I Drew a Line for You [Finn]

[Arvælyn]

"But I like yours..." Arry whispered back plaintively, adopting a playful pout and casting it Finn's way. "Fine." He said, rolling his eyes and withdrawing some of his aetherial tendrils from Finn, though not all of them. He wanted to keep part of himself bound to the boy at his side, so Finn could better gauge how his student was progressing.

With that, he shut his eyes once more and let out a heavy breath. Not only air spread forth from his lungs, but aether flowed forth as well into a wide exploratory path in all directions. Although his lesson was only to listen, he was unconsciously extending the melodies of his own symphony that were presently soaring most saliently. Behind them, a woman gasped at her own arousal and moments later the man at her side let out a quivering groan. It was at the third such utterance that Arry realised what he was doing, and quickly withdrew his energies back to the immediate sphere of himself and Finn. He wove more of himself back into Finn, because panic had begun to crescendo when he grew concerned his influence might have been clocked.

His melody begged to be soothed and comforted, as he nestled closer to Finn for physical as well as aetherial comfort. He furrowed his brow and whispered.

"Sorry! I was just trying to listen, but... I'm particularly emotional at the moment. You have me rather soaring, Finn, so it's difficult not to influence the other symphonies I touch with my Craft." The good news was the panic had been enough to quell the overstimulation for the moment, so he wasn't squirming in his seat over his attraction to Finn anymore.

[Finn]

When Finn became aware of what Arry was doing, he had to fight the rise of panic—his own and Arry's—and steel himself to weave a calming melody into the elf's symphony. He seemed to want that, which made it easier, and Finn's arm settled more heavily around his shoulders as though he were sheltering him under his wing. Let people think Arry was tired or upset, just so long as they didn't think the two men were weaving enchantments upon their unsuspecting neighbors. It occurred to him then that Arry was quite strong, quite a bit stronger than he let on, though Finn sensed no dissembling from him. Then again, he was a consummate actor, so perhaps he could fool even an empath. But he chose to believe that Arry was being honest. So perhaps he was strong but instinctive. Suddenly, it became very important to Finn that he teach Arry what control he knew lest he get into trouble.

"There, don't worry," he murmured, kissing a golden brow without even thinking it through first. "No harm done. Perhaps it were better we try this someplace less public, less overwhelming."

He let his head rest against Arry's crown.

"Perhaps we ought just enjoy the show for now. But I promise you that I will teach you what I know."

And while he wasn't hiding the fact that he was using magic to augment his ability to calm Arry down, both his voice and his symphony sang with sincerity.

"But... perhaps... whenever we do become... intimate... we could sing to each other and... experience everything together... that could be... sort of magical, don't you think?" He chuckled, flushed, perhaps still riding a bit of Arry's arousing melody. "Literally and figuratively. I mean, if you want to. I don't mean to make assumptions..."

[Arvælyn]

As the panic began to pass, thanks to Finn's Mesmer ministrations, Arry realised what had just happened. He knitted his brow and whispered his thoughts as they came to him, so Finn might understand.

"I think because our aether was still entwined, I unconsciously started to amplify the emotions we both had in common and project them. You and I were both feeling happy, aroused... a few other feelings that were close enough that I... Think I used you as a focus without realising. I'm sorry." He repeated.

It was odd. Finn's feelings felt close but different. His version of happy didn't feel the same as Arry's, nor did his version of stimulated. Perhaps it was just the way they regarded each other was different, or perhaps everyone just experienced emotion differently. He'd heard the question posed of whether each individual might see colour differently and now he wondered whether emotion was the same. Was the pink flush of Finn's cheek the same to Arry's golden eyes as it would be to Aurin's hazel? He'd never consciously explored Aurin's symphony for long enough to gauge how his feelings worked, but he suspected they'd be quite different to his own. That would have been a frightening prospect to embark upon...

"Yes." Arry agreed, returning to the moment at hand. "We can just enjoy the show, but maybe you can hold my hand the whole time." He smiled sweetly, "And maybe we can keep a little thread of aether between us, so our souls are holding hands, too." He suggested softly.

"I think I'd like to try that, yes, but... I don't know when it's good to become intimate." He'd been with enough men who lost interest as soon as they'd released to be fearful of leaping into the carnal side of things. Finn might be the sort of boy who needed a bit more chase, or at least something to look forward to. But did all their time as friends and collaborators count, or did the counter start once they transitioned toward the romantic?

[Finn]

Finn breathed a little sigh of relief; crisis averted.

"There's no need to apologize," he said, not pulling away. Let people think they were in love. He did his part to maintain the little give and take of aetheric energies that kept them emotionally linked. It would be interesting to let that sit and see how they maintained their individuality and how they blurred the line between their feelings.

