I Drew a Line for You [Finn]

[Arvælyn]

"I Drew A Line for You"
(Continued from "Just Say the Word")

14 Searing, 121
The Plaza of Jeweled Arches, Kalzasi

Finn and Arvalyn's dinner went off without a hitch, to Arry's surprise. But why should it be unexpected? They'd known one another for months, collaborated on multiple drafts of a song that had awed a crowd of strange and all too familiar faces, and been friendly throughout. Once their unspoken mutual attraction was broached by an elated elf after their watershed performance, an evening like this seemed to be the natural next step in their progression.

As they made their way out of the Ebonheart Inn onto the bustling street without, Arry's mind wandered back to Aurin and the heartrending conversation he'd had with him the prior day. He still wasn't altogether sure what to make of the exchange. He couldn't help but feel as though Aurin left things unspoken. But Aurin was wont to do just that, and that was what left Arry to fill in the blanks with his own assumptions. Given the myriad hardships in his personal background, he wasn't a natural optimist and those assumptions tended to leave him feeling hurt or undervalued. Aurin had bade him against being presumptuous when he'd asked for advice going into the date with Finn, but thinking back on things he wasn't sure how not to make assumptions with someone who never offered enough clarity to supplant them.

Arry turned to Finn, with a bit of a haunted look painting exotic features. When their eyes locked it fell away and he remembered where and with whom he was. He smiled warmly.

"We should get to the theatre." He noted, offering his arm. "Did you want to do anything afterwards?"

[Finn]

While not an expert on such things, it seemed to Finn as though the date was going well. Sometimes he watched such a thing unfold in a taproom while he played, and sometimes he would listen in if the din and his music were soft enough. And on rare occasions, he would listen through the rune hidden under his hair, trying to feel whether he was reading the social drama playing out before him aright.

He was more relaxed by the end of dinner than he had been at the beginning. The food was settling, the wine was slowing things down, and he had remembered that this was Arry. They had worked together and created together. There had been disagreements and compromises. This was just a new wrinkle of development. It was even comfortable when they were silent, one or the other or the both of them letting their minds wander and then come back. It seemed as though that was a good sign, actually, that their deeper minds knew there would be more time when there would be speaking and laughing and whatnot. They didn't have to fill every moment now because there would be more. For two such busy souls, the ability to pace themselves was a nice change — at least it was for Finn and he imagined so for Arry.

At the question, he blinked, wondering if it was as pointed as it sounded to him. The Golden Peacock was right next to the Velvet Cabaret, after all...

"The play was as far as I had planned," he admitted with an easy smile after silently scolding himself. "But I'm certain I would be up for a drink or a ramble afterward. Or I'm open to suggestions. And I was considering a little experiment. Have you ever watched a play while doing your magic? I'm curious to see how that might change the experience."

[Arvælyn]

"I guess we can play it by ear..." Arry said, flicking the tip of one of his own for emphasis and continuing the gesture to run a hand through his hair. His other arm was locked with Finn's, as they ambled down the street toward his future place of employment.

"I'm trying to see as many plays as I can, to prepare for my foray into legitimacy." The half-elf noted, trying his best not to sound haughty about the nepotistic expectations he had for when Aurin took over as managing director through whatever machinations he'd been plying.

"Oh!" Arry considered the question of Finn's experiment. "I... I don't think I consciously have, but a lot of times when I've used my Craft it hasn't been altogether... intentional." He sounded almost apologetic. "I think I told you, no one ever really taught me how to use it. My mostly estranged mother appeared out of nowhere when I sat at my father's deathbed and gifted me with the rune allegedly in hopes that I might use it to better my situation. But when I woke from the ensuing threshold sickness, she was gone and I had a wrist tattoo. It was quite some time before I accidentally used it to get out of a bad situation, but... I mean, it's also possible I used it without realising before even that." He pondered that notion for a moment, before it occurred to him he'd just gone on a huge tangent from the question posed.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I think the wine has left me giddy- Yes. Let's do your little experiment. Perhaps we can even weave together like when we were performing and better feel each other's reactions to the play... if that doesn't seem too invasive to you."

[Finn]

"I enjoy the theater, as well," he said with a smile. "And I suppose you would have an easy time playing some elven lord, at least in some modern play. The classical ones, they are so stylized. I think the actors spend years in training..."

Thankfully, the Golden Peacock had more than one venue within its walls, so they could preserve the old traditions as well as nurturing the new arts. Finn enjoyed both sorts. There was something grand about the ancient ways, and something visceral about the new. And, oddly, sometimes either could be both. Or perhaps not oddly. He wasn't exactly a connoisseur.

Finn nodded and gave his hand a supportive squeeze.

