ercookies | TDM 010: PARTNER UP, PARTNER

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TDM 010: PARTNER UP, PARTNER

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” barracks. Your inventory will be found a day later, wrapped up haphazardly and delivered to each person's makeshift home.

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I. Laid Bare Basics

There is a new addition to the scenery at the beach, and everyone is welcome! Especially new arrivals, who will be ushered to the recently-established Laid Bare Spa, where (provided they don't slip away from the bots' helpful grasp) their uncomfortably wet, sandy clothing will be stripped away and they will be lovingly pampered by the cold metal hands of the resident robots. Long-time Islanders and newbies alike are welcome to enjoy such amenities as hot and cold baths, sauna rooms, scrub-downs, thorough whippings with birch brooms, skin treatments, massage and energy work, and more! All rooms are thoughtfully decorated with tasteful murals of naked and disrobing bodies.

Maybe you'll see someone you recognize?! (Maybe you'll see... you?)

Islanders who happen to find their clothing mysteriously missing are welcome to borrow a Laid Bare branded towel to cover up with on their way home.

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II. Tattoo to You, Too

The Augur understands that sometimes, it's difficult to find a partner to indulge you in those favorite Auspicious Acts - especially for new arrivals, but surely even long-time residents could benefit from a little assistance now and then. That is why ever-benevolent entity has gifted Her precious Islanders with tattoos which feature their most secret, urgent, and/or shameful of desires! (Even if that desire is to simply complete a Bingo.)

The tattoo may be a picture or a word, and it can appear anywhere on the body. At first it is pleasantly warm to the touch, like a soft glow of light on your skin. It soon becomes apparent - through either robot advice or a notification on your communication device - that your task is to find a match for your tattoo and complete the depicted act with that person. The longer one goes without completing the act, the more the tattoo seems to heat up, until it feels like it is burning into your skin.

Take too long, and the tattoo may become permanent. Otherwise, the tattoo will fade within hours of completing the Auspicious Act.

[ For TDMers: feel free to select any favorite kink for this prompt! If you complete a kink that doesn't appear on your card, you may switch one square for the completed kink. For current players: by participating on (tagging into) this TDM, you may switch one kink into your card (it must be the kink in the toplevel prompt you responded to). ]

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III. Creepy Crawly Caterpillar Crawl

Are you on the hunt for credits? Then have the robots got a task for you! The 'bots of the Nameless Island are recruiting Islanders to go bug collecting in the caves, crevices, and hollowed-out logs of the wilderness. The quarry? The (shudder - literally, the robots will shudder) doom-summoning harbinger bug. They describe these creepy creatures as fat, fuzzy, and rainbow-colored, with long, fluffy antennae that look like rabbit's ears.

The robots describe these critters as so dangerous that Islanders should only hunt them in pairs. Should your team return successful, you both will be rewarded very handsomely for every caterpillar caught!

The bugs are typically very docile and seem to enjoy soft pets, judging by the cooing and squeaking noises they make (especially to scritches behind their "ears"). Poke or disturb them however, and they may bite! Body parts bitten by angry caterpillars will swell up cartoonishly, and can only be treated by having someone else suck the venom out. Good thing you're traveling with a partner!

The 'bots strongly recommend against keeping these little buggies as pets, but they're not your dad.

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N A V I G A T I O N

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vax'ildan, equally as nude and just as caught up in his thoughts, watches shaun from across the bath house of the spa. he's just as beautiful as ever, his body as stunning as it's always been. a soft sigh escapes the half elf as he tightens his grip on his towel around his hips, nervous, unsure about being naked in front of so many people. he's never even been naked in front of shaun before, and... wow. there he goes. okay.

vax'ildan slips past some of the robots, making his way instead to shaun's bath from behind him, where he's stretched out, and vax slides his legs into the tub on either side of the sorcerer.

"is this seat taken, shaun?"

"No, no, I was just tending to my hair." He smiles warmly as Vax joins him. He makes sure to keep his eyes on Vax's instead of looking at the body he's craved for... years. Oh, the temptation is there. He feels it choke him for a moment but no, no he will be respect the boundaries Vax has set for them.

"Would you hand me that bottle?" He gestures to the shampoo he selected which is right next to Vax's hip. "If I don't tame this now, it'll become a rat's net. You know how I hate to look less than my best."

