"I'm telling you that even though I am done, and perfectly satisfied, that I'm not at my limit. And I don't want to be selfish just because you're so wonderful."
He ducks his head, laughing softly, eyes twinkling. "I would hate to punish you for your success. For the record."
He stretches his arms out, groaning a little as the new motions tug on his fresh cuts - and the still-deep claw lines - in new ways, and it is meant to be flirting but not meant to be a real temptation to anything. It's just that his only choices, covered in his own blood and come, are silly and flirty, or gross and awkward, and he doesn't want to be awkward. So - leaning into it.
"Fox and hound, I feel wonderful," he murmurs, a little dreamy, as he finally shifts to sit on the edge of the of table, stretching out a leg to feel the cuts there before stepping all the way.
Astarion, for his part, is already veering into the crash after the peak,
but he's very good at hiding it and also not really aware of top drop being
a thing.
Jedao does know know that top drop is a thing, but he isn't confident in reading Astarion or what he might want during drop. Especially when he might just want to get alone to jerk off at this point, or prefer to feel it where he doesn't have to keep his face on.
Still. He'd insisted he didn't mind holding Jedao last time.
"I made this room with a back porch this time," Jedao says instead. "I was thinking...I'd like to clean up and get dressed, and then just kneel for you for a little while? If that's alright?"
His neglected arousal is subsiding, slowly, and he doesn't really know
what he wants at this point. He's got so little experience of this and
not nearly enough understanding of his own needs after a scene. What he
does understand is that giving Jedao what he wants makes it more likely
that he can do this again.
There's also the shallow but genuine appeal of a handsome man kneeling at
his feet for a while.
"Well, I wouldn't say no if you wanted to wipe me down a little roughly, but you didn't do much to my back, so I can wash myself off easily enough if you want to go look at the outside I picked?" Jedao suggests. "You can decide whether you'd rather sit out there or in here," he elaborates, getting a small towel and wringing it out over the water basin, as the blood starts slowly oozing in new directions now that he's vertical.
He's pretty sure Astarion would usually rather have the sky, but if he wants a few moments without the pressure of being observed, it's an easy excuse; if he doesn't want to be alone, there's an equally easy excuse to stay.
"Oh, I could do that," Astarion says, with a small, sharp smile.
He's not really bothering to read ulterior motives into any of this. People
historically don't consider his preferences or comfort, so he misses it
when they do.
"Or I could help you clean up, couldn't I? Give me the cloth."
Astarion smiles and takes up the washcloth, giving it a final squeeze
before passing it over Jedao's skin - more firmly than he needs to by far,
more brusquely, and with particular pressure when he passes over the
healing wounds he's inflicted.
Jedao shrieks, warm little yelps of half-delighted pain, panting and shivering as he has to put effort into not squirming away - or closer once again. He gives an especially low, emphatic whimper, squeezing his eyes shut, when Astarion presses on the small, deep cuts around the base of his dick, washcloth shivery-cool and dripping as it wipes the thick blood out of his pubic hair. Despite the cold, it's clear he was telling the truth: he's starting to get just a little bit hard again already. Once he's clean, though, he just smiles lazily, and goes to pick up his clothes, groaning every time he has to bend or twist to shimmy them on.
It's done a little to reawaken Astarion's interest, as well, but that's of no odds to him; it'll go away, and clothes are being donned.
"Let's go outside," he decides, assuming that Jedao gave today's environment an outdoors because he wanted to use it. "...Don't you find having hair down there annoying?"
"Not annoying enough to do anything about," he says, after blinking for a moment; he's never really thought about it. He doesn't have any chest hair, because - unbeknownst to him - Jedao One did get very annoyed having extremely patch chest hair grow in only in between the scar tissue, and had his follicles deadened everywhere between his neck and his belly button. But he still gets cheek scruff if he skips his depilatory cream for a few days, and maintains neat dark hair at his crotch.
"I could get rid of it if you wanted?"
