TDM 009: I'M IN LIKE WITH YOU

[erkumods]

TDM 009: I'M IN LIKE WITH YOU

00. Arrival This time, you come out of the water, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy drawing people in. It's like being suspended between realities and abruptly pushed from behind through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you to the surface and carrying you to shore. Waterlogged and covered in sand, new arrivals will be greeted by robots who welcome them with towels and bracelet devices. The A5 card is already loaded up. Feel free to explore the Island, though there isn’t much to see. Most of the buildings are abandoned and in dire need of repair, and beyond the city lingers a thick fog that obscures much of the wilderness from view. Wander too far into this fog, and you will find yourself mysteriously looping back to where you began, your memories of what you were doing and how you got there erased. With that in mind, it may be wise to stake your claim on a rundown apartment, a tent on the beach, or a bed in the “comfortable” new barracks. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● I. STARGAZER On the first night that new arrivals wash ashore, the moon rises. It's full and beautiful and surrounded by stars. The robots quickly bring old, dusty telescopes out of storage and line them up on the beach to help people get a truly spectacular view. "Look to the heavens! Behold, the chicken, the cat, the owl, the donkey!" It's... the cock, the pussy, the hooters, and the ass. For the rest of the night, characters will become fixated on the specific asset associated with the constellation they've gotten an eyeful of. Whether this leads to some body worship or just casual appreciation is up to you. You can learn about the stars and constellations later this month in some of the rare, non-pornographic books in the library. (More info will go up soon, so please be patient!) ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● II. STIMULATING CONVERSATION An ancient courting ritual has been announced! It involves the give-and-take of candy hearts with slogans printed on them. Of course, since these hearts are being manufactured by robots, their sense of taste is a little... off? Or perhaps off-putting? "You'll do." "5/10." "Acceptable." "Sloppy Seconds." Receiving a negative heart makes one feel insecure, jealous, and submissive. "Be mine." "Nicest ass." "Swell bulge." "They're good lays, Bront." Receiving a positive heart will make one feel confident, boastful, and dominant. Your friendly neighborhood 'bots will give them out to anyone who asks - and maybe even those who don't. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● III. Eat Or Dare The robots have set up a stall by the beach with a banner that reads: Eat Or Dare. They have procured bigger candy hearts than ever before -- fist-sized and larger -- with actions written on them instead of derogatory slogans. "Take a dive." "Lick me." "Get handsy." The name of the game is to follow the instructions or forfeit the challenge by making the evidence disappear into your mouth. Delicious! Those who eat the candy hearts will feel themselves getting giddy and unreasonably invested in the love affairs of others. They will feel compelled to play matchmaker to spread the cheer. ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● N A V I G A T I O N

Comments

[vaax]

the flattery is heard, acknowledged, considered. a moment. accepted.

vax allows his eyes to roll upwards, taking in the one who flatters him so for a second time. maybe it's not so awful, after all, this flattery. other people. if this is the form it takes, maybe he can learn to tolerate it.

"sit with me," he says, posing it somewhere between a command and a request. something about essek is enticing, familiar. he reminds vax of home, unlike so many others on this island. other faces are handsome, pretty, but nothing like an elf, nothing like that distinctive shape of ear and that sultry, low tone in his voice.

"if you're going to flatter me, you might as well keep me company. yours isn't bad either," he returns, his grumpy expression giving way to a more satisfied smirk.

[thelyss]

Ah, there - much better, and pleasingly easy to accomplish. The somewhat forceful invitation and recovery of wit cause Essek to chuckle lowly in amusement.

"Well, perhaps I shall, as you so thoughtfully insisted." He finds a spot on a clear bit of canvas and gracefully drops himself down next to Vax, angled toward him conversationally. As expected, more lovely little details are apparent up close; from the braids in raven-black hair (though somewhat messy, likely due to being tumbled from the ocean) to the deep brown of his eyes. Essek notes the wear on his hands - a warrior, perhaps a rogue. It would fit with the rest of the overall aesthetic.

"Which of your fine features should I compliment next, hm? Perhaps the slenderness of your neck or the pleasing shape of your ears?"

