Closed [Squire Dormitories] Right there

[Fallon]

33rd Fall 513AV
Afternoon

Fallon gave a wince, followed by a distinct hissing curse. Petching training. Petch the wooden swords. Petch the sneering from the other squires. Petch the lecturing tone from her patron. Petch it all.

Training had had - at last - succeeded in rearing its ugly head not through live blades, cuts, point blank flooring or knock outs, but by the distinct over pulling of movements and muscles. Too firmly had she jerked out and forced a contortion. Too sharp and sudden had the twist come, the flurry of blows and cracking of training swords rattling through. If it was not the wind that was knocked out of her, then it was most certainly the sapping of energy. Muscles ached and complained, tensing up and refusing to relax. She only received a roll of the eyes from her patron, and the wave away with the hand.

If you’re going to grunt, groan and whine, go do it in the dormitories. Not out here.

Her fingers just managed to get underneath the training jacket to allow them to be massaged. Feet gave a firm tread on the floor, a definite scowl upon her face as she retreated to the dormitories. The door was almost kicked open as she entered with the wood swinging wildly on its hinges. It was the same foot that hooked round it and pressed it shut. Arm raised she threw the training sword down in frustration, the clatter echoing out as it rolled across the floor and heavy feet stomped on through. Not that her racket lasted long, for soon after a declaration of shyke sounded out.

Right hand fumbling for the buckles, the padding of the jacket tightening around the limbs she worked at throwing it off and simply stripping herself free of it. The shirt beneath had its tell tale signs of sweat clinging to it and her frame. She knew the source well or at least part of it as the distinct feeling of burning aches crept its way across her shoulders and her back, lighting the muscles in fire. She pulled the top few buttons loose sticking the same hand beneath the layer to rub at her left shoulder and the scar that rested above it.

It was a weakness, she knew that. An injury that she knew would keep on coming back to haunt her. It should be better by now though, or at least it should no longer slow her down. The cold tips pressed against it, her left hand pressing flat against the table. Exhaling she continued her work against it, face creasing up as the aches continued to hover there. Why now of all times? What in the name of the gods had she done to deserve this?

”What a petching great way to spend an afternoon,” she muttered under her breath.

[Orion Michaels]

Orion hated early morning training. By the gods he hated it. There was nothing to be gained by being up before Syna's rays had even begun to greet the world. Whether it was training, patrols, or listening to Dinah drone on about history, he just couldn't stand it. His complaints, of course, fell on the deaf ears of the Captain Knight. She'd heard every excuse he had, and Orion wasn't her first squire. It was still amusing to listen to a full grown man whine more than the teens had. While he had the body of an adult, his mind seemed to be a little behind.

If there was a silver lining though, it was the fact that occasionally early morning training meant early release from that training. Push hard in the morning, go home and rest in the evening. Thankfully, today was one of those days. 

The squire was exhausted and had made himself a nice little spot in the corner of the communal area to rest. Though he slept in his bed during the evening, it simply wasn't the right size for him. He was too large of a person for beds meant for someone he dwarfed. Whenever he had to the chance to stretch out and lounge on a hard stone floor, he took that opportunity up, strange as it was. He figured he had a day all to himself, so he was somewhat surprised and the slightest bit annoyed when Fallon entered.

She seemed oblivious to his presence, the dim lighting of the dorm suite obscuring him from her immediate vision. He jumped, startled by the crash of her weapon against the ground, and sat there, somewhat dumbfounded as she stomped through the common area towards her room, muttering the entire way. Something had gotten to her and he wasn't going to get to enjoy his nap until he dealt with whatever it was.

Orion slowly crawled to his feet, using the feather pillow to cushion his rise and let him stand up with as little noise as possible. With his eyes adjusted to the low light of the room, he crept along the stone floor, his bare feet sliding along the ground. As he approached her door, the squire placed his back against the wall, inching towards the edge. The slightest of scraping could be heard as the fabric of his clothing and the smooth stone of the walls met momentarily. Once he arrived at the opening, blue eyes peeked around the corner to see just what his longtime friend was worked up about. 

A small smile crept upon his lips as he observed her working at an obvious pain her back. So she'd injured herself training, huh? Silly girl.. He could see about helping her out, but he doubted she'd accepted his aid. 

"Take off that shirt and we can have a great afternoon, Fal," he remarked, rotating himself around the door to stand in the frame. With his arms crossed, he watched Fallon with a smirk. "Ooh, that sounds wrong, doesn't it? Shame on me."

