❪ event ❫ what is the storm—?

[natha]

What is the storm —?     The sky is falling. The moon draws closer, visibly now. Whether you've found out from Nurray, or somewhere else, everyone now knows that in about a week, Thesa will collide with El Nysa. However, not all is lost - Nurray has a plan. Old technology is being powered by the storm somehow, giving the developers in Nadril the means they need to create a device capable of jumping back into the past. The device can only transport to one singular point in time per activation, but passing through is a better chance for safety than remaining. As long as you're in Nadril you'll make it, which is why she'll urge everyone to try to get all their business done and travel back north. At first, it was a mere atmospheric pressure drop. Headaches, a sense of dread in the gut, and a chill that would not be quelled drifted over all of El Nysa's inhabitants. And then the days grew shorter. By hours at a time, until there was nothing left but night. Still lit with stars, people turned to Thesa, to their scholars, to their shamans for answers. None came, only exploding lights in the sky. One by one, stars began to burst, like the grimmest of fireworks. For one dreadful night, the sky was alight once more with the death of the surrounding galaxy as thousands of stars extinguished in a blaze. And then came the lightning, low hanging clouds and whipping wind that howls at all hours. It brings with it calamity, beasts and fog and a reality shattering effect that progresses ever closer. Against these unstoppable odds, the people of Nysa are finally united - desperate, and determined to preserve their homeland. IN WYVER     The life that imbues the jungle town has gone still. Animals do not seek shelter - they simply lay forlorn, lethargic and unresponsive to even their dearest handlers. The wild creatures are no different, with predator and prey supping from the same stream, seemingly resigned. Once vibrant plant life droops, blotted into obscurity by the darkness that surrounds. Only the people of this great kingdom remain lively, though their actions are fueled by desperation, than valor. A rally cry rings out over Wyver, even to Olympia, begging anyone who is able to fight. Beasts no one has ever seen before have begun to attack, roaming the city and the lands surrounding as if it is their hunting ground. These creatures are cobbled together from the many worlds the storm has consumed - perhaps your own included. They could bear familiar technology, animal features, or even a loved one's visage. No matter their composition, they are always amalgamous, and always crazed. The valiant warriors fighting these creatures have more to worry about than just the monsters. Their own bodies may become entangled and fused - an effect that only wears off when one retreats from the storm's epicenter. Specters also drift through the onslaught, oddly peaceful compared to the frenzy surrounding. They are wholly composed people, memories from planets devoured. Someone you know, perhaps, stuck in a loop - the same five minutes - for hours before fading away. They cannot be killed, doing so will simply reset the loop; they will vanish on their own, as mysteriously as they came. I. THE FRONTLINES Wyver might not be able to fully understand exactly what is happening, but they've already assigned a task force to combat these apparitions that have begun plaguing the jungle Kingdom. But the Storm is sentient; it has always gathered what it's known of the habitants of the universes the Storm has swallowed. And as it begins to unravel El Nysa, it will begin to learn of your time here — yes, it knows that you are trying to stop the Storm from happening, somehow. It knows you're looking to fight you way back north, and it simply cannot let that happen. After all, El Nysa is an anomaly created by Darma. All of its inhabitants, organisms, and even existence were not supposed to be. The apparitions start off monstrous at first, taking forms of ghostly bestiaries. Your weapons won't do much to get rid of them — they will disappear, but only temporarily, until they come back. Each time, more evolved than the last — until it's able to take on the form of someone who has left you, someone who has returned to the stasis chambers in Thesa, awaiting to be devoured by the Storm. Your partner will likely be doing the same, haunted by images of their loved ones of the past — and there is a possibility that as you fight along with your partner, that these apparitions will combine into ghastly, wretched creatures, serving no other purpose than to spook you into submission. They will fight you, embrace you, and seduce you into staying. "Let the Storm take care of this," they'd stay — "You've got it all wrong. You and that Witch had it all so, so wrong." Will you make it out of Wyver, or will you let the Storm take you? IN OLYMPIA     All of Olympia is awash in fog. It creeps in around each and every corner, so thick it is almost difficult to breathe, and even more difficult to see. You can hear the panicked citizens all around you, although through the fog, their shapes are indistinct and almost menacing. A family fleeing from something might look like a quick-moving, multi-headed monster, or perhaps a lone man hauling his belongings to safety on his back might appear to be an imposing creature with wicked claws. And then, of course, there are the figures that look achingly familiar to you, like someone you've lost or care for deeply… but then, when you catch up to them, they vanish, only to call out for you from somewhere further in the city. Tread carefully — with your impaired vision, it would be all too easy to inadvertently wind up injured. Of course, this isn't solely due to the hazards obscured by the mist, although that is certainly part of it. The fog has a quality to it that serves to amplify the desires and lower the inhibitions of everyone exposed to it. II. SILENT HILL Similarly, Olympia isn't properly equipped to deal with a crisis like this. Wars, they are certainly accustomed to — but when their very own land is indiscriminately being torn apart by alien forces, it is uncertain to know for sure what they can do. Word from Nadril is that the inhabitants up north has opened its gates for everyone to enter — this is news to Olympia, but they do not hesitate to migrate to the chilly gates regardless. The first obstacle, of course, is to find a way out of Olympia. The fog is debilitating, but you may not immediately notice it. It starts small. A spark of annoyance at getting cut off by someone you barely saw coming might twist itseful up in you until it becomes unbridled rage. Simple fear becomes indescribable terror, and of course, people are at their worst when they are acting on fear. If what you want is an escape, you may find yourself willing and able to do things you simply could not fathom in order to get out of there. If what you want is riches… well, there is plenty of wealth ripe for the taking, should you simply ambush someone fleeing or break into their homes. The longer you spend in the fog, the more difficult it will become to