"If there's nobody nearby when we sit down, I can talk you through the exercises I learned straightaway. They're a sort of guided meditation to help you intentionally work with your rune." He paused. "I'm not an expert, but I can learn a script by rote. Like it's just lyrics." He paused again. "And if there are people sitting right near us, I could still talk you through it. I might just have to lean in and whisper into your ear. But that might just distract you." He offered a lop-sided smile. "But distracting you could be fun as well..."

The minstrel was playful more than wicked, though if what happened amounted to public foreplay, perhaps he was a bit wicked too. Not that he assumed that they were having sex that night. Not that he was against it. And now he was imagining them listening to each other's symphonies while taking off their clothes and... He cut off his imagination, cheeks pink all the same.

"You can listen to my symphony whenever you wish," he assured him after clearing his throat. "I hope you won't try to rewrite my melodies, though."

[Arvælyn]

"You don't think I could do it?" Arry pouted playfully and nudged Finn with his shoulder, but cracked a smile before Finn could reply. "You're probably right. But I'd like to learn. I think I could. I've already learnt so much from you. Do you think they teach classical theatre at your academy?" He'd pondered the notion of attempting to enroll at some point ever since hearing of Finn's studies. He hadn't seriously looked into it, of course, as he hadn't so esteemed a patron supporting his academic ambitions as Finn had, but he did like to fantasise about being a student at a proper institute of higher learning.

"I hope you'll lean in and whisper in my ear regardless of whether or not we have neighbours..." Arry noted, casting a flirtatious wink to the handsome human at his side.

"I wouldn't dream of rewriting your melodies. Why would I tamper with perfection?" He sounded so earnest in his delivery that it didn't even seem like flattery or simple first date banter. It sounded as though Arry truly believed Finn the Future Fantastic to be Finn the Flawless. He found himself so enamoured of the young man that he'd have airbrushed even the boldest blemish away in his mind, should Finn present any red flags that might otherwise mar the rose-tinted image Arry had rendered of the minstrel.

When they arrived at the theatre, there was still a bit of time before curtain and people were milling in the lobby in their fine dress with drinks in hand. Arry gestured toward the bar,

"Fancy another drink, or...?" He trailed off and his golden eyes darted to meet Finn's stunning blue.

[Finn]

Finn's reactions were relatively straightforward and Arry seemed to have little trouble playing him like his very own lute. He assured him that it wasn't so much that he didn't think he could do it as... well, he managed to make some assurances, but then he was imagining whispering in Arry's ear or Arry whispering in his ear and he was an artist so he had a fertile imagination.

"I know they teach classes about the actual scripts?" he offered. He would have to do a little research to see what else happened at the Academy that wasn't within his sphere. "They call it dramatic literature in academia, I guess. But I think the old forms are rooted in religious practice, so the temples probably teach more. And the whole master-and-apprentice arrangement is still in effect. If I stay long enough, I might even end up with a master teacher for music."

The minstrel was pleased that Arry thought so highly of him, though being on a pedestal could be a little uncomfortable. He was suddenly worried he might fall. All the same...

"I've only ever used it to make people more open to what I'm singing," he admitted. "I have been reading about this ancient order, though, the Leh'anafel, that used Mesmer and music to do great things." He laughed. "Perhaps I'll be the one to bring them back? It might make for a good song someday."

When they arrived at the theater, Arry suggested another drink. Finn considered, then glanced sidelong at his companion. Attempting to keep a straight face, he stepped up close and positioned his lips close to Arry's ear.

"It's up to you," he whispered, "but more to drink might make the Mesmer more difficult and make us more prone to be overwhelmed by the emotions in the symphonies we open ourselves up to." His fingers entwined with Arry's. "But I'm yours for the evening, and I will follow your lead."

[Arvælyn]

"You've told me about the Leh'anafel." Arry recalled, "I think it might have been the first day we met when I brought you to that pub and peppered you with questions." What an auspicious inclination that had turned out to be, he thought with a subtle smirk.

"Very well." Arry nodded, "I shall exert moderation thus proving that I am not a total lush." He said, rather grandly, and produced their tickets. "Let's find our seats, then." He reclaimed Finn's arm and led the way over to an usher, who directed them to the proper door.

Upon locating their row, Arry released Finn's arm to scoot by a few theatregoers who were already seated to get to their assigned chairs. There was no one seated immediately around them, but that would likely change when the bell tolled to urge people out of the lobby and into the house.

Once Finn was seated at his side, Arry took his hand and squeezed it as he leaned over to place a light kiss upon his neck and bury his face their in a nuzzle for a few moments, before coming up for air and saying:

"Alright, Finn the Future Fantastic... enlighten me." Though their dynamic had changed over the months, Arry still rather liked to play the role of the eager student with Finn. In some matters, their roles reversed so it wasn't so much a power dynamic as it might have been, but Arry genuinely was curious and open to learning much of what Finn had to teach. Moreover he was humble about his own ignorance, so he didn't tend to buck against correction or critique.

He released Finn's hand and pulled one of his sleeves up to unfasten the cuff that concealed his rune, baring it to the human at his side.

