~A Dance of Sparks~

Multimuse RP Blog penned by Tay Crossover & OC Friendly Under HEAVY Construction Patience is greatly appreciated!

[saltatisscintillae]

------------ A Dance of Sparks ------------

Independent 🟍 Multimuse 🟍 Selective 🟍 Roleplay Blog, loved by Tay

Rules 🟍 Muse List

🟍 Under heavy construction 🟍 Appreciation for your patience! 🟍

Divider credits to @uzmacchiato

[owinterer]

It was a testament of his patience that he hadn't rushed anything. James took the moment to pull at her pants as she moved back to deal with his own and the noise that left his throat once his arousal was now freed from the confines of his pants would tell enough. With her returning to him, capturing his lips once more, the soldier's hands moved upward, metal hand coming to rest at the spy's waist while the other ran up further, pressing itself slightly between her shoulders, nails almost digging against her skin.

But when her fingers wrapped themselves around his length, his breath hitched, a small tremor running through him as his hips moved upward once more, demanding more contact between heated skin and her hands. 

“ I – Is that so – ? ” He managed to mumble out in between kisses, clearly struggling between what he wanted in the moment. Between their shared kisses and her deft fingers on his erection, any coherent thought in his mind had to fight a battle to even stay within, knowing fully well how his brain only wanted to give in to his ever rising need. His hands pulled at her, bringing her slightly closer, as if demanding her to be even more within his space so desperately.

“ How about you – hhn – show me then? Show me you can't get enough of me.. ” James murmured, brown eyes meeting teal ones with a half lidded gaze that only spoke volumes about how much he wanted her - no, how much he needed her. Natalia knew this already, but the soldier knew that she also enjoyed being reminded of it often. 

After all, all that need came from how safe he felt with her, how much he trusted her.

[saltatisscintillae]

The need in his voice sent a shiver of heat down her spine, spurring a greater hunger in her kisses as he pressed her closer. A soft sigh fell from her lips as their bodies met again, skin to skin, and all of Natalia's senses reveled in it, craving more. Her hand further caressed his member, and she caught sight of the familiar way his brow furrowed, his eyelids fluttering a little as he tried to keep his thoughts coherent, to keep his lust from overtaking his reason. It was always something she loved seeing.

His words brought a soft smirk to her lips, the smoldering of desire spilling from his gaze encouraging-- no, urging her to act.

"Mmhmm, I plan to…" She hummed with a smile, keeping his gaze as she meandered down his body, leaving a trail of soft kisses planted in her wake. Down and down, over the planes of his musculature, taut and primed in anticipation of her touch. All the while her hand worked him, a firm but gentle array of touch and pressure. It was steady, but with enough give that he could rock his hips into her hand as much as he wished. That was also a delight for her. The way he left himself so open to her ministrations, let himself so visibly need her, so awash in both desire and the deepest trust-- it even further warmed her heart and made her want to indulge his every whim, truth be told.

"You remember what I said earlier, don't you~?" She added, her vampiric senses alerting her to the sharp jump in his pulse and the rush of blood to his groin at merely those words, plus the added sensation of her breath there, on so sensitive a part of him.

Oh yes, he definitely remembered.

Fangs glinted beneath her smirking lips for a moment, and those teal eyes held his gaze as she oh so carefully grazed the edge of one against his length, torturously slow and gentle as a whisper… before capturing him with her mouth proper, swallowing him down with a velvety hum.

[saltatisscintillae]

ooc;;

[[ Feeling a bit productive today, so I'mma try to bang out some replies!

...and maybe try to adjust my pinned post a little to be more informative at a glance... and my blog and roster to be less ramshackle and thrown-together as a whole. Operative word being try, I'm hella tired lol.

But I really really appreciate everybody (old and new!) for being patient with me as IRL eats up a lot of my time! ]]

[saltatisscintillae]

[[ I swear the unhinged shit @owinterer and I look up in the interest of scientific inquiry... ]]

[owinterer]

Her words only served to deepen the frown on his face. Indeed, he was a sitting duck - he couldn't help it, though, considering what had been done to him. Tail clearly showing how displeased he was by everything that was said, the demon slowly crawled back onto the bed, making his way to her side before he looked at her, bracing his hands against the edge of the mattress as brows furrowed. Things would be much easier if someone took pity on him but seeing how she simply kept teasing him about everything, there was no way that would happen.

