Beneath The Skin

[Trillian]

Posted by:  Shadowstorm Feb 16 2007, 12:49 PM  

A clash of weapons, tumbling past one  another in varying sleek and seamless parries.
An exquisite arch of Kyaarl\'s  hollowed back; a smooth slide of one foot forward, toes pointed upward before  his lightning-fast dash between his opponent and the wall - the snick of  sharpened silver blades sounding with a metallic ping off his victim\'s  target-point.

A matter of perfect precision....if you were aiming for a  killing point; then you reached it on your first try, whether there was a  struggle or not.
Both midnight garbed figures sported circular silver plates  upon their tight under-robes, one over the heart, one at the side of the ribs  where it was possible to strike upward and through, and one at the back of the  neck; where the spine curved up toward the skull....

It was that one that  Kyaarl\'s blade had just reached on his opponent, throwing a blonde head forward  jerkily. Eyes burned briefly, giving up on the malice of this battle with a  small bow of the head to the victor; and a quiet lurk toward the edge of the  arena.
"Pretty good, Kyaarl...pretty good." he conceded, sweeping a hand  through his hair.

From beside the Arena lured a snide tone, "Hey,  Judas...think you can defeat me too, do you?"

Turning level dark eyes  upon this new challenger, the student let his eyebrows ascend beneath his  fringe; lips apart to gasp long breaths of needed air; completely ignoring that  piercing voice.
He was too exhausted to face another barrage of assualts;  verbal or otherwise.

"I\'m sure I can find a whole list of things that I\'d  rather do." retorted the young student, catching his breath back  gradually.

I just have to find one...  
   

Posted by:  Satyr Mar 17 2007, 11:14 PM  

Hako was nearby, having just dismissed  one of his friends (the kind of friend who he thought of more as one of his  allies than a person he wanted to spend time with for the sake of it) and had  noticed that Kyaarl had been the victor of the battle. The upturned lilt of his  lips indicated approval, but his expression was almost constantly of an  interested smile. It was a personal feature that the masters of his house  encouraged.

He blinked slowly as Kyaarl was taunted, and saw the  resignation in the other\'s shoulders, estimating correctly that Kyaarl wasn\'t up  for another battle. A night had passed between Hako\'s rude insertion into a new  shared room, and he wasn\'t sure that Kyaarl had set up his plan of events to get  Hako out of there.

He approached, wearing his robes with the appropriate  sash and little else underneath, as was his way. The robes were heavy and being  outside dictated that he just wore shorts beneath them, otherwise he would feel  hot and uncomfortable, and Hako wasn\'t very tolerant of discomfort.

"Your  presence is required," Hako declared just loud enough for the taunting spectator  to hear, his voice carrying upwind and helping him to be heard without moving  too closely.

   Posted by:  Shadowstorm Mar 22 2007, 11:13 PM  

Venin\'s sharp tongue clicked against  his teeth, sneering with the view to a snide comment, "So I see - being ordered  around by little boys. Do you get kicks out of that?"

Kyaarl let an  amused smirk fall upon his lips. What a ridiculous retort to put up with from a  fully grown man.
However, there was a touch of truth in the  statement.
Hako was indeed adopting an air of superiority....arrogant or  otherwise, the 1st level before him stared from beneath weary  eyelids,

"Oh, it is, is it?" he replied; at more than half the  volume.

"Manners aren\'t too hard to find."

[Trillian]

"I\'m sure the Master that wishes your presence would agree with you, should you keep him waiting," Hako replied smoothly, lying through his teeth but without hesitation.  The smile had a lilting quality to it now, a vague sense of smug superiority that a level five would likely adapt when having struck a point over someone who was their peer.  Hako didn\'t feel this way, it was an act for the benefit of the watchful eyes and burning ears of the others.

