|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2022 4:11 pm
Follows wish you had the nerve to.The night sky, a wash of pensive indigoes, rippled and swayed. Pinpricks of light, a smattering of space's brightest stars, stretched and whorled and winked out. Ubiquitous was the dull hum in his ears, interrupted only by subtle gurgles.
Unable to hold his breath any longer, Eion swam upward and broke the surface. He took in quick breaths of air, surprised at how pressured his lungs felt, as he remembered how to stay afloat. The youth scraped thick, wet wefts of wavy black hair from his face and whipped them back like a bushel of tentacles. Several blinks cleared some of the chlorinated water from his eyes, and he spat some of the trickles he'd accidentally taken in.
Eion beamed for the chance to swim again. Once he was aware of his smile, he became self-conscious for it, and fought to swallow it back.
Then he swam for the poolside, where he crossed arms atop the lip to keep himself afloat while he watched the lounging boy on his couch. Truly, he was committed to the host affair, and perhaps that was admirable in most social situations, but Eion didn't understand it. If Trey was so tired, he could've told Eion to get lost. He'd have gone to the pool by himself.
Eion breathed a contented sigh. "Been an age since I last swam. Can't do it as youma." Not that Trey needed help figuring that one out. Even if he wouldn't necessarily ascertain the reason for it.
"Imagine you haven't much, either. Surprised you joined the Negaverse, given your schedule. Must've had a good reason to sacrifice your leisure time. Unless you were conscripted."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2022 9:23 pm
It was enjoyable to lounge, naked, on the couch he'd turned to face the pool. Leaning back on one arm, a blanket across his legs, he sipped at the new bottle of wine he'd opened and watched as Eion enjoyed the pool. As well satisfied and languorous as he'd felt, he'd been content with that, taking time to let his body shake off that lassitude in his limbs.
The smile he caught, that fleeting little expression, and it pulled a smile onto his own face, sly and pleased with himself for causing it. He tilted his head as he watched the boy swim over to the side and one of his shoulders rolled at the question.
"I swim nearly every day. Its part of what I do for exercise and to keep myself in shape." It was why he was long and lean, with the shoulders he had. The thighs and calves were from the horse riding. His smile turned hard-edged as he lifted his glass to his lips again and took a deep pull of it.
"I suppose conscripted is one way to put it." He said with a dark chuckle. "I was courting favor with one Mr. Chase Black, and he decided I would make a good officer. He got a rude surprise when he shoved his hand in my chest." Lifting his glass to the disguised general in his pool, he saluted him and then drank again.
"But I've made the best of it and I think I'm doing well enough, even learning things I can use in my civilian career. Eventually the schedule will ease. In the mean time, I just have to set aside time for things like swimming." Trey said as he set his empty glass aside. Pulling a band off his wrist, he reached up to twist his long hair into a knot and secured it. Thus prepared, he rose and tossed aside the blanket as he padded towards the pool. It was, at least, warm enough tonight it wasn't a hardship to be out here... he felt comfortable enough to squat down and settle himself on the edge of pool, letting his feet and calves sink into the cool water. The lights made ripples on his skin, and Eion's hair looked like a spill of ink slicked back from his youthful face.
"Did you choose to join? I realize I actually know very little about you, that doesn't involve the bedroom, of course."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:23 pm
Chase Black — he hadn't recognized the name. Someone of the Negaverse, clearly, and a General or Eternal at that. He assumed Albite and Kamacite had the same ability to awaken new officers as him, at least. "Is that Netherite?" He asked, curious.
But his curiosity as his attention was on Trey, in his short little jaunt to the edge of the pool. Much more graceful of a boy than the others, he had learned, and assumed it had to do with his career. It also meant grace was a skill, and perhaps someday, he could get Kamacite to learn how to carry himself like a prince. Or like he earned his place as the only trusted senshi in the Queen's graces.
Whoever Chase was, he had good taste in boys. This one was worth indoctrinating, though the circumstances sounded muddy at best. Knew how to polish off a bottle of wine, too.
And how to spare a salute, like rank mattered. They all died the same in the field. It was at that salute that Eion looked away, and pushed himself off from the edge of the pool.
It was easier to drift, especially with a question like that. He expected it — turnabout was the easiest question to anticipate in return — but he felt his reticence in his shoulders and spine. Even if the events lost their raw emotion over time, he was yet reluctant to tell them, as present company may find him depressing and pitiable. And the joke, however mild, eased the burden somewhat.
"No," he answered at last. Eion intended to leave it at that, but he realized he should repay Trey at least as much information as the boy gave. "Was a stupid teenager. Let my curiosity lead me around the city. Saw something I shouldn't have; my choices were to join or die.
"Strange how some of our best officers never chose to be here."
He paused as he righted himself, then shifted topics. Better something lighter, for Trey looked better in good spirits. "Doesn't always have to be the bedroom. Could be the pool next time."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2022 2:36 pm
Trey's smile was softer this time. So Eion had not chosen to joint either. They had that in common, even if the circumstances were different.
