for Azazeal Mysra  

Athena was incredibly grateful for her past self in telling Azazeal that she wasn’t the most seasoned gift giver. As a matter of fact, the only material gifts she had received in her many years of life had only been in the past several since becoming friends with Jackson and being surrounded by his family for short bursts of time. She couldn’t remember a time in her younger years when gifts were exchanged - even at events like this, she was typically in for some monetary compensation, but nothing that contained great meaning.

She let out a sigh as she passed another stall of items. There were books, jewels, and art in droves, but nothing that spoke to her of the man she had been getting to know. Athena knew that he wouldn’t think less of her despite her poor abilities in regards to gifting, but she wanted to at least put in the effort. The elf had one gift already figured out - something she had actually managed to make - but had hoped to find something as an addition.

The elf chewed on her lip as she thought back to some of their first interactions, racking her brain for anything that might trigger an idea. They had engaged in plenty of conversation over the weeks - no, months - that they had known one another, surely something could come into her mind. She walked on, past more stalls and declining invites from people to try their product or purchase something for a friend. Athena stopped short at a wood carvers set up, his craft on display as he whittled away on a nearby stool. She gave him a quick greeting before picking up a few of them and turning them over in her hands.

A small laugh escaped past her lips at the sight of something she simply had to get for Azazeal. Was it thoughtful? She wasn’t certain, but it would hopefully elicit a similar reaction from him. After all, one of her favorite things about Azazeal was his infectious smile. “I’ll take this one.” She told the man, holding out a few coins for him. He looked at her with a quizzical expression before taking the money and thanking her for the purchase.

****

Athena felt like she had wandered for hours waiting for the sun to set and the bonfires to be lit. She and Azazeal had a loose plan of where to find one another, though she severely underestimated the size of the crowds. She was wearing a red loosely belted dress - different from her normal look - as she was used to putting in a bit more effort for Solstice, and felt better about herself and her nerves seeing Az again while looking more put together.

She found him easily once the crowds had settled into their respective groups and the joyous sounds of laughter floated up into the night sky. Despite the relationship that was forming between the pair, Athena was uncertain of how to greet him. Did they hug? Kiss? She was uncertain and was swiftly approaching the moment where she needed to make some sort of decision. “Azazeal.” She said by way of greeting, her hand on his shoulder as she leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Happy Solstice.” She added, a blush rising to her cheeks as she pulled away.

---

T

he colossal bonfires burned into the night; so high and bright that they outshone the stars above the clearing where it seemed nearly the whole of Giralda gathered. It was a joyful time of festivity and respite. A bringing of everyone together. The air buzzed with excitement as people prepared to drink and feast, dance and sing, laugh and share stories until the morning light.

Azazeal had arrived late in the afternoon, but earlier than the rest of their party, to secure their planned place on the outer edge of the field. Away from the road, away from the crowded center, and being near the treeline made it an easy enough spot to find without being able to communicate exactly where to meet.

He started and tended the fire. Appreciative of the mindless task to busy himself with for the remainder of the group’s separation that day. It also turned into a pleasant opportunity to reflect on the trip thus far. This Midsummer Solstice had proved to be a great deal more significant than Azazeal had imagined it would be. Coming back to Thisbē after so many years - more than half his life, in fact - had in itself been a mixed and meaningful experience. Much of it was new to him. And the parts that weren’t had almost been frozen in time; recognizable even from the most faded memories of his boyhood.

Azazeal had been grateful for Athena’s company in Farringor. Visiting his family’s small, dilapidated, abandoned farmhouse and his parents' graves had been a tremendously vulnerable thing to share with her. He trusted her, though, and was not sorry he did. Despite the painful stirrings of long-buried demons in his heart, Az was glad they had taken the time to go there and face them. He felt a deeper bond forming with Athena because of it. The way they could open up to each other from the very start had always struck him as remarkable. That instance had been no less so. He hoped it was not one-sided.

* * * *

After a while, Az was able to spend more time people-watching than building up the fire. He expected that if anyone was planning on joining them that night they would be arriving soon.

As soon as he caught sight of Athena he instantly forgot about whatever he had been doing. Transfixed as she made her way to him. (Him!) Az was so used to Athena’s more practical mode of dress that it never really occurred to him that she wore dresses at all. Seeing her attired so femininely had him newly mesmerized. And he wasn’t the only one to notice her.

