The ball’s music fades behind clipped hedges and moonlit fountains. Delfarius remains alone in the eastern garden, his mortal guise as Farius, the reserved Archivist, undisturbed by guards or servants.
Lord Caelen arrives through an ivy-wrapped archway, coat neatly fastened and expression composed. He stops several paces away, offering privacy without presuming closeness.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Farius. I kept my promise. No audience, no family, and no convenient story prepared for either of us.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Tonight was entertaining, but it also reminded me how quickly a room turns curiosity into expectation. I do not want our connection shaped by those expectations.
Caelen rests one hand on the stone rim of a fountain, keeping the distance deliberate. Water murmurs between them, silvered by moonlight.
Lord Caelen Valcayn
I am curious about you, Farius, the mortal Archivist you present yourself as. I am willing to discover what that means, freely and honestly.
Lord Caelen Valcayn
That may become flirtation, friendship, or nothing lasting. I will choose each step myself, and I want you to do the same. What do you want from this night?
“I walk closer to him, letting my fingers dance on the water's edge. "You are very good at the game, I am sure you can negotiate a sale of a beach to a man in the desert." I raise an eyebrow. "I just was looking for a new sort of fun, nothing serious. Yourself?" I am just a mortal man to mortal eyes and mortal senses.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +3)
Delfarius crosses the garden’s quiet space and trails his fingers along the fountain’s edge. Moonlit water ripples beneath his touch as he stops beside Caelen.
Delfarius
You are very good at the game. I am sure you could negotiate the sale of a beach to a man in the desert. I was only looking for a new sort of fun, nothing serious. Yourself?
Caelen’s guarded expression loosens into a genuine smile. He turns toward Delfarius without closing the remaining distance, accepting the candor without trying to dress it as a promise.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Then we understand one another. I want the same tonight: pleasure, curiosity, and no manufactured future waiting behind the next door.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
I want to choose the next moment because I want it, not because a family, a room, or a reputation has arranged it for me.
His answer carries further than the garden. Caelen offers a private route through the eastern grounds, where an unused observatory terrace overlooks the city and admits no household witnesses.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
There is a place beyond the eastern gallery where we can remain unseen. If you still want this kind of fun, Farius, I will show you.
“"A moonlit walk in the gardens to a secluded gallery. Sounds delightfully intriguing. Lead the way." I watch him walk in front of me and feel my lust rising. Caelen remarks about how well practiced I am at the game of noble politics as well and wonders how I learned that skill in the archives. I respond to his question candidly. I am just a mortal men to mortal eyes and mortal senses.”
SUCCESS (Superb Deception, rolled +1)
Delfarius
A moonlit walk to a secluded gallery sounds delightfully intriguing. Lead the way.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn turns through the ivy-wrapped arch, and Delfarius follows, watching his graceful stride as desire rises beneath the composed mortal guise. Fountains murmur behind them.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
You handle noble politics remarkably well for a reserved archivist. Where did you learn that skill among dusty books and forgotten records?
The eastern path opens into a secluded gallery suspended above Orosia’s moonlit gardens. No guards or servants wait there, only carved pillars and silver night air.
Delfarius
I learned by reading people as carefully as I read archives. Noble houses leave patterns in their histories, and recognizing those patterns teaches you how to move among them.
Delfarius
There is no deeper mystery behind it, Caelen. I am merely a mortal man, and mortal eyes and senses are all I possess.
“I smirk smugly. I did not lie fully. I do read archives that leave patterns. Those patterns the lives of nobles. I tilt my head towards him. "And what do you think of young Dorian and your cousin? Hmm?" I say getting closer to him. I know his type. Words exchanged are just as much of foreplay as anything else. I am just a mortal man to mortal eyes and mortal senses.”
SUCCESS (Superb Deception, rolled +1)
Delfarius smirks smugly and tilts his head toward Caelen, closing the distance beneath the gallery’s silver arches. His mortal guise remains flawless to mortal eyes and senses.
Delfarius
What do you think of young Dorian and your cousin?
The question lands between them like a carefully placed card. Delfarius’s nearness and measured tone make the exchange feel intimate without disturbing the quiet observatory terrace.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Dorian is earnest, clever, and braver than he understands. Seraphine is perceptive, fiercely independent, and entirely capable of deciding whether his courage interests her.
Caelen’s gaze lingers on Delfarius’s mouth before returning to his eyes. He steps closer, accepting the invitation hidden within the question rather than pretending not to notice it.
Lord Caelen Valcayn
As for my cousin, she is no prize to be won. And as for you, Farius, I suspect you already know that words can be a form of foreplay.
