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

[fair_trouble]

[Well, if Zel ever gets the courage to ask about the outfit again, Emery'd be more than happy to bring it out!

But anyway, until then making out in this cabin is more than good enough.]

Mn...?

[When Zel asks the question, Emery takes a moment to think it over. With regards to Boat Stuff he'd only really been thinking about 1) getting to Zennor Lake faster, and 2) getting a room with Zel, but.]

I think I'd like that. [Emery shifts, his current sticky, half-naked state registering properly.] But I'll need to clean up first. You really made a mess out of me~ [He pretends to pout and teasingly swats at Zel's shoulder.]

[chimerad]

[Zel smirks, feeling a want to preen.]

I didn't mess up your trousers. [or his underclothes! see how nice he is?] But, sure.

[he withdraws lazily, sitting back on his legs and retrieving the discarded clothes, plopping them on the bed beside Emery before getting up to stretch, knees popping. old man-ass joint noises.]

[fair_trouble]

You're cute when you're smug.

[Emery will also be getting up alongside Zel, not doing any stretching but working on the aforementioned clean up and getting underwear etc. back on.

He flushes a little deeper and smiles as he works, remembering the sight and feel of Zel between his legs.]

Did you want to come above deck with me?

[chimerad]

[his face flushes at the compliment, and it's hard to not preen just to vent that tickling feeling mingling with his lingering arousal. as inconvenient an ache as it is, there's something satisfying about it.

he leans against the wall opposite, arms folded, and watches Emery dress, replaying a few choice sounds in his head that do not really help cool off.

his first thought is to stay behind, feign a nap, and take care of this. but he doesn't want to be far from Emery, even on a confined vessel. so he pushes off the wall.]

When you're ready. [he can suffer the yearning, he figures.]

[fair_trouble]

[Zel does have a lot of experience with The Yearning, it must be said.

Emery gets ready leisurely, and when he's clean and dressed he turns to Zel.]

Do I look reasonably innocent?

[The answer is "kind of" for the record. He's perfectly decent but there's still a slightly ruffled look to him that suggests someone who's been very thoroughly kissed recently.]

[chimerad]

No. [smirking.] But you can probably get away with having had a nap.

[that said, he'll pull the door open for him and follow Emery out and toward the deck, in view of happenings but at least out of the way of all the work deckhands need to do to get things rolling.

...floating.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery's expression briefly turns wry.]

As long as nobody was eavesdropping, anyway.

[He would have to pretend to be a very restless sleeper in that case.

Outside there are various other passengers enjoying the air as well as deckhands running about, and Emery gives them brief smiles whenever they pass by anyone. As they're still docked, they can hear the bustle and chatter of the harbor.

Emery picks a spot by the railing to wait, and slips his hand into Zel's. The last call for passengers comes, the water around the boat starts to churn, and then they're moving.]

There it goes.

[Emery looks away from the slowly receding view of the town and back over to Zel- and feels a fresh flutter as it hits him properly all over again.

I'm in love with you. Emery.

God. That's one of those moments that he's just going to mentally replay forever.]

[chimerad]

[boat launches, when not preceding or following a Dragon Slave or three, are rather fun things. physical prospects of new horizons and possibilities - tons of adventure stories feature naval parts, right? Zel's read more than a few. progress!

not to a cure, like he's often searching for, but...

when Zel looks at Emery, he finds himself being looked at first. it makes his brow lift a bit, questioning.]

Ready for what comes next?

[he means Emery's job, but with what's just gone on between them, it sure does ring a few different tones, doesn't it.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery blinks a few times, needing a moment to let the words properly register before he shrugs.]

...Not entirely, but I'm good at going with the flow.

[Is he referring to the job or to them? Who knows!

Or maybe he's making a little joke about them being on a boat. It is impossible to discern from the warm smile he's giving Zel.]

[chimerad]

[Zel rolls his eyes, mouth quirked.] Given everything, I guess that's the best skill you can have.

[he doesn't love being caught unawares, but then again, meeting Emery had not been planned, and that's been a great change in his life. no, he won't pause to think to thank Lina for hardening him to that kind of spur-of-the-moment, on-the-go learning of life and such; she gets enough credit!

as the vessel rocks into the slight churning of the water, Zel rests a palm on Emery's back as a means to keep him stable...and as an excuse to touch him that can be easily construed as practicality.]

How long a voyage is it from here, again? [he's already wondering how much time between now and the next nonsense could be.]

[fair_trouble]

[Solemnly:]

It's my second greatest asset.

[First greatest being how impossibly attractive he is, naturally. Emery's about to spell it out when he feels Zel's hand press against his back. The gentleness protectiveness of it, and the casual way Zel does it, just makes Emery feel all warm and glowy and sappy.

So how much time do they have for such little intimacies?]

Mm... About two days, I think.

[It'd be faster if they were going from here to Zennor Lake without making any stops, but them's not how the ferry works! The Captain's got other paying customers to pick up. Such a shame, they can't go into more nonsense immediately, but instead have some time to relax together and hang about on the ship instead...

With the various weird fairy passengers...]

[chimerad]

[flatly:] Do I need to make any offerings to any lake spirits to keep us from getting jumped along the way?

