Closed [The Midnight Gem] Pillow Talk

[Kelski]

Timestamp: 75th of Summer, 518 A.V.

The Kelvic had been bathing. For the other members of The Midnight Gem, bath time tended to be relaxing, subdued, and somewhat necessary since they all tended to train and had very active lifestyles that lent itself to nightly baths. For Kelski, it was something different. Though things had changed for her drastically in the last ten days bath time hadn't fluctuated much, which was something of a relief to the other denizens. Kelski had her own bathing chamber which she shared with Kynier though the mage tended to try and get his sessions in before the Kelvic got around too it. Kelski liked to bathe both her human body and her eagle form. And while her human form was sedate and thorough, the eagle loved to splash in the water, fluffing feathers and scattering water everywhere. There was nothing untouched or unsoaked when the eagle got done bathing.

So it was after one of these sessions that Kelski slipped into the master suite and pulled back the covers. Kynier had been abed awhile since it was late into the night, long after midnight. But he was a light sleeper so Kelski knew she would wake him if she joined him. The Kelvic hadn't spent much time with the mage, sharing the room as they'd agreed too because they were always busy... but when she did, she often spoke to him of things that were harder to speak of during the light of day. Sometimes he'd answer, but often he'd just stroke her hair or mutter soothing words to her until she fell asleep curled against his back.


She liked the feel of her skin against his and curled up against his back, tucking her head into the nape of the back of his neck. His warmth and scent soothed her and it was a few moments before she began speaking.

"Someone delivered a huge crate today. It contained a letter from my brother. I didn't know I had a brother. His name is Kalistan K’etir. My real name is Kelskanisha K'etir. I have a whole family that I was stolen from. They will come visit me after the first of the new year. I'm not sure where they live, but they sent me a book to make the entirety of The Midnight Gem alive with a magic called Architectrix. They said we are metalsmith mages and kelvics run strong in our blood. My brother sent me one of his daughters, Ember, who is a kelvic mouse who wanted to come meet me." She said softly, nuzzling his neck, and bringing her hands up to splay out across his shoulder blades as she tucked against his back. Her voice was sleepy, but it was not detached as it had been for the last ten days. It spoke volumes that she'd joined him after her disappearance, even though he could feel her shivering lightly.

"I did as he instructed.... to wake The Gem. It should be coming alive soon. I can already feel it. It will protect us and grow as we need it to grow. Our family is good at such magics." She muttered, her voice almost lost against the hair at the nape of his neck. He could tell she would be asleep momentarily. The Sea Eagle had been sleeping a lot lately, healing, but this was different. This felt like a good kind of exhaustion, one of someone waking up from a long nightmare. She nibbled his neck gently, like she was preening his feathers, and drifted off. Her arm around him went limp and he knew she'd sleep deeply for bells allowing him to position her however he wanted to without disturbing her... either leaving her curled against his back or rolling over and tucking her protectively against him.

Lores:
Kelski is really Kelskanisha K'etir.
Kelski's brother is Kalistan K’etir.
Kelski has a book on a lost magic called Architectrix.
Kelski has a niece living here now named Ember K'etir.
The Midnight Gem is now alive.

[Kynier]

Exhaustion had settled deep into his bones that night. Lying in bed Kynier had drifted to sleep. How long it lasted he couldn’t say. A noise woke him from his slumber. The sound of water splashing on the floor. Opening his eyes slightly he looked about the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Though the silence was broken by the sounds of splashing from the bath chamber. Kynier smirked a little and resettled himself in the bed. Kelski was bathing in her feathers. Resting on his side he closed his eyes again.

This time sleep was not so inviting to him. A small seed of anxiety was growing within. During his time here they had slept apart though they agreed to share the bed. At first her absence caused him to sleep poorly from guilt. The master suite provided more than he needed at a comfort higher than he was accustomed. It was something he hadn’t earned yet was given. Each night he hoped she would join him, only to be disappointed on a majority of nights. The past tenday had been worse. Kynier hadn’t been sure how to act around her and struggled to grant her space while being close enough to be a comfort. It was impossible to know if his approach was correct. But it was the only one that felt right.

When she came out of the bath his eyes were closed. For some reason he feigned sleep as he listened to her footsteps as they approached. Feeling the covers adjust, the bed shifted slightly when she joined him. A smile crossed his face before she pressed her form against his back. The desire to roll and embrace her was strong, but he resisted. Kelski preferred to embrace his back. So he remained and enjoyed the feeling of her breath against his neck and her hands against his shoulders.

When she spoke of the crate being delivered he offered a sleepy “hmmm”. But as soon as she mentioned the correspondence from a brother he couldn’t feign sleep anymore. He turned his head without shifting his shoulders so that he could hear the words better. Kelskanisha K’etir? Like her, Kynier was curious where this family lived. Soon they would be able to ask apparently. Carefully he listened to her words. The way in which she said them. There was more life in her speech, as soft as it was, than there had been in ten days. Kelski spoke of a magic he was unfamiliar with. One he never heard mention before. The Midnight Gem would come alive? It was hard to believe. Since what happened, it seemed as though life had been drained from this place until now.

The playful nip at his neck told him she was about to fall into sleep. It was a tell of hers. As her arms went limp Kynier slowly and carefully shifted onto his back. Kelski’s arm was sprawled over his chest. The arm nearest her pressed against the bed to slide underneath her form to wrap around her back. With it he gently pulled her closer to him. When her head rested on his shoulder he adjusted the covers to make sure she was covered. Her body shivered against his. When the nest was appropriately set Kynier rested that hand on her side just above the hip. The feel of her skin was something he could never grow tired of. Fingers gently brushed against her side, up and down as he tilted his neck to rest his lips high on her forehead.