“ You know very well that I can't! I can't even shapeshift to look more human! ” He argued, pupils shrinking to slits at he stared. Though, ears would twitch upward once he took notice of the sudden pause in her movement. Something was wrong - he could tell that much, but he could also sense it faintly. His face scrunched up slightly and instead of doing anything, he just laid there on his back, crossing his arms over his chest.

“ I can help alleviate that pain you're feelin'. ” Brown eyes were still fixed on her face as he spoke, lips still in a small pout in between sentence. “ But seeing how stubborn you are, I'll just have to be content layin' here doing nothing at all, huh? ” Not that he hadn't already been doing that all fucking day but surely that didn't matter, right? He huffed, sitting up before moving, hovering his chin right over her shoulder, allowing his lips to brush against her ear.

“ Come on now, you can't just ignore me like you've been doin' all these weeks, yeah? At some point you've got to give up, yeah? Take pity on a guy in need? A guy that can repay you ten times what you give him? ” He whispered, eyelids falling half shut for a moment before he quickly moved to the other side of her, tail swaying right behind him.

“ I promise I can behave! Just pleaaase throw me a bone or someth – woah – ! ” And just as he spoke, he found himself slipping off the side of the bed, landing right on his back with a loud thud. He was going to be fine, just his ego was a little bruised, not that it mattered seeing how he was practically begging Natalia for.. well, anything really. Anything that could give him some energy so he could go find some food on his own more easily.

“ ..Seriously, I'm makin' a fool out of myself beggin' for this. I just.. Urgh. ” He grumbled, clawed hands moving to his face before dragging digits down it.

[saltatisscintillae]

"Oh, and I'm supposed to reward you for undressing me with your eyes every time I walk through that door?" She retorted with a light sneer, though there was no real malice in it. Just the routine banter of two sassy individuals who had been accidental roommates for almost two months.

The whole scene was admittedly rather comical, given the rather pathetic state of this demon of libido reduced to begging for a crumb of sustenance; but Natalia's eyes narrowed slightly at the heated whisper against her ear, tamping down the tiny shiver it sent down her spine. He might be severely weakened, but that didn't mean his words lacked any potency. Taking a moment to peel off her jacket and survey her aching side-- just a nasty bruise at least, better that than a wound proper-- she turned toward him as he wrung his face, releasing a bemused sigh of a chuckle.

"Wow. For you to be begging me this hard, you really are in a bad way, huh?" She remarked, tilting her head as she rested her chin on her hand, looking a bit thoughtful. "But... being reduced to something like this? Small wonder you're throwing a fit." In some ways, she could understand it; being stripped of all power and ability, rendered so weak and helpless, and being utterly powerless to help yourself out of the mess. Beholden to the mercy of another. Trapped.

Her brow twitched. A demon on the verge of fading away was of little use to anyone, but he'd continued to stubbornly cling to her, to this plane, rather than let himself return to hell and gather himself back together there. Was he really just so infatuated with her?

She wondered if perhaps it would be a boon to them both to form an alliance of sorts. Having a demon as an ally ought to be useful in her missions. Especially the more... dangerous ones.

But, first things first, the problem at hand...

"So... just how does your appetite work, anyway? Seeing as you haven't just tried having your way with me, I reckon it's not as simple as that, is it?" She inquired, her voice matter-of-fact, but curious. "Care to elaborate?"

[saltatisscintillae]

[ shower ] sender helps receiver shower after an injury. [ To Nat :)c ]

Injury Themed Prompts || Still Accepting!

You really did a number on this one, Nat.

He didn't need to say it for her to hear his voice in her head. She could tell in the way his breathing adjusted, the quiet tut and hmm in his voice as he surveyed the damage.

Yes, she did indeed tear open a still-healing gash from a rather dicey recent mission, and neither of them had realized how deep it ran until the adrenaline had ceased surging. The hot shower hadn't helped that, as suddenly the drain was running red and her blood pressure dropped so abruptly that James nearly broke the shower door in an attempt to catch her from falling and cracking open her skull on the tile.

It was embarrassing, it was sloppy, it was incredibly annoying. and needless to say, Natalia was very much over it all.

