Book Party [ota]

[myblueskies]

Who: Romeo, Elfnein and literally everyone in the heavens. Even if you weren't personally invited every invite came with a +ALL YOUR FRIENDS and there's also a sign. Strangers are just friends these two haven't met yet.
When: 29th April. Afternoon onwards
Where: Temple Smol (Gegute's library)
What: Just the cutest book party the heavens has ever known! Bring your best book!



Arrival

You might have received an invitation, or perhaps you are just passing Gegute’s library but there is an brightly painted sign outside.

Book Party today!

Everyone welcome! Bring your best book or dress up!

Lots of tasty food!

The doors of the temple are open and once you arrive in the lobby there are more bright arrows pointing the way into the library. If you are still stuck mister Goat is at the help desk, he’ll direct any one who needs it!

Activities

The layout of the library hasn’t really changed at all, except a few tables being moved to accommodate activities and all the comfy reading cushions have been brought to a central location. All the shelves are decorated with colourful paper chains and streamers.

Romeo had really enjoyed Yuna’s birthday party with the activities to do so he had copied the idea for Elfnein’s book party! On one table there is material for making bookmarks. You might want to recut the card strips, they are a little wonky. There is ribbon and glitter and colouring pens and glue.

On another there is a cardboard box puppet theatre, painted in a riot of colours with colourful strips of material as curtains. There is some felt and other material, as well as scissors, glue and wool to make puppets with. A sign reads in childish Hirigana. Show your best book!

Food

The invitations had promised lots of tasty food and there sure was a lot! A whole table filled with tasty treats, Romeo had been very very busy! There was a whole tray of chopped fruit, another of vegetables like carrots and cucumber.

There was bread and cheese and two bowls of pasta with different sauces. Another bowl of noddles with meat and vegetables. There was a huge bowl of rice too with a tray of grilled fish and a bowl of broccoli and asparagus.

An entire part of the table was taken up by apples and things with apples in them, apple turnovers and even an attempt at an apple pie, it was a bit smushed but probably tasted fine.

There was a tray of very misshapen cookies with messy icing and another of even messier cupcakes with far too much buttercream. There were also churos and a chocolate Gateaux, these seemed to have been bought rather than made, Romeo hadn’t even known where to start it making them!

There was an attempt at making books and other shapes out of rice and vegetables packed in the two bento boxes Ebisu’s temple had given him for Christmas, but they were a bit crumbly, misshapen or just plain strange. In the centre of Romeo’s bento attempts was his magical bento box, every time it was opened there were different fancy bento creations, if the children’s attempts left a lot to be desired.

Have fun!

Comments

[towards_okeanos]

[At first Iskandar is utterly dumbfounded then he starts laughing ... and he laughs for a longer while. Finally, he's able to collect himself.]

You can't be serious, can you?

[He looks at Waver. Blinks.]

You were serious. [a pause] But Ajax?! What made think of him ? He was ... he was ...

[add a couple of weird, incomprehensible gestures when he tries to wrap his mind around the thought process that could result in such an answer ... and clearly is unable to.]

Well, no. That's wrong answer.

[and a self-satisfied smirk]

Ha! It means it's a good riddle! I thought that would be obvious. I should require some form of payment if you still want to know but will be unable to guess it on your own.

[hypomeneo]

Shield. Shield. [Huff. Settle down the Tsun, Waver. Not easy with a laughing Iskandar.] You are Achilles, and my first choice I would have made, Athena, is taken, so...

[IT IS OBVIOUS. That shield of legend!

...

...

...]

Unless you also plan for her to be Athena, or Satya has some mad dual wielding skills I'm not aware of.

... what kind of payment?

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar stops laughing for a moment.]

Taken? So that was your reasoning. Eh, I am not choosing a cast for a play. Your first choice would be absolutely correct. I see that it was too obvious and knowing you really like to overcomplicate things, I'm not exactly that surprised anymore.

[and the smirk is back...]

Well, I thought a kiss would be an appropriate payment but I cannot exactly demand it now that you guessed correctly. That would be extortion, wouldn't it?

[Yes, he's able to declare it with a straight face. Almost.]

[hypomeneo]

[Red rises to Waver's cheeks faintly as he blows a strand of hair out of his face at those words. Oh it's like that, huh?

TSUNDERE LEVEL RISING.

ALERT. ALERT.]

It would.

[That smirk is annoying and Waver is annoyed at himself, because he's going to give the other man exactly what he wants because Iskandar's tempting his nature and Waver's going to play along with it.

Excuse him while he removes it with a deep but chaste kiss.






There are kids here, you know.]

[towards_okeanos]

[That kiss might be chaste but Iskandar's hand on his thigh definitely is not.

Or it would not be if it stayed there. Because it doesn't exactly...

It goes up stopping briefly to caress Waver's hip through the light fabric of the chiton, up to his side just below the ribs and then...


You weren't expecting a tickle attack, were you Waver?]

1/?

[hypomeneo]

[YOU! YOU!

... Waver's face goes aflame even as he pulls back, Iskandar, what the fuck! Here?! In front of the kids?!, completely scandalized.