A soft kiss pressed against the skin just under the ridge of damp hair. With a deep inhale he took her fresh clean scent in his lungs. On the exhale his body relaxed as his own sleep beckoned for him to return. “Good night, Kelskanisha K’etir,” he whispered gently.

Boxcode credit goes to Gossamer!

[Kynier]

Timestamp: 81st of Summer, 518 A.V.

In the bath chamber he sat on a chair he had brought in from the common area’s table. A few inches of water rested at the bottom of the tub. Kynier sat on the chair shirtless and held a small mirror up to view the underside of his jaw. Hair was growing noticeably to form a 5th bell shadow on his face. Setting the mirror down he knelt over the tub and cupped his hands in the water. With a few handfuls he soaked his neck, cheeks, and chin with warm water. When he tried to pick up the mirror again his fingers fumbled.

Kynier’s forearms and fingers were incredibly sore and felt stiff. Expanding his grasp around the mirror felt like a chore, one that he groaned while doing. His other hand had the same difficulty with the razor. Constantly he adjusted his grip to find a comfortable hold on the tool. It wasn’t until he pinched the blade with his teeth that he found a good purchase on the handle. Shaving was an activity that took care and time to perform. Tonight it took twice the chimes as normal. Arms were sluggish with nerves that had gone numb from pain earlier. And the mirror sometimes shook in his other hand. When he was more than half done he heard her footsteps through the doorway behind him. Kynier paused in his unusual stretching and flexing of his neck and face to give her a smile.

“Hi.” He raised the mirror again and made more gentle strokes against his skin with the blade angled to slice the hair. “I’ll be done shortly so that you can bath if you wish.” With a few more strokes he finished taking the task and examined his face in the mirror. There was only a small cut on the underside of his jaw, close to the edge of the mandible. For some reason that place was more prone to getting cut during his shaving. While it didn’t occur every time, it was semi-frequent. Other than that, we has unscathed. He took the time to drain the water and clean the shavings that had fallen around the tub. Afterwards he put away the razor and mirror, as well as returned the chair to the table in the common area.

It wasn’t close to the final bell yet, though Kynier felt like he had already worked through the coming morning. He took of his clothes and folded them neatly before storing them in his wardrobe. The nights were getting cooler he noticed. He while it would take another of Leth’s cycles before the cold really started to bother his sleep, Kynier retrieved another light blanket to add to the bed. When it was settled on her side he climbed into the other.

He held his hand in front of him and slowly opened them to full extension before closing them into fists again. Kynier repeated this several times to help loosen the stiffness. When Kelski entered the room he stopped and sat up more in the bed. “So I had a good day today,” he said with a smile as he watched her. “When I went to Doler for the last of this season’s wages I told him how I wanted to be more than just his spy. That since I first started working for him I’d been wanting to receive some more insights on magic. I expected a lengthy argument, but he seemed rather accepting of the idea. After properly informing him which disciplines I knew and how capable I was at each of them, he said ‘the best lessons are the ones you learn yourself.’”

As she climbed under the covers he slide down the bed to lay next to her. He looked over her pale skin and reached over with a hand to caress her back. “So he set out some books and said I could keep one. They were books on other disciplines that I’ve heard of but didn’t know. I chose one that permits a mage to learn how to manipulate the outer most layer of their soul. Doler initiated me into the discipline and gave me a few tasks to practice.” Kynier sighed and looked up at the ceiling. “One was to capture a mouse with only the magic from my new discipline, Projection, to help me.” Kynier looked back to Kelski again with a bemused smile. “Apparently the mouse could sense the presence of magic and was trained to run from it. So each time my new discipline reached for it the mouse would run.”

Kynier stared at her quietly for a moment. He was glad she was opening up again, and joined him in the bed at night. Since the Gem had begun to wake up the same growing life seemed to happen with her too. Kynier pulled her in closer so that she was pressed against his chest. “After a time I was able to capture it. Then Doler asked me what the lesson was to be learned from the practice. It wasn’t a lesson about the new discipline. It was about life as a mage.”

“Magic isn’t always the answer.”

Kynier ran his hand down the length of her spine and back up again. Pressing into the skin gently with his fingertips. “That’s a lesson you’ve help me to understand Kelski.” Kynier kissed her head through the the dark lengths of her hair and hugged her close. “Thank you.” The fatigue of the day’s casting quickly flooded the rest of his body as he began to succumb to sleep.

Lores:
The best lessons are the ones you learn yourself.
Kynier has a new book on magic.
Kynier has been initiated into Projection.
Kynier has learned how to manipulate a part of his soul.
Kynier is learning Magic isn't always the answer.
Kynier appreciates Kelski's help in learning Magic isn't always the answer.

Word Count: 933

Boxcode credit goes to Gossamer!

[Kelski]

Kelski had started to look forward to her nights. She hadn’t realized how long and lonely they had once been, filled with tossing and turning and nightmares that sometimes woke her screaming. She had the nightmares still, though only infrequently and seemingly when she was stressed or exhausted. They had started out awkwardly, sharing Kelski’s room which kept Kelski on the couch or perched outside on the roof more often than naught. She wanted to be around Kynier, but being with him was far harder in practice than one might suspect. Kelski often didn’t know what to say, what to do, or even if she should disturb him or not when her work downstairs kept her up later than usual. Then there were nights he didn’t come home and that kept her up too because she worried about where he was. The Sea Eagle just didn’t rest well unless the man was curled in her bed sleeping soundly.

