The sailing was always smooth, under our Captain's skilled piloting -- [ The unneeded simping for the main character of Granblue Fantasy is halted quickly by Sahar's sudden turn. ] T-This ...!
[ Taken by surprise, Percy hugs Claude tighter as he waits to regain stability, very much unused to flying in the air on the back of an animal. The hand laying on top of his helps, and just for this uncertain moment in time, his fingers entwine, the rest of him using Claude as a source of stability. ]
[ Claude manages to keep from laughing when Percival grabs him, the metal of his gauntlets harsh through the fabric of his gloves, but allows himself an amused smile, encouraging Percival to hold on as Sahar careens toward the ground. Like her master, she'd always had the flair for the dramatic, and if Claude wasn't afraid that Percival would've fallen right off her back, he might've led her through some loops in the sky.
But right now they have a goal, and Percival doesn't need to fear for his life too long before Sahar finds a break in the treeline where she can land, her mighty body coming down on the ground with a thud.
Opting to be a gentleman this time, Claude slides off first so that he can help Percival down. ]
[ Though a part of soaring through the air was quite fun, he can't help but feel relief now that they're on the safety of the ground. His hair's definitely in an unsightly disarray, and he feels a bit frazzled. It's only for that reason he accepts Claude's help with getting off the wyvern's back. ]
Nonsense. I would not do something so unsightly. [ At least, not where people can see him. Thankfully, he's feeling more or less alright. Once on the ground, he starts to straighten out his hair and smoothen out his robes. ] Alright then. Let's begin our scavenging. You and your wyvern, follow me.
[ Bossy ... Percy makes his way toward one of the bushes, where an unfamiliar kind of berry can be seen. ]
[ He is bossy, but Claude doesn't mind it. After five years of everyone constantly looking to him for answers, and then cursing him when they didn't like the results, he's happy to follow after someone else's lead peacefully.
He follows Percival to the bush, with his wyvern trailing along behind him, and joins him to stare at the unfamiliar berry, hands at his hips. ]
I'm normally quite good at picking out poisonous plants from harmless ones, but it's admittedly hard to tell in an alternate dimension. [ He picks one up (he has gloves to protect his skin), and watches it closely. ] Though for all we know, everything on this world is an aphrodisiac.
[ Percival's own hands still at the discouraging possibility. ] You may be right. [ He hadn't considered that until Claude spoke of it. It's very possible, and he doesn't like the idea of being poisoned with an aphrodisiac against his will. ]
I would hope that isn't the case. I don't like the idea of being reduced to an undignified, lascivious wreck, unable to exercise basic restraint. I'll take a trip to the library to see if there's any information.
[ Though, from what he's perused, the library's pretty useless so far, containing mostly erotica. Why is Erku like this? Percival still plucks some berries and puts them in his bag. ]
That's quite the description, are you speaking from experience?
[ Even if he was, Claude wouldn't judge him. It's not like he hadn't had his own run in with the aphrodisiacs this planet had to offer, left hot and wanting, clamouring into the bed of a stranger. It's arguably a little alarming to be so suddenly overtaken with need, and he considers himself lucky that he wasn't in the company of someone he wouldn't normally sleep with, but it's not an experience that he's keen to repeat. ]
I suppose it's worth gathering even if it is poisonous. It's the place to start if we want to brew any antidotes.
[ He fishes a vial from one of the packs he has strapped around Sahar, and plops in a few of the berries. The area they're currently in is lush with fruit and herbs for harvesting it appears, so unsullied by outside traffic, and he does let his eyes and nose get ahead of him, heading over to anything new and interesting he sees to add to his collection of samples. It's disobeying Percival's orders, but he's so used to working alone that he doesn't even think twice before wandering off.
And of course, that's what ends up being his undoing. He's standing up from a crouch and turning around to head back toward Sahar when something rustles behind him, but he doesn't even have a chance to face it before an ungodly screech hits him from him behind, freezing him in place.
The effect is immediately, and so is the Sahar's reaction, the wyvern immediately unleashing a snarl and taking off after the feathery creature.
