[Alayne and Necthan] Loitering about

[Alayne Lombard]

So I'd lost a friend to war. Hal had left, and though our last parting had been marred with some awkwardness, ultimately, he was my friend, and he had gone to fight for my country. Our country, I reminded myself. It was his too.

I'd felt funny about his kiss – not because it had aroused me, no, but because what I'd told him about mixing business and pleasure had felt... like only half a lie.

I spent more time than I should re-reading that poem.

I also felt, at times, like I was accepting sex, when I was unable to. My body ached, and not in good ways.

A day off took me to wander to the temple of Naamah, and I went, going to stand under the shadow of the Lady's statue. I'd never released doves in the temple and joined her Service, so why was I here? I didn't know.

I knelt on the ground, eyes averted, and I tried to let the goddess talk to me, but only silence responded, and after a while, I stood, sighed, and wandered outside the temple. Unsure where to go, and what to do with myself, I sat on the low wall and looked at the stragglers idly, toying with three ribbons, and braiding them loosely.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

All was still in my heart as I walked through the streets of the city. Around me were the temples of the companions and I looked at them with a sense of respect, as if seeing friends, or not friends so much as colleagues from another land. It was narcissistic perhaps, but without an ego what is a man? I smiled to myself, happy in this part of the city, more so than most for in it there was a sense of tranquility, particularly from the white doves of Naamah which winged about like living clouds, or daisies....

The very mention of that blessed flower sent my mind through the tunnel of days past, of charms made for Islanders, encounters with princesses, wonderful experiences that all paled greatest in comparison with my tryst with the long lost queen of the meadow.

It was the doves that drew me to the temple and I thought to myself that I would prayer to the companion that I might have another audience with Alayne. Yeah it was the clouds of dawn that led me, but they led me to the sun itself. My eyes saw first the soft red hair and I cocked my head wondering, making certain. It was indeed her, as beautiful as ever, more beautiful for the time we shared, and most beautiful for the way that the sunlight illuminated her. She shone so fair and I rushed to meet her. I stopped though and had a plan first, creeping now and finding a place where she could not see me. I whispered, my silky voice just loud enough for her to catch, as though upon the wind. “Queen Alayne....”

[Alayne Lombard]

Under, through the loop and over, and then again under, trough the loop, over... the motions were soothing as I repeated them, humming quietly to myself something that was nonsensical and without words.

I was thinking of him, of course. Maybe coming to the temple was a bad idea – I found myself remembering the sound of his voice and his breath on my skin, the smell of his sweat and the warmth of our bodies.

Oh, Elua... what had I gotten myself into?

I was almost bemoaning myself when the voice rose from behind me, startling me into letting go of the ribbons, and one of them flew off in the gentle breeze, making me hesitate between the voice and the lost artifice.

I had to know, though, if it was a dream, or not, and so I turned, letting the blew stream fly off onto Elua's square.

“-- Sweet devil,” I replied, smiling a little. “Why, you ever do show up at the most unexpected times.”

He looked more handsome than I remembered, and unconsciously, I touched my brow, where the bruise was now all gone.

I was happy to see him.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

She responded and turned to me and the day at once grew brighter and clearer as her face met mine and the smile that I possessed made the stone walls and streets and feeble attempts at grandeur by mortal man fade away from view and I was left with her and the meadow of our creation. “Were I to come when expected, my queen, it would take from me all the joy of seeing your face alight with surprise, as the moon when it comes out from behind some dark cloud.

But that was already too many words. I closed the small distance between us and took her into my arms for an embrace. My lips tasted of hers and the speed of my heart quickened for I had returned to something of a home, her breast, her voice, and her name. “Oh Alayne...”

[Alayne Lombard]

The words and the way he spoke, the way he looked at me, Elua, like no other did... I was too taken to react, too taken to protest, and when he put his arms around me, I melted against his chest, eyes closed until our lips met.

Then, I opened them, and I know I'd missed him dearly – as dearly as the flowers miss the sun during a drought. I kissed him back, hands in his dark hair. Oh, how he said my name.

“You're here,” I said, ineffectual in the extreme, at an extreme loss for words. “--” I opened my mouth to say – you should have come again, rescued me from johns I didn't really want but accepted for the sake of it. Instead, I kissed his lips softly.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

All it took as that touch and our bodies melted into one and it felt right, perfect in fact. I was made to be, not a servant, but her consort and to run naked with her, as she had said within moments of us meeting. Aye it was a tease but in every story no line, no word is not without some deeper meaning to it, some image of the greater. That something greater was us. My hands tangled into her hair and I just looked at her with the expression one might have if the sun at last took a human form. “That’s right love, I’m here.” Did I just--?

[Alayne Lombard]

I leaned into his touch, placing my head onto his shoulder without thinking. “You're here,” I said again, softly. “I thought maybe you'd gone to war, with the others, sweet devil.” I didn't say, I was afraid you'd gone and died, but the thought was there in my mind, nonetheless. I kisses his cheek, then. “Am I keeping you, love?”

He'd given me the name, and so I returned it, smiling a little, feeling young and a touch confused, but happy, too, as if the day had been made extremely brighter, and Naamah had somehow given me an answer, just outside her temple.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

I grinned and shook my head. “Me go to war? My place is beside my queen.” I winked at her and rubbed her nose with my own as I had through the window on the day we met. “You’re the only one that I want keeping me. Anything else would be ephemera.” It was true. I was a man of the wind and that wind might lead me to a woman for a moment a season, but she was my queen now, my one fixed point upon this rock which we call earth. All else wanders as the planets above. She is my center, my groundearing one.

