WHEN: 2044 AUG 25, early evening
WHERE: Seiiki District, onsen
WHO: Lex Dashrix, Willow Lockewood, and Naoki Sato
NSFW pics and prose
--
[20:27] Lex Dashrix: An evening at the Onsen was a good choice, he was glad he'd mostly thought of it. Thirteen had replenished his Aether and repaired the broken vessels from his psychic strain and in the time since he'd managed to resolve that given the time elapsed Roesler either didn't know what he had in his possession or was biding his time giving Lex an opportunity to react more thoughtfully. But that was a problem for another day. He and Naoki both needed the recovery time to release the tension of recent events and not dwell on them. This was why today was a no 'work talk' day. He'd recently finished his round with the skilled masseuse and left Naoki to their tender mercies, he was well enough fed it ought be safe. Leaning back in the pool letting the heated waters swirl about him the outside world was drowned out by the rush of the waterfall he let out a relaxed satisfied sigh. Yes it was a good day.
[20:30] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) had decided to head down to the Onsen herself for similar relaxation. Lex's oversized form in the pool was a not so pleasant surprise. Willow's one-time betrothed was many things but she would not have ever picked the word 'relaxing' for their interactions. She pursed her lips and for a fleeting moment considered leaving but she could not be *certain* that he'd not clocked even her soft footfalls and she'd rather gnaw off a limb than be caught retreating. She straightened her shoulders slightly, squaring up as she let her robe fall and made her way to the warm pool before sinking below the waters. As she had no planned salvo, she settled for weighty silence as she slipped into the waters, met Lex's eyes before deliberately relaxing into the hot springs.
[20:36] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): Willow had not been settled for more than a minute before the quiet footsteps of Lex's pet yokai could be heard on the grass. Normally he was a fairly stealthy creature but there was supposed to be no need for such things that day and Naoki was certainly not taking any effort to keep his presence a secret. When he reached the pool he paused, blinking once at the presence of two figures in the water, both silent as the grave. Rather than be caught in the open with the sort of physical reaction he had to tension and nudity together in so close a space he made his way into the pool and promptly seated himself on the stones that formed the most convenient exit-route. He was certainly not the one to break an awkward silence even if the steady stare he was giving the very nude Headmistress made it clear there were things he wanted to say.
[20:43] Lex Dashrix let out a soothed hum eyes still clasped shut as he felt the water ripple as another entered. "I -" he paused as his eyes slid open to reveal that it was his cousin not his student who had joined him. "didn't know you still frequented this place." he finished somewhat lamely and began to consider how long he had to wait before he could excuse himself as if his time was done. He did not however avert his eyes as she sunk further into the waters her buoyant form pleasantly swaying with the flow of the water. He left the pleasant view unremarked upon but his heavy lidded gaze left little question as to his appreciation. His gaze slid ot Naoki as he approached and settled in as well neutering nay chance of an early egress without admitting defeat. "Though I suppose I ought not be surprised the services here are exceptional and I know you're never satisfied by anything but the best." he lightly teased Willow as Noaki settled on the edge of hte pool and he relaxed back against he rocks once more.
[20:48] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) opened her gaze once again when Lex broke the silence. "As lovely as the University and its faculties are, the ungrounded nature of its unnatural position in the sky eventually wears on me. Besides, I don't actually 'live' in the university. I like the Seiiki district. The bath and the bar are unrivaled by anything in the town center. I prefer both with less bodily fluids than one gets at the pool and bar at Thirst." Willow said dryly, her tone light and rather pleasant even as she stretched out to lounge along her rock. Her gaze swung to Naoki and his position flanking her, "Would you prefer that I leave? I wouldn't wish to interrupt your planned water dalliances."
[20:56] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): Naoki either did not pick up on the unintended side effect of his arrival or chose not to remark on it. Instead he crossed his arms and sat back against the rocks with a little twitch of his nose. "I'm not supposed to ask anything work-related today so you might as well stay," he said with a little bit of a huff in his voice. Clearly losing the opportunity to grill Willow on various unpleasant (to Lex) subjects was not sitting well with Lex's protege. Once he'd had a minute to properly process what she'd said he looked over at Lex through the spray of the waterfall. "I don't think any dalliance was planned," he said though he did sound much more uncertain of that. Beneath the water there was a resulting twitch in his for once uncaged cock as his eyes skimmed down to glance at what he could see of Lex under the water as if the state of things there might give him a better idea of what had been on the docket for the afternoon.
