More Than Physical

[Lani Stranger]

68th of Winter, 518AV

”Hey Black Eyes,” Narth’s familiar Nari nickname for Lani interrupted her silent eating. The mixed blood looked up from the Kontinese poetry book she was reading to see the Endal taking the seat beside her. Jealously, she glanced at his rations as he set them on the table, and Lani tried to ignore the yearning in her stomach while she dug further into the cheese and vegetables she was given.

”Hey Narth,” She answered, carefully placing ribbon book park on her page and then clasping the book closed. She had long since discovered what his nickname meant, but no longer cared for the bland description of herself, and tended to see it as more of an endearing name than anything else. Lani turned on her bench slighty, swinging one foot over so that she was facing Narth rather than the table, and he simply looked at her through his side eye. The communal kitchens was one of the few places the Wind Eagles could not get to, merely because of the size of the place, and so she knew she had Narth to herself.

”Tell me,” She said, popping a hunk of cheese in her mouth and chewing before she spoke again. Narth raised an eyebrow, patiently. It was her day off, and she was unsure of his schedule, but the mixed blood hadn’t spent time in his bed recently, and found herself… hungry for it. Their exchanges of pleasure were always at his will, regardless of what she was doing. At first she didn’t want them and knew that she could not refuse. With time she had learned how to twist the power of the events so that she only did what she wanted and Narth was still satisfied. Lani wasn’t sure if it was the hunger for the power of his vulnerability in those moments, or if he really had learned how to return her pleasure over time and now she found herself craving his touch, physically if nothing else. ”What you do today.”

Her demand was meant with a raised eyebrow, and she could tell that he saw the hunger in her eyes, and was deciding if he shared it. He must, men were always hungry for copulation, weren’t they? Her Auristic djed yearned and stretched in her abdomen, and so Lani let it flow to her eyes, knowing it may not share anything more with her that she did not already know. The world dimmed when she concentrated on the passive magic. The strange auras that she could not distinctly describe sung to her eyes. Lani glanced quickly through the hall, seeing the chaos of intent and emotion that all the people and objects there shared. She was not skilled enough to read the room in such a cursory glance so she focused it on Narth, the thin sliver of passive aura twirling and convulsing around his frame.

It was not the excited vibrating and buzzing that Lani was used to seeing around her bedpartner, but a slow and lethargic twirling that spoke to her of a different emotion she had not yet understood about the man. Her auristic magic could show her this emotion with concentration, but she could not identify if without further interrogation or questions to his mood.

[Lani Stranger]

”Just got back from helping in the Infirmary.” He said, and she noticed an air of suspicion in his voice. Deciding the slow and lethargic aura may be a result of this, Lani smoothed her hand over his thigh, black eyes scanning the room around her again. It broke her concentration on his aura, and she watched as her vision gave way to the passive auristics she always held. Soft vibrations and swirls were faint and nearly imperceptible as they hugged their owner’s tightly with information that Lani did not recognize. But the importance of her glance now was that no one was paying attention to them, not specifically at least.

”We could leave?” She asked, leaning closer to him and resting her chin on his shoulder. She could feel the movement of his aura now that she was closer to him, and it didn’t take the concentration of her magic so much as it flowed through her passively. The slow steady swirling was picking up pace and returning to the usual excited vibrations that Lani had always read as carnal interest. Whatever emotions he had been harboring gave way to this interest easily, and she felt the bearded Endal chuckle beneath her while she inched her hand towards places that they shouldn’t be playing with in public.

”Damn woman, let me finish my meal at least.” He laughed, grabbing her hand from his crotch and removing it, a rare action on his part. Lani didn’t respond immediately, reaching back towards her plate and forking the last bite of her roasted vegetables into her mouth. She took the time to chew and swallow as a chance to focus her other personal djed on the man. Hypnotism came less natural and was not at all passive requiring some concentration on his part. Even then her magic only gave her words more suggestion than anything else, it rarely worked as intended, but Lani hope it at least put the odds in her favor.

