[ The instant Varka's hands wander back down to her spine Nicole's breathing grows heavier. It’s a subtle difference—it isn’t as if she’s panting from something as simple as a hand rubbing over her back—but a difference nevertheless.
Luckily, the fact he seems to be stumbling over his words this much is more than enough of a distraction from his hands. Nicole starts giggling before he’s even fully mumbled his way through.
Was he envisioning it? She thinks he would likely be disappointed by the reality. Both individual instances had been defined by their frustration, and utter lack of anything definitively climactic.
She pulls her head back to look at him properly. ]
You’re asking for details. I'm afraid it won’t be anything particularly impressive. The first time involved strictly external stimulation. The second…
[ A modicum of embarrassment creeps in, finally. She glances away. ]
I… attempted internal stimulation, but ultimately found very little success. I recall a sensation that was not unlike… tension? In my abdomen, but it didn’t amount to much either time. It was an unsuccessful experiment that left me feeling overheated and sticky. Which is why I mentioned finding it uninspiring.
[It's a bit humiliating, to be tittered at when he's doing his best to be a proper gentleman but... Varka won't hold it terribly against her. And to his credit, as Nicole describes her experiences, he sobers up entirely. His head tilts, eyes closing not as he imagines it, but rather as he tries to piece together the puzzle that is Nicole.]
Think that's pretty normal, actually. Especially when you're starting out. It can be a lot of work for a payoff you've never experienced before.
[His eyes roam over her form thoughtfully, not lingering anywhere in particular, but taking in the whole picture.]
Is it something you're interested in figuring out? I ask, because - [Ugh, the tips of his ears start to warm. Varka wouldn't call himself humble, but he isn't exactly a braggart, either. It makes the words on his tongue feel wrong, accurate though they might be.] I'm not - uh. A small guy. And if you were struggling with just your fingers, then, well -
[He pulls one hand back from Nicole in favor of rubbing at the back of his head.]
[ Varka is taking it so seriously, and listening to her so intently, that her giggling does simply taper off. The embarrassment starts to set in the moment the temporary buffet of amusement wears off. She twitches subtly at the sudden weight of his gaze, one hand peeling away from the back of his head to start sheepishly twining a lock of hair around her finger.
What a ridiculous scene. The two of them fidgeting with flushed faces. If the Heavenly Principles could see them now, perhaps they would believe that intervention was unnecessary given the state of them!
Eventually, though, Nicole sneaks a peek back at Varka's face. It might have been… uninspiring before when she was touching herself, but perhaps she simply hadn't had the right motivation? Or material? Varka's touch on her body this evening had already proven to be significantly more… provocative, and he hadn't even touched anywhere erogenous.
And besides: how could she not want to experience every part of him? Love and appreciation for humanity were innate qualities in her. Varka was no exception except in how that appreciation manifested.
She lightly clears her throat, tugging on the hair curled round her knuckle. ]
…It is a part of you. I want to experience all of you.
[There is a small part of Varka that finds he is relieved by Nicole's answer. While he would have gladly accepted Nicole's answer regardless of what it came to be, that she decides she wants every part of him -
Well. It certainly speaks to all the fantasies that have rattled around within his head.
Little wonder, then, that a smile spreads across his lips. And while he had held back from affection to allow her the chance to formulate a proper answer, now Varka leans in. He kisses the tip the finger tangled within his hair, then angles his head to brush his lips over her cheek.]
You don't need to say please. [He tilts his head, so that his low laugh rumbles into her ear.] Not yet, at least.
[Leaning back, he flashes the full force of his crooked grin, before sobering into something a little more serious.]
If we're going that direction, then I need you to make me a promise right now. A couple of them, actually. [He holds up a finger.] You'll be okay with me calling the shots, and taking things slow. [Another finger comes up.] That you'll tell me if you're uncomfortable and want to stop. [And finally, a third.] And that you understand you will not hurt my feelings if you do have to tap out.
[ She was going to have to examine why is voice in her ear was so particularly devastating. The sound of it seems to vibrate down to her very bones. In spite of herself, she shivers. Before he can wholly pull away, she turns her head to press a kiss to the side of his nose.
If she had seemed riveted before, it is doubly intense now. She stares at him with the grave seriousness of one who is on the verge of taking notes… even while her face is still flushed a warm cherry red.
…even if her initial reaction to being told they would be taking it slow is to sulk. She doesn't know quite why this prompts her to pout, but… a not insignificant part of her wonders what it would be like to be overwhelmed by Varka. He was intent and intense on the battlefield, after all. Would it transfer to the bedroom, she wonders? She pulls her finger free of her hair and does her best to pout slightly less obviously. ]
Those seem easy enough. I promise. Though, I must admit, my pride rankles at the idea of me needing to "tap out" of anything! I promise I am capable of handling whatever you may decide to do.
[Varka has been doing his best to quell some of the worst of his urges. Unfortunately, there's just something about the way Nicole speaks so insistently about her capability that manages to electrify him down to the very core.]
I'm sure you are. A good girl like you could take anything I threw at her, huh? [He doesn't even try to be subtle, not with the way he winks.] But we'll save that for down the road, okay? For now...
[The hand against her back shifts once more, drifting up to where her collar is. It's a curious gesture, one clearly searching for something. With all the staring he's done, you'd think he'd figure out how to unzip the damn thing but...]
First thing's first, why don't we get you comfortable?
