[ She'd been staring down into the water, politely averting her eyes entirely too late for it to actually matter, but at that her gaze is pulled back up to his face and her expression is... puzzled. ]
Isn't it?
[ She sounds so sincerely, honestly... not quite baffled, but certainly confused at the very least. ]
Wasn't that part of our agreement? That if I couldn't satisfy you, then...
[ Well. They both remember. ]
And, even if I'm fake Saintess... it's still my duty to respond to everyone's desires. Even yours. Ah, not exactly in that way, obviously, but...
[ His eyes widen. Shit, he sure walked right into that one, didn't he? He raises a clawed hand out of the water and puts it to his forehead, sighing. ]
Yeah, well... you can't respond to these desires. Best to just pray that I don't get bored too soon, rather than ponder impossible ways to serve me.
[ So he says, turning his back to her... and in the process, pulling the rest of his tail into the water, briefly almost reaching her before curling back towards him. ]
[ ... Even his back's more slender than she thought. No, not just slender - skinny. He doesn't quite have the look of someone lacking food, but the sight of it still makes something in her chest twist. She's gotten so used to him now that it's easy for her to forget just how sickly he really looks and now that she's seeing him without anything else to obfuscate his form, it's even more pronounced.
It's probably foolish to feel any sort of sympathy for the beast keeping her captive here. But being a fool may as well be a prerequisite for being a Saintess, so that's nothing new. ]
... There aren't any attendants here. It's probably how you prefer it, but...
[ She usually wouldn't even think to offer, but... she at least should be working to uphold her end of their bargain. If she can't fulfill those desires for him, then... ]
If we're already here together, I might as well help you bathe.
[ It's partially her fault they're both such a mess, after all. ]
[ Water sloshes gently as she lifts herself out of the bath - she's learned by now which of the bottles lined up are best for hair and which are best for skin, so she selects the two she's been using for her own and makes her way back to his side. ]
Um... should I do it from here?
[ She wouldn't usually ask, but...
It feels strange for him to have his back so open to her, even if it's like this every night. ]
[ Honestly, she still couldn’t hurt him even if he exposes his back to her… but even then, he shouldn’t be doing it. He feels more exposed than he should be… but it’s better than the alternative.
The alternative being actually looking at her right now. Far too risky. ]
[ His hair's already damp enough from the heavy, steamy fog in the air that she doesn't have to wet it - a quick, careful comb through of her fingers is enough for her to be satisfied there's no tangles, either. The fact that doing so allows her fingers to linger against the back of his neck and his nape is something she chooses to ignore.
Then, carefully, she pours the contents of the bottle into the palm of her hand and begins to work it into his scalp and down to the tips of his hair. She's trying very hard not to let herself be distracted by anything... untoward, but she can't help thinking that there's something so strange and intimate about this. Even stranger than the last night. Maybe because now, at least, they're both fully awake and aware and not caught in the heat of the moment, not drunk off the warmth of each other's bodies and the heady rush of finally crossing that line.
This time, it's the cold light of day. So Ai has no excuse. And yet... ]
[ It’s a strange sensation. To be perfectly honest, it’s not like washing his hair like this means much to him. His true form has no hair, after all. Simply bathing in the waters should be enough…
But it’s true… as he feels her fingers run through his black locks and against his scalp, it feels… ]
…
[ He’s suddenly much, much more glad about facing away from her. ]
[ ... He really can't decide whether or not to relax, can he? Even under her careful touch, she can tell there's some sort of tension and it really isn't hard to imagine what and why that might be. It's still hard to get her head around the idea, that the Mors King she's spent all this time gradually unlearning her prey animal terror of can get embarrassed just like anyone else under the right circumstances.
... the tips of his ears are all red. Without thinking, she carefully strokes a lock of loose, soapy hair behind one of them when it slips from her hands and into his face. ]
I... was a little surprised that you didn't have any. Attendants, I mean. For the baths. I sort of assumed it was the kind of thing all kings would have if they had a bathing chamber like this.
[ Shit, her hands feel nice... wait, what the hell is he thinking!? Ugh. ]
Hmph. Would you like to be attended to by a Mors while you bathe?
[ What? They're his own creations, he's allowed to badmouth them. Having something like a Mors attending the baths would be disturbing to say the least, even for him. ]
Besides. Attendants for bathing are pointless if you ask me. I'd rather such manpower be directed elsewhere.
Eek. No, he's got a point. Who could relax with one of those hovering around you the whole time? ]
It's a little bit excessive, I guess. I'm just used to nobles liking that sort of thing.
