Ask Royal Pains

[Altair Din]

“Yeah, I wouldn’t feel good about the tree if I didn’t bring it in myself!” Altair said, and then shrugged, “It wasn’t so bad with all my siblings helpin’, though that also made it difficult since some of ‘em were slackers,” He said with his eyes slightly narrowed. Never mind the fact that he often tried to get out of carrying anything and attempted to tell his family he needed to ‘rest his muscles’ for Imperial academy, “Yup. Ten,” He said with a sigh, “I wouldn’t change it for the galaxy, though. You got siblings?”

Altair listened attentively as she explained her own tradition. It may have sounded simple, but he could tell it held a fond place in her heart. He smiled at her, “Well I hope you find the bean this year,” Altair said cheerfully before she abruptly wandered off. He waited as requested, glancing over to watch the music. Every now and then people jumped and recoiled at the sight of him, but no one made any overt comments.

Altair eyed her curiously as she asked him to bend down, “You ain’t about to knee me again, are you?” He asked with a smirk before he did as she asked. Altair eyed her with surprise as she put a necklace around him. He drew back up to his full height, glancing down to inspect it, “Wow..thanks, Zelle. What’s this design mean?” He said, surprise in his tone. He wasn’t used to gifts for no reason very often. Once again, his eyes were on her ears and how they swiveled.

He was only here for a few days. That was it.

His gaze briefly flicked over to his chrono which buzzed from messages from his Imperial Generals.

He was only here for a few days, he reminded himself. That was it.

“So what do you wanna do next?” Altair asked, pushing back the lump that began to rise in his throat, “They have some fair rides up ahead or a skating rink. Do you know how to skate? I ain’t done it since I was single digits,” He chuckled to himself.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

As Altair bent over, Reyna wrapped the silver chain around his neck and fastened it at the nape, fingers brushing against several of his dark locks of hair as she pulled away. ”No, I’m not,” she actually smiled, brown eyes soft in the glow of the Life Day lights. She stared at the necklace.
It was an animal with three heads—not unlike a dragon—its body winding and curling into a circle sigil. It wasn’t beautiful to look at, but it was mesmerizing in its own way. To Reyna, anything that had to do with her people’s history was beautiful in its own way. She pressed a manicured fingernail to the pendant, tracing its design as she spoke.

”This is one of the ancient beasts that the great walls of Iziz were built to defend against. It’s extinct now. Some don’t believe it ever existed at all—that it’s nothing more than a myth, a folk story told around the campfire late at night to scare little children.”

She allowed the necklace to rest against the Tiefling’s sternum, finally looking up to meet his gaze. ”Three heads. Today, it’s the manifestation of self. The man you were yesterday, the man you are today, and the man you’ll be tomorrow. The past, the present, and the future. To find yourself—to love yourself, you must embrace all three. The good, the bad, and the unknown.”

She relinquished her hold on the necklace and stepped away, clasping her hands in front of her. ”A little something to remind you of Onderon and your time here.”

The oval-shaped ice rink was crowded—predominately families with young children and couples looking for an excuse to hold hands and cuddle close gliding across the ice, bandy blades cutting patterns into the ice that shone like glitter on the ground. There was a nine foot Life Day tree at the center of the rink, and from the star at its tip strings of bulbed lights flared out.

”I haven’t done this since I was a little girl,” the half-Sephi answered Altair, already migrating toward the less crowded side of the rink. She looked at him pointedly. ”Mind if we stick to ourselves?” As an added precaution, she pulled the stocking cap she had brought down over her head, one of her pointed ears still sticking out from beneath it, lopsided. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair inspected the necklace, marveling at the story behind it. He stared at it for a long moment, thinking about his humble origins and what he was today. He couldn’t help but smile faintly, “You put a lotta thought into this,” He remarked, “I’ll always remember,” Altair said as his thumb traced over the pendant, “And are you sure it’s a myth?” He asked, “I seen a lot of interesting things…I used to think purrgil were a myth before I saw ‘em! Maybe we could go lookin’,” He said eagerly.

Altair was a bit nervous about skating, but he figured he could at least do enough to get by. He stopped to strap on some skates and waited for her before they stepped onto the ice. The tiefling grasped her hand, smiling at her as she suggested sticking to themselves. Of course, he had no idea the main driving factor was for discretion.

He glanced over at her cap and reached over to fix it so her ear wasn’t sticking out, regardless of how cute the lopsided ear looked. There was a tenderness to his eyes, but he looked away as they began to skate.

