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[It's equally easy to notice that Kell is far from the image of casual ease he's trying to project. He's not occupying himself by what he does because he's bored. He does it, because otherwise he'd jump at every passing shadow and unexpected sound.
He still does jump when Wilhelm speaks up. He didn't notice him coming. Covers it up with a quiet laughter, that against his best efforts sounds more than a little nervous.]
You like it? I can teach you if you want.
Come!
[Kell grabs Wilhelm by the hand and leads him out of the castle gate. Only when they're truly out, he slows down. The path he takes is long and winded. The bakery is close to the Winking Cauldron, so it shouldn't take this long. There are shorter routes than the one he chose. But every time they would need to walk through an empty alley, Kell turns back to find a way where there's more people.
He had chosen this particular part of day on purpose. It's bright, warm, and the city is at its busiest. And still he can't help growing gradually more and more nervous with every minute they are outside the castle walls. This was supposed to be his attempt at fighting the urge to hole up in his room... and drag Wilhelm from his. It's a lot more difficult than he expected.
They can smell the bakery even before they can see the actual building.]
He still does jump when Wilhelm speaks up. He didn't notice him coming. Covers it up with a quiet laughter, that against his best efforts sounds more than a little nervous.]
You like it? I can teach you if you want.
Come!
[Kell grabs Wilhelm by the hand and leads him out of the castle gate. Only when they're truly out, he slows down. The path he takes is long and winded. The bakery is close to the Winking Cauldron, so it shouldn't take this long. There are shorter routes than the one he chose. But every time they would need to walk through an empty alley, Kell turns back to find a way where there's more people.
He had chosen this particular part of day on purpose. It's bright, warm, and the city is at its busiest. And still he can't help growing gradually more and more nervous with every minute they are outside the castle walls. This was supposed to be his attempt at fighting the urge to hole up in his room... and drag Wilhelm from his. It's a lot more difficult than he expected.
They can smell the bakery even before they can see the actual building.]
He likes this part too, the after. When the heat burns away to a warm glow, and everything rushing through him settles. When all of him falls open, not in a cracked and broken kind of way, but like something that's too full to be shut.
Never in any hurry to untangle himself from his partner when he's done, he clings to Jesper. He enjoys the warmth of skin resting against skin, his heartbeat pinned against Jesper's spine, even the stickiness where they're connected. From there, it's easy to shift into spooning. He leans to the side, pulling Jesper with him to keep their bodies cupped together. With Wilhelm half a foot shorter, they don't line up quite right like this, but it's perfect anyway.
Propped up on an elbow to grant him a better view — not that the back of Jesper's neck isn't nice to look at, all dewed with sweat and elegantly curved — he takes him in hand again. He starts slow, but soon works up to a feverish rhythm. He wants to bask in every whimper and moan, like it's a song he can't get enough of. He wants to feel Jesper shudder apart in his grip, and to know it's because of him. It's an intoxicating thing.
"You're beautiful, Jes," he murmurs, mouthing a kiss to his shoulder. Has he ever told him that? He's thought it plenty of times.
Never in any hurry to untangle himself from his partner when he's done, he clings to Jesper. He enjoys the warmth of skin resting against skin, his heartbeat pinned against Jesper's spine, even the stickiness where they're connected. From there, it's easy to shift into spooning. He leans to the side, pulling Jesper with him to keep their bodies cupped together. With Wilhelm half a foot shorter, they don't line up quite right like this, but it's perfect anyway.
Propped up on an elbow to grant him a better view — not that the back of Jesper's neck isn't nice to look at, all dewed with sweat and elegantly curved — he takes him in hand again. He starts slow, but soon works up to a feverish rhythm. He wants to bask in every whimper and moan, like it's a song he can't get enough of. He wants to feel Jesper shudder apart in his grip, and to know it's because of him. It's an intoxicating thing.
"You're beautiful, Jes," he murmurs, mouthing a kiss to his shoulder. Has he ever told him that? He's thought it plenty of times.
[That's the thing about trauma. Your brain gets stuck in a time and place you should have left behind, and sometimes it tricks the rest of you into thinking you're still there too. Wilhelm is wary of shadows, suspicious of the hedges in the gardens. He eats like he might not get another chance soon.