His hand remained on Arry's rune. He didn't know if the elf needed to see it in order to focus on pouring his aether into it, whether it was otherwise symbolically important for his mind. Perhaps he would ask later, but for now, he was content to listen and to listen. The minstrel was quiet for a time, curious about the curiosity in Arry's symphony, wondering why his red-headed friend's face popped up in Finn's mind.

"There's no rush for that," he admitted. "Being physically intimate. If you weren't sure before, now you know that I'm attracted to you. If one or the other of us only wanted a quick tumble in the hay, we could have had that by now. At the same time, it doesn't need to be at some mythical perfect moment to be special... It would be special, I think, because we like each other. And it might be magical even without magic." He chuckled.

And then, though they might have said more, the orchestra began to tune their instruments. This was to be a contemporary play from what he understood. That was fine, certainly. While he studied the ancient musics, they weren't a tradition he would necessarily feel comfortable composing in. But this was also the sort of theater he imagined he might see Arry performing soon if his career went where he hoped, and that was exciting to behold. He glanced sidelong at Arry to verify with his eyes that all was well even though his rune told him much the same. Then he settled in to be an attentive member of the audience.

[Arvælyn]

"No, perhaps you're right... We've already made music together, there's no need for me to script the course of our... Whatever this is." Arry blushed slightly, having stayed his tongue at the last moment from referring to their fledgling dalliance as a 'relationship'. It was a bit of a relief when instruments began to sound and lights began to dim, presaging the beginning of the show. He forgot that his embarrassment and his relief were both palpable to the boy at his side. If that occurred to him, it might have reversed the relief and returned the embarrassment twofold strong.

Such as things were, the welcome distraction of a political intrigue play ensued. The story revolved around some aging sovereign of yore with three daughters, two of whom were insidious and one of whom was true of heart. The play explored a number of themes in its main theme and sundry subplots, but after several riveting hours it ended in tragedy with the entire dynasty deceased. He tried to envision himself in a few of the roles, though the most suited seemed to be either of two brothers- One baseborn, whose bastardy became as pretext for his villainy and the other legitimate who, in being wronged by his ill-starred half-sibling, descended into temporary insanity before avenging his wrongs.

As the curtain call commenced, Arry leapt to his feet and applauded with vigour. All it all it may not have been the most romantic of stories for a first date, but it was definitely stimulating in a number of ways. Foremost being that it was really well done and exactly the sort of material Arry dreamt of tackling himself once Aurin took control of this storied venue. He put his cuff back on, before they started to file out of the house and through the lobby toward the street without, which was a sight darker than it had been when they'd entered hours earlier.

"Did you like it, Finn?" Arry inquired, once they were clear enough of the crowd that he could speak audibly without raising his voice.

[Finn]

While not as quick to his feet as his companion, Finn rose to join the standing ovation. It was not his first time at the theater, but it was his first time seeing this particular play, and remaining open to it through his rune, he had been able to intuit a great deal more of the intricacy of the relationships and feelings between the actors, who seemed for the most part to have subsumed themselves into their roles. At least, it seemed as though they believed they were who they said they were, the words coming from their mouths spontaneous and true. He wondered if he was the same when he performed.

And of course, when the scenes changed, he recalled the handsome elf under his arm and at his side, experiencing some of what he felt both for the show and for Finn's arm around him.

"I did like it," he said, chancing to put his arm around Arry once more. He didn't know if Arry's coach would turn into a pumpkin soon, so he figured he ought to be bold while he was able to be. "A few times when I was pulled out of it... it was only to admire some little thing that I noticed. They always pulled me back into it." He would have liked more music, but then the underscoring had served to augment the performances rather than draw attention from what was most important, so he supposed it was well done in that sense as well.

He didn't point out that Arry needn't ask the question as their souls remained a bit entwined. Or perhaps Arry had let go and only Finn was listening to his date's music.

"I think you could have been cast as one of the brothers." His musings were independent of Arry's own, and anyway, their magical simpatico was more emotional than codified into words.

"It is nice to see art elevated..."

[Arvælyn]

"I was thinking the same thing!" Arry beamed at Finn's alternative casting, and kissed his cheek for validating his own musings. "It could even add another layer of meaning if the bastard was of mixed blood with elfin features." He noted. He usually preferred to downplay his crossed cultures, but if it served his art he was sure he could use make-up and mannerisms to amplify his human side. If he gave it a month or so, he could even grow some stubble.

"Yeah, I like how flowery the language was." He bit his lip, and grinned impishly.

"I should fain speak thus for the remainder o'th' eventide!" He jested, and took a few steps further before pausing at a corner where the crowd from the show had begun to dissipate and offer a semblance of privacy.

"Did you..." He pulled away from the crook of Finn's arm, only to face him, "...did you want there to be more to the eventide?" He queried, suddenly projecting a bit of nervousness unconsciously through his aether. The act of so doing seemed to make him aware that they were still connected and then, upon listening, the nervousness was instantly cast away.

