Falling into the Night

[Aeros]

TIMESTAMP: 20 Cinderfall, Ash 122
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

- - -

- - -

The past week to the day had been…eventful, one could say. Particularly so for one who’d been drifting through life over the past two years with no real purpose. His only goal had been to enjoy himself until he inevitably overindulges and finds himself not waking up the next morning, really. Rather than that, he’s now found himself as the guarantor of a rather outré foreigner, unsure of where this new path would lead. It was strange, really, to have some semblance of hope that he could make a name for himself as opposed to trying to stretch and fit into whatever mold his family insisted of him. Prior, he felt like he couldn’t really do anything without their support and, well, he wanted nothing to do with them, forfeiting the vast majority of his ability to do much at all as he was thus…de facto powerless.

While this newfound hope of his was, on one hand, very promising– there was a bit of a hitch. He’d been abducted, essentially. His family had tried to pose an intervention of sorts, and while the experience was certainly both novel and jarring, he did not go through with whatever their actual plan was due to circumstances that were entirely out of control. It’s not as if he’d asked to be attacked by beasts of the desert and then serendipitously rescued by somebody he could stand to make a profit off of.

But that wasn’t Æros’ current concern. No, not at all. Why that even mattered to him anymore was the fact that he’d been unable to express to anyone that he’d be leaving, thus abandoning any obligations he’d had and any plans he’d made without a word, no real trace left behind for anyone to follow, either. In particular, he found his mind often wandering back to the nights he’d spent with a specific person, one with whom he’d found himself growing quite close to. A day hadn’t gone by where the boy hadn’t been on his mind.

He wondered if Khy was upset…and to what degree. Or maybe the other got over it quickly and moved on, not caring? He wasn’t actually sure which would be worse. Æros had never really let himself become very close with any of his lovers at all, and the way that they in particular had…well, one could say the Starborn would be devastated should their newly formed, delicate bond end up being broken beyond repair by his absence, regardless of whatever opportunities his little sojourn to Tertium would end up bearing.

The worst part was that while he knew where his lover resided, it wasn’t as if he could just show up there and ask after him. Khy was a slave, and what business would he, prominent nobility in his own right, have asking after another man’s slave? That being the case, he really didn’t know where he’d start in terms of finding the other again. Æros supposed he’d just have to linger around the places that the other had said he enjoyed visiting, hoping to run into him again one way or another.

For now? He was…exhausted, and…well, the next day he had to drag himself out of bed and go meet with a prince or his proxy. Much as such prospects should be exciting, he felt little aside from dread as he moved through the Umbrium’s ætherically lit streets. It was comforting to have returned to where he considered home, at least. His body being enough of its own light source, he would be easy to spot as he neared his apartment building.

- - -

'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Khyan Nykara]

The past week had been an absolute nightmare for Khyan. He hadn't realised until his Eros had vanished, how much of his present happiness and self-worth was wrapped up in their nascent relationship. Had he been more self-aware, he might have recognised that this was largely due to the timing of their meeting and the escapist nature of how he regarded it. He was able to brook the humiliation and degradation of spending his days in bondage, as long as he knew he would get to spend at least a few nights forgetting all of that or finding the fun in it with his luminescent lover.

The fact that he'd just disappeared without a word was the worst of it. He'd been warned on the first day that Eros' affections were fickle and fleeting, but the assurances of their more recent rendezvous seemed to counter that. At least enough so that he'd let himself fear less that he might be abandoned. But then he was.

He'd taken to walking by Eros' building, even when it was out of the way. Today he'd been tasked with a bit of shopping in the Subforum. There was no reason for him to pass through the Noctis Æternæ, really, and yet he managed to take a long arcing course out of his way just to pass by Eros' home. To his surprise, this time he actually saw the object of his affections who'd been missing all these days.

He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, marching toward the Fæ. He was wearing his collar today- a beautifully-crafted, solid gold item that marked him as a servus of particular value. On his arm was a basket containing pastries he'd been sent to purchase for the domus of his dominus. He was wearing his simple livery, as he had been the day they first met- although this time without the concealing cloak. Collared as he was, there was no need to hide.

"Got bored of me that quickly, huh?" He inquired with a snarl on his lip as he drew up to the Fæ. "You might have at least told me." His voice cracked in so saying and his eyes were already welling, as his face flushed.

