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April-May 2024 Test Drive Meme
April-May 2024 TDM
Introduction
Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.
All TDMs are game canon and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’
TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.
Playing and interacting with the TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.
🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.
and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.
🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.
Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.
Content Warnings: Forced Relocation, Forced Sharing, Potential Violence & Harm
New Star Children arrive in Wintermute. Not at the hot springs, the school, or anywhere else near civilization. They arrive in the middle of white, snowy nowhere. The good news is that Wintermute is no longer dark twenty-four seven. There is enough light to avoid crevasses, blocked up wells, and other dangerous features of the landscape. Further, no one is expected to figure out how to get out of there on their own.
Usually Thoth finds the lost travelers in the cold expanse of Wintermute. However, she's busy exploring the multiverse for new and interesting ideas for technology. Not to fret! She hasn't abandoned ye who've entered here. There's a new emergency lost and found network:
The Wandering Dog food carts are now open twenty-four seven! The dogs work in shifts, but the food remains as delicious as ever. When a Star Child gets lost in Wintermute, another Star Child will happen to be buying food from a Wandering Dog somewhere in Folkmore. One such lucky unlucky Star Child gets transported to the School of Thoth. Specifically, to where the mechanical sled dogs hang out. They receive a warm winter coat over whatever they were wearing and another one on hand for whoever they are rescuing. Then it's off across the snow! Don't worry, non-mushing experts, the dogs know what they're doing and lead the sled right to the designated lost Star Child.
The rescuee gets to lay in the sled for the ride back, wrapped up warm and cozy in their new winter coat (it may be spring, but it's always cold in Wintermute). The sled dogs bring Star Children back to the hot springs, so that they can warm up even more. Alternatively, Star Children can explore the Cutting Edge, the School of Thoth, or something else in Wintermute. However, the Star Children cannot part ways or leave Wintermute immediately.
The sled dogs, yes the whole team, will stay with the pair to enforce this. They may surround the pair like a pack, cuddle pile on top of them, or lay around the edges of a hot spring. No matter how long it takes to realize the dogs are doing this and that there's a reason for it, Star Children will eventually find instructions in one of the dogs' collars: Share something that other people have refused to listen to you about. Everyone ought to be listened to.
Only once both Star Children have shared something with each other will the dogs let them part ways and see, perhaps, the rest of Folkmore.
On the walk to Akhlut Station, Star Children will see plain weapons sticking out of the snow: swords, guns, knives. These are simple, non-magical practical weapons. Experienced Star Children may know to suspect such free offerings, but nothing immediately happens upon picking one up. However, once on the train, the train will be attacked by frost spirits. These icy spirits must either be hacked to pieces until they can no longer reform or melted with fire. Innocent passengers who didn't pick up a weapon may be forced to get involved, but the frost spirits will be most focused on those who picked up weapons.
New Star Children arrive in Wintermute. Not at the hot springs, the school, or anywhere else near civilization. They arrive in the middle of white, snowy nowhere. The good news is that Wintermute is no longer dark twenty-four seven. There is enough light to avoid crevasses, blocked up wells, and other dangerous features of the landscape. Further, no one is expected to figure out how to get out of there on their own.
Usually Thoth finds the lost travelers in the cold expanse of Wintermute. However, she's busy exploring the multiverse for new and interesting ideas for technology. Not to fret! She hasn't abandoned ye who've entered here. There's a new emergency lost and found network:
The Wandering Dog food carts are now open twenty-four seven! The dogs work in shifts, but the food remains as delicious as ever. When a Star Child gets lost in Wintermute, another Star Child will happen to be buying food from a Wandering Dog somewhere in Folkmore. One such lucky unlucky Star Child gets transported to the School of Thoth. Specifically, to where the mechanical sled dogs hang out. They receive a warm winter coat over whatever they were wearing and another one on hand for whoever they are rescuing. Then it's off across the snow! Don't worry, non-mushing experts, the dogs know what they're doing and lead the sled right to the designated lost Star Child.
The rescuee gets to lay in the sled for the ride back, wrapped up warm and cozy in their new winter coat (it may be spring, but it's always cold in Wintermute). The sled dogs bring Star Children back to the hot springs, so that they can warm up even more. Alternatively, Star Children can explore the Cutting Edge, the School of Thoth, or something else in Wintermute. However, the Star Children cannot part ways or leave Wintermute immediately.
