OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part Nine

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu has gathered plenty of henna and even woad, a blue dye, for some experiments with designs on Skellig's skin.

"The blue would look lovely on you, I think," she remarks. "Your fairer skin would show it off quite well. Though I am far more experienced in applying henna."

She's gathered bits and pieces of designs to look at for inspiration. Celtic style knots, viking style abstract patterns and stylized beasts, the mandala and floral type designs he's admired on her, and more.

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[27_53]

The Lair is quiet and still, the hearth-fire a faint glow across the room, her body resting comfortably curled up against him. It takes several moments for his awareness to grow to the point where he actually understands what is happening, but the close contact with her body aids in reaffirming his grasp on 'reality'.

They are here together in the Lair.
They are safe, on solid ground - not on board a ship.
They are themselves, not a forest goddess and her virgin lover.

He slightly shifts against her, but then settles in again for another hour of sleep - this sleep is lighter, more of a 'doze' than anything, but it is still welcome. He takes note of her breathing patterns, the way her chest rises and falls, the quiet noises she makes as she shifts in her sleep and cuddles closer to him. All of those are uniquely her and he loves it greatly.

[brave_kreyu]

She begins to rise to awareness, going into a shallower level of sleep. She shifts her position, wraps herself around him as though he were a body pillow.

A little while after that, she wakes, blinks sleep from her eyes. "Hello, love." She nuzzles against his neck.

[27_53]

Now that she is awake, he shifts his hand up to start stroking his fingers through her hair - it is a bit of a wild mess at the moment, but he is careful to avoid any snags.

Echoing her softly, he replies the same. "Hello, love." Shifting his head, he presses his lips to her hair. "That was a much finer sleep than last night upon that ship."

[brave_kreyu]

"Much finer," she agrees. She sighs in contentment at his fingers in her hair.

"I should get up and get us something to eat, but you are so very comfortable to lounge upon." Such a dilemma!

[27_53]

"Your weight on my body is quite soothing," he stretches slightly but does not move all that much, enjoying the feel of her sprawled across and wrapped around him. "Food can wait awhile longer."

Her presence, the strength of these lines running through the Lair, all of it is familiar and he is grateful to be grounded in such a way.

"We will need to pack wisely," he says with a yawn. "I assume we will stop back here on our return trek to the Village, as there are things we wish to take with us that perhaps would not be smart to travel North with?"

Namely, copious amounts of supplies and goods - he is a light traveler by nature himself, and that will leave more room for treasures to be gathered along the way...

[brave_kreyu]

"We will definitely be stopping by on the way back to the village," she assures him. "I was planning on bringing a fair amount of wealth with us, both to pay debts and to buy whatever we might need along the way other than the basics."

Means of making fire, storing water, bedding for sleeping, those they will take with them.

"I have a few chitons that will fit you, those should do until we reach colder climes."

[27_53]

"I trust your judgement," Skellig says. "You have not led me astray yet, as far as choosing how I should dress."

Granted, the idea of the kilt was a bit difficult to swallow at first, but now he is quite comfortable with it, and gotten accustomed to the style. He will adapt to whatever is needed for blending in and functionality just fine.

"I know we will be able to hunt along the way, but it would be wise to take some basic foodstuffs as well, just in case." He allows his fingers to wander from her hair to her bare shoulder, tracing softly. "Not that I doubt your abilities to provide for us."

[brave_kreyu]

"We will definitely take some basics with us," she agrees. "Though we will need to pick up more as we travel, most likely."

His fingers tracing her shoulder feel nice, and she makes a pleased sound. "Should be able to use up what won't keep for today's meals, take any cooked leftovers with us for our first meals on the way to Xenophon's homeland."

She chuckles as a thought strikes her. "If you want me to dance again for you in that dress, it will have to be today or you will need to wait a bit." It weighs forty pounds, they are NOT taking it with them!

[27_53]

"I could lighten it," he counters teasingly, before he shakes his head. "But I think it would be best if it remains here, for safekeeping." Plus, it is likely easily identifiable as belonging to her, and with the secrecy that they have used so far over the last few days...he would not risk it.

He sighs and tips his head back, resting it against the pillow - he is very comfortable and has zero desire to move, even as they discuss all that it is they need to do.

"I assume that your comment to him earlier about heights was in regards to having him fly beside me, as we would travel much faster in your dragon form?"

[brave_kreyu]

She laughs at his teasing counter.

"Yes," she replies. "Only if you wouldn't mind, of course."

She stretches lazily, then resettles. "I will have him close his eyes, when I must take dragon shape. Better that he not see my TRUE draconic form."

[27_53]

"Settling in for our travels has never been a concern," he says. "Another man will fit in the space beside me without issue."

Skellig also has a feeling that the young man might be slightly more anxious about the travel, given that he does not have wings of his own and would certainly perish if he fell off Kreyu's back from such a height. So he might choose to stick closer to Skellig's side.

