Private Tales Home Sweet Lair

As the twin brothers settled down into their lair both of them were much more quiet than usual. Callim had been largely preoccupied with visions and portents even he had trouble fully understanding and Cassian had long since learned to engross himself in his own thoughts whenever Callim was like this. Since his brother wouldn't exactly make for the best conversationalist while not exactly present in the.... present. While Callim sat on a hip, legs splayed out to his side, hands perched on the edge of the natural hotspring of their lair, masked face gazing down into the frothing, bubbling water as if it might whisper some great truth of the universe to him Cassian simply laid himself down upon a pile of gold after depositing yet another purse of coin directly onto it.

That clitter-clatter of coin upon coin would echo throughout the cave and beyond, out into the pouring rain beyond the torchlight, into the darkening night sky and in defiance of the fierce clap of thunder overhead. A declaration that though the world was currently being pelted by nature's wrath there, in their lair, the twins were dry, warm and mostly content.

Of the two Callim would be the first to rise and, casting a glance roughly in Cassian's direction, would give a soft smile at his twin's gentle sleep. Slowly, gently he would draw a thick blanket over his brother before calmly walking to the entrance of the cave. The cold, wet winds whipping the hem of his robes as he seemingly gazed out into the darkness for a long, long time. Speaking before anyone using human eyes would see her.

"I'm surprised to see you again so soon."

A gentle, easy smile would grace Callim's lips before he added.

"You should come inside where it's warm. We'd love to have you."

Lilette Blackbriar​

There were many benefits to being able to see the future. Too many to count, in truth, but in the moments before Lilette Blackbriar 's collapse Callim counted being able to be there to catch her in his arms to be the greatest gift his abilities had ever given him. The words had not even fallen from her lips when gentle arms cradled her. Stronger than they had any right to be for his size. Hefted her from the ground, along with Nightspell, with genuine ease.

Callim would let out a single, relieved exhale as the cold rain pounded down upon him from above, his firm bent over Lilette's to shield her from the weather. But the adrenaline that allowed him to hold her so easy was rapidly fading, his arms shaking, and so Callim would stagger inside with her and call to his brother.

"Cassian!"

Cassian would jolt upright, prepared for battle, only to pause at the sight before him. But only for a moment. In the next four arms, two brothers, would gently usher Lilette by carrying her bodily to a mound of fine silks and bedding. Only to pause, share a look, and methodically begin to strip her soaked clothing away. She was, of course, beautiful and exciting in the expected ways, but at the moment they were only focused on making sure she was out of the cold, could not get sick.... somehow... and was comfortable.

So for now they acted with genuine, stoic professionalism. Hoisted her naked body into the softest, most luxurious pile of blankets she had likely ever felt before wrapping her up so that only her head and hair were visible. A pillow collected from the room of a nobleman tucked under her head as both brothers sat nearby, watching her intently, concerned for her, more than any other emotion seeing her bare form may have elicited. Only for Cassian to stand, take her soaked clothing, and begin to hang it up to dry while Callim gently lay Nightspell beside her before laying a palm gently on her forehead.​

Ere the moment before Lilette Blackbriar spoke both brothers would sit at her side. Callim's light touch upon her forehead turning into gentle strokes through her hair. His free hand gently taking Lilette's right while Cassian took her left. Holding her hands through the fabric of the blankets may not have been exactly easy but it showed her they were there at the very least. Callim would be the one to speak as Cassian cast his gaze warily toward the mouth of their lair.

"We are here."

He stated simply, softly, and the gentle scratch of his hand ornaments would tingle across her scalp in five pleasant lines as he tended to her. Cassian would squeeze her hand, stand up, and glance at Callim. A very brief exchange taking place without words before Cassian pulled up his hood and drew his blades, stalking out into the night as Callim turned his attention back down to Lilette.

"You are safe here. Don't worry."

Ceasing his scratching through her hair and placing her hand down he would retrieve a waterskin and softly, slowly press it to her lips and tilt it up. Once she had a drink he would close it, set the waterskin aside, and softly use the ornaments on his hand to comb out her hair in gentle waves above her head.

"Lilette. Pray tell, were you followed here?"​

Callim tenderly caught the fabric as it slid from her shoulder, preserving her modesty by preventing it from sliding any lower, and he would place it back on her shoulder while his gaze never left her. He would give a nod, no longer smiling, and explain.

"For now. Your clothing was soaked, unfit to wear. We have other assorted clothing you can peruse to your heart's content. Clothing that we have.... collected. Such is our way."

He shrugged a light, unconcerned motion before exhaling a slow thing almost like a sigh.

"Cassian will make certain the lair is secure and sealed. I will make sure you are secure and well pleased with your choice of refuge."

A gentle smile graced Callim's lips.

"Do be sure to help me finish my task afore Cassian, he is competitive that way."

Callim would give a good-natured chuckle before slowly standing and looking across the lair toward a haphazard HEAP of fine clothing.

"I can prepare a more private area for you to change. If you wish to do so now?"

Lilette Blackbriar​

Callim would stare at the lump of silk and shame that was Lilette Blackbriar for a few silent seconds before asking rather softly.

"Thou.... doth remember I am blind... in a sense, yes?"

