Flashback [Sacred Arch Hotsprings] A Welcome Reprieve

[Aoren]

Aoren turned his gaze from the sky to observe Raven casually. The way she stared at her reflection in the water told him she was deep in thought. He could understand that. The questions he had been asking thus far were not ones that could be answered on a whim. From his first impressions of the woman Aoren pegged her as someone who typically deflected more personal questions in favor of a witty retort. Raven seemed to him a woman who danced around the truth of things as much as she danced in the shadows. He smirked slightly. That was a pleasing thing to imagine. A beautiful Raven clade in a dark black gown of fine silks bejeweled amidst the midnight skies dancing the night away.

“I doubt I've done anything worth noticing...at least not yet.”

Without much preamble Aoren reached over placing his hands on Raven’s hips lifting her up from the water placing her on his lap. He ran his thumbs up and down her sides absentmindedly before trailing his fingers along her spine. Aoren knew virtually nothing about giving a massage to anyone but he knew where he typically got sore throughout the day. So he pressed his fingers into the spaces just beneath her shoulder blades and began to rub gently. He could feel the tight muscles there bunched up and relentless in their grip on the bones beneath. Aoren wasn’t certain whether this was how it was supposed to feel or if there were knots there. Regardless he knew that he always enjoyed it when people rubbed there. It felt good so he just assumed it would feel good when he did it for someone else.

“Well, the gods may not have noticed you but I have.” He kept one hand rubbing at the space beneath her left shoulder blade while his other hand came to rest at the base of her neck. He trailed his fingers along her neck then rubbed gently but firmly at the base. The muscles there felt tight but Aoren just assumed it was because Raven was a naturally tight muscled and athletic individual. The young man continued this routine for a few moments before he moved to trailing his hands up and down her spine rubbing at the muscle just beside the bony prominences of her spine.

“Sorry.” He paused tilting his head to the side slightly before continuing to rub at Raven’s back. “You know, if the questions I asked made you uncomfortable. I’m not really any good at witty or casual conversation.” That was certainly true. Aoren was typically a man of very few words. The words he usually did share with people often had a purpose. The discussions he had were rarely ever just for pure entertainment or in the interest of just being whimsical or comical.

Running a hand up her spine he let his fingertips come to rest at the base of Raven’s skull then rubbed there gently.

“I have no idea what I’m doing, by the way. So if any of this hurts let me know.”

[Raven Nightfoot]

Raven watched the handsome young man curiously, wondering how he would reply to her comment. Instead, after a moment of thought his face was decorated with a slight smirk, but before Raven could ask what he found so entertaining he had reached out and grabbed her hips. He placed her on his lap and began to gently trace his large hands along her bare skin, slowly up and down her spine. Soon he began to message her back, just beneath her shoulder blades. Until then Raven hadn't known how tense she was, only realising as she felt the knot disappear. “Well, the gods may not have noticed you but I have.” A smile appeared on Raven's face along with a light blush, although she was glad that he couldn't Aoren couldn't see it. Next he slid one of his hands up to her neck and began messaging the knot there. Raven tilted her head to the side, her eyes closing as she enjoyed the massage. After a few moments his hands moved gliding gently along her spine and causing her to arch her back as the shivers ensued. “You know, if the questions I asked made you uncomfortable. I’m not really any good at witty or casual conversation.” Raven only smirked in response, she hadn't found his questions intrusive at all, in fact she'd found them endearing. She let out a soft encouraging moan as he began to massage her skull. “I have no idea what I’m doing, by the way. So if any of this hurts let me know.” Another smirk crossed her face, "Oh I think you know exactly what you're doing." she said arching her back again. Aoren may have thought he wasn't doing a good job but in all honesty, Raven was finding the massage both sensual and arousing.

[Aoren]

"Oh I think you know exactly what you're doing."

Aoren chuckled at that as was his manner. He seldom threw his head back and enjoyed a full bought of raucous laughter. He was always the quiet one. His mannerism firm but gentle in their purpose. Raven's moans of pleasure served to guide Aoren's hands. He trailed his fingers up and down her spine pressing his thumbs just near the edge of the bony prominences and spreading outward in a continual motion. He found himself tantalized by the paleness of her skin. It looked like something out of a lucid dream. The suppleness of it was captivating and the obvious strength beneath her smaller form was intriguing.