Not that it helps Claude much, stuck as he is with a stupid, surprised look on his face. ]
[ There's no answer to Claude's question. Nobody needs to know about Percy's first time under the influence of aphro and surely not Claude (not even caps, apparently, because i haven't rped it).
Percival doesn't mind Claude's idle wandering. Despite his bossy attitude, he's far from a micro-manager, often allowing his vassals to do as they please;, be it go on their own adventures, slack off, or even put cat ears 🐱 on his head against his will. Claude isn't one of his vassals, of course, but that fairly-relaxed attitude applies even here. Percival himself, accustomed to working alone also (after a good decade of being a lone wolf), busies with investigating other unfamiliar plants, collecting what samples he can. It's the sound of an unearthly scream, and the snarling and growling of Sahar that calls his attention and has him running over to where Claude is. ]
Claude! What happened?! Are you alright?! [ There's a quick scan of the idea first to ensure the danger has passed, and he rushes to the other man, assessing the situation. There's no need to go after that harpy since it's flown away (and Sahar's on that), so he keeps his full attention on Claude. ] Can you speak?
[ It looks like some form of paralysis, likely a result of that beast's screech. They're lucky in a way that Percival wasn't close enough to also fall prey to the effects, or they would both be sitting ducks right now. He needs to figure out how to break the effects, but it's probably best to move Claude somewhere safer. ]
I'm going to move you. Bear with this. [ He may not be as strong as Siegfried, but he's still a very fit and able man. Percival eases Claude into his arms easily, lifting him up in a princess-carry. He walks him to a nearby cave, where they can take shelter from any roaming wild beasts. Then, he lays the other man down with a gentleness very much unlike his blunt demeanor.
Now, what to do about this ... Something seems to come to mind soon after. ] ... I remember the robots telling me about those creatures now.
[ So he knows what to do. It's just embarrassing??? Kneeling beside Claude's head, he hovers over the paralyzed man, face turning pink as he frowns and prepares for what he's about to do. ]
[ Claude isn't sure what he expected, but being carried away like a helpless child isn't quite it. Who would've thought this would turn into a Naruto cave fanfiction?
Not Claude. In fact, he's still wrestling with the realization even as Percival dashingly moves to kiss him. ]
[ Percival's desire to save his friend (because they are now friends) trumps any reservations he has about how awkward it is to be kissing someone he's yet to have that sort of relationship with. He leans forward, a blush colouring his cheeks as he tucks his hair behind his ear. With his fingers he tilts Claude's chin higher, pressing their lips together softly as he waits for the effect to wear off. ]
[ Claude swears that he can almost feel the heat radiating from Percival's face when he leans in for the kiss, and he takes a moment to be charmed by the furious blush on his face and his dedication to help him regardless.
At least until the effect seeps from his body, head to toe, and he can actually feel Percival's lips, soft and plush, and perfectly made for Claude to fit his own against. He can't tell if it's the result of the curse being broken, but the proximity and the gentle press of Percival's fingers against his chin spreads warmth through him wherever movement returns, languid and comfortable enough that even when he can, Claude doesn't shift away.
He sets a gloved hand on Percival's chest, a silent sign that his efforts had worked, and when he finally moves back he opens his mouth to say something...
But nah, it's way more appealing to dip back to steal another kiss, pressing in closer, harder this time, but still chaste so as not to scare Percival away. ]
[ Though he had told himself he's doing this for Claude's sake and there's a pragmatic reason behind it all, he doesn't find himself hating the sensation when their lips do touch, a pleasant warmth settling at his core. It's almost regretful that it has to end, the hand against his chest cueing him into that fact. Claude can move, so there's no need to prolong the act and make things strange between them.
Then, his lips are captured in a second kiss, and that captures him completely by surprise, his lips hanging slightly open as his eyes go wide. He can feel his heart beating quickly now, that familiar fluster taking hold of him. Though the press of their lips is harder this time, more intentional, that light and blissful warmth he had felt before remains.
When they part, he's flushed, face red as his hair. ] What was that? The effect should have worn off.
[ Claude doesn't look remotely remorseful, looking almost gleeful as he faces Percival's flustered expression. ]
A little thank you to my knight in shining armour.