[vaax]

vax'ildan has a sharp eye, and it notes the way essek takes him in. it feels different than being observed, it feels like he's being sized up, and vax keeps his guard tentative, but up. he can let himself be taken advantage of, given the correct circumstances. maybe these can be those circumstances.

essek sits so gracefully that vax notes he must be high born, or at least high ranked somewhere. he's gorgeous up close, those violet eyes catching vax's attention right away. he's striking, but his hands are.. soft. a mage, likely.

"maybe you should let me do the complimenting," vax says, angling more towards essek. he tests their waters by leaning out, taking one of those soft hands in his own, and massaging experimentally at essek's palm. "someone like you has someone to do the heavy lifting for them. do you always find drowned birds by the beach? or did i catch your beautiful eye?"

[thelyss]

It's always interesting to see how quickly people become bold enough to initiate physical interaction. It's rare that Essek ever offers it himself, particularly with strangers, no matter how handsome they are. But it's telling, he thinks, when and how and what sort of person will so easily reach for touch. Given the immediate attention to his hands, it's likely this lovely half drowned bird had noticed Essek looking at his.

Regardless, the touch is far from uncomfortable, and he allows Vax to explore as he desires, pliant under somewhat rougher fingertips. He hums, shrugging elegantly.

"Only lovely birds who clearly just need a little help...cleaning up."

Essek traces a well practiced pattern in the air with his free hand, familiar magic tingling warmly against his skin before skittering into obedience. A moment later, Vax's clothing and armor are fully dry and clean and free of sand.

[vaax]

vax keeps essek's hand in his own, exploring each pad of his fingertips with his own. definitely a magic user, a conclusion vax'ildan comes to in the same moment that essek lifts a hand to prestidigitate the mess away. it's a welcome change, one that makes vax exhale in relief.

"thank you," he breathes, rushed, excited. he frees essek's hand, turning his focus to himself for a moment. like most birds, he's a little vain, and keeping himself in the best of appearances is important. vax untangles his braid, then sets about redoing it with dexterous fingers.

"forgive me for being so forward, but i haven't met another elf in a long time," he mutters, his eyes casting out to the water while he starts in on a second braid. "and i know they're all beautiful. but you are particularly handsome. it's striking."

[thelyss]

It's surprisingly endearing, not just the curious way Vax examines his hand, but the reaction to the simple magic itself. It's clear he's not unfamiliar with an arcane user of particular skill, but also with this particular sort of magic. Essek has been here long enough to know that there appear to be as many ways magic behaves and is understood as there are people from different worlds here. That Vax appears unsurprised and also grateful prickles at his curiosity. Aside from being likewise of elven blood, there is a strange sense of familiarity about him.

"Not at all," he muses after a soft chuckle. "I take it you have not met many drow before? Then again, I have not had many opportunities to meet other elves as fair as yourself, either."

Essek watches Vax weave the second braid before lifting a hand to stray through dark hair. "May I?"

[vaax]

"very few," he admits, bringing his eyes back around to meet essek's violet. there's a pleased smile on his face as he relaxes more and more, finding that long sought after comfort alongside essek. his grumpy attitude has been nearly forgotten, and the bits of comfort he's missing can be replaced easily if he only allows himself to find it.

the compliment earns essek a vax that blushes, just a little, but otherwise doesn't show any sign of being taken by such a comment. he tries his best to let it roll like water off of his feathers.

what does give him pause, though, are hands that reach for his hair, that ask permission to touch. vax'ildan is horribly used to hands in his hair, from childhood. he often keeps it up himself, but vex helped braid when she could, when their mother couldn't anymore. the idea of this beautiful stranger engaging in such an intimate act is... welcome. it's a little sexy. it's nice. vax lets his gaze linger on essek for a moment longer before he answers, taking him in. admiring that bone structure.

"yeah. go ahead."

[thelyss]

It'd been a rather impulsive ask for him; Essek hasn't touched another's hair in longer than he cares to specifically remember. Perhaps it had been the last time he'd been on good terms with his brother before Verin had departed for his special post. Perhaps it had been earlier, before his self-imposed social isolation, the last time someone had been able to occupy room in his heart until very recently. But a braid is a rather easy thing to do, and harder to forget how. It's hard to say what really prompts him to decide to ask in the first place aside from a growing sense of familiarity from a stranger that already feels easy and comforting.

That in and of itself should feel strange.

Essek starts a third braid to match opposite the other two, gently sectioning off strands near the temple and combing carefully through with nimble fingers before weaving them into a simple plait. It's clear he's done this before.

