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Dec. 2nd, 2024 10:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iniquiticityconju/quintus
Conju, of course, would have not admitted under pain of death that it was highly disorienting to meet Cliopher's family and learn that 1) his family was _exactly_ the sort of family Cliopher would come from, and also 2) Cliopher seemed utterly transformed upon his island. Conju was careful not to be overawed by the nearly unbelievabe natural beauty of it all, which had, _maybe_, taken his breath away, but he was perfectly at home, of course, memorizing names and faces and the side-commentary each of them made about eachother. Conju rapidly understood a great many things about his friend, all of a sudden.
Cliopher had huffed off after some tussle with his mother. Given that Eidora and Cliopher were painfully, terribly alike in a nearly uncountable number of ways, Conju found it not a surprise at all their relationship was challenged. He thought it might be unwise to tell either of them this. This latest huff had left Conju taking a rather lovely personal walk around Gorjo City, simply listening to the Islanders shout at one another. It was cacaphonous in the worst way, but also, so much information was absolutely free.
The news of the day was that there were merchant ships in town. Conju, of course, went to see.
The docks were not as nasty as any docks Conju had been to previously, and made better, quite franky, by the handsome captain ordering the ship around. Conju thought Cliopher handsome in a particular way, but this cousin-or-something of Cliopher's (for he obviously was) had improved upon himself in all the ways palace life made Cliopher sag. The captain was spectacularly bronzed and muscled, and he was wearing a wonderful fashion of deep blue silk, and he was commanding the dock with an air of utter domination.
||
Conju was convincing himself it was unwise to proposition Cliopher's family (and admitting, sadly, that was most of the island) when the captain smiled at him brilliantly, shouted at someone to do something at some point, and then walked down the gangway to Conju.
"Are you Kip's friend?" The captain asked, with pointed Mdang intent.
"Yes," he answered, and bowed, "The Cavalier Conju an Vilius."
"Quintus Sayo Mdang. Quintus is fine," The captain - Quintus - said with an absolutely correct bow. Conju allowed himself to look a fraction of how impressed - and interested - he was. "We aren't _all_ mostly capable of failing etiquette exams. Do you drink wine?"
"Yes," Conju answered.
"Did you come by skyship?"
"Yes," Conju answered, again. Under normal circumstances this interrogation might have been annoying, but he knew enough Mdangs by now not to take offense.
"So you don't _know_ terrible and boring it is to travel by ship, with just one's sailors." Quintus smiled.
Conju took several moments longer than he should have to realize what was happening. It was _utterly_ unCliopherlike to make such suggestions and not even directly. Well, he probably should not _go after_ any of the Mdangs, but to be discovered and asked so directly.....
"I don't," Conju said, "I could hear about it though. Especially with a glass of wine."
Quintus smiled. It was the smile that Cliopher gave him when he was telling Conju about some clever trap he'd laid. It was a very handsome smile, and espeically on a bronzed face. Quinus had diamonds in his ears, Conju noticed, and when he spoke Conju saw a diamond in his tongue.
||
-------
Whether it was proper on a ship for the captain in his quarters to disrobe down only his breeches, Conju had no idea, but he was perfectly willing to agree to it. Quinus poured him wine, and Conju asked where his ship had gone, siting near the map. Quintus took Conju's hand - Quintus' hands were rather rough - and pointed out areas on the map, his bare chest gleaming in the cabin magelights.
"Where did you get your tongue pierced?" Conju asked.
"Oh, this?" Quintus said, and stuck out his tongue, and Conju had several fasinating mental images, "In Xiputl, on a dare."
"Does it hurt?" Conju asked, and extended his arm, slow, and when Quintus did not pull away Conju stroked over his tongue and went back into Quintus' mouth with his finger.
"No," Quintus murmured against his finger, and sucked on it, "Comes in handy. Emergency funds."
Conju discovered that was not the only thing it came in handy for.
----
"My cousin Quintus' ship came into town last night," Cliopher said, the following morning, once Conju had rediscovered him. Cliopher did, at least, look much less moody now, "You might like him."
