"You're new here then, aren't you?" Zack sighed softly, running a hand through his dark, spiky hair as he tried to figure out which question to answer first. He was more than just a little distracted, though, by the sudden urge to card his fingers instead through that length of mythril-colored hair that fell down to Cecil's shoulders and find out if those silvery locks felt as soft as they looked. Of course, Zack's mind and imagination wanted to go further than that, much further; but, with effort, he shoved those thoughts aside, trying his hardest to ignore them for as long as possible.
"This place is called the Love Hotel," Zack began to explain, the faint grimace on his face a good indication of the nature of his feelings regarding the Hotel. "People get pulled in here from all these different worlds, but no one's allowed to go home." He didn't exactly want to elaborate further, though, especially considering the fact that he had reluctantly admitted to himself just now that it was highly probable that what had been forced down his throat earlier was liquefied aphrodisiac.
"As for who I was talking about, I ran into a woman in the lobby, someone who said that she knew you. She asked me to help you and told me that you knew Cloud."
Ever modest and just a little more shy than he'd even like, Cecil's face tinged red in embarrassment for both himself and Zack as he explained their situation. Pretty looks didn't hide an empty skull, and Cecil could easily find out why he had been forced to stay in a cold place, awaiting for his captor. Just the thought made him want to redirect his gaze away from the kind man beside him, even if he found himself unable to look away. There was no doubt, then; his journey was once again delayed by yet another world he had no real idea about. He had quite a stroke of bad luck, didn't he?
"Thank you, for helping her, and myself." Cecil said quietly, "My apologies that to help me you had to be treated so roughly. Perhaps one day, I could return the favor, if you should ever need it, and I would hope not." The knight gave him a light smile, trying to be reassuring. He didn't want to see a frown on Zack's face--it was puzzling, but to see a frown on the other man's face just felt very, very wrong.
If that sudden blossoming of red across Cecil's face was anything to go by, he had probably correctly, if unfortunately, guessed just what sorts of things went on in a place bearing such a name as the Love Hotel. Ruefully, Zack shook his head and offered the Knight an apologetic smile. "Sorry to have to be the one to break it to you, Cecil. Believe me, I dislike playing tour guide for this place as much as I dislike being stuck here in it."
He reached for one of Cecil's wrists as he spoke, locating the locking mechanism on the side of the cuff and inserting the key into it. Much to Zack's relief -- and Cecil's too, he was sure -- the key turned easily in the lock, and the manacle instantly and effortlessly sprang open. Then Zack was focusing his attention on the second cuff, trying his damnedest not to dwell on how kissable Cecil looked, especially when he was smiling like he was.
"I'll be all right, Cecil," Zack replied, quick to assure the other that no permanent damage had been done. The aphrodisiac was going to be another story, though, if Zack didn't hurry up. "But thank you for your offer. Oh, and that woman, she also said something about you being about to reach the light because you're worthy, and that the answer is inside you. I don't have any idea what she was talking about, but she seemed sure that you would know what she meant."
((ooc: Bedtime for me, but I'll be back tomorrow!))
And Cecil did. For a moment, his face was full of surprise, simple and honest-to-god surprise. His mind was preoccupied with those words, and though they were not Zack's own, he felt like thanking him for simply uttering those words. The knight tried to stop the smile from spreading over his face like frosting on a cake, sweet and elegant in its own right. His hands fell from the bonds, and relief washed through his body, though he couldn't speak quite until a few moments later.
"I do." Cecil smiled at him thankfully, lacing a hand through his soft hair in a modest, gentle way. "Once again, I thank you for remembering her words. They are... important, to me." And now, he had quite the idea of who was in the lobby, if she was still there.
When he cast his eyes towards the door, he frowned, knowing how unwise it would be to suddenly burst out into a guarded hallway.
Those words ... they meant a great deal to Cecil, and Zack could easily see that even before the Knight actually said as much in acknowledgment. But who was that woman, and what was she to Cecil? A good friend? A lover even?
