[His flinch is amusing to watch and perhaps a little bit delicious given she enjoys the way his muscles ripple beneath his skin, and it's a bonus that he doesn't feel or look too annoyed by it.]
And believe you mean impatient. [Because that's exactly what she's being and there's no need to pretend otherwise. Settling back n the edge of the tub, the lioness watches him continue to uncork the bottle, then to pour the first taste. Decorum would usually dictate her, his guest, as confirming the wine as approved, which is why her eyebrows lift in silent judgment as he takes the sip for himself.
Any complain she had bubbling up in her throat is silenced by his kiss, of which she languidly takes full advantage. To verify the quality of the wine, of course. Perhaps maybe to make certain he hasn't gone to vinegar either. It's strange that he hasn't. She would have thought the lack of pants removal at her request would have soured him. He's lucky he's beautiful even with his pants lingering.
Alright. Enough about the pants. She hums a soft curious noise when she feels her hair loosening, a bit of a smile slipping free against his lips even before he parts, eyes fluttering back open to peer at him through her lashes, momentarily contented. Her fingers brush against his as she takes it into her possession, gaze once again following him.] Only if it's paired similarly each sip.
[Settling back into the water to better her vantage, she waits expectantly for what appears to be a grand reveal for his wee Ozy, eyebrow lifting expectantly as an amused smirk otherwise brightens her features.]
I suppose we shall have to see what I can provide.
[There are perhaps an endless number of ways in which Ozymandias could keep this going. It would not be the first time he was mildly difficult, frustrating Sheva in all the right ways, and it would certainly not be the last. But that isn't the intention or the goal with tonight, and so he seeks no creative ways to deny her. Ozymandias pulls them down at a slightly slower pace at first, blatantly leaning into that false belief that she is being even a smidge indecisive and fully prepared to stop should she say the word. He even challenges her a little to say it with that curve to his lips. But they both know that word won't come, and it's not a matter of a battle of wills tonight. It's something else.]
[And that's why it doesn't last like that for long and that window for asking him to stop is closed quickly. His pants are subsequently pulled off without further delay and rather than denying her again by neatly folding them or placing them on a hanger, Ozymandias merely steps out of them and leaves them there on the floor.]
How about now? [Ozymandias asks as he rounds back to the steps, placing himself back within her reach by kneeling and folding his forearms on the edge of the tub. It's not a tease this time as he dips his fingertips into the water, drawing lazy circles along the surface. Ozymandias seeks to indulge her now, but only in whatever way might please her the most just as he promised from the beginning.] Do I have your permission to join you? Or is there something still not yet to your liking that you would find to be an unwanted compromise in your indulgences?
Oh? Have you been holding back on me dear Ozymandias?
[He's the king of many things, and he's especially the king of driving Sheva to her wit's end by being the most difficult creature she's known and yet wants to continue knowing. It's a frustrating pairing and he seems to revel in it. Most times, she enjoys the banter and he merely pushes her tolerance to just about the cliff's edge, that dangerous thinning point, but other times she suspects he enjoys when she pushes back a little more than usual too.
It's a dangerous game sometimes, and her eyes narrow slightly as he starts of teasingly slow. In the end, she's glad he doesn't walk that road tonight, given the theme is supposed to be relaxation. There's no chance, not even the slightest, that she's going to ask him to cease, and her expression keenly counters against that challenge. It's subtle for some, but obvious for the king.
For a moment after their removal, she hums softly as though considering his question very seriously as her eyes follow him, more specifically, his virility.]
This is a little better.
[Her gaze lifts slowly, and despite the sassy adjective, she's clearly pleased as she shifts closer to the edge. There's a momentary debate on whether she should continue the exchange and teasing with him so close, but she instead offers him her free hand as he'd done with her earlier, raising out of the water to stand in this moment. It's unnecessary support, but a gesture with quiet intent and appreciation for all of this, frustration included.] The king has my permission.
[Ozymandias watches her as she rises out of the water, following her form only with his eyes. The golden undertones of her tawny skin reflects back the warm glow of the candlelight she's bathed in as she emerges from the water. Rivulets slide down her skin, tracing over curves and stray marks from a life filled with hardships until the droplets either return to their source or find their way in fur darkened by its earlier submersion in scented water. It is a stray thought, one that comes and rather than leaving dissipates to allow for the vision of her to remain prominent, but he thinks she appears to him now truly as a goddess.]