[Fallon]

She did not hear him coming. Nor did she see him approach and hover there, silently judging as she struggled with her strains. Cold tips pressed deeper, her chest growing tight as she held her breath. The tips were so close, barely skirting the core of it all. Or at least until she heard his voice. Fallon jumped, for lack of the better term. Her once still form that was tending to the aches became animated. The hand ripped away, the stiff and rebelling back forced into movement.

Air was sucked in, her form pivoting to face him. There was surprise on her face, followed by that pointed questioning look at him. Eyes gave a dart away, her hand pulling her shirt collar tightly together almost as if to gain a sense of modesty. She did not exactly fancy anyone staring at her - unless it was him of course. Clearing her throat she spoke ”How… long exactly have you been standing there listening to me storming about like an angry bull?” Easing herself away from where she had dumped her jacket and arranged herself into a better form of presentation. Lips pursed into a fine line, a slight crease of the brow as she thought over his rather suggestive comments.

”Define a great afternoon,” she raised an eyebrow at him, a slight prodding jest back before her expression bloomed once more into a wince. Keeping up the quick retorts was going to be a difficult task, and in honesty she was far from the idea of playing simple word games or dancing around subjects. Pinching her brow, she allowed to be honest, ”Generally the removal of shirts around you means many a thing Orion, so you’re going to have to be a bit specific with me. One can only dream that I’m just going to be pampered and have my whims tended to…”

Drifting away she shook her head, forcing a smile out for a tick and then reluctantly returned to trying to rub at her back. Muscles rebelled, the look of discomfort forming on her face, ”It’s a good thing I’ve heard worse inappropriate comments in my time.” With a final wince she pulled her hand away and gave an open gesture to him, ”What are you suggesting then Orion? Or is it a surprise? I don’t just take my shirt off for anyone after all. You know that.”

[Orion Michaels]

”I’m not quite sure,” he mused, rubbing his scruffy beard in mock contemplation. ”I assure you it felt an eternity. The sounds you make while it pain are nothing short of erotic. It’s surprising that the boys throughout these dorms haven’t knocked down our door trying to see what was going on.” Orion folded his arms over his chest as he watched his friend decide how to deal with him. Orion knew when someone was in pain. A lifetime of medical training and a keen eye for that sort of thing made it difficult to hide. Her retorts were a bit slower in coming as well. He just had to figure out exactly what the issue was.

Reeling back in exaggerated shock, Orion uncrossed his arms as she made her accusation. ”You think I would do something like take advantage of this situation? We’ve known each other for years and I’ve not so much as violated your personal space. You don’t trust me?” A smirk returned to his lips as he took slow, calculated steps towards her, set at closing the distance as letting him see what she was trying to deal with.

Orion couldn’t say for sure how Fallon was around other people when it came to her clothing, but around him it seemed she was a paragon of modesty. Not so much as an inch of normally covered flesh would come into the former doctor’s view unless a medical emergency had dictated such a thing. ”Smart girl,” he concluded. ”It’s better to avoid exposing yourself around me. The last thing you need is a kid on the way.” The squire rolled his eyes at his own story, a story which had wasted no time in spreading throughout the gossip lines of the dormitories. Get a bunch of kids together, and that was all she wrote.

”Yet despite the fact that you have this mistrust of my intentions, I’m the most medically trained person you know, and you’re clearly hurt. So let me take a look. Or not. Count yourself among the handful of women who resist the wiles and charm of that Orion fellow.” If she was hurting, he wasn’t sure why she hadn’t gone to the Soothing Waters. One thing he’d enjoyed greatly since joining the knights was the free healing, even though he held reservations about magical healing. Still, with dozens of skilled medics and masseuses, there was something to deal with all the ailments one could have.

”You can cover yourself, just let me see what’s going on with that shoulder you’re favoring so much.”

[Fallon]

Fallon exhaled. Quiet deeply in fact. She should have expected such a comment from him in responses. Her hand however remained fixed in place, almost as if holding the joint still and preventing the risk of it suddenly falling off. Eying the scruffy man up and down weighed up an answer to his joking retort. There was a delay, her mind gently ticking over as she searched on through. Her hand came out as he made his careful steps over, her entire form leaning slightly away as she gave him a firm point.

