❪ event ❫ khalo? can you hear me?

[natha]

In normal circumstances, this would have been near the time in which you're called upon to greet the newly awakened. Unfortunately, I speak to you to inform that we must postpone that — there is trouble on your horizon. What, I cannot see for sure. We shall continue to monitor the situation, however — we - ... we — [feed cuts off.] OLYMPIAN PRESERVATION     The city of Olympia is preparing the send-off of its most prized artifact: the heart of the ancient dragon, Ysverai. In doing this, they've transformed the palace court into an exhibition detailing the centuries-old war between Wyver and Olympia. Sculptures of Nithor the Exalted and his men and women in clean, white marble, while their armors are polished in perfect gold. Among Nithor are the sculptures of stallions in all shapes and sizes that also aided in the great war. Further in the exhibition, one may also find other artifacts of much older weaponry, rusted by its time in the earth, and items found from a time when humans feared the dragons. The Royal Guard has increased its numbers in wake of such a public event, particularly because the heart will be in display also. The heart is not what one might expect it to be: about the size of an average human, the heart's core is surrounded in stone, a red glow emitting from its still beating core. If that were not unsettling enough, one might also find that lingering around this particular exhibit will have undue affects on one's inhibitions. You'll notice your heart has fallen into sync with the organ, and your more selfish desires will come forth. Things that have long been buried will rise up and place you in a state of unease, encouraging paranoia about your companions intentions. Allow it to fester, and one will carry this feeling with them long after you've left the scene. It's probably a good thing this is leaving Olympia — perhaps it's a source of so much conflict you've endured. It's easy to become mesmerized by all the historical artifacts that are present in Olympia's exhibition. Some even seem mystical or, like Ysverai’s heart, to hold unspeakable powers. Others are just a little eerie. Either way, Olympia prides itself in its generosity and their grand displays, and so refugees are urged to learn more about their artifacts by spending the night in Palace Court. Though, someone should probably mention that there are rumors of strange, almost occult things happening around these relics at night. People speak of armored soldiers casting shadows that have the ability to walk on their own, or gemstones that catch the moonlight in a certain way and show you visions. But those are just silly ghost stories, right? TALL TALES OF KHALO VILLAGE     Because of Khalo's proximity to Wyver, it's no surprise that they would catch wind of the peace talks between Wyver and Olympia. In response, for the first time in centuries, Khalo Village has willingly granted passage to outsiders — but visitors will immediately find out that one cannot just simply walk into the village. Visitors will need to inhale the smoke of a fyrra herb in order to enter the premises without falling into slumber. Khalo is notably different than what refugees are used to. Visitors, specifically refugees, will find that they are exceedingly accommodating. The Khali are very intrigued by the outsiders, thus they're treated with much respect and given instant access to some of the best lounges and fyrra the village has to offer. In exchange, the village is interested in hearing about your journey thus far. Whether it be through a conversation with another individual or the Khali themselves, they'll very likely to have been eavesdropping and recording the tales of their exploits. Why, exactly? Perhaps it will not be immediately clear, but if you happened upon a venasou, a tamed Khali creature, it may have guided you to their Enchanted Library. Upon entering the library, visitors will notice that it is quite the happening place — but not because it's occupied by the Khali, but because there seems to be an assembly of magical quills seemingly writing on their own. The quills are mostly undisturbed by the intrusion and will not stop writing even if parchment is taken from it; it will simply produce another piece of paper and continue its tales. If you happen to read the parchment, you may notice that there is a daunting similarity between your story and the ones being written here. Tales of Thesa birthing new races and sending them from the sky, for example, are very popular in Khalo Village. They mark July 15th as the day in which the Moon Goddess, Thesa, created more people in her image and brought them to El Nysa as saviors. The coincidences don't end there: specifics about your home world might be found in the writings if you search deeply enough — but it's not without its exaggerations. These stories are given all sorts of poetic and literary forms, from short stories to limericks, biographies to something similar to haiku. If asked, the Khali will inform visitors that the enchanted library has access to vague parts of your memories, and thus it is duty-bound to record. The Khali have not seen stories as strange as the ones being made by refugees, which is largely why they are interested in them. NOTE: This is entirely optional! You may make up your own "stories" (fanfiction) and it could be as accurate or inaccurate, or as serious or silly as you'd like. While tales of the Thesa's descendants are still being written, visitors of the Enchanted Library might find intrigue in the more complete works — KING AND KIN. If one is willing to delve deep, they may also find parts of Wyver's past that have been removed from their own archives. These pages will recount the tales of Shanrian and Rasyc. Though a lot of the narrative seems to divide at certain points in the story, it becomes obvious with some quick reading that Rasyc is not only the son of Shanrian, but that he glorifies the Wyver of old, more bloodthirsty and brutal than it is today. Unlike his father, he does not take kindly to Olympia and the threat they will always pose for their people. He has not forgotten Olympia's past sins and he believes that, in his foolish quest for peace, the king has gone soft and no longer possesses the real will to fight. His present voice in affairs of state is not a loud one, as he chooses to speak in whispers and move in the dead of silence. In these quiet murmurings, he boasts of his unwavering belief in the power and dignity of his people. Of how they should all return to what they once were — the kingdom, its citizens, and naturally the father who he had once admired greatly. Though perhaps it can be argued that any estranged son would wish the same. It's difficult to pinpoint what becomes political and what is and always will be more personal for him. But, it hardly matters. It's clear that Rasyc will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives, even if it means never returning to place he calls home. Even if it means turning his back on his own father, Shanrian, King of Wyver... DRAGONFIRE. While tales of the Thesa's descendants are still being written, visitors to the Enchanted Library might find intrigue in the more complete works. In particular, tales of Ysverai, the last of Wyver's great high dragons. Ysverai is most commonly known for being slain by Olympia’s past king and legendary hero, Nithor, but here in Khalo he is depicted in another light. Ysverai is known to the Khali people as a wise being, old as the first inhabitants that walked El Nysa. The creature spoke in the common tongue to the early settlers, guiding them to refuge when his kin began to dominate the land at the cost of its own isolation. It ultimately becomes a tale of sacrifice, for its stand with Nithor became a testament against the Olympian Empire's long reaching influence. At the bottom, there is a quotation: Your hearts will fill with greed and malice the moment my own stops beating. Take care in the Eye of the Storm. Find strength in one another, before it is too late. It seems to end there. Refugees are naturally allowed to question the natives. However, keep in mind that many of their replies will seem more like speculation than fact. But maybe that can be fun too? If you have no interest in the library and the tales they've woven, feel free to explore any of the other areas of interest. Khalo Village is thrilled to be open for you all. THOSE THAT SEEK PEACE, AND THOSE THAT SEEK --     The morning of the 20th is marked by fairly dismal weather. The sky is overcast and a downpour seems imminent. Regardless of the poor forecast, those who signed up to assist in this mission will be required to come early in order to receive their briefing. Members of Group A: ▸ Jon Snow (song_of_ice) ▸ Daenerys Targaryen (dorzalta) ▸ Loras Tyrell (triplerose) ▸ Terra (earthy) ▸ Alisaie Leveilleur (adelphoi) ▸ Solider: 76 (personalwar) ▸ Ardyn Izunia (daemonized) ▸ Mai(maipokerface) ▸ Olivier Armstrong (wallsofbriggs) ▸ Atsushi Nakajima (gekkajuu) Members of Group B: ▸ Kale (kaleorbekaled) ▸ Diana Prince (wondie) ▸ Pheonix Wright (objectionattourney) ▸ Revolver Ocelot (shashka) ▸ Frederick (pebblestone) ▸ John Sheppard (impavid ▸ Ianto Jones (torchwoodteaboy) ▸ Lena Oxton (quevarly) ▸ Allura (quintessent) Due to the rain, members of Group A will have to immediately stop by the checkpoint at the East Watchtower. Additionally, the Royal Guard and Knightryders