Our Revelries [Raithen]

[Kala Leukos]

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Noctis Æterna
9th of Searing, Year 123 of Steel

tonight
we are young
so let's set the world afire!
we can burn brighter
than the sun!

A laugh echoed high and lilting through the subterranean borough, accompanied by the syncopated beat of four pairs of feet.

Before they had quit the banquet, Kaus had insisted they take a shot of something clean and pure, something to tip them over from careful, polite sips of wine to the intoxication to come. While Asallon had chosen to remain with Kala, Ceran and Indric chose to join the dux and the young lord in their revels. While they meant to guard Kaus, he meant for them to have fun. After all, they were being monitored by Silver Sentinels in their armor and their veils. If not for them, they might have flown, these winged sons of the Synnekar.

"The Vigilia listens, but surely you don't have anything to ask that would embarrass you in front of Phocion Princeps," Kaus was saying. High spots of color bepainted his cheeks. Raithen made him laugh. For all their honor guard, Solunarium made him feel free.

"In any case, I will certainly ask questions that make me look a proper rube. Is this..." He paused as they came upon what appeared to be an upscale establishment with glitteratti queuing up to enter. The guards at the doors shone in burnished armor, and began to clear the way for the well-known and well-loved prince. "Oh," he laughed. "This must be the place. And they treat you like the prince of parties."

Kaus laughed again, in high, good humor. They were locked together by their elbows, easier for two winged men to walk side by side that way. They were in step, and Kaus was already enjoying himself, even as he anticipated diversions beyond imagining.

"I hope we don't slow you down."

He glanced behind, and saw the Silver Wings wide-eyed. He laughed again. Someday, they would get used to the rarefied air they flew in when they flew with the Leukos twins.

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[Raithen]

It was a new sensation, flying with others. Others of his own kind. Raithen was not wholly sure if he should think of them that way, he was a Solunarian of Gens Phædryn and that had always been what 'his people' meant. Yet, he felt drawn to this young nobleman and his fellow winged companions in a way he hadn't felt connected to others. It wasn't more or even equal to the way he felt connected to his family, but it was strong and Raithen had ever been a creature of instinct.

So, before he even decided where to take them where they might sit and drink and talk he took them up, high into the caverns that contained the Umbrium, swooping around from one exquisite view to the next until he had shared things with them he could honestly say he had never shared with anyone else. It was a silly conceit, he knew, imagining that having shown them views of the city made them somehow closer and his draw to them somehow more logical, but that didn't stop it from making him feel better about it and, consequently, less nervous. The flight, for a variety of reasons, restored his equilibrium so that, by the time they landed outside The Indigeo, he was feeling wholly himself again.

Gesturing in a wide, welcoming motion he ushered the three gentlemen of Kalzasi inside, directly past the line of those waiting to gain entry. Those guarding the door looked at the group only long enough to see Raithen in it, not even nodding to give him the permission that he always had as they cleared the way.

"Out here I am a Dux" He said, with laughter in his voice, "But inside I am the Princeps of parties."

As they ducked through the arched entrance way Raithen lowered his voice and said,

"I am not ashamed of my interests but surely there are things that you are eager enough about that your own elder brother might tease you for?"

Phocion's teasing was barbed and sharp at the best of times and Raithen exposing his intense interest in the other Avialae would not cause the best of reactions.

The Indigeo was part club, part brothel, and one of his favorite places in the world. Some days it was more of a pleasure den where elite clients came to mingle, gamble and take advantage of the establishment's variety of entertainments. On other nights, such as the one they now enjoyed, it was a full-blown party space with the main area cleared to use for a mass of moving bodies well plied with flowing drink. The establishment's resident Mesmers were more subtle in their craft than most who plied their trade for gratification; it was as if they invited you to enjoy yourself instead of forcing it down your throat. Those who plied an even older profession did so at their own discretion, the owner did not require them to take on any client who could pay, nor were they required to take on any, were they inclined toward none of the night's offers. One, who Raithen had become friends with over the years he'd been visiting, had explained it by saying they were more like independent contractors than whores. If they used a room to ply their trade then they paid a fee for the space, and when they entered the establishment with the intention to work, they paid a fee for that too. In exchange, they got a nice place to work where there were sure to be clients and if anyone tried to force their suit on a worker who was not interested, the establishment's security showed them the door. The costs were fair and everyone got what they wanted. It also allowed Raithen the assurance that, pay or no, he wasn't ever forcing himself on anyone.