[Aeros]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

- - -

- - -

As was normal for him, Æros was rather thoroughly inebriated and as such, wasn't paying the very most attention to his surroundings. He passed people without really looking at them, only seeing the figures as obstacles to avoid on his journey home. He wasn't really listening to the world around him, either, lost as he was in his own head. Much as wandering the streets in a state like this might be dangerous, being tuned out was actually how he preferred to be, and it wasn't as if he respected any danger. Having mastered his Mesmer, he was confident enough he'd be able to ward away most threats, provided he wasn't caught wholly unawares.

Due to this, however, he failed to notice the sound of footsteps even when they were rather clearly advancing in his direction.

One thing he could not ignore was the voice that called out to him from behind. He stopped dead in his tracks, frozen, unsure if he'd really heard correctly or not. It sounded like Khy…but for a moment, he almost thought himself to be imagining things. When the other spoke again, he realized he very much wasn't.

Turning to face the boy, he was immediately hit with conflicting emotions as he set eyes upon the lover he'd missed so dearly. It'd taken him a second to really internalize what had been said, too, given the state of his mind. For a moment, he found himself at a loss for words. Æros wanted badly to embrace the smaller man, to lift him into his arms and bury his face into his neck, losing himself in the familiarity of his scent. But he didn't. Khyan was clearly upset with him, and so he hesitated– not sure if such an advance would be welcome on top of the fact that he didn't want to force the boy to accidentally drop what he was carrying.

"Khy, I-...I didn't…" he cut off as if wanting to start again, "...that's not it. My feelings regarding you haven't waned at all! ...and I didn't even leave of my own volition. If-...if I knew I was going to be gone for more than a day or so, I would've told you, love, I promise." He sighed, feeling his own throat beginning to tighten from the sight of how distressed the other looked.

As he spoke, he stepped just a bit closer, and in doing so, he got a better look at the collar the other wore– a pretty thing, it was. For all the weight that such a shackle carried with it, he couldn't help but think that it did look good on him. Gold itself was complimentary to his skin tone and facial features, with the design being both ornate and beautiful yet not gaudy.

"Please, you have to believe me, I missed you every day I was gone–...! I'd be happy to offer a better explanation, just…not out on the street." The Starborn Fæ sounded just as desperate as the expression his visage bore looked.

By the time he finished this sentiment, he'd moved closer to his wayward lover. Once close enough, Æros lifted his arms in a bid to cup Khy's face in his hands, wanting to touch him, hold him in some way.

- - -

'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Khyan Nykara]

His nose wrinkled a little and it was that much clearer that Khyan was on the verge of tears. He was embarrassed to be reacting so dramatically, straight away. As if he wasn't powerless enough in his life, now he looked like he couldn't even master his emotions enough not to blubber on the street moments after confronting the one who'd abandoned him. The dam only burst once Eros did what he'd been afraid to hope he might do: Deny the indictments levied.

"You didn't?" He was sobbing now. He wanted to step closer- to drop the basket on the ground and embrace him, and he almost did- But then he remembered that he was the slave to another master wearing a very eye-catching collar right out in the middle of the street. He tried to silence his sobs, nodding.

"May we go inside?" Even this tender touch was treacherous out here, but he wanted more. "I'm... I'm sorry that I accused you. I've just had nothing to do but spiral since you left, and... I was just so afraid I'd lost you. I didn't understand it, and so I made up awful reasons..." But now he'd called him 'love', and begged for forgiveness. How could Khyan help but grant it straight away? He didn't Semble the half-elf, lest his Aura burst this bubble of relief. All he wanted was to be swept within to kiss, embrace and make up for all the lost time and catch up on what they'd missed.

"I missed you, too- So, so much!" He could hear his voice cracking and he knew he was being louder than he ought to. He wiped at his eyes with the sleeves of his livery tunic and sniffled, as he made for the door to Eros' building.

[Aeros]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

- - -

- - -

As soon as Khy began to weep, the concern he was utterly unable to hide became yet more pronounced as his brows knit together and rose, thumbs wiping the tears off the boy's cheeks as they fell. Æros never imagined that the other would break like this in his absence, utterly shocked that somebody had managed to become so attached to him that quickly…or at all, to be honest. He was familiar with people having passing infatuations with him, yet nothing quite so sincere. But at the same time, it warmed him that his lover had missed him just as dearly.

