[Sandbox] Onyx Prairie

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 2nd | Evening (~6:45pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Skyview Terrace
Wearing: White floral embroidered dress, white heels, half-up hairstyle
Tagging | Mentioning: Marlowe |

Lyra was taken aback by her words, blinking rapidly, but smiled all the same, a slight flush to her cheeks. Had she ever truly been important to someone else before? Her parents loved her, she was sure, but they were distant, kept at arm’s length. Her sisters were cordial, but cold. And her brothers… Well, that was a mixed bag. She knew they cared, but was she ever important to them? She wasn’t sure, so hearing that from Marlowe meant a great deal to her. “I, I am glad. You… You are important to me, too,” she admitted after a short pause, a shy smile on her face. Marlowe had really come to mean a lot to her in such a short period of time.
 
With the wine, Lyra seemed extra excited to share this little bit of her homeland for the first time with someone else. “Oh? I am surprised you did not sample some when you went to buy it! Do they not offer such services here? Many places back home, when you purchase expensive wines like this, they have a vintage you can sample so you know what kind of flavor to expect. But I am sure you will like it!” It was clear how enthused she was over the item with how she began to ramble. She only ever did that when she was excited with something and wanted to share it with someone else, like when she started talking about Arcanite, or how she liked to sketch things – even if she was generally unwilling to show them – or even clothing.
 
That subtle blush dotting her cheeks grew in intensity as Marlowe effortlessly complimented her. How was she able to keep doing that? It was like her partner’s entire goal was to fluster her each chance she got. In truth, she didn’t entirely hate it – at least, not anymore. In the beginning, it had been far too much for her, to the point she had fled from the room on more than one occasion when Marlowe got a bit too much for her to handle, but in recent weeks, after really getting to know her and their slowly growing bond, it had become almost natural. “Oh, um, well…” She stuttered a bit, fumbling a bit as Marlowe took her hand. She blinked, shying away slightly from the ticklish sensation, biting her lower lip to keep herself quiet lest she giggle – why was that so ticklish?! - before their hands were clasped together properly and she let herself calm down a bit, regaining her composure as they readied for the dance ahead.
 
As they each took a step back and bowed low to each other, Lyra was only slightly startled as Marlowe stepped in extra close to her and placed her other hand on her hip, causing the elf to blush fiercely. While that was the intended position for the dance, for some reason, in this setting, it had quite the different effect than it did back in the dorms when she was teaching it. But soon they fell into an easy rhythm; back, back, side, front, side, twirl. Each step was effortless and easy, practiced and without any need for prompting or reminding. Lyra smiled brightly at her partner, happy that she had remembered the steps in earnest.
 
Another step, another twirl, another giggle. “I am glad, too. That I came here, that I met you. And that we are partners.” Lyra’s face continued to heat up, reaching new levels of color as Marlowe continued to pile on the compliments. True, she had once told her she wanted to see herself as Marlowe saw her, but this was too much. “Maybe they will, one day,” was all she managed to squeak out, adverting her eyes as they were lowered to the ground, watching the movement of their feet instead, focusing on something else so that her face could cool down. But when Marlowe stepped in closer, she looked up, only instead of her face, Lyra’s eyes were level with her partner’s ample cleavage on display.
 
The color rose all the way to her ears, letting out a small squeak as she took a stumbling step back to put a little more distance between them, squeezing Marlowe’s hand and shoulder to keep herself upright and steady. She cleared her throat nervously, eyes slightly wider than normal as she looked up at Marlowe’s face. “What? Oh, yes! I… I would like that, very much, in fact.” At last, something else to focus on! “I enjoy spending time with you outside of the Academy like this. Sometimes, being there feels so… Stuffy? Like, I have to perform perfectly. I need to get it right. I must. The obligation from home, the burden of coming here, carrying on as Champions.”
 
Her voice drifted away as she went silent for a few more steps. Suddenly, she stopped their swaying movements, but kept her hands in place, leaning her head all the way back as she looked up at the sky, at the shattered moon. “But being here, none of that matters right now. It is like, just for this one moment, we are free to be whoever we want to be. You can just be Lolo. I can just be Lyra. And that is all we need to be.”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 15th | Early Evening
Location: Outside the Academy
Wearing: White sweater dress w/ knee high boots, Tiny white top hat w/ black rose
Tagging | Mentioning: Hulta |
You know what power outages were for? Other people. At least that was Marlowe’s stance on it. It wasn’t like she was opposed to helping, she just didn’t know how she could. She didn’t know the first thing about power stations or how all of that worked. In fact, all those jokes about people changing light bulbs? Lolo was at the butt of most of them. If there was a Hollow stopping the power that needed punching, she was your girl, but as of yet no one had suggested that either brawn or boobs were going to turn the heat back on - at least, not at a scope that would have been useful. Which made it not her problem. Her part of the city was still working! And that meant, as far as she was concerned, there was no good reason she couldn’t continue on about her life.

And tonight, that meant taking a very blushy, tree-climbing elf on a date - one she had been very much looking forward to.

The unexpected winter weather had already made Lolo feel like she needed to add a few pieces to her wardrobe. While suits technically worked, she didn’t want to be confined to just that, and her dresses just didn’t make much sense with snow on the ground. None of them were nearly warm enough, for starters. She actually didn’t hate the cold, but stubbornness alone could not keep her from shivering in these unusually frigid days. Of course what had really driven home the need to get an outfit was the hat that had been the hat Hulta picked after winning their second race - though that victory may have simply been a ploy so Lolo could show off her collection of headwear. The miniature top hat was a great choice, but it didn’t go with any of her suits, and she thought she could do better for Hulta anyway.

So when she met the elf on the landing of Hammer island, Lolo was dressed in something new picked out just for this evening, along with some heeled boots that gave her another inch and a half, plus the hat that had been picked out for her. It sat forward on her head, off center, and pinned into her hair so that it wouldn’t come off. When Lolo finally saw Hulta approach through the valley she hummed aloud to herself and stepped away from the transport to meet her at the throat of the landing. “I hope you’re wearing comfortable shoes, because we’ve got a whole night ahead of us.” One might have redirected that question to her considering her choice in footwear, but then Lolo was known for fighting in heels so this really was comfortable.

Lolo had a box on one hand, a simple little thing with an easily removable lid not, that she kept at her side. Reaching out with her free hand, Lolo took Hulta’s and pulled it toward her, and stepped back in the same movement, toward the transport. “I got you something.” She said as they stepped up into the jet, turning and offering the box, “I hope you like it.” Finding out that Hulta had a sweet tooth hadn’t exactly been difficult, in fact, it was a little information she had gotten from Bri weeks ago during their little ball date that Lolo’s social-oriented mind had tucked away for later. So, when this date was settled, Lolo had gone and found someone in Onyx to make a little wrist corsage, but instead of just any old flower, Marlowe had gotten a Hulta one with edible petals. Each one with a different flavor - lemon, berries, and other citruses. “I wasn’t sure what your favorites were, so I got a little bit of everything.” She smiled brightly as the transport vibrated to life and lifted off.

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 13 | Evening (~9pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Cloud Top
Wearing: White sheer and opaque dress with appliqué flowers, green sash, white heels
Tagging | Mentioning: Ocean | mention of gRAVIty, Kiba

The way he worded his statement caused her face to flush a rosy pink, her mind still reeling with improper thoughts. For almost an entire week, her mind had been doing summersaults through a variety of emotions and experiences, nearly all of them she had recently lived through, and this man was prodding those simmering embers with even the smallest gestures. Like that kiss, the way he gently took her hand, or the way his words carried a subtle undertone. Still, the desire to get away from the prying eyes of onlookers was tempting. It wasn’t that she wanted to be alone with him, it was merely that within their added presence, she felt like she had to put on an act and be careful with her words and actions. Without them, she could drop the pretenses.

But perhaps she should have been more wary of the situation she was about to find herself in.

As he offered his hand, Lyra let her gaze drop to it for a moment, considering whether or not she should take it. But, true to his word, he was being a gentleman for the evening, and she was still playing a part yet. With a coy smile, she placed her hand in his as he helped her to her feet, slipping her arm into his almost naturally. Strange how easy it felt to fall back to old habits of galas and balls and parties. All the pompous training and practiced movements were paying off. Stranger still that it was with Ocean, of all people, whom she was reliving those moments with.

Lyra glanced up at him from the corner of her eyes as they stopped at the glass door, waiting for him to open it before she stepped through it. An understanding? Perhaps, once upon a time, they had. She had misjudged him then. Or had she? Pale blue eyes trailed down his body, taking him in as if it were the first time seeing him, putting every detail to memory. He truly was a handsome individual. Rugged yet clean all at the same time. Neat, dapper, well-dressed. He took care of his appearance, she could tell, and he held himself with grace and authority. All things she was used to and comfortable with. Had that been why she had trusted him so easily back then? Never once did he try to hurt her in any way. He merely wanted information, the same as her.

Stepping off to the left with him, truly alone together as he shut the door behind him, Lyra drifted over a few more steps away from him, placing her hands on the railing as she looked out over the city. He had cared enough to prepare a gift for her, personally, and even invited her to dinner, all to try and reach a common ground. Was he truly as terrible as the rumors said? She had witnessed some of his atrocities, but not all of them. He had shot at her teammates, shot at Kiba, but never her. Even in the chilly evening air, her face felt hotter out here than it had been inside the lounge, her pale complexion making the soft pink hues more obvious. She shifted uncomfortably, her legs rubbing together as a dying ember in the pit of her stomach threatened to wake up.

As his arms encircled her, Lyra stiffened as his gesture, but there was no where to run. His arms were to either side of her and his chest was directly at her back. She could feel his breath against her neck as he spoke and it sent shivers down her spine. Her fingers tightened on the railing as her jaw clenched in response, keeping her gaze steadily ahead. “I remember,” she replied softly, her voice barely above a whisper. He leaned in closer to her, to the point that she could feel the pinpricks of his beard against her ear. She flinched slightly, a small groan barely muffled by biting down on her lower lip, shifting away from his touch. A shuddering breath escaped her lips as he called her by that strange nickname, closing her eyes as she squirmed under his scrutiny.

“Fate? You think it is fate?” In a bid to gain at least a little control of the situation, Lyra whirled around in his arms, so that her back was pressed against the railing behind her, hands to either side of her gripping the cold iron, inches from his own. However, she suddenly regretted her decision in the matter, arching her back as she looked up at Ocean, the angle of which her body needed to be causing her chest to rise considerably and put her at the mercy of his gaze. A gaze that sent those embers within smoldering into a small fire. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly shut it, so enraptured by the look in his eyes that, for a moment, she forgot how to form words. “W-why?” she finally stuttered out. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she tried speaking once more, a bit more firmly this time, despite the fact her voice still wavered. “Why do you call me Silver?”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 2nd | Evening (~6:45pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Skyview Terrace
Wearing: This, Hairstyle, but repeated multiple times
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
The idea that she should have sampled the wine when she purchased it had genuinely never occurred to her. Marlowe had drunk her fair share of fancy wines since coming to Onyx, but she had never had a reason to go shopping for them. They were gifts, or things served, and more than occasionally offerings of the night. Was that what you were supposed to do? It made sense, once she got to thinking about it. Her thoughts drifted away though as she thought about Lyra’s excitement - really, that’s all that mattered. Lolo probably would have choked on bile, if it meant seeing Lyra enthused in the way that she was, that seemed entirely too rare. She hoped that it wouldn’t be the last time she got to see it in her partner, either.

Lolo hummed with contentment as they danced and she heard Lyra’s satisfaction with how things had turned out. Side, side, back, another twirl. This was comfortable, and it was happy. There was a warmth inside of her that wouldn’t abate. Her heart pulsed quickly as Lyra agreed to more moments like this. If it had a voice, it’d have burst into song. Slowly spinning there on the rooftop, with a bespoke meal casually waiting for them, under the romantic moonlight of the bright moon, with someone like Lyra, was as close as Lolo had ever felt to her dream. It felt like some small sliver of it was coming true, and like everything she had been working for and trying was starting to pay off. The smile those thoughts brought to her stretched ear to ear.