She sighed through her teeth, grumbling lightly and balling her towel up around her shoulders as her hair yet dripped with residual moisture. She leaned against the counter, her lithe form still damp, fresh out of the shower; and nude but for the towel she was absentmindedly dabbing herself dry with while James' hands were at work. Natalia had long given up on dressing the wound herself again, as the soldier had lightly smacked her hands away from it more than once already because he knew she was irate and would rush the job.

But then, she couldn't truly stay annoyed with his hands on her, could she? Both cool metal and warm skin, his touch was steady and gentle, cinching the flesh together again after carefully cleaning out the wound. The familiarity of this procedure was not lost on her; what with how many times had they patched eachother up over the years. A soft hitch of breath escaped her at the faint tugging at the finishing suture... but his arms wrapping around her and stroking her skin afterwards quickly distracted her brain from the discomfort. The little smooch he laid upon the bridge of her nose was a plus, too.

She smiled, unwinding the towel from herself to gently ruffle his hair dry with the end of it. He'd also gotten soaked in his efforts, after all.

"Let me guess, Doctor Barnes... you're gonna give me a prescription for bed rest?" She snickered at the look her gave her, but the humor between them was genuine.

"Well, I won't object... assuming it includes you, of course."

[owinterer]

One hand had traveled up, fingertips tracing the back straps of her swimsuit - how he wanted to avoid that cook out so badly, but he had promised Steve that he'd be there, so he couldn't be too late. A light chuckle left him as he then pulled her closer, embracing her close to him as a sigh shortly followed, along with him closing his eyes for just a moment. Being social was good for him - even if he didn't want to deal with some of the other Avengers that were around but he couldn't stay within their hotel room all day, even if he wanted to. Plus, a walk on the beach with Natalia sounded just perfect right now, too.

Honestly, anything with her sounded perfect, but he wasn't going to say that out loud, he knew that she was well aware of that.

“ Depends how long I can keep my hands and thoughts occupied, love. ” The soldier responded in a whisper, showing that he clearly knew what he was about when it came to her. Hopelessly in love and by the gods did he want her in more ways than one, yet he knew how to keep it in his pants… for the most part. His right hand came to rest against her cheek for a moment before brushing strands of red hair out of her face, allowing him to lean down, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

“ Seeing how I could eat you up right now if we didn't have things to attend, I don't think it's gonna take long after we join them that I'll want to lead you away.. " His words were followed by a laugh as he then let go of her, walking over toward to the room's entrance so he could put on his sandals. At least he was honest with how he felt, right? Though, chances were that he would start arguing with Clint at the cook out - they always did for some reason or another. With his sandals now on, he reached out for his sunglasses, sliding them in place before he looked back toward Natalia, a soft smile on his lips.

“ Shall we get goin'? It's been a while since I've had Steve's homemade hotdogs and we both know those are fuckin' mean. ” A shame that he wasn't allowed to be the one cooking at the barbecue but he wasn't complaining since it was Steve. Thank god it was Steve, had it been anyone else, he knew he would have skipped any sort of food.

[saltatisscintillae]

Natalia's grin only widened at his compliments, a soft chuckle escaping her as they made their final preparations to go. Pulling on a sheer, soft-twine beach pullover and letting it gather loosely about her shoulders, she lifted her own pair of shades from her tote.

"That they are, he's really got a knack for classic american cookout favorites." She agreed, then winked at him over the rim of her sunglasses. "So perhaps it is best we save eachother for dessert then? Everyone else can settle for ice and cooler goodies."

It wouldn't do to show up at a get-together empty-handed, so of course they had at least brought some foodstuffs of their own to add to the gathering, amongst which were chilled fruit and two little key lime pies. Not huge, but a good enough size that everyone could get a piece, and, courtesy of a little Stark tinkering, the easily-handled box that held them kept them chilled just right.

The little gathering of comrades and friends wasn't far of course, and given what a beautiful day it was, it would be hard for anyone not to have a smile on their face as they milled about. Such was the same for the spy and the soldier, the russian's lips curving sweetly as she kept step, and with a gentle caress, wound the fingers of her free hand with those of Bucky's right.

[owinterer]

Attraction was a rather odd feeling. And that was the only word that he found that he could describe how he actually felt when it came to Natalia. After she had accidentally busted him out of where he had been kept, the demon had decided to follow her around, both due to curiosity and the smallest hope that she would at least spare him some energy.

