled on top of his, entirely lost for where else to place them and she closed her eyes as she leaned more against him, her back pressing against his chest even as she applied just the slightest of pressure against his hands as a means of subtle encouragement. If this was what Zhol wanted to do, she found herself entirely emphatically approving - nervous as she was starting to become once more - as if every gentle caress could undo every bruise or harsh feeling that had been delivered at the hands of another. It wasn't really like that, though, it wasn't like Khara was actively thinking of anyone else when he was with her; quite the opposite, really. It was a blissful sort of overpowering and her mind simply couldn't conjure the will to even remotely consider anyone else in existence.

Saying she simply agreed with what was happening was entirely wrong as well. Khara wasn't some passive recipient of affection, she wanted this, needed it in a way that was almost frightening in it's own right. There was only one course of action, though; and retreat was the farthest thing from what she felt was she wanted. Her breath caught in her throat at the mere consideration of it, her only hesitations coming from uncertainty in how Zhol might react, or even the brief worry of her own body betraying her. Still, Khara couldn't help but think that it was worth trying, just to satisfy curiosity if nothing else, nevermind the near constant war in her mind between wanting to have him touch more of her and being utterly terrified of the prospect. With the slowest of movements, anticipating every resistance of his or her own, Khara guided his hands to her hips. She let them settle there for a moment, another breath taken and held as she guided his left hand further along her, moving inward and down in an almost painstakingly cautious manner.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

by **Zhol** on May 14th, 2015, 3:04 am

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There was a moment of worry, of panic, of fear. Khara always tried so hard to hide her instinctive reactions from him, but Zhol knew her well enough to perceive almost every subtle moment of tension, every reactive flinch that she fought against. He was prepared to stop, ready to; content to merely stand there with his arms around her, and do nothing more than hold her.

But then Khara changed things. A subtle smile of relief and excitement crept to Zhol's lips as she placed her hands atop his; he could feel a little of the tension in her muscles subsiding, her body relaxing against his just the tiniest bit more. Part of him knew that they shouldn't be doing this, not here; a louder part countered each notion like the parries of an expert swordsman. It was late at night. The attendants had all but deserted the baths. Even if they were seen, this was Wind Reach; you could pass by far more sordid activities in the warrens, and from what Zhol had heard there were places in the city where this sort of thing - in public, surrounded by others - was actively encouraged. His mind couldn't muster enough of an argument to stay his hands; and thank petch for that.

His heart stopped as she began to encourage his hand downwards. There hadn't been specific intent to his actions, just urges and instinct that he'd not been strong enough nor inclined to resist; had he planned for things to go this far, they never would have happened. A flutter of panic gripped him as his fingers slid beneath the waterline, following the curve of Khara's body at her encouragement until his fingers found themselves nestled against the warm flesh between her thighs. Nothing Zhol had ever been told or experienced prepared him for this; not the way it felt, nor what one did with such situations. The gasp from Khara as his touch brushed against clearly sensitive parts of her anatomy, her arched back pressing her skin against his chest, was the unspoken instruction his instincts needed. Tentative at first, slow and gentle throughout, Zhol's fingers began to caress and massage between Khara's legs, his other hand snaking around her body to inflict the same attention on her breasts, tugging her even closer against him in the process.

His lips resumed their assault on her neck and shoulder, allowing every urge to be anything but gentle and cautious to be unleashed there, frantic flurries of kisses ascending the taught skin of Khara's neck as her head tilted back. His kisses stumbled over the line of her jaw, his cheek nuzzling against hers, soft, breathy whispers and professions of love in every language he could think of uttered into her ear.

"Should I stop?" the conscientious part of his brain managed to sneak out; Zhol only hoped he could convince the rest of him to obey if Khara said yes.

by **Khara** on May 14th, 2015, 3:11 am

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It was a question she wasn't sure of the answer to. Even if he had phrased it do you want me to stop? she wouldn't have been able to answer right away. So loudly it seemed every part of her ached to answer with a definite no, and she certainly echoed that sentiment by keeping her hands on his, not even remotely trying to pull them away from her. But as much as she wanted what was happening to continue, there were other thoughts that persisted as well. Thankfully the quietest of which that barely even managed to register was the insistence that she shouldn't be doing this at all, that such intimate contact was terrifying and she should shy away from it. The second loudest, and growing in its demand to be listened to, was the one that was more practical and focused on the man behind her and how she wanted him to feel the exact same sensations that were making it feel like she wouldn't be able to remain upright if it wasn't for the gentle hold he had around her.

She wasn't quite sure how long the most demanding of her instincts won out for that kept her in place, however, and was only vaguely aware of the gentle shake of her head that served as a silent plea for him to keep touching her. It was only as Khara realized she was almost struggling for breath, struggling to even think straight that some part of her rational brain managed to return and she turned to face Zhol, unfortunately moving his hands away from her in the process. The desire to kiss him was overwhelming and had to be playcacted first, but only one arm wound it's way around his shoulders as she did so. The other hand pressed against his chest before slowly moving downwards.

