RP blog associated with the Fortitude Hall group.
Featuring Mason Marrowell, telepath and mind bender.
"If I have got to be a soldier, I must be a good one. Anything else is unthinkable."
It was a few quiet knocks at his door that disturbed Gossamer from an afternoon nap. Having spent the entirety of the morning doing last minute Christmas shopping with Levi had left him exhausted. It was those same moments that would one day culminate in the creation of Landon. Rising from his slumber he pads his way to the door, bare feet made silent by the sound of plush pink carpet beneath them. He opens the door, finding a hero he was not too familiar with standing there. Landon had made a name for himself, but not enough of a splash for Gossamer to take notice. There were far too many young heroes for him to keep track of. "Made especially for me? Nice." He opens the door and steps aside so Landon can enter his room. "You wanna tell me your name, first?"
"It's Landon, Da--. Landon, sir. Hero name Overdrive," he stammered, smiling a little both in awkwardness for almost slipping and thrilled to be meeting this version of his father. A part of him was hysterical about how crazy all this was, but he managed to keep his cool just a bit longer to enter the room with a box full of gear.
"I've joined Fortitude Hall recently, but I've been working with the tech team to create some gear and gadgets to help our local heroes. I guess they sent me with this delivery because they thought I'd get lost in the campus."
Little did they know that he knew that place like the palm of his hand... although it was missing a few structures that were to be built later that decade.
"We're working on special fabric that will not rip no matter how far you stretch or bend it-- it has self repairing nano technology- Wanna see it?"
The inugami's lips curled into something between a sneer and a grin, though the expression held more irritation than genuine amusement. The darkness around them seemed to pulse with his displeasure, shadows writhing like living things responding to his mood. "Harm you?" The words dripped with disdain, each syllable sharp and cutting. "How utterly boring that would be, little psychic. You misunderstand my nature entirely if you think I waste my time on meaningless violence."
He tilted his head slowly at Mason with predatory eyes, though there was a laconic quality to it now, less genuine threat and more posturing display. "You've done nothing to warrant death. You're not an enemy, not a rival, not even particularly interesting beyond your ability to sense what others cannot." Rinu stopped, those inhuman eyes studied the young man with calculating intensity. "And frankly? It would be far too easy. Where's the challenge in snuffing out someone who stands no chance? Where's the satisfaction in that?"
Their shared form seemed to flicker slightly, a sign of the struggle occurring beneath the surface. His voice took on a sharper edge, though whether from frustration at Mason's defiance or at something else entirely was unclear. "Besides, killing you would serve no purpose. Aether would suffer the consequences: guilt, isolation, fear. And despite what you might think of me, I'm not interested in destroying my vessel's life for no reason." He leaned in slightly, his presence overwhelming despite the lack of physical threat. "I liked watching you squirm, yes. Liked seeing if you'd break or run. You're stronger-willed than you look, I'll give you that. But the game ends when it ceases to amuse me, and you've made it quite clear you're not playing."
Then something shifted, a visible struggle as Rinu's expression contorted, the shadows beginning to recede like a tide being pulled back against its will. "For a fucking doll... you're really fucking annoying..." Rinu growled, irritation mixing with something almost like… respect? "Fine. FINE." The last word came out as a snarl before the darkness began to collapse inward, being forcibly drawn back into the body that barely seemed able to contain it.
The transformation was immediate and jarring. Where Rinu had stood with predatory confidence, Aether stumbled, nearly falling to his knees as control of his body returned to him. His breathing came in ragged gasps, eyes wide with horror and shame as they met Mason's, fully human now, earthy hazel instead of that monstrous hue. The shadows dissipated completely, leaving only the normal darkness of the locker room and two students standing in its mundane fluorescent lighting.
"N-no... I'm… I'm so sorry," Aether managed, his voice hoarse and trembling. He wrapped his arms around himself as if trying to physically hold something in, or maybe just trying to feel grounded in his own skin again. "I didn't… I tried to stop him sooner, I swear I did. He just…" His words caught in his throat, and he had to take several shaky breaths before continuing. "He gets like this sometimes. Especially when he senses someone who might be a threat, or someone who can… who can see what he really is." Aether's hands were shaking visibly now, the adrenaline and fear catching up with him. He looked younger somehow, more vulnerable, everything that Rinu's presence had overshadowed. "No, I'm not alright..." he admitted quietly, honestly, because what was the point in lying to someone who could probably sense the truth anyway? "I haven't been alright since this… since he… became part of me. But that's not… that's not your problem. You shouldn't have to deal with this. With him."
