Because they have a lot to speak of

[suaveleather]

Who; suaveleather and adeptible
What; Post-Fourth Wall Talk Time
Where; The Magical Tree House
When; Friday, after Brightstar and Rinna have left
Rating; PG-13 but may change. Look who it is. It changed. NC-17
Status; Closed, ongoing

Comments

[adeptible]

Perhaps he should have made a little more noise when he entered the room, but his habits of moving as silently as possible were harder than that to overcome. Really, he should have known better. He himself was at a point where he would lash out at anyone approaching him that he couldn't recognize was coming, he should have expected it when he did it--even if only by accident--to his lover.

And the gods only knew how much the both of them had to think about. After the visitors of the last week and seeing faces he never thought he'd see again...it was difficult to know what to think. He had wished to see his son and he had, and just when he was almost daring to allow himself to hope that he would get to stay here with him, he was gone again. It was a strange mixture of fulfillment and sadness.

And a dozen dozen other things that he didn't want to think about--or to even have to think about.

He took a step backward, empty hands held up in a gesture of disarmament as the knife sung through the air, face still calm, though all of the worry seemed concentrated in his blue eyes that he kept fixed on Zevran's face.

"Ashke?"

[suaveleather]

He had attacked his lover. Braska! Where was his mind? The knife was quickly re-sheathed as he forced himself to look into those blue eyes, noting the hands held up empty. Unfortunately it took another moment for his body to relax and his mind to focus on the present. He had been much too deep into thought.

"My love. Forgive me."

He sighed and leaned back, relaxing in his seat and offering a hand out to Starwind.

"It has been a long week for all of us I believe, yes?"

Surely even his lover was having trouble. It was cruel of this place to offer a child to Starwind, repeatedly, and take it away. It was even crueler when it was his own child. They were determined to break them it seemed.

[adeptible]

Starwind simply shook his head--there wasn't anything to forgive--and took the offered hand in his own without hesitation, stepping closer until he could rest his free one against Zevran's cheek. He kept his eyes locked with the elf's. He was worried and he didn't bother to hide it.

He couldn't help but sigh, though, at the memories dredged up with talk of the previous week. He couldn't even decide if they were good or bad. Was it better to have been allowed the experience at all, or worse now that he had to remember it and know that none of them were ever coming back?

He shook his head, silver hair and feathers dancing with the motion of it.

"It has. I...cannot say if any have come out of it well."

[suaveleather]

The look of worry was only making things worse for him so he pasted on his cocky grin, though he knew Starwind would see past it with ease. They knew each other too well... Yet not at all in some aspects. He turned his head to kiss the palm of Starwind's hand, placing his own over his lover's and pulling it away from his face. Instead his fingers threaded with Starwind's, holding his hand comfortably.

"Even when they give us what we want, they find a way to twist our desires. The Crows could learn a thing or two from them." Rinna. And they took Brightstar from Starwind. With a sigh Zevran looked up at his lover. "There is still so much I do not know about you, my love. This week has made me realize that at the least."

[adeptible]

Oh, but he knew all too well how this place could pervert an innocent wish and his thoughts flitted back to demons wearing others' faces, half-shuddering at the memory before he shoved it back again. That was hardly for this moment.

He didn't believe the smile, either, but said nothing. Better to let him keep it for now. Especially in light of what he half-feared was coming. It was long overdue, really, but the both of them had been caught up in surviving the games this place loved so much to play with its unwilling but captive toys that it kept getting pushed back.

"I have no secrets from you, my ashke. You have but to ask and I will answer." And he meant it. His tone and his expression both said he did, even if the concern was still there.

[suaveleather]

His hand may have squeezed Starwind's a little tighter for just a moment before he tugged Starwind down, pulling his lover onto his lap to sit while they spoke. At least this way they could maintain touch at all times. It was odd how reassuring just being with his lover could be, even when the topics they were to speak of were... well, not pleasant at all.

"I would like to know more about Brightstar first, my love. He had told me some yet I find I'd much rather hear the story from your own lips."

[adeptible]

He decided very quickly that he rather liked this position, and he ran his fingers through Zevran's hair a few times as he thought about how to best formulate his answer. The whole situation was rather...complicated. After a few moments, though, he sighed and just had to plow forward with the rather blunt truth of the whole thing.

