but i’m missing home

"please stop you're scaring me" i can't help this awful energy

god damn right, you should be scared of me

She tilts her head into his hand slightly and the corner of his lip lifts in a light smirk. This was easy, it was familiar, and despite her similarities to the woman missing and his incredible amount of drunkness, it lightens the shadows in his eyes just enough. His thumb grazes her cheekbone just enough before he withdraws, turning to her with glass in hand before he approaches the area of the secret entrance with a dark raised brow.

“We’ll get there, sweetheart.” A wink before he opens the door and slips down the stairs, stepping over familiar hidden traps Edrei had put in place, nearing the bottom with a wide variety of fun things — gems and clothes, things Ezra had left behind as well. “Watch your step.” He teases lightly when he reaches the bottom, heading for the table in the back center where a book sits atop it.

who is in control?

SUNJATA

HOTARU

These are familiar motions and machinations, and though she knows his heart is elsewhere it does not bother her. Had her heart not still been stolen by Ashamin when Thranduil had finally capitulated to her affections? She has found over the years, over the time she has spent in different realms, in different bodies, that love, lust, affection, passion...they have different words because of the vastly different connotations they hold. If falling back on these familiar tides of teasing helps to buoy him above his grief, she is happy to play into his hands.

Following after him only makes her stifle her childish pout as his broad back and towering stature leads the way. She carefully eyes the steps and their hidden traps as he leads her down, down, down into the belly of the house. Though she is already a nimble creature, she forces herself to imitate his stepping pattern, though they are of very different builds. And when they come to the bottom, she glances around, intrigued by this fun little tomb they've made.

"A shame, this would have been far more engaging if you'd revealed some sort of sex dungeon." It's still quite impressive in its own right, though she wonders what it is he needs of her here that could not have been accomplished upstairs.

please do me a favor and shut up

I wear heels bigger than your d*ck

_{Table Code by Sky!}

"please stop you're scaring me" i can't help this awful energy

god damn right, you should be scared of me

Her quip doesn’t go unnoticed and a low chuckle leaves him in response. “Hidden rooms and you don’t think there might be hidden compartments for that very thing?” He questions, reaching back from the book to a drawer and grabbing a pair of handcuffs to fit the joke before he tosses it to her with a wink.

Plot twist, there’s no hidden compartments. Just a nice attempt at a joke.

He settles against the desk again, grabbing his book he had started with Lucas’ instruction, flipping to the first page to explain the coded words he’d written in very fine, surprising handwriting for the size of him. “So, this is it. A few of the plans we had going on at the time but with the shift in leadership and the founder’s death because of the Mathair, well, we’ve been a bit empty handed.” Steel eyes lift to catch her dual toned gaze.

who is in control?

SUNJATA

HOTARU

She laughs softly as they reach solid floor once more. "No, you just don't seem the type to mix business and pleasure." Especially if he has multiple people moving in and out of here. He seems the picky type, from what she recalls of their very first meeting. She's not sure of his sexuality, but she's at least sure he wouldn't use their base for sex. Somewhere else? Oh that was free reign.

Hotaru comes closer, leaning against the free space beside him and ignoring how small it makes her feel as she eyes the book he displays to her. The writing is different from what he'd posted on the Notice Board, she can tell that immediately and logs it away for future questioning. When his eyes lift to catch hers, she hums softly, thinking to herself.

"The Mathair is a viable portal, but I don't think it's worth tangling with the Fae when the Spire portal is still active." Delicate fingers trace some of the writing on the page, considering. "How many members do we currently have?" We, because that is what they are now. Partners in crime if nothing else.

please do me a favor and shut up

I wear heels bigger than your d*ck

_{Table Code by Sky!}

"please stop you're scaring me" i can't help this awful energy

god damn right, you should be scared of me

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” He offers with a rogue smirk before it fades and he focuses on the book at hand — flipping to the pages where his writing is concise and well written. Her question gives him pause briefly before he shrugs lightly. “We’ve lost quite a few.” He contemplates, running through the numbers mentally.

Lucas, Edrei, Lusea, Ezra; gone or missing.

Leaving him, Peter, Adam if he still wants to be involved, and now Hotaru.

His sly smile fades as he looks down toward her, aiming to capture her gaze with his own. “Three, possibly four now? Depends on Adam.” He’s pretty sure Peter will still be involved, but as for the rest of them? It’s a rather pitiful party.

He hands the book to her then for her to flip through, lifting the glass to sip from it again, watching her curiously. “It’s not exactly the type of guild to go and advertise easily.” A shrug. “But I agree. The Spire portal seems the most viable right now with the laws in place. I’m curious about the meeting Wessex has posted about, though.” A slight curl of his lip. He didn’t particularly care for monarchies at all, his own family reign especially.

who is in control?