”Hurry.” She spoke the word with a hypnotist’s intent, and watched the movement of his aura for any reaction. The vibrations seemed to speed up, as Narth was a willing subject to be encouraged towards his own desires. Lani picked her dish up from the table, and held it in her right hand. With her left one she walked behind Narth, trailing her fingers across the nape of his neck before walking off into the crowd to return her dishes to be cleaned.

Lani remembered when she was first taught the auristic magic that her mentor had told her of the colors he saw which revealed the makeup and intent of things. Lani knew her grasp on the magic was different, for she saw and felt the movements of the aura’s she sought out. It had taken years, to figure out how she read the magic and used it. Lani was disappointed she hadn’t seen the vibrant layer of colors her mentor had spoken of, but as Lani honed her skills she realized she saw her auristics in the form of movement. She could feel them as well, having noticed the senses in her finger tips growing more… detailed when she focused her auristics onto them to feel the world around her even when she could not see. It was because of this that Lani surmised auristics took a different form for everyone, but she knew she was able to glean the same information that other mages could. She simply had to uncover the meaning of various auras and learn to read the information that now flowed through her, giving her yet another sense to the world around her.

[Lani Stranger]

Without glancing back to see if Narth was following her, Lani slipped out of the communal kitchens, making a beeline back towards her room. She was horny and excited, and the mixed blood found herself showing off. As soon as she got to a passageway that was remotely clear or large enough, the half-Eypharian broke into a sprint, leaping forward and straightening her body so that she landed on her hands. With a practiced move she twisted back and launched her body back into a standing position, performing the round off nearly flawlessly. She stumbled slightly when landing it, but as soon as she regained her stance she was jogging again, excited to make it to her cottage, in the hopes that Narth would meet her there.

When she reached the door, using her mundane key to unlock it, she let it swing shut behind her, not bothering to lock it and let Narth in. She knew she would be a few chimes ahead of Narth, and a thought occurred to her. She wanted to show off for the man in some way, and her mind flitted to the silky lacy things that the whores of Zeltiva wore. The mixed blood had been all to familiar with a harlot or two during her time there, understanding the call of carnal passion and the need to have it fulfilled by a beautiful woman, even if it cost her a coin or four. She frowned at the idea, there were no prostitutes in Wind Reach, not as far as she had found. Those of a higher caste simply chose to lay with anyone they wanted to if they were so desperate for that kind of pleasure and had no lovers to call on. It was the reason Lani lay with Narth so often, even though it was not always in her favor. So there may not be a stigma against the clothing the harlots wore, the elegant undergarments that had no practicality. Still, finding someone to create those things for her would be an interesting and hard task. It would be impossible at the moment. There had to be another way Lani could present herself to the man to show she was serious.

The mixed blood opted to remove the braids and beads from her hair. She had worn it bare and flat for most of their lustrous relationship, only recently had she decided to wear it like the Inarta. That was when she had discovered that Narth preferred her hair down, because it was easier for him to wind in his fingers and pull without worry of truly hurting her. It had been a comical affair the first time he had bedded her with her new hair and had gotten his ring stuck in the bead the Ruk had gifted her. She knew that if she had the chance to remove her hair decorations, it was a good idea.

Lani was just teasing her fingers through the last braid in her hair to let it loose when her door opened. It did not slam against the wall as it normally did under the power of Narth’s hunger, which perhaps garnered more of Lani’s attention than normal. Her head swung towards the man, and she had to squint at him to concentrate her auristics to read what strange emotion he was feeling now. The horny vibrations still radiated from his form, the dancing and swirling of movement seemed to accompany them. Was he angry with her?

[Lani Stranger]

Working the last braid out with one hand, she stood from where she sat facing her small mirror, only to be met with Narth nearly immediately. He was only slightly taller than her, but far older and more muscular and she always felt small compared to him, a rarity in this mountain. He kissed her deeply, and Lani found her hands brushing up his whiskered jaw and wrapping around his pale neck. She liked when he kissed her, although she knew it didn’t do as much to arouse him as somethings she was able to do, he always seemed to start the kisses, and Lani didn’t mind.