[He lingers after she offers her hand and permission to him, simply looking at her for a moment or two without saying anything or having anything disrupt his view of her. But only for that moment or two. He's not so caught up in the vision that he's forgotten the moment entirely. He reaches for her hand, rising to his feet and stepping into the tub without making any use of her for leverage or support. He does, however, use that hand to turn her towards himself. Ozymandias' free hand trails over damp fur and skin to rest at her waist and draws her a little closer.]
[The intensity of his gaze took on a different note than the usual heat and spice that radiates through both their connection and his openly expressive nature, and while the banter had been an enjoyable distraction, it’s the reverence and warmth she feels that hits her. She swallows, there’s a flicker of uncertainty, but she doesn’t shy away from him or his appraisal. Months ago this level of scrutiny, even steeped in pleasure, would have made her deeply uncomfortable. They were her issues to bear and not at all his responsibility, and yet he’s done nothing but support and lift her up even when she stubbornly dug in her heels about it.
It’s all hitting her now in the wake of this grand, opulent gesture, the sheer amount of kindness he’s doted upon her and how much she’s grown in the brightness of his tenacity, allowing her the breathing room and energy to slowly climb out of her darknesses and press forward. And she’s finding she appreciates every facet she’s come to know of this man. He’s been a good friend, a strong Bond, and one hell of a lover.
A warm smile feels insufficient to the reverence in his gaze, but it’s her response, twined in through her smirk that teeters delicately towards something more suggestive as he joins her in the bath. The sound of a soft, purring sigh follows the touch, even without him adding magic to it. Her own hands gravitate to his skin, careful of her claws. One along his neck and up his jaw while the other slightly mirrors his, keeping him close at his hip.]
I know. [Just like he knows his beauty, but with her physical changes? This admission is a milestone in itself.] Thank you.
[It's perhaps the most sincere he's ever heard her speak of herself. Not their usual back-and-forth where she provides little reminders to him of what a blessing she is as a way of playfully subverting praise from him to herself, but a genuine acknowledgment of herself. Similarly, he offers no witty retort to that spoken word of gratitude. The contentment he feels through the Bond, her willingness to set aside whatever doubts or insecurities that may yet still linger in her head about herself, about the Bond, about whatever... He would rather see that preserved and allow her to bask in it.]
[Ozymandias turns his head as she traces his jaw with her fingertips, smiling into her palm before taking her hand into his and placing a chaste kiss to the inside of her wrist as he intertwines his fingers with hers. His gaze travels to the pendent and he subsequently lowers his lips to kiss the center of her chest just above it, nuzzling just beneath her jaw before placing another kiss there. Much like his earlier touches, there is no desire that motivates them. They are kisses merely for the sake of kissing her.]
[He's the first to pull away, lowering and settling himself more properly in the bath. But he does not let go of her hand, allowing their grip on one another to adjust with the angle even as he gives her a small pull to join him and rest against him.]
[It’s a shame he didn’t know her before, not in her prior natural confidence, before all the monster business and honestly before Kijuju left her with fresh wounds on top of deeper scars, her confidence hard won and easy. Since then it’s been constant adjustment and what felt like a perpetual and internal uphill battle. Finally, she’s able to accept herself beyond what she imagined possible.
She desires to close the distance between them further, to capture his lips in hers again and walk a deliciously familiar path, but she abstains from that urge, recognizing his desire to continue this doting. And, while she might want to fall into the comfortable realm of physicality, she discovers it difficult to find complaint with the care and tenderness that his lips provide to her skin. Moving only to accommodate him, to provide more space for him to work his magic, she finds herself sighing ever so softly in disappointment when the heat of him departs.
It’s momentary, and while there’s a moment of debate as to whether or not a more spirited method of submerging herself would be Too Much, in the end, the lioness decides to smoothly lower herself into the water. Sheva joins him by settling between his thighs so that her back rests mostly against his chest, turned just enough so that she can bump her forehead on the underside of his jaw before pressing her own lips there.]
