forum Romance?

Started June 22, 2020 by @ElderGodSwimwithGamers group

tune

Archer clasped his hands together. “Wonderful. Let’s go.”

(A lil time skip?)

Sebastian stayed close to Archer as they continued to… Wherever Archer was taking them. He still didn't trust the drakes, weary of any attacks. He stayed behind Archer still, not really talking. He didn't trust himself, not with the prince. He'd always had a sharp tongue, especially when frightened.
"Where, exactly, are we going?" He finally asked, unable to handle not knowing. He fidgeted with his sword out of habit, having no intentions of actually drawing it.

“The area between the Wistenra Lake and Opal Mountain Range. It’s uninhabited, due to the various monsters, so I figured it would be a good place.” Archer said this casually, as if they were simply walking to the local inn. “It should take around… two days? Also, I wouldn’t ask them-“ he gestured to the drakes, “- to give us a ride just yet. Wait a bit, so they can warm up to us.”

Sebastian was taken back a bit by this. It made sense, yes, but he had to come to one of the most monster ridden places in the kingdom. Let alone how long it would take them to get there from here. Who knew what obstacles they would face.
"Of course," Sebastian said, knowing he could write it off as a response to the prince's last remark.

Archer was silent for a few moments. His eyes drifted, and he found himself looking at one of the drakes with puffed up cheeks. Taking out his notebook, he asked, “Excuse me, but may I see what’s inside your cheeks?” It was a strange question to utter aloud, but he was too curious to care.
The drake didn’t seem to find it strange. She opened her mouth. In each cheek, two eggs could be seen resting inside.
His eyes widened. “Woah…” he wrote down what he saw in his notebook. “It doesn’t cause discomfort, does it?”
She shook her head.
“Amazing.” He turned to Sebastian. “Oh, don’t mind me. I usually like to ask them questions like that. I want to perhaps write a book one day, an encyclopedia of dragons and how they function in the world.” Suddenly Archer found himself lost in those cool grey eyes. “Um… do you have any plans for the future? A-any goals?”

Sebastian watched Archer's interaction with the drake, surprised it hadn't refused his request. He blinked when Archer turned to him, blushing a bit, especially at the stutter. What was this? Why was he reacting like this?
"N-not really," Sebastian admitted. "I, well, I know I'll take my father's title since I am the only son of my family. I suppose I'll simply live like that. And… The encyclopedia sounds interesting. Truly." He actually meant it, too. Even if it wasn't used to hunt the creatures down, it would be interesting to learn of them.

Archer managed to pull his gaze away from Sebastian. His own actions confused him as well. The way he felt when he looked at him… he hadn’t felt that way in a long time. The question was: why did he feel this way? Ah, emotions are confusing, he thought to himself. I don’t want to think about it right now.
He chuckled. “Ah yes. These days, I tend to forget that I’m the prince. That I’ll be king one day. If I had my way, I’d being helping and studying dragons forever. But I suppose all good things must come to an end, right?”

"Yes, I suppose so…" Sebastian, he had to admit, had gotten attached to the wilderness, to the vast forests and massive oceans. He didn't want to go back to his home, to the cold stone walls and dead air. He wanted to feel the breeze in his hair, to have open space all around him.
"No matter how much we wish it to not."

Archer sighed. Then a growl behind him caught his attention.
”You humans. So sappy and emotional.”
He turned to see a young male drake looking at them teasingly. He was wagging is tail, whether in curiosity or argumentatively, Archer couldn’t say.
He shrugged. “Well, you know, humans are programmed that way, I suppose. If you don’t mind my asking, how long does your kind usually live?” With his notebook still in his hands, he held the pencil over the paper.
The young drake stared silently for a moment, as if taken aback. ”I was told my mother lived to be 369… but she was young. Killed by a lung dragon.” He paused. “I believe the Zenpiri is 701. He has about two hundred years left, I believe.”
Archer scribbled in the notebook. “And how old are you?”
He snorted, as if he didn’t want to say. “I am… 186…” Then he yowled, “I will be 190 soon! I am not so young.”
Archer chuckled. “Of course.” He looked down, muttering as he wrote. “General life span… one thousand years. Reaches maturity at… one hundred ninety? Two hundred? Interesting.”

Sebastian looked at Archer as he took even more notes, a faint smile on his lips. It was obvious the prince was doing something he loved. Sebastian looked away a moment, a little bit more relaxed. The prince seemed to know what he was doing, at least for now. This entire situation… it was so new to Sebastian. He'd need time to fully adjust.

Archer caught himself. “Ah, sorry, I’m used to do doing this alone. We should get to know each other.” He smiled sheepishly, searching for questions to ask. But eventually he decided on, “So, um, tell me about yourself.”

Sebastian thought a moment.
"There isn't much to tell," Sebastian admitted. "I'm not much different from my public image. My mother is a foreign commoner, so I've worked most of my life to prove my worth to others. That's why I do what I do."

“Ah, I see.” Archer held his notebook at his side. “For me, it was the opposite. Well, in a way…” he wasn’t sure what else to say. This used to always happen at the palace. He would try to start a conversation with the servants or the noble’s children, and it would go no where. Over the the years, he found it was better to explain his awkwardness. And so he did.
“I’m sorry, I’m better with dragons than with people,” Archer rubbed his neck, avoiding Sebastian’s eyes. “Being alone with them for two years didn’t help, haha.”

(Nonono, that's not it! I haven't been responding to some rps because I can't really type out long responses on my phone, and I didn't take my tablet on the vacation I took! I'm sorry I didn't tell you!)

Sebastian watched Archer as he spoke, the conversation dying a little.
"I understand," he said with a faint smile. "You seem better with dragons than most people are to each other." He kept walking, just a step or two behind Archer the entire time. He enjoyed this, even if he still felt the need to for Archer proper respect.

Archer looked up in surprise. “Really? Thanks. I, uh, a-appreciate it.”
Why was he stuttering all of a sudden? He never stuttered. Wait, he thought. Was that even a compliment? Or was Sebastian just acknowledging what he said? He had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter.
“Oh wait,” he said suddenly. “I mean… um…”

(Sorry writer’s block has me in its deadly grip)

(I totally understand ma dude, no worries! Don't feel obligated to respond!)

Sebastian blinked a little.
"It's alright," he said quickly, the small smile still on his lips. "I think you had it right the first time." He nodded a little, running his hand through his hair a moment.

(Ok thanks for understanding)

“Oh.”
Archer paused. He sighed, then said, with a small smile on his face, “Thanks.”