He took a cautious step back, giving Mason space, clearly worried about how the psychic might react now that the immediate threat had passed. "Mason..." he repeated the name softly, committing it to memory. "Listen... I really am sorry. Rinu, he… he likes to test people. Push boundaries. See what makes them tick, what makes them afraid. It's not an excuse, but…" Aether's voice dropped even lower, tinged with exhaustion and resignation. "He wasn't going to hurt you. He meant that, at least. He's a lot of things: violent, aggressive, dangerous, but he doesn't kill without reason. And you've given him no reason."
Aether ran a hand through his hair, the gesture anxious and very human. "Two minds, one body. You got that right. Most people can't tell, not at first, but I guess your abilities make it obvious." There was a bitter laugh that escaped him. "I-I promise I'll try to… to keep better control. He's usually not this bad with strangers, but something about you set him off..." Aether's shoulders slumped slightly, exhaustion evident in every line of his posture. "Rinu is… c-complicated. He doesn't like a lot of things, honestly. Doesn't like being perceived as anything other than what he chooses to show. Doesn't like weakness, doesn't like being challenged." He paused, meeting Mason's eyes with something apologetic and weary. "And he really doesn't like most supers. So someone like you, who can sense him, see through him? Yeah. That was always going to... be a problem..."
Mason stood his ground. He didn't need threats to know he was no match for whatever creature Rinu seemed to be. Even if he had stopped trying to read him using his telepathic abilities, the boy could clearly still sense power like he couldn't fully comprehend. So all he did was steel his spine and meet the monster's words with dignity.
Of course Mason was strong-willed. He hadn't survived the Mind Melder and the Tantalus Project with his mind mostly intact by mere chance. That's why he didn't rum, even when he was certainly afraid. He had learned not to turn his back to predators in case it urged them to attack.
There was not much he could say in return to Rinu's evaluation of his self. After he had stated he wouldn't be playing games, it would've been hypocritical to do so. Instead he waited and watched their body squirm and struggle in the battle to determine who would remain in control. It was only when he realized that Aether was fully back that he continued the conversation.
"Stop, Aether. There's no point in apologizing for what you can't control," he mused, taking one step closer in clear indication that he was not going to escape, even then when it was safe.
"I've never met someone like you-- Or like him. One glance and I could already tell that Rinu is... stronger than me. Than most of us here. I'm actually glad that he's not needlessly violent, as you say."
Or he hoped he wasn't, at least. He wasn't mind reading in the moment so he couldn't really tell if those words were 100% honest. Time would tell, he figured.
"You're shaking. Are you cold?" he asked then, reaching out slowly to see if the boy would allow physical contact. "Come here- I have a hoodie you can borrow."
" of course, i remembered your name. i tried my best to know everyone here. " aside from it being part of his job, he also knew the importance of being acknowledged in an isolating place. he remembered the time when he first came into the fortitude hall and met the protectors, after fighting so long for his escape and to taste a normal life again.
the protectors took him in, gave him shelter, and let him find his purpose. and for the longest time, that had been the only thing keeping him fighting.
janus wanted to make the brothers feel the same, if not better—more welcomed. " well, thank you. i do try to take care of myself, " he said, because how else could you respond to that while keeping some level of professionalism? he nodded and gestured for the boy to enter. " come in, then, and ask away. i'll do my best to answer your question. "
This was an opportunity he figured not many of the dark children had: a one on one conversation with Janus, of all people. Part of him was star strucked, the other was quite certainly nervous. Still, Mason swallowed those feelings and took one confident step inside the room, closing the door behind him to grant them a modicum of privacy.
Huh. Privacy. That was a concept he was only now beginning to experience.
"Thank you, sir," he nodded, calmly walking in and taking the view of the other's place. The nerves eased up a little with every step. But he figured there was no need for him to beat around the bush.
"I guess I'll just say it, sir..." he mused looking back at the beautiful hero who had saved his life. "Do you think... The Mind Melder was born or made?"
He left the question hang in the air for a moment, only realizing that a bit of context was needed after the first few seconds.
"Because the scientists... They made it so I had the same powers as him. So, sometimes I wonder..."
It was rough to reconstruct his special suit with modern technology, especially since he was used to a lot more advanced gear and equipment back in the future. But now that he had access to Fortitude Hall's resources, Landon could finally get his suit back up and running, even if he couldn't make it saronite powered anymore.