But no, she instead led him on and he was foolish enough to just fall for it. Irritating, sure, but he could deal with it, she would crack at some point, his charm would work – or so, he heavily hoped that it did indeed work and that the spy was just extremely stubborn.

But seeing that he couldn't always follow her around, he always grew very annoyed when he had to sit there within her so-called bunker, staring holes into the walls until she showed up once more. And god, the stench when it was clear she had visited some holy grounds or a church, it made him feel sick. Physically ill. The tip of his tail idly drew circles in the air as he laid there, half on the bed, half on the floor, clearly in a rather uncomfortable position but somehow it wasn't to him. Clawed fingers drummed against his arms, impatience filling the heavy silence that hung within the room - until the door slowly creaked.

Brown eyes looked over, meeting teal ones and all he could do was huff.

“ How long am I goin' to be stuck here, huh? ” a pause, only to allow a pout to show on his lips before he shifted, pulling himself off the bed so he could sit up against it. 

@saltatisscintillae // As discussed on discord. :)c

[saltatisscintillae]

"As long as you have to, considering you're a sitting duck at the moment." Came the reply, pragmatic and straightforward... if not a little amused.

Natalia blew a wayward strand of hair up from in front of her eyes as she shut the door, latching the many locks and adjusting the shade before turning around. She cocked her head at him, that wayward curl of spun-auburn falling into her field of vision again, and raised a brow.

While she'd had her fair share of supernatural encounters of the holy and unholy variety in this unseen line of work for the Vatican, the russian agent had not expected to be saddled with a tag-along. And an incubus at that.

The redhead had quickly learned he wasn't a danger to her, despite being a demon whose age ought to signify a considerable amount of power... but most of that had been worn out of him from his time stuck in some fringe-cult's reliquary experiments. So this now rather miserable-looking incubus now sprawled across the bed and floor in the safe house, tail twitching like a cat having a tantrum... had become her companion of the last few weeks. The situation alone was funny enough, but the spy found it all the more humorous for the fact it seemed he'd become quite smitten with her.

An incubus with a bias was definitely not on her bingo card. But... he was interesting, and admittedly it was rather nice to have someone to chat with between missions.

She sat down on the end of the bed with a light huff, sliding off her bag and setting about undoing her tack.

"But you could just go out and feed yourself, you know. It's not like I barricaded the door with seals. Just regular old metal locks~"

She teased him lightly as she methodically divested herself of her tools of the trade-- weapon holster, her myriad of concealed armaments both consecrated and not; you know, the works for any paramilitary, paranormal vatican agent worth their salt. This was a familiar action to see in her post-mission rituals, but tonight there was a slight difference, noted in the spasm of muscle as a particular lean caused a pain to lance up her side. Enough to give her pause. She sucked her teeth in annoyance-- didn't think a graze would hurt so much, but it probably bruised or fouled after the adrenaline had worn off. She could attend to that later.

[hollowprompts]

` * 𝐈𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 : a mix of dialogue and action prompts. sent "+ reverse" to reverse the roles.

𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 :

➔ you're gonna be okay , just keep your eyes on me. ➔ don't move - you're going to make it worse. ➔ it's not that bad. ➔ you saved me once before , now it's my turn. ➔ you fucking idiot , you weren't supposed to take the hit for me. ➔ i told you not to do that! now look! ➔ you're lucky that i know basic first aid , or you'd be dead! ➔ stay with me, okay? stay awake. ➔ i'll be as gentle as i can be , i promise. ➔ you're bleeding - oh my god , you're bleeding. ➔ you told me it was a scratch , this is not a fucking scratch! ➔ there's so much blood. ➔ next time you want to play here , just don't. ➔ stop fighting me and let me help! ➔ you're banned from doing anything remotely dangerous. ➔ you could have died , what were you thinking? ➔ if you die on me , i'm going to be pissed off. ➔ you didn't have to be so reckless just to prove a fucking point. ➔ the wound will heal but you'll have a scar.

𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 :

[ carry ] sender carries receivers muse to safety after finding them injured. [ stitch ] sender stitches receivers wound. [ hand ] sender holds receivers hand during a painful procedure. [ wound ] sender cleans receivers wounds with gentle and shaky hands. [ panic ] sender panics while trying to stop receiver's bleeding. [ patch ] sender patches receiver up using makeshift materials (i.e. torn shirt). [ fire ] sender drags receiver out of a burning building. [ pressure ] sender puts deep pressure on receivers wound while yelling for help. [ mouth ] sender gives receiver mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. [ change ] sender helps receiver change out of bloodied clothes. [ wash ] sender helps wash dried blood off of receivers face. [ shower ] sender helps receiver shower after an injury. [ broken ] sender tries to stabilize receivers broken limb with rope and sticks.