The brightness of the day helps keep the shadows in his head at bay. Kell's hand — which he doesn't bother to pull away from, long after what would be considered normal — makes him feel safe. As they walk, he asks questions about Kell's magic and fills quiet gaps with idle comments. He doesn't say a word about the roundabout route they take. When they arrive at the bakery, he pauses to glance at the display in the little window jutting out into the street, before pushing through the door.]
What are you getting?
[He's taken his hand back by now, but he hovers by Kell's side.]
The brightness of the day helps keep the shadows in his head at bay. Kell's hand — which he doesn't bother to pull away from, long after what would be considered normal — makes him feel safe. As they walk, he asks questions about Kell's magic and fills quiet gaps with idle comments. He doesn't say a word about the roundabout route they take. When they arrive at the bakery, he pauses to glance at the display in the little window jutting out into the street, before pushing through the door.]
What are you getting?
[He's taken his hand back by now, but he hovers by Kell's side.]
[Kell wouldn't have admitted, even under torture, but the fact the Wilhelm doesn't pull his hand a way for a long while is as much reassurance for him, as it must be for Wilhelm. There's the undercurrent of worry at the very edge of his mind, that he's going to lose him the moment he lets go. If he lets go, and turn back to see, Wilhelm won't be there. A faint echo of the terror he felt when they pushed through the damp darkness after pushing through the webbing on their way out of the cave. Even fainter of the one he felt whenever Wilhelm wandered somewhere in his sleep, way back in the cave. And Kell had first to squash the panic that any of the monsters that stalked the cave had got to him. Before he could go out to look for him.
Kell is more than happy to explain the magic behind the trick to Wilhelm. He'd show him how it works exactly once they got their cake and found a place to sit with it.]
The peach one. Do you know it's the only fruit that looks like a butt?
[If his grin is a little forced, that's because Kell does force it. For Wille, and for himself. Juvenile, even childish, he knows that. Still, a better coping mechanism than drinking himself into an unconscious stupor. And there are only so many training dummies he can destroy before someone comes to complain.]
Kell is more than happy to explain the magic behind the trick to Wilhelm. He'd show him how it works exactly once they got their cake and found a place to sit with it.]
The peach one. Do you know it's the only fruit that looks like a butt?
[If his grin is a little forced, that's because Kell does force it. For Wille, and for himself. Juvenile, even childish, he knows that. Still, a better coping mechanism than drinking himself into an unconscious stupor. And there are only so many training dummies he can destroy before someone comes to complain.]
Jesper's never one to rush after. Even when his affairs were quick, he'd always be game for snuggling after and staying around. Morning sex is a particular favorite, after all, so there were always good reasons to soak in the affection and attention. He likes when his lovers stay in him longer, it feels like they linger and his whole body is alert and alive.
He knows that Wilhelm's smart enough to figure out the height difference and he leans back a little in his side position to give him a better look too. His shoulder could be a distraction so this way he's more openly on display. Jesper likes to be looked at and he flourishes under the gaze. He could really put on a show if he wanted to, and he sometimes does for fun, but he's fully in the moment now.
He catches his breath as best as he can, licking his lips, leaning back into Wilhelm's body to rest. He doesn't move his hips up into his hand, instead he lets Wilhelm take complete control. Jesper does whimper when Wilhelm moves speeds and he's openly gasping the faster it goes. He is past words now and his expression turns agonized a second before it's pure relief and he jerks into Wilhelm's hand, spilling over. Wilhelm can feel what he meant about staying in him because he tightens around him when he comes, his entire body tensing and releasing in that moment.
Jesper sighs and his eyes search for Wilhelm's, hazy and content, smiling adoringly at him. "You're beautiful too, Wille." Now he can form words again. "Damn, that was really good." Especially for a first-timer. Wilhelm is going to be lethal the more confident he gets here, that much is clear. "How was it for you, baby?"
He knows that Wilhelm's smart enough to figure out the height difference and he leans back a little in his side position to give him a better look too. His shoulder could be a distraction so this way he's more openly on display. Jesper likes to be looked at and he flourishes under the gaze. He could really put on a show if he wanted to, and he sometimes does for fun, but he's fully in the moment now.