To his surprise, his muscle memory kicked in and he easily swept through the ice, releasing her hand for a moment to skate around her in a circle. Altair smiled at her while he skated backwards, easily coasting and swerving to where a few onlookers glanced over in wonder. He skidded back towards Zelle, linking his arm with hers again, “I ain’t done this in forever!”

As he listened to the music, he grabbed both of her hands in his, spinning them both slowly in a circle to dance to the Life Day jingles.

Skate roll: 18/20

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

"No less thought than you deserve," she replied, looking over at him. After everything he'd done for her, from saving her that first night, to walking her home, to agreeing to sacrifice his time and his energy to train her and teach her how to fight—a silver necklace was the least she could give him in return. She almost smiled when he suggested that the apex predator might really exist, that it might be out there right now—stalking the jungle, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
"I'm not sure," she answered honestly. There had been sightings, of course, all chalked up to the mad ravings of lunatics that had wandered in the sun for too long. The Untamed had scoured the jungles, too, for decades, hoping to stumble upon just such a creature and claim its life as a prize. If there was one thing Reyna prided herself on, it was her open mind. She conceded, "Maybe it is out there somewhere." If it was, she wanted to be the one to find it. That wasn't the only mystery the jungles of Onderon held.

While the Tiefling's muscle memory kicked in, and he dazzled nearby onlookers with the graceful ease with which he carried himself on the ice, Reyna did not. On the dance floor, she had the figure of a queen, bending and swaying in time to the rhythm, every movement elegant and refined. On ice, she looked less like a queen and more like the court jester—arms flailing and legs sliding out from under her.

"I'm—I'm not very good at this, am I?" she started to ask, more than a little self-conscious as she looked over at Altair. That distraction would cost her, and she went slipping and sliding uncontrollably toward the Life Day tree at the center of the rink. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair shook his head, “A lot more than I deserve,” He corrected her softly, but didn’t elaborate beyond that. He watched her very pathetic display of skating, amusement dancing in his eyes. To his credit, he didn’t openly laugh at her - always taught to be a gentleman. The tiefling’s eyes widened, however, when she was spiraling towards the Life Day tree.

Thinking fast, he nudged her slightly with the Force. She wouldn’t know any different, but she abruptly shifted her trajectory and slid right towards him. Altair remained standing where he was, allowing her to collide into him and against his chest. He laughed out loud then, skidding backwards from the collision but keeping his balance perfectly. Altair’s arms loosely hooked around her waist as he looked down at her.

“You’re terrible at it,” He said with a teasing smile, “But I don’t mind,” Altair didn’t move his arms from around her, spinning them both and allowing her to lean against him. She was easily coasting all over the ice rink now, feeling the rush of the wind as he half carried her along. Most of it was him skating backwards, displaying a heightened sense of perception as he dodged past others on the rink.

He did a full loop and then slowed to a stop near the Life Day tree at the center, keeping one arm wrapped around her, "There, now you can look at it without tappin' it with your face," Altair said with a laugh.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

Momentum worked to the half-Sephi's disadvantage as she slid toward the nine foot Life Day tree, arms waving and flapping at her sides with the blundering coordination of a skydancer—the inflatable stick figures that blew to and fro in the wind. "Watch out!" she called out to two small children skating in front of her, each of them scrambling out of her path just in time. It would have been a nasty collision. There was no panic in her voice, despite the palpitations she could feel in her chest.
As the brightly lit tree loomed closer, Reyna tried to adopt a wider stance on the ice, stretching her legs out—prepared to glissade and skid into the trunk of the tree if that was what it took to come to a complete stop. Bracing for impact, she imagined she could already feel the sharp needles of the pine tree scratching against her face and the bruises forming on her arms as she collided with its trunk, but at the last moment she swerved and bumped into Altair instead.

"Did you see that?" came her rapid voice, uncharacteristically bubbly. Unbeknownst to her, it had been Altair's doing, but with no evidence to suggest otherwise, she had assumed that it had been her down. How she didn't know, but here she was, pressed against the Tiefling's chest and his arms around his waist. Not unlike that night in the tavern, except this time he took the lead.

Reyna coasted across the ice rink, letting Altair guide her without any protest. She linked her arms around his neck, fingers fiddling with the silver chain he wore. The stocking cap was still pulled low over the top of her head, nearly covering her eyebrows, but the Tiefling would be able to see her ears twitching beneath the thick fabric. When he spun her around to face the tree, she didn't even think about her next move, leaning her head back against his chest and lacing her fingers with his.