But gradually, over the last forty days, things had changed. There was a routine of sorts that varied by who did what first or who succumbed to being tired before the other. Tonight, Kynier had beat her to the bathing chamber and was shaving. There was an endless list of things Kelski was fascinated by and Kynier’s grooming was one of them. She’d stripped off her clothing and hung it in her wardrobe then had padded to the bathing chamber to perhaps draw a bath. Summer at The Midnight Gem was a godsend. The cistern on the roof that held catchment water was heated by the sun and almost everyone if they weren’t overly generous with the water could bathe in already hot water if they did so just before or after the sun went down. Longer in the night the cistern cooled and left the water lukewarm. It was only in the winter and the transitional seasons that they had to heat for a bath.

At the doorway she spotted him and smiled, picking up a comb and a leather tie from the vanity by the door. She padded over and kneeled by the far side of the tub where she began to comb out her long hair so she could braid it for bed. She wouldn’t wash it tonight. There was no need. Kelski then began to comb out her long hair that was decidedly out of control. It fell past her shoulders and even concealed her rump for the most part as she divided the strands and combed them out one at a time. When the comb could slide through the whole of her hair without snagging, she divided it into three sections and began to braid it.

“Your hands are shaking like they hurt.” She observed, her keen eyes on his slightly jittery hands. Kelski didn’t miss much if she was actually looking, and Kynier would realize more than once she always actively checked him over to see that he was okay. What the mage did was dangerous work and Kelski worried when he’d been out and about. But it wasn’t a question… it was a statement. Both Kynier and Kelski knew they’d talk later, entwined together, surrounded by darkness.

Kelski hadn’t known how to really even care much for her hair before Ember had come. The little mouse had taught her how to braid it, to comb it out nightly, and to pin it up when she didn’t want to get it wet. Her little niece was a wealth of information to a creature that had no real mother and no real female matriarchs in her life to show her certain things. The Kelvic had begun shaving her legs, underarms, and had lost a light sheen of hair above her lip line that had been mostly invisible. Kynier had even returned home once to find Ember teaching Kelski and Ren how to line their eyes with khol and outline and paint their lips and eyelids. To someone without much natural coloring to her skin, even the subtlest changes on Kelski’s face by the application of a bit of shadow or lip gloss was a drastic change. Ember had even taught her how to properly cover her black lips with flesh toned lip paint that gave her less of an inhuman look about her. Kelski wore it often, growing in a bit of confidence after her run in with Darvin and the whole idea she’d developed somewhere that humans were superior to Kelvics.
So she braided her hair and waited carefully watching Kynier as he shaved. When he was done she ran herself a bath and bathed. Fresh out of the bath, all traces of Ember’s hard work had dissolved away and Kelski looked more like Kelski than ever, exotic black lips and pale moon-white skin more evident than ever.

She sat down on the bed cross-legged to listen to Kynier, and then slid under the covers as he continued speaking. The Kelvic fit herself against him even as he reached for her and tucked her against his chest. Kynier’s heartbeat was Kelski’s favorite thing to fall asleep too. The sound of his voice was probably a close second. So… his boss had taken him on as a sort of apprentice and he’d done well. The Kelvic twisted her head, nuzzling his chest, until she found the perfect spot between his pectoral muscles. Pillowed and comfortably warm, she ran one hand up against her own body tucked between his shoulder and hers, the other she gently stroked the length of him with.

When they’d first started sharing a bed, she’d had to make herself touch him, running her trembling hand up and down his form awkwardly. Now, since they’d been together so much, she could easily splay her fingers out and stroke down his body and back up it gently and easily. At first, she’d touched only his chest… but as the days passed, she’d been able to stroke his hips and down across his thighs. Even touching his maleness now didn’t bother her. It was part of him and she saw all of him as hers, not just the bits and pieces she wanted and discarding the rest. With Kynier’s scent filling her senses and his warmth against her, she never minded if he touched her either. She loved his hand down her back, tracing her spine, and even cupping her hips to pull her closer.

“I’m proud of you.” She said abruptly. “Mages guard their secrets carefully and closely. They don’t often share and do so willingly. He must be impressed with you and most importantly he must trust you to teach you such things. You should be used to chasing mice and good at it. I’m not sure Ember is going to be happy that you can do such things without moving a muscle. But it will be good for her to be more cautious, I think… But I am really happy you are growing and learning new magics. Just be careful. I worry in Sunberth. Stay safe… ” The Kelvic said, lifting her head suddenly as she felt a presence all around them. It washed against her and she chuckled. “The Gem says you are safe here.” She said and then pushed emotions into her bond with the house… the sliver buried deep in her arm almost a transmitter. She wished it a peaceful night and once more reaffirmed how happy she was it was with them, around them, and they were privileged to live within its folds.

Then before Kelski settled back down, she rubbed her cheek against his freshly shaven jaw, paused waiting for the kiss on her forehead he always gave her, and tucked herself back up against his chest after nuzzling to find the perfect spot. She got another kiss on her head and she smiled against his skin, knowing full well he could feel it. “I’m glad I could help you understand. You teach me so much. It’s good to be a helper in return.” She said, following him quickly into sleep.