Or he thought it was up and running, because one of his arm cannons imploded during a test run and he was forced to land and walk out of his suit to study the damage. Now, there was no need for him to be testing his weapons in his underwear, but in his defense, he did not expect it to explode.
"Hey!" he greeted the poor bystander who had to see the whole thing, smiling his way as if he hadn't just walked out of his armor in nothing but his boxers. "Sorry if I startled you. This was NOT supposed to happen."
His hands reach the waist band of the joggers, brushing the skin along it before hooking under.
"Now, you need to tell me, Mason, would you rather give me your dick, or take mine? It's important for young men to know what they want when it comes to sex. Of course, I wouldn't mind watching you ride me but I also wouldn't mind you bending me over."
He winks then tugs down the joggers, Mason lifting his hips to help pull them down. Abraham feels his own pants getting tight as he strips Mason down. His mouth starts to water and he immediately takes Mason's dick in his large hand. He slowly strokes it, watching Mason's face as he does.
He is not used to getting this kind of attention, especially not from hot older men, but that wouldn't keep Mason from enjoying it. He offered Abraham a gentle smile, more pleased than shy. A big, almost rock hard cock sprung to life when his clothes were finally discarded, and the boy had to bite back a proper moan when he felt that strong hand wrap around his length.
"Fuck, sir-- You're spoiling me here," he sighed, leaning back a little bit and spreading his legs even more in indication that Abraham could touch as much as he wanted, for as long as he wanted. His leaking cock was already loud enough in showing how much he liked the attention.
"But if you let me have my way... fuck. I'd have you riding my cock for a whole hour, sir.... T-the idea of a bigger man taking my dick already has me leaking. See?"
Kaveh blushes harder and avoids looking at him, too embarrassed.
"Because apparently I'm an unprofessional fuck who can't help admiring my patients."
He clears his throat and forces himself to look at the guy.
"I'm sorry. I'm not used to mind readers so I figure horny thoughts stay in my head and go nowhere. If you're uncomfortable I can get you a different doctor to finish up and discharge you?"
He sets the clipboard on the bed rail and takes a step back in case the patient does want him gone.
"You know what's really funny?" Mason started, confidently leaning on his elbows as he watched his doctor. He wasn't upset about the situation at all, and he also didn't seem to be in any rush to get dressed either.
"I'm not even reading your mind right now... But people give off some sort of psychic vibe... like colors or smell. I can just feel it by being in the room. Like when someone's angry or sad..."
The explaination was not necessary, perhaps, but he thought it might help Kaveh feel a little bit better about the whole thing.
"So this... It happens to everyone when I'm around. No need to be embarrassed about your very human and natural reaction. I'm comfortable being wanted, really."
"So, dude-- I have a serious question. And yes, that's why I showed up fully dressed," Landon started, interrupting whatever it is Rayyan was doing as he sat down with two chocolate milkshakes and a sketchbook right in front of his friend.
As a newcomer, Landon didn't know a lot of the heroes. At least not in this timeline. It was only natural that he approached someone he had met in the present and who he knew was trust worthy from their work in the Lazarus Front prior to this.
"Say I'm trying to invent a new kind of power source for my weapons. I'm calling it Saronite. And I have the whole thing working in theory... But I have a lot of problems with the current technology of cooling systems and... Would you just take a look at my blueprints and tell me what you think?"
Even when Landon had already been in the past for a couple of years, enough to make a name for himself loud enough to get invited to Fortitude Hall, every day felt like a brand new adventure.
Especially now, when he finally found himself with the opportunity of meeting Perry Palmer of all people.
"So-- Gossamer-." He greeted with a smile, both thrilled and anxious to meet the hero who would one day be his father. "I... was told to drop by some support items made specifically for you. Can I-- Can I come in?"
He grinned as his hand was guided, wrapping his fingers around Mason's length. He was pretty. And Adam wanted him. Some might think it strange, but why should it be? He was a man, after all. He had needs.
"Do you want a technical explanation, or do you want me to show you?"
His clothes began melting into his body, quickly leaving him naked. He took his cock in his hand, amused. And maybe showing off. It was quite large, right now. Even if it was still within normal standards. "Think you can handle me?"
The way in which Adam's clothes disappeared was certainly surprising and new to Mason, which only sparked even more interest in his green eyes. There truly was all kinds of fascinating heroes in this place, even when his curiosity was starting to make way to his desire.