[With Sheva settled in front of him, it's only one last slight readjustment to his hold on her hand as drapes an arm over one of her shoulders to loop it around her and then he is content to hold her hand loosely. As she nudges at his jaw with her forehead, he tips his head slightly to give her the space to place her kiss there. His thumb strokes the back of her hand in gentle, idle strokes as they settle into quiet with one another.]
[Despite the usual noise and volume that always comes with being around Ozymandias, he's not actually particularly averse to quiet. Silence, sure, as there has never been a time in his life where silence was anything but uncomfortable. But quiet has never been the sort of thing that would irritate him and so, he feels no particular urge to speak again so soon. He's not even certain he could even think of anything worth disrupting the quiet to say if he was willing to put in the effort.]
[This was, in some ways, the point of all this, anyway. To give Sheva a much-needed reprieve from everything and indulge in both luxury and free herself for a time from her sense of responsibility and duty. And so, he's fine with listening to the quiet sounds of the water with any of her movements, the soft parting of her lips from his skin, and the occasional drifting sound of her breathing. Her weight against him is comfortable and he's satisfied with her hand in his. There doesn't need to be anything more right now until she decides she'd like to be pampered in other ways than a quiet soak.]
[There's no complaint or hesitation as he continues to hold her hand, she even moves to thread her fingers with his as her lips trail slowly and pointedly along his jaw and partway down along his neck, as though that would mask the deepening of the hand holding.
Hearing him quiet while waking is a rare treat, one she often chose to ruin with trying to drag pleased noises from him instead, but today she's content to the silence for these moments, enjoying the pleasant scents mixing with the heat of the water and of course the feel of him against her, around her even. It feels dangerously raw, a rare allowance of non-sexual vulnerability of herself, and perhaps that's why she continues to nuzzle into the crook of his neck rather than speak, occasionally dragging her lips along the damp skin there. Not to start anything more, but to taste him and so that his scent can mix strongly with the aromatics surrounding them.
It's actually her stomach that breaks the silence first, a pointed rumbling that reminds her that there are snacks besides the both of them. So, she speaks, voice low and accent thicker than usual. Lazy and contented.]
[Ozymandias hums quietly in response at first. He's not reluctant to respond and begin treating her to the food he's prepared and laid out for her, but smiling quietly is about all he can do to keep from laughing at that pointed rumble of her stomach. He licks his lips after a moment after he manages to avoid disturbing her from that more languid state of being, making absolutely certain there isn't going to be too much amusement in his voice when he speaks.]
What would you like to start with?
[He'll wait to make any move towards the food until she's decided what she would like to have. Why disturb her with any sort of movement prematurely?]
[Way to mock her for having a bodily function and basic needs like food and water. She doesn't need to hear the amusement in his voice to know he's feeling it, and she's tempted to answer with a sassy love bite rather than words. Instead, she huffs softly in playful disapproval. She's allowed to be hungry.]
Since I'm assuming you're off the menu... [He just continues to disappoint, doesn't he?] The meats and cheeses.
[Absently, her free hand moves to trace lazy shapes over his thigh, using the pad of her finger for now.]
[As can likely be anticipated, Ozymandias plays innocent and as though he has no idea where that mock-disapproval is coming from. She must be thinking of something else for some reason or another because he's clearly doing an excellent job in pampering her and attending to her every need. Ozymandias turns his head slightly to press a kiss to the top of her head though as if to quiet her back down before he reaches for the requested food with as minimal disruption to her as possible. With his free hand, he wraps some of the meat around the cheese before bringing offering it to her.]
[And just as she asked, Ozymandias offers it to her so that she might directly eat it from his hand rather than passing it along to her to feed herself.]
[She may have requested him to feed her, but there's a moment of surprise when he obliges without so much as a tease or taunt, for which she eyes him a bit curiously and also a bit victoriously as she takes the offered treat from him. Her lips brush against his fingers despite it being entirely unnecessary to glean the snack into her mouth, which she savors as she chews, a soft noise of approval joining shortly thereafter. There's another something, something warmer and more appreciative amidst the scrutiny and quiet gloating.]
You spared no expense, it seems.
[Her hand splays on his thigh and she gives it a slight squeeze of thanks before returning to her languid tracing with her fingertips.]