”Winter. In Five-Oh-Six! You went into my personal space then!” she gave a glare, eyes narrowing upon him with a strong sense of childishness in her expression. She held it there for a moment, then released a sigh, ”Okay, maybe that was a bad example.” The hand was lowered, her form creasing as he only quickly brushed upon his current surrounding gossip. Of course the dormitories knew; it spread like wild fire, lapping and leaping from mouth to mouth in an instant. There was no need to make a comment about it; no doubt it was a sore subject to the man and something that would only breed bitterness from it. Of course, it would explode eventually. And judging by him it would be violent too. Pinching her brow she looked only briefly at him and then almost judgingly down to her buttons.

”Alright, alright, you win,” she allowed herself to be defeated. Orion was a doctor after all, and someone who knew what he was doing. Useful really, for it saved time on a visit to all those others with their hands – at least with Orion she could trust him with them, to a degree. Her voice dropped down to monotone, ”Come hither Orion. Wave and explore with your magical hands. Just tell me how you want me.” She gave a snort, and moved up to the buttons. Of course she was not about to undress before him completely, least not unless she really had to. Such things were reserved for private.

Most of the time at least.

Slipping the shirt from her aching shoulder, she turned so her back was to him. Resistance came in, her shoulders instinctively hunching up and inwards almost protectively, the pale skin and ivory lines tensing and quivering. Holding her better arm across her breast as if it was to serve as a shield, she finally allowed herself to release a wince, her brow knitting as she forced herself to stare on ahead. He would not try anything, would he? Would he start asking questions? Or would he not? She could already feel the multitude of thoughts prickling through her mind, the rise and fall of worrying notions.

”Well?” She finally forced herself to speak.

[Orion Michaels]

"I only do what I have to do. I know your boundaries, Fal." He watched her fight though the decision on what to do. He'd found the dynamic of their relationship an interesting one. Although they knew one another for such a long time, there was a certain issue of trust that he wasn't quite sure about. A hot and cold friendship that was difficult to explain. At times it would seem Like they hated one another. Other times they would bicker like siblings. And at other times they were a couple in a very odd relationship.

She was weary of his touch, but he'd pushed no intimacy between them. In fact, the only contact they had had was at her advancement. His reputation, no, his reality had wounded their bond.

"I've waited years for you to cave and utter those words," He quipped. "Now stop playing around." He waited, watching without leering as she exposed her shoulder to him with caution. Thoughts raced through his mind, though his own thoughts were warped by the life he'd lived. Not everyone was so free with their body as he, but an existence built on sexuality had given him a skewed perception. He couldn't tell if she was ashamed of her form or fearful of him. There was nothing to be embarrassed about, at least if Orion were to be asked. Her pale skin sat before him, a foreign sight to the blue eyed man. He couldn't think of any time she'd had to do such a thing before. It was clear she wanted to do as little of it as she could.

"That's not going to work, Fal. Grab that sheet or blanket off your bed and protect yourself from my gaze. I need to have unrestricted movement in order to check your mobility." Orion turned his back to her to offer her a bit of privacy. "I promise I won't peek. Let me know when you're ready." Orion would stay true to his word, though most wouldn't believe that possible.

Whenpermission given to mod Fallon she had properly covered herself, the squire turned back around to face his patient fully. "Now lay down so you're face down and your arm is off the side of your bed." Once she moved into position, Orion knelt beside her and gently grasped her forearm and supported her elbow."Tell me where it hurts." Orion began to slowly move her arm up and down, left and right, and rotated it at the shoulder socket. The goal was to determine whether the injury was skeletal, in the ligaments, or a muscular issue. Taking Note of her answers, the blue eyed man began his diagnosis.

[Fallon]

Fallon obeyed of course. She was in no mood to exactly argue with him, nor really in position to. He was a doctor with a patient after all, there had to be some modicum of professionalism left in him. There was a moment of tension, resistance as the cool hands rested upon her skin. Far from repulsion to his touch but more along with her own nerves rising high, her own sense of shame that she had dealt upon her vessel. Maybe she would have normally enjoyed the touch from Orion, to have the hand that was always there to guide her reaching out. This was different though, it was medical, nothing more or less.

And it made her skin writhe.

With her chin peeking over the edge and the blanket covering her in all the correct places, she simply allowed him to do his work. Her brow furrowed, her eyes pulling into a wince. The hands guided the arm, the shoulder joint rolling round at his command. As it was rotated round, her other fist came out and wacked the bed firmly. It burned the worst then, sharp and intense. The tendons stiffened, the muscles contracting as gently it was rolled forward, ”There! Right there!”