[ He doesn't dip in any closer, not wanting to make Percival uncomfortable, but he doesn't move back either, save for the way he turns his head away to survey the cave that Percival had brought them to. ]
You did bring me to a secluded spot, I thought you might want some privacy.
I'm not going to leave you there to get attacked again. [ Which is Percy refuting the implications behind him wanting some privacy, and also the truth. Seeing Claude paralyzed just now gave him a bit of a scare. He was worried about him.
Percival's fingers linger by his own lips, remembering the soft press of Claude's only a minute before, and as annoying as it was to admit, he did find it a rather nice thing. Still, he feels like he's being teased, so he turns away with some petulance. ]
I'm all healed. [ Claude answers peacefully, not missing the way that Percival lingers on their kiss for a moment.
He looks out past the cave, but there's no sign of his wyvern returning anytime soon. ]
Appears as though it's a condition that comes and goes quite quickly, but it was pretty frightening to be frozen in place like that. If I'd been alone, I might've just died up here. [ That's a grim thought. ] We ought to be careful to avoid any other run ins while we wait for Sahar. As delightful as it is to kiss you, I'd rather not be trapped in my body to do it.
Right now, you're under my care. I won't let that happen to you again.
[ Percival was the one who had asked him to come out today, so he feels responsible for what had happened. Claude's mention of the experience being frightening also gives him a pang of guilt, and he's resolved to better protect his friend. The assessment that they should wait for Sahar here is one he does agree with, because there isn't much they can do against a creature that attacks from a distance using sound.
The mention that it was 'delightful' to kiss him does colour his face pink again, his fingers lingering by his lips. It wasn't bad, but Percival doesn't admit things as easily. aka he's useless and i really want them to make out ]
... Do you speak so flippantly with everyone you meet?
[ Claude hadn't intended or wanted Percival to feel responsible for him, so it catches him off guard. He knows what it means to look after others in battle, and to be looked after in return, but those were bonds he'd forged after time and effort. He wouldn't expect Percival to care so much over a misstep made by a veritable stranger.
But then he thinks back to what he's heard of his ambitions, and it does line up with the kind of person that he is.
Claude shifts away from the lip of the cave so that he's facing Percival again, settling a gloved hand over the one he has hovering by his lips. ]
[ There's certainly an odd kind of tension that he can feel when Claude rests a hand over his. On its own it isn't a very racy gesture, given the fact that they had their hands like this also back when Percival was holding onto Claude during their flight, but with the context he finds himself feeling more nervous, a fluster building up. ]
... No. [ He likes Claude so far, and he doesn't get the sense that the other man is saying these things just to heckle him. So, it might have been a sincere admittance that he liked the experience. Percy liked it as well, but it's more difficult for him to be honest about certain things. He does reciprocate the hand-hold, more hesitant in the delivery as his fingers shift to allow a small entwine. ]
This place continues to change me in ways I could not anticipate.
[ As a tactician, Claude relies heavily on his ability to read people and their motivations. And while he's gotten pretty good at it, when it comes to understanding people on a personal level, he's more of a hit or miss. It wasn't impossible to think that Percival didn't enjoy proximity with him, and that he would prefer distance but maybe... Now that Claude is looking.
He's just shy? ]
Okay. [ There's an amused quirk to his lips, but his tone is gentle when he replies, keeping his hand where it is when he leans up to press their lips together in another kiss.
It's as chaste as the first—he's a gentleman after all—as though Percival is an easily startled deer, but warmth still blooms over his cheeks as the gesture, his body leaning in closer without realising. ]
[ This place has certainly changed him. Back home, sharing this sort of act with someone would take months to years of familiarity, and a mutual commitment. He didn't actually have much time to partake in such arrangements. Right now, he's kissing a friend with no rationale that he can think of to justify it; doing something simply because it felt good. There's certainly always going to be some measure of guilt he feels, but now that he's started he's finding it quite difficult to stop.
Percival closes his eyes, deepening the kiss and leaning back gently. He clasps Claude's hand and lays his other hand on his shoulder, encouraging the other man closer and further over him. ]
[ Percival draws him closer, which is a bit of a surprise, but maybe he's just the sort that needs a moment to warm up to the idea of being close to another person. Not everyone is as emotionless as Claude after all, who places no affection on the act of sex, and doesn't bring any vulnerability to it. He thinks of it like enjoying a particularly delicious meal, using the intimacy to sate a different type of hunger.