The color suited her well. A stark but striking contrast against her pale skin and golden hair, and brought out the natural rosy tones of her cheeks and lips.

Azazeal’s pulse quickened at her approach. Like Athena, he was struck with a strange uncertainty of how they ought to greet one another. They had spent so little time apart until that afternoon that it was not a practiced thing between them. She opted to kiss his cheek. He felt overcautious about their touching while still learning the boundaries and cues of when her energy was dangerously overstimulated. Making every measure of physical contact, however great or small, something of a pleasant surprise.

“You look…” Enchanting. Ravishing. Exquisite. Divine. All words that came to mind when he tried to convey how stunningly beautiful she was. But what he ended up blurting out was: “Red.” By his tone and the expression he wore, there was no mistaking how genuinely complimentary the [underwhelming] adjective was meant to be. Azazeal let out an embarrassed laugh and bashfully covered his face when he realized what he had said. “I meant lovely.” ‘Lovely’ didn’t begin to cover it, really, but at least it was in the realm of what he was trying to say.

In an attempt to recover from his little blunder, maybe even manage to impress her, he kissed the top of her gloved hand and returned the holiday greeting in Elvish, “Nai lye hiruva airëa ceuranar, Athena.” It was one of the few phrases he knew by heart, and pretty much the only one he had practiced enough not to sound like he was completely butchering it.

He released her hand but held her gaze for several seconds before nodding his head to a spot by the fire. “Hungry?”

---

tag: Athena Rivinis
translation: "may your solstice days be joyful"

for Azazeal Mysra  

Having been mostly on her own since separating from Azazeal, she was grateful to be back in a familiar presence. Athena enjoyed her solitude more than others she knew, but the elf had gotten used to Azazeal, even if they were simply sleeping or comfortably quiet and pensive in one another's company. Something about his being and nature seemed to ground her in the times they spent together. It was much easier to be in one place and even be vulnerable at times - moreso than it had ever been before.

She could feel her blush deepen as she pulled away from their greeting, a smile gracing her lips as he attempted to find a word to describe her in the moment. It was probably the most put together she had looked since they first met - a long bath and an opportunity to make herself presentable (with some assistance) certainly went a long way it seemed. “Red.” She repeated with a laugh, echoing his own bashful chuckle. She took him in then, illuminated by the fire he had clearly worked on managing. “We both seem to clean up well. You’re looking handsome as ever.” She smiled, knowing full well the man could be caked with mud and still have a look that gave her feelings she was very much not used to.

Athena’s brows arched at his second greeting - impressed, but not surprised at his Elvish sentiments. “Ana tye ve ehtelë, melin.” She replied softly, adding the term of endearment without thinking much about it beforehand.

“Famished.” She told him, having not eaten most of the day, as the gift finding and festivities had her equally distracted since they had arrived. “How has your first day been? Have you roped someone into Elvish lessons or are you simply hiding your half blood skills from me?” She asked before sitting down in the spot Azazeal had set aside for them.

[Translation: "To you as well, dear"]

---

A

z made a thoughtful sound that was lilted with a short laugh. “I must do, as you’re not the first to say so today.” He led her over to where he had several foods and bottles of summer-spiced wines waiting for them - and anyone else that may be joining. All of which could easily be saved for the next night and the next, if they were to enjoy this or another evening entirely to themselves.

“I was in a shop earlier,” he began, expanding on the earlier comment about his appearance. “And, I was having trouble deciding on something, so I asked the young man near me for his opinion…” Az paused to work at a stubborn cork for a few seconds before resuming. “Ah, there it goes. Anyway, so, he sort of sized me up and then launched into this assessment of me and my motives for choosing this object. Gods, I wish I could remember exactly what he said to me… It was something like, ‘no offense, mate, but you don’t look like any pauper’ and just the way he said it, I honestly think he may have had me confused for landed gentry if not for the casualty of it all.” Az chuckled at the bizarre little interaction, unable to imagine himself looking respectable enough to be mistaken for a man with real money to burn. He shook his head. “Funny lad.”