The passionate kiss she had started had to be brought to a stop as her hand hesitated at his waist. Breaths for air were snatched desperately as she looked up into Zhol's eyes, searching for any sign that he didn't want her to continue, that she was the one that needed to stop now. Khara couldn't deny she was still scared, but not in the unpleasant sense, more that she was worried he would tell her to stop, tell her she was pushing things too far, that she was making him do things that he didn't want. She suspected his breath would suddenly halt as her hand moved lower and lightly began to run along the intimate part of him she hadn't yet dared to touch, but her own had halted as well and caught in her throat as she waited for any sign of approval.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

by **Zhol** on May 14th, 2015, 3:16 am

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Zhol had felt - and succumbed to - the urge to do things to Khara before. He had pressed her against walls; kissed her passionately; there were days where he could barely manage to keep his hands to himself. This though? This was something new. This, he didn't know where to start; couldn't decide where on Khara's body his hands longed to be; couldn't decide between kissing her lips, or her shoulder, or somewhere else entirely. What he did know was where those urges would end, and that terrified him - not because he didn't want to go there, but because of how badly he found himself wanting to.

Ordinarily, that might not have seemed like a bad thing; healthy even. But ordinarily, one hadn't made promises. Ordinarily, one hadn't assured the one you loved that there was no harm in waiting; that you weren't even waiting at all. Zhol didn't want to be impatient. He didn't want to be desperate to wrap Khara's legs around his waist, to feel absolutely every part of her against absolutely every part of him; but he was. A few quick movements was all it would take. A few steps. A gentle lift. That edge of the baths, maybe. He could be with her right now; and with what she was doing, what she was insisting he feel, and what she had just allowed him to do; if he asked, or even hinted that he wanted such a thing, there was the frightening possibility that she might not say no.

Solace came not from his head, but from his heart. Not like this, his heart implored. Not some rush. Not some moment of opportunity. She deserves better than that. You both deserve better.

Reluctance twisted Zhol's insides, but even his conviction wasn't enough to muster the will to actively make her stop, craving a few fractions of a second longer of feeling her fingers and her gentle touch against him. "Someone might see us," was all he managed to breathe, almost hoping that her response would be So what?

by **Khara** on May 14th, 2015, 3:47 am

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Were she someone else, were they somewhere else, Khara may have not cared for that reminder. But that was the problem, she was her and they were here and nothing about that was going to change in the immediate moment. She wanted to let passion take over, to encourage Zhol to hold her as he had been just a bit ago, knowing that parts of their bodies would be so close to each other that there was no way either one of them would be able to resist anymore, that this conflict in her head could finally be put to rest. But that was the truth of it - Someone might see. At first even just kissing him in a public setting had been a hesitant affair, but Khara had slowly gotten over that, but this, even what they were currently doing? If someone else walked in, if someone else watched them...? That thought was enough to slowly pull her hand away from where she had been gently caressing as embarrassment finally took hold.

If - when they finally did make love, it couldn't be like this, she had always known that. It had to be somewhere they both were comfortable with, somewhere private, somewhere safe where they could freely let themselves just be. If they dared to here and someone walked in on them it would ruin everything and that wasn't even remotely something Khara was willing to risk. Still, Khara couldn't deny that there was a bit of reluctance to admit all that to herself and she wasn't sure if she felt guilty or frustrated with herself for it.

"Okay," she finally conceded and was immediately glad that it didn't sound dismayed or upset. She didn't exactly feel that way, either, but the truth was Khara wasn't entirely sure what she was feeling in that moment.

She didn't trust herself to wrap her arms around him just then, the sudden hug would place parts of them against each other that really were best left alone for the time being. Especially since they both needed to relax a bit and face the full reality of their current situation. Khara didn't want him to think that she was unhappy though, not in the slightest. If the time wasn't right, it simply wasn't right and that was perfectly okay.

Her hands drifted in the water between them until they found his; her fingers tightly entwining with Zhol's to make it clear she didn't want either of them actually depart from the other. The space between them bothered her, however, and it couldn't be allowed to linger for one tick longer. Her other arm quickly wound around his above the hand she clung to and she pulled herself against his side much as she always did, the only care was taken in placing their clasped hands against her stomach rather than letting them wander anywhere else. It was a normal gesture, one that she felt perfectly reflected the necessary change in their behaviour.

It was only then that a slightly embarrassed laugh managed to leave her and she quickly shifted, letting him go only so that she could move in front of him as she went to her toes in order to bring her lips to his in a soft kiss that ended all too soon. "I love you," Khara said softly as she resumed hugging herself against his arm. It wasn't a necessary pronouncement, it wasn't anything new, but it was something she had to say, and something she felt Zhol needed to hear spoken without a shred of doubt or timidness.

"I think maybe we should head back to our room, it is getting quite late," she offered, a hint of her earlier playful tone returning. Another smile couldn't help but form as she gently took a step towards the edge of the pool, tugging him with her before she slipped away from the hold on his arm and relied purely on the feel of her hand in his to keep contact as she left the bath's warm waters.

She almost thanked him then, for preventing them from doing something they both may have ended up regretting. One night in a cave, slightly forced toward taking a step towards something they both clearly wanted had changed things. Khara wasn't entirely certain if she wished it had happened differently or not, but one thing was for sure, they didn't need to rush, the other wasn't going anywhere.

"Nari" | "Common" | "Pavi"

by **Ssezzkero** on June 18th, 2015, 4:57 pm

Grades

If you have any questions or concerns, PM me.

Zhol

XP:

Lores:

Khara

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Lores:

Notes: Don't forget to edit your post in the request forum as 'Graded'.

Closed First Contact (Part 3)