Behave, Zack sternly ordered himself, fighting to keep his body under control for a little longer until they could both get out of here and reunite Cecil with his lady ... and before Zack could say or do something he shouldn't. He certainly hadn't agreed to help free a stranger named Cecil Harvey because he had expected to be recompensed somehow by either the beautiful, if mysterious, woman who had asked him for assistance, or by Cecil himself. No, under normal circumstances, helping other people out usually fell under the category of the right thing to do; however, the Hotel seemed to have a particular perchance for twisting good intentions all awry and fostering scenarios like the one Zack currently found himself in.
The SOLDIER simply nodded and smiled himself, though; but he quickly looked away from the Knight the next moment to turn his attention to their cell door as well. "It was nothing, Cecil, really. I'm just glad that her message was able to get through to you. Now, let's get you out of here and back with your lady, all right?"
((ooc: Zack only had the key to the cuffs, so I'm not sure how you would like for the door to open. They could maybe break through it, or the door could be one of the Hotel's special doors that requires something being done to unlock it...? And I have no idea why Cosmos would even be in the Hotel, but, uh, yeah. ^_^;;))
Cecil, thinking nothing of Zack's words but the usual, started towards the door, trying to look at the lock and see if he could gently cajole it with a spell, or if it would prove too risky. However, as the other man's words set in, Cecil looked back at Zack with a bright red face. "My lady? Cosmos, which is whom I'm guessing you met, she is nothing of the sort. She is the goddess who I have promised to serve in her war against Chaos, is all. And I bring bad news; this lock is magicked. No key is going to open it, it requires some sort of..."
The Knight's eyes went back to squinting at it, placing a hand over it. A shiver worked through his body. "Some sort of intense event. I'm not quite sure what sort of event, however."
[ooc: I'm gonna go with special Hotel door, and maybe she was coming to give Cecil a good luck farewell. XD;]
Oh. So, her name was Cosmos, and she was a goddess? Like Minerva then, perhaps. And if Cecil was the type to spout poetry about his goddess, like a certain redheaded SOLDIER back home ... well, Zack had a feeling that he actually wouldn't mind listening to the Knight recite just about anything. But what was this 'war against Chaos' that Cecil was talking about? Was the battle being waged solely on Cecil's world ... or was Cloud somehow involved in this, too?
So many questions, but Zack didn't get the chance to voice even one of them -- not once Cecil had passed his hand over the door and confirmed exactly what Zack had been hoping would not be the case from the moment he had been first thrown in here. He exhaled lowly and closed his eyes. "You're positive about this?"
"You may have a glance for yourself," Cecil offered, looking unnerved as he pulled back. "I'm truly sure. As for what this event is--do you have an idea of it, Zack?" Thankfully (or maybe not-so-thankfully) for Zack, Cecil really had no clue about poetry, or epic poems. That was more Zidane. The Knight studied the look on Zack's face, not at all liking the dread on his face. What could possibly make this door open that would make Zack so hesitant?
It didn't hit him quite yet why he could hear guards outside gently snickering.
Making his way over to the door, Zack laid a hand on it and pressed hard against it. Unsurprisingly, it didn't budge in the slightest. He really could have done without the faint, but still very much audible, sneers he was hearing from the opposite side of the door, however, and it was rather gratifying to hear those sounds abruptly stop once he aimed a hard kick at the wooden barrier. Still, the door was unyielding and showed no sign of budging.
Frustrated, the SOLDIER rapped the side of his fist sharply against the heavy oak, and though he wanted to just shake his head at it all, he had to nod 'yes' to Cecil's question. "I wish I didn't, Cecil, but I do," Zack admitted, sounding none too pleased, as if his earlier actions weren't proof enough of that already. "Some of these door require something along the lines of a kiss to get them to open. Others ... require more than that."