He tosses his hair behind his shoulder and holds out his hand for the bottle. "How are you, darling?"

as always, shaun seems to play it cool while vax'ildan's nerves are on fire. he doesn't know what to do with his hands, he doesn't know what to say. is shaun going to be upset with him for how he handled meeting him on the beach? he thought they parted amicably, the hug was nice...

ah, but shaun, ever the calm one, gives him something to focus on, and vax reaches for the bottle, carefully drizzling some into his hand and slowly working it into shaun's hair. he can focus on this, it'll distract him from the growing nausea in his stomach from being this close to him again.

he doesn't answer his question right away, choosing instead to work his hands deeper into his hair and massage at his scalp. he's never washed shaun's hair before, and the texture is so unique, so he uses gentle hands, unsure of what to do with them. "tell me if i need to do this differently," he says, a small smile creeping onto his lips.

"you're going to stay in my room. alright?" avoid that question, vax!

Oh.

Shaun closes his eyes as Vax's fingers work through his hair. The action is painfully intimate. What he wouldn't have given years ago for this. In his own tub back home.

He sighs softly and takes a gentle hold of Vax's wrist. "You want to comb a little more. Separate the strands otherwise it'll tangle worse." He shows Vax the movement he uses when he washes his hair for himself.

"That's fine with me. I'm sure it'll be comfortable." He licks his lips as he studies Vax. His eyes do drift down, studying the pale skin of his shoulders and his chest before he reminds himself not to look.

Of course he's beautiful.

vax pays careful attention to the instruction shaun gives him, then tries his best to replicate it, pulling his fingers gently through shaun's hair as he's told. he hopes it isn't too rough on him.

he notices shaun's gaze, and he notices how he looks away, so vax reaches down to catch his chin. "hey," he whispers, pulling him back up to his eyes, "you can. look, it's fine. i wanted this for a long time before i ah, changed my mind."

he just feels worse now.

vax'ildan reaches for a tap, making sure the water is hot enough before he runs it over shaun's hair, rinsing it.

he has a lot of complex emotions about shaun. none of them are easy to process or swallow. he wants to run from this, right now. he wants to leave and not show his face the entire time shaun is on the island, but the thought of leaving him to fend for himself here is worse. he wants to make sure he's safe and cared for, and that's his final choice.

"can i sit with you in the water?"

Vax'ildan is full of contradictions apparently. Shaun isn't quite sure what to make of him here. He had always been emotional and intense but he seemed flighty in a way that didn't include wings.

He steps back to make room for Vax in the tub. It's a generous size, plenty of room for the two of them. Especially considering how slight and delicate Vax is. Oh, he is strong. It's there in the definition of his muscles. Shaun's palms itch to touch him...

But he settles back, tossing his hair over his shoulder. "Come sit with me. There's plenty of room."

He reaches for a vial of oil to condition his hair. The final step in his very meticulous hair care routine.

with shaun watching his every move, vax takes in a deep breath and drops his towel to the cool floor underneath. he takes his time, trying not to seem like he's rushing, but okay, he's rushing, and he slips into the water with little ceremony. shaun looks so nice like this, so clean and like the most deliciously unwrapped sweet vax has ever seen.

but he can't bring himself to touch him. not like this. not when the world revolves around sex, needing that energy to survive. he doesn't want to use shaun, he wants to be with shaun, and he can't do that here.

he slips into the water and moves to sit next to shaun, smiling comfortably, even though he's anything but. he hesitates, just for a moment, but decides: fuck it. he can hug shaun, right? that isn't a fucking a5 square. he can hug the man he loved before he died. so vax'ildan curls up next to shaun, pressing himself carefully into his space and enjoying the soft, warm reprieve of skin on skin.

"it's good to see you."

Shaun pauses in rubbing oil in his hair then gently reaches down and takes Vax's hand in his, lacing their fingers together. They used to walk hand and hand like this all the time before. What did it matter if they did it again?

"It's always lovely to see you." Especially since the last time Vax had been nothing more than a spirit. So much time gone from his life... it feels like a second chance. Another stretch of time with the man his heart never let go of.

He brushes his thumb back and forth across Vax's knuckles. "How do you like it here? Honestly, ignoring all the sex business. Do you enjoy it?"

shaun seems so happy to be here, with vax. he’s relaxed and preening, in his element, and vax feels himself relaxing in kind. being next to him has always brought him peace, and vax’ildan wonders for a moment why he’s let himself keep a sharp distance. maybe it doesn’t need to be like that. he doesn’t have to be an asshole about it. so he relaxes further into the water, bringing shaun’s fingers to his lips to kiss the back of them.

“i...” does he like it here? it’s no tal’dorei. he’d like it better with his sister, or his friends. but. “i do like it,” he says after a moment. “i’ve made friends. and... i think they like me. i think it’s going okay.” he offers shaun a smile, but it isn’t huge. he doesn’t want to dig too deep into his thoughts on this, anyway.

“i missed you, though. wasn't the same.”

"Well, anyone who doesn't like you clearly has terrible taste." The few encounters he's had with some of Vax's new friends and they all seemed very fond of the little bird. He understood perfectly. The only person unaware of the appeal is Vax.