"Don't cry, love, I'll explain everything inside, I promise," his words were rushed, desperate to stem the tide of the other's tears.

It was incredibly difficult for the Fæ to not lean in and kiss him, to give him more reassurance that he'd never meant to go anywhere. But out here? They couldn't. As Khy pulled away and made for the door, Æros followed quickly after him, opening it and walking the familiar path up a few floors to his flat. It took him a second to fumble with his keys, but in opening it and ushering his lover through the door, he felt a rush of immediate relief as it clicked shut behind him.

Æros removed his caligae in a rushed manner, and after waiting for Khy to do the same, he took the boy by the wrist and led him back to his bedchambers, directing him to leave his basket atop any of the available flat surfaces. Once he'd done so, the Starborn Færie lifted his lover into a tight embrace, one arm slipped 'round the small of his back and the other hand ended up supporting the back of his head.

Burying his face in the nape of his lover's neck, Æros kissed him several times and then spoke, "...I would've never left you like that on purpose," he whispered, words naught much more than a murmur.

He stood like that for a moment, just happy to feel his partner's warmth again, delighted to hold so sweet a frame in his arms once more. Then, he turned and climbed into the bed, never letting go of Khy. Once the two of them lay facing one another, Æros kissed the boy, something long and lingering, romantic in nature. He reveled in Khy’s familiar taste, tracing his tongue over the other's lower lip before pushing it past his teeth. It was a familiar dance, something he'd come to crave over the week he'd mysteriously disappeared.

Much as he was reluctant to do so, he broke the lock of their lips and pulled back, "...I promised you an explanation, one I'll freely give. I can start from the beginning if you'd like or just give you a more cursory rendition of the tale, but I promise I'll answer whatever questions you have." The tone of his voice spoke to his sincerity, honeyed and loving as it was.

As bizarrely out of character as many would say it was for Æros to act like this, he wasn't even thinking about his actions or really even himself. At the moment, all he wanted was to make Khy feel better and then to, hopefully, lose himself in the other boy as they'd done in the past.

- - -

'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Khyan Nykara]

Khyan only nodded in response to Eros' avowal. He'd already chosen to take him at his word that it hadn't been a conscious choice to abandon him, but elaboration would still help. And the affection was very welcome- Even if it was dangerous to display out on the streets, it was still so very welcome.

He was easily, even eagerly led by the wrist to the bedroom and was elated when he was lifted bodily, humming into the ever so welcome embrace.

"You wouldn't?" The sobs had subsided, and he was smiling now- even if his eyes were still looking glassy and forlorn with vulnerability. The touches, the kisses, they were all so reassuring. He daren't have dreamt of so many sought-after reassurances raining down upon him. There was a desperate ecstasy in how Khyan received the kiss Eros plied upon his pining lips.

"Start from the beginning." Khyan urged, "I would know everything..." He nestled close to the half-Fæ, placing his head against his chest so he would feel the story from his very lungs even as he heard it relayed. Khyan didn't know what to do with himself, so surprised was he at the turn of this encounter. He hadn't expected it to happen today and, when it did, he hadn't planned to confront him- It just sort of happened. He was so very eager to learn the reason for Eros' absence, but he would have found it difficult to imagine anything unforgivable having transpired, with how wonderful he felt at being received so warmly.

"I missed you like crazy." He muttered, as pitiful as it was accusatory. His hands groped for Eros' wherever they lay between the two of them, and he clutched them with soft, slender fingers as the other man spoke his piece.

[Aeros]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

- - -

- - -

Khy had received all of Æros' touches with great enthusiasm, relief of his own washing over him more fully at the eagerness with which the boy returned his kiss. In truth, he arrived back with the expectation that the other would have moved on. Although Khyan had indicated that there'd been something of a dry spell between his last partner and him, the half-elf almost didn't believe him, thinking it'd be easy enough for someone like him to convince another to share their bed. Risky, maybe, but not exactly difficult, especially with so lax a master.

