Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Somewhere behind the folds of cold silk, there was a warm light shining through. Small candle flames, the heat barely felt on cool, bare skin. There was another fire, deep inside him, core temperature rising steadily. It was waiting impatiently for someone to feed it. The dark-haired tailor shifted slightly, wrists bound with soft, smooth fabric to the bedposts. If anyone would see him like this, he would probably die of embarrasment. There was only one person in the world who was allowed to lay their eyes on this scandalous sight.

And it had all started with a request from his best friend. She had practically begged him to acknowledge her brother's existence and to help him with his wardrobe. Something about an event they both needed to attend, where he could positively not show up dressed in tattered, soup-stained rags. Little did she know about the true reason why he ignored the cook: Reths flirtatious nature would get him flustered quite easily, and that could've lead to misunderstandings.

But he could never decline a request from Tish, and thus he had invited the other man over for a private consult. Reth, having no interest in fashion at all, let him choose the colors and fabrics. Free reign for the tailor, zero input from the client. Jel didn't mind; it meant more time to himself and little to no criticism. All that there was left to do was taking the measurements. It went smoothly, until he got down on one knee to measure the inseam. Off course Reth started making a few lewd remarks, and off course Jel felt his face heat up.

"Palcat got your tongue, Fancy pants?" the cook had asked.

Jel wanted to make a snarky remark, but his mouth felt dry and the words got stuck in his throat. Surely, his features had turned magenta by now. He tried ignoring him, instead. If only his hands hadn't started to shake.

"Sure hope you'll have a steadier hand when you start using the needles. I don't want my private parts to end up looking like a pincushion. Are you okay?"

Don't react to it. Try to subdue the nervousness. It's just Reth.

"Hey, Jel? Look at me."

He felt a warm, calloused hand grab him by the chin and was forced to look up. Looking over the rim of his glasses, his eyes met Reths. For just a brief moment, he forgot to breathe. Something stirred in his underbelly, and he could tell by the slight blush on Reths face that he wasn't the only one who felt the tension between them.

The other man opened his mouth, and muttered a soft "Oh man, you're so -" before they heard a knock on the doorframe. Immediately, he was released from the grip and Jel had stood up quickly. His head was spinning, no doubt from the sudden movement, and he had to hold onto his desk to not fall over.

Reth was looking over at the door like a sernuk caught in the headlights. Tish stood there, head tilted to one side and a furrowed brow.

"Am I interrupting?" she asked.

"Ah! No, we were just about done," Jel blurted out, "We were just... finishing up. I should have some designs ready in the next few days and will keep both of you updated."

The cook nodded quickly, brushed some imaginary dust of his trousers and stepped down the platform.

"You have all the numbers?" he asked without looking the tailor in the eyes. They walked to the door, the tension still palpable in the room.

"I can retake the measurements if needed, don't fret. It was nice seeing you both, I wish you a good night, bye now!"

He practically slammed the door shut behind them. Tish would probably scold at him for that, tomorrow, but it didn't matter at this very moment. Jel covered his mouth with a trembling hand and leaned against the door. Those feelings... could it be true...?

Chapter Text

Ever since that one significant moment at the tailor shop, Reth had been acting more on-edge towards him.
When the sun had set, he would drop by to deliver dinner.
A nod of acknowledgement was all that was shared between them, to great frustration of Tish. She regarded Jel as he distanced himself from the siblings and Reth started talking to her about how humans would ascend the stairs of the inn, only to drop down from the banisters a few minutes later.

She slapped the wooden desk with the palm of her hand, startling both men.

"Can either of you please tell me what's going on?" she complained. "You both act like you want nothing to do with one another and it hurts me to see you like this."

"It's not like Jel never avoided me, before," Reth said. "He wouldn't even go near my stall at the first Maji Market, remember?"

"I don't dislike your brother or anything like that " Jel chimed in. "It's just... it's a bit hard to explain."

"Is it because he abandoned his Path? Do you think less of him because he chose to correct the mistake he had made back when we were young?"
Tish looked at him with sadness in her eyes. If there was one thing Jel couldn't handle at all, it was seeing his best friend in emotional distress.

"No! Most certainly not! I even applaud him for being so courageous. I'd never even dare to do such a thing."

"Then why do you act so uncivilized?"

That one word offended the tailor greatly, and Tish knew it. Jel knew that Tish knew. And he also knew that she knew he would most certainly try to prove her wrong.

"Fine. To show you I truly am able to... form a bond with your brother... I will no longer refrain from interacting with him."

"I'm right here, you know?" Reth pointed out.

"The two of you better start acting more kindly to each other," the carpenter said. "Or else, I think our friendship might not last. I love Reth and I want to spend as much time as possible with him. And if you can't be around him, I guess you won't be able to be around me, either.

This threat shocked both men. They looked at each other and could practically read their minds: Jel would never want to put his friendship in jeopardy and Reth didn't want his sister to make such a hard decision.
Jel was the first to reach out to the other man.

"Whatever is bothering us about one another, let's put it behind us for Tish' well-being."

"Sounds good to me."

A firm handshake put an end to the long-lasting awkwardness. From that moment on, they interacted more and more, much to Tish' delight.

----

One morning Jel had decided to cease his lamenting at Crystal Lake earlier than usual. He strolled back to the center of the village, met Auni on the way and received his mail from the boy before entering his shop. His shrill scream as he laid his eyes on a certain item between the envelopes was loud enough to probably wake even Tamala. It only took a moment before Reth rushed in, panting, steel pan in hand to fend off whoever had attacked Jel.

He lowered the pan when he saw the tailor standing at the desk by himself, a magazine pressed against his chest and a haunted look in his eyes.

"Are you okay? I was walking past and heard you scream; I thought you were being robbed or something."

"I have been robbed! Of my good reputation!"

Reth looked blankly at him for a moment, before pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Allright, I'll bite. What happened?"

Jel took a deep breath, crumpled the edges of the magazine and furrowed his brow.

"A couple of weeks ago, I was given the opportunity to have my latest designs published in a high-end fashion magazine. They requested I would dress in clothing from my own collection, so I would be the model, myself. Off course, I decided to go into even the smallest of details. Even the accessoires, shoes and such would be designed by yours truly. That includes the more... intimate apparel."

"Too much information, but okay. Go on."

"Well, after the initial interview, the photographer wanted to shoot as many combinations as possible, so I had to change outfits a few times. They somehow caught a glimpse of the undergarments I was wearing, and after I told them I designed these pieces, they persuaded me into taking a series of photographs showcasing them."

"And you went ahead and showed off your underwear?"

"These weren't some regular boxer-briefs, mind you. I'd rather you refer to them as intimate apparel."

"Sure, whatever floats your boat. But it didn't cross your mind that maybe having your boudoir-pictures taken by a photographer of a big fancy magazine was a bit risky?"

"I thought nothing of it, to be honest. I assumed that they would never see the light of day. Oh how wrong I was! I have no-one to blame for my imminent downfall but myself!"

"Let me guess: they printed some of those in the magazine."

"Worse than that."

Jel looked down at the floor as he passed on the magazine to the cook. There was no reason to hide it from him.

"It can't be that bad," Reth said, before glancing at the cover and raising his eyebrows. "Oh. That's... wow. Is that a bra?"

"A bralette!" Jel snapped. "My life is over. Of all the photo's, they put THAT on the front!"

Reth was occupied by studying the details. It was actually quite tasteful: the tailor was seated on a stool, wearing his iconic pinstriped trousers and an unbuttoned white blouse, revealing a black lace top and his exposed midriff underneath. He forced himself to take his eyes off the glossy paper and look at the sulking figure.

"It's not that bad, really," he said. "You could always say it was a statement."

"Yes. A statement of scandalous behavior. Now, please leave me to wallow in self-pity. I must think of a way to control the damage that will soon put my livelihood in danger."

He waited and listened as the sound of Reth's footsteps indicated his departure. This was most definitely a devastating issue. The magazines would have been delivered at every shop and all noteworthy designers by now. And to the Omiata estate. His sisters would take the opportunity to boycot him and Mother would certainly disown him, now. There was nothing he could do about it.

He looked around and checked the desk.
Now where did that cook put his copy...

Chapter Text

Uneventful days went past. Jel had avoided social gatherings and confrontations with other villagers. He litterally went out of his way to not run into Kenyatta and Eshe, by changing his schedule and taking another route to the lake, walking through Reflection Fields towards Remembrance Beach.These lonesome strolls gave him the opportunity to clear his head.

Though he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

A few times he thought he had seen a figure lurking in the shadows, but he had shrugged it off. It must have been a Sernuk. The sound of rustling grass could be explained by the vast amount of Chapaa running around. Or maybe some bored humans were trying to speed-run their way to Bahari Bay. The recently reincarnated ones often found themselves lost in Kilima Valley, but were too stubborn to ask for directions.

This time, it felt different.

Jel had once again turned down a nightly meeting with Tish, in order to depart to the lake as soon as possible. She had asked him if he was okay, or needed any help. The tailor was relieved, because that meant she was still blissfully unaware of the magazine and its contents. He brushed her off and told her not to worry. He just needed some time to himself.

He should've known that she would send her brother after him. He could sense Reth's presence. Or better yet, smell the scent of broth nearby. Jel stood near the lake, as usual, and waited for the cook to blow his cover.
It didn't take very long for a particularly hungry Chapaa to chew on his shoe, causing Reth to softly but noticeably kick it away from him.

"You are free to join me, you know," said Jel, still staring at the dark waters.

"How did you know?"

Reth stumbled out of the foliage and over the bridge, occasionally pausing to scold at the Chapaa.

"Just a hunch. Tish has sent you, am I correct?"

"She's worried about you. And so am I. You've been acting so distant lately, and since you talk about... you know... a lot, we figured we'd better keep an eye on you."

Jel turned to the man with a questioning look.

"I don't know what you mean. I talk a lot about what?"

"Death by drowning, withering away, all that sort of stuff. I know you've been feeling bad about those photo's and you always go here, surrounded by water and no-one to save you. Lots of opportunities to go swimming with the fishes."

"Ah, I see. To put your mind at ease: just because I am fascinated by the beauty of the eternal slumber, does not mean I am planning a premature demise."

"Better safe than sorry. But I'm glad to hear this. We've had enough drownings in our lives."

"Oh?"

"Tish never told you? Our parents sailed out to deliver an armoire for an Inyrevn chief. They never returned. We figured the ship had sunk and they passed away."

Jel put his hands to his mouth and looked at the other man with eyes wide open.

"I never knew," he whispered. "And here I am, going on and on about how I wish to die by drowning. I've been a horrible friend, I'm so terribly sorry!"

Reth shrugged and smiled weakly.

"It's fine, don't worry about it. It's been, like, many years ago. But at least now you understand why I've been checking up on you."

Jel nodded silently, then said: "Shall we make our way back to the village? I don't really feel like being near the water, any more."

"Sounds good to me."

They walked next to each other without exchanging another word. Their arms occasionally brushed, and they looked at each other from the corner of their eyes. Reth was the first to break the silence.

"Have you heard anything from your mom, yet?"

"Yes. She has summoned me to my childhood home. I haven't answered her, yet. I don't want to go by myself."

"You could always ask Tish to join you. She talked about visiting Bahari City, lately, and I can't take her because I have work to do."

"That might be a good idea, yes. She doesn't know about the magazine, does she?"

"Not from me, anyway."

"Good. I was afraid you might have shown her the copy you took from me."

Reth immediately stood still and looked guiltily at the tailor.

"Copy? I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're a terrible liar. I know you took it. All I wish to know is the reason behind this theft."

"I, uh, was interested in the articles. It had nothing to do with the pictures, I swear."

"Ah, the articles. And which one was the most interesting to read?"

"The one about, uh, fashion throughout the centuries."

"I see. Any favorite centuries?"

"The century of the... fruitbat. I think you would like that century, too. Because of the bat. Not the fruit. Well, maybe the fruit."

"You might want to stop making excuses. If I were to ask for my copy, would it still be in a good enough condition for me to want it back?"

"To be honest... probably not. I spilled a lot of, uh, soup over it."

Jel felt his face become hot. He hoped the darkness would hide the blush on his cheeks. Butterflies carefully fluttered to life in his stomach, not quite sure how to feel about the implications. Part of him felt flattered, for sure.

"You may keep that copy, then," he said, before clearing his throat. "Anyway, I shall talk to your sister first thing in the morning and soon get my visit to Mother over with. Oh, and Reth?"

"Yes?"

"Stop worrying about me. I'm a big boy."

They parted ways as they walked past the inn. Before Jel entered his shop, he turned around.

"One more thing: please don't consume too much soup while reading the articles. You might want the magazine to last longer."

He regarded how the cook struggled to find a comeback, before turning his back on him with a content smirk on his face.

Chapter Text

The Ormuu's Horn Inn was as lively as ever. Humans zig-zagged their way through the patrons to the bar for a quick talk and sometimes a bold attempt at flirting. But Reth wasn't paying them much attention. He had his eyes on the doorway, hoping that his sister and her best friend would walk in at any given moment.

They had spent a week at Bahari City. Jel had promised it wouldn't take longer than that, and that he'd keep Tish safe. He knew she was in good hands. Still, it was unbearable to be apart from them for so long.

Reth blinked and shook his head. Missing Tish was completely normal. She's his little sister, after all. But he caught himself having an heartache from not being around Jel, too. It distressed him so much, he didn't even feel like flirting with others or - even worse - cooking a fresh batch of lettuce soup.

He was just about to ask Ashura if he could end his shift early, when he heard familiar voices outside. Sifuu was the first to welcome them in, throwing her arm up in the air and accidentally showering Badruu with her beer.

"Finally, you're back!" Reth exclaimed, grabbing hold of his sister's hands across the bar. She was all smiles and looked happier than ever before.

"Bahari City was fantastic! I have so much to tell you," she replied, "but first we need to share the best news."

Reth looked over at the tailor, who looked like he was about to burst with joy.

"Your mom didn't tear you a new one?" The cook asked.

"On the contrary. I thought she would be very disappointed in me, but instead she was full of praise. I will go into more detail when we meet in private, but for now I am delighted to announce that my wish came true!"

"Your wish? You mean... you're finally in?"

"I am!"

Jel turned to the other patrons and held his hands up.

"All drinks are on the House of Omiata!"

Reth quickly tugged on Jels sleeve and whispered: "Sifuu is here."

"Er, this round, all drinks are on the House of Omiata!"

"Aw, you really had to correct yourself?" Sifuu asked jokingly, nudging the slender man with her elbow.

"Sorry, Sifuu, but I cannot be responsible for the bankruptcy of the House so soon after becoming a part of the Omiata line."

Her loud laugh filled the room. Reth smiled as he regarded his friends and family in such a great mood. His thoughts got interrupted by a rapping on wood. Zeki's eyes looked up at him.

"I'll grant ya some extra time to spend over here," the Grimalkin said, "but I need ya at the underground at around one o'clock. I've got somethin' to discuss with ya."

Reth nodded and watched Zeki leave the Inn. Something told him there was trouble brewing.

---

"You wanted to see me?"

Zeki turned around and pushed his way through the group of humans who were all trying to talk to him. Being the most charismatic and influential entrepreneur in all of Kilima had its downsides.

"Yeah, but not here, with all those prying eyes and eavesdroppers around. Let's head to the backroom real quick."

As soon as they had entered the room, and Zeki was certain no-one but Reth was listening, he pulled the man down to his level by his shirt.

"Listen. I was thinkin', that tailor could really help us handling our problems, now that he's had a promotion within the family business."

"What? No. I'm not going to get Jel involved in our mess."

"Who's talking about a mess? He's part of the House of Omiata, he'll be loaded with cash in no-time! And we need cash to pay off our debts, ya get? He'll be helping out his two good friends and it would hardly make a dent in his bank-account."

"I'm sure the cartel would think differently. They'll probably cause problems for him, one way or another, just like you did for me."

"Hey, I'm the kindest cartel-boss you'll ever get to work for. You should meet the other guys, they wouldn't be so forgiving and patient. And look at it this way: Jel is besties with your baby sister. He'd do anything to keep her happy and healthy, right? So by paying up, he'd be investing in her well-being. No harm done!"

"I am NOT going to take any more risks."

"Fine, whatever. Just keep it in mind. Maybe I'll ask him, myself. Then I'll be out of debt, and you'll be working for the cartel without me taking the biggest blows for ya. Now go make yourself useful."

Zeki sauntered back to the Underground, leaving Reth to stare at the middle distance. He really didn't want to drag Jel down with him, it would be too risky. But then again, he didn't want to get in more trouble himself, either.

Chapter Text

Heavy breathing filled the dimly lit room. Warm hands caressing lavender skin, eagerly exploring. Jels vision was blurry. He shivered as strong arms pulled him back against his lovers body. His shoulder and neck were peppered with kisses. One hand moved lower, and lower, stroking his belly before dipping down between his legs, fingers rubbing over his most sensitive area, occasionally slipping inside of him. A moan escaped the tailors lips, his own fingers digging into the flesh of the other as he reached back. He craved more stimulation, more of this heavenly feeling, he needed...

More time.

Jel groaned as he was crudely pulled from his dream by the sound of the alarm-clock. Instead of the wonderful touches, he now felt a nagging pain. His labia and member were throbbing, practically demanding a sweet release of hormones. He obliged, turning to lay on his back and rubbing himself, softly tugging at his member between his thumb and index finger. The tension slowly subsided. The proper thing to do now was to cease his actions, clean himself up and get ready for the day, but that might lead to absent-mindedness, which in turn would most certainly lead to mistakes and maybe even embarrassing situations.
Instead he continued, imagining the most delightfully scandalous scene to make it easier to find release. A certain redhead, hands groping eagerly before kneeling down to lap up the sweet liquid that had now lubricated every inch of his privates.

He arched his back and bit his lower lip as he dipped his fingers deep inside of himself, overwhelmed by the intensity of his orgasm. He felt his inner walls spasm, as if attempting to swallow the intruding digits. He let himself relax, the post-orgasm-clarity slowly setting in.

Reth would be in, later today, for a fitting and final adjustments. Oh dear...

Chapter Text

Jels mind was brought back to current times by his own shivering. How long had he been laying here, waiting for his partner to enter his apartment? He only went out to get something from the other room. Surely he should've been back by now.

He sighed impatiently and freed one wrist from the silk fabric that had him tied to the bedpost. Reth never truly got the hang of the beautiful art of Kinbaku. Maybe he should send him to a master to properly teach him. Then again, the only one he knew was his own sister, Amara, and things would most certainly become very awkward if he would send his partner her way to be taught how to tie up her younger brother for sensual purposes.

He lifted the silk covering his eyes and looked over to his desk to find the blurry image of his magenta glasses. Putting them on a sheet of white paper had been a good idea. He untied his other wrist, put on his glasses and stretched his back before grabbing his robe. It was hardly any good to protect him against the cool temperatures, it being made out of black mesh with marabou feather lining - which looked wonderfully dramatic when combined with lace undergarments, mind you - but unfortunately, his wardrobe didn't contain a warmer type of robe at the moment.

"Reth?" he asked while opening the door to the en suite. "What is taking you so long?"

The cook didn't even look at him, but kept staring at the decorative box he was holding.

"Care to explain this?" he replied, taking one of many pins out.

Jel shrugged. "Those are just some old pins I received from suitors. You must have received quite a few of them, yourself."

"Well, yes, but I didn't... you... how do you have so many and why did you keep them?"

The tailor crossed his arms at this. It's not as if he was undesirable. Many humans had taken a liking to him and had started to flirt. When the first couple of humans had shown up, things were a bit strange. As soon as he had shown kindness to them, they tried to woo him by gifting him chocolates from the shop next door.

When more villagers experienced the same, Eshe had called for an emergency meeting, to be attended by Majiri only.
She had listened to the complaints and decided that they would just have to humor the humans. Just take the chocolates, show some interest, and sooner or later they'd lose interest and move on to the next eligible bachelor. Reth was the first to figure out that as soon as the humans received a portrait of him - he had a few of those laying around, for a reason yet to be explained - they went on their merry way.

Now, the pins had been an idea from Zeki, who had talked to Sifuu about it. Humans seemed to be avid collectors. Their homes had entire rooms dedicated to fish in aquariums far too small, and insects that could barely flutter in their glass containers.

No one dared to inform Einar and Auni about this. They'd probably start a fish-and-insect-liberation-front.

And so the whole pin trading business began, based on an old schoolyard tradition of gifting your best friend a small item to show your fondness of them. Sifuu made it challenging by requesting rare materials. The humans absolutely loved it.

Jel saved the ones he had received, just because he thought it was funny how invested those humans had gotten. But apparently it was a problem to Reth, the man who had decided to be the first to flirt with the humans before they even got the chance to get to know him properly.

And now he was looking at Jel with anxiety and doubt in his eyes.

"Please don't worry about that," he said, "you are well aware that it means nothing. Apparently I've become a pin-collector, myself. Who cares?"

"I care. There are so many of them."

"I am certain that you will have twice as many."

"Maybe so, but I don't store them in a fancy box."

"Do you want me to throw them out?"

Silence. Reth put the box back on the shelf and rubbed his neck.

"I don't know. I'm just a bit scared that one day some fancy human in a better position than me will come along, and you'll realize what a loser I actually am."

Jel walked over to him, cupped his face in both hands and kissed him.

"Don't ever doubt yourself. I am deeply, deeply in love with you. You are a wonderful person and a fantastic lover."

"And hot?"

"Very hot. Now, come back to bed with me?"

"Yes, sir. Hey, didn't I tie you up?"

Jel chuckled before sauntering back to the bedroom.
"Your only negative trait, my Muse. You can't make a proper knot even if your life depended on it."

"I can knot!"

"Indeed, you can't."

Chapter Text

Their doubts and insecurities had been discussed before, back when they were still acting slightly awkward around one another. Not as much as they used to in the very beginning, but still...

Jel had managed to get through the majority of the day without thinking of his early-morning-fantasy. But as soon as Reth had stepped through the door, butterflies awakened in his stomach.

"We'll have the... the final fitting in my... in my apartment," he managed to say, stumbling over his own words.

He felt himself shivering and hoped it wasn't too noticeable.
Together, they walked up the stairs and he let the cook in, locking the door behind them. He didn't want to risk anyone else entering the room, this evening.

Reth seemed to be oblivious, or maybe he was kind enough to not point out how nervous the tailor was. Then again, the man started getting undressed in the middle of the room. Had he no shame at all? Or was he taunting him? Jel looked away, trying to appear occupied by throwing away some bad designs and storing unfinished sketches. He dared to glance over, and dear dragon, those beautiful back muscles.
He averted his gaze once more; the butterflies had already found their way to lower regions. He couldn't get worked up, now.

Minutes felt like hours, until Reth finally made it clear that he was decent, again. Now, the man without a shirt was already a gorgeous sight to behold, but seeing him in the suit he had designed with so much love and care... it was breathtaking.

"Did you just moan?" Reth chuckled as the tailor turned pink in the face.

"I'm terribly sorry! You just look..."

"Extremely hot? So do you, but for different reasons."

Jel only nodded and fanned himself with his hand.

"I think it needs one more alteration," Reth said, trying to steer the conversation to another direction. As much as he'd liked to tease his friend some more, he started to feel a bit shy because of the way he was staring at him. He looked down at his feet.

"Ah, yes." Jel finally managed to snap out of it. "It seems I didn't properly measure your inseam."

"Yup, I've got shorter legs than that. Unlike you. You've got legs for days."

"That runs in our family."

"Sure hope they do. Because they're legs, and legs, well..."

Jel smiled at him. "No need to explain your jokes. Contrary to your belief, I do have some sense of humor. Now, let me just grab a few pins."

Back he was, in that kneeled position in front of the other man, just like the moment he had felt some sort of... spark. But now, there was no Tish around to catch them off-guard. Not a word was spoken, yet there was something in the air, again. From the corner of his eye, Jel saw Reths hand move slightly, hesitating.

He put in the last pin, but didn't get up. Not yet.
He caressed the fabric, as if he was checking for any mistakes to fix. He thought he saw movement at eye-level and blushed. Would he dare move his hands upward? Jel bit his lower lip and glanced upward to look at Reth's face. The other man was looking down at him, mouth slightly agape. The things he'd want to do to him, right now...

Suddenly, the cook snapped out of his dreamy gaze and looked away. Immediately, Jel got up and turned his back to him, rubbing his hands. What was he thinking?!

"I'm done, for now," he blurted out. "You may change into your regular attire, again."

He kept looking down at his desk while the other proceeded to slip out of the suit and back into the tattered clothes.

"I was wondering, you're part of the House of Omiata now, was that because of the interview?"

"Yes. Mother absolutely loved the... the intimate apparel I designed."

"She wants you to design more of it?"

"Mother wants me to focus primarily on those, indeed."

"Ah, okay. So you're the chief of the underwear-department now."

"If you wish to refer to it like that."

"Got any new designs to show me?"

Reth was standing close, so very close behind him, now. His breath warming Jel's shoulder, even through his clothing. Jel shifted a few papers on his desk, revealing some of his sketches.

"These are some of my favorites," he said.

"I can see why. Very pretty."

"Don't you dare steal them, though. That magazine should provide you enough visual stimulation."

"Ha, I actually had to go out of my way to get another copy. As a backup."

Jel stifled a chuckle. "I hope you won't store that one in your kitchen, near soup."

"Oh no. I keep this one in my bedroom, next to the tissues."

A wave of heat washed over Jel.

"Hot and bothered, again?" Reth laughed.

"Stop it," Jel grumbled.

The laughter died away. Reth was looking at him like a pup that just got punished.

"What's wrong, Fancy Pants?" he whispered, "did I go too far?"

Jel tried to find the words to describe his feelings, eventually settling on: "I'm not sure if we're on the same page."

Reth tilted his head with a questioning look.

"I mean, you're a very flirtatious man. And I'm afraid that this is just a game to you. Whilst I am interested in a more serious relationship. I don't want to be lead on. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The other man looked away for a brief moment and rubbed his neck.

"I get what you're saying. Thing is, I really do like you, but I don't want to throw myself straight into the deep end of a relationship without testing the waters, first."

"That is understandable. So... you're at the very least interested in me, in a romantic way?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious by now."

"That is all I needed to know. You may proceed romancing me, if you still wish to do so."

A sly smile crept upon the cooks face.

"Do you happen to have one of your special designs on, at the moment?"

The tailor blushed. "I do. Do you wish to gaze upon it?"

"Sure, since you ask so nicely."

Chapter Text

Trembling hands fumbled with the buttons of his vest. Why did he have to ask him if he wanted to see his undergarments? The question had left his mouth before he could even give it a second thought! And Reth had reacted positively -

"You don't have to show it, if you're not comfortable," the other man said, as if he had read his mind, "you're shaking like a leaf."

Jel turned to him and felt the flames in his body and mind flare up, again. The desire to be close to Reth, to be held and kissed and loved was so unbelievably strong, it overruled his common sense and morals.
He straightened himself and slowly removed his vest, followed by the neck-kerchief. He didn't dare avert his eyes as he unbuttoned his blouse. As long as he looked at Reth, studying his facial expressions, he had enough courage to continue. And the man was looking at him longingly, following his hands as they made their way down, unveiling dark lace and lavender skin.

The cook had been leaning back against the desk and for a brief moment, his hand moved to his crotch, presumably to reposition his hardening member. There it was, again: that wonderful feeling of desire... of being desired. It took him only two steps forward to be within reach of him. Jel had to focus on his breathing to not start gasping for air on the spot. Reth on the other hand didn't bother, too mesmerized by what he saw.

"Can I..." the redhead started, his hand moving forward and hovering near Jel's chest.

He didn't even have to finish his question. The tailor nodded, and a delightful shiver went down his spine as warm hands carefully touched the intricate lace top, before making their way around his waist, moving under the fabric of his blouse and pulling him closer.

Carnal desires washed over the both of them as their lips met. Hands no longer caressing, but grabbing onto soft flesh. His own fingers raking through the hair on the back of Reth's head while their tongues met and danced around. The papers on the desk crumpled as Jel pushed his body against the other man's, practically forcing him to sit the surface. Though Reth, somehow more clear of mind, managed to move a chair and nearly fell down on the seat, pulling the taller man with him.
Jel broke away from their kiss for a moment and gasped as he felt his privates grind against Reths erection through layers of cloth. The other man moaned, burying his face in the side of Jel's neck and thrusting upwards. He felt the tension build up, butterflies frantically fluttering, ready to be released. So close, so very close-

"No."

Jel's mind snapped back to reality when he heard his partner utter that one word.
The hands that had been holding his close were now carefully, though firmly, pushing him away. He let himself drop down to the floor and stared up at the other man, confused by this abrupt change of events.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this with a clear conscience," Reth said, his face still flustered.

"But I thought-"

Reth held up his hand. Jel immediately stopped talking.

"Please hear me out. I'm putting a stop to this because... because this is so uncharacteristic of you. You're the biggest prude I know - no offense - and all of the sudden you're all over me, even though we only talked about starting a romance not even an hour ago. I'm afraid you might regret it if we have sex, now."

Jel stood up from the floor without replying, or even looking at the other man. He had started trembling, again, and wrapped his blouse around him.

"I do have feelings for you," Reth continued, to fill the silence. "I'm doing this to protect you from doing something stupid. You get what I'm trying to say, right?"

"Yes, I do." He grumbled. "You're probably right. I've been acting like..."

"Like a Plumehound in heat?"

"I'm currently not in the mood for such remarks."

"Sorry... I'd better be going. And please believe me when I say I still want to date you. I just want to take things slow from now on, for your own sake. Okay?"

He cupped Jel's face in his hands and their gazes met. There was disappointment and sadness, mixed with a dose of embarrasment behind those sapphire eyes.

"I care about you, Jel. Good night."

He walked out the door and closed it behind him.
The tailor sighed and looked down at his precious designs, some of which had ended up on the floor between failed attempts and discarded sketches.

What a mess.

What an absolutely infuriating mess.

Chapter Text

Reth rubbed his face as he walked out the tailor shop and took a right turn. He was confused, flustered and, well, a bit angry, but didn't know at whom or what.

Instead of going to the backroom of the Inn, he decided to walk home to see if Tish was still up. He needed to talk. To set things straight in his mind and hopefully make some sense of whatever the hell had just happened.

This wasn't like Jel at all. The man was normally so prudish. Holding hands before marriage was a downright sin in his eyes. And for him to suddenly flip around show this... this sultry side of himself, what with all the lace and the kissing and the grinding...

Reth sighed heavily and shook his head. He had been dry-humped by the guy. Even Tau had more standards.

The lights shone through the windows as he walked through the small wooden gate. It felt as if his throat was lined with sandpaper as he walked in and greeted his sister, who was sitting in her favorite chair reading a novel.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked with a pleasantly surprised look on her face.

"What, can't a man just come home to his sis?"

"I'm just not used to it. You're always working."
She closed her book and placed it on her lap, staring at Reth's face. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he grumbled, avoiding eye contact and awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, actually, there is something. When you and Jel were in Bahari City, had anything... weird happened, by any chance?"

