Xavier was immensely grateful that Evan seemed to be gaining back some semblance of normal, even if the feeling like Evan was taking things too lightly did rear its head again momentarily. But that sensation hit the road as soon as Evan's voice dipped a shade more conspiratorial, and at once, Xavier was struck by just how attracted to this man he was. Had being with the goddess somehow increased Evan's attractiveness? Maybe, but it was too difficult to tell given all the hormones and emotions swirling around the novelty of this experience with Evan. That's what happened, Xavier supposed, when dreams came true.
Nevertheless, Xavier focused intently on whatever it was Evan was bringing out next, standing in eagerness and preparation. He was surprised to see that it was a sword, but... as Xavier looked closer, the intricacies of it moved Xavier. The geometric knot near its hilt and the engravings on the blade seemed to emphasize all the complicated natures of what the goddess, Evan, and even Xavier had been experiencing in the past few days, and the almost electric purple shimmer of the blade made Xavier afraid to touch it but in awe nonetheless. And then he peered deeply into the deep purple-black gemstone that decorated the sword, and a shiver ran down his back. There was something enormously potent about it that again gave Xavier the impression he should not touch it lest he fall into its depths. Yes, there was some kind of pull the gem itself was exhibiting, a rushing into, as though the gem were drawing energy from its surroundings.
Xavier met Evan's eyes and raised both eyebrows, both impressed and confused. "Did the goddess give this to you?"
--
Gavin followed Lance reluctantly at first, but then was grateful that he didn't have to be the one to choose a destination. He could trust Lance to manage that much. But, it suddenly became obvious that he had never been alone with Lance before, and there soon was a gnawing pressure to say something that began to crush Gavin's spirit and lessen the excitement he had had while overhearing Evan in his tent with... someone? Not the goddess, surely. Would the goddess be jealous? Who was Gavin to say. Gavin briefly imagined asking Evan and chuckled very quietly.
And then Lance grinned at Gavin, and Gavin wasn't sure he liked where that was going. Did Lance suspect Gavin's intentions? Ah, yes, of course he had. Gavin hadn't been exactly subtle, rushing over here at the first opportunity. But, Gavin was Evan's soldier; was it too much to believe that Gavin was just... worried about the guy? Yeah, probably, and Gavin was a shit liar.
Gavin couldn't help a small blush, but he mostly kept his quiet composure as he listened to why Lance was considering volunteering. It felt... shallow to Gavin somehow, like meeting a god wasn't a good enough reason. And wanting to experience pleasure in this lifetime is? Gavin asked himself. Maybe.
Not knowing what he could possibly say, Gavin, against his better judgment, remained silent, hoping Lance would just keep talking like he normally did and not ask Gavin any direct questions.
Part 1 (Start Reading Here)
Moderator: On Dreams And Desire
Re: Part 1
((OOC: le sword summoning, just for potential future reference. Gods, yes, that is a delicious scene <3))
"I made it," the captain boasted, though straightened up a bit afterwards and reeled some of his gleefulness in to approach the topic with a bit more seriousness. "With the goddess' help."
Evan lightly reached out towards Xavier, nonverbally offering for the boy to take the hilt, if he wanted. Evan supposed he wasn't sure if Xavier had ever held his sword before, but regardless, he thought the boy might more easily recognize this sword as a sort of upgraded version of his own if he held it and could examine it at his own leisure. The captain certainly wouldn't pressure the boy to take it if he didn't seem interested, though.
"She said that her realm is made of the stuff of dreams, so, everything's more real, even things you imagine. I just... started imagining my sword, and I could feel her... flowing..." some of his pauses were thoughtful, wondering if he should elaborate about the state he and the goddess were in when they did this, but ultimately he decided to carry on with the sword bit, and get to the merging bit later rather than bounce around.
"I came up with some upgrades, and she ultimately added the gem. I'm not sure how literal this is, but..." Evan stepped closer to Xavier, either wanting to help direct the boy's attention to the gem if the sword was in his grasp, or to bring the gem a little closer to Xavier for the boy to see if he'd left it in Evan's grasp. "She made it from a piece of the gate to the Underworld."
Evan watched Xavier's expression with a subtly raised eyebrow and a cool grin, terribly interested to see how the boy would react.
---
Seemed Gavin was even more quiet one-on-one than in groups, at least so far. Or, maybe it was about the same. Lance gave a shrug at nothing in particular, while his brain rolled about other ideas for what he wanted out of this little chat. He let silence hang for a few long but mostly peaceful moments, gambling that Gavin would still keep walking with him even without conversation. After all, they were still headed to the same place.
"Some would say that Rutliff's full of hot air and stupid ideas." Lance finally spoke up, his tone and expression both level and relatively serious. He paused only briefly, definitely attentive to how Gavin seemed to respond to the statement, but not waiting for a reply before continuing. "He's clearly not bullshitting about the goddess if he's got the commander on board, especially given that shimmer. But... do you think he'd bullshit us about what we'd be getting into?"
"I made it," the captain boasted, though straightened up a bit afterwards and reeled some of his gleefulness in to approach the topic with a bit more seriousness. "With the goddess' help."
Evan lightly reached out towards Xavier, nonverbally offering for the boy to take the hilt, if he wanted. Evan supposed he wasn't sure if Xavier had ever held his sword before, but regardless, he thought the boy might more easily recognize this sword as a sort of upgraded version of his own if he held it and could examine it at his own leisure. The captain certainly wouldn't pressure the boy to take it if he didn't seem interested, though.
"She said that her realm is made of the stuff of dreams, so, everything's more real, even things you imagine. I just... started imagining my sword, and I could feel her... flowing..." some of his pauses were thoughtful, wondering if he should elaborate about the state he and the goddess were in when they did this, but ultimately he decided to carry on with the sword bit, and get to the merging bit later rather than bounce around.
"I came up with some upgrades, and she ultimately added the gem. I'm not sure how literal this is, but..." Evan stepped closer to Xavier, either wanting to help direct the boy's attention to the gem if the sword was in his grasp, or to bring the gem a little closer to Xavier for the boy to see if he'd left it in Evan's grasp. "She made it from a piece of the gate to the Underworld."
