Closed A Dance of Blue Flames

[Sayana]

"You're beautiful. Has anybody ever told you that?" At his words she slowly opened her eyes. His arm draped gently over her was comforting and she propped her chin up on her fingers to gaze into his face. “A few,” she replied a little cheekily. Yet she smiled at the compliment. “But no one as blue as you,” she teased. She scooched up along his body and planted a soft kiss upon his lips. The moment she broke it, she went in for a second. This time she let it linger for the length he wanted, instead of dictating or teasing him with her actions. The warmth, the taste, the soft feeling of melting in his arms. She let out a contented sigh and gazed into his face. He had a nice face. It was just as blue as the rest of him apart from his glistening yellow eyes. Eyes that could practically glow in the dark. His hair was neatly trimmed and his beard kept small and tidy. “Has anyone told you that you’re good in bed?” Sayana asked with a grin. She gave a quick peck on his cheek before partially getting up and then rolling onto her back with a flop. “I haven’t had that good of a sleep in years probably.” She said with a chuckle as she stared up at the ceiling, arms sprawled out. Something caught her eye though. A stream of morning light pushed through the curtained window. She jumped up suddenly and went to the window forcing open the curtains. “Blessed Syna, and Priskil too! I have not seen the morning light indoors for ever so long.” The Eypharian exclaimed. In Ahnatep the sun and heat were always a burning reminder of the harsh life outdoors, but in Syliras she had lived in what felt like a dungeon with no windows and only candle light or torchlight to guide her. She had little modesty as she bathed in the morning light. Syna was so brilliant and warm despite being the in the depths of winter. Syna. Perhaps there was a reason her mother had named her after the brilliant goddess. She turned her focus back on the deep blue man, Aren. Was she simply feeling elated from the physical union of the night before? Or was it something more?

[Aren]

Aren did not imagine the answer to his question to have been anything less than that, but her playful tone suggested she took her own beauty with a hint of humility. From what little his own limited personal experience told him of Eypharian culture, the Akalak suspected this might be a somewhat rare trait to be found amongst her kind. Reaching in, his paramour's lips met his own for a brief instant, before she showered him with a second, more prolonged burst of affection. Aren couldn't get enough of those delicious lips of her's, and his own pressed back without hesitation. At her own, similar question, the contented warrior smiled, "A few." His reply purposely meant to bear a striking similarity to her own in everything from wording to tone. "Nor I," The still groggy Aren offered, finding himself sharing the sentiment. Jumping out of bed without warning, the Akalak chuckled to see Sayana so exited about a couple of rays of sunlight. He hadn't really been back in Syliras long enough to be able to appreciate the rare morning light that filtered in through certain parts of the castle, but he knew the feeling. This place could often feel incredibly bleak, but right now wasn't one of those times. As the Eypharian's body caught the light, Aren found himself propping himself on his elbows so as to better admire the scene, "Why don't I have the power to stop time?" he whispered, a slight sense of melancholic inevitability obvious in his tone. The hundred year old wanderer knew, from experience, that moments like these tended not to last nearly as long as they should. Long ago he had learned to accept this fact, yet it still hurt to think about the inescapable eventually of returning to a drearier existence. Maybe that meant he hadn't accepted anything, but merely fooled himself into thinking he had. Erecting his naked, blue form from the bed, Aren took a few steps forward until he was within reach of Sayana. Both arms wrapping themselves around her like a great cloak, he found himself feeling strangely possessive of a woman he had just met, and in truth barely knew. Perhaps that was simply a testament to how badly had been in need of the night that had just passed. "Tell me you don't have anywhere to be, today." The Akalak spoke softly, hoping that her response would be favorable, but knowing that it likely wouldn't be, and dreading what that could mean. They were practically strangers, and whilst this had started as nothing more than a diversion, Aren didn't know if that was still what it was. The knot in his stomach at the thought of parting ways and never seeing her again suggested otherwise, however.