Tish tilted her head and pondered for a moment.

"Nothing comes to mind, really," she eventually said. "Why do you ask?"

Reth sat down and stared ahead, the gears in his head working hard to come up with the right words.

"Jel has been acting strange, I think," he said. "It's like part of his personality did a one-eighty."

"Really? I haven't noticed anything funny. Not funnier than usual, anyway. Can you give me an example?"

The cook shifted in his seat.

"He's usually not very keen on flirting and being affectionate with someone before "proper courting", right?"

Reth held up his fingers to sign quotations marks as he spoke. Tish nodded.

"Well, he's gotten... out of his shell? More open to... flirting?"

"Oh! Well, during his meeting with Barinka, she did encourage him to stop worrying about what people might think of him, and to be more bold. His sisters - great women, by the way - were all so full of self-esteem, they practically oozed power. And they all hoped Jel would become less insecure. They were so happy when they read his interview in one of those fashion magazines, and those pictures..
"

"You saw them?"

"Off course. They showed me their copy, and they were so proud of him for having the guts to appear on the cover the way he did. It all really has boosted his confidence. So yeah, maybe he did change, but that's a positive thing, right?"

"Yeah, that makes sense. But let me go back to what you said before, real quick: you have seen his designs? And the cover?"

"Yes, I did. And I was allowed to take a sneak peek at his other designs for the upcoming Omiata House collection. I loved it so much, I just had to order a few items for myself."

"You did what?"

Tish frowned at Reth's strange reaction.

"I saved up enough money to buy something nice for myself, and got a good discount for being Jel's best friend, if it's the price you're worried about."

"I could care less about the price! Why are you buying sexy underwear?! Who are you trying to seduce? Are you seeing someone?"

"What? No!"

"Don't lie to me. Who are you dating? Is it Hodari? It's him, isn't it. I've seen those little wooden Chapaa figurines all around the place. He must've gifted them to you."

"Stop it!" she growled. "I'm not dating Hodari or anyone else. And even if I did, I'm an adult who can make her own decisions in regards to her love-life without consulting her brother, thank you very much. But now it's my turn to backtrack: how do you know that I was talking about lingerie?"

"Please don't use that word. It makes knowing you bought some even worse."

"Have you seen his designs?"

"... Yes."

"Did Jel show you, voluntarily? Or did you snoop around?"

The image of Jel standing in front of him and his own hands exploring the lace popped up in Reth's mind.

"Bit of both, I guess," he said absent-minded.

"You said he was more open to flirting. Have you been flirting with him?"

"Maybe."

"And how did he reciprocate?"

"Passionately."

He snapped out of his staring contest with a tiny wooden Chapaa when he realized what he had said, but the damage had been done. Tish jumped up from her seat, her book landing on the floor with a loud "Thud!" - which also happened to be its title, funny enough. She pointed at him with a big grin on her face.

"Ha, I knew it! I knew he had a thing for you! Oh my Dragon, finally he's got the courage to flirt back! This is so exciting!"

Reth felt his face turn red and slumped back in the chair, trying to hide himself behind his hands.

"I might have turned him down, though." he muttered.

Tish' grin disappeared in an instant. Her finger, however, kept pointing at him.

"You what?"

"He came on too strong. It didn't feel right."

"What do you mean by 'too strong'?"

"He got... affectionate with me. Physically."

"You kissed?"

"Yes." Let's leave it at that, he thought to himself.

"You never had a problem with that, before. I've heard people call you the five-minute-backroom-wonder, and I don't think they were talking about the time it takes you to restock."

"I know, but this is Jel we're talking about. It was like he had lost his marbles for a moment, and I didn't want to take advantage of him."

"How did he take it when you stopped him?"

Reth shrugged. He recalled the look in Jel's eyes. He had looked... pathetic, really.

Tish sat back down and looked up at the ceiling.

"Back to square one," she sighed. "Poor Jel. Getting turned down by the one guy who would flirt with any consenting creature with a heartbeat. That must've stung."

"I did say I'm still interested in him, if that's any help."

"You better show it to him, if you're being serious."

"Oh, I'm serious. And I've just got an idea..."

Chapter Text

Even though he had planned to bring his plan to fruition the very next day, Reth found himself standing before a closed door. It was an unusual sight; normally, the doors of the shops were open at every hour of the day, even when the owner was running errands or vast asleep. People could walk in whenever they felt like it and never had there been reports of stolen items.

Well, unless you were the librarian. She would probably accuse you of stealing the dust particles if she disliked you, which would result in having your library card revoked and a lifelong ban from reading literature.

Then again, Jel would sometimes keep the door locked for a few hours when he had a very important Palian over. Some clients didn't want to deal with humans running in and out of the store during a fitting session.

Reth shrugged and walked back to the Inn for his shift. He'd be able to watch the door when he was standing in a certain corner of the bar.
Confused humans stood still on the stairs every once a while. Elouisa tried to look through the window and talked to Auni, hands frantically waving and pointing at the shop while the boy looked more confused than ever.

The hours went by, but the door remained closed, even when Tish went over for her evening ritual with the tailor. She frowned as Reth walked up to her, holding their dinners in ceramic containers.

"Maybe he's got a difficult client that needs all day?" he suggested. He didn't see any movement inside.

"Maybe so. He didn't tell me about it... then again, he's been keeping more things from me, nowadays."

"We'll check back, later. Care to join me at the Inn? I've made some noodle soup!"

She smiled at him and nodded, but he could tell she was worried about their friend. Even during dinner, he found them both glancing at the shop every now and then.

"He'll surely open the shop, tomorrow," Tish murmured, mostly to herself.

But the next day, the door remained closed. And the day after that. Passing villagers were visibly getting on edge. Auni had been standing at the mailbox, wondering if Jel would be collecting his mail before it'd be overflowing. Even Subira had come downstairs to discuss the situation with Ashura. She was able to view the upstairs window of the shop from her room, but hadn't detected any movement.

Needless to say, it was Big News when Chayne finally decided to come over, skeleton key in hand. Whenever that key showed up, people knew something bad was happening. It was the key that usually opened the door to gruesome scenarios.

"Is that why it's called a 'skeleton key'?" Auni wondered out loud, quickly being hushed by his father.

Reth's heart sank as he thought of the possibility. After all, Jel was known for his melancholic and depressed nature. Add his fascination for death and...
He looked over to his sister, who was standing outside her own shop, wringing her hands. Delaila had joined her, one hand resting on her arm.

He felt a big, warm hand on his own shoulder and looked up. Ashura stared intently at the door.

"Don't assume the worst," the inn-keeper said. "We don't know what's going on until Chayne gets out, and he's been in there for a while, now. If Jel did... then Chayne would've been back by now."

"I can't help but feel anxious," Reth replied. "Were we supposed to have notified Chayne on the first day?"

"That wouldn't have made any difference. He always waits three days before entering. People tend to keep their doors locked when they're feeling sick or are away from home for a few days. You wouldn't want someone to enter your home and make a fuss, just because you didn't show your face for a day or two, right?"

The cook hummed and shifted uneasily on his feet. It felt like an eternity until the healer finally walked out the shop and looked surprised as he saw the villagers who had been waiting anxiously for answers. Never before had the town square been so silent.

"Everything is fine," he announced.

A collective sigh followed. Tish made her way to Chayne, while Reth had a hard time keeping himself together. He was shaking like a leaf when Ashura carefully pushed him to join the others. If it weren't for the man's hands holding him by the shoulders, he would have sank down on the pavement.

"I can't share many details. Patient confidentiality, you see?" the healer spoke. "But rest assured, your friend is still with us. He is going through some health issues and doesn't want contact with the outside world until he feels better. I will be checking up on him, daily, to monitor his progress."

There were some relieved murmurs. Chayne complimented everyone within earshot for being such a caring and attentive community. Slowly but surely, the square emptied out, leaving only the siblings and the monk.

"Is it because of me?" Reth blurted out.

Chayne raised his eyebrows and reminded him of the confidentiality. He wouldn't give any more insight, even if they begged him for it.

"Could you let us know when Jel is ready to meet up with us, again?" Tish asked.

"Off course, I will. It might take him some time, so please have patience. Now, it's been an eventful day and I would like to retreat."

They watched as the healer made his way back home.

"It's not your fault," Tish said softly. "He's probably having a hard time dealing with his own feelings. But it's not your fault, okay?"

All Reth did was nod in silent agreement. Tish squeezed his hand before walking to her store.

Sure, maybe he wasn't to blame, but he still felt that he had to make it up to the tailor. He looked up to the roof of the building. He could picture Jel, alone in that apartment, withering away as he's being consumed by negative emotions.

Please let me back in, soon he thought to himself. I can hardly get through a day without you.

Chapter Text

"I can't take it any more."

Reth sat on the stone stairs to the Inn, holding his head in his hands. Day after day he had approached Chayne after his visit to the tailor, to ask how he was doing, and if he was ready to receive visitors. The answer remained the same: not yet. Be patient.

"May I ask why it is so important to you to visit him?" the healer questioned.

"I can't shake the feeling that all of this is my fault," Reth mumbled. "And I need to set things straight."

"Ah, so you wish to put your own mind at ease, first and foremost?"

The cook looked up, scowling.

"What makes you think that?"

"You speak about your feeling and actions, yet I didn't hear anything referring to Jel."

It was food for thought. A moment of silence went by, while both men stayed perfectly still. Reth chose his next words carefully and spoke slowly, as if any wrong tone may set off a bomb.

"Jel has been feeling bad and... this might be because I- because some things have happened between us. And he needs to know that... he is still loved?"

A small smile appeared on Chayne's visage.

"Good job. I will ask our friend once more if he's willing to listen to you, tomorrow. As for now, you might need to get some rest and clear your mind. It's no use to try and change the course of another man's healing process."

Chayne walked further up the stairs, softly touching Reth's shoulder as he passed him. He looked up to the upstairs window and felt a pang of shame. He wasn't the only one who hadn't been allowed past the door. Even Tish hadn't spoken to her best friend, yet. She had been able to put her feelings about this aside, though, stating that she'd just have to be patient.

If only he could be that patient. But his mind kept churning and grinding down on the thought that if he hadn't stopped Jel, this situation would've been avoided. He sighed, stood up and brushed some sand off his pants. Maybe tomorrow would be a better day.

-----

"Dear friend, would you mind if I borrowed your cook for a few minutes?"

Reth stumbled out of the small kitchen and practically smashed into the bar when he heard Chayne talk to the burly innkeeper. He looked at Ashura with pleading eyes, even though he knew that the man would agree to it.

"I'll cover your shift. Take your time, but don't waste any." Ashura said.

"Maji thanks for your wisdom, old friend. Now, let us- where did the young man go?"

"He can be as swift as a Sernuk. He's already at the shop. You'd better get over there before he bursts through the door, himself"

Chayne headed towards the exit of the Inn, when Reth ran past exclaiming he forgot an important gift. He was back out the door again before the healer had even set foot on the threshold.

Reth was visibly excited to finally be let in to talk to his friend. He reminded Chayne of a young Plumehound, ready to go for a walk in the woods, and he smiled as he approached the shop.

"Before we go in, I need to inform you of his boundaries. Our friend is still in his healing process and doesn't want to interact face-to-face. He will, however, listen to what you have to say and speak to you through the door of his apartment. Don't plead, don't use force, and be mindful."

Reth nodded in agreement. He was holding onto his gift for the other man, haphazardly wrapped in brown paper he had found in the storage room. If Jel wouldn't open the door for him, he'd have to leave it behind. Luckily, he had thought of writing a note to add to it.

Together they entered the shop. It was dark - which was pretty normal - and silent. That, on the other hand, was slightly unsettling. He followed the healer up the stairs, the wood softly creaking under their feet. He looked over his shoulder to the window at the back of the shop, and wondered if Jel had ever seen him standing on the dirt path near the courtyard. He had been observing the shop on many mornings, waiting for the tailor to ascend to his apartment, to know he got home safely. Off course, he could have followed him on his way back, but that might have spooked him.

Chayne knocked on the door to notify the occupant of their arrival, and asked him if he'd want him to stay nearby or grant them some privacy. Jel's voice sounded weak as he told him to wait downstairs.
Reth sat down on the desk near the door.

"Hey, it's me, Reth,' he said.

"I know." the flat voice on the other side said.

"Ah, yes, off course you know. Uh... how are you?"

"Slightly better each day. How about yourself?"

Reth wanted to say he missed him, but bit his tongue.

"I'm..." He stopped, pondered for a moment and sighed. "Do you want the truth?"

"Would it harm me? Because if that's the case-"

"No, not at all! You've been on my mind every single day. I can hardly eat or sleep."

He heard a soft chuckle.

"That makes two of us, then. We're both experiencing the same misery. How poetic."

"Have you been thinking about me, too?"

There was some shuffling. Jel's voice sounded shaky as he said: "The events of that particular evening... they repeat themselves over and over in my mind. Whenever I want to drift off to sleep, I... It's painful. I've become afraid of dreaming."

"Oh, Jel..."

"I am terribly ashamed of what I've done! I don't know what I was thinking. I was driven by... by lust! Carnal desire! And I mistreated you to satisfy my own wretched hunger. I dare not even look at myself any more. My own body disgusts me. I feel like filth!"

Reth sank down to his knees and put his hands on the door, at the height where Jel's shoulders should be, if he had estimated it correctly. He heard a few thuds against wood and a muffled cry.

"Jel, please don't hurt yourself over this. You're not filthy or disgusting or anything like that! You're Majiri. We all do stupid things when we're attracted to others."

"My actions were still uncalled for! I took advantage of you!"

"Don't you think I would have pushed you away sooner, if that were the case? I enjoyed it, okay?"

Silent seconds ticked by. Reth found himself staring at the woodwork, hoping he didn't say something that'd make Jel more depressed than he already was.

"Still, you ended it abruptly." the tailor spoke.

"Well, I wasn't expecting you to be so forward when you kissed me. I guess it caught me by surprise and I assumed that you would regret it."

"Your assumptions were right, so it seems."

"I doubt it. If I hadn't knocked it off, you would probably have felt even more confident. Tish told me about your meeting with your mom. How she wanted you to be more bold and all that. I'm the one who took it away from you, again, and I'm sorry for that."

"You're not to blame. My shift in confidence was quite abrupt. I can see how it must've caused some confusion."

"I hope you'll be able to rebuild it, soon. After all, you're a member of the House of Omiata. You've got expectations to live up to."

"Please, don't remind me. I haven't touched my sketches since the incident."

"Time to pick up where you left off." Reth stood up and stretched his back. "Though I hope the new designs won't be as tacky as the set you sold to Tish."

"What?!" Frantic movements sounded from the other side. Reth stepped back and grinned as Jel opened the door, immediately holding his index finger a mere centimeter from his nose.

"How dare you call it tacky! It's the most sophisticated light cyan bodice and high waist slip, hand-embroidered with delicate flowers by yours truly and- this was a trick to lure me out, wasn't it?"

"And you fell hook, line and sinker."

"You sound like Einar."

"You sound miffed. And you look..."

Reth tried to find the kindest words possible. Quite frankly, the tailor looked like he got into a fight with an Ormuu and lost. His hair was a mess, it appeared as if he hadn't changed his shirt all week and there was a certain odor coming from the room. The stench of sleep and minimal ventilation.

"I look awful, I know."

"Well, on the positive side, it can't get any worse."

"Oh, I can think of a few ways to make it worse, believe me."

"I have an idea. You go get a brush, I'll open a window, and then I'll comb your hair for you. There's a rummage pile on the back of your head and I want to see what I can find in there."

A soft smile appeared on Jel's face, making Reth's heart beat faster. Finally, they were getting somewhere.

Chapter Text

"I'm not sure - ow - how this is - ow- meant to help me relax - ow."

Reth tried his best to untangle the mess on the back of Jel's head without pulling out chunks of hair. As soon as he had succesfully brushed one wavy lock, it would get in the way of the next one. Moving it out of the way was nearly impossible because of the volume. The grease didn't seem work in their favor, either.

He sighed and put the brush aside. Jel had been sitting between his legs for quite a while, now, and Reth had noticed he'd been digging his fingernails into his arm every few minutes. He presumed it was his way to deal with the painful pulling on his scalp.

"Maybe we should take a break," the cook said, leaning back, "or wash your hair, first. That might help."

"Ah, you're right. I'm terribly sorry for the odor. It's a miracle you managed to sit so close to me for such a long period of time."

"Odor? I have no idea what you're talking about. You smell wonderful. In fact, let me get a good sniff."

Reth loosely wrapped his arms around Jel's waist, nuzzling the side of his neck and sniffing excessively, making the other man cringe and chuckle. Sure, he didn't exactly smell like wildflowers (maybe dead ones) but it didn't make Reth recoil in disgust. Then again, he was a man who would put at least six cloves of garlic and various strong spices in his dishes.

They both looked up as they heard Chayne ascending the stairs. Reth felt the tailor stiffen for a brief moment as the man walked in.

"It's good to see you smile again, my friend. Mind your arm, though."

The look in the healer's eyes reminded Reth of a parent who was silently warning a child to reconsider their actions. Almost instantly, Jel put his hands on the wooden bench and straightened his back. Chayne nodded approvingly.

"Is there anything I can do for you, before I return to my regular schedule?"

Jel hesitated, before saying: "I'd like to take a bath. It's about time I start working on my personal hygiene, again."

"Very well. Reth -"

"He can stay," Jel said quickly. "Maybe he could pick out an ensemble for me to wear?"

The redhead couldn't help but smile. This was a good sign. He watched the other two enter a separate room at the back of the apartment, before taking a good look around. He had been so focused on untangling hair, that he failed to notice a few details. The desk near the footboard of the bed was shoved to another corner, as well as the chairs. The bed looked messy and there was another blanket thrown over the sofa. He walked over to the left side of the bed and accidentally kicked against the trashcan, causing the lid to fall off. As he looked down, he saw some black fabric under the crumpled papers. He bent down to take a better look and recognized the lace immediately. It was the garment he had been wearing that one evening. Startled by the sound of approaching footsteps, he quickly hid the item in his pocket.

"Have you chosen an outfit, yet?" Chayne asked as he entered the main living area again.

"Not yet. I got distracted, sorry."

Chayne followed his gaze as he stared at the sofa.

"Sometimes, memories hurt," Chayne said softly. "One can no longer sleep in their own bed, or can't stand the sight of certain items, because they unlock a memory so painful, it keeps them from moving on."

"How much did he tell you?"

"Enough for me to understand why he's in such a state of mind. Young love can be a beautiful thing. It's often the hormones that make a mess of it. I know all about it."

"Wait, you mean you've been in love?"

"Just because I chose to live my life in celibacy, now, doesn't mean I never have fallen for another person, before. Yes, I have been infatuated and did some... questionable things to gain their attention. But that is all in the past."

"Do you have any regrets?"

"No. There's no use for that. After all, I can't rewrite history. None of us can."

They turned their attention to the door when they heard Jel call for assistance. The warmth of the water had made him feel dizzy to the point of almost passing out. Reth quickly went to grab a glass of cold water while Chayne checked up on him. As he entered the bathroom, Jel had his arms folded over the edge, his head resting on them. He looked up at him and extended his right arm to take the glass. Raised, pinkish lines were visible on lavender skin. Scratches, Reth realized. Now, Chayne's warning made more sense.
He kneeled down next to the tub and brushed the white lock of hair from Jel's face.

"How're you feeling now?"

"Better, thank you. It was a combination of factors. The warmth, the lack of a proper meal..."

"I can fix that for you. I can cook anything your heart desires. Fast food, five course meal, you name it."

Jel smiled weakly. "A small snack, maybe? I feel I might be running low on sugar."

"Oh! I have just the thing! Wait right here."

"I'm not going anywhere," the tailor chuckled.

Reth rushed out to collect his gift and looked awkwardly at Chayne when he returned. Luckily, the healer immediately understood that the two needed a moment of privacy.

"I've been meaning to give you this ever since the day after... you know. I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but I really do like you and I hope you're willing to give me another chance. And this time, we'll take the proper route instead of launching ourselves head-first into fourth base, if that's okay with you. That is, if you'll accept my gift, off course!"

Reth unwrapped the heart-shaped box of chocolates and presented them to Jel, heart pounding in his chest. The other man took the box from him, water sloshing as he tried to change his position.

"Oh, Reth... how could you still like me after seeing me at my worst?"

"Well, if I couldn't handle you at your worst, I wouldn't deserve you at your best. And it can only get better from here on out."

"I will work hard on it, though be warned: I might have some setbacks. Would you be so kind as to open the box for me? My hands are wet and I'd rather have my chocolate without bathwater."

Reth obliged and opened the box. His note slipped out and landed on the floor. He picked it up and held it in front of Jel.

"Oh, right. I wrote you a little something."

Jel tilted his head, squinted and then took it from him to turn it upside down.

"Are you sure this is... writing? I'm afraid I can't make out the words."

Reth laughed. "Yeah, I've got bad handwriting, sorry. It reads 'Wise man say: "only fools rush in", but I can't help falling in love with you.' ".

Jel blushed. Reth could've sworn he saw stars appear in those sapphire blue eyes looking dreamily at him.

"Such beautiful words. Did you come up with this, yourself?"

"To be honest, I heard a human sing it at the Inn and it never left my mind"

"A human? Truly?"

"Well, come to think of it, they looked a bit Elvish. But... uh... I don't want to push you for an answer, but... do you accept my gift?"

Jel sat up and caressed the side of Reth's face.

"My Muse, I'll gladly accept your gift. And I hope you will forgive me for all that has happened as of late."

Reth leaned into the touch and nodded.

"And now," Jel continued, "you better give me one of those chocolates, before I pass out."

"I can give you mouth-to-mouth if that happens."

"Don't push your luck. Chocolate, please, and then you may leave so I can dry myself."

-----

In the time it took Jel to get dried and dressed - in the clothes Reth had picked out in a hurry, which happened to be Jel's most common ensemble, as he pointed out after laying his eyes on them ("Don't mess with a classic", Reth had replied), Reth had found his custom made suit. He had just finished changing into it and was looking at himself in the mirror when Jel walked through the door.
He froze when he saw the cook, all dressed up. His left hand made its way to his right lower arm, nails digging in and about to create another set of lines. Chayne carefully pried his fingers off the already agitated skin and helped Jel to snap out of his stupor.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize this would upset you," Reth said, his hands quickly unbuttoning the vest.

"No, don't," Jel blurted out. "Leave it on. This is just... another issue I have to face. I should consider this a form of exposure therapy. By the way, you look absolutely stunning. I always knew you'd make a wonderful model."

"Maybe I should consider changing my Path, again," Reth said, grinning, before walking up to the tailor and taking hold of his wrist, studying the lines.
"Those memories sure cause you some physical pain, don't they?"

"Not exactly. I inflict the pain, myself, as a coping mechanism. I'd never try to cause permanent damage, mind you. These lines will fade over time."

"Still a bit unhealthy, in my opinion. What Tish and I used to do was this..."

He took Jel's hands in his and held them together to form a cup. Then, he brushed the tailor's damp hair with his fingers and mimicked putting something in the cup. He repeated this a few times.

"We take all the worries and doubt and bad memories from your head, hold them in your hands and then ball them up. Go ahead."

Jel looked at his empty hands and frowned.

"This is silly," he grumbled.

"So is beating yourself up over something you can't change. Please, humor me."

The taller man sighed and put his palms together.

"Squeeze it till it's all squished together, nice and tight. Make it as small as possible. Then, take all the pain from your heart and put that with the rest of it."

Jel put one hand on his chest while the other hand was clenched tight. He plucked an invisible object from his shirt and added it to the imaginary ball. His eyes darted to Reth, looking for confirmation.

"Very good. Did you get all the pain?"

"I think so, yes."

"And did I manage to get all the negative thoughts out?"

"I believe you did."

"Good job. Give it one last squeeze for good measure and come with me to the window."

Jel looked back at his hands and did as he was told. Then, he walked over to the open window.

"The final step: throw it out, as hard as you can."

He looked from the clear blue sky to his hand, and then to Chayne, who had been watching the two men from a respectful distance. He smiled softly and nodded.
Jel brought his fist back, gathered his strength and swung his arm forward, tossing the imaginary object through the window. He kept his eyes locked on the sky, chest heaving and slightly shaking. Reth gently put his hand on his shoulder.

"And, how do you feel?"

"Relieved," Jel whispered.

Chapter Text

Marble floors and golden details on pure white walls glistened in the morning sun. The Bahari courthouse was an imposing building, and Reth felt out of place as he walked down the Great Hall, flanked by Ashura and Tish. Jel strutted ahead of them, holding the letter the cook had received some time ago. He looked up at the signs and eventually stopped at an enormous wooden door.

"Here we are: room 303, and some time to spare before you'll be called in. Please, take a seat."

Tish inspected the oakwood bench before sitting down on the far end. Reth slowly sat down next to her and folded his hands. Both felt the bench move upward and nearly fell sideways as Ashura plopped down, eyes wide open as he realized that maybe the wooden furniture wasn't exactly designed to hold his weight.

"How are you holding up?" Tish whispered to her brother.

"Barely. What if I fail?"

"Nonsense," Ashura grumbled. The siblings looked up at him. The burly man had his arms folded and looked back at them. "This is just a formality. You had to fill in a form and bring two people to vouch for you. You did both, so don't worry. If all things fail, we still have Jel to pull some strings."

Reth's gaze met Jel, who gave him an encouraging smile. It would probably all work out.
For the last few months, more and more human settlers got involved in Majiri politics and the Guild system. They had debated on whether the permanent choice of a Path was beneficial for the mental and physical health of Majiri. What if they made their choice based on their parent's Path? Should one be allowed to change their Path early on, or after an injury, or if their first choice didn't bring them as much happiness and fulfillment as they had hoped?

There was a clear division within the community. The younger Majiri had voted for flexibility, while the elders had protested against them, and against human involvement as a whole. They "didn't want their traditions taken from them," as they put it.
In the end, they met one another in the middle: a Majiri could change their Path only once, and only if they had two others to vouch for them. One associated with their "old" Path, who could confirm that they had made the wrong choice, and one associated with their new Path, preferably a mentor. Reth felt lucky that he had both, and had filed his request as soon as possible. He was one of the very first Majiri - if not the first - to be summoned to appear in front of the council.

He closed his eyes and sighed. Soon, he would no longer be a lousy Path-strayer. His mind started to wander, fantasizing about how the other townsfolk would treat him differently, though he got interrupted by a high-pitched voice that echoed through the hall.

"Oh dear me, what brings you all the way to the courthouse, brother?"

A young lady with shoulder-length platinum blonde hair approached Jel and patted his arm.

"Sekai, fancy seeing you here," the tailor replied. Reth could clearly see that he was feeling uncomfortable, but his sibling didn't pick up on it.

"What are you planning to do, here? You aren't keeping secrets from the family, now are you? Oh, hi Tish, lovely to see you! Oh my Dragon. Are you eloping?"

"No! No no no," Jel said quickly, waving his hands to keep Sekai from making more assumptions, "first of all, I love Tish dearly, though purely in a platonic way."

"Ah, off course, silly me. Besides, this is not the marriage department. This is the courtroom where one can change their Path - oh no, dearest brother, please tell me you haven't given up just yet? Mother would be rightfully disappointed."

"No, I'm not here for myself, but as moral support of Reth, my... friend."

Sekai glanced over to the cook, who waved at her meekly. Why did he feel like he had to apologize to her just for being there?

"Oh, I see. Well then, I better hurry to deliver some company files. Mother and Amara have been having some very interesting meetings, these past few days. How about you and your friends join us at the mansion later today! You can stay for dinner, if you'd like."

"I don't think that's -"

"Oh, stop it, you should always make time for family. Well then, we shall see you at the mansion as soon as you're done, here. Mother and our sisters will be delighted to see you and your latest designs. Ta-ta, now!"

The woman turned her back on the trio and quickly left, before Jel had the chance to turn down her invite. He was left standing with one hand raised and a mortified look on his face.

"Jel, how many designs do you have on hand?" Tish wondered out loud.

"None, whatsoever." The tailor replied with a shaky voice.

Chapter Text

"All rise."

Reth felt a shiver go down his spine as he stood up and looked at the three council-members who were seated behind tall, white desks. The human on the left side smiled encouragingly at him, while the two elderly Majiri looked over some documents.

"Let's see what brought you here, today," the middle woman said, pushing her square glasses further up the bridge of her nose, "The carpenter who wants to become a chef?"

"That's me, hi," Reth replied shyly.

"That is quite a big change of Path. Can you tell us how you came to this decision?"

"Well, I'd rather put food on the table than make the table, myself. Tish is a way better carpenter, so she'll continue the family business."

The council's collective gaze focused on the blonde girl behind Reth.

"The family business, you say?"

"Yes, ma'am. We come from a long line of carpenters, it goes all the way back to the time of the First Council!" she cheerily said.

"Really, now? So the talent runs in the family?"

"It did, but it slowed down and came to a full stop, in my case," Reth said as he shrugged, "All of our parents' talent skipped me and was handed down to my little sister. It's fine, creating furniture is her passion, and I'm glad she finds joy in it."

"And you have found joy in cooking?"

"Sure did! Especially soup. I can make a good soup out of practically anything. My lettuce soup is famous all over Kilima."

Ashura couldn't help but chuckle.
When the councilwoman asked him about it, he answered: "It's just funny to hear him go on about soup. He could spend all day talking about it. But he's capable of far more than just a simple broth."

"Like his canapés! Right, Jel?" Tish chimed in and turned to the bench in the back of the room, where the tailor had been sketching frantically in a small leatherbound book. He looked up, not really having paid much attention to the conversation and gave her a quick nod accompanied by an awkward smile.

The councilwoman on the far right, whose hair looked suspiciously similar to a beehive and would probably have a hard time keeping Auni away from it, if she ever had the displeasure of meeting him, stood up to get a better look.

"Jel Omiata, son of Barinka Omiata?"

Jel confirmed this and tried hard to focus on his sketches again.

"Have you designed the suit of this young man, by any chance?"

"Yes, I did, madam."

"Ha, I knew I spotted your signature details in it. It looks good on you, dear."

Reth grinned and turned to his friend, who had once more buried his nose in his book.

"I could've sworn you had put your focus on designing lingerie, though," the beehive-haired woman continued while re-arranging her papers. "That little number you were wearing on that magazine cover a while back looked quite... what's the word..."

"Hot," Reth blurted out, before slapping his hands over his mouth. Tish tried hard to swallow back a giggle. Ashura stared ahead in confusion. Jel wished the ground had opened up so he could jump to the center of the planet and disappear forever. That would've also solved his problem with his family.

"Sure, let's go with that, for lack of better words," the woman said with a smile.

The middle woman folded her hands and looked at her fellow members.

"I feel we are ready to conclude this meeting. This was more of a formality, after all, and we have heard enough from your friends. Now, we just want to make this very clear: you truly wish to leave the Path of carpentry?"

"Yes, ma'am. I suck at it. Excuse my language."