[21:06] Lex Dashrix: Lex smiled slightly at her complaint about the Aetheric engines that held aloft the university as they did his own estate. "There is a calm simplicity to both." he agreed easily relaxing fully in the water at Naoki's obeisance to his rules for the outing. Her questions as to dalliances did stir him enough to elicit a small twitch in his swaying member but difficult to distinguish from the flow of the water causing it to bob. "We have no plans and you well know dalliances are best with an audience." he eyed her carefully for reaction to the light teasing. "I'd not be so rude as to monopolize the pool without reserving it fully."
[21:12] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) smiled faintly at Naoki's slight confusion, "Well, plans do change sometimes. At least, I would hope Alexander is not so rigid as to only engage in sexual activities when it has been properly scheduled out on his calendar. I think that would be taking your need to leash the inner beast too far." That last comment was directed to Lex before she settled back into the stone hollow worn smooth by time and water. She hummed softly, a sound of pleasure as the warm rock curved comfortably against the small of her back. "I wasn't aware you had work-related questions to ask of me. Was my schedule of classes opaque in some manner that Alexander could not explain?" Willow asked before she slanted a sharply amused smile to Lex. "Alas, as much as an audience might heighten the pleasure in the moment, it can have... well, problematic issues down the line for a professional female. I do loathe how the Puritans have ruined so very much."
[21:21] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): Naoki observed the back and forth with the same neutral expression he typically held. Lex's comment about having an audience earned a slight raise of both brows and he looked to Willow curiously as if expecting her to reprimand him for it. When she seemed to encourage such things instead he let out a little huff of amusement before speaking up to respond to her inquiry after work related topics. "No but I can't say anything else," he replied and sank a little further into the water until just his head sat above it, his eyes on Lex as if waiting for any kind of cue as to how to proceed. HE was hard, that was terribly easy to see - either from recent stresses or current bare company or both.
[21:32] Lex Dashrix: "Those activities only find themselves scheduled for special occasions." Lex rumbled with amusement at her quip not rising this time to her bait about the inner beast and his once tenuous self control in the face of such things. "I suppose those problems depend on the audience." he pointed out as he looked willow over once more, "And how well they keep quiet when told to." he added with a smile to Naoki who was being oh so good about his prohibitions on certain topics. "Work talk in this case extends well beyond the byzantine halls of academia." he raised a brow curiously, "Shall I free him to speak about the school would that improve your soak?" he threatened playfully.
[21:37] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) groaned, lifting one hand lazily out of the water, "Please, no, I would rather answer questions about anything other than the University. Peace," Water tip flicked off the lethally sharp points of her nails before she slipped her hand back under the water. "I would prefer prying personal questions to talking any more about who has what teaching assistant and how the eight o'clock slot is not something a tenured professor should have to teach." Willow huffed out a breath. She, blessedly, had no external parts to betray her own arousal to certain jibes and taunts. "Please, anything but requiring me to play the headmistress."
[21:43] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): Naoki was emboldened both by the smile and by Willow's loud disdain for speaking about Academy business. "I don't want to talk about the school," he said firmly. His head tilted toward Willow but his stare remained on Lex as he asked, "Asking her personal questions doesn't count as work, does it?" with just enough of an even tone not to sound too too hopeful.
[21:50] Lex Dashrix: Lex slid deeper into the water and with available seating, or perhaps with intention, closer to Willow. "Ah not wanting to play at authority today?" he teased lightly as he settled beside her, "I'll be sure not to leave any hard decisions in your hands then." he offered leaning back ageist the warm curve of the stones. He gave Naoki a small permissive nod though a warning tightening of his eyes suggested his line of questioning ought not stray to subjects too close to those troubling them of late.
[21:56] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) slanted her gaze towards Lex as he slid through the water like the predator he was. "I don't play at anything. I do not wish to BE the authority today hence my decision to take a relaxing soak in the waters. I remain capable of putting you and anyone else in their place should the need arise," Willow remained languid where she was, her body relaxed and her legs loosely crossed under the water. She lifted one hand above the water to wave it lazily at Naoki, "Go ahead, ask what you will. Though I assumed you'd pull any answers out of the blood from the other day that you needed."
[22:02] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): That subtle warning in Lex's stare was met with a wrinkle of the yokai's nose, indicating both that he understood and that he was mildly thwarted in his plan to glean what information he could from the Headmistress. "Fine," he said with a sigh. "The blood can't tell me everything." Leaning back against the rocks, he chewed thoughtfully on his lower lip before asking, "Why is your hair purple? The relatives in the pictures were all blonde."