[ Varka was certainly helping her learn things about herself that she hadn't anticipated. The moment the words good girl leave his mouth, a twinge unlike any she had experienced up to this point twists in the lowest point of her stomach. She colors so immediately that her head spins, grappling with the abrupt realization that she was going to endure the simple fact that being praised by Varka was going to present far more of an issue than she initially thought.
It had been one thing to weather the wordless pleasure over her adaptability, or to be told that she was doing a decent enough job with the experimentation. That had been expected. She knew she was capable of learning, and learning quickly, given the right amount of passion and dedication. This was… different.
Subtly—but likely not nearly as subtly as she would like—her hips rock against him. That could be in response to anything!
Delicately clearing her throat, she lifts a hand to assist him with her dress. Yes, a far better use of their time: getting her out of this damnable thing as soon as possible. It was starting to feel far too tight. ]
There is a clasp. Ah, fair warning: as involved as the dress may look, the moment you unclasp it at the collar, the majority of it is likely to simply fall down. The sleeves will have to be removed separately.
[ Which she can start to do, unless Varka is insistent on being the one to undress her. She needs to do something with her hands. Immediately. ]
[Well, Nicole is going to have to bear with him here. Even the gentle rock of her hips against his is enough to short circuit his brain. A rough sound leaves him, and his fingers tighten against the fabric. It's a good thing they're working on removing clothes here, because he's once again considering ripping hers off.
He clears his throat.]
Dangerous maneuver, don't you think? What if it got torn in combat?
[That's a fun thought. Maybe they should spar at some point and -
Anyway. Find the clasp. Thankfully, he's familiar enough with that, albeit in a mildly different context. All the same, his fingers alight on what he's searching for and — after a quick glance at Nicole to offer a warning, he undoes it.
Part of him thinks to cover his eyes. Politeness almost wins out. But they're meant to be sharing with one another, and... really he wants to see what awaits him there.
At least he minds his hands for the time being, keeping them braced against her back, as if it might protect her from the chill? Never mind the fact that half of her back was bare anyway.]
[ Wildly, she briefly considers throwing caution to the wind and simply bearing down with her weight because that sound is more than enough to wear considerably at her sense of reason.
The fact they hadn't managed to tear anything as of yet actually surprises her. It wasn't as if her dress was made of hardy material, after all—it was largely crafted for cosmetic purposes, not a functional one outside of the obvious—and they'd been twisting and turning and grabbing at one another the whole night.
If Nicole can connect the dots about what Varka is considering when he comments on the dangers of her attire, though… she doesn't. She does not connect the dots at present. ]
No one has ever gotten close enough to tear it.
[ That was the truth. Any would-be aggressors were far likely to be wiped off the face of the planet by her spellcraft before they ever got close enough to tear her dress.
As she had cautioned, the upper half of the dress effectively falls down the moment Varka undoes the clasp. She, at the very least, lifts a hand to prevent it from sliding down entirely, but it is a token effort at best. The dress had already bared at least a sliver of skin on either side of her chest but loose as it is, the whole side of her breasts are nearly fully visible if she angles herself.
Oh, that's right. She doesn't wear a bra. Dreadfully uncomfortable things, those are. ]
Was I meant to let it fall all the way off?
[ It is both a genuine question and a genuinely teasing one. She allows it to slip an inch more, fingers bunching the fabric. ]
[Varka's brows absolutely lift in anticpation, then swiftly draw together in disappointment when the full show isn't revealed. Not that he doesn't have plenty to marvel at. COnsidering everything they've done up until this point, he doesn't feel the slightest bit bad about letting his eyes rove over what skin has been exposed.
And judging by the toothy grin, he isn't going to pretend that he wasn't.]
I might have enjoyed it, if you did. But hey, I'll show you mine if you show me yours?
[He leans back, hurriedly undoing the remaining buttons on his shirt and tossing it aside. Only his necklace remains on his torso, swaying between his pectorals. As if they weren't already hypnotizing enough. Naturally, his chest is possessed of the same amount of scarring as the rest of him, a particularly vicious set of claws marring the left side of his rib cage, and suspiciously sword shaped puncture on the lower right part of his abdomen.
None of these bother him. He's practically showing them off as he squares his shoulders and meets Nicole's eyes.]
[ The moment Varka starts to unbutton his shirt Nicole knows she's made the right decision. She was a grand and beautiful and intelligent mage, after all. She would devise such nefarious and cunning schemes to ensure that Varka undressed in front of her far before she bared her own torso. Really, Nicole, her mind supplies, you are a visionary and strategist of the highest caliber and…
And then her train of thought sputters to an ungainly halt the moment Varka discards his shirt. Really, if Varka was unabashedly staring, Nicole's riveted gaze would make even the most stoic of knights blush. She had wholly anticipated Varka being well-built, both given his stature and his profession, but being confronted with the whole picture was…
Her eyes dart from his chest to his face and then… yes, back down again. Then further still, sweeping down the length of his torso in an effort to commit it all, burningly, to memory.
One of her hands frees itself from where it is clutching at the fabric of her dress to trace the lines of that sword-shaped scar with light fingers. Those fingers trace upward slowly enough to map out the ridges of Varka's abdominal muscles, then trip carefully over the raised skin surrounding the clawmarks on his ribcage. When she eventually finds her way up to his chest, she traces between his pectorals with the backs of her fingers rather than her fingertips.