"And you wish to enter the Path of cooking."

"Yes, and am eager to do so, ma'am."

The human councilman turned to Tish.

"You wholeheartedly agree that your brother has chosen the wrong Path and are willing to let him leave?"

"I do, sir. He tried his best, but his talents lay elsewhere. This Path doesn't make him happy at all, and all I want for him is to find joy in what he does. I am willing to let him leave."

The other councilwoman managed to turn her gaze away from the tormented tailor and looked at Ashura, who immediately straightened up.

"And you are his mentor, I presume."

"Yes madam. I am Ashura Otoro, innkeeper, and have taken Reth under my wing when he first showed interest in working at the Inn, mainly as a cook."

"Good. And you wholeheartedly agree that this young man has high potential to pursue this Path, and are willing to help him become the best version of himself?"

"I do, madam. Reth's a good lad. He has proven to be a very capable and talented chef, and I couldn't wish for a better employee. This Path fits him like a glove and he is contributing to our society. I will gladly keep on mentoring him."

"Very well. On behalf of the council and the Bahari courthouse, I hereby confirm that your Path has officially been changed. You may ask your local magistrate to have a ceremony to renew your Path declaration, if you wish to do so. Please wait outside in the hall, we will be with you shortly to hand over the documents."

Reth let out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Tish gave him a quick hug before they turned to walk out the door. Whilst his mentor and sister already entered the hall, Reth stopped at the bench where Jel was still sketching feverishly.

"Time to go, Fancy pants," he said softly, patting the man on his shoulder.

"I can't come up with anything good," the tailor whispered, sounding panicky. "I can't show up at Mother's place empty-handed."

"Just tell them you left your sketches at home and will send them, later."

"I have nothing, Reth!"

"Sure you do, you showed me some back when we, uh, had the fitting session, remember?"

"Those are old designs! And besides, they weren't good enough. I threw them out."

"What? But they were great!"

"They shouldn't merely be "great". They have to be perfect, and those awful designs were far from it. I am failing, already. Would it be too late for me to apply for a posthaste change of Path?"

"You are not going to change your Path. You are coming with me, we'll meet up with your mom and explain that you need some more time. She'll understand when you tell her about your mental health issues. After all, Chayne had only declared you good to go a couple days back. If you keep stressing like this, you'll have a relapse, so please calm down. Can you do that for me, babe?"

Jel closed the book and put his pencil on top of it.

"I shall try for you, my Muse. Now, I believe we have a good reason for a celebration?"

"Good thing I sneaked some slices of Celebration cake with me, eh?"

Chapter Text

The carriage hobbled along the cobblestone road, weaving through a maze of massive buildings and immaculate parks. Even though the siblings used to live in the city, and Ashura had visited old friends multiple times before, they had never seen this side of it. This was the realm of the rich and famous, or in some cases the notorious.

They stopped at a ornamented iron gate, behind which lay a path of white gravel leading up to an equally white fountain surrounded by perfectly color coordinated hyacinths, birch trees and azaleas. As the four Majiri walked up to the fountain, it was clear that Jel was anxious.

"Very well," Jel sighed, "Now that we're here, I'd like to remind you that there will be no dillydallying. We meet Mother and my sisters, have some small talk over a beverage of your liking, have my dreams crushed by the weight of their expectations and disappointment, and then we'll head back to Kilima where I will be put back on Chayne's watch-list."

"Oh, come on, it can't be that bad!" Tish replied, patting her friend on the shoulder. "We had a great time a while back."

"I know, but that was when Mother summoned me. Now, it's Sekai who invited us, and she has sensed that I'm not in the right position to face my family. She can sniff out drama like a Plumehound hunting for Chapaa. "

"No offense, but you're quite dramatic, yourself."

"There is a distinct difference between being dramatic and causing drama. She is very talented in the latter."

"So maybe she likes spilling tea -" Tish started, but got interrupted by Jel's unamused chuckle.

"Sekai doesn't merely "spill tea", my dearest friend. She's the type of person who will hand-pick the best leaves from your own garden, put the kettle on in your kitchen, brew the tea, put it in your prettiest teapot - a family heirloom if possible - then set your kitchen on fire and happily pour the scalding tea out on your prize-winning roses while watching your house burn down. And then smash the teapot."

Tish decided this wasn't the hill she was going to die on. She felt it couldn't be that bad. Sekai had been very kind to her when she had visited the mansion for the first time.

Behind the fountain there was more gravel, and two massive staircases leading up to the Omiata mansion. Reth and Ashura had to look skyward to the point of nearly falling over to take in every detail. It was massive. Luxurious. And it made Ashura wonder how long it would take one simple man to clean all those windows.

"Do you house an entire village in here?" Reth asked.

"Well, considering the amount of servants, I'd say it comes very close to it."

"You have servants?"

"Mother and my siblings do. I no longer live here, so please direct your judgment elsewhere."

They turned their heads toward the balcony above, where an elderly woman stood, dressed in the most extravagant coat one could have ever imagined. It was so black, it could best be described as a coat-shaped void, save from the collar, which was lined with equally-black-but-not-as-black fur. The underlayer, which became visible when the woman spread out her arms, had trapped just about every color in existence. Underneath that coat, she wore a designer-dress of which the colors reminded Reth of an oilspill, shifting in the daylight as she moved.

"My baby boy has arrived!" she loudly proclaimed, much to the embarrasment of Jel, who was now contemplating if this would be the right moment to just make a run for the hills and never look back.

"At least she's happy to see you," Reth whispered to him.

"It's feigned. Let's get this over with, shall we?"

Jel stepped forward and bowed his head, briefly, before heading up the stairs, followed by his friends.

"Mother. It's good to see you again," he started, before muttering under his breath: "Though I had hoped my absence would have lasted longer."

"Our dearest Sekai told me of your arrival in Bahari City. How come you didn't notify your dear Mother in advance?"

"I merely traveled alongside my comrades as moral support. We hadn't planned ahead and thought we wouldn't have time for a visit."

"Nonsense, you should always be able to make time for family."

"There are only so many hours in a day, Mother." And more often than not, an hour only seems to last two and a half minutes.

They followed the eccentric woman inside and into the hallway, which seemed to stretch so far back that Tish automatically felt sorry for the person who had to sweep these floors. The walls were garnet-red with heartwood paneling. Blown-up versions of magazines were hung every few meters, showcasing every issue on which the House of Omiata had appeared on the cover. Jel successfully distracted Ashura long enough to walk past his own dreaded cover photo without looking at it. The poor Innkeeper would never be the same again if he saw that image.

Barinka Omiata led them to a sunroom, where her daughters were standing in line like a row of mannequins. Imani quickly waved at them with a smile, before returning to her original position, hands neatly folded in front of her.
Their mother addressed Jel's friends as she introduced the sisters one by one, before telling them all to take a seat at the long wooden table in the middle of the sunroom. Jel didn't pay much attention, he was too focused on Sekai, trying to figure out whether she was about to burn him to a crisp or not.

His attention was brought back by the finger snapping of Mother.

"Jel, dear, won't you introduce your friends to us?"

"Ah, yes, off course. You have met Tish before, so I believe she needs no further introduction - sorry, my dearest friend - so I shall move on to Ashura, the owner of the Ormuu's Horn Inn."

"Oh, I believe I heard of it, before! A tavern, isn't it?" Barinka replied, "is it a renowned establishment?"

"The best tavern in Kilima Village!" Reth chimed it, receiving a glare from his employer in return.

"I'd say we have a decent reputation," Ashura said.

"And this is Reth, Tish' older brother who also works at the tavern as a cook."

Reth felt Jel's hands on his shoulders. Deep inside, he wondered if the tailor would mention their relationship in some way. Though he knew it would be wishful thinking; not even Ashura knew about the romance that had blossomed between them.

Barinka looked at him with interest and said: "So, you are the sous chef?"

"More like the soup chef, really," he replied.

The woman looked a bit taken aback, but decided not to enquire any further than that. Most of her guests and family had already directed their attention to the door that had just opened, making way for several servants to bring in the high tea she had requested.

About an hour passed with small talk and mild interest in each other's day to day life. Jel felt like he could relax a bit and sat back. Surely he would get through this visit unscathed, as long as no-one directed their attention to him and ask about his -

"By the way, how are your designs coming along, dear brother?"

Ah. There it was. Sekai smiled wickedly at him and leaned on the table, her head cupped by her perfectly manicured hands. It only took a second before all the other members of his family stared him down.

"To be honest, my darling sister, I currently have no designs at hand. After all, it was not my intention to visit."

"Oh, but you had a sketchbook on you. I noticed it when I saw you at the courthouse. Don't be untruthful to your family. You must have some designs and ideas jotted down on those pages."

Amara held out her hand towards him.

"Hand me the book," she demanded. Amara never beat around the bush. She'd beat straight into the bush until it turned on its back waving its roots in the air, apologetically, despite having done nothing wrong. Jel felt his blood run cold.

"I have nothing," he managed to say.

"I'll be the judge of that. Book, now."

Reluctantly, he rummaged through the small pouch he had brought with him and felt the leather rub against his fingers. Maybe he could make up a lie, and say he must've forgotten it at the courthouse. He felt eighteen - pardon, seventeen - eyes stare at him and just knew that one of them would catch him in his lie. Best to get this over with and face the consequences.

He dared not look his eldest sister in the eyes as he handed over the small book. He heard them flip the pages in silence and couldn't help but flinch as his mother spoke.

"This is all so... ordinary. It doesn't fit the Omiata standards, dear."

"Function over form, in this case," Nia remarked. "It might work for the blue collar workers down in Kilima, maybe, but it misses... well, just about everything that would make it haute couture."

"Brother, what has happened?" Sekai asked with a sickeningly sweet voice. "You have only just been accepted to our House and you're failing, already?"

"Can you explain yourself?" Amara didn't even look up.

"He's been having some health problems," Reth interrupted. "So he hadn't been able to sketch for a long time."

"I didn't know you picked up ventriloquism as a hobby," Amara sneered at her brother. "I could've sworn I asked you a question, but the answer came from somewhere else."

Jel's breathing became more shallow and he tried hard to swallow back the lump in his throat.

"I have been ill," he squeaked.

"Were both your wrists broken? Sprained? Fingers crushed?"

He kept shaking his head at every suggestion.

"Then why have you brought us nothing but disappointment? Illness is no excuse and you know it. You've seen us power through various sicknesses, before. We never failed to deliver marvelous designs, so why have you? What. Is. Wrong. With. You."

Jel shrugged and shook his head once more. He cowered as Amara slammed her fist on the table, making the dishes and silverware rattle.

"Courtyard, now," she growled. This made Jel finally look up at her with pleading eyes.

"Amara, let's not -"

"NOW."

Chapter Text

The courtyard looked like a sandbox with decorative boulders more that anything. If it was supposed to be a zen-garden, the Omiata family had yet to find someone to carefully rake the sand. Or maybe they had found someone, and they had simply not finished sweeping the hallway yet.

Jel hung his head and reluctantly followed his eldest sibling to the open area. She took a cane from the stand that was next to the doorframe and marched to the center of the dry garden, kicking the sand up.
The youngest Omiata glanced at the remaining canes, but decided against taking one. He stood still at the edge of the garden, pondering what was worse: receiving a punishment from Amara or having to shake the sand out of his garments for the upcoming weeks.

Amara planted the cane firmly into the sand and took off her jacket. For a woman with her type of figure - she looked fairly identical to Jel - she sure had massive biceps.
She then turned to her little brother and pointed at a spot in front of her.

"Here, now," she demanded through gritted teeth.

There was no point in waiting for the inevitable, Jel realized. He straightened his scarf and walked towards his sister, heels sinking into the loose sand.

"Now, Amara, I don't think we -"

He yelped and stumbled back just in time as the cane whooshed past his torso and hit a boulder. He heard something crack, and it wasn't the cane that made the sound. He didn't get much time to study the damage on the rock, for Amara kept on swinging at him.

"Oh, she took the flow-wood cane!" Sekai giggled. She somehow managed to find a bowl of popcorn before joining the others to watch. "That means she's really mad."
The other sisters regarded the one-sided fight and other-sided flight with mild amusement. They had longed for some entertainment. All work and no play made life kind of dull.

"Aren't you going to stop them?!" Ashura asked Barinka, who was looking at the scene with the same amount of interest as an Ormuu watching Auni sneak out at night.

"It's just an innocent dispute among siblings. They'll sort it out, themselves."

"This might end badly."

"Oh, don't worry, Amara knows what she's doing."

"She's not the one I'm worried about."

Reth was about to run onto the sand to get inbetween the pair and stop this nonsense, but felt a hand grab his arm. He looked back at Nia, who shook her head.

"Trust the process," she said softly.

"Remember what we taught you! Stop running away from your problems and face them head-on!" Amara yelled.

Jel, who had nearly fallen down as he slipped on the loose surface to keep out of Amara's reach, felt something click in his mind. He stood up straight, dug his heels in the sand and turned his head towards his sister. She had her weapon raised above her head and brought it down.

Tish hid behind her brother and shrieked. Ashura nearly broke the balustrade with how tight he gripped it, unable to look away even if he wanted to. The Omiata family remained calm and collected.

The cane came down and stopped right before it hit Jel on the nose. It was so close to him, he'd have to cross his eyes to look at its tip. He balled his fists and forced himself to stay perfectly still. Don't flinch, don't take a step back. He stared down the cane at his sister, who now had a smirk on her face.

"Good boy," she muttered, "Now, I need to know: why do you continuously run back to your little safe zone whenever you're designing? The dress for the Bahari's daughter, for example. I've seen the original sketches with the pirana teeth, but you ended up making a more mundane dress. Why?"

"Her mother strongly disliked the teeth," he replied, trying to breathe at a normal pace.

"And what did the daughter want?"

"She wanted the dress with the teeth. She was very displeased by the end result, to be honest."

"Why did you do what her mother wanted?"

"She was paying for it, so that technically made her the client. Plus, I was afraid she might complain to our Mother about it, and she'd disown me for going against a client's wishes."

Amara changed her stance and brought the cane up and around her back as if it were a baseball-bat, before swinging it horizontally towards her brother. He ducked down and lost his balance, putting his hands down to not fall over completely. The sand was hot to the touch.

"Don't ever make assumptions about people's reactions! The only people you should listen to are the ones who will be wearing your designs! Their opinions count first and foremost! Can you get that through your thick skull?"

The cane tapped him on the head, not hard enough to do any damage, but it did ensure a headache.

"Yes, Amara."

"Don't you dare crawl back, ever again."

She kicked some sand into his face and created some distance between them, before ordering him to get up.

Ashura frowned and leaned onto the balustrade, which creaked under his weight.

"Her tactics remind me of something, or better yet, someone. I just can't quite put my finger on it," he said.

"You're a military man, am I right?" Barinka asked. "Do you happen to know Sergeant Araan?"

"Oh, I sure do. Tough as nails. I had him as my instructor back in the days."

"He's Amara's grandfather," she replied with a soft smile.

"Really? I remember his son, Armin! He's Amara's father, then?"

"Yes, he was! My, what a small world this is."

Reth glared at the both of them and growled: "I'm happy you've found something to reminisce about, but I'm trying to focus on the murder of my friend, if you don't mind."

"He'll be fine," Ashura muttered.

Jel had stood up and tried to brush the sand off his face with his sleeve. His sister walked around him, cane held in one hand.

"You need to be more confident. Don't care about what others may think. Always be one step ahead."

She stood still. Jel looked to the left of him, where she was standing, cane held out for him to grab hold of. He glanced at the flow-wooden object, unsure of what to do. Amara sighed, rolled her eyes and pulled the cane away from her brother before hitting him in the stomach with it. Jel doubled over.

"Never hesitate," she sneered. "Stay upright if you know what's good for you."

He swallowed, took a deep breath and tried his best to straighten up despite the pain. He pressed his hands against his belly, hoping it would subdue the feeling.

"What more do I have to repeat? I thought you had finally found that spark, when I saw that cover. That must've taken you a lot of courage. It was a statement, you showed yourself in a whole different light. Something that the old you would have considered to be scandalous. It was sensual... sexual... And you owned it. Why the hell did you let your prudish self crawl back out, again?"

"That might be my bad," Reth yelled from the sideline.

"Shut up!" Amara yelled back. "Another thing to remember: don't rely on others to fix your problems."

She swung the cane once more, aiming for the back of his ankles. He fell and landed on his back. For a moment he closed his eyes as the afternoon sun shone bright up above the dry garden. Amara put the tip of the cane on his chest.

"Never lose focus. Pay attention to your surroundings and every single detail. My dragon, why do I have to keep repeating myself..."

She lifted the cane and looked down on him. Jel expected her to tell him to get up again, but that would prove to be difficult with that wooden stick hovering above him. Or maybe she wanted him to pull himself up? Hesitantly, he brought his hand to the cane and cried out as she instantaneously brought it down onto his sternum, hard.

"Don't expect handouts. One day, we won't be around to help you any longer. It's best for you to anticipate that."

She took some distance, again, and left him wheezing on the ground. Jel felt the sunrays beating down on him, yet he was shivering. Built up emotions were about to be unleashed, but he couldn't let them. It would only show his family how weak he was. The runt of the litter. He slowly and carefully turned to his stomach and pushed himself up, wincing in pain. When he had finally managed to sit upright in a kneeling position, he stared ahead at the cracked boulder.

"I've never lived up to your expectations, have I?" he started. "I was a disappointment to you since the moment I took my first breath. Mother had always been so proud to be the sixth daughter of a sixth daughter. She must've been over the moons when she fell pregnant again, after birthing five beautiful girls."

He paused. There was no response. No consolation. Thus he continued:
"And then I came along: close, but not quite the child the family expected me to be. All of the Omiata matriarchs had tried to persuade me into embracing my feminine side, but they failed to do so. I was never as refined and talented as my sisters. You all ascended so gracefully and with little to no issues, while I stumbled every step of the way. And yes, you have faced your own hardships, but you seemed to handle them with ease, for you had the sisterhood to guide you. I, on the other hand, never quite belonged in your close-knit group."

He moved his head towards Amara to address her, but didn't look up.

"You, my eldest sister, have paved the way for the rest of us and held the lantern, so we could see its light in the darkness. But, whether it have been deliberate or not, you failed to realize that as the last sibling in line, I could barely see the flame in the distance. I've been stumbling around in those shadows for so long and you all kept walking further away from me. I couldn't keep the pace. And now I'm lost, Amara... so hopelessly lost."

The silence that followed was so deafening, one could hear a grain of sand be moved by the wind. Even his closest friends were apparently too busy mulling over his monolog to respond.
Amara leaned on the cane and shifted her feet. Jel finally dared to glance up at her. She looked bored.

"Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?" she asked. "I keep hearing all sorts of reasons why you're the saddest little Majiri on this planet and how every single organism had turned against you. Considering you have such a beautiful way with words, let me add onto it: you've been roaming about like a brainless palcat and we've been grabbing you by the scruff of your neck to drag you back in line, multiple times. We've even put you in front of the finish line and even then you somehow managed to stagger off to another direction. And if you think that your sex has anything to do with it, think again. I honestly don't care whether it be ovaries or testicles, but you really need to grow a pair."

Again, that deafening silence took over. Jel bowed his head in defeat. Somewhere in the distance a bell rang.
Amara walked around him, dragging the cane through the sand to draw a crude circle. She ended up standing in front of him.

"Hold your arms out in front of you, palms down," she ordered.

He did as he was told, expecting her to whack his hands as a final form of punishment. Instead, she placed the cane on his wrists and left it there.

"Mother and I have a meeting planned at this time. You better still be in this circle when I get back, and the cane must not hit the ground, no matter what. Think long and hard about what I've said. Maybe some of it will finally stick."

She turned around and walked back to the mansion, her sisters and Barinka following her inside. As soon as they were out of sight, Reth finally felt his legs come back to life. All this time, it had been as if he were frozen on the spot. Tish and Ashura soon followed and made their way onto the sand, joining Reth as he knelt down.

"Are you okay? We could leave right now and never turn back. They're too busy with their meeting, now."

Jel remained motionless for a while, his eyes focused on the cane. He bit the corner of his lip, an idea forming in his head. He wouldn't run away. That would only make things worse. No, he had to show some courage. That was what Amara wanted from him, right?

"Tish, you don't happen to have any iron nails and a hammer on you?"

The carpenter rummaged through the pockets of her dress. A good girl never leaves the house unprepared.

"I have something even better," she eventually said, holding out her loot to Jel. "Palium nails!"

"Wonderful."

With a flick of his wrists, he managed to roll the cane down his hands and caught it mid-air. He looked up at his friends and smirked.

"I have a plan."

Chapter Text

Amara's heels clicked on the heartwood floor as she walked down the hall from the offices. It had taken the women about an hour to conclude their weekly meeting, though she had found her thoughts wandering off on a few occasions. Had she been too harsh on her brother? Mother didn't seem to think so. Sekai would probably think that she'd been too soft.

The girls were easy to keep in check. They had shown talent from the very beginning and were far more courageous than their youngest sibling, taking risks with their designs. When they failed, they shrugged it off, maybe had a good cry for a bit, and then went back to work with their head held high.

Jel, on the other hand, was too scared and too sensitive. He'd cower behind his older sisters when he got bullied as a child, and they had always been there to defend him. But they grew older, had lives of their own, and they wanted him to start fending for himself. He tried his best, but his attempts at being assertive made him look like a snob. It added fuel to the fire when it came to the bullying. And he slowly retreated as he reached adulthood. He had a hard time socializing. Sought solitude. His peers didn't understand his somber outlook on life.

It had come as a shock to the family when they met his best friend, and she turned out to be a ray of sunshine personified.

Amara loved her brother, really. But he had been the cause of many headaches and worries. She wanted him to succeed, but they could only give him so many chances to prove himself worthy.

She straightened up and held her head high as she approached the doorway to the dry garden. She had to keep up appearances.
She marched toward the opening, inhaled, and felt her foot hit something hard, causing her to stumble forward. Clumsily, she tried to regain her balance on those damned heels, but still ended up with a face full of sand and scraped knees.

She yelled some obscenities out of sheer frustration and looked up at the man who was now towering over her. He looked down through his magenta glasses, a sly smile plastered on his visage.

"Are you alright, dear sister?" he asked sweetly. "That was quite the tumble."

"What the hell is this all about?!" she growled at him. "I gave you orders -"

"And I have obeyed them. You told me I should be in the circle when you got back. I am in the circle, as you can see."

Amara pushed herself up and followed Jel's hand gesture.

"But the cane- "

"Has never hit the ground, as per your instructions."

He now gestured to the doorway. The cane was fixed to the doorframe, about ten centimeters above the floor. Palium nails glittered in the sunlight. Tish was leaning against the wall, smiling apologetically while waving her hammer.

"I've thought about what you said, and you're right," Jel said, attracting his sister's attention. "I should be more courageous and confident. And I shouldn't accept handouts or rely on others to solve my issues, that much is true. However, I feel I am allowed to ask for help, and to accept a hand that has been reached out to me by a helpful friend."

Amara furrowed her brow as she mulled over his words. She slowly moved to sit on the sand, legs crossed.

"You're right. I see no reason why you shouldn't accept that. Be a dear and help your sister up, will you?"

She extended her arm and waited for Jel to take it. He almost, almost hesitated, but reached out nonetheless. With a firm yank she pulled him down, quickly grabbing him by the shoulders to keep him from escaping. Reth nearly stepped forward to save his friend from more pain, but was held back by his employer. It soon became apparent why.

"You managed to disobey me without breaking my rules!" Amara laughed, ruffling her brother's hair. "You've shown some guts! It took you long enough!"

Jel looked up at her, a bit taken aback by the moodswing. His head was now resting in the crook of her arm, his torso laid uncomfortably on her bony, bloody knees. She grinned back at him.

"I'm proud of you, first and foremost. But you should still receive a minor punishment for tricking your poor old sister the way you did."

"And what do you -" Jel started, before bursting out in hysterical laughter as his sister tickled him relentlessly.

Barinka carefully stepped over the cane and regarded her children with a solemn smile. Without taking her eyes off them, she tilted her head towards Ashura.

"I told you they'd sort it out."

------

Later in the evening, when the moons had already taken their positions in the darkblue sky, both sets of siblings were enjoying each other's presence.
Imani and Fara were watching over Jel's shoulder as he was sketching in his book, giving him suggestions every once a while, whilst Amara and Nia were having an animated discussion with Tish about fabrics.
Sekai was far more interested in interrogating Reth, who in turn felt he'd be better off keeping his mouth shut and was leaning back in a plush chair, hands folded on his stomach.

Ashura almost found himself nodding off, if it weren't for a slender hand touching his arm. Barinka looked up at him.

"How about we leave the youngster be. Care to join me for a nightcap?" she asked softly.

"Oh, I don't drink, to be honest."

"A cup of tea, perhaps?"

Ashura smiled at this and decided that perhaps it was indeed a good moment to retreat.

-----

Ashura thanked the servant gratefully when they served him a cup of piping hot Heat Root tea. The room was dimly lit and smelled like Briar Daisies. Barinka sat back in the seat opposite to him and took a sip of her own drink.

"So, you've been married to Armin?" he said, hoping to strike up a friendly conversation.

"Oh heavens, no," Barinka chuckled, "he only fathered Amara and stayed in touch for her. We weren't in a relationship. I've remained a single mother by choice."

"Ah, good for you. Or, at least, I mean..."

"By choice. So indeed, good for me. Every father of my children had been very understanding. I never needed a masculine presence in my life, though I didn't want to keep them from seeing their own offspring, either. A few of them kept in touch, a few of them didn't. Amara's paternal family was more involved than any of the others. I guess that's why she is the way she is."

"She certainly acted like a drill instructor, the way she dealt with Jel."

"Hope it didn't shock you too much. She can be very... passionate about it."

"Well, I'm opposed to violence, which must sound strange, coming from a former soldier. So I don't fully agree with the way Amara handled things and how you didn't stop her. Couldn't you have taught him those lessons in a more caring way? With more patience, perhaps?"

"I'm afraid we've ran out of patience, Ashura. I want all my children to succeed and believe me, I tried the caring and understanding approach with Jel. Sometimes kids just don't want to listen to your advice."

"I know everything about it. My own son went against my advice and became a soldier."

"You didn't want him to follow in your footsteps?"

"No, and I have my reasons for that."

He took a sip of his tea and stared at the table inbetween them. His companion thankfully didn't ask for further explanation.

"There had been days I wished he had chosen his mother's Path," he continued. "She was a geographer. But when we had him, I just... had this feeling he'd choose the Path of the soldier. Not just because he's a boy, mind you, girls can become soldiers, too. But... I don't know. I loved him since the day he was born, yet my heart still hurt when I learned he was a boy. I'm sorry, I'm having a hard time explaining."

"You were afraid of what the future might have had in store for him?"

He nodded in silence.

"I get what you're saying," she continued. "I coped with similar feelings when Jel was born. Though not because of any Path-related issues, mind you."

"Was it because of the "sixth daughter of a sixth daughter" thing?"

"Yes. I assumed Jel was going to be another girl. Everyone in my family expected it to be so. I can still remember the moment he was born. My Shepp assisted me, as she did with my other children. I thought everything would go according to the plan: child is born, she'd immediately announce the birth of another daughter, and everyone would live happily ever after."

She paused for a brief moment.

"But she didn't. I gave birth, she looked the child over and walked away. My mother, who was present during my labour, went after her. The words she spoke when she came back..."

The leather armrest creaked as she dug her nails in it.

"She said that I gave birth to a girl, though there were some flaws. "But it is salvageable" she said, "it just needs to be mended.". As if she was talking about a ripped garment. And I was too dazed to call her out. Too afraid of what was wrong. She started talking about surgeries. About getting rid of "excess pieces". Maji be thanked that my Shepp sent her out and put my mind at ease. Jel was just... Jel. And he's perfect the way he is. Come to think of it, I was more afraid of the stunts my mother and grandmother would pull."

"Please tell me they didn't..."

"I know what you're thinking of, but they were unable to plan any surgeries. Not without my written consent, anyway. They tried to persuade me, but my Shepp advised me not to. Jel's gender would become more clear to us as he grew older. Until that day, I tried the neutral approach, much to the dismay of the matriarchs. They went out of their way to announce to the world the birth of another Sixth Daughter of Omiata, and to treat him as such."

"That must've caused a lot of confusion for him."

"It did. And I'm afraid I did join them on occasion. Part of me secretly held onto that very small chance that he'd present himself as a girl. But that hope fleeted when he was about five years old and looked up at me with those big, blue eyes, asking me why granny called him her baby girl even though he was not. I took him in my arms, kissed his forehead and told him he was my special little boy, and granny was being a silly Muujin."

She smiled at that memory, and Ashura smiled along.

"That special little boy has grown up to be a wonderful man, miss Omiata. You can be proud of him."

"I am. I most definitely am. Now, I believe it is time to retreat to our respective bed-chambers. My servant will guide you, you will be staying in the chamber opposite to Jel's. So, if you need anything, you can either call for a servant or cross the hallway, if you feel more comfortable with that."

They bowed to one another before heading to their rooms, each going another direction. Ashura felt uneasy as he followed the small servant accompanying him and tried to make some small talk, though she dodged every personal question. As he entered the room, he felt even more uncomfortable and out of place. It was too big for one person. It felt more like an apartment. He sat down on the bed, looked around, and got up again.

"Nope," he said to himself, and left the chamber.

The door across from his stood slightly open. He carefully pushed against it and took a peek inside. A bedlight illuminated the interior and three sleeping figures on the massive bed.
He crept towards them and couldn't help but smile. Even while sleeping, their poses reflected their personalities: Jel was laying on his back, hands neatly folded on his chest. Tish was curled up snugly against his left side, her blonde hair flowing behind her like waves made of honey. Reth was laying against Jel's right side. His arm and leg thrown over the other man, almost hugging him.

Ashura took the blanket near the footboard and covered the trio with it, before turning off the lamp. Now, only Tish' flower shone bright in the darkness.

Ashura felt around until he found an armchair near the bed and sat down. He had slept in more difficult circumstances, before. He could handle one night slumbering upright. At sunrise, they would travel back to Kilima.

He hoped Subira would forgive him for staying longer than intended.

Chapter Text

The following morning, after the three youngs adults had hoisted Ashura out of the chair and had held him steady until his spine had settled back in its normal place, they met with the Omiata women at the fountain. Soon, their carriage would arrive to travel back to Kilima.

Whilst the siblings and Ashura were having small talk with Barinka and her youngest daughters, Amara pulled Jel aside.

"Let's go for a short stroll, while we still have the chance," the eldest sister said softly.

Together they walked past perfectly trimmed rosebushes and small patches of hyacinths. Having spent so much time in the valley, Jel considered the garden too prim and proper. It lacked a certain playfulness. It looked somewhat unnatural.

"Mother and I have had several meetings these past few weeks," Amara began. "She has been thinking about retirement. If she goes ahead with it, I'll be taking her spot as the head of the House of Omiata."

