fairyland fun! (your levels of fun may vary)

[fair_trouble]

[New day, new town, and hopefully new opportunities. Specifically opportunities to make some money because Zel and Emery’s funds have been running kind of low after their most recent misadventure. This has meant a temporary separation while Zelgadis goes to look for merc-type work and potential cure leads and Emery goes around chatting up the locals without terrifying them.

Or at least that was the plan, until Calanthe showed up.

By the time Zel gets back to the inn, Emery’s still busy talking to Calanthe in their inn room, although the conversation’s just about wrapping up. If he’s perceptive he might even catch a bit of Emery’s words.

“...some funds this time? ...Seriously, is that it? He’s always such a cheapskate. …Okay I got it. I’ll see you later.”

A few moments later a woman wearing a green cloak exits their inn room. Her hood is up, partly obscuring a pale face and hair, and she barely spares anyone a passing glance as she drifts down the hallway.

Emery is still standing inside the inn room looking pensive, but when Zel enters he’ll give him a bright smile.]

Oh! Hey, Zel. Did you manage to find anything?

Comments

[chimerad]

[reasonable enough. Zel nods faintly, pushing away from the door and shifting his weight with the movement of the vessel, and carefully sits down next to Emery, eyes wincing a little while the cot has to negotiate with the weight.]

When you want me to find out, tell me. I'll look around.

[fair_trouble]

[Emery lifts an eyebrow.] Hey now, I can manage walking around a boat without getting into too much trouble! [Probably.]

[chimerad]

[they didn't mean it like that!! >:T]

I-I know, I only... [they deflate a little, unable to come up with a good reasoning that doesn't sound lame.] Right. Might be better if I don't tilt the boat just by...standing around. I guess.

[it's just so easy to make the problem his problem.]

[fair_trouble]

[Zel pls]

Are you always this protective of people, or is this a dating privilege?

[Is Emery ~special?~ *sparkle sparkle*

Or is it because Zel normally hangs out with way stronger people than an effete lad whose primary skill is Looking Pretty]

[chimerad]

[Zel's face darkens with a blush, prompting a pointed look elsewhere.

dry:] M-maybe I'm the one needing protecting. Foreign land and all.

[fair_trouble]

[Zel can avert his gaze all he wants, but that won't stop Emery from looking at him. And smiling.]

Don't worry. I won't let anyone take advantage of you.

[Because that's Emery's job, of course.]

[chimerad]

[they breathe out a hmph, features softening a bit (in a way); even just the peripheral sense of the smile he can hear is a kind of ghostly tickle under his skin.

he reaches for and takes Emery's hand gingerly by the fingers, kissing his knuckles. the silly feeling he gets in doing so is beat out by the delight of being able to do so.]

My hero.

fae bae is back

[fair_trouble]

[Emery laughs a little at the kiss to his knuckles, a bubbly delighted sound.]

Anything for you~

[He bats his eyelashes teasingly at Zel. His sweet, chivalrous dork.]

ayaya

[chimerad]

[the teasing won't go unanswered, even if Zel did set himself up for it. he gently nips at a knuckle before releasing the hand so he can curl his finger under Emery's chin and tilt in to kiss him.]

[fair_trouble]

[And Emery is as obliging as ever, slightly parting his lips for Zel and tilting his head to receive that kiss. Stone lips meet Emery's warm, pliant ones. If Zel wants to take things further? However far he wants to go, Emery is eager to go there with him.]

[chimerad]

[for now, it's languid taste and proximity: Zel pulls Emery into his lap and reclines, comforted by the sense of weight he can feel regardless of impassive skin. with the l-word out in the open, it's become safer to just want to be cozy, rather than stand be on the anxious business of trying to stay desirable (or cool; he's still cool, right?), and that's one helluva relief.

the interruption comes from outside - the clatter and bustle of the rest of the ferry. it's barely past midday, so that's no surprise. and while they could just lounge all day, a notion strikes.]