Count: 1343

[Kelski]

Timestamp: 70th of Summer, 518 AV

Kelski came stalking into the master suite and stripped off her clothing and climbed into bed. She was irritated, restless, and exhausted all in one package. Kynier could tell something was wrong, but with himself sound asleep moments ago and only half awake by his companion’s antics. She sat down cross-legged on top of the covers and stared at him a few moments as if expecting him to wake…. Then when he didn’t do it fast enough she reached out and gently shook him.

“Kynier. Wake up. I have to talk to you.” Kelski sat right beside him, not crawling under the covers, still worked up and still worried. “I talked Farris into going to the old Temple of the Unknown today. I wanted to talk to the Shadows there and see about the shields that were there and said what they were. I didn’t even know what they were called until Farris told me you knew and knew the magic. I wanted to learn a little bit about it. He could see them. I could not. That was frustrating.” Kelski said a bit annoyed. She tossed her hair which fell right back in her face and so she pulled it out of the way and twisted it up impatiently.

An average man having never dealt with Kelvics would probably be at a loss as to what to say or do, but Kynier lived with four of them, three of which were female and this sort of breakdown wasn’t exactly uncommon when humans and Kelvics mingled and the Kelvics got frustrated. Breaking down her frustration wasn’t as baffling of a chore as had been at first. He was smart enough to let it run its course. The next step was feeding them or letting them sleep because usually one of those two things were driving the condition.

“Farris is a terrible teacher. He doesn’t say what he knows plainly. He wants too, but it never comes out right. I mean if he means to tell you that the cat is black, he won’t just say it. He will say that the absence of a visible spectrum in the feline's coat lent it to blend into the night dark surroundings perfectly.” Kelski hissed, her eagle side coming forward from the frustration. “I’m not dumb, but I don’t have the words to talk about magic like you two do.” Kelski complained then looked thoughtful. It was obvious she was winding down a bit.

“ We did learn more about them… there was a shadow there called Savatar who knew a lot and told us many things. Even things about the Valterrian and how people survived with shields. But Farris… Kynier… he keeps using auristics and hurting himself. He would hold his head, rub his nose, eyes, and he fell to his knees dramatically. Then he recovered and I don’t know…. what in the world is wrong with you mages? I learned what djed was and how to move it around myself and my nose bled a little because I pushed it all out at once and brought it all back in and got knocked on my butt. But Savatar caught me so I wasn’t hurt. He pushed me threw to another shadow on the ground gently. I didn’t know I wasn’t supposed to do that… pull it all back in. I also saw with auristics for the first time even though I’ve had that book for ages. I didn’t want Farris to see what I couldn’t. Not when it should be easy and it was. Much of it didn’t make sense to me before today in the temple….. and anyhow….” Kelski all but whimpered… frustrated and mad, and clearly exhausted. “You and I need to sit down and have a long talk about magic sometime. There are things I need to know… and I know you know them.” Kelski accused, almost childlike, stifling another yawn.

Kynier, having been a mage far longer and knowing the signs could see the overgiving clearly if he was paying attention. The Kelvic was clearly upset, her words tumbling over each other, and punctuated only by a huge yawn wherein she rubbed her face and decided it was finally time to get into the bed. But even as she shifted, slipped under the covers, and wrapped around him, he was processing the outburst. Kelski buried her face in the crook of his neck nuzzling him for a few moments as his mind decided he could already sort out all of her complaints if he chose too. One… she wanted to have a serious talk with him about magic. Two… Farris scared her with his actions hurting himself and she was worried about him. Three… she knew auristics and shielding now, or enough about them to get seriously hurt if someone didn’t put a little effort into guiding her in the ways of magic… as evidenced by her own breakdown tantrum of exhaustion.

She nipped him harder than she probably meant too, drew her hand across his chest, lifted a leg up over his hips, and was completely asleep within two breaths. Kynier often got used as a body pillow. Her form, rather than staying tense and gradually relaxing went completely boneless and she slipped from consciousness and into Nysel’s arms. The Kelvic was a silent sleeper. Sometimes she slept so deeply that Kynier would have to pat the various lumps in a mussed up bed to find her if she wasn’t latched onto him like a statically charged cat hair.

Lores:
Temple of the Unknown: Kelski and Farris went and studied shielding/auristics there.
Temple of the Unknown: Has shadows with pre-valterrian knowledge.
Savatar: Temple of The Unknown Shadow
Kelski: Knows Shielding
Kelski: Knows Auristics
Farris: Overgives.
Farris: Terrible Teacher

Count: 969

[Kynier]

It was difficult to say why, but tonight sleep was proving to be a very elusive prey. Kynier had tossed and turned for a long time, perhaps a bell, before his body finally found a comfortable enough setting on the bed. It had been so bad that the idea of using Auristics just enough to experience fatigue from overgiving crossed his mind. Kynier didn’t though. Gradually his eyes began to droop and the worries about the other residents, especially Kelski, quieted in his mind. Just enough for that comfortable embrace to carry him through the Leth’s time of dominion.

When sleep was nearly set upon him Kynier heard the kelvic’s entrance. The soft fwump of clothing dropping to the floor during the pause in her steps. The bed shifted. Evidently she decided she wouldn’t bath tonight. Kynier gave off a gentle moan in response to her climbing onto the bed. Just as he began to wonder why she hadn’t taken to under the covers, a hand shook him. Kelski sounded mildly agitated. Begrudgingly he opened his eyes and groaned as he sat up in the bed. A hand brushed at the sleep that finally took solace in his eyes. “What is it Kelski?” he asked sleepily. Her words came quick and he stared at her with a furrowed brow as he listened.