The sled dogs, yes the whole team, will stay with the pair to enforce this. They may surround the pair like a pack, cuddle pile on top of them, or lay around the edges of a hot spring. No matter how long it takes to realize the dogs are doing this and that there's a reason for it, Star Children will eventually find instructions in one of the dogs' collars: Share something that other people have refused to listen to you about. Everyone ought to be listened to.
Only once both Star Children have shared something with each other will the dogs let them part ways and see, perhaps, the rest of Folkmore.
On the walk to Akhlut Station, Star Children will see plain weapons sticking out of the snow: swords, guns, knives. These are simple, non-magical practical weapons. Experienced Star Children may know to suspect such free offerings, but nothing immediately happens upon picking one up. However, once on the train, the train will be attacked by frost spirits. These icy spirits must either be hacked to pieces until they can no longer reform or melted with fire. Innocent passengers who didn't pick up a weapon may be forced to get involved, but the frost spirits will be most focused on those who picked up weapons.
- New Star Children arrive in remote areas of Wintermute.
- Star Children buying food from The Wandering Dog get teleported to the School of Thoth to rescue people with a team of sled dogs.
- Star Children get amazing new winter coats!
- Star Children cannot part ways until they share something others have refused to listen to! The dogs enforce this.
- Simple, non-magical weapons stick out of the snow on the way to the train station.
- Anyone who picks up one of those weapons will see their train get attacked by frost spirits.
Content Warnings: Potential Forced Participation, Potential Harm
Thoth has been listening to any and all ideas people have had around science in the last few months. Whether they were shower thoughts or a discussion between scientific colleagues or anywhere in between, she's made her list and built every one as an experiment. On a human scale. A human test subject scale. Because every idea has merit. That's right: Thoth believes in you.
Posters saying Thoth Needs You! go up around Folkmore. They offer a reward for participating in an experiment. Simply tear off a piece of paper from the bottom of the poster, and at some point in the future, you're in. Now, there might be a little hiccup here or there. These posters are experimental too! So some Star Children who don't tear off a slip might get pulled into an experiment as well. (Who said Thirteen ought to recruit for her trials? Thoth listened… or she tried.) Oh well, at least it's all in the name of science!
Perhaps Star Children need to sing Baby It's Cold Outside to convince the other to stay (it really will be cold outside). Perhaps they have a choice of spinners, buttons, levers, or other devices to interact with. Perhaps they make their way through a maze. Perhaps they try a new contraption. Perhaps they even recognize their own idea come to life! There's a multitude of new tech to try, and it has not been safety tested.
Nothing will explode. Probably. Maybe. Okay, some experiments are definitely going to have explosions. How about pressing that button anyway and finding out if it's this one?
Once Star Children survive the experiment—and they will, Thoth may be a loose cannon of a scientist, but she's ensured that much—they will emerge from one of the School of Thoth's laboratories. Togo, the grey wolf mascot, waits on the other side with an item for each test subject: an item from home. This may even be a weapon or magical item.
No one is left to the cold to fend for themselves. One of the nearby classrooms has been set up as a first aid center. Dog spirits of all sizes, from the smallest Maltipoo spirit to the largest Great Dane spirit, staff a healing clinic and will treat any injuries Star Children received in the experiments (or already sported). They offer hot lemonade—lemon juice, molasses, and hot water—to everyone to warm their soul. Injured Star Children can find a corner to rest by themselves or company with which to discuss their experiments.
Thoth has been listening to any and all ideas people have had around science in the last few months. Whether they were shower thoughts or a discussion between scientific colleagues or anywhere in between, she's made her list and built every one as an experiment. On a human scale. A human test subject scale. Because every idea has merit. That's right: Thoth believes in you.
Posters saying Thoth Needs You! go up around Folkmore. They offer a reward for participating in an experiment. Simply tear off a piece of paper from the bottom of the poster, and at some point in the future, you're in. Now, there might be a little hiccup here or there. These posters are experimental too! So some Star Children who don't tear off a slip might get pulled into an experiment as well. (Who said Thirteen ought to recruit for her trials? Thoth listened… or she tried.) Oh well, at least it's all in the name of science!