fight back these urges. If the fear doesn't completely paralyze you, you may find that there is a rather unconventional yet risky way of alleviating this ailment -- which might require someone you trust. The thing is, upon holding someone, all of your fears will be transferred unto that person. It will then be your duty, then, to escort them out of the fog before your fears start to completely deteriorate your ally's psyche. Move quickly, or you may both be crumbled by the weight of this Storm and its fog. IN NADRIL     The journey north is treacherous, but not without its own rewards. Nadril is marked by a storm that is raging at the territory's edge, as if the forces of nature are attempting to do away with the border itself. Strangely, the storm seems to be stopped by the borders — electricity crackles in midair as snow and ice whip about, disintegrating when they touch what seems to be an invisible dome sheltering the area. Inside, the weather is even stranger. The iced-over lakes have begun to thaw, and it is warmer and brighter than anyone here can recall it ever being — almost as if it is summer near the Olympia-Wyver border, not the dead of winter near the northernmost part of the isles. There is an almost palpable level of unease as those who live here full-time attempt to adapt to their new climate. Everyone is working, however. At the center of Nadril is what they all hope will be a solution to their problems: they claim it is a time machine, and that they have tested it through simulations and believe that it can, and will, work. They are already using it to help combat the storm at the borders — at times it does manage to penetrate the dome, but when it does, engineers turn back the clock an hour at a time to so that they can divert power to the parts of the shield that they know will need reinforcement. Be careful when this happens — it would be very easy to run into your own double in such a circumstance, and that could be… awkward, until enough time passes to bring you back to the "present" and you merge once more, taking on the memories of everything that you and your double (or triple, or quadruple) have experienced. Operating such a machine will take manpower, which the people of Nadril are prepared to provide. However, the undertakings they will require in the past — waking the gods, who they believe can provide protection from the Storm if you can convince them — will require all of you. Relying on a single person to change history is untenable. Only by working together will you be able to make the jump to the past and secure your future. III. INCEPTION Most importantly, there will need to be volunteers to undergo stasis. Pods that were similar to those in Thesa can be found all over the city center, beckoning people to sleep now, and hopefully wake to better tomorrow. But just as the Storm benefits some technology, it negatively affects others — but this is to do with the mind more than technology itself. For one, those undergoing stasis will find themselves dreaming of a better time in their lives — be it their homeworld or some other happy memory of theirs. The Storm magnifies this dream — everyone within a certain radius will find themselves entering the dream, despite being wide awake. Inside this dream, you will know instantly that something is awry. The events of reality, of the awoken, are beginning to seep into the sleeping person's dream. The lines between dream and reality become blurred, and you've been tasked to ensure that they remain asleep. That means that you must guide them into believing that nothing is awry with their happier memories, that they are not dreaming, and guide them through it. Ensure that the nightmares of reality be kept at bay, and that they may sleep through it all. The Ark of the Woken     The Ark of the Woken awaits, its chambers an imposing majesty of their own. Compared to the sleek design of Thesa, the Ark is a cobbled together patchwork of technology. But even with its exposed wires and manual input systems, Nurray promises it will get the job done. That is, once the pods have been brought to it from Thesa. The targets are Thesans who have previously awoken, however, no one has time to actually inventory the sleeping ones brought to this hamlet. If you choose to bring someone else, you'll probably get away with it. The procedure is harrowing - severing the pods from Thesa runs the risk of interrupting the life support system inside. To compensate, there is a small device that can be hardwired into a port on the back of the pod. It's fragile, and the function it provides only lasts twenty minutes. You have that time to move the pod to a small ship, and pilot it planetside yourself. Nurray suggests traveling in pairs - the Natha duo pilot ships are faster, and more reliable. However, they rely on a neurolink between pilots. If one is not focused, the ship may begin to malfunction. While navigating through rough turbulence, each pilot will be able to feel the others emotions, and hear whispers of their thoughts. All while the storm clouds around them play glimpses into their memories. Snippets, only seconds long, from the perspective of the pilot, provide easy distraction. Stay on task, and make your landing safely - your lives and others are depending on it. A Simpler Time     Your seven days is up. You have (mostly) achieved all your tasks, and you are now waiting. Those harrowing last hour may stay with you forever — while your peers tirelessly secure the time machine's effectiveness, you watch as Thesa draws closer. It's closer to you than you've ever seen it, more menacing than you realize as it threatens the lives of everyone you ever cared for. Alria, the lesser known moon, is first pulled toward Thesa, crushing a side of it. You may witness debris spilling into space and dissipate into the atmosphere. You might think, perhaps, that those were bodies of some you were told not to bring to the Ark. But you're assured many times that that won't matter, that this can be fixed if you simply wait and watch. The time machine will work. It's into the final minute, and time seems to stop — yet, you feel your breath catch as Thesa penetrates the atmosphere. You can no longer breathe, and gravity loses all its bearings on the laws of physics. As you float into the air, you're wondering if the light that engulfs you is an explosion — you might wonder if it could be death. At the very least, you are among people you've known on this planet. It isn't as though you were never meant to survive the first Storm. Simply close your eyes, and the Storm run its course. In the distance, you hear a muted voice. What is the Storm, But an attempt to cleanse the world — Of its anomalies? Open your eyes, Traveler, Where are you now? FINAL OOC NOTES     Welcome to El Nysa, Year XXX. Due to the time warping of the Storm, this event will not strictly follow the 1:1 ratio. Additional information about this world will be revealed early next month! For now, play at your pace. RNG for NPC threads will announced later tonight! RECOMMENDED LISTENING: Live Forever 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