Kynier processed what she had said and was almost fully awake again. There was something unusual about the whole ordeal. Not Kelski’s venture into the Temple of the Unknown, he had inexplicably stumbled upon her twice doing so. It was something about her, sitting here right now, that was out of place. Kynier looked into her silver gaze and saw it immediately. Her eyes were dilated more than they should have been. It was difficult to be sure but he was certain that there was a bit of dried blood on her face too. The speed of her words were quick and almost… incomprehensible. Kelski had overgiven? The signs were there. The kelvic had begun to experiment with djed… with Farris!

Irritation of his own flared at the prospect as she elaborated on Farris’ difficulties to speak plainly on a topic. Kynier had no such difficulty with the man, but did think the fellow could be long winded at times. Sitting there he nodded as he took in each word. While he didn’t exercise his use of auristics at that moment, the intensity of his stare at Kelski could give that impression. In the very recent past he had offered compassion and support following the ordeal. Now he was none of that. Kynier watched and listened analytically. This wasn’t a conversation of emotion, Nightstalking, or investigation. This was a conversation about magic, which was his domain in comparison. Farris could claim more expertise but it was costing him more than it should, based on what Kelski described.

“This is what I was talking about prior to moving in. Farris is the type of mage to pursue the limits of his potential so hard the he hopes to crash through them violently. As for the djed, once it’s been used it becomes highly volatile. That’s why we don’t reabsorb it and why you were knocked down.” It sounded like Kelski had looked up to Farris, or at least to him for something. Whatever happened, it seemed that Farris had disappointed her and upset her. Kynier felt a bit insulted that she had sought Farris for this guidance before coming to him. Now she was changing tactics and requesting… no… demanding to learn his insights. But only after suffering alongside Farris in recklessness. “Okay,” he said tersely.

Though he mirrored the yawn she emitted Kynier no longer felt the urge to sleep. As she climbed under the covers he laid back down on his back. The signature nip she had was rougher than usual and nearly caused him to wince. In no time, the kevlic was settled and passed out completely. A heavy groan escaped this throat. It signified a mixture of his frustration and envy. Envy that Kelski was able to fall asleep so readily like that, and to sleep so deeply. Frustration at the whole scenario that he needed to correct. Kynier had underestimated Farris and his sheer inability to exercise control. Auristics and Shielding. The two absolute safest forms of magic to learn, and they were both overgiving to the point of temporary debilitation. At the same petching time!

Kelski had expressed to him long ago that she didn’t want a leash for her actions to be controlled, even by him. Kynier would have to handle it delicately. Hopefully this was enough for Kelski to avoid seeking guidance from Farris, if not, then there was going to be need for a leash. Farris was his own man and could make his own decisions. But if he chose to include those that Kynier cared about in his poor choices… things would not go well.

Lying in bed with the Kelvic draped over his body, Kynier stared silently at the ceiling. He contemplated what he was going to have to do to get Kelski on a proper path to learning magic.



Word Count 862

Boxcode credit goes to Gossamer!

[Kynier]

Timestamp: 45th of Summer 518 A.V.

It was half past the twenty third bell when Kynier stormed through the main entrance of the Midnight Gem. When he tried to open the door he found it to be locked and muttered a curse under his breath. In a fumbling fit he retrieved the key from his pocket and unlocked the door. He stepped through and resettled the lock before turning around and continuing to storm up the stairs. Upon entering the master suite Kynier slammed the door shut, considerably much harder than he had intended.

Get control over yourself, damn it!

But it was the lack of control that had caused his anger. How had he allowed things to unfold this way? How had he been so careless? Now it was all under threat and no one but Kynier could keep the danger at bay. The mage dumped his pack by his wardrobe haphazardly and set his weapons down on the large chest in disarray. After that he was pacing the room with quick long strides. Running his hands through his fingers he tried to come to terms with the situation. “There has to be a way out of this,” he whispered to no one in particular.

But there wasn’t a way. When that realization finally settled in he sat down at the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees, and his brow in both hands with fingers splayed through his hair. “Shyke!” he cried out in a whisper. That was how Kelski would find him. “Shyke! Shyke! Shyke!” he repeated under his breath. He didn’t move to the kelvic’s approach. So full of shame that he had brought this upon them, and worse that he had to admit to his own fault in it all to her.

“I’ve really made a mess of things Kelski.” He didn’t take his head from his hands. To see how she would react was something he didn’t think he could bear. To see the disappointment in her eyes when he demonstrated being less than what she saw. “I was followed. For days. And I didn’t even realize it. The Daggerhand had been keeping a watch on me. Now, one of their higher ups, has forced me into a dire situation.”

For Akajia’s sake. Just tell her.

“If I don’t do the things that they ask, they will ensure that the…” Kynier bit back the tears of his shame. “That the Midnight Gem doesn’t succeed. That your loan with Goldfinger will default. And that all of this will be lost.” His chest trembled as he bit down on his lip. “This was what I was afraid was going to happen. That my decisions would bring danger to you and anyone else around.”

“There’s a favorable light to the situation. If you’d pull yourself out of your shame and think, you’d see it.”

What? Kynier thought about it. What it was that Ashara told him. She didn’t want him to join the Daggerhand, but still needed him to perform tasks. That he was no one. Unaffiliated. Kynier lowered his hands and sat up straighter, looking at nothing. “It’s not sanctioned,” he said aloud as his thoughts were coming together. He scratched at the back of his head as the motivation behind the Viper’s actions became clearer. “That’s…” Kynier shifted on the edge of the bed to face Kelski. Shame was gone from his eyes, replaced by the inward intellectual grinding of his thoughts.

