Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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"Oh, w..wonderful. Thank you." Sam smiled with some relief, both because he knew it would be much easier for him to have a regular blood supply and because he...well. He wanted to bite Zephyr again, if it would make him look this flustered or speak like that again. Maybe it was selfish, but as he was at the moment, being desired was almost addicting.
Probably unsurprisingly, Zeph began to make excuses for him to go. Sam knew why and would, but first he wanted to express his gratitude...and perhaps, if he was being totally honest, perpetuate the mood in the room for just a little longer. "Alright. ..I ju..just want to say, th..thh.thank you. You're so l-lovely to me." With that he would stand, but before he left the room he took Zeph's hand again and standing before the man squeezed it and smiled down at him, stroked his thumb over his knuckles...then he was walking out of the room, downstairs to make tea.
Once he got to the kitchen, his own arousal was rather mild if not gone completely, the Ascended bite wearing off quicker for the biter with no sensation to back it up. Still, when the kettle was put on to boil he leaned against the counter with a smile on his face, tapping his lip as he imagined what Zeph might have wanted to do with him.
What has Red's life been until now, that the sacrifice of a boner and feeling a bit dizzy to keep him from collapse counts as being lovely? This thought occupies a very small part of your brain as his fingers caress your knuckles; another, louder part is desperately begging you to pull him back down, take his cheek and show him just how lovely you can be.
But tragically thankfully he's gone before you have the chance to act upon those baser urges, disappearing through the door and leaving you blissfully, terribly alone to, ahem, take care of yourself.
We'll give you your privacy as you jack off- I doubt anyone reading needs me to tell them about the images that dance behind your eyes. It doesn't take long, fired up as you already are; afterwards you collapse back onto the bed, panting and grateful that the pressure in your balls has subsided.
Before descending you pull on a better shirt, then run your fingers through your hair and breathe into your palm, wincing at your breath. Why? Who cares? It's Red, after all. No reason to get all gussied up, because even if you did want to make anything happen, well...
He trusts you. And though sinful thoughts of something more might plague you like mosquitoes, you're determined to slap every one down. Sam doesn't need a horny old man with a bad past and an alcohol problem chasing him down. He needs a friend, someone to rely on. Someone to trust.
That's what you repeat in your head like mantra, descending the stairs and studiously staring at the ground, unsure where your eyes should be.
Sam made two cups of tea as quietly as he could, straining his ears to hear anything from upstairs. When it was disappointingly silent he went back to stirring the cups, hoping he wasn't being too obvious with his affection. It had to be clear to Zeph by now that he was interested, and he didn't want to appear desperate. No, the best thing to do was to step back and let things take their course now, however that happened.
He still had to bite every week, but maybe they'd find a way around it. Do it with a sheet between them, or something.
In the reflection of the kettle, Sam spent a little time making sure his waistcoat was straight and hair was neat, glad to see that after drinking the blood he looked considerably less ill, even if he didn't feel up to his full strength. Perhaps in time, he allowed himself to think just once, he might get to have something good here, in this house. There was a part of him that felt guilty as he looked around at the homely kitchen, which had once contained someone Zephyr had loved..was it arrogant to already imagine of taking her place?
Trying to focus his energy into something practical, he went to wash the dishes until Zeph came down.
The awkward heat, the nearness of him, the things you nearly did and definitely felt- they all echo in your brain, pulling you as tight as a mastline. Even your relief wasn't enough, you realize as you deacend the staircase, anticipating and dreading the moment when you look up and spot him. You're gonna fucking break, drown in those puppy dog eyes and that trusting smile.
So what do you do when you finally look at him? You fucking laugh, of course.
It's a sound as booming and organic as thunder, as warm and embracing as a pressing wave. It wraps around the room, infusing it with a glimmer of the life it held before. And it transformations your face, easing hard lines and leaving a boyish, handsome glow, a kind and mischievous grin plastered to your lips.
It's a ridiculous sound, and it's apt, because honestly? There's a redhead vampire living in your house, making tea in a goddamn suit, after sucking your blood and leaving you with one of the hardest erections you've had in your life.
05-26-2020, 11:04 PM (This post was last modified: 05-26-2020, 11:05 PM by Samuel.)
You know I still like you the most
The best of the best
As he heard Zeph begin to come down the stairs, Sam put the dishes down and began to dry his hands off, turning to look at him. There was indeed a trusting smile on his face, as well as admiration in his 'puppy dog' eyes, Sam thinking that Zeph looked very nice indeed with his new shirt.
His smile quickly turned to a slightly alarmed, definitely confused stare as Zeph began to laugh, loud and booming. After a moment where he worked out that Zeph probably wasn't laughing at him (as much as the over-critical part of his brain wanted to believe that was the case, it didn't seem likely after what had just happened), he slowly began to laugh too, quietly at first, nervous, then more genuinely: after all, there was something fun in it.
Not just that either: When Zeph laughed it was like he became a whole new man and while Sam had seen the kindness and love in his face before it was now apparent, now so clear that despite the seaman's insistence, he was a good heart beneath anything he wanted to put up.
