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[The first thing Sorey thinks as he falls is what Lailah said as they left Camlann; that without his domain, all of them would instantly be hellions. The ground collapses beneath his feet, the wind drake behind him snaps up his cloak in its jaws and he sees the terror on Mikleo's face just before Symonne's laughter shrieks out and he and the drake fall together.

If they're too far away from me-

He can still feel their connection. He can still feel them, even if they can't go to him, and Sorey prays that's enough.

Wind rushes past them and Sorey tries to wrench out of the drake's grip (It's gotta be a wind seraph, Zaveid had shouted as they were thrown into the thick of battle in the tight corridors of the fortress), twisting and turning, sword in his hand. They'd weakened the drake considerably as a team but he's not sure he's powerful enough on his own to purify it, not even with all the strength he's gathered. Not without the others.

Hopefully, because Rose is there, they'll be okay. Please, please, I can't lose anyone else-

They fall far but hit a collapsed spire at an angle; in the mess the drake releases Sorey (or maybe his cloak tears, he can't tell) and he tumbles, bumps against it and hits the ground hard enough to rattle his teeth in his head and jar his bones. He pushes himself up, ignoring the bruises and aches, the constant, thumping worry of his heart and puts his sword between he and the drake as it sways up to its feet.]

Don't worry, [he promises the poor thing, because thank god, thank god it's not a dragon yet. There's still hope.] I'm going to save you. Don't worry, it'll be over soon.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, these bunks aren't exactly built for sharing, huh? [Sorey tuts. PITY.

He's not quite done yet though. He runs his still tingling fingertips down Dezel's back, walking his fingers carefully down his spine. Dezel's shoulders are so masculine and broad; Sorey had no idea he liked that but lo, he really really does, so he rubs his hand across them, relishing Dezel's weight against his chest.]

[Dezel chuckles lowly.] We could make it work if you really wanted. [He doesn't move though, not yet; he's letting Sorey explore with his fingertips much in the same way Dezel learned his face. It feels nice to be held, to have his back rubbed. He's sure Sorey would like it, too.

So he slips his now ungloved hands beneath the hem of Sorey's shirt, slow and warm. He finds the shape of his hips, traces the lines up, up, up across his abdomen and the various little scars left from prickleboar hunting and saving the world. His thumbs tease at Sorey's nips only for a moment-- and then his hands shift to Sorey's back, kneading into the muscles of his back as if he were a bird with tired wings.]

[Dezel's hands slip up his shirt and Sorey tenses up a little bit before he relaxes. Dezel's so touchy, and while it feels like it shouldn't be a big deal considering they've literally shared a body, this is a whole new kind of intimacy that he's just not used to. He also knows Dezel's getting a kick out of making him yelp and twitch so even when those thumbs brush over his nipples he suppresses everything except for the barest jump of his shoulders. Punk.

But then Dezel digs his fingers into Sorey's back and he relaxes again, marginally, though he does give Dezel a chiding thump to his back.]

You're not gonna rile me up again, you know. I'm not that easy! [Sorey you literally just told him how inexperienced you are, like, not even two hours ago.]

[Sorey's the punk, honestly, but Dezel wouldn't have it any other way. He straightens so he can leave a few lazy fluttery kisses at Sorey's throat.] I wouldn't say you're easy. I had to wait a thousand years to kiss you.

[Not that he was lovesick in that time. He didn't really have the capacity to think about that right after he'd been freed. Something eased when he let himself live a little and accept the chance he'd been given. Seraphim have a different concept of time, and even a loner like Dezel has kissed someone once or twice.]

[yOU ARe kisSINg hiS THROat

That doesn't pass without a squeak, but Sorey is way too interested/nervous to get annoyed about slipping up. He clutches Dezel and tries to pull his thoughts together into coherency, even though Dezel's lips are so light they're almost ticklish.] ....what? -uh! I mean, yeah, you...wait, did you want to kiss me before?

I realized some things after... the final battle.

[While he and Rose had been close in a slightly different way, the Shepherd's pact is also very intimate. Watching over him, Dezel came to the conclusion that he wanted Sorey back-- if not to love him (that was clearly Mikleo's domain), then to just bathe in his presence.]

I just wanted you to wake up. We all missed you.