[owinterer]

She knew exactly how to play him into her hands. And he knew, too, but he was willingly allowing it to happen, knowing fully well that she wouldn't overstep or anything. His eyes kept careful watch, eyeing the sway of her hips before rising back up to her face, his head cocking to the side just slightly. His lips pursed for a moment before he huffed lightly, fingers twitching as arms unfolded from his chest, lowering to his sides for just a moment before he raised his right hand to scratch the back of his neck.

With her agreeing to, though, his whole demeanor changed - lit up, as eyes widened just a little, head and shoulders raising. She had his full attention now, and James was well aware that she reveled in it whenever she could. The corners of his lips curved, allowing a smile to settle upon them before he stepped closer, hands reaching out to allow his arms to loosely wrap around her waist, pulling her close to him.

" You know I find you absolutely irresistible, Nat. " He murmured, leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her cheek before resting his forehead against hers. " Though.. That's for later, hm~? Not that I'd mind right now, but I do know a few people that would complain if we were late again. "

[saltatisscintillae]

Oh, that reaction was too precious. Natasha always found joy in how expressive Bucky was, especially when she decided to be a bit amorous with him. And with him so eagerly welcoming her advances it was difficult for her not to revel in the mutual and mirthful desire that simmered under the surface. She could feel it in the way his eyes roved over her, admiring how this swimsuit in particular crisscrossed her curves, revealing windows of her skin that invited his wandering hands... And its not as if she didn't have something to look at, herself, either; as she drank in the sun-kissed image of him bare-chested and beach-clothed before her.

"I know~..." She chuckled as she settled into his grasp, smiling against the little smooch. One arm wrapped around him as the fingertips of her other hand danced over the lapel of the open summer shirt he wore. "...and you know how hard it is for me to resist you, when you're being so adorably earnest about how much you want me." She added, her voice carrying that silken softness it gained when she spoke to him just above a whisper.

Her brows arced with a light scoff at his latter words, teal eyes rolling with a light huff from her lips.

"Of course... wouldn't want to be missed, now would we?"

The sarcasm dripped from her words, but ultimately, it was all in good fun. If the two of them had their way, they would already be stealing off to somewhere much more private and far from prying eyes--But no, that would be rather rude to do before even showing up to the little beach party everyone had set into motion.

She looked into his eyes again, her hand rising to lightly stroke his cheek. Tucking away their desires for later, that alluring little grin of hers reappeared upon that lovely pair of lips.

"I'm sure we can wait. After all... anticipation makes the payoff a lot sweeter, right?"

[owinterer]

“ Please tell me you will sit on my face if you're wearin' that swimsuit, doll. ” He's no longer asking, he wants that to happen, sorry Natalia.

@saltatisscintillae

[saltatisscintillae]

"Oh this little thing? Well... I dunno..."

That mock non-committal tone, the purposeful sway of her hips to make the bangles on the swimsuit jingle and swing perfectly as she struck a thoughtful pose, lips pursed and head tilted with a finger to her chin... how dare she. His eyes alone were devouring her, and she could read the jump in anticipation and expectation in his gaze at her momentary dithering. Let's face it; he was just far too much fun to tease.

And plus, if her stoking the flames now would cause a blaze later on? Even better.

The pondering face she was making shifted with a chuckle at the look he was giving her, and soon revealed the familiar, calculating facetiousness she held when being amorously playful.

"Since you asked so nicely, I most certainly will, sweet James~"

[voleurcinetique]

"Zaltys." Remy repeated, before listening quietly. Odd for him, but even he knew when to speak and when to listen. He was so far out of his depth in this situation that, he honestly needed to do more listening than he had been doing. "Mmm..." Gambit hummed, eyes falling down to the artifact in his hand, seemingly disappointed, but not unsurprised. His hand tightened around it without conscious thought, as if in the back of his mind, he didn't want to relinquish it. Even the very thought stirred up a possessive rage within him. At himself. Especially himself.

