Understanding (Cherry Vanilla, Berry Punch, Butter Pecan + Malt x4)
'Verse: ☼ The Sun, Radiant ☼
Flavors/Toppings/Extras: Cherry Vanilla #2 (something in the air), Berry Punch #21 (barking up the wrong tree), Butter Pecan #20 (hot) + FOUR Malts. PfaH (Vasyasa, and Ravir : tireless hunger in your eyes), Summer 2013 reward (But I noticed you're alone a lot and I'm alone a lot so let's be alone together. Look, we're alone right now. - Jackie, That 70s Show), Summer 2013 reward #2 (I thought romance was a forgone conclusion - Phineas, Phineas & Ferb), Summer 2013 reward #3 (no one has to understand)
Rating: M
Wordcount: ~1500
Title: Understanding
Summary: Vas meets Ravir. Awkwardness ensues.
Notes: I will get these Malts in before March is over, even if I have to scrounge off the hospital's Wi-Fi to do it!
In the evening, when the temperature had stopped it's dizzying, deathly ascent and all his sweat had transmogrified into grime, Vasyasa's resolve broke and he skittered down to the baths.
I am a consort, now, he reminded himself, to the most powerful woman in the known world. The mere thought made him dizzier than the heat had, but he pushed on bravely in his own mind: Answerable only to the Queen. If I want to bathe alone, surely I can do so.
Still he paused before the ornate doors before creaking one open and poking his head in. The room beyond was spacious, though he couldn't see the far end of it. It was less humid within than it had been outside, curiously, but still the steam hung in the air. It looked empty, and not a sound alerted him to another person's presence.
It was odd, considering how disgustingly hot had been. Perhaps his luck was holding steady.
Before anyone could come in behind him and ruin it, he stripped off his silks and fairly leapt into the pool. All his cares evaporated as soon as he hit the warm, soothing water. He soon forgot that someone could walk in at any time, even - especially - Queen Ruhana, whom he hadn't seen since the official joining ceremony. She was busy ironing out some matter of state, no doubt. For the moment, he was frankly glad to be left to himself.
With a contented sigh, he stretched out onto his back and floated in the pool, looking up at the ceiling and and letting his mind blank. This was the life.
His ears were underwater and he had slipped into a half-doze, so the sound of a splash at the far end of the pool didn't register as quickly as it might have otherwise. But when it did, when the obvious conclusion trickled its way into his relaxed brain...
Unfortunately sucking in one's entire lung capacity in one great huuuu is not conducive to floating, and his face slipped under the surface. He knew how to swim, of course he did, but getting a breath full of steaming water drove all coherent thought and even muscle memory from him.
He flailed, feet scrabbling for the bottom - he had floated into the deep end, apparently - and flinging water everywhere. He could only imagine, later, what the scene must have looked like.
Strong arms wrapped around his chest. Still panicking, his elbow flew back and connected with something hard that gave way with a crunching noise and a pained grunt. The arms came back almost immediately, pinning his own to his sides now, and he struggled ineffectually, still searching for the bottom. He thought he could touch it with a toe if he stretched.
The person hauled him across the pool easily, half-shoving, half-lifting him up over the rim onto solid, if wet, tile. He lay there on his back, panting.
"Roll over you idiot," came a deep, irritated voice, then hands pushed him on his side. The jolt sent Vas coughing, and then the water he had swallowed - just a handful - gushed out off his mouth. He curled into a ball, feeling like he had been stabbed in the chest.
"What..." He didn't know quite what he was going to ask.
The presence withdrew from where it hovered over his back, and as Vas rolled over again he came face to face with... well, he looked familiar, but Vas didn't know from where.
"First Consort Ravir," the Watwanyasi tribesman said shortly, tilting his head. He was naked too, but Vas kept his eyes on his face, dipping down to stare at the small tattoo of a bird on his neck. There was something strange in the other man's eyes as he studied Vas with no such qualms about where his gaze went. Interest, perhaps.