He catches his breath as best as he can, licking his lips, leaning back into Wilhelm's body to rest. He doesn't move his hips up into his hand, instead he lets Wilhelm take complete control. Jesper does whimper when Wilhelm moves speeds and he's openly gasping the faster it goes. He is past words now and his expression turns agonized a second before it's pure relief and he jerks into Wilhelm's hand, spilling over. Wilhelm can feel what he meant about staying in him because he tightens around him when he comes, his entire body tensing and releasing in that moment.
Jesper sighs and his eyes search for Wilhelm's, hazy and content, smiling adoringly at him. "You're beautiful too, Wille." Now he can form words again. "Damn, that was really good." Especially for a first-timer. Wilhelm is going to be lethal the more confident he gets here, that much is clear. "How was it for you, baby?"
[The question surprises a laugh out of him. Shaking his head, he playfully smacks Kell's arm.]
You're so stupid. Delinquent.
[But a grin lights his face, and even the dumbest of jokes is a breath of fresh air. It's another piece of that normality Wilhelm has tried to recover since returning to Thorne. The process of reconstructing what things were like before plods along in fits and starts.]
I want... [His eyes wander thoughtfully over the cakes displayed on the counter.] Chocolate.
[He fishes a coin purse from his pocket and, hoping he has enough, pokes through its skimpy contents. His only source of income is running errands around the castle town or Nott, and until this week he was spending most of his day in bed. Well, and before that he was, you know, being held captive in a subterranean pit. This is all to say that he's even more broke than usual.]
You're so stupid. Delinquent.
[But a grin lights his face, and even the dumbest of jokes is a breath of fresh air. It's another piece of that normality Wilhelm has tried to recover since returning to Thorne. The process of reconstructing what things were like before plods along in fits and starts.]
I want... [His eyes wander thoughtfully over the cakes displayed on the counter.] Chocolate.
[He fishes a coin purse from his pocket and, hoping he has enough, pokes through its skimpy contents. His only source of income is running errands around the castle town or Nott, and until this week he was spending most of his day in bed. Well, and before that he was, you know, being held captive in a subterranean pit. This is all to say that he's even more broke than usual.]
Now he takes the time to admire the view: Jesper stretched out against him, all ropy muscle and rich brown skin, taut arching lines and trembling thighs. With both hands busy, his eyes will have to do all the roaming in their stead. There's a weight to his gaze like there's a thickness to the air around them, hot from the fire in the grate and the friction of their skin, ripe with sweat and sex.
When Jesper comes, Wilhelm does feel it. Not just in the warm spurts of cum splashing his knuckles as he pumps him through it, but in the tightening of Jesper's body around him. His softened cock is still sensitive, and the sudden squeeze sends a gasp shuddering out of him. He's sure he'd be hard again, if his body could recover that fast.
And when Jesper falls still, Wilhelm matches his smile. This is the part where he used to get lonely, where he would feel a distance stretch around him despite the body right beside him, because his heart would look for someone who wasn't there. He doesn't feel lonely right now.
"Good," he answers, tracing Jesper's hipbone to his thigh with sticky fingers. His smile is like he's sharing an inside joke. "Really, really good."
When Jesper comes, Wilhelm does feel it. Not just in the warm spurts of cum splashing his knuckles as he pumps him through it, but in the tightening of Jesper's body around him. His softened cock is still sensitive, and the sudden squeeze sends a gasp shuddering out of him. He's sure he'd be hard again, if his body could recover that fast.
And when Jesper falls still, Wilhelm matches his smile. This is the part where he used to get lonely, where he would feel a distance stretch around him despite the body right beside him, because his heart would look for someone who wasn't there. He doesn't feel lonely right now.
"Good," he answers, tracing Jesper's hipbone to his thigh with sticky fingers. His smile is like he's sharing an inside joke. "Really, really good."
I'm just saying how it is.
[Kell chuckles. He swats Wilhelm's hand away. The whole commotion gets them a true death stare from older lady that was just finishing her purchase when they entered the shop. She leaves in a cloud of righteous indignation for scandalous behavior of youth these days. Kell shoots Wilhelm a wicked grin. Delinquents both of them.]
Chocolate then!
[Kell raises an eyebrow when he notices Wilhelm taking out his coin purse. On no, you won't. He's well aware the out of them two he's the one with any serious money.]