A light in his eyes danced merrily for Kyaarl to see.  The others were too far away to catch the message in them.  There was no master waiting for Kyaarl to meet with him.  Hako had not been sent to fetch the other for any purpose other than his own.  It was, however, a more graceful exit.  He did not wish for Kyaarl to lose face over him, that would not be the best way to win him over.

[Shadowstorm]

Had it not been for the flicker of humour in those oceanic optics, that unlit fuse would have smouldered...
Between gritted teeth, a hissing voice agreed. Glinting silver sheathed into leather; blood wiped from the edge of his mouth from a previous scuffle, leaving one stain of crimson streaked across tan skin.

Heavy footsteps pulled the sullen lad out of his trance, head tilting down to address his younger companion after reaching past the hearing span of their company...

"Mmmm? So what is it that you want with me that is so uncontrollably important, Hako?"

Weary, worn affectionate shone through; tinged by that spark of irritation quite obviously...chocolate curls dampened with sweat, shadows glistening over bare muscles.
That flattened fringe clinged just over curved brows; amber vision casting a glance or two.

[Trillian]

"Did you not wish to decline a second fight?"  Hako asked in mock surprise.  "I apologise for being intrusive," he said, hoping that Kyaarl would either accept the apology or admit it wasn\'t required.  Likely the former, for Kyaarl, being a Level One, would likely reclaim his superiority between them.  "I merely wished to talk with you, about how things are going about making my room more private."

Hako didn\'t let his gaze drop from Kyaarl\'s face, but he wasn\'t unaware of the state the other was in.  Hako had never bothered with pursuits of weaponry as much as other students, deciding to go with the subtler missile weapons instead, of slingshots and darts.  He wasn\'t averse to keeping himself in shape, however, and his roaming eye often appreciated a glistening and athletic form.  It wouldn\'t be wise to be so obvious, however, it wasn\'t Hako\'s style to come across as... well, to come across.

[Shadowstorm]

Weathered fingers tangled up in moist hair, flicking that straggly fringe backward with the merest tint of a smile at such vigilance on his companion\'s part.
Following him was that draining heat, expelling energy gradually, although with another direct turn of his head to Hako; the elder nodded.

"It\'s being arranged....right after I find some very...very cold water."

Flashing a little more of sharpened canines; Kyaarl\'s shoulder blades rolled backwards with a smooth, undulating motion beneath tan skin, curls of deep russet spiralling between them.

Streaked down his back are deep scars, maiming that smooth surface. Years of work, of punishment were written across that canvas; angry purples, deep unforgiving grooves snaking below his tied belt.

"So, I\'m afraid you might have to wait for just a little."

[Trillian]

Wait?  Hako was known for his patience, which was laughable, for he had none.  His calm exterior misled many into thinking he accepted their request for time.  He would not make demands, he would simply remove the barrier of whatever was making him wait.  In this case, a paltry excuse of cold water.  Oddly, he missed the light smile, too fixed on what his peripheral vision was seeing.

"If you would let me lead the way, Kyaarl, you will not be disappointed," he said, then flashed amost brilliant smile, one that lit up his whole face in a manner that had been described by many as \'pretty\', \'glowing\' or \'charming\'.  And so they should, it was a well practised smile.

There was a smaller, almost forgotten, bathing room not too far from here, which had been shut down for a very long time while the plumbing had been investigated for a rank smell.  The smell was gone now, and the plumbing fixed, but many students had failed to return to the facility, in memory of such a smell as well as the fact the room had been small anyway.

Hako was the only one who enjoyed the facility, as far as he knew.

[Shadowstorm]

Perhaps a lapse of better judgement, stirred into his cocktail of exhaustion led thoes bare feet after Hako, hair now pulled back behind his head to allow crystal sweat droplets cascade down the curve of his back. Murmuring his reply soft, and serene; Kyaarl gave an affirmative nod, "Lead away."

True, he had explored great deals of the voluminous academy, although his favourite washroom remained the ones to the far east side, walls of marble and heated stone, mosaics of emerald and turquoise clinging to the wall in geometric spirals. A beautiful, lonely place.