…distracted as she is, she's still holding her dress up with one hand. Sorry, Varka. ]
[Fortunately for Nicole, Varka isn't in the right frame of mind to complain. The moment she makes contact with him, as her fingers slide down sensitive wounds and rigid muscle, all thoughts flee from his mind. He shudders bodily beneath her, gooseflesh rising in the wake of that wandering touch. His head tilts upward slightly, eyes locking with the ceiling as he bares his throat entirely.
He swallows hard, throat bobbing with the force of it. Neither his vivid imagination or most scandalous of dreams could have ever done this justice.
And all of that was before she made contact with his chest. All his attempts at keeping himself together fail in one instant, a low noise emerging from his throat. His head lolls back down, once more making eye contact with her. A strained smile crosses his lips, and a tight laugh rumbles through his chest.]
[ Oh wow, Nicole's mind chirps, bright and awed and assuredly definitely into their mental connection. Wow. Gosh.
While it is a blessing to know she isn't the only one affected, Varka's reactions are invigorating to a degree she was hardly anticipating. The way his body shifts beneath her touch, the flexing muscles and barely-suppressed shivers… if she weren't careful, she could easily lose herself in this.
The sound he makes when she touches his chest physically jolts her. Heat blooms in her stomach, and she feels pinned beneath the heady weight of his gaze. If she had wanted him before, it was a shade of the desire she feels now. If she had felt attracted before, this was… magnetizing. He is beautiful in a way that would have been difficult to envision before he granted her the opportunity.
A feeling not unlike reverence settles over her. Being called a tease only slightly disrupts it.
Her cheeks burn. With a visible swallow, she lifts her hand away from her dress and allows the fabric to fall away. While it pools and bunches at her waist, Nicole sets to removing her sleeves to even the playing field.
In stark contrast to Varka's, her skin is entirely unmarred. Her chest shifts with each breath, a hint laborious in the face of her desire. She glances away bashfully, finding the prospect of shared nudity to be a surprisingly intimate one. ]
[The idea of continuing to rib Nicole fades just as quickly as the fabric drops. As much as he enjoys their back and forth, making sure she feels comfortable in this situation is far more important. Thus, he shuts up when she reveals herself, focusing his attention on memorizing every inch of her form.
Her incredibly beautiful, undeniably perfect form. Some part of him thrills to know that this is a sight only he has ever witnessed. It is a miracle, and a precious one at that. Above all, it is something he refuses to squander.
His hands shift forward, settling against her hips at first. He does not hesitate to stroke upward, following the curve of her form, studying the firmness of her ribs beneath his. Only when he draws steady with her chest does he drag his touch inward, and only with one hand. He lays his hand above her heart (and yes, of course, her breast.]
Still with me? Can't have you burning up before we've had any fun.
[Okay, maybe a little teasing is in order.]
You're beautiful. Just in case no one's told you that before.
[ Nicole understands now why Varka was twitching so much.
She twitches the moment he touches her, then continues to when his hands start to move. A subtle tremble overtakes her as she vividly maps the sensation of his calloused palms on her bare skin. It isn't overwhelming – not in a negative way. She is finding the whole experience borderline dizzying, though.
A faint sound filters through the noise when his hand fits round her chest. Her lashes flutter. Her face is warm, but the embarrassment has fled in favor of something else, something deeper. Her mouth flexes around her next breath as she struggles to take it.
Was it going to be this devastating every time? They'd barely even touched one another! Wildly, Nicole begins to fret over whether she was going to embarrass herself by losing her composure over something as simple as skin-to-skin contact! ]
I'm here. [ She must be distracted indeed, given that she barely ruffles under his teasing. ] So are you… I was wondering if it slipped through the link, but it must have not.
Oh, I definitely heard you. [His smile turns a little sheepish.] Just got a bit distracted along the way.
[There's so much to keep track of; the flush of her skin, the noises playing out within her mind, the very look of her body. It's little wonder that a few things have slipped through the cracks.]
Here, let's get this out of the way, yeah?
[He slides his hands back down to her hips, then lifts her up. He hasn't missed how much she seems to enjoy being handled. To be honest, he enjoys it quite a bit himself. Besides, gently nudging the dress off to the floor helps her from getting all tangled up.
Especially when his next task is setting her on the bed proper. Yes, he wants nothing more than to run his hands over every inch of her, but if he starts too soon, he's going to get lost. Distracted.
I'm glad. [ She says it more fervently than she had initially meant to, but commits to it nevertheless. ] I want you to know. That I think of you that way. That it is the truth.
[ A frankly ridiculous thought spawns out of seemingly nowhere when Varka lifts her to help her out of her dress. Namely: should she have removed her shoes before stepping into the room? Putting her shoes on Varka's bed would be incredibly rude, and that is abruptly incredibly important.
Which is definitely why it falls by the wayside when he adjusts her again. Almost mindlessly, she lifts a hand to deposit her hat on the nearest flat surface, uncaring at the moment for where it does end up. She is far too focused on Varka.
Beneath the dress is… well, she might not be wearing a bra, but she is wearing clothing on the lower half! A pair of delicate white tights, sheer enough that the that her skin shone through the sparkling fabric. (As well as a pair of delicate lacy underthings, but don't focus on that just yet, Varka). Wrapped round one thigh was a delicate garter with a shining gem, threaded to a garter belt that sat higher up her waist.
For being a creature that was ultimately meant to stray from companionship, she had evidently decided she wanted to wear lingerie. It didn't hurt to look pretty! ]
I am concerned about my shoes being on your bed. [ Oh, she didn't forget. ]
[Though Varka doesn't verbally respond, the smile he gives her carries a promise: he hears her. He understands. And deep down, he treasures those words. He is not a blind man, nor is he a fool. He knows he is attractive, and he isn't ashamed to admit it. It's not a bad thing, to acknowledge your assets, thank you.