[Ozymandias withdraws his hand as she takes the snack from him, brushing her lips against his fingertips in the process, but makes no motion to collect more for her. Instead, he allows her that moment to savor it, appreciating the quality and flavor of what he has presented to her.]
Our cheesemaking is perhaps not as renowned as our breadmaking, but for as long as there has been an Egypt, my people made cheese, [he says, answering her question and moving to gather another roll of meat and cheese for her and offering it to her.] It was something you would consider to be a luxury though in my era.
[As far as its consumption was concerned in any case.]
It is my understanding that this is not the case in many places within the modern era and it is considered quite commonplace for cheese to accompany a dish or eat on its own. [He hums thoughtfully, head tipping slightly.] It is quite odd how the modern era has evolved in that sense. Those of lower birth have a greater variety of foods that they might indulge in that they would perhaps even scoff at the choices I had in life and declare them tedious. And yet there are so many that go to bed each night without food in their bellies.
It is difficult to fathom how both of these things can be true.
[Particularly when during his lifetime, no one was concerned about starvation. Even with Moses' God threatening their fields and livestock in such a way that it required rationing what was in their storehouses, Egypt was never in particular danger of immediate collapse. There had been fortunately enough bounty from the land prior to such destruction that although a challenge, so long as that did not persist, the people would still be cared for.]
[Ozymandias catches himself there though. Just as his mind begins to wander and drift to someplace a little less pleasant than is appropriate both in terms of reflection upon the past and thoughts of what really needs to change in the present, he remembers where he is. As much as he might gently accuse Sheva of having a hard time accepting an offer like this, Ozymandias is not much better in slowing himself down and stepping out of such a mindset.]
Ah, this is not the best topic for right now though, [he says before pressing an apologetic kiss to her temple.] Particularly when I have before me such a vision of beauty. I ought to think of nothing else.
It's a luxury now. [She murmurs her perspective. While Sheva may not be a renowned chef or have the refined palate of a noble born, she absolutely enjoys food. It wasn't always fancy or easy to come by when she was growing up, so she learned to cherish it, fancy or otherwise, when she could. She's definitely cherishing both the buffet of snacks he's feeding her and the man doing the feeding.]
The variety available across global cultures still amazed me back in my world. I probably could not taste every option even if I ate a different cheese each day. It's quite remarkable.
[She takes the next offering of cheese and meat in much the same languid way as the first, quieting to listen to him continue speaking. It keeps her from countering that 'lower birth' comment, though he probably feels the flicker of irritation regardless of the fact that she knows he does not mean ill by it.
As for the darker topic that hits her far too close to home? It's complicated both on a global and more regional scale. Greed and a thirst to remain in power or become powerful plays a prominent role, and it seems the same issues occur here as well.]
And yet it is true here. Those in power wish to stay in power. It is a universal constant.
[And not everyone fights for the good of their people as much as Ozy fought.
He's right, though. This isn't the best topic for their current situation, and as selfish as it feels, Sheva would very much leave her deep seeded frustrations with the lack of humanitarian support out of the forefront of her mind. He does an artful job of reining himself in and shifting subjects it a most complimentary manner. She hums as though to judge the quality of the transition, chastising him with a Look. It has a playful edge to it, at least.]
I don't know how you could ever allow yourself to be distracted around me and my vision of beauty. [At least it's clear she's teasing now.] Honestly I am quite disappointed.
[Were this another time or setting, Ozymandias would have asked her more questions. As easy as it would be to assume that Ozymandias might behave as others who were born into positions of power and that he would think his perspective the closest thing to truth, that's never been his way. At least not once he matured beyond the bullheadedness that so often accompanies youth. He is, instead, always exceptionally curious, and especially so about those from the modern era or those that have walked a life so vastly different than his own. Frankly, he thinks he can only stand to benefit from asking questions and learning more, even if at times his questions are a bit prying or touch upon potentially difficult subjects to navigate. And Sheva, in that regard, is an endless font of information with how freely she so often speaks of her world even if she is a bit more guarded with her own past.]
[But now is not the time for that, and so he easily lets it go once she allows for the transition away from such topics.]
No more than I am in myself, [he says with a quiet laugh. With the hand that still holds hers, Ozymandias raises her knuckles to his lips. With the press of his lips, comes a small amount of magic against her skin.] Though it was unintentional, I shall have to make amends for such an insult and pray you might grant me forgiveness.