In a way she knew what Lyra meant about feeling the pressure to perform at Hammer. But she didn’t worry over it as much. In her mind, why worry over rankings? Squire forty-eight in terms of performance was still going to be a champion, and they could be just as good as squire one. She didn’t see any difference between them. But sometimes she felt bad being as low ranked as she was in most of their classes. It was hard when she felt like she needed to keep up with Lyra - and that was really the source of where she felt like she needed to succeed better than she did. Lolo didn’t want to embarrass her partner, or reflect poorly on her.

It seemed like a great opportunity to get Lyra talking about Arcanite. Lolo had spent more than a little time in the library learning things. Memorizing was probably a better word, she didn’t actually know if she had learned anything. If she had, it was just enough that she planned to look smarter to Lyra - to be more than a big dumb brute - and so she could maybe follow along just a little longer than normal. But that conversation piece needed to wait, because the way that Lyra described them really resonated with her. Just Lyra. Just Lolo. Here, free to be whoever they wanted to be. The song started to close, and Lolo performed the last few steps. She pulled Lyra close, and held her for a moment before gently spinning her out and away from her until the dance ended with them hand in hand, looking at one another, arms stretched as far as they would go. They offered the required side bow. And Marlowe studied Lyra - if this was just Lyra, she wanted to see more of it. There was nowhere else she could imagine being right then.

“Well, if we’re just being who we want to be…” A tiny grin crept onto her face and she pulled Lyra back into her. As they gently collided, Lolo wrapped an arm around Lyra’s mid back and leaned her back until she was nearly off her feet. She leaned down quickly hovering over those delicate elven features, and locked eyes with her. “Then I choose to be the person who is always with you, Lyreilynn.” She hovered, letting the words hang like Lyra herself, for a few long seconds, before pulling Lyra back upright.

Marlowe lingered for just a moment before giving Lyra a bit of space back. “Come on, let’s try some of this food.” She giggled, and started back toward the sandbox, lacing her fingers with Lyra’s casually as they walked. Once more she led Lyra to the blanket and got her situated before dropping down beside her. Lolo stretched out, sitting on her thigh, and moved the basket in between them and off to the side. She gathered the first thing from it, “So,” she looked up while peeling a lid open for them, “I was reading, and I found something about… Negalu?” She hesitated on the word, trying to make sure she had gotten it right. “And I saw some drawings, they looked like the things on your bracelet. You use them to do your magic?” Lolo handed the first little sampling over to Lyra, opening the floor for her to talk. Lolo didn’t know enough to offer much more, but that wasn’t important.

All she wanted was to listen to Lyra talk about something she loved. And she was going to give her all of her attention, even if not a single word of it made sense.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Ocean Specter
Date | Time: November 13th | Evening (~9pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Cloud Top
Wearing: Blue suit w/ tie and long coat
Tagging | Mentioning:  Lyra |
She spun and it didn’t phase Ocean at all. In fact, he preferred it this way. Lolo might have changed things about him, but she hadn’t knocked the glow from his eyes. Bright yellow orbs peered into hers. He took it as a sign, an invitation, her turning around. He really did mean what he had said about it being fate. Maybe they weren’t, but they could have been in another life. And sometimes it was nice to indulge the what ifs and the maybes of life. Ocean’s hands slid over on the railing until they bumped into the sides of hers, before lifting and settling over them. “I do.” He replied, taking a step into her, then another, until her retreat left her before the railing and him.

She had nowhere to go, and he had nowhere to be.

Ocean leaned forward and got real close to Lyra. Their noses almost touched, “Because I don’t like the idea of coincidences. And here we are, together again, after everything and still with the opportunity to be good to one another.” He tilted his head and lifted his brows, “What is that, if not fate?”

The following question made him smile. A deep chuckle stuck in his throat, and his eyes flickered up to the light of the moon. On the left, Ocean curled his fingers under Lyra’s palm to take it up from the railing so that he could hold it. “Everyone goes crazy for gold,” he began, “It’s flashy, bold, and undeniably captivating. But there’s something about silver that’s… Enchanting.” His eyes met hers and he pressed their bodies together, “Silver is like the moonlight that dances on the ocean waves at midnight. It’s subtle, yet holds a depth that gold could never reach. When I look at silver, I see a reflection of the stars, a shimmer that’s soft and mysterious, like the way your eyes sparkle when you’re thinking your way through a problem.”

On the right, Ocean’s fingers stood on their tips and glided over the back of Lyra’s hand, back and forth. “Gold is warm, but silver is cool and soothing, like a gentle breeze on a summer night. It’s the quiet elegance in a world that’s often too loud. Just like you, it doesn’t need to shout to be noticed.” His voice grew softer, “It’s the kind of beauty that whispers and lingers, drawing you in slowly, making you fall deeper every moment you spend with it.” His fingers pulled away and reached up, slow until his palm came to cup her cheek. His thumb stretched to gently swipe the corner of her lips, before his fingers pulled his touch toward her hair and he thread the silvery strands between them, “Silver is understated, but in the most captivating way. It’s like the secret language between lovers, understood without words. Silver holds stories in its reflective surface, of ancient moons and silent nights.” On the other side, Ocean pulled her hand gently away from the railing and lowered it to her side. His hand shifted away from hers, to her hip, where he lightly caressed.

“It doesn’t demand attention,” Like a certain burly elf had, “But deserves it all the same.” He swept a mess of her hair back past her ear, “And just like you, it’s more beautiful the closer you look and the more you understand it.” With each of those words, Ocean leaned in, his breath breezing along her cheek. Whatever fire was in her? He sensed it. And unlike the smolder that he had felt - that he was positive they had felt - back at Dazzle & Dust, this time he had time to share that moment with her.

[Lyrical]

Character Name: Bri'elle "Elle" Whitewater
Date | Time: November 7th, Evening (late)
Location: Onyx Central - Tosser’s
Wearing: full kit
Tagging | Mentioning:  Brock <story teller>
Studying Brock she noticed that he seemed to release a bit of tension, maybe he already got the confirmation about her information. 'Elle' couldn't tell for sure, she had no idea how long it would take but he took a big drink then slammed down his mug as a toast and she was relieved to hear that he didn't want unnecessary violence either. Was he lying to her? He was the bad guy wasn't he? No, she had to remind herself that there was two sides to this story and opening herself up to see it from his perspective was important in this situation - or at least she thought that it probably was.

<Brock said,> “If you ask me, this is the sort of thing that makes real heroes. Just doing the right thing, why’s that so hard for people?” Brock clicked his tongue and shook his head.

Elle nodded in agreement at first her head going up an down with a 'yes' to empathize and agree with the fact that she didn't understand why people were like that. While she contemplated that very question that he posed, her shoulders shrugged. It was really a rhetorical question that he asked but Elle gave a small half of a reply, "I don't know."

Then he moved in closer locking eyes with her and she leaned in as well, drawn in to him to really listen to what he wanted to ask. He wanted to know if she really cared. She did! Studying his eyes, Elle thought that there was a sort of plea hidden there. It didn't feel like he was asking as someone that was questioning her conviction now but to her she felt like he was just a man wanting to know if anyone understood him. Elle could relate, so many times people wrote her off as not being capable of enough, not big enough. And honestly, she had always been so busy and so focused on her goals that she was always alone - never someone that understood her. Was she wrong? Was he still not trusting her? Elle was projecting her own experiences onto this conversation but it just felt like there was more to him.

"Brock," Elle started. Her eyes studied his, trying to see him for the man that he was and not just a mark. "It's not about Human versus Silenus for me. I care about people, all people. I grew up working on farms out in the fields and out there I worked side by side with lots of different people. Many were Silenus but it didn't matter what you looked like. Everyone was just there to get the work done and at the end of a long day we all ate together, we laughed. Just people, Brock. How can I go from that to being inside the city or part of the military complex and not notice that at least one part of this society is being treated differently. It's not good. Equality sometimes has to be fought for to make others understand and see what's happening. There is a reason why occasionally workers of all kinds have to protest to be heard and right now the Silenus need to make a statement and seize what is needed so that others will respect them and pay attention... At least that's how I read the situation." Her eyes turned down because as she said the words she felt them, she could understand. She wasn't sure if she agreed with what the Red Fangs were doing but maybe something did need to be done. Who was she to say what that was though? At least for now she wouldn't have to actually say what. All that had to be done was to just try to understand. When she looked back up into Brock's eyes she thought she could see a little boy in there somewhere. As if he was just asking her, 'why' he was put into this position. And his desire to avoid unnecessary violence only reinforced that opinion in her mind. Elle tried to reach a hand out to touch his arm, to rest her fingers on it... Part of her wanted to comfort that little boy, to reassure the man that he was not alone. Elle said, "I care, Brock. That's all I really know."

If he had let her hand touch his arm, then when she realized she was doing it, Elle would pull her hand back and try to masking her faux pas by taking a long drink. If he had never let her touch him, then she'd have simply rested her hand on the table and continued to talk before pulling it back.

[TheFluffyOne]

Character Name: Hulta Elderfond
Date | Time: November 15th | Early Evening
Location: Outside the Academy
Wearing: This outfit with brown boots, cream tights and green cape!
Tagging | Mentioning: Lolo | Mugi
Thank goodness that Mugi had already left for the evening or they would have been hit by many different flying articles of clothing. “Nope. Nope. Nope.” Hulta said as she threw a shirt, a skirt and a dress behind her. “Too plain.” A crinkled long dress went flying over her shoulder. “Too low cut.” She paused and looked at the purple shirt before throwing it over her shoulder. “Too plain. Too plain. Too brown.” Wait. How could something be too brown? She held the corset out at arm’s length and narrowed her eyes at the item. Maybe. It was put into a special pile of its own and then she continued to dig through her wardrobe like something new would suddenly martialise in between the hangers.

The cool chill that had greeted her when she first left the building had her scampering back inside to change her outfit. Frantically, she pulled on what she knew she liked. Dark green skirt that stopped just past her knees, knitted cream tights, patterned shirt, old familiar corset and a matching green cape. All topped off with her trusty brown boots. She had struggled to select a hairstyle and the one she had finally decided upon was now ruined by her frantic change of clothes. Tugging the small ties out, she decided to let the wind decide her hair that evening.

Lolo heard her before she saw Hulta. There was a gentle hum coming her way, like a swarm of bees. Nope. It was just Hulta using her shimmer to curl the locks that didn’t play nice. A red mane of hair tumbled down her back and bounced off her face. Hulta squealed when she saw the hat on Lolo. “I told you it would be perfect”. The red headed elf clapped lightly as she almost skipped around Lolo in appreciation of the tiny hat.  Pointing a finger at her shoes, she instructed Lolo to witness the extremely comfortable and durable boots that she had on. A crisp box was placed in her hand. “We are doing presents….” Fear flooded her wide amber eyes and for a moment it looked like tears were welling up within the elf’s eyes.

“I didn’t get you anything.” She held the box tightly and shuffled after Lolo. Only when Hulta was seated on the transport did she open the box. A flower. A very pretty flower. “I love all flowers but this is beautiful.” She held the flower corsage like it were made of glass. Turning it between her fingers gingerly, Hulta tried to commit the colours and form to memory. A gift. All for her. A dorky smile tugged onto her lips as she shimmied the flower on. Hulta found herself sitting a little taller after putting the corsage on. A few grains of white pollen fell from the flower and Hulta brush it absentmindedly from her skin. Only to pause.