He closed the gap between them, boldly pressing his own cock against Adam and letting him feel how he was already getting hard, how this odd situation was already as arousing as it could be.
"Actually... I want both the explanation and the demonstration," he murmured, reaching down to grab both their cocks together and trying to jerk them off in tandem. "And as to whether I can handle it... I can try."
Abraham understands more than Mason probably knows. He may not be one of the "Dark Children," but he's seen his fair share of what horrors the world has to offer. He tries not to show it all that often but he can't push it away just like the students can't.
And Mason isn't pushing him away either.
Abraham smirks when he sees the leg spread. He settles on the bench across from Mason, placing his hands on both of his knees.
"I hope we're all attentive here," he says with a coy smirk. "There's really no excuse not to be, but I do think I have a special touch when it comes to my attentions."
He slowly runs his hands up Mason's legs, waiting for a, "Stop," though hoping it doesn't come.
"But I can always make time to give my attention where it's needed."
Every time a grown up showed interest in him before, it had been because of his power and how similar it was to the Mind Melder's. Coming to Fortitude Hall had been quite a change in that respect, finding now heroes like Magnitude actually trying to see the person behind the power... And how could Mason not like that?
So, when Abraham's hands found his knees and started drifting up his thighs, Mason did nothing to stop him. If anything, he leaned back a little bit on his bench, giving the hero free access to whatever he wanted. And while only his torso was bare at the moment, his joggers were tight enough not to hide too much in the size department.
"You've all been lovely, sir. Really," he noted, showing how comfortable he actually was with being touched. "And your touch is warm and comforting so far so, I believe when you say it's special..."
"Uncomfortable?" The word came from multiple directions at once. Rinu tilted his head at an angle that made Mason's hindbrain scream, joints bending in dimensions the human eye couldn't track. “That word implies resistance,” Rinu continued, slow and velvet-wrapped. “There is no more resistance. Only corrosion. Only the soft, sweet collapse of identity.” the spirit said, gesturing at his body with fingers that seemed to have too many knuckles. "Every heartbeat is a negotiation. This flesh remembers what it was before they hollowed it out and I crawled inside." The fluorescent lights flickered and died one by one as he stepped forward, his proximity toxic to illumination itself. "Your regret tastes… sincere. Those minds you couldn't protect… we can feel their echoes in you. Guilt carved into your psyche like scrimshaw on bone." There was almost a wistful softness of approval in how the beast purred those words, as if it were savoring a bittersweet memory rather than staring down a tortured student. The beast's contentment washed over Aether like a wet blanket.
The host sucked in a breath that hitched halfway through his chest, wet and rattling, like lungs forgetting their purpose. His chest rose unevenly, one side before the other, as if two different things operated the machinery. "I can feel it when he looks at you," Aether admitted, his voice raw and stripped of cosmic harmonics. His hand moved to his chest, fingers splaying across his sternum as if he could reach through flesh and bone to grasp whatever moved beneath. "He's not staring at your body. He's staring at the holes in you." His pupils dilated and contracted independently of light, irises containing depths that shouldn't fit in human eyes, wells descending past the back of his skull into somewhere else. "I'm sorry..." he breathed, and his throat bobbed convulsively, something pressing against the inside of his trachea before sliding back down.
Then the softness peeled away like skin flayed from muscle in one fluid motion. Rinu's tone shifted and the temperature dropped ten degrees. "You regret not being strong enough." he said, words pressing with physical weight, arriving with fever-warmth that smelled of earth turned over in graves. Aether's shadow peeled partially off the floor, edges rising like a breathing thing, stretching toward Mason with tendrils that weren't quite tentacles, weren't quite fingers. They stopped inches from his shoes, quivering like a hunting animal on a short leash. "Do you know what stronger people do, Mason? They don't save everyone. They choose who deserves to survive." The air tasted like old blood left too long in a closed room. "You chose mercy, and mercy leaves more corpses behind than cruelty ever will."
Aether squeezed his eyes shut violently, body going rigid, spine snapping straight. "Stop..." he whispered, barely sound, just breath shaped by desperation. But Rinu did not stop. "You ask if this body is a restraint," the inugami continued, voice sinking deeper, each syllable coming from different places: throat, walls, floor, shadows. "This body is like a door that never closes. It hungers. It trembles. It breaks. And I must feel all of it… every moment." Aether's spine arched involuntarily, something hooked into his vertebrae from inside, testing how far the body could bend before it broke. His shoulder blades pushed against his shirt at strange angles. "He fights me every hour," Rinu added, almost fond. "And that fight tastes… exquisite."