Put it back. I invited you, so it's on me.
[Before Wilhelm has a chance to protest or say anything, Kell goes to the counter to order them one peach, one chocolate cheesecake. When the sweet older man behind the counter compliments him on being a good older brother, Kell doesn't correct him. He pays, picks up their pastries, wishes the man good day and rushes Wilhelm out of the door. He doesn't think Wilhelm would greatly protest to being taken for his brother, but he might say something. And even if only for this brief moment Kell wants to pretend they're just two youngsters out for mischief, and not a pair of unrelated, but equally traumatized princes from faraway worlds, fresh out of three weeks of torture.]
[Kell chuckles. He swats Wilhelm's hand away. The whole commotion gets them a true death stare from older lady that was just finishing her purchase when they entered the shop. She leaves in a cloud of righteous indignation for scandalous behavior of youth these days. Kell shoots Wilhelm a wicked grin. Delinquents both of them.]
Chocolate then!
[Kell raises an eyebrow when he notices Wilhelm taking out his coin purse. On no, you won't. He's well aware the out of them two he's the one with any serious money.]
Put it back. I invited you, so it's on me.
[Before Wilhelm has a chance to protest or say anything, Kell goes to the counter to order them one peach, one chocolate cheesecake. When the sweet older man behind the counter compliments him on being a good older brother, Kell doesn't correct him. He pays, picks up their pastries, wishes the man good day and rushes Wilhelm out of the door. He doesn't think Wilhelm would greatly protest to being taken for his brother, but he might say something. And even if only for this brief moment Kell wants to pretend they're just two youngsters out for mischief, and not a pair of unrelated, but equally traumatized princes from faraway worlds, fresh out of three weeks of torture.]
Edited 2023-05-08 20:32 (UTC)
Wilhelm confidence is already showing which is a key signal with how he feels about their sex. Jesper wants him to glow like this, to feel settled into his skin and inside of Jesper's body. The way he touches him and feels free to look at him so boldly is different from how it was in the start, and that's exactly why intimacy of this kind is so specific. Once they've been this locked in to each other, they know what it's like to be one.
"Two reallys, hmmm?" Jesper teases and then makes a face. "Sorry about this." He pulls forward, forcing Wilhelm to slip out of him, but it's so he can turn to face him. He wants to run his fingers through his hair, along his pale arm and side. He snags Wilhelm's hand and very suggestively and shamelessly licks his own come off his fingers.
"I'm already open now which means once you're recovered you can slide back in." Smooth and easy, no preparation required now. Jesper's relaxed to begin with but it's just him saying he's up for anything Wilhelm wants. His thirst knows no bounds. For now he licks Wilhelm's hand clean and playfully nips at the tip of his finger. Once he does that, he puts an arm possessively around his waist.
"I'm honored to be your first this way, Wille." The Wheel of Fortune tattoo on his bicep glows from time to time, and it does now too. He suspects that Wilhelm was maybe holding out for that special fellow he talked about earlier, but this was a choice he made and Jesper was happy to fulfill it. He leans in to kiss him deeply.
"I'm glad you trust me with your body. And what a beautiful body it is." He smiles and kisses his cheek, his jaw.
"Two reallys, hmmm?" Jesper teases and then makes a face. "Sorry about this." He pulls forward, forcing Wilhelm to slip out of him, but it's so he can turn to face him. He wants to run his fingers through his hair, along his pale arm and side. He snags Wilhelm's hand and very suggestively and shamelessly licks his own come off his fingers.
"I'm already open now which means once you're recovered you can slide back in." Smooth and easy, no preparation required now. Jesper's relaxed to begin with but it's just him saying he's up for anything Wilhelm wants. His thirst knows no bounds. For now he licks Wilhelm's hand clean and playfully nips at the tip of his finger. Once he does that, he puts an arm possessively around his waist.
"I'm honored to be your first this way, Wille." The Wheel of Fortune tattoo on his bicep glows from time to time, and it does now too. He suspects that Wilhelm was maybe holding out for that special fellow he talked about earlier, but this was a choice he made and Jesper was happy to fulfill it. He leans in to kiss him deeply.