It wasn\'t often that he would allow another to be near him at such a private ritual, although Hako struck him as a little different. Strange, of course, although with specific motive.
Smiles were rare, and this one struck; as Kyaarl returned one of his own, unpractised and entirely honest ones. An untroubled, gently calm smile.

[Trillian]

Hako led him to the washroom, an unassuming gray block building with uneven surface and light gray mortar.  Inside were slat redwood benches around a shallow square bathing facility that could fit four comfortably, maybe six if they didn\'t mind not extending legs.  The bath was tiled plainly and practically, in burnt ambers and dark reds, with gold streaks snaking through for extra colour.

Towels, freshly washed, were either russet or cream upon shelves, soaps provided smelt of milk and honey - a smell that could now be associated with Hako, for it was what he used.

He took a russet coloured washcloth and wet it in the water that would come waist deep on someone seated in the bath.  Then he watched Kyaarl expectantly, after leading him here, and wrung the cloth.

"I\'ll wash your back," he offered, seating himself at the edge of the bath upon a thin line of wood that was designed more as a step into the raised wash area rather than as a bench for an onlooker to seat themselves.

[Shadowstorm]

Russet ringlets matching soft towelling, he leant over to turn the gently creaking faucet, watching clear, steaming water rush through, splashing onto those tiles, droplets jumping onto his robes. It was with a rather reluctant smile that he turned half-away, untying a white sash to allow reems of light robes to pool about his feet.

Stretching leisurely, Kyaarl set his pair of black-handled daggers on the little ledge the other side of the bath, like a ritual before immersing himself into this water with a relaxed sigh.
Sweeping his hand in a smooth gesture, he offered a seat to Hako beside him in the bath itself.

"Appreciated, but I\'d prefer to myself. However, I have no objection to you joining me?"

Pulling straggly chocolate curls across one shoulder, he reaches an arm over toward his marred, marked back, palm flat and calm against those angry red lashes.

[Trillian]

Hako accepted the invitation with a slight nod, disrobing in a manner that proved his lack of self-consciousness.  He didn\'t puff his chest out, nor strut before Kyaarl in a manner of self-importance either, he simply removed his clothing to leave himself bare and then stepped into the tub at his peer\'s side, kneeling into the water and tracing the lash marks first with his gaze - understanding that they weren\'t fresh - before his fingers trailed either side, and then the washcloth afterward.

He did all this silently, the point of talking was now over since he had an invitation to bathe with Kyaarl.  Speaking and saying the wrong thing was out of the question.  Should the Level One ask him something, he would make it his duty to answer, but he would not ruin the moment with idle chatter, when his touch could say so much more.

With a gentle but firm hand, so that Kyaarl could feel the pressure of skin on skin, first he rubbed across Kyaarl\'s back, then he would follow the touch with the cloth, like an epilogue of sensation.  Flesh, cloth, warm hand, hot towel, pressure points, scratching texture.

He was mostly at Kyaarl\'s profile, diagonally behind him rather than directly, so he could look at the other\'s face while he did this, framed by hair that seemed to suit the bathroom well.  He studied Kyaarl\'s face for clues as to what the other liked, what he might want, if he was doing his job well and whether he had the opportunity to advance upon him.

[Shadowstorm]

Silence was golden, currently appreciated by the youth as delicate touches laced his wounds with the most delicate of inspections before a firm sweep of a palm took him almost by surprise, Kyaarl\'s spine arching into Hako\'s rhythmic motion without needing to spoil this chain of events by uttering words.

Perhaps unnoticed by the owner, but lips parted in relaxation - allowing the slip of a sigh escape so guiltily.
Admittance of such pleasure seemed alien to the young man, immersing himself in the process of washing his slender legs, bending forward over them with a yawn to stifle his noises of appreciation.