are well-prepared with extra cloaks for those who may require it. They also will provide basic refreshments such as water and bread. People are encouraged to take what they need prior to their departure on this mission. The checkpoints are a bit far between, after all. Members of the envoy will also be encouraged to utilize this time to become familiar with one another. Maybe some introductions are in order? You never know who will end up having your back... For both groups, the paths will be relatively straightforward with evenly spaced checkpoints along the way. The only issue seems to be the downpour, really. The rain is unforgiving and the roads easily become unstable and increasingly difficult for the carriage to be drawn through. Hence, there may be more than one occasion where you will be expected to lend a hand in prying out its wheels from a particularly pesky (and muddy) pothole. Or perhaps you will be called upon by a fellow guard to assist in getting a particularly stubborn creature out of the path ahead of you. Seems like it may be a longer journey than you expected. Dirtier, too. While weathering the conditions may have been a bit tiring, this journey isn't too bad, right? Well, maybe not. GROUP A. Once the carriage gets through the worst of the terrain and finally manages to depart from the watchtower, it won't be long until the group is met with a physical roadblock. A large tree trunk will be set down the center of the road, acting as a blockade. But, before the group can react or begin crafting a plan around this obstruction, the carriage will be attacked without warning. At first, it's unclear where the attack comes from or from whom, but you don't have the leisure to deliberate this. You hear one of your fellow guards mention something about bandits frequenting these parts, but maybe there's more to it? Either way, your task is clear: protect the artifact, Nithor's skull, and fight the bandits off. You'll be encouraged to try and capture them so that they may later be turned and questioned by the authorities. GROUP B. With clear motives to restock and collect a few more materials for the carriage, it's evident that the envoy will appear restless to arrive at the second checkpoint. However, despite their unspoken delight at seeing the South Outpost from a distance, it's clear something has gone awry. There will be several hooded figures awaiting them right where the mud path meets the cobblestone of the Outpost's road. Soon, several more of these figures will come to flank them from both sides. While they seem like bandits, at least from their physical appearance, there is something far more polished in their movements. They will be attacking the envoy in concise, practiced formations. For those who are more perceptive, it becomes obvious that they are moving around and acting as decoy to one central figure. This member is likely the "leader" of their group, but no matter how one may try to close the distance between themselves and this mysterious leader, someone will constantly get in the way of that. The fighting also seems to act as a distraction since by the time everything is cleared up... only two things are missing. The leader of this group of bandits and more importantly — Ysverai's heart. NOTE: Those RNG'd to thread out the capture and questioning of the bandits will have starters below. For everyone else that signed up, you will still have the opportunity to capture the assailants even though they were not selected to thread the interrogation; you are free to make up your NPCs with the same basic guideline: they will not reveal their motive or their organization. You may turn them in to authorities (Wyver or Olympia or otherwise) or find creative ways to get rid of them. FINAL OOC NOTE     To reiterate: you may use this log as a general mingle for everything from the May Outline, including all Khalo Village activities. In other words, your top-levels don't necessarily have to be related to the prompts written here. An AC-eligible thread in which your character participates in anything mentioned in the May Outline and/or Khalo Village location page may be submitted for 2 REP POINT FOR EITHER OLYMPIA OR WYVER. SUBMIT THE THREAD FOR OLYMPIA OR WYVER HERE OR HERE RESPECTIVELY BY June 10th 11:59 PM EST. For those who participated in this month's plot-related portion, to receive IC recognition for it, a summary of the thread must be submitted HERE by June 8th 11:59 PM EST. Please direct all queries to the question thread below. Thank you, and have fun! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs ● bestiary taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp ● quest bulletin calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