[He doesn't stop the kisses, though, eventually making his way to Sorey's ear. His fingertips continue working at the muscles in the other man's back, gentle and reassuring.]

[Despite Dezel's steady path from Sorey's sensitive neck to his equally sensitive ear, his words sober him a bit. Sorey wraps his arms around Dezel's shoulders and buries his face against his hair with a sigh.] Oh, Dezel.

I missed you too. Seeing your face first thing- I couldn't have asked for anything better.

[The hug is surprisingly welcome. Sometimes he likes being held, too, though he doesn't always talk about it. There's just-- something about it. Something about someone's arms around him, whether they're small or large, that makes him feel connected to the world around him.

Sorey's face in his hair is a nice touch.]

I'm sure you could if you thought about it.

[It's mild and half-joking. He loops his arms around Sorey's middle, arm and tight.]

It just means we're even. You're the first thing I saw when you purified me, after all... Can't say I didn't think the same thing.

[They both have their special people; Dezel, he had Rose, and Sorey has Mikleo, but Sorey is slowly starting to realize over the course of the past few weeks (and before that if he's being honest, maybe even way back when he first formed that pact with Lailah). There is no single slot in his heart, his life, for one person who is special to him. Dezel came to them desperate for power, for revenge, because the happy life he'd had before was torn to pieces before his very eyes. What was once a deep, aching hole of a heart has since been filled and by his own hand, by his own determination to keep going. Sorey has no doubt that if Dezel hadn't fought tooth and nail he'd have succumbed and turned fully into a dragon in Heldalf's domain but he'd resisted long enough for Sorey to get there.

He'd held on , and then he'd clung to Sorey, and he'd given a voice to the terrors Sorey knew he wouldn't be able to say. And finally when it was all over, when Sorey finally woke an age past with dust on his lips and memories of friends long dead in his heart, Dezel was there like he'd known somehow...or like he'd never really strayed far. Loyal, steadfast, desperate Dezel.]

Hey, [Sorey murmurs into Dezel's hair, pulling back so he can look at Dezel's face, pushing a hand into his hair to lift it away from his face, take in everything. He leans in to kiss Dezel's forehead, to kiss over his eyes, his cheeks before finally settling on his mouth and lingering there, turning slightly so Dezel can lean more on him. Maybe these beds aren't made for two but that won't stop Sorey from trying, scooting back until his back is against the pillow and the wall, knees falling apart so Dezel can lay between them.]

[It's true. People don't have such tiny hearts that they can't make room for multiple people. It's especially true of seraphim who live for eons; they learn how to move on, experiencing joy and grief in equal measure, until they finally return to the element they came from.

The former Shepherd calls to him softly. His true name isn't involved but Dezel pays attention anyway. The hand in his hair bids his eyes open, pale and fluttering, until Sorey's lips find his skin.]

Sorey...

[He doesn't finish that thought. He's stunned by the tenderness with which he's kissed and touched. He slowly takes it in, breathing in delicately, afraid to move as if that might scare Sorey away. Dezel certainly isn't about to break the kiss that's so gently offered to him; he presses into it, soft and lingering and wanting. He braces himself against the bed with one arm while the other traces the curve of Sorey's cheek, leaving the lightest impression of calloused fingertips against his skin. He's surprised (and amused) to find the barest hint of baby fuzz keeping Sorey's skin ridiculously soft.

Given some time, he'll taste Sorey's bottom lip between his, and the hand on his jaw will slip downward to rub at the brunet's side.]

[Hey, shut up! Give him a couple years, that'll become a beard powerful enough to make a mountain man jealous! ...maybe. Okay, so Sorey secretly wants a super masculine beard. It always makes guys look even more adventurous.

Dezel's careful attention in return is a stark contrast from earlier, but not unwelcome. Sorey doesn't think he's ready for anything much more than this, gentle exploration and tentative tastes, but he's more than happy to indulge in it.

Somehow they do make two people work on these beds, though Sorey suspects as he drifts off that Dezel is less comfortable and more reluctant to leave the warmth of Sorey's arms. It's all right; falling asleep with someone on top of him is far more comforting than he thought it would be. And as he dreams he dreams of quiet nights bundled up with his family, when they were still learning his limitations as a human, allowing him to run himself to exhaustion and collecting him from wherever he'd collapsed into the grass to cart him lovingly off to bed. Dezel smells like nights in the meadows.