Raising the flower back to eye height, she narrowed her eyes and truly investigated the flower, the sweet smell that drifted from it didn’t smell like any flower that she had encountered before. The white pollen was far too big and gritty for pollen. With a detective’s eye, she twisted the corsage from left to right. “Is…Is this…” Hulta pointed at the flower and dabbed her finger against one of the petals then pressed it to her tongue. If her amber eyes could suddenly fill with love hearts, they would in that moment.

Nipping a petal between her teeth, Hulta tugged a lemon one free and let the sugar petal disintegrate against her tongue. “aaaAAAAAHHH” She squealed in a building crescendo as Hulta bounced on the plush seat. “This is AMAZING.” As she shook, a small flurry of sugar crystals fluttered from her wrist which she frantically caught with the box. “I need to get you something amazing now.” She declared as her fingertips hovered over the petals, the words ‘eeney meeny miney mo’ were being mouthed as she selected her next feast.

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 13 | Evening (~9pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Cloud Top
Wearing: White sheer and opaque dress with appliqué flowers, green sash, white heels
Tagging | Mentioning: Ocean | mention of gRAVIty, Kiba

There was something in his eyes that intrigued her. It had been there the first time they met. Something that drew her to him. Perhaps it was that familiar air of nobility that he carried with him, or his presence of authority, or simply his more mature rugged features that kept her eyes following him. They weren’t meant to be in this life, but perhaps in another. Perhaps if Lyra had met him before coming to Hammer, had not been a student, or any number of different things. Her fingers curled around the railing just a little bit tighter, her eyes transfixed on his own, unable to tear her gaze away from him.
 
When his hands touched hers, Lyra flinched, instinctively turning her head towards the side he first touched, then the other in rapid succession, but there was nowhere for her to go. He closed the distance between them and she felt the small of her back pressed firmly against the railing as she tried to create as much space as she could, to no avail. The warmth that settled over her hands from his was almost inviting, but strange. And the way he leaned into her bubble, getting right up into her face made her shy away, arching her back as she leaned almost backwards over that piece of iron, her head turned to the side but her gaze still on him. His words resonated with her, left her unable to fight against them, and it slowly gave air to that little flame inside of her that continued to grow the longer she was in his presence.
 
That chuckle of his sent shivers down her spine. And again, her gaze flickered down to the hand he was now holding. She wanted to pull it away from his grasp, but found herself unable to, whether because she desired not to or did not want to anger him, she wasn’t quite sure yet. Those pale blue eyes, so close to the color of silver that he spoke of, travelled back to his face as he spoke. Lyra couldn’t be sure anymore whether he was talking about the color, the metal… or her. His body pressed up against her own caused that small little fire to flare to life, her entire core heating up with the closeness of this man before her. Cheeks were set aflame again, adding color to her otherwise pale complexion.
 
As his fingers glided over the back of her other hand, the action caused another shiver to run down the length of her body. His touch felt like fire against her skin, igniting that passion that had yet to die down from the encounter the night before. She should be disgusted with this man, loathe him, appalled, and yet… All she wanted to do was feel more of his touch, listen to more of his words, let him stoke that fire building within her just a little bit more. This strange feeling that she had been having all week had reached its peak yesterday and she had yet to come down from that high; she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to come down from it, in fact.
 
Lyra unconsciously squeezed the hand holding hers, her other free hand gripping the railing that much tighter as his free hand reached for her face. She didn’t shy away from his touch this time, merely let him approach as she stared up at him in silence, questioning his motives, his words. The more he spoke, the more she began to wonder if he was truly speaking about her now. Her lips parted slightly as he ran his thumb along the corner. Why was she so captivated by the man she was supposed to hate and fear? Even when they first met, she had held no hostility towards him and she was having trouble bringing herself to bear him any ill will again, even though she knew she should. He had injured more than one of her teammates, people she cared about. This should be a chance to take revenge against him, but it was taking all of her willpower to merely stand up in his presence right at that moment.
 
His touch was electrifying, setting her nerves on fire. Lyra had finally experienced the pleasures of the flesh and all she had been craving since then was more of that feeling. More of that control over her senses and emotions. More of that mind-numbing pleasure. She didn’t want to think anymore. She didn’t want to let logic dictate things. All she wanted right then was to lose herself in that feeling of passion again. Her breathing had started to speed up a little, letting out a shuddering sigh as he moved some of her hair behind an ear, one that was becoming just as red as the rest of her face. The hardened look in her eyes when she first arrived had softened by now, inquisitive, and curious, the gears in her head turning his words over and over. He definitely wasn’t just talking about the color anymore.
 
“Why…?” Her breath caught in her throat as he loomed over her, their bodies pressed close enough that she was sure he could hear the pounding of her heart against her chest. “Why me?” Her voice was soft, trembling even, unable to remain steady. “You despise the others, my teammates. You sent more than one to the hospital. You, you even shot at Kiba.” Her heart wrenched at that particular memory, although she didn’t quite understand why right then. “And yet… You treat me as something precious. So, why?”
 
It had never sat right with her, ever since the first day. He could have hurt her that day when he abducted her. He could have used force, kidnapped her like Mila had been, or injured her in some way, like he did her teammates. Instead, Lyra had willingly gone with him. Why had she done that? Was it merely because it had been her best opportunity to gain information from him? Or had it been something else all along? Her stomach twisted in knots, trying to stifle that growing heat within her core. She shifted nearly unperceptively under him, her legs rubbing together. “I should be everything you hate. But… You do not, do you?”
 
Lyra swallowed that lump in her throat, her pale eyes roaming over his face, studying his features and his reactions. “You are every bit like your namesake,” she said softly, trying not to drown in his eyes. They reminded her so much of the sun she adored, like if she continued to stare into them, she’d get burned. “I grew up near the sea, watching it, trying to understand it, but I always failed to truly appreciate it. Dark, mysterious, with depths unknown. Yet dangerous.” She had straightened her body up, as leaning back so far over the railing was far from comfortable, but all that did was press her lithe body closer against his own, leaving her no room to escape, even if she wanted to. “Just when you think you understand the ocean, a wave comes crashing into you and sends you head over heels. Or worse, pulls you under. You cannot underestimate the ocean, lest you drown.”
 
Slowly, those gears were turning again. “You never tried to hurt me. Not. Once. Not back then, not that encounter at the gala, not even now, when I know you have the upper hand.” She was playing a dangerous game, far more dangerous than the one on the rooftop that one evening that felt so long ago now, and she knew it. He knew it. Lyra leaned into him, moving a hand to settle on his arm that rested against her hip, light enough of a touch to be subtle, inviting, but also enough that she could halt his wandering hands. “So, tell me, Ocean. Why have I not drowned yet?”
 

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Brock Lee
Date | Time: November 7th | Evening (~8:45)
Location: Onyx Central - Tosser’s
Wearing: As pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: Bri’elle |
Truly, Brock was not an egregiously violent man. Though, especially lately, the definition of what constituted necessary violence had shifted. New leadership meant new methods. They weren’t Brock’s favorite, but how could he deny the vision? From a fairly convincing perspective, what had been happening before hadn’t been working. So maybe it really was time to try something new, something different, something violent. If begging for change didn’t accomplish goals, then were they not obligated to be the forces of change?

The problem with being in the position that Brock was in was that it made interfacing with people hard. It required a level of suspicion about everyone. What if they knew who you were? What if they were really here to try and damage the cause? When you were part of a movement like the Fang, and someone of importance, the movement had to come first. It had to be front and center in your mind, all the time, because the moment that it wasn’t was the same moment you became its vulnerability. And when your movement was focused on the division of people? It was that much harder.

It made him a reasonably decent judge of character. When he peered into Bri’elle’s eyes, he didn’t see malice for him and his kind. He didn’t see deceit. What he saw was a good person, who wanted to do the good thing. Whatever misdirection she might have been spewing was well obfuscated by the genuine intent behind it all. Brock had no way to confirm the details of her story, but he could read - as well as anyone was able anyway - sincerity.

He believed her.

So when the hand came to his arm, his eyes flicked to it for only a moment. He didn’t sit back and pull away, in fact, he shifted to be a bit more comfortable leaning forward as he was so that he could stay. Maybe he was reading into the unneeded touch, but the way she pulled back when it was realized suggested to him otherwise. “Alright.” He said, softer than any words before it. She’d done it. She’d broken through that wall of skepticism and defense. “Good enough for me.”

All she needed then was for confirmation from whomever Brock had tasked with verification. When she went for her drink, Brock slowly slid back into his seat. But testing those waters of the arm touch, he lifted a booted foot and, less threateningly, pushed it to the bench between her knees. The little tablet of a phone beside him lit up, drawing his attention, he glanced at a single word - Green. “Well,” The last little bit of tension fell from his powerful shoulders, “Looks like you’re the real deal, Elle.” He nodded, smiling. Truthfully he was glad for it. Having to deal with a champion who was trying to mess with the Fang wasn’t on his agenda, and he hadn’t honestly known what he was going to do with it. “This’ll be helpful. You’ve saved me a big headache, actually.” Today was suddenly much better for him.

“A toast, to new friends.” Brock took his mug and held it over the table to her, and when the glasses clinked he pulled it back to take a long draw from it. “You said,” he began, licking a bit of foam from his lips while lowering his drink, “You can get more information with your connections. What kind of information can you get your hands on? How uh,” he looked around the bar for a moment, squinting at some of the patrons before returning his attention to her, “Often can I expect to see you?”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Ocean Specter
Date | Time: November 13th | Evening (~9pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Cloud Top
Wearing: Blue suit w/ tie and long coat
Tagging | Mentioning:  Lyra | Farrah, Kiba
His lips quirked as the questions spilled forth from her lips like water from a spring. She was insatiable in her curiosity, but he already knew that. He had known that the moment they had met. Everything she had done was to gain knowledge, to understand what was happening. In most circumstances, Ocean suspected this trait of hers was a great strength. In others he knew it to be a terrible weakness. That she did not stop his advances was telling, and would have been inviting all on its own; but when paired with those subtle shifts hers? Well, he knew that the thing that had existed between them at Dazzle & Dust was real. The way her legs subtly grinded together, and the warmth - not the blush, but the actual heat - that seemed to build and pour off of her told him that there was desire there. “Because you asked the questions, Silver.”

Farrah had attacked. Namid had threatened. Haimehen had summoned support. But Lyra? “I told you that night, I had no desire to involve you or your friends.” Dipping lower, the hand on her hip brushed with practiced firmness down her side. His fingertips brushed against the edge of her backside, but he didn’t linger until his hand was squeezing her thigh. Pressing the dress against her with and dragging back up, lifting it ever so slowly from around her ankles. He’d never get anywhere like this, but it wasn’t about that, it was about evoking a feeling. It was about just touching her. “Kiba was…” he began softly, as his nose brushed against her ear, “An unfortunate necessity.” If he had thought that she’d allow him the same benefit as that first night, a pass to simply leave, well then, it wouldn’t have been needed. “I truly did not mean to interrupt,” Ocean tilted his and rumbled in her ear, “Please believe me.” And as a point of fact, he was being honest.

It was harder to talk about her teammates. Things had changed since that first night. Ocean’s hand lifted again to her hip, still holding up her dress. His knee bent and wedged itself between her legs until it bumped the railing behind her. His foot inched forward so that his toes could hook onto the slightly elevated lower bar and lift his thigh until she was all but sitting on it. “No, I don’t hate you Silver.” He confirmed, pulling back to face her. He studied her eyes and got close so their noses brushed. “Farrah was… She shouldn’t have been there, Silver. I didn’t go looking for her. She came after me, again.” Ocean reminded her.

