Phalakros whipped around to face Valiel, immediately tensing in preparation to run. As he listened to her words, he did his best to sort through the mayhem of his mind, finally remembering who Valiel was.
He then looked around, slower this time, and realized that her words were true. But… were they actually? Or was this whole scene just another nightmare? Would that fiend, that serpent, destroy his newest ally before long, then restart the whole scene to torture him over and over?
“H… how can I tr… trust that ‘tis truly you?”Phalakros asked shakily, still a bit breathless from his nightmare.
Valiel was usually a cool headed individual, but he was so shaken, and she wanted him to be alright so badly, she did something stupid.
She shifted to an Ahkrethian, still much smaller than him, and scooted closer, where she could touch his face.
"Who else?" she said gently as she traced his cheekbones with her fingers, locking her icy blue gaze on his eyes.
Phalakros stared at her blankly, his mind startled back into reality by her morph. This definitely was Valiel. The serpents never would’ve done what she just did. It was too bold a move for them.
As he gazed into her beautiful blue eyes, a deep need awoke in him, a neglected desire that had only rarely had the chance to surface. And, now it was simply too hard to resist.
Phalakros gently wrapped her in a hug, relieved that he wasn’t hallucinating. He then leaned forward and kissed her. It was tender and shy, but it held the full weight of all of his neglected desires.
At some point, whether she knew it or not, Valiel's heart had moved from pity, or the general wish for another's well-being, to a soft kind of love. The experiences of the last evening had done much for her emotions, and Skin-changers were creatures given to strong whims.
She had no trouble kissing him back. Her fingers moved gently from his face back into his hair, gently pulling him closer. She leaned into the hug, and snaked her other hand up onto his chest, feeling his heart fluttering behind his ribs.
Phalakros was about to back out of the kiss when she reacted. The soothing caress of her fingers in his hair, combined with her delightful acceptance of his kiss, stunned him, but also encouraged him. And when her hand slid up his chest, waking every nerve she touched, his breath hitched and his bottom jaw started to ache with anticipation.
Without consciously thinking about it, he tightened his hold on her slightly, one of his hands drifting to delicately caress the front of her throat before moving to hold onto her shoulder.
Valiel wasn't quite ready for the intense sensation that occurred when he touched her throat. She suddenly had the oddest sense that she needed to ask a few more questions about Ahkrethians before she committed to this.
The touch drew a sigh from her, and she pulled back to catch her breath and try to unscramble her thoughts. She gently kneaded the back of his neck, but the hand on his chest applied just a little pressure, pushing him away a tad so she could think.
"Well."
When Valiel withdrew from the kiss, it was like waking up from another, far more pleasant, dream. Phalakros found it hard to catch his breath, particularly with Valiel’s hand on his neck. Though, he did notice the light push.
Phalakros chuckled in embarrassment and turned away, loosening his hold on Valiel. It had been millennia since he’d last kissed a woman, and he didn’t know what to do about it. Particularly since he had never been the one to kiss first.
“I… di… did not expect that. Any of it,”he commented shyly.
She smiled up at him, looking a tad dazed. "I didn't either, but… I certainly didn't mind." She swallowed hard and let her hand slip from the back of his neck to his shoulder. "Although, I do wanna know you a bit more before… Well…" She blushed a bit, and without knowing what she was doing, kissed the left side of his jawline.
"We should eat up before something comes to try to take the meat away."
Phalakros chuckled in embarrassment again. He was actually quite content with where she moved her hand, despite his usual paranoia, though… that neglected part of him wanted her to hold his neck again. But, that could wait.
“I understand, and… I agree,”he replied shyly.
He paused at her kiss, not really sure how to react. Despite himself, a small smile appeared and lingered. His cheeks also became a faint red.
At her words, he nodded. He hesitated to move though, as he was rather comfortable with Valiel in his arms. It was a shocking revelation, but one that made him chipper nonetheless.
He agreed, and Valiel breathed a small sigh of relief. He was so much bigger than her, and she had yet to see it, but she suspected he was stronger too, and that would be… problematic if they weren't on the same page.
He was blushing though, which was absolutely adorable.
She turned and started to get more food, to finish off the deer, but he didn't let go, and now it was her turn to blush. She wouldn't have minded, except she had short arms and couldn't reach. She turned to look at him.