Aether's eyes blinked, wet but not crying, moisture gathering at the waterline but never falling. "If you stay here," he said, voice stripped bare of everything but fundamental truth, "he'll like you more." His gaze flicked to the space behind Mason's heart where guilt and regret lived, then back to his eyes. "And if he likes you, he will either protect you… or break you." Rinu leaned in without moving. "Run," he breathed with perfect calm, no urgency, just a simple statement of option. "Or stay. Both choices will grow roots inside you." Then something shifted, a visible struggle rippling across Aether's features. His jaw clenched, tendons standing out in his neck as he fought for control. The shadows retreated slightly, pulling back toward his feet, his voice fell to something younger, more human, more desperate. "I'm so sorry!" he gasped out, and the words tumbled over themselves, urgent and raw. "My name is Aether. I'm… I'm a student here. The Protectors took me in." His hands came up, palms out, trembling but non-threatening. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm not…" his voice cracked, "I myself am not a danger. He is. But I'm not." The distinction hung there, fragile and vital, a boy trying to separate himself from the thing that lived inside him, trying to make Mason understand that the host and the parasite were not the same, even when they wore the same face. But then uncertainty flickered across his expression, his hands lowering slowly, fingers curling inward and biting into his palms.
He'd felt Mason's guilt, tasted the weight of all those failures, the screaming absence where innocence used to breathe, and now that knowledge sat in his head. He could feel the shape of Mason's wounds, could map every jagged edge, every place where something had been torn away and left to bleed. But empathy, the instinct to reach across that chasm and offer something soft, something healing, that was a muscle he'd never grown. His mouth opened, closed, tongue moving uselessly behind his teeth as if searching for words that didn't exist in his vocabulary. His gaze dropped, unable to hold Mason's eyes, and his shoulders drew inward, body language curling into something small and lost. The information burned in him like acid, corroding, useless, a weight he didn't know how to set down or share or transform into anything but more pain.
It was quite the fascinating situation for the psychic. On one hand, his mystic senses were overwhelmed enought with the other's presence to know he wouldn't stand a chance if any sort of confrontation started. On the other, he knew better than anyone what psychological torture was like because of his time in the Tantalus project. He could tell that this creature, Rinu, was making attempts to play with his fear and his regret.... And those were powerful weapons, of course, but Mason -for all his weakness- was too used to this game.
Whether defiance would anger the beast or not, he couldn't tell. He knew better than to keep trying to use his telepathy to get readings on whatever the entity was.
"If you mean me harm, do it already," he mused gently, making sure his clothes were decent enough not to have an undignified death. "If not, I'll pass on the mind games. My guilt is not yours to find entertainment on."
But that's when he noticed something else, a second will of sorts, trying to push through the darkness. So this creature's existence was more nuanced than he thought... Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing was yet to be seen, but it at least seemed like this Aether was more approachable, to say the least.
"Aether... Two minds inhabiting the same body..." he mused, since that was what his power allowed him to understand of this situation. The boy might've shared a face with the monster, but the psychic impression of whoever was in charge of the body was so different that it was easy for Mason to tell them apart now.
"My name's Mason. And I'm sorry about that... awkward situation you seem to be in-- Are you alright?"
Resistance showed that Mason had an understanding of how telepathy worked. He had spent his formative years fighting off the advances of the Mind Melder which had been no easy feat. Unlike Glamour he had no diamond form that made him resistant to any and all telepathic influence. "I never had the misfortune of dealing with the Mind Melder, personally. But from what I hear he was as powerful as he was evil." Glamour offers Mason a sympathetic smile, "Fighting off his influence shows some guts." He folds his hands over each other on the desk, looking intently at his student. "But first things first, we're going to work on that confidence of yours." Glamour was the most vain hero that possibly ever existed. Anybody that fell under his tutelage was taught to value themselves and their worth. It was a necessary part of becoming a successful hero.
He could feel the analyzing gaze of his new mentor all over, studying everything about him. Mason did what felt the most natural, straighten his back and meet his eye contact, waiting for whatever kind of assessment this was. The compliments that came after were a surprise, but one that he welcomed subtly. As a dark child, he wasn't exactly used to positive reinforcement.
"... It was a bad time. I'm sure you don't want to hear about that," he offered, trying not to sound ungrateful, but not truly wanting to relive all that trauma. Chances are, Glamour would eventually figure all that out by himself when their minds met.