But knowing that Nicole saw him as such? That meant more than he could put into words.
That smile remains on his lips as he carefully arranges Nicole's body. He settles between her legs, holding both up so that neither shoe might touch the bed. He smirks are her "concern" before making a show of sliding one hand down the span of her thigh, then up her calf as he carefully undoes the boot there.]
I'm a professional, Nicole. I didn't forget about your shoes.
[He definitely did. He got so excited that he's now having to scramble. But don't worry, he can play it off.]
You know, I didn't think you'd dress so, uh... provocatively. Not that I'm complaining. I definitely like what I'm seeing.
[ Being laid out so carefully on the bed sets her heart to thrumming. The reality of their position sets in, punctuated by the weight of Varka's hand traveling over her leg. Six thousand years without intimacy culminating into a single moment. She has absolutely no idea what to expect. Reading saucy romance books was one thing, but experiencing the act yourself was… uniquely different. Abruptly overcome, Nicole lifts a hand to cover the lower half her face.
Her chest shudders exactly one time. Regardless of the fact that Varka is attending to both of her legs, she still tries to angle them closed. Shyly, not out of any discomfort.
It certainly doesn't help that he is pointing out her clothing! Briefly, she considers whether shoving him with her stockinged foot would have the intended effect. When he releases the first leg he had removed the boot for, she does just that.
Planting her toes against one pectoral, she lightly presses down enough to hopefully make him sway. It isn't nearly hard enough to actually shove him away—Celestia forbid—but maybe it would get the message across? ]
I look at this form every day. There is nothing wrong with dressing every part of it up, thank you very much.
[If Varka didn't want to be moved, he would not. The fact that he bends with the gesture should be enough indication that he's heard the message, loud and clear. And if not, his chuckle certainly would.]
Don't tell me you're getting shy on me now. We're almost to the good part.
[Untrue. If Varka has his way, then every part should be the good part. But if Nicole wants to tease, he can tease right back. He takes said foot into his hand and jerks it upward, then turns his head to -
effectively try to unhinge his jaw and bite her calf? Good lord. Is it the least horny thing he could do? Probably. But if it keeps Nicole in good spirits, he'll gladly do it.
And hey, at least when he releases her, he's happy to finish pulling her boot off.
Even if he is a little disrespectful by tossing said boot off to the side.]
You do a good job, dressing it up. [That... sounded incredibly lame, buddy.] But you don't really need much help. I think you'd be just as beautiful wearing anything.
[His brows lift.]
If you ask me, you looked particularly good in my jacket.
[ Varka is incredibly lucky that Nicole not only tolerates him, but likes him. Is fond of him, even!
Most would find their leg getting effectively levered into the air without warning startling without what he does next. When his teeth clamp down on her calf, Nicole flounders in such blatantly obvious surprise that, for a split second, she is entirely uncertain of how to react. Then she starts laughing, openly enough into the connection that it will at least be clear that she is delighted rather than put off.
What an incredibly weird couple they will make!
She's still laughing when he lets her go, and hardly has the wherewithal to keep her foot from thumping onto his lap. It has the intended effect of putting her at ease and, in truth, only serves to increase her anticipation. Something about being firmly kept in a good mood would do that for a girl, she supposes!
It is that exact good spirit that loosens her proverbial tongue. ]
If you are lucky, I might be able to be convinced to wear it a second time. Without anything else, of course, so that you may truly appreciate the sight.
[Delight blooms across his features, the mark of a man who is clearly satisfied with the response he's received. How terrible would it have been, if his actions had fully put Nicole off of him?
Not that he thinks it possible. For all her attempts to put on a mystical air, Nicole could be just as weird as he was. Her so-called "assassination attempt" had been evidence enough of that.
Nevertheless, that grin is mildly tempered by the offer she presents. He closes his eyes for a moment, clearly picturing it within his mind. His body trembles with a visible shudder.]
Don't threaten me with a good time, Miss Nicole.
[But they're getting sidetracked. It's a good thing, to keep the mood as light as it should be for something like this, but deviate too far and they were bound to lose track of what they were doing. Varka shifts himself to settle fully between her legs, far closer to the apex of her thighs than before. He lays his hands back on her hips, thumbing gingerly at the skin just above her leggings.]
[ Nicole was quickly learning that there was a successful and equally easy side path to her normal method of teasing Varka: teasing him with even an ounce of sensuality was proving incredibly effective. She makes a note of that for a later date, when she was truly determined to put him through the wringer. Maybe a flash of the thigh would be all she needed to entice him in the future.
The nature of that thought surprises her, but only for a moment. Yes, she decides, she wanted there to be more moments like this. Many more. She wanted to experience every facet of this potentially limited time with Varka. This assuredly included teasing him so thoroughly that he would hardly be able to walk straight before bedding her.
In present time, Varka is hopefully too distracted to notice that her smile had gone the slightest bit devious.
Besides: he's distracting her again. He nudges his way between her thighs and she sighs almost reflexively. The heat kindling in her stomach deepens, suffusing her from fingertip to ankle. She carefully brackets him with her legs, squeezing lightly. Encouragingly.
Which… feels better than she anticipated. Her breathing stutters. ]
[Indeed, Varka is blissfully unaware of the way he will soon be menaced. In the present moment, all he can really think about is how she looks. How she feels. And how desperate he is to touch her again.
