travelerscurse | There's a price to pay and a consequence

There's protocol to be observed, both as a field agent returning from the field and as an "Imperial deserter" come to join the rising tide of resistance in Ala Mhigo. But the first thing he does the moment all of that is taken care of is secure a change of clothes out of his uniform and a bath. The bath is in a river and the clothes are simple, used but not quite threadbare yet, but it's a start. He's never liked the more "advanced" Garlean fabrics even without the farce of putting him in a soldier's uniform and it's a relief to be back in something organic, homespun, a comfort he didn't know he was missing until he had it again.

Food is next and the most difficult. He has no money, not that would be good here, anyway, and has traded what he carried for what he has gotten so far. He's down to the clothes on his back, his bow, and his instruments and none of them are things he's willing to give up.

So old habits die hard, perhaps, or maybe it's more like riding a chocobo, you don't forget, or maybe, just maybe, this is it's own form of homecoming. Whatever the reason, he finds himself singing for his supper just like he used to years ago, moving from place to place in a Calamity-pocked world, helping where he could, working where there was work. His voice is somewhat out of service like this, but it's good enough for some tavern songs and the quickly erected pavilion tent does seem to become a tavern once he starts, hopefully making the owner a bit more gil than normal, enough to off-set his own meal and mead, meager though it may be.

He's mostly been playing the violin. It and the harp are his favorites, for their ability to both allow him to sing with them and their ability to keep a tune all on their own where he needs to rest his voice, but the harp is a bit too calm for a place like this. The violin is soothing without being overbearing, and he can fiddle with it when he needs to.

It's shaping up to be a good enough evening, a balm to a soul that has seen precious little of music these past two years in Ilsabard.

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Gustavain doesn't waste any time in moving over to the chair at the small desk in the room and sitting to take off his boots. It genuinely does go a long way towards making him comfortable, but there's also a small amount of deliberately ushering them through some of the liminal space between the outside world and sleeping together. He takes the chair to not take the bed, he takes off his boots instead of his shirt, keeping things safe but also not shying away from them in the slightest, either.

"You as well," he says with a smile, "However you wish," it's not quite so formal as to be agreed upon or spoken, but it's very clear Gustavain intends for him to take the lead-- at least inasmuch as what level of intimacy they're headed for.

Mikka wasn't entirely sure what level of intimacy he wanted here. Not if he was asked in those terms, too shy to really consider it. But at the same time he did like the idea of sharing affection in some form, likely clear in the little smile he offers in return as he toes off his own boots before he was crossing to the desk Gustavain was sitting by to set his book on.

"Admittedly I'm not entirely sure where to start, if I'm being honest." Commented with a soft laugh. "We're leaps and bounds beyond anything I'm used to. Not that I mind that..."

But it did make him uncertain how to continue on, or to signal that he might like the idea of it.

Gustavain considers that for a moment, then smiles. Reading things about people is kind of his thing and there's something in this moment that pushes him to offer something he might not normally, not out of a dislike for it, but that the other person might think he was being silly or perhaps coddling them, or worse, angling for moving too quickly, when really the desire is the opposite,

"Why don't you get down to whatever you're planning on sleeping in and we curl up in bed. Everything always feels more natural when you're already warm and relaxed with someone."

Something in the set of Mikka's shoulders eased at that suggestion, a bit of relief in his smile as he nodded his agreement. He hoped to not need to have his hand held throughout everything, but in the beginning, having that guidance was something of a comfort.

"Aye, that sounds like a good place to start." He agreed softly. Not that it would take him long- his clothing was fairly simple, if well made, ties and wraps rather than fiddly buttons, in lighter layers that were easy enough to shrug off, until he was in his smallclothes.

And maybe blushing a bit as he was moving to settle in the bed, scooting to one side so there would be room for Gustavain to join him.

He leaves the loose pants he's wearing on. He usually doesn't sleep in much, if anything, but he figures it will also help with the comfort somewhat if he's a little more clothed. He does skim out of his shirt, though, and slides into bed and directly into Mikka's arms as he does. Light though he's trying to keep this, he does want to push a little, doesn't have any problem with rushing a bit in the early, early stages of things, to see where the baselines are if nothing else.