Perhaps Star Children need to sing Baby It's Cold Outside to convince the other to stay (it really will be cold outside). Perhaps they have a choice of spinners, buttons, levers, or other devices to interact with. Perhaps they make their way through a maze. Perhaps they try a new contraption. Perhaps they even recognize their own idea come to life! There's a multitude of new tech to try, and it has not been safety tested.
Nothing will explode. Probably. Maybe. Okay, some experiments are definitely going to have explosions. How about pressing that button anyway and finding out if it's this one?
Once Star Children survive the experiment—and they will, Thoth may be a loose cannon of a scientist, but she's ensured that much—they will emerge from one of the School of Thoth's laboratories. Togo, the grey wolf mascot, waits on the other side with an item for each test subject: an item from home. This may even be a weapon or magical item.
No one is left to the cold to fend for themselves. One of the nearby classrooms has been set up as a first aid center. Dog spirits of all sizes, from the smallest Maltipoo spirit to the largest Great Dane spirit, staff a healing clinic and will treat any injuries Star Children received in the experiments (or already sported). They offer hot lemonade—lemon juice, molasses, and hot water—to everyone to warm their soul. Injured Star Children can find a corner to rest by themselves or company with which to discuss their experiments.
- Thoth has built experiments to bring Star Children’s ideas to life.
- Pick a paper tab off a Thoth Needs You! poster to participate. Or don’t. A mishap may bring Star Children there regardless.
- Do science! Be a human experiment! Maybe experience explosions!
- Togo, the Thoth mascot, will have an item from home for every Star Child who participates.
- Dog spirits man (dog?) a first aid center in a nearby classroom.
gotta go, but I can do one tag before that, then carry on tomorrow
He's slightly dazed almost from Thrawn being that open about... loneliness? Thrawn? Really?
Well, it's no fun being exiled, truly or not, definitely, so Eli thinks he might understand. Somewhat. But, easing loneliness? That's... well, Thrawn's not lying about the friendship, then. Eli feels some strange pride in that, and that probably shows on his face, much as he tries not to show it. He's not Thrawn's brother or anything, so why should this make him proud? The friendship, that is. It's not as if Eli Vanto's really earned it, he just happened to be there when Thrawn 'was found'. But it's good that he was - Thrawn's right about that. If Eli Vanto wasn't there to be a translator... Who knows what Parck would do otherwise? Worst case scenario, Thrawn would have had to kill the whole imperial squad back there, back then. Eli can imagine that, and that's one nasty picture.
And no, he doesn't imagine Thrawn dying there. Thrawn's far too intelligent to let that happen. It's just everybody else who would die. Which would be unfortunate.
I could die back there. I guess Thrawn would find another 'translator' then, but I don't suppose it'd go that smoothly, Eli thinks and smirks a little.
"Nah, no need for privacy, you've seen me plenty of times in our room in academy. Unless I'm too unproportional for your liking - in which case you can just turn away - I'm just going to disrobe wherever if we're alone."
Not gonna be shy of practically a former roommate. Who might've even seen Eli slip on soap once or twice before learning not to do that. So it's not as if Eli Vanto can embarass himself more around him than he already surely had, years ago. And that's oddly comforting. The great grand admiral can laugh at that if he wants, Eli doesn't care, he's not sensitive. (Except when he is. But only when it matters. Not when it doesn't. Most likely.)
"Feel free to disrobe wherever you want, too, I had already seen you a few times, nothing interesting there, just mostly perfect, honed physique as one would expect knowing how you spar. Probably nothing new to see."
Anyway, Eli can't wait for the hot springs, so, yeah, clothes off. Hopefully he's not going to get sick after all this cold. Hot springs should at least prevent that.
no subject
And since Thrawn got undressed plenty of times when they shared a room, he doesn't see any problems with stripping down right in front of the other man. He takes off his boots, undershirt, and pants and sets them on a nearby chair, neatly folded. He also takes back his tunic from Eli and folds that too. All the while, he steals a few glances at Eli's naked body.
Once he's nude, he heads outside, where the steam from the spring alleviates the cold. The spring itself is surrounded on all sides by walls, giving them some privacy. He dips his toe into the water, testing its warmth, before sliding his whole body into it.