Evan watched Xavier's expression with a subtly raised eyebrow and a cool grin, terribly interested to see how the boy would react.
---
Seemed Gavin was even more quiet one-on-one than in groups, at least so far. Or, maybe it was about the same. Lance gave a shrug at nothing in particular, while his brain rolled about other ideas for what he wanted out of this little chat. He let silence hang for a few long but mostly peaceful moments, gambling that Gavin would still keep walking with him even without conversation. After all, they were still headed to the same place.
"Some would say that Rutliff's full of hot air and stupid ideas." Lance finally spoke up, his tone and expression both level and relatively serious. He paused only briefly, definitely attentive to how Gavin seemed to respond to the statement, but not waiting for a reply before continuing. "He's clearly not bullshitting about the goddess if he's got the commander on board, especially given that shimmer. But... do you think he'd bullshit us about what we'd be getting into?"
Re: Part 1
Evan gestured for Xavier to take the hilt, and looking up at Evan and his gleeful expression again, Xavier finally decided that he wanted to. It was heavy and did bear some resemblance to the sword Xavier saw Evan carrying on the regular, but there was a heavy, metaphysical weight to this object. It seemed impossible that Evan could have... summoned it out of nothing, and yet, here it was, as real as anything else. This was, perhaps, the most divine thing Xavier had ever seen or heard of the goddess doing or allowing to happen. She can make things out of nothing? And they persist? Amazing. Xavier balanced the sword with both hands, offering it the reverence it deserved, though his excitement was obvious. He ran his thumb over the gem and shivered.
But... Evan had done this. Did that, in some ways, also make him divine? The boy blushed as he thought about what that would mean given their recent tangle. A tiny giggle escaped, but he reigned it in before handing the sword back to Evan.
Xavier looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "I can understand the appeal to volunteering." After a moment more, he said, "I would volunteer, you know, if you needed more people." He briefly clasped his arms behind his back and unclasped them again a little awkwardly. "I want this all to succeed even if I don't always agree with how the goddess goes about things." Then the lieutenant looked up at Evan again with hope in his eyes. On some level, he really hoped that Evan would tell him no, even though his offer was genuine. Why? Out of a desire to feel protected? Possibly. Xavier looked sheepishly at the ground.
---
Gavin felt his body tensing up with the sustained silence, but he kept walking, stretching his neck a little as they went. But then Lance and went and made some ridiculous comments about his captain, and they hit like a punch in the gut, and Gavin had to momentarily stop walking. Gavin knew that Lance himself was a little full of hot air, but he couldn't remember the guy being as direct and combative as this. And then Lance essentially went on to ask if Evan would lie to them. Lance had Evan all wrong, that much Gavin knew, but at the same time, he didn't want to seem like he was sucking up.
"Rutliff's not bullshitting," Gavin said hastily with a raised and tremored voice. Okay, so that was the emotional outburst he had tried to avoid. Great, Gavin. Take a deep breath. The cadet starting walking again. "He's done a good job of telling us the risks ahead of time with all his... more dangerous plans. He's not full of hot air. He doesn't act without reason." Gavin thought about adding some unkind remarks about the vague "some" that Lance referred to, but he refrained. Still, he shared some of Lance's concerns. There were certainly times when Evan had withheld information from them that would have been useful, but it never felt outright malicious. Plus, Gavin needed to have faith in his captain. Why would he be here otherwise? Maybe going to see Evan with Lance in tow--or rather, being in Lance's tow--wasn't such a great idea after all.
But... Evan had done this. Did that, in some ways, also make him divine? The boy blushed as he thought about what that would mean given their recent tangle. A tiny giggle escaped, but he reigned it in before handing the sword back to Evan.
Xavier looked thoughtful for a moment and then said, "I can understand the appeal to volunteering." After a moment more, he said, "I would volunteer, you know, if you needed more people." He briefly clasped his arms behind his back and unclasped them again a little awkwardly. "I want this all to succeed even if I don't always agree with how the goddess goes about things." Then the lieutenant looked up at Evan again with hope in his eyes. On some level, he really hoped that Evan would tell him no, even though his offer was genuine. Why? Out of a desire to feel protected? Possibly. Xavier looked sheepishly at the ground.
---
Gavin felt his body tensing up with the sustained silence, but he kept walking, stretching his neck a little as they went. But then Lance and went and made some ridiculous comments about his captain, and they hit like a punch in the gut, and Gavin had to momentarily stop walking. Gavin knew that Lance himself was a little full of hot air, but he couldn't remember the guy being as direct and combative as this. And then Lance essentially went on to ask if Evan would lie to them. Lance had Evan all wrong, that much Gavin knew, but at the same time, he didn't want to seem like he was sucking up.
"Rutliff's not bullshitting," Gavin said hastily with a raised and tremored voice. Okay, so that was the emotional outburst he had tried to avoid. Great, Gavin. Take a deep breath. The cadet starting walking again. "He's done a good job of telling us the risks ahead of time with all his... more dangerous plans. He's not full of hot air. He doesn't act without reason." Gavin thought about adding some unkind remarks about the vague "some" that Lance referred to, but he refrained. Still, he shared some of Lance's concerns. There were certainly times when Evan had withheld information from them that would have been useful, but it never felt outright malicious. Plus, Gavin needed to have faith in his captain. Why would he be here otherwise? Maybe going to see Evan with Lance in tow--or rather, being in Lance's tow--wasn't such a great idea after all.
Re: Part 1
Evan watched with a quiet, bubbling excitement in his gut as Xavier took in the sword and then shivered and giggled. The boy handed the sword back, and Evan was quite satisfied that the boy had appreciated the wonder and grandness of the thing and how it had come to be. A warmth glowed in his chest, immensely happy that he had gotten a chance to show this to Xavier.
Evan had just turned to set the sword down when Xavier spoke again, and the boy's words raised Evan's eyebrows in surprise and a confused mixture of amusement and concern. The captain did his best to let the boy finish before he leaned in to any particular response, though his mind still ran unbidden while Xavier spoke on all the reasons why, no, Xavier should not volunteer.