"I'm glad you trust me with your body. And what a beautiful body it is." He smiles and kisses his cheek, his jaw.
[Wilhelm feigns a look of innocence as the woman passes them, her face set rigidly in judgement, but as soon as she's out the door, he shares a glance with Kell and laughs. Shit, it's not like they were starting a fist fight. At Kell's insistence, he pulls his purse shut and puts it back in his pocket. No protest, but there's a little sheepishness when he says:]
Thanks, Kell.
[He shadows him to the counter, watching the baker cut slices from the cakes displayed behind the counter, one with preserved peaches arranged on top and another drizzled with chocolate. It doesn't look quite like the cheesecake he's familiar with, with a flakier crust holding it all together, but he's eager to try it.
The brother comment knocks him a little off kilter, but Kell has him halfway out the door before he can form a proper response, and maybe...he doesn't have to correct random strangers of their misconceptions. It's just weird, even coming up on a year later, to be in a world where Erik never was, and nobody knows he ever existed.]
What's next on our hitlist?
Thanks, Kell.
[He shadows him to the counter, watching the baker cut slices from the cakes displayed behind the counter, one with preserved peaches arranged on top and another drizzled with chocolate. It doesn't look quite like the cheesecake he's familiar with, with a flakier crust holding it all together, but he's eager to try it.
The brother comment knocks him a little off kilter, but Kell has him halfway out the door before he can form a proper response, and maybe...he doesn't have to correct random strangers of their misconceptions. It's just weird, even coming up on a year later, to be in a world where Erik never was, and nobody knows he ever existed.]
What's next on our hitlist?
Wilhelm finishes wiping his hands off on the corner of the blanket and curls into Jesper. He'll worry about the mess later — there's no point in cleaning up when another round feels imminent like rainclouds pressing into his skin, waiting to burst open. For now, he contents himself with tangling his legs with Jesper's, locking him in place as surely as the arm around his own waist. Enchanted by the glow emitted by Jesper's tattoo, he bends to press his lips to it, then lets Jesper plunge him into a kiss.
"No, you," he returns petulantly, but a grin breaks his pout fast. He traces Jesper's jaw, his chest, basking in the simple pleasure of it. "I'm glad I have you."
That's what he'd tried to communicate through his body, what he'd tried to press into Jesper through his touch. Even if it's not love that they have — not the kind that ties your heart up — it's something worth holding onto. It's something to fill the loneliness and pass the time.
They stay stitched close together, talking about nothing and spinning little jokes from thin air, which slips into kissing and teasing, petting and grinding, until Wilhelm is pushing inside Jesper again. The evening is theirs to take, so why not take it all?
"No, you," he returns petulantly, but a grin breaks his pout fast. He traces Jesper's jaw, his chest, basking in the simple pleasure of it. "I'm glad I have you."
That's what he'd tried to communicate through his body, what he'd tried to press into Jesper through his touch. Even if it's not love that they have — not the kind that ties your heart up — it's something worth holding onto. It's something to fill the loneliness and pass the time.
They stay stitched close together, talking about nothing and spinning little jokes from thin air, which slips into kissing and teasing, petting and grinding, until Wilhelm is pushing inside Jesper again. The evening is theirs to take, so why not take it all?
The park. Follow me.
[Kell responds quickly, calling on a wide grin to cover up the gnawing feeling of guilt for pushing Wilhelm so quickly out of the shop. For propping up a lie only because it felt good for him.
In the end, it was selfish not to say a thing. He made it look as if he was trying to be someone he is not. Not his first time, but that's hardly an excuse. As if he was trying to fill the void left by the brother Wilhelm was separated from when he was pulled from his world to this one. Kell didn't need much to realize how important Eric is for Wilhelm. How much his absence hurts the young prince.
Even at his most selfish, Kell wouldn't have dared to think he could replace Wilhelm's older brother. That he could even occupy a similar place. But he feels strangely protective of him anyway. Ever since that botched spell in the forest of Lunae. Even more so after the horrors the Acolytes had put them through.
It's strange. They don't even have all that much in common. Yet, there's something in Wilhelm that makes him care. Kell doesn't really know what it is, or who he wants to be to Wilhelm. What drives him to go to such lengths - to make an utter fool of himself - only to wrangle a smile from this sad, stressed boy. It's not what he'd usually do, it doesn't make any sense, and yet it's there.
