The Ninth Trial

[advisories]

Who: everyone
When: Day 18, starting just after dawn
Where: The Hermit's Tent, and all around

[This morning as the sun begins to pour through the train's windows, there's the tremor that signals a Trial.]

Come hither, Heroes. Prove thy worth. Or something like that!

[It's the same older man's voice from the sixth trial, and outside is the same fortune teller's stall. Today the front flap is lifted to show a normal interior -- there's a wooden table, carved with geometric patterns and painted in bright colours, lit by teal-coloured carved candles.

At the table sits a man of indeterminate age, somewhere between 30 and 60. He's wearing what appear to be monk's robes, teal with patterned trimming. In front of him is a crystal ball and a stack of bingo cards, along with a stand-up sign bearing the rules of this Trial.

Across the top in large font, it says:

Icebreaker Bingo

Good luck and have fun!]

Comments

[bad_crowmance]

[ He's listening as she speaks, absorbing every word even as he does his best to keep his face and his movements completely casual. As he gets more of a feel for skipping stones, he manages to get more hops out of them. Five, six. Eight.

He hadn't expected, with the way she sometimes spoke, that her favourite person would mimic his-- he knew it would never be "herself." He finds himself wondering who she was-- a family member? A mentor? He could ask and maybe she would even answer. Curiousity almost propels him forward, moving him to ask---

But that's too close. If she gives up the answers of her own accord, that's one thing. But if he pushes to much, asks too much... It's almost like he cares. And every single one of his instincts insists that he needs to keep that distance present.

(...What kind of life had he led that he felt such a strong need to keep people at a distance? The thought barely crosses his mind though, in and out before it's even fully formed. It doesn't matter, not right now. This is who he is.) ]

Sounds like a hell of a woman.

[ His tone's light as he says it, almost impressed.

Ten skips. ]

[voreaciously]

She is.

[And here, she misses. It's only three skips. Her lips thin and the water spits her stone back at her, as though it were something distasteful. She catches it without missing a beat and tries again. Fourteen, this time.]

If you told me she was divine and Heaven-sent, I would believe it. Her intellect, strength, ambition, ruthlessness, beauty. Anyone would kill for or in service of any one of those things at that level, and she has them all and more.

[She inhales and skips another. He's already given his opinion and she agrees with it, there's little more to be said on the matter when he cannot know such an unknowable person.

So she moves on.]

An experiment. Hm.

[bad_crowmance]

[ There's more to that story, far more. He can tell.

And he moves on. ]

Honestly, this one I'm at a loss for.

[ Unless it's in bed, but. ]

[voreaciously]

Come now, that one is not so difficult. We simply need a working hypothesis, the rest will follow. Is there anything that you have been wanting to test, of late?

[she says, like, everyone is a fucking nerd wanting to test shit]

[bad_crowmance]

[ He slides his eyes towards her, grinning. ]

Weeeeell.... ♪♫

[voreaciously]

...What do you have in mind?

nsfw i'm so sorry

[bad_crowmance]

I'm curious if I can get you to come in under five minutes... using only my mouth.

you're not sorry

[voreaciously]

[but this counts as physical affection. She's blushing, but she's also thinking about this.

Deeply.]

That is a hypothesis, yes. Um. I suppose I could use...previous data as a control, but should I already be aroused? Hm, no, I should not be, but would that even be possible...?

[please, crow, you need to stop her.]

no, i'm really not

[bad_crowmance]

[ "Deeply nerdy about sex" isn't a turn-on but it is hilarious.

Still. He silences her with a kiss, keeping his hands to himself even as his tongue moves to explore inside it. Shut up, 80H, is what that kiss is saying, with no small amount of amusement to it. ]

DIDN'T THINK SO

[voreaciously]

And--

[Oh.

Oh, this is happening right now. It takes her a moment to catch on, but she is kissing him back, eagerly.

Shutting up, Crow.

She can think of better things to do with her mouth and her tongue slips out of it to twine with his.]

[Bond][nsfw] just getting those tags out of the way

[bad_crowmance]

[ He spends a good several seconds kissing her quite thoroughly before he pulls away almost reluctantly. ]

Shall we move out of the water? I'd rather not get my clothes wet while doing this.

'-'b y they like this

[voreaciously]

[She is just as eager, following his lips a little when he draws away before focusing on the task at hand.]