“I can turn this around though,” he said with a glimmer of hope in his voice. “She mentioned how I was ‘no one’ and ‘unaffiliated’. She wants things done, but not by someone that’s a Daggerhand. That way it can’t be traced back to her.” Kynier tapped a finger on his chin as he thought about it for a moment longer. “The loan for the Midnight Gem… you said it would take… two years? Two years to pay off? That’s the only leverage she has against me. So for two years… I’ll be enacting the secret ambitions of one of the Daggerhand spymasters.”

Kynier turned his gaze upon his fellow Nightstalker. “All I must do is be attentive to the after effects of whatever she has me do. And I may learn the secrets behind her motives. Secrets I can rebound on her.” With a sigh he stood up and walked around the room. The items he had just placed about he set pack into their proper places. “I’m sorry that I brought this on us. But I’m going to try and use it to my advantage.” Kynier took off and folded his clothes before setting them in the wardrobe.

He climbed under the covers and rubbed at his forehead. Akajia’s words from the Temple of the Unknown echoed in his mind. Now he had an opportunity to see and learn the finer details of the more active gang of the city. Lying in bed he suddenly felt tired. Before his exhaustion fully kicked in, he cupped the nape of Kelski’s neck and gave her a long kiss. The taste of her lips helped to calm him further, though he couldn’t explain why it did. And he didn’t question it either.

Kynier: Was followed by the Daggerhand
Kynier: Is being blackmailed
The Midnight Gem: Won't succeed if Kynier fails his tasks for the Daggerhand
Kynier: Has opportunity to learn a Daggerhand Spymaster's secrets
Kynier: Is sorry for putting the Midnight Gem at risk

Boxcode credit goes to Gossamer!

[Kelski]

Kelski slipped in mid-shyke and stopped at the doorway. She leaned on the archway as Kynier slowly lost his usual stoic sense of calm and watched her mate as he told her about the Daggerhand and what they were up too. Kelski, honestly, wasn’t surprised. She’d expected threats, blackmail, and even something worse – fire, profit skimming, or even payments for ‘protection’- from the local gangs. She was a bit startled it was coming from the Daggerhand and not Sun’s Birth, but still the whole situation didn’t surprise her.

“You should calm down and think. You are too close to the situation and its upsetting you. Threats are threats until they are made a reality and I’ve learned that the internal workings of the gangs make it often too hard to produce reality from their threats.” She said softly, approaching him then by pushing her hip off the doorway and stalking across the room to him. “I know you work for someone powerful. Speak to him. Tell him your view might be compromised and there might be something he can do.” Kelski advised as she approached.

Sanctioned? What did he mean? What was not sanctioned? “Don’t join them. Don’t give in to them, Kynier, because it will never be over once it starts. Humans use each other until they cannot anymore and then they throw them away.” Kelski said, coming to stand before him and rest her hands on his shoulders. She gripped the bones beneath his skin gently and squeezed, rubbing lightly.

“The Daggerhands are fools. I told you I had two years to pay my loan back, Kynier. I owe Goldfinger ten thousand mizas for The Gem. But Kynier, I’ve pulled in just short of five this season alone. I know you don’t handle the money so you don’t know that. But it’s true. Do you understand that? If we live very lightly, and the others contribute to the food and we hunt, I can comfortably pay the gem off in three seasons alone if profits continue. Just because I can wait two years to pay it off doesn’t mean I am going too. That was never the plan. And as for the threat of fire, things like that, I was counting on you and your magics to help The Gem stay clear of those sorts of threats.” She said, meeting his gaze, referring to his shielding. Kelski expected that from him, though she’d never before outright said it. It was her home – their home – and with his mage talents he had better step up his protections because he could.

“This is not just your problem. It is all our problems. You need to tell the others so they are aware. And we need to deal with this together with you keeping us informed on what is going on with The Daggerhand. I am not smart enough to know what to do to stop it all together, but it needs to be slowed and time bought, so the threat is eliminated.” Kelski said,

There was an inhuman liquid silver rage in them, but it wasn’t directed at him. He’d dropped the fact that someone female in the Daggerhands was hurting her mate. And she was not going to stand for that. If she had to start cutting down Daggerhands in the streets night after night she’d do it until she got a name or Kynier flat out told her who it was. Kelski decided it was more than time to hit the training room and get better, faster, stronger and deadlier with her daggers until she could be the person Kynier needed her to be. She wanted to provide funds for his endeavors and The Gem was set up to do that. But he was a mage, and she’d be a blade at his side if she could be. But she needed to be more than she was now.

She’d work harder too in the workshop. Kelski could cut more gems, have more promotions, advertise for the wealthy further… profits were good but they could be better. There were things that could be done, but nothing tonight. Tonight, all she could do was crawl under the covers, and comfort the mage that meant so much to her by wrapping her arms around him reassuringly and making sure he slept well by being well loved, even with so much on his mind.

Lores:
Kelski is going to easily pay off The Midnight Gem in three seasons.
Kelski expects Kynier to protect The Midnight Gem against things like Fire via Magic.
Kelski expects Kynier to tell the others.

[Kynier]

59th of Summer, 518 A.V.