He felt it when he attacked his fellow X-Men when they had tried to help him.

"Oui." The Cajun confirmed, the eye disappearing into the torn trench coat. Though he let off a huff that might have been a laugh. "Ah t'ink yer givin' me far more credit dan ah deserve." He spoke, accent thicker with irritation. Whatever within him was angry he was even seeking help. The very possibility of relinquishment in any form was absolutely unthinkable to whatever in him was changing. His hands were now clenched so tight, his nails digging into his palms hard enough to draw blood.

He took in a slow intake of air, fanged teeth gleaming before he bit down hard on his lip, closing his eyes. "Never...have ah been said ta have reason. Ah... Ah just don't wanna....hurt anyone...lose myself? Ah don't know." His eyes opened and he couldn't bare to look at her. "Den at de same time, ah.... ah crave it. Ah don' wanna let it go."

"Sometimes ah wonder if ah should? Ah mean.... why not me hold de burden of dis dang t'ing. Ah'm ah no one anyway. If ah was just to disappear... lose myself....turn into some...reclusive whatevah....would it be de worst of t'ings to happen?"

[saltatisscintillae]

"Hah! I say it is credit where credit is due, Gambit. After all, it appears you haven't gone completely mad, at least not yet."

Her scaled lips pulled back in appeared to be a scoff, but it had the feeling of not being one at his expense. She was sympathetic to his situation. Zaltys lifted a forepaw, wrist limp in a slight wave as if to disperse any doubt hanging in the air. Another surprisingly human gesture from what otherwise appeared to be a giant reptile.

"Do not be too quick to sell yourself short: The fact that you have thought this deeply about your situation is evidence enough that you possess reason in abundance." She began, her tone plain but sincere. "Now, while I would not assume to know the full extent of this artifact's effects upon you, it seems that you have already reconciled the burden of carrying it-- as no-one else can, presently. But as for your latter assertion..."

She tilted her head, eyes squinting slightly, and her nostrils expanded, breathing a deep whiff of the mutant's scent. Ah, as she thought. There were a myriad of other scents wound about his own. Her gaze visibly softened and warmed, a thoughtful thrum bubbling up from her barrel of a chest before she spoke again.

"... Methinks there would be some who might be greatly saddened by your absence, even if it was planned. You have companions. Dear comrades indeed, if I might be so bold as to surmise?"

[owinterer]

His eyes lit up a little at her answer and as she gestured, he moved, making it easier for her to do exactly what he requested. He hated to impose, he really did, but James always had to remind himself that it was okay for him to ask, more often than not when he was trying to crawl out of one of these downward spirals. When her fingers threaded through dark strands of brown hair, a small, content hum left his throat as eyes were shut. She knew exactly how he liked it and each time Natalia would give him such a head massage, he always found himself melting under her touch.

A touch so caring, so gentle.. Always did he feel like he didn't deserve it. Arms were leaned against his knees as he took in a slow breath before exhaling at the very same speed, his muscles relaxing further as he almost sank back against her hands but managed to stop himself. Though, when that kiss was pressed against his forehead, eyelids parted, his gaze looking up at her before a tiny smile crossed his lips as she spoke, only for him to shut his eyes once more.

He didn't have to utter a word, she knew exactly what he'd say in the moment, and he wasn't even offended by it. It made it easier, way easier for his troubled mind to not have to think too hard about anything. Her words were answered by a small noise leaving his throat - almost a laugh yet not quite. He did however mouth a ‘thank you’, not bothering finding his voice to speak in the moment.

The soldier moved, adjusting his position within the tub to be a little more comfortable before he stretched out his arms with a little grumble of unintelligible Russian, shoulders raising before his metal hand reached over to rub the side of his right arm. With the spy's comforting presence nearby, many of the little habits that he had when he wasn't feeling himself hadn't shown their so-called face - a good thing, honestly, he doubted that Natalia would be too happy to see him try to claw at where his bionic arm connected to his body, possibly adding more to the already heavy scarring there.

He opened his eyes once more, unclouded ocean blues staring at the ceiling for a moment before they tried to look toward her, only for his hands to rise up, motioning toward his face - especially toward his lips. Maybe it was very silly of him to ask for a kiss from her like this, considering the situation.