He finds them a nice, sunny patch of grass with a good view of the rest of the park, but obscured a bit by an assortment of bushes. The arrangement seems to be ornamental, and Kell doesn't know if they're allowed to sit there. He also doesn't care. It's a good spot, and if someone wants to make objections they will have to come and tell him in person. Until then, he's going to assume they have all the right to lounge where they choose.]
Here. It's perfect.
[Kell responds quickly, calling on a wide grin to cover up the gnawing feeling of guilt for pushing Wilhelm so quickly out of the shop. For propping up a lie only because it felt good for him.
In the end, it was selfish not to say a thing. He made it look as if he was trying to be someone he is not. Not his first time, but that's hardly an excuse. As if he was trying to fill the void left by the brother Wilhelm was separated from when he was pulled from his world to this one. Kell didn't need much to realize how important Eric is for Wilhelm. How much his absence hurts the young prince.
Even at his most selfish, Kell wouldn't have dared to think he could replace Wilhelm's older brother. That he could even occupy a similar place. But he feels strangely protective of him anyway. Ever since that botched spell in the forest of Lunae. Even more so after the horrors the Acolytes had put them through.
It's strange. They don't even have all that much in common. Yet, there's something in Wilhelm that makes him care. Kell doesn't really know what it is, or who he wants to be to Wilhelm. What drives him to go to such lengths - to make an utter fool of himself - only to wrangle a smile from this sad, stressed boy. It's not what he'd usually do, it doesn't make any sense, and yet it's there.
He finds them a nice, sunny patch of grass with a good view of the rest of the park, but obscured a bit by an assortment of bushes. The arrangement seems to be ornamental, and Kell doesn't know if they're allowed to sit there. He also doesn't care. It's a good spot, and if someone wants to make objections they will have to come and tell him in person. Until then, he's going to assume they have all the right to lounge where they choose.]
Here. It's perfect.
[ A note is slipped beneath Wilhem's door. He'll recognize Rhy's neat, elegant hand. ]
Wilhelm,
When you've a free afternoon to take tea or wine in the garden, let me know. There's something I'd like to speak on.
R.M.
Wilhelm,
When you've a free afternoon to take tea or wine in the garden, let me know. There's something I'd like to speak on.
R.M.
[The arrival of the note itself isn't out of the ordinary. Rhy often slides notes like this under his door, invitations that pull him out of his moods. The second half of the message, though, starts to depart from the routine he's gotten comfortable with. Something I'd like to speak on steps close enough to we need to talk that his heart plunges into his stomach for a second.
Maybe Rhy just has something on his mind, like he did the night of the gala in Hayle; maybe Wilhelm has become someone he feels comfortable opening up to. He tries not to read into it too much. He spends a lot of time that way: walking a fragile line, trying not to fall.
He catches Rhy after dinner and sets a time and place for the following day. Tea, he picks, because he wants to see how Rhy will accomplish it. Wine doesn't require glasses, as they've proved many times before, but tea is much fussier to take mobile. The hours Wilhelm has to get through until then drag along and crash ahead all at once. Finally, he finds Rhy at a familiar spot in the garden. Swiping a hand through his hair, trying on a grin, he approaches.]
How did you convince them to let you take all this stuff out here?
[Like he doesn't know how persuasive Rhy can be.]
Maybe Rhy just has something on his mind, like he did the night of the gala in Hayle; maybe Wilhelm has become someone he feels comfortable opening up to. He tries not to read into it too much. He spends a lot of time that way: walking a fragile line, trying not to fall.
He catches Rhy after dinner and sets a time and place for the following day. Tea, he picks, because he wants to see how Rhy will accomplish it. Wine doesn't require glasses, as they've proved many times before, but tea is much fussier to take mobile. The hours Wilhelm has to get through until then drag along and crash ahead all at once. Finally, he finds Rhy at a familiar spot in the garden. Swiping a hand through his hair, trying on a grin, he approaches.]
How did you convince them to let you take all this stuff out here?
[Like he doesn't know how persuasive Rhy can be.]