Late into the third bell Leth had been obscured and his gentle illumination was denied upon the city. Though not by clouds but by immense columns of smoke that surpassed those of the Slag Heap. Smoke the color of white, stained red and orange at their bases by fires. Kynier was drenched in sweat and taking deep heaving breaths as he stumbled to the base of the stairs outside the front of the Midnight Gem. He had ran the entire way, or at least it had felt like running. The mage was almost completely certain that he had managed to elude detection. No one had seen him going in nor coming out. Yet still, at the base of the stairs he hadn’t removed his black cloak or the cloth mask wrapped around his face.

Using his key to get through the locks, Kynier fell to his hands and knees as he stepped off the balcony and into the common room. Staring at the floor and his hands he could tell that the discoloring effect of the drug, pulp, was wearing off. The skin on his hands was still fluctuating color, but tending to favor its natural pigment now rather than every other color in existence. Yet the rest of his body felt tense like every muscle was flexing and waiting to be used for extreme exertion. With some effort he managed to stand up and stagger over to the door of the master suite.

Stepping through the doorway he tripped over his own feet and fell to all fours again. It was growing unbearable so a hand reached up and pulled the cloth mask away from his face. Kynier took a deep gasp of air as it fell to the ground. Air that didn’t smell of strange smoke, sweat, and his own saliva. It was so hot he removed the cloak and hood from his body with equal fervor. And it was still too hot. Kynier stripped his vest and shirt off, tossing them to land wherever they may. Sweat glistened off his skin and the stench of smoke clung to his body.

When he raised his eyes he saw Kelski and a surge of raw energy arose. The desire for the touch of her skin, to taste the sweat that sometimes falls down her neck on his tongue, and to hear the moans of his not so silent lover ring in his ears was so abundant it was startling. Through all the aches of his body and the burning of his lungs from running, somehow Kynier rose from the ground and grabbed more than cupped the back of Kelski’s head as he aggressively kissed her. His body didn’t stop moving until it drove her back against a wardrobe with a loud clank.

What am I doing?!

Kynier broke his lips away and pressed his hands hard against the wardrobe on either side of the Kelvic’s head. Bowing his head he took several breaths as every muscle in his body tensed and shook. Kynier was amorous. Very amorous. So much that he had already acted with a sexual aggression he had never demonstrated before. He applied all his willpower to stop himself from taking it further and didn’t have any leftover to will himself to move further away. When he raised his head again, Kelski would see that his hazel eyes were dilated to their maximum limit.

“I’m sorry,” he said with a ragged breath. Not from remorse but from the effort it took to restrain himself. “There’s a large fire, burning fields of a drug called pulp. A cloud of its smoke filled my lungs for several chimes. And…” a full body tremor seized his jaw though the words continued through the gaps in his teeth. “One of the effects, is an increased sexual desire.” His eyes looked over her form. Her once pale skin appeared as a radiant gold. Ombre hair was no longer dark and white but fiery red fading to purple. Kynier pushed harder against the wardrobe as a means to distract himself from his urges. Wood groaned as his body appeared to be trying to brace it from a sudden fall.

Always he had treated her as an equal during their times of intimacy. The occasional dominant urges he felt would be suppressed out of respect for Kelski. The only times he indulged in them were when she had instigated it without his suggestion. Kynier didn’t wish to betray that love and trust by forcing himself on her in a way that could make her uncomfortable, just for his own pleasure.

It was so hard to keep himself reined in. To try and pass the time until the drug finally wore off the mage forced his jaw to unseized and move with words. “The spymaster… from the Daggerhand… finally left a task for me to do. She wanted the crops from the Plantation destroyed. The fields were owned by the Night Eyes. And I burned the fields. But the fire got out of control and the smoke drifted everywhere. Then entire Plantation is burning as of this moment. And I’m the cause of it.” The pillars of smoke would’ve been visible from the window if Kelski slipped away from him to see.

Talking seemed to help. The blood in his veins felt less on fire though his body still craved to ravage his Feather and fill the night with her screams of pleasure. Kynier forced his breathing to be more regulated as he closed his eyes and set the top of his forehead gently against hers. “And I did it for us. To keep us safe. I know you want me to tell the others about it. But it won’t help. She won’t come with fire and blades to destroy the Midnight Gem, my Feather.” His feet moved closer as his head slid over slowly for his lips to be closer to her ear. The bare skin of his chest grazed against hers and it sent a sensation like lightning down his back and through his arms. His voice whispered in her ear through the emerald and topaz strands of hair. “She would use Goldfinger against us. Make him agree into seeing the loan default and strip everything away. And convince him to take you as a slave, and set another collar around your neck. And have you craft jewels for him so he can have all the profit.”

His teeth nipped at the ridge of her ear with a shaking breath. Akajia, make it end already! “The only way to prevent that is to do as she wants, until I learn enough to use it against her.” The smell of her scent filled his nostrils. An intoxicating aroma. “I’m sorry.”

Pulp: Causes increased sexual desire.
The Plantation: Has been burned down.
Kynier: Caused the fire that destroyed the Plantation.
Kynier: Breathed the smoke of the drug Pulp.
Kynier: Followed through on submitting to the Spymaster.
Kynier: Hasn't told the others at the Midnight Gem of the Spymaster.
Kynier: Claims to do the tasks to protect the Midnight Gem.
Goldfinger: Might get persuaded to take her as a slave if Kynier fails the Spymaster.

Boxcode credit goes to Gossamer!

[Kelski]

To say that Kelski kept normal hours would be like saying birds always flew east to west. It simply never happened. She was always into projects and she’d often ride the wave of pleasure in cutting a gem or even a series of them until they were done and gleaming in her vault. Secretly, anyone who knew her very well would know that she never really did regain her freedom from slavery. She’d just switched masters. Because the gems and their needs were one of her first priorities in life, the sort she’d lose sleep over, forget to eat over, and the kind that would wake her up in the middle of the night as inspiration struck.