[saltatisscintillae]

Her sweet little grin only grew wider when he mouthed that 'thank you', his previous noise a good sign that his humor was bubbling through. Her fingers continued their work, while her vigilant eye kept watch over his actions. Her gaze passed over each of his scars again, catalogued and familiar in her mind, recalling the origins and extent of each one as she rinsed his hair.

From a gunshot here, to a knife wound there, across a myriad of injuries, to the web of jagged scar tissue that wrapped the limb upon which his biomechanics were mounted. Her mind flickered with the numerous memories of him tearing at it, at himself, when wracked with agony in the throes of moments far worse than this. She'd been there for some of those, others she hadn't.

And the thought of that twisted in her heart like a knife in the gut.

But, her attention was drawn back to the warmth of the bath as Bucky moved again. His inquiring, almost yearnful look up at her, and indicative hand gestures sent her a clear message indeed. She laughed lightly with a nod, leaning close to give him the proper kiss he wanted. A small, soft and gentle thing. Unassuming, affectionate, a comfort that lingered. An affirmation of the care between them that needed few words, if any at all.

Eventually she would part from him, her tone warm and sweet.

"I ought to save the rest of these kisses... for the cuddle you probably want with that nap we've got planned, hm?" She teased, touching her nose briefly to his. "No rush, though."

In reality, she hardly minded if he wanted to demand more kisses from her there and then, and she wasn't about to rush him out of the bath either. The fresh and fluffy towels awaited him whenever he decided he wanted to get dry... even with Alpine currently making biscuits upon the edge of one whilst Liho groomed her ears.

[moonlight-borealis]

Svan's feathery ears twitched at the elder dragon's amused banter, her eyes watching her little one bounding towards her, then turning around to retrieve its hunting prize. No doubt this one wanted to show what it caught. It was hardly a morsel to do anything for her stomach, but it was just the right enough to fill this little one. Maybe. This particular hatchling was growing fast compared to its siblings which likely led to it snacking more often. There was something particular about this one from how its downy fuzz was a different texture than the others. Not as soft and bit rough in texture like it was meant to be temporary.

Nonetheless she loved her child just as deeply.

"I was surprised myself. Now that we have settled properly, my mind seemed to be at ease in just…knowing that it was time. Next thing I knew, I had a nest of four."

At the very least she was relieved Zaltys was hardly bothered by all of this. It must be the accumulation of patience from centuries spent living. If only a typical Ishgardian could warrant such merit...but they didn't live for thousands of years. Svan however, now had been granted that privilege that she would have once considered a curse. Perhaps still, but it wasn't like Ishgard had anything for her now.

"This one is the most keen to exploring its surroundings, I even noticed them trying to stand. I think they take after their father, for I certainly don't have legs."

Sure enough the hatchling was now trying to stand on its two tiny little feet hidden underneath the fuzz, but it wobbled before flopping back on its belly. It looked back up to Zaltys and chirped. Svan could tell what it wanted.

"Would you like to visit the nest? I'm sure the little ones would love to see you again. It feel it's been a while."

[saltatisscintillae]

"Mayhaps 'twould be easier for the little ones to heed me if I spoke like their parents, eh? Haha, you'd certainly appreciate that, wouldn't you, little one?" She chuckled again, puffing gently through her nostrils at the little snip of a dragonet as she dropped her use of old Dragonspeak.

The sound of the common speech of mortal language on her tongue was given over to her particular and familiar accent, even when spoken from a draconic maw. Much like quite a few of their mutual acquaintances, Svan was blessed to be able to understand Zaltys when she spoke her native tongue... but as the mortal-turned-dragons lacked the natural ancestral knowledge of the language, Zaltys had often surmised that she and her beloved likely spoke to themselves and their brood as they had always done; using their native ishgardian.

The elder dragon stood up, paused to stretch, then sank her claws into the body of her kill in preparation to carry it with them, leaving her jaws free to speak.

"Of course, I'd be happy to come along. Tis been a while since I paid a visit." She nodded, another grin creasing her scaled maw. "And what fortuitous timing indeed; I had but just finished a hunt of my own."

She tossed her head to the side, where the body of a rather oversized hropken lay limp and broken amidst the rocks, yet untouched but for spinal breakage that killed it. Those beasts certainly didn't fare too well when dropped from a great height.

"After all, if I am to impose on your hospitality, I ought to bring a meal for us, no? My treat." She flashed those glistening fangs of hers in a smile once again, closing one scaly eyelid... in a wink.