AND YET.

... he's completely weak to him, and uh, does Elfnein have a garden because that Achilles cosplay is something else and he now has a sudden need to examine it and the man wearing it for purposes of... uh, historical authenticity. THAT'S IT. His honor as a history nerd demands it!

Damn those magic hands!]

[hypomeneo]

Iskandar. [HISSED WHISPER.] We're in publi------!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[hypomeneo]

[SNORT!]

... ic?

ha... haha... hahaha? haha... [HELP. WHAT?!






DAMN THOSE MAGIC HANDS!!!!!!!!!!]

DONE

[hypomeneo]

[QUIET HIIIIIISSSSSSSS. BEET RED!]

You -ha -. [Smack at those hands.] -hahaha- Are. - haah - [SMACK.] Incorrigible.

[TSUN-LAUGH-SMACK-SMACK-SNORT-HELP-STOP-OH-WHAT-SMACK!]

[towards_okeanos]

[The assault stops as abruptly as it started and Iskandar pulls Waver closer. He just ruined whatever chances of sneaking out unnoticed they had. Though Iskandar and unnoticed shouldn’t probably occur in the same sentence. He causes enough commotion but his sheer presence.
Not that it bothers him at all.]

I have a suggestion. Why don’t we go outside for a moment, hm?

[hypomeneo]

[Waver looks up, every shade of flustered in the rainbow, and instinctively pressing close to Iskandar despite the grumble of irritation working its way out of his throat.

That man of his. An idiot! And him, Waver Velvet? Equally an idiot for succumbing so easily to his stupid, sexy charms and rewarding his misbehavior!

(and worse is how he enjoys every second of it! Idiots, both of them!)]

We better before we cause more of a scene.

[... damnit, what a way to learn he's ticklish. He can see the wheels turning in Iskandar's head...

There are many more tickle attacks in his future. There's no way his lover won't exploit this.]

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar is utterly delighted by his discovery. He definitely will exploit this newly acquired knowledge at some time in the future. Not right now though. Right now he has other plans.]

Who's causing a scene? I'm certainly not.

[How he is able to rise up from behind the table without letting go of Waver is a testament to some inhuman agility on the part of them both.]

I do, however, require your expertise on one delicate matter.

[There's little chance that the cool air outside would do anything to dampen his hunger but at least he stops scandalizing the children.]

[hypomeneo]

Hmph. [There a bit of a pout as he gets to his feet; how they both manage it while staying pressed close is indeed a supernatural feat. One Waver silently notes, as for every incident of clumsiness, there's one of grace on his part too.] You and I have very different definitions of scene.

[He leans forward, one hand nudging Iskandar to lead them out, to whisper:]

Oh... a matter of that sort of delicacy, is it? It'd please me to give it my full attention.

[Subtlety, thy name is not them.

... please may there be no questions later from those children, though. Waver has firmly decided if there are, Iskandar gets to handle any Talks. He'll be too busy trying not to burn up in embarrassment to answer.]

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar catches that hand with a sly smile. His focus is fully on Waver when he leads them outside.
There is a small sitting area outside the Temple but it is occupied. They need to go further. Further, until they cannot be seen but still are able to hear the buzz of the party and the voices like a low buzz showing the direction to the temple.
Like rest of the district, the forest here consists of the maple tree. They certainly are at their peak beauty in the autumn but even now, with the last rays of sunshine filtering through the leaves, they look splendid.

Iskandar stops. He didn't let Waver's hand until now. He's not exactly planning to do that now. Instead, he lifts it to his lips and kisses the tips of Waver's fingers, then his wrist...]

Your pleasure is my goal right now.

[Excuse them as they take a moment to appreciate fully their mutual company. They can always return to the party later.]

[hypomeneo]

[Anticipation builds within Waver as Iskandar leads them out, past the sitting area, into the woods where foliage in full flourish hides them from prying eyes while the soft murmur of distant voices carries in the air. Just close enough to add the thrill of the danger of potential discovery while far enough away to keep him from being anxious of actually being discovered.

Each kiss sends shockwaves up his arm as Iskandar's mouth travels up and up.]

And yours mine.

[As he moves with the kisses to press against Iskandar, fingers tracing admiring lines over the chiton at Iskandar's hip, and then upwards to the breastplate.]

I don't believe even Homer could adequately do justice to the glories of what I'm seeing now. Where did you get this?

fade out or move?

[towards_okeanos]

[Iskandar couldn't care less about being discovered by other people but because it makes Waver uncomfortable, he'll make sure they have nothing to worry about. He could teleport them back to the Temple for absolute privacy but no matter how fast and convenient is this method it would just ruin the mood.
And he likes it here.
Especially with Waver wearing something that shows a lot more exposed skin than his usual attire. While Iskandar likes relieving him of all those clothes he also finds it quite frustrating that it takes so much time. Why does he always have to wear so many layers?
It shouldn't be surprising that sudden absence of layers is definitely to his very enthusiastic liking.]

I'm glad we're in agreement on that matter.

[Another kiss lands on Waver's forearm.]

But...