[Alayne Lombard]

I stole a quick kiss, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, as if he were melting ice I didn't know was there seconds earlier. “I'd keep you indeed, sweet devil,” I whispered softly. “I don't want you getting hurt, or worse.” I reached and touched his face, eyes searching. “Where have you been all this time?”

It could have been a question about the past few weeks – it could also be one about the past nineteen years. Either way, it was an earnest one, for I could hardly imagine the world without his dark eyes and rakish grin.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

She kissed me again before I had time to return it and it made me look in her playfully, as though I might do her mischief in the street. “Working, helping people for the war.” In reality it was more about me making a profit then any altruism, except in those rare cases when the story was too good. In those cases I stored the people in my mind as a reward. “It was a time spent with you ever in my mind, circling round and round. How is it that you’ve manged to invade me so?” In truth I did not know, but I would not deny something so wondrous.

[Alayne Lombard]

I felt my cheeks grow warm, but instead of acting shy, I pulled out of the embrace a little, enough to watch his face, and grinned. “I, m'lord?” I teased, “It is you, and your talk of meadows and flower crowns, who have made my life a living hell.” I swatted at his shoulder playfully, and shook my head. “And tell me, then, what we've done together, if I was with you all this time.”

I couldn't tell him my side of the story. The mere thought of telling him of other men's bodies.. . It felt wrong, somehow.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

Her words were soft and teasing and they made my smile wider yet, stretching it so one would take me for a crocodile. I had seen one once. I would know. “Well we made charms for soldiers and bought hats and drank and thought of sunshine.” I pulled back from her and offered her my hand. “Shall we walk? I want to show you my house.”

[Alayne Lombard]

I thought to myself that I'd have sooner been doing all that he'd been doing, instead of lavatory duty... but again, the money was good, and I had time to myself, such as now. I slipped my hand in his, feeling... girlish, and a bit like a virgin, which of all ironies, might have been the greatest.

“Your house?” I said, and for the slightest moment, I hesitated, before I nodded, thinking, he's never been anything but charming to me. Besides, it would be good to know where to find him, if –

– “As you wish,” I replied. “Thank you.” I smiled a little, made shy by the situation, by him, but happy, too.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

“It is nothing, absolutely nothing, but my pleasure, sweet Alayne.” I could resist adding a kiss upon her nose as we started off, hand in hand and no doubt seeming like some innocent newlyweds. “Has any excitement touched your life, or has it all paled in comparison?” I asked, giving her a wink.

[Alayne Lombard]

“Some,” I replied as we walked, and it was so... strange, after a fashion, and new, but it felt right, too. I shook my hear a bit, I'd accepted his kiss, and felt myself preening. “I'd met an odd man, who wanted to be my friend,” I said. “It was before I met you. I think he was, and is. But he's gone to war, now.” I sighed, then shrugs. “I guess even Night's Doorstep isn't free from it.”

I thought of Hal's odd kiss, and wasn't sure I wanted to bring it up – and yet, part of me did. It was his kiss that had made me come to the temple, in a way. I was nigh graceful for it.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

I gave my sweet Alayne a smile and I set myself to wondering why she has chosen such an event to bring up. Had the man-- I didn’t want to think about it lest the bitter weed of jealousy who, when grown, becomes the garden for the ignorant. Such I should not be and so I let it pass out of mind. I knew no doubt we should both have such entanglements in our lives.

Dammit. I searched her mine quickly and saw no affection for any other creature but myself and I gave her hand a squeeze. “I have friends there too, newly made and so even more dear for should they leave the times that could have been would be lost.” I thought of Niamh for a moment and hoped she was fighting valiantly.

[Alayne Lombard]

“Ah,” I said, nodding. “Then I hope your friends are safe too. They must be brave men, to go and fight the Skaldi, though...”

I was disquieted by the fact that my only friend to go to war was Skaldi himself, and fighting against his own blood, even if he was of ours too, in part.

“-- I only pray for it to be over soon.” It was bad for business, for one – and well. The mere thought that perhaps one day there might be a draft made me fear for Necthan, even if he was magic, even if he was Necthan and therefore safe by virtue of who he was.

Or so I liked to think.

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

The fact she assumed they were all men made me smile, but I said nothing about it though, simply nodding with her sentiment. “As do I. We must do what we can though, both to support those who do fight, and to carry on with as much merriment as possible. And that isn’t so hard when you are here with me, Alayne.”

We turned around and started back towards home and it mattered little to me that my journey had been halted, for the reason was well worth it, and even that was meiosis.

[Alayne Lombard]

I blushed and ducked my head a little, and as I didn't really know what to say to that, I ducked my head, and said, a bit quieter, “Thank you.”

For a moment, I was silent – I didn't know what to say, or how, until the place where we'd met made a question spring to mind.

“Were you going to a temple, Necthan?”

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

I shook my head. “Oh, no. I was simply gallivanting about, waking in the sunshine and thinking how nice it would be to see the brighter sun. And it just so happened that you were there.” I leaned in to give her cheek a quick kiss and smiled. “I may have stepped into Naamah’s had I not seen you. I would have offered a prayer for you.”

[Alayne Lombard]

I blushed but enjoyed his kiss, feeling a bit... timid. “Thank you,” I said softly. “Though I don't know that she would want to take me on. I'm not in her service, after all.”

I'd never quite thought on it – why were the bathhouse girls not dedicated to Naamah? Why could we not join their ranks, and be a bit more respected for it?

[Necthan Seith-Nun (R)]

I thought a moment about that, finding it interesting but deciding that she still performed the same tasks as Naamah’s servants and should likewise be given the same treatment. “Well if she doesn’t she’ll be hearing some choice words from me.” I gave her a grin and we made our way to South Burough. “That is my home, just there,” I told her, pointing to a little place with Playwright printing on the sign.

[Alayne Lombard]

^{Continued here.}