There were practical concerns--Evan's retinue was probably already feeling his own absence, and he knew he'd left a lot of responsibility for Xavier to fill in the gaps; if Xavier volunteered, that'd fall to--fuck, Katrina? She was a fine enough lieutenant, but she was already well out of her comfort zone with all this.
But honestly, that aside, how in the hell was Evan supposed to keep his sanity in tact if both Xavier and the goddess were elsewhere during the day? Seriously, fuck that idea. And that was to say nothing of the thought of sending Xavier straight into the goddess' hands after all this godsdamned to-do of keeping her hands off of him.
The captain let out a soft sight and managed to just gently shake his head with a grateful smile.
"You willingness is appreciated, but I need you here. I'm sure we can find others..." Evan sighed again at that, heavier this time, and rubbed a bit sheepishly at his neck. "Which, I guess I should probably go get on with."
After a beat Evan took a step closer, and his posture shrank slightly, to something more serious and soft. He'd had a mind to say something in that space, but once he got there words failed him, and instead he quietly watched Xavier for his response.
---
Lance was surprised that Gavin stopped walking. He stopped as well, his expression curious and carefully hiding the jolt of excitement in his gut. He'd struck a chord, and while Gavin might not be pleased about that, it was arguably precisely what Lance had hoped to do. The brunette slowly started to let a smile show as Gavin went on, and in the end, he gently clapped his fellow soldier on the shoulder.
"Glad to hear it."
For a brief moment, Gavin could have found a note of apology in the softness of Lance's smile and the shape of his eyebrows, if he was looking for it. The moment passed quickly, though, and Lance turned to start walking again with a light shrug.
((OOC: Lance'll prolly start talking again in a moment, but we figured we'd pause there for now))
Evan had just turned to set the sword down when Xavier spoke again, and the boy's words raised Evan's eyebrows in surprise and a confused mixture of amusement and concern. The captain did his best to let the boy finish before he leaned in to any particular response, though his mind still ran unbidden while Xavier spoke on all the reasons why, no, Xavier should not volunteer.
There were practical concerns--Evan's retinue was probably already feeling his own absence, and he knew he'd left a lot of responsibility for Xavier to fill in the gaps; if Xavier volunteered, that'd fall to--fuck, Katrina? She was a fine enough lieutenant, but she was already well out of her comfort zone with all this.
But honestly, that aside, how in the hell was Evan supposed to keep his sanity in tact if both Xavier and the goddess were elsewhere during the day? Seriously, fuck that idea. And that was to say nothing of the thought of sending Xavier straight into the goddess' hands after all this godsdamned to-do of keeping her hands off of him.
The captain let out a soft sight and managed to just gently shake his head with a grateful smile.
"You willingness is appreciated, but I need you here. I'm sure we can find others..." Evan sighed again at that, heavier this time, and rubbed a bit sheepishly at his neck. "Which, I guess I should probably go get on with."
After a beat Evan took a step closer, and his posture shrank slightly, to something more serious and soft. He'd had a mind to say something in that space, but once he got there words failed him, and instead he quietly watched Xavier for his response.
---
Lance was surprised that Gavin stopped walking. He stopped as well, his expression curious and carefully hiding the jolt of excitement in his gut. He'd struck a chord, and while Gavin might not be pleased about that, it was arguably precisely what Lance had hoped to do. The brunette slowly started to let a smile show as Gavin went on, and in the end, he gently clapped his fellow soldier on the shoulder.
"Glad to hear it."
For a brief moment, Gavin could have found a note of apology in the softness of Lance's smile and the shape of his eyebrows, if he was looking for it. The moment passed quickly, though, and Lance turned to start walking again with a light shrug.
((OOC: Lance'll prolly start talking again in a moment, but we figured we'd pause there for now))
Re: Part 1
Xavier raised his gaze to look back at Evan, prepared to soak up whatever reaction he found there. Xavier's stomach lurched when he found surprise. What if this wasn't an idea that had yet occurred to Evan? What if Evan would want--or need--Xavier to go? Suddenly, he regretted so readily saying he would volunteer. Was he really prepared for that reality?
An image of the goddess as she unwound her skirt at the summoning jumped potently into Xavier's mind, and he hiccoughed.
But, soon enough, Evan was shaking his head, and Xavier's relief washed from his head to his feet, a sincere blush with it. He wanted to know why Evan didn't want him to go more specifically, but Evan answered that, too. They needed him here in camp, and Xavier supposed that was true, though it was strange to think about his role as lieutenant again. Being with Evan this way... it was all to easy to slide out of context.
And then Evan mentioned rounding up the other volunteers, and Xavier felt the cocoon they had momentarily made for themselves cracking. Xavier pushed his lips together in a hard line, willing himself not to cry any more than he already had in front of his captain today.
Just a moment ago, I was on all fours with Evan behind me, pushing up into him with every muscle after each staccato thrust...
Xavier shook his head and looked down to one side to clear the memory. How was Evan keeping it so together after all that?
But, Xavier's eagerness to help arrived to rescue the situation as he remembered... interrupting their conversation at lunch, shaking off the feeling of ridiculousness at the jealousy he felt at Evan debriefing others before Xavier. Surely, Xavier didn't have anything to worry about after today?
Focus, Xavier!
Volunteers! They should start with the soldiers who were attacked before... and then a sinking, nauseous feeling pervaded Xavier's body before he quite understand what was happening. After a moment, though, it was obvious. It had been easy to forget, talking about the sword and the dragon, but... the goddess had really harmed Evan. And someone else. Which of them had it been? Xavier really hoped that, eventually, Evan would open up about it, if only to sate Xavier's own curiosity. And, yeah, Xavier was really not fully on board with himself when he offered to go to the goddess. He wouldn't... he didn't want... But he had wanted to do something for Evan, and...