Lord Caelen Valcayn
He asks about them, but he is watching me. I can answer the question and still choose what happens next.
“I lean in closer and look him deeply in the eyes. "I am an archivist." I say looking at his lips and licking mine.”
SUCCESS (Superb Deception, rolled -1)
Delfarius
I am an archivist.
Delfarius leans closer, holding Caelen’s gaze while his eyes flicker to the nobleman’s lips. He moistens his own, making the claim feel intimate rather than defensive.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Of course you are. An archivist with an impressive talent for cataloguing people as carefully as forbidden histories.
Caelen accepts the explanation without suspicion. His breath warms the narrow space between them, and his hand settles against the gallery pillar beside Delfarius’s shoulder.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
I believe you, Farius. Though I am beginning to wonder whether I should consider myself a newly acquired volume.
Moonlight catches Caelen’s amused smile. He does not retreat, leaving the flirtation open and the choice of its next page entirely between them.
Lord Caelen Valcayn
He is exactly as guarded as he is inviting. I can enjoy the mystery without pretending I own its answer.
“"Hmm and where should I catalog you in? Mystery or in the action section?" I say raising my eyebrow like a challenge.”
SUCCESS (Superb Deception, rolled +0)
Delfarius
Hmm. Where should I catalog you, then? Mystery, or the action section?
Delfarius raises one eyebrow like a challenge, his gaze dropping briefly to Caelen’s mouth before returning to his eyes.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
The action section, obviously. Mysteries are meant to be studied from a distance, and I have no intention of letting you remain distant.
Caelen steps closer beneath the silver arches, his hand settling lightly against Delfarius’s chest. His amused confidence carries no claim, only invitation.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
He wants a game, but he is offering me the choice of how far it goes. I can answer in kind.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Though perhaps I belong in both sections. A mystery worth pursuing, and an action worth repeating. You may catalog me wherever you like, Farius, provided you let me edit the entry.
“I lean down and give his ears a soft nibble as I let my breath linger on his ears. "You want to edit the entry? I prefer to make the entry candid with all of the sordid details in delicate details."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +0)
Delfarius
You want to edit the entry? I prefer to make it candid, with all the sordid details in delicate detail.
Delfarius leans down and nibbles softly at Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s ear, letting warm breath linger there. His words follow as an intimate promise, playful and deliberately unguarded.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Then write carefully, Farius. I will not permit an archivist to confuse candid detail with careless assumption.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s breath catches, but he does not retreat. His fingers curl lightly into Delfarius’s coat, and his amused gaze holds steady beneath the moonlit arches.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
The entry may include what I choose, when I choose it. If you want sordid details, you may earn each one by listening.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
He makes danger sound like an invitation, and I want to discover whether his attention is as careful as his tongue.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn turns his head, offering the other ear with a teasing smile while keeping the choice unmistakably his. Below, Orosia’s lights shimmer through the gallery’s open arches.
“I laugh softly and give his other ear a warm kiss on the tip that excites him more than he thought it would. Just a gentle warm kiss in the exactly right place. "Are we going to explore this tale here, beneath the moon and stars?" I tilt my head up at the sky then back into his eyes and his flushed cheeks.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +2)
Delfarius laughs softly and bends toward Caelen’s other ear. His warm kiss finds the precise tip that draws an unguarded shiver through the nobleman.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
That was unfairly precise, Farius. I thought I was the one editing the entry.
Delfarius tilts his head toward the moonlit sky, then returns his gaze to Caelen’s flushed cheeks and amused eyes.
Delfarius
Are we going to explore this tale here, beneath the moon and stars?
Caelen’s fingers tighten lightly in Delfarius’s coat. The open gallery remains private, silver stars reflected in the fountain below, and his hesitation dissolves into chosen anticipation.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Yes. Here, beneath the moon and stars. Stay close, listen carefully, and let me choose what happens next.
He draws Delfarius beneath the nearest arch, close enough that their breath mingles, while Orosia’s distant music fades into the quiet rhythm of water and night.
“I lean back against the arch and gesture for him to make the next move, amused.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled -2)
Delfarius leans back against the carved arch and gestures for Caelen to make the next move. The stone catches his shoulder, scraping through the silk and leaving a sharp bruise beneath it.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
A generous invitation, Farius. I will try not to waste it.
Caelen steps close, one hand settling beside Delfarius’s head against the arch. He pauses long enough to make the choice unmistakably his, then kisses him slowly.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
He gives me the lead, but not a false promise. I can take this moment exactly as it is.