Not that this means he doesn't like Percival—he does. Finds him charming and driven, passionate about many of the same things as Claude. He finds his ambitions to be admirable, and the care he extends toward others a wondrous thing.
He likes the way that he leans into the kiss, supporting Claude's weight and courteous down to the way that he moves his lips against his. It compels him to show the same consideration in return, pressing his tongue carefully to the seam of Percival's lips, tasting his mouth only once he has permission, the sensation sending a new warmth through him, bringing a flush to his face when he draws back. ]
I hope next time we do this you're not in your armour. [ His mouth quirks into a smile, patting Percival's chest plate. ] It's not as cozy as what's underneath.
[ This place has truly changed him in ways he could not anticipate. He's kissing a friend right now and there's no practical reason for it, no square they're trying to fulfil. They're doing it solely for the enjoyment of it, and though there will always be some shame he has in that, it's such a light, pleasant thing that he doesn't feel inclined to pull away. Percival closes his eyes, feeling that warmth bloom in his chest as their lips press.
A flush settles by his cheeks as Claude touches the front of his chest plate. Though he can't feel the other man's hand through the metal, the action alone is enough to have him bashful. ]
It would be foolish to shed it right now. [ Then he'd have to carry his armour pieces around and it would only be a hindrance. ] Were you asking for another time ...?
[ Percival isn't like anyone else that Claude's tumbled with before—not that he has much experience under his belt—shy and easily embarrassed. It makes a little more hesitant, careful because he's not the best at reading others, but he thinks he's starting to piece together what Percival's actual feelings are.
It's kind of cute. ]
Yes, another time.
[ There's a bit of a teasing look in his eye, smile amused when he presses his mouth to Percival's again, and then again, a series of kisses that gradually grow more bold until he needs to draw back again, a pleased flush to his face. ]
Unless the idea repulses you. My feelings won't be hurt.
[ Those kisses are accepted with more readiness than even Percival had expected, each time bringing about a pleasant flush of warmth running through his body. He kisses back, fingers naturally finding themselves inching toward Claude's body. When the other man stops, Percival's hands are already on him, clutching onto the fabric of his waist. ]
There's no reason it would repulse me. [ He's not adverse to such acts, even if he's avoided them for a long time in a bid to uphold his honour. His thoughts on that have since shifted since coming here, and he's a little more receptive to those simple pleasures. ] ... I'm not opposed.
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[ Taken by surprise, Percy hugs Claude tighter as he waits to regain stability, very much unused to flying in the air on the back of an animal. The hand laying on top of his helps, and just for this uncertain moment in time, his fingers entwine, the rest of him using Claude as a source of stability. ]
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But right now they have a goal, and Percival doesn't need to fear for his life too long before Sahar finds a break in the treeline where she can land, her mighty body coming down on the ground with a thud.
Opting to be a gentleman this time, Claude slides off first so that he can help Percival down. ]
You're not going to throw up, are you?
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Nonsense. I would not do something so unsightly. [ At least, not where people can see him. Thankfully, he's feeling more or less alright. Once on the ground, he starts to straighten out his hair and smoothen out his robes. ] Alright then. Let's begin our scavenging. You and your wyvern, follow me.
[ Bossy ... Percy makes his way toward one of the bushes, where an unfamiliar kind of berry can be seen. ]
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He follows Percival to the bush, with his wyvern trailing along behind him, and joins him to stare at the unfamiliar berry, hands at his hips. ]
I'm normally quite good at picking out poisonous plants from harmless ones, but it's admittedly hard to tell in an alternate dimension. [ He picks one up (he has gloves to protect his skin), and watches it closely. ] Though for all we know, everything on this world is an aphrodisiac.
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I would hope that isn't the case. I don't like the idea of being reduced to an undignified, lascivious wreck, unable to exercise basic restraint. I'll take a trip to the library to see if there's any information.