The palm of her hand struck the surface of the bed once more, her cheeks puffing out as she released a tense breath. It was eased off, gently subsiding as her friend pulled it back and round. Her skin gave a prickle, the dulled ache of what felt to her like swelling ringing in her mind. She sucked the air back in, a rattling tremble being sucked down her throat. She had to resist sitting herself to try and shake off the sensation growing there.

”It’s that petching weakness,” she muttered, her forehead pressing against the surface. The hands continued to do their work, moving, pulling and teasing it outwards, searching for the limits of her issue. Although it could be pulled out, there was no way it could have reached its maximum – or at least not with ease. There was a firm grunt or groan of displeasure whenever it was overdrawn to far, a firm resistance in her form and a struggle to not react. He was only trying to help after all. Her teeth gave a grit, and then slowly eased off.

”I think… maybe, you’ve got it,” she felt her shoulder being rolled up and at an angle, the muscles rebelling once more, ”Def… initely. Yes. Ouch. There.”

[Orion Michaels]

Orion ignored the way she seemed repulsed by his touch, though it annoyed him. It seemed like she didn’t actually want him to do what he was doing, but then again, he could be wrong. Sometimes he could read her like a book, and other times he had no idea what was going on inside that head of hers. After everything they’d been through, after what they could have shared, to treat him like a stranger? It was almost a challenge. If it wasn’t a serious injury, well, the thoughts were already rolling in the squire’s head.

As he worked on her arm Orion’s gaze shifted back and forth between her face and her shoulder. He had to look for visual clues from her expression and her shoulder for any serious abnormal movement in her structure or her muscles. Thankfully pain seemed to bring out truthful expressions in her face, and all the symptoms of her injury made themselves apparent in one simple movement. To be sure though, he had to maneuver her arm a bit more. ”Bear with me a little longer, Fal. I have to make sure it is what I believe it to be.” He rotated her arm up, down, and to the side, feeling some bit of guilt at the agony he was causing his friend. With each wince, each curse, and each groan of pain, it made it pretty clear that it was an issue with her muscle.

”Bad news. You’re going to die,” Orion deadpanned, looking down at his partially clothed friend. He was pretty sure she couldn’t have pulled that sheet around her any tighter. Anything to avoid my lecherous gaze, huh Fal? ”But seriously, you’re just overworking yourself. Your shoulder might just be a little weaker naturally, or it’s just tired, but regardless, it’s not getting the recovery it needs.”

Orion released her from his grasp and crossed his arms, looking down at Fallon. ”I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear, but the way I see it, you’ve got two options: One, you can take a week off of training and let your arm and shoulder recover, or two, you can get a massage to help with the recovery.” He spoke clearly, plainly, as a matter of diagnosis. It was a simple truth as far as he was concerned.

”I doubt your patron would be too enthused about you taking the time off, so you need a massage. I’ll give you a chance to make a call on this. Some stranger at the Soothing Waters, or me.” He grinned, turning from her to make his way for the door. ”I’ll give you a moment to decide while I grab my oils. I picked up a little of the craft during my time working at the Soothing Waters, so it’s not like I’m just making this stuff up. Don’t you worry.”

The blue eyed man disappeared from around the door, leaving Fallon and her sheet there to contemplate the evils before her.

[Fallon]

Fallon shot a look up at him, and then promptly donned her forehead with her hand, ”Oh treacherous woe. Such a shame.”

Clicking she pulled the blanket tightly around her, ensuring that things would not be revealed – more so out of her own swirling sense of embarrassment than his own gaze. Of course his reputation did creep up from within, she knew him long enough to understand his habits and desires. The little subtleties that made him tick, that made her think and decide more so with his set diagnosis.

”Great,” she muttered, her better hand propping her chin up. There was a sigh released, her lips pursing with annoyance into a line. He was right of course, her patron would have preferred for her not to miss out on training – it was something vital in her time as a squire after all. If you could not train then there was little else you could do for the order. But the idea of having the hands of a stranger upon her was not an appealing notion. And then there was Orion.

Of course they knew each other; of course she could trust him with some things. But even then there were some secrets that she wished to keep hidden away from sight. For that was her way at the end of the day, for some secrets were better off hidden and buried. There was only a brief dumfound expression on her face as he himself made the offer, leaving her to choose between the better of two evils. A stranger or Orion. Her lips formed a line, eyes burning into his back as he disappeared. She lay only in wait for a few ticks, her brow meeting in the middle, her teeth once more chewing at her lip as she awaited his return. And when he finally did she raised her voice to speak to him firmly.