SUNJATA

HOTARU

She frowns, more contemplative than mournful, at the mention of those who have left the ranks either of their own accord or due to being swept away in the chaotic nature of Caido. Hotaru glances up - and up, and up - when she feels his eyes on her, and bites her lip thoughtfully when he gives her an estimate. "Active members are a good count to keep, but we should keep a tally of trusted allies as well. Those that our members should be aware of, and who we can use in our numbers when we encounter resistance." Already she knows Deimos, Kiada, and Rexanna will listen to what she has to say, will at least give her a chance to propose her ideas. Perhaps it's her own self-consciousness (what little of it she has) but she cannot outright say they'd follow her to hell and back, even if she'd do it for them. But she's confident enough to count them as additional numbers.

Leaning against the table she considers him. "We should be in attendance, but I'm unsure if we should voice any kind of dissent. If the Ascended are helping open the portals, it could be in our favor to keep her in her station." She had also proven an interesting woman to Hotaru, who desperately wants to meet the fellow ruler, the woman who had aided and sheltered her sister in the worst of times. "We can't count on her responses, but we can plan our own targeted questions. Get the point of view circulating." Perhaps draw some more people towards their side. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge, just the tiniest sway to one side of the tight rope, and even that could turn a tide.

please do me a favor and shut up

I wear heels bigger than your d*ck

_{Table Code by Sky!}

"please stop you're scaring me" i can't help this awful energy

god damn right, you should be scared of me

He gives her the member count and she mulls it over, mentioning the allies with their information they will likely need. He nods along, pausing briefly before he pushes himself from the desk and heads toward a chest in the back, opening up a couple of the drawers as if he’s searching for something.

When he finally finds it, he turns back to her, steel eyes lingering along her face as she voices the ideas she has for the meeting and a smile starts to lift his lips up again. She’s thoughtful, that's for sure. And he approaches her, part of that same game they’ve had going for so long now that he doesn’t stop a pace away from her, no. Instead, he stops just before he’s touching her, in her space in an attempt at keeping her against the desk as he considers her offer.

“Mhm, I agree. Take an idea of where people sit, who is for the portals and aren’t. Go from there? See if we can’t figure out where the other portals are too with the help of the Ascended?” Head tilts slightly as he looks to her, arm lifting to reach for her left arm to bring her wrist to him so he can place one of those same silver bracelets. A quiet insignia of their little group. While he places it on, he finally lets his eyes linger on her face, a characteristically rogue smile crossing his face probably because of the alcohol. “And there. Now you’re one of us officially.” He winks to her, reaching for his glass once more and lifting it with the hand his own bracelet sits upon.

who is in control?

SUNJATA

HOTARU

As he moves away she drums her fingertips idly against the tabletop, deep in thought. It feels strange to do this without Deimos at her side, his deep rumbles soothing and familiar. She had orchestrated such events after his death, alone in her rule, but it had never been the same as their quiet conferences held in ice caverns and hideaways.

When he approaches she turns to see what had drawn his attention, brow rising and lips twitching to try and hide her amusement as he draws closer and closer. She leans her weight against the table, lifts one leg to sit upon it, thigh drawing close and brushing Sunjata's hip. A tease at wrapping around him, levying herself up, the potential that motion could hold. The same teasing they always seem to give into around each other.

Her hand is taken in his, the bracelet cool against her skin. Her eyes are drawn to his, soaking in each word, far from bothered by his closeness. It will take more effort on his part to get her heart racing. "We'll have to prove ourselves to them Ascended for them to trust us with such plans. I don't mind doing some introductions before the meeting and catching up with those I know." She won't drag any more names into the mix, not even to Sunjata. But she knows Rexanna is the Ascended she trusts entirely, knows the sentiment is returned. And hopefully she will understand that Hotaru and the Advocates intend to help, even if it's self-serving. She gazes down st her bracelet, turning her wrist idly as Sunjata takes another drink. Before he can set it down she places her own hand on the glass, keeping eye contact with him as she draws it to her mouth and let's the alcohol burn pleasantly down her throat. Winks and licks the remaining drink from her lips before releasing the cup to his sole grasp.

please do me a favor and shut up

I wear heels bigger than your d*ck

_{Table Code by Sky!}

"please stop you're scaring me" i can't help this awful energy

god damn right, you should be scared of me

He’s acutely aware of the way she leans back on his approach, the way she settles on the desk slightly, legs spreading to play at the idea that she can hook him and trap him, and a low hum of amusement leaves him at the display. But he doesn’t comment on it, instead he considers her offer and places the bracelet on, head tilting to listen to her, steel eyes locking once more with the grey and jade of her own.