That she would describe him like the actual ocean seemed to please him. His head swayed back and forth, and he got close to her, almost taking from her a kiss. But it wasn’t about that, not yet, at least. It was still about evoking things. So they hovered close, not quite brushing, but so close that they shared air. “Why would I want to hurt you, Silver?” He whispered to her lips, then pushed past them. They feathered over her cheek, and he sighed softly, “You’ve not done anything to hurt me.” He smiled and rolled his thigh against her, “I never wanted this fight with your friends, Silver.” From the back of her head his hand dropped to her shoulder. His fingers danced along it, before his palm began to slide downward and inward, pushing its way between them, “Like I keep telling you,” He lowered himself and exhaled against her neck, “We can help one another.”

Ocean rumbled as he took in a heavy whiff of her scent and held it in his chest. His leg rolled again against her. “You’re smart, Silver.” He moved back to meet her gaze, his own smoldering, “You wanted to listen.” His face inched closer. “You wanted to learn.” Another inch. “We don’t have to be enemies, when we’d make such good friends.” And as those words faded, he paused, offering her the chance to claim that last fraction of an inch for a kiss.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 15th | Early Evening
Location: Outside the Academy
Wearing: White sweater dress w/ knee high boots, Tiny white top hat w/ black rose
Tagging | Mentioning: Hulta |
She was almost stopped by the gentle welling of water in Hulta’s eyes. That wasn’t the intent at all! Her eyes got a bit bigger. Lolo hadn’t expected a gift. Not that she wouldn’t have been overjoyed to receive one, but that wasn’t the point of it. She shook her head quickly, “It’s okay,” she promised gently, wearing a genuine ear to ear smile. Besides, if they wanted to be fair about it, Hulta had already gotten her a gift. As they sat down in the transport and its engines finally purred to life, Lolo watched the elf begin to examine. Her hands sat on her knees, squeezing eagerly for that moment when she realized just what it was. And when it came, it was everything that she had hoped it would be, and then some! Watching her date go from mildly sad, to curious, to lit up in squeeing excitement was perfect. “I’m so glad you like it!” She said with a giggle.

Lolo softened and bit down on her lower lip slightly. Bright scarlet eyes studied Hulta for a moment and she lightly shook her head, “You’re silly, you’ve already gotten me something amazing.” It was her, of course. The date. And if the flirtatious words were not enough to convey her meaning, Lolo slipped her hand - boldly for some, but really not at all for her - onto Hulta’s thigh, just above the knee. “So what are your favorite flavors?”

It wasn’t long, the trip from the island to the tower, not even ten minutes. But it sort of felt like a long time when she knew that their fun evening awaited them on the ground. Lolo pivoted in her seat so that she was facing Hulta, listening to her talk about her favorite flavors. The more the elf spoke, the more she found that she liked it. Hulta’s energy was different than anyone else she knew. She was playful and energetic, and Lolo liked that. “I don’t think I’ve tried as many sweets as I should.” She laughed, “But, I had this cookie once? It was raspberry and lemon…” Her eyes tracked the corsage and lifted a finger, circling in and pointing at a petal with the same flavor combination - she’d had that one added specifically, “And it was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted.”

Her hand dropped back to her lap and lightly folded over the other. She leaned her head against the wall, relaxed, “So I gather from before that you haven’t been in Onyx very long. It’s different, huh?” Lolo took a small breath, “When I came, I had never imagined there’d be so many people in one place. I heard about it, you know, but actually seeing it?” Her eyes widened. “It was so different.” But it wasn’t bad, at least, not for her. She smiled, “I like it. All the people, and the energy, and things to do. I’m much happier here than I ever was back home.” Suddenly she sat up and leaned forward, redoubling her focus and interest in the other woman, “What about you? Do you like it here?”

[TheFluffyOne]

Character Name: Hulta Elderfond
Date | Time: November 15th | Early Evening
Location: Outside the Academy
Wearing: This outfit with brown boots, cream tights and green cape!
Tagging | Mentioning: Lolo | Mugi
The next petal selected was an orange citrus flavour that melted against her tongue. Bouncing on the spot, she thought that she should write them down and mark them in best to bestest. Her lips were pursed shut when Lolo responded to her request to get her something amazing. Her forehead crinkled as she paused and looked around her. Had she brought something else by mistake? Trying to figure out if the opportunity to wear the teeny tiny top hat was a gift, Lolo placed her hand on Hulta’s thigh. Wide eyes snapped down to the hand and then back up to Lolo. “Oooohhhh.” Finally, clarity.

“So what are your favorite flavors?” "Uh…How much time do you have?” Hulta grinned in response. Truly, it was like Lolo had asked her long a piece of string was. The words trickled from her tongue, all while pointing out petals that she assumed to be one of her favourite flavours. Lemon seemed to be winning flavour. Lemon anything. There was a stash of lemon drops in her pocket that confirmed it. Hulta grinned widely as Lolo admitted to not trying as many sweets as she should have. This felt so easy. The words left her lips like she were breathing. Even with Lolo’s hand on her thigh, Hulta had continued to talk as freely as she had before. The only real difference was the light pink that crested her cheeks and over her nose.

When the petal was pointed out, Hulta tore it gingerly from the corsage and concentrated on the petal. Tearing it as neatly as she could in two, she placed one half into her mouth and then held the other up for Lolo. With a glance out the window of the transport, Hulta nodded. “Yeah…It’s different.” Onyx felt grand, there were so many corners that she had yet to investigate. There were so many people, so many different people all in one place. In her first few days, she had felt like she was drowning. So much information and it was difficult to decide what actually needed to be sent home. What was important in a place with so many different threads to follow!

Amber eyes trailed over the other woman’s face as she smiled. Hulta couldn’t help but to match it. How the smile curled and stretched her cheeks, how it reached all the way up to her twinkling eyes. It was stunning. ‘Do you like it here?’ The question left Lolo’s lips and Hulta’s own lips moved before the question truly pierced the fog in her mind. “You have a pretty smile.” Opp. Blinking rapidly, the light pink deepened on her features. “I mean. Yeah. I like it here. It’s nothing like home.” She stumbled through the words quickly, dragging her eyes away from Lolo so that she didn’t stutter herself into a trembling mess.

“There aren’t as many people at home.” Well, not that she really got to interact with. Only when the bigger festivals were happening would she be allowed out to mingle. “I miss home but I think…that I’ll miss here when I leave it.” When…if…why did that feel so strange to say out loud? She hadn’t been here long, but she was already starting to miss it like it was home. The people were so warm, and every day felt like it was full of life and adventure. “But I cannot leave until you have tried every single sweetie that is available…ever.” Hulta said snapping away from that doubt in her mind. Move on back to the sweet stuff.

As the transport neared its destination, Hulta felt a small surge of confidence trickle through her bones. “Maybe that can be the next date.” Was that being presumptuous? Hulta’s wide grin and bright eyes told Lolo that she was being 100% serious. As the transport swung to a stop, Hulta stood and protectively held her corsage close to her chest. “You still have to tell me what we are doing tonight?” If the evening was anything like the gift, then Hulta knew it would be magical.

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 13 | Evening (~9pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Cloud Top
Wearing: White sheer and opaque dress with appliqué flowers, green sash, white heels
Tagging | Mentioning: Ocean | Kiba, Farrah, Azir

Lyra wasn’t sure if she should believe his words, but the way he spoke softly to her, how he leaned in close to whisper in her ear, were not the words of a liar, nor of someone trying to seduce her. Well, at least she thought he wasn’t. Not with his words, anyway. But his word held the truth; he had no reason to lie to her, for it’d get him nowhere. She was already here, at his beck and call, within his arms. He had already won; there was nothing more to gain by lying to her now.
 
Fingers tightened slightly around his arm as his hand dipped lower, but she didn’t do so with the intent to stop his movements. No, it was merely a reaction to his wandering hand, letting out a subtle gasp as he gripped her thigh. She gulped, the flush in her face gaining a darker color as his practiced hand slid a few inches of her dress upwards with the slow drag of his fingers across her skin. That heat within her was growing in intensity and she was having trouble quieting it down, her body aching to feel his hands roaming across her lithe form even more. It recalled the way her lover had touched her and it wanted that feeling once more, even if the hands weren’t the same; the feeling of being touched, of being explored, desired, was all the same.
 
“You could have just left,” she answered quietly, thoughts traveling back towards the night with Kiba. Would she have just let him go then? Perhaps, or perhaps not. She wasn’t really sure. At that time, her emotions were like a hurricane, swirling in a withering mass like a blistering wind. Had he simply left them be, she might not have pursued them, but he robbed her of that choice the moment he had attacked Kiba. He had almost done her a favor, in fact, making her realize just how much she had cared about the human boy when she chose to rush to his side instead of running after the escaping Ocean. At least he had left the crystal alone. If he had shattered that precious item, then this night surely would not be happening as it was playing out.
 
The way his voice rumbled in her ear sent a new wave of shivers down her spine, closing her eyes as she let out a shuddering breath. Why was she here? Why had she come to meet with him, alone, without telling anyone where she was going? He could take her, right then and there, and nothing or no one would be able to stop him. She’d be another missing person like Mila. So, why had she endangered herself to come here tonight? Was it simple curiosity? Was it her drive to gain knowledge? Ocean was dangerous, she knew that. But he was calculating, devious, and skillful. She had known that from the start, so why?
 
All thoughts of why left her head as Lyra felt his knee wedge itself between her legs and forced them apart, her eyes snapping open, piercing pale blue eyes seeking those golden ones as she drew in a sharp breath. There was that nervous gulp again, her lips parting slightly with a tremble barely visible. That heat within her only grew as he pressed closer and she was sure he could feel it radiating from her body now. The way those silks dragged against her skin, how he applied just enough pressure to arouse her. It was enticing, in a strange sort of way, and she shifted her weight ever so slightly, the movement grinding his thigh further between her legs. That trembling lower lip was taken between her teeth, biting down softly to stop the moan that inevitably escaped her. She was wet. And she both loved and hated it.
 
Lyra searched his face as he continued to speak, trying in vain to get her mind off of that knee pressed firmly between her thighs, trying to find any deception on his features and seeing none. Farrah was impulsive, she knew. But to openly go after Ocean? Mila had been her partner and she knew the burly elf desperately sought her time and time again, but she didn’t think she was so reckless as to go after him alone. Well, no, that sounded exactly like the giant idiotic brute she had come to know.
 
She leaned her head back slightly as Ocean moved further into her little bubble, her eyes half lidded as she tried to still her rapidly beating heart. He was so close now, and she was trapped within his grasp. How had she let things come to this? Had this been what she wanted all along? Ever since that day on the rooftop with him? Her eyes fluttered closed again as his lips feathered along her cheek, his sigh tickling her sensitive ears. This time, Lyra couldn’t stop the little moan he elicited from her as her body responded to his touch between her legs. Once more, she wiggled above his leg, but all that served to do was make apparent how much he was affecting her.
 
As his hand slid to her shoulder and down the front of her dress, Lyra drew in a sharp breath and held it, her breasts rising with the action, almost invitingly so, her gaze transfixed on his face, or what little of it that she could see from her vantage point. She exhaled a shuddering breath as he lowered down to her neck, the heat from his breath adding to the warmth spreading throughout her body, lighting her nerves on fire even as her fingers dug into his arm. Why was his touch causing such a reaction like this? Was there truly an attraction there, or was she simply still on edge from last night and her body was craving the attention? She whimpered as he grinded against her again, sucking in her bottom lip as she bit down in an attempt to muffle the sound, yet it only made it that much sweeter.
 
Her pale complexion only made the blush on her cheeks stand out all the more as he moved back enough to meet her gaze. Lyra’s eyes flickered to his lips as he kept moving closer, inch by agonizing inch, drawing ever closer to her own lips that continued to tremble, her teeth having long abandoned their prey. He was so close now, so very close, that all she had to do was lean forward and take his offering. “We… do not,” she repeated softly, that ache in her chest growing, the fire within her core wanting to be sated. She wanted this, she realized with a start. She needed to feel his touch, to experience this moment, to taste his lips on hers.
 