And why shouldn't he?
Varka leans down, bracing his hands on either side of Nicole's head. His lips brush over hers, but only briefly. He is a man on a mission, kissing lower and lower still. There's so much of her throat that has been left unexplored, and this time, he doesn't hesitate to linger. He allows his lips to close around her skin, sucking a mark against her neck that will, mercifully, be covered by her dress.
But after that he drags lower still. His nose scrapes along her collarbone, only to pause as he presses a kiss into the hollow of her throat.
And then he drifts upward, following the curve of her breast.]
You feel... Mm. Would you kick me if I said you felt heavenly?
[His smile is almost too syrupy for the remark to sound at all teasing.]
[ If she thought kissing Varka on the lips was incendiary, this was… molten.
For the briefest moment, him bracketing her head flusters her more than any prior action had. Before she can even begin to conceptualize why, Varka's mouth alights on the side of her neck. When he begins to suck at her skin, a pulsing throb hums between her legs in time with each flex of his mouth.
It all feels incredible. She feels like a live wire. The desire blankets her so utterly that her brai nearly struggles to keep up, strung along through the growing sensation, the growing anticipation, the further down her body Varka travels.
She hardly realizes her breath is audibly fluttering in and out of her nose until he nuzzles into the hollow of her throat. It is embarrassing, but only for a moment. She cannot quite find it within herself to care overmuch about her conduct.
Varka's hand on her chest had felt pleasant. The barest brush of his mouth, the texture of his jaw – Nicole makes a sound that is dangerously close to a whimper. Her head tosses against the mattress. Instinctually, or perhaps out of a predilection to doing so, she lowers a hand to drag it through Varka's hair. She pushes it away from his face, mindlessly scraping at his scalp with her nails.
It shouldn't be possible, but she manages to sound breathless when replying to him. ]
N-no. [ A pause. She probably shouldn't simply leave it at that. ] I – couldn't kick you right now even if I wanted to.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 12:22 am (UTC)Luckily, the fact he seems to be stumbling over his words this much is more than enough of a distraction from his hands. Nicole starts giggling before he’s even fully mumbled his way through.
Was he envisioning it? She thinks he would likely be disappointed by the reality. Both individual instances had been defined by their frustration, and utter lack of anything definitively climactic.
She pulls her head back to look at him properly. ]
You’re asking for details. I'm afraid it won’t be anything particularly impressive. The first time involved strictly external stimulation. The second…
[ A modicum of embarrassment creeps in, finally. She glances away. ]
I… attempted internal stimulation, but ultimately found very little success. I recall a sensation that was not unlike… tension? In my abdomen, but it didn’t amount to much either time. It was an unsuccessful experiment that left me feeling overheated and sticky. Which is why I mentioned finding it uninspiring.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 12:46 am (UTC)Think that's pretty normal, actually. Especially when you're starting out. It can be a lot of work for a payoff you've never experienced before.
[His eyes roam over her form thoughtfully, not lingering anywhere in particular, but taking in the whole picture.]
Is it something you're interested in figuring out? I ask, because - [Ugh, the tips of his ears start to warm. Varka wouldn't call himself humble, but he isn't exactly a braggart, either. It makes the words on his tongue feel wrong, accurate though they might be.] I'm not - uh. A small guy. And if you were struggling with just your fingers, then, well -
[He pulls one hand back from Nicole in favor of rubbing at the back of his head.]
I don't want it to be unpleasant for you, is all!
no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 03:38 am (UTC)What a ridiculous scene. The two of them fidgeting with flushed faces. If the Heavenly Principles could see them now, perhaps they would believe that intervention was unnecessary given the state of them!
Eventually, though, Nicole sneaks a peek back at Varka's face. It might have been… uninspiring before when she was touching herself, but perhaps she simply hadn't had the right motivation? Or material? Varka's touch on her body this evening had already proven to be significantly more… provocative, and he hadn't even touched anywhere erogenous.
And besides: how could she not want to experience every part of him? Love and appreciation for humanity were innate qualities in her. Varka was no exception except in how that appreciation manifested.
She lightly clears her throat, tugging on the hair curled round her knuckle. ]
…It is a part of you. I want to experience all of you.
[ Then, for good measure: ] Please.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 03:54 am (UTC)Well. It certainly speaks to all the fantasies that have rattled around within his head.
Little wonder, then, that a smile spreads across his lips. And while he had held back from affection to allow her the chance to formulate a proper answer, now Varka leans in. He kisses the tip the finger tangled within his hair, then angles his head to brush his lips over her cheek.]
You don't need to say please. [He tilts his head, so that his low laugh rumbles into her ear.] Not yet, at least.
[Leaning back, he flashes the full force of his crooked grin, before sobering into something a little more serious.]
If we're going that direction, then I need you to make me a promise right now. A couple of them, actually. [He holds up a finger.] You'll be okay with me calling the shots, and taking things slow. [Another finger comes up.] That you'll tell me if you're uncomfortable and want to stop. [And finally, a third.] And that you understand you will not hurt my feelings if you do have to tap out.
That fair?
no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 04:16 am (UTC)If she had seemed riveted before, it is doubly intense now. She stares at him with the grave seriousness of one who is on the verge of taking notes… even while her face is still flushed a warm cherry red.