There was a chemistry there, and it pulled her concentration far away from the auristics she had been trying to focus on him. She didn’t need the magic to feel what he was feeling now as she tried to press herself closer to him, distracted fingers already working at the clasps on his Vinati. It was then that he stopped, pulled away from Lani, and she could not help the small whine that flew from her lips, yearning for his touch again. Narth grinned wickedly at him, and she realized that he was teasing her. He never teased her, she always teased him. Was this what it felt like?

Lani stuck her tongue out at him, and watched with excited glee as he removed his own Vinati, setting it carefully on the back of the chair she had been sitting in. Usually the man flung either of their clothes in various directions, only trying not to hit her fireplace if it was lit, so this action felt like a tease as well. Eager herself, Lani slipped out of her won Vinati, freeing her bare breasts, knowing they were enticing to Narth. She could feel his aura pick up in vibrations with the action, and she used it to her advantage, slipping closer to him and running her own hands through the hair on his chest. Very gently she wound her right hand in the tip of his long bear and gave a slight tug, pulling his chin down so she could kiss him again.

If she could capture him in a kiss he would be more willing to follow her to her bed, which was what she wanted from the man. In order to aid her efforts Lani woke the hypnotist magic once again. Her djed pool was more liquid this season, the more she practiced, the easier it was to lure the djed through her body and down the paths of particular magic to where it could be used. Most of her hypnotism was based off of suggestions she could give people to make her words more powerful, but the mage wondered if she could apply it without words. Lani concentrated on emitting an emotional response to the man she held, trying to spur him into following her to the bed, attempting to let the vibrating carnal desire of his aura take over for the strange lethargic swirling emotion that she did not understand. Her fingers were pressed against his skin, reading his aura without much concentration. The passive personal magic had little else to read, and so the information flowed through her finger tips, showing her the effects of her hypnotism.

The attempt to elicit and emotional response with only touch and not words seemed to work. The vibrations lurched and took off, nearly overpowering the strange twirling emotion, although she realized she could not get rid of it entirely. Narth seemed to feel the change that she had caused and could feel in his aura, and he wrapped his arms around her, walking her backwards towards the bed. Excited that she was finally getting what she wanted, Lani’s hands flew down to the brim of his Bryda and she began to try and work the cloth down past his hips so she could access the thing she really wanted.

[Lani Stranger]

Usually when they had finished they were out of breath and tired, and had only finished because one could not go any longer. That or it was a race to out quickly Lani could get Narth off so that they could return to their jobs. But whenever he visited her apartments, as he seemed to do more in this strange Winter, they could go on forever. Except this time they finished with Lani, and they weren’t out of breath. Well, Lani was. But Narth seemed fine, a little sweaty and glorious in his naked beauty, but not utterly exhausted as normal. Although Lani had vastly enjoyed it, she didn’t understand the odd and different sex than they normal took part in. Curious she turned over in her bed so that she could lay on her stomach while he lay on his back. They had not started a fire, and so the slight chill of the caverns seeped in, forcing them to cuddle beneath the blankets. Whatever afternoon sun might have shone through the mirrored vents in her ceiling had been covered by the storms leaving them in a comfortable darkness. She felt safe, and comfortable with this man who she had feared for so long.

She leaned on him slightly, pressing her nails into his skin and twirling her fingers around his chest hair, teasing his nipples when she could pulling a tickled smile from his lips until he grabbed her fingers and made her stop. She was really trying to concentrate on his aura using the senses in her finger tips. The strange lethargic dance and twirling aura had returned with a sever intensity that only seemed to be complimented by the carnal vibrations she had sought earlier. They were still there, small and persistent as always, but the vibrations in his aura blended well with this new twirling emotion that she had no name for. Now there was the lethargic waves of tiredness and content that joined the auristic frenzy she was trying to read, but she knew these wave. He was content, she had fulfilled him.

”What you feel?” She asked suddenly, and Narth opened his eyes to look at her. She was trying to figure out the third emotion that she didn’t understand but she didn’t want to tell Narth how she was sensing it. ”Right now.” She encouraged.