Actions spoke louder than words, especially for one with very few comfortable words such as himself, merely choosing to slide one arm just slightly backward; searching for how close Hako sat to him. Checking the barrier of comfort just quietly....

[Trillian]

Kyaarl\'s seeking hand found Hako\'s upper thigh, which began a slight chain reaction of events; with his leg touched, Hako hesitated ever so slightly before continuing his stroking, watching Kyaarl for an opening.  With his body bent over himself, the youth couldn\'t twist around to his front, though that arm reaching back had allowed an opening.  He decided that was prompt enough already and so as the cloth stroke descended, the pressure of its touch lightened while his hand strayed to Kyaarl\'s chest.  Pressing with his hand alerted Kyaarl to the fact that he wanted the other to sit back, for next the washcloth would stroke where his hands had been.  At the same time, because Kyaarl\'s arm had reached back, Hako took advantage to change position to a seated one, his legs now having a place to go - one at Kyaarl\'s back, and the other bent around his front (as soon as the other shifted backward).  He would shift his bottom as well, to be diagonally in front of Kyaarl instead of diagonally behind, and if the seeking hand stayed as it was, it would likely brush across one thigh to the other.

[Shadowstorm]

Despite his stoical outer, Kyaarl almost jumped at finding Hako so close, not to mention finding the odd feeling of his fingertips caressing smooth, slippery wet skin.
That slight pause worried the boy.
Shock? Perhaps. Without a glance back to where he had toughed, Kyaarl\'s hand retreated further toward his own back, searching for the cold amd merciful tiling.
It wouldn\'t do well to fondle, even if accidentally, a younger student in his charge...not mentioning his own acute embarassment.

A rouge hue touched his cheeks, suddenly feverish beneath that mop of hair. Reflecting this inner torment of unexplored emotion, his fingers clenched, as if grasping at the mosaic tiles and shoulders tensed.
Waves of anxiety hit Kyaarl, overcome by self-consciousness as he let his hair cover his face.

He felt lost within this sea of awkward emotion...

[Trillian]

Hako, however, was in his element.  The bathing moved around to Kyaarl\'s front, over his shoulders and upon his chest and stomach, the light touch of his hand preceeding the cloth.  Instead of being gauche and going for the redhead\'s groin next, Hako teased and tantalised around Kyaarl\'s thighs, the sensitive area of his inner thighs was sure to get a response.  The heat helped as a sedation, with steam rising all around them.  Hako lowered his head, his forehead gently coming to rest at Kyaarl\'s temple as first his fingers stroked a thigh, then the cloth.  If Kyaarl didn\'t know any better, he might think that Hako believed his thighs to be extra sweaty and dirty, but Hako didn\'t believe Kyaarl to be quite that innocent.  After building up what he thought was enough teasing, he wrapped his hand around Kyaarl\'s shaft and gently massaged it while the cloth went downwards, beneath and between the other\'s legs.  His breathing quickened a little and he whispered a soft \'shhh\' before any protest could be voiced.  It would be difficult for Kyaarl to move in any case, what with Hako\'s leg extended over his upper legs, keeping him pinned effectively.

[Shadowstorm]

The first stroke, accepted without any further retaliation...by the second trailing finger up his inner thighs with such an intimate reaction, Kyaarl panicked.
His legs tilted to avoid Hako, shifting away from the boy as much as he could with a murmur of, "I...erhm..."

Not appropriate?
Not comfortable...
Despite his lack of experience in such matters, Kyaarl reserved his affections for one, and one alone...
Carnal matters were nothing of importance, the only reason he felt so dizzy was the heat, and the reactions of his body were from deprivation.
Not because he found Hako attractive.

This strange arrangement, as a leg hooked over his legs and a forehead met his sodden locks, made him highly uncomfortable - sparking something within his anger as he overcame sudden humility.
The touch of teasing fingertips was the last straw of his discomfort.
One palm found Hako\'s breastplate, pushing him away with something of a desperate urgency.
"Get...get off me."