TDM #4

[calderaevents]

ARRIVAL

It happens in an instant. A heavy weight in your gut, a trembling of your limbs, the world spins and you barely have time to register that you're falling before you lose consciousness. And when you awaken, it's not where you were last. Dark, unadorned oak walls surround you in a tiny room, the only furniture the bed you are currently resting upon, and the bedside table with a folded piece of parchment resting atop it that simply reads:

“The Tavernkeeper is awaiting your arrival downstairs.”

As you exit you find others like yourself emerging from the surrounding rooms. You are indeed in a tavern, but there is no hustle and bustle one might think to hear in such a place. The only person down on the main floor is a humanoid figure wiping down the bar, who smiles when they see you. They're familiar, but not, and you can't quite place their face. For some reason, however, their presence is comforting and warm.

“Welcome, Visitor. I'm sure you have a lot of questions.”

And you most certainly do.

Due to popular demand, the starter tavern and the drinks provided are available to in game characters via a portal accessible only to those with a faction gem.

DRINK MENU

WINTER'S WHISPER A fragrant spiced tea that calms the nerves and inspires the drinker to share their hopes and dreams.

JINGLE BELL A crisp, bright drink...that makes jingling bell sounds as you walk. There are no bells, and yet you jingle.

S(LAY) RIDE This drink has an earthy, woody taste. Almost as woody as the tavern floor it forces you to lie down upon. You cannot get up unless someone else helps you.

MISTLETOE MEAD Made with honey from enchanted bee hives and a touch of mistletoe leaves. Time to find a smoochin' partner!

HOLLY JOLLY SPICE A bold and fiery blend of rum, cinnamon, and cloves with a secret twist—just a dash of enchanted holly berry syrup that makes your cheeks flush with warmth and your laughter contagious. One sip, and you're the life of the party, even if you're by yourself.

CANDY CANE CRUSH A festive burst of minty sweetness with a cool, refreshing sensation that tingles the tongue. The drinker’s mood subtly shifts the color of their surroundings, briefly changing the hues of objects or lights in the room to match their feelings.

GINGERBREAD MAN A thick drink that tastes exactly like a gingerbread cookie. However, candy and other delicious accents start appearing on you as if YOU were the cookie. Is that icing on your nose? Candied cherries in your hair? Gumdrop buttons? But on the bright side, free candy!

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY

As the effects of your drink wear off, the Tavernkeeper speaks once more:

”It is time, my friends, for you to find your new homes.”

You are compelled to walk through the only door leading out of the tavern, finding yourself not outside, but in a deep black, seemingly endless room with five portals arranged in a circle. As the last of you leave and the door closes behind you, gone when you look back again and replaced with nothing but that black void, three of the portals illuminate:

The first portal is surrounded by an almost blinding light, prismatic rainbows shining brightly in the dewy air outside of the tavern. A soft breeze may gently caress you, pulling you toward it. The portal seems to lead to a city in the clouds, airships and winged beings of all sorts soaring through the skies. Of the little bits of visible land, much of it boasts giant waterfalls that look like clouds melting into the land below. The portal calls to those who crave independence and freedom; and especially to anyone that wishes to find the strong bond of a family not forged in blood.

The second portal is encircled by a fairy ring of spotted white capped mushrooms, the faint scent of damp stone and rich earth wafting from within the faint green glow. Peering inside, one can see a sprawling harbor city of gray hewn stone, a melting pot of humanoid beings going about their day, and beyond, rolling green farmland and cottages clustered in small villages. This portal is destined for those who crave stability and solid ground beneath their feet. A simple life, an adventurous one, and everything in between can be found within.

The last portal is adorned with shells and seaweed, the glow of blue around it catching on droplets cascading down the circular opening. Beyond it you see a city housed inside a massive bubble deep under the ocean, spiraling towers encrusted with coral, and a variety of different creatures mingling about the streets. Outside of that bubble, merfolk swim, a massive squid engulfs the view from the portal as it smoothly glides through the water, and schools of fish disperse as it passes. A sanctuary in the sea that calls to those with a hunger for knowledge and a desire to aid those in need. Or perhaps it is the mystery that beckons you - the lure of the unknown in the depths that bids you explore it.

