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Foundation

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 6:14 pm
by Asher
76th of Searing, Year 122
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And then there was joy.

It was strange -- despite the harrowing circumstances that had led them there, Asher and his lover had lived well the last few weeks. It was, doubtlessly, the warmest glimpse he had ever had at life. Over time, it became clear that his role in the Legion was no longer to guard the Emperor, but to serve as Talon's right-hand. Given that, he had been allowed to spend nearly every waking hour with him if wanted, and Asher took the opportunity more times than not. They had spoken much, sharing stories and perspectives, mostly rudimentary things but also deeper things: Asher had been given the opportunity to dive into the way his lover thought, the things that guided him.

Their intimacy had changed shape. The hesitation and awkwardness from before had gone, as their dynamic evolved away from transaction and command, and closer to mutual trust and affection. Gone were the worries that he would be discarded or reassigned after fulfilling his duty; the Empire had not denied him Talon, nor Talon him. From that, his loyalty had become bolstered, as parts of him wondered whether he was finally being given the freedom and companionship he deserved. Asher wondered if his service to the Empire was the source of this treatment, and ignored any thought that his place at Talon's side was luck, and happenstance. He was privy to feeling that everything in Gelerian was engineered, including his current, blissful state of mind.

Early in the morning on the seventy-fifth, he had been asked to meet his lover at the lighthouse that night, the retreat they often shared when they wanted to be further away from company, appointments and prying eyes. The two met once darkness fell, and before long became enveloped within one another, a night of passion joining them as a welcome reprieve. Asher awoke within the corded strength of his lover's frame, Talon's naked leg hanging over him and Asher's hand clinging to a mound of muscle between his lover's axilla and obliques. Sighing, the Kathar opened his eyes, leaning into Talon's masculine warmth, their bodies meeting with gentle friction.

"Good morning, my dear," whispered the Knight, who moved to thumb along his lover's stubble. "Rest well?"

Re: Foundation

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 6:46 pm
by Talon
T A L O N


He awoke from a bone deep sleep that could only come from the comfort of being in a place where one felt completely safe. Wrapped in the muscled frame of his lover with his head resting peacefully on Asher’s chest, Talon had drifted into a peaceful sleep that had not been his to have for quite some time. As the sun crept on the horizon however, wakefulness found him. It was a gentle waking that nudged him from slumber. He had found that no matter how tired, he would awaken at first light of the new day. Vaguely he knew that was tied to something related to him being the God of the Dawn. Memories were sometimes clear other times they were not. In time, he knew they would filter through when they needed to.

The days of late had been filled with a focus on his mission ahead. The Emperor had commanded him by virtue of the Imperial Mandate and he was to serve as the Imperial Throne’s Divine Hand. Whether it was a hand of wrath or of mercy depended on the command he was given but thus far, his tasks were focused on the preparations for his journey to the south. He was looking forward to it, if he were being honest. As much as he was coming to grips with Gel’Grandal being his home, it was still a place where he had suffered great trauma. That was getting easier to bear the burden of with Asher by his side but the shadow of it still lingered. He had shared his thoughts and feelings with the knight as time passed, given insight into his beliefs and what he could remember of his life over the past two years. Often times it felt like he was staring through a window, looking at someone else’s life. Which in truth, it partially was.

Talon turned his head into Asher’s hand and kissed the palm. He let a warm hum flow through him as he wrapped his arms more snugly around the firm body beneath him. His wings shifted, blanketing them both in their warmth.

Good morning, Asher.” It had become a habit of his to always acknowledge Asher by his name upon first greeting. It was an acknowledgement of the man himself and not the role he played in his life. Lover, Knight, Confidant, Friend, those things were important to him but always he wanted the man to know it was him that Talon found appealing, not the role he played.

I did.” He turned his head so that his chin was resting lightly upon the knight’s chest. His silver eyes glowed softly in the morning light. They were always most luminescent with the coming dawn. “I have had a thought. Today I have no meetings. I have no errands to run. The preparations for the journey are well underway. I was thinking that, perhaps, we could go on a small adventure together. You and I. Away from Gel’Grandal.

He wanted to take some time to enjoy the days he had left within the empire. He was certain that Solunarium would have its challenges. What he had been reading about the country from Imperial records had shown him that it would be a legitimate test of his resolve and his patience in some ways. He wanted to have at least a few more days of joy before he faced whatever calamity awaited him in the south.



Re: Foundation

Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 7:06 pm
by Asher
TIME STAMP
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Asher grinned as Talon's affections came, causing his head to recline as his chin lifted, small, gentle laughs escaping his lips as the other kissed him and pressed into his form. In the last few weeks, more of the Knight had been coming out. His quiet, wallflower-like nature dominated much of their time, but Asher could also be playful, teasing, jovial or even absurd. Most of all, he was strikingly intimate, something Talon would have known well by now. As the other man greeted him and made his proposition, the Knight pinned him on his back, bearing onto him from above so that their forms were aligned, their chests bonded skin-to-skin while Asher teased his aijin's feet.

"An adventure?" he asked, the Knight's eyes lighting up. He wasn't certain he'd gone on something like an adventure since he was a boy. He'd seen places inexplicably beautiful, and had traveled far from home, but it was always a task or an assignment; a deployment. Never an adventure. "I'd love to, Talon," Asher replied, leaning in to swiftly peck the man's lips. As he pulled away, he looked down on him, puckering his lips together while pulling his head further back, challenging the other to lift himself despite the weight keeping him bound to the mattress. Asher chuckled, surrendering the ruse and kissing the other man again, ending his short bout of torture.

"First, though... I've the world's handsomest man beneath me, and he's a benevolent handsome man at that. A rare combo. How can I show my appreciation?" Asher hummed, locking lips with the other man rather than swiftly pulling away. He smoothed his hand across Talon's back, tightening his grip and squeezing the Synnekar's lats.