Cecil glanced from the door to Zack, and honestly thought about the situation. 'More' than kissing, and it was a Love Hotel, he wouldn't be too shocked if what Zack was implying was that they, indeed, might have to have sex to open this very door. It didn't seem very far-fetched at all, in this circumstance; made sense, since the guards were laughing. But what if it just required a kiss?
Once more, he looked from the door to Zack, and ended up simply nodding.
"My resolve isn't wavering. I want to get out of here, and if it means kissing or, 'more than that', I'm willing to do so." He said firmly, and added quickly, almost scandalized at the other thought, "Of course, not without your permission." Cecil was far more open-minded than one would think, for someone who was modest. But to him, this was something that had to be done. He just offered Zack a smile with his words, brushing a hand through his hair, semi-awkwardly. Zack was compassionate and kind, and quite handsome. Cecil didn't have any qualms about this situation.
Zack had to chuckle at that last part about permission, but it was plain to see how so much of the tension in his shoulders lifted at Cecil's words. "That should be my line, really," he said, blue eyes coming up to meet the Knight's gaze. "I'm the one who's been drugged after all. But, believe me, I don't want to take advantage of you like this."
It was doubtful that Cecil had been here for over a day, if that, and Zack hated the idea of having to be the one to introduce him to the Hotel's ways, even if the Knight was actually willing to go through with whatever it turned out to be that was needed to open the door. It was so warm in here, though, and it was taking every last ounce of Zack's willpower to not give in and just pin Cecil against the nearest wall and--
No. Zack shook his head violently to clear it. "I can't help wanting to touch you, though," he groaned quietly in complete honesty, not able to hold back the words any longer, thanks to the aphrodisiac, no doubt.
Ker-foom, there went that spectacular blush across his face, heavy with embarrassment. "Ah," was all he could say in reply, a rather hoarse 'ah' in particular. After he cleared his throat, he let his expression become serious. "You wouldn't take advantage of me," he said simply, head tiled just slightly tot he side, emphasizing his strong naivete. "I am capable of defending myself if you... 'go too far', or 'take advantage' of me. I'm under the effects as well, I think."
He was growing hot in his armor, and such a thing was really foreign for Cecil; his armor wasn't heavy, after all. "There has been a certain image in my mind since you entered; if you can touch me, am I allowed to touch you, Zack?"
It should have come as a relief to hear Cecil express his assurances that he was able to take care of himself, but anything Zack might have wanted to say in regards to that fled his mind at the question asked of him. He wasn't able to chase away the mental image that followed of Cecil's hands on him, the Knight's body pressed against his, his flesh heated and yielding to Zack's own touch....
"Yes," Zack affirmed, finally remembering how to breathe again. "I'd like that. I'd like it a lot." He took a step closer to the Knight and swallowed, reaching out with glove-tipped fingers to just barely touch a strand of that silvery hair. "I know we hardly know each other, Cecil ... but I will make this good for you. I promise."
With that, Zack finally relented. If they had to do this to get out, then so be it. But Zack wasn't about to simply let this be an emotionless, soulless act. He couldn't, not when physical intimacy was involved ... and he hoped that Cecil would understand.
With a nod, Cecil relayed Zack's questions and answers through his head, setting them straight and preparing himself the best that he could. Zack's promise came as a bit of a surprise to the Knight, though he painted a smile on his face. "And I will try and do the same," he promised, one of his hands rising to guide Zack's hand to the side of his head, where he could gently cup his cheek, fingers twirled in velvet-soft hair.
Cecil had never planned to make this act emotionless. Even now, as he was setting out to do something he had never done with someone he barely knew, excitement rushed through his veins. One hand still on Zack's wrist, he glanced over to the wide blanket covering the bale of hay. "Perhaps that would be more suitable?"
"Convenient, isn't it?" Zack snorted dryly, but there was no hiding the husky undertones to his voice as he spoke, his eager but gentle fingers carding through Cecil's hair. And it wasn't as though he should be complaining. At least there was something covering the cold, stone floor, though it certainly gave a more literal meaning to the term 'rolling around in the hay.'