"He is ours--Moondance's and mine. Vanyel gave him to us. We wanted a child, but neither of us could produce one. So we asked him. He is one of k'Treva's closest friends in a future life. He agreed. Brightstar has a twin sister as well who stays with his mother in k'Treva. They are like enough that it is difficult to tell sometimes who Firefeather's true father is."

[suaveleather]

Zevran listened attentively, his eyelids fluttering shut at the feeling of fingers running through his hair. His smile became a little more sincere just by that touch alone.

"What was raising him like?" He wanted to know as much as possible about Starwind. It was obvious his lover missed his children so perhaps speaking about them would help. Hopefully. If nothing else it may give him some insight as to how to help Starwind feel more at home in this hell.

[adeptible]

That question managed to bring the ghost of a smile to Starwind's face as he remembered the boy's childhood and everything that they and the rest of the Vale had to go through with him. His impatience, his pride, all of it.

"Difficult," he finally concluded, some memory or other bringing him to the edge of laughter, but the somber tone of everything else pulling him back from it. "He is stubborn, impatient, and prideful. Though, I suppose, most children are. He despises his lessons though he badly needs them. He will be k'Treva's next Healer." He paused for a moment, sighing, but continued, half-smiling. "It became much easier, I think, when he discovered the girl-children in k'Treva."

[suaveleather]

It was with a bit of sadness that Zevran watched Starwind speak of his son. This was something he could not give his lover. A family. He smiled, feeling a bit of pride for the son that his lover had raised. He truly was perfect in every way.

"He is popular among the females in k'Treva?"

Ah yes, he could tell from the look of Brightstar that he had quite a future set ahead of him. Perhaps Vanyel's blood was good for something after all.

[adeptible]

Starwind nodded, his fingers keeping their pace in Zevran's hair as he spoke. He couldn't really say why, but somehow, speaking made things hurt less. And there was something cathartic in sharing this with the one that he loved. Learning more about each other in questions asked and answers given.

"At last count there were, I think, a half-dozen or so that he trades feathers with regularly. He would like more, as I hear, but lacks the stamina for it with his other duties in the Vale." That only amused him, really.

"It is a shame you only saw him frightened by this place. You would have liked him, I think."

[suaveleather]

A deep, relaxed chuckle escaped as he nodded slightly in agreement. "I believe I would have. It truly is a shame I was not able to speak with him more during his time here. Apparently he is not the type to open up so readily when his life is being threatened."

He paused, opening his eyes to look into his Starwind's. "Not that I threatened him, of course." Zevran winked, lips twitching in amusement. "It was entirely this place's fault." And he had not managed to sneak into Brightstar's room to watch him at night. Not at all.

[adeptible]

"That, I think, is because of the secrets we keep in the Vales." Starwind looked thoughtful for a moment as he pondered on that. "The life of a mage is a dangerous one, but each Vale holds a secret that must not be known beyond the Tayledras. You would find, I think, that most of us are that way. When our lives are threatened, we have been trained to close ourselves in so as not to betray that secret." There, he shook his head and let the soft smile drift back to his face.

"Even so, I believe he liked you."

[suaveleather]

"Hm, do you think so?" Zevran's lips tilted into an amused smile as he took a strand of Starwind's hair, wrapping it around his finger to play with. How had he managed to become so lucky? "He seems to have been a good child. What of the others in your life?" I would like to know more of those who were important to you."

In case any of them decided to appear in the Underworld like before.

[adeptible]

"I have told you of Moondance and Tallo, no?" That wasn't something that he wanted to dwell on now, anyway. The sad story that had brought them together, and then ended when cruel gods had torn them apart. A past that he couldn't forget, but he had a present now, even if future was something that he didn't want to think about, either.

"The only other I can think of is Savil, my Wingsister. We met long ago, and somehow she managed to find herself in good graces with the Tayledras of k'Treva. I taught her our magic and turned her loose. She returned wtih Tallo and when she left again, I made her a Wingsister."

[suaveleather]

"That is all there is?" He raised an eyebrow, searching inquiringly for some sort of tell if Starwind was holding anything back. Yes, he knew of Moondance and Tallo. He had even heard mention of Savil before. Still, if there was anything left which this place could hold against his lover then he wanted to know of it. Zevran would do whatever was in his power to protect what they had in this place and, in this case, it did seem to include knowing about his lover's past.