The dainty elf let herself go, drowning in that moment with him as she closed her eyes, blocking out everything but him. Just like the ocean he embodied, she let herself get pulled under with the current, leaning into him to take that tantalizing kiss. And yet, before her lips brushed over his, she stopped, her breath mingling with his. The image of Azir flashed behind her eyelids, the way the moonlight had washed over his brilliantly white hair and the subtle glow of his peridot eyes as they looked upon her lovingly. That ache in her chest grew even more, and it wasn’t because of her desire for this man before her. It was for the one waiting for her back at the academy.
 
For just a moment, she had nearly let herself be overtaken by a moment of lust. Even now, her body was crying out for his touch. She wanted to feel his hands roam across her skin, his lips trailing burning kisses along her neck. She wanted him to hike up her skirts and thrust his hand down between her legs, plunging his fingers into her very depths. She even wanted him, for the briefest of moments, to spin her around, her back to him, as he took her there against the railing, her cries of passion muffled by his hand lest they be discovered.
 
She really needed to stop reading those romance books.
 
Lyra let out a shaky breath, her grip on both his arm and the railing tightening, but she did not move away from him. Where was she to go? He had one hand directly on her hip and the other pressed against her chest, resting between her small breasts. Even as she ached for that feeling again, even as her body was screaming and burning for this man before her, it was her heart that called out to another. “Friends…” she finally got out, her breathing coming in short pants of heightened emotion. “Is that what you truly want?” Again, her gaze flickered from his eyes to his lips, unconsciously licking her own in response, that deep desire to taste him still there. “Or is there something else you would rather have of me?”

[Lyrical]

Character Name: Bri'elle "Elle" Whitewater
Date | Time: November 7th, Evening (late)
Location: Onyx Central - Tosser’s
Wearing: full kit
Tagging | Mentioning:  Brock <story teller>
"Alright," <Brock said,> "Good enough for me."

Bri was lost in what she was saying for a moment. It wasn't like her to get so philosophical really but as he said those words she started to echo quietly back to him, "Good enough for me," there was a bit of a question in it as she said it. Then her eyes opened up a bit, she had almost for that this was all part of his trust building. "Oh," was all she really responded to it.

The big guys foot came up between her legs again but this time he raised it all the way to the bench and she swallowed, drawing her knees slightly closer to gather until they just barely grazed the sides of his boot. It was electric, she knew her naivety in these things was betraying her. A body that was flush from a racing heart and growing overwhelming sensations that felt like heat at her core. She took the opportunity of his buzzing phone to get a couple deep breaths in, nothing overly exaggerated just the breaths of a person that had just swallowed hard.

Then Brock gave the word that her information was acknowledged, everything was a go, it was legit and she was in. Next up was when could she supply more information.

Elle felt a bit relief, she couldn't hide but she hoped that it looked natural. Anyone in her situation should show some sort of relaxing after getting verified. Elle looked into his eyes as she was speaking.

Elle said, "Next step, is we get together and talk a bit more seriously." She raised an eyebrow. "While meeting with you here has been... Interesting." That was putting it mildly. "I need to meet some more faces and have a real discussion about what I've got and what I can get. I already know more information that I can share. I just don't know how much is useful and what information do you need on top of that to really put it to use. I'll need to help with the planning. It's not something we can do in a bar." She smiled a little at him and her cheeks flushed a little. "You tell me when you want to do it and where. If you can pull it off now, I'm game to make it happen but I understand that the others might be a bit more hesitant. It's your call. Tell me what you want from me, right now? You know what my limitations are going to look like but I will do my best... If we are going to do this another day, how and where can I reach you?"

Were they going to get up from this bar and go straight into the mouth of danger or was this going to be another day sort of thing? She had no idea, in fact she wasn't even clear if she was supposed to push her to make it all happen right now. If she was supposed to do it all now, it seemed foolish and dangerous... No, she was prepared to wait if that's how this was going to play out. A part of her half hoped Brock would stonewall her in someway, at least than she could hopefully get another surprise meeting with her handler. Another part of her, sort wanted to keep sitting her with him and just ignore all of this game...

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Brock Lee
Date | Time: November 7th | Evening (~8:45)
Location: Onyx Central - Tosser’s
Wearing: As pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: Bri’elle |
Some of what she said made sense, and he agreed. Other parts of it? Well, they didn’t. Brock bounced his foot idly between her legs. His boot gently rubbed the inside of her knees as he thought. If she truly had more like what she’d already given, waiting until later was risky. It might make the information dead. It might give her time to go back on this arrangement. No, he didn’t want to risk any of that. If she was a long term asset, great, then it wouldn’t matter either way, but if she were a short term one? Best to use her up now then wait and have spoiled plans. “Well I hope it’s been interesting in a good way.” He chuckled, “You’re right, business here is bad. But I’ve got a place.” He let his boot slide back to the floor with another heavy stomp. Brock took up his mug and tipped it back, pouring the entire rest of into his belly in three large gulps. “I want to do it right now.” His lips twitched.

Sliding out of the booth, Brock pocketed his phone and reached a hand out for her, “Let’s get out of here, Elle. The two of us.” He bounced his brow and nudged toward the door. “I’ll show you a good time, and we don’t need anyone else.” His words were layered, they were for her as much as they were for everyone around them. She might not be good at this, but he knew how to cover his tracks. Plus, he really did mean it. She didn’t need to meet anyone else. She had built up goodwill, but not that much goodwill.

Once he had her up to her feet, Brock laid an arm over her tiny shoulders, between her blade and neck and kept her at his side. He stuffed his other hand into his pocket and led her from Tosser’s. He gave the bartender a nod. He was a regular, he’d settle up later. Out on the streets, Brock turned them toward the north and took the first right to wrap around the block. His fingers absently tap danced on the outside of her far shoulder. “So let me ask you a question, Elle, what made you decide to get involved today?” He glanced down at her, lifting a brow, “Something change?” It was idle curiosity, simple conversation until they were a bit further away.

They crossed another street, turned left to immediately cross another, and then started straight for a while. Once they were there, Brock tossed a couple of looks around the place, watching the few others who were out at this growing hour. One peek back over his shoulder and he was confident that they were alone - or alone enough. “Serious about the others though,” he resumed casually, “An’atoli put you in touch with the right person, if you’ve got information, to get it used. You want more access than that, well, that’s not something I can just hand out. You understand.”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Ocean Specter
Date | Time: November 13th | Evening (~9pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Cloud Top
Wearing: Blue suit w/ tie and long coat
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
They called him a terrorist. They said he had no morals. No code. What he had was an agenda, a mission, and there was nothing that would get in his way. He would murder and maim to get his way. There was nothing that he considered sacred. He would target elderly and children alike. He would exploit the helpless and undermine the rest. He would take the things given to the people of Toil and use them against them. Arcanite. Soul. These things were tools at his disposal, tools that someone like him could have used to benefit society. Instead, he used them to tear at its foundations.

He was called pirate, marauder. A member of the Oakisoba. He stole for what he had, and came by none of it earnestly. He preyed on the work of others, and used it to enrich himself at their expense. He made grand promises to stir the hearts of those weaker willed and incite them into his service. Ocean offered them something to believe in, even when he himself was faithless. And when those who had devoted themselves to him needed him, or had served their purpose? He cast them aside as weights he needed to be free from. His loyalty was to himself, first, foremost, and exclusively.

Brilliant, that’s how they described him. One step ahead of old wise Ettinus. Another, the great general. And three more, her lackeys. He plotted and schemed. He evaded and out maneuvered. He predicted. Just when someone thought they had him figured out, and that they had him in a corner, Ocean revealed that they were exactly where he wanted them to be. The situations, the knowledge, all of it had been sculpted to push them to behave precisely how he desired them too. The great manipulator, the chess player, the mastermind.

And of course others knew him as a distinguished gentleman. A refined businessman. A notable man of wealth. A socialite who belonged at places just like the one they were at tonight. A patron of art, and a supporter of all things good taste. An enjoyer of fine wines, carefully prepared meals, and the occasional clove-cigar. They saw him as a man whose suit was never out of place, and whose hair was always well done. He who had an eye for the fine things in life and looked down upon those who lacked them.

These were all things that various people said about him. And each of them was true of him, to a degree. But there was a much simpler truth to him. A much more basic thing that he was.

Ocean was a man. And like other men, he was not immune to feelings. He had not come here for this. It hadn’t been on his mind. Not until he’d seen her in that dress. Until their eyes had met the first time and he gazed into them after so long. She really was every bit the precious Silver that he described her as. In another life, in another time, that rooftop exchange could have gone differently. They had connected that night. He’d felt it, seen the way she looked at him. He had plans, agendas, and things to do. But how could he have missed the way her eyes made him feel? Who didn’t want to be looked at that way? To be desired? Like any man, Ocean felt these things, and they appealed to him.

So this was not the plan. But meeting her at Dazzle & Dust had not been the plan, either. Fate. He said it again and again. He meant it. He believed it. Maybe his mind ought to have been elsewhere, with all the other things that he was. But, truthfully, earnestly, for the moment, they were only with her. For a moment he put aside his hatred of Marlowe - whom he didn’t comment on specifically so that he didn’t need to either lie or upset Lyra - and his big plans for Onyx. There was this moment. There was how they could help one another… And of course, there was her.

If she didn’t want this, she could have shown him. She could have pushed. She could have ducked. Turned her head. Anything! But she didn’t. A question alone was not enough to stop a man like him. Ocean had not come as far as he had, accomplished all that he had accomplished, by being stopped by the flickering hesitations of others. She wanted this. He could feel it. Her body sang for him. Her warmth called to him, begging for him to touch her. She tightened in anticipation. If she couldn’t take that final inch, if her careful heart couldn’t find the courage to plunge over the edge, then he would do what he did best.

He’d give her a nudge.

There were words he could have used to explain that friends could mean many things. That it was, in fact, truly what he wanted. They could do great things together, he knew that, and he really wanted to show her that. He could have simply told her that he wanted many things. But Ocean was a man of action, and showing was so much more satisfying than telling. Her lips longed for him, and he felt the same. The answer to her question was a kiss. Ocean pressed forward. His thigh rubbed roughly against her crotch. Ocean’s hand dipped to the side from where it had fallen and cupped her pert, modest breast and squeezed her intimately. Unshaven, his beard and mustache tickled the delicate skin of her face - his was not made of bristles, but oiled fur.

Their lips met, and he held no softness, no reservation in it. Instead Ocean met her full on, hotly giving her the taste that she desired. That he wanted. His core tightened and rolled against her, pressing the firming bulge of his cock against her. His lips guided hers, pressing down into her as not an enemy and his nemesis, but a man and a woman. At her side, his hand tugged on her skirts, crawling in place and quickly bunching them higher and higher. He didn’t need to read her mind to have the same thought she’d had. The kiss deepened, and he groaned softly into it, into her mouth that he guided open so that his tongue could find hers. He savored her taste, and moved to have more of it. The lean trapped his hand between them. The gathering of motion had the one side of her skirt up quickly, thigh open to the air, and his fingers teased at it, brushing as they thought to reach beneath it. They would have right then, had he not been so very satisfied claiming her kiss. Sharing a heavy, blindingly blissful moment of intimacy with her where the rest of the world went quiet.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 15th | Early Evening
Location: Outside the Academy -> Streets of Onyx Central
Wearing: White sweater dress w/ knee high boots, Tiny white top hat w/ black rose
Tagging | Mentioning: Hulta | Lyra
For a moment, while Hulta seemed confused, Marlowe wondered if it was just an elven trait that they wouldn’t understand flirtations and attractions. At least Hulta seemed a bit less confused, and infinitely less flustered, than Lyra did. The thought panged something in the back of her head that she didn’t know what to do with, and fortunately Hulta’s wide-eyed realization came at just the right time to distract her from having to spare it even a single thought. She smiled wide at the other woman, and gently bit her lip. Her hand squeezed. Some might have worried that any lack of reciprocation meant they’d been too bold - Marlowe, conversely, didn’t know the definition of those two words side by side.