As he unwrapped foods and started plates for them both, he was reminded of the little picnic they had scrounged together earlier in the month. They had been more-or-less trespassing in a Norian nobleman’s garden and ended up planning their present trip to Thisbē.

“Ah, no, no. That is the extent of my fluency, I’m afraid.” He laughed and went on to explain how Idrial had tirelessly made him learn it correctly after botching it and accidentally saying something very rude to an unfortunate number of people one year. He was mortified and subsequently had been afraid to even try picking up anything else.

“It…was a little strange being away from you, if I’m honest. But, otherwise, my day was a good one. I did what I set out to do, at any rate.” Az paused and smiled fondly at her. He was glad to be back in her company. “And you? Were you able to accomplish all you wished to?”

---

tag: Athena Rivinis

for Azazeal Mysra  

Athena relaxed a little more as their conversion continued, smiling at his easy laughter. “Have you been collecting compliments across Solstice today?” She asked in jest, enjoying teasing him, as she liked to see a bit of blush on his cheeks every now and again. The elf wouldn’t be the least bit surprised in his amassing comments on his looks now - or ever for that matter - as he was generally a handsome man, and even more so tonight somehow.

She followed him to their spread of food, impressed by his spread. If they were on their own it would take days to go through. That, or Athena would become a true lush and consume everything in sight. She grabbed two glasses as he worked on the bottle cork, listening intently to the story he was telling. Athena laughed lightly as he poured them each a glass. “You have that look about you today.” She looked him up and down, her smile widening. “Did his compliments on your wealth encourage you to purchase anything?” She found herself wondering if she had picked the right gifts, or if they were a match to where Azazeal seemed to be shopping.

“Maybe I can help you avoid any other unfortunate pronunciation errors.” She offered, taking a sip from her glass. Athena had taken a small role in trying to teach Jackson’s son conversational Elvish, so surely if she could be patient with a child, Azazeal wouldn’t be too much of a challenge.

Athena agreed with him. “You would think I would have become used to being solo, but all it took was being away from you for a few hours and I think I felt….lonely.” She settled on, thoughtful for a moment. It hadn’t been something she was expecting, but was present all the same. “I was wandering about today and got so lost in my thoughts that I turned to tell you something, expecting you to be there.” She admitted sheepishly, having done it more than once throughout the time they had been apart.

“Luckily no one mistook me as a rich heiress, so I was able to do most of my solstice Elf shopping in peace.” She joked, though Athena was grateful to be in a place that was celebrating history and tradition rather than ostracizing others for it. “I didn’t have much else planned. People watching has been quite entertaining, especially as the day wore on. People coupling off, some exchanging gifts, you know - it's nice to see.” She nudged him. “Have you run into anyone else today?”

---

A

zazeal chuckled abashedly and shook his head. “Only the two,” he promised, not minding that she was teasing him. His cheeks still reddened a little, as he was powerless to her every tease and flirtation. In this case, he was particularly flattered that Athena felt compelled to both say and further imply she was enjoying looking at him. That he had a masculine beauty she found appealing. Az joked, “Not bad for just puting on a clean shirt.”

In truth, his clothes were all new and freshly laundered for the occasion. Comfortable, casual, and light, but even he had to admit that they seemed to elevate his usual rugged appearance to something a little more dapper - even with his vest unfastened and sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

He nodded when she asked if he ended up buying anything after talking to the young man. “I did… His opinion was strange but ultimately helpful.”

Azazeal’s grin widened but his expression became a little apprehesive when Athena suggested she could help improve his meager Elvish. He was not opposed, exactly. In fact, he was quite certain there was almost nothing he would not do for Athena, including humiliating himself by actively butchering a language of her people. He sucked in an audible lungful of air. “Perhaps… On the condition that you swear not to trick me. I do not think I could take the shame of such a blunder again.” He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, then sipped the spicy-sweet wine.

His heart simultaneously ached and melted at Athena’s description of missing him through the day and feeling a little lonely without him. Az had experienced the same impulse to turn and say something to her, only to remember they were off on their own for the day. He reached for her free hand, gently grasping it in a way meant to offer a small comfort. “It was the same for me,” Az admitted softly. He smiled again for the millionth time, though this time it was something tentative and a little vulnerable. “I am glad we only needed to be parted a short time.” He was dreading when their separation would eventually and inevitably span weeks or worse.