The man was handsome, but the whole situation was far too awkward. "Ah yes, I remember now." He was trying not to squirm under those brown eyes, grasping for something to distract him from... whatever this was. He felt rather like a mouse, and Ravir was the cat. "You look, uh, different." No longer all dolled up in silks and jewels that hid his true form, this time he was like another person entirely.
Ravir's lips twitched into a smile. "I had wondered how skittish you would be, sheltered as you were..." His sentence dropped off, eyes hooded.
Vas sat up abruptly and brought his knees to his chest, knowing he was proving the First Consort's point but not caring about that at the moment. "How would you know about that?"
"Oh, I know a lot of things. We had to do some digging to make sure you would... fit in, as it were."
What in the known lands does that mean? Vas thought. It probably meant more security checks than anything, but Ravir's scrutiny was making him paranoid.
Suddenly, Ravir made a startled noise and looked away. "Ah, I am sorry. I still forget that outside the Brushback, long looks are less acceptable. I did not mean to make you nervous." He seemed almost sheepish. It was strange on him.
"I see." Well, not really. It was probably a cultural thing, and he wasn't much of a scholar. "Hold on, how long were you here? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I was practicing holding my breath underwater. I must have been under when you came in." Ravir shrugged.
What a strange man. Ravir was now refusing to look at him. It was almost as distressing as the staring. "I, uh... should probably go now. Leave you to it."
Ravir's eyes snapped to his, pinning him with a glance before he could scramble backwards. "Wait, if you will." But it sounded like an order, and Vas knew the man technically did outrank him. He paused.
"What?" That squeak in his voice was not supposed to be there.
"Tell me about yourself."
"Don't you already know everything?"
"I said 'a lot of things'. Not everything. Facts and timelines mean little. Since you're Second Consort now, that, by default, means we will be working together, with the Queen and without."
"Can I at least put my clothes back on?" Even as he spoke he was reaching back, snatching up a length of silk and draping it across his lap.
Ravir smiled. "Virgins." He shook his head.
"I- what?! I am not a virgin!" Ravir's smirk just made Vas blush harder. And his heart flutter, but that wasn't something he wanted to think about.
"Well, that's a start. Your parents seemed to think otherwise, by the way. Not that I blame you." He leaned back on his hands, long legs stretched out in front of him. Vas was finding it increasingly difficult to stay focused on his face.
And was that a hint of disappointment in that deep voice?
"Anything else. Anything. I can't talk about that right now."
"Sex?" Ravir blinked. "I'll advise Her Majesty to stay away from the subject, then."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh. She's not going to eat you. If you're adverse to women - wait, are you?" He eyed Vas with the kind of suspicion that made the new consort wonder if he was being that obvious. Then kick himself. Of course he was being that obvious.
"No! I like women."
"Hrm. So the issue is me..."
The sound that came from Vas' mouth was somewhere between a shriek and a squawk.
"Fine! Fine!" Ravir threw up his hands, nearly falling backwards into the pool. "Tell me about your siblings. I know you're the youngest. What was that like?"
Well, Ravir was certainly adept at turning a souring conversation around. Siblings was a subject Vas could handle. "I have four older sisters and one older brother..."
The more they talked, the more it became apparent that Ravir, while certainly disconcerting with his foreign mannerisms, was also genuine. In his curiosity, in his empathy, in his fierce love for his queen. Not just what she represented, either. After Vas had exhausted himself with stories of his constantly-bickering sisters, Ravir took a turn describing his own childhood, then his odyssey to the west, to Ishan-Loknath and the arms of the queen.
He didn't say quite how they had met, skipping over that part so deftly Vas only realized it later, and started in on daily life in the palace. Vas realized immediately that he had also skipped the war with High Princess Jalenashi, but was too interested in what would be expected of him in this new life to bother with it right then.
By the time Ravir had said all he was going to say, Vas could tell that they were going to be friends, no matter how awkward their first informal meeting had been at first.
If he had to get his fingers and toes all puckered from the steam to reassure himself that he might actually thrive as Second Consort, well, it was worth it.