[ She scoops some water from the bath and carefully starts rinsing the suds from his hair. ]
Everything from food to clothes, jewellery to music and books... they want more and better than anybody else, no matter how much they have to spend - the more expensive the better, even. It's a little...
[ She trails off there and starts pouring from the second bottle - now his hair's clean, it should probably be treated as well. ]
Even back in Fragaria, I never really saw the point of any of it.
Ahaha. You know, I was just thinking the same thing. Humans like to say dragons are greedy and vain, that they hoard things selfishly, but aren't humans just as bad?
[ She shifts where she's sat a little, letting one of her legs trail into the water as she starts working the sweet smelling liquid into his hair. ]
Our cities are full of precious things we took from other places because we wanted them for ourselves. Nobles have as much money as they do because they take it from the people who were born into poorer families and pretend there's any good reason for it. We lie and cheat and steal just as much as anyone else. The only real difference is that we don't last as long. So we don't have half as much time to do as much damage.
[ Her own smile is thin, a brittle and bitter thing. ]
It wasn't as if it was my idea. I just happened to have the right spark and somebody else decided to start telling people I was a Saintess. By the time I realised what it really meant, enough people had been tricked that I knew if I tried telling the truth... They burn girls at the stake for less, you know?
[ She laughs. It's not funny. ]
So I just kept lying. It makes me just as bad as the rest of them, huh?
[ She combs her fingers through his hair in slow, soothing strokes, brushing the shells of his ears and the nape of his neck. Even though the topic has gotten so grim, her touch is still gentle. ]
Maybe I should be thanking you. Now that I'm here, I can give up pretending.
Hah... and yet despite that, you offered yourself to me for their safety. I could always raze it all to the ground, you know.
[ What a strange situation this is... here he is, having her groom his hair while talking of such a grim topic. Weirdly, though, this allows him to relax... despite the ever-present awareness of her exposed form behind him. ]
Wouldn't I be so much worse than a fake Saintess if I let you do that? I'd be some kind of dark maiden heralding the end of everything. I'm sure they'd come up with a clever name for it.
... But...
[ Her voice had been a little coy but suddenly it softens as her fingers still, lingering in his hair. ]
Even if there's ugly things there... There's still some beautiful things I wanted to protect. Even if I could never see them again... I just wanted them to be safe. So I came here.
[ Back to combing her fingers through his hair, a little gentler now, somehow. ]
To be honest... protecting those things is the only reason I decided to stay as the Saintess in the first place. I could've run away from it all, but... so long as they're safe, I can stand up to anything, no matter how scared I am.
[ He notices the change in the way her fingers run through his hair... and says nothing as she gives voice to something truly inexplicable.
Something... nostalgic.
He remembers something she had said oh so long ago, when she was still present... still alive. She'd always had such hope for other living creatures, even humans, and she'd told him once...
Something about humans when they have something to protect. ]
...well. Whatever it is, it must be quite something for you to put up with me.
[ And then, without any warning, she's leaning forwards. Loose strands of damp hair, dark and beaded with water, spill over her shoulder and onto his. She braces herself with her hands on his upper arms and just for a second, their positions really are reserved, her chest pressed gently into his back - and the worst part is, she barely seems to be aware.
Or, no. The worst part is when her lips find her way to his ear, close enough that her breath tickles against the shell, she cups her hand around her mouth as if to carry her voice right into his head. ]
It's...
[ Her voice is low and playful, a conspiratorial whisper. ]
[ His eyes widen as she leans forwards, the sensation of her chest pressed gently against his back snapping him out of the relaxed state he had just been in. They aren't big, but he'd never had a problem with that they're still enough that he can feel just how soft they are against his back.
He has to physically suppress the shudder down his spine as her lips come so close to his ear, though consequently, this results in him being stiffer than usual.
And yet despite all that build-up. ]
Wha...!?
[ He can't quite keep his composure at that point. ]
O-Oi, forget 'Saintess', I should start calling you a 'Temptress' from now on...!
[ A laugh bubbles out of her and she shifts back just a touch - enough that their bodies aren't quite pressed together anymore, even if her hair is still clinging to his shoulder. ]
What do you mean, Temptress? [ Annoyingly, her confusion here seems sincere ... But then her voice shifts a bit. ] ... Oh, hold on a second, are you really...?
[ And then she leans back in, lips against his ear once more her voice back to that breathty whisper - and even though it's accidental, her chest isn't not pressing into him again. ]
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no subject
Isn't it?