After a moment he let go of her hand and reached for his bag. “I’m afraid that was the extent of my noteworthy run-ins today. Although, I thought I might have seen Jackson at one point. Did you run into anyone today?”

From his bag he withdrew three items. One was enclosed in a somewhat elongated box. The other two - one small, soft and flat, one larger and somewhat lumpy - were bundled into neat bundles wrapped in pretty fabrics. “Speaking of exchanging gifts…”

---

tag: Athena Rivinis
sexy little number: outfit (sfw lol)

for Azazeal Mysra  

Athena couldn’t help but smile at his comment about a clean shirt, thinking his kind and handsome face may have also had something to do with his compliments. It certainly had with the ones she was giving him. “I’m glad he provided more than just hearts in his eyes.” She joked, batting her own lashes in his direction, teasing. She was nervous about whatever it was he had purchased if it was going to be gifted to her. The elf had already been stressed about picking something out for him, but hadn’t thought about being on the receiving end.

“Oh please, I would never trick you!” She feigned hurt feelings, as if she could ever do such a thing. Athena definitely was capable of some trickery, but not towards Azazeal. “Let’s start easy, just repeat after me.” She paused, drawing an x with her finger over her chest. “Athrad-nin emel.” She said, repeating it once more a bit slower. “Maybe I can write out some helpful phrases for when we part again - though in that case you would have to promise not to comment on my penmanship.” She may have been alive much longer than Azazeal, but that didn’t seem to help her writing skills much at all.

She immediately missed the warmth of his hand, but was distracted by his mention of her friend. “I hope he was still standing upright.” She joked, though it was at events like these - especially when he wasn’t working - that the man tended to let loose. “I don’t think I saw anyone I recognized.” She briefly thought she had spotted Isla, but didn’t want to potentially ruin her reunion with Azazeal with mention of his sister.

Athena took another sip from her glass and watched as he pulled a few things from his pack, wondering absently if he had wrapped the gifts himself. The elf went back to her own items - a bag that definitely did not match her attire this evening - and produced two small items. One was wrapped with fabric and a bow, the other in a small wooden box. She held each in a hand as she returned to him. “Speaking of gifts, I hope you don’t think these are silly.” Athena blushed.

[Translation: "Cross my heart"]

E

lvish lessons with Athena started right away. Az trusted her when she said she would not prank him into saying something he did not mean to. And, as promised, the first phrase was fairly simple. The words flowed easily enough with no complex throaty sounds or rolling of the tongue. The context-giving gesture was the main challenge. The movement of her finger drawing an invisible x drew his eyes to her chest and briefly caused a halting of his mind’s ability to process information. Az blinked and forced himself to focus on the way her mouth moved when she repeated the phrase so that he might catch it that time. He tried not to blush, feeling foolish and adolescent and a little disrespectful. It took Az about three and a half stumbled attempts to repeat the phrase moderately well.

“I would like that,” he said of her offer to write things down. Having something Athena wrote would be nice when they eventually parted for a longer term anyway. As yet, they had no letters between them, and although it would be educational material, it would be something of hers he could cherish. And, of course, the gifts they were about to exchange. “Can’t be any worse than my chicken scratch,” he replied with a lilt of laughter, “a blind chicken, at that.”

He made a thoughtful sound at her comment about Jackson. “Hm, come to think of it, he was still upright. Must not have been him.” Az gave a cheeky little half-smile. He thought back to the evening he had helped Athena carry a very drunk and sleepy Jackson back to wherever he had been staying. It had only been the second time they met and turned out to be a very memorable evening - tucking Jackson in being the least of it. Or, at least, it had been memorable to Azazeal. The instant connection he thought he had sensed when they first became acquainted but did not have time enough to explore became clearer that night. The way they so easily drew each other into deep conversations with care and acceptance had struck him as rather meaningful. Special. Something rare.

“Here,” Az said, offering the smaller of his gifts to her first. “It’s sort of for both of us.”