Shaking his head and rising nonetheless at her shooing he would keep his gentle smile, though now with perhaps more mirth behind his lips, and bow to the Lilette-lump before intoning.

"As thou wilt, your Majesty."

Before he went off to do her bidding. It was an.... interesting task considering how he perceived reality. To set up a screen for her, to pluck gentle slips of fabric from the great pile like he did the strands of potential futures. He did not, nor could he truly, handle them with any sort of grace. Instead he did his best to divine Lilette's reaction to each piece and, eventually, would end up with three laid out separate from the others.

One was a thing of ruby red trimmed with orange-yellow motifs. Trailing gossamer giving the impression that the wearer walked as living flame and the ruby fabric would glint and twinkle just so in the light, not a product of magical craft but only pure skill to give Lilette's curve a snug, almost sensual fit to match the heat of the flames the dress embodied. A daring, bold and emotional splay of glittering rubies would fan out to cover the bust entirely, interlinked with a web-design pattern of gold to sit high on the chest. A piece of passion and allure, but finely made, should Lilette choose this piece.

The second was a thing of emerald trimmed with white-blue seafoam. The shoulders and skirt arranged in layers of fabric to be just a bit more pronounced than the rest of the dress and instead of suggesting the flickering of flame and sharp lines therein the fabric arced in great, blunt swoops and rolls like the tide. A thin gold chain about the neck even linking an attached necklace of closely-interlocked sapphires at Lilette's pale throat if she chose this piece.

Lastly was a thing of ebon darkness and dusky gold. Embroidered silk forming a snug, gentle collar in the pattern of rose thorns around the neck, the V of the bodice plunging almost scandalously low, while the fabric from the hip to the top of her ribs was nigh-transparent to give tantalizing glimpses of the skin that lay beneath. The skirts as well were cut all the way to the hip at the sides, not at all designed to stay shut of their own accord and the back was entirely open down to the small of the back. Only held together by a comparatively thin strip of fabric across the base of the neck and shoulder blades. A much more risque outfit, should Lilette choose this piece.

With his choices made Callim would simply move back and seat himself at a table. His gaze drifting toward the entrance as Cassian's shadowed form appeared and a great boulder began to be leveraged in place to seal the lair entire.​

Callim would give an unseen smile at Lilette Blackbriar 's compliment. A small, pleased thing as he the ornamental claws he wore upon his fingers traced intricate, unseen patterns into the wood of the table. Cassian, meanwhile, still masked and inscrutable would trudge back into the cave and silently give Callim the all-clear through their telepathic bond.

When Lilette did emerge wearing her new dress she would notice that Callim was already blushing a bit while Cassian stared at her silently for a moment. Feature half-hidden behind his mask, eyes unseen, and he would drink in her appearance for a long moment before giving a curt nod. Cassian would be the one to speak as Callim tapped a gold-clawed finger on the table.

"You look.... acceptable."

Callim's head would cock a bit before Cassian would turn to begin walking toward what appeared at first to be a tarp along the wall, only to push it aside and reveal a large hole in the wall of the cavern, their version of another 'room' it seemed before he returned with some slices of ham on a plate. He did not look directly at Lilette again and would sit across from Callim without a word while Callim turned to look roughly more in her direction.

"Though you wilst need to find a chair you are more than welcome to join us, of course."

Cassian seemed to pause, consider something, and got back up to go back toward that cloth tarp. Returning with a second plate after a few moments and setting it on the table as well. Callim would then tilt his head and comment softly.

"Brother, our guest needst not truly eat, I do not believe...."​

Callim noticed Lilette Blackbriar 's gaze sink and pursed his lips in obvious concern. Cassian noticed this though his expression remained inscrutable. Words seemed to pass unsaid between the brothers as Lilette agreed that food would not stay down. Callim would then nod at Cassian, who would stand and walk away from the table, beginning to idly search the cave as Callim, in complete contrast to his robed, placid demeanor, would lift an entire thick slice of ham, open his mouth impossibly wide to reveal pearl-white fangs and simply... devoured it whole. Narily chewing at all before swallowing and then addressing Lilette gently.

"Prithee Cassian meant his past homage as a compliment. Acceptable is.... good.... in his eyes. He is also-..."

Callim paused as Cassian approached, speaking before he even got to the table.

"Found them."

He then gently placed a heart-shaped box before Lilette. The faintest scent of blood emanating from within and... chocolate? Cassian would then sit and explain.

"We once slew an isolated vampiress who still hunted for mortal delights. She terrorized untold peasantry simply to harvest their blood to create chocolates as maddened gifts to herself."

Cassian's brow would furrow briefly.

"I believe she was quite mad. Believing her mortal self to live in an enchanted mirror she kept and would gift herself these chocolates as loving gifts from her past self."

He shook his head, his masked visage meeting Lilette's face, then he would look at Callim, more unspoken words passing between them and Cassian would cough into a gloved hand before stating in a tone more suited to giving contract details than romance.

"As we understand it in Alliria it is a holiday of romance. I.... We.... hope you know that though the prize is claimed from somewhere less than genuine the emotions behind it are no less.... genuine."

Callim would nod approvingly before adding softly, almost slyly.

"After all, t'would be most rude of us to invite you to eat and supply no succor."​