[ettersberg]

[ the war had brought many horrors and there's been too many times since that thomas has woken up screaming, unable to exorcise the ghosts of the war despite being more than capable of exorcising actual ghosts —but more than combat itself and the horrors of the german magical and medical experiments, it had been the loss and the isolation that he suffers from. so much so that sometimes, he doesn't even notice it anymore, closed off from it all.

he's been getting better —but the fog drags it back up, amplifies it, and introduces bucky's fears of hurting those around him to the mix. still, the fog grows thinner and thinner and thomas' breath comes a little easier until he manages to drag in an actual deep breath, to straighten his back and shoulders. ]

That was unpleasant. [ understatement of the year. ]

[lednikovyy]

[ It's the first thing Thomas has said in a while, but Bucky's just happy that he's talking again. He doesn't disassociate as often as he used to now that he's not alone all the time, but that kind of quiet in others always unnerves him, because if their mind is somewhere half as scary as where Bucky goes, it's already too much. ]

Yeah. Let's not do that one again.

[ His grip on Thomas starts to relax, but he stays just as close. That urge to comfort and protect is just as strong and being close is helping him, too. ]

[ettersberg]

I'm not too keen on the fog.

[ the admission is quiet, neutral enough that it barely counts as an admission —yet that's precisely what it is. he's glad for bucky's arm still around him, the way bucky sticks close. like maybe he doesn't mind the way thomas has given away far too much.

like he understands. given everything he knows about bucky, thomas thinks he just might. ]

[lednikovyy]

[ Bucky, for his part, is still ignoring the urge to move closer and comfort Thomas more than he thinks is really appropriate between friends, but there's still some small part of him that just wants to stop and hold Thomas again. It's like an ache in his chest that pulls at him like a tether. ]

Me neither.