"I'm--- not sure I'm lacking in confidence? Maybe social skills and cues. But I suppose you'll be the judge of that. How do-- or where do we start, then?"
Monroe laughed under his breath at the little punch, barely budging from it. Seeing Mason’s mood lighten always did something warm and quiet to him. He dropped onto the edge of the bed, planting a hand on his brother’s shin just to keep him from rolling away.
"Obeying the instructors is probably the safest plan you’ve ever come up with," he teased. "Miracle it didn’t hurt to say it out loud." He gave Mason another quick ruffle just because it annoyed him. "And you’re absolutely antisocial. You just hide it behind that ‘I’m friendly, I swear’ face."
Monroe leaned back on his hands, grinning at him. "But don’t worry. You’re not going to be the lonely odd guy here. Worst case, you’ve got me. And I’m a whole social circle on my own."
"Well, it's not my fault that all the plans I made were under Tantalus' reign. Of course this is my safest one yet," Mason groaned, not truly taking it too heart but certainly not being submissive enough just to take the heat without firing back. The contact from his brother was comforting enough for him to ease up his concerns, and there was less tension in his muscles even when there was still some spice in his eyes.
"I can't rely on you to create a social circle for me, though," he mused, leaning a bit closer to Monroe just so he could playfully poke at his side. "Now that I'm not shielding our minds 24/7 I actually have time to socialize!! Like- I'm on good terms with a few other students now!"
Kaveh listens and winces realizing that, yeah, it probably isn't a pleasant thing unless you're someone who likes doing it.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to... I just ask questions before I think about them really. Great for experiments, terrible for bedside manner."
He finishes cleaning and allows himself a moment to appreciate the body on display since the shirt is pulled up. Then he realizes his patient might be hearing his thirsty thoughts so he turns, blushing, and starts to fill out the chart.
"It's going to be minute before we can discharge you, is there anything else I can help you with?"
"It's alright- I guess it's only natural to be curious about other people's power," Mason conceded, not truly taking offense about the questions Kaveh was asking. If anything, he was thankful to find that people here didn't feel all that threatened by his psychic abilities.
A deep sigh escaped him when the treatment was over, feeling much better now that his injury was no longer a problem. But that's when he caught a hint of something. Sure, he wasn't actively reading Kaveh's mind, but Mason could certainly notice the shift in the other's psyche--
" it's okay. you don't need to be shy around me, " janus says, which is easy for him to say, as he's the one who is the cause of it. yet, on his side, there is not a sign of shame or annoyance—just relief and happiness, finally seeing the boy in the halls, and not inside their rooms. he just hoped his brother was doing the same.
" you are not intruding on anything, mason. i'm actually glad you're finally out and about. i know this is a bit of a change for you and your brother, " he says, putting his drink down. " but if it really bothers you, i can always put some clothes on. the exit is two hallways to the right. you should find your way back to the elevator there. "
Mason's green eyes studied Janus all over for a moment. Now, that was the body of a hero. He wondered if he would grow to be such a stud as well, in time. But still, the awkwardness of the situation kept him from looking too far down, at least for the moment, since he did an effort to meet his savior's eyes.
"You-- remember my name," he mused, actually surprised that such a busy man cared enough to keep tabs. It was flattering in a way Tantalus had never been.
"No sir- I don't mind naked men. It's--- nice to look at, if anything. Much like everything else here, it's... Nice. Monroe and I-- We're getting used to accepting nice, is all. But maybe, if you're not too busy... you could indulge a question from me?"
Adam looked the young man over, smirking. Offering himself up on a silver platter, as it was. He closed the last of the distance, leaning in. He was close. Very close. So he whispered his answer, "I want you."
His hand reached out, a finger slipping into the half knot that kept the towel wrapped. All it took was a tug and it came off, falling to the ground.
Now, it's not that the outcome of this interaction came as a surprise for the young man. Even if he couldn't pick up psychic traits from Adam, his eyes conveyed a solid message. The surprise was to find Adam shamelessly undoing the knot on the towel. And just like that, Mason was entirely naked in front of the other.
"... That has to be the boldest thing an older man has ever said to me," Mason conveyed, actually taking one step forward towards Adam. He reached out this time, pulling Adam's hand all the way to a bulge remarkably big for a boy so thin. Only then he truly made eye contact.
"I don't doubt you're capable of giving me pleasure, sir... But can you feel it too?"
