Welcome to Gaia! ::

Rivener's face fell and his wings drooped as he heard the tone of the staffwoman change when she mentioned the Peak Suite. There was mention of a slide and the Scorpion thought maybe their little cabin getaway had been buried in an avalanche or otherwise destroyed! But thankfully it was only the trail that was washed out and before he could even speak up to suggest it, Melisande herself had the wonderful idea of just winging up there. Rivener returned her questioning look with a broad grin and a nod. He had NO problem with being stranded! Far from it! Their little private cottage would be TRULY private, and he couldn't be happier.

"That is going to be perfectly fine. No inconvenience at all." He hefted his own bag to lessen Zul's burden, and headed up the trail where they'd been pointed.

It didn't escape either boy's notice that the Muse nursed her wing. Rivener, having seen the damage it had taken first-hand, was extra careful in hovering near and making sure she knew he was there to lean on, should she need it. The girl weighed a feather, and both males would have been more than happy to carry her themselves if it came to that. But they thankfully all made it up to the stranded cabin safely, and were left to admire their hideout.

Rivener's smile was infectious as he floated to the board games, checking out the box spines to see what they had to play with. The good old regular games like Monopoly and Risk and the Game of Life were there, of course, as well as Parcheesi and Clue... But there were a few he'd never heard of, like Dominion and House on Haunted Hill. They would have no lack of activities, and when it was time to relax there was a good selection of books too! Riv instantly spotted a National Geographic about outer space and knew he'd be reading that one first.

Their slow visit of the cabin ended in the bedroom where Riv dropped his bag and went straight for the back french doors, pressing his face to the glass besides Zul and peering out into the hot spring area. "Holy hell it looks amazing out there! I kind of want to go jump in right away! After that long cold flight, a steaming hot-spring bath would be the best!" He turned to the others with a smirk, elbowing at his crooked-smiling Flower. Neither of them seemed at all concerned about there being only one bed, and if Pasha didn't mention it, Rivener was not likely to realize she even had a moment's uncertainty. "I vote for the bath. Clearly you do too, Zul. Pasha? Would you mind if we took a bath first thing? Despite Zul's attempt to stay close to me, the cold did bite in a little. I could use the hot water." He shrugged sheepishly and then boldly, without waiting for much more confirmation, the Dark Sigel stripped out of everything but his belts, zipped into the bathroom to find two full-length terrycloth robes (Aw, only two! not that Zul would need one, he figured.) and returning to offer one to Pasha along with a towel. He had a towel in arm for himself and another for Zul, which he handed before pulling open those french doors and heading outside with a broad grin.

The steam kept the worst of the cold away but it still was enough to make the Scorpion's Rune sputter and waver. Riv shivered and hurriedly put his towel and robe on a stone near the carved-stone staircase, then all but ran into the hot water, letting out a deeply satisfied groan of comfort. "Ohhhhhhh sheeeeeer heaven. ...This water smells weird. Like minerals or chemicals, and herbs?"

The demon grinned as he was elbowed, shifting his hips to nudge the Scorpion in return. When Rivener took off to the bathroom, Zul's blue eyes briefly met Melisande's brighter ones, tipping his head to the side in a you know the answer to that manner. He took the offered towel and bowed his tri-horned head to the Muse as he exited the bedroom through the doors, closing them in his wake to give her privacy.

Putting the towel aside, he chuckled and dipped his fingers into the spring for testing the temperature. He didn't feel it in the way most did in terms of hot and cold, but more like smooth and sharp: heat was often a soft plume against his skin, whereas cold felt more restrictive. Adjusting his own temperature and rune appropriately, he cautiously got in the spring next to Rivener; when his rune didn't react violently, he sunk in next to his Scorpion, draping an arm around his beloved's shoulders and kissing his neck in an adoring but intimate fashion. "It's natural, definitely different than the human concoction in metal pipes. I like it. It feels...better." He didn't know how to describe it; the water didn't feel heavy or gritty despite it being natural, it was very comforting. Maybe it had to do with his essence, but he badly wished they had something more local just then.