I suppose that is fair. [Does she sound a little...petulant? Couldn't be.

Wait.]

...Did you wish to do it here, then?

[bad_crowmance]

Well, no one else is out here right now.... We could go back to one of our rooms if you'd prefer.

[voreaciously]

[80H is a bastion of self-control when she wants or needs to be. She is, also, when not behind closed doors, decidedly rather reserved, elegant, and proper. Certainly, someone who would not have sex so publi--]

I do not want to wait.

[Whoops.]

It is too far.

[they'd have to get back to the train and be careful not to draw suspicion, far more so now since so many more people are milling about completing tasks, and then he would have to let her in at a good interval. It's fun, sometimes, to sneak around, but she does not want to bother.]

We are here, right now.

[bad_crowmance]

I was hoping you'd say that.

[ He starts walking out of the water, towards the sand. ]

[voreaciously]

[in truth, she's had sex outside more times than she can count, honestly. not that she's bothered to count. She looks out to the water for a moment, this imperfect sea still black with ruin far enough out before she follows after him.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Once they're properly out of the water, Crow doesn't waste any time in getting on his knees. He uses his teeth to push aside her panties, using his fingers only to keep them out of the way as he proceeds to give a long, slow lick up the length of her slit. ]

[voreaciously]

Ah--I have started a timer.

[Goodness, this is attractive and unexpected. He is on his knees for her. She raises and holds her skirts out of the way before undoing it and pulling it her head, the better to see him with. With it gone, it is clear what she is wearing is not actually panties, but a leotard.

A salaciously cut one. It is very high above her hips and just barely covered the front before it was moved aside.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ Crow takes a quiet moment to be impressed at the cut of that leotard. That's a lot sexier than he would've expected and he likes it. But he doesn't stop what he's doing while he's being impressed-- he's got a goal to achieve, after all. He slowly swirls his tongue around her clit, teasing at it. He gently flicks at it once, twice-- the first step, after all, is to get her attention. ]

[voreaciously]

[A hand slips into his hair, slowly back and forth and on the second pass, she threads her fingers into those pale locks, indulgent, but careful not to hinder.

He has her attention.]

Goodness...

[She can barely be heard over the roar of the waves. He really is aware of the time he has and is not about to squander it.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ He's absolutely not about to squander it.

He uses his teeth to lightly, very lightly tease at her clit before he resumes using his tongue-- lapping at her, swirling, flicking-- he's got a steady pattern going with all three, keeping a solid rhythm going for her to fall into. ]

[voreaciously]

Crow-san--

[She hisses gently, her hips twitching and rocking very slightly. It's hard for her. She does not want to disturb his efforts too much, but to stand here and accept pleasure like this while restraining herself is torturous. She feels warm and his tongue is electric and she does not know if he will make it in time, but that is so good--]

[bad_crowmance]

[ He doesn't know if he's going to make it on time either and he doesn't have an internal clock to know how close he is. But he's sure as hell going to try, enthusiastically lapping at her hungrily. Demandingly. Naturally, he'll keep going until she comes anyway-- but will it be on time?

At least she's keeping track. But it sure would be satisfying if he did. ]

[voreaciously]

Mm--

[Her fingers tighten in his hair as she trembles with the effort of staying still, her hips bucking slightly against the chains of willful stubbornness she's wound around herself. She's close, she's so close, she's breathing hard and the shocks of pleasure that she feels, oddly cool against the heat.

But this is glorious. It is not just him, but she is facing what she holds dear, and like it's telling her that it is okay to let go, it is the way of things to let come what may--

So she does. In more than one sense.

She moans loudly, her back arching as threads of sweet wetness spill from her and she trembles violently as shocks of pleasure rack her body.]

[bad_crowmance]

[ There's little tells-- the grip in his hair, the subtle swaying of her hips, the quick and heavy bursts of breath spilling from her lips... she's close. She's close and he coaxes her towards that edge, his tongue moving eagerly until she's falling, falling, falling...

And it's not until the moans cease and the trembles stop coursing through her body that he stops what he's doing. He tastes the last delicious bits of her before nudging her leotard back into place, looking up at her with half-lidded eyes and a lazy grin. ]

So, did I make it in time? Inquiring minds want to know.