brave_kreyu | OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part 12

"There is a shift in the energy, it seems," Skellig offers as 'explanation'. "I choose to believe that the changes we are noticing are perhaps a sign of better things in the horizon. I know that is difficult, especially given recent events..."

Even when your brother is trying to have you killed, the man is still your family, your blood and kin.

"Despite everything, I am more happy, more free, than I have ever been," Ajax admits. His lips quirk in a grin. "And I think even Fate would have difficulty making Koschei leave me."

"Fate would have quite the fight on Their hands," Skellig agrees with a laugh of his own. "Not only with Koschei's might to contend with, but his will is quite strong, also."

From his first meeting with the other dragon, it was clear - what he wants, he can generally get. Plus, he can MOVE THROUGH STONE. That one will still take time for Skellig to understand.

"He is so very strong, body and soul," Ajax agrees. "But he has a very gentle touch." Ajax's smile turns a bit sappy.

He lifts his cup, finds it empty. "And I should get back to my work. Especially since I think you would like to surprise her with this gift?"

"I would," Skellig says. "But with the things I am hearing from the rest of the House, and with our plans still quite flexible... it is not a huge rush to finish in one sitting. I would not expect it."

Plus, he does quite enjoy talking with Ajax, he's discovered. They can both be equally as sappy while speaking about their partners without worry of being judged!

With another round of wine and a few different side-sketches (closeups of his hands and feet, as well as some notations about his wings scribbled off to the side of one page) done, he does find himself growing slightly tired. "You know they will want to put their... efforts..." He glances towards the other doorway when another round of laughter echoes their direction. "Into practice, and it will be safer if they do that away from others. They may have to travel outside the city for that... it might give us an opportunity to finish on another day?"

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Ajax replies. He carefully packs away his sketches as the conversation in the other room is winding down. No sign of the session will be readily visible by the time Kreyu comes through the door, a small basket containing the brewed moly and two cups in one hand.

"I'm so sorry, love," she tells Skellig, a bit embarrassed. "I got into discussing ward theory with Koschei and entirely lost track of time. I didn't mean to abandon you."

It does not take much time at all to fix his clothes and loop his amulet back over his neck, hiding away his wings once more - another feather that falls is given to Ajax, so he can study it later.

"You have no need to apologize," Skellig shakes his head as Kreyu enters the room, rising from his spot on the lounge. "Ajax and myself got into a quite interesting discussion ourselves about the arts and we did not wish to interrupt what you and Koschei were involved in."

He wraps one arm around her waist, hugging gently as he presses his lips to her hair. "It is not mandated that we spend every waking moment with each other," he whispers.

She looks relieved at his words about their conversation, and he can FEEL her relax at his hug, his lips to her hair, his whispered words. Her worry is fading. "Thank you, love," she whispers back.

She turns to Ajax. "Koschei has a surprise of some kind planned for you, though he refused to even hint as to what it was," she tells him.

Ajax flushes a little, laughs. "That sounds like him. I should go and see what he has in store for me, let him fuss over me a bit. Will make both of us feel better, after the events of the last few days."

Knowing what he does of Koschei - and even though it is not much, he was clearly able to sense the care and concern that the other dragon has for his 'mate', and he suspects that means whatever surprise that is in store for Ajax is one he will likely greatly enjoy.

"We all deserve to be fussed over on occasion," Skellig says, clasping Ajax's forearm gently. "Enjoy your surprise. And thank you for your conversation this evening," he adds with a faint smile - once that Ajax will understand the meaning of. "I look forward to continuing it later."

Once they have said their farewells for the evening and made it back to their suite safely, Skellig begins to work on shedding his chiton to change into something more comfortable. He waits until he can sense that she has 'set' the wards before he removes the amulet, shaking his wings out to stretch them once they are free.

"The advantage of my delay is that the moly had plenty of time to brew," she explains as she removes the pins from her hair. "The strength is right, but I suspect it is slightly older than what my temple prefers."

"The flowers are lovely, when they bloom. It only happens every few years, all across the islands at once. Delicate white flowers will cover the mountain, and they glow faintly in the dark."

"That sounds lovely. I look forward to getting to see it, someday."

Moving to stand behind her, he automatically reaches for one of the pins that is closer to the back of her head, to help unwind her hair from it. (Does she need his help? Not really. Is that going to stop him from finding an excuse to be close to her and have his fingers in her hair? Absolutely not.) "Koschei would really not tell you what the surprise he has planned is?"

"They should bloom next year, would be easy enough to take a quick vacation from the village to see them."

She likes him being close, likes his help. The pins are textured, easy to grasp in his fingers. She sighs in pleasure as he starts to remove the pins. "He would not, but I have my suspicions." She grins, knowing he will feel it in her energy even if he can't see it. "Earth dragons are not the fastest or most agile in the air, but they CAN fly."