…even if her initial reaction to being told they would be taking it slow is to sulk. She doesn't know quite why this prompts her to pout, but… a not insignificant part of her wonders what it would be like to be overwhelmed by Varka. He was intent and intense on the battlefield, after all. Would it transfer to the bedroom, she wonders? She pulls her finger free of her hair and does her best to pout slightly less obviously. ]
Those seem easy enough. I promise. Though, I must admit, my pride rankles at the idea of me needing to "tap out" of anything! I promise I am capable of handling whatever you may decide to do.
no subject
Date: 2026-03-12 04:23 am (UTC)I'm sure you are. A good girl like you could take anything I threw at her, huh? [He doesn't even try to be subtle, not with the way he winks.] But we'll save that for down the road, okay? For now...
[The hand against her back shifts once more, drifting up to where her collar is. It's a curious gesture, one clearly searching for something. With all the staring he's done, you'd think he'd figure out how to unzip the damn thing but...]
First thing's first, why don't we get you comfortable?
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Date: 2026-03-12 04:42 am (UTC)It had been one thing to weather the wordless pleasure over her adaptability, or to be told that she was doing a decent enough job with the experimentation. That had been expected. She knew she was capable of learning, and learning quickly, given the right amount of passion and dedication. This was… different.
Subtly—but likely not nearly as subtly as she would like—her hips rock against him. That could be in response to anything!
Delicately clearing her throat, she lifts a hand to assist him with her dress. Yes, a far better use of their time: getting her out of this damnable thing as soon as possible. It was starting to feel far too tight. ]
There is a clasp. Ah, fair warning: as involved as the dress may look, the moment you unclasp it at the collar, the majority of it is likely to simply fall down. The sleeves will have to be removed separately.
[ Which she can start to do, unless Varka is insistent on being the one to undress her. She needs to do something with her hands. Immediately. ]
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Date: 2026-03-12 04:48 am (UTC)He clears his throat.]
Dangerous maneuver, don't you think? What if it got torn in combat?
[That's a fun thought. Maybe they should spar at some point and -
Anyway. Find the clasp. Thankfully, he's familiar enough with that, albeit in a mildly different context. All the same, his fingers alight on what he's searching for and — after a quick glance at Nicole to offer a warning, he undoes it.
Part of him thinks to cover his eyes. Politeness almost wins out. But they're meant to be sharing with one another, and... really he wants to see what awaits him there.
At least he minds his hands for the time being, keeping them braced against her back, as if it might protect her from the chill? Never mind the fact that half of her back was bare anyway.]
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Date: 2026-03-12 05:04 am (UTC)The fact they hadn't managed to tear anything as of yet actually surprises her. It wasn't as if her dress was made of hardy material, after all—it was largely crafted for cosmetic purposes, not a functional one outside of the obvious—and they'd been twisting and turning and grabbing at one another the whole night.
If Nicole can connect the dots about what Varka is considering when he comments on the dangers of her attire, though… she doesn't. She does not connect the dots at present. ]
No one has ever gotten close enough to tear it.
[ That was the truth. Any would-be aggressors were far likely to be wiped off the face of the planet by her spellcraft before they ever got close enough to tear her dress.
As she had cautioned, the upper half of the dress effectively falls down the moment Varka undoes the clasp. She, at the very least, lifts a hand to prevent it from sliding down entirely, but it is a token effort at best. The dress had already bared at least a sliver of skin on either side of her chest but loose as it is, the whole side of her breasts are nearly fully visible if she angles herself.
Oh, that's right. She doesn't wear a bra. Dreadfully uncomfortable things, those are. ]
Was I meant to let it fall all the way off?
[ It is both a genuine question and a genuinely teasing one. She allows it to slip an inch more, fingers bunching the fabric. ]
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Date: 2026-03-12 05:16 am (UTC)And judging by the toothy grin, he isn't going to pretend that he wasn't.]
I might have enjoyed it, if you did. But hey, I'll show you mine if you show me yours?
[He leans back, hurriedly undoing the remaining buttons on his shirt and tossing it aside. Only his necklace remains on his torso, swaying between his pectorals. As if they weren't already hypnotizing enough. Naturally, his chest is possessed of the same amount of scarring as the rest of him, a particularly vicious set of claws marring the left side of his rib cage, and suspiciously sword shaped puncture on the lower right part of his abdomen.
None of these bother him. He's practically showing them off as he squares his shoulders and meets Nicole's eyes.]
Well?
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Date: 2026-03-12 05:26 am (UTC)And then her train of thought sputters to an ungainly halt the moment Varka discards his shirt. Really, if Varka was unabashedly staring, Nicole's riveted gaze would make even the most stoic of knights blush. She had wholly anticipated Varka being well-built, both given his stature and his profession, but being confronted with the whole picture was…
Her eyes dart from his chest to his face and then… yes, back down again. Then further still, sweeping down the length of his torso in an effort to commit it all, burningly, to memory.
One of her hands frees itself from where it is clutching at the fabric of her dress to trace the lines of that sword-shaped scar with light fingers. Those fingers trace upward slowly enough to map out the ridges of Varka's abdominal muscles, then trip carefully over the raised skin surrounding the clawmarks on his ribcage. When she eventually finds her way up to his chest, she traces between his pectorals with the backs of her fingers rather than her fingertips.
…distracted as she is, she's still holding her dress up with one hand. Sorry, Varka. ]
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Date: 2026-03-12 05:39 am (UTC)He swallows hard, throat bobbing with the force of it. Neither his vivid imagination or most scandalous of dreams could have ever done this justice.
And all of that was before she made contact with his chest. All his attempts at keeping himself together fail in one instant, a low noise emerging from his throat. His head lolls back down, once more making eye contact with her. A strained smile crosses his lips, and a tight laugh rumbles through his chest.]