I have time rn. Excuse potential typoes and font, typing from mobile
It's not attraction, Eli tells himself, so no fraternisation surely, only curiosity. Yes. Curiousity if Thrawn got any new scars. If Thrawn had been in any danger this last year, that is.
Though maybe he wasn't. Hopefully. It was even possible that he wasn't. His probably honestly best friend, Thrawn.... was unusual. Even for a Chiss.
Into the water. Agh, so warm. After such a cold.
So Eli Vanto submerges himself in the hot water.
This is paradise.
"So now that you've pulled mi from the Ice Queen's castle, Thrawn, you know, according to the fairytale, there's only one thing you can do. To check for the shards etcetera,"
Eli jokes and then feels stupid.
Because he's tried this joke once, this year, with somebody else.
Utter lack of understanding followed back then. The Chiss, even navigators, were not familiar with fairytales about snow or ice queen, magic mirrors made by angels from above, shards hitting heart or eye, and the couple of children including the girl who cared too much (but for that, she was rewarded).
"Ah, it's just a childhood fairytale. Which serves as a metaphor. For relationships. It's not important and way too whimsical and childish. You likely don't know it."
And that's fine.
"It goes like this: above the planet, angels built a huuuuge mirror, so that gods can see their own reflection. The mirror gets shattered by an evil angel. The shards rain down on the planet-"
Ahh, the water's so relaxing.
"Eh, nevermind, there are probably holodramas about simple nonsensical fairytales like this, and better told, too. There's no point to me telling some you some millenia old fairytales. Instead, I'd like to ask... why are you the way you are? I mean, the way you read people? I had thought it was maybe a Chiss thing, simply. But unless you were a navigator - which you are too old to be - it's not."
Ehh...
"I wonder what makes you unique, Thrawn. Maybe you just knew some navigators well and that rubbed off on you? Nah, probably not. I'm way far off the mark, aren't I?"
Just idly wondering outloud, okay?
And then Eli yawns a little. So much, then ao much warm water, it can all pull a number on anybody.
He decides that he's not sleepy, just tired. And that this is far from the first time Thrawn saw him yawn, so it's fine. Sweating, yawning, if they were just the two of them here, he could surely do all of that without being embarassed. Right? Ar'alani isn't here, nor is Ronan, so there is nothing wrong with yawning.
Still...
"Sorry, I didn't know this journey was so tiring. Stupid fox. Pulled me from my duties-"
Oh.
"The fox pulled you from your duties, too, right, Thrawn? Maybe the Fox is the true Snow Queen, after all."
Heh.
Eli wonders if he can ask Thrawn to rub his back. Decides not to. Can do it himself, after all. That'd be far too childish.
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"I do not know why I am different. I simply am. The way my mind works, it is difficult for other Chiss to understand or relate to. I admit, sometimes I saddens me that they cannot see the world as I do."
He sinks into the water, down to his chin, letting his body absorb the warmth.
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Mhm, the water does feel good. And wait, if this strange place isn't in the Empire, or in the Ascendency, that means it's even more private than an academy dorm.
"Wanna rub my back? Just places where I can't comfortably reach."
Although...
"On second thought, forget it. I'm way too ticklish, so I shouldn't ask unless you promise not to tickle me. On third thought, my back itches after this whole journey. Dunno, just do whatever, I just want to stop itching."
Sigh.
And he thinks nothing of sharing that. After all, they're alone here, so it's not as if anybody else is going to find out and tickle him.
"So. Just my back, alright? I can rub yours after, we'll be even. And don't be too harsh on accident, we're not sparing right now."
He's seen plenty of times how strong Thrawn can be.
This is probably a bad idea. Or not. After all, if nothing else, Eli trusts Thrawn to be a master of self control. So it's not like Thrawn can't just rub his back gently. So. This might be a perfectly good idea. Just not thought through enough, but Eli decides not to bail on own ideas right now. This is just making good use of hot springs and quite natural when tired. And he wonders suddenly why he's coming up with justifications. Does it mean anything? Surely not.
He decides to just splash some water at Thrawn if his friend refuses such a simple thing. Hot springs battle! Eli used, well, rarely to do that in childhood, with family... before becoming a disappointment to them, that is.