Zul glanced over as Melisande finally joined them, doing a double-take when he saw the change of her ribbon -- and the fact she was wearing considerably less than he'd ever seen. It made him unusually aware of her curves and figure, seeing that the lines her shapely attire often drew were actually as natural as the water he was in. Instinctively, he looked away, knowing damn well just keeping his focus on her face was a trial just then; he'd never really paid much mind to the female form (he was friends with Lucia and LuLu for goodness' sake!), but this... "The water is fine," he replied in an upbeat tone, slipping away from Rivener and to the opposite side, giving her plenty room to maneuver and settle. "Riv thinks it smells funny but it feels right~"

She blushed at Rivener's use of the word delicious (did that apply to people?) and set her towel on the rocks by the edge. Pasha raised her hands for a moment, checking her hair with a graceful touch to make sure it was pinned, as the Scorpion turned to face Zul.

Embarrassed? The more she listened, the pinker her cheeks became. She truly didn't mind Rivener's attention…the glow of her rune proved that. But Zul's reaction, and Rivener's teasing…

Far from joining in the jest, Pasha actually crossed her arms low across her stomach, one above the other. Her blue eyes were wide. "Is this…not okay, Zul?" There was a genuine, breathless concern to her words. She knew things were different with the Demon than with the Scorpion, but had she truly taken one liberty too many? Suddenly, every time she'd been brave, been forward with Zul came rushing back.

Had they ever been on the same page at all?

Melisande was fighting her rising mortification. She tried a tremulous smile and moved towards the water, slipping in gratefully to the curve of her collarbones. The Muse held her wings high and back, keeping them out of the spring and cutting an impressive profile despite being submerged. "Thank you." She murmured at Rivener, meeting his eyes for a moment. It was obvious she took comfort in his warmth, but the uncertainty made spots of color high on her cheeks.

Rivener rolled his eyes at Zul's protest. "There's nothing wrong with staring, love. It's a compliment!" And before he could start teasing much more, Melisande came into the hot spring and an odd, tense and thick atmosphere settled. Riv blinked. There seemed to be a distance between Meli and Zul, and though he wished he could magically make it all better the Scorpion knew it wasn't his place to rush things along for them.

But he could try to at least lighten this mood and make it easier for the two to interact! Ruby-red eyes turned to Melisande while Zul poured his silver-tongued skill expertly, calling the Muse the epitome of womanly beauty. Slowly the Dark Sigel approached until he was shoulder to shoulder with the femme, nudging her softly and sharing a secretive smirk with her. "See what he does? Acts all shy then surprise-attacks with compliments. That's his move. You should hear some of the things he says to me sometimes, too. It's so sappy!" Riv ducked down to dip up to his chin then, letting his wings submerge without a second though. It helped him swim faster to have them underwater! "I wish they had something like this in Durem, too! It's really amazing. Maybe if we ask really really nicely, Melisande might agree to have a hot tub put out on her balcony? Though it won't be the same without this herby smell and the mineral stuff in the water. It feels more crisp than tap water, hard to explain."

It was rather frustrating that he couldn't think of anything better to do for them than to ramble on. So Riv decided that maybe a little rushing-things would be forgiveable if his heart was in the right place? Taking Melisande by the hand and giving her a warm, sultry, mischievous smirk, the Scorpion moved them both to the seat nearest Zul's. He kept himself between the two, but cuddled up to Zul's side while pulling Melisande to cuddle against his other flank. Once sandwiched so between his two loves, Riv let out a deeply satisfied sigh and snuggled down, letting his eyes slip closed. "Now THIS is perfect warmth. Just what I need. Do me a favor and stay beside me, both of you, for ten, fifteen minutes?" He let his head loll against Zul's shoulder, pretending to nap.

"You're terrible," he murmured playfully into the Scorpion's bi-colored locks as he nuzzled the crown of the Sigel's head that rested against his shoulder. He knew damn well what Rivener was doing and while he was used to it, he wasn't sure Melisande knew -- or if she did, if she'd be game for humoring the impatient Scorpion. Exhaling softly, disturbing the long, wet locks, his blue eyes flicked beyond the curve of horns that kept him in place and found the Muse gazing right back at him.

There was an unfamiliar weight in the way the other was looking him over, but he kept his gaze even on her inquisitive eyes, having stolen enough glances and lingering looks in the past few months to practically have each curve of her face and dimple of her smile memorized. The demon's expression remained pleasantly neutral, attentive lest she said something or otherwise chose to share unspoken words. Instead, she looked momentarily startled, and he couldn't help wonder if he'd done something wrong again.