[ It's not hard to be honest now, even if Bucky is usually more inclined to argue that he's fine. Thomas has already seen that he isn't and right now? Honesty seems pretty important, even if he figures it's hard for both of them. ]

We're not going back in there.

[ettersberg]

[ thomas would like it if bucky held him again, wrapped both arms around him and offered some of his strength —but at the same time, it is a good thing that bucky doesn't. it would be too close to acknowledging just how obvious thomas' distress has become, how out of it he's been while they were travelling through the fog.

he'd prefer to leave that behind him. ]

No, we're not.

[ he glances around, like he's taking in their environment properly for the first time. in a way, that's precisely what he's doing. ]

To Nadril, then?

[lednikovyy]

To Nadril.

[ Bucky's touch is a little more casual as they move forward, but he keeps his hand resting at the small of Thomas's back as long as the touch is tolerated. They can see each other again, but that doesn't mean they're not both shaken. In any case, he's fully prepared to say it's for him if Thomas needs that. Bucky's pride wears thin these days. He doesn't really like showing his weaknesses to people he doesn't trust, but he can't really say he doesn't trust Thomas. Sacrificing a little pride for the other man feels like the least he can do.

He's got food and extra layers for the cold in his bag and he's more than happy to share those things with Thomas. Once they get to Nadril, he really doesn't know what's next, but he figures they can figure that out there. One step at a time, he reminds himself, and though he doesn't trust the aliens who brought them here, he doesn't have much of a choice but to follow their plans right now. ]

timejump to nadril? or somesuch?

[ettersberg]

[ bucky's touch is welcome —for the most part, it's grounding and thomas can use a little of that, the reminder that he isn't alone, that he isn't the last man standing. to a small extent, it reminds him of his own shortcomings, of the fear, but that is outweighed by the first. (and then there's the fact that he quite simply enjoys it when bucky touches him, but that's —that's beside the point, isn't it?)

one step at a time is a good policy. it's all they can do for now, isn't it?

so they keep moving. ]

yes! lmk if this is okay

[lednikovyy]

[ They keep moving together and Bucky tries not to let his mind wander away from where they are. It's better to stay present, so he does just that, pushing on.

Once they make it to Nadril, they go their separate ways. There's too much to take care of, too many people to check in with and too many things that have to be done for them to linger together and Bucky's always been good at pushing himself when he really needs to, so it's with a lingering shoulder touch and a promise to meet up again later that he leaves Thomas.

He finds Steve and River and he checks in where he needs to. He helps with some of the preparations, though he refuses to go back into cryo himself, and he even tries to help the people providing medical support, but Thesa station looms in the sky. It's too far away to look like it's moving, but he knows it is. It's drawing closer and closer.

What do they have now? A few hours? Something in his heart clenches. He's not ready for it to be over yet. He's barely figured out how to live again. He's starting to remember how to honestly want things. ]

where are you?

[ He hits send on the message before he can think twice and delete it. ]

so okay

[ettersberg]

[ they go their separate ways and thomas doesn't let himself linger on the thought that he'd prefer not to do that. he's got to get the pods with peter and molly of the station, he has people he wants to check in with as well —but bucky remains on his mind and there's something like relief when he receives the text message.

thesa station looms in the sky and the storm is coming closer and closer.

he sends a location ping. ]

Are you safe? [ even if he is —how long will he stay that way? ]

[lednikovyy]

as safe as I ever am. stay there. I'm coming.

[ But of course, he's already moving through the city towards that ping. He hadn't asked for no reason. They could be at the end here. This could be it and Bucky's not ready to say goodbye to anyone, but he thinks saying nothing is worse. He's lost his whole life twice already, but this time he can see the end coming like a slow-motion bullet. It's so easy to feel like he's back on that train, gripping for dear life and falling anyway.

Time blurs together as he moves, focused on his goal like it's a mission and maybe it is. Maybe his mission now is to actually do something for himself because he wants to. There's nothing to stop or kill, nothing to save or shoot. There's only the overwhelming urge to be with someone he's been thinking about more and more lately.

He doesn't stop until he sees Thomas and even then, he keeps moving until he's just edging into Thomas's personal space. ]

Hi.