But a back rub first would be nice.
no subject
"I would like to rub your back." He slides towards Eli and gently turns him around. Long fingers run across the muscles, gently kneading in a few places where he can feel bits of tension. His hands are surprisingly gentle, careful not to cause Eli any pain.
"I like hearing you talk. I rather like your accent." That Wild Space twang, so different to his own accent.
no subject
"I hope you got along with her," Eli adds, because sorry but he can't intuit thoughts.
Eli leans into kneading.
"Krayt spit, you're good. If you ever get in trouble with Lord Vader, you could just leave the navy and start doing this professionally. People would fall in love with your massages."
What? It's just some light hearted teasing. Because Thrawn IS good. At everything, it seems like, sometimes.
Blink. And Eli suddenly stops smiling.
"If you're just calling me a backwater himbo, I'm NOT gonna rub your back," Vanto replies, trying to will himself not to blush. Should be easy, right? Or just blame the hot springs.
no subject
If only Eli could have been there, to see it all unfold. It was an interesting experience. Though, Thrawn's also glad that Eli wasn't there, because Lord Vader may have tried to use Eli against him, or threaten Eli to make Thrawn comply with his wants.
"I would never call you such. Your accent is exotic, and pleasant on my ears." He smirks slightly as he sees Eli's cheeks light up.
I always headcanon there are all kinds of Vader gossip in the navy. 1/2
"I'm glad you did."
That all sounded interesting and Eli wished--
Wait, with Lord Vader?!
There is, among all the soldiers, a rumour mill. About Lord Vader. About what he can do.
It's just a fairytale, surely.
It's a myth.
It's not real. It never truly happened to anybody. It's just a lie. A myth.
Certainly.
Even so, Lieutenant Eli Vanto gulps and quickly glances at Thrawn's neck, trying to be discreet about it.
It's a myth. And voicing that particular myth outloud would be, some rumour mill says, treason.
So Eli won't voice his concerns outloud, just, with his heartbeat now slightly faster, quickly glance at Thrawn's neck.
He wants to ask whether Thrawn remembered to be perfectly polite and obedient in Lord Vader's presence. But according to some circulating navy myths and gossips, even that could be misconstrued as treason by some ISB agents. That's surely not true, but Eli isn't suicidal. Just glances again quickly to see if there are any scars on Thrawn's neck.
He couldn't be completely sure, but everything seemed fine.
Eli Vanto sighed with relief. Alright, so surely Thrawn will be fine even if he's got to work with Lord Vader in the future, too. Surely Lord Vader didn't hate Thrawn.
What a relief.
2/2
Eli forces himself to sound almost cheerful and to not glare at Thrawn for almost frightening him for no reason. And to change the subject. Seeing as Thrawn likely wasn't warned by Lord Vader for almost no reason in a certain way, Eli Vanto's nervousness slowly dissipates.
Wait, did Thrawn say something more about his accent? Though that doesn’t matter right now. Just a relief that Thrawn apparently gave Lord Vader no reasons for, hm, dislike. Gh. Best not to think about imaginary scenarios. And probably false or exaggerated imperial militery gossip that Vanto's almost forgotten over the last year.
"Alright?"
He asks. Apropos possible back rub.
I'll bet there is
Thrawn stands by what he deducted about the Sith's connection to his old Jedi ally, though.
At Eli's insistence, he turns around and allows Eli access to his back. "Alright."
no subject
"I- I didn't look at your neck, sir."
Please.
Still, it's such a relief to hear that Lord Vader didn't magically choke Thrawn half to death that Eli can't help but scoot closer and... well, back rubbing can wait a second or two.
First, he just grabs Thrawn's hand gently, hoping to communicate his concern and relief and please don't antagonise THEM wordlessly. Them. Lord Vader and the Emperor.
There aren't many drunken rumours about the Emperor.
Which is even more frightening.
"People say - not any people I know, obviously - that it's hard to reason with Lord Vader. Even you probably shouldn't try reasoning with him, sir. Just do whatever he wishes when you meet him. Give him whatever he wishes. It's probably not that hard. After all, Lord Vader listens to the Emperor."
Whew. Alright, Vanto hopes he hasn't said too much. He's not even drunk, so no plausible denial there, either.