...Think they'd let me copy whatever map they got on board? [he could try and discern just where they are in relation to the other world; he's curious how the landscapes overlap or diverge, because of course he is.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery's happy to drape himself over Zelgadis like a cat stretching out over a sunny rock. It's a surprisingly gentle time for both of them, exchanging kisses back and forth, reclining in a berth with the sounds of the river drifting in. In the security of the moment, Emery can forget about his job and their various worries for as long as this lasts.

Eventually there's a particularly loud bit of footsteps from the hallway outside their room and he feels Zel pull away a bit.

Huh? Map? What? Emery blinks a few times, processing. He's not sure if they'll particularly need a map but...]

It wouldn't hurt to ask, right?

[chimerad]

Probably not. [unless they're really cagey about their maps. which, while weird, wouldn't be the weirdest thing Zel's ever encountered asea.

he inhales a deeper breath, if only to better appreciate Emery atop him before gently nosing Emery's cheek.] But I won't do that until you set me free.

[fair_trouble]

Hmm~ [Emery's eyes drift shut at the proximity.] I don't know. Where else am I going to find such a lovely captive?

[chimerad]

Pfh. [lovely. his mouth twitches. he can't just plainly be pleased by a silly, teasing compliment!

...he is.]

Who knows? I'm not in the business of looking for such.

[fair_trouble]

That's right, you don't need to go looking. You've already got one right here~

[...Ignoring the fact that 0.5 seconds ago, Zel was the lovely captive. And still kind of is, Emery hasn't gotten up yet.]

[chimerad]

[Zel carefully cups Emery's face between his palms.] Who's captive, again? Get your story straight.

[fair_trouble]

[Emery leans into Zel's hand while smiling adoringly.]

We're captives of one another. Makes perfect sense to me.

[chimerad]

[shit, that's poetry! Zel's weak to that! while he's gently squishing Emery's face, Emery's squeezing the fuck out of his heart. what can he do but scoff softly?!

he does that: the soft scoff. but he does follow up with a careful kiss to his nose before releasing him.]

Guess it does, putting it that way... [shit!!]

[fair_trouble]

[Now feeling suitably doted upon, Emery finally sits up, freeing Zelgadis from physical confines albeit not metaphorical emotional ones.]

I am a fount of wisdom.

[The Great Sages have competition!]

[chimerad]

And very covert about it. [he sits up, too, careful to not jostle Emery too much in the process, letting him climb off before getting his feet on the ground.] I'm going to go see about that map.

[fair_trouble]

[Emery settles his feet on the floor and stretches a little, like a cat uncurling itself from a nap.]

I'll tag along then. It'll be good to get to know the crew we're traveling with.

[chimerad]

[this suits Zel fine; maybe Emery's fairer features and way with folks can coax any harder-nosed sorts to play ball with Zel without having to resort to haggling. Emery's cuteness is fine enough on its own, but it's not like Zel doesn't know its uses! and it'll satisfy any antsiness he may feel in being separated in a foreign place (even if it's still on the same goddamn boat; cut him some slack, he just said the lesbians-word and is gonna be in that afterglow for a bit!).

after side-eye admiring Emery's stretching in profile, he shrugs his cloak and hood back on and leads the way out and to upper decks, wondering aloud:] I don't frequent a lot of commercial vessels... They must have similar crews to merchant and military ships, right? But with...people-service staff? [does a ferry have a butler? much to consider.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery follows along, a relaxed and open figure compared to Zel's covered one.]

I don't frequent a lot of vessels period! But I guess it would depend on how fancy it is. [Emery does not think they're paying butler rates.] Bile mentioned a dining hall so there's obviously kitchen staff- although I guess that'd be on any boat that does long trips.

[There's no obvious customer attendants around per se, but it won't be hard to find deckhands doing bits of work around the ship.]

[chimerad]

[bothering workers in the process of doing work seems a bad way to get on someone's good side, so Zel bypasses a few doing more focus-heavy work to find someone occupied with emptying buckets to inquire about a map.

"What, do I look like a map shop to yous?" and, because customer service: "Sir."

dry:] More like an informed source. [honey over vinegar and all.]