While he thought about all this, Xavier's face grew pale and his eyebrows tilted toward each other, which was when he recognized that Evan had taken a step closer to him, obliterating other thoughts in the lieutenant's mind. If there was a chance to have just one more moment with the version of Evan who wasn't just Xavier's captain, he wanted to take it.
In a split second, Xavier's expression turned to hope, and the sensation moved from his stomach to a small crater he didn't know had been digging into his chest. He leapt forward and threw his arms around Evan, lightly kissing the area just behind the man's ear before pulling abruptly away again.
"Time to get to work! What do you think; should I start with Raccoon?"
--
Gavin hadn't managed to think much ahead of his reaction to Lance talking shit about his captain, but somehow he expected more of a blow from Lance than whatever that clap on the shoulder was. It took a moment, but realization settled into Gavin's body--he'd been played. Lance had gotten exactly the information--and reaction--he had wanted from Gavin. Some inner feral part of the quiet man bristled and imagining lunging for the soldier's throat, but Gavin took a deep breath and shrugged off Lance's hand. Maybe he shouldn't have instilled Lance's hope in Evan. Did Gavin really want to be with Lance in the goddess' realm? But, there were going to be other soldiers there regardless, may as well be a friendly face, and deep down, Gavin knew Lance meant well. The soldier's sympathetic expression solidified that in Gavin's mind.
"So, off to fame and glory with you, then?" Gavin asked with a very slight smile. "You might get to live up to all the boasts you've made now." Gavin wanted to ask if there was some deeper reason why volunteering appealed to Lance, but Gavin thought he was likely only projecting his own secrets onto the man. It likely was exactly as obvious as it seemed with Lance. The goddess was supposed to be the most seductive, gorgeous, ferocious lover in existence, after all, if you believed in that sort of thing.
An image of the goddess as she unwound her skirt at the summoning jumped potently into Xavier's mind, and he hiccoughed.
But, soon enough, Evan was shaking his head, and Xavier's relief washed from his head to his feet, a sincere blush with it. He wanted to know why Evan didn't want him to go more specifically, but Evan answered that, too. They needed him here in camp, and Xavier supposed that was true, though it was strange to think about his role as lieutenant again. Being with Evan this way... it was all to easy to slide out of context.
And then Evan mentioned rounding up the other volunteers, and Xavier felt the cocoon they had momentarily made for themselves cracking. Xavier pushed his lips together in a hard line, willing himself not to cry any more than he already had in front of his captain today.
Just a moment ago, I was on all fours with Evan behind me, pushing up into him with every muscle after each staccato thrust...
Xavier shook his head and looked down to one side to clear the memory. How was Evan keeping it so together after all that?
But, Xavier's eagerness to help arrived to rescue the situation as he remembered... interrupting their conversation at lunch, shaking off the feeling of ridiculousness at the jealousy he felt at Evan debriefing others before Xavier. Surely, Xavier didn't have anything to worry about after today?
Focus, Xavier!
Volunteers! They should start with the soldiers who were attacked before... and then a sinking, nauseous feeling pervaded Xavier's body before he quite understand what was happening. After a moment, though, it was obvious. It had been easy to forget, talking about the sword and the dragon, but... the goddess had really harmed Evan. And someone else. Which of them had it been? Xavier really hoped that, eventually, Evan would open up about it, if only to sate Xavier's own curiosity. And, yeah, Xavier was really not fully on board with himself when he offered to go to the goddess. He wouldn't... he didn't want... But he had wanted to do something for Evan, and...
While he thought about all this, Xavier's face grew pale and his eyebrows tilted toward each other, which was when he recognized that Evan had taken a step closer to him, obliterating other thoughts in the lieutenant's mind. If there was a chance to have just one more moment with the version of Evan who wasn't just Xavier's captain, he wanted to take it.
In a split second, Xavier's expression turned to hope, and the sensation moved from his stomach to a small crater he didn't know had been digging into his chest. He leapt forward and threw his arms around Evan, lightly kissing the area just behind the man's ear before pulling abruptly away again.
"Time to get to work! What do you think; should I start with Raccoon?"
--
Gavin hadn't managed to think much ahead of his reaction to Lance talking shit about his captain, but somehow he expected more of a blow from Lance than whatever that clap on the shoulder was. It took a moment, but realization settled into Gavin's body--he'd been played. Lance had gotten exactly the information--and reaction--he had wanted from Gavin. Some inner feral part of the quiet man bristled and imagining lunging for the soldier's throat, but Gavin took a deep breath and shrugged off Lance's hand. Maybe he shouldn't have instilled Lance's hope in Evan. Did Gavin really want to be with Lance in the goddess' realm? But, there were going to be other soldiers there regardless, may as well be a friendly face, and deep down, Gavin knew Lance meant well. The soldier's sympathetic expression solidified that in Gavin's mind.
"So, off to fame and glory with you, then?" Gavin asked with a very slight smile. "You might get to live up to all the boasts you've made now." Gavin wanted to ask if there was some deeper reason why volunteering appealed to Lance, but Gavin thought he was likely only projecting his own secrets onto the man. It likely was exactly as obvious as it seemed with Lance. The goddess was supposed to be the most seductive, gorgeous, ferocious lover in existence, after all, if you believed in that sort of thing.
Re: Part 1 (Start Reading Here)
Katrina stepped quickly into the river to wash off after going hard blowing off energy in sparring after the shimmer. She’d gotten much more comfortable disrobing around others over the course of the war, but gods, did she ever look forward to bathing in private again. Luckily, most soldiers were perfectly pragmatic about this bodily necessity, which she was deeply grateful for.
Lieutenant Emmett made quick work of cleaning her body, especially given the chill in the water, and promptly re-dressed. She leaned to the side and wrung out her cherry red hair one more time. Last time it had gotten long enough to wring out, she’d chopped it all off--again--and she was starting to contemplate doing so once more. Somehow, today didn’t seem like a day for a haircut, though.
Instead, Katrina had plans to have a nice, quiet lunch, relaxing with her clean body and well-spent muscles and one or two friends from other retinues who, while certainly curious about Rutliff’s shenanigans, were tactful enough not to bombard Katrina with questions over food. Today, however, one of them had news, which had Katrina losing her appetite and excusing herself as politely as she could muster before storming straight towards Evan's tent.
