OOM - distraction Sherral

[runningred]

{{From here}}

After a long shower and some serious sleep, Jay finds his way to room f(x,y). "I come bearing beer." Jay calls, knocking on Sherral's door. Barefoot and relaxed, he looks a hell of a lot better than he did last time Sherral saw him.

Comments

[fluffiest_archadian]

When Sherral opens the door, he's dressed in the more dressed-down version of his fatigues: Barefoot, with rough-spun woollen trousers and a form-fitting grey t-shirt.

He also has slightly glittery blue-silver dust in his hair.

"Beer, excellent," he says wryly. "I could use a break. Come on in," he eases himself to one side to let Jay by.

Sherral's room is fairly spartan - there's a desk; a few books here and there; a dress uniform hung up with a few medals sitting on a table near it; a desk that currently is covered with maps; and a workdesk that has something covered in cloth and a lot of the same blue-silver dust on it.

[runningred]

"Did you have a glitter explosion in here?" He can't help but ruffles Sherral's hair, trying to find a clear patch on the desk to put the beers down.

[fluffiest_archadian]

"Carving magicite. I can show you, if you like. I'm making a second sword to go with my first," Sherral says, leaning into the ruffling a little.

He clears a few maps off to the side carefully to make space for the beer.

[runningred]

"Carving your own sword. Very cool." He puts down the six pack and knocks the top of a couple for them. But he goes straight back to carding a hand through Sherral's hair, brushing the dust away. "Looks like a messy process."

[fluffiest_archadian]

"Care needs to be taken to carve the right shape to avoid instability in Mist production," Sherral babbles. "My first experiment, utilising holy-aligned magicite, turned out well, but this second uses thunder-aligned magicite, which is a little more unstable."

Beat.

"But no less dusty, aye."

[runningred]

Jay listens and nods, not understanding half of what Sherral says but enjoying the cute babble. "So if the blade isn't the right shape, it won't do what you need it to do?" He leans back on the desk, still standing very close.

[fluffiest_archadian]

"It'll increase how unstable it is. You have to have the right shape to generate a wave of Mist in the right shape that you can regulate it using your own supplies."

If Sherral notices Jay standing close, it doesn't show. He seems rather too caught up in semi-scientific babble. If he'd never become a soldier, he would've ended up some kind of researcher at Draklor Laboratories.

[runningred]

"You sound very passionate about your blades." Jay smiles, watching the curve of Sherral's lips more than the curve of his sword.

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral's cheeks turn a little pink. "Well, it's more or less - I mean, not totally uncharted territory, Doctor Cid of Draklor produced a paper on the shaping of magicite to produce Mist effects, and early civilisations made magicite swords for ceremonial purposes, but ..."

Beat. Cough.

"There are not many magicite swords, I mean. In theory, the edge they grant me in combat should be vast."

[runningred]

"Having an edge is never a bad thing. Especially if it's welding something no-one else has got." He smiles. "And if you make it yourself, you know it's rhythms, it's harmonies. You move together better. I get that. It's like that with my bike."

[fluffiest_archadian]

"Aye, well, I'm unlikely to find anyone else who'll make one," Sherral says ruefully. "Let alone anyone with the expertise. I don't have the expertise, I'm mostly guessing."

Beat.

"Er, sorry. You brought beer, and I ended up raving at you about magicite swords."

He grins wryly, picking up a beer.

[runningred]

"Sounds like you've got a better guess for it than most." He reaches over to run his fingers over the sword's handle.

Jay grins and sips his drink, dragging his lips over the rim of the bottle. "Nothing wrong with being passionate. Beside you're cute when you rave."

[fluffiest_archadian]

It's not obvious until it's touched, but even through the cloth covering, the sword exudes a strange sort of cool heat - like a fever, almost.

Sherral momentarily stares at Jay's lips, then quickly swivels his eyes upwards at the ceiling. "Aye, but it's hardly polite."

[runningred]

"Interesting. Mind if I take a look? Or is it too early to show it off?"

"Sherral, it's me. When have you ever known me to care about polite?"

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral pauses, a little uncertainly, then draws the cloth back, picking up the sword with both hands.

There are a few spots where it clearly needs more carving, but it looks nearly complete. The blade is long and thin, slightly wider than the white bone hilt, and made of a blueish-silver crystal that looks very much like someone hammered lightning into mineral.

"I need to get a Rabanastre carver to engrave control runes onto it, once I've done the finishing touches on it. Then it'll be finished."

[runningred]

"Fuck me!" Jason exclaims carelessly. "It's beautiful!"

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral chokes a little on his beer.

Then: "Er, aye. Well, magicite is, I suppose."

[runningred]

"I've never seen anything like it. It's stunning. You have a real talent!" Jay leans a little closer to feel the chill off the blade. "I know almost nothing about magic but even I can feel the power in this."

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral smiles shyly. "Aye, well, half the work was done for me already - it's very good quality magicite."

[runningred]

"And modest too." Jay chuckles, leaning over Sherral to put his beer down. "What are skill are you hiding?"

[fluffiest_archadian]

"Nothing of note, I assure you," Sherral says, wrapping up the sword again and setting it down.

He gulps down a little more of his beer, then sets it down.

[runningred]

"That I don't believe for a second. You are definitely note-worthy." Jay gives into temptation, reaching out to cup Sherral cheek, pulling him into a gentle kiss, giving him plenty of time to pull away if he wants to.

[fluffiest_archadian]

Sherral has enough warning that he doesn't freeze up, and instead kisses back a little tentatively, one hand settling lightly on Jay's shoulder.

[runningred]

Jay lets out a soft sound, something akin to a purr as he rests his hand on Sherral's hip. He smiles as he breaks the kiss. "I'm glad. I was kinda worried you'd push me away." He kisses Sherral again, still slow and gentle.

[fluffiest_archadian]

"You'd have coped, I'm sure," Sherral murmurs with a small smile.

When Jay kisses him again, he makes a small noise, the hand on Jay's shoulder sliding up into his hair slowly.