[ She sounds so sincerely, honestly... not quite baffled, but certainly confused at the very least. ]
Wasn't that part of our agreement? That if I couldn't satisfy you, then...
[ Well. They both remember. ]
And, even if I'm fake Saintess... it's still my duty to respond to everyone's desires. Even yours. Ah, not exactly in that way, obviously, but...
no subject
Yeah, well... you can't respond to these desires. Best to just pray that I don't get bored too soon, rather than ponder impossible ways to serve me.
[ So he says, turning his back to her... and in the process, pulling the rest of his tail into the water, briefly almost reaching her before curling back towards him. ]
no subject
It's probably foolish to feel any sort of sympathy for the beast keeping her captive here. But being a fool may as well be a prerequisite for being a Saintess, so that's nothing new. ]
... There aren't any attendants here. It's probably how you prefer it, but...
[ She usually wouldn't even think to offer, but... she at least should be working to uphold her end of their bargain. If she can't fulfill those desires for him, then... ]
If we're already here together, I might as well help you bathe.
[ It's partially her fault they're both such a mess, after all. ]
no subject
[ Out of all the things he expected her to say... that certainly wasn't one of them. He turns around to face her, a bewildered look on his face. ]
...I've asked you this already, but I'll ask again. Are you sure you're sane?!
no subject
Of course not. Nobody sane would ever agree to be a Saintess.
[ Surely he knows that by now? ]
no subject
Ugh... fine, do as you wish.
[ This is another case like when she asked for something to do around the castle, isn't it? Fine. How bad could it be? It's just bathing. ]
I won't be returning the favor.
[ So he says, turning his back to her once more. ]
no subject
[ Water sloshes gently as she lifts herself out of the bath - she's learned by now which of the bottles lined up are best for hair and which are best for skin, so she selects the two she's been using for her own and makes her way back to his side. ]
Um... should I do it from here?
[ She wouldn't usually ask, but...
It feels strange for him to have his back so open to her, even if it's like this every night. ]
no subject
[ Honestly, she still couldn’t hurt him even if he exposes his back to her… but even then, he shouldn’t be doing it. He feels more exposed than he should be… but it’s better than the alternative.
The alternative being actually looking at her right now. Far too risky. ]
no subject
Then, carefully, she pours the contents of the bottle into the palm of her hand and begins to work it into his scalp and down to the tips of his hair. She's trying very hard not to let herself be distracted by anything... untoward, but she can't help thinking that there's something so strange and intimate about this. Even stranger than the last night. Maybe because now, at least, they're both fully awake and aware and not caught in the heat of the moment, not drunk off the warmth of each other's bodies and the heady rush of finally crossing that line.
This time, it's the cold light of day. So Ai has no excuse. And yet... ]
Like this?
no subject
[ It’s a strange sensation. To be perfectly honest, it’s not like washing his hair like this means much to him. His true form has no hair, after all. Simply bathing in the waters should be enough…
But it’s true… as he feels her fingers run through his black locks and against his scalp, it feels… ]
…
[ He’s suddenly much, much more glad about facing away from her. ]
no subject
... the tips of his ears are all red. Without thinking, she carefully strokes a lock of loose, soapy hair behind one of them when it slips from her hands and into his face. ]
I... was a little surprised that you didn't have any. Attendants, I mean. For the baths. I sort of assumed it was the kind of thing all kings would have if they had a bathing chamber like this.
no subject
Hmph. Would you like to be attended to by a Mors while you bathe?
[ What? They're his own creations, he's allowed to badmouth them. Having something like a Mors attending the baths would be disturbing to say the least, even for him. ]
Besides. Attendants for bathing are pointless if you ask me. I'd rather such manpower be directed elsewhere.
no subject
...
Eek. No, he's got a point. Who could relax with one of those hovering around you the whole time? ]
It's a little bit excessive, I guess. I'm just used to nobles liking that sort of thing.
[ She scoops some water from the bath and carefully starts rinsing the suds from his hair. ]
Everything from food to clothes, jewellery to music and books... they want more and better than anybody else, no matter how much they have to spend - the more expensive the better, even. It's a little...
[ She trails off there and starts pouring from the second bottle - now his hair's clean, it should probably be treated as well. ]
Even back in Fragaria, I never really saw the point of any of it.
no subject
[ He grumbles a little as the suds run down his face and his hair briefly covers his eyes, but he doesn't make a move to stop her. ]
Hah... not that a dragon has any right to speak on human greed and vanity.