"That's wonderful news! I mean, it is supposed to be good, right? You're fit for the job."

"Yes, it is... good. And Mother will still be around to help me, off course."

"Are you nervous?"

She thought about it for a moment. Amara had taken on many responsibilities. Sometimes she felt like she was already the Head of the House. But the thought of actually being in that position... it did scare her a bit.

"There are things that I'm worried about. At this moment, I can still call upon Mother for help. One day, she'll be no longer with us and I'll be on my own."

"You'll still have us, dear sister."

Amara halted and stared at the ground. Jel, who had taken a few steps forward, now turned to look at her, his head tilted.

"Jel, once Mother officially announces her retirement, I will be required to give you an ultimatum. Mother wanted to keep this from you, but I can't pretend everything is fine until that moment."

She looked up at her brother, who now averted his worried gaze.

"After the announcement, you'll have one more month to prove yourself worthy and capable of designing for our House. If you fail to do so, you will no longer be allowed to design for us. No more second chances."

"What will I do when that happens?"

"If that happens... well, you'll still have your shop in Kilima. Just because you wouldn't be designing under our label doesn't mean you won't be allowed to start your own. And I've seen your creations. They're very good."

"But not enough."

"I'm afraid not. But you're getting closer with every design. May I remind you that you're responsible for the Omiata intimate apparel line?"

"And I have brought nothing to the table."

"Yet. Consider this a heads up. As soon as you set foot in the valley, you'll have to start working on it."

"Do you have any advice?"

Amara walked up to him and cupped his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her.

"Sometimes, you'll have to think outside the box. Be less prudish, and start being more... adventurous. I think your redheaded friend might be able to assist you."

She winked at him. He felt his face turn pink.

"How did you-"

"I've dealt with infatuated sisters, before. I've seen the signs in the quick glances and light touches you have been giving one another. You thought you were being sneaky, but I always look for the little details."

The sound of approaching footsteps ended their conversation. Sekai walked up to them, a grin plastered on her face.

"There you are! Have you stolen my dearest brother away from me, Amara? I needed a quick chat with him about his friend."

Jel sighed and looked at her over the rim of his glasses, waiting expectantly for Sekai to continue.

"Do you happen to know where his interests may lay, besides soup?" she asked sweetly.

"Not with you, that's one thing I'm certain of," he replied. He saw Amara turn away from them from the corner of his eye, her lips pressed together.

"Oh? Does he have a special someone, then?"

"You may drop the act, Sekai. You take after your tabloid-journalist of a father, I'm certain you've figured it all out, already."

"Fine. How long have you been seeing each other? Have you kissed, yet? How does he look underneath that ensemble?"

"Long enough, yes and absolutely delicious."

Sekai giggled at his answer and threw her arm around his shoulders, pulling him along as they walked back to the others.

"You know, Mother has always taught us that it is important to share, especially among siblings."

"Yes, but she has also taught us that we shouldn't be sharing our most beloved and special toys."

"Still sour about me not sharing my My Tiny Sernuk dolls back in the days? I still have them if you'd like to trade."

Jel chuckles and pushed her arm away from his shoulders.

"Reth is my Muse, Sekai. Off course, he could always decide to pursue another relationship, that much is true. But please, don't start aggressively flirting with him."

"Who said anything about Reth? I meant the other guy."

Jel froze in mild horror and looked back at his sister. She kept a straight face for a good few seconds before bursting out in laughter. Amara, walking nearby, shook her head while grinning.

"I'm only joking, brother," Sekai managed to say through her chuckles. After a moment of silence, she added: "That innkeeper is kind of cute, thought."

"Oh, please don't tell me you have daddy issues."

"We all have daddy issues, Jel."

They arrived at the fountain just as the carriage rode up the lane. Last goodbyes and respectful bows were exchanged (and in one particular case a wink, which left Ashura feeling slightly confused and weirded out). The carriage hobbled as they rode off, back to the valley.

Back home.

Chapter Text

The best thing about working at the only tavern in the valley, was that it made it very easy to set up an impromptu Path renewal ceremony. Reth didn't want some big fancy get-together, but would rather spend quality time among the friends and family who had shown their support along the way.

It didn't take very long until Sifuu was too intoxicated to not challenge everyone to have an arm wrestling competition, much to Hassian's embarrassment.

Badruu decided that now was the best time to keep pauses between his songs to a minimum, singing traditional songs in the Old language with complicates titles like "In nije dei", "Wêr bisto" and Delaila's favorite "Ik ha dy leaf", occasionally adding more modern songs like "Yes, we have no bananas". He reckoned that as long as his arms were busy playing his lute, Sifuu wouldn't pick him as his next victim.
He was wrong.

While everyone was busy socializing with one another, Reth took the opportunity to whisper to Jel: "You, me, backroom, five minutes?"

Jel blinked at him and let his gaze wander to the small kitchen behind the bar. The cook grumbled and pointed towards the stairs leading down.

"The other backroom. Basement, whatever. Meet me there."

The tailor wanted to ask him why, but his partner has already disappeared in the crowd. He waited exactly five minutes as per the instructions before retreating towards the stairs, careful not to alert anyone, and descended them.

The music and Sifuu's laugh faded into the background as he stepped into the basement. He had never been here, before, and was a bit surprised to see the small canal in the middle. Before he could investigate the room any further, he got pulled to the side and pushed against the stone wall. Warm lips met his own, a soft tongue pushed its way into his mouth, dancing around before pulling back, ending the kiss as abruptly as it began.

"Dragon, how I longed for this," Reth sighed, before kissing him again. "It's been so hard to keep myself from flirting with you."

"Truly? Then I suppose I must succumb to your affection and pick-up lines?" Jel said inbetween kisses, folding his arms around Reth's neck and pulling him closer.

"Are you a Peki? Because you're impeccable. Or a Chapaa, because you ran off with my heart... or a debilitating cartel debt, because you've got my interest."

Jel smiled against the other man's lips, before replying with: "Mind if we step outside for some fresh air, because you took my breath away."

Reth pulled back and raised his eyebrows.

"Okay, that was impressing. Are you into bad boys? Because I'm bad at everything."

This made the tailor chuckle and earned the cook a long, deep kiss. Reth slowly tugged the back of Jel's blouse from under his waistband, yearning to feel his bare skin under his fingertips. A delighted moan vibrated in the other man's throat.
They broke their kiss for a moment to catch their breath. Jel pushed his forehead against Reth's and bit his lower lip.

"I'm getting all worked up," he whispered. "I'm afraid of what may happen if we continue."

"It won't get out of hand, I promise. Just one more cheeky pick-up line, okay? If being handsome is a crime, you're guilty as charged."

"They say nothing lasts forever. Will you be my nothing?"

"I'm good at being nothing."

"Oh, don't say- mpf!"

Reth pulled him back in for another kiss, caressing his lower back with both hands. Despite his promise, he couldn't help but press their bodies together, moving ever so slightly against each other. He moved his head, breaking the kiss once more to press his lips on Jel's neck, softly licking and sucking his tender skin, not hard enough to leave a mark, but still enough to make his lover moan. The vibration against his lips felt so wonderful.

Jel tilted his head to give his lover better access. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions. He desperately wanted this feeling to last forever, yet didn't want to take things too far. Not here, in this chilly basement, so close to his friends who were unaware of the scandalous actions that took place right underneath their feet.

The tailor peered through half-closed eyes at the staircase. His eyes suddenly widened and he immediately pushed Reth away as he saw a figure sitting on the steps. Confused, the cook looked over and froze.

"Don't mind me. I'm just enjoying the show," Kenyatta said.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Reth asked.

"Not long enough. This is more exciting than what's happening upstairs."

"Why are you sitting there?"

"Mom's looking for you to make the whole Path-ordeal official. You should be glad she sent me to look for you, otherwise she would've banned you both from the village."

Reth absent-mindedly brushed his clothes, as if it did anything to remove the wrinkles. Jel was trying his best to tuck his blouse in without being noticed.

"I thought we'd keep it small and unofficial," the redhead grumbled.

"Yup. But my mom thought otherwise. It'll only take a few minutes, and then you can go back to devouring each other."

Reth followed the magistrates daughter upstairs and turned around halfway.

"I'll join you in a moment. It'd be too suspicious if we both exit the basement at the same time."

"Not ready to be open about our romance, yet?"

"Oh, I don't mind that. I just don't want them to assume we were being obscene."

The cook grinned and shook his head, before ascending. Jel brushed his hair back and took a deep breath. Sure, they had been somewhat obscene. And it had felt delightful. The butterflies in his stomach - or maybe the nightmoths, in his case - had been fluttering like maniacs and were still active, their wings fanning away the dust off his inspiration. Creativity had struck, and he could hardly wait to start sketching.

Chapter Text

A late afternoon in Bahari Bay. The sun shone brightly upon the white pillars that were scattered around the area. Various types of Chapaa and Sernuk were darting through the tall grass. There were supposed to be Muujin roaming about as well, though they hadn't encountered any, yet.

Reth had been able to get a day off thanks to Subira, who was suspiciously eager to take over his day-shift. He had planned to take Jel for a stroll to the bay, since the latter had felt his inspiration dwindling despite the many beautiful designs he had been making, lately.

"I can't put my finger on it," the tailor said, looking up at the clouds. "I have the image in my mind, but I can't create it, not on paper nor as a garment."

"Can you at least describe it to me? I suck at mind reading."

"I wish to express... the feeling one has when gazing upon their lover. The warm sensation that flares up deep inside, the mixture of excitement with a dash of anxiety. Heart pounding in one's chest. Do you know what I'm trying to say?"

"Yeah, that's called "feeling horny", babe."

Jel gave him a playful push.

"Don't be so crude. It's more than that. It's... a tingling sensation. A spark. And I cannot for the life of me figure out how to translate these feelings into the garments I wish to make. It needs something to represent this beautiful sensation. It needs... THAT!"

The tailor pointed up to a nearby cliff, where Hodari happened to be collecting some recently mined ores. Reth followed his gaze and frowned.

"You need a sweaty middle-aged man digging around in the dirt?"

"No, I was talking about the palium ores. Also, you should never underestimate the power a sweaty middle-aged man can hold over one's inspiration. I'll be right back."

Reth didn't even get the chance to ask his partner what he meant by his comment. The lanky man had already ran towards the cliff and attracted the attention of the miner, who descended the rocky wall with the grace of a Muujin with a pulled hamstring. Even though the cook knew they were merely talking about the palium, he still couldn't shake the uneasy feeling he got, watching his lover stand with his hands behind his back, rocking back and forth on his heels ever so slightly. And he was looking at Hodari over the rim of his glasses! He only did that whenever he was either flirty, shy or mildly agitated (Reth was the proud recipient of all three editions of The Look, in some cases even an amalgamation of them).
He sucked his teeth when Jel, now all smiles, darted back to him.

"So, what's happening?" Reth asked nonchalantly.

"Oh, I've set up a meeting between Hodari and myself, the day after tomorrow."

"What for?"

"I need to know how I could incorporate Palium in my designs. I was thinking small studs. Pyramid-shaped, maybe. And he'll bring some gems if he happens to find some!"

"Sounds lovely."

Jel knitted his brow and asked: "Is there something wrong?"

Reth avoided eye contact, looking at a cliffside as if he was waiting for a Heat Root to sprout, and hummed.
A dainty hand pushed against his cheek to make him turn his head.

"Are you jealous, perhaps?"

"Pfah! Don't be ridiculous. It'd be hypocritical of me if I got angry because of your blatant flirting."

Jel chuckled and planted a kiss on Reth's lips, which were pressed together in a fine line until the moment of impact.

"Don't assume things, my Muse. I only have eyes for you. Any of my actions towards Hodari were only meant to hopefully get a discount. Now, shall we continue our walk? I believe you wanted to show me the lighthouse."

-----

The clouds had turned a significantly darker shade of gray when they had finally reached the lighthouse. The two men looked out over the restless waters, waves lapping at the wooden fragments half hidden in the sand. The wind was picking up and nearly messed up one of the sketches Jel was making in his notebook.

"What's with the weather?" Reth asked, staring up at the sky. "Look at those cunningulus clouds."

"Cumulus, my love. And yes, it looks like we might expect heavy rain. It would be welcome, after this never-ending drought we've been experiencing. Maybe we should head back to Kilima, before we-"

A loud thunderclap shook them both. The clouds released their heavy load instantaneously. Jel held his notebook to his chest as they ran for cover.

"I think we'd better wait in the lighthouse until the storm is over," Reth yelled over the noise, pulling his friend along to the entrance.

By the time they were inside, they were both drenched. Jel looked at his notebook. It had gotten wet, but shielding it with his body had kept the damage to a minimum. His ensemble and hairdo however were ruined.
Reth peered outside. The trees were swaying back and forth dangerously and the sky had turned even darker. This could last a while. They might even want to spend the night in here. His stomach growled, indicating it was around dinner time.

"So, uh, can I interest you in some mildly soggy canapés? I also have soup, which is soggy by default."

"How thoughtful of you. Were you planning on treating me to a picknick?"

"Yeah, but those plans went down the drain. Literally."

"Oh, but it is quite romantic to have dinner in an abandoned lighthouse during a thunderstorm. I think your plans have upgraded significantly."

Jel sat down on a creaking wooden bench and patted the spot beside him. Together, they ate whatever food was still deemed edible and watched the storm. It grew darker inside the lighthouse as time passed.

"I don't suppose you have any candles or lanterns on you?" Jel ventured.

"Nope, but I do know where to find some."

He took the tailor to another room and kicked away some items, uncovering a hatch in the floor. Once opened, it revealed the basement. Reth let himself drop down and helped Jel entering the basement in a more sophisticated manner.

A narrow hall lead to another small space. Candles were already lit, much to Jel's surprise.

"Grimalkin Everburning candles," the redhead explained. "They'll never burn out and can only be snuffed out by wetting your fingers and pinching the wick."

"They're... fascinating. I might need some of those for my apartment."

"You can take some with you in the morning. I don't think anyone would miss one or two of them. As a matter of fact, I think that crate over there is full of them."

"Are we really spending the night in here?"

"There are cots to lie down on. I'd rather stay here than to be fried by a lightning bolt. I've stashed some blankets and other basic needs in here, so don't worry about that."

"How so? Did you somehow know this was going to happen?"

Reth froze for a moment and cursed to himself. Off course, he just couldn't keep his mouth shut.

"I, uh... I like to spend time at the lighthouse and felt I should keep some stuff around. Premonition, I guess."

"Ah, I see. Well, it's a good thing we have everything at hand, then. Would you mind if I take off my clothes? I don't like the feeling of wet fabric."

"Neither do I, so I could ask you the same thing."

A faint blush appeared on Jel's face. He turned around and undressed himself, revealing dark purple mesh and lace. Reth found himself staring, until he realized he had yet to find the blankets.

As they hung their wet clothes to dry, they clumsily moved around each other, trying to avoid bodily contact as they settled down for the night.
The wind howled as it swept around the lighthouse. Wood creaked above them. Reth had locked the hatch from the inside, so they would be safe from intruders. Not that anyone would dare to visit the lighthouse in this weather, but better to be safe than sorry.

He stared at Jel in the dim candlelight. Sapphire blue irises gazed back at him through half lidded eyes.
There was something in the air. It carried the scent of sandalwood, Dari cloves and the sea. It reminded him of sun-kissed skin and summer evenings and it was thick and humid. Smoky ribbons danced around them, adding onto the sensuality that hung above them like the sword of Damocles.
They had agreed to take things slow, but the more time they spent laying next to one another, the more difficult it became to keep their promise.

Reth propped himself up on one arm and bent over to Jel, carefully kissing him to gauge his reaction. The tailor's soft, nimble fingers caressed his face and pulled him down to deepen their kiss. Tongues darted out and began their delightful dance. Reth's free hand explored both fabric and skin, making his way down from the other man's throat to his chest. Jel moaned in his mouth as he gently rubbed his hardening nipple through the mesh. The redhead felt the urge to venture even further down, over the smooth belly and narrowly avoiding his most sensitive area to massage his inner thigh.

Jel shifted his legs, opening them as an invitation for his Muse to please, please touch him. Reth answered this silent request by ever so gently letting one finger carress his slit, barely touching him yet still making him moan in delight. A second finger found its way, now petting him with a bit more pressure. The fabric felt damp and slippery and Reth couldn't help but grin.

"So wet, already?" he asked as he broke away from their kiss.

Incoherent mumbling was the only answer he got. He licked the tailor's body through the mesh while letting his fingers circle around his small member, spreading his fluids around. Jel let out a long sigh followed by a loud moan as he pushed the fabric aside and letting his fingers plunge between soft, wet labia, entering him. The tailor pressed his hands on his mouth in an attempt to keep his voice down, but Reth moved up to whisper in his ear: "I want to hear you, babe. Let yourself go."

He removed his hands from his mouth and grabbed hold of the blankets instead. They slipped further off of him, the air slightly cooling the now uncovered heat between his legs. Pure lust washed over him. He needed Reth to satisfy his needs, to bed him, to fuck him. Proper courting be damned!

Reth looked down on his lover and saw the hunger in his eyes. It exceeded mere carnal desire. It felt... what was the word? Savage in some way. An old instinct that reared its head and growled, exposing fangs and digging its claws into tender skin.
He had removed his boxers before his brain could even register his motions and briefly rubbed his hard dick over the wet folds, lubricating himself before thrusting in. Jel's voice battled against the storm outside and won. Nails dug into Reth's back, leaving red marks as the tailor dragged his fingers over his skin. Teeth grazed and bit down, careful to avoid breaking skin.
Reth thrusted in at a faster pace, holding the other man by the hips to reach the innermost depths of his body. Jel licked his fingers before moving them over his member, rubbing and tugging it as he felt an orgasm wash over him, making him contort his body and scream out in utter bliss. Reth felt the inner walls spasm, practically milking him for his cum. He pulled the other man close as he reached his own orgasm deep inside of him, grunting obscenely as he felt his semen shoot out in thick streams.

He managed to pull out and move to the side before he collapsed. He lazily caressed Jel's body with one hand, feeling his muscles spasm under his fingers. He smiled when he looked at the profile of the tailor. The tips of his ears twitched in synch with the spasms. He would save Jel from the embarrasment for now. At this very moment, all he wanted to do was rest.

Chapter Text

There was a soft glow piercing the darkness. It was pulsating for just a brief while, slowly waking Reth from his slumber. It disappeared as he opened his eyes. Had he been dreaming? It must be so. There was noone in this basement beside him and Jel.

Jel...

His mind was still somewhat hazy as he tried to recollect his thoughts and remember everything that had happened the night before.
The first thing he recalled was the sex, off course, but the memory almost felt like a dream... As if he wasn't all there when it happened. He carefully stood up and felt his way towards the sink, searching for clues. Two washcloths, still damp to the touch. He had helped Jel clean up after taking a few minutes to catch his breath. His mind rewarded him with the mental image of the tailor laying on the blankets, chest heaving and cum dripping from his smooth, warm slit. It had taken him a lot of effort not to eat him out right then and there.
Or did he?

He tried to remember what had happened before the cleanup, but turned up with nothing. He touched the cloth again. If they only had intercourse early in the evening and washed themselves after that, the cloth would've been dry by now, right?

Alright, so at least he could confirm they had sex and cleaned up afterwards. Then, he had gone around the room to snuff out the candles one by one, covering them in the darkness of the night before falling asleep. He did remember that much.

The scent of the candles had slowly dispersed, making the air feel less thick. At least now he could think more clearly, and came to the realization that of all the things he had stashed in this room, a box of matches had not been on the list.

He cautiously walked through the hall to the hatch to listen for any activity up above. Bright light seeped in through the  gaps, making it clear that it was daytime. How long had they slept?

He quickly dressed himself, a task made easier now that his eyes were used to the dark, and crouched down next to the cot where Jel was sleeping on his side.
He caressed the tailor's shoulder to try and wake him, and let his hand roam downward towards his waist. Off course he knew Jel was slender, but now he realized he could practically count the man's ribs. Reth made a mental note to serve his lover more chowder.

He kissed him on the cheek and said: "Babe, time to wake up. We've got to go."

Jel cringed and covered his nose.

"Oh dragon, your breath," he muttered, still half asleep.

"Thanks, I love you, too. But you really need to get up. It's daytime, Maji knows what time it is."

Jel groaned and pushed himself up in a sitting position. He stared ahead into the darkness for a while until his brain caught up.

"I'm indecent."

"That's okay, I don't mind." Reth grinned and bent forward to place a kiss on his naked thigh. A gentle hand patted his head.

"Do you have any recollection of last night's events?" the tailor said.

"Half and half. How about you?"

"We went further than we should have gone..."

"Are you regretting it?"

"Not at all. And you?"

"I don't know. I might need to try it again, to be sure."

He heard a soft chuckle above him as he was pushed back.

"We might want our second romantic rendezvous to take place in a less... rustic setting. Preferably near a bathroom." Jel's stomach growled, as if on cue. "And a kitchen."

"Go and get dressed, babe. If we're lucky, I can hijack Hodari's grill if he's out and about."

-----

It appeared to late in the morning when they had emerged from the basement. Hungry and slightly sore, they made their way past herds of Proudhorned Sernuk and shimmering rocks filled with Palium ores. Up on the cliffs, a few humans were mining and some jumped over the edge, zooming over them with their gliders.

"Those folks really have no fear, do they?" Reth commented, looking up as one of them glided right up to a wall and grabbed hold of it, climbing the last few meters up to chop a flow-tree with little effect.

"I admire them for it. To live their life to the fullest. No worries, no recollection of past sorrows."

"Do you have any sorrows you'd like to forget?"

Jel stood still for a moment, gazing towards a field of flowers.

"There have been some issues in regards to my family and my own identity that have resulted in great sadness. Sometimes I wish I could erase them from my mind."

"Problems with your mom and sisters?"

"Oh, no. Not them. Mother has always been very understanding and supportive, as were my sisters. As a matter of fact, Mother had become very vocal about gender-reveals, both before and straight after birth. I like to think that it is because of her that children are nowadays allowed to announce their own gender. My grandmother and great grandmother were less understanding."

He took his glasses and half heartedly polished them before continuing: "They still had this sliver of hope that, despite my identity, I might had been able to give them great-granddaughters. All to keep the six-daughters tradition going. Mother had tried her best to never leave me alone with them, but still they managed to take me to a Grimalkin doctor who had the technology to see if I'd be able to reproduce. To their great disappointment, the doctor told them "no"."

"Ah, so Tish won't become an aunt anytime soon, then."

"Nor anytime later. If I'd ever fall pregnant, you'll need to contact Chayne, because that would be a divine intervention."

"I get it. There is a cave-system, but it has no stalactite up there."

"What interesting symbolic language. Very suitable to this location."

"Did it offend you? Sorry if it did!"

"No, my Muse. I can take a few jokes. It's actually quite refreshing to talk about this in more light-hearted manner. Now, I do hope this doesn't clash with any of your own hopes for the future?"

"Nah, I don't think I'm suitable to be a dad. Too many things going on in my life."

"Oh?" Jel tilted his head.

"Sorry, I don't feel comfortable talking about it, yet. But rest assured: it has no effect on you or our relationship."

"Very well, not everything needs to be shared. Unless it's food, which I hope our dear friend is willing to share."

Jel waved at the man standing across the lake. Reth hadn't even noticed they were already so close to the Pavel's home. Apparently, the grill was already occupied by Hodari himself, who was now beckoning them over.

"You two look like you've had a rough night!" the miner commented as they approached him. "Let me guess, you were stranded and had to wait out the storm?"

"Yeah, we were near the lighthouse when it began," Reth answered.

"Too bad you couldn't make it to our place in time. I would've gladly let you spend the night and make you breakfast."

"I might take you up on that offer, some other time," Jel murmured. Realizing what he just said, he coughed and turned away to audibly praise the surroundings. Reth was caught off-guard, but the jealousy that briefly reared its head got subdued when he saw Hodari's bewildered look.

"I, uh... okay. How about lunch?"

-----

Lucky for Jel, the awkwardness was soon forgotten as they received a plate of well-spiced grilled meat. Najuma had joined them and now they sat and relaxed for a while. They were enjoying the sun after the heavy rainfall of the night before, when they heard some familiar voices. Delaila was being pulled along by a frantic looking Auni.

"Delaila!" Hodari called out. "I hardly ever see you around these parts. Everythin' alright?"

"Ach, Auni keeps talkin' about spirits and whatnot over at the bay. I just want to put his little mind at rest, so I'll humor him and go check it out."

"Spirits?" Najuma asked.

"Yeah! I heard them last night," Auni replied. "You wanna come with us?"

"Um, well... Yeah. I think I can work on my project later, sure."

She got up and strolled over to the boy and his mother. Hodari regarded her with a smile.

"She doesn't often hang out with that kid, but she won't miss a chance to go and look for ghosts," he said. "Anyway, I should be headin' for the mines, now. You're welcome to stick around, off course."

"We'll be leaving, too," Reth quickly said, before Jel got the opportunity to embarrass himself again. "Thanks for the meal. Next time you visit the Inn, your order is on me."

They said their goodbyes and made their way back to Kilima.

"I might want to keep the shop closed and start working on some new designs right away," Jel said as they entered the village. "Would you mind telling Tish I want to postpone our nightly ritual?"

"Sure, but I do think she'll be upset. You've already missed it, last night."

"I'll make it up to her, soon."

Before they parted ways, the cook stole a kiss from his partner, who chuckled and told him he'd better go wash himself and brush his teeth before heading to work.

Ah, off course. Work. Reth thought. Bet Zeki will be in a foul mood.

Chapter Text

"Another rain-check? I have to say, since you have started romancing him, I hardly get any time to spend with either of you guys! You almost make me regret telling you to be nice to each other," Tish said, her hands firmly planted on her hips.

"We'll make it up with you, somehow, I promise," Reth replied. He quickly checked himself in the mirror that was on display. "Damnit, forgot my headband."

"Maybe you put it in your pocket? Where were you last time you had it on you?"

The redhead rummaged through his pockets and turned up with nothing. Well, almost nothing: his fingers felt some lace as he reached way down. Best not to pull that out in front of his sister. In another pocket he felt a small, wax cylinder. One of the Grimalkin Everburning candles they had taken from the basement. Reth had held onto it for Jel, as he had already stashed away a few candles and had no more room to spare.

"Nothing," he concluded. "I must've lost it back at the bay. I better head to the Inn, now."

Tish followed him outside and watched as he left. As Reth strolled towards his daytime job, he suddenly felt a cold snout touch his hand.

"Oh, hey Tau. Whatcha up to?"

The Plumehound barked and walked around him, before sniffing his pockets.

"I don't have any food on me, if that's what you're looking for."

Tau stopped sniffing and pressed his nose against the pocket that contained the candle. One more deep inhale, a growl and a sneeze followed.

"Just a candlestick, nothing to worry about. Hey, wanna play Luna?"

Tau barked excitedly, spun around and sat down, eagerly waiting for the silly little game to start.
Reth stroked the fur on Tau's head back, before cupping his hands while resting them on the Plumehound's neck.

"One, two, three, Luna!"

He brought his hands forward, bringing Tau's fur with it to make his head appear circular. The tip of Tau's tongue sticking out really completed the picture. The Plumehound broke free from his grip and happily ran around.

Reth laughed and let his gaze wander to Tish' shop. She was still standing outside, talking to Hassian. He was kicking up some dirt and appeared to act a bit shy towards the girl. So maybe she was dating... Reth smiled to himself. Hassian was a good guy. A bit distant and grumpy, but Tish was one of those people who'd have the patience to chip away at the wall he had built around himself.

He hurried further to the Inn, explained his absence of this morning to a very understanding (and very tired) Ashura and took his position behind the bar. If he was lucky, these last few hours would be slow. He'd probably need all of his energy for tonight.

When the sun slowly sunk behind the mountains, many villagers dropped by for a drink and some socializing before ending their day. Just as Reth set down another ale for Sifuu, Delaila walked in. She sat down next to the blacksmith and ordered a drink for herself.

"Where have you been all day?" Sifuu asked.

"Out in Bahari Bay. Auni dragged me all the way to the lighthouse. Kept goin' on an on about hearing noises and thinkin it's haunted. He had me search every nook and cranny for ghosties, even in some cramped little hidin' spot in the basement. Eventually, he mentioned that the spirit must be gone cause he heard it say "Ah my dragon, I'm comin'!" so it must've passed the Veil. Oh, by the way, Reth, ye forgot yer headband, dearie."

Delaila held out her hand, his headband dangling on the tip of her finger. Sifuu burst out in laughter when Reth quickly took it from her, face flustered.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed, dearie. Badruu and I have seen various interesting locations from a horizontal perspective, ourselves. I even had to talk him out of naming Nai'o "Mayo", about nine months after a quick visit to the farm's storage room and seeing the eggs and spices up close, if ye catch my drift."

"Same goes for Taylin and I," Sifuu added. "It keeps things exciting. And sometimes there's no other option than to go at it in an unusual spot."

"Aye. We had five generations livin' in one house at some point. Badruu and I had to get creative to have some private time."

The women nodded at each other in agreement and toasted on it.

"Though I do wonder, dearie... are ya keepin' a secret for auntie Delaila? I did see ya over at Hodari's place with a certain other person."

The blacksmith nearly spat out her drink, coughed and said: "Wait, you're not banging Hodari, are you?"

"No, I'm not!" Reth replied. "And I don't think my partner would be very keen on having their dirty laundry aired out before they had the chance to wash and hang it, themselves."

"In that case, my lips are sealed," Delaila said solemnly. "And I wish ye all the best. Ye deserve a nice partner."

"Why, thank you. Now, if you ladies would please excuse me, I need to go."

Reth quickly made his way down to his storage room and sat down for a while. Delaila was onto him. Hopefully, she'd keep her knowledge to herself. If Sifuu would manage to wring it out of her, it'd only be a matter of hours until word was spreading like wildfire.
He sighed and leaned back. Now that he didn't have to go to Jel's shop, he had some time left to himself. Maybe he could get some shut-eye before his shift at the Underground started...

Reth woke up just in time for his night job and hurried along the corridor, into the Underground. Humans were flooding the other side of the room. Reth presumed Zeki had just arrived and was far too occupied by the mob to tell him off, so he made his way to the bar. He could hear the Grimalkin stomping towards his own cash register, growling at whoever was trying to get his attention.

"You!" Reth heard him yell out. He bent over the bar and saw Zeki's head poking around the corner. "I'm gonna have a  stern word with ya once the night is over, so you better stay put until I get to ya, ya hear me?!"

Reth only nodded. He had never seen Zeki this angry, before. Not in front of customers, at least. He tried his best to rake in as much gold as possible, flirting with the humans who flocked to him like Peki to a hill of seeds.

The night seemed to actually last shorter than any other night. It must've been because there was trouble ahead. Fuming trouble half his size, that now made a beeline to him, nearly running over the few remaining humans that were still busy zooming around.

"Underground's closed! Get out!" he growled at them.

The humans looked shocked, and quickly made their way out in various directions. Once the silence fell, Zeki turned to Reth, all four of his ears laying flat and neckhair raised.