"I'll be right back, I'm literally going 2 feet away and then I'll be right back here, with food too, ok?" She didn't want him to think he'd done anything wrong. Timid as he was, she was worried it would scare him off from ever being comfortable with her again.
Phalakros heard her sigh of relief and pondered what it could mean. She was happy he’d agreed, which was good, but there was something more to it. Could she be afraid of what would’ve happened had he refused? And what of the dark thing?
“I must warn you. The… d… dark… part of… me… may not be as… courteous. Yet, I truly hope you never meet that… thing again,”he stammered.
When Valiel turned, then blushed, Phalakros realized that he’d held on too long. But, for some strange reason, he wasn’t really upset about it. Maybe it was that lovely blush on her face.
Phalakros chuckled in embarrassment once again when she spoke, and released her.
“F… forgive me. I… am not sure why I held on like that,”he said, his expression shy. His eyes were bright though, showing that he was still cheerful despite the awkward moment.
"You can hold as much as you like, Phalakros, I'm just hungry." She cut two big chunks from the deer, and laid one where he could easily reach it, before leaning back into his chest as she worked on the other. "I know your darker side will be less kind, but I'm not worried about it. I've calmed you before and I'm here to do it again." She smiled up at him, chewing carefully, adjusting to the teeth in her mouth. "So, what made you kiss me?"
His eyes widened at her words. It was surprising how comfortable she was with him holding her, even after his dark side came out. But, it was even more surprising that he was actually glad about it.
He watched silently as she got the chunks of meat from the deer, smiling in thanks when Valiel set a piece near him. He grabbed the meat and took a bite out of it, licking his lips to catch the juices, then continued to watch her as she sat down against him.
Before he could stop himself, he gently wrapped an arm around her waist. He also contemplated resting his head on her shoulder, but decided against it since they were both technically eating.
“‘Less kind’ does not have enough emphasis. And, there is no calming it once it is unleashed. It can only be defeated or banished, from what Lucitius has told me,”Phalakros commented shakily.
Her smile was reassuring, but he was still concerned. She had already been badly hurt by his dark side. He didn’t want that to happen again.
Her question surprised him, and he stared ahead for a moment, trying to come up with an adequate reply. It could’ve been her gorgeous eyes. It could’ve been the way she had rubbed his cheekbones. Or possibly even just her overall beauty. But, there seemed to be no way for him to figure out exactly why he’d done it, and it nagged at him.
“I… do not know,”he admitted timidly.
Valiel listened as he explained, and a small frown furrowed her brow. So… did I defeat him? Certainly didn't banish him, but… I didn't think I defeated him either…
His arm around her waist was comforting, and Valiel couldn't remember the last time a man had been comforting to her. She grinned at him when he said he didn't know.
"Oh, just good instincts then, huh?" She was trying to keep the mood light, because she was figuring out, Phalakros was a creature of strong passions. When he was afraid, he was terrified. When he was angry, the dark took over. When he was amorous… well, she had needed a long moment to extricate herself from the seeming spell he'd put over her.
She finished off the chunk of meat, looking at what was left of the deer. She watched Phalakros eat, not in a creepy way, just studying him. She knew it would make him self-conscious, but right now, she needed to know this man before her heart ran away with her head.
Phalakros somewhat noticed her furrowed brow, but he didn’t want to explain more. Just thinking about his dark side made him uncomfortable, let alone talking about it.
He paused at her grin, then stared blankly at her when she made the comment. Another one of his embarrassed chuckles came.
“I… still do not know,”he replied.
As Phalakros ate, he persistently licked his lips to wipe away any excess juice. He also didn’t rush, instead taking measured bites that wouldn’t overwhelm him. Though, he quickly noticed Valiel watching and turned to her, finishing his mouthful of food before speaking.
“Is there something you wish?”he asked politely.
She shook her head. "Just trying to figure out this form. I've never been an Ahkrethian before meeting you, and little things, like how you're chewing, don't come naturally to me." Like anything, with enough practice, she got good at emulating the habits of the various creatures she was shifting to, but she'd never even seen an Ahkrethian before him. "Anything I should know?" She asked, before tilting her head and looking at him with a very particular look. "Anything I should learn?" She hoped he'd take the bait.
Although, knowing Phalakros, flirting was not going to be his strong point.
“I see. That sounds similar to Ahkrethian younglings. Some things are known instinctively, yet the rest must be taught,”Phalakros commented.