[22:06] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp): /mw was caught enough by surprise at the question that she let an unfiltered smile slip briefly, amusement flashing across her features clear and bright, crinkling her eyes and showing even white teeth. "Well, no, I suppose the blood wouldn't tell you that. It's purple because everyone is a blonde," Willow replied, her eyes half lidding. "It's a simple enough concoction. I wash my hair in it a few times a week. It's excellent for the health of it too." She reached up almost absently to touch one of the purple locks and tweak it out of her face. "I started dying it, oh, after Alexander ran off with the siren. Youthful rebellion, I suppose."
[22:14] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): Naoki hummed. He watched the way she touched her hair and shrugged. "Dye. You can't change it magically?" he asked before shaking his head, clearly not actually wanting an answer. "Did it upset you? His elopement," he asked instead with a flick of his eyes at Lex. It wasn't the sort of look he gave when asking permission; the glance was quick enough that he didn't appear to be waiting on a responding look or gesture and simply seemed to be taking in information, probably from Lex's expression.
[22:23] Lex Dashrix: Lex relaxed easily against the stones despite the witches implied threats and did not fence words about what she was or was not capable of, here, here she perhaps even did have the upper hand. He mostly kept his eyes on Naoki as the Yokai processed her replies and he formulated further questions. So far he had adhered to the spirit of his restrictions thus no need to put to an end the line of inquiry. The latest question earned a curious hum as he twisted slightly to see Willows response.
[22:33] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) laughed, though it was a sound devoid of humor. "Was I upset? At which part? That Alexander would exile over fulfilling our betrothal contract? Or do you mean was I upset with the options I had after, following him into exile, but alone, or enjoying the rest of an interminably long immortality alone inside the Coven as a spinster aunt?" Willow's words were dry, "It was not, what I would consider, the highlight of my youth. I wasn't surprised by it, at least. Alexander was always a contrarian the more Grandmother pushed on a topic. I didn't expect to be an exception to that rule." Willow relaxed back into the water, pillowing her head on her hands and tilting her head towards the darkening sky. "In the end, I suppose I was most upset about the children. I did want children, once. But, in time, it became clear to me as I imagine it was to Alexander even than that any children I had wouldn't really have been mine. They'd have belonged to the coven, as we were."
[22:38] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): Neither the laugh nor the tone of her voice phased the yokai. It was all information, much of it telling about more than one of his fellow bathers if the intentness of his stare was anything to go by. Naoki opened his mouth to speak a few times before shutting it to better think over his next line of questioning. "Neither of you is affiliated with the coven anymore, right? Why not have children now?" he asked as if there weren't myriad other things people typically considered before doing so. His eyes skimmed over to Lex at the question as well, both watching his reaction to Willow's answers and curious at his response to the latest inquiry.
[22:49] Lex Dashrix: A ghost of a frown passed over Lex's features at her reply before he schooled his face once more to a more casual mask of bemused indifference, "You were hardly in want of suitors." he pointed out drolly. "More than one de facto execution was carried out by my hand when grandmother allowed them to challenge me for the betrothal." he added turning slightly to catch her eye as in not all of those cases had she not been excited by the outcome. He settled back with an uncomfortable sigh at the mention of children, avoiding his being entrapped as he had been was never really an option and no small part of his drive to leave. He snorted lightly at the next round of questions and likely would have cut Naoki of from the line if not for how patently ridiculous the idea of Willow allowing that to come to pass was, coven or no.
[22:58] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) slanted Lex a glance as he'd slid close enough that she had to look up to do so. "I seemed to remember we both enjoyed the post battle revelry for your continued successes," Willow replied archly before waving a had as if Lex were the one being ridiculous. "I had options for dalliances not another marriage. Anyone who was incapable of taking on Grandmother and coming out the other side would have been a dead man walking, anyone who *was* capable of taking on grandmother, I would not have been their equal, Alasdair," Irritation and the talk of the distant past left her tongue slipping on his name and falling into its original pronunciation. "You were the warrior and I, the healer. It took time to learn how to stand alone. I was not going to risk leaving the coven to be some other mage's chattel." She waved the steam away from her face, deciding this topic was not conducive to enjoying the onsen. "As to children, I might consider it once I have survived the Lockewoods settling into their new hierarchy. Perhaps then I can turn some of my spare time into finding someone I can tolerate enough to share a bloodline with."