“Captain!” The lieutenant snapped loudly, aware that she'd heard Xaiver's voice in the tent, but deciding not to care for now. Oh, it stung a little, for various reasons, but what she was really on about right now was strictly to do with Evan. "Permission to enter, please."
---
Evan couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped him when Xavier crossed the space between them to embrace him and kiss behind his ear, though then the lieutenant pulled away just as quickly, leaving Evan feeling a little unsteady--but happy. The captain brought a hand up to rub at his neck, his expression a sort of crooked, sheepish smile as he let out a soft "hmph" about getting to work.
He was about to tell Xavier that he was welcome to have at Raccoon, when a stern, hot voice called for him outside. Evan's gut flinched, but the rest of him remained steady; the voice was familiar, and, despite its tone, friendly, though it did mean that Evan had yet another reckoning that apparently couldn't wait any longer.
Evan met Xavier's gaze with gently raised eyebrows, curious as to whether the lieutenant would want to slink away or stick around for this. Not that Xavier could very well sneak past Katrina at this point, but Evan figured she wasn't one to make a scene if Xavier genuinely wanted to escape.
((OOC: If Xavier lingers for more than a moment, Evan'll go ahead and call Katrina in, so I can continue posting if desired, but figured that was a decent stopping point in case Xavier wanted to react.))
Lieutenant Emmett made quick work of cleaning her body, especially given the chill in the water, and promptly re-dressed. She leaned to the side and wrung out her cherry red hair one more time. Last time it had gotten long enough to wring out, she’d chopped it all off--again--and she was starting to contemplate doing so once more. Somehow, today didn’t seem like a day for a haircut, though.
Instead, Katrina had plans to have a nice, quiet lunch, relaxing with her clean body and well-spent muscles and one or two friends from other retinues who, while certainly curious about Rutliff’s shenanigans, were tactful enough not to bombard Katrina with questions over food. Today, however, one of them had news, which had Katrina losing her appetite and excusing herself as politely as she could muster before storming straight towards Evan's tent.
“Captain!” The lieutenant snapped loudly, aware that she'd heard Xaiver's voice in the tent, but deciding not to care for now. Oh, it stung a little, for various reasons, but what she was really on about right now was strictly to do with Evan. "Permission to enter, please."
---
Evan couldn't help the soft chuckle that escaped him when Xavier crossed the space between them to embrace him and kiss behind his ear, though then the lieutenant pulled away just as quickly, leaving Evan feeling a little unsteady--but happy. The captain brought a hand up to rub at his neck, his expression a sort of crooked, sheepish smile as he let out a soft "hmph" about getting to work.
He was about to tell Xavier that he was welcome to have at Raccoon, when a stern, hot voice called for him outside. Evan's gut flinched, but the rest of him remained steady; the voice was familiar, and, despite its tone, friendly, though it did mean that Evan had yet another reckoning that apparently couldn't wait any longer.
Evan met Xavier's gaze with gently raised eyebrows, curious as to whether the lieutenant would want to slink away or stick around for this. Not that Xavier could very well sneak past Katrina at this point, but Evan figured she wasn't one to make a scene if Xavier genuinely wanted to escape.
((OOC: If Xavier lingers for more than a moment, Evan'll go ahead and call Katrina in, so I can continue posting if desired, but figured that was a decent stopping point in case Xavier wanted to react.))
Re: Part 1 (Start Reading Here)
Captain!
Xavier flinched significantly more than Evan did, jumping a few inches into the air and away from Evan. His face was completely full of shock and guilt and fear for a few split seconds, and he wanted to flee. But trying to leave any way other than the main door would look so much worse than anything else he could do, and what if Katerina--it was Katerina--had already heard his voice?
The lieutenant felt all over his body to make sure his clothes were all on properly and that there was no reason for her to suspect that anything... untoward had been happening. He ruffled his hair in what he hoped was a normal fashion and glanced over at Evan to make sure he didn't look... oh, gods, he was beautiful. Disheveled as ever, but when was he not?
Despite the fact that every fiber in his body wanted to run, he didn't want to worry about awkwardly passing by Katerina on the way out, so... Xavier bit his lower lip for a moment and nodded to Evan, grasping his hands behind his back before sitting down on the ground as far away from Evan as he could possibly get.
Xavier flinched significantly more than Evan did, jumping a few inches into the air and away from Evan. His face was completely full of shock and guilt and fear for a few split seconds, and he wanted to flee. But trying to leave any way other than the main door would look so much worse than anything else he could do, and what if Katerina--it was Katerina--had already heard his voice?
The lieutenant felt all over his body to make sure his clothes were all on properly and that there was no reason for her to suspect that anything... untoward had been happening. He ruffled his hair in what he hoped was a normal fashion and glanced over at Evan to make sure he didn't look... oh, gods, he was beautiful. Disheveled as ever, but when was he not?
Despite the fact that every fiber in his body wanted to run, he didn't want to worry about awkwardly passing by Katerina on the way out, so... Xavier bit his lower lip for a moment and nodded to Evan, grasping his hands behind his back before sitting down on the ground as far away from Evan as he could possibly get.
Re: Part 1 (Start Reading Here)
Xavier patting himself prompted Evan to assess his own state--good thing, too, because he had yet to get his shirt back on. Not that it would be completely unreasonable for him to be shirtless, but shirtless in his tent with Xavier was probably pushing it, especially when he knew full well that sometimes Katrina blushed about soldiers so much as going for a jog, though to her credit she never made a big deal. Evan bit back a smirk as he set his eyes quickly darting about the tent to locate his shirt and pull it hastily over his head.
"Granted, lieutenant." He said in his most calm, even, captain-y voice as he straightened up, though he couldn't help raising an eyebrow slightly as Xavier took a seat in the far corner of the tent. Fair enough, he supposed, but he wasn't sure that looked any less suspicious.