---

Upon following the pull of the breeze through the first portal, you are thrust into the beauty of a lively city that goes by the name of Heaven's Bow. Much of this main city feels exactly as you would expect on a city below, but there are clouds surrounding every direction you look. The walls of buildings are made with light-colored limestone, and buildings are generally built up to heights made even more grandiose by their position in the sky.

The Skyfall Docks are the first thing you notice, boasting hundreds of airships sailing in and out across the clouds with shouts that accompany a typical port city. Just outside is a fantastic market with goods not only from the other regions of Caldera, but from what some shopkeepers claim are other worlds--items sold or left behind by Visitors. Almost anything can be found in the markets if one is willing to look hard enough. Transport to other locations throughout the sky and even to the land or sea can be found here.

If the docks are too lively for you, you may instead find yourself roaming the underbelly of Heaven's Bow and finding brothels and gambling parlors filled with the promise of pleasure and fortune. The guild house for the Sylphs can be found here as well, giving out quests and training to prospective adventurers and guards alike--though none of them seem concerned with the illicit activities that surround them. Perhaps the freedom the Sylphs boast of extends to what others may deem an undesirable activity.

But most curious of all, you find a shimmering opal gemstone in your hand. When placed anywhere on the body, it will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

If it was the second portal that called to you, you will find yourself in the busy city of Grey Ward, with its cobblestone streets and sturdy grey stone buildings. You are in the heart of the city, the Glass Market, so named for the colorful stained glass windows of the surrounding buildings. The scent of cooking food and the sound of barkers fills the air; watchful guards keep an eye out for pickpockets and thieves, and citizens go about their day. From here, one can investigate the rest of the city: the Sundown Docks, where both sea and sky faring skips transport people and goods. The Soot Spire, home of inventors and engineers. The Hearthstill, the main residential area. The Downs, a smaller residential area for those with less means.

Outside the city walls, one can explore acres of farmlands to the east and west, or follow Terra’s Pass to the less settled areas, but take care. Past the Skyward Range, out in the smaller burrows and villages, the influence of the city guard diminishes quickly, and you’ll have to keep your wits about you. Bandits along the road are always a risk, and the wildlife are less controlled by regimented hunting.

In your hand is a gemstone, a brilliantly green emerald that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

If the last portal beckoned you through it, you find yourself within that bubble covered city beneath the sea, the city of Salt Spire. Your ears pop with the change in pressure, and the smell of the salty sea fills your nostrils. All around you buildings made of dark stone encrusted with coral and seagrass tower high above your head, the backdrop outside the dome a deep blue, seemingly endless sea filled with fish and merfolk and all other manner of creature swimming through the water. You stand in the heart of it all, surrounded by people with gils on their necks and scales upon their vibrantly colored skin, all of whom seem intrigued by your arrival. You have many options of where to visit in the city under the sea, but where oh where will you go first?

The Salt Spire Library is right before you, an impossibly large building housing thousands upon thousands of books of all genres. Fiction, non-fiction, romance and mystery and all between. You may even find books from your world and others! Oddly enough though, no Calderan history books are to be found, and if you ask for them, the librarians and locals all choose to ignore your questions.

If scholarly pursuits aren't to your interest currently, perhaps a trip to Bluetide Market would be more your style? The marketplace is host to every manner of shop one might ever need: artisans of all varieties, apothecaries and healers in the Shimmer Quarter, the most in fashion undersea clothing shops, food stalls, and all between can be found in Bluetide. There are also the Tideshore and Fogbottom docks on either end of the city. The former allows transport to the surface via large, magical bubbles for those that cannot hold their breath or make the swim themselves yet. The latter allows people to venture further into the sea. Those without their underwater abilities are offered rebreathers for travel that last for four hours before needing to be replaced.

In your hand is a gemstone, a shining sapphire that, when placed anywhere on the body, will transform into a piece of jewelry with the gemstone set in the center.

---

Visitors in all starter cities are offered a standard home with basic necessities provided (your choice in design, etc.) that can house 1-4 people if they so choose. Home upgrades can be purchased via rewards.