"Um.." He finally began after a moment, face still shaped by laughter. "..Wh..what are we laughing at, Zeph?"
The laughter continues, a wave of mirth as tension breaks within you. And to your delight it is joined in a chorus, the redhead's own voice rising in a duet against your baritone. The ring of it brightens the house, brings life to dark corners that used to ring with mischief and music; you wonder how you lived without it for so long. How you're going to go back to living without it when he's gone.
You don't have a very good answer for his very good question, but it's enough to cause you to catch your breath, the laughter fading to chuckles, a warm grin on your face. At least Red knows you're laughing with him, rather than at him.
With a shake of your head you stride forward, closing the space between you easily enough. He looks so warm and bright and alive, standing there all domestic and shit, making tea and washing your dishes and just sort of... fitting. It's a bizarre thing, and it makes you chuckle all over again as you come to stop just in front of him, close enough you could cup his cheek and pull him into a kiss.
Which you don't do, for the record. But you absolutely could.
"Yer cute when y'laugh. Oughta do it more." You reach behind him, brushing your hand over his arm... and grab the cup of tea, bringing it to your lips, a playful smile still teasing the edges.
Okay, okay. Now you'll stop flirting. Promise.
Moving away suddenly lest you do something you regret, you jerk your head toward the door, motioning for him to follow. "Anyway- I dunno what you're laughin' about, but I find it pretty damn amusin' y'managed t'get me more flustered than I've been since I was a virgin. Didn' anyone tell ya you're s'posed t'warn a fella better, when it's his first time? Excited or overwhelmed my ass." Your warm tone and rumbling laugh soften any real chastisement in the words, and you reach up with your empty hand to wipe away the embarrassed flush that's spread over your neck and cheeks.
Sam watched Zeph get closer with a smile on his face, something in him anticipating a touch when the man got within distance: he just moved past to grab his tea, something Sam found himself both relieved and disappointed in. "Cute? Oh, I..I doubt that." Still, he smiled and looked down at the floor with a clearly pleased if embarrassed expression at the compliment.
He followed Zeph to the door, grabbing his own cup and sipping at it: as it happened he was glad to be looking down, because what Zeph said was probably one of the most embarrassing things he'd ever had to listen to. While it was clear he was laughing about it, Sam had hoped his words had been enough warning. With a quiet, uncomfortable laugh, he tried to think of what to say.
"Um..." He spoke into his tea. "It c-can affect people...di...differently. You're saying it um...a...ar...aroused...you?" Peeking up over his cup, he waited to see what Zeph would say.
05-28-2020, 08:46 PM (This post was last modified: 05-29-2020, 01:52 PM by Zephyr.)
But the loneliness never left me
I always took it with me
Well, not sure if that makes you feel better. You're glad your back is to him as you walk out into the warm evening, because your eyes definitely widen and your blush deepens as the gravity of his words settle in. Because you'd convinced yourself the whole boner thing was a direct consequence of being bitten by him, and if it isn't, well...
Either you have a new and very specific fetish, or this is a whole other can of worms.
"Ah... huh. 's that so?" Attempting very much to affect a casual voice, you can't help the worry that creeps into your tone. Barefoot, you step out onto the porch and down the stairs, desperate for the feeling of sand beneath your feet. "What've, uh, what've th'other people y'bit felt?" You make no comment on having been aroused: that much is painfully obvious. Whatever amusement and joviality you felt a moment ago has settled into a very awkward, very pointed discomfort.
As much as Sam knew lying to Zeph was mean, he couldn't help the amused smile on his mouth; the chance to joke and mess about was one he thought he wouldn't get for a long while after his powers were gone. Maybe that was what Zeph was giving him that he hadn't had before: something easy, something he could slip into and knew he would smile.
Still, he decided to give him a little mercy. "Well, h-honestly, most of them do...r..react the way you did." As they stepped onto the beach Sam let out a happy little sigh looking out at the sea, brought his cup up to his lips to take a sip. "...All of them, ac..actually. The f..fff..first person I bit..." He paused, wondering if he wanted to tell this story, but something in him felt safe around Zeph (odd, given he knew the man was a criminal, but for once he felt his gut instinct was right).
"It was in the g-gulf of the B...Bone bridge, which is a pp-place in the Hollowed G..Grounds with a bi..big canyon. We were s...stuck, in a cave. I b..bit him, so I could have his sh-shi-shift and fly out." These recently restored memories were something of a sore spot, but this particular one carried with it something warming too, and Sam found himself smiling. "...I..h-had my first kiss there. Aft..after the bite." And his first a couple of other things, too.
You stop abruptly at this new revelation, now very thoroughly confused. Turning back with a skeptically raised brow, you attempt to read Sam's face for indication of the truth. "Wait, ok- so first y'say nobody gets horny from it, now they all do? Are... are you messin' with me, Red?" Far more than offended, you sound rather mystified by this turn of events. Is he... joking? Giving you a hard time? Dear sweet innocent easily flustered Sam- is there a streak of mischief somewhere behind those big doe eyes?