[ She's starting up again... ugh, he's starting to really regret this. ]
no subject
[ She shifts where she's sat a little, letting one of her legs trail into the water as she starts working the sweet smelling liquid into his hair. ]
Our cities are full of precious things we took from other places because we wanted them for ourselves. Nobles have as much money as they do because they take it from the people who were born into poorer families and pretend there's any good reason for it. We lie and cheat and steal just as much as anyone else. The only real difference is that we don't last as long. So we don't have half as much time to do as much damage.
[ Not that it stops then from trying. ]
no subject
[ Yet weirdly... it doesn't come out like a taunt. If anything, the grin on his face is... strangely genuine. ]
Still, don't underestimate your species. Dragons have all the time in the world, but humans...
[ His grin vanishes. ]
You hardly fall short.
no subject
It wasn't as if it was my idea. I just happened to have the right spark and somebody else decided to start telling people I was a Saintess. By the time I realised what it really meant, enough people had been tricked that I knew if I tried telling the truth... They burn girls at the stake for less, you know?
[ She laughs. It's not funny. ]
So I just kept lying. It makes me just as bad as the rest of them, huh?
[ She combs her fingers through his hair in slow, soothing strokes, brushing the shells of his ears and the nape of his neck. Even though the topic has gotten so grim, her touch is still gentle. ]
Maybe I should be thanking you. Now that I'm here, I can give up pretending.
no subject
Hah... and yet despite that, you offered yourself to me for their safety. I could always raze it all to the ground, you know.
[ What a strange situation this is... here he is, having her groom his hair while talking of such a grim topic. Weirdly, though, this allows him to relax... despite the ever-present awareness of her exposed form behind him. ]
no subject
... But...
[ Her voice had been a little coy but suddenly it softens as her fingers still, lingering in his hair. ]
Even if there's ugly things there... There's still some beautiful things I wanted to protect. Even if I could never see them again... I just wanted them to be safe. So I came here.
[ Back to combing her fingers through his hair, a little gentler now, somehow. ]
To be honest... protecting those things is the only reason I decided to stay as the Saintess in the first place. I could've run away from it all, but... so long as they're safe, I can stand up to anything, no matter how scared I am.
no subject
[ He notices the change in the way her fingers run through his hair... and says nothing as she gives voice to something truly inexplicable.
Something... nostalgic.
He remembers something she had said oh so long ago, when she was still present... still alive. She'd always had such hope for other living creatures, even humans, and she'd told him once...
Something about humans when they have something to protect. ]
...well. Whatever it is, it must be quite something for you to put up with me.
no subject
[ That coyness is back in her voice but this time it's warm - rather than bitter, she sounds almost playful. ]
Do you want to know what it is?
no subject
[ God, there’s something about that tone of hers. That coy playfulness that throws him completely off his game… ]
I suppose I would… not that it would change anything, but it’d sate my curiosity.
no subject
Alright, if you're sure.
[ And then, without any warning, she's leaning forwards. Loose strands of damp hair, dark and beaded with water, spill over her shoulder and onto his. She braces herself with her hands on his upper arms and just for a second, their positions really are reserved, her chest pressed gently into his back - and the worst part is, she barely seems to be aware.
Or, no. The worst part is when her lips find her way to his ear, close enough that her breath tickles against the shell, she cups her hand around her mouth as if to carry her voice right into his head. ]
It's...
[ Her voice is low and playful, a conspiratorial whisper. ]
... A secret. Sorry. ⭐
no subject
he'd never had a problem with thatthey're still enough that he can feel just how soft they are against his back.He has to physically suppress the shudder down his spine as her lips come so close to his ear, though consequently, this results in him being stiffer than usual.
And yet despite all that build-up. ]
Wha...!?
[ He can't quite keep his composure at that point. ]
O-Oi, forget 'Saintess', I should start calling you a 'Temptress' from now on...!
no subject
[ A laugh bubbles out of her and she shifts back just a touch - enough that their bodies aren't quite pressed together anymore, even if her hair is still clinging to his shoulder. ]
What do you mean, Temptress? [ Annoyingly, her confusion here seems sincere ... But then her voice shifts a bit. ] ... Oh, hold on a second, are you really...?
[ And then she leans back in, lips against his ear once more her voice back to that breathty whisper - and even though it's accidental, her chest isn't not pressing into him again. ]
Are your ears ticklish, maybe?
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