[ He makes it more and more difficult for her to restrain herself, but the unique nature of their relationship does better in keeping her conscientious of her actions. Not because he is the King of Dreams, but because he is the king of her dreams.
The cool teasing at her neck does draw shivers, and she's starved for more. Tipping her head to the side, she releases his hand and turns while gathering her long hair over one shoulder to reveal the zipper in the back. With her history, she doesn't care about removing anything else, but the sleeves and collar are already too stifling with how quick her breathing is. ]
[ she will feel him step in closer once she turns, a cool presence just inches away from pressing against her back, and he tilts his head forward enough to gently nose at the hair on the crown of her head while his fingers find the top of the zipper, his other hand settling lightly high on her waist. he pulls at the zipper, tugging it slowly down, and she'll feel his lips brushing at the nape of her neck as it gets exposed from her dress.
it feels like an entire age before the zipper is pulled completely down, an era between the soft kisses he presses onto the back of her neck. ]
[ Her neck has always been sensitive; she can still feel the echo of his lips in between kisses, where his breath tickles and draws another shiver.
That and the stretch of time he takes to undo her dress bring a sigh of anticipation as her shoulders draw back, and the zipper barely has a chance to reach the bottom before the bodice of the dress crumples at her waist to reveal a sleeveless button-up with a lower neckline. The dress is only held up by the lace sleeves at that point, and those require only a little wriggle and tug to be free. His delicate kisses have made her slow to turn, though she's intent to rid him of that coat. ]
[ the double-breasted coat he wears is only held closed by three buttons, which is easy enough for nimble fingers to find and unfasten. while she attends to it, he reaches out to cup the side of her neck that he was just kissing, his palm settling where it meets with her shoulder, and his thumb brushes against the column of her throat, skimming up under her jaw.
underneath he coat is a simple shirt, thin and long and soft against her fingers, seemingly out of place on a being like him. as she pushes the coat from his shoulders, it falls off behind him only when he draws his hand back from her neck so that it can drop, leaving his arms bared with the short sleeves of the shirt. with this alone, it's the most she's seen of him bared, his arms as thin and cool and pale as the rest of him. ]
[ It's strange to be chilled by such an intimate touch, which is a curiosity worth exploring further.
Once the coat is pushed from his shoulders, her hands skim down across his shoulders and down to his chest while her gaze follows. No suspenders, and just a pullover shirt. It isn't the sort of clothing she would expect, but there's really no poor thought about any of it beyond realizing this type of shirt isn't quite as easy to rip off.
Vanessa takes another step back with a little smile when again meeting his gaze. She'll tug at his shirt to pull him over so that she can turn him on the next step, intending to push him onto the bed with a gentle press of her fingertips against his chest. ]
[ his arms strain around her, hands brushing over her silken robe and fingers teasing at the sash holding it closed, almost mirroring the tugging that she does to his coat. after they find the knot of it and tug it free, he tugs it open, not off of her shoulders, but just enough for his arms to slide under it and around her naked waist. ]
[ Perhaps it's still the effects from the bath or the spell, but the chill feels more pronounced when he touches her skin, just as it did with the kiss. Everything still feels a bit more, physically and mentally, enough to sigh into after having only managed to tug his coat slightly off of one shoulder. ]
[ She is still very much melted against him for a long moment, fingertips tickling the nape of his neck. ]
The floor for all I care.
[ Which is not really a suggestion, but she does mean to imply how impatient she is before slowly backing up with a grip on his collar to keep him close. Lucky that there's very little to risk tripping her up between the kitchen and the bedroom, and the couch is hard to miss even going backward. ]
[ It isn't at all how Vanessa thought she would be starting a new year, but there's no telling if she would have been starting it at all in London. She had stopped planning ahead for herself once she accepted that her way of life couldn't allow it. Some of that had followed here, but not all of it. Despite the various traumas that the City has battered into her, in some ways her time here has been more stable than anything she ever knew in London. That has been due to her wealth in companionship, no doubt.
Most of all with someone who has no reason to care for any of these mortal holidays, yet has humored her fancies for Christmas and now the New Year's eve. It actually takes a bit of the pressure off, but she had still indulged in bringing something sweet—more for her own sake, that.
The wine she can vouch for, having tested another bottle already, but who is to know for certain with his palate? ]
Do you think we can trust the clocks?
[ She also uses her sense to determine the moon's placement, but...that can probably be altered by their captor, too. It's a fair concern, considering Halloween. ]
[ Having resisted standing to help when he entered (she's learning!), she remains on the edge of the bed with her legs crossed, almost feeling a touch of humor when reaching out to accept the glass. It passes quickly, but there is still a contentment she allows herself to enjoy even still.
She doesn't trust anything in this place, but she has learned to trust a few people. ]
Or something dreadful may happen at midnight if we kiss.
It isn't as if she's suffering, so she shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to answer, but now she knows how much sweeter it can be thanks to him. And he knows it.