"No, Chase is General Labyrinthite. Netherite is my second general, I transferred to him when I chose a branch to join. He had better skills that I wanted to foster in myself." He had also been far easier to deal with all around, and safer. Part of Trey wanted to comment that, if the best officers did not get a choice to join, then perhaps that was because only idiots joined willingly. It was a traitorous thought, and it stayed firmly behind his teeth. Being intimate with someone did not necessarily mean they were trusthworthy, and such thoughts were dangerous.
"Lucky for you, Joellen's out of town." He said as Eion turned in the water, a dark eyebrow lifting. "We don't have to worry about being caught being indecent in public."
What a strange thing. He'd never even considered it with anyone else, and here he was, thinking it might actually be fun. Not just the pool... anything that wasn't a straight forward transaction, a thing done to satisfy and then discard. Maybe because Eion was not someone he could, or wanted, to discard so callously. It was... nice. Thinking about doing something fun was nice. Sex being fun was... nice, despite how foreign the concept was to him.
"Do you do... this, often?" He said as he leaned back on one arm, waving a hand sort of vaguely about them. "I've only seen you in glamour one other time, I think."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2022 3:21 pm
Labyrinthite. He remembered that one. Pink and black hair, flamingo motif, scythe for a wespon. They'd sparred once, and he was involved in that mission overseas. To what extent, Faustite hadn't known; he hadn't returned since, however, and Faustite assumed they'd faced complications.
Made sense to transfer, however. Forcing an indoctrination oft led to troublesome relationships between superior and subordinate, as he'd seen and experienced. Likely Fafnir was happier with Netherite as his superior — if he'd wound up with luck as bad as Faustite's, he would've expected the boy to have left by now. After all, Faustite had mainly stayed through that abuse due to his dependence on the Negaverse. And what, exactly, would Trey need from them? Certainly not food and a place to stay.
"Hm." Eion smiled archly. "Imagine her response if we both dove to the bottom of the pool and disappeared, had she discovered us." What a magic trick that would be. She might faint, and call the lot of it a trick of the heat. Or, she might be shrewd enough to know something was wrong, and wouldn't let Trey back in without answers. He didn't know her; he couldn't say.
The second question, though — "Mm. swim? No. Been years." And he dove down, swam toward Trey. Underwater, he looked so docile, but for the parts of him that swayed this way and that with gentle chopping.
He surfaced nearer to Trey, but the boy would still have to come into the waters to meet him. "Unless you meant 'get wine drunk and sleep with boys'. Been a favorite pastime. Can only keep up this glamor for a few hours — not long enough for a different way of showing affection. Can't date someone on three hours. Why?
"Don't you?" Eion would be floored if Trey hadn't made use of all that money, power, and influence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2022 7:57 pm
Trey watched as the other boy dipped low and came up again, water stream from his hair and over the angle of his face, down over his neck and shoulders.
"She would likely turn frosty and leave, and then give me a sound tongue lashing later." He said as he considered how his overly protective, and possessive, mother would react to him naked in a pool with another boy. It wouldn't be so much the naked or the other boy, so much as it would be Eion being an unknown. Someone she had never met and knew nothing about, and thus hadn't personally approved.
Curious, to find out how limited that glamor was. He hadn't known they were working on a time limit, but then again, if Faustite could be Eion any time he wanted, wouldn't he have done it more? Trey shook his head as he straightened, bracing him palms on the edge of the pool as he slipped into the water. It accepted him easily and he felt the familiar buoyancy lift him. Sweeping his arms out, he pushed himself closer to Eion, his smile hovering just above the water.
"No." He said as he let himself float, treading water. "This is unusual for me. Sometimes I bring someone home, or go to her place, but its not like this. I prefer to keep that short and sweet. I don't let them hang about, swimming in my pool and drinking my wine."
Trey tossed his head lightly, swinging wet strands of hair out of his face with a sly smile. "They're never other officers, let alone higher ranked ones." Which... was something to remember. Faustite was a general. Sleeping with your superiors was likely frowned upon. At least it hadn't been his own superior? But with the wine fog thinned by their exercise, it was easier to remember who he was talking to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2022 8:24 am
"A tongue lashing," he echoed impishly. "Interesting."
For as much as he seemed in control of himself, Trey lacked much control over his civilian life. Still stuck at home, working a job that was planned out for him, always helping with his mother's business. Evidently being scolded for… Making decisions on what to do with his own body, or about the company he kept, or something like that. Eion had never lived so leashed before; he could only guess how maddening it would feel. Trey hadn't seemed enthused over it, but the boy skillfully kept his heart closed about matters like that.
Or go to her place drew his attention. Might be more unusual than Trey's downplayed response would have him believe, then. It sounded transactional — trading a brief amount of time for a brief amount of recreation. Personalities, histories, and connections need not apply. Another point in which he and Trey differed greatly.