Comments

[willrevile]

Speaking of good friendships, [ surely Peter knows where this is going, ] I heard you had some flattering things to say about me on the network.

[ No comment from the peanut gallery at the time, because Jim flat out doesn't use the thing very much - just skims for relevant information concerning the state of the planet and the Natha - but he does comb through his missed backlog every so often. ]

Hopefully I haven't done anything terminally embarrassing between then and now to put you off my company.

[rosebyanyother]

Oh, you did see that. [Peter laughs, and it's an entirely unashamed sound. Which probably shouldn't be much of a surprise, given how unashamed he was to offer the information up over the network anyway. It's a low, warm chuckle, and his smile is just a little bit mischievous now. But only a little.] I'm glad it wasn't for nothing, then.

[He cocks his head a little at the second part of that, amused.]

I certainly can't think of anything. But if you have anything to share...

[Teasing.]

[willrevile]

[ Indeed, Jim hasn't mentally linked this man to the concept of 'shame' in any way. Which is just fine with him - carefree liaisons suit him better than anything else, and Alexander seems plenty on board. ]

I did walk into a door the other week. But I don't think anyone saw it, and arguably, it wasn't my fault. I'm used to doors opening on their own.

[ #thestruggle ]

Completely smooth and above board besides that, though. [ Oh my god. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[Peter is so completely on board for anything carefree and noncommittal, when it comes to these sorts of relationships.

He leans a little bit more solidly into Jim now, for no good reason other than he wants to. Peter has a certain fondness for the man, and the fyrra's influence seems to soften him. Well, in some ways. In any event.]

Well, if it's only that, I think I can find it in my heart to look past it. And of course I trust you in saying it was only that one thing.

[Of course. He turns his head a bit to observe Jim curiously.]

So, you came from a relatively advanced world, then? If you are so used to automatic doors.

[willrevile]

I appreciate that. [ He appreciates that closeness, too, and Jim shifts to better accommodate it - lucky these pillows are good for this sort of mingled lounging around. One hand is between them, knuckles pressed near the other man's knee; considering moving to splay his palm out entirely, perhaps, if welcome. ]

Compared to - here - [ on the planet, he means, though the station's a bit outdated for him, too, ] yeah. I work in space.

[ Dear potential native eavesdroppers, that could mean anything, they're high as balls. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[Luckily, Peter's brain catches up a few moments later. He wouldn't normally be so clumsy, but yes. He is a little...distracted. And they are a little public, though he's not sure how much attention anyone is paying them. Still.

He leans over now to put his lips very close to Jim's ear.]

I've spent my fair share of time out in space. We should chat about it later.

[The actual words he's saying are common place - well, relatively - but the way Peter says them is with a low purr.]

[willrevile]

Later like after we duck behind a veil or a door or something? [ The smile is obvious in Jim's voice, not pulling away, and speaking quiet enough to match him - he doesn't purr, he's not got a seductive bone(r) in his body, but at least he's consistent with his easy-going temperament.

A pause, and, in the same almost-a-whisper, ]

I'm trying to think of a good 'make you see stars' line that works.

[ PLEASE DON'T. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[Normally, that terrible statement would likely have Peter sighing indulgently - not put off, necessarily, because look, he doesn't really mind train wrecks - but in this moment, he just pauses to let that statement sink in and...

devolves into laughing. There's a faintly helpless quality to it.

It goes on for at least 30 seconds before he manages to get a hold of himself and in the meantime, his chin rests on Jim's shoulder.

When he stops, finally, he doesn't pull away. His voice is still low, but not as seductive.]

I'm eager to see you try.

[...Try to come up with a good line, or try to make him see stars?

Yes. The answer is yes.]

[willrevile]

[ The reaction delights Jim, because he's one of those 'if you can't laugh about hooking up then your life is horrible and joyless and I don't want to fuck you all that much' types, and he grins against the other man, hand firmly on his thigh by now. ]

I'm all about hard work.

[ 'Trying', right? Not a boner joke? Whatever, moving on. Jim tilts his head, nose brushing against Alexander's cheekbone, and nudges him into a kiss. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[Ah. Peter easily melts into the kiss even as he grins about Jim's last comment.

It feels...even better than he would have expected. Generally, it takes a little more work, but already he's sighing a little against Jim's lips. His hand comes up to brush softly against his cheek, and then pull him in a little more firmly.

This is good.]

[willrevile]

[ Jim kisses slow, like he's savoring it, in no rush to try and impress - enjoying lazy hedonism instead. Enjoying feeling someone new, as well; he opens his mouth but doesn't shove his tongue anywhere over-quickly, just continues on with that slow pace, seeing what the other man likes, seeing which angle feels the best against each other.

It's both relaxing and exciting. Falling into familiar patterns, knowing he's good at this (well, you know, at least mostly positive reviews on imaginary bone zone Yelp, whatever), feeling like his old self. But electrifying too, because it's someone new, and because of the drug he's taken, warming him. Heightening that giddy sensation is the knowledge that Alexander's taken it, too, though he's not sure why that's a factor in his lust-addled brain. Sharing the moment, maybe. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[Slow works for Peter.

The thing is, he's extremely mutable in his preferences when it comes to all this. Which isn't to say that he doesn't have likes or dislikes. Just that especially when he's feeling partial towards someone, their preferences are mostly adopted as his. For the time being. It's an easy way to make them happy and (hopefully) to like him a bit better.