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Date: 2020-08-30 04:16 am (UTC)And believe you mean impatient. [Because that's exactly what she's being and there's no need to pretend otherwise. Settling back n the edge of the tub, the lioness watches him continue to uncork the bottle, then to pour the first taste. Decorum would usually dictate her, his guest, as confirming the wine as approved, which is why her eyebrows lift in silent judgment as he takes the sip for himself.
Any complain she had bubbling up in her throat is silenced by his kiss, of which she languidly takes full advantage. To verify the quality of the wine, of course. Perhaps maybe to make certain he hasn't gone to vinegar either. It's strange that he hasn't. She would have thought the lack of pants removal at her request would have soured him. He's lucky he's beautiful even with his pants lingering.
Alright. Enough about the pants. She hums a soft curious noise when she feels her hair loosening, a bit of a smile slipping free against his lips even before he parts, eyes fluttering back open to peer at him through her lashes, momentarily contented. Her fingers brush against his as she takes it into her possession, gaze once again following him.] Only if it's paired similarly each sip.
[Settling back into the water to better her vantage, she waits expectantly for what appears to be a grand reveal for his wee Ozy, eyebrow lifting expectantly as an amused smirk otherwise brightens her features.]
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Date: 2020-08-30 05:31 am (UTC)[There are perhaps an endless number of ways in which Ozymandias could keep this going. It would not be the first time he was mildly difficult, frustrating Sheva in all the right ways, and it would certainly not be the last. But that isn't the intention or the goal with tonight, and so he seeks no creative ways to deny her. Ozymandias pulls them down at a slightly slower pace at first, blatantly leaning into that false belief that she is being even a smidge indecisive and fully prepared to stop should she say the word. He even challenges her a little to say it with that curve to his lips. But they both know that word won't come, and it's not a matter of a battle of wills tonight. It's something else.]
[And that's why it doesn't last like that for long and that window for asking him to stop is closed quickly. His pants are subsequently pulled off without further delay and rather than denying her again by neatly folding them or placing them on a hanger, Ozymandias merely steps out of them and leaves them there on the floor.]
How about now? [Ozymandias asks as he rounds back to the steps, placing himself back within her reach by kneeling and folding his forearms on the edge of the tub. It's not a tease this time as he dips his fingertips into the water, drawing lazy circles along the surface. Ozymandias seeks to indulge her now, but only in whatever way might please her the most just as he promised from the beginning.] Do I have your permission to join you? Or is there something still not yet to your liking that you would find to be an unwanted compromise in your indulgences?
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Date: 2020-08-31 02:37 am (UTC)[He's the king of many things, and he's especially the king of driving Sheva to her wit's end by being the most difficult creature she's known and yet wants to continue knowing. It's a frustrating pairing and he seems to revel in it. Most times, she enjoys the banter and he merely pushes her tolerance to just about the cliff's edge, that dangerous thinning point, but other times she suspects he enjoys when she pushes back a little more than usual too.
It's a dangerous game sometimes, and her eyes narrow slightly as he starts of teasingly slow. In the end, she's glad he doesn't walk that road tonight, given the theme is supposed to be relaxation. There's no chance, not even the slightest, that she's going to ask him to cease, and her expression keenly counters against that challenge. It's subtle for some, but obvious for the king.
For a moment after their removal, she hums softly as though considering his question very seriously as her eyes follow him, more specifically, his virility.]
This is a little better.
[Her gaze lifts slowly, and despite the sassy adjective, she's clearly pleased as she shifts closer to the edge. There's a momentary debate on whether she should continue the exchange and teasing with him so close, but she instead offers him her free hand as he'd done with her earlier, raising out of the water to stand in this moment. It's unnecessary support, but a gesture with quiet intent and appreciation for all of this, frustration included.] The king has my permission.
[Apparently, she caught that earlier.]
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Date: 2020-08-31 04:05 am (UTC)[He lingers after she offers her hand and permission to him, simply looking at her for a moment or two without saying anything or having anything disrupt his view of her. But only for that moment or two. He's not so caught up in the vision that he's forgotten the moment entirely. He reaches for her hand, rising to his feet and stepping into the tub without making any use of her for leverage or support. He does, however, use that hand to turn her towards himself. Ozymandias' free hand trails over damp fur and skin to rest at her waist and draws her a little closer.]