"You've met other drow and you recognized my spell. Where are you from? Might you also tell me what sort of name accompanies such a handsome creature?"

[vaax]

vax'ildan instantly relaxes when hands take to his hair, the familiar sensation bringing back comfortable memories that he's more than happy to allow for now.

there really is something so calming about being around essek. it could be a spell or an effect, but vax is sure he'd have noticed by now. he adjusts, leaning back on his hands so his hair falls over his shoulders. his head leans back, enjoying the moonlight that bathes his skin and the way this elf seems to have already turned vax into something soft. he should be worried. he should be trying to deny this, to turn him down.

and yet.

"tal'dorei," he says noncommittally, "and my name is vax'ildan, or just vax. what about a beautiful drow like you?" one eye opens, watching essek to determine if his compliment drew a reaction.

[thelyss]

Tal'dorei. That explains quite a bit, in fact. How interesting, to encounter someone from another continent of Exandria in a place such as this.

Essek finishes the first braid as he catches that look. His faintly amused smile turns just slightly more pleased. That Vax'ildan appears to hold no particular prejudices against drow despite his light elven heritage is already a credit to his character.

"Vax'ildan," he repeats in a murmur, "lovely." Careful fingers gather more hair for another braid, gently brushing along the cusp of his ear.

"Essek Thelyss, of the Kryn Dynasty in Wildemount. It appears we share a common home."

[vaax]

essek confirms he and vax share a home plane, but vax can't bring himself to be too floored by it just yet. he gives a hum of acknowledgement, nuzzling up into essek's hand when he touches his ear. it's a welcome moment of affection, one that calms him and makes him need more, though he's not going to chase too far should essek pull back.

lazily, he opens both eyes this time, glancing to his side. "the kryn dynasty. you must be someone important over there. you have a beautiful vocabulary and soft hands, so... tell me about it. what did you do there, before you came here? clearly you did it well."

[thelyss]

The open acceptance and asking for affection is...endearing. As easy as it might be to indulge in giving a touch or two, openly wanting it, seeking more is something Essek finds difficult. Vax leans into it so easily, so naturally, that Essek can't help but do it again. Finishing the braid a moment later, he just gently rubs the tip of that ear again, cushioning it between the pad of his thumb and the crook of a finger as he answers. A brief wisp of memory wells in his chest before he pushes it down again.

It's impressive also, he thinks, how much Vax has gleaned from him already. He has a sharp, observant mind, which Essek can appreciate, even if it would ordinarily make him more dangerous.

"I was Shadowhand to the Bright Queen herself, Leylas Kryn. I am a prodigy of dunamancy magic and second youngest son of the Umavi of Den Thelyss." Violet eyes travel from Vax's face to the impressive cloak and mantle, his dark hair nearly blending seamlessly into the feathers, as though it were part of him rather than a piece of clothing to keep himself warm. Without casting the spell he can't know for sure, but Essek suspects it may very well be magical in nature.

"And you, mm? You've traveled enough to meet others like me, you have the hands of someone who wields weapons and this impressive cloak, which has likely more to it than meets the eye."

[vaax]

the affection feels electric, like there's already some kind of unspoken acknowledgement between them and whatever this is. there's a line in the sand, a line they tiptoe ever closer to, but when one steps over the goal, the other spins comfortably into his arms. it's nice. it's relaxing.

vax hums again, and this time, it's his turn to return the affection. essek mentioned his cloak, so... the cloak, he'll get.

"ah, so i was right?" comes his response, giving essek a wide grin. shit-eating, one might say. "you do sound important. i don't even think i've heard of dunamancy, as well traveled as i am. how about this, then?" and he's up, on his knees, crawling close enough to essek to be in his space. his heart rate has shot up, but he won't let it show, not until it matters the most. he comes to pause when he's close enough to essek that he could kiss him if he wanted, but he doesn't.

"i'll show you what i can do, and you show me what you can do."

a murmured activation word in elvish, and a pair of feathered wings burst from the cloak, stretching tall before they stretch wide.

"this cloak is a vestige, of the raven queen herself. i'm her champion, you see, and i'm granted life only by her will."

the wings curl in closer, as black feathers flutter around them to the ground. they slowly extend out to essek, wrapping him in a comfortable, warm embrace. "this is what i can do, shadowhand essek thelyss. what can you do?"