“A good decision. I’ve stepped off on the wrong foot with our current queen. A more formal meeting would certainly be in our interests.” An agreement, smiling down toward her as he grabs for his glass, lifting it to his lips and drinking, aiming to place it down —

But she blocks him, hand reaching for the glass to his quiet surprise and delight. Eyes remain on her own as she finishes it up, a daring sort of challenge she always brings to him, and he leans down toward her slightly — continuing this game. His face remains a few inches from her own before he smirks. “The desk absolutely helps, don’t you think?” A question, hand tracing the wood beside her thigh as he discards the empty glass in his other hand to turn his attention to her, bolder as the free hand brushes her blonde hair from her face to tuck behind her ear. “You’re finally tall enough for me to see you.” He winks before withdrawing, a jest at their height difference.

who is in control?

SUNJATA

HOTARU

The whisper of warmth from his fingertips dancing across her wrist is distracting, but not so much that she can't see the gears turning behind his eyes. And though he's undeniably attractive, that is what matters most to her. "Perhaps an initial meeting with some of the other Ascended, attending this forum Wessex is holding, and then if all goes well we can ask another Ascended to request a private meeting with her?" She could at least Rexanna to take along her request, even if it may be denied.

It's easy to fall back into her pattern of teasing, though she also does it to keep the rest of the alcohol in the glass away from his own lips. She knows how it can dull the pain temporarily, but knows just as well how quickly it returns no matter how much you drink. But she'd prefer not to consider that, to believe that it's solely because the way he grins and leans into her is enticing. As he leans closer, noses nearly touching, she glances up through her lashes at him with a coy smile. The hand that tucks away her hair makes her tilt towards it, subtle but unapologetic. Brushes the tip of her nose against his and is startled into a sincere laugh at his joking. "I wouldn't say that's the end of this desk's potential," she purrs. Though her eyes are warm with amusement, unable to fully pull on the veil that she is unaffected and in control. He's funny, and she admittedly enjoys that. "I did promise I'd have you on your knees for me, didn't I?" Smirking, she hooks her ankle at the back of his knee and pulls hard, hoping to collapse that leg and have him stumble or drop lower. "Height's no problem in that scenario." But she lets him back away nonetheless, shifting her weight on the table herself to better perch there.

please do me a favor and shut up

I wear heels bigger than your d*ck

_{Table Code by Sky!}

"please stop you're scaring me" i can't help this awful energy

god damn right, you should be scared of me

He can absolutely think while jesting and teasing – a challenge for most men like him, but he’s managed well enough thus far. And he nods in agreement, knowing basically no Ascended other than Lucas – and well.. That wouldn’t work. He’s sure he was awkward enough around Samuel, and Rexanna had pegged him for the type of man he was. She had seen right through him. “Best bet would be to try and get to Samuel or Rexanna.” A tilt to his head, because at least the two of those were somewhat acquaintances to him at least.

But he lets her mull it over, this dance as she refutes his attempt at blacking himself out in the end – because that had been the goal all along. To forget, to place a bandaid over the sorrow and pain that won’t leave until he knows whether his flame will come back or be gone forever. Again. Still, he captures her gaze, a rogue smirk crossing his face at the boldness of his hand that tucks the blond hair behind her ear, flashing slightly when her nose brushes his.

Well they hadn’t quite gotten this close before, now had they? “Oh it has plenty of opportunities.” He returns, remaining close enough that she quips to him and hooks her ankle at the back of his knee – a spot that with his height and how drunk he is, takes him down easily. Hands flatten on the desk as he’s brought to his knee, a brighter grin crossing his face at her sultry reply. And he looks up at her for once, for the first time.

“Mmm, so, is this how you get information?” He rumbles playfully, applying pressure to the desk as he stands once more. “I guarantee it'll work.” He questions, aiming to cover her now, to press her back against the wood with nothing else but his tattooed torso and his words. He’s sure to keep her centered with his hands flat against the desk, ready to grab onto her legs should she try it again.

who is in control?

SUNJATA

HOTARU

The names, and his apparent familiarity with them, is surprising but sharpens her grin nonetheless. "You're in luck, one of them is family. I'll take care of that, don't fret your pretty head." Rexanna would likely have a blast with the information Hotaru has to spill to her now, especially considering they'd be on the same side of this little war. Just like old times. And she'll surely have much to say to Hotaru when the Valkyrie reveals all the juicy little tidbits of this particular interaction. Rexanna will surely appreciate every detail.