FANNING THE FLAMES

The renewed seething of the lava flows brought on by the tempestuous events deep below the sea seem to have been dealt with, though city guards have been stationed around the crater and are barring anyone from approaching to investigate any further than the outskirts. Interestingly, not only does the crater seem calm, it appears to be changing. Any remaining lava flow is being directed as if by unseen hands, and when the light catches just right, the barest hint of a shimmer can be detected surrounding the glowing rivers. New rock formations take shape as the days pass, though one never can catch the presence of a mason working on the structures. It's as if something intangible or invisible is repairing what was broken, turning what was previously chaos and ruin into order and life.

SEASON OF LIGHT

The world remains unsettled, still bearing the scars of the trials endured just a month prior, not to mention the oddities happening with the volcanic crater and the ominous shadows creeping in from the sea continue to haunt the collective psyche, leaving both locals and visitors on constant edge, fearful of a sudden, unprovoked assault. Despite these lingering anxieties, the leaders have publicly reassured all that calm has been restored. They claim that the worst is behind them and that every measure is being taken to prevent such devastating magics from ever threatening Salt Spire again. The protective bubble holds, new Undine are being ushered into their roles, and the world, it is said, is slowly healing. Or so they claim.

Whether or not the assurances of the leaders ring entirely true, life, as it often does, presses on. The people of Caldera have once again immersed themselves in the comforting bustle of distraction, turning their attention to the imminent Season of Lights celebrations. This holiday, it seems, bears a striking resemblance to the festive cheer of Christmas (and a mix of new years), with gifts exchanged in abundance and decorations of shimmering silver and radiant blue casting their glow across the sky, sea, and land in harmonious splendor.

One of the seasons's highlights is the grand Feast of the Sky, a night when the people gather beneath a star-filled canopy to exchange gifts—ornate trinkets, hand-crafted items, and tokens of affection that carry deep personal meaning. In the days leading up to the feast, a tradition of "Lightwalking" emerges, where families and friends embark on midnight strolls through streets aglow with lanterns, singing carols and sharing stories of hope and renewal. Sea-going vessels, too, partake in the festivities, their sails and riggings festooned with glowing orbs that drift like stars across the waters.

The Season of Lights is, above all, a celebration of resilience, a time when the people of Caldera set aside their worries, if only for a little while, to bask in the glow of community, generosity, and the promise of brighter days ahead thanks to the Visitor's arrival...

THE GRAND MASQUERADE

Another highlight of the season is the Grand Masquerade that unfolds high above the world in Heaven’s Bow, the floating city where the wind dances in the sky and the stars seem close enough to touch. The event is more than just a celebration of the Season of Lights—it’s a gathering of hope, a last-ditch effort to save Caldera from its slow unraveling. Here, among the clouds and the wind, the people of Caldera and the mysterious Visitors from other worlds come together in a shimmering, ethereal celebration, their faces hidden behind elaborate masks and appropriately fancy dress provided when one steps through the threshold of the castle gates.

The palace at the heart of Heaven’s Bow is a breathtaking sight, its walls adorned with silver and blue decorations that catch the light from thousands of lanterns floating in mid-air. The atmosphere is both jubilant and tense, a world on the brink of collapse holding its breath in the hopes that this fleeting night will offer a glimmer of salvation. The sky above is painted with the colors of dusk and dawn, swirling in a palette of purples, blues, and silvers.

Sylphs—the free-spirited, airborn people of the Sky—flutter about, their wings glinting in the light, performing acrobatic feats in the air, their laughter and music mingling with the sounds of the celebration. Guests, their masks intricate and stunning, move among the crowd, exchanging pleasantries and stories, some joining in the dances while others linger near the grand tables, laden with food and drink from every corner of Caldera and beyond.

As the night unfolds, the guests find themselves drawn into different corners of the event—each space offering the Visitors a chance to prove themselves worthy of the leaders’ favor. There is no shortage of opportunities to learn, grow, and, perhaps, change the course of this dying world.

THE SKY'S ASCENSION

At one end of the palace's terrace, a floating platform hovers above the clouds, surrounded by shifting air currents. Sylphs glide effortlessly through the space, their wings leaving trails of light as they move to the lively music, which seems written by the wind itself.

Aella, Admiral of the Slyph, stands at the center of the platform, her cloak of shimmering feathers rippling in the breeze. She surveys the crowd, inviting those brave enough to take part in her challenge. Before them, a maze of floating platforms stretches out, some wide and stable, others narrow and swaying in the wind. The task is simple: leap from one platform to the next, navigating the shifting air and ever-changing obstacles.