[Sayana]

His arms wrapped around her from behind, going over her shoulders out of ease and hugging her arms to her sides. For a moment she smiled at the light embrace but then he tightened his strong arms around her possessively. Her heartbeat quickened, and not due to excitement or anticipation but in panic. She grew stiff within his embrace feeling unable to move. Trapped. Trapped with strong clawed arms binding her in place. Her daggers out of reach. Dark wings closing in on her. The dark strong body behind her holding her in place, bearing down upon her. Hearing her own screams and being taken again and again. Sayana roughly broke away from his embrace. She was free. But not free from her memories. Her breathing was quicker than normal as she turned to face him and immediately regret showed upon her face. He didn’t deserve what had happened. But it had happened. She hadn’t even heard his words in her moment of panic and when she spoke it was only coincidental that her words sounded like a reply. “I- I should go. Remi-- I told Remi I’d be there today and she’d kill me if-- No it’s Kevith who’d kill me if I didn’t show up.” Her words were just as chaotic as her emotions were. If nothing else she was grasping at words, excuses, anything. As she spoke she was already putting on clothes from a pile on the floor. Her eyes hardly left him though. In fact, the way she oriented herself always kept her back to a wall. Her eyes darted around the room and to the door but always back to him. Her stomach was in a tight knot. He had been trying to be good to her. The night had been the most wonderful night she had had for a long time. And then… She realized that what she was feeling was shame. Ashamed for having such dark fears, for not being strong, for letting them affect her when they shouldn’t. It was a rare emotion for her and her gut tightened even more as she identified this. By now she was fully dressed apart from her winter coat and gloves. “I…” Sayana hesitated. She was used to being in full control of the situation and of her emotions. “I really did have a lot of fun last night.” She spoke it with earnest but it sounded weak to her ears and she wasn’t sure if he’d believe her. Then after a long pause she tentatively asked, “Can I… kiss you before I leave?” Not from behind and not with his arms tightly around her. She was prepared to catch his hands if need be to prevent any unintentional bouts of panic. Would he understand? Would he despise her for her behaviour? Would he seek to pry the information out of her? She didn’t think she could share in her current state of mind. OOCI'm thinking one more post each unless Aren does something unexpected.

[Aren]

What had just happened? Aren didn't know if it was something he had said or done, but Sayana was suddenly reacting to him like he was a leper. Had he overstepped his bounds, had he presumed a certain amount of familiarity that even last night hadn't given him? Though he never ruled out the possibility of having massively screwed up in any endeavor he attempted, even Aren recognized that what was happening didn't make a whole lot of sense. He'd only expressed a desire to spend the day with her, and somehow this had prompted an explosion of awkward excuses for why she had to leave. The Akalak stumbled to produce a logical reason for Sayana's actions, from what little he knew about her, but he found himself unequal to the task. This prompted a state of confusion from the blue skinned warrior which his mouth struggled to articulate, "No, wait. Wha- why are you, did I say some- or is it..." Aren simply didn't know how to react, but more importantly, he didn't know what to say to make her stay. At this precise moment in time, he couldn't even believe that this was actually happening to him again, and that again he found himself with no idea how to prevent it. It was incredibly frustrating to see Sayana gathering her belongings without so much as an explanation (at least not one that was at all believable) but it was even more frustrating to see that she didn't entirely want to do exactly what she refused to stop doing. So, why was she? On the one hand she was acting like he'd managed to mess up a perfect morning somehow, but on the other she wanted a kiss goodbye? Aren, in his disheveled state, said the only thing that his addled mind could come up with in reply, "You don't have to go." He didn't know what else he could say to express his desire that she didn't leave, especially without telling him why. At this point, the Akalak was almost hoping that she would tell him that her reason was because he had, in fact, done something stupid. Then, at least, he'd know, and this maddening doubt wouldn't be consuming his sanity at an alarming rate. "How does this happen to the same person twice?" Seros questioned, somehow managing not to display a complete absence of empathy. Aren had no reply to give, clueless as he himself was as to why this just kept happening to him. OOCI'd like one more post after you leave to really shore up Aren's reaction to Sayana's sudden departure. I can turn it in after that.