So to have the boy back in his arms again, clinging to him with a sort of desperate delight, Æros felt genuinely happy. While he felt a terrible, foreign sort of guilt for the tumult of worry and abandonment he'd left Khy to spiral into, their honeyed reunification filled him with a wellspring of hope for a future he'd never even let himself think about prior. As their kiss parted and the smaller man took comfort in cuddling up to his chest, Æros placed another kiss against the top of his head and took a deep breath while he listened to his lover respond to him.

"I missed you, too…so very much," he responded with a voice low and soft, withdrawing his arms from around the boy to knit his fingers with the hands that searched for his.

It was now that Æros realized he'd made a single mistake; he'd promised Khyan the entire truth, should it be asked of him, and, well, it was. Doing so would reveal how he'd belied the circumstances under which he was living, as well as admitting to his own vices, neither thing he'd ever said out loud to anyone outside of his family, and only them because they already knew.

The Fæ closed his eyes and sighed. "The thirteenth started as any other day, funnily enough, given the fact that it's also my name day and I didn't even notice. Since I typically fall asleep in the mornings…I think I'd only been asleep for a few hours when I hear knocking on my door…?" Of this, he wasn't actually sure, just that he hadn't slept as long as he preferred.

"At first I tried to ignore it, but those on the other side insisted, so I answered and…" Æros cut here, a sort of embarrassment he was only used to feeling around his family causing his throat to tighten and words to catch behind his teeth. "...on…the, ah…" he swallowed, "...on the other side stood my mother and sister, two familiar faces I was…not at all expecting. My sister, sheepish and my mother? Cold as she always is."

"I wasn't told anything about why they were there, only that I had to come with them, so I did. To my surprise and great vexation, we arrived right outside the city proper. My sister pointed to a caravan, indicating it was for me, gave me something, and then left alongside my mother. I have…yet to actually look at whatever it was she gave me, though I still have it." He paused for a second, vague curiosity pulling at him.

"...a-anyways, it then dawned on me what the purpose of this was. An, ah…intervention of sort?" Saying that, he wanted to laugh, entirely to try and distract himself from his own words, but he didn't. "The point of taking a caravan instead of a portal or something…more fitting…for my family's caste was to dry me out, so to speak, but yet…even that didn't go as planned."

With this admission, he paused, wanting to give Khy the ability to respond should he desire to do so.

- - -

'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Khyan Nykara]

Khyan shifted his position so that he was laying on his side, propping himself up somewhat on one elbow and facing Eros so as to be able to watch his expressions as he began to impart his tale. His hands remained entwined with the half-Fæ's and his thumb gently caressed the top of the four-fingered hand comfortingly as he spoke.

He arched a brow, albeit only slightly, at the pretext of an intervention being the source of his absence.

"Ah..." That wasn't really surprising. "Family can be terribly dramatic about such things." Though Khyan himself had never been the subject of an intervention per se, he'd been party to many a lecture from both of his parents- Sometimes together, sometimes separately. They had been concerned, not about drugs or alcohol so much as preternatural sensory manipulation. He was careful not to let himself become one of the sad, numb vegetables whose extremes had been amputated by æther abuse, leaving them trapped in the passionless middle of their emotional spectrum. Emotionally gelded, these ill-fated thrill seekers often haunted the Umbrium for a taste of true joy or pain.

"Oh?" Khyan knitted his brow. He'd thought he could glean where this story was going, but now it was sounding as though it took a twist away from the predictable path of a forced withdrawal from whatever the family was concerned Eros was abusing. Khyan, for as much as he adored this man, didn't know enough about him to guess. They'd shared alcohol in some excess, but that didn't mean it was something he used enough to concern his family.

As his interest waxed, Khyan pushed himself up to a seated position, criss-crossing his legs underneath him, before reclaiming the half-Elf's hands and resuming his gentle, encouraging caresses as he spoke on.

[Aeros]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

- - -

- - -

On the surface, Khy's reaction to these revelations was not one of judgment. Despite being inherently nosy and craving control in social situations, Æros did not verify the other's emotions with his Mesmer. It's not that he wasn't curious or that he didn't desperately desire reassurance. Rather…he couldn't will himself to do so. He found himself locked with a frustrating sort of anxiety– he feared doing anything to lessen the other's affections for him and as a result, he was afraid of confirming the answer in either direction.