The platforms move unpredictably, some rising higher, others sinking, and a few disappearing entirely. Guests must time their jumps perfectly, balancing agility with timing as they avoid falling into the clouds below.

Those who succeed will earn Aella’s favor (in the form of 100 Bones and a single white feather). And those who falter will simply reappear the start of the challenge to begin anew or give up with no repercussions for the latter save perhaps a bit of embarrassment.

THE SEA'S SECRETS

On the other side of the terrace, a serene water garden unfolds, its shimmering pools reflecting the stars above. Water flows in delicate, endless cascades, filling the air with a soft, soothing melody that mingles with the distant sound of waves. The Undines, graceful and serene beings of the Sea, glide effortlessly through the space, their robes flowing like gentle currents, their movements as fluid as the water itself.

Cordelia, Queen of the Sea, stands quietly on a raised platform at the edge of the garden, her presence calm and powerful. Her eyes, deep and unfathomable, seem to reflect the vastness of the ocean, and though she watches the guests, she does not engage with them. Her stillness holds an air of mystery, as if she is both present and yet unreachable.

The Undines move silently through the garden, offering peaceful company to those who wander nearby. The garden is a place of contemplation, where guests can simply pause and connect with the tranquil beauty of the water—its soothing flow, its quiet depths, and its promise of renewal. There are no tests or challenges here, only the peace of the Sea to calm the mind and soul.

Those who linger may feel the weight of ancient knowledge in the air, a silent understanding of the oceans' mysteries and the healing power of water. In this place, the answers are not spoken, but felt—a quiet reminder that some of the world’s deepest truths are best discovered in moments of stillness.

As the evening fades, those who have found solace in the garden’s stillness will discover, tucked gently in their palm, a lustrous pearl. Unlike any found on the shores, this pearl is soft and warm, its surface shimmering with an inner light. It is a symbol of the wisdom that comes from quiet reflection—the knowledge that some things, like the depth of the sea, cannot be rushed.

THE LAND'S EMBRACE

In the heart of the palace gardens, beneath a canopy of flowering trees, the Dryads drift gracefully among the guests, their earthy skin glowing with life and their eyes bright with the vitality of nature. The air is thick with the scent of blooming roses and jasmine, while the ground beneath the guests' feet pulses with a quiet energy, inviting them to pause and feel the garden’s magic.

Terra, the Lady of the Land, stands at the center, her form adorned in living vines and blossoms, moving as if the garden itself flows through her. Her presence is both nurturing and fierce, a silent invitation to those seeking connection—to the land, to love, and to one another.

Guests are drawn to the tranquil beauty of the garden, stealing soft moments with their partners among the flowers. Lovers exchange quiet glances, touch petals with gentle fingers, and share unspoken promises beneath the soft glow of lanterns. The garden hums with romance, as if the earth itself is blessing these tender moments, offering the quiet assurance that love—like the land—can grow in the most unexpected places.

As the night draws to a close, Terra’s gentle power is felt in the air, and for those who have taken the time to connect with the garden’s beauty, a soft gift of nature is bestowed. A flower—unique and radiant—appears in their hand, a token of love and growth, a reminder that even the briefest moments can take root and blossom into something everlasting.

QUESTBOARD [NEW QUESTS ADDED]

Settled in? Good. It's time to make your way to the Questboard located in every city in numerous, easy to access locations. That is, if you want to make any kind of impact on the world or just get some Bones for anything you might wish to purchase. Visitors are given a very small stipend in which to survive every month, but all it does is keep you fed and housed. These quests will assure you greater wealth, and they're the main reason you're here: each finished quest helps the Calderans fix their shattering world.

Quests can be accepted at the questboard via magically signed parchment upon the board. Just sign your name to accept and the paper will be whisked away... somewhere. You're not actually sure. Probably nothing to concern yourself with.

Once quests are completed, earned Bones will be dropped off at the character's residence by Bonita, the mysterious artisan who has supposedly handcrafted every Bone circulating in Caldera. Please do not speak to her, she startles easily.