[ettersberg]

[ if it is the end —if it is the end, then thomas is ready to go. he'd been willing to lay down his life in wwii and hadn't died then. he'd been willing and frankly quite ready to die of old age, ready to give up the responsibility he's carried for so long.

instead, he'd grown younger.

he has things he wants to live for, certainly, but if it is the end, he'll go. just so long as he won't be the last one, the only one standing again. that, he could not bear.

he isn't the only one standing now, at least —not with bucky moving toward him, well into his space. ]

Hello. [ he returns the greeting softly and doesn't move back. if anything, his body sways minutely toward bucky's. ]

[lednikovyy]

[ In this moment, Bucky really isn't sure what he wants here. There's so much he doesn't know how to express and it honestly frightens him a little. He feels so out of practice with this sort of stuff and it's all been so out of order between the two of them.

It's funny because he feels so comfortable with Thomas in some ways. It feels like they've gotten to know each other in some really intimate ways that go beyond sex, but he still doesn't know how to handle some of the simplest things between them. ]

I wasn't sure--[ He pauses and takes a small step closer. Now he can feel the warmth radiating off of Thomas. There are other people around, but Bucky doesn't care about any of them. There's only one person he's focused on.

There's a little smile threatening to come out as his hand twitches at his side. ]

We're really running out of time here.

[ettersberg]

Of what? [ thomas asks softly. his body is still, but his head tips back a little to look at bucky, to take in the hint of a smile. he gets captivated by the focus in bucky's eyes, the way he's only looking at thomas and no one else, ignoring everyone else around them.

it feels like he's missed a beat, some part of the conversation, leaving him a little off-balance. with bucky, he doesn't mind the feeling. ]

[lednikovyy]

[ It's funny that the thing throwing him most right now isn't the fact that Thomas is a man. It's more the fact that Bucky used to wear his heart so aggressively on his sleeve that he'd never really had to just say it.

And he's still not sure what he's even trying to say, but whatever it is--whatever this is-- ]

I didn't think I was being that subtle.

[ The texts, the way he looks for excuses to touch. Maybe Bucky hadn't been bringing Thomas flowers, but he's been pretty damn focused and attentive, all things considered. It's almost surprising to think his crush hadn't been obvious, but maybe he'd just felt self-conscious. That's weird, too. ]

Was I?

[ettersberg]

Ah. [ thomas says, slowly. it's more of an exhale than an actual word, not meant to express anything in particular so much as buy time as he considers bucky's words, the proximity of their bodies. factors in the circumstances under which they'd met.

slowly, telegraphing the move, he reaches out to set his hand at bucky's hip. nothing more, nothing less. as far as touches go, it's an unmistakeable one. ]

Maybe not. [ he admits, slowly. maybe bucky hadn't been subtle —but thomas is not in the habit of allowing himself to think of others as interested in him anymore, or in the habit of acknowledging his own interest outside of very specific circumstances. like the forest.

like the end of the world, potentially. ]

[lednikovyy]

[ There's a part of Bucky that had figured Thomas was attracted to him in some way. Maybe he's never really lost that little bit of ego, but he's knows he's good-looking, even now. It's just that being attracted and actually wanting something are very different things. Bucky had no problem separating them, himself. It's easy to say someone is attractive and have no interest in doing anything about it, so he hadn't really let himself overthink anything beyond that.

Still, he feels entirely ungrounded in the situation until Thomas reaches out to touch him, like maybe he'd read too much into things or maybe he'd let himself think that that little attraction could mean more. Something in him relaxes when the touch connects, like he's relieved to be together here and now. Maybe there are better circumstances, but they don't have those. They have potentially the end of everything slowly crashing towards them.

Despite everything, he can't help the little smile that starts to take over his face. ]

Good. I wouldn't want to think I changed that much.

[ He leans in until their noses are only inches apart and lets his voice drop. Anything he has to say is only for Thomas's ears, anyway. ]

I really wanna kiss you right now.

[ettersberg]

[ thomas is attracted to bucky —but it's not the sort of thing that he's likely to acknowledge to himself or anyone else, that he's likely to let himself linger on, unless prompted. now, with bucky's prompting, things are different. with prompting, he can admit that he's been enjoying bucky's presence not merely for their shared experiences, but also because the man is damnably handsome.

he doesn't smile back, but his eyes grow a little warmer in response to bucky's smile and he hips his head back a little. ]

What is keeping you?

[lednikovyy]

[ That hand that had been twitching at Bucky's side comes up, warm fingers brushing Thomas's jaw. ]

I don't know. Nothing, I guess.

[ He leans in to close the distance between them and where the last kisses they'd shared had been desperate and hungry, this is so much lighter and more tender, like Bucky's scared one of them will break, but he isn't even sure which of them it could be.