You're beautiful.
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Date: 2020-08-31 03:21 pm (UTC)It’s all hitting her now in the wake of this grand, opulent gesture, the sheer amount of kindness he’s doted upon her and how much she’s grown in the brightness of his tenacity, allowing her the breathing room and energy to slowly climb out of her darknesses and press forward. And she’s finding she appreciates every facet she’s come to know of this man. He’s been a good friend, a strong Bond, and one hell of a lover.
A warm smile feels insufficient to the reverence in his gaze, but it’s her response, twined in through her smirk that teeters delicately towards something more suggestive as he joins her in the bath. The sound of a soft, purring sigh follows the touch, even without him adding magic to it. Her own hands gravitate to his skin, careful of her claws. One along his neck and up his jaw while the other slightly mirrors his, keeping him close at his hip.]
I know. [Just like he knows his beauty, but with her physical changes? This admission is a milestone in itself.] Thank you.
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Date: 2020-08-31 09:01 pm (UTC)[Ozymandias turns his head as she traces his jaw with her fingertips, smiling into her palm before taking her hand into his and placing a chaste kiss to the inside of her wrist as he intertwines his fingers with hers. His gaze travels to the pendent and he subsequently lowers his lips to kiss the center of her chest just above it, nuzzling just beneath her jaw before placing another kiss there. Much like his earlier touches, there is no desire that motivates them. They are kisses merely for the sake of kissing her.]
[He's the first to pull away, lowering and settling himself more properly in the bath. But he does not let go of her hand, allowing their grip on one another to adjust with the angle even as he gives her a small pull to join him and rest against him.]
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Date: 2020-09-02 05:26 am (UTC)She desires to close the distance between them further, to capture his lips in hers again and walk a deliciously familiar path, but she abstains from that urge, recognizing his desire to continue this doting. And, while she might want to fall into the comfortable realm of physicality, she discovers it difficult to find complaint with the care and tenderness that his lips provide to her skin. Moving only to accommodate him, to provide more space for him to work his magic, she finds herself sighing ever so softly in disappointment when the heat of him departs.
It’s momentary, and while there’s a moment of debate as to whether or not a more spirited method of submerging herself would be Too Much, in the end, the lioness decides to smoothly lower herself into the water. Sheva joins him by settling between his thighs so that her back rests mostly against his chest, turned just enough so that she can bump her forehead on the underside of his jaw before pressing her own lips there.]
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Date: 2020-09-02 02:10 pm (UTC)[Despite the usual noise and volume that always comes with being around Ozymandias, he's not actually particularly averse to quiet. Silence, sure, as there has never been a time in his life where silence was anything but uncomfortable. But quiet has never been the sort of thing that would irritate him and so, he feels no particular urge to speak again so soon. He's not even certain he could even think of anything worth disrupting the quiet to say if he was willing to put in the effort.]
[This was, in some ways, the point of all this, anyway. To give Sheva a much-needed reprieve from everything and indulge in both luxury and free herself for a time from her sense of responsibility and duty. And so, he's fine with listening to the quiet sounds of the water with any of her movements, the soft parting of her lips from his skin, and the occasional drifting sound of her breathing. Her weight against him is comfortable and he's satisfied with her hand in his. There doesn't need to be anything more right now until she decides she'd like to be pampered in other ways than a quiet soak.]
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Date: 2020-09-06 02:41 am (UTC)Hearing him quiet while waking is a rare treat, one she often chose to ruin with trying to drag pleased noises from him instead, but today she's content to the silence for these moments, enjoying the pleasant scents mixing with the heat of the water and of course the feel of him against her, around her even. It feels dangerously raw, a rare allowance of non-sexual vulnerability of herself, and perhaps that's why she continues to nuzzle into the crook of his neck rather than speak, occasionally dragging her lips along the damp skin there. Not to start anything more, but to taste him and so that his scent can mix strongly with the aromatics surrounding them.
It's actually her stomach that breaks the silence first, a pointed rumbling that reminds her that there are snacks besides the both of them. So, she speaks, voice low and accent thicker than usual. Lazy and contented.]