"I actually met him last night, there was a lot of talk about it. We had a lovely evening together."
Conju, of course, would have not admitted under pain of death that it was highly disorienting to meet Cliopher's family and learn that 1) his family was _exactly_ the sort of family Cliopher would come from, and also 2) Cliopher seemed utterly transformed upon his island. Conju was careful not to be overawed by the nearly unbelievabe natural beauty of it all, which had, _maybe_, taken his breath away, but he was perfectly at home, of course, memorizing names and faces and the side-commentary each of them made about eachother. Conju rapidly understood a great many things about his friend, all of a sudden.
Cliopher had huffed off after some tussle with his mother. Given that Eidora and Cliopher were painfully, terribly alike in a nearly uncountable number of ways, Conju found it not a surprise at all their relationship was challenged. He thought it might be unwise to tell either of them this. This latest huff had left Conju taking a rather lovely personal walk around Gorjo City, simply listening to the Islanders shout at one another. It was cacaphonous in the worst way, but also, so much information was absolutely free.
The news of the day was that there were merchant ships in town. Conju, of course, went to see.
The docks were not as nasty as any docks Conju had been to previously, and made better, quite franky, by the handsome captain ordering the ship around. Conju thought Cliopher handsome in a particular way, but this cousin-or-something of Cliopher's (for he obviously was) had improved upon himself in all the ways palace life made Cliopher sag. The captain was spectacularly bronzed and muscled, and he was wearing a wonderful fashion of deep blue silk, and he was commanding the dock with an air of utter domination.
||
Conju was convincing himself it was unwise to proposition Cliopher's family (and admitting, sadly, that was most of the island) when the captain smiled at him brilliantly, shouted at someone to do something at some point, and then walked down the gangway to Conju.
"Are you Kip's friend?" The captain asked, with pointed Mdang intent.
"Yes," he answered, and bowed, "The Cavalier Conju an Vilius."
"Quintus Sayo Mdang. Quintus is fine," The captain - Quintus - said with an absolutely correct bow. Conju allowed himself to look a fraction of how impressed - and interested - he was. "We aren't _all_ mostly capable of failing etiquette exams. Do you drink wine?"
"Yes," Conju answered.
"Did you come by skyship?"
"Yes," Conju answered, again. Under normal circumstances this interrogation might have been annoying, but he knew enough Mdangs by now not to take offense.
"So you don't _know_ terrible and boring it is to travel by ship, with just one's sailors." Quintus smiled.
Conju took several moments longer than he should have to realize what was happening. It was _utterly_ unCliopherlike to make such suggestions and not even directly. Well, he probably should not _go after_ any of the Mdangs, but to be discovered and asked so directly.....
"I don't," Conju said, "I could hear about it though. Especially with a glass of wine."
Quintus smiled. It was the smile that Cliopher gave him when he was telling Conju about some clever trap he'd laid. It was a very handsome smile, and espeically on a bronzed face. Quinus had diamonds in his ears, Conju noticed, and when he spoke Conju saw a diamond in his tongue.
||
-------
Whether it was proper on a ship for the captain in his quarters to disrobe down only his breeches, Conju had no idea, but he was perfectly willing to agree to it. Quinus poured him wine, and Conju asked where his ship had gone, siting near the map. Quintus took Conju's hand - Quintus' hands were rather rough - and pointed out areas on the map, his bare chest gleaming in the cabin magelights.
"Where did you get your tongue pierced?" Conju asked.
"Oh, this?" Quintus said, and stuck out his tongue, and Conju had several fasinating mental images, "In Xiputl, on a dare."
"Does it hurt?" Conju asked, and extended his arm, slow, and when Quintus did not pull away Conju stroked over his tongue and went back into Quintus' mouth with his finger.
"No," Quintus murmured against his finger, and sucked on it, "Comes in handy. Emergency funds."
Conju discovered that was not the only thing it came in handy for.
----
"My cousin Quintus' ship came into town last night," Cliopher said, the following morning, once Conju had rediscovered him. Cliopher did, at least, look much less moody now, "You might like him."
"I actually met him last night, there was a lot of talk about it. We had a lovely evening together."