[thelyss]

If Essek had any expectations, none of them were anywhere close to this.

Vax is suddenly quite close, the distance between them less than a breath. He is even more strikingly handsome from less than a foot away, the faintest hint of amber alighting in otherwise dark eyes more apparent. Essek notes a few more noticeably human features this close, too, but beautifully blended with his finer elven features.

If having those grinning lips close enough to kiss wasn't enough to spike his own pulse, the following reveal certainly is. The surprise is plain on his face when the wings flare out, shimmering black and silver in the moonlight. An impressed smile quickly takes over, his gaze bright and fascinated as Vax folds them in, blocking out the rest of the world.

"Yes, a lovely bird, indeed," he muses, stalling for time. None of his typical dunamancy spells have worked since his arrival on the island, but there were a handful of tricks that seemed to have slipped past. Perhaps one of these would suit to satisfy Vax's curiosity, and his own pride.

It is, likewise, so terribly tempting to touch him. Vax has put himself deliberately within reach, after all. It would be very easy.

Essek smiles, slow and secretive, lifting a hand to tilt that fine chin upwards just a little more to brush his thumb slowly over soft, smiling lips. "I'll give you a little taste."

There's a warm prickling of magic that trickles down over Vax's spine, without any word or motion from Essek. A feeling of lightness follows, and the sensation that it suddenly takes less effort to move. Gently he pushes the winged elf backwards, just enough to have room to get to his feet and certainly not enough to be a rejection. With a somewhat conspiratorial smile, Essek offers him a hand up.

"Jump." When he does, Vax will go twice as high as he expects.

[vaax]

that look of awe is the only reaction vax had been hoping for, and the impressed smile is a bonus. he knows he's impressive; the sight of his vestige is a beautiful one, and vax would have been disappointed if the response had been lacking.

his head is already tracking essek's line of sight, following his gaze. when he feels fingers on his chin, it tilts back further still at his request. his skin is soft and smells of something fragrant, musky and floral, and vax leans into it. the thumb on his lips is kissed, chaste. olive-toned cheeks flush with such a promise, but he doesn't back away from his quarry.

he sits back when essek silently commands it, though his eyes close at the familiar touch of magic. despite being used to the feeling of magic in his skin, this one is new, and it feels as such. something about him feels lighter, but before he can ask, essek gives him a new command, less silent.

it feels like a challenge, the way essek says it, and vax'ildan isn't going to back away. so he rises to his feet, then gives a few beats of his wings, hard and wide to gain ground. he's shocked when he finds that it's easier than he's used to, and before long, he's hovering over essek, floating slower to land before him than he ever would.

"we could cover a lot of ground this way," he says in an attempt to lighten the mood. "i could carry you in my arms, sweep you off your feet like you so deserve."

[thelyss]

It's doubly satisfying, seeing Vax'ildan bound up into the air bolstered by magic and wings. The vestige is magnificent; he can only imagine the way that Vax came by it and the mysterious comment he'd made before. I'm granted life only by her will. There's a story there, and from the sound of it, a tragic one.

How interesting, then, that other than in those first initial moments, that he seems so much brighter. So easily plied with compliments and meaningless offerings. So open and wanting with affection.

Essek tries to let the curiosity take over the stranger feelings swirling in his chest. His smile is pleased and indulgent when Vax finally floats back to him, feet lightly touching the ground.

"Oh yes? And where would you take me?"

[vaax]

vax'ildan is grinning by the time he lands in front of essek. he's entirely taken by this elf, wrapped up tightly in his presence. the large black wings embrace them a second time as essek asks where he'd go, where he'd like to whisk him away to.

he slips two arms around essek's waist, entering his space for a second time. he's testing the waters, trying to see how far he can push essek until he's had enough.

"i would..." he ponders for a moment. "i would take you somewhere nice. you seem like you appreciate the high life, and maybe that's out of my budget, but i'd get you wine drunk at the least. take you somewhere up high, maybe fly you above the island at night. make you feel important again."

vax'ildan reaches a hand up to cup his cheek, and matches his earlier gesture with a touch of his thumb to his bottom lip. "i really want to kiss you. you know that, right?"

[thelyss]

Vax comes close again, but this time Essek is trapped by a curtain of feathers and a bright, smiling face. He draws back just a little before allowing himself to be caught, one hand settling against Vax's arm and the other splayed over his chest, a subconscious barrier between them. His own chest suddenly feels strangely tight, heart beating harder than it has since the beginning of their meeting.