Though it's fine. Because he's talking to Thrawn. Who won't rat him out. He knows that.
Okay, time for... wait. He hasn't thought that back rubbing stuff through.
"More to the left or more to the right?" Eli asks, slightly sheepish, while placing his hand tentatively on Thrawn's back, somewhere in the middle of it. The back isn't as cold as Eli Vanto imagined. Well, duh. The Chiss aren't lizards, he thinks, mentally chiding himself for too much imagination in unnecessary subjects. Thrawn was a normal person. Physically speaking.
no subject
Thrawn's quite sure he could kill Vader if he felt the need, having already thought up multiple ways to do so. Having Rukh sabotage his suit, for example.
"A little to the left, if you please."
On mobile so won't use small font
"Good. Don't antagonise him, ever. Damn. I certainly wouldn't be able to defend you from Lord Vader. I don't know anybody who could, no matter what methods I'd try to use."
Should he give it some thought? How to rescue Thrawn from Lord Vader with no casualties if Thrawn talks back to the man and-
Okay, this is just crazy thinking now, Vanto decides, so let's never talk of Vader again. Ever again.
Left, huh? Fine, let's start there, with some massaging. Admittedly, Eli's not an expert in that, but hopefully he'll make do.
Thrawn has some good, well defined muscles while not being too buff, Eli thinks idly. Of course he knew that already, but it's different seeing that so up close.
"I think we should spar again, before this place probably somehow transports us back home. You can tell me how much progress I've made, after."
Ha. Eli's quite confident he's made some. Even a little counts, doesn't it?
Home, huh? Where even was that? Eli Vanto probably no longer had a stable home, strictly speaking. But somehow that currently didn't seem like any too much of ahardship to him. Home was - maybe just doing what was worth doing could be considered feeling at home. Wherever he should be. For a purpose.
Great, so now he was nomadic?
Strange. But not unnerving, though he's not certain why.
He smiles and continues the massage.
He wonders whether Thrawn ever gets itchy.
no subject
He closes his eyes and lets himself enjoy the massage, feeling Eli's deft fingers on his muscles, without any clothing in between them. Already he can feel himself loosen up.
"Yes... right there."
I've gotta make more Eli icons
"There? Okay. I'm not as good at this as you are, but if there are any other places on you I can touch, just tell me. Otherwise I can make a mistake."
And gets to massaging there. Then his brain catches up to what he misspoke and-- no, Thrawn hopefully won't scorn him for a simple
freudianslip.But the slip did happen, so Eli decides to, just in case, never again tell Mitth'raw'nuruodo how handsome or well built he is. Because then the man would definitely be clever enough to catch that slip.
For now, maybe there's plausible deniability. Or not. Maybe Eli is doomed.
So, currently possibly doomed, he's going to try and get better at massage and kneading, at least. Some merchants and smugglers say that if a day might be your last day, you should put a year of everything into such a day.
Eli could snort at that. He would never move that fast, that ain't possible. A year is a lot.
Anyway. Massage. He might be getting better? Although he'll wait for Thrawn's opinion on that after he's done. He's not in a hurry. Eli just wants them both to be content, if only for a moment. That can't be taken for granted when clouds are gathering.
"And then up or down your back?" Eli asks almost quietly, in Cheunh.
If his Cheunh still sounds weird, his formerly commanding officer can tell him, he can always switch to basic or sy bisti. It's nice, actually, in a way, having different languages for different things. It's like in various known cultures there are different signs for numbers and also different systems of counting, in a way. Or how people who default to seven day weeks think of time a bit differently than those for whom tendays are natural. Or thirty day weeks. Depending on what sun there is and how far.
He doesn't ask if the Chiss are ticklish, because he's already recovered from the wintery ride.
no subject
He almost melts into Eli's hands, feeling the tension loosen up as Eli works. Inexperienced he may be at this, Eli's a fast learner and so far he hasn't do anything that Thrawn doesn't like.
"Up, please. Close to my neck." He replies in Cheunh.
My, in victorian times that could be a scandal. Kissed his neck. 😆
He wants Thrawn to know, right now. Okay, maybe not right now. In a few days, perhaps, if Thrawn wants to know. Thrawn can always read up on the myth if curious, after all.
