Plenary, the City of Rask, afternoon into night
The main thing that struck Jack about the Royal City of Rask was the predominance of pink. He followed the Captain through the crowds, smirking at the looks that were thrown their way. It was open for debate, but he was pretty sure most of them were directed at him. "Where are we going?"
"There," the Captain replied, pointing at the huge stone-walled area in front of them.
"A zoo?" Jack stared at it, then back at the Captain, then back at the sign that said 'Zoo' in about thirty different languages. "We're going to a zoo?"
"Yup. Come on." And he led the way forward, leaving Jack to catch up with him. He paused, eyes scanning the signs, then nodded to himself. "Right. You look around. I'll be back in a minute."
He was gone before Jack could react. Grumbling, he started to walk through the zoo, staring at the animals and the crowds, making eye contact with anyone who'd meet his, and grinning when he made someone blush. He'd forgotten how easy it was to work a crowd. And how much fun.
He was leaning against an enclosure, slowly luring a couple closer with smiles and body language alone, when the Captain reappeared. "That's it, let's go."
"That's it, let's go?" He pulled himself off the wall, abandoning the couple and ignoring the distinctly disappointed looks that followed him.
"Yup. Let's go," the Captain repeated, laughing under his breath at the two people gazing mournfully after Jack. "Unless you want to stay here?"
"Let's go."
A walk through the back streets soon led them to a tavern, and a word whispered in the ear of the host led them into the back room, where Jack watched two near identical twins leap on the Captain and kiss him passionately. Whatever language they were speaking, Jack didn't, but he watched intently, and decided after a few minutes that his technique was better.
The Captain disentangled himself and said, "And this Jack."
Jack grinned when he received the same greeting, the words in English this time, and by the look on the shorter one's face she agreed that his technique was the superior. "Hi," he said when he got his breath back. "Pleasure to meet you."
Wine was produced, and good food, and music, and the evening progressed in a blur, until Jack looked up to see the Captain disappearing up the stairs with Jesme, leaving him alone with Jeren, who'd dragged off his shirt and was sitting in his lap, kissing his chest.
Jack kissed her, nuzzling behind her ear, trailing tongue and kisses down her neck, fingers undoing the line of tiny buttons. She gasped as he cupped her breasts and leaned forward to kiss each nipple while his hands ran up her thighs, pushing up her skirt. She was soft and round and warm and she was giggling in his ear as he grasped her bottom and pulled her hard against him.
"Wait," she gasped, sliding off his lap and darting across the room to lock the doors, and a wash of cold air slapped him in the face.
She was back, reaching for his fly, and he caught her wrists.
They both stared at his hands in shock, then she laughed and tugged playfully at them, but Jack held on tight, waging a brief war with a dozen competing impulses, almost all of which were focussed on the warm half-naked woman wriggling on his lap. And two of which were very far away.
What the hell are you doing, you idiot? was running through his head, but he answered it by forcibly engaging his brain and following this moment through to the logical conclusion. Not just the next hour, but when he got home. "I can't," he finally sighed, even though saying those words felt wrong on some fundamental level. "At least not now." His words were clear, but his body was definitely sending mixed messages as he tipped his head forward to rest between her breasts and tried to make himself let go. "Can I look you up in a year?" he finally asked ruefully, opening his hands and lifting his head.
Jeren stared at him, eyes narrowing as it sank in that he was serious. "Maybe. But for now I'm going to join in upstairs." She pulled herself off his lap and flounced - it was the only word for it - over to the door and unlocked it. She paused before she walked up the stairs and looked back at him. "There's a blanket in the drawer if you get cold," she said, then disappeared.
Jack watched her go, then groaned and dropped his head to bang against the table. Then lifted it and dropped it several more times before pulling his shirt back on. She'd been right, there was a blanket, and there was another bottle of wine on the counter. He grabbed both and curled up on the padded bench.
He was so stupid. Now that it was too late, he was recognising exactly how much of an idiot he'd just been. No one would have known. And no one would ever know that he'd done something so incredibly idiotic, so it wasn't like he was even going to get credit for it. From either of them.