(There are certainly other times when he exhibits strong tendencies of his own. His flexibility is not always a given.)

So. Slow works for him. He hums against Jim's lips, a sound of warm contentment. When his lips part, Peter responds in kind. Peter is maybe slightly quicker to start using his tongue, but it's nothing like aggressive. Small little licks, more exploratory than anything. Though he also can't seem to resist taking Jim's lip between his teeth very gently and dragging it slowly across them.

He also, at some point, leans back a little more against the cushions, tugging at Jim so that he's almost, but not quite, on top of him. They're not lying down yet. But it's a little closer.]

[willrevile]

[ Ah, the puzzlebox of when two very accommodating people attempt to accommodate each other. Jim seems to intuit that's what's going on a few minutes into the slow build of making out, and grins against the other man's mouth.

What, it's funny. And cute, if you're into things being cute.

Close to lying down, becoming comfortably entangled, he sets gentle teeth on Alexander's jawline before he raises his head, tossing hair out of his eyes. ]

What would you like?

[ Jim's not inherently submissive - an easy-going switch, if there's a term. But more than capable of taking things aggressively in hand if a partner wants it that way. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[They're well-matched, in the sense of being easy-going. Peter's ~persona~ (at least as he understands himself) is debonair, dashing. Which means that he leans generally very faintly towards being in control. But not decisively. He's as happy being manhandled as he is being the one to do some pushing about.

And you know, Jim had made that joke about seeing stars. And sometimes, just sometimes, it's pleasant not to be the one calling all the shots.

Jim really does have the most striking eyes. Not that he hasn't noticed before, but it's especially obvious with the way the man is looking up at him. Peter reaches down to help him with that 'getting his hair out of his eyes business', smiling lazily.]

Do you know, I wouldn't mind you having your way with me.

[It's said with hooded eyes and all. Peter may very well think of himself as something like James Bond - if he...knew who James Bond was - but he does play the homme fatale beautifully.]

[willrevile]

[ Jim is all transparency, when it comes to sex. He's in it to have a good time, no matter what role that means. (More often than not, though, he's somewhat dominant; people don't hook up with starship captains expecting anything else, generally. And since he likes making people happy, well--)

He grins at the other man, tilts his head into that touch. ]

I can definitely handle that.

[ Peter Alexander is indeed very pretty, very seductive. Jim appreciates it. He appreciates his sense of humor more, though, because he's That Guy. Jim bumps their noses together, still smiling, and kisses him again. He has a hand at his side, searching for gaps in pieces of clothing to find the skin of his ribcage, his touch confident and warm. ]

[rosebyanyother]

["Playful" isn't something Peter is often on the receiving end of, and yet he's finding that he doesn't dislike it at all. Maybe it is the drugs. When Jim bumps their noses together, another laugh bubbles up from Peter, only to be swallowed up in the kiss.

Though it shortly turns into another warm hum as Jim's hand finds its way beneath his shirt. He arches a little bit into the touch and curls the fingers of both hands into Jim's hair at the back of his head.]

[willrevile]

[ Life's too short not to have fun.

Jim likes that hold in his hair, and shows his appreciation by pushing into the kiss, turning up the heat on the passion in it, continuing to touch him. Deft fingers find the indents of his musculature, the edges of his ribs, makes a small side missing of teasing the bud of his nipple. Until it gets heated enough that his attention begins to shift to wanting more, further-- and Jim backs off, tossing hair out of his eyes.

He flashes a smile at him, and sits up, tugging the other man with him.

Somewhere just a little more secluded, he thinks. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[By the time Jim starts to pull away, Peter isn't just arching into his hand, he's pressing. The path of his fingers feels overly warm in a way that sinks into Peter's skin in the most pleasant way possible. The first time Jim's fingers brush over his nipple? He tugs him sharply downward, even further and more firmly into the kiss and he's almost a little ashamed at how quickly it happens but his hips...definitely briefly buck upwards. It doesn't feel as intense after that first moment but ah.