The question was funny to her. She laughed slightly. “I’ve got all night for you.” Truly, Marlowe was happy to just listen to Hulta talk about flavors. One of the better parts of it was that she could follow what was being said. It was very simple, and even if it didn’t seem like anything particularly important, it clearly mattered to Hulta. When it finally got narrowed down to lemon, Marlowe stashed that information. Ask the girl to remember something important about Toil’s history that had been explained in great detail to them by Professor Beach earlier in the day? Expect disappointment. Ask her to explain even the vague, off handed details of what someone liked? She might as well have been them, for as well as she knew how they felt about it.

And she really had intended to spend the rest of the night with Hulta.

Now it had not been Lolo’s plan to share the petals. Those were all for her date. But she wasn’t going to turn away the opportunity. Hulta’s eyes turned away, which might’ve been a good thing, because Lolo leaned in slowly and opened her mouth to receive the shared gift. Her tongue slid out halfway and bared the pink flat expanse for delivery. She all but lapped the petal from Hulta’s fingers, tongue tip teasing the top of her fingers, before her lips could close. Just slightly around the redhead’s nails. The treat was sweet, but not nearly as much as Hulta. Unlike the hand, Lolo did pull her lips back fairly quickly, effectively kissing Hulta’s fingertips.

The compliment caught her off guard. Lolo was no stranger to them, but it felt like it had been a long time. She couldn’t remember, really. Rather than put any thought into it, she just sat forward more intensely, embolden by the praise. “I’m glad you think so,” she murmured amid the blinks that followed. Lolo managed to walk the fine line between awkward staring and affectionate gazing like a master. Her eyes didn’t want to leave the elf and her rose-dusted cheeks.

It really shouldn’t have surprised her that Hulta suggested that someday she’d be leaving. Marlowe tried her best not to sink with the knowledge. It felt like everyone around her was going to do that. She didn’t want it. There were people here already that she didn’t feel like she could be without. Let alone with another four years of bonding. And peering into the gentle brow eyes of this woman, Lolo felt like she could be another person she didn’t want to be without. Hulta may have said what she did to brush off her own doubt, but it did a marvelous job of clearing Marlowe’s as well. She blinked slowly and tilted her head, “Guess I’ll need to try them very, very, slowly.”

Beneath them the jet set down on the landing pad of Hammer Tower, signaling them that they were ready to disembark. Lolo’s heart was too busy doing somersaults over Hulta’s presumption to pay it much attention. “I would like that, a lot.” She cooed in delight. Only then realizing that they weren’t moving, and there was plenty more of this date to enjoy before she needed to long for the next. Lolo bounced to her feet energetically and held a hand to Hulta, easily taking her fingers and helping her up. “Come with me to find out,” she wiggled her brows.

Descent from the tower was a simple matter and didn’t take more than a minute. Traveling behind them, Lolo linked her arm with Hulta to keep the elf close - intentionally standing to the side not carrying the corsage. “Well, you wanted to see Onyx, so I thought it would be fun if I showed you a couple of its finest locations!” True to that, Lolo guided them down the streets, heading inexorably toward the very heart of the city. “So maybe next time people are talking, you’ll at least know some of what they’re talking about.” It meant a small tour around the city, a long walk to be shared by them, with her occasionally pointing something out or showing her into somewhere. “But we actually have a destination in mind! It’s a little underground place called the Oasis and it’s… Well, you’ll see, but I think you’re going to love it. And they make the best, sweetest cocktails you’ll ever have.”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 2nd | Evening (~6:45pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Skyview Terrace
Wearing: White floral embroidered dress, white heels, half-up hairstyle
Tagging | Mentioning: Marlowe |

The dance came to an end and Lyra blinked in surprise at her partner’s open admission to wanting to be the person that was with her always. Suddenly, she found herself drawn back into Marlowe’s arms with a gentle collision of their bodies, a little squeak of surprise escaping her lips as her face lit up red as her favorite fruit. She clung to the taller woman in a desperate attempt to keep herself from falling over backwards even as she was dipped lower and lower, those silver tresses of hers spilling over her shoulder to nearly touch the ground behind her with how her back was being forced into an arch.
 
The moment she was upright, Lyra stumbled a bit as she tried to regain her composure, taking a step back even as her partner did the same. Her heart was beating so quickly in her chest, a hand pressed just below her clavicle, taking deep breaths. Was she just flustered over the moment of being brought so close to her like that and then dipped, or was there something more to the feeling of being embraced like that with Marlowe’s face just inches from her own, staring into her eyes? They had talked before about always being partners, back at the shop when secrets were revealed. She hadn’t wanted anyone else to be her partner. If it wasn’t Marlowe, then who exactly would she be today, if not the Lyra that stood before her now? But the way she spoke, Lyra wasn’t quite sure what Marlowe meant with those words, as if it held a completely different meaning that escaped her clutches.
 
A shaky smile was given as the distraction of food was brought up and she nodded, letting Marlowe take her hand again as she followed after the woman back towards their little picnic. “Of course, let us try some.” The little elf took that time to let her nerves calm down again, her heart rate slowing back down to a normal pace as she settled back down on the blanket, peering inside the basket as Marlowe began to disperse its contents.
 
There was a shift in the air as she asked her something that sparked an immediate reaction from her. A big grin instantly crossed her face, impressed that Marlowe had gotten the word right, nodding her head enthusiastically. “Yes, that is right. Negalu.” Lyra’s excitement on the subject was nearly palpable as she shifted slightly so that she was sitting on her heels – carefully, of course – with her dress tucked up under her rear, a perfect kneeling position. She took the offered sampling, making a pleasant little hum as she nibbled on it between words. “Yes! They are on my bracelets.” Her pale powder blue eyes flickered to her empty wrists, where normally those bangles would have encircled, but since the crackdown on their restrictions, neither member of diLeMMA had been allowed to carry their trademark weapons outside the academy.
 
Lyra leaned forward and stretched a hand out towards the sand just beyond the reach of the edge of the blanket, curling her fingers into a fist keeping the index finger extended as she dipped it lower to the sand. “This,” she started, bringing attention to what she was doing in the sand. Carefully, she drew the symbol for water; a small circle with a line extending downward, then crossed over with a sort of squared arch, mimicking a trident in appearance. “…is water,” she finished, tapping the design twice when she was done. “The one I use most often, since it correlates to my Shimmer.”
 
Even if Marlowe didn’t quite grasp what she was talking about, Lyra was beyond thrilled to discuss it at lengths, keeping her explanations as simple as she could as her voice became animated. Right below that symbol, she started tracing another one; a sharp zig-zag that resembled a step more than anything else with a straight line drawn underneath. “And this is air. My major and minor elements for one of my bracelets,” she explained briefly. Pausing a moment to take another bite of the food Marlowe handed over next, her eyes widened at the sweet flavor. “Oh, this is good!”
 
Moving on, right next to the trident symbol, she drew another zig-zag, but this one was vertical rather than horizontal, with the ends tucked in towards the center. “Lightning,” she offered, before dropping to the space below it and soon a reverse trident came into being, which looked more like an unfinished triangle with a line through the center. “And fire, the major and minor respectively for the other one.” A series of smaller symbols were drawn to either side of the major four, just a few of the other ones she knew about. “And these help define how it is used.”
 
There was a small grimace as Lyra frowned, raising her gaze from her little sketches to her partner, before they dropped to her hands as she let them rest in her lap, sitting back on her heels once more. “I wish I had them with me so I could actually show you.” She flexed her fingers, then lightly curled them into fists before she let out a sigh. Regaining her composure once more, Lyra lifted her gaze back to Marlowe with a soft smile gracing her lips once more. “I did not know you were so interested in them. I am still learning myself, but Professor Halo, the one who teaches that class I attend with Vesper, he knows a lot about it, and it is so very interesting! I am still trying to find new ways to use my skills.” That frown returned for only a moment, a slight flicker to her otherwise cheerful features. “Since I do not fight with traditional weapons like the rest of you, I thought this was the least I could do. I am… Still trying. I want to be useful. To be needed, I suppose.”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Marlowe “Lolo” Ashe
Date | Time: November 2nd | Evening (~6:45pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Skyview Terrace
Wearing: This, Hairstyle, but repeated multiple times
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra |
Watching her light up with excitement was everything. Lolo settled in and relaxed so that she could listen. The words didn’t need to mean anything to her, because Lyra’s excitement did. Of course, Marlowe had found this topic specifically for this. So, unlike some of their other conversations about magic, Arcanite, and more, she felt a bit better prepared to follow along here. But beyond having a more basic grasp, there was a newer truth - she wanted to understand. Not because she cared or because she thought this knowledge would ever be useful to her. But because Lyra cared. That might have always been true, but the longer they were partnered, the more time Lolo spent with her elf, the more she cared.

Bright eyes followed the movements. The patterns seemed simple enough, even though Lolo was fairly positive that she wouldn’t be able to replicate them precisely. Still she tried to commit them to memory. Water, at least. That element was so important to her partner. Even as Lyra continued drawing, Lolo kept one eye on that first negalu. Maybe, one day, she’d do something with it. Lolo nibbled the first bite, surprised at how much she liked it, but kept quiet so as to not interrupt. “Major and minor?” Her head tilted. She’d never thought that each bracelet might have a different meaning. But then it made sense, having seen Lyra pull out and open one or the other. Lolo had just never considered putting one and one together. “You like it?” She allowed herself to be distracted, and fished them out another sampling, handing it off to Lyra. She waited to eat her own while focusing on the next set of symbols.

The elemental symbols made mostly sense to her, “So the Negalu associate to an element. Like Arcanite?” The book that she had read had some details, but not on the mechanics of things. It assumed a basic understanding already. Unfortunately that had meant she was mostly lost, except having been able to pick up some terms and rudimentary insight. “Your bracelets have Arcanite on them. How does that…” She bit her lip and furrowed her brow. Lolo’s heart thumped. She didn’t want to ask the wrong question. A dumb question. She wanted to seem smart, smarter than she was. “I mean, how do they work together?” Why not just use Arcanite was on the tip of her tongue, but it seemed such a bad question.

While the elements tracked, the controlling negalu helped define it for her. The nuance of it all was still lost on her, but she felt like she got the basic idea. “So… You use one of these…” She pointed at the elemental symbol for lightning, “And follow it with one of these…” Her finger glided to one of the defining negalu, “Like an…” Her brow tightened, “Equation?” God she hoped that didn’t sound dumb, or reductive. It was just the best way she could comprehend it.

Lolo looked up at Lyra and smiled, “Will you show me when you have them next? Can you teach me?” Even if she never understood, and never learned a damn thing, it’d be worth the effort she thought. Her mind played a vision: They were sitting in the dark. Candles flickering. Lolo was on a pillow. Lyra, in her lap. They were wearing sheer things. Lolo leaned over Lyra’s shoulder. Her lips idly nomming at the elf’s neck. Lyra was giggling, tapping her fingers on the pages of a book at her feet. Showing her something, trying to focus. Marlowe was, mostly, following along.

Marlowe blinked a few times, her smile growing wider and wider each second. It spread past her face, into her shoulders, and chest. “I’m interested in you, Lyra.” She murmured quietly, scooting closer to her partner. “This…” Lolo’s eyes turned to the sandy diagram that mapped this thing so precious to the elf, “Is part of you. So, yes, I’m very interested in them.” Sultry eyes scanned the soft features before her. She watched that frown return for a moment. There was no place for it here. Lyra’s words only fed it. Lolo didn’t know why she felt like she wasn’t useful. There was nothing wrong with finding new ways to use her skills, and Lolo loved that Lyra wanted to be better for the team, but she didn’t believe that she was the weakest link as Lyra seemed to.

