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 Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 6:56 pm
Where: Zul and Rivener's (and Melisandes?!) loft
When: Late Spring
Who: Riv and Pasha
- Pasha's cheeks were warm, both from the tea and from a parting kiss from Zul. It was like an adrenaline rush, the way her heart quickened, the way every detail seemed sharper when she was around him. She remembered the way her brother Levi used to speak about being on the open seas…surely Zul's company was something comparable. One hand was curled around a white coffee house cup for Riv, on Zul's suggestion. A paper bag with savory pastries she'd picked was cradled in the crook of the same arm. Quietly, she fit her key to the lock of their loft apartment and slipped inside. She'd gotten used to catching the door with her elbow and easing it shut. The door of the bedroom was ajar, as Zul promised it would be, but Melisande took her time getting there. It was nice just to take it all in, as she did almost every time she arrived. The Muse glanced first to the balcony…her balcony…and her smile dimpled. Pasha was dressed for the occasion, with her hair pulled back in a looped ponytail to keep her curls out of the way and an oversized cardigan with rolled up sleeves. She'd already had a few things shipped to the loft, and Melisande noticed a couple boxes were stacked carefully just outside the balcony doors. She also noticed the remote, in the center of the couch where she usually left it, and her smile flashed into a rare grin. Pasha nudged the bedroom door open with her 'hip' and drifted silently inside, still carrying the Scorpions breakfast. The cup and the bag she set gently on the nightstand, and Pasha floated lower, folding her arms on the edge of the bed and resting her chin gracefully on them. Her face was just a few inches from Rivener's, and she took a breath, loving the smell of their bedroom and the way he looked so peaceful as he slept. Slowly, the blossoms at her temple spiraled open, as though the other Sigel held the sun. "Good morning, sweet boy."
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Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 7:23 pm
Rivener slept in a gray tank, flat on his stomach with both arms curled under his pillow, face half-smothered in the fluffy thing. His wings were all crooked after a night of tossing and turning, caught between the too-cold of winter and the warm of summer. Spring always gave him a hard time, especially when his molt was freshly finished. One wing was still hooked under the blankets, jutting half-up, the other was bared and its tip flared sideways, flapping ever so faintly from a dream. As Pasha drifted in, the soft scent of her was added to the room and Rivener mumbled softly, lips twitching up.
The scent deepened when she smiled at him, her flowers blossoming. That fragrance, he knew quite well. Soft words from nearby roused him slowly and he took in a deep breath through his nose before smiling and cracking an eye open, red irises hazed from sleep. "What's this? Am I still dreaming?" He was too sleepy to not be cheesy, but he grinned in amusement. He knew quite well how sappy that sounded. "Not my most charming in the early hours. But maybe I can make up for it?" He uncurled an arm from under his pillow and trailed clawed fingers over Pasha's hair, tucking a stray lock behind her ear then pulling her closer, leaning in for a soft kiss.
When he pulled away, it was to stare at her with adoring eyes, his hand caressing at her hair still. "...It's morning, isn't it? You came to wake me up?" A grin cracked his features. "You know, I'll get addicted if you do this more. So maybe you should just move the rest of your stuff in here, hm? Not just a few boxes?"
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 7:31 am
Melisande caught his kiss a little off center, sweetly against the corner of his lips. Her eyes were bright at his teasing as they distanced again slightly.
"Those aren't 'moving in' boxes! They're 'things for the balcony' boxes!" She laughed, though the Scorpion already knew that. Pasha tilted her face, still smiling, cheek brushing against his caressing hand. "And you're always at your most charming. It's unnatural. Now get up!" With that she tipped into bed with him, not assisting in the slightest with her own demand as she wrestled and tugged at Rivener, giggling.
"Up! It's not even early! It's past eight! Oh!!" The cup on the nightstand rocked dangerously as one of her wings swept past it and Melisande froze for a moment, startled, until it stabilized.
"Look what you almost did!" The wide eyed innocence was almost enough to distract from the fact that he'd had nothing to do with it.
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 9:04 am
Rivener pouted as she announced they weren't moving in boxes. He knew of course, but he played up his disappointment. "Whaaaaat? And I was SO excited." He gave an exaggerated sigh, flopping backwards on the bed with an arm over his face, just in time to be assaulted by the Muse. Melisande struggled against him, play-fighting, and Riv laughed as he threw up his blankets and wrestled right back. He threatened with a grin: "Oh you want a fight, do you? I'll give you a fight!" A few well-placed grips on her arms and waist had her at his mercy, though he pretended weakness and let her have the upper hand then. "Eight in the morning?" he gasped, feigning some affliction. "Oh god, before noon! My only weakness!!"