---
Katrina swallowed heavily when she heard Evan's voice. Gods, it seemed it'd been days since she heard it; some part of her wasn't even sure she'd believed that Evan was still alive--or, maybe real was more the way to put it. That was certainly his voice, though. The lieutenant mustered her resolve, and stepped pointedly inside the tent.
Her resolve wavered again when she saw Evan, though. He looked like maybe he'd been jogging, but with an extra-strong warm, honeyed glow. Her cheeks started heating up, so she drew in a breath hastily to start speaking.
"Good to see you're really alive, then." She said a little more loudly than necessary, but not quite at a yell. Gods, she felt awkward. And rather like she and Evan weren't alone. Of course they weren't--she knew they wouldn't be--but somehow, she was still surprised to see Xavier sitting off to the side. She averted her gaze from him quickly, embarrassed by her own surprise, and still eager to get words out of her mouth before her blush started showing too vibrantly.
"Wasn't so sure, these past few days." Those words came out as more of a grumble, but she continued on quickly, wanting to get down to business now that her resolve had, once again, re-gathered.
"Is it true that we're sending men back to--" no, alas, not enough resolve to say that bit out loud. Katrina continued on after an appropriate beat of silence. "They're talking about it in the mess tent. You couldn't have told your lieutenants first?" The thought that Evan had told Xavier first pricked at her stomach, but she didn't let it sink in too deep as she continued still, the words now pouring from her with a slowly-building volume and rage. "I've been flying blind these past days, Evan. Heck I mean, I hardly even know what happened with my own soldier, since he certainly doesn't want to talk about it, and this one--" she gestured a hand quite briefly towards Xavier, her eyes never once leaving Evan, "--clearly hasn't felt at liberty to discuss all the details. Is it that you don't trust me, or that you just couldn't be bothered?"
The lieutenant left off there, her breath suddenly escaping her. She was mortified to realize that her eyes were getting glossy, but all she could do about it was try to swallow down the lump in her throat, and search fruitlessly for more words to pour out.
---
Evan let Katrina speak, knowing eventually she'd get out what she needed to. He held himself coolly, swallowing down and biting back impulses to interrupt or get defensive. He even kept a soft eye on Xavier, ready to shake his head or make a subtle gesture if it seemed like the boy was leaning towards interrupting himself.
Throughout it all, Evan reminded himself that he'd known this would come at some point, and that Katrina had every right to be pissed, even if he didn't believe he'd done anything wrong. The situation had just been shit, and, well, yeah, on some level, it was that he just couldn't be bothered, though that framing seemed more dismissive of Katrina than he actually felt. There were a lot of things he couldn't be bothered with these past few days, and she was unfortunately among them.
An awkward frown tugged at Evan's expression when he saw that Katrina was starting to get teary. Gods, if he didn't know any better, he might think she got teary on him cuz she knew how fucking effective it was. But, no, at the end of the day, Katrina didn't have a manipulative bone in her body.
The captain stepped forward when at last there was a lull in the lieutenant's whirlwind, and he grasped her shoulder firmly, his expression both soft and serious as he held her gaze.
"I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep you in the loop. Today's really my first day with my head above water since this started."
Katrina watched the captain quietly, and then nodded as she carefully shrugged off his grip. Evan felt confident she'd appreciated it at first, but was done with the gesture, and so he respectfully lowered his arm to his side and stepped back a half step to give her space again.
"I should have told you and Xavier about the volunteers--heck, I really should have checked in with the commander first thing, even. But I was tired of running from one obligation to another, and one of the other captains who I actually like happened to catch me with some curiosity."
Evan certainly didn't miss the fact that Katrina's soft brown eyes had grown wider, betraying surprise when he'd indicated he hadn't told Xavier when he should have, either. She always had been a bit jealous--with good reason, Evan supposed. He barely bit back a grin as he added, "Trust me, Xavier was just as pissed when he saw me regaling the mess tent without him."
The captain tossed the lieutenant a playful grin, hoping the comment might help smooth over some of the tension in the tent.
((OOC: And, Evan's probably going to continue promptly, but I thought we'd pause and give Xavier a chance to respond to all this if he would like.))
"Granted, lieutenant." He said in his most calm, even, captain-y voice as he straightened up, though he couldn't help raising an eyebrow slightly as Xavier took a seat in the far corner of the tent. Fair enough, he supposed, but he wasn't sure that looked any less suspicious.
---
Katrina swallowed heavily when she heard Evan's voice. Gods, it seemed it'd been days since she heard it; some part of her wasn't even sure she'd believed that Evan was still alive--or, maybe real was more the way to put it. That was certainly his voice, though. The lieutenant mustered her resolve, and stepped pointedly inside the tent.
Her resolve wavered again when she saw Evan, though. He looked like maybe he'd been jogging, but with an extra-strong warm, honeyed glow. Her cheeks started heating up, so she drew in a breath hastily to start speaking.
"Good to see you're really alive, then." She said a little more loudly than necessary, but not quite at a yell. Gods, she felt awkward. And rather like she and Evan weren't alone. Of course they weren't--she knew they wouldn't be--but somehow, she was still surprised to see Xavier sitting off to the side. She averted her gaze from him quickly, embarrassed by her own surprise, and still eager to get words out of her mouth before her blush started showing too vibrantly.
"Wasn't so sure, these past few days." Those words came out as more of a grumble, but she continued on quickly, wanting to get down to business now that her resolve had, once again, re-gathered.
"Is it true that we're sending men back to--" no, alas, not enough resolve to say that bit out loud. Katrina continued on after an appropriate beat of silence. "They're talking about it in the mess tent. You couldn't have told your lieutenants first?" The thought that Evan had told Xavier first pricked at her stomach, but she didn't let it sink in too deep as she continued still, the words now pouring from her with a slowly-building volume and rage. "I've been flying blind these past days, Evan. Heck I mean, I hardly even know what happened with my own soldier, since he certainly doesn't want to talk about it, and this one--" she gestured a hand quite briefly towards Xavier, her eyes never once leaving Evan, "--clearly hasn't felt at liberty to discuss all the details. Is it that you don't trust me, or that you just couldn't be bothered?"