[23:10] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): Watching the two of them converse with increasing tension kept his attention rapt. He did not interject, eager to learn what he could from the exchange. Then another name hit his ears and another long and probing stare went from Naoki to Lex. He decided not to comment on or delve further into the topic of suitors and offspring then, for once reading the room well enough to decide it wasn't terribly conducive to the afternoon being a relaxing one. It took a few minutes for him to come up with some other tangent to go off on but when he decided he asked, "Do you always call him Alasdair?" with as close a match in pronunciation as he could manage given his linguistic experience laid elsewhere.
[23:16] Lex Dashrix: "That crone was never going to allow any of us to grow to truly challenge her." he replied softly with a shake of his head and a small sigh. He let his head drop back as discussion turned to her impossible standards and delusions of finding a man to meet them that didn't send her running for fear of being controlled with a mere exaggerated roll of his eyes before letting them drift shut. "It is the pronunciation of my name in Grandmothers tongue." he acknowledged allowing Willow to fill in why she still slipped into using it.
[23:22] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) blinked and then frowned as she realized her accent had slipped enough to be unintentional, "Technically speaking, its the pronunciation of his name in *our* original language. Grandmother's original language was Brythonic. We were born in the waning years of what people now call Old English though I knew it as Saxony." Willow elaborated, assuming that Lex had provided zero information about their ancestry. She continued, waving a hand to them in turn, herself and then Lex, "Willow Lockewood, Alexander Lockewood, those are modernizations. We can't go around sticking to the names we were given at birth without updating them. Lockewood didn't exist as a name at all. I believe that came from one of the men who Grandmother married and absorbed the lands and titles of sometime around Queen Elizabeth's era." Willow elaborated, "And Dashrix, of course, is the ridiculous name that he gave himself when he left."
[23:30] 彩人脩生 (helio5igma): "I figured as much but..." Naoki tilted his head from one shoulder to the other. "...you mentioned she slips into that tongue in certain situations. I was curious if anytime she used your name counted as one of those situations." He quieted to listen to Willow explain, another raise of his eyebrows and a few nods indicating some of that information was new and being committed to memory. "How do you say - " he began before cutting himself off abruptly and turning to look over his shoulder. A little red moth drifted down to land on his cheek, its wings stilling as it sank into his skin and revealed itself as one of his blood homonculi. Whatever taste or biological information it brought to him had him sitting upright, still and wide-eyed and surprised. A little glance at Lex and he was standing and climbing out of the pool. "I'm getting your professor," is what he tossed quickly over his shoulder by way of excuse and apology at once as he made his way back to the bathhouse to reclaim his street clothes.
[23:41] Lex Dashrix: "It sounds French I assumed it would upset grandmother." Lex retorted laconically from where he leaned on the rocks, "It did to be fair." he added with a rolling shrug of his shoulders that sent ripples through the water. When Naoki cut off his eyes slid open and he sat up at the sight of the homunculi only relaxing when the cause of its visit was revealed and he let out a satisfied sigh as he settled back eyes on the lithe young man as he padded quickly away. After he vanished he slid a glance toward his cousin one hand gently tucking a stray lock of pale lavender back into loose bun, "I dare say he wants to know how you sound calling my name." he teased with a light smile.
[23:46] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) turned to give Lex a droll look, "You reminded me that your toys are off limit, *Alasdair*," Willow replied archly, but drawing his name out with the full burr that always accompanied Lex's rusty use of their Celtic dialect. "I'd not test our rather fragile alliance by testing one of your many rules." Willow didn't pull away, relaxing back next to him on the rocky seat. She waved his words away with one airy hand. "He's interested in me only so much as it provides insights into the parts of you that you keep under lock and key. Which, is to be understandable. I only know them because I lived it alongside you but it provides the illusion that I have pieces of you that he is not privy to."
[23:53] Lex Dashrix: "I said I don't like to share what is mine." Lex countered letting his hand fall to her shoulder his strong grip rubbing the tension he knew still she carried there but also serving reminder of both how close he was and with what ease he could physically overpower her. Another layer of their constant parry and reposte. "For all he is my creature he is still a man." Lex argued looking down at her body where she stretched in full display. "His interest goes beyond our shared history I promise."
[23:57] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) hummed softly, more vocalization through a sigh than much else as Lex began to rub some of the tension from her shoulders. "I'm not yours," Willow reminded him, aware of the various meanings of that ambiguous statement. "As we were just discussing, by your choice, I am not yours." Even as she taunted him, Willow shifted to allow Lex to continue to knead the muscles along the column of her spine. Despite Lex's efforts, the twist of hair keeping it off the nape of her neck continued to slowly unravel, with twists of the fine curls starting to slip down the nape of her neck.