With her breathing now struggling to keep steady and her body tensing, she strains to give him another glance as though indignant, even as her knees drift a bit further apart and she gives an encouraging tug of his sleeve. ]
You are— [ A squirm with a catch of her breath, and she can already hear her heart pounding even as she just manages to keep her composure. ] —the one meant to be making requests, beloved...and here you are...playing the wicked one.
[ No encouragement is needed, quickly slumping back against him with a half-hum half-moan while her eyes drift closed. She attempts a comeback, but there's nothing of substance to offer.
The coolness from his fingers is always sudden, even when expected, but she relishes the anticipation. ...She relishes the touch much more, of course. The physical attention is only matched by his term of endearment, which her body reacts to entirely by its own merit. ]
[ she'll feel his coolness elsewhere, the fingers of his free hand slipping beneath the lace of her top as well, seeking out her breast. his lips kiss along the column of her throat as his fingertips find her nipple, mimicking the rubbing motions against her clit before he lightly pinches it. ]
The state she is in feels both lazy and restless, but both states can agree on wanting him involved. Needing, more like. The pleasant conflict only urges her to lean down to move her kiss to his temple, then his cheek, and the corner of his mouth. Beneath the dark shirt that has bunched up over her arm, she rests her palm over his chest, where his heart would be.
Even though her tone has been playful, she hasn't forgotten her heightened emotions just before falling asleep the night before. It only urges her to want to be closer to him, to feel like the center of his world for at least a few minutes, and forget such fears as those that seem to forever plague her once she does 'gather her wits'. ]
I suppose it would be wise to test how well recovered you are.
[ he turns his head to return her kisses once she comes to his mouth, all the while his fingers slide up her thigh, tugging her nightgown higher with it until the fabric no longer separates them. ]
[ Again there's a quiet laugh, though it's cut short by another quick kiss to his lower lip. ]
I would not dare.
[ She can still remember her last twelve days of Christmas, and a fair number of them spent with him may as well have been a fever dream. Especially the nights.
She knows better than to challenge him in such matters. ]
I would only bid you love me good and well, but you always have.
[ the grip on her legs encourages her to rise, just enough for space between them, for him to rock his hips slightly and remove his pants. enough for her to feel him hard and ready for her. ]
[ It's over two hours before Vanessa does finally call to him, and that isn't because of the one hundred and thirty one steps taken down into the maze of catacombs. She had been intending to make him wait, as part of a game, but once down there, she had become preoccupied once more by the weight of the countless dead and lost track of time.
Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort.
So the sign had said, but that would never stop her. Desecration? Perhaps. But she knows that this is something of a copy, and even then she has no intention to go digging up bodies (yet). If anything, this place is like the strange validation she had been looking for back when she was digging up empty graves in the City.
One of the rooms has changed since her last visit, now appearing to be some sort of archaic throne room, though in a particular state of disrepair, and the architecture doesn't match the ossuaries. It appears Greek or Roman, and there's no sign of the dead in here. A world within a world within a world.
She's quite positive this space wasn't here before.
One of the arm rests has broken away, and she runs a fingertip along the sharp edges in consideration before disappearing back into the rest of the underground maze. A labyrinth of its own, though not nearly as dangerous as the last one entered.
When Vanessa unbuttons her bodice and clasps the pendant to call his name, it's a few turns away, in one of the darker corners of a different hall, but she is swift to race away just after. One can't help but be curious if he'll be called to the place first summoned, or if he will immediately track her to exactly where the pendant is. Either way, she's headed back for the throne room with a light step. ]
[ as she rounds the last corner to re-enter the new room, she'll feel fingers finding their way across her waist, holding there possessively while a deep voice whispers against the shell of her ear. ]
[ The surprised gasp is one of delight, with hands dropping to lightly rest against his while she catches her breath. She hums her approval at his swift find, tilting her head to better invite him close. With her bodice undone, Vanessa's neck is bared, and the pale skin of her collarbone is already flushed in her excitement. ]
A lady must take her pleasures where she can find them.
[ he takes advantage of her bared throat, his mouth drawing down lower from her ear to brush his lips against the skin there, his own cool tease to her warmth. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
{ so strange and beautiful how you gaze upon my bones
The cool teasing at her neck does draw shivers, and she's starved for more. Tipping her head to the side, she releases his hand and turns while gathering her long hair over one shoulder to reveal the zipper in the back. With her history, she doesn't care about removing anything else, but the sleeves and collar are already too stifling with how quick her breathing is. ]
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it feels like an entire age before the zipper is pulled completely down, an era between the soft kisses he presses onto the back of her neck. ]
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That and the stretch of time he takes to undo her dress bring a sigh of anticipation as her shoulders draw back, and the zipper barely has a chance to reach the bottom before the bodice of the dress crumples at her waist to reveal a sleeveless button-up with a lower neckline. The dress is only held up by the lace sleeves at that point, and those require only a little wriggle and tug to be free. His delicate kisses have made her slow to turn, though she's intent to rid him of that coat. ]
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underneath he coat is a simple shirt, thin and long and soft against her fingers, seemingly out of place on a being like him. as she pushes the coat from his shoulders, it falls off behind him only when he draws his hand back from her neck so that it can drop, leaving his arms bared with the short sleeves of the shirt. with this alone, it's the most she's seen of him bared, his arms as thin and cool and pale as the rest of him. ]
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Once the coat is pushed from his shoulders, her hands skim down across his shoulders and down to his chest while her gaze follows. No suspenders, and just a pullover shirt. It isn't the sort of clothing she would expect, but there's really no poor thought about any of it beyond realizing this type of shirt isn't quite as easy to rip off.