TAG:     Athena Rivinis

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for Azazeal Mysra  

The repetition of her elven words on Azazeals tongue gave Athena a swell of pride. Not only for his attempts at learning, but for herself being able to teach him. It wasn’t often that she felt any sort of loyalty or camaraderie to other elven folks, but in times like these - Solstice especially - she was in a better place with where she had come from. “I think you’ll be a quick study.” She told him with a warm smile, picking up on an edge of nervousness from him. Whether it was from the learning, their current proximity, or something entirely different, she didn’t know.

“A blind chicken!” She laughed, covering her mouth with a hand at her reaction. “Is legible writing not a requirement for your employer?” She joked, having a hard time staying away from the fact that he was a Judicar and wanting to be in her presence. At times she felt herself wonder if he would still like her if he knew certain things she had been a part of, though tried to vanquish those thoughts as soon as they slipped into her mind.

Athena’s face softened at Azazeal’s little smile, his words reminding her of the night they had gotten to know one another as well. That whole span of several days had been a turning point in some ways for the elf, but learning about Az that evening had proved to be the most important piece. Athena blushed as she remembered their vulnerability with one another, something that had continued to deepen over time.

“Oh? For both of us?” She asked, arching a brow as she thanked him and took the gift from his hands. She held it up to the side of her face and shook it once, joking around as if she could guess what it was. Athena glanced up at him again before taking a moment to unwrap it, first the outer fabric and then a protective interior layer as well.

She looked down at what was in her hands, pausing for a moment as she ran her fingers over the most delicate leather gloves she had ever seen. It seemed they were light enough for comfortable wear, but not so that they were already falling apart. Athena was silent as she studied them, turning the fabric over to notice the monograms at the wrists of both pairs. She could practically hear her heart swell as she continued looking at the gloves, not daring a look back towards Azazeal as she was certain it would explode entirely.

After another moment passed, Athena let out a breath and slipped the gloves over her hands. “Thank you. I’ve never received something so thoughtful.” She said, finally drawing her attention back up to Azazeal. “Ni mel tye - tien.” She whispered before leaning in to give Azazeal a quick kiss. Athena lingered there for a moment before pulling away with a light blush on her cheeks. “I feel like your gifts will pale in comparison.” She admitted, handing him a small wrapped item.

A

zazeal was pleasantly surprised by the burst of laughter his little joke had elicited from Athena. The effect of her mirth had transformed his lilted tone into prolonged chuckling. His smile broadened into its fullest toothy width and his eyes crinkled at the corners. “Reading is the more valued skill, I'd say,” he answered, only just managing to suppress a lingering giggle, “Though, I have no doubt they keep a few hens employed to translate hands like mine, just in case.”

His grin faded into something more subtle as she shook the gift. Azure eyes carefully observed every small change in her features as she studied the pairs of matching gloves. In the ensuing silence, Azazeal’s nerves began to fray; unsure of the meanings behind her expressions. A rambling apology threatened to spill forth. Some sort of take-back to downplay the significance of the gift. How it was merely the silly kind of romantic gesture she could expect from him. She could resell them for all he cared.

Then, the moment she spoke, that swell of dread melted into relief. Azazeal was glad for the low sun, that the reddening in his face might just be mistaken for the warm firelight glow. He adored her for saying the gift was so thoughtful, believing her to a point. Surely it was not the most. He could not bear to imagine her being so under-cherished as that over centuries.

Azazeal’s eyes closed when she leaned in. The whispered words and gentle press of her kiss against his cheek had him buzzing (again). Az willed each little sensation - the scent of her; the way her voice in his ear like that reduced every muscle in his body to jelly; the warmth and softness of her lips on his skin; how he felt an impossible magnetism in the air between their bodies whenever they were that close - to burn into his memory. Not wanting to forget these kinds of moments or take for granted the time they had together.

Again, he felt the pang of missing her before they were even gone from each other.

Belatedly, Azazeal reopened his eyes, only meekly able to meet her gaze. He wondered if Athena could see the effect those simple actions, in the span of a mere few seconds, had on him. How utterly weak he was for her. ‘Is it the same for you?’ Az thought, hoping to the gods what he felt could someday be requited by Athena.

“Ni… tel? mye? t-tien?” The Judicar attempted to repeat the phrase and fully expected to be corrected. For all his concentration before, Az was unsure he really caught the words themselves. “What does that mean?”