And then the story only gets wilder. You aren't sure what to make of it, really, a myriad of emotions swimming around your head. So most people do grow aroused, which means either you don't have a very specific fetish or you do, but it's widely shared. This is both somewhat comforting and somewhat conflicting.
Because you thought you'd felt, well, something. But if that was just the result of being bitten, was it really anything at all?
And then there's the strange and uncomfortable jealousy, because if Sam was in the habit of kissing people after biting them- well, why didn't he kiss you?
Kicking up some sand, you attempt to collect your thoughts. "Sounds like quite the adventure. An' not an awful trick." You sip your tea, still not really sure how to follow this up. "So... what happens t'you, when y'bite someone? Like... what's it feel like, on your end?"
As Zeph turned around and asked if he was 'messing', Sam couldn't help the smile that crept onto his face, the quiet laugh and the glance towards the ocean. Before he answered he took a long sip of tea, then lowered the cup and shrugged. "Ma...Maybe a little. ..E...everyone I've b-bi-bitten has been like that." He laughed more then, hoping Zeph wouldn't mind his teasing.
Really, there were only two reasons he hadn't kissed Zeph after the bite: firstly he had learnt how to control his impulses and feelings around the bite over the years, knew what to expect and how to slam it down...and secondly, he thought it seemed improper to come to someone near to death then be making out with them minutes later. No matter how much he wanted to.
He watched the sand be kicked up, wondering if he detected a hint of...unhappiness? from Zeph, but tried to ignore that. Easy enough to do, when the tables were turned on him and he had to answer a question about his own reaction. For a moment he considered telling a white lie again, but honesty was probably the best policy if he was hoping to do this every week. "It's...i-it's hard to explain. I mean...I ff-ffeel the same way you d-did. Se..sexually."
Looking away and taking a gulp of tea, he tried to carry on after that with a half-dignified and unrushed tone of voice. "But...it's not j-just that. The..b-blood..it's so...filling. Li..like the best m-meal you've ever eaten a..all at once. It c..can be hard to st-stop."
"Huh." Your expression remains a mask of uncertainty for a beat longer as you wonder if you ought to be indignant; then you break into a somewhat smug grin. "Told ya spendin' time with a scoundrel like me'd be bad for ya," you tease, shaking your head in mock consternation. "My sweet innocent Red, bitin' strangers an' tellin' lies. Where will the corruption end?"
It really is like a roller coaster with him. Warmth and happiness blooms unbidden in your belly as he admits to have being similarly aroused, even though you know it had nothing to do with you. It's a bizarre reaction to a bizarre experience, you old pervert, and doesn't mean this cute young man likes you any more than as a friend.
The idea of blood being filling is.... Eh. You're not gonna lie and say it isn't weird, which is good because it focused your brain back down from scandalous places. "That's... Fuckin' weird, mate," you admit with an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of your neck. You've come to one of your favorite sitting places now, a small bench tucked beneath a tree where you and El used to build bonfires while Ray ran through the sand.
The pit is all maintained, and you have a stash of kindling and supplies buried among the roots, as well as half a bottle of rum. "Wanna sit?" you invite Sam, setting your drink down and moving to extract the firemaking materials, intending to light the evening air.
"You're n-not a stranger." Sam insisted with an easy laugh, glad that Zeph didn't seem too upset about his little lie. It was amusing to that Zeph seemed to think of him as so innocent, when he'd been in so much drama and trouble over the last two years: he supposed he wasn't a criminal in quite the same way as Zeph, but he still knew how to tell the odd lie when he had to.
Had Zeph been anyone else he might have been offended at the comment on his blood drinking, but here he just laughed, looking out over the ocean and shaking his head. "It's...h..hhh...hard to explain." He'd never been able to find the right words for it: it was something only the Ascended knew, an experience that dug right into the very core of them...probably by design, he supposed, so that they would seek it out.
The fire spot and bench was cosy and Sam was excited to have found a new place on the beach to sit. Eagerly nodding he perched on the end of the bench, as far from the fire as he could. "Um...could I ask yo...you to have it low? Fi..fire isn't good. For Ascended." Sam explained awkwardly, then went to drink the last of his tea and put down the cup.
05-29-2020, 11:45 PM (This post was last modified: 05-29-2020, 11:46 PM by Zephyr.)
But the loneliness never left me
I always took it with me
"S'pose I ain't," you acquiesce with a small crooked smile, then let the matter go. Not strangers any longer, no. Friends, perhaps, or something like it, something somewhat close.
You work on the fire quietly, though his request makes you pause. Glancing up at the man, you raise your eyebrow in question, pulling another playful place. "No food, no fire, no sunlight... why'd ya join the club in the first place?" You've lit a small spark by now, the kindling catching merrily. Carefully you add your fuel: two thick logs that will burn long and hot, but stay low, building embers more than flame. A compromise that you only hope will be acceptable for him.
And to help further you settle in on the sand, your back to the fire, your body between it and him. Now grabbing the bottle of rum, you extend it in offering with a suddenly alarmed: "Please tell me ya can still drink, Red. I don' wanna be hammered alone."