At some point, he's not sure when, this had ceased to be only a game.

It's becoming harder and harder to ignore the uncanny effect this half elf from Tal'dorei, champion of the Raven Queen, is having on him. It's hardly as though he's never been flattered by anyone, never flirted or had someone attempt to seduce him. All of that and more has already happened in just the last few weeks, and considerably more than had happened in the past few decades combined. But it's exceedingly rare that someone catches his attraction so quickly.

Perhaps it is this place, a sort of long term, cumulative effect that has altered his judgment in some way. Perhaps it is a strange manifestation of homesickness, despite their vast differences; half elf and drow, Tal'dorei and Wildemount, warrior and wizard. Perhaps it is something else.

Vax's offer is terribly romantic, and Essek can't help an ironically amused chuckle. "There's no high life here to speak of, anyway. But the rest of it...wouldn't be so bad."

Essek tilts his chin upward, just faintly pressing into that touch as violet eyes give him a searching look.

"You've only been here a day, but you are aware of what sort of place this is, yes?"

[vaax]

vax'ildan has a horrible habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve. there's something so viscerally emotional in everything he does, something so soft and so hard at once. he's learned to wear his heart like armor, keeping it strong so nothing may penetrate it unless he allows, but it's his first line of defense. it's there to keep him safe, but it takes all of the blows for him.

the subconscious barrier essek puts up looks more like a bridge to vax, a bridge he cradles in his own hand and uses it to pull essek across and into his arms. a lithe elven hand takes essek's waist, keeping him just so, close by and where he can touch. with blue-black feathers shrouding them from prying eyes, vax feels safe to touch so intimately, more than he would without asking first.

essek's question pulls a smile from vax's lips. he has to admit that he's right-- he's felt some kind of way since he lingered those eyes on the stars, since he accepted a heart from an automaton. needy. affectionate. but essek feels so different, cutting him so deeply in his heart.

"i'm starting to understand," he murmurs in response, and the hand that cradles essek's cheekbone pulls him in closer. chin is tilted up, and they meet in the middle, closing a thick, tense gap between their lips.

essek is soft. his lips are gentle, unsure, and vax can feel it. even still, he takes, because he wants, but his hands never leave essek's cheek, his waist. he presses just a little more weight forward, drinking in everything essek tastes like. when he finally parts, he's breathless, and he rests his forehead against the drow's.

"...essek."

[thelyss]

It's the intensity of that emotion that sets Essek entirely off balance. All of this could be a ruse, a game to Vax much in the way his own flirtations have been to him all this time. But Essek has spent much of his own life devising ways to deceive people and looking beneath deception, weaving his own carefully constructed mantle around himself. Just as he's able to see the presence of these things, he can see the absence of them as well.

So far as he can tell for now, Vax appears to be genuine in all of his words and offerings. Essek can't quite understand why it feels different now than with every other stranger he's met here that's wanted his attention. Even now, every touch feels like more than just a closer step towards sex. It'd be one thing if it was, a playing field Essek can navigate easily. But with this man, it's...something else, maybe. Genuine intimacy and affection, already something beyond most others. It feels...a little too focused and yet almost inescapably magnetic.

He doesn't feel entirely convinced by Vax's answer. But there's such confidence in those dark eyes, a shroud of feathers shielding them from everything else outside.

The kiss comes, warm and smiling and...safe. Without assumptions or expectations but with a comfort of familiarity. Vax presses forward and Essek finds himself leaning in, leaning into the solidity of his form and letting him take some of the weight away. When they part, he sighs, unresisting into the embrace. Eyes closed, noses brushing, a faint smile quirks onto his lips.

"Are you like this with every handsome stranger you meet, Vax'ildan?"

[vaax]

vax's eyes stay closed, enjoying the mingling of their breath, the unspoken emotion that sits heavy over them like a fog he can't seem to see through. it's delicious, though, it's good and sweet and tastes familiar on vax's tongue. essek tastes like something he's not supposed to touch, like a thin glass ready to shatter at a moment's hesitation.

but he wants to touch. he wants to hold and cling and drown in him, so he does. he surges forward a second time, catching his lips and allowing teeth to catch the skin there for only a moment. the second kiss is a touch hungrier, now that he's broken that surface. he wants more. he wants to taste more and touch him more, the hand on his waist gripping tighter.