The lieutenant left off there, her breath suddenly escaping her. She was mortified to realize that her eyes were getting glossy, but all she could do about it was try to swallow down the lump in her throat, and search fruitlessly for more words to pour out.
---
Evan let Katrina speak, knowing eventually she'd get out what she needed to. He held himself coolly, swallowing down and biting back impulses to interrupt or get defensive. He even kept a soft eye on Xavier, ready to shake his head or make a subtle gesture if it seemed like the boy was leaning towards interrupting himself.
Throughout it all, Evan reminded himself that he'd known this would come at some point, and that Katrina had every right to be pissed, even if he didn't believe he'd done anything wrong. The situation had just been shit, and, well, yeah, on some level, it was that he just couldn't be bothered, though that framing seemed more dismissive of Katrina than he actually felt. There were a lot of things he couldn't be bothered with these past few days, and she was unfortunately among them.
An awkward frown tugged at Evan's expression when he saw that Katrina was starting to get teary. Gods, if he didn't know any better, he might think she got teary on him cuz she knew how fucking effective it was. But, no, at the end of the day, Katrina didn't have a manipulative bone in her body.
The captain stepped forward when at last there was a lull in the lieutenant's whirlwind, and he grasped her shoulder firmly, his expression both soft and serious as he held her gaze.
"I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep you in the loop. Today's really my first day with my head above water since this started."
Katrina watched the captain quietly, and then nodded as she carefully shrugged off his grip. Evan felt confident she'd appreciated it at first, but was done with the gesture, and so he respectfully lowered his arm to his side and stepped back a half step to give her space again.
"I should have told you and Xavier about the volunteers--heck, I really should have checked in with the commander first thing, even. But I was tired of running from one obligation to another, and one of the other captains who I actually like happened to catch me with some curiosity."
Evan certainly didn't miss the fact that Katrina's soft brown eyes had grown wider, betraying surprise when he'd indicated he hadn't told Xavier when he should have, either. She always had been a bit jealous--with good reason, Evan supposed. He barely bit back a grin as he added, "Trust me, Xavier was just as pissed when he saw me regaling the mess tent without him."
The captain tossed the lieutenant a playful grin, hoping the comment might help smooth over some of the tension in the tent.
((OOC: And, Evan's probably going to continue promptly, but I thought we'd pause and give Xavier a chance to respond to all this if he would like.))
Re: Part 1 (Start Reading Here)
Xavier audibly winced at Katrina's first comment. He knew how afraid he had been that Evan wasn't going to come back, and while Katrina probably didn't have the same sort of crush on Evan, Xavier potently understood how much that would hurt.
Once she started talking about the mess tent, though, Xavier felt a guilty blush coming on. At first it was because Evan had told Xavier a lot more than he had told Katrina--and took Xavier to the summoning without giving Katrina so much as a heads-up--but then as Evan replied, Xavier palpably remembered how he felt in the mess tent while he overheard Evan talk to Idel. It had been a long time since Xavier had felt that jealous, and that's what it had been, right? Jealousy? It seemed painfully obvious now. It hadn't really occurred to Xavier that Katrina might be feeling some of that, too.
Xavier was looking at the floor when Evan said Xavier had been pissed, and while that was a bit of an exaggeration--or at least Xavier hoped it was an exaggeration, it didn't feel relevant to interrupt. He just continued looking at the floor, picking at a bit of fluff, not sure who he felt more guilty toward, Katrina or Evan.
Once she started talking about the mess tent, though, Xavier felt a guilty blush coming on. At first it was because Evan had told Xavier a lot more than he had told Katrina--and took Xavier to the summoning without giving Katrina so much as a heads-up--but then as Evan replied, Xavier palpably remembered how he felt in the mess tent while he overheard Evan talk to Idel. It had been a long time since Xavier had felt that jealous, and that's what it had been, right? Jealousy? It seemed painfully obvious now. It hadn't really occurred to Xavier that Katrina might be feeling some of that, too.
Xavier was looking at the floor when Evan said Xavier had been pissed, and while that was a bit of an exaggeration--or at least Xavier hoped it was an exaggeration, it didn't feel relevant to interrupt. He just continued looking at the floor, picking at a bit of fluff, not sure who he felt more guilty toward, Katrina or Evan.
Re: Part 1 (Start Reading Here)
Evan's grin wavered when he didn't get so much as a glance from Xavier. He was determined not to falter too much about it, but he could certainly feel a dark maw nearby, ready and waiting for him to spiral down into it. After all, both his lieutenants looked forlorn before him, and all because of actions he'd taken--or failed to. The captain clenched his fists at his side, his expression now serious again, and a little sharper than the one he'd regarded Katrina with a moment before.
Katrina saw her captain harden, though, and that on top of Xavier of all people sitting silent and small in the corner, the lieutenant's anger dissipated, chased away by an earnest swell of desire to put her captain and her co-lieutenant at ease, even if somewhere in the back of her mind lingered an irritation at having to do so.
"I get it. But will you at least tell me about this... volunteer business straight-up? Why are we sending soldiers back to her? How are we picking them? What should I be doing?"
The red-head drew her lip into her mouth, biting gently down on it to stop herself from bombarding Evan with more questions. There was a bit more sting in her voice than she'd meant, and she worried that she may have only made Evan's mood worse, but luckily, he did soften, and looked thoughtful for a moment before bringing his hand up to rub briefly at his hair. That relieved Katrina greatly, and her own stance softened a bit as well.
"Actually," Evan replied with a sort of awkward, sheepish smile. "If you could go talk to Seth after this, that would be helpful. I want to give him the opportunity to go back to the goddess if he wants to, but I doubt he'll want the offer directly from me."
Katrina raised an eyebrow in a suspicious sort of confusion. Dare she ask why? Evan continued before she could contemplate that question long.
"I'm not sure how much is my place to tell even you about Seth's experience, and I certainly don't know many details, myself. What I do know is that the goddess attacked him, and she still had some hold on him after he came-to, and even into the following day, though I didn't realize it at the time."