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Caldera's fourth TDM! All characters awaken in a strange tavern with nothing save the clothes on their backs, all of their powers stripped, and a piece of parchment directing them downstairs to the Tavernkeeper. There is a thread of all questions answered by the Tavernkeeper here, and if you have more, feel free to ask there for what would be offered ICly.

For OOC questions, please direct themhere.

All locations are available to be explored!

The TDM is game canon and all completed quests can be carried over once accepted into the game.

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Comments

[lordfuckleroy]

Gods, when Alex said things like that-- Henry could feel his heart flee even further down the stream, never to be returned to again; he needed those lips on his, wanted to share breath and the pounding beating of hearts in time with each other. There was also the needy words that reverberated, made him feel more wanted than anyone had ever. Authentically wanted in a manner that had nothing to do with the considerations that normally went through his ever-worrying mind.

There was the perceptible swallow and then he allowed his fingers to graze up a thigh of which his own currently bracketed.

"I have been ready for you since our first kiss..." he stated this with as much honestly and candor as this moment allowed. Sentimental of him really to play into the romanticism of a kiss. "Please... I want you buried inside me as soon as possible." he leaned in to press his lips against a jawline, nearly tasting the scent of cologne on skin.

"I want you...."

[internationalrelations]

Alex was not in the business of falling head over heels for every pretty face that crossed his path. Hell, not even every pretty face that he happened to have the chance to kiss. Not even close. But Henry. Fucking Henry, Prince of England, His Royal Highly Infuriatingness. He'd kissed him and the world's entire axis shifted, and here he was so overcome by hearing those words, that earnest, romantic words, and there aw sno defense for that.

If Henry hadn't already captured his heart, he had it in this moment, irrevocably. Alex was handing over a vulnerability that he'd never really allowed to anyone else, and it was entirely out of his hands.

Alex turned his head, enough so that he could nuzzle against Henry's cheekbone. "I want you too, baby. No more waiting."

He slipped his fingers free, sparing a moment to coat his own throbbing cock. He settled between those legs, fingers running up a thigh and catching beneath the back of his knee to urge the prince's hips up and back, to open for him. He positioned himself at that tight hole, looking up at Henry as he tipped forward to loom over him, to hold that gaze as he oh so painstakingly slowly began to press himself inside.

[lordfuckleroy]

Now to be fair, the Prince was not precisely a stranger to this though he did not have as much sex as one may expect (being the attractive Prince of England) and that was due to the fact that he was always mindful of his position and the expectations placed upon his shoulders. But if it did not feel like the first time, like he was doing something nearly cataclysmic in nature-- emotionally.

And so when Alex pressed in, those hands sliding against his thigh. He gasped, it was not from pain at all-- just the sensation of being filled, as if his body was specifically created for Alex to infiltrate it. His hands moved to Alex's shoulder, to steady himself, and more importantly to keep the other man on his path.

Both of them were vulnerable, but neither of them wanted to dwell on it too much.

Because they were idiots with a capital IDIOTS. ]

[internationalrelations]

Alex heard that gasp, and for a moment he stilled, eyes searching Henry's face for any trace of discomfort, and evidence that he had done something that the other man did not like. But that wasn't what he found there at all, not at all what he saw in those spellbinding eyes.

He dipped his head to steal a kiss, murmuring Henry's name to his lips before he continued that steady pressure of his hips. It was his turn to gasp, breath exhaled in a pleasured groan as he sank into that tight passage, welcomed inside.

They were idiots, it was true, with matching blind spots in the exact shape of each other.

"God you're tight, baby. You good..?"

IT IS FINE BESTIE I WAS GONNA ROLL WITH IT

[lordfuckleroy]

The way that Henry squeezed against Alex's prick was absolutely delicious, and reflexively he could not stop himself-- it was second nature to clamp down because he wanted the American to all but live there deep inside his hole, if at all possible.

The tight groan from Alex made it worth it,

"I'm perfect." He must be perfect because Alex managed to fuck the contractions right out of him and into his speech patterns where there had never been a apostrophe there before. Alex's talents were legendary if that were the case and who is to say what may or may not come yet.

"Don't stop.. gods.."

[internationalrelations]

"Yeah you are... so fucking perfect..."

Alex agreed. That was plain truth. Everything about Henry was set up to take him apart down to the most fundamental pieces of himself, as he sank inside him, like coming home to a home he'd only just discovered now, in this moment.