And — there it was again, that mention of rank. Trey hadn't asked or said a thing about Eion being partially youmafied, so the youth assumed that part of him was of no consequence to Trey. But rank was ever occupying his mind —
That must be the thread to bind all these aspects together, then. The mother, the job, the girls, the rank difference — these were all aspects of control. Control that he mostly lacked, but for the people he chose to see. Obedience and obeisance were indelible aspects of his life up until this point. Eion wondered, if he was equal to or lesser in rank than Fafnir, would he have been sent back to the Negaverse afterward? Did Fafnir have subordinates of his own?
"Afraid of letting people get to know you?" He teased carefully.
Swimming around him required more thought than pacing, but he liked the feel of water over his skin too much to remain stationary. "Leave my rank behind when I'm Eion. Serves its purpose better on battlefields than in offices. Don't get to know anyone when I'm always in command." He'd managed it better with his own team, but for anyone outside of it…
He took up Trey's hand as he started for the pool wall. "If you were my superior, would I be here, with you, like this?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2022 3:58 pm
Trey made a face, scrunching his nose up at the implications in Eion's tone. He understood the joke, but it was hard to divorce his mother from it.
"I must admit, I would far rather get a tongue lashing from you." He returned. That brought it back at least, to the playful innuendo it was meant to be. This felt good, for the most part... being here and not worrying about schedules or ranks or quotas or paperwork. This is what he wanted, ultimately. The freedom to choose for himself. To make his own decisions. But he still had a ways to go to capture that elusive, far off dream.
He watched with interest as Eion swam around him, his diplomatic smile sliding into place naturally.
"Of course I'm not afraid..." He lied, as smoothly as if he rehearsed it. "I'm just careful who I choose to give that privilege to. With the prestige and money that comes with having Joellen as a mother, it has always been important to vet people who try to get close to us. There are always people who only want what we have and represent."
Trey felt Eion's fingers curl around his and he let himself be drawn, kicking his feet to drift him closer to the edge of the pool. That last question was not as easily or flippantly answered, though he could have, and almost did. Of course not. But was that really true? Did he want Eion to know that? The truth was a complex mixture... parts unprofessional-ism and taking advantage of his power to sleep with a subordinate, other parts a lack of anything to gain by consorting with a lower ranked officer...
"I certainly didn't sleep with you because you were a General." He said as he pushed himself closer. That much was true at least. "If anything, that was courting disaster... I don't think there are many promotions in the Negaverse that involve the exchange of sexual favors."
At least, he hadn't heard the whispers of any. A General could have only recommended him, not actually promoted him, so his attentions might have been better on one of the General Sovereigns if he'd wanted to climb that way. Reaching the edge of the pool, he tugged Eion towards him by their joined hands, seeking to bring him into his circle of warmth and close the space between them.
"I just... found you attractive. I still do, if that wasn't clear enough." He said, pointedly. "I hope that sentiment is mutual."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2022 11:14 pm
"Give you one before I leave," Eion promised. He hadn't enough time for a second round, judging by his tiredness, but he was certain something like that wouldn't take long, especially with all the practice he'd gained.
Not afraid, just careful. Perhaps it had been too long since he was human, but Eion struggled to understand why money and prestige should put Trey on the back foot like that. Perhaps that careful curation was the reason he kept so much power and prestige, whereas if Eion was in his position, he would have neither.
Eion wondered if it had been too long since he was last with Schörl; his ability to read a person for their component parts must have deteriorated. Perhaps SpecOps wasn't a good fit for him. Unlike his colleagues who were so skilled at schooling their expressions, Trey included, Eion was not — his smile dimmed with his thoughts, and his attention wandered, and he wondered if he should be getting back to work and leaving Trey to his beautiful, posh, careful life.
"Surprise," he muttered as he looked back at Trey. "Sovereigns rely on our recommendations to know who to promote. Database, too. Look like you've done something and they won't notice the bruises on your knees," He finished, rolling his eyes. He suspected it wasn't the only reason some of their officers received promotions, but it certainly fast tracked a few.
Ceraskia came to mind. Chrysocolla, too.
Being brought into the fold between Trey and the wall felt, good, felt comfortable, despite the conversation. He knew he wasn't a General right now, knew his duties should wait, but they nagged him in the wake of so many reminders of his rank. There was always more to do, and Schörl had been ever on his case for not doing more.
Eion still found it strange to be called attractive. However, he accepted it. He tried to smile; he wanted to be reassuring in a way that was well recognized, though he was better suited to expressing himself in action. "Trey." Slipping their hand holds, he held onto the boy's shoulders. "I'm not polite with my time. Someone wastes it, I'm gone. Assure yourself it's mutual, because I'm still here. Don't have enough of it to squander on playing nice."
Eion considered giving in to something sweet or romantic, but didn't want Trey to think him a sap or a fool. He was part youma, and on fire, and only Albite was stupid enough to get involved with him, and only Celadonite was half as stupid as Albite. Maddening that youmafication hadn't removed his frustratingly easy love of boys.
"Hold onto the wall." Letting go of Trey, Eion slipped below the water line. He had a few minutes; time to see how long he could hold his breath.whimsical blue another ftb, unless trey would want to pull him back up! also, quick note that eion's suppositions are incorrect concerning his old teammates~
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