"Oh. You do." He blushed, "Stupid. Sorry, um... Well, what did you want to do next? I'm... that isn't meant to be a leading question, by the way. I know we already talked a bit about being intimate, but... There's tons of stuff we could do beyond that. It's a whole big city and the night is still relatively young..." Though the play had been rather long and the Searing sun had long since set.

"But I'll do whatever you want." He noted with an adoring glint in golden eyes.

[Finn]

"I think I've wrapped my mouth around enough flowery lyrics that I ought to be able to ken your meaning should you speak poetically," he ventured with a smile, then walked with Arry toward a place where they had a modicum of privacy from the rest of the madding crowd. He tried to imagine Arry playing elf or human, but now that he knew he was of mixed heritage, he just seemed to look like himself. He hoped he would be able to lose himself in whatever productions Arry might be a part of in the future, knowing he would want to disappear into his role, though perhaps a small part of him would take pride in shining too brightly through his roles for Finn to suspend disbelief. He wondered what it would be like to see Arry portray different people and then, perhaps, take him home afterward. Would he still be Arry or would he be more than Arry, coming down from a creative high?

Time would tell.

Finn smiled apologetically.

"It seems as though we are of a similar mind—wanting more but not wanting to be demanding." He made no efforts to banish the tenuous connection they had betwixt their two runes of Mesmer. "We both have had a fine time tonight. We both are in no particular rush to become intimate, but not opposed to it either." He laughed quietly. "We are both being overly solicitous so as not to upset the other, even though it doesn't seem as though either of us have done or said anything to upset the other... So we seem to be in good company.

"I think it safe to say that tonight will not be our last date, so while neither of us is eager for the night to end, there's no fear this will be the end." He paused. "Is there something we could do that would make the night perfect for you? I know perfection doesn't actually exist, but if there's something missing... you have but to ask."

[Arvælyn]

"Clever and sexy." Arry sighed contentedly, "It seems I've hit the jackpot." His grin pulsed through their conjoined energies, and invited Finn to join without persuading him to.

"Mm..." He stepped closer until they were chest to chest and put his arms around Finn's waist, clasping his hands where they rested on the cushion of Finn's taut, dimpled bum. It seemed that, even in Finn's rather academic accounting of their common caution, Arry's body wanted what their minds were musing over moderating. If his symphony didn't intone as much clearly enough, their fronts were touching and other clues were making themselves apparent.

He knew the date was going well rather unequivocally, unless Finn was able to somehow fabricate his entire symphony, but it still gave him a rush to hear that this wouldn't be their last.

"If perfection doesn't exist, what would you call this moment?" Arry protested with a light squeeze of the arms that rounded FInn's torso. But he decided to improve upon perfection by leaning in to kiss him. It was a natural, necessary gesture that he hadn't even consciously decided to execute before he was in the midst of it. It felt so natural in fact, that he broke the kiss and tilted his head back to inquire,

"Did you mesmerise me into kissing you, you cheeky human?" He chuckled and planted another tender kiss to Finn's lips, to indicate that even if he had, it was all right by him.

"I guess..." He considered the question in earnest as he rested his head on Finn's shoulder, "I guess I'd like it if you'd take me somewhere that's very special to you. I want to feel the way it makes you feel." He said, gently stroking Finn's aether with his own for emphasis.

[Finn]

Finn couldn't hide that Arry's compliments had an effect on him. He paid little heed to such things at the Cabaret, assuming that courtesans were going to be flirtatious as part of their mystique and part of their job. But tied up as their emotions were now, he could read them as sincere and he didn't know what to do with that.

And then they were kissing. And then it became quite evident that both their bodies were straining for something their minds were keeping in check.

"Did you mesmerise my—" but he cut himself off, not sure how the metaphor of a snake-charmer would play in this situation. He couldn't recall being this aroused in public ever before and a part of him wanted to hide his face in Arry's neck. He wasn't ashamed, but he was slightly embarrassed.

He tried to think of a place to take him—the performance space at the Academy with its finely tuned acoustics, though it was likely to be closed by the time they arrived; skinny dipping in Lake Udori, though that might speed the physical intimacy faster than Arry wanted. His mind couldn't come up with some special place to take him there in that moment.

"I think any place would be special right now," he mumbled lamely, albeit with complete honesty. "Would you— would you want to come home with me? Not necessarily with a will to misbehave, but... we could curl up in my bed and talk until we fall asleep, and if my morning hair and breath don't put you off me forever, we could wake up together and see about breakfast..."

It might be necessary to release the mesmer-bond before that, of course, lest an errant thought get them so focused on what was between their legs that it all became inevitable. They might want to wait to incorporate magic into whatever sex life awaited them, as well, as it could likely be overwhelming.