The music that flowed out the door as he pulled it open for his guests was quick and not subtle but, at least outside of the dance floor, not so loud that the people inside couldn't talk. Attractive people lounged, or strolled, or danced, some smoked from elaborate hookahs, some played at small tables of dice or chess or backgammon, though most of those were empty now. Raithen led the way to a small alcove off to one side where they would see everything that was on offer and could choose at their leisure.

Settling down onto the cushioned booth seat and pulling Kaus down beside him by their linked elbow he asked,

"Do you dance in public, My Lord, or is that not something the Kalzasern nobility consider dignified?" It was partly a serious question but humor still danced in his storm-colored eyes and played at the corners of his mouth.

[Kala Leukos]

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Ceran and Indric didn't mind being the third and fourth wheel; they had each other, and following Raithen into the difficult-to-reach parts of the underground caverns offered them awesome vistas and memories to take home with them.

Kaus laughed. "In Kalzasi, I am Lord Kaus. Here I am just a dux's hanger-on. The latter ought to be more fun than the former. In Starfall, we were able to be ourselves. In Kalzasi, we have to be the face of our House." Perhaps that was why he spent an inordinate amount of time personally testing the balance of Torin's weapons, or sparring with Timon. Kala didn't exactly enjoy playing perfect lady of House Leukos, but she was better at it than he was.

"And Aquilios... well, he was a prat when we were younger, but I think it was the pressure of being the heir, and our father died early, our mother's health suffered for a multiple birth. He took things out on us because it was easy. Well, Kala fought back before I did. Once I knocked him on his arse in the training salle, things started to change. His burdens are heavier, but now he laughs with me more often than not. Anyway, he's going to be a father soon, so..." He laughed and shook his head. Aquilios was going through very normal milestones in life while Kaus attended to their divine sister. To each their own, but it was strange how quickly the strange became commonplace.

Kaus laughed as he was pulled into the booth. Ceran and Indric slid into the other side, offering their betters a bit of space. Ceran put his arm around Indric's shoulders in what could only be called a territorial move, but Kaus knew it was as much for his own benefit as anything else. The young mercenaries - who were his own age - hadn't experienced anything like most of the things they had experienced in service to House Leukos. But they had each other and the Sentinels moving like shadows through the building, so he knew they were all right.

The winged lordling settled so his wings weren't crushed.

"I wouldn't be trusted to defend Starfall and Kalzasi if I was afraid of a dance floor, Your Festive Highness! Our blade masters were also our dance instructors, though... Kala is the true artist. My dancing ended up being more of the sort with blades, and I became a poet while she pursued the art of dance. That said, please don't ask for extemporaneous poetry!"

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[Raithen]

"Well, tonight you may hang on me as much as you want." Was the cheeky reply, but he didn't wink or do anything else to make the friendly teasing into direct flirting. Yet.

Raithen listened with genuine fascination to the explanations of the dynamics, both formal and familial, of House Leukos and, perhaps, Kalzasi in general. He understood being one version of yourself at home and another in loftier locations, although, in his case, the Raithen that he was on the streets and in places such as the current establishment was a more true version of himself than the one he used in palaces, even the ones he had called home.

He had read the information made available about the House so he knew who Kaus was referring to and didn't try to hide the expression that said 'my older brother is like that'. He didn't roll his eyes are Phocion, but the darker Phaedryn brother could absolutely be a prat and proved it regularly. Perhaps Raithen's brother had 'taken things out' on him but he hadn't seen it that way at the time. Thinking back he realized that may in fact have been a part of the reason their relationship when he had been a child had been so cold. Phocion was not one to reach out and slap at someone who he wanted to hurt, his ways were more subtle but certainly had been present, even seeming omnipresent.

When a barmaid passed he waved at her and opened his mouth to order but then paused, asking,

"Do you drink runeforged wine in Kalzasi? No insult intended but if you aren't used to it it can... Well, I suppose you can see for yourself if you've a mind to."

He ordered a bottle of something aether laced that he liked but wasn't going to make him helplessly touchy and also a good bottle of an unenhanced vintage. Once she had stepped away he continued the conversation,

"I wish that would work on Phocion but the only way I'd ever get near him is if he agreed not to use our runes and he never would. But," He gave a slight shrug, "Things are better now that we're older. I think we're beginning to understand each other."

He raised a brow at the idea that the heir to the House was about to be a father,

"I didn't know your brother was married or... I don't actually understand the couple rituals of your people very well."