Tease.
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Date: 2026-03-12 05:56 am (UTC)While it is a blessing to know she isn't the only one affected, Varka's reactions are invigorating to a degree she was hardly anticipating. The way his body shifts beneath her touch, the flexing muscles and barely-suppressed shivers… if she weren't careful, she could easily lose herself in this.
The sound he makes when she touches his chest physically jolts her. Heat blooms in her stomach, and she feels pinned beneath the heady weight of his gaze. If she had wanted him before, it was a shade of the desire she feels now. If she had felt attracted before, this was… magnetizing. He is beautiful in a way that would have been difficult to envision before he granted her the opportunity.
A feeling not unlike reverence settles over her. Being called a tease only slightly disrupts it.
Her cheeks burn. With a visible swallow, she lifts her hand away from her dress and allows the fabric to fall away. While it pools and bunches at her waist, Nicole sets to removing her sleeves to even the playing field.
In stark contrast to Varka's, her skin is entirely unmarred. Her chest shifts with each breath, a hint laborious in the face of her desire. She glances away bashfully, finding the prospect of shared nudity to be a surprisingly intimate one. ]
…not intentionally...
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Date: 2026-03-12 06:03 am (UTC)Her incredibly beautiful, undeniably perfect form. Some part of him thrills to know that this is a sight only he has ever witnessed. It is a miracle, and a precious one at that. Above all, it is something he refuses to squander.
His hands shift forward, settling against her hips at first. He does not hesitate to stroke upward, following the curve of her form, studying the firmness of her ribs beneath his. Only when he draws steady with her chest does he drag his touch inward, and only with one hand. He lays his hand above her heart (and yes, of course, her breast.]
Still with me? Can't have you burning up before we've had any fun.
[Okay, maybe a little teasing is in order.]
You're beautiful. Just in case no one's told you that before.
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Date: 2026-03-12 06:11 am (UTC)She twitches the moment he touches her, then continues to when his hands start to move. A subtle tremble overtakes her as she vividly maps the sensation of his calloused palms on her bare skin. It isn't overwhelming – not in a negative way. She is finding the whole experience borderline dizzying, though.
A faint sound filters through the noise when his hand fits round her chest. Her lashes flutter. Her face is warm, but the embarrassment has fled in favor of something else, something deeper. Her mouth flexes around her next breath as she struggles to take it.
Was it going to be this devastating every time? They'd barely even touched one another! Wildly, Nicole begins to fret over whether she was going to embarrass herself by losing her composure over something as simple as skin-to-skin contact! ]
I'm here. [ She must be distracted indeed, given that she barely ruffles under his teasing. ] So are you… I was wondering if it slipped through the link, but it must have not.
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Date: 2026-03-12 06:22 am (UTC)[There's so much to keep track of; the flush of her skin, the noises playing out within her mind, the very look of her body. It's little wonder that a few things have slipped through the cracks.]
Here, let's get this out of the way, yeah?
[He slides his hands back down to her hips, then lifts her up. He hasn't missed how much she seems to enjoy being handled. To be honest, he enjoys it quite a bit himself. Besides, gently nudging the dress off to the floor helps her from getting all tangled up.
Especially when his next task is setting her on the bed proper. Yes, he wants nothing more than to run his hands over every inch of her, but if he starts too soon, he's going to get lost. Distracted.
And right now, this is supposed to be about her.]
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Date: 2026-03-12 06:34 am (UTC)[ A frankly ridiculous thought spawns out of seemingly nowhere when Varka lifts her to help her out of her dress. Namely: should she have removed her shoes before stepping into the room? Putting her shoes on Varka's bed would be incredibly rude, and that is abruptly incredibly important.
Which is definitely why it falls by the wayside when he adjusts her again. Almost mindlessly, she lifts a hand to deposit her hat on the nearest flat surface, uncaring at the moment for where it does end up. She is far too focused on Varka.
Beneath the dress is… well, she might not be wearing a bra, but she is wearing clothing on the lower half! A pair of delicate white tights, sheer enough that the that her skin shone through the sparkling fabric. (As well as a pair of delicate lacy underthings, but don't focus on that just yet, Varka). Wrapped round one thigh was a delicate garter with a shining gem, threaded to a garter belt that sat higher up her waist.
For being a creature that was ultimately meant to stray from companionship, she had evidently decided she wanted to wear lingerie. It didn't hurt to look pretty! ]
I am concerned about my shoes being on your bed. [ Oh, she didn't forget. ]
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Date: 2026-03-12 06:42 am (UTC)But knowing that Nicole saw him as such? That meant more than he could put into words.
That smile remains on his lips as he carefully arranges Nicole's body. He settles between her legs, holding both up so that neither shoe might touch the bed. He smirks are her "concern" before making a show of sliding one hand down the span of her thigh, then up her calf as he carefully undoes the boot there.]
I'm a professional, Nicole. I didn't forget about your shoes.
[He definitely did. He got so excited that he's now having to scramble. But don't worry, he can play it off.]
You know, I didn't think you'd dress so, uh... provocatively. Not that I'm complaining. I definitely like what I'm seeing.
[Shut him up, please.]
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Date: 2026-03-12 06:59 am (UTC)Her chest shudders exactly one time. Regardless of the fact that Varka is attending to both of her legs, she still tries to angle them closed. Shyly, not out of any discomfort.