Anyways. There was a possibility that that hay bale would not be needed, however, and Zack slowly ran his thumb across Cecil's pale lips to give him some indication of what he was about to do next. They might be more blue than pink, but Zack quickly discovered a moment later that the Knight's lips weren't in the least bit cold. No, actually, they were very warm and very soft and very, very kissable.
But would a kiss alone be enough to unlock the door?
Cecil's words caught in his throat as Zack brushed his thumb across his lips, eyes fluttering slightly as they kissed. The Knight pressed back against him, feeling Zack's firmness in his lips against his own, pliant, soft lips as a great contrast. His heart skipped a beat as he heard a rattle at the door--and his bright blue eyes jumped to the lock.
No. Faked out, Cecil frowned a bit, a hand curling in Zack's shirt. It seemed the Hotel wanted to encourage them, the rattling having been a 'go on' gesture.
"This place is called the Love Hotel," Zack began to explain, the faint grimace on his face a good indication of the nature of his feelings regarding the Hotel. "People get pulled in here from all these different worlds, but no one's allowed to go home." He didn't exactly want to elaborate further, though, especially considering the fact that he had reluctantly admitted to himself just now that it was highly probable that what had been forced down his throat earlier was liquefied aphrodisiac.
"As for who I was talking about, I ran into a woman in the lobby, someone who said that she knew you. She asked me to help you and told me that you knew Cloud."
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"Thank you, for helping her, and myself." Cecil said quietly, "My apologies that to help me you had to be treated so roughly. Perhaps one day, I could return the favor, if you should ever need it, and I would hope not." The knight gave him a light smile, trying to be reassuring. He didn't want to see a frown on Zack's face--it was puzzling, but to see a frown on the other man's face just felt very, very wrong.
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He reached for one of Cecil's wrists as he spoke, locating the locking mechanism on the side of the cuff and inserting the key into it. Much to Zack's relief -- and Cecil's too, he was sure -- the key turned easily in the lock, and the manacle instantly and effortlessly sprang open. Then Zack was focusing his attention on the second cuff, trying his damnedest not to dwell on how kissable Cecil looked, especially when he was smiling like he was.
"I'll be all right, Cecil," Zack replied, quick to assure the other that no permanent damage had been done. The aphrodisiac was going to be another story, though, if Zack didn't hurry up. "But thank you for your offer. Oh, and that woman, she also said something about you being about to reach the light because you're worthy, and that the answer is inside you. I don't have any idea what she was talking about, but she seemed sure that you would know what she meant."
((ooc: Bedtime for me, but I'll be back tomorrow!))
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"I do." Cecil smiled at him thankfully, lacing a hand through his soft hair in a modest, gentle way. "Once again, I thank you for remembering her words. They are... important, to me." And now, he had quite the idea of who was in the lobby, if she was still there.
When he cast his eyes towards the door, he frowned, knowing how unwise it would be to suddenly burst out into a guarded hallway.
[ooc: Sleep well!]
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Behave, Zack sternly ordered himself, fighting to keep his body under control for a little longer until they could both get out of here and reunite Cecil with his lady ... and before Zack could say or do something he shouldn't. He certainly hadn't agreed to help free a stranger named Cecil Harvey because he had expected to be recompensed somehow by either the beautiful, if mysterious, woman who had asked him for assistance, or by Cecil himself. No, under normal circumstances, helping other people out usually fell under the category of the right thing to do; however, the Hotel seemed to have a particular perchance for twisting good intentions all awry and fostering scenarios like the one Zack currently found himself in.
The SOLDIER simply nodded and smiled himself, though; but he quickly looked away from the Knight the next moment to turn his attention to their cell door as well. "It was nothing, Cecil, really. I'm just glad that her message was able to get through to you. Now, let's get you out of here and back with your lady, all right?"