Their days progress on the ship with little difficulty. Sorey is set to simple cleaning tasks, but at some point worms his way down into engineering and gets a crash course in how an airship's engines work. He writes down everything excitedly, notebook constantly tucked into his back pocket, hunting down Dezel to make regular reports and to watch him manipulate the wind in their sails.

They spend the majority of their evenings together, hands roaming and mapping and learning, mouths brushing and touching and tasting. Sorey gets bold enough to push Dezel's shirt up one night, kissing down his belly, marveling at himself. He'd read plenty of filthy books but he'd never devoted much thought to doing any of those things he'd read himself one day. Go figure; how he's taking tips from The Unmatched Agony of Love, something that he'll never tell Dezel for the sake of protecting his dignity.]

[Dezel feels like their time is honestly too short. The airship feels like a welcome reprieve from-- well, everything. Sorey's life since returning has been full of anxiety and long-buried grief, and it hasn't been easy for either of them. Still, Dezel wouldn't trade it for the world. Sorey's face every time he emerges from engineering-- grease-streaked, eyes wide with excitement, beaming like the sun itself-- is worth every iota of pain.

And it's not all pain, anyway. He has the Shepherd in his arms more than once, surprisingly pliant for someone with musculature, and they take it slow. He never takes more than Sorey offers, but he gives Sorey everything. He's never been happier. Even the airship, already flying on the wind, feels lighter than usual.

He shivers at the brunet's tentative touches, the sweet kisses that threaten to burn him up. He loses his shirt once and his breath hitches in a way that suggests Sorey is definitely doing the right thing. He returns it, gently pins the other as he kisses along tight hips and the curve of his abdomen.

Sometime in the afternoon, they finally sight land. Dezel does one last favor for them and speeds the ship onward, cutting off an extra half day of travel. The ship docks in an airship port not too different from the one Ladylake had, but the architecture is markedly different. There are a lot of stone roofs, ornate wood and brick houses, and the whole city is covered in white and pink blossoms. It smells sweet. Dezel all but presses himself against Sorey's side to keep him steady; a lot of people find it difficult to stand on land after flying for so long.]

[Sorey absolutely leans on Dezel, half because he's unsteady on his feet but mostly because he likes the feel of Dezel's strong, warm side against his own. He slings an arm around his back, hanging onto his jacket as he takes in the quaintness of the dock as compared to the towering majesty of the crown city.]

You said this place is famous for its herbal potions and elixirs, right? Is that why there are flowers everywhere?

[Dezel doesn't seem to mind being clung to. It helps keep him grounded, ironically. As they step onto land again, he breathes in the sweet spring air.]

Not quite. It's just the season for these-- [... he's interrupted by a ridiculous sneeze.] -- ugh. These trees blossom for three months straight. It's a special plant cultivated by settlers a few thousand years ago, or so I was told.

[He sniffles miserably and rubs at his nose.]

They managed to make Omega Elixir with what they had available on the continent. Adding to that, people here live ridiculously long lives-- a hundred and twenty, sometimes. That's why it's called the Elixir of the East.

[Dezel leads him down the main road. It's not quiet by any means, but there are plenty of beautiful carriages made of both wood and metal. Most interesting is the garb: natives appear to be wearing layered robes with various levels of customization. They really are a long way from Glenwood, but boy is it colorful.]

[Sorey is really doing his best not to stare like some kind of tourist yokel because he doesn't want to embarrass Dezel, but he is 100% incapable of smothering his enthusiasm for all things historic culture and ends up gawking at an elegant set of displays in a storefront. Even without Mikleo's interest in embroidery, Sorey knows the craftsmanship is incredible.]

That's incredible... And it's not harmful to make? Or addictive?

Not that I know of. The ingredients are pretty rare, though, and the recipe is guarded by the imperial family. Maybe they decide who gets to have it?

[It's a part of human culture he hasn't looked into too closely. Everything he's learned about this place is either because he saw it during a brief visit about two hundred years ago, or he picked it up from Sparrowfeathers gossip.]