[it ought to be a joke, but considering how things have gone so far? probably a likely thing to check off the list. just in case. because there's no way Zel's getting caught with his pants down after getting his face raked over!

...he would like to get his pants down. in a safe environment.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery huffs, an almost-laughing sound.]

I think the fee we paid the Captain counts for that.

[And sure, they'd paid the goblins money but- said goblins weren't water spirits! Maybe the spring guardian would have been chill if they'd paid it for the water, who knows.]

[chimerad]

[he could snark and say he's holding Emery to that - should there be some other anomaly popping out of the water, that may or may not be included - but Emery's stark concerned expression is still pretty fresh in his mind. he'd rather not play with fate and let that materialize into the world just because he challenged it to.]

Two days to relax without smelling like a root cellar. [his fingers on his back twitch a little in lieu of a proper press.] Enjoy it while it lasts, I guess.

[fair_trouble]

[Emery idly reaches out to play with one of the ties on Zel's cloak and gives his boyfriend a look with a raised brow.]

Are you saying that to me or to yourself? [Because out of the two of them, Emery doesn't think he's the one with trouble relaxing and enjoying himself!]

[chimerad]

[looking pointedly away, despite his face coloring with a flush:] I'm the bodyguard here; I don't get to relax. Not entirely.

[fair_trouble]

[At that, Emery pouts. He thought they were done with that!!!]

You're not my bodyguard, you're my sweetheart.

[And just to push the point he's gonna try to kiss Zel. In public, quelle hourreur! Even if nobody's really paying attention to the two random passengers out enjoying the air.]

[chimerad]

A-- [kiss lands on cheek! fluster x200. Zel turns his head, obscuring part of his blush. it'd seem a full retreat if he weren't gripping the back of Emery's tunic with his other hand.

it's going to take a lot of time to 1. be used to hearing it, 2. in public, and 3. not feel like a giddy schoolkid about it.

give him a few seconds to clear his throat, blinking a few times.] R-right...right. Ye-yeah...

[don't swoon don't swoon don't swoon d]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery laughs, a reaction that will hopefully not multiply the already exponential fluster levels.]

And if you ever forget again then I'll be happy to remind you as many times as it takes.

[chimerad]

[he sags against the railing, withering under the brightness of that cheer. local chimera scorched by the glorious sun of being cherished. this must look so uncool...

(it looks normal, Zel. it looks like a guy utterly down bad for his boyfriend and that's very normal. very normal to see that sort of thing on a ferry.)

...being happy in general as opposed to in spite of things is rather novel. hell, he even briefly forgets to remember he's still a monster-freak undeserving of the affection in the state he's in!

and it's thanks to Emery - exclusively Emery. Zel can't really pretend anything otherwise, can he?

being happy isn't uncool, but he's pretty sure crying suddenly would be.]

[fair_trouble]

[When Zel sags like that, Emery's cheer fades a bit as concern moves in. He briefly thinks Zel might be seasick but from what he can see of Zel's face... Yeah, he's probably fine, physically speaking.

Emery steps forward and sets a gentle hand on Zel's shoulder while he waits for Zel to compose himself a little more.]

...Want to head back to our cabin?

[This is asked not for Lascivious Reasons, but because Zel appears to be suffering from Feelings at the moment and Emery suspects he might want a little more privacy for that.]

[chimerad]

[maybe a bit too quickly:] Yeah. [he at least looks embarrassed to justify it, straightening up and clearing his throat.] I mean-- anything's fine. Two, two days, right?

[two days! it almost...? feels like a vacation? there's an apprehension to that sense of eagerness, dictated by past experiences on boats.

...but those experiences involved Lina and such.

...but they did get attacked by a water spirit not even a week ago.

...

yeah. yeah, cabin time.

Zel's hand lingers on Emery's back, less as a lead and more as an anchor while wandering away from the upper deck and into that little cabin. it's honestly not the most enchanting of lodgings, but anywhere small and quiet with Emery feels a million times better than being in the open unknown, exposed to other eyes and expectations.

maybe he's secretly a fourth dragon, what with that itchy need to be reclusive and hoard a treasure. the thought isn't even in the stratosphere of his mind once he's pushed the door closed with his back and slumped slightly against it, eyes on Emery, and the apprehension oscillates back to a fluttery, twitterpated feeling.

beat. blink.]

We didn't even get walked around the vessel. [he frowns. how are they going to know where things are!!

...not the general things. he knows boat layouts. but like...where on this vessel they're to go to grab food or avoid being underfoot from the crew...]

[fair_trouble]

[There's a feeling of warmth where Zel's hand lingers on Emery's back, perhaps less from Zel's body heat and more from the pleasure of the contact. Emery's always been a physically affectionate sort, and he's usually been the one initiating from the earliest days of their relationship. The way things have been shifting and how much more comfortable Zelgadis has gotten with doing this kind of thing is heartening.

Once they've gotten back to the safety of their cabin, Emery takes a seat on their bunk and looks over at Zel.

Walking...? Ah. Emery shrugs.]

Eh, we'll have time to walk around when we need it.

[It'll probably be easier to find the dining hall or whatever than it is for Zel (and maybe Emery a bit, shhh) to process the whole Official Relationship Upgrade.]

[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.]