Suddenly the Muse stopped her struggling, staring at his nightstand. The Scorpion's gaze followed, watching a cup nearly tip over. What was that? Ohooo, by the smell of it, she'd brought him coffee! Laying flat to the bed again, Riv grinned boyishly. "I'm so sorry," he said, sounding not sorry in the least. "Seems I don't know my own strength, my mere presence nearly knocks over coffee cups. I guess I should take responsibility and make sure it doesn't happen again, then!" Quick as flicker of shadow he rolled himself up and off the bed, somehow capturing Melisande around the waist upside-down in the movement. He held her prisoner over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, grabbed his coffee with a free hand, and headed towards the closet door. "There, that's much better, isn't it. ...You really brought me coffee, you lovely thing. Thanks. That will help me stay awake at this ungodly hour. I have to change." He glanced over at her, smirking. "You want to watch?"
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2014 3:26 pm
Melisande laughed out loud, despite herself, at his 'weakness' comment. It was obvious their usual genres during movie night had sunk in. She grinned again as he took responsibility for the rocking cup, and used the distraction to wiggle one arm free.
"You're lucky it's strong." A subtle coffee pun, and she barely had time to poke him in the side with her newly liberated hand before he swept her up over one shoulder. Her sweet cry filled the room, ribbon lashing against his chest like the tail of an angry cat as he hauled her to the closet. Pasha laughed, breathless.
"You're shameless! And...yes." She arched backwards, stomach taut as she slid off of his shoulder, and spread her wings wide for balance. As always, she floated a few inches lower than the Scorpion. "I'm going to be staring at dirt for the next few hours. There's no time for decorum." She gave the Mona Lisa of pouts, subtle enough to be charming and entirely deniable.
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 9:51 am
Rivener let Pasha slide from his grip, smirking at her as she looked so innocently blameless. "We wouldn't want dirt to be the only thing you remember seeing today, would we," he agreed with a sly wink. He moved slowly, eyes affixed on hers as he took a sip of his coffee then placed the cup on the nearest dresser. He crossed his arms and grabbed the hem of his sleeping tank-top, pulled it languidly over his head, stretching and folding his wings in a well-practiced pattern that let the fabric slide free and made his muscles flex juuuust a little bit. THAT part wasn't really necessary, the flexing, but what could he say: he liked showing off. The gray tank, now free, was lobbed back onto the bed to be ready for tonight, leaving Riv's hands free to grab his coffee again and prop a fist at his hip, turning his back to Melisande so he could stare into his closet.
"Hmmmmm..." he pondered, making a show of rustling his wings a bit and letting her see his strong back muscles move. "It's still sping so a bit cold. I should take your lead and put on a sweater..." He reached into the closer and plucked at a few sleeves, considering, taking his sweet time.
Eventually he settled on a dark blue zip-up hoodie with a white ghost's face on the front. "This should do the trick. Almost ready, just one sec." Again the coffee was put aside and Riv pulled the selected item of clothing from its hanger, once more going for the overly-flexy way of putting it on. He paused when it hung off his body, unzipped. Eyes finally alit on Melisande again and he took his coffee cup, sipping and staring at the girl over the rim, eyes heated and playfully mischievious. "I seem to only have one hand free. Would you mind helping me out and zipping?" He pointed to his stomach, smirking. He was beginning to doubt anything would ever make Melisande too shy, and he just wanted to see how eager or willing she would be to "accidentally" brush against his skin as she saw to his request...
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 11:04 am
Melisande admired him quietly. Her eyes were bright…it was obvious his display wasn't lost on her. Even if she hadn't been partial to him, the Muse within her knew beauty when she saw it. She realized she'd still been watching the play of his muscles and his slender, tapered waist as he gazed at her from over the rim of his coffee.
Her cheeks pinked instantly.
Pasha nibbled the corner of her bottom lip, holding his gaze for a moment in silent reproach for catching her in a well laid trap. Her hands moved slowly, little by little, to the bottom of the zipper.