Athena’s concern about the comparative quality of her gifts for him garnered a mixed look. His expression was somehow both skeptical and sympathetic. “I cannot see how.” Az shrugged, gently taking the proffered gift. Of course, he knew exactly how she felt and was spiraling only moments earlier. It was only meant to be the gesture that counted but it seem she wanted just as badly to do well in this. “No pressure or expectations, remember?” he added to remind her (and himself) of the terms they had laid out when they decided to exchange gifts in the first place. And conveniently neglected to mention what a hypocrite he had been on that front... “Besides,” Az went on, a flirtatious little smile curving his mouth, “I am easy to please. Two kisses on the cheek? The right side is admittedly jealous but you have absolutely spoiled me.”

He offered a reassuring smile, then turned his attention to the small package. Azazeal had spent enough time with Idrial to recognize a liniment when he saw one. Although, it was impossible to know its exact purpose. He opened the jar, brought it to his nose, and made a little sound of approval. Idrial, often to his chagrin, was unconcerned with pleasant scents or palatable flavors unless an ingredient was particularly potent. Athena seemed to take more care in that aspect. Az found the emollient balm had a gentle herby fragrance to it. “That’s nice,” he told her with a thoughtful nod. “How should I use it?”

TAG:     Athena Rivinis

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for Azazeal Mysra  

Athena glanced down at her newly glove-clad fingers again, her heart doing a swoopy motion as Azazeal repeated the phrase back to her. It was endearing that he was trying with the language, despite her not having any expectations of him to learn - least of all for her sake. “Ni mel tien.” She repeated slowly, nodding as he did the same. “It means I love them.” She gave him another smile, pausing to reach over and hand him a gift. The elf was reassured by his reminder of no expectations for the Solstice exchange, but she still felt a certain way about comparing her ideas to his.

“No pressure, of course.” She repeated, a blush rising to her cheeks as he spoke. “Two is being spoiled?” She asked, her own coy smile mirroring his. “Perhaps I should have just gone with physical affection for gifts and then I wouldn’t have been so nervous.” She joked, having been a bit shy with romantic gestures overall throughout her life. It wasn’t her style to show much affection at all, which is why the majority of relationships she had were short lived and deemed unrequited from the other person. Even Jackson had concerns at times.

Athena watched carefully as Azazeal unwrapped the first gift, her bottom lip pulled between her teeth as she observed him. That’s nice. She wondered if he was just saying that to be nice. She didn’t have a particular penchant for making salves and the like, but figured it could be some semblance of a reminder of her - not to mention helpful - if he were to get into a scuffle. “It’s helpful to promote quicker healing” she paused “and less of a chance of scarring.” Athena added with a deepening blush to her cheeks.

She was irritated with herself for not thinking of more meaningful, or perhaps useful, things to gift him for the occasion. Athena had spent a lot of time trying to plan what she was going to do and what might make the most sense, but her ideas had mostly seemed too juvenile or far too unattached.

U

pon hearing the Elvish words translated, his lips pursed into something of a subdued smirk. Az thought she was probably exaggerating her sentiment about the gloves but decided to let it go to his head a little anyway. “Ni mel tien,” he repeated more confidently; a dutiful little student.

Azazeal’s expression became more coy and abashed at her joking. He shrugged, having no argument. Nor did he wish to deny it. “Now you know.” He really was that easy to please. Athena’s every little attention was meaningful to him. By his count, she was high above him. A goddess. One that was very nearly turning him into a heretic, at that. If she would not think him completely mad, he might quite literally have worshipped the ground she walked on by now.

Athena explained the purpose of the balm and Az thanked her with genuine gratitude. Although he did not always give them, Azazeal had a great fondness for practical gifts. As a person who traveled often and rarely had a place to return to where things might be stored long-term, everything he owned was typically with him. Nearly everything needed to be functional or consumable. He would put the balm to good use, of that he was sure, and told her as much. “And I will likely need it replenished before the week is out,” he joked.

“How do I say, ‘I love it’ in Elvish?”