[ Though, from what he's perused, the library's pretty useless so far, containing mostly erotica. Why is Erku like this? Percival still plucks some berries and puts them in his bag. ]
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[ Even if he was, Claude wouldn't judge him. It's not like he hadn't had his own run in with the aphrodisiacs this planet had to offer, left hot and wanting, clamouring into the bed of a stranger. It's arguably a little alarming to be so suddenly overtaken with need, and he considers himself lucky that he wasn't in the company of someone he wouldn't normally sleep with, but it's not an experience that he's keen to repeat. ]
I suppose it's worth gathering even if it is poisonous. It's the place to start if we want to brew any antidotes.
[ He fishes a vial from one of the packs he has strapped around Sahar, and plops in a few of the berries. The area they're currently in is lush with fruit and herbs for harvesting it appears, so unsullied by outside traffic, and he does let his eyes and nose get ahead of him, heading over to anything new and interesting he sees to add to his collection of samples. It's disobeying Percival's orders, but he's so used to working alone that he doesn't even think twice before wandering off.
And of course, that's what ends up being his undoing. He's standing up from a crouch and turning around to head back toward Sahar when something rustles behind him, but he doesn't even have a chance to face it before an ungodly screech hits him from him behind, freezing him in place.
The effect is immediately, and so is the Sahar's reaction, the wyvern immediately unleashing a snarl and taking off after the feathery creature.
Not that it helps Claude much, stuck as he is with a stupid, surprised look on his face. ]
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Percival doesn't mind Claude's idle wandering. Despite his bossy attitude, he's far from a micro-manager, often allowing his vassals to do as they please;, be it go on their own adventures, slack off, or even put cat ears 🐱 on his head against his will. Claude isn't one of his vassals, of course, but that fairly-relaxed attitude applies even here. Percival himself, accustomed to working alone also (after a good decade of being a lone wolf), busies with investigating other unfamiliar plants, collecting what samples he can. It's the sound of an unearthly scream, and the snarling and growling of Sahar that calls his attention and has him running over to where Claude is. ]
Claude! What happened?! Are you alright?! [ There's a quick scan of the idea first to ensure the danger has passed, and he rushes to the other man, assessing the situation. There's no need to go after that harpy since it's flown away (and Sahar's on that), so he keeps his full attention on Claude. ] Can you speak?
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I'm going to move you. Bear with this. [ He may not be as strong as Siegfried, but he's still a very fit and able man. Percival eases Claude into his arms easily, lifting him up in a princess-carry. He walks him to a nearby cave, where they can take shelter from any roaming wild beasts. Then, he lays the other man down with a gentleness very much unlike his blunt demeanor.
Now, what to do about this ... Something seems to come to mind soon after. ] ... I remember the robots telling me about those creatures now.
[ So he knows what to do. It's just embarrassing??? Kneeling beside Claude's head, he hovers over the paralyzed man, face turning pink as he frowns and prepares for what he's about to do. ]
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Not Claude. In fact, he's still wrestling with the realization even as Percival dashingly moves to kiss him. ]
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[ Percival's desire to save his friend (because they are now friends) trumps any reservations he has about how awkward it is to be kissing someone he's yet to have that sort of relationship with. He leans forward, a blush colouring his cheeks as he tucks his hair behind his ear. With his fingers he tilts Claude's chin higher, pressing their lips together softly as he waits for the effect to wear off. ]
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At least until the effect seeps from his body, head to toe, and he can actually feel Percival's lips, soft and plush, and perfectly made for Claude to fit his own against. He can't tell if it's the result of the curse being broken, but the proximity and the gentle press of Percival's fingers against his chin spreads warmth through him wherever movement returns, languid and comfortable enough that even when he can, Claude doesn't shift away.
He sets a gloved hand on Percival's chest, a silent sign that his efforts had worked, and when he finally moves back he opens his mouth to say something...
But nah, it's way more appealing to dip back to steal another kiss, pressing in closer, harder this time, but still chaste so as not to scare Percival away. ]
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Then, his lips are captured in a second kiss, and that captures him completely by surprise, his lips hanging slightly open as his eyes go wide. He can feel his heart beating quickly now, that familiar fluster taking hold of him. Though the press of their lips is harder this time, more intentional, that light and blissful warmth he had felt before remains.
When they part, he's flushed, face red as his hair. ] What was that? The effect should have worn off.