However, the open curiosity in his lover's voice and those soothing touches did act to calm him, at least enough to continue his tale.

"I…am honestly not sure how long it had been when this happened? But the caravan was assaulted by two wyverns– and from what I was told, the guards that had been hired were capable of handling those well enough, but…that wasn't the only issue," he swallowed, staring at nothing in particular as he scanned his memories, "...first hand? I don't really remember much. I recall that a giant scorpion, ah…something that looked afflicted with entropic magic, perhaps? Surfaced from beneath the sands, and then I remember…falling, the sounds of combat, and suddenly I had two strangers I'd never seen before at my side."

"Only two of the guards survived and luckily, one of the carts was still functional, nearly dead as I was. As for the other two? I awoke later in Tertium– we'd made it swift enough to call upon the aid of a Necromancer. The strangers hadn't left me alone, rather, the one who'd actually saved me ended up giving me an…offer."

"Both parties were foreign, the accent…I think was Kalzasern? On the larger one, at least– the man has to be over seven feet tall, too. The other, I think, is a student of his, looks like a normal human. Regardless, this man requested I act as his guarantor in Solunarium's arenas, and…given what he'd just done, I agreed."

"It worked out– he made quick work of the lesser arenas and finally fought earlier today in Fortis Lacerta. The thing is, I find myself struggling to really trust him, but I've gone this far so I may as well see it through, no? His combat prowess is…far and above that of any mortal I've ever seen. He's been noticed by Drævyn himself, too. We are…to meet with him or, more likely an envoy, tomorrow in the morning."

"I'm not really sure how to react…politics are a delicate dance I'm, ah…not actually well versed in. My biggest fear would be if the man is far more than I've bargained for, but…should all go well? I stand to gain so much that it'd be hard for me to throw away the opportunity."

Æros sighed, feeling an uncomfortable combination of vulnerability, anxiety, and foreboding at whatever was to come. He couldn't place why he was so worried, yet he couldn't deny it. At the same time, he didn't want to think about it at all. The Fæ was stuck between wanting to immediately skip through time and land at a point wherein he'd know the result and wanting to savor the night ahead of him.

He squeezed his lover's hands, looking up at him with eyes reflecting back the tumultuous emotions that roiled within. "...and yet, despite all of that excitement, I find myself wanting to focus solely on you, Khy." Offering the other a soft, affectionate smile, "...I'm so happy we came across one another tonight."

- - -

'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Khyan Nykara]

And what a twist it was! What had started out as a rather tame tale took a turn toward the epic. Khyan's grip on Eros' hands tightened, at the talk of a wyvern attack. That was a rare and frightful thing, as he understood it, though he'd spent so little time in the open desert where the wild ones hunted. Most of the time he'd spent out there he was, himself, mounted on a wyvern. They didn't tend to attack their own. When he'd travelled to the Nykara villa they'd always flown or gone by barge.

"Founders!" He released Eros' hands, only to draw him into a tight hug. "I am so, so sorry I was cross with you! I should never have spoken that way to you. I never dreamt you were in real trouble! Thank the Founders you're safe." He buried his face in his chest and whimpered into the firm embrace, before loosening it and shifting so that he could see his face as he continued.

Madder and madder grew this tale. It sounded as though Eros had been thrust into quite the crucible since they'd last parted. Meeting Kalzasern titans in the desert, treating with necromancers, a new career as a gladiator guarantor.

"Fæx, Eros. You've had quite the bloody week, haven't you?" He had to laugh, not because it was funny, but because it was a lot to take in. And then, to top it all off:

"Drævyn Princeps?!" His eyes went saucer wide. "Mists, Eros, did you get to see him close up? Is he as gorgeous as they say? I've only seen him from the podium when he was in the royal box, glowing with the light of Aværys, He of the Searing Sceptre." He shifted to take Eros' hands again and donned a huge smile at his summation.

"That may be the most bloody flattering thing I've ever heard, Eros!" He bit his lip, unable to contain his euphoric reaction as his face flushed and he stroked the half-Elf's hands with his own.

"After all you've been through, that you even have the time to talk to me tonight is... It is not lost on me how immense that is. I'm very grateful, and so very sorry I doubted you and scolded you on the street. You clearly didn't deserve that and I'm horrified at my behaviour."