"Not gonna stop, sweetheart. Can't..." He couldn't, and another rock forward brought his hips flush to that perfect ass, buried to the root of his prick inside the other man. He leaned forward, forehead resting against Henry's as he took the moment to bask in the feeling of it, of being surrounded by him, the tight clench around his length, Henry warm and solid and so fucking real and alive beneath him.

[lordfuckleroy]

They were perfect right now, but infuriating to each other as well-- infuriatingly perfect, the sort of feeling that made it more than evident that they were meant for each other. How many times had Henry been annoyed by Alex's charming good looks and that roguish smile, how many times had he wanted to pull the other man by the lapels of his leather jacket and just shake him.

Come to find out he had just wanted to kiss him all along.

That explained so much.

Letting him in like this was like allowing him in a secret spot, a part of who he was as a person; and laid naked like this before him-- Henry knew that the other man would see all of his flaws and his insecurities. Part of himself had been scared of allowing anyone to do just that, until he'd met Alex and gotten to know him and then it had been inevitable. So his fingers clenched into shoulders and then he whispered against mouth, "Please.." and was reward with movement, the hilting which had his mouth parting into a soundless plea, and he tried not to but it came out-- his hips arching upward to gain more contact.

"Good, if you even try--" which was a threat wrapped in a package of subtle low-lying begging.

[internationalrelations]

It did rather shed some light on the tension that had existed between them, why all their traded jabs had seemed so charged, even as they'd grown friendlier and friendlier, closer and closer that tension had continued.

And now it was this, lips on lips and bodies entwined and the world made more sense than it ever had -- even this world, which was still an impossible place to exist in.

A shiver ran through him at that whispered plea. God he'd given Henry the stars in the sky if he asked for them like that, would spend the rest of his life chasing them down until he had the whole sky in his hands for the other man.

"Wouldn't dream of it, gorgeous. Not until you come apart for me." He gave a slow rock of his hips, drawing back and rocking forward to bury himself fully in that welcoming body again and again.

[lordfuckleroy]

All of that tension had culminated until it had gathered into this-- perhaps it was an inevitability, their axis always going to collide in this manner, fate pushing them together until there was no choice but to address the large outspoken elephant that was in the room; neither of them would admit to feelings but surely they could not ignore this truth between them that there was a predetermination that had preceded this moment.

Whether in this world or the other.

The pace was steady, a rhythm that his body responded to; lifting his hips to meet the other man halfway, no matter how far and deep Alex went there was that tender squeeze as he attempted to keep him within for as long as possible. "You feel, ah yes.." cheating his hips upward, and then a wracking half-silent sob as that spot was hit for the very first time. There was the clench of fingers in shoulder as well, to pinpoint the exact moment that contact had been made. "Ah right there...~"

[internationalrelations]

They moved together like they had been with each other for ages, as if his was a dance whose choreography was carved into the very fabric of his existence. Maybe it was. Maybe he'd spent his life like a firefly pulsing out a rhythm of flickers that only now found its exact match. Oh he was in trouble, and he didn't care.

He just wanted this, wanted Henry, wanted it to never end.

His eyes widened at the way Henry reacted, that half-sound and the way his body went so starkly arched against his own. Oh. Oh that was good.

"Right here, baby?" And he drove his hips at that angle deliberately, harder now, intent on striking that angle again and again.

[lordfuckleroy]

"Ye~s--"

He had no true wherewithal but to say that, the uttered words that strung tightly in the energy between them. One syllable managing to draw out and string a bridge that carried the waves of desire over it. He needed Alex, he desires the reforming of his entire life, and it felt almost like a rebirth. No matter what the world stated, they could not take this away-- a light unfurling into a glow.

His thighs tighted around hips, so that the only thing his lover could do was the most cursory of pulling back-- no true escape wih the way their lower bodies entrapped each other.

"You don't have to.. be gentle." In no uncertain terms conveying that he wanted the passion and the undeniability of slamming hips, he wanted to feel it come the morning.

[internationalrelations]

Something in Alex shattered. Or maybe it was everything in him, everything except that unfailing need to give Henry exactly what he wanted. So he let go, letting that desire and need take over, hips crashing to Henry's ass over and over, hard now, as if he fully intended on knocking the breath from his lungs with each thrust.