"What the HELL were you up to, last night?!" he yelled.

"I got stuck in the storm and had no way to get back to Kilima, sorry!"

"Stuck in a storm he says. You're stuck in debt with the cartel, that's what matters! They contacted me when they noticed you weren't where you're supposed to be! They grew suspicious and I had to think of a cover for ya!"

"You did that for me?"

"Off course!"

"Because you like me, right?"

Zeki grabbed him by the collar and pulled him down, his eyes filled with rage.

"Because you're my responsibility, ya dumbass! I'm the one to keep you in check! And the cartel got really, really suspicious when you spent your sweet time at the lighthouse while there was nothing to be collected of delivered. So what the hell were you up to?"

"I slept there, that is all. I could've gotten hurt if we went out during that thunderstorms."

"We? Who is "we"?"

Reth started to stammer. He had to come up with a good answer, quick.

"A-a potential errand boy for the cartel!"

Zeki narrowed his eyes and showed his fangs.

"A potential errands boy, eh? You took some nitwit to the lighthouse and spent the night over there, surrounded by papers and items that might just refer to cartel activities? Reth, quick question: how dumb do you think I am?"

"You're not. You're the smartest, most talented Grimalkin entrepreneur I know!"

"Stop kissing my ass before you suffocate on a furball and STOP LYING TO ME!"

"ALRIGHT! Alright. I'm telling you to honest truth: I was out on a date, we got caught in the storm and I thought we could spend the night at the lighthouse. They didn't see any documents or anything, I swear."

"And I reckon you didn't take anything either?"

"No. Actually, yes, just a few Everburning candles. Here."

Reth took the candlestick out of his pocket and presented it to Zeki.
The Grimalkin's eyes widened and he pushed Reth away from him.

"PUT THAT THING AWAY!" he hissed.

"What? Why? It's just a candle."

"A candle LACED with stuff you'd probably never even heard of! That stuff is highly illegal, and for good reasons!"

The redhead immediately dropped it on the floor and wiped his hand.

"For what reasons?!" he asked, panic rising. "The whole room was full of them, I've been in there before!"

"Okay, let's... let's calm down, first. Those candles are meant to keep Grimalkin from snooping around for longer than necessary. The more time one spends exposed to the smoke, the bigger the headache they get."

Reth sighed in relief. "So, it just gives you a migraine?"

"That's the effect it has on a Grimalkin. Majiri, however, will have their mood boosted up to a hundred and then some. And that had led to nasty situations, before."

"What do you mean?"

"A Majiri could step into a room slightly bothered by something insignificant. Like, his mate put an empty milk container back in the icebox or whatever. He spends a long time exposed to the smoke and feels the anger rising and rising and next thing you know, his mate's intestines are now outside of his body and the walls are colored red, ya get? It amplifies your current state of mind."

Reth stared ahead, his mind wandering back to the night before.

"And do they remember anything afterwards?"

"Nope, and that's why it's illegal. Many murderers have pointed at the candles and said "the smoke made me do it, officer, and I have no recollection of what I've done". And so they got less time in the slammer. The Order got sick of it and the rest is history."

"So if someone is, for example, a bit sad..."

"They'll get very, very depressed if they've been exposed for long enough. Why? Does your date have any candles on them?"

"Yes..."

"How many?"

"Three, I think. What do I do, now?"

"Now you better go snuff 'em out and pray to your dragon they've been in a good mood when they lighted 'em. Get outta here, and don't let me down, again!"

Reth dashed to his storage room and raced through, up and outside.
Once he stood on the empty town square, he looked up at the window of the tailor shop. An eerie feeling crept its way though his nerve system.

He feared what he might find in there...

Chapter Text

Hungry woods reaching high,
snatch the light out from the sky...

Spindly, blackened fingers reached upward to the ceiling, partially blocking the illumination as they moved around slowly. Ribbons made of smoke curled around them, caressing the skin. They carried a soft shimmer with them. Sapphire blue eyes regarded the scene above with interest, studying every move.

Leafy sighs, creaking bones,
pray you don't get found alone...

He turned from his back to his stomach on the hard wood floor and pushed himself up, fingers trying to dig themselves in the hard surface. He stared at the amount of slightly crumpled papers scattered around him. He hardly had any unwritten pages left, as he had been sketching since he locked the door and lit the candles.

Crickly crack, the branches pop.
Here crawls the night that never stops.
A tree there leans with twisted grin,
her limbs are thrawn, her soul is sin.

He arched his back and growled. There was something inside of him, ancient and feral. It was eager to shed this pathetic skin, to rip it to pieces and reveal the true creature inside. Blackened eyes and strong wings to fly up to the sky and burn, burn, burn.

A hand shot out toward the paper and dragged it towards him. His other hand felt around for a pen, pencil, anything to let his thoughts flow out to show the world. Wings. Big, leather wings, wrapping themselves around ones figure.

Underneath the Crooked Moon,
stalks the King on cloven hoof.
In pale decay and empty gloom,
He comes for you...

Silvery, shimmering moonlight hugging ones body, flowing around them like a gentle river. A veil draped over them, their covered visage a Proudhorned Sernuk skull. Silver thread and gemstones adorn it. Hands and arms covered in soot. It stared back at him from the paper.
It needed more. It was hungry.

Six horns his crown, his kingdom all.
For life delicious heed his call...

He sat up on his knees and held his hands up above his head, fingers bent in strange positions. A crown, yes, not of gold or silver or copper. Bone. It needs to be made of bone. Of antlers. Yes. He could envision it, now. It was all so clear. So, so clear...

He carries six of sword and seal.
Once wayward souls, the Fallen kneel...

He grabbed his materials again and sketched furiously. Twigs and leafs made of iron and steel. Bands made of vines, decorating wrists and ankles, twisting and turning their way up.

Run, run, don't shrink and cower,
and join us at the witching hour.
We'll skip and sing in thrashing light,
to smother the shrieks of endless night.

He was burning up, inside. His blouse, already drenched with sweat, was torn away and discarded. Hair stuck to his face. He brushed it back and dug his fingers into the back of his head. He tried to fill his lungs with fresh air, but it was thick and humid and suffocating.

Dance beneath the Crooked Moon,
round rising rapture, hand in hand.
From pale decay and empty gloom,
we'll comfort you...

He held his hands up, again, grasping at things unseen, before collapsing onto the floor. He heard thumping somewhere outside the room, but paid it no heed. His heartbeat filled his ears, his head, his mind, gradually blocking out every other sound. He smudged the papers as he moved his arms, trying to find... what was he trying to find? It was there at first but now it had escaped him. Frantic eyes searched around until he was overcome by serenity. He relaxed, listening to the steady beat. His breathing shallow. It'd be fine. It'd be painless.

May our light embrace you too,
and pierce the Edge of Midnight soon.
Through wicker's blaze and ashen plume
The Crooked Moon...

His eyes glazed over and he let his mind and soul wander, ready to let them tear away from this dreaded prison. There was music deep inside of him, violins reaching their crescendo.

A sudden breeze of cool air rushed over his body, and he reawakened. His lungs battled to get that wonderful cold inside of them, screaming at his throat to please, please inhale.

He gasped loudly, air filling his lungs to the brim until they hurt and his vision went black. Strong hands turned him on his back and pushed him down. Unknown yet familiar fingers touched his face, opened his eyes, prodded and caressed and grabbed him. He struggled against them to no avail.

The exhaustion settled in once more.

All he wanted now was to curl up and sleep forever.

Chapter Text

"Jel! Damnit, JEL!"

Reth bounced back as he tried to ram the door. He could hear his partner inside, scrambling around and making guttural noises. Maji knows what was happening in there.

Another attempt to ram the door resulting in nothing more than a hurt shoulder. Reth looked around for something, anything that could help him pry open the door and get the tailor out.

Skeleton key. Chayne had the skeleton key! He ran downstairs and skid to a halt on the town square, looking around. His brain was working fast. If he were to open the door, the fumes would hit him hard. He was panicking, so that times a hundred would result in absolute chaos and other not-so-nice things. He needed something to block the fumes. Brair daisies might do the trick! He ran back to the tavern and bumped into Ashura, whose bulk made the smaller man fall back.

"ASHURA, BRIAR DAISIES!" he yelled as he got back up.

The older man grabbed him by the shoulders and bent down to look him in the eyes.

"Calm down," he growled, "first, tell me what's wrong. You ran out as if you were being chased."

"JEL."

"There are people sleeping, I won't be raising my voice any more and neither should you."

"NO, Jel is in trouble!"

"What in Maji's name is going on down there?"

Both men looked up at the staircase, where Subira was standing with her arms folded.

"I'll explain later," Reth whined, "but please just get me some daisies, I need something to block the fumes and he's been in there for HOURS."

"Fumes? What fumes? And who are you talking about?" Subira now unfolded her arms and hurried down the remaining steps. Ashura, though confused, took out a box from his counter and presented a handful of the flowers to his employee. Reth took them from him, muttering a "thank you", and bolted out again. Things were looking up as Chayne had just walked into the square. The cook waved him down.

"What seems to be the issue?" the Sage asked as he made his way over.

"I need your key! Jel's apartment door is locked, he's not doing well and we need to get in there!"

Chayne reached back and opened his pouch, handing the redhead the key in a split second. Reth thanked him and made his way back to the tailor's shop, grabbing some displayed handkerchiefs along the way before thumping up the stairs. His hands were shaking as he tried to unlock the door, dropping the key a few times as he grew more and more frantic to get inside.

Chayne's hand gently pushed him aside to take over, unlocking the door in one swift movement. As he was about to open it, Reth stopped him and handed him a piece of cloth and some flowers.

"There's fumes in there," was all the explanation the Sage received. Still, it was enough for him to tie the makeshift mask over his nose and mouth. Reth did the same, instructed the other man to open up the windows and entered the room.

As clean air rushed in the smoke danced around, twisting and turning. Papers crumpled underneath his feet as he rushed to the figure on the floor. The tailor's sudden gasp startled him.

"Put the candles out, quick!" he yelled back, "don't blow them out, use water!"

He then focused on his partner again, turning him on his back. Chayne crouched down next to them, carefully opening one of Jel's eyes. His pupil was a mere pinpoint in a sea of darkblue.

"What has happened to him?" the Sage wondered out loud, feeling behind the ear of the man to check his heartbeat. It was slow, but not worrisome. His breathing had nearly returned to a more regular pattern.

"I think this is the answer you're looking for," a feminine voice behind them said. Subira was looming over them, face covered and a candle in her hand, while Ashura stood in the doorway.

"A candle?"

"A Grimalkin Everburning candle," Subira replied. "Laced with -"

"Laced with illegal substances, I know." Reth finished her sentence, growing more frustrated.

"So you knowingly let your friend put himself in danger?"

"No, I found out too late. If I had known sooner -" His voice cracked.

"You will need to explain-"

She stopped talking as Chayne put his hand up.

"Let us focus on the medical needs of our friend, first. Your interrogation can take place another time. Ashura, would you be so kind to assist me?"

The innkeeper had no problem lifting the tailor up and gently placed him on the bed. He looked on as Chayne sat down next to him, once again checking his heartbeat and breathing pattern.

"He'll be fine," the Sage muttered. "A bit groggy when he wakes up, most likely, but that too shall pass."

Reth, not knowing how to make himself useful, started picking up the sketches and looked them over. He could almost make a timeline of events, starting with clean, rather mundane designs. They gradually became more intricate and, as the tailor himself would say, scandalous.
After that, he had evidently become more erratic, as his rough sketches depicted imagery only found in the wildest imaginations. Sernuk skulls, crowns of thorns and antlers, chains, collars... Very little usage of cloth, anyway, save from the odd veil or cape.

If this would indeed become the new trend, Reth would gladly label himself as Vintage.

Still, he carefully put the stack of drawings on the desk, now situated at the footboard of the bed again.
His eyes wandered to his partner, still unconscious though strangely serene, even with his messy hair and-

"What's with his hands, anyway?" he suddenly wondered out loud.

Chayne took one limp wrist and rubbed the black substance.

"It is just soot, as far as I can tell," he concluded.

"But where from?"

They searched around the room, but found nothing that could possibly contain ashes.

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ashura grumbled.

Reth felt a hand tapping his shoulder and his heart instantly sank. Off course, he'd have some explaining to do to Subira. Convincing himself that Jel was safe and in good hands, he followed her out the apartment. She was still holding onto a candle, twisting it around as she studied it.

"First and foremost, I'd like to know where these came from and how they came into his possession. For some reason, I feel you know the answer to it."

Reth sighed and looked down at his feet. He could either come up with a lame excuse, or just tell her the truth and get it over with. And considering Delaila had already figured out where they had been, and Sifuu now knew it, too...

"We found them at the abandoned lighthouse in Bahari Bay," he mumbled.

"You were with him when he found them?"

"Yes."

"And you were aware that these are laced and thus dangerous for a Majiri. Why did you let him take them?"

"I didn't know they were laced when he took them. If I had known beforehand, I would have never let him take them, let alone light them!"

She regarded him in silence. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other. It was uncomfortable, the way she just stood and stared.

"Zeki informed me that they were laced," he eventually blurted out. "By that time, hours had already passed! That's why I was panicking and in such a hurry!"

He felt tears well up behind his eyes and tried hard to keep them back. The lump forming in the back of his throat made it far too difficult to do so. He turned away and rubbed his eyes.

"You're not in trouble," Subira said. "I understand that this must've been a very scary and stressful situation for you. I do hope you understand I need to know more details. These candles didn't just appear out of thin air, someone must've placed them in the lighthouse for a reason."

Now, it was Reth's turn to stay silent. He couldn't utter a single word even if he wanted to. His emotions would most certainly take over as soon as he opened his mouth.

"You are aware that I'm investigating the illegal Flow trade. If these have anything to do with it..."

She wanted him to run his mouth and fill in the blanks, and he was very well aware of it. He shook his head. If she'd ever find out, Tish would be in serious danger. He could only handle so many disasters in so little time.

There was that stinging feeling in his eyes, again. He took a deep breath and kept it in for a few seconds before exhaling.

"Alright, you can have it your way, for now. Though please be aware that the Order... That I only want to help you. If there's any information you'd be willing to share, you know where to find me. You may now return to your friend."

She gave him a small nod before walking down the stairs. Reth watched her until she was out of sight, and entered the apartment again. The other two men looked up as he approached the bed.

"Reth," Ashura began. He didn't get the chance to continue, as the cook snapped at him.

"Don't "Reth" me! I'm done explaining myself to everyone! I didn't know about the stupid candles, okay? We just thought they were regular, run-of-the-mill candles and Jel just so happens to like to decorate the entire place with them."

Ashura folded his hands and looked down on him. Reth felt himself shiver out of sheer frustration and exhaustion.

"Are you done venting?" the burly man eventually asked. "I don't need your explanation. As much as I dislike taking over yet another one of your shifts, I'll let you get some rest. I hope you'll be able to return the favor, soon."

That was the final straw. He sat down on the edge of the bed, bent forward and started to sob. It wasn't just the last twenty-four hours that broke him, but everything that had happened in the past years. It all had come to a boiling point and now he had directed his anger toward the one person who didn't deserve to bear the brunt. And off course they didn't know that it was more than just the candles that caused his breakdown. They patted him on the back, told him everything would be fine, it wasn't that big of a deal, and left him to "get some rest". He didn't blame them; he'd feel awkward, too.

As he dried his tears, he glanced over at Jel. Part of him felt envious. This man had practically everything going smoothly for him. He still had his family, good health, was a skilled tailor... Wealth and a good reputation...

And then I came along, Reth thought to himself. He laid down next to the other man and stared at him. Carefully, he brushed a wavy lock from his forehead. Jel stirred and turned to his side, facing his lover. A sigh escaped him as his hand found Reth's. Pink and black fingers entwined.
He didn't dare to speak. Instead, he closed his eyes and felt himself drifting off.

Chapter Text

Reth was awakened by the shifting of bedsheets. He stretched himself and opened one eye, looking at the tailor's back. His spine visible, soft bumps underneath smooth skin, one straight vertical line. He was hunched over and one arm, still stained black, tried to grab hold of the edge of the trash bin nearby.

"Are you okay?" Reth croaked with the voice of a man who had slept much longer than usual and had snored so hard he'd be a honorary member of the foraging guild by now.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I'm -"

He retched. Reth winced and sat up, awkwardly patting the other man on the back.

"It doesn't sound like it. Can I get you anything? Glass of water, maybe?"

Jel shook his head and bent over the bin, again. Muffled by the wooden cylinder, Reth could hear him ask what the hell had happened last night. He put his cheek against Jel's shoulder blade and heard his faint, though soothing heartbeat.

"You've been sketching a whole lot, that's for sure. And tossing and turning on the floor. Pretended to be a muujin for a bit, if the sounds you made were anything to go by."

"I did? Why can't I remember it?"

"Heh, funny story. Those candles we took from the lighthouse are apparently not as innocent as they seem."

"What's a candle going to do, Reth? Burn braincells?"

"Something like that. The smoke works as a mood-enhancer and simultaneously makes you forget what you're doing. Which is why we had such a hard time remembering what we had done at the lighthouse."

The tailor pulled his head out of the bin and stared at his partner in confusion.

"And when were you going to tell me?"

"I came here as soon as I learned about it, but someone locked his door, so I couldn't get to you in time. Not that I could do anything about it, though. You were too far gone when I finally got to you. Scared the crap out of me, seeing you like that."

"Like what?"

"Sweaty, shirtless and unconscious. Promise me the only time I ever find you like that again, it's after sex. Preferably one hundred percent consensual, sober sex. Oh, and without that stuff all over you."

He looked down at Jel's hands. The latter followed his gaze and studied the dark substance. Merely black dye powder, he confirmed, a pain to scrub off but otherwise nothing to worry about.

"Dare I ask about the sketches?" the tailor muttered as he rubbed his stained skin.

Reth moved to grab the pile of paperwork behind the footboard and handed it over. Minutes went by as Jel flipped through them, sometimes sounding pleasantly surprised by his own work, though in a few cases grunting in disapproval. Once he got to the more eccentric illustrations, he felt flustered.

"That sort of stuff might be good for witches to wear during a dance-party under the full moons," Reth pointed out, looking along over his shoulder.

"I'm fairly certain the stereotypical witch would not wear any garments at all on such occasions."

"Oh? In that case, remind me to visit the Thorny Thicket during the next full moons."

Jel looked back at him with raised eyebrows.

"Are you implying that you wish to gaze upon Tamala's nudity? She's at least twice our age."

"So is Hodari, and I don't see you holding back from flirting with him."

"I am not flirting with him."

"Really? Because I could've sworn that you were very willing to accept his offer for a sleepover and breakfast, yesterday. Of have you conveniently forgotten about that, too?"

The tailor once more turned a shade of pink and looked away, pretending to be sorting his designs. Reth wrapped his arms around him and nuzzled the back of his neck.

"I said it before and I'll say it again: I'd be a hypocrite if I wouldn't let you be flirtatious with other people. Besides, I get it. He's rugged, got that southern charm going for him, and Maji knows how good it'd feel to have him wrap those big, strong arms around you."

Reth grinned as he noticed the ever so slight twitch of Jel's ear.

"Feeling any better?" Reth said softly.

"Well, at least the nausea is gone."

"That's good. You might want to freshen up and get some breakfast. After all, you still have your meeting with your Hodaddy to look forward to."

The redhead laughed as his partner visibly cringed and then scowled at him, bothered by how Reth had gotten him worked up and his newfound nickname for the respectable miner.

-----

After the candle-incident, both Jel and Reth had agreed to return to their regular day-to-day schedule for the time being, granting both Ashura and Chayne some much-needed rest and peace of mind.

Though after about two weeks and multiple meetings between Jel and Hodari, Reth couldn't help but notice a change in the way his lover acted.

It started out innocently enough. Jel was showing more confidence and didn't seem as bothered by his suggestive remarks. He displayed his designs for intimate apparel in the shop rather than keeping them locked away in his apartment. He didn't even bat an eye when Eshe marched in to openly criticize the "scandalous" designs (and made it a point to tell the tailor he better not design something burlesque in her size, preferably red and decorated with either ruby or garnet gemstones. She even paid him in advance to not do such a preposterous thing. Especially not to be finished before a visit of the Duchess will take place, thank you kindly for your disservice.).

Now, those gemstones... they apparently needed to be inspected by both the tailor and the miner, standing in front of the large window in the back of the shop. Reth had walked in on them on a few occasions, their backs turned to him and Hodari's large, calloused hand resting on the small of Jel's back as he was pointing out some details, like cracks or cloudiness within the stone.
This hadn't bothered Reth much at first, but as time went by, Jel's style seemed to evolve from the prim and proper dress shirt and waistcoat to corset-vests, and eventually to intricate blouses with lace details. And when he caught the hand of the miner touching exposed skin, Reth - to his own surprise - was mildly upset.

It didn't help that whenever Hodari had visited and Reth wanted to have some quality time with Jel, the latter would be noticeably more handsy and affectionate than usual, even initiating intercourse more often than the cook.

Following that one particular moment when Hodari had laid his hands on bare skin, Reth had decided to have an evening to himself. He locked himself in the storage room and sat for a while, staring up at the ceiling and trying to organize his thoughts and feelings.
Off course he was glad his partner felt more comfortable with showing himself and his designs. It could lead to him making more daring decisions, and that was what his family wanted from him.
On the other hand, he felt like he was being treated as a substitute. Despite all the loving words and doting and the way Jel moaned his name in ecstasy, Reth couldn't shake the feeling that it was the middle-aged man who got him this hot and bothered in the first place.

His hand slipped into his pocket and he took the lace bralette out, looking it over for the first time since it all had started. It was not exactly sanitary to keep the unwashed garment on him, but he didn't care. He let his fingers trace the patterns and felt himself grow hard as images of intimate moments flashed through his mind. He removed his apron before unbuttoning his trousers to release his erection. Wrapping the lace around the shaft he began stroking himself, his head thrown back and biting his lower lip in an attempt to keep his noises to a minimum.

He imagined the tailor, nude - save for his iconic glasses - and writhing under his hands, caressing his smooth skin before grabbing hold of those beautiful lavender hips, teasing the other man's entrance by slowly pushing the tip of his cock against it, nearly penetrating him, before pulling back until his partner was begging him for more. He'd let him plead for just a little while before giving in, nails digging into his skin as he fucked him in that wonderfully tight cunt of his, enveloping his member. He was getting close to his climax. He could envision the other man so vividly, fists clenching the pillows, mouth open wide, when his subconsciousness apparently decided to add one more person to the fantasy. Familiar hands came into view, caressing the tailor's chest and face, guiding him to take the other man's dick between his lips. The mere idea of Jel sucking off another man as he was getting fucked by him was enough to send Reth over the edge, bucking his hips into the lace as he came.

Stars danced before his eyes as he slowly returned to reality. The garment, now soiled with his semen, was discarded into the nearest bin. He stared ahead for a while as he wrapped his head around the implications of his fantasy. Maybe he didn't mind the intrusion of the older man, after all.

And maybe, if he played his cards right, he could make their love-life more fun.

Chapter Text

Wooden bobbins clacked against each other, creating a strange sort of music, as the tailor moved them around with nimble hands. Silk threads were being braided into an intricate pattern. Jel had tuned out the background noise and was focused on his work, his fingers and the soft clacking. It soothed him in some way, taking his mind away from the worries that had been pestering him as of late. He didn't even notice the small figure approaching him until it was right next to him, shyly shifting its weight from one organic foot to one skillfully made of metal. He looked up, a few pins still clamped between his lips, and greeted her from the corner of his mouth. Najuma smiled back at him and rolled another stool over to his desk, regarding his craft in silence. More often than not, Tish was the one to talk endlessly during the young inventor's visits, but there was a certain understanding between the two of them. They hardly needed any words to converse.

"Would you like to give it a try?" Jel eventually muttered. "I have some fairly easy patterns in my drawer."

Najuma gave it some thought, before nodding her head and said: "Do you have anything with flowers? I'd like to try and make something for Tish.". A slight blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Most certainly. Go and take a look in the top drawer on the left of me, there should be some pre-wound bobbins in there. Pick whichever color you like. I'll get you set up."

He took out a bobbin-pillow, an extra pincushion and a simple flower pattern and set it up for her. After some basic instructions, they went back to silently working next to one another. Jel glanced over from time to time, watching the little yellow flower grow. The kid picked up any skill with ease.

"Your fingers are grey," she pointed out when she looked over to his work.

"Dye powder, you should've seen them a couple weeks ago. My hands had turned completely black."

"Heh, you should've tricked Elouisa with it. She thinks you're a vampire. Should've walked out into the sun in front of her and then act like your hands were getting scorched."

"Good idea. I'll keep it in mind for the next time it occurs."

She slowed down a bit and seemed to mull on something. Jel looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

"I'm not a vampire, if that is what you're wondering about," he said.

"Oh, I know that. It's just... I want to ask if... You know what, never mind. It's a stupid question."

"There are no such things as stupid questions, only silly answers. Go ahead, you may ask me anything."

She stared down at the lace flower, before directing her attention to the rack of fabrics in the corner to her right. The tailor followed her gaze.

"Are- are those colors in a particular order?"

"Does their order mean something significant to you?" Jel countered, sensing he was on the right track and not wanting to dismiss the child.

"I- well, I saw it in a book one of the humans had on them. They explained that back in their days, they had different sorts of flags to represent their gender and... other stuff like that. And those colors in that order look similar to their flag."

"Do you know what the flag represented?"

"Non-binary people. They told me all about it. And then I saw those rolls and-"

She wrung her hands and started plucking at her sleeve, obviously nervous to speak her mind. Jel opened his mouth, but Najuma's words were quicker to break the silence.

"It'd be nice to know another Majiri like that. Like me."

Oh. The tailor straightened his back and stared at the rolls of fabric, letting the weight of her words settle in. As he lay his eyes on her, he saw how much this weighed down on her as well. The poor dear seemed to have shrunk after she had uttered those last two words. All of the sudden, he saw his own younger self in her. The self-doubt. The worries of what one might think. The feeling that no label seemed right.

"I think it fits," he eventually said. "Yes. As far as I'm aware, I do fall under that category. To me, personally, gender... fluctuates."

Najuma perked up, eyes bigger than ever.

"Genderfluid! That human told me about that, too!"

"Well then, there we go. I'm genderfluid."

Najuma's arms were wrapped around his neck before he could even register it. His mild discomfort quickly withered away to make room for acceptance and understanding. Whether Najuma was aware of it or not, the conclusion of their talk had brought back memories and feelings that Jel had suppressed a long time ago.

"So, may I ask for your pronouns?" he asked as he broke free from the hug.

"Uh, I haven't really thought about that. They and them, I guess? I'm still just me, Najuma." They shrugged.

"Thank you. I'll still go by he and him, just for the record."

"Got it! Oh, by the way, I found something for you. Dad told me you needed more gemstones."

Najuma started rummaging through their bag and presented a green gem to him. The image bore into Jel's mind and smashed itself through the last few locks to set more memories free. He accepted the emerald with a lump in his throat.

"Are you okay?" the inventor asked. "Don't you like it?"

"Oh, I love it," he said softly and cleared his throat. "As a matter of fact, I'm going to use this for a very special design. I can envision it, already. Thank you, this means the world to me."

"It's just a gemstone," Najuma chuckled awkwardly.

"Even the smallest gesture or gift can have a massive impact on the one who receives it."

They nodded thoughtfully before putting their bag away.

"It's about time to head back home," they muttered.

"Very well, I shall safely store your flower for next time. Dare I ask: have you spoken to your father about you being non-binary?"

"No. I don't think he'd understand. Besides, he always treats me like a little kid. He'd probably tell me I'm too young to make decisions like these."

"In his defense, you are a child. But there's also a reason why your generation gets the opportunity to announce their own gender, no matter how early or late in life. You should tell him, and if he doesn't understand, you may implore him to come see me."

"Fine, I'll think about it. Thanks, again!"

Jel followed them out the door and leaned against the doorframe, watching them run off to join Tau on his way back to Bahari Bay.

"Najuma! Tau! Wait up!"

Tish ran past the shop, waving at the youngster and the Plumehound who had paused to wait for her. She turned around to face Jel.

"Sorry, rain-check from my side! I've got plans!" she said, blushing.

"Don't worry, my dearest friend. Be safe out there!"

He watched them leave and walked back to his desk to continue creating the lace. From the corner of his eyes, the emerald shimmered at him, almost as if it were taunting him. He tried to block out the memory of trumpets swelling until saxophones and drums joined in, playing a song all too familiar. The lyrics formed in his head and he bit his lip to keep them from slipping out. Bobbins were moved around at a steady, rhythmic pace.

"Babe?"

Jel snapped out of the memory and looked up at his partner, standing on the other side of the desk with two bowls in his hands.

"Time for dinner. I made you some richly filled bouillabaise."

The tailor smiled and stored both his work and the gem in a drawer. The music in his head died down and he smiled at the cook.

"You're right on cue."

Chapter Text

An evening without Tish meant an evening to himself. Jel had figured he'd take this time to let his inspiration flow inside his apartment. He had placed the emerald on his desk and had stared at it for a few minutes, when an idea formed in his mind. He wanted to use it for something special, and what would be better than creating a homage to the gem that had shaped a great part of his young adulthood.

He sketched the base of the dress, similar to the one he designed when he had just came of legal age. The attire that had turned heads and had been admired by many. Uniquely made by himself; never had there been made a copy of it. He recalled the pain in his fingers after he had been beading the garment for what seemed like an eternity, but it had been worth it. An emerald green bodycon dress, with black and silver details. The top half an intricate design with plunging V-neck and mesh details showing skin in all the right places. The bottom half a cascade of beads that ended just above the knees.
Combined with the right jewelry, silver pumps, backseamed stockings and - optional though highly recommended - garter belt, the ensemble was perfect.

He sat back and stared at the sketch. Maybe he needed to see the original garment before recreating it. The emerald on his desk shimmered approvingly at this idea, which is a hard thing to do for a stone without facial features.

He moved over to his desk and opened the bottom drawer. There it lay: a box, just small enough to fit in the drawer, that had been locked for the past few years. The key had always been near him, safely tucked away in his pocket and attached to the chain he wore. He took the box out, unlocked it and took a deep breath. To him, this moment was like opening Pandora's box. Then again, the emerald had already brought back memories and even though it had been difficult to let them soak in again, they had found their place inside his head quite quickly.
This was his past. There was no way to change it. And he secretly longed to face it, right now.

Opening the box, it revealed the old ensemble and a few more additional items. He couldn't help but smile as he took out a vinyl record and looked it over. The combination of jazz, swing and pop music had been fairly popular back then. And in all fairness, he could still enjoy it every now and then. He took out his record player and carefully put the needle in the groove. Mere seconds later, the sound of a brass band filled the apartment.

It is strange what sort of effect music can have on one's entire being. Jel felt a shift in his personality, his own demure self pushed aside to make way for someone more bold and shameless. He knew this alter ego all too well, and welcomed them with open arms.