Vanessa takes another step back with a little smile when again meeting his gaze. She'll tug at his shirt to pull him over so that she can turn him on the next step, intending to push him onto the bed with a gentle press of her fingertips against his chest. ]
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Shall we to your bed, my love?
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The floor for all I care.
[ Which is not really a suggestion, but she does mean to imply how impatient she is before slowly backing up with a grip on his collar to keep him close. Lucky that there's very little to risk tripping her up between the kitchen and the bedroom, and the couch is hard to miss even going backward. ]
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{ new year's ~kiss~
Most of all with someone who has no reason to care for any of these mortal holidays, yet has humored her fancies for Christmas and now the New Year's eve. It actually takes a bit of the pressure off, but she had still indulged in bringing something sweet—more for her own sake, that.
The wine she can vouch for, having tested another bottle already, but who is to know for certain with his palate? ]
Do you think we can trust the clocks?
[ She also uses her sense to determine the moon's placement, but...that can probably be altered by their captor, too. It's a fair concern, considering Halloween. ]
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[ despite his words, they're said lightly as he comes back into the room, carrying the requested glasses for the wine she brought for them both. ]
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She doesn't trust anything in this place, but she has learned to trust a few people. ]
Or something dreadful may happen at midnight if we kiss.
[ Too late to worry about that now, really. ]
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[ glasses distributed, he then fetches the win she brought, opening it to pour her glass first. ]
As we have some privacy, I am hopeful for another outcome.
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It isn't as if she's suffering, so she shouldn't be in too much of a hurry to answer, but now she knows how much sweeter it can be thanks to him. And he knows it.
With her breathing now struggling to keep steady and her body tensing, she strains to give him another glance as though indignant, even as her knees drift a bit further apart and she gives an encouraging tug of his sleeve. ]
You are— [ A squirm with a catch of her breath, and she can already hear her heart pounding even as she just manages to keep her composure. ] —the one meant to be making requests, beloved...and here you are...playing the wicked one.
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[ he slips his fingers under the lace to tease against her clit, rubbing there deftly. his other hand encourages her to lean back against him. ]
This gift is also for you.
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The coolness from his fingers is always sudden, even when expected, but she relishes the anticipation. ...She relishes the touch much more, of course. The physical attention is only matched by his term of endearment, which her body reacts to entirely by its own merit. ]
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january { she walks in beauty, like the night / of cloudless climes and starry skies;
The state she is in feels both lazy and restless, but both states can agree on wanting him involved. Needing, more like. The pleasant conflict only urges her to lean down to move her kiss to his temple, then his cheek, and the corner of his mouth. Beneath the dark shirt that has bunched up over her arm, she rests her palm over his chest, where his heart would be.
Even though her tone has been playful, she hasn't forgotten her heightened emotions just before falling asleep the night before. It only urges her to want to be closer to him, to feel like the center of his world for at least a few minutes, and forget such fears as those that seem to forever plague her once she does 'gather her wits'. ]
I suppose it would be wise to test how well recovered you are.
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You would test me, lover mine?
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I would not dare.
[ She can still remember her last twelve days of Christmas, and a fair number of them spent with him may as well have been a fever dream. Especially the nights.
She knows better than to challenge him in such matters. ]
I would only bid you love me good and well, but you always have.
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[ the grip on her legs encourages her to rise, just enough for space between them, for him to rock his hips slightly and remove his pants. enough for her to feel him hard and ready for her. ]
Let us begin the day with ease.
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{ where does madness leave off and reality begin
Arrête! C'est ici l'empire de la Mort.
So the sign had said, but that would never stop her. Desecration? Perhaps. But she knows that this is something of a copy, and even then she has no intention to go digging up bodies (yet). If anything, this place is like the strange validation she had been looking for back when she was digging up empty graves in the City.
One of the rooms has changed since her last visit, now appearing to be some sort of archaic throne room, though in a particular state of disrepair, and the architecture doesn't match the ossuaries. It appears Greek or Roman, and there's no sign of the dead in here. A world within a world within a world.
She's quite positive this space wasn't here before.
One of the arm rests has broken away, and she runs a fingertip along the sharp edges in consideration before disappearing back into the rest of the underground maze. A labyrinth of its own, though not nearly as dangerous as the last one entered.
When Vanessa unbuttons her bodice and clasps the pendant to call his name, it's a few turns away, in one of the darker corners of a different hall, but she is swift to race away just after. One can't help but be curious if he'll be called to the place first summoned, or if he will immediately track her to exactly where the pendant is. Either way, she's headed back for the throne room with a light step. ]
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You tease, lover mine.
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A lady must take her pleasures where she can find them.
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A tease and now a slight? Do I not please you?
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