Dark eyes glistened in the glow of the Life Day tree. "This is wonderful," she said without any reservation, breathless as they stared up at the lights and the ornaments that hung from tree branches. It was all so wonderful The lights reflecting on the ice. The sound of families laughing. Relaxing Christmas music. The warmth of Altair. The Tiefling's strong arms wrapped around her like a Life Day bow. She instinctively snuggled into his embrace, and then, without thinking, admitted, "I haven't been held in a long time." Not for over six months, but it felt like a lifetime. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair looked over her shoulder, holding her tenderly from behind as they gazed at the tree. He wasn’t perfectly still, doing gentle little half moon shapes in the rink as he skated from side to side. His tail swished like a pendulum in contentment the entire time. She echoed his thoughts aloud, a smile appearing on his face. Altair wasn’t sure how or when they arrived here, but there was something oddly comforting about this. He enjoyed the feel of her warmth against his chest, her smaller frame enclosed in his arms. There was no drama, no pain, nothing. It was simply two people enjoying a carefree moment.

The tiefling was taken out of his thoughts when she blurted out the last bit of what she said. Altair’s gaze remained on the lights ahead of them. The loneliness in her voice was almost tangible, and for a moment he stopped moving on the ice. A small part of him screamed at him to pull away then and cut his losses. It told him that all of this was dangerous, just as it had been a thousand times prior. Yet the larger part of him couldn’t deny the liberating feeling of not having any prolonged history here. There were no wounds they inflicted upon one another, and it was an intoxicating moment of tenderness.

He found himself leaning down towards her ear, which he fully knew was sensitive and an erogenous zone for Sephi and Annfyn alike, “Then I’ll just have to keep doing it,” He said quietly, his voice rumbling low against her ear. Altair squeezed her tighter, drawing back slightly to skate backwards and around the tree.

At a certain point, he casually spun her around to face him. He had a cheeky grin on his face as his eyes briefly flicked up, “Oh… who put that there?” He said teasingly, a mistletoe plant above them. Altair’s tail flicked back and forth as he looked for her reaction.

However, a man abruptly shoulder checked him from nowhere, “Outta the way, demon!” sending Altair careening off to the side and landing down with a thud where he skidded on his rear. He likely accidentally dragged Zelle down as well. The man looked back and burst out into laughter, making rude hand gestures.

Altair wasn’t even looking in that direction, glancing back towards Zelle, “Are you all right?” He asked with concern. It was only when he confirmed she was okay that the man that shoved him spontaneously skated full force into a wall with a loud thud. He cried out in agony, grasping at his bleeding nose. The tiefling maintained a calm demeanor through it all, keeping his focus on Zelle to where she would never have noticed the sleight of hand.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

Blissfully unaware of the internal struggle Altair was suffering behind her, the half-Sephi swayed back and forth in his arms, eyes as dark as the night sky as they stared up at the Life Day tree, admiring each light as it refracted and scattered. Content and present in the moment, she never would have guessed that he was grappling with his own cognitive dissonance, struggling to harmonize the past—memories ever present—with the present—what he could see and feel in that very moment. Torn between his better judgment urging him to leave and the desire to stay.

"You're wearing cologne," she stated, interlaced fingers wringing his. She hadn't noticed until now. He smelled like expensive whiskey and bourbon. It was nothing like the colognes Cassian had always worn, of sandalwood or agarwood or peppermint. It was... different, but she liked it. Almost as much as she liked the way his head dipped down, breath hot as he whispered in her ear. She nearly shivered, and not because of the cold. It took her by surprise—that he instinctually knew what she liked—and she drew in a deep breath, skin prickling unseen beneath her shirt.
This was where the rubber met the road, as the old saying went. Now it was time for Reyna to decide what to do. Her gaze flicked up to the mistletoe that hung over their heads, then back to Altair and the cheeky smile he wore. Her eyes glistened, taking their time as she studied his face and amethyst irises. He was handsome. Attractive. Charming. Considerate. Everything a girl could want on a night like this and then some. So why was she hesitating? Why didn't she lean forward, push up with her toes, and press her lips to his? She hadn't had this much fun in months. She hadn't felt this free in months.

On the brink of a decision, fate had other ideas. As soon as Altair slipped, so did Reyna, and her shoulder struck the ice as they slid to a stop. She winched in pain but said nothing, one hand reaching to shelter the bruise while her eyes searched for the man responsible. "Of all the insolent, half-witted..." She struggled to find an insult that satisfied. In moments like these, actions were better than words. Slipping and sliding like a newborn foal attempting to find its footing for the very first time, Reyna tried to stand up to chase after the man.