Breathe. Calm yourself, don't blush - Eli Vanto thinks.
Neck, huh? Eli can do that. Hopefully well enough.
He's also as gentle about it as he can be. It's Thrawn's neck, after all.
Breath hitching slightly, Eli Vanto utters, "Have you ever heard of the myth of Romeo and Juliet? It's not a story that had to end so pathetically, if only Romeo and Juliet made better, more clandestine plans. And I'm not saying they should deny their needs. Just hide their actions and not wish for anything official. And if it's real, there is no shame in hiding. They could meet sometimes and still stay alive."
There. He said it. That he was attracted and that nobody except Thrawn was ever going to find out about it, so it wasn't a danger to their careers, either of them.
Unless Thrawn didn't know myths from Wild Space. Which he might or might not know.
Eli decides that that's just stupid. Enough. As far as Eli Vanto's concerned, he's confessed. Whether there is ever a response or not.
Slightly giddy, he leans closer and kisses Thrawn's neck. Only very quickly. And if anybody asks, there can still be a way to deny everything. Because in some cultures even brothers can do something like that.
Though he's not Thrawn's brother, so maybe there's no plausible deniability. Kriffing....
At least that was just a quick peck on his neck. If anything, he can say it never happened.
"I... I was probably too bold. And a bit out of line. I'm sorry," Eli mutters, in Sy Bisti, quickly and then continues touching Thrawn's neck gently with his hands and not anything else.
Eli blushes. If Thrawn asks right now, Eli Vanto might just deny being into him or whatever one could call that.
He's already confessed, after all, enough so that the other man will receive the message if so desired.
If not so desired.... nothing more can ever be said, as Eli would rather deny all unnecessary urges than ever lose a fraction of Thrawn's respect towards him.
And does one massage a neck, again? Going with one's fingers in circles, right? He's heard about that in some questionable clubs back home, at least.
(Eli Vanto was not a virgin, obviously. But it all happened before military academy - before first military academy.)
Okay. So, massaging in circles.
Practically a scandal in Chiss culture too
Thrawn lets out a soft gasp at the feel of lips on his neck, Eli's action taking him by surprise.
Looking over his shoulder, Thrawn gives Eli a slight smirk. To one whose facial expressions are normally so subtle, he's practically grinning in giddy delight at Eli.
"Kiss me there again."
Heh. 😆 It IS a cautionary tale in the original, people just romanticised it over years
Eli tries not to get flustered.
Of course Thrawn had seen artwork. Subconsciously Eli had counted on just that. He realises that now.
Is that moronic or what? But he finds it hard to care too much. His subconscious never did any irreparable damage yet, after all. It's all going well and good. Possibly.
He smiles slightly.
And whispers, "Only if you can promise that it won't kill my career and my friendship with you. I don't want to get fired just because I'm...maybe...just maybe, you see, maybe attracted... to some smart alec whom I trust with my career and my freedom for no logical reason."
But maybe that's just words, because he kisses Thrawn's neck again, and then waits for a second or two, almost holding breath. Also, Eli's barely even noticed that he's said it all in cheunh. Except the smart alec part, that part was in basic, not sorry, as he has no idea how one would say that in Cheunh. (One probably wouldn't.)
Eli almost sighs. They're in the hot springs, maybe he can later just drown Thrawn and himself out of embarassment. (He wouldn't.)
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He leans his neck forward, to give Eli more skin to kiss, relishing the feel of his lips on him. Eli's lips are nice and soft, no doubt thanks to the steam offsetting any potential chapping from the cold earlier. Eli has always had a rather pretty mouth.
Thrawn finds himself wanting nothing more than to turn around and pull Eli in, claim those lips for himself.
Dreamwidth almost ate my comment. If it did, no way I'm writing it qgain till tomorrow. But it didn.
Stupid. Such dreams, rare as they were back then, were utterly moronic. It was different now...
Eli closes his eyes, completely vulnerable now, and wonders what to do. Then, without asking, he embraces Thrawn from behind. He wants to hold him close, to never let go. He'd never dreamt of that yet - perhaps even his subconscious could never dare. Hugging a commanding officer? Preposterous.
He hopes Thrawn hasn't got any qualms with suddenly getting embraced.