[Sayana]

She could see the look of confusion on his face and a knife wrenched inside her gut. Why didn’t she just tell him? Pride? Fear? Residual panic? Shame? She needed to be away. From him, from the room, from her memories. "You don't have to go." “I… I can’t stay.” Was all she could manage. It was now hard to look into his eyes now. Piercing, stern. But she had already committed. All she could do was soften the blow, or in this case confuse him even more. When he didn’t respond to her request for a kiss, she gingerly approached him and reached up to give a small peck on his cheek. “I hope to see you again,” she said softly but her words were so mismatched to her actions that it probably only added to his confusion. She gathered the rest of her belongings and was momentarily calmed when she was reunited with her dagger. With a single look back at the tall, strong, and beautiful Akalak she headed for the door. Part of her wanted him to stop her, tell her it was all going to be alright and comfort her. But part of her was terrified if he did. The moment she stepped out the door it was with regret. But her pride kept her feet moving and she forced herself not to look back. As she reached the main floor and left the building, a chill struck her face. It helped clear her thoughts but also made her feel that much more alone. She stepped quickly through the snow, not knowing where she was headed. When she finally decided, she was almost already there. For her feet had subconsciously led her to the Rearing Stallion. She entered the almost empty building and headed straight for the back where the kitchen was. She slumped onto the floor in a corner, her back against the wall and her arms curled around her knees. Remi, the head cook, looked at the dancer curiously. “You didn’t see me come in,” Sayana stated from the floor and Remi simply nodded choosing to respect her employee’s wishes. The tavern was Sayana’s refuge, her second home, and it was because of the people that she chose it over her apartment. Even if she thought she needed to be alone. OOCSounds good. And this is definitely Sayana's last post.

[Aren]

Paralysis gripped him as Sayana resolved to leave, but her kiss on Aren's cheek and her hollow sounding words expressing hope for a reunion felt more like the bite of a glassbeak than an affectionate goodbye. The Akalak was intimately familiar with such a bite, and, at this particular moment he'd have rathered that's exactly what it was. Thought he might have despised the foul monstrosities, at least he understood them. Women, however, were still a mystery to him, even after over a century of life. He wouldn't have it any other way, but sometimes the amount of havoc that mystery could wreak was truly impressive. Why? Why couldn't she stay? Aren simply could not wrap his head around what had happened, even as he saw her walk out the door. It had taken every once of willpower he had to keep from reaching out and taking her hand before she could get too far. Not knowing how she might react to the gesture, he thought it perhaps unwise, but now he was coming to regret that decision. How much time passed? A few chimes, a few bells? He couldn't tell, but at some point whilst he was standing buck naked there in that lonely room he decided that he'd rather try and fail than hate himself for never having tried at all. "Screw it, I'm going after her." Aren stated, suddenly moving purposely towards the door. "I wouldn't do that, if I were you." Seros offered, clearly thinking more rationally than his brother. "And why the hell not?!" The lighter Other questioned, his movement still undeterred by his brother's warning. "Because when the knights arrest you for indecency about ten seconds after walking out of here, you'll be in no position to find her." Seros didn't even know if there was a law against indecency in Syliras, but he simply couldn't imagine those jack booted, iron-fisted, sexually repressed assholes allowing that kind of thing. Aren hadn't gone too far out of the room when his brother explained his reasoning, and had stopped dead in his track upon hearing it. Seros was right. He'd just embarrass himself and wind up in a cell. Though the Akalak was loathe to let this go, he realized he had no choice. He would probably never see Sayana again, and he'd do well to resign himself to this fact before it made him even more miserable. "Oh, my..." Exclaimed a member of the early morning shift of the Herald's Arms as she got an eyeful of the Akalak in all his glory. Aren didn't really seem to notice, but he promptly returned to the room to collect his belongings. A few chimes later he had emerged fully clothed, his scythe strapped to his back as it usually was, and a string of incomprehensible curses in three different languages following in his wake everywhere he went.

[Nivel]

Sayana : XP Award: Rhetoric 2 Socialization 2 flirting 4 Seduction 5 Observation 4 Kissing 3 Lore: Location: The Herald’s Arms The renowned “upper floors” of Heralds arms. Alexus: Just a friend Aren The sexy Akalak warrior The Inarta flame dancer. Making out with Aren Sex with Aren Post Traumatic Stress Notes: Awesome thread, very cute and sad at the same time. keep it up Aren : XP Award: Observation 4 Socialization 2 Rhetoric 2 Showmanship 1 Weapon: Scythe 1 Reimancy 1 Storytelling 1 Intimidation 2 Flirting 3 Seduction 5 Kissing 3 Lore: Location: The Herald’s Arms Sayana: The Seductive Eypharian Dancer Alexis: Sayana’s friend or something The Inarta flame dancer. A unity between souls Making out with Sayana Sex with Sayana May have done something to offend Sayana Notes:Awesome thread, very cute and sad at the same time. keep it up Additional Comments: If you have any questions of concerns please message me