Phalakros considered her question, but wasn’t sure where to start. There was so much about Ahkrethians, and he didn’t know what she would want to know first.
“Well… What do you wish to… know?”he asked, his voice slowing as he stared into her intense eyes. He had a feeling that there was deeper meaning to her second question, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Though, he had his suspicions.
Valiel blushed slightly, trying to decide how to ask.
"Well… for instance. Skin-changers choose a mate for the warmer seasons in the Hinterlands. At the end of those seasons, they part and may never see each other again. Or they may mate again later, it all depends. But most don't mate for life. That tends to be rare." She looked away from him, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. "Do your people have traditions surrounding that?"
She wanted to ask why her throat had felt so good when he'd touched it, and if that was related to Ahkrethian… mating rituals, but there was no couth way to phrase that without trying to carefully get into the subject first.
When Valiel blushed, Phalakros immediately knew that his suspicions had been right. She was flirting.
As she explained the mating traditions of Skin-changers, Phalakros blushed as well. He turned away for a moment, but when she questioned him, he shyly looked back at her.
“Ahkrethians… have the Mating Bond. ‘Tis when a pair are… ‘together’ twice, one after the other, whether at once or separately. A single time is not enough to seal the bond, and thus allows freedom to be with anyone. Yet, the second time seals it, and ‘tis a lifelong bond between mates. ‘Tis… usually marked by scars on the female, which carries the male’s scent. Yet, Lucitius has proven… that the same marks can be placed on a male by the female,”Phalakros explained quietly, not used to talking so openly about Ahkrethian mating habits.
Valiel was glad she had asked. That was a culture shock, and she was glad she'd hit the brakes before inching them closer to a life-long bond.
She looked down, gently trailing a finger over his arm as she asked her next question. "Is it inappropriate for me to ask what kind of scars, or where they're left?" She wasn't flirting this time. This was a serious inquiry.
Skin-changers could be together as anything they wished, but there were some species of creature whose mating habits were too rough, too bestial for thinking creatures to find enjoyable. She doubted the Ahkrethians were such creatures, but clarity would help her decide if she wanted to dive into this with Phalakros.
She knew she was probably making him uncomfortable, but… it needed to happen.
Valiel’s caress momentarily distracted him, but her question made him hesitate. Phalakros hadn’t expected the question, but he supposed he should have, considering that Valiel was just discovering what Ahkrethians were.
“No, ‘tis not inappropriate, considering your ignorance. I am simply unused to discussing all of this. Yet, to answer your question, ‘tis… bite scars on the throat. ‘Tis… how Ahkrethians breed,”Phalakros shyly answered, not looking at her. His cheeks were a dark red.
Ah. The touch on her throat and the accompanying sensation made sense now. She nodded thoughtfully. "Is, uh… is that a given?" She knew the question wasn't clear, and hurried to explain. "What I mean is, do Ahkrethians ever… might they ever be together not trying to reproduce?" The question still wasn't as clear as she wanted it, but. She wasn't sure how to ask him if casual sex was a concept for them. Skin-changers lived by it, and she knew that her culture might be shocking to him, but… if reproduction was a given, she needed to think even harder about the complex emotions she was feeling for him.
Her question confused Phalakros, and he stared until she elaborated. He then grunted, understanding the basic idea of what she meant.
“I believe such. The… time when the Mating Bond is sealed always has the greatest chance of offspring, though. Yet, I believe there are ways to… avoid it, or to… enjoy the moment without as much risk. I, unfortunately, do not really know them. I… have only had two breif relationships previously, despite mine age,”Phalakros explained.
Valiel's eyes widened. Not at the information, which she'd kind of expected, but at his admission.
"Phalakros, only 2 brief relationships? In all that time?" She was a bit shocked. "You're a good-looking, intelligent, gentle person, what are they all thinking?"
I fell for you in a few hours, what are they all thinking?
Phalakros didn’t look at Valiel at her questions. His arm unconsciously tightened around her a bit, seeking the comfort of her presence. Though, her compliments stunned him. Is that what she truly thought of him?
“I… I… am a Strangeling, a Half-Breed. Few full-blooded Ahkrethians are fond of Strangelings. I… am also… afraid. And then… the F… Fiend, the… d… dark part… of me,”he stammered timidly.