This country is pretty serious about its medicine. If it's the real deal, then it's probably reserved for the incurable illnesses that target vulnerable people.

[He catches Sorey staring a little long at the shop windows and leans in.]

... See something you like?

Edited 2017-03-16 07:45 (UTC)

[Medicine-making...idly Sorey wonders if Mikleo's been through here, and then wonders if Mikleo had a hand in its cultivation. He always had a knack for making gels and bottles.

And though Dezel's got his number (those men's robes look so cool and comfy) Sorey turns and sternly presses a kiss to his mouth, nipping just a bit.] Thinking about spoiling me again? You'd better not!

[Dezel makes a noise of surprise, not expecting Sorey to kiss him in order to shut him up. It's followed by an unmistakable blush.]

I-I'm not spoiling you. I'm just trying to figure out what you like.

[He winds their fingers together, both as revenge for that display and to keep Sorey within sight. There are a surprising amount of people here and he doesn't want to lose his partner.]

There's a garden somewhere around here, and probably some other things. What do you want to see first? [A pause.] Or are you hungry? [He's kind of forgotten how often humans need to eat.]

[ngl that blush is part of why he did it]

I am hungry, [Sorey admits,] but I'd also like to look into something, if there's a library here. And- [Have a blush back, Dezel!] If, um, maybe we could stay here tonight. ... and have some time alone. It'd be nice.

There's a library-- not as big as Ladylake's, but with some very ancient books. Or so I've been told.

[Sorey's blush is cute though the precise color is lost on Dezel. He can still feel it on the wind, the shy curl of Sorey's lips. Dezel brushes his nose invisibly with his breezy touch, gentle and a little playful.]

Then we'll take our time. While you're at the library, I can get the inn room squared away. How's that sound?

Sure. [That should be enough time.

Sorey smiles, tilting his chin up to kiss Dezel on the cheek, just above his jaw, resting a hand on his arm for balance.] I can find my way to the library, if you'll meet me there when you're done?

[Somehow Dezel still doesn't expect it, and it completely short-circuits anything else he was about to say.]

Uh.

[He looks a little silly like that, actually. After a moment he shoves his hat down, trying to hide it, but he's grinning regardless.]

Yeah. I'll meet you there.

[He has some shopping to do, too. He's sure he can run inside one of these boutiques and find some silk that Sorey would like. He's the kind of guy who likes souvenirs, too-- that's all it is. It's not spoiling if it's like, a reminder of their trip... right...]

[COMPLETELY GIDDY OVER THAT TBH. Dezel is so weak to those little affectionate gestures that Sorey doesn't feel so bad about getting flustered in bed. They both have their own strengths!!

They part and Soreu asks around for the library, determined to find some way of making money in this new world. He meets with the director and discusses the possibility of offering his translation services. People fluent in Ancient Avarost are in even shorter supply after another thousand years, so while Sorey doesn't have paperwork or any kind of proof of formal education, he translates a few passages to the director's satisfaction and lands at least a short-term job right there. The Shepherd garb might've helped a little bit, and though Sorey is guilty for the deception he can't deny its usefulness.

He's out waiting on the steps with his first assignment, a copy of one of the oldest tomes in library that he's to translate and return upon completion for compensation.]

[Dezel is smarter this time, having imbued his gifts with mana so they could be hidden in whatever seraphic hammerspace is. He isn't empty-handed, however; two cups of some milky drink make icy, sloshy noises as he holds them to his chest.]

I thought I wouldn't see you out here for another week at least, [he murmurs good-naturedly. It looks like Sorey's found himself a puzzle.] The room's ready. I didn't know if you wanted to eat there or somewhere else, so I got us some weird drinks in the meantime.

[One of them is green, to no one's surprise, but the other is a milky soft cream color. This is the one he holds out for Sorey.] Vanilla something with coconut milk. She said there's bubbles in it, but I have no idea what the hell that means.

I guess that makes me your snack guinea pig, [Sorey snorts, accepting it gratefully and taking a sip. It's pretty good actually, and Sorey finally understands what the seller meant when he gets a squishy little bubble of flavor bursting between his teeth.]

Oh! Haha, that's really good! Here, try it, [holds up his straw to Dezel's mouth.]