Skellig's energy brightens at that. "Oh, he will be thrilled if that is the case," he says. "We spoke at length about his work with sketches, and he showed me some of the pieces he has worked on since having Koschei at his side. He is grateful for an honest opinion on them, one that does not come from a man who would simply kneel before his title before all else."

He collects the pins methodically from her hair, taking a moment to lightly massage any spots where they were placed particularly tight to help things stay in place.

"His studies of birds are quite detailed," he continues. "We discussed a bit how that stems from his desire for freedom...which now he feels he has, with Koschei. His Light is much better, than it was before," he adds. "Less tainted by Dark."

Kreyu brightens at the news that Ajax's Light is much better. "I had hoped that was the case, but I was not sure. There was so much pain in him, when we first met, locked deep inside."

The last of the pins comes free in his hands, her hair flowing over his fingers.

Setting the pins aside on an end table, Skellig then allows his fingers to lightly comb through her hair, working out any tangles or knots (there are not many, and nothing serious) before he moves in for a more serious scalp massage.

"There is still hurt, which is to be expected. But it will heal in time, and he has Koschei now to protect him and soothe some of the aches in his heart...it has improved."

He kisses the top of her head. "While we were speaking, he told me of how grateful he was to us for sending Koschei to him. Told me that whatever we wished that it was in his power to grant, all we had to do was ask. I accepted, but did not name anything in particular."

(After all - there is so very little they truly need that they could not simply find on their own. But there may be something, someday...)

His touch feels so good that she's making small noises of pleasure. "That is wonderful news."

"A great gift, particularly from a prince who I am certain was trained from childhood not to make so open ended a promise." A promise holds a great deal of power in this age, politically and otherwise.

"It may yet be needed once you are known as my husband, smooth over a diplomatic tangle that might emerge."

"Good fortune then, in many ways."

His hands 'finish' with her scalp and then he moves down to her neck and upper shoulders.

"I saw that you brought two cups," he says idly, glancing towards the basket that he knows contained the brewed moly. "Am I right to assume they are not both for you?"

"I had thought to have you try it, see what effect it has on you," she murmurs. "I know my Wise drink it, when they attend me in the temple. They may even drink it the night before."

"Smart," he says. "My body may respond differently to it, and it would be good to know that beforehand."

Skellig, however, is in no rush to shift from what he's currently doing - though he does gently guide her over to one of the couches, an invitation to sit with him.

"Do you want out of that dress before we relax a bit?" He asks, casually.

"Yes. I should have thought of it earlier, but moly is quite hard to find outside the Ring Islands."

"That would probably be a good idea," she murmurs. "Less likely to wrinkle or get stained that way." And it's warm enough that she should be quite comfortable cuddling with her husband even naked.

"While in the herbalists shop, I heard the discussion about the effects it tends to offer the user," he says. "Would you tell me more about it?"

Removing her dress is quite easy enough (after all, he's had plenty of practice in undressing her, in situations that have been much more hasty than this) and he folds it gently, setting it aside before he sits and pulls her to his body - along with a blanket, should she want to cover up a bit.

Now, his hands can resume that shoulder massage!

She does pull the blanket up a bit as she relaxes into him. "You'll spoil me," she teases.

"It was sacred to them before they came to us," she explains. "A means of communing with their gods, especially their Great Goddess, in relative safety. If one believed already that the gods could come to one in dreams, was expecting to sate the desires of one's goddess..." She flushes a bit. (She understands NOW what they might have expected a fertility goddess's desires to be in regards to a male priest!)

"Moly's making dreams vivid, increasing the recovery of one's mind and body, would be quite desirable as a sacrament."

"You deserve to be spoiled on occasion," he counters gently, humming under his breath as he finds a tight spot with his fingertips and works (both with his touch and his energy) to rid her of it, listening as she describes the effects.

A smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth, and she'll be able to hear the amusement in his voice.

"But what...what if one already has vivid dreams in regards to...sating the desires of one's goddess?"

Oh, that feels good. This intimacy, sharing space and touch, is a pleasure for body, mind, and soul.

She laughs, low, at his last statement. "I don't know, I suppose we might find out tonight." She settles back into him a little more. "Not a stimulant, or an aphrodisiac, so far as I can tell. It's never had an effect on me that I've noticed, but I've never been...exerting myself when I've had it."

"Makes sense."

He shifts his hands over her shoulders to work his fingers over her collarbones, just barely teasing the tops of her breasts with hints of touch - there is no sense in getting too riled up before they try the drug, after all.

"Is it best taken on a relatively empty stomach? Is there any sort of ritual that is...required? I assume there is one that is used by your Wise, but I know some of that may just be due to the way that the rites have been practiced in the past..."

He closes his eyes briefly, listening to the space around them. "Most of the effects of the herbs from earlier have worn off, as well as that of the wine...I am still relaxed, but not...altered...as I was earlier."

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