It certainly doesn't help that he is pointing out her clothing! Briefly, she considers whether shoving him with her stockinged foot would have the intended effect. When he releases the first leg he had removed the boot for, she does just that.
Planting her toes against one pectoral, she lightly presses down enough to hopefully make him sway. It isn't nearly hard enough to actually shove him away—Celestia forbid—but maybe it would get the message across? ]
I look at this form every day. There is nothing wrong with dressing every part of it up, thank you very much.
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Date: 2026-03-12 07:08 am (UTC)Don't tell me you're getting shy on me now. We're almost to the good part.
[Untrue. If Varka has his way, then every part should be the good part. But if Nicole wants to tease, he can tease right back. He takes said foot into his hand and jerks it upward, then turns his head to -
effectively try to unhinge his jaw and bite her calf? Good lord. Is it the least horny thing he could do? Probably. But if it keeps Nicole in good spirits, he'll gladly do it.
And hey, at least when he releases her, he's happy to finish pulling her boot off.
Even if he is a little disrespectful by tossing said boot off to the side.]
You do a good job, dressing it up. [That... sounded incredibly lame, buddy.] But you don't really need much help. I think you'd be just as beautiful wearing anything.
[His brows lift.]
If you ask me, you looked particularly good in my jacket.
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Date: 2026-03-12 07:20 am (UTC)Most would find their leg getting effectively levered into the air without warning startling without what he does next. When his teeth clamp down on her calf, Nicole flounders in such blatantly obvious surprise that, for a split second, she is entirely uncertain of how to react. Then she starts laughing, openly enough into the connection that it will at least be clear that she is delighted rather than put off.
What an incredibly weird couple they will make!
She's still laughing when he lets her go, and hardly has the wherewithal to keep her foot from thumping onto his lap. It has the intended effect of putting her at ease and, in truth, only serves to increase her anticipation. Something about being firmly kept in a good mood would do that for a girl, she supposes!
It is that exact good spirit that loosens her proverbial tongue. ]
If you are lucky, I might be able to be convinced to wear it a second time. Without anything else, of course, so that you may truly appreciate the sight.
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Date: 2026-03-12 07:37 am (UTC)Not that he thinks it possible. For all her attempts to put on a mystical air, Nicole could be just as weird as he was. Her so-called "assassination attempt" had been evidence enough of that.
Nevertheless, that grin is mildly tempered by the offer she presents. He closes his eyes for a moment, clearly picturing it within his mind. His body trembles with a visible shudder.]
Don't threaten me with a good time, Miss Nicole.
[But they're getting sidetracked. It's a good thing, to keep the mood as light as it should be for something like this, but deviate too far and they were bound to lose track of what they were doing. Varka shifts himself to settle fully between her legs, far closer to the apex of her thighs than before. He lays his hands back on her hips, thumbing gingerly at the skin just above her leggings.]
Now... where were we?
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Date: 2026-03-12 07:47 am (UTC)The nature of that thought surprises her, but only for a moment. Yes, she decides, she wanted there to be more moments like this. Many more. She wanted to experience every facet of this potentially limited time with Varka. This assuredly included teasing him so thoroughly that he would hardly be able to walk straight before bedding her.
In present time, Varka is hopefully too distracted to notice that her smile had gone the slightest bit devious.
Besides: he's distracting her again. He nudges his way between her thighs and she sighs almost reflexively. The heat kindling in her stomach deepens, suffusing her from fingertip to ankle. She carefully brackets him with her legs, squeezing lightly. Encouragingly.
Which… feels better than she anticipated. Her breathing stutters. ]
Um. You tell me.
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Date: 2026-03-12 07:59 am (UTC)And why shouldn't he?
Varka leans down, bracing his hands on either side of Nicole's head. His lips brush over hers, but only briefly. He is a man on a mission, kissing lower and lower still. There's so much of her throat that has been left unexplored, and this time, he doesn't hesitate to linger. He allows his lips to close around her skin, sucking a mark against her neck that will, mercifully, be covered by her dress.
But after that he drags lower still. His nose scrapes along her collarbone, only to pause as he presses a kiss into the hollow of her throat.
And then he drifts upward, following the curve of her breast.]
You feel... Mm. Would you kick me if I said you felt heavenly?
[His smile is almost too syrupy for the remark to sound at all teasing.]
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Date: 2026-03-12 08:13 am (UTC)For the briefest moment, him bracketing her head flusters her more than any prior action had. Before she can even begin to conceptualize why, Varka's mouth alights on the side of her neck. When he begins to suck at her skin, a pulsing throb hums between her legs in time with each flex of his mouth.
It all feels incredible. She feels like a live wire. The desire blankets her so utterly that her brai nearly struggles to keep up, strung along through the growing sensation, the growing anticipation, the further down her body Varka travels.
She hardly realizes her breath is audibly fluttering in and out of her nose until he nuzzles into the hollow of her throat. It is embarrassing, but only for a moment. She cannot quite find it within herself to care overmuch about her conduct.
Varka's hand on her chest had felt pleasant. The barest brush of his mouth, the texture of his jaw – Nicole makes a sound that is dangerously close to a whimper. Her head tosses against the mattress. Instinctually, or perhaps out of a predilection to doing so, she lowers a hand to drag it through Varka's hair. She pushes it away from his face, mindlessly scraping at his scalp with her nails.
It shouldn't be possible, but she manages to sound breathless when replying to him. ]
N-no. [ A pause. She probably shouldn't simply leave it at that. ] I – couldn't kick you right now even if I wanted to.
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