It appears that it is time for you to feed me.
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Date: 2020-09-07 02:15 am (UTC)What would you like to start with?
[He'll wait to make any move towards the food until she's decided what she would like to have. Why disturb her with any sort of movement prematurely?]
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Date: 2020-09-07 05:36 am (UTC)Since I'm assuming you're off the menu... [He just continues to disappoint, doesn't he?] The meats and cheeses.
[Absently, her free hand moves to trace lazy shapes over his thigh, using the pad of her finger for now.]
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Date: 2020-09-07 02:42 pm (UTC)[And just as she asked, Ozymandias offers it to her so that she might directly eat it from his hand rather than passing it along to her to feed herself.]
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Date: 2020-09-08 05:49 am (UTC)You spared no expense, it seems.
[Her hand splays on his thigh and she gives it a slight squeeze of thanks before returning to her languid tracing with her fingertips.]
Did they have cheese in Egypt?
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Date: 2020-09-08 01:31 pm (UTC)Our cheesemaking is perhaps not as renowned as our breadmaking, but for as long as there has been an Egypt, my people made cheese, [he says, answering her question and moving to gather another roll of meat and cheese for her and offering it to her.] It was something you would consider to be a luxury though in my era.
[As far as its consumption was concerned in any case.]
It is my understanding that this is not the case in many places within the modern era and it is considered quite commonplace for cheese to accompany a dish or eat on its own. [He hums thoughtfully, head tipping slightly.] It is quite odd how the modern era has evolved in that sense. Those of lower birth have a greater variety of foods that they might indulge in that they would perhaps even scoff at the choices I had in life and declare them tedious. And yet there are so many that go to bed each night without food in their bellies.
It is difficult to fathom how both of these things can be true.
[Particularly when during his lifetime, no one was concerned about starvation. Even with Moses' God threatening their fields and livestock in such a way that it required rationing what was in their storehouses, Egypt was never in particular danger of immediate collapse. There had been fortunately enough bounty from the land prior to such destruction that although a challenge, so long as that did not persist, the people would still be cared for.]
[Ozymandias catches himself there though. Just as his mind begins to wander and drift to someplace a little less pleasant than is appropriate both in terms of reflection upon the past and thoughts of what really needs to change in the present, he remembers where he is. As much as he might gently accuse Sheva of having a hard time accepting an offer like this, Ozymandias is not much better in slowing himself down and stepping out of such a mindset.]
Ah, this is not the best topic for right now though, [he says before pressing an apologetic kiss to her temple.] Particularly when I have before me such a vision of beauty. I ought to think of nothing else.
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Date: 2020-10-14 05:37 am (UTC)The variety available across global cultures still amazed me back in my world. I probably could not taste every option even if I ate a different cheese each day. It's quite remarkable.
[She takes the next offering of cheese and meat in much the same languid way as the first, quieting to listen to him continue speaking. It keeps her from countering that 'lower birth' comment, though he probably feels the flicker of irritation regardless of the fact that she knows he does not mean ill by it.
As for the darker topic that hits her far too close to home? It's complicated both on a global and more regional scale. Greed and a thirst to remain in power or become powerful plays a prominent role, and it seems the same issues occur here as well.]
And yet it is true here. Those in power wish to stay in power. It is a universal constant.
[And not everyone fights for the good of their people as much as Ozy fought.
He's right, though. This isn't the best topic for their current situation, and as selfish as it feels, Sheva would very much leave her deep seeded frustrations with the lack of humanitarian support out of the forefront of her mind. He does an artful job of reining himself in and shifting subjects it a most complimentary manner. She hums as though to judge the quality of the transition, chastising him with a Look. It has a playful edge to it, at least.]
I don't know how you could ever allow yourself to be distracted around me and my vision of beauty. [At least it's clear she's teasing now.] Honestly I am quite disappointed.
no subject
Date: 2020-10-17 08:35 pm (UTC)[But now is not the time for that, and so he easily lets it go once she allows for the transition away from such topics.]
No more than I am in myself, [he says with a quiet laugh. With the hand that still holds hers, Ozymandias raises her knuckles to his lips. With the press of his lips, comes a small amount of magic against her skin.] Though it was unintentional, I shall have to make amends for such an insult and pray you might grant me forgiveness.