He sauntered towards the mirror, removing his shawl and undoing his vest to hang them on one of his mannequins. Absent-mindedly he started unbuttoning his blouse, stopping halfway down to search through the contents of the box. His fingers found soft fabric and took it out with utmost care. He unrolled the stockings and looked them over for runners or other damages, and smiled contently as they appeared to still be in pristine condition. For a moment, his hand hovered over his desk to put them down, but the music reached the first crescendo and so did his alter ego. Dare he put them on, just to remember what it felt like?

Feeling safe to move and act freely within his own apartment, he kicked off his shoes and removed his trousers, folding them neatly over a chair, followed by his socks and suspenders, before he carefully put the stockings on. It felt a bit strange to be wearing them. To feel the smooth nylon on his skin and the lace cuffs softly squeeze his thighs. He took another quick look inside the box to find the matching garter belt he had put in there.

It felt both ludicrous and exciting to dress himself up in these items. Sure, he had been wearing lace and mesh undergarments more often than not, but to add these garters and stockings to it made it all look far more sultry.
Still, he attached the stockings to the clasps on the belt and looked at himself in the mirror. It combined quite nicely with the sheer lace bodysuit he had already been wearing. Confidence resurfaced as he twisted and turned to view himself from different angles, unbuttoning the lower half of his blouse and shrugging it off his shoulders to drape it over the chair.

Another upbeat song started playing, of which he knew the lyrics by heart. He turned the volume up and hummed along as he unfolded the dress and held it in front of his body. It might need some minor alterations, he thought, studying his reflection. The tailor put the dress on another mannequin and stepped back, his fingers tapping his chin as he was pondering what needed to be done to make it look perfect, again. Some of the beading needed to be redone. Maybe the collar could be changed as well. He stretched himself whilst deep in thought, before taking a few more steps back, his focus still on the dress. As he finally turned around to get some supplies, he bumped and stumbled into something.

No, someone.

Strong hands held him close as he stood awkwardly pressed against another person's chest, heart thumping as if it wanted to break free from the ribcage. Steel-blue eyes stared back at him, their faces too close for comfort. Realizing who was holding him, what had just occurred and what revealing garments he was wearing, Jel felt a panic attack charging straight at him.
He tried to get away from Hodari, who had undoubtedly noticed the anxiety in his eyes and tried his best to get him to calm down.

"It's okay!" the miner said. "Don't panic, it's just me."

"I'm indecent!" Jel hollered back, cowering.

"Oh, right. Um, here."

Hodari took off his jacket and threw it around Jel's shoulders, before gently guiding him to a nearby chair to take a seat. The tailor was visibly shaken and hid his face in his hands, slumping forward in an attempt to disappear inside himself.
The older man kneeled down in front of him, trying to get Jel to relax even just a little. His hands hovered over the other man's body, not sure where to place them to console him without making things even more awkward. He decided to take a small risk and patted him on slender, nylon-clad knees.

"Please, don't feel bad," he muttered. Conversations were hard enough for him, already, let alone one directed at a distressed man in lingerie.

It took a moment for Jel to get his breathing under control. He felt ashamed and worried... and Hodari's thumbs petting his knees in what he presumed was an attempt to soothe him. He removed his hands from his face and put them over the miner's hands, stalling the caressing.

"How long had you been standing there?" the tailor asked with a hushed voice.

"Oh, I don't know..."

"What have you seen me do?"

"I... uh."

"Did you watch me undress?"

"No! I walked in when you took off your shirt. Blouse. That thing."

"And why didn't you notify me on your arrival?"

"Didn't want to startle you. Y'seemed very focused on that dress. Somethin' tells me there's a story behind that."

Jel glanced over at the green garment and sighed.

"There is, but it's a story I'm not willing to share. Not yet, anyway."

The record played a soft tango, a velvety voice sang about a woman desperate to receive love from a taken man. Jel bent over to the record player and turned down the volume. As he looked back, he caught Hodari staring at him from behind his fringe, obviously flustered.

"Listen, no-one may know about the dress. Not even Reth. Especially not Reth. He will undoubtedly not stop pestering me about it if he ever finds out."

"Don't worry, darlin', my lips are sealed. I'm good at keepin' secrets."

Both men stiffened up as they realized what had just been said. Jel now understood why all those humans looking for romance were flocking to the man as soon as he dared to set foot in the village.

"You just called me..."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to -"

"It's fine! You may call me that. Unless you did it by mistake, off course. In that case we should forget about this entire interaction."

"I didn't... I mean... This is gettin' pretty confusin'. Hell, this entire afternoon has been makin' my brain work overtime."

"Oh? How come?"

"It's Najuma. She- They came out as non-binary. Said you and them had a bit of a talk about it."

"Ah, have I overstepped the boundaries by doing so?"

"No! I'm actually glad y'did. It helped them feel better. They opened up to me."

"Dare I ask how you feel about it?"

"Kinda always knew, deep inside. It'll take some time gettin' used to th'whole neutral pronouns and all."

"You're doing a great job so-far. And I'm sure Najuma knows you're at least trying."

"Dunno 'bout that. Sometimes I feel like 'm failin', 'specially when they rather discuss stuff with others rather than me. Not blamin' you, 'course."

"Don't doubt yourself, my Muse. You're doing a wonderful job raising them."

Steel blue eyes glanced up at him, crow's feet visible as he smiled. This man surely aged like fine wine. Jel couldn't keep himself from brushing the miner's raven black hair from his face. He tilted his head, leaning into the touch.

"Did y'jus' call me your Muse?" he chuckled.

"I thought I'd return the favor. Do you feel comfortable with it?"

"Kinda do, actually. Didn't know I had that sort of effect on you."

"Oh, I think you are very well aware of the sway you have over me. I-I mean- people in general."

He felt the warmth creeping up to his face and night moths stir to life in his abdomen as Hodari got up, his hands softly pressing down on his thighs for support. For a few seconds, his face hovered tantalizingly close to his own, lips almost touching. Still, the older man refrained from doing so and pulled away before they could give in to temptation.

Hodari cleared his throat and looked away, wringing his hands.

"I better leave, now. Just dropped by t'say "thank you" for talkin' t'Najuma. Really did them good knowin' they're not alone."

"Ah, yes. You're welcome."
He shrugged off the jacket and held it out to Hodari, his other arm crossed over his chest in a lousy attempt to cover himself.
"Sorry you had to see me like this. I can imagine it must have been quite a shock."

"Hardly, darlin'. Najuma told me you're gender-fluid, yourself. Besides, you look gorgeous. No need to be insecure 'bout yourself."

The miner took his jacket, eyes lingering on him, before he turned around and left the apartment, wishing him a good night.

Jel sank back onto his chair and leaned back, raking his fingers through his hair. He felt conflicted: part of him wanted to act on his feelings toward the older man, but another part pulled him back to point out his supposed loyalty toward Reth. Sure, his partner had told him he could flirt, but this was getting out of hand. He should be open and honest towards him. But how...

He stood up and walked up to the dress, taking it off the mannequin and putting it back in the box.

"I should've never let you out," he sighed, before turning the volume of the record player up, again.

I'm like the smoke on your fire,
smoldering endless desire.
How long will your flame burn...

Chapter Text

Another night, another stroll to the lake.

Both Reth and Tish had joined him earlier in the evening, talking to one another about Hassian and his demand for proper courtship. Reth was weirded out. Tish found it endearing. And Jel... Jel found himself admiring the hunter for sticking to his beliefs, though also felt a pang of shame.

Why couldn't he hold himself up to the same standards? How did he turn from a puritan gentleman into a libertine? It was as if both Reth and Hodari had put a spell on him. Their looks alone were enough to make him want to throw himself at them. Reth's freckles, his cheeky grin, that beautiful lean body... he could've been a model if he set his mind to it. Oh, how he loved it when that man held him tight, feeling his smooth skin brush against his own... he was always so caring and passionate during their moments of intimacy.

And then, on the other end of the scale, there was Hodari. Rugged, muscular, sturdy. Soft wrinkles that made him look so handsome. Jel had replayed that one particular evening over and over again in his head, until his fantasy had started adding its own spin to it. Those big, strong hands spreading his legs. Stubble rubbing against his skin as he roughly claimed him... Dominated him...

Not many partners had ever wanted to play the dominant role in Jel's life. He was always the tallest. The one who loomed over the other. His attempts at assertiveness were often misinterpreted as ascendancy. Sure, there were times where he liked to have the upper hand. But he would love to be completely submissive for once. To give his partner full control over him and to be used for their own pleasure.

He had yet to discuss this fantasy with Reth, though he was afraid his lover would not live up to expectations. He was too sweet and gentle to do such things. With Hodari on the other hand, there was potential.

Gah! Why did his mind keep drifting to these vulgar ideas?! Had he truly become some perverted creature? A succubus? He brushed his hair back and took a deep breath of cold air. The night usually cleared his head, casting worries and doubt aside with ease. But apparently, these lewd thoughts were too much for the moonlight to erase.

A mechanical noise pulled his attention. Einar was standing on the docks, even though he'd normally retreat to his cave at this hour. Maybe he could keep Jel's mind occupied for a while.
He walked over to the dock and stood still at a safe distance. He knew from experience that the Galdur sometimes forgot about the people around him as he cast his line. It had taken him quite some time to wash the algae out of his hair and it had temporarily colored his otherwise white forelock a grayish green.

"Ah, I did not see you there," Einar said as he turned to face Jel's direction.

"That's fine, I haven't been here for very long."

"You are usually standing at the opposite side of the lake."

"And you are usually asleep at this hour."

"I do not need sleep. Which reminds me: have you succeeded in becoming a continuous insomniac?"

"I'm afraid not, though I managed to bring the length of my slumbering down to one hour per day."

"Do the mind pictures still bother you?"

"Occasionally. There have been times that I was afraid I would be so lost in them, that I would never wake up. And some days I wished for it."

"It seems quite troublesome. Yet, I detect a development in your speech pattern. You are speaking about it in past tense."

"I am, indeed. As of late, my mind has been occupied by... other thoughts."

"More positive ones?"

Jel mulled on this for a moment, coming to the conclusion that even though his fantasies and dreams were... nice... they still bothered him. He felt foul, thinking about his acquaintances the way he did. He shared this information with the Galdur, knowing full well he wouldn't be able to process the implications, anyway.

"Are you experiencing Togetherness with them, when you are awake?" Einar asked to Jel's surprise.

"I... don't know what you mean by that."

"Do you enjoy sharing time and space with them?"

"Oh, very much so. Maybe even too much. I'm afraid I'm so infatuated with them, I have a hard time focusing on other things."

"Your Togetherness is disruptive to your Oneness."

"I believe this is indeed the case. It's just... I'm worried my judgment about them is clouded by this extreme desire to be close to them. Their touches set me aflame! I am addicted to their affection, both physical and emotional!"

"Ah! I believe I heard the mayor's daughter name such a feeling: "touch starved". You crave the sensation of physical interaction with another living creature, for you have been experiencing an extreme lack thereof in the past. Do not fret, it is healthy to touch one another. The ideal touching speed is about three centimeters per second. This will release oxytocin and is beneficial for your health. Thus, I suggest you continue this particular addiction, though you might want to moderate it.”

"But... How do I keep myself from overdoing it? I can't possibly be in constant want of touch."

"Open communication with your partner will most certainly help. I suggest you speak to them and set healthy boundaries. Now, if you don't mind, I am looking for a particularly wry Midnight Paddlefish to act as a companion."

The tailor took a step back as the Galdur swung his arm, and turned to walk away as he seemed very focused on his bobber. Maybe Einar was right when he called him touch-starved. He had always been taught that touching was only allowed when in an established relationship. And now that he let these two men put their hands on him without protest, he craved more of it. It made him feel so good... as if he was finally wanted by someone.
He would still have to speak to Reth about this. And about his feelings towards Hodari. Hopefully he'd be fine with it. Majiri were polyamorous by nature, after all. Then again, he might've misinterpreted Hodari's kind words and actions. It was all so very confusing...

He met with Auni on the square and took his mail from him. One envelope, adorned with the logo of the House of Omiata, caught his attention. He immediately opened it and read it. The words took a brief moment to sink in. He screamed out with pure joy, attracting the attention of Reth who had only just turned the corner.

"Babe?" was all the cook could say before he was cut off by a passionate kiss. He threw his arms around the tailor's waist and pulled him closer. This was the first time they had ever publicly showed affection to one another, and he was ready to make it last as long as possible. He heard paper crinkling close to his ear and broke away from the kiss to look at the source.

"A letter?" he asked. "Received some good news?"

"Very good news. Would you be able to join me this evening for a small celebration?"

"Sure, I can."

"And... would you mind if I invited Hodari as well?"

Reth grinned and kissed his lover once more.

"Oh, I wouldn't mind at all. In fact, I think we could make things more fun with him around."

"What do you-"

"Hush, now. You'll just have to wait and see..."

Another deep kiss before they parted ways. Reth bit his lip as he thought of the possibilities. Still, he needed to get the miner on board, first. But something told him that would not be a problem at all.

Chapter Text

"Hey. Hey, Hodari, wait up!"

Reth had momentarily left his spot at the bar to chase after the miner, who had just walked past the Inn on his way back to the bay. The older man halted.

"Have you just visited Jel? Did he invite you over for tonight?"

"Sure did. Seemed really thrilled 'bout somethin'."

"So, are you coming? I'll bring the drinks, you bring the..." Reth managed to bite his tongue before he blurted out something lewd. "Uh... Meat."

"Meat?"

"You know what, skip that. You've got enough meat on you, already."

"What? You're making absolutely zero sense."

"Let's walk and talk for a bit. I need to go over some things with you."

They strolled for a while in silence, until Reth knew for sure they were out of earshot of anyone.

"Listen, about Jel," he started. "There's something you need to know about him. He likes -"

"To wear lingerie. I know, I've seen it."

"Wait, hold up. First things first, I wasn't talking about that. Secondly, when did that happen?"

Hodari winced and looked apologetically at the cook, venturing: "Can we pretend I never said that?"

"Sure, let me just forget that you told me you've seen my partner in sexy underwear. No problem."

"Since when is he your partner? I didn't see a pin on him."

Reth blinked. Was he really going to have to explain to a grown man that the pin-trading among Majiri fell out of fashion the moment they turned eighteen?

"Let's just say he and I didn't get to it, yet. Anyway, what I was about to say is that he likes you. A lot. Or have you noticed that, already?"

"Well, actually..."

"Alright, spill the beans. What happened?"

"Nothin', honestly. We talked, 's all. Didn't put my hands on him. At least, not in inappropriate places."

"Would you want to?"

Hodari stopped and stared ahead. Truth be told, he didn't exactly dislike what he had put his eyes on, and his gait had been a bit more awkward when he had made his way back to Bahari Bay.

"How do you want me to answer?" he asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Truthfully. Personally, I think it might... inspire him. Two good-looking men who are all over him..."

"Who else were you going to invite, then?"

Reth raised his eyebrows and nodded approvingly.

"Good sneer, you absolute bastard. Anyway, you could think of it as a friends with benefits situation. He gets some action, you get some action, I get to do half the work and rest for a change."

"Still not sure if I'm up for it. 'S not somethin' I'd ever done, before. Might be out of my comfort zone."

"Don't knock it till you've tried it. And to give you something to think about on your walk back..." Reth wrapped his arm around the shoulders of the older man and whispered in his ear: "he feels so tight and warm when you're pounding him."

The cook patted him on the shoulder before turning to walk back to the village.

"See you tonight, loverboy!" he said loudly.

Hodari didn't reply to him, instead glancing around and quickly readjusting the front of his pants before he started walking, softly scolding both Reth and himself under his breath for getting worked up this easily.
It had been a while since he had some adult entertainment...

-----

Jel walked over to his mirror as he dressed himself for the evening, glancing up at his reflection as he was about to button his blouse. He hesitated for a moment. The lace bodysuit did match quite nicely with the pinstriped trousers. Maybe add a blazer to keep himself a bit more covered up? Yes, that would do nicely.

Satisfied with the ensemble, he sauntered towards the living area. Just as he was about to put a bottle of honey mead on the table, he heard the door open. Reth was the first to enter, a cheeky smile adorning his face, followed by Hodari, whose visage looked more flustered than anything.

"Ah, my treasured Muses! Come, take a seat. Can I interest you in a drink? Mead, wine, or an ale, perhaps?"

"Whatever 's the strongest," the miner muttered, averting his eyes when Jel looked his way. The tailor paid no heed to this, instead focusing on pouring the drinks.

"So, can we skip to the good part and hear the good news?" Reth asked, eager to spend as little time socializing as possible in the hopes to get to the really good part of the evening quicker.

"Ah, most certainly." Jel clasped his hands together and smiled brightly. "I am pleased to announce that my designs have been a great success! Sales are booming and there's been a great demand for more. Especially the garments adorned with palium and gemstones have been very well received, so thank you in particular for that, mister Pavel."

The tailor took his own glass and raised it, bowing his head for the miner. Hodari nodded at him, let his eyes wander to the other man's torso for a split second and decided it was a good idea to empty his glass down his throat in one go. He hoped the alcohol would make him feel less tense.

"I couldn't have done it without you two," Jel continued. "If I could ever do anything to repay you, just ask and I shall do everything in my power to make it happen."

"Oh, I have some ideas," Reth replied, sitting back in the armchair and opening his legs in a suggestive manner.

"Maybe another time," Jel said, before taking a seat on the couch next to Hodari.

As the evening progressed, the miner did eventually relax. The mead he drank in moderation had taken the edge off his nervousness, and he felt confident enough to lay his gaze upon the tailor for a prolonged time. The latter had taken off his blazer at some point, allowing Hodari to study the lace that hugged his skin.

Jel was in the middle of a sentence when he felt warm fingers touch his waist. He looked over to the older man, who in turn seemed entranced by the garment.

"What are you doing?" he managed to say, his heart beating faster as the fingers moved to pet his stomach.

"Oh, jus' enjoyin' myself. I like the way this looks on you. This bit in particular... very nice."

The miner let his hand wander to the other man's hip, where there was a gap between the bodysuit and the trousers. Jel bit his lip to fight back a moan as calloused fingers slipped underneath the lace hem, caressing his sensitive skin.

He glanced over to Reth, who was watching them with amusement in his eyes. Jel threw his head back as the hand moved lower, now stroking under his waistband. Hodari's other hand softly nudged his face to make him look his way. Ever so softly their lips met.

He broke away from the kiss as he felt another pair of hands unbuckling his belt. The cook grinned at him.

"Just helping out, babe," he said sweetly, opening the button and zipper so the older man could reach even lower.

As he reached his pubic mound, Jel could feel his lubrication seeping out.

"Wait," he sighed, "I need to -"

He hooked his thumbs under the waistband and pushed his trousers down to his knees. The feeling of warm, soaked cloth became unbearable to him.

Reth helped him take off his boots and further out of his trousers, tossing them over the empty armchair. The thin fabric of the bodysuit's crotch glistened, already drenched with thick fluid.

"Get up, babe," he ordered, pulling the tailor's wrist as he stood up.

Jel's legs nearly gave way when he stood up, excitement rushing through his veins.

"Take off that pretty lingerie, and do it slowly."

Reth sat down next to the miner. Both men watched with anticipation as the tailor let the straps move down his shoulders and arms, before unveiling his chest in a tantalizingly slow pace. His skin practically burned under their gaze as he pushed the fabric further down, until it finally landed on the floor.
He felt the cool air gently caressing his nudity, nipples hardened and his genitals thobbing with anticipation, lubrication trickling down his thighs.
Apparently, his bodily functions were amusing to the other men. Hodari tilted his head and smirked.

"Damn, I think you sprung a leak, darlin'," he said. "Think I should've brought a drop cloth."

"And a mop," Reth added, before putting the tip of his tongue between his teeth to keep himself from laughing.

Jel covered his face with both hands and groaned.

"This is all your fault," he said with a muffled voice. "Individually, you already make me feel hot and bothered. But the two of you banding together results in pure torture to my physique!"

"That's posh talk for "you two make me very wet"," Reth explained.

"Well, we'd better help him out and get started on the cleanup, then."

Hodari stood up and pulled Jel's hands away from his face. Gently, he kissed him while guiding him to the bed.
For a few seconds, he broke away from the kiss.

"This is going to be a two-man job," he said to Reth, gesturing at him to join them.

Eager to get started, the redhead kicked off his shoes and sat down at the end of the bed, caressing the tailor's long legs as he lay down in the middle of the bed. It felt as is there was an electric current flowing underneath his skin, a buzzing sensation coursing through Reth's fingertips. He watched on as his partner got kissed deeply, dancing tongues visible every once a while, until they parted.

"Just a second, darlin'," the miner said, before bending down to untie his boots.

Reth softly pushed Jel's upper legs together before turning to Hodari with a smirk plastered on his face.

"I've assessed the situation and found the problem, boss," he said.

"What is it?" Hodari replied, looking back at him in anticipation.

"This entrance hasn't been used in a while." He pulled Jel's legs apart, showing the strings of lubrication that now dangled between his thighs. "See, lots of cobwebs."

"Can you please stop that!" Jel snapped at him. "I'm already very conscious about the way my body reacts to you two."

Hodari chuckled and ran his fingers through Jel's hair.

"Sex is supposed to be fun, darlin', no need to get upset. And I think you're adorable when you're laying here, all flustered and so delightfully wet. It's flattering, knowing I still have that effect on someone as gorgeous as you."

"Oh, hush. You're a beautiful man, yourself. I feel honored that you wish to be intimate with me."

Reth sat up and chimed in: "What about me?"

"I'll get back to you on that, later."

"Fine. If you need me, I'll be down here checking for spiders."

Jel rolled his eyes, but still let out a soft laugh. Hodari kissed him once more, before pressing their foreheads together.

"Are you sure you want this, darlin'?"

"Very much so, my Muse. I've been yearning for this moment, to be honest. How about yourself?"

"Wouldn't have initiated it if I didn't want this to happen. Now, if you will excuse me, I believe I have some spelunking to do."

"You are just as bad as Reth," Jel groaned, throwing a decorative pillow at his head as he moved down.

Reth was still grinning as they both lay inbetween the slender legs of the tailor.

"I'll start on the left side, you on the right. Race you to the middle," he said with a wink.

Chapter Text

Whenever Reth put his mouth to good use, Jel would turn into a bumbling mess in a matter of seconds. Now that there were two tongues working him, his mind had gone blank. Everything else was irrelevant; he only felt them... their kisses on his thighs, broad tongues lapping up the liquids off of his skin, slowly moving toward his core.
He gasped as he felt one of them dragging the tip of their tongue over his slit before softly kissing and sucking his member. His legs were pushed further upward and to the sides, making way for the other man to lap at his entrance. Jel opened his eyes, his vision blurry. His left arm moved down to touch his lover, but his wrist was caught by a strong hand and pinned down onto the mattress.

He shivered as both tongues licked his labia on both sides, stimulating him in an excruciating slow yet such a delightful way. It felt as if they were testing him, trying different ways and patterns to find out what he liked best. What part of him was most sensitive to their touch. His breathing quickened and delighted sounds escaped him as they took turns slowly dragging their apex over his slit, occasionally slipping between the folds and sucking his member.
He arched his back and dug his fingers into the bedsheets as a finger entered him and started thrusting at a steady pace. The digit reached his sweet spot, pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

"I'm about to cum," he managed to whimper, "Oh, dragon, I'm gonna -"

The hand that had been holding his wrist let go of him, and all of the movement suddenly ceased. Jel bit his lower lip as he felt that marvelous feeling fade away from his abdomen. Propping himself up, he glared at the men between his legs. Horadi had grabbed a handful of Reth's hair to pull him away. The latter's tongue was still sticking out between his teeth, the corners of his mouth curled upward to form a smug grin. Hodari's visage looked equally as punchable to the tailor at this very moment.

"Not yet, darlin'," he cooed. "I want to take my sweet time with you."

He slowly pulled his finger out and sucked on it without breaking eye-contact. Jel growled in frustration and let himself drop back between the pillows, earning a chuckle from both of his lovers. The bed moved as they stood up.

"Don't worry, babe," Reth said while unbuttoning his shirt. "The longer you have to wait, the better the payoff. And I'm talking from experience: I'm used to getting my hopes up."

Hodari was the first to join him back on the bed, one hand stroking the tailor's chest.

"Why must you torment me so?" he whined as the miner moved in for a kiss. He tasted himself on his lips; sweet with just a tinge of tartness.

"Don't want you to get overstimulated right away, darlin'. Let me make it up to you: if there's anythin' y'want to try, or want me to do, just say it."

"Have your way with me," Jel sighed. "Don't hold back and take what you desire. Be relentless and mark me. I won't break."

The older man looked down on him with mild surprise, eyebrows raised.

"Well, I'm not much of a sadist,' he started, before being cut off by the tailor.

"Sadism and dominance are two different things, my Muse. I'm not asking for you to inflict pain, but merely to take full control. Restrain me, if you feel comfortable doing so."

"Oh, I'll have no problem with that."

"There's silk rope in the drawer to your right."

"I've got another idea to spice things up," Reth said, standing nude next to the big mirror. "Shove that desk aside, I'll put this thing near the footboard."

Jel watched him struggle with the mirror for a while, until the cook gave up and looked at the miner with pleading eyes.

"I'll get it," Jel said. He walked up the mirror, grabbed it on both sides and lifted it. He gave Reth a mocking smile as he placed the heavy object down near the bed.

"I didn't know you're a weightlifter," Reth snickered.

"Those roles of fabric don't move themselves around. Besides, I'm used to carrying many heavy burdens upon my shoulders." Jel walked around the mirror and sat down on the bed. "Do you truly wish for me to gaze upon our reflection as we are intimate with one another?"

"I know you like to stare at pretty things, so why not get the chance to look at me from multiple angles?"

"You're an idiot."

"At least I'm your idiot."

Reth crawled onto the bed, forcing his partner to move further back and bump into Hodari, who instantly wrapped his arms around the tailor.
Being sandwiched between two warm bodies had its immediate effect on Jel, the heat travelling back to his privates.
The miner's stubble scratched the skin on his shoulder as he peppered him with kisses. Reth smirked as he petted his pubic mound, occasionally letting a finger move lower to softly touch his engorged member.

"You're so smooth, babe," he muttered. "Like a peach, fuzz included. Tastes like one, too."

"Oh hush, you - Ah!"

Jel took a sharp breath as a finger slipped inside of him.

"Sorry, didn't quite catch that," Reth said.

The tailor shook his head and tried to buck his hips. Hodari's firm grip prevented him from doing so.

"We might want to add some cream to it. What do you think, Hodari? Turn it into a pie, with cream filling and some on top?"

"Sounds delicious. Y'better start workin' on it."

"You two are insufferable," Jel groaned.

Reth took his hand and guided him to his crotch. The tailor's gentle fingers caressed his hard dick.

"Let me guess: you're going to need a hand with whipping the cream?"

"You know me so well. Oh fuck -"

Jel softly though noticeably dug his nails into his velvety skin.

"Insufferable," he repeated.

"Play nice, you two. Can I ask for one more thing before we get started? Kinda liked those stockings you were wearin' a while ago. Mind puttin' those on for me?"

"Not those particular ones, but I've got a pair I know you'll enjoy just as much."

Reth whined as Jel pulled his hand back and got up to move towards a closet with a strut that would put Tamala's to shame.

"You said it yourself, my Muse: the longer you have to wait, the better the payoff."

He moved agonizingly slow as he put on the black stockings, before reaching for two items of his most recent collection.
As he turned around to show them to his lovers, he couldn't help but blush at the sight of them absent-mindedly stroking themselves. He held both items up for them to see.

"What do we think?" he asked, trying his best to keep his composure. "Underbust corset or garter belt?"

"Would love to see that corset on you, t'be fair. Makes it extra special."

Jel smiled and went back to join them, sitting on his knees while his muses helped to lace him up. The miner ordered him to hold out his hands, to tie his wrists together in front of him. He didn't feel comfortable restraining his arms behind his back. At least, not tonight.
They kissed his skin, taking extra care to attend to his sensitive nipples. He caressed their faces and hair as they each took a nipple in their mouth, licking and sucking at them. Dragon, to be worshipped like this... it was such a delightful feeling.

Eventually, Hodari pulled away and sat back against the headboard, pulling the tailor towards him by the laces on his back.

"Come straddle me, darlin'. Face to the mirror."

Jel did as he was told and watched his reflection as the miner slid his erection back and forth between his folds, pressing the tip against his entrance.

"Look at you. Gorgeous," he murmured. "Can hardly wait to fuck you. Gonna need you to ask me nicely, though. Just say the word and I'm yours, darlin'."

"Please..." The word left him as a mere whisper.

"Didn't quite catch that, darlin'. You'll need to speak up."

He tried again with a strained voice, as Hodari teased him as he tried to speak. And again, over and over until he couldn't take it any more.

"Please, just fuck me!" he cried out. "Penetrate me, screw me, breed me, however you wish to name it, just do it!"
"Good boy."

Finally, finally Hodari grabbed him by the hips and thrusted in. Jel had a hard time focusing on his reflection. All that was important to him at that very moment was the feeling of the older man pounding into him. His girth that stretched him up, his arms holding him in place, teeth sinking into the flesh of his shoulder, not quite breaking skin, yet still hard enough to mark him.
He glanced down as he sensed movement and gasped as Reth placed his lips over his member, sucking and occasionally letting his tongue roam over it. If they kept up this rhythm, he'd be turned into a whimpering mess in no-time. He grasped at Reth's hair and slumped forward as he felt an orgasm building up, muscles spasming and eyes screwed shut. Incoherent mumbling and moans left him as he approached the point of no return. Hodari's arm snaked around his chest and pulled him back against him, a calloused hand grabbing him by the throat. He bucked his hips at no avail as he tumbled over the edge, pure ecstasy rushing through him.

Time stood still. Everything halted, until the tension left his body and he bent over again, supported by warm and loving arms that gently guided him down as he went to lay on his stomach.
The pressure of the corset disappeared as Hodari undid the lace and pulled it apart, granting Jel some much-needed breathing room. The miner pulled out and repositioned himself in front of the tailor, switching places with Reth.

He knew their night of intimacy was far from over. At least the two men were kind enough to let him catch his breath and prepare himself for another round. Maybe edging wasn't such a bad idea, after all. Too late for that, now.

Reth unclasped the stockings from the garters and let him sit up, whilst Hodari helped him out of his corset. He shivered as the cool air brushed his now exposed skin. The older man softly kissed him on the lips.

"How're you holdin' up?" he asked. "Wound down, yet?"

"Yes, I'm.. I'm fine. Just in a state of bliss, is all."

He threw his arms around Hodari's neck and bent forward to deepen their kiss. Reth took the opportunity to run his tongue over his vulva, lubricating him before he positioned himself behind the tailor, caressing his entrance with the tip of his cock.

"Do I get the go-ahead?" the redhead asked.