Jim pulls away and pulls Peter up. Peter takes it one step further by rising to his knees, curling over Jim. Hands frame his partner's face as he insistently and deeply kisses him. He might have asked to be swept off his feet, but...well, he can't help it if a little bit of his own commanding personality shines through. Peter is never going to be particularly passive, or even wholly submissive. When he pulls away:]

I believe I heard talk of more private accommodations towards the back.

[He's just assuming that's why they've stopped.]

[willrevile]

[ Jim's reaction to the other man chasing after contact is a positive one; he smiles, nearly-neon eyes alight with intrigue and approval. Good, he likes that. ]

Yep, [ he says amiably, and stands up, snagging Alexander's hand to pull him up and along with him.

When in Rome is fine for most things, and he has no moral objections to carrying on right here, but Jim figures-- well, he signed up to be on the Coalition, and all. Fucking in public is probably a bit much. Once they're in the appropriate spot, Jim kisses him - then pushes him back onto the luxurious cushions, still playful, and maybe a little challenging, too. Getting right back into it, though, whether or not Alexander decides to wrestle back, determined to get clothes off and get his mouth where fingers were playing moments before. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[No wrestling, really, although Peter's hands snag quickly - very quickly, in fact - into Jim's clothes as he gracefully falls back into the cushions. Of course, it's unlikely that Jim wasn't about to come down with him anyway. But he tugs to make sure it happens.

Also it seems like he might be attempting to distract him from his task a little, which is...counterproductive? Maybe? But it's fun. Planting small kisses along his jaw and down his neck.]

[willrevile]

[ He laughs as they topple over, and stays smiling as they work on getting undressed - bit by bit, with Jim allowing himself to be distracted now and again. Though he does nip at Alexander's fingers once. Omnom piranha.

Another application of teeth: determining just how tightly pebbled he can get the other man's nipples, if he likes the sharp feeling of biting gently there. He's touchy and wholly comfortable with everything he's doing, peeling away clothes, kissing every newly exposed area of skin.

Jim's own skin is remarkably clear for someone who leads a life in an active military field, but medical science is a hell of a thing. There are old, faded scars, some of them oddlooking, partially nearly-vanished. A few patches of almost-sunburn, thanks to the beach. Space pale boys have a rough time. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[Peter's skin is almost flawless. Medical science really is a hell of a thing. Not a scar in sight...which is impressive. Especially considering just how dangerous his line of work can be. But he's had friends in high places. Some of those places have involved expert medical care.

On the application of teeth: yes. The first time Jim tries is a lot like the first time he touched there, only a sharper reaction. Peter gasps sharply. One of his hands has been roaming down Jim's newly exposed back as he leans upward a little to kiss his shoulder.

...His nails rake a little. Not enough to really hurt, but enough to leave a short red trail in their wake. Oops.]

[willrevile]

[ Oooo, that's very interesting. Perfect smooth skin and that reaction to some bitey action is actually giant neon sign levels of interesting, and Jim is all too happy to go about worrying a mark onto that skin. Just along the curve of his pectoral, and of course it's not anything that'll scar, it's just a hickey. (You know, in case Alexander thought Jim was in any way classy.)

The nails on his back feel good, little bit of an edge and contrast in sensation. He makes a please sound and lets his hips rolls against where they're pressed together, the obvious feeling of his erection against the other man's thigh. ]

[rosebyanyother]

[Well, if that's what some scratching earns him, then Peter is going to keep doing it. Deliberate and slow, while Jim does his best to leave a mark.

Peter's head is thrown back a bit, a breathless chuckle leaving his lips. It's just very deliberate as well, the usage of his teeth. Languidly, he draws one leg up, his foot dragging against Jim's leg until he can wrap it around his waist. Trapping him a bit.]

You like leaving souvenirs, hmm?

[...His voice would be a purr, but it's a little on the breathless side too.]

[willrevile]

[ Jim'll never be into outright pain, but one of the reasons he likes sex so much is the overwhelming intensity of it. So hell yeah, he likes that contrast, and doesn't at all mind fingernails on his back. (Though if he draws blood and starts trying to scrape in demonic symbols or something, then they'll have words.) ]

I like, [ and Jim exhales, a hiss through his teeth, feeling the burning threads along his back, ] feeling things.

[ He looks up, eyes bright, a little dilated. ] And making sure you do. [ One hand slips up as he talks, stroking along his chest, fingertips finding that red mark. ]