She heard the door open and close, its lock worked with quiet expertise. She heard footsteps on the stairs, lightfooted, but some big enough not to be able to pass like a Kelvic could. And she could smell the acrid smell of smoke clinging in the air. That was her que to rise and check on her mate, for it couldn’t be anyone but him since all the denizens were accounted for. She padded up the stairway, trailed quietly after him, and slipped into the master suite to find him stripping out of his dirty stinking clothing. She walked further into the room, head tilted in puzzlement, as he advanced on her, captured her and kissed her all before she realized he meant to do it.

Kynier was the type that was in control all the time. But this was something else. She didn’t even have time to breath as he kissed her and pressed her until her hips bumped the wardrobe. Kelski wasn’t particularly disturbed by it, but she was concerned because she could see his eyes dilated slightly and saw the signs of a drug in Kynier’s system. When he let go of her only to cage her against the wardrobe and bowed his head, she nuzzled his smoke infused hair, leaving soft kisses on his head in this thick hair.

She didn’t let him get past his apology before her hands were on his hips, not pushing him away, but pulling him into her. Wide silver eyes shifted attentively between his own hazel orbs, listening to both what he was saying and what he wasn’t saying. She’d put it all together before he fully admitted that the Daggerhand were involved. A snarl crossed her face, more catlike than eagle – a reflection of spending time with a home full of felines – and a look passed across her expression that promised her talons would someday rend flesh when she found out who it was exactly that was threatening her mate. Kynier had always been careful to not drop a name even if he knew one. Kelski hadn’t asked. Someday he’d say it though, and when he did she’d probably turn heel on him, grab her weapons, and depart on a mission of wrath then and there.

It still made her angry that she was being used as leverage over Kynier’s life. It also made her angry that he let this unnamed woman do so. It would never stop, not now, not later, and if it wasn’t The Midnight Gem the person would hold something else over Kynier’s head. People were not people to the gangs of Sunberth. They were tools. Kynier was smart enough to know this… and what Kelski couldn’t figure out was why he was letting it happen. She was no fool. She didn’t think Kynier just ‘agreed’ to it until he could get revenge. The mage didn’t operate that way. Silver eyes narrowed as she thought harder, forcing her Kelvic nature into a mentality more suited to a human which was hard with no bond to assist such transitions. But she suspected, even as she studied him and listened, that he was even lying to himself as to why he was letting it happen.

Drugged though… he wouldn’t be willing to talk about it. And she couldn’t force him to admit to her as to why he was doing this… letting this woman hold something he valued in his life above his head. Kelski loved him but her love was also realistic. Kynier was no more perfect than she was. They were both beautifully flawed and struggling to find their place in Sunberth’s world.

Tomorrow would be soon enough to talk further if her workshop didn’t lure her away and Kynier’s work take him into the city. Tonight? She’d just enjoy this side of him. She always enjoyed him, as often as she could, when he wasn’t too tired and they seemed to be both awake enough to enjoy each other.

Black nails ran the length of his hips, trailing to the front of his pants. The clever hands of a craftswoman slowly unbuckled his belt. She would offer him no escapes, nor would she patiently explain to him how Goldfinger wasn’t in the Daggerhands’ pocket but rather an agent of The Sun’s Birth. When she had his pants open, she dragged his shirt up and began unfastening the buttons on it, working on the vest as she hit where it fell across his waist. Kelski had all of the front of him exposed to her hands in moments, so she could stroke upwards across his chest dragging her nails and downwards, to grip him momentarily before running her hands up his torso again.

She was sorry too… that he couldn’t see any other way; that he let himself be used by this woman as just another tool in her toolbox. The Sea Eagle was glad he confided in her though.

It was a talk they would have sometime soon, when the Sea Eagle could find the words to tell him just what she thought of the whole situation. Now, however, was not the time. He was too close to her, too wild, his panting and penetrating gaze too much. She already halfway worshiped what he did and said, but when he was like this she would never refuse him.

She was also glad for the drug because she’d often wanted Kynier wild and unrestrained. He wasn’t out of control yet, but he was tipped on the cusp. Kelski could sense it with every refracted surface in the gem of her being. It was handy that she was wearing a simple skirt, barefoot, and had a short-cropped tunic on that left a lot of her mid-drift bare. This man was hers, and despite the fact that someone else was playing cat and mouse with their lives… she was going to enjoy him as much as she wanted too and pleasure him as much as he desired.

Her arms slipped down once more, cupped him and stroked him a moment as her black lips peeled back and revealed sharp white teeth that nibbled his jawline, tasting the smoke and drug coating his skin. Long arms slipped around his waist then up to his shoulders and she pushed off the wardrobe and jumped, wrapping her legs around him. She bit him hard in the spot where his neck and shoulder joined, then arched her back and impaled herself on him without a word. “Don’t hold back.” She snarled – half mad at him half mad at the unnamed woman - just before she took his mouth as hard as he’d taken hers, already finding a rhythm wrapped completely around him.

And though he would never find rejection with her, he might not always find complete understanding and agreement. She worshiped him in a way a non-Kelvic might not understand, but that didn’t mean she’d forgive him anything or blindly lead where he followed. Kelski was her own person and she always would be. But she’d stand at Kynier’s side as long as he’d let her and support him in this way and all the ways she could. Besides, sometimes that support was a mind-blowing amount of pleasure.