Jel looked back and nodded, trying his best to relax his abdomen as his partner entered him. He knew Reth was always so careful with him, putting Jel's comfort before his own whenever he could.
He slowly pulled out and thrusted back in, picking up the pace when he was sure his partner was slick enough to handle it.

Hodari removed the tailor's arms from his neck and guided him down to his lap. Jel let the apex of his tongue wander over his dick, lapping up the thick bead of precum. Soft hands wrapped around his shaft, stroking him. The miner ran his fingers through his wavy hair, while his other hand massaged the back of his neck.

"You're so good to me, darlin'. If only you could see yourself from my point of view. Such beautiful eyes staring up at me. Those pretty lips wrapped around my dick. And that body, so lean. You're damn perfect. Ah fuck, hold on -"

The hand that had been petting his hair now pulled him away. Jel looked up at him and noticed how he was trying hard to hold back an orgasm.

"Turn over for me," he said as soon as the feeling had subsided. "Reth, stop for a second. I want him on his back."

The cook reluctantly pulled out and helped his partner with rolling over. Hodari placed one hand on his abdomen as Reth penetrated him again.

"Those lines," he said, softly tracing the side of his abs with his fingertips. "Dragon, they look so beautiful. So smooth. May I please cum over your stomach?"

The question took Jel by surprise, but the look in those steel-blue eyes told him Hodari truly meant it.

"Yes, you may," he muttered, bucking his hips as the miner's hand moved lower to pet his member.

He took the tip of his dick in his mouth once more, circling it with his tongue. Reth's movements sped up and became somewhat erratic. His rapid breathing was another sign of an approaching climax.

Fingers dug into his hips as Reth orgasmed, throwing his head back to let out a stream of obscenities. The tailor wrapped his legs around his waist, unwilling to let him pull out just yet.
It didn't take long before Hodari moved away from his face and leaned over to aim at his abdomen. Jel watched him stroke himself to a climax, ejaculating over his navel, stomach and pubic mound. The warm fluids leaked down over his labia and Reth pulled out to rub his dick over his most sensitive area, spreading the semen of the both of them. The stimulation was enough to make the tailor topple over the edge one last time, this time basking in the wake of his orgasm in complete silence.

He closed his eyes and felt himself slowly drifting off. Four hands caressing him, untying his wrists and tending to him, cleaning up the mess they made. Two sets of lips softly kissing him, his neck, his chest. Two warm bodies joining him in his bed, cuddling and nuzzling him.

Oh, to be loved and cherished by such beautiful souls...

Chapter Text

A light briefly shimmered in the dimly lit room, making Reth jolt awake. He tried to find the source, but all he saw in that direction was his own arm, the blankets, and Jel laying flush against Hodari.

He carefully stepped out of bed and started getting dressed. Reth was already late for his night-shift, and even though Zeki cut him some slack he couldn't keep pushing his luck.

"Leavin' so soon?" he heard Hodari croak.

"What, is there not even a "darling" in it for me?" Reth chuckled. "Got places to be at and a tight schedule."

He bent over the bed to plant a kiss on Jel's lips. As he pulled back, he had a short staring contest with the miner.

"With all due respect," Reth said, "the only time I'm willing to taste your saliva is when you're the first to get to the Omiatussy."

Hodari snickered while Jel glared up at the redhead.

"You did not just say that."

"I sure did and it'll end up in the dictionary one day. As soon as Caleri lifts my ban and I'm able to conceal a pen."

Reth stood up and stretched himself.

"Whelp, it's been a good evening, totally worth giving it another shot some other day. As for now, I bid the both of you a fine night. Make sure to save some for me, big guy."

With that said, Reth left the apartment. Jel sat up and stretched himself, before gazing down at Hodari. The older man looked mildly troubled and the tailor carefully brushed his black hair aside.

"What worries lay behind those beautiful eyes, my Muse?" Jel asked sweetly.

"I, er... it's difficult to explain. 'M not as much of a talker as you."

"Truly? I have to say, you had many a thing to speak about during our time of intimacy."

"Yeah, well, that was just... spur of the moment."

He reached up and brushed Jel's white forelock from his face, carefully tucking it behind his ear.

"Thing is, 'm not sure where to go from here. What happened tonight was great and completely consensual, mind you, but..." His voice trailed off.

Jel lay down on top of him and softly touched his face, tracing the fine lines that were etched into his skin.

"I understand. I had a talk with Einar, recently," the tailor said. "Long story short, one could say I am addicted to any form of affection. It has become so bad, I don't even feel the need to properly court someone beforehand. Oh dragon, it sounds worse now I said it out loud."

"Oh, no, I get what you're sayin', darlin'. Sometimes y'just need your fix, so to speak. 'M kinda glad you picked me to join in."

"Truly?" Jel chuckled. "I thought you had enough admirers to choose from?"

"I guess, yeah. People keep flirting with me left, right and center. But there are days I don't want to deal with all that. Just want to skip the romancin' and get laid. Excuse my language."

"So, we can agree we're friends-with-benefits, rather than lovers?" Jel asked softly.

"No strings attached and no questions asked... If that's okay with you."

"Sounds fine by me."

Hodari cupped the tailor's face in both hands and pulled him closer for a kiss. However, as the latter attempted to take things further, he broke away.

"Sorry, darlin', but I've got to head back home, soon. No time for th'good stuff, 'm afraid."

Jel groaned as the miner rolled the both of them over and pushed him down between the pillows. Briefly, the older man caressed his neck and gave it a light squeeze. Not enough to cut off air supply, still enough to leave the tailor gasping for vastly different reasons.

"You're unbelievable," he chuckle

"And you're a tease," Jel retorted.

Hodari hummed and stood up, picking up his clothing and getting dresses while the tailor admired his physique.

"Y'know what? I think I've got somethin' t'keep you busy while Reth and I are out."

He rummaged around in his bag and produced a strange sort of pearlescent gemstone. It was flat, slightly curved and had a faint orange glow to it. As Hodari held it out, Jel could feel a strange sort of electric current emanating from it, and when he held it in his hand, it felt as if he was holding a handful of bees, buzzing against his skin.

"What is it?" he asked the miner.

Hodari shrugged. "A few humans referred to it as "elemental flow stone". I certainly never heard of it, before. Did run a couple of tests and kept it on me to hand it over to Subira, but considering its properties..."

He took the stone from Jel and turned it over in his hand.

"Now, normally I wouldn't advice anyone to stuff themselves with whatever oblong gemstone they find, but considering its shape..."

He moved his hand under the covers and pressed the stone against Jel's labia, making him inhale sharply at the sudden sensation.

"Let's make a deal: tomorrow, you'll wear that stone, pressing it right up against your slit, throughout the day until I get back to check on you."

"But what if the sensation becomes too much for me to handle?"

Hodari smiled. "If you just so happen to cum, y'better keep my name on your lips, darlin'."

"Oh, you wretched soul," Jel said with a slight blush on his face.

After Hodari had left the apartment and Jel was finished getting ready to turn in for the night, he studied the flow stone. It had such interesting colors to it. He wondered if he'd ever be able to capture it in fabric.

Alas, that would be a problem to tackle another day.

-----

The following day had been... inspiring. He had been wearing the stone, just as he was told to do, and the feeling had been less bothersome than he had anticipated. With one knee resting on his stool, he had been bent over his desk to sketch various new designs to his heart's content. Every so often people would walk in to fawn over his most recent collections. He listened in on their conversations to learn what they liked best and what might needed to be changed. Apparently, leather and chains were in high demand.

When the end of the workday grew near and humans set off to travel home to tend to their gardens or to Bahari Bay to find groves, Reth sauntered in.

"Another rain-check from Tish," he declared, putting tonight's supper on the corner of the desk. "She's very invested in stargazing as of late."

Jel smiled at him. "I'm happy for her. Hassian seems like a good match for her. Plus, I don't want her to feel like the third wheel when we're together."

"You didn't have any problem with that when you and Tish were having your nightly ritual and I was the one hanging around aimlessly."

"Not aimlessly, my Muse. You took good care of us, and spent quality time with your sister whilst I stood back."

"How times have changed, hm? By the way, I saw Hodari at the tavern today. He told me about a certain stone he gifted you. Are you wearing it?"

"As a matter of fact, I am."

"How does it feel?"

"Oh, it feels nice. It's just a soft buzz, not excruciating or anything like that."

Reth walked around him put his hands on the tailor's belt.

"Maybe it needs some more pressure?" he asked as he grabbed the belt and pulled it up.

The fabric of Jel's trousers pressed against the stone, which in turn pressed harder into his slit. The stone's slight buzz immediately got cranked up to a decent vibration. The tailor had to hold himself steady on the desk as he felt an orgasm slowly building up.

"Reth," he wheezed, "Don't! I'm in public!"

"You're in your shop, not out on the square."

"Still, you can't make me-"

Reth chuckled and removed one hand from the belt to pull the tailor's hair.

"Oh, would you look at what the palcat just dragged in," he said.

Jel glanced up at the doorframe while he bent down, holding himself up on his lower arms. His older lover was watching him, arms crossed and a grin plastered on his face.

"Hope you remember what I told you, darlin'."

"Ah, fuck... Hodari... Ah!"

He hid his face in the crook of his arm and tried his best to muffle his moans as he unraveled.

"I think we're about to have a very good time," he heard the miner say.

Chapter Text

"We can't possibly do this over here! People could spot us through the windows and they'll gossip and then word will reach my family and oh Maji I'm coming-"

Jel convulsed as he was laying back over his desk, his shoulders being pinned down by the older Majiri as Reth had pulled down his trousers in order to move the vibrating stone around through his undergarments.

"You keep on saying that and Maji will eventually come down here to collect you, herself," the cook said with a grin. "This is the fifth time, already."

Hodari gave his shoulders a squeeze and grumbled: "Door is locked, I'm blocking the view."

"And they can't see your desk when they're walking by. I should know, since I've spent countless hours behind your shop," Reth chuckled. "Don't ask me why, though. I'm not ready to disclose that information just yet."

Jel was gasping for air when he felt a hand move from his shoulder to unbutton his vest, then started working on unbuttoning his blouse.

"Damned tiny buttons. I ought to just rip this thing right open," Hodari grumbled as he struggled to even get them through the holes.

"Then do so. You're literally at the tailor's shop. Jel can sew 'em back on afterwards," Reth replied.

"Good point."

Even before the tailor could protest, the miner had already hooked his fingers through the gap between the buttons and pulled, sending the buttons flying everywhere and exposing his chest to the other men. It was barbaric! Vulgar! Hot as hell...

Jel made a mental note to keep a few old garments around just in case he wanted either of the two to rip his clothes straight off of his body, again.

"Aw, no bralette, today?" Reth asked, running a hand over his chest. A calloused thumb rubbed over his nipple.

"I felt it was too warm outside for an extra- Oh Maji-"

"And that's number six."

Hodari pulled the tailor towards him, making him hang his head over the edge while his feet no longer reached the floor. Reth started working on removing his boots and trousers, as Hodari took his spectacles from him.

"Wouldn't want to crack the glass," the miner said.

"How thoughtful of you," Jel replied sarcastically. He watched on with blurry vision as the older man unbuttoned his pants and pulled down his boxer briefs, freeing his erection.

"Really? Right in front of my mannequins?"

"Says the gent who has his trousers around his ankles and has had six orgasms already. Y'might want to put that bratty mouth of yours to better use."

"BRATTY?! Just for that remark, I'm not going going to do anything."

Jel crossed his arms and turned his head, only to feel Hodari's cock rubbing against his cheek. He glanced at the man's visage and could only assume he was smirking down at him.

"No, I won't open up," the tailor mumbled from the corner of his mouth, trying to contain his own sly grin.

"Don't worry, I know how to fix that," Reth muttered, moving Jel's undergarments aside and slipping a finger between his folds, breaching him without hesitating.

Jel gasped at the sudden sensation, granting Hodari the opportunity to intrude his mouth. Jel didn't object to it - if he wasn't consenting, he'd have bitten down to make the miner regret his actions. Instead, he grabbed the older man by the hips and pulled him closer, eager to please.

The miner hissed as he bucked his hips.
"Someone's changed his mind rather quick."

Jel felt a comfortable haze settling in his brain as he focused on his breathing and the steady rhythm, swallowing around Hodari's shaft every few thrusts.
A broad hand held him by the back of the head, while the other caressed his throat, occasionally moving down to his chest.

Reth had been focused on eating him out, the apex of his tongue slipping between the folds, running it up to the other man's member. He enveloped it with his lips and sucked, which earned him a long moan and lavender fingers grasping at his hair.

Eventually, he pulled away, licking his lips before wiping the mix of saliva and slick with the back of his hand.

"Time for the main course," he joked, rubbing the tip of his cock over wet labia for lubrication, before lining himself up.

Outside, two humanoid figures were passing behind the shops, jumping and unfolding their gliders inbetween hills. While they landed, the one man with blue and dark brown hair, donning equally blue antlers, wanted to take off running. His party member, a man with longer, purple and black hair in a braid, stopped dead in his tracks when he looked through the big window of the tailor's shop.

His hand shot out and grabbed the other by the antler.
"Ack! Sara, stop pulling!" The blue-haired man called out, holding the base of his antler. "It's shedding season and I-"

He stopped talking when Sara let go of the antler and grabbed his chin instead, making him look at the window as well.

"Oh... my... Embra..." he said. "The tailor is getting mugged!"

Sara grimaced and looked at their friend with a frown.
"He's getting spitroasted, Hayden."

"Oh? Oh!" Hayden's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "So he and the miner... and Reth..."

The both of them tilted their heads.
"I didn't know he could bend like that," Hayden said.

"Pretty impressive, though," Sara added. "Wait, weren't you having a fling with Reth?"

"Was I? Oh, right, I was. Oh well, not like I'm being totally monogamous. I've been flirting with the farmer on the side."

"With Nai'o?"

"No, Badruu."

Sara briefly glanced over at the other man and squinted.
"That man can't be romanced, Hayden."

"Oh. I just assumed he had hayfever and a cacao allergy."

"A farmer with hayfever," Sara sighed. Sometimes he was amazed that the one braincell in Hayden's head could still come up with these things and keep the man alive at the same time.

That braincell must've read all books on juggling.

Hayden's attention turned back on the trio in the shop. He bent forward, hoping to get a better look. Sara held him by the back of his jacket to keep him from falling.

"Interesting strategy of that miner to flip Jel around like that," Sara muttered.

"What miner? They're all adults, aren't they?"

"I swear to Embra, I'm  close to dropping you. I meant Hodari, you fool."

"But he's the oldest! And girthiest. Damn... I'd romance him, if he wasn't a miner."

Sara followed his gaze and nodded in agreement.
"He can explore my mineshaft any time," he cooed.

"Too bad mine was deemed unsafe and has been shut down, after I got a stone pillar stuck in it," Hayden groaned.

"Hayden, what the hell?" The other man pulled him back to safety and stared at him in confusion.

"What? I wanted to bring a pillar with me to Bahari Bay so I traveled there from the back of my plot, but then I forgot to put it in my inventory and the ceiling was too low."

Sara blinked tiredly, his own braincells running for cover in case this was something transmittable.

"Anyway," the man with the antlers continued, "I wish I was as flexible as the tailor. I'm not even sure if his leg is still attached to the rest of him."

"You could train yourself, though," Sara replied, "by copying those positions during sex."

"But with who? Reth's kinda busy right now."

The man with the braid looked Hayden up and down. This man was an absolute himbo, but also a sweetheart. Besides, they had their adult playtime, before.

"I can help you with that," he said suggestively. "Your plot or mine?"

Hayden's braincell had a moment of clarity. The man grinned at him as they both turned to run back to where they came from.

Meanwhile, Jel was left a whimpering mess, while Hodari tucked himself back into his pants and zipped them up.

"That was fun," the oldest Majiri muttered, giving the tailor a pat on the ass. "But I really should go, now. See you later, darling. Reth."

A pink hand appeared from behind the desk and waved at him, as the cook's mouth was preoccupied with other things, drawing all sorts of interesting sounds out of Jel. The latter tensed up and convulsed just as Hodari closed the door behind him, then slumped back onto the desk.

"And that was- uh... I lost count," Reth said as he pulled away. "Maybe I should start over, again."

Jel let out a long, guttural noise. Since when did Reth have so much stamina?

Chapter Text

Post-coital shame had settled in after both men had left the tailor to deal with the aftermath of their erotic endeavor. Not that there was much to clean up; a quick rinse of the desktop and placing his tools back where they belonged and the next client who came into the shop was none the wiser.

Still, he felt ashamed for letting them have their way with him. No, wait, that wasn't true. He enjoyed the moment just as much as them. The way they - and in particular Hodari - had left so abruptly was what made him feel like this. And thus he had avoided the miner like the plague, turning his head whenever the man passed by his shop.
Reth had received a proper scolding from his little sister, already, and had since apologized (though Jel in turn received a scolding for discussing their private matters with her, which, in hindsight, was fair enough).

Nearly two weeks went by without any form of correspondence between the miner and the tailor, the both of them too stubborn to acknowledge and discuss the lack of interaction between them. Fabric doesn't crack, but rocks - when struck hard and often enough - will. Thus, Hodari found himself inside the tailor's shop, tired of the silent treatment.

"Alright, lay it on me. What did I do?" he asked, his arms crossed as he stood in front of Jel's desk. The tailor had rolled his stool back to create some distance between them and equally crossed his arms.

"Do you want me to get straight to the point?" he retorted. "Since you seem so keen on doing the same, throwing me over the desk to have your way with me and all that."

The miner shifted his weight from one foot to the other and tilted his head.
"Don't go telling me you feel taken advantage of?"

The tailor tilted his own head as well. "No, I wouldn't say so. I was, however, appaled about the way our endeavor ended."

The older man frowned as he recalled the moment. "What? I didn't do a thing..."

"And that is exactly what is bothering me!" Jel called out. "You gave me a pat on the behind and a 'good job'. No, wait, not even that. You simply mentioned that you had a fun time and that you had to leave."

"Well, what else was I supposed to do? Stay longer and write a detailed report?"

Jel scoffed and looked away, unsure of what he did expect of him.

"You know what?" Hodari said, pointing at him. "I don't know whether you're being a whiny little bitch to tick me off or to get me all worked up, but you better march your sorry ass upstairs right now."

"What're you going to do? Ground me?" The tailor huffed.

"NOW!"

Jel looked startled and put a hand to his chest, slowly getting up and moving towards the stairs without taking his eyes off of the miner, who was practically bristling at him. Still, there was a certain shimmer in his eyes. The tailor didn't take the time to study it, though, as he hastened up the stairs when Hodari made a sudden, threatening move towards him.

Jel's heart was pounding in his chest as he entered his apartment and shut the door. What in Maji's name was happening? He had mixed feelings for this predicament, to say the least.
His ear flicked when he heard the miner ascend, thumping footsteps on wood, coming closer and closer.
Jel stepped back as the door swung open and the other man entered.

"Hodari, what are you-" he started, but was cut off by a gloved hand that grabbed hold of his face and pulled him down to the other man's eye-level.

"So I've been neglectful, hm?" the miner muttered, a heated look in his eyes. "Didn't take enough time for proper aftercare?"

"Indeed. You'd make a lousy dom," Jel dared to reply, receiving an angry glare in return.

"In that case, I better prove you're wrong."
Hodari turned his back to him and started taking off his gear, briefly checking his goggles and polishing them before setting them down on the coffee table.

"Now, off course I can't prove m'self unless I'm absolutely sure you're consenting to it, so if you do-"
The miner turned back to Jel and stared at him for a moment.
"Really?"

The tailor had hung his vest on a mannequin and was halfway through unbuttoning his shirt.
"What? Last time, you ripped the buttons off of my brand-new Rosalyn Rouge blouse. I'm merely taking precautions."

"So, that means you're consenting, right?" Hodari asked as he sauntered up to the other man.

"I think that's fairly obvious," Jel muttered, his focus on the last button. He yelped as a pair of strong, calloused hands suddenly lifted him and pressed him up against the wall behind him.

"Oh dear-" he croaked, before he got cut off by a deep, somewhat forced kiss. After the initial shock, the taller man gave into it, wrapping his arms around his lover's neck as the other let one hand roam over his exposed body, touching the lace top that he was wearing underneath his shirt.

"Glad t'find you're wearing somethin' lacey, again," Hodari muttered against his lips as they broke their kiss. "Good boy."

Jel felt his face turn a darker shade at those words. If he wasn't pressed up against his sturdy figure, yet, he'd have thrown himself at the miner this instant.

Hodari grinned, taking notice of how the other man's eyes dilated and his breathing become more strained.
"Since I've been so neglectful, I better make it up t'you by givin' you my full attention."

The older man bucked his hips, effectively rubbing up against the tailor's folds through layers of fabric. The latter could hardly bite back a moan.
"So horny... Y'might want to finish undressing, darlin'."

Jel chuckled nervously and shrugged to the best of his abilities, given that he was still holding onto the other man.
"That's kind of hard to do when you're pressing me up against the wall."

Hodari hummed and sucked his teeth, nodding slightly. Then, without warning, he let go of the tailor and turned him around, slamming him against the wall once more.

Jel was a bit dazed by the sudden movements, chest heaving as his cheek got pressed against the cool wall. He heard and felt his belt being undone, and soon fabrics were pushed down to his knees. The sounds of a zipper and the rustling of cotton made his ear twitch.
The miner pulled roughly at his hips, forcing him to bend over.

"Wouldya look at that," the miner muttered, running callouses fingers over damp silk and lace. "So wet, already, darlin'? You enjoy bein' manhandled, dontcha?"
The fabric was moved to the side, the smooth tip of his cock rubbed between the folds and teased his entrance.
"And you wanted t'make me believe you're not the type~ What've you got t'say for yourself?"

"I'm so needy~" Jel whimpered, immediately covering his mouth, as if that would magicallly erase his words from existence.

Hodari noticed the pang of shame that coursed through the tailor and grinned.
"Are you, now?" he cooed, nipping at his neck. "Needy for what? Go on~"
He pressed against his hole, breaching him slowly until the tip was inside, then waited for an answer. His hands kept the other man in place, preventing him from moving his own hips back against him. He could feel him struggle and writh under his grip, his blunt nails digging into lavender skin.

"I want to feel you inside of me," Jel whined pathetically. "I'm needy for your dick! Please! Please, just fuck me~"

"Oh, such foul language, coming from a nobleman," Hodari chuckled. "Maybe you're somethin' other than a noble... But what?"

Jel whimpered, both ashamed and turned on by the way he was coaxed into talking dirty. Very well, two could play this game. He glanced back and managed to move his hips slightly, drawing a soft hum out of the other man.
"Perhaps I am but a harlot."

Hodari stalled all action and raised one eyebrow.
"A harlot? Of all the words in your vocabulary, you're gonna use that?"

"What? Would you rather have me describe myself as a cheap, needy little slut who only wants to be fu- oh maji, yes~"

In the middle of Jel's retort, Hodari thrusted in. The fingers that had previously been digging into his skin were now pulling at his hair, forcing him to crane his neck.
"Exactly," the man muttered into his ear. "That's what I want t'hear~"

Chapter Text

Jel whimpered as his head was pulled back, finding himself gazing at the ceiling. He tried to look back, watching the older man from the corner of his eyes.

Hodari smiled back at him. It wasn't his usual reserved, almost shy smile. On the contrary, he was grinning, enjoying the power he held over Jel.

"I thought you weren't into hurting your lovers," the tailor croaked, before biting his lower lip.

"And I thought you weren't into bein' treated like a whore. Guess we learn somethin' new every day," Hodari crooned, pulling out to the tip then slamming right back in, causing Jel's body to rock further from the force.

A strangled moan escaped the tailor's lips. As ashamed as he was to admit it, this treatment did make him weak at the knees. He tightened his jaw and groaned in pain and pleasure as Hodari pulled at his hair again, feeling his hot breath caress his skin.

"Come now, darlin'," the miner drawled, "tell me how you want me to ruin you."

Calloused fingers dug into his lilac hip, most certainly causing bruises. Jel pinched his eyes shut and swallowed his pride.
"H-have your way with me," he whispered.

"What's that? You'll have to speak up a little," Hodari cooed, his grip tightening.

"Ah~ I need you to-"
He was rudely interrupted by Hodari's sudden movement, dragging him over to the vanity, knocking some of his items off of the surface and forcing him to look in the mirror by grabbing at his throat.

"You're not in the position to make demands, darlin'," the older man said, his voice low and laced with perversion. His gaze was equally as dark. This situation had awakened something that had been dormant for a long time, and he was eager to explore.
"I want you to beg for it..."

Another hard thrust, the few bottles left on the desk rattling as the vanity shook.
Jel gasped as the pressure settled, pushing back against his hips for friction. Hodari grabbed onto his hips to steady him.
"Not yet. You know what I wanna hear..."

"Please~" Jel groaned, looking up at his throught the mirror.

"Please, what? I can stand here all day, darlin'. Gotta day, your cunt sure does make a nice cocksleeve."

His crude words made Jel feel flustered. He would've looked away, if it weren't for Hodari's stare captivating him.

"Please, fuck me hard," he whimpered, the words sounding so foreign to him. "Manhandle me, use me as your toy~"

"That's more like it," the miner said, his fingers kneading his flesh. "One last thing, though. I think you're gonna need a safeword."

Jel sighed, his brows knitting together.
"A safeword? Whatever are you planning to do to me?"

Hodari grinned and bent over, kissing his back.
"Oh, I have so many ideas..."

He let go of the tailor's throat, his rough hand moving to his back to caress the smooth skin. He had a few things in mind, indeed. Banging him hard on this vanity was merely the starting point. Maji, how he'd want to pound him into the mattress. Grab at that slender throat of his. Tie him down and breed him.

Part of him felt embarrassed for having these thoughts, but it was quickly swept under the rug by lust. Right now, they were two consenting adults who were both on the same page. They could deal with the post-nut shame, later.

"Well? Safeword?" Hodari grumbled, watching him intently.

"Thimble," Jel replied with a groan.

"Haven't you been taught t'speak with two words?" Hodari taunted.

The tailor looked up at him once more, studying his expression. That sly smirk and lustful look in his eyes told him more than enough. He moaned as the miner moved his his slightly, coaxing that one small word that held a lot of weight out of him.

"Thimble, sir~"

"Good boy."

The hand that caressed the tailor's back traced the lacework of his top, before moving down to his hips. His grip tightened, holding the other man steady as he pulled out and rammed into him, dragging needy whines and whimpers out of his partner. The vanity shook, bottles and knick-knacks falling over and rolling onto the floor while Jel placed one hand on the side of the mirror. Gazing up at Hodari, he was captivated by those steel-blue eyes looking back at him, the intensity of the moment making him tighten around the intruding member.

"Woulya look at yourself," the miner rasped. "Lookin' like a high-end prostitute."

Jel’s gaze shifted down, watching his own reflection through half-lidded eyes. Strands of damp, dark hair stuck against his face, the heat that rose in him making him sweat. He bit his lip and moaned. For a moment, he wished he had put some makeup on to complete the picture.

"You like it when I call you that, don't you?" Hodari breathed heavily. "Got a kink going for you?"

"Bold of you to say that," Jel replied inbetween groans and whimpers. "You’re the one calling me names~"

His gaze darted back up again, a taunting look in his eyes as he saw Hodari's nostrils flare. Jel instantly knew he was threading dangerous waters. Talking back would not be condoned, and acting like a brat would most certainly lead to roughhousing.
Now that idea was very, *very* tempting.

"What's the matter, fossil? Can't handle hearing the truth about your own degradation-kink?"
The tailor pushed himself back against Hodari, bending forward just enough to still keep some distance between his face and the mirror. He wanted to watch the older man as he spoke, his own face half hidden behind the white forelock.
"You're always acting so mindful and demure whenever you're talking to people," he mockingly said. "But behind closed doors, you're just a pervert."

Jel grimaced as Hodari's fingers dug deeper into his flesh, leaving his marks.
"Oh, so now I'm a pervert?"
A hand shot out, grabbing Jel by the throat and pulling him up. As the tailor stood flush against the older man, he could feel the pressure of his cock inside of him.
"You know what would look really good on you, now?" the miner grumbled, his other hand sliding towards Jel's member.

"Runny mascara and smeared lipstick?"

A soft chuckle escaped from Hodari, the answer having caught him off-guard.
"I was thinking more along the lines of my handprint on your ass, but now that you mention it..."
The grip on his neck shifted, now pressing him down onto the vanity again.
"Go right ahead, put on some makeup. Make yourself look real pretty for me."

"As if I'm not gorgeous, already- *Ah!*"
He grimaced as Hodari pulled away and thrusted in without a warning.

"Never said you're not, darlin'. Go on. I'll stop movin'. Or at least, I'll try."

Jel glanced up at him, feeling around to find his kit and get started on applying his eyeliner, then moving on to dark eyeshadow.

"Oh? I thought y'were only going to do your lashes and lips?" the miner asked while he enjoyed the heat around his cock.

"It's all or nothing, my muse," Jel replied as he blended the eyeshadow for a smokey effect. "Be glad I already did my skincare routine and some light foundation."

"You did?"

"M-hm." The tailor applied his mascara, then looked back up at him. "Any requests in regards to lipstick? I've got dark purple and black. Red is out of the question, it simply doesn't combine well with my palette."

"Uh... purple." Hodari had stopped moving completely, watching as Jel applied all those fancy creams and powders. There was something mesmerizing about it.
"This, uh... this doesn't trigger any dysmorphia or dysphoria or whatever for you, right?"

"Oh, no, it doesn't. First of all, I'm the one who suggested it. Secondly, I'm quite fond of makeup."
He put his lipstick away and felt behind him, patting Hodari's waist.
"But thank you for checking in on me. That's very kind of you."

To Jel's surprise, Hodari pulled out completely and made him turn around, the back of his legs pressed against the edge of the vanity. The miner had a more gentle look in his eyes, his hands equally as tender as he caressed the tailor's jawline.
Slightly confused by this sudden change in demeanor, Jel studied his expression, searching for an answer.

Hodari smirked, tilting his head.
"You're gorgeous, darlin'. Just wanted you to know that."

"Oh... Thank you?"
Caught off-guard, the tailor let out a soft giggle and cast his eyes down, his forelock hiding part of his face. He gazed up again through his eyelashes when Hodari brushed the white strands aside.
"Why are you acting so kind, all of a sudden? I  thought you were going to fuck me senseless and treat me like a harl- a slut?"

"Oh, I'm still gonna do that, don't you worry."
Dragging the tailor down to eye-level, Hodari's lips brushed against Jel's as he spoke.
"I'm gonna treat you like the pretty li'l whore you are~"

Another swift move made the younger man yelp as he suddenly found himself on his bed. Now, the miner towered above him and grabbed hold of his thighs, dragging him closer to the edge of the bed.

"I need to get back into my role," Hodari chuckled, taking in the sight before him. Every soft curve, the protruding hips, the faint pale marks that had started to appear as of late.

"I think I might have something to help enhance the mood," Jel said, contorting his body as eagerness and excitement coursed through him.