He made a sheepish face that managed to show that he was genuinely embarrassed but not uncomfortable about it. Raithen knew a claiming posture when he saw one and, having seen the body language between the two other winged men he tried to include them while keeping his eyes mostly on Kaus. The young noble was far and away pretty enough to deserve the attention so it wasn't a hardship, even if his companions would have also earned his attention under other circumstances. If they had just been three Avialae mercs passing through Raithen might have tripped all three into a very large bed and tried out so aerial acrobatics. As it was, he was more interested in listening than he was in sex but he wouldn't say 'no' to any of them if an offer should come up.

Raithen had learned to sit turned slightly toward whoever was sitting beside him as it kept his wings out of everyone's way, and when Kaus did the same with as much thoughtless ease it made him smile. There was a lot more to know about someone than their body but having several people who knew how he physically felt in areas not designed to accommodate him made him feel seen in a way he liked.

His laugh was deep and pleased when Kaus joked about his poetry,

"I would never! At least," Lowering his voice, "Not till we're all far too deep in our cups to remember it tomorrow. But let's have one, or a couple, and then I'll lead you onto, or maybe above, the dance floor?"

[Kala Leukos]

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"Runeforged wine?" Kaus asked, wide-eyed. Indric looked worried; Ceran nervous. "We have alchemically-enhanced intoxicants, to be sure, but I haven't come across runeforged wine." He turned toward the Silver Wings. "Men. When we return to Kalzasi, Ser Torin must be informed of this." Ceran nodded as Kaus turned his attention back to Raithen. "My mother's vassal is a masterful runesmith."

Not only was he excited by the prospect of trying the stuff, but Torin would be able to make a lot of money if he mastered that particular trick. And while intoxicants were fun, he might also be able to fortify drinks with magic to, say, allow people to carry a small flask whose properties would keep them warm and sustained in the winters of the Astralar range, and such. It might help prevent famine, as well.

In any case, Raithen ordered them a variety, so they would have options.

"Age does have some advantages," Kaus agreed seriously, although it might have been funny for the young man less than a week before his twenty-first nameday. But he didn't opine on Raithen's family; he didn't know them well enough, nor Re'hyaen filial customs, and he hadn't been asked. "Anyway, Starfall isn't near Kalzasi proper; it's up in the Astralar Mountains. We are sort of happy being remote and secretive, which is probably why our ancestors swore to Great House Briathos, who loves its mysteries and mystique as well. But yes, Aquilios got married and they are expecting their first child, Gods willing. Childbirth is difficult for Avialae. That is why women have the prerogative of choosing partners. But we are polygamous and polyandrous and often polyphilic. That said...it seems we are less progressive about bastardy than your people are. As a whole, I mean. The Synnekar aren't a hegemonic bloc by any means."

In excitement, he put his hand on Raithen's forearm.

"Oh, dancing... yes, of course... but also... someday when we aren't intoxicated, you will have to join us out at the Citadel. The thermals are amazing off of the desert, and we can show you how we sky dance in Karnor!" For a man with eyes pale as ice, the sparkled with a ready warmth.

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[Raithen]

Raithen nodded, delighted laughter in his voice,

"I don't know exactly how they make it, something to do with alchemy and runeforged barrels for aging. The making is a bit outside my area of education but the drinking..." His grin was wicked as it was beautiful. The expression softened to one of intent interest, grey eyes intent on blue as little hints about Kaus' homeland and race were revealed. He almost said 'Twins' Blessing' when the heir's impending heir was confirmed but caught himself as he realized he had no idea what gods House Leukos worshiped. It was never a question in Solunarium, and, if it was, it was one asked by church authorities under less than pleasant circumstances.

A thousand questions swam behind his eyes but he kept himself from spilling them out like a basket of fruits into the street.

"I did not know that childbirth was more difficult for our people than others. Though, to be fair, I know as much about our people as I do about bearing a child." His tone said that his knowledge was next to nothing on either subject.

"There aren't many Avialea here and those that there are tend to be a part of the local social structure. There is no Avialae society of its own so the customs are, well, foreign to me. I've always wanted to know but reading it in books felt... disconnected?"

He didn't say he'd never had an easy time learning anything from books and sort of resented them. When a hand landed on Raithen's arm he scooted the leg closest closer so it was touching Kaus'. It was something he did, mostly unconsciously to let someone know he was interested in their touch without having to say so or flirt in a way obvious to others.

"I love the thermals. At dawn when the sun meets the cool of the desert at night, there's nothing like it. I will come and we'll ride them together, though, perhaps not dawn tomorrow."