He shifts slightly turning more towards Vax to give him his full attention. "As lovely as some of these people are..." He gestures to himself. "There's only one Shaun Gilmore. Accept no imitations or lesser products."

He chuckles and drapes an arm behind Vax, fingers idly playing with the ends of his hair. "I'm glad you're happy. That you've found a place here. I couldn't tell last time I saw you if you were happy with Her. And you know how much I worry if my friends aren't happy."

"i don't know if i was happy with the matron," he admits quietly, words he would never say if he knew he could be heard. but she can't reach him here, or if she can, he hasn't felt her presence. where divine energy sits usually, there's just the empty death energy, something that feels uncomfortable to toy with. so he hasn't tried since the first attempt.

he starts to say that he would never accept anything else, but... he's found comfort in the arms of other men and women since his arrival to the island, so he decides to keep his mouth shut on that one. he keeps his cheek pressed into shaun's shoulder, trying hard not to focus on that beautiful skin underneath him. he's wanted shaun like this for so long, and here he is, naked and clean and all smiles. he could ask shaun to take him to bed, and he would.

his blood runs cold at the thought.

"i am happy," he admits, turning his head up to shaun with a small smile that distracts from the nagging thoughts in the back of his mind. "i've been given a second shot at a life, and it's... been a lot to take in. i'm just glad you're here now."

"But you were always a man of your word and I'm sure served her faithfully." He gently tucks a strand of Vax's hair back behind his ear.

The best moments with Vax in his memory are ones like these where they would sit together or walk and simply talk. Vax would tell him of his adventures, his friends, his sister, and Shaun would talk about his work, what was happening in Emon, and sometimes they touch on heavier things.

The warmth that always blooms in his heart around Vax is back warming his gaze and softening his smile. "I'm glad to be here as well even though in the back of my mind I am terrified of what will happen to my business and, well, I'm worried there's something wrong with my magic."

Things he would only confess to Vax.

those memories of easier, simpler times with shaun filter into his thoughts at the same time, when they could hold hands and share wine and talk about their lives. shaun has always been a trusted ally, and vax'ildan cherishes those memories close to his heart.

he hears the concern in shaun's voice when he mentions his magic, so vax looks up to him, trying to catch his eye. "shaun," he says, his tone serious, "that's.. that's a big deal."

without thinking, or realizing, vax's hand trails down to shaun's chest, pressing against his skin to reassure him that he's there, and right now, he isn't going anywhere. he wants to be here for shaun, if he can. he wants to try. "are you alright? can i help?"

"Oh, I'm aware." He chuckles but it lacks the usual boisterous joy. "It was dimension door that brought me here. I meant to go to my workshop and instead landed in the ocean. Since then... I feel... off."

He holds out a hand and casts a very simple prestidigitation. It works flawlessly. Magenta and gold sparks glitter down from his fingertips into the water. "Cantrips I have no problems with. But the higher level spells..."

Flawlessly he fast dimension door again but nothing happens. The magic rises up from within but falls immediately short. The spell does not cast. "They fail me... I don't know why."

And it scares him. Vax would be able to hear that in his voice and here in privacy of the bath Shaun could admit that to himself as well.

he does pick up on that fear, that anxiety. vax'ildan sighs, but it's in empathy, leaning against his lover and nuzzling into his soft skin. he's never been this naked, this close to shaun before, and he wishes for a moment that he had before now. these circumstances are not what he wanted. but he... did this to himself, didn't he? vax created this hell, and now he's going to live with it.

"i... i think it's part of the, uh, the augur's effect on this island. i think you're gonna have to earn them back."

he hates saying it, because he knows shaun would stop at nothing to get his spells back, and that very thought sets his soul on fire. the thought of shaun being with anyone else is not, in the slightest, what he wants to know about. and he'll have all the evidence of it in front of his eyes when it finally happens, won't he? when shaun can cast again, when shaun has somewhere to go that isn't with vax'ildan. he'll know.

fuck.

"Well, I hate that." It was an incredible amount of power to cut him off from magic that's been with him since birth. It took away a part of himself and he's rather furious over it.

And to earn it back with sex just to feed whatever power used to rule this place. Shaun almost wants to scream from the unfairness of it all. It held hostage the one thing it knew he would stop at nothing to get back.

He groans softly, sinks deeper under the water, and lays his head back against the edge staring up at the ceiling. "You are absolutely the best thing about this island, darling. I might have gone mad without you here to anchor me."

vax'ildan's anxieties seem lighter with shaun's reassurances, with shaun giving him such praise. he's always been so good about knowing exactly what vax needed to hear and when he needed to hear it. the words of affirmation help calm his nerves, and he leans over shaun as he sinks into the tub.

vax leaves a kiss to shaun's forehead, giving him a reassuring smile.