Flavors/Toppings/Extras: Cherry Vanilla #2 (something in the air), Berry Punch #21 (barking up the wrong tree), Butter Pecan #20 (hot) + FOUR Malts. PfaH (Vasyasa, and Ravir : tireless hunger in your eyes), Summer 2013 reward (But I noticed you're alone a lot and I'm alone a lot so let's be alone together. Look, we're alone right now. - Jackie, That 70s Show), Summer 2013 reward #2 (I thought romance was a forgone conclusion - Phineas, Phineas & Ferb), Summer 2013 reward #3 (no one has to understand)
Rating: M
Wordcount: ~1500
Title: Understanding
Summary: Vas meets Ravir. Awkwardness ensues.
Notes: I will get these Malts in before March is over, even if I have to scrounge off the hospital's Wi-Fi to do it!
In the evening, when the temperature had stopped it's dizzying, deathly ascent and all his sweat had transmogrified into grime, Vasyasa's resolve broke and he skittered down to the baths.
I am a consort, now, he reminded himself, to the most powerful woman in the known world. The mere thought made him dizzier than the heat had, but he pushed on bravely in his own mind: Answerable only to the Queen. If I want to bathe alone, surely I can do so.
Still he paused before the ornate doors before creaking one open and poking his head in. The room beyond was spacious, though he couldn't see the far end of it. It was less humid within than it had been outside, curiously, but still the steam hung in the air. It looked empty, and not a sound alerted him to another person's presence.
It was odd, considering how disgustingly hot had been. Perhaps his luck was holding steady.
Before anyone could come in behind him and ruin it, he stripped off his silks and fairly leapt into the pool. All his cares evaporated as soon as he hit the warm, soothing water. He soon forgot that someone could walk in at any time, even - especially - Queen Ruhana, whom he hadn't seen since the official joining ceremony. She was busy ironing out some matter of state, no doubt. For the moment, he was frankly glad to be left to himself.
With a contented sigh, he stretched out onto his back and floated in the pool, looking up at the ceiling and and letting his mind blank. This was the life.
His ears were underwater and he had slipped into a half-doze, so the sound of a splash at the far end of the pool didn't register as quickly as it might have otherwise. But when it did, when the obvious conclusion trickled its way into his relaxed brain...
Unfortunately sucking in one's entire lung capacity in one great huuuu is not conducive to floating, and his face slipped under the surface. He knew how to swim, of course he did, but getting a breath full of steaming water drove all coherent thought and even muscle memory from him.
He flailed, feet scrabbling for the bottom - he had floated into the deep end, apparently - and flinging water everywhere. He could only imagine, later, what the scene must have looked like.
Strong arms wrapped around his chest. Still panicking, his elbow flew back and connected with something hard that gave way with a crunching noise and a pained grunt. The arms came back almost immediately, pinning his own to his sides now, and he struggled ineffectually, still searching for the bottom. He thought he could touch it with a toe if he stretched.
The person hauled him across the pool easily, half-shoving, half-lifting him up over the rim onto solid, if wet, tile. He lay there on his back, panting.
"Roll over you idiot," came a deep, irritated voice, then hands pushed him on his side. The jolt sent Vas coughing, and then the water he had swallowed - just a handful - gushed out off his mouth. He curled into a ball, feeling like he had been stabbed in the chest.
"What..." He didn't know quite what he was going to ask.
The presence withdrew from where it hovered over his back, and as Vas rolled over again he came face to face with... well, he looked familiar, but Vas didn't know from where.
"First Consort Ravir," the Watwanyasi tribesman said shortly, tilting his head. He was naked too, but Vas kept his eyes on his face, dipping down to stare at the small tattoo of a bird on his neck. There was something strange in the other man's eyes as he studied Vas with no such qualms about where his gaze went. Interest, perhaps.