As he said this the server returned with two bottles and four glasses. The bottles were already open and Raithen poured for himself and Kaus from the one that had a Scrivened label before offering it to the other side of the table. The liquid was a gentle green color, like spring leaves and the scent was something between fruit and brandy. Raithen raised his glass without hesitation saying,

"To learning from each other," before tasting. He knew what it tasted like to him but it was said that it tasted different to different people and he had no intention of informing any of his companion's on the matter. They deserved to enjoy what their own aether chose for them.

[Kala Leukos]

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"Most Avialae are larger than their mother's race," he explained. "Ofttimes significantly larger, so it can be difficult for the mother." He made a gesture denoting a large head and a small vagina. At least, that was how he understood it. "I'm considered a runt, actually. My elder brother has seven inches of height on me. And Kala's wings didn't make her grow any. So we are both runts." He laughed. At least his sister had godhead on her side.

"Perhaps that will be a good thing for me... that is... if I ever sire children." He smiled, flushed, and shrugged.

"Not tomorrow," he agreed, and then his eyes narrowed on the local delicacy. He accepted the proffered cup with murmured thanks, and Ceran took the bottle with louder gratitude. He poured Indric and himself half as much as the lords had in their cups.

"We will try it it, but we don't want to embarrass our Lord and Lady." Indric nodded his agreement. Then all four Avialae shared a toast and an exploratory - at least for the Synnekar - sip.

"Oh," Indric murmured. Everyone seemed to enjoy it. "Yes, we ought to be careful so Kaus doesn't have to be."

Ceran giggled. It was strange coming from a man who was taller than Raithen and Kaus even seated. Kaus laughed and Ceran blushed.

"It's okay, love," Indric said, the rest inaudible as he pulled Ceran in for a kiss and what was likely sweet nothings whispered into his ear.

"All right. You have our libations beat," Kaus allowed magnanimously. "You will just have to visit so I can show you how impervious you are to cold and how wild are the winds of the Astralars." The lordling glanced at his "bodyguards," then to Raithen. "Well..." He leaned in and kissed his jaw. "So you don't feel left out."

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[Raithen]

Raithen hummed, taking in the information without really letting his mind wander to images of slim human and elven women attempting to birth massive Avialae sons.

"If you're a runt, I suppose I am too." This concession was more about feeling an additional layer of connection than imagining either of them were in anyway lacking.

To him the wine tasted of melons, cool and refreshing on his tongue with hints of something warm just curling at the back of his mouth. The hand not occupied with his noble guest came up to lightly play at his own mouth, the gesture called attention to the feature more than it hid it and was a sure sign that the wine was beginning to work on him.

His answering laugh to the unexpected sound from the large guardsman was delighted as well and said he understood the feeling rather than mocking it. The drop in some of their formality, and the sudden revelation that the two seated on the other side of the table must be lovers did nothing to cool the heat pooling with the alcohol in Raithen's belly. It was a pairing he would certainly watch if it were on display on the stage, or anywhere else that he was invited to do so.

A grin broke his concentration when Kaus spoke and he gave an appreciative nod to both what he was seeing and what he was hearing.

"It isn't the sort of thing one indulges in everyday, that would be... Well, it would be something."

The invitation was unexpected and he looked away from the first kissing pair of Avialae he'd ever seen to face Kaus again. That a return invitation might be extended to someone from his family was expected, but he himself had never received such specifically. Once or twice he had been told to be the family representative to accept a general invitation but as he searched Kaus' eyes he thought the man meant specifically him. Without thinking he answered,

"I've never seen snow. Living here makes me wish I were impervious to heat but I suppose it makes a great deal more sense in Starfall."

When Kaus leaned in Raithen was sorely tempted to turn his head to bring their mouths together in imitation of the display being given by the Silverwings, but he didn't. It didn't feel like something he wanted to rush, nor did he want to dictate Kaus' choices for him. He did raise a hand, wrapping it around Kaus' sharp jaw, just the tips of his fingers brushing into the soft platinum curls. Showing his consent and interest was very much his goal, without the wine he still would have been highly interested, with it his world narrowed to just the feel of Kaus' warm body where it touched him.

Clearing his throat, when his guest pulled back didn't at all cover the light flush that graced his golden face, and more than his face but he wasn't yet ready, for once in his life, to retire to somewhere more private.

Lacing his hand through Kaus' he said,

"Come on, you need to feel what moving is like when you've drank this vintage." Before pulling them both up and toward the dance floor. If the Silverwings followed them, all the better, if they stayed seated Raithen would ensure he kept them within view so if anyone asked he could say they had never been out of eyesight of the guards.