"We will have to keep the acrobatics to a minimum," he quips. (Which he knows they would do anyways, traveling with gear.) "What would we call ourselves, in the meantime while we are in that territory?"

[brave_kreyu]

"Kreyu is a common enough name that it should raise no issue by itself, there are hundreds of them in this region of the world. I have not heard YOUR name before though." Her brow wrinkles in thought.

[27_53]

"Perhaps something that begins with 'S', as it will be easier off the tongue? Though I do not know what is most common in these areas," he says. "I have yet to learn these things."

If he were not laying on his back, he would shrug.

"Plus it is not as if I will be calling my own name often," he adds. "I would say that you may call me whatever you desire."

[brave_kreyu]

"Sokratis, perhaps?" she offers. She nuzzles his neck some more. "Or there is Iason, which means healer."

[27_53]

"Sokratis, Iason..." Pondering both of those options, he debates a moment, tests each one off his lips a few more times. "I am more likely to pick up on the 'S' and 'K' sounds, I feel. We will choose that. And I will work to alter my appearance slightly, with the amulet."

The bracelet with Karma stored within is still tied firmly around his wrist, where it has remained since he used it to save his own life - that will not be coming off his body, and it has regained the 'charge' easily over the last several weeks.

"Hopefully there will not be much need for healing on this journey," he says. "At least of ourselves."

Maybe they will manage to stay out of trouble? Just maybe?

[brave_kreyu]

"Sokratis," she says, testing the name on her tongue.

"That is my hope," she admits. "We will see if we are right."

They COULD manage to stay out of trouble, it could happen!

She kisses his neck softly, strokes the top of one wing with her fingers.

[27_53]

"I eagerly look forward to adventuring with you," he says, sighing gently and letting his eyes fall shut as she strokes at his feathers and kisses his neck. "I find great pleasure in exploring the unknown, hunting for treasures, finding ways we can help others. But yet..."

His smile is gentle, his body relaxed. "But yet I admit, it would be a lie if I said that I did not also enjoy these moments just as much."

[brave_kreyu]

"I feel the same way," she replies. "Adventure and new lands and peoples call to me, but they do not outshine the joy of these moments with you."

"I need to get my fill of this before we are lacking in privacy for a few days," she whispers against his skin.

[27_53]

Skellig huffs a light laugh. "I would offer you my body for exploration, but I am afraid I am still so very tired, my response would be...lackluster compared to my usual standard."

He cracks one eye open, glancing down at her. "But if you wish to indulge in some more casual pleasures before we deal with breakfast and packing...I would not object."

(Translation: Does she want to make out with him for awhile? Because he's probably got enough energy for that.)

[brave_kreyu]

"I expected that anything...energetic would be off the table," she says, smiling softly.

"But I would quite enjoy more casual pleasures with you before breakfast."

(Translation: Yes, I would quite like to make out with you for a while!)

She presses her lips against his, soft and gentle.

[27_53]

His responding kiss is equally soft and gentle - at least to start. And it is true, that more energetic activities are currently off the table - but that doesn't stop either of them from getting a little bit handsy during the course of their actions.

But he is careful not to get too riled up, or work her up into a frenzy.

(It would not be fair to either of them!)

Some time later, he breaks from a kiss and brings his forehead to rest against hers, panting softly. "We can consider this a preview of what we will do to celebrate once we leave Mycenae..."

[brave_kreyu]

He's not the only one panting. "A lovely preview," she says, voice low.

"But I think it is time we bathe, break our fast, and do some packing."

Bathing and breakfast are straightforward enough, packing is liable to be interesting.

"Do you have preferences as to the color of your chitons, love?"

[27_53]

Skellig looks up from the two stacks of bedding that he has folded in preparation to roll up tightly and strap together, glancing towards the chest where she keeps the majority of her clothing.

"I...what are my options...I do not know what..."

He sets aside the bedrolls for now and moves over to her side, as she removes some of the chitons and places them on the bed for him to look at. "What do...which ones do you prefer for yourself? Which do you think would look best on me?"

[brave_kreyu]

"I think you would look best in colors that harmonize with your eyes, but the only way to be sure is to try them on and see. Different shades of a color can suit better or worse than others."

"This one is fairly simple." The first one she picks up is a medium shade of blue, the fabric plain except for a geometric border around the edges in a deep green.

She goes to grab some pins to hold it in place, relatively simple ones made of bronze. Best to ease him into things, she feels!

[27_53]

"I do like the blue ones," he agrees, as he touches his fingertips to his chest where the dyed knotwork design sits. "And it seems to favor me well enough."

With her assistance, some adjustment to get the length correct - it is good that the men typically wear the chiton a bit shorter at the knee compared to the women, since Skellig is also a bit taller than Kreyu - and the shoulders fastened, he steps back so she can get a look at him.

(It definitely suits his eyes.)

"Decent?"