The man was handsome, but the whole situation was far too awkward. "Ah yes, I remember now." He was trying not to squirm under those brown eyes, grasping for something to distract him from... whatever this was. He felt rather like a mouse, and Ravir was the cat. "You look, uh, different." No longer all dolled up in silks and jewels that hid his true form, this time he was like another person entirely.
Ravir's lips twitched into a smile. "I had wondered how skittish you would be, sheltered as you were..." His sentence dropped off, eyes hooded.
Vas sat up abruptly and brought his knees to his chest, knowing he was proving the First Consort's point but not caring about that at the moment. "How would you know about that?"
"Oh, I know a lot of things. We had to do some digging to make sure you would... fit in, as it were."
What in the known lands does that mean? Vas thought. It probably meant more security checks than anything, but Ravir's scrutiny was making him paranoid.
Suddenly, Ravir made a startled noise and looked away. "Ah, I am sorry. I still forget that outside the Brushback, long looks are less acceptable. I did not mean to make you nervous." He seemed almost sheepish. It was strange on him.
"I see." Well, not really. It was probably a cultural thing, and he wasn't much of a scholar. "Hold on, how long were you here? Why didn't you say anything?"
"I was practicing holding my breath underwater. I must have been under when you came in." Ravir shrugged.
What a strange man. Ravir was now refusing to look at him. It was almost as distressing as the staring. "I, uh... should probably go now. Leave you to it."
Ravir's eyes snapped to his, pinning him with a glance before he could scramble backwards. "Wait, if you will." But it sounded like an order, and Vas knew the man technically did outrank him. He paused.
"What?" That squeak in his voice was not supposed to be there.
"Tell me about yourself."
"Don't you already know everything?"
"I said 'a lot of things'. Not everything. Facts and timelines mean little. Since you're Second Consort now, that, by default, means we will be working together, with the Queen and without."
"Can I at least put my clothes back on?" Even as he spoke he was reaching back, snatching up a length of silk and draping it across his lap.
Ravir smiled. "Virgins." He shook his head.
"I- what?! I am not a virgin!" Ravir's smirk just made Vas blush harder. And his heart flutter, but that wasn't something he wanted to think about.
"Well, that's a start. Your parents seemed to think otherwise, by the way. Not that I blame you." He leaned back on his hands, long legs stretched out in front of him. Vas was finding it increasingly difficult to stay focused on his face.
And was that a hint of disappointment in that deep voice?
"Anything else. Anything. I can't talk about that right now."
"Sex?" Ravir blinked. "I'll advise Her Majesty to stay away from the subject, then."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh. She's not going to eat you. If you're adverse to women - wait, are you?" He eyed Vas with the kind of suspicion that made the new consort wonder if he was being that obvious. Then kick himself. Of course he was being that obvious.
"No! I like women."
"Hrm. So the issue is me..."
The sound that came from Vas' mouth was somewhere between a shriek and a squawk.
"Fine! Fine!" Ravir threw up his hands, nearly falling backwards into the pool. "Tell me about your siblings. I know you're the youngest. What was that like?"
Well, Ravir was certainly adept at turning a souring conversation around. Siblings was a subject Vas could handle. "I have four older sisters and one older brother..."
The more they talked, the more it became apparent that Ravir, while certainly disconcerting with his foreign mannerisms, was also genuine. In his curiosity, in his empathy, in his fierce love for his queen. Not just what she represented, either. After Vas had exhausted himself with stories of his constantly-bickering sisters, Ravir took a turn describing his own childhood, then his odyssey to the west, to Ishan-Loknath and the arms of the queen.
He didn't say quite how they had met, skipping over that part so deftly Vas only realized it later, and started in on daily life in the palace. Vas realized immediately that he had also skipped the war with High Princess Jalenashi, but was too interested in what would be expected of him in this new life to bother with it right then.
By the time Ravir had said all he was going to say, Vas could tell that they were going to be friends, no matter how awkward their first informal meeting had been at first.
If he had to get his fingers and toes all puckered from the steam to reassure himself that he might actually thrive as Second Consort, well, it was worth it.