After taking a short pull from his goblet, Az reached for the remaining packages. Prefacing, as he set them before Athena, “These are more of a shot in the dark. And, incidentally, what that young man advised me to get. They also come with something of a, well, a cheeky request…”

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for Azazeal Mysra  

“That's nearly perfect.” Athena nodded at his repetition, smiling at his continued attempts at the language. She was impressed that he wanted to learn in general, but even more so at his thoughtful gifts. The more time she spent with the man, the more she was getting to know what type of person he was. It was nice to have others prove her wrong every once in a century - Athena had never met anyone like Azazeal before.

She was glad for their ease of conversation and interaction with one another, especially when it seemed to be such an intimate moment. Exchanging gifts was not something she had done with a lot of people - and not in a very long time - but Azazeal was already a master at putting her at ease. “Oh Goddess.” The elf let out a small groan at his joke, glancing down to the salve before focusing on him. “It’s almost the same. Ni mel sa.”

Athena cleared her throat as she he offered her the two other packages. All of the love speak was bouncing around her head and causing her to spiral. Ni mel tien and Ni mel sa were only a syllable from what she had almost spoken earlier.

Happy for the change in subject, Athena picked up the first wrapped gift. She pulled back the fabric to reveal a leather bag meant to be worn around the leg. Of course she had seen similar items before, but had never gotten herself something so well made and functional. “Wow, this is wonderful.” She turned it over to briefly look at the craftsmanship before moving on to the smaller package. Athena gave Azazeal a questioning look as she pulled out the small dagger, testing its weight in her hand. “So what is this ‘cheeky’ request of yours?” She asked him, putting the dagger in its sheath for safe keeping. “My mind could go some odd places between these two things.”

A

thena’s kind praise had Azazeal beaming and feeling a little swell of pride. Although he again felt sure she was overstating his progress, Az was appreciative of her encouragement and continued to enjoy the kudos. “Ni mel sa.” He lifted the jar in a sort of ‘cheers’ motion, then went on to dab some balm on a spot at the corner of his jaw where he had nicked himself shaving.

He observed her with curious interest as she unwrapped the remaining gifts and inspected their quality. The dagger was nothing special. More of a placeholder to complete the sheath on the belt than a gift in itself. In his opinion, though, a spare expendable dagger was never a bad thing.

She appeared to like the set and Az felt a strange relief about it. It seemed the young man he’d met had a good sense for these things after all. Should they ever meet again, Az would owe him a drink at the least. “I’m pleased you think so.”

Red was creeping on to his skin in slow degrees and then all at once when it came time to deliver his request. His smile was hesitant and it was clear he was trying to think how best to word his answer. “I would like– if I may– if you would not be uncomfortable, of course–” Az let out a scoff of laughter at his fumbling, abashed and annoyed by his lack of confidence. “Gods, I hope you will not think me wicked…” He laughed a little again, then cleared his throat before trying again. “I wonder if you would allow me the honor, sometime, not now, ehm, to, uh… fasten it for you.”

TAG:     Athena Rivinis

[googlefont=UnifrakturMaguntia]

for Azazeal Mysra  

The elf had been nervous about meeting up with Azazeal again after some time apart, her stress getting the best of her at times she was alone. She was, however, so at ease with him that in itself, that was almost concerning for her. It had been a long time since she was able to be so relaxed with anyone, let alone a man who she was developing a romantic relationship with - if the kissing was any indication.

She watched as he used the salve, her eyes having roamed over his features several times that evening and not noticing the small wound. Athena wanted to reach out and touch his face herself, but instead followed his lead, draining her glass of its contents before setting it aside. She watched with curiosity incredibly piqued as Azazeal stumbled through his words. She caught on to where he was going with his request before he managed to get there himself, her smile widening as he spoke. “Not now?” She asked, brow raised in a challenge. Athena certainly wasn’t dressed in a way that would lend itself to strapping the bag to her body, but who was to say she couldn’t wear it with a dress for a moment?

“That was a very polite way to be wicked, Azazeal.” She told him, believing him to be the only person in history to ask to touch a woman in such a way. She took a moment to refill her cup, asking the universe for some liquid courage before letting Azazeal touch her legs and waist in an innocent, but intimate, gesture. Athena took a long sip before addressing him again. “Why don’t you open that and then you can help me try it on?” She suggested, nodding towards her final gift to him, offering the man a moment of recovery.