Instead of dwelling on it, the demon's arm that was pressed against the back of the springs lifted and, tentative, his fingers gingerly brushed over her pinned curls. She was achingly beautiful, but really touching her was like daring to grasp the sun, especially not knowing if that sun wanted to be reached for at all. It was a delicate dance and he was not one for delicacy by nature. Still, he could not help but treat Melisande with care and caution, more like a startled deer who would flee if he raised his voice too high. Zul offered a faint smile, long lashes lowered over his gaze. "Thank you...for this. It's wonderful." He wasn't sure what else to say, but letting the silence stretch was a bit beyond him when he couldn't pinpoint what type of silence it was.

The demon went utterly still. He watched, barely breathing as the Muse shifted and tilted her head just so, drinking in the exposed arch of her neck and the way the water lapped against her upper body. The sensation of her smooth skin against his fingertips forcefully ensnared his attention again, especially when he could nearly feel her voice, soft as it was, close as they were. When Melisande's lips were caressed by his unmoving touch, his wings involuntarily stretched and shuddered, and when his index finger fit neatly against her teeth --

Zul's pupils momentarily slimmed into black diamonds before nearly swallowing the blue of his iris, finding his breath in a sharp intake to fill his lungs - and just as swiftly, breathless again. He moved just a little, the motion as though he'd approach her, but Rivener's presence kept him in place and it was likely for the best -- for as his fingers traced the last curve of her chin and fell from her face, his eyes were clear blue around his dilated pupils. There was, for a moment, no resistance or uncertainty, no fear and certainly no boundaries to be respected. If he'd not been held down by Rivener, he undoubtedly would have the Muse in an intense liplock against the side of the bath, and it was the thought that she might allow it that started to turn the wheels in the demon's head.

They weren't at square one at all.

Swallowing with a little difficulty, he managed to growl out in his soft way, full of smoke, "Melisande..." Zul's voice was a touch thick as he murmured her name, heavy with many words not spoken and perhaps the actions not taken. He dared one more stolen touch - a gentle glide of his knuckles against her blush stained cheek - before he cleared his throat and withdrew. Turning his head, he abruptly bit the tip of Rivener's ear, tugging on it and speaking through his delicately clenched teeth. "S'getting hot in here, I need t'cool down a lil." Indeed, within the waters, his rune burned a bright, molten orange, the temperature of the water daring to rise a few degrees. The last thing he wanted to do was boil his two alive. He couldn't feel that temperature, but the heat he could feel was just as dangerous.

Pasha's breath caught as Zul's gaze changed. She had felt this way before, as though he were some great beast reclining behind bars…and for a moment, she was certain those bars were an illusion. Her heart was racing…the way he tensed, his voice caressing her name...

Melisande gasped as Rivener 'woke' and pulled her free, one strong arm wrapped around her waist. The Muse laughed, but for a moment, there had been regret. Some part of her had wanted to see what came next. Already she had been tugged away, claimed again by the Scorpion.

Her eyes were still on Zul as Rivener nuzzled close, but her lips parted into a perfect o as the Scorpion's teeth found her gently. "My…my ear!!" Her tone rang with such genuine shock that for a moment, everything was still…until Pasha dissolved into laughter.

"You! You're to blame, Rivener! Zul, help!" She gasped at the sensation as she laughed, but her amusement that her ear was being nibbled was too much. Obviously, this was entirely new for the Muse, and her laughter pushed curls through the rising steam.

Rivener smirked and continued to nibble-assault the Muse's ear, chuckling low in his throat at all the accusations flying around the bath. "Your fault, my fault, her fault-... I don't think it's anyone's fault at all!" he retorted. Zul had approached and now the demon was toying at Melisande's neck, drawing a pleased grin from the Scorpion. Now this was more like it! All of them together, no strange awkwardness, just light-hearted fun and affectionate touches. A great way to spend Valentine's. Taking his cue from Zul, Rivener lowered his lips to Pasha's neck as well, giving soft little kisses and rustling his wings proudly. "Why thank you for the help, Zul," Riv purred. "She might have been too much for me to handle on my own!"

Except all this closeness and affection was now warming Riv's lower stomach and making his breath come a little short. Perhaps he would soon be pushing this all too far, but was there really a "too far"?

Don't rush things, he advised himself, pulling away before he started letting his hands roam a little too freely. Now it was HIS turn to look flush, waving a hand at his face to try and create a breeze. "You know what, Zul, I think you were right. It IS really warm in here. And if I don't stop myself, I'd have the two of you boiling." He gave a sultry wink. "I think for a long weekend together like this, a nice steamy simmer would be better than a boiling heat, hm?"