She did believe something though. Lolo lifted her hand slowly and reached for Lyra. Her finger tips grazed the delicate angle of her cheek. “You are needed, Lyra.” Lolo’s skin darkened to a deep rose. She inched closer, eye to eye with the other woman. She meant those words, and the ones that were going to follow. Maybe - definitely - she didn’t understand how or the exacts of why, but she knew them to be part of her truth. “I need you.” Her nose bumped the tip of Lyra’s and gently slipped past it. Just as slowly her eyes began to close, watching for Lyra to follow her into this - for them to do this, together.

[Lyrical]

Character Name: Bri'elle "Elle" Whitewater
Date | Time: November 7th, Evening (late)
Location: Onyx Central - Tosser’s
Wearing: full kit
Tagging | Mentioning:  Brock <story teller>
That massive hand was aggressively taking Elle's and leading her off with a whole lot of insinuation going on. She knew it was an act, he was making that clear to her but oh man that look in his eyes scared the hell out of her. Before she knew it, Elle was walking along with his tree trunk sized arm draped over her rather slender shoulders. It was times like this that she felt extra small, the only thing keeping her confidence up was the fact that his massive arm was also bumping into her sword, which was even more massive than his arm.

Once on their way Brock started asking her questions again...

<Brock said,> “So let me ask you a question, Elle, what made you decide to get involved today?” He glanced down at her, lifting a brow, “Something change?”

"First chance I had to help was today," Elle said. "If I had given you that information two days ago it would have meant that I had to wait two days for you to be able to confirm it." She shrugged her small shoulders. Unsure of how astute he was but if he was an extremely observant individual he may notice the ease at which she was able to shrug those diminutive shoulders of hers even under the pressure of his tree trunks. While tiny, she could still probably out shoulder press any average guy walking down the street by a wide margin. Champions only came in one variety = far physically superior than most people.

Once they were more alone, Brock laid it out for her. Or at least in terms of the Fangs and gaining access to them.

Elle said, "Look Brock, I don't want to stand here and insult you but the information I have is highly classified military stuff.... If I told you there was going to be a shipment of arcanite tomorrow and where it was going, you'd just see that as a target." She looked him up and down. "Listen I get that.. to a Hammer, everything looks like a nail." The intended implication of her usage of Hammer was meant to impart that not only the fact that he was a blunt instrument but that she too was also one.. a not so subtle reminder of exactly who she was and who his arm was resting on. She got really close to him, turning and looking way up. "I don't want to just give you a target of opportunity. That information I have is not just a one and done. We need to make plans and use it wisely, it comes at a price. It won't take them long to figure out where the leaks are. SO... Just so I'm clear. I can provide this information but I need to be in with a group to do planning and find out what else you need precisely so I can give you more to make a big move. You and the others don't have long, you're up against an army... and speaking of Hammers their hammers are far bigger and more numerous. Use what we got carefully and wisely or it'll be all over for everyone." She looked down for a moment than back up. "This is a battle that you can't win unless you change the game you're playing..." She put her hand on his chest lightly and looked up at him with as much sincerity as she could. "Losing is inevitable but that's not the end game here. The end game is gaining more protections, more rights, more recognition, more safety... it's gaining equal footing for the Silenus in Onyx. Tell me I'm wrong and that you just want to commit suicide? If that's your end game, then I'm out... I want to make a difference, not become a martyr."

Elle was looking up at Brock with big pleading eyes, pleading for his understanding and hoping that she was just cute enough for him to at least nudge her along in the right direction... anything.

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Brock Lee
Date | Time: November 7th | Evening (~8:45)
Location: Onyx Central - Tosser’s
Wearing: As pictured
Tagging | Mentioning: Bri’elle |
That was the first thing that Bri said that didn’t track. Codes and patrol schedules weren’t changed on the daily. Two days almost certainly wouldn’t have made a difference. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue, a reason poorly elaborated. Maybe he was missing something. Maybe there was something about those codes and schedules in specific that would have made that true… But then verification probably would not have been that smooth. It tripped something in Brock’s mind. Still, they had checked out. She seemed earnest. He wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt…

And he probably would have, but then she decided to pick at that topic and dig her heels in. Or maybe it was that she seemed to not appreciate who she was talking to. Or maybe that it sounded a whole lot like she was calling him stupid. He listened, he listened entirely, he just didn’t like what she had to say. Paused on the street, Brock looked down at her, that hand on his chest. He looked into her eyes and squinted. She was cute. But not that cute. He wished that she were, though.

Brock took a deep breath through his nose and looked around on the street. They were alone enough. No one was watching them, at least. He looked conflicted. His tongue lapped at his lip. Reaching up, he took the side of her arm and gave her a little guiding push. He nudged to the side, and ducked in between two buildings with her. Not down the alley, but just into its mouth, where things were even less obvious. He wrinkled his nose. Lifted his hand and swipe-pinched the tip of his nose, “Elle,” He clicked his tongue. “I told you, you’re talking to the right person. The only we here, is you and me. A couple of codes and a schedule doesn’t make you a shot caller.” His face fell into a frown. His arms folded across his chest. “Now look, Elle, I wanna like you. But let’s be clear here. You came to me wanting to help. Not the other way around.” He lulled his head, “And I don’t know who you think I am, but if you’ve got it in that pretty little head of yours that I’m just some silenus brute, well, I hate to break it to you, but you’ve been talking to the guy aiming the hammer the whole time.”

He cleaned his throat, “So… Just so I’m clear. You can talk to me, and give me the information you have that I think we need, or you can run along home. But if you want more than that, to be more than an asset, because that's what you came to be, you’re going to have to do a little more to earn my trust than flutter your pretty eyes and stroke my chest.” Brock took a step back and pivoted, opening the alleyway so that she could leave, if she desired. He wasn’t really inclined to tango with her, but this path she was walking down? Well, it wasn’t one he was going to follow her along so easily.

“And another thing,” He dragged his attention back to her, “Losing isn’t inevitable, the game has already changed and they don’t even know it.”

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 13 | Evening (~9pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Cloud Top
Wearing: White sheer and opaque dress with appliqué flowers, green sash, white heels
Tagging | Mentioning: Ocean | Azir

This man before her was dangerous. Lyra knew that. She really did. And yet, every part of her wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was charming, disarming, had a show of grace about him. He might have fit in perfectly into the lifestyle she grew up in and was familiar with. In fact, that had been her very first impression of him – a wealthy gentleman simply wanted to engage in a private shopping affair with his bodyguards, away from the eyes of nosy students like them. Would that have been so wrong? She wouldn’t have batted an eye at that, had her teammates not been so keen to interfere. The resulting scuffle not only destroyed the shop, but many lives along with it – Jackals and innocents alike.
 
She continued to stare up at him, their lips so tantalizingly close. A hair’s breadth away. All she had to do was tilt her head just a little bit more and their lips would reach and she could savor the taste of them. He smelled so strongly of wine and cloves. Had he partaken of a drink before they met that night? Would she taste it upon his tongue? Lyra gulped down her nerves as her mind raced. That offer was laid bare for her, his willingness to give clear as day, but still she hesitated.
 
This wasn’t a man she should be trusting. In fact, the sole reason she had come tonight was to gather information. Again. Just like the last time she had agreed to go with him alone to that rooftop all those months ago. It had been simple curiosity and the pursuit of knowledge. Lyra had wanted to know the reason why he was there, why he had attacked them, beyond just retaliating towards squires who made the first move, why he picked her. Had it truly just been because she’d been the most reasonable of the bunch? Or had there been another underlying reason? The fact he was there with her now, his hand on her thigh, thumb brushing against her hip, a hand to her chest. There were all things someone with a different motive in mind would be doing.
 
Lyra wanted to obey every thought in her mind that screamed at her to get away from him. That he was a terrorist, a marauder, murderer. He was everything she was supposed to protect the people from. But how could she protect them from him when she couldn’t even protect herself from his advances? Her heart thumped loudly in her chest and the wetness between her legs was obvious proof that it was affecting her. She had stopped herself from falling in head first, saved herself from drowning, but only barely.
 
And then the current mercilessly pulled her under.
 
As he crashed into her, like the waves colliding with the shoreline, she accepted his touch, let it roll over her like sandy dunes. Lyra groaned into the kiss; eyes fluttering closed at the sensation it brought with it. He was not gentle, not at all, and not the least bit hesitant in exploring her mouth. Her knees went weak and, for a moment, she collapsed against him, held in place by his leg between her own, grinding her crotch against his thigh in such a way that elicited another moan from her currently occupied lips.
 
She leaned into his touch, her back arching as she pressed her chest forward into his waiting hand. Every inch of her was still tender and sensitive and Ocean was playing right into that feeling. He knew just where to touch and tease, just how much pressure to apply, and where to linger to bring out the best reactions. There was no doubting the experiences of a man compared to what amounted to a young naïve girl. And this elf’s body was willing to be taught.
 
The feeling of his growing erection against her excited her beyond belief, her core tightening with need. Lyra hadn’t truly known just how freeing this feeling could be until recently and how addicting it was going to become. She could taste the lingering sweetness of wine on his tongue and the bitter harshness of the cloves. There was a smokey aftertaste, the same one she had smelt on his breath from his cigars. It was intoxicating as much as it was revolting. Her fingers dug more firmly against his arm, and the one on the railing shifted so that she was grasping at the fabric of his vest, clinging to him as he devoured her.
 
She hated it. She hated every bit of it as much as she craved it. Her head was spinning in the mixed emotions running amok through her mind. How could she want something so badly that she knew was so wrong? She wanted that kiss, the feel of his hands on her breasts, the way his hand on her thigh stroked and caressed… but it wasn’t Ocean she wanted. No, this was a forced kiss, much like one before, something she didn’t truly want but let it happen anyway without much resistance. Her guard was down and faltering to bring those walls back up to protect herself.
 
As he hiked her skirt up higher and higher, the bunching of fabrics at her hips revealing more and more of her scar-marred legs. And that was the one thing that flipped her switch. Despite everything that had happened recently, she still had that one thing ingrained so deeply into her, for years and years, of not wanting to be revealed to another person. To keep herself covered up as much as possible and hide away her sins of shame from the world. So, the second the cool air brushed over her exposed thighs, even beneath his caressing fingers threatening to plunge beneath her skirts and give her what her body desperately desired, it was a moment of clarity that she needed.
 
Azir’s smiling face, so full of love and affection, came to mind. Her heart ached and something was breaking inside of her. It was no longer pounding so desperately inside of her chest and that inferno within her had started to cool as if she had dumped water directly over the blaze. Her mind was screaming at her. ‘No! No, no, nononono!’ “No!” Lyra broke the kiss with a start, panting heavily from the exertion. Her fingers around the hand at her thigh tightened further, almost painfully so. She was a squire, after all, despite her frail appearance. Her grip loosened at the look on his face, but she kept her hand firmly on his forearm, preventing him from moving it further for the moment.
 
The hand clinging to his vest released its clutches, the charms from his gifted bracelet dangling delicately together as she flattened her palm against his chest and pushed him back lightly. “No,” Lyra repeated a bit softer this time, swallowing the lump in her throat and all the other words she had wanted to say. She had to play her cards carefully now, the gears once more turning in her head. Powder blues raised their gaze to meet his yellow ones, that practiced coy smile slipping easily over her features as smoothly as she put on a mask of indifference.
 
“We… should not do this,” she continued, choosing her words carefully, her cheeks still flushed with arousal and her body still aching to be touched. “There are… Too many eyes here.” Would he believe her? She hoped so, her gaze flicking towards that sliding door that led back inside the lounge. They were just beyond its reach, but this was still a public space, after all. “Too many ears,” she repeated his words from earlier. Unless he did something drastic to silence her, there was little reason for her to remain quiet if things had continued – whether in pleasure or pain.
 