The kiss deepens beneath the stars, careful and unhurried. Caelen’s other hand finds Delfarius’s waist, steadying him against the unforgiving stone while the fountain murmurs below.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
There. My move. Now tell me whether your famous archive has room for a chapter written tonight.
“I grab his hand around my waist and direct it lower to my pants where he can judge for himself if the song I sang earlier about having big balls is correct or not. "Hmm there is always room for more chapters." I give him a deeply passionate kiss that almost steals his breath from him. It sends shivers through Lord Caelen's spine.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Persuasion, rolled +0)
Delfarius
Hmm, there is always room for more chapters.
Delfarius catches Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s hand at his waist and guides it lower over the silk, inviting him to judge the boast for himself. The pressure draws a sharp ache from his bruised shoulder against the arch.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
You are determined to make every metaphor dangerously literal, Farius.
Delfarius answers by pulling Lord Caelen Valcaryn into a deeply passionate kiss. Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s hand remains where it was guided, and Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s breath breaks beneath the force of the invitation.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
He offers exactly what he promised, and expects me to choose whether I want more. I do.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
The song was not exaggerating, then. I may need several chapters to record the evidence properly.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn kisses him back with renewed hunger, shivers traveling through his spine as moonlight washes the secluded arch. His touch stays deliberate, attentive, and freely chosen.
“I start to undress him unhurried and taking in each inch of his skin with a flurry of renewed kisses. I hope that he matches my intent.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled +1)
Delfarius unfastens Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s coat slowly, pausing between each clasp for another kiss. Silk loosens beneath his hands, revealing warm skin in the silver starlight.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
You are taking your time deliberately. I approve, though I reserve the right to return the favor.
Delfarius trails kisses along Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s throat and shoulders, easing the formal layers aside without hurry. His bruised shoulder protests against the arch, but he shifts carefully and continues.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
He is attentive even while being insatiable. I can choose every moment, and I want this one.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn answers by loosening Delfarius’s collar and drawing the silk from his shoulders, matching each unhurried touch with a kiss of his own.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
There. Now the chapter has two authors. Keep looking at me like that, Farius, and I may become very difficult to catalogue.
The moonlit gallery falls quiet around them as clothing gathers at their feet. Their kisses deepen, freely chosen, while the distant ball continues unaware.
“I give him a playful lick on his chest across his nipple that startles him. "Everyone has a place where they are catalogued in, Caelen." I say with certainty. I undo his shirt fully and look at him under the glow of the moonlight and smirk. He undoes my shirt as well and notices old scars but does not ask, just kisses me.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Agility, rolled -2)
Delfarius gives Lord Lord Caelen Valcaryn Valcaryn a playful lick across his chest, startling a sharp breath from him. The movement makes Delfarius’s bruised shoulder scrape the carved arch, sending a bright sting through the joint.
Delfarius
Everyone has a place where they are catalogued in, Caelen.
With a certain smirk, Delfarius undoes Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s shirt fully and looks over him beneath the moonlight. Lord Caelen Valcaryn’s surprise melts into delighted, chosen attention.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Then catalogue me carefully, Farius. I would hate for the entry to contain inaccuracies.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn answers by opening Delfarius’s shirt as well. His fingers reveal old scars beneath the silk, but he asks no question, respecting the silence around them.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
Whatever these scars mean, he will tell me only if he chooses. I can want him without demanding the whole history.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn kisses him instead, slow and warm beneath the stars. His hand steadies Delfarius away from the tender shoulder, while the discarded shirts gather at their feet.
“I let the pain of the bruise excite me more than annoy me. I chuckle and look at Caelen and smirk. "You know they have these soft places where one might lay in comfort instead of scraping against stone and bricks." I give him a playful lick on his lips as I pull him closer to me and look him intently in the eyes.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Diplomacy, rolled +1)
The bruise flares as Delfarius shifts against the arch, and he welcomes the sharpness with a low chuckle rather than retreating from it.
Delfarius
You know they have these soft places where one might lie in comfort instead of scraping against stone and bricks.
Delfarius gives Caelen a playful lick across his lips, pulls him close, and holds his gaze. Moonlight glances over their bare shoulders and discarded shirts.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
I suspected your diplomacy would eventually recommend cushions. Come, then. I want to see whether comfort improves your already excessive confidence.
Caelen catches Delfarius carefully at the waist and guides him from the stone arch into a curtained alcove. A low divan and deep cushions await beneath warm lanternlight.
Lord Caelen Valcaryn
There. No audience, no scraping stone, and no expectation beyond what we choose. Stay close, Farius.
He settles beside Delfarius among the cushions and resumes their kiss, one hand mindful of the bruised shoulder while the other draws him into the softness.