Not that Hotaru isn't. She's fully submerged in this tension they've strung between themselves, plucking each chord with playful fingers to see what reaction it garners. Seeing how high she can take him, how far until he backs away, what limits she can test until they break. Hotaru enjoys seeing things break beneath her delicate hands. Forcing him to his knee is just the next best thing, and she leans forward a little to better enjoy the superior position, the hair he had not tucked behind her ear swaying like a veil against her grinning cheek.

"Oh no dear, this is how I quiet sassy mouths like yours." Her eyes flash wickedly, imagining him incapable of teasing and flirting with his mouth between her thighs. Though as he stands and leans closer and closer, until their torsos are nearly flush, she draws her other leg up until she's sitting perched fully on the table. Lets him push her lower for a moment, aware she can't hook her legs around him lest he stop her, then squeezes her thighs tightly around his hips where he leans into her. "This is how I get information," she says sweetly, barely a murmur between them, the potential for both of them to move that little bit closer into a perfect grind of their hips akin to Eve's apple taunting her hand.

please do me a favor and shut up

I wear heels bigger than your d*ck

_{Table Code by Sky!}

"please stop you're scaring me" i can't help this awful energy

god damn right, you should be scared of me

“Pretty head, huh?” He rumbles back to her, a mimicked sharpened grin angled back to her. He wonders which of them it could be, but judging by her height… He has to go with the Penumbra. It makes the most sense in his mind, that she’d be aligned with someone like that. Still, he doesn’t comment on it, figuring that it can wait – especially for the trick she’s about to pull on getting him on his knee.

The curtain of hair swings before his face, before he smirks back up at her, catching the eyes that flash wickedly. “Is that so?” It’d work, if he’s being honest. But he stands then, refusing to divulge, to press himself closer and closer and she opens herself up for it. Perched, he settles there following her down just enough that when she tightens her thighs around his hips and whispers, even more of a tease that he can’t help the slight hum at the base of his throat, an almost purring kind of growl is given to her.

And it seems to him that some instincts take over as he nears his head toward hers again, centimeters away, sharing breath and pressing himself that extra bit toward her that she leaves open. He breathes her in, lets her drown him momentarily before he realizes what’s happening – a break in the alcohol induced cloud forming over his thoughts and he pulls back a fraction, as if his body doesn’t want to retract, but his mind is reeling, staggered, brash.

His hand reaches up to brush against her cheek again, leaning in again with a light sigh to press a soft kiss to her cheek, refraining from her lips, refraining from doing what he did once before when Lusea was there and he’d been blighted and drunk. Did the fact she was missing mean anything? The fact it had been nearly two weeks? He hadn’t waited last time –

– Last time she’d been dead.

“You must be very well informed, then.” His accent is thick here, steel eyes with hints of shadows finding their way back in seek out her own, uncertain where to go – not wanting to stop, but wanting to just in case.

who is in control?

SUNJATA

HOTARU

It's a rarity, but for once she doesn't feel as if she's inches from securing a trap around an unsuspecting victim. In some ways it makes her ache, reminds her of Thranduil, this competitive intelligence and devil-may-care teasing that had so enraptured her from the very start. Perhaps they're both missing someone they can't reach, taking comfort in flesh and false starts, but in the end they're only human. And nights get lonesome when the bed is cold beside you.

She hums softly in confirmation as he rises, and for once her heart is finally starting to kick up, invested in his responses. Heating her blood until every beat of her pulse feels like liquid fire. It's exhilarating. He is a fine competitor, and she welcomes him as he presses her down, barely any weight to the motion even as she knows she could not readily move him in that moment. It only makes this little dance all the more enticing for Hotaru.

But her worries, her suspicions - the bleeding heart of a girl who had never withered despite being trapped in the glacial prison of her chest - come flooding back to the fore when at the last moment Sunjata hesitates. She holds perfectly still, her eyes clear and her expression calm, refusing to cajole or tease, letting him make this decision entirely on his own. His calloused fingers cradle her cheek, and she leans into it, eyes fluttering closed and presenting her cheek for him to press a lingering kiss to. One of her own hands, previously still, comes to gently press over the one that touches her so gently. When he withdraws, she smiles at him, a warmth to her that tells him that this is more than enough. Keeping his hand where it is beneath hers, she turns and kisses his palm before releasing him, letting him move his hand wherever he desires. Either to touch her again, or to withdraw farther. To continue this teasing dance now that boundaries have been established, or to enforce distance.

"I like to think I can read people well," she responds, voice soft and free of inflection, though she's sure he knows what she means to say. But if he does not..."And you? Can you read me or do you just like to stare?" A coy tilt of her lips, an invitation, an olive branch. All rolled into one. No strings, no expectations. What do you want of me?

please do me a favor and shut up

I wear heels bigger than your d*ck

_{Table Code by Sky!}