Outside is a broad patio deck: a variety of cozy chairs and couches on warm flagstones, cool fresh breeze, and a day-bright night sky illuminated by a vast, silverwhite path of planetary rings arching across it. They're on a little bit of a hill, surrounded by low rolling moors, heather gleaming in the more-than-moonlight of the rings, dusky blue-grey deer grazing amidst butter-yellow sheep and tortoises the size of medium dogs.
"Oh, no, it doesn't bother me that you have it," he says, and chooses a couch to stretch out on. "I just...don't, personally. I can't. Is this a real place?"
"The planet is real. Ophanth. Probably not this patio? I haven't actually been there, I just used to watch a lot of documentaries about 'the 100 Most Beautiful Planets in the Stabglass March To Have Pastries On Before You Die' or whatever."
He groans a little as he settles down to kneel next to the couch, placing himself so that he isn't presuming to rest his head on Astarion's body, but he's in comfortably easy petting range.
"Before I came to the barge, I'd only ever been on enclosed ships or stations," Jedao confirms. "I had...some minimal walking-around privileges on one section of the Citadel of Eyes, but it was under intense surveillance and it put all my keepers on edge, so I mostly just stayed in my quarters unless I was summoned by my pysch team or to talk to Shuos-zho or something. His security chief's cats were the only animals I'd ever seen in real life."
Jedao says it matter of factly; not quite nostalgic, but not bitterly either. It's nothing compared to what plenty of inmates went through, Astarion included. But he does love seeing places like this: life, ground, real sky.
Jedao huffs a little, old aggravation he can't quite find the right shape for. But he's very relaxed, now, with his cuts throbbing in a low harmonious thrum, and Astarion's hand in his hair.
"Different things. My maker wanted power, and...a pet who would be reasonably entertaining forever. I'm supposed to be this tactical genius at warfare."
And, well. Astarion knows what he likes.
"After him...for a while I thought Shuos-zho just wanted to keep anyone else from using me, or to keep me from making trouble after I slipped someone else's leash. But really he wanted information." There's the bitterness, although quieter and plainer than it might have been otherwise. "Which I really should have guessed."
He's quiet for a long time. One of the baby goats jumps on top of the biggest tortoise and bugles proudly; the tortoise seems unperturbed.
"Some things about the...circumstances of my maker's death weren't my secrets to tell," he says finally. Which is almost as good as to say: he's taking a fall for someone, although not in the obvious way. He very much did kill Nirai Kujen.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2024-05-11 09:58 pm (UTC)"I'm telling you that even though I am done, and perfectly satisfied, that I'm not at my limit. And I don't want to be selfish just because you're so wonderful."
He ducks his head, laughing softly, eyes twinkling. "I would hate to punish you for your success. For the record."
no subject
Date: 2024-05-11 10:21 pm (UTC)"You're too kind. Maybe another time, I'll take you up on that."
He's not sure how long he could let himself work him over without simply...losing himself in it all.
"Today, though, I'm more than happy to leave you as you are."
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 02:26 am (UTC)He stretches his arms out, groaning a little as the new motions tug on his fresh cuts - and the still-deep claw lines - in new ways, and it is meant to be flirting but not meant to be a real temptation to anything. It's just that his only choices, covered in his own blood and come, are silly and flirty, or gross and awkward, and he doesn't want to be awkward. So - leaning into it.
"Fox and hound, I feel wonderful," he murmurs, a little dreamy, as he finally shifts to sit on the edge of the of table, stretching out a leg to feel the cuts there before stepping all the way.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 10:49 am (UTC)"Good."
Astarion, for his part, is already veering into the crash after the peak, but he's very good at hiding it and also not really aware of top drop being a thing.
"Shall I leave you to collect yourself, then?"
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 04:17 pm (UTC)Still. He'd insisted he didn't mind holding Jedao last time.
"I made this room with a back porch this time," Jedao says instead. "I was thinking...I'd like to clean up and get dressed, and then just kneel for you for a little while? If that's alright?"
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 04:23 pm (UTC)"Ah - yes, darling, of course."
His neglected arousal is subsiding, slowly, and he doesn't really know what he wants at this point. He's got so little experience of this and not nearly enough understanding of his own needs after a scene. What he does understand is that giving Jedao what he wants makes it more likely that he can do this again.