The half-Sephi struggled in vain and eventually, with infinite reluctance, plopped back down beside Altair with a huff. "Are you... alright?" she asked in a gentle voice, eyes wide but face unreadable. Her ears were flat against the sides of her head, the stocking cap she'd worn lopsided again with strands of auburn hair sticking out. Demon. He'd called Altair a demon. As if he were some kind of animal. Something less than human. Her throat burned with the recollection, and when she recalled that members of her own family had said similar and worse, she swallowed hard. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair stared in wonder as Zelle scrambled to get up to…do what? Chase after the guy? It was strange to see, and it left him with mixed feelings. He was still thinking about the mistletoe and the way she looked at him. Was she alarmed? Did he overstep? Was it just not enough time to process? Questions buzzed in his mind and he was more irritated than ever by the interruption. Regardless, he had laid his cards on the table and wouldn’t make that same move again. HuttBall was in her court now.

“I’m all right,” He said with a smile, though pain shot through his tailbone that was likely bruised. Altair didn’t move to get up just yet, still a bit sore. Instead, he glanced up as gentle flurries of snow began to float down from the sky. Usually being in hot climates meant he didn’t see snow very often. Altair reached a hand out, marveling at the feeling of the snowflakes against his fingers.

He glanced over at Zelle and couldn’t help but chuckle a little when he spotted the lopsided cap, “This thing just doesn’t wanna stay on ya, does it?” He said as he reached over once again to gently fix it. Altair looked back towards the sky.

“My lil sis Laila gets so excited whenever there’s snow. We rarely ever got it back home,” He said fondly, “She sticks her tongue out to catch ‘em and thinks it’s the most amazing thing ever. She ain't ever care that others say it's silly,” Altair snickered a bit. Just for fun, he stuck his own tongue out to catch a flake, revealing his Devaronian appendage lined with rows of metal studs.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

One hand still on her shoulder, Reyna's eyes followed the other skaters. The man that had shoved Altair slid face first into the barrier on the other side of the ice rink and collapsed in a heap of argyle scarves and designer jackets. A small consolation, and one that Reyna would delight in.

The stranger's fate decided for now, the half-Sephi turned, and her gaze fell on Altair. There it remained, unblinking and unwavering in its intensity and soul searching, studying his mannerisms and the unspoken undercurrents in his amethyst eyes. The silence that stretched between them didn't appear to bother her, ears twitching beneath the stocking cap that he had so thoughtfully arranged for a second time. Pausing to collect her thoughts, she asked at last, "You don't believe that, do you?" She tilted her head to one side, toward the man across the rink—still splayed across the ice, cursing and muttering under his breath as he struggled to regain his footing.
"What he said about you being a demon?" She hated to even say the word to his face, but she never left anything that needed to be said unsaid. "Because you're not." Reiterating the sentiment she had shared with him earlier that day, she scooted closer to him, until their knees were touching. He was a champion. A guardian spirit. Reyna wasn't naïve. She understood that no one was perfect. The love she had shared with Cassian had dispelled any childish notions she might have once held about that. Everyone had a past, a present, and a future—and not all of it was pretty. Whatever Altair's faults, whatever his life outside of Onderon, it didn't matter tonight. He had saved her, he had helped her, and he had given her hope. That was all she needed to know for now.

Reyna didn't believe in perfunctory plaudits or censures. It was all or nothing. "You're one of the noblest men I've ever met." Slender, manicured fingers found his and gave his hand a gentle, almost familiar squeeze, before she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead. It was warm and soft, like snowflakes fluttering against his skin. "And you've made me happier than I've been in... a long, long time."

She fell silent after that, content to sit beside him and watch the world pass them by and snow flakes fall from the sky. "Your little sister sounds adorable," she would reply when he'd finished. She had always wanted a little sister. "Do you have a picture of her?" She'd wait for his answer, but not before the sight of his tongue engrossed her completely. "What... what is that?" she asked with almost childlike confusion, pointing to her own tongue but still staring at his mouth. She'd never seen anything like it, and in her own wonderment, it never even occurred to her that the question might offend him. "Does it help you eat?" Surely it wasn't similar to the tongues of reptiles, stuck out to catch scent particles in the air and sense their surroundings. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

It was difficult to read his expression when she wanted to confirm that he didn’t believe he was a demon. It was a surprisingly difficult question for him. He watched the snowflakes serenely spiral towards the earth, watched all the jovial people all around hand in hand without a care in the world. He thought about what he had done in the name of the Empire, things he would do again but others would consider monstrous. Altair managed a half grin as she spoke, “Well as long as you don’t think I’m one, I’m good.”