”Orion. I… I have things I’m not exactly proud of,” she looked him firmly in the eye, her expression turning serious, ”And whilst I appreciate your offer, I need to know for my own peace of mind that, well, whatever happens or is discovered right now, stays… well… between us. Okay?” There was a long pause, before she lowered her gaze, ”Because this is one of those few things I don’t want to be passing through the dormitories or anywhere else. Surely you understand that?” Shaking her head she tried to loosen the notion off, ”Right… I’m your fleshy clay thing to pull, prod and mould into whatever you desire. Do be gentle.”

[Orion Michaels]

Orion entered his room, thoughts racing between Fallon and the massage he was possibly giving her. It had been some time since he broke out his massage kit. He actually enjoyed the art, and for more than the obvious seductive reasons. It was relaxing, it was sensual, and it was healing. Just like when a person got tired, they needed rest, so did the muscles. The touch of someone who knew what they were doing could be revitalizing, and if Orion had more time, he’d be at the Soothing Waters daily getting his weary flesh a moment of respite and rest.

After fumbling through his storage chest for a moment, Orion came up with a small container, which he opened to examine the contents. Several small glass containers of oil rested neatly in a row, as well as various incenses for burning and small circular stones for heating. He’d not touched the stone massage yet, and he wouldn’t today, but perhaps if another opportunity presented itself he would have to take advantage. For now he would just use a simple oil and work out the tension.

After closing the box, Orion made his way back through their sweet, to Fallon’s room where he paused at the door and immediately met her gaze. She was nervous; he would be giving the massage. When she was so exposed, so at his will, that’s when she was easiest to read. At least in the moment at hand. Afterwards, she would just as easily change her mind and do something else all together. The squire listened thoughtfully as she spoke, somewhat surprised by the words she spoke.

She was ashamed of her body? That’s all he could come up with. There was no reason for her to be so worked up. The knightly training had shaped her, toned her, but then when she added the last part, he understood a bit more clearly. It was him. Rumors and stories spread throughout the dorms quicker than a wildfire. If someone found out that Orion was giving her a massage, the jokes and ridiculous would be ceaseless.

”Don’t you worry,” he said quietly, entering the room and closing the door behind him. ”It’s our little secret.” He’d keep his word. Orion was far from a braggart, despite what some may expect from him. Every interaction was personal, intimate. While he might break hearts, he tried not to break trust.

The blue eyed man walked across the room and set his kit a table near the bed. ”Try and relax yourself. I’m going to get some incenses burning and then we’ll get started.”

He reached down and retrieved a small incense stick and brought it to his nose to test it out. Lightly smelled of sage. It would be a nice scent for the room. He found it relaxing, and he’d have to hope she did too. After lighting the stick, Orion procured one of the glass vessels from the kit and set it on the edge of the table, closest to him and Fallon. Sweet almond oil was what he used most often back when he was working. It was reliable, well scented, and didn’t require a lot of reapplication. Orion moved the sheet enough to expose her injured shoulder fully, carefully tucking the rest of the cover over her to only have minimal exposure of flesh. He then picked up the oil and with a few drops tossed on his hand, he was ready to begin.

For now he would just work on her shoulder. After rubbing his hands together he got to work, placing his hands against her skin. Warm oils jumped from his skin to hers as he started rubbing the area lightly to initially work in the oil. Even from his cursory work, he could tell she needed some serious attention. ”Doesn’t have to be from me, but you shouldn’t neglect your body like this in the future. Try and take breaks if you can, or at least wonder down to the bathhouse for a little work. It’s extremely tight here, and the more you overwork it, the more pain you have.” He took a few more moments to rub in the oil before beginning to pick up the pressure.

”Let me know if it hurts too much, but unfortunately this shoulder doesn’t get one of those ‘pleasure’ massages, not if you actually want to get anything out of it.” With that, Orion began working the tips of his fingers along her muscles, pushing roughly down into the sinewy fibers that made them up. They were all bunched up, firing more than they needed to since she wasn’t actually using them at the time. He was just giving them a little reminder that they needed to relax. Over and over again he ran his hands, palms, and fingers along her fatigued shoulder, until she stopped him or he felt it was good enough, whichever came first.

Orion studied her reaction to his touch once more, searching for more distaste than he was pain. It was odd. Everything about it was odd. Never in a million years would Orion have expected to be in this situation with Fallon. Someone who was so chaste, so guarded of her body was letting the worst of them all try and touch away her ailments. What a strange, trusting distrusting friendship they had.