He doesn't immediately go for anything overtly sexual, just makes sure they're cozily tucked in together, and settles warm against Mikka, letting him just learn what having another body in his bed feels like.

After a moment, Gustavain nuzzles against his cheek, then up to one of his ears,

"Is aught amiss? You will let me know if it is, won't you?" he doesn't honestly doubt it, he just speaks to speak, to not let things sit in silence as he pulls him closer, starting to slowly tangle them more together if there's no objections.

It's... nice. Having that warmth against him, the comfort of another person nestled close. The little miqo'te blushes still, but aside from maybe a bit of shyness still at the newness of this, he doesn't seem actually uncomfortable or unhappy with the way Gustavain settled. A soft little chirp slipping from him at the nuzzle against cheek and ear, a faint smile still on his face.

"Everything is fine..." He assures him, finding himself more than willing to nestle in closer at the elezen's urging. "You'll be first to know should that change."

"Good. I don't want you to feel pressured to do anything, but I do think this will be easier to lead by example than ask you every little thing," he strokes his hand warmly up and down Mikka's back as he speaks, the touch certainly soothing, but also more than slow and sensual enough to be a caress, not just something to quiet him.

After a moment of that, he leans in and actually sets his mouth first against Mikka's neck, right at the join with his shoulder, mouth moving softly upwards. There's a bit of tongue, a hint of teeth, but nothing that will leave a mark. He might yet try something like that, if Mikka is interested, but not for a first touch.

For another lover, he might have trailed up behind an ear, but the position of Mikka's make that a little difficult, so he trails along his cheek instead at the top of his path, until he can kiss him, warm and slow.

"Y-yes, that makes sense." And it did make Mikka feel a bit more at ease in some way, that there wouldn't be that stop-start-stop of questions to distract him from just sussing out how he felt about what was going on and what they could do.

The first sense of lips against skin earned a pleasant little shiver crawling through him, a soft, shaky little rasp of sound in response, though it certainly didn't sound like a bad thing, not accompanied with the shy little quirk of lips that Gustavain might notice when he leaned in for that proper kiss, or the shift of the arms around him, like the miqo'te wanted to keep him there.

He keeps the kiss a bit heated but not yet particularly deep, easing him carefully into this. Perhaps some people might find it a bit harrowing, either to know that they're someone's first or to have to navigate those waters, but it's really no bother in Gustavain's mind. He likes to learn all of his lovers, even ones he'll never see again-- as many of their quirks and likes and dislikes as can fit in an evening. He doesn't kiss and tell, exactly, but everything is inspiration of a sort and he never really stops wanting to soak it all up like a sponge.

Very slowly, with plenty of time to protest but without any particular caution, he lets one hand slip down, palming over Mikka's ass. He pulls him in a little more like that and nibbles softly on his lower lip judging the reactions there before moving forward.

Mikka was trying not to think about it in those terms himself. Knew he likely wouldn't be as skilled as others Gustavain had been with in the past but... if that was a thing the elezen was worried about then he wouldn't have decided to go through with this, aware as he was that the miqo'te was new to this. Worrying about that would just make Mikka anxious, so he consciously set the thought aside, focusing instead on the warmth of the kissing that he was being introduced to, the solid warmth of the body he was snuggled in against.

The feel of the hand on his rear, the light nibble against his lip were both new to him, earning a low pleased little croon from Mikka along with a shiver. One hand staying where it was, the other sliding lightly through his companion's hair, fingertips almost delicate in brushing against his ear. He'd heard somewhere that elezen's ears were sensitive, wasn't sure how true that was, but the idea of being able to share something like that with Gustavain pleased him.

Gustavain croons back softly, an answering harmony to Mikka's soft noises, encouraging. And then, a moment later, he has to break off with a soft gasp, head thrown back just the slightest bit, as Mikka's fingers find his ears. They're not as sensitive as some elezen, but it's enough to splinter his thought process for a moment and get him to lean into the touch,

"Ah, you're a natural, I see," he says with a low, warm chuckle, hitching him closer, before kissing him again, deeper.

There's a price to pay and a consequence - for darlingdatura

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