"Enhance my mood or my performance? I know I'm older than you, but I'm not *that* old," Hodari said as he tilted his head.

"Your mood," Jel repeated. "Some time ago I got my hand on some candles that were apparently laced with a substance that has an... interesting effect."
He swung his leg to the other side and crawled over to his nightstand, rummaging around until he found what he was looking for.
"Subira confiscated all but one. I kept it, in case I need more inspiration."

"Or in case of horniness?" the miner joked. "Are you sure it's safe, though? I mean, Subira must've had a good reason to take them away."

Jel sat up and looked the candle over.
"Oh, I think one candle can't do much harm. We'll crack open a window so the fumes can't accumulate."

"Good, 'cause I didn't exactly bring a miner's canary with me."

"If anything does go wrong, pinch it out, immediately," Jel said, finding a box of matches in the same drawer. He lit the candle while Hodari opened a window.

As the older man walked back to the bed, he noticed some red rope in the open drawer. Jel saw the way he looked at it and grinned.

"Are you thinking about spicing things up even more?" he asked, taking the rope and handing it over.

"Might as well. First, I need ya out of all that lace. Don't get me wrong, I love t'see ya in it, but..."

"Sometimes you'd like to see me au naturel?" Jel finished his sentence, already grabbing hold of the hem. "That's fine by me."

He pulled the top over his head and let out a surprised noise when Hodari pressed their lips together. Being pushed down on the bed as they deepened their kiss, he threw the top in a random direction. Rough hands explored his skin, held his waist, then pulled him closer by the hips.

"I thought you were going to tie me up," the tailor muttered against the other man's lips.

"All in good time," the miner replied. "No need to hurry, darlin'."

Another deep kiss. Garments were discarded and landed on the floor, between crumpled up pieces of paper and half-written notes. Ribbons of sparkling smoke danced around them, binding the part of their minds that kept their boundaries in check and dragging them down to make way for promiscuity.

It felt feral... freeing...

Chapter Text

Never had Jel thought that mere eye-contact could add so much intensity to sexual escapades, but here he was. Steel-blue eyes were staring into his soul, pupils dilated due to the combination of lust and the fumes from the candle. Hodari had him folded in half. Long, slender legs thrown over broad shoulders. What was the term, again? A breeding-press? Mating-press?
He wasn't sure if he had ever informed the miner about his physical limitations in regards to childbirth, but that would have to wait.

With his movements severely limited, the only thing the tailor could do was whimper and moan with each deep thrust. It felt as if the candle hadn't just amplified their mood, but heightened their sensitivity as well. Every ridge and vein that brushed his inner walls as the man pulled out and pounded back in with force. Every hot breath that caressed his skin. The low grunts and groans. The scent of sweat, sex and smoke. The salty taste of his lips whenever Hodari leaned in even closer for a deep kiss.

Jel broke their eye-contact and threw his head back as he felt his climax approaching. It promised to be intense and out of this world and-

All pressure disappeared as Hodari pulled out and moved away, letting Jel's legs fall open. He glanced at the miner, again, frustrated by the sudden seize of stimulation.
He wasn't allowed to feel this way for very long, as Hodari easily manhandled him and flipped him over.
A strong hand pressed down on the side of his head, fingers tangling in his wavy hair. There was a flicker of hesitation in Hodari's eyes, common sense managing to puncture the veil of smoke.
The hand released him. Jel turned to see what his partner was up to and grinned as he saw the red rope in mauve hands.

"Hands behind your back," the miner grumbled.

The tailor obliged, grinding down onto the mattress out of excitement.
Hodari wasn't exactly a master at shibari in any means, but he had picked up enough from Nai'o's rambling about various knots and watching the farmhand use his lasso to reel in Ormuus and Riffrocs, as well as helping Hassian out with tying up his hunting game. Was his ropework suitable for this purpose? Not really. But it surely incapacitated Jel in the way he intended.

He pulled him up by his bony hips before pressing down on his arms, forcing him into position for another pounding.
Although Jel couldn't see it, Hodari grinned at the sight of slick slowly dripping down from between his partner's reddened and swollen labia.

"You're a sight for sore eyes, darlin'," he muttered, lining himself up to thrust in.

Jel didn't get a chance to react, his breath hitching as he got pounded into the mattress. Hodari held onto the ropes, pulling him back with every thrust. The steady rhythm and the fumes nearly coaxed the tailor into a different headspace. He closed his eyes and let himself slip into the haze, feeling as if his head was slowly filling up with soft, warm stuffing. Not a care in the world, not a thought in his brain. He let out a soft moan as it all slotted into that comfortable, safe space. He felt as if he'd be in this position for a while, and he wasn't wrong: Hodari had found himself hypnotized by it all, too. While he was deeply concentrated on his movements, he felt his orgasm building up. Yet, it was too slow for his liking. Forcing himself out of the haze, he bent forward and pressed Jel down whilst chasing his release.

Given their height difference, the tailor felt a sharp pain in his spine as Hodari wrapped an arm around his neck, putting him in a headlock. He snapped out of his haze and could hear heavy breathing right behind him, felt stubble scratch his skin as Hodari opened his mouth to clam lavender flesh between his teeth. Whatever the miner was doing, this was not something Jel enjoyed, but his mind was too blurry, too busy trying to get through this moment unharmed to let the other man know. He let out a strangled whine as sharp canines punctured his shoulder, marking him.

Hodari's ear twitched slightly at the sound and opened his eyes. Realizing he tasted blood on his tongue, he pulled away and released the tailor from his tight grip. For a second he was staring down on the other man, whose expression was scrunched up and showed not a sign of enjoyment.

"Thimble?" Hodari asked, wanting to remind his partner of their safeword.

Jel wheezed and nodded, whispering the word multiple times.
The miner was quick to seize all action, moving away from the tailor before wetting his fingertips to pinch out the candle. He then proceeded to untie his arms and help him turn around.

"Are you okay?" Hodari asked worriedly. "Ah, fuck, I made you bleed..."

He looked around for anything to press down on the wound and settled for a piece of cotton he found on the table behind them.

"I'll be fine," Jel muttered. "That was just... it was too much, all of a sudden."

"Yeah, I pushed your boundaries, didn't I?"

The tailor was surprised by how quick and easy Hodari had switched from relentlessly pounding into him to making sure he wasn't hurt. The rough hands that had left bruises and had pushed him down were now carefully pulling him up, gently massaging sore muscles.

"I overstretched my back," Jel said, winching as he tried to bend forward.
Hodari pulled him into his lap, before covering his back with a blanket in an attempt to warm him.

"Sorry for hurtin' you," the miner sighed. "That wasn't my intention."

"It's fine, really. We were both in that... dominant and submissive mindset. You saw I wasn't enjoying it and immediately stopped. That was very mindful of you, and it showed me that you respect my feelings and boundaries, so thank you for that."

For a moment, Hodari seemed flustered by the compliments, though soon his shy smile turned into a coy grin.
"So, does that mean I'm a good Dom?"

The younger man wrapped his arms around his partner's neck, nuzzling him.
"I'd trust you with my life," he chuckled, tilting his head to kiss him slow.

This soft, intimate moment was a welcome change of pace after they spent most of their time in the throes of unfiltered passion. Unwinding after roughhousing was what they both needed, even if they hadn't realized it.
Still, this didn't mean they were running out of stamina. On the contrary: Jel couldn't help but grin against Hodari’s lips as he felt the latter's erection twitch against his thigh.

"Would you like to continue?" he asked sweetly, moving around to straddle the miner.

"Please and thank you~" he replied. "Though I'm done manhandling you. I'd rather treat you the way you deserve to be treated."

The tailor hummed in agreement and pulled away and little, snickering at the stains he had left on Hodari.

"What? Ah, let me guess," the miner grumbled.

"The lipstick wasn't as smudge-proof as I thought," Jel said, leaning to the side to grab a few tissues before attempting to clean the purple marks that were on Hodari's lips and jaw.
He patiently waited, watching Jel's every move with love in his eyes. The younger man caught him staring and chuckled softly.

"You're pretty," Hodari said.

"Even with the runny mascara and smudged lipstick?"

"... especially with the runny mascara and the smudged lipstick. And the messy hair. Makes me want to fix you up, after we're done. Take proper care of ya."

"Then we better wrap this up~" the  tailor cooed.

Jel didn't have to tell him twice. Broad hands guided him to move up, then made him sink down on Hodari's cock. He let out a needy moan as he started riding him. Their arms wrapped around each other, wanting to be as close as physically possible, their heartbeats palpable against their chests. Deep, greedy kisses, only broken to let soft whimpers and moans escape.

"I want to fuck you till you're full," the miner groaned against Jel's neck, "knock you up. You'd like that, wouldn't ya?"

The tailor grinned weakly, his mind clouded as he was chasing his climax. Hodari's words did stir something in his loins. Even though he knew full well it was impossible, he decided to play into the older man's kink.

"Please, fill me until I overflow~" he moaned, leaning forward as Hodari laid back against the pillows. "Use me, breed me and leave me limping~"

Hodari held him tightly around his waist, holding him in place as he bucked his hips at a rapid pace. Incoherent grumbling reached Jel's ears, though only a few key words about pumping him full and getting pregnant really settled in his mind. He looked down at the man under him, noticing the determination on his face.

He was unable to bite back his sounds of pure pleasure and satisfaction as his orgasm washed over him, his body squeezing around Hodari's cock, milking him as he too reached his point of no return. The miner hadn't been lying when he said he'd pump him full. Jel had never thought he'd be able to feel the heat of the other man's cum shooting up inside of him, creaming his inner walls.

Hodari held him tight, not ready to pull out just yet. His mind told him to stay put. To make sure his load didn't flow out of his lover and affect his success rates. The weight that slowly descended on him was a signal that Jel was relaxing. As the haze in his brain dissipated, he took let his muscles relax, lazily caressing the tailor's back and kissing his shoulder. There they lay, catching their breath and basking in the afterglow.

Hodari watched his lover, his thumb trying to run some of the mascara off of his cheek.
"You look like a hot mess," he chuckled. "I better run you a bath and clean you up."

The miner had carefully rolled over and limped to the bathroom to retrieve a damp washcloth, turning on the faucet so the bathtub could fill up.
He took perfect care of the tailor, dressing the mark on his shoulder and rinsing off the makeup with utmost gentleness, before moving on to his privates, making sure to clean him properly before they'd take a bath.

Now, Jel found himself enveloped by hot water as he was laying against Hodari's chest. The warm scents of citrus fruits and vanilla filled the room. A few chaste kisses were shared.

"So, how's this for aftercare?" Hodari asked, splashing some water over Jel's exposed skin.

"It's perfect. This whole day has been perfect," the tailor muttered tiredly, smiling as his forehead received a few kisses. "Though..."

"Hm? Though, what?" His hand hovered above Jel's shoulder, waiting for him to continue and hoping he didn't do something stupid.

"Now, don't get me wrong, but it appears to me that you have some sort of... kink?"

Jel grinned as he saw Hodari's cheeks turn pink, and not because of the water's temperature.

"I might have gone a little overboard with the whole... y'know..."

"Breeding thing?"

"Yeah. Sorry about that. Should have discussed that, beforehand."

"It's fine, don't worry about it," Jel said, patting the other man's chest. "It's not like I can get pregnant."

The water sloshed as Hodari shifted his position. He tilted his head as he looked down at Jel.
"You can't?"

"No. There's not even a chance. Well, unless I magically sprout a functional uterus and ovaries."

"Given the magical resurgence of Humans, I wouldn't dismiss the possibility just yet," the miner chuckled.

Jel hummed at his words. "Still, we're just friends with benefits, so impregnating me might not be a good idea."

"Ah... about that..."

This time, it was Jel who moved to look up questioningly at the miner.
"What did you do?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Nothin' to worry about," Hodari chuckled, leaning in for a quick peck on the nose. "It's just that while we were havin' our little tiff and didn't talk, I realized I missed ya. And I hardly miss anyone if they ain't special to me."

"Aw, I'm special to you?"
The weight of the word quickly settled in, making Jel feel flustered.
"I'm... special-special to you?"

Hodari hummed and nodded, wrapping his arms around the younger man.
"You're kind and witty, and you're close to Najuma. The latter is what's most important to me. And I kinda want us to be more than just fuckbuddies, fun as it may be."

"I... oh, wow. Okay..." Jel laughed nervously. He hadn't seen that one coming. "I think you're a beautiful man, and we do have a strong connection..."

"But...?"

"No 'but'. Well, maybe one. I do want to speak to Reth about this. After all, he and I are in an established relationship. Though I know it's not frowned upon to have multiple lovers, I still think he must be informed beforehand."

"Understandable. So, does that mean you'd want to take this to the next level, too?"

Jel grinned and moved up to press his lips on those of the miner. His long fingers caressed the inside of his thigh, dragging a low moan out of Hodari.

"Does that answer your question?" the tailor muttered against his lips.

"Maji, and I thought I had stamina..."

Chapter Text

"Nope. No. Absolutely not."

Jel was staring at Reth, taken aback by his resolute answer to his question. He had merely asked if he'd be fine with him and Hodari taking their relationship to a more serious level. The cook was practically fuming, his arms crossed and glaring at him as if he personally offended him, his sister and his soup all at once.

"Why are you reacting this way?" Jel asked, frowning back at him. "I didn't think it would be a problem at all."

"Because you're mine!" Reth blurted out. "You're my boyfriend, and I'm not okay with you being his boyfriend, too."

"But you are perfectly fine with sharing my body with him? Your response makes zero sense, especially since you are the one who suggested becoming friends with benefits."

Reth huffed and looked away, biting his lower lip. Maybe he was the one who suggested it, but he still didn't want them to be more than that. It made him feel upset, jealous, on the brink of being cast aside so Jel could be with that middle-aged piece of beef cake.

As Jel reached out, he pulled away. The tailor took this as a sign that it was his turn to sit back and pout.
"Give me one good reason not to pursue a relationship with him."

"Because," Reth started, looking for any and every reason that wouldn't make him look like the bad guy. "Because it's creepy!"

"Creepy? How so?"

"You're practically half his age! He could have been your dad!"

"If he became a father when he was nineteen, maybe," Jel grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Exactly! When you were born, he was already working in the mines and probably drinking ale. Don't you see how big of an age difference that is?"

Jel couldn't help but laugh at that. He shook his head and gazed at the cook.
"You didn't exactly have a problem with his age when you invited him to have sex with us! Oh, no, wait..."
He mockingly tapped his chin and looked thoughtful.
"You invited him to fuck me. To share me like a plaything. And now that he shows genuine interest in me as a person, you just had to pull back your toy and announce you suddenly don't want to play any longer. Because he's 'too old'. M-hm. Sure, Reth."

Jel flinched as Reth stood up, angrily kicking at the chair as he walked away from it. He paced back and forth, occasionally stopping to point at him and open his mouth to speak. However, the words didn't come.

"You do realize acting this way will only chip away at our relationship, right?" Jel asked. "You're actively driving me away. Is that your intention?"

"What- no! I just- I don't appreciate being accused of acting like some pimp or whatever."

This dragged yet another hollow laugh out of the tailor, which was answered by an angry glare.

"You and Hodari dating is too creepy," Reth continued. "That's equally as fucked up as- as Eshe dating Nai'o."

"Whelp, thanks for that mental image," Badruu said, startling them both. He carried a crate into the cellar where they were seated, his face scrunched up in mild discomfort.
"Trouble in paradise?" he asked as he put down the crate and sat down on the lid.

"Oh, it's... nothing," Jel replied, looking away. He didn't feel like discussing this with the farmer, though he got the feeling the man wouldn't leave anytime soon.

"Huh. I'll be sure to tell Hodari he's a whole lotta nothing, then. Listen, I might look like I don't pay much attention, but I know the two of you have been seeing each other for a while now and you..."
He pointed at Jel and gave him a meaningful look.
"... have been doing the horizontal tango with the miner."

Jel scoffed and stammered, turning red in the face as he tried to deny it. Badruu waved his hand at him.

"I've seen him limp out of your shop, and I'm quite sure that it ain't because of his bad hip. Well, maybe it is, come to think of it. All that thrustin' must get pretty painful, especially at his age."

"Ha! See? Badruu thinks he's old, too!" Reth called out, pointing at the man.

"Actually, Hodari's a year younger than me, so thanks for callin' me an old fart."

Reth's smile faltered. He sat down, again, looking a bit embarrassed.
"A-anyway, the point I'm trying to make is... well... would you start a serious relationship with him?"

Badruu crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows.
"I would. Hell, he's my 'one who got away'. If I had a second chance with him, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

"... with Jel?" Reth retorted with a grimace.

"Hm? Oh, I thought we were talking about Hodari, my bad. When it comes to Jel... err, too close in age to Nai'o. If it ever were to happen, it'd probably be an alcohol-fuelled one-night-stand and we'd both need therapy afterwards."

Jel eyed him warily and shuddered at the mere idea.
"Cursed be my vivid imagination. But can we backtrack for a moment: you and Hodari?"

A grin appeared on the farmer's face. He looked quite pleased with himself.
"Back when I was travelling around as a bard, I ended up in a small miners village where I did meet up with him. There was a spark, we ended up kissin' for a bit, but no further than that, mostly because I left the next day. Poor guy was so young and inexperienced back then, I didn't want to break his heart."

"But you said he's just a year younger than you," Reth huffed.

"He was a late bloomer, I had a little too much experience under my belt at that point, already." He polished his nails with his shirt and checked them. "Even though I wasn't a farmer back then, I still popped cherries left, right and center. People were lining up to spend a night with me."

"Sure," Reth said, rolling his eyes.

"It's true, you can go ask Delaila. As a matter of fact, I even spent a night at the House of Omiata."
Badruu glanced at the two men from the corner of his eyes, trying to hold back a chuckle as Jel looked mortified.

"Are you implying that you had intercourse with Mother?!" the tailor exclaimed. "When did that occur?!"

Badruu frowned at the question, trying to recall the moment they had met.
"How old are you, again?"

Jel let out a high-pitched sound of distress as he got up to create some space between them. Preferably with one full staircase and a floor separating them.
Badruu smirked and turned to Reth, who was equally amused.

"Don't tell me you could possibly be his dad," the cook laughed.

"Nah, I only make blonde kids," the farmer replied.

"Delaila's blonde, though. Nai'o and Auni could have her genes."

"Ah, you're right." The grin on Badruu's face slowly disappeared.

Reth looked up at the stairs, making sure Jel was out of earshot, before turning back to the older man.
"You're both tall as hell and got similar personalities. How high is the chance that you actually did get Barinka pregnant?"

The farmer sat stunned, his face slowly turning more crimson. All of a sudden, he stood up and shoved his glove aside.
"Oh, wouldya look at the time, it's a quarter past birthmark already, I really gotta head home to my wife and my two sons who are very much my only children I ever fathered. See you around!"
He rushed out of the cellar, stumbling over his own feet to get out of the awkward situation.

"Wow. Didn't even bother finishing his joke," Reth mumbled. He then got up and ascended the stairs, finding Jel sitting at the bar holding his head with both hands.

"I need a drink," the tailor groaned as his partner walked to the other side of the bar. "Whatever you have that's not an ale."

"In that case, I can offer you a Summer Stripe herbal, ocean, citrus or floral tea," Reth replied, placing his hands on the counter top.

Jel looked up at him and frowned.
"I was thinking of an alcoholic beverage."

"They are. But for some reason Eshe decided that the word 'cocktail' is too rude and not family-friendly, and therefor blacklisted it."

"What? That's just stupid."

"I tried to tell her the same, but apparently my opinion is poppycocks. Her word, not mine."

"... Give me a herbal tea, then."

Reth smiled, took out the shaker and put some ice in it.
"Well, if you need any more reason to break things off with Hodari: you'd be dating your probable dad's ex-boyfriend. That's messy."

"Oh, for Maji's sake-" The tailor got up and glared angrily at Reth, an accusing finger pointing at him. "You can't just go around saying such things! And why should I break things off? Because you said so? Then perhaps I'm better off breaking up with you!"

Reth was left dumbfounded and stunned, watching Jel storm off. A voice inside of him screamed and kicked to get him to move, call out, go after him.
But another, more sensible part of him sighed and figured that maybe this was for the best.

Chapter Text

"What the everloving hell have you done?"

Reth got startled by the sudden appearance of Hodari at his bar in the Underground. He didn't even know that the miner knew where the entrance was, let alone that he knew his work-schedule.
The older man looked messier than usual. Sweatier, too. If his boyfriend - err, ex-boyfriend - would have been around, he'd no doubt have slipped right off the barstool.
Then again, something told him that Hodari just came back from visiting the tailor's shop and there had been little to none slip-and-sliding. More like a grinding halt, by the looks of it.

"I think I need more clarification," the cook said, putting away the glasses he had just cleaned. "I've done a lot, today, and half of it is none of your business."

There was a yelp when a calloused hand grabbed him by the collar and pulled him over the counter. The other man was fuming, his stare so penetrating that Reth felt a bit violated. Well, combined with the grip, he actually felt very much violated.

"Jel is in all sorts of states and none of them are good," Hodari growled. "He's cycling through all stages of grief over and over again."

Reth grimaced as the miner practically spat the words into his face, and grabbed hold of the thick wrist in an attempt to struggle out of his grip and away from the splash-zone.
"Maybe you should try wooing him over with some horizontal tango, since he's so keen on doing it with you."

"I would, if it weren't for him nearly tearing my dick off the moment he suddenly has another fit of rage over Maji-knows-what. Now, I'm gonna ask you again: What. Have. You. Done?"

Reth opened his mouth to make a witty remark, but gave it a second thought as the miner stared him down. There was no real reason to beat around the bush, so he decided to just get it over with.

"We broke up."

"What? Why?"

"Because of you, actually. So congratulations, I guess. You win, enjoy your prize, just make sure he eats on a regular basis."

Hodari let go of Reth's shirt and looked confused. He had always assumed Reth was number one on Jel's dating-roster and he was second best. After all, the tailor and the cook were closer in age and had a certain chemistry going, while he was - let's be fair - just a middle-aged guy who would've gladly become a hermit if it weren't for his child, as well as the other villagers bothering him on occasion.

"I don't get it," he muttered, frowning in such a way that his brows perfectly imitated two caterpillars giving one another a chaste kiss right before parting ways.

"Well, sometimes he forgets to feed himself for three days straight and-"

"No, I mean, why did you two break up? Because I asked him to be more than just friends with benefits?"

Reth gave him a curt nod and turned away, pretending he needed to inspect the wall behind him for whatever reason. He wasn't very interested in elaborating. Still, the one-worded, three-lettered question followed, and he knew the other man wouldn't leave without hearing his answer.

"Because I- I just don't like it, okay? I know you're better than I am. And Jel will realize that, too, the longer you two act as lovers and go on dates and whatever. So it was better to get this over with, straight away."

"You broke up with him over this? While you're the one who brought up the arrangement in the first place?"

"Shut up," Reth groaned. "Jel already pointed that out. And technically, he broke up with me."

"Then you better get your sorry ass to his shop and make up. He's clearly heartbroken, so there's a high chance he'll accept-"

"No."
Reth didn't look back at Hodari, yet he could feel his eyes burning holes into the back of his head.
"It's better this way," he continued. "I wouldn't want either of you to get in trouble."

"What d'ya mean by that?" Hodari asked. "What kinda trouble?"

"I..."
Reth rubbed his tattooed arm as he thought about what to answer. He couldn't spill too much, especially not at the Underground. Maji knows if someone was eavesdropping.
"I'll explain later, alright? You go focus on Jel, first."

The miner fell silent for a moment, sitting down on a barstool with a huff. A few humans tried to approach him, but he ignored them until they gave up and went back to their regular shenanigans.

Reth stared at him, waiting for a response. When it didn't come after a minute, he tried to coax him by tapping the counter. "Well?"

"He pretty much kicked me out," Hodari grumbled, avoiding eye-contact.

"Are you saying you two broke up, too?"

The miner shrugged. Things were complicated. Too complicated to his liking.

The cook tilted his head as he heard a rooster crow, followed by Zeki cursing out loud as he chased after Old Feathers, who had somehow found his way into the Underground, again.

"Alright, my shift is over," he said, throwing down the towel he was holding and making his way round the back of the bar. "Clean-up is future me's problem. Let's go talk to Jel."

He smacked Hodari's chest as he walked past him and continued on his way to his storage room without looking back. Sure, he had said he didn't want to have a talk with his ex-boyfriend just moments ago, but if Jel had even gone so far as to end things with Hodari... It didn't sit right with him. It seemed too drastic. And whenever Jel acted like this, he was likely to spiral in a downward trajectory.

Reth never wanted to see Chayne walking into the tailor's shop with that damned skeleton key, ever again.

He led Hodari through the cellar, up to the inn and out the door. His heart sank as the Sage was already walking over the threshold of the shop. Reth was about to speak up, if it weren't for Hodari being one step ahead.

"Did somethin' happen? Is Jel okay?" the miner asked, limping just a little faster to get to Chayne.

The Sage hesitated, taking in a deep breath.
"I don't want to break patient confidentiality, nor do I want to hurt your feelings, but-"

"I don't care about either of those things!" an angry voice called out.

Reth automatically stepped back and cowered as he saw Tish trudge towards them. It took a whole lot to make his sister walk this way, and judging by the livid look on her face, he'd be better off being One-eyed Zed's personal scratching pole than dealing with her at this moment.

"You two," she yelled, pointing an accusing finger at both startled men, "don't either of you even DARE step foot inside the shop! And don't look at me like two innocent little Sernuks caught in the headlights, I know exactly what you've been up to!"

Reth's blood ran cold, probably because it was frantically trying to make its way to his face within a matter of seconds.

Hodari cleared his throat, pulling Tish’s attention away from her brother. Her gaze abruptly turned to him and made the miner swallow his nerves. Or at least make an attempt.

"Now, let's be fair, he's just as much responsible for all that has been going on as we are," he said, trying to sound calm and collected.

Tish did not take it well. Reth took another step back. Even Chayne decided that perhaps it was better to get out of the way as the carpenter looked like she was about to explode.

Chapter Text

"I don't give a chapaa's butt about what he let you do with his consent," Tish hissed. "All I care about right now is my best friend, who's spent all night screaming, crying and throwing up until there was absolutely nothing left but foam and gall-"

She stopped talking as she heard someone running up to them. A giant backpack with Auni underneath slowed down significantly as Tish looked their way.

"Oh. Am I interrupting something?" The youngster asked, wincing slightly.

Tish peeled her eyes away from Auni and focused on Hodari and Reth once more. She pointed in the general direction of her house.
"Get your butts over to my house right this instant or so Maji help me.

"Are you sure you want to leave Jel-" Reth tried, only to cower again under his sister's glare.

"Chayne can watch over him. Get moving."

The two men started walking with their heads held low and the fuming carpenter walking after them. The only thing missing from the scene was Caleri ringing a bell chanting 'shame, shame' and booing onlookers.

Once they were inside Tish’s home, she closed the door suspiciously gentle - then again, Tish knew better than to abuse wooden objects. Both men stood to attention once she turned to face them, and sat down immediately when she ordered them to do so.

"I can explain," Hodari started, though quickly shut up when Reth shook his head frantically.

"Really, now?" Tish asked, sitting down on the chair across from them. "You can explain? By all means, do so."
Slowly she leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as she waited for the miner to tell his side of the story.

"Well, you see, I wanted to get into a serious relationship with him but-"

"But Reth was against the idea and it led to a fight between the two of them and they broke up. I know that. I need you to go further back in your collective history."

"Uh, well," Hodari muttered, "your brother was the one who came up with the idea of-"

"Somewhat opening up the relationship for a third person to join in, and since he knew Jel had his eyes on you in a schoolboy-crush sort of way, he dragged you in. I know that, too. Let's get somewhere in the middle of these two points in time, shall we?"

"Sure, uh, what would you want me to explain, exactly?"

Tish shrugged and gave him a smile that'd send shivers down the Bahari Ripper's spine.
"Oh, you know~ Why did the two of you push his boundaries to the limit every single time you met? First you all kept it behind closed doors, in the bedroom, which was totally fine as long as he gave consent. But then you pushed it further and further..."

"Hey," Hodari growled angrily, not liking what Tish was implying. "I have never taken advantage of him, if that's what you're trying to say."

"Maybe you didn't take advantage of him, but you're ignorant as heck! You both are!" Tish practically yelled at them. "The two of you were probably all like 'oh, he's fine with this, he's not stopping it or pushing back', right?"

"Well, I mean-" Reth started, only to be cut off by his sister.

"He's got rejection sensitive dysphoria, Reth. And that in turn leads to his fear of abandonment. He's been trying so hard to be everything you wanted him to be, do whatever you wanted him to do - keep your mouth shut, Hodari, I'm still not saying that you've been abusive -  and he felt everything was okay, the two of you were being nice to him, no cloud in the sky... and then Reth suddenly showed his own fear of rejection and told him off."

"Oh so it's all your fault," Hodari said, turning to the cook while crossing his arms.

"You're not in the clear just yet," Tish grumbled, much to Hodari's dismay. "That fight you had triggered Jel's depression and gave him so much emotional pain, I have been spending hours on end trying to pull him through and calm him down. He feels disgusted by what he has done with the both of you, calls himself vile, can't even look at himself in the mirror. And you know things are bad when he can't stand looking at his reflection."

Reth sighed and looked at the table between them. "Okay, I get it. But what do I do, now? How can I make him feel better?"

"Send him a message, let him know you do care about him," she suggested "It's a small gesture that would mean the world to him. But you should also give him some space and time to recover. Wait until he gives you the go-ahead to get close, again. This goes for both of you."

The two men looked at one another and nodded. Tish sat back, her hands neatly folded in her lap, and waited for a response.

"I guess I'll stay in the bay for a while," Hodari muttered. "Will work on a letter and send it to Jel. Make it heartfelt."
He got up with a groan and rubbed his neck. "If that is all..."

Tish nodded at him. "You can go, now."

"If there's anything-"

"I'll know where to find you."

After a moment of awkward silence, the miner limped towards the front door to head out. He was just about to walk out the gate when Reth called out to him.

"Listen, there's one more reason for not being in a throuple with... well... me," the cook said. As Hodari tilted his head in both confusion and anticipation, Reth rubbed his tattoo again.
"I- Uh... I struck a deal with some nasty folk," he confessed just loud enough for Hodari to hear. "And I don't want you to get involved, and especially not Najuma. So there's that."

"Are those the kind of people who'd hurt a kid?" Hodari carefully asked.

"They wouldn't shy away from it, even if only to send a warning to me or force me into deeper shit" Reth replied. "And if they find out Najuma has a good head on their shoulders, they'd want to take advantage of that."

"I'll keep it in mind," Hodari said. He then placed his broad hand on Reth's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"I'll manage," Reth replied casually. "Don't worry about me, big guy. Let's focus on Jel, first, alright?"

The miner nodded and let go of his shoulder before limping off. Reth watched him cross the bridge, before the shimmer in his tattoo caught his attention.
"Yeah yeah, I'm on it," he grumbled.