Habits gleaned from time amongst mortals died hard, as did the old hen's incorrigible humor.

[voleurcinetique]

Remy stood there quiet, uncharacteristically so for the mutant. Last few dragons he had encountered had tried to kill him in some way, so he was of course wary. Though she didn't seem hostile, at least, not now. He hoped to not give her a reason to be.

"Hm...glad tah know Gambit isn't de only unlucky fella to manage it." He spoke, attempting to carry the playful lit into his words as he would normally, but it fell short. He was tired. At the name, a brow shot upwards before he looked down at his legs.

"Why dats de first ah've ever been called dat." He let off a chuckle, "Dough bein' leggy? Been dat way all mah life. Now...as for de draconic characteristics ah've magically began sportin'?"

He sighed, shoulder sagging. He could feel the scales on his back shifting underneath his coat. The wings hidden just beneath his skin's surface.

"Let's just say, Gambit took an artifact he shouldn' have....and when ah tried to give it back to the dragon proper, it decided non. To stick with Gambit." He sighed, reaching into his coat's pocket and producing the left eye of Aggamotto. "See? Stuck wit' 'im. And...sometimes... ah don' wanna give it back. Sometimes."

[saltatisscintillae]

He seemed wary of her, as her reptilian eyes studied him. But she meant him no harm, and Zaltys hoped that the relaxed demeanor of her form would emphasize that much. She did shimmy her head a little, as if smiling, at his apparent amusement of the moniker denoting his lengthsome limbs, though she noted how that twinkle of humor left his eyes as his thoughts turned to his particular situation. Her frilled brows arced, and rumble of sympathy rolled in her chest as he explained himself.

"You may call me Zaltys, as most do. And as for this artifact... one that will not relinquish itself, either? Quite the predicament indeed..." She peered at the thing, tilting her head. Even from this distance she could feel the thrumming of its power. She studied it for a moment, then clicked her tongue. A surprisingly human gesture of contemplation, all things considered.

"...'Tis very different than the magicks of my kin, but it appears to be affecting you similarly..."

She paused, staring at him down the length of her snout, gauging the weight behind his words as he shifted uneasily. There was no way for her to exactly know the way it clawed at his psyche, but there was a certain look in his eyes that gave her pause. That sort of weariness indicative of immense internal strain.

"...In both body and mind, it seems. Though, the fact you so willingly admit to the... state of mind this thing brings forth within you is commendable in its earnestness, Gambit." She stated, and nodded her great head approvingly. "To so readily acknowledge the risk of danger-- born of oneself, no less-- is no small feat of courage, I think. A testament to your strength of reason."

It was no foreign thing to her, witnessing the potential effects that draconic transformation could have on the mortal mind, much less the body. Both mind and body could rebel, could bend, could even break. But it took a particular strength of character to weather such a storm. Even a dragon of her years still found that admirable.

[saltatisscintillae]

"If I had a gil for every time I have encountered someone turning into a dragon against their will... I would have several. Strange how often it seems to happen."

She chuckled, a low resonant rumble, folding her paws before her much like some great, scale-covered cat. Her brow rose as she eyed him.

"So, what is your story, longshanks~?"

@voleurcinetique

[rpmemes-galore]

all about health

send one ( or more ) in to learn all about… 

scars:  how many scars does my muse have? where are they located on my muse’s body? how did they get them? what do they look like? 

sleep: how many hours a night does my muse sleep? do they take naps? how restful is their sleep? do they experience nightmare? if so, how often? 

meals: how many meals does my muse eat a day? what do they generally consist of? 

routine: does my muse have a consistent routine in their lives? do they find it difficult to stick to a routine? 

chronic: does my muse have any chronic health conditions / illnesses? how do these affect them from day-to-day? 

doctor: how often does my muse visit the doctor? do they tend to go routinely, or only when something is wrong? 

relaxation: what does my muse do to relax? do they find it easy to carve out time to relax? 

aches: does my muse have any frequent aches? ie, muscle aches, joint aches? how do these affect them from day-to-day? 

stress: does my muse handle stress well? what is a surefire sign for others to tell that they’ve become stressed? how does stress affect them mentally / physically? 

mind: does my muse have any mental conditions that affect their lives? what are they? how do they handle them? what coping methods do they use most?