His eyes slide closed and he lets himself just feel Thomas's lips beneath his. He lets his own move soft and slow against them and for a moment, it really feels like they have all the time in the world--like maybe time could just stop for them while they do this. ]

[ettersberg]

[ until the very moment that bucky's lips find his, thomas doesn't quite believe that it'll happen, doesn't really consider it an option —but it happens and something inside his chest catches and expands with it, with the soft slide of bucky's lips against his. it's light, tender and careful and he sighs into it, fingers curling a little more firmly around bucky's hip, pulling him just a little closer.

if time could stop for them, he wouldn't mind it. not in this moment. ]

[lednikovyy]

[ He can't help smiling into the kiss, moving closer at Thomas's urging and letting his hand slide back into the other man's hair. Even just breathing the same air as Thomas feels so intimate, so very wanted, and the need he feels is far less about getting himself off and far more about just wanting to be close and that feels a lot scarier in some ways, but right now he just can't bring himself to care.

In the end, he's just as bad as Steve, isn't he? Waiting until it's too late, making excuses not to try until something better comes along to make sure he can't be happy. He hadn't realized quite how much he'd been denying himself, but so many things are clicking into place now. Even as he pulls back for air, he presses his forehead to Thomas's again.

Distantly, he's aware that touching like this means he's bound to feel some of what Thomas is feeling, but in this moment, he's not even sure where his own affection and loneliness end and where Thomas's start. ]

Hi.

[ He brushes their noses together, eyes crossing a little at their proximity, but he doesn't want to move away. ]

[ettersberg]

[ bucky smiles into the kiss and it breaks for a moment, but that hardly matters with bucky moving closer, making no move away and every move toward him. intimate is the right word for it and it makes thomas feel wanted and fragile and hopeful all at once, like he could soar to the sky or shatter if he dropped back down to the ground.

but bucky's forehead settles against his and thomas feels grounded despite himself. there's loneliness and there's trepidation, fear and worry —but there's also happiness and desire and warmth.

he lets out a breath, almost a huff of laughter. ]

Hello.

[ his own eyes remain closed. ]

[lednikovyy]

[ For a moment, Bucky just lets himself enjoy the closeness. Save for their experience in the forest, he hasn't really touched anyone like this in ages. It feels like an open wound in his heart, like he's torn the stitches and it will never really heal now, but the time for keeping it patched over and hidden is gone. He doesn't think he can really go back to that, either, even if it feels so much safer. ]

I've wanted to do that for a while.

[ It's a quiet admission and one he only gives now because he's sure he'll never have the time to have to explain it. His second and third and fourth chances at life are up and he's facing down a lot of regrets here at the end, but he doesn't want this to be one of them. If it's time to go, he wants Thomas to know that he's been a true friend to Bucky in the last few months, but he's also been much more than that.

He's reminded Bucky how to feel things he'd thought long-forgotten, like desire and affection. Bucky figures even now, he's still a lost cause, too broken to really be worth all the trouble he knows he's bound to be, but Thomas had made him want it all, anyway, like maybe he could glue the worst cracks back together and build something worth loving out of what's left. ]

[ettersberg]

[ bucky's admission is quiet, but for a moment, it still takes thomas' breath away, making something inside his chest catch. it takes a moment before he realises that it isn't a painful thing and he lets out a slow breath, almost a sigh. ]

Quite.

[ it's as much of an admission as bucky's words were. he reaches up, splaying the fingers of the hand not at bucky's hip against bucky's jaw, thumb brushing gently over his jawline. ]

[lednikovyy]

[ His hand slides down to Thomas's shoulder, but otherwise he just lets himself stand there and enjoy the closeness between them. Maybe it's silly how comforting this is, but it feels so good, even if he knows that it will be brief.

He turns his head just enough to kiss the palm of Thomas's hand. There's a part of him that wishes they had more time, because the idea of sleeping with Thomas again is a pretty appealing one, especially because he thinks he'd like to be able to take his time with the experience. ]

I kinda feel like an idiot.

[ His accent creeps out and he laughs a little. What else can he do here? ]

[ettersberg]

[ it's comforting and it's enticing all at once. the appealing of sleeping with bucky is a very appealing one and interest is stirring in his stomach, but despite that, this is —this is good in and of itself. this is more intimate, in some way, and thomas closes his eyes, lips curving upward a little at the laughter in bucky's tone even as he asks: ]

Why is that?