"You really aren't like anyone I've ever met, Raven." He brought his hands up to her shoulders rubbing in circular motions trying not to press too hard but uncertain about what was too little. He tried to keep his touches firm but avoided putting too much strength into his grip. He stayed like that for several minutes. The only sounds being Raven's groans of gratitude for the attention he was giving her sore body and the sounds of the other occupants in their springs.

After several minutes of this comfortable silence he let his hands falls away with gently brushes over Raven's skin.

"Feel any better?" Always the guardian. They had come to the springs with the intent of washing Aoren's wound and making sure he was okay. Somehow he'd turned this into an outing about Raven. A deeply philosophical man would have said it was because Aoren was largely uncomfortable about the topic of himself in any form. He felt the need to divert attention away from himself and had a tendency to belittle his own actions believing himself unworthy of any praise.

In short? He had mommy and daddy issues. Such was the mentality of a young man refused by his parents and left to fend for himself in a harsh world. That wasn't entirely true. He'd had a few people to stand with him along the way. Those choice few were who he called family. They were special to him. He quietly wondered if Raven would soon join that family in any sort of capacity. He definitely felt an attraction to her. He wasn't so good at sensing that attraction in other people though. Aoren was a little oblivious when it came to the subtle points of flirting, seduction and coercion.

[Raven Nightfoot]

"You really aren't like anyone I've ever met, Raven." Raven was grateful that Aoren couldn't see her face as a girlish smile broke out across her face before returning to her smirk, in Raven's opinion it was quite a compliment that he thought of her as unique, like a diamond, something Raven had been wanting ever since she saw one in her younger days. "I'm glad to hear that...I dare say that I hope that never changes." she teased, still enjoying the feel of his hands working at her muscles and joints. Aoren's large hands were surprisingly gentle and soothing in their motions, as if they were magic. Raven huffed chuckled softly as she remembered that he was indeed a magician. Finally(to her disappointment) Aoren's hands slid from her skin signalling that the massage was over. Raven hadn't known it prior to the massage but she had needed it desperately. The massage had removed a lot of pain and stiffness from her body, the kind that you weren't aware you had until it disappears leaving only a refreshed and soothing feeling. " Feel any better?" Raven smirked as she casually slipped off his lap and turned around to face him, her amber eyes locking on the cobalt blue of his, "I feel amazing, I hadn't even realised that I needed a massage that badly...although..." she paused as her eyebrow raised questioningly, "...wasn't the whole point of coming here to get rid of YOUR aches and pains?" She pulled her hair from her face noticing it was now damp, had they been there that long, in the distance she saw that most of the other occupants of the springs were now climbing out and getting dressed. "Perhaps it's time that we leave too? You know what they say about 'Too much of a good thing' although, personally I don't believe that." she said with a flirtatious wink.

[Aoren]

“Ha! Well, we will chalk it up to one of your innumerable skills.” He chuckled shaking his head. They had gone through the motions of leaving the Rearing Stallion after the brief scuffle narrowly escaping getting thrown into the Tank for the night. The whole intention of coming to the hot springs was so that Aoren could unwind and relax after nearly getting his shoulder sliced into shreds. Well, maybe that was a little extreme. Still it had hurt the young man and it was not something he would soon forget. When they had arrived at the hot springs though, and even on the way, he had been enthralled by Raven. Being alone with her was different than being alone with any other woman.

Aoren was not attracted to superficial beauty. For sure, there was something to be said of a woman who commanded the attention of scores of men just by her looks. That meant little in the end though if there was nothing beneath a pretty face. He had never been the type to become interested in shallow people. They were far more trouble than they were worth. Raven was different. She had charm. She had mystery. She answered questions in a way that only piqued his interest and made him ask even more questions. He wanted to know her. He wanted to see where she went in life. The only way to do that was to keep her around and vice versa convince her it was a good idea to keep him around.

As Raven slid off of his lap his breathing hitched slightly. The feel of her strong legs wrapping around his own sliding against him did nothing to help cool his hot body. The normally pleasant warmth of the hot springs suddenly spiked becoming noticeably hotter. There was a particular heat centered around his nether regions but he choked down any urges that might have compelled him to act on those urges. Taking a steadying breath he pulled his eyes away from Raven as she wrung out her midnight black hair.

"Perhaps it's time that we leave too? You know what they say about 'Too much of a good thing' although, personally I don't believe that."

Aoren was grateful for the cover of darkness. His face felt flushed. He avoided her gaze. For all of his stature he was very boyish in his attraction to other people be they male or female. He just nodded and hefted himself up from the pool of spring water by placing his palms up on the ledge of the rock and pushing himself upwards lifting his body from the water. His shoulder protested vehemently but he ignored the pain. He needed the cool breeze of the summer night to calm his nerves.