When she continued to speak, his tail eagerly swished back and forth. Noble? Was he? His Imperials certainly thought so and likely Councilor Trelain did as well. People began to see the value in him as he ascended the ranks, so why shouldn’t he allow himself to believe the same? Altair looked down where she grasped his hand, glancing up right in time for her to lean in to kiss his forehead. His entire face burned hot at that, the heat coursing through his body to where his skin would feel warm to her touch.

Altair smiled sheepishly, still recovering from the tender gesture, “Well then I think a lotta people been lettin’ you down for too long, Zelle,” He said quietly as he gazed into her eyes. He wanted to have said some smooth, savvy line, but that came out instead. It wasn’t romantic, but it was the truth and a truth he shared in himself, “‘Cause you always deserve to be happy.”

He said nothing more beyond that, letting a smile linger before he focused back on the snow. As he caught a few, he almost choked from laughing at her question. The laughter compounded when she asked if it helped him eat. Altair shook his head, realizing he had gotten comfortable enough to stick his tongue out around her. It was usually alarming to most humanoid races, “It’s.. my tongue,” He said, “The studs are piercings I got…” His face heated up, “Just for show,” He quickly stammered.

“I’m a tiefling,” He explained, the reality that she had no idea he was a tiefling dawning on him for the first time. Why else would she not flinch at the sight of him or find it strange that someone called him a demon? His face fell slightly, and for some reason this admission felt worse than if he admitted that he was Sith. His race was laced with Devaronians in lore and history, always in a negative light.

“I’m fireproof too,” Altair said with a grin, wondering what kind of reaction she would have to his admission. His gaze flicked down to where she gripped his hand and he almost subconsciously held her hand tighter as if dreading it slipping from his grasp.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

"Perhaps," she spoke in a transparent voice, swarthy skin soft and free of all visible tension. There was an expansive sensation in her chest, the half-Sephi's lithe shoulders straight as her torso relaxed and she exhaled through her nostrils. Did she deserve to be happy? Sometimes she wondered. As a child, her faith had never wavered. In the shrines she had prayed to the gods of Onderon, to their priests she had given alms—just as her mother had taught her. The gods watch over you, my gazelle, she'd said, affectionately cupping her daughter's chin in the light of the votive candles. Just as they watched over the Aureum Queen.
Cassian had balked at the suggestion of divine providence. Destiny guided no man's steps. Man's steps guided his own destiny. That was his philosophy. She could recall his gibing tone as they stood on the terrace of the palace one evening as teenagers, watching the sun set in the west, a hot summer wind ruffling his spruce, dark locks, If the gods do watch over you, Reyna... it's with loaded dice, not with a road map." Nevertheless, her faith had never wavered. Until now.

First her mother, stolen in the midst of the happiest years of her life. Months before her daughter's debutante ball. Now her father and Cassian—both brutally murdered right in front of her by Darth Raze, the monster of the galaxy. Her last surviving parent and the man she had hoped to marry and have children with. Cassian had never shared in that dream, or so he said. Were the dice stacked against her? Or was this a testing of her faith? The greatest trial of her life?

"I'm a Tiefling." Three words spoken in haste. Brief, but laconic. The Tiefling said more with those three words than some could in a soliloquy—in a lifetime in the case of some Sephis she knew on Thustra. Reyna didn't miss the way his face fell with the admission, as if she, too, would leap to her feet, shout, "Demon!" and run into the arms of the nearest defender, scowling back at him over her shoulder.

Was this the reason he carried himself more like a soldier than a young man? Why he was a natural at fighting? Had he been picked on since childhood, the butt of every joke and the accused instigator of every fight he found himself in? While she had been studying the positions of ballet, learning foreign languages, practicing her major and minor chords on the pianoforte, and experimenting with different brush strokes on canvas, he had been learning how to defend himself. The Princess and the Tiefling were figurative antiscians—one basking in the sunlight, the other hiding in the shadows.

Knowing that he must have been waiting for her response—good or bad—she did not keep him in suspense. "If every being in the galaxy had the privilege of meeting you, they would find it impossible to harbor prejudice against your species," she stated with conviction, hand still grasping his as her thumb traced half-moon shapes across his gray skin. There was nothing else she could say. Not really. Nothing that would ease the harsh treatment he had undoubtedly faced throughout his lifetime. The galaxy was cruel. It could harbor hatred and bile without reason or explanation. Simply because of the color of someone's skin, the cranial horns that adorned their head, or the accent with which they spoke.

Tieflings weren't "allowed" in polite society. This was why Altair was the first Tiefling Reyna had ever met. Why there were never Tieflings at the balls, charities, or general assemblies she attended. One day, if the need for secrecy ever ceased, she would invite Altair to one of those balls and walk in on his arm. If, that is, this wasn't a one night only arrangement. Which it was.