It wasn't that she was unwilling, it was all a very new thing for the Sigel, even now. Her touch paused, inches shy of the metal tab. He was so close, and he smelled so wonderful…
Without thinking about it, Melisande moved forward, hands touching skin instead of metal. She kept her hands moving, over his stomach and around his sides, until her arms were wrapped around him...the Muse tucked inside of Scorpion's jacket with him. Her cheek pressed against his chest, and Pasha hugged him, her heart hammering. Could he feel it, with her chest pressed as it was against his stomach?
"Sorry." She murmured, taking a little breath. "Busy."
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 1:00 pm
Well! That little blush on her cheeks was adorable, but there was a glint in her eye that told him Melisande wasn't apologetic for staring in the least. He grinned smugly, chuckling low in his throat, watching her without moving to help when she approached the zipper. His own heart was thumping hard now despite how confident he looked, its rhythm accelerating as her blossoms' perfume filled his senses from so close. He held his cups to his mouth mostly to hide how his lips were parted in a desperate attempt to get enough air.
To his surprise she didn't just accidentally brush his skin as he'd predicted: she outright hugged him, her hands directly on his body, tucking herself against his torso and under the hoodie. Rivener held his breath a second, feeling a little bit dizzy. Carefully he put the coffee cup aside and wrapped his arms around her in return, pulling the sides of his hoodie along so it coccooned them both. When he finally dared breathe again, it was with a deep exhale tinged with a note of happy satisfaction and more than a little bit of desire. He really WAS shameless then, nuzzling into her hair and tucking a hand at her neck, fingers caressing skin.
"Busy, hm? I can see that." He smirked and nibbled her ear, feeling his spine shiver. She must have felt that, holding him so tight... He could feel HER, with her heart pounding so hard and her cheeks so warm against his chest. "Pasha," he purred after a moment of just breathing her in, "Unless you plan on letting me take you to bed and show you things you might not be ready for yet, you really ought to let go of me." Personally, Riv wasn't sure what result he hoped for. On one hand he didn't want to scare her off, but on the other hand... Hadn't she always surprised him with how well she handled all kinds of situations? Maybe she wouldn't be as prude or innocent as she seemed in this aspect either? "And the garden might never get made, my lovely."
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Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 5:44 pm
His teeth found her ear, and Melisande inhaled, face still buried against him. She remembered the first time he'd tried that…she'd been so startled she'd laughed out loud. Now that she knew that to expect, it was nearly divine.
Pasha leaned back a little at his words though, fingers of one hand trailing lightly up his back until they found the span between his wings. How could he be so firm, but so smooth at the same time? Her lips parted, cute response ready, until she saw his face.
There was something that reminded her of Zul, lurking there behind his eyes. The look the Demon had given her, as they all lounged in the springs. The Scorpion was serious…he hadn't been teasing. Instantly her mind ran away with her, heart still racing. Take her to bed? What would that entail, really? Pictures so vivid flashed rapidly through her mind that for a moment the Muse was afraid he could see them written plainly across her face. She dropped her eyes modestly, cheeks bright, fingers finally finding the cool metal tab of his hoodie zipper.
"If that's the case..." She murmured quietly in response to his first warning, eyes still low as she tugged the zipper up slowly. "…I suppose I should. It's too bad Zul isn't here." She sounded sincere, and curiously tense. Pasha stopped with the zipper only two thirds of the way up, and finally lifted her eyes to his face. She felt like she was blazing, all the way through. Rivener's attention stoked something that actually made her feel hungrier than sated.
"The garden." She repeated.
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Posted: Sun May 25, 2014 7:50 am
Rivener's smile was that of a cat having caught the canary when they looked at one another. Pasha knew enough of what he was offering to blush brightly and for a moment Rivener saw her considering it, her eyes going thoughtful and full of heat before she pulled away a little. Her hands retreated from his skin, sadly, and she began zipping him up. That was that, and Riv was half disappointed, half amused at her reaction.
Although why was it too bad Zul wasn't here? Had she wanted him involved in their first time? Rivener had always thought she would be more comfortable with only one partner for her first time, but she wanted to jump into the deep end with BOTH of her suitors? The Scorpion's smile turned into a heated sultry grin. Ohhh he was imagining a multitude of situations now! "Too bad Zul isn't here indeed," he agreed, his voice a honeyed purr.
But the verdict had been given and Riv would stand by it. He held his zipper once she let go and pulled it up the rest of the way, knowing it would be too cold for him to show any skin this early in the morning. "The garden, then," he sighed with an exaggerated pout, looking oh-so-disappointed at the rejection. "I will need a lot of distraction to mend my bruised pride. So let's go!"