“I think that would be a very good idea. It’s probably getting late.” Kneeling at the side of the spring he extended a hand to Raven to help her out of the water. Once it was a accepted he helped pull her up out of the spring but as he did his shoulder pained him causing him to jerk pulling her close to his body with a hiss. He might have gripped her hand harder than he intended but the moment the pain passed he released her.

“S-sorry! My shoulder it pained me badly and surprised me.” He stood up rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. “I’ll uh…I’ll just go get dressed.” He chuckled lightly trying to shrug off the awkward situation. Padding over to where he’d set his clothes he realized immediately that neither of them had a means of drying themselves beyond just rubbing themselves dry with their clothing. He immediately did the gentlemanly thing and resolved to offer up his shirt as a means of drying off. It wasn’t the best but it would do. Grabbing his pants he pulled them on over wet legs managing to get his feet past the cuff then tugged on his boots. He picked up his shirt offering it to Raven.

“It’s pretty much the only thing we can use to dry off.” He chuckled. Once the both of them were adequately dressed and ready to go he threw his damp shirt over his shoulder then offered a hand to Raven so that they might step safely down the ledge of the rocks leading up to the spring. He gave her a smile. He knew perfectly well that she was good at climbing over rocks and managing to get up into high places. She’d demonstrated that much skill their very first meeting.

“Wouldn’t want us both to end up with an injury, now would we?”

[Raven Nightfoot]

Raven simply smiled as he complimented her yet, she was used to the typical pick-up line compliments but Aoren used none of that, his compliments were anything but superficial. She turned in time to see him push himself up and out of the hot spring, his wet back glistening in the moonlight as the muscles moved beneath his warm skin. After a moment Raven caught herself staring once again and mentally scolded herself for it as she reached up and took his offered hand allowing him to pull her out of the water while using her free arm to cover her breasts. Aoren pulled out gently enough but then out of nowhere his arm seemed to spasm, pulling her roughly against his bare chest, his grip on her hand tightening, an immediate blush finding it's way to her face as she felt his hot wet skin against hers. “ S-sorry! My shoulder it pained me badly and surprised me.” Even after she'd pulled away she could still feel the heat print of where his skin had made contact with hers, "Or is that just a very good excuse?" she said teasingly, her eyebrow quirking up, she knew of course that he was telling the truth, she had after all heard his hiss of pain, but it was always fun to try and break his calm mask. Raven took Aoren's shirt as he offered it to her with a appreciative nod as she used it to dry herself, turning her back to him as she ran his shirt up and down her body, wiping away the droplets that clung to her pale skin until she felt she was dry enough. She pulled on her pants and boots followed by her corset which took slightly longer and by the time she was dressed and ready so was Aoren. “Wouldn’t want us both to end up with an injury, now would we?” When Aoren politely offered her his hand she simply smiled, brushing it aside gently as she stepped down over the rocks effortlessly, Raven was the type of person who liked to do things without assistance no matter how trivial, although she did appreciate it the gesture. Once they'd left the hot springs the two of them strolled calmly side-by-side on their way back to the city gates, not too far ahead of them, they could hear the group of people who had left the springs before them, they were laughing and singing joyfully, clearly enjoying the night. Raven couldn't blame them as she looked up at the handsome Aoren walking beside her, it had been a great night after all.

[Taylani]

XP Award!

Aoren:

XP Award:

• +5 socialization
• +1 brawling
• +1 observation
• +2 flirting
• +3 massage
  
  
  

Lore:

• Desire to find family
• Dangers of horny drunks
• Adept at questionable pick-up lines

notes :

notes: One note about mild godmodding that one might realize is happening. “He released her from his grip quickly and flinched away from the retaliatory punch to his ribs that he knew was going to follow.” When you say things like this and phrase it “He knew was going to follow” then it can make the other writer feel as if she must write in that her character tried to punch you in the ribs..when perhaps the character might have wanted to poke your character in the eye. It’s very minor here, but it’s something to look at in the future 

Raven Nightfoot:[/size]

XP Award:

• +5 socialization
• +1 larceny
• +1 medicine
  
• +1 seduction
• +2 flirting
  
  

Lore:

• Attraction to Aoren
• Medicine: Cleaning a wound
• Desire to be noticed by Akijia
  

Notes:I Feel free to PM me with any concerns about your grade. Don’t forget to edit/delete your grade request. Thanks!

TAYLANI