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A little thank you to my knight in shining armour.
[ He doesn't dip in any closer, not wanting to make Percival uncomfortable, but he doesn't move back either, save for the way he turns his head away to survey the cave that Percival had brought them to. ]
You did bring me to a secluded spot, I thought you might want some privacy.
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Percival's fingers linger by his own lips, remembering the soft press of Claude's only a minute before, and as annoying as it was to admit, he did find it a rather nice thing. Still, he feels like he's being teased, so he turns away with some petulance. ]
So. Are you feeling better then?
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He looks out past the cave, but there's no sign of his wyvern returning anytime soon. ]
Appears as though it's a condition that comes and goes quite quickly, but it was pretty frightening to be frozen in place like that. If I'd been alone, I might've just died up here. [ That's a grim thought. ] We ought to be careful to avoid any other run ins while we wait for Sahar. As delightful as it is to kiss you, I'd rather not be trapped in my body to do it.
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[ Percival was the one who had asked him to come out today, so he feels responsible for what had happened. Claude's mention of the experience being frightening also gives him a pang of guilt, and he's resolved to better protect his friend. The assessment that they should wait for Sahar here is one he does agree with, because there isn't much they can do against a creature that attacks from a distance using sound.
The mention that it was 'delightful' to kiss him does colour his face pink again, his fingers lingering by his lips. It wasn't bad, but Percival doesn't admit things as easily. aka he's useless and i really want them to make out ]
... Do you speak so flippantly with everyone you meet?
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But then he thinks back to what he's heard of his ambitions, and it does line up with the kind of person that he is.
Claude shifts away from the lip of the cave so that he's facing Percival again, settling a gloved hand over the one he has hovering by his lips. ]
Not everyone. Does it bother you?
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... No. [ He likes Claude so far, and he doesn't get the sense that the other man is saying these things just to heckle him. So, it might have been a sincere admittance that he liked the experience. Percy liked it as well, but it's more difficult for him to be honest about certain things. He does reciprocate the hand-hold, more hesitant in the delivery as his fingers shift to allow a small entwine. ]
This place continues to change me in ways I could not anticipate.
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He's just shy? ]
Okay. [ There's an amused quirk to his lips, but his tone is gentle when he replies, keeping his hand where it is when he leans up to press their lips together in another kiss.
It's as chaste as the first—he's a gentleman after all—as though Percival is an easily startled deer, but warmth still blooms over his cheeks as the gesture, his body leaning in closer without realising. ]
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Percival closes his eyes, deepening the kiss and leaning back gently. He clasps Claude's hand and lays his other hand on his shoulder, encouraging the other man closer and further over him. ]
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Not that this means he doesn't like Percival—he does. Finds him charming and driven, passionate about many of the same things as Claude. He finds his ambitions to be admirable, and the care he extends toward others a wondrous thing.
He likes the way that he leans into the kiss, supporting Claude's weight and courteous down to the way that he moves his lips against his. It compels him to show the same consideration in return, pressing his tongue carefully to the seam of Percival's lips, tasting his mouth only once he has permission, the sensation sending a new warmth through him, bringing a flush to his face when he draws back. ]
I hope next time we do this you're not in your armour. [ His mouth quirks into a smile, patting Percival's chest plate. ] It's not as cozy as what's underneath.
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A flush settles by his cheeks as Claude touches the front of his chest plate. Though he can't feel the other man's hand through the metal, the action alone is enough to have him bashful. ]
It would be foolish to shed it right now. [ Then he'd have to carry his armour pieces around and it would only be a hindrance. ] Were you asking for another time ...?
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It's kind of cute. ]
Yes, another time.
[ There's a bit of a teasing look in his eye, smile amused when he presses his mouth to Percival's again, and then again, a series of kisses that gradually grow more bold until he needs to draw back again, a pleased flush to his face. ]
Unless the idea repulses you. My feelings won't be hurt.
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There's no reason it would repulse me. [ He's not adverse to such acts, even if he's avoided them for a long time in a bid to uphold his honour. His thoughts on that have since shifted since coming here, and he's a little more receptive to those simple pleasures. ] ... I'm not opposed.
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