He took up his coffee again and sipped, stuffing his other hand in the front pocket of his hoodie, and led the way out of the room, gently keeping his pace slow so they meandered pleasantly instead of racing for the balcony. "So what's the plan? I'm your helper for this, so tell me what to do and I'll get it done."
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Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 7:17 am
Pasha shot him a curious, sidelong look. Pride? Why the feigned hurt? "I thought…it was the way of things." Part of her wanted to stop and figure it out on the spot…but Rivener wouldn't let something important go so easily. Perhaps he was simply teasing. She slipped hand into his as they made their way out. "This box is for the concrete stain. The others are borders, rocks, and sconces! There are some little water features I'd like to show you online, as well?" Melisande reached into her cardigan pocket, freeing her hand long enough to unfold a picture she'd sketched on the back of a letter to Viola's business. She didn't have the greatest technical skill, but the creative flourishes made the picture rather charming. Tiers of floating platforms transformed the space upward, creating spaces to plant and grassy spaces to lounge. She made good use of the vertical at the edges, since they weren't stuck to the ground in a traditional way. A few hanging lanterns, a trellis for the roses, and tasteful water feature that was reminiscent of the trickle that had cooled their hot spring were gracefully arranged. Their beautiful view would be framed instead of compromised with the Sigel's interpretation. "I'd also like some help with traditional seating ideas. For people with legs? There's plenty of room, but I'm not sure what would be best. What do you think?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2014 11:10 am
Rivener lost his over-acting manner and looked over at Pasha when she took his hand, her words making him smile gently. "The way of things? I mean, it is if that's what you want,l doveling. But there's no rules for this. We do what feels right. Zul knows I love you, and I know Zul loves you too, and we are both secure in our love for each other. So if you were to be with him, alone, before being with me, I couldn't be anything but happy for the both of you and want all the details." He gave a sly wink, waggling his eyebrows. "I happen to know Zul feels the same. We've had some talks about you, and we're both clear on what we want. Maybe we should talk with you about all this too. If you'd like to, just tell us. We'd be happy to." He hoped he'd eased her heart about the way of things a little. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable on any level!
His own heart felt lighter now that he'd explained in an attempt to clear that look of curious confusion from her delicate features. Now he could focus on what she was telling him about the plans she had for the balcony. "Sounds like you're going to make it look quite heavenly!" He grinned and followed her towards the blacony's doors, where her boxes waited. When Meli pulled out a little sketch of what she had in mind, Rivener's eyes widened and he took in a gasp. "Wow!" he breathed as his fingers tugged at a corner of the paper, his gaze wandering from the tiers to the water features and lanterns. "This looks amazing! If we can really manage to pull this off, it would be good enough to land on design magazines! ...I had expected you'd come up with something great, but this is something ELSE." He turned a broad grin Pasha's way, wings rustling in excitement. He already had an itching urge to take pictures in that beautifully arranged roof-top garden, even though the thing wasn't built yet!
"As for traditional seating, I've always been a fan of those small wrought-iron table-and-chairs deals. In a place this lovely, perhaps white iron? Or if you want something more cozy and homey, we could go for some kind of wicker furniture, those look plenty comfortable. Want to look at things online first? Or start with that stain thing, whatever it is?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 24, 2014 3:38 pm
Pasha's expression changed, lightening as he spoke until she was practically glowing. He was so kind and so straight forward, instantly the Muse relaxed and her sweet smile returned. His compliments about her design were also delightful…she'd been self conscious sharing the sketch with him. Melisande was used to inspiring artists, not imitating them.
"Thank you." She murmured, in response to both his explanation and his sweet disposition, and she floated higher to share an unhurried kiss. Her smile hadn't dimmed as she pulled back again, wings rustling closed.
"White iron!" Pasha decided with little debate, and gazed out at the patio as though picturing it. "I don't care for wicker. I see too much of it at Vi's shop!" Suddenly, the Muse was wiggling out of her cardigan, laying it over the arm of the couch once she was free of it. Underneath she wore a tight brown tank, a surprisingly fetching color against her lavender wings and pale hair. "The stain is going to be messy, but it shouldn't take too long! I'll wipe down the balcony if you want to start it mixing? Then we paint on a coat and wait! While it's drying, we can shop for the table and chairs? Or…whatever?"
Melisande's words were never carelessly chosen, but her smile was almost innocent.
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