Honestly, the memory from that came back vividly as Evan spoke was Seth's hand bleeding from how tightly he'd gripped that bracelet, trying to withstand the goddess. Evan wished he could tell Seth how deeply he respected that, without worrying that the memory of the cadet climaxing beneath him would somehow come into play. Evan's expression winced a little, awkwardness tugging at his chest and arousal re-lighting the fire in his pants. Ugh, fuck.
Evan eyed Katrina, some paranoid impulse sure that she must have sensed his sudden return to arousal. She was indeed watching him intently with a faint layer of blush over her freckles, but that was rather tame for the level of fluster he'd expect from Katrina if she'd honestly noticed his cock swell. Better get the fuck on with it before she did notice it, then.
"Suffice to say I witnessed some things Seth and I both would rather I hadn't. Best for you to not have those details, so you'll both have less cause for awkwardness with each other."
That didn't exactly help Katrina's blush--the shade deepened considerably--but she swallowed and held herself steady, waiting for Evan to finish.
"I have no idea if he'll want to go back to her, but he certainly deserves the choice. As for why we're sending soldiers back, the goddess agreed to release the Shel'ti soldiers she's enthralled in exchange for ten volunteers from our ranks, which will allow us to win our alliance with the Shel'ti. My intention is to try to get our volunteers back once the war is over; so, whoever goes won't have to fight another battle, and will be serving the cause by the goddess' side."
By the time Evan finished, Katrina's face nearly matched her hair, her fists clenched at her sides and her gaze averted towards the ground. She looked probably more flustered than angry, but it was admittedly hard to tell with her.
"Seth doesn't exactly speak highly of her." Katrina murmured in reply, and Evan frowned. He waited a beat to see if the lieutenant would continue, but when she didn't, he opted not to let a terribly long silence stand.
"He had a pretty rough go." Evan replied softly back, the memory of Seth clutching that bracelet coming potently to mind again. Maybe it had been a bad call to invite him to the summoning... but, even if that were true, it couldn't possibly be a bad call just to tell him this was an option, could it?
"Break the news to him carefully, if he hadn't already heard it. He doesn't need to go, I just want him to know it's an option."
Katrina was quiet for another moment, her expression twisted in some kind of discomfort. Evan glanced over to Xavier to give Katrina a moment of space, and also assess how his other lieutenant was doing with all this.
Katrina saw her captain harden, though, and that on top of Xavier of all people sitting silent and small in the corner, the lieutenant's anger dissipated, chased away by an earnest swell of desire to put her captain and her co-lieutenant at ease, even if somewhere in the back of her mind lingered an irritation at having to do so.
"I get it. But will you at least tell me about this... volunteer business straight-up? Why are we sending soldiers back to her? How are we picking them? What should I be doing?"
The red-head drew her lip into her mouth, biting gently down on it to stop herself from bombarding Evan with more questions. There was a bit more sting in her voice than she'd meant, and she worried that she may have only made Evan's mood worse, but luckily, he did soften, and looked thoughtful for a moment before bringing his hand up to rub briefly at his hair. That relieved Katrina greatly, and her own stance softened a bit as well.
"Actually," Evan replied with a sort of awkward, sheepish smile. "If you could go talk to Seth after this, that would be helpful. I want to give him the opportunity to go back to the goddess if he wants to, but I doubt he'll want the offer directly from me."
Katrina raised an eyebrow in a suspicious sort of confusion. Dare she ask why? Evan continued before she could contemplate that question long.
"I'm not sure how much is my place to tell even you about Seth's experience, and I certainly don't know many details, myself. What I do know is that the goddess attacked him, and she still had some hold on him after he came-to, and even into the following day, though I didn't realize it at the time."
Honestly, the memory from that came back vividly as Evan spoke was Seth's hand bleeding from how tightly he'd gripped that bracelet, trying to withstand the goddess. Evan wished he could tell Seth how deeply he respected that, without worrying that the memory of the cadet climaxing beneath him would somehow come into play. Evan's expression winced a little, awkwardness tugging at his chest and arousal re-lighting the fire in his pants. Ugh, fuck.
Evan eyed Katrina, some paranoid impulse sure that she must have sensed his sudden return to arousal. She was indeed watching him intently with a faint layer of blush over her freckles, but that was rather tame for the level of fluster he'd expect from Katrina if she'd honestly noticed his cock swell. Better get the fuck on with it before she did notice it, then.
"Suffice to say I witnessed some things Seth and I both would rather I hadn't. Best for you to not have those details, so you'll both have less cause for awkwardness with each other."
That didn't exactly help Katrina's blush--the shade deepened considerably--but she swallowed and held herself steady, waiting for Evan to finish.
"I have no idea if he'll want to go back to her, but he certainly deserves the choice. As for why we're sending soldiers back, the goddess agreed to release the Shel'ti soldiers she's enthralled in exchange for ten volunteers from our ranks, which will allow us to win our alliance with the Shel'ti. My intention is to try to get our volunteers back once the war is over; so, whoever goes won't have to fight another battle, and will be serving the cause by the goddess' side."
By the time Evan finished, Katrina's face nearly matched her hair, her fists clenched at her sides and her gaze averted towards the ground. She looked probably more flustered than angry, but it was admittedly hard to tell with her.
"Seth doesn't exactly speak highly of her." Katrina murmured in reply, and Evan frowned. He waited a beat to see if the lieutenant would continue, but when she didn't, he opted not to let a terribly long silence stand.
"He had a pretty rough go." Evan replied softly back, the memory of Seth clutching that bracelet coming potently to mind again. Maybe it had been a bad call to invite him to the summoning... but, even if that were true, it couldn't possibly be a bad call just to tell him this was an option, could it?
"Break the news to him carefully, if he hadn't already heard it. He doesn't need to go, I just want him to know it's an option."
Katrina was quiet for another moment, her expression twisted in some kind of discomfort. Evan glanced over to Xavier to give Katrina a moment of space, and also assess how his other lieutenant was doing with all this.