"now you know how i've felt. i've made friends, but... it's not the same as you, or my sister. or. anyone else." he avoids keyleth's name, but moves on quickly. "but i'm here now, and so are you. and i'm not dead, at least not here, so."

so, what? vax lingers above shaun, and he realizes too late that they're sharing the same breaths. they sit so close to each other that vax could just lean down, kiss those perfect lips, help him relax the only way he knows how. he doesn't move down to meet him, but he doesn't pull away either, trapped in his beautiful hair spread out behind him, in those dark eyes, in those full lips he could kiss over and over again.

"She was well, by the way, the last time I heard from her." Shaun keeps somewhat in touch with all of Vox Machina. They've been through so much together that even though they don't adventure anymore they still keep in touch.

The only one missing... was Vax.

He reaches up and gently trails his knuckles against Vax's cheek. Shaun would figure something out to regain his powers. He trusted he'd make friends like Vax had. After all, who could resist his charm? But when he needed someone to truly talk to Vax would be there.

"Here I am moping about lost magic when I should be celebrating. You're alive. If I had a bottle of champagne I would pop it and toast to your revival." He was truly happy for that.

"i saw her," he comments, not really paying attention. if he thinks too hard about either keyleth or his sister, it gets hard to focus on much else. "i saw her, at the wedding."

before he can expand on that, shaun is touching his cheek, and vax's eyes flutter closed in defeat. he's always got vax wrapped around his finger, even now. even after all of this time.

"i wouldn't call it revival," he replies, smiling, his eyes still closed. "i left the wedding with every intention of returning to eternal slumber and here i am, having sex on an island powered by it." his voice sounds deadpan, unamused, annoyed. "i'd much rather be back in tal'dorei, if i'm going to be forced to revive. i made a deal, and right now i'm not keeping up my end of it."

That was the last place Shaun saw Vax as well though he hadn't paid him much mind. Vax's focus had been on his sister and Keyleth though he took Vex's comment about Vax loving him to heart. It had been a comfort.

"I don't think the Raven Queen will blame you for getting kidnapped," Shaun muses as he lets his hand drift just a little down Vax's neck before he slowly pulls his hand away lest he be tempted to touch more.

Places he's only dreamed of touching.

"You didn't choose to come here to escape the deal you made. She's not unreasonable." Even if Shaun never quite warmed up to the Goddess. He was more a Moonweaver man himself.

she had known his truth. he did love shaun, and that had never changed. not in death, not now. not ever.

he sighs when shaun pulls his hand away. that isn't what vax'ildan was hoping for, so he reaches down for his hand and pulls it back up again, resting his fingertips where they had been on his neck.

"shaun."

they're never going to get anywhere if they keep beating around the bush like this.

"Yes, darling?" Shaun gently cups Vax's neck and brushes his thumb back and forth along his pulse.

They had always loved each other. Even when Vax chose Keyleth. It was their way to love and care about each other but never be more than close friends. That would always be enough for Shaun even if the want of him never truly went away.

He can't imagine what Vax wants to say though. He had been so difficult to read since Shaun walked out of the ocean. Once upon a time, Shaun could have read him like a book.

shaun’s hand on him feels electric, like it’s too much and not enough all at once. in a way, it’s relaxing, a comfortable reminder of home and simpler times, when vax’ildan wasn’t being exploited fir his body.

“shaun...”

how can he keep pretending like he doesn’t feel the same anymore? even after keyleth, he still loved shaun, and he knew he always would. even now.

especially now.

“can i kiss you?”

Shaun smiles softly. "If you wish, darling, of course."

He doesn't know why Vax asks. It's odd but if that's what Vax needs to feel comfortable that's fine. Shaun has always kept their relationship at Vax's pace.

Resisting the temptation for more would be tricky. Naked in a bath with the man he cares for gave Shaun ideas of what else they could do. Yet, so far, Vax has made it rather clear their relationship isn't changing.

vax'ildan closes the gap between them the moment shaun gives him the okay to do so, leaning down to touch their lips together in a gentle, intimate kiss. for vax, this is a sign that he's still interested, that he never stopped. that he cares for this sorcerer so much more than he ever thought he would, and death never stopped him.

he keeps it chaste, parting without opening his mouth into the kiss. as much as he wants to, he understands the temptation thing-- it'd probably just be a little much, right now.

"was that okay?"

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gloriouslygood - 2021-03-04 00:02 (UTC) - Expand

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TDM 010: PARTNER UP, PARTNER

00. Arrival

I. Laid Bare Basics

II. Tattoo to You, Too

III. Creepy Crawly Caterpillar Crawl

1 because fuck it

i mean they could...

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