[Finn]

The human just enjoyed the way Leh'anafel rolled off his tongue and what he had heard from Lyra and read from scraps in the archives made it seem like a narrative he could be a part of. Perhaps it would even be something that Arry would join him in, though it seemed that his career would take precedence. That didn't bother Finn, though. Their rearing might have been different, but they both knew the value of a full belly. Finn had been mostly wallowing until the Shinsei had plucked him out of a bad situation and given him a nudge in the right direction. There was talk that he was a demigod now, but he had always been of a much higher status than Finn so he didn't know how that would change things if he ever got to see him again. He was still working on that song.

The kiss on the neck made him shiver, but it was followed by a grin. Living a budding infatuation was quite different from singing about it, he found. But taking a cue from him, Finn leaned in, one hand on Arry's golden neck, the other covering his rune.

"The symphony is different for everyone," he said, whispering into Arry's sharp, elegant ear. "To me, it actually sounds like music, to others, I understand it can be more of a feeling. Close your eyes. Imagine your blood seeping through the lines of your rune. Imagine the rune coming alive, beating in time with your heart, filled with your essence."

Finn phonated enough for his voice to have a sonorous music of its own. His teacher had done the same for him, inducing the lightest of trance states that made it easier to manipulate aether. It was simply easier when the normal, critical mind wasn't telling a person that it was all in their imagination. It was in some sense, but imagination could be a muscle that grew stronger with exercise as well.

"When you can feel your pulse through your rune, begin to listen to the sounds around you. You can focus on my voice, if you like, and let your rune pick up on my heartbeat. You can begin to hear my symphony. My nerves. My exhilaration. My admiration. My concern." He tried to be utterly honest with the brew of feelings he was feeling. The date had him nervous and exhilarated both. He admired Arry in many ways, but was also concerned, wanting to be able to help him use his rune with more control. Finn knew it could do damage to Arry or others if he lacked control. He wanted to equip him such that he needn't fear the bequest of his absent mother.

Finn opened himself up as well, having progressed beyond the need for the meditation he was leading. He felt the prickle on his scalp where his own rune lay hidden, honing in on Arry's reaction so he might have some warning should things go awry.

[Arvælyn]

Arry smiled obligingly and took in a deep breath before complying with the request to shut his eyes. He knew how to engage his Craft already, and so it was easy to follow Finn's delicately delivered instructions. They'd already merged amidst their music, so part of this was familiar, but obviously they were both in a different place emotionally at the moment which made things a bit different withal. When they'd been performing on that stage and intertwining their aetherial energies, it had been a complex pair of symphonies harmonising exquisitely. Now that he could feel their tethers interweaving again, he realised that it had been this feeling that inspired him to ask Finn out in the first place. It had given him the confidence that they might make for a good match.

He let out a slow exhalation as he began to explore Finn's symphony further, while opening his own to be explored in return. Excitement and attraction sounded in fortissimo, with lighter notes of curiosity, wonder and even confidence playing underneath at a mezzoforte. His nerves, surprisingly, were even lighter still.

He took in another breath and opened his eyes,

"Fuck." He whispered, "I'm really aroused, right now." He blushed and shifted a bit in his seat. "I'm sorry if that's crass to say, but... Well, you could probably tell without my saying it aloud anyway." He bit his lip, and actively projected those feelings from his own symphony into Finn's so he would recognise exactly how Arry was feeling at the moment.

"I'm not sure we should be doing this in public..." He offered with a light, almost apologetic chuckle, as he leaned closer in to nestle his body against Finn's.

[Finn]

"I know," Finn reminded him, his voice suddenly huskier. He reciprocated the kiss on the neck. He couldn't help himself, but then he turned his attention to other people nearby and suggested Arry do the same.

"Though this bodes well for whenever we decide to do things best kept from the public eye... try to focus on someone else's symphony."

Finn pulled back and settled more comfortably in his chair, though the hand that had rested on Arry's neck settled on his far shoulder, and the hand covering his rune pulled Arry's hand to rest on his knee. They looked intimate then, but hardly enough to attract undue notice. He was able to simultaneously listen to a couple of people at once, though now that they were practicing together as they waited for the lights to dim and the curtain to rise, he attempted a feat of concentration and juggle three separate symphonies in his mind's ear.

It was likely that one would be enough of a challenge for Arry, who was unschooled in its use. But the elf had spent more time with the rune etched into him, so perhaps he would catch up quickly with a bit of instruction. Finn imagined that time and familiarity with the magic would grow its potency, though he only knew some magical theory that his red-robed instructor had taught him. He had always wanted more practical information, being the simple son of a blacksmith and not an academic.

Well, until recently. Perhaps he ought to see if there were any courses in magical theory at the Academy, the better to earn more knowledge and develop wisdom to chase the dream of the Leh'anafel if that was his Purpose.

Finn glanced at Arry to gauge his concentration.