Edited (oops thorne geography) 2023-05-24 00:07 (UTC)
[It's funny now, to remember how he used to think Kell resented him. He assumed in the other's eyes he was a nuisance, but it turns out he's a problem Kell doesn't mind dealing with. Wilhelm doesn't take that for granted. Nobody here owes him a thing — that's a choice Kell has made.
They haven't talked about what happened in the pit. They don't need to. They'd lived it, and that was enough. Whether the Acolytes poisoned your brain or not, they all became different people down there. For his part, Wilhelm remembers less the man he'd screamed at hysterically, and more the man who'd pulled him along when the rock started raining down.
He plops himself down in the grass that Kell has chosen as their spot, stretching his legs out and tilting his face toward the sun. He doesn't take that for granted anymore either.]
You realize you picked, like, the worst dessert to eat with your hands, right?
They haven't talked about what happened in the pit. They don't need to. They'd lived it, and that was enough. Whether the Acolytes poisoned your brain or not, they all became different people down there. For his part, Wilhelm remembers less the man he'd screamed at hysterically, and more the man who'd pulled him along when the rock started raining down.
He plops himself down in the grass that Kell has chosen as their spot, stretching his legs out and tilting his face toward the sun. He doesn't take that for granted anymore either.]
You realize you picked, like, the worst dessert to eat with your hands, right?
[Kell looks at Wilhelm, looks at the cake, at Wilhelm again. He blinks, and then starts laughing. Maniacally.
Saints, he's right. They'll have crumbs all over themselves by the end of this. It takes him a longer while to calm down.]
I... did not think this through.
[He grins. Who care anyway. It's not like they an audience to attend. It's a park, they don't need to look presentable. Besides, what kind of delinquents would it make of them if they did?]
But look, at least there's no whipped cream involved like in some of those truly fancy desserts. We'll be fine.
Saints, he's right. They'll have crumbs all over themselves by the end of this. It takes him a longer while to calm down.]
I... did not think this through.
[He grins. Who care anyway. It's not like they an audience to attend. It's a park, they don't need to look presentable. Besides, what kind of delinquents would it make of them if they did?]
But look, at least there's no whipped cream involved like in some of those truly fancy desserts. We'll be fine.
To answer your question from Hayle, I'm guessing you don't want to hear the down with the matriarchy! drivel.
I never said I was a good influence.
But that's how it goes, isn't it? Rehash a government and hope what comes out maybe runs a bit better for us than it did before.
The problem being that this form of Thorne's government might be the strongest at holding against the other factions, or putting their fear into them. We lose that, how do we keep the Singularity from being destroyed? Free Cities marching their army in because Thorne was too weak.
Edited 2023-05-26 00:47 (UTC)
[Wilhelm laughs too. The situation itself is kind of funny, worth a chuckle, but Kell — held hostage by laughter — elevates it to another level. That's the best kind of funny. When the laughter starts to ebb, Wilhelm eggs him on again by unwrapping his piece of cake from the thick wax paper and waggling it in Kell's face. He mimes out how awkward it is to eat the thing without a fork. It's a solid minute before they collect themselves.]
Who let us plan anything?
[Well, it was all Kell's idea, but Wilhelm will share in the blame anyway. It's more fun to be a conspirator. Now he actually tries a bite of the cheesecake, and though the flaky crust starts to fall apart in his hands, it's good.]
Who let us plan anything?
[Well, it was all Kell's idea, but Wilhelm will share in the blame anyway. It's more fun to be a conspirator. Now he actually tries a bite of the cheesecake, and though the flaky crust starts to fall apart in his hands, it's good.]
Nobody. That's the whole point, isn't it?
[He waggles his eyebrows in a way that's already comical for people with normal eyes, but looks downright farcical for someone with mismatched ones, like his. Like a circus act. Entirely as it's supposed to look. For all his brooding persona, Kell prizes himself for always being able to make Rhy laugh. He can make Wilhelm laugh too. Now that Wille managed to do his act on him first.]
What kind of delinquents would it make of us if we required a permission?
[At least he's decent enough not to talk with his mouth full as he gorges half of his cake in one bite.]
[He waggles his eyebrows in a way that's already comical for people with normal eyes, but looks downright farcical for someone with mismatched ones, like his. Like a circus act. Entirely as it's supposed to look. For all his brooding persona, Kell prizes himself for always being able to make Rhy laugh. He can make Wilhelm laugh too. Now that Wille managed to do his act on him first.]