“You…” she started, then hesitated for a moment. How could she turn this back towards her favor? What if he grew suspicious of her? Or worse, forced himself on her regardless? Would she ever recover from that? Suddenly, that was a real fear that slipped over her, realizing just how close she had come to making a huge mistake, and knowing that the possibility was still there. He could absolutely dominate her, but not without resistance. Carefully, she guided his hand away from her hip, just enough to encourage him to drop her skirts, before she released his arm entirely. “…wanted to talk business. So, let us talk business.” Lyra waited until he took a step back from her, removing that leg of his from between her thighs. A shudder went through her body, still trembling with need and want, but she tried to keep a hold on her composure as she lifted her chin to look up at him. “What is this matter you say is of importance to the both of us? How… can you help me?”

[Aethyrium]

Character Name: Ocean Specter
Date | Time: November 13th | Evening (~9pm)
Location: Onyx Central - Cloud Top
Wearing: Blue suit w/ tie and long coat
Tagging | Mentioning: Lyra | Kiba
Ocean drank her needy groan, and it encouraged him. His embrace tightened, to support her where weak knees could not. He throbbed. Lips cracked just enough that her grinding moan was heard unmuffled. Why should he not take her? What would it hurt to do so? He could think of no reason they shouldn’t share this and fill the quiet of Onyx with moans of those moans. Deeper, louder, more pleasured ones. She pressed into him, and Ocean doubled down in holding her. She tasted sweet. He enjoyed that. She was supple. He enjoyed that too. Ocean grinded himself back against her, a promise of things to come. Lyra seemed even more eager for it than he’d imagined, but that was a good thing, it enticed him. He kneaded her breast, satisfied with the feeling, but ready for more. There was more of her he wanted to touch now.

He knew exactly what to do with her, what lessons he’d share with her. This kiss would falter, eventually. And when it did he would spin her back around and show her the glory of the city before her. His city. The city he was claiming. Just like her. He’d push her forward, gripping at the railing, leaning into the open air. Pin her skirts in a bunch at the small of her back. Her panties would drop around her thighs, and he’d effortlessly slide his cock into that youthfully tight pussy, already slick for him. He’d fill her like he imagined she’d never been filled before. He’d thrust her, filling that need that she so clearly had. Pump the heat until the flames overtook her and he broke the seal on that demure countenance and she called for him behind the muffling presence of his hand.

And he did want it, now. He might not have, but how could he not now? She clung to him, and it pet an intrinsic need to be needed. Her body grinded against him, showing him exactly what she wanted, and alluring him with a soaking gift, prepared especially for him. Their lips felt good against one another, and she danced with him, in a tango only they knew the steps to. Yes, this had given rise to wants and desires of his own, that went far beyond what he’d come here for - but none that he wasn’t at least modestly pleased to have. None that he was unwilling to satisfy. Business could come later.

Their lips broke apart, and he was ready - oh he was so ready. He’d started the motion. His hand pressed firm to her breast, and against her thigh he moved to grab and spin her. His eyes hadn’t even opened entirely yet. He was busy savoring the taste of her. No. He paused. The squeeze around his hand was uncomfortable. Bright yellow orbs opened and gazed at that beautiful face. The little push. No. Ocean’s hand opened against her breast and floated an inch back, hovering. His other dropped her skirts, letting them fall back around the leg he’d never seen.

Stepping back, giving her space, was not a hard decision. Ocean was many things. He might have been everything that people called him. But he wasn’t that. Even with the stiffness of his cock pressing against his pants, demanding freedom, lusting for the warm, wet satisfaction of her cunt, he wasn’t that man. He straightened up, and stepped back. Step by step, giving her space. Whether she wanted to believe it or not, she was safe here. He genuinely wished her nothing ill. He moved until his back bumped the wall of the building. Nostrils flared with a long breath, and he closed his eyes to continue the fire that had started within him. He ached now for a release he wasn’t going to get. Maybe when this was done he would find himself a different woman, a debutante eager to fall upon his prick.

But if he did, it’d be Lyra he was envisioning.

Swallowing it all down, Ocean didn’t believe a word of what she was saying. Her faux-smile didn’t fool him. There were reasons that she didn’t want to do this. He didn’t know what they were, but he did know they had nothing to do with the people inside Cloud Top. Kiba? That boy? Ocean’s lips curled wryly. Was that what stood in their way? Well, maybe he’d just need to do something about that, too. He missed that warmth of her rolling against his leg. His tongue moved to wet his lips, and he took in all of her. The way her breath was heavier. The subtly in her eyes that no mask could hide - not from him. In another life, another time, they’d have shared something wondrous.

Finding his pockets, Ocean buried his hands in the softness of his suit. “I want to help you save people.” He answered, calmly. She had an effect on him. He wasn’t going to play and pretend that she hadn't. They didn’t need that between them. He rather wished he’d give him the same. “Myalis.” Ocean smiled. His eyes closed and he lay his head back against the building. The bulge in his pants twitched, not yet having abandoned hope. The pang of the ache rolled through him. “There’s a shipment of Arcanite bound for Onyx. It will arrive in the next few days.”

Exhaling hard, Ocean opened his eyes, finally ready to focus on this. He approached again, but kept his hands in his pockets, and moved to her side. He was close. Familiar. Comfortable. But he allowed her some space, inches between their arms. His eyes swept over the city before them, and he leaned into the railing. That slight brush against him did nothing for his lingering want. “I want you to go to the communications tower before you head back to your Academy, and I want you to open a priority channel to your mother.” He chuckled, “She can afford the bill.”

It really would have been a great view to fuck to. Was their moment truly passed, he wondered. “I want you to convince her to redirect the shipment.”

[Lyrical]

Character Name: Bri'elle "Elle" Whitewater
Date | Time: November 7th, Evening (late)
Location: Onyx Central - Tosser’s
Wearing: full kit
Tagging | Mentioning:  Brock <story teller>
More doubt... This whole situation would be a lot easier if she knew what her so called espionage perimeters were supposed to be.. Did they want her to get this information tonight? Was she supposed to take down the damn Fang in a single night? Was this a set up for failure all along. What the actual fuck was she supposed to do? Here she was just some freshie at Hammer trying to infiltrate an organization that was currently running rings around the whole damn Onyx government and military. Did they want her to build up a rapport over weeks? A bit more of a debrief into the situation and expectations would have gone a long way towards making this easier.

Brock was ranting at her and to be honest her eyes half glazed over as she listened to it all spilling out of his mouth. Brock? More like brick - wall.

Elle took a step back... She was in the mouth of an alley, alone with a dangerous terrorist and touching on the precipice of where she might know to much for him to let her go easily or not... She took another step back and looked in the direction of away but not turning her head far enough to lose sight of him. Now it was time for her combat training, always keeping an eye on the pivot of his body, the position of shoulders, the stance of his feet, the twinge in his eyes. It happened fast but she took it all in before turning back to him. The change in her eyes was no longer doe-eyed innocent flirt... She was a dangerous predator... a future Champion with immense powers and abilities that she had been honing for years and currently was in the process at Hammer of taking her final steps with.

It was dark down here and late at night, if she was to fail in her duty, then maybe at least she could take down a player.... She decided to see how this was going to play out but either way she was prepared for any eventuality.

"Fine," Elle said, "Listen close 'cause I'm not going to repeat this a second time out here in the middle of the streets." Elle told him another piece of information that had been shared with her. It was information that she was told to share with them, more information that was supposed to be used to gain their trust. It was meant to be used once she was on the inside but how the hell was that supposed to happen if this was what she was going to face. She gave him the details as she had memorized them. When she finished that she looked at him with hard eyes. "Remember, I don't know who you are anymore than you know who I am. As far as I can tell, you're just some idealist who has some vague undescribed position of authority. I'm the one that's out here risking my life by betraying everything that I ever fought for. As far as I can tell, I'm the only one standing here with anything to lose.... Now do whatever you want with that information. When you get your head out of your ass and decide that you want some real help, let me know. I mean really. You're talking to me like I'm some office secretary. I think you know who I am and what I'm capable of." Her nostrils flared a little because it really got under her skin when people didn't take her seriously. The metaphorical ball was back in his court...

[FyreFoxx]

Character Name: Lyreilynn "Lyra" Xyrven Myalis
Date | Time: November 14 | Evening (~6:35)
Location: Central Onyx
Wearing: Pale pink wrap blouse with floral embroidery, blue and cream paneled skirt with embroidered flowers, matching pink sash, wedge boots
Tagging | Mentioning: Vesper | Farrah, Koko, Aurora
Note: Arcanite Emergency

A sigh of relief was given once she realized that Vesper shared her thoughts on the matter. Lyra shouldn’t have doubted him at all. Other than Marlowe, Vesper was likely the one she got along with the most, even if they didn’t always show it. It was the quiet nature she liked, the way he saw Arcanite like she did, his expertise into Negalu. It wasn’t something she could share with most people, so the little elf was glad that he was on her team. Common ground was a good start.
 
“I have not seen one quite so large before…” she mumbled quietly, loud enough that her companion could hear her. Even Illidium had been fairly large, but that almost dwarfed in comparison to the one jutting from the middle of the street, by almost fifty percent, in fact! But unlike the crystal clear Arcanite that was Illidium, this one had a color. “I cannot determine its element, so we should be wary of anything.” She’d read about unusual colors before, beyond the typical six associated with the main elements, but they were quite rare, or at least rarely documented. It wasn’t every day you came upon naturally occurring Arcanite like this! …but what if this wasn’t natural? What if this was intentional? They had to be exceptionally careful here, both in dealing with the Arcanite and the crowd, as well as anything else that came about because of it.
 
Lyra scrunched her nose up at the mixture of unpleasant smells in the air, dampening her otherwise good mood. Well, perhaps getting closer to that crystal would improve it again. Her eyes flickered over towards Vesper as he offered a suggestion on how to calm the flames and she merely nodded. A glance down at her wrists made her frown. They were bare of those golden bangles that normally adorned them. Her restrictions still had not been lifted to being permitted to always have them with her, but at least she wasn’t completely useless without them. Just… majorly so. “I think your idea has merit. The flames closest to the Arcanite are of the biggest concern.” She lifted her head and looked back towards the wreckage. “We need to get people away from here.”
 
While water would be good to put out the flames, unless she burned through her meager stash of soft arcanite, she’d have to source her water elsewhere. Snow was technically a form of water, right? Lyra hadn’t really had the chance to experiment with it, but as long as she could manipulate it in some fashion, that was good enough for her. It really was a shame she didn’t have her bracelets to call upon some wind or something to put out the extra blazes without risking electrocution through too much water lying around. “I… I can try? If only I had my bracelets… I do have some soft Arcanite with me, however.”
 
She spun away from him, surveying the scene again, letting her eyes travel over every little detail and see what she could take advantage of. She spotted Koko and Farrah nearby, dealing with the cars that had piled up from the blockage in the middle of the road, so that was good. Lyra thought she caught sight of another member of Swagger off to the side dealing with some of the crowd. But what could they do? Vesper needed to get in close, or at least get a better vantage point, and she wasn’t going to be very useful without her full bag of tricks. Finally, the gears turning in her head, she lifted a hand and pointed to a small balcony overlooking the intersection, the upper floor of one of the shops lining the streets. “What about there? I think I can get you up there to give you a better angle. Unless you need to be closer than that.”
 
If he agreed to her plan, Lyra would explain how she’d go about managing that, using the snow to create a sort of makeshift haphazard staircase out of ice. It wasn’t something she had done before, so it was going to be sloppy and poorly made in her haste, but it would serve its purpose, as long as Vesper didn’t slip on the ice along the way. Otherwise, she listened to any more of his suggestions and altered her ideas to fit the circumstances.