[Iskandar chuckles. Hot breath glancing over Waver's bare shoulder. Iskandar's lips barely touching the naked skin.]

I think you're underestimating Homer.

[He moves further to the base of Waver's neck, his throat, to trace his jawline with kisses and whisper to his ear.]

I had help.

[He returns his full attention to Waver's neck.]

Shall I elaborate?

fade out

[hypomeneo]

Am I underestimating him? [So many layers? Armor and practicality. He can shed or don as situation and climate requires.] Or are you underestimating your own magnificence right now?

[Heat coils in his gut as he gasps. Iskandar's touch may be feather light - just brushes of lips and the light scratch of his beard - but it leaves him aching, and Waver's hands bunch in Iskandar's chiton as nerves sing out before continuing their exploration of him.]

Either way it would be a worthy challenge.

[Hmmmmmmm... his hands have made it around Iskandar's back and one is sliding lower. Goddamn, those muscles feel glorious under his fingers.

There's another gasp as Waver's head tilts to expose the column of his throat for more attention.]

... yes...

Please do.

fade it is, let's see how good cinematographer I am

[towards_okeanos]

[There comes an almost lionlike roar, low, dark and hungry. Waver finds himself with his back pinned to the nearest tree while Iskandar is kissing him as if he wanted to devour him whole. His hands sliding under Waver's chiton to caress the bare skin...

When they finally return to the party the night has already fallen and they have to find their way through the forest drowned in pitch black darkness. Fortunately, Elfnein's Temple is visible even from afar. A shining beacon spilling light and laughter all around the surrounding area.

Anyone perceptive enough would notice both of their costumes are in a state of slight disarray. None of the elements of Iskandar's intricate armour is aligned properly and it looks that he's lost one of the brass buckles holding his breastplate in place. It seems he's not aware of it. Too busy whispering something to Waver's ear as they walk back to the temple.]

[hypomeneo]

[Waver's ears are slightly pink, while bone deep satisfaction thrums through the link. It might have to do with the rapidly healing love bites on his neck (though Iskandar isn't the only one who likes to nip), or their general slight disheveled state, or he may have sorta-totally been responsible for that brass buckle (It. Had. To. Come. Off.)... but any adults at the party are sure to know what they've been up to once they get a good look at them.

As long as they don't spill to the kids.]

Well, I'm not going to say no.

[What are they talking about? It's difficult to say as Waver leans against Iskandar as they walk, arm around him to keep him close.]

Uhhh... [Ears pinker. Flustering.] Maybe. What's your idea?

[towards_okeanos]

Oh, nothing elaborate.

[Right. Of course. Him. Not elaborate. Of course, he planned this beforehand. He's just pretending he didn't.]

I just thought we could take a break for a couple of days. Do some sightseeing. Maybe a weekend. Go somewhere warm. Good food, nice hotel.

[Iskandar lowers his voice so that only Waver can hear him before continuing.]

Comfortable bed.

[Now it's no more than a whisper in Waver's ear.]

Just like Hawai.

[hypomeneo]

[The emotion now welling from Waver can only be summed up in one word. An all-encompassing, resounding Yes.

If he's planning on it being like Hawaii...]

A getaway for just the two of us?

[A light bit of pink dusts his cheeks to match the tips of his ears, as his voice gains playfulness.]

Spur of the moment, hmmm?

[Of course you didn't plan it. Waver suspects nothing, see him suspecting nothing.]

[towards_okeanos]

Just the two of us.

[They reach the outside sitting area. Iskandar leads them to a bench. It's warm they can sit outside for a while.]

Where you would like to go? Because I'm open to suggestions.

[No. No plan at all. Absolutely not the one when they go to Thessaloniki because hey easy access and no, absolutely not because Waver once said he wanted to see place of Iskandar's birth.]

[hypomeneo]

Greece is nice this time of year, I do believe. [Waver gives a winsome smile as he leans in and rests his head on Iskandar's shoulder.] Wouldn't have to hop a plane or anything.

[towards_okeanos]

Mhm...

[Iskandar doesn't stop smiling. He has one arm around Waver's waist, holding him close, another resting on his head, weaving fingers into his hair. Those gorgeous hair. Black as the night, smooth as the finest of silks. He bows down to kiss them lingering there, inhaling the scent of argan oil that Waver uses to keep them in shape.]

It is.

[He needs to stop or they would need another trip to the forest. It takes a longer moment before he's able to tear himself away.]

Through the Thessaloniki shrine? We could rent a car and go south but it would be scorching hot there at this time of year.

[At least he can steal a kiss from him.]

[hypomeneo]

Tempting me again. [Waver's brows raise delicately as his smile spreads as his hair is kissed. He too is having... issues with his hunger.] ... keep that up and we're not sleeping tonight.

[That's a long lingering kiss stolen, my dear.]

There are reasons why air conditioning was invented. For everything else there's magic.

[Help! He's British. He may wilt otherwise. On the other hand, Heroic Spirit. He can take it.

Besides, he's curious what Iskandar would show him given the opportunity to completely take the reigns.]

Surprise me. I'm looking forward to what you come up with.