[00:09] Lex Dashrix: A low rumble in his broad chest spoke to how seriously he took that particular protest, "It's been nearly a hundred years Wenllian." he pointed out in a hushed whisper against her ear, "You've been free of both grandmother and the coven." Lex continued as his hand ran down her arm and the kneading of her should shifted across her body more fully enveloping her in his powerful grasp. "Nearly a hundred years and you've not taken a lover for even a night." he rumbled tauntingly as his strong hands ran over her delicate skin, "I've been watching, waiting, not the slightest challenge to my old claim." he nuzzled her hair lightly a hum of desire building within him at his own teasing of her body and mind as he hardened next to her.
[00:16] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) closed her eyes, letting her body slide through the water to be pulled against his. Willow was not immune to the strong hands on her body or the familiar way he touched her. It has been a very long time, Lex was not wrong nor mistaken but she continued to taunt him anyway. "Are you very certain, Alasdair? Can you be utterly sure that I have not enjoyed a dalliance of my own behind the school wards. I said I had not found a mate, not that I was without any attentions." The scent of her shampoo had not changed since the last time they had been so close, unlike the poison garden she favored and its heavy florals, the potion she used on her hair was faint, the crisp and clean citrusy aroma. "I will not be a toy on your shelf."
[00:27] Lex Dashrix: smiling into her hair Lex slid his hand up slightly to brush across her collar bone and loosely grasp her throat as the wandering hand beneath the water slid to curve along her supple thigh. "I built those wards remember?" he taunted which was near enough to true to remove most doubt that they were little impediment against so mild a violation. "No you will not be on a shelf will you." he sighed into her neck as his lips twitched against her skin to the beat of her pulse he was so close. "You need to be played with." his thick fingers were roaming dangerously close to doing just that. "I kept my promise." he whispered barely audible, "From that first night?" A prideful young mans boast in the throws of youthful passion, but she was gone and by his hand, what had she promised him in return in that long off night under the stars?
[00:34] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) moaned, tipping her head back against his shoulder, her face tipped up towards the moonlight. Her legs parted, letting him slip thick fingers along the slick folds of flesh that the water hid from sight. "A thousand years and lifetimes later," Willow whispered. Behind Lex, the plants stirred though it sounded only like wind rustling along leaves. "Do you intend to claim the strong sons and beautiful daughters that I vowed to you in return?" Willow asked, her voice husky. She moved to rock her hips back against his cock, stretching her body against him in the hopes that it would distract him as her hands clenched into fists, summoning the ropes of vines and plants to erupt from the foliage with the intent to restrain Lex.
[00:44] Lex Dashrix: Strong though his will was Lex was far from immune to such distractions. He hissed out a hungry, "Yesss" the notes rumbling in his chest as her shapely ass slid along his turgid length his hand tightening against her throat as his fingers found their mark sliding between her slick folds preparing her for him. the creeping vines caught him however unawares as they ensnared his forearms pulling him back against the rocks as he strained against the bindings even his prodigious strength could not best. His eyes were still clouded with lust as her trap ensnared him, his hips jerking up and forward the bulging tip of his cock sliding against her sex despite the restraints preventing the full access his body demanded. "Tease." he growled as he pulled against the binding vegetation, though there was no real heat to the statement this too he accepted as part of their game,
[00:47] Willow Lockewood (willow.hollysharp) stepped away, rising gracefully in the water. She turned back towards Lex, her expression melancholy. Willow reached out to capture his strong jaw in one hand. "Grandmother is the one who taught you that you are the only one that you can truly rely on. You, however, are the one that taught that lesson to me, Alasdair. You demand complete surrender and that is the one thing I dare not trust you with." Despite her words, she leaned in to press an almost tender kiss to his lips before she turned to stride away through the grass. "Enjoy the onsen. I cede the ground to you."
[00:56] Lex Dashrix: Relaxing into the bindings as she leaned over him to deliver the stinging retort he huffed out a small sigh as he gathered his wits in the face of his predicament, "I grant the freedom of complete surrender, someday perhaps your realize how badly you need it." he whispered not even fully for her ears. He watched her voluptuous form take it's leave the sway of those wide hips in no way helping his almost painful erection and let his head drop back against the stone as she finally vanished waiting for her vines to retreat to their normal homes and his engorgement to abate that he too might take his leave as well.