The music was loud but not uncomfortably so, he would be able to speak to his partner, or partners, but no one else would hear what was said. The lighting of the room changed, Masquerade enchanted so that it was darker where people were dancing, at least to their senses, than it was in the rest of the room. There were probably Mesmers employed somewhere as well, enhancing the music and the atmosphere in general to have a feeling of wild abandon. It was subtle rather than overwhelming, but it made Raithen feel attractive and active and he let both feelings in without a fight. Picking up the beat with his head first he grinned, acknowledging that dancing felt a little silly in the first moments but letting the pulses of music carry down until his shoulders, then hips, then feet were moving as well.

The first song was meant for general dance, moving however one wanted, as was the second, but the third had specific steps. They weren't overly complicated and Kaus wasn't the only one on the floor who had never done it before. Raithen was a good teacher and made it obvious that he was charmed by any mistakes, not embarrassed by them. He ended up behind Kaus, hands on his hips, showing him how to do it. It was, thankfully, quite simple to start and then, every round small things were added to each movement a little flashier, a little sexier. People were moved, laughed and touched all around them. The closeness felt nature, moving felt good, everyone was beautiful and nothing else, in that moment, mattered.

[Kala Leukos]

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Kaus was all smiles tonight. Here, Ceran and Indric stood out for their size, while he and Raithen were the norm. If Kaus didn't have Raithen's elven ears, he was closer to the platinum ideal, at least in coloration. He hummed against Raithen's skin, a little sound reverberating through bone. A part of him was trying to remember to talk about how cold the air could get in the desert if one merely flew higher, but the wine made him want to focus on sensual things. He didn't suppose this was the sort of diplomacy Kala intended in Solunarium, but it seemed to be going all right.

Ceran and Indric didn't follow them to the dance floor, perhaps affording them a bit of privacy, such as it was in a public space. They cuddled, sipping wine, and watched—at least, they kept glancing at them from time to time.

Only time would tell Raithen if Kaus' stories were entirely true, but if Kala was the better dancer, he at least knew what he was doing. The swordmasters of Starfall, lacking in renown though they might be, also taught their pupils how to dance. There were martial dances with blades, and there were dances to celebrate harvests. These were dances meant for touching, for exploring, and often for lust. Perhaps it was the bonds that protected him somewhat from Mesmer, but Kaus let the music and the magical liquor do their work.

The younger Avialæ picked up the steps to the third dance well enough; good teacher, good student.

Kaus looked over his shoulder at the golden one, a smile radiant upon his face. His hands fell over Raithen's on his hips and they were ice cold. One trailed up Raithen's arm, his neck, and nudged his jaw toward the ceiling. From above, snow began to fall from a sparkling mist. There was a thrill of alarm through the dancers, but some recognized it for what it was and the Mesmers did their work, cleaning up after the foreign elementalist.

"Tibi," he said carefully, "ego do nivis."

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[Raithen]

Raithen's answering grin as he felt Kaus' voice thrum through his skin was all of joy. He didn't think he'd ever actually touched someone of his own race before, and if he had it had been a thing of his work, not of his choice. It was in his head he knew, but it felt different, special and new. He wanted to touch the Silverwings, to see if they felt the same under his hands, made him feel the same way that Kaus did. Avialae were a race crafted with intention, by their own consent, connected by the intention of the creator and the created to work together. He knew that, at least, from his history lessons but he had found surprisingly little information outside it. It was one of the only things he'd ever gone out of his way to try and learn about but had been unable to find much. Oftentimes, if he did learn of a text that might give him more it was unavailable anywhere he had access to. It was an oddity but he was not used to studying, let alone seeking material with which to do so, so he had not known if it was unusual.

As they moved together he glanced back at the two gaurdsmen and asked, with no notion that it might be culturally shocking

"They seem much in love, do they ever let you watch them? They must be beautiful together."

The cool touch felt particularly good for how unusual it was for him and he thrilled to it, letting himself be led to look up and then...

Raithen was laughing, his eyes fluttering closed as he felt the first icy flakes land on his face, melting like kisses into his skin. Opening his eyes again he met Kaus',

"Tu mirabilis es." Quietly, in wonder, then, louder in Common, "You are marvelous!"

Spreading his wings he pulled them both up into the tiny storm of crystalized water, turning so they were facing each other again and could spin slowly on the magic of their flight, proving to any who watched that Avialae's ability to tame the skies was not based in their wings alone.