"You're weird, but you're beautiful. And you can... do whatever you want to my body today, you know you can",
Eli says, a bit sheepish, and adds] "and, er, to be frank, about your beauty, I always knew that goes both for your body and your mind. I had once thought that it's because I don't know where you come from - but I've been there now, and that's not the case. I had once thought that you're simply exotic in my eyes and that held me back, too. If I still thought like that, I would never try to embrace you, no matter how much I longed to do it.
[He hopes Thrawn's not offended. There are 'exotic alien fuckers' in the Empire but, coming from the Wild Space, Eli always found such kink a bit offensive and had long decided to never, for example, sleep with a random twi'lek, or a random pandoran or, later, in the last month of the academy... he firmly decided not to sleep with a chiss no matter how unique the experience could perhaps prove to be. Eli was NOT an exotic alien fucker. Even if that sounded hot, he had long decided that that didn'tsound too respectful and Eli felt he could never bed a partner he wouldn't respect even a little. Even for one night.
"There are," Eli says, wondering if he could kiss Thrawn anywhere right now, "fairytales in which the knight leaves his heart - not the biological one, maybe the better word is, the soul, some mystic energy of life - in the hands of the princess. As long as the princess cares for the heart, the knight will never die. He's immortal. Which is great, because he can now go defeat evil monsters. And even if he never meets the princess again, the fact that he's alive means that so is she - otherwise surely somebody would steal and stab his heart already. When I was six years old, I thought this level of trust was humanly impossible."
Eli doesn't think so anymore. If souls could be shared like this, he...
"I'd give you a piece of soul. No, maybe even all of it. I know it would be safe. Safer even than with any fairytale princess. You'd never let any enemy steal it. So I would be immortal. I heard such fairytales when I was five or seven years old... honestly, it's your diary entry's fault that I remember it now."
Eli laughs a little, and then...
He moans slightly, realising that he's suddenly close to getting a boner. Even though nothing happened yet, besides kisses and hugs.
He's a bit mortified.
To divert attention, Eli says,
"No, truth is, I've already given you my soul, maybe. And I trust you're keeping it safe. Maybe in some protected treasure chest on a bottom of a mystical lake protected by a spell, that's how the princesses do it in myths, at least."
Pft.
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The Chiss would consider Thrawn an oddball for finding an alien attractive, even one who looks close enough to a Chiss. Some might even label him a deviant. Thrawn only cares about Eli's opinion on the matter, and Eli clearly likes him.
"Whether you give me a part or all of your soul, it will be kept safe with me. As for you, you already held my words in your hands, from the day we met. I trusted you utterly, and have shown that I was right to do so."
Ooc: Same mun, alternate account, too lazy to switch accounts rn if that's ok. /ooc 1/2
blushesand says, deciding. he might as well be bolder,"Thanks. That means a lot. Can I tell you a secret? I like your eyes. I could look into them for a long time wondering just what the heck you're thinking. Maybe I'm just a slow learner?"
And then, after taking a deep breath, Eli Vanto says,
"Kiss me. Like it's a first kiss. Pretend if you want, just make it real for me."
An oxymoron? Who cares.
Of course they've both kissed other people before, they're not children, but Eli Vanto wants this, whatever 'this' is, to feel special.
And after all, if anybody can make anything real, surely it's Thrawn.
Eli Vanto closes his eyes, waiting with a bated breath, allowing himself full vulnerability in this moment. Even though being vulnerable isn'tso easy. But this is just some hot springs on, surely, some planet so distant that who knows if anybody anywhere knows it exists, so maybe, just maybe, it's alright to be slightly vulnerable and open here. With one's cherished ally - no. With one's cherished friend. When did friendship happen? That'd be a stupid question, Eli supposes. Like asking when does young man become an adult. Or any other such questions.
2/2
He decides not to say anything more while waiting for a kiss. And perhaps he should have checked if kissing can be casual or not in Thrawn's culture, but he had been far too busy and socially not too welcome by some in his time in the Chiss Ascendency to be bothered to check. It would've been fraternisation, anyway, with anybody with whom Eli would even want to.
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Eli: feelings are algorythms. There, no reason to be embarassed.(He's a dork, people))
That's okay, Thrawn's a dork too
Re: That's okay, Thrawn's a dork too
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