"you're the third person i've kissed in my life," he volunteers, speaking to essek's lips with a hint of vulnerability. the hand on his cheek travels back to cup his jaw, fingers pressing behind his neck to draw him in for a third needy kiss.

[thelyss]

Ah. A few pieces feel as though they've been pulled together. Essek still has to wonder if something found Vax before he did, aside from the automatons with their gifts. Perhaps eventually this soft eagerness will wear off, and Vax will return to being more like the grouchy little bird Essek had first encountered.

But if it is something affecting him, it's likely that it won't wear off until it has been...resolved.

Vax's answer, though, suddenly paints him much younger than Essek might have originally guessed. Half elves can still have lengthy lives, but he's starting to have the sense that this one, so marked by the Raven Queen, didn't have the chance to make it that far. How tragic - and how curious.

As he's kissed for the third time, Essek presses back even more now in silent affirmation. He takes some of the control back, fingers winding in dark fabric to anchor Vax to him, his other hand moving from Vax's arm to thread into soft, dark hair at the back of his neck. This lost little bird needs something, and strangely, Essek finds himself willing to give him whatever it is, for the time being. His interest won't be satisfied otherwise.

Or so he tells himself.

Eventually he breaks away, gently blocking another attempt for a kiss with a finger to Vax's lips.

"And the rest, lovely bird? Have you been told what is...required of us in this place? Are you prepared, now having only kissed your third person in your life?" Do you know what you're getting into here, Vax?

[vaax]

if vax had to wager a guess, he would say that he's about fifty-fifty. there's a light influence from the stars, from the hearts that make vax feel needy and a little more than curious about what stirs underneath those dark pants. the part of him that knows better, the part that finds his rational way of thinking, is drawn to essek, and the powerful magic that twists underneath those fingers. he's mysterious, but he's giving just enough, enough that vax'ildan's stomach twists for more, to find out what those magic hands can do.

essek holds him, clings to his neck and his vestige, and vax feels a moan bubbling at the back of his throat. not from friction, and not even from a lack thereof, but to encourage. he swallows it despite himself, instead allowing just a deep exhale.

essek predicts his next motion with expertise, pressing a finger to his lips just as he tries to lean in for a fourth.

he deflates, but only a little. just enough to step back a little, bringing his newfound device around his wrist up to essek's vision. a few touches through the screen, and vax shows his tasks, his objectives.

"i can make an educated guess. and if you're asking, i'm no stranger to sex." there are a few days that live in his memories now, days where he and shaun spent hours on hours naked and tangled in beds of silk and pillows. they're good memories, but they're far from him now. far from this device telling him to fuck his way to survival, far from essek with lips so plush and eyes so dark.

"i know what's happening, here."

[thelyss]

Vax stepping back even a little only makes the weight of his presence that much more noticeable. Both hands withdrawn, the space between them seems much larger than it is.

Violet eyes linger more on the wrist than the device there, on soft skin just below the palm. They're sufficiently distracted by the appearance of a familiar card, swiftly taking in some of the objectives written there, even written backward. A few in particular catch his interest, though Essek gives nothing away outwardly. The surge of desire inwardly, though, is decidedly harder to ignore.

But Vax's answer sweep away any lingering concerns. Essek folds his arms lightly over his chest, chin tilting upward in amusement as his gaze sweeps desirously over the Raven Queen's champion again.

"I see. How very loyal you must be. Or perhaps, easily satisfied?" For all that he's seemed quite eager to speed this encounter along, how skilled in flirtation and romancing he seems, it doesn't feel so much of a stretch for either assumption.

[vaax]

essek's comment, though with it's tone implying more of a tease than anything else, makes vax grin widely. his arms loop back around essek's waist, pulling him close again. he moves like he's going to kiss him, but he doesn't, hesitating just before lips meet.

"i'm both, essek thelyss. but we can talk about my satisfaction after you satisfy me."

it's a dare, teasing on the tip of his tongue in the same way essek pulls and pushes at vax'ildan's short temper. there's fire in his heart, flaring in his blood and making his skin feel hot in each place essek touches. that violet gaze feels almost cold, but maybe it's that coldness that he needs. maybe it's vax that'll bring the heat and balance out that ice king.

"and i know you'll satisfy me."