A strange popping aura suddenly entered her senses, and she realized it was nervousness. An anxiety about her question, and so she laid her head on his chest, pressing her cheek against it to hear his heart beating. Again it could have been perceived as comfort or tiredness from herself, but Lani was really trying to read the man better.

”I enjoyed this.” He said simply, and she could tell it was not the entire truth. However the words did confirm for her that the unkown emotion was not negative.

”Really?” She forgot she was pretending to be soft and emotional and lurched her head up to try and read his face in the dark. It zapped her concentration from her auristics and the magic leaped back to its passive mode that was harder for her to read and pay attention to. Narth laughed at her.

[Lani Stranger]

”Don’t be so shocked, I can enjoy it when it is for you too.” He chuckled at her in Narth, one hand reaching up to pet through her hair. ”You’re hard, but I’m figuring out what you like too.” He said more seriously now, and she felt his grip wind in her locks, sending a thrill of excitement through her. So he had noticed her putting her hair down for him. And she realized that she might had put her hair down for herself as well. Sex with men had always been particularly boring for Lani, they were simple and greedy, but Narth had a strange chemistry with her where she genuinely enjoyed the odd things he did, like tug her hair and fondle her breasts. The Endal had even learned some tactics with his hands which she knew did absolutely nothing for him, but he was still eager to perform on her anyway.

Her cheeks flooded with embarrassment as she realized what he meant. Whatever strange relationship they had been fostering in the past two seasons seemed to find some solidification in this moment. She wouldn’t still consider Narth a lover, but there was an emotional attachment that she could no longer deny. Was that what his strange emotion had been? Had he seen it before her? Lani laid her head back down on his chest, letting the short conversation drop as she focused back on his aura. With the new information from the conversation she could now read each writhing movement as a distinct emotion and she was suddenly overwhelmed by the sincerity of it. The mixed blood felt almost heartless because she could feel Narth’s emotions now, more distinctly than would be possible without her extra sense, and she knew that she did not mirror those emotions.

This relationship had been work on her part, and although she had warmed up to it, she was too many steps behind Narth. She hadn’t started sleeping with him because she was attracted to the man, but because she was scared to say no. He had made it so clear to her in the beginning that he refused to force himself on her, that neither of them realized there were other ways to apply pressure to the situation. The stark contrast in their caste was enough to spook the Chiet into compliance. Her need to turn the events into a power exchange for herself, so that she did not feel used after each event, was not shared with him. He had no idea she thought of most of their encounters as practice on the seduction and manipulation of men. But Lani was not immune to emotion herself, Narth was kind and although he had little to do with her outside of sex, was caring. Narth paid attention to her in a city where she felt utterly invisible while being on display the whole time. He had his flaws, boy did he have his flaws, but she could handle them, and so he had unknowingly grown on her.

She wasn’t in love with the man who lay in her bed, whose chest she craved to be pressed against. But she couldn’t deny the small part of her that liked his company for more than just their physical chemistry. She had an actual attachment to the city that hated her. Somehow, the thought utterly horrified her.

[Ssezzkero]

Socialization +2, Auristics +4, Seduction +4, Persuasion +2, Hypnotism +2, Acrobatics +1, Planning +1, Subterfuge +2, Intelligence +1, Interrogation +1, Wind Reach: Endal rations are better than Chiet rations, Auristics: A passive magic, Auristics: Detecting emotion, Seduction: Use auristics to read a person’s interest, Seduction: Unnoticeable touches in public, Persuasion: Using seduction as support, Persuasion: Using hypnotism as support, Hypnotism: Suggestion, Auristics: Requires skill to understand, Acrobatics: Round off, Seduction: Preparing one’s body for another, Narth: Likes to pull hair during sex, Auristics: Discovering unknown emotions, Narth: Can also tease you, Seduction: Kissing helps get others to bed, Hypnotism: Emotional Response, Using Hypnotism without words, Seduction: Getting what you want, Subterfuge: Using intimacy as a distraction, Intelligence: Trying to find out someone’s emotions, Intelligence: Using interrogation as support, Interrogation: Getting the information you want, Narth: Has feelings for you, Self: Has feelings for Narth, Fear: Emotional attachment