What kind of delinquents would it make of us if we required a permission?
[At least he's decent enough not to talk with his mouth full as he gorges half of his cake in one bite.]
[He shoves at Kell's shoulder, shaking his head but laughing anyway. Stop, he's trying to eat without spraying crumbs everywhere. Wilhelm has wondered on several occasions why Kell's eye is all black like that, but it's not the sort of thing you can approach politely, so he has contented himself with the conclusion that it must have something to do with magic. Right now, it's more funny than strange.]
I refuse to believe that you're the responsible one.
[He takes another bite. The best strategy is to finish in as few bites as possible in order to minimize the mess.]
Does that mean Rhy was the troublemaker?
I refuse to believe that you're the responsible one.
[He takes another bite. The best strategy is to finish in as few bites as possible in order to minimize the mess.]
Does that mean Rhy was the troublemaker?
[Kell regrets his greediness the moment Wilhelm shoves at his shoulder. Inhales what he shouldn't and part laughs part cries through a coughing fit. Ends up doubling down in fit of giggles, wiping tears from his eyes as he tries to keep the rest of his cake away from the ground. He wheezes, finally being able to regain his breathing and some semblance of dignity. Enough at least to respond.]
Believe what you will. I really am.
[Kell's smile turns from mischievous to genuine, almost wistful. He'd been so angry at Rhy so often, and yet looking through his memories now, he misses those moments. Those were the good times. When they still were able to get into trouble and cause no more damage than a broken window, a couple of broken chairs and a few broken bones.
Bad dog. Rhy called him once when he'd just tipped the chair under a drunkard who spoke ill of the heir to the throne, blissfully unaware said heir and his brother are there, listening.]
Mostly. The things he got us into were usually his ideas.
[Key word: usually. He can't, in good faith, pin it all on Rhy.]
Believe what you will. I really am.
[Kell's smile turns from mischievous to genuine, almost wistful. He'd been so angry at Rhy so often, and yet looking through his memories now, he misses those moments. Those were the good times. When they still were able to get into trouble and cause no more damage than a broken window, a couple of broken chairs and a few broken bones.
Bad dog. Rhy called him once when he'd just tipped the chair under a drunkard who spoke ill of the heir to the throne, blissfully unaware said heir and his brother are there, listening.]
Mostly. The things he got us into were usually his ideas.
[Key word: usually. He can't, in good faith, pin it all on Rhy.]
Thancred is all about Jolene. I'm not so certain. She's a Thorne mage that studies under Anastasia, and while I'm for having differences from Ambrose, without actually knowing if Hayle's just up its own ass or up to something, it's a risky play.
But we don't have a plethora of options, and putting a Summoned in charge will likely not go in our favor.
[When that coughing fit seizes Kell, Wilhelm leans over to clap a hand to his back and try to help him through it. Easy, man. He continues chomping on his piece of cake, but all of his focus stays on Kell. Though he can't know what's passing through his head at this moment, he can guess that it's a reel of memories with his brother. The kind of memories you want to take down from the shelf and replay over and over again. Rhy is here, of course, but that doesn't make those times less golden.
It just makes Kell very lucky, that he can make new memories with his brother too.
Wilhelm doesn't want to dwell on that, or the fact that he's coming up on a year here, which also means that he's coming up on a year without Erik. It doesn't seem real. He covers up the shadow that crosses his face with a smile.]
Yeah, like what?
[With that, he finishes the cheesecake. All that's left is the crumbs all over his fingers.]
It just makes Kell very lucky, that he can make new memories with his brother too.
Wilhelm doesn't want to dwell on that, or the fact that he's coming up on a year here, which also means that he's coming up on a year without Erik. It doesn't seem real. He covers up the shadow that crosses his face with a smile.]
Yeah, like what?
[With that, he finishes the cheesecake. All that's left is the crumbs all over his fingers.]
No, that's a great way to piss off everyone else.
We don't know that much about Hayle, do we? The university's there, so I'm guessing it's got a big share of Thorne's big names. Nobility, wealthy elites, all that.
They seemed to support the crown, but it's hard to tell.
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