[Flashback] The Concubine-in-Training (ha'na & ifran)

[Ifran]

A kiss could tell one many things, and Ifran had become in his time a bit of a connoisseur. There was the kiss on stage, the passion not feigned though they psychology often skewed. There was the kiss of a mother, tender with shared blood and heartbeats. There was the kiss of a lover, which changed as a relationship progressed, containing lust and cunning and even sometimes love. There was the kiss of a concubine, calculated to a degree that left even the artist behind. If Ha'na was acting, then she was better at it than he was. Since she had not long been in her concubinage, perhaps this was real at that, in which case that part of him that was good pitied her already. "Are you beholden to them for money," he asked, letting loose her hair, stroking it, bringing a lock to his nose to inhale of her scents under those applied by her teacher, all at once, "or are you free to remain here with me?" The lock of hair was curled slowly around his fingers, drawing her gently closer as his breath moved over her shoulder, hot and clean as a desert wind, and toward her mouth again.

[Hana]

For a long moment she simply kissed him, eyes fighting to stay open. If they closed, she was sure she would slip into a place she was not ready to go with him. But she was pliable and soft, a hand lifting up to brush her fingertips over his cheek adoringly. Though she didn’t want to pull away, she did to bite her lip before whispering, “Only in honor… Not money. You are truly the most handsome man I have ever seen…” And before he could respond she kissed him again.

[Ifran]

While exploring her mouth and the softnesses of her, he calculated the odds, the risks; with half his self, he wove his web like a deadly spider, with the other half, he enjoyed what she had to offer. When their lips parted, air escaped from shared breath and he smiled at her. "You should maintain your honor and remain with me as soon as you can."

[Hana]

“If you talk to them,” she offered quietly, looking at him with hope in her eyes. To the wrong person she would have simply come off as pathetic, but it was a genuine expression all the same. “If you talk to them… Maybe they will let me stay with you while continuing to help me learn… I could please everyone then.” It seemed that she was rather set on the thought of making everyone happy. Whether she understood that her patrons would fall over themselves to please the young lord was questionable. The smile she offered him, that hopeful, unsure smile said maybe she was at least a little aware of the power that he held and what others would do for his favor.

[Ifran]

"Perhaps I will do so, then," he said, his voice caressing her as much as his hands. He had decided to protect her, at least for the time being, while he got to know her better. A concubine who was loyal was a great thing, though he had to wonder how well she would be able to keep secrets -- whether she would be canny enough to know when she said the wrong thing or when her silences gave away more than he wanted people to know. It was not that he was incapable of taking a lover and maintaining his secrets; something about this one screamed danger. Wide-eyed, innocent danger. "Now, would you like to show me what you have been taught, or shall I begin your new education?"

[Hana]

“Show me what you would have of me,” she whispered. In truth her education hadn’t taken that turn. She hadn’t allowed for it, and so far no one seemed to be too concerned with that fact. She felt that she had won what she wanted. The Eypharians had at least taught her that her beauty could be used as a way of getting what she wanted, and it seemed they were at least halfway willing to give her what she wanted as long as she was quiet and naïve – As long as she didn’t show her intelligence and simply played to their feelings of superiority. It wasn’t really an active cause of manipulation on her part. In fact, she rather hated it, which was why she had set her sights on the man touching her. He seemed capable of treating her like she wasn’t some dog. The truth was that despite the fact that she had motivations like any other person, those motivations were simply focused on survival. There was no struggle for power. There was no bitterness. Just survival. Just a bed to sleep in, food in her belly, and shade from the desert sun. She kissed him then, understanding already the way he wanted her to. She wanted to show him that she learned quickly.

[Ifran]

Accepting the kiss as his due, several of his hands flickered ever lower along her body. Playing a woman like an instrument was another art altogether, and one in which he considered himself entirely capable. Perhaps that was just male pride, or perhaps it was not. For her part, she seemed to be enjoying herself, which either meant that she was a better concubine than she thought or it was going to be an interesting night. Ifran kissed with his eyes open, which had given pause to several previous lovers. One such had claimed that his eyes seemed like they had the ability to see into a person, giving the sense that whatever he said, wherever he looked, he was speaking to you, looking at you, that he cared about you. This, he thought, was a powerful tool, and one that he would have to learn to control.

[Hana]

Le Fin

[Dreamcatcher]

. Character: Ifran Experience: +1 Singing, +3 Seduction Lore: Singing Aria’s, Discussing Aesthetics of Art, Taking Advantage of the Situation Character: Hana Experience: +4 Seduction Lore: Tactile Exploration, Discussing Aesthetics of Art, Doing What’s Expected Additional Note: Hana, though towards the end of the thread your character felt distress, there were several instances of you trying to get Ifran’s attention, hence the XP for it. Overall interesting character development thread, certainly opened my eyes to a new city. .