He was chasing his own pleasure, groaning softly with the bliss of burying himself inside his lover in each hard drive of his hips.

"You are... so perfect..." How dare anyone be so perfect.

Burying his face against Henry's neck, he moaned the other man's name again and again in a litany of prayer and pleading and encouragement.

[lordfuckleroy]

And then came the storm, for wasn't Alex exactly that? Something that just is and everything in its path becomes irrevocably changed; or maybe it was just Henry who was affected in such an indelible way.

The fact that himself and Alex were making love felt like an impossibly surreal dream from which he did not want to wake up.

(He was absolutely not going to tell Alez that he referred to it as that-- it was not very 'we're just bros" of him at all.)

His lover crested into him, and like the waves he rose up to meet him, sending the other man in him harder and quicker-- there was no way he could guard his heart and he did not want to, he would drown in this and he would do it gladly. No, matter though, the feel of Alex inside of him was delicious and as Alex thrust within, and buried face in his neck, his fingers slid into locks at the back of Alex's neck and he held him there while he ran alongside the other man, chasing pleasure.

[internationalrelations]

This was, of course, a thing bros did. Casual, purely casual, and not earthshattering or heart-changing. Nope, of course not. His world wasn't shattering and rebuilding itself in brighter colors, kinder edges, shaped around his prince.

His hips drove into Henry with growing desperation, on the heels of his release. He bit at the skin where his face was pressed, no doubt leaving a mark, but it could probably mostly be hidden by a collar. Probably. Maybe not. He'd apologize later. Possibly. In all likelihood he'd just be pleased with himself over it, a small staking of a claim he had no right to make.

God though in this moment he was too caught in that increasing throb of his impending orgasm, so close, but he wanted to hold out, wanted to fall together with Henry.

[lordfuckleroy]

In any other circumstance he would've balked at being marked because he was not sure who could see but here in this world where he had nothing to worry about? Well he would take it and gladly-- wear it like a badge of honour. He was close as well, it was due to the friction of his cock against Alex's abdomen, the toned slutty abs that made him want to lick anything and everything off of them.

It was also the fact that he had not had sex in so long, at least not as a single participant; there were little opportunity and grindr while not foreign was decidedly not a possibility.

Each slamming of the hips managed to rock nesting groans out of him, each one more audible than the last; he clawed at the shoulders, at anything he could find purchase in. And then a taut groan before his hips arched ever upward and his head fell back against the pillow as he bared neck out further. Orgasm hit and splashed right against that navel, soaking the two of the, in release, his walls tightening and his body wracking into shivering spasms.

"Fuck..~ Alex..." it was not everyone that could wring that level of dirty out of the Prince.

[internationalrelations]

Alex was not a strong enough man to resist sinking his teeth into that neck as Henry's head fell back, teeth and lips worrying over perfect, pale skin, leaving a very obvious hickey that would very obviously not be easily covered without a turtle neck or a scarf. It was like he wanted to taste the pleasure off Henry's skin as the prince came.

A groan of his own at the sound of his name of that curse, such delightful filth from his poised prince.

His own hips jerked hard against him, burying himself deep before he finally let go, letting the clenching of those walls around him milk his seed from him, painting that tight passage white with his seed. "Henry..." just his name, a roughened groan before he kissed soothingly at the bite mark that he'd left.

[lordfuckleroy]

"Mmmmm..."

Oh, the Prince sounded positively as if he was languishing in the afterglow, he stretched-- still connected to Henry, still savoring that connection before Alex slid out of him; the stretch and the way he had to uncurl his toes before he rested his feet against either side of Alex, upon the bed. Idly, he realized he was still wearing socks, well at least he wouldn't get the other guy's calves cold when he did this.

And then he slid then so that he could hook his feet against the back of those thighs, holding onto Alex with much aplomb.

"That was very very good, I had not had a proper two person orgasm in quite some time." sorry Alex, he was back to using contractions.

[internationalrelations]

Alex beamed, lazy and sated, brushing a kiss against Henry's jaw. Look, afterglow was a hell of a look on Henry. He thought he could get used to it, and especially get used to being the one to put him there. Another kiss, this time at his cheek.

"No? That kind of seems like a fucking tragedy, because you were kind of incredible."