"Of course it's just for show," she replied, a little too literally, ears still and attentive. "What else would they be for?" Piercings were always for show, for aesthetic, or sometimes even for spiritual reasons. "I know all about piercings," she added, tugging on one of the diamond earrings she wore.

Was he really fireproof? She'd always thought that to be a myth, a misconception that sprung up from the harsh but entrenched tales of Devaronian and Tiefling demons that ate little children and absconded with damsels. "Are you really?" Almost smiling, she said, "I might have to put that to the test sometime."

Reyna looked around and then back to Altair. "I saw they're offering sleigh rides. Want to go?" It was obvious by the way her ears perked up that she wanted to. "It gives you an excuse to wrap your arm around me." Forward? Certainly. Out of character for a princess? Most definitely. But tonight, she reminded herself, she was not a princess. She was just Zelle. Whoever that was. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Well maybe you’ll find out..” He said quietly with a grin in response to her baffled answer to the piercings. Of course, he didn’t elaborate beyond that, only nodding along with her comparison to her earrings. Altair quirked a brow about her potentially planning on setting him ablaze, “Let’s hope not. I lose my hair every time,” He reached up to run his fingers through his hair, something he was proud of and miserable anytime he lost it.

“Well sleigh ride sounds less hazardous than skatin’ ,” Altair said with a snicker as he finally got up to stand. However, he paused when he realized the rest of what she said. His face heated up again, still unaccustomed to women being so bold and forthcoming. The tiefling smiled at her as he extended a hand to help her up. He held her hand to skate out of the rink to avoid any further crashes or incidents.

It wasn’t long before they were in line for the sleigh rides, Altair snickering a bit at the horses with the ridiculous bells and scarves around them. He glanced over to look at Zelle, once again fixing her hat to cover up her ears. The snow had picked up and he knew she would be cold. His body remained warm, though his breath came out in wisps in the cold.

Altair climbed into the sleigh and helped Zelle into it. In truth, he couldn’t remember the last time he had done this. It was just the kind of sappy thing he secretly loved, but never had an excuse to go. His hair was covered in a small pile of snow, and his horns were lined with it where they were flatter. Altair remained oblivious, wrapping an arm around Zelle to pull her close. His tail coiled around her as well.

“You ain’t used to the cold yet?” He glanced down at her, chuckling as he saw her face flushing slightly from the chill. The sleigh began to move, the horses kicking off and taking them through a path through a winter wonderland. There were ice sculptures, lights, music and Life Day magic all around.

“So do I always gotta have an excuse to hold ya?” He asked after a moment, looking at Zelle with a faint grin.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

Just Zelle. Tomorrow the real world would catch up with her, and tonight would be a memory. She hoped that the memory alone would help her to bear her burdens with more grace than before, but she wasn't convinced. Would tonight make the days that followed more bearable? Or would it make her long for another night just like it? Only time would tell.

Thanks to Altair's guiding hand, the half-Sephi made it safely off the ice rink without another accident or incident. The line to the sleigh rides was long, families huddled together to stay warm and couples with their arms wrapped around each other to stay close. Children bounced up and down on the balls of their feet, and excited chatter nearly drowned out the music playing in the distance. Reyna exhibited no similar social cues that would suggest she was excited. Her face was unanimated, dark eyes staring straight ahead at the people ahead of them. Only her ears revealed that she was exhilarated, swiveling back and forth and pushing her stocking cap free. Each time it slipped, Altair would reach over and straighten it, one of her ears bending toward his fingers as if to thank him.

"Keep your hands and feet inside the carriage at all times," the attendant said in a dry, monotone voice that screamed I want to go home when they reached the front of the line, opening the gate to let them through. "Do not exceed five miles per hour. Do not deviate from the path. Do not feed the horses." The horses started at a sharp whistle, walking the well-marked path where other carriages had driven before. The reigns hung over the dash board, should they need to direct the horses themselves.
The attendant's antipathetic personality did nothing to sway the half-Sephi's enthusiasm, and she snuggled up to Altair, unashamedly leaning into his side as soon as his arm and tail wrapped around her. "I'm not so cold now," she said, resisting the urge to touch his tail to see what it felt like. This was the second time it had brushed up against her, but she did not allow her curiosity to rule her.

Horses ambling down the snow-covered pathway, the pair would pass under trees with low hanging branches, wrapped completely in white and red lights. There were Life Day trees wrapped in lights, blinking in sync with the music that played in the background and over a speaker built into the sleigh. It was magical—with snowmen, wooden cutouts that lit up, and lights everywhere. They passed a sign that read Glacial Features, into an area with ice sculptures of famous figures in the galaxy. Emryc Thorne, Chad Bellamy, and... herself.