Luckily the bottle of wine was non-judgemental, so Jack cuddled it close and pulled the blanket over his head.
[ooc: NFB due to distance]
"There," the Captain replied, pointing at the huge stone-walled area in front of them.
"A zoo?" Jack stared at it, then back at the Captain, then back at the sign that said 'Zoo' in about thirty different languages. "We're going to a zoo?"
"Yup. Come on." And he led the way forward, leaving Jack to catch up with him. He paused, eyes scanning the signs, then nodded to himself. "Right. You look around. I'll be back in a minute."
He was gone before Jack could react. Grumbling, he started to walk through the zoo, staring at the animals and the crowds, making eye contact with anyone who'd meet his, and grinning when he made someone blush. He'd forgotten how easy it was to work a crowd. And how much fun.
He was leaning against an enclosure, slowly luring a couple closer with smiles and body language alone, when the Captain reappeared. "That's it, let's go."
"That's it, let's go?" He pulled himself off the wall, abandoning the couple and ignoring the distinctly disappointed looks that followed him.
"Yup. Let's go," the Captain repeated, laughing under his breath at the two people gazing mournfully after Jack. "Unless you want to stay here?"
"Let's go."
A walk through the back streets soon led them to a tavern, and a word whispered in the ear of the host led them into the back room, where Jack watched two near identical twins leap on the Captain and kiss him passionately. Whatever language they were speaking, Jack didn't, but he watched intently, and decided after a few minutes that his technique was better.
The Captain disentangled himself and said, "And this Jack."
Jack grinned when he received the same greeting, the words in English this time, and by the look on the shorter one's face she agreed that his technique was the superior. "Hi," he said when he got his breath back. "Pleasure to meet you."
Wine was produced, and good food, and music, and the evening progressed in a blur, until Jack looked up to see the Captain disappearing up the stairs with Jesme, leaving him alone with Jeren, who'd dragged off his shirt and was sitting in his lap, kissing his chest.
Jack kissed her, nuzzling behind her ear, trailing tongue and kisses down her neck, fingers undoing the line of tiny buttons. She gasped as he cupped her breasts and leaned forward to kiss each nipple while his hands ran up her thighs, pushing up her skirt. She was soft and round and warm and she was giggling in his ear as he grasped her bottom and pulled her hard against him.
"Wait," she gasped, sliding off his lap and darting across the room to lock the doors, and a wash of cold air slapped him in the face.
She was back, reaching for his fly, and he caught her wrists.
They both stared at his hands in shock, then she laughed and tugged playfully at them, but Jack held on tight, waging a brief war with a dozen competing impulses, almost all of which were focussed on the warm half-naked woman wriggling on his lap. And two of which were very far away.
What the hell are you doing, you idiot? was running through his head, but he answered it by forcibly engaging his brain and following this moment through to the logical conclusion. Not just the next hour, but when he got home. "I can't," he finally sighed, even though saying those words felt wrong on some fundamental level. "At least not now." His words were clear, but his body was definitely sending mixed messages as he tipped his head forward to rest between her breasts and tried to make himself let go. "Can I look you up in a year?" he finally asked ruefully, opening his hands and lifting his head.
Jeren stared at him, eyes narrowing as it sank in that he was serious. "Maybe. But for now I'm going to join in upstairs." She pulled herself off his lap and flounced - it was the only word for it - over to the door and unlocked it. She paused before she walked up the stairs and looked back at him. "There's a blanket in the drawer if you get cold," she said, then disappeared.
Jack watched her go, then groaned and dropped his head to bang against the table. Then lifted it and dropped it several more times before pulling his shirt back on. She'd been right, there was a blanket, and there was another bottle of wine on the counter. He grabbed both and curled up on the padded bench.
He was so stupid. Now that it was too late, he was recognising exactly how much of an idiot he'd just been. No one would have known. And no one would ever know that he'd done something so incredibly idiotic, so it wasn't like he was even going to get credit for it. From either of them.
Luckily the bottle of wine was non-judgemental, so Jack cuddled it close and pulled the blanket over his head.
[ooc: NFB due to distance]