Kind of. Yup. Totally kind of like Alex wasn't still trying to remember his name and where he was.

"We should remedy that." A pause, and a momentary falter in that confidence. "I mean, if you'd want to... again, sometime. With me. Us. Like this."

[lordfuckleroy]

"Well, you know that while I am sure that there were many who would want to have sexual relations with a Prince..." yes, he seriously said 'sexual relations' in a sentence, which should automatically lose him cool points; good thing he was a Prince with a nice ass. ".. There was little in terms of opportunity to sneak out, not to mention that well, there is a part of me that I do not want just anyone to see."

That meant that Alex was special, that Henry wanted him to know who he was.. Henry, sans the Prince.

If Alex hadn't been pinning the other to the bed, Henry would've rolled over and away from Alex but only so that he could hide his smiling face into a pillow, instead he attempted to be cool about it. "Yeah, sure.. I would like to do it again." because well he was a healthy young man with a libido long time suppressed.

You know, keeping it cool. Absolutely--

[internationalrelations]

"There are literally fan clubs, yeah." Alex agreed, but he was starting to get it. Those fans were fans of Prince Henry, of the poised, polished, perfect image that Henry wore in public. Not the Henry that Alex had come to know, the nerd who said things like sexual relations and could quote Oscar Wilde in enough detail that Alex really should have picked up on the gay thing long before now.

Henry, the person and not the prince, had caught his attention and his heart.

"But yeah, I get that." That opportunity was not exactly common given Henry's situation. It was that I do not want just anyone to see that caught Alex's breath though, like maybe he really was special. That this was something.

And Henry agreeing, however cool and casual, that he'd like to do this again. "Yeah? Great! I mean, cool. Sounds good." This was when Alex utterly failed at keeping it cool, a grin splitting across his face.

[lordfuckleroy]

They were true nerds with how they were acting. The thing was that as Alex grinned, that seemed to set off a chain reaction from Henry and he let out a snort, because he could not laugh by the normal way of things-- he had to laugh as if he had found something so inexplicably funny; this was not the laugh of the Prince, it was the laughter of Henry Fox.

"You are absolutely ridiculous, no I take that back-- We are absolutely ridiculous." it was a we, it had to be a we because was there anything else?

[internationalrelations]

Nothing dignified at all about that sort of laugh, but god was it charming and endearing and perfect. He beamed down at Henry, entirely smitten and helpless to it. Maybe he hadn't consciously realized it, hadn't admitted it to himself, but he was really so far gone.

"I was gonna say, look who's talking. But we... yeah. I guess we are."

He stole a kiss from those lips, like he needed to taste his smile. "You're cute when you laugh. Even if you snort like a bulldog. Very fitting. Very English."

[lordfuckleroy]

Honestly, Alex was too endearing for his own good even when he was drawing attention to his very undignified laugh-snort-- the one that he had to keep under wraps more often then not because it was just as it said on the tin, not dignified whatsoever. His grandfather had taught them all that it was not for the populace to understand that they were real people.

But which really just got many things shoved under the bed/in the closet.

Figuratively, of course.

"Are you calling into question my laugh, Alex?" he said with a smirk, looking up into that smile, the way that it widened, the disarming little dimples at each side, the whiteness of teeth. If there was any disney prince in this world, it would have to be this ridiculous man.

[internationalrelations]

"I am. It's incredibly undignified, you know..." Just the antithesis of polite and cultured and proper, and it was such a good look on Henry when he was unguarded enough to just let himself be happy without worrying about poise or who might be looking. "...and completely adorable."

And yeah, okay, maybe Alex was biased and just completely gone on the prince. Maybe that too.

He couldn't resist the urge to reach up, to brush fingertips along the edge of that smirk, over his cheek, back to smooth back some of that hair -- deliciously tousled by his own fingers earlier.

[lordfuckleroy]

He was entranced by the First Son, so completely gone on him-- he was sure that there was some sort of american slang word for it but he could not think of it quite yet-- it was impossible to think when they were settled in the afterglow. Was he a sticky mess? Yes, but was he upset about it.. that would be a very resounding negative.

"The best part about this place is the relative lack of fanfare or circumstance, it is a bit refreshing but you know old habits and routines die hard-- but I have been sleeping a little bit better."