Reyna looked at Altair, realizing that she needed to distract him. Otherwise she would have to explain why her face and figure was carved into ice. Dark eyes flicked up to his thorns, covered in snow flakes. "May I?" she asked, gaze falling to his amethyst eyes for permission. Should she find it, she would reach up and carefully brush the white flakes from his horns. The Tiefling might have expected her to pull her hand away after that, and truth be told—that had been her intention—but instead, her hand lingered longer than necessary, raised above his head. This time curiosity did get the better of her. Gentle, tentative fingers slid over one of the horns, slowly, as if she were afraid she might damage the smooth keratin. What had started as a distraction turned into something powerfully affectionate.

"You don't need an excuse to hold me, Altair." The significance of that statement would be lost on Altair, but as a princess and a woman, Reyna did now allow just anyone to touch her. That was a privilege. Not a right. "Why? Think you'll want to hold me often?" @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair marveled at the level of detail of the statues, staring at how the Emryc one even had his chilling stare. The music was cheesy, but he knew it, so he absentmindedly began to hum to it. His tail involuntarily began to gently tap against her lap to the rhythm. Altair was focusing on the ice figure of a woman coming up ahead. His eyes began to focus on the ears right as Zelle tugged him towards her.

He stared wide eyed at her as she reached up to clear the snow off his horns, his body language suggesting he didn’t mind. Altair’s face was burning hot, his entire body warm from the simple gesture. Truth be told, it wasn’t often anyone touched his horns like this, and he certainly was picky about letting anyone near them. Altair didn’t miss how she didn’t draw her hand away, aware of the gentle pressure of her touch. His tail was happily flicking around, betraying how he felt about the action.

Her question drew out a smile, a rush jolting through his entire body. Altair tugged her a bit closer, his face inches away from hers, “Hmm well someone’s gotta keep ya warm, ‘cause your hat ain’t doin’ its job,” He said with a grin. His free hand came up to gently cup the side of her face, his warm fingers brushing along the cool skin of her jawline. He had that familiar desire to kiss her yet again, but he wasn’t sure how she felt about it earlier before the rude man trucked them both. Altair didn’t move away from her, but he also didn’t lean in, his amethyst gaze locked with hers.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

The horse drawn sleigh drifted through two parallel rows of candy canes and under a great oak tree strung with meteor shower lights that resembled falling snow. Reyna's heart swelled with every tap of the Tiefling's tail, in time with the music playing over the speakers, against her thigh. Warmth radiated from the Tiefling, and when his hand slid onto her face and fingers brushed against her jawline, she could feel her cheeks growing hot and feverish in spite of the winter air.

Dark eyes met amethyst, both sparkling beneath the lights and dancing with something neither of them were likely to recognize in the other. Faces inches apart, Reyna's gaze fell to the Tiefling's lips, her own instinctually parting without a single word spoken. This time she didn't think. She didn't consider. She didn't weigh the pros and the cons. She just acted. Acted purely on impulse. Something a princess was never supposed to do.

"Altair?" her voice broke the silence, fingers trailing along his horn and squeezing it closer to the base. "I'm gong to kiss you now if you have no objections." If he didn't, she would strike while the desire was hot and the setting was perfect. The half-Sephi's free hand would reach for his other horn, wrapping around it. Palms anchored and heart pounding wildly within her chest, firm and impatient hands would pull Altair down by the horns to meet her lips in one fluid, exhilarating motion. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

It was no secret what he wanted right then, but he had opened that door before and they were rudely interrupted. It would be up to her if she wanted to step through. His amethyst gaze was vibrant and warm, contrasting against the snow all around. His breath came out in short wisps, his heart hammering against his chest. He only smiled when she spoke, a warmth in it against the chill around them.

He leaned in when she did, closing his eyes as their lips met. While their lips were cool, he sank into the warmth of the kiss. His hand still cupped her face, slipping slightly under her hat to where his thumb gently brushed against her ear. He knew every touch or brush against those ears would be sensitive. Altair pulled her close, forgetting everything else as the sleigh ride continued. They went right past the sculptures of Reyna Vernize and other members of the royal family and he remained oblivious.

Altair took his time, drawing back after a while to look at her. He smiled at her, “You don’t need an excuse to do that either,” He whispered softly against her lips. He felt a rush from this, an exhilaration where tender moments weren’t mired or anchored by drama or angst. He felt as if he was living someone else’s life. There was a hint of guilt in the back of his mind, but he suppressed that voice for now.