((ooc: Zack only had the key to the cuffs, so I'm not sure how you would like for the door to open. They could maybe break through it, or the door could be one of the Hotel's special doors that requires something being done to unlock it...? And I have no idea why Cosmos would even be in the Hotel, but, uh, yeah. ^_^;;))
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The Knight's eyes went back to squinting at it, placing a hand over it. A shiver worked through his body. "Some sort of intense event. I'm not quite sure what sort of event, however."
[ooc: I'm gonna go with special Hotel door, and maybe she was coming to give Cecil a good luck farewell. XD;]
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So many questions, but Zack didn't get the chance to voice even one of them -- not once Cecil had passed his hand over the door and confirmed exactly what Zack had been hoping would not be the case from the moment he had been first thrown in here. He exhaled lowly and closed his eyes. "You're positive about this?"
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It didn't hit him quite yet why he could hear guards outside gently snickering.
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Frustrated, the SOLDIER rapped the side of his fist sharply against the heavy oak, and though he wanted to just shake his head at it all, he had to nod 'yes' to Cecil's question. "I wish I didn't, Cecil, but I do," Zack admitted, sounding none too pleased, as if his earlier actions weren't proof enough of that already. "Some of these door require something along the lines of a kiss to get them to open. Others ... require more than that."
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Once more, he looked from the door to Zack, and ended up simply nodding.
"My resolve isn't wavering. I want to get out of here, and if it means kissing or, 'more than that', I'm willing to do so." He said firmly, and added quickly, almost scandalized at the other thought, "Of course, not without your permission." Cecil was far more open-minded than one would think, for someone who was modest. But to him, this was something that had to be done. He just offered Zack a smile with his words, brushing a hand through his hair, semi-awkwardly. Zack was compassionate and kind, and quite handsome. Cecil didn't have any qualms about this situation.
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It was doubtful that Cecil had been here for over a day, if that, and Zack hated the idea of having to be the one to introduce him to the Hotel's ways, even if the Knight was actually willing to go through with whatever it turned out to be that was needed to open the door. It was so warm in here, though, and it was taking every last ounce of Zack's willpower to not give in and just pin Cecil against the nearest wall and--
No. Zack shook his head violently to clear it. "I can't help wanting to touch you, though," he groaned quietly in complete honesty, not able to hold back the words any longer, thanks to the aphrodisiac, no doubt.
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He was growing hot in his armor, and such a thing was really foreign for Cecil; his armor wasn't heavy, after all. "There has been a certain image in my mind since you entered; if you can touch me, am I allowed to touch you, Zack?"
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"Yes," Zack affirmed, finally remembering how to breathe again. "I'd like that. I'd like it a lot." He took a step closer to the Knight and swallowed, reaching out with glove-tipped fingers to just barely touch a strand of that silvery hair. "I know we hardly know each other, Cecil ... but I will make this good for you. I promise."
With that, Zack finally relented. If they had to do this to get out, then so be it. But Zack wasn't about to simply let this be an emotionless, soulless act. He couldn't, not when physical intimacy was involved ... and he hoped that Cecil would understand.
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Cecil had never planned to make this act emotionless. Even now, as he was setting out to do something he had never done with someone he barely knew, excitement rushed through his veins. One hand still on Zack's wrist, he glanced over to the wide blanket covering the bale of hay. "Perhaps that would be more suitable?"
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Anyways. There was a possibility that that hay bale would not be needed, however, and Zack slowly ran his thumb across Cecil's pale lips to give him some indication of what he was about to do next. They might be more blue than pink, but Zack quickly discovered a moment later that the Knight's lips weren't in the least bit cold. No, actually, they were very warm and very soft and very, very kissable.
But would a kiss alone be enough to unlock the door?
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No. Faked out, Cecil frowned a bit, a hand curling in Zack's shirt. It seemed the Hotel wanted to encourage them, the rattling having been a 'go on' gesture.
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