There's also the shallow but genuine appeal of a handsome man kneeling at his feet for a while.
"I'd like that."
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 04:36 pm (UTC)He's pretty sure Astarion would usually rather have the sky, but if he wants a few moments without the pressure of being observed, it's an easy excuse; if he doesn't want to be alone, there's an equally easy excuse to stay.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 04:54 pm (UTC)"Oh, I could do that," Astarion says, with a small, sharp smile.
He's not really bothering to read ulterior motives into any of this. People historically don't consider his preferences or comfort, so he misses it when they do.
"Or I could help you clean up, couldn't I? Give me the cloth."
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 06:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 06:20 pm (UTC)Astarion smiles and takes up the washcloth, giving it a final squeeze before passing it over Jedao's skin - more firmly than he needs to by far, more brusquely, and with particular pressure when he passes over the healing wounds he's inflicted.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 09:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 09:19 pm (UTC)It's done a little to reawaken Astarion's interest, as well, but that's of no odds to him; it'll go away, and clothes are being donned.
"Let's go outside," he decides, assuming that Jedao gave today's environment an outdoors because he wanted to use it. "...Don't you find having hair down there annoying?"
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 09:35 pm (UTC)"I could get rid of it if you wanted?"
Outside is a broad patio deck: a variety of cozy chairs and couches on warm flagstones, cool fresh breeze, and a day-bright night sky illuminated by a vast, silverwhite path of planetary rings arching across it. They're on a little bit of a hill, surrounded by low rolling moors, heather gleaming in the more-than-moonlight of the rings, dusky blue-grey deer grazing amidst butter-yellow sheep and tortoises the size of medium dogs.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 09:41 pm (UTC)"Oh, no, it doesn't bother me that you have it," he says, and chooses a couch to stretch out on. "I just...don't, personally. I can't. Is this a real place?"
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 09:47 pm (UTC)He groans a little as he settles down to kneel next to the couch, placing himself so that he isn't presuming to rest his head on Astarion's body, but he's in comfortably easy petting range.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 09:52 pm (UTC)"...I see."
He'll do some petting because why the fuck not, he recalls Jedao's hair feeling nice.
"I... gathered from what you've told me previously that you didn't get out much at all."
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 10:00 pm (UTC)Jedao says it matter of factly; not quite nostalgic, but not bitterly either. It's nothing compared to what plenty of inmates went through, Astarion included. But he does love seeing places like this: life, ground, real sky.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 10:32 pm (UTC)"What did they actually want from you?" Astarion wonders aloud. "The people who...kept you."
They've talked about the fact that it happened, but not so much the why.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-12 10:56 pm (UTC)"Different things. My maker wanted power, and...a pet who would be reasonably entertaining forever. I'm supposed to be this tactical genius at warfare."
And, well. Astarion knows what he likes.
"After him...for a while I thought Shuos-zho just wanted to keep anyone else from using me, or to keep me from making trouble after I slipped someone else's leash. But really he wanted information." There's the bitterness, although quieter and plainer than it might have been otherwise. "Which I really should have guessed."
no subject
Date: 2024-05-13 06:24 am (UTC)Astarion does remember the words over his head, from early in their acquaintance. Failed sex pet? Something like that.
"Information related to your tactical genius, or...?"
no subject
Date: 2024-05-13 01:16 pm (UTC)"Some things about the...circumstances of my maker's death weren't my secrets to tell," he says finally. Which is almost as good as to say: he's taking a fall for someone, although not in the obvious way. He very much did kill Nirai Kujen.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-13 01:27 pm (UTC)"I see," Astarion says mildly. It's not as if he cares about the minutiae. "You're going elsewhere when you're done here, I take it?"
no subject
Date: 2024-05-13 01:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-05-13 03:17 pm (UTC)"Seems like the wisest choice."
He lightly scratches his nails against Jedao's scalp, petting him in a way not unlike how he treats his cat.
no subject
Date: 2024-05-14 04:20 am (UTC)(no subject)
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