“Damn you’re gonna make it real hard for me to leave,” He said with a sad smile as he held her tight, relishing the warmth and the way she fit perfectly against him.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

If a smile could have driven the cold night air away, Altair's would have. His eyes shone brighter than the lights strung around them, more brilliant than the brightest star atop a Life Day tree. He pulled her closer, and Reyna allowed it, leaning into the Tiefling's side—as close as she could get without climbing onto his lap. The kiss was soft, tender—more tentative than passionate, more exploratory than feverish. It lacked the vivacity with which two lovers kissed one another, but there was an indisputable warmth to it, and avidity bubbled just beneath the surface. It roused something deep within Reyna, and an old familiar ache flooded her body.

Eyes closed and head tipped back, the half-Sephi focused on the sensation. The warmth of Altair's body pressed against hers. The safety of his arms and tail wrapped around her. The smell of his cologne—an earthy blend of wood and fresh fruit—mixing with the hot chocolate he'd drunk. As soon as his hand slipped under her stocking cap, charcoal thumb brushing against her ear, the half-Sephi flinched. Not out of fear or displeasure but from surprise. An irrepressible, involuntary moan fell from her lips.

Reyna's ears, swiveling more fiercely than they had in months, knocked her stocking cap free at last, revealing a head of mussed hair as it fell to the seat beside her. "I'm sorry," she muttered in a weak voice as soon as the kiss broke. Hands frozen in place on his horns in embarrassment, an unpleasant tingling sensation swept up the back of her neck and across her face. "I didn't mean to... I haven't been touched by a man like that in months." Heat crept up the half-Sephi's neck unbidden and unseen, every breath more audible than the last.
Sometimes, on rare occasions, Reyna wished she wasn't so straightforward and candid. That humanity's taciturn disposition would override the Sephi inclinations she'd received from her mother. This was one of those rare occasions. I haven't been touched by a man in months? What had she been thinking? The answer was as straightforward as that sentence: she hadn't been. What would Altair think? That she was desperate? That no one wanted her? She wished she could melt right through the cracks in the sleigh and disappear. @Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

The cap fell off and her hair cascaded down and around his hand. The entire scene was from one of those sappy Life Day movies he complained about, but secretly loved to watch. Every year they watched the same few movies to lead up to Life Day and they had plenty of sappy romances. His sister gushed over them and his mother bawled every time. This was one of those rare moments where he felt it himself, and it was delightfully simple.

Altair stared at her when she spoke, surprise briefly registering on his face before it disappeared. He didn’t know what to make of the comment initially, but he could tell she was beyond embarrassed. Altair simply tightened his grip on her, pulling her into an embrace, “We go at whatever pace you want, okay?” He said simply, confidence in his tone to counter the mortifying embarrassment she felt.

He was surprised at his own words, always the type to outright avoid this kind of talk. However, he knew that this was far different than the usual pattern he fell into. Zelle was not a part of the war or anything that could cause him drama. He wasn’t even entirely certain this would go beyond his time on the planet. Some of his best moments and memories had always been fleeting. But he wanted to cherish it while it he was here.

@llamallove

 

[Reyna Vernize]

The surprised look on Altair's face said it all. At the moment, jumping sleigh seemed like the best option. Even the snow looked inviting, her cheeks and neck still impossibly hot with embarrassment. None of this was in character for a princess, and she knew it. "Thank you, Altair," she spoke in a grave voice, as if he had pardoned her of an unforgivable sin. If she hadn't been half Sephi, her voice would have been rich with emotion. At least he was sympathetic. At least he didn't use that admission to try to get into her pants. At least he he didn't laugh at her. Her pride wouldn't have borne it. She released his horns and stared straight ahead, although she didn't move away, still pressed against his side. One hand rested near his tail but refrained from touching it.
"I assure you that I've been kissed before," she added, trying to save face. You couldn't tell, not by the reaction his thumb against her ear had elicited. The recollection alone made her heart skip a beat. It was almost enough to make her drooping ears raise. She hated the idea of looking like a desperate woman, especially in front of someone like Altair. This was the first time she'd ever kissed a man on the first date, however, she realized. Perhaps it was because there was no guarantee that there would ever be a second.

Changing the subject, she said, "I like your horns." The half-Sephi looked at him again, staring up at the four horns that protruded from his head. "They're... softer than I thought they would be. I hope I didn't hurt them." She